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Tuesday Fulham Stuff -11/05/21...

Started by WhiteJC, May 11, 2021, 12:09:22 AM

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WhiteJC


WhiteJC

Fulham 0-2 Burnley

Fulham were relegated from the Premier League after a defeat by Burnley that saw the Clarets secure their top-flight status for another season.

For the first time in the Premier League era all the relegation places have been confirmed with three games to go, with the Cottagers joining Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion as the clubs to drop into the Championship.

The damage was done before the break as Burnley struck twice in the final 10 minutes of the first half at Craven Cottage.

First the Clarets hit their hosts on the counter-attack as Matej Vydra showed neat footwork before picking out Ashley Westwood to roll the ball into an empty net.

Chris Wood then lashed in a second from the edge of the area to score his 50th goal for Burnley and consign Fulham to the drop.

It leaves Scott Parker's side 10 points from safety with three games remaining and heading back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

Burnley, who will play Premier League football for the sixth successive season, climb to 14th in the table.

Cottagers head straight back down

Fulham still have three games to play as a Premier League team but the Cottagers will already have to start thinking about how they plot a return to the top flight of English football.

In Parker they have a manager who has already achieved the feat, guiding his side to promotion via the play-offs last season after they were relegated the previous year.

The problem for Parker and Fulham is that some of his top performers this season, those that would certainly stand out in the Championship, are only at the club on loan.

In fact, four loan players started against Burnley, with another two coming off the bench.

Ademola Lookman was one and the former Everton winger looked the most likely to make something happen for the hosts while another, goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, made several fine saves before Burnley's opener.

Parker has been praised for his side's style of play and, of the three sides to go down, the Cottagers may feel the most unfortunate after a number of narrow defeats and impressive victories away at Liverpool, Everton and Leicester City.

But they have lacked both consistency and especially a serious goal threat, scoring just 25 times in 35 games - with only Sheffield United hitting the target fewer times this season.

Parker sought to fix that on Monday by turning to Aleksandar Mitrovic - who scored 26 goals in Fulham's promotion campaign - but the forward was unable to add to his three goals this season in what was only his fifth league start since the turn of the year.

The hosts did show fight in the second half and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa was unfortunate to see his effort bounce on the goalline and away after rattling the crossbar.

But Parker's side were unable to break down Burnley as they drew another blank, having scored just nine times at home in the league this season.

Having clawed their way back to a position where they were level with 17th-placed Brighton after that win at Anfield, Fulham's relegation comes after taking just one point in the seven games since then.

Clarets secure top-flight status

Every season spent in the top flight is an achievement for Burnley given they always have one of the league's lowest budgets and the club can now look forward to their sixth successive campaign among the biggest names in English football.

This was Dyche's 350th league game in charge of the Clarets and the fact he has spent the majority of those in the highest division is testament to his ability to extract the best from his players despite operating on a lower budget than clubs his side finishes above.

But, after a 10th-placed finish last term, the 49-year-old will be relieved his side are no longer in the relegation conversation this campaign.

The visitors did well to fend off a lively Fulham start, with James Tarkowski making a goal-saving tackle on Lookman, before imposing themselves on the game.

Burnley's goal had been coming and Wood was denied twice in quick succession. First, his header was deflected agonisingly wide by Tosin Adarabioyo before Areola made an excellent save from the New Zealand forward at the subsequent corner.

Moments later, a direct ball behind the Fulham defence found Vydra and he skipped beyond Joachim Andersen before picking out Westwood for a simple finish with Areola stranded, before Wood fired a second beyond the on-loan Paris St-Germain goalkeeper.

With Ben Mee, who was making his 350th appearance for the club, alongside Tarkowski in central defence the Clarets then stood firm as Fulham applied some pressure in the second half as they sought to keep their slim survival hopes alive.

Dyche can now look forward to a summer transfer window under new owners and the prospect of some, albeit not huge, investment in his squad.

"I'm pleased for a lot of people at the club," said Dyche. "It is important for the club, it is important for the town. It's been a real challenging season with the sale of the club.

"There was not a lot of investment from the outgoing owners and we've had a lot of injury problems."

