Monday Fulham Stuff - 18/10/21...

[WhiteJC]

Results

Sunday
Swansea	3-0	Cardiff

[WhiteJC]

Collins John: How I went from taking PL by storm at 18 to retiring at 29



Collins John was just 18 when he turned up to training for FC Twente and was informed by his agent of strong interest from two Premier League clubs – Fulham and Manchester City.

Although John was in good form, with nine goals in 18 games, including a hat-trick in a 5-3 win over Groningen, the thought of leaving Twente hadn't crossed his mind. He was focused on playing well for his first club, who he had joined at the age of 12, and continuing his development in familiar surroundings.

But, to John's surprise, Twente seemed open to the idea of selling him.

"Before I knew it, I had a phone call from Cookie, from Chris Coleman," John recalls. "He called me and I had a good conversation with him. From that moment really, I was like, wow, it's real. It's coming close."

Fulham instantly made John feel wanted. The club's Dutch goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar, phoned the young striker to encourage him to join, explaining that he would be there to provide support and some home comforts if John was ever missing life in the Netherlands. In contrast, nobody from Manchester City ever got in touch.

Late interest from John's boyhood club PSV Eindhoven caused him to delay his decision, but they wanted to wait until the summer to complete the deal. Now that the wheels were in motion, he was keen to get going. So on January 31, 2004, he signed for Fulham.

"I was like a little boy in a candy shop. It was amazing. Everything was new and exciting. It was my dream because I loved the Premier League. I was watching Match of the Day every Sunday morning. All the legends – Alan Shearer, Dennis Bergkamp, Zola, Hasselbaink.

"It was a dream come true. Everything was positive and everything was nice so I couldn't wait to put the pen on the paper."

Still, it wasn't easy to leave behind home and family. After losing his father in the first Liberian civil war, John, his mother and brothers, both of whom also went on to play professional football, had boarded a boat heading for the Netherlands.

Partly because of all that they had been through together, moving away felt especially tough.

"Even though I was living by myself in Holland – I had my own apartment – mum was still close by. It was like a 20-minute drive, so I was always there anyway.

"Before I packed my stuff and everything, I went to see my mum. It was an emotional day to say goodbye to her because I was mummy's little boy. There were a lot of tears, but that made me stronger. It made me want to succeed even more."

Hitting the ground running
The intention was to slowly ease John into the team while Fulham's more experienced strikers – Brian McBride, Barry Hayles and Facundo Sava – continued to do the heavy lifting, but that plan soon changed. The new signing's quick start couldn't be ignored.

Brought off the bench for just his second appearance, away at Leicester City, he transformed a goalless game. Steed Malbranque lifted a ball over the top of the Foxes' defence and John raced onto it, beating the offside trap and calmly lobbing Ian Walker for his first Fulham goal. He had only been on the pitch for six minutes.

Shortly before full-time, John added a second. As Leicester pushed for an equaliser, they were left exposed at the back. Luis Boa Morte carried the ball into the area before squaring for John to score from close range.

Rewarded for his contribution by being called into the starting line-up for the visit of Blackburn Rovers two day later, John grabbed another brace. He had decisively banished any doubts about his ability to compete at the highest level.

"In your head, you think, 'Can I even make it to the Premier League? Am I good enough?' You've got to ask yourself questions. 'Am I going to score goals here as well? What's the league like? What's the training like? Is the change of culture going to hold back my development?' A lot of things go through your head, but I was happy.

"My confidence was so high. I didn't wait too long to hit my first goal in the Premier League, so that was a big relief for me. That's what I needed to make sure I was ready for the full season ahead of me."

International recognition
John was given an extra boost by a call-up to the senior Netherlands squad in August, just seven months after joining Fulham. It was an unexpected joy for someone so young. Another opportunity to be seized.

"If you play well, that means you're ready for anything. At that time, I was ready. I proved it. It's not like it was a gift. You have to prove it. You have to show that you're good enough. Obviously, I scored goals in the best competition in the world so [Marco] van Basten chose to pick me. It was fully deserved, and it was amazing.

"I could never have thought that he would pick me. I was not even thinking about that. I thought I was going to go to the Under-21s. For him to call me up for the full squad was a total surprise, but it was one I will never forget."

Fleeting appearances in two friendlies, against Sweden and Liechtenstein, proved to be the extent of John's international career, but he considers it to have been a great honour all the same. Just training alongside world-class players was an eye-opening experience.

"Arjen Robben is one of the best players I ever played with, he was unbelievable," John says. "When we did finishing, Roy Makaay and Ruud van Nistelrooy were just a different world. They hit the target every time they shoot on goal.

"For me to learn off those type of guys is just a real privilege. I can tell my kids about it when they're older."

Career high
Back at Fulham, having overcome the initial difficulties of moving abroad and coping with increased expectations, the 2005-06 season was his best.

Despite starting just 16 league games, with Coleman often preferring to play one up front and feeling that John worked better in a pair, he was still the club's top scorer with 11 goals.

"I just couldn't stop scoring that season. I always said, 'Can you imagine if I started more games?' Maybe I would hit more goals as well.

"As a striker, when you start scoring, you just get that confidence and everything you do goes in the back of the net. That was one of those seasons. That was the best period of my career, definitely."

The reassuring presence of Chris Coleman was a major factor in John's success. The belief of his manager spurred him on and made a massive difference

"He was great. His man-management was spot on. I can't say any bad words about him. He was obviously the reason why I came to the club in the first place.

"I remember the first training session I had, they told me everything about how they scouted me. They first saw me play when I was 15, can you imagine?

"He could make you feel that you were 10 feet tall. That was the feeling he always gave to his players. He really gave you a boost before you went out on that pitch. You just felt you could beat anybody. It was excellent."

Life after Fulham
Unfortunately for John, Coleman was sacked towards the end of the following season and replaced by Lawrie Sanchez. The new manager explained that he wanted to bring in his own players and the Dutch striker was unlikely to feature. Although he respected the decision, it proved a tough one to recover from.

"Of course, it's disappointing, but that's football," John says. "It happens anywhere. Even though I love football to death, it's also one of those sports where you have to be mentally strong to deal with the consequences.

"That's the nature of the game. It's not personal. Just take it as a professional, and that's what I did.

John went on loan to Leicester City, Watford and then NEC Nijmegen before leaving Fulham permanently in the summer of 2009.

