Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 20/01/21...

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Results

Tuesday
West Ham	2-1	West Brom
Leicester	2-0	Chelsea

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Manchester United disclose two injury concerns ahead of Fulham Premier League showdown
Manchester United tackle Fulham in their Premier League clash on Wednesday night.

Manchester United's official website has named two injury concerns ahead of their Premier League showdown with Fulham on Wednesday night. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side enter the match looking to bounce back after a goalless draw with Liverpool on Sunday. The Red Devils currently sit top of the league table, two points ahead of Manchester City having played one game more.

Few gave United a chance of winning the title this season after defeats to Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Arsenal at Old Trafford.

But Solskjaer's side are currently on an impressive unbeaten run in the top flight, having not lost for 12 matches now.

They were disappointed to leave Liverpool with only a point on Sunday, particularly after Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba missed vital chances to win the game.

And they'll now go into the match against Fulham seeking a return to winning ways.

Solskjaer is due to face the media on Tuesday ahead of the match against the Cottagers, who narrowly lost 1-0 to Chelsea in their last fixture on Saturday.

But United's official website has provided some early team news.

They say that Phil Jones and Brandon Williams are the club's only concerns at present, with Solskjaer's squad currently boasting a clean bill of health.

It's also said that Eric Bailly, Edinson Cavani and Nemanja Matic 'look the most likeliest' to come back in when they go up against Scott Parker's team.

And they also say Alex Telles, Mason Greenwood and Donny van de Beek could be involved given their lack of game time over Christmas and the New Year.

United will have to be wary with three separate players, however.



https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1385859/Manchester-United-news-Fulham-Premier-League-Phil-Jones-Brandon-Williams

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Why we need to make room for Mitro
He's been out of favour of late, but we need to consider making room for our Serbian stirker, says Tim.

Despite Parker insisting that Mitro has a role to play this season, there's still so much speculation that the big Serb simply doesn't fit into the counter-attacking style that we've adopted over the past few months.

Some fans have been vocal about their desire to sell the Mitrovic in January (perhaps as a knee jerk reaction to his highly inclusive Christmas parties, and the less said on that, the better). But before we come to any rash conclusions, it's worth considering how he might fit into Scott's current system, and what he brings to this Fulham squad.

He can keep up with the counter
Granted, Mitro's pace is not electric. But it's also not fair to characterise him as a one trick pony. Consider that cathartic goal against Huddersfield in 2018: Cairney picks it up just outside of his own box, and eight seconds later Mitrovic has scored. Eight seconds! You probably spent more time reading this sentence than it took for Fulham to move from defending inside their own box, to Mitrovic scoring on the break. It's worth noting as well that he ran in behind a defensive line, finishing with his first touch after a lovely through ball from Sess. In short, he did the exact thing that he is criticised for not being able to do.

It's very easy to caricature a player and decide that their game is about X and not Y. But it's often reductive. Mitrovic is primarily a hold-up player, and a target man for crosses into the box. But that doesn't negate his other attributes. Go back and watch his goals from previous seasons. He doesn't only score headers from inside the six-yard line (though he does this very well. Don't get me started on the prospect of Tete delivering balls in to -Mitro). He's got many strings to his bow and that includes the capacity to counter quickly.

He can hold up play
Given the pace of our wide players, Mitrovic's hold-up play should actually help a rapid counter-attacking approach. Against Chelsea, Cav surrendered the ball cheaply when tasked to relieve pressure. A team can't counter if every time they clear the ball from their box, the striker fails to hold onto it.

With his strength, Mitro should be able to buy time for the likes of Lookman, BDR or (Heaven help me) Kamara to break either side of him. He might not score the goals himself, but he could be the key to unleashing others in a quick break.

He's a leader
Consider what else is lost if you sell Mitro. While he has worn the armband in an official capacity, his natural leadership on the pitch can't be overlooked.

He's vocal, helps in defence, rallies the team. When you lose someone like that, the team loses resilience, is less likely to bounce back from a deflating goal, and fans begin to bemoan the lack of natural leaders on the pitch. It's difficult to quantify this impact. But you can see it when it is not there. Let's face it, our actual club captain isn't exactly dripping with on-field leadership, are we really that willing to lose someone who is?

He's a legend
Part of what makes football so beautiful are the figures from history who have become heroes of your club. But to be blunt, you don't get those legendary figures if a fanbase becomes overly fickle. We laud loyalty in a player (which has Mitrovic has already demonstrated by staying through a relegation), but it's not always reciprocated from the fans if they're ready to sell a player the moment they become less potent.

