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Friday Fulham Stuff - 22/10/21...

Started by WhiteJC, October 22, 2021, 12:16:23 AM

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WhiteJC

'Ain't nobody' – Kebano, Ream, Khan all show their love for Tom Cairney after goal-scoring return for Fulham
Fulham beat Cardiff City 2-0 at Craven Cottage last night, with fan favourite Tom Cairney making a goal-scoring return to the side.

Cairney, 30, had been sidelined for the best part of 10 months with a knee injury. The midfielder is a favoured name among Fulham fans and has been since his 2015 arrival, and last night made for an emotional return.

He came on in the second half as his side were chasing the lead against an out of favour Cardiff City side and after less than 10 minutes he'd find himself on the score-sheet, with as classy a goal as he's ever scored for the club.

He picked up the loose ball on the edge of the Cardiff City penalty box and without hesitation, thumped it into the top corner of the net before running off the celebrate with those Fulham fans who he's not seen in such a long time.

Cairney's return will not only give Fulham a morale boost but it also gives Marco Silva another option in midfield. The Scot has proved a quality player at Championship level in the past and his return will undoubtedly bolster Fulham's promotion credentials – he's been there and done it all before with Fulham, who are next in action against Nottingham Forest this weekend.



https://the72.co.uk/253674/aint-nobody-kebano-ream-khan-all-show-their-love-for-tom-cairney-after-goal-scoring-return-for-fulham/

WhiteJC

Silva hopeful long break has helped returning Cairney finally overcome knee injury

Wednesday night's 2-0 home win over Cardiff City was good news for Fulham fans and boss Marco Silva. Even better was the fact it featured a first appearance - and a goal - from the man who has done most to make them tick in recent seasons.

Skipper Tom Cairney has been badly missed since playing his last game 10 months ago - a draw at Newcastle in December 2020.

He had tried to play through the pain of a knee injury with injections but when it became clear that he was still suffering in pre-season - having missed the entire second half of the last campaign - a long rest was needed.

It has been "a dark and lonely place at times," as he stated in his programme notes, but the frustrating wait to get back into action ended when he came on at half time for an injured Harrison Reed and bagged a goal within 12 minutes to set the Whites on their way to three points.

"It was good to see an important player like Tom come back and help us with the first goal," Silva said.

"For him as well. I think he deserves it after the last months he has had - it's been so tough. It was very important for him to come back and help the team in that moment when we needed it.

"You can imagine how he feels. You see it in how he celebrated the goal - his feelings in that moment. Now if he's not the happiest, he's one of the happiest in our dressing room."

Silva opted for Cairney rather than Josh Onomah as a half-time sub because, he said: "At that moment I felt we needed a player with more calm to give more creativity for us in that position and it was good to see that he did that."

Speaking of the Scot's battle to resume playing and road to recovery, the Fulham boss said: "Tom was in a specific situation when I arrived at the club.

"As you know he had some problems last season and when he started working pre-season with his team-mates, we felt we couldn't carry on this way with constant pain and we decided with Tom that we have to stop him.

"Now, maybe in the last three weeks, four weeks, he started to recover on the pitch - not feeling the same pain. Of course he is not in his best physical condition. He has to improve and if the game is really intense for 90 minutes, of course he will struggle a bit, but the good thing is he's not feeling pain any more in his knee.

"I think we did the right thing with him there. He's worked really hard. It was tough to see him always in the gym when we went to the pitch. It's part of the life of a professional footballer, but it's good to see him again and let's hope in the future the pain won't come back again and we can see Tom playing at his best level again."

Reed meanwhile, has a calf strain, but it is not thought to be too serious.

As for the game itself, Fulham had to be as patient as their captain. They failed to cash in when on top before the break and needed a scorcher from Cairney to finally unlock the Bluebirds' defence.

"Of course, if we'd scored early in the game when we had many chances, the game can be different," Silva said. "But it was important that if we didn't score, like we normally do at home, that we keep being patient and keep doing our game.

"I told them at half time that we don't start to rush our decisions and that we had to keep the right mindset and know when to put speed into our game and move the ball quickly, but keep our positions as well.

"But the first goal is always important because after that the game can be more open and the space is there to exploit.

