Sunday Fulham Stuff - 26/07/20...

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Scott Parker insists Fulham are not under more pressure than Cardiff City as he dismisses Neil Harris' play-off claims

The Bluebirds boss started the mind games on Wednesday night and Parker has now responded


Fulham manager Scott Parker (Image: Getty Images)

Fulham boss Scott Parker has dismissed Neil Harris' claim that the Cottagers are under more pressure than Cardiff City heading into the play-offs.

In the wake of Wednesday's win over Hull, Bluebirds boss Harris started the mind games early by saying there was "huge pressure" on Fulham given the money they've spent.

He had said: "There is a bit of pressure on us, but there is huge pressure on Fulham playing against us - a team that should be in the Premier League, given the money they have spent and are now spending .

And former England midfielder Parker couldn't resist denying those claims when asked about it during a press conference on Friday.

"I think there's been pressure on both," Parker said.

"Cardiff were in the Premier League with us last year and they were eight points better off than us to be honest with you. They finished above us in the Premier League, they're in the same position as I understand."

The Fulham boss added: "Look, it's a massive game for both of us, expectations on both clubs are huge, so I think we understand the expectation from the outside and the expectation from the inside is always going to be great.

"Two games against a very, very good Cardiff team, you have no doubt about that, we understand what we face. But like I say, we'll embrace that and we look forward to it."

The Cottagers boast the Championship's top-scorer in Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has proven to be a thorn in the side of many a team in the division - including Cardiff during their recent 2-0 defeat at Craven Cottage earlier this month.

And Parker admitted Fulham have probably relied on the Serbian's goals more than they would have liked this season.

"Obviously Mitrovic has scored a large part of the goals this year, and has been a focal point to what we've done and where we are," he added.

"We said we needed goals from elsewhere in the pitch, we probably lacked that a little bit this year and it's certainly an area we need to improve on because there's certainly been a lot of attention on Mitrovic and his goals have been vitally important."



https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/scott-parker-insists-fulham-not-18660841

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Hoilett pre-Fulham | We'll give it everything

FULHAM PREVIEW | HOILETT
Junior Hoilett previewed the upcoming play-off semi-final first leg with Fulham on Friday afternoon.

City's No.33 has scored three goals in nine appearances since football restarted in late June.

"I did absolutely nothing," Junior began, discussing lockdown. "I just used the moment to relax.

"I'd been playing a lot of football recently with the club and national team. It was good to get that time to recoup, relax and get ready to get the ball rolling.

"I think it helped me to get back into the form that I'm used to. It would be great if I can bring that form into the next two games and get the team to Wembley – that would be perfect."

The Bluebirds finished the regular campaign in fifth place - and go into next week's two legged tie against Fulham having recently played the Whites. Junior continued: "We have fresh memories of the mistakes we made in that match. But also thoughts about the better sides of it. It can benefit us going into the game Monday.

"The boys are ready. We have a good momentum going into the game with three wins on the bounce.

"There are a few changes to the side that last went up but we have the same brotherhood as a squad. The same brotherhood and atmosphere around the building.

"We have the mentality to want to be in the Premier League again. We had that experience - and we think we have unfinished business. It is where the club and the city belongs.

"We've got a good spirit and everyone is ready and raring to go and put everything on the line to get to Wembley."



https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/hoilett-pre-fulham-well-give-it-everything

[WhiteJC]

2019-20 Championship – Cardiff vs Fulham Preview & Prediction

THE FACTS

When does Cardiff vs Fulham kick off? Monday 27th July, 2020 – 19:45 (UK)

Where is Cardiff vs Fulham being played? Cardiff City Stadium

Where can I get tickets for Cardiff vs Fulham? Ticket information can be found on each club's official website

What TV channel is Cardiff vs Fulham on in the UK? Sky Sports have the rights to Championship matches in the UK, so it is worth checking their schedule

Where can I stream Cardiff vs Fulham in the UK? If televised, subscribers can stream the match live on Sky Go

