Monday Fulham Stuff - 13/12/21...

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3 things we clearly learnt about Fulham after their 1-1 draw with Luton Town

Fulham were forced to settle for a point in their showdown with Luton Town yesterday at Kenilworth Road.

Aleksandar Mitrovic opened the scoring for the Cottagers in the 19th minute as he fired home from close-range.

Following the break, Luton levelled proceedings as Elijah Adebayo planted a header past Fulham goalkeeper Marek Rodak.

Whilst the Cottagers did push for a winner in the closing stages of the game, they were unable to break down a resilient Hatters side.

Despite missing out on the opportunity to claim a seventh away league win of the season, Fulham extended their advantage at the top of the Championship standings to two points as their nearest rivals AFC Bournemouth suffered a 2-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers.

Here, we have decided to take a look at THREE things we clearly learnt about Fulham after their 1-1 draw with Luton...

The Cottagers need to be more clinical in-front of goal after taking the lead in games
Despite taking the lead in two of their last three league fixtures, Fulham have been unable to extend their advantage over their opponents.

The Cottagers would have been hoping to put Luton to the sword yesterday after Mitrovic netted his 22nd goal of the season.

However, the Hatters managed to seal a draw in this fixture as the likes of Tom Cairney and Neeskens Kebano passed up opportunities to add a second for Fulham.

In order to push on in the Championship in the coming weeks, Fulham will unquestionably need to be more clinical in-front of a goal.

Cairney should be handed an extended run in the side by Marco Silva
After helping his side seal a point in their showdown with Bournemouth earlier this month by providing an assist in this fixture, Cairney once again illustrated some signs of promise in Saturday's meeting with Luton.

The midfielder produced one key pass at Kenilworth Road and completed two successful dribbles (as per WhoScored) before being substituted in the second-half.

Although it is safe to say that Cairney has yet to reach top gear in the Championship this season since returning from injury, there is no reason why he cannot go on to thrive at this level again if Marco Silva decides to hand him an extended run in the club's starting eleven.

Fulham's ability to pick up positive results on their travels could play a major role in the race for promotion
Whilst Fulham will be disappointed by the fact that they were unable to secure victory in yesterday's fixture, their ability to pick up points on a regular basis away from home will put them in good stead in the race for automatic promotion.

The Cottagers currently possess the second-best away record in the Championship and have only tasted defeat on their travels on two occasions this season.

By maintaining their consistency over the course of the coming months, it wouldn't be at all surprising if Fulham extend their advantage over the chasing pack in the second-tier.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/3-things-we-clearly-learnt-about-fulham-after-their-1-1-draw-with-luton-town/

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Marco Silva explains Fulham man's absence from Luton draw

Fulham head coach Marco Silva has revealed that Harrison Reed missed yesterday's clash with Luton Town due to a muscular injury.

Reed would have been hoping to make his 16th league appearance of the season at Kenilworth Road.

However, the midfielder was unable to feature in this particular clash due to his issue.

In Reed's absence, Fulham extended their advantage over nearest rivals AFC Bournemouth in the Championship standings by sealing a point in their meeting with the Hatters.

Aleksandar Mitrovic netted his 22nd goal of the season in the first-half of this fixture as the Cottagers made a bright start to proceedings.

However, following the break, Luton netted an equaliser as Elijah Adebayo fired past goalkeeper Marek Rodak in the 62nd minute.

Neither side were able to score a winning goal in the closing stages of the game as the clash ended in a draw.

Currently top of the second-tier standings, Fulham will be looking to get back to winning ways when they face Sheffield United on December 20th.

Following the club's latest Championship fixture, Silva offered an update on Reed's injury.

Speaking in his post-match press conference (as cited by Fulham's official website) about the midfielder, the 44-year-old said: "He got a little muscle injury.

"We had doubts whether to play him or not, let's hope next week he will be okay, but we're not sure."

The Verdict

It could be argued that Silva made the correct call not to risk Reed in this fixture as he may have suffered another injury setback against Luton.

During the 15 games that he has played in the Championship this season, the midfielder has managed to show some signs of promise as he is currently averaging a respectable WhoScored match rating of 6.70 at this level.

