Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 26/03/24...

[WhiteJC]

Fulham star receives mixed reviews despite winning international trophy
The United States have won the CONCACAF Nations League, beating Mexico 2-0 in the final in the early hours of Monday morning with Fulham's Antonee Robinson playing a key role.

Fulham fans will have been waking up this morning and checking in on how a couple of Craven Cottage stars got on during international duty.

The United States faced Mexico in Texas with the CONCACAF Nations League title up for grabs after advancing past Bobby Decordova-Reid and Jamaica in the semi-finals.

Both Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream lined up for the States and it proved to be a successful night for the Fulham duo.

USA ran out 2-0 winners with two Premier League players – Bournemouth's Tyler Adams and Nottingham Forest's Giovanni Reyna – finding the net in the second half.

Robinson and Ream will both be in celebratory mood right now, so let's take a look how the American media reacted to Robinson's display...

US media on Antonee Robinson
Robinson has been in stunning form for Fulham of late and we have seen speculation linking him with a summer move to Chelsea.

90min suggested in December that Liverpool are also interested, so there is plenty of attention around Robinson right now.

Robinson lined up in his usual left back spot for the US against Mexico and there have been some mixed reviews on his performance.

MLS Soccer rated Robinson at 7.5 out of 10 for his display against Mexico, hailing him for being 'reliable' and clearly the best American left back right now.

"Robinson was reliable as always down the left hand side. He kept the ball under pressure, tracked back consistently, and put in strong service. He's head and shoulders above any other left back in the pool at the moment."

Goal weren't quite as impressed, rating Robinson as a 6 out of 10 whilst suggesting that he was quiet compared to right back Sergino Dest.

"Created a chance for Pulisic early, but was definitely the quieter of the two fullbacks. That's just fine, though, when Dest is bombing down the other side."

Pro Soccer Wire also went with a 6.5, believing that he made some mistakes at the back and wasn't quite as swashbuckling going forward.

"Like Dest, Robinson had to get high and wide to give the U.S. width, but the normal storming runs forward he provides on the overlap were largely missing on the night. He was occupying defenders rather than beating them."

"There were flaws: "Jedi" seemed to be the closest person to having responsibility for Luis Chavez on a 23rd minute chance that really could have been 1-0 Mexico. Robinson needed VAR to intervene after a wild swing at the ball briefly seemed to have gifted Santiago Gimenez a penalty kick, though in the end referee Drew Fischer waved that initial call off correctly."

"Again, Mexico's toothless play on the night left the Fulham defender with little to do, and while Robinson made some mistakes, he was largely fine."

NBC Sports went even lower, giving Robinson a 5.5 rating whilst claiming that he didn't quite look as impressive as usual.

"Credited with seven defensive actions. The effort was there, as always, but the entire international break was not the "Jedi" we've come to expect from the past few international windows."

Robinson will soon start the long journey back to London and attempt to get himself ready to face Sheffield United on Saturday.

Fulham fans won't be too concerned by these reviews, as long as he keeps up his recent Premier League form at Bramall Lane.

We all know Robinson's quality and one mixed display against Mexico certainly won't change anybody's mind about the flying left back.



https://www.fulham.news/2024/03/25/fulham-star-receives-mixed-reviews-despite-winning-international-trophy/

[WhiteJC]

Arsenal and Manchester United monitoring defender Manchester City sold for just £2 million in 2020 – 11 clubs interested
Former Manchester City defender and academy graduate of the Etihad club Tosin Adarabioyo is reportedly at the centre of watchful eyes from Premier League giants.

Manchester-born and a product of the Etihad club's esteemed youth academy, Adarabioyo has gone on to make a success of his career away from Manchester City, after leaving the club on a permanent agreement in 2020.

Following on from successful loan moves at West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers, it was Fulham who ultimately secured the signature of the highly-rated defender, securing an agreement for a staggering cut-price fee of just up to £2 million.

In his Premier League career to date, Tosin Adarabioyo has so far recorded a commendable 73 appearances, scoring two goals and maintaining 17 clean sheets in the process for the West London side.

But that Premier League career could be extended beyond this season, despite his contract at Fulham edging towards an expiry, with a number of the division's most prominent clubs monitoring developments concerning contractual discussions.

That is according to the information of HITC's Graeme Bailey, who reports that both Arsenal and Manchester United are 'keeping tabs' on Adarabioyo, alongside five other Premier League clubs watching the defender who is out of contract at Craven Cottage this summer.

It is detailed that Fulham are 'working hard' to tie Adarabioyo down to a new deal, but he has so far 'rebuffed their advances', having his eyes set on 'utilising his impending free agency' and move for free during the upcoming summer window.

Alongside Arsenal and Manchester United, the report also claims that Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Newcastle United, and Everton are also showing a level of interest in the player.

