Thursday Fulham Stuff - 04/09/25...

[WhiteJC]

Chelsea handed new Fulham VAR verdict as flashpoint decision slammed - 'Terrible'
The very latest Chelsea news as Enzo Maresca's side head into the international break unbeaten in the Premier League.

 Chelsea and Enzo Maresca have been given a fresh VAR verdict by former Premier League official Dermot Gallagher and Jay Bothroyd. The Blues saw off the Cottagers 2-0 at Stamford Bridge owing to goals from Joao Pedro and Enzo Fernandez, but it could have been an entirely different result.

With the score at 0-0 just before the half-hour mark, Marco Silva's side launched a counter-attack after outnumbering the Blues in midfield. Timothy Castagne played the ball into Rodrigo Muniz, who was put under pressure by Trevoh Chalobah.

As the Fulham striker shielder the ball, he planted his studs on the top of the Chelsea defender's foot, with the latter falling to the ground in pain. The ball, in turn, dropped to Sander Berge after a challenge from Marc Cucurella.

The Norwegian midfielder played King in behind the Blues' defence, shifting the ball on to his right foot and beating Robert Sanchez at his front post. The youngster wheeled away to celebrate, but Michael Salisbury, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), recommended that referee Robert Jones watch back the incident in the build-up on the pitch-side monitor.

After a review, Jones adjudged Muniz to have fouled Chalobah in the build-up and ruled out the goal. Addressing the decision to the crowd at Stamford Bridge, Jones said: "After review, Fulham number nine commits a careless challenge, stands on the foot of the Chelsea defender, therefore we disallow the goal and we restart with a Chelsea free kick. There would be no further action."

There's been plenty of backlash to that decision, with The Daily Mail's Mike Keegan claiming that PGMOL - the official refereeing body - 'acknowledge error made when disallowing Fulham goal'. Chief refereeing officer for the PGMOL Howard Webb has, meanwhile, contacted Fulham directly.

Now, Gallagher and Bothroyd have both waded in on the debate as part of Sky Sports' Ref Watch coverage. Gallagher said: "I think he's been too forensic. He's looked and looked and I'm convinced the more you look at something, the more you talk yourself into it.

"The game just goes on, everybody carries on. I was watching it live and the referee has got the best view.

"If you run it again, he's six, seven, eight yards from it.

"He's got a direct view of it and he turns away, he makes no decision whatsoever. I've been looking at that since Saturday morning and I can't understand what he thinks he saw.

"You only have to see it once to see it's a skilful turn by the player. It's just not a foul."

Bothroyd added: "That's not careless at all. Anyone that knows football can see Muniz is trying to drag the ball and drag it again.

"But because Chalobah's foot is there, underneath Muniz's foot, he's stepped on him, but it's never a foul.

"It's a terrible decision and it stopped King for scoring a great goal.

"When you look at the players, no-one appealed for a foul because it wasn't."



https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/chelsea-handed-new-fulham-var-32402042

[WhiteJC]

Fulham deadline attempt revealed – Player had just left Nottingham Forest
Fulham tried to sneak in a big late move for former Nottingham Forest midfielder Danilo, but Botafogo slammed the door shut.

As revealed by Globo Esporte in Brazil, the Premier League side tabled a €30m (£25.5m) offer on Monday, yet the deal never got off the ground.

What makes the story even stranger is the timing. Danilo had only just arrived in Rio 45 days ago, leaving Nottingham Forest in a club-record €22m (£18.6m) transfer.

Botafogo were never going to flip their record signing that quickly, especially without a ready-made replacement.

The rejection also explains why nothing was said on deadline day – the bid was kept under wraps and only surfaced in the Brazilian press later.

The reasoning from Botafogo was simple: no time to react, particularly after two starting midfielders left them short in depth.

Fulham's approach is seen locally as tied to Andreas Pereira's sale to Palmeiras, with the Cottagers suddenly short in the middle of the park.

Danilo, though, having made nine appearances for Botafogo with one goal and one assist, stays put for now.



https://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-deadline-attempt-revealed-player-had-just-left-nottingham-forest/

[WhiteJC]

How does Jonah Kusi-Asare fit into Fulham's squad?
Jack Stroudley looks at our fourth and final signing of the summer.

In true Tony Khan wheeler-dealer fashion we just couldn't resist submitting a deal sheet and after it appeared to fall at the final hurdle. Eventually, Fulham and Bayern Munich were able to get an agreement over the line for young striker Jonah Kusi-Asare to join the Whites on loan until the end of the season with an option available should the club wish to take it. It came out of nowhere on Deadline Day, but how does the Swedish U21 international fit into Silva's side?

A physical presence
If there's one thing we know about Marco Silva, he likes a certain type of striker. A tall, physical forward who can hold the ball up, run into channels and link play when necessary and Kusi-Asare seems to have all of that.

At 6'5 the 18-year-old has the physical frame that Silva loves and while only being a teen he has managed to feature both in Sweden and Germany, becoming the youngest ever player in the Allsvenskan and featuring for Bayern Munich's U19 side as well as pre-season with the men's team where he scored a blinder of a goal against Tottenham Hotspur.