Having opted to draft in Tom Cairney as Reed's replacement in yesterday's fixture, it will be intriguing to see who Silva decides to start against the Blades later this month if both players are fit enough to feature at Craven Cottage.

For Reed's sake, he will be hoping to make a swift recovery from his current issue as he could potentially fall down the pecking order at Fulham due to the competition for places in the club's squad.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/marco-silva-explains-fulham-mans-absence-from-luton-draw/

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he 11 Fulham players in the final six months of their contracts in January – who should stay and who should go?
Fulham have a host of players out of contract next summer, which could spring up some big decisions for Marco Silva next month.

Fulham still lead the Championship table despite drawing their last four fixtures.

The Whites drew 1-1 at Luton Town yesterday, with Bournemouth losing 2-0 at home to Blackburn Rovers as their dip in form continues.

January then will be a crucial month for all promotion-chasing clubs – here we look at the 11 Fulham players entering the final six months of their contracts next month...

Jean Michael Seri

Dropping back down into the Championship it was unknown whether Jean Michael Seri would want to stick around. But the former Nice midfielder has become a key player under Silva, assisting six goals in 21 league outings – with a one-year option in his contract as per Transfermarkt, it could prove foolish if the club weren't to trigger that.

Alfie Mawson

Another big money signing from Fulham's Premier League seasons, but one who is yet to prevail. Mawson has featured just six times in the league this season after injury thwarted what looked to be a promising loan season with Bristol City last season.

At 27 he could still have plenty of years ahead of him, but fitness remains the question for Mawson.

Fabio Carvalho

Fulham's contract rebel has been the talk of transfer speculation all season. He has no shortage of top European suitors but Silva will surely be sweating over his future, with the 19-year-old having shown great potential this season.

If they can, Fulham should get Carvalho signed up to a long-term contract at all costs.

Michael Hector

The centre-back has proved a useful player to Fulham in the past but with just seven league appearances across this season and last season combined, it seems like Hector may be falling well out of favour.

He's featured on the bench in Fulham's last three outings and injuries could yet see him play a part this season – should he not though, it seems unlikely that he'll earn a new deal.

Neeskens Kebano

One of Fulham's Player of the Season so far, Neeskens Kebano is a huge fan favourite and a hugely important player under Silva, with his trickery and pace being a huge outlet for Fulham this season.

A new contract looks to have become a priority for Fulham.

Steven Sessegnon

The 21-year-old was once a player bursting with potential. Fast-forward to now though and he remains in the doldrums of the Fulham side, and looking no way near the starting XI.

Injury has hampered his last few seasons and he remains a very young player, so it'd no surprise if Fulham renew his stay but also no surprise if they let him go.

Cyrus Christie

Silva has exiled Cyrus Christie this season. He's featured just once under the Portuguese manager, in the EFL Cup back in September. Since then his sole performance has been with Republic of Ireland – he's not featured in a single matchday squad this season.

A player who's shown ability in the past, but it now seems like Christie is heading towards the free market.

Fabricio

The Spaniard hasn't featured in the league for Fulham since the 2018/19 season. He still has just two league appearances to his name for the club and with Silva having some strong names in the goalkeeping department, it seems like Fabricio's time at Fulham is drawing to an end.

Dennis Odoi

Since signing in 2016, Odoi has had spells in and out of the side, and spells of criticism too – he's often proved a divisive player among Fulham fans but he's played an important role this season, with three goal contributions in his 15 league outings.

But at 33, another year for the Belgian may prove one too many.

Tim Ream

Tim Ream has become a fan favourite in recent seasons. He's featured in all of Fulham's 22 Championship fixtures so far this season and has proved to be a formidable player once again – at 34-years-old though, a contract renewal could likely depend on how he maintains match fitness in the second half of this season.

