'Wizard', 'He's majestic' – Many Fulham fans react to player's showing v Birmingham City
Many Fulham fans have taken to Twitter to react to Harry Wilson's performance during the 4-1 away win over Birmingham City last night.
The Welsh winger was on top form once again for the Whites as they ran out as convincing winners over the Blues at St Andrew's, with Wilson adding his side's third goal of the night after being fed through well by Nathaniel Chalobah.
That goal marked the former Liverpool winger's third goal in four games since moving to West London and once again underlined exactly why the club forked out so much money to bring him to Craven Cottage in the summer.
Naturally it didn't take long for the Fulham faithful to laud their player's performance, with many taking to social media to air their views on Wilson's showing.
https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/wizard-hes-majestic-many-fulham-fans-react-to-players-showing-v-birmingham-city/
'On behalf of every Fulham fan, we're sorry' – Plenty of Fulham fans hail 'brilliant' 29-y/o after Birmingham City win
Fulham won 4-1 away at Birmingham City in the Championship on Wednesday evening.
Marco Silva's Fulham returned to the top of the Championship table with an impressive 4-1 win away at Birmingham City last night.
The Whites scored twice either side of half-time thanks to goals from Dennis Odoi and Harry Wilson, and two from Aleksandar Mitrovic.
But at the other end, Paulo Gazzaniga put in an impressive performance in goal for Fulham.
The former Spurs man pulled off a number of impressive saves to keep Birmingham's score down to just one, which came late on from a Troy Deeney penalty.
The 29-year-old Gazzaniga has now played every minute of Fulham's Championship campaign so far and looks to be cementing his spot as Silva's no.1 choice.
https://the72.co.uk/250411/on-behalf-of-every-fulham-fan-were-sorry-plenty-of-fulham-fans-hail-brilliant-29-y-o-after-birmingham-city-win/
Paulo Gazzaniga shares message with Fulham fans after Birmingham City win
Fulham thumped Birmingham City 4-1 in the Championship on Wednesday night.
Marco Silva's Fulham side returned to the top of the Championship table with a resounding 4-1 win away at Birmingham City last night.
Goals came from Dennis Odoi, Harry Wilson and twice from Aleksandar Mitrovic in what was a commanding away performance for the Whites, though one name stood out in particular.
Fulham stopper Paulo Gazzaniga put in an impressive display between the sticks for his side – he made a number of saves to keep Birmingham down to just the one goal, which came from a Troy Deeney penalty late on.
Taking to Twitter after the game, the Argentinian keeper posted this message:
Fulham have enjoyed a solid start to life under former Everton, Watford and Hull City manager Silva.
They went unbeaten before a defeat away at Blackpool brought down down to Earth somewhat last weekend but the win away at Birmingham City last night was astute, and puts them back on track to go and challenge for the title.
Gazzaniga came in over summer and has offered some divisive performances so far. But last night, he really showed his class and showed why Silva brought him in over the summer months – he pulled off some quality saves to keep Birmingham at bay, with the Blues having multiple goal-scoring opportunities.
Up next for Fulham is a home clash against Reading this weekend.
https://the72.co.uk/250417/paulo-gazzaniga-shares-message-with-fulham-fans-after-birmingham-city-win/
Silva marvels at Mitrovic's excellence
Marco Silva heaped praise on an excellent all-round display from striker Aleksandar Mitrovic after Fulham beat Birmingham 4-1 last night.
The Fulham head coach was delighted with the centre forward's complete performance, stressing that there was much more to Mitrovic's game than his regular goalscoring exploits. The Serbian centre forward, who celebrates his 27th birthday today, moved past the likes of Allan Clarke and Barry Hayles in the all-time Fulham scoring list with his brace at St. Andrew's.
Silva told his post-match press conference:
"I know Mitrovic and he's a very important player for us, not just because he scores goals. The way we use him to link our game and to break the pressure and find our midfielders around him.
He scored from the penalty in the first half and the second goal he scored was really important after 83 minutes, seeing him press the central defender to win the ball. I was really pleased to see that, showing to me that he's really involved in the team, not just scoring goals but pressing the opposition and all his work without the ball."
https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/09/silva-marvels-at-mitrovics-excellence/
Fulham boss Marco Silva upbeat after 4-1 win over Birmingham moves them top of Championship
Marco Silva believes his Fulham squad are "creating something really strong" after they beat Birmingham last night to go top of the Championship.
Fulham ran out 4-1 winners at St. Andrew's, with Denis Odoi opening the scoring after just 10 minutes. Aleksandar Mitrovic then struck either side of Harry Wilson as Fulham leapfrogged West Brom and Bournemouth into first place.
"As a team we are creating something really strong between us, our dressing room as well, everyone is involved, the players that were here, the players that came in, some players trained today this morning in the training ground," said Silva.
"Everyone is involved, it will be a big marathon for us, it will be a big fight to the end. Together we can be successful at the end of the season."
There were a number of pleasing performances for Silva, not least from debutant Nathaniel Chalobah - who joined from Watford on transfer deadline day last month.
"He will be really important for us. He is a player I know very well, he signed with Watford when I was at that club," said Silva. "We had a chance to have Chalobah with us as a free player. Having a player with his quality, what he can add to our squad, it was a fantastic moment for us to sign him."
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-marco-silva-championship-birmingham-football-b955658.html
'Second coming of Zambo' – Many Fulham fans react to debut display from new recruit in Birmingham win
A number of Fulham supporters were all highly impressed by the debut performance of midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah during their 4-1 win at Birmingham City on Wednesday night.
Fulham went into the game knowing that a victory could take them back to the top of the table. While it would also give them a chance to lay down another marker against another side that could be competing with them at the top of the league this term.
