Sunday Fulham Stuff - 11/12/22...

[WhiteJC]

Rest in power, Grant Wahl
I'm shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden death of legendary American football journalist Grant Wahl at the World Cup in Qatar tonight.

Grant was incredibly generous to me in the early stages of my journalistic career – and his advice, time and kindness were all the more remarkable as we didn't know each other at all before he got in touch having read articles I had written for Hammyend. Grant was the doyen of American football writing and the first port of call for news about the US game, which meant he had a lot of admiration for the way Fulham became a home for some of the brightest American talent.

As a journalist, Grant was fearless. He stood up for his colleagues – something which cost him a job he loved with Sports Illustrated – and for his values, as we saw earlier in this tournament when he was detained for wearing a rainbow-coloured t-shirt. My thoughts go out to his Grant's family, friends and colleagues tonight as they attempt to come to terms with this devastating loss. May he rest in power.

Please forgive this moment of personal indulgence as well as the fact that updates may be a little more irregular than normal in the coming days.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/12/rest-in-power-grant-wahl/

[WhiteJC]

Rangers may need to make contact with Fulham before January if they wish to sign Josh Onomah

Rangers may need to "touch base" with Fulham before January if they wish to sign midfielder Josh Onomah during the transfer window, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The 25-year-old has been a bit-part player for Marco Silva at Craven Cottage so far this season, making just two appearances for the club in the Premier League.

Michael Beale is reportedly interested in securing the services of the dynamic midfielder, whose contract runs out next summer.
rangers

According to former Eurosport journalist, Jones, the Gers may need to touch base with the Cottagers "early on" if they wish to lure the Englishman north of the border.

He told GiveMeSport: "I think what would need to happen here is that, if Rangers are genuinely interested then they'll need to touch base early on, possibly even before January, to put the idea in Fulham's head to try to understand what it's going to take to sign him and also give Fulham time to consider how they replace him in the team."

Promising player
Onomah would likely welcome a move away from Craven Cottage, where he has struggled to impact proceedings this season.

The London-born midfielder made 37 appearances for the club in the 2019/20 season, scoring four goals and providing three assists.

A move to Rangers would re-ignite his stalling career, which has seen the player fail to impress at during spells at Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday, and the transfer would likely be pretty cheap for the Gers.

The Rangers squad is in dire need of refreshing – especially in the middle of the park – and the Fulham midfielder is renowned for his hard running and energetic style of play.

With the midfielder out of contract in the summer, now is the perfect opportunity for both parties to come to an agreement.

If Rangers are willing to give Beale free reign over his transfer policy, this transfer could be the first of many to come.



https://www.ibroxnews.com/2022/12/10/rangers-may-need-to-make-contact-with-fulham-before-january-if-they-wish-to-sign-josh-onomah/

[WhiteJC]

AdORED Aleksandar Mitrovic given hero's welcome as Serbia and Fulham star is serenaded by hundreds of Partizan fans at basketball game... who sang Newcastle chant

Fulham star Aleksandar Mitrovic was all smiles at a basketball game just days after Serbia's group stage exit from the World Cup.

Serbia suffered a group stage exit after falling to Switzerland in their final match, and many of their players are either away on a holiday or back training with their club sides.

Mitrovic, meanwhile, has been watching EuroLeague basketball games, after he had a good World Cup from a personal perspective, netting two goals across the three group stage games.

At the Stark Arena, though, he attended the match between Partizan and Crvena Zvezda and was given a hero's welcome to the venue, despite the fact that he was trying to keep a low profile and not attract the public attention.

Mitrovic looked humbled by the support he was given by the Partizan fans and as they chanted his name to the song Freed from Desire, changed to "Mitro's on Fire" by the fans – a song that was first belted out by Newcastle supporters.

He had to give in and stand up to soak in the applause, acknowledging the support shown to him.

Mitrovic waved to the fans and he looked moved by the support given to him by the locals, and it was clear from his face that he didn't want to be noticed by the fans in attendance.

The Fulham frontman has become a bit of a cult hero both domestically and abroad after his rich vein of form for the Cottagers and his national team, and that is clearly evident in the adulation he receives on and off the pitch.

