Friday Fulham Stuff (16/10/15)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Middlesbrough to assess the fitness of Adomah and Stuani ahead of Fulham date

AITOR KARANKA will assess the mental state and fitness of three of his key men before finalising his Middlesbrough team for Saturday's visit of Fulham.

The Boro boss knows the game with the Cottagers marks the start of another hectic run of seven matches inside 22 days so the international fortnight has been important to his side's recovery process.

However, despite feeling that his squad needed the two week interruption to the Championship's schedule, he still has some big issues to consider before naming his starting line-up to face Kit Symons' side.


His biggest concerns are Albert Adomah and Cristhian Stuani; both are only due back from international duty with Ghana and Uruguay respectively in the next 24 hours so it could be decided to give them extra recovery time knowing a trip to Cardiff on Tuesday is also on the horizon.

Adomah scored for Ghana in a 1-1 draw with Canada in Washington DC on Tuesday and is only due back to the training ground in the next 24 hours. It is a similar scenario facing Stuani, given the forward played two full games for Uruguay against Colombia and Bolivia in World Cup qualifiers.

And, with David Nugent nearing full fitness from the hamstring niggle which left him on the bench at Reading on October 3, Karanka knows he does have alternatives to play in Adomah and Stuani's roles.

Karanka must decide whether to recall Emilio Nsue, who pulled out of Equitorial Guinea's friendly with Kosovo, at right-back ahead of Tomas Kalas after the Chelsea loan man's return from international duty with the Czech Republic.

And the Middlesbrough head coach said: "We won seven games but if you start to think it is easy it will be difficult. After Reading we know how difficult it is and we have to take the last games as an example to keep going.

"We know and we have to be ready for the next run of games. We have had time to take a break, but after Monday we don't have one second to rest."

Middlesbrough are already guaranteed to make at least one change to the team which lost at Reading. Ben Gibson is likely to slot in as a replacement for Fernando Amorebieta, who is ineligible under the terms of his loan from Craven Cottage.

It has emerged, meanwhile, that Middlesbrough are set to become only the second team in the last 25 years to take more than 10,000 fans to Old Trafford for a Manchester United fixture.

United increased the visitors' allocation this week by a further 1,450 tickets for the Capital One Cup tie. Boro had already sold 8,600 tickets and Coventry City were the last team to sell 11,000 tickets for a League Cup game in 2007. The Sky Blues stunned Old Trafford that night with a 2-0 win.


http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/football/middlesbrough/13848875.Boro_to_assess_the_fitness_of_Adomah_and_Stuani_ahead_of_Fulham_date/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham misfit deserves 'fresh start' at Middlesbrough, says Kit Symons

Whites defender Fernando Amorebieta could have a shot at Middlesborough


Better times: Amorebieta scores for Fulham

Fernando Amorebieta is the Fulham square peg in a round hole.

But boss Kit Symons believes the Venezuelan international has a second chance to make it in English football at of all places - Saturday's opponents, Middlesbrough..

As part of a second loan deal that took the 30-year-old to the Riverside, he misses out against his parent club. Although his absence is counterbalanced by Boro's James Husband back at the Cottage a second time, who also watches from the sidelines.


Irony: Amorebieta is injured at Middlesbrough in October last season

Amorebieta's time at Fulham is summed up by last season.


A mixture of bad injury luck and lacklustre performances over eight appearances, culminated with a straight red card in a final dismal show as Fulham were caned 5-1 at home by Bournemouth in March (see below).

Irony: Amorebieta is injured at Middlesbrough in October last season
Amorebieta's time at Fulham is summed up by last season.


A mixture of bad injury luck and lacklustre performances over eight appearances, culminated with a straight red card in a final dismal show as Fulham were caned 5-1 at home by Bournemouth in March (see below).


Bees menace: Amorebieta celebrates after scoring for Middlesbrough at Brentford in the play-off semi-final

It helps somewhat Amorebieta has linked up again with Aitor Karanka at Middlesbrough. The Boro boss and the defender were at the Basque club in 2006.

Symons reckons where there's life for the Venezuelan, there's hope.