He admits that his career thereafter didn't live up to its early promise. There were spells in Belgium, America, Azerbaijan, Iran and Poland, but he was unable to settle anywhere and perform at his best. It became a tale of diminishing returns.

"I just couldn't get through my injuries and couldn't hit the right form at the right time," John says. "Football is about hitting the right form at the right time.

"When you do well and score a couple of important goals then your career might change overnight. If that doesn't happen, it might be a long, long career.

"I made some bad decisions after that, and that didn't work out well, but going to MLS was a great choice. One of the reasons was Brian McBride. He went back to Chicago and he called me up one day and said, 'Come to MLS and we can play together again.'"

While the training facilities and levels of professionalism at Chicago Fire were impressive, that wasn't the case with many of John's subsequent clubs. Sometimes there were broken promises or delayed payments, causing him to prematurely move on once more.

He retired in 2014, at the age of 29.

"Obviously, football is my life, but I couldn't play the way I wanted to play – physical, quick and powerful," he says. "I lost that pace. I lost that desire to grind away at practice and training every day. When that appetite left me, I thought it was the right time to stop.

"Life is life. You make choices. You learn from your mistakes and you try to move on. Everything happens for a reason. That's the way I see life. Of course, I wish things could have gone differently. But regrets? No way."

John now has the freedom to spend more time with his family, especially his six-year-old daughter, and enjoy his hobbies. He still takes a keen interest in Fulham and was pleased to be invited back to Craven Cottage last season.

Although he lives in Almere, on the outskirts of Amsterdam, his attachment to London, and the club that helped him to realise his dreams, remains strong.



https://www.planetfootball.com/in-depth/collins-john-fulham-premier-league-retirement/

[WhiteJC]

Weymouth sign Martell Taylor-Crossdale after Fulham release

Weymouth have signed Martell Taylor-Crossdale following his departure from Fulham.

The National League side have handed a contract to the attacker, as announced on their official Twitter account (see tweet below).

Martell joins us following his release from Fulham in the summer. The prolific striker was a product of the Chelsea Academy. Martell has also represented England from u15-u20 level. (2/4) pic.twitter.com/Vhtu6DW5i8

— Weymouth FC (@theterras) October 16, 2021

Taylor-Crossdale, who is 21-years-old, has been a free agent since being released by Fulham at the end of last season.

QPR have been taking a look at him on trial over recent times and he featured for their Under-23s side, as reported by West London Sport.

Doncaster Rovers also had him on trial over pre-season, as per a report by the Doncaster Free Press, but decided against offering him a deal.

Career to date
Taylor-Crossdale started his career at Chelsea and rose up through the academy at Stamford Bridge.

The youngster left the Blues when his contract expired in 2019 and turned down a move to Hoffenheim before going to Fulham.

He went on to play once for the Cottagers' first-team and was loaned out to League Two side Colchester United last season to get some experience under his belt.

New chapter
Weymouth is Taylor-Crossdale's new home now and they currently sit 21st in the National League table.

The Terrars are managed by former Doncaster Rovers midfielder Brian Stock and have a few ex-Football League players playing for them these days such as Josh McQuoid, Tyler Cordner, Ross Fitzsimons and Ahkeem Rose.



https://the72.co.uk/253410/weymouth-sign-martell-taylor-crossdale-after-fulham-release/

[WhiteJC]

Notes from October meeting with FFC

On Wednesday 13 October at 13:30, the Fulham Supporters' Trust met with Fulham FC via video conference.

The Club was represented by:

    David Daly (Non-Executive Director)
    Darren Preston (Chief Operating Officer)
    Carmelo Mifsud (Communications Director)
    Nicola Walworth (Supporter Relations Manager)
    Katy Brecht (Head of Ticketing)
    Charlie Harris (Communications Assistant)
    Mike McSweeney (CEO Fulham Foundation)
    Jack Burrows (Head of Marketing)

Apologies : Alistair Mackintosh (CEO)

The FST was represented by Board Members:

    Tom Greatrex (Chair)
    Ian Clarke (Vice Chair)
    Simon Duke (Secretary)

HOW IT WORKS

If any member has raised an issue that it was not possible to discuss in the time available, then please do contact us again in good time before the next meeting or alternatively we can seek to raise it between meetings if that is more appropriate.

The Trust asks any questions that it judges are of interest to supporters, based on responses from Trust Members to the advance notification of the meeting, and by generally interacting with the wider supporter base. There is no restriction placed on which questions the Trust choose to ask or points raised with the Club. These notes are then sent to members only, in advance of being posted on our website at a later date.
TOPICS DISCUSSED

    Jimmy Hill Day
    Match day operations
    External match day issues
    Ticketing
    Games with large away followings
    Safe Standing and match day atmosphere
    AOB

JIMMY HILL DAY

The meeting opened with a discussion of the Jimmy Hill Day activities which, despite the result at Coventry, all agreed had been a success. The Trust participated fully in the day, joining forces with our counterparts at Sky Blue Trust to raise awareness of the bucket collections taking place to support Coventry based charities through the Jimmy Hill Legacy Foundation.

The Club thanked the Trust on behalf of Coventry and said that they will reflect on Jimmy Hill's contribution to both clubs at the return fixture in April through the programme and other events.

back to topic list
MATCH DAY OPERATIONS

The Trust raised a number of questions and concerns on behalf of supporters in various areas of the match day experience.
Riverside Stand floodlights

Following on from previous discussions, we asked if any further investigation had taken place into the calibration of the floodlights on the Riverside Stand. This is in relation to the comments of a number of Johnny Haynes season ticket holders that the lights are dazzling.

The Club said that they have checked on match day (versus Leeds and Swansea) and do understand that there is a significant difference in positioning between the new lights along the side of the stand and the old corner floodlights, although there is no difference in brightness. Trust board members have also undertaken a similar exercise. The Club confirmed again that the lights are properly calibrated to requirements and very similar to those at other grounds which are side-lit.

We asked whether the Club might consider helping anyone suffering significant discomfort or health complications from the lights by considering a seat move. The Club said they would be willing to help in these cases, and asked anyone in this situation to contact them. Please also let the Trust know if this is causing you difficulties.
Turnstile speed

In recent weeks, speed of entry to the ground seems to have been a problem, with many supporters highlighting long queues close to kick-off and slow operation of the turnstiles. We asked what could be done about this.

