Friends of Fulham

Cocu: "It's An Important Game For Us"

Phillip Cocu believes Derby County's Sky Bet Championship fixture against Fulham on Friday night is an important one for his side.

Derby will take on the Cottagers under the Pride Park Stadium floodlights to kick off another busy weekend of action across the EFL (7:45pm kick-off).

Fulham, managed by former England midfielder Scott Parker, are third in the table and firmly in the automatic promotion picture as they chase an immediate return to the Premier League.

Derby, meanwhile, sit in mid-table and are nine points adrift of the top six with 13 games left to play.

Cocu believes a positive result for his side on home turf, where they have been so strong this season, against Fulham would demonstrate the Rams are on the right track.

After an inconsistent first half of the campaign, for various reasons, Derby have showed more consistency in their results and performances since the latter stages of December.

Those encouraging signs have provided good reason to be optimistic for the weeks and months ahead.

Speaking to RamsTV, the Derby boss said: "It is an important game for us. We lost when we played the away game against Fulham back in November (3-0) and I think it was one of those games where we didn't really give ourselves a chance to get a good result.

"Now we play at home at Pride Park and I think we are in a better place. We have a better shape and the confidence is better than when we played at Craven Cottage, so it is a test.

"If we can get a good result, we can confirm that we are on the right track."

On Friday's opponents, Cocu added: "It will be difficult because Fulham are a strong team.

"They have quality players individually but also as a team. They keep the ball well, especially in their combination play. I am looking forward to this game."

With 13 games remaining, Cocu believes there's still so much to play for.

He believes his side are showing their football identity more, particularly in recent months, which is a result of hard work undertaken on and off the training pitches since his appointment back in July.

He said: "We just focus on one game at a time, as always, but we want to see a certain style of football. I think it is getting more and more clear if you see us play, even if we play home or away, the difference isn't as great anymore.

"It is getting really into the system for all players about how the team should play, when we have ball possession, how we want to press and initiative in the games, regardless of if it is a home game or an away game or against any opponent."

He added: "The style of play we face sometimes can be slightly different, but what I want to see is a Derby County side that keep playing a good style of football and of course combine it with results.

"That is what football is about and I think we will make a lot of people happy if we win games, not only ourselves. That is what we will try to do in all the remaining games."



https://www.dcfc.co.uk/news/2020/02/cocu-its-an-important-game-for-us

Fulham: Fans react to Bobby Zamora%u2019s tweet

Fulham went all the way to the final of the UEFA Europa League back in 2010 where, unfortunately, they were beaten by Spanish giants Atletico Madrid. The journey to Hamburg was an incredible one and will live long in the memories of the club%u2019s supporters for sure.

The Cottagers overcame Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus, Wolfsburg and Hamburg along the way, leaving the rest of the continent stunned. Atletico Madrid took the lead in the final after 32 minutes but were pegged back by a Simon Davies equaliser just five minutes later, which forced the tie into extra-time.

When Fulham defeated Shakhtar Donetsk at Craven Cottage on February 18th 2010, they were the holders of the UEFA Cup and via the club%u2019s official Twitter account they have shared a clip of the highlights, reminding those who follow the club what a devastating partnership Bobby Zamora and Zoltan Gera were.

However, it was Zamora%u2019s tweet that caught the eyes of many fans, as they responded to his reply to the club%u2019s post.

What do we think?

Those were fantastic times for the club and the fans are right to remember both Zoltan Gera and Bobby Zamora so fondly. Zamora scored 37 times for the club and provided 32 assists whilst the former Hungarian international made 120 appearances for the Londoners.



https://thisisfutbol.com/2020/02/twitter/fulham-fans-reminisce-over-european-campaign-of-2010/

Duane Holmes: Derby County winger out for 'several weeks' with leg injury


Derby County winger Duane Holmes will be out for "several weeks" with a lower-leg injury picked up in their draw with Huddersfield on Saturday.

The USA international, 25, limped off in the 29th minute of the match.

Ex-Scunthorpe player Holmes has scored three goals for the Rams this term, all coming in his past eight appearances.

"To lose a player like that at this stage isn't something we can enjoy, but it gives someone else an opportunity to impress," said Derby boss Phillip Cocu.

Derby are 13th in the Championship, nine points adrift of the final play-off place.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51559099

Early team news emerges ahead of Derby County's clash with Fulham

Derby County manager Phillip Cocu has confirmed that the club will be without Tom Huddlestone for their clash with Fulham tomorrow at Pride Park.

The midfielder has been forced to watch on from the sidelines in recent weeks due to an issue with his calf and last featured for the Rams in their 1-0 triumph over Hull City.

Since this particular fixture, Derby have achieved a mixed amount of success in the Championship.

Whilst the Rams have secured eye-catching victories over the likes of Stoke City and Swansea City, their poor form away from home has led to them dropping points against Luton Town and Bristol City.

Currently 13th in the Championship standings, the Rams could move within six points of the play-off places if they beat high-flying Fulham on Friday.

Derby will need to look elsewhere for inspiration in the heart of midfield during this match-up as Huddlestone is set to miss out whilst Duane Holmes is also sidelined after picking up a knock in last weekend's 1-1 draw against Huddersfield Town.

Speaking to the Derby Telegraph ahead of his side's fixture with Fulham about Huddlestone's injury, Cocu said: "It holds him back.

"He can do some training but only until a certain level of performance, so he cannot make the jump now to the team.

"He will need maybe a week or two weeks with the team on the grass before he can play a game.

"It is hard for me to say if he will play in two weeks or three weeks."

The Verdict

Whilst Derby haven't exactly struggled in Huddlestone's absence since the turn of the year, they will be hoping that the midfielder will be able to make a quick recovery from his calf issue.

If the Rams are to launch a late push for the play-offs, it could be argued that they may benefit from being able to call upon the midfielder's services as he is blessed with a wealth of experience at Championship level.

Having played 174 games in this particular division during his career, Huddlestone knows exactly what it takes to succeed and thus could be a key asset for Derby when he eventually returns to full fitness.

However, if the midfielder cannot recover from his latest injury, the Rams may consider cutting ties with him when his contract expires in the summer as Cocu cannot afford to be carrying any passengers next season.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/early-team-news-emerges-ahead-of-derby-countys-clash-with-fulham/

Cyrus Christie makes honest admission about Derby County's supporters

Cyrus Christie has admitted that he holds no animosity towards Derby County's supporters despite the fall-out that played a role in his departure from the club in 2017.

The defender, who now plays for Fulham, opted to call time on his spell with the Rams after a frustrating 2016/17 campaign which saw him miss a host of games due to injury.

Before joining Middlesbrough, Christie revealed in an interview with the Irish Sun that he believed that he was the best right-back in the Championship when performing at his maximum which led to a negative reaction from some Derby supporters.

The defender then responded to the club's fans on Twitter which led to him being booed on his return to Pride Park with the Smoggies.

Having suffered a 3-0 defeat during this particular fixture, Christie will be determined to play a role in helping Fulham achieve a positive result in tomorrow's clash with Derby.

A victory for the Cottagers will see them move level on points with Leeds United who currently occupy second place in the Championship.

Derby meanwhile will close the gap between them and the play-off places to six points if they seal their tenth home league win of the season.

Speaking to the Counter Attack Podcast (as cited by the Derby Telegraph) ahead of Friday's clash about Derby's fans, Christie said: "I've got no animosity towards them.

"They can boo me, and I imagine they will boo me again when we (Fulham) play them – but it's all fun and games.

"It's part and parcel of football, so we'll see how it goes."

The Verdict

With Christie set to return to Pride Park tomorrow, it will be intriguing to see how the home supporters react if he is handed a start by Fulham manager Scott Parker.

Given that the defender is currently behind Steve Sessegnon in the Cottagers' pecking order, he may be forced to watch on from the sidelines as his side look to bounce back from their recent defeat to Barnsley.

Although Derby have struggled for consistency this season, they will fancy their chances of securing all three points in this particular fixture due to the fact that they have only lost twice at home this season.

By sealing all three points on Friday, the Rams could use the momentum gained from this result to push on in the second-tier over the coming months.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/cyrus-christie-makes-honest-admission-about-derby-countys-supporters/

'Not there for a holiday' - Former Fulham midfielder dissects Wayne Rooney's derby County move

Fulham head to Pride Park tomorrow night as they aim to hit back following a surprise defeat at home to Barnsley

There is no chance of Fulham underestimating Derby County – or England great Wayne Rooney – when they head to Pride Park tomorrow night.

That's the message from Sean Davis, the former Fulham and Tottenham midfielder who now works as a columnist and commentator at Craven Cottage.

Fulham are desperate to get back on track in the aftermath of a surprising home defeat against struggling Barnsley last time out.

But while that 3-0 reverse is seen to have dented their promotion push, the west London side remain firmly in the race for a Premier League return.

It was an eye-catching result for Fulham – and not for the right reasons  –but Davis is adament that it was just a blip as Scott Parker's men remain three points adrift of second-placed Leeds United.

In his latest column for the club website, Davis said: "Barnsley was a result I don't think anyone saw coming.

"You can blame the weather but I don't think, as individuals and as a collective, it was good enough. The players will know that. It just wasn't our day, but thankfully we haven't had too many of those.

"We have to move on, get back to what we had been doing and try to correct it in the next game."

On the impact made by former England captain Rooney since he arrived at Derby, Davis added: "His presence in the dressing room will have given them a huge boost. He will have raised the standard of training from day one.

"Players will want to win his respect as well so they will be giving everything, and it's no coincidence that Derby's results have improved since his arrival."

Davis continued: "He was one of the best players in England for a good 12 or so years.

"He hasn't gone there just for a holiday, you can't cruise in the Championship. He will want to do as well as he can.

"I played against him when he was at Everton and Manchester United, and also trained with him when we were both in the England squad. He was an exceptional talent from such a young age.

"You don't become Manchester United's all-time goal scorer by being average. He won everything there, so should be applauded as one of England's greatest players. We certainly won't be underestimating him, that's for sure."



https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/derby-county-fulham-wayne-rooney-3867935

Leeds could crumble if Fulham beat Derby claims former Fulham striker

Ex-Fulham forward Paul Peschisolido thinks a win for his former side tomorrow night will see them breathing down the necks of Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds.

Fulham currently reside in third in the Championship. A victory tomorrow night over the Rams would see them level on points with Leeds having played a game more.

The Cottagers make the trip to Pride Park in a clash that will be vital to Fulham's promotion hopes.

LISTEN TO THE FULHAM FAN SHOW EVERY WEDNESDAY FROM 9PM ON LOVE SPORT RADIO

Just three points separate third place from sixth place and every side vying for promotion will know there is little room for error as we approach the final few two months of the season.

Craven Cottage hero Paul Peschisolido thinks a Fulham win could trigger a capitulation from Bielsa's men.

"Well I think if they do [beat Derby], which you'd like to think they will, that will put some huge pressure on Leeds.

"I think they've got nine points out of a possible 30 of late, if they look at the table on Saturday and see that their level on points with Fulham, you can see them crumbling because they have done it in the last few seasons."

Peschisolido revealed he thinks the onus is now on the players: "I really think the players need to look at that and say, if we're really going to make a go with this second spot, then this is a great opportunity for them to do so."

Fulham seemingly have the toughest run-in out of all their play-off rivals, yet Peschisolido thinks his old team would have happily taken being in this position at the beginning of the campaign.

"I think I would have taken that at the beginning of the season, it's such a tough league. There are teams that you don't expect to be up there, they're picking up results.

"So it's difficult but you know I would have taken that the beginning of the season absolutely. If they do beat Derby, sitting in the second spot joint with Leeds it's not bad to look at."



https://www.lovesportradio.com/news/love-sport-exclusives/a-win-over-derby-would-put-huge-pressure-on-leeds-claims-former-fulham-striker/

Derby County v Fulham
FRI 21 Feb 2020  Championship
Venue: Pride Park Stadium


Derby County midfielder Duane Holmes will miss the visit of Fulham with a leg injury which he picked up in the draw with Huddersfield on Saturday.

Midfielder Tom Huddlestone is still out with a calf problem but defender Andre Wisdom (hamstring) could return.

Fulham remain without defenders Terence Kongolo (foot), Alfie Mawson (knee) and Maxime Le Marchand (back).