"It didn't go as we or he would have liked over his time," he said.

"Some people need a different opportunity and a fresh start, and it came about he got one at Middlesbrough. I'm pleased for Fernando, he's a good lad.

"When things go bad it can be quite fought; a change of environment, and we've got James Husband in on loan and we're pleased with that."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-misfit-deserves-fresh-start-10263658?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham have the most expensive Championship season ticket

Craven Cottage is one of the most expensive days out in the second tier


Cottage industry: View of the Putney End full for the visit of QPR

Fulham have the most expensive season ticket in the Championship.

That's according to figures taken from the latest BBC Price of Football Study.

The most expensive season ticket at Craven Cottage will set fans back £839 which puts them just ahead of Ipswich whose most expensive season ticket costs £829.

The club also have some of the most expensive adult matchday tickets in the league as well.

The cheapest are priced at £25 each which is more than double the cheapest prices of some clubs, while the most expensive are priced as high as £45. That's more than the most expensive match day tickets at four Premier League sides - Bournemouth, West Brom, Sunderland and Watford.

The most expensive matchday tickets in the league can be found at Sheffield Wednesday.

The Owls' most expensive tickets set fans back £52 a pop - the same price as the cheapest tickets at Chelsea.

The most expensive tickets in the league for a club's cheapest category of tickets are found at Brentford where the cheap seats cost as much as £28 each.


Protest: QPR fans hold up a banner demanding a maximum £20 ticket for away fans

Reading have the cheapest season tickets in the whole of the football league though at £135 each.

They are also one of three Championship clubs along with Huddersfield and Derby to offer £10 matchday tickets.

More than 700 tickets were analysed as part of the study, with 70 per cent seeing a price freeze or reduction for the 2015-16 season.

The average adult replica football shirt in the UK is currently £42.18.

You can calculate your individual cost of watching football by going to the BBC's website.

The costs of tickets quoted in the study are for the categories that are registered with the league and do not include individual or one-off offers. They also are reflective of prices that would be paid on the day as opposed to in advance.

Season ticket prices refer to the cheapest and most expensive tickets including early-bird offers.

Shirt prices are the prices quoted by official club shops rather than other retailers.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-most-expensive-championship-season-10263636?

[WhiteJC]

 
Kit's Boro Preview

Kit Symons needs no reminding of how difficult a fixture Middlesbrough away represents, but he's backing his Fulham side to cause plenty of problems of their own.

Aitor Karanka's team remain the favourites for promotion this season, but Symons believes the Whites have enough in their armoury to unlock a resolute Boro defence on Saturday.

Speaking in Thursday's pre-match press conference, he said: "They're a strong outfit and they don't concede many goals at all, so we know we'll have to be very creative in our play and bright in our movement to break them down, but we've got players who can do that. So I'm quite confident going into it.

"At the start of the season when you're looking at the fixtures when they first come out you'd put this one down as a real tough one because everyone's expecting them to do well. And full credit to them, they've gone and done it.

"They're a really good side with a good manager in Aitor, and a really good squad, so it's going to be a tough game no matter what.

"But saying that, I watched them play the week before the international break at Reading – because we obviously played Charlton on the Sunday – and they got beaten by a very good Reading side.

"So they're beatable, but they're very, very strong so we know it's going to be a tough game."

Karanka kept the majority of his team intact in the summer, whilst also adding the likes of Stewart Downing, David Nugent and Christian Stuani to his ranks, giving the Spaniard arguably one of the strongest squads in the division.

"If you've got a plan or a vision to take the club forward, it takes a period of time to do that," Symons explained. "He's been given that and he's been backed very well.

"They've brought in good players – Downing, Nugent, people like that – they've made some good acquisitions to add to what's already a very strong squad.

"They're further ahead of us in their building process if you like, and they're a very good side and we know we're going to be in for a real test on Saturday."

Boro have kept a clean sheet in four Sky Bet Championship games this season. Fulham looked to be on track for only our second going into the last 10 minutes against Charlton Athletic last time out, and Symons admitted his side need to be more formidable at the back.

