Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 18/10/22...

[WhiteJC]

Short and sweet, is Fulham must win for the manager and highlights

I don't remember everything I write, but I do remember my views and opinions and it's nice to see that the manager hasn't been sacked this morning. The performance yesterday was better and barring a couple of mistakes and with a little bit of luck, we would have won.

I know, too many ifs and buts about a match we ultimately lost. But as I've just been reminded this morning, the real test is Thursday against Fulham. It would be too easy for me to focus on the errors from yesterday or missed chances and as the manager said after the game, mistakes are made.

So we have to look to Thursday and there are reports circulating on social media that the manager has two games to save his job. Guess what, some managers and players thrive under pressure and maybe this is what the manager needs.

If the players want to play for Steven Gerrard then they'll put in a performance for him on Thursday but the manager has to make another tough decision. Does he leave out Coutinho and Buendia again. It's tough because without them, things did look more promising.

Fulham are 11th and if everything went our way this week and we beat them, we could be 11th. The other day, had we won the game we were playing, three points would have taken us to ninth. As the season progresses, things get further away and that is why we need to win in London this week.

If you also look at their form, they've picked up four points from the last five games while we've picked up six. If form is to be considered, you might say we stand a chance. Dare I say it, this is a must win game for Steven Gerrard?



https://www.thevillablog.co.uk/aston-villa-blog/avfc-opinion/short-and-sweet-is-fulham-must-win-for-the-manager-and-highlights

[WhiteJC]

Mitro: It Was A Penalty

Aleksandar Mitrović was frustrated not to beat AFC Bournemouth on Saturday, but conceded that the draw might have been a fair result.

"The target was three points," he said. "No matter who's the opponent, when we're playing at home the target is three points.

"We conceded sloppy goals and I think that cost us the game. We managed to get the draw, one point is better than zero, and we move on.

"Second half we knew we needed to take a few more risks. I think we dominated the game, they dropped a little bit deeper and didn't try to play a lot.

"Second half we were better than our opponent and maybe could have managed to get another, but I think one point is a fair result.

"Am I happy? No, but we take it and move on.

"We've got another big, big game in a few days, and we have to recover and prepare for that."

Fulham's second equaliser was a penalty won and dispatched by Mitrović after he was hauled to the ground by Jefferson Lerma.

When asked if he's pleased to see opposition players being penalised for such actions, Mitro replied: "To be honest with you, sometimes I'm not even tired from running, I'm tired from wrestling with defenders all game.

"There were two or three big guys around me, always holding, so it takes a lot of energy. I was really exhausted, not from running, from wrestling!

"If you're a big strong guy, like I am, they try to stop you. I think the penalty was a soft one, but it was a penalty.

"I'm not going to talk about referees, but there's been a lot of soft penalties this season. If it was a penalty against us in the last game, then I think this one was 100 per cent a penalty as well.

"I was happy to get one for us, and I managed to put it on target. To be honest I had one or two more chances where I could have reacted better."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/october/17/mitro-it-was-a-penalty/

[WhiteJC]

Mitrovic: 'I'm tired from all the wrestling'

Aleksandar Mitrovic admitted he was exhausted by the end of Fulham's enthralling draw with Bournemouth on Saturday – but not from running around, rather the wrestling he had to do with the Cherries' centre halves.

The Serbian striker, who returned from a foot injury to score the Whites' second equaliser from the penalty spot, told the club's official website that the grappling – more akin to AEW than the Premier League – took a heavy toll, especially as he remains short of match sharpness.

    "To be honest with you, sometimes I'm not even tired from running, I'm tired from wrestling with defenders all game. There were two or three big guys around me, always holding, so it takes a lot of energy. I was really exhausted, not from running, from wrestling!

Mitrovic gave short shrift to Gary O'Neill's complaints about the award of the penalty when he was hauled to the floor by Jefferson Lerma.

