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Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 12/02/20...

Started by WhiteJC, February 10, 2020, 05:17:29 PM

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WhiteJC

Results



Tuesday
Barnsley
0-1
Birmingham
Blackburn
3-0
Hull
Nottm Forest
0-1
Charlton
Swansea
0-0
QPR
Brentford
1-1
Leeds
Wigan
2-2
Middlesborough

WhiteJC

Golden Goal: Pajtim Kasami for Fulham v Crystal Palace (2013)


Pajtim Kasami's goal for Fulham brought the scores level at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace – his side went on to win 4-1. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images

A Van Basten-esque chest and volley – with the midfielder's weaker foot – was a masterclass of instinct and execution

Wow! Bloody hell!" exclaims Pajtim Kasami as he watches back his volley for Fulham against Crystal Palace six years later. It is the goal the Switzerland international's time in England will be remembered for.

Full-back Sascha Riether was situated just inside his own half when he saw Kasami make his run. Riether chipped the ball to the edge of the box, where the midfielder controlled it with his chest before immediately volleying, while still on the move, over Julián Speroni and into the top corner from the right-hand side of the area. It was Van Basten-esque in terms of its execution – with his weaker foot – but with the added joy of intelligence to sprint into position and control it perfectly.

"Everything happened so fast. It's a goal of instinct; you score it and don't think about it too much but after you realise: 'Wow, what a goal'," Kasami explains. "At the moment you don't really realise what a goal you have scored. It was a perfect goal; with the pass, the run I made, the way I controlled it and then hit it with my weaker foot, everything was on point."

Kasami had brought Fulham level and they went on to win 4-1 that October night at Selhurst Park. It should have been a result to ignite a season for a side including Dimitar Berbatov and Damien Duff but instead they would lose their next seven matches and by the time they next won, Martin Jol had been sacked and replaced by René Meulensteen.

"It was my breakthrough year in the Premier League; I was very young at Fulham, I had arrived from a very good team in Italy and joined an excellent one with the likes of Damien Duff, Bobby Zamora, Steve Sidwell, Scott Parker and Dimitar Berbatov. We had a very good and strong team but we didn't get the results and the new chairman, Shahid Khan, changed the coach and after things were different.


Pajtim Kasami (left) celebrates with Fulham teammates Steve Sidwell and Dimitar Berbatov. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images

"It was my third year at Fulham. I was starting, playing almost every game and in a very confident mood as I was at Fulham in the Premier League. I got attention from a lot of teams as well. I became a regular for the Switzerland team, so it was a very good moment but, unfortunately, we were not having a good season. Personally, I had a very good spell but the results weren't good and Berbatov left in January and things changed a lot after."

It wasn't just the goal that make the spell special for Kasami, he felt very settled in London and was finally a regular after a tumultuous time since arriving from Palermo in 2011. After Fulham's relegation was confirmed under their third manager of the season, Felix Magath, Kasami departed for Greece.

"I have made some not so good decisions in my career which I start to pay for now. I had a very good spell after Fulham with Olympiakos, where we won the league and played in the Champions League. My agent pushed me to leave England, that agent was Mino Raiola. Personally, it was going well but the team went down and I was very frustrated and disappointed by what happened. To be honest I was willing to leave England and the Premier League but in the end it was not a good decision."

At the end of 2019 the lists were drawn up for the Premier League's goal of the decade, which Kasami featured highly on, giving people a reminder of the natural talent the 27-year-old possesses.

"I was watching Monday Night Football and after the match, [Gary] Neville and [Jamie] Carragher were showing the best goals of the decade in the Premier League and I watched it back and thought: 'Wow! Bloody hell!' I think every time you see it you realise more how good it was.

"For me, the Premier League is the best in the world and to score one like this will stay with me for ever. It makes me very proud. To score like this you need skill, it's not just hitting a shot from 60 metres, it is pure technique and control. I prefer scoring goals with pure control rather than just hitting it as hard as possible. I was unlucky as [Jack] Wilshere also scored against Norwich [the same weekend] and that was a goal of the season. I think it was because Arsenal had more influence than Fulham."

As Fulham try to make their way back to the top-flight once again, their supporters are always keen to be reminded of happier times. "The fans tweet me sometimes, especially on the anniversary. The Premier League Twitter account posted it and Fulham retweeted it, so I got fans saying: 'What a goal', 'You should come back' and things like that. It's always nice to get a positive reaction and love."

Kasami hopes to play in England again but knows he will not be able to recreate his once-in-a-lifetime goal, although he will be more than happy to try.





https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/feb/11/golden-goal-pajtim-kasami-fulham-v-crystal-palace-2013

WhiteJC

Fulham can't get carried away

Fulham are on something of a roll and it promises to make an already tight Championship very interesting indeed. Since the lamentable loss to Reading on New Year's Day, the Whites have claimed thirteen points from a possible fifteen, keeping four clean sheets in the process. The arrival of Michael Hector and the outstanding form of Martin Rodak are certainly the driving force behind Fulham's new found stubbornness at the back, something that will need to continue if Scott Parker's side have genuine ambitions of making it into the top two.