'I have nothing but sadness'

Fulham boss Scott Parker speaking to BBC Sport: "It has been looming but it doesn't hide the disappointment, hurt and sadness I feel tonight. I am gutted.

"This year at times, while we have had some big improvements and pushed on in certain elements, the facts are we have fallen short. We have not been quite good enough.

"At this moment in time I have nothing but sadness. Now and in the coming days we will have a long, hard think and regroup. My job is to make sure these games end in the right way.

"The club needs to make big decisions. We've had a relegation, a promotion and a relegation. The rollercoaster of that and the highs and lows is not something you want.

"As a football club we need to make good decisions and work out where we want to go."

Burnley boss Sean Dyche speaking to BBC Sport: "Fulham changed their style, putting the ball forward a lot quicker than they have been doing.

"We dealt with that well and scored two good goals. The second half became a dogfight and we are good at that."

Relegation wrapped up in record time - the stats

    Burnley have won on five of their last eight Premier League trips to London (lost three) after enjoying just three victories on their previous 30.
    Fulham have failed to score in 11 home league games in a season for just the second time in their history (also 11 in the third tier in 93-94).
    They are the first side to do so in the top flight since Manchester City in 2006-07 (13 in total).
    Burnley named an unchanged starting XI for the seventh time in the Premier League this season, with only Leeds (10) and Aston Villa (8) doing so more often.
    Six of Ashley Westwood's seven Premier League goals for Burnley have come away from Turf Moor.
    The midfielder scored in consecutive away appearances for the second time with the Clarets in the top flight.
    Matej Vydra registered his 10th Premier League goal involvement for Burnley (6 goals, 4 assists in 57 apps) with five of those in his last nine games (3 goals, 2 assists).

What next?

Fulham visit Southampton on Saturday (15:00 BST), while Burnley host Leeds United on the same day (12:15).



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56967616

WhiteJC

Post-Burnley Press Conference

Scott Parker was clearly in pain after Fulham's relegation from the Premier League was confirmed, but he's already turned his attentions to the steps needed to respond in the best possible way next season.

"I'm hurt, I'm gutted," he said in his post-match press conference. "The players are [too].

"Everyone has tried everything possible, everyone at the Football Club has done everything in their power to try and stay in this division this year.

"What's important is we're going to have to have these honest conversations about what we need to do. We'll do that together, and we'll try and bounce back.

"There's been disappointment this year, and we need to put our hands up, we need to get around a table, we need to understand where we want to go as a club, what we need to do."

There wasn't much between Fulham and Burnley on Monday night at the Cottage but the visitors left with a 2-0 victory to seal our fate.

And Parker was asked if the fixture represented the Whites' season in a nutshell.

"Probably – I think that's a fair assessment of tonight's game," he said. "If you've not watched us, then that game summed up our year really; very good at times between the boxes, but just fallen short sometimes at both ends.

"I felt that was the same tonight; two poor goals on our behalf, and then for all our good play, getting into those final moments we just lacked that little bit of quality to score a goal.

"I've nothing but full respect for my group of players and what they've given me this year, in terms of effort and endeavour daily, wanting to improve, wanting to get better, but the facts are that we've fallen a little bit short with our quality, hence why we've been relegated out of this division."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/may/Post-Burnley-Press-Conference/


WhiteJC

Burnley administer the last rites as Fulham drop is confirmed

Fulham (0) 0

Burnley (2) 2 Westwood 36, Wood 44

Burnley applied the coup de grace Fulham have been all-but resigned to in recent weeks.

They are down after just one season back in the Premier League - their obit penned with this must-win game only half done.

First-half strikes from Ashley Westwood and Chris Wood were ample reward for an altogether more coherent strategy and goalscoring potential in the visitors' ranks.

Another toothless display up front was a neat summary of all that has plagued Scott Parker's men this term. Game and possessed of neat ball-players, but little danger of an end product. 

Nine goals in 18 home league games tells you all you really need to know. That is a truly pitiful return which has invited the punishing consequences you would expect.

Not so long ago there was optimistic talk of a dramatic final-day salvation against Newcastle. Instead, the game us up with three still to play, such has been the rapidity of the decline since the glorious win at Liverpool.

With a raft of loan signings likely to depart in the summer, we could be back to year zero in the Championship next season as Fulham join West Brom and Sheffield United through the exit door.