The Club explained that it was aware of a number of small technical issues which, when combined, had led to slower turnstile operation. These issues primarily relate to the integration of the new ticketing system from SecuTix with new ticket scanners from Fortress. Particular problem areas which the Club have identified include

    Over-sensitivity of the scanners to the multiple bar codes on 'print at home' tickets, leading to tickets being scanned too early. This will be corrected by calibration of the readers and reduction of the number of bar codes on the tickets.
     
    Supporters used to inserting season ticket cards into a slot not realising that they now need to tap the card on top of the reader (like an Oyster card). Signage will be provided to explain this, and extra training will be provided for turnstile operators and supervisors.
     
    Sensitivity of the access control beams (which when broken, indicate that a supporter has entered the ground) to activity on the ground side of the turnstile. This will require further calibration.
     
    Supporters attempting to use 'print at home' tickets on their mobile phones. The readers are not currently set up for this, although it does seem to work for some phones. Supporters are asked to bring a paper copy of all 'print at home' tickets. The use of mobile phone ticketing is on the roadmap for next year.

The Club said that they expected the changes they have made since the previous home game to reduce the delays and that they will continue to monitor and tweak the systems. Whilst this is happening, supporters can help by arriving in good time, tapping season tickets on the readers, folding 'print at home' tickets prior to arrival at the turnstile and not using mobile phones for 'print at home' tickets.

The Club and Trust agreed to review again next month.
Toilets in Johnny Haynes Stand

From time to time, supporters raise concerns about the quality of toilet facilities in various parts of the ground which we pass on to the Club. A particular concern was raised this month about the Ladies toilet block in the Johnny Haynes Stand at the Putney end of the ground. The Club said it will investigate.
Volume of speakers

At recent matches, the volume of the PA speakers has been very high, with supporters unable to hold conversations at half time. We asked if this could be addressed. The Club said it was aware of the issue, particularly at the Leeds fixture, and made adjustments for the Swansea game. The Club will monitor this.
Speed of catering

Some members reported that the service at the Hammersmith End bars is very slow at half time and that better staff training is required. The Club explained that the catering service is provided by an outsourced provider and said it would take this up with them.
Recycling bins

Supporters have observed that there is a lack of recycling bins inside Craven Cottage. The Club said that with space at such a premium on the concourses, it did not make sense to install recycling bins, particularly as there is no storage space. However, all waste is collected and taken off-site for processing and recycling.

back to topic list
EXTERNAL MATCH DAY ISSUES
Bishops Park lighting

Several supporters have pointed out that the lights in Bishops Park are set to turn off at approximately 21:30, which means that the park is in darkness after evening matches. The Club was unaware of this, but said that they would ask the council to extend the lighting period on match days.
District Line closures

The Trust asked, on behalf of members, whether any influence could be brought to bear on the TFL maintenance schedule which often sees the Wimbledon branch of the District Line closed on match days. The Club doubted that it could help with this, as repair timetables are set quite some time in advance.

In further discussion, the Club said it had been made aware that TFL expects to close Putney Bridge station from 21:00 on the night of the Fulham v Cardiff fixture on Wednesday 20 October. This is thought to be because Chelsea are also at home on the same evening, our fixture having been moved as a knock-on from Swansea v Cardiff being televised on the prior Sunday.

back to topic list
TICKETING
User journeys

Since the last monthly meeting, the Trust and Club have met separately to discuss the ticketing web site, with a focus on making access to tickets and information easier. A number of changes have been made as a result of this meeting, including

    Simplified navigation from the Fulham FC web site to the ticketing site.
     
    Introduction of dedicated ticket information pages for each home and away fixture that is on sale or soon to go on sale.
     
    Ensuring all games, both home and away, which are available to purchase are listed on the home screen of the ticketing site

Supporters are reminded that in order to access the ticketing site and be able to purchase tickets they are eligible for online, they will need to be logged into their OneFulham Account.

The Trust and the Club agreed to continue to discuss possible improvements to the ticketing site and access to it from the web site and Fulham FC app.
Loyalty points

The Trust asked for an update on access to loyalty point totals on the new ticketing system. The Club reiterated that loyalty points had not been lost and should be available to view in the next month.

back to topic list
GAMES WITH LARGE AWAY FOLLOWINGS

At the Leeds United fixture, for which the Putney End was sold out to Leeds fans, a number of supporters observed away fans in home areas, particularly in the Johnny Haynes Stand. The Trust asked if the Club had been aware of this and, more generally, what processes it has in place to prevent and manage such situations.

The Club said that on the day there had been two ejections of Leeds fans and ten ticket refusals. All stewards are made aware of the risks of away fans in the wrong area through their briefings.

The Club further explained that it has a robust set of processes to minimise away fans buying tickets in home areas, including requiring a previous booking history (not just Leeds games) and postcode exclusions. There was no general sale for this fixture. However, the Club said that the vast majority of away fans in home areas have had tickets bought for them by Fulham season ticket holders and members, which is hard to prevent.

The Club requested that Fulham season ticket holders and members do not buy tickets for any away supporters in home areas and said that action would be taken against any identified as doing so. Where away fans are obviously in home areas, and causing concern, then this should be identified to stewards. Additionally, in such circumstances, if seat numbers are notified to the ticket office they will investigate and take action where appropriate.

back to topic list
SAFE STANDING AND MATCH DAY ATMOSPHERE

The Trust asked for an update on the Club's view of safe standing, particularly given the recent law change allowing its implementation for early adopter clubs, and the expectation that it will be open to all clubs to apply for permission to use rail seating from August 2022.

The Club said that it currently had no plans to introduce safe standing areas, not least because Arena Seating, who provide the seating in use in the Putney, Hammersmith and (front of) Johnny Haynes stands do not have a rail seating option in their certified seating systems. The Club also noted the difficulty of installing rail seats in the ground without impacting the sightlines of other supporters.

As increasing numbers of clubs are likely to provide some safe standing accommodation and seating providers will have developed solutions, the Trust asked whether Fulham would be open to exploring this further. The Club reiterated that while they have no current plans to provide rail seating, they would be open to considering further.

The Trust also highlighted discussions currently taking place amongst fans looking at how to improve the match day atmosphere, citing previous studies that suggested that the Hammersmith End acoustics are unduly impacted by the rake of the stand and gaps at the rear.

The Trust asked whether, with the opening of the new Riverside stand, any consideration had been given to changing the location of away supporters. The Club responded that it is likely that away fans will remain in part of the Putney End, but no firm decisions had yet been taken.