THE PREDICTION

Fulham ended their season with a 1-1 draw away at Wigan, but head into the playoffs in relatively good shape. Cardiff brushed aside Hull to secure their spot in the top six and will hope to use home advantage here to try to gain an advantage going into their trip to Craven Cottage. However, Fulham are made of strong stuff defensively and both sides may cancel each other here in a drab encounter, with a low scoring draw the first leg result.



https://www.thestatszone.com/football/english-championship/2019-20-championship-cardiff-vs-fulham-preview-prediction-1106102

[WhiteJC]

Championship play-off chaos awaits four very different contenders

Swansea and Cardiff are outliers compared to Brentford and Fulham, but all will believe they can make it to Wembley


Cardiff's Robert Glatzel, Brentford's Saïd Benrahma, Rhian Brewster of Swansea and Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic Photograph: Getty Images and Shutterstock

One of the most striking images from a wonderfully chaotic climax to the regular Championship season came not on the pitch but in the West Stand concourse at the Madejski Stadium, which doubled up as a changing room on Wednesday. Beneath the fluorescent lighting, cable trays and electrical tracking, Swansea City players and staff, surrounded by supporters' flags that had been taped to the walls, formed a giant team huddle, with the head coach, Steve Cooper, leading the debrief after his youthful side squeezed into the play-offs on goal difference at Nottingham Forest's expense on an extraordinary evening.

On recent away trips Swansea have, because of social distancing regulations, held pre-match team talks everywhere from media suites (Middlesbrough) to 4G pitches (Millwall) and even a lounge bar (Birmingham), but now they are playing for the prize of changing at Wembley next month.

On Sunday they have home comforts, with Brentford – who missed out on automatic promotion on the final day – the visitors to the Liberty Stadium in the first leg of their semi-final before Cardiff City welcome Fulham on Monday. Cooper believes Swansea are outliers, owing to expectations and resources, but insists they are in the mix on merit.

"You can't scrape into the play-offs after 46 games," says Cooper, who was appointed last June. "I know it was dramatic, I know it was a one-off, but you get what you deserve. We have never changed our way of playing, we have never not believed in our players, especially the young ones, and through the ups and downs we have stayed committed to the plan. I promised myself I would do that in senior management. It's hard sometimes when things are not going as you would like or luck is not on your side, but succeed or fail, I think you can sleep better at night."

Cooper, the 40-year-old former head of youth development at Liverpool, has done a remarkable job to galvanise and reinvigorate a modest squad, one that was ravaged for its prized assets last summer, with Daniel James and Oli McBurnie departing for the Premier League. Only four of the players who finished the final game of last season started at Reading in midweek and their January recruitment has proved particularly fruitful, with Marc Guehi, Conor Gallagher and Rhian Brewster, all of whom worked with Cooper en route to winning the Under-17 World Cup with England in 2017, developing into key pillars. Coupled with the experience of Wayne Routledge and André Ayew, they have stirred a promising cocktail.

Cooper has leaned on the academy, too, with the 20-year-old defender Ben Cabango, who is on the radar of the Wales manager, Ryan Giggs, impressing in the absence of the injured Joe Rodon, with the average age of the 10 outfield players who finished the game on Wednesday only 23. The Chelsea centre-back Guehi has grown in stature – his heroic tackle on Reading's Lucas Boyé just as the forward went to pull the trigger approaching stoppage time in midweek, when Swansea still required another goal, may yet prove season-defining – Gallagher has added guile in midfield and, since Brewster's debut in January, only Brentford's Saïd Benrahma has bettered the Liverpool loanee's return of 10 goals in 20 games.


Fulham manager, Scott Parker, is using the club's psychologist to help ready his players for the play-offs. Photograph: Paul Currie/BPI/Shutterstock

But it is not only Cooper who has impressed in the dugout. His opposite number this weekend, Thomas Frank, also earned his stripes by managing his country at youth level, coaching Denmark's under-19s before taking charge of Brondby. It is likely to be an intriguing battle between two of the division's tactical thinkers, a meeting of minds.

For Brentford, the impact of missing out on a top-two spot remains to be seen but the Fulham manager, Scott Parker, says they are primed for the occasion, with a little help from the club psychologist. This season has had its bumps but has been a breeze compared with the last, when relegation left mental scars. They are unbeaten in seven matches and in Aleksandar Mitrovic they boast the division's top goalscorer.

