Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 17/09/19...

[WhiteJC]

Tactically Inadequate Fulham Throw Away More Vital Points At The Cottage.

I cannot blame Fulham coach Scott Parker for his choice of starting eleven at home to West Brom.

It once again was the tactics he firmly believes in, that are the main reason the team are dropping unnecessary points at home.

With an extraordinary amount of possession in the first half, Parker may have been thinking of the Millwall game where the opposition totally collapsed, and the whites netted four times without conceding. However, that was a one-off match. Other Championship sides are not so easily brushed aside. This was more of a repeat of the Forest match where we were beaten 2-1 last time out at Craven Cottage, having so much of the ball.

It was just incredible that Fulham were not two or three goals ahead by half-time, and that the Baggies were still in the game. Cairney was unlucky with a shot that hit the bar, and the away goalie made two good saves. Apart from that, it was just more of the same. Passing left and right and backwards and back to Bettinelli in goal, just to start the same boring moves over and over again.

Why do Fulham not make use of their pace up front by speeding things up?

Mitrovic is one of the best with his back to the opposition goal and holding the ball up for our wingers to use their speed and skills.

Instead, every move is laboured, with the final outcome usually ending with a poor final pass, as defenders are back in their numbers.

Bilic the West Brom coach must have been delighted to go in at half time goalless. Parker must have been thinking that it was only time before the sheer dominance turned into goals.

The second half started much the same as the first, but it wasn't long before Knockaert swung a perfect cross-cum-shot into the top corner of the visitors net to give Fulham the lead. This should have been the catalyst to see the Whites knock several more goals in.

It was Bilic who started to use his substitutes, and the game slowly began to turn. Fulham now started to look like they were chasing shadows. At this point, or even at half time, Parker should have used his subs more wisely. Giving a home debut to Onamah in place De-Reed was not a good call. Cairney was fading and should have been replaced by Johansen, and Kamara should have swapped with Cavaleiro.

Instead, Bilic made astute substitutions that turned the game. West Brom equalised after 80 minutes when Bettinelli flapped at a corner and palmed it directly to Ajayi to score, and in the 90th Darnell was inches away from getting the winner for the visitors.

How will these dropped points at home affect Fulham's final position come to the end of season?

Can Parker change things up during a game, and make the team invincible by using the pace we have?

Where will we be by Xmas and will Parker still in charge?

I would love to see Scott Parker succeed at Fulham in his first managerial role, as he is a dedicated man.

The owners, the Khan family will be looking at him getting the side into the top six and a play-off position at very least.

Can Parker achieve this success in his first season, or will it be another managerial merry-go-round?



https://fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/tactically-inadequate-fulham-throw-away-more-vital-points-at-the-cottage/

[WhiteJC]

Talking Points: WBA

Hollywood royalty at the Cottage, trusting the system, and Anthony Knockaert's honesty - just three topics we look at in our West Brom Talking Points.

1. Trust the system

Some sections of the crowd became frustrated at Fulham's tactics of playing out from the back, but Scott Parker believes that approach will yield the best results for his team. Speaking to FFCtv after the game, he said: "There were two sides to the way we played. Before [our] goal we played a controlled, brave way, trying to bring a team out of a block, trying to bring them onto us, and we carved good opportunities. We had 10 shots, three very good ones on target, and hit the bar before half-time. And then after we score, there's a different side where we go centre-half up to the frontman. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't, and the game becomes end to end. And, for me, this team will lose more games playing that way than it will win."

2. Betts' apology

West Bromwich Albion's equaliser arrived after Marcus Bettinelli clawed a corner out from underneath his crossbar, but only as far as Semi Ajayi. Our goalkeeper was despondent at full-time and took to Instagram to take responsibility: "Apologies to the fans and the boys for the mistake 2nd half. The boys deserved all 3 points today. Onto next week to put things right." A mark of the man.

3. Honesty from Knockaert

The Fulham admin were raving about Anthony Knockaert's goal in the press box, telling anyone who would listen that it was intentional, a work of art. But the Frenchman was quick to confess that it was actually a mishit cross, making him a far more honest man than us.

