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Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 09/03/21...

Started by WhiteJC, March 09, 2021, 12:01:15 AM

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WhiteJC

Results


Monday
Chelsea
2-0
Everton
West Ham
2-0
Leeds

WhiteJC

Burnley, Newcastle & the Premier League relegation odds as Fulham's Liverpool win shifts picture

The bookies feel Sean Dyche's side will have enough to beat the drop into the Championship this season

Five clubs are more likely to be relegated to the Championship this season than Burnley, as the bookies have their say after a dramatic weekend of action at the bottom of the table.

The Clarets picked up another point with a 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal but saw the gap to the bottom the cut to four points as Fulham won at defending Champions Liverpool.

With Brighton losing and Newcastle and West Brom playing out a 0-0 draw, the battle to avoid the bottom three remains a close one.

Sean Dyche's side will feel they have enough to beat the drop over the final 10 games of the season and the bookies agree, with the Pools having the Clarets out at 13/2 to go down.

Sheffield United are cast adrift at the foot of the table with the Blades 1/100 to go down while the bookies also see West Brom as certain to drop into the Championship at 1/66.

Fulham's resurgence in recent weeks has pushed them out to 13/8 meaning Newcastle United are now tipped to be relegated at 11/10.

Brighton, who are struggling to find wins at the moment, are 9/2. Of the other possible relegation candidates, Crystal Palace are 33/1 while Southampton are 66/1.

The Clarets are on the road at Everton on Saturday before a three week break caused by an FA Cup exit and the international fixtures.



https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/burnley-newcastle-united-relegation-fulham-19987885

WhiteJC

Fulham goal hero Mario Lemina confident they will stay up if they replicate resilient display in Liverpool win



Mario Lemina is confident Fulham will beat the drop if they can replicate the resilient defensive display that secured their stunning win at Anfield.

Lemina scored the only goal, as Scott Parker's side galvanised their survival chances and piled more misery on Liverpool with a 1-0 win against the champions on Merseyside.

Fulham remain in the bottom three but only on goal difference. They are now level on points with 17th-placed Brighton and have real momentum in the fight to avoid relegation.

After inflicting a sixth successive Premier League home defeat on Liverpool, belief is growing that the Cottagers can stay up.

"It depends on us and the way we play the other games," said Lemina, whose powerful finish on the stroke of half-time gave Fulham their first win at Anfield since 2012. "If we play like that I think we will stay up.

"We are happy. We are struggling at the moment and it is hard to be at the bottom of the league, but we still believe in our quality and we showed in the first half we can play against a big opponent and in the second half we showed good character. It is three good points for us.

"Honestly I am not going to lie, I was scared because they [Liverpool] need to win some games. But I was so confident in my team. We have showed in all the games we have played that we play good football and deserve to be higher in the league."

Fulham struggled at the start of the season after coming up through the play-offs last season and they did not win in the Premier League until their seventh match.

Their prospects were not looking good after they failed to win in December or January, but they have now lost just once in seven matches and have sucked Brighton, Newcastle and Burnley back into the relegation scrap.

Asked if victory over Liverpool was Fulham's best win of the season, Lemina said: "Of course.

"Liverpool are not in a good spirit, but we just took our chance and we won. It was a bit like the first game at Craven Cottage [which ended 1-1 in December].

"We knew what we had to do — they were going to put pressure on us. We did well, we defended so well."

Fulham play runaway leaders Manchester City next on Saturday, before a run of games against Leeds, Aston Villa and Wolves.

Lemina said: "We are going to fight until the end [to stay up]. Even if the next games are going to be hard, we are going to fight until the end.

"We are together. From the beginning we have been together and we are going to stay together until the end."



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-mario-lemina-confident-after-liverpool-win-b922816.html


WhiteJC

The pros and cons of Nottingham Forest signing Anthony Knockaert

With the season edging closer to the final straight, Nottingham Forest will soon have a decision to make regarding the future of Anthony Knockaert.

The 29-year-old is on loan from Premier League outfit Fulham until the end of the season and despite the figures of two goals and one assist in the league, he has been one of Forest's better players this season.

He has also become a key man in a playing sense, with Knockaert making 27 appearances so far this campaign.

Forest's situation is still precarious and of course, if they go down then signing Knockaert is a non-starter – but in the case Forest stay up, we've looked at both sides of the coin...

Pro: He's arguably Forest's best player
While the stats of three goals in all comps and one assist isn't that flattering, you only need to give Knockaert the eye test to see just how good he is.

The fact he is stuck on one assist is frankly criminal, given it feels like he contributes massively each game – however, he of course can't put the ball in the net for other players.

The stats do back this up as well; Knockaert makes 1.1 key passes a game according to WhoScored – one every 65 minutes.

The only Forest player (10 or more apps) with a higher average is Filip Krovinovic, also on loan, who averages 1.3 key passes per game.

Given Knockaert's passing is more direct than Krovinovic as he crosses the ball a lot more, with more clinical finishing, he could easily be on 10+ assists for the season.

Finding a way to replace that will prove very difficult and you could make a strong argument to suggest Knockaert is Forest's best player right now.

Con: He won't come cheap at all
Much like this situation depends on Forest staying up, how things pan out for Fulham is also critical to Knockaert's future.

If Fulham stay up, it's highly likely they'll want to sell or at the very least, get Knockaert off the wage bill for a year on a loan basis.

Even if Fulham go down, they might want to cash in as the funds generated could help them keep some of their squad together as they'd seek to go up at the first attempt.

However, what's also a possibility is that Fulham keep Knockaert to help with their promotion push if they do go down.

