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Monday Fulham Stuff - 23/11/20...

Started by WhiteJC, November 19, 2020, 11:58:47 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

WhiteJC

Results



Sunday
Fulham
2-3
Everton
Sheff Utd
0-1
West Ham
Leeds
0-0
Arsenal
Liverpool
3-0
Leicester

WhiteJC

#1
Fulham 2-3 Everton

Dominic Calvert-Lewin continued his excellent scoring form with two goals as Everton returned to winning ways in an absorbing encounter with Fulham.

Richarlison made an immediate impact on his return from a three-match suspension by providing the cross for Calvert-Lewin to bundle in after just 42 seconds.

In a dramatic game, Bobby Decordova-Reid equalised for the hosts with a clean right-foot finish before England forward Calvert-Lewin went top of the Premier League scoring charts with his 10th of the season from Lucas Digne's cross.

France defender Digne provided another assist before half-time, this time for Abdoulaye Doucoure to head home unchallenged for Everton's third - and his first since joining from Watford.

Fulham missed their third penalty of the season, awarded for Ben Godfrey's foul on Ruben Loftus-Cheek, when Ivan Cavaleiro slipped, hit the ball against his wrong foot and sent it over the bar.

Substitute Loftus-Cheek's deflected finish from Ademola Lookman's pass set up a grandstand finish but it was not enough to prevent Fulham from sinking to a seventh defeat in nine games.

Everton back on track
This was much harder than it should have been for Everton - so much so that their players greeted the final whistle with evident relief.

After coasting into a 3-1 lead, they were left hanging on as they allowed Fulham a lifeline before finally securing a first win for seven weeks to reignite their campaign.

After a tough run of results, there were many positives for Carlo Ancelotti to take back to Merseyside.

Alex Iwobi has struggled to nail down a regular slot in the side but was dynamic in south-west London.

With Brazil forward Richarlison eager to make up for lost time in his first club game since 17 October and Digne providing a couple of quality assists, Everton dominated Fulham for long periods.

But Ancelotti will be annoyed his side has failed to keep a clean sheet in the league since the opening weekend, Tom Cairney's pass splitting the defence for Decordova-Reid to score before Loftus-Cheek netted moments after Fulham's latest disaster from the penalty spot.

With a tough December looming which includes games against Chelsea, Leicester, Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United, Everton's season is at least back on the right track.

Fulham's spot-kick nightmare continues
After a poor start to life back in the Premier League, there have been signs that Fulham could be turning a corner following a hard-earned point against Sheffield United and victory over West Brom.

Against Everton they were once again authors of their own misfortune.

They gave away possession for the visitors' opening goal, failed to mark Doucoure who made it 3-1 and suffered their third straight failure from the spot.

In their previous game on 7 November, Lookman missed a Panenka-style penalty with the last kick of the game against West Ham.

With Aleksandar Mitrovic also having missed from the spot against Sheffield United on 18 October, Portuguese forward Cavaleiro stepped forward to take responsibility after Godfrey's foul with Fulham trailing 3-1.

The former Wolves player stepped forward - and was penalised for double hitting the ball after slipping and kicking it against his non-kicking foot, sending his effort flying high over the bar.

Although substitute Loftus-Cheek managed to pull a goal back, Fulham could not find an equaliser and now face daunting games at Leicester and Manchester City before hosting Liverpool on 12 December.

Three points but defensive worries continue - the stats
    Everton have conceded two or more goals in six consecutive Premier League games for the first time since October 2008.
    Fulham's Bobby Decordova-Reid scored in back-to-back home league games for the first time since April 2018 for Bristol City.
    Only Chelsea (12) have scored more goals in the first minute of Premier League games than Everton (10 - level with Tottenham).
    Dominic Calvert-Lewin's opener after just 42 seconds was the earliest Premier League goal Everton have scored since April 2017 against Leicester (30 seconds).
    Since making his Premier League debut in August 2018, only Trent Alexander-Arnold (26) and Andrew Robertson (25) have provided more assists in the competition among defenders than Everton's Lucas Digne (15).

What's next?
Fulham have more than a week to prepare for their next Premier League game at Leicester on 30 November (17:30 GMT), while Everton host Leeds at Goodison Park on Saturday (17:30).



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54948354

WhiteJC

#2
Post-Everton Press Conference


Scott Parker was left downbeat after a tough first half left Fulham with too much to do on Sunday afternoon.

Not one minute had been played when Dominic Calvert-Lewin put Everton in front, and although Bobby De Cordova-Reid hit a fine equaliser, another Calvert-Lewin effort and an Abdoulaye Doucoure header put the visitors in control at the break.

The Whites dominated a second half in which Ivan Cavaleiro missed a penalty and Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored his first goal for the Club, but an equaliser proved elusive.

"I take positives from the performance second half but my underlying thoughts at the moment are the first half in terms of the way we approached the game," Parker said.

"We were second best to a lot of things, but we showed our quality and got our noses back into it at 1-1, but in terms of duels, in terms of 50-50s, in terms of putting your mark on the football match, basics of the game, we didn't do that well enough.

"We gave ourselves a real uphill task in conceding three goals. In saying that, the second half was much improved, we changed things around a little bit in terms of tactics.

"Second half we performed with exactly what we missed in the first half in terms of battles and understanding the football match.

"If you're one of the best teams in the world, or you're Fulham, it's got to be a given. Certainly first half, we fell short of that at times, and that disappoints me, really disappoints me.

"But second half was much improved, and we showed some quality."

When asked what he thought led to the below-par opening 45, Parker replied: "Of course there's individual errors, but I'm not even looking at individual errors at this moment in time. I'm looking at the real basics of the football match.

"Let's forget tactics, let's forget good players, let's forget all of that. Let's just go into a football match and understand that first and foremost you need to win battles.

"People may look at that and think it's a really basic thing to say. And of course there's more to it, but any match in the Premier League you need to show that side to you. And we just fell short.

"Second half we gave a reaction, but that shouldn't come from a rollicking at half-time. This team can produce what we were missing in the first half. We've shown that, we've shown that over the course of this season.

"I know we can cause teams problems, we can be successful, I know that for sure. We're a very good team, but at the same time we have some deficiencies.

"It's a young team with new players, and that message that we're driving home is exactly what we're talking about."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/november/Post-Everton-Press-Conference/


WhiteJC

Why Aleksandar Mitrovic did not start Fulham vs Everton clash

The Serbian forward played two of Serbia three matches during the international break

Scott Parker has described the decision to start with Aleksandar Mitrovic on the bench as a tactical one.