    If you're a big strong guy, like I am, they try to stop you. I think the penalty was a soft one, but it was a penalty. I'm not going to talk about referees, but there's been a lot of soft penalties this season. If it was a penalty against us in the last game, then I think this one was 100 per cent a penalty as well. I was happy to get one for us, and I managed to put it on target. To be honest I had one or two more chances where I could have reacted better."

Fulham's number nine reiterated his disappointment at only picking up a point, but believes the Whites can return to winning ways on Thursday night against Aston Villa.

"The target was three points. No matter who's the opponent, when we're playing at home the target is three points. We conceded sloppy goals and I think that cost us the game. We managed to get the draw, one point is better than zero, and we move on. Am I happy? No, but we take it and move on. We've got another big, big game in a few days, and we have to recover and prepare for that."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/10/mitrovic-im-tired-from-all-the-wrestling/

[WhiteJC]

Midweek action at Craven Cottage!

Tickets are still available to purchase for this Thursday's upcoming Premier League clash with Aston Villa.

Following Saturday's 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth, Fulham are looking to build momentum when they welcome Steven Gerrard's side to Craven Cottage on Thursday 20th October, kick-off 7.30pm.

Supporters are reminded that the seats available include those within the upper tier of the Riverside Stand, these are priced at £80 for adults, and £50 for juniors.

Fans can secure their seats online at tickets.fulhamfc.com, by calling the Fulham FC Ticket Office on 0203 871 0810 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) or in person from the Fulham Ticket Office (open Mon-Fri 9:30am-4:30pm) with prices starting from £30 for adults and £20 for juniors. More information on pricing can be found here.

MATCHDAY HOSPITALITY

Enhance your matchday experience with limited on-site and off-site hospitality remaining for Thursday's fixture.

Divulge in a complete matchday experience showcasing some of the very best of London's Original Football Club, with packages available to view here.

For further details please contact [email protected] or call 0208 336 7555. Alternatively, you can purchase your package online here.

https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/october/17/midweek-action-at-craven-cottage/

[WhiteJC]

Marco Silva believes Fulham's draw with Bournemouth was 'two points lost' and insists his side 'deserved' win

The Cottagers twice fought back from behind against Gary O'Neil's resilient visitors to take a point at the weekend

Fulham manager Marco Silva believes his side dropped two points in their draw with Bournemouth at the weekend, insisting they "probably deserved" victory.

Gary O'Neil's visitors twice took the lead at Craven Cottage after goals from Dominic Solanke and Jefferson Lerma, although Silva's charges fought back on both occasions, with Issa Diop and Aleksandar Mitrovic on target.

The home side dominated much of the second half, but were unable to find a last-gasp winner. As a result, their boss, speaking post-match, admitted to feeling disappointed.

"Two lost," he said. "A tough match, like we expected, against a good side. A form side as well, they were in good momentum.

"After the last two defeats for us, we knew it was crucial for us to start the match well, start on the front foot, to create problems.

"What happened was the opposite. The first minute of the match we conceded a goal. Of course, you have to be much more aggressive in that moment. We concede with, in terms of numbers, with six against two inside our penalty box.

"But after that, I have to be proud of the reaction of our players. A great reaction. They took control of the match, pushed them back.

"They started to play in their own half, around their box. We started to create some dangerous moments around their box as well.

"I think we deserved to get the equaliser and then the same thing happened again, the next time they went around our box they scored. And they had another chance from a corner, with a save from Bernd (Leno)."

He went on to add: "Second half, we made some changes at half-time, not just the players but some important details which had an impact on the game.

"The second half was all from ourselves, that is the truth. They played with nine players around their box and just Solanke up front. I know they were winning and the responsibility was for us to get control of the game. It is tough to play against nine players around their box and the goalkeeper.

"We equalised and then we played so many times around their box. With different decisions in the attack, the last pass, last decision, last delivery as well, our team could score even more goals. It was something our players probably deserved.