On-loan midfielder Harrison Reed is also a doubt, having been sidelined for over six weeks with an calf injury.

The Whites will move level on points with second-placed Leeds United if they win at Pride Park, while 13th-placed Derby go into the game nine points off the play-off places.

Match facts

    Derby have lost their past two Championship matches against Fulham, losing 2-0 in the play-offs in May 2018 and 3-0 earlier this season.
    Fulham have lost four of their last five away matches against Derby in the Championship (including play-offs), winning the other in March 2018.
    Derby have lost just one of their past 15 home league games (W9 D5), with that defeat coming against Millwall back in December.
    Fulham's 3-0 defeat against Barnsley last time out ended a six-game unbeaten run in the Championship for the Whites (W4 D2), conceding as many goals against the Tykes as they had in those previous six.
    Derby forward Wayne Rooney has scored nine goals in his past 12 appearances against Fulham in all competitions.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51498741

Ex-Fulham striker suggests Scott Parker has done a great job this season

Former Fulham forward Paul Peschisolido thinks Scott Parker's time in the Craven Cottage dugout has been a success.

The Cottagers currently sit third in the table, breathing down the necks of second-placed Leeds, as they gear up for a huge Friday night clash away to Phillip Cocu's Derby County.

Scott Parker was granted the keys to Craven Cottage on a permanent basis following the club's relegation off the back of a dire season in the Premier League.

Since then, Parker's tenure has had mixed reviews. There has been notable highlights but the young boss has had to endure criticism over the inconsistency of his side.

Fulham's most recent league outing saw them on the wrong side of a shock 3-0 home defeat to Barnsley, a game that can be considered a missed opportunity in their bid for second spot.

Speaking to the Fulham fan show on Love Sport Radio, ex-Fulham striker Paul Peschisolido thinks Scott Parker has had a good start to his first full season in charge of the London club.

"I think it has been a very good season, to be third in the table they've shown the consistency you need to get themselves challenging for that promotion spot.

"I think he's done a great job. You know, a lot of people had doubts because he's new in the job, but what Scott has is a knowledge for the game. He's played at the highest level and is very, very popular at the football club, even amongst the players which is very important."

Whenever a team comes down from the Premier League, they are already tipped as having one of the better squads in the division as it has recent top-flight experience. This has been the case for Parker and the expectation that comes with that has seemingly been a burden at times, as Peschisolido revealed: "You have a Premiership squad that has just come down or you spend loads of money on players and you're automatically going to go up. It never happens that way.

"He's got that captain mentality which usually follows up with good managerial skills. He's done a great job, I don't see why people are complaining."



https://www.lovesportradio.com/news/love-sport-exclusives/ex-fulham-striker-suggests-scott-parker-has-done-a-great-job-this-season1/

Derby County hotshot Waghorn previews Fulham clash

Speaking to the club's official website, Derby County forward Martyn Waghorn has discussed the Rams' reliance on their home form this season, also previewing Friday's game against Fulham.

Derby County host Fulham at Pride Park on Friday evening and will be hoping to use their strong home form to their advantage in their efforts to claw themselves back into the fight for a spot in the top six.

The Rams have one of the best home records in the league but their away form has prevented them from getting into the fight for the play-off spots. Now, they face promotion-hunting Fulham at Pride Park and top scorer Martyn Waghorn has spoken about the club's strong form at home and their poor form on the road.

Speaking to the club's official website ahead of the game, he said:

"For some reason, we seem to be a completely different side when we are at Pride Park. I don't know what it is, and we can't quite put our finger on it but our away form has been poor. We have spoken about it a number of times after games and it's something that needs to change. We can't just rely on playing teams at Pride Park.

"We know that we have a couple of difficult away fixtures coming up so it's just one of those things that we need to change and do it quickly.

We are in a funny position because we are two or three wins away from being in a good position and also two not so positive results away from being in a dangerous position so it's tough. We need to rectify our away form and keep going at home."

Waghorn went on to discuss Friday's opponents Fulham, saying that the Rams will be hoping to pounce after Scott Parker's side suffered a surprise defeat to Barnsley last weekend.

"Fulham are coming off the back of a difficult result for themselves last weekend, losing to Barnsley at home, so are aiming to capitalise on that," Waghorn added.

"We want to use our home form to our advantage and really take the game to them. On our day we can beat anybody. We know it's going to be a big game, leading into the busy month we know we have got so it's important we do pick up the points and move on."



https://the72.co.uk/157498/derby-county-hotshot-waghorn-previews-fulham-clash/

Why Derby County boss Phillip Cocu is taking little notice of shock result

Fulham face the Rams in Friday night's Championship clash at Pride Park Stadium having lost 3-0 at home to Barnsley last Saturday

Derby County manager Phillip Cocu is taking little notice of Fulham's last result.

Fulham face Derby in Friday night's Championship clash at Pride Park Stadium having lost 3-0 at home to Barnsley last Saturday.

But Cocu brushed off talk of that surprise result. "It confirms the League we play in can be so unpredictable and also confirms that there are no easy games," he said.

"So, I am not worried about any lack of motivation because we play Fulham, and all the team knows it is a big team that is playing for promotion but if you play Barnsley you also know it will be a difficult game.

"Again, it is just confirmation that in every game you have to really go to the max to get a result, and it won't be different on Friday."

Fulham were unbeaten in six before the Barnsley game and they sit third in the table, three points behind second-placed Leeds United.

Derby are nine points away from the top six with 13 league games left to play.

"Every game is very important. We are nine points off, we need every victory we can get," said Cocu.

"We have respect for the opponent (Fulham). They are a strong team, third in the table, and it won't be an easy.

"They play good football, they like to have the ball, they dominate, play out from the back, have good players, not only the first 11 but I think if you look at their squad they have good options.

"That is why they are fighting for promotion, but we have confidence when we play at home. We are looking forward to the test."

Derby drew their last home game against Huddersfield Town and they are unbeaten in six in all competitions at Pride Park Stadium.

Their home record is the joint best in the Championship along with Preston North End. Both teams have collected 33 points from 17 home matches.



https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/derby-county-cocu-fulham-shock-3869065

'Grave concerns' - Why Fulham fans are unhappy ahead of facing Derby County

Championship promotion contenders Fulham visit Derby County tomorrow night after a heavy defeat at home to Barnsley

Championship promotion contenders Fulham are preparing to make the trip to Pride Park to face Derby County tomorrow night %u2013 but things are not as rosy as they might seem from the outside.

Despite sitting pretty in third-place, three points behind Leeds United, the Londoners were swept aside by struggling Barnsley last weekend.

And that 3-0 defeat at home to the bottom side has led some to question the future of Scott Parker as the club%u2019s manager!

But why are a selection of Fulham fans concerned?

Here are some in-depth views, taken from social medial, ahead of the clash against Derby County tomorrow night (7.45pm).

James Steadman said: "Just awful. I can excuse individual performances because of the conditions (with the exception of Rodak who had a mare). But the game-plan was just not suited to the conditions. Playing out from the back and then a long ball to the wings was never going to work when it was blowing a gale. I'm not going to say Parker out, but I have grave concerns for the rest of the season if we can't adapt to what's in front of us."

Alan Simpson posted: "There are some very good players at the club, but they are limited by the imposition of poor tactics. Parker is out of his depth. If we were to somehow get up through the Play-Offs then he would not be able to cope against Premier League managers."

Pan P added: "It was an awful day at the office end of. Scott Parker has done excellent for us. Rodak has been excellent for so many games the bloke's a human an allowed an off day. Let's not hound our manager and our team. Let's get behind them come on people."

Pete Marsland said: "No movement. No structure. No intensity. No overlapping and no midfielder bursting through. Never anything incisive. Tactically abject. Twenty odd shots, and I can only remember one or two from inside the box. We've been like this nearly all season and I don't believe it's down to the players."

Cliff Haylett posted: "Any more performances like that and automatic promotion is a pipe dream and I would not put money on promotion through the Play-Offs. Let's hope this makes the team really look at themselves, they are the strongest squad in the Championship but performances with like this you wouldn't think it."

Paul Bradley added: "Minimum players we need with Prem (or potential) Prem quality; two full-backs, one centre-back, one defensive midfielder, one central midfield. That is a minimum of five players at the very least. We won't want to splurge 100 million again, look where that got us. Another season in the Championship building the squad might not be a bad thing. We are just not ready yet."



https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/derby-county-fulham-scott-parker-3868715

Derby vs Fulham preview: Championship clash live on Sky Sports Football
Watch live on Sky Sports Football from 7pm; kick-off is at 7.45pm


Derby face Fulham in the Sky Bet Championship on Friday night, live on Sky Sports Football.

Team news

Derby have lost midfielder Duane Holmes to injury. Holmes limped off during the first half of the 1-1 draw against Huddersfield last weekend with a leg injury and faces a few weeks on the sidelines.

Tom Huddlestone is still out with a calf injury but Andre Wisdom should be available after hamstring trouble. George Evans will continue his recovery from a calf problem with the Rams' U23s.

Promotion-chasing Fulham are looking to bounce back from the shock 3-0 home defeat by Barnsley. Alfie Mawson (knee), Terence Kongolo (foot) and Maxime Le Marchand (back) remain on the sidelines.

Harrison Reed could also miss out again with a calf problem. Striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has shown no ill-effects from his recent ankle injury having scored three goals in his last four matches.
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Recent form

Fulham's recent run of good form came to an end in their last two games as they drew at Millwall and then were thumped 3-0 at home by Barnsley last Saturday.

Derby have also failed to win in their last two games. Last time out they drew 1-1 at home with Huddersfield, which followed a 3-2 defeat at Bristol City three days earlier.

What the managers said...

Derby's Phillip Cocu:"It is an important game for us. We lost when we played the away game against Fulham back in November and I think it was one of those games where we didn't really give ourselves a chance to get a good result.

"Now we play at home at Pride Park and I think we are in a better place. We have a better shape and the confidence is better than when we played at Craven Cottage, so it is a test. If we can get a good result, we can confirm that we are on the right track."

Fulham's Scott Parker: ""We're disappointed and we're hurting from Barnsley, but we also need to be realistic and the challenge ahead of us is Derby on Friday night.

"That's the challenge we need to face, and we need to put in a big performance."

Talking point: Wayne Rooney set for 500th English league appearance

Wayne Rooney is set to make his 500th English league appearance against Fulham on Friday night. We have taken a look back at some of the milestone moments of his career.

Opta stats

Derby have lost their last two Championship matches against Fulham, losing 2-0 in the play-offs in May 2018 and 3-0 earlier this season.

Fulham have lost four of their last five away matches against Derby in the Championship (including play-offs), winning the other in March 2018.

Derby have lost just one of their last 15 home league games (W9 D5), with that defeat coming against Millwall back in December.

Fulham's 0-3 defeat against Barnsley last time out ended a six-game unbeaten run in the Championship for the Cottagers (W4 D2), conceding as many goals against the Tykes as they had in those previous six.

Derby's Wayne Rooney has scored nine goals in his last 12 appearances against Fulham in all competitions.

Prutton's prediction

Any hopes of Derby making a late run for the play-offs are getting slimmer and slimmer after failing to win their last two. One team often does it but I think the gap is just too big.

Fulham were desperately poor against Barnsley last week and that was a shocking result for a side chasing promotion. It will be interesting to see if Scott Parker sticks with Marek Rodak in goal, too. I fancy goals here, and a draw.

David Prutton predicts: 2-2 (12/1 with Sky Bet)



https://www.skysports.com/football/derby-vs-fulham/preview/409749

Tom Cairney delivers honest verdict on why Fulham lost to Barnsley

Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney has claimed that everything went wrong during his side's 3-0 defeat to Barnsley over the weekend, with this making it a "horrible" game to be involved in.

The Championship's third-placed side fell to a shock defeat against the Tykes on Saturday afternoon as Cauley Woodrow scored a brace against his former club, while Jacob Brown was also on target for Gerhard Struber's relegation-threatened side.

The result meant that Fulham lost ground in their pursuit of an automatic-promotion spot, with Leeds' victory over Bristol City meaning the Whites moved three points clear of Scott Parker's side in second place behind league leaders West Brom.