The Cottagers top goalscorer had been on international duty going to penalties against Scotland and playing a further match against Russia.

With the absence of Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa from the line up it appeared the international break and travel may have cost them their place. However, Parker noted that it was a, predominantly, a tactical choice to combat Carlo Ancelotti's side.

He told BBC: "[It is] mainly [a] tactical [decision]. Obviously Aleks has come back from international duty. The team I've [picked] today is a team that I feel can hurt Everton, can cause them problems."

Ivan Cavaleiro and Mario Lemina came into the side as the Cottagers started without a recognised striker and Ademola Lookman often being the most advanced player on the pitch. Cavaleiro took up the cetral role with Lookman and Bobby De Cordova-Reid on either flank.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/aleksandar-mitrovic-not-start-fulham-19325011

WhiteJC

Fulham miss another penalty as Dominic Calvert-Lewin double earns Everton win

A brace from Dominic Calvert-Lewin helped Everton return to winning ways after a five-goal thriller at Fulham, who suffered penalty disappointment yet again.

Carlo Ancelotti saw the England striker net twice in the first half to take his club tally for the season to 13, with 10 of them in the Premier League, while Abdoulaye Doucoure's first goal for the Toffees proved key in the end.

Fulham had responded well to Calvert-Lewin's bright opener with Bobby Decordova-Reid equalising soon after, but slack play at the back had them set for another defeat before they were handed a lifeline in the 67th minute.

Ivan Cavaleiro missed the subsequent spot-kick, however, and even though Ruben Loftus-Cheek pulled one back three minutes later, Scott Parker's side suffered a seventh league loss of the campaign.

Richarlison returned for Everton after a three-match suspension and his impact was immediate with the attacker involved in the opener inside a minute in the capital.

Decordova-Reid gave away possession and the Brazilian did not need a second invitation to dribble into the area where his centre was bundled in by Calvert-Lewin.

With 42 seconds on the clock it was the quickest goal scored in the division this season and after the perfect start, Ancelotti would have hoped for a strong defensive showing.

Following three consecutive defeats, the Italian had changed formation at Craven Cottage and recalled defenders Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina to play alongside Michael Keane.

Despite having three centre-backs on the pitch, Decordova-Reid found enough space in between two of them to rifle home the equaliser in the 15th minute following a neat one-two with Fulham captain Tom Cairney.

Parker's side were lifted by the leveller and pushed for a second, but were hit with a sucker punch after 29 minutes when both of Everton's wing-backs starred to create a second for the visitors.

Traditional attacker Alex Iwobi cut inside from the right and dribbled past two opponents before finding James Rodriguez, who spotted Lucas Digne in space and the Frenchman's cross was put away clinically by the in-form Calvert-Lewin.

Fulham were rocked but did not learn their lesson with Digne again afforded too much space out wide to create the Toffees' third with 35 played, Doucoure heading in from close range for his first Everton goal.

Alphonse Areola was called upon before the half was up to deny Rodriguez with a strong hand and it ensured they trailed by only two at the break.

With games against Leicester, Manchester City and Liverpool coming up, Parker resisted the temptation to make changes during the interval but the dropped Aleksandar Mitrovic was summoned in the 58th minute.

It was a double substitution from the Sky Bet Championship play-off winners with Loftus-Cheek also sent on and Cairney and Decordova-Reid the men to make way.

The decision proved inspired with the newcomers linking up to win Fulham a spot-kick with 23 minutes left after Godfrey clipped Chelsea loanee Loftus-Cheek inside the area.

Mitrovic and Ademola Lookman had both failed to convert penalties this season, which saw Cavaleiro take the responsibility, but he joined the duo in suffering embarrassment from 12 yards when he slipped and scuffed his effort over.

Fulham's disappointment was eased when Loftus-Cheek found the net for the first time in 18 months to offer them a lifeline.

The midfielder, who suffered a serious Achilles injury in May last year, fired in via a deflection off Mina after excellent play by Lookman on the right and with 20 minutes left, the two managers sensed a dramatic finale could be on the cards.

Ancelotti's side showed an excellent professional approach, however, and retained possession well during the closing stages to end their four-game winless streak.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-everton-match-report-result-latest-score-b76458.html

WhiteJC

Fulham 2-3 Everton: Dominic Calvert-Lewin scores twice as Fulham's struggles continue
Premier League, Craven Cottage - Fulham 2 (Reid 15', Loftus-Cheek 70') Everton 3 (Calvert-Lewin 1' & 29', Doucoure 35')

Dominic Calvert-Lewin bagged a brace as Everton returned to winning ways with a 3-2 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Carlo Ancelotti's side came into this game on the back of three successive defeats before the international break, but ended that slide with an emphatic performance which saw them open the scoring after just 42 seconds.

Fulham gave up possession inside their own area, allowing Richarlison to drive into the box. The Brazilian's cross was deflected into the path of Calvert-Lewin who bundled a finish into the net from close range.

The Cottagers equalised after 15 minutes, with Bobby Decordova-Reed angling a tidy finish across Jordan Pickford and into the far corner of the Everton net, but the Toffees struck back when Calvert-Lewin converted a Lucas Digne cross.

Digne was the provider once more as his delivery found Abdoulaye Doucoure, who powered home a header from six yards out to give Everton a two-goal cushion heading into the half time interval.

A foul from Ben Godfrey on Aleksandar Mitrovic inside the box gave Fulham a chance to score a second only for Ivan Cavaleiro to miss - Fulham's third straight penalty miss. Seconds later, though, Ruben Loftus-Cheek had the ball in the net from an Ademola Lookman cut-back.

Fulham pressed hard for an equaliser, with Loftus-Cheek and Mitrovic making a difference, but Everton held on for a win that lifts them up to sixth place in the Premier League table and keeps the Cottagers in 17th.

TALKING POINT - Positives for Scott Parker despite defeat
The introduction of Loftus-Cheek and Mitrovic off the bench in the second half changed the game for Fulham. The power and presence of both players pushed Everton back and gave the Cottagers a platform in the opposition half. This match might have been a different story had these two players started. By the time they came on, Fulham had dug themselves an almighty hole. Despite the defeat, Parker will take positives from his side's second half display as he edges closer to a trusted lineup.