Back in August, I was concerned about the defence and the fact Fulham had not strengthened in the summer. The club acted on that in January and, you could argue that last month might go down as one of our strongest windows in recent history, after securing Bobby Decordova-Reid and Ivan Cavaleiro permanently and bringing in Hector as well as Terence Kongolo. We look more organised from back to front, tougher to play through and there seems to be a real togetherness in this squad.

The fact that the Whites are now level on points with Leeds and just four points behind West Brom is remarkable considering the gap between us a few short weeks ago. This, though, is no time for complacency. We can't afford to consider the job done and expect the likes of Leeds to fade away. Fulham still have trips to Elland Road, the Hawthorns and the City Ground to come in probably the toughest run-in of any of the top sides and I fully expect that the top four or five teams could alternate in the leading positions before the final sprint to the line in May.

The advantage of Fulham's recent upturn in form is that the situation is now firmly in our own hands. Character and seizing the opportunity is what it will come down to now. The squad has the chance to prove their promotion credentials at the Den on Wednesday night, with Millwall eager to make up for their disappointing display against the Baggies at the weekend and revive their own play-off push. It won't be easy, but Parker and the team could lay down a marker in south east London with a big performance.

This squad might well be stronger than both the one that reached the Premier League under Jokanovic and, certainly, the side that struggled in the top flight last season. We can hope to learn from the mistakes made as we prepared for our return to the Premier League, but it is vital not to get carried away at this point. We all know the Championship is an unforgiving division and, with a third of the season still ahead of us, there is a lot of football left yet. The key will be consistency – and it is likely that we will have to marry the grit Fulham have shown of late with some of the silkier football that has become our trademark in order to be celebrating at the end of the season.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/02/fulham-cant-get-carried-away/


WhiteJC

Danny Murphy predicts who will go up in the Championship as West Brom, Leeds and Fulham fight it out

Danny Murphy has shared his thoughts on West Bromwich Albion's promotion chances after Slaven Bilic's side moved four points clear of Leeds United.

Another weekend full of drama in the Championship promotion race saw Bilic's side beat Millwall at the Den on Sunday afternoon thanks to goals from Filip Krovinovic and Dara O'Shea.

Having gone seven league games without a win over the festive period, the 2-0 win saw the Baggies secure back-to-back wins for the first time since early December.

The victory saw West Brom move four points clear at the top of the league table after second placed Leeds United were beaten by high flying Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon.

With Forest beating Marcelo Bielsa's side, the race for automatic promotion is now hotting up, seeing the likes of Fulham and Brentford also gain weekend wins.

Five teams in West Brom, Leeds, Fulham, Forest and Brentford are now separated by just six points in the league table, and Talksport pundit Murphy has given his view on who will finish in the top two places.

West Brom face Reading on Wednesday evening, before a mouth watering clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

The Verdict

Brave comments from Murphy to rule Leeds out of a promotion race, and Forest too.

West Brom's recent resurgence in form after a drastic spell in December and January – has them ahead of the chasing pack, but the game against Forest this coming weekend is huge in their hope to gain automatic promotion.

Slaven Bilic has done wonders in the January transfer window to bolster his squad options, bringing in the likes of Kamil Grosicki and Callum Robinson – and those players will only enhance the Baggies' chances of returning to the Premier League.




https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/danny-murphy-predicts-who-will-go-up-in-the-championship-as-west-brom-leeds-and-fulham-fight-it-out/

WhiteJC

Barnsley Tickets

Join us this Saturday as Fulham look to make it three home wins in a row as Barnsley visit Craven Cottage in the Sky Bet Championship, kick-off 3pm.

Scott Parker's side will be looking to navigate a hectic February fixture list and push on in their pursuit for promotion.

This match has been selected as the club's family fixture, with under 18's able to secure their seat for just £1! For more information click here.

Tickets are on General Sale with supporters able to purchase up to six tickets per person for this fixture, and can be secured online, by phone on 0203 871 0810 (opt. 1) or in person from the Fulham Ticket Office.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/february/11/barnsley-tickets

WhiteJC

'Magic', 'Something special' – Many Fulham fans are in awe of 27-y/o after recent performances

Michael Hector has been sensational for Fulham.

he Jamaican finalised his move from Chelsea on New Year's Day and has since been an ever-present member of the defence, picking up three Man of the Match awards in the league since signing.

It was another sterling performance against Blackburn Rovers at the weekend – Fulham headed to Ewood Park and claimed a 1-0 victory through Aleksandar Mitrovic's 20th Championship goal of the season.

Hector was again formidable, and Fulham now look every bit a contender for automatic promotion. Today, the club posted this on their Instagram:

The 27-year-old has spent the last two season's on-loan in the Championship, first with Hull City and then Sheffield Wednesday. Wednesday fans last year saw how influential Hector can be at this level, and it prompted Fulham to sign him in-time for the second-half of this season.

Plenty of Fulham fans have reacted to the club's recent Instagram post about the defender, and here's what they had to say:

_datrick: Virgil Van Mike

james_ffc: Looks like he could be one of our greatest defenders, along with Hangeland 🔥

pabster84: Along with Mitrovic, Hector is the best signing of the last 5 years.

lewistbd3: Our best player. End of

jamierawlinson0: We'd actually already be promoted if we started the season with him

freddieemott: MICHAEL HECTOR'S MAGIC

hugoaymla_: I'm telling ya he's something special.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/magic-something-special-fulham-fans-are-in-awe-of-27-y-o-after-recent-performances/


WhiteJC

Head Coach press conference

Scott Parker has got his Fulham side ready for a different kind of battle against Gary Rowett's Millwall on Wednesday night.