A third option
Another thing we know about Silva is his desire to have three forward options at his disposal, stating earlier this summer that we needed to add in this area. Losing Carlos Vinicius and Callum Osmand left us with only Raul Jimenez and Rodrigo Muniz up top, so a third player was a necessity, and while we left it late Jonah Kusi-Asare was that man.

Have I seen any of him? No. Am I expecting him to fly out the blocks and make that position his to lose? No. But what I am expecting is a young, raw talent who Silva can help mould and develop into a useful member of this squad. We saw just how much we rotated between Jimenez and Muniz last season, so minutes will be difficult for the 18-year-old - but not out of the question.

A sensible choice?
We all know how Fulham do things: leave it to the last minute and see what's available on the cheap. So bringing in an unknown 18-year-old at the death certainly has its pros and cons. The pros lie in the fact he's not coming in expected to be the main man so really doesn't have the pressure at his feet giving him time to adjust with the Carabao Cup game against Cambridge United, surely a good opportunity for him. With an option rather than an obligation, there is no expectation to sign him if things don't work out, making this relatively risk-free.

That being said, it's hardly the most exciting move. In terms of the aspirations that Silva will have, bringing in an 18-year-old striker who hasn't scored a professional goal doesn't exactly jump off the page. I'm hoping that Kusi-Asare will come in and be that guy and leave us all falling in love with a loan player (and taking up that option) but I'm not entirely convinced.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/how-does-jonah-kusi-asare-fit-into

[WhiteJC]

Fixture update: Cambridge & Villa
The Club is able to confirm new information regarding two of our First Team fixtures this month.

Fulham's Premier League match away to Aston Villa will now be played a day later, on Sunday 28th September, kicking off at 2pm, and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.

This is due to Villa having a Europa League fixture the preceding Thursday.

Our Carabao Cup Third Round fixture at home to Cambridge United will take place on Tuesday 23rd September, with a 7.45pm kick-off.

Marco Silva's side beat Bristol City last week 2-0 to advance in the competition.

Ticket prices for our Carabao Cup fixture can be found below.

CATEGORY	HAMMERSMITH END & JOHNNY HAYNES STAND	THE RIVERSIDE
Adult	£20	£25
65 & Over	£15	£20
18-21	£15	£20
17 & Under	£1	£1

Tickets go on sale to Season Ticket Holders on Thursday 4th September. Once again, the Putney End will be away fans only. Further information can be found here.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/september/03/cambridge-united-aston-villa-update/

[WhiteJC]

Reviewing Fulham's Transfer Window: Why This Summer Has Been An Outright Failure
Well, ladies and gentlemen, three months boiled down to six hours. That's how Premier League clubs are usually ran right, right? Are you with me, people? No, you're not. You shouldn't be. The 2025 summer window goes down as a landmark window, for all the wrong reasons. Here's why this summer window will prove to be disastrous in years to come (paragraph 14 onwards). First, I'll review all our deadline day moves:

On the surface, deadline day business of Kevin, Chukwueze, and Jonah Kusi-Asare is superb. Let's get stuck into to reviewing the Whites three deadline day signings. Shall we?

Kevin Signs: Be Patient
As I set out in my deadline day article, ''Kevin Move Stalls: Record Fee Risk Or Reward?'', the reasons why Fulham smashed our transfer record on the 22 year old are clear. As Ukranian football expert, Andrew, of Zorya Londonsk, told me on Monday, Kevin has tremendous upside. Kev' combines samba flair, clinical finishing, with an adeptness at playing on the break, utilising his blistering pace to devastating affect. The U20 Brazil international has all the hallmarks of being the latest esteemed Palmeiras academy graduate to take the European game by storm.

With that said, however, the Fulham faithful shouldn't expect Kevin to hit the ground running in West London. The reason why a team of the stature of FFC have been able to attract a player with the upside that Kevin possesses is thanks to the rawness of Kevin's game.

The São Paulo born star, who shares a second name with legendary Whites keeper, Tony Macedo, has been criticised for his crossing ability, and prepencity to over dribble in one on one scenarios. Kevin needs time to develop. In a winger room jam packed full of talent, 'Kev' will be afforded that time.

Was there better value in the market elsewhere? For this moment in time, the here and now? Yes, but Fulham need ceiling raisers, players of a younger age profile. If we remain patient, the former Donetsk man can unleash this the attacking talents of this Fulham team.

Chukwueze Joins: Fulham's X-Factor Arrives
Fulham's second deadline day arrival, Samuel Chukwueze, is the pick of the bunch. Where Kevin won't hit the ground, Chukwueze will. A truly multi faceted winger. If you don't fancy going stride for stride will Samuel in a race to the byline, well, I don't blame you, but I wouldn't recommend showing 'Chukz' inside either...

On the outside, he'll burn you for pace and whip in a wicked cross, push him off the right inside onto his left peg and the former Milan man will happily tuck it top bins with a zinging left foot.

Don't believe me? Well, stats don't lie. Producing a deadly combination of 3.1 successful take ons per 90, in the top 3% of all wingers in Europe's top five leagues, and 5.33 shot creating actions per 90, sitting in the top 8% of all wingers in the top five leagues, is no joke.