Given that Fulham had to pay Brighton & Hove Albion £15m for Knockaert and signed him on a three-year contract (two remaining after this season), they would want a big chunk of that back if they chose to sell.

In hindsight, it was a stupid decision from Fulham to have that clause given the initial loan didn't go as planned, but they presumably weighed that £15m up against the £100m+ they could earn following promotion.

In any case, signing Knockaert will not be cheap and given Forest don't exactly have a magic money tree, it would require a lot of thought.

Signing Knockaert would also potentially depend on whether Forest sell a key player like Joe Worrall, which would not go down well at all.

Pro: He's a trusted Chris Hughton general
It says a lot that Knockaert was Hughton's first signing at Forest and was signed a matter of days after his arrival.

It was perhaps no surprise, given the two worked so brilliantly well the last time they were together in the Championship with Brighton.

Across two seasons for Hughton, Knockaert scored 20 in 64 league games and also assisted 14 – so 34 G/A in 64 games.

For a winger, that is exceptional and it's clear that the two have a really strong working relationship.

What Forest have also seen is that all of the signings Hughton has made have improved the team drastically.

Therefore, by allowing him to sign a player that he trusts not only shows faith in the manager, but also proves that Forest have learnt their lessons from the 2020 summer transfer window, which saw them sign 14 players with a seemingly scattergun policy.

If anyone is going to get the best out of Knockaert, it will be Hughton, so the two joining forces on a more permanent basis can't be a bad thing.

Con: He could hamper development of others
Forest are in the bizarre position where all of their wingers seem to prefer playing on the right wing.

While the ambidextrous nature of Joe Lolley makes him the most effective out of the current crop on the left side, Sammy Ameobi also shone there last season.

However, one thing Forest did frequently last year and they only partially do now is swap the wingers at various points during the game, which seemed to keep them happy enough.

The issue is that Knockaert pretty much plays exclusively on the right and while he has occasionally had a run on the left mid-game, he isn't as effective.

Where this becomes a problem is in relation to Alex Mighten, who seemingly prefers to play on the right wing and will almost certainly be in line for more minutes next season.

On the one hand, having Knockaert around could help Mighten's development as he'd be training every day with a quality player, but on the other, it could stop him getting game time.

This could prove problematic as the last thing Forest want is for Mighten – one of their most exciting academy graduates in years – to want to leave due to a lack of pathway into the first team or to stall in his development as a player.

In an ideal world, there would be a balance between the two and maybe Forest find a way to play both, but right now it is a potential issue.

Verdict: Make it happen...if possible
While the cons are very prominent, if Forest can find a way to get Knockaert next season, they absolutely should – even if it's another year-long loan.

It would show trust in the manager, it would allow Forest to keep arguably their best player and it would be a statement signing to put it mildly given Knockaert has twice won promotion and was Championship Player of the Year in 2016/17.

In theory, he is at an age where he's at his peak, so Forest could be getting the very best out of a player who has already shone so brightly in his career.

There is a line, obviously – no-one wants Worrall or Mighten sold to finance this – but if Forest can strike a deal that works in the club's favour, it would be a very good decision.



https://www.nottinghamforest.news/2021/03/08/the-pros-and-cons-of-nottingham-forest-signing-anthony-knockaert/

WhiteJC

How far has Scott Parker come?
Jack Stroudley looks back at how Parker's stock has risen – and continues to rise.


Fulham's transformation in the last few months has been nothing short of spectacular. We have a defence with grit and determination to see games out, a midfield with the desire to win the ball back continuously and an overall winning mentality. Our upturn in form in last few months is a credit to the tactical work behind the scenes from the coaching staff with all eyes on Scott Parker. With it not always going his way during his tenure at Fulham, just how far has Parker come as a manager?

The building blocks
Parker joined as caretaker manager in February 2019 to replace Claudio Ranieri at a doomed and dejected Fulham. The mood around the club was bleak, with the prospect of relegation seeming an almost certain reality. Despite the inevitable relegation, we saw some real promise from Scott with what seemed to be a poorly crafted squad.

Parker's 4-2-3-1 saw us pick up in form winning games against Everton, Bournemouth and Cardiff, and we saw early signs of his ability to get the best out of players with Ryan Babel, Tom Cairney and Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa all performing well under him. This inevitably landed Scott the full time role at the end of the season.

A bumpy road
Scott's tenure at the club hasn't always been plain sailing, and he's endured criticism on multiple occasions from Fulham fans (myself included). During last season in the Championship, we saw periods where fans we're calling for Parker's head after particularly disheartening performances. The 3-0 loss at home to Barnsley and the 2-0 loss away at Stoke stick out as games which left Parker's residence in SW6 in question.

Following our promotion – and Parker's finest moment to date – we suffered a horrendous start in the Premier League, picking up one point in our opening six games and conceding 14 goals along the way. While the blame wasn't primarily aimed at Parker, it was evident Scott was struggling to adapt to the step up in quality and that drastic change was needed internally in order to give us any chance of staying up.

A willingness to learn
With every hurdle that Scott Parker has faced, he's seemed to find a way to make the best out of the situation. In the Championship we was able to dig in deep and pick up form at the right time, going seven unbeaten at the end of the season to secure a play-off place and ultimately gain promotion.

As mentioned above, our start to this season was woeful and left us in a tricky situation with no light at the end of the tunnel. However, Parker has shown a willingness and a desire to adapt and find a way to pick up results. His first aim was to solidify our defence. He switched to a 5-2-3 in order to create that defensive stability and structure, while giving us creativity to attack on the counter. From Leicester away onwards, we have seen the improvements made and from December onwards only Manchester City have conceded fewer goals than us.

