Results| Monday |
Brighton | 1-2 | Palace |
AFC Bournemouth interest in key Fulham man revealed
AFC Bournemouth have recently taken an interest in Fulham manager Scott Parker, according to the Guardian.
Bournemouth's managerial search concluded at the weekend, with the Cherries appointing temporary boss Jonathan Woodgate on a permanent basis until the end of the season.
Woodgate has yielded three wins from five games in charge of Bournemouth, and after failing to lure Thierry Henry to the Vitality Stadium, he has now been appointed on a deal until the end of the campaign.
According to the Guardian, Bournemouth are "admirers" of Fulham boss Scott Parker, however it remains to be seen whether the Cherries make a move for the 40-year-old.
Parker guided Fulham to promotion in his first full season in charge of the Cottagers last term, and this season, his side are fighting for Premier League safety.
Parker ā whose side sit 18th in the league table and only three points adrift of safety ā has won 36 out of 92 games in charge of Fulham.
The Verdict
This would be an interesting appointment for Bournemouth in the summer.
Of course, a lot of it will hinge on Fulham's league position and whether they get relegated or not. If they go down, then Parker will have ambitions of staying in the Premier League, and if Bournemouth go up, then who knows what may happen.
He's a young manager who has enjoyed success already, and he is the type of manager who Bournemouth look to go for. The next Eddie Howe?
https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/afc-bournemouth-interest-in-key-fulham-man-revealed/
Steve Bruce refuses to name points safety target but this is what it is
Steve Bruce has 90 days left to save Newcastle United's season.
On that 90th day, Newcastle United travel to Fulham for a 4pm appointment at Craven Cottage, by 6pm NUFC fans will know their fate.
Of course, we could and should know well before that date, shouldn't we?
After losing at Old Trafford, Steve Bruce had this message for Newcastle fans: 'My message to the supporters is, I'm convinced we'll be okay. I am convinced we will be safe.'
What a relief!
Mike Ashley, Lee Charnley and the rest of the owner's minions might think there is no need to inform or reassure Newcastle fans about ANY concerns they might have about their club BUT thankfully we have Steve Bruce to rely on.
As to how Newcastle United are going to be 'okay', Steve Bruce even let us in on his carefully constructed plan towards being 'safe'.
The NUFC Head Coach declaring: 'We need to win a few games. We have to get to that magical points mark, whatever it is.'
Hmmm, that is not quite so reassuring.
In these past 16 Newcastle matches (2 wins, 2 draws, 12 defeats), Steve Bruce hasn't known how to 'win a few games', so with only 13 games to go, why would we trust his message that we will 'win a few games' amongst that lucky thirteen that are coming up?
On that subject, Steve Bruce claims: 'we have games coming up, where we think we can take points', hmmm.
Bruce has been keen to go to great lengths as to how difficult it has been having to play both Chelsea and Man Utd one after the other. Pointing out the obvious, this run of 16 games hasn't all been against top five clubs and indeed, the reality is that there is only one really good team this season and that is Man City.
This is how the Premier League table looks on Monday morning:
(https://www.themag.co.uk/assets/Premier-League-Table-02-22-2021.png?ezimgfmt=ng:webp/ngcb8)
In these past 16 games, the majority of matches were against clubs who were tenth or lower in the Premier League (and Championship in the case of Brentford).
They included Newcastle totally outplayed and defeated by a Sheffield United team who had won none of their last 20 Premier League matches.
Whilst it was a total fluke that Newcastle United got a 1-1 home draw with Fulham during this run, Scott Parker's team totally dominating and even down to ten men looked more likely to score.
It is sobering to think that if Fulham had won that game at St James Park as they fully deserved to, Newcastle United would already be in the bottom three.
So what is the points total that will keep Newcastle United safe, what message has Steve Bruce got as to what he and his players need to do: 'We have to get to that magical points mark, whatever it is.'
Phew, that's reassuring...not.
The stock answer for anybody down the years has always been getting to that 40 points as soon as possible.
No wonder Steve Bruce is shy of mentioning that, 15 points from the next 13 games would be needed for that, this from a Newcastle team that have picked up on 8 points in their last 14 PL matches.
So what number of points are needed to stay up this season and for Steve Bruce to aim for and 'succeed' in avoiding relegation?
Well being generous, we won't say 40 points, we won't even say 39, not even 38. Instead, doing the job of saying it for him, Steve Bruce needs to get at least 37 points, in my opinion.
Fulham have picked up 14 points from their last 13 games, so if they replicate that in the final 13, it would give them 36 points and if course they currently have a better goal difference than Newcastle United.
There is always a chance of course of another club completely failing to pick up many points in the remaining third of the season. However, if Brighton beat Palace at home tonight (8pm kick-off), they (Brighton) and all the other clubs apart from the bottom four, will have at least 28 points or more.