Marco Silva handed a first Fulham start to Chalobah after his Deadline Day move from Watford. The midfielder was able to deliver a standout performance that showed a lot of the qualities that he will bring to the table for them this term.
Chalobah was able to provide the assist for Harry Wilson to score Fulham's third goal in the 54th minute which was a big moment in the game and took the contest away from Birmingham.
While the midfielder was also able to drive forwards in possession and completed two successful dribbles out of the three that he attempted.
Chalobah also did the defensive side of the game well with him managing to win eight duels as well make two interceptions and one clearance.
Many Fulham fans suggested that Chalobah showed more than enough to make him a natural replacement for Frank-Andre Zambo Anguissa after his move away from the club this summer.
https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/second-coming-of-zambo-many-fulham-fans-react-to-debut-display-from-new-recruit-in-birmingham-win/
Fulham fight their way back to winning ways
If there was a perception that Fuham might prove a soft touch on their travels following the weekend defeat at Blackpool, then Marco Silva's side dispelled it last night at St. Andrew's. The manner of the victory was instructive. Fulham were far from in full control. Birmingham battled, slung in a succession of crosses and at times looked to be dominating the midfield battle but Lee Bowyer's side were ultimately sunk by Fulham's ruthlessness in front of goal.
Silva said afterwards that Harry Wilson was the first player he approached the board about after agreeing to take over from Scott Parker in the summer. It is obvious to see why. Wilson has some pedigree at this level – and totally transforms Fulham as an attacking proposition when he is in the side. A willing and intelligent runner, whose darts inside are likely to deliver plenty of goals, he can also whip in a dangerous corner – something the Whites have sorely missed in recent years. His signature move, cutting in from the right flank onto his stronger right foot, seems far less predictable that Anthony Knockaert's and, in this irrepressible form, the Welshman appears unstoppable.
A word too on Aleksandar Mitrovic would be appopriate as the Serbian celebrates his 27th birthday. Silva insisted that Mitrovic would take Fulham's next penalty after missing from the spot against Stoke City – and he was true to his word. Mitrovic looked much more decisive in dispatching this one into the bottom corner and put a far more convincing gloss on the scoreline as the clock ticked down. Fulham's fourth goal owed everything to his desire to prove there's much more to his game than merely poaching goals. He stripped Marc Roberts of possession on the halfway line, sauntered down the left flank and slipped in Jean-Michael Seri with a beautifully disguised reverse ball. When the return pass landed at his feet, you knew what was going to happen. His exclusion from a struggling side last season seems even more perplexing with each week.
Silva's rotation probably came a few days too late but there were something interesting things to note. On his hundredth Fulham appearance, Joe Bryan gave a masterclass in how to fulfil the role of a modern full back. He was eager to get forward, as ever, but remained responsible, wary of Birmingham's own attacking threat, at the same time. Tosin Adarabioyo was outstanding at the heart of the visiting defence – heading away countless aerial balls as the Blues took a more direct route to goal, particularly in the first half.
The clearest change came in the shape of Fulham's midfield. The loss of Josh Onomah to injury, and Fabio Carvalho's continued absence with a toe complaint, meant Silva would have to select different personnel in the engine room but he went with a slightly different shape to what we have seen before as well. Seri seemed to sit a deeper than in previous outings, with Harrison Reed playing slighly further forward alongside Nathaniel Chalobah, who was outstanding on his Fulham debut. The trio outnumbered Birmingham in the centre of the park and, whilst they certainly didn't have it all their own way in what was a pretty even contest, they definitely made Fulham tougher to play through. Chalobah and Seri had notable roles in three of Fulham's goals on a very encouraging night.
The set up of Fulham's three central midfielders also had a knock on effect for the forward line as well. Wilson and Bobby Decordova-Reid were stationed very wide and pushed forward to join Mitrovic in attack – in an attempt to stretch Birmingham's back three, which worked wonderfully well. It was a clear plan for this fixture, with Lee Bowyer always keen to push his wing-backs on, and the visitors got great joy down the flanks. This was one of those games where the preparation for the opposition really paid off.
The scoreline may ultimately have flattered Fulham, as Birmingham were punished for defensive lapses whilst Paulo Gazzaniga made a number of second half saves, but this was precisely the response to the Blackpool abberation that Silva would have sought. Bowyer is building a combative and competitive side and I don't think many teams will score four at St. Andrew's this season.
https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/09/fulham-fight-their-way-back-to-winning-ways/
Early Reading FC team news ahead of Craven Cottage visit
Reading travel to the capital on Saturday to face high-flying Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Veljko Paunovic still has several first-team stars unavailable for selection but many are nearing a return to action.
Goalkeeper Rafael Cabral has rejoined training after missing the home win over Peterborough United on Tueusday evening.
However, Luke Southwood's fine performance against Posh may convince Paunovic to keep faith in him at Craven Cottage, even if Rafael is fit enough to return to the team.
Liam Moore hobbled off in the win over Posh and left the stadium on crutches on Tuesday evening.
It is not currently known how severe the injury is, but he is not expected to feature at Craven Cottage.
Danny Drinkwater and Scott Dann have been building their match fitness following their respective arrivals at the club late in the transfer window.
Both are expected to be pushing for a spot in the squad in West London.
Felipe Araruna is also building match fitness but isn't expected to return to the squad for a few weeks at the earliest.
Andy Rinomhota has been ruled out of the last two games with an acute ankle injury and is expected to be close to a return at Fulham.
