Sunday Fulham Stuff - 08/03/20...

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Results

Friday
Nottm Forest	0-3	Millwall

Saturday
Bristol City	1-1	Fulham
Barnsley	0-2	Cardiff
Birmingham	1-3	Reading
Brentford	5-0	Sheff Wed
Charlton	0-1	Middlesborough
Leeds	2-0	Huddersfield
Preston NE	1-3	QPR
Stoke	5-1	Hull
Swansea	0-0	West Brom
Wigan	0-0	Luton

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Bristol City 1-1 Fulham

Fulham captain Tom Cairney has now scored eight goals for the Cottagers this season

Tom Cairney scored a late equaliser for third-placed Fulham as they came from behind to earn a draw at Bristol City.

Fulham forward Bobby Decordova-Reid almost scored on his return to Ashton Gate midway through the first half but nodded Ivan Cavaleiro's cross wide following a counter-attack.

With just over 20 minutes remaining, Nahki Wells worked his way on to Pedro Pereira's headed delivery to nod home as the Robins sought to end a four-game run without a league win.

However, Fulham captain Cairney hit the target with a left-footed strike from outside the box to ensure the visitors took home a point and avoid losing ground to second-placed Leeds.

The draw meant Bristol City missed the chance to move into the final Championship-play off place, although it lifted them above Millwall to seventh.

Fulham were certain to stay in third position regardless of the result after Nottingham Forest's defeat by Millwall on Friday, and Scott Parker's side cut the deficit on second-placed Leeds to four points.

After a match of few chances in the first hour of play, Wells' header set the game alight and the hosts looked in a strong position to halt their inconsistent league form of late as the game entered its final stages.

Cairney's late strike, though foiled their hopes of all three points, but although it may have quelled some of the travelling support's nerves but Fulham have now won just two of their past 10 games on the road in the league.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51685138

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Head Coach press conference

I felt first-half we were really good and created some opportunities for Bobby Decordova-Reid and Abou Kamara. I didn't like us too much early in the second-half and certainly after that goal goes in, we showed massive character to try and get back in the game and looked like a team that wanted to go on and win it. The goalkeeper's made a couple of very good saves and it looked like a late penalty on [Tom] Cairney.

We have nine games left, we need to keep pushing and looking forward. If you want to go and be successful, you have to hang in there.

Big result?

It's not the end of the world. You get to the late stage of the season and every game we go into; we want to win. Once the dust settles, we'll realise that this is a tough place to come. When think about the way we ended the game, there are positives to take. We'll see where this point gets us.

Resilience?

We often talk about processes and trying to change a mentality. Over the last few months, I've seen that in abundance, whether it be at Swansea, Preston or today, we could've dropped our heads, but it wasn't the case.

Tom Cairney's performance?

He was outstanding today. He was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch. He showed another side of him. There's no questioning his technical ability on the ball, but today he showed his all-round ability. He's in a good place.

Bobby Decordova-Reid's return to Bristol?

Bobby is a player who's always bright, influential and always in the right areas. You saw the header in the first-half and the chance in the second-half that was defended very well. He's a first-class player, who's adapting. He was top.

Automatics aim?

My aim is to keep worrying about what's up next and take every game for what it is, we can't look further than that, anything can happen in this division. This league has a real habit of punching you on the nose. Our main focus was Bristol, and now we move on. The bigger picture is to be trying to create a mentality and culture, and the results are a by-product.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/march/07/head-coach-press conference-bristol

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Bristol City 1 – 1 Fulham: FLW reports as Cairney's late equaliser spoils the party at Ashton Gate

A late Tom Cairney equaliser spoiled the party at Ashton Gate as Bristol City were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham on the South West club's 125th anniversary.

With the hosts clad in special anniversary kits, Nahki Wells headed City into the lead in the 70th minute but Cairney's low strike meant the points were shared.

The Robins winless run has now extended to five games but they move one point closer to the top six ahead of the 3pm kick-offs, while Fulham consolidate their place in the play-offs.