"We deserved the three points."



https://www.capitalfootball.co.uk/single-post/silva-hopeful-long-break-has-helped-returning-cairney-finally-overcome-knee-injury

WhiteJC

Fulham won't give any discounts on player – Would consider taking him back

It only took André Zambo Anguissa a couple of games at Napoli to start getting many compliments from the Italian media. And now, after only eight performances, his permanent signing from Fulham is already becoming a story.

The claims come from website Calcio Mercato, who saysthere's now a 'decision' on the player's future, as the Serie A side will now work on the best plan to buy the midfielder.

Napoli can purchase Anguissa for €15m, and the first thing to do is contact his entourage and get to know the chances of a deal. It's already said that the player wants the move to happen.

The club would then offer him a four-year contract, and by doing that early, they can protect him from other sides who may become interested in him, especially from Spain.

As usual with Italian clubs, the original idea would be to ask for a discount, but there are a few reasons why that won't work out.

Firstly, because Fulham know how good the player is, and will make sure they get as much money as possible with his sale. And even if Napoli didn't agree to that, the Cottagers would have no problem in having him back, as a return to the Premier League next season is possible.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-wont-give-discounts-player-consider-taking-back/


WhiteJC

3 things we clearly learnt about Fulham after 2-0 win v Cardiff

Two second half goals were enough to give Fulham all three points on Wednesday night in the Sky Bet Championship as they saw off Cardiff City 2-0 at Craven Cottage.

Building on their west London derby win at the weekend against Queens Park Rangers, the Whites saw Tom Cairney return to the field at half-time and get the opener around 15 minutes later, before Aleksandar Mitrovic swept home moments after to double their lead after a defensive mix-up from the visitors.

Fulham, then, will be pleased with another win on the board and here we're taking a look at three things we learned about the Whites last night...

Midfield options just got even better
Fulham's midfield options have been marvelled at plenty of times this season already with the likes of Harrison Reed, Jean Michael Seri, Nathaniel Chalobah Josh Onomah among those to feature in white.

However, their depth just got that little bit deeper with the return of Tom Cairney, who announced his comeback from a lengthy injury in typically emphatic style via a lashed left-footed effort from the edge of the box.

It was a great strike, and it was great to see the delight on his face at his long-awaited return.

Fulham doubling up fast
For the second game straight since the international break we saw Fulham hit two goals in quick succession to take a game away from an opponent.

In the second half against QPR on Saturday, 1-1 became 3-1 in around four minutes and last night 0-0 was 2-0 in about six.

Fulham are showing a real intent when they go in front at the moment and Marco Silva will be eager to see that trend continue.

New defensive resoluteness?
Fulham rode their luck a little at times against Cardiff who did have a decent amount of chances but they held firm and kept a clean sheet.

Marek Rodak is back in the side and is already doing well between the sticks and it does seem as though improved defensive resoluteness has been introduced since the shocking result at Coventry City before the international break.

Keeping it tight and scoring goals usually leads to success and Fulham appear to be getting the balance a bit better at the moment.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/3-things-we-clearly-learnt-about-fulham-after-2-0-win-v-cardiff/

WhiteJC

One winner and one loser to emerge from Fulham 2-0 Cardiff

Two sides with contrasting fortunes this season so far met at Craven Cottage on Wednesday night in the Sky Bet Championship, as Fulham played host to Cardiff City.

The Whites and the Bluebirds both started this campaign with high hopes but it's currently only the former that look like achieving real success this year, with Cardiff right up against it down near the bottom of the table.

The result went true to form, too, as Fulham ran out 2-0 winners against their visitors from the Welsh capital, and here we're taking a look at one winner and one loser from the night in SW6...

Winner – Tom Cairney
It's been a long time coming for Tom Cairney but he is back in the fold playing-wise for Fulham and marked the occasion with a bang.

On at half-time to replace Harrison Reed, Cairney was on the scoresheet around ten minutes later as he lashed home a loose ball on the edge of the box with that famous left foot of his.

It was a great goal and a great moment as he broke the deadlock for the hosts, and surely he has to be the big winner from Wednesday night.

Loser – Mick McCarthy
No real surprises here, unfortunately for McCarthy.

The Cardiff boss made several personnel changes and tweaked his formation too to try and get Cardiff back to winning ways and they actually started decently enough, with Kieffer Moore smashing the ball against the upright from a tight angle in the first half.

