Thursday Fulham Stuff - 09/03/23...

[WhiteJC]

Kevin McDonald on lifesaving kidney surgery and returning to football

Back in May 2021, McDonald's life changed forever when he underwent lifesaving kidney surgery. At the time, a return to football was far from a guarantee.

There must have been times that Kevin McDonald thought he would never play football again. So to see him score in back-to-back games for Exeter City this past fortnight is testament to the hard work he has put in to grace the field of play again.

Back in May 2021, McDonald's life changed forever when he underwent lifesaving kidney surgery. At the time, a return to football was far from a guarantee.

In reality, though, that journey started almost a decade earlier when a routine medical before a switch to Burnley saw McDonald, then just a teenager, diagnosed with IgA nephropathy: a chronic kidney disease that slowly progresses to failure over a prolonged period.

The end goal was always going to be a transplant. As McDonald himself puts it, there is no cure for the disease and it was merely a case of "trying to grind it out for as long as possible" before undergoing surgery. That moment arrived when he reached stage five of the disease; meaning one of his kidneys had stopped functioning altogether. Kevin's brother, Fraser, stepped in to save his sibling after a Royal Mail mix-up had prevented one of the midfielder's close friends from doing so.

Understandably though, none of that was on McDonald's radar when he was forced to digest the news that he had the devastating disease at the tender age of 20.

"When I first got diagnosed, to this day, I'd say it's never really sunk in because I've just gone about life as normal. I didn't feel any different and starting my football career as my sole focus at the end of the day," the 34-year-old Exeter midfielder said. "I get a medical, I'm absolutely buzzing to sign for Burnley and then I get this. In the end, signing for Burnley and my career in England overpowered what was ultimately a serious condition.

"I remember at the time it was obviously serious and stuff, but I'd just passed a medical and I was like I've done well: I'm moving to England to play football. That's where my head was more focused. They said at the time you're going to need a transplant and so on, but looking back, I for sure never thought of the severity of it. Four years later it was probably still the same. Four years later after that, possibly similar with a little bit more understanding [of the situation] but I lived a normal life every single week, so it was the last thing on my mind."

McDonald played with the disease for years and estimates that it was only when he hit 30 that he first started to notice things had deteriorated slightly. It was fairly innocuous things: the 34-year-old, who was playing for Fulham at the time, was falling behind in runs, for example. But after a routine blood test, the severity of the situation began to hit home. McDonald was told that he needed a transplant and his career as a professional footballer was in jeopardy.

Understandably, that hit hard. But even after undergoing the daunting procedure, there were fresh difficulties for McDonald to negotiate. His body initially rejected the new kidney, meaning the former Scotland international was forced into a prolonged hospital stay. Then, being high risk, he had to isolate himself for months during a gruelling recovery process alongside his brother and his wife, who was heavily pregnant at the time. He admits that was one of the toughest moments.

"There were plenty of times when it was mentally hard. The hardest part for me was, I left Fulham in the summer and May was the transplant, so I had a good four months in isolation and I couldn't really do anything anyway. I could only do the bare minimum and my wife was getting more and more pregnant. That part was tough for sure."

But there were plenty more hardships to come. After getting the green light to resume training with Fulham, McDonald - who by now was a free agent after being released by the Whites - was struggling to find anybody willing to take a chance on him.

"They [Fulham] were brilliant with me again, but the hardest part was getting back into a club. I understand certain teams [not wanting to give him a deal] - maybe high-level Championship clubs; I knew I wasn't going to get that sort of level even though I know I could still play there now.

"I won't name clubs out of respect, but there were sides we would have never in a million years considered, and they were turning around and saying we're not sure. I'm sat at home thinking 'f*** me'. I was fully training and good to go in December. I was back in a good place and flying at that time, but there was no options to go and train anywhere. I used contacts to go and train, but there wasn't a contract at the end of it. I was going into places and training well but getting nowhere. I ended up in Scotland training with Dundee United and I did well and ended up signing for them for the second part of the season.

"There were signs that the way I've always played was still there. But what I would say is that the league didn't suit me in any way, shape or form. Apart from the likes of Celtic and Rangers who are in control every game, it was a lot of long balls, second balls and tackling, running, chasing. I found that hard, but in some respects, it was perfect for me to put myself back into because I was getting little knocks and niggles. It was good to get back in somewhere; the manager was great and they were a great bunch of lads.