Scott's next issue with going forward, we seemed to be out of ideas creatively following a run of draws which ideally needed to be wins. Scott then changed things up to a 4-3-3 with reliance on both full-backs to attack as well as defend. We saw instant improvement going forward, with wins against Everton and Sheffield United coming over the course of a week.

And at Anfield yesterday, we saw Scott adapt again, changing to a 4-4-2 and playing long balls out to the flanks to try and exploit Liverpool's weaknesses in defence. The game plan worked to a tee and every player was extraordinary picking up a 1-0 win and giving us the belief that this team really could stay up.

Big game moments
During his time at the club, Scott hasn't shied away from make decisions during big games to find a way to win, and has succeeded most of the time. During the play-off final in a game where Brentford were clear favourites, Scott decided to play Denis Odoi over Cyrus Christie as a more defensive full-back to try and nullify Said Benrahma from creating opportunities. It proved to be a genius decision that worked out and ultimately helped us win the day.

We've also seen this from Scott since our promotion to the Premier League. Most notably in games away at Leicester, Everton and Liverpool, with different tactical approaches being taken. All of which ended in the same positive outcome for us: a Fulham win.

The future of Fulham?
While Scott is still young and has a lot to learn, I think he's made a brilliant start to his managerial career. His ability and determination to get Fulham promoted at the first time of asking and his willingness to adapt and evolve to meet the demanding step up of the Premier League stands him in good stead.

He's given us the confidence to believe we can stay up, and with a good core group of Premier League talent at his disposal who could blame us? Whether we survive or not, I believe Scott is the right man to take Fulham into the future and provide us with a sustainable and progressive football club.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2021-03-08-how-far-has-scott-parker-come/

WhiteJC

Bobby: Perfect Gameplan


Bobby De Cordova-Reid says Fulham executed the perfect gameplan at Anfield on Sunday.

Far from being a smash-and-grab, the Whites headed to the Champions targeting three points, and were duly rewarded for their positive mindset.

Speaking to fulhamfc.com a day later, De Cordova-Reid said: "It was massive, and the best thing is that we knew we had a chance, we knew that if we played our game and were resilient in what we were doing, that we would have a good chance, and the gameplan came off perfectly.

"We all believed before the game. The Manager told us in meetings beforehand that we've got to have belief.

"We know how well we can play, they were a wounded animal and we knew if we applied pressure and played our game that we would be okay, and it was just a nice feeling when the whistle went to get the three points as that will bring confidence into the games coming up.

"We don't fear anyone in this league. We know how good we are. Conceding goals, we're second in the table for the past I don't know how many games.

"We know that we're good defensively and we know that we can score goals and play good football so, listen, we'll just bounce into every game with high confidence and the belief that we can beat anyone."

Fulham dominated proceedings in the first half and, just as our perseverance looked set to be in vain going into half-time, Mario Lemina lashed in a stunning opener.

The hosts improved after the break but could find no way through a Whites brick wall which saw all 11 players pitching in.

"I think the first half we played really well," Bobby said. "We were probably unfortunate not to have a couple of goals, to be honest.

"Ade [Lookman] got down the left a few times and we probably should have scored from one of those, but it wasn't to be so we kept on plugging away. Mario's goal was good and the timing was perfect.

"Look, Liverpool's a very good team so you know you're going to have to be very defensively good, structurally you have to be good, and you've got to be resilient in your defending.

"That was the case first and foremost, and then we were able to attack off that. And I think we did that, to a man, perfectly.

"It was a tale of two halves; in the first half we showed how well we can play, and in the second half we showed how resilient we can be defensively and what it meant to us, and I think we deserved to win."

During the game, the commentators dropped in that De Cordova-Reid actually grew up as a Liverpool fan...

"Yeah, that's correct!" he laughed. "I'll put that down to my brothers and cousins being Liverpool fans.

"I enjoyed being a Liverpool fan, I still am. It's a bit unfortunate what's going on there at the moment, but from my point of view it was an opportunity to get three points, and I'm happy to take them.

"It's something I can look back on in my career. It's a big achievement, especially taking four points off them out of six, and to score a goal [in the home fixture] as well, it was perfect for me."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/march/Bobby-Perfect-Gameplan/


WhiteJC

Fulham's in-form defence set to test City in Gameweek 28

Liverpool 0-1 Fulham
    Goals: Mario Lemina (£4.5m)
    Assists: None
    Bonus Points: Tosin Adarabioyo (£4.5m) x3 Lemina x2 Alphonse Areola (£4.5m) x1 Joachim Andersen (£4.5m)

Seven changes, yet another pairing in central defence and a first start for Diogo Jota (£6.6m) since Gameweek 10 earned Liverpool a sixth straight home defeat, this time to Fulham.

It's a measure of how far the Reds' stock has fallen, both in real and Fantasy terms, that this article will now turn, for the time being at least, to Scott Parker's side.

Mario-ed At First Sight
The game's only goal came from the unlikely source that is Mario Lemina (£4.5m), a midfielder who averages one of those a season in English football.

He pounced on some edge-of-the-area dithering by Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) before firing across Alisson (£5.9m) and into the far corner.

The goal came on the stroke of half-time and Fulham spent most of the second half defending, some (but by no means all) of that in backs to the wall mode.

The win made it five clean sheets from seven for the Cottagers, and yet transfer interest in their defenders remains the wrong side of muted – not one of them is currently in the top 30 for Gameweek 28 purchases.