The Den turf was really cutting up in their defeat by West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, which will certainly be an obstacle for any side who like to play football on the deck.

"It's a totally different game to what we've probably been used to over the last few weeks," Parker said. "It's a London derby, a very difficult place to go, a hostile place.

"Gary's done a fantastic job there. I watched their game against West Brom and the conditions there, in the sense of what the pitch went through, I'm sure that's going to come into play as well.

"It's going to be a very, very tough game for us. They've won a few games over the last few months, but we'll be ready for it and we'll have prepared as best we can."

There has been one new face in the treatment room this week, after Terence Kongolo picked up a knock after coming off the bench at Ewood Park.

"Terence Kongolo's struggling a little bit," Parker revealed. "He's got a bit of a foot problem at the moment, that he received literally the first kick when he came on against Blackburn.

"Other than that, it's the other injuries we've had that are still there."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/february/11/head-coach-press conference

WhiteJC

The likely XI Gary Rowett will select for Millwall's clash with Fulham

Millwall face Fulham at The Den on Wednesday evening, with the Lions hoping to bounce back from their weekend defeat to West Bromwich Albion.

Gary Rowett's side currently occupy 10th place in the Championship table, but come up against a side who have not lost in the league since New Year's Day.

It will be a difficult test for the Lions, as Fulham have had the advantage over the south London side over the last two decades.

Millwall have defeated the Cottagers just once since 1998 – a 1-0 win that came back in August 2014.

However, the Lions could close the gap on the top six with a much needed win, which has evaded their grasp in recent weeks.

Millwall have won just once in their last five league games, losing three of their last four in all competitions.

Ahead of the big game, we take a look at the likely XI Gary Rowett will field on Wednesday night at Craven Cottage.


The Millwall boss could make three changes for this game, and should revert to the 3-4-3 formation that has brought the team success away from home so far this season.

Bartosz Bialkowski should remain in goal for the Lions, and the Pole will be keen to get back to his best after conceding twice against West Bromwich Albion at the weekend.

The back four fielded last time out should switch into a back three, with Alex Pearce partnering Jake Cooper and Shaun Hutchinson in central defence.

Murray Wallace and Mahlon Romeo will start as the two wing-backs on either side, and the width could cause problems for the opposition on the counter attack as Fulham are a team that like to dominate possession.

Shaun Williams and Jayson Molumby continue in central midfield for Millwall, with Ryan Woods dropping to the bench.

The front three should see Jon Dadi Bodvarsson lineup on the left, with Jed Wallace on the other wing and Tom Bradshaw replacing Matt Smith as the sole striker. Aiden O'Brien misses out as a result of the change in shape.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/the-likely-xi-gary-rowett-will-select-for-millwalls-clash-with-fulham/

WhiteJC

Bristol City, Leeds United, West Brom: Which Championship promotion contender has the hardest run-in

With a third of the season remaining, we've taken a closer look at the fixture lists of each of the current top 10

Ah, the Championship. That notoriously inconsistent and unpredictable beast where a team (mentioning no names ... ) can appear automatic promotion dead certs in December only to suffer some catastrophic results, causing questions to be raised of their very chances of making the top six.

As the well-publicised statistic - that there are as many points between Liverpool and Manchester City (22) as there are between West Brom in first and QPR in 17th in the Championship - highlights, England's second tier is relentlessly competitive and, with a couple of exceptions, every opponent is on a similar level of ability.

However, while the league table illustrates the closeness of the 24 sides, there are definite differences across the board in terms of how teams perform home and away - Bristol City being the starkest as the Robins rank second on the road but 16th at Ashton Gate.

With the promised land in sight, we've calculated the relative difficulty of the run-ins of each of the top 10 teams in the division (apologies to Sheffield Wednesday, Blackburn and Derby) based on the relative strength (home and away) of their opposition over the remaining 15 games.

For example, Bristol City face Derby at Ashton Gate on Wednesday with the Rams positioned 20th in the table on their travels, so they receive a score of 20 and with Leeds ranked 6th on home soil, Saturday's match at Elland Road is rated with a six, and so on.

A mean average has then been taken to assess the size of the challenge from each team's remaining fixtures and the lower the score the harder the clutch of games is.

Of course, the calculation can change as City could drastically improve their home form or West Brom could start losing on their travels but, at this moment in time, here is what the situation is (current league position in brackets) ...

Bristol City (7th) – fixture difficulty score: 5.3

Despite the Robins' excellent away form putting them sit second in the away league table, lacklustre performances up to now at Ashton Gate will make the visits of West Brom, Fulham, and Sheffield Wednesday particularly difficult.

Lee Johnson will need to keep his side performing well away from home, with tricky away trips to Leeds, Millwall, and Nottingham Forest still to come. Overall, nine of City's remaining fixtures are against top-10 opposition, making it a devilishly difficult end to the season.

Fulham (3rd) – 5.3

Eleven of Fulham's remaining 15 matches will come against top-half opposition. They've still got a West London derby with Brentford at Craven Cottage, as well as some tough away fixtures including Millwall and Derby County.