MAN OF THE MATCH - Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)
Calvert-Lewin's astonishing scoring run continued with a double in this win for Everton. With Richarlison and James back in the team, the Toffees looked dangerous in the final third of the pitch, particularly in the first half, with Calvert-Lewin the man providing the cutting edge in front of goal. Ancelotti is getting the best out of the 23-year-old at this moment in time. The team is built around him as an attacking apex.

PLAYER RATINGS
Fulham - Areola 5, Aina 5, Andersen 5, Adarabioyo 4, Robinson 5, Lemina 5, Reed 7, Cavaleiro 6, Cairney 6, Lookman 5, Reid. Subs - Loftus-Cheek 7, Mitrovic 7, Zambo Anguissa 5.

Everton - Pickford 6, Godfrey 4, Keane 5, Mina 5, Digne 8, Iwobi 7, Allan 7, Doucoure 7, James 7, Richarlison 8, Calvert-Lewin 8. Subs - Sigurdsson 5, Davies 5.

KEY MOMENTS
1' GOAL! Fulham 0-1 Everton: What a start for the Toffees! They have scored within the opening minute! Fulham gave the ball away inside their own half, Richarlison drove into the box and put the pass on a plate for Calvert-Lewin to finish from close range!

15' GOAL! Fulham 1-1 Everton: It's an equaliser! Very nice finish from Decordova-Reed! Cairney prodded the pass through and the 27-year-old found the bottom corner of the Everton net with a very nice finish across Pickford! The home side are back on level terms!

30' GOAL! Fulham 1-2 Everton: It's that man again! Everton sweep the ball out to Digne, he feeds the cross into Calvert-Lewin and he makes no mistake in finishing from close range. He is in such exceptional goalscoring form! Calvert-Lewin is on a third hat trick this season!

35' GOAL! Fulham 1-3 Everton: It's a third goal for Everton! Dreadful defending from Fulham and they have a mountain to climb now! Digne got the cross into the box and Doucoure was on hand to head home from close range. The midfielder had a completely free header!

68' PENALTY KICK MISSED! Can you believe it! Cavaleiro takes the spot kick after recent misses from Mitrovic and Lookman, but he's missed as well! He kicks the ball on to his other foot and it spins over.

70' GOAL! Fulham 2-3 Everton: Fulham have found the back of the Everton net for a second time! Lookman drove into the box and cut back the pass for Loftus-Cheek. His shot picked up a deflection off Mina and spun into the back of Pickford's net. A lifeline for the hosts!

KEY STATS
Fulham have missed five of their last eight Premier League penalties, including each of the last three, all taken by different players (Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ademola Lookman and Ivan Cavaleiro).

Everton have conceded two or more goals in six consecutive Premier League games for the first time since October 2008.



https://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/premier-league/2020-2021/_sto8000475/story.shtml


WhiteJC


Fulham pay penalty once again as Calvert-Lewin double leads Everton to win
Fulham 2 Everton 3

A brace from Dominic Calvert-Lewin helped Everton return to winning ways after a five-goal thriller at Fulham, who suffered penalty disappointment yet again.

Carlo Ancelotti saw the England striker net twice in the first half to take his club tally for the season to 13, with 10 of them in the Premier League, while Abdoulaye Doucoure's first goal for the Toffees proved key in the end.

Fulham had responded well to Calvert-Lewin's bright opener with Bobby Decordova-Reid equalising soon after, but slack play at the back had them set for another defeat before they were handed a lifeline in the 67th minute.

Ivan Cavaleiro missed the subsequent spot-kick, however, and even though Ruben Loftus-Cheek pulled one back three minutes later, Scott Parker's side suffered a seventh league loss of the campaign.

Richarlison returned for Everton after a three-match suspension and his impact was immediate with the attacker involved in the opener inside a minute in the capital.

Decordova-Reid gave away possession and the Brazilian did not need a second invitation to dribble into the area where his centre was bundled in by Calvert-Lewin.

With 42 seconds on the clock it was the quickest goal scored in the division this season and after the perfect start, Ancelotti would have hoped for a strong defensive showing.

Following three consecutive defeats, the Italian had changed formation at Craven Cottage and recalled defenders Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina to play alongside Michael Keane.

Despite having three centre-backs on the pitch, Decordova-Reid found enough space in between two of them to rifle home the equaliser in the 15th minute following a neat one-two with Fulham captain Tom Cairney.

Parker's side were lifted by the leveller and pushed for a second, but were hit with a sucker punch after 29 minutes when both of Everton's wing-backs starred to create a second for the visitors.

Traditional attacker Alex Iwobi cut inside from the right and dribbled past two opponents before finding James Rodriguez, who spotted Lucas Digne in space and the Frenchman's cross was put away clinically by the in-form Calvert-Lewin.

Fulham were rocked but did not learn their lesson with Digne again afforded too much space out wide to create the Toffees' third with 35 played, Doucoure heading in from close range for his first Everton goal.

Alphonse Areola was called upon before the half was up to deny Rodriguez with a strong hand and it ensured they trailed by only two at the break.

With games against Leicester, Manchester City and Liverpool coming up, Parker resisted the temptation to make changes during the interval but the dropped Aleksandar Mitrovic was summoned in the 58th minute.

It was a double substitution from the Sky Bet Championship play-off winners with Loftus-Cheek also sent on and Cairney and Decordova-Reid the men to make way.

The decision proved inspired with the newcomers linking up to win Fulham a spot-kick with 23 minutes left after Godfrey clipped Chelsea loanee Loftus-Cheek inside the area.

Mitrovic and Ademola Lookman had both failed to convert penalties this season, which saw Cavaleiro take the responsibility, but he joined the duo in suffering embarrassment from 12 yards when he slipped and scuffed his effort over.

Fulham's disappointment was eased when Loftus-Cheek found the net for the first time in 18 months to offer them a lifeline.

The midfielder, who suffered a serious Achilles injury in May last year, fired in via a deflection off Mina after excellent play by Lookman on the right and with 20 minutes left, the two managers sensed a dramatic finale could be on the cards.

Ancelotti's side showed an excellent professional approach, however, and retained possession well during the closing stages to end their four-game winless streak.



https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/fulham-pay-penalty-once-again-as-calvert-lewin-double-leads-everton-to-win-39776304.html

WhiteJC


Everton hold on to edge luckless Fulham at Craven Cottage
Ivan Cavaleiro skies a penalty for the hosts as Carlo Ancelotti's side ride their luck

Fulham 2 Everton 3

In a week that Carlo Ancelotti had talked up Richarlison as a potential future contender for the Ballon d'Or, two more goals for Dominic Calvert-Lewin in a sparkling attacking display from his team ended Everton's wait for victory. But only just.