Speaking to the Fulham YouTube channel, Cairney slammed his side's display against the Championship's basement club, but the Cottagers' captain then went on to add that Parker's men will be looking to put things right against Derby tomorrow night.

"You could say everything went wrong (against Barnsley). Collectively and individually we didn't turn up, show up," he said.

"There were some unforced errors and individual errors. It kind of reminded me of Hull at home. It was the same scoreline and no-one saw it coming.

"You're not underestimating the team or players. It's one of those games which it's horrible to be involved in. The best thing about the Championship is another game comes soon – hopefully we can put it right."

Fulham can temporarily move back level on points with Leeds if they can seal a victory over Derby on Friday evening, with Parker's side having been successful in all five of their matches played on a Friday so far this campaign.

The Verdict
Fulham's defeat to Barnsley certainly came out of nowhere last weekend, and it went to show that the Cottagers still need to undergo some improvement in order to seriously challenge for an automatic-promotion spot during the rest of the season.

The likes of Cairney and Aleksandar Mitrovic will now need to maximise their attacking abilities to help Fulham bounce back against the Rams, particularly seeing as they cannot really afford to drop many more points from this moment on.

The fact that individual errors were such a key reason behind the Barnsley defeat means this result may have been an anomaly, and an impressive display and victory over Derby this weekend will go some way towards making up for the Barnsley loss.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/tom-cairney-delivers-honest-verdict-on-what-went-wrong-in-fulhams-defeat-to-barnsley/

Derby players "have to be on their toes and and deal with Mitrović" according to former Rams defender

Ex-Derby County full-back Marc Edworthy thinks his old side will need to have multiple players set up to prevent the damage Fulham forward Aleksandar Mitrović can inflict.

Aleksandar Mitrović is currently leading the way in terms of goals in the Championship. The Serbian striker has notched 21 and counting so far this campaign.

His goals have helped fire Fulham into the top three, meaning their eyes are now firmly set on that second automatic promotion place.

However Phillip Cocu's Derby County will be looking to rain on the Cottagers' parade when the pair meet on Friday night.

Fulham have been a thorn in the Rams side more often than not recently, the most notable clash coming in the 2018 play-off final at Wembley where the Londoners ran out 2-0 winners.

Derby were also on the wrong end of a 3-0 result when the two sides last met at Craven Cottage earlier on in the season, Mitrović getting on the score-sheet that day.

Speaking to the Fulham fans show on Love Sport Radio, ex-Derby defender Marc Edworthy revealed what Cocu's men need to do to ensure Mitrović leaves Pride Park frustrated.

"We have got really attacking fullbacks as well in Max Lowe and and Jayden Bogle but Andre wisdom has experience, he's been played in central defence and Matt Clark or even Curtis Davis. So again there's a number of players you all have to be on their toes and and deal with Mitrovic because he's such a talent."

Edworthy did go on to admit Derby have more than just Mitrovic to worry about: "You've got obviously Cairney to worry about in midfield who basically orchestrates things for Fulham. He's such a good player and you know, he can really unlock any defence so it sets up nicely for a really good game. I'm really looking forward to it."

Derby have had to rely heavily on their home form as their performances outside of Pride Park have been nothing short of dire. The Rams have struggled on their travels and Edworthy thinks those away issues are what has dented a promotion bid of their own.

"Away from home we've been so poor, only two wins all season and you can't sustain a real promotion campaign unless you actually start winning on the road. Believe it or not, we're only nine points off the so called chance of getting into the playoffs."



https://www.lovesportradio.com/news/love-sport-exclusives/derby-players-dealing-with-mitrovic-marc-edworthy/

Everything You Need To Know About Derby's Friday Night Fixture Against Fulham

Derby County are back in action at Pride Park Stadium in the Sky Bet Championship on Friday night, kicking off the weekend's round of games with what looks set to be another exciting home fixture against Fulham (7:45pm kick-off).

Phillip Cocu's side will be looking to maintain their impressive home form against Scott Parker's side, having won five and drawn one of their last six home matches.

Here, dcfc.co.uk has gathered all the information you will need ahead of the clash with the Cottagers.

TEAM NEWS...

Defender Andre Wisdom is fit and available for selection for Derby, having been forced off in the latter stages of last weekend's 1-1 draw at home to Huddersfield Town with a tight hamstring.

However, midfielder Duane Holmes will be out of action for several weeks with a lower leg injury sustained against the Terriers.

With Holmes sidelined, Jason Knight and Graeme Shinnie are pushing to come into the starting line-up.

Goalkeeper Ben Hamer is set to return to the side after missing the draw with his parent club Huddersfield last weekend under the terms of his season-long loan with the Rams.

George Evans is still building up his match fitness after two months out with a calf injury and he is set to feature for the Under-23s in their Premier League Cup tie against Birmingham City on Friday afternoon.

Elsewhere, Tom Huddlestone remains out with a calf problem and Krystian Bielik is out for the season with a knee injury.

PRE-MATCH THOUGHTS...

Speaking to RamsTV ahead of Friday night's home fixture, manager Phillip Cocu said: "It is an important game for us. We lost when we played the away game against Fulham back in November and I think it was one of those games where we didn't really give ourselves a chance to get a good result.

"Now we play at home at Pride Park and I think we are in a better place. We have a better shape, the confidence is better than when we played at Craven Cottage so it is a test.

"If we can get a good result, we can confirm that we are on the right track."

He added: "It will be difficult because Fulham are a strong team. They have quality players individually but also as a team. They keep the ball well, their combination play. I am looking forward to this game."

More pre-match thoughts from the Derby boss in the lead-up to Friday's clash with Fulham can be found across dcfc.co.uk and RamsTV.

HOW TO SECURE YOUR SEAT...

Tickets are still available for Friday night's game at Pride Park Stadium.

The matchday price increase on tickets will come into play at 10am on the day of the game, so supporters are advised to secure their seats as soon as possible.

Match Tickets for Home members start at:

* £8.00 Child (Age 2-12)

* £13.60 Youth (Age 13-17)

* £17.60 Young Adult (Age 18-21)

* £24.80 Adult (Age 22-64)

* £16.80 Senior (Age 65+)

Important! Home Membership benefits include: 20% Discount on General Public Match Ticket pricing; free ticket to a club selected match; early access to tickets prior to general public on-sale; and zero online booking fees. Click here for more information.

Match Tickets for General Public start at:

* £10.00 Child (Age 2-12)

* £17.00 Youth (Age 13-17)

* £22.00 Young Adult (Age 18-21)

* £31.00 Adult (Age 22-64)

* £21.00 Senior (Age 65+)

Tickets can be purchased without a booking fee from the Derby County Ticket Office, presented by SeatGeek, but are subject to £1 per ticket booking fee if purchased online or via phone 0871 472 1884 (calls cost 13p per minute plus your phone company's access charge); and an additional £1 per transaction delivery fee is applicable for tickets posted. Buy your match tickets here.

And have you tried this season's brand new matchday experience, the Captain's Club?

Offering one of the best views in the stadium from only £60 (+ VAT) including match ticket and unlimited chef's buffet table, the Captain's Club is a relaxed informal matchday hospitality experience in contemporary surroundings with regular visits from captains, past and present. Book the Captain's Club here.

For more matchday hospitality options, please email [email protected] or call 01332 821073.
Match Tickets and Matchday Hospitality subject to availability. Terms & Conditions apply.

WHO'S THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE...

Darren Bond will be the man in the middle for the Rams' clash with the Cottagers.

The match will be Jones' second Derby fixture of the season after he oversaw the 2-0 home win over Middlesbrough back in November.

He has overseen 24 matches so far this season, in all competitions, producing 87 yellows and one red card.

The red card was issued to Middlesbrough's George Saville in the Rams' victory over Jonathan Woodgate's side for a heavy challenge on Krystian Bielik.

Bond will be assisted by Mark Jones and Akil Howson on the lines, whilst Robert Jones has been appointed as the fourth official.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION...

Fans in select countries can watch Derby's clash with Fulham LIVE on RamsTV.

RamsTV's Matchday Live pre-match show will begin from 7:15pm with Owen Bradley and guests building up to kick-off with the help of stats, analysis, pre-match interviews and lively discussion.

Martin Fisher and former Ram Shane Nicholson will then provide expert commentary as RamsTV provides full multi-camera coverage of all the action at Pride Park.

As this fixture has been selected for live international TV coverage, RamsTV will only be able to broadcast the match live in select countries. A list of these selected countries referred to as 'dark markets' can be found here.

Fans based in these dark market countries will be able to stream the game as part of their RamsTV subscription, or for the one-off pay-per-view price of £5.

A live audio stream of the game will be available for fans outside of the dark market countries, including the UK.

Full streaming options can be found here.

As always, all of RamsTV's pre-match and post-match content, including Facebook Live shows 'The Warm Up' and 'Added Time', will be available to watch for FREE across the club's website, official app, YouTube channel and social media platforms.

TACKLING DISCRIMINATION...

Derby County and fellow EFL clubs are united in tackling discrimination and prejudiced behaviour in all its forms and are reminding supporters that no forms of abuse will be tolerated.

Everyone attending or taking part in a football match has the right to feel safe, valued and included and supporters are therefore being reminded of the positive steps that can be taken on matchdays.

Work is continuing with the Premier League and the Football Association to improve processes and procedures in place to address discrimination in stadiums, with commitments made to review how clubs sanction and educate offenders, tackle under-representation across all levels of the game and improve training provisions for stewards to ensure they are best equipped to recognise and respond to issues as they arise.

However, there is no room for complacency and the EFL and its clubs are reinforcing the collective approach to be taken under the header 'Not today or any day', if anyone experiences, or is subject to, discriminatory behaviour.

The EFL recommends the following methods:

1. Report it to a steward or Police Officer. Reporting incidents early helps Clubs to take immediate action.

2. Confidentially report it via the Kick It Out App, available on iPhone and Android

3. Report it to Kick it Out on Social media (@KickItOut), phone (0800 169 9414) or email ([email protected])

4. Via the Kick It Out website form atkickitout.org/forms/online-reporting-form.

In addition, clubs, players, managers and officials were also reminded of a matchday protocol introduced to domestic football ahead of the 2019/20 season, alongside The Football Association and the Premier League, in an attempt to ensure the matchday environment provides a positive experience for all.

The protocol is designed to ensure that incidents of abuse are effectively addressed, perpetrators are identified and dealt with, while at the same time make sure that the match is not unduly interrupted with a step by step guide mapped out to support participants take the right course of action in such a scenario.

Further details regarding the matchday protocol are available here: efl.com/news/2019/october/matchday-protocol---abusive-behaviour.



https://www.dcfc.co.uk/news/2020/02/everything-you-need-to-know-about-derbys-friday-night-fixture-against-fulham

Agbonlahor claims Lerner stopped three stars joining Aston Villa, including POTY winner

Aston Villa were a genuine Premier League force until 2010, when deals for Scott Parker, Aiden McGeady and Robbie Keane were vetoed.

Aston Villa hero Gabriel Agbonlahor claims former owner Randy Lerner vetoed deals to sign Robbie Keane, Aiden McGeady and Scott Parker before the club's dramatic fall from grace, while speaking to Jim White on talkSPORT (20 February, 12.30pm).

In hindsight, the summer of 2010 proved to be something of a turning point for a side who, at the time, were right on the verge of the Champions League places.

Aston Villa had finished sixth in the Premier League in three successive seasons between 2008 and 2010 and manager Martin O'Neill was keen to enhance an already talented squad, which included Ashley Young, Stuart Downing and Stiliyan Petrov, with some extra quality.

But with then-chairman Randy Lerner reluctant to spend big and drag the Midland giants ever closer to Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, a frustrated O'Neil walked away on the eve of the 2010/11 season.

"I remember the time when the investment stopped. It was when Martin O'Neill left. That summer, he wanted to buy Robbie Keane, Aiden McGeady and Scott Parker," Agbonlahor, who at the time was one of England's most feared strikers, has lamented.

"I think there were certain players he wanted to buy and Lerner said 'no'. There wasn't many big, big signings (from then on)

"I think we were three or four players away from getting into the top four, we just needed that bit of extra investment. But, of course, we went the opposite way."

Instead of landing O'Neill's top targets, including a midfielder in Parker who would be voted the Football Writer's Player of the Year 12 months on, Aston Villa spent the next few seasons scouring the market for ill-fitting bargain buys who never looked ready for Premier League football.

