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Sunday Fulham Stuff (24/03/19)...

Started by WhiteJC, March 24, 2019, 07:24:33 AM

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WhiteJC

 
Fulham relegation scenarios: The earliest it can happen & how they can pull off the great escape

Fulham face a huge task ahead of them if they are to avoid an immediate return to the Championship

The Premier League season is rapidly approaching it's conclusion and there is still plenty to be decided, including the relegation fight near the foot of the table.

Fulham currently sit second-bottom with 17 points, sitting 13 points behind safety heading into the final seven games of the season - and the situation for Scott Parker's side looks to be bleak.

A total of 21 points remain on offer for the Cottagers between now and the end of the season in May, which is a higher figure than the Cottagers have accumulated this term, and that means Fulham could still theoretically finish with a total of 38 points.

The magic 40-point mark is usually considered to be the tally that will save a club from relegation but Fulham can no longer achieve that figure and their fate will be confirmed with a lower tally.

But when can Fulham get relegated? And is there a chance for Parker to complete one of the greatest escapes this season? We've crunched the numbers and taken a look.

The earliest date

Fulham could be condemned to Championship football next season as early as April 2, if they lose their clashes with Manchester City and Watford, but it would need Burnley and Southampton to pick up form.


Scott Parkerlooks on ahead of the Premier League match against Liverpool (Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)

If the Cottagers were to lose those two games, Burnley and Southampton would each need to pick up a win from their next two matches to condemn Parker's side to relegation - as Fulham's highest reachable total would be 32 points.

Two wins for Cardiff City in their next two games, coupled with a win for either Burnley or Southampton and two defeats for Fulham, would also seal their fate.

The likely scenario

Fulham's fate may not be sealed too swiftly though as their relegation rivals Southampton and Burnley have a difficult sequence of matches over the course of the next four games.

The Saints, who have a game in hand on Fulham, have to tackle Brighton, Liverpool, Wolves and Newcastle, while Burnley clash with Wolves, Bournemouth, Cardiff and Chelsea..


Scott Parker among his players after the defeat at Leicester (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

During that spell, Fulham lock horns with Manchester City, Watford, Everton and Bournemouth; a run of games that looks challenging for the Cottagers.

Fulham will need to pull off some surprise results if they are to survive, with only one game to come against a side also battling to avoid relegation.

That clash with Cardiff City on April 27 may yet be decisive for both teams, but Fulham will need to start winning games to ensure they are still in with a chance of surviving when they face the Bluebirds.

The great escape

It looks like highly unlikely as things stand, but Fulham could still be playing in the Premier League next season due to the rules of mathematics. However, it would require a sensational sequence of events across the board.

Having won only four games already this season, the Cottagers can not afford to drop many points in their next seven games, and will more than likely need to pick up at least 15 points from a possible 21 to have any chance of avoiding the drop, given their significantly worse goal difference.


(Image: Clive Rose/Getty Images)

That would, of course, depend on other results involving their rivals, and with Burnley and Cardiff facing each other on April 13, at least one of Fulham's rivals in the battle to avoid relegation will get to 31 points.

Other results prior to that game may change the equation somewhat, and Fulham's fate could already be sealed before then, as mentioned above.

But one thing is for certain, Fulham's hopes of survival will be futile if they do not start winning games.

Seven wins might not even be enough for the Cottagers, depending on other results, but the earliest they could get out of the relegation zone would be on April 27 - and that is dependent on winning their next five games, with Burnley and Southampton both failing to pick up two points between now and then, and Cardiff winning at Turf Moor next month.

And if Fulham do pull it off, it would certainly be a great escape.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-relegation-scenarios-great-escape-16007247

WhiteJC

 
Look at him now: Konstantinos Mitroglou and Fulham

There have been several foreign imports that have lit up the dark nights at Craven Cottage over the years.

American Clint Dempsey provided a number of special performances for Fulham supporters during his five-year spell at the club whilst the enigmatic Bulgarian Dimitar Berbatov produced a number of unforgettable moments during his two seasons with the Premier League side.

Following in the footsteps of these two strikers, Konstantinos Mitroglou decided to make the switch to the London after a highly successful spell with Greek giants Olympiacos where had scored 56 goals in all competitions over a three year period. Signed for a then club-record fee reported to be in the region of £12m in January 2014 (via The Independent), tasked with trying to save Fulham from Premier League relegation.

A tall, imposing striker with an eye for goal, Mitroglou had all the ingredients needed to succeed in England's top tier yet unfortunately for the Greece international, it all went horribly wrong. A myriad of injury problems saw him play on just three occasions for Fulham with the forward being unable to score a single goal despite signing for such a hefty fee. An awful season for the Cottagers ended in relegation to the Championship, leaving them with no choice but to loan out their marquee signing in the summer with Mitroglou rejoining Olympiacos after just six months away.