Last season's Golden Boot hasn't become bad at football overnight. Granted, the pragmatism of modern football means it might be more difficult to cultivate these heroes, but in Mitro, you can't argue that we the makings of one.

He'd be a huge loss
We need another striker. You can't rely on one, and Cav is not going to cut the mustard (Mitro buries that chance against Chelsea everyday of the week). Given that Mitro is not a guaranteed starter at the moment, it may well be that quality strikers will be more inclined to join Fulham, knowing that spot is up for grabs (A small part of me wonders if that is tactical in the run up to January?). But the idea that we sell Mitro? We would be losing a lot more than we could ever hope to gain.

If none of this has convinced by this point, surely we can all agree he's worth keeping just so we can keep singing Freed from Desire?!



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2021-01-19-why-we-need-to-make-room-for-mitro/

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Report: Crystal Palace and Fulham join West Ham United in the race for Boulaye Dia

According to le10sport, Crystal Palace and Fulham have joined West Ham United in the race for Reims striker Boulaye Dia.

The 24-year-old has been in explosive form in 2020-21 after ending last term with just seven goals in 24 league games, and he is also attracting interests from Marseille and Krasnodar.

Sportslens View

Dia has surpassed that return and currently leads the goalscoring charts in Ligue 1 with 12 goals in 18 games, and it has not come as a surprise that the aforementioned Premier League trio are keen on him.

While Palace and Fulham have recently made contact with Dia's representatives, they are yet to make any concrete offer.

Reims will not be keen to let such a key player leave halfway through the season, and suitors might have to table a very tempting bid to have a chance of prising him away this month.

West Ham see the Frenchman as a potential replacement for Sebastien Haller, but they could miss out on him following the emergence of their London rivals in the race.

Palace need a quality finisher to lead their line with Christian Benteke still struggling in front of goal, and adding Dia to an attack that already boasts of Wilfried Zaha and Eberechi Eze will be huge.

Landing him could help boost Roy Hodgson's side's chances of finishing in the top eight, but whether they can pip West Ham and Fulham to his signature remains to be seen.

The Cottagers have languished in the relegation zone all season and will need to make quality additions this month to have a realistic chance of staying up.

A quality striker in the mould of the Frenchman would help boost their survival chances, but convincing him to swap one relegation battle with another one could prove difficult.



https://sportslens.com/report-crystal-palace-and-fulham-join-west-ham-united-in-the-race-for-boulaye-dia/327852/

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'Backfired big time' – Paul Merson claims Mourinho should have kept quiet over Fulham claim

Sunday saw Spurs return to winning ways with a hard-fought 3-1 away to Sheffield United. However, a sense of regret still hovers above the North London club following the disappointing draw to Fulham last Wednesday evening.

The Lilywhites were left frustrated by the Premier League newcomers with Scott Parker's side showing during the second half that they could roll up their sleeves and get a valuable point on the road.

However, the match hit the headlines due to the controversial build-up to the spectacle. The initial clash between the two sides scheduled for the end of December was postponed by Fulham less than three hours before kick-off, a decision that left Jose Mourinho infuriated (Independent).

Spurs were due to travel to Villa Park last Wednesday, only for a COVID-19 outbreak at Aston Villa left the Midlands side unable to play (Daily Mail).  Instead, the Premier League shuffled the fixture calendar and Fulham were tasked with the opportunity of a re-scheduled trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Such decision meant that both sides had just a matter of days to prepare for the fixture.

The Portuguese manager claimed that Parker should 'apologise' if he was to field a strong team against Spurs (Daily Mail).

However, Merson claims that such a call backfired on Mourinho. During an appearance on Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports (16/01/21 at 12:25 pm), the former England international said: "I don't know what the rule is. I don't know if the Premier League have sat down with all the CEO's of the football club and said 'we might have to call on you' and that's the problem.

"I was saying to Tim [Sherwood] that the longer Mourinho kept on going on about it. I was thinking 'just be quiet now. Just be quiet' because this is going to be a cup final for Fulham now.

"And he was going on and on, 'Oh, if he plays his best team. He should be apologising'. He [Parker] won't have to say anything, at the moment and it backfired. It backfired big time."