The Whites travel to Ashton Gate on March 7, where both Bobby Reid and Joe Bryan could make their first appearances at BS3 City since leaving their boyhood club in the summer of 2018.

Swansea City (9th) – 5.4

With seven wins, three draws and six defeat, the Welsh side will need to improve their home form as they still have to play the three best away sides in the Championship at the Liberty Stadium.

West Brom travel to Wales in March before Leeds and Bristol City both make the trip in April, for two of the Swans' final four fixtures.

Steve Cooper's side also face two tough away trips to London in Fulham and Millwall, before travelling to Nottingham Forest on April 18.

Nottingham Forest (4th) – 5.6

Aside from hosting West Brom on Saturday, Forest will look to take advantage of some favourable home fixtures over the next month - Charlton, QPR, Millwall and Huddersfield - before facing a make-or-break spell of games where they'll host Bristol City, Fulham and Swansea in between visits to Preston North End and Derby.

Sabri Lamouchi's side finish up the regular season with games against Barnsley and Stoke City, but will it be out of their hands by that point?

Cardiff City (8th) – 6.0

The Bluebirds face a mixed bag of matches in terms of difficulty for the rest of the season, with trips to Deepdale, where Preston have taken a league-high 33 points, and Fulham, who aren't far behind with 32.

Cardiff need to take advantage of winnable home games against Wigan, Charlton and Derby, especially with Leeds, Brentford and Middlesbrough still to visit the Welsh capital.

Brentford (5th) – 6.16

The west Londoners are making Griffin Park a tough place to go in its final season before the club move across to the Brentford Community Stadium, and they'll look to consolidate their place in the play-offs with home games against bottom-half side Blackburn Rovers, Wigan, Charlton and Barnsley.

Thomas Frank's side have been equally as impressive away from home this season, but will do well to take much from trips to Millwall, Fulham and Derby.

Preston North End (6th) – 6.19

This season's best home side have a realistic chance of not losing again at Deepdale for the rest of the season. Barring any unexpected results, Nottingham Forest have the best chance of taking anything away from the Lilywhites when they play there on April 13.

It is likely to be away games which could be the downfall of Preston, with matches at Fulham, Sheffield Wednesday, Brentford and Bristol City still to come, their superb home form may not be enough to drag them into the play-offs.

Millwall (10th) – 6.3

The Lions side face two tricky matches as they host Fulham on Saturday before travelling to Preston, but will take courage when looking at the fixture list where they face, on paper, a relatively straight forward run-in with home games against Middlesbrough, Blackburn and Huddersfield Town.

The Lions also have some kind away fixtures during the final few weeks of the season, with a London derby away at Charlton before trips to Hull City and QPR.

West Brom (1st) 6.3

The current Championship leaders face a large majority of mid-table teams in their remaining 15 fixtures, but away trips to Brentford and Blackburn won't make it easy for the Baggies to secure automatic promotion.

The final 'big' game of the season at The Hawthorns is likely to be Fulham on April 18, before Slaven Bilic's side finish their campaign with matches at Huddersfield and home to QPR.

Leeds (2nd) – 6.4

Fans of the Yorkshire club will take confidence in knowing that, on paper at least, Leeds can string together some much-needed confidence and form heading into the final stretch of the season.

Marcelo Bielsa's side still have some difficult away trips including Swansea, Brentford, and Blackburn, but with an array of bottom-half teams still to play at home - Reading, Huddersfield, Luton, Stoke, Barnsley and Charlton - they know automatic promotion could very much be in their hands.



https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/bristol-city-leeds-united-west-3835893


WhiteJC

The main talking points from Rowett's press conference ahead of Fulham clash

Wednesday evening sees Millwall return to The Den as Fulham make the short trip across London to come up against the SE16 side.

Sunday's defeat to West Bromwich Albion in stormy conditions will still be fresh in the memory for Gary Rowett, but Millwall will be looking to bounce back at home against the promotion challengers.

The Lions have lost three of their last four games in all competitions, and the upcoming game is an opportunity for the side to turn their fortunes around.

Ahead of the clash, Gary Rowett has been speaking to the press, and began by discussing Wednesday's opponents.

Rowett was very complimentary about his opposite number Scott Parker, who the 46-year-old used to play with at Charlton Athletic

"He's a good character and has done a really good job," the Millwall boss said to News at Den.

"It's his first job in management and not an easy job to manage a team that's just been relegated and to try and get their morale back. But he's done it."

Rowett is also fully aware of how Fulham play their football, and wants his team to nullify their strengths.

"I think they've dominated possession in almost every game they've played. I would imagine it will be similar tomorrow because they build from the back."

"Like any team you play you've got to work out ways to stop them hurting you, and you want to make sure they have something to think about going the other way," he added.

Rowett pointed to one particular gripe he had with his players in last Sunday's loss to West Brom, and wants them to rectify it against Fulham.

"We have to go out and perform much better. We have to use the ball better. We gave the ball away far too many times [on Sunday] and then had to turn around and run back 50 yards to defend," the Millwall boss added.




https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/the-main-talking-points-from-rowetts-press-conference-ahead-of-fulham-clash/

WhiteJC

Fulham's Cyrus Christie reveals the toughest team he has faced this season

Fulham defender Cyrus Christie has revealed who the toughest side that he has come up against so far this season in the Championship are.