They couldn't, though, find a breakthrough and after Cairney's goal a defensive mix-up minutes later saw Aleksandar Mitrovic sweep home and kill the game.

Mick is up against it firmly, and he surely needs to beat Middlesbrough this weekend.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/one-winner-and-one-loser-to-emerge-from-fulham-2-0-cardiff/

WhiteJC

Silva confident Cairney's injury hell is behind him

Marco Silva believes that a specialist training programme devised by Fulham's medical staff has helped Tom Cairney put his longstanding knee problems behind him.

The Fulham head coach tasked the club's head of performance, Bruno Mundes, and new medical supremo – Chris Hanson – to come up with an individual training plan that would allow Cairney to make progress in his recovery from persistent knee problems without pain after the midfielder managed to take part in only one session following Silva's appointment at Craven Cottage. The result saw the playmaker return to full training quicker than expected – and mark his first appearance in ten months with the opening goal against Cardiff City last night.

Silva hopes that emotional motion means that Cairney can put his injury nightmare in the past and that the Fulham skipper can make a significant contribution as the Whites look to secure an immediate return to the top flight. He told his post-match press conference:

"Tom was in a specific situation when I arrived at the club. "As you know he had some problems last season and when he started working pre-season with his team-mates, we felt we couldn't carry on this way with constant pain and we decided with Tom that we have to stop him.

"Now, maybe in the last three weeks, four weeks, he started to recover on the pitch – not feeling the same pain. Of course he is not in his best physical condition. He has to improve and if the game is really intense for 90 minutes, of course he will struggle a bit, but the good thing is he's not feeling pain any more in his knee.

I think we did the right thing with him there. He's worked really hard. It was tough to see him always in the gym when we went to the pitch. It's part of the life of a professional footballer, but it's good to see him again and let's hope in the future the pain won't come back again and we can see Tom playing at his best level again."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/10/silva-confident-cairneys-injury-hell-is-behind-him/


WhiteJC

Fulham's stance over André-Frank Zambo Anguissa outlined amid Napoli interest

Fulham are not going to be willing to allow Napoli to negotiate down the transfer fee they are required to pay to sign André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, according to the latest update from Calico Mercato, via Sport Witness.

Anguissa arrived at Napoli on a season-long loan deal from Fulham in the summer and the midfielder has adapted to life in Serie A very well so far.

It is believed that Napoli do have the option to make Anguissa's move a permanent one from Fulham next summer for a fee of around €15 million (£12.7 million).

The 25-year-old has immediately established himself as a crucial member of Napoli's starting line-up and he has made six appearances in Serie A. During those games he has managed to average 2.2 successful dribbles, 0.7 key passes, 1.3 interceptions and two tackles per game.

According to the latest update from Calcio Mercato, via Sport Witness, Napoli intend to try and secure a permanent move for Anguissa after being impressed with the midfielder's performances so far this term.

However, it is thought that Napoli are going to attempt to negotiate down the transfer fee that they are required to pay for the 25-year-old's services. That comes with Anguissa believed to be keen to make the move.

The update adds though that Fulham are not wanting to sell Anguissa for lower than the fee that has already been agreed. While they are also potentially happy to have the midfielder back with them next season in the Premier League should they earn promotion.

The verdict

This seems like a very sensible approach from Fulham and there is no way that they should allow themselves to be negotiated down in terms of their valuation for Anguissa.

The fact that Napoli want to get his permanent signing wrapped up shows how well he is performing for them and that should if anything increase his value. Fulham are in a strong position over this and you can not see them selling him for less than £12.7 million.

It is interesting that Fulham would be prepared to gave Anguissa back with them next term if they are promoted should Napoli not want to pay the fee they can do to sign him permanently.

However, it does seem from this update that Anguissa wants the permanent move away from Fulham to Napoli, so it would be difficult to deny him that move.

There is plenty of time for this deal to be sorted out and Napoli are just going to have to accept that they need to pay the fee already agreed if they want to keep Anguissa in the long-term.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulhams-stance-over-andre-frank-zambo-anguissa-outlined-amid-napoli-interest/

WhiteJC

Tim Ream sends heartfelt Tom Cairney message after Fulham's win over Cardiff

Tom Cairney was the star of the show as Fulham beat Cardiff City at Craven Cottage last night.