The Nigerian international's X-Factor on either side of a full back creates a matchup nightmare for opposition defences. Add Josh king's trademark underlying runs to create a wide overload into the mix and, phwoar, not bad, eh? At just 26, Chukz' has plenty to offer the Whites, if he can get anywhere near emulating his Villarreal form in black and white, the £25m buy option London's Original have access to will be an absolute snip.

Jonah Kusi Asare: Low Risk, High Reward
It was on, off, and then on again, but come Tuesday morning, Jonah Kusi-Asare was a Fulham player. Tony Khan and co did the right thing, forcing a buy-option to be inserted into the deal, otherwise, paying a £3.5 loan fee for an 18 year old striker without a competitive goal scored above the fourth division of German football would be absolute lunacy.

Despite inserting a buy option, Bayern have a buy back clause for Kusi-Asare if FFC do opt to make Asare's deal a permanent one. Looking at how he's profiled across youth football circles, it's easy to see why 'Super Bayern' want to do so. Nicknamed 'Baby Isak', the Swede's technical prowess and physical stature easily draw comparisons to the now Liverpool centre forward, with the AIK youth product's finessing finish against Tottenham Hotspur in pre season, just weeks ago, showing just what Fulham's third choice striker can do with the ball at his feet.

Johah's miniutes will be limited, but in games where Fulham need somebody to hit off, to relieve pressure to to knock it down in desperate need of a chance, Kusi Asare's 6'5 stature give Marco Silva a unique profile at centre forward, with the towering Raul and Rodrigo paling in comparison to Asare's build. An unknown? Yes. An inflated, panic driven, loan fee? Yes, but frankly, the Cottagers needed numbers. Jonah Kusi-Asare provides a safety net, a relatively low risk high reward striking gamble for a light Silva squad. Not the perfect deal, but I understand the logic.

Should Fulham Have Swapped Wilson For George?
Harry Wilson: a cult hero, a man eternalised at Craven Cottage. Fulham's most gifted winger. Losing 'H' doesn't even bare thinking about, but football is a heartless game. Wilson's agent set his stool out early this summer: Harry wants a new deal, get it done. It hasn't, and now we know HW signed off on a deadline day move to Yorkshire, a Welsh Wizard renewal seems unlikely.

If it was up to myself, the situation has an easy fix: Pay, your most talented winger, a sizeable weekly wage to continue strutting his stuff by the River, but unfortunately, I'm not Tony Khan, and I don't have access to his dad's credit card either... Therefore, with Wilson soon departing for free next summer, the decision to reject a Leeds offer in the region of £7m makes no sense in the modern world ruled by PSR.

Fulham had a replacement lined up, Tyrique George had completed a medical at Motspur Park for £22m. Far from a sure fire prospect, but we unfortunately saw last season at the Cottage what George can do. He's highly thought about around the Bridge for a reason.

At 19, George has the perfect versatile frontline repotoire, and age profile to massive benefit Silva's squad, not just now, but in he future too. Keeping a man soon to be departing SW6 on a Bosman, instead of cashing in and capitalising on a young, affordable asset to future proof your attack screams a directionless, panicked transfer team. The wrong call. George should be a Fulham player. Sorry, Harry.

Why This Summer Is An Outright Failure
That's enough of the overviewing of transfers, let's get down to the nitty gritty. Why this window is an outright failure. In my video on X and TikTok on deadline, I was hounded by many for using the f-word. 'Failure'. Many said it would have only been a failure if Muniz left, if Jedi left etc etc. Im afraid, thats where your wrong. Any hopes of Silva staying beyond 2026? You can kiss them goodbye. The way Fulham Football Club have conducted business this window has lost Marco Silva.

Forget keeping Muniz, Robinson, and Bassey, or bringing in two statement signings, namely Kevin and Chukwueze, the ultimate goal for this transfer window was to keep Marco Silva happy, stick to the plan laid out by the club's hierarchy, a plan set in motion last January, per Marco Silva. The Whites have done complete opposite. Silva was promised time to bed in signings, let additions integrate with team early doors. Marco has banged on about this for years, 2025 was the year it was set to change. 2025 was the year it got even worse.

Losing Marco Silva is the worse thing to happen to this club this century. You can thank the 2025 summer window for that. That alone, makes this summer window a failure of epic proportions.

I made a joke in July, proclaiming our first summer signings would come past the 7pm deadline. Well, I promise you, I was joking, but look how right I was. It's comical really. If you don't laugh, you'll cry. It's almost like top clubs don't wait till deadline day to do their business.

It's almost like Fulham had no transfer window strategy, and had a manic deadline day with a scatter gun recruitment policy. It's almost like waiting till the final day of a window to approach clubs about key squad members will always end in disatser. Just look at the last minute Danilo or In-Beom Hwang approaches we put in, its almost like Tony Khan's not a football man, its almost as if he should stick to wrestling promoting, not being a Premiership DOF. Shahid, for your sake, and my sanity, stop the nepotism, hire a competent DOF.

