Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 27/12/23...

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Results

Sunday 24/12
Wolves	2-1	Chelsea

Tuesday 26/12
Newcastle	1-3	Forest
Bournemouth	3-0	Fulham
Sheff Utd	2-3	Luton
Burnley	0-2	Liverpool
Man Utd	3-2	Villa

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Bournemouth 3-0 Fulham

No side has taken more points from the last nine Premier League games than Bournemouth's 22

Dominic Solanke continued his fine scoring form as Bournemouth beat Fulham to earn a fourth Premier League win in a row.

The Cherries went in front at the end of a scrappy first half when Justin Kluivert's shot squirmed under Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno after a brilliant mazy run from Alex Scott to create the chance.

Solanke doubled the advantage from the penalty spot just past the hour mark, sending Leno the wrong way for his 12th league goal of the season after Antoine Semenyo was bundled over by Joao Palhinha.

It was the striker's fifth goal in his last three matches, while the penalty was Bournemouth's first in 65 games, ending a stretch of 609 days without a spot-kick.

Substitute Luis Sinisterra wrapped it up for Bournemouth with a stunner in stoppage time. The winger cut in from the left before firing an unstoppable shot into the top-right corner from 25 yards.

Fulham had rarely looked like getting back into the game and, to make matters worse after a third straight league loss without scoring, Leno could find himself in trouble after pushing a ball boy who he felt was taking too long to return the ball for a goal-kick.

The 31-year-old German apologised to the youngster for the gentle shove at the next break in play but was booed by home fans for the rest of the match.

Victory takes Bournemouth above Chelsea and into the top half, while Fulham stay 13th.

'Leno out of order'
This was a hugely disappointing afternoon for Marco Silva's visitors and it could yet end up costing them their goalkeeper for a time.

With Fulham trailing 2-0, Leno grew frustrated at what he deemed to be time-wasting from the ball boy and proceeded to snatch the ball from him and then put his palm into his chest.

"Bernd Leno is out of order," former Everton striker Kevin Campbell told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"He shouldn't put his hand on the ball boy. The ball boys are told, if their team is winning, slow the game down. We all know this.

"Just go and grab the ball, you don't need to put your hand on his chest."

Leno had already been booked and his actions led to a furious reaction from the crowd, who voiced their disapproval every time he touched the ball from that moment on.

The goalkeeper later said sorry, first to the ball boy and then to the crowd, but he will have to wait to see if he faces any punishment for his actions.

"The ball boys were always delaying, Bernd wanted to play quickly and he took the ball from the ball boy," Silva told BBC Match of the Day.

"He didn't push him, it wasn't strong enough and he apologised. He's a top professional."

Bournemouth maintain magnificent form
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola watched the game from the stands as he served a one-match touchline ban and saw his side struggle for rhythm early on.

Both sides were sloppy in possession, but after half an hour the hosts began to settle. Once Kluivert put them in front a minute before the break, they were never in danger of dropping points.

"There are a lot of small things that are now clicking," Iraola told Match of the Day.

"We know each other much better. Everyone is pushing. There is strong competition for minutes. It's becoming tough for me to make the starting XIs, but it's good for the team."

Fulham had more possession in the second half but Bournemouth were able to keep them at arm's length and without ever being at their best in possession, they were always comfortable.

Solanke confidently put away the penalty to give them a cushion and by the time Sinisterra rifled in the third, the victory had looked safe for some time.

The Cherries' unbeaten run extends to seven top-flight games, six of them bringing wins, and they can head into their next two league fixtures against Tottenham and Liverpool filled with optimism.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67757163

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Marco's Post-Bournemouth press conference
Marco Silva addressed the media following our 3-0 away defeat to Bournemouth on Boxing Day.

Since our back-to-back 5-0 wins in the Premier League, we have struggled to create and score goals, leading to questions around its symmetry with both Raúl Jiménez and Willian missing from the squad.