"The fans were on my side there but I knew it was time to move on [after his short-term deal was up]. I went to Derby pre-season and did well, but something was going on with my body, I had a problem with a disc pushing against a nerve in my back. I was good to go, to be honest with you, and then that - talk about timing! That period was probably harder than the transplant, to be honest with you."

McDonald's frustration at Derby ended up being the prelude to a challenging six-month period which consisted of numerous false dawns. After suffering another injury setback, McDonald returned to Fulham before he was given a call from Huddersfield just before Christmas. The opportunity to get back to a top level of football held an obvious appeal, but a "derisory" contract offer killed any chance of a deal being done.

"It was unacceptable to be fair. I guess they tried their chances, and I hold no grudges, but it was disrespectful at the time. It was disappointing. I took Christmas off, I had a few beers and enjoyed myself with my family.

"[Then] I went to Bradford and again done well, so I know myself I'm capable. It's not like I'm going to all these clubs and not getting anything. If I was going in and each team was saying no thanks, then fine, but I'm getting offers. I get offered a contract [by Bradford] but there's a little bit of a mix-up. Nothing bad - it should have worked out but it didn't. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise, though, because now I'm here at Exeter. They've given me the chance to show I'm still a good player at a good level and it's been great."

McDonald's fine strike in Exeter's 2-0 win over Cambridge, fittingly, came just before the start of March, which is kidney awareness month. The goal is a remarkable milestone that, in some ways, caps a truly torrid chapter of the midfielder's life. The veteran has penned a short-term deal until the end of the season but is open to extending his stay at a club who have thrived since earning promotion to the third tier last year.

Gary Caldwell's side are currently in mid-table and, up until recently, appeared to have an outside chance of cracking into the League One play-offs. McDonald admits that a rotten run of form prior to last weekend's win has probably put paid to that, but he is adamant that the Grecians, a club run and owned by its supporters' trust, are on an upward trajectory.

"It's a good club; we just got a new training ground, which was needed. When I went in it was like going back in time! That's in place now and we went into it at the start of last week. That makes such a huge, huge difference to a club. They've just come up from League Two, they've got a lovely training ground, the pitch at the stadium is absolutely top-drawer, which was a big thing for me as well, to be playing on that each week. Come the summertime, when the club tries to attract players, it's going to be huge. It's a great set of lads, a good set of staff. It's a team that's probably playing at 50 per cent of its potential at the moment. There are a lot of good young players in there and a good set of lads. It's a club that I would say is on the rise, for sure."

Working with Caldwell, who was handed his first managerial job by Wigan Athletic at the age of just 32, isn't lost on McDonald, who admits he contemplated a future in coaching a lot during his rehabilitation. He has already had a taste of coaching at Fulham, where was able to take sessions with their Under-18 and Under-23 teams prior to his transplant. After being omitted from the Whites' 25-man Premier League squad, McDonald even opted against making a move elsewhere to take a year out in order to focus on his health whilst delving deeper into coaching in the background.

McDonald, who had stints with the captain's armband at Fulham, still exudes an aura of authority. A transition into coaching feels like a natural progression, even if that may still be quite a way off.

For now, he comes across as eager to make up for lost time after winning a gruelling battle to get back onto the pitch. The most important aspect of his story, though, is that he currently feels good, healthy and is back doing what he's always loved.



https://www.devonlive.com/sport/football/football-news/kevin-mcdonald-lifesaving-kidney-surgery-8224720

[WhiteJC]

Anthony Knockaert's Huddersfield Town absence explained as two other injuries revealed

The Fulham loanee was not included in Neil Warnock's matchday squad for Tuesday evening's goalless draw against Bristol City at the John Smith's Stadium for personal reasons

Neil Warnock has explained that Anthony Knockaert was absent from the Terriers squad for their goalless draw against Bristol City on Tuesday evening on compassionate grounds.

The Huddersfield Town playmaker, on loan from Fulham, arrived in the January transfer window but has had his minutes hit by a foot injury that he was already carrying at the time of his signing.

A flare-up of that injury kept him out of action for the four-goal defeat away to Burnley, while he was an unused substitute as they repeated that scoreline at home to Coventry City on Saturday afternoon.

Warnock declined to go into further detail than to say it was a personal matter that kept Knockaert out of contention against Bristol City.

