Sunday Fulham Stuff - 10/12/23...

[WhiteJC]

Former England international admits Tottenham make an unsuccessful bid for him in 2010 whilst at Fulham
Bobby Zamora reveals that Tottenham Hotspur bid for him in 2010 whilst he was at Fulham

Six years after he left North London, former striker Bobby Zamora had a wonderful opportunity to resurrect his career at Tottenham as he had the chance to sign for the Lilywhites in 2010.

Following a very successful time at Fulham in the 2009/10 season wherein Zamora scored 19 goals and got 10 assists in a very successful year for the Cottagers, the striker had Liverpool and Spurs sniffing the situation and launched their respective bids for the player.

Zamora was as crucial as ever for Roy Hodgson's side that season wherein Fulham reached the finals of the UEFA Europa League. The former Brighton man had the opportunity to follow his manager into the Anfield dressing room or return to Tottenham as he recently revealed.

Here is what Zamora had to say while speaking exclusively on the talkSPORT podcast:

    "I should have probably gone to Liverpool from Fulham,"

    "Roy [Hodgson] went to Liverpool. They bid and Spurs bid at the same time, £10 million the pair of them."

His first spell at White Hart Lane ended with a solitary goal and two assists in 16 appearances across all competitions.

What ifs
Ultimately, Zamora's footballing journey did not take him back to White Hart Lane, as he opted to extend his stay at Craven Cottage until 2012 after which he moved to Queens Park Rangers.

At the time, Tottenham was a club on the rise under the management of Harry Redknapp. The squad certainly boasted talented players, and the addition of Zamora could have provided them with a reliable and robust option up front. His ability to hold up play, bring teammates into the game, and score crucial goals could have complemented the attacking flair of players like Gareth Bale and Luka Modric who then started to take centre stage.

His time at QPR saw him score 14 goals and 12 assists in 94 appearances across all competitions.

On the flip side, the move to Liverpool, which Zamora acknowledged as a potential alternative, might have presented a different set of challenges and opportunities. Liverpool were undergoing their own transformation, and Zamora could certainly have played a role in Hodgson's plans at Anfield alongside his close mate Steven Gerrard.



https://tothelaneandback.com/2023/12/10/bobby-zamora-reveals-that-tottenham-hotspur-bid-for-him-in-2010-whilst-he-was-at-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

The Wonder of Willian: No Brazilian has played more Premier League games than Fulham's sushi-loving Samba star - and he's not done quite yet!

    Willian has enjoyed a fine top flight career for Chelsea, Arsenal and Fulham
    He has grown to call London home and doesn't plan on stopping just yet

The afro shimmering through the crisp air is unmistakable. The shift inside his full-back towards the edge of the box is unstoppable. The arcing finish beyond the diving goalkeeper is glorious.

Willian, ladies and gentleman, is the introverted Brazilian who has been strutting his Samba style in England — but for a brief period back with boyhood club Corinthians — for a decade now.

Against Nottingham Forest last Wednesday, the 35-year-old became the first Brazilian to rack up 300 Premier League appearances.

One of the most potent attacking players in the modern era of English football. Breathless in full flow as he pounces on his full-back. Relentless in tracking back to help his own defence.

A head coach's dream. But what's his secret? Sushi. Willian is very particular about what he eats but put a spicy tuna roll in front of him and he'll find it hard to resist.


The evergreen Willian is the first Brazilian to rack up 300 Premier League appearances
 

The winger made his name during a decorated seven-year spell at Chelsea from 2013 to 2020

Indeed, Willian takes his diet very seriously. He is a stickler for portion control and will never eat out of proportion. Minimal oil, no fried foods. Lean meats, green vegetables, low carbohydrates.

His regimented approach to nutrition has worked wonders: his shape has hardly altered since that day he arrived at Chelsea from Anzhi Makhachkala as a 25-year-old in 2013. It is that discipline that made him a mainstay of five Chelsea managers.