The Whites looked purposeful in the early passages. How could they be anything else, given their dire predicament going into this match? 

Only a timely interception from James Tarkowski prevented Ademola Lookman from converting a volley across the six-yard line from Ivan Cavaleiro, then Lookman headed the subsequent cross from Antonee Robinson just over the bar.

Cavaleiro also had England keeper Nick Pope getting down smartish to stop another crack at goal from finding the bottom corner.

But like many times this season, the opening zest proved a red herring as familiar frustrations kicked in, along with the realisation that this is a team lacking potency which was always likely to flounder against a resolute defensive unit like Burnley's.

The Clarets sent the first warning signs of the shape of things to come when a ball swung in from the left by Charlie Taylor was met perfectly by Wood's diving header, which looked destined for the net until it cannoned wide off Tosin's chest – the Fulham defender knowing little about it.

It was only a temporary reprieve though, as in the very next attack, Matej Vydra got to the byline after skipping around Joachim Andersen all too easily and Westwood was on hand to poke home.

Vydra's snapshot from the left after the Whites had frittered possession almost doubled the lead but the Clarets did not have to wait long for their second and it came when Chris Wood latched on to Josh Brownhill's pass – planting it firmly inside Alphonse Areola's left-hand post.

Aleksandar Mitrovic headed a corner straight at Pope and nodded another effort into the side-netting as the Whites did their best to get back into it after the break. Josh Maja came on for Kenny Tete as Fulham went for broke.

But in truth, a comeback never looked likely, although Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa did give the woodwork an almighty going over with a shot from the edge of the area which crashed against the underside of the bar.

Burnley, who needed the win to guarantee their safety, did not display and signs of tension in spite of the importance of the occasion.

They saw out the game well and might even have added a third – substitute Jay Rodriguez denied by a fine save from Areola. Once again, it has been a job well done by boss Sean Dyche.

Whites: (4-2-3-1) Areola – Tete (Maja 54), Andersen, Tosin (Loftus-Cheek 74), Robinson – Anguissa, Lemina – Cavaleiro, Decordova-Reid (Onomah 66), Lookman – Mitrovic. Subs not used: Rodak, Hector, Ream, Bryan, Aina, Carvalho

Clarets: (4-4-2) Pope – Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee Taylor – Brownhill, Westwood, Cork, McNeil – Vydra (Rodriguez 67), Wood (Barnes 86). Subs not used: Peacock-Farrell, Gudmundsson, Stephens, Pieters, Norris, Bardsley, Dunne




https://www.capitalfootball.co.uk/single-post/burnley-administer-the-last-rites-as-fulham-drop-is-confirmed

WhiteJC

Fulham player ratings as Tosin Adarabioyo outshines Joachim Andersen but Whites are relegated

The Cottagers inability in front of goal once again cost them

Alphonse Areola

Slight more nervous performance than the Cottagers have grown used to this season. Helpless against Chris Wood's strike but he may be slightly disappointed to have pushed the ball to Ashley Westwood. Scary moment as he collided with Matej Vydra well outside of his box but won the ball without being punished. 5.

Kenny Tete

Much of Burnley's pressure came down his flank during the first half and he failed to take control. Steady but unable to stamp his authority and show his usual relentless energy. 5.

Joachim Anderson

Gets caught flat-footed by Vydra before the forward provided the assist to Westwood. The Denmark international struggled to deal with the forward throughout the night. 4.

Tosin Adarabioyo

Stood up well to clear some early Burnley balls into the box and was unfortunate to push his tackle on Chris Wood straight into Josh Brownhill's path to assist Wood's impressive strike. A rare night where Tosin outshone his partner in the heart of defence. 7.

Antonee Robinson

Came out of the game with some credit and provided some tempting deliveries in the opening half. Could sometimes cross from deeper positions but one of the night's better players. 6.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa

A lively start to the evening with a crucial tackle on Chris Wood before testing Nick Pope moments later. Came closest to scoring for Fulham when he his the crossbar but only showed his quality in flashes. 7.

Mario Lemina

A slow start to the game but stuck to his duty. Slotted into the defence when required. 6.