"At times this season, the biggest learning curves for us and for me to have developed were the times when we have suffered," says Parker. "Losing games brings psychological doubt. Brentford away [when they lost 1-0], I remember the fans were very unhappy and the team was really low. When we lost three on the bounce [in December], with the expectation from the outside and all the pressures that brought, they were the moments where it flipped for us.

"They have been the key moments because all of sudden your words become real because, before that, you're giving examples, constantly talking, and trying to sell the picture [to players]. But ultimately there comes a time when you need actions and when it physically happens, that's when the lightbulb sometimes goes off in players' heads. 'OK, I understand, they were not just words, instances or scenarios, this has happened and it got us the result.' Along the way, like any great team, Liverpool or whoever, you still have those moments and they are the ones you try to use to your advantage when you're trying to develop players and human beings."

Then there is Neil Harris, who guided Cardiff to fifth having taken charge in November when the club were languishing in 14th and going nowhere fast, prompting Neil Warnock's departure. The former Millwall manager deserves huge credit for reviving a flailing season. He was viewed as an underwhelming appointment and, at his unveiling, he acknowledged supporters' clamour for "a big name who has won the Premier League or the World Cup", but the play-offs will surely suffice. "To change people's perception is not always easy," Harris says.



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/jul/25/championship-play-off-chaos-swansea-cardiff-brentford-fulham

[WhiteJC]

46 Games Gone, 3 To Go?

Scott Parker was regularly raised in conversation over the last week, not just because of Fulham's participation in the craziest Championship final day finish in a while and his side's forthcoming play-off push but also because Jordan Henderson's winning of the Football Writers's Footballer of the Year drew comparisons to when the Fulham manager did got the award as part of a relegated West Ham team. Weird.

Anyway, Parker's first full managerial campaign came to a conclusion at Wigan last Wednesday. His Fulham side might have gone off the rails after losing the first two matches after lockdown – so damaging were the defeats to Brentford and Leeds United – but they recovered, showing some serious character to stitch together a seven-match unbeaten run. Fulham might have been fortunate at times, having drawn on the individual star quality in their squad to snatch narrow wins, and they might also rue moments over the course of the season. Not being able to beat Charlton, those two defeats by Barnsley and a 3-0 home defeat by Hull, who admittedly had Jarrod Bowen and Kamil Grosicki at their disposal then. Hindsight, of course, is a wonderful thing and 'unsuccessful' seasons are crammed full of what ifs.

Promisingly, over 46 games, Fulham could not be beaten when scoring the first goal but on the flip side, only QPR could be beaten (albeit twice this season) when scoring first. The old saying is football is a results based business, though most football supporters want both results and sexy football. 'Parkerball' has struggled to deliver a complete 90-minute display, with some of the better performances with Middlesbrough, Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday at home being limited to first half glimmers of what could be possible. Of course we all remember the record breaking 4-0 home win against Millwall who were at the time managed by Neil Harris, now of Cardiff who we'll meet on Monday and Thursday night (we'd all love repeats of that performance I'm sure).

One of the major disappointments this season has been Fulham's ineffectiveness in the final third despite the serious investment in attacking options. Parker's side finished seveth in the division for goals scored (below sides like QPR, Blackburn and our playoff rivals Cardiff City). Some would say our total shots being 5th in the division is below-par (around 130 shots fewer than Leeds) and, even more alarmingly, our shots from inside the penalty area drops us down to eleventh in the league. At no point this season have we seen the Anthony Knockaert who was named Championship Player of the Year in Brighton's promotion campaign and, since the turn of the year, Ivan Cavaleiro has provided just two goals and a sole assist. If not for Aleksandar Mitrovic's ability to score match winning goals and Michael Hector's January arrival helping to bring a bit of solidity at the back, you wonder just how durable Fulham's promotion push might have been.

