Saturday Fulham Stuff - 11/12/21...

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Luton Support Predicts How Fulham Game Will End

This Saturday, Luton Town welcome table-topping Fulham to Kenilworth Road for a Championship fixture.

It has all the makings of being one of Luton's toughest games of the season so far, with Fulham among the hot favourites to make an instant return to the Premier League, after being relegated last season.

But Luton go into this game with their confidence having been boosted by a fine away win at Blackpool, last Saturday, the win coming on the back of a run of four games without a win.

Fulham go into this fixture having suffered a slight dip in form with the West London club drawing their last three Championship fixtures, but it should be pointed out they have not last any of their last five games.

Could Luton produce the performance needed to earn a victory?

Looking at our poll, the Hatters support are confident that they can with 50% going for a Luton win.

As for the remainder of the votes cast, 29% are predicting a Fulham win while the remaining 21% reckon it will be a draw.

Taking it one step further we've taken a look at how Sky Sports, resident Championship expert, David Prutton, reckons this one will go.

Prutton, in his regular feature, shares the views of the 21% who went for a draw with the expert going for a 2-2 result.

I have to say, if we can get a point, on Saturday, against the Cottagers, I'll be happy, how about you?

Please feel free to have your say in the comment facility beneath this article.

COYH's



https://luton.vitalfootball.co.uk/luton-support-predicts-how-fulham-game-will-end/

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James Shea starts: The predicted Luton Town XI to face Fulham on Saturday

Luton Town will be hoping to improve on last season's 12th placed finish, with the Hatters currently occupying that same position in the Championship standings.

Nathan Jones' side will be striving to be in and around the play-off mix as the season progresses and will be hoping to take confidence from last weekend's 3-0 victory at Blackpool into tomorrow's clash with the league leaders.

The Bedfordshire club are currently six points from Stoke City in sixth place, with the division still tight around the top-six positions.

Attacking firepower has been key for the Hatters this season, with only tomorrow's opponents, Bournemouth, QPR and Blackburn Rovers scoring more than Luton.

Here, we take a look at how Luton could line up for the visit of Fulham tomorrow afternoon...

Nathan Jones certainly has a decision to make in regard to who starts between the sticks for the Hatters tomorrow, with James Shea impressing against Blackpool in Simon Sluga's absence, and it will be no surprise to see the former handed with another chance.

Tom Lockyer could be back in contention for when Fulham visit but Reece Burke has looked a strong addition to Luton's backline, and he could be awarded with another start.

Kal Naismith and Sonny Bradley are likely to form the rest of the defence, with the pair proving to be regulars when fit.

James Bree and Amari'i Bell have emerged as Luton's first-choice wing-backs over the course of the season, with the pair possessing attacking drive and defensive competence.

Henri Lansbury and Allan Campbell have performed well when operating together this season, with the former bringing composure, vision and intelligence to the midfield, with the latter displaying athleticism and desire.

However, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu could be brought back into the side from the very start in midfield after a good second half display in Blackpool.

Jordan Clark was extremely influential against the Seasiders, and whilst Carlos Mendes Gomes put in a solid shift, Fred Onyedinma could be recalled to the starting XI.

In the absence of Harry Cornick, it appears that Luton will continue playing with just one striker, with Elijah Adebayo firmly establishing himself as the number one choice at Kenilworth Road.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/james-shea-starts-the-predicted-luton-town-xi-to-face-fulham-on-saturday/

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Silva wants Fulham fringe players to stay

Fulham boss Marco Silva says he expects a quiet January transfer window and that the Covid-19 situation means he is reluctant to let players leave the club.

Silva boasts the largest squad in the Championship, with 30 senior players at his disposal, but he said the recent sickness outbreak that affected Aleksandar Mitrovic, Harry Wilson, Harrison Reed, Antonee Robinson and Bobby De Cordova-Reid demonstrated the need for the league leaders to have plenty of cover.

Proven Championship performers like Michael Hector, Alfie Mawson, Josh Onomah and Anthony Knockaert have all had limited opportunities this season and could attract interest from other clubs.

But Silva doesn't want squad players leaving in the second half of the season as the Whites look to push for an instant return to the Premier League.