Of course, you can't discuss Willian's successes in England without acknowledging THAT collapsed move to Spurs. The story is well told, Willian — at the Tottenham training ground ready to sign — dashes across London to sign for Chelsea.

Why? Cynics will say it was the money: Chelsea were among the best payers at the time. But it wasn't just about the finances. 'Willian's heart wanted to play Champions League football —and Chelsea were always the team he followed,' said a source. The rest is history. Two Premier Leagues, one FA Cup, a League Cup and a Europa League during his time at the Bridge.

A shy man, there were concerns how Willian might settle into the Chelsea dressing room that still included huge characters like John Terry and Frank Lampard.

But Jose Mourinho took a shining to Willian and played a key role in his settling-in period.

Willian naturally gravitated to his countrymen and grew close to David Luiz, Oscar and Ramires. But he also grew close to mighty Eden Hazard.

That clique spent much of their time off the pitch in each other's company. Their children would play together at each other's houses, they would take turns to host each other for dinner.

But really Willian was liked by everyone at Chelsea. He was shy but humble. 'He isn't a guy who had enemies,' said a Chelsea source. But behind the nice-guy persona is a streetwise and intelligent man.

He has a firm grasp of Russian and English in addition to his native Portuguese. On the pitch he doesn't suffer fools. He is maybe 5ft 9in but he isn't a pushover. His body of work is proof of that.

His upbringing in Brazil is described as tough, and he had to grow quickly at Corinthians. He knows how to handle himself.

And his career in England hasn't always been a bed of roses. His move to Arsenal from Chelsea in 2020 was heralded as a coup for the Gunners. Mikel Arteta, taking charge of his first full season, wanted to add winners to his squad. In a clandestine meeting in London Arteta liked what he saw in Willian. Equally, Willian liked what he saw of Arteta. In retrospect, it was the right player at the wrong time for Arsenal, who were going through a transitional period. The likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe were still at the club. Shkodran Mustafi too.

When he left to fulfil his dream of retiring to Corinthians just 12 months later, Willian hated the thought of people thinking his best days were behind him.

Upon returning to his homeland, Willian's mind started to wander. He felt he could still cut it in England.

What's more, he missed London. He'd dreamed of returning home to Brazil one day.

But having fulfilled that dream, he soon realised home was no longer in Brazil — it was back in England. In the big smoke. In the Premier League.

He joined Fulham in 2022 and remains a key figure for Marco Silva's team.

How long for, however, remains to be seen. He could have joined a club in Saudi Arabia last summer but still felt he could compete at the highest level.


He is still strutting his stuff for the Cottagers and remains a key figure for Marco Silva's team

Moving forward, whether he is able to resist the lure of a huge payday again next year will be interesting to see.

He will have offers from Saudi, once more. But it is understood a number of MLS outfits are also monitoring his situation ahead of next season.

But if Willian does leave the Premier League, he will do so for a club who can compete for trophies.

We may well be seeing the last of Willian on these shores. We'll miss him when he goes.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12846013/Willian-Brazilian-Premier-League-Fulham.html

[WhiteJC]

U18s slip to Spurs defeat
A first half brace from Callum Olusesi laid the foundations for league leaders Tottenham Hotspur to cruise to victory over Fulham's under 18s at Motspur Park this morning.

Olusesi opened the scoring from Spurs first attack two minutes by punishing some dreadful home marking at a corner. Callum Osmand squandered an almost immediate chance to level matters when he headed over at the other end and Olusesi was clinical when he seized upon a defensive mistake ot make it 2-0 midway through the first half. Fulham halved their arrears from the penalty spot with Olyott making no mistake after Maeson King had felled Oliver Gofford in the box.

But Tottenham nearly added a third before the half-time whistle as Tyrese Hall hit the inside of the post from 25 yards and the game took a decisive turn when Gofford was dismissed for a reckless tackle on Archie Chaplin. Spurs quickly re-established their two goal cushion in the second period when Hall pinched possession back for the visitors before captain Kieran Morgan produced a finish low finish after being picked out by Adewole.

