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Thursday Fulham Stuff (26/04/18)...

Started by WhiteJC, April 26, 2018, 07:44:07 AM

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WhiteJC

 
Explained: The results Aston Villa need to pip Cardiff and Fulham to automatic promotion

The race for the top-two is still on, so can Villa do it?

Aston Villa's faint hopes of automatic promotion are still alive after Cardiff City lost at Derby County last night.

The claret and blues remain in fourth place on 82 points - four behind second-placed Cardiff and three behind third-placed Fulham.

Villa's thumping 4-0 win over Ipswich on Saturday helped boost their goal-difference to +31 which is now greater than Cardiff's (+27) but still short of Fulham's (+34).

And the result last night means Villa's game with Derby now takes on extra significance as there IS still something riding on it.

For Villa to have any chance of landing the runners-up spot behind champions Wolves, they must win both of their remaining games - at home to Derby and away at Millwall.

Then they need to hope that Cardiff fail to win another game and Fulham slip up in at least one of their remaining two games.

If Cardiff win again, all hopes of automatic promotion for Villa are over.

But, providing Villa do take maximum points from their last two outings - and finish the season on 88 points - they could still finish in the top-two if the Bluebirds slip up away at Hull and at home to Reading.

It's all still in Cardiff's hand as they have a point advantage over Fulham.

So, if they win both of their games they will be promoted to the Premier League.

Fulham take on Sunderland on Friday night and will be able to inflict the first blow before Cardiff travel to in-form Hull on Saturday afternoon.


(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Regardless of the Whites' result at Craven Cottage, Villa will go into their Saturday game with a chance of still landing second place.

The only way they can take it into the final day of the season is if Cardiff fail to win.

And the best position Villa could find themselves in going into the May 6 fixture is third place, a point behind Cardiff.

For that to happen both Cardiff and Fulham would need to lose this weekend.

So, the odds are still stacked against Villa, but there's still a glimmer of hope that they can be let back in.

Oh, and a final twist, is that Villa's bitter rivals, Blues, entertain Fulham on the final day of the season.

I'll let you make of that what you want!



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-fulham-cardiff-promotion-14570207

WhiteJC

 
Barry Hayles interview: From Premier League Fulham to ninth-tier Windsor

Barry Hayles is busy but he certainly isn't complaining about it. The more football he gets to play, the better. At the age of 45, a few weeks away from his next birthday, the veteran striker was subjected to the most intense schedule of his career earlier this month – four games in eight days. Despite his advancing years, he didn't miss a minute of action for Windsor FC of the Hellenic League Premier Division.

"I'm enjoying it. We've got a backlog of games at the moment so it's been a bit hectic. It [was] a hectic week. We played Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday and we're playing again [on Saturday]. My body's at its breaking point at the minute but it doesn't feel as bad as I thought it would have done," laughs Hayles.

"I'm just really enjoying going on the pitch and playing at a competitive level. I always judge myself on how I do each season and this one's been fairly good for myself and for the club. I'm just happy to be a part of it.

"I've played a lot of football over the year and we've been in the quarter-finals of four cups, hence the backlog that we've got to catch up on. Apparently we were meant to be finished by the start of April, but we've had to extend that by another month to fit in eight games."

Although Hayles didn't experience such tight turnarounds between matches when he was competing in the Premier League with Fulham, he knows this is all part of the chaotic non-league experience. It's one he's accustomed to, having started his career at lowly Willesden Hawkeye, before eventually signing his first professional contract at the age of 25 when impressive goalscoring feats for Stevenage Borough earned him a move to Bristol Rovers.

His career since then has taken him all over the place, from the first tier of English football all the way down to the ninth. Throughout an eventful journey, which has featured five championship medals and 10 international caps for Jamaica, Hayles has retained that same essential enthusiasm for the game he first began playing as a child.

"I've always played football from the age of four or five and I still enjoy it. I've just treated it like a hobby and I still do now, regardless of the money that I've gained from it. First and foremost it's a hobby that I really enjoy, and thankfully I can still run around and get about. You're a long time retired, so if you can still get around the pitch then why would you give it up?

"A lot of my mates who I've played with over the years have said they wished that they'd carried on playing because when they try to get back into it, they can't. Their body doesn't allow them to. I've never really stopped so my body's still allowing me to play on and not feel the adverse effects of doing so too much. I can still play again a couple of days later."

While some goalkeepers continue into their 40s due to the relatively low physical impact of the role, it's rare to see outfield players carrying on for so long. It might be more than a decade and a half since Hayles was tussling with world-class defenders such as Marcel Desailly, Jaap Stam and Sol Campbell, but he still has plenty to offer both on the pitch and in the dressing room.

