Saturday Fulham Stuff - 08/02/20...

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Friday
Bristol City	1-3	Birmingham

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Scott Parker gives his verdict on Blackburn Rovers ahead of key clash

Fulham boss Parker is wary of Rovers' recent home form


Fulham manager Scott Parker

Fulham manager Scott Parker admits that his side must be at their best if they're to overcome a Blackburn Rovers side that are 'tough to beat'.

The Cottagers come into the game within touching distance of the automatic promotion spots and have begun to re-establish the attacking identity which helped them to promotion during the 2017/18 season.

A mixed performance in their previous game against Huddersfield Town highlighted Fulham's insecurities, with Parker's side seeing their three-goal advantage reduced to one in the space of a couple of minutes and an inspired showing from Marek Rodak secured a vital three points.

Parker knows they cannot afford a similar a drop in standards if they are to overcome a Rovers side who are in good form, despite their mounting injury problems.

"I think they're unbeaten in 10 [at home] and the last time they lost was in September," Parker said. "He's done a great job there, Tony, a really good job.

"We played them early on in the season, the second game of the season. We won but it was a very tight game, a tough game as well.

"I've been watching bits of them over the last few weeks and they've had some really good results. They're very tough to beat at Ewood Park so it's going to be a very big test for us on the road.

"We're in good form and we're in a good place, but we're under no illusions, we know the weekend is going to be a very, very tough game."

In an unexpected turn of events, Parker went onto describe the first encounter that he had with Tony Mowbray.

The Fulham boss, who is married to the sister of current Fulham midfielder Harry Arter (we're seeing a trend in footballing relations as of late i.e Jonathan Woodgate and Stewart Downing), insists that he's enjoyed a great relationship with Mowbray in the many years since.

"I know Tony really well," he explained. "I met him when I was getting married in Barbados, just me and my wife, however long ago now.

"We had two weeks there and Tony was there at the time, and that was where I first met him.

"It's not like we're always in contact, but certainly at the beginning of the season here we had a chat.

"How time's moved on; he first saw me when I was a 20-year-old getting married to my wife, and now I'm four more kids down the line!"



https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/scott-parker-gives-verdict-blackburn-17703878

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Mowbray's message to defensive duo ahead of Mitrovic test


Mitrovic scored the second goal in Rovers' August defeat at Fulham

Tony Mowbray has called on his central defenders to rise to the challenge of facing the imposing figure of Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The Fulham striker has 27 goals in 32 appearances for club and country this season, including one in the reverse fixture at Craven Cottage.

Darragh Lenihan was unavailable that day, while Tosin Adarabioyo made his debut, and Mowbray has backed his pairing to find the answers to deal with the 25-year-old Serbian.

The two have developed a good understanding in their 14 matches when paired together in the heart of the Rovers defence, but they will be severely tested by Mitrovic who returned from injury to score in Fulham's win over Huddersfield last time out.

"I think both physically and just his cleverness of where to run as a striker," Mowbray said of Mitrovic's threat.

"He knows where he needs to be when the ball is coming in to the box.

"Mitrovic stands between the sticks, the ball comes in and he scores. He's got the physical quality, he wins headers, can hold people off, he brings team-mates in.

"He's just a good player in our league. I thought our defenders did pretty well against him earlier in the season, Darragh was injured and Derrick played, Tosin played well that day, but Mitrovic did score the second goal.

"They should look forward to it. I know when I played I looked forward to play against the biggest players with the biggest reputations to test yourself and that's what our defenders need to do. They have to go and show what good players they are and try and snuff out their main threat."

Scott Parker's side have taken 10 points from the last 12 available to move third in the table, three points off the automatic promotion spots. And Mowbray can see an identity similar to the one which saw them promoted via the Championship play-offs two seasons ago.

"I think that would be their expectation, they came out of the Premier League and while Scotty is a young manager finding his feet, he's doing extremely well," he explained.

"You watch how calm he is around the job, he's a good fit for them.

"They do have some good footballers, some high salaried players, we know Fulham's story of spending £120m after promotion and for whatever reason it didn't work out.

"It's not always easy coming down and re-stabilising a club that has to lose some big-hitters but they have a pattern and way of playing, they are very much like the Fulham team that got promotion.

"Their team is looking more recognisable.

"They have good options, good players, and a manager with an idea and philosophy of how he wants to play.

"They're starting to come right at the right time."



https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/18218450.mowbrays-message-defensive-duo-ahead-mitrovic-test/

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Boss admits Fulham made an approach for his player last month, wants contract sorting

Charlton Athletic's Alfie Doughty was linked with a move to Fulham towards the end of the winter window.

The Charlton Athletic manager Lee Bowyer has confirmed that Fulham made an enquiry about one of his players in January.

Fulham were credited with an interest in the Charlton winger Alfie Doughty at the end of last month by The South London Press.

Doughty has been an ever-present since his return to the Addicks from a loan spell at Bromley in the autumn.

And according to Bowyer, other clubs are already taking a shine to the versatile 20-year-old.

"I think there was half an interest - more like a question," Bowyer told The South London Press. "It's not like anything was put down.

"It was just a question and we said: 'No - we're not selling him'. It was nothing concrete."

Charlton could lose up to 10 players - plus six loanees - at the end of this season, which only increases the need to hang on to those, like Doughty, whose deals run into the following campaign.

And Bowyer added that Doughty's situation is one the Addicks are going to have to address in the coming months.

Fulham are not currently low on numbers in the left-footed player's position, though Anthony Knockaert's loan deal is due to expire in the summer.

Doughty can also play in central midfield and left-back, which should only increase his appeal to other clubs going forward.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/02/07/boss-admits-fulham-made-an-approach-for-his-player-last-month-wa/

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The expected Fulham XI that Parker will field v Blackburn tomorrow

Fulham travel to Blackburn Rovers in the Championship tomorrow.