Tom McIntyre, Yakou Meite, Lucas Joao and Femi Azeez remain unavailable for selection.
https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/19584613.early-reading-fc-team-news-ahead-craven-cottage-visit/
Southwood to start or return for Rafael? Reading FC fans weigh up goalkeeper debate pre Fulham
Rookie Reading FC goalkeeper Luke Southwood made just his second ever appearance for the club in the midweek win over Peterborough United following an injury to first choice Rafael
Reading fans have called on manager Veljko Paunovic to stick with Luke Southwood in goal for the visit to Fulham this weekend.
The 23-year-old made just his second ever league appearance for the club in midweek in the 3-1 victory over Peterborough United.
The academy graduate was given the opportunity after first choice Rafael suffered a hand injury in the aftermath of the 3-3 draw with QPR last weekend.
Southwood has had to bide his time for an opportunity but he produced a confident and composed display against the Posh in what was just the second win of the season for Reading.
The general consensus post-match was that he had done enough to earn another start for the trip to Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon.
However, with Rafael's injury not as bad as first feared and with the Brazilian confirming he is already back in training, there is a chance he could be reinstated to the starting 11.
We asked fans on social media whether Paunovic should retain Southwood between the sticks or hand Rafael a return?
Here is a selection of their views:
David Lara @d1ara
Southwood controlled the area, organised the defence, had good distribution, looked confident and deserves a run! What's not to like?
Eddie Corr @ed_corr
Stick with him until the next international window and then see where we are
Matthew Furniss @mattyfurn
Stick with Southwood, he looked far more comfortable and assured with coming for crosses and dominating his box. Very rarely do you see Rafael come off his line
cornwall royal @cornwallfox
Leave Southwood in goal.
Far more commanding of his area than Rafa.
Craig White @craigwhite1980
He has the jersey now. Stick.
Dave Orange Miles @DOrangeMiles
Luke deserves a min of 3 games.
BM @bhreading
Stick to reward performance, same with Tom Holmes.
dave walker @davew1952
To drop Southwood after such a good display would be a bit of a kick in the whiteboard. Let Rafa wait and earn his place again.
Peter Martire @RFCmartire
Stick with him, did a much better job of commanding his area than Rafa and made a couple of decent saves.
Nick Houlton @Houlton11
Stick, deserves a run and reason to lose his place.
Simeon Pickup @SimFromBucks
Sets us up better for next season if we can give him a run and see whether or not he's up to regular Championship football.
Worst-case scenario we can throw Rafa back in. Best-case we get a better keeper both now and also past next summer.
AlexEmmett @AlexEmmett123
I liked Southwood, he organised his defence telling Morro and Moore where he wanted them.
Luke Rogers @saiint
Personally think Rafa is a better keeper, but Southwood deserves a run
Kyran Flurry @KyranFlurry7
If money is that tight I'd play Southwood and if he plays well sell Rafael end of the season
Tom Beesley @tagmanbeesley
Southwood was class, more than deserves his spot for the next few games
Luke @Luke1871_
I would like to see Southwood play more games in a row. We've got some tough games coming up, like Fulham, and I want to see what he can do
Ben @bjturrner
Southwood in goal makes me feel more assured and confident, takes control of his area and comes out to claim crosses etc which Rafael is allergic too. Should stick with him
Jamie @jamiewillby
Stick with Southwood all day long. Still not convinced by Rafa
Tom. @TomWHall
Steve Coppell - never change a winning team.
RFC @dingaidan_
Southwood looked better than Rafael, plus Rafa needs to learn that what he did was stupid and irresponsible
Mark Hamilton@M4rk59
Stick but they probably won't
James Jordan
Southwood was good, no matter, good to have someone who actually CARES this much back in the dressing room!!! Bit of passion is what we've been lacking and want to see more on the pitch.
https://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/southwood-start-return-rafael-reading-21585781
Kevin McDonald: Ex-Fulham midfielder wants football return after kidney transplant(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/976/cpsprodpb/8122/production/_120585033_shutterstock_editorial_10361958e.jpg)
Kevin McDonald will get a guard fitted to protect his new kidney
Former Fulham midfielder Kevin McDonald says "he will do whatever needs to be done to get back on the pitch" after a successful kidney transplant.The 32-year-old had been living with a chronic kidney condition for 14 years which began to deteriorate, forcing him to stop playing football last season.
He received a kidney transplant from his brother Fraser in May.
"The aim is to get back in and try and play football again," McDonald told BBC Radio 5 Live.
McDonald made 128 appearances for Fulham after joining from Wolves in 2016 and left the club in June.
The Scot, who was capped five times by his country, had been working with Fulham's Under-23 and Under-18 teams last season while waiting for his transplant.
However, having completed a three-month recovery period, McDonald is back training and hopeful of playing again.
"Whoever gives me the chance now I'll obviously be grateful to them. I know that I'm going to do a bit of a trial, but it is what it is," he said, in an interview alongside his brother.
"To have the chance to play football again is more than enough for me, so whatever needs to be done I'll do it to get back on the pitch."
An initial rejectionMcDonald revealed his body initially rejected the donated organ unexpectedly after the surgery, meaning he ended up spending an additional two weeks in hospital.
"Luckily enough, I underwent the treatment to kind of deal with the rejection and luckily enough that worked," he said.
"But the plan was to be in for four days and in the end I was in for 18 days. So the extra 14 days I was in I was hooked up to a drip for six hours each day, to make sure the kidney didn't fully reject. And luckily enough the treatment did its work and we are here and we're safe now."
(https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/976/cpsprodpb/8F1E/production/_120583663_shutterstock_editorial_10732571dn.jpg)
McDonald (left) helped Fulham win promotion to the Premier League in 2019-20Fraser said he suffered quite a lot of pain in the immediate aftermath of the surgery. He was able to go home three days later and said he has been "slowly building" himself back up.
Kevin, meanwhile, said dealing with fatigue was more of an issue than pain.
