Monday Fulham Stuff (04/04/16)...

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Under-21s Host Derby

Fulham Under-21s are back in action after three weeks without a fixture when they welcome Derby County to Craven Cottage on Monday (7pm).

The Rams currently top the Barclays U21 Premier League Division 2 table having garnered 39 points from their 20 matches. Fulham sit seven places and 13 points below them, having played one game fewer.

The sides have already met at a first team stadium this season when Derby ran out 3-0 winners at the iPro back in September. Goals from Ivan Calero, Alex Pearce and Shaquille McDonald did the damage, but there was silver lining for the visitors as Luke Garbutt, Scott Parker and George Williams all featured as they stepped up their respective comebacks from injury.

Fans are encouraged to attend Monday's game at the Cottage, with Season Ticket Holders getting in free. All other fans can attend for £3 adults and £1 concessions.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/april/03/under-21s-host-derby?

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Stearman: A Valuable Three Points

Richard Stearman was delighted to pick up a "valuable three points" against MK Dons and targets back to back wins against Preston on Tuesday.

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/april/03/stearman-reaction?

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Fulham star: I almost forgot what it felt like to be a winner!
ROSS McCORMACK admits he almost forgot what it felt like to be a winner.


STAR MAN: McCormack forgot what it was like to be a winner

Fulham moved four points clear of the bottom three with their first win since February.

And McCormack said: "It was a great atmosphere and feeling in the dressing room, I had almost forgotten what that felt like coming in with a win.

"Wins breed confidence and hopefully we can take that on.

"We have got some good players, we know that, so it will be tough but we know what we have in the dressing room.

"When we came in at half-time we just said to keep going and the goal would come, and happily it did early in the second half.

"Yet again, our Achilles heel, we have conceded a sloppy goal to let them back in and it puts a lot of pressure on us forwards to go and get the winner."

Fulham were denied a more convincing scoreline by the heroics of keeper Cody Cropper, who kept out Moussa Dembele and Tom Cairney.

McCormack finally netted in the 54th minute before MK equalised through a Josh Murphy lob.

The win was secured with a close range effort from Dembele to leave the Dons in trouble in the relegation zone.

Midfielder Darren Potter is desperate to avoid repeating his 2010 relegation with Sheffield Wednesday.

"I have had one on my CV before, it's not the nicest thing in the world and I don't want another one," he said.

"We dealt with McCormack and Dembele well at times but it is no coincidence they are right up there among the division's leading scorers.

"We are not out of it by any stretch. The games do come thick and fast, so as much as this is hurting right now we have to put it to bed as soon as possible and be ready for Tuesday."


http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/505614/Fulham-MK-Dons-Championship-match-report-Ross-McCormack-forgot-about-being-a-winner

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Fulham hero would trade his goals for a promotion chase

The Scot helped the Whites to a crucial 2-1 win over MK Dons, which moved them four points clear of the relegation zone


Ross McCormack

Ross McCormack would trade the 20 goals he has scored so far during this Championship season for Fulham to be riding higher in the league.

The Scot helped the Whites to a crucial 2-1 win over MK Dons, which moved them four points clear of the relegation zone.

And McCormack is only focused on ensuring the gap only gets wider, rather than chasing personal targets.

He said: "Personally it has not been a bad season, that's 20 league goals now but I'd always swap that for the collective effort.

"And the main focus now is clearly to stay in the division. We have got three points from this game, and can look ahead to trying to get more on Tuesday and Saturday.

"For my goal I thought Moussa had run out of pitch but he managed to turn it back – and for his Fredericks has overhit the cross and I have got it back to him.

"It was a great atmosphere and feeling in the dressing room, I had almost forgotten what that felt like coming in with a win.

"Wins breed confidence and hopefully we can take that on – but we have got some good players, we know that, so it will be tough but we know what we have in the dressing room.

Of the sides in the bottom third of the table, Charlton and Bolton are beset by off-field problems, while MK Dons and Bristol City were promoted from League One last year.

Rotherham and Huddersfield have two of the smaller budgets in the division, while Fulham don't have any of those excuses available.

And McCormack is as surprised as anyone that the Whites are where they are in the table going into April.

He added: "It is a surprise that we are in this position if you look at it player for player that we have in the team.

"But collectively we have just not been good enough. Last season was the same as well.

"You looked around the dressing room last season and we had Bryan Ruiz, Hugo Rodallega, Kostas Mitroglou, Fernando Amorebieta, Scotty Parker; they're big, big players.

"This season Parker is still here, Tom Cairney...there are good players in the dressing room but there is something not right and it is up to us to get to the bottom of it and start pulling our weight.

"But we come in now and train for Tuesday and then again after Tuesday for Saturday.

McCormack also heaped praise on Moussa Dembele after the young striker bagged the winner.

He explained: "The kid (Moussa) has got a bit of everything. He has got pace, he is strong, he can finish...he is just trying to learn the game.

"And anything I can do to help him, be it talk to him and help him get into the right positions or set up a goal for him, then I am happy to do that."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-hero-would-trade-goals-11132433?