Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 04/10/23...

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Results

Tuesday
Luton	1-2	Burnley

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West Ham manager David Moyes performed an absolute masterstroke with Issa Diop
West Ham United selling Issa Diop to Fulham last summer for only a £7 million loss was a real masterstroke from David Moyes.

Long before his Fulham move, Issa Diop joined West Ham from Toulouse in the summer of 2018 for around £22 million (Daily Mail).

However, four years later he was moved on to Fulham for around £15 million (Sky Sports), and that now looks like stunning business from Hammers boss David Moyes.

The Scot was actually close to keeping Diop at the London Stadium, but he eventually moved to Craven Cottage.

And his time with the west London outfit has been pretty much identical to his spell on the east side of the capital...

West Ham manager David Moyes performed an absolute masterstroke with Issa Diop
The 26-year-old centre-back's performance for Fulham against Chelsea last night perfectly summed him up.

At times, Diop can be an absolutely immense central defender. Standing at 6ft 4in tall, he is aerially dominant and has pace and athleticism to match as well.

If you were to build a centre-back, you would include a lot of Diop's attributes – certainly from a physical perspective.

Jose Mourinho was blown away by the former Toulouse ace's performance for the Hammers against Manchester United five years ago, describing the defender as an aerially dominant 'monster'.

However, the Frenchman has big problems. His concentration levels are appallingly bad whilst his decision making can be extremely rash at times.

Diop's performances for the Cottagers are eerily similar to the ones he produced at the London Stadium – schoolboy in their nature with smatterings of brilliance along the way.

The problem with him is that his mistakes are usually ones that end up being severely punished by the opposition.

I was certain that Issa Diop would mature one day and become a truly elite central defender, how wrong I was though.

The 26-year-old's inconsistent displays for the Fulham prove that Moyes was 100% correct to move him on, even if it was for a £7 million loss.



https://www.hammers.news/club-news/west-ham-manager-david-moyes-performed-an-absolute-masterstroke-with-issa-diop/

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Fulham head coach asked if finishing a concern after second successive Premier League blank
Marco Silva dismissed suggestions that Fulham's lack of finishing ability was a concern following their 2-0 defeat to Chelsea on Monday night.

The Whites have failed to score in their last two Premier League fixtures.

Fulham struggled to prise open their west London rivals at Craven Cottage and substitute Sasa Lukic failed to take a late chance, striking a close-range attempt to close to goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

Chelsea produced a quickfire double in the first half to take the contest away from the hosts, Mykhailo Mudryk scoring his first goal for them and then a Tim Ream lapse ending with the American defender striking an attempted clearance against Armando Broja, the ball deflecting beyond Bernd Leno.

"When you make mistakes like we did at this level – in two minutes they scored two goals," Fulham head coach Silva told the BBC. "They take the confidence from you. The game started really intense and our first pressure didn't work like we planned. It was not aggressive enough.

"At half-time we adjusted and the second half was much better. We created some good chances to score at least one goal but unfortunately we were not ruthless enough in those moments – one with Alex (Iwobi) and one great, great chance for Sasa."

Raul Jimenez struggled to impose himself up top with Carlos Vinicius replacing the Mexican early in the second period.

Asked if his team's inability to find the net worried him, Silva said: "We have to keep working, it is what it is.

"Tonight the difference is clear – the decision-making in the attack. We arrived in good areas but needed to decide much better. It is something we have to improve.

"People need to understand and be realistic, that we know what we are doing and fighting for. Everyone has to be together in this fight."



https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/fulham-head-coach-asked-if-finishing-a-concern-after-second-successive-premier-league-blank/

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Insistence Fulham player would've found it 'difficult' to reject Chelsea – Summer move collapsed
Earlier this year, we relayed news from Brazil explaining that Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus showed interest in Fulham's Andreas Pereira.

It was also said the midfielder was open to joining the Blues but a deal didn't take shape in the last window.

Fast forward to October and ESPN in Brazil again points out the player would have found it 'difficult' to reject Chelsea even though he 'found happiness' at Fulham.

Marco Silva's side signed the 27-year-old from Manchester United in 2022 and he finished his debut season in London with five goals and six assists from 38 games. His displays had caught the attention of a few clubs, reportedly including Chelsea.

