Friday Fulham Stuff - 26/06/20...

[WhiteJC]

McCoist offers Leeds hope in promotion run-in

Speaking on the talkSPORT Breakfast Show on Thursday morning, Ally McCoist has looked ahead to the clash between Leeds United and Fulham in the Sky Bet Championship this weekend.

The Whites and the Cottagers are both going for promotion this season but both suffered setbacks at the restart with them losing 2-0 respectively to Cardiff and Brentford.

Indeed, both need to bounce back with a win here but only one obviously can, whilst a draw would likely suit the home side more than the visitors.

For Ally McCoist, meanwhile, the Whites are still looking good for promotion despite the slip-up last weekend, and fans of United will hope that he is accurate with his prediction.

He said:

"They're on the same points as West Brom, that's what I'm saying!

"How can we question Leeds when they're on the same points as West Brom?

"They didn't have a good result at Cardiff but that can happen. At the same time, the next batch of games is incredible. Leeds have Fulham, Brentford beat Fulham. It's a fantastic league. But there's a gap, seven points to Fulham, eight to Brentford.

"What do they need, two or three wins, four wins? I think they'll be all right."

The Verdict

This weekend could be massive in terms of how the season ends up with Brentford and West Brom facing off on Friday night, followed by Leeds' game with Fulham over the weekend.

All four sides still have hopes of making the automatic promotion spots and the two results that are produced could go a long way to deciding who finishes where.

Leeds still have things in their own hands in terms of the top two, too, and so they'll be looking to cement that position with a win over Fulham.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/mccoist-offers-leeds-hope-in-promotion-run-in/

[WhiteJC]

Leeds United receive huge injury boost on key player ahead of Fulham clash

Leeds United have received a huge injury boost ahead of their clash against Fulham with the news that Pablo Hernandez has been training all week as confirmed by manager Marcelo Bielsa in his pre-match press conference.

The Spaniard has been a key component for Leeds this season with his ability to unlock the stubbornest of defences and news of a possible return will be music to the ears of supporters.

Bielsa has revealed in his press conference that "Pablo has trained with us all the week. Tomorrow we finish the work with him. According to how he feels, he is going to be involved in the match or not on Saturday."

In their last outing they lost 2-0 to Cardiff City and the absence of the playmaker was evident. Although they controlled the game and dominated possession, as well as making individual errors, they lacked the creativity of the Spaniard.

Leeds face a huge game against the Cottagers at Elland Road on Saturday knowing that a win would see them take a huge step towards the Premier League and automatic promotion.

The Whites have good quality within their squad but Hernandez is considered to be the shining light, clearly highlighted in their struggles without him.

There is no doubt that Leeds will need their best players to be fit and raring to go for their crucial game against Fulham.

Marcelo Bielsa also went on to reveal that Tyler Roberts is "okay" following concerns over his fitness as he was seen holding his groin on occasions during the game against Cardiff.



https://the72.co.uk/175337/leeds-united-receive-huge-injury-boost-on-key-player-ahead-of-fulham-clash/

[WhiteJC]

'He's worried, really worried' – Alan Brazil makes Leeds claim ahead of 'massive step' v Fulham

talkSPORT host Alan Brazil has said that Leeds United will go on to get promoted "unless they absolutely capitulate".

However, he also said that one of his friends, who is a massive Leeds fan, is "really worried" after the 2-0 defeat to Cardiff on Sunday.

Leeds play third-placed Fulham on Saturday in one of the games of the season – a match that Brazil has described as a "massive step" towards promotion for Leeds.

Talking on talkSPORT Breakfast on Thursday (9am) Brazil said, "I've got a pal Ricky who's a massive Leeds fan and he's worried, he's really worried.

"Saturday is a massive step for them, but unless they absolutely capitulate then they'll get promoted.

"I want Leeds and West Brom to come up, I do."

Brazil also praised the Leeds fans, who he said have been fantastic through the years.

If his mate Ricky is worried now, we'd love to get an update at about 2.30pm on Saturday.

By that time, Leeds fans will know the result of the Brentford v West Brom game on Friday night. A draw or a West Brom win would suit us down to the ground.

Then all thoughts will be on Saturday which is, as Brazil said, "massive" for Leeds.

A win would see Leeds deliver a near-fatal blow to Fulham's top-two aspirations.

A win for Fulham would keep them in the mix but, either way, Leeds would still have a decent lead to take into the rest of the fixtures.

And, after a tricky trip to Cardiff and the Fulham clash, the matches get a lot easier for Leeds.

Next up is rock-bottom Luton who have only won one of their last five.

Leeds also face Charlton, Barnsley and Stoke, which are all easily winnable games.