So far this season, Mitrovic has scored nine goals in 12 appearances for Fulham and is hoping to continue his rich vein of form when the Premier League season resumes after the World Cup break on Boxing Day.

Fulham take on London rivals Crystal Palace as they make their return to the Premier League at the end of the month.



https://talksport.com/football/1272832/aleksandar-mitrovic-heros-welcome-serbia-fulham-partizan-fans-basketball-game-newcastle-chant/

[WhiteJC]

Premier League rival have 'no intention' of selling star amid Newcastle United interest

The 25-year-old has been the latest in a swirl of rumours surrounding moves to St. James' Park but Fulham won't let him go too easily

Despite the interest of clubs across Europe, it appears as though Fulham have 'no intention' of cashing in on potential moves for USA international Antonee Robinson after the left-back impressed at the World Cup according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Robinson played every minute in all four matches of the U.S' tournament throughout late November and early December as they reached the knockout stages for the first time since 2014.

The 25-year-old has also been in top form for Marco Silva's side having played 90 minutes in all but two matches (due to an ankle injury early in the season) - and has caught the eye of many good clubs.

One of those clubs has been reported to be Newcastle United, with Dan Burn being played out-of-position by Eddie Howe ahead of natural left-back Matt Targett who signed permanently for the club in the summer.

However, it's believed that Howe wants a left-back more suited to summer signing Kieran Trippier's style - someone that can push further up the field while having the pace and defensive awareness to track back when necessary which is a profile that Robinson fits.

Jones told GiveMeSport that despite Robinson's good performance for the U.S at the World Cup earlier this month, the Cottagers have no intentions of cashing in on his good form next month when the window opens up.

"He's had a good season with Fulham, he's had a good World Cup. There's been clear progress in his overall game too, he's very much becoming the all-round modern full-back.

"At this stage Fulham have had no inquiries, they've got no intention to sell him. So we'll have to see whether anybody can change that situation."

The Magpies may have a battle on their hands for his signature though and not just with Fulham either. With Robinson's contract running out in around 18 months time, it means plenty of other clubs are fishing around to potentially land his services - one of those being Serie A giants Inter Milan.

Either way, Fulham certainly won't let him leave for nothing which means if they can't lock him down with a bigger deal, Newcastle could swoop in and secure themselves a great left-back for the future.



https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/premier-league-rival-no-intention-25701038

[WhiteJC]

FPL fixture analysis: Fulham stars lifted by Double Gameweek

The Cottagers are one of only two sides to play four matches in the next three Gameweeks

The Scout pinpoints the teams with the most favourable schedules, according to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), when the Premier League returns on 26 December, identifying which players Fantasy Premier League managers should consider with their unlimited transfers.

Fulham

Along with their London rivals Chelsea, the Cottagers are one of only two sides to play four fixtures in the next three Gameweeks.

According to the FDR, two of those encounters, at home to Southampton in Gameweek 18 and at Leicester City in the first match of their Gameweek 19, score only two.

Fulham's next three Gameweeks

GW	Opp.	FDR
17	CRY (A)	3
18	SOU (H)	2
19	LEI (A), CHE (H)	2, 3

Aleksandar Mitrovic (£6.8m) offers the best prospect of attacking returns over Fulham's favourable short-term run.

The Serbian forward has scored nine goals in only 12 appearances and has produced 56 shots, more than any other player in 2022/23 Fantasy.

His 48 shots in the box are more than three times the total of any team-mate.

Midfielder Andreas Pereira (£4.6m), meanwhile, has been the Cottagers' top value player and has matched the 61 points of Mitrovic.

The Brazilian has combined two goals with five assists and is their most-owned pick in Fantasy, found in over 23 per cent of squads.

Other options
Winger Willian (£5.5m) boasted a strong all-round influence on Fulham's attack prior to the season break.

His seven shots on target in the last six Gameweeks were more than any team-mate, while his 12 shots and 13 chances created both placed second.

At the back, Kenny Tete (£4.4m) is the standout pick with three assists in nine appearances.

