Games for the Week-end 20/05

We welcome back Roy Hodgson and his Crystal Palace team for a 3 o’clock Saturday kickoff at the Cottage

Fulham v Crystal Palace

Wining at Southampton, for the first time since 1935!, several Premier League records were created during the game, Mitro most goals, most away wins(7), most away points(23), most away goals(23), most wins (15) in a season, equalled highest number of goals scored in a season(52) and most doubles in a season, 5 so far.
With both Vinícius and Mitro scoring Marco will have a difficult decision who to start against Palace? Harrison Reed had yet another outstanding game, like many of last seasons players they’ve made the Premier League their home proving many wrong about their capabilities.

Palace had a comfortable win over Bournemouth last time out, Eberechi Eze scored both goals, with Zaha sustaining a hamstring injury in the second half so he’ll probably be unavailable on Saturday?

FoF statsman Ludlow Richard, over on the forum, once again provided an interesting stat about playing against teams managed by Roy Hodgson:
We have come up against teams managed by Roy on seven occasions: once in the 1981/82 season against Bristol City, twice in the 2011/12 season against WBA, and four times against Crystal Palace in the 2018/19 and 2020/21 seasons. We have not won any of these seven games, drawing four (three of those 0-0) and losing the other three. All three defeats have been against Palace. We have scored two goals in these seven games.

Current Form:
Fulham – LLLWW
Palace – DLWLW

Our recent record against Palace is very close 2 wins, 3 losses and 3 draws

I’ve decided to try both Mitro and Vinícius in my team as I’m interested to see how they’d work as a partnership…

team to face Palace at the Cottage

COYW’s

Games of Interest…

Saturday 20th
Spurs v Brentford
Bournemouth v Man Utd
Fulham v Palace
Forest v Arsenal

Sunday 21st
West Ham v Leeds
Man City v Chelsea


come on over to the forum and join in the conversation…
https://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=36.0

Games for the weekend 11/08

Fulham are back in the Premier League!

For our first game of the season we welcome Roy Hodgson and Ray Lewington back to Craven Cottage with his Crystal Palace team.

In a nice bit of symmetry our last Premiership game, 4 seasons ago, was against Palace, funny how this turn out sometimes?

So after the excitement of the, so frustrating at times having to wait for some of the deals to crawl over the line, transfer window we now get to see the ‘new look’ Fulham in action in a game that really matters.

What a transfer window we’ve had starting with Seri and Le Marchand, both from Nice, showed the calibre of player(s) we were targeting, Seri especially surprised many having been previously linked with a host of top European sides.
Fabri arrived next from Besiktas were he was a firm fans favourite making eleven appearances in the Champions League, and six in the Europa League, while he was also voted as the best goalkeeper in the Super Lig for the last two years in a row.
Mitro arrived after what seemed like an interminable wait, didn’t we all think he’d be the first through the door? But I guess dealing with Newcastle Utd was never going to straight forward was it?
Mawson, another protracted signing?, his medical seemingly was never ending, but he’s here now and once fully fit (September?) and ‘match sharp’ I’m sure will prove to be a fantastic signing for the Whites!
Schürrle came in on a two year loan, a World Cup winner with Germany in 2014, he played in six of Germany’s seven matches, famously scoring twice in the 7-1 thrashing of Brazil in the Semi-Final.

It’ll be interesting to see how well Seri, Schürrle, Mitrović, Sessegnon and Cairney work/link with each other, I can’t wait.

On transfer deadline day we manage to secure a number of deals, Sergio Rico, Joe Bryan, Andre Zambo Anguish, Luciano Vietto and Timothy Fosu-Mensah. (at time of writing only the Rico & Bryan deals have been confirmed on the club website)
If any of these will be ready for Saturday remains to be seen?

With Odoi banned for this game and the next game, following his red card at the play-off final, the back four should also be interesting, will they line-up as for the friendly against Celta Vigo? Christie, Ream, Le Marchand, R. Sessegnon or will Slaviša go with a different line-up? will he include Calum Chambers having joined so recently and perhaps allow Ryan to play further up-field? or will Joe Bryan and Tosu-Mensah get a run out?

Also will Betts, Fabri or Sergio Rico get the shout as goalie, according to some reports Bettinelli has been carrying an injury for most of the closed season?

COYWs

GAMES OF INTEREST…

Friday 10th
Man Utd v Leicester

Saturday 11th
Newcastle v Spurs
Bournemouth V Cardiff
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Wolves v Everton

Sunday 12th
Southampton v Burnley
Arsenal v Man City

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