As they did last weekend at the Den, City made a fast start to the game but this time they could only muster half-chances with efforts from both Wells and Andi Weiman easily gathered by Marek Rodak.

However, they were forced into a change after 20 minutes with Filip Benkovic replacing the injured Nathan Baker, which seemed to halt City's momentum and allowed Fulham to take control of the game.

Parker's side began to pile the pressure on the hosts' goal and nearly took the lead in the 26th minute but Bobby Reid squandered a huge chance to punish his former club by directing a free header wide.

Lee Johnson's men grew into the game once again as the first half wore on and backed by a chorus of "Come on you Reds" they nearly made the breakthrough three minutes before the break but Wells was unable to latch onto Weimann's low cross from the left flank.

Baker's injury meant there were three minutes added on and Fulham nearly made the most of it. With City under the cosh, Reid found space for a shot but Niki Maenpaa pulled off a fantastic sprawling save to keep the scores level.

The game continued at a break-neck pace after the half. Inside the first two minutes, Han-Noah Massengo danced through the Fulham midfield and found Wells, whose long-range effort took a wicked deflection and forced a full-length save from Rodak.

The hosts felt they should've had a penalty moments later when Callum O'Dowda went to ground after a challenge from Cairney but the referee waved away their appeals.

Up the other end, Reid was denied yet again by Maenpaa, who got down low to block his effort from just outside the six-yard box.

The game continued to ebb and flow, with both sides having periods of possession and control but neither could find that moment of magic to break the deadlock.

The introduction of Famara Diedhiou seemed to galvanise the Ashton Gate crowd and his City teammates, and in the 70th minute, the Robins took the lead through Wells.

O'Dowda's corner caused carnage in the Fulham box, pinballing around as players grappled to get on the end of it, and eventually floated to the Bermudian striker at the back post, who made no mistake with his short-range header.

Fulham had to throw caution to the wind as the final whistle crept closer, shifting to a back three with Anthony Knockaert on in place of Tim Ream, but Johnson's side were more than happy to play on the break.

The visitors nearly found an equaliser 11 minutes before the end but Maenpaa pulled off another fantastic save to deny Reid, whose flicked front post header gave the goalkeeper just seconds to react.

They did find one in the 84th minute. The ball ricocheted into the path of Cairney outside the City box and the Scotsman fired his effort into the bottom corner to quiet the party atmosphere at Ashton Gate.

Reid had a golden opportunity to grab a winner in the last minute of the 90 but his hesitancy and a Tomas Kalas block denied him.

Fulham may feel they could've had a penalty in the dying moments when Maenpaa flew in at Cairney's feet to gather the ball but the referee was having none of it.

That proved the last action, meaning honours were left even at Ashton Gate. City robbed of a win on their 125th anniversary but seem to be finding their feet again after their recent wobble.

Fulham may feel they should've left BS3 with more than just a point but the result means they carry some momentum into next week's clash with Brentford.

Full Time: Bristol City 1 – 1 Fulham



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/bristol-city-1-1-fulham-flw-reports-as-cairneys-late-equaliser-spoils-the-party-at-ashton-gate/

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Bristol City 1-1 Fulham: Tom Cairney strikes late on to secure a point for the visitors
Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash at Ashton Gate

Tom Cairney scored a late trademark goal from distance to ensure Fulham rescued a point against fellow promotion-chasers Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

Nahki Wells put Bristol City in front after 71 minutes with an opportunistic header after the ball had pinballed around the Fulham penalty area from a Callum O'Dowda corner.

Fulham responded well to going behind and drew level with six minutes remaining when Cairney bent an unstoppable effort into the bottom corner from outside the box.

The result does not particularly suit either side as Fulham remain four points adrift of Leeds, who play Huddersfield on Saturday, in second while Bristol City sit just outside the play-off places.

Captain Cairney comes to Fulham's rescue

There was a party atmosphere at Ashton Gate before kick-off as City had designated this match as their 125th year anniversary game with the players wearing a special commemorative kit and a bumper crowd making the most of reduced match ticket prices.

