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Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 17/02/21...

Started by WhiteJC, February 17, 2021, 12:07:04 AM

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WhiteJC

Shearer hails Ndidi, names Maja, Aubameyang in Premier League Team of the Week

The African stars delivered spectacular performances for their respective clubs last weekend and have been rewarded for the showings

Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has praised the impressive defensive display from Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi in their stunning 3-1 victory over Liverpool on Saturday.

Shearer also named Ndidi in his Premier League Team of the Week along with Fulham's Josh Maja and Arsenal centre-forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Ndidi was rock solid for the King Power Stadium outfit against Jurgen Klopp's men to help his side secure all three points in the encounter.

The Nigeria international made five tackles, three interceptions, five clearances and blocked three shots in his effort to ensure his side extend their unbeaten run to four games.

The victory moved Leicester to the third spot on the Premier League table after gathering 46 points from 24 games.

Shearer has hailed the showings of the midfielder and included him among the best performing players in the week under review.

"He [Ndidi] gave great protection to the defence when Liverpool were on top, and then won the midfield battle when Leicester hit back so impressively," Shearer told Premier League website.

Maja, meanwhile, opened his goalscoring account for Fulham against Everton, bagging two goals in the encounter to inspire them to winning ways after an eight-game winless run.

The Super Eagles forward has earned the praise of Shearer and has also been included in the star-studded Premier League Team of the Week, along with Arsenal forward Aubameyang, who scored a hat-trick against Leeds United.

"With both goals on his full debut, he [Maja] may have just given Fulham a chance of staying up," he added.

"He [Aubameyang] was magnificent as he scored his first Premier League hat-trick."

The African stars were joined on the list along with Emiliano Martinez of Aston Villa, Burnley duo of Matt Lowton and James Tarkowski and West Ham United's Craig Dawson.

Also included are Manchester City duo of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Ilkay Gundogan, Wolverhampton Wanderers' Pedro Neto and Leicester's Harvey Barnes.

Ndidi, Maja and Aubameyang will be expected to continue their impactful contributions for their respective clubs in their next outings.



https://www.goal.com/en/news/shearer-hails-ndidi-names-maja-aubameyang-in-premier-league-team-/lix3emnxwskvzms24ckvgzwe

WhiteJC


Cottage Talk Preview: Burnley vs. Fulham

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

This is our preview show of Burnley vs. Fulham.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2021/2/16/22286058/cottage-talk-preview-burnley-vs-fulham

WhiteJC

Tete hoping to earn Netherlands recall with Fulham

Kenny Tete is back playing regularly for Fulham and is hoping to earn a spot with the Netherlands for the European Championships.

After three seasons of being a back up at Olympique Lyon, Tete is back playing regularly with Premier League side Fulham.

Ronald Koeman regularly called up Tete, and now the Netherlands boss is Frank de Boer, who handed the right-back his Ajax debut.

Speaking to ESPN, Tete was asked if he was hoping for a call from De Boer, "I haven't spoken to Frank and I'm not thinking about it right now. I'm happy to play. You secretly hope, of course, but first go and play football and then it will come naturally. "

A spot at the Euro's is something Tete is hoping for, "Of course I hope so, I wouldn't want anything else. I am happy to be with Fulham, to play weekly and to develop. If I can join then I'm ready. I can't wait actually."



http://www.football-oranje.com/tete-hoping-to-earn-netherlands-recall-with-fulham/


WhiteJC

Aina calls for consistency

Ola Aina has urged Fulham to build on the momentum they generated with a win at Everton on Sunday by stringing together victories to strengthen their survival hopes.

Scott Parker's side stole the headlines with a convincing victory at Goodison Park – Fulham's first win on the blue half of Merseyside in the league – and now face relegation rivals Burnley, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace in quick succession. Aina knows that turning strong performances into a set of successive positive results will have a huge difference on the Premier League table.

The versatile Nigerian international defender told Fulham's official website:

"That's our only goal right now I think, as a group. We know we can play well, we can defend well, but we need to keep winning games. That's our ultimate goal, and I think we can do it. We back ourselves in every game. That's the confidence that everyone has in each other in and around the team."

"But I do think the Everton result has given us a massive lift, and I feel like we can take that momentum through into this game and come away with three points. It's definitely going to be a difficult one [at Burnley]. The style of football that they play is often very difficult for teams to go up against. But we're up for the challenge, and hopefully we can leave there with three points."