Wins in those four games could be enough whatever else happens.



https://motleedsnews.com/news/hes-worried-really-worried-alan-brazil-makes-leeds-claim-ahead-of-massive-step-v-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

FFCtv: Season Ticket Holders

Season Ticket Holders who opted for live streaming as part of their rebate option are urged to redeem their voucher code before Saturday's clash with Leeds United, kick-off 3pm.

All Season Ticket holders were sent their unique voucher code last week by email and postal letter allowing them access to watch all of Fulham's remaining EFL Championship matches - home and away.

We encourage all Season Ticket Holders to redeem their code as soon as possible to avoid any issues on matchday as we cannot guarantee resolving issues if there are a large number of queries just before kick-off.

Fans can redeem their codes by visiting tv.fulhamfc.com and can view a step-by-step guide on how to do this by clicking here.

Once their code has been redeemed, supporters will be able to view a test video to ensure their code has successfully worked.

For FFCtv support please contact [email protected].



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/june/25/ffctv-season-ticket-holders

[WhiteJC]

Leeds United set for Pablo Hernandez boost ahead of Fulham's visit
Pablo Hernandez could return for Leeds United's crucial home game against Fulham on Saturday, with Adam Forshaw and Jean-Kevin Augustin the only major fitness concerns.

Midfielder Forshaw is not due to return from hip surgery until next season, while coach Marcelo Bielsa was non-committal when asked if on-loan striker Augustin could be in shape to meet his physically-demanding style of play during the run-in.

But the return of Hernandez's creativity would be a boost, and with Tyler Roberts also fit despite looking uncomfortable late in Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Cardiff City, Bielsa could have a welcome decision to make. No definitive decision has been made yet, but the signs are good.

"Pablo has trained with us all week, (on Friday) we will finish the work with him," confirmed Bielsa after the Spaniard missed the trip to Wales. "According to how he feels he's going to be involved or not in the match on Saturday.

"It wasn't a big deal, he had a little muscular problem and recovered in 10 days. The short recovery period pointed to the problem not being serious.

"But Pablo knows very well his own body. We want to wait until Friday so he can confirm to us how he feels."

Roberts deputised for Hernandez in midfield, but could also offer respite from the bench for Bielsa's first-choice centre-forward Patrick Bamford, especially if January loan signing Augustin cannot.

"He is well, without problems," said Bielsa of Roberts.

"Everyone is healthy, the only the situation we had was Pablo and of course Forshaw."

Augustin was not in the 20-man squad for Leeds' first game back after the coronavirus. Since joining on loan from Leipzig in late January, he has only been in four matchday squads, playing 48 minutes. Last week, Bielsa revealed the forward was following an individual training programme.

A Leeds signing taking time to adapt to Bielsa's requirements is not unusual. Winger Ian Poveda, who joined on loan from Manchester City at the same time, only made his debut last weekend.

"We are following what he is doing," said Bielsa of 23-year-old Augustin. "After, we evaluate what he is doing. After that, we make a decision (on whether he can play again this season)."

Augustin's loan expires on Tuesday. Although Football League clubs had until June 23 to extend playing contracts due to expire at the end of the month, they can work right up to the last minute to extend loans if needed.

Poveda, Helder Costa, Jack Harrison, Illan Meslier and Ben White's loans have already been extended until the end of the campaign.

Seven points behind, Fulham are the nearest of the Championship teams chasing Leeds, although Brentford could take that mantle by avoiding defeat at West Bromwich Albion. A win for the Bees would be the best result for Leeds' promotion hopes, a win for West Brom best for their automatic promotion chances.

Either way, a home win at Elland Road on Saturday would make it very difficult for Fulham to catch Leeds in the seven remaining games.



https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/leeds-united-set-pablo-hernandez-boost-ahead-fulhams-visit-2895164

[WhiteJC]

Empty Elland Road means no fear factor when Fulham face Leeds

Elland Road has no fear factor now that games are being played behind closed doors, according to Scott Parker.

The Leeds United faithful are known for bringing a raucous atmosphere to their home games and although Parker believes the ground won't be the same without fans, he is keen to point out that this could work as either a positive or negative for his Fulham side.

Speaking to reporters via video on Thursday afternoon, the Whites boss said: "It's always a very hostile and difficult place to go but of course that can have a positive spin.

"I always believe that there are certain players that thrive off that intensity as well, so it can work both ways.

"Leeds players want their fans behind them like we wanted our fans behind us against Brentford.

"On the flip side,the hostility to a stadium at times when going away from home is something that can bring a siege mentality about players or a team.

