Sunday Fulham Stuff (01/04/18)...

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Results

Saturday
Birmingham City	1 - 0	Ipswich
Hull	0 - 0	Aston Villa

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Former QPR and Fulham manager Ray Wilkins in critical condition after suffering cardiac arrest

Jackie Wilkins told the newspaper that the 61-year-old ex-Chelsea, Manchester United and AC Milan player fell in the wake of the cardiac arrest

Former England midfielder Ray Wilkins is "critically ill" after suffering a cardiac arrest, his wife has told the Daily Mirror.
Jackie Wilkins told the newspaper that the 61-year-old ex-Chelsea, Manchester United, QPR and AC Milan player fell in the wake of the cardiac arrest.

"He's in hospital, he's had a cardiac arrest and is in intensive care," the newspaper quoted her as saying.
"He's not in a good state at all, I'm afraid. He's critically ill.
"The cardiac arrest led to a fall which has meant he's had to be put in an induced come. It's very, very bad."
Wilkins had carried out media duties on Talksport and Sky Sports - he is a regular on both platforms - shortly before.
A winner of 84 England caps, Wilkins - known in the game as 'Butch' - played for 12 sides and was on the coaching staff of several more, but is commonly associated with Chelsea and QPR.
He started his career there and spent six years with the Blues, while also having numerous stints as assistant manager. On one occasion, he led the side on a caretaker basis.
Following the reports Chelsea tweeted: "The thoughts of everybody at Chelsea Football Club are with Ray Wilkins and his family tonight. Keep fighting Ray, you have our love and support."
During his career as a player, he won the FA Cup with Manchester United in 1983 and the Scottish title with Rangers in 1989.
He also had two spells at QPR, sandwiched by one game at Crystal Palace in 1994 where he broke his foot, and he appeared in 176 league matches for the Hoops. His second spell was in a player-manager capacity.
Rangers tweeted: "We're extremely saddened to hear former #QPR player and manager Ray Wilkins has suffered a suspected heart attack.
"All our prayers are with you, Ray."
QPR ambassador Andy Sinton, who was Wilkins' team-mate at Loftus Road added: "Just woke up to the news about Ray. Keep fighting mate. You're in my thoughts and the thoughts of everyone at @QPRFC. Such a great guy and a good friend. #QPR"
Wilkins has also managed Fulham in his career, taking charge at Craven Cottage after after leaving QPR following Chris Wright's takeover, taking the Whites to the play-offs, although he was sacked for losing the last three games of the regular season.
Fulham tweeted their support, writing: "Our thoughts are with Ray Wilkins and his family today. You have all our love and support."
He returned to SW6 as Rene Meulensteen's assistant in December 2013 but was sacked in February 2014 when Felix Magath took charge.



https://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/former-qpr-fulham-manager-ray-14478256

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Fulham cruise through the gears at Carrow Road
by SARAH on MARCH 31, 2018

For 45 minutes at Carrow Road, it was something of a struggle for Fulham. Slavisa Jokanovic's side looked sluggish after the international break and a coupe of the illustrious ballplayers in midfield seemed just a bit lethargic. Norwich were adventurous, energetic and competitive in putting Fulham off their usual stride – but when the Whites up their game after the interval, the Canaries just couldn't live with the Londoners.

Those two goals in four second half minutes broke Norwich's spirit and owed much to Fulham's own sense of adventure. Fulham had such a slow start at the beginning of the season in large part due to a lack of willing runners from midfield, failing to join isolated forwards in the box. In East Anglia yesterday afternoon, the pivotal moments were provided by marauding midfielders. The doubts about Stefan Johansen that surfaced during that dismal run before Christmas should have long since been assuaged – but any lingering concerns were banished by the clinical way he swivelled to pounce on the rebound after Aleksandar Mitrovic's thumping header had been pushed out by Angus Gunn.

Tom Cairney's had a frustrating campaign to date, especially with that troublesome knee injury that has done such damage to both his and Fulham's season. The Craven Cottage faithful had their hearts set a flutter during the January transfer window when a succession of rumours linked him with a number of Premier League clubs – but the captain has always been clear that his preference would be to make a return to the top flight with the Whites. Moments of magic have been far and few between in a difficult few months for the Scottish midfielder, but when Lucas Piazon's deflected cross dropped at his feet sixteen yards out, there was little doubting the outcome.