This season he's scored 13 goals for Windsor, even though he missed more than two months with a broken hand, and the feeling of hitting the back of the net remains just as sweet as it always has. Hayles proudly recounts the way opponents half his age have commended him on giving them another difficult afternoon.

Since dropping out of the Football League after a stint with Cheltenham Town in 2010, Hayles has had three spells with Truro City and one each at St. Albans City, Arlesey Town and Chesham United. Last summer his contract at Chesham came to an end and he was left contemplating his future.

"If the phone doesn't ring then I'm not going to go chasing people," says Hayles. "I had a couple of options to consider last year but once I spoke to the manager and the chairman here at Windsor, they were keen to get me on board. It was a new league for everybody and we were just trying to find our feet. We did that but we've had a lot of games and because we haven't got a massive squad I think that's caught up with us."

Windsor are currently eighth in the Hellenic League Premier Division with two games remaining. Hayles is also helping out with coaching at the club; having previously thought it was something he wouldn't enjoy, he's now considering it as a long-term option. He has his UEFA B Licence and is keen to keep learning and see where it takes him.

Hayles has plenty of experience to draw on, and cites three managers as the most influential of the many he has played for. Kevin Keegan and Ian Holloway were great motivators who encouraged the forward to express himself and enjoy his football, while the tactical nous of Jean Tigana left a lasting impression. The Frenchman took Fulham to the Premier League in scintillating style.

"We held our own in our first season at that level. It was very pleasing to be involved, to score goals in the Premier League and play in the biggest stadiums in the country. We had a great balance to that team and it was the best one I've been a part of. I remember our first game was against Man United, who were champions. They beat us 3-2 but we left there feeling like we'd won the game. It was such a proud achievement to go there and give a good account of ourselves. I think that spurred us on," he recalls.

Despite the arrival of Steve Marlet, a France international who joined from Lyon for £11.5m, Hayles was often chosen to play up front alongside Louis Saha. Their prolific partnership in the second tier was a major factor in Fulham's dominance of the division, as the Cottagers scored 90 goals and amassed more than 100 points.

Hayles remembers it as the most enjoyable period of his career, and his love of football shines through as he recalls it. It's an important lesson for him to pass on to his younger team-mates, many of whom weren't even born when he started playing professionally. They might joke about Hayles' lack of pace and the way his inclusion skews the average age of the team, but underpinning it all is respect for his achievements. The 45-year-old has been there and done it, multiple times over.

Hayles is waiting until the end of the season before deciding what happens next, but as long as he feels fit and able to contribute, he's inclined to continue playing. When he does finally call it a day, it will be with a heavy heart but no real regrets.

"Walking out on the pitch and the buzz of crossing that line ready to do battle, that'll be the thing I miss most," he says.



https://thesetpieces.com/interviews/barry-hayles-interview-from-premier-league-fulham-to-ninth-tier-windsor/

WhiteJC

 
Warnock has his say on Fulham's run-in following Cardiff defeat

Neil Warnock has had his say on Fulham's run-in, with the Cardiff City boss admitting he can't see Sunderland beating Slavisa Jokanovic's side at the weekend.

Last night Warnock watched his Cardiff side throw a lead away against Derby County, losing 3-1 at the Pride Park Stadium and leaving the race for second in the Sky Bet Championship wide open.

It appears that it is a race between Cardiff and Fulham to join Wolves automatically in the Premier League, with Warnock turning his attention to Slavisa Jokanovic's side's run-in following last night's defeat.

Fulham will face Sunderland at Craven Cottage on Friday, before travelling to Birmingham City on the final day of the season.

When quizzed by the BBC on whether relegated Sunderland could beat Fulham at the weekend, Warnock said: "Not really, no. You don't want to be going to Fulham when you're already relegated, but Birmingham won't be easy."

Despite last night's defeat, promotion still remains in Cardiff's hands, with the Bluebirds sitting second, a point ahead of Fulham.

Cardiff travel to Hull City on Saturday for their penultimate game of the season, when Warnock's side will already know Fulham's result.

Reading will be Cardiff's opponents on the final day of the campaign.

The Verdict

Warnock has touched on Fulham's remaining fixtures, but he will be fully focused on helping his side bounce back in the remaining two games.

Cardiff know that two victories will secure promotion by the end of the season, which makes things simple for Warnock.