"But it is one point and we have to keep going."



https://www.dorset.live/sport/football/silva-fulham-lost-points-bournemouth-7713178

[WhiteJC]

"It's been a key role" – Fulham player hails relationship with manager Marco Silva

Fulham midfielder João Palhinha today gave a long interview to Eleven Sports, and had a lot to say about his first few months playing for the Whites.

The 27-year-old made it clear that the relationship with manager Marco Silva is one of the most positive elements of his start at the Craven Cottage side, claiming he's had big help from the coach in his adaptation to English football.

"It's my first experience outside my country. Marco and I are very comfortable communicating. He shows me a lot of videos of what he wants from me, of what he wants me to keep improving and that helps a lot," Palhinha told Eleven Sports (via Record).

"I think it's been a key role he's had with me, and if I'm growing and getting noticed it's also thanks to him. In fact, I also feel better since I got here and that's also thanks to the work he and the team behind him has been doing with me. I hope to help in the same way."

Speaking of featuring in the Premier League, Palhinha talked about how glad he is to be here, claiming he's happy with what he's been able to show at Fulham.

"I feel that I am enjoying the league a lot. I feel that it is a league in my image, competitive and aggressive in the good sense of the word, that is, a very competitive league, which demands a lot from the players. I'm very happy to be here.

"All the games we've had so far, we could both lose and win, even when we played against the top teams in the Premier. For example, with both Arsenal and Tottenham, we felt we could have won too. There were games we won and that we also feel that maybe it could have gone the other way, and that's what also makes this league so magical. But, speaking for myself personally, I'm very pleased with the league, above all also with the respect and affection that people already show they have for me. This all moves me and has a lot of involvement with me when I go into the field."

Palhinha also spoke about the national team and the chances he has of going to the World Cup this year. He says he'll continue doing his best for Fulham so manager Fernando Santos can make the best decision.

"It's a goal, but it's always dependent on the work I do here. So I want to continue doing my job, as I've been doing, and for the rest, mister Fernando Santos will know what's best for the national team. Now, at this moment, in which we are a month and a half away from the World Cup, I'm simply focused on these important games that we are going to have with Fulham, on these real finals that we have ahead of us."

Since joining Fulham in a €20m transfer from Sporting this summer, Palhinha was a starter in all the Premier League games the Whites had, apart from the one against Newcastle, from which he was suspended.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/key-role-fulham-player-hails-relationship-manager-marco-silva/

[WhiteJC]

U21: Celtic Preview

Fulham Under-21s look ahead to their second Premier League International Cup group game on Tuesday, with Celtic heading down to Motspur Park (7pm ko).

Form
Fulham:

Having beaten Everton and Leicester City in their last two league games by an aggregate score of 9-0, the young Whites will be in a confident place as their cup duties await. With Steve Wigley's side holding Valencia to a 0-0 draw at Craven Cottage in the previous match round, they have kept clean sheets in their previous three games.

Celtic:

Our opposition head down to England after suffering a 2-0 defeat against RB Leipzig in the UEFA Youth League group stages. Despite this, they've enjoyed a positive October, winning their three games prior to the loss. Tuesday evening will represent a first Premier League International Cup fixture for Stephen McManus and Darren O'Dea's side.

Player Thoughts
Centre-back Connor McAvoy believes the side are in a positive place ahead of Tuesday's game.

"We're all feeling really good," McAvoy told fulhamfc.com. "We've kept three clean sheets in our last three games so for me personally, I'm buzzing. The 7-0 against Leicester was a huge win which was pleasing because it's been a while since we've really dominated a team like that."

When asked why the team have been keeping clean sheets recently, the Scotland international responded: "Steve Wigley always tells us to outwork the opposition right from the off and I think that's one of the main reasons we do well. We work so hard together as a team from the front all the way to the back. Everyone works tirelessly and that's why we've been keeping clean sheets. Everyone is doing their job.

