Sunday Fulham Stuff - 15/12/24...

[WhiteJC]

Tottenham Eyeing 'Exceptional' Manager to Replace Postecoglou
Tottenham are interested in Fulham manager Marco Silva should they decide to sack Ange Postecoglou, according to Miguel Delaney.

The Lilywhites boss has come under big pressure for his job from the fan base after a five-game winless run in recent weeks, with the team blowing a 2-0 lead at home to Chelsea before a 4-3 defeat while they failed to beat Scottish outfit Rangers in the Europa League this week also.

And while writing in his Reading the Game newsletter for The Independent, journalist Delaney claims that the north London outfit are "known to have been looking at Marco Silva" as a potential replacement should the Australian find himself out on his ear any time soon.

"Speculation is now swirling around Ange Postecoglou. Spurs are known to have been looking at Marco Silva... Daniel Levy however, is also aware of wider fan sentiment. There are issues with Postecoglou's coaching but supporters generally want to try something different and persist."

Silva, described as "exceptional" aided his cause by masterminding a fine performance at Anfield on Saturday afternoon as Fulham twice took the lead but ultimately were held to a 2-2 draw by ten-man Liverpool following Andy Robertson's first-half red card.

The Cottagers are currently sitting in ninth place in the league table but claimed a draw against Arsenal and Tottenham, have beaten Newcastle and suffered narrow and unfortunate defeats against both Manchester United and Manchester City this season.

Postecoglou's Job Safe for Now
Daniel Levy backing him to turn things around
While Tottenham's results have been poor in recent weeks especially, there is an acceptance that Postecoglou's job is safe currently in North London.

The former Celtic man is adamant about changing the mentality at the club, with Spurs trophyless since 2008 and Delaney claims in his column that club chairman Daniel Levy is aware of the wider fan sentiment that they want to keep him around and try something different, rather than sacking a manager mid-season like they have done so many times in the past.

Spurs will be looking to get back to winning ways on Sunday evening against basement club Southampton at St Mary's, but another performance like those in recent weeks is likely to attract more criticism from the fan base and could leave everyone involved in a difficult situation.



https://www.givemesport.com/tottenham-eyeing-exceptional-manager-to-replace-postecoglou/

[WhiteJC]

Chris Sutton gives verdict on Antonee Robinson's display for Fulham against Liverpool after claims Reds want him
Liverpool were held to their second successive draw in the Premier League after an entertaining game against Fulham finished 2-2 at Anfield.

Fulham led twice through Andreas Pereira and Rodrigo Muniz, but Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota ensured the Reds got at least a point at home.

Much of the limelight was on Andy Robertson as he was sent off with 17 minutes on the clock, but his counterpart Antonee Robinson enhanced his reputation with a fantastic display.

And Chris Sutton has had his say on the American international's performance at Anfield.

Chris Sutton raves about Liverpool target Antonee Robinson
Robinson has been linked with a move to Liverpool as the Reds scour the transfer market for a left-back.

As Robertson endured his toughest night of the, the Fulham defender showed a glimpse of his potential at Anfield as he provided two assists and largely kept Mohamed Salah at bay throughout the game.

Sutton hailed Liverpool for not throwing in the towel after going down to ten men but singled out Robinson for special praise, who was a thorn in the flesh of the Reds over the course of the 90 minutes.

He said via BBC: "I thought Liverpool were phenomenal. Brilliant game. They went down to 10 men and didn't feel sorry for themselves. Jota looked sharp as anything.

"Fulham are a really balanced side and were a big threat down the left. Robinson looked great. I thought Liverpool were phenomenal in the face of adversity."

Robinson's stats vs Liverpool
Marco Silva hailed Robinson for his performance against Liverpool as he produced one of his best displays of the season.

    2 assists
    1 clearance
    1 blocked shot
    5 tackles
    7/12 ground duels won
    4 key passes
    1 foul won
    22/29 passes completed
    1/1 aerial duels won
    4 interceptions

The American left-back played really well against Bukayo Saka last weekend as Fulham got a 1-1 draw and was at it again at Anfield.

