Fulham Players Out on Loan

Follow Josh Pritchard tonight on TV against Spurs

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There's a nice piece about him in the Daily Mail today:



"Not one to sit and complain about how homegrown talent has been frozen out of the Barclays Premier League, Josh Pritchard packed his thermals and headed for the Arctic.

There he found sub-zero temperatures, snowstorms, the midnight sun and herds of reindeer on the kind of life-affirming Euro trek that is sure to build character for anyone at the dawn of their career. From the relative comfort of Fulham reserves, Pritchard accepted an offer to join Tromso on loan in northern Norway. Today comes the reward as the 20-year-old prepares to play at White Hart Lane in the Europa League against Tottenham.

‘All the young English players want to do is play football in the Premier League,’ said Pritchard. ‘They need to open their minds, go abroad and discover there’s life outside England. There are chances wherever you go. I was the same: dead set on playing in the Premier League for Fulham, but there are so many other places with good leagues where you can develop your game.’

Pritchard has been propelled from the banks of the Thames to the top of the world. Tromso is the second largest city inside the Arctic Circle, set on an island amid the fjords and mountains. He arrived on January 8 to find his new home under six feet of snow with darkness around the clock. ‘I had been warned, but I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so bad,’ he said. ‘I remember pulling on about four layers of clothes to walk 10 yards to the training ground. ‘It was minus six when I arrived, then it dropped to minus 10. When it got really bad, we’d train indoors, but light snow here is not the same as light snow in London. ‘One week the snow came down so fast that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. I’m not kidding — the snowflakes were as big as golf balls. I was shocked but it seemed quite normal to everyone else and the game just carried on. Everyone just deals with it."

‘There are polar bears further up north, but I was out driving in the summer when I came across a herd of reindeer walking down the middle of the road. It’s not exactly what you’re used to when you’ve been living in London.’

Pritchard has been called up for the Wales Under 21 squad but has yet to make his debut. He spent a decade playing at right back in Manchester United youth teams before he was released four years ago. He chose a move to Fulham, where he was converted into a central midfielder and graduated to the reserves before hitting the ceiling which is the subject of such debate.

Jon Hill, one of his coaches at United, had been appointed assistant manager of Tromso and persuaded him to follow. Pritchard describes the standard as ‘lower Championship or upper League One.’ "Jon told me that I’d be playing first-team football and in the Europa League,’ said Pritchard. ‘I knew him and trusted him but it’s gone much better than I hoped. I’ve played in central midfield, centre back, right back and left back and a couple of times in a more attacking midfield role."

Tromso have played eight games to reach the Europa League group stages — and have already been knocked out once, 3-2 on aggregate by Besiktas. Pritchard scored the winner in the first game but by the time the second leg came around it was clear the Turks were about to be expelled from the competition, even though the game had to go ahead. Tromso were on the runway about to leave Istanbul when news of their glamour draw filtered through. ‘There were fans on the plane and everyone was going crazy,’ said Pritchard. ‘I never expected to play in the group stages.'


Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...e-Tottenham-Hotspur-Tromso.html#ixzz2fLTGbh00

 

Just read this article online and I have to admit to thinking how brilliant this is. For a young man to travel abroad in order to help realise his dream is amazing. He should be a model to so many young English players. Football is football and no matter where you play on the planet, under the right guidance you can improve if you play. What an amazing experience for him and irrespective of where he ends up it will stay with him for ever. When you look at the players who come to the premiership from all over the world, why is it that British players stay put ? May be it is a reluctance to learn a new language or not being comfortable with change .

 

Oh my, if Josh had only shown a bit more composure on both of his chances....?? But there we are, it can only be good experience for him.

Kind of wish the first game had at been at Tromso.

 

Josh wasn't the only Fulham player laying in Europe this week, young keeper Max Oberschidt played in the U19 Champions league for Celtic away to AC Milan. Unfortunately they lost 3-1 but good to see our boys getting this sort of experience.

 

Here's the Club round-up of how the lads got on at the weekend:


"Dan Burn played the full 90 minutes as Birmingham City defeated Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 in the Sky Bet Championship on Saturday. On-loan Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard scored four goals on his debut for Blues, before Kamil Zayatte pulled one back for Wednesday.