A stirring late Fulham fightback that saw Ruben Loftus-Cheek pull one back after Ivan Cavaleiro's penalty miss was further confirmation that the Italian's side still have plenty of room for improvement. Ancelotti had demanded a reaction from his players after three successive defeats in the Premier League and they duly obliged here, although Scott Parker's battling team could feel slightly hard done by despite falling behind inside the opening minute.

With Séamus Coleman again sidelined following a reoccurrence of his hamstring injury, this time Ancelotti turned to Alex Iwobi to fill Everton's troublesome right flank as a wing-back. It was an intriguing move that looked designed as much to maximise the threat of Richarlison and James Rodríguez in free roles behind Calvert-Lewin as providing more solidity to his fragile defence due to the presence of Michael Keane, Yerry Mina and Ben Godfrey as a back three.

Everton had conceded seven goals in their three defeats to Southampton, Newcastle and Manchester United after a brilliant start to the campaign that saw them set the early pace at the top of the table. It was no coincidence that run of defeats also coincided with Richarlison's absence after his red card against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby and the Brazilian seemed eager to make up for lost time.

Barely 40 seconds had elapsed when Cavaleiro's header back to Harrison Reed was misplaced and Richarlison seized on his opportunity, gliding into the box before squaring for Calvert-Lewin to bundle home via a couple of deflections. To their credit, however, Fulham – who selected the former Everton players Antonee Robinson and Ademola Lookman in their starting lineup – did not let their heads drop and were level within 14 minutes. Bobby Decordova-Reid had scuffed his previous effort from inside the penalty area but made no mistake after linking up well with Tom Cairney.

But while Everton continued to look shaky at the back, there was no stopping them in attack. Calvert-Lewin was denied his second by an offside flag after touching home Iwobi's cross although he did not have to wait long for another opportunity. A brilliant run infield from Iwobi created space for Lucas Digne on the opposite flank to deliver an inch-perfect cross that Calvert-Lewin gobbled up expertly to move clear as the Premier League's top goalscorer with 10 so far this season. Perhaps feeling left out of all the fun, Rodríguez's sumptuous pass with the outside of that allowed Digne to pick out Doucouré created a third goal that left Fulham with a mountain to climb with almost an hour of the match still to play.

Despite scoring within seconds of coming off the bench on his debut in a 4-0 thrashing of Manchester City in January 2017, Lookman went on to make fewer than 50 appearances for Everton before being sold to RB Leipzig last summer. His return to the Premier League on a season-long loan has given Fulham supporters some hope of avoiding relegation this time around – even if his fluffed Panenka penalty in injury time of their last match, against West Ham, cost Parker's side a precious point.

In theory, he should have been able to profit from Iwobi's inexperience in a defensive role but such was the threat of Digne on the other flank that the former England Under-21s forward was switched to the right for the second half. Parker threw on Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Aleksandr Mitrovic with half an hour to play in an attempt to put pressure on Everton's defence and it was the Chelsea loanee who won a penalty after being brought down by Godfrey.

This time, instead of Lookman, it was Cavaleiro who was entrusted with the spot-kick but the Portuguese forward slipped as he made contact and his effort ballooned way over the bar. Fulham still ensured there would be a frantic finale after Lookman supplied Loftus-Cheek within 60 seconds of the penalty miss, but – much to Ancelotti's relief – Everton held firm. - Guardian



https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/english-soccer/everton-hold-on-to-edge-luckless-fulham-at-craven-cottage-1.4416092

WhiteJC

Everton edge five-goal thriller

An afternoon in the glorious Craven Cottage sunshine had all the ingredients of Fulham's fabulously unorthodox Premier League campaign. There was plenty of disastrous defending, another comically missed penalty and a stirring fightback that saw Scott Parker's side claw their way back towards salvation but fall frustratingly short. Everton, who looked ominously in control at half-time, were left hanging on to the narrowest of leads but escaped the capital having arrested their own alarming run of reverses.

Parker's decision to omit Aleksandar Mitrovic and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa from his starting line-up raised a few eyebrows. Without the Serbian up front, Fulham lack a natural goalscorer whilst Anguissa's tenacity in midfield was sorely missed in a first half that saw Carlo Ancelotti's men stroll into a comfortable advantage. The hosts were the architects of their own downfall inside the first minute when Toison Adarabioyo attempted an ill-advised switch of play from the edge of his own box. Ola Aina's header was seized upon by Lucas Digne and Richarlison, restored to the starting line-up after suspension, sped to the by-line before his cut back allowed Dominic Calvert-Lewin the simplest of finishes after a couple of deflections.

Everton's enterprise – and a switch to a back three – simply overwhelmed Fulham, who were slow to settle and could have gone further behind as Richarlison and Alex Iwobi, who enjoyed an excellent outing as an adventurous right wing-back, roamed with intent. When the Whites did recover some of their poise they exploited space chiefly down their left flank with ex-Everton academy graduate Antonee Robinson to the fore. The American international made a chance that Bobby Decordova-Reid should have done better than to snatch at, but the Jamaican forward took his next opportunity far more impressively, shooting clinically past Jordan Pickford after a lovely one-two with Tom Cairney saw him glide past Yerry Mina.

The visitors still looked ropey at the back, but there were irrepressible going forward. Calvert-Lewin was denied a second by an offside flag but that merely postponed the inevitable. Iwobi injected pace and purpose into the Everton attack, surging past two challengers down the right, and making the space for his opposite wing-back Digne to dart dangerously down the left again. The French defender produced a fabulous first-time cross and Calvert-Lewin gobbled up his tenth league goal of the campaign.

Alphone Areola did his best to keep Fulham in the contest – making a couple of excellent saves from Calvert-Lewin and then pulling off a magnificent stop to keep out Richarlison after the Brazilian had robbed Maria Lemina in midfield and strode into the penalty area – but the game looked beyond the home side after Rodriguez's gorgeous pass freed Digne down the left again. Another excellent delivery found Abdoulaye Doucoure, criminally unmarked in the middle of the penalty area, who restored Everton's two-goal cushion with a clinical header.

Parker kept faith with his starting eleven after the break but there was little sign of a revival. Cairney looked the most likely to unlock the Everton defence, having a shot blocked by Godfrey, so it was something of surprise to see him sacrificed as a part of a double change that introduced Mitrovic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The switch had an almost immediate effect when the Chelsea loanee was clumsily felled in the box by Godfrey, only for Cavaleiro to spoon the spot-kick over the bar – slipping as he stepped up to strike it.