Considering the occasion, former City player Bobby Decordova-Reid was always likely to be in the thick of the action and he had the two clearest chances of the opening 45 minutes, first when flashing a header wide of the far post on the half-hour mark and then by drawing a flying stop from Niki Maenpaa in stoppage time.

Decordova-Reid, who received a mixed reception on his first return to Ashton Gate since leaving City in 2018, then had the first meaningful opportunity of the second half, forcing Maenpaa into another good stop down to his left shortly after the restart.

Although Fulham controlled much of the play with 57 per cent possession and looked the more threatening side, it was the hosts who went in front through Wells. Filip Benkovic, brought on as a first-half substitute for the injured Nathan Baker, headed the ball across goal for Wells to nod home clinically inside the six-yard-box.

In response to going behind, Scott Parker brought on Anthony Knockaert and switched his formation from 4-3-3 to 3-4-3 for the final stages. His tactical tinkering paid off immediately as Cairney struck a sweet equaliser after the ball had dropped into his path following a tackle on Harry Arter.

From that point on, Fulham looked the most likely to win it with Tomas Kalas making a goal-saving challenge to deny Decordova-Reid again and Maenpaa fortunate to escape conceding a penalty deep into stoppage time for a challenge on Cairney.

Man of the match - Tom Cairney


Tom Cairney celebrates his equaliser at Ashton Gate

It was a frustrating afternoon for Fulham's attackers with Aleksandar Mitrovic unable to exert his usual influence and Bobby Decordova-Reid frequently denied by his former team-mates with six efforts on goal failing to find the back of the net.

Given the profligacy of their frontmen, it was always likely Fulham would require a moment of inspiration elsewhere to cancel out Nahki Wells' opener and just as he has done on countless occasions before, it was Tom Cairney who provided it with a super strike from distance.

Cairney ranked top amongst Fulham's players for touches (104), successful passes (61) and key passes (three) demonstrating his all-round influence on his side throughout the contest.

What's next?

Fulham host fellow promotion-chasers Brentford at Craven Cottage in their next game on Friday night, live on Sky Sports Football, while Bristol City visit Blackburn on Saturday.



https://www.skysports.com/football/bristol-c-vs-fulham/report/409783

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Cairney's strike rescues point for Fulham at Bristol City

Bristol City 1 Fulham 1

Tom Cairney's late goal rescued a point for Fulham at Ashton Gate.

Nahki Wells' close-range finish put Bristol City ahead but a trademark Cairney strike from 25 yards hauled the Whites level with six minutes remaining.

Fulham were unable to take their earlier chances and were punished when they failed to clear Callum O'Dowda's 71st-minute corner.

Filip Benković headed the ball towards Wells, who nodded home at the far post – his second Championship goal for City since joining them after being on loan at QPR.

Bobby Decordova-Reid could have had a hat-trick against his former club, while Aleksandar Mitrovic and Harry Arter also went close for Fulham before Wells broke the deadlock.

The visitors battled on and were rewarded when Cairney found the bottom corner in fine style.

And they were fortunate not to be awarded a penalty in the final seconds when keeper Niki Mäenpää seemed to foul Cairney after fumbling Cyrus Christie's cross.
Fulham: Rodak, Christie, Odoi, Hector, Ream (Knockaert 82), Arter, Cairney, Cavaleiro (Kebano 66), Decordova-Reid (Johansen 90), Kamara, Mitrovic
Subs not used: Bettinelli, Sessegnon, McDonald, O'Riley.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/football-cairneys-strike-rescues-point-for-fulham-at-bristol-city

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Cairney rescues a point for Fulham

A superb strike from Tom Cairney rescued a point for Fulham at fellow promotion chasers Bristol City this afternoon, although Scott Parker will feel his side should have claimed a victory after dominating for long spells at Ashton Gate.

As it was, the Whites had to come from behind to keep themselves in the automatic promotion hunt. Bobby Decordova-Reid spurned a number of opportunities to make his first return to BS3 before Nakhi Wells punished some sloppy defending to head the Robins in front with twenty minutes to play. It looked like that would settle the contest, but Cairney had other ideas, showing great anticipation to seize on a loose ball after Harry Arter had surged forward and curled a majestic equaliser into the bottom corner from 19 yards.