Striker Danny Ward was forced to go off feeling sick at the break after receiving a knee to the stomach early in the first half and was replaced by Martyn Waghorn. Warnock confirmed that Joe Hungbo's simultaneous withdrawal was purely tactical, however, as was Matt Lowton's exclusion from the matchday squad.

The manager also provided an update on Jaheim Headley, who on Monday had a scan on the hamstring injury that forced him off early on in Saturday afternoon's four-goal defeat at home to Coventry City.

The club had their fingers crossed there would not be tendon involvement and that the left-back might only miss a couple of weeks, but Warnock confirmed that they have not had good news and that Headley is in fact looking at something like a six-week absence.

Warnock also revealed that midfielder Scott High has suffered a fractured wrist and will need to wear a protective cast, but indicated he was unlikely to have picked the academy graduate in any case. It is unclear whether or not High will be able to play through the injury if required.



https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/football/news/anthony-knockaerts-huddersfield-town-absence-26414692

[WhiteJC]

Issa Diop has made David Moyes look very stupid indeed after his West Ham exit

Issa Diop continues to look very good for Fulham, making West Ham United's decision to sell him seem like a massive mistake.

West Ham manager David Moyes decided to allow Diop, 26, to join Fulham in the summer transfer window for around £15 million (Sky Sports).

At the time, that seemed like a great deal for the Hammers. The 6ft 4in centre-back experienced a major decline at the London Stadium after his impressive debut campaign in the Premier League.

However, maybe it was just the poor coaching that he received at West Ham.

Diop has been in brilliant form for Fulham recently, and the decision to sell him in the summer now looks like a really bad one...

West Ham made big mistake selling Issa Diop
Whilst moving him on from the Hammers seemed like the right call at the time, it seems now like Moyes just failed to get the best out of the central defender.

Given our current injury concerns in the centre-back department and the fact that we sold Craig Dawson in January, we could really do with Diop at the London Stadium right now.

In 18 Premier League appearances for Fulham this season, Diop has averaged 1.2 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 2.7 clearances per game (Who Scored).

He has won an average of 1.3 aerial duels per game. Diop has made 53.1 passes per match and has recorded an impressive completion rate of 85.5% (Who Scored).

The former Toulouse man looks like a complete centre-back at Fulham – the kind of player we were desperately waiting to see at the London Stadium.

His success at Craven Cottage is not a good look for David Moyes.

In my opinion, the 26-year-old is quite obviously receiving better coaching and clearer in-game instructions from Marco Silva than he ever did from Moyes.

Ask any Fulham fan and they will tell you just how impressive Issa Diop has been for them this season. And if Moyes could turn back time, he would surely try harder to make thing work for the 26-year-old at the London Stadium.



https://www.hammers.news/news/issa-diop-has-made-david-moyes-look-very-stupid-indeed-after-his-west-ham-exit/

[WhiteJC]

International Women's Day: Sonia Twigg

To mark International Women's Day 2023, we spoke to Sonia Twigg – a Sports Reporter for the Press Association who regularly covers Fulham – about her career path as a female journalist in the industry.

Can you tell us a little bit about how you got into sports journalism?

I did History and French at uni, but then didn't really know where that was going to lead so I did a Journalism Masters. It wasn't specific to sport but I always knew I wanted to work in sport somehow, and I liked writing, so that seemed a good place to start. It meant I could use some of the skills I got at school and university. They actually had a work experience scheme with PA, up in Howden, Yorkshire, so I did a week with them. From that, I got offered some casual shifts doing National League reports on the desk, and then they offered me a traineeship a few months later. After nine months, I moved from the traineeship into a reporting role that opened up in London, and I've been down here reporting on south-east football, and some England cricket stuff, pretty much ever since.

As you started your career, did you notice any differences between yourself and your male colleagues?

I found that when I was on my course, the blokes who were interested in sport dominated most of the sport that was available to do, just by being more dominant. The sports stories weren't necessarily being shared out, even though there were a few women who wanted to do sport, me included. When we did news simulations days, I didn't end up doing a lot of the sport, even though now I'm the only one from that group who's working in a sports journalism role. I did find that a bit difficult, but I just thought I'd bide my time and work hard, and see where that got me.

How good is it, now, to see an ever increasing number of female reporters covering football on television, radio, and in print?