Scott Parker's side could go level on points with Leeds if they can win at Ewood Park tomorrow, but they face a Blackburn side who've lost just one of their last 15 home outings.

It'll be an exciting game tomorrow between two quality sides in the Championship who've everything to play for – Fulham chasing down promotion and Blackburn looking like dark horses for a top-six spot as well.

Fulham's last game ended in a 3-2 win over Huddersfield Town, Parker's side allowing two goals to be clawed back after taking a three-goal lead in the first-half.

Tony Mowbray's team are unbeaten in four, and settled for a 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough last weekend.

Here we take a look at the starting line-up we expect Parker to field for Fulham tomorrow:

After giving away a three-goal lead against Huddersfield, expect a defensive change in the form of Terrence Kongolo – he missed the Huddersfield match due to ineligibility but should come into the side tomorrow, alongside Michael Hector in defence, with Marek Rodak in-goal, Cyrus Christie at right-back and Joe Bryan on the left.

In a classic 4-3-3 for Fulham, Kevin McDonald will keep his spot in the anchoring role with Tom Cairney on his left, and Harry Arter coming in for Josh Onomah on the right.

With Anthony Knockaert still injured, Bobby Reid will start on the left of the front-three, with the recently returning Aleksandar Mitrovic in the middle and Ivan Cavaleiro on the right.

Fulham have a really strong starting line-up and have bolstered that with an impressive transfer window – it'll make for a hard-fought encounter in Lancashire tomorrow, and a win for either side would hold them in good stead for the rest of the season.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/the-expected-fulham-xi-that-parker-will-field-v-blackburn-tomorrow/

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Programme preview: Fulham (H)

A look at what's inside the matchday programme against the Whites at Ewood Park

Rovers' programme returns for Saturday's encounter against Fulham at Ewood Park for our first home contest of the month.

This season we're aiming to interview every member of the 1994-95 Premier League-winning squad in every league issue.

For the clash against the Whites, we look back on an interview we had with Rovers legend Tony Parkes 15 years ago.

Tony talks about his long association with Rovers, from his playing days to getting into coaching to being caretaker manager and winning the 1992 play-off final and 1995 Premier League title, working alongside Sir Kenny Dalglish.

We also look back at what happened at this time back in 1995 during that memorable campaign under Sir Kenny, whilst profiling a former Rover from that campaign - this week it's also an ex-Fulham man in the form of Ian Pearce.

Our Big Interview sees us sit down with Stewart Downing. The experienced midfielder is set to make his 600th club career start this weekend, and discusses life at Rovers under Tony Mowbray, plans for the future and how enjoyment of the game keeps his young.

Our Classic Clash feature allows us to reflect on the excellent 4-0 triumph over Saturday's visitors way back in 2003.

Sam Gallagher is next up for our Football Origins feature, looking back on his firsts and favourites, whilst Joe Rankin-Costello, fresh from a first league start against Middlesbrough last weekend, is up for our new In The Kitbag piece.

In addition, there are updates regarding details of the Heads Up campaign and our #OneRovers Day designated game, our Under-23s, Under-18s and Ladies teams, as well as the usual pieces with the Blackburn Rovers Community Trust and news from around the club.

We look back on four points gaines from the last couple of first team outings against Queens Park Rangers and Middlesbrough, the last two Under-23s games, get the lowdown on Under-18s midfielder Jalil Saadi and have an interview with new Ladies signing Georgia Walters.

There's plenty more inside our publication, which costs just £3, and you can purchase yours from our programme sellers dotted around Ewood Park.



https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2020/february/programme-preview-fulham-h/

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Sky Sports pundits predict Blackburn Rovers' fixture against Fulham

Rovers entertain promotion-chasing Fulham on Saturday


Blackburn Rovers' Tosin Adarabioyo & Elliott Bennett hassle Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic (Image: Photographer David Shipman/CameraSport)

Blackburn Rovers will be looking to avoid a February collapse as they entertain Fulham at Ewood Park on Saturday.

After a strong January in the 2018/19 Championship campaign, Rovers' play-off hopes were quashed following a run of four consecutive defeats in the month of February.

Similarly this season, Tony Mowbray's side finished January strongly with the emphatic 5-0 victory against Sheffield Wednesday before following it up with a 2-1 home win over QPR.

Middlesbrough put a halt to that winning streak last Saturday as Rovers were unable to preserve their one goal advantage, but it was still a valiant point nonetheless.

They must now host a Fulham side that have clawed themselves to within three points of the automatic promotion spots and with the most expensively assembled squad in the division, Scott Parker will be optimistic that their current momentum can help carry them over the line.

February is a decisive month and with injuries to key attacking influences Joe Rothwell and Lewis Holtby, Rovers' assault on a top-six spot has become increasingly challenging.

Nevertheless, Mowbray is adamant his side will find a solution to the absence of Holtby and Sky Sports pundit David Prutton's prediction reiterates that as he expects a goal fest at Ewood.

In his EFL prediction column, Prutton says: "Blackburn have proved a lot of people wrong since the injury to Bradley Dack and they are on a decent run at the minute.

"Fulham are in great form and have the added boost of Aleksandar Mitrovic back.

"Score draw for me."

Prutton's colleague and former Liverpool defender Phil Thompson also predicts an entertaining encounter, but believes Fulham could just edge it.

"It's a tough test for Blackburn and they will relish it, but the away side will have too much.

"2-1 Fulham."



https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/sky-sports-pundits-predict-blackburn-17706768

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Preview: Rovers v Fulham

A look ahead to this weekend's Championship encounter against the Whites at Ewood Park

Rovers return to action at Ewood Park this weekend when Fulham make the long trip up from the capital for Championship game number 31 of the 2019-20 season.