4. Baggies' staying power

West Brom are now the only side in the Championship still unbeaten, and you can see why thanks to their ability to remain in football matches. Fulham had the better of the play on Saturday but our guests put in a gritty and dogged display to give themselves a chance. The statistic that they have been behind in six of their seven matches and are still yet to lose speaks for itself.

5. Special guests

Hollywood actor Will Ferrell is a big football fan and he clearly knew where to head for some high calibre match action. He was joined on the Cottage balcony by Aaron Hughes, with the Whites legend receiving a hero's welcome when he collected his Forever Fulham award at half-time.

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/september/16/talking-points-west-brom

[WhiteJC]

Fulham 1 – 1 West Brom – Match Report

Fulham took on West Bromwich Albion on Saturday in the early lunchtime kick-off and they shared the spoils on a warm day in South West London.

The two Championship high fliers played out an entertaining 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage but the hosts may feel they could have taken all three points but for some sloppy defending in the last half an hour.

Fulham enjoyed almost 70% possession and dominated the ball and carved out some decent opportunities but West Brom were also a threat going forward especially from around the 60 minute mark.

West Brom were unchanged from the win over Blackburn Rovers whilst Fulham made just the one alteration with Bobby Reid coming in for the suspended Harry Arter.

It was the hosts who started the game on the front foot with Scott Parker's side having two excellent chances to open the scoring inside the opening 20 minutes.

First Tom Cairney produced a perfectly timed run to get in-behind the Albion defence and cut the ball back to Cavalier who shot past the post. Fulham continued to press with Harrison Reed's brilliant through-ball sending Cairney galloping through on goal but he hit the crossbar from inside the penalty area.

With Cairney having too much space for Bilic's liking, he asked Sawyers to stay closer to him. An excellent double stop from Sam Johnstone prevented Fulham taking the lead. First, the goalkeeper got down to parry a long-distance strike from Knockaert and he then pushed over a header from Reed.

Albion came out after the interval needing to assert some authority and work their way back into the game. But after just three minutes they were behind with Knockaert, somewhat fortuitously, curling in a cross-come-shot from 25-yards.

Bilic responded by making a double change with Kyle Edwards and Filip Krovinovic replacing Livermore and Phillips. They created their best chance of the game around 10 minutes later. Edwards found Diangana who quickly moved the ball on to Furlong but he lashed a shot into the side netting.

Hal Robson-Kanu then replaced Diangana and the substitutions were beginning to make a difference. With 10 minutes left of the game, Albion were level. Bettinelli made a mistake from a corner and flapped at the ball following Pereira's delivery with Ajayi on hand to nod in from close range.

Both sides had chances to win the game but a draw was probably a fair result although Fulham may feel they should have taken all three due to their dominance for around an hour of the game.



https://the72.co.uk/144841/fulham-1-1-west-brom-match-report/

[WhiteJC]

Player in 'intensive talks' to join Blackburn Rovers, after English spells with Tottenham and Fulham

Blackburn Rovers are getting closer to completing a deal for midfielder Lewis Holtby, according to FussballTransfers.

The German is currently a free agent after his contract at Hamburg SV came to an end and the two parties elected to go their different ways.

According to them, the midfielder, who's had spells in England with both Fulham and Tottenham previously, is in 'good and intensive talks' with the Championship side.

He's been without a club since his contract expired in July, but FussballTransfers report that Blackburn could be close to tying up a move for the 28-year-old.

Besiktas were also keen on Holtby this summer, but that move never materialised, and thus Blackburn have been left clear to try and secure his signature.

The report states they are 'busy' working on a deal to bring the German to Ewood Park and that he could make a move 'promptly', suggesting talks are going well.

There's no mention of what sort of financial package Rovers, who are currently 12th in the Championship, are offering Holtby, but he would be available immediately given he holds both German and English nationality.

This would be his third spell in England after his time with Spurs and the Cottagers, so it shouldn't take too long to get settled should the move end up taking place.