A visit from Manchester City would explain that, but Parker's men are one of the few to have a fixture in the following Gameweek, at home to Leeds, so it might be a case of deferral rather than denial.

Despite all that recent solidity at the back, goalkeeper Alphonse Areola (£4.5m) is their most popular defensive player in FPL, with just 4.8% ownership, while the impressive skipper Joachim Andersen (£4.5m) is found in only 0.3% of squads.

Mo Salah, Mo' Problems
Salah's relatively early substitution in the midweek loss to Chelsea raised a few eyebrows and his blood pressure, but he played the full 90 minutes against Fulham, blanked for the fourth straight match and managed just the one attempt on target.

That validated the decision of a net 178,728 managers to sell him going into the weekend and he comfortably leads the way for Gameweek 28 transfers-out at present.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp did hand the Egyptian a more central role against Fulham, with Jota in support and Xherdan Shaqiri (£6.4m) deployed more as a fourth midfielder.

But the Reds rarely got round the back of the deep-lying visitors and they failed to create a single big chance on the day.

No Case For The Defence
Aside from Salah (37.2%), the only other Liverpool players with double-digit ownership are full-backs Andy Robertson (£7.2m and 14.8%) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.4m and 13.7%).

Klopp used the game's programme notes to praise the latter's 'top level' form, but then promptly dropped him to the bench, although his comments on all those changes were of the more general variety:

We are in an intense period and we have the opportunity now to change some players. So that's the plan behind it – getting fresh legs back and try to give Fulham a proper fight.

That didn't work out and Liverpool have now kept just one clean sheet in ten matches.

With a top four finish starting to look beyond them, Liverpool's best route back into next season's Champions League is by winning this season's competition.

Should that prompt further rotation, a lack of guaranteed starts, allied to such major price tags, make the likes of Alexander-Arnold Fantasy liabilities.

After all, over their last seven starts, you could have fielded the right-back for 18 points or Andersen for 41, with a bumper £2.9m you'd have saved on the latter to be invested elsewhere.

Liverpool XI (4-3-2-1): Alisson; Robertson, R Williams, N Phillips, N Williams (Alexander-Arnold 76); Keita, Wijnaldum (Mane 62), Milner (Fabinho 76); Jota, Shaqiri; Salah.

Fulham XI (4-2-3-1): Areola; Aina, Andersen, Adarabioyo, Tete; Reed, Lemina; Lookman (Robinson 83), De Cordova-Reid, Cavaleiro (Mitrovic 85); Maja (Loftus-Cheek 67).



https://www.fantasyfootballscout.co.uk/2021/03/08/fulhams-in-form-defence-set-to-test-city-in-gameweek-28/

WhiteJC

Clint Dempsey punched through window when he was dropped for Europa League semi-final

Danny Murphy has recalled Clint Dempsey's furious reaction to learning half an hour before kick-off in the Europa League semi-final against Hamburg that he'd be on the bench

Clint Dempsey punched through a window and had shards of glass stuck in his hand after learning he wouldn't be playing in Fulham's Europa League semi-final.

That's according to Danny Murphy, who has recalled the American's furious response to Roy Hodgson picking Bobby Zamora over him.

The Whites defied all odds in 2010 to dispatch Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus, Wolfsburg and Hamburg to set up a Europa League final with Atletico Madrid.

Fulham beat Hamburg over two legs in the semis and did so with a patched-up squad, with star strikers Andy Johnson out of action and Zamora nursing an injury.

Dempsey was meant to play as a makeshift striker against Hamburg, but not long before kick-off, Zamora decided that he could play.


Clint Dempsey punched through a window and had shards of glass stuck in his hand (Image: Getty Images)

This prompted manager Roy Hodgson to make a last-gasp change, and despite Dempsey's heroics in the 4-1 win over Juventus at Craven Cottage, the American was named on the bench.

The decision, which would ultimately see Zamora start in the final too, sparked a rage in Dempsey who reacted by putting his hand through a window in the Fulham dressing room.

"We were playing the semi-final, Hamburg at home and Bobby hadn't trained - he was struggling big time," former Fulham captain Murphy recalled on Sky Bet's Off The Hook with Jimmy Bullard podcast.

"So we set up the team and Clint was playing upfront because AJ was injured. Clint was upfront with [Zoltan] Gera behind him. Anyway, Bobby on the day decided he'd give it a go so Roy said, 'All right' and dropped Clint, but didn't tell him until half an hour before kick-off.


Danny Murphy played in the Europa League final (Image: REUTERS)

"So you know as you come in the dressing room, you know those little windows that are toughened in the corner? He's hit one and smashed it. He's got glass coming out of his hand, got blood going all over the dressing room. It's everywhere. They've had to pull the glass out and stitch him.

"He came in and just bang. And his hands, he had nerves and tendons hanging off and he wanted to go again. It was too much so all the staff came in, the doctor, everyone, anyway he's gone on the bench in the end.

"They ripped the glass out, sowed up the tendons, and put this big plaster cast on. So in the final we had Bobby on one leg, AJ injured and Clint carrying around a 10kg weight plaster cast."

Hodgson is recognised as Fulham's greatest manager of the modern era as he brought the club to within a touching distance of a first major trophy.

But Murphy, despite being a big fan of his former boss, believes the current Crystal Palace manager was wrong to snub the American in the way he did.

"He didn't deal with it well Roy, that's one thing he didn't deal with very well," added Murphy. "I thought he should have started him. He couldn't let Bobby say on the day that's he's ready."



