Thursday Fulham Stuff (10/03/16)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Tunners: Heartbreaking

Ryan Tunnicliffe was left gutted that Fulham couldn't build on their excellent opening 45 minutes in the early stages of the second half on Tuesday evening.

Goals from Ross McCormack and Moussa Dembélé had put the Whites in front after Sam Vokes' early opener, but the Burnley striker restored parity from the spot four minutes after the restart when Tom Cairney was adjudged to have fouled Joey Barton.

Andre Gray then put the Clarets back in the ascendency just after the hour mark, and that was the way it stayed.

"Obviously Burnley winning a penalty a few minutes after half-time has given all the momentum to them," Tunnicliffe told fulhamfc.com. "Then they scored again and we pushed, but it wasn't to be.

"It's heartbreaking for us but the referee thought it was a penalty, he gives it and they've scored, but to go 3-2 down not so long after as well and be on the wrong end of a complete turnaround was even worse.

"You can't do anything about the ref's decision but to give the third goal away was the killer. It's obviously disappointing but we need to start picking up points now. We can't keep coming in and saying, 'we did this well and we did that well.'"

The match saw Tunnicliffe get a full 90 minutes under his belt for the first time since our meeting with the Clarets at Turf Moor back at the beginning of November.

And he showed just what he can add to the Fulham cause with a performance full of energy and grit; something that was personified in first-half stoppage time when his excellent sliding tackle and run launched a counter attack that ended with Tom Heaton making a fine save to deny Cairney.

"I got that tackle in and we could've been 3-1 up at the end of the half," he stated. "I think that would have been a bitter blow to them and would have given us all the momentum coming out second half but, again, it wasn't to be.

"On a personal level it's nice to be back playing football, especially having been sidelined for so long with injury, which is horrible."

All attentions are now on Saturday's meeting with Bristol City at the Cottage, with the intensity on the fixture ramped up with the two sides now level on 37 points in the Sky Bet Championship, two off the drop zone.

"Considering how close they are to us I think it's a must-win on Saturday," Tunnicliffe admitted. "But I think as you've seen against Burnley, we're up for the fight.

"They came here top of the league and we've matched them. I think we more than outplayed them in the first half and could have been 3-1 up at half-time, but it didn't happen.

"So we're going to fight, dust ourselves off, get back in training, watch the video, and look forward to Saturday, and hopefully get the win."

Get behind the boys and secure your seat at Fulham v Bristol City on Saturday, with tickets available from £25 for adults and £15 for juniors.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/march/09/tunners-heartbreaking?

[WhiteJC]

 
Bristol City NEWS: Crunch game against Fulham heading for sell-out as Robins fans mobilise

Saturday's SkyBet Championship match against Fulham at Craven Cottage is proving popular with Bristol City fans.

BRISTOL City will take nearly 4,000 fans to Fulham this weekend in a major show of strength.

City's first visit to Craven Cottage since December 1997 has caught the imagination of Robins fans, who have been quick to snap up tickets for the trip to West London.

Fulham have sent City 3,900 tickets and fewer than 150 remained on sale this morning. These are expected to go quickly and Lee Johnson's team will be backed by one of the biggest away followings of the season on Saturday.

Recent results mean the game assumes added significance, with both teams just two points above the Championship relegation zone.

Fulham are back in trouble after losing 3-2 at home to Burnley on Tuesday night, while City are under pressure to return to winning ways following back-to-back defeats at the hands of Cardiff and Wolves.

City will be looking to avenge the 4-1 defeat inflicted by Fulham at Ashton Gate on October 31



Read more: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-City-NEWS-Crunch-game-Fulham-heading-sell/story-28890059-detail/story.html#ixzz42U0cKi7g
Follow us: @BristolPost on Twitter | bristolpost on Facebook

[WhiteJC]

 
#Cohen66 Campaign for Fulham FC

In recognition of George's contributions to club and country, Fulham FC is raising money to erect a statue of George at Craven Cottage, and to help fund a cause close to George's heart in the care of dementia sufferers. Chairman Shahid Khan is 100% behind the project and has pledged to match every pound raised by the fans towards both the statue and the charitable causes.

The funding generated through this campaign will first fund the George Cohen statue at Craven Cottage, and then focus on two local programmes in dementia care:

Providing care for people living with dementia, of which there will be 1 million in the UK by 2025. Working in partnership with Sporting Memories Network, we will improve peoples' quality of life and that of their carers by helping them to access long-term memories through association with their experiences watching sport;
Helping to delay the onset of dementia through preventative programmes working on healthy lifestyles, incorporating healthy eating and exercise for men in vulnerable age groups.
Check out the great rewards you can get for your contribution – and get involved to say thank you to George!

http://copa90.com/cohen66-campaign-for-fulham-fc/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham tickets sold out

City sell near-4,000 allocation for Craven Cottage trip.
Away tickets for Saturday's trip to Fulham (3pm) have now sold out.