Golden Years Passing Us By
These times will soon pass us by, when Silva goes, and all inevitably goes to pot, we will think about how close we were to something expenetioally special.

As Scott Parker would say, In football, its fine margins. Missing out on players true talents for a season because they didn't have the required time to bed into a squad, or losing out on key targets, as Marco Silva alluded to in a recent press conference, that can be the difference between mid table mediocrity and trips to Eastern Europe, cups passing you by, or memories that last a lifetime. Marco Silva is the manager to give us those special moments, and soon his tenure will be a distance memory. A tenure tainted by what could of been.

This attitude of 'little old Fulham', being content with making up the numbers is why Fulham are the biggest club in Britain to not win a major honour – we deserve more. To those that say we are lucky to be here, I say no. We were, not anymore.

The days of Fulham being afoot the football league, merging with Queens Park Rangers were almost 40 years ago, Sean Davis' goal at Ewood Park to complete our ascension up the football league into the Premier League for the first time: over a quarter of a century ago.

Football is for moments, for jubilation, for joy, not for coasting and mediocrity on a well trodden path to relegation – because post Silva, unless we get a new director of football in, thats where we are heading.

To that director of football I ask this: Was the whittling down of Kevin's fee from £40m to £35m+5m worth than a month's worth of Silva fury? Was it worth hampering a young player's opening season in the Premier League? Was this long standing approach to transfers worth losing the man holding this football club together?

It wasn't. Don't get it twisted, the repricing of this summers' failure will be felt for years to come. Will we hallmark this summer as the moment it all went sour on Stevenage Road? I think so. It's no shot at Kevin or Chukwueze, they are exciting additions, but the facts remain – the 2025 summer window is a failure of cataclysmic proportions.



https://medium.com/@LondonsOriginal/reviewing-fulhams-transfer-window-why-this-summer-has-been-an-outright-failure-b1bcc6725d73

[WhiteJC]

"I have a dream" – Player shares his big aims after Fulham exit
Andreas Pereira has already begun life as a Palmeiras player, taking part in his first day of activities at the club's training centre after completing his move from Fulham.

According to CNN Brasil, the midfielder underwent functional and physical evaluations with the club's medical and performance staff, as well as holding an initial conversation with coach Abel Ferreira. "I spoke briefly with Abel, he sent me a message when the deal was completed. I hope to help," Andreas said when presenting his style of play.

One of his key objectives is to re-establish himself in the Brazil national team setup, having already been called up by Carlo Ancelotti earlier this year. "That, for sure, is important for me. To stay in the national team cycle. It's about doing my job well at Palmeiras so I can be called up. I have a dream of going to the 2026 World Cup," he underlined.

The 29-year-old also praised Palmeiras' infrastructure, calling it "elite level." He stated that "the structure here is of a European elite club, it can be compared with the world's elite. Palmeiras have everything a player needs to develop and deliver results. That's the most important thing."

His arrival has already generated high expectations. Speaking on local outlet Band, former Brazilian defender and now TV pundit Edu Dracena said: "He will be an undisputed starter, I have no doubt. He's the icing on the cake. He will greatly enhance some of the players who will play alongside him."

With his signing finalised and training begun, Andreas Pereira is now preparing for his debut in September, with Palmeiras hoping his impact will be immediate – a few Fulham fans might be watching this one.



https://sportwitness.co.uk/i-have-a-dream-player-shares-his-big-aims-after-fulham-exit/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham: Disallowing Josh King goal against Chelsea was 'wrong', admits Howard Webb
Decision to rule out first-half effort in west London derby was met with widespread criticism

Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) chief Howard Webb has admitted the decision to rule out Josh King's goal in Fulham's 2-0 defeat by Chelsea was a "misjudgement".

18-year-old King thought he had scored his first senior goal for Fulham after finishing coolly past Robert Sanchez in the 22nd minute of Saturday's Premier League west London derby at Stamford Bridge.

However, VAR intervened and the goal was ruled out after Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz was adjudged to have fouled Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah in the build-up.

The decision drew widespread criticism, and Webb has now acknowledged the error.

Speaking on Match Officials Mic'd Up, Webb admitted that VAR official Michael Salisbury, who was subsequently stood down from Liverpool's 1-0 win over Arsenal on Sunday, had failed to look at the full context of Muniz's challenge.

"It wasn't controversial; it was wrong. We've established some principles in terms of how we officiate in the Premier League and how we use VAR," Webb said.

"They sit around a high threshold for penalising contact, aiding the flow, rhythm, and tempo of the game. We've also established a high bar for intervention with VAR."

"In this situation, that guidance wasn't followed properly. There was a misjudgement by the officials involved in this situation about how that contact happened between Muniz and Chalobah.

"The officials got super focused on that contact, without looking at the full context of how it happened."

VAR has again been a major talking point in the early weeks of the new season, but Webb has defended its use, saying there has been a reduction in VAR involvements in the last 18 months.

"We've done really well in the last 18 months or so to reduce our involvement, with respect to the referee's call," he said.

"We've seen less interventions in the Premier League than any other major league in Europe, so we need to continue doing that.

"We understand the importance of these decisions. We understand that if we get it wrong like we did on this occasion, the impact is significant - and we're always, always striving to do better."