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/clint-dempsey-punched-through-glass-23627853

WhiteJC

The FST meets... Megalie Mendes

"Coming here, for me it's such a different experience because I'm not used to people giving this attention to women's football"

Having moved from playing netball and hockey in her formative years, it was time spent in Spain that made Fulham FC Women's wingback Megalie Mendes decide that football was the one for her. With a move to England on the cards, she knew it was time to take the next step with football and after a range of trials, she found a home with the Fulham Women's team. Board member Hayley Davinson caught up with her over Zoom to hear about how the 'other' Fulham team are keeping up during the lockdown, and to hear about the positive future that the women's game is looking ahead to.

"Apart from playing football a little when I was very young, I played netball and hockey when I was at school and university [in South Africa, where she grew up] as there was a lack of interest in women's football. There was no infrastructure, they don't really support women's football, and it was not a chosen school sport. I played for a year with a club but it was very disorganised".

That all changed when she moved to Barcelona after university and discovered futsal, which quickly turned an interest in playing into a passion. Something she felt she had to pick up when eventually planning to move to London a year later, suitably helped by taking in some games at the Nou Camp.

Arriving straight off the plane and instantly looking for team trials, Fulham had piqued an interest. Originally she had thought it may have been convenient as she had just moved to Fulham, before realising training was a little further away at Motspur Park.

But, that journey came with its perks, getting to train at the incredible facilities meant getting to enjoy a lot that has been unexpected. "A lot has changed since I've been there, there's been much more promotion of the women's team by the Club... we also got invited [pre-COVID] to one of the matches by the men and we walked the pitch and got introduced to the fans at half time, it was so cool".

It's impossible to talk about women's football currently and not swerve to the topic of the radically shifting attitude towards the sport, something that Megalie has been made acutely aware of, coming from a country where it hadn't previously been quite so embraced.

"Coming here, for me it's such a different experience because I'm not used to people giving this attention to women's football. It was a club not in the top league but we're playing at the same facilities as the men, like literally, it blows me away."

That was probably most keenly felt when the mixture of support from the Fulham F.C social channels and the magic of the cup combined in November 2019 and the team played Dulwich Hamlet to a crowd of 500 people. It may have been in the hundreds, but the impact that made to playing was not forgotten. "It was a massive, massive difference, like I remember that game. All our friends came, lots of little girls came and they wanted their picture with us afterwards. It was weird for us! But it's nice, I think it's nice for them to see role models, just people that they can relate to." As a female that grew up supporting the men's team and not getting involved with playing football, I wholly concur, and it's hard to underestimate exactly how impactful these matches and this visibility of the game is to our younger, female, Fulham fans.

Sadly, of course, the wages aren't quite matching the men's salaries (for now, at least) so that means that Megalie manages another challenging role, where she is the Marketing Director for a sports technology company, Playermaker. It's something that she relishes, however, and football brings an excellent respite from. "I need it. It's something to decompress, so I don't always think about work. I always feel so much better. Maybe my head is all over the place when I'm going there. Once there, I really focus, and then afterwards I feel so much better."

With a mixture that ranges from marketing professionals to teachers to school and university students, there's a strong mix of characters in the team who are keen to harness the growth of the women's game specific to the Fulham Women's team, particularly as they have noticed the changes in attitudes, even within the last year or so. "Even when I've been chatting to my colleagues, there's been a shift in the men's mentality... [now it's] 'Yeah, I'd love to come and watch you' – I've personally experienced it".

Mainly though, they all just can't wait to be back playing. The FA have been cagey still on what will be happening to the Women's Leagues, and this could well mean for a second season there will be no promotions or relegations. For a team looking upwards, this is a difficult challenge but something they are keen to bounce back from, as soon as the climate allows it.
"[I hope] to be back playing and have an uninterrupted season, for people to be able to come watch our games again and to see more investment from the club to promote the female game, and of course to be back on the field with my teammates. Maybe even have a game at Craven Cottage!"

We want to tell more stories about women's experiences of Fulham – be that players or fans, of any age and background. If you've got a story to tell, get in touch – we'd love to hear more.

Many thanks to Megalie for taking part in this interview. We look forward to the return of women's football and supporting the Fulham FC Women's team.



https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2021/03/megalie-mendes/


WhiteJC

Decordova-Reid praises Parker's 'perfect' planning

Boyhood Liverpool fan Bobby Decordova-Reid paid tribute to Scott Parker's 'perfect gameplan' after Fulham pulled off an astounding win at Anfield to boost their survival hopes yesterday afternoon.

The Fulham utility man told the club's official website that Parker had instilled the belief in the squad that the Whites could add to Liverpool's miserable home run and they travelled to Merseyside with the firm belief that they could take all three points. Decordova-Reid, who scored in December's draw between the sides at Craven Cottage, was in no doubt about the importance of the victory.

"It was massive, and the best thing is that we knew we had a chance, we knew that if we played our game and were resilient in what we were doing, that we would have a good chance, and the gameplan came off perfectly. We all believed before the game. The manager told us in meetings beforehand that we've got to have belief.

"We know how well we can play, they were a wounded animal and we knew if we applied pressure and played our game that we would be okay, and it was just a nice feeling when the whistle went to get the three points as that will bring confidence into the games coming up."

There will be no let up from Fulham in the matches to come, starting with the visit of runaway league leaders Manchester City to Craven Cottage on Saturday night.

"We don't fear anyone in this league. We know how good we are. Conceding goals, we're second in the table for the past I don't know how many games. We know that we're good defensively and we know that we can score goals and play good football so, listen, we'll just bounce into every game with high confidence and the belief that we can beat anyone."