In the European game, HITC report that AC Milan, Juventus, Lyon and Marseille are among those taking a look at the profile of the 26-year-old, in a further testament to the talents of the player Manchester City developed from an early age.

Unfortunately for Manchester City, the potential of a free transfer for their former player this summer has no financial benefit to them aside from personal pride, with the club installing a 20 per cent sell on fee on any future sale when Adarabioyo left for Fulham four years ago.

City are known for including clauses into agreements when selling their most promising youth talents, alongside the securing of relatively high transfer fees, while the most exciting names often have opportunities to be bought back by the club for a set fee.

Romeo Lavia is perhaps one of the most notable examples for Manchester City, after the reigning Premier League champions turned down an opportunity to buy the Belgian back from Southampton for a fee of around £40 million, enabling Chelsea to swoop in.



https://cityxtra.co.uk/11285/arsenal-and-manchester-united-monitoring-defender-manchester-city-sold-for-just-2-million-in-2020-11-clubs-interested/

[WhiteJC]

Internationals: Andreas Wins Second Brazil Cap

Andreas Pereira was handed his second Brazil cap, appearing off the bench during the 1-0 friendly win over England at a sold-out Wembley Stadium.

And it was the 28-year-old's delicately lofted ball over the top that led to the winning goal, which was eventually finished by Endrick.

There was also a proud moment for Luc de Fougerolles, who made his first senior appearance for Canada, appearing in the closing stages of their 2-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago.

The young defender replaced Ismaël Koné in second-half added time, as his side secured qualification for the 2024 Copa America.

Meanwhile, Timothy Castagne helped Belgium keep a clean sheet, playing the first half of their goalless draw with the Republic of Ireland.

Armando Broja featured as a 68th-minute substitute for Albania against Chile, but the striker couldn't prevent his country falling to a 3-0 defeat.

On Friday, Alex Iwobi played the full 90 as Nigeria enjoyed a 2-1 friendly win over Ghana, with Calvin Bassey on the bench.

And Luke Harris led the line for Wales under-21s, as they came from behind to beat Lithuania 2-1 in their Euro qualifier.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2024/march/24/internationals-andreas-wins-second-brazil-cap/

[WhiteJC]

Internationals: USMNT Win Nations League

The United States retained the CONCACAF Nations League with a 2-0 win over Mexico on home turf.

Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson both put in solid performances in the Final, playing the full 90 minutes in Texas, to help their country earn a third successive title.

Speaking post-match to Diario AS, Ream said: "It's huge, obviously it's a third trophy, a third CONCACAF Nations League, a 'threepeat'. It's hard to do.

"It just shows we're on the right path, we're playing well and we can find different ways to win games. We have Copa America coming up and it's another opportunity to win another big tournament."

Bobby De Cordova-Reid's Jamaica, who were beaten by the USMNT in the Semi-Final on Thursday, secured third place in the competition with a 1-0 win over Panama.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2024/march/25/internationals-usmnt-win-nations-league/

[WhiteJC]

Hall Of Fame Nominees
Edwin van der Sar and Andrew Cole have received nominations to enter the Premier League's Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame recognises and celebrates the exceptional skill and talent of individuals who have graced the Premier League since its inception in 1992. It is the highest individual honour awarded to players by the league.

Fulham made headlines in 2001 when, fresh from winning the old Division One, we pulled off a remarkable transfer coup in persuading van der Sar to join from Juventus.

The Netherlands number one certainly did not disappoint. In his four seasons at Craven Cottage he made 154 appearances and kept 52 clean sheets – an impressive figure in a newly promoted side.

His finest match arguably came at Highbury in 2003 when the Whites held a brilliant Arsenal side to a goalless draw, pretty much single-handedly thanks to van der Sar. It was the first time the then league leaders had failed to score at home in 47 matches.

Cole remains the fourth most prolific scorer the Premier League has ever seen, with 12 of his 187 goals netted during his solitary season with Fulham.

Cole was 33-years-old by the time he moved on from SW6, but he had still showed that predatory instinct which had served him so well in his career, top scoring for Chris Coleman's side who finished comfortably mid-table.

The other players nominated are Sol Campbell, Michael Carrick, Jermain Defoe, Cesc Fabregas, Les Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Eden Hazard, Gary Neville, Michael Owen, David Silva, John Terry, Yaya Touré and Nemanja Vidic.

Voting is open now until 12pm on Monday 8th April. Fans can vote for two players, and two will be inducted through a combination of the public vote, in conjunction with votes from the Premier League Awards Panel and those of past inductees into the Hall of Fame.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2024/march/25/hall-of-fame-nominees/

[WhiteJC]

Vote for van der Sar and Cole to join Premier League hall of fame
Former Fulham pair Edwin van der Sar and Andrew Cole have been nominated to join the Premier League hall of fame this year.

