Thursday Fulham Stuff (14/04/16)...

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Steve Sidwell wants Brighton and Hove Albion to pile on the pressure

Steve Sidwell has urged Albion to capitalise on their head-start against his old club Fulham in the automatic promotion race.

The Seagulls were playing catch-up on top two Burnley and Middlesbrough at Nottingham Forest on Monday night, playing 48 hours after them as Sidwell snatched a vital 2-1 victory in stoppage time.

Roles are reversed when Albion face Fulham at the Amex on Friday evening knowing a win will take them back into the top two, with Burnley at Birmingham and Boro at relegated Bolton the following day.

Sidwell told The Argus: "It's our turn now. We've got to do it. It doesn't matter what anyone says, pressure does play its part.

"You forget about it when you are on the pitch but before the game they will be in there, psyching each other up. We need to win, to keep in with the pack."

Fulham, who Sidwell played for in the Premier League, have pulled clear of the relegation dogfight and have the Championship's second top scorer, 21-goal Ross McCormack.

"It's not just him," Sidwell warned. "The front two, him and (Moussa) Dembele, have been very good. That's been the story of their season, they've scored goals at will but leaked them as well.

"We've got to be on our toes up and down the pitch. They are on a good run of form, got dragged into the relegation battle but have come out with two or three wins.

"That's vital for them. It won't be a pushover at all. Being at home gives us a slight advantage but they are going to want to finish their season on a high as well."


http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/albion/14422359.Sidwell_wants_Albion_to_pile_on_the_pressure/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Brighton Flashback

Remind yourself of last season's trip to the Amex, where Fulham turned things around to claim an excellent 2-1 win.

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/april/13/brighton-flashback?

[WhiteJC]

 
Extra Tickets Available

Due to overwhelming demand, we're pleased to confirm that another batch of tickets have been made available to Fulham fans for our trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on Friday.

Our initial allocation has already sold out, so there's guaranteed to be at least 2,200 Whites supporters at the Amex Stadium – as always, thank you for your brilliant support!

To join them on the South Coast, call Brighton directly on 0844 327 1901 (option 1) and pick up your ticket from the Amex on the day of the game.

Last season the Fulham faithful were treated to one of the best away days of the season, as goals from Hugo Rodallega and Lasse Vigen Christensen completed a fantastic turnaround to seal a 2-1 win.

Make sure you're there this time as Slaviša Jokanović's boys go in search of a fourth straight win!


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/april/13/extra-tickets-available?

[WhiteJC]

 
Arsenal 'eye move for Fulham's Kostas Mitroglou after impressive Benfica stint'

Premier League giants Arsenal have reportedly identified Fulham striker Kostas Mitroglou as a possible transfer target this summer.

The 28-year-old has not played for Fulham for almost two years after making just three appearances and failing to score as the club were relegated in 2013-14 following an £11m move from Olympiacos.

However, he has scored 34 league goals the last two seasons on loan with first former club Olympiacos and then this term Portuguese league leaders Benfica.

His form has alerted Arsenal, but Benfica still want to sign the permanently this summer, according to A Bola.

Mitroglou still has two years left on his Fulham contract.


http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/arsenal/transfer-talk/news/report-arsenal-eye-fulhams-mitroglou_270538.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Opposition View: Danny Cullip

Danny Cullip made his professional debut with Fulham, before going on to appear the best part of 250 times for Brighton & Hove Albion. Now working within the Seagulls' community scheme, he looks back on his time at both clubs.

How did the move to Fulham come about?

I was at Oxford beforehand for three years and I think Micky Adams had seen some of the reserve games that I played in. There was another team interested in me but my dad's a Fulham fan so it had to be Fulham really. I came in for pre-season, wasn't really expecting to play from the start because I was a young lad, only 18, but I had the determination to work hard and get in the side, and I managed to do that, which was great. I made my debut in the first game of the 1996/97 season at home to Hereford, which we won 1-0.

That was a brilliant season wasn't it?

It was a fantastic time. Micky put a group of players together that had a great determination, they weren't household names but we had a superb togetherness. That was something that Micky himself really installed in us. He was very good at working players out and playing the psychological game. Some lads he'd put an arm round their shoulder, and others he'd give them a kick up the backside so they'd stay on their toes. I remember him sending Alan Cork to me before my debut, and he said, 'Danny, the gaffer doesn't fancy you today mate, one mistake and you'll be off.' He even sent Terry Angus to warm up on the touchline in the first five minutes!

But my point is, he knows who he can do it to. I had that relationship with Micky all the way through, he knew how to get the best out of me. He knew the value of other characters, too, and how people outside the Club could help. Because there wasn't too much money going about, a group of about four or five fans used to come on the away games on a Friday and they used to basically fund our overnight stays, Bob Howes being one of them. That was something Micky liked to do, and it seemed to work because that year we got promoted!

You left the following season when it was all change at Fulham...

I was still only a young lad when Mr Al Fayed took over and brought in Ray Wilkins and Kevin Keegan. It was fantastic for the Club to be fair as it took them on to another level which was what was needed. So for a young player it was always going to be hard when that sort of money starts getting thrown about. The transition was unbelievable. One minute we had no money, and then the next there was Harrods hampers in the changing rooms! We each got a Harrods suit and a behind the scenes tour of the store, so it was pretty exciting times.

How do you look back on your time at Brighton?

It was absolutely fantastic. I still work there and I live in the area, my kids were both born in Sussex. It was a great, great time for me. I spent five-and-a-half years as a player there, won back to back promotions and then a Play-Off Final. I was lucky enough to be captain for that at the Millennium Stadium in front of 64,000 people, which was an unbelievable day.