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-chelsea-fc-var-howard-webb-josh-king-goal-b1245769.html

[WhiteJC]

Kondau-Wall signs

The Club is delighted to announce the signing of youngster Lewis Kondau-Wall.

Lewis will link up with our Under-18s side having spent pre-season on trial at Fulham.

The 16-year-old appeared in friendlies against the likes of Bristol City and Millwall before putting pen to paper on a scholarship agreement at Motspur Park.

A strong midfield player, Lewis joins the Club from grassroots side Impact FC. He has previously been on the books of Charlton Athletic.

Lewis told fulhamfc.com: "It feels amazing. It's a dream come true signing at this amazing football club.

"My football journey began at the age of eight, playing grassroots. I was picked up by Charlton Athletic at the age of 11 but got released. It was a big setback, but I knew I'd come through it and come back stronger, and now I'm here signing for Fulham Football Club.

"In one word, I'm powerful. I work hard and I want to win. My footballing idol is actually a former Fulham player. Mousa Dembélé, what he did in his career, I want to bring all of that into my game.

"I want to make my Under-21s debut and hopefully sign a professional contract at this amazing club. To sign for a Premier League club, it's amazing."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/september/03/kondau-wall-signs/

[WhiteJC]

Does Fulham have a footballing strategy?
After a haphazard window, does the club know what its on-pitch goal is?

What is Fulham Football Club's strategy? What does it want to achieve in the next five years? 10 years?

Yes, we know priority number one is becoming "sustainable", as Shad Khan often touts. But that isn't what I want to know. I want to know what we want to achieve on the football pitch.

Looking at our transfer window, I have no idea. On the face of it, we want to give the bare minimum requested by our best manager of the last 15 years, and we want to block the pathway to the first team for our academy strikers by bringing in an unknown from abroad. (Aaron Loupalo-Bi must be wondering what he's done wrong.)

My theory is we simply want to exist between the realms of 10th and 15th. Never in any real danger of relegation, and never in any real contention for anything more. All the while we can build our non-footballing revenue, hike up matchday prices and creep slowly towards that mythical "sustainability", which – to be frank – is probably unachievable for a club our size in an industry like football.

Yes, I'm probably a bit of a grump. It's a fairly prominent strand of my personality. But there are some pockets of the Fulham fanbase that are so terrified of criticising the club, or reading any criticism from elsewhere, that they aggressively jump to its defence. Maybe it's the fear of being punished by the powers-that-be, or maybe it's good old-fashioned Stockholm Syndrome. Either way, it's important to remember that criticism isn't just healthy – it's essential.

Deadline day was a repeat of the past decade for Fulham fans. The club scurried around and made deals left, right, and centre. If only the window was longer than a day, etc. But at the end of it, with our two long-term targets through the door (better late than never, eh?), plus a head-scratching forward option, the overall mood online seemed to be... positive.

Personally, I just can't praise the club for what is clearly a negligent lack of strategy. Marco Silva openly stated that we had a plan in May, and that plan fell through. He added, plainly, that it was our fault for not being active. And yet you'll have people on X patronising you with lines like "have you considered PSR?" and "it takes time to do these sorts of deals".

Is Marco Silva a liar? And what regulations are the other clubs in the Premier League circumventing? Many of which are smaller in stature and located in far less attractive areas of the country, yet doing much better and faster business than us. I'd love to know.

The Khans are such yellow-sticker merchants that they have become caricatures of themselves. Lying inert until deadline day before saving a million or two here on a player who could have helped in our first three games, and a million or two there on someone who might need a preseason to acclimatise to his new surroundings.

It's diminishing returns. Five years ago we might have got enough bargains for the tactic to be worth it. But this year you cannot argue that is the case. I say tactic because "doing sod all until the final day" isn't a strategy, it's a tactic – and not a particularly smart one long-term.

Then, of course, there is the possibility that clubs will simply refuse to deal with us because they can't be bothered with the brinkmanship and the boring games of cat-and-mouse from a club that should probably behave with a bit more integrity. Tyrique George, anyone?

Ultimately, football is meant to be fun. And one of the most exciting times as a fan is the summer window where you look for your club to strengthen its squad or re-invigorate it after a tough season. Fulham sucked the fun out of the summer, with no activity and no communication. Full disclosure: I'm a wrestling fan, but even I'm sick to the back teeth of Tony Khan tweeting about everything other than what should be his absolute priority between the months of May and September, if nothing else.

Communication is just as important as action. If there is a strategy for the footballing side of Fulham FC, why can we not tell the fans? If nothing else, it would buy TK et al a bit of time and goodwill during the windows.

But this particular window has closed, and now reality is hitting. We are in the bottom three for the first time since our Premier League return under Marco. Yes, it's three games in – I am not an idiot – but a fast start is usually crucial for a club like us targeting the heady heights of 10th. If results go wrong early, things like cup runs become less of a priority and the campaign quickly turns into a war of attrition.

I'd love nothing more to be proved wrong, and this piece be screenshotted and featured on Worst Fulham Takes.