City's first trip to Craven Cottage since 1997 has captured the imagination of supporters, who have snapped up the full allocation – just shy of 4,000 tickets in the Putney End.

The hosts still have a limited number of tickets available in their mixed area of the same stand, which houses both home and away supporters. These can be purchased by contacting Fulham FC on 0843 208 1234 or online.

Should any tickets remain available in this area on matchday, a £5 price increase will apply on the turnstiles.

Ticket collections and duplicate tickets can be picked up from the ticket collection booths located just to the left of the ticket office on Stevenage Road – this opens from 1.30pm


Read more at http://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/article/fulham-tickets-sold-out-2997599.aspx#2MC2Vh0yJJK1kDm3.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Richard Osman and Fulham left pointless by relentless Burnley

Burnley won a fifth successive Championship game last night with a 3-2 win at Fulham and in doing so came from behind to win for a second time having done just that at Bolton a week and a half ago.

It was three points that, at half time, I didn't think we were going to get. We went in for the interval 2-1 down and quite honestly the scoreline could have been worse than that. Sean Dyche said he reminded the players at half time that we are where we are for a reason and, lo and behold, they came out, got level quickly and then went on to win it with a sensational third goal.

Sam Vokes had scored the first two. He gave us the lead with an early header from a Scott Arfield corner, scored the equaliser from the penalty spot and that left Andre Gray to score the winner for the third time in ten days with a simply stunning finish.

We might not have created too much after that but we defended resolutely as Fulham did a Blackburn and hurled big high ball after big high ball into our box. The defending, which had left much to be desired in the first half, stood up to everything to the point that I can't recall Tom Heaton having to make a save.

Five of us departed by car just after lunch yesterday afternoon. Weather apart, it was a trouble free journey all the way. We often play Pointless on long journeys to pass the time but, probably because of Richard Osman's committed support of Fulham, we gave it a miss for once.

This site's message board is often a source of useless information, often posted by myself, but can also, at times, prove invaluable. Thanks to Herts Clarets for the parking advice. It allowed us to get parked up just after five and without charge. It left us ample time to saunter across the river at Putney Bridge to enjoy a pint and some tea before the short walk back to Craven Cottage and its unique neutral end.

Prior to leaving the pub came the disappointing news that David Jones was ruled out. He's such an influential player that he is always going to be missed. Fredrik Ulvestad, who played both of our FA Cup ties this campaign, came on for him in the derby win and he got his first league start of the season with fit again Dean Marney on the bench.

Former Preston and Leeds goalkeeper Andy Lonergan was right in front of us for the first half and within no time at all he was picking the ball out of the net when Sam Vokes hit home. Lonergan and Fulham were relieved to see the flag had already gone up for offside.

But it was Fulham who grabbed the early initiative and more than once we found ourselves scrambling the ball away from our own box as the home side looked to gain an early advantage. We couldn't get the ball, but when we did it was us who took the lead.

Scott Arfield looked all set to get a shot on goal only for the home defender to get it out for a corner. Arfield, in the absence of Jones, was on corner taking duty and Vokes found space for himself to power home a header to give us the lead.

It might have been two soon after with Joey Barton so close to scoring from a free kick. We all expected him to hit it over the wall but he kept the kick low, curled it round the defenders only to see it go inches wide.

I'm not sure how it came about but that seemed to signal a complete change in the game. Suddenly there was only one team in it and it wasn't us. Fulham had us in all sorts of trouble defensively. Only Michael Keane in the back four looked anything like his best and suddenly two goals in five minutes saw Fulham go in front.

Ross McCormack got the first when a ball was played between Ben Mee and Stephen Ward, and for the second they got the better of Matt Lowton down the flank with neither Mee nor Tom Heaton dealing with the cross leaving Moussa Dembele with the simplest of chances.

It could have been even worse to be honest but we should have been given the chance to equalise when George Boyd was clipped in the box. It was, unquestionably, a penalty and just to make it worse, Ulvestad's following shot took a deflection over the bar with referee Dean Whitestone, who had missed the penalty, then awarding a goal kick.

I have to say, in the referee's defence, that I thought he had a very good game throughout and I'd be hard pushed to find too many errors. It's his second Burnley game this season and his second very good performance.