Yet, despite all of the low points, there's a chance that Scott Parker leads Fulham back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. I must say, as the year has progressed, I've gotten flashbacks to 2017/18. Whilst a stylish, attacking and swaggering side has been on electric form with goals potentially coming from anywhere, there's been a former Premier League club with a deep squad full of known players never really out of the play-offs but never really pushing for automatics. Of course we know one was Fulham and the other Aston Villa, but this year it appears we take the role of Aston Villa whilst Brentford's eye catching side are drawing comparisons to Slavisa Jokanovic's Fulham team.

Without looking beyond Cardiff, Fulham will absolutely be expecting to walk at Wembley on the evening of August 4th but the lottery of the play-offs is unpredictable and honestly my fingernails may not exist watching on TV. If Parker achieves promotion for Fulham then no one will really care about the manner in which he did so, but another campaign in the Championship will raise many questions not just of Parker but perhaps more worryingly the futures of some of Fulham's top end players.

Neil Harris' Cardiff side will be a tough test but Fulham will be hopeful having recorded a comfortable victory at Craven Cottage only a couple of weeks ago. And whilst the final is the richest game of football, you've got to get to the dance with a couple of ISA's first.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/07/46-games-gone-3-to-go/

[WhiteJC]

Preview: Cardiff City vs. Fulham - prediction, team news, lineups

Two sides looking to make an immediate return to the Premier League will lock horns on Monday as Cardiff City and Fulham meet for the first leg of their Championship playoff semi-final at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Eight points separated the two sides at the end of the regular season, with Fulham finishing fourth and Cardiff securing fifth spot on the final day.

Match preview
Three successive wins from their final three matches in the second tier saw Cardiff secure a spot in the playoffs with minimal trouble as the Bluebirds endeavour to secure promotion straight back to the Premier League.

Neil Harris's men comfortably swept aside relegated Hull City 3-0 on the final day of the season and ought to feel optimistic about their chances of advancing to the final at Wembley.

Following the appointment of Harris after Neil Warnock left the club, Cardiff have gone from strength to strength in the Championship and have only tasted defeat three times on home soil all season.

The Bluebirds are heading into the playoffs in a strong spell of form - having enjoyed victories over Derby County and Middlesbrough before their final-day triumph over Hull - with champions Leeds United the only other team to bag nine points from their last three fixtures.

Cardiff are now aiming to reach the Championship playoff final for only the second time in the club's history, with Blackpool overcoming the Bluebirds 3-2 at Wembley ten years ago.

Meanwhile, Fulham missed the chance to capitalise on Brentford's loss to Barnsley as they played out a 1-1 draw with Wigan Athletic in midweek.

Before a ball was kicked on the final day, Fulham were still in with a shout of automatic promotion as they sat two points behind second-placed West Bromwich Albion, but the standings ultimately remained the same as the Baggies drew with Queens Park Rangers and Fulham finished behind Brentford on goal difference.

Despite the off-the-field problems afflicting Wigan and their survival prospects, the Latics entered the game with Scott Parker's men in a good spell of form and Fulham were unable to claim maximum points in their 46th league game of the season.

Nevertheless, the Cottagers are entering the first leg of the semi-final on a seven-game unbeaten streak in the Championship - winning five of them - and Fulham will be looking for a repeat of their success in the 2017-18 campaign where they defeated Aston Villa 1-0 in the playoff final.

Fulham and Cardiff last met as recently as July 10, and it was the Cottagers who took the spoils in that fixture courtesy of goals from Aleksandar Mitrovic and Josh Onomah.

Cardiff Championship form: WLLWWW

Fulham Championship form: WWWDWD

Team News
Cardiff boast a relatively clean bill of health before they welcome Fulham to the Welsh capital, with the only concerns for Harris being long-term absentees Isaac Vassell and Greg Cunningham.

There are not expected to be too many alterations to the side that enjoyed a routine victory over Hull, but Josh Murphy will be holding out for a recall on the right flank, although Danny Ward's goal against the Tigers will most likely not be enough to earn him a start.

As for Fulham, the Cottagers' only injury worry is the hamstring problem keeping Ivan Cavaleiro on the treatment table, with Parker otherwise having a fully-fit squad at his disposal.

Southampton loanee Harrison Reed has served a one-match suspension and is back in the fold for this one, meaning that Parker could be facing a selection dilemma in the middle of the park.

