Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 18/04/23...

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Monday
Leeds	1-6	Liverpool

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Luke Ayling blown away by out-on-loan Leeds star's weekend display, compared to Nicolas Anelka

Dan James enjoyed his best game in a Fulham shirt since joining the club on loan from Leeds United in the summer, and also gave Leeds a helping hand in a 3-1 win over Everton – prompting reaction from Luke Ayling and others.

James, 26, has endured a difficult loan spell at Fulham. He left Leeds to join the London club last summer on loan in order to get some much-needed game time ahead of the World Cup. But it has not worked out like that for James.

Indeed, the £25m Leeds signing has managed just 19 outings for Fulham so far – starting just five times. Saturday saw James start only for the fifth time, his fourth in the League. Wales boss Rob Page says it has frustrated him.

But he starred on Saturday. He got a goal and an assist as Fulham beat Everton 3-1 – helping Leeds with Everton right in the thick of the relegation scrap with Leeds. James laid on an assist for the opener, Harrison Reed netting.

Dwight McNeil equalised before Willian's gorgeous assist set up Harry Wilson to make it 2-1. Then, James made it 3-1 after a mistake in the Everton defence with a neat finish. The Welsh winger posted on Instagram after the win.

Luke Ayling and others react as on-loan Leeds man Dan James shines
It was a stunning performance from James – the first game since joining Fulham in which he has seen out the entire 90 minutes. A constant thorn in Everton's struggling defence – helping Marco Silva's side to a first win in six games.

No doubt, those at Leeds will be looking on at James – given his initial outlay. If there were any question marks over whether James should come back to Leeds this summer, this helps answer them. Leeds players were impressed.

Indeed, Sam Greenwood and Ayling responded – applauding James. Ex-Leeds defender Matt Kilgallon also gave his take on James' display, while Leif Davis was full of praise. Teammate Reed compared James to that of Anelka.





https://www.leedsunited.news/news/leeds-stars-blown-away-by-dan-james-on-weekend-star-likened-to-nicolas-anelka/

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The six fastest times we reached 40 Premier League points

Drew Heatley dips into the history books to see how quickly we've achieved survival – and how we built on it.

We finally bloody did it.

It's true what they say – 40 in the Premier League really is the magic number.

In our 15 full Premier League seasons to date, we've passed the 40-point mark 10 times. The only seasons we failed to – and still stayed up – were the dodgy 2006/07 campaign and the great escape of 2007/08.

It's obvious to say, but I'll say it anyway: the faster you hit 40 points, the earlier you can start looking up the table to greater things.

Our 3-1 win against Everton means that finally hit 40 points, four league games – and nearly two months – after reaching 39 with a draw against Wolves in February. And yet we've still achieved it in the (joint) fastest time ever, just 30 games. That means that we are – in theory – capable of equalling our highest-ever Premier League points tally of 53 points in 2008/09. But can we beat our best-ever finish of seventh, achieved in the same season?

I've looked at the five previous fastest times we've hit the magic survival mark in the Premier League – and how we capitalised on it.

6. 2010/11 – 34 games (27 April 2011)
Final points and position: 49 (8th)
The 2010/11 campaign was the first after our Europa League heartache and our first without Roy Hodgson, who departed for Liverpool in the summer. But instead of moping, the Whites continued to show their class under new boss Mark Hughes.

We crossed the threshold with a 3-0 midweek win over Bolton Wanderers under the lights at the Cottage. Clint Dempsey bagged a brace and Hangeland finished off the rout. The win took us to 42 points and placed us in ninth. We'd bag seven more points in our final four games, thanks to wins at Sunderland and Birmingham, before rounding off the campaign with an impressive 2-2 draw with fourth-placed Arsenal.

5. 2002/03 – 34 games (19 April 2003)
Final points and position: 48 (14th)
It's mad to think that 48 points only got you a 14th-placed finish back in 2003, but that was how competitive the Premier League was in the early noughties – just ask West Ham.

This was our second season in the top flight, and despite what looks like a respectable finish, amazingly we announced Jean Tigana's contract wouldn't be renewed in the summer, with Mohamed Al-Fayed saying in an open letter: "Obviously, our position in the Premier League both this year and last year has been disappointing, particularly given the degree of investment and resources provided, and I am sure you would be the first to agree".

