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Friday Fulham Stuff - 19/02/21...

Started by WhiteJC, February 19, 2021, 12:01:02 AM

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WhiteJC

Fulham trying to loan their way to Premier League survival but should it be allowed?

For a club currently third bottom of the Premier League, Fulham have some quite remarkable recent stats.

Scott Parker's team have only lost three of their last 13 PL matches, whilst the Cottagers have conceded only 11 goals in these 13 games. Not exactly the kind of stats that you would associate with a club that is one of the three favourites to go down.

On Wednesday it was a massive night for Fulham and to a degree, Burnley...and definitely to a degree Newcastle United.

Steve Bruce and his players currently fourth bottom and ahead of last night's match, NUFC sandwiched between third bottom Fulham and fifth bottom Burnley.

Many Newcastle fans making the point on social media on Wednesday night, that journalists and pundits are keen to still ask the questions 'just what do Newcastle fans want?' and 'what would make them happy?', yet here we are in mid-February with Newcastle supporters agonising over the result of Burnley v Fulham...

A win for Fulham would have put them within four points of Newcastle, whilst a win for Burnley would have sent them three points clear of NUFC.

In the event, two goals in quick succession (49 and 52 minutes) meant it was a point each and a point going missing, leaving the Premier League table looking like this on Thursday morning.

I think we are all agreed that a win for Fulham would have been the very worst result for Newcastle but still, if they beat Sheffield United at Craven Cottage on Saturday, they move to within three points of the Magpies and with a better goal difference.

If Fulham win on Saturday then Newcastle lose at Old Trafford as expected on Sunday, that means the following weekend would see key matches with Newcastle home to Wolves and Fulham away at Palace. If everything went wrong, Newcastle United would drop into the bottom three...

Last night's result appears to have been pretty much what the bookies expected as it left the relegation odds pretty much unchanged.

Sheffield United (1/50) and West Brom (1/40) are now write offs as the bookies see it, sure to go down.

Next though you have Fulham 1/2, Newcastle 2/1, Burnley 12/1, Palace 14/1, Bright 25/1, as things stand, the bookies seeing it as a straight fight between Fulham and Newcastle.

However, what occurred to me last night, is it a fair fight?

Something mentioned last night got me checking, surely it wasn't true...?

However, it was.

Just look at how many of the Fulham starting eleven are currently at Craven Cottage on loan:

Alphonse Areola (LOAN PSG)

Kenny Tete (Bought £3m Lyon)

Joachim Andersen (LOAN Lyon)

Bobby De Cordova-Reid (Bought £8m Cardiff)

Ruben Loftus-Cheek (LOAN Chelsea)

Tosin Adarabioyo (Bought £1.5m Man City)

Mario Lemina (LOAN Southampton)

Ademola Lookman (LOAN Leipzig)

Harrison Reed (Bought £6m Southampton)

Ola Aina (LOAN Torino)

Josh Maja (LOAN Bordeaux)

That's right, seven players on loan, whilst the other four cost £18.5m between them (stats via Transfermarkt).

Is it fair / ethical, should it be allowed, to have so many loan players in your side, whether you are trying to stay up or indeed even win stuff?

Indeed, it was ironic that when looking at the subs (see below), all nine of those are permanent signings, costing almost £50m between them, with Anguissa actually having cost Fulham more than the entire starting eleven against Burnley!

You have to wonder what those fully signed up players are thinking when they don't get a game, the first team packed with so many loan players.

Modern football...

Substitutes

Rodak (Through youth system)

Kongolo (Bought £4m Huddersfield)

Hector (Bought £5m Chelsea)

Ream (Bought £1.5m Bolton)

Odoi (Bought £1m Lokeren)

Robinson (Bought £2m Wigan)

Anguissa (Bought £22m Marseilles)

Onomah (Free Transfer Spurs)

Cavaleiro (Bought £11m Wolves)



https://www.themag.co.uk/2021/02/fulham-trying-to-loan-their-way-to-premier-league-survival-but-should-it-be-allowed-newcastle-united/

WhiteJC

'It Came Off My Six-Pack' - Fulham Fullback Ola Aina On His Scrappy Goal Against Burnley

Ola Aina has reacted to his scrappy goal in Fulham's 1-1 draw against Burnley in a Premier League clash staged at Turf Moor on Wednesday evening.