Spurs Web Opinion:

Mourinho's prior to the match certainly seems to be one of frustration, especially after the initial postponement of the match. Although it may have fuelled Fulham, Spurs should've still had the quality to defeat their London rivals.



https://www.spurs-web.com/spurs-news/backfired-big-time-paul-merson-claims-mourinho-should-have-kept-quiet-over-fulham-claim/

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Bruno Fernandes will not be rested, says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says that Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes is not tired and will not be rested.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow's Premier League game with Fulham at Craven Cottage, the boss insisted that there was no chance that the Portuguese international is playing too much football.

'He's not tired, no, no chance. He's one of the players that runs and covers the ground every single game,' the manager said.

'He's very good at recovering, at recharging his batteries and if he'd scored from his free kick [against Liverpool], if he'd just had a little more air on the ball when Luke put a cross in, he'd be being lauded the best player in the Premier League again.'

The boss was then asked if too much is expected from Fernandes after his incredible start to life in the Premier League.

'Since he come in he's been immense, and no he's not tired, if I ask him there's absolutely no chance he'll say he's tired.

'He's expected to create goals and score goals and sometimes the margins are against him.

'That free kick, I saw that one in, there's a couple of passes that he plays through, it's just marginal whether its on or off.

'So he's always on the verge of creating something even when he's losing the ball, that's what he's been told to do, I want him to be the creative one, I want him to play the passes he sees.'

Solskjaer also confirmed at the press conference that there were no new injury worries ahead of tomorrow's game, although he was still awaiting Covid test results.



https://thepeoplesperson.com/2021/01/19/bruno-fernandes-will-not-be-rested-says-ole-gunnar-solskjaer-221371/

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Mitrovic and Lemina back but Kongolo sidelined again

Fulham have Aleksandar Mitrovic and Mario Lemina back in their squad for the visit of Manchester United but there's more bad news for Terence Kongolo.

The Netherlands international has played a mere 67 minutes this season, and that was in the FA Cup win over QPR, and he has now been sidelined by another injury.

Head coach Scott Parker has nothing but sympathy for the defender.

Parker said: "He got a bit of knock in training the day before the Chelsea game and felt his hamstring.

"When players have had long lay-offs there's a balance between work and not getting injured again, and he's not been lucky.

"It's a shame Terence has had a bit of a setback, but it's nothing too serious I think, and he should be back in a few weeks.

"Mario Lemina is available and he'll be in the squad."

Striker Mitrovic returns after tweaking a hamstring late on in that win over QPR that went to extra time.

He missed the matches against Tottenham and Chelsea, but Parker is ready to send him out to battle against United.

Parker said: "Aleks is fit again after a bit of a hamstring he picked up against QPR.

"He's been off the grass for the last couple of days but he'll be back for this one."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-duo-passed-fit-for-man-utd-game-but-kongolo-suffers-another-setback

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Referee confirmed for Fulham game

The FA have confirmed that Sunday's FA Cup fourth round tie against Fulham at Craven Cottage will be refereed by Andy Madley whose last Burnley game was the home League Cup defeat against Manchester City. Simon Hooper will be the fourth official with Chris Kavanagh on VAR duty.

There will be more information ahead of the game.



https://www.uptheclarets.com/referee-confirmed-for-fulham-game-3

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Mitrovic fit for United return

Aleksandar Mitrovic could return to Fulham's starting line up against Manchester United after recovering from a hamstring injury and returning to training.

The Serbian striker, who has struggled for form and fitness of late, has participated fully in this week's training sessions at Motspur Park after missing the derby defeat by Chelsea having injured his hamstring in the FA Cup victory over QPR. Fulham boss Scott Parker told his pre-match press conference that he expects Mitrovic to play a key role in the club's survival bid:

"He hurt his hamstring against QPR but he'll be back tomorrow night. He'll be the first to say this season has been a struggle in terms of form. He can help us win matches. At present I've gone with other people but this is a Premier League squad with healthy competition. Top players thrive on that pressure and competition. Mitro will do the same. He needs to to get into this team and more importantly score goals like I know he can."

Parker will also be able to include Mario Lemina in his matchday squad after the on-loan Southampton midfielder shook off the after effects of coronavirus and returned to training, but will have to do without Terence Kongo for 'a few weeks' after the Dutch defender suffered another injury setback.

"Terence Kongolo has picked up a knock but it's nothing too serious. He's the only one really. He got a bit of knock in training the day before the Chelsea game and felt his hamstring. When players have had long lay-offs there's a balance between work and not getting injured again, and he's not been lucky."

Parker, who reiterated that he was 'immensely proud' of his side's efforts having been reduced to ten men against Chelsea, is now targeting victories as Fulham look to move away from the relegation zone in the coming weeks.