"We need to start keeping more clean sheets ourselves, there's no getting away from it," he said. "We've done a lot of work during the international break on the defensive side of the game, but we always do – set-pieces, defending, we work on it regularly.

"So that side of it needs to improve and we're fully aware of that, and again I'm confident that'll come."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/october/15/kits-boro-preview?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham fear Ream could miss Boro game

Fulham defender Tim Ream is a doubt for Saturday's Championship match against Middlesbrough after returning injured from international duty.

The 28-year-old was taken off after 65 minutes of the USA's friendly with Costa Rica on Tuesday.

Fulham are awaiting results of a scan which will decide whether the centre-back can play at the Riverside Stadium.

Striker Matt Smith will play for the Fulham Under-21s on Friday night against Newcastle, his first game since injuring his knee in a collision with keeper Marcus Bettinelli in August.

Scott Parker, Luke Garbutt and George Williams are all continuing their recovery, having played in a behind-closed-doors game with Watford last week.


http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/football-wls-fulham-defender-doubtful-for-middlesbrough-clash

[WhiteJC]

 
Newcastle Test At The Cottage

Fulham Under-21s will be looking to get back to winning ways against Newcastle United on Friday evening at Craven Cottage in the Barclays U21 Premier League Division Two.

Peter Grant's side were soundly beaten on their travels last time out in an uncharacteristic display that saw them lose 3-0 away at Derby County, having beaten Blackburn Rovers by the same scoreline previously.

It's been a Jekyll and Hyde season so far for the Whites with three wins and three defeats leaving them in mid-table, as they look for the consistency to fire them towards the top end of the table.

Matt Smith is set to make his comeback from injury on Friday and will lead the line for Grant's side as he closes on a return to First Team action.

Newcastle have endured a tough start to the season and having failed to register a win so far, they find themselves struggling at the wrong end of the table.

They have just three points to their name but are unbeaten in their last two, with draws against West Ham United and most recently Swansea City.

Tickets will be available for fans to buy from turnstiles in the Johnny Haynes Stand, priced at £3 adults and £1 juniors.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/october/15/newcastle-test-at-the-cottage?

[WhiteJC]

 
Aitor Karanka Welcomes Back International Boro Stars For Fulham Visit

Head Coach says his full squad are ready for Saturday...
Aitor Karanka has welcomed back the club's international stars in readiness for Saturday's visit from Fulham (3pm).

Click here to buy tickets for the game.

A host of Boro players have been in international action over the past week, but all are now back on Teesside and are ready for club duty.

Boro signed off before the break with a defeat at Reading, leaving the club's Head Coach with time to re-assess and work on correcting the mistakes made at the Madejski.

"I think it's always good to have two weeks to train on the pitch and on the training ground," said Karanka.

"We didn't have all of the squad because a few were with their national teams but it's good when you have two weeks to try and train other things and change things, especially after our defeat to Reading."

Despite some of the squad having only touched down in the UK in the last 24 hours, Karanka insists his players are all ready for the challenge of Kit Symons' side.

"All of them are ready," he said. "Cristhian played two games, Albert played 70 minutes and scored, Fernando played 90 minutes – all of them are really pleased and fit which is the main thing.

"I have to speak with them but they arrived yesterday and today, they've been resting but they will train on Friday.

"They're players who are used to playing in these conditions so it's not a surprise for me that they are ready. I have to speak with them and pick the best XI."

Fernando Amorebieta is unavailable for the game against his parent club while James Husband, who is on loan at Fulham from Boro, is also ineligible to play this weekend.


Read more at http://www.mfc.co.uk/news/article/2014/boro-middlesbrough-fulham-aitor-karanka-2745156.aspx#wQwmTr0xfYirhpj6.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Leeds Tickets

Fulham are back at Craven Cottage on Wednesday (21st October) to take on Leeds United.

Supporters can head to SW6 for our first home fixture following the international break, with tickets and Matchday Hospitality on sale, kick-off 7.45pm.