Warnock is more than experienced enough to know what he is doing at this stage of the season and he will be confident of edging Fulham in the race for the Premier League.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/warnock-has-his-say-on-fulhams-run-in-following-cardiff-defeat/


WhiteJC

 
Games of interest for weekend 27-29/04
Fulham welcome back "Cookie" and his Sunderland team to Craven Cottage for our last home game of the season


This will be our 3rd televised game in a row and the 2nd on a Friday evening, I'm sure that moving the game to a Friday will have upset many, many supporters arrangements. With the game move and Sunderland's demotion to the 3rd tier, I can't think of it as division one, I'm guessing that the away support will be a lot lower than it would of been, after all Sunderland's not just around the corner is it!?

Last weeks game against Millwall showed how good we can be, if we win, tempting fate I know but I do think that we'll get the result we need, or get a draw we'll then beat Man City's record of unbeaten games! not bad for little ol' Fulham. With Cardiff loosing mid-week against Derby, their "game in hand", the last couple of games of the 'season proper' are going to be really, really interesting!

games of interest this weekend include...

FRIDAY 27TH APRIL

Fulham v Sunderland

SATURDAY 28TH APRIL

Aston Villa v Derby

Hull v Cardiff

Nottm Forest v Bristol City

Middlesborough v Millwall

Sheffield Utd v Preston NE

Wolves v Sheff Wed


COYWs




http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=154

WhiteJC

 
Aleksandar Mitrovic will be the most popular man in Newcastle if he heaps more misery on Sunderland

Sunderland and their long-suffering fans make the journey to the capital for their last away game of this nightmare season when they play Fulham on Friday night.

The Londoners are one of the teams of the season in the Championship with a chance for automatic promotion, while Sunderland are heading in the opposite direction. I don't know many who don't enjoy a trip to Craven Cottage. It is old school but atmospheric and whenever I have been there – either playing or in the media – the welcome has always been warm and friendly.

One of my earliest visits was in the late 70s and the great George Best was turning out for Fulham, what a thrill for a young player to be on the same pitch as the coolest footballer on the planet. George's glory days were behind him, he had lost a yard of pace, unsurprisingly given his lifestyle, but he was still amazing, controlling the game from the middle of the park – a genius of a footballer. Other memories from games at Fulham would be Kieran Richardson hitting both posts and the bar from a single free-kick, something if you tried to do would be almost impossible and Ricky Alvarez's only goal for Sunderland in an FA Cup win – a real collector's item. Alvarez would eventually cost Sunderland the best part of £10million, when Sunderland never even owned him! What a shambolic fiasco, even by Sunderland's standards.

You could say his goal at Fulham was a bit pricey! As well as that cup win, Sunderland have also won their last two league games at Fulham, so our record there isn't bad, not that it matters now, of course. Getting back to the present day and Fulham have many dangers that will test Sunderland, not least Aleksandar Mitrovic, on loan from Newcastle United. Mitrovic has taken the Championship by storm in his short spell at Fulham and no doubt he will be reminded that if he helps pile on more misery for Sunderland it won't harm his popularity on Tyneside.

All Sunderland can do now though is play for pride. We have beaten Fulham once this season and what a relief that was to finally win a home game, but it was a rare highspot in a season of relentless lows.



Read more at: https://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport/football/sunderland-afc/aleksandar-mitrovic-will-be-the-most-popular-man-in-newcastle-if-he-heaps-more-misery-on-sunderland-1-9133909

WhiteJC

 
Next Up: Sunderland

Be there for Fulham's final home game of the 2017/18 regular season when the Whites take on Sunderland on Friday 27th April, kick-off 7:45pm.

Junior tickets are just £5 in all areas of the ground for this game, with adult tickets from £35.

With tickets available on General Sale, secure your tickets today and get behind the Whites!

Fans can buy online, by telephone on 0203 871 0810 (opt 2) or in person from the Fulham Ticket Office.

COYW!



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/april/25/next-up-sunderland


WhiteJC

 
TRANSFERS: FULHAM NEED TO BE ON RED-ALERT FOR THESE 3 PLAYERS IN PARTICULAR

Fulham saw their top two spot hopes increase last night as Derby blew Cardiff away at Pride Park.

There's been a bit of bad blood between the Bluebirds and the Rams of late and it was the home side that used it to their advantage as they came out with the bit between their teeth.

Certainly, it was a surprise given the slump the Rams have been in of late but Fulham won't care one jot with them now just a point behind second place.

Automatic promotion is on the agenda right now, then, but in the summer strengthening their side will also be key.

With that said, then, here are three we think they should look at...