Decordova-Reid lauded the quality of Fulham's enterprising first half display, where they dominated possession and had the better of the chances before going ahead through a fine finish from Mario Lemina.

"I think the first half we played really well. We were probably unfortunate not to have a couple of goals, to be honest. Ade got down the left a few times and we probably should have scored from one of those, but it wasn't to be so we kept on plugging away. Mario's goal was good and the timing was perfect.

Liverpool's a very good team so you know you're going to have to be very defensively good, structurally you have to be good, and you've got to be resilient in your defending. That was the case first and foremost, and then we were able to attack off that. And I think we did that, to a man, perfectly. It was a tale of two halves; in the first half we showed how well we can play, and in the second half we showed how resilient we can be defensively and what it meant to us, and I think we deserved to win."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/03/decordova-reid-praises-parkers-perfect-planning/

WhiteJC

The English Premier League record Tosin set in Fulham's 1-0 win against Liverpool

Anglo-Nigerian center back Tosin Adarabioyo set an English Premier League record for the 2020-2021 season in Fulham's 1-0 win against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

According to football statistics website Whoscored.com, Tosin made 18 clearances in Fulham's 1-0 win away to Liverpool on Sunday, a record in a Premier League match this season.

And they added that the Manchester City academy product was in the right place at the right time to help the Cottagers keep a clean sheet.

Tosin has slotted perfectly into Fulham's backline since he joined the club last summer from Manchester City and is one of the first names on Scott Parker's team sheet.

The match at Merseyside was his 24th consecutive start in the Premier League this season, and he has gone the distance in all his appearances.

It is worthy of note that Tosin has an exemplary disciplinary record, with only one yellow card shown to him this season, in the 89th minute of a 2-1 win vs Leicester City in November for time wasting.

Tosin and his Fulham teammates will be hosting table-toppers Manchester City in their next Premier League match on Saturday, March 13.

Igho Kingsley



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=39195

WhiteJC

International Women's Day 2021

In 2009, I responded to an article on my favourite Fulham website asking for people who would be interested in writing for them. Little did I know that Dan Crawford's desire to encourage more people to write for Hammyend.com would be the start of a career in sports journalism for me. When he asked me to consider penning something for International Women's Day I thought that I should go back to where it all began for me – right here. That's the first thing that I want to get across here right from the off. As women we want equality, but we absolutely need men as allies and thankfully I have had that in Dan.

When I was growing up, sport was my everything. I would much rather have kicked the football around with the guys than play with my dolls, much to my mother's dismay. I loved the competitive nature of sport and the stories behind the athletes and when I discovered Fulham, I was pretty much obsessed from the off. I dreamed of a career in sport in some capacity, but to be honest I rarely shared those with people as I didn't think it was even slightly realistic. You rarely saw women's sport on TV, never mind a women reporting on it. So naturally I just thought of it as a hobby and continued to pursue a career in teaching. When I look back now I wish I had of spoken to my English teacher about my love of writing about sport. I wish I had of been more open about my dreams as maybe my career path would have been very different. That said, I don't regret for a second going off and becoming a teacher. It gave me a load of skills that have been easily transferable across to me now working at BBC Sport. It also gave me 2 years of working in a completely different industry and allowed me to build up some valuable life experience before taking the plunge into journalism.

But let's rewind slightly. I was about 16 when I wrote my first article for Hammyend.com and one of the first comments was "I don't know why they let women talk about football..." from an anonymous poster. While this attitude isn't quite as prevalent as it once was, it is still around. Some guys just don't like it when women know a lot about football and they will look for any flaw possible and pounce on it. The next comment down was from another female fan who just simply said that it was great to hear a female perspective on things. It's so important to come away from the old school, boys club attitude. Women have loved football, and sport in general, since the beginning but the traditional stereotypes meant that sport was seen as something for the boys. I had been writing for years when I finally applied to be the match day reporter at Lisburn Distillery Football Club in Northern Ireland. It was a voluntary position and meant that I wouldn't be able to play hockey anymore because my Saturdays would be spent following a football team around Ulster. It was a big sacrifice for me but by then I knew that I really wanted to make a go of it. I learned so much that year about the industry and about the emotions in the dressing room. Distillery were once a power house in Northern Irish football but that year they nearly got relegated out of the main football ladder. Following that and writing about it was actually very emotional. Thankfully they survived and speaking to the players, coaching staff and club staff throughout that year was an incredible learning curve.

When you are a women in sports reporting you get very used to being the only female in the press box, or having people mistaken you for the tea lady. You also have to work harder to prove yourself. I have found that time and time again in my career. But I have also found that when you are doing something that you love that it's worth it. While we still have a long way to go in regards to equality in sport – both on and off the field – I can see change happening. I am fortunate enough to work alongside some incredible women at BBC Sport and I have found that there are networks of support everywhere. The key message for me is that if you have a passion for something, you should absolutely pursue it. I find that if you love what you do, it's much easier to put 100% into it. The journey is rarely smooth, let's be honest, but it only takes one 'yes' to allow you to begin. Writing about Fulham has always and will always be one of my greatest pleasures and I hope that shows in my writing. I'm thankful for the opportunity to write about something that I love so much.

If you are reading this and think that you too would like to start and put your thoughts into writing articles then I say give it a go. The first 'yes' has to be from you.

#COYW



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/03/international-womens-day-2021/


WhiteJC

Police probe security breach at Fulham v Tottenham Premier League clash with mobile phone found taped to BT Sport gantry after two men snuck into Craven Cottage... sparking fears over bribery or gambling scam

    Other Premier League clubs have been put on alert after security breach 
    There are fears that they may be being targeted by an organised crime unit
    CCTV footage was reviewed and phone was stuck to underside of BT Sport table
    Two suited men who broke in managed to leave Craven Cottage unchallenged

Police have launched an investigation after two men snuck into Fulham's ground and a mobile phone was taped to a broadcaster's platform ahead of the club's clash with Tottenham last week.