The win moved Lee Clark's side up to 18th in the table. Blues host Swansea City in Round Three of the Capital One Cup on Wednesday night (7.45pm).


In League Two, Marcus Bettinelli and Accrington Stanley remain rooted to the foot of the table after a 2-1 loss at home to Rochdale on Saturday.

Matty Lund put Dale in front and Scott Hogan doubled the advantage with a free header. Stanley pulled one back through Kayode Odejayi's looping shot, before George Donnelly saw red in injury time in the first half for a challenge on Nicky Hunt. Despite the numerical advantage, Stanley couldn’t find an equaliser. Accrington are away at Plymouth Argyle on Saturday (3pm).


Elsewhere in League Two, Cauley Woodrow came off the bench in the 66th minute of Southend United’s 1-1 draw away at Bury. The visitors had taken the lead midway through the first half when Ben Coker netted, but had the same man red carded in the 87th minute. Bury took full advantage of their extra man and equalised in stoppage time through Anton Forrester. The Shrimpers host Bristol Rovers on Friday.


In the same division, Ryan Williams was an unused substitute as Oxford United lost 1-0 at home to leaders Chesterfield. The U’s are away at Hartlepool United on Saturday (3pm).


Marcello Trotta and Brentford play Leyton Orient at home in League One on Monday night.


In Norway, Josh Pritchard came on in the 20th minute as Tromso were beaten 3-0 away at Sarpsborg 08. Tromso are at home to Start on Sunday."

 

Orient continued on their merry way with a 2-0 win at Griffin Park making it eight out of eight. Marcello Trotta came on as sub in the 74th minute but by that time Orient were well on top and scored their second 10 minutes later. Although, almost straight from the restart he did have a decent effort on goal that might, just might, have given Brentford some hope. Not to be though.

 

What a night for Dan Burn


He scored the first as Birmingham put Swansea out of the Capital One cup 3-1

 

Cauley Woodrow's month on loan ends with tonight's game against Bristol Rovers. However Southend are looking to extend the contract:

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"Southen manager Phil Brown is keen to the striker at the club for longer. He said, “Cauley’s has performed sufficiently well to warrant an extension to his contract.“This first month he’s had has flown by because transfer deadline day was on a Monday and we had to get him in before then.

“Normally when you sign someone on a month’s loan you do it for the Friday but we ended up having a week wasted there. “I think Cauley’s a player of real promise and if he gets a start tonight or comes off the bench and gets a goal then his career will really be up and running.”

Woodrow has made two starts and one substitute appearance while with the Shrimpers but has yet to hit the back of the net in that time. He will be looking to break that duck tonight and help Blues end a five match winless streak which has seen them slip to 14th in the League Two table."

Source: http://www.echo-news.co.uk/sport/10702078._/

 

Cauley came off the bench after 54 minutes as Southend came from behind to get a 1-1 draw.

Match report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24170899

 

And now for some good news .. Ryan Williams scored the first goal as high flying Oxford Utd win 3-1 away to Hartlepool.


"Oxford United become the fourth side to win at Victoria Park already this campaign, Ryan Williams, Deane Smalley and Asa Hall all on target, but they had to work hard for their triumph.

Just five minutes had gone when Ryan Williams made the most of Pools' inability to clear their defensive lines and the U's midfielder, on loan from Fulham, neatly curled his low shot home from 16 yards. Oxford were far superior in the first half, but Hartlepool levelled two minutes after the restart as Luke James was on hand in the area to slot in from close range.

However, the hosts did not make the most of their improved performance and were caught on the counter-attack. Smalley was teed up in the area on 67 minutes and he picked his spot, firing low and finding the bottom corner.

James saw a close-range effort kept out by the legs of goalkeeper Ryan Clarke, but the visitors made sure of the points in stoppage time. Pools goalkeeper Scott Flinders tripped Scott Davies in the area, allowing Hall to put away the penalty.

Colin Cooper's side were reduced to 10 men moments later when Steve Howard was red carded for a foul on Jonny Mullins."

