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Sunday Fulham Stuff - 24/10/21...

Started by WhiteJC, October 24, 2021, 09:39:20 AM

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WhiteJC


Results



Saturday
Cardiff
0-2
M'borough
Birmingham
2-1
Swansea
Blackburn
2-0
Reading
Blackpool
2-0
Preston NE
Bournemouth
3-0
Huddersfield
Coventry
1-1
Derby
Luton
1-0
Hull
Millwall
2-1
Stoke
P'borough
2-1
QPR
West Brom
3-0
Bristol City

WhiteJC

Forest Matchday Preview

Nottingham Forest v Fulham | Sunday 24th October 2021 | 3pm | City Ground | #NOTFUL

The opposition

    Having picked up just one point from a possible 21 at the start of the season, Forest parted company with Chris Hughton following a 2-0 defeat at home to Middlesbrough in mid-September.
    Steve Cooper was the man charged with turning their fortunes around, and they've been absolutely flying since the former Swansea City boss came in, winning four of his five matches, and drawing the other.
    Forest's most recent victory came in the most dramatic of fashions on Tuesday. Losing 1-0 going into stoppage time at Bristol City, they ended up coming away with all three points courtesy of substitute Lyle Taylor's 50-second brace at the death.

Forest team news

Defenders are the worst-hit area of Forest's squad, with Jordi Osei-Tutu, Rodrigo Ely and Loic Mbe Soh all struggling.

Fulham team news

Marco Silva provided the following injury update in his pre-match press conference: "We still have the situation of [Nathaniel] Chalobah, he is out. Anthony [Knockaert] as well, with some issues, and [Tyrese] Francois. And the situation of Harrison Reed, Joe Bryan and Fabio [Carvalho]; Fabio's had his first sessions with the team. Joe Bryan and Harrison Reed came out of the last two matches – nothing serious but we'll see if they can play."

Tickets

This match is now off sale, with no tickets available to buy on the gate. 1,546 Fulham fans will be in attendance.

FFCtv

Fans both abroad and at home can purchase a pass to watch live coverage of this game on FFCtv.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/october/23/forest-matchday-preview/

WhiteJC

Hilton hails hard working Fulham

Sonny Hilton hailed Fulham's hard work after the under 23s battled back from a goal down to record their fifth straight win against Nottingham Forest last night.

The diminutive playmaker converted a crucial 83rd minute penalty to secure all three points but was in no doubt as to how hard Steve Wigley's said had to work for the victory. He told FFCTV after the final whistle:

"The celebrations kind of said it all. The first half was a bit sloppy. The second half we came out, showed them what we were really about and put the game to bed in the end. I think we came out more on the front foot, maybe not rushing it, making them make simple mistakes and capitalising on it."

Hilton made light of his successful spot-kick, believing it will give him the bragging rights in the dressing room after hours of practice from twelve yards.

"We all have competitions – who's on pens, who's taking them and now I've scored two in two games!"

The attacking midfielder, in a rich vein of personal form so far this season, believes that spirit and work ethic lies behind the under 23's excellent start to the new campaign.

We all know each other. The lads have played with each other throughout the age groups. We work hard together. Even if someone's not having a good day, we end up working hard for that person and it ends up working out on the pitch.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/10/hilton-hails-hard-working-fulham/


WhiteJC

Quina 'has to work harder', says Fulham boss

Domingos Quina is going to have to "work harder" to get into the Fulham side.

The on-loan midfielder arrived from Watford at the beginning of September but has been restricted to just three appearances – none of which saw him complete a game.

Boss Marco Silva made it plain he expects more from the 21-year-old, especially if he wants to carve a spot in a crowded Fulham midfield augmented by the return of Tom Cairney.

"Domingos has to work harder to win back his place," Silva said.

"He got his chance and that is clear by getting in the starting 11 against Leeds and Blackpool, and it was not just a matter of performance, but in the training sessions as well.

"He is fit, but was not in the squad the last game – a technical decision and it was mine."

Meanwhile, there is little hope Terence Kongolo will return to first-team action any time soon.

The Netherlands international has been hampered by a series of injuries, restricting to him just four appearances since January 2020 – the last against Wolves in April.

Kongolo played for Fulham Under-23s against Reading last week, but like in his only other appearance since August, he lasted just 45 minutes.

Silva said: "To say he would be ready in one week or two is not true.