Silva also believes selling Stefan Johansen and Aboubakar Kamara, offloading Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa on loan and releasing Maxime Le Marchand in addition to signing Wilson, Rodrigo Muniz and Nathaniel Chalobah at the start of the season has put the club in a good position.

"At this moment we are happy. We did what we should do last summer, as it is always tough for a club after relegation," Silva said.

"Competition in the squad is tough and the squad is big as well.

"But it is not the right moment to talk now about changes because it's the beginning of December and a busy period because of the Christmas fixtures.

"Unfortunately the Covid situation is back around us again and we are seeing some clubs battling with the situation.

"If you are look back a few weeks ago, we had a number of players out ill when it wasn't Covid. We were struggling with options as there were six or seven out.

"You look at the situation around the world now, and with some clubs here in England like Tottenham and Leicester, it's a good example of why you have to be aware and protect yourself as a football club."

However, Silva did concede that some of the club's young players may move in January, either on loan or permanently.

Tyrese Francois made his debut in the Premier League last season against Newcastle and started this season against Middlesbrough.

But he struggled to get back into the side before suffering an ankle injury in an Under-23s match in September before making his return on Wednesday in an Under-23s Premier League Cup fixture against Southend.

Francois is out of contract in June and has been stalling over the offer of a new deal.

Meanwhile, Steven Sessegnon spent the second half of last season on loan at Bristol City but is yet to feature in the first-team squad this season and, like Francois, is out of contract in June.

"Some young boys were working with us at the start of the season, but until now have not had that many chances to play," Silva said.

"If we feel they need to be working then we will maybe take some different decisions in January."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/silva-wants-fulham-fringe-players-to-stay

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Silva predicts quiet January

Marco Silva has predicted that the return of concerns around coronavirus and his desire to preserve squad depth may make for a quiet January transfer window at Fulham.

The Portuguese head coach wants to retain many of his fringe players as the Championship promotion race heats up – pointing to the recent norovirus bug that caused serious issues at Motspur Park.

"At this moment we are happy. We did what we should do last summer, as it is always tough for a club after relegation. Competition in the squad is tough and the squad is big as well. But it is not the right moment to talk now about changes because it's the beginning of December and a busy period because of the Christmas fixtures.

Unfortunately the Covid situation is back around us again and we are seeing some clubs battling with the situation. f you are look back a few weeks ago, we had a number of players out ill when it wasn't Covid. We were struggling with options as there were six or seven out. You look at the situation around the world now, and with some clubs here in England like Tottenham and Leicester, it's a good example of why you have to be aware and protect yourself as a football club."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/12/silva-predicts-quiet-january/

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Squad update ahead of Fulham clash

Harry Cornick will miss tomorrow's match against Fulham, manager Nathan Jones revealed in his pre-match press conference.

The forward, who has been in fine form this season with seven goals and three assists to his name, will be absent after suffering a calf injury prior to the Blackpool match.

Tom Lockyer also missed out, but the manager said: "Lockyer is a lot closer than he was last week, so we're going to have made a decision on him, but Cornick isn't, he'll be a few weeks yet."

Henri Lansbury did play last weekend but was taken off at half-time, to which Jones commented: "We ask Henri to do certain stuff and we want him to buy into everything we do. He's very productive when he plays, a really good footballer, one of our best footballers, so we want to make sure that he's available for long periods of time.

"He's had a stop-start time with injury, Covid, then suspension, so it's about us and Henri working together to make sure he's available for lots and lots of games."

Instead of being downbeat about the injuries within the squad, the gaffer focused on the positives and in particular, the squad depth he has at his disposal.

"I've got a great group here, it wasn't that hard a bench to pick the other day because we had a few that went down, and a few that we didn't risk. Cameron Jerome wasn't available because his back stiffened up when we were training at Burnley on Friday, so that ruled him out of the squad and that meant someone like Dion Pereira came in.

"Same with Glen Rea, Glen went over on his ankle last Friday and instead of risking him we have Gabe Osho who does the same things that Glen does, covers the same positions, so it was a simple bench to pick as a few made our mind up for us."



https://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/2021/december/squad-update/

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Cairney starts: The predicted Fulham XI to face Luton on Saturday

With Bournemouth set to take on in-form Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, Fulham will feel their trip to face Luton Town at Kenilworth Road could be an opportunity to move further clear at the top of the Championship table.