Three minutes into the second half, the left-back got himself in a good position, managed to shape his body and diverted the ball into the net after a Lookman corner kick caused problems for the Burnley defence.

The Nigeria international has said that he had no choice but to chest the ball into the back of the net as it was moving very fast.

"It came off my six-pack. It's actually come so fast so I just six-packed it in if you want to call it that so that's what happened," Aina said to FFC TV.

Fulham have another couple of days to recover before another tough game against one of the teams around them, Sheffield United and it's another chance to keep the momentum going.

"We have to keep the belief there, keep the stamina that we've been showing in the past couple of months and just keep plugging away.

"It will give way, we've just got to stay positive. We just have to pull through this as a team because we know what our end goal is and we know what we want," Aina added.

Aina has shown his versatility since his arrival at Craven Cottage especially against Burnley where he played 80 minutes on the left and then he switched to the right, after Antonee Robinson replaced Kenny Tete.

"For me it is alright, I don't really see the difference much. It's just different sides, for me it is okay, I feel confident," he concluded.

Aina has now scored two goals for Fulham in the Premier League, a personal best for him since he turned professional.

Igho Kingsley



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=38996

WhiteJC

Fulham boss Scott Parker admits 'main focus' is to catch Newcastle United and makes confident claim

Fulham boss Scott Parker insists his side are going in the 'right direction' in the battle to avoid relegation and has challenged them to overtake Newcastle United in the table


Scott Parker ahead of Fulham's clash at Burnley on February 17, 2021

Fulham boss Scott Parker has laid down the gauntlet to his former side Newcastle United as the Cottagers battle to beat the drop.

Parker's side closed the gap to six points with a 1-1 draw at Burnley on Wednesday, and have the chance to reduce the deficit further when they host basement side Sheffield United on Saturday night.

Newcastle could be just three points clear of trouble when they lineup at Old Trafford for a tricky assignment at Manchester United the following evening.

Fulham will then travel to Crystal Palace in their next outing, and many believe it is a crucial run of fixtures which will go a long way to determining their survival prospects this season.

Ola Aina opened the scoring for Parker's side at Turf Moor, only for Ashley Barnes to equalise minutes later and ensure the points were shared.

It was a missed opportunity for the Cottagers to record their first back-to-back wins since July last year, but the Fulham boss remains bullish about his side's chances of avoiding relegation.

The 40-year-old insists his side are going in the 'right direction' and has outlined their 'main focus' now is to overtake Newcastle in the table.

Parker told BT Sport : "It's a massive game for us now.

"The gap was 10 points, it's now six. It's going in the right direction and we're going into Saturday trying to win that game.

"Our main focus is how we perform to get results in this division but of course the main focus (is to reel in Newcastle).

"I believe we're very competitive in this league. I feel every game we play, we can win, I honestly do.

"I feel like my team can really go and get results in this division, we've proven that. We've only won all three all season but we're very hard to beat and we have got quality."



https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-scott-parker-newcastle-united-19862749


WhiteJC

Odds, referee, TV details: Everything you need to know ahead of Fulham v Sheffield United
Bottom club Sheffield United are in the capital again this weekend when they travel to Fulham hoping to keep alive their faint hopes of staying in the Premier League.

The Blades were beaten 3-0 across London at West Ham United on Monday night, a result which pushed them ever closer to the relegation trapdoor with just 14 games remaining.

Now Chris Wilder's men will pit their wits against a Fulham side, who themselves are cut adrift inside the bottom three but have picked up four points from six this week following trips to Everton and Burnley.