Ivan Cavaleiro

A difficult first half for the winger who looked much more comfortable when he seemed to move to wing-back in the second period. 5.

Bobby De Cordova-Reid

A non-existant first half from a player who has given Fulham hope at times this season. Slightly more involved before being substituted. 4.

Ademola Lookman

Surprising to see the winger win so many headers in the Burnley box. Too predictable with his cut in to shoot to cause Burnley too many issues however. 6.

Aleksandar Mitrovic

An anonymous display from the Serbian forward which leads to the question whether his poor form is down to him or Fulham's attacking play. The answer invariably feels like both. 5.

Substitutes

Josh Maja: Won a couple of aerial bulls but couldn't make his presence felt in the Burnley box. 5.

Josh Onomah: Briefly showed his ability carry the ball but couldn't help Fulham look truly threatening. Wasn't frightened to put his foot in. 5.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek: Struggled to make a significant impact while on the pitch aside from one effort on goal. 5.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-relegation-burnley-player-ratings-20567990

WhiteJC

Fulham relegated from Premier League after disappointing defeat to Burnley

Fulham will join West Brom and Sheffield United back in the Championship next season after failing to beat the drop having been stuck in the bottom three all season

Fulham's relegation from the Premier League has been confirmed after defeat to closest rivals Burnley on Monday night.

The Cottagers needed a win to keep their chances of staying in the top flight alive but were comfortably seen off 2-0 thanks to goals from Ashley Westwood and Chris Wood.

It sees the west London club return to the Championship after just a one season stay following their promotion via the playoffs last year, while Sean Dyche's side left Craven Cottage in the knowledge they were safe from the drop.

Speaking after the game, Fulham boss Scott Parker said: "I'm bitterly disappointed, I'm hurt, I'm gutted.

"And while that's been looming over for us for some time now - we've been in and around and flirted with this for a long time - there are no words at this time that I can really put together, other than I'm gutted that we've not managed to be successful this year.

"And what a success it would have been to stay in this division. While we always knew it was going to be a challenge, it's bitterly disappointing we've not managed to do that."

Despite heading straight back down Fulham have put up a stern fight, given they were the bookies' favourites to be relegated with many tipping them to finish rock bottom.

They were pretty much written off by critics after three games, following opening defeats to Arsenal, Leeds and Aston Villa, during which they conceded 10 goals.

But Scott Parker eventually managed to rally his troops in an attempt to make a great escape, picking up their first wins in November against fellow strugglers West Brom and an away victory over Leicester.

The first signs of belief they could avoid the drop came in the 1-1 home draw against Liverpool in December before picking up another point on their travels at Tottenham in the new year.

Turning one point into three has really been a big factor in Fulham's downfall, though they did manage to pick up some superb results in the back half of the campaign.

Victory at Anfield had come shortly after a five-match unbeaten run which also included a win over Everton at Goodison Park.

Yet Parker's men struggled to build on those results, with the win against Liverpool the last time they collected all three points in the league.

Hopes of survival began to fade fast with successive losses against Leeds, Aston Villa and Wolves, before managing to nab a point off Arsenal prior to defeat to Chelsea last weekend.

Their only route out of the bottom three was to catch Burnley ahead of them, but with a nine-point gap going into this fixture, only a win would do.

Westwood gave the visitors the lead after 35 minutes when Burnley's route one approach paid off as Matej Vydra latched on to a long ball before squaring for his teammate to finish off.

Fulham's misery was compiled on the stroke of half-time as Wood smashed home a second, leaving Parker's men with too big a mountain to climb as their fate was eventually sealed at the final whistle.



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/breaking-fulham-relegated-premier-league-24078606


WhiteJC


Where did it all go wrong for Scott Parker and Fulham?
The Cottagers have been relegated from the Premier League after the 2-0 defeat at home to Burnley.

Fulham have dropped out of the Premier League after just one season back in the top flight.

It is the club's second relegation from the division since Scott Parker took over in the 2018-19 season.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at where it went wrong for the Cottagers this time.

What was the story of the season?
Fulham started the season in poor form, relying heavily on the squad which had got them into the Premier League via the play-offs, and it resulted in one point from their opening six league matches. The problems were evident when they shipped 10 goals in their first three games.