It's said Mauricio Pochettino's side looked at Pereira as an option to replace Mason Mount, who was sold to the Red Devils.

ESPN say talks to take the one-time Brazil international to Chelsea 'did not progress' as the latter decided to invest 'many millions' on other players like Moisés Caicedo and Roméo Lavia. Therefore, Pereira's 'story with Chelsea didn't turn into a marriage'.

Pereira played for 75 minutes in Fulham's 2-0 defeat to Chelsea in the league clash on Monday.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/pl-player-wouldve-found-it-difficult-to-reject-chelsea-summer-deal-to-join-blues-did-not-progress/

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'The chance from Iwobi' - Marco Silva acknowledges Fulham improved in second half of loss to Chelsea
Fulham missed the chance to move into the top half of the English Premier League table after they were beaten 2-0 by Chelsea in a West London derby on Monday night.

Alex Iwobi hopped off the bench to replace Harry Wilson eight minutes into the second half, international teammate Calvin Bassey was an unused substitute while Tosin Adarabioyo is sidelined by a groin injury.

Lesley Ugochukwu and Noni Madueke came off the bench late in the second half for the Blues, while the game came too soon for Carney Chukwuemeka who recently recovered from a knee injury.

Mykhailo Mudryk, the young Ukrainian,  delivered a goal at last for Chelsea when he opened the scoring in the 18th minute before Armando Broja netted his first goal since returning from a long term injury.

Chelsea bossed the first half but the second half belonged to Fulham after manager Marco Silva made some tactical tweaks to his side, one of which saw Iwobi replace Harry Wilson.

The Nigeria playmaker had a chance to reduce the deficit less than two minutes after his introduction but couldn't catch the ball cleanly after a decent cross by Antonee Robinson from the left.

Speaking post-match, Silva asserted that Fulham improved in the second half after some changes of personnel.

In quotes relayed by Fulham's official website he said: "Our second half was better. We have created two clear chances and we have to score on one of those.

"The chance from Alex Iwobi and then a massive one from Saša Lukić in the six-yard box to make it 2-1, boost the crowd and go for the game again.

"We had much more of the ball, the biggest difference was most of the time they (Chelsea) decided well and created the chances."

Fulham are sitting 13th in the table with 8 points from the opening seven games in the division, same number of points as Chelsea and Nottingham Forest who have a better goal difference.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=49014

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Fulham 0-2 Chelsea: Player ratings
Chloe White reflects on a forgettable derby at Craven Cottage last night

Bernd Leno: Super Bernd Leno has bailed us out on plenty of ocassions already this season but he was powerless to prevent the decisive double blow that sunk Fulham in the SW6 derby in the space of ninety seconds. There was nothing he could do once the much-maligned Mudryk had expertly controlled a through ball from Levi Colwill and left Issa Diop for dead – and Leno was even more helpless when Tim Ream's desperate attempted at a clearance cannoned off Armando Broja to gift Chelsea a second. He made a superb save from Enzo Fernandez shortly afterwards – but even half an hour in that was an act of damage limitation. 6

Timothy Castagne: It is a tribute to how well the Belgian has performed since coming into the Fulham side that last night fell like the first time we missed Kenny Tete. The Dutch right back nullified Mudryk marvellously in the goalless draw at Stamford Bridge last season but the Ukrainian might have scored twice in the first fifteen minutes last night. His first goal in English football was a direct result of Castagne affording Colwill the opportunity to float a dangerous ball forward. The Fulham full back did appear to provide the sole home threat in a forward away in the second half, but it felt all a little too late. 5

Antonee Robinson: The American international also experienced a chastening evening up against Cole Palmer, who displayed the sort of class that made his move to Stamford Bridge from Manchester City earlier this summer something of a surprise. It felt like Palmer could beat Robinson at will during a torrid first half – and there haven't been that many wingers you could say that about over the past eighteen months. Perhaps the goals and losing his individual battle battered the left back's confidence but there was very little of those rampaging runs that pose such an attacking threat. 5