Tyrese Francois

The youngster featured twice in the Championship this season before picking up a long-term injury. A product of the club's academy, it's anyone's guess whether he'll rewarded with a short contract extension, though he has shown potential in the past.



https://the72.co.uk/257598/the-11-fulham-players-in-the-final-six-months-of-their-contracts-in-january-who-should-stay-and-who-should-go/

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Fulham and West Brom have shown Sheffield United their major failing so far in promotion race

The Championship's table of expected goals has United sitting third behind their two fellow relegated sides

If the expected goals table is anything to go, Sheffield United would not only be right in the thick of the promotion picture, but Slavisa Jokanovic would still be in a job.

The Blades headed into this weekend's round of fixtures third in the Championship's XG table.

That's a far cry from their actual placing of 13th.

Only six teams have conceded more goals than United's 28, so for large parts of this season the narrative has been around the need to tighten up at the back.

However, what has been happening at the top end of the pitch has been just as influential.

Based on the number of quality chances they have created, had they not been as profligate in front of goal then the promotion picture would look a lot different.

Only Fulham and West Brom have created better chances in front of goal than United.

Jokanovic would often bemoan his side's luck after a match, believing the failure to convert those chances on top of what he felt was a punishing conversion rate at the other end meant United's performances were not getting the results they merited.

Although his 4-2-3-1 formation was a big talking point, he felt the shape had little to do with the outcome. Feeling his side were not giving too much away in front of goal and were asking a lot more questions at the other end, he felt what was happening in both boxes was not a true picture.

And the table backs that up.

Not only is United's goal tally of 28 below what is expected from their opening 21 matches, but their XG against also highlights the opposition have been incredibly clinical from the chances that have come their way.

Fulham and West Brom, two relegated teams alongside United, are more than justifying their actual position in the table right now, and although Jokanovic was keen not to ask for sympathy regarding those games where United did not get what they deserved, he has every right to feel hard done by.

Goals change games and United have not got the goals they should have this season, compared to the opposition who have more than profited from some incredibly prolific finishing when coming up against United.

The early signs under Paul Heckingbottom have been encouraging with deserved victories in both games, but he'll be hoping teams don't find as much success in front of their goal in the second half of the season as they look to mount a serious challenge for promotion.



https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/football/news/west-brom-shown-sheffield-united-22438093

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Crystal Palace set to sign Fulham wonderkid for free

Crystal Palace look set to sign a prodigy from one of their direct London rivals for free.

According to The Telegraph as cited by HITC, The Eagles are signing Fulham youngster Jay Stansfield, with the young striker out of contract in June.

With his contract situation the way it is, unless they can agree new to terms they are likely to lose him for nothing but a compensation fee come the summer.

Fulham manager Marco Silva is clearly a big fan of him too, saying that he can score goals easily.

The 19-year-old has so far only made four first team appearances, scoring one goal.

However, in the Under 18's and Under 23's his record is very impressive, scoring 35 goals in 40 appearances, also chipping in with six assists to bring his goal contributions into the one more one per game.

Signing Stansfield would align with Crystal Palace's recent philosophy of bringing through youngsters to integrate into the first team, as seen with the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Tyrick Mitchell.

If the Fulham man is as good as he is hyped up to be, then Palace will be signing a player who could be a long term part of the rebuild Patrick Viera is looking to oversee at Selhurst park.



https://www.caughtoffside.com/2021/12/12/crystal-palace-set-to-sign-fulham-wonderkid-for-free/

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'We've lost two points' – Fulham boss' honest verdict on the draw v Luton Town
Fulham's 1-1 draw yesterday afternoon against Luton Town was their fourth league draw in a row and manager Marco Silva was not impressed with his team's performance.

After seven league wins on the bounce, Fulham have not been able to keep up that incredible form and have struggled over the last few weeks against some tough opposition.

One of Fulham's four draws came against Bournemouth which is a game which would be understandable for Fulham to drop points in as Bournemouth, along with the Whites have been the best team in the league this year.

Fulham's other three draws were against Derby, Preston, and Luton which are all opposition which Fulham and Marco Silva would expect to get three points against.

After their latest draw which came on Saturday afternoon away to Luton Town, Silva expressed his disappointment at his team's performance.

Silva said: "We've lost two points. The game was balanced, a tough game like we expected."

The Fulham manager also admitted that his team simply did not create enough big chances to secure a win, saying:

"We didn't create big chances but we controlled the first half."