As a result, Villa have never finished in the top half of the division since 2011.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/02/20/do-agbonlahor-claims-lerner-stopped-three-stars-joining-aston-vi/

O'Neill & Page Go Pro

The Club can confirm that duo Ollie O'Neill and Jonathon Page have signed their first professional contracts.

The pair have been key cogs in the success of the Under-18s this season and have put pen-to-paper for the first time in their fledgling careers.

O'Neill, a Republic of Ireland youth international, has made 12 appearances in all competitions this season, contributing four goals. The reward came after signing his scholarship at the start of the season.

Page had marshalled the base of the Under-18 midfield expertly and has only missed one game for Steve Wigley's side this season, that being his Under-23 debut in the defeat to Newcastle.

The ball-playing midfielders shared their delight after turning professional.

O'Neill commented: "I'm very happy to sign here, it's something I've looked forward to and now that I've signed, I want to kick-on into the Under-23s squad and hopefully the first team in the future.

"The last few years at Under-15 and 16 were tough with injuries but as soon as I've been getting into a rhythm of regular game time this season, this moment didn't seem too far away."

Page added: "It feels good to have finally signed a professional deal. I'm really looking forward to extending my stay here. I'd like to push myself and take small steps to first go into the Under-23s, and then see what I can do at first team level."




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/february/20/o-neill-and-page-go-pro

Scott Parker gives verdict on Derby County ace ahead of key Fulham clasj

Fulham manager Scott Parker has delivered his thoughts on the impact Wayne Rooney has made on Derby County ahead of their Friday night clash at Pride Park.

The duo came up against eachother on numerous occasions in the Premier League and also played alongside side one another for England at Euro 2012.

So it is perhaps not too big a surprise that Parker was very complimentary of the Manchester United legend ahead of this one.

"He's made a massive impact, I think you can see that, certainly in the way they're playing," he told his pre-match press conference on Thursday, reported by the club's official website.

"When you bring a player of Wayne's calibre into your football club, he brings a certain mentality, as well as the quality he has as a footballer which we all know.

"I'm sure he's bringing another dynamic which a team like Derby have probably never seen before."

Fulham will be eager to bounce back to winning ways on Friday against the Rams after suffering a blow to their automatic promotion hopes last weekend.

Bottom-side Barnsley came to Craven Cottage for what looked set to be a routine win for the Whites, but instead Gerhard Struber's men walked away with a 3-0 win and all three points.

The Whites still remain just three points behind Leeds United, who sit in second place, so will not have given up hope just yet, although this Friday night seems crucial to their chances.

The verdict

If I were a Fulham fan I would not be too concerned with Rooney's presence and perhaps more concerned that my club are not focusing on the bigger picture.

Rooney may well play and he may play well, but Fulham are being very naive if they are focusing most of their attentions on just him.

This seems like it could be a defining game in the club's season. A win will put a lot of pressure on Leeds but lose and they could find themselves tumbling out of the race entirely.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/scott-parker-gives-verdict-on-derby-county-ace-ahead-of-key-fulham-clasj/

David Prutton predicts the outcome of Derby County's clash with Fulham

Derby County will be looking to get back to winning ways in the Championship tomorrow night when they host Fulham at Pride Park.

Having been forced to settle for a draw in their meeting with Huddersfield Town last weekend, the Rams' hopes of reaching the play-offs for the third season in succession are hanging by a thread.

Currently nine points adrift of the top-six in the second-tier, Derby can ill-afford to be dropping points against the Cottagers on Friday.

Given that Tom Huddlestone and Duane Holmes are both set to miss this particular fixture due to injury, it will be intriguing to see who manager Phillip Cocu opts to start in the heart of midfield.

Whereas Jason Knight is capable of operating in this particular role, Graeme Shinnie could be in line to make his 14th appearance of the season.

Despite being forced off in the latter stages of Derby's clash with the Terriers, Andre Wisdom will be available for selection after overcoming a hamstring issue.

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the game, pundit David Prutton has predicted that the Rams will be held to a 2-2 draw by Fulham.

The 38-year-old said: "Any hopes of Derby making a late run for the play-offs are getting slimmer and slimmer after failing to win their last two.

"One team often does it but I think the gap is just too big.

"Fulham were desperately poor against Barnsley last week and that was a shocking result for a side chasing promotion.

"It will be interesting to see if Scott Parker sticks with Marek Rodak in goal, too.

"I fancy goals here, and a draw."

The Verdict

Whilst Derby will be under no illusion about the threat that Fulham will pose tomorrow, there is no reason why they cannot secure a positive result in-front of their own supporters.

Given that they currently boast the second best home record in the Championship, the Rams may be able to force the Cottagers to crumble if they are willing to take the game to Parker's side.

With the likes of Wayne Rooney, Tom Lawrence and Martyn Waghorn at his disposal, Cocu ought to fancy his chances of leading Derby to what would be their 11th victory at Pride Park this season.

By sealing all three points on Friday, the Rams may be able to use the momentum gained from this result to push on in the second-tier over the coming weeks.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/david-prutton-predicts-the-outcome-of-derby-countys-clash-with-fulham/

Irish teen signs first professional contract with Fulham
Ollie O'Neill has been integral to the club's U18 side this season.

IRISH TEENAGER OLLIE O'Neill has signed his first professional contract with Fulham.

O'Neill, who has been integral to the club's U18 side this season, made 12 appearances in all competitions as well as hitting four goals. The Republic of Ireland youth international previously signed his scholarship at the start of the campaign.

"I'm very happy to sign here," O'Neil began after putting pen to paper for the Championship side along with his team-mate Jonathan Page.

"It's something I've looked forward to and now that I've signed, I want to kick-on into the U23s squad and hopefully the first team in the future.

"The last few years at U15 and 16 were tough with injuries but as soon as I've been getting into a rhythm of regular game time this season, this moment didn't seem too far away."



https://www.the42.ie/ollie-oneill-signs-professional-contract-with-fulham-5015900-Feb2020/

2 selection tweaks Parker may be mulling over for Fulham this weekend

Fulham travel to Derby County in the Championship tomorrow.

Scott Parker needs nothing less than a win at Pride Park. After so much hard-work and good performances through December and January, Fulham had managed to get back on level points with Leeds United in 2nd.

But that gap has now reopened after last week's defeat to bottom-club Barnsley. Fulham were thumped 3-0 by the Tykes, whilst Leeds claimed a 1-0 win over Bristol City.

Another loss will put huge pressure on Parker, and here's two selection changes that he may be considering for tomorrow's fixture:

Josh Onomah out – Stefan Johansen in
The 22-year-old Onomah has been a favourite of Parker's this season. He's gradually become a regular member of the first-team and has now played 23 times in the Championship this season.

He's only missed one of the last 18 for Fulham and has started the majority of those, but his performance last week received a lot of criticism from fans.

Though he's a powerful, box-to-box type midfielder, he's still young and relatively inexperienced – going into what's become a higher-pressure game, a better option may be Stefan Johansen. The Norway international was an unsung hero for Fulham earlier in the campaign and fans would likely welcome him back into the starting side.

Johansen was himself a regular starter for Fulham in the first-half of the season but has seen his place go to Onomah, and hasn't started a league game since New Year's Day. He's a good passer of the ball but he's not as physical a midfielder as Onomah, so it'll be one for Parker to mull over before tomorrow night

Knockaert out – Reid in
Either Anthony Knockaert or Ivan Cavaleiro could lose their starting spot to Bobby Reid at Derby, but with Cavaleiro now being a permanent figure, Knockaert will likely be dropped to the bench.

Fulham's front-three were as bad as they have been all season against Barnsley and Knockaert once again gave an uninspiring performance. He'd recently returned from injury though, and with Cavaleiro playing a lot of football since New Year, it could in fact be him that sits this one out.

But Cavaleiro remains the more likely to score a goal, and Reid, despite going through some mis-firing form himself has proven more prolific than Knockaert this season. An experienced pro at this level though, as are all three mentioned above, Knockaert might have been 'warming up' against Barnsley after a couple of weeks out and could well deliver tomorrow night.

Fans would love to see a performance from him – he's a player with proven Championship experience with two promotions from this league, but the 28-year-old seems to be on a steady decline.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/2-selection-tweaks-parker-may-be-mulling-over-for-fulham-this-weekend/

Fulham team news: Four Cottagers set to miss Derby clash

Championship promotion hopefuls Fulham will face Derby County in a much-anticipated clash at the Pride Park Stadium on Friday night, hoping to put down a marker to other sides in the top six.

The visitors will come into the match relatively high on confidence as they are very much in the running for a return to the Premier League.

Fulham are in third position in the Championship with 56 points after 33 matches, just three points behind second-placed Leeds United.

The Cottagers' recent form in the league competition has been positive, where the London club have secured five wins in their last 10 matches, which included just two defeats and three draws.

On the team news front, as per Squawka, Fulham will be without at least four players – Alfie Mawson, Terence Kongolo, Maxime Le Marchand and Harrison Reed – for the game against the Rams.

Fulham's record against Derby is quite decent as well as they have secured eight wins compared to just five defeats in 20 meetings.

In the previous two meetings, the Cottagers emerged victorious on each occasion with the scores of 3-0 and 2-0.

Their previous visit to Pride Park was in 2018 when they managed to secure three points with a 2-1 victory, courtesy of goals from star striker Aleksandar Mitrović and Ryan Sessegnon.

Fulham will know that a win against Derby would draw them level with Leeds ahead of Marcelo Bielsa's men hosting Reading on Saturday.

Bouncing straight back up to the Premier League at the first time of asking would be impressive by the Cottagers, but the London side will be keen to complete the feat by finishing in the top two – and not have to go through the gauntlet of the playoffs.



https://ninetyminutesonline.com/fulham-team-news-four-cottagers-set-to-miss-derby-clash/

'It relaxes me, but also it teaches you to anticipate, to think - as a striker, that is everything': Aleksandar Mitrovic is the king of Craven Cottage who likes nothing more than a game of chess

    Aleksandar Mitrovic believes playing chess has helped him score goals this year
    The 25-year-old has plundered 29 goals for club and country so far this season
    The Serbian has learned to control his temper after an unruly spell at Newcastle
    Fulham boss Scott Parker says 'Mitro' has become a leader at Craven Cottage

Aleksandar Mitrovic is thinking of a secret, challenged to reveal something about him we don't know.

He told Sportsmail several years ago of a childhood regret, when he threw rocks at a train and smashed the driver's window. The anecdote captured all we thought we knew about the Serb. A loose cannon. A hothead.

This, then, is a surprise.

'I love to play chess,' Mitrovic says. 'My father was a champion, one of the best in the country.'

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/20/20/24993020-0-image-a-1_1582229831050.jpg)
Aleksandar Mitrovic speaks to Sportsmail at Fulham's Motspur Park training ground

He pretends to move chess pieces in front of him while looking over his shoulder.

'This was my father, he could play without even looking. He had a thick book with all the combinations. He knew every move.

'I have never even played him, he is too good!'

Mitrovic the boy preferred footballs and rocks — which doubled as artillery and goalposts — as opposed to knights and bishops.

Now, at 25, he gets his kicks throwing moves on a chequered board.

'I play most nights before I go to bed, with my wife or online. I love it. Just you and your mind, trying to predict things to win the game, to see how it is going to play.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/20/20/24993034-0-image-a-2_1582229837939.jpg)
The 25-year-old celebrates scoring the decisive goal in Fulham's 1-0 win at Blackburn

I can play with you now and we don't need to talk, we talk on the board. I try to read you, see what you're going to do.'

Mitrovic is enjoying his best ever season with 29 goals for Fulham and Serbia. He is also the Championship's top scorer. Has the chess helped?

'It really relaxes me, but also it teaches you to anticipate, to think. As a striker, that is everything.'

There is a serenity about Mitrovic now that you would never have imagined when he was sent off 16 minutes into his first home start for Newcastle in 2015.

Does he even remember his last red card?

'I don't. It must be at Newcastle?'

Correct. On the final day of the 2015-16 season as they were relegated.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/20/20/24993018-0-image-a-3_1582229843202.jpg)
The forward says playing chess has helped him find his best form in front of goal for Fulham

So I've only been sent off once since I had children?'