But right now? Yep, I'm concerned.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/does-fulham-have-a-footballing-strategy

[WhiteJC]

Graham Smyth shares if Joe Rodon will be fit for Leeds v Fulham after Wales withdrawal
Leeds United fans will not only be reeling from the disappointment of failing to sign Harry Wilson, but they will also be concerned after Wales announced Joe Rodon was leaving their training camp.

Ethan Ampadu is already missing from Craig Bellamy's squad, after suffering an MCL injury. Ao Tanaka is sidelined right now, and there were doubts over Gabriel Gudmundsson after the draw against Newcastle.

So, the last thing Leeds fans want to hear right now is an injury to a player who Daniel Farke considers one of the first names on the team sheet. Well, Wales have confirmed Joe Rodon's withdrawal today.

Wales are in action against Kazakhstan in World Cup qualifying on Thursday, before facing Jesse Marsch's Canada on Tuesday night. Rodon has pulled out of the Wales squad and Graham Smyth has an update.

Following the international break, Leeds play four Premier League games before the October break. It begins with Fulham at Craven Cottage, which could well see Leeds face Wilson after failing to sign him.

Taking to X, Smyth shared if Rodon will be fit to play against Fulham. The defender's actual injury is still unknown but Smyth says it is 'expected' that Rodon will be fit to face Marco Silva's side in 10 days.

He said, in two posts: "Joe Rodon withdrawn from the Wales squad but expected to be fine for the Fulham game. Bellamy might give further details."

Smyth then posted: "No reason given for Rodon's withdrawal yet but was noticeable in Saturday's game that he was caught by a heavy and slightly late mid-air challenge."

Leeds desperately need Joe Rodon to be fit, or relegation is real
Following the end of the transfer window, Jeff Stelling claims Leeds have made only one good signing in Sean Longstaff. Both Stelling and Ally McCoist outlined that they are concerned for Leeds' survival hopes.

Micah Richards agrees, claiming "something is missing" from Leeds' squad at the moment. Wilson might have changed that. But typically, Wilson has not arrived and a relegation scrap looks inevitable for Leeds.

Keeping the best players fit is absolutely paramount to any chance Leeds have of survival and Rodon is right at the top of that list. Hopefully, Ampadu joins Rodon in returning in time ready for Fulham.



https://www.leedsunited.news/news/graham-smyth-shares-if-joe-rodon-will-be-fit-for-leeds-v-fulham-after-wales-injury/

[WhiteJC]

Why Portsmouth didn't let Fulham signing leave Fratton Park at transfer window's climax
The defender has faced injury issues with loan minutes a transfer deadline day option - here's why he never left Fratton Park.

John Mousinho admitted finding regular football for Ibane Bowat was a consideration at the transfer window's climax.

But the Blues felt keeping the Fulham signing at PO4 was the right move to make, as the centre-back builds his return from injury.

Why Pompey wanted to keep Fulham signing
And Mousinho explained having the collective defensive cover amid options at the back returning from their own issues, was a key consideration in deciding the pathway for the defender.

Bowat is building his way back from a serious knee injury, which wrote off his maiden campaign at Fratton Park before he'd played a competitive minute after signing in August of last year.

A tendon tear in the 22-year-old's right knee was the catalyst for a gruelling and testing period of rehabilitation, which kept the Londoner out for 10 months.

Bowat has battled back from a 'dark' time in his young career, after the 'freak' injury taking an unopposed shot in training.

The former Den Bosch loanee built his fitness in pre-season, however, featuring in warm-up games before making his competitive bow in the Carabao Cup against Reading last month.

There's been no further minutes for Bowat beyond that, being an unused sub in two matches and missing out of the squad for the win over Preston North End last weekend.

Bowat was an obvious consideration for a departure to get some match action away from Fratton Park on deadline day, especially with Pompey needing to carry out their business with the EFL's 25-man squad rules in the Championship a consideration.

Bowat is not the only central defender who had fitness issues last term, with Conor Shaughnessy (calf), Hayden Matthews (ankle) and Regan Poole (knee) all sidelined for significant periods.

Pompey recruited Josh Knight from Hannover 96 to leave the department looking well covered, but Mousinho explained the cumulative question marks over the other options meant the football operation didn't want to risk being exposed by letting Bowat leave.

He said: 'Maybe (Ibane would need football), but we looked at the situation with the four centre-halves and we have Regan, Shaughs, Hayden and Ibane.

'When we spoke about bringing another centre-half in, it was to make sure we had that real strength in depth in those positions.

'Last season the four of them spent significant periods on the sidelines, so we thought having a fifth was the right thing to do.

'Touch wood we're in a really good spot with the centre-halves physically, but I didn't think it was worth the risk to let someone out.'

Deadline passes for 25-man squad to be registered with the EFL
After a busy deadline day in which four new faces - Josef Bursik, Mackenzie Kirk, Franco Umeh and Conor Chaplin - were recruited, Pompey took their summer incomings to 11 for the window.

Adrian Segecic, John Swift, Luke Le Roux, Mark Kosznovszky, Florian Bianchini, Josh Knight and Minhyeok Yang were the other faces landed.