"My side of things was more that I was seriously fatigued. I was losing muscle by the day - I think I went in at 94 kilograms and I came out at 85, so you could see it on me that I'd lost a lot of weight," Kevin said.
"And I was just so tired at all times really. I'd go for a shower and then I'd need to lie down for half an hour. It was strange in that sense, but as times went on, like Fraser, things have improved fitness and recovery wise.
"I'm out doing running now, I'm on a six weeks pre-season kind of programme and I'm just in the final week of that just now. So the aim is to get back in and try and play football again."
Return to football fitnessMcDonald's operation was initially due to take place in March but it was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He eventually went into two weeks of isolation in May, with his brother and wife.
They joked they came close to falling out playing Mario Kart during isolation, and that Fraser is owed a good present this Christmas from his brother.
"As soon as it came to light it needed to happen, I was happy for it to go ahead," Fraser said. "And it was really just a case of when it was needed. So thankfully it was a match and it was all good."
Kevin now says he is working towards getting his football fitness back, easing back into training with a group of people as well as getting a guard fitted to protect his kidney. After that, he will know whether a return to playing professionally is achievable.
"I need to get in amongst a training group and obviously still be careful and stuff because of my immune system etc, but I need to play these little games and normal training now to get to a level of fitness where I want to be," he said.
"I'm at a good level of fitness now to go running and stuff but I need football fitness now. So we've got an appointment to get a kidney guard fitted at the hospital and from then on we'll be looking to crack on with training and see where I am.
"And that will be the moment that tells me if I'm able to play football again or I need to go and look at something else."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58577249
3 things we clearly learnt about Fulham after 4-1 win v Birmingham
Fulham sit atop the Sky Bet Championship table right now after a fine win over Birmingham City at St Andrew's.
The Cottagers went into the game on the back of a surprise 1-0 defeat at Blackpool from the weekend but quickly got themselves in front last night, with Denis Odoi getting the opening goal for the visitors.
Two goals from Aleksandar Mitrovic – one from the spot – and another goal for Harry Wilson sent Fulham well on their way to three points after that, and Troy Deeney's first goal for his hometown club from 12 yards would eventually count for little.
Here's what we learned about the Whites last night...
Nathaniel Chalobah looks right at home
Nathaniel Chalobah looks already very much at home in the Fulham side.
He sprung attacks, got an assist, won a penalty and showed all the Premier League level quality that he has that made so many stand up and take notice late on Deadline Day when he put pen to paper for the Whites.
Fulham's midfield quality is stacked and it speaks volumes that you look at Chalobah after last night and have to say he's right at the top of the pecking order under Marco Silva by the looks of things.
Character strong in the squad
It took ten minutes for Fulham to get over the disappointment of their loss at the weekend against Blackpool as Denis Odoi got himself a rare goal to put them in front.
Indeed, the Championship is a long, hard season and results like the one against the Tangerines will come up now and again, no matter how surprising they are.
The key to success, then, is how you respond and in a tricky looking game like ones at a strong-starting Birmingham City; Fulham passed the character test with flying colours.
Fulham show clinical edge compared to rivals
Fulham had three fewer shots at goal than Birmingham City last night but had three more on target and, of course, three more goals – with both sides getting a penalty.
The Blues have started really well this season and could be a play-off threat but this showed the level you need to challenge for the top two, and Fulham have displayed that on more than one occasion already this season.
They were sharp in front of goal, and ran out impressive-looking winners.
https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/3-things-we-clearly-learnt-about-fulham-after-4-1-win-v-birmingham/
Fulham dealt Harrison Reed injury blow
Fulham have been dealt a fresh injury blow ahead of their upcoming Championship fixture.
What's the latest?
Following Fulham's comprehensive 4-1 victory over Birmingham City on Wednesday evening, a game in which Harrison Reed was withdrawn in the second half due to a knock, The Athletic journalist Peter Ruttzler revealed in a post on Twitter that the 26-year-old is still not operating at 100% fitness following his recovery from the calf injury which saw the defensive midfielder miss pre-season.
In his tweet, the journalist said: "Harrison Reed still building as he missed pre-season with a calf injury. Silva said [he] planned to take him or Chalobah off around 60/70mins. [Silva said:] 'I hope it's nothing special but will have to check.'"
Silva will be gutted
Considering just how impressive Reed was for Fulham against Birmingham, should the midfielder have suffered a setback in his recovery from injury, something that is clearly a concern following his substitution in the match, it would undoubtedly leave Marco Silva gutted.
Indeed, over his 65 minutes on the pitch on Wednesday, the £9m-rated man blocked one shot, made one key pass, one tackle and completed 100% of his attempted crosses.
These returns saw the former England U20 international earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.0, ranking him as the club's joint sixth-best player to feature in the fixture.
As such, if the £31k-per-week midfielder is indeed ruled out of the club's upcoming clash with Reading on Saturday, it would certainly come as a huge blow to Silva's chances of keeping his side's winning run going against the Royals.
However, hopefully for the Portuguese boss, Reed's withdrawal against the Blues did enough to prevent a major injury recurrence, meaning he could well have a chance to feature once again this weekend.
https://www.footballfancast.com/fulham-fc-news/fulham-ffc-injury-updates-team-news-marco-silva-harrison-reed-reading-the-championship
Nathaniel Chalobah sends message to Fulham fans after impressive debut display
Nathaniel Chalobah impressed on his Fulham debut last night as the Cottagers beat Birmingham City 4-1 at St. Andrew's.
Chalobah was making his first appearance for Marco Silva's side since he joined Fulham on a permanent deal from Watford on Deadline Day.
The midfielder stood out in a comprehensive away win for Fulham last night, on an evening where they returned to the top of the Championship table.