Again, correct.

'You see, it's calmed me, I've matured. When I came to Newcastle, I was just a boy.'

Mitrovic's screensaver is of his young family. Earlier, his three-year-old son, Luka, was playing on the pitches here at Fulham's training ground. He also has a daughter, two-year-old Nada.

'Having a girl has made me a bit softer! But she is tough. If she doesn't get what she wants, she'll punch or kick to let you know!

'I think she got my aggression...'

Mitrovic is happy. The last time we sat down, in 2017, he was not.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/20/20/24993032-0-image-a-4_1582229900578.jpg)
The Serbian has shown mental strength to bounce back from a challenging spell at Newcastle

I remember,' he says. 'We sat on the hotel steps? In Dublin?'

That was at Newcastle's pre-season training camp and, even then, he knew Rafa Benitez did not rate him. He finished that campaign on loan at Fulham, firing them to the Premier League before making a permanent move for an initial fee of £22million.

'If you feel down, get up. This is what life is about. My father taught me, 'After rain, the sun always comes out'.

'I had a real rainy period at Newcastle. Now, it's really sunny. But when it's going well, this is the time to push even harder.'

During our previous interview, Mitrovic revealed a technique for controlling his temper. It was as simple as counting to 10. He was, at the time, able to make six, seven at a push.

'I think now I can get to eight, sometimes nine. I don't think I will ever be on 10!'

Nor does he want to be. After all, the terrace chant 'Mitro's on fire, your defence is terrified' is not sung in appreciation of a mild-mannered frontman. And that edge of his is apparent when we talk of his worth.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/20/20/24993160-0-image-a-6_1582229959314.jpg)
Mitrovic scores his 21st goal of the Championship campaign in Fulham's 1-1 draw at Millwall

Sasa Curcic — his friend and fellow Serb, once of Aston Villa and Crystal Palace — told us last year that Mitrovic was a £50m striker who should be playing for one of Europe's top clubs. Mitrovic laughs, but does not disagree.

'I hope I'm worth more! You see now, every player who scores two goals is worth £50m! So why not? I have 21 goals.'

I remind him they are goals he has scored in the Championship. Can he cut it in the Premier League?

'People forget I have a good record in the Premier League — 21 goals over two seasons in teams that were relegated is not easy.

'There will always be people with negativity. I don't listen. I have my goals, that is how I will prove myself. It's why I play football.

'I don't enjoy passing, running, fighting... goals are my obsession. Only strikers understand that.'

Fulham boss Scott Parker spoke recently of Mitrovic's leadership qualities, and you can see that respect in the eyes of the academy players who file by us.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/20/20/24993182-8026285-image-a-4_1582230372828.jpg)
Scott Parker believes the club's academy players look up to the example set by Mitrovic

'I can feel everybody looking at me, the way I train, the way I play. They expect me to make things happen. It's a new experience for me. When I came to Newcastle I was very young. The period I needed to settle in... I didn't have one. I was expected to play straight away and score goals, like Papiss Cisse did a few years before.

'I will always love Newcastle, but that was a big problem for me.'

There are some on Tyneside who sympathise and wish he was still in their colours.

Now he stars in the black and white of Fulham, third in the Championship and three points behind Leeds, who they will go level with if they beat Derby on Friday night.

'We can smell second position,' says Mitrovic, in what sounds like a warning.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/02/20/20/24993264-8026285-image-a-1_1582230116711.jpg)
Mitrovic hopes to continue his fine form in a Serbia shirt during the Euro 2020 play-offs

He agrees the next few months will shape his future, be that Fulham's quest for the Premier League or Serbia's Euro 2020 ambitions. They face Norway in their play-off semi-final next month.

Alongside him will be best friend and Palace midfielder Luka Milivojevic, the penalty king. Mitrovic reveals another secret. It was while playing for Serbia in 2018 that he infamously chipped a Panenka penalty over the crossbar, much to the internet's amusement.

'Luka told me, 'You have to try that one day'. He promises he will too — I'm still waiting!

'It looks really bad, I know, but I can tell you, it was a really windy day! So let's blame that...'

While that was one miscalculation, Mitrovic has barely made a wrong move all season.

Maybe Fulham could swap their tactics board for a chess board.

---

Mitrovic is pictured wearing WALK London's 'Kilburn Trainer' from their new collection. WALK London are Fulham FC's official footwear partner. Visit www.walklondonshoes.com



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8026285/Aleksandar-Mitrovic-king-Craven-Cottage-likes-game-chess.html

Striker issues rally cry ahead of Derby County's clash with Fulham

The Rams will tonight aim to move into the top half of the Championship for the first time in three months

Derby County will tonight aim to move into the top half of the Championship for the first time in three months.

A draw or a victory over Fulham at Pride Park Stadium would lift the Rams above Sheffield Wednesday and into 12th position.

The Rams are currently nine points adrift of the top six with 13 league games remaining and striker Martyn Waghorn says it is important to be positive and optimistic.

"If we pick up the three points it leaves us in a good position. Win two or three games on the bounce in this league and you can shoot up the table," said Waghorn.

"We need to win on Friday. We need to go in with a positive mindset because our record at home is very good and we need to use that because Fulham are a good side.

"They want to be pushing for automatic promotion, but we know they are coming off the back of a difficult result for them (a 3-0 defeat by Barnsley), so they are going to be right at it.  We need to be ready for that.

"It is going to be a good game, but we back ourselves at home against anybody."

Asked if he thinks Derby can still make the play-offs, Waghorn said: "It is going to be difficult. There are six, seven, eight teams all thinking they have a good chance.

"We need to focus on one game at a time. I know it is a cliche, but Friday is the most important one because it is a team (Fulham) above us, and an opportunity to step closer.

"We need to be optimistic because we are Derby County, we need to be looking forward. This is why I came here. We are a top-six side who should be pushing for promotion.

"Where we are is not where we want to be, it doesn't reflect who we are as a team, so we need to be looking up."

Derby have won 11, drawn 11 and lost 11 of their 33 league fixtures - highlighting the inconsistency that has blighted them this season.

"Inconsistency has kind of been the story of our season," said Waghorn.

"We put a couple of good results together and then have a blip. We went on a run (seven unbeaten) and then lost away to Luton when worse case you come out of the game with a draw. You go for a win, obviously, but a draw would have kept the positive results going. It is all about consistency."



https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/derby-county-martyn-waghorn-fulham-3870579

3 times that Scott Parker has proved his worth to Fulham this season

Scott Parker has received mixed reviews from Fulham fans all season.

'With the players he's got, Fulham should already be promoted', and 'it's his first season, give him time', are the contrasting arguments surrounding Parker's maiden full season in football management.

The ex-England midfielder was handed a two-year contract after an inspired fight against relegation lasts season, and looked set for an immediate return to the top-flight after a positive summer of arrivals, and the all-important feat of retaining Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Fulham were at their best this season through December and January where they'd somehow managed to close what was an 11-point gap to 2nd-place Leeds United.

But that gap has since re-opened after a 3-0 defeat to bottom-club Barnsley last weekend, and Parker's whole tenure has inevitably boiled down to that one defeat.

Embarrassing as it was, Parker still has Fulham in contention for a Premier League return. Here we take a look at three times this season that Parker has proved his worth to Fulham:

November form
After opening the month with a 3-0 defeat at home to Hull City, Fulham showed great character to come back and win their remaining four that month, claiming wins over Birmingham, QPR, Derby and Swansea.

That month, Fulham looked every bit a promotion-winning team. They looked to be finally grasping the possession game that Parker's been so persistent with, and at times this season they've been a real joy to watch.

Results though have been their downfall. For all their possession and shots on target, Fulham too often can't find ways through games that they should be winning.

January transfer window
Fulham had an impressive summer window, but their January window was just as – they sealed the permanent signings of Ivan Cavaleiro and Bobby Reid, and also brought in Terrence Kongolo on-loan, who's since been ruled out for the remainder of the season, Jordan Archer and Michael Hector.

The last signing, in particular, has proved a hit, and the quality to the signings shows that Parker recognises his squad needs bolstering, and he's working hard to do just that.

Fulham to their credit have been ambitious in the last few transfer windows, but how much Parker has control over that is debated. He may well have drawn up a list of targets and got the board to sign them, if that's the case, then his recruitment has been excellent.

Win at Blackburn
It'll go down as a bog-standard away win, but it's a special one because it was the weekend that Fulham closed the gap on Leeds. Blackburn had only lost one of their 15 previous games at Ewood Park, but Fulham in some tough weather conditions put in an almost-perfect away performance.

They went level on points with Leeds, something which a month prior seemed impossible. That is a feat on its own and Parker deserves much more praise than he's received for keeping his players confident, and not losing focus on the top-two.

Fulham let themselves down last weekend, but there's still plenty of points to play for, and Parker could yet deliver Premier League football to Craven Cottage.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/3-times-that-scott-parker-has-proved-his-worth-to-fulham-this-season/

Edworthy Hails In-Form Lawrence Ahead Of Fulham Clash

Club ambassador and former Derby County defender Marc Edworthy has praised Tom Lawrence's impressive displays in recent weeks.

The 26-year-old, who has scored two goals in his latest three games, has played an important role in Derby's rise up the Sky Bet Championship table in recent months.

Wales international forward Lawrence has made 31 appearances in all competitions for Phillip Cocu's side this season and scored seven times.

Those seven strikes, including a stunner from distance in last weekend's 1-1 draw at home to Huddersfield Town, have equalled his best-ever return in front of goal for Derby since his arrival form Leicester City in August 2017.

Edworthy, who made 85 appearances for Derby between 2005-2008 and helped the club win promotion to the Premier League during the 2006/07 campaign, believes Lawrence should be commended for his displays.

Speaking on RamsTV's latest instalment of the Derby County Show, Edworthy said: "Tom is in great form and is a real danger in and around the penalty area.

"Tom sets his standards so high and he is performing with real confidence.

"His strikes are deliveries are very good and people will always judge him on the ball, but off the ball too he puts a real shift in.

"Credit to him, he's in such good form and I am sure he will go on to achieve his best-ever return in terms of goals for the club this season. Fingers crossed that he can finish the season really strongly."

He added: "I think Wayne Rooney's arrival has helped Tom too and it has allowed him to get forward with the way he plays and organises players around him."

Six of his seven goals so far this season have come from outside the penalty area, while he has also weighed in with three direct assists.

His goal against Huddersfield was arguably his best of the season to date, although he did also net an equally impressive strike in the 3-2 win at Swansea City just under a fortnight ago.

"Tom's goal against Huddersfield was one straight off the training ground," Edworthy said.

"When he was lining it up to shoot, I did think he was too far out. It was a wonderful strike.

"He's in great form and when he's hitting them like he has been lately, no goalkeeper is saving that.

"His goal at Swansea recently was fantastic as well and he's playing an important role at the moment. With the confidence he's in, he caught the ball well and it flew into the top corner."

Lawrence has made 114 appearances for Derby since his arrival early in the 2017/18 campaign across all competitions, scoring 20 times.



https://www.dcfc.co.uk/news/2020/02/edworthy-hails-in-form-lawrence-ahead-of-fulham-clash

Three changes; Jason Knight returns: Derby County's predicted line-up for Fulham clash

Derby County host Fulham in the Championship on Friday evening.

The Rams head into the encounter coming off the back of a 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town while Fulham surprisingly lost 3-0 at home to Barnsley.

Derby will be without Duane Holmes who picked up an injury against the Terriers. Andre Wisdom, however, may return after picking up a knock last week.

Here is how we believe Derby will line up:

On-loan goalkeeper Ben Hamer is likely to return to the starting eleven. He missed the game against parent club Huddersfield with Kelle Roos replacing him.

Manager Phillip Cocu has a tough decision to make in defence. Fullbacks Jayden Bogle and Max Lowe have both struggled defensively – allowing too many crosses.

Fulham have an abundance of quality in the wide areas. Anthony Knockaert, Ivan Cavaleiro and Aboubakar Kamara have all tormented Derby in the past.

The Rams must not allow Fulham's wide players to dictate. Therefore, Cocu may opt for the more experienced Craig Forsyth and Andre Wisdom at fullback.

