Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 04/11/25...

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Monday 03/11
Sunderland	1-1	Everton

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Jack and Loz at the Cottage - Blog 320
Date: 1st November 2025

Opposition: Wolves

Score: 3-0

Goal scorers: Ryan Sessegnon, Harry F Wilson, Own Goal (again)

Weather: autumn showers

Atmosphere: excellent

MOTM: the redux of Ryan Sessegnon is one of the great Fulham stories of our time. Like so many surrogate parents we watched Sess grow up setting the Championship alight for us, we let him leave with heavy hearts then celebrated his unexpected return. "Your boy's back," he said. We were incredulous but tried not to expect too much. Marco managed his reintroduction with care and over the course of last season Ryan cemented his place in the squad - versatile, reliable and humble. This season, in Antonee's continuing absence, Sess has become a key player again even though we all know he's not really a left back! His sharply taken goal and well-crafted assist made him the star of a good team performance and he played, as always, for the badge on his shirt and the club in his heart

Moment of the Match: Ryan isn't the only player who's Fulham through and through. Rodrigo Muniz loves playing for Fulham so much that he can't stop smiling even when he's warming up. He and the Hammy End were enjoying our performance of his song and dance so much that we missed a free kick in a dangerous area

Lunch: Pret

Drinks: the Riverside

It's been a tough few weeks for Fulham. Four league defeats left us teetering on the brink in 17th place and whilst we progressed in the Cup by way of an Odyssey to High Wycombe with suitable heroics, the victory on penalties didn't fill anyone with confidence.

So at the beginning of November we had a Must Win Game. Wolves have been scraping along the bottom of the Premier League ever since it was in alphabetical order; they hadn't won in 14 games and the HR department was already preparing the manager's P45. The only option was to beat them.

But we are Fulham. Notoriously tender hearted, generous and too civilised for the dog eat dog.....errr - wolf eat wolf nature of the Premier League. Helpfully, after weeks of having more injured players than fit ones, nearly everyone was available - most notably Harry Wilson and Kenny Tete. But with an almost perfect starting line-up and a bench brimming with ability, there was no excuse for anything less than a decent performance.

The afternoon began with the now traditional fireworks (memo to whoever needs to see it: they only work in the dark) followed by a lovely Remembrance tribute with a particularly haunting rendition of the Last Post.

The poignant notes of the bugle died away, the poppy wreath was reverently removed, everyone forgot the microphone except Ivan Berry and the game kicked off.

Whilst it wouldn't be entirely correct to make bold statements like "we were all over them" and "it was all us" Fulham started strongly and with intent. There were some wobbly Moments while the reassembled team got used to each other again but there were also the sweeping moves and interlocking triangular passes that we love to see.

We saw at Wycombe that Kevin and Sess work well together and they carried on where they left off on Tuesday with some sophisticated interplay. Meanwhile, Harry and Kenny were back like they'd never been away, Alex Iwobi was subtly pulling strings in midfield and Sander Berge was enjoying getting his lanky legs within shooting range.

Wolves looked flat and empty. They'd brought their own Viking and he and Andersen grappled like warriors on opposing long boats; you could almost see their horned helmets through the spindrift-like-rain and hear their war cries over the songs of the crowd. This was a superb performance from Andersen as both leader and defender - our once and future captain.

Raúl Jimenez has played a lot of football lately and he hasn't always been fully fit. It's been a thankless task too - a striker wants to be scoring not begging for scraps and fighting a lone and hectic battle up front. His assist for the first goal was a product of his experience and vision as well as that fighting spirit. His through-ball was perfectly weighted, Sess collected it without breaking stride and reminded the world what a good finisher he is.

Wolves made their uphill battle steeper by going down to 10 men late in the first half. This was a double edged ulfberht for Fulham - now only an emphatic win would do but the depleted underwolves were more in need of help and sympathy than ever. The half ended dangerously with Wolves showing their teeth and almost their bite as the ball skidded across the face of goal at the end of a prolonged and chaotic attack.

This graphic reminder of what could happen made a second goal vital. Early in the second half it looked like it might come from an unlikely source. Kenny Tete raced into space with the ball. "Shoot!" roared the Hammy End. Kenny shot and the goalie only just managed to palm the ball away.

A few minutes later Kenny had the ball again. "Shoot," shouted the crowd. Kenny shot. Hopelessly wide.