Issa Diop: An evening to forget for the Frenchman, who switched off all too easily for Chelsea's opening goal. Fulham had ample warning of the threat in behind and Mudryk's dangerous runs but Diop was guilty of both ball watching and not tracking the run. The Ukrainian winger's control and finish were excellent but it was far too easy for him to saunter onto Colwill's pass and beat Leno. Diop appeared strangely subdued against Broja, almost as if he was expecting to face Raheem Sterling as a false night, and comprehensively lost the physical battle to the Chelsea striker. 4

Tim Ream: This might have been what some Fulham fans feared when it was clear that Marco Silva would stick with Tim Ream following promotion. The American veteran has been absolutely sensational since the Portuguese head coach restored him to the starting line-up after Ream had been frozen out by Scott Parker, but he would really admit this was an abject display. It seemed error-strewn and jittery, with uncharacteristically dicey distribution, even before the catastrophic error that led to the killer second goal. Playing a pass straight to Palmer was bad enough but the panic-stricken tackle that saw the ball bounce off Broja's right boot and into the net only compounded the initial mistake. 4

Joao Palhinha: The Portuguese midfielder, whose tenacious tackling usually sets the tone for Fulham's intensity, was totally bypassed by Mauricio Pochettino's clever tactical tweak to a 4-3-3. Palhinha tried, but his most resounding tackles arrived when the game was gone at 2-0 down, and he appeared unable to inspire his team-mates to match Chelsea's high-tempo start. At times, it felt like Connor Gallagher and Enzo Fernandes had been given the freedom of Craven Cottage during a private ceremony in the away dressing room prior to the kick-off such was their dominance of the engine room. 5

Harrison Reed: Even Reed's high standards dipped disturbingly last night. Dan has continually fretted about Silva using the man who was the defensive enforcer under Parker as the more advanced of Fulham's two central midfielders and the special one Iniesta's license to roam backfired badly last night. There was no lack of effort but Reed simply had too much ground to cover against Chelsea's rampant trio in the middle of the park and was frequently unable to add anything going forward when the ball found him high up the pitch. 5

Harry Wilson: An anonymous display from Wilson, who has so far struggled to hit the heights with which he finished last term. There were glimpses of an understanding with Castagne along the right, but by drifting infield in search of the ball, the Welshman made it much easier for Chelsea to smother any threat that he posed. On a night where defensive diligence proved pivotal, you have to wonder whether the more disciplined Bobby Decordova-Reid might have been a better option on the wing – especially with Tete missing out. 5

Willian: Not unsurprisingly it seemed as if Chelsea knew what their ex-winger was going to do before he got the ball. Where he looked bright and inventive last season, it feels like Father Time might have caught up with the Brazilian veteran this year. Laid low by an achilles complaint after he was considering that big money offer from Saudi Arabia, Willian hasn't really shown the sort of sparkling skill that characterised his first season at Craven Cottage. He did manage a shot from distance in the second half, but it barely bothered Robert Sanchez in truth. 5

Andreas Pereira: Pereira was Fulham's main creator in the success of last season, full of intelligent running, clever flicks and decent delivery, as well as leading the press with relish. That dynamism has dimmed this time and, on this evidence, it can't be long before Alex Iwobi pinches his place in the starting line-up. Pereira's only threat arrived from corners during another below-par performance, which leaves you wondering where the service for whichever centre forward leads the line will come from. 5

Raul Jiminez: A frustrating evening for the Mexican international – whose Premier League goal drought goes on. He was ineffective in the air and on the ball against a miserly Chelsea back line but had little opportuinity to make much of an impression given how dominant the visitors were. Jimenez's only opportunity was a header on the stretch from a corner that went wide in the first half – and it was no surprise to see him hauled off shortly after the interval. The failure to replace Mitrovic looks more costly with every passing week at present. 5

Substitutes:

Carlos Vinicius: He did liven up proceedings with a bit of pace and endeavour that certainly rubbed Thiago Silva up the wrong way. Couldn't convert a decent headed opportunity in the area shortly after coming on – and might have been better served bringing that into his body before laying it off, but his pace offered a rare threat in behind for Fulham. You feel as if Silva will have to start him soon. 6