When is the match? What time is kick-off?

The game takes place at Craven Cottage on Saturday, February 20 and kick-off is at 8pm.
Is Fulham v Sheffield United on TV?

Yes, the game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.

Its coverage begins at 7.45pm and the game will be screened on the Main Event and Premier League channels.

Fans can sign up to Sky's Premier League and Football channels HERE, from £18 a month on a rolling month-to-month contract.

Alternatively, NOW TV offers fans the chance to enjoy the complete Sky Sports package without any lengthy contract.

The service is streamed through an app found on most smart TVs and portable devices. It can also be accessed through a NOW TV stick.

Who is the referee?

The referee for Fulham versus Sheffield United is Martin Atkinson and his assistants are Constantine Hatzidakis and Peter Kirkup.

Gavin Ward will be the fourth official, while Peter Bankes is on VAR duty.

Andy Halliday is the assistant VAR.

What are the odds?

Paddy Power is offering the following odds on the game:

Fulham – 23/20

Draw – 21/10

Sheffield United – 13/5

Meanwhile, Paddy Power is offering a odds of 4/1 on Fulham's Bobby De Cordova-Reid to score first, with Josh Maja at 6/1.

Sheffield United's Lys Mousset and Oli McBurnie to score first are priced at 13/2 currently, with Billy Sharp, Rhian Brewster and David McGoldrick each at 7/1.




https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-united/odds-referee-tv-details-everything-you-need-know-ahead-fulham-v-sheffield-united-3138584

WhiteJC

Ola Aina urges Fulham to keep battling after his goal secures a point at Burnley
Ola Aina has faith Fulham will be rewarded for their toil if they keep battling in their bid to beat the drop.

Just a few days ago, the Cottagers sat 10 points adrift of Premier League safety but they upset the odds to beat Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday for just their third win of the season before claiming a 1-1 draw at Burnley.

Aina's fortuitous goal put Fulham ahead at Turf Moor on Wednesday evening and although Ashley Barnes levelled just three minutes later, the stalemate means Scott Parker's side are now within six points of 17th-placed Newcastle.

Fulham could eat into that gap even more on Saturday night as they welcome rock-bottom Sheffield United to Craven Cottage a day before the Magpies travel to Old Trafford to take on high-flying Manchester United.

Aina is convinced the tide will start to turn in Fulham's favour if they stay positive as he told FFCtv: "We have to keep the belief there, keep the stamina that we've been showing in the past couple of months and just keep plugging away.

"It will give way, we've just got to stay positive. We just have to pull through this as a team because we know what our end goal is and we know what we want.

"I know myself and everyone else is a bit disappointed (with the draw at Burnley). We thought we could come here and win, and there were moments in the game where I thought we were actually in the ascendancy. It was just a tough game but it's good we didn't lose and we come away with a point."

Fulham took a 49th-minute lead when Joachim Andersen attempted an audacious backheel volley from Ademola Lookman's corner, succeeding only in feathering through to Aina, who instinctively chested into the net.

"It come off the six-pack. It was flicked on and it actually came so fast, I just six-packed it in," the Nigerian wing-back added.

Burnley did not trail for long as Jay Rodriguez cleverly skipped into space on the right before squaring to strike partner Barnes, who had a simpler finish despite a poor first touch, which wrongfooted Alphonse Areola.

"We had to react quickly," Barnes said on Burnley's website. "The credit goes to Jay. He did all the work. I was just lucky enough to be in the right position. It probably wasn't the best of touches, but they all count."

Barnes' equaliser means Burnley stay eight points ahead of the bottom three but Rodriguez is taking nothing for granted ahead of the visit of another struggling team in West Brom on Saturday afternoon.

"After being one down and then scoring you felt the momentum change, but fair to play to Fulham, they stuck in and deserved a point," Rodriguez said. "We've just got to keep concentrating on what we can do.