Later still, in a dynamic forward move that sent Calvin Bassey sprawling, the ball almost came to Kenny. "Don't shoot!" yelled the fans. The ball rolled to Berge instead. His shot was blocked but the rebound fell to someone who knows what they're doing on the edge of the box. Harry's goal was the best of the afternoon and one of the best of the season so far (err.....) Fulham were two goals up and enjoying themselves, Marco made judicious use of the subs and Wolves had nothing left except a low and desperate block.

The hunt for a third goal was thorough and exciting. Kevin samba'd with Wolves but couldn't dance past them. Muniz tried a bicycle kick, several corners came to nothing. It took a combination of Sess, ESR and a Wolves player to get the ball in the back of the net again. It was brilliant work from all concerned and a less self-effacing man than Emile might have tried to claim the goal.

Emile looked good in his brief stint, Chukwueze looked even better and very nearly grabbed the fourth but the bar got in the way. Adama was given 3 minutes to run at his former side which was still enough time to fail to put a couple of crosses in.

3-0 against 10 men from a team on the slippery slope to relegation was really the minimum requirement so this wasn't quite the resounding victory it seems. However, it was a Must Win game and we won it; the score helps our goal difference and the result is a confidence boost for players and fans alike.


Random musings:-

- It was good to see David Lloyd receive his Forever Fulham award. It's rightly not reserved for ex-players

- It must be very unusual to play 2 clubs called Wanderers in one week

- There was some good Black Country black humour from the travelling fans

- Although Lukić didn't play, with his severe hair cut and bulky tracksuit he looked like he was on military manoeuvres in the arctic

- The Ref had a good game

- The lovely Benjamin Lecomte was Ivan's guest in the Riverside and this was a really nice touch to ensure Tuesday's hero got the plaudits he deserved

- Several journalists claim to be reporting "exclusively" on the Wolves manager's sacking and yet the entire crowd predicted it during the match!

Of course, this was just one game. We've stopped the rot but that doesn't mean we've turned a corner. We're still sitting firmly in the bottom half of the table with the newly promoted sides soaring ahead.

But with our summer signings showing what they can do, with Josh King improving every game, Alex Iwobi proving himself in every position and our walking wounded returning to the fray, the future looks bright instead of precarious. Bring it on.



https://werdsmith.com/p/kmYv6YzY99kr2M

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Trust AGM 2025
On behalf of the Board, I announce that the Fulham Supporters' Trust Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on Thursday 20 November 2025 commencing at 18:45, with the formal AGM taking place after our first speaker at 19:30.

The meeting will be held via Zoom video conferencing to give the largest possible number of members the chance to attend. We request that all members wishing to attend register in advance using the link sent to them by email. If you have not received a registration link or do not have your email address registered with the Trust, please let us know so that we can update our database.

Steve Nicholson
Secretary



https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2025/11/trust-agm-2025/

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Liverpool run rule over Kevin in Premier League action
Arne Slot's Liverpool are reportedly scouting Fulham attacking sensation Kevin ahead of a potential move to Anfield.

Liverpool are interested in acquiring the services of Brazilian winger Kevin, and according to a report from Football Insider, the Merseyside club recently scouted the Fulham forward in action against Wolves in the Premier League.

The Reds are keeping tabs on the 22-year-old as they consider him an ideal fit for their project. With Slot keen on adding more quality and depth to his attack, Liverpool are assessing Kevin as one of the options.

Kevin came up the ranks at Palmeiras. After making a name for himself at the Brazilian club, he made the switch to Shakhtar Donetsk at the start of 2024. Thanks to his sensational rise at the Ukrainian club, Fulham forked out a massive £34.6 million to sign him last summer.

While he is yet to light up the world at his new club, the 22-year-old winger has surely shown glimpses of the talent he possesses. The young winger has put in some impressive performances in the limited opportunities he has had.

Liverpool scouted Kevin against Wolves
Kevin is already attracting interest from rival clubs. They consider him to be a generational talent and want to lure him away from Fulham before it is too late. Liverpool are one of the clubs that are believed to be massive admirers of the Brazilian.

Their scouts were in the stands of Craven Cottage to watch him in action during his full Premier League debut against Wolves. The Merseyside club's chief scout, Barry Hunter, was the one keeping tabs on the 22-year-old as his team won 3-0 on the night.

The Liverpool recruitment team are believed to be very impressed with the little that they have seen of Kevin. The young winger's ability to feature on either flank and the desire to take on defenders are what stand out for them.

