Friday Fulham Stuff - 11/10/24...

[WhiteJC]

Iwobi: I've been making music since 14 | Will soon release my new songs
Alex Iwobi says he started making music alongside his pursuit of a professional football career when he was 14.

The Super Eagles midfielder spoke in a chat with TheCable in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, on Wednesday.

In March 2024, the 28-year-old footballer revealed an unknown talent to millions of followers on social media.

He shared a snippet of his unreleased rap under the stage name "17". In the short clip, Iwobi showed off his rapping skills with his voice flowing over the UK Drill instrumental as a montage of the player's on-pitch action rolls in the background.

The Fulham player then releases 'Don't Shoot', another bouncy song, in June 2024.

Speaking about the newly publicised musical prowess, Iwobi said he was "doing a bit of both" music and football growing up.

Iwobi added that he has been doing music since he was a teenager, and "it is a surprise to the world because I am just publishing it".

He revealed that he has "so many unreleased songs", and his team would decide when to finally release them to the world.

"The area I grew up in in London is either you play football or become an artiste. I was doing a bit of both," Iwobi said.

"It is only recently that I started showcasing that I like music, but I have been doing music since the age of 14. It is a surprise to the world because I am just publishing it, but I have been doing it for a very long time.

"Anytime my major team that handles my music and I think it is the best time to put out music, then we will put it out. They know best. Whenever they think its right. But until then, I have so many unreleased songs."



https://lifestyle.thecable.ng/iwobi-ive-been-making-music-since-14-will-soon-release-my-new-songs/

[WhiteJC]

Has Sander Berge's move from Burnley to Fulham gone to plan so far?
Burnley headed into the summer transfer window expecting some of their better players from their dismal Premier League campaign to leave the club.

One of those players who was linked with a move away from Turf Moor was Sander Berge. Manchester United had targeted the Norwegian during the window, as they looked to strengthen their midfield ahead of the 2024/25 season.

The 26-year-old was a shining light in an extremely disappointing showing from the Clarets in the top flight, as they were relegated at the first time of asking under the guidance of Vincent Kompany.

Berge was keen on leaving Burnley following their return to the Championship, and eventually joined Fulham for an initial £20 million, a fee that could rise up to £25 million through add-ons.

The Clarets' 2023/24 player of the year missed the first two games of the Cottagers' season, and Football League World has taken a look at how he has adjusted to playing his football in London, and whether the move has paid off.

Berge has had to be patient so far at Fulham
Although he proved in his sole year with Burnley his talent and ability to play in the Premier League, this season is the first he has had in the top flight playing for a team whose aim for the campaign is to finish in the top 10.

With those expectations comes better players than those that Berge has played with before, and he is now trying to displace Andreas Pereira and Sasa Lukic in the Fulham midfield.

Sander Berge Fulham Stats 2024/25 (FotMob)*

Appearances (Starts)	5 (1)
Minutes Played	173
Goals (Assists)	0 (0)
Chances Created	4
Pass Accuracy	88.5%
Touches	102
Tackles Won	2
Duels Won	9
Aerial Duels Won	4
Interceptions	4

*Stats correct as of 09/10/2024

He was, however, handed his first start in black-and-white on Saturday, as the Cottagers fell to a 3-2 defeat away at Manchester City. The Norway international played 65 minutes, but struggled to dictate the game in the same manner as he has done in the past.

He failed to create any chances, lost the only tackle he attempted, and was forced to sit deeper than he perhaps likes to do due to the quality of the opposition that both himself and his team were facing at the Etihad Stadium.

Nevertheless, he was not overly wasteful on the ball, completing 25 of his 29 passes, and he was not disposessed at any point in the game.

Berge will be expecting himself to improve as the season continues
It is hard to say this early on whether Berge's move has paid off due to the lack of minutes he has had on the pitch so far, but being given a first start in a game as big as the one at the weekend is a positive sign.

A good showing for Norway in the upcoming internationals will only improve his chances of starting matches from the off and give him the opportunities he needs to impress Marco Silva.