Dutch goalkeeper van der Sar stunned the footballing world by signing for newly-promoted Fulham from Juventus for £7m in the summer of 2001. He played a key part in re-establishing the Whites in the top flight making 154 appearances for Fulham and kept an extraordinary 52 clean sheets before joining Manchester United in June 2005.

England striker Cole first featured for Fulham as a teenager on loan from Arsenal in 1991, scoring three times in thirteen games, returning to Craven Cottage on a free transfer from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2004. The veteran topped Fulham's goalscoring charts, scoring twelve goals in his single season in SW6, before joining Manchester City the following summer.

van der Sar and Cole are nominated alongside Sol Campbell, Michael Carrick, Jermain Defoe, Cesc Fabregas, Les Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Eden Hazard, Gary Neville, Michael Owen, David Silva, John Terry, Yaya Touré and Nemanja Vidic. The successful candidates are chosen through a combination of a public vote and votes from the Premier League awards panel and Hall of Fame inductees.

You can vote for van der Sar and Cole here until noon on Monday 8th April.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/03/vote-for-van-der-sar-and-cole-to-join-premier-league-hall-of-fame/

[WhiteJC]

Dallas Cup: Fulham U18s 2-0 Liga Deportiva Alajuelense U19s

Fulham Under-18s got their Dallas Cup campaign underway with a 2-0 win over Costa Rican side Liga Deportiva Alajuelense.

A fairly uneventful first half ended goalless, although Aaron Loupalo-Bi and Callum Osmand had shots blocked inside the box.

It was Osmand who opened the scoring on 60 minutes, as he rose highest to guide a header in off the post.

And the game was wrapped up when Fulham broke away from an Alajuelense corner, with Osmand squaring to Lemar Gordon to double the lead with a first-time finish.

Our youngsters were spurred on by Dallas' Original Fulham Supporters Club, who showed their support from the sidelines.

Fulham will face FC Dallas in their second game of the group stages, which kicks off on Monday at 11pm UK time.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2024/march/24/dallas-cup-alajuelense/

[WhiteJC]

Pundit compares Fulham player to Phil Foden after latest international display
Fulham star Harry Wilson has been coming in for enormous praise in recent days but he has now been given a rather lofty comparison after his latest Wales display.

The international break is upon us and that means Fulham players have been jetting all over the world to play for their countries.

For winger Harry Wilson, the journey was a little shorter.

Fulham to Cardiff is around a three-hour drive and whilst that is still quite the journey, it's not quite the same as flying across Europe – or even further.

Wilson put in a stunning performance on Thursday night, playing a vital role as Wales destroyed Finland 4-1.

The Fulham ace was instrumental and looks primed to take on an even bigger role for Wales with no Gareth Bale to call upon.

Wilson has been receiving praise from all corners in recent days but he can't have expected to hear a comparison to Manchester City star Phil Foden...

Fulham star Harry Wilson likened to Phil Foden
Former Wales international and current pundit Barry Horne has offered huge words for Wilson after Thursday's display.

Speaking to The Mirror (24/03, p70), Horne noted that Wilson is really taking his game to another level in a 'creative' Fulham side.

Horne added that Wilson reminds him of Foden, praising his football intelligence and his usage of the ball in the final third.

"Harry has benefited from finding somewhere he feels at home in Fulham," said Horne. "He is playing regularly and in a team which is creative and carries and carries an attacking edge. He reminds me a bit of Phil Foden. He has football intelligence, takes up good positions and uses the ball well," he added.

Wilson has been in and out of the Fulham side this season, starting 14 Premier League games and coming off the bench in another 13.

The former Liverpool talent has still chipped in with three goals and four assists though, making his impact felt when given a chance to shine.

Wilson now faces a big week with Wales potentially just one game away from qualifying for Euro 2024.

A win over Poland on Tuesday night will take Wales into the European Championships and they will surely be looking towards Wilson for a major impact.

Whether you see the Foden comparison or not, Wilson has bags of quality in his locker and an absolute wand of a left foot.

Wilson is capable of the spectacular and Wales will be looking to see if on Tuesday night before the winger heads back to Fulham and prepares for one final push before the summer transfer window.



https://www.fulham.news/2024/03/25/pundit-compares-fulham-player-to-phil-foden-after-latest-international-display/

[WhiteJC]

National media praise 'spectacular' Fulham player after winning international trophy
Fulham have two international champions in the ranks after Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream combined to help the United States win the CONCACAF Nations League.

Fulham have so many players away on international duty right now and the focus will soon be on the Premier League clash with Sheffield United.

For now, Marco Silva is probably just hoping that his key players return to West London unscathed.