Ticket prices start from £20 adults and £15 juniors and can be purchased online at fulhamfc.com/tickets, or by phone from the Fulham Ticket Office on 0843 208 1234 (opt. 1)
Buy Leeds Tickets
For supporters wishing to watch the match in style, why not take up a spot in our London's Original in McBride's package, or a Shared Executive Suite?

Both options provide food served prior to kick-off, with McBride's also offering access to a cash bar and Directors' Area Seating to watch the game, and our Executive Suite giving supporters fully inclusive drinks and balcony seating. Prices start from £75 per person (+VAT).

Find out more online, or call our Hospitality team on 0208 336 7555 – Mon-Fri, 9am-5:30pm.
Buy Leeds Hospitality


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/october/15/leeds-tickets?

[WhiteJC]

 
The Road to Recovery Continues!
   
As the Championship season re-starts after the international break, which seemed to last for an eternity, we`ve some news with regards to our walking wounded.

It transpires that Matt Smith, who hasn`t played for the first team since a collision with Marcus Bettinelli, way back in August, is set to play in the U21`s fixture this Friday evening.

Smith, who will be hoping to get amongst the goals, will be playing in the Friday night U21 fixture against Newcastle. Hopefully everything will go okay for the striker.

Elsewhere in the squad, we`re pleased to report that Scott Parker, Luke Garbutt and George Williams are all moving closer to full fitness.

All three played in a behind-closed-doors friendly against the Premier League outfit Watford last week.

Whether any of the trio will be in contention for the trip to Middlesbrough will be uncovered later this week.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=417371#ixzz3oiGoHa6l

[WhiteJC]

 
Preview: Middlesbrough vs. Fulham

Second-placed Middlesbrough will be looking to get back to winning ways when they host Fulham in the Championship this weekend, having lost their first match in six outings before the international break.

The Cottagers come into this match having picked up just one victory from their last four outings through, leaving them six points outside the playoff places.

Middlesbrough
Aitor Karanka's side sit just two points behind Brighton & Hove Albion coming into this match, having lost just twice in the Championship so far this season.

Boro had been on a five-match winning streak just before the international period, but were beaten by Reading at the Madejski Stadium in their last outing.

Despite the team sitting in the automatic promotion places, the manager has been playing down his side's form at the start of the season, insisting that they must not get carried away.

The team have the joint-best defence in the division so far this season, having conceded just seven goals while keeping four clean sheets.

Along with this weekend's opponents, Boro also have the second-best attack, netting 17 goals in the Championship, with only Queens Park Rangers, who have the worst defence, having scored more.

With a League Cup match away at Manchester United coming up later this month, this fixture starts a run of five matches in 15 days for Karanka's squad.

Recent form: WWWWWL
Recent form (all competitions): WWWWWL

Fulham © Getty Images Kit Symons's team are looking for their first win in three matches when they travel to the Riverside this weekend, having been beaten by Wolverhampton Wanderers and draw with Charlton Athletic just before the international break.

Fulham are six points behind Burnley, who occupy the final spot in the playoffs, and eight points of the second automatic promotion spot currently occupied by Boro.

The manager will be keen to close the gap to the top six, with reports suggesting that he is under pressure coming into this fixture, with the club's board keen to secure promotion this season.

There has also been talk of Moussa Dembele leaving the club in the January transfer window, with Everton continuing to be linked with the 19-year-old after failing to sign the striker over the summer, but the club are thought to be close to offering him a new deal.

While the Cottagers have the same goal-scoring record as this weekend's opponents, they have not been as strong at the back, keeping just one clean sheet in their first 10 fixtures, while letting in 16 goals.

Ross McCormack has been in strong goal-scoring form in recent weeks, scoring four goals in the team's last five matches in the division. The Scot has seven goals in all competitions for Fulham so far this season, making him the club's top scorer.

Recent form: WWLWLD
Recent form (all competitions): WLLWLD

Team News
The visitors will need to put Tim Ream through a late fitness test after he picked up an injury while on international duty with the United States.

James Husband will be unavailable, as he is on loan at Craven Cottage from Middlesbrough, but Matt Smith, Luke Garbutt, Scott Parker and George Williams are also nearing a return to first-team action after featuring with the Under-21s.