Aina slotted in impressively at left back against the Toffees, laying on the first goal for Josh Maja after linking up beautifully with Ademola Lookman. The 24 year-old says he's eager to play wherever Parker needs to for the remainder of the season.

"I played all of last season at left wing-back, so it's a position that I'm familiar with. Whatever the team needs, if I can step in somewhere and fill a position, then that's something that I'm happy to do. I'd like to add more assists and maybe a few more goals, so it was good to get up and running and finally get an assist this season."

He was delighted to see Maja, his international team-mate, mark his first Fulham start in such devastating fashion.

"I was looking for Josh, I was looking for that ball into him, so I'm really happy it came off. I've known Josh for a bit now and I'm just happy that I could contribute to his first Prem goal. It was a really good moment for him and for the team. I think that will help his confidence, and will properly settle him into the side, and hopefully he just pushes on from here and does what he needs to do for the team."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/02/aina-calls-for-consistency/

WhiteJC

Tete targets Dutch recall

Kenny Tete is hoping a strong end to the season with Fulham could earn him a recall to the Dutch squad in time for this summer's European Championships.

The 25 year-old has endured an injury hit first year at Craven Cottage after moving from Lyon but has returned to first-team action after a long lay off following a calf injury. Tete has made twelve appearances under Scott Parker and firmly established himself as Fulham's first choice right back – producing an outstanding display on Sunday night as the Whites kept a clean sheet in their win over Everton at Goodison Park.

Playing regular first-team football would help his international credentials and Tete is well known to the new Holland national team manager Frank de Boer, who gave the full back his Ajax debut. Tete told ESPN:

"I haven't spoken to Frank and I'm not thinking about it right now. I'm happy to play. You secretly hope, of course, but first go and play football and then it will come naturally."

"Of course I hope so, I wouldn't want anything else. I am happy to be with Fulham, to play weekly and to develop. If I can join then I'm ready. I can't wait actually."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/02/tete-targets-dutch-recall/

WhiteJC

No six-pointers in Sean Dyche's world, as Burnley prepare to host Fulham
Burnley's game at home to Fulham on Wednesday night will no doubt be seen as a 'six-pointer' by many.

But for Sean Dyche, it's just one of 38 Premier League games - the Clarets' season will not be defined by it.

Burnley sit eight points clear of the Cottagers, with 15 games to play, with Scott Parker's side having picked up only a third win of the campaign at Everton on Sunday evening.

A win could essentially secure survival for the Clarets, especially with a further three points at home to next-bottom West Brom on Saturday.

Equally, a Fulham win would draw Brighton, Burnley and Newcastle into range for the Cottagers, as they look to mount a great escape.

It remains to be seen whether Fulham treat it as a must-win game, and go for Burnley from the off, but Dyche isn't one for 'targeting' games, knowing every point is vital along the way - and that his side have shown they can get results against anyone, having won at Arsenal and Liverpool.

Dyche said: "We'll have to see if it works out like that. But my feelings on not targeting games is that I can't talk about the need for consistency, and then only apply it to certain games.

"My way of looking at is that we should be up for every game. We should be well-organised and ready to deliver every time.

"If that mindset is right over the course of a season, then you're ready to take on any team.

"I believe we are organised, we're fit, we have a strong mentality towards performing as well as we can, and we have a fair amount of technical quality as well.

"On the training ground I stress the need for those things every time, so I don't think I can then talk about the need to target certain opponents.

"I want to see them perform at a high level all the time."

While Dyche will be eager to keep Fulham at arm's length, he also knows a win would move Burnley level on points with Southampton, in 13th, and Crystal Palace in 14th: "It's not just about us. There are a few teams around that 25-29 points mark – five in all – so they won't just be thinking about catching us.

"But yes, I can assure you they (Fulham) will be looking to win games. They're out to win as many as they can.

"The win over Everton was their third and realistically, over the course of a season – unless you are getting loads and loads of draws – you are looking for a minimum of 10 wins to have a decent chance of staying up.

"But I'm sure Scott Parker won't just have been saying we need to get wins against the teams around us, and they've shown that with a very good victory at Everton. We're the same – we'll take wins wherever we can get them.

"When we've been playing catch up, it hasn't been a case of us shifting our focus, because I always expect a lot from my players, whatever the circumstances.

"As much as you're aware of the situation, I can't remember making too many changes in how we go about things.

