Monday Fulham Stuff - 08/05/23...

[WhiteJC]

There's only one Micky Adams
This afternoon Craven Cottage welcomes back one of the most pivotal figures in Fulham's history. Micky Adams made only have managed 35 appearances in three injury-hit seasons after being lured to south west London from Southampton by Ian Branfoot, but he made a decisive difference after replacing his mentor in the dugout after the Whites had slumped to 91st in the league and were beaten by the only side lower than them in a dismal defeat at Torquay in February 1996.

Adams, embarking on his first managerial role, quickly gained an understanding of how brutal life in the hot seat could be when Fulham allowed former captain Alan Mullery to castigate his appointment from inside their historic home ground. He was still something an enigma to most of the Fulham faithful, who knew him best for bending in brilliant free kicks in his sporadic first-team appearances, but he quickly made an impression on both the fans and his former team-mates. Adams' programme notes, which ended with the familiar exhortation of 'keep the faith', were always enlightening, sprinkled with proverbs and Latin references, whilst he also opted for uncompromising approach with the press, which made for good copy.

Most importantly of all, Adams had an immediate impact on the pitch. The Whites drew his first three games, gaining the club's first clean sheet in four months at Cambridge United, before a Rob Scott brace secured a vital win over Exeter City in front of more than 4,000 fans – double the gates of a month earlier. Fulham then won at Doncaster Rovers, came from 2-0 down to draw with Darlington and won 4-1 at Cardiff City. Three successive defeats didn't dent Adams' belief in his players as they beat Leyton Orient and put four past promotion-chasing Plymouth Argyle at Craven Cottage. By the time, the Whites had held Gillingham, who would go up in second place, to a goalless draw in the final home game of the season, Fulham were seventeenth and Adams was telling the newspapers to judge him on what he did next season.

That proved a prescient instruction. The manager publicly backed the misfiring Micky Conroy, who scored 23 goals as Fulham raced to a remarkable promotion, and coaxed stellar seasons out of skipper Simon Morgan, whose brilliant On Song for Promotion book chronicled the campaign, Terry Angus and Mark Blake. Adams' real genius came in a transfer market where there was no cash to splash. In came Paul Watson from Gillingham's reserves to play a pivotal role at full back, the shaggy-haired Darren Freeman also arrived from Prestfield, whilst the talented Danny Cullip signed from Oxford United to bolster Fulham's defensive options. The classy Matt Lawrence arrived later in the season to add competition at right back. The combativeness of Fulham's engine room went up several notches with the acquisitions of Glenn Cockerill from Leyton Orient and Richard Carpenter, another shrewd signing from Gillingham.

Consolidation of their place in Division Three was considered to be the target after a tumultuous few seasons, but Adams had other ideas. He had a preferred starting eleven with thirteen players starting at least half of the league games and the success of several honest professionals made them cult heroes. Robbie Herrera, who played in the 1993-94 relegation season, made have looked like a Colombian drug baron but he was one of the most consistent left backs in the league, whilst Nick Cusack was transformed from a forward into a holding midfielder.

Fulham got off to a flyer, losing just two of their first nine league fixtures as well as registering six straight away wins between August and October, and never looked back. There are many memorable days, starting probably with Freeman's first Fulham goal – a glancing header to seal a midweek win at Exeter City, the week in which the Whites scored three goals in all of three matches to see off Doncaster, Cambridge and Hull City, and, of course, the 6-0 thumping of Darlington in the New Year. Legendary away days included when Angus led the singing at Leyton Orient as the Whites won a feisty London derby, the incredible day at Carlisle when Fulham came from behind to win courtesy of that goal from Rodney McAree and when promotion was clinched on an emotional night at Mansfield.