"It is not a coincidence that we have struggled since losing two of our best players in our attacking line," Marco began. "That is a reality.

"Of course, I'm not here to find excuses to talk about, but Raúl was in a very good moment, was scoring goals and really helping the team.

"And Willian, as you know, is a key player for us in the way we want to create and the way we want to build our attacking moments."

Tuesday's defeat to Bournemouth makes it two defeats in four days following what has been a very busy December for the Whites and Marco has not been satisfied with the performances that have come of late.

"I'm not really happy with our performance with some things I saw on the pitch," he said. "Of course, last game was different because our first half was at a very good level.

"Before the Burnley goal, my feeling was that we were going to win that game.

"It didn't happen that way and at this level teams punish you. If we don't score goals, this is a consequence of that. 

"We are missing two key players in our attack line, and we have to see.

"You have to keep working hard and we have to see what we can do next because this type of thing cannot happen when we miss one or two players."

One of the talking points from the game involved Bernd Leno and one of the ballboys, something that Marco was asked about post-match.

"It's clear he went to speak with the boy after, as a top professional he is and a really experienced player as well.

"He wanted to play quick, the ball boys were holding, I don't know if it was an instruction to hold the ball to delay the beginning of the game again.

"I didn't see him push the player; he touched the ball boy. They are different things. "



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2023/december/26/Marcos-Post-Bournemouth-press conference/

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Fulham keeper Bernd Leno branded 'disgusting' after shoving Bournemouth ballboy
Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno has come under fire after pushing a ballboy during the Boxing Day clash at Bournemouth, who were 2-0 up at the time

Bernd Leno has been slammed after shoving a ballboy during Fulham's Boxing Day clash at Bournemouth.

With the Cottages trailing 2-0, keeper Leno was eager to get on with the game. However, he wasn't happy with how long a ballboy was taking over giving the ball back to him and gave him a gentle push.

The ballboy was soon spoken to by an official and appeared to be subbed off as he was spotted taking a seat in the stand. Leno's conduct drew criticism from supporters who saw the incident. The 31-year-old had already been booked but avoided a second yellow, but could face retrospective punishment.

One raged: "What an absolute **** Leno is. Imagine pushing a young ball boy when you're a giant grown man. Disgusting!"

A second said: "That should be a yellow card." A third added: "Uh, oh, he's in trouble for that. Wasn't a huge push, boy should have milked it and gone down like players do." A fourth said: "Classless act, suspend him!"

Perhaps feeling guilty, Leno but then embraced the ballboy, but was still roundly booed by the home fans for the rest of the game. Clinton Morrison was watching the game for Sky Sports' Soccer Special.

He said in the aftermath of the incident: "The ballboy's been moved, he's now sitting in the stand. But fair play to Leno, he's gone up to him and given him a little hug and a high five and it's all smiles at the end of it."

Fans also praised Leno's subsequent gesture to the ballboy. One said: "Good to see Bernd Leno apologising and making amends." Another added: "We all make bad decisions in the heat of the moment."

Fulham were already up against before Leno's shove, trailing to goals from Justin Kluivert and Dominic Solanke's penalty. Luis Sinisterra's stunning strike from the edge of the area deep into added time made it 3-0.



https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/breaking-bernd-leno-bournemouth-ballboy-31751642

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Fulham's very bad Boxing Day summed up by Bernd Leno shoving child
Typically, if a player follows in the footsteps of Eden Hazard, it's going to be a positive development.

Bernd Leno, however, emulated one of the more infamous moments of the ex-Chelsea star's career on Boxing Day, getting a tad too aggressive with a ballboy in Fulham's 3-0 defeat at Bournemouth.

Frustrated by the ballboy's time-wasting antics, the goalkeeper gave him a shove after he handed him the ball, much to the dismay of the Vitality Stadium crowd.

The home fans would let the German know what they thought of the incident, jeering him after every touch for the remainder of the match.

Leno, to his credit, did find the ballboy later in the match and apologize, offering a hug for his troubles.