To reach that 37 points mark, none of them would need more than 9 points from 13 games (14 for some), with indeed only three of them (Palace, Brighton, Burnley) needing more than seven points to reach this lowly (37 points) target.
In the real / my world, I think you have to accept that if Newcastle United don't end the season with more points than Fulham, we are going to be watching Championship football next season.
I find it amusing that the journalists and pundits still pushing out the Steve Bruce 'nothing really to worry about' message, are keen to say Fulham have a tough set of fixtures coming up.
The thing is, Fulham haven't picked up their 14 points from 13 games due to a few lucky wins amongst a generally poor run of form and performances. Indeed, it has been anything but.
In their last 14 Premier League matches, Fulham have only lost three games and conceded 11 goals.
In Newcastle's last 14 PL matches, Steve Bruce's team have lost 10 and conceded 27 goals.
There is no reason to believe that for the rest of the season Fulham will dramatically change from being a team that struggles to score many goals but doesn't concede many either. They have 13 different clubs left to play so clearly very few of those will be impossible to pick up any points.
The big question is whether Newcastle United can change.
Can Steve Bruce turn around form of a team that in their last 14 PL games have conceded for fun (27) and scored so few (12)?
It is surely such a worrying statistic that whilst Steve Bruce talks of performances being supposedly so much better recently, in the last eleven games only twice have Newcastle not conceded two or more goals.
Just look at that Premier League table above, Rafa Benitez creating a tight disciplined unit that conceded the seventh lowest number of goals in both 2017/18 and 2018/19 is a distant memory. Last season Steve Bruce turned it into the seventh worst AND after Sunday's match, only West Brom have now conceded more than Newcastle this season. Frightening.
Even if Newcastle can start to score more regularly (only two clubs outside the bottom three have scored less...), there looks to be little prospect of stopping goals at the other end. As it stands at the minute, Newcastle appear to need to score twice to even stand a chance of a draw, a bit of a worry when NUFC have only managed two goals or more in 8 of the 25 PL games so far and in only 2 of the last 13!
Personally, I think Fulham will reach 36 points (or more) this season, so it follows that Newcastle United have to as well.
With that quirk of Fulham v Newcastle falling on the final day of the season, Scott Parker's team only need to pick up 11 points from their next 12 games, to then still be able to reach 36 points if they beat Steve Bruce's side in the last game.
Steve Bruce walked into Newcastle United saying battling relegation year after year was a situation that shouldn't be happening, that finishing top ten each season should be the realistic aim as a minimum, that simply avoiding relegation cannot be seen as success.
Well, we are where we are and seemingly stuck with Steve Bruce, as Mike Ashley refuses to see the extra danger his employment brings to the situation.
Can Steve Bruce successfully as a minimum, get Newcastle United to 37 points and (probable / possible) safety?
I have very serious doubts on what I have seen and heard from him these past 19 months.
Steve Bruce speaking after Manchester United 3 Newcastle United 1:
"My message to the supporters is, I'm convinced we'll be okay.
"Of course fans don't want to see their team at the wrong end of the table, I totally understand that.
"We have a unique fan base, which makes us the club we have got, of course they are anxious.
"It has been a difficult week but we have games coming up, where we think we can take points.
"I am convinced we will be safe.
"There are six or seven teams looking over their shoulders.
"We need to win a few games.
"We have to get to that magical points mark, whatever it is."
https://www.themag.co.uk/2021/02/steve-bruce-refuses-to-name-points-safety-target-but-this-is-what-it-is-newcastle-united/
Burnley, Fulham, Newcastle United and how the bookies view the Premier League relegation picture
Sean Dyche's side are unbeaten in four Premier League games and are six points clear of the bottom three
Burnley are tipped for another season in the Premier League after piecing together a four-game unbeaten run with bookmakers' seeing Newcastle United as the side most in danger of being sucked into the bottom three.
Steve Bruce's side were beaten by Manchester United on Sunday night and are now just three points clear of Fulham with the Cottages having won back to back games.
The Clarets are six points clear of danger and sit above Brighton ahead of the Seagulls game with Crystal Palace on Monday night.
Sean Dyche's men missed the chance to put daylight between themselves and the bottom three after failing to turn draws into wins against Fulham and West Brom in recent days.
But they remain in a strong position to secure another season of top flight football and are 7/1 to be relegated.
With Sheffield United and Albion (both 1/50) staring down the barrel of relegation the bookmakers see Newcastle as vulnerable.
The Magpies are 6/4 for the drop although Fulham remain third favourites to go down at 4/5.
The other sides viewed as in danger are Crystal Palace at 7/1 and Brighton at 20/1.