"If we look after how we play and how we approach the games we should be OK. But you never know, so we've just got to keep working hard, keep our heads down and when it (safety) comes, it comes."



https://www.newschainonline.com/sport/mens-sport/football/ola-aina-urges-fulham-keep-battling-after-his-goal-secures-point-burnley-100983

WhiteJC

Fulham's Parker eyes 'massive' game as he plots great escape

Fulham manager Scott Parker believes his relegation-threatened team can win "any game" as he plots a Premier League great escape, with fellow strugglers Sheffield United the next team in his sights.

Fulham, West Brom and Sheffield United appeared to be cut adrift but a win on Saturday would take Parker's men to within three points of 17th-placed Newcastle.

Steve Bruce's Newcastle face a daunting trip to Manchester United the following day, having won just three games on the road all season.

Fulham have a win and two draws from their past three matches, including an impressive 2-0 victory against Everton and Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Burnley.

"It's a massive game for us now," Parker said, referring to the Sheffield United match. "The gap (to Newcastle) was 10 points, it's now six.

"It's going in the right direction and we're going into Saturday trying to win that game.

"Our main focus is how we perform to get results in this division but of course the main focus (is to reel in Newcastle)."

Parker's side, in their first season back in he Premier League, have won just three of their 24 games this season, drawing 10 times.

The former England midfielder said he was confident Fulham could begin converting the draws into wins.

"I believe we're very competitive in this league," said Parker. "I feel every game we play, we can win, I honestly do.

"I feel like my team can really go and get results in this division, we've proven that. We've only won all three all season but we're very hard to beat and we have got quality."



https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210218-fulham-s-parker-eyes-massive-game-as-he-plots-great-escape


WhiteJC

Fulham and Sheff Utd meet in relegation fight

Did you know?

Fulham have lost just one of their last eight league encounters with Sheffield United (W4 D3), with that defeat coming back in 2007.

Bobby De Cordova-Reid is the only Fulham player with more than one Premier League goal at Craven Cottage this season, with three, while the forward is just one goal away from equalling his home total last term in the Championship.

Sheff Utd are winless in their last five league visits to Craven Cottage, since a 3-2 victory in September 1985.

The Blades have failed to score in half of their 24 PL matches this season, their highest such share in a single league campaign in their history.
Match officials

Referee: Martin Atkinson. Assistants: Constantine Hatzidakis, Peter Kirkup. Fourth official: Gavin Ward. VAR: Peter Bankes. Assistant VAR: Andy Halliday.



https://www.premierleague.com/news/2030361

WhiteJC

Ola Aina urges Fulham to 'stay positive' in bid to escape relegation from Premier League

The Cottagers sit six points from safety after one defeat in six

Ola Aina has faith Fulham will be rewarded for their toil if they keep battling in their bid to beat the drop.

Just a few days ago, the Cottagers sat 10 points adrift of Premier League safety but they upset the odds to beat Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday for just their third win of the season before claiming a 1-1 draw at Burnley.

Aina's fortuitous goal put Fulham ahead at Turf Moor on Wednesday evening and although Ashley Barnes levelled just three minutes later, the stalemate means Scott Parker's side are now within six points of 17th-placed Newcastle.

Fulham could eat into that gap even more on Saturday night as they welcome rock-bottom Sheffield United to Craven Cottage a day before the Magpies travel to Old Trafford to take on high-flying Manchester United.

Aina is convinced the tide will start to turn in Fulham's favour if they stay positive as he told FFCtv: "We have to keep the belief there, keep the stamina that we've been showing in the past couple of months and just keep plugging away.

"It will give way, we've just got to stay positive. We just have to pull through this as a team because we know what our end goal is and we know what we want.

"I know myself and everyone else is a bit disappointed (with the draw at Burnley). We thought we could come here and win, and there were moments in the game where I thought we were actually in the ascendancy. It was just a tough game but it's good we didn't lose and we come away with a point."