They're one point ahead of the Cherries after their 1-1 draw last weekend and haven't lost a game since the start of October.

Marco Silva's side have drawn all of their last three, however, and Luton are not a side that should be underestimated.

With that in mind, we've outlined the XI we expect the Portuguese to name tomorrow...

Marek Rodak has kept five clean sheets and conceded just four goals in his nine Championship starts this term, so you have to assume he'll be in goal against Luton.

Ahead of him, Tosin Adarabioyo was excellent against Bournemouth, providing a bullish defensive display and grabbing Fulham's equaliser in the second half of the season, and should partner Tim Ream.

There may well be a change at left-back, however, with Antonee Robinson back from illness and into the side in place of Joe Bryan.

With Nathaniel Chalobah still missing due to injury, the holding midfield duo of Harrison Reed and Jean Michael Seri should reprise their roles.

Fabio Carvalho's future remains unclear but on the back of his assist from the bench against the Cherries, captain Tom Cairney should replace him in the starting XI.

Ivan Cavaleiro is the other player that Silva will be without, due to a groin issue, so it should be Harry Wilson and Neeskens Kebano once again up top.

Aleksandar Mitrovic remains on course for a record-breaking season in the Championship – with 21 goals in 20 games so far – and will surely start tomorrow.

A win against the Hatters tomorrow would really relieve the pressure on Fulham, who may be top of the table but have found victories hard to come by in recent weeks.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/cairney-starts-the-predicted-fulham-xi-to-face-luton-on-saturday/

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Luton Matchday Preview

Luton Town v Fulham | Saturday 11th December 2021 | 3pm | Kenilworth Road | #LUTFUL

The opposition

    Having won seven, drawn seven and lost seven Championship matches this season, consistency does seem to have been a bit of an issue for Luton, though they currently occupy a very respectable 12th place in the standings.
    Prior to last weekend, the Hatters were having something of a blip, taking just one point from a possible 12. But they returned to form emphatically with a 3-0 victory on their travels in Blackpool.
    Leading the scoring charts is Elijah Adebayo. The striker, who spent more than a decade in Fulham's Academy, has found the back of the net on nine occasions so far this season.

Luton team news

Lively forward Harry Cornick will miss the game after picking up a calf injury, while Wales international centre-back Tom Lockyer is also a doubt.

Fulham team news

Ivan Cavaleiro and Nathaniel Chalobah are closing in on returns to full training, but Saturday will still come too soon for the pair.

Tickets

Away tickets for this fixture have sold out. Please do not travel if you are not in possession of a ticket.

Coverage

International fans can purchase a match pass to watch a live stream of this fixture on FFCtv, while domestic subscribers can listen to commentary from Gentleman Jim and Jamie Reid.

Weather

There is a small chance of rain at kick-off, though the probability will increase as we move towards the evening. Temperatures will be around the six degree mark.

Player insight

When it was put to Bobby De Cordova-Reid that the Fulham fans are relishing watching the team, our number 14 was of much the same mind.

"We're enjoying it as well," he told FFCtv. "We want to keep playing entertaining football for the fans to enjoy and hopefully we can do that again on Saturday.

"We're ready for whatever any team brings. We respect every team and how they play, but we'll go out there to play our football and to win the game."

Form

Luton: LLDLW

Fulham: WWDDD

Pre-match quotes

"It's the hardest game in the league, and the reason it's the hardest game in the league is because right now they are the best team in the league."

Nathan Jones
Luton Town Manager

"The way they play, they will try to put us in some moments to play the way we don't like to play, but of course when we have the ball we have to be Fulham Football Club."

Marco Silva
Fulham Head Coach

https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/december/10/luton-matchday-preview/

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Up next: Luton Town (a)

Kenilworth Road on Saturday will be the venue where Marco Silva's Fulham side look to end a run of three successive draws against Luton Town. The Hatters, back under the sensible stewardship of Nathan Jones who led them out of League Two and to the top of League One before being seduced by Stoke, have a comfortable twelve-point cushion above the relegation zone after an impressive win at Blackpool and are six points off the play-off spots.