The Cottagers made it back-to-back home wins in the space of five days, easing past the struggling Bluebirds.

Cairney was introduced at half-time, and 11 minutes later, he was on the scoresheet, firing a sumptuous left-footed effort into the top corner.

Aleksandar Mitrovic added to his tally for the season soon after, burying emphatically beyond Alex Smithies to double Fulham's lead.

But the night belonged to Cairney, who was visibly emotional having missed the last 10 months through injury problems.

It was some strike from the attacking midfielder, and it lifted the shackles and allowed Fulham to kick on and secure another big win.

After the game, Tim Ream put the spotlight on Cairney's return and his goal, before replying to a fan to share the midfielder's emotions.

The Verdict

Fulham have so much talent running through the spine of their squad. Mitrovic is definitely the best striker in the division, and they have players like Harry Wilson, Harrison Reed, Bobby Decordova-Reid and Nathaniel Chalobah too.

But Cairney's return is undoubtedly a big boost for the Cottagers, as we know what he can produce at this level and above.

He has been influential both times Fulham have won promotion from the Championship and provides plenty of goals and assists from midfield.

Fulham's performance should move up a gear with him now back to full fitness.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/tim-ream-sends-heartfelt-tom-cairney-message-after-fulhams-win-over-cardiff/

WhiteJC

Comeback goal is 'just the start,' says Cairney

Tom Cairney insists his magical comeback against Cardiff City is 'just the start' of the next chapter in his Fulham career as he bids to build up his match sharpness following ten months on the sidelines with a knee injury.

The Fulham captain scored within twelve minutes of coming on as a substitute at half-time last night to break struggling Cardiff's brave resistance at Craven Cottage last night – and admitted to FFCTV after the final whistle that such a fairytale moment left him pretty emotional.

"Yeah, it's mental. It's been a hard ten months or so – a lot of setbacks. It's been difficult, obviously seeing my team get relegated as well and not being able to do anything about it. I've had some magical moments but that's up there.

"It's crazy. It's the longest time out of my career. Watching the guys train, watching them play this season – it's been great to watch, they've played some good stuff, but to be a part of it is an amazing feeling.

Cairney admitted that he might not be able to start a competitive game as he feels his way back to competitive football but the playmaker is delighted to back amongst Marco Silva's midfield options at long last.

"I've had some great moments in a Fulham shirt but that's right up there. It's fantastic. The gaffer's got us playing some good football, we're a good unit, we're hungry and, look, I'm not fully, fully back yet but hopefully this is just the start. Starting a game would be very hard as I've had a long time off playing football, but I think 45 minutes there could only hold me in good stead.

The boys helped me out. The boys were brilliant. It's great to be back out there. Onwards and upwards. We've got a big game at the weekend – touch wood, everything's cool.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/10/comeback-goal-is-just-the-start-says-cairney/


WhiteJC

Games for the Weekend 23/10...
This weekend we're off to Robin Hood country to take on Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday at 15:00.
Back to back home wins and with other results going "our way" we're up to 2nd and have the highest goal difference, thanks to Mitro?, in the league. 5 points behind Bournemouth, they have to lose sometime, but we're in far better form than after the previous international break and with Cairney, Tete, Kongolo and Carvalho coming back from injury I think that we're in a "good place".
Wasn't it good to see Tom back in a Fulham shirt? and to cap it with a goal, fairy-tail stuff. Mitro, 13 in 13, he's still on fire! It was also good for Rodak to keep a clean sheet and he made a couple of important saves towards the end of the game. According to the votes on the forum Seri had another MotM performance, he had nearly twice the number of votes for Tom Cairney in second place.

Our record against Forest is another even one with 5 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw. Forest are on a bit of a run since changing their manager winning away at Huddersfield, Barnsley, Birmingham and Bristol City and Blackpool at home. On Tuesday Forest scored twice in injury time to win 1-2 at Bristol City so their going to full of confidence.

My team against Forest would be...