Fulham took a 49th-minute lead when Joachim Andersen attempted an audacious backheel volley from Ademola Lookman's corner, succeeding only in feathering through to Aina, who instinctively chested into the net.

"It come off the six-pack. It was flicked on and it actually came so fast, I just six-packed it in," the Nigerian wing-back added.

Burnley did not trail for long as Jay Rodriguez cleverly skipped into space on the right before squaring to strike partner Barnes, who had a simpler finish despite a poor first touch, which wrongfooted Alphonse Areola.

"We had to react quickly," Barnes said on Burnley's website. "The credit goes to Jay. He did all the work. I was just lucky enough to be in the right position. It probably wasn't the best of touches, but they all count."

Barnes' equaliser means Burnley stay eight points ahead of the bottom three but Rodriguez is taking nothing for granted ahead of the visit of another struggling team in West Brom on Saturday afternoon.

"After being one down and then scoring you felt the momentum change, but fair to play to Fulham, they stuck in and deserved a point," Rodriguez said. "We've just got to keep concentrating on what we can do.

"If we look after how we play and how we approach the games we should be OK. But you never know, so we've just got to keep working hard, keep our heads down and when it (safety) comes, it comes."

PA



https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/fulham/ola-aina-premier-league-relegation-battle-b1804119.html

WhiteJC

Fulham must 'stay positive,' says Aina

Ola Aina admitted he was disappointed that Fulham couldn't hold onto the lead he gave them and claim a precious three points at Burnley last night – but he has urged his team-mates to remain positive as the Whites battle against the drop.

The Nigerian defender scored his second goal of the season to give Fulham the lead at Turf Moor last night, but Scott Parker's side relinquished that advantage within three minutes when Ashley Barnes equalised. Aina told FFCTV after the final whistle that a draw was better than nothing after the visitors failed to push for a winner:

"I know myself and everyone else is a bit disappointed. We thought we could come here and win, and there were moments in the game where I thought we were actually in the ascendancy. It was just a tough game but it's good we didn't lose and we come away with a point."

Aina was good humoured about the fortune that led to his goal, which he chested in after Joachim Andersen had helped on Ademola Lookman's corner at the near post:

"It's come off the six-pack. Joa flicked it on and it actually came so fast, I just six-packed it in."

The 24 year-old feels that the victories Fulham need to close the gap on seventeenth-placed Newcastle are just around the corner given the standard of recent performances.

"We have to keep the belief there, keep the stamina that we've been showing in the past couple of months and just keep plugging away. It will give way, we've just got to stay positive. We just have to pull through this as a team because we know what our end goal is and we know what we want."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/02/fulham-must-stay-positive-says-aina/


WhiteJC

Premier League predictions: Lawro v Architects frontman and Man Utd fan Sam Carter

The 236th Merseyside derby since 1894 takes place on Saturday, but will it be Liverpool or Everton who win at Anfield to give their top-four hopes a much-needed boost?

"On both of the occasions they have played each other recently with no crowd, the games have been extremely tight," said BBC football expert and former Reds defender Mark Lawrenson. "I am expecting more of the same this time.

"Everton have not won at Anfield since 1999 so usually I'd fancy Liverpool there, but I am not totally convinced they have turned the corner with their win over RB Leipzig in midweek. We have seen a couple of false dawns from Jurgen Klopp's side in the past few weeks."

Lawro is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's Premier League fixtures, he is up against Architects frontman Sam Carter.

Architects new album 'For Those That Wish to Exist' is out later this month and the band's latest single 'Meteor' was Annie Mac's 'hottest record in the world' on her Future Sounds show on Radio 1 last week.

Sam is a Manchester United fan and has been pretty much from birth - as you can see from the pictures of him in United kit down the years.

"My dad was a massive United fan from watching George Best play, and he passed that on to me," Sam explained.