Within twelve months, Adams and most of Fulham's promotion heroes had departed. The manager was harshly treated at the start of the Mohamed Al-Fayed revolution, especially as he had solidified the club's future (Fulham were able to conclude a deal with the Royal Bank of Scotland to secure the long-term use of the Cottage) and put the club on the Egyptian's radar courtesy of winning our first promotion in fifteen years. There would have been no remarkable rise through the divisions, no Great Escape or two trips to Hamburg, without the building blocks put in place by a plain-speaking lad from Sheffield.

Adams gave London's oldest professional football back its pride – and, just as importantly, allowed some long-suffering fans to dream. He deserves the most rapturous of receptions this afternoon when he collects his richly deserved Forever Fulham award from David Daly, if only because the Cottage never had the opportunity to pay tribute following his sudden departure. There's only one Micky Adams.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/05/theres-only-one-micky-adams/

[WhiteJC]

Daniel James' real transfer value has changed radically as Leeds United future up in air

Daniel James' future will have to be cleared up this summer, with Leeds United in limbo at present

The future of Wales winger Daniel James appears up in the air and this summer is likely to be pivotal for him.

As the season enters the business end, his parent club, Leeds United, are in jeopardy.

They are currently in 17th place, one position above the dropzone and are ahead of 18th-placed Nottingham Forest only on goal difference.

Their manager, Sam Allardyce, has been given a short-term contract to rescue the club from the clutches of the Championship.

James, meanwhile, has spent the season on the banks of the Thames.

His loan move to Fulham hasn't gone entirely to plan, getting by with substitute appearances in the main, but his form has opened the door to a permanent move to west London, should a deal be agreed.

Leeds don't yet know who their manager will be - or indeed what division they'll be in next season - so any decision over James' future is still up in the air.

Should the Whites be relegated, reports indicate they would be "happy" to part company with James, who still has three years left to run on his contract.

The experts at CIES Football Observatory estimate his value somewhere in the region of €15million (£13million).

They use a complex matrix to work out transfer values, taking into account a number of variables such as contract duration, performance, age, career progression, international status, inflation and club level and wealth.

In May of 2021, they estimated his value as somewhere in the region of €50-70million (£43-60million), a quite radical change in valuation.

James had moved to Leeds from Manchester United in the August of the same year in a deal worth £25million.



https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/daniel-james-real-transfer-value-26865161

[WhiteJC]

Fulham vs Leicester: Where to watch the match online, live stream, TV channels & kick-off time

How to watch Fulham against Leicester in the Premier League in the UK as well as kick-off time and team news.

Fulham will take on a struggling Leicester in the Premier League at Craven Cottage on Monday. While the hosts are comfortably mid-table in the tenth position, the threat of relegation looms over the visitors.

Leicester City have 30 points from 34 matches and find themselves in 16th place on the standings. They are involved in a fierce battle for Premier League survival, as just a point separates four of the bottom five clubs. The Foxes have only managed one victory in 13 matches and will be desperate to put together wins to avoid the dreaded drop.

Fulham are neither involved in the race for the top four nor battling it out at the bottom of the standings, but they have lost three league games in a row, They will want to end the season on a positive note and get back to winning ways.

GOAL brings you details on how to watch the game on TV in the UK as well as how to stream live online.
Fulham vs Leicester kick-off time
Game:   Fulham vs Leicester
   May 8, 2023
Kick-off:   3pm BST
Venue:   Craven Cottage

The Premier League game between Fulham and Leicester is scheduled for Monday, May 8 2023, at Craven Cottage.

It will kick off at 3pm BST in the UK.
How to watch Fulham vs Leicester online - TV channels & live streams

Fans in the United Kingdom won't be able to enjoy the game on TV since it kicks off at 3pm BST. However, both clubs will provide match updates on their respective apps, with live radio commentary available for the full 90 minutes. The match highlights will be up on the clubs' Youtube channels several hours after the end of the game.
Team news
Fulham team news & squad

Fulham will once again be without Tim Ream and Andreas Pereira as the duo picked up injuries that have ruled them out for the remainder of the season.