After the game, Fulham manager Marco Silva stood up for his goalkeeper, saying that the incident couldn't even be considered a "push."

"I spoke with Bernd about it. It's clear he spoke to the boy after the moment. Top professional he is, he wanted to play quick but the ballboys were holding the ball," Silva said.

"I don't know who give them the instructions to hold it. He touched the ballboy, not pushed him — they are different things. I'm not English but I know the difference. He touched him."

There were plenty of reactions on social media, with some tipping the Bournemouth kid to emulate the Swansea ballboy Hazard shoved and make a fortune in the alcohol business.



https://prosoccerwire.usatoday.com/lists/leno-pushes-ballboy-fulham-bournemouth/

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Bournemouth 3-0 Fulham: Cherries into top half as Cottagers continue to stumble
The Cherries are now the most in-form team in the Premier League as the Cottagers struggle with consistency

Fulham were thumped by a resurgent Bournemouth side on Boxing Day as goals from Justin Kluivert, Dominic Solanke and Luis Sinisterra secured a 3-0 home win on the south coast.

Since being beaten 6-1 by Manchester City to leave manager Andoni Iraola facing questions over his future, Bournemouth have taken 16 points from a possible 18 and now sit in the top half of the Premier League table after a comfortable over Fulham.

Bournemouth's opener came just before half-time when Alex Scott took the ball on the halfway line and sprinted through the Fulham defence to set up Kluivert to shoot past keeper Bernd Leno.

Joao Palhinha's foul on Antonie Semenyo earned Bournemouth a spot-kick which Solanke converted shortly after the hour mark, and substitute Sinisterra scored in added time to take Bournemouth to three points above 11th-placed Chelsea.

Bournemouth, winless in their first nine league games of the season, are now the most in-form team in the top flight and next face Tottenham in London as Fulham host Arsenal.

Additional reporting by Reuters.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/afc-bournemouth-vs-fulham-premier-league-result-b1129088.html

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Bournemouth cruise past Fulham to extend unbeaten run
Cherries beat Marco Silva's side 3-0 to move into the top half as Solanke scores again

AFC Bournemouth picked up their sixth win in seven matches and climbed into the top half of the table as they beat Fulham 3-0 at Vitality Stadium.

Justin Kluivert gave the Cherries a half-time lead, and Dominic Solanke then scored his 12th Premier League goal of the season, moving joint-second alongside Mohamed Salah in the race for the Castrol Golden Boot, just two goals behind top scorer Erling Haaland.

Luis Sinisterra added gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time as Bournemouth secured their first ever Boxing Day victory in the Premier League and moved six points outside the top six.

How the match unfolded
After an even start from both sides, Bournemouth had a great chance to take the lead just after the 30-minute mark as Kluivert's effort from close range was blocked brilliantly by Tosin Adarabioyo at the last second.

But Kluivert did put the Cherries ahead just before the break. Summer signing Alex Scott, making only his fifth Premier League appearance for Bournemouth due to injury, dribbled past four players before setting up Kluivert, and the winger's strike went underneath Bernd Leno and into the net.

Fulham dominated possession in the opening stages of the second half but failed to create a goalscoring opportunity, and they were made to pay for their passive play in the 61st minute.

Joao Palhinha brought down Antoine Semenyo in the box, and Bournemouth were awarded their first penalty for 609 days. Solanke sent Leno the wrong way from the spot to score in his fifth consecutive league match against Fulham.

Bournemouth appealed for a second penalty just minutes later when Antonee Robinson caught Kluivert with a stray leg, but referee Tim Robinson was not interested.

Sinisterra managed to make it 3-0 in the second minute of stoppage time with a fantastic strike. He cut inside off the left wing and curled the ball into the top-right corner, leaving Leno with no chance.

Key facts
After earning three points from their first nine games in the Premier League this season (W0 D3 L6), Bournemouth have picked up 22 points from their next nine games (W7 D1 L1).