Fulham kept going forward with Osmand drawing a sharp save from Carey Bloedorn in the Tottenham goal with eight minutes to play. King almost deflected a cross past his goalkeeper but the ball came back off the post. It was Stuart Lewis' impressive side who finished on the front foot with Hall, a formidable presence throughout in the middle of the park, twice drove over the bar in the closing stages.

FULHAM UNDER 18s (4-2-3-1): Kaiser; de Jesus, Slade (Tabares 70), Nsasi (Park 70), Amissah; Nwoko (White 55), Quashie; Olyott, Ali Wahid; Gofford; Osmand (Picotto 82).

BOOKED: Quashie.

SENT OFF: Gofford.

GOAL: Olyott (pen 36)

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR UNDER 18s (4-4-1-1): Bloedorn; Black (Orr 71), Logan, Chaplin, M. King; Hall, Olusesi, Ajayi, Adewole; Morgan; Lehane (Beggs 74). Subs (not used): Warren, Adelusi, Egan-Riley.

BOOKED: Black, Logan.

GOALS: Olusesi (2, 20), Morgan (53).

REFEREE: Jake Woodman.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/12/u18s-slip-to-spurs-defeat/

[WhiteJC]

Manchester United join race for in-demand Fulham midfielder
Manchester United and Liverpool have reportedly joined a host of club in targeting Fulham midfield ace Joao Palhinha.

After a superb campaign in the Premier League last term, Fulham had to deal with a number of their key players being targeted in the transfer market. One of those that left was Aleksandar Mitrovic.

However, Palhinha stayed despite interest from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich but it sounds like the 28-year-old Portugal international is set to attract more attention in January and beyond.

According to TEAMtalk, Palhinha's representatives have held conversations with a number of other Premier League about a future move. They include not only Manchester United but Liverpool and Arsenal.

It is also believed that Bayern Munich are still interested in doing a deal after missing out on Palhinha's signature during the summer.

The report in question states that Bayern had all but agreed a deal on Deadline Day for an initial fee of around £60 million, but a deal never materialised. It's understood that they would want a similar amount for Palhinha's signature this summer.

There is a possibility that Fulham could demand more money if a number of clubs actually join the race for his signature. Palhinha signed a new contract in Fulham that runs until 2028 and it includes an option for an additional year.

That said, I can't think of worse players to replace Casemiro, but I do feel we should be targeting players whom are younger than 28 to avoid the problems we keep getting ourselves into.



https://strettynews.com/2023/12/10/manchester-united-join-race-for-in-demand-fulham-midfielder/

[WhiteJC]

Peter Crouch and Steve Sidwell predict Fulham vs West Ham United result in Premier League
Peter Crouch and Steve Sidwell have provided their score predictions for Sunday's (10 November) Premier League meeting between Fulham and West Ham.

The Irons make the short trip to Craven Cottage on the back of an impressive 2-1 win at another London rival in Tottenham on Thursday (7 December).

Fulham thumped Nottingham Forest 5-0 last time out, meanwhile, but they are six points worse off than West Ham in the table with 15 games played.

Predicting the outcome of the game on That Peter Crouch Podcast [8 December], former Fulham midfielder Sidwell said: "I'm going to go for a close one. I'll go for a draw, 1-1."

While Crouch disagreed with that prediction, he also does not expect West Ham to come away from Craven Cottage with a victory.

"I've leaned towards Fulham here. West Ham are probably going better than them. But I think they'll get a win at home here, 2-1."

Surprising
West Ham have won five and drawn one of their past six matches in all competitions, with their 10 points from the past 12 on offer making them one of the division's in-form teams.

Yet for some reason, neither Sidwell nor Crouch expect the Irons to pick up a victory in West London against a relatively lowly Fulham side.

The Cottagers did put five past Forest in the week, granted, but that is one of only two wins they have picked up in seven outings.