After Fulham went a goal ahead through Denis Odoi's header, Chalobah's smart turn then resulted in him going down and winning a penalty, which Aleksandar Mitrovic subsequently converted.
Chalobah then threaded a ball through to Harry Wilson one-on-one, with the Wales international producing a calm finish into the bottom corner to make it 3-0.
Mitrovic then made it 4-0 before Troy Deeney netted a consolation from the penalty spot, but it was an impressive night's work by Chalobah and Fulham.
Taking to Instagram after the game, Chalobah insisted it was a "wicked feeling" to pick up three points in a Fulham shirt for the first time.
The Verdict
It was pleasing to see Chalobah back in action last night, and he seemed to thrive in more of an advanced midfield role.
This meant he played well up the pitch and got involved in attacks, and his size makes him a real nuisance going forward.
Fulham have so many quality players for this level, and he is certainly one of them. Fans will be excited to see more of him going forward.
https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/nathaniel-chalobah-sends-message-to-fulham-fans-after-impressive-debut-display/
Marco Silva spells out his promotion plan at Fulham after emphatic win
Harry Wilson returned to Fulham's side at Birmingham and was one of several outstanding performers for Silva's slick side who impressed in the 4-1 away win
Marco Silva mapped out his vision for "success" at Fulham this term after an impressive 4-1 win at Birmingham to go top in style.
Silva's men were ruthless at St Andrews where Denis Odoi headed the visitors into an early lead before Serbian hitman Aleksandar Mitrovic struck from the spot.
Brum sent on new signing Troy Deeney early in the second half but Fulham sealed victory when Harry Wilson ran clear to net his third this season in a deadly display for the promotion hopefuls.
Mitrovic, who turned 27 on Thursday, slotted in late on to take his tally for the season to six before Deeney's consolation penalty.
Cottagers boss Silva said: "We knew we must be brave against them.
"We were solid and scored four goals away from home with more chances to score.
"It is a good sign and a good win. We are creating something really strong in the dressing room.
"It will be a big marathon for us and a big fight until the end but together we can be a success."
Mitrovic and Wilson were a huge threat upfront for the visitors.
Silva added: "Mitrovic is an important player for us - the way we use him to link our play and to break the pressure.
"He has the ability to score goals and he is happy and working hard. And Harry Wilson , I asked our board to sign him, It was the first player I spoke about."
Wilson, the new £12million summer signing from Liverpool, swung over a corner which Odoi leapt to head in at the near post after a well-time run in the 10th minute.
Birmingham complained Odoi's marker Jeremie Bela was blocked off by Nathaniel Chalobah in the build up.
Chalobah was heavily involved at the other end when his superb turn was halted by Ivan Sunjic and Harlee Dean.
Mitrovic took the resulting spot kick and buried an emphatic right-foot finish low into the net in the 44th minute.
After the break Wilson ran on to Chalobah's clever first time pass to score with a composed low left foot finish in the 54th minute for his third this term.
Mitrovic then grabbed his second in the 83rd minute after a mistake by Marc Roberts.
Deeney, a boyhood Birmingham fan, pulled a goal back from the spot with a fierce right-foot penalty after being fouled by Odoi.
Home boss Lee Bowyer said: "The lads kept going and we didn't roll over, it could have been 4-4 but they had a little bit of difference and quality. We lost 4-1 at home but got clapped off."
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/fulham-boss-marco-silva-promotion-24998404
Games for the Weekend 18/09...Back to the Cottage to welcome Reading for another Saturday 3 o'clock kick-off!(http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/FulhamReading.png)
After the disappointment of the Blackpool game we certainly came back with a bang against Birmingham, before Wednesday Birmingham had only conceded 3 goals!
Chalobah had a very good debut, Bryan and Reed gave the sort of performances we've come to expect from them even though they've not been getting regular starts.
Jean Michael Seri has been a revelation, he's finally living up to the promise and expectations from when he signed, and perhaps more surprisingly he's doing it in the Championship, I was convinced that he'd have gone back out on loan this season, hopefully he's enjoying this time and can continue.
I was pleased for Mitro' scoring the penalty, that will settle his nerves for the next one. His second, our fourth on the night, was a fantastic effort, Mitro' stole the ball from a Birmingham player near the half-way line, ran into the box and then played a sublime one-two with Seri before slotting it past the goalie, it's the sort of goal that will have opposition defences worried and Fulham fans wondering why he didn't get many chances last season?
Our record against Reading is fairly even, 7 wins, 6 losses and 4 draws. Reading had a good result against Peterborough on Tuesday and a draw against QPR on Saturday, StefJo getting an injury-time equaliser for the haha's, so Reading's 18th place might not truly reflect how good a team they are?
A point to note is that Reading's John Swift has scored 7 goals so far this season, Mitro' (who's on fire) has 6, I can see Mitro' wanting to rectify that!
I'm assuming that Cairney, Kongolo, Tete and Carvalho will not be available, I would still like to see Rodak back in goal although as Gazzaniga keeps on having good games I can't see him being swapped.
That said this would be my team for the Reading game...
(http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/ReadingH.png)
COYW's
Games of Interest...
Saturday 18thHull v Sheff Utd
Cardiff v Bournemouth
Fulham v Reading
Millwall v Blackpool
Preston NE v West Brom
QPR v Bristol City
come on over to the forum and join in the discussion...
https://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=36.0
http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=1702
Bring The Family On Saturday!
Saturday sees table-topping Fulham welcome Reading to Craven Cottage, and we've got plenty of activities lined up to make your matchday a memorable one!
Our ever-popular Oompah band, DDFK – the UK's leading Oktoberfest party band, will be returning to Craven Cottage to provide the atmosphere on Stevenage Road ahead of kick-off.