Fulham have lost four consecutive away league matches while conceding 3+ goals in each game for the first time since March 1969.

Justin Kluivert's goal against Fulham today came 18 years and 236 days after his father Patrick scored his final Premier League goal, which came against the Cottagers in May 2005. The pair have scored eight goals combined in the Premier League, with each goal coming at a different venue.

Dominic Solanke has scored in each of his last five league appearances against Fulham, only scoring more total league goals against Huddersfield Town (6).



https://www.premierleague.com/news/3836579

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Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno could face FA action after pushing ballboy
The Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno could face retrospective action from the Football Association after shoving a ballboy in the defeat at Bournemouth. Leno, who had already been booked, avoided a red card but could face further punishment.

Leno pushed the boy with his left hand after collecting the ball for a second-half goalkick, before later embracing the youngster and apologising during a break in play.

Fulham's manager, Marco Silva, accused Andoni Iraola's side of time‑wasting tactics as they lost 3-0. Silva played down the incident, insisting the Fulham goalkeeper touched – but did not push – the ballboy.

Related: Bournemouth extend winning run as Luis Sinisterra caps victory over Fulham

Silva confirmed he spoke with Leno to establish his version of events.

"It is clear he [Leno] went to speak with the boy after that moment as the top professional and the really experienced player he is," Silva said.

"He wanted to play quick and the ballboys were ... I don't know who gave instructions to them for them to always hold the ball and to delay the [restart of the] game ... OK, we were losing, he ran towards the ball. I didn't see him push the ballboy. He touched the ballboy, he didn't push the ballboy – they are different things. I'm not English but I know the difference between one word and the other. We have to say the truth."

After the incident the referee, Tim Robinson, asked for the ballboys to stand down from duty, resulting in the absence of the multiball system for the final stages of the game. The Premier League confirmed the multiball system was withdrawn on 79 minutes.

"The fourth official [James Linington] was so clear that the ballboys were delaying the game," Silva said. "In that moment the game was already 2-0 but the rules are there and it should be with the ballboys. The ballboys did their job, probably with instructions to delay the game, and what the referee did in that moment was to finish the multiball [system] to stop the situation that they were always delaying and the problems that can happen. The referee took that decision.

"I was so really upset with our performance I didn't have the energy to start to complain ... for me it was difficult to understand the situation because if you're losing the game multiball should be there. If it was there until that moment, it should be there until the last minute."

Iraola, whose side have won six of their past seven matches, rejected suggestions that Bournemouth asked their ballboys to delay restarts. "For sure, they were not instructed," the head coach said.



https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/fulham-bernd-leno-could-face-183422350.html

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'They were always delaying' - Fulham boss Marco Silva addresses Bernd Leno pushing ball boy during Cottagers' heavy Premier League defeat to Bournemouth
Fulham boss Marco Silva has defended Bernd Leno despite the goalkeeper appearing to push a ball boy in his side's 3-0 loss at Bournemouth.

    Fulham lose 3-0 at Bournemouth
    Leno pushes ball boy in defeat
    Silva downplays keeper's actions

WHAT HAPPENED?

Goals from Justin Kluivert, Dominic Solanke, and Luis Sinisterra on Boxing Day secured the Cherries their fourth-straight Premier League victory to climb to 10th in the table. It was a hugely disappointing afternoon for the outplayed Cottagers at Vitality Stadium and even when they were 2-0 down it appeared keeper Leno's patience was wearing thin. The German ran over to a ball boy and appeared to push him when trying to get the game back underway before taking a goal kick. Leno later apologised for his actions but manager Silva came to the former Arsenal stopper's aid and said the ball boys were essentially time wasting.