The Trust further asked about consideration of using the home part of the Putney End to attract vocal fans to seek to improve the atmosphere, but the Club responded that the current unsegregated concourse and turnstile areas would add complications to any such idea. They also pointed out that when something similar was tried some years ago, with facilitated seat swaps into the first two of blocks of the Putney End, there was very little take-up.

On a wider point about supporter-led initiatives to improve atmosphere, with the Trust citing other clubs who have done so successfully, the Club indicated they would be happy to engage on that with the Trust and other interested parties to explore ideas in more detail.

back to topic list
AOB
Programmes

Some Clubs in the Championship have stopped producing printed match day programmes available for sale at the ground. The Trust asked for the Club's intentions.

The Club said that it sees the match day programme as a driver of fan engagement and recognises it is part of the experience for many supporters, as well as hospitality guests; there are no plans to stop printing them.
George Cohen statue

The Trust asked, on behalf of a member, whether there were any plans to move the George Cohen statue from its current location once the new Riverside Stand opens.

The Club said that there are no plans to move the statue.
Luis Boa Morte interview

Several supporters have requested a video interview with Luis Boa Morte on FFCtv, now that he has returned as part of Marco Silva's team. The Club said they will ask him but he is a busy man in his capacity as Marco's assistant in comparison to when he was a player here!
Panorama programme

The Trust and the Club discussed the recent Panorama programme, which drew attention to the activities of agents in relation to youth footballers, with Fulham being one of the clubs mentioned.

The Trust asked, on behalf of a member, whether the Club could expand on its comments at the time. The Club said it had nothing further to add, and that the club provided its representation to the programme which was referenced in the broadcast. It highlighted the work it undertakes through the Fulham Foundation to support former players as well as the excellent work carried out by the Academy's Alumni programme.
Director of Scouting

Further to previous meetings' discussions on the appointment of the Director of Scouting, the Trust asked for an update on when it was anticipated they would be in post.

The Club said that this is currently on hold and an update will be communicated if there are any developments.

back to topic list

The meeting ended at 14:50



https://www.fulhamsupporterstrust.com/news/2021/10/notes-from-october-meeting-with-ffc-3/

[WhiteJC]

Sublime Seri pulls the strings

It was understandable that Aleksandar Mitrovic hogged the headlines this morning after his brace broke the back of QPR's resistance and decisively turned the west London derby Fulham's way. The Serbian striker's looping header in the second half was a thing of beauty and probably proved the pivotal moment at a point when the visitors had inched their way back into the contest and were arguably on top. We all know about Mitrovic's remarkable Championship scoring record and he is well established as Fulham's talisman, but the sight of Jean Michael Seri running the show from central midfield still seems remarkable.

To describe the Ivorian's previous three years with Fulham as undistinguished would probably win the award of the understatement of the year. For two of those seasons, a player the Whites parted with at least £22m to sign was not even at the club – farmed out on loan to Galatasaray and Bordeaux in the aftermath of a horrible first term in English football where Fulham, despite three changes in management, proved woefully ill-equipped to survive in the top flight. Seri seemed surplus to requirements this summer, too, with a permanent exit on the cards until new boss Marco Silva, a long time admirer from the playmaker's days in Portugal with Paços de Ferreira, restored him to the Fulham midfield.

Seri's transformation from costly folly to the crucial cog in the club's engine room must rank as one of the most unlikely redemption stories in Fulham's history. He seems ideally suited to Silva's method of winning promotion back to the Premier League, with the pragmatism of Scott Parker decisively ditched for a far more cavalier way of playing football. I've previously voiced my concerns about Seri being used in a deep-lying role at the base of the midfield but it worked wonderfully against a Rangers midfield that struggled to nullify Fulham's patient passing, with his experience and mobility allowing him to dictate proceedings behind the industry of Harrison Reed.

The 30 year-old played a crucial part in the opening goal delivering a trademark switch of play to release Neeskens Kebano into the space down the right with a raking ball from the middle of the field. There were plenty of more precise passes, too – ten in total into the final third – and, in a underappreciated addition to his game this season, Seri isn't afraid to do his share of the dirty work. He won possession back six times in the QPR half as Fulham played with an intensity befitting this local derby. To underline Seri's importance, he played the most passes of any Fulham player – 76 – whilst also receiving the highest number (51).

His most perceptive pass was the one that finally broke Rangers, just four minutes after Mitrovic had restored the hosts lead. A patient passage of passing was suddenly injected with a forward thrust when Bobby Decordova-Reid, switched to the number ten role in the aftermath of Lyndon Dykes' equaliser, prodded a pass back towards the halfway line for Seri. He took it calmly in his stride, watched Decordova-Reid accelerate into space between the QPR defence, and stroked a glorious ball through the middle of the park. So perfectly weighted was the pass that Decordova-Reid hardly had to break stride as he advanced on Seny Dieng's goal and his measured finish put the game beyond the visitors.

From being on the cusp of a permanent departure from the Cottage, Seri's importance to Fulham's fortunes is suddenly undeniable. Just as importantly, he has a smile on his face and is enjoying his football – after a chastening start to his time in England. His gleeful embrace of Decordova-Reid in the goal celebrations showed that as did the way he applauded the Hammersmith End for serenading him as he prepared to take a late corner. As the song suggests, Marco Silva's man is finally making his mark.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/10/sublime-seri-pulls-the-strings/

[WhiteJC]

'West London is white!' – Fulham man sends passionate message after big derby day win

Harrison Reed praised his teammates and the fans as Fulham moved up to third in the Championship following a convincing 4-1 win over rivals QPR.

Marco Silva's side have been brilliant for parts of this season, but they've struggled for consistency at times. However, they were at their best for the visit of the R's, as they ran out comfortable winners.

Aleksandar Mitrovic will understandably get the headlines after he scored another two, but the midfield were impressive as well, with Reed playing his part alongside the classy Jean Michaël Seri.

And, the win clearly meant a lot to the former Southampton man, as he took to Instagram to reveal his delight.

"Yep, West London is white! Big performance from everyone and great support today. Let's go."

The challenge for the Cottagers will be to maintain the levels they set against QPR moving forward, with Silva's team back in action against Cardiff City in the week.

A defeat to Swansea on Sunday means the Bluebirds head to the capital having suffered six successive defeats.

The verdict

This was a huge win for Fulham in terms of beating a side that will also expect to be pushing for promotion and the performance, so the passion from Reed is understandable.