Meanwhile, Karanka has insisted that he has no fresh injury concerns, despite several of the club's players being involved in internationals over the last two weeks.

However, Fernando Amorebieta is unavailable, as he is on loan from Fulham, so cannot face his parent club.

Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:
Konstantopoulos, Kalas, Ayala, Nsue, Friend, Clayton, Leadbutter, Stuani, Fabbrini, Downing, Kike

Fulham possible starting lineup:
Lonergan, Richards, Stearman, Ream, Garbutt, Christensen, Tunnicliffe, O'Hara, Pringle, McCormack, Dembele

Head To Head
Middlesbrough have won just one of their last four matches against Fulham, losing 4-3 when the sides met at Craven Cottage back in April.

However, Fulham have only won once at the Riverside in 12 previous visits to Middlesbrough's ground.

In 24 meetings between the two sides there has been little to separate the teams, with both having secured 10 wins, while sharing four draw.

We say: Middlesbrough 2-1 Fulham

The Riverside has not been a happy hunting ground for Fulham, with their only win coming back in the 1940s. Aside from their win just before the international break, Middlesbrough have been in strong form, while the Cottagers have been struggling over the last month.


Read more at: https://tr.im/vRcbY

[WhiteJC]

 
Kit Symons: Should he stay or should he go, and does it even matter?



The cries for Kit's head have been growing stronger, yet he still has staunch defenders. Who's right and does it really even make a difference?

Kit Symons has been divisive. We've already had an entire podcast devoted to whether he should be let go. Some people are convinced he's a horrible manager who can't get better and the team should let him go sooner rather than later. Some people are willing to give him more time to see how this team finally gels. Some think that Kit has the ability to develop into a better manager than the team could hope to hire. But there is another opinion, which is the one I tend to hold. It's quite possible that managers don't make that much difference.

The manager not making a big difference isn't something that makes a ton of intuitive sense. The manager sets up the squad. The manager handles substitutions. The manager develops a strategy for a match. Surely these are huge things, right? But if you stop and think, are they really? Once the game starts, there is very little the manager can do. A lucky bounce here, a bonehead tackle there, a bad decision by the referee; before you know it everything the manager did to prepare for the game goes out the window. With only three subs and no timeouts, the manager doesn't have the ability to influence the game that much. The players on the field are the ones with the outcome in their power.

When you look at the data, this is even more apparent. Sports economist Bastian Drut has shown that the salaries spent on players in the Premier League and Championship between 1991 and 2010 explains 87% of the variation in league position. Simply stated, if you have higher earning players, you have better players, and you win more often. Of course that still leaves 13% of the variation unaccounted for. How much of that comes down to the manager?

The first thing to remember is that while the market for players is very efficient, it is not 100% so. Just because you are on high wages doesn't mean you are a great player. Scott Parker is probably one of the highest earning Fulham players. But would you argue he's one of the best or most important? Also, injuries affect the results, but don't affect the wage bill. Scott Parker has spent much of the season recovering from injury. Even if he was one of the best players and completely worth his wages, if he's not available there isn't much a manager can do. In a case like at Fulham where the manager is not handling the transfer market and signing the players himself, these are two more areas where results are affected but he has little control over. Jamie Carragher might have summed it up best in his autobiography:

The bottom line is this: if you assemble a squad of players with talent and the right attitude and character, you'll win more football matches than you lose, no matter how inventive your training sessions, what system you play, or what team-talks you give. But anything that can give you that extra 10 per cent, whether that's through diet, your general fitness or the correct word in your ear, also has merit.

So finally we're left with very little that the manager controls. This doesn't mean he doesn't make a difference. There are managers who consistently overperform their spend rate. There are managers who are heavily involved in transfer dealings who can exploit inefficiencies when building there team. Perhaps there are managers who know how to use training to reduce injury rates. There are managers who are master motivators who get players to perform above their natural talent. The managers who combine these things usually end up being recognized as the best managers in the world. No one would argue that Kit is in this class. But there are very few of these guys around. To make things harder, these guys usually have their pick of jobs and are unlikely to take a job like Fulham. If Fulham wants one of these great managers, their best option is to go the AFC Bournemouth route (assuming you think Eddie Howe has become a great manager) and build one from scratch. The other option is to identify someone young who's managing at a low level or in a smaller league who might become a great manager. Can Kit Symons develop? The jury is still out, but the odds are against him. Great managers simply don't come around that often, so the deck would always be stacked against him. However, that doesn't mean he should be sacked if he isn't great or doesn't become great.