 Fulham themselves have had an excellent start to the season, with their defeat to Manchester City their first since the opening day of the 2024/25 campaign.

The West Londoners have gone into the international break in eighth place with 11 points, just three behind Chelsea who sit fourth in the table.

Berge will be hoping that, after fully settling in, he can start to provide the same performances as he has done in the past with both Burnley and Sheffield United and prove to the Craven Cottage faithful why £25 million was spent on him.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/has-sander-berges-move-from-burnley-to-fulham-gone-to-plan-so-far/

[WhiteJC]

Ezri Konsa surgery claim emerges ahead of Aston Villa v Fulham
Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa will not be needing surgery on his injured hamstring, according to Dr Rajpal Brar.

The injury expert claims that he may still not be available for the game against Fulham on 19 October at Craven Cottage.

The England international had to pull out of the Three Lions squad during the break with The Telegraph reporting on 8 October that he has avoided any serious injury.

Speaking about this situation, Dr Brar, a doctor in physical therapy and a sports scientist, told Villa News: "The worst case would have been a Grade 3 hamstring rupture which required surgery – that would've typically been over three months out.

"If that was the case, early rehab stages would've been gradually increasing mobility and strength while getting back to normal walking.

"However, it seems like he's avoided any of that and should be back within a couple of weeks.

"He's expected to miss the next game but this is a minor injury that will not need surgery."

Aston Villa will be glad to have Ezri Konsa back
Villa will have feared for the worst when Konsa suffered an injury but it's a relief that he will not be out for too long.

The 26-year-old is an important player for Unai Emery and he can operate as a right-back as well as a centre-back.

Hopefully, he will use the international break well to recover and return stronger than ever come the end of October.



https://www.astonvillanews.co.uk/2024/10/10/ezri-konsa-surgery-claim-emerges-ahead-of-aston-villa-v-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham player says 'anything is possible' when quizzed on January transfer
Fulham signed Adama Traoré on a free transfer in August 2023 and gave him a contract until 2025, with an option for another year.

The winger was limited to 425 minutes from 18 games last season, partly due to injuries. His form and fitness have improved this season. He made eight appearances, scoring one goal and registering two assists in the process.

Traoré spoke to Cadena Ser's El Larguero, where he discussed several topics, including his life at Fulham. His comments are relayed by AS.

"I'm at a happy point [in my career], learning a lot from everything that has happened to me in this time. The team is good, I feel good, in the last game I think we did a good job," he said.

That hasn't stopped the attacker from talking about the possibility of leaving Marco Silva's side in the winter market.

When asked if he could leave Marco Silva's side in January, Traoré explained: "Anything is possible."

Further pressed on whether he could return to Spain, he said: "Who knows, why not?"

The 28-year-old graduated from Barcelona's academy but wasn't able to cement a place in their first team. He returned to the Camp Nou on loan in January 2022, when he was at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Traoré managed two assists from 17 games for Barca during the second half of 2021/22 season.

On his second spell at the Catalan club, he said: "A thorn in my side... maybe a bad taste in my mouth because of the fact that any Barca youth player wants to stay.

"I knew I was on loan and the club's situation and my intention was to help as much as possible. It's true that in the middle of my loan spell there was a change, more personal, because of the coach. I came to replace Dembélé in another position. It was my turn to play in that position. These are learning stages."

This didn't stop the Fulham player from ruling out of the possibility of returning to his former club in the future.

"As a youth player I will always be a Barcelona fan. If I had the option, why not? But it would have to be with different circumstances," he added.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-player-says-anything-is-possible-when-quizzed-on-january-transfer/

[WhiteJC]

What do Fulham need to do to break into the top 10?

Fulham have experienced a rollercoaster of emotions over the past few seasons, bouncing between promotion and relegation before finally consolidating their place in the Premier League. Under Marco Silva, the club has seen significant progress. But while we may have shed the perennial fear of relegation, breaking into the Premier League's top 10 remains a challenge.