Junior fans can look out for our face painter who will also be on Stevenage Road to ensure everyone looks the part ahead of the big match, as well as our balloon modeller who will entertain fans of all ages. We'll also have our magician roaming around and he's sure to amaze you with his collection of tricks and magic, as well as an ice cream van!
Fans in the Hammersmith End will be able to stroll towards the Riverside and take part in our Batak game, which will test out their reaction speed ahead of kick-off!
Tickets for Saturday's clash are now limited in availability, and with junior tickets just £1, fans are advised to act quickly if they want to secure their seat, which can be done online here or by calling 0203 871 0810 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm).
https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/september/Bring-the-family-on-Saturday-/
Fulham player's agent currently 'pushing for a transfer' – 'New name' on European side's wishlist
Even though September is normally a month when the rumour mill talks about the transfers that didn't happen in the summer and might get a second chance soon, we now see something totally new coming from Italy regarding a Fulham player
Website Roma Today today features a piece claiming the Giallorossi have a 'new name' targeted for their defensive line, and that's the Cottagers' right-back Kenny Ttete.
The outlet points out that the player has his career managed by Mino Raiola, 'with whom it's never easy to deal', but his current situation may end up favouring a move.
It's said the agent has been 'pushing for a transfer', so the transfer to Roma 'cannot be excluded'.
Roma Today has a few praises for Tete's game, but doesn't seem to know much about how much Roma would offer or the amount Fulham would demand for a transfer.
Still, it's pointed out that the Giallorossi are already working on the January market, so it shouldn't take long until there are new updates on this chase.
With his contract with Fulham running until 2024, Tete is currently valued by Transfermarkt at €5m.
http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-players-agent-currently-pushing-transfer-new-name-european-sides-wishlist/
McDonald targets playing return
Former Fulham midfielder Kevin McDonald hopes to restart his playing career after recovering from a kidney transplant earlier this summer.
The Scottish international, who left Craven Cottage in July after five years with the Whites, told BBC Radio Five Live this afternoon that he "will do whatever needs to be done to get back on the pitch". The 32 year-old made 128 appearances for Fulham, featuring in two successful promotions from the Championship, and was an immensely popular member of the squad both with his fellow players and the club's fans.
McDonald has resumed full training having come through a three-month recovery period and is waiting for an opportunity to resume his playing career.
"Whoever gives me the chance now I'll obviously be grateful to them. I know that I'm going to do a bit of a trial, but it is what it is. To have the chance to play football again is more than enough for me, so whatever needs to be done I'll do it to get back on the pitch.
"I need to get in amongst a training group and obviously still be careful and stuff because of my immune system etc, but I need to play these little games and normal training now to get to a level of fitness where I want to be.
"I'm at a good level of fitness now to go running and stuff but I need football fitness now. So we've got an appointment to get a kidney guard fitted at the hospital and from then on we'll be looking to crack on with training and see where I am. And that will be the moment that tells me if I'm able to play football again or I need to go and look at something else."
https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/09/mcdonald-targets-playing-return/
Roma planning Tete raid
Reports from Italy this afternoon claim that Roma are considering a January move for Fulham full back Kenny Tete.
Italian website Roma Today reports that the Dutch international has been included on Jose Mourinho's shortlist as his new employers seek to strengthen their right back options. The report claims that Tete's agent Mino Raiola has been 'pushing for a transfer' away from Craven Cottage for his client, who only joined Fulham last September. The 26 year-old has made 28 first-team appearances for the Whites but has seen his time in London significantly disrupted by injuries and picked up a serious hamstring problem in the August victory over Stoke.
Given that Marco Silva missed out on a signing a replacement right back despite several attempts on transfer deadline day, it seems unlikely that the Portuguese head coach would be keen on letting Tete go in January. The former Ajax and Lyon defender still has three years to run on his current contract, with Fulham holding an option to extend that deal by a further year, so the Giallorossi would have to stump up a sizeable transfer fee to make any offer particularly tempting.
https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/09/roma-planning-tete-raid/
Sky Sports pundit issues worrying prediction for Reading FC fans ahead of the trip to Fulham
EFL expert and former Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder David Prutton has his say on Reading's Championship clash with Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday
Sky Sports pundit David Prutton is backing Fulham to secure a comfortable home win over Reading this weekend.
Royals head to Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon aiming to secure back-to-back wins for the first time this season after the success over Peterborough United on Tuesday night.
Veljko Paunovic's side are up to 18th in the league standings but there is no tougher test in the league right now with Fulham riding high on top.
And EFL expert Prutton believes Marco Silva's side will be far too strong for Reading on the day.
"Fulham were back what we expected in midweek after that surprise (a 1-0 defeat) at Blackpool last Saturday," he wrote in his predictions column ahead of the game.
"They were tested at times by Birmingham, and it was a far more even game than the scoreline (4-1 win) would have suggested.
"But they just have so much firepower up front and that made the difference.
"Reading claimed a huge win in midweek, and in John Swift they have one of the best midfielders in the league, and he gives them real hope.
"But Fulham should just be too good for them."
Prutton's prediction: Fulham 3 Reading 0
BerkshireLive will have full coverage of the game in west London with a live blog going from 12pm.
https://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/sky-sports-prediction-fulham-reading-21592673
Pompey running rule over former Fulham man after summer release from Craven Cottage
Ryan De Havilland is training with Pompey after his summer exit from Fulham.
The 20-year-old has been with the Blues first-team set-up at their Roko training base as he looks for a new club.
Danny Cowley confirmed the midfielder has been present for a section of pre-season and sung the praises of the Londoner's potential.
De Havilland progressed through the youth ranks at Craven Cottage after joining the club from Reading as a child.