"Best was the David Beckham of my dad's generation - and Beckham was the player I loved when I was growing up. The whole of United's team around the time of the 'Class of 92' was special to me though.

"Paul Scholes was just the greatest player to watch as a kid, but now I adore him even more when I watch old games back because of the football brain he had. I probably didn't appreciate him enough back then.

"Roy Keane too. He was a player who would always put his head on the line for the cause. Now more than ever I think what I wouldn't give to have him in our midfield.

"We still have got some fantastic players now of course like Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes - at times we play some brilliant attacking football and the talent is there for everyone to see, but I still think there are a few things missing for what we need to win the title.

"Even so, it has been so nice just to be in the conversation again this season, because I grew up with us challenging every year, and we haven't really done that since Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013."

It is not just on the pitch where United forward Rashford has shone this year, and his work to raise awareness of child poverty in the UK has been recognised with a string of awards.

"I adore Marcus as a player, and have done since he broke into the first team," Sam added. "For him to be at United his whole life and make it like he has done is testament to his hard work and dedication.

"But also seeing what he has done away from football now, since he has got in this position, is just incredible. He hasn't forgotten where he came from or what it is like to be that kid, who is hungry and struggling. For him to be sending that message now about what needs to change is so powerful."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION
Fulham v Sheff Utd (20:00 GMT)

Fulham are looking lively in attack and they have had a decent few days, moving to within six points of safety after beating Everton on Sunday and then getting a draw at Burnley on Wednesday.



Sheffield United were well beaten by West Ham last weekend, which was a big setback in their mini-revival, but I just have a funny feeling the Blades will get the points here.

They have only won one of their 12 away league games so far this season - at Old Trafford last month - but this is almost the last throw of the dice for Chris Wilder's side, and I think they will treat it as a game they absolutely have to win to have a chance of staying up.

Lawro's prediction: 1-2

Sam's prediction: I feel like if anyone is going to get out of the bottom three, it is going to be Sheffield United. 1-2



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56090396

WhiteJC

Have Maja & Diagne handed Fulham & West Bromwich Albion survival lifelines?

Both clubs may still end in the bottom three but the arrival of the Nigerian and Senegalese stars have given them renewed optimism of beating the drop

Fulham and West Bromwich Albion have been given a glimmer of hope in the fight to avoid Premier League relegation.

Scott Parker's side, regularly praised for their performances, have had issues turning draws into victories while Sam Allardyce's troops looked dead and buried due to their feeble defensive record — 55 goals conceded is by far the worst in the top flight — and ineffective frontline.

The Cottagers' improvement from open, easy-to-play-through opponents to being solid and gutsy in the last few months has seen them win admirers. However, there was a feeling they lacked someone to put chances away.

The raw and underlying statistics back this up, too.

According to Understat, Parker's team have netted only 20 times in 24 games, despite expected goals of 27.2. Their underperformance is worse than all but two teams in the division (Brighton & Hove Albion & Sheffield United), suggesting chances have been created but haven't been converted.

With Aleksandar Mitrovic mostly on the periphery this term, the 40-year-old manager has had to rely on Bobby Decordova-Reid (five goals), Ivan Cavaleiro (three) and Ademola Lookman (three) who aren't natural goal scorers.

Hence, the reason Josh Maja's deadline day loan move from Bordeaux came as a relief and why there's been renewed positivity since his brace in that 2-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.

The nature of the Nigerian's goals would've pleased Parker and Fulham supporters too: he smartly lost Mason Holgate with his movement for a simple tap-in from Ola Aina's pass for the opener, while the second came about having stayed alive to tap home after Harrison Reed's initial effort came back off the post.

While he generally fed on scraps on Wednesday night as the West Londoners mostly struggled with Burnley's intensity, there were signs of the striker's instincts in the box, especially in the second half when the visitors eventually seized control.