WHAT MARCO SILVA SAID

Silva told BBC Match of the Day: "I spoke with Bernd before I came off, I saw the moment. I don't know if it was instruction or not, but the ball boys were always delaying. The game should be the same if one team is winning or not. The ball boys were always delaying, Bernd wanted to play quickly and he took the ball from the ball boy. He didn't push him, it wasn't strong enough and he apologised. He is a top professional."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The victory has taken Bournemouth above big-spending Chelsea and into the top half of the table. Andoni Iraola's side have now won seven of their last nine top-flight games as they have gone from relegation contenders to one of the division's form sides. Fulham, on the other hand, have lost three on the spin and are in 13th.

WHAT NEXT?

Bournemouth round off their successful 2023 with an away trip to Tottenham on New Year's Eve whereas Fulham host league-leaders Arsenal on the same date. After that, both teams are in FA Cup action, with the Cherries taking on QPR on January 6 and the Cottagers hosting Rotherham on January 5.



https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/fulham-marco-silva-bernd-leno-pushing-ball-boy-premier-league-defeat-bournemouth/blte845e8a9a152f53e#csc2bcd60a09a25b9a

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Cherries cruise past flat Fulham
Marco Silva's first Premier League on Boxing Day continued the Fulham head coach's miserable Christmas as the Whites were easily beaten by Bournemouth hot on the heels of a dismal home defeat at the hands of Burnley. The dire nature of this reverse at Dean Court was encapsulated by the normally ice-cool Bernd Leno shoving a ball boy as he sought to retrieve a ball behind the goal with his side 2-0 down; the German goalkeeper could yet face further disciplinary action from the Football Association.

The home fans sung the praises of their head coach Andoni Iraola during a sixth win in seven games even if the former Rayo Vallecano manager was not on the touchline for what became a routine victory having amassed a third yellow card of the season at the City Ground on Saturday. Iraolo broke into a broad smile in the directors' box after substitute Luis Sinisterra curled in a third goal from outside the area in stoppage time, but his side had already climbed into the top half of the Premier League table by establishing an unassailable lead through Justin Kluivert's predatory finish at the end of the first half and a penalty from the unstoppable Dominic Solanke.

Bournemouth look a transformed time from the one that didn't win in their first eight league outings and have now lost just once in the top flight since October. They were assertive in the tackle and looked more purposeful with the ball in the final third, but were comfortable allowing their hosts to have the lion's share of the possession. Fulham lacked a cutting edge in attack, sorely missing the suspended Raul Jimenez and the injured Willian, and managed only a single shot on target when the largely anonymous Rodrigo Muniz aimed a volley right at goalkeeper Neto.

The Cherries had the better chances in the first period with Solanke seeing an early effort deflected behind by Tosin Adarabioyo who then blocked a strike from Justin Kluivert after excellent approach play from the dangerous Antoine Semenyo before heading off the line when Leno had dashed out of his goal a minute later. Bournemouth exploited Fulham's soft centre a minute before half-time when Alex Scott sauntered from the halfway line to the penalty area. The former Bristol City midfielder should have been shackled by Andreas Pereira and Joao Palhinha but progressed to set up Kluivert, whose low shot trickled through Leno's legs. The goalkeeper's pained reaction showed he knew he should have saved it.

Silva opted not to make alterations at half-time but Fulham, for the second game running, were well short of the intensity and invention of their opponents. Palhinha was punished for a clumsy challenge on Semenyo when the Bournemouth forward burst into the box and Solanke coolly sent Leno the wrong way with the ensuing penalty – scoring his twelve goal of a commendable campaign. Silva's subsequent substitutes made little impression on proceedings and it was little surprise when Sinisterra stepped inside Timothy Castagne and found the top corner with a lovely finish to keep buoyant Bournemouth bouncing along nicely.

The optimism that accompanied Fulham's back-to-back 5-0 thrashings of Nottingham Forest and West Ham United seems a lot longer than three weeks ago. There will be some big questions for Silva to confront before the visit of Arsenal to Craven Cottage on Sunday.