"Our job is to be clear-minded about what we want to achieve, and to be ready to go out and deliver performances."



https://www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk/sport/football/no-six-pointers-sean-dyches-world-burnley-prepare-host-fulham-3136794


WhiteJC

Maja may stay even if Fulham go down, says Parker

Scott Parker says Josh Maja is likely to make his move to Fulham a permanent switch even if the Whites make an instant return to the Championship.

Maja, who scored both goals in Sunday's 2-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park on his full debut, moved to Craven Cottage on loan from French Ligue 1 side Bordeaux – one of seven players who featured in that match who are on temporary deals.

But unlike Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ola Aina, Alphonse Areola, Joachim Andersen, Ademola Lookman and Mario Lemina, who Parker said will all return to their parent clubs if Fulham go down, an agreement is tentatively in place to sign former Sunderland forward Maja.

"I'm not sure with Josh," said head coach Parker.

"The deal is a little bit different there. I think we do have an option on that.

"That will come down to where we see that as a football club and also Josh, probably.

"Certainly Josh was someone we liked, I liked, and that was why we put that into the deal.

"We'll cross that bridge nearer the time."

Despite Maja's dream start to his Craven Cottage career, Parker believes he may have to use the 22-year-old sparingly after he was forced to come off after 73 minutes with a tight calf muscle.

"Maybe, that will be the case," he said.

"He didn't play a lot of football (before signing).

"He was stretching his calf which is why we brought him off at the weekend.

"He seems a very fit boy, condition-wise, credit to him, that's the work he must have done even though he has not been playing (at Bordeaux).

"It is something we will need to keep an eye on."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/maja-may-stay-even-if-fulham-go-down-says-parker

WhiteJC

Scott Parker admits Fulham may have to manage the fitness of striker Josh Maja

Scott Parker said Fulham may have to manage the fitness of new signing Josh Maja ahead of their trip to Burnley on Wednesday.

The former Sunderland striker scored twice on his full Fulham debut following his deadline-day loan move from Bordeaux to end his side's run of 12 matches without victory at Goodison Park on Sunday.

Maja's goals, both poacher's efforts from close range, marked only the second time Fulham have found the net more than once in the Premier League since November.

However, the 22-year-old was substituted in the first minute of added time at the end of the game, but Parker said he was brought off as a precaution.

"Maybe, maybe that will be the case (that we have to manage him)," Parker said.

"He didn't play a lot of football (before signing). He was stretching his calf which is why we brought him off at the weekend.

"In the squad where we are, that is fine. We may have to manage him. He seems a very fit boy.

"Condition-wise, credit to him, that's the work he must have done even though he has not been playing. It is something we will need to keep an eye on."

Maja had not played since January 9 when he moved to Craven Cottage but has already hit the ground running at his new club.

Despite Fulham recording their first win ever in the league at Goodison Park on Sunday, Parker says he expects Burnley to be a massive challenge.

"I don't think the issue is repeating the performance from Everton, I think it is repeating the result," the Fulham boss said after the club recorded only their third league victory of the season.

"The performance has been there a million per cent. There has been a big thing that we have not managed to put the ball in the net, but the performances have certainly been there.

"Now it is the result, and I think we need to understand that the feeling amongst the group, is that it is just part of what we want to do this season. We can't get too carried away, of course, you can build on that.

"What is now important is the next game. This is a tough week we have, we said at the start before Everton, knew what we faced and I wanted us to be very professional, very clear, laser-focused in what we are doing.

"Everton is done, we got a result, perfect, now is another massive challenge, Burnley, and we move on and we go from there."



https://www.newschainonline.com/sport/mens-sport/football/scott-parker-admits-fulham-may-have-manage-fitness-striker-josh-maja-99475

WhiteJC

Premier League relegation battle set to be cliffhanger

LONDON

The Premier League title may be Manchester City's to lose but down at the bottom the relegation battle looks set to go to the wire.

The dogfight to avoid the drop has serious financial consequences.

Clubs dropping out of the elite take an immediate £60 million ($84 million). Although they receive a £40 million parachute payment when they drop into the Championship, it falls well short of the £100 million Premier League clubs receive each year.

The relegated club's losses in revenue can reach as much as £70-80 million once sponsorship deals and fans coming through the turnstiles in normal non-coronavirus times are taken into account.

Third-from-bottom Fulham look the only side of those in the relegation places capable of escaping the drop.

Newcastle's 2-0 loss to Chelsea on Monday makes them favorites to replace Fulham if the latter can extricate themselves from the relegation spots.