The fans will also love to see the message and they are right to milk it after what was a great day for the Cottagers.

But, attention will have already turned to the Cardiff game, because the Championship is relentless and they now need to be focused as they look to push up into the top two.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/west-london-is-white-fulham-man-sends-passionate-message-after-big-derby-day-win/

[WhiteJC]

Colchester United match-winner Sylvester Jasper on first goal

COLCHESTER United match winner Sylvester Jasper says he will always remember his winning goal against Harrogate Town.

The 20-year-old came off the bench to score the U's winner to secure them a 1-0 triumph and their first league win of the season, at the JobServe Community Stadium.

It was Jasper's first-ever professional goal - set up by Brendan Wiredu's superb run from deep inside his own half - and the Fulham loanee says it was one to savour.

Jasper said: "It was my first professional goal in front of my family who came to watch from London, so it was a beautiful day.

"I'll always remember this day, for however long I play.

"It was a great way to win the game, in the last few minutes and the crowd were rocking.

"It was beautiful, seeing all their faces.

"If Brendan (Wiredu) had done that run and slipped me in, the goal don't come!

"I owe everything to him really - he's my guy and I hope he keeps doing it for me."

Jasper has had to be patient for his opportunities since joining Colchester on a season-long loan from Fulham, in August.

The talented youngster has made two league starts for the U's since joining them in the summer - and four in total.

Jasper is now hoping he has done enough to earn a starting spot for Colchester's home clash with Bristol Rovers, tomorrow night.

He said: "I want to play every single minute of every single game.

"If I can keep performing like that, hopefully I do.

"When I'm on the bench, it hurts but that's what I've got to do when I come on - I've got to impact the game and change it and that's what I did.

"I want to smiles on people's faces and if I'm playing well and scoring, then that's great.

"I want to score in every game but if I can't do that, I want to create for my team-mates.

"I've never really been worried about goals and assists because I've been doing it all my life and it's just a matter of time before they came."

Jasper was unlucky not to score just prior to grabbing Colchester's winner against Harrogate.

The youngster struck the bar with an excellent free-kick, before converting the U's winning goal minutes later.

He said: "I work on those free-kicks all the time and for it to hit the bar was frustrating but we go again.

"If you keep going at it and you keep performing and keep resilient, then the goal will come.

"I work on things like that every single day - I stay behind every day to make sure that I'm as good as I can be."

Colchester's win over Harrogate was their first home league victory of the season.

Jasper admits it was good to end the talk about the U's waiting to claim their maiden JobServe Community Stadium victory of the League Two campaign.

He said: "We're professionals and no matter what anyone is saying, people think there's pressure but there's no pressure.

"There's pressure to win every single game so we just treat it like another game and we got the win, so all that chatter has to go now.

"I have a lot of confidence in us - I know what they're capable of and I know what I'm capable of.

"We're not where we should be in the league, we should be at the other end so hopefully we can string a couple of wins together and get to the other end."



https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/19653659.colchester-united-match-winner-sylvester-jasper-first-goal/

[WhiteJC]

And all I ever knew - Report

This season's blow-by-blow account of our regular shellacking by the Thames features four goals conceded, and stars Aleksander Mitrovic who you're closer to now than QPR got at any point of this Saturday breakfast debacle.

Talented or useless, successful or tanking, popular or hated, young or old, rich or poor... Whatever flavour your modern era QPR team has come in, it's almost certainly lost very comprehensively to Fulham at Fulham. "Queens Park Rangers, it's happened again" rolls down from the Hammersmith End of the ground once a year like Auld Lang Syne, when they finally stop committing the footballing war crime that is cardboard clapper noise, and there is no response to it. We're almost as sick of this as they are delighted by it, and Rangers' response remains depressingly listless on the field.

Neil Warnock's storied Championship winners were 3-0 down here before half time and lost 6-0. Harry Redknapp's detested band of feckless mercenaries were 3-0 down here before half time and lost 3-2. Chris Ramsey's disparate collection of old QPR and new QPR were 3-0 down here before half time and lost 4-0. We've worked our way through the thick end of 200 players in the last decade or so, and almost to a man they've all played like a complete front bottom in this fixture. QPR have played here nine times since hostilities (such as they can ever be described in this setting) were renewed in 1999 and Fulham have taken 22 points from 27 available, scoring 25 goals at a rate of almost three a match and conceding eight at a rate of one every now and again. Weirdly, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is the only QPR manager to triumph in this fixture since Tommy Docherty did so in January 1980, part of a run of two wins in 12 that got Hasselbaink the sack and accomplished only because Fulham were going through a strange period of missing every penalty they were awarded at the same time as QPR had a goalkeeper so adept at saving spot kicks that conceding them deliberately was a legitimate defensive technique.

We know – oh, believe me, we know – how this poo goes down.

The game, potentially one of the best awaydays on the calendar, with pubs oozing out the wazoo of one of the best parts of the city, will be shifted into an anti-social post-work or pre-breakfast slot by Sky Sports. Incidentally, the positioning of their studio in the new riverside development here now affords us a first hand view of exactly how much of the game their pundits believe is necessary to actually watch, versus staring at their phones, before dripping out bland, trite opinions about the merits of the couple of QPR players they've bothered to look up on Soccerbase in the courtesy car to the stadium. We see you Jobi McAnuff, engrossed in your Instagram, stealing your living up there, spoonfeeding warm diarrhea into the ears of the poor saps at home. I have dead relatives who watched this game more closely than you.

The horrors then begin early. Regardless of form, context or narrative, QPR will start the game in an alarmingly limp fashion. Stupefied, somehow. Has their drink been spiked? Have they been gassed? Is this the start of a 28 Days Later sequel? What, quite frankly, the loving love, is wrong with them? Do we need to contact a medical professional/coroner? Can somebody, like, clap their hands really loudly? Or get hold of one of those horns areas of outstanding natural beauty use to ward off snoozing, drunk captains of super tankers? Guys, wake up, join us. Some of us are emotionally invested in the outcome.