Time will tell if the Reds make a move for Robinson, but the defender has certainly proved that he's got the quality on both ends of the pitch.



https://www.rousingthekop.com/2024/12/14/chris-sutton-gives-verdict-on-antonee-robinsons-display-for-fulham-against-liverpool-after-claims-reds-want-him/

[WhiteJC]

Marco Silva issues angry response to question over potential Fulham red cards
Cottagers continue brilliant season with 2-2 draw at Liverpool

Fulham manager Marco Silva issued an angry response to a question about potential red cards during his side's draw with Liverpool.

Honours were even at Anfield following an enthralling 2-2 draw in which the Cottagers twice took the lead against the Premier League leaders.

Andreas Pereira gave the visitors the lead before Andy Robertson was sent off for a foul on Harry Wilson.

Cody Gakpo would respond for the hosts but Rodrigo Muniz resorted Fulham's lead. Diogo Jota, however, would strike late for the Reds to secure a dramatic point on Merseyside.

There were a number of flashpoints throughout the game. Liverpool boss Arne Slot accepted Robertson's dismissal but Sky Sports pundit and former Premier League referee Mike Dean claimed Pereria should have been sent off before scoring the first goal, for a foul on Ryan Gravenbench for which he was only booked.

Issa Diop was also booked for an early challenge on Robertson and the Premier League's Match Centre confirmed the tackle had been looked at by VAR.

Put to him that both players may have been fortunate, Silva said: "Do you think?

"And the fouls from Liverpool, they are not close to red cards, no?

"I didn't see these moments, but you have all of them. If I go inside, I can probably give you some more 50/50 decisions from the referee, but you have two [from Diop and Pereira]. If you go through the whole game, you are going to see 50/50s against them, for sure.

"I want to talk about the game, but if you are asking me about two 50/50 moments, we are going to be here all afternoon. It's better to talk about the game. It's tough to play at Anfield and I think our guys did really well.

"The first 20 minutes [was played] at a very good level, 11 versus 11. The red card [to Robertson] had an impact on the game and Liverpool with their quality and bravery reacted really strong."Liverpool can complain about the red card, since it's a foul [from Robertson], it should be a red card. I can complain about the first goal that they scored because the foul on Kenny [Tete]."

Fulham sit ninth in the Premier League table and will host Southampton on Sunday.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/marco-silva-fulham-fc-vs-liverpool-premier-league-2024-b1200046.html

[WhiteJC]

Silva slams journalist's questioning
Marco Silva slaughtered a journalist's line of questioning in the aftermath of Fulham's 2-2 draw at Liverpool this afternoon.

The Fulham head coach passionately defended his side's conduct after an entertaining encounter at Anfield and was incensed that the first question in his post-match interview surrounded a contentious challenge by goalscorer Andreas Pereira.

Silva was astonished at being asked about Pereira escaping a red card for a tackle on Ryan Gravenberch and Issa Diop's early clash with Luis Diaz – and disagreed with the assertion that Fulham's players were fortunate.

 "Do you think? And the fouls from Liverpool, they are not close to red cards, no? I didn't see these moments, but you have all of them. If I go inside, I can probably give you some more 50/50 decisions from the referee, but you have two. If you go through the whole game, you are going to see 50/50s against them, for sure.

I want to talk about the game, but if you are asking me about two 50/50 moments, we are going to be here all afternoon. It's better to talk about the game. It's tough to play at Anfield and I think our guys did really well. Liverpool can complain about the red card, since it's a foul [from Robertson], it should be a red card. I can complain about the first goal that they scored because the foul on Kenny [Tete]."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/12/silva-slams-journalists-questioning/

[WhiteJC]

Silva salutes Robinson's excellence
Marco Silva hailed Antonee Robinson's man-of-the-match display at Anfield – admitting the American international's outstanding performance left him speechless.

Robinson made both of Fulham's goals as the Whites twice went ahead against the league leaders, but Fulham were denied victory when the ten men of Liverpool equalised through substitute Diogo Jota with four minutes of normal time remaining.

Silva told his post-match press conference:

"What a performance. It's difficult to express in words. This season he is so decisive. He was brave, assertive and aggressive in the right way when he came up against Salah. He had a yellow card after 27 minutes yet he stayed really aggressive in the right way. He was up and down every time and he's one of the greatest in our dressing room with the way he works and the way he is playing."