While he did not contribute towards a goal against Wolves, Kevin had the most take-ons (5) and most touches in the opposition box (5) for the home team. The Reds are expected to keep tabs on him moving forward, and if he continues to impress, they could launch a move for him in 2026.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2025/11/03/liverpool-run-rule-over-kevin-in-premier-league-action/

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Exclusive Seth Ridgeon Interview: Representing England at the U17 World Cup
As the son of an Olympic hurdler it is no surprise that Seth Ridgeon can overcome most obstacles.

The Fulham midfielder's dad, Jon, won a silver medal in the 110 metres hurdles at the 1987 World Championships and competed for Team GB at the '88 Games in Seoul.

Last week, Seth was on the bench for Fulham in their dramatic penalty shootout Carabao Cup win at Wycombe Wanderers.

Today he is training in the heat of Qatar on the cusp of a major international tournament which can catapult the next generation of players towards sustained success.

The Young Lions won the U-17 World Cup in 2017 with Phil Foden, Marc Guehi, Jadon Sancho, Callum Hudson-Odoi and his Fulham team-mate Emile Smith Rowe in the squad.

All of those names now regularly appear on the team sheets of major clubs and Manchester City star Foden boasts six Premier League titles in the eight years since.

Ridgeon has been at Craven Cottage since he was eight and told GMS: "You feel the sense of pride, the sense of honour to represent England. I wouldn't say we feel extra pressure because you're playing for the country.

"You just feel like you want to give your best and perform your best, to help best perform for the team.

"It's exciting but to be honest you don't really think about it too much. I wouldn't say people are going into thinking you want to play well to get media attention or to get that sort of fame.

"All of us are committed to playing well for each other and playing well to win the tournament. And when you do successful stuff in football you get add-ons from that. People are just focusing on playing well on the football side.

"You just go over the journey as you go through your academy. We've had the build up to this World Cup for a while now, to get qualifiers earlier in the year, even starting last year.

"It's just been a long journey, and this is the pinnacle of that journey, to get to show yourself on the main stage.

"If you have a really good tournament out here it will put you in good position to go back to your club and just keep building on your performances and have that extra confidence.

"So it's just taking each game as it is, then you go back to your club and focus on that and just keep doing as best as you can.

"My dad was an athlete and sport's always been in my family. I get most of my ability from him but mum will be annoyed if I don't put her in the mix too.

"My dad was very high level so it's just always been something part of my family. I'm reasonably quick myself. I can do 100 metres in 11.4 seconds but that's in spikes on a track. I'd put myself up there as a fast player but some of my team-mates might disagree."

With 48 teams competing, it's the biggest and toughest ever Under-17s World Cup, played in the same country where England reached the last eight under former boss Gareth Southgate.

This year they start their Group E campaign against Venezuela with Egypt and Haiti to come before the knockout stages.

The world's major nations are also out in the desert and if England go all the way to the final on November 27, that means almost a month away, thousands of miles from home for young boys like Ridgeon who only sat his GCSEs in the summer - smashing it with 7s, 8s and 9s.

He said: "When people play England they're going to be scared to play us. They're going to believe we're a good side. I wouldn't say we're favourites, but we're definitely one of the strongest teams in the tournament.

"We have a strong base at the back, good wingers with Reigan Heskey of Manchester City. And some of the players that were in the Euros last summer and were big names for us, people like Alejandro Rodriguez."

Ironically, Rodriguez was born in Venezuela but has opted to play for the Three Lions. Heskey is the son of former Liverpool and 62-cap England striker Emile Heskey. Sporting DNA runs through coach Neil Ryan's squad.

Ridgeon said: "Venezuela are South American and will want to be physical, and you run hard. But, I mean, we've looked at them, and we definitely see we can get a lot of joy with the ball and dominate the game, and we just have to come with the right attitude and the right mindset to win the game. And if we do our job, then we'll be in a good position.

"If we do go all the way it's about, it's about four or five weeks away from home. That's why being together as a squad is so important. Having friends within the squad, being together, making room for each other to have fun is important.

"Getting out of the hotel, enjoying yourself, not only just focusing on the football, but also having time to let your mind go. Being a strong team allows the days to count down. Just be prepared for each game and enjoy the moment.

"People are always on the ping pong table, playing PS4. We'll do NFL games, basketball games. Just being interactive with each other and enjoying whatever's around, just to take your mind off things."

Sixth former Ridgeon must also refocus and study for A Levels in PE and Politics. It's not just his football education that is important.

Adjusting to the heat in Qatar is another difficulty with temperatures exceeding 31 degrees centigrade during the day this week.