However a recovery followed, largely bolstered by a number of loan signings and a formation change, and defensive performances started to pick up over the winter months. Fulham secured draws against Liverpool and Tottenham and went on a five-match unbeaten run.

Despite improvements in the defence and their determination, the Cottagers' struggles at the top end of the pitch continued and, after their relegation was confirmed on Monday, they have just five wins to their name.

What happened to Fulham's attacking threat?
Fulham have scored just 25 goals in the Premier League, a record only bottom-placed Sheffield United have not bettered.

Aleksandar Mitrovic has, as even Parker admitted, not had the season he would have wanted on his return to the top flight, despite netting 26 times in 41 appearances on his way to the Championship golden boot last term. This season he has scored just three goals.

January saw Fulham sign Josh Maja, who scored twice on his debut but has not gone on to star in the role. Chelsea loanee Ruben Loftus-Cheek has also struggled since joining in the summer.

Did Fulham use their funds wisely?
Fulham were widely criticised in the 2018-19 season when they were relegated despite spending almost £100million on transfers.

This season they have dipped into the loan market instead, including for the experienced Alphonse Areola from Paris St Germain and Lyon's Joachim Andersen, who has been stand-in captain for most of the campaign.

Many of the additions have undoubtedly been a success. Andersen has been linked with moves to the likes of Tottenham following his impressive form, while Mario Lemina and Ademola Lookman have started most of Fulham's matches.

How did Scott Parker do in his first full Premier League season?
When Parker took over in Fulham's last Premier League season, the club were all-but relegated, yet he led them back into the top flight at the first time of asking.

This time round, in part due to the use of the loan market, Fulham have gained some plaudits, especially for their defensive work, keeping nine clean sheets. However, despite Parker's insistence that they were working on their attacking threat, they have scored just 25 goals.

Did Fulham shoot themselves in the foot?
A win at Anfield on March 7 should have been a catalyst for Parker's men.

They had just made it 11 points from six matches and the previously ominous 10-point gap to safety had been reduced to just three, with the prospect of a game against then-17th-placed Newcastle on the final day of the season.

However, just as Fulham needed to kick on, their form slumped. Four successive defeats followed the win over Jurgen Klopp's side and their inability to close out results was punished.

Wolves clinched a last-minute winner at Craven Cottage, while Fulham were denied all three points with almost the last kick of the game against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.



https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/where-did-it-all-go-wrong-for-scott-parker-and-fulham-40411179.html

WhiteJC


Fulham yo-yo back to the Championship as Burnley secure top-flight status
Scott Parker's side follow West Brom straight back down after loss at Craven Cottage

Fulham 0 Burnley 2

Fulham's race is run and, even though they have seen fine margins go against them in recent weeks, there was no hard luck story to tell this time. They were as methodical and controlled as ever but lacked punch and, ultimately, the degree of unpredictability that might have sucked Burnley towards the relegation mire.

Instead Scott Parker and his players have fallen right through it, the second yo-yo team to have been condemned to more of the same after West Brom's demise the previous day, and they were simply beaten by a better side. Burnley made a period of fierce pressure late in the first half count, Ashley Westwood and Chris Wood both scoring clinically, and made certain of a sixth straight season at the top level.

For all Fulham's good intentions, the last rites were being rehearsed by half-time. Their problem all season has been that periods of neat, tidy play have not yielded enough while clinical opponents punish them: the warning signs had started to announce themselves here before Burnley, happy to commit men forward in an effort to make their final three games feel considerably less onerous, effectively sealed their fate.

The opener was well worked, Matt Lowton directing a diagonal ball to Matej Vydra and inviting the forward to run into space down the left. Vydra checked outside Joachim Andersen and, just managing to keep the ball in, cut back sharply from the byline. Alphonse Areola got an outstretched finger onto his centre but Westwood, arriving from midfield, readjusted his feet to squeeze home his second goal in three games.

Vydra had teed up a near-identical finish for Wood a little earlier but had run beyond the pitch's limits on that occasion; he did not need to fret that further chances might be scarce.