Can the current team win promotion?

We're looking really good in the league and we've got a great manager in Chris Hughton and his assistant Colin Calderwood, who I worked with at Nottingham Forest. But it's so tight. Middlesbrough have got to play Burnley, we've got three of my former teams in a row; Forest the Monday just gone, Fulham on Friday, and then QPR next week. We've got Middlesbrough on the last day of the season but, as a player, I'd want to be involved in that rather than face a side who have nothing to play for, and be worrying what Boro are doing in their game against a team who might also not be playing for anything. I'd rather have our destiny in our own hands.

Bobby Zamora is back there now, and you would have played with him when he first started out?

As a character he was exactly the same as he is now, success hasn't changed him one bit, he was a great kid. Bobby always wanted to learn and he listened to everybody. I remember him and Paul Watson, who's ex-Fulham, had a great understanding from corners and free-kicks. Watto could put it on a sixpence with his left foot and Bobby would often score from it. We've also got Steve Sidwell there at the moment who I played with when he came on loan from Arsenal when he was young, and he's exactly the same as well. They were both young players who have gone on to do great things for themselves, but they're still the same people.

Do you still keep an eye on Fulham?

Of course I do. Fulham's one of the results I look for. As I said, my dad's a Fulham fan so they were the first games I went to, so I've got a lot of affection for them. You used to be able to choose where you sat because there weren't that many fans in those days. I remember the wooden seats, it's just a great ground. Right on the Thames, for the fans on a day out it's fantastic – my friends used to love to come and watch when I was playing. It's just a great setting for a football club.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/april/13/opposition-view-danny-cullip-brighton?

[WhiteJC]

 
CHRISTENSEN FEELS HE CAN STAY INJURY FREE

Fulham midfielder Lasse Vigen Christensen has said he feels he can stay injury-free after a frustrating year.

The Dane returned on Saturday after eight weeks out and set up the 93rd-minute winner against Cardiff, which took the Whites close to Championship safety.

Christensen has only made eight appearances for Fulham in the last five months, having also missed a large chunk of November and virtually all of December.

His injury problems stretch back to last season – in fact, since the start of March 2015, he has been available for less than half of Fulham's 57 matches in all competitions.

However, Christensen believes the hamstring strains and niggles are now in the past.

He said: "I'm hopefully getting to a new place now physically where I can stay injury free, because that's the thing I need to do, to get back to consistently playing and consistently playing well.

"I need a little bit more time without injuries and those stop-start periods, which it's been for nearly 18 months now.

"So, for me, it was really positive to come back in and feel like I can make a difference and help the team on my first game back.

"Every time you get a setback like that you're waiting for the moment when you can return. This time it's taken quite a while, but I think I waited the right length of time.

"I'm just crossing my fingers that it will keep going like this."


http://www.fulhamweb.co.uk/news/christensen-feels-he-can-stay-injury-free.aspx?

[WhiteJC]

 
Pre Match report for the Fulham game - Friday, 15th April 2016

Brighton v Fulham

ALBION RUN IN; dww dww
FIXTURES; QPR (H), Charlton (A), Derby (H), Middlesbrough (A)

TOP EIGHT; Bolton v 1 Middlesbrough 82pt, Birmingham v 2 Burnley 80pt, 3 Brighton 78pt v Fulham, 4 Hull 70pt v Wolves, Charlton v 5 Derby 70pt, 6 Sheff Wed 68pt v 8 Ipswich 60pt, 7 Cardiff 63pt v QPR

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FULHAM HALFWAY; P23 W5 D9 L9 F36 A41 Pt24 Po18 = 1.04pt/gm - forecasting approx 48 points at that rate of progress.
THREE QUARTERS; P35 Pt37 Po19 = 1.05pt/gm - suggesting merely 49 points but probable safety at the death.

Slavisa Jokanovic has been battling lethargy of bottom eight feeders in a pool of ongoing stagnation.
He said, +with six games in front of us, now it is six points we do not have reason to think about a holiday+


FULHAM AWAY FORM; P20 W4 D9 L7 F29 A34 Po17 = 1.05pt/gm or 51.2% of total points gained home & away.
REVERSE SEQUENCE; wdd dlw dll dld lwd dlw ld - an uninspiring series from a squad that flatters to deceive.

APR; Preston 1-2
MAR; Birmingham 1-1, Reading 2-2
FEB; Leeds 1-1, Blackburn 3-0, QPR 1-3
JAN; Huddersfield 1-1, Wolves 3-2
DEC; Derby 2-0, Bolton 2-2, Forest 3-0
NOV; MK Dons 1-1, Burnley 3-1
OCT; Bristol City 1-4, Middlesbrough 0-0, Charlton 2-2
SEP; Sheff Wed 3-2
AUG; Rotherham 1-3, Hull 2-1, Cardiff 1-1

APR; Brighton (A), Ipswich (A), Forest (H), Brentford (A)
MAY; Bolton (H)


FA CUP; lost at Sheff Wed 2-1 in 3rd round.

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DISCONNECTED; Slavisa Jokanovic said, +we need to do much for our away supporters who travel with us and push us toward safety+

CONNECTED; Slavisa Jokanovic said, +we need to give these people something back because we have not given them too many happy afternoons. We can fix that in games ahead+

Fatmanslims


http://www.brightonfans.com/NewsNow/reports_page.php?id=45&pre=yes