There's definitely more now than there were when I started four years ago. When I started, there were a lot of times when I was the only woman at press conferences or in press boxes. There would maybe be one other young female journalist around, but there's definitely more coming through. But there's a noticeable divide – there's a lot of women in broadcast, there always has been, but when you get to the written journalists, there's a lot fewer. I think there's less jobs and less opportunities, and there tends to be less freelancers. There's definitely a big divide, as it's largely male written journalists, whereas there's closer to a 50/50 split in broadcast.

Are there any journalists in particular that you look up to?

When I was little, I wanted to be Gabby Logan, because she was the only woman on TV doing football, and it's hard to be what you can't see. And when I started reading more newspapers and was consuming more news that way, there were some I looked up to for the journalism they did, but there wasn't a specific woman because there weren't many around that time, maybe two or three.

It's hard to be what you can't see.

Have you ever been treated any differently because of your gender?

When I started, I got asked if I was on work experience a lot more than I think any of the blokes did. Especially when I was doing shadowing shifts, people would ask if I was there on work experience. I'd have to be like, 'no, I am a reporter, I'm just learning.' Having had younger journalists shadow me now, they are automatically more accepted and given the opportunity to ask questions, whereas when I started, I think before people got to know me, I was occasionally a bit overlooked. It might not be that I was outwardly treated differently, but I don't think people treat you quite the same, so you sort of had to prove you had a right to be there.

What advice would you give to a female journalist looking to break into the industry?

I think they've come at the right time. There's a lot more women getting into it now, and young women in particular, and it's definitely the right time to do it. You've got to not be intimidated by the fact that you will be outnumbered. I think I've maybe gone to one press conference where there's been an even split. You will always be the minority and, unfortunately, I just don't see that changing any time soon. But you've got to believe you've got a right to be there, if you are the only woman in the room.

You also cover cricket in your role with PA, where there are even fewer female journalists than in football. How do find that?

When I went out to Pakistan [to cover the England Men's cricket team], there were rooms of 50 men and me, which was quite intimidating, especially when you ask a question and feel the eyes on you. In a way, you're representing more than just yourself. There is that pressure to get everything right, because if you make a mistake, people will be more likely to remember it than if one of the 20 blokes who asked questions that day had. There are less [women], but you spend a lot more time together in cricket so you do get to know the other journalists a lot better, so it's easier to become respected and have people value your opinions, compared to football where maybe it's different people every week and you're constantly having to prove yourself.

How long have you covered Fulham for?

I've done this role since Fulham came up under Scott Parker. I'd done a bit of Fulham before, but that was my first full season. I've got a relationship with Fulham that goes back quite a long way because my Dad's a season ticket holder, so I've been coming here since I was about 12 or 13, through the Roy Hodgson era and everything. So even though I've only covered them as a journalist for three years, my relationship with the Club stretches back a long way.

Do you enjoy interviewing Marco?

I think he's good, though he's much happier when he wins! He's interesting, he definitely takes time to answer questions and thinks about what he's saying. He'll give you a very long and detailed answer, and I think what he's done with the team has been exceptional this year. He's definitely got the best out of them.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2023/march/08/international-womens-day-sonia-twigg/

[WhiteJC]

Arsenal: Ticket Exchange Open

Can't make it to Arsenal? List your seat on the Fulham FC Ticket Exchange.

With tickets sold out for our Premier League fixture against Arsenal, supporters are reminded that the Fulham FC Ticket Exchange is open for this match.

Season Ticket Holders who are unable to attend the fixture can now make their ticket available for other supporters to purchase on the Club's official Ticket Exchange.

The deadline to register your seat on the Ticket Exchange is Friday 10th March, 5pm.

The Fulham FC Ticket Exchange is exclusive to 2022/23 Season Ticket Holders & Members to purchase tickets for sold out fixtures (maximum one ticket per person).

Fulham take on league leaders Arsenal on Sunday 12th March, kick-off 2pm, further matchday information for this fixture can be found here.

Please note, 22/23 Members must have purchased a Membership prior to 10am on Friday 10th February to be eligible to purchase tickets on the Fulham FC Ticket Exchange.

WHAT IS THE TICKET EXCHANGE?

Ticket Exchange is the Club's official online resale platform which provides Season Ticket Holders the ability to list their seat for sale for other supporters to purchase at a fixture they are unable to attend. Once a purchaser is found and a sale is made, supporters will receive credit on their account to spend on future ticketing products.