Marco Silva's men do tend to perform better on home soil, though, as they have won three of their past four on their own turf.

This is by no means an easy game, then, and a point must be considered decent, but David Moyes will surely be targeting all three at Craven Cottage.

Fingers crossed United can keep this feel-good factor alive for a little while longer yet.



https://www.westhamzone.com/news/fulham-vs-west-ham-united-premier-league-steve-sidwell-peter-crouch-prediction/

[WhiteJC]

Stick Or Twist For 'Cottagers'?
Hammers manager David Moyes faces a bit of a selection problem when it comes to this afternoon's game against Fulham at Craven Cottage. The 1st half's lamentable performance against 'Tottingham' was followed by a blistering display of 'positive' football that no one, least of all Moyes we suspect, saw coming.

The issue for Moyes is does he stick with the same line up or make a couple of changes? Alphonse Areola was unavailable midweek due to a 'minor' wrist injury with 'Fabbo' deputising really well, however the deal between keepers is that the 'Euro' spots and domestic cups go to the 2nd choice keeper right up until the finals, therefore who should make the cut for today?

IF Areola is not 100% fit then Fabianski MUST start, if however Areola is fit then he should.

Some misguided souls have suggested that talisman Lucas Paqueta should be dropped from the starting line up, citing that his last couple of games have been below par. THey of course have forgotten or not realised that Paqueta was himself struck down by the virus that saw several players miss games but elected to play in spite of the illness.

Perhaps the fact that 'Pacman' has been forced to play as a 'defacto' left back hasn't helped any either! Jarrod Bowen keeps on going from strength to strength and is banging the goals in, but you can't jelp but wonder how many MORE goals he could score if he wasn't being played out of position.

Nevertheless, Hammers currently have a chance to 'jump on to the coat tails' of the top four IF they don't blow it against Marco Silva's side. It all depends on which team turns up, the 1st half rubbish from Thursday or the scintillating counter attack team from the 2nd? - Ed



https://westhamfans.org/content/stick-or-twist-cottagers

[WhiteJC]

Liverpool and Manchester United keen on £20 million Premier League midfielder
Liverpool and Manchester United are keen on signing the Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha as per Fichajes.

The 28-year-old has been outstanding since his £20 million move from Sporting CP two years ago, and he has established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the country.

Liverpool could certainly use a quality defensive midfielder right now and Palhinha would be a superb acquisition if they can pull it off. They tried to sign a defensive midfielder in the summer, but the Reds failed to secure the signature of players like Moises Caicedo.

They have been using Alexis Mac Allister in the role of an anchor, but the Argentine international is more suited to an advanced role. Signing a quality defensive midfielder will not only help them improve defensively, but it would also allow creative players like Mac Allister to operate with more freedom.

Meanwhile, Manchester United could use a defensive midfielder as well, especially with the way  Casemiro has performed the season. The Brazilian international has not been as best and Palhinha could prove to be an upgrade.

The 28-year-old is likely to be tempted to join a big club in the coming weeks and Liverpool and Manchester United are the biggest clubs in the country. He is likely to cost a substantial amount of money and it remains to be seen whether Liverpool and Manchester United are prepared to break the bank for him.

Fulham have reportedly already lined up a potential replacement in Andre Trindade. The Brazilian midfielder is expected to join the London club in January.



https://www.caughtoffside.com/2023/12/10/liverpool-and-manchester-united-keen-on-20-million-premier-league-midfielder/

[WhiteJC]

Up next: West Ham United (h)
The euphoria of Fulham's fantastic five-goal thrashing of Nottingham Forest might have subsided somewhat but the memories of Marco Silva's side playing some swashbuckling football remain. The Whites have looked weak and predictable in the final third for a much of a season that had barely began when Aleksandar Mitrovic skulked off to Saudi Arabia and Raul Jimenez looked as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders until Wednesday night. Silva's gameplan has had to evolve, but it surely can't be a coincidence that having Tom Cairney, Andreas Pereira, Willian and Alex Iwobi all in the same side contributed to the Mexican finishing chances with aplomb.