Alex Iwobi: Introduced at the same time as Vinicius, the Nigerian added some drive and creativity to the Fulham attack. Scuffed a shot into the ground shortly after being sent on but his intelligent runs and vision at least gave Chelsea something to think about – even if it didn't change the course of a comfortable away win. 6

Tom Cairney: The Scottish international's composure and eye for a pass almost paid dividends when he poked a lovely ball through a crowded penalty area to find Sasa Lukic only for the Serbian to be denied by a smart save from Sanchez. 6

Sasa Lukic: Good to see Lukic back in the action after a lengthy injury lay-off. Could easily have set up a grandstand finale with his first Fulham goal but placed his shot too long to the Chelsea keeper. 6



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/10/fulham-0-2-chelsea-player-ratings/

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 'He's a big clown' -  Iwobi reveals how close he is to Super Eagles and Fulham teammate Bassey
Alex Iwobi has revealed the kind of relationship that exists between him and fellow Nigeria international Calvin Bassey and how the latter has helped him settle down at the Craven Cottage.

Just like Bassey, Iwobi joined Fulham last summer after spending four seasons at Merseyside with Everton, making 140 appearances across all competitions and registering 25 goal contributions.

He made his Premier League debut for the Cottagers in their slim victory over newly promoted side Luton Town, coming on as a second-half substitute for Harrison Reed.

The 27-year-old got his first start for the London-based side in their 2-1 win over Norwich City in the Carabao Cup and got his first goal for the club in the encounter.

Iwobi has disclosed the close relationship he has with Bassey and how he has helped him settle down with his new Fulham teammates.

"I'm very close with Calvin," he says. "He's a big clown! And like a little brother to me. He just said, 'Alex, Come (to Fulham), man; come, man!" Iwobi said to The Athletic.

"He did tell me it was a group of lads who work hard and are very honest. All of that has been true and they have made me feel  welcome."

The duo are still vying for a place in the starting XI of Marco Silva's side and will be hoping to become regular starters in the team very soon.

Abdulkareem Abdulhamid



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=49017

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Fulham undone by mistakes but Alex Iwobi cameo continues to build hype

Fulham will hope Monday's defeat to Chelsea was merely a blip.

The Cottagers were undone by defensive lapses as they went down 2-0 at Craven Cottage.

Fulham had 56 per cent possession and were the first team this season to have more of the ball than Chelsea, but individual errors cost them.

Issa Diop's poorly-timed jump allowed Mudryk to open the scoring, and captain Tim Ream then gave the ball away on the edge of his own area before the Broja goal.

Fulham did improve after the break, but the damage had been done.

Ream proved so many people wrong last season when he delivered consistently assured performances to help Marco Silva's side finish tenth.

On Monday, though, he really struggled - run ragged by Chelsea's high-octane attackers.

"Disappointing result for us," said head coach Silva. "In certain moments performance-wise as well. They won some individual challenges that gave them a boost that they needed in that moment."

Much of Fulham's improvement after the break was down to Silva's substitutions.

Carlos Vinicius, Sasa Lukic, Tom Cairney and Alex Iwobi all injected a vitality into Fulham that was missing in the first half.

Iwobi, in particular, took risks, beat players, and drove forward.

Just as he did by scoring in the Carabao Cup win over Norwich last Wednesday, Iwobi showed why plenty of Fulham fans want Silva to start him.

"I feel like I added a bit of energy to the game", Iwobi said. "That's what the manager told me to do: to just be dynamic when we have the ball, with a lot more movement.

"I'm working to try and get a start, but there's so many quality players in the team all deserving to start. Whenever my time comes, I'll try and take my chance."



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-chelsea-fc-alex-iwobi-b1111037.html

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Silva blames missed chances, not Mitrovic loss
Fulham boss Marco Silva says the club cannot continue to lament the loss of Aleksandar Mitrovic but admits his forwards need to be better in front of goal.

Mitrovic, who scored 14 goals in the Premier League last season, departed this summer for Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal amd his replacement Raul Jimenez is yet to find the net since his move from Wolves.

Jimenez was substituted in the second half of Monday's 2-0 defeat by Chelsea, having made little impression aside from a flying header on the stroke of half-time that went wide.