Speaking to Dapo Abitogun of the Counter Attack Podcast, the Republic of Ireland international made no hesitation in picking the team worthy of the accolade – west London rivals Brentford.

The two sides last met on December 14th, with the Bees registering a 1-0 win, which flattered Fulham to say the least. It was the final meeting between the sides at Griffin Park.

Brentford had a total of 23 shots during the contest compared to Fulham's 11.

Christie admitted the Cottagers were lucky to get away with conceding just one goal, with Brentford's dominance there for all to see on the day.

"That game, they [Brentford] could've beat us badly. They were at it," the 27-year-old said.

He also was asked about the most challenging striker he has come up against so far this season from a defensive perspective.

There were a couple of candidates, but Christie said that current joint-Championship top scorer Ollie Watkins was his pick in the striking position.

"He [Watkins] caused us problems, and he's deceptively strong as well. He was pinning, he can run in behind, he's got the lot. He was the one that stood out from what I can remember," Christie said.

The two sides next come up against each other in the west London derby on March 13th at Craven Cottage.

The Verdict

It is no surprise that Christie has chosen Brentford as the team he feels is the most dangerous in the Championship, but Fulham will be hoping that they will pip their rivals to promotion come the end of the season.

Ollie Watkins has also received a lot of praise this season for his goalscoring exploits, and Christie's insight shows that he is also a handful for defenders to deal with.

However, Fulham are still in a good position for promotion, and everything is all to play for in the remaining 15 league games.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulhams-cyrus-christie-reveals-the-toughest-team-he-has-faced-this-season/

WhiteJC

Championship top scorers: Can Watkins take outright lead over Mitrovic?
Championship action continues this week but who are the league's top scorers?

Brentford forward Olle Watkins scored his 20th goal of the season in the Bees' late 3-2 win over Middlesborough at the weekend. He now shares the lead at the top of the Championship scoring charts with Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Ahead of Brentford's clash with Leeds this week, Watkins said: "This year I have adapted and learnt how to get those tap-in goals.

"The easy goals that are sometimes the hardest.

"I am really enjoying it this year and hopefully I can go and score some more goals."

Watkins started his career as a winger but has turned into a prolific striker under Brentford head coach Thomas Frank.

Frank said of the 24-year-old: "He's definitely a number nine now, because he's so flexible.

"Cristiano Ronaldo did quite well in the beginning as a winger. Hopefully Ollie can do something similar."

Mitrovic also bagged his 20th goal of the season at the weekend as Fulham beat Blackburn Rovers 1-0.

Following the game, the Serbian wrote on Instagram: "Tough game but great performance from the whole squad!

"Another 3 points, clean sheet and goal... thanks for your support, we go again on Wednesday #fulhamfc @fulhamfc."

Watkins and Mitrovic are four goals clear of Nottingham Forest striker Lewis Grabban.

Jarrod Bowen also has 14 goals but the forward left Hull to join West Ham in the January transfer window.

Championship top scorers

1. Ollie Watkins (Brentford) 20 goals, 3 assists

2. Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham) 20 goals, 1 assist

3. Jarrod Bowen (Hull) 16 goals, 7 assists

4. Lewis Grabban (Nottingham Forest) 16 goals, 1 assist

5. Karlan Grant (Huddersfield) 13 goals, 4 assists

6. Nakhi Wells (QPR/Bristol City) 13 goals, 3 assists

7. Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford) 12 goals, 5 assists

8. Steven Fletcher (Sheffield Wednesday) 12 goals, 2 assists

9. Patrick Bamford (Leeds) 12 goals, 2 assists

10. Lukas Jutkiewicz (Birmingham) 11 goals, 2 assists

11. Cauley Woodrow (Barnsley) 11 goals, 1 assist

12. Jed Wallace (Millwall) 10 goals, 9 assists

13. Eberechi Eze (QPR) 10 goals, 6 assists

14. Daniel Johnson (Preston) 10 goals, 5 assists

15. Andre Ayew (Swansea) 10 goals, 4 assists



https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1240953/Championship-top-scorers-goals-Watkins-Mitrovic-Bowen-Grabban


WhiteJC

Opposition in focus – Millwall

Fulham will look to pile to on the pressure on the Championship's top two when they make the short journey across London to take on Millwall at the Den tomorrow night.

The Lions looked to putting together another play-off push around the turn of the year, but just one win in five leaves them some five points off the top six. Gary Rowett, who has a history of surprising Fulham, was disappointed with Millwall's display against league leaders West Brom on Sunday and has called for his side to put things right against Scott Parker's outfit. They are usually a formidable outfit on their own turf, having lost just three times at home so far this season.

Fulham comfortably won the reverse fixture 4-0 at Craven Cottage back in August – dominating possession in one of their most complete performances of the campaign, but the Whites are unlikely to be given as much time on the ball as they had earlier in the season. The quality of the playing surface at the Den might make it difficult for Fulham to move the ball as swiftly as they might like, as it cut up horribly during Sunday's clash with the after effects of Stom Ciara not having done it any faours.