Victory at Bloomfield Road was the perfect response following home defeats at the hands of Stoke and Cardiff City with Sonny Bradley's header on the stroke of half time followed by goals from former Fulham forward Elijah Adebayo and Jordan Clark that clinched all three points. The Hatters will be full of confidence and Fulham have recent rocky history in Bedfordshire, having handed out a couple of belated Christmas presents with comical playing out of the back on Boxing Day two seasons ago before being rescued by Bobby Decordova-Reid's 95th-minute leveller.

Luton's quiet assuredness back in the second tier has been one of the lesser-told stories of recent seasons. Jones guided the Hatters to safety after returning to Kenilworth Road following his sacking at Stoke, taking sixteen points from a possible 27 when the Championship resumed after the coronavirus lockdown. The following campaign was arguably even more impressive as Luton finished twelfth with 62 points – their best return in the second tier since 1982. Clever – and cut-price – recruitment has been key, with the acquisition of Amari'i Bell after the Jamaican full back's release by Blackburn arguably one of the signings of the summer at this level.

Adebayo, who leads Luton's scoring charts with nine goals in nineteen games this season, will be particularly keen to prove a point tomorrow having spent three years at Fulham's academy and worked his way back up to the Championship following his release in 2019. Silva suggested that the Hatters could pose a physical threat, but their football is more varied than that under Jones, even if the Kenilworth Road regulars have yet to see the very best of Allan Campbell, who moved south in the summer after his Motherwell contract came to an end. Jones' biggest selection dilemma will be whether to stick with James Shea between the sticks after his clean sheet at Blackpool or reinstate Simon Sluga with the Croatian international now fully recovered from an untimely illness.

Illness has been a feature of Fulham's past fortnight as well with a norovirus bug damaging their preparations for the draws with Derby and Preston. The Whites were below par in both of those encounters – even without some of their key performers – but Silva was encouraged by the manner of their comeback against Bournemouth last Friday, with Tosin Adarabioyo's late glancing header preserving top spot. A first point won from a losing position this term was a pleasing response to the shock of conceding to Dominic Solanke seconds into the second half, but the Whites badly need to reaffirm their promotion credentials with a return to winning ways this weekend.

Silva confirmed yesterday that, whilst Antonee Robinson is available for a swift return having missed the Bournemouth draw through illness, neither Ivan Cavaleiro nor Nathaniel Chalobah will be feature tomorrow. The chief questions around selection should surround a recall for Kenny Tete at right back and how best to structure Fulham's midfield. Tom Cairney changed the complexion of Scott Parker's return to Craven Cottage when he came off the bench alongside Decordova-Reid, but sacrificing the newly-blonde Jean Michael Seri – who has been sensational for much of this season – would be a bold. Fabio Carvalho faded somewhat against the Cherries and his precocious talent needs careful nurturing, even if he remains Fulham's most dynamic number ten.

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



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/12/up-next-luton-town-a/

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Fulham out of FA Youth Cup after five-goal thriller at Everton

Fulham crashed out of the FA Youth Cup after losing a five-goal thriller full of drama to Everton at Goodison Park this evening. The hosts dominated the first half but Ali Melloul's side went in front through a predatory finish from Ollie Robinson, who followed up a Luke Harris shot. Everton eventually made their superiority tell thanks to a second half double from Stanley Mills, whose second deflected viciously in off of substitute Stefan Parkes. The young Fulham left back was then involved in a horrible mix-up with goalkeeper Alex Borto, allowing Francis Okorokwo to tap home a third from barely a yard out.

The action wasn't finished even in injury with Toffees' captain Matthew Mallon sent off for a late tackle on Harris, who was also dismissed for reacting angrily to the challenge and sparking a twelve-man brawl. The referee initially showed the red card to Matt Dibley-Dias before being alerted to his error and the classy midfielder crashed in a phenomenal free-kick off the far post but Fulham could not force an equaliser.

Everton had the better of a watchable first half but proved unable to make their superiority show on the scoreboard. Elijah Campbell sent a header wide from a free-kick and Borto saved well from Katia Kouyate with Mallon wasting the follow up. Having barely had a sight of goal, the Whites went in front when Harris was afforded too much room to line up a shot from the edge of the area and Sanderson reacted smartly to slot home from close range after Patrick Nash failed to hold on.