He said: "The temperature is a lot higher here. It's about preparing yourself physically and mentally to be able to perform in those situations, because if we can't, then we'll struggle. But I think the team's definitely got into a position where we're comfortable with the heat, and we're almost acclimatized to the time zone to be ready to perform."



https://www.givemesport.com/exclusive-seth-ridgeon-interview-representing-england-under-17-world-cup/

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After failed deadline day move to Fulham, Chelsea winger George wanted by Crystal Palace
Chelsea winger Tyrique George is attracting interest ahead of the winter transfer window, with Crystal Palace interested in securing his signature, according to The Mirror.

The 19-year-old came close to joining Fulham on transfer deadline day last summer, but the deal collapsed in the final hours of the window.

Since then, George has struggled for regular playing time in the Premier League, featuring only four times this season, all as a substitute, amounting to just 143 minutes of action.

With competition for attacking spots at Chelsea remaining fierce, George's limited opportunities have cast doubt over his long-term future at the club.

Crystal Palace are reportedly keeping a close watch on the youngster ahead of a potential January move.

The Eagles see George as a valuable addition who could strengthen their squad as they battle on four fronts, the Premier League, Carabao Cup, FA Cup, and UEFA Conference League.

Despite his lack of league minutes, George has impressed in cup competitions, scoring three goals and registering one assist in just four appearances across the Carabao Cup and UEFA Champions League.

As January approaches, the talented winger is expected to weigh his options carefully, with regular first-team football seen as crucial to his development.

Meanwhile, a move to Selhurst Park could provide the perfect platform for George to showcase his potential on a more consistent basis.

Adeyemi Adewale



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=57670

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Carabao Cup quarter-finals now confirmed dates and times including Newcastle v Fulham
The dates and times of the Carabao Cup quarter-finals have now been confirmed, including Newcastle v Fulham at St James' Park.

The four ties to be played  on three separate dates in the run up to Christmas.

On Tuesday 16 December it is Cardiff v Chelsea with an 8pm kick-off.

Then on Wednesday 17 December it is Man City v Brentford and a 7.30pm start.

That same night (Wednesday 17 December) it is Newcastle v Fulham with an 8.15pm kick-off.

Before finally it is Arsenal v Palace on Tuesday 23 December and an 8pm start.



https://www.themag.co.uk/2025/11/carabao-cup-quarter-finals-now-confirmed-dates-and-times-including-newcastle-v-fulham-newcastle-united/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham in transfer tussle to sign Iuri Tabatadze
Fulham are set to wage battle with Brighton & Hove Albion for Cadiz winger Iuri Tabatadze in January, with the Georgian attacker likely to suit their style.

According to Fichajes, Iuri Tabatadze is a key target for Fulham ahead of the January window, and faces competition from Brighton in the race for the winger. The Cadiz star has performed admirably since his move to Spain in the summer, but Premier League sides are now eager to tempt him into ending his time in La Liga 2 and making the switch to England.

Iuri Tabatadze has been a revelation for Cadiz since his move from the Georgian side Iberia 1999 in the summer. The winger has four goals and two assists across ten games in all competitions for the Spanish second-tier side this term, and is widely expected to keep improving.

The 25-year-old winger has impressed with his direct style of play, which has been producing good results for Cadiz. However, the prospects of the Spanish side's ambitions to keep him on board could be short-lived, as Tabatadze is already attracting the interest of Premier League sides.

Fulham are seen as a big contender for the winger, as Marco Silva would like to add another wide attacker in January. The Cottagers are looking at the Georgian winger's development at Cadiz, and believe a move to London would help the player in his evolution as well as increase his market value in the future.

The Cottagers like his direct style and believe he could add a big threat to their attack if he were to make the move. They also think his style could suit the Premier League, as it remains to be seen if they can make an offer to Cadiz's satisfaction as well as that of the player.

Brighton to rival Fulham for Iuri Tabatadze
Brighton & Hove Albion have also looked at Tabatadze ahead of the January window, and they are ready to rival Fulham in the race for the 25-year-old La Liga 2 winger. The Seagulls have developed a solid reputation for developing players from a young age and have successfully gotten the best out of unknown talents.

Fulham, on the other hand, did sign a few wingers, such as Samuel Chukwueze from AC Milan and then Kevin from Shakhtar Donetsk, in the summer. Yet, the West London outfit are eager to add, and they could be willing to pay a decent fee and bet on someone unknown like Tabatadze in January.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2025/11/03/fulham-in-transfer-tussle-to-sign-iuri-tabatadze/