There does not be to a degree of caution attached to the reaction to one result in isolation: Forest were woeful and, although Cairney capped the evening with a lovely finish, the final goal underlined how easy that romp was for the Whites. Wednesday was the first time that Fulham had scored three goals in successive top-flight matches since 1966, when a 5-2 win at Aston Villa was followed on successive Saturdays by a 3-0 home win over Sunderland and a 3-1 triumph at Upton Park against West Ham United as Vic Buckingham masterminded an escape from relegation that even Roy Hodgson would marvel at. Silva has spoken about the need for his side to find the consistency to knit together results that helped them climb the table – and this afternoon offers the opportunity to do so against the Hammers.

David Moyes' men will come to the Cottage on a high having staged a stunning comeback to be the latest side to puncture Tottenham's terrific start. West Ham have won five of their last six fixtures in all competitions, collecting ten points from their last four league games, with James Ward-Prowse's winner at Spurs a fitting reward for their increased aggression and intensity after the interval. Moyes, who hasn't lost in his last thirteen games against Fulham, hailed the versatility of England winger Jarrod Bowen, who operated effectively as a false nine on Thursday night, as well as heaping praise on the experienced Lukasz Fabianski after the goalkeeper deputised well for Alphonse Areola, who may miss a potential return to the Cottage following his fine 2020/2021 loan spell through injury.

Moyes' side have the pedigree to play to a couple of different game plans. They are comfortable in possession, but work exceptionally hard without the ball and are dangerous on the counter as Silva identified in his pre-match press conference on Friday. Ward-Prowse, as well as being a master technician in midfield, is a sound decision-maker who – to my mind – has a mystifyingly low number of senior international caps. In recent weeks, Mo Kudus has showed what he can bring to the Hammers side whilst Bowen, a regular scourge of Fulham from his Hull days, has now scored in each of his last seven away league outings.

The London derby will come too soon for Issa Diop to face his former start and Silva's biggest selection dilemma is whether to tweak anything at all after sweeping past Forest so spectacularly. Calvin Bassey and Tosin Adarabioyo looked every inch a future top flight central defensive pairing but they will surely face a sterner test against the streetwise Hammers. The Palhinha-Cairney axis delivered delicious distribution of the ball, but will a more combative side be required against Moyes' men? Does Harry Wilson, who made a goal within ten minutes of getting off the bench in midweek, deserve a more prominent role in the side? The pleasing thing is that Silva seems to have a few more options with first-team players available again after injury, but the Portuguese head coach – whom Moyes credited with transforming Fulham into 'a strong Premier League team' on Friday – will be relentless in his quest for improvement.

MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, A. Robinson, Adarabioyo, Bassey; Palhina, Reed; Iwobi, Willian, Pereira; Jimenez. Subs: Rodak, Castagne, Ballo-Toure, Ream, Lukic, Cairney, De Cordova-Reid, Wilson, Vinicius.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/12/up-next-west-ham-united-h-4/

[WhiteJC]

West Ham today take on Fulham in our 2nd London derby this week, knowing a win would be a huge boost following results elsewhere.
Our Hammers are coming off the back of an outstanding midweek victory over rivals Spurs away from home, a win which sees West Ham take our unbeaten run now to 6 matches – which include 5 victories, so confidence is certainly high going into this match.

The hosts however are also in good form, having recorded a 5-0 victory in their last match against Nottingham Forest last weekend in the Premier League.

The West Ham Way Podcast hosts Dave Walker and ExWHUEmployee both agree that this is a very big game, and one that if a victory can be realised, then David Moyes' side will be in a very healthy position as we look to book a place in Europe again next season.

"A big game today," stated Walker. "It's one that could see us sitting very pretty in the table after other results have gone our way this weekend.

"Hopefully we carry the confidence and momentum from Thursday into this one and get a result."

