Saturday Fulham Stuff - 29/02/20...

[WhiteJC]

From the opposition stand – Preston North End

Ahead of this Saturdays mouth-watering clash against high flying Preston North End, I asked Preston fan Jack (@pnetucker) a few questions about North End's season so far as well as his prediction for the clash at Craven Cottage tomorrow.

First question, what do you make of Prestons season so far?

    "If someone was to tell me at the start of the season that by March we would be sixth and with a good chance of getting to the play-offs, I would've snapped your hand off. We (the fans) are happy where we are, but we're not getting ahead of ourselves, its been a satisfying season so far but we are somewhat fearful we could slip down"

How are you feeling about your play-off ambitions at the moment?

    "Optimistic, but skeptical, being aware of the teams around us it makes all these games 'must wins' as we need to start distancing ourselves away from Blackburn, Bristol City and Swansea. We haven't done that yet, however I do believe the squad can grind important results, and it does help that some teams around us haven't been very good , but it's all down to whether we can take advantage of that or not."

What do you make of Alex Neil so far this season?

    "I think he's improved us, he's started to implement a more expansive, attacking style of play, but he still has his flaws, such as the very late substitutions and reluctance to take certain players out of the team. However, that doesn't change the fact he's performed miracles with a squad which is one of the cheapest in the league, and with very little backing from the board"

Do you have a player which Fulham fans should look out for this weekend?

    "Daniel Johnson is definitely that player to look out for. His ability to control a game and make something for us is magnificent, and he also has goals to his name, not bad for a player we wanted gone in the summer!"

Finally, can I get your thoughts on tomorrows game and a score prediction?

    "This has the potential to be a scrappy game as both teams need the points. Darnell Fisher's red card being rescinded is a huge boost for us and that gives me hope we could put on a solid defensive display, but its hard to keep a player like Mitrovic quiet. I have no idea which way this is going to go but knowing us we could very much do a smash and grab and nick a win, so I'm going to be confident and go for a Preston win."

Fulham doubts : Maxime Le Marchand, Joshua Onomah, Harrison Reed, Alfie Mawson and Terence Kongolo

Preston North End Doubts : Josh Harrop, Tom Bayliss, Billy Bodin and Louis Moult

My Fulham XI : Rodak, Odoi, Ream, Hector, Bryan, McDonald, Cairney (C), Decordova-Reid, Cavaleiro, Mitrovic, Kamara

@pnetucker's score prediction: Fulham 0-1 Preston North End

@FFCSeb's score prediction: Fulham 1-1 Preston North End



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/02/from-the-opposition-stand-preston-north-end/

[WhiteJC]

SkySports pundit thinks one player would have already got Leeds United promoted

Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds United and Fulham are aiming for automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Tony Gale said on Sky Sports News (7:43pm, February 26, 2020) that Leeds United would have been promoted already if they had Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic in their team.

The former Fulham star rates Mitrovic highly, and he believes that Leeds would have already clinched automatic promotion from the Championship if they had the ex-Newcastle United striker.

Gale said on Sky Sports News (7:43pm, February 26, 2020): "If Leeds had Mitrovic, they would have been home (and dry), I think."

Stats

Mitrovic is one of the best strikers in the Championship and has been superb for Fulham so far this season.

According to WhoScored, the Serbia international has scored 23 goals and provided one assist in 32 Championship appearances this campaign.

During the 2018-19 campaign, the 25-year-old striker scored 11 goals and provided three assists in 37 Premier League games for Fulham, according to WhoScored.

During his loan spell at the Cottagers during the second half of the 2017-18 season, Mitrovic scored 12 goals and provided one assist in 20 Championship appearances, according to WhoScored.

Leeds are second in the Championship table at the moment with 65 points from 35 matches, five points clear of third-placed Fulham.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/02/28/skysports-pundit-thinks-one-player-would-have-already-got-leeds/

[WhiteJC]

25 Years of Crew Soccer: A look back at club legend Brian McBride

As we enter into the 25th season of the Crew and MLS, we take a look back at one of the pillars of both club and country, U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame inductee, Brian McBride.