The Fulham head coach agreed with the assertion that Robinson is the best left back in the Premier League.

"You are asking a Fulham manager but of course I am going to say yes. I don't want to talk too much about him because I know in January the same story is going to follow about Robinson. I don't want to go in that direction. He's really focused in the way he plays, so let's keep him like that. It's crucial for us. If he's the best or not, that's not for me to decide, my players are always the best!"

The Portuguese boss outlined how impressive the ex-Everton defender's improvement has been since he took over at Craven Cottage from Scott Parker.

"Even when I arrived at Fulham four seasons ago, the way he has improved off the ball has been exceptional. If you create the right areas for him, he is going to be decisive going forward. Going up and down is not easy for any winger to follow him the way he plays, but also he has improved in defensive set up. He's open-minded to learn and is a player who is always ready for us because he's a great athlete."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/12/silva-salutes-robinsons-excellence/

[WhiteJC]

Player ratings: Liverpool 2-2 Fulham

Michael Sheldrake tucks into the individual performances after another impressive point against one of the big boys.

After four good results against very tough teams, the hardest test of this tricky run of fixtures stood in front of us, as we made the trip to Anfield to face a top of the league Liverpool side in fantastic form. An early goal from Andreas Pereira and red card for Andrew Robertson set us up perfectly for the remainder of the game, and we managed to take a point home after a thrilling 2-2 which had hearts in mouths throughout. A great team performance, but how did each individual player get on?

Bernd Leno

Surprisingly, the strength of our defenders today meant Liverpool were limited to just four shots on target, two of which Leno saved. In terms of the goals conceded, the first was from such close proximity it was hard for Bernd to do anything other than try to throw himself at it, and Diogo Jota had the whole goal to aim at for the second and managed to send him the wrong way. He can't really be blamed for either goal, and he managed to waste some time towards the end to help us hold on. Overall it was a solid performance once again. 7/10

Antonee Robinson

He's had shouts of being the best left-back in the league recently, and boy did he help prove that at Anfield, it was a world class performance from Robbo both going forward and defensively as he picked up two assists and consistently managed to find space behind Trent Alexander-Arnold. Defending against Salah is no easy task as we all know, but he was able to make multiple last-ditch tackles despite having to be cautious as he was booked early on. Amazing performance once again. 9.5/10 – man of the match

Jorge Cuenca

Jorge was handed his first Premier League start amid the absence of both Joachin Andersen and Calvin Bassey, and he certainly got thrown in the deep end. You wouldn't have been able to tell however, as he gave us an impressive performance against a recently rampant Liverpool front line. He racked up 12 clearances in total and put his body on the line in the box when called upon. It was going fantastically for him until he was spun by Jota for Liverpool's second but he can still walk away from this match with his head held very high after a successful first start in the league. 8/10

Issa Diop

Another man coming in to the side since Andersen's injury, and over the last few weeks he has proved himself to be a brilliant option, he did that once again today and it felt like almost every cross Liverpool whipped in was dealt with by the Frenchman, and his six headed clearances evidently backs this up. He was another who was booked early on, but he didn't let that affect him, as he continues to stake a claim for keeping his place in the starting XI once Andersen returns. 8.5/10

Kenny Tete

A strange one, as he was forced off after a collision with Joe Gomez in the 55th minute. The majority of our play came down the left hand side so Kenny didn't seem to get forward often. He was marking two players at the back post for Liverpool's first goal as he was slightly tugged and went to ground but it wasn't enough for the goal to be ruled out, and in all fairness, he should have had some help instead of being forced to mark two himself. He has been a brilliant player this season so let's pray that this injury doesn't keep him out for too long, although it doesn't look great. 6.5/10

Sander Berge

Sander came into this game having been in great form of late, and we saw against Arsenal that the combination of both him and Sasa Lukic is something we can utilise a lot this season. He helped the back line with a few headed clearances, made five recoveries and is proving to be a perfect replacement for Joao Palhinha. So great in fact, that he has a higher defensive duel win rate than any other midfielder in the Premier League this season. 7.5/10