"We started so well and once we were two or three up we were cruising to be honest. I think it was one of those nights where Leicester made a few errors and had some players who weren't on it, while we were all on it and everything clicked."

The 20-year-old enjoyed an excellent loan spell last season at National League side Wealdstone and is thankful for the time he spent there.

"I always tell people that it was the best nine months of my career so far.

"I really enjoyed getting the experience and it helped me with my game so much. I could clearly see the benefits of it once I came back and started playing Under-21s football again. When any of the lads ask me about going out on loan I always encourage it because it's so good for you playing men's football.

"Stuart [Maynard] and Matt [Saunders] who are the gaffer and assistant still speak to me and come to some of the games. They still try and help me out which shows the kind of people they are."

Having spent periods of time with the First Team already this season, McAvoy feels getting a taste of senior life has made him even more motivated.

"You never know when you're going to get the call to train with them. It's often on the day in the morning and it always feels good. I've been there quite a few times this season and I really enjoy it. Being around the First Team players and learning off them is as good as going out on loan. Being in and around that environment and seeing what Marco wants definitely helps me."

McAvoy made a brilliant block to help his side keep Valencia out in their opening Premier League International game.

"I was pleased with my block, but it wasn't quite as good as Charlie Robinson's though! It's my job and it's what I'm there to do. I'd rather clear one off the line than score a goal so I'm doing the right job up the right end of the pitch!"

Compare the two heroic blocks below!

A lesson in defending... 📚

Brought to you by @Charlierobbo14 and @mc4voy_.#FFCU21 pic.twitter.com/zc7nsqd3gi

— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) October 6, 2022

On Tuesday's opposition Celtic, McAvoy admitted: "They're a massive Scottish club and I'm sure they'll have some good players, so it'll be a tough game. They'll be aggressive, physical and also quite technical.

FFCtv
Unfortunately, due to existing competition rules, we are unable to live stream this fixture.

Tickets/Access
Tickets are priced at £3 for Adults and £1 for Juniors & Concessions. Buy online here. Tickets are only available online and cannot be brought on the gate.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/october/16/U21-Celtic-Preview/

[WhiteJC]

Games for the mid-week 20/10
We welcome Aston Villa for a mid-week game under the lights at Craven Cottage

Well the draw against Bournemouth proved that we have the ability to fight back, it also proved, what we all knew, that our back four needs improving, how long until January?
Speaking of the back four, Diop replacing Tosin paid dividends with his headed goal from a corner, when was the last time we scored a goal like that?
Whilst I understand why Bobby played right back, Marco see's them day in day out in training, surely Mbabu should have been first choice as he is a defender and Bobby is a midfielder? after all when we signed Mbabu Tony Khan said "Kevin is a player whom we've pursued for several years. He brings great physical tools to our Club in addition to his vast experience"
Tom and Willian really made a difference when they came on for the 2nd half, surely at least one of them will get a start against Villa?, and it was really good to see Wilson get some game time.

Villa will feel a little hard done by against Chelsea at the weekend, a couple of silly mistakes allowed Chelsea to score a couple of goals that didn't look likely after Villa dominated the first half? Regardless of current league position Villa are a good side and will prove a stern test for us, if we can get a win it'll set us up really nicely for Leeds at the weekend.

Our record against Villa is a quite good one with 10 wins, 7 losses and 5 draws.

Diop should keep his starting place, Harry Wilson also starts, as does Willian, Tom starts on the bench so my team would be...

COYW's

Games of Interest...
Tuesday 18th
Brighton v Forest

Wednesday 19th
Bournemouth v Southampton
Brentford v Chelsea
Liverpool v West Ham
Man Utd v Spurs

Thursday 20th
Fulham v Villa

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



http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=2394

[WhiteJC]

Aston Villa: Ashley Preece gives positive Tyrone Mings injury update

Aston Villa centre-back Tyrone Mings should be available for Thursday's Premier League clash against Fulham, according to reliable journalist Ashley Preece.