Right on half time, with Fulham again in the ascendancy, a ball in from the right was met by Tom Cairney whose shot was saved well by Heaton going down to his right. It allowed us to go in at half time with just a one goal deficit; it really could have been more.

I imagine that Dyche tore a strip off them in the dressing room and we came out for the second half and immediately looked so much better. It took us just four minutes to get the equaliser. Barton was fouled in the box and this time Whitestone pointed to the spot. Vokes made no mistake for his second of the game.

Things really were looking better now but the game had proved to be a difficult one for Ulvestad who was withdrawn just before the hour. Two minutes later and his replacement, Marney, got an assist on the winner.

Heaton collected the ball and kicked it long into the Fulham half. A defender got a head to it but only as far as Marney who headed it down for Gray. He got the better of Michael Madl who I think got the touch on the ball for Gray to hammer home right footed from outside the box. From the far end it looked a stunning finish.

There was still almost half an hour to go but I thought we were in control although we did have some defending to do. As time started to run out for them they started to launch more and more high balls into our box. They even brought on the former Oldham and Leeds battering ram Matt Smith.

We'd not looked good defensively in the first half, now we looked almost unbeatable. Yes, we had to win a lot of headers but there's little you can do to stop a barrage of high balls coming into your box. The two central defenders were now outstanding and also a special mention for my man of the match Vokes. Having scored two goals I lost count of the number of headers he won in his own box.

When the board went up for five extra minutes, with news that Lee Frecklington had scored a winner for Rotherham against Middlesbrough coming through, I thought we could have done with  couple of minutes less. But Fulham didn't get a chance, we saw it out, and at the final whistle had secured a fifth successive win to move us four points clear at the top of the table.

I'm not counting any chickens yet, not even close to it. We've a long way to go, ten more games, but it is just incredible right now watching this relentless Burnley side. We've even got the good news that for Joey Barton to receive a suspension for yellow cards he'll now have to collect seven more in those last ten games. He's currently on eight with the amnesty for ten coming this Sunday.

I'd like to say the return journey was trouble free but motorway closures on both the M4 and M6 put paid to that but we were on our way home with three more points. It doesn't matter when you've won, you can put up with it all.

No Pointless on the way home. I usually play the Richard Osman part. The others haven't worked out yet that you can't look silly not knowing answers if you have them in front of you.

He'll be back on tonight but he and his team went home pointless last night because, in the second half, they couldn't come with the relentless Burnley.

The teams were;

Fulham: Andy Lonergan, Michael Madl, Dan Burn (Rohan Ince 83), Fernando Amorebieta, Ryan Fredericks, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Scott Parker (Matt Smith 83), Tom Cairney, Luke Garbutt, Ross McCormack, Moussa Dembele. Subs not used: Joe Lewis, Jazz Richards, Tim Ream, Chris Baird, Jamie O'Hara.
Yellow Card: Michael Madl.

Burnley: Tom Heaton, Matt Lowton, Michael Keane, Ben Mee, Stephen Ward, George Boyd, Fredrik Ulvestad (Dean Marney 59), Joey Barton, Scott Arfield, Sam Vokes, Andre Gray. Subs not used: Paul Robinson, Tendayi Darikwa, James Tarkowski, Matt Taylor, Michael Kightly, Rouwen Hennings.
Yellow Cards: George Boyd, Scott Arfield.

Referee: Dean Whitestone (Northamptonshire).

Attendance: 15,281.


http://www.uptheclarets.com/richard-osman-and-fulham-left-pointless-by-relentless-burnley?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham boss says Championship is a wake-up call for ex-PSV Eindhoven and Vitesse Arnhem player

Whites man in the dugout says there is time for young attacking midfielder to help get the club win a relegation scrap


The long game: Zakaria Labyad chases Chelsea's Diego Costa (L) and a place in the Fulham line-up

Zakaria Labyad has made only two sub appearances for Fulham – both defeats – and the Whites gaffer is not surprised.

Slavisa Jokanovic admitted he drafted in the Moroccan international of Dutch origin with a view to the long term.

Labyad joined from Portuguese outfit Sporting Club de Portugal in the January transfer window – but life in the Primeira Liga is far removed from the hurly burly of England's second tier, according to Fulham's head coach.

Before that he was at Vitesse Arnhem and PSV Eindhoven, but even top-flight experience in Holland doesn't guarantee him a starting berth at Fulham.

The 22-year-old didn't even make the cut for the final 17-man squad ahead of last night's 3-2 defeat against Burnley, but the man who decides the teamsheet says there is still time for Labyad to make an impact.

Jokanovic explained: "It's not strange for a big club to sign a young player and he has to wait six or eight months for a chance.