Nathan Redmond
Redmond is looking strong but Southampton are not.

Certainly, you could see him wanting to leave the club in the summer if they go down and if Fulham are promoted they should look to bring him in to their great attack.

Even if they aren't promoted, though, they should try and bring him in if they lose Ryan Sessegnon.

Xherdan Shaqiri
Xherdan Shaqiri is another player who could leave his club if they are relegated.

Stoke look short of what's required to stay up now but their winger is more than good enough to stay in the top flight.

Let's see if Fulham can make an offer for him, then, with them perhaps needing a player to add to their right hand side.

Aleksandar Mitrovic
Fulham will surely monitor what happens with Mitro this summer.

He has settled in quickly at Fulham and looks a real player and certainly good enough for the top flight.

The club would surely like to keep him and, if they go up, they'll be looking to stump up the cash needed.

Certainly, Rafa Benitez appears open to letting him go.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/transfers-fulham-need-to-be-on-red-alert-for-these-3-players-in-particular/

WhiteJC

 
Cyrus Christie: Kick It Out says social media firms must help stop racist abuse


Cyrus Christie moved to Fulham from Middlesbrough in January for an undisclosed fee

Social media companies need to do more to stop the online abuse footballers get, says campaign group Kick It Out.

The organisation, which fights racism in football, was commenting after Republic of Ireland defender Cyrus Christie revealed some of the racist abuse he has been sent on Twitter.

The 25-year-old Fulham player has had death threats and racist slurs.

"It appears you can go onto a social media platform and say what you want," said Kick It Out's Paul Mortimer.

Warning: Some people may find the language and content in the remainder of this article offensive.

Mortimer told BBC Sport: "If you said that in the street you'd find yourself in trouble, but the fact there is a platform that you can go on and say this stuff and be able to get away with it doesn't make sense.

"Everyone involved in football must challenge the social media giants to do more as it is having an impact.

'Nothing changes... Nothing gets done...'

The Football Association of Ireland referred allegedly racist abuse of Christie to police in November 2017, a few days after his country's World Cup qualifying defeat by Denmark.

Christie shared several messages on Tuesday, one of them showing a picture of two black people being hanged from a tree.

The user asked how he "could enter the world as black" and that his "best chance of survival" would be to "bleach his skin" or he would "be a dead man within three days".

In response, Christie posted that it was "sad to see people are still resorting to racist slander" and another message saying: "Nothing changes ....Nothing gets done ..."

Fulham have told BBC Sport that they are supporting and advising Christie and are consulting the "relevant authorities", while the Football Association said they were aware of the tweets and condemn all forms of discrimination.

Mortimer - who played for Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Bristol City, and is now Kick It Out's professional players engagement manager - says threats from people are difficult to ignore.

"The anxiety is you have no clue who has threatened you," he said.

"I don't care who you are, you will have to be cautious about meeting new people or going to places you're not sure about.

"Cyrus is a public figure as an international footballer, it makes it difficult for him and his family.

"I don't know if the perpetrators understand the gravity of what they are saying but they need to be brought to justice, they need to be caught.

"But unless we get help from the social media giants, I don't know what we can do."

The BBC has also contacted Twitter for comments regarding the tweets sent to Christie and is awaiting a response.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43892849

WhiteJC

 
Sunderland will face a fired-up Fulham on Friday night

Sunderland will definitely face a fired-up Fulham on Friday night.

The Londoners host the relegated Black Cats at Craven Cottage on Friday night, looking to avenge December's 1-0 Stadium of Light reverse. More importantly, they now have a real chance of clinching automatic promotion, after second-top Cardiff City's 3-1 defeat at Derby County last night. Neil Warnock's Bluebirds would have gone four points ahead of Fulham. with just two games to play, had they beaten the Rams.

But their loss means that Fulham can go into second spot, even if only temporarily, by beating relegated Sunderland. December's 1-0 loss to Chris Coleman's Wearsiders was the last league defeat inflicted on Slavisa Jokanovic's men, who have since managed 17 wins and just five draws in a 22-match unbeaten charge up the Sky Bet Championship table. If Fulham can win or draw on Friday then they will make it a full half-season undefeated in the league. Former Wolves and Dundee midfielder Kevin McDonald, who scored a cracking goal in last Friday night's impressive 3-0 derby triumph at Millwall, told fulhamfc.com: "There's no hiding that we've had a fantastic run. On that run, we've had a couple of lucky games here and there, and that's what you need.