The Everton goalkeeper made amends by denying Imani Lanquedoc at his near post and the home side certainly should have been level by the interval. Borto pushed away a fierce drive from Jenson Metcalfe and Charlie Walker did superbly to collect a pass from Isaac Price and spin past Harvey Araujo but stabbed an improvised finish wide of goal,

Fulham fashioned a good chance to double their lead after the break when Everton failed to clear a free kick and Harris flashed a shot just past the post. Dibley-Dias then curled an excellent long-range effort fractionally wide. Everton equalised just before the hour mark through a fine move. Whitaker darted in from the left flank and unlocked the away defence with a slide-rule ball that released Mills, who slipped a low finish beyond Borto. The game was completely transformed eight minutes later when Mills beat Araujo after cutting in from the right and saw his shot nestle in the far corner after deflecting off Parkes.

A miserable cameo for the Fulham substitute then saw him get a backpass to Borto horribly wrong and Okorokwo gleefully accepted the gift to seemingly end the contest. But after an unsavoury melee followed the set-to between Mallon and Harris, Dibley-Dias – easily Fulham's finest performer on a disappointing evening – bent a brilliant free-kick in off the back post from an acute angle. It proved academic as the young Whites exited the Cup at the first hurdle for the second season in succession.

EVERTON UNDER 18s (4-2-3-1): Nash; Mallon, Samuels-Smith, Campbell, Welch; Metcalfe, Butterfield; Mills, Whitaker, Price; Kouyate (Okorokwo 45). Subs (not used): Stewart, Dixon, Tierney, Heath, Lawrence, Sherif.

BOOKED: Welch.

SENT OFF: Mallon (90+4).

GOALS: Mills (59, 67), Okorokwo (85).

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Borto; Tanton (McCoy-Splatt 72), de Fougorelles (Parkes 45), C. Robinson, Araujo; Benjamin, Dibley-Dias; Harris, Wildbore (Olakigbe 68), Lanquedoc; Sanderson. Subs (not used): McNally, Parker, Okkas, Gordon.

BOOKED: de Fougorelles, Araujo.

SENT OFF: Harris (90+4).

GOALS: Sanderson (22), Dibley-Dias (90+6).



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/12/fulham-out-of-fa-youth-cup-after-five-goal-thriller-at-everton/

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Matt O'Riley wins the EFL's Young Player of the Month for November

The MK Dons starlet took a "gamble" when leaving Fulham to sign for the Sky Bet League One side, but it's a risk that's paid off.

It's hard to believe that this time last year, Milton Keynes Dons midfielder Matt O'Riley was without a Club and training largely by himself after turning down a new deal at Fulham in favour of a change.

Now, he's being recognised as the EFL's Young Player of the Month for November, having excelled under new head coach Liam Manning, with the Dons sitting just inside the Play-Off places in the Sky Bet League One standings

And, to say he didn't plan on outstaying his welcome at Stadium MK, after a friend of a friend got him an in with former boss Russell Martin to keep his fitness levels up, the 21-year-old hasn't done too badly.

"I got a lot of weird looks from people at first thinking, 'what are you doing?'" he began. "Now, they're starting to realise, 'OK, it probably was the right thing for him to do'.

"I've played 50-odd games here and yeah, I might have played that at Fulham, but at that time in my career, it just didn't feel like the right thing to do. I wanted to take my career into my own hands and trust my ability. Ever since I've done that, it's really paid off."

O'Riley, who maintains a close friendship with August's Young Player of the Month and former Fulham team-mate Fabio Carvalho, bagged two goals and an assist in a 4-0 win against Morecambe last time out in the League.

That takes his tally to five goals and five assists and counting – already a better yield when compared to the previous season.

"That's kind of what tipped it off," he said, on accepting the award. "A 4-0 win and it's always nice to score, but I'm not someone that prides my game purely on goals. I like to run a game, in terms of passes and all of that kind of stuff."

Transitioning seamlessly between roles, the youngster has tried his hand playing centrally, deep, further forward and out on the right, allowing him to switch up his game this year and become more versatile.

And although it's nice to make the scoresheet, the midfielder has found himself thriving in a more defensive-minded position.

"At the start of the season, I was playing a bit deeper and trying to dictate the game, in terms of my position, whereas in November I was playing a bit higher up. In the sense of goals and assists, it was probably a bit easier for me to contribute and stand out. At Morecambe the other week, I was playing a bit higher up so I was getting into positions that I wouldn't usually get into.