That setback would have finished off plenty of struggling sides but Parker's charges weren't about it to give it up just yet. A minute later Ademola Lookman burst into the box and fed Loftus-Cheek, whose shot looped into the net off Mina to spark hopes of a Fulham revival. Ancelotti sent on Tom Davies and Gylfi Sigurdsson to try and secure Everton's slender lead and, even though they retreated deep into their own half for much of the remaining twenty minutes, Fulham failed to fashion a clear-cut chance in a futile search for an equaliser.

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Areola, Aina, Robinson, Andersen, Adarabioyo; Reed, Lemina (Anguissa 69); Cavaleiro, Lookman, Cairney (Mitrovic 58); Decordova-Reid (Loftus-Cheek 58). Subs (not used): Rodak, Ream, Odoi, Bryan.

BOOKED: Decordova-Reid, Robinson.

GOALS: Decordova-Reid (15), Loftus-Cheek (70).

EVERTON (3-4-3): Pickford; Godfrey, Mina, Keane; Digne, Iwobi, Allan, Doucoure; Rodriguez (Davies 74), Richarlison (Sigurdsson 76), Calvert-Lewin. Subs (not used): Olsen, Holgate, Bernard, Gomes, Tosun.

GOALS: Calvert-Lewin (1, 29), Doucoure (35).

REFEREE: Andy Madley (West Yorkshire).



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/11/everton-edge-five-goal-thriller/


WhiteJC


Cottage Talk Full Time: Fulham Lose 3-2

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

This episode is our initial reactions to Fulham's 3-2 loss to Everton. Emilio Di Nello and Fulham legend Rob Wilson gave their views on this match shortly after it ended.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2020/11/22/21589743/cottage-talk-full-time-fulham-lose-3-2

WhiteJC

Fulham Need to Learn From Their Defensive Mistakes in Order to Stay in the Premier League

For all their hard work and calmness on the ball, Fulham need to learn quickly from their defensive mistakes. Scott Parker's side conceded three times against Everton, and a failure to have any sort of defensive solidity will see them return to the Championship.

Defensive Mistakes Will Cost Fulham Their Place in the Premier League
Failure to Learn From Past Mistakes and a Lack of Leadership

When Fulham were promoted to the Premier League in 2018, their opening game saw them start with an entirely new defence. Their play-off final winning side was cast aside almost instantly, and it eventually cost them.

Despite being under a new regime, Fulham and Scott Parker have failed to learn from their mistakes. The defence that saw them promoted and start to the season was quickly disbanded in place of their summer arrivals. The Premier League, where the opposition will pick you apart from almost nothing, is not the place to create new partnerships.

Scott Parker's side is lacking in leadership. As a result of no leadership, they have suffered. While you could argue that neither Michael Hector or Tim Ream are necessarily top-flight quality, neither of the two centre-backs have been given a chance this season.

Arguably, and this stems from the traditional expectations of the Championship, Fulham need toughness and grit in defensive. They are standing off and are failing to apply pressure in defensive positions. Apart from Manchester City, Scott Parker's side have pressed their opponents the least in the Premier League. While the football may look appealing, it does not always work at the bottom of the table.

Change Needs to Happen Quickly
Change is needed for Fulham and it is needed sooner rather than later.

Against Everton, the Cottagers were exposed in all areas. Two of Everton's three goals came from Lucas Digne receiving too much space on the left-hand side of the box as Ola Aina was caught of position and unaware of his man.

Both Aina and his opposite full-back Antonee Robinson were caught out of position far too often. That, for a side who are now up against in their fight against relegation, needs to change. Home truths need to be realised at Craven Cottage – they need to learn that they don't have the quality it takes to play their style in the Premier League.

The coming months will be a test of Scott Parker's managerial skills. His persistence of operating with the same style week in week out can be admired, but failure to adapt and change could lead to him relegating his side.



https://lastwordonsports.com/football/2020/11/22/fulham-need-to-learn-from-their-defensive-mistakes-in-order-to-stay-in-the-premier-league/

WhiteJC

Parker criticises Fulham players for not finding reaction 'from within'

Scott Parker warned Fulham that they need to find motivation from within after admitting their reaction against Everton came too late.

Fulham have won just one of their first nine games back in the Premier League after winning promotion last season. Their latest defeat was a 3-2 reverse to Everton.

Parker's side went behind inside the first minute. Although they equalised, Everton were 3-1 up by half-time.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek reduced the deficit with 20 minutes to go, but the fightback was too little, too late – and Parker knows it.

He told BBC Sport: "Improved in the second half but three goals down, I have stood here many times, you can't go on to score four goals to win games.

"A reaction? Yes for sure but it came too late. First half as always we played some nice stuff, showed what we were about but any second ball we came out second best. It is not the way it needs to be.

"There were errors of course, there needs to be an intensity about us. A football match is first and foremost is decided on putting an aggression, putting your stamp on things and after that you build your way into the game but we didn't do that."

Fulham shouldn't need 'telling off at half-time'

"We gave a reaction in the second half but it shouldn't have to come from a telling off at half-time, it should come from within.

"Fine margins in this game and I get the fine margins but what I can't accept from my team is that in the first half at times we were second best to 50-50 challenges. We got it out in the second half but it was too late.

"Some big positives as always but I want to win football matches, I want us to be successful and I feel for sure we can."



https://www.teamtalk.com/news/scott-parker-criticises-fulham-reaction


WhiteJC

Anthony Knockaert reveals how he's settling into life at Nottingham Forest

Anthony Knockaert has been a key player for Nottingham Forest since his arrival from Fulham last month.

The winger joined Forest on loan from Fulham last month, reuniting with former boss Chris Hughton, with the Reds having an obligation to make it a permanent deal.

Knockaert played an influential role in helping Hughton's Brighton team win promotion from the Championship in 2016/17, and the Frenchman has shown glimpses of his quality for the Reds.

He came on at half-time against Derby County to make his debut for the Reds, and it was his cross which led to Lyle Taylor firing home an equaliser from close-range.

Since then, Knockaert has made five successive league starts for Forest, but he is yet to open his account or register an assist for the Reds.

Knockaert, though, is enjoying life at the City Ground, and he has answered a question on his Instagram about how he has settled in since joining the club.