"Everyone is pulling together in the right direction. "It's all about hard work in this league and the manager keeps on top of us every day, and fair play to him for keeping us going. It's a long stretch and we've been consistently good for a while now. "As long as win our games, that's the main thing, we can't do any more. If we get automatically promoted then fantastic, if not then we'll be ready to go in the play-offs. "We've had a lot of good performances, especially in this run we've been on, but, in that second half (against Millwall), I think we were a class above at times.

"First-half, they had a good few chances with the way they play, respect to them, but, once we got the ball down and passed it, we were worth our victory." McDonald hailed Jokanovic's commitment to his style of football which has proven so fruitful of late. "If you see the manager's reactions on the side, he's not happy when we bang the ball long!. He's on at us every day to try and play, play, play. "Even if they press us, he wants us to play the whole time. He's drilled into us the way he wants us to play and we've followed it, and right now it's working well."



Read more at: https://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport/football/sunderland-afc/sunderland-will-face-a-fired-up-fulham-on-friday-night-1-9133979


WhiteJC

 
BLUES V FULHAM TICKET UPDATE

FURTHER SEATING BLOCKS HAVE BEEN OPENED FOR BLUES' FINAL SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP GAME OF THE SEASON AGAINST FULHAM.
Blues v Fulham
Sky Bet Championship
St. Andrew's Stadium
Sunday 6 May 2018 (12.30pm kick-off)

Tickets are selling extremely quickly for this game. Because of the high demand, the Club has now opened blocks 5, 6 and 7 in the Gil Merrick (Upper) Stand. Prices for the GMU are the same as the GML.

Tickets are priced at:


Please note: All juniors under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a full paying adult. Adults must be accompanied by a junior under the age of 16 to qualify to sit in the Family Seating Area. The adult to child ratio in the Family Section is a maximum of two adults per junior.

For a St. Andrew's Stadium Plan click here.



https://www.bcfc.com/news/articles/2018/blues-v-fulham-ticket-update/

WhiteJC

 
Mitrovic lucky to escape FA ban after moment of madness – "This is why Rafa doesn't trust him!"

Aleksandar Mitrovic scored yet again in Fulham's latest win last Friday, however the Serbian was VERY lucky to stay on the pitch after striking Millwall's Tim Cahill – a moment of madness that proves just why Rafa Benitez has struggled to trust the talented striker.

Before we get into it, here's the incident itself, seeing Mitrovic appear to elbow Cahill just moments after the Australian left Fulham's Ryan Fredericks in a heap:

Now, Mitrovic's form since joining Fulham has been nothing short of sensational, with 11 goals in his last 12 goals for the Cottagers, but this is the last thing Benitez wants to see. It's idiotic – and could have easily ruled him out of Fulham's crucial end to the season.
It's regularly been suggested that the Spaniard struggles to trust the 23-year-old, and moments of utter madness like this will only make him think he hasn't learnt his lesson.

The FA have actually looked at Mitrovic's elbow since last week's game live on Sky, however he's set to face no punishment (somehow!).

He's a talented player and has showed just what he's capable of when you play to his strengths, but things like this could have cost his team massively – as the Chronicle's Mark Douglas highlights here:

Further proof of why Benitez will be flogging him this summer for me – no matter how good he looks for Fulham..



http://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2018/04/25/mitrovic-lucky-to-escape-fa-ban-after-moment-of-madness-this-is-why-rafa-doesnt-trust-him/

WhiteJC

 
The reason Rafa doesn't trust Mitrovic was revealed in a moment of madness last week
Aleksandar Mitrovic was lucky to escape punishment for an off-the-ball incident on Friday


Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic is surrounded by the Millwall defence (Image: PA)

Anyone who wants to know why Rafa Benitez appears to have written off Aleksandar Mitrovic's chances of resurrecting his Newcastle career should look at Friday night's game between the Serbian's side Fulham and Millwall.

With time running out in a heated promotion six-pointer and Fulham 2-0 up, Tim Cahill careers into Ryan Fredericks in an off-the-ball challenge which has subsequently landed him with a three-match ban after the Football Association launched retrospective action against him.

Mitrovic spotted it and decided to dish out his own retribution. Footage of the match shows the Newcastle striker trying to trip Cahill as he runs towards him – which was missed by Andre Marriner, the match official.

Now Mitrovic has 11 goals for Fulham – a fantastic return that illustrates exactly why he became a cause celebre for many when Newcastle were struggling to score. That he has talent and potential is beyond doubt – but so, too, is the reckless streak which he has come no closer to eradicating from his game.