"I give Zakaria a chance to show what he can do, and we're still checking him. This is the Championship, and it's different to what he knew before.

"This is England and he's a young man and we need to give him some time to adapt.

If you really think he can solve our problems in one week or even one month - this is not realistic.

"I need to work with him and give him the right instruction and he needs to push for a place in the squad."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-boss-says-championship-wake-11015843?

[WhiteJC]

 
5 Fulham players that will be in the Premier League before you know it

Fulham are amongst the strugglers in the Sky Bet Championship this season, sat in 19th place with 37 points from 35 games so far.

It has been a really strange season for them; they find themselves just five points ahead of 22nd place Rotherham, yet leaders Burnley are the only side to score more than the Cottagers this season.

The problem for Slavisa Jokanovic appears to be a lack of experience – their side is extremely young and they are unable to string any sort of good form together – highlighted back in February – where a 3-1 victory over QPR and 3-0 thrashing of Charlton was sandwiched by a 3-0 defeat to Blackburn.

And thanks to the improving form of Championship new boys Bristol City and MK Dons, they are too close to the relegation zone for comfort.

Their next four games will be pivotal in the outcome of their season, with the visits of those two aforementioned relegation rivals.

Their young squad does bring a lot of potential talent – so, in the opinion of FootballLeagueWorld writer Ryan Evans, here are FIVE Fulham players that will be in the Premier League before you know it.......

Moussa Dembele


The Frenchman's potential has been realised this season – he has 11 goals and three assists playing as a striker.

Dembele scored the first goal in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Reading, and his best form of the season was back in October, when he scored five goals and claimed an assist as Fulham picked up seven points in that spell.

He may be out of form of late, but every young player has a spell like that after rising to the heights. Before Saturday, he'd only scored once in his previous nine.

The 19-year old signed for Fulham's youth setup from French giants Paris Saint-Germain in 2012, before being offered a first team contract in July 2013. He made two appearances as Fulham were relegated from the top flight, and didn't score last season.

His rise to one of England's most talked about youngsters happened very fast, and Manchester United and Fulham were linked with him in January.

If Fulham do go down, it will be hard to see Dembele wanting to stay in West London. There is no doubt that his services will be cherished at a number of high-profile clubs throughout the country and the continent.

Ross McCormack


What a season the Scot is having.

Only Burnley's Andre Gray has scored more than his 17 this season, and his seven assists puts him high up on that list too.

After an indifferent spell at Leeds, McCormack decided to swap West Yorkshire for West London in July 2014, bringing a hefty £11 million fee with him.

He since has 33 goals, and currently looks every inch of the transfer fee that the Cottagers had to fork out to secure his services.

He scored the equaliser during Saturday's draw with Reading, proving his worth and ability to pop up at the most crucial of times.

During January, the eleven-time Scottish international attracted a lot of interest from both the Premier League and Championship, resulting in multiple rejected bids from promotion-chasing Middlesbrough, which prompted a transfer request. This was rejected, and he later signed a new deal at Craven Cottage.

The 29-year old knows that if he is ever to play in the Premier League, now is when it's going to happen. McCormack would be a highly useful asset in most lower-league top flight outfits, so don't be surprised to see him donning new colours come August.

Tom Cairney


After signing from Blackburn in 2015, Cairney has since gone on to be one of this Fulham side's most important players.

His form last month meant he was unlucky not to be on the shortlist for player of the month, but his efforts were noted as he earnt his side seven points in four games.

He already has seven goals and five assists from his 29 Fulham appearances, equaling his total at Blackburn, which took him 53 matches to amass.

His passing ability is extremely strong, and seems to produce no matter where Jokanovic chooses to play him. His strongest game may be behind the front two strikers, where he can dictate the play and turn defence into attack well.

Cairney could fit into a Premier League side, and may be a good shout to join one of the sides who are promoted from the second tier in May.

Ryan Tunnicliffe


The former Manchester United youngster went through the Old Trafford youth setup without actually playing in the Premier League for the Red Devils, featuring on loan spells to Peterborough, Barnsley and Ipswich.

He was sold to Fulham in January 2014, where he has so far made 38 appearances for the Cottagers, although he has spent significant time on loan to Wigan and Blackburn in 2014.

The 23-year old's time at Craven Cottage has been problematic, however. In June of last year, he was found guilty of aggravated misconduct with regards to comments he made about then-on-loan-Middlesbrough striker Patrick Bamford, and has recently returned from an operation on a hamstring injury.

Despite Fulham seemingly changing formation most weeks, Tunnicliffe's role has remained fairly static – a deep-lying central midfielder. His ability to disrupt the play is good, and he enjoys recycling this into a new attack for his side.