Tom McIntyre and Abdoulaye Kamara departed on deadline day, with Ryley Towler, Paddy Lane, Matt Ritchie and Christian Saydee all moving on this summer.

The deadline for the Blues to register their 25-man squad with the EFL passed last night at 7pm.



https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/football/portsmouth-fc/portsmouth-fc-transfers-deadline-day-pompey-fulham-window-ibane-bowat-5301500

[WhiteJC]

It's all coming out now as Leeds United and Fulham sources in disagreement over Harry Wilson
Leeds United's move for Harry Wilson failed on deadline day and the situation continues to develop in terms of the details coming out from Fulham and Leeds.

It was our exclusive at Leeds United News which first revealed Leeds' interest in Harry Wilson, with a loan bid from Leeds to Fulham rejected initially in the mid-afternoon of deadline day.

It was then revealed that the deal for Wilson and Leeds was still alive permanently, especially if Fulham added numerous attackers to replace Wilson, with a number of big-money deadline day moves eyed by the Cottagers.

Fulham even agreed to two Wilson replacements but the deal was still not guaranteed with the hours then counting down to the deadline at 7pm. Then, Wilson to Leeds looked in doubt amid the need for a deal sheet to finalise a deal with Fulham.

Harry Wilson situation explained between Leeds and Fulham
All then went quiet regarding Wilson while Darko Gyabi's exit was sealed. It was later clear that the 28-year-old was not coming and the crucial details of the transfer collapse between Fulham, Leeds, and Wilson have been revealed since.

Other details have emerged after Fulham did deals for Kevin and Samuel Chukwueze, but some reports say the inability to bring in Chelsea's Tyrique George meant Fulham chose to keep Wilson.

Robbie Evans also explained Wilson staying at Fulham, stating: "It's pretty straightforward in that we had a player targeted. It didn't come through. We thought we had the right price. We put the offer in above that price. The player was on board. Club couldn't get it done.

"Their club couldn't get it done. We sent the deal sheet in after being given some indication it could work. But they were also doing three deals at once. So Fulham signed €85m worth of wingers yesterday.

"Whether it was out of time or they decided not to sell, we don't know. But it didn't happen. Thankfully for us, that's why we did the overwhelming majority of our business before the last day of the window."

Beren Cross has revealed further details via The Athletic, stating: "Wilson was the solution the club was targeting as deadline day began. Sources at Leeds believed they had met the asking price Fulham wanted.

"As Monday progressed, Fulham confirmed talks were ongoing with Leeds around a transfer. A flight was scheduled to take Wilson from Cardiff, near the Wales squad's training camp, to Leeds. This flight was pushed back to a 4.25pm departure, but it missed that target and was eventually cancelled.

"United remained confident that a deal could still be done, even if Wilson was not in West Yorkshire to complete it. Yet time went on without a final agreement or announcement by the two clubs.

"Elland Road sources felt there was encouragement from the Fulham end on a deal sheet to keep the transfer alive beyond the 7pm deadline. Leeds say they signed their portion, but Fulham did not, cancelling the deal as the window closed.

"Fulham sources insist, at some stage between mid-afternoon and 7pm, they informed Leeds that Wilson was no longer for sale, and there was no such agreement that they should all sign a deal sheet."

Robbie Evans and Daniel Farke disagree over final signing
Farke made clear he wants a versatile creative player at the least this summer. Since then Farke doubled down on Leeds needing attacking additions to the 49ers publicly and maybe as many as two more if they are to survive relegation, per Adam Pope.

Evans has disputed that fact today, speaking to The Athletic. He agreed on the type of profile Leeds missed out on, but not on how essential it will be to survival long-term.

He said: "A set-piece-taking, inside of wing, No 10 type is the one thing we're still sort of missing, and we'd love to have that to just sort of round out the entire summer. At the same time, when you look at a 25-man roster with 10 entrants, it's very unlikely (that) one thing ends up being the deciding factor.

"On the one hand, you'd like to tick every single box. But at the end of the day, for us, the 24 guys we woke up with yesterday versus the 25 we could have had will probably only incrementally change our odds long term in our goal of staying up."



https://www.leedsunited.news/transfers/its-all-coming-out-now-as-leeds-united-and-fulham-sources-in-disagreement-over-harry-wilson/

[WhiteJC]

'Never seen before' – Ex-PGMOL chief emails IFAB over new ruling after Fulham vs Man United drama
A former PGMOL has emailed the IFAB over new guidance issued to referees over players holding an opponent.

The IFAB have issued new key considerations to holding offences inside the penalty area, as seen on the Sky Sports show Ref Mic'd Up.

The considerations included a foul should be awarded for sustained or impactful holding, clear impact on the opponents opportunity to play or challenge for the ball.

It continued that a foul should also be awarded for clear (extreme) non-footballing action with impact on the opponent's movement, not looking at the ball, only focusing on the opponent and not challenging for the ball and holding an opponent with both arms.

Holding controversy highlighted in Premier League
The issue of holding was well conveyed during the recent Fulham against Manchester United match in the Premier League.

Mason Mount won a penalty after Calvin Bassey was adjudged to have fouled the Man United midfielder in the box.