Mitrovic scored again on Friday night as he continues to fire Fulham into automatic promotion contention. But had he been sent off for a foolish swish of his boot, it would have undermined his fine work so far and left the Cottagers short-handed in their most important three games of the season.

It was so unneccesary. 2-0 up and with a few minutes to go, a wiser player would have stayed out of it. But Mitrovic put himself in danger, just as he did against Stoke earlier in the season in an incident that seemed to seal his fate in the eyes of the Spaniard.

It looks as if his future lies away from St James' Park with a fee of £20million being reported as the asking price quoted to interested suitors. There will be no shortage of takers – but his short fuse may end up stopping him from going right to the top.


https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/reason-rafa-doesnt-trust-mitrovic-14576143


WhiteJC

 
Kingston University and Fulham FC to put on sport business summer school course

Kingston University is teaming up with Fulham FC for a new summer school.

The course will offer students an insight into the business of professional sport, combining workshops and training days at the club with academic sessions at the university.

Head of short courses at the university's summer school Kathryn Elliot said: "This new programme will appeal to anyone who has an interest in the business side of football, and will give those taking part an insight into the world of sports away from the pitch.

"This is the latest collaboration between Fulham Football Club Foundation and Kingston University, and we are excited to be working together on such an innovative programme."

Lasting two weeks, the Business of Football course will tackle subjects like the role of sport in society, sports journalism, leadership and management skills and events management.

The two organisations first joined up in 2015, with students using the club to hone skills (for example, journalism students interviewing players) and club staff taking advantage of personal development services at the university.

Nathan Archer, development executive at Fulham FC Foundation, said: "The combination of a prestigious university and London's oldest football club creates the perfect synergy to provide students with an authentic insight into the business of professional sport.

"The programme will enable participants to develop the fundamental skills required in the sport and business industries."

The course will run from Sunday, July 22.



http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/kingstonnews/16183776.Kingston_University_and_Fulham_FC_to_put_on_sport_business_summer_school_course/

WhiteJC

 
The Sean Davis Column

As far as halves go, that second one at the Den was as good as we've been all season, with some cracking goals too. The first was a typical Ryan Sessegnon strike; alert, anticipation, clinical. Kevin McDonald's one came out of the blue but what a fantastic hit. A couple of the people I was with said the 'keeper should save it but I think it was a blinding effort into the top corner. And then obviously Aleksandar Mitrović rounded it off by getting in on the act, as all strikers love to do.

Ryan was getting booed by the home fans every time he touched the ball in the first half. Presumably that was to try and intimidate him, but they clearly don't know Ryan Sessegnon! We can't speak highly enough of him. Take away his pedigree, his talent, his athleticism, and you've still got his attitude and his willingness to learn from the older pros. I spoke to Huw Jennings ages ago and he said he's such a humble lad who just wants to get on with his work. Hopefully a lot of the younger players will see that and follow suit.

Let's not forget that Millwall were on a fantastic unbeaten run of their own before we turned them over so the team deserves tremendous credit. It's a tough place to go, a very hostile environment. It was always going to be a tough game but the lads are on such a high at the minute that they just keep pulling through. That said, there were some big moments at 0-0, when Tim Ream cleared off the line and Betts came up with the goods. Everyone throughout the whole team is producing and playing to the top of their ability.


On the subject of Tim, he has been in brilliant form. I'd say his performances have been nothing short of outstanding since around Christmas 2016. He's been amazing and I think he'll end up winning Players' Player of the Season. He's been superb, he hasn't put a foot wrong, he's been a brickwall, he's been a leader. I know Tim from my Bolton days, he's quite a quiet lad off the pitch, but on it he's been a monster.

How nice was it to see Derby do us a favour on Tuesday night?! When Cardiff scored the first goal I got annoyed so switched over and put Liverpool on! But when they equalised I kept flicking between the two, so when I turned over and saw it was 3-1 I was buzzing. It helps us and gives us a little bit more hope, but at the end of the day it's still in Cardiff's hands. Saying that, I think we'll win on Friday which puts the pressure right back on them.

That match against Sunderland is not going to be as easy a game as a lot of people think. I know Chris Coleman well and he's going to want to see a reaction to their relegation, he's going to want to see them play with pride. I'm sure they'll bring lots of energy, a lot of work rate. Their away form is better than their home form too. It's going to be a tough game but one where any win will do.


It's difficult to say whether it's a good or a bad thing for us that Sunderland are already down. The table doesn't lie, they haven't been good enough this season, but sometimes when you're relegated and you realise you're playing for your future, that can make certain players up their game. You never know what the mindset of an individual is, but as a collective I think Cookie will have geared them up to work their socks off.