"At the start of the season, I'd have said I'd rather have played higher up. When I started playing deeper, I got a lot more of the ball and I really got my touches. I enjoyed that more, purely because when I get more of the ball, I can help the team tick, as such, and get us flowing nicely."

In skipper Dean Lewington's absence, O'Riley has stepped up to the plate and worn the captain's armband on a handful of occasions, demonstrating his natural leadership skills for all to see – something which the manager encouraged him to grasp with both hands.

"When Liam came in, he said to me from the start that he wants me to be somebody who can lead within a young team," he recalled. "I've tried to do that ever since.

"We've got Dean Lewington who has played 800-odd games so I can't be in a position to want that captaincy, but whenever I've stepped up to it, I've tried to do a good job. It's something I've really enjoyed.

"I'm a better player this season than I was last season. I'm more confident and I'm taking more responsibility within the team."

The beating heart of a youthful squad making their mark under Manning, with O'Riley in particular striking up a partnership with League One November Player of the Month Scott Twine, the number seven – who currently features in the WhoScored League One Team of the Season so far – has well and truly taken his career back into his own hands, as recognised by his accolade.

"It's the first time I've won it so it's a new experience in that sense but a nice one," he continued.

"I'm just very grateful to be a part of a team that's a proper team. There are no egos in the squad, no cliques and everyone's a real tight unit. That definitely helps me on the pitch.

"Hopefully there's more to come in the future."



https://www.efl.com/news/2021/december/matt-oriley-wins-the-efls-young-player-of-the-month-for-november/

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Fulham hoping to strike contract deal with youngster Jay Stansfield

Fulham are hoping to keep hold of striker Jay Stansfield, as per a report by The Telegraph.

The attacker is out of contract at the end of the season and could leave the club next summer for compensation.

Stansfield, 19, is believed to have caught the eye of Leicester City and Crystal Palace this season.

Marco Silva's side are hopeful they can tie him down to a long-term deal to avoid losing him to the Premier League.

Career to date

Stansfield started his career in the academy at Exeter City before moving to Fulham in 2019.

He has since been a regular for the London club at various youth levels over recent years.

The teenager was handed his first-team debut in January 2020 against Aston Villa in the FA Cup.

He has since made three more appearances for Fulham in all competitions, chipping in with a single goal.

Stansfield has also represented England at both Under-18s and Under-20s level so far.

Bright future

The attacker is being tipped for a bright future at Craven Cottage and agreeing a new contract with him would be a boost if they are able to do it.

What next?

Fulham are in action today away at Luton Town before festive fixtures against Sheffield United and Birmingham City.

They are currently top of the tree and will be hoping to stay there for Christmas.



https://the72.co.uk/257519/fulham-hoping-to-strike-contract-deal-with-youngster-jay-stansfield/

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Luton striker Adebayo relishing the chance to take on his former side Fulham
Striker started his career at Craven Cottage


Elijah Adebayo in action for Fulham during their Checkatrade Trophy campaign in November 2017

Luton striker Elijah Adebayo is relishing the opportunity of going up against his former club Fulham this weekend.

The 23-year-old joined the west London side as a nine-year-old in 2007, spending over a decade at Craven Cottage, but despite playing three times for the U21s in the Checkatrade Trophy, exited having never made a first team appearance.

After moving to Walsall in 2019, he was then snapped up by Luton in January of this year and has fast become a crowd favourite at Kenilworth Road, thanks in so small measure by his tally of 14 goals in 37 appearances so far.

On facing his former employers, Adebayo said: "I'm looking forward to it, but it's like any other game, I look forward to any game.

"It's just another game that I've got to knuckle down and hopefully we take the three points, that's the most important thing.

"Things happen in football, it's just about what happens on the day.

"If I score and we win, it's a good day, if I don't score and we win, it's still a good day, I'm not too fussed about it.

"I've still got massive respect for everyone at Fulham Football Club, they helped me develop into the player I am today, along the journey with other clubs as well.

"It was a good journey, it's come to an end now and I'm a Luton Town player."

Adebayo's former team are showing they intend to make their stay in the Championship a brief one, having been relegated from the Premier League last term.