Shortly before Westwood's goal, Wood had seen a diving header flick millimetres wide off Tosin Adarabioyo before forcing Areola to save at point-blank range from the subsequent corner. He would not be denied as the interval neared. Fulham already appeared to have been terminally jolted, Vydra lashing across goal and wide, and Wood knocked them flat with a thumping strike.

He was slightly lucky then the ball ricocheted off him to Josh Brownhill, but took his colleague's return pass and gave Areola no chance with a fierce half-volley. It brought Wood's Premier League tally over the past two seasons to 25 and sustained the thought that there may be no more underrated centre forward in the league.

Parker had shouted himself hoarse from the side and Fulham, forcing the issue for the first half-hour, attempted to respond to his demands. But they had little to show for their pressure beyond a flurry that saw James Tarkowski superbly deny Ademola Lookman a close-range finish before, seconds later, Lookman headed over from six yards.

Aleksandar Mitrovic was selected up front but the nearest he offered to a warrior's performance was a pointless off-the-ball foul on Tarkowski. He had scored twice the last time Burnley came here in the league, nearly three years ago, but a performance that sprightly felt galaxies away. Fulham made sustained efforts to claw the deficit back after half-time, Josh Maja pressed into duty from the bench to bolster their threat, and Mitrovic did head into the side netting just before the hour.

Their by-now sustained attacks evinced little conviction, though, and Burnley rarely appeared uncomfortable. Parker's side had not amassed a three-goal haul since the second weekend of the season and the chances of a repeat against supremely-drilled opponents seemed vanishingly slim.

They howled for a spot kick after Charlie Taylor dispossessed Ivan Cavaleiro in the box but to no avail and, when André-Franck Zambo Anguissa rattled the bar from 18 yards with their best effort of the night, the game was as good as up.

Burnley had offered little as an attacking force after going two up, although rightly felt aggrieved Areola was not sent off after replays showed he handled outside the box as Vydra looked to head past him.

That flicker of controversy never looked remotely consequential, though. When Mitrovic nodded over with a minute to play, Parker looked on with arms folded and knew he would be asking Fulham to rouse themselves yet again in the Championship. – Guardian



https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/english-soccer/fulham-yo-yo-back-to-the-championship-as-burnley-secure-top-flight-status-1.4560933

WhiteJC

Fulham boss Scott Parker has decision to make and four options after relegation

Fulham's relegation was confirmed by Burnley at Craven Cottage on Monday evening - but Scott Parker might not be dropping down to the Championship with them next season

Fulham may have immediately dropped back down to the Championship following a miserable beginning and end to their Premier League season - but Scott Parker has come out of it with credit.

Having led them back into the top flight at the first time of asking during his debut full season as a boss, Fulham have also had memorable victories away at Leicester, Everton and Liverpool.

Additionally, Parker has been given respect for the way in which he put together a side on late notice with a series of loanees - including Ademola Lookman and Joachim Andersen.

That has led to doubts over his future in west London despite the two years remaining on his contract, and the former England midfielder might have multiple options this summer.

England U21s
While the England under-21 job is available following the departure of Aidy Boothroyd last month, Parker could well be up for grabs should his Fulham contract get terminated.

The 40-year-old made nine appearances for the side between 2000 and 2002 before moving into the senior squad, and it is likely that he is the type of young manager the FA will be looking for.

However, it might be seen as a step down for Parker following his season in the Premier League, and it isn't out of the question that he could remain in the top flight.

Tottenham
Had Fulham have stayed up with more fight, Tottenham might well have had a good look at their former midfielder after they parted ways with Jose Mourinho.

Having said that, Spurs supporters will be looking for an experienced boss to get them back into Europe, and it could prove too soon for Parker.

Frank Lampard's poor spell as Chelsea boss serves as a warning for future appointments, but don't rule out Parker returning to north London in the future.

Brighton
Another boss linked to Spurs has been Graham Potter, who has transformed the style of play at Brighton despite their poor run of results throughout the season.

Should Spurs see his style of play as the future of their club, Parker might well act as a perfect replacement for Potter down on the south coast.

The Seagulls would likely provide an exciting opportunity for the young boss following their mixed run of form of late, having shown potential in creating chances.

Fulham
The most obvious option for Parker would be to remain at Fulham, especially considering that he signed a new three-year deal on their return to the Premier League last summer.