I've worked under Cookie, I've played with him, and I know what a great coach he is and exceptional player he was, and he'll be gutted with how things have gone. He went in there and thought he could keep them up but perhaps didn't realise how bad the situation was. But he's got Kit Symons with him, they're both fighters and I'm sure they'll come back strong next season. Chris has already proven his credentials at the highest level, both tactically and motivationally, so I have full faith in him.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it's just such a good time to be a Fulham fan. Friday will be a fantastic occasion – it's always good when we play under the lights at the Cottage. The atmosphere the last four or five games has been great, and I expect it will be again. The players will respond to that, as they have done over the last 22 games. I said earlier in the season that I thought our campaign would end up similar to how it did last year, but we've actually bettered that. After Christmas last year we went on a great run and pushed ourselves up, and we've done that again this time around but just on a grander scale. If someone had said we'd be a point off second with two games to go, I'd have bitten their hand off.

Make sure you're at the Cottage this Friday to watch the boys try and make it an entire half-season unbeaten when we host Sunderland.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/april/25/the-sean-davis-column

WhiteJC

 
Fulham Keeping Their Tabs On This 23 Y/O In Demand Forward: Good Fit For Jokanovic?



Ruben Kazan centre-forward Sardar Azmoun has been linked with a move to English team Fulham. The Iranian forward has been in great form for the national team and has been linked with a move to clubs like Wolves and Fulham from the Sky Bet Championship. He has also been shown interest from boys in Scotland with league leaders Celtic interested in his signature. To cap it all off, he has received attention from the big boys of England as well in the form of Leicester City and Everton.

However, this attention is not new for Sardar who had been previously linked with a move to the red side of Merseyside in the form of Liverpool. He surprisingly turned it down and this is what he had to say.

"There were talks of Liverpool having expressed an interest in me during the past winter transfer window," said the Iranian to the website for the Qatar Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.

"However, I did not feel the time to move was right. I would have ended up playing a few games and then spent a great deal of time on the bench as Liverpool were only looking to fill a void for a particular part of their season.



"I want to move to a big club to develop as a player and therefore I will time the move with great precision. I am sure I will be playing for a top European club in the near future."

This shows the player's confidence in his abilities and his decision making. He is not being lured by the prospect of playing in England as he has realized he is most likely to end up on the bench at the big clubs. Instead, he wants to keep playing and develop and he knows that then he can make a bigger move with regular game time guaranteed.

Azmoun has now been offered the chance to move to Fulham. The side from South West London who play their football in Craven Cottage have been smart in their play and are on the verge of an automatic promotion to next year's English Premier League campaign. If not that, they are surely going to get a shot at the playoffs. It would be a wise idea for Azmoun and Fulham to link up then given that he will get enough game time and Fulham could use a talented striker like him in the big boys league.



http://the4thofficial.net/2018/04/fulham-interested-23-yo-forward-good-move-parties/


WhiteJC

 
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Ground: Fulham and Craven Cottage

    John McCormick writes: I remember a pleasant afternoon at Fulham in the early seventies. In my case it was made pleasant by the few pints of proper beer we enjoyed in the pub on the other side of Putney Bridge and by an away win, which I enjoyed trouble free although esconced with locals.  Not all grounds were so welcoming in those days, as I found out a few weeks later at Millwall. Pete Sixsmith has already written about that game – or one little different; now he finishes a series which has brightened a dismal season with an account of another trip to Craven Cottage, one which took place some five years before I got there:

Here we are again, back at the laptop hammering out another nostalgia piece about a club who have won six games all season, have had five home wins in two seasons and are heading for a lengthy stint in Divisions One, Two and probably all points south of that.

On Friday, we visit what is probably the most charming ground in the 92 in Craven Cottage as upwardly mobile Fulham look for three easy points in their quest to get back to the Premier League. They were relegated in 2014 after 12 seasons at that level, flirted with relegation to Division One a couple of years ago and are now looking to get back either through pipping Cardiff City to second place or annihilating Middlesbrough in the play offs.


For Chris Coleman and Kit Symons, this will be a nostalgic return to SW6. Coleman managed them for almost four full seasons, taking over from matchstick chewing Jean Tigana and guiding the the Lilywhites to safety. He consolidated their position for the next two seasons with highly satisfactory mid table finishes before he was dismissed by Mohamed Fayed in April 2014.