In the same way that great managers are rare, truly awful managers are also rare. We've all heard of the new manager bounce, but is it an effect that really exists? Most likely not. Teams fire the manager when they are struggling. Football is a game that is highly influenced by luck. A bad run of form can be caused by a few unlucky breaks. But over the long run we expect regression to the mean. If a team is collecting bad results, we would guess them to quickly regress to their true talent level. This level would obviously be better than the run of form they were previously in. Chances are they would have regressed with or without the managerial change. But we as humans like patterns and cause and effect. It's easy for us to assign the reason behind improvement to the new manager when realistically it didn't make much difference.

That isn't to say that bad managers don't exist. Felix Magath was a bad manager. He trained the team in ways that may have led to more injuries. He refused to treat those injuries properly. He picked squads that ignored his best players. He made players not want to give 100% effort. There are other bad managers out there. There are also managers who are in a situation that makes them bad. Just like in any workplace there can be personality conflicts. If the players don't like or respect their manager, they won't train and play as hard. They might ignore the game plan. While he might not be a bad manager, it's far easier to fire the manager than replace a whole squad. However, I'm not convinced Kit Symons is either a bad fit with this squad or that he's actively a bad manager.

All this might make you think that I believe managers are pointless. I don't believe that for a second. You can't take a guy off the street and make him a manager and expect success. It's a hard job that only a few people could do. However, the people who can't do it are mostly weeded out before they ever get a chance to manage a club. They flame out as coaches or managing youth teams before they are ever given the reigns to a club. Very few people who are unable to manage ever make it to a place where they are given the opportunity. This is where I think Kit Symons is. He's qualified to be a manager. He won't be the guy who gives you that extra 10% that can put a great team over the top, but he's also not so bad that your players will underperform to their talent level. If you replace him with another average manager (say Steve Bruce) you'll probably end up in about the same position you were if you'd kept him. Unless you identify and are able to secure the services of a truly special manager, I don't think there's much point in making a change.


http://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2015/10/15/9542011/kit-symons-sack-fulham-managers-do-they-matter

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham manager Kit Symons faces the sack if Championship results don't improve fast

Kit Symons's position at Craven Cottage under scrutiny after underwhelming start to the season and the next two games are likely to prove crucial


Under pressure: Kit Symons faces losing his job if Fulham's results don't improve
Photo: REX FEATURES

Kit Symons is under increasing pressure at Fulham and could become the latest managerial departure in the Championship.

Symons's position at Craven Cottage has come under scrutiny after an underwhelming start to the season and the next two games are likely to prove crucial for the 44-year-old.

Fulham have won only three league games despite spending around £7 million in the summer and Symons is losing support in the boardroom.

It is believed the Welshman was close to losing his job last month but avoided the sack after a comfortable 4-0 win over Queens Park Rangers.

But Fulham have since been thrashed at home by Wolves and thrown away a two-goal lead against Charlton to throw Symons's future into fresh doubt.

Fulham's board had always intended to assess the club's position after 12 games and wanted signs that the squad would be in contention for a play-off place, but there has been deep frustration over many of the performances.

Symons faces a tough trip to Middlesbrough this weekend before a home game against Leeds on Wednesday, which may prove decisive.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/11934756/Fulham-manager-Kit-Symons-faces-the-sack-if-Championship-results-dont-improve-fast.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Boro match talk with Fulham fan

Have we all woken up from the 2-week deep sleep, more commonly known as the International break? Ok, let's get back to real football and look forward to the game at home against Fulham. Can Boro get back to winning ways after the disappointing defeat to Reading a couple of weeks ago?