The revelation has put other Premier League clubs on alert, amid fears there may be an organised crime unit which is targeting top-flight stadia.

Suspicions were triggered over the presence of two suit-wearing men who got inside Craven Cottage.


A phone was found attached to the broadcaster's platform ahead of Fulham vs Tottenham


The security breach at Craven Cottage has sparked fears at other Premier League clubs


CCTV footage was reviewed and it transpired that the phone had been attached to the underside of the table which was to be used by BT Sport, who televised the match.

The finding, on the day before the game, sparked a major security alert and a call was made to police who have launched an ongoing probe.

No arrests have yet been made and the men are believed to have left the stadium without being challenged.

Initially, there were concerns that the incident may have been terror-related. While the motive remains unclear, there is now a fear that this may have been an extortion attempt with the device possibly strategically placed to record BT talent — including Rio Ferdinand, Jake Humphrey and Steve Sidwell — and a plan of bribery if any of them had been captured saying something which they would not wish to go public.

The prospect has also been raised that the phone may have been part of a gambling scam attempting to secure inside, real-time information for betting markets.

Amid concerns that an organised crime unit is at large, the security breach is not a good look when such attention is being placed on keeping venues secure during the pandemic.

A Fulham spokesman confirmed they are assisting police. The Metropolitan Police said: 'There have been no arrests and enquiries continue'.

BT Sport declined to comment.


Fulham are assisting the police with their inquiries about the security breach



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9339723/Police-probe-security-breach-Fulham-phone-taped-BT-Sport-gantry-found.html

WhiteJC

Garth Crooks' team of the week: Shaw, Ward-Prowse, Kane, Bale

Manchester United ended derby rivals Manchester City's impressive 21-game winning run with a 2-0 victory at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, but Pep Guardiola's side still hold an 11-point advantage at the top of the Premier League.

Leicester City remain a point behind United in third after winning 2-1 away to relegation-threatened Brighton, while Tottenham continued their recent revival with a 4-1 win over Crystal Palace.

However, defending champions Liverpool's hopes of securing a top-four finish were dealt another blow as Fulham won 1-0 at Anfield to pull closer to safety.

Southampton recorded a first win in 10 league games with a 2-0 victory against bottom side Sheffield United, Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw at Burnley, and there were goalless draws between West Brom and Newcastle, and Aston Villa and Wolves.

Chelsea boosted their hopes of a top-four finish by beating Everton 2-0 on Monday night, before West Ham moved fifth with a 2-0 win against Leeds.

Check out my team of the week and then make your own selections towards the bottom of the article.


Goalkeeper - Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)

Emiliano Martinez: When your two centre-backs turn to their goalkeeper and hug him in response to a save, you can bet your bottom dollar that it's the turning point in the game.

Wolves should have won this game based on the chance that presented itself to Conor Coady. The Wolves captain isn't renowned for his clinical finishing but even he's entitled to score a goal when in the six-yard box, unopposed with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Enter Emiliano Martinez. The Argentine goalkeeper has been outstanding and, in my view, Aston Villa's player of the season.

Did you know? No Argentine goalkeeper has more Premier League clean sheets than Martinez (20, level with Julian Speroni).

Defenders - Victor Lindelof (Man Utd), Craig Dawson (West Ham), Joachim Andersen (Fulham), Luke Shaw (Man Utd)
Victor Lindelof: This was a very impressive defensive performance by Manchester United. I know Manchester City had chances but they could not convert any of them.

Victor Lindelof's ability to recover situations against City was impressive and it is becoming a feature of his game. Team-mate Harry Maguire might be more imposing but it's Lindelof who provides that touch of class.

Did you know? Manchester United are unbeaten in their past 16 Premier League games when Lindelof has started.

Craig Dawson: Another solid game from Craig Dawson in a West Ham shirt. The former Watford and West Brom defender has slotted into the Hammers back line effortlessly. Dawson has always been a threat in the opposition's penalty area especially on set plays, and so it proved against Leeds United.

However, it was his clearance off the line that must have sickened Leeds and put any chance of getting back into the game to bed. All credit to David Moyes, who has moulded a very good team together at London Stadium. West Ham now find themselves two points behind Chelsea with a game in hand. Not bad for a manager who was written off after his debacle at Manchester United.

Did you know? No Premier League defender has scored more goals in all competitions this season than West Ham's Craig Dawson

Joachim Andersen: Champions Liverpool are looking anything but at the moment. Andy Robertson and Sadio Mane looked in shock as they walked off the pitch and Fulham celebrated victory at Anfield.

I said in the Crooks of the Matter some weeks ago that there was cause for concern at Liverpool. It now looks like a crisis.

Fulham, on the other hand, have grown into a Premier League team - and Scott Parker a worthy manager.

Joachim Andersen, who makes my team for the second time this season, looked immense at the back for the Cottagers. Sheffield United and West Brom have gone, in my opinion. Who will also go down is another matter entirely. One thing is for certain: Fulham have no intention of joining them.

Did you know? Fulham have conceded just two goals in their past seven league games and have kept six clean sheets in their past 10.

Luke Shaw: Well, I don't believe it. This wasn't the Manchester United I saw bore us all to death against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.

This was a United intent on embarrassing their neighbours and they did. Manchester City looked off the boil but that was because of an impressive performance by United and, in particular, Luke Shaw.