Aleksandar Mitrovic will not be available for selection as he continues to serve his eight-game ban, alongside Layvin Kurzawa, who is yet to recover from his knee injury.

Fulham possible XI: Leno; Tete, Diop, Adarabioyo, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha, Cairney; Wilson, Vinicius, Solomon
Position   Players
Goalkeepers   Leno, Rodak
Defenders   Adarabioyo, Diop, Duffy, Robinson, Tete, Mbabu, Soares
Midfielders   Palhinha, Reed, Lukic, Cairney, Francois, Pereira, Solomon, Wilson
Forwards   Reid, Vinicius, James
Leicester team news & squad

Jonny Evans had missed the game against Everton due to illness but the experienced defender is back in the squad and available for selection against Fulham. Ricardo Pereira, who was injured, has also recovered in time to return to the squad and play a part on Monday.

Kelechi Iheanacho, who sustained an adductor muscle tear, along with Jannik Vestergaard, Andros Townsend and James Justin, are also out due to injuries.

Leicester possible XI: Iversen; Castagne, Faes, Soyuncu, Kristiansen; Tielemans, Soumare, Maddison; Tete, Daka, Barnes
Position   Players
Goalkeepers   Ward, Iversen, Smithies
Defenders   Soyuncu, Faes, Amartey, Souttar, Thomas, Kristiansen, Castagne
Midfielders   Ndidi, Soumare, Mendy, Dewsbury-Hall, Praet, Maddison, Tete, Tielemans, Barnes
Forwards   Daka, Vardy
Head-to-head record
Date   Result   Competition
January 2023   Leicester 0-1 Fulham   Premier League
February 2021   Fulham 0-2 Leicester   Premier League
November 2020   Leicester 1-2 Fulham   Premier League
March 2019   Leicester 3-1 Fulham   Premier League
December 2018   Fulham 1-1 Leicester   Premier League



https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/fulham-vs-leicester-where-to-watch-online-live-stream-tv/blta86905ce9d942a9a

[WhiteJC]

Away Day Guide – Manchester United

Our final game of the season and although there isn't lots of play for, there are some demons that will want avenging for both players and fans. Here's our final away day guide for the 22/23 season.

Sunday 28 May, 4.30pm
TICKETING INFORMATION

Tickets for Fulham's final game of the season go on sale on Wednesday 10 May at 10am. Season ticket holders can purchase up to four tickets per person from that date, with tickets available for members on Friday 12 May and supporters with a booking history from Monday 15 May. Tickets are priced at £30 for adults, £15 for supporters aged over 65 and £10 for juniors. Fulham have an initial allocation of 2,451 and five loyalty points can be redeemed for this fixture. Fulham fans should also be advised that Old Trafford is a cashless stadium.
GETTING TO OLD TRAFFORD
BY CAR

Exit the M6 at Junction 19 and take the A556 towards Altrincham. From the junction with the M56, follow the A56 towards Altrincham. Continue along the A56 for six miles, when Sir Matt Busby Way will appear on your left. The stadium is approximately half a mile down Sir Matt Busby Way on your left, but the road itself will probably be closed to traffic on a matchday.

There are a number of small private car parks utilised by home fans on matchdays and we wouldn't advise risking street parking with civil enforcement officers regularly in operation. Away fans can park at the nearby Old Trafford cricket ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket Club, for £10 but are urged to arrive at least two hours before kick-off as exiting the car park following the final whistle will incur a significant delay afterwards. Alternatively, you can park at the at the Salford Quays Lowry Outlet Mall (M50 3AH), a ten-minute walk from Old Trafford, for £4 for four hours.
BY TRAIN

Most Fulham fans will arrive via train to Manchester Piccadilly. Supporters should be advised that the train service from London to Manchester with Avanti West Coast remains intermittent and could be subject to late cancellations. You can reach Old Trafford by bus, train or the Metro Link tram service. Old Trafford station is both wheelchair accessible and a five minute walk from the ground, whilst the Imperial Wharf Museum and Wharfside are the closest stops on the newly-opened Trafford Park Line. Supporters are advised to plan their journey by consulting the Transport for Greater Manchester Journey Planner.
BY COACH