COYW's

Games of Interest...
Saturday 23rd

Bournemouth v Huddersfield
Millwall v Stoke
Peterborough v QPR
West Brom v Bristol City

Sunday 24th
Barnsley v Sheff Utd
Forest v Fulham


come on over to the forum and join in the discussion...
https://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=36.0



http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=1780

WhiteJC

Talking Points: Cardiff

There truly, ain't nobody like Tom Cairney

The last time we saw Tom Cairney in a Fulham shirt was at St James' Park, 10 months and one day prior to the Cardiff game. He hasn't played in front of fans since scoring in a 1-1 draw at Bristol City in March 2020. And so it's completely understandable that TC was overcome with emotion after bagging the opening goal within 12 minutes of his introduction on Wednesday. Some hit it was, too, though we've come to expect nothing less from our Captain over the years. The noise emanating from the Hammy End as it smacked the back of the net was a truly special moment.

Horrific conditions

The weather wasn't great at any point in the evening, but things turned biblical in the second half. The rain was torrential and it led to a very sticky pitch, with the ball moving slower than we'd like. You'd think that would benefit Cardiff rather than ourselves, but the lads stuck to their principles and were rewarded with two lovely goals.

Deserved assist for Harry

Speaking to Harry Wilson after the game, FFCtv spoke about his involvement in both goals, despite him not officially registering an assist for either. But we're now delighted to confirm that he has been awarded the assist for Cairney's goal! After slaloming into the box, the ball was nicked off Wilson's toe at the last, but the final touch as it ricocheted into Cairney's path came off the Welshman, taking his tally of Fulham assists to four.

Back in the top-two

West Bromwich Albion's defeat at Swansea City meant Fulham returned to the top-two. With 99 points still to play for, it's not something we will be paying an abundance of attention to right now, but it's never a bad thing to glance at the table and see the Whites up there.

Gold medal winner in the house

Following Chad Perris' appearance at the Swansea match, we were thrilled to welcome fellow Paralympian Thomas Young to the Cottage this week. A massive Fulham fan who travels home and away, Thomas excelled in Tokyo this summer, coming home with gold in the T38 100 metres. It was a pleasure to host him from the Cottage balcony for our win over the Bluebirds, with Thomas getting a fantastic reception from the home crowd during his half-time Q&A on the pitch.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/october/21/talking-points-cardiff/

WhiteJC

Marco Silva delivers Harrison Reed update ahead of Fulham's clash with Nottingham Forest

Fulham manager Marco Silva has revealed that Harrison Reed suffered a calf injury in yesterday's clash with Cardiff City.

The midfielder was replaced at half-time during this particular fixture by Tom Cairney who went on to score his first goal of the 2021/22 campaign at Craven Cottage in the 57th minute of the clash.

Aleksandar Mitrovic then doubled Fulham's advantage as he fired past Cardiff goalkeeper Alex Smithies.

The Bluebirds were unable to deliver a response during the closing stages of the clash as the Cottagers cruised to victory.

As a result of this triumph, Fulham moved up to second in the Championship standings as West Bromwich Albion slipped up in their showdown with Swansea City.

Having missed several games earlier this season due to injury, Reed will be hoping to make a swift recovery from his latest setback.

Making reference to the midfielder ahead of the club's meeting with Nottingham Forest this weekend, Silva has admitted that Reed's issue is not that serious.

Speaking to West London Sport about the 26-year-old, the Fulham boss said: "I am waiting on the feedback of the medical staff about the calf.

"I don't think it is serious, but we will have to wait and see what the scans say."

The Verdict

When you consider that Reed has managed to illustrate some signs of promise in the Championship during the eight games that he has played at this level this season, Fulham will be hoping to call upon his services in the coming months.

Although his current issue is not believed to be serious, he may not be fit enough to feature against Forest and thus Silva may need to turn to Cairney for inspiration.

Having marked his long-awaited return from injury with a goal against Cardiff, the 30-year-old will be brimming with confidence heading into this weekend's clash.

If Cairney is able to maintain his fitness during the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign, he could potentially spearhead a push for promotion as he knows exactly what it takes to thrive at this level as he has provided 90 direct goal contributions in 293 appearances in this division during his career.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/marco-silva-delivers-harrison-reed-update-ahead-of-fulhams-clash-with-nottingham-forest/


WhiteJC

Fulham waiting on Harrison Reed scan results after picking up injury blow in Cardiff City win

Fulham boss Marco Silva has confirmed he is waiting on scan results regarding an injury to midfielder Harrison Reed.

Reed, 26, was absent from Fulham's first four Championship fixtures of the season.