"That's the next big challenge for us really. We've been able to stay in games, give ourselves a platform and be more solid as a team. The fine margins of this division means we need to take our chances. When you look at the numbers in an attacking sense we're holding our own. But we need to turn draws into wins. We'll keep pushing and get on the end of some good results."

The Fulham head coach will also like more additions to his squad, especially in forward areas, to boost their survival aspirations.

"It's a difficult window. We have one recognised striker in the building in Mitrovic. We understand where we're a bit light but I also understand this a tough window. Time's not on our side. We'll work relentlessly hard to try and improve our attacking play to get on the right end of results."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/01/mitrovic-fit-for-united-return/

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Fulham v Manchester United

Aleksandar Mitrovic is without a club goal since he scored twice in Fulham's 4-3 loss at Leeds on 19 September

TEAM NEWS

Fulham are buoyed by the return of Aleksandar Mitrovic after a hamstring injury, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was ineligible to play last weekend.

However, Bobby Decordova-Reid and Antonee Robinson are both suspended, while Terence Kongolo remains injured.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may opt to rotate his squad with Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Bruno Fernandes all one booking from a ban.

The Red Devils remain without Brandon Williams and Phil Jones.

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

Fulham were a bit unlucky to be beaten by Chelsea on Saturday - before Antonee Robinson's red card, they looked capable of holding out for what would have been their sixth draw in a row.

Even with 10 men they still had a go and they have made themselves difficult to beat. That's a mark of the improvement the Cottagers have made but Manchester United have been like a machine on the road this season, with seven wins and two draws from nine games.

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said after Sunday's 0-0 draw at Liverpool that he was disappointed with a point but that goes down as a good result for them - I am telling you now that Manchester City will happily settle for the same when they go to Anfield at the start of February.

Yes, United midfielder Bruno Fernandes will have to be a lot more influential here, but surely he cannot play as poorly again as he did at the weekend - and their defence is looking pretty solid in any case, which is a big plus for them.

I'm going with Solskjaer's side to win here, which will be enough to put them back on top regardless of other results beforehand.

Prediction: 0-2



MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

    Fulham have only taken two points from the past 11 league meetings, drawing twice and losing nine times.
    Manchester United have won four successive league games at Craven Cottage by an aggregate score of 12-1.
    Fulham's most recent victory over United was 3-0 at home in December 2009.

Fulham

    Fulham are winless in seven league games, drawing five times and losing twice.
    The Cottagers have scored just three Premier League goals in their past 11 hours and two minutes of action.
    Scott Parker's side are in danger of failing to score in four successive home league games for the first time since August 1969.
    They have taken only six points from a possible 27 against the sides currently in the top 10.
    Fulham are winless in 32 Premier League fixtures against established top-six clubs, drawing three games and losing 29.
    Ademola Lookman has been directly involved in four of Fulham's past six league goals, scoring one and setting up three.

Manchester United

    Manchester United are unbeaten in 11 league matches since losing to Arsenal on 1 November.
    United boast the only unbeaten Premier League away record this term, winning seven games and drawing twice. They need one more away victory to equal their 2019-20 total of eight.
    They have gone an entire year since their last away league loss, 2-0 at Liverpool on 19 January 2020.
    The Red Devils are 12 points better off than at this stage of last season.
    Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer's men have kept just two league clean sheets on their travels in 2020-21.
    They have been in front at half-time in just four of their 18 league fixtures.
    United are unbeaten in their past eight league fixtures against promoted opposition, scoring 25 goals in the process.
    Solskjaer was unbeaten in all eight league games as a player versus Scott Parker, winning six and drawing two.




https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55642375

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Fulham's Aina Names The Defender In The Manchester United Backline He Wants

Fulham have made massive progress defensively in the last two months after switching to a back three.

Ahead of their next Premier League meeting against Manchester United at Craven Cottage, Scott Parker's side are not lacking confidence, beating Leicester City, holding Liverpool, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur to draws, and they were close to getting a point in their last fixture vs Chelsea, only for Mason Mount to score a winner twelve minutes from time.

Predominantly a right-back, Aina has been deployed as the right-sided central defender after the formation was tweaked.

The Nigeria international has named England star Harry Maguire as the defender in the Manchester United side he wants to emulate in his game.

"You could learn from everyone you know, I am not the type of person where I feel like I am the finished model or I'm better than someone," Aina told Fulham's YouTube page.

"I feel like I can always learn off people. Harry Maguire, he's a top professional and he's an England senior player, he's really a good defender.