AFC BOURNEMOUTH (4-2-3-1): Neto; Smith, Ouattara, Zabarnyi, Senesi; Scott, Christie; Semenyo (Sinisterra 72), Tavernier (Brooks 88), Kluivert (Billing 72); Solanke. Subs (not used): Travers, Mepham, Aarons, Rothwell, Greenwood, Moore.

GOALS: Kluivert (44), Solanke (pen 62), Sinisterra (90+3).

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete (Castagne 72), A. Robinson (Ballo-Toure 82), Adarabioyo, Bassey; Palhinha, Cairney (Lukic 82); De Cordova-Reid (Wilson 72), Iwobi, Pereira (Vinicius 82); Muniz. Subs (not used): Rodak, Diop, Reed, Harris.

BOOKED: Leno, Pereira.

REFEREE: Tim Robinson (Sussex).

ATTENDANCE: 11,009.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/12/cherries-cruise-past-flat-fulham/

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Silva: 'Fulham made simple mistakes'
Marco Silva admitted Bournemouth fully merited their comfortable 3-0 over his pedestrian Fulham outfit at Dean Court this afternoon.

The Whites were well beaten with the Fulham head coach blaming 'simple mistakes' for the avoidable goals that his side conceded.

Speaking to the BBC after the final whistle, Silva said:

"Bournemouth deserved to win. When you concede goals the way we did, we don't deserve to get any points from the game. We concede the first, really sloppy. Nine players plus Bernd [Leno] behind the ball and we let the player run 20 or 30 metres to make an assist. That is completely our fault.

I think the first half was really balanced, both teams trying to win the game. We had our chances, they had their chances then after 44 minutes we were really sloppy, not aggressive enough and they score. That makes it difficult for us, we wanted to react but we didn't really create enough. So they deserve the three points."

Silva conceded his side were short on creativity in the absence of the injured Willian and Raul Jimenez, who served the final game of his three-match suspension.

"Willian was out. We played without two players who have been key for us. But others have to step in and show their quality. It was not the case this afternoon at all. "Not just Raul, we are missing Willian as well. It cannot be an excuse for me because the other players have to step in and show their quality. Our attacking and midfield line, we didn't show the quality at this level. On the ball we have to play and attack, that was not the level we normally play."

He also defended goalkeeper Leno after the German appeared to push a ball boy after becoming frustrated by waiting for the ball when Fulham were 2-0 down.

 "I spoke with Bernd before I came off, I saw the moment. I don't know if it was instruction or not, but the ball boys were always delaying. The game should be the same if one team is winning or not. The ball boys were always delaying, Bernd wanted to play quickly and he took the ball from the ball boy. He didn't push him, it wasn't strong enough and he apologised. He is a top professional."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/12/silva-fulham-made-simple-mistakes/

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Fulham boss Silva insists Leno didn't push Bournemouth ball boy
Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno appeared to push a ball boy during his team's 3-0 loss at Bournemouth in the Premier League on Tuesday, but his manager insisted that was not the case.

The incident took place in the second-half, when in a hurry to get the ball from the ball boy, Leno appeared to push him. Fulham were losing 2-0 at the time, and Leno had already received a yellow card.

The 31-year-old Germany international later apologised to the ball boy but was still jeered by Bournemouth fans for the rest of the match.

"I don't know if it was instruction or not, but the ball boys were always delaying," Fulham manager Marco Silva said about the incident

"Bernd wanted to play quickly and he took the ball from the ball boy. He didn't push him, it wasn't strong enough and he apologised."

Goals from Justin Kluivert, Dominic Solanke and Luis Sinisterra saw Bournemouth brush past Fulham and climb into the top-half of the table.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.



https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/39187855/fulham-boss-silva-insists-leno-push-bournemouth-ball-boy

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Player ratings: Bournemouth 3-0 Fulham

George Rossiter has the Boxing Day player ratings.

It was another case of not-so-festive Fulham as the Whites fell to a dismal defeat on the south coast. Marco Silva's side barely laid a glove on Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth side as the Spaniard watched on from the stands. Back-to-back defeats to nil leave Fulham needing a big response, with a game against title contenders Arsenal looming ahead of the January transfer window.