The 22-year-old's biggest sniff at goal only came with four minutes of stoppage time to play, where he intelligently halted his run at the right moment and lost his marker but couldn't connect to Ruben Loftus-Cheek's pick-out. An unexpectant Lookman couldn't capitalise on the loose ball.

Despite the Cottagers' issues their build-up and final-third efficiency in the 1-1 draw with the Clarets, they've fared well in the main throughout the season for ball progression and chance creation. Parker's side sits eighth for key passes per 90 and a respectable 11th for shot-creating actions per 90.

Furthermore, the fact they rank 10th and ninth for progressive passes per 90 and passes into the penalty area per 90 respectively suggest they haven't done badly on their return to the league.

For context, the Craven Cottage outfit rank higher than second-placed Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal for chances created per 90 and are above the Foxes, Spurs and Everton for completed passes into the 18-yard box.

While they may not create as many big chances as the aforementioned teams, the West London club have still fashioned out 39 clear-cut opportunities — ranked 13th in the PL — just below the Toffees (40) and Mikel Arteta's team (41).

There's reason to believe Maja will have a say in Fulham's survival hopes and Parker will hope the frontman scores vital opportunities his side will inevitably create in the forthcoming months.

For Allardyce's West Bromwich, while the handwriting seemed to be on the wall due to a leaky rearguard and poor frontline, Mbaye Diagne's traits potentially solve one issue to conceivably give the Baggies a fighting chance.

The forward's hustling nature, by and large, suits an Albion side that may not offer him chances on a platter.

Diagne's battling qualities were evident in their 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday where the Senegal frontman didn't give Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire breathing room for 90 minutes.

He somehow managed to outmuscle the Swede to put away Conor Gallagher's cross for the hosts' second-minute strike but strangely spurned two absolute sitters in the final 15 minutes to possibly win the game for West Bromwich. The 78th-minute miss typified Galatasaray loanee: he chased down a lost cause, jostled with and stole the ball away from the Man United captain but was thwarted by David De Gea.

Against Spurs the previous week, the 29-year-old forced a save from Hugo Lloris and had two goals correctly ruled out for offside in the second half as the North London side won 2-0.

The Albion may not create enough shooting opportunities or promising openings — they rank bottom in nearly every attacking metric including shot-creating actions, key passes per 90 and big chances created — but Diagne's impact so far suggests he may not necessarily rely on quality service to thrive.

Allardyce seemingly has his work cut out for him, though, as the experienced manager not only has to deal with issues in front of goal but could have any sort of improvement in that area thwarted by their soft underbelly, evidenced by having 55 in the goals conceded column.

Fulham, on the other hand, have allowed 32 goals (from 33.1 expected goals against), which betters all but two sides in the bottom half, level with defending champions Liverpool and one lower than the Red Devils (31).

Aside from their superior cohesive structure and healthier defence, the 18th-placed Cottagers look the likelier to escape danger, with the London side six points adrift of safety while the West Midlands club sits 12 points behind Newcastle United in 17th.

They're running out of games with 14 to play and a lot of ground to make up.

The Cottagers and the Baggies may eventually fail to beat the dreaded drop but there's a sense Maja and Diagne's short-term spells could make for a fascinating relegation battle in the closing weeks of a strange season.



https://www.goal.com/en/news/have-maja-diagne-handed-fulham-west-brom-survival-lifeline/1a68fvhvktiu41v13gvkf05tgw

WhiteJC

EXCLUSIVE: Fulham star Terence Kongolo in Covid lockdown party breach after video shows Holland defender celebrating his 27th birthday inside with seven friends just hours after victory at Everton

    The Holland international celebrated his 27th birthday on Sunday
    The defender was on the bench as Fulham claimed a 2-0 victory at Everton
    He flew back to London from Liverpool at 11.30pm following the evening game
    Kongolo was greeted at home by seven friends in the early hours of Monday

Fulham are investigating after one of their players was given a lockdown-busting surprise birthday party.