Both teams come into the contest in fine form, with Rovers and Fulham undefeated in their last four Championship outings, with Tony Mowbray's men six points off the play-offs, whilst the visitors sit three points off second placed Leeds United.

Rovers will be without ex-Fulham loanee Lewis Holtby, who Tony Mowbray admits is likely to be out for the remainder of the campaign with a lateral collateral ligament injury picked up at Middlesbrough last weekend.

Joe Rothwell remains a few weeks away from returning from his hamstring injury, whilst Bradley Dack is a long-term absentee.

The visitors have doubts over a trio of key players ahead of the game as they look to continue their run of good results.

French defender Maxime Le Marchand is the likeliest of the three to miss out, whilst Scott Parker also has a doubt over the fitness of loan star Anthony Knockaert, who picked up a recent hamstring injury.

Former Rovers loanee Harrison Reed, who appeared 36 times for us during a spell at Ewood Park on loan from Southampton last season, is also set to miss out on a return to East Lancashire.

The dynamic midfielder hasn't played for Fulham since New Year's Day against Reading, with a calf muscle keeping the 25-year-old out of action since.

Parker will be boosted by Tim Ream's return from suspension, whilst fellow defender Terrance Kongolo is also back available for selection.

Ahead of the trip north, the Whites boss told BBC London that he is expecting a 'tough, tough game' at Ewood Park.

"I think they're unbeaten in 10 [at home] and the last time they lost was in September," he said. "He's done a great job there, Tony, a really good job.

"We played them early on in the season, the second game of the season. We won but it was a very tight game, a tough game as well.

"I've been watching bits of them over the last few weeks and they've had some really good results. They're very tough to beat at Ewood Park so it's going to be a very big test for us on the road.

"We're in good form and we're in a good place, but we're under no illusions, we know the weekend is going to be a very, very tough game."

Kick-off is at 3pm on Saturday afternoon, tickets remain available for the contest, but if you can't make it then you can track all the action via iFollow Rovers and our social media channels.



https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2020/february/preview-fulham-h/

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Win A Louis Saha Signed Retro Shirt!

Enter our competition to be in with in a chance of winning a signed Louis Saha Retro Shirt!

Ahead of Fulham's trip to Ewood Park this weekend, where Louis Saha scored one of his 32 goals in our 2000/01 title winning campaign, we're giving Fulham fans the chance to win a Retro Home Shirt from that season signed by the former Fulham striker himself.

For the chance to win, simply complete your details in the form below before 11.59pm on Monday 10th February 2020.

Good luck!

With a collection of past strips available to purchase, fans can view the full Fulham FC Retro and COPA ranges online at shop.fulhamfc.com or at the Stadium Store.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/february/07/win-a-louis-saha-signed-shirt

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Championship set to move Deadline Day following Premier League switch

Championship clubs are set to follow the Premier League's lead and push their summer transfer deadline back to September 1.

Top-flight clubs voted on Thursday to extend the window after deciding that being out of sync with Europe's other big leagues put them at a disadvantage in terms of player recruitment.

For the last two summers, the window has closed for clubs in the top two divisions on the Thursday before the start of the Premier League season.

Clubs in League One and League Two already have the longer window, but second-tier sides must decide at an EFL meeting at the end of the month whether to come into line with the Premier League, something they are expected to do.

A statement from the EFL read: "The EFL notes the decision taken by Premier League clubs to change the closure date for its summer transfer window.

"EFL clubs discuss the matter on an annual basis and will do so at a meeting later this month where a determination will be made as to whether there is to be any change moving forwards."

It is understood Manchester City backed the extension of the window, having initially been proponents of a 'hybrid' model where the deadline for domestic transfers fell before the start of the season but the window for international deals remained open until the end of August.

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner welcomed the change when he spoke to reporters at the Premier League shareholders' meeting in London on Thursday.

"We felt it was in the best interests of the league to be in sync with the other leagues and extend the window until the end of August," he said.

"I understood the reason for (bringing the deadline forward) but it put a lot of pressure on all of us to make decisions and it gave an advantage to other leagues, so it's good to be consistent."



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11688/11928287/championship-set-to-move-deadline-day-following-premier-league-switch

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Tony Mowbray assesses the big challenge his Blackburn Rovers side will face against Fulham

Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray says his side's central defensive partnership of Darragh Lenihan and Tosin Adarabioyo must enjoy the challenge of facing Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic when the two sides meet at Ewood Park on Saturday afternoon.

Mitrovic made a goalscoring return from injury in the Cottager's 3-2 win over Huddersfield last week, taking him to 19 league goals for the campaign, the joint highest tally in the Championship this season.

The first of those 19 goals came in the Cottagers' 2-0 win over Blackburn at Craven Cottage back in the second weekend of the season, and Rovers will be keen to avoid a repeat of that on Saturday.

That defeat was Adarabioyo's debut for the club following the completion of his loan move from Manchester City, with Derrick Williams having filled in for the injured Lenihan in the other centre back position that day.

Lenihan and Adarabioyo now look to have firmly established themselves as Rovers' first-choice central defensive partnership this season, and speaking about the challenge they will face in the form of Mitrovic on Saturday, Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph: "I think both physically and just his cleverness of where to run as a striker.

"He knows where he needs to be when the ball is coming into the box. Mitrovic stands between the sticks, the ball comes in and he scores.

"He's got the physical quality, he wins headers, can hold people off, he brings team-mates in."

Discussing how he expects his defenders to cope with that challenge, Mowbray continued: "He's just a good player in our league.

"I thought our defenders did pretty well against him earlier in the season, Darragh was injured and Derrick played, Tosin played well that day, but Mitrovic did score the second goal.

"They should look forward to it. I know when I played I looked forward to playing against the biggest players with the biggest reputations to test yourself and that's what our defenders need to do.