The Clarets return to Premier League action at Spurs on Sunday afternoon and face Leicester, Arsenal and Everton in a testing run of fixtures between now and the international break next month.
https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/burnley-fulham-newcastle-united-relegation-19887380
Newcastle United are not considering a change in manager at the moment
Newcastle United suffered their 14th Premier League defeat of the season at the hands of Manchester United last night, and only three points currently stand between them and 18th-placed Fulham.
The Magpies have won just seven games all season, with two of them coming in the last 14 games.
They host Wolverhampton Wanderers next and a defeat will see them drop into the relegation zone if Fulham beat Crystal Palace.
Newcastle fans want head coach Steve Bruce sacked as they are not confident that he can keep the team up, but it does not appear that will be happening despite reports over the weekend claiming that former manager Rafa Benitez has been contacted.
According to The Telegraph's Luke Edwards, the St. James' Park outfit are not considering a managerial change right now.
However, that could change in an instant if Newcastle owner and chairman Mike Ashley decides to intervene.
This is not exactly what Newcastle fans want to hear right now, and they can only hope that their team remains in the top-flight at the end of the season.
Bruce will be very desperate to turn things around, and it will be interesting to see if he will be left to oversee the remaining 13 games.
The Magpies have still to play the likes of Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, West Ham United, Arsenal, Leicester City and Manchester City before meeting Fulham on the last day of the campaign, and things look very bleak for them as far as survival goes.
It could be too little, too late if Ashley decides to sack Bruce when Newcastle are neck-deep in the relegation battle, and he would have to bear a huge loss when selling the club if they are in the Championship next term.
https://sportslens.com/newcastle-united-are-not-considering-a-change-in-manager-at-the-moment/335317/
Everton, West Ham and Fulham all keen on player ā Watching 23-year-old develop
Gleison Bremer has been continuing his progress with Torino this season, and on top of his impressive displays in defence he's scored twice in the past three matches, including a winner against Cagliari in his last outing.
The Brazilian has been the subject of Liverpool links recently, largely down to the Reds' troubles in central defence, yet it's three other clubs who have been monitoring his progress for a while.
Toro News report that Everton, West Ham and Fulham are all keen on the player, and have been keeping an eye on what he's doing in Turin.
As far as Fulham are concerned, their interest and any possible attempt would be conditional on them avoiding relegation to the Championship. That isn't a worry for either Everton or West Ham, with both clubs riding high in the Premier League this season.
According to the claims, Torino are thinking about handing Bremer a renewal, presumably aware of the interest from elsewhere. His existing deal runs until June 2023, and his wages currently won't reflect his importance to the team.
The 23-year-old is represented by CAA Base, who already have several clients in the Premier League.
http://sportwitness.co.uk/everton-west-ham-fulham-keen-player/
'Lookman Can Score Goals' - Ex-Tottenham Star Backs Winger To Save Fulham From Relegation
Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Garth Crooks is backing Ademola Lookman to save Fulham from being relegated at the end of the season.
Scott Parker's side have played exciting football on their return to the Premier League but have struggled to win matches, drawing ten out of a possible 25 and only Brighton & Hove in the division have drawn more games.
Lookman has been decisive for the Cottagers this term, with a hand in seven goals, more than any other Fulham player and Crooks believes his goals can help the southwest London club maintain their top-flight status.
In a 3-4-3 formation, the 2017 U20 World Cup winner was named in Garth Crooks' BBC Sport Team of the Week - with the winger earning praise for his man-of-the-match display against Sheffield United.
"Fulham on the other hand have started to find the net. Two against Everton recently and another one against Sheffield United, this time by a player who will be crucial to Fulham's fortunes if they are going to survive in the Premier League," writes Crooks.
"Ademola Lookman can score goals and has Fulham's sights firmly locked on Newcastle with only three points now separating the teams.
"Lookman has the ability to save Scott Parker's Fulham side."
Lookman and Fulham are next in action against Crystal Palace this weekend before another London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on March 4.
Igho Kingsley
https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=39047
New lockdown guidance: What games will football fans be able to go to under new rules?
Fans should be back in grounds before the end of the Premier League season, and Euro 2020 could see full capacity at Wembley and Hampden Park
June 21: that's the date to stick in your diary at the day that the government are hoping to lift all restrictions concerning COVID-19.
With grassroots football set to return in March and stadia to start letting in fans again in May, however, it could be sooner that we start to see some kind of return to normality in the beautiful game. It could be 10,000 fans - or a quarter of the stadium - that's allowed into a game by May 17.
The week before the last day of the Premier League season is currently proposed as the one in which fans will return to grounds. So which games are we all going to be returning for, exactly?
Remember though: Boris Johnson has claimed before that lockdown is set to be defined by "data not dates". This all could change in the following weeks...
Last day of the Premier League season (May 23)
The last day of the Premier League season is set for May 23. Matchday 37 is a week earlier - May 15 - meaning that unless any kick-offs get moved to May 17, then it'll just be a single round of fixtures for each team.