Here Fulham were in behind Moses Odubajo off a simple diag after a minute (one minute), and spent the afternoon feasting on the gooey mess this player tends to create for himself out there – it's definitely Sheffield Wednesday Odubajo and not Brentford Odubajo to this point and it's becoming a real issue. Bare five minutes after that Mitrovic had bundled past Dom Ball and got in at the defence, necessitating a professional foul and yellow card. Jordy De Wijs subsequently rattled the big Serbian and brought a couple of physios scurrying to his aid, which was exactly what we hoped would be the case and needed to happen, but was regrettably a one off. Once back on his feet an everyday cross from the right side to the back post found Mitrovic, and Rob Dickie allowed him to pull the ball out of the air on his chest, turn, and volley into the net unchallenged. I'm not going to pretend that keeping hold of that monster is easy, but we've got to make it more difficult for him than that. I don't use the word pathetic lightly with this team, and these players, because I like it, and them, but that was bloody abject. Come on lads, love me, are we arsed about this or what?

What usually happens then is Fulham go haring off into the distance with Starship's Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now blaring out of the subwoofer while panicked QPR hide in the bushes peering out at their drunk drive wreck hoping the police don't turn up before they get their story and breathtest straight. Just getting to half time at Craven Cottage without somebody charging the paddles to 30 is some kind of weird achievement, and Rangers did manage that. They put a move together for the first time on 16 minutes but Odubajo crossed straight to Rodak at the near post, then soon after Charlie Austin got into good space on the edge of the area but snatched at a long range shot over the bar when there was space to progress into – he looks leggy, and lacking in his usual confidence. A decent short corner routine saw Yoann Barbet have a dangerous shot deflect wide from the edge of the box; Chris Willock skipped round players intelligently but also crossed too close to the alert Rodak from the byline; and then the former Arsenal and Benfica junior found himself alone with the ball at the back post and struck a firm half volley against the woodwork.

If we're being really honest here though, this could have been another 3-0 half time heartbreaker. Twelve minutes, way too passive, way too much space on the edge of the box for lovely Joe Bryan to lift one over the bar. Seventeen minutes, enormous confusion at the back, Mitrovic into the area and cutting inside, a shot deflected fractionally wide of the top corner. From that corner he meets the first one and Dieng knows nothing about a point blank range save straight in his face. Up and alert, the keeper saves again immediately from the rebound. Later Harry Wilson strolls around De Wijs like he's a listed monument and cuts it back for Mitrovic who scores but for a desperate lunging block from Dickie.

Referee Oliver Langford rather distracted the attention of a packed away end with a mad five minutes at the end of the first half. A couple of 50/50s that could have gone either way drew the ire of the travellers, and from there he seemed to adopt an almost contrary attitude of not wanting to give Rangers anything for fear of being seen to cave to a rare bit of noise at Craven Cottage. Harrison Reed committed exactly the same tactical foul Dom Ball had earlier been booked for, and was allowed off with a warning. Stefan Johansen was then booked for the fifth time this season (suspended for Blackburn) for a foul when play should have been stopped for an obvious foul the other way a moment earlier. A throw-in so clearly QPR's that the whole game had stopped and shifted that way down the field was somehow awarded to Fulham, taken quickly, moved in behind a now stricken defence to an offside Harry Wilson who wasn't flagged, and then out for a corner off a blocked shot. Really poor refereeing, some mad stuff going on, but QPR were losing because they deserved to be, and in all truth it should have been a couple more at least.

Warbs Warburton went full stereotype to start the second half. On came Lyndon Dykes, which was the right move, but off went Dom Ball. For all his obvious first half struggles, hamstrung by that early booking, taking him off and leaving on the ineffective Charlie Austin left QPR with a midfield numbering one – Stefan Johansen, on a booking. Harrison Reed, who's always been too good for this level, and Jean Seri, who once cost Fulham £25m, looked brilliant – but they're going to in that acreage aren't they? Once you've decided you're playing a back three, and wing backs, and Willock and Chair, and now Austin and Dykes, it doesn't leave a lot of midfield numberage. With Ball and Johansen, and then Johansen by himself, largely swamped and outclassed, I would have liked to have seen Luke Amos here very early doors – even just as coagulant to stem the bleeding. That he didn't come on at all is somewhat mystifying to me.

Nevertheless, the second half started well. Fulham should beat QPR. They have a striker on north of £60,000 a week who is a Championship cheat sheet, they have the best left back in the division who gets injured and is replaced by the second best left back in the division, they have a £25m central midfielder... but they are gettable, as Coventry proved prior to the international break, as any team with the dangerously inept Dennis Odoi in its defence obviously will be. Chris Willock, the only QPR player who looked capable of playing at Fulham's level all afternoon, cut in from the flank and played an assist we've seen before for a goal at Swansea last season. This time Lyndon Dykes went with the touch round the goalkeeper rather than the first time finish, but the result was just the same and the away end was alive again. Dykes' composure here in stark contrast to the catalogue of chances he missed against the Whites in the FA Cup last January – we might have a player on our hands here after all. Rangers have recovered more points from losing positions than anybody else in the league, and for a moment it looked like that might be the case. Jobi McAnuff even briefly glanced up from his phone.

But... there's always a but... QPR were open wider at the back than a 24 hour Esso garage. I've seen some criticism of Warburton for removing McCallum, who was playing well and had got round his man and crafted a dangerous chance just before the Dykes equaliser, but he's been injured and clearly the directive was he could only do an hour here. You're literally shouting at science if this is your big takeaway from this game, like one of those knobs that ignores trained medical professionals on vaccines because of something your wacky aunt belched onto Facebook. Bringing Jimmy Dunne on, you would think, should have bolstered us in the air against the omnithreat of Mitrovic and yet no sooner was he on the pitch and Barbet to left wing back than a cross came in from the left and Mitrovic headed the hosts back in front off the post. QPR worked bloody hard for their equaliser, Fulham's second felt more like somebody snoring themselves awake. Worse was to come as Bobby Reid got in unchallenged down the right channel and scored into the far corner – a move in which three separate attempts to intercept the ball failed in hapless fashion. It is rather getting to the point where I'd like to see QPR concede a goal I didn't think was completely, wholly preventable at multiple points in its inception. This is too easy. Too easy by far. And we don't go anywhere conceding 20 times every 12 games.

Game now gone, the remaining time played out like a pre-season friendly. While the goals were eminently preventable, Fulham could probably have had as many again. Bar Willock and possibly McCallum on one side, and the painfully average Odoi and underworked Rodak on the other, I suspect when I get to the ratings all the QPR players will be five or less, and all the Fulham players seven or more. Unlike the defeats at West Brom and Bournemouth, the gulf here was vast. Fulham are much, much better than us.