"We are giving him some minutes in the training sessions with me, but also the U23s, in order to see his reaction and get him back to his best physical condition."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/quina-has-to-work-harder-says-fulham-boss

WhiteJC

Steve Cooper delivers verdict on Fulham ahead of Nottingham Forest tie

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper has admitted their clash against Fulham at the City Ground tomorrow afternoon will be one of his side's toughest fixtures of the season, speaking to Nottinghamshire Live ahead of the tie.

Forest come into this game off the back of a six-game unbeaten run and have won 13 points out of a possible 15 under Steve Cooper so far.

Previously sitting at the bottom of the Championship table, they are in 14th position ahead of this afternoon's fixtures and as one of the in-form teams in the second tier, are now one of the favourites to charge into the play-off zone.

Considering the East Midlands outfit are now plying their trade under a manager who achieved consecutive top-six finishes at Swansea City before his departure in July, they have every chance of doing so and will be hoping some of their summer additions who are yet to appear for the club can provide the strength in depth needed to sustain a promotion push.

However, they come up against a side who climbed into the top two with a win against strugglers Cardiff City in midweek and after keeping the core of their squad together from their Premier League campaign last term, they added even more quality with the likes of Harry Wilson and Nathaniel Chalobah arriving in west London during the previous transfer window.

With this, the Cottagers are favourites to secure an instant return back to the top flight at the first time of asking and Forest boss Cooper is all too aware of the challenge his side will face at 3pm tomorrow as he had his say on their opponents and their manager.

Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live in his pre-match press conference, he said: "It's a tough one, but it's one we're looking forward to and one we'll be ready for.

"It's certainly one of, if not the toughest, games you're going to face because of the outstanding set of players they have – a lot of them are ready-made for the Premier League.

"They were in the top-flight last year and have come down, so they have a lot of resource which goes into the squad.

"They've got a really top-end manager for the league who is very experienced and who has worked in top leagues around Europe, including the Premier League.

"There's no hiding away from the fact this will be one of the toughest games.

"But you have to focus on yourself, which we will. We're at home, we're going well, so let's go for it. We have to really believe in what we do.

"I always say you have to respect the opponent, and no more so than Fulham, but this is a league where you have to thrive on challenges and tackle things head on. That will be our mentality for every game, not just this one."

The Verdict:

Steve Cooper is right about Fulham – because they have a huge amount of quality in their squad and undoubtedly have the depth required to secure an instant return to the Premier League.

Wilson was a particularly good signing for Marco Silva, because the Welshman has consistently shone in the Championship and has produced the number of goal contributions in the past to take the Cottagers to the next level.

Not only has he impressed in the second tier, but he has done it at a range of clubs including Derby County and Cardiff City. And to be fair, he even did well during his loan spell at AFC Bournemouth in the top tier.

But this shouldn't take away from the quality they have throughout their team. Joe Bryan, who has been behind Antonee Robinson in the pecking order, is more than good enough to start every game for most Championship sides and can count himself unlucky not to have played more than he has in 2021/22 so far.

They have shown signs of vulnerability against Reading and Coventry City though, so there are definitely weaknesses for Forest to exploit if the home side are on top form tomorrow afternoon. They certainly showed the spirit required to succeed in this league on Tuesday night.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/steve-cooper-delivers-verdict-on-fulham-ahead-of-nottingham-forest-tie/

WhiteJC

Silva: Quina must 'work harder'

Marco Silva has demanded that Domingos Quina 'work harder' if the midfielder wants to feature in Fulham's starting line-up.

The Portuguese playmaker played 55 minutes of the under 23's 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest last night to gain more match practice having not been involved at first team level for more than a month after the League Cup tie against Leeds United. Speaking during his pre-match press conference yesterday, the Fulham head coach said the 21 year-old will need to drastically up his performance levels following Tom Cairney's goalscoring return in midweek.

"Domingos has to work harder to win back his place. He got his chance and that is clear by getting in the starting eleven against Leeds and Blackpool, and it was not just a matter of performance, but in the training sessions as well. He is fit, but was not in the squad the last game – a technical decision and it was mine."

Quina has made just three appearances since joining Fulham from Watford on the last day of the summer transfer window – and has yet to complete a full ninety minutes.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/10/silva-quina-must-work-harder/


WhiteJC

Fulham and Chelsea share spoils after eight-goal thriller

Fulham and Chelsea had to be content with a share of the spoils after a see-saw under-18 west London derby finished 4-4 at Motspur Park this afternoon. Luke Harris' second half brace looked to have pinched the points for Ali Melloul's youngsters but the home side were denied by the second of a pair of strikes from Jude Soonsup-Bell with six minutes left. The Blues also missed a second half penalty in a crazy game that cantered from end to end.