Since then, he has managed eight appearances for the Cottagers, with his most recent league outing coming in Wednesday night's 2-0 win over Cardiff City.

However, he was forced off at half-time due to a calf injury, making way for Tom Cairney, who made a goalscoring return against the Bluebirds.

Now, an initial update on Reed's injury has emerged from Fulham boss Marco Silva.

As quoted by West London Sport, the Portuguese manager confirmed that he is waiting on scan results, adding that he doesn't think it is a "serious" blow. Here's what he had to say:

"I am waiting on the feedback of the medical staff about the calf.

"I don't think it is serious, but we will have to wait and see what the scans say."

With the Cottagers now facing a wait on Reed's scan results, it awaits to be seen if he is fit to face in-form Nottingham Forest at the weekend.

An intriguing tie awaits
Sunday sees Silva and co take on Steve Cooper's transformed Nottingham Forest side, who have vastly improved since the arrival of the former Swansea City boss.

While Fulham have won three of their last four and currently sit in 2nd place, Forest are on a run of four consecutive wins. Their turnaround in form has seen them rise out of the relegation zone, putting in some eye-catching displays in the process.

With a tough test up next for Fulham, it remains to be seen if Reed is available for selection.



https://the72.co.uk/253713/fulham-waiting-on-harrison-reed-scan-results-after-picking-up-injury-blow-in-cardiff-city-win/

WhiteJC

"They can buy him back" – Suggestion Fulham have no 'regret' over sale, money there in case they need it

Fulham do not regret losing midfielder Franck Zambo Anguissa to Napoli, as they can always buy him back should he leave permanently anyway.

Anguissa is currently on loan at the Serie A side, who moved to secure him in the summer following Fulham's relegation to the Championship.

He's been a key player for them ever since, with a series of impressive performances earning him plenty of rave reviews.

Indeed, the move is looking increasingly likely to be turned into a permanent one, particularly as Napoli have an option to buy him for €15m.

That's a price Fulham may regret including in the loan deal if Anguissa continues to shine, as he could probably demand a much bigger figure next summer.

Scout Carlo Jacomuzzi is having none of that, though, insisting there are no regrets over the deal at Craven Cottage when asked about the situation in a recent interview.

"They have their own problems there; no one has regretted losing him," he told the Marte Sport Live programme, relayed by Mondo Napoli.

"Also, because they can buy him back if they want, they don't have liquidity problems."



http://sportwitness.co.uk/can-buy-back-suggestion-fulham-no-regret-sale-money-case-need/

WhiteJC

Nottingham Forest legend issues warning to Steve Cooper's side ahead of Fulham test

Nottingham Forest have been in scintillating form as of late and Steve Cooper has certainly got his new charges playing at the peak of their powers right now, but former Forest man Garry Birtles has spoken out on the Garibaldi Red Podcast and had warned them not to show Fulham 'too much respect'

The club have been flying recently and after another win over Bristol City in midweek thanks to two late goals, the club are rising further and further up the table. It's also meant that the side have won four out of their last four games – and show no signs of slowing down either.

This week though they'll face a stern test against Fulham, who themselves harbour promotion ambitions. Led by Marco Silva, the Cottagers are already in the automatic promotion spots in the league and will fancy their chances of putting a dampener on the spirits of Forest and their fans.

However, club legend Garry Birtles has told them not to ease off the gas against the high-flying Fulham side and to not show them 'too much respect.' Speaking on the Garibaldi Red Podcast he said: "Don't look too much forward just concentrate on Fulham, assess Fulham.

"You can guarantee that Forest will be so positive against them, it won't be a sit back performance, don't show them too much respect. They thought Bristol showed Bournemouth too much respect at the weekend, you can't do that. Respect your opposition but don't be scared of that, don't over respect them."

Forest themselves have pulled off a string of top performances and positive results since being taken over by their new boss and they'll be determined to show it isn't just a flash in the pan or 'new manager bounce.' If they can pull off a victory over Fulham, then they'll go a long way towards doing that.

The Verdict

The more that Nottingham Forest play and perform so well and win games, it's hard to argue that Steve Cooper isn't doing a wonderful job as boss at the City Ground. He's got them playing some excellent football and is really doing his credentials as a manager no harm there.