The Lowdown: Mings picks up knock
Steven Gerrard's side lost 2-0 at home to Chelsea on Sunday afternoon as their limp start to the season continues, despite an improved performance against Graham Potter's men.

Mings had a bad day at the office, sending a wayward header into the path of Mason Mount for the opening goal and then conceding the free-kick from which the Blues midfielder scored in the second half.

To compound his misery, the centre-back injured his ankle in the dying minutes at Villa Park, leading to doubts surrounding his involvement at Craven Cottage later this week.

The Latest: Should be fit v Fulham
However, taking to Twitter to share a corresponding report from Birmingham Mail, Preece claimed that Mings should be back for Thursday's clash in west London.

He tweeted:
"Tyrone Mings should be OK for Thursday after rolling his ankle in stoppage time. Cam Archer's ongoing groin issue a real frustration."

The Verdict: Chance for redemption
While Mings undoubtedly performed poorly against Chelsea, having him available for the trip to Fulham would still clearly be a boost for Gerrard, given the defender's general influence at Villa.

Having made 1.1 interceptions and won 1.8 aerial duels per game, placing him fourth and fifth among the squad for those respective metrics (WhoScored), the 29-year-old is still a hugely valuable contributor at the back.

Nobody will be more disappointed with how things went on Sunday than Mings himself, and he will surely be viewing his next outing as a perfect opportunity to redeem himself.

Having lost the club captaincy in the summer and found himself under pressure to perform consistently, this upcoming period could tell us a lot about his strength of character.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/aston-villa-news/aston-villa-premier-league-ashley-preece-tyrone-mings-injury-news-updates/

[WhiteJC]

Remembering Johnny Haynes: the Maestro


Today would have been Johnny Haynes' birthday. The Edmonton boy joined Fulham at fifteen in 1950, largely to play with his best mate Tosh Chamberlain. Having rejected overtures from Arsenal and Tottenham, Fulham's greatest ever footballer stayed at Craven Cottage despite the Whites slipping down the divisions immediately after being relegated from the old First Division in 1968. He remains the man with the most Fulham appearances in the club's history – playing an incredible 658 matches over two decades – as well as the Whites' top goalscorer, with 158.

But mere numbers just don't do justice to how good Haynes was. When I nervously interviewed Pele in front of an audience of hundreds of national newspaper journalists as a teenager, he sought to calm my jitters before the broadcast by asking who I supported. When I sheepishly said Fulham, the Brazilian legend waxed lyrical about both Craven Cottage and Haynes. 'The best passer of a ball ever,' he told me, flashing that megawatt smile. Alan Mullery, no mean distributor himself, didn't know anyone who could pass it as accurately. No lesser an observer than Bobby Moore enthused: "John was always available, always hungry for the ball, always wanting to play. I loved watching the player. Later I learnt to love the man."

Haynes quickly established himself in the first team as a talented teenager, scoring eighteen goals in his first full season and hitting nineteen in 1955-56. His best goalscoring campaign saw him find the net an astonishing 26 times in 38 games in 1958-59 as Bedford Jezzard's stylish side won promotion from the Second Division. His peerless passing and reading of the game made him a player people came from miles away to watch. He wasn't able to win the honours his individual ability merited with Fulham – never reaching Wembley with the Whites, who were beaten in two FA Cup semi-finals by the 'Busby babes' post-Munich in 1958 and Burnley four years later.

Haynes' influence stretched far beyond SW6. One of the early 'Brylcreem boys,' he was the first footballer to break the £100-a-week barrier after the campaigning of his team-mate Jimmy Hill and was an admired England captain, who played in two World Cup tournaments in 1958 and 1962. He surely would have been in Alf Ramsey's 1966 squad that memorably won the trophy on home soil, with Fulham's George Cohen at full back, but for a car crash suffered in Blackpool at the start of the 1962 season. It was remarkable that Haynes returned to play first-team football, but he had understandably lost some of his sharpness and pace after coming back from a serious injury.