A scrappy start gave way to disaster six minutes in when Harvey Araujo slipped on the edge of his own penalty area, allowing Edwin Andersson to nip in and slip a simple finish under the stranded Alex Borto. The hosts almost offered an immediate reply with Prince Adegoke pushing Imani Lanquedoc's rising drive over the bar after Araujo had conjured up a brilliant pass to find the midfielder. The young Whites drew level on eleven minutes when some patient build-up play culminated in Araujo delivering a lovely low cross for Jaylan Wildbore to find the corner.

That sparked a prolonged spell of Fulham pressure. Araujo almost made further amends with a header from Matt Dibley-Dias' corner before Wildbore whacked a drive straight at Adegoke in the Chelsea goal. Dibley-Dias then drifted a delicious curler agonisingly wide, but Araujo grabbed the second goal with a fine header after the visitors had struggled to clear Delano McCoy-Splatt's corner.

Chelsea came roaring back. Borto just about kept out Louis Flowers' measured finish and then produced an even better save when Flowers turned provider, somehow denying Andersson with the goal gaping at close range. But the Blues were level two minutes later when Soonsup-Bell glanced a great header home from Lewis Hall's devilish delivery. Ed Brand's side stormed into the lead within three minutes when Soonsup-Bell surged down the right flank and sent in a cross-cum-shot that Borto batted away, but Andersson was on hand to power home from close range.

Fulham appeared shellshocked by the sudden turnaround but went on the front foot after composing themselves during the half-time break. Olly Sanderson might have brought them level in the early stages of the second period but the striker blazed over at the back post after a patient move unlocked the Chelsea defence. The lively Luke Harris went close with a low drive from distance and it was the prodigiously-talented Welsh teenager who levelled matters with a moment of magic ten minutes into the second half.

Harris, who has featured for Steve Wigley's under 23 side already this season, gave another reminder of his unerring eye for goal when he curled a majestic right-footed finish into the far corner from 20 yards as Chelsea foolishly stood off him. The gripping contest appeared to have tilted towards the visitors again midway through the second period when Soonsup-Bell was brought down by Araujo in the area. The striker and Lewis Hall squabbled over who should take the spot-kick with the latter prevailing, only for Borto to pull off a brilliant diving save.

Substitute Michael Olakigbe then won Fulham a penalty at the other end and Harris blasted it straight down the centre of the goal to put the hosts ahead. But the young Whites couldn't hold on to claim all three points as Luke Badley-Morgan's cross was superbly controlled by Soonsup-Bell who turned to thump a terrific finish in off the crossbar. The only surprise was that the frantic finale didn't produce a winner – but perhaps it was fitting that this pulsating contest ended all square.

FULHAM UNDER 18s (4-4-2): Borto; Tanton, de Fougerolles, C. Robinson, Araujo; McCoy-Splatt, Dibley-Dias (Okkas 90), Lanquedoc, Harris; Sanderson, Wildbore (Olakigbe 65). Subs (not used): McNally, Works, Caton.

BOOKED: Tanton, de Fougerolles.

GOALS: Wildbore (11), Araujo (23), Harris (55, pen 76).

CHELSEA UNDER 18s (4-1-3-2): Adegoke; Olise (Abu 88), Tobin, Hughes, Silcott-Duberry (Badley-Morgan 71); Hall; Webster, Andersson, Thomas (Mendel-Idowu 78); Flower, Soonsup-Bell. Subs (not used): Merrick, Tiemcani.

BOOKED: Webster.

GOALS: Andersson (6, 33), Soonsup-Bell (30, 85).



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/10/fulham-and-chelsea-share-spoils-after-eight-goal-thriller/

WhiteJC

Up next: Nottingham Forest (a)

Fulham head for Nottingham this weekend full of confidence after two convincing victories injected some much needed momentum into their promotion push. Both wins over QPR and Cardiff City had their jittery moments but the fact that the Whites were able to come through a couple of sticky periods and put stubborn opposition to the sword said something about their strength of character after the catastrophic collapse at Coventry prior to the international break – and a rare West Brom defeat even ensured that Marco Silva's men moved into the top two for good measure.