If he can get a win against Fulham – and take them another step towards the play-offs – then they could actually be real promotion challengers this season. After the start to the campaign that Forest had, their fans will certainly take that.




https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/nottingham-forest-legend-issues-warning-to-steve-coopers-side-ahead-of-fulham-test/


WhiteJC

Opinion: Should 21-year-old Fulham player look for a move elsewhere as January approaches?

It hasn't been an easy ride for Steven Sessegnon in recent seasons and with the competition for places at Fulham ramping up – and the side pushing for promotion to the Premier League – could it be time for the player to look for a move elsewhere?

The youngster has been viewed as a player with bundles of potential and has been playing football since as way back as 2017 for the Cottagers. After finding action hard to come by, he then made the move to Bristol City on a short-term basis and featured fairly frequently for the Robins before returning back to his parent club.

However, injuries, Covid and bad luck has not helped his case recently and now the defender finds himself out of the reckoning at the moment in a Fulham shirt.

He hasn't played a single game for the club since returning from loan and hasn't featured yet this season. His last game came against Brentford back in May for Bristol City and that in itself was only a short cameo.

Is it time then for the youngster to spread his wings and find a new permanent club?

It would do the player no harm.

He's still young and still has the potential to become possibly one of the best full-backs in the league. The issue is, he may not get the chance to prove it or to bloom at Fulham right now.

There is a lot of competition for places in his spot and on the right-hand side in particular, both Kenny Tete and Dennis Odoi are battling for the position. Odoi has stepped in and worked wonders, while Tete was the original first-choice before injury.

If Sessegnon wants to reach his full potential then – and start to get regular minutes – he may be resigned to having to take perhaps what could be considered a relative step back to then make some moves forward.

It could work out better for him in the long run if he gets more minutes under his belt and, if he could cement himself as one of the better players in the side, he could also prove how good he could really be given the chance.

There would no doubt be a number of clubs willing to sign him up in the second tier and with his contract up at the end of the season, it doesn't look likely right now that he will pen a new deal with Fulham – and that means he might leave sooner rather than later, with clubs willing to spend money on him in January rather than sign him for nothing in summer being a better option for the Cottagers.

It means that Sessegnon might have to soon consider his options and consider a permanent move away in winter. It could ultimately pay off for the youngster though – and we might soon get to see the best of the defender.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/opinion-should-21-year-old-fulham-player-look-for-a-move-elsewhere-as-january-approaches/

JimOG

Quote from: whitejc on October 22, 2021, 12:27:24 AM
Games for the Weekend 23/10...
This weekend we're off to Robin Hood country to take on Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday at 15:00.
Back to back home wins and with other results going "our way" we're up to 2nd and have the highest goal difference, thanks to Mitro?, in the league. 5 points behind Bournemouth, they have to lose sometime, but we're in far better form than after the previous international break and with Cairney, Tete, Kongolo and Carvalho coming back from injury I think that we're in a "good place".
Wasn't it good to see Tom back in a Fulham shirt? and to cap it with a goal, fairy-tail stuff. Mitro, 13 in 13, he's still on fire! It was also good for Rodak to keep a clean sheet and he made a couple of important saves towards the end of the game. According to the votes on the forum Seri had another MotM performance, he had nearly twice the number of votes for Tom Cairney in second place.

Our record against Forest is another even one with 5 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw. Forest are on a bit of a run since changing their manager winning away at Huddersfield, Barnsley, Birmingham and Bristol City and Blackpool at home. On Tuesday Forest scored twice in injury time to win 1-2 at Bristol City so their going to full of confidence.

My team against Forest would be...


COYW's

Games of Interest...
Saturday 23rd

Bournemouth v Huddersfield
Millwall v Stoke
Peterborough v QPR
West Brom v Bristol City

Sunday 24th
Barnsley v Sheff Utd
Forest v Fulham


come on over to the forum and join in the discussion...
https://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=36.0



http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=1780

For me that's too lightweight a team to take to a Forest side with their tails up. Cairney needs to be introduced gradually - 2 in 3 days would be unwise. If Chalobah is fit and performing in training I'd have

Rodak
Tete Tosin Ream Robinson

Chalobah or Onomah + Seri

Kebano Wilson  BDR

Mitro

(At some point in the season I'd like to see Mitro + Muniz just for some short spells)