Bernd Leno

Leno was lucky to not be the reason we conceded before we actually did. Following a weak flap at a Bournemouth cross, the German reacted too slowly and was unable to collect the second ball, leaving Bournemouth with an open goal had their resulting cross found a player in black and red. When Bournemouth did score, it went right through Leno's body. The other two goals weren't particularly down to Leno, but it was a strangely poor performance in general. 4.5/10.

Kenny Tete

Another who looked uncharacteristically poor in this game. Tete had a couple of shaky moments defensively in the first half, which is something we see rarely. We know how effective he can be connecting with Reed and Wilson on the right, but that didn't translate to a different lineup today and the Dutchman barely ventured forward. Maybe a bit of rust involved, but we know he's a much better player than this showing suggests. 5/10.

Tosin

Actually quite a good performance, despite the scoreline. In fact, it would be fair to say that without Tosin's defensive quality, the scoreline could have been much worse than 3-0. An early block from inside the box denied Dominic Solanke, but the sliding challenge to deny Justin Kluivert on the left side of the box half an hour in was even more impressive. Comes away with some credit, for sure. 7/10. – Man of the match.

Calvin Bassey

Again, I just don't think the centre back pairing in general were so bad in this game, more the issues lay around them. Made a great tackle early on, denying Semenyo when Bournemouth were looking dangerous on the counter. Kept us in the game at 2-0 with a big challenge on Solanke too. Looked really good and composed on the ball throughout, not too much to complain about here. 6.5/10.

Antonee Robinson

Big fan of the early Jon Harley-esque 40 yard half volley attempt, back when there was optimism of a positive result. Robinson had quite a quiet game, nothing stood out defensively errors wise. His overlapping offered plenty of opportunities early on for Iwobi to cut inside and cross, just a shame nothing came of them. 6/10.

Joao Palhinha

A few have suggested that Palhinha's involvement in recent games has lessened slightly, but this was a really uncharacteristic performance. Joao looked strangely timid in everything that he did. No brave long passes, no crunching sliding tackles of note, just seemingly roaming round like a passenger, something we can so rarely accuse him of. The lapse judgement to bundle over Semenyo and concede a penalty summed up his game. 4.5/10.

Tom Cairney

Similarly to the Burnley fixture, it was irritating to see our most creative player so rarely receive the ball. Perhaps in this case the questioning should be aimed at the tactics of Silva though, employing TC deeper to cope with the Bournemouth midfield threat of Christie and Scott. Cairney didn't do an awful job of it, but it meant his talents were wasted in a game where we created nothing. 6/10.

Andreas Pereira

Not awful, not great. Early on in the game when Fulham still had something to play for, the main threat came from Andreas' corners. His variety, using short corners, inswingers and a chip to the edge of the box to tee up Bobby Reid, caused the most issues to Bournemouth's defence perhaps in the whole game. 6/10.

Bobby De Cordova-Reid

Bobby offers so much normally but in this game he was so painfully ineffective. Every flick or pass just wasn't coming off for the Jamaican, who rarely found himself in a position to worry the Bournemouth backline. Losing possession in the build up to the home side winning the penalty that led to their second goal was the cherry on top of a poor performance. 4.5/10.

Alex Iwobi

Iwobi combined well with Robinson throughout, and it started to look like they were building a relationship like the one that has been developed between the American and Willian. Iwobi found himself in a number of great crossing positions in the first half, but his in-swinging deliveries never quite found their man. Just like the rest of the team, the final ball just never worked out. 5.5/10.

Rodrigo Muniz

I get why this might look like a poor performance on paper, but no striker is going to succeed when the 10 players behind them are so inept at creating a chance for the forward that wants to score them. There were positives to take for the young Brazilian though. His hold up play with his back to goal in the final third was really useful, and the touch he showed in the box just two minutes in was beautifully delicate. 6/10.