Knockaert responded with the below:

The Verdict

Nottingham Forest fans will be fairly satisfied with Knockaert's start to life on Trentside.

He hasn't scored or assisted yet, but his performances have been impressive and he always looks threatening for the Reds whenever he gets on the ball.

Hughton knows how to get the best of Knockaert, so with even more game time under his belt, he should keep on getting better and better.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/anthony-knockaert-reveals-how-hes-settling-into-life-at-nottingham-forest/

WhiteJC

Parker refuses to blame Cavaleiro as Fulham pay penalty again

LONDON (Reuters) - Fulham manager Scott Parker said his team have a problem with taking penalties but refused to blame winger Ivan Cavaleiro for missing one in Sunday's 3-2 Premier League home loss to Everton.

Cavaleiro, 27, who took up spot kick duties after Ademola Lookman's poor effort in the defeat at West Ham United last time out and Aleksandar Mitrovic's miss earlier this season, slipped and sent his kick over the bar in the second half.

Fulham have missed five of their last eight penalties in the league and Parker suggested there could be a new face to take up the responsibility from Portugal forward Cavaleiro.

"You couldn't have written it when he slipped and missed," Parker told reporters. "There is no denying we have an issue with penalties. We'll keep working and training to see who is the best to take them.

"All I can say is over the last 10 days, we've put things in place. Ivan is an exceptional penalty taker. Last time I was angry, today -- these things can happen."

Parker was happy with the second-half as Fulham pulled a goal back through substitute Ruben Loftus-Cheek to make it 3-2 after Cavaleiro's miss but said there was room for improvement as they remain fourth-bottom with four points from nine games.

"We can cause teams problems and be successful but we have deficiencies," the 40-year-old added. "It's a young team and we need to drill the message home. We've built a bond and we're doing everything in our power to keep improving."



https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-england-ful-eve-report-parker/parker-refuses-to-blame-cavaleiro-as-fulham-pay-penalty-again-idUKKBN2820L9

WhiteJC

Five Thoughts: Fulham 2-3 Everton
Normality, begrudgingly, resumed following the November international intermission. Fulham lose another Premier League fixture by a slim 1-goal margin and penalties are just as good as goal kicks. Carlo Ancelotti's Everton were on a perilous downward spiral before they travelled south to the capital but Fulham were, and still are, in greater need of points.


Scott Parker had a tissue in pocket for that runny hooter of his and the only thing more leaky than his nostrils was our defence, shock horror. The manner in which we began proceedings would reduce any grown individual to tears but things, as we will bring to light, did get better.

Brace yourself, though, for we now have three meetings against Leicester City, Manchester City and Liverpool to navigate. I'm not a betting man – £5 accumulators don't count – although with the run-in we have leading into December, I'd say the odds are stacked against us but, as we're always the underdog, upsets can and invariably will happen. Quote me on that, we're getting nine points from nine. Chins up, we're still 17th, come on you Whites!

Defence, Let's Talk
Lucas Digne roamed along his respective channel freely and rinsed Ola Aina unceremoniously. Everton recognised Aina's positional infirmity, spread the play to the Thames and made the makeshift right-back walk the plank, much like Crystal Palace did a few weeks ago. All three of the visitors' first-half goals were fashioned at Aina's expense but collectively, Fulham were vastly unprepared defensively and we paid a hefty price. Just as we thought we'd ousted those crippling defects at the back, the chilling frailties that have condemned us consistently in the Premier League returned without remorse.

Martin Keown's a charmless clown but I did agree with a few points of his, admittedly. There is a noticeable lack of communication at the back and our defensive procedures are reactive, rather than proactive. In the Premier League, that is inexcusable, someone has to take charge and whilst Joachim Andersen's a superb component, his leadership credentials are still fictional and that's the same story for Tosin Adarabioyo. They'll both flourish into no-nonsense, letter of the law enforcers, I've no doubt of that, but they're not there just yet. These experiences will hopefully toughen their mindsets as young central defenders and I'm sure they'll wince at the sight of the back four's disfigured anatomy, when they come to analyse the performance at Mostpur Park in the coming days, just like we will in turn.

These insecurities of ours have to be ironed out before we meet Leicester City on the 30th, otherwise we're cruising for a 5-goal bruising at the very least. To leave ourselves so desperately exposed along the right not once, but three times within 35 minutes was utterly deplorable and it speaks volumes about the connection our back four has with one another. They're all new faces, adjusting to life at the base of the table and if we're being critically honest, none of them have gained enough game time at this level and that is key to forging a pragmatic, efficient collective relationship. If this is the four to carry us forward (please come back soon, Kenny), we have to see extensive improvements. Closing incoming players, we were hesitant, soft in the challenge and top-flight teams will thrive on that standard of indecision we've set ourselves. Richarlison weaved his annoyingly compelling magic, Dominic Calvert-Lewin basically had a picnic in the centre of the goalmouth and now it's down to us to rain on upcoming parades at the King Power Stadium and beyond. Don't hold your breath.

Banging Bobby's Drum
Other than Aleksandar Mitrovic, who do we have that's truly capable of deputising at the pointed end of our offensive regiment? Parker deployed Bobby Decordova-Reid as our leading marksman and before kick-off, I doubted the diminutive attacker's abilities as a lone ranger but remarkably, he actually held his own fairly well against Everton's physical rearguard. Of course, he didn't pose the same problems that Mitro would so readily, but he explored the final third with an investigative thirst, peeling off his markers without a trace, and that's how he bagged our 15th-minute leveller, his third of the Premier League season.

Combining with Tom Cairney on the outskirts of Everton's penalty area, Decordova-Reid completed a textbook one-two with the skipper and darted past a flat-footed Mina. Setting himself, the 27-year-old the Jamaica international picked his spot and drilled into the left-hand corner of the net, a strike that was aided by Jordan Pickford's misjudgement. Prior to his goal-scoring moment, he'd actually swiped at a clear-cut chance to restore parity sooner, but in fairness, the ball rolled into his path was marginally behind his stride.

Nonetheless, BDR worked himself into prime positions, exactly how a false nine should. He didn't last the full 90, Ivan Cavaleiro did, for some reason that flouts knowledge and rationale, but the multi-functional offender participated admirably and these performances are precisely what we've come to expect from him. I won't excuse him for the miscued lay-up that effectively guided Everton's first of the afternoon, but I will applaud his underlying input within his natural area of the pitch, because it exposed the Toffees' soft, penetrable underbelly in periods where we had to capitalise. He coasts through games, you could mistake him for a passenger and defenders write him off as a manageable pest, however BDR is, as the visitors learnt, anything but.