Although they are currently on a run of three successive draws, seven straight wins before that has seen Marco Silva's side climb to the summit, leading Bournemouth by a point with a seven point gap to third place West Bromwich Albion.

Town's top goalscorer continued: "We know it's going to be a tough game, they're at the top of the league for a reason.

"It's a game where we need to do the basics and be clinical, because against the top teams you might not get as many chances as we got (against Blackpool).

"You might get one or two chances and that's when you have to make sure you take those chances.

"As if you get the first goal, we very rarely ever lose game, so I'm looking forward to it myself."

The Cottagers have much feared Serbian international Aleksander Mitrovic leading the line, with 21 goals to his name already this term,

With the rest of his team-mates chipping in with another 29, it has seen Fulham reach the half century mark already, at an average of over two a game.

Despite that, Adebayo is confident they can cope with the former Newcastle forward, adding: "We know that, we know his qualities, we know he's score a load of goals, but I don't see him beating Sonny Bradley to a header!

"I have full faith in Sonny and the rest of the back five, whoever's playing, to go and do a job, so we're all looking forward to it."



https://www.lutontoday.co.uk/sport/football/luton-town/luton-striker-adebayo-relishing-the-chance-to-take-on-his-former-side-fulham-3491316

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Crystal Palace and Leicester sniffing around Stansfield

Crystal Palace and Leicester City are interested in signing Fulham's teenage striker Jay Stansfield, according to a report in this morning's Daily Telegraph.

The former Exeter City forward has only six months to run on his current contract at Craven Cottage but is understood to be happy at Fulham and the Championship club are confident that will he put pen to paper on a new deal in the next few weeks. Stansfield scored a stunning first senior goal at Birmingham in the League Cup earlier this season and has been in terrific form for Steve Wigley's under 23 side.

Palace, Leicester and a number of other leading English sides are attracted by the prospect of pinching Stansfield, an England under 20 international, for a nominal fee in the summer. The young forward had knee surgery last month and hopes to return to training at Motspur Park before Christmas. Fulham are eager to avoid losing another promising prospect for peanuts, especially with playmaker Fabio Carvalho yet to sign a new deal.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/12/crystal-palace-and-leicester-sniffing-around-stansfield/

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2 dilemmas Marco Silva has at Fulham ahead of Luton clash

Fulham will be looking to end a three-game winless run when they take on Luton Town at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

With three consecutive draws and the team still seven points ahead of third place, there won't be any panicking at the Cottagers, but they will still be keen to get maximum points from the trip to the Hatters.

Marco Silva will have been encouraged by the way his side played against Bournemouth last time out, so he won't be considering major changes for this clash.

However, there could be some tinkering and here we look at the TWO main dilemmas that will be on the mind of the Portuguese coach...

Does Tom Cairney start?
Everyone knows how good Cairney is at this level, with the playmaker starring for Fulham as they've won promotion from this level in the past.

But, he has had to be managed carefully after coming back from a lengthy lay-off. Most of his recent appearances have come from the bench, but Cairney will be eager to get back in the XI and he will be pushing to play today.

Give his ability to play in different roles, there are a number of players who could miss out if Cairney does return.

Should Antonee Robinson come back into the XI?
One positive for Fulham going into the game is that left-back Robinson is available to play.

Joe Bryan is a fine backup option and he didn't do much wrong against the Cherries, so Silva does have a decision to make. However, given the ability of the USA international, you would expect him to come into the side.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/2-dilemmas-marco-silva-has-at-fulham-ahead-of-luton-clash/

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Hatters chief not preparing any special plans to combat prolific Cottagers forward Mitrovic
Town boss knows his side will have to defend well against Serbian international

Luton boss Nathan Jones won't be coming up with any specific plans to defend against the Championship's leading marksman in Fulham's Aleksander Mitrovic this afternoon.

The 27-year-old Serbian international is top scorer in the division, with 21 efforts thudding into the opposition net from just 20 appearances, including two hat-tricks against Swansea and West Bromwich Albion.

He scored in seven successive league matches recently, and managed four in his two appearances against Luton during the 2019-20 season, including a treble at Craven Cottage.

With the Cottagers on a massive 50 team goals for the season too, an average of just under 2.5 per game, when asked about preparing for the prolific forward, Jones said: "No, you just have to defend very well.

"Their front three are really potent, they've got people they can bring in that we haven't got the luxury to do.