A fine 2-0 away to high-flying Everton on Sunday showed Fulham have both the fight in them and the quality to do so.

The bottom two, though, are floundering.

Sam Allardyce's record of being the fireman clubs turn to save them from relegation looks set to be spoiled with his West Brom side 12 points adrift of fourth-from-bottom Newcastle, two months after he replaced Slaven Bilic.

Sheffield United, who had mounted a mini-revival albeit from a very low starting point, are 14 points off safety with 14 games remaining after they slumped to a 3-0 defeat to West Ham on Monday.

"It is a massive step back," conceded United manager Chris Wilder.

Fulham, though, could be breathing down the neck of Newcastle when the Magpies travel to Manchester United on Sunday.

The London club can move to within a point of Newcastle if they beat Burnley on Wednesday and Sheffield United on Saturday.

The likelihood of Newcastle coming away with anything from Old Trafford is improbable given they have lost six of their last seven away matches.

Fulham's win over Everton -- their first in 12 games -- may have come as a surprise to many, but not to their young manager Scott Parker.

"This is a confident team," said the 40-year-old former England midfielder. "You don't play football like we play football, these players don't move the ball like they move the ball, if they didn't have confidence."

Fulham's biggest problem has been failing to convert draws into victories -- they have finished all square in nine of their 23 matches this term.

"I don't really concentrate on the league table and what teams are doing around us," said Parker. "Our sole focus is to come in every day and improve. We need to win matches, I know that. We've drawn a lot of games."

West Brom are the only one of the strugglers to have replaced their manager this season.

Parker even got away with boldly criticizing vice-chairman Tony Khan's apology to fans via Twitter for the team's performance in a 3-0 defeat by Aston Villa last September.

It appears Steve Bruce too enjoys the confidence of unpopular Newcastle owner Mike Ashley. Bruce believes too much of the focus on who might drop into the bottom three is on Newcastle.

"There are that many teams involved, it has been an unbelievable year," said Bruce. "Everyone is making a fist of it down below and there are six, seven teams looking over their shoulder."

Bruce may be a touch optimistic when he refers to half a dozen teams nervously looking over their shoulders.

One of them, Southampton, are on a club record losing streak of six successive league matches, including a 9-0 humiliation against Manchester United, but are still 11 points better off than Fulham.

Which leaves Newcastle as the hare being chased by the Fulham fox.

Bruce though believes his side will not be caught.

"If we continue like we have done recently we will be OK," he said.



https://japantoday.com/category/sports/who's-for-the-drop-premier-league-relegation-battle-set-to-be-cliffhanger


WhiteJC

Parker prepared to manage Maja's fitness

Scott Parker is prepared to manage the fitness of new Fulham forward Josh Maja – but revealed that his decision to substitute the goalscoring hero at Everton on Sunday was a precaution rather than a reaction to an injury.

The Fulham boss has been delighted with Maja's start to life with the Whites after moving to Craven Cottage on loan from Bordeaux on transfer deadline day. Maja grabbed both goals as the Cottagers recorded a first ever league win at Goodison Park last weekend and was replaced by Ivan Cavaleiro in the closing stages of that tie after reporting soreness in his calf.

Parker told his pre-match press conference before tomorrow night's trip to Burnley:

"He didn't play a lot of football [recently at Bordeaux]. He was stretching his calf which is why we brought him off at the weekend. n the squad where we are, that is fine. We may have to manage him. He seems a very fit boy. Condition-wise, credit to him, that's the work he must have done even though he has not been playing. It is something we will need to keep an eye on."

Parker wants his side to use the excellent display at Everton as a yardstick for the remainder of the campaign and he knows that the Clarets will represent a serious challenge as Fulham look to find the consistency necessary to cling onto a place in the Premier League.

"I don't think the issue is repeating the performance from Everton, I think it is repeating the result. The performance has been there a million per cent. There has been a big thing that we have not managed to put the ball in the net, but the performances have certainly been there.

"Now it is the result, and I think we need to understand that the feeling amongst the group, is that it is just part of what we want to do this season. We can't get too carried away, of course, you can build on that. What is now important is the next game. This is a tough week we have, we said at the start before Everton, knew what we faced and I wanted us to be very professional, very clear, laser-focused in what we are doing. Everton is done, we got a result, perfect, now is another massive challenge, Burnley, and we move on and we go from there."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/02/parker-prepared-to-manage-majas-fitness/

WhiteJC

Why Liverpool had to pay world record fee for Harvey Elliott despite Fulham objections

Nick De Marco QC had been representing Fulham at the tribunal last week as Liverpool were ordered to pay a world record fee for Harvey Elliott

One of the lawyers to represent Fulham at the tribunal hearing to determine the fee Liverpool should pay for Harvey Elliott has explained the reasons behind the record fee.