Tigana's position quickly became untenable and he left in April 2003, with Chris Coleman taking temporary charge. We passed 40 points in Cookie's first game, thanks to a 2-1 win against Newcastle at our then-temporary home of Loftus Road. Alan Shearer put the Magpies ahead, but the dismissal of Newcastle full-back Andy Griffin gave us a way back into the game, and we triumphed with goals from Sylvain Legwinksi and former Newcastle hero Lee Clark.

The Whites would pick up seven more points in their last four games under Coleman, including a 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, ensuring Cookie got the job permanently.

4. 2011/12 – 32 games (7 April 2012)
Final points and position: 52 (9th)
This was Martin Jol's first season in charge of the Whites, as he looked to build on the eighth-placed finish Hughes achieved before he left citing a "lack of ambition".

He ended up hitting 40 points earlier and achieving a higher points tally, albeit finishing a place lower. We passed the marker thanks – coincidentally – to another 3-0 win against Bolton, this time at the then-University of Bolton Stadium. And it was thanks to another Clint Dempsey brace, this time with Mahamadou Diarra adding the third.

We'd win 10 more points out of a possible 18 in our last six games, including a point against Chelsea and a win at Anfield, but it was only enough to move us up one place to ninth.

3. 2009/10 – 32 games (4 April 2010)
Final points and position: 46 (12th)
This is a classic case of being distracted by bigger things.

This is, of course, the campaign that saw us playing in four competitions, and reaching the Europa League final. We'd end up playing 63 games, and started in July – so it's little surprise something had to give. And it was our league form at the end of the season.

We cruised to 40 points by early April, beating Wigan 2-1 at the Cottage, thanks to goals from Stefano Okaka and Brede Hangeland. The game was sandwiched between our two wins against Wolfsburg in the Europa League quarter-finals. We'd win just once more in the league – a 3-2 home win against West Ham – as we battled Hamburg in the semis and ultimately looked ahead to the biggest game in our history.

2. 2003/04 – 30 games (27 March 2004)
Final points and position: 52 (9th)
Having been awarded the gig full-time, this was Cookie's first full campaign. We hit 40 points with eight games to go, but at Christmas it looked like so much more was possible. After a 2-0 win over Southampton on Boxing Day, the Whites sat in the Champions League places, thanks to the 12 goals from Louis Saha. But a January swoop from Manchester United put paid to any European dreams.

We picked up Brian McBride in the same window, who while not fully filling our Saha-shaped hole, helped us to a respectable ninth place – which was then our highest-ever finish. We hit 40 points after a 0-0 draw with Manchester City at the then-titled City of Manchester Stadium. We ended that day in ninth, and despite picking up an average of two points a game in our final eight matches, we were unable to move any higher.

1. 2008/09 – 30 games (21 March 2009)
Final points and position: 53 (7th)
Ah yes – our best-ever Premier League campaign (so far).

It's still hard to fully appreciate the transformation under Roy Hodgson, from seemingly relegation certainties in 2007/08 to seventh-placed Europa League qualifiers the very next season. But that's exactly what happened.

We hit 40 after a 2-0 win against Manchester United at the Cottage – a game that saw both Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney get their marching orders. Danny Murphy dispatched a penalty after Scholes played goalkeeper in the box, and Gera sealed the win in the second half.

We won four and drew one of our remaining eight games, which was enough to secure European qualification despite a 2-0 home defeat against Everton on the final day, thanks to Spurs performing their annual final day capitulation, losing 3-1 to Liverpool. Turnaround complete.

It's so exciting to think of what's possible in these final eight games now we've all-but-secured safety. Sit back and enjoy the ride.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2023-04-17-the-six-fastest-times-we-reached-40-premier-league-points/

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Marco Silva sends 'character and personality' warnings to Leeds United ahead of clash

The Fulham boss was delighted after his side's 3-1 win over Everton and has already set his sights on Leeds United.

Fulham manager Marco Silva has warned Leeds United of his side's 'character and personality' ahead of their Premier League clash at Craven Cottage next weekend.

Goals from Harrison Reed, Harry Wilson and Whites loanee Dan James saw the Cottagers cement their spot in the top half of the table against a tough Everton side.