Parker's men pushed for a winner during four added minutes. Former Fulham defender Tomas Kalas produced an outstanding block to prevent Decordova-Reid from poaching a winner. The most contentious moment came with virtually the last kick of the game when goalkeeper Nicky Mäenpää spilled a cross from Cyrus Christie and then clattered into Cairney as the Fulham skipper looked poised to convert the loose ball.

Fulham would have been frustrated not to claim all three points as they started at a swift tempo, with Decordova-Reid the man who posed his old club the most searching questions. He flicked a header wide after Ivan Cavaleiro delivered a peach of a cross from the left flank and then was foiled by a fine save from Mäenpää as he unleashed a venomous strike from the edge of the area on the stroke of half-time.

Marek Rodak had made largely routine saves in the first period, fielding a couple of straightforward efforts from Wells and Andreas Weimann, but he made an outstanding save to keep out Wells' speculative strike just after the break once it looped off Tim Ream and looked destined for the opposite corner. Decordova-Reid went close at the other end, driving a low shot straight at Mäenpää after being released by Mitrovic, and the second half was much more open as both teams sought to breathe more live into their promotion campaigns.

Substitute Filip Benkovic rose well to head a Callum O'Dowda cross over the bar and Bristol City's ambition was underlined when they broke breathlessly from a Fulham corner with Weimann surging into the penalty area only for Tim Ream to make a last-ditch tackle with two home runners free in the middle. The reprieve was short-lived. From the corner, Fulham spurned several chances to clear and Wells powered a header past Rodak at the far post to give the home side a lead.

Fulham were desperate to force a way back into the contest. Aleksandar Mitrovic, who was kept remarkably quiet by the Bristol City defence throughout, rippled the wrong side of the net with a low free-kick and then Mäenpää made an excellent reaction stop to thwart Denis Odoi's near-post header from Neeskens Kebano's corner.

It was left to Cairney to deliver a vital equaliser with six minutes left. He reacted quickest to seize a loose ball outside the Bristol City box and fashioned the sort of magnificent left-footed finish that has become his trademark in the Championship. Both Cairney and Decordova-Reid professed disappointment after the final whistle at Fulham's failure to cut the gap to the top two, but the Whites will need to take matters into their own hands with crucial fixtures against Brentford and Leeds in the next eleven days.

BRISTOL CITY (4-4-2): Mäenpää; Pereira, Dasilva, Kalas, Baker (Benkovic 23); Smith, Massengo, O'Dowda, Paterson (Diedhou 64); Weimann, Wells (Eliasson 90). Subs (not used): Wollacott, Hunt, Williams, Palmer.

BOOKED: Pereira, Benkovic.

GOAL: Wells (70).

FULHAM (4-3-3): Rodak; Christie, Odoi, Hector, Ream (Knockaert 82); Arter, Decordova-Reid (Johansen 90+3), Cairney; Kamara, Cavaleiro (Kebano 66), Mitrovic. Subs (not used): Bettinelli, S. Sessegnon, McDonald, O'Riley.

BOOKED: Arter, Odoi.

GOAL: Cairney (84).

REFEREE: David Coote (Nottinghamshire).



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/03/cairney-rescues-a-point-for-fulham/

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Fulham rely on late Tom Cairney goal to secure draw at Bristol City

Fulham failed to fully ramp up the pressure on second-placed Leeds after Tom Cairney's late goal could only secure a 1-1 draw with fellow Championship promotion-contenders Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

City took a 70th-minute lead when Nahki Wells was on hand to nod home from close range after Pedro Pereira had headed across the face of goal into his path following a corner.

But Fulham more than played their part in an entertaining contest and levelled six minutes from time as Cairney made room just outside the box to net with a sweet left-footed drive.

The match was billed as City's 125th anniversary match and Lee Johnson's men battled for every ball to earn a share of the spoils, keeping them in play-off contention.

Fulham had the better of a high-tempo first half, but were often guilty of trying one pass too many at the end of numerous threatening moves.