When Elliott decided to leave the Cottagers for Anfield in the summer of 2019 he had yet to sign a professional deal, instead taking the opportunity to take up a scholarship with the Reds before penning his first pro contract last year when he turned 17.

Fulham were entitled to training compensation for the talented teen, who became the youngest player to appear in the Premier League when he came off the bench for the London side at the age of 16 years and 30 days. Quite how much training compensation was to be paid out was a contentious issue.

Liverpool believed that the appropriate settlement for Elliott, who had been with Fulham since he was 13 years old, was around the £750,000 mark. For Fulham, their thoughts were that someone of Elliott's potential and someone who had been handed a debut in the Premier League was worth 10 times that amount.

The two clubs were miles apart in their stance and with no common ground that could be reached the only alternative was a tribunal hearing in front of the Professional Football Compensation Committee (PFCC), an ad hoc group of four or five individuals from within the football industry who review the submissions from clubs and make their decisions on valuations based on a number of criteria.

The age of the player, status of both clubs, length of time at the club, fees paid upon registration, the terms on which the player was engaged, international caps, first team appearances and interest from other clubs - at the time Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain - are all taken into account.

The outcome returned was one that saw Liverpool landed with a fee of up to £4.3m for Elliott, currently enjoying a successful loan spell in the Championship with Blackburn Rovers. That level of compensation sets a new world record for a 16-year-old player.

While Fulham boss Scott Parker may have been unhappy at the level of compensation, branding it 'madness', Fulham have declared themselves pleased with the decision, something backed up by the man who helped present their case to the PFCC, renowned sports lawyer Nick De Marco QC, described as the 'Lionel Messi of sports law'.

"Fulham were very happy with the outcome and that's what matters, they were the client," explained De Marco when speaking on the Price of Football podcast with football finance expert and University of Liverpool lecturer Kieran Maguire.

"It was a record-breaking award for a 16-year-old player who had never signed a professional contract and obviously that meant Harvey Elliott was allowed to leave Fulham and join Liverpool without any transfer fee being paid because he was not a contracted player.

"But Harvey Elliott is an exceptional player. He had been the youngest player to ever play in the Premier League and this season when he has been on loan to Blackburn he is the joint highest in terms of assists in the Championship, and that is for a 17-year-old player who is playing in one of the most competitive leagues in the world.

"The reason why this sort of training compensation is important is that clubs like Fulham invest millions in academies. Fulham has a very good Category One academy that produced the likes of Ryan Sessegnon and others before Harvey Elliott.

"When you put in millions and train 40 people or so per year then you are doing well if you get one star out of that cohort. If that one star leaves and you don't get any money at all for that star then why are you going to keep on investing millions in training those 40 players each year? It is for the benefit of the game that you have proportionate compensation and that does depend on the type of player that's moving."

While the tribunal reached a satisfactory outcome for Fulham, De Marco says that heading to tribunal is always a last resort.

"Often it does (represent a failure of negotiation)," explained De Marco, who was joined by colleague Ravi Mehta in presenting Fulham's case.

"Despite appearances I can tell you that I rarely encourage my clients to go to court or arbitration and tell them that it's very risky, very costly, takes a lot of time, however strong you think your case is things can go wrong, and if there is a way of dealing with it commercially or by a deal with the regulator in some way then you should explore that as it is a much better use of your time and money than paying lawyers.

"That is usually my advice and it is only really when it is impossible do you have to go on and fight."



https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-pay-world-record-fee-19839953

WhiteJC

Scott Parker: Fulham can't rely on Josh Maja goals alone to secure Premier League survival



Scott Parker has warned Fulham cannot put too much pressure on new signing Josh Maja to keep them up.

Maja scored two goals to fire Fulham to a 2-0 win at Everton on Sunday and give them a glimmer of hope in their fight to avoid relegation.

The striker, who signed on loan from Bordeaux last month, has brought the firepower that Fulham have missed this season but Parker says they cannot rely on him alone.

The Cottagers travel to Burnley on Wednesday knowing a win will take them to within four points of safety.