"It can certainly be a positive for an away team at times as well as it can be a negative. We will just have to wait and see."

Parker's men travel to Yorkshire needing a win on Saturday against second-placed Leeds if they are to keep any serious chance of automatic promotion.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/empty-elland-road-means-no-fear-factor-when-fulham-face-leeds

[WhiteJC]

After both sides lose their first match back, Leeds face Fulham at Elland Road in a huge game.

I don't think it is fair to call it must win, but we must not lose.

Match: Leeds United v Fulham FC

Date: 27th June 2020

Time: 15.00 GMT, 10.00 ET, 08.00 PST.

Venue: Elland Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Streaming/TV coverage: Sky Sports, LUTV

On paper this should be Leeds' biggest game of the season.

Leeds United sit second, with a seven point lead over third place Fulham. If Fulham get the three points they will feel they are well placed to catch us and a draw suits Leeds more than it suits Fulham. However, if Leeds can win this game (especially if West Brom do not lose to Brentford on Friday night) Leeds and the entire fanbase will feel much more confident of securing promotion.

Both teams come in to this fixture having lost their first post-lockdown match 2-0. Leeds shot themselves in the foot with a couple of crucial mistakes which Cardiff capitalised on. Leeds weren't at their best in attack and despite creating some good chances didn't do enough with them. Leeds missed Pablo Hernandez and his creativity, it is not yet confirmed by Marcelo Bielsa if he will play on Saturday but he definitely is back in training.

Fulham lost 2-0 at home to local rivals Brentford after a competitive game. Fulham had the better of the early stages but Brentford got stronger as the game went on and by the end of the game could have been described as the "better side", Said Benrahma and Emilio Marcondes both scored late to give the Bees the win.

Ben White and Liam Cooper will have their hands full against the best "out and out" centre forward in the league, Serbia international Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has 23 league goals this season.

Fulham look to hit crosses for Mitrovic as often as possible so (probably) Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas will have to work hard to get up and down the wings and not allow Fulham to get in behind out wide. Against Brentford, Fulham started Neeskens Kebano and Anthony Knockaert out wide - with Knockaert given more license to roam from his position - although I would not be shocked to see Ivan Cavaleiro come in for Kebano.

Helder Costa and Jack Harrison will also have to work back with Denis Odoi and Joe Bryan who are full-backs who like to get forward. This could also mean that Fulham are one of the rare teams that could allow Leeds United to counter attack as they will not just sit in a low-block and attempt to absorb pressure.

Bobby Decordova-Reid played as a number 10 and looked dangerous. He is a good finisher and can play as a Striker, he can also drop in to play as a number eight alongside former Leeds academy player (and player who always does well against us) Tom Cairney. Cairney cannot be left with much space as he has the ability both to pick a pass and to shoot well from distance.

Southampton loanee Harrison Reed will be the more defensive part of the "2" in a 4-2-3-1, or possibly as the lone DM in a 4-3-3. There was a noticable difference in Fulham's play on Saturday after Reed was replaced by AFC Bournemouth loanee Harry Arter - this made Fulham lose their solidity in front of the defenders, similar to how Leeds often look when Kalvin Phillips is missing.

Behind Reed will be a centre-back pairing of Michael Hector and Tim Ream. Personally, I think United States international Ream can be got at and when the ball is wide I would be encouraging Bamford to move on to the USMNT man.

Marek Rodak has had a good season in goal (barring one horrorshow against Barnsley FC), and is now a regular in the Slovakia squad. As with most teams though, unless there is something unforeseen it probably will not come down to which side has the better goalkeeper.

PREDICTED LINE-UPS
Leeds (4-1-4-1): Meslier; Ayling, White, Cooper, Dallas; Phillips; Klich, Hernandez, Costa, Harrison; Bamford

Fulham (4-2-3-1): Rodak; Odoi, Hector, Ream, Bryan; Reed, Cairney; Knockaert, Decordova-Reid, Cavaleiro; Mitrovic.

Leeds cannot afford to lose this game. A draw would keep the seven point cushion over Fulham (although it could be smaller to third if Brentford beat West Bromwich Albion). A win would put Leeds into a really strong position.

I am going for a 1-1 draw in this game.



https://throughitalltogether.sbnation.com/2020/6/25/21303169/after-both-sides-lose-their-first-match-back-leeds-face-fulham-at-elland-road-in-a-huge-game

[WhiteJC]

"Nailed on", "All over now" – Many Leeds fans make alarming assumption after stat revealed

Many Leeds United fans have made a quick conclusion based on a statistic that they share with Saturday's opponents Fulham.

For Marcelo Bielsa's side, their Championship clash against the Cottagers is, arguably, the biggest game of their season and they continue their pursuit of Premier League football for the first time since 2004.