When those two midfield dynamos are on song, there are few teams had this level who can live with the precision of Fulham's passing and their patient probing around the box. Both Cairney and Johansen had words for Norwich's talented young pretender James Maddison, who looks like a slightly more athletic version of Eastenders' Jamie Mitchell from yesterday, and couldn't get the hosts' midfield to purr in the manner that Fulham's was humming during the second half. Johansen incensed the Norwich players in the final quarter of an hour by winning a free kick and leading a series of mock celebrations in front of the travelling supporters – finally showing that cheeky chappie persona that everyone down at Motspur Park has enjoyed since he made the move from Celtic last season.
What was most pleasing about this hard-fought victory was that it wasn't a performance full of flowing football.

Fulham certainly didn't have it all their own way and had to graft their way to a victory against stubborn and motivated opponents. Canaries' midfielder Harrison Reed admitted that the Canaries tried to get physical with Fulham, but brute force alone wasn't enough halt the Whites' incredible unbeaten run. It will be like that for all of the seven games until the end of the season – and any play-off opponents will try and make themselves difficult to play for, worried about being passed off the field by Jokanovic's possession football. It that sense this was the kind of win Fulham have to secure when they aren't hitting their highest levels and, most importantly of all, it proved a fitting tribute to Matthew Fox on the twentieth anniversary of his passing.




http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/03/fulham-cruise-through-the-gears-at-carrow-road/

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Fulham deliver the Canaries a brutal Championship lesson. Three errors, two goals conceded. Game over

Aficionados of the Fast Show will recall a character called Indecisive Dave. As the name suggests, he took indecisiveness to a whole new level. He was brilliantly played by Paul Whitehouse but I now find those sketches an uncomfortable watch.

Why? Because that's now me while reading the messageboards and Twitter (and even listening to Canary Call) in the aftermath of a City game. I was at it again last night.

I was actually fairly comfortable with what happened yesterday – Fulham did pretty much what I'd anticipated they would. They clearly have an embedded style of playing that's not dissimilar to our own but have been doing it longer and man-for-man have a squad of better players. That City matched them for long periods was a positive sign.

But it was when the debate opened up to what yesterday meant in terms of the club's overall direction of travel that I struggled and found myself toing and froing in an Indecisive Dave style.

I can't, however, agree with those who argue there has been no progression on the pitch. Before Christmas the football was so sterile there were barely any chances being created and we were almost non-existent as an attacking force at Carrow Road. While it's clearly not fully transformed, I now see more bodies in the box and a greater desire to get in behind.

Where it often falls down – and is clearly something that has been a problem all season – is when the build-up play is ponderous and without oomph. On the rare occasion when we shift it quickly we look far more of a threat. No rocket science needed. To shift it slowly allows the opponents of the day to get set in their defensive shape; to shift it quickly denies them that opportunity.

Fulham, while not streets ahead of us yesterday in terms of quality on the ball, where able to demonstrate how it can be done at pace.

But it takes good players to do it. The more limited the group the slower that ball will be moved. It requires confidence, intelligent movement off the ball, a perfect first touch, an awareness of the options, and an in-built cohesion. And it starts from the back, with Angus.

I understand the need for caution when either centre-back has the ball – a mistake can, of course, cost a goal – but if all of the above boxes have been ticked then the ball is moved quicker than City do right now.

Klose to Lewis, back to Klose, across to Zimmermann and back to Klose is fine – unlike most of the River End, I'm cool with that – but I do wish that ball could be pinged rather than rolled sometimes. Overly simplistic maybe, but it would up the tempo, and would force the midfield to also do everything a little quicker.

Yet yesterday, even with moving the ball a few mph slower than Fulham, we matched them for long periods – the in-form side who were unbeaten in 16. City just fell short at both extremities of the pitch. Three bits of iffy defending – two of which were punished – and poor execution in the final third were ultimately the difference.

But it didn't boil down to luck. Fulham are now 17 unbeaten for a reason. They don't make defensive errors and are clinical in the final third. That's what turns an okay side into a good one. That City came out the wrong side suggests they're an average side ... and they are.

The big debate, one that's still raging today, is around whether we're on an upward curve, a plateau or a downward one. And that's where Indecisive Gary kicks in again.