Millwall might struggle to score goals – having managed to find the net just 38 times so far this season – but former Fulham striker Matt Smith will be keen to make a point against his old club. Rowett may consider switching to a back five to counter Fulham's strengths by recalling Alex Pearce to his starting eleven. Millwall make a late decision on the fitness of midfielder Ryan Leonard, who came through a behind close doors friendly for the under 23s on Monday alongside Mason Bennett, who is also contention for a return from injury. The Whites will need to keep a close eye on Jed Wallace, who has scored ten goals so far this season as well as providing nine assists from the wing.

Parker may ponder a recall for the fit-again Anthony Knockaert, who was on the bench at Blackburn at the weekend. Harrison Reed and Maxime Le Marchand are still sidelined through injury whilst Alfie Mawson may miss the remainder of the season having undergone knee surgery last week. The Whites will travel to south east London in good heart, looking to extend their five-match unbeaten run, although they only taken a single point from their last seven league London derbies since winning 3-0 at Millwall in April 2018.

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

MY PREDICTION: Millwall 0-1 Fulham.



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

WhiteJC

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Charlton: Home side miss chance to climb into Championship automatic promotion places as they are beaten at home by Charlton thanks to Lyle Taylor winner

    Nottingham Forest had the opportunity to overtake Leeds and move into second
    Sabri Lamouchi made five changes ahead of Saturday's game against West Brom
    But Forest were undone by struggling Charlton through a Lyle Taylor finish

If it's not broke, don't fix it. Forest coach Sabri Lamouchi could not resist a little tinker on Tuesday night, a tweak here and there, and the inevitable happened.

'It's my mistake, I take responsibility,' said Lamouchi after a chalk and cheese three days saw the highs of beating Leeds to the lows of losing to a relegation-threatened team who had not won away since August.

Lyle Taylor's first-half goal was enough to give Charlton a massive shot in the arm while sending Forest fans into the doldrums.


Charlton Athletic's Lyle Taylor opened the scoring at the City Ground on Tuesday night

Lamouchi made five changes – some injury-enforced like 16-goal top scorer Lewis Grabban – with a view to the trip to West Brom on Saturday.

'I made the changes because we've played a lot of games,' he added. 'It's easy after the game to say it's wrong but you take a risk. We've missed a big opportunity.

'I'm not frustrated, I'm just disappointed. When you give players the opportunity, they need to take them.

'It was absolutely different to three days ago, no rhythm or fight or the same spirit. We made a lot of mistakes and the best team won tonight.'

This is not the first time that hard questions have been asked of Lamouchi and his team, not least earlier this season after a run of three defeats in five games including a 4-0 tonking by Sheffield Wednesday.

Since then, a statement has been made with wins over promotion rivals Brentford and Leeds to set up the trip to The Hawthorns on Saturday.

Instead it all went wrong. Instead of building up a head of steam, Forest were rocked back on their heels by a goal which oozed quality from the curling cross by Naby Sarr and the volleyed finish by Lyle Taylor.

Seconds later Sarr connected with the cross bar while trying to clear and was a splinter away from a bizarre own goal equaliser.

'We should have won by more,' was manager Lee Bowyer's verdict. 'I believe in this group of players. We had to be brave and if you give Lyle Taylor a chance he scores.'

Because of Grabban's absence, Tyler Walker, son of City Ground legend Des and scorer on Saturday, started his first match in more than two years.

Walker came within a whisker of levelling just before half-time but his shot brushed off the post from Adama Diakhaby's cross.

Diakhaby's first contribution to the second half was a booking for kicking the ball into advertising hoardings after he conceded a free kick. The action spoke volumes.

A bitty, stuttering performance on the pitch was being greeted with tuts and groans in the stands while Charlton threw body and souls into keeping the home side at bay.

Joe Lolley, so often the dream-maker, raised spirits with a lovely run into the area but rushed his shot well wide.

On came Matty Cash and Alfa Semedo to try and produce a rescue act while Charlton fans had the chance of seeing Aiden McGeady for the first time.

McGeady came off the bench having recovered from illness and with one of his first touches watched his shot dip over the bar.

New arrival Nuno Da Costa was then asked to use his pace and Forest piled forwards for an equaliser. Even with five minutes added time, it never really looked like coming.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7992791/Nottingham-Forest-0-1-Charlton-Athletic-Forest-miss-opportunity-steal-ground-promotion-hunt.html

WhiteJC

February Madness %u2013 An Update

In the midst of the Premier League%u2019s first ever winter break, Championship sides are in their busiest period of the year. I wrote an article a week or so ago about our February, and the seven games that we have that could end our promotion bid or see it go into overdrive. Two games in and things are swaying towards the latter. I%u2019ve had a look at all of the fixtures for the current top 6 to give us an idea of the possible twists and turns ahead. It%u2019s so tight that I could have included a couple of teams outside that as well, especially Bristol City, but to keep it simple I%u2019ll stick with 1st to 6th.


With there being so many games in such a short period of time, and many of the top 6 playing each other, we know that the table could look very different by the end of the month. We are in one of the most unpredictable leagues in the world, but over the last couple of weeks very few results have went against Fulham. We have managed to capitalise by winning four out of the past five leagues games, but the pressure is still very much on. We can%u2019t count on the teams around us having bad days over and over again so we need to keep up the momentum.