It requires more than just ambition; it's a mix of smart tactics, solid management, and an unwavering belief in the project. Fulham have the foundations in place but must now push further to truly compete among England's elite. Off the pitch, strong recruitment strategies and fostering player retention will be paramount to ensuring consistency.

Stop being wasteful

Our attack remains our biggest weakness, and it must improve. Despite Rodrigo Muniz's electrifying form from the back end of last season and veteran forward Raul Jimenez showing his nous for a goal here and there, this Fulham side are wasteful in front of goal.

Both strikers can have their moments of magic. Last season, Jimenez's backheeled finish past Vlachodimos in a 5-0 drubbing against Forest and Muniz's bicycle-kick against Sheffield United in 3-3 draw provided reminders of both men's ability. But the consistency is never there.

To break into the top 10 and fight for a place in Europe, Fulham need a 20-goal-a-season striker, which is hard to find in a European market not blessed with many elite centre-forwards – certainly not ones in our realistic price range. Despite having boasted clinical strikers such as Dimitar Berbatov, Louis Saha and Aleksander Mitrovic, we've actually never had a striker score 20 goals in a season in our Premier League history. Clint Dempsey's 17 goals in the 2011/12 season came closest.

The match against Manchester City was a stark reminder of our lack of profligacy in front of goal. Adama Traore spurned three one-on-ones and in the second half, despite a great block from Ruben Dias, Jimenez should have finished after lovely cut-back by Antonee Robinson. If this side had a clinical, consistent finisher, no doubt we could finish in the top 10. Perhaps even UEFA's Conference League could beckon.

Keep Marco Silva

Marco is without doubt the most important person at Fulham FC. His influence has been transformative, and his continued presence is key to the club's aspirations in the Premier League. His tactical acumen, man-management, and ability to get the best out of players have elevated Fulham from a yo-yo club to a stable top-flight competitor. Silva's philosophy is built around a solid defensive structure, fluid attacking play, and high pressing, which has made us a difficult team to break down.

Last season Silva masterminded a series of stunning triumphs. Fulham dealt a hammer blow to Arsenal's title aspirations in a 2-1 victory at home, following it up with 3-0 annihilation of Ange Postecoglou's Spurs 3-0 and then a subsequent historic 2-1 victory at Old Trafford with Iwobi's injury-time winner, the first since 1963.

A few days prior, United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe had promised to "knock Liverpool and Manchester City off their perch". Fulham brought them right back down to reality.

This season? Silva cleared a major obstacle with flying colours, beating top six hopefuls Newcastle 3-1 at home in the Premier League – a team we hadn't defeated in the top flight since 2011.

We must keep hold of Marco Silva at all costs. He rebuffed an eye-watering £40m a year to manage Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia. It's obvious he feels he still has unfinished business in SW6.

Continue our consistent recruitment

During our yo-yo period, our recruitment was – frankly – a dog's dinner. We went from signing players for exorbitant fees and contracts to signing loan players under Scott Parker, so their future careers wouldn't be jeopardised by our relegation.

Of course, who can forget when Fulham spurned the chance to sign a young Antoine Griezmann in 2014 for a measly £12m from Real Sociedad in favour of Kostas Mitroglou from Olympiakos for £14m. Mitroglou never scored for the club, six months later we were relegated and Griezmann went on to become a world champion.

Nowadays it seems that Tony Khan has finally got it right. Bringing back the ever-reliable Joachim Anderson to play alongside Calvin Bassey has been a masterstroke. Sander Berge brings a sturdy balance alongside the enigmatic Sasa Lukic but the signing of Emile Smith Rowe is the real pick of the bunch.

A player wasting away under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, eager to prove a point and play regular first team football has already got three goal contributions in just seven games. Jamie Carragher famously said three years ago that, "he's the best player in the league dribbling with the ball at pace". Smith-Rowe is a statement signing and one that epitomises forward-thinking recruitment. Other clubs dithered and Fulham profited.