The German international, who has picked up three caps over the course of his career so far made 42 appearances for Tottenham, scoring three goals while his five months loan at Craven Cottage with Fulham produced 13 appearance as he found the back of the net once.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/player-intensive-talks-join-blackburn-rovers-english-spells-tottenham-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Harrison's Traineeship

Harrison Hebborn joined the Fulham FC Foundation Traineeship after being unemployed for just over a year, to gain employment and training experience. As an avid Fulham supporter, the appeal of joining a programme based at Craven Cottage was too much to pass up.

After showing interest in the catering industry, Harrison succeeded in two internal interviews, eventually landing himself a role in the catering department at FFC's Training Ground, Motspur Park. After completing 100 hours of work experience, Harrison is now a staple in the catering team.

Jacqueline Wilson, Chef Manager at FFC, commented on Harrison's progression: "He has come on leaps and bounds since his arrival and is an important part of the kitchen team."

Harrison's Mum added: "I'm thrilled by the change in him, both physically and mentally. This course was exactly what he wanted. It's been a revelation, really. Thank you very much."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/september/16/harrison-hebborn-traineeship

[WhiteJC]

'I think this is a difficult situation for them' – Fulham boss faces selection dilemma: The verdict

This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Fulham let a lead slip at the weekend against West Brom, when goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli gifted Baggies defender Semi Ajayi an easy header to peg back the Cottagers.

The result and the mistake by Bettinelli heaps pressure on the 27-year-old who has been Parker's first-choice so far this season, despite the Cottagers only managing two clean-sheets in all competitions.

So is now the time for Fulham to axe Bettinelli?

We discuss...

Toby Wilding

"I think this is a difficult situation for them.

"Bettinelli has been far from convincing so far this season, so I could certainly understand if they wanted to bring someone else in, although I'm not sure they have a great set of options to chose from.

"Marek Rodak is by some way the obvious alternative for Bettinelli in this current Fulham squad, but even he's just come off the back of relegation with Rotherham during a loan spell there last season – his first in the Championship – which makes you wonder how confident they will be when turning to someone to step in instead of Bettinelli.

"I think that that lack of a clear, established alternative to Bettinelli is something that could yet come back to haunt Fulham this season."

Alfie Burns

"Potentially – but my stance is the same as it was last week, Parker won't panic and want to make too many changes.

"Chopping and changing your goalkeeper is a particularly risky move, and Parker won't want to axe Bettinelli and then risk there being no improvement.

"Consistency to a defence is so important and, in my opinion, Bettinelli's understanding with his defensive unit will come.

"Look at Kiko Casilla at Leeds; he was all over the place, but now he's looking very assured."

George Dagless

"Perhaps.

"He didn't have the best game and Scott Parker now needs to manage the situation as carefully as possible.

"In dropping the keeper he'll either remotivate him or hammer his confidence, but he has to do what's best for the team.

"It's going to be interesting to see exactly what Parker decides to do for the coming games."



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/i-think-this-is-a-difficult-situation-for-them-fulham-boss-faces-selection-dilemma-the-verdict/

[WhiteJC]

Cottage Talk Post Match Show: Fulham vs. West Brom

Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.

This is our post match show of Fulham's 1-1 draw against West Brom. Listen to Max Cohen and Yannis Tjanetis talk about the mistake by Marcus Bettinelli, along with the other key moments in this match.


Lastly, you can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2019/9/17/20869518/cottage-talk-post-match-show-fulham-vs-west-brom

[WhiteJC]

"If It Wasn't For..." – Pundit Picks Out Key West Brom Man Following Fulham Draw

With West Bromwich Albion head coach Slaven Bilic taking his first team charges for a very difficult clash with Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday, we all know it was a mixed performance given our start to the game.

There were certainly positives to take from the way we ended the match and Bilic did just that following the full time whistle as he spoke to the press.

Former Bolton Wanderers manager Phil Parkinson was a guest on Quest's highlights show on Saturday evening (9pm), and given the slower start, he heaped praise on goalkeeper Sam Johnstone for ensuring that the hosts weren't out of sight before we more properly got into our own rhythm.