Cairney shot wide with the first effort of the game after six minutes, but City responded well, with Wells having a header and a shot saved by Marek Rodak.

The hosts suffered a setback in the 23rd minute when centre-back Nathan Baker was forced off by an injury, with Filip Benkovic going on as his replacement.

Two decent Fulham chances fell the way of former City player Bobby Decordova-Reid, who sent a glancing header wide and then saw a 45th-minute shot well-saved by goalkeeper Niki Maenpaa.

Harry Arter fired narrowly wide as Fulham ended the half with a period of concerted pressure that had City defenders throwing bodies in the way of shots to protect their clean sheet.

Rodak had to make his first save of note at the start of the second half, changing direction to smother a deflected drive from Wells.

Decordova-Reid was presented with another great opportunity as a slick Fulham move ended with Maenpaa spreading himself to save a low shot.

It was end-to-end stuff. Benkovic headed wide for City from Callum O'Dowda's cross following a short corner.

Aleksander Mitrovic had a shot deflected wide as Fulham continued to look menacing, but the home side also looked effective on the counter and a lung-bursting run by Andreas Weimann was halted at the expense of a corner.

Wells' goal was still somewhat against the run of play. It provoked a strong Fulham response and Mitrovic was inches wide from a free-kick after being fouled by Benkovic.

Maenpaa came to City's rescue again, reacting brilliantly to palm away Denis Odoi's glancing near-post header.

Yet there was nothing the goalkeeper could do to stop Cairney's perfectly-placed equaliser.

It was not Decordova-Reid's day. Another close-range chance fell his way late on, but his shot was deflected up into the arms of Maenpaa.

Fulham appealed for a late penalty when Maenpaa went down to gather a loose ball and appeared to catch Cairney, but play was waved on.



https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/fulham-rely-late-tom-cairney-goal-secure-draw-bristol-city

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Bristol City 1-1 Fulham: Late Tom Cairney goal cancels out Nahki Wells' opener as both teams lose ground in Championship promotion race

    Nahki Wells opened the scoring 20 minutes from time with close-range header
    Tom Cairney equalised with six minutes to play with fine left-footed finish
    Draw leaves Fulham four points off Leeds and Bristol a point off play-offs

A point is a point but you gained the impression this draw wasn't especially helpful to anyone.

Tom Cairney's equaliser does at least Fulham clinging to the coattails of West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United in those two cherished automatic promotion places but their task is growing ever harder.

Bristol City, who'd led thanks to Nahki Wells in this slow-burner of a contest, stay very much in the play-off picture but should have enjoyed the morale-boost of a first win in five.


Tom Cairney struck late on to earn Fulham a 1-1 draw with Bristol City at Ashton Gate


Nakhi Wells had put the hosts in front with a close-range header with 20 minutes to play

The only real winners from this point shared were the top two as they glance anxiously in their rear-view mirror, and the likes of Millwall and Preston North End who share City's ambition of an extended season.

Fulham should have been at least two goals ahead by the time they fell behind, to a 71st-minute header from Wells but at least they possessed the tenacity to fight back.

It was their captain Cairney, sweeping home into the bottom corner from the edge of the box after referee David Coote played the advantage when Harry Arter was fouled by Tomas Kalas.

It displeased City, especially as Kalas believed he was the one brought down by Arter moments before Cairney found the net, but they couldn't begrudge Fulham a point overall.

There was a nostalgic atmosphere at Ashton Gate with the Robins marking the 125th anniversary of their foundation at Bristol South End.

The club's initiatives to mark the occasion included £12.50 tickets to ensure a substantial crowd, a commemorative programme and a rather low key pre-match parade of 40 club legends.

In his programme notes, City chief executive Mark Ashton spoke of Fulham being a 'poignant fixture', being the first opponents the club faced after being rescued from bankruptcy and extinction in February 1982.

Things are much rosier at the moment; the objective is to return to the top-flight for the first time in 40 years, but a sticky patch for Lee Johnson's side and the associated drop in confidence seemed to manifest itself in a first-half that Fulham controlled.