Reed will be hopeful of lining up alongside Tom Cairney in the Fulham midfield, while Bobby Reid is also in contention to feature behind Golden Boot winner Mitrovic.

Cardiff possible starting lineup:
Smithies; Bacuna, Morrison, Nelson, Bennett; Ralls, Pack; Murphy, Tomlin, Hoilett; Glatzel

Fulham possible starting lineup:
Rodak; Odoi, Hector, Ream, Bryan; Reed, Cairney; Knockaert, Reid, Kebano; Mitrovic

We say: Cardiff City 2-2 Fulham

Both clubs enjoyed strong finishes to the regular season and will both be stepping out onto the pitch feeling capable of gaining the upper hand before next Thursday's second leg. However, we are struggling to pick a winner for this one and expect the two promotion hopefuls to play out a high-scoring draw in Monday's first leg.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/cardiff-city/championship-promotion-race/preview/preview-cardiff-city-vs-fulham-prediction-team-news-lineups_407907.html

[WhiteJC]

Swansea manager Steve Cooper is happy to be Championship play-off underdogs as they face the league's top scorers Brentford

    Steve Cooper is happy that Swansea are the underdogs in the play-off's this year
    His team will face top scorers Brentford while Cardiff will play against Fulham FC
    He says the underdog label means the expectation will be 'really high elsewhere'
    They made the play-offs after beating Reading and Nottingham Forest losing

Steve Cooper feels Swansea are the poor relations of the Sky Bet Championship play-offs.

Swansea face Brentford, the Championship's top scorers, while Cardiff and Fulham - who were both relegated from the Premier League last season - meet in the other semi-final.

'The other three teams in the play-offs are at a completely different stage to us,' said former England youth boss Cooper, who has guided Swansea to sixth spot in his first season of management in senior football.


Steve Cooper is happy that his Swansea side are the underdogs in the play-off's this year

'Brentford have bought players and the other two semi-finalists are two of the most resourced squads in the league.

'The strength in depth they've got is ridiculous really compared to us.

'But we don't mind that. We are feeling good, we are hungry and focused.

'We love the fact we've got loads of young players and like playing in a certain way.'

Swansea secured their play-off spot on a crazy final night on Wednesday, when they won 4-1 at Reading and Nottingham Forest lost 4-1 at home to Stoke.

Those two results engineered the five-goal swing that Swansea - who have been fired by Liverpool youngster Rhian Brewster's 10 goals since his January loan move - needed as Forest were shaded out on goal difference.

'I've read a couple of things about us scraping into the play-offs,' Cooper said.

'You can't scrape in over 46 games. We deserve to be there.

'We're in a really good place, we're playing well. I'd be lying if I said we weren't feeling good about ourselves.

'We're not ready to stand still. We're so committed to improving and getting to where we want to be.'

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has promised the Bees will rediscover their sting after missing out on automatic promotion.

Frank's side finished third - two points behind second-placed West Brom - with a 2-1 home defeat to lowly Barnsley on Wednesday costing them dearly.

'It was painful and hurt a lot on Wednesday night,' Frank said.

'It was a slightly better feeling when I found that the sun actually rose again on Thursday morning.

'There's only two options in life. You can sit down and cry, think the world is unfair and things are against you.

'Or you can stand up and fight. Of course that's what we have chosen to do.'

Frank insisted the hurt of missing out on automatic promotion would not derail Brentford's Premier League dream.

'I look forward now, but when we look back at the season it is the best season in more than 70 years,' said Frank, whose team beat Swansea 3-0 and 3-1 in the regular season and finished 11 points above them.

'We need to remember it's 46 games. Yes, the final one was decisive, but I could probably find a point or two in different places.

'I personally think we are still the in-form team in the play-offs if you look at the last nine games.

'We came third, so to me we are the better side of the four teams in the play-offs.'



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8559807/Swansea-manager-Steve-Cooper-happy-Championship-play-underdogs.html

[WhiteJC]

Head Coach press conference

Scott Parker thinks both sides will be feeling the pressure ahead of our Play-Off Semi-Final against Cardiff City.