To celebrate the 25th season of Major League Soccer and Columbus Crew SC, a retrospective of the Black & Gold's history is warranted. Today, we will look back at the impact of the Crew's inaugural draft pick and team cornerstone, Brian McBride.

Brian McBride
Forward
Crew Career: 1996 – 2004
From Columbus to the Global Stage and Back

Brian McBride was a catalyst for the Crew's ingress to the Central Ohio market. For some of you younger or newer Crew fans, McBride may merely be a player of the past, but he was undoubtedly the embodiment of the club during its first decade. He was the club's original Frankie Hejduk or Federico Higuaín. He was not only successful for the Black & Gold of yesteryear, but he was a mainstay on the U.S. Men's National team over the span of three World Cups.

McBride's ability on the field and willingness to shoulder the brunt of the Crew's marketing efforts during the early days, were essential for the club to gain stability in the market. From 1996 through the mid 2000's, McBride was synonymous with the Crew. When Central Ohio natives heard "the Crew", it wasn't Crew Cat or hard hats they conjured up in their mind, it was Brian McBride. In one of the first transactions of its kind for Major League Soccer, McBride transferred to Fulham in 2004 for $1.5 million dollars. McBride went on to find great success across the pond, scoring 40 goals during his four and a half year run in England. It came as no surprise to anyone who knew the midwestern native's game that McBride quickly became a fan favorite and team captain in London. By the time he exited Fulham, McBride had established such a legacy, they renamed the stadium pub in his honor. So, next time you find yourself in merry old London, have a delicious pint of your favorite adult beverage at "McBride's."

The forward returned stateside in the summer of 2008 and suited up for his hometown Chicago Fire, playing two and a hallf seasons before concluding his career after 2010. As a longtime McBride fan, I can't believe he has been retired for 10 years. It seems surreal. While donning a Crew kit, he tallied 62 goals and 45 assists in eight seasons, departing as the Crew's all-time leading scorer. His contributions to the club on and off the pitch led to him earning the distinction of being the inaugural member of the Circle of Honor.

During the tumultuous time in 2018, where Crew fans, including myself, believed the team would be taken from them, McBride was the one voice I wanted to hear from, given his pulpit on ESPN as a soccer analyst. He and fellow Crew alum Alejandro Moreno both spoke candidly about how the Crew belonged in Columbus. McBride even returned to town to play in the "Save The Crew" match with other Crew alumni near MAPFRE Stadium at the end of the 2018 season.

McBride Today

McBride has continued his legendary impact within U.S. Soccer, as he was named general manager of the United States Men's National Team just last month. Working closely with Ernie Stewart and Gregg Berhalter, McBride's primary areas of focus will be overseeing the development and management of the player pool, building and guiding the culture within the USMNT, and managing relationships with domestic clubs. Prior to embarking on his USMNT management role, the U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer spent much of his time after retirement working at the youth level, overseeing a youth sports company called Tipevo, and managing a soccer academy named after himself.

McBride Memories

Given the impact McBride left, not only as it pertains to soccer in Columbus, but across the globe, he has left a lasting legacy on so many soccer fanatics. Longtime Crew broadcaster Dwight Burgess chimed in with his thoughts on McBride. In summing up McBride as a man, Burgess emphatically described him with one word: "Class." He elaborated further by gushing that McBride's most impactful moment cannot be summed up so easily, though he did evoke his most enduring memory of McBride: "Brian dropping to his knees in tears at the end of the U.S. Open Cup win in 2002 ranks among the most significant to me. Like Lebron in Cleveland, Brian wanted desperately to bring a championship to Columbus."
CD 102.5 morning show host and Massive Report Podcast host, Brian Phillips, echoed much of Dwight's sentiments:

    "The thing about Brian McBride is he may well be the humblest star athlete on the planet. Here's a man who starred in World Cups and was so beloved by his English club Fulham that they named a pub after him in the stadium.... Whenever I've brought these things up to him over the years it's almost like to him I'm talking about someone else. He's certainly not rude about it, he just doesn't like talking about himself very much. He'd rather break down Pearl Jam songs than anything else with me.