Ex also agreed with is Podcast host, whilst also admitting there is a slight concern amongst the squad at present though.

"Today is going to be a tough game," stated Ex. "Fulham are on the back of an impressive win in the week at home but so are we.

"Ideally you would keep with the same side, but I know that there has been a bug going round the squad, hopefully that hasn't taken too much out of us.

"The way the results went this weekend a win today could make the table very interesting."



https://www.thewesthamway.com/2023/12/10/bug-going-around-ex-gives-thoughts-update-ahead-of-fulham-clash/

[filham]

Our major talking issues before christmas are a new striker, the transfer of Palhinha, the half empty new stand, form of veteran captains Ream and Cairney. However right now all of that has to be put to one side and full focus must be on the West Ham match starting at 2pm.

West Ham are an in form team looking for a top six position and a victory for us today would be our best win of the season to date and really move us close to the mid table and away from thouhts of relegation.

COYW

[WhiteJC]

Team News:Moyes will ask players for one more push
Moyes will ask players to dig into their energy reserves

Team news for today's Premier League clash at Craven Cottage between West Ham and Fulham:

Both West Ham and Fulham enter the fixture in good form, securing midweek victories against Tottenham and Nottingham Forest, respectively. Hammers manager David Moyes emphasized the need for his players to showcase their impressive fitness levels once again.

Despite Moyes discussing fatigue and squad rotation, a strong line-up is expected for this encounter. West Ham have effectively managed injuries this season, boasting an almost fully fit squad for Moyes to choose from.

Alphonse Areola, absent in Thursday's win against Spurs due to a wrist problem, is not expected to face a long-term setback, according to the Hammers gaffer. Michail Antonio is still in the recovery phase from an injury sustained during international duty and is not expected to feature.

Former Hammer Issa Diop remains unavailable for the hosts this Sunday, nursing a foot injury, and is not anticipated to return for the weekend's match.

On the Fulham side, forward Rodrigo Muniz is nearing a return after a knee injury, and manager Marco Silva is hopeful that Adama Traoré has recovered from a thigh problem in time for the clash.



https://www.claretandhugh.info/team-newsmoyes-will-ask-players-for-one-more-push/

[WhiteJC]

'Top class' Fulham player already being monitored by MLS clubs ahead of next summer's transfer window
The January transfer window might still be a month away, but already MLS clubs are considering a move for Fulham star Willian next summer.

A report from the Daily Mail has suggested that the Brazilian star might not be destined to stay in the Premier League for too much longer.

It wouldn't be the first time that Willian has departed Craven Cottage.

The 35-year-old joined Fulham last summer on a 12-month deal and nearly joined Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest ahead of this season.

Willian's obvious quality has once again been a welcome presence on the left wing this season, forming a fantastic partnership with Antonee Robinson.

The American full-back is arguably enjoying the best spell of his Fulham career and his relationship with Willian is blossoming.

However, Willian's deal once again expires next summer and he could now depart Fulham for the MLS.

After becoming the first Brazilian to reach 300 appearances in England, the club do have to start making plans for when he moves on.

A move to the United States might be the perfect way to cap off an unbelievable career.

If he can do it after helping the Whites secure another strong Premier League finish and maybe even a cup run, that would be even better.

Fulham star Willian already attracting MLS interest
The report from the Daily Mail suggests that several MLS are 'monitoring his situation' with Saudi Arabian teams also interested.

The 'top class' Brazilian could have followed Aleksandar Mitrovic to the Middle East this summer even after signing his latest Fulham deal.

There's no risk of Willian moving on in January, with the club needing to address bigger issues within the squad next month anyway.

Despite his brace against Nottingham Forest, it would be a surprise if Fulham didn't try and sign a striker.

Meanwhile, Joao Palhinha's future continues to be a topic of discussion with Brazilian international Andre potentially on his way to Craven Cottage from Fluminense.

Willian moving on from Fulham to join an MLS team would be a fitting final move in a decorated career.