Sasa Lukic

Sasa is such a well-rounded player, he just consistently does everything he needs to do with no trouble, he can tackle, move the ball forward, pass well and he showed that again in this match. He blocked two shots and made two key passes, proving that he performed well at both ends of the pitch, protecting and providing. I don't know what was more impressive, his performance, or the fact that he finally managed not to pick up a yellow card. 7.5/10

Alex Iwobi

The link-up play between Alex and Robbo down that left-hand side proved very effective once again, we saw Alex switch the play a fair few times as we looked to move the ball around and find space in behind the full-backs. He attempted a couple of shots after cutting inside but both were blocked, he also managed to make a painful block himself at the end of the game which was all worth it to take a point back to the cottage. He had five accurate long balls out of six attempted, and five recoveries. A good performance in all areas of the pitch. 7.5/10

Andreas Pereira

AP was given the nod today ahead of Emile Smith Rowe, and that proved to be a good decision from Marco, as after just 11 minutes Andreas popped up at the back post to acrobatically get on the end of Robbo's cross and score the opener. He provides a very different style to Emile as he likes to press more and we've seen in both this game and earlier in the season that when he is trusted in that more advanced number 10 role his qualities show. It's great to have the options there for Marco to choose from dependant on the opposition, however after another booking today he will not be available for selection against Southampton. 8/10

Harry Wilson

It feels like after recent performances and Reiss Nelson's injury that Harry is starting to get the game time that he deserves. He found himself one-on-one against Alisson before Robertson brought him down and was given a straight red card, and just moments later was close to scoring from the free kick as he struck it just over the bar. He completed the most successful dribbles in the match and each time he got the ball it felt promising. He got on the end of a few crosses but wasn't able to finish. A very good performance, getting into great positions and deserves to start the next game in my opinion. 8/10

Raúl Jimenez

Raúl didn't really get much involvement today, he got into some good positions in the box but the ball just didn't seem to fall to him and he didn't have any shots. We know Raúl, and we know that sometimes all he needs is one chance to change a game, as we saw against Arsenal. This Liverpool defence is very strong and managed to limit his chances well today. 6/10

Substitutes

Timothy Castagne (55' for Tete)

It was a 35-minute stint for Castagne to help hold the fort and he did everything he needed to in that time, made 18/19 passes successfully, wasn't dispossessed, made two interceptions and won the only tackle he attempted, it was a very fast-paced game, which made it hard to get straight into, particularly for somebody in his position, but he performed well when he came on. 7/10

Rodrigo Muniz (68' for Jimenez)

We are the team in the Premier League with the most goals by substitutes, and once again it was one of Marco's changes that got on the scoresheet, just eight minutes after coming on Muniz got on the end of Robinson's squared ball and flicked it goalwards, there was a slight deflection off a Liverpool defender's heel and it just managed to squeeze into the side netting, not much more you can ask for when you bring a striker off the bench. 8/10

Emile Smith Rowe (68' for Pereira)

Due to us defending with our backs against the wall for most of the time Emile was on the pitch, he didn't have much of an impact and can't be fairly assessed.

Adama Traore (87' for Wilson)

Adama had one shot on target which could have won us the game but arguably should have played it back to Smith Rowe in more space, however can't be fairly assessed given the short time he was on.

Manager

Marco Silva

It made sense for Marco to start with Lukic and Berge in this tough away fixture, as we want to be defensively solid and both of these players have the ability to get the ball forward, it was clear that the aim was to attack from wide areas, particularly down our left-hand side and it was obvious that Robinson's overlaps were the main source of threat. I back the choice to start Pereira today in a more fast-paced game as he provides the pressing threat and always gets himself involved and gives it his all.

One thing that does raise concern however, is conceding at the start of the second half once again, this has become a common theme over recent weeks and is something we need to iron out in future to help us gain three points. Bringing on Adama earlier could have potentially been better as we know how much threat he brings from the bench and he only got the one opportunity to show this when we could have had more, particularly with Liverpool pushing forward heavily in the dying moments. 8/10




https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2024-12-15-player-ratings-liverpool-2-2-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Reacting to Fulham's Anfield thriller
As Dan wrote in the immediate aftermath of yesterday's Anfield epic, you come away shaking your head when the Whites fail to take all three points after being a man up for more than seventy minutes and having led twice at the league leaders. But on the balance of play and given how Marco Silva's side had to juggle their resources, I think this was another indication of how fabulously Fulham are competing against the top Premier League sides at present.