Parker's side have continued to grind out wins of late, refusing to give up their pursuit of Leeds United in the second automatic promotion race and they were afforded plenty of freedom to attack here.

Cairney had the game's first effort, a scuffed shot from range that went harmlessly wide, but clearer openings would follow.


Aboubakar Kamara earned a start but spurned opportunities for Fulham in the first half

Aboubakar Kamara, who'd earned a start here following some good recent displays off the bench, crossed invitingly for Bobby Decordova-Reid but his glancing header missed the target.

It was an interesting afternoon for Decordova-Reid, the Bristolian who played at Ashton Gate first in the academy and later as a regular starter for three Championship seasons. Some fans applauded him, others jeered.

Kamara also blasted a shot into the side-netting when he might have looked to find Aleksandar Mitrovic. But Fulham truly came to life in stoppage time at the end of an otherwise forgettable first-half.

Decordova-Reid's snapshot forced Niki Maenpaa into a reaction save, pushing the ball away with strong wrists, before Arter fired wide.


Bristolian Bobby Decordova-Reid returned to his former club and could have scored

City were restricted to half-chances during before half-time, with Fulham keeper Marek Rodak dealing comfortably with a Nahki Wells header and Andreas Weimann's low hit.

Wells looked lively and he almost broke the deadlock moments after the restart with a deflected shot off Tim Ream that almost caught Rodak out at his near post.

At the other end, Decordova-Reid should have done better when Mitrovic slipped him clear with a neat flick, but he fired straight at Maenpaa as Fulham frustrations mounted.

With 20 minutes remaining, Weimann set Bristol City on a fast break that was momentarily four versus two but Tim Ream shepherded him out of play.

From Callum O'Dowda's corner, Mitrovic couldn't get enough purchase on a clearing header, the ball knocked back by Famara Diedhiou and Pedro Pereira nodded it into space at the far post.

And there was Wells, bravely sticking his head in to divert the ball underneath Rodak and home, his second goal in Bristol City colours since moving from QPR and his 17th of the season.

At the time it looked to be enough, but Cairney had other ideas.


After Wells's opener, Cairney's fine finish salvaged a point for Fulham in the 84th minute



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8086181/Bristol-City-1-1-Fulham-Late-Tom-Cairney-goal-cancels-Nahki-Wells-opener.html

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Scott Parker praises Tom Cairney for equaliser against Bristol City

Scott Parker singled out skipper Tom Cairney for special praise after seeing his Fulham side come from behind to earn a deserved point in a 1-1 draw at Bristol City.

It looked as though the visitors might pay for not converting their chances when Nahki Wells headed City into a 70th minute lead following a corner.

But Fulham rallied superbly and Cairney capped an eye-catching contribution with a precious 84th minute equaliser, finding the bottom corner of the net with a sweet left-footed finish from just outside the box.

Both sides needed a win to boost promotion hopes in the hugely competitive Sky Bet Championship, but in the end Parker and opposite number Lee Johnson were satisfied with a point apiece.

Parker said: "What pleased me most was the character the players showed after falling behind. They could have let heads drop, but instead got level and looked the only team likely to win in the closing stages.

"That sort of resilience is something we have worked because it wasn't always evident over the first half of the season.

"It is a quality we are going to need over the final weeks of the campaign if we are to achieve our aim.

"Tom Cairney took his goal superbly and was outstanding throughout the game. I thought he was head and shoulder above every other player.

"We all know his quality on the ball, but in the last three games he has showed much more than that and today it was a complete performance.

"I felt we should have had a penalty for a foul on Tom late on. Their keeper looked to take him out before pouncing on the ball.

"There also looked to be a player offside when Bristol City scored. It seemed one of their lads cleaned out Tim Ream. I need to see it again to be sure.

"But I am not going to complain because there were so many positives in how we played. While a point isn't ideal, it is something more to build on and if we keep showing that character we will be fine.

"We created some really good chances in the first half and, while I didn't like what I saw at the start of the second half, we finished the game really strongly.

"Now we focus on the next game. That is the way I take things without looking too far ahead."

Johnson also had cause for satisfaction over his team's efforts and pointed out: "We had some young players out there and a lot of untried partnerships.