The amount of credit expected to recieve for each ticket is displayed prior to listing your seat for sale.
HOW DO I LIST MY SEAT FOR SALE?

To list your seat on the Ticket Exchange, follow the instructions below:

    STEP 1 - LOGIN TO YOUR ONEFULHAM ACCOUNT
    STEP 2 - SELECT TICKET EXCHANGE ON THE RIGHT HAND NAVIGATION MENU
    STEP 3 - FROM THIS AREA YOU WILL BE ABLE TO VIEW ALL FIXTURES ELIGIBLE FOR THE TICKET EXCHANGE
    STEP 4 - CLICK VIEW DETAILS AND SELECT THE SEAT YOU WISH TO LIST
    STEP 5 - CLICK RESELL TICKET(S) - THIS WILL DISPLAY THE AMOUNT YOU WILL RECEIVE IN CREDIT IF THE TICKET SELLS
    STEP 6 - AGREE TO TERMS & CONDITIONS
    STEP 7 - CLICK PUT ON SALE

HOW DO I BUY A SEAT ON THE TICKET EXCHANGE?

For fans looking to buy tickets through the Ticket Exchange (adult tickets only), follow the steps below:

    STEP 1 - VISIT TICKETEXCHANGE.FULHAMFC.COM - CREATE AN ACCOUNT IF YOU DO NOT ALREADY HAVE ONE
    STEP 2 - SELECT YOUR SEATING AREA
    STEP 3 - CHOOSE YOUR SEATS, CLICK SELECT AND THEN ADD TO CART
    STEP 4 - COMPLETE YOUR PURCHASE



Tickets bought through the Ticket Exchange are strictly non-refundable. Supporters should be aware that availability on the ticket exchange fluctuates and tickets are only available based on Season Ticket Holders listing their seats (Tickets are capped at strictly one per person).

For any further questions regarding the Ticket Exchange, please contact the Ticket Office at [email protected], by phone on 0203 871 0810 (opt. 1) or in person from the Fulham FC Ticket Office.

Full terms and conditions for the Ticket Exchange can be found here.

Please note, to purchase on the Ticket Exchange for this fixture you must be a current Season Ticket Holder or have purchased a 22/23 Membership prior to 10am on Friday 10th February 2023.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2023/march/08/arsenal-ticket-exchange-open/

[WhiteJC]

Former Fulham and Tottenham midfielder hoping for minutes at Preston North End after brace in reserves run out

Preston North End midfielder Josh Onomah enjoyed his run out in Tuesday's Central League win against Blackpool and is hoping it leads to more first team minutes.

The 25-year-old joined North End in January on a free transfer after his contract at Fulham was cancelled, signing a short term deal at Deepdale.

Since then however he has played just 32 minutes as he has tried to build up his fitness, with most of his time at Fulham this season spent watching on rather than playing.

Manager Ryan Lowe had previously said that game time in the reserve games wasn't enough to get Onomah back up to speed but relented as a host of first team players were involved at Bamber Bridge, in a 3-0 win/

Speaking to the Lancashire Post, Onomah said: "It felt good, I felt it was needed to play three quarters of a game. It's been a long time coming. I felt good after that. As a footballer when you come into a new club you want to play games, me and the gaffer have an understanding and we both agreed that I need to get match fit. That's what we've been doing the last four or five weeks. I'm happy to get a game in and hopefully that helps with my fitness levels.

"It's important to be on the same wavelength with the gaffer, to make sure you're on the same page and together you achieve what you want to achieve. The management just said it's a reserve team game, get what you need to get out of it and don't go through the motions. I felt like we tried to do that as best as we could. We got some high numbers in with the sprints and work ethic. And a 3-0 win, positives all round.

"It was a difficult pitch to play on but it was the same for both sides, we don't concentrate on the stuff we can't control."

Onomah scored twice in the win, the first and last goal, with Liam Delap netting PNE''s second.

Although it may have only been a reserve team game, the attacking midfielder will take confidence from the performance and finding the net.

He said: "It's definitely a confidence booster. Any time you score in a match is important, it helps with your confidence and every game is important, regardless of if it's friendlies, reserves, first team, every goal is important. I've just got to keep practising the habits and it becomes more natural the more you practice it.