Immediately after the final whistle on Wednesday, Bluebirds boss Neil Harris kicked off the mind games by stating that all the pressure would be on Fulham.

Parker responded to that statement by saying: "I think there's big pressure on both. Cardiff were in the Premier League with us last year and ended up eight points better off than us.

"I understand what Neil's saying, but he'll be feeling exactly the same. It's a massive game for both of us, the expectation on both clubs is huge.

"But we embrace that and we look forward to this challenge that lies ahead of us; two games against a very, very good Cardiff team.

"We understand what we're facing, but we're looking forward to it."

When Harris took over from Neil Warnock in mid-November, Cardiff were sitting 14th in the Championship, and Parker praised his efforts in reversing the Welsh club's fortunes.

"Neil's done a fantastic job," he stated. "Expectation at Cardiff would've been to be in the position they're in now and they changed manager because of that maybe.

"Neil's come in and got them to that position, so he's done an incredible job. They're an in-form team, a team which was in the Premier League only last year."

The Whites head into Monday's first leg in Wales on the back of a fine run which has seen us collect 17 points from a possible 21.

"We came out of lockdown with a couple of negative results despite the performances being there," Parker said.

"But we're now seven undefeated, we've had a couple of very good performances in that and scored some goals, had some clean sheets and looked pretty solid at times.

"The momentum at this present moment in time is with us, we're in form, I sense a real good vibe around the team.

"We're in a good place, and when you win football matches and you're undefeated, that breeds that.

"This is the nitty gritty now. 46 games of the season have passed, and we now go into the Play-Offs where there's a lot at stake.

"We need to worry about ourselves and worry about showing up how I want us to show up. There's certain ingredients I want in our performance, and if we do that then I know we'll be fine.

"When you look at Cardiff and the other two teams in the Play-Offs, it's tough competition, but you wouldn't expect anything less at this point."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/july/24/head-coach-press conference

[WhiteJC]

'Aleksandar Mitrovic is fearing them' — Junior Hoilett backs Cardiff City's star duo to silence Fulham kingpin

The Cottagers striker has 26 goals in all competitions this term and is the biggest threat to Cardiff City in the play-off semi-final


Aleksandar Mitrovic celebrates scoring a penalty against Cardiff City (Image: Getty Images)

Junior Hoilett believes Cardiff City's impressive centre-half pairing Curtis Nelson and Sean Morrison will be equipped to deal with the threat of Aleksandar Mitrovic in the play-off semi-final.

The Serb has been in incredible form this season, having scored 26 goals and played a huge part in dragging Fulham to within touching distance of automatic promotion.

The striker scored both in the draw at Cardiff City Stadium at the beginning of the season and from the penalty spot at Craven Cottage two weeks ago in the Cottagers' 2-0 win.

But while a lot of talk will doubtless surround the threat the towering striker poses to the Bluebirds' play-off final chances over the coming week, Hoilett thinks Mitrovic will fear the prospect of coming up against City's in-form centre backs.

"Morrison and Nelson have been fantastic all year round," Hoilett said. "I'm sure they are ready and Mitrovic is fearing them as well.

"They just have to keep playing the way they've been playing recently and we'll be fine. They've been solid at the back and, with support around them, they'll be fine."

It's clear Mitrovic will be the main focus of Cardiff's defensive efforts in the build-up to Monday night's clash at Cardiff City Stadium, but City manager Neil Harris also backs his defence to stand firm against the task.

"I look at my team to deal with their strengths." Harris said. "I look to my centre-halves to deal with Mitrovic, my full-backs to deal with their wide players and my midfielders to come out on top in the middle.

"He is a good number nine at this level - at Premier League level - and I think he'll get better. But we have got the ability and know-how to deal with him. I hope!"

At the other end of the pitch, though, City have been free-flowing.

They have scored eight goals in their last three games and Hoilett himself has looked particularly threatening, having netted three times in the nine games since lockdown.

Harris said Hoilett probably benefited most from the three-month break from football, given the sheer volume of game time he has had under his belt in the last few years.

So, what was they key to the player's rejuvenation? What did he do to recharge the batteries when the country ground to a halt owing to Covid-19?