The pose that Haynes is often captured in – with his hands on his hips – was the way he greeted one of his passes being miscontrolled or wasted by a lesser talented team-mate, which was most of them when he was representing a Fulham side that had slumped into Division Three by the time of his final appearance in 1970. He had a brief spell as the club's caretaker player-manager after Fulham harshly sacked Bobby Robson in 1968, but had no interest in becoming a manager himself. He officially retired following four years in South Africa and, after returning in the UK, he lived happily in Edinburgh with his wife Avril until his sad passing after a road traffic, the day after his 71st birthday in 2005.

Haynes was an enthusiastic supporter of his club from afar and rolled up his sleeves to save both Fulham and Craven Cottage during the dark days. He was a steadfast support of the 'Back to the Cottage' campaign to ensure the Whites returned to their historic home, declining the chance to become a patron, and signing letters that accompanied his membership cheques to the Fulham Supporters' Trust simply as 'John'. The words of Trust chairman, Tom Greatrex, in his tribute after Johnny's death are as true today as they were seventeen years ago:

    "His dedication, skill, professionalism, grace and charm – both in his playing days and in retirement – serve as a poignant reminder to many of today's footballers about what true greatness really means."

I was never fortunate enough to see Johnny play for Fulham. I did meet him on a couple of occasions, where he was happy to talk about his career with an excitable young fan. It is only right that Haynes, one of English's most brilliant footballers, is immortalised in a superb statue on Stevenage Road outside the Archibald Leitch that now bears his name. It is also right that we should remember Johnny the gentleman. We'll never see his like again.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/10/remembering-johnny-haynes-the-maestro/

[WhiteJC]

Jack and Loz at the Cottage - Blog 228
Date: 15th October 2022

Opposition: Bournemouth

Score: 2-2

Fulham goal scorers: Diop, 🔥

Weather: autumnal

Atmosphere: anxious

Man of the Match: Fulham have had as many right backs as the UK has had Chancellors of the Exchequer recently and some have also been wasteful and costly. Bobby Decordova-Reid isn't a natural wing back but he's unflinchingly hard-working, conscientious and professional. On Saturday he was also incisive, ambitious and everywhere. The ultimate agile worker, he could probably make a good go of sorting out the economy too.

Man of the Second Half: it's become a feature of this season. At some point early in the second half Tom Cairney will come on and change the game. On Saturday, Tom replaced the unusually ineffective Harrison Reed and Fulham's midfield became a different beast - one with teeth and temper. Always creative and clever, Tom now plays a deeper role and has added grit and guile to his game. He's become our essential super-sub. There really ain't nobody like Tom Cairney at controlling a game of football.

Drinks: as Hammy Enders are inexplicably not allowed to spend their money on post game drinks in the Riverside Stand we went to the Riverside Studios which were very welcoming.

Fulham came into the Bournemouth match on the back of two bad defeats and with our goals against column escalating out of control. Our good start to the season had officially ended and we were in danger of tumbling down the table. Saturday's game was not exactly a Must Win, but it was something close.

Like most of us, Marco Silva has spotted that the big issue with the team (extensive injury list aside) is the defence so he switched things up (or possibly down) by dropping Tosin and starting Issa Diop. We're not sure why Tosin deserved to be dropped and we're not sure that Issa was an improvement. Of course, he scored and deserves plaudits for that but watching him defend in the first half was alarming reminiscent of the days of Alfie Mawson when disaster was a moment's inattention away.

And, that's exactly what happened. In the first minute of the game. And then again in the 29th. Bournemouth had two attacks and scored two goals. Whilst neither goal was all Diop's fault (although his uncaring shrug while Tim Ream was having an urgent word with him after the first goal is indicative) the defensive issues were there for all to see.