    Part of Bri's self-deprecating nature is his wonderful sense of humor about himself. I remember giving him a hard time about the thin headbands he was selling back in the day. He'd just laugh (and count his money I'm sure!). One time for an April Fools gag I got Bri and the late great Coach Fitzie to both go on the air to confirm that the Crew's star striker had been traded to the Galaxy because his girlfriend had been accepted to the USC School of Law. A total fabrication that both men were kind enough to see through to the end. He played it totally straight. He may well have a future in acting if he wants one!

    Along the way McBride would show me his gnarled feet (totally gross) and I'd worry about his fractured cheek bones. A testament those were to his boundless toughness and willingness to do the dirty work. I'd put his work ethic up against anyone's."

As for me, during my adolescent years, I grew up idolizing the man for his vigor and tenacity on the field. He was one of my main catalysts for entrenching myself into the sport of soccer over the last quarter-century. I was blessed to have a post-match meet up with the man when I was a young 14-year-old scamp, back during the old Ohio Stadium days. It was a true thrill in which I still recall fondly. He was every bit the class act you would expect and incredibly friendly. He thoughtfully answered my questions and was gracious enough to pose for a photo.

I grew out my hair with the part down the middle, for no other reason than it was what McBride did. I wore the shoestring headband, for no other reason than it was what McBride did. I played the sport with the intent of mimicking his play, even though I lacked the height and aerial prowess, I made it a point to emulate McBride's toughness, team-first attitude and will to compete against anyone at any time.

He embodied the Columbus Crew for so long and still remains a stalwart of the franchise. His highlight-reel goals were things of beauty. Whether it was his diving header goal in the 2002 World Cup versus Portugal or his side-winding volley at Ohio Stadium, his ability to find the back of the net with his head or his feet was second to none.

Even more so, his toughness and willingness to sacrifice his body for the betterment of the team will go down in the historical scouting reports as his most notable traits. Who could forget the golf-ball sized protrusion above his eye in the original "Dos a Cero" game at Crew Stadium? Or the blood streaming down his face versus Italy in World Cup 2006. Those two images encapsulate Brian McBride phenomenally. The man has metal plates in his face for crying out loud. Metal plates! He became partially a cyborg while representing our country. Talk about sacrifice.

I can go on and on about the effect McBride has left on soccer in Columbus, U.S. Soccer as a whole and even myself, but I want to hear from you Crew fans. What are some of your favorite McBride memories? Leave a comment down below and let us know.

McBride in a Nutshell

    5th all-time leading scorer for the USMNT with 30 goals
    Earned 96 caps with the USMNT
    Member of the USMNT 1998, 2002, and 2006 FIFA World Cup squads
    First American player to score at two World Cups
    U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame Inductee: 2014
    MLS All-Time Best Team: 2005
    U.S. Open Cup Champion: 2002



https://www.massivereport.com/2020/2/28/21151690/columbus-crew-sc-brian-mcbride-mls-25th-anniversary-world-cup-2020

[WhiteJC]

The shambolic officiating in Fulham vs Swansea City game proves something must be done - and the solution is already there

Fans were left dumbfounded by decisions at Craven Cottage and our columnist says things must change for the good of the game

VAR has been heavily criticised this season but Swansea City's defeat at Fulham proves that for all its faults, video technology is needed in football, particularly in the Championship.

This is the first season in which VAR has been used in the Premier League, although it has been used for a number of years in other countries, international tournaments and even sporadically in the FA Cup.

Many fans, pundits and players have championed video technology for years, insisting it has to be introduced to improve the quality of decision-making in games and reduce the number of matches decided by refereeing errors.

The stats prove this added support for officials has resulted in fewer game-changing mistakes. Results are by and large no longer being decided by refereeing blunders which is something you'd imagine everybody would celebrate, right?

Wrong!