The Whites are currently second in the standings, seven points ahead of Scott Parker's team who sit in third.

LUFCDATA revealed on Twitter that both sides have avoided defeat after having scored the first goal in any game during the 2019/20 campaign, which makes whoever inflicts the first blow all the more important.

Taking this into consideration, supporters made a prompt conclusion about the affair and made their feelings clear on social media. One fan said that a 0-0 draw is "nailed on", while another believed that the same result is written, "all over".



https://leeds.vitalfootball.co.uk/nailed-on-all-over-now-many-leeds-fans-make-alarming-assumption-after-stat-revealed/

[WhiteJC]

Do Fulham fans approve of Scott Parker? – Manager Approval Ratings (Week 1)

In what will be seen as a surprise, Fulham fans do not approve of Scott Parker as their head coach.

The72 is launching a new feature where every week, we ask the fans to vote on if they approve or disapprove of their managers. This takes inspiration from the polling done to see if we approve or disapprove of major politicians. This means you now have the chance to say if you are happy with the work your manager is doing every week and we'll be able to see when a manager either gains or loses popularity.

Earlier in the week on Monday, we opened the poll to see if Fulham fans approve or disapprove of Parker as their manager. The full stats of the result, as taken at 17:30 on the 25th June, are below.

Approve: 30%
Disapprove: 70%
Net Approval Rating: -40

As you can see, Fulham fans disapprove of their head coach with a qualified majority. 30% currently approve of the former player turned manager while 70% believe he is not good enough at the job. This gives him a net approval rating of -40.

This will be seen as a huge surprise to many fans out of the club. For all intents and purposes, Fulham are doing well as they are 3rd in the Sky Bet Championship and should at least qualify for the play-offs. But perhaps Parker is suffering due to the huge expectations with many fans expecting them to be competing for automatic promotion, something that could slip out of their grasp soon. A 2-0 loss to West London rivals Brentford at the weekend would not have helped.



https://the72.co.uk/175399/do-fulham-fans-approve-of-scott-parker-manager-approval-ratings-week-1/

[WhiteJC]

Championship: West Brom, Leeds, Fulham & Brentford prepare for heavyweight fixtures

Thomas Frank, Slaven Bilic, Scott Parker and Marcelo Bielsa all hope to mastermind their teams to promotion

With first playing fourth and second against third, the latest round of Championship fixtures are all about the battle of the promotion heavyweights.

Leaders West Bromwich Albion go to in-form Brentford on Friday night, while Leeds and Fulham meet on Saturday looking to regroup from disappointing defeats last weekend.

Just eight games remain for all 24 clubs, while there is a seven-point buffer for the top two on the chasing pack.

Baggies up and running, Bees upbeat
West Brom's derby draw against Birmingham last Saturday was enough to see them leapfrog Leeds at the top on goal difference, despite the Baggies passing up several chances to break the deadlock.

Having "passed the test" of their return post shutdown, as head coach Slaven Bilic put it, they can expect a real tussle from fellow promotion hopefuls Brentford, who are the division's top scorers having netted two more than Albion's 64 goals this term.

"Everybody had a few little doubts," Bilic told BBC Radio WM. "But the players now have that game under their belt. They lacked that match sharpness but we are now expecting that to be better.

"With all due respect to Birmingham they knew what they wanted to do, but playing Brentford should be a more normal two-sided game."

Thomas Frank's Bees started the season slowly but have been in the top six since nudging their way into the play-off picture over the Christmas period.

Last weekend's vital 2-0 win over rivals Fulham moved Brentford to within a point of the Cottagers and also closer to the top two.

"All the pressure and the advantage is with West Brom," Frank told BBC Radio London.

"We can play with absolute and total freedom on Friday, and we can attack."

He added: "In a top game like this all our players need to perform on a seven, eight out of 10 and hopefully a few on a 10 - then we will be in a good place."

Character in abundance
Leeds' defeat by Cardiff seemed to be a missed opportunity to pull clear at the top of the table.

Fans, haunted by their drop out of the automatic places at the end of last season, might begin to fear another slump.

The visit of a team like Fulham will be a serious examination of their promotion mettle.

"We cannot link this match with the disappointment of last season," Bielsa said.

"I didn't think the team couldn't cope last season, and if there is one thing this team shows every time they play, then it's character.

"These last eight matches will generate the same expectation until the situation is defined."

Elland Road, normally such an intimidating place to play for visiting teams, will be silent bar the noise from the bench and on the field, because of coronavirus restrictions.