They have to go and show what good players they are and try and snuff out their main threat."

The Verdict

This battle should certainly be a fascinating aspect of this meeting between the two sides.

Having suffered yet another setback with regards to their own attacking options following the loss of Lewis Holtby for the rest of the season through injury, keeping Mitrovic and co. quiet at the other end of the pitch could be crucial to Rovers' hopes of getting something out of this game.

While they did do reasonably well to keep Fulham and Mitrovic quiet in the reverse fixture, it was not enough to get anything from the match, meaning they will surely have to up their game from that performance.

The availability of Lenihan in their backline is something that should help them to do that, and it would be yet another boost for his ever-growing reputation if he was to keep arguably the division's best striker at bay for 90 minutes at Ewood Park.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/tony-mowbray-assesses-the-big-challenge-his-blackburn-rovers-side-will-face-against-fulham/

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Leeds More Reason To Worry Than West Brom Because They Choke – Fulham Legend

Fulham great Tony Gale thinks Leeds United need to be more worried than West Brom as the Cottagers close in on the top two, with the Whites having a history of promotion push meltdowns.

Scott Parker's Fulham have chipped away at Leeds' lead and have now closed to within just three points of an Elland Road outfit in poor form. 

While Fulham have taken 17 points from their last nine league games, the joint-best record in the division, Leeds have collected just nine, with only two sides doing worse; QPR and Luton Town.

Gale, who flourished from Fulham's academy and played for the side from 1977 to 1984, feels that Marcelo Bielsa's team have more reason than West Brom to worry about the Cottagers closing in.

"With the top-two giving up points at the moment, although we're not on a six-game winning run, we're still closing the gap", Gale wrote in his column for Fulham's official website.

"A little while ago we were eight or nine points off the pace – that's now down to three.

"Leeds have got to be more worried than West Brom, because they've got a history of not being able to get over the line."

Leeds still have to play Fulham this season, while their next two games are away at Nottingham Forest and Brentford, in what are key tests for the stumbling Whites.



Read more: http://www.insidefutbol.com/2020/02/07/leeds-more-reason-to-worry-than-west-brom-because-they-choke-fulham-legend/451124/#ixzz6DJJGQv6f

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34-y/o returns: The Blackburn Rovers XI Mowbray could name to face Fulham on Saturday

Blackburn Rovers will look to make it five games unbeaten on Saturday afternoon, when they host Fulham at Ewood Park.

Last weekend's 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough has left Tony Mowbray's side tenth in the Championship standings, six points adrift of the play-off places, meaning Rovers will be determined to pick up points here in order to avoid being left behind in the promotion race.

Fulham meanwhile, are third in the Championship table, and would go level on points with second-placed Leeds with a win at Ewood Park, ahead of the Yorkshire's club's clash with fourth-placed Nottingham Forest later on Saturday.

This therefore, will not be an easy task for Rovers, who lost the reverse fixture at Craven Cottage 2-0 on the second weekend of the season, thanks to goals from Aleksandar Mitrovic and former Blackburn man Tom Cairney.

Here, we've taken a look at the starting XI Mowbray could name to give Blackburn the best possible chance of picking up an improved result this time around against the Cottagers.

Despite being hit with yet another injury setback this week, we imagine Mowbray will want to keep his side as unchanged as possible, since it has been those consistent selections which have led to Rovers' best runs of form this season.

In goal, Christian Walton is starting to look more reliable as time goes on following an unconvincing start to the season, and will surely continue between the posts on Saturday.

Neither Ryan Nyambe nor Darragh Lenihan – who have arguably been Rovers' best full back and centre back respectively this season – featured in the reverse fixture at Fulham, and it will be interesting to see if they are able to keep Blackburn more resilient at the back when the two sides meet again, with the pair likely to partner Tosin Adarabioyo and Amari'i Bell in what has become a relatively settled back four of late.

Ahead of that defence, with Lewis Travis – whose own reputation continues to grow following a string of eye-catching performances – speaking this week about how his partnership with Stewart Downing complements both players well, it would be a surprise if it is not that combination of youth and experience that starts in the holding midfield roles for Rovers again on Saturday.

Further forward, with academy graduate Joe Rankin-Costello taking the chance afforded to him by a lack of options on the wing for Rovers recently in impressive style, the 20-year-old could be in line for his first league start at Ewood Park, while Sam Gallagher ought to continue on the opposite flank, as he has done for much of the season.

The big question for Rovers of course, comes in filling the number ten role, which yet again finds itself vacated for the foreseeable future, following the news that Lewis Holtby is expected to be out for the rest of the season with a knee injury suffered in last week's draw at the Riverside.

One way Blackburn could look to deal with that, is to drop Adam Armstrong – who has been hugely impressive as a centre forward recently – into that deeper role to fill the void left by Holtby, and bring in veteran striker Danny Graham to lead the line, in the hope the pair can establish a similar partnership similar to the one between Graham and the already-injured Bradley Dack, that served the club so well in each of the past two seasons.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/34-y-o-returns-the-blackburn-rovers-xi-mowbray-could-name-to-face-fulham-on-saturday/

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Opposition in focus – Blackburn Rovers

This weekend sees Fulham make the trip north to face Tony Mowbray's Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.

A solid set of recent results see Rovers comfortably sat in 10th place and in with a serious shot of securing a play-off place, which might have been considered a surprise at the start of the season. Blackburn have been in brilliant form of late, losing just two of their last fourteen league games. They thrashed Sheffield Wednesday 5-0 in an eye-catching romp at Hillsborough. That result typified their free-scoring style, with Mowbray's men having netted 43 goals in 30 league games – which is the second highest of anyone outside the top six. Former Newcastle forward Adam Armstrong has scored nine of them, whilst also laying on six assists.