Make no mistake, this is no slight on Messrs Webber and Stone. I wasn't at the Supporters' Trust AGM, but understand that both were as impressive as ever, and both will, I'm sure, squeeze every last drop out of the resources afforded them.

But in this realm of extreme austerity that we're about to find ourselves in, it just feels a little like Webber and Stone are being asked to deliver a successful club with their hands tied behind their backs.

This time next year the wage bill will be a mere fraction of what it is today. It has to be. And so the reliance falls on identifying more unpolished diamonds and promoting good youngsters from the academy.

It might work. But only might. And the alternative is fairly unpalatable. Fulham, to return to that comparison, are further down a similar road to ours but they haven't been hamstrung by a shoestring budget. Their owner also owns the Jacksonville Jaguars. Do the maths. And that makes a huge difference.

We had Dennis Sbreny up top, who to be fair was decent, but if you're heading to the playoffs would you prefer Dennis or Aleksandar Mitrović leading your line?

So, while there were definitely positive signs yesterday, there were also some pointed differences that ultimately determined where the three points ended up.

Where we go from here will depend hugely on what happens in the summer, but looking further ahead we're looking for some favourable footballing gods and a prevailing wind.



http://norwichcity.myfootballwriter.com/2018/03/31/fulham-deliver-the-canaries-a-harsh-championship-lesson-three-errors-two-goals-conceded/

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Odoi chuffed to continue Fulham's 'great' run
by DAN on MARCH 31, 2018

Denis Odoi saluted Fulham's spirit as they earned another hard fought victory at Norwich City to maintain their promotion push yesterday afternoon.

The Belgian defender, once again preferred to Tomas Kalas at centre back in Slavisa Jokanovic's starting line-up, revealed that the head coach's half-time team talk was essential in calming a few Fulham players down after the first 45 minutes didn't go to plan and a couple of tactical tweaks made all the difference after the break. Odoi hasn't given up hope on closing 'a pretty big gap' to Cardiff City in second, but reaffirmed just how much confidence the Whites' seventeen-match unbeaten streak has given to the team.

He told FulhamFCTV after the final whistle at Carrow Road:

We've been on a really good run. We've had great games. We've had games where we showed great play in the first half and less than in the second half – I'm thinking about QPR, which wasn't our best performance in the second half and obviously today we wanted to show that we were in good form. The first half wasn't as satisfying as we wanted it and we talked that, in the second half, it needs to be better. We adjusted a few things and I think we showed in the second half that we're a good team.

We needed to make a few adjustments. For some reason, there was a bit of a negative atmosphere. Also, I think because we had two weeks off we were in a really good flow and we lost that feeling of the momentum that we were in and we just needed to remind each other that we were sixteen games unbeaten and there's no need for negativity. Even if we lose a ball, that happens – anybody can lose a ball – we just work for each other, help each other. We went out in the second half and put on a better performance.

Odoi also felt that the two goals coming in quick succession in the second half – the strikes from Stefan Johansen and Tom Cairney arrived within four minutes of each other – finally knocked the stuffing out of a stubborn Norwich side.

I think we had the better of the second half but you never know, if it's still 0-0 then they don't need much to score a goal. The first goal gave us some relief and then the second goal followed really quickly. Then it was just a matter of keeping the focus and trying not to concede.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/03/odoi-chuffed-to-continue-fulhams-great-run/

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Fulham director sends out a message on Twitter after important win

Fulham secured a vital win over Norwich last night and the Cottagers will be dreaming about promotion to the Premier League now.

Goals from Johansen and Cairney sealed a 2-0 away win for Slavisa Jokanovic's side.

Fulham are currently third in the Championship, seven points behind second-placed Cardiff.

The club's director of football Tony Khan took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the game and he seemed delighted with the performance. He also thanked the fans for their support and the coaches for their contributions.

Khan has been instrumental in Fulham's push for promotion this season. Even the manager Slavisa Jokanovic praised the club director for his success during the January transfer window.

Fulham managed to sign the likes of Mitrovic, Christie and Targett earlier this year and they have been fantastic for the Cottagers so far.

It will be interesting to see whether Fulham choose to sign these players permanently in the summer. The fans will be expecting another blockbuster window if the club manages to secure Premier League football for the next season.



http://sportslens.com/fulham-director-sends-out-a-message-on-twitter-after-important-win/228849/