Premier League fans have been bellyaching all season about the long waits for decisions, the way the process is communicated and the occasional inconsistencies in decision-making. Some even complain that the technology is too accurate when it comes to offsides, ridiculously arguing there should be some leeway if a player is only marginally offside.

Some simply moan that disallowing illegal goals isn't very fun.

Sometimes VAR seems about as popular as a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. Nevertheless it's high time it was introduced in the Championship.

Wednesday night's farce at Craven Cottage is a perfect example of why it's needed.

Swansea were on the wrong end of a number of controversial calls by referee Tim Robinson.

They included the unfathomable decision to award Fulham a penalty when Neeskens Kebano ran into the back of Connor Roberts, flooring the Welsh international but winning a spot-kick in the process.

This came after the Swans were refused a penalty when a Fulham defender blocked a cross with an elevated arm. There was also a blatant foul on Andre Ayew inside the box which was waved away, much to the Ghanaian's amazement and fury.

The referee had a stinker. Some Swansea fans called it was the worst refereeing performance they had ever seen, which says a lot.

Mr Robinson's performance was particularly poor but it wasn't the only mid-week game in which refereeing errors played a decisive role.

Promotion-chasing Nottingham Forest were deserving winners at Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday but Cardiff were denied a penalty late in the first half when Josh Murphy was floored by Matty Cash. Had the Bluebirds taken the lead at that point in the match it could have ended very differently.

Struggling Middlesbrough were also left bemoaning a refereeing mistake as the officials missed a handball in the box in their 1-0 defeat to Leeds.

These were huge decisions which had a critical impact on the final result.

Of course referees are human and just like players, they can have off days.

But football is a sport of fine margins where big refereeing decisions will often have a significant impact on the end result. Now that video technology is available to assist refs, it makes no sense to ignore it.

Deciding whether or not to award a penalty or whether a player deserves a red card is a huge decision which can have enormous ramifications. In the long run these big calls can decide promotions and relegations so it's vitally important that every effort is made to get the correct calls.

This is particularly necessary in the Championship because let's face it, the standard of refereeing is not the best. Shockers like Mr Robinson's performance on Wednesday night are an extreme example but week in, week out Championship fans are having to witness sub-standard refereeing which often has a dramatic impact on games.

Championship referees need all the help they can get.

The technology is available and has been proven to reduce the number of big mistakes in games so there's no excuse for voluntarily remaining in the dark ages.

Steve Cooper summed it up well in his post-match press conference on Wednesday: "If that's a Premier League game tonight then it's a completely different game."

Performances like Mr Robinson's are no longer really possible in the Premier League because video technology is on hand to let referees know when they have made an obvious error.

VAR clearly isn't perfect and the half-hearted and unenthusiastic way it's been introduced by the Premier League has definitely caused problems. Its implementation needs to be improved in a number of ways to ensure greater consistency and have less impact on the viewing experience for fans in stadiums.

VAR has its flaws but it's so much better than the alternative we have to live with in the Championship.

I am willing to put up with the odd mid-game pause or the frustration of having Swansea goals ruled out every now and again if it means injustices like Wednesday night become a thing of the past.

Games should be decided by players, not officials. Video technology guarantees a greater level of fairness. It's been rolled out in Germany's second tier so why not do the same in the Championship?



https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/swansea-city-fulham-var-championship-17833837

[WhiteJC]

Alex Neil discusses PNE nemesis Aleksandar Mitrovic ahead of Fulham trip

The Serbian scored an injury time winner in Fulham's last match

Preston North End manager Alex Neil isn't dreading facing Aleksandar Mitrovic, despite knowing the threat he poses at Championship level.

The Cottagers forward has proven to be a prolific goal scorer in the second tier, in both a Fulham and Newcastle shirt.

And PNE fans know that all too well ahead of this afternoon's match - Mitrovic has scored seven goals in five games against North End.

While Neil recognises his quality, the Preston boss wasn't entirely singing his praises from the rooftops in Thursday's press conference.

He said: "In the game we played at our place, I thought we shepherded him as well as anyone.