Rovers' recent run is all the more impressive given their lengthy injury list. The outstanding Bradley Dack, probably one of the most consistent creative midfielders in the Championship, is likely to miss most of 2020 after injuring his anterior cruciate ligament against Wigan back in December. Former Fulham midfielder Lewis Holtby will be missing as well after picking up a knee problem in last weekend's draw at Middlesbrough. Six other first-teamers are definitely out of tomorrow's game.

Rovers will be able to count on the services of impressive young right back Ryan Nyambe, who is forging a name for himself as one of the Championship's brightest talents. The 22 year-old Namibian international has been on the radar of a whole host of top clubs, but Blackburn will be hoping he is willing to continue his encouraging development at Ewood Park as Mowbray looks to build a squad able to compete for promotion.

Fulham's injury issues appear to be clearing up a little. Both Anthony Knockaert and Harrison Reed will have late fitness tests to see if they can play any part tomorrow, whilst Terence Kongolo could make his first league appearance for the Whites alongside a recalled Tim Ream at the heart of the defence. Fulham could record a first league double over Rovers since the famous one that put them on the brink of promotion from Division One in 2000-01, after goals from former Blackburn man Tom Cairney and Aleksandar Mitrovic secured a 2-0 success at Craven Cottage in August. Parker will want his side to stretch their impressive run of a single defeat in their last seven games, but the Fulham boss will know they will need to be far more disciplined than they were in last weekend's win over Huddersfield to take home all three points.

MY FULHAM XI (4-3-3-): Rodak; Odoi, Hector, Kongolo, Bryan; McDonald, Cairney (c), Onomah; Decordova-Reid, Mitrovic, Cavaleiro.

My prediction: Blackburn Rovers 0-2 Fulham



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/02/opposition-in-focus-blackburn-rovers/

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U23 PL Cup: Watford 1-0 Fulham

Assistant Coach Omer Riza felt the Under-23s learned a valuable lesson in how to manage a high-stakes game in a nerveless 1-0 Premier League Cup win against Fulham at Clarence Park.

The young Hornets were bottom of their group going into this tie, the fifth of six group games, and knew a win was needed to keep alive their hopes of progressing in the competition.

A poacher's finish from Ryan Cassidy early in the second half was enough to earn the vital three points.

"Although we're always looking at the boys in terms of development, playing games and it being a learning tool, this is a competition and we wanted to come and win the game," said Riza.

"It was important for the boys to understand what position we were in and what we needed to do to stay in the competition, because in their careers as they progress, they're going to come up with situations like this and it's good for them to feel it a little bit now."

One player already experienced in first-team football is Kaylen Hinds, who showed maturity beyond his 22 years to dictate long periods of the game from a deeper than usual role in midfield.

"Kaylen plays with a very mature head and he's got good qualities, otherwise he wouldn't have had the opportunities he's had at a younger age," said Riza.

"You don't get bought and transferred to clubs if you don't have the qualities. He's come here, he's got a great attitude, he's a tiny bit older than the other boys and he shows that in his performance.

"He worked tirelessly out of possession, he picked up pockets well, he read the play well, he nicked balls well, he got forwards well."

The reverse fixture in this competition also saw the Hornets victorious in a dramatic game which finished 4-3. But Riza was not looking to gamble on a similar result on this occasion. 

"We've been talking about not conceding too many goals lately, because we've been conceding too many. We score a lot, but sometimes you need to win a game 1-0. We've been doing a lot of work during the week on our defensive structure and I think the boys did well," he said.

"The main focus for us was us being solid, being able to stop Fulham and the qualities they had, to keep a clean sheet and to win the game, and we've managed to do all that.

"The boys are really happy, we've kept ourselves in the competition now and we've got Everton in our final game, and that's one now we'll be looking forward to so we can hopefully progress in the competition."

HORNETS: Parkes (GK) (C); Barrett, Spencer-Adams, Perkins, Green; Wise, Hinds (Balogun 90); Hungbo (Bennetts 77), Dalby, Crichlow (Adebiyi 77); Cassidy.

Subs not used: Roberts (GK), McKiernan.



https://www.watfordfc.com/teams/under-23s/u23-pl-cup-watford-1-0-fulham

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Blackburn Rovers boss urges side to take the game to Fulham

TONY Mowbray says Rovers will 'look to get after' third-placed Fulham as they aim to continue their impressive home record.

With four of the current top six still to travel to Ewood, Mowbray says Rovers' results in those matches could dictate where his side will end this season.

Third-placed Fulham arrive in East Lancashire today within three points of the automatic promotion spots and in fine form with three wins and a draw from their last four matches. But equally Rovers are unbeaten in their last four and haven't tasted defeat on home soil since September.

Rovers have aspirations of their own, as they look to close the gap on the top six, and Mowbray says they can take inspiration from their performances on home soil since promotion back to the Championship.

"We look forward to welcoming Leeds, West Brom, Fulham to our stadium and believe we can beat anyone on our day," Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph.

"They are big games for us, big tests, and maybe these games will dictate where we end up this season.

"I'm not sure there are many teams where I've felt we've done well just to hang on.

"Fulham is a classic test for us, at their best they're a really talented group of players who keep the ball, ask questions, move it around, create chances.

"If we can come out of it with a positive result, as we have having beaten Brentford for the last two years, and they're a really good team, we have found a way to beat them a couple of years on the bounce, beat West Brom.

"Aston Villa got a 93rd minute equaliser from a free kick, we beat Leeds last year and have generally given the top teams problems.

"Fulham fits in to that category, they're a good team but we don't fear anyone.

"It's a game where we'll look to get after them and they'll know they've been in a football match by the end of it and hopefully we can take the points."

Rovers have been the Championship's fast starters so far this season, with 11 goals in the opening 15 minutes of matches.

They have scored first in 19 of their 30 Championship matches, and led in 20, including last weekend's 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough.