If you were at Craven Cottage earlier this year, you will have experienced a game full of drama that ended in defeat. We all remember the true grit Karanka's boys showed that day to get back to 3-3 before their hearts were broken in the final minutes. With that game still in the minds of the Boro players, we'll be looking to get our own back on Kit Symons' side with a win?

In a new series for Follow The Boro Brick Road this season, we are asking opposition fans to answer questions about their team and also about the mighty Boro. We invited Fulham fan, Saul Waldram to share his thoughts ahead of the match.

Name of opposition fan: Saul Waldram (@saulwaldram)

How long have you been supporting Fulham?

I have been supporting Fulham for about 14 years now. The reason I started supporting Fulham is because it runs in the family and my Dad always wanted one of his sons to grow up supporting them. All my Dad's side of the family come from Fulham so it just made sense.



What's been your favourite Fulham moment to-date?

My favourite Fulham moment to date would be watching Fulham get to the Europa League Final in 2010. It was the best achievement Fulham have ever achieved, but it was also the most upsetting moment to see them lose in the final after going so far. If it was one Fulham game I had to choose then that would be Fulham v Juventus, on the way to the final. We went 1-0 down in the second leg and thought it was all over, but we came back to beat them 4-1 on the night and 5-4 on aggregate to go through to the next round.

Can you remember any memorable games between Fulham and Boro over the years?

I would say the most memorable game I have seen between Fulham and Boro would be last season when we beat them 4-3 at home. It was such an up and down game. I thought I was going to have a heart attack on the sidelines.



Which Fulham players should Boro keep a close eye on and why?

I think that Boro need to keep an eye on Ross McCormack. Obviously as he's a very intelligent player on the field and is our top scorer so far this season. I also think that Boro should keep an eye on Lasse Vigen Christensen as he was one of our best players last season until he got injured, but now he is back and fit again so he should cause the Boro defense a few problems I hope.



If you could have two Boro players in the Fulham team, which two would you choose and why?

The first player I would choose is Stewart Downing as he has proven himself in the Premier league already and I imagine he tears defences apart for Boro in the Championship. The second player I would choose would be David Nugent as he is a proven goal-scorer and I think him and Ross McCormack would make a good pairing together.

What's your score prediction for Boro v Fulham?

Obviously I want a Fulham win, but I have to say I would take a draw against a good side like Boro. So, I predict a 1-1 draw for the match.

Many thanks to Hans Saulo for sharing his thoughts ahead of the game. We wish Fulham all the best for the rest of the season.

Up the Boro #UTB


http://www.borobrickroad.co.uk/boro-match-talk-with-fulham-fan/?

[mikestrand]

"The Riverside has not been a happy hunting
ground for Fulham, with their only win
coming back in the 1940s."
That's wrong we beat them  4-1 there back in 1983.
I'll always remember after the game our fans being asked by police to run to the station because they couldn't guarantee our safety.

[cmg]

"The Riverside has not been a happy hunting
ground for Fulham, with their only win
coming back in the 1940s."
That's wrong we beat them  4-1 there back in 1983.
I'll always remember after the game our fans being asked by police to run to the station because they couldn't guarantee our safety.

Haha! We didn't win at the Riverside in the 1940s either. Prior to the mid 90s we played them at the grand old Ayresome Park ground. You must remember that for some football didn't really exist before SkyTV!

Not only did we whack 'em there in that memorable match (Sept 82) but did so again the following season. We had also won there in 72 and 73.

One match I particularly remember is our promotion season of '59 when we were playing some brilliant stuff. We had already beaten them 3-2 up at Ayresome thanks to a Graham Leggat hat-trick and we repeated the dose back at the Cottage when Leggat and Haynes were our first two scorers. This was Brian Clough's last match against us...and a bloody good job, too. I looked up his record against us - he scored in all six of his matches against us with a total of 8!
Now, our third scorer in that home match was Tony Barton, one of the lesser lights of our squad in those years. However his appearance in those matches meant we saw two future European Cup winning managers playing against each other. Probably not unique (Ancelotti and Capello probably played against each other) but pretty rare!