Fulham were beaten after two quickfire first-half goals from Mykhailo Mudryk and Armando Broja but did improve in the second period, with Sasa Lukic missing a glorious chance that would have set up out a rousing finish when he shot straight at Robert Sanchez from close range 15 minutes from time.

Fellow substitute Alex Iwobi also missed a good chance when he hooked the ball wide from inside the six-yard box.

The Whites are the second joint-lowest scorers in the Premier League along with Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United, with just five goals this season, but Silva believes the goals will come.

"It is not important to talk about a player that is not here any more, we have to talk about our players and what we have to improve on," Silva said.

"If you ask me about the goals we haven't scored against Chelsea or even the last game against Palace, I can say we created enough chances to win that game but didn't score and we didn't create many, but the chances we did we should have scored from.

"We have to keep working, so it is not important to talk about players A,B C or D or players that are not here any more.

"I am here to work with the players that are here and to do our best to win football matches."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/silva-blames-missed-chances-not-mitrovic-loss

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IAN HERBERT: Football must take a long hard look at its despicable culture of referee abuse and let the hate cease

    The culture around referee abuse in English football has become despicable
    During Fulham's loss to Chelsea, official Tim Robinson was subjected to abuse

Blink and you would have missed the act of sly and casual deceit, during Chelsea's match against Fulham on Monday night, which seemed to say everything about what our referees are up against.

Fulham's Vinicius struck Chelsea's Thiago Silva on the back with his arm and pretended nothing had happened. Thiago pretended he had been struck on the head and lay writhing on the turf, clutching it.

One of the live blogs described the Fulham player's act of 'genuine intent' and on X (formerly known as Twitter) the decision not to send him off was taken as proof of the pre-match conspiracy theories about referee Tim Robinson. Robinson, you see, reffed Chelsea's home defeat to Nottingham Forest in September. His performance that day was 'pathetic', the work of a 'f***wit', several Chelsea 'authorities' on that platform opined, ahead of Monday's match.

More histrionics followed at Craven Cottage. When Raheem Sterling thumped a ball away after the referee's whistle had been blown, he claimed not to have heard it, and Robinson, faced with more eye-rolling and indignation, calmly booked him. On that live blog, it was suggested that Robinson might wish to take his refereeing services off to the Middle East. How everyone laughed.

It was a microcosm of the abuse of referees which is as routine as the weather now. The river of hate which flows for officials in all the usual places is just part and parcel of football's culture of perpetual outrage. It oils the sport's wheels, feeds the relentless news cycles, the punditry, the water cooler conversations and keeps everyone satisfied. We all contribute to it. Abusing referees is a safe space. Something everyone can pile on to. The men in black are a repository of all our hate.

A lot of the talk is unadulterated rubbish, of course. Not least, the consensus that referees are a lot worse than they've ever been. Anyone who was playing 20,30, 40 years ago will tell you about the decisions back then from unfit officials who could barely keep up. The only reason they're hard to find is that every micro-second of football wasn't clipped up and tweeted out back then.

Check out every written newspaper piece on that Chelsea defeat to Forest, by the way, and you'll find nothing remotely noteworthy about Tim Robinson's officiating. His name only featured in the pre-match reporting which detailed Steve Cooper assertion that he wanted 'everyone on the pitch to be of the right, strong mentality.' This was taken as his veiled message to Robinson not to be influenced by a partisan Stamford Bridge crowd. Forest officials had apparently 'noted' that he 'had taken charge of only a handful of Premier League fixtures.' Pre-match observations about referees used to be disciplinary offences. Not now, it would seem.

Every now and then the demonisation goes too far, the moral outrage swings the other way and we all agree that the official is the victim, though that takes some doing. Liverpool's Andy Robertson achieved it last April with his ridiculous theatrics when, having placed his arm on the elbow of Constantine Hatzidakis during a follow-up blast to some earlier abuse, he was mortally offended to find the official shrugging him off.

It was the exception to the rule. If you view the world through X (formerly known as Twitter) you would assume that Anthony Taylor is a particularly noxious criminal, given the wall of abuse which the BBC's Jermaine Jenas added to during the referee's officiating of the North London derby. Jenas has now removed his tweet describing Taylor as a s***house, which encapsulated football's abuse problem.