And Mowbray says turning winning positions in to victories is part of their continued development.

"That's something we have taken a lot about. I speak a lot about continual improvement of the club," he added.

"We are pretty aware of a lot of stats that we're trying to correct.

"We're way ahead of anyone when it comes to scoring inside 15 minutes this season, why can't we sustain that for 90 minutes? It's a question we have to ask.

"Some of that might be in the make-up of the group, sometimes if you're playing Stewy Downing or a Danny Graham you wouldn't expect them to do the physical side of the game of a 20-year-old, but then they might not be able to do the bring the quality or the knowledge of those players.

"It's a balance of how the team functions, but moving forward we will try to be at the top end of every statistic, whether that's intensity, distances covered, shots on target, we're trying to improve the football club with processes that we work on every day.

"It's a tough journey, you can't just change everything overnight."



https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/18220497.blackburn-rovers-boss-urges-side-take-game-fulham/

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No tension, pressure or stress says Marcelo Bielsa, just passion to explain beliefs to Leeds United's fans
MARCELO BIELSA insists he is feeling neither pressured nor stressed by Leeds United's promotion quest but determined to be thorough in communicating his beliefs with his club's fans.

Bielsa's side are heading for this evening's clash at fourth-placed Nottingham Forest having seen what was an 11-point cushion in the Championship's automatic promotion spots slashed to a three-point gap over third-placed Fulham.

Tonight's hosts Forest are only four points behind the second-placed Whites whose odds of finishing in the division's top two have been chopped from 1-16 to 2-5.

A continued theme of squandering opportunities in front of goal has been costing the Whites dear and head coach Bielsa provided a 20-minute answer quizzed as to the fitness of new striker signing Jean-Kevin Augustin at his Thursday afternoon press conference.

Augustin, said Bielsa, will play when he is fit enough to do himself and the team justice.

His response formed part of an epic 59-minute conference in which United's head coach provided detailed and passionate responses to just five questions next to Whites assistant coach and translator Diego Flores.

A question about expectation at Elland Road led to Bielsa stating that he thought United's fans had now lost belief and were now seeking any sort of attempt at a solution and lifeline akin to a person dying in the sea.

Bielsa, though, insisted he was fine with the demands of United's promotion quest and only putting as much passion as possible into communicating his points with the club's fans.

Asked how he was faring in the pressured situation - even with his vast experience - Bielsa said: "There is no tension, there is no pressure. I don't feel pressure and I don't feel I am showing tension.

"I express like that because I want to combine when I talk. I'm not stressed.

"When I'm really interested to combine, I put this energy into the communication. But after thinking that I am combining because there are no problems between us.

"After I will know what you think before after I read the press. The last word always is yours.

"I know that communication guarantees nothing. But for me what matters, what is important, is that supporters know what I think.

"This is not a relation between you and me. It's a relationship between me and the public that you write for.

"For the reasons what I say doesn't mean that you are not going to transmit 100 per cent as I say. You are going to say what you think."

Despite a recent run that is fourth worst in the division taken over the club's last nine games, Bielsa's men remain the division's automatic promotion spots, albeit with a significantly reduced lead.

The next week will now see Leeds take on three of the division's top six with tonight's clash at Forest followed by Tuesday night's trip to fifth-placed Brentford and Saturday's hosting of sixth-placed Bristol City.

Leeds have taken eight points from their last nine games which have resulted in two wins, three draws and four losses.

Asked if he felt that he now needed to convince United's fans, Bielsa said: "No, I need to say what I think. And for supporters to listen to what I think. But like a car, it's for you to transmit this information.

"Like, you don't switch or change opinion between you, you are not going to say to me if you think different about what I am thinking.

"You say that to the public, so for this reason I know it's a lost fight.

"I would wish that you would say to me, I'm wrong. "Because for my opinion this kind of relationship just is useful if you combine him or he combines you.

"That means a product of this relationship, you can take just one truth and make a link with it.

"That would be ideal because that would be good will to the supporter.

"But this never happens because I say when I think and journalists never say to me if I am wrong.

"So there is not just one truth. So there is one truth, but with limits, conditions. All of us know those limits and conditions."



https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/no-tension-pressure-or-stress-says-marcelo-bielsa-just-passion-explain-beliefs-leeds-uniteds-fans-1393281

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FAMILY FORTUNES Harry Arter reveals being boss Scott Parker's brother-in-law has not earned him special treatment

FRANK LAMPARD and Jose Mourinho, Ryan Giggs and Sir Alex Ferguson, Niko Kranjcar and Harry Redknapp . . . some players form a particularly special bond with their manager.

Few though are as close as Fulham's Harry Arter and Scott Parker, who are actually related.


Harry Arter and his boss Scott Parker are relatedCredit: Jamie McPhilimey - The Sun


Arter reveals Parker treats him no differently to any other playerCredit: Rex Features

Yet being boss Parker's brother-in-law has done Arter no favours at the Cottagers — nor would he want it to.

The midfielder, 30, said: "If no one knew he was my brother-in-law, there's no way you would have ever thought any different. He treats me no different to any other player.

"It's made it easy to distance myself from any sort of feeling that Scott is more than just my manager.

"I don't think he would have felt he had to point that out to the rest of the squad when I arrived. He's so focused on getting the club promoted.

"He felt when I signed that I would be able to help him do that.

"But there have been times when he's had to leave me out of the team or I've come back from suspension or injury and he hasn't put me back in. It's as simple as with any other player."

Arter idolised Parker as a player and credits the ex-England midfielder's influence for helping his rise from non-league to the Premier League with his parent club Bournemouth.

Parker's success was testament to his mental strength and professionalism.

Those are two characteristics Arter has always tried to bring into his own game — and he sees those traits as key to Parker's managerial style, too.