Seeing his players shine for their countries will still be a source of real pride for Silva though and two players claimed some silverware.

Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream both started for the United Stated as they beat Mexico 2-0 in the early hours of Monday morning.

Tyler Adams and Giovanni Reyna fired the USA victory, handing them the CONCACAF Nations League title.

Robinson earned mixed reviews for his performance but Fulham teammate Tim Ream has received enormous praise...

American media on Fulham defender Tim Ream
Veteran defender Ream is Mr Dependable, whether it's for Fulham in the Premier League or whilst away on international duty.

Ream helped USA keep a clean sheet as they ran out 2-0 winners and the American media were impressed with the Fulham ace.

MLS Soccer handed Ream an 8 out of 10 rating, branding him 'spectacular' whilst suggesting that boss Gregg Berhalter pulled off a 'masterstroke' by starting him.

"Putting Fulham's Tim Ream back into the lineup was a masterstroke from Gregg Berhalter. The former New York Red Bulls defender was spectacular against Mexico, stepping up to every challenge defensively and playing a crucial role in possession. His distribution was on point throughout the night and gave the US a strong platform."

Goal went with a 7 out of 10, hailing his positioning in the heart of the USA back line.

"A typical performance where his positioning is always so, so good. No matter his age, he's still key to this team."

Pro Soccer Wire also handed Ream a 7 out of 10, highlighting his aerial ability and his calm approach to defending.

"Ream won all seven headers he went up for, and was the yin to Richards' more aggressive yang. That helped the U.S. stay organized, restricting El Tri to mere scraps all night. The Fulham veteran's normally reliable service on long diagonals failed him on numerous occasions, but that's the only real complaint on a night where Ream wasn't given a particularly hard test."

NBC Sports rated Ream at 8.5 out of 10, the highest of the lot, stating that his 'class appears permanent' in a USA shirt.

"Won all eight of his duels, as the Fulham man's class appears permanent in a USMNT shirt. Was worth saving the veteran for the final and Berhalter's decision to use Miles Robinson in the first game was also a winner."

Ream is now 36 and he would accept himself that he is closer to the end of his career than the start.

The experienced centre back is still such a popular figure at Fulham though and seeing him reach a decade at the club by making it to the summer of 2025 would be en emotional moment.

We are just so happy to see Ream lifting some silverware; he certainly deserves it.



https://www.fulham.news/2024/03/25/national-media-praise-spectacular-fulham-player-after-winning-international-trophy/

[WhiteJC]

Former Chelsea chief executive Marina Granovskaia faces questions over secret off-the-books payments allegedly made during Roman Abramovich's ownership after being named in leaked documents

    Details of millions of pounds in fees emerged as part of a cache of leaked papers
    Marina Granovskaia's name appeared in the Cyprus International documents

Former Chelsea chief executive Marina Granovskaia is facing questions over what she knew about secret, off-the-books payments allegedly made under the ownership of Roman Abramovich.

Details of millions of pounds in fees including a payment to Eden Hazard's agent emerged last year as part of a cache of leaked documents known as the Cyprus Confidential files.

According to The Guardian, the documents appear to show that Granovskaia was made aware of the payment to Hazard's agent, John Bico, as well as fees related to the transfers of Willian and Samuel Eto'o to Chelsea.

It has also been reported that offshore companies connected to Abramovich made personal loans to Granovskaia worth £7.5million to buy a house in Fulham, as well as a £1.63m payment for 'financial, tax and legal diligence'.

Granovskaia left Chelsea within two weeks of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completing their takeover in May 2022 and received £35m for her part in the sale.

Granovskaia has not commented.

In a separate development Granovskaia's role at Chelsea is set to be scrutinised in a court case next month involving the agent Saif Rubie, who has been charged with malicious communications following an email sent to her over a disputed fee.

Meanwhile, Chelsea's fanbase is in a state of civil war after the club's Fan Advisory Board defended the owners against claims by the Supporters' Trust that Boehly and Co are turning the Blues into a 'laughing stock' and risked fan protests.

Yet the Fan Advisory Board - set up by the club last year and made up of seven lifelong fans - blasted any attempts to create 'chaos and division'.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13237899/Chelsea-Marina-Granovskaia-secret-payments-Roman-Abramovichs.html

[filham]

Congratulations to Ream and Robinson for their international success.
Now I assume they are on their way back to the UK, fit and ready to prepare for Fulham's match at the week-end.

[WindyCity]

Congratulations to Ream and Robinson for their international success.
Now I assume they are on their way back to the UK, fit and ready to prepare for Fulham's match at the week-end.

Hope so.  Concerned though over possible injuries to Castagne and Bassey.  Hope Bassey fit for SHU.  If Castagne has a niggle, Tete good cover there.