Substitutes

Timothy Castagne

Subbed on after 73 minutes for Kenny Tete

Probably showed more attacking intent in 17 minutes than Tete had done previously but by then Bournemouth were dominant and the game had been put to bed, which probably points to Silva needing to make subs earlier. 6/10.

Harry Wilson

Subbed on after 73 minutes for Bobby De Cordova-Reid

Barely got a touch in the final third, just like the rest of our attackers hadn't done prior to him coming on. Nice of Wilson to attempt to prevent Bournemouth's third, unlike some (Lukic, I'm looking at you) who simply stood holding their genitalia rather than putting in any form of challenge. 6/10.

Sasa Lukic, Carlos Vinicius and Fode Ballo-Toure (Subbed on after 83 minutes for Tom Cairney, Andreas Pereira and Antonee Robinson) came on too late to be fairly judged.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2023-12-26-player-ratings-bournemouth-3-0-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Report – Liverpool told £50m-£60m will get signing done next month
Liverpool were linked with several defensive midfielders in the summer and one of them was Joao Palhinha of Fulham.

However, in the end, they opted to lure Japanese international, Wataru Endo, from Stuttgart to replace Fabinho at Anfield.

The Merseysiders are still interested in signing Palhinha and as per Football Insider, a fee worth £50m-£60m will be needed to get his signing done next month.

He was close to joining Bayern Munich in the summer for £50m-£60m and the news source have mentioned that the Cottagers want the same fee to offload their prized asset in winter.

Fabinho was one of the best No.6s in the world during his time with the Reds. A top quality play breaker with exceptional passing skills.

Endo has been a decent signing for Klopp but unfortunately, as compared to the Brazilian, he is neither a better tackler, nor a passer.

In such a scenario, a proven quality DM in the form of Joao Palhinha is linked and he has been a hit in England with Fulham.

Last season, the Portuguese international made the highest number of tackles in the Premier League and is a key member of Marco Silva's squad.

It will be fair to say the asking fee of £50m-£60m is high considering the fact that Palhinha will turn 29 in July next year.

Have your say – Should Liverpool bid around £50m-£60m to get the signing done?




https://paisleygates.com/archives/49264

[WhiteJC]

Leno's Clash with Ballboy: FA Action Looms?

Leno's Controversial Confrontation: A Closer Look
In a recent Premier League match, a moment of high tension took center stage when Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno faced off against a ballboy. Ben Fisher from The Guardian expertly captured this incident, noting, "The Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno could face retrospective action from the Football Association after shoving a ballboy in the defeat at Bournemouth. Leno, who had already been booked, avoided a red card but could face further punishment." This moment has sparked widespread debate in the football community.

Behind the Scenes of the Incident
During the match, Leno, frustrated with the delay in play, pushed the ballboy with his left hand. Despite later apologising and embracing the youngster, the action did not go unnoticed. Fisher reported, "After the incident the referee, Tim Robinson, asked for the ballboys to stand down from duty, resulting in the absence of the multiball system for the final stages of the game." This decision by the referee was unprecedented and highlighted the seriousness of the situation.

Silva's Stance on the Matter
Marco Silva, Fulham's manager, provided a different perspective. He alleged that the ballboys, possibly following instructions, were intentionally slowing the game. Fisher quotes Silva: "It is clear he [Leno] went to speak with the boy after that moment as the top professional and the really experienced player he is," defending his player's actions and questioning the motives behind the ballboys' behavior.

The Multiball System Debate
An interesting aspect of this event was the role of the multiball system. Typically used to speed up the game, its withdrawal after the incident raised questions. Silva expressed his dissatisfaction, arguing that regardless of the score, the system should have remained active throughout the match. This sentiment was not shared by Bournemouth's coach Andoni Iraola, who denied any instructions given to the ballboys to delay restarts.




https://eplindex.com/101217/lenos-clash-with-ballboy-fa-action-looms.html