Look at the way the Whites approached the game from the outset. Where previous managers have seen parking the bus as the only way to pick up points at places like Liverpool, Silva was bold and his ambition paid off with a wonderfully worked first goal. Yes, there will be understandable disappointment at Fulham's failure to see out another winning position – and his side now top the table for points dropped from in front this season – but the way in which this time is confident enough to go toe-to-toe with elite opposition is a barometer of the Cottagers' consistent improvement under the peerless Portuguese head coach. Silva's stylish entertainers have scored in fifteen consecutive Premier League fixtures, which is some going.

Liverpool deserve credit for remaining adventurous even after going down to ten men and they might have come away with all three points in an end-to-end final ten minutes. Arne Slot seems to have picked up the baton from Jurgen Klopp and kept the Reds rampaging forward – which is pretty remarkable – and Silva is certainly right about how the Anfield crowd roars their side forward. They were a crucial element in restoring Liverpool's belief after the early red card doled out to Antonee Robinson and you could see how the home side were emboldened from the start of the second half by the energy of the crowd.

But Fulham's own adaptability should garner a little more praise. One thing that was striking was how well our second string centre halves resisted wave after wave of Liverpool attacks even though Sander Berge and Sasa Lukic were eventually overwhelmed in the middle of the pitch. Issa Diop headed away countless crosses in another excellent display deputising for Joachim Andersen, and judging by the brilliant crossfield ball he pinged out to Harry Wilson for the first goal, he appears to have aped the Danish defender's penchant for delectable diagonals. But the revelation was Jorge Cuenca on his Premier League debut. The Spaniard was unflustered by the occasion or the opposition and delivered a composed performance. It was a shamed he was beaten by Diogo Jota's dazzling feet for Liverpool's late leveller because he was utterly brilliant. I don't remember the last time Fulham had four fabulous centre backs in the Premier League; that certainly feels like progress.

There were plenty of selfless showings on an afternoon that required lots of hard graft. Wilson ran tirelessly on his stomping ground, no doubt keen to make an impression. Alex Iwobi showed some grift to keep going in the closing stages after blocking a cross with a part of his anatomy that certainly isn't designed to take that sort of impact. Raul Jimenez led the line excellently before Rodrigo Muniz poached what might have been the winner. And we must be running out of superlatives for Antonee Robinson, who largely kept another world class winger quiet whilst popping up with two assists at the other end.

Silva and his coaching staff will methodically analyse the ins and outs of an incredible effort over the coming days – as is their way. There is plenty that the Whites could have done better, but the threat posed by Fulham's lightning breaks remained until the end – despite Liverpool looking the likelier winners, as evidenced by Alisson's save from Adama Traore in added time. You can't even consider this Anfield epic in isolation any time. Fulham's fine start to this season has now only been surpassed once in Premier League history, by Chris Coleman's 2003/04 squad that surpassed all expectations.

We were all worried what would happen once November gave way to December and the toughest run of fixtures that Fulham have faced this year. They went to Tottenham and got a point that might easily have been more – before surviving after Tom Cairney's rash challenge that led to a red card. Beating Brighton at home was no mean achievement, either. Holding Arsenal at home with a decidedly different gameplan still seems a very creditable point and walking away from the league leaders feeling a little downbeat at only taking a point back to London shows just how far Fulham have come.

Silva's reaction to ridiculous post-match talking points in his broadcast interview is further proof of how well the head coach and his current employers are matched. I don't have extensive knowledge of either American football or wrestling but I the Khan family will surely never make a more outstanding appointment in the sporting arena again. Silva is taking Fulham to new heights – and should he backed substantially in the transfer windows going forward – the sky is the limit. We should savour afternoons like yesterday, because they are a symbol of the fact that Fulham are far from a soft touch.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/12/reacting-to-fulhams-anfield-thriller/

[Cobh Fulham Fan]

I totally agree with your earlier point and conceding immediately after the break. It now seems that many teams have realised how vulnerable we are at that point in the game and go to take advantage of it!

That is everyone but us!