Symons managed Fulham for just over a year between September 2014 and November 2015 before losing his job after a 2-5 home defeat to Birmingham City. He then went on to rejoin Coleman in Cardiff assistant manager of the Welsh national team before taking up his post at Sunderland.

I won't be making that pleasant walk through the Bishops Park on Friday night as I shall be washing my hair (we all know that Friday night is Amami night!!!) but I do remember very well the first time that I made that walk to the Cottage over half a century ago.

It was a Bank Holiday Monday, the 28th of August when I first set foot in Craven Cottage. In those days it was common to play the same team twice in August and we had whopped Fulham 3-0 at Roker five days earlier. Goals from Neil Martin, Colin Suggett and Ralph Brand had sent the 30,062 crowd home in a sparkling mood and when Everton were seen off 1-0 on the Saturday thanks to a Colin Suggett goal in the second minute, we were siting pretty in third place.

The opportunity to visit London on a Bank Holiday was an attractive one and I booked my seat on John Tennick's bus, picking up in Darlington at midnight and arriving at Midland Road, next to St Pancras station at about 7.30.

After a hearty breakfast at the ABC restaurant opposite Kings Cross, the decision was made to spend the afternoon at Highbury watching the Arsenal v Liverpool game and then on to Fulham for our 7.30 kick off. My first double header – I was so excited, I almost wet myself.

We stood on the North Bank for the first game and had a splendid view of Tony Hateley directing an equally splendid header past Tommy Lawrence to put the Gunners 1 up. Hateley had signed for Liverpool for a club record fee of £96,000 from Chelsea in the summer and was clearly confused as to which way he was kicking. A Jon Sammels goal in the second half sealed victory for Arsenal in front of 33,420, which probably included our old chums Monty and Rupert.

Then, on to Craven Cottage and our clash with a Fulham side who were already beginning to struggle (they finished bottom of the league that year and disappeared to the nether regions for the next30+ years). They still had a couple of experienced internationals in George Cohen and Johnny Haynes and had recently signed Allan Clarke from Walsall. Prodigious for the Saddlers, he improved at Fulham in the 15 months he played there before a move to Leicester City for £150,000. Then, after but a single year as a Fox, he was taken to the Pit of Hell that is Elland Road by Don Revie and scored 110 goals in 273 appearances for them. However, he didn't score on this day .....and he didn't on May 5th 1973.

I had a couple of pints of Watney's Red Barrel and maybe some Charrington's Bitter before the walk through to the ground. As a discerning drinker, I felt that these weak southern brews compared badly with Newcastle Exhibition or Vaux Gold Tankard and no doubt I made my feelings known to all and sundry. I remember standing in the paddock of the Stevenage Road stand, not yet adorned with statues of Michael Jackson and Johnny Haynes.

The teams lined up thus;

Jimmy Montgomery; John Parke, Len Ashurst; Colin Todd, George Kinnell, Jim Baxter; George Herd, Colin Suggett, Ralph Brand, Brian Heslop, George Mulhall sub; Allan Gauden.

Ian Seymour; George Cohen, John Dempsey; Stan Brown, Brian Nichols, Jim Conway; Johnny Haynes, Mark Pearson, Les Barrett, Allan Clarke, Terry Parmenter sub; unknown.

Les Barrett gave the home team a seventh minute lead and that was the score at half time. Whatever Scottish Supremo Ian McColl said in the dressing room at half time worked and Colin Suggett and Ralph Brand scored within a minute of each other to give us a 2-1 lead and send the considerable Sunderland support in the shirt sleeved crowd of 19,597 into paroxysms of delight.


Then, as now, we were unable to hold onto a lead and within 10 minutes Barrett had equalised and then Johnny Haynes, the first £100 a week footballer fired in the winner in the 77th minute after he ran through a static defence. Sounds familiar?

The journey home, up the newly opened M1 and M18 was a long one and I was dropped off in Darlington at around 5am. I walked up to the station and helped load newspapers onto vans in return for a ride back to Shildon, getting home around 6.30 and going straight to bed from where I probably did not surface until the Manchester United game on the Saturday. We drew 1-1 in a game where Brian Kidd scored in the fifth minute and Colin Suggett equalised more or less straight from the kick off. There were 51,000 in Roker that day; we won't see days like that again.

They say that nostalgia ain't what it used to be. One things for sure,it certainly beats reality

*** If there is any copyright claim, not answered by 'fair use' exemptions, on the images used to illustrate this report, please make us aware and we will add credits or remove as requested.



http://salutsunderland.com/2018/04/the-first-time-ever-i-saw-your-ground-fulham-and-craven-cottage/