The west London outfit are in decent shape financially following a more cautious summer of spending, with a new stand being built set to rejuvenate the ground in 2022.

In addition, they will go into next season as one of the favourites to jump back into the top flight, as they have done in two of their last four campaigns.



https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-scott-parker-tottenham-brighton-24080684


WhiteJC

Burnley put Fulham out of their misery

In the end, Fulham went with a whimper. For all Scott Parker's fighting talk, the writing has been on the wall at Craven Cottage for a while. You could argue that one of the division's youngest managers had done very well to leave the Whites with a fighting chance of survival after Fulham's horrendous start to the season, but a team that had scrapped impressively to give themselves a glimmer of a great escape collapsed alarmingly when presented with opportunities to pile pressure on relegation rivals.

Against a streetwise Burnley side, tonight's defeat was a microcosm of a mediocre season. There was – as usual – plenty of possession and patient probing but precious little in the way of penetration or decent service for Aleskandar Mitrovic to attack. The Serbian has been badly under utilised during this campaign – with fitness, confidence and Covid all having a part to play in that – but Parker's reversion to a safety-first approach in order to stay in games rather than win them has left Fulham facing groundhog day repeatedly in the final weeks of this campaign.

The last rites were painful but administered efficiently. Sean Dyche's gameplan was expertly executed and such was the gulf in class in the final third – that you couldn't quibble with the Clarets holding a two-goal lead by half time courtesy of strikes from Ashley Westwood and New Zealand striker Chris Wood. Fulham began reasonably brightly, with an alert piece of defending from James Tarkowski preventing Ademola Lookman from stealing an early goal, and Ivan Cavaleiro bringing Nick Pope into action at his near post – but the Clarets quickly imposed themselves on proceedings.

Fulham's margin for error had evaporated in recent weeks and you could sense the nerves amongst their backline as Burnley gradually got numbers forward. There was a lucky escape when a Wood diving header rebounded wide off Tosin Adarabioyo, who couldn't have known much about his inadvertent clearance. Anxiety levels grew higher as the lively Matej Vydra skated away from Joachim Andersen, reached the byline and pulled back a cross for Westwood, who rolled home the opener from close range.

That devastating blow caused Fulham's fragile confidence to crater. It was nearly two almost immediately when the home side casually donated possession back to Burnley and Vydra almost fired in from the left angle of the box. But Dyche's charges didn't have to wait long to double their lead. Fulham were once again far too charitable inside their own half, affording Josh Brownhill plenty of time and space to pick out Wood, who lashed home from just outside the box. There was never likely to be any way back from that.

The routine victory solidifies Burnley's only safety, which had never been serious doubt after Dyche arrested an alarming start with his usual brand of organisation and desire. Fulham went for broke after the interval as Parker threw on Josh Maja to join Mitrovic in attack, but there was no way through a stubborn Clarets back line. The Serbian striker probably had Fulham's best chances – heading a corner straight at England goalkeeper Nick Pope and flicking another one into the side netting before Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa thumped the woodwork – but it was the visitors who looked more likely to round off the scoring. Only an excellent Alphonse Areola save prevented Jay Rodriguez from adding a third late on.

Attention will swiftly turn to whether Fulham can bounce back from the disappointment of a third relegation in seven seasons and be challenging in the Championship again in August. There will have to be questions about the club's hierarchy, with the position of director of football Tony Khan sure to be in the spotlight, as well as Fulham's long-term plan. Whether the future also includes Parker, linked to the Tottenham job in recent weeks, will be one of the first matters to be resolved as a significant summer rebuild approaches. This feels like another missed opportunity for the Whites to establish themselves again at English football's top table – but, in truth, the damage was done months ago.

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Areola; Tete (Maja 54), Robinson, Andersen, Adarabioyo (Loftus-Cheek 74); Lemina, Anguissa; Cavaleiro, Decordova-Reid (Onomah 66), Lookman; Mitrovic. Subs (not used): Rodak, Hector, Ream, Bryan, Aina, Carvalho.

BOOKED: Anguissa, Lemina.