Source: http://www.sportinglife.com/football/live/match-report/288871/-

 

Not such a grand time for the rest of the lads, although full marks to Marcus Bettinelli at beleaguered Accrington:


”Two free-kicks were Birmingham City and Dan Burn’s undoing in the Championship the next day as Danny Guthrie’s brace condemned them to a 2-0 defeat at Reading.

Former Fulham striker Pavel Pogrebnyak had gone close to breaking the deadlock before Guthrie did so shortly after the half-hour mark when his set-piece somehow found its way into the net through a host of bodies from a wide position. Pogrebnyak’s one-time Whites colleague Chris Baird almost doubled the Royals’ lead with a header from a corner, but it was left to Guthrie to make sure of the points when he planted his free-kick in via the near post after Burn had felled Hal Robson-Kanu on the edge of the area with 15 minutes remaining.


Marcus Bettinelli kept a clean sheet as Accrington Stanley ended their run of straight defeats with a goalless draw at Plymouth Argyle. The goalkeeper was on hand to make four key saves to double Stanley’s point tally for the season, securing their first shutout of the campaign in the process.


On Sunday in League One, Marcello Trotta was an unused substitute as Brentford secured an impressive 2-0 win over Coventry City at Sixfields – Clayton Donaldson and Martin Taylor netting for the Bees.


Over in Norway, Tromso almost staged a heroic fightback at home to IK Start, but couldn’t find an equaliser after coming back from three goals down to lose 3-2. Josh Pritchard played the first half as Espen Hoff gave the visitors the lead, with Bismark Acosta doubling their advantage three minutes after the interval.

Matthias Vilhjalmsson looked to have ended the game as a contest with his effort on 62 minutes, but strikes from Zdenek Ondrasek and Steffen Nystrom got Tromso back into contention, although they later proved to be consolation goals."

 

Bismark Acosta has to be the name of the week.

Fancy naming your kid after a 19th century politician (and a bit of a dodgy one at that). Or perhaps he's named after a battleship which was named after a 19th century politician.

 

Probably his mother was to blame - Bismark Gilberto Acosta Evans - quite radical those Welsh.

 

It was only a friendly but Cauley Woodrow, having had his loan extended, willl be happy to be on the score sheet:


"Phil Brown was pleased with what he saw as a strong side beat Colchester United in a behind-closed-doors friendly today.

Goals from John White, Cauley Woodrow, Conor Clifford and a Barry Corr brace helped Blues to a 5-1 win away from home."


More details: http://www.southendunited.co.uk/new...own-friendly-1089745.aspx#0SE0HjCcIZWywbXU.99

 

Dan Burn had an easy night as Birmingham City thump Millwall 4-0 at St Andrews yesterday.

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Link to match report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24246482

 

I dont know how long dan Burn is supposed to be on loan,
but i would definatly bring him back asap to help shore up that dodgy defence we have.

 

It was a season-long loan. And anyway don't think bringing him back as things are at the moment would be a good move, rosc.

Best to look forwrd to Dan and Jack Grimmer being our CBs in a season or so.

 

Burn is a left-sided central defender. As everyone has been saying that Hangeland has a problem playing with Amorebieta because they are both left-sided, how would adding another one, even another good one, help right now?

 

Max Obershmidt is looking to stay at Celtic a bit longer:


"Max Oberschmidt hopes Fulham can be persuaded to extend his loan deal at Celtic until the end of the season.

The promising goalkeeper linked up with the Bhoys in September on an agreement which is initially due to run until the turn of the year. Oberschmidt is, however, keen to spend the remainder of the current campaign in Scotland.

The German teenager has already graced continental competition for Celtic's U19 side - figuring in a 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in the UEFA Youth League."

Source: http://www1.skysports.com/football/...max-oberschmidt-eyes-extension-to-celtic-loan

 

Struggling in the domestic league, Tromso sacked their manager/coach earlier this week but went ahead midway through the second half against Sheriff in the Europa League. Josh Pritchard came on as a sub in the 77th Minute, shortly after the opposition went down to ten men. It wasn't to be for the home side though as the Moldovian team eaqualised 3 minutes from the end.

Link to match report: http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleagu...round=2000469/match=2012520/postmatch/report/