This would probably be the worse time to have a bad run. To come so close to the automatics and then to tail off would reveal a real weak spot in our squad. Being part of the chasing pack is the easy bit! The question now is whether or not the boys can take the chance that has just handed to us on a  silver platter and not let go. In the year we beat Aston Villa in the play-offs, arguably we should have went up automatically, but questionable results right at the end when it was in our own hands cost us. I don%u2019t think anyone cares as we were given one of the greatest days in our history, but things might not end so rosily this time around.

Can we expect Leeds to continue to fall apart? Can we rely on Brentford to start dropping more points? No. We have gotten ourselves in an incredible position, but we have to follow through now. To be honest, I would rather that this opportunity had came further on in the season. Obviously I want nothing less than a win at Millwall, but if we do win tomorrow night and go into second, then we have a heck of a long time to fend off the hunters. Yet, if we don%u2019t win then that is a huge opportunity missed which could eat away at the squad. AH, the dilemma%u2019s of football fans, eh?

This league continues to amaze me. I can%u2019t remember it being tighter than this ever and it%u2019s both the best and the worst thing that could happen. The best because of the pure drama of it, and the worst because at this rate I doubt that I will have any colour left in my hair come May! This stress, though, I wouldn%u2019t swap it for anything.

COYW



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/02/february-madness-an-update/


WhiteJC

 Millwall vs Fulham preview: Championship clash live on Sky Sports Football
Watch live on Sky Sports Football from 7pm on Wednesday; kick-off is at 7.45pm

Millwall face Fulham in the Sky Bet Championship on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports Football.

Team news

Mason Bennett could make his Millwall debut. The 23-year-old forward has joined Millwall on loan from Derby, and is bidding to rebuild his career after being banned from driving for two years for drink driving.

Midfielder Ryan Leonard could feature for the first time since October having stepped up his return to fitness from a knee problem. Defender Alex Pearce could slot back into the starting line-up if boss Gary Rowett opts to switch to five at the back.

Alfie Mawson is expected to miss out again for Fulham, with the former Swansea defender still struggling with knee trouble. Mawson has missed the last four matches with his latest knee issue.

Southampton loanee Harrison Reed continues to battle a calf complaint, and could also miss out. Maxime Le Marchand is the main long-term absentee, with the French defender having been sidelined since November with back trouble.

Recent form

It is three without a win for Millwall, now. Although it has been a tricky run that has seen them lose against Leeds and West Brom, with a draw at Sheffield Wednesday in between.

Fulham have been on a great run of form of late. They have won four of their past five, while drawing the other, and have conceded just two goals in that run.

Talking point: Has Scott Parker found his best team?

It certainly seems that Fulham have found their form in the past few weeks. Michael Hector has been excellent in defence since his January arrival, Kevin McDonald has been recalled to midfield and Aleksandar Mitrovic is back fit and firing up front.

There is no doubt that Fulham have all the components to genuinely challenge for automatic promotion. It just remains to be seen whether or not they can now find their consistency under Parker.

Opta stats

Millwall have lost their last three league matches against Fulham, failing to score in each defeat.

Fulham are looking for consecutive away league wins against Millwall for the first time in their history.

Millwall have won their last two London derbies in the league, last winning three in a row in March 2011.

Fulham have taken one point from their last seven away London league derbies (D1 L6) since winning 3-0 at Millwall in April 2018.

Fulham's Aleksandr Mitrovic - the Championship's joint-highest scorer this season with 20 goals - has scored in both of his previous league appearances against Millwall.

Prutton's prediction

Did you see those conditions at The Den on Sunday?! Storm Ciara certainly took centre stage in the Lions' defeat to West Brom. It's been a tough few weeks for Gary Rowett's men, but they are still within touching distance of the top six, largely thanks to their home form.

Fulham will be tough opponents, that's for sure. Their defensive record speaks for itself, but though they seem to be doing enough to keep pace at the top of the table, they've not won by more than a one-goal margin since November and I feel they could slip here.

David Prutton predicts: 2-1 (10/1 with Sky Bet)



https://www.skysports.com/football/millwall-vs-fulham/preview/409729

WhiteJC

Millwall v Fulham
WED 12 Feb 2020  Championship
Venue: The Den



Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic scored his 20th Championship goal of the season in Saturday's win at Blackburn

Millwall manager Gary Rowett could give a debut to striker Mason Bennett, who joined on loan from Derby in January.

Midfielder Ryan Leonard is also in contention again, having not played since October because of a knee problem, while defender Alex Pearce is pushing for a recall.

Fulham are once again expected to be without defender Alfie Mawson, who is still struggling with a knee injury.

Southampton loanee Harrison Reed (calf) may also also miss out.

Match facts

    Millwall have lost their past three league matches against Fulham, failing to score in each defeat.
    Fulham are looking for consecutive away league wins against Millwall for the first time in their history.
    Millwall have won their previous two London derbies in the league, last winning three in a row in March 2011.
    Fulham have taken one point from their past seven away London league derbies (D1 L6) since winning 3-0 at Millwall in April 2018.
    Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic - the Championship's joint-highest scorer this season with 20 goals - has scored in both of his previous league appearances against Millwall.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51381262

WhiteJC

The likely Fulham XI that Parker is set to field v Millwall tonight

Fulham travel to Millwall in the Championship tonight.