With plenty of time left in his career, it would be no surprise to see him play in the top flight sooner or later.

Emerson Hyndman


With five substitute appearances on top of his five Championship starts, Hyndman is currently on the fringes of the Fulham squad.

However, the young man has already played for the US national side, as well as captained the U20 side in their World Cup campaign back in May 2015.

Hyndman is a central midfielder who likes to dictate the play, thanks to his good dribbling and passing ability. He is without a doubt one to look out for whenever Jokanovic will give him an opportunity.

With his contract running out this summer, the man who came through the ranks of FC Dallas may well be looking for a new club. Fulham apparently saw off a lot of interest for the midfielder in the first place, and apparently have had bids in the recent January transfer window.

However, no new contract has been agreed, and it is as yet unknown whether he will sign a new deal.

This could possibly open the door to clubs from the top tier of English football signing Hyndman, who would be a good addition to any lower-half side, although he may need experience on a regular basis, which is likely to happen in the second or third tiers.


http://footballleagueworld.co.uk/5-fulham-players-that-will-be-in-the-premier-league-before-you-know-it/2/

[WhiteJC]

 
Celebrate Clint Dempsey's birthday with the most spectacular goal he ever scored

Clint Dempsey turns 33 today, and to celebrate I have to post the greatest goal he ever scored, an audacious chip to lift Fulham over Juventus in a stunning Europa League game in 2010.

To set the scene: Fulham played the first leg of the series at Juventus and got blown out, losing 3-1 at the Stadio Olimpico di Turin. They needed a miracle back at home, and somehow it looked like it was possible. After Juventus scored, their star Fabio Cannavaro was sent off, and Fulham scored three goals to tie the game on aggregate. Craven Cottage was starting to believe.

Then Dempsey did something I've never seen before.

[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/45121372[/vimeo]

After a run-up of play, he dribbled the ball to the edge of the 18-yard box, moving away from the keeper, and launched a chip. It was perfectly weighted, over the head of the keeper, into the top corner, giving Fulham the win. It was so good not only because it was perfectly executed but because I've never seen anything like it before — it was beyond audacious. It was inspired.

It was voted the greatest goal in Fulham's history, and I'll never forget where I was when I watched it — it's one of a handful of goals I've seen in my life that caused me to scream, and the only goal I've ever seen in my life that caused me to run a full lap around my house.


http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/03/celebrate-clint-dempsey-birthday-with-the-most-spectacular-goal-he-ever-scored?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham midfielder could be on cloud nine and and down in the dumps inside the same 36 hours - and this is why

Whites player set to be Championship player of the month before side attempts to ensure they don't slip on Bristol banana skin


Aim, fire: Tom Cairney scores against Charlton

Tom Cairney could become the Championship player of the month tomorrow - and sink to his knees in sorrow on Saturday if things don't go the way of the Fulham midfielder against Bristol City.

Cairney has been nominated by the Football League for his 'vision, technique and passing ability that were on show in February.

'As well as a delightful assist against QPR, he also contributed four goals, two of them fine volleys against Charlton Athletic and Leeds United,' said the Football League press release.

It might be a very small consolation if Whites fail to get a win in the relegation six-pointer a day later.

But the former Blackburn man insists the Craven Cottage side will bounce back after defeat to Burnley on Tuesday.

Here's the major pic action from the near thing against the Clarets.

"There's no doubt about it - Bristol is a cup final, a massive game," he said.

"We've got to start like that against Bristol and just win the game.

"We have got enough talent in the squad, but we need to start picking up points - hopefully that can start on Saturday against Bristol City.

"At the same time, we need to concentrate on ourselves."

The Whites midfielder has scored seven league goals for Fulham this season, having joined over summer.

He has a knack for a remarkable strike with notable goals against Hull and Leeds.

The goal at Elland Road even earned him Fulham's February Goal of the Month, but the 25-year-old says there is no secret trick behind his wonder strikes.

He added: "No, not really. I just have scored some good goals, over my career.

"I don't know why, it just falls for me sometimes. I hit it and it seems to go in which is nice - long may it continue."

Cairney is ironically up against Aden Flint from Bristol for the FL's award, along with Tomer Hemed from Brighton, and Ipswich keeper Bartosz Bialkowski.

Results will be announced here on Friday morning, and tickets for the Bristol game are on general sale from £25 adults and from just £15 juniors (under 17). Call the Fulham FC Ticket Office on: 0843 208 1234 or online at: www.fulhamfc.com/tickets


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-midfielder-could-cloud-nine-11016346?