Parker, who is married to Arter's sister Carly, is one of three big personalities Arter has played under in the last decade.

The Sidcup lad learnt why Neil Warnock is famed for his man-management skills during his loan at Cardiff last year, claiming the 71-year-old understands the importance of a player's "happiness".

Warnock sometimes trusted Arter to do his own fitness work near his central London flat rather than traipse to South Wales if only a light session was booked that day.

Arter felt the special bond Warnock created in the Bluebirds' squad would be enough to keep them up.

But ultimately they were relegated, with the tragic death of record signing Emiliano Sala in a plane crash appearing to take its toll on the squad and, particularly, Warnock.

Arter recalled: "We were off the day the news broke.

"I was back in Bournemouth and we got a group message to let us know that the plane had gone missing.

"As a group it was difficult. We didn't get to meet him at all so we didn't know him. It was a strange time and was so sad and shocking to see.

"I know it hit Neil really hard. Not for one minute is he ever responsible because it's a complete tragedy, but in his head I'm sure he felt like he was the reason Sala was at the club.

"Neil made him his No 1 priority, he wanted him there.

"I remember some days looking at the manager and feeling like, 'He's not completely with us today'.

"That soon changed, he used it as his motivation. He really wanted to stay up in honour of Sala and all his family.

"That was a big disappointment, that we didn't manage to do it."


The midfielder is trying to help Fulham back to the Premier League
Credit: AFP or licensors

His longest-serving boss is Eddie Howe, who signed him from Woking, but the pair had a falling out two years ago when Arter fell down the pecking order at Bournemouth.

Arter was in a dark place after his partner Rachel gave birth to stillborn daughter Renee and admits now he was in the wrong.

He reached out to the Cherries chief a year ago to apologise and now their relationship is so good they speak monthly.

Arter, who has a three-year-old daughter Raine, said: "My pride, my ego, was telling me to blame Eddie Howe. That ultimately led me to leave Bournemouth.

"I didn't accept I had to do more to get back into the team. There was a lot more to that situation where mentally my life wasn't as stable as it is now.

"But I felt it was very important to say that to Eddie. I just apologised.

"I just wish I handled that situation so much differently.

"I opened up and told Eddie where I was at mentally and what I regretted. He was very thankful."

Arter won the Championship with Bournemouth five years ago.

He feels this Fulham side has more natural ability compared to Howe's 2015 champions but only recently have they had a work-ethic epiphany

Arter, whose side visit Blackburn today, added: "As a group we've realised that ability alone is not going to win us games this season.

"It definitely feels like it's changed over the last five weeks.

"As much as getting promoted is the be all and end all, I want to contribute to that so I feel like, you know what, next season you have to sign me."

HARRY ARTER is pictured here featuring WALK London's 'Hiker Runner' trainers from their latest collection. WALK London are an official partner of Fulham FC. Available exclusively online at www.walklondonshoes.com.



https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/10918591/harry-arter-reveals-scott-parkers-brother-in-law/

[WhiteJC]

Scout Report: Fulham (H)

Andy Watson is here once more to "scout" Fulham ahead of the match at Ewood Park on Saturday.

Injuries have struck the Rovers' squad pretty hard right now. Tony Mowbray will have to use all the magic that he may or may not have in his magic bag to try and steer this depleted squad to the end of the season with a degree of success. Having faltered badly at this stage last season it would be all so easy to fall away at this point once more.

This match against Fulham could, therefore, be key to the next period of fixtures. If we can get something from this match then it will stand us in good stead for the next few. I will take a look at Fulham and see where we might be able to exploit them and there they will be dangerous


Recent History
Fulham were promoted to the Premier League alongside Rovers in that memorable 2000/01 season and that triggered a long stay in the top flight.

When that stay finally ended in 2014 it was under a real muddle of three different managers. They were quite close to falling through the leagues as well with two relegation fights in the Championship, the second of which saw them finish only two places above the relegation zone.

However, under the management of Slavisa Jokanovic Fulham found a successful style of playing, were able to bring in talented players and worked their way back up the table. A playoff place was achieved in 2017 and was swiftly followed by a third-place finish in 2018. Promotion was achieved at Wembley, but their Premier League adventure lasted only one season on this occasion.

Again, three managers were used in their relegation season and despite spending money and signing a large number of players they finished 19th under a rookie manager, albeit a legend, in Scott Parker.

Parker retained the managerial role into this season and has steered them into third place so far. They are only four points from the top and arrive at Ewood having won three of their last four games.


Playing Style
Fulham have historically become synonymous with a particular style of play. The traditionalists remember them as the club of Johnny Haynes and George Best and so, often, Fulham are expected to play with the ball at their feet and with some style and creativity.

Scott Parker's current iteration isn't quite as fluent as Haynes or Best but they certainly have a lot of talent to rely on.  This enables them to control a lot of the games that they play in. Fulham have the second-highest average amount of possession in the Championship at 59.4% (behind only Leeds' 60.2%). They also boast by far the highest pass completion rate with 84% of their passes finding a teammate.

They are able to push forward onto opposition goal too. They average 13.5 shots a match, one of the best in the league, of which 4.6 is the mean number of shots that end up on target. Both of these numbers are way in advance of Rovers' numbers. Fulham have scored the most goals in open play in the league with 36, so it is of vital importance that Rovers are organised when Fulham have the ball.

The most popular formation that Parker has used to line up the Cottagers is in a 4-3-3. The ultimate width is provided by the full-backs who work together with the wide forwards to create overlaps and chances that way. The central three are quite tight, which provides some solidity and also explains why their ball retention is often very good. The inspiration can be prompted from this central midfield area but is more often expected from the mavericks that play as wide forwards.

Below is the Fulham team that began against Huddersfield in the previous game. We are not expecting too many changes from this lineup on Saturday.