Graeme Shinnie replaced the injured Holmes against Huddersfield. However, his introduction saw Wayne Rooney play further forward and Derby surrendered control.

Rooney is better as a holding midfielder alongside Max Bird. With an attacking spot vacant, Jason Knight may be brought back into the starting eleven.

The Republic of Ireland U21 international has sat out the last few games but Derby could do with that extra energy and directness with Holmes sitting out.

Fulham won the corresponding fixture 3-0. The Rams have improved since then and they should be a greater match for Scott Parker's side this time around.



https://www.derbycounty.news/news/three-changes-jason-knight-returns-derby-countys-predicted-line-up-for-fulham-clash/

Parker delivers Derby County verdict ahead of Fulham clash

Fulham manager Scott Parker has delivered his verdict on Derby County ahead of the Whites big Friday night clash with the Rams at Pride Park.

With the likes of Wayne Rooney in their ranks, a quick reminder as it has not been mentioned too many times, Derby are always likely to be a threat as Fulham look to bounce back from defeat.

But even with Phillip Cocu's men still in a lowly position, Parker has insisted that he is taking nothing for granted.

"They're a totally different team to the one we played earlier on in the season," he told his pre-match press conference, reported by the club's official website.

"They've got the second best home form in the division.

"It's always a tough place to go, Pride Park, and even more so now because Derby are on a good run.

"They're doing really well, so it will be a tough, tough place to go, I have no doubt."

Fulham will be eager to bounce back to winning ways on Friday against the Rams after suffering a blow to their automatic promotion hopes last weekend.

Bottom-side Barnsley came to Craven Cottage for what looked set to be a routine win for the Whites, but instead Gerhard Struber%u2019s men walked away with a 3-0 win and all three points.

The Whites still remain just three points behind Leeds United, who sit in second place, so will not have given up hope just yet, although this Friday night seems crucial to their chances.

The verdict

It is good that Parker is taking the Derby clash with the utmost seriousness following the Whites recent form.

The loss to Barnsley has the potential to seriously disrupt their promotion bid so bouncing back with a good showing against Derby is incredibly important.

Win and they are suddenly in a very good position again. However another another loss and it could be fatal to their chances of winning promotion this season.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/parker-delivers-derby-county-verdict-ahead-of-fulham-clash/

Aleksandar Mitrovic 'I will always love Newcastle but that was a big problem for me'

When Newcastle United fan Aleksandar Mitrovic arrived at St James Park, it looked the perfect match.

However, Mitro was arriving at a time of real Mike Ashley madness.

After only surviving relegation on the final day (2-0 Jonas v West Ham) of the previous season, Ashley's plan revolved bringing in inexperienced young (two 20 year olds, a 22 year old and a 24 year old) from weak overseas leagues, relying on them to instantly improve Newcastle on the pitch AND provide future profit as the new signings increased in value.

Putting Steve McClaren in charge of the team was the final piece of the relegation jigsaw.

Both Gini Wijnaldum and Aleksandar Mitrovic did supply future transfer profit but the cost of relegation was far beyond that.

Reflecting signing on at St James Park as a 20 year old: 'When I came to Newcastle I was very young. The period I needed to settle in... I didn't have one. I was expected to play straight away and score goals, like Papiss Cisse did a few years before. I will always love Newcastle but that was a big problem for me.'

Those Aleksandar Mitrovic comments give a massive pointer to why Joelinton has been a disaster for Newcastle United.

Arriving as a 22 year old, the Brazilian had played one season at a decent level in the Bundesliga but in typical Newcastle United fashion, has been thrown in the deep end.

Steve Bruce has played Joelinton in every single Premier League match, starting 25 and off the bench in one, he has also started all four FA Cup games. Whether he is under orders from Mike Ashley to always play the owner's big signing, who knows? What I do know is that if say Rafa was manager then he would be looking after Joelinton, giving him the odd break and trying to find ways to get him going.

Mitro says 'People forget I have a good record in the Premier League — 21 goals over two seasons in teams that were relegated is not easy.'

It is true, Aleksandar Mitrovic has got an ok record in the top tier, 10 for Newcastle and 11 for Fulham. Those 21 PL goals coming at a rate of round one every three starts.

Interesting to see what happens with the Serbian striker next. If Fulham are promoted then he will almost certainly stay there but it looks a certainty he would move on otherwise as he turns 26 in September, very interesting to see what kind of club would come in for him.

Aleksandar Mitrovic speaking to The Mail:

"If you feel down, get up. This is what life is about. My father taught me, 'After rain, the sun always comes out'.

"I had a real rainy period at Newcastle. Now, it's really sunny. But when it's going well, this is the time to push even harder.

"People forget I have a good record in the Premier League — 21 goals over two seasons in teams that were relegated is not easy.

'There will always be people with negativity. I don't listen. I have my goals, that is how I will prove myself. It's why I play football.

"I don't enjoy passing, running, fighting... goals are my obsession. Only strikers understand that.

"When I came to Newcastle I was very young. The period I needed to settle in... I didn't have one. I was expected to play straight away and score goals, like Papiss Cisse did a few years before.

"I will always love Newcastle but that was a big problem for me."



https://www.themag.co.uk/2020/02/aleksandar-mitrovic-i-will-always-love-newcastle-but-that-was-a-big-problem-for-me-newcastle-united/

Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic faces Derby County this weekend - but what is his secret?

Derby County take centre stage in the Championship tonight when they welcome Fulham to Pride Park

Aleksandar Mitrovic is renowned for his decision-making in front of goal – but how does the prolific Fulham striker train that natural instinct?

Having already spearheaded one Championship promotion charge at Craven Cottage, the Serb's goals this season – all 21 of them – are a big factor in his side being among the chasing pack for an instant return to the Premier League.

Initially welcomed to England by Newcastle United in 2015, his return for Fulham is nothing short of exception, scoring 44 goals in 84 league games.

Following a recent return from injury, the frontman will once again be the man to look out for when Derby County welcome the west Londoners to Pride Park tonight (7.45pm).

But there is a rather surprising factor behind Mitrovic's goalscoring exploits.

In an extended interview with Mail Online, he said: "I love to play chess. My father was a champion, one of the best in the country.

"He could play without even looking. He had a thick book with all the combinations. He knew every move. I have never even played him, he is too good!"

Mitrovic added: "I play most nights before I go to bed, with my wife or online.

"I love it. Just you and your mind, trying to predict things to win the game, to see how it is going to play.

"I can play with you now and we don't need to talk, we talk on the board. I try to read you, see what you're going to do.

"It really relaxes me, but also it teaches you to anticipate, to think. As a striker, that is everything."

If his impressive Championship record isn't enough of a warning, Derby have already felt the impact Mitrovic first-hand this season – he scored the second goal during a 3-0 victory for Fulham during the corresponding fixture in November.



https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/derby-county-fulham-aleksandar-mitrovic-3871483

Cyrus Christie claims Paul Clement prevented him trading Derby County for Champions League club

Fulham defender Cyrus Christie told Counter Attack podcast how former Derby County manager Paul Clement stopped him from joining a Champions League club.

The Rams signed Christie from Coventry in 2014. He made a total of 119 appearances over a three-year spell at Pride Park, later joining Middlesbrough.

Christie was first-choice under Steve McClaren. However, the arrival of Paul Clement saw him lose his spot with the versatile Chris Baird replacing him at right-back.

Speaking to Counter Attack podcast, Christie wanted to leave Derby for a Champions League club. Clement, however, wasn't willing to facilitate a deal.

He (Paul Clement) just came in and wasn't having me at all – out of nowhere. I had somewhere lined up to go and he said: 'No, you can't go there. It's abroad'. I said: 'What's the issue with going abroad? They play in the Champions League. You've got to let me go. It's a good opportunity'. But he said: 'I don't want you to go there. Let's sit down and discuss some teams that you can go to.'

Christie ultimately remained at Derby and won his place back in the side.

The Rams reached the playoffs in the 2015-16 campaign. However, a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Hull City in the semi-finals saw them again miss out on the Premier League.

Christie went on to join Middlesbrough in the summer of 2017. But, after just six months, Fulham paid £4 million to take him to Craven Cottage.

The 27-year-old has largely been a squad player for the Whites. He has just eight Championship starts this season, with another eight appearances off the bench.

Derby host Fulham on Friday and it will be the first time Christie returns to Pride Park as an opposing player since departing the East Midlands club.



https://www.derbycounty.news/analysis/cyrus-christie-claims-paul-clement-prevented-him-trading-derby-county-for-champions-league-club/

'Impossible' - What Fulham fans are saying about Derby County game

Fulham can move level on points with Leeds United in second with victory in front of the Sky Sports cameras

Championship promotion contenders Fulham can move level on points with second-placed Leeds United tonight – but their fans are not feeling too confident.

In front of the Sky Sports cameras at Pride Park, the west Londoners are out to bounce back from a shock 3-0 home defeat to rock-bottom Barnsley when they take on Derby County.

Here is a selection of comments and predictions from Fulham supporters ahead of kick-off;

Milo said: "I think it will be 2-1 to Derby or even 3-1. Always end up seeing Derby thump us so I'm afraid it's a hangover from previous years. Luckily we will have been at the beer festival so won't be able to remember my own name by kick-off!"

FC Fulham 55 posted: "I can see a shock 2-0 defeat here, despite everyone thinking that we will lose by more."

By The River added: "Depends which Fulham turn up, which is bloody tough to call at the moment! Call it madness or blind love (both?), but I'm backing us to remain inconsistent, play totally different to last weekend and emerge the victors – 1-2 or 1-3. COYW."

Bocanegra said: "I'm going 3-0 to Derby. We are really off form at the moment and have struggled at their ground in the past. Derby in second for home record this season!"

Filham posted: "A dog's chance and no chance at all. Those are our best options. I can't even see us scoring. Compared to last week this one will be tough."

Twig added: "I guess it depends whether there is a really positive response to the debacle against Barnsley. I'm not confident there will be but with this team you never know."

Suffolk White said: "Impossible to predict as we are so inconsistent, but what will be interesting is whether the players actually turn up and whether the tactics have changed."

Statto posted: "Have a horrible feeling (although in some ways it may be a relief) that Barnsley will be the point our bubble burst and we will fall rapidly down from a false league position. Wouldn't be surprised if we don't win any of the next seven games."

The Rock added: "We were bad enough to lose to bottom of the table Barnsley. Twice. So, I'll go for a Fulham win. No reason, just darts at a dartboard. We should be better."



https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/derby-county-fulham-fans-predictions-3871662

Matchday Preview

Derby County v Fulham - Pride Park - Friday 21st February 2020 - 7.45pm

The opposition

After reaching the Play-Off Final last season, Derby have struggled to maintain that momentum this time around. Not helped by the departures of boss Frank Lampard and loan stars Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori and Harry Wilson, the Rams failed to find any sort of consistency in the first half of the season, only stringing back-to-back wins together for the first time over the New Year. That second game saw a debut for Wayne Rooney, which has proven to be the catalyst for some much stronger performances. It's the away form which has really been the Rams' downfall this season – they have the joint best home record alongside Preston North End.
Derby doubts

Duane Holmes, Krystian Bielik, Tom Huddlestone, George Evans, Ikechi Anya
Fulham doubts

Terence Kongolo, Alfie Mawson, Maxime Le Marchand, Harrison Reed

Tickets

Tickets will be available for Fulham fans to purchase on the night from the Away Ticket Cabin situated at the south east corner of the stadium from 6pm. Cash only, priced at: £33 adults, £23 18-21 year olds, £22 seniors, £18 under-18s, £11 2-12 year olds.
Weather

It will be an overcast but dry evening in Derby, with temperatures around nine degrees.
Fan guide

Have a read of Derby's away fan guide.

FFCtv coverage

Because this match has been chosen for coverage on Sky Sports, we are not able to stream this match live on FFCtv. Live commentary will, though, be available to all subscribers.
Dafabet match odds

Derby: 15/8

Draw: 12/5

Fulham: 6/4

He said

"We have respect for the opponent. They are a strong team, third in the table, and it won't be an easy. They play good football, they like to have the ball, they dominate, play out from the back, have good players, not only the first 11 but I think if you look at their squad they have good options." – Derby manager Phillip Cocu
Form

Derby: WWWLD

Fulham: LWWDL



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/february/21/matchday-preview

Matchday Prices Confirmed For Fulham Clash

Matchday prices have been confirmed for tonight's Sky Bet Championship clash between Derby County and Fulham (7.45pm kick off).