Footage obtained by Sportsmail shows Terence Kongolo greeted at home by seven cheering friends in the early hours of Monday. Currently, no mixing of households indoors is permitted.

The Holland international celebrated his 27th birthday on Sunday with a place on the bench for the 2-0 win at Everton. He and the rest of the squad flew back to London from Liverpool at 11.30pm following the 7pm kick-off.

The video, filmed from inside the building, shows Kongolo, wearing his club tracksuit, a mask and holding a travel bag, open the door with two other men.

A group of at least seven people are waiting with loud music blaring. A birthday cake takes centre stage on a stand along with dozens of silver and black balloons. There are loud cheers from the revellers as Kongolo walks in, and a caption of 'surprise' appears on the clip.

When the realisation dawns on the defender, he waves a hand in the air and begins to dance to the music. Fulham are aware of the video and are looking into the circumstances surrounding it.

Sources say the player was unaware that a party had been planned and was surprised to see the gathering when he arrived home in the early hours.

On Wednesday, Kongolo was back in another bio-secure bubble when he was again an unused sub as Scott Parker's side earned a 1-1 draw at Burnley.

All Premier League clubs carry out twice-weekly Covid testing.

A series of top-flight players have got into hot water by breaching Covid rules.

Kongolo's team-mate, Aleksandar Mitrovic, broke restrictions over the festive period when he was pictured on New Year's Eve with fellow Serb Luka Milivojevic, Crystal Palace's captain.

Parker, who had to self-isolate over Christmas, described Mitrovic's breach as 'not acceptable', saying he was 'bitterly disappointed' and that the club had dealt with the matter internally.

Swiss-born Kongolo was raised in Holland and is a product of the Feyenoord youth system. After lifting the Dutch title he moved to Monaco in 2017 and was loaned to Huddersfield before making the switch permanent in 2018.

In January last year he moved to Fulham on loan with the deal made permanent for around £4million in October.   



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-9275923/Fulham-star-Kongolo-lockdown-party-breach-celebrating-27th-birthday-seven-friends.html


filham

So we have seven top , highly valued,  players on loan. Where would we be without them'
I thought there was a limit on the number of loan players allowed, am I wrong.

Bill2

Quote from: filham on February 19, 2021, 10:19:19 AM
So we have seven top , highly valued,  players on loan. Where would we be without them'
I thought there was a limit on the number of loan players allowed, am I wrong.
I seem to recall that the limit only applies to loans from other Prem club, the european loans are not counted.

filham

Quote from: Bill2 on February 19, 2021, 11:26:18 AM
Quote from: filham on February 19, 2021, 10:19:19 AM
So we have seven top , highly valued,  players on loan. Where would we be without them'
I thought there was a limit on the number of loan players allowed, am I wrong.
I seem to recall that the limit only applies to loans from other Prem club, the european loans are not counted.
Thanks for the explanation . It is rather silly though isn't it, we are getting close to a complete team of on loan players. Come the end of the season they will all be fee to walk away and we will then have to find seven replacements which means we could play the first four or five games with current reserves.


Jim©

Quote from: filham on February 19, 2021, 03:18:18 PM
Quote from: Bill2 on February 19, 2021, 11:26:18 AM
Quote from: filham on February 19, 2021, 10:19:19 AM
So we have seven top , highly valued,  players on loan. Where would we be without them'
I thought there was a limit on the number of loan players allowed, am I wrong.
I seem to recall that the limit only applies to loans from other Prem club, the european loans are not counted.
Thanks for the explanation . It is rather silly though isn't it, we are getting close to a complete team of on loan players. Come the end of the season they will all be fee to walk away and we will then have to find seven replacements which means we could play the first four or five games with current reserves.

We have options on 4 of them if we do stay up, and you'd perhaps like to think that one of Andersen or Lookman could be persuaded to stay if we did finish 17th or higher!
If we went down I could see perhaps Maja (as Scott said we could buy him if we went down) and Aina staying.