"Clearly we were the best team on the pitch and we deserved the three points, no doubt," Silva said in his post-match press conference.

"We started the game really well, I think until the moment Everton equalised we were clearly the best team there, we controlled the game really well.

"We expected a little bit of the high pressure that Everton was doing the last few games at home. They have been really strong, apart from the game against Villa where they lost, they have been achieving good results and always creating a lot of problems for the opposition side with the high pressure every time.

"We knew that is something that we like to do as well, building from the back, and I think we did really well from the first minute of the game. We showed the personality and the character to play in our way, to not change many things."

The Fulham boss also highlighted James' positive involvement, something that can't be said for a lot of his time down south this season.

James has only found two goals and an assist in 16 appearances for Fulham, with two of those coming against the Toffees over the weekend.

"I did it because I was not happy with our last two performances, the way we weren't really a threat in our attack line," Silva continued.

"We didn't create enough, we were not aggressive enough in our attack line. Because of that, I didn't just change James, Harry Wilson [came in] on the right hand side as well, because we wanted to have a little bit more pace in behind, some different things. And we had plenty of that.

"We did our job, to analyse the game and to analyse Everton, we expected them to come to press really high every time, and we didn't want to give that number nine reference for them to go and squeeze him every time.

"We went in a different way and it worked really well, and the main reason is because the players understood and, after, they did it on the pitch."



https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/marco-silva-warning-leeds-fulham-26711394

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Club 'convinced' agent is making up Wolves and Fulham interest in star – Trying to force move

Recent reports from the Brazilian media claimed that Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers were interested in Palmeiras star Raphael Veiga.

As covered by us at the time, the English clubs reportedly made contact for the 27-year-old, and joined a long list of sides who want him signed in the summer.

However, as journalist Jorge Nicola features an update on the situation, he makes it clear that this interest from Fulham and Wolves may actually be made up.

He claims to have gone after his sources at Palmeiras to know more about this race for Veiga, and found out that the club are 'convinced' that his agent has a lot to do with it.

It's explained that the player's representative Jorge Cury is on bad terms with Palmeiras since their former director Alexandre Mattos left his position.

The agent was then 'cornered' by the club, and it's now believed he may me making up rumours just to cause some damage at the Brazilian side.

So it seems we better wait and see if there will be more news about Fulham's and Wolves' interest.

There had even been claims sounding sure that the midfielder would move to the Molineux at the end of the year, but we better not jump the gun for now.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/club-convinced-agent-making-wolves-fulham-interest-star-trying-force-move/

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Fulham joined by Aston Villa in pursuit of Hearts prospect

Latest transfer news regarding Fulham emerges as they prepare for their next Premier League clash

 Aston Villa have reportedly joined the transfer chase for Fulham-linked youngster James Wilson. The Hearts striker appears to be a man in-demand ahead of the summer.

According to the Daily Mail, Unai Emery's side are 'pulling on the strings' of a potential deal to land the 16-year-old and see him as one for the future at Villa Park. Fellow Premier League side Leeds United have also been credited with an interest.

A report by the Daily Record earlier this month suggested that Fulham are 'keen' on the teenager. Brighton and Hove Albion, Celtic, Rangers, Manchester United and Liverpool are also said to be admirers.

Wilson, who is a Scotland youth international, has been on the books at Hearts for his whole career to date and has risen up through the academy ranks of the Scottish Premiership outfit. However, the Jam Tarts are at risk of losing the promising prospect with a whole host of clubs in England eyeing him.

Fulham may have to look elsewhere for long-term reinforcements based on the sheer number of clubs on the player's tail. Marco Silva's side have enjoyed a successful season in the flight and are currently sat in 10th after their weekend win at Everton.



https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/fulham/fulham-joined-by-aston-villa-in-pursuit-of-hearts-prospect-4107600

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Vote For Bernd & João!

Bernd Leno and João Palhinha have both been selected as EA Sports Premier League Team of the Season nominees.

The pair have enjoyed fantastic maiden campaigns in SW6, with only David Raya making more saves than Leno's 115, while nobody comes close to Palhinha's 108 tackles.

You can vote for the boys using the below link.

vote for bernd & João



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2023/april/17/vote-for-bernd-and-joao/