Derby's home form throughout the campaign has been strong and the meeting with the Cottagers will see Phillip Cocu's side take on the one of the Championship's automatic promotion-chasers this evening.

Ticket prices are as follows:

* £10.00 Child (Age 2-12)

* £17.00 Youth (Age 13-17)

* £22.00 Young Adult (Age 18-21)

* £31.00 Adult (Age 22-64)

* £21.00 Senior (Age 65+)*Prices based on category D & E

A £1 per ticket booking fee applies when purchasing by either telephone or online.

For matchday ticket enquiries and purchases, please visit the Ticket Office at Pride Park Stadium or call 0871 472 1884 (option 1).



https://www.dcfc.co.uk/news/2020/02/matchday-prices-confirmed-for-fulham-clash

Charlton move to secure Doughty future after Fulham January interest

According to the South London Press' Richard Cawley, Charlton Athletic have moved to secure the future of rated youngster Alfie Doughty at the club by extending his current deal.

Cawley writes that the Addicks have exercised an option to extend his current deal and have done so with Doughty's contract being extended until the summer of 2022. Speaking to the South London Press, Charlton boss Lee Bowyer confirmed this saying: "With Alfie there was a clause in his contract which triggers something – and we've triggered that," said the Addicks boss. "So that's another year."

Doughty has made his way up through the youth ranks at The Valley, graduating from the Under-23 this season after loan spells in non-league football with Kingstonian FC and Bromley. Eight of his games this season have been out on loan at Bromley, where he scored twice in games against Notts County and Solihull Moors.

However, since his return to Charlton from the National League side, Doughty has been an almost ever-present for the Addicks. He's enjoyed a run of 16 games from late-November, only missing one game. During this run of appearances, Doughty has scored his first Championship goal in the 3-2 win over Bristol City and provided assists in losses to Sheffield Wednesday and Preston North End.

Such was his rise to prominence that the South London Press state that he came to the notice of Championship high-flyers Fulham who showed interest in the 20-year-old during the January transfer window.

If he continues to show the progress and consistency that he already has so far this season, it might be likely that teams such as Fulham come around sniffing again in the summer.



https://the72.co.uk/157548/charlton-move-to-secure-doughty-future-after-fulham-january-interest/

The main talking points from Parker's Fulham press conference ahead of Derby clash

Fulham travel to Derby County in the Championship tonight.

Scott Parker's side worked so hard to close what was an 11-point gap to 2nd-place Leeds over the festive period, and going into last weekend level on points and welcoming bottom-club Barnsley to Craven Cottage, everything was supposed to continue on it's upward trajectory.

But Fulham and Parker were brought crashing down to Earth by the Tykes who claimed the shock of the weekend, winning 3-0.

It's added extra importance to tonight's game at Pride Park, and another loss will have Parker under immense pressure as he looks to deliver an immediate return to the Premier League.

Speaking to www.fulhamfc.com ahead of the clash, Parker recognised Derby's home-form, and how much they've changed since the pair met earlier in the season:

"They're a totally different team to the one we played earlier on in the season. They've got the second best home form in the division.

"It's always a tough place to go, Pride Park, and even more so now because Derby are on a good run. They're doing really well, so it will be a tough, tough place to go, I have no doubt."

Fulham claimed a 3-0 win when Derby visited the Cottage in November, with Bobby Reid, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Tom Cairney all netting in what was arguably Parker's best month in charge – he won four of five through November.

The ex-England midfielder then went on to talk about an ex-England teammate of his in Wayne Rooney. Our nation's all-time leading goal-scorer arrived at Pride Park in January in a player-coach role, and the Rams have since seen an upturn in their form:

"He's made a massive impact, I think you can see that, certainly in the way they're playing," Parker said. "When you bring a player of Wayne's calibre into your football club, he brings a certain mentality, as well as the quality he has as a footballer which we all know.

"With a player who's got a winning mentality and who has been there and done it, I've no doubt that he'll be a huge success there, and that's why Wayne's had a big impact."

Rooney though isn't the fiery 18-year-old he once was. "He's a different player now," Parker said. "He's an older player now, and the qualities he has are very different.

"When you're a world class player, you realise and work out quickly how you can still be effective in a football match, and Wayne's done that incredibly well.

"When you watch him play now, he can grab the game by the scruff of the neck and really take control of a football match from a deeper area. That's what I've seen from their last few games whilst analysing ahead of this one.

"He's different now, of course. What I used to see and what we all used to see isn't what Wayne does now, but he's still mightily effective."

A win tonight would answer a lot of fans' question about Parker. His side have proved inconsistent this season and that's the difference between them and the top-two.

Fulham can be world-beaters on their day, but Parker needs to find a way of getting through difficult games, and eradicating silly defeats.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/the-main-talking-points-from-parkers-fulham-press-conference-ahead-of-derby-clash/

Opposition in focus – Derby County

Another helping of Friday night football sees Fulham make the journey north to face Phillip Cocu's Derby County side at Pride Park this evening.

Tonight's televised game is our first visit to Derbyshire since the memorable Championship play-off semi final and it comes off the back of a disappointing defeat at home to Barnsley last weekend. If Scott Parker needs to lift his troops, he might be able to raise spirits by recalling Fulham's comfortable 3-0 dispatching of the Rams in November. Cocu and Derby have to be disappointed with their season so far, with the club currently nine points off the play-off places in thirteenth, although the arrival of veteran Wayne Rooney, who has scored nine goals in twelve appearances against Fulham, seems to have sparked something of a revival. Derby are unbeaten in four and have scored sixteen goals in their last twelve league outings.

The Rams, with Cocu finally able to transmit his vision to a squad that contains plenty of quality, probably still have realistic promotion aspirations – especially with how crazy this division remains. As well as Rooney, County have plenty of quality within their squad. Creative midfielder Tom Lawrence has seven goals to his name already this time and former Fulham striker Chris Martin, who has formed a potent partnership with the evergreen Martyn Waghorn up front, will be eager to remind us all of his talent. The pair have plundered nineteen goals between them so far this season.

The home side will have to do without the experienced Tom Huddlestone, a regular scourge of Fulham, who has succumbed to a long-standing calf problem. American midfielder Duane Holmes, scorer of a stunning equaliser at Middlesbrough, is also missing due to a leg injury but Cocu should be able to welcome back the former Liverpool defender Andre Wisdom from a hamstring strain.

Parker's injury concerns are familiar. Harrison Reed is likely to miss out again, whilst defenders Alfie Mawson, Terence Kongolo and Maxime Le Marchand are long-term absentees. The Whites are in dire need of both a performance and a big result at Pride Park to breathe new life into their promotion push, especially after their meek capitulation against bottom of the table Barnsley. 700 Fulham fans are making the journey up to Derby tonight as Parker aims to put the pressure back on Leeds before Saturday's fixtures.

MY FULHAM XI (4-3-3): Rodak; Christie, Odoi, Hector, Bryan; McDonald, Cairney, Onomah; Decordova-Reid, Mitrovic, Cavaleiro

My prediction: Derby County 1-2 Fulham.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/02/opposition-in-focus-derby-county/

U18 Preview: Saints vs Fulham

Southampton's youngsters return to action on Saturday, hosting Fulham in U18 Premier League at Staplewood Campus (11am GMT).

The league leaders travel to the south coast having only lost once all season, proving to be a big test for 8th placed Saints.

Saturday's hosts narrowly lost out to second place Chelsea in their last outing at the start of the month, coming away from West London with a 2-0 defeat on February 1st.

The defeat at Chelsea followed a dominating 5-0 victory over Swansea on their last fixture at Staplewood, featuring a hat-trick from Jack Turner.

Many Under-18s regulars have made the move up to the Under-23s in recent weeks, meaning a new look side will take the field on Saturday.

A win for Saints could will open up the game on the lower half of the league standings, putting them a point behind Aston Villa in 7th should they lose their game at home to Norwich City.



https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2020-02-21/u18-preview-southampton-fc-vs-fulham-premier-league-u18-19-20

£15m star admits that he loves Newcastle United

Newcastle United sold Alexander Mitrovic to Fulham back in 2018.

Aleksandar Mitrovic has told the Daily Mail that he loves Newcastle United.

Mitrovic spent three years with Newcastle between 2015 and 2018, but he never quite seemed to convince Rafael Benitez.

Newcastle ultimately sold Mitrovic to Fulham for £15 million (The Sun), where he has gone on to score prolifically.

Mitrovic has netted 21 goals in 30 appearances so far this season at Championship level.

And he feels more ready to cope with the responsibility put on his shoulders now, than he was when he first joined Newcastle.

"They expect me to make things happen," he said. "It's a new experience for me.

"When I came to Newcastle I was very young. The period I needed to settle in... I didn't have one. I was expected to play straight away and score goals, like Papiss Cisse did a few years before.

"I will always love Newcastle, but that was a big problem for me."

There have been suggestions from some Newcastle supporters that Mitrovic should never have been sold, considering their struggles this season.

Joelinton is Newcastle's top scoring striker this term, having hit the back of the net just three times.

Mitrovic would surely have bettered that total had he been kept around by Benitez, but the Magpies loss has certainly been Fulham's gain as the Serbian has been nothing short of excellent ever since moving to Craven Cottage.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/02/21/15m-star-admits-that-he-loves-newcastle-united/

Tickets: Fulham (H)


Details for Cottagers clash.

Tickets for our Sky Bet Championship fixture with Fulham on Wednesday 18th March 2020 (7:45pm) will go on sale to Gold Members on Tuesday 25th February at 9am

Each 2019/20 Gold Member will be able to purchase one ticket per Membership. Season Ticket Holders will be unable to buy additional tickets for the fixture during the Gold Members on sale date.

In the event that tickets are remaining following the Gold Members priority period, we will look to release those to 2019/20 Home Season Ticket Holders at 9am on Friday 28th February.

General sale will then commence on Monday 2nd March, subject to availability.

Tickets can be purchased online, via the Leeds United Call Centre on 0371 334 1992 and in person at the West Stand Ticket Office.

This fixture is a Category A game.

The club are not accepting any group booking requests for this fixture.

Please note, all tickets are subject to availability.



https://www.leedsunited.com/news/ticketing/26272/tickets-fulham-h

The Championship promotion race: What the numbers say

The Championship has given us some fantastic promotion battles over the past few years, from Fulham and Cardiff City's race for second spot two seasons ago, to the top of the table tussle between Norwich City, Sheffield United and Leeds United in 2018/19.

But this season's fight for a spot in the Premier League was starting to look like something of a foregone conclusion as recently as the turn of the year.

When Leeds won a 5-4 thriller at Birmingham City on December 29 they found themselves tied with West Bromwich Albion on 51 points and in first place – 11 points clear of Fulham in third and appearing well-positioned to finally make a return to the top flight after a 16-year absence.

Fast-forward less than two months and the promotion picture is looking markedly different, after a tumultuous few weeks of football in England's second tier.

Prior to the latest two rounds of Championship fixtures, the gap between the teams from second to fifth had been reduced to just two points, after a drop in form from Leeds United coincided with a run of positive results from Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Brentford.

Marcelo Bielsa's men have regained a three-point advantage on their challengers over the past week, but the constant ebbing and flowing of the league table is testament to the unpredictable nature of the Championship – it certainly feels harder than ever to predict who will come out on top when the end of the season rolls around.

But the statistics behind the campaign so far can go some way to helping us estimate how the league will look at its conclusion.

Bielsa's sides are often criticised for struggling in the final stages of the season, but it's hard to argue with Leeds' numbers to date. For starters, the Whites are top of the table when it comes to expected goals (xG) with 61.93 – that's over ten goals better than Brentford, who are second in the xG chart with 51.29.

It also puts Leeds' xG just under 14 goals higher than their actual goal tally, suggesting that the men from Yorkshire are well placed to finish the season strongly if they can be more clinical in the final 13 matches.

The recent loan signing of forward Jean-Kévin Augustin from RB Leipzig could go some way to addressing their problems in front of goal.