Protect our Academy

We have to keep hold of our academy talents. Losing prodigies for pennies is an issue, even though it is difficult for a club of our size to hang onto talent when bigger clubs approach. Seeing both Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliott head to Liverpool for less than £15m combined still leaves a sour taste. These are the kinds of talents who can elevate us, but the club has been lacklustre in extending their contracts at crucial times in their development.

So, is it possible?

Of course. As of now we sit seventh ahead of the likes of Tottenham and Manchester United, and in our first season back in the top flight, we comfortably finished seven points clear of Crystal Palace in 10th.

With Marco Silva at the helm and a squad strengthened by astute strategic signings, we are well-positioned to consistently break into the Premier League top 10. The club's long-term stability, tactical versatility, and growing squad depth make us a competitive force in the league.

Silva's leadership has instilled a winning mentality and tactical cohesion, while key players continue to evolve under his guidance. If Fulham can maintain this upward trajectory, balance performance in cup competitions, and avoid major injuries, there's no reason why we can't cement ourselves as regular top 10 contenders in the seasons to come.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2024-10-10-what-do-fulham-need-to-do-to-break-into-the-top-10/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham's Adama Traore explains advice Pep Guardiola gave him after costly Man City misses
Pep Guardiola approached Adama Traore to offer him some advice after Manchester City's 3-2 win over Fulham and the winger has now opened up about the post-match chat

 Adama Traore has revealed Pep Guardiola have him some finishing advice after Fulham were beaten 3-2 by Manchester City last weekend.

City survived a scare thanks to a brace from Mateo Kovacic and a goal from Jeremy Doku, with Andreas Pereira and Rodrigo Muniz on target for Fulham. However, things could have been different if Traore had been more clinical in front of goal, with the pacy winger missing three one-on-one chances.

 After the final whistle, Guardiola made a point of approaching Traore and offering him some tips. And when asked about his post-game chat with Guardiola, Traore told El Larguero: "I've known him for a few years, but it's always appreciated.

"He is the best coach in the world, without a doubt. After the game he came up to me to tell it was a good game, he gave me some pointers on how to finish the chances I had against them.

"I met him at Barca. When I arrived at Aston Villa I also had a call with him and he has always been friendly." Guardiola was also full of praise for Traore when asked about his performance in his post-match press conference.

"Adama, he's unstoppable that game," Guardiola said. "We couldn't control when he had the ball. You have to defend in your 18-yard box." However, former Premier League strikers Ian Wright and Michael Owen were more critical in their assessment.

"You know something, it's really frustrating, but we've known him for many, many years now, and what he's capable of doing," Wright told Premier League Productions. "It's a simple finish, just lift it over the legs, just a dink touch. All you've got to do is show a bit of composure.

"The ball's under his feet, he tries to finish with his left foot but there's no space for the place where he's actually trying to place that ball, that's got to be one where you whip it around the keeper. He's a frustrating player to watch."

Owen added: "Listen, with all due respect, if he could finish he'd still be at Barcelona, or at Real Madrid or Manchester City because he's got attributes that you just can't give. I mean the pace of him... against Kyle Walker, incredible. As I say, if he had an end product he wouldn't be playing for Fulham, with all due respect."



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/adama-traore-pep-guardiola-mancity-33861669

[WhiteJC]

Fulham now monitoring "outstanding" £17m Palhinha replacement open to move
Following a solid start to the current Premier League campaign, Fulham are now reportedly monitoring one player who would finally replace Joao Palhinha after his summer departure to Bayern Munich.

Fulham transfer news
Having impressed at times last season, Fulham became a difficult side to predict when they lost Palhinha to Bayern Munich in the summer, only to since put any doubts to rest over their ability to compete for a place in the Premier League's top half. The Cottagers even took champions Manchester City all the way last time out before eventually suffering a 3-2 defeat in a game that featured an early assist of the season from Raul Jimenez.