Parker said: "What a way to start, his Premier League debut for us, to score two goals and for us to win the game, it was pretty special for him really. I am really conscious that I do not want to put a lot on the shoulders of someone so young.

"But I have been very impressed in the short space of time that I have been working with Josh. Hopefully that can continue.

"He has come into a young group, an energetic, upbeat group of players, and he has fitted in very well. He wants to learn, he is a player who wants to get better and that is vitally important when you come into where we are.

"There is a lot on him, like any forward at this club. The hardest job is putting the ball in the net and pressure comes with that, but I am sure he will take that in his stride."



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-scott-parker-josh-maja-goals-premier-league-survival-b920071.html


WhiteJC

Parker felt 'forced' to put Kongolo on bench because of lack of options

Fulham were forced into naming Terence Kongolo as a substitute against Everton because the squad was short of numbers, Scott Parker says.

Parker admitted putting the Netherlands international on the Goodison Park pitch would have been the last resort, especially as the injury-ravaged defender has played only 67 minutes since breaking a foot more than a year ago.

The head coach said: 'To be honest with you, I was a bit forced in that sense.

"Joe Bryan picked up an injury and Terence has been with us (in training) for one week now.

"He wouldn't have been in that position if it wasn't because of the injuries we had.

"He needs some football and he needs some games in the Under-23s, so maybe there will be an option for him to play some games there."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/football-wls-parker-felt-forced-to-put-kongolo-on-bench

WhiteJC

Burnley attack selects itself but Sean Dyche faces defensive dilemma ahead of Fulham contest

Burnley entertain Fulham at Turf Moor in a pivotal Premier League fixture

Sean Dyche is set to make at least one change for Burnley's Premier League clash against Fulham with captain Ben Mee to miss this evening's contest, abiding concussion protocol.

Mee's absence means Kevin Long is the likely candidate to step-up in his replacement, having played the final stages of the Clarets' 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace alongside James Tarkowski at the weekend.

In an ideal world Dyche would have retained the same starting XI from their triumphant exploits at Selhurst Park, with Burnley producing an engaged, vibrant performance that fully warranted a comprehensive victory.

Key to that victory was the energy and vigour from the midfield, with the returning Ashley Westwood and Jack Cork relentlessly pressing, tackling and supporting the forwards while the wide men of Dwight McNeil and Johann Berg Gudmundsson were equally supportive of their full-backs as they were with their attacking endeavour.

Dyche is expected to stick with the midfield four, with the likes of Dale Stephens and Robbie Brady - who made his first appearance since the Chelsea defeat on Saturday - options from the bench.

Options are limited in attack but after their flourishing partnership on Saturday, there is no concern over Ashley Barnes and Jay Rodriguez keeping their places as the striking duo. Rodriguez's confidence rocketed in the aftermath of his goal while Barnes was a persistent menace to Scott Dann and Cheikhou Kouyate, and Dyche will be hoping for more of the same.

The Clarets boss does face a decision at left-back, however, as Erik Pieters departed from the contest prematurely on Saturday with a groin injury but Charlie Taylor is back in contention after returning to first-team training.

Predicted Burnley XI: Pope; Lowton, Tarkowski, Long, Taylor; Gudmundsson, Westwood, Cork, McNeil; Barnes, Rodriguez



https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/burnley-predicted-lineup-fulham-fixture-19853522

WhiteJC

Fan Survey 2021 – Your Club Needs You

A huge thank you to all those who have already taken part in the Fulham Supporters' Trust annual survey. As usual there has been a fantastic response.

If you haven't made your views known yet, don't worry. There's still time to participate and it only takes 10 minutes to complete, with the added bonus of entering the ballot to win a signed shirt.


https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2021/02/fan-survey-2021-your-club-needs-you/


WhiteJC

Nigerian Goals Out of Europe - Moffi, Maja Grab Braces

Moffi and Maja will have caught Gernot Rohr's attention with braces for their clubs in much needed league wins

Moffi courts Rohr's attention with his brace

Terem Moffi is grabbing the right headlines for Lorient in the French Ligue 1 and his brace on Sunday, away to Monaco at the Stade Louis II, gave him a place in the Ligue 1 team of the week.

Moffi, 21, scored the opener in the seventh minute from the penalty spot and completed his brace on 62 minutes to give relegation-threatened Lorient the lead again before Wissam Ben Yedder pulled Monaco level in the third minute of added-on time.

He has now scored eight league goals in 18 appearances after last summer's move from Belgian side, Kortrijk.