"Some excellent saves and Fulham really should have had an extended lead, they should have been out of sight. If it wasn't for Sam, they probably would have been. He made some really key saves."

Parkinson also had praise for the performance of Charlie Austin, especially the role he played in helping to distract their goalkeeper during the build-up to Semi Ajayi's leveller ten minutes from time.

"I think Charlie Austin has just done enough without giving a foul away. When you put someone on the keeper for a corner, you try to upset the keeper a little bit without giving a foul away and he's done that. The keeper should do better. Just before that he pushes Austin out of the way, so he's starting to do it already, and he's doing what an experienced striker should."

Onto Sunday's clash with Huddersfield Town, and hopefully three points at The Hawthorns.




https://wba.vitalfootball.co.uk/if-it-wasnt-for-pundit-picks-out-key-west-brom-man-following-fulham-draw/

[WhiteJC]

Europa Memories: CSKA Sofia

It's ten years since Fulham's march to the Europa League final in the 2009/10 season, so we've decided to reminisce. Throughout the season we're recounting the incredible away trips that took Fulham fans from Lithuania to Germany (three times). Continuing our journey is Mike Pruce, who was present at CSKA Sofia, where our road to knockout stage qualification began.

Following our successful qualification campaign, Fulham fans eagerly awaited the draw for the Europa League group stage on the 28th August. Roma, FC Basel and CSKA Sofia awaited us: not an easy group. I was desperate to attend one of the away fixtures because, obviously, we weren't going to progress any further and this would be my only chance... Roma was the one I had my eye on but my brother, Geoff (who you may have seen fishing for likes on Twitter), was selfishly graduating that day in Bournemouth. So Bulgaria it was.

Fulham arranged a chartered flight – the Fulham Flyer – and I quickly spent £350 of my student loan securing my place. Fast forward to Wednesday 16th September and I'm arriving at Fulham's very own check-in desk at Gatwick Airport. After waiting half an hour, having been told we were too early, boarding passes and match tickets are dished out. Excitement's building and there's enough time for a couple of pints in true Brits-abroad style.

Upon arrival, I'd naively thought it'd be straightforward to get to the hostel (a bargain at £5.50 including dinner and a beer). After wandering around in arrivals for a while, unaware that Со́фия = Sofia, we jumped on a bus with no ticket and no idea. Packed in, we were surrounded by a mixture of locals and equally confused Fulham faithful. The Bulgarians had lever arch folders full of collectible cards and stickers of Fulham stars. In search of autographs, they asked us in broken English which players would have travelled. Murphy? Yeah, course mate. Zamora? Absolutely. Hangeland? Sure. Little did we know at that point that we were actually sharing the plane we'd just departed with the likes of Marsh-Brown, Milsom and Uwezu (remember him? Yeah, me neither).

As the crowd of Fulham fans began to thin, we thought it was probably best to get off and try our luck on foot. After using all of my Pay As You Go data to find the address we hailed a cab which took us to the hostel – or at least where we thought the hostel would be. Pulling up outside a dusty building site we saw a sign explaining that 'Stay-Ok' hostel has now moved; back in the taxi and across we go to the other side of the city. Finally at the correct accommodation and checked in by a friendly member of staff, we wolfed down spaghetti Bolognese and a refreshing pint of Kamenitza then headed out into the big wide world of Sofia. I have vague memories of bumping into Alistair Mackintosh in a bar in the city, but I can't expand any further on that – I'm blaming the subsequent Kamenitzas.