Fulham's official coaches will leave Motspur Park and Craven Cottage at 9am on matchday. The coach tickets are priced at £30 for adult season ticket holders and members and £25 for juniors. These prices are increased by £5 for those without a season ticket or membership.
AWAY PUBS

Most pubs in the vicinity of Old Trafford will not admit away supporters, even without identifiable colours. The closest options will be in Salford Quays, around a mile from Old Trafford, where the swift-serving Lime Bar (Unit G1, The Quays, Salford M50 3AG) regularly welcomes away supporters and The Matchstick Man (Capital Quay, Salford M50 3WL), has hosted Fulham fans in recent years. Old Trafford cricket ground (Talbot Road, Old Trafford, Stretford, Manchester M16 0PX), the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club, also runs an outdoor bar on football matchdays, where away fans are welcome.

Fulham fans could also opt to drink at one of the stops on the Metrolink and then make their journey to Old Trafford. Away fan friendly venues in nearby Altrincham include excellent real ale pubs such as the Jack In the Box (20-24 Market Street, Altrincham, WA14 1PF), Pi (18 Shaw's Rd, Altrincham, WA14 1QU) and Costello's (18 Goose Green, Altrincham, WA14 1DW). There are, of course, any number of popular venues in Manchester City Centre.

It would be remiss of us not to mention the most popular haunt in Manchester for Fulham fans. Duffy's Bar (398 Barlow Moor Rd, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 8AD) in Chorlton is run by a Fulham fan Peter, and has a George Best shirt from his Fulham days as well as plenty of other football and sporting memorabilia on the walls. The beer is very reasonably priced and all Fulham fans are assured of a very warm welcome. Saturday night is usually live music night if you fancy making an evening of it – or are staying over.



https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2023/05/away-day-guide-manchester-united-2/

[filham]

BBC text now reporting that Villa are interested in Palhina and are prepared to offer £60m. Sounds as if we may have to suffer a bidding war that lasts all summer. Hope be have a good replacement lined up.

[demeant0r]

BBC text now reporting that Villa are interested in Palhina and are prepared to offer £60m. Sounds as if we may have to suffer a bidding war that lasts all summer. Hope be have a good replacement lined up.

If he HAS to go, then I'd expect nothing less than 80-100m for him

[WhiteJC]

Twelve months of progress for female fans

At the Club meeting in April 2022 representatives from the FST Board gave a presentation on female supporters and the women's team. The information used was based on feedback received from a number of female focus groups held in January of that year. The purpose of the focus groups was to better understand the female experience and learn what could be done to make things more inclusive for them and new fans that the Trust want to encourage to join.

Twelve months on from the initial meeting with the Club, FST Board Member Hayley Davinson has reviewed the progress made and took the opportunity at the April 2023 meeting with the Club to provide an update.

It's important to note that when we first presented the findings of our focus group research in April 2022 to Alistair Mackintosh and the rest of the senior team of our Club, it was warmly received, with thanks for the time and effort to understand a section of our fanbase. Appreciation is great, but if it isn't followed up with tangible action, these good intentions can often get forgotten amongst other more pressured issues and conversations.

When we asked female Fulham fans from a range of ages about their support of our club and how they would like to see things improved, the feedback we got ranged from sorting the Hammersmith End toilets out to saying it would be great to have a way of chatting to other females. It's good to read those notes back and see how much progress has been made (the toilets are still a work in progress).

We've been pleased, therefore, that the progress made by both the Trust and the Club has been substantial and worthwhile, and markers have been put in place to show that this is just the beginning of a strong relationship between us both to ensure that this progress continues into the future.