Down at the grassroots, referees like Barry Cropp shudder. When Cropp sent off a player for head-butting an opponent at an Under 18 game in Lancashire earlier this year, the head-butter and his father abused him on the pitch, on the dressing room approach and in the car park as he walked across it with his wife. 'The effect of that conduct in the Premier League is that people are going out in junior games and behaving in exactly the same way,' Cropp tells me.

VAR - an unmitigated disaster for the sport we love, killing the beautiful spontaneity of so many goalscoring moments - has fuelled the outrage. But the disallowed Luis Diaz goal behind the latest moral panic could - and should - at least be the moment which hastens the introduction of technical VAR specialists, distinct from referees, at Stockley Park.

The catastrophic error has also brought out into the light the fact that our officials are officiating in the Middle East between running Premier League games. Extraordinary that Howard Webb has not already announced that this practice is to cease, with immediate effect. As he must.

But none of the above forgive the slide into a demonisation of officials which is utterly alien in the world of rugby union. It is not elitest to say that the codes of behaviour in that sport - graphically clear when Ben O'Keeffe stood between the giants of Ireland and South Africa last week - shames association football's players and managers, with their tedious sense of victimhood, puffed-up self-importance and dismal lack of common respect.

It goes without saying that this must be the moment to introduce rugby's practice of mic-ing up referees and their assistants, thus ending the infuriating uncertainty of prolonged delays which diminish the match-going experience and killing the ludicrous conspiracy theories at source.

The clubs apparently worry about their players' foul language being detected and transmitted. So let the hate cease. Let the game take a long, hard look at its despicable culture of abuse.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12589527/IAN-HERBERT-Football-long-hard-look-despicable-culture-referee-abuse-let-hate-cease.html

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Crystal Palace, Fulham rival Tottenham in Jota pursuit

Crystal Palace and Fulham are ready to rival Tottenham in the pursuit of wantaway Al-Ittihad winger Jota in the January window.

According to 90min, Tottenham have the company of Fulham and Crystal Palace in the pursuit of 24-year-old Portuguese winger Jota. The former Celtic star faces an uncertain future at Saudi side Al-Ittihad, as he could reunite with former boss Ange Postecoglou at Spurs.

The summer window saw the presence of the Saudi Pro League and their pursuit of some top talents in Europe. Some of those clubs plucked top talents from the continent, including former Celtic star Jota, as Al-Ittihad paid £25 million for the prolific winger.

While he looked like a key signing for compatriot Nuno Espirito Santos, problems behind the scenes have seen Al-Ittihad take a dramatic turn. Jota was left out of the club's Saudi Pro League squad, thus fueling speculation about his future.

As things stand, Jota is already in discussions with Al-Ittihad to find a solution. Some sources insist he will look to cancel his contract and take a massive pay, while others suggest the Saudi side could sell the forward to a European club.

These problems started emerging before the European window closed and Tottenham were interested in signing him. However, the player remained with Al-Ittihad, hoping to resolve his issues and start his career in the Saudi Pro League.

Now, as things have become clearer, Jota is likely to depart the club, and Tottenham are considering a move. A reunion with Ange Postecoglou looks likely, with the Australian manager instrumental in signing while at Celtic.

However, Tottenham have the company of Fulham and Crystal Palace in the chase for the 24-year-old Portuguese winger. Both those London sides are keen on adding to their attacking side and may seek a bargain deal for Jota.

Tottenham do have the upper hand in this chase due to the presence of Postecoglou. With the player keen on playing regularly after January, he may evaluate his options and decide on a club where he gets ample game time.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have already signed a similar player in Brennan Johnson on deadline day, but Postecoglou would not hesitate to bring Jota. The 24-year-old Portuguese winger played a vital role during the Australian's success at Celtic.

Jota registered 28 goals and 26 assists in 83 games, which shows why Postecoglou would not hesitate to bring him to Tottenham. He offers more than what his current wing options do, as the 24-year-old Portuguese winger can make Spurs even stronger in the final third.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2023/10/04/crystal-palace-fulham-rival-tottenham-in-jota-pursuit/