While today's clash against West Ham is very important, fans have already started to look at the Carabao Cup quarter-final trip to Everton as Marco Silva's side aims to reach the semi-finals of that competition for the very first time.

Fulham haven't played at Wembley for a cup final since 1971 and it would be a trip for many to tick off the bucket list if the likes of Willian can continue to build on their recent good performances.



https://www.fulham.news/2023/12/10/top-class-fulham-player-already-being-monitored-by-mls-clubs-ahead-of-next-summers-transfer-window/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham v West Ham United: match preview
Next up as the London derbies resemble buses, we make the trip up the Thames to Fulham. Kick-off is at 2pm and there's the usual engineering works on Greater Anglia and C2C to contend with.

So Fulham then. Of the six played before Wednesday's match with Forest, they won one (Wolves 4-3 at home) drawn one (1-1 at Brighton) and lost four (away at Spurs, Villa and Liverpool and at home to Man Utd).

The Liverpool defeat must have been particularly galling, their first goal coming as it did from a free-kick awarded for what is now officially the worst dive ever seen at Anfield, an award for which there was stiff competition.

I tuned in to MotD in the expectation that the embarrassment would be acknowledged with at least the same sort of forensic examination effort that they devoted to the rare error that went against them in the Tottenham game. However, I had forgotten the BBC code of omerta which reads nobody must ever say anything derogatory about Liverpool, ever.

So we were told instead how wonderful Terence Trent Darby is even though his goal was in fact an own goal, coming off the back of Poor Leno's head. Funnily enough they also didn't mention "the world's best right back (yeah right)" for Fulham's first equaliser which in a way was fair enough given that the player was nowhere to be seen as Fulham pushed forward.

In retrospect, Forest at home was an ideal match for them to try and get things on track – they played ok but in truth Forest were absolutely woeful. Still the three points lifted them to 12th at time of writing, their 18 points keeping them 11 clear of the drop zone thay might have been glancing at in recent weeks.

On the new signings front, Daisy tells me that they went shopping in Wolverhampton. £5.5m was enough to secure the services of Raul Jiminez. The striker netted 135 times in the league over a five-year spell at Molineux, his latter days being played wearing a mask after a horrific head injury with which, rather disgracefully, he was allowed to play for quite some considerable time before someone twigged that hospital might be a good idea.

The striker, who has over 100 caps for his native Mexico, has netted just the one in 13 before the Forest match, a match in which he trebled his season's tally.

The other arrival from the Black Country was Adama Traore. The muscly winger arrived on a free in the summer – a bit of a change from a year earlier when he was loaned to Barcelona with an option for the Catalans to make the deal permanent. The success of his loan at the Nou Camp can be gleaned from the fact that he ended up at Fulham on a free. He's made just the four league appearances, a troublesome hamstring keeping him out of late.

It seems that Ajax may have been a bit short of readies during the summer judging by the number of players sold. This included Calvin "Shirley" Bassey. He's a cosmopolitan sort.

Born in Italy he moved to England as a kid and started out in Leicester's youth system before gaining his first senior experience north of the border at Rangers. Ajax shelled out a club record for the player who opted to play for Nigeria at international level. He managed to get a straight red on his debut but settled enough to make 25 appearances last season, before Fulham came in this summer with a bid of €21m which was pretty much what the Dutch side paid for them.

They returned to the Midlands to pick over the bones of Leicester's relegation carcass. A cheque for £15m was enough to secure the services of Thomas Castagne. The Belgian right back signed a four-year deal with the Cottagers, with the possibility of another year at Fulham's option.

The final signing to arrive was Alex Iwobi who manned the escape pod from Everton for a fee totalling £22m including add-ons. For those of you familiar with Hornchurch, Iwobi is a Campion old boy. He was on target twice in Wednesday's rout of Forest and is having a decent season.

Onwards then to the Wild and Wacky World of Association Football. And the fallout from Simon Hooper's brainstorm in the Man City v Spurs game continues as the FA have charged Man City for surrounding the referee.