That lack of a partisan atmosphere might be felt by Fulham but as boss Scott Parker says, it is likely to be as different for the hosts.

"Players thrive off that intensity, so it can work both ways." he told BBC Radio London.

"The hostility can bring a siege mentality, and can also be a positive as well as a negative for players."

Parker has already guided Fulham to a victory over Leeds this season, back in December, and another would reduce the gap on the automatic places from seven to four.

"It's very simple, it's a nine-game shootout, we need to win as many games as we can," he added.

The rest of the division
It is also a key time for clubs at the wrong end of the league, as Neil Warnock leads struggling Middlesbrough to Stoke in his first game in charge.

Charlton and bottom side Luton are both involved in early kick-offs against QPR and Swansea respectively, with Barnsley later hosting Millwall and Hull going to Birmingham.

Play-off chasing Cardiff can leapfrog Preston if they can beat their promotion rivals in a 'six-pointer' while Nottingham Forest and Huddersfield, both in need of points for very different reasons, are in action on Sunday.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53184413

[WhiteJC]

'It could be a negative' – Scott Parker delivers verdict on Leeds fans ahead of Fulham clash

Scott Parker has been raving about the Leeds United supporters ahead of the clash against Fulham this weekend.

Leeds return to Elland Road for the first time in over three months but will do so without their famous supporters cheering them on for 90 minutes.

A lot has been said about whether or not the empty stadium will affect Leeds and after seeing his Fulham side struggle at an empty Craven Cottage, he thinks the same could happen for the Yorkshire club.

"There's no hiding that Elland Road, with the Leeds fans and the intensity they build, they have a fantastic support," Parker told Fulham's official website. "It's always a very hostile and difficult place to go. With no fans, that could have a positive effect [for Fulham].

"Saying that, I also believe that there are a lot of players who thrive off that intensity. It could work both ways.

"Leeds players would obviously want their fans behind them, like we wanted our fans behind us at the weekend, but on the flip side of that, the hostility of a stadium sometimes when you're away from home is something that brings a siege mentality to a team.

"It could be a positive or it could be a negative, we'll just have to wait and see."

Parker's Fulham went down 2-0 to Brentford at Craven Cottage last week so maybe the lack of fans did have an impact in this case.

We have seen in Germany that away teams have had improved results since the matches resumed behind-closed-doors.

Leeds are yet to see what it will be like playing at an empty Elland Road and we hope it does not have too much of a negative impact on the result.

There could be positive sides to it.

As Parker says, the Leeds support is tremendous but there have been occasions when sections of fans have been on the backs of certain players.

Will someone like Patrick Bamford or Helder Costa flourish with no fans?

They didn't at Cardiff, but maybe things will be different in more familiar surroundings.



https://motleedsnews.com/news/it-could-be-a-negative-scott-parker-delivers-verdict-on-leeds-fans-ahead-of-fulham-clash/

[WhiteJC]

Cottage Talk Preview: Leeds United vs. Fulham

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

This is our preview of the upcoming match for Fulham against Leeds United and joining us for this show was Cottage Talk co-host Brendan Cronin, and Kevin Markey from the Leeds United Mad website.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2020/6/25/21303748/cottage-talk-preview-leeds-united-vs-fulham

[WhiteJC]

English Football League: Returning loan players may be eligible for injury-hit clubs

English Football League clubs with injury-hit squads have been given a boost following a rule change concerning expired loan deals.

Some players who were loaned out earlier in the campaign will now be eligible to play for their parent side.

The rule only applies to players whose loan club's season has been curtailed.

BBC Sport understands, however, that there are restrictions around eligibility, and on-field priority must be given to youngsters at clubs.

A returning player can only feature if the club could not name a full squad without them, but they can be selected whether they have been on domestic or international loans.

In full, the specific circumstances that would make a returning loan player eligible are:

    That the player is returning from a curtailed division
    The transferee club has not qualified to participate in a play-off competition
    Without including the player on the team sheet, the transferor club would be unable to fulfil all available places on the team sheet
    The transferor club gives priority to its under 23 players, scholars and other academy players who have made at least one first-team appearance in a league match (or a Premier League match) for the transferor club
    The player has not been on loan to more than one club during the 2019-20 season 2019-20

Following the change, Championship side Birmingham City announced that three of their players returning from League Two sides would be eligible for the Blues.

The trio are forward Odin Bailey, midfielder Charlie Lakin and defender Josh Dacres-Cogley.

A Birmingham statement said: "After a change in EFL rules, voted for by clubs, it means players loaned out on standard and international loans who have returned to their parent side are eligible for them again.

"Previously players were registered with their loan club for the duration of the loan, whether six months or 12 months."



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53187394