The Dutchman could prove a useful bench option for those willing to take a risk on his side's potential for clean sheets.



https://www.premierleague.com/news/2979267

[WhiteJC]

Fulham Women face Enfield Town tomorrow
Fulham Women take on Enfield Town tomorrow at Motspur Park in their final home fixture before Christmas looking to record a third consecutive league win in succession.

Steve Jaye's side have breathed new life into their promotion hopes with impressive wins over league leaders Millwall Lionesses and Dulwich Hamlet in the last fortnight. The Whites are now just three points behind Millwall in third position and will be looking to put pressure on the top two by repeating their win at Enfield in the reverse fixture at the start of the season.

You can book tickets to cheer on Fulham Women via the club's website – they are priced at just £5 for adults and £1 for concessions. The match kicks off at 2.30pm tomorrow.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/12/fulham-women-face-enfield-town-tomorrow/

[WhiteJC]

Claim player's move to Fulham was not "a lucky choice" – Had "hoped for more"

Costa Rican midfielder Bryan Ruiz was wrong to join Fulham but accepted the switch just to get out of FC Twente.

That's according to Dutch midfielder Wout Brama, who believes Fulham were simply not the right fit for the playmaker.

Ruiz joined Fulham in a €12m deal from Twente at the end of the transfer window in 2011, signing for €12m after a two-year spell with the Dutch side.
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He had been the star man for them during that time, scoring 44 goals and registering 24 assists in 97 games.

Those were numbers he was unable to replicate at Fulham where, despite brief glimpses of his quality, he was only able to manage 12 goals and 24 assists in 107 games.

He eventually left for Sporting in a €1.32m deal in 2015 and has since turned out for Santos in Brazil and LD Alajuelense in his homeland.

He's set to retire in January and that's led to a look back at his career, with Brama labelling the move to Fulham as unlucky.

"It was a bad fit at the other clubs too, I think," he told ESPN's 'Signing Bryan Ruiz', relayed by Twente Fans.

"He went down to Fulham in the last minute. I don't think that was such a lucky choice. I think he had also hoped for more than a club like Fulham.

"But he had kind of set his sights on leaving here because he had basically been taught out. I understood that very well.

"But I think a lot of clubs, especially the bigger clubs, still doubted his speed and power."



http://sportwitness.co.uk/claim-players-move-fulham-not-lucky-choice-hoped/

[WhiteJC]

How Fulham use blockers to capitalise from corners

Adrian Clarke casts the spotlight on the Cottagers as he highlights clubs' set-piece strengths

Adrian Clarke analyses the Premier League's most successful teams in creating goals from corner kicks in 2022/23.

Fulham
Fulham should be proud of their efficiency when attacking corners this season.

Marco Silva's side have scored seven goals from only 39 shots from these set-plays, outperforming their Expected Goals total by four.

The Cottagers have been one of the most imaginative sides, regularly setting up routines that involve decoy players used as blockers.

Tosin Adarabioyo's goal at Nottingham Forest earlier this season was a prime example. 

Here, you see Adarabioyo (circled yellow) on the edge of the D marked by Ryan Yates.



Adarabioyo spins away at the last moment around the back of Aleksandar Mitrovic (circled red), who is in a perfect place to collide with Yates as the Forest man tries to track the run.

With Fulham's other attackers all making near-post runs, they deliberately create an avenue for Adarabioyo to run into and score.



Below is another example of Fulham's excellent use of blockers, this time against Aston Villa.

From a 4v4 cluster on the penalty spot, Mitrovic (circled yellow) spins away around the back, forcing his marker to chase him through the crowded box.



Fulham winger Neeskens Kebano cleverly steps across the path of Mitrovic's marker (circled red), allowing the Serb a free header at the far post, which was brilliantly cleared off the line.



Fulham have shown a wide repertoire of set-piece deliveries all season, with Andreas Pereira creating the second-most chances from corners.

Most chances created from corners

Player	2022/23 total
Kieran Trippier	18
Andreas Pereira	17
Aaron Cresswell	13

With his 50 per cent accuracy success rate, Pereira has made 17 opportunities from corners.

Silva will hope for more of the same when his side return to action at Crystal Palace on Boxing Day.



https://www.premierleague.com/news/2980182