The penalty was awarded despite Luke Shaw also bringing down Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz at the same moment.

The referee of the contest, Chris Kavanagh, was said to have made the wrong decision.

Kavanagh then should have ruled out Leny Yoro's opener for Man United at Fulham when the defender fouled Bassey from a corner.

Former PGMOL chief seeks clarification on new guidance
This article contains exclusive comment from former professional referee Keith Hackett.

Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett said he had never before seen the criteria, and has therefore asked the IFAB for clarification.

"When reading the current laws of the game produced by the IFAB this document is not replicated, Hackett said.

"What it does show is the following Guidance to referees.

"Referees are reminded to make an early intervention and to deal firmly with holding offences, especially inside the penalty area at corner kicks and free kicks.

"To deal with these situations the referee must warn any player holding an opponent before the ball is in play, caution the player if the holding continues before the ball is in play or award a direct free kick or penalty kick and caution the player if it happens once the ball is in play.

"I have emailed the IFAB seeking clarification."



https://www.footballinsider247.com/never-seen-before-ex-pgmol-chief-emails-ifab-over-new-ruling-after-fulham-vs-man-united-drama/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham failed with €30 million summer offer for Danilo
Marco Silva's Fulham failed with a €30 million offer to sign former Nottingham Forest midfield star Danilo.

According to a report from Ge, Fulham were looking to bring Danilo back to the Premier League just over a month after he had secured a return to Brazil. The Cottagers submitted an offer worth €30 million for the former Nottingham Forest star, but Botafogo turned it down.

Danilo came up the ranks at Palmeiras and made quite a name for himself while playing for their first team before joining Nottingham at the start of 2023. During his time at the English club, he was involved in a total of 62 matches and even contributed towards 10 goals.

While he did have an impressive start to life in the Premier League, an ankle injury kept him on the sidelines for the majority of last season. Eventually, the Tricky Trees decided to cash in on him. Botafogo were keen on reinforcing their backline; they spotted the opportunity and went hard to sign the 24-year-old.

They managed to secure his services in a €22 million deal, the biggest transfer in the club's history. Since joining them back in July, he has already featured in nine matches for the Brazilian outfit and has even contributed towards two goals.

Fulham failed to sign Danilo on deadline day
The Brazilian defensive midfielder has established himself as one of their mainstays, and his performances caught the attention of Fulham. The Cottagers had already seen him in action in the Premier League, and with him now back to full fitness, they tried to sign him towards the end of the transfer window.

Marco Silva's side tabled a €30 million offer on transfer deadline day, but Botafogo rejected it. Reports suggested the Brazilian club turned it down due to a lack of time to secure a replacement, especially after selling Gregore and Danilo Barbosa, who had already left them light in midfield.

However, John Textor, owner of Botafogo's SAF, later clarified that the refusal had nothing to do with replacements. Instead, he insisted the club had no intention of parting ways with the 24-year-old barely a month after signing him.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2025/09/04/fulham-failed-with-e30-million-summer-offer-for-danilo/

[Arthur]

In my opinion, the article above, 'Reviewing Fulham's Transfer Window: Why This Summer Has Been An Outright Failure' borders on the ridiculous - not because the author holds such a view but for the manner in which he or she has tried to justify the headline.

Some of the rhetoric is plain daft. For example, calling the transfer window 'an outright failure'. It cannot be 'outright' when the author has positives to extol:
'Kevin has tremendous upside. Kev' combines samba flair, clinical finishing, with an adeptness at playing on the break, utilising his blistering pace to devastating affect.'
'At just 26, Chukz' has plenty to offer the Whites, if he can get anywhere near emulating his Villarreal form in black and white, the £25m buy option London's Original have access to will be an absolute snip.'
'Nicknamed 'Baby Isak', the Swede's technical prowess and physical stature easily draw comparisons to the now Liverpool centre forward, with the AIK youth product's finessing finish against Tottenham Hotspur in pre season, just weeks ago, showing just what Fulham's third choice striker can do with the ball at his feet.'

The author also makes claims seemingly based on guesswork that fits his agenda:
'An inflated, panic driven, loan fee? Yes...'
'Was the whittling down of Kevin's fee from £40m to £35m+5m worth than a month's worth of Silva fury?

Apart from that the latter is a garbled mess of a sentence (the author not spotting 35 + 5 is not less than 40 is characteristically poor), neither of these statements is supported by the respected journalist Peter Rutzler, who has quoted Kusi-Asare's loan fee as '€3M, which reduces to zero based on minutes' and Kevin's fee as 'negotiated from asking price of €55m with 25% sell-on,' to '€40m deal... no add-ons... 25% of the profit on a future sale'.

And this: '...when Silva goes, and all inevitably goes to pot'.
'Inevitably'? Again, the author uses a word without appearing to know its meaning. There's a possibility it could 'go to pot' (which the author later clarifies as relegation) but to imply that no other manager the Club could attract could maintain our P.L. status with our current squad is so unconvincing.

Indeed the vocabulary throughout, in my opinion, is so 'over the top', it serves more to achieve the opposite.

Even for an amateur writer (which the author obviously is), it's not good.