Although things improved as the match went on there was still far too many dangerous passes across the face of goal or back to Leno. If this carries on we are bound to witness the return of the Triangle of Doom or its more exotic incarnation from last season, the Triangulo do Ruina. Marco needs to find our best defensive line-up fast and stick with it.

It is largely thanks to Leno (who was excellent as usual) that we were only 1 goal down at half time. His double barrelled point blank saves kept us in the game. Another shout out goes to Antonee Robinson who was earnest and industrious throughout and our runner up to Bobby for MOTM.

Overall it was a first half to forget. Possibly the worst half we've played.....since the second half against West Ham. It wasn't just the defence which was lacking. Dan James gave the best demonstration so far of his ability to run around a lot with absolutely no end product at all. You're got to wonder why he didn't stick to athletics. Harrison is allowed an off day but it's unfortunate that this coincided with Joao experimenting (correctly) with a more conservative approach to tackling.

Things improved a lot after half time with the introduction of not just Tom but also Willian. Suddenly, Fulham were in control. But it was a tense, nervy 45 minutes both on and off the pitch as we managed to draw level but not quite go ahead.

Who do you turn to when times are tough and you desperately need a goal? Who can Fulham rely on when we're staring defeat in the face and the dark is closing in? Who can provide the flicker, if not always the flame?

Aleksandar Mitrovic was injured playing for Serbia 3 weeks ago and he still isn't fully recovered. However, a semi-fit Mitro is better than no Mitro at all and although he was only an ember of his usual self, he won a free kick then a penalty. And then he scored. As so often, Mitro was Fulham's hero, and this time a wounded one.

We were the better team in the second half with Tom's vision, Willian's composure and Diop's improvement but Bournemouth were disciplined and organised and our efforts to unpick their defence came to nothing. A more direct approach would have been preferable but perhaps you need full-flambé Mitro for that.

With their sacking of Scott Parker, our forced rivalry with Bournemouth has disappeared and it's good to see another promoted team doing so well. It was less good to see their cynicism, however. Time wasting and faking head injuries at critical moments shouldn't be part of the game but teams are allowed to get away with it.

After conceding so early the draw feels like an achievement and we certainly can't criticise the way the team levelled up twice. But we needed 3 points from this match....and now we need 3 points from the next one.

Random musings:-

- It was great to see the FFC Women's team at half time. We will watching (and blogging about) their match at the Cottage on 20th November

- Although TC and Willian were inspirational subs, Harry didn't add much (although it's good to see him getting back to fitness) and we're beginning to question if Vinicius is any better than Muniz

- We've seen people suggesting Tom should start against Villa, but if he starts the match, how can he come on and change the game?

- The ref had a mixed match. He tried to let the game flow but ended up being inconsistent

- Which brings us to the big question - was it a penalty? And the answer is, yes of course it was, if the one awarded against us last week was also a penalty

- Whilst it was good to see Ryan Fredericks, we barely noticed him and he didn't get any sort of reception from the Hammy End. That's very different to the return of Matt Targett 2 weeks ago and we don't really know why.

This wasn't the result we wanted but at least we've stopped the rot. But we have to make the most of the next 3 games. Tete will come back, Mitro and Harry will get fitter but the defence is the key. We have to stop leaking goals and Leno can only do do much.

But did any of us really think that we'd have 12 points after 10 games and be sitting in the top half of the table? There is so much work to be done but this still has the makings of a special season.



https://werdsmith.com/p/XrjMgKBaAq5nSz

[Whitesideup]

Games for the mid-week 20/10
We welcome Aston Villa for a mid-week game under the lights at Craven Cottage

Well the draw against Bournemouth proved that we have the ability to fight back, it also proved, what we all knew, that our back four needs improving, how long until January?
Speaking of the back four, Diop replacing Tosin paid dividends with his headed goal from a corner, when was the last time we scored a goal like that?



http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=2394

When was the last time we saw a header like Diop's? We saw a better one from Tosin on September 16th against Forest.