One of the biggest successes of the last twelve months has been the creation of the Fulham Lillies, a female-run supporter group that has been started to allow female fans to meet, encourage those who have not attended a match before to give it a try and advocate for female-related issues in football – both at Fulham and the broader world of supporters. As affiliates to the Football Supporters Association the Lillies have been involved in a number of supporter led projects, including more recently meeting with Karen Carney and the DCSM to discuss the government led review of the Women's game.

The Lillies and the Trust have been working closely with the Head of Safeguarding at the Club, Eleanor Rowland, to consider ways to encourage female fan involvement, and this has enabled tickets to be given to females that wouldn't have considered attending in the past, and female Fulham fans making their way to their first away game.

From the Club side, creating an internal female working group has allowed employees to get together and voice concerns and ideas for internal working improvements. This has been cemented by the addition of Eleanor to the Club board, the first female member to be appointed.

For Fulham FC Women, we commended the Club on their much-improved website & social coverage of the women's team and the brilliant achievement of hosting a game at Craven Cottage this season with over 3,000 fans in attendance. We discussed that the next important step for growing this arm of our club is growing support. We're excited to bring some ideas to help grow that together.

We know that this is just the start. The work we've done over the last twelve months is undoubtedly a work in progress, and there is still a lot needed to make attending matches, working at the Club and playing for our women's team the brilliant experience it is, but always should be. But we're incredibly grateful to have been listened to, had our ideas taken on board, and feel confident that the Club shares our vision for improving the experience.

If you are interested in hearing more about what the Lillies are up to and their work, you can find them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.



https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2023/05/twelve-months-of-progress-for-female-fans/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham initiate contact to sign 27-year-old – Silva's side considering formal offer step

Two months ago, Goal Brazil reported Fulham are one of the clubs in the picture to sign Palmeiras' Raphael Veiga.

On April 15th, the same outlet explained the 27-year-old has been approached by Marco Silva's side ahead of a possible move in the summer. It was also stated a deal could be carried out if there's a convincing offer.

Fulham continue to be named as an interested party, and they've been mentioned again by iG Esporte.

The Brazil international has impressed for Palmeiras this season, managing eight goals and six assists from 18 games. His form has attracted interest from the Premier League side, who have been monitoring him for a 'long time'.

It's further claimed Fulham have carried out surveys with the player's camp to learn about his situation, with the 'possibility of formalising a proposal' in the next window. The South American club haven't yet received any offers for Veiga, who has a contract lasting until 2026.

The report doesn't mention the fee needed to take Veiga away from Palmeiras in the next window.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-initiate-contact-signing-27-year-old-silvas-side-considering-possibility-make-formal-offer/

[WhiteJC]

Trust response to The Times article on the future of Fulham

In response to a recent article published by The Times newspaper (read here only if you subscribe), Tom Greatrex breaks down the points made and offers some alternative thoughts on how sustainability is made possible within football.

When he bought Fulham Football Club in 2013, Shahid Khan noted that he did "not view myself so much as the owner of Fulham, but a custodian of the club on behalf of its fans." As he went on to recognise, that custodianship is a "responsibility and privilege" to ensure the sustainability of the club for the long term – on behalf of the community, the supporters and the game itself.

Custodianship, it seems, has not extended to the courtesy of responding directly to the open letter sent by the Trust on behalf of Fulham supporters on the club's decision to increase the price of all season tickets by at least 18%. What it does seem to have provoked instead is an interview, behind a paywall, with a journalist seemingly unaware of or unwilling to raise the impact on thousands of loyal, long-standing supporters of price rises at double the rate of inflation during a time when cost of living pressures are acute. Perhaps it was pressure of space that only enabled Alyson Rudd to ask about the pricing of the new capacity in the Riverside Stand, or perhaps Shahid Khan was only willing to answer some (pretty softball) questions. Although we were grateful to learn that he buys groceries too.