Any suggestion that a third consecutive win is a mere formality should have been dispelled by the crazy nature of this Championship season. If it hasn't, then Forest's form under Steve Cooper demonstrates that they will serve as a strong test of Fulham's tenacity. Chris Hughton paid for a dire start and an unambitious approach as he left the City Ground having picked up a single point from his first seven league games. Cooper, a vastly underrated coach at this level who might have pitched up at Craven Cottage this summer had things gone a little differently, has had an immediate impact at one of English football's sleeping giants.

The man who led Swansea to two successive play-offs is undefeated in five games in charge by the Trent, winning four. The latest victory – which saw Forest stun Bristol City by coming from behind through a Lyle Taylor double in the space of fifty seconds in added time – attested to just how successfully Cooper has restored a sense of belief into his squad. Always an innovator in his impressive coaching career, Cooper's switch to a back three has worked a treat, with Joe Worrall, Tobias Figueiredo and Scott McKenna really gelling at the heart of what had previously been a porous defence, and former Fulham academy man Djed Spence injecting some real energy at right wing back.

There are plenty of threats throughout the Forest ranks. Lewis Grabban has been a regular goalscorer at this level for years and seems to be finally clicking into gear at the City Ground, whilst Brennan Johnson's talent is beginning to flourish for both club and country. Cooper could be tempted to make a couple of alterations tomorrow afternoon with Joe Lolley likely to replace Philip Zinckernagel after making a real impact off the bench at Ashton Gate in midweek. The Reds have plenty of midfield talent to pick from with Manchester United loanee James Garner a cultured operator in the engine room and homegrown Ryan Yates also blossoming in the heart of midfield.

Fulham will therefore face a side full of confidence and eager to add another scalp to their impressive winning run, which has catapulted the early-season strugglers up to fourteenth in the table. Silva's side took a while to break down Cardiff City, who were spirited if limited, and had to rely on the returning Tom Cairney to supply an emotional breakthrough twelve minutes after he stepped off the bench. Cairney said in the aftermath of that dramatic intervention that it is probably too early for him to start matches, but the Fulham skipper will be keen to feature at the City Ground, having been born in Nottingham to a fanatical Forest supporting father.

Without Fabio Carvalho, Cairney definitely provides something that Fulham have lacked since the early weeks of the season. He helps a team so committed to possession keep the ball more comfortably, but on Wednesday night at least injected a sense of purpose and energy that had been missing in the first half. He'll no doubt be a pivotal piece of the puzzle for Fulham going forward, but it isn't worth risking his astonishingly swift recovery this early. Silva left us in no doubt that he had been disappointed with Domingos Quina's early performances – and, if the Portuguese playmaker was signed as a possible Cairney replacement, he has yet to fulfil that brief.

There's still a sense that Fulham's midfield is a bit of a work in progress. Jean Michael Seri has orchestrated things wonderfully from a deep-lying role that nobody imagined he would be filling, but Harrison Reed's transformation to a busy, box-to-box midfielder at Silva's urging still strikes me as a radical reskilling of the club's only proven defensively-minded midfielder. Reed came close to grabbing a first goal for the club with a couple of goes from long range against Cardiff but this uber-adventurous Fulham side does look a little shorthanded when the oppositions breaks our initial press, which is where Reed's excellent reading of the game would typically come in handy.

Silva has a few injury concerns to consider before he settles on his starting eleven for Sunday, but it would come as a big surprise were there major changes to a winning formula. Marek Rodak has appeared much more convincing since replacing Paulo Gazzaniga in goal, whilst the only other question will be when Kenny Tete is fit enough to reclaim the right back spot from Denis Odoi. This won't be an easy encounter – but it is another opportunity for Fulham to send out a statement about the seriousness of their promotion credentials.

MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Rodak; Tete, Bryan, Adarabioyo, Ream; Reed, Seri; Decordova-Reid, Kebano, Wilson; Mitrovic. Subs: Gazzaniga, Odoi, Mawson, Onomah, Cairney, Muniz, Stansfield.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/10/up-next-nottingham-forest-a-2/

Fulham 442

Quote from: whitejc on October 24, 2021, 09:41:58 AM
Quina 'has to work harder', says Fulham boss

Domingos Quina is going to have to "work harder" to get into the Fulham side.

The on-loan midfielder arrived from Watford at the beginning of September but has been restricted to just three appearances – none of which saw him complete a game.

Boss Marco Silva made it plain he expects more from the 21-year-old, especially if he wants to carve a spot in a crowded Fulham midfield augmented by the return of Tom Cairney.

"Domingos has to work harder to win back his place," Silva said.