The worst that will happen to Hooper is that PGMOL will give him a week off. I'd say that Hooper ought to pay any fine that Man City get hit with. It won't happen of course but wouldn't it be nice if referees' contributory negligence could be factored into these matters.

There again when it comes to matters disciplinary, the FA continue to display the sort of consistency one might expect of a bunch of fools who you wouldn't trust to sit the right way up on a toilet seat.

Take the FA Cup, where "Holier Than Though Because We're Vegan" outfit Forest Green Rovers have been ordered to replay their second round tie against Scarborough after fielding an ineligible player in the tie. All very well I suppose but the decision must have raised a quizzical eyebrow or two at Barnsley, who were actually thrown out of the competition a few weeks ago for exactly the same offence.

And so to us. Or rather not, really. Due to my presence being required elsewhere in Europe (no NOT Interpol) over the next few days I'm having to write this before our trip to the Toilet Bowl. I have however put together a few words which will cover most scenarios. All you have to do is delete as appropriate. So How great/average/poor a display was that then. Despite/because of how dreadful/poor/abysmal the referee was. And aren't Spurs fans unintentionally hilarious, bless them.

Other news is that we have activated an extension to Pablo Fornals' contract that will keep him in Stratford for another year, though the cynic in me thinks that this may just be a ruse to make sure we get a fee for the player should he go in the next window.

So the prediction. Well without Spurs away to have as a starting point it's difficult to have much of a point of reference. So I'm going to go straight for it and place the £2.50 that I may spend on spent on Daisy's Christmas card on a score draw. Could we make that 2-2 please Mr Winstone.

Enjoy the game!



https://www.kumb.com/article.php?id=44738

[WhiteJC]

Two big West Ham absentees pictured training ahead of Fulham clash
Two big West Ham absentees have been pictured training ahead of the Premier League clash with Fulham on Sunday afternoon.

West Ham can jump into the top six with victory at Fulham on Sunday afternoon.

West Ham have made their best ever start to a Premier League season after 15 games. And the Hammers could go level on points with fifth-placed Spurs with victory over the Cottagers.

West Ham will be without injured striker Michail Antonio for the east vs west London derby.

And there was understandable concern at Spurs when West Ham's number one goalkeeper Alphonse Areola was nowhere to be seen.

Two big West Ham absentees pictured training
Maxwel Cornet, who made a telling contribution with a last gasp assist in West Ham's vital win over Backa Topola in the Europa League, was also missing from the squad.

David Moyes had said he hoped Areola's wrist injury was nothing serious and that he could return for Fulham.

Illness has been sweeping the West Ham camp of late. And there has been talk certain players who featured in the win over Spurs may be missing at Craven Cottage.

But two big West Ham absentees have pictured training ahead of the Fulham clash.

In what is a major boost for Moyes, both Areola and Cornet have been pictured in West Ham's last training session before the match.

Major double boost for Moyes ahead of Fulham
Cornet and Areola are featured in pictures six and seven in a gallery from Rush Green posted on West Ham's website.

The players who featured against Tottenham were not involved in a full session but key men such as Jarrod Bowen, Kurt Zouma, James Ward-Prowse, Nayef Aguerd, Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek were all pictured.

If the Hammers beat Fulham all eyes will then turn to Tottenham's home game against Newcastle. Defeat for the injury-ravaged Magpies would keep West Ham sixth.

At worst West Ham will be seventh and confident of building on it with a home game against Wolves to come next weekend.

Moyes' boys have to do the job at Fulham first, though, of course.

Predicted West Ham starting XI to face Fulham – not withstanding potential illness issues:
Areola, Coufal, Zouma, Aguerd, Emerson, Paqueta, Ward-Prowse, Soucek, Alvarez, Kudus, Bowen.



https://www.hammers.news/match-preview/two-big-west-ham-absentees-pictured-training-ahead-of-fulham-clash/

[WhiteJC]