Odubajo, eye-poppingly bad again, fell over his own arse and afforded Kebano a clear run on goal which Dieng saved spectacularly with one hand. Ilias Chair, nice of him to join us, set up Chris Willock at the far post but he fluffed his lines horribly. Andre Gray, on from the bench, had apparently succeeded where I'd failed and found a pub open early enough to get drunk in time for this one. When Antonee Robinson came bulging out of the Blakley catalogue for the final half hour, Rangers swooned all the way through the heart of the pitch long enough for him to score a fourth off a monstrous deflection. They're often described as cruel those things, but if you're going to surrender the whole of the midfield, and give up like that, then there's nothing cruel about it. You get what you deserve. Guys, we'll forgive you a lot, you got applauded off here by those that remained to the end, but we don't like players and teams that give up on us, and you did there. At the very least, it should have been held to 3-1, and this poo does matter.

What does this all mean? Where does this leave us? Well, a quick six hours of kip before I commence Blackburn preview-writing in which we'll try and work through some of that. Cheating? Hey, they get to play in this division with Mitrovic up front, you can let me have this one.

Links >>> Photo Gallery >>> Ratings and Reports >>> Message Board Match Thread

Fulham: Rodak 6; Odoi 5, Tosin 6, Ream 7, Bryan 7 (Robinson 58, 8); Seri 8, Reed 8; Kebano 7, Wilson 7 (Chalobah 77, 6), Cavaleiro 6 (Reid 32, 7); Mitrovic 9

Subs not used: Cairney, Carvalho, Gazzaniga, Mawson

Goals: Mitrovic 10 (assisted Odoi), 67 (assisted Kebano), Reid 71 (assisted Seri), Robinson 90+1 (assisted Reed)

QPR: Dieng 5; Odubajo 4, Dickie 5, De Wijs 5, Barbet 5, McCallum 6 (Dunne 66, 5); Ball 4 (Dykes 46, 6), Johansen 5, Chair 5; Willock 6, Austin 5 (Gray 69, 5)

Subs not used: Amos, Archer, Duke-McKenna, Adomah

Goals: Dykes 55 (assisted Willock)

Bookings: Ball 7 (foul), Johansen 45 (repetitive fouling), Odubajo 63 (foul), Dunne 70 (foul)

QPR Star Man – Chris Willock 6 Star man with a six says a lot. Dykes made a huge difference when he came on and would have been my other choice but across the 90 I thought Willock was the only player we had who looked like he could hold a candle to the players Fulham had. That may be because he's really the only player in this QPR team with any genuine pace – Odubajo completely nullifying his by constantly checking inside into traffic. One of many noticeable differences between the teams here was just how slow Rangers looked across the park, and it's little wonder Willock stood out in that arthritic standard.

Referee – Oliver Langford (West Mids) 4 This is a referee I usually like a lot, so there's a lot of benefit of the doubt going into the 4/10 mark – had this been Keith Stroud, Trevor Kettle, Gavin Ward, I suspect there would have been a three. He was certainly on that mark at half time, following a wild ten minute end to the first half where he absolutely hammered QPR to the point where it felt he was just doing it to be contrary and show that he wouldn't respond to abuse from the away end. Dom Ball was, rightly, booked early for a professional foul on Mitrovic interrupting a counter attack, but when Harrison Reid did the same thing he was let off with a word on the run. Johansen's booking soon after that followed a blatant foul on a QPR player on the corner of the penalty area – one of several incidents in this game where Langford's uber strict interpretation of advantage stretched barely half a second – keep the ball that long after a foul, we're playing on, give it away after 0.75 seconds, your problem. A usually lenient referee is currently clocking along at nearly four cards a game, and he added another four to that here when there was no need – Johansen's, and certainly Dunne's, totally needless. I would urge you all to listen to Mark Halsey's hour-long stint on Nedum Onuoha's podcast recently. Halsey, like Langford, is somebody I always felt refereed games as players and fans would like them refereed, with a lot of benefit of the doubt given, and cards kept in the pocket unless absolutely necessary. Halsey ended up on the Premier League list only because he listened to his assessors and refereed games in a more by-the-book, officious manner which he didn't like, didn't believe in, and didn't enjoy doing. Langford's performance here wasn't him. It wasn't like I've seen him referee countless Championship games, but that's rather the point – he's been in the Championship as long as we have, we've had him four times a season for as long as we've been here, he's only ever had one Premier League game in his life. Like Geoff Eltringham, he usually referees a game in the way the fans and players would like it refereed, and therefore he's stuck here. This was an uncomfortable, poor performance, but I bet the loving assessor absolutely loved it. There's absolutely no way, no way in the world, Oliver Langford books Jimmy Dunne for that in any of the other games I've ever seen him referee. Somebody is eyeing a promotion, and to get that you don't referee for us, or for the players, or yourself. You referee for the p**** in the stand with the clipboard. And that's what he did here in my opinion. The worst performance I've ever seen from him, and I'd wager the best mark he's ever had from an assessor in a QPR game. Really quite profoundly sad.

Attendance – 18,371 (1,600 QPR approx.)



https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/56004/and-all-i-ever-knew--report?fbclid=IwAR2vB2-8qOjsgO4TMICH9JBm889M_F3XWWqiKE1lLNjvoOi8ShE9M81FE9c

[WhiteJC]

Huge Aleksandar Mitrovic claim emerges after latest Fulham heroics

Former Premier League manager and EFL on Quest pundit Ian Holloway has suggested that he believes Aleksander Mitrovic could break the Championship goal scoring record this season.

Mitrovic has enjoyed an excellent start to the season for Fulham in front of goal with the Serbia international managing to fire home 12 goals in his opening 12 league appearances.

That comes after he managed to register a brace for Fulham in their impressive 4-1 win against QPR at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

The Championship goal scoring record was only broken last season by Ivan Toney. The forward fired home 31 league goals for Brentford during the regular season on the way to helping his side secure promotion to the Premier League.

At the moment, though, Mitrovic is on track to beat that kind of goal return with him continuing to average one goal per game so far this season for Fulham.

Speaking to EFL on Quest, Holloway lauded Mitrovic and suggested that he could well be the best striker that the Championship has ever witnessed. He also backs him to reach 34 goals for the campaign and that would see him break the league's record.

He said: "He's scored 50 goals in 69 appearances (in the Championship). Is there a better Championship striker than him ever? That touch was sublime and the strike moving away from goal, look at the pace he got on that. He's unplayable at times.