Self-Inflicted Mayhem
Masters of self-inflicted mayhem. Fulham, under Parker and those that have gone before, are instructed to play out from the back with the view of exhibiting total football but in the first-half, our flimsy tendencies across the back four briskly unveiled complete catastrophe. Pressed by Everton's attack, the Whites bobbed into deep, hot water, all within 42 seconds, as they gifted the Blues an opportunity to break the deadlock, well before the game's even been established. The quickest goal of the campaign to date, supposedly, Fulham's dubious custody across the back four tempted disaster and Everton dined upon a three-course feast, initially fixed by BDR, plated by one too many cooks then after.

I can see why Parker wants us to assemble sequences from the depths of our 6-yard quadrant, kind of. Alphonse Areola's distribution's constructive, Adarabioyo's slightly more assured than Tim Ream, for example, and Andersen's equally as comfortable with the ball under his spell, but this is coming from an idealistic viewpoint. Once Everton doubled their lead, our heads went. Andersen's a reliable passer of the ball but even his decision making was contentious, he literally punted it out of play to hand Everton a corner and though we regrouped latterly, inviting unneeded strain and stress with detectable, uninspired dabs across the back four stirred the tension. There's no denying it, we're not good enough to entrust an out-and-out passing philosophy at this level as certain games will require, such as this one, will require quick-fire evasive measures in order to douse the opposition's momentum.

Unconsciously, the Whites wrote their own downfalls, as they so often do, and it showed in the second-half that if we flicked that mental switch whilst administering possession, we'll actually limit the opposition to a bare minimum. In fairness, it wasn't just our defence that faltered, certain members of the midfield department also fumbled routine passes and this pistol's loaded with Mario Lemina's name etched on each bullet. He put himself about, maybe tried a little too hard and his passing range in the centre of the park was atrociously amateur. Whenever the ball channelled through his supervision, it left with the wrong address, or it'd been pickpocketed from under his over-zealous nose. I want players to be bold and trust the system, however I simply don't have the patience for incompetence in innocuous situations and he was an ever-constant culprit.

Ruben Does Bits
Living in close proximity to a tiresome brigade of Chelsea fans, we're constantly questioned to why Ruben Loftus-Cheek, our "best player", hasn't featured in every minute of every game we've encountered this season and the simple answer doesn't really compute very well with the curious Blue. RLC came to the brighter side of SW6 with an esteemed regard and I, for one, raved about his injury-prone expertise but in his sporadic outings so far, he's been markedly average. Shoehorned into undesignated areas of the pitch, the 24-year-old has faded out of various occasions although against the Toffees, tasked with the responsibility of altering proceedings in our favour, the resurging England international was a prominent instigator in our advances and his dormant class gushed out of every touch in torrents.

Replacing BDR, it didn't take Loftus-Cheek very long to influence the game in the way he'd intended. Weaving his way into the penalty area, after a neat interchange on the fringe of the 18, RLC's deceptive movement bamboozled Ben Godfrey, who subsequently felled the Chelsea loanee with a rogue swipe of the shin pad. Piercing, progressive, Loftus-Cheek manufactured a deceptive groove that unsettled the visitors, and though Ivan Cavaleiro spurned the resulting spot kick so comically, the midfielder's intuitive enterprise instilled an instant confidence into his teammates, an infectious outlook that pledged a foundation to build upon. Yes, when he wants to, Ruben does bits.

Two minutes after Cav's turf-turning blunder from 12-yards, Loftus-Cheek atoned on the winger's behalf. Ademola Lookman charged into the danger zone, clear of his marker, and located his fellow loanee with an intelligent cut back. Deflecting off Mina, RLC's goal-bound strike cannoned past a rooted Pickford and the prospect of shared spoils was automatically lodged into the afternoon's unscripted agenda. With the ball, Loftus-Cheek constructed mindfully, drifting out of central positions to develop attacking situations from the right flank and out of possession, he hustled and harried Everton's restricted ball carriers. Incorporating him on a weekly basis from the off, that's an unpopular conundrum. To get the very best out of the Blues' boy, he has to reside behind the striker, or so we thought, anyway. Confining RLC to one core position, I'm not entirely sure it's necessary. Would I have him along the left? Indefinitely. Could he cohabit the middle of the park with Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, very possibly. The variations could be endless where Loftus-Cheek is concerned and as he's already relatively adaptable, there's definitely solid ground for his personal game to evolve, on or off the bench.

Second-Half Resurgence
At 3-1 down at the break, a second-half onslaught from Everton was fully anticipated but to Parker's credit, the substitutions introduced to the fray spearheaded a spirited fight back in the closing 20 minutes or so, advertising a brand of football that's attractive, as well as distinctly flawed. Loftus-Cheek, as we've discovered, held the torch for the Whites in their sequences, Anguissa ventured to hassle Tom Davies and Gylfi Sigurðsson, which he most certainly did, and Mitro pinned Yeray Mina and his central partners to the edge of the 18-yard box, enabling the Whites to press on in their quest for an elusive equaliser.

Fulham, in its entirety, rallied to deny Everton after the restart, barring the odd scare, and though a trouncing was initially predicted, the Whites displayed a defiance that demanded reward and our guests had their backs pressed firmly against the metaphorical wall. We could feel aggrieved in the aftermath, knowing that our efforts amounted to nothing in the grand scheme of things, although I'm only interested in highlighting the reborn attitude in our approach, particularly after another howling miss from the penalty spot. The all-round application was commendable and if we could somehow devise a system that allows us to perform with vitality, verve and determination from the start, we'd surely stave off the drop, and that's not an irrational statement to make in the slightest.