The full-back was decent at Selhurst Park but impressive against City. I haven't seen Shaw look so positive or determined in a United shirt as I have this season. City may have lost the match but the title is nailed on.

Did you know? Shaw has been directly involved in six Premier League goals this season, the most in his career.

Midfielders - James Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Youri Tielemans (Leicester), Mario Lemina (Fulham)
James Ward-Prowse: This lad has been unfortunate not to appear in my team more often this season. I am convinced Southampton would be in serious trouble were it not for James Ward-Prowse.

We know he can take a free-kick and that he is capable of covering the ground, but he also has a superb temperament. The Saints had no-one better to take their penalty under their current circumstances. His contribution against Sheffield United thereafter was immense.

It's clear Georginio Wijnaldum is almost certain to leave Liverpool at the end of the season for Barcelona. I can't think of a better replacement than Ward-Prowse.

Did you know? Only Matt Le Tissier, James Beattie, Marians Pahars and Danny Ings have scored more Premier League goals for Southampton than James Ward-Prowse (28).

Youri Tielemans: The through-ball for Kelechi Iheanacho to score was just delightful. The fact that Youri Tielemans looked in another direction before making the pass only served to confound Brighton captain Lewis Dunk, who was completely exposed by the quality of the ball and left to watch Iheanacho administer the equaliser.

Brighton deserved to get something from this game but now I have a bad feeling about their fortunes. We are slowly moving into the period where playing good football is no longer the necessity - it's about holding your nerve and taking your chances.

Did you know? Tielemans' nine goal involvements in 28 league appearances this season is as many as he managed in 37 games last term.

Mario Lemina: Fulham were robbed against Spurs in midweek by the most awful handball decision to go against a team I've ever seen.

To Fulham's eternal credit they somehow put that defeat behind them and went on to produce a superb battling performance to win at Anfield.

The goal by Mario Lemina came at a time when it was nothing less than Fulham deserved. This wasn't just a horrible result for the champions, but also for Brighton and Newcastle, both of whom have now been sucked into one hell of a relegation battle.

Did you know? Sunday's goal at Anfield was Lemina's first in the Premier League for Fulham.

Forwards - Che Adams (Southampton), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Gareth Bale (Tottenham)
Che Adams: Southampton brought a dreadful run of defeats to an end against a Sheffield United, who look like a side resigned to their fate. I watched this game live on Final Score and I very soon established there was only one winner.

What I didn't foresee was who would be the likely match-winner. Having seen Danny Ings limp of the field with yet another injury, it was left to Che Adams to replace him and lead the line for the Saints along with the lively Nathan Tella.

Adams sealed the game with the most wonderful strike. How United's John Fleck remained on the field, especially in the games current over-officious climate, after the challenge on Adams is a question only referee Paul Tierney can possibly answer.

Did you know? Adams has scored four goals in his four Premier League games against former side Sheffield United, which accounts for 44% of his total goals in the competition.

Harry Kane: The two assists for Bale were unselfishly brilliant, while his first goal was simply sensational.

Spurs were too good for Palace on the day, although the visitors did have a moment. As for Kane's second goal, the time it took VAR to decide what we already knew was unnecessary.

Why does VAR have to check everything - especially when it's clear to everyone that there is no offside? I have far more to say about how VAR is destroying the mood of the game in Crooks of the Matter below.

Did you know? Kane is the first Spurs player to score at least two goals and make at least two assists in a Premier League game since Jurgen Klinsmann in 1998.

Gareth Bale: It has taken him some time to get match fit but what an asset Gareth Bale is proving to be.

His two goals against Crystal Palace, both laid on a plate by Harry Kane, were well taken. However, Wales international Bale is finding some form and the net too. Six goals in six games is much more like what you expect.

The big question now is: can he win a trophy with Spurs? I suddenly fancy Spurs to beat Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final with Bale and Kane in this mood.

Did you know? Having scored four goals in his first 16 appearances for Tottenham this season, Bale has since scored six in his past six in all competitions.

The Crooks of the Matter
Lee Probert spent more than 20 years as a referee and took charge of the 2014 FA Cup final. He officiated in the Premier League from 2007, so I am prepared to take what he says about refereeing very seriously.

However, Mr Probert insists that VAR is not ruining the professional game. Things like offside are factual. They are black-and-white decisions, he maintains.

If that's the case why does it take VAR so long to make a decision? There have been cases when the technology has taken as long as three minutes to decide the outcome and, when it did, it had to be pointed out to the viewing public which part of the players body had broken VAR's virtual line.

Probert goes on to say that the handball law is daft. I couldn't agree more. So why do so many Premier League referees persist in obeying the letter of the law when they have the power to exercise their opinion on matters that are not clear and obvious?

We saw it done brilliantly in the game between Chelsea and Manchester United when the ball appeared to strike both Mason Greenwood and Callum Hudson Odoi's hands at the same time, so the referee waved play on and quite rightly. Neither player gained a substantial advantage, nor was it intentional.

Of course, the new law says it doesn't have to be intentional, but that's precisely what is wrong with it. Why bog the game down in technicalities when neither team has gained an material advantage just because the letter of the law says so? What Mr Probert and those responsible for the rule changes don't understand is that football is entertainment and VAR is killing the show.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56324917

WhiteJC


Cottage Talk Post Match Show: Fulham Beat The Champions At Anfield

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

This is our post match show of Fulham's 1-0 victory against Liverpool.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2021/3/8/22320248/cottage-talk-post-match-show-fulham-beat-the-champions-at-anfield