There are some interesting match-ups on the final day of the season. Fulham host Newcastle United in what could be a straight knockout fight for survival; Leicester City vs Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa vs Chelsea and West Ham United vs Southampton could all decide who qualifies for Europe, too.
Sadly, the Championship, League One, League Two and the Women's Super League are all due to finish a week earlier.
How many fans could be there? Up to 10,000.
EFL play-offs (finals: May 29-31)
The Football League play-offs, though, could possibly be attended by fans.
May 8 and 9 are set to be the final day of the season for EFL teams. This would mean that the first legs of play-offs would most likely be played before the date of May 17; though there could be fans in for the second round of ties.
The finals at Wembley are scheduled for the last weekend in May.
How many fans could be there? Up to 10,000.
FA Cup final
The FA Cup final itself is set to be held on May 17. This means that it's possible that 10,000 fans may be allowed at Wembley Stadium for the occasion. The 2020 final was the first in the history of the competition to be held behind closed doors.
The semi-finals don't currently have dates, though the draw is set for March 20. It doesn't seem possible that there crowds will be there for those two Wembley showpieces.
How many fans could be there? Up to 10,000.
Euro 2020
With all restrictions hopefully lifted by June 21, the Euros in the summer could see fans able to go to the games staged at Wembley and Hampden Park.
As it stands, England's group game against Scotland at Wembley is on June 18 - which would only partially allow fans - with the final group matches of England against Czech Republic at Wembley and Scotland against Croatia at Hampden Park set for June 22 when all restrictions may have been lifted.
This is, of course, based on the tournament still going ahead in its current format across multiple host countries. UEFA are set to make a decision on how the tournament will go ahead - if at all - in March.
How many fans could be there? Up to 10,000 at first, then possibly full stadiums for games at Wembley and Hampden Park after June 21.
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/covid-lockdown-restrictions-football-fans-stadiums-premier-league-play-offs-euro-2020
Newcastle To Go Entire Season Without Having Any Supporters At St. James' Park
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that fans will be provisionally allowed back into stadiums for the final weekend of the Premier League season. According to a report in The Chronicle, the prime minister addressed parliament this today setting May 17th as the date that fans may return to sporting events
If all goes to plan, up to 10,000 supporters, or 25% capacity, depending on the capacity of the venue, will be allowed to attend sporting events. The Premier League will have its final weekend of matches on May 23rd.
The prime minister had announced a tiered system last year which allowed a few thousand supporters to return to stadiums. However, that was soon abandoned when a second national lockdown was implemented after Christmas.
This is encouraging that we could see fans return for the entirety of next season, though possibly in a limited capacity, at least to start. Newcastle travel to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham for this season's final match. So no fans will have attended any matches at St. James' Park this season.
The final match at Fulham could be a massive one for Newcastle as the Cottagers are currently just one place and three points behind in the table. Hopefully, Newcastle will not need anything from that match to ensure survival. We need to get some wins to keep Fulham at bay starting with Wolves on Saturday at an empty St. James' Park.
If we do end up having to go to Fulham on the final day needing a result, let's hope it mirrors that 4-0 thrashing Newcastle handed them two years ago when the future looked so much brighter.
https://www.nufcblog.com/2021/02/22/377129/
'Newcastle are gone' - Pundit tips Fulham to pull off 'great comeback' and relegate Magpies
Former Fulham and Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara recently declared Steve Bruce was doing a 'good job' at Newcastle United
Fulham will pull off a 'great comeback' and overturn the points deficit to relegate Newcastle United this season.
That's the view of talkSPORT pundit and former Fulham and Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara, who believes the Magpies look 'dead on their feet'.
Steve Bruce's side slumped to their 12th defeat in their last 16 matches with a 3-1 loss at Manchester United on Sunday night.
Allan Saint-Maximin cancelled out Marcus Rashford's opener, but second-half strikes from Daniel James and Bruno Fernandes were enough to deepen relegation fears on Tyneside.
In contrast, Fulham have picked up seven points from their last three matches and will hope to pull level with Newcastle this weekend when they travel to Crystal Palace.
O'Hara praised Bruce for doing a 'good job' at St James' Park as recently as December, insisting the 60-year-old would keep the Magpies in the top-flight.
However, the pundit has now changed his tune and believes United look 'lacklustre' and devoid of any confidence.
O'Hara told talkSPORT: "I think they're going to stay up. They're in decent form, they've got the bit between their teeth in terms of energey and their performances.
"They've got that belief they can win games now, and I think they are chasing Newcastle and Newcastle are gone.
"I just think they are completely dead on their feet. Callum Wilson being injured is a massive blow. They've got no confidence, they don't seem as if they can get a result. They look lacklustre in their performances.
"Fulham have got something about them. The way they play, they're in every game. I think they are going to pull off a great comeback."
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-newcastle-united-relegation-19889652