"You can learn from everyone across the league and he's one of them".

The Torino loanee added : "It's sort of a little dream come true for me back in the Premier League just playing and in London as well.

"Across the Premier League there's a lot of good defenders, obviously you've got Virgil van Dijk there as well and there are some good youngsters as well, some that are younger than me, you could still learn off them as well."

In terms of the Premier League table, Fulham are eighteenth with 12 points accumulated after seventeen games before tomorrow's game with Manchester United.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=38666

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Pre-Man Utd Press Conference

Scott Parker is looking forward to taking on league leaders Manchester United on Wednesday evening.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have embarked on a fantastic 12 game unbeaten run to move to the top of the standings, and when asked if he thinks they are genuine title contenders, Parker saw no reason why not.

"They've got all the ingredients to be," he admitted. "They've got a fantastic squad, players at both ends of the pitch, particularly attacking players who can score goals and cause a lot of teams problems.

"Certainly they're on an upward curve, momentum's firmly with them, so yeah why not? I'm sure they're contenders.

"It will be a tough game. We're playing against an in-form team here, a team that are top of the league for a reason. They have massive quality all over the pitch.

"But like always, and over the course of the last few weeks, I think it's clear for everyone to see that for us as a team, there is no fear.

"We go into every game wanting to try and put our stamp on the game and try and cause whoever we're playing some problems.

"So of course, while also understanding the quality that they possess, we want to play real free-flowing, attack-minded, aggressive football, which hopefully we can do on Wednesday night.

"We have the ingredients in this team, with the way we're playing at the moment, to hurt any team."

Being of a similar generation, Parker and Solskjaer came up against each other on the pitch in their playing days, and the Fulham Head Coach has plenty of admiration for his United counterpart.

"He was a top class player," Parker said. "Certainly I remember every time he was on the football pitch he had a good habit of scoring goals.

"I've met Ole a couple of times as a manager as well, a really good guy, and I look forward to meeting him again tomorrow night and going up against him."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/january/Pre-Man-Utd-Press-Conference/

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Loftus-Cheek feels Fulham have made 'massive progress'

Ruben Loftus-Cheek believes Fulham have made 'massive, massive progress' since the start of his loan spell at Craven Cottage – and can't wait to get back amongst the action against Manchester United tomorrow night.

The England international had to watch the derby defeat by his parent club Chelsea from the sidelines, but feels there are plenty of positives the Whites can take from both that game and the draw with Tottenham into the meeting with Ole Gunnar Solksjaer's side. Loftus-Cheek told FFCTV that those performances have really helped raise the confidence of the squad:

I think we did very well. Going away to Spurs is not an easy game. Going behind after starting well and them scoring a very good goal, to keep playing the way we did and go up another level in the second half, get the goal and we thought we could have gone on and won the game very comfortably. That performance was fantastic for the team as a whole and good for confidence for myself.

You want to keep the momentum going, but obviously Fulham couldn't play me against Chelsea. But I watched them and I thought the boys were fantastic. Up to the sending off, we were doing really well, had chances to score early on. You can't fault the boys in that game and hopefully we can carry on this form into the next game.

I want to get going, get back on the pitch and keep this momentum going with the team and with myself. I'm really looking forward to it. I don't think we are going into these games with big teams thinking it is going to be a really difficult game. We are giving these teams a tough time – we are hard to break down and good going forward. I think we can see these games as a chance to get points. That's just how we feel at the minute.

I think defensively we've made massive, massive progress. As a team, we're so hard to break down, so hard to score against. The fans watching can see how diligent we are in our defensive work and how we work for one another as a team. I think now we need to be more clinical in front of goal. I think we can get that down and keep the defensive side, we'll be a very difficult team to play.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/01/loftus-cheek-feels-fulham-have-made-massive-progress/

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Scott Parker insists Fulham are not a "laughing stock" anymore

Scott Parker believes Fulham have been transformed from a Premier League "laughing stock" to a team stylishly scrapping for survival.

The west London club were among the relegation favourites at the start of the season following promotion, a status cemented by four successive defeats, including consecutive 3-0 home losses.

Manager Parker feels external perceptions of his team were clouded by the 2018-19 campaign when the Cottagers went down having splashed more than £100million on players and sacked two managers.

Fulham remain in the bottom three ahead of Wednesday's clash with leaders Manchester United but showed resilience by going five top-flight games unbeaten before Saturday's narrow 1-0 loss to local rivals Chelsea.

"We've done remarkably well considering where we were at the start of the season," said Parker.