"The manager just said try and get on the ball and make things tick, work on the out of possession stuff, tackles and runs. That's what I tried to do. Not my usual position but I enjoyed it. You have to be attacking and defensive wherever you are on the pitch so it was good to get the practice in."

Next up for North End is Cardiff City this Saturday at Deepdale, the first of three games in a week.

Onomah has not always been involved in the matchday squads due to his fitness levels but he's hoping he can feature more regularly soon, but is trusting in Lowe's process.

"Hopefully I'll be fit enough to be in contention for that game and the focus is on that now," he said."

"It's not necessarily been frustrating, like the manager said to me, you've just got to trust in the process. Believe in him and the fitness staff and get myself in a reasonable position to be selectable for the games and that's what I've tried to do over the last four or five weeks. Just get myself as fit as possible. We have good communication and he's someone that I trust."



https://www.lep.co.uk/sport/football/preston-north-end/former-fulham-and-tottenham-midfielder-hoping-for-minutes-at-preston-north-end-after-brace-in-reserves-run-out-4055296

[WhiteJC]

'Played a role' - Bernd Leno opens up on Arsenal transfer to Fulham amid European push

Bernd Leno spent four seasons at Arsenal before making the switch to London rivals Fulham last summer and has helped the club reach the FA Cup quarter-final as well as a push for a top-seven finish in the Premier League

Bernd Leno has admitted he spoke to people at Arsenal about joining Fulham prior to his move.

The Cottagers shotstopper made the move across London during last summer's transfer window following four years at the Gunners and has been a revelation in goal, helping the club maintain their European push as they sit seventh in the league.

With the club also in the quarter-final of the FA Cup, where they will meet Carabao Cup winners Manchester United at Old Trafford, Leno said it was 'clear' that he wanted to stay in England and London in particular, before adding expectations at the club have changed since he first joined.

"It was clear for me, I wanted to stay in the Premier League," Leno told the Evening Standard. "It's the best league in the world by far — and London life, I really love it here.

"I spoke to people at Arsenal about wanting to join Fulham. Everyone said it's a nice family club. And I played many times against Fulham and it is an old-school stadium. All these aspects played a role.

"At the beginning, the main goal was to stay in the Premier League. We are in the quarter-final of the FA Cup, we're seventh in the League — no one saw that coming."

Leno has played in 24 of Fulham's 26 Premier League games, keeping seven clean sheets in the process and his performances across February have seen him nominated for the player of the month award alongside team-mate Manor Solomon.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/bernd-leno-arsenal-transfer-fulham-26417183

[WhiteJC]

Games for the Week-end 12/03
We welcome Arsenal to the Cottage for a 14:00 Sunday kickoff

Well the Brentford game didn't go as well as I'd hoped but really we only lost because of a very soft penalty?
I wonder what position we would be if Solomon had been available all season?
Mitro's fellow countryman Lukic had a steady game, hopefully he'll enjoy playing with Mitro and help to get Mitro back to his very best, we really need him to be for the Arsenal game.
Leno will looking to show his previous team that they made a mistake letting him go, I'd love for him to keep a clean sheet!

Taking on the League leaders, even at home, is going to be a tough game however we didn't really deserve to loose the corresponding away fixture and we were "in the game" right until the end, this would be a great game to get something from!

Current Record:
Fulham – DWWDL
Arsenal – LWWWW

Our record against Arsenal is dire with just 3 wins, 22 losses and 6 draws.

Hopefully Tete will be fit enough, my team would be...

COYW's

Games of Interest...
Saturday 12th
Bournemouth – Liverpool
Everton v Brentford
Leeds v Brighton
Leicester v Chelsea
Spurs v Forest
Palace v Man City

Sunday 13th
Fulham v Arsenal
West Ham v Villa

Wednesday 15th
Southampton v Brentford

Thursday 16th
Brighton v Palace

come on over to the forum and join in the conversation...
https://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=36.0



http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=2557

[WhiteJC]

Former Charlton midfielder and Fulham boss sacked by Club Brugge

Scott Parker has been sacked by Club Brugge after just 12 games in charge.

Brugge were dumped out of the Champions League at the Round-of-16 stage last night after suffering a 7-1 defeat across two legs against Portuguese side Benfica.

Parker won just two of his 12 games in all competitions during his short stint at the Jan Breydel Stadium.

The Belgian champions are fourth in Pro League and 19 points off current leaders Genk.