Image from whoscored.com

Results v Performances

Using Ben Mayhew's experimental 361 website we can look at how the Championship table "should" look based on performances and quality of chances created. (Usual infogol table unavailable at the time of writing)


data from experimental361.com

According to Mayhew's data, both teams are overperforming this season. Fulham's performances put them in the playoff picture but they have done better than they perhaps should have so far. Rovers' data this season has been fairly poor and by this account, we should be looking over shoulder somewhat.

On a positive note, this does mean that we don't need to overly respect or fear Fulham. They aren't as good a side as their current position and points tally might suggest.


Most Recent Championship Match
Fulham were at home to Huddersfield in their last Championship match on Saturday 1st February. It was a quite bizarre game to follow, as can be seen by the xG information below.


xG plot from experimental 361.com

The xG plot shows how Fulham went 3-0 up inside half an hour but from that point onwards Fulham seemed to completely take their foot off the pedal. Huddersfield got two goals back before halftime and in the second half they were by far the most likely team to score and indeed, they squandered a host of chances to equalise.

xg map from Infogol

The xG map shows the number of excellent chances Huddersfield managed to get in the Fulham box. This bodes well for Rovers that Fulham were exposed on so many occasions at home to a mediocre Championship side.


Individual Stars
Fulham have a plethora of individual stars, but potentially their most important player is their primary goalscorer and target man Aleksandar Mitrovic. After initially joining the club on loan from Newcastle in their previous Championship promotion campaign two seasons ago the Serbian international has become a firm favourite in West London. He has lead the line with strength and competitiveness, won the majority of his duels with defenders and, most importantly, found the finishing touch when required. The striker has 19 league goals already and is very much on course to be the Championship golden boot winner.

The chances are often provided by the wide forwards. Anthony Knockaert has been a feature of the top of Championship football for what seems to be a very long time. The former Leicester and Brighton man is a class act in this division and his ability to do the unexpected makes him both a fan favourite and a massive danger. Similar sentiments can be suggested about Ivan Cavaleiro on the other flank. The Portuguese has six goals and six assists in the league this season.

Former Rovers schemer Tom Cairney is the heartbeat and captain of the side. He scored against Rovers in the return fixture earlier in the season and can be expected to do so on his return to Ewood because that's what always seems to happen!


Conclusion
It almost goes without saying that this is a tough assignment for Rovers. But Fulham aren't as formidable away from home as they are at Craven Cottage.

When we played them there in the second game of the season no-one knew how good this Fulham side was. It was assumed that they would be right at the top of the league with the quality of players they had available to them. It hasn't quite turned out that way and there is no reason for Rovers to be intimidated by the Cottagers.

The main problem lies in our own struggles with injuries in the attacking area of the field. If we can find a method of play that allows us to continue our impressive passing and form then we certainly have a chance to pick up a valuable win.

However, I think we play have to play a more circumspect game and this may mean a game of few chances and low goal expectation. I'm predicting a low score draw, either a 0-0 or 1-1.



http://roverschat.com/scout-report-fulham-h/

[WhiteJC]

Blackburn Rovers defenders and their big job ahead of Fulham clash

Mitrovic has hit 19 goals in the Championship so far in this campaign

Tony Mowbray hopes that his centre-back partnership of Tosin Adarabioyo and Darragh Lenihan are relishing the chance of playing against one of the divisions best strikers.

Aleksandr Mitrovic is the joint top scorer in the Championship alongside Brentford's Ollie Watkins and his conversion rate of one goal every 127 minutes reiterates why the Serbian is regarded as the deadliest forward in the second tier.

The 25-year-old spent a large portion of January rehabilitating from an ankle injury he sustained during Fulham's 1-0 victory over Hull City and while the initial prognosis looked bleak, Mitrovic returned last Saturday to score Fulham's third against Huddersfield Town.

In the reverse fixture at Craven Cottage, Mitrovic scored as Adarabioyo partnered Derrick Williams at the heart of the defence, but a lot has changed since that defeat in August.

Adarabioyo has forged a formidable partnership with Lenihan in recent weeks, with the duo starting to gain the consistency that Mowbray believes will help push Rovers on towards the play-off places.

Lenihan's form over the course of the season has seen him emerge as a top Championship talent while the development of Adarabioyo has served to remind everyone of his Manchester City origins.

The pair were disappointed not to keep a clean sheet against Middlesbrough but their resilience, organisation and maturity to cope with the direct threat of Rudy Gestede and the predatory loitering of Britt Assombalonga ensured Rovers picked up a vital point.

Mowbray will need more of the same from the pair on Saturday, as they prepare to face a Fulham team with their tails up given the reduced deficit to promotion occupants Leeds United and West Brom.

"They're starting to look pretty settled again and very much like the team that managed to get out of the league in the first place, a few years back.

"They've got good options, good players and a manager with an idea and a philosophy of how he wants to play and they're starting to come good.

"Add Mitrovic to that of course, he's of a quality, if not right at the top end of this league, he's a Premier League striker.

"I think both physically and just his cleverness as a striker.

"He knows where to run, he knows where to play the ball and he knows where he needs to e when the ball is being played into the box.

"Some strikers keep running past that near post and never give themselves a chance to score a goal.

"Mitrovic stands between the sticks and the ball comes and he scores.

"He's got the physical qualities. He wins headers, he gets a hold of the ball, he holds people off and he brings team-mates in.

"He is just a good player in our league, and I thought our defenders did pretty well against him earlier in the season.

"Mitrovic did score the second goal but I think they should look forward to it.

"It's a challenge, and when I was playing you'd always look forward to playing against the best players, the best reputations to test yourself.

"That's what our defenders need to do this weekend and go and show everyone what good players they are and snuff out their main threats."



https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/blackburn-rovers-defenders-big-job-17710514