"We were probably the laughing stock in terms of how people were portraying us – never was that the case in-house.

"We've done remarkably well to be fighting and punching away like we are – not just with determination and grit, but with a real style about us.

"It's clear that you can see a real drastic improvement in our overall game.

"There was a narrative around us at the start of this season and that narrative was probably helped by the previous time we were in this division.

"We lost two games by more than two goals, that narrative was instantly in people's heads, 'Oh look, it's the same Fulham'.

"I just think people were blurred a little bit by the last time we were here. I can understand why. It was certainly an area we needed to address."

While performances have improved, each of Fulham's five recent games without defeat ended in draws and they are languishing four points adrift of safety.

Parker, who will have striker Aleksandar Mitrovic back from a minor hamstring problem against United, acknowledges that regularly finding the net remains a major issue and picking up single points will  be insufficient to stay up.

The former England midfielder is eager to reinforce his striking options during the January transfer window but admits "time's not on our side".

"We've got draws, we now need to turn some of those draws into wins," said Parker.

"That's the next big challenge for us. We've been able to stay in games, give ourselves a platform, become a lot more solid.

"The fine margins of this division, you need to take your opportunities when they come.

"To do that, you've got to do the hardest thing in the game and that's put the ball in the back of the net.

"We have one recognised striker in the building in Mitrovic. We understand where we are a little bit light.

"But this window is a tough window and time's not on our side, really. We'll work relentlessly hard to try and improve our attacking play."

The visitors have not lost to Fulham for more than 11 years and travel to Craven Cottage 12 top-flight games unbeaten, a run which stretches back to the start of November.

Parker believes United have "all the ingredients" to be Premier League champions and praised rival manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for overcoming a tricky opening to the campaign.

"For Ole and the stature of club he's at, there was probably every man and his dog wanting change or wasn't happy with it," Parker said of United's poor start.

"Fair play to the resilience in Ole and his squad of players. To be sitting top of the Premier League after that is quite remarkable.

"They've got all the ingredients to be (champions). They've got a fantastic squad and players in attacking areas that can score goals and cause a lot of teams problems.

"They're on the upward curve, momentum is firmly with them, so why not? I am sure they are right in there with the contenders."



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/man-utd/news/scott-parker-insists-fulham-are-not-a-laughing-stock-anymore_431233.html

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Scott Parker provides Aleksandar Mitrovic injury update and discusses Fulham's transfer plans ahead of Manchester United clash

Fulham head coach Scott Parker has confirmed Aleksandar Mitrovic will return from injury to face top-of-the-table Manchester United and has backed the striker to play a major role for the club in the second half of the season.

Mitrovic tweaked his hamstring during Fulham's FA Cup third-round victory over QPR earlier this month and was forced to miss the side's following clashes with Tottenham and Chelsea in the Premier League.

But the 26-year-old forward has made a speedy recovery and will be desperate for a place in Parker's starting XI at Craven Cottage to help boost Fulham's survival hopes after a run of seven games without a win in the top flight.

Asked if Mitrovic would be fit enough to take on United on Wednesday night, Parker replied: 'He is, yes.

'He hurt his hamstring against QPR but he'll be back tomorrow night.'

Parker is confident Mitrovic will be an important player for Fulham over the coming months but refused to guarantee the Croatian a starting spot versus the Red Devils, with Ivan Cavaleiro and Ademola Lookman providing strong competition.

On whether Mitrovic has a key role to play in the second half of Fulham's campaign, Parker responded: 'Of course, like any player, and he'll be the first to say this season has been a struggle in terms of form.

'He can help us win matches. At present I've gone with other people but this is a Premier League squad with healthy competition.

'Top players thrive on that pressure and competition. Mitro will do the same. He needs to to get into this team and more importantly score goals like I know he can.'

Parker made no secret of his desire to strengthen up front – with Fulham scoring just 14 goals in the league this term – but admitted time was against them, with less than a fortnight remaining of January transfer window.

'It's a difficult window, we have one recognised striker in the building in Mitrovic,' Parker added. 'We understand where we're a bit light but I also understand this a tough window.

'Time's not on our side. We'll work relentlessly hard to try and improve our attacking play to get on the right end of results.'

United sit two points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table ahead of their trip to Fulham and Parker believes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have proven themselves to be a genuine force in this season's title race.

'They have all the ingredients to be a challenger. They can score goals and cause a lot of teams problems,' Parker said.

'They are on an upward curve, momentum is with them. They are right in there with the other contenders.'



Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2021/01/19/scott-parker-provides-aleksandar-mitrovic-injury-update-and-discusses-january-transfers-ahead-of-manchester-united-clash-13929984/?ito=newsnow-feed?ito=cbshare

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetroUK/

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Report: Fulham want at least £17.8m for linked-away player this month

According to Belgian outlet Het Laatste Nieuws (via Voetbal24) Anderlecht are no longer interested in Fulham star Aleksandar Mitrovic after learning of his hefty asking price.

Indeed, the report claims that Fulham want at least €20 million (£17.8m) for the Serbian this month, and as you can imagine, that fee is a bit too high for the Belgian side.

Mitrovic had been linked with a return to his former club, but that now seems unlikely. However, it seems as though EuroSport's report about Fulham being open to bids for the striker was on the money.

£17.8m represents a fair market value for Mitrovic in this day and age, coronavirus has brought everyone's price down a touch and he's been out of form for quite some time at this point.

Whether or not any team will be willing to pay such a fee of course remains to be seen.

Mitrovic is undoubtedly a talented attacker on his day, after all, he was the Championship Golden Boot winner last season, but with Fulham changing to a more counter-attacking approach in recent weeks, there seems to be no room for him in Scott Parker's team at the moment.

The January window has been relatively quiet when it comes to rumours at Craven Cottage, but the sale of Mitrovic could spark Tony Khan and his recruitment team into life at any moment.

This is certainly a situation to keep an eye on.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/01/19/report-fulham-want-at-least-17-8m-for-linked-away-player-this-month/

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Fulham welcome Aleksandar Mitrovic back for Man United clash

Fulham will have Mario Lemina and Aleksandar Mitrovic available for selection for the Premier League clash with high-flying Manchester United.

Midfielder Lemina has overcome an unspecified injury problem, while Serbia striker Mitrovic has recovered from a minor hamstring issue suffered in the FA Cup win at QPR on January 9.

On-loan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek also returns to contention having been ineligible for Saturday's defeat to parent club Chelsea but defender Antonee Robinson and forward Bobby Decordova-Reid are suspended while Terence Kongolo (hamstring) and Tom Cairney (knee) remain sidelined.

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes to only be without two players at Craven Cottage.

The Norwegian was still waiting on the results from their latest batch of coronavirus tests when he faced the media to preview the trip to Craven Cottage on Tuesday afternoon.

Solskjaer ruled Phil Jones and Brandon Williams out of Wednesday's match through injury, while the United boss suggested January acquisition Amad Diallo would not be called upon just yet.

Fulham provisional squad: Areola, Rodak, Tete, Andersen, Adarabioyo, Aina, Hector, Odoi, Ream, Bryan, Reed, Anguissa, Onomah, Lemina, Loftus-Cheek, Kebano, Cavaleiro, Lookman, Kamara, Mitrovic.

Manchester United provisional squad: De Gea, Henderson, Grant, Wan-Bissaka, Tuanzebe, Lindelof, Bailly, Maguire, Shaw, Telles, McTominay, Fred, Matic, Van De Beek, Pogba, James, Fernandes, Lingard, Greenwood, Rashford, Martial, Cavani, Ighalo.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/man-utd/news/fulham-welcome-aleksandar-mitrovic-back-for-man-united-clash_431241.html

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'I'm in a good place' – Mawson

Alfie Mawson is pleased to have put long-term injury behind him as he focuses on a trip to Sky Bet Championship leaders Norwich City on Wednesday (January 20th, 6pm KO).

Mawson has played twice since recovering from a knee injury which led to 11 weeks on the sidelines but after that "tough time" the centre-back if fit and raring to go in the second half of the campaign.

He played a key role in cementing a clean sheet during Saturday's 2-0 win over Preston North End – his first Championship appearance since October - but is "feeling good" ahead of the Canaries test at Carrow Road.

He said: "I was playing well, we were flying, then to get the injury that I've had before, I knew it was a long, gruelling rehab. It was long but I got through it and have reaped the rewards again early on so I'm in a good place."

Mawson has seen added steel in the City side over the course of the season and said it's been "good to see we can do the dirty side:"

The Robins also have a number of players still to come back from injury but Mawson sees the benefit they will bring before the season is over and he hailed the squad's quality and depth.

"The hunger of the lads who want to get back on the grass and get that shirt on the pitch, it's a really good place to be," he said. "It was 10 years since we last beat Preston so we've lost that monkey from our back and that shows we're going the right way.