In the interview, Shahid Khan talks a lot about sustainability – how important it is to put the club on a sustainable footing. Indeed, that is the stated rationale for, and planning permission included the ability to operate, a new stand with seven day a week facilities and attractions. Matchdays are important, and there are hospitality linked seats for the main section of the stand not yet able to be sold (the fit out of the long overdue facilities remains to be completed), but not the full picture. On that, there is no disagreement. If those seven day a week revenue streams benefit the club, and reduce the level of reliance on a benefactor, then that is the definition of becoming a more sustainable football club.

Of course, the point which seems to have evaded him, or perhaps his interviewer, is that (in his words) operating with "prudence and care" would include an understanding that sustaining a committed fanbase is also a part of custodianship. Loyal fans are the lifeblood of the club – particularly when, as is inevitable at some point, on-pitch performances decline to a level below that of the last couple of years. Those who have come with their families for generations are amongst those who have told us they will struggle to renew their season tickets when prices are increased by an unprecedented 18% in one go. The prices for new season tickets are even higher, and given the Club's recent habit of making that the basis of the renewal price the following season, those who may just be able to stretch to renewing this year could find next year a step too far.

So why the surge in prices in the three older stands ? According to Fulham, season tickets there were underpriced in comparison to other Premier League clubs – so, it stands to reason, that as a responsible custodian operating with prudence and care, that inequality must be corrected. Although I somehow doubt that we will see those clubs increase their match day tickets to levels similar to those set by Fulham.

So, unlike those other clubs, why apply the increase in a single step that is double the rate of inflation and telegraph further above-inflation increases for the following year? While his interviewer declined to ask that fairly obvious question, Shahid Khan did talk about Financial Fair Play limits and the pressure that creates in maintaining a competitive Premier League club. The familiar refrain is that FFP restrictions leave clubs with little choice but to increase season ticket prices.

Except that justification doesn't really stack up. Aside from the Riverside Stand, our analysis has shown that the incremental revenue from increased prices charged to existing season ticket holders equates to approximately £1.1m. Were the prices pegged to inflation, as the Trust had suggested, it would be around £550,000 more income from season ticket sales across the three stands. Broadcast revenue per club in the Premier League last season ranged from £93m to £146m – depending on how many times a club's

matches were broadcast, and how high they finished in the table. Finishing 15th (the lowest mathematical finishing place Fulham could occupy at the time of writing) is worth £2.2m more than finishing 16th. Finishing 10th rather than 15th – £11m more. Or, put another way, 20 times the amount raised by increasing all existing season ticket holders prices by 18% rather than in line with inflation.

Or to put it even more starkly still, £550,000 is about one third of what Fulham will have received for their share of gate receipts for the FA Cup game at Old Trafford in March.

Shahid Khan did additionally suggest that a justification for the highest prices was that, some seasons ago, seats in the old Riverside stand were occupied by different people each match. They therefore must have been sold on by third party ticketing providers – with agencies, not Fulham, getting the benefit of that additional revenue. He might find that the proud occupiers of the £3000 seats in the new stand are not the same each week either.

Of course, we know – as he knows – that for many of us football is the most important of the unimportant things in our lives. We make all sorts of sacrifices and compromises in other aspects of our lives to be able to watch our club; it is part of our identity and where lifelong friendships are made and nurtured. Many of us will make financial sacrifices to continue to do so next year. Nobody forces us to do it – and if we decide we can't afford to any longer then there is a waiting list of those who will, at least in the short term.

So why should this matter to Shahid Khan – why does he care who buys a season ticket as long as they are sold? Go back to his own words from almost ten years ago when he bought the club – "a custodian of the club on behalf of its fans"; look at the marketing material in his name extolling the virtues of Fulham as London's oldest club with a famous old ground and a longstanding loyal fanbase that got the Club through some very tough times in the not too distant past. Custodianship is about protecting – not sacrificing – those facets of our club. Custodianship is about understanding supporters are not merely passive customers but an integral part of the character of a football club. Custodianship is an instinctive awareness that the club is stronger, happier, better when it is united and not divided. All custodians eventually pass the "responsibility and privilege" on to another – it is the good custodians who are regarded with fondness and reverence.



https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2023/05/trust-response-to-the-times-article-on-the-future-of-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Marco Silva makes Aleksandar Mitrovic admission ahead of Leicester City clash

Latest Leicester City news from LeicestershireLive as Marco Silva opens up on the loss of Aleksandar Mitrovic ahead of Fulham's clash with the Foxes

Fulham boss Marco Silva has admitted that Aleksandar Mitrovic's suspension has affected the club, as he serves the final game of his eight-match ban on Monday against Leicester City.