He failed to make a significant impact at first-team level, however, with his only appearances being three EFL Trophy outings last term.
That led to a departure in June, as one of nine players told they were not being handed a new deal.
Now Danny Cowley is running the rule over De Havilland - and there is a lot he likes about his game.
He said: 'Ryan De Havilland is here.
'Ryan has been here for a lot of pre-season.
'He's a great kid, very technical and a really good footballer.
'He's a lovely footballer and he makes training better every day.
'He's between clubs, so he's helping us and we're helping him. It works for us both.'
As an out-of-contract player there would be nothing to stop Cowley offering De Havilland a deal if he was keen.
The Pompey boss has spoken of his desire to have a group of promising young players on the fringes of his first team.
Jayden Reid and Liam Vincent both fall into that category, although both are currently injured.
Cowley confirmed talks are ongoing over a deal for Jay Mingi, despite his threat of legal action against the club.
https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/football/portsmouth-fc/pompey-running-rule-over-former-fulham-man-after-summer-release-from-craven-cottage-3386301
Preview: Fulham vs. Reading - prediction, team news, lineups
Championship leaders Fulham welcome Reading to Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon.
The Cottagers have taken 16 points from their first seven games of the season, while the Royals have seven points and sit 18th.
Match preview
After losing 1-0 at Blackpool last weekend, Fulham bounced back with an emphatic 4-1 win over Birmingham City on Wednesday night.
Aleksandar Mitrovic scored twice, while Denis Odoi and Harry Wilson also got on the scoresheet as Marco Silva's side reinforced their promotion credentials at St. Andrew's.
It is unsurprising that Fulham have both the best attack (17 goals scored) and the joint-best defence (five goals conceded) in the Championship, and they are unlikely to stray too far from the top two this season.
The Cottagers remain unbeaten at home in 2021-22, having taken seven points from nine games at Craven Cottage, conceding just once.
That is bad news for Reading, who have lost all three of their away games this season and have not won any of their last nine matches on the road since beating Rotherham United at the end of February.
On Tuesday night, the Royals won for the first time in five games as they beat fellow strugglers Peterborough United 3-1 at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
John Swift continued his impressive early season form with a superb free-kick and Watford loanee Tom Dele-Bashiru netted his first two goals for the club.
Veljko Paunovic's side have the joint-worst defence in the Championship with 17 goals conceded, but at the other end of the pitch only Fulham and Queens Park Rangers have scored more goals than Reading (13).
The Royals won on their last visit to Craven Cottage, as Swift and Charlie Adam netted in a 2-1 victory on New Year's Day in 2020.
Fulham Championship form:
W W W W L W
Fulham form (all competitions):
W W W W L W
Reading Championship form:
W L L L D W
Team News
Former Reading loanee Nathaniel Chalobah impressed on his Fulham debut against Birmingham in midweek and should keep his place in midfield.
The Cottagers are likely to still be without teenager Fabio Carvalho, who has missed the last two games with a toe injury.
Mitrovic scored his fifth and sixth goals of the season on Wednesday night, a tally only bettered by Reading's John Swift.
Swift has seven goals and three assists to his name, meaning he has played a part in 77% of Reading's goals this season.
The hand injury suffered by Royals goalkeeper Rafael Cabral is not as bad as first feared and the Brazilian is already back in training, but backup Luke Southwood should remain between the sticks at Craven Cottage.
Captain Liam Moore was forced off injured against Peterborough in midweek, with Tom Holmes likely to replace him in the centre of defence.
Fulham possible starting lineup:
Gazzaniga; Odoi, Adarabioyo, Ream, Bryan; Seri, Reed, Chalobah; Wilson, Mitrovic, Reid
Reading possible starting lineup:
Southwood; Yiadom, Holmes, Morrison, Rahman; Dele-Bashiru, Laurent; Hoilett, Swift, Ejaria; Puscas
We say: Fulham 3-1 Reading
Fulham showed how dangerous they can be on Wednesday night, and will be in a confident mood going up against the Championship's joint-worst defence. Reading will be boosted by their midweek win, but this is another challenge entirely and the Royals could be in for a tough afternoon.
https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/preview/preview-fulham-vs-reading-prediction-team-news-lineups_463951.html?cQx=NN&newsnow
Jack and Loz Not at St Andrews - Blog 187
Date: 15th September 2021
Opposition: Birmingham City
Score: 1-4
Fulham goal scorers: Odoi, 🔥(pen), Wilson, 🔥
MOTM: Birmingham could have thrown everything up to and including the kitchen sink into Fulham's 18 yard box on Wednesday night and Tosin would have headed it away. Although his promise was tinged with hesitancy in the Premier League, Tosin is maturing into a strong, solid and skilful defender
Dinner: Loz - dolmades and olives; Jack - veggie pasta
On Saturday, Marco Silva made his first Fulham mistake. At Blackpool, he picked a team who were too jaded and jet-lagged to deal with Tangerine's ambition, enthusiasm and fruitiness. Previously stellar Fulham looked very ordinary indeed and were toppled from top spot in the table.
Fans were nervous, therefore, about our next match being against Birmingham, a tall, tough side who had [note the use of the past tense there] the best defence in the league. Having been found out by Blackpool, we had lost the fear factor that being unbeaten provides and wily Lee Bowyer would be looking to capitalise on any weaknesses.
Marco mixed things up (which, Frankly, he should have done on Saturday) by bringing Harry Wilson back from injury and Joe Bryan back from the wilderness. Nathaniel Chalobah earned his first start.
It was a strange game. There was almost no fast, fluid, free-flowing football. There was very little action in midfield. Instead, there was a series of vignettes at either end of the pitch during which either Birmingham would launch an attack which ended in a Tosin header or a Gazzaniga save, or Fulham would launch an attack which ended in a Harry Wilson shot or a Fulham goal.