"No matter who we play we will put out a solid performance and if we match teams for their hunger and desire, then we have more than enough quality to beat anyone in this league."
And it's that attitude which he is taking to Norfolk in midweek, as he outlined how City intend to go head to head with the division's leaders.

Mawson continued: "This is why it will be a really good game on Wednesday if we match their intensity, because they're up there for a reason and we'll give it a really good shot.

"We've got to go there and test ourselves against arguably the best team in the league. They found it tough in the Premier League but that's football – there is such a big difference between the Championship and the Premier League.

"They've come down and instead of petering away they're fighting to go straight back up and that's where we want to be. I definitely don't want to be sitting mid-table, I want to test myself against the best sides and see where we can get to. We have all the ability, it's just putting that into fruition."

Due to EFL regulations with the match being broadcast live on Sky Sports, Norwich v City will be streamed live on Robins TV to Season Card holders only.



https://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/i-m-in-a-good-place-mawson/

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Report: Palace and Fulham open talks to sign West Ham-linked Boulaye Dia

French website Le10Sport claim that Crystal Palace and Fulham have opened talks to sign in-form Reims striker Boulaye Dia this month – with West Ham having already reportedly staged talks for the French powerhouse.

Dia, 24, has been in stunning form for Reims this season – netting 12 goals in 18 Ligue 1 outings and sitting joint-top of the French top tier's goalscoring charts with Paris Saint-Germain sensation Kylian Mbappe.

TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook claimed last week that talks between West Ham and Reims were ongoing – with a fee of £15million expected to change hands. But the Hammers now face competition for the Senegal international.

Now, French website Le10Sport claim Palace and Scott Parker's Fulham have joined West Ham in staging talks to sign Dia – who also offers cover on the right flank as well as playing as a centre-forward.

TBR's view – Which club needs Dia the most?

Palace have a plethora of strikers and while Christian Benteke, Jordan Ayew and Michy Batshuayi struggle to score on a regular basis – Wilf Zaha, Ebere Eze and Andros Townsend supplement them with goals from midfield.

West Ham need a striker after selling Seb Haller, but Dia may only move to England if he is considered first choice. At Fulham, he might be just that as Aleksandar Mitrovic struggles. Naturally a winger, Ivan Cavaleiro is up front.

Fulham need him most, but all three need a striker.



https://tbrfootball.com/report-palace-and-fulham-open-talks-to-sign-west-ham-linked-boulaye-dia/

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Siriki Dembele showed why Fulham should sign him at the weekend

Fulham were linked with a move for Peterborough United winger Siriki Dembele ahead of January and with the 24-year-old dazzling once again at the weekend, Tony Khan must consider bringing him to Craven Cottage during the current transfer window – he would surely be an upgrade on Aboubakar Kamara.

The former Grimsby Town man was linked with Fulham, as well as the likes of Celtic and Rangers, and handed in a transfer request at the League One club recently so is clearly keen on a move away from the Posh this month.

Dembele has consistently produced quality performances in the third tier so far this season, having averaged a superb 7.39 rating, with five goals and six assists to his name in 19 league appearances.

However, it is clear that Saturday's performance was extra special, as it earned him an 8.38 rating from WhoScored, which was his third-best rating of the season so far.

As per SofaScore, the winger was rated as the second-best player on the pitch during the 3-0 win against MK Dons, with only two-goal attacker Sammie Szmodics rated higher.

During his time on the pitch, Dembele would contribute two assists, and was successful in both of his dribble attempts and all of his crosses and long balls, demonstrating the quality he has on the ball.

He would create two big chances during the game, which Szmodics would put away, emphasising just how much impact he had in the game against Russell Martin's side.

Impressively, the 24-year-old would also win five duels and make three tackles, which was the same amount of tackles as both of Peterborough's wing-backs, which suggests that he could offer Parker's side help from a defensive perspective, as well as an attacking one.

Kamara meanwhile, has averaged a terrible 5.93 rating in his Premier League appearances so far this season, and although he is playing at a higher level, he averages 0.4 shots, 0.4 key passes and 0.4 dribbles, which is comfortably inferior to the 2 shots, 1.7 key passes and 3.1 dribbles averaged by Dembele.

Therefore, when considering his form this season and his performance against MK Dons, it seems clear that Dembele would be a better option than Kamara in Parker's side, and Tony Khan must therefore consider a move for the Peterborough winger before the transfer window is over.



https://www.footballfancast.com/fulham-fc-news/siriki-dembele-fulham-tony-khan-scott-parker-cottagers