"He got his chance and that is clear by getting in the starting 11 against Leeds and Blackpool, and it was not just a matter of performance, but in the training sessions as well.

"He is fit, but was not in the squad the last game – a technical decision and it was mine."

Meanwhile, there is little hope Terence Kongolo will return to first-team action any time soon.

The Netherlands international has been hampered by a series of injuries, restricting to him just four appearances since January 2020 – the last against Wolves in April.

Kongolo played for Fulham Under-23s against Reading last week, but like in his only other appearance since August, he lasted just 45 minutes.

Silva said: "To say he would be ready in one week or two is not true.

"We are giving him some minutes in the training sessions with me, but also the U23s, in order to see his reaction and get him back to his best physical condition."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/quina-has-to-work-harder-says-fulham-boss
Kongolo played 90 minutes for the U23's 2 days ago...


WhiteJC

2 big dilemmas facing Steve Cooper ahead of Nottingham Forest's clash v Fulham

Nottingham Forest's fantastic run of form will be put to the test this afternoon as Steve Cooper faces perhaps his toughest challenge yet as they play host to Fulham at the City Ground.

There has been a remarkable turn-around in the results since Cooper arrived at the Reds as he has overseen a draw and four wins in his first five matches in charge.

That includes a last-gasp comeback win over Bristol City the last time Forest played but they come up against a revitalised Cottagers side this afternoon who have won two on the bounce, with Aleksandar Mitrovic in ominous form in-front of goal.

Cooper will have some big decisions to make ahead of kick-off today – let's see two dilemmas that the Welshman could be facing.

Start Taylor?
He's not yet started under Steve Cooper so far, but Lyle Taylor must surely be considered for this afternoon's contest after his impact against Bristol City.

Coming off the bench for Lewis Grabban with nine minutes to go at Ashton Gate, the experienced striker coolly stepped up to equalise in stoppage time with a penalty, and then he bundled home the winning goal less than a minute later.

Of course Taylor's goals weren't pieces of individual brilliance but for the second in particular he was in the right place at the right time and that's what he's been missing for a while.

It could be argued that for now Taylor's impact is better off the bench than from the start but after a brace it's hard to leave him out, isn't it?

Who plays out wide?
The most used threesome for Cooper so far at the top end of the pitch has been Grabban, Brennan Johnson and Philip Zinckernagel but much like Taylor did with his two goals, the pairing of Joe Lolley and Alex Mighten have given him food for thought.

Mighten arrived onto the pitch on 67 minutes and Lolley ten minutes later and both men gave the Bristol City full-backs a real fright, and it was Lolley's work and effort on goal which created the chance for Taylor to dispatch the winner from close range.

Cooper has six – perhaps even seven with Joao Carvalho thrown in there – players for those three forward roles right now so it's going to be hard to keep everyone happy, but Lolley and Mighten will believe on the strength of Tuesday's victory they should be starting this afternoon.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/2-big-dilemmas-facing-steve-cooper-ahead-of-nottingham-forests-clash-v-fulham/

WhiteJC

Club filled with 'a thousand regrets' over failure to sign Fulham man

Every football club in the world has transfer regrets, and for AS Roma, that's not signing Fulham midfielder Franck Zambo Anguissa.

Anguissa joined Napoli on loan in the summer, quickly departing from Fulham for a second time after their relegation to the Championship.

He's been a big hit in Naples ever since, with a series of impressive performances earning him rave reviews and a likely permanent move come the summer, if not sooner.

He could have ended up elsewhere in Italy, though, with Corriere Dello Sport covering how Roma are regretting not pushing for a move themselves.

The newspaper explains that there are 'growing regrets' at the club over their failure to get a deal over the line.

Jose Mourinho was keen to add a defensive midfielder to his squad this summer and spent most of it trying to get Granit Xhaka from Arsenal, which at one point seemed extremely close but then never happened.

When it was obvious it wouldn't, club chief Tiago Pinto turned to Anguissa and 'started the negotiations' with Fulham for him.

However, in order to get it over the line, they had to sell another midfielder first, and at that time, neither Javier Pastore nor Steven Nzonzi had left the club, while others were not close to departing either.

Napoli took advantage of this and managed to 'snatch' him from Roma, doing a deal with Fulham at an 'advantageous price'.

They're now reaping the benefits of that and are likely to sign him from Fulham permanently in the summer, while Roma are left wondering what might have been and a meeting with the midfielder this weekend that will be filled with 'a thousand regrets'.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/club-filled-thousand-regrets-failure-sign-fulham-man/