"I did absolutely nothing!" he laughed "I just used the moment to relax. I have been playing a lot of football with the club and national team.

"It was nice to recoup, relax and get ready to hit the ground running.

"It helped me to get back into the form I'm used to. It'll be great if I can use that form in the next two games and get the team to Wembley."

If the team do get to Wembley, of course, they could well face arch-rivals Swansea City, who play their own play-off semi-final against Brentford this weekend.

There are a lot of ifs and buts before that happens, of course, but even Hoilett couldn't deny himself a smile when asked if he would fancy facing the old enemy on Tuesday, August 4.

"Of course!" he said when asked if he would relish the rivalry. "Why not?

"It could be a south Wales derby final at Wembley, a pity there's no fans there but that would be a great match.

"For that to be the match to decide who goes to the Premier League would be a massive game and a fantastic game for the players and the fans."

But, as we all know, there is the small matter of Fulham and Brentford in the way of that happening.



https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aleksandar-mitrovic-fearing-them--18658634

[WhiteJC]

Onomah: Take Confidence

Josh Onomah feels like Fulham are in a good place heading into the Play-Offs.

One of the Whites' seven unbeaten matches was a recent 2-0 victory over our Semi-Final opponents Cardiff City.

It was arguably our most complete 90 minutes of post-lockdown football, a fact which Onomah believes can only be a positive for his side.

"We can take a huge boost from beating them a couple of weeks ago," he told fulhamfc.com. "We played well, got a couple of goals and a clean sheet as well.

"It was a good, all-round performance really, so we can take huge confidence from that.

"Our mentality is definitely good going into these games. We're looking forward to what we're hoping is three more matches.

"We know it's going to be a challenge, but to have played Cardiff recently and won, I think we'll take huge confidence from that and look forward to playing them again on Monday and Thursday."

Onomah has been in stellar form since football resumed, chipping in with a crucial goal in the aforementioned Cardiff victory, in addition to his late winner against Birmingham City.

He appears to be growing in confidence with every match, and now his full focus is on the primary target of promotion.

"I feel like the break we had was a time for me to reflect on my personal performance and what I want to achieve this season," he explained. "The break helped me do that.

"I missed the first game back due to injury and I was just hungry to get on the pitch and do what I can to help the team get this Club back into the Premier League.

"To do that would be a massive deal for me. It was one of my goals at the start of the season. It would be amazing to mark my first season with promotion.

"Obviously Tottenham was my home for a major part of my life, but now I've come here, I've settled in quickly with the staff and players, I feel like this is my home now, and I'm looking forward to getting this Club back into the Premier League."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/july/26/josh-onomah-cardiff-play-off-preview

[filham]

Monday Night Pressure
Of course both teams are under pressure in a playoff semi final but the team under most pressure has to be Cardiff. If they fail to win then their chances at the Cottage are not going to be very good.

[cottage expat]

2019-20 Championship – Cardiff vs Fulham Preview & Prediction

THE FACTS

When does Cardiff vs Fulham kick off? Monday 27th July, 2020 – 19:45 (U

Where is Cardiff vs Fulham being played? Cardiff City Stadium

Where can I get tickets for Cardiff vs Fulham? Ticket information can be found on each club's official website

What TV channel is Cardiff vs Fulham on in the UK? Sky Sports have the rights to Championship matches in the UK, so it is worth checking their schedule

Where can I stream Cardiff vs Fulham in the UK? If televised, subscribers can stream the match live on Sky Go

THE PREDICTION

Fulham ended their season with a 1-1 draw away at Wigan, but head into the playoffs in relatively good shape. Cardiff brushed aside Hull to secure their spot in the top six and will hope to use home advantage here to try to gain an advantage going into their trip to Craven Cottage. However, Fulham are made of strong stuff defensively and both sides may cancel each other here in a drab encounter, with a low scoring draw the first leg result.



https://www.thestatszone.com/football/english-championship/2019-20-championship-cardiff-vs-fulham-preview-prediction-1106102

Thanks, Whitejc. For those of us in the US, the match is being shown on ESPN+