In and around this there were some set pieces, some long throws and and some savage fouling. Meanwhile, Fulham gave the ball away too much, everyone slipped over on the greasy surface and the referee tried to bring the outer reality into sync with his inner reality and failed.
Whilst all this made for an unattractive match it was, in its own way, refreshing. Birmingham didn't want us to play our fast passing game so they scuffed up the pitch, played a high line and employed those darker arts of football which swirl in the murky world of the middle of the Championship table. But it didn't matter. Joe Bryan countered those dark arts with some things he learned at public school. Jean-Michel Seri countered them with some things he learned from Stefan Johansen. Harry Wilson didn't need to counter them because he was faster and better than everyone else on the pitch.
In short, in a scrappy, bruising match Fulham gave as good as they got. This was the eponymous ugly win - we didn't play particularly well, we looked unbalanced and disjointed but we rocked up to a decent team's ground, scored four goals and walked away whistling.
Leading the tune was, of course, Aleksandar Mitrovic, one day short of his 27th birthday and loving life again after the travesty of last season. He looks trimmer, fitter, faster, firerier (which is not, in fact, a word) and completely engaged in the club and the campaign. On Wednesday, the choppy play suited him and we saw him at his best - setting up his teammates, tracking back, defending set pieces as well as scoring. We all know Mitro's history with penalties but, for now at least, he's put it behind him and the low, left-sided bullet shot was one of the best spot-kicks we've ever seen him take.
His second goal was even better and something we've rarely seen from him before - the drive into the box, the quick exchange with Seri and then the unstoppable shot. Mitro has scored a lot of goals in his career but he hasn't made that many for himself and if this is going to be a regular appearance, they may as well engrave Fulham's name on the league trophy now.
We've mentioned Harry Wilson before but that won't stop us mentioning him again because he quickly reminded us how much we missed him on Saturday. Harry is fast, skilful, creative and always looking to score. His teammates' role in the match was more often than not a competition to see whose pass could set him free. As a counterpoint to Mitro's brute force, Harry's razor sharp trickery is inspirational. Birmingham won't be the last team to discover they have no way to deal with the potency of this attack.
This was a good debut for Chalobah who combines the flair of Frank with the strength of Onomah and whose turn for the penalty would have made a Strictly Come Dancing judge pull out a 10. Denis, meanwhile, was favouring ballet with his trademark arching leap for the ball leading to the first goal.
The man who is going to divide the Fulham fans this season is Gazzaniga who has waltzed into the side robbing Rodak of his place. Leaving this crime aside, Paulo's performance is worth of debate. He is a fantastic shot stopper but his distribution, which is surely the easier part of a goalkeeper's job, is seriously suspect and we haven't seen such dangerous faffing around at the back since the heyday of the Triangle of Doom. We think he will retain the fuchsia shirt and rightly so after the second half but some tips on how to kick the ball to a Fulham player would be useful.
We wanted a reaction to the loss at Blackpool and we got one. Birmingham's late penalty aside, this was an excellent away performance and one which will leave future opponents suitably terrified. Needless to say, somewhere around Harry Wilson's goal Birmingham lost their defensive record and Fulham won it. This Fulham side really is shaping up to be the perfect team.
Random musings:-
- does the Trillion in the stadium name refer to the number of empty seats?
- how many towels did the long throw guy have around the ground?
- we would have liked to have seen Muniz but hopefully he will make his home debut on Saturday
- whilst Scott Parker used to look like he was directing traffic on the touch line, Marco looks like he's conducting an orchestra....
We are back on top of the league. West Brom and Bournemouth are snapping at our heels and they won't make it easy for us to stay there. But on Wednesday we saw a new Fulham. Effective from corners, lethal on the counter, relentlessly attacking. Edgy, resolute, ruthless.
Take us on at your own risk.
https://werdsmith.com/p/mPBRPwHSu2pYV
We really are unlucky having so many key midfield players injured, it is looking as if Cairney, Reed, Onamah and Carvalho could all miss the match against Reading.
The three midfield positions will then no doubt be filled by Seri, Chalobah and BDR who hopefully can hold things together.
Quote from: whitejc on September 17, 2021, 12:28:56 AM
Fulham player's agent currently 'pushing for a transfer' – 'New name' on European side's wishlist
Even though September is normally a month when the rumour mill talks about the transfers that didn't happen in the summer and might get a second chance soon, we now see something totally new coming from Italy regarding a Fulham player
Website Roma Today today features a piece claiming the Giallorossi have a 'new name' targeted for their defensive line, and that's the Cottagers' right-back Kenny Ttete.
The outlet points out that the player has his career managed by Mino Raiola, 'with whom it's never easy to deal', but his current situation may end up favouring a move.
It's said the agent has been 'pushing for a transfer', so the transfer to Roma 'cannot be excluded'.
Roma Today has a few praises for Tete's game, but doesn't seem to know much about how much Roma would offer or the amount Fulham would demand for a transfer.
Still, it's pointed out that the Giallorossi are already working on the January market, so it shouldn't take long until there are new updates on this chase.
With his contract with Fulham running until 2024, Tete is currently valued by Transfermarkt at €5m.
http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-players-agent-currently-pushing-transfer-new-name-european-sides-wishlist/
£20m to Mourinho.
Quote from: filham on September 17, 2021, 05:52:32 PM
We really are unlucky having so many key midfield players injured, it is looking as if Cairney, Reed, Onamah and Carvalho could all miss the match against Reading.
The three midfield positions will then no doubt be filled by Seri, Chalobah and BDR who hopefully can hold things together.
Silva says Onomah ok to play
