In an attempt to make the U21 Elite League (even) more competitive, this year there will be two Leagues. The idea is to create a promotion/relegation fight - as well as a battle for the top 4 spots who will contest the final stages. The top 11 from last year are in "Division 1" and the bottom half in "Division 2". We naturally are in the first of those: Division 1: Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Man United, Fulham, Leicester, Southampton, Sunderland, West Ham, Norwich and Everton. Division 2: Spurs, Arsenal, Bolton, Aston Villa, WBA, Reading, Stoke, Middlesbrough, Wolves, Newcastle, Blackburn
The U21s of course have a friendly tomorrow against Tony Gayle's Walton Casuals (kick off 3pm). With so many of the lads up in Scotland, Kit Symons is going to have a pretty small group to select his team from.
Walton Casuals 2 Fulham 3 (U21s) (Friendly) The lads were up 3-0 but flagged a bit in the heat. Our scorers were: Freddy Plumain x 2 and Josh Smile. And the team - with a few new faces and one very well known one on the bench! Ross, Passley, Amorebietta, Arthurworrey, Buatua, Richards, Sambou, Smile, Plumain, Baba, Evans Subs: Kitscha, Clarke, Boa Morte, Elworthy
What a legend. Is he working as a coach at the club? I'm guessing the u21s are stuck for numbers? That starting team looks to have 7 or 8 defenders in it and a lot of u18s.
A mini note about the game from the Club: "Ange-Freddy Plumain led the charge as the Whites powered into the ascendancy, the French winger scoring twice either side of Josh Smile's goal to open up a three-goal lead for the visitors. But the Stags hit back to dent Fulham's advantage before the break through Scott Day, and the hosts struck again after the interval when substitute Jamil Okai reduced the deficit further. Kit Symons' men retained their lead to seal a victory which saw a number of last season's Under-18s step up a level, with a good portion of the usual Under-21s squad linking up with Felix Magath's First Team in Scotland. Senior defender Fernando Amorebieta was able to secure valuable game time, playing 65 minutes and providing a fine pass for Plumain's second goal, and there was even a second-half cameo from former Whites favourite Luis Boa Morte. In tribute to the former Under-21s and Under-18s photographer and devoted Fulham supporter, Martin Goldthorpe, who passed away on June 17th, the Whites wore black arm-bands and were joined by Walton Casuals to observe a minute's silence before kick-off."
Curiosity got the better of me. The two 'unknown' players on Saturday in the game against Walton were: The goalkeeper Craig Ross, is 24 and signed for Cambridge United from Hampton and Eastbourne in 2012. I think he then went to Dunfermline but don’t know his current status. Calum Kitscha is 21 and also a goalkeeper. He's an Edmonton born lad, who played last season for Histon in the Conference N/S. I'm presuming both were drafted in purely for this game because we had four keepers up in Scotland (excluding Stek of course who is, it would seem, on the transfer radar).
What is the fascination with goalkeepers at the Cottage a plethora almost enough to field a team of them, this trend has been going on for some time, August about 5/7 on the books the following May half gone only to be re stocked the following Aug::
I've not seen much of him play but I gather he's a very good keeper and just unlucky that Rodak is at the club too. Surely then it would make sense to let Norman be first choice for u18s, move Rodak up to U21 goalkeeper, have Joronen as second choice for the first team and send Bettinelli out on loan to a League 1 team. I think this would be the best option to ensure all 4 young keepers get decent playing time. There's no point having a goalkeeper with bags of potential playing back up at U18s level. The only one not playing on a consistent basis then would be Joronen, who we could use as our 'cup goalkeeper' like many other clubs do.
Agree with all of this FI. And there’s another one we haven’t mentioned Taye Ashby-Hammond. The young Academy keeper has been named in the England U17 squad for the Nordic Tournament at the end of the month. As rosc said it’s difficult to understand the Club’s strategy on goalies in recent years. And a strange position to spend so much money, proportionately. Especially since none so far have made the grade. In fact in each of the last three/four years we’ve released the first team ‘fringe’ goalkeeper - Zuberbuhler, Somogyi and Etheridge - without them playing a game. Maybe the new goalkeeper coach, Andre Lenz, will make a difference.
It appears that this was in fact his Swan Song and he's gone back to Portugal as an assistant coach at Sporting Lisbon. Shame really because at U21 games he obviously had a great rapport with the players and worked well with Kit Symonds.
Woking 0 Fulham 0 (U21s) (Friendly) The team was: Rodak; Brister, Arthurworrey, Richards; , Della Verde, Sambou; Evans, O'Halloran, Mesca Subs: Norman, Baba, Smile, Saunders and Plumain [Alex Brister definitely was released FI. And, if it’s the same Matthew Saunders, he was with our Academy back in 2011. He’s now 24 and played in midfield last season for Dagenham and Redbridge. Can only assume we're struggling to make up the numbers while Felix sorts out his act at the senior level.] Fulham played fast football in the first half but had no cutting edge in the final third. At half time it was 0-0. Josh Smile came on for Alex Brister, Noe Baba for Josh Passley, Freddy Plumain for Mesca and Matt Saunders for Tom Richards at the star of the second half. With Jordan Evans moving to left back and the team now playing a 4-3-2-1 formation it had more shape. But still couldn’t find the net! PS The team played in the new away kit - won’t need to worry about floodlights with the day-glow pants.
Some match highlights. Posted by Woking so rather biased I'm afraid and it was 0-0 but at least you get a wee look at the lads: [video=youtube;6JY0PfWjhlE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JY0PfWjhlE&feature=player_embedded[/video]
Oxford United 3 Fulham 0 (U21s ??) (Friendly) I hesitate to call this an U21s game and we were in fact billed as a âFulham Development Sideâ. The match was played behind closed doors and still trying to get our actual line-up but hereâs a brief write up from the hosts: âIn a very competitive game at the training ground United looked strong in defence and took their chances well, scoring three goals before half time. Danny Hylton gave The Uâs the lead after eight minutes with a penalty after he had initially been fouled. They then doubled their lead after 25 when Tom Newey thundered a header past the keeper from a superbly flighted free kick by David Hunt. The goal of the game belonged to Jon Meades though, the midfielder powering forward on 41 minutes, checking inside and then smashing a right-footed shot home from just inside the area. United had further chances in the second half with Hylton and Josh Shama both forcing good saves, but will be very pleased with their day's work.â Source: http://www.oufc.co.uk/news/article/00260714-fulham-report-1783733.aspx#CpibLbPIb2iLGaPo.99
The U21s will begin the 2014/15 season with a home game against Athletic Bilbao in a new U21 Premier League International Cup on Tuesday 12th August (7pm). The League fixtures begin on Monday 18th August (2.30pm) with an away trip to Southampton. Our first home game of the league season is against Everton at Motspur Park on Monday 25th August (7pm). Weâre scheduled to play three games at Craven Cottage, against - Liverpool on Monday 27th October (7pm); Chelsea on Friday 13th March (7pm); and Manchester United on Friday 15th May (7pm). The Club haven't updated the 'U21 Fixtures' Web page yet but here's a link to a post that shows a list of all the fixtures as they currently stand: http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/july/31/under-21s-fixtures-announced
Reading 1 Fulham 0 (U21s) (Friendly) Reading got the winner with a late penalty. Presumably this was a makeshift U21 side (again) but don't have any details, yet.
In the U21 Euro League Cup we're in a group with PSV, Bilbao and West Ham. As mentioned in the earlier post our first game is against Bilbao on Tuesday 12th August at Motspur Park, kick off 7pm. Team selection should rather interesting.