Back at the Super League club, the striker regained his confidence in front of goal, scoring 19 goals in 33 appearances as Erythrolefki won both the title and the Greek Cup. Following this highly successful campaign, Mitroglou was loaned out yet again by Fulham but this time to Portugal as he joined Benfica where he was equally as impressive. Notching 25 goals in all competitions for the Aguias, he helped his side lift the Liga NOS title ahead of rivals Porto and Sporting Lisbon.

Despite clearly illustrating a talent for scoring goals, Fulham decided to cut ties with their club-record signing altogether in 2016 by letting him join Benfica on a permanent deal. This decision must have perplexed the club's supporters who were probably wondering just why Mitroglou wasn't given more of a chance to show what he could do at Craven Cottage.

The intriguing career of the former Atromotos loanee saw him fire home his best ever total for a single season in the 2016/17 campaign as he bagged 27 for Benfica which included 16 in the league as the club defended their league title and added the Taca de Portugal to their growing list of honours.

Understandably impressed by Mitroglou's sensational form in the Iberian Peninsula, Marseille decided to swoop for the forward at the start of last season, bolstering manager Rudi Garcia's attacking options. A successful debut campaign followed for the 31-year-old as he helped the Ligue 1 side to a top-four finish in France whilst also reaching the UEFA Europa League final, a game which they would end up losing 3-0 to Atletico Madrid.

Despite experiencing three successful seasons on the bounce in terms of scoring, Mitroglou has not been anywhere near as impressive during the current campaign and is currently on loan at Turkish side Galatasaray. Only time will tell whether he begins to fire once again in front of goal as if he does, it will go to prove that maybe, just maybe, Fulham gave up on him too early during his time in England.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/features/look-at-them-now/look-at-him-now-konstantinos-mitroglou-and-fulham/

WhiteJC

 
You Just Can't Escape Fulham's Impending Fate

Usually, when it comes to the international break, I'm incandescent with rage.

I usually find the disruption to the Premier League campaign that makes my blood boil.

However, this time around it's something I've embraced with open arms.

It has given me a break from watching my beloved Fulham, a break from being so damn depressed every weekend because I've had to witness another appalling defensive display, the same abject errors being made and the final whistle heralding yet another defeat.

Ahead of the break I promised myself a break, I promised that I wouldn't look at the Premier League table, I promised I wouldn't get all morbid and mope around the house despondent at how this season has turned out.

And do you know what, it was working well?

Well, I say WAS, because after volunteering to go shopping at the local shopping centre that calm was dashed by one small item many a person would take for granted.

After parking the car, I stepped into the lift and as the doors closed that voice came over the speaker informing me of what was going to happen next, with the phrases being:

    "Doors closing."

Followed by:

    "Going down."

That was it, stuff the shopping, it was back to the car and home again to be welcomed by a bemused wife who I knew wouldn't quite understand my reasoning for returning empty-handed.

COYW's



https://fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/you-just-cant-escape-fulhams-impending-fate/


WhiteJC

 
Fulham's reported interest in David Wagner would show the club has learned lessons from Kit Symons debacle



This week, iNews reported that Fulham were interested in hiring former Huddersfield Town manager David Wagner next campaign.

If Fulham ended up appointing Wagner as manager for their Championship season, then the decision would reveal the club learned its lessons from the appointment of Kit Symons.

Currently, the debate is raging among the Fulham support over whether to stick with fan favourite, former Fulham player, and excellent man-manager Scott Parker.

Parker has a serious lack of first-team management (the Fulham caretaker job is his first job at the helm), but has been lauded for his positive ethos and improvement of morale in SW6.

Others are skeptical of Parker's inexperienced background and prefer to move for a proven, promotion-winning manager such as Wagner for the 2019/20 campaign.

The debate closely mirrors the situation at Craven Cottage in the 2014/15 season. Felix Magath had been sacked after a disastrous start to the Championship season, with Symons taking over on a caretaker basis with the Whites languishing at the bottom of the league.

Symons engineered a remarkable improvement in his opening matches, eventually winning over the Fulham hierarchy and gaining the permanent job. Yet over the course of the following year, performances plateaued and Symons was sacked in November 2015 with Fulham in 12th place.

Back in 2014, Symons got the job with his initial great results and injection of optimism, but his inexperience wasn't enough for Fulham to get back in the Premier League.

In the end, it seems Fulham are deciding to go with experience with David Wagner instead of the exuberance of Scott Parker — learning their lesson from Kit Symons' appointment.



https://tbrfootball.com/fulhams-reported-interest-in-david-wagner-would-show-the-club-has-learned-lessons-from-kit-symons-debacle/