The 28-year-old has played a vital role in an impressive return to the Premier League for Fulham. Mitrovic has scored 11 times in 21 appearances for the West London side this season

But he was hit with a lengthy ban after grabbing referee Chris Kavanagh during the Cottagers' FA Cup defeat at Manchester United in March.

And Silva has said his staff are doing everything they can to ensure the Serbian is ready to face Southampton on Saturday, but revealed it has not been a straightforward process.

"Of course it's been a tough period for him, like you expect," he said. "He's been working hard, it has to be like that with no chance (to play) and the mood in some days is a little bit better than the others.

"He knew one month ago that he is going to be out eight games, it's really tough for any player. If you have an injury, muscular injury or something that we know, ok, it's part of life.

"But in all this situation, the way it has come for us, the way everything happened as well, the treatment behind all that scenario, it was really tough, not just for Mitro, I have to say for our football club. We felt something that is not good."

Mitrovic initially received a standard three-match ban which was later increased by three games for violent conduct towards a match official. Another two was added for using language which was "improper, abusive, insulting and threatening".



https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/marco-silva-makes-aleksandar-mitrovic-8422443

[WhiteJC]

Leicester Sold Out

Tickets for this afternoon's clash against Leicester City are now sold out. Thank you for your fantastic support!

Fulham will be back in action at Craven Cottage for their final home fixture of the season against Crystal Palace on Saturday 20th May, kick-off 3pm.

Tickets for this match are now on sale to Supporters with a Previous Booking History and can be secured online, by calling 0203 871 0810 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) or in person from the Fulham FC Ticket Office (Mon-Fri, 9.30am-4.30pm).

https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2023/may/08/leicester-sold-out/

[WhiteJC]

Marco Silva must now give 'outstanding' Fulham player his first league start vs Leicester

With Fulham's Premier League future secured, Marco Silva could use this afternoon's match against Leicester City to give Luke Harris his first league start.

Marco Silva confirmed after their defeat to Manchester City that Andreas Pereira would be ruled out until next season.

After a fantastic season, Fulham are safely sat in mid-table well above a chaotic relegation battle.

Many would have predicted Fulham to be towards the bottom of the table after yo-yoing between England's top two divisions for years.

They've defied many people's expectations and can safely start preparing for next season.

Injuries have played a big role in their last few games, as well as the suspension of Aleksandar Mitrovic.

It's meant Marco Silva has had to switch his team up on a game-by-game basis.

Their consistency at the beginning of the season was one of the reasons they spent much of the season challenging for a European spot.

Now that the top seven is out of reach, Silva could hand Fulham youngster Luke Harris a well-deserved first league start.

The 18-year-old has featured off the bench in the league and started in both cup competitions.

However, his form for the under-21s should be enough to earn him some minutes before the campaign ends.

Fulham boss Silva should start Harris vs Leicester – opinion
The 18-year-old has already been called up to Wales's senior squad although he's yet to make his debut.

The attacking midfielder has 12 goals and four assists in 17 Premier League 2 appearances.

With Pereira unavailable, Harris is one of the most natural fits into that role in their Fulham squad.

Harris signed a professional contract this season tying him to the club until 2025.

Academy Director Mike Cave said when Harris signed his first professional deal that, "Luke has consistently, over the last 12 months, demonstrated his outstanding capabilities as a footballer.