"He's also missed quite a few as well, he missed about three at Bristol City the other week and they only drew. I'm saying easily 34 (goals this season). He's only got to get another 22."

The verdict

If Mitrovic can remain fully fit for the rest of the season then there is no reason why Holloway's prediction here should prove to be wrong.

The forward looks to be pretty much unstoppable at the moment for most defences with him coming into the prime years of his career now.

The Serbia international has already shown that he can sustain regular scoring form over a full Championship season and it just seems that this time around his game is even better. That has to be daunting for the rest of the league.

Toney was exceptional for Brentford last season and it did seem like his record would take a long time to beat. However, it might very well turn out that his record lasts just a single season if Mitrovic can carry on with his irrepressible form.

It would be remarkable if the forward could reach the 34 goal mark as Holloway predicts here but at the moment you would not rule that out.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/huge-aleksandar-mitrovic-claim-emerges-after-latest-fulham-heroics/

[WhiteJC]

Jack and Loz at the Cottage - Blog 195
Date: 16th October 2021

Opposition: QPR

Score: 4-1

Fulham goal scorers: 🔥,🔥, Decordova-Reid, Robinson

Weather: turned out nice again

Atmosphere: turned out brilliant again

MOTM (football): 12 goals in 12 games, 5 in the last 2 at home, top scorer in the English league; but Mitro isn't our MOTM because of his goals, it's because they are only part of what he did on Saturday. He menaced QPR's goalie, out-muscled their midfielders and destroyed their defence. This was Mitro at the white hot top of his game - uncontainable, irrepressible, and bashing the badge on his chest as he saluted the Hammersmith End

MOTM (non-football): the return of a hero in a rival's kit is always going to be emotional. Stefan Johansen was a key part of two promotions and a member of the best midfield trio Fulham has seen for a long time. He might be known as a proponent of the dark arts but we shouldn't forget his ability on the ball or his outstanding work rate. With typical understatement he made the reunion easy - hugs for the players, applause for the fans and a yellow card to remember him by

Cafe: Pret

Winning a local derby 4-1 is what football is all about. But in Saturday's win over QPR it wasn't just the goals that mattered, it was what the emphatic victory proved about our team and their manager. After a bad September, Fulham needed to come back fighting. And they did.

Perhaps even more than a player who proves us wrong (Stefan Johansen qv) Fulham fans appreciate a manager who learns from his mistakes. Unlike against Blackpool, most of the long haul travellers didn't start the match; unlike against Coventry, Tosin and Rodak did start the match and, more importantly, when the defence conceded they didn't fall apart. And better still: when Plan A was derailed by injury and adversity, Marco Silva had the holy grail of Fulham bosses: Plan B.

In a first half controlled by Jean-Michel Seri's light touch and deft footwork, Fulham looked the better team. QPR passed the ball around nicely when we allowed them to and committed cynical fouls when we didn't. As usual, we wasted several shances and gave the ball away too much but the goal, and the play around it, was terrific. A stream of passes up the pitch - Seri to Kebano to Odoi - a cross like a laser beam, a touch from Mitro and then the strike.

Whilst it was good to have Rodak back he had so little to do in the first half that it wouldn't have mattered if he'd been late for work. For the one save he didn't quite make, the post stepped up and did the job for him. We made the first half look easy, but the danger signs were there.

During the interval we were "treated" to the dancing of the Roar of the Jaguars. After that, Fulham - and we must have written this approximately 194 times before - started the second half slowly. The reunification of Rodak, Ream and Tosin wasn't enough to banish the Triangulo do Ruina and QPR created chaos with some enterprising attacking play. No one was surprised by their goal. In the Hammersmith End we sat back - noting that Stefjo didn't celebrate - and waited to see if Fulham's defence crumbled. And it didn't.

Perhaps it was Rodak constantly yelling at his defence, perhaps it's Tosin who's the one with the cool head, perhaps it was being at home with the fans behind them, but composure and discipline returned and the defence didn't waver again.

In the midst of the QPR goal Joe Bryan had a racing incident with a post and had to be subbed off. In bringing on Antonee Robinson, Marco also made a tactical change, switching Bobby Reid and Harry Wilson. Plan B went live and the game caught fire.

Mitro's second goal was as well worked and as well taken as his first, this time using a completely different technique. Robinson started the move, Kebano supplied the cross and Mitro finished with a flying header into the bottom corner. Seri faded out for a while but segued back in with an entry for Pass of the Season to assist the third goal. There were shances for more, notably from the otherwise excellent Kebano, but it was Antonee who shattered QPR's last hopes with a driving run and a blasted shot.

The score line doesn't flatter us; we could have had more. QPR are decent - well managed and expertly captained and have a genuine prospect of finishing in the play-offs. And we overwhelmed them. But the performance was far from perfect and the defensive frailties remain. Of course it's ok to concede a goal if you can score 4, but to win automatic promotion we are going to have to beat the teams around us, and they're not going to let our attackers run riot.

However, this was a hugely entertaining game with stunning performances from almost everyone - the other players weren't just Mitro's supporting cast. Welcoming Stefjo back turned out to be a pleasure and, in a funny sort of way, it feels like he played a part in getting us back on track.

Random musings:-

- we can't remember the last player who got a standing ovation whilst warming up but it was no less than Tom Cairney deserved. It was a shame not to see him on the pitch but Marco made the right decision to use Chalobah's more solid skills instead

- there were some other nice moments - Denis's quick thinking first half header back to Rodak, Mitro trying to play as a winger but not really knowing how, Bobby pointing out the features of the new stand to the QPR subs while they warmed up

- what were Mitro and Stefjo talking about in the centre circle during the Cav injury break?

- does Harry get tired of making forward runs which none of his teammates seem to see?

- It happened again.

So Marco has not only learnt from his mistakes but made reparation for them. The early injuries to Cav and Joe helped rather than hindered him but the subs, and the switch in midfield, changed the game. This was the decisive win we've been waiting for and within it, signs that our attack is becoming more clinical and our defence more resilient.

Fulham are climbing the table again and the atmosphere at the Cottage was charged with excitement for what happens next. We're only a quarter of the way into the season and the squad will only improve. We might not be title contenders yet but we're beginning to look like a team with a purpose and something as elusive as quicksilva - an identity.



https://werdsmith.com/p/CYVnX5dhGRZjj