Sitting as high as eighth thanks to their strong start, Fulham deserve credit for how they invested the Palhinha money in the summer, with arrivals such as Emile Smith Rowe and Joachim Andersen quickly becoming important players under Marco Silva. However, what the Cottagers did fail to do is replace Palhinha in a problem that they must solve in 2025.

According to Caught Offside, Fulham are now monitoring Wataru Endo ahead of 2025 as he continues to struggle for minutes under new Liverpool boss Arne Slot. Open to an exit, the Reds reportedly value the Japan international at around €15-20m (£13-£17m) in a deal that could see them make back the £16m they paid for his signature just last summer.

 Whilst on paper it may seem as though Endo has struggled at Anfield as of late, he's simply fallen victim to the excellent form of Ryan Gravenberch and, as such, fallen into the bit-part role that many believed he'd play when he first arrived.

Surprising many at Anfield last season by becoming a key man under Jurgen Klopp, Endo would undoubtedly ease any blow caused by Palhinha's exit at Fulham.

"Outstanding" Endo can match Palhinha's quality
Off the ball, Palhinha was one of the standout midfielders in the Premier League, making his move to Bayern no surprise in the summer, but it's the type of quality that Endo is more than capable of replicating if Fulham make their move. At times, the former Stuttgart captain was the glue holding Liverpool's midfield together. From what seemed like a panic buy, the Reds found the perfect short-term solution to their defensive midfield woes.

Premier League stats 23/24 (via FBref)	Wataru Endo	Joao Palhinha
Progressive Carries	10	8
Progressive Passes	101	97
Tackles Won	28	75
Ball Recoveries	108	195

Whilst Endo, like many others last season, fell short of Palhinha on the tackling front, he more than made up for that on the ball in a quality which would prove to be equally as valuable for Silva's Fulham side.

The 32-year-old earned the praise of former manager Jurgen Klopp after Liverpool's Carabao Cup final victory over Chelsea last season, with the German saying via Squawka: "He's a machine. He is footballing-wise exceptional. His defensive brain is outstanding. He gives us a lot of freedom for a lot of things. Yeah, top development. Very helpful, very helpful."



https://www.footballfancast.com/fulham-monitoring-wataru-endo-replace-palhinha-open-to-liverpool-exit/

[WhiteJC]

João Palhinha remaining patient at Bayern Munich
The Portuguese midfielder knows his time to shine will come sooner rather than later.

It took two separate summer transfer windows, but Bayern Munich was finally able to land João Palhinha from Fulham FC during this past summer's window after a move had fallen through in the dying hours of the previous summer's transfer window. Back in the summer of 2023, the Portuguese midfielder had already traveled to Munich, been presented with a club kit, and had taken photos with said kit before the move had collapsed right before the end of the window in Germany.

Fast forward to now under Vincent Kompany, and Palhinha has found himself to be playing the role of a bit part player that is predominantly used as a substitute off of the bench. For the most part, Kompany has been opting for a midfield pivot of Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović, though there have been some slight variations to that across all competitions from the Belgian manager.

So far, Palhinha has made a total of six appearances across all competitions and his only start of the season came in Bayern's 6-1 win at Holstein Kiel in the Bundesliga. His longest substitute appearance thus far was a 20-minute, second half shift that he put in during Bayern's 5-0 win over Werder Bremen in the league, followed closely by his 16-minute cameo in the 2-0 win over SC Freiburg.



https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2024/10/10/24265302/bayern-munich-fulham-sporting-lisbon-joao-palinha-vincent-kompany-interview-playing-time-bundesliga

[filham]

pPlease lets stop talkig aboutAdama's missed chances against City and instead hope he shows us more of his strength and pace against Villa which could prove a match winner.

[WindyCity]

pPlease lets stop talkig aboutAdama's missed chances against City and instead hope he shows us more of his strength and pace against Villa which could prove a match winner.

Copy that!

[Cobh Fulham Fan]

pPlease lets stop talkig aboutAdama's missed chances against City and instead hope he shows us more of his strength and pace against Villa which could prove a match winner.

Copy that!

Totally Agree!