This has been the case for Fulham for the last few weeks and if they want to stay up at the top of the table fighting for the title then they need to figure out a way to break down the teams who sit at the lower end of the division.

With the January transfer window just around the corner, Silva and the Fulham board will no doubt be looking for improvements in what is already a sensational squad at Championship level.

Up next for them is a home game v Sheffield United on the 20th of this month.



https://the72.co.uk/257609/weve-lost-two-points-fulham-boss-honest-verdict-on-the-draw-v-luton-town/

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Fulham hoping to welcome Harrison Reed back vs Sheffield United after muscle injury
Fulham boss Marco Silva has said Harrison Reed missed Saturday's draw with Luton Town through a muscle injury.

Fulham were without Harrison Reed as they drew a fourth consecutive Championship game against Luton Town on Saturday.

Aleksandar Mitrovic opened the scoring with his 22nd goal of the season just before the 20-minute mark. However, they were pegged back just after the hour-mark when former academy striker Elijah Adebayo headed home from a James Bree cross.

That was how the game would end too, with the Hatters taking an even share of the points back to Kenilworth Road.

Following the game, an update emerged on the absence of Reed as Marco Silva spoke to the club's official website.

"He got a little muscle injury," Silva said of Reed.

"We had doubts whether to play him or not, let's hope next week he will be okay, but we're not sure."

Reed's campaign to date
Injury has disrupted the former Southampton midfielder's campaign somewhat, missing the first four games through injury. However, he has been a mainstay in Silva's side for much of the season since then.

Across all competitions, Reed has played 16 times this season, chipping in with one assist in the process.

It awaits to be seen if Reed can break back into the starting XI should he return against Sheffield United. Silva started with a midfield three of Jean Michael Seri, Tom Cairney and Bobby De-Cordova Reid against Luton, so it will be interesting to see who he replaces in the side if he's fit once again.



https://the72.co.uk/257630/fulham-hoping-to-welcome-harrison-reed-back-vs-sheffield-united-after-muscle-injury/

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Serie A | Napoli 0-1 Empoli: Fluke Cutrone goal stuns Spalletti

Empoli have again caused a huge upset by beating a top team, a fluke Patrick Cutrone goal proving luck really was not on Napoli's side this evening, the first win here since 2008.

The Partenopei were still missing Victor Osimhen, Kalidou Koulibaly, Fabian Ruiz and Stanislav Lobotka, but Lorenzo Insigne and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa were back on the bench. Luciano Spalletti completed his two-match touchline ban, facing his former assistant manager Aurelio Andreazzoli.

Dries Mertens fired over the bar, but Napoli lost Piotr Zielinski when he was suffering from respiratory problems, forcing Insigne to return earlier than expected.

Eljif Elmas almost opened the scoring moments later with a looping strike from the edge of the area that bounced off the top of the crossbar.

Empoli also threatened, Patrick Cutrone rolling across the face of goal for Nedim Bajrami to hit the side-netting.

Chucky Lozano stung Guglielmo Vicario's gloves at the near top corner and a typical Insigne right-foot curler flashed wide.

Mertens had a shot charged down and Giovanni Di Lorenzo's follow-up beaten away by Vicario, but David Ospina used his chest to parry when Cutrone got away from Juan Jesus.

Napoli had the ball in the net when Mario Rui floated a free kick over the top and Juan Jesus got it in with a goalmouth scramble, but the offside flag was up.

Matteo Politano, Insigne and Federico Di Francesco tested the goalkeepers at either end, but the deadlock was finally broken in truly the most bizarre fashion.

A corner was cleared by Anguissa, but he nodded it onto the back of Patrick Cutrone's head and the ricochet at the near post took it into the net. Cutrone had no idea that he had just scored a goal.

Moments later, Napoli's luck went against them again, as Andrea Petagna's strike cannoned off the base of the upright.

Eljif Elmas was carried off with an ankle injury in the closing minutes, as Empoli shut up shop for a shock victory.

Napoli 0-1 Empoli



https://football-italia.net/serie-a-napoli-0-1-empoli-fluke-cutrone-goal-stuns-spalletti/