Parker, who also featured for West Ham and Spurs during his playing career, made 140 appearances at Charlton.

He won promotion to the Premier League as manager of Fulham and Bournemouth.

In a statement on their club website, Brugge said: "Scott Parker is no longer head coach of Club Brugge. Parker was announced as the new head coach of Club Brugge on December 31 last year.

"The English ex-international previously worked for Fulham and Bournemouth and replaced Carl Hoefkens at Club. In 12 games, the Briton could only win two times."



https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/former-charlton-midfielder-and-fulham-boss-sacked-by-club-brugge/

[WhiteJC]

Why can't Bernd Leno admit his time at Arsenal was not a success at all?

Bernd Leno has been talking in preparation for his reunion with Arsenal this week.

This is what he shared with the Evening Standard: "I don't have toxic feelings or bad energy for Arsenal. It didn't end the perfect way but my reception at the Emirates was very good. I get fans coming up to me saying 'thank you for your four years .... you were very good'.

It's great that the 31-year-old is professional enough to not be bitter about his time in North London and that Gooners are respectful when meeting him in person. There's certainly zero reason to question the German's work ethic and desire when he was a Gunner. It's simply a case of his statement .... well it isn't true is it?

He wasn't very good. If he was very good he wouldn't have been dropped in the first place, and with all respects to Fulham, a bigger queue would have formed with his asking price only 8 million.

It took a section of our fanbase way too long to realise he made too many errors to be trusted at the level we aspire to be. The same people who called 8th and 5th progress and a 'fine season'?

There was a period where supporters debated he was the third best keeper in the division, despite being in goal for factually our worst League finish in 25 years!

His mistakes contributed to there being zero European Football at Arsenal for the first time in quarter of a century.
The Everton winner that slipped through his hands?
The red card at Wolves?
Running out to claim corners and leaving an open goal for Chelsea and Brentford to score?
Charging out of goal so Benfica could walk the ball in?
Literally passing the ball so Vienna could score?
Just to name a few ......

Wasn't he partly responsible for our winner on his return to his former club?

His lack of awareness is incredible, almost bordering on arrogance how he takes zero accountability for why he is no longer our number one.

This statement tells you why he's not our number One anymore: "I was happy with my performance. Even when they dropped me, I did nothing wrong.'

There's a difference between believing in yourself and having faith in your ability compared to not taking any accountability when something goes wrong.

After his original transfer he blamed politics for the reason of his exit. On international duty he would inform his national media that his manager had never bothered to tell him what he had done that warranted being dropped.

There have been too much talent Arteta has given up on if he feels they don't match his ethos. In his first job he's been allowed by his employers to wash hands of assets, paying them to sit at home, ripping up contracts, etc, instead of training and teaching, getting the best out of the resources he has. There are too many names for there not to to be something about that.

Top sports people though are able to assess their own performance, they don't need to informed what they do well or not well.

In Amazon's All Or Nothing Series Ramsdale sat in the dressing room downbeat after letting a Liverpool goal beat him at his near post. Long after his peers had left, he remained sat with his head down.

There were other parts of the documentar, where we won but he was frustrated at not keeping a clean sheet. That's a difference in the mentality between the two goalies.

Once a Gooner always a Gooner.

No one can fault Leno's effort, but for anyone to say his 4 years were a success are wrong.

Dan



https://www.justarsenal.com/why-cant-bernd-leno-admit-his-time-at-arsenal-was-not-a-success-at-all/333898

[WhiteJC]

Happy International Women's Day
We're coming up on two decades of Hammyend.com. When Nick and I sketched the plan for an international Fulham fans' website in his Stockholm apartment in 2003, we didn't think we'd last two years. One of our aims was to cover Fulham for the fans – professionally, passionately but with a frequency and professionalism sadly lacking from the local and national titles. Back then, Fulham had a professional women's side that had completed a domestic double and competed in Europe. We committed to equality by aiming to cover the women's game and highlighting female Fulham fans' voices.

The work of covering the club we love is all-consuming and, since we don't monetise our content, entirely unpaid. I'm very proud of our continuing commitment both to cover the fantastic Fulham FC Women side and offer regular columns from Fulham's female fans. We've kept this website running mainly to honour the legacy of one of our earliest – and most enthusiastic backers – Danny Fullbrook. He was a champion of equality in journalism long before it was fashionable and we are very pleased with the progress of one of our own from Hammyend's pages to the top of sports journalism.