I wake up the next day, a little fuzzy-headed, but at least at the correct hostel. Check-out time of 11:00 comes and goes and Geoffrey is still fast asleep. The friendly member of staff we met the previous day arrives and is somewhat less friendly this time. Eventually we're out into the sunshine and decide to head for an Irish bar (when in Rome) that some Fulham fans had said they'd be in. Following the theme of us being totally useless navigating our way around Bulgaria, we couldn't find Flannigan's. It didn't help that our map was written in the Latin alphabet but street names were in Cyrillic. Great. We wander the streets of Sofia for what feels like hours when Geoff announces he needs the toilet; we find a shady-looking block of public facilities and off he trots (this turns out to be a very appropriate verb). 5 minutes pass, 10, 15, 30. Where is he? I'm starting to get concerned (he had my match ticket) when he emerges pale and sweaty. "Sorry about that," he mutters, then goes onto explain how a burly Bulgarian brute tried to force his way into his cubicle and all he could think to do was shout "ocupado" forgetting that we were in Eastern Europe, not the Costa del Sol.

Nevertheless, it turns out that Geoff's WC escapade was worthwhile after all. If he hadn't had to 'drop the kids off at the pool' we wouldn't have had our chance encounter with none other than Roy Hodgson himself. Strolling down the street in a fetching fuchsia jumper my favourite ever Fulham manager cheerfully exclaims, "ello boys." He was more than happy to stop and chat to us for a good quarter of an hour and pose for photos. He didn't reveal the team but told us he was confident we'd do well that evening.

Eventually we arrive at Flannigan's to find it bedecked in the cross of St George and other Fulham flags. Waiting at the bar we spot someone: it can't be, can it? Bobby Zamora behind the bar pulling pints! On closer inspection, it's just a very convincing looky-likey. Bobby's poor doppelgänger patiently endured chants of "There's only two Bobby Zamoras" for the rest of the afternoon.  There's a great atmosphere and the local fans are happily swapping scarves and taking pictures with us in the street. The time comes to head to the stadium and the police insist on giving us an escort, surely that's unnecessary we think. We make our way to the Vasil Levski National Stadium (CSKA rearranged the venue from their normal ground to take advantage of the larger capacity. Fulham: MASSIVE club). Walking down the street with the floodlights looming ahead, the road is lined with local fans, screaming, shouting and jeering – a sign of the partisan atmosphere we'd find inside the ground.

Around 300-400 of us were in the away end and we did our best to make ourselves heard with a few renditions of 'Take me Home' and 'Roy, Roy, Roy' but we were drowned out by CSKA. They'd arranged a tifo for when the teams entered the pitch. Banners, streamers, flags and confetti covered 75% of the stands as they did their best to support their team and intimidate ours. It wasn't the most memorable game but I do remember losing it when Kamara rounded the keeper to make it 1-1. A great Stockdale save to keep it level sticks in the mind too. After the game we were kept behind in the ground to allow the crowd to disperse and for our coaches to arrive.

It's around midnight that we're on the plane for our return flight and I'm absolutely exhausted. A visit from Fulham Goliaths John Panstil and Pascal Zuberbühler on the flight home made the journey that little bit sweeter. Little did I know that our European journey had only just begun.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2019-09-17-europa-memories-cska-sofia/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham fans hail Harrison Reed's display against West Brom

Harrison Reed has had a good start to life in the Championship with Fulham, and his recent display against West Brom earned him more than a few plaudits.

The midfielder joined Scott Parker's side on loan for the season as his prospects of first-team football under Ralph Hasenhuttl at Southampton looked slim.

Reed has since settled in well at Craven Cottage. Although his Fulham side could only manage a 1-1 draw against West Brom on Saturday, plenty of their fans reserved praise for the 24-year-old...

Read Southampton's verdict

It's great to see that Reed is doing well, but it's hardly any surprise. He was excellent in both his previous loan spells in the Championship with Norwich and Blackburn, and he's continuing in a similar vein now.

Fulham will be pushing to secure promotion back to the Premier League this season, and as such, strength in depth will be key. Parker has a plethora of high-quality midfield options, but Reed appears to be seriously staking a claim for a regular spot in the starting line-up.

Whether or not he's got a future at Southampton remains to be seen. But we could certainly do far worse than utilise him as a possible backup option for Oriol Romeu, as he hasn't stopped displaying his quality in the Championship over recent years...



https://readsouthampton.com/2019/09/17/fulham-fans-hail-harrison-reeds-display-against-west-brom/