"I would imagine Mitrovic's yearly wage is not far off our entire budget, so that's what we come up against, but that's no problem.

"We have to defend, it's a test and if you don't defend well against Mitrovic's, (Dominic) Solanke's or (Elijah) Adebayo's then you'll concede goals and that's the challenge."

As expected, Marco Silva's side are the frontrunners for promotion this term, having come down from the Premier League in the summer, adding Liverpool's Harry Wilson for £12m to a squad already brimming with talent for the second tier.

They are currently on a 10-game unbeaten run, although have drawn their last three after a seven match winning streak, where they put four past QPR, Nottingham Forest and Barnsley, hammering Blackburn Rovers 7-0 at Ewood Park as well.

On the test ahead of his side, Jones continued: "It's the hardest game in the league and the reason it's the hardest game in the league is because right now they are the best team in the league.

"The reason they're the best team in the league is because they're top of the league, so they've been very consistent.

"They have a Premier League squad and they're either in the Premier League or top of the Championship, that's their more recent history.

"We know it's going to be a very, very tough game, they are the highest scorers in the league, they have some of the best players and they have a fantastic squad.

"But this is why we wanted to get to the Championship, to test ourselves all the time.

"If we wanted, with the greatest respect, to play Morecambe again, or whatever then we probably wouldn't have bothered getting promoted, so these are the games that we love playing in.

"A fully Kenny on a Saturday afternoon, we probably would prefer it to be a night game as we love a night game here, but a full Kenny against the favorites to go up, the ones with the biggest budget, probably the strongest squad, what a great afternoon and we're going to relish the challenge."

With Town favouring a high press approach against their opponents this term, when discussing if they will be able to do so and potentially leave themselves open at the back against such a potent strikeforce, Jones added: "We're a better side now, every year we've improved every level of our attacking, of our defending and our pressing, so we'll wait and see.

"I don't want to say what we're going to do as you never know who's listening, watching or tuning in, but we'll be ourselves, whatever version of ourselves that is.

"We've worked tactically and it's a wonderful game.

"If you get things wrong, or you don't perform well against Fulham you're going to get punished as they've got threats all over, but the challenge is for us to get it right."



https://www.lutontoday.co.uk/sport/football/luton-town/hatters-chief-not-preparing-any-special-plans-to-combat-prolific-cottagers-forward-mitrovic-3491374

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2 dilemmas Nathan Jones has at Luton Town ahead of Fulham clash

Luton Town will be striving to record back-to-back victories for the first time this season later on, but they will know that today's test will be as tough as they come.

The Hatters welcome Fulham to Kenilworth Road, and whilst the Cottagers have been confined to three successive draws, they have proven to be a class above so far this season.

Currently sitting in 12th place and six points from the much-desired play-off positions, the Bedfordshire club are also bridging a 12-point gap from the relegation zone with their 3-0 win at Blackpool last weekend.

When the two teams met in the Championship during the 2019/20 campaign, there were 11 goals across the two matches, so it remains to be seen if a similar pattern might follow.

Here, we take a look at two dilemmas that Nathan Jones will be pondering over ahead of kick-off at 3pm...

Second striker or wingers?
Elijah Adebayo and Harry Cornick have formed an excellent working relationship this season, with the pair chipping in with goals and assists galore.

However, the latter will miss the next few games because of a calf injury, giving Jones something to think about ahead of kick-off.

In Cornick's absence when Luton travelled to Blackpool last week, Carlos Mendes Gomes was handed a rare start as an inverted winger, with Jordan Clark operating next to him.

It remains to be seen if that will be the plan once more, with the likes of Admiral Muskwe and Fred Onyedinma also options.

Simon Sluga or James Shea
Simon Sluga has established himself as number one at Luton for the vast majority of his stay with the Hatter thus far.

However, with Sluga absent in two of Luton's last three matches, James Shea has come into the side and put in very strong displays.

His performance at the weekend would fully justify another start against the table-toppers, but it is a decision that Jones will have been thinking about for a long time.

Sluga is still first-choice at Kenilworth Road, but based on current form, Shea deserves a run in the side, as that is now two clean sheets in two Championship encounters.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/2-dilemmas-nathan-jones-has-at-luton-town-ahead-of-fulham-clash/

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