A very young Lydia Campbell responded to our call for aspiring journalists as a teenager and has penned some of the best pieces we've published. Her interview with Rodney McAree remains one of the most popular stories in the site's history and she organised a feature with one of her local clubs, Crusaders, before they hosted the Whites in the Europa League. Lydia's contributions here are now few and far between – because she is a brilliant BBC employee – but we appreciate her continuing support.

One of the most emotional articles I've pressed publish was one that my much-missed friend Milly Burnham on why she became a Fulham fan. More recently, we've had fantastic contributions from the brilliant Hayley Davinson and the irrepressible Chloe White. We were delighted to be joined on the Green Pole by the founders of the Fulham Lillies and promote the work of Her Game Too, especially the fabulous Fulham ambassador Amelia Armstrong. International Women's Day is a brilliant reminder of why we need to keep going to achieve genuine equality – not least because the gender pay gap at Fulham FC increased last year – and Hammyend will be doing just that.

Let us know if you want to be involved. COYW!



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/03/happy-international-womens-day/

[WhiteJC]

'You Can't Stop Him': English Premier League Team Hails Israeli Soccer Star Manor Solomon After He Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game

Israeli soccer star Manor Solomon continued his show-stopping performance in England's Premier League by scoring on Monday for the fifth match in a row.

The 23-year-old Fulham winger equalized in Monday's contest with west London rivals Brentford, firing a rebound into the net after teammate Andreas Pereira's freekick hit the crossbar to take the score to 1-1. Brentford went on to win the tie 3-2.

Solomon has now scored five goals in his last five games with Fulham — four in Premier League and one during Fulham's 2-0 FA Cup third round victory over Hull. He is also one of only four Fulham players to score in four consecutive Premier League matches.

Fulham's official Twitter account tweeted, "You can't stop him!" during the match and on Tuesday shared a clip highlighting Solomon's "5 in 5" goal, including an emoji of the Israeli flag in both tweets. Sky Sports Premier League also praised the Israeli athlete despite his team's loss in the game by tweeting, "Manor Solomon can't stop scoring."

After Monday's game, Solomon said in an interview, "It's amazing to score five goals in a row, I work hard for it, and it's something I've always dreamed of."

"But while in the previous games, it helped the team to snatch some points or move ahead in the bracket, this time it wasn't enough, so my goal is a little less important," he added. "I hope that in the next game, I can be dominant again and help the team and that this time it will be worth some points."

Solomon is nominated for FIFA's Premier League Player of the Month award for February and is in the running against fellow Fulham player Bernd Leno as well as Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, Tottenham Hotspur's Emerson Royal, Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa and Kelechi Iheanacho from Leicester City. He is also a contender for the Premier League's Budweiser Goal of the Month award for February.

The Algemeiner previously reported that some of the top clubs in England's Premier League have expressed interest in signing Solomon, who is currently on loan with Fulham until June. He is signed to the Ukrainian team Shakhtar Donetsk but has been playing in England under a FIFA rule that allows athletes with Ukrainian clubs to compete with other teams following Russia's invasion of the country.



https://www.algemeiner.com/2023/03/08/you-cant-stop-him-english-premier-league-team-hails-israeli-soccer-star-manor-solomon-after-he-scores-in-fifth-consecutive-game/

[WhiteJC]

Another Moyes boob on defender who got away

Issa Diop is now playing some of the best football of his career at Fulham, making our decision to sell him seem like yet another mistake.

Moyes let him go having allegedly made it clear to him that he was at the bottom of his personal pecking order at central defence. As a result the young man demanded a move and got it!

According to our second favourite anoraks at sofascore: In 18 Premier League appearances for Fulham this season, Diop has averaged 1.2 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 2.7 clearances per game. He has also won an average of 1.3 aerial duels per game. and made 53.1 passes per match and has recorded an impressive completion rate of 85.5%.

Given our current injury concerns in the centre-back department and the fact that we sold Craig Dawson in January. Can we have him back please?

The Fulham equivalent of ClaretandHugh has been gushing with praise for the seemingly reborn centre back.

It has to be asked: What is Marco Silva doing David Moyes didn`t?

Answers on a postcard please...



https://www.claretandhugh.info/another-moyes-boob-on-defender-who-got-away/