Lorient stay 17th-just a point above 18th-placed Nantes. Lorient will need more goals from their young Nigerian to keep their Ligue 1 status.

Maja scores brace on full Fulham debut

Josh Maja made it happen for Fulham on Sunday as his brace on full debt for the London side ensured a first win for Scott Parker since November 30 when they beat Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

Maja started in place of Alexander Mitrovic and Ivan Cavaleiro, and the 22-year-old grabbed his chance with two well-taken goals in the second half.

As per whoscored, Maja despite his 73 minutes, was the match's best performer with a score rating of 7.8. He had three shots and a 94% success pass rate. In just 84 minutes, across two matches, Maja has matched the goal tally of Mitrovic, and just one behind Ademola Lookman and Cavaleiro's tally of three league goals.

Fulham remain 18th but are now upwardly mobile with 18 points from 23 matches.

Simon scores for relegation-threatened Nantes

Moses Simon was thrust forward for Nantes in a 4-4-2 formation away to Angers last Sunday at the Stade Raymond-Kopa and he responded with the first goal in a 3-1 win.

The win was the first for relegation-threatened Nantes since November 8, when they beat Lorient 2-0 away from home.

Nantes are 18th on the 20-team league table and have 22 points from 25 matches.

It was Simon's third league goal of the season after making 20 appearances.

Sekidika announces Konyaspor arrival with a goal

Jesse Sekidika is getting the taste for goals after scoring his second league goal for new club, Konyaspor, whom he joined in the January transfer window from Galatasaray.

The 24-year-old scored his first Super Lig goal for Galatasaray against Denizlispor on January 20, and he repeated the feat against the same club on Sunday in a 2-0 win.

Sekidika started the encounter and scored in the 80th minute with a tap in and was substituted with two minutes left on the clock.

He has scored two goals in nine league appearances this season as Konyaspor remain in 13th place with 27 points from 23 matches in the 21-team league.



https://allafrica.com/stories/202102160629.html

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Burnley forward Jay Rodriguez hoping to hit a century against Fulham
Sean Dyche has praised Jay Rodriguez's mental and physical strength as the Clarets striker goes in search of his 100th league goal against Fulham tonight.

Rodriguez's first career goal came against the Cottagers, as Championship Burnley upset their Premier League visitors in the Carling Cup in September 2008, and his header at Crystal Palace on Saturday was his 127th in all competitions.

While the one-cap England international has three goals in all competitions this season, having netted twice against Fulham in a 3-0 win in the FA Cup last month, the goal at Selhurst Park was his first in the Premier League in 22 appearances - the worst drought of his career.

The 31-year-old had come in for criticism after missing from close range in the FA Cup exit against Bournemouth last week, and Dyche was delighted to see him bounce back by not only gettong on the scoresheet, but producing an impressive all-round performance: "He's had a couple of injuries, people forget he had a few weeks out, but we know what he's about Jay, he's been slightly off-mark a little bit in recent weeks but came to life again.

"That's because of his experience and his demand on himself.

"He's quite an unassuming lad, but there is an inner toughness to him mentally and physically.

"He's got a good demand on himself to do the right things.

"I just thought him and Barnesy, for different reasons on Saturday were excellent, Jay with his constant threat with his pace, his running in behind and some of his hold up play, and Barnesy because he's an awkward customer.

"When you get that combination of two strikers, it can be very, very effective.

"You're looking for that consistency of performance, how they can deliver that as many times as possible over a season, but I was very pleased - there were so many good performances to be honest.

"I appreciate people were saying Palace had a quiet day, and that can happen, but I thought our performance was very good."



https://www.pendletoday.co.uk/sport/football/burnley-forward-jay-rodriguez-hoping-hit-century-against-fulham-3137380

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"I had a hard time" – Fulham player details 'painful' moment when he realised 'it was over' with Cottagers

Royal Antwerp were successful in taking Maxime Le Marchand away from Fulham late in the winter market.

The Belgian side signed the 31-year-old on a loan deal after failing to land him in the summer.

Le Marchand, who can operate as a centre-back or left-back, arrived at Craven Cottage from Nice in 2018.

After featuring regularly in his debut season in England, the versatile player was sidelined with a back injury for most of last season. This made it difficult for him to have regular opportunities in the Championship.

"The Premier League was a dream come true. But I knew it would not be easy. In my first season I played a lot, but we had three different managers," Le Marchand told Gazet van Antwerpen.