Tools were not downed. Reinvigorating our game plan was essential and we chopped and changed at the right time and for the correct personnel. There is life within this squad, we genuinely possess enough heart and willpower, however that all-important end product's proving to be our Achilles heel. We can harp on about numerous troubles at the back – and boy haven't we done so incessantly – but the one defining factor that's dampening our chances is the unrefined quality within our patterns in the final third. We asked major questions of the Toffees' composition, our purpose and movement constrained their relevance, although a killer assist, alongside a lethal extinct, wasn't present once we'd manipulated the visitors' shape and fortitude. We fell short of the mark, just shy of the required standard, although we shouldn't resign ourselves to a winter of doom and gloom because there is a palpable unity within Parker's camp.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2020-11-22-five-thoughts-fulham-2-3-everton/


WhiteJC

Jack and Loz Not at the Cottage - Blog 150

Date: 22nd November 2020

Opposition: Everton

Score: 2-3


Fulham Goal Scorers: BBR, RLC

MOTM: the best performers on Sunday were subs Frank and RLC but Antoneeee Robinson was consistently good for 90 minutes - always driving forwards, looking to cross, expecting the return ball and constantly working hard

Lunch: Loz - rigatoni with veggie sausage, Jack - garlic bread and Stilton

Everton have a very good motto: nil satis nisi optimum which roughly translates as Nothing But the Best. Fulham don't have a motto but if we did it would probably be nam nos vita difficile faciens quira MDCCCLXXIX which roughly translates as Making Life Difficult for Ourselves Since 1879.

The most frustrating thing about Frustrating Fulham at the moment is that we are so near but so far. Two weeks ago we proved we are as good as mid table West Ham but lost to them by one goal. On Sunday we conceded a goal on 42 seconds, missed a p*****y, didn't bring our best player on until the 69th minute and had top 6 contenders Everton hanging on by a combination of fingernails and time wasting.......but still lost to them by one goal.

It was an exceptionally poor start, even for a team which excels at starting badly. The first minute goal came from a defensive mix up worse than anything the Triangle of Doom could have conjured up and things didn't improve at the back during the rest of the first half leading us to wonder if Alfie Mawson is now acting as defence coach.

Even the midfield started the game jittery and nervous with the normally reliable Harrison Reid giving the ball away as much as everyone else. Up front things were better and, despite a wasted free kick and a pointless short corner we played our way into the game with some pin point passes, clever ideas and well used pace.

After a weak sighter, Bobby-Bobby Reid showed his speed, skill and neat finishing ability with an excellent goal. Fulham were level and looking confident. It wasn't enough though. Everton were strong, well organised and determined. They seemed to win every 50/50 ball and even some weighted in our favour. Both their second and third goals were fantastic but easier than they should have been. Our midfield and defence melted away like butter every time Everton attacked and, had it not been for Areola who played well as usual, we would have conceded a lot more than 3.

It didn't help that we seemed to be playing with 9 men: in the first half Lemina did nothing and Cav less (and it might have been better if he'd done nothing in the second half either......) Aina has been criticised for some poor play but at least he was actually playing.

Football is, of course, a game of two cliches and one of the other frustrations about Frustrating Fulham is our ability to play well in only one half. We would have subbed Lemina and Cav at half time but because Scott didn't it meant that the second half didn't really start until the 57th minute and even then whilst bringing on RLC and Mitro was the right thing to do we wouldn't have taken off Tom and Bobby.

As we all know, last season Fulham started many games without Aleksandar Mitrović and it was a strategy which always paid off, particularly at Wembley. Mitro has been out of sorts lately, misfiring on the pitch, jeglagged from European travels and no doubt heartbroken by yet another p*****y miss so not starting him made sense and meant he could throw himself into the attack in the frantic final third of the match.

We have been waiting for some time to see what RLC can do and, at last, he didn't disappoint. He won the p*****y, scored a goal and was a big part of the attacking threat. A word here on Lookman: he owed us a big performance. He didn't quite deliver but his work for the goal was superb and if our two loanees can keep combining like that then that's another source of goals which can rely on.

Right. We can't put it off any longer. A few of seasons ago, we used to talk about Fulham's p*****y curse when we just couldn't score them no matter who stepped up to take them. But then Olly Norwood came along and cured the curse and all was right with the world for a while. This season, however, the p*****y curse has become the p*****y joke. Mitro. Lookman.Cav. Do they ever practise the things? More importantly, if you are awarded a p*****y, do you actually have to take it? Can you say to the ref, "nah, mate, you're all right, we'll just play on"? In all seriousness, this has got to be a better option than taking them and missing every time.

As so often (and this is, as much as anything else, another source of frustration) Fulham finished the game strongly. Lemina played well for his last 10 minutes so well done to him for that. He was replaced by Frank who grabbed the game but the scruff of the neck and made sure the last 20 minutes was all about Fulham's attack, an endeavour in which he was ably assisted by Antoneeee, Andersen and a much improved Harrison Reed. No one was afraid to shoot, everyone wanted the ball and Everton needed 10 men back to hold us off - and 4 of those were for Mitro alone. We have to praise the players for their never say die spirit - once again they fought to the end. But, once again, it wasn't enough.

This was an action packed, end to end game in which we finally began to see more answers than questions. Scott has this group of players not just playing for him but eating out of his hand. But he needs to find his best 11 and stick with them. That 11 has to include Frank, Reed, TC, Lookman and probably RLC and BBR as well. He needs to eliminate the mistakes (starting slowly, giving the ball away, naivety at the back) and convert playing well but losing by one goal into winning points. And he needs to do all that very quickly.

Random musings:-

- the winter ball looked good in the winter sunshine

- Craven Cottage looked AMAZING in the winter sunshine!

- the new Riverside stand is going to be the envy of the league.....

- ......but which league?

- on the law of averages, Mitro would have scored the p*n

- Dominic Calvert-Lewis is a good player but it's disappointing to concede two goals to someone with such a poor man bun

- 80% of the goals were scored by people with double barrelled names.

Everton are a very good team with a brilliant manager and we had them on the ropes but we lack that final edge which would put us on equal terms. And unfortunately there are even harder games to come. This Fulham Premier League team, unlike the last one, is good enough to stay up but we have many more frustrating afternoons to endure before we find out if they will.

It is going to be a long hard winter for everyone. And especially for Fulham fans.



https://werdsmith.com/p/ZgkZUB34DsSV5

Fulham1959

Quote from: whitejc on November 23, 2020, 09:14:41 AM
Jack and Loz Not at the Cottage - Blog 150

Date: 22nd November 2020

Opposition: Everton

Score: 2-3


Fulham Goal Scorers: BBR, RLC


Funny and instructive.  Well done !

Cambridge Pete

I can't get over Keown's comment about our defence looking like it had not been drilled.  Would Palace let us borrow Roy for a couple of days a week? Our players are, by and large, good enough to play in this league but it does look as though there are no repeat drills a'la Roy. Perhaps Scotty hated them as a player, who knows. I never had the ability to play at a high level but even in the sixties playing for South Teddington we had some training and were encouraged to talk to one another on the pitch. Right that's off my chest.