"We lost Nathan Baker to a concussion injury in the first half. He is a brave defender, but I have spoken to him about the number of injuries he picks up.

"We desperately wanted to mark our 125th anniversary match with a win, but I think the reaction of our fans at the end said it all.

"I believe their applause was partly for the way Fulham played and partly for the way we combated a very good side.

"We are still a work in progress, but somehow we have to find a way of getting sufficient results over our remaining games to be in the promotion shake-up.

"That is certainly the aim and if the players continue to put bodies on the line to protect our goal like they did today it will certainly help.

"We have missed Korey Smith to one injury after another in the last couple of seasons and he showed today how important he is to us.

"Niki Maenpaa has made some important saves, including an outstanding one to keep out a near post header, and deserves praise for coming in to replace the injured Dan Bentley in the last couple of games without much recent match practice.

"We know what a good player Bobby Reid is and I wish we still had him. We had to defend really well to stop him scoring out there.

"Today was a really big occasion for our club and I hope the efforts of the players will be replicated many times by City teams over the next 125 years."



https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/scott-parker-praises-tom-cairney-equaliser-against-bristol-city

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Report details Fulham's plans for forgotten man if promotion aim is realised

Fulham will look to keep out on loan midfielder Jean Michael Seri at the club in the summer if they win promotion to the Premier League this season, a report from Turkish outlet Aslan Arenasi has claimed.

Seri joined Fulham from Nice for a reported £25million back in the summer of 2018, a move that failed to really work out as the Cottagers suffered relegation back to the Championship after just a single season in the top-flight, with Seri himself making 34 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring once.

Following confirmation of Fulham's drop back into the second-tier, Seri joined Galatasaray on a season-long loan deal, and has since gone on to feature a total of 27 times for the Istanbul club, helping them to third place in the current Turkish top-flight standings, just one point behind league leaders Basaksehir.

Now it seems as though Seri's exploit with Galatasaray have caught the attention of his parent club, with the latest reports claiming that Fulham will bring Seri back to Craven Cottage in the summer, with the view to using him in the Premier League this season, should they win promotion to the Premier League.

If Fulham fail to win promotion however, it is thought that they will look to send Seri back out on loan for a second straight season when the transfer window reopens.

As things stand, there are around two-and-a-half years remaining on Seri's contract with Fulham, securing his future at Craven Cottage until the end of the 2021/22 season.

Fulham are currently third in the Championship table, six points adrift of the automatic promotion places with nine games of the season remaining.

The Verdict

This may not be a bad approach for Fulham to take.

Seri did show flashes of potential during his debut season with the club last year, and also appears to have enjoyed some success while out on loan with Galatasaray in the current campaign.

As a result, it could be argued that Seri could still do a job for Fulham if they were to win promotion to the Premier League next season, and you feel the midfielder himself would be tempted by a second chance to prove himself in English football's top-flight.

Indeed, having spent so much on Seri, you feel Fulham will want to get their money's worth out of the midfielder, so sending him out on loan next season also seems to make sense, since it would give them the option of bringing him back again the following summer, should that become the point at which they secure a return to the Premier League.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/report-details-fulhams-plans-for-forgotten-man-if-promotion-aim-is-realised/

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Send Us Your Turin Photos!

Throughout the season, we're celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Fulham's extraordinary run to the Europa League Final.

That immense 19-match campaign gave supporters the opportunity to follow their Club to a number of new countries, creating some fantastic memories as you followed Fulham away.

Therefore, on the anniversary of each fixture, we want to showcase a gallery of your photos from those away trips, be it pictures from the game itself, pre-match merriment with your fellow fans, or any snaps you may have got with Fulham players.

This Wednesday (March 11th) will be 10 years to the day of our away match against Juventus, so we'd like those of you who headed to Turin more in hope than expectation to send us your pictures from the trip.

Please email any photos you'd like included to [email protected].



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/march/08/send-us-your-turin-photos

[ScalleysDad]

Thanks for these. Interesting how 'we' seem to have forgotten their keeper had a good game.