Current first-choice striker Patrick Bamford has the highest individual xG in the Championship (22.98) but has only found the net on 12 occasions – that degree of wastefulness could significantly hamper the Whites' promotion chances and suggests that they may be better off with Augustin upfront for their remaining games.

When you consider that Leeds are also the joint-best team in the division with Brentford for Expected Goals Against (xGA) at 27.73, it becomes increasingly apparent that Bielsa has put together a side worthy of finishing in the top two.

Their recent drop off in form – only winning two league matches in 11 attempts until Saturday's victory over Bristol City – will, of course, worry supporters after last year's capitulation at the final hurdle. But all the numbers point to this finally being Leeds' season, with the Whites also impressing in a whole host of other metrics.

Whether it's shots per 90 (14.38), crosses per 90 (21.84) or touches in the box per 90 (24.74), the former Premier League heavyweights come out on top. Taking all that into account, it feels like this must surely be the time for Leeds United to rejoin the game's elite.

But who will join them in the top flight? Most people would say that the smart money is on West Bromwich Albion at this stage of the campaign, with the Baggies currently in pole position and seven points clear of third-place Fulham.

Slaven Bilić's free-scoring side have found the net more than any other team in the Championship (59), but it is worth noting that they have outperformed their xG (49.81) by just over nine goals. They're also below Brentford in the table if we look at expected points (xP) with 53.4 versus the Bees' 58.3.

Interestingly, the west London club have also been better than the Baggies in a number of other areas, from touches in the box per 90 (21.32 vs 17.87) to shots against per 90 (8.07 vs 9.87).

It may be that West Bromwich Albion's eight-point lead over Thomas Frank's team will be enough to see them over the line, but it would be unwise to rule out a late charge for the top two from Brentford in the campaign's final few months.

Even if the Bees don't make it into the automatic spots, the stats point to them looking well-placed to come out on top if they finish in the play-offs. However, it would be foolish to try and predict that end of season lottery, and perhaps also not advisable to bet against Fulham – experienced play-off campaigners after finishing in the top six during two of the last three seasons (and winning at Wembley two years ago).

The Cottagers don't quite match up to Brentford, West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United in most of the key metrics, but have tightened up defensively since centre-back Michael Hector became eligible to play for Scott Parker's side at the beginning of the year.

Three back-to-back clean sheets in January indicate that we could see a more resilient Fulham in 2020, which may be enough to keep them in the promotion mix over the coming months.

But the numbers certainly suggest that it could be the other promotion-chasing team in west London cracking open the champagne in May, joining Leeds United in the 2020/21 Premier League party.



https://www.footballwhispers.com/blog/championship-promotion-race-what-numbers-says?utm_medium=affiliates&utm_source=news-now

Derby County news: Here's the man in the middle for the match against Fulham

Lancashire referee red-carded Middlesbrough midfielder George Saville at Pride Park earlier in the season

Darren Bond will take charge of the televised Championship clash between Derby County and Fulham this evening.

In front of the Sky Sports cameras, the Lancashire referee will be assisted by Mark Jones and Akil Howson – with Robert Jones acting as fourth official.

You may remember Mr Bond giving the Rams a helping hand earlier in the season.

Indeed, he sent-off Middlesbrough midfielder George Saville after 32 minutes of the Championship clash between the sides – with Derby going on to record a 2-0 victory, courtesy of Tom Lawrence's brace.

It remains the only red card brandished by Mr Bond this campaign.

He has, though, dished out 87 yellow cards in 24 games so far, including a staggering total of 11 during a gritty and heated encounter between West Brom and rock-bottom Barnsley.

As for his fourth official Mr Jones, meanwhile, this weekend marks a hectic 24 hours or so.

Starting off at Pride Park this evening – where Derby host promotion contenders Fulham – he will then be the man in the middle for Nottingham Forest's clash against QPR.

Mr Jones will be assisted by Ian Cooper and Philip Dermott for that one, while Rob Smith is set to serve as fourth official.



https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/derby-county-fulham-darren-bond-3873238

Fulham boss Scott Parker discusses the impact of Rooney's arrival at Derby County

Speaking to the club's official website, Fulham manager Scott Parker has said he is not surprised that Derby County's form has improved since the arrival of Wayne Rooney at Pride Park.

Wayne Rooney officially linked up with Derby County at the start of January and the Rams have only lost two games since, winning six games and picking up three draws across all competitions in the process.

Now, Derby County are preparing to face Fulham at Pride Park with Philip Cocu's side hoping to pick up another three points to try and bring themselves back into the hunt for a place in the Championship play-offs.

Fulham boss Scott Parker is hoping his side can bounce back from last weekend's defeat to Barnsley and ahead of the game, he spoke about the impact of Wayne Rooney at Derby. In his 11 games with the club, the England legend has scored three goals and laid on two assists.

"He's made a massive impact, I think you can see that, certainly in the way they're playing," said Parker.

"When you bring a player of Wayne's calibre into your football club, he brings a certain mentality, as well as the quality he has as a footballer which we all know.

"I'm sure he's bringing another dynamic which a team like Derby have probably never seen before. You like to think that when you bring players like that in, he'll be scooping a few up along the way and a few will be following what he does, because that's what happens when you bring world-class players in.

"With a player who's got a winning mentality and who has been there and done it, I've no doubt that he'll be a huge success there, and that's why Wayne's had a big impact."



https://the72.co.uk/157593/fulham-boss-scott-parker-discusses-the-impact-of-rooneys-arrival-at-derby-county/

QPR Tickets

Tickets for Fulham's trip to face Queens Park Rangers go on sale from Monday morning.

Fulham travel to Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium on Saturday 21st March hoping to do the double over West London rivals Queens Park Rangers, kick-off 12.30pm.

Tickets for this fixture will go on sale to Season Tickets Holders and Members on Monday 24th February at 10am.

Any remaining tickets will go on General Sale from 10am on Wednesday 26th February.

Supporters are able to purchase a total of two tickets per person for this fixture.

Adult tickets are available from £29 with under 18 tickets from just £14. More information can be found on our match centre page here.
Supporters can secure their seats online, by phone on 0203 871 0810 (opt 1) or in person from the Fulham FC Ticket Office.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/february/21/qpr-tickets

Zambo Anguissa relishing revised role at Villarreal

The Cameroon midfielder tells Goal about his new responsibilities in La Liga, and remembers a tricky season with Fulham

Cameroon's Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa is enjoying his new midfield role with Champions League hopefuls Villarreal, and has offered his thanks to Fulham's Scott Parker for helping him out during a testing season in the Premier League.

The 24-year-old has found his feet in the Spanish top flight after signing from Fulham on loan in July, and has featured in all but two of Villarreal's La Liga fixtures ahead of Sunday's showdown with Atletico Madrid.

He's relishing the new role he's been handed by coach Javier Calleja, and his talent is finally being admired again after a testing season in the Premier League.

"There are several differences [between France and Spain]," he told Goal. "With Olympique de Marseille, I played in a cup final, but it's different from what I've experienced at Villarreal.

"At Marseille, I featured in a defensive role and was charged with keeping the team structure together so I had to consider a lot of things.

"At Villarreal, because of the quality of the players [we have] and the style of play, I am playing more as a box-to-box [midfielder], and I feel my abilities are utilised both defensively and offensively."

The Yellow Submarine head into this weekend's clash in sixth place in La Liga, two points behind Atletico, who currently occupy the fourth Champions League qualifying berth.

Zambo-Anguissa reached the 2018 Europa League final with OM, and moved to Fulham in the aftermath of that defeat—by Atletico—although things didn't work out as planned in the Premier League, as the Cottagers were relegated after one season back in the top flight.

"The Premier League was always a league I wanted to experience and be involved in," he continued. "It was an experience I will carry with me for a lifetime.

"I went to Fulham as a very ambitious player, with great potential," he added. "I knew Claudio Ranieri, who signed me, but the season didn't go as well as we wouldn't wanted or expected."

Zambo-Anguissa made 22 league appearances as the Cottagers tumbled out of the top tier, 10 points from safety, following a 19th-placed finish, with Ranieri replaced by Parker late in the campaign.

"Parker was a person I admired a lot," the Cameroon international concluded. "I am thankful for him because he's helped me a lot in my progress."



https://www.goal.com/en/news/zambo-anguissa-relishing-revised-role-at-villarreal/1wk877nbooejd1a5vllyifvn5i

The likely Fulham XI Parker is set to field v Derby tonight

Fulham travel to Derby County in the Championship tonight.

Scott Parker's side will head to Pride Park looking to rectify arguably their worst showing of the season last time out – a 3-0 home defeat to bottom-club Barnsley.

A game that should've been a home banker for Parker and Fulham as they look to keep the heat on the top-two, Fulham crumbled, and now a three-point gap to Leeds has reopened.

It's added some extra importance to the fixture tonight, and here we take a look at the likely starting-eleven that Parker will field:


In what'll be a 4-3-3 for Fulham, expect to see Marek Rodak keep his spot in goal despite last weekend's calamitous showing, with Michael Hector and Tim Ream as centre-backs.

Joe Bryan will occupy the left-back role that's been his all season, but the right-back position has been more contested. Steven Sessegnon started there last week but Cyrus Christie and Denis Odoi have shared that spot for the most part – expect the more experienced head of Odoi to start tonight.

Kevin McDonald will continue his run in the team since returning from injury, sitting just in-front of the defence. Tom Cairney will play on his left, and Josh Onomah usually plays on the right but after playing a lot of football of late, and coming under some scrutiny from fans last time out, Stefan Johansen could well be in line for a rare start.

Up-front, Aleksandar Mitrovic will no doubt keep his spot in the middle of the front-three.

The wingers either side of him haven't been as prolific as a promotion-winning front-three should be – Ivan Cavaleiro is their best option and goal-threat with six this season, and will likely start on the left.

Who starts on the right out of Aboubakar Kamara, Anthony Knockaert and Bobby Reid is anyone's guess. Expect the latter though to start, with five goals to his name this season, and being a permanent figure now too, he'll likely get in ahead of Knockaert.

A huge game for Fulham tonight, and another bad defeat could land Parker in a lot of trouble.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/the-likely-fulham-xi-parker-is-set-to-field-v-derby-tonight/

Quote from: whitejc on February 21, 2020, 05:41:08 PM
The likely Fulham XI Parker is set to field v Derby tonight

Fulham travel to Derby County in the Championship tonight.

Scott Parker's side will head to Pride Park looking to rectify arguably their worst showing of the season last time out – a 3-0 home defeat to bottom-club Barnsley.

A game that should've been a home banker for Parker and Fulham as they look to keep the heat on the top-two, Fulham crumbled, and now a three-point gap to Leeds has reopened.

It's added some extra importance to the fixture tonight, and here we take a look at the likely starting-eleven that Parker will field:

(https://cdn.footballleagueworld.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/lineup-53.png)

In what'll be a 4-3-3 for Fulham, expect to see Marek Rodak keep his spot in goal despite last weekend's calamitous showing, with Michael Hector and Tim Ream as centre-backs.

Joe Bryan will occupy the left-back role that's been his all season, but the right-back position has been more contested. Steven Sessegnon started there last week but Cyrus Christie and Denis Odoi have shared that spot for the most part – expect the more experienced head of Odoi to start tonight.

Kevin McDonald will continue his run in the team since returning from injury, sitting just in-front of the defence. Tom Cairney will play on his left, and Josh Onomah usually plays on the right but after playing a lot of football of late, and coming under some scrutiny from fans last time out, Stefan Johansen could well be in line for a rare start.

Up-front, Aleksandar Mitrovic will no doubt keep his spot in the middle of the front-three.

The wingers either side of him haven't been as prolific as a promotion-winning front-three should be – Ivan Cavaleiro is their best option and goal-threat with six this season, and will likely start on the left.

Who starts on the right out of Aboubakar Kamara, Anthony Knockaert and Bobby Reid is anyone's guess. Expect the latter though to start, with five goals to his name this season, and being a permanent figure now too, he'll likely get in ahead of Knockaert.

A huge game for Fulham tonight, and another bad defeat could land Parker in a lot of trouble.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/the-likely-fulham-xi-parker-is-set-to-field-v-derby-tonight/

do you think the people who write these things, just type down any old crap without ever seeing us play once. In what world is it likely that Onomah will finally be dropped.

Well I take it back, Josh has been dropped from the squad