"He was a regular in the Under-23s last season as a first-year scholar and highlighted his maturity and capacity to perform at the highest level."

Fulham will hope that Harris doesn't make the same mistake several of the club's best youngsters have made in recent years.

Ryan Sessegnon, Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho all arguably left the club too soon.

Carvalho in particular has gone from starring for the Whites to barely getting a look in at Liverpool.

Harris should be given the chance by Silva today to prove he can immediately contribute to Fulham's first team.

Leicester may have plenty to play for today, but Silva will likely not have many better opportunities to give Harris a chance.



https://tbrfootball.com/marco-silva-must-now-give-outstanding-fulham-player-his-first-league-start-vs-leicester/

[wback]

That is quite some bidding war. Chelsea, Bayern, Spurs, Villa, Liverpool...

Thing is, he's not a £70m player (I don't think... his passing just isn't quite at the level), but it's easy to imagine these teams (and us) bidding it up north of that.

[WhiteJC]

"With all due respect..." – Player explains why he walked out on Tottenham transfer at last minute

It's been ten years since Willian left Russian side Anzhi to sign for Chelsea, but many people still remember he could have landed somewhere else.

Back then, the English media was pretty sure the Brazilian would be moving to Tottenham Hotspur, who were the club who brought him to London and were only waiting for the medicals to complete the signing.

It turns out that most of that story is true, according to Willian himself. The 34-year-old was interviewed by website Premier League Brasil, and was asked about all the media gossip from that time.

The winger recalled all the details from those negotiations, revealing that he'd fallen in love with Chelsea quite some time before that.

"That's why my song from Chelsea fans exists. The story is as follows: when I was at Shakhtar, the first club that made an offer for me was Chelsea, in 2011. Since then I started to follow the club, I saw Drogba, Terry, I went crazy for the Blues and decided that I wanted to play for Chelsea. It became a dream. They made three offers and Shakhtar didn't accept them. The Ukrainians even said: 'If they reach that amount, we'll let you go'. Chelsea did and nothing, that was complicated," Willian told Premier League Brasil.

"Soon after, Shakhtar were in the same group as Chelsea in the Champions League, and I went to play against them. I scored two goals at Stamford Bridge and we lost 3-2, with a goal in stoppage time. And after the game I got a shirt from a Chelsea fan with my name on the back and a question mark on the back. It was really cool, I still have that photo on my phone, even though I never saw the fan again.

"Then, when 2013 arrived, I couldn't stand being in Ukraine anymore, but Chelsea had given up. I am very grateful to the Ukrainians, but I wanted a change of scenery because I had been there for five years. And, at the time, Anzhi, from Russia, was the only club that was willing to pay my termination fee, which was €35m euros.

"So I decided to go to Russia in January 2013 — I signed a four-year contract, I thought the club's project was cool, I played with Eto'o, we were runners-up in the Russian Cup. But in the middle of the year the owner had a health problem, he decided that he'd stop investing and sell the players. And then my negotiations with the English began again."

"I went to London and Liverpool and Tottenham were interested. I was negotiating with both, not Chelsea. And in my heart the dream was to go to Chelsea.

"Proposals came from both of them and, as I wanted to stay in London, I decided that I'd go to Tottenham. It was all agreed, I had already done medical tests, all that was left was to go to Tottenham's training centre to sign the contract. But I still had an insecurity, my mind was elsewhere. I was going there with Chelsea in mind. Then, 45 minutes into the second half, Chelsea made an offer. And I didn't think twice. It was something I really wanted, with all due respect to Tottenham, who are also a great club, but my dream was to play for Chelsea."

Many times in the interview, Willian spoke about his love for London, claiming he'd like to continue leaving there. It turns out he ended up spending most of his career in the English capital, playing for Chelsea, Arsenal and now Fulham, but was apparently not given another chance to join Tottenham since that opportunity collapsed.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/due-respect-player-explains-walked-tottenham-transfer-last-minute/

[WhiteJC]