BURNLEY (4-4-2): Pope; Lowton, Taylor, Mee, Tarkowski; Brownhill, Westwood, Cork, McNeill; Vydra (Rodriguez 67), Wood (Barnes 86). Subs (not used): Peacock-Farrell, Pieters, Bardsley, Dunne, Norris, Stephens, Gudmundsson.

GOALS: Westwood (35), Wood (44).

REFEREE: David Coote.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/05/burnley-put-fulham-out-of-their-misery/

WhiteJC

Aleksandar Mitrovic delivers blunt verdict after Fulham's relegation is confirmed by Burnley

Fulham's hopes of survival in the Premier League were ended this evening as Burnley won 2-0 at Craven Cottage, consigning Scott Parker's side to an immediate return to the Championship

It is now official and Fulham have been relegated from the Premier League.

A 2-0 defeat at home against Burnley sealed Fulham's fate this evening as Scott Parker's men were consigned to relegation back to the Championship, less than a year after returning to the top flight of English football.

Goals from Ashley Westwood and Chris Wood were enough for Sean Dyche's men to claim all three points at Craven Cottage and in doing so, confirm the Clarets' safety while sealing Fulham's fate.

And Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has admitted that the Cottagers have not done enough to survive, either on the night against Burnley or during the course of the season.

"It is tough, but we failed tonight and we failed this season," he said, speaking to Sky Sports after the 2-0 defeat against Burnley that sealed Fulham's fate.

"It is hard to find the words after this performance and after this season. It wasn't good enough. We didn't deserve it and I have played football long enough to know football is a really honest game, and in the end you finish where you deserve to be.

"We didn't deserve to stay up this season and everything we showed this season was not enough.

"It was good at times, but overall we finish where we deserve to be, and it is really sad. We are really sad for the fans and the people in the club."

Fulham still have three games left to play this season, away against Southampton and Manchester United and at home against Newcastle United on the final day of the campaign.

This is a second relegation in three seasons for the Cottagers, who join West Brom and Sheffield United in the Championship next season.



https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/aleksandar-mitrovic-verdict-fulham-relegation-20568466

WhiteJC

Parker admits Fulham need to 'make big decisions' after another relegation

Fulham boss Scott Parker admitted the club have 'some big decisions to make' after their return to the Premier League lasted just one season, yet again.

The Cottagers went down after a 2-0 defeat by Burnley that saw the Clarets secure their top-flight status for another season.

All the relegation spots have now been confirmed, with the Cottagers joining Sheffield United and West Brom as the three clubs to drop into the Championship.

The damage was done before the break as Burnley struck twice in the final 10 minutes of the first half at Craven Cottage.

Matej Vydra showed neat footwork before picking out Ashley Westwood to roll the ball into an empty net.

Chris Wood then lashed in a second from the edge of the area to score his 50th goal for Burnley and consign Fulham to the drop.

It leaves Parker's side 10 points from safety with three games remaining and heading back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

Speaking after the game Parker told BBC Sport: "It has been looming but it doesn't hide the disappointment, hurt and sadness I feel tonight. It's inevitable now. I am gutted.

"This year at times, while we have had some big improvements and pushed on in certain elements the facts are that we have fallen short. We have not been quite good enough.

"Tonight is how the season has gone at times. Between the two boxes we did very well. The difference was defensively the two goals we conceded were poor. And in the final moment when you need to score and make good decisions we did not have that.

Premier League is brutal

"Probably when I look back over the season that has been the big difference. We have lacked quality in certain moments. The players need to understand what you need to bring at this level. There's an effort and endeavour but you need to more to survive at this level. This level is brutal. The tiny details are key.

"At this moment in time I have nothing but sadness. Now and in the coming days we will have a long hard think and regroup. My job is to make sure these games end in the right way.

"The club needs to make big decisions. We've had a relegation, a promotion and a relegation. The rollercoaster of that and the highs and lows is not something you want.

"As a football club we need to make good decisions and work out where we want to go."



https://www.teamtalk.com/news/parker-admits-fulham-big-decisions-make-after-another-relegation


WhiteJC


Cottage Talk Full Time: Fulham Are Relegated Again

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

This is our initial reaction show as we discussed Fulham getting relegated. We also talked about that we both want a new Director Of Football and a new coach for next season.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2021/5/10/22429580/cottage-talk-full-time-fulham-are-relegated-again