A fine 1-0 win away at Blackburn Rovers at the weekend saw Fulham go level on points with 2nd-place Leeds United. Marcelo Bielsa's side continued their slip-up with a 2-0 loss at Nottingham Forest.

It was Aleksandar Mitrovic with his 20th Championship goal of the season to win it on Saturday. Blackburn had only lost one home game in 15 before the visit of Fulham, but a promotion-worthy performance from the Cottagers granted them their fourth win in five league games.

Millwall, however, suffered a 2-0 home defeat to league leaders West Brom on Sunday and will look to reignite their own promotion hopes in the visit of London rivals Fulham tonight.

Here we take a look at the starting line-up we expect Scott Parker to name tonight:


In a familiar 4-3-3 set-up, expect to see a few changes from the side that won at Blackburn – Marek Rodak will keep his spot in-goal, and with Joe Bryan at left-back and Cyrus Christie on the right.

Michael Hector will no doubt head the defence, but Parker could hand Terrence Kongolo his first league start in place of Tim Ream – the American did well at the weekend but Fulham have a lot of football to play this month, and rotation will be key for Parker.

In the midfield-three, Kevin McDonald should continue his run in that anchoring midfielder role, with Tom Cairney on his left. Josh Onomah is enjoying a good spell in the side as well but he too could miss out for rotational purposes, with Harry Arter potentially coming in.

Up-front, Anthony Knockaert could well make his return from injury. The Frenchman has missed the last four but was named on the bench at Ewood Park. He'll partner Mitrovic and Ivan Cavaleiro up-top.

Fulham have a great chance to move into the automatic promotion spots tonight, but Millwall will be looking to resurrect their own top-six hopes, and make a return to winning ways at The Den tonight.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/the-likely-fulham-xi-that-parker-is-set-to-field-v-millwall-tonight/


WhiteJC

Millwall boss urges Lions to 'stay in the play-off mix' ahead of London derby against Fulham

GARY Rowett is keeping Millwall's recent run of form in perspective ahead of tonight's London derby against Fulham at The Den.

The Lions have won one of their last five league games, losing to the current top two West Brom and Leeds.

Millwall went sixth after beating Luton 3-1 on New Year's Day, but are five points off the play-offs as they face promotion contenders Preston three days after their clash against the Cottagers.

"I think what we have to remember is we've worked incredibly hard to get up there," Rowett said. We've worked so hard to get in the mix and we want to stay in the mix, simple as that.

"There's no God-given right to be up there. I look at the last seven games and we've got a better record than West Brom and Leeds. Leeds lost four out five, West Brom had won one in six before they played us.

"We're really disappointed with two defeats against the top two sides. I think we just have to be logical about it. We've faced a difficult run of games and we've got to come out of that with a decent points tally and stay in the mix. That's what the Championship dictates and that's what we've got to do.

"We want to respond after Sunday a lot more positively against Fulham. It will be a tough game but we've got to make it a tough game for them as well. Teams coming to Millwall have never thought, 'this is not going to be a tough game'.

"That's why I was a little bit disappointed with Sunday, we allowed it to be a little bit easier than we should have done, and that's certainly something we don't want to do on Wednesday."

Meanwhile, Mason Bennett and Ryan Leonard both played 45 minutes for the under-23s in a behind-closed-doors game on Monday. Leonard is the likelier of the two to feature against Scott Parker's side.



https://www.newsatden.co.uk/75016-millwall-boss-urges-lions-to-stay-in-the-play-off-mix-ahead-of-london-derby-against-fulham

WhiteJC

Leeds should be more like Fulham in one area, says Paul Merson

How do you solve the problems at Leeds United?

If you could provide a viable answer to that question then you could earn a lot of money by working in football.

It's something of a conundrum as to how the Whites manage to dominate possession on a weekly basis, yet they've come away with just three points from their last five league games prior to their clash against Brentford.

One Sky Sports pundit believes he has a solution to United's issues.

What's been said then?

Paul Merson was having a look at Leeds' stats over the last few games, and he stated that Leeds need to take inspiration from one of their Championship rivals.

"It's happening again, and the worrying thing is no clean sheets, they look a tired team, they have a lot of the ball, and they look good with the ball, but they don't have the cutting edge, there's no buzz," Merson said (Sky Sports' The Debate 10/2/20 10:34PM)

"They need to look at Fulham, and be more like Fulham in that way where they're just like bang, bang and they're in, but then again they rely on Mitrovic a lot."

Nail on the head

As often is the case, Merson isn't talking all that much sense here, but he has perfectly contradicted himself within his own point.

Fulham can play in the way they do because they have Aleksandar Mitrovic, but the fact of the matter is that Leeds don't.

United have a striker in Patrick Bamford who is missing bucketloads of chances and is severely underperforming his xG.

Meanwhile, Mitrovic is the division's top scorer, and everything he touches turns to gold.

Bamford needs these clear cut chances carving out for him, whereas the Serbian can be relied upon to make the most of any half-chance that comes his way.

Granted, Leeds are struggling to find the net lately, but playing more like Fulham isn't going to solve that issue.



https://www.footballfancast.com/championship/leeds/leeds-news-update-merson-fulham-tactics