"We were relegated and afterwards I had a hard time because I had some injuries. We did achieve promotion again, but my contribution was no longer great. Still, I learned a lot at Fulham. I got tougher there."

The Frenchman made four appearances for Scott Parker's side this season and his last outing was against Wolverhampton Wanderers in October 2020.

When explaining why he didn't consider a move to Royal Antwerp last summer, he said: "Then I wanted to recapture my starting place in the Premier League. But after the board got two more defenders at the very last moment, it was over."

According to Gazet van Antwerpen, Fulham's decision to bring in new players late in the summer was 'painful' for Le Marchand and that's when he realised "it was over" for him at Craven Cottage.

The former Rennes man detailed what convinced him to join Royal Antwerp after he failed to get a move to France in the winter market.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/i-had-hard-time-fulham-player-details-painful-moment-when-he-realised-it-was-over-with-cottagers/


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'Slender win' - Michael Owen gives Burnley vs Fulham score prediction and verdict

Burnley host Fulham tonight in the first of two Premier League matches - with Everton taking on Manchester City later on

Burnley are back in Premier League action this evening with Fulham the visitors to Turf Moor.

The Clarets head into encounter on the back of an emphatic 3-0 win on the road against Crystal Palace.

Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Jay Rodriguez and Matthew Lowton were the scorers at Selhurst Park.

And Sean Dyche's side will be aiming to build on that impressive result by making it back-to-back wins in the top flight.

Burnley sit 16th in the table at present - eight points ahead of the Cottagers.

Scott Parker's side too go into the game on the back of a huge win, having beaten Everton 2-0 at Goodison Park at the weekend - thanks to a Josh Maja double.

Ahead of the clash, ex-England striker Michael Owen has given his score prediction and thoughts on how he sees the game going.

Writing in his BetVictor column, Owen said: 'Fulham travel to Burnley fresh from a fantastic win on the road against Everton.

'It was an afternoon where everything seemed to come together for the Cottagers, and another three points here would certainly make it more interesting down at the bottom.

'That said, Burnley will offer a whole different challenge. As ever, I expect the hosts to be well organised and think they'll play a patient game.

'As much as Fulham impressed me last weekend, I think this Burnley team have enough doggedness about them to carve out a slender win.

Owen's prediction: 1-0.



https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/burnley-vs-fulham-score-prediction-19855672

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Burnley v Fulham


Two goals by Josh Maja (centre) against Everton helped end Fulham's run of 12 league games without a win dating back to November

TEAM NEWS

Burnley captain Ben Mee has been ruled out because of the concussion he suffered against Crystal Palace.

"It is a precautionary timescale of six days," said manager Sean Dyche. "He is fine and he has been ever since but we have to go with the medical protocols."

Erik Pieters, Dale Stephens, Matej Vydra and Chris Wood are injury doubts, but Charlie Taylor should be fit.

Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic is self-isolating, while Tom Cairney and Terence Kongolo remain sidelined.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

    Burnley are unbeaten in the past 30 home meetings in all competitions, winning 25 and drawing five - it's their longest such run against a single opponent. They last lost this fixture in April 1951.
    Fulham could set an unwanted club record of 31 competitive matches without an away win against the same opponent. They were also winless in 30 visits to Liverpool between 1934 and 2011.
    Burnley beat the Cottagers 3-0 at Craven Cottage in the FA Cup fourth round last month.

Burnley

    The Clarets can win consecutive Premier League fixtures for only the second time in 2020-21.
    The three goals Burnley scored against Crystal Palace on Saturday make up 18% of their league tally this season.
    Their total of 17 league goals is the lowest by any club in England's top four divisions in the current campaign.
    There have been just 22 goals scored at Turf Moor this season, the fewest at any top-flight ground.
    Burnley have won just one of their past seven league matches against promoted sides. This season they have drawn 0-0 with West Brom and lost 1-0 to Leeds.

Fulham

    Fulham are looking to win back-to-back away games in the same Premier League season for the first time since May 2011.
    The Cottagers could equal their top-flight club record of six successive away fixtures without defeat.
    Scott Parker's side are unbeaten in all six league matches this season against other teams currently in the bottom six of the table, albeit five of those were drawn.
    Their solitary victory in 18 Premier League away fixtures played on a Wednesday was 1-0 at Derby County in January 2002.
    Fulham have earned 61% of their points this season in away games. It's the division's third highest percentage, behind Everton and Brighton.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55456854