"I don't want to sound too disparaging but he's been relegated twice from the Premier League and that's just the fact."

"I thought we dealt with him great, but he's the reason they are where they are in terms of his goals.

"In the Championship he's a top striker, he'll score 20 plus goals a season.

"If you want to get out this league you go sign a Dwight Gayle, or a Mitrovic, because they've done it so many times."

Neil complimented West Brom forward Hal Robson-Kanu after North End's midweek defeat at The Hawthorns.

With Mitrovic, the PNE manager expects an equally tough, but largely different task for his centre backs at Craven Cottage.

"He'll (Mitrovic) hold it up really well and is a big target man," said Neil. "He's much more of a target than Kanu.

"Kanu is competent in the air but he doesn't get up and nod things down.

"Whereas Mitrovic is a beast, he can take the ball in and link things.

"But he isn't going to want to run away from the ball too often and so balls in behind for him aren't gonna be too much of a threat."



https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/alex-neil-mitrovic-pne-fulham-17836833

[WhiteJC]

Fulham team news: Four missing but four could return for Cottagers

Fulham entertain Preston North End in a big Championship clash on Saturday afternoon and could have four men back for the clash, according to BBC Sport.

The Cottagers go into the match five points off second placed Leeds United in the race for automatic promotion to the Premier League, and a win here would do their chances of going straight up the power of good.

Fulham embark on the contest off the back of a last-gasp win over Swansea City on Wednesday evening, and if they can build on that victory they will crank up the heat on the two sides above then heading into the final 10 matches of the campaign.

Given the short turnaround between the game with the Swans and this one, Cottagers boss Scott Parker is expected to make a few changes to his starting XI, in a bid to keep everyone fresh for the run-in to the end of the season.

Among the players who could come into the Fulham side are Steven Sessegnon, Aboubakar Kamara, Stefan Johansen and Kevin McDonald.

Parker will have to do without four Cottagers players when his team entertain a Preston side who are pushing for a place in the play-offs themselves, and should they win at Craven Cottage they would move within a point of the Londoners.

The Fulham boss will miss Alfie Mawson, Harrison Reed, Maxime le Marchand and Josh Onomah, all of whom remain on the sidelines with injuries.

The Cottagers have won six of their last eight matches in all competitions, a run which has seen them move back into third place in the Championship table.

All of those victories have come by a solitary goal however, so Parker could be looking at his side to be a little more convincing over the remainder of the matches, in order to make their lives a little easier.



https://ninetyminutesonline.com/fulham-team-news-four-missing-but-four-could-return-for-cottagers/

[WhiteJC]

Sky pundit names the player he thinks would have got Leeds promoted already

Leeds United would have already been promoted from the Championship if they had Aleksandar Mitrovic in their ranks, Fulham legend Tony Gale has told Sky Sports.

Marcelo Bielsa's charges are currently second in the Championship table, five points clear of the Cottagers, following a three-game winning streak.

However, Leeds were more than 10 points clear of third earlier in the season, and began the year nine points clear following their 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion.

A loss in form saw the chasing pack edge ever closer to the Elland Road side, and with 11 games left this season, things are tighter for the Whites than they would like.

Leeds have struggled with converting chances into goals this season, while Mitrovic has been clinical for his side this term, weighing in with an impressive 23 goals in 32 league games.

"If Leeds had Mitrovic, they would have been home (and dry), I think," Gale said on Sky Sports (7:43pm, February 26, 2020).

TBR View:

Gale isn't alone in believing Leeds would have been streets ahead if they had Mitrovic, or a striker of his calibre, in their ranks.

When you think of the amount of opportunities the Whites have created but haven't put away, that's a lot of points that haven't been accrued.

Quite a few Leeds fans took to Twitter after Mitrovic netted against Derby last week, wishing they had the Serbia ace in their ranks and reckoning they could have been "20 points clear" by now if that were the case.



https://tbrfootball.com/sky-pundit-names-the-player-he-thinks-would-have-got-leeds-promoted-already/

[WhiteJC]