Monday Fulham Stuff - 16/03/26...

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Results

Sunday 15/03
Palace	0-0	Leeds
Man Utd	3-1	Villa
Forest	0-0	Fulham
Liverpool	1-1	Spurs

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Nottingham Forest 0-0 Fulham

At a glance

    Nottingham Forest move back above West Ham and out of relegation zone

    Ola Aina hits bar with powerful strike for hosts

    Substitute Dan Ndoye also has goal disallowed for offside

    Calvin Bassey heads Fulham's best chance straight at goalkeeper Matz Sels as Cottagers move up to 11th

Nottingham Forest moved back out of the Premier League's bottom three with a goalless home draw against mid-table Fulham.

Vitor Pereira's side had dropped into the relegation zone as a result of West Ham's draw against Manchester City on Saturday.

But Forest's point means they, the Hammers and Tottenham Hotspur - who play Liverpool at 16:30 GMT - all have 29 points, with West Ham's inferior goal difference putting them back below the safety line.

Two offside decisions against half-time substitute Dan Ndoye proved costly for the hosts, who are still yet to register a league win under Pereira.

The Switzerland winger was bundled over in the penalty area by Calvin Bassey just after his introduction at the break, and although referee Sam Barrott awarded a spot-kick, his assistant then flagged for offside.

Soon afterwards, Ndoye collected Neco Williams' pass and slotted neatly beyond Fulham keeper Bernd Leno - but he was again adjudged to be offside, this time via the video assistant referee (VAR).

The Cottagers had created the best chance of a quiet first period, with centre-back Bassey heading straight at Matz Sels from six yards.

As the game sparked into life after the break and both sides had opportunities, Forest looked more likely winners.

Full-back Ola Aina was involved at both ends - first striking the crossbar against his former club with a powerful volley from the edge of the box, and then heading a goalbound Rodrigo Muniz effort over his own bar.

Taiwo Awoniyi wasted another glorious chance for the hosts late on, sliding his shot wide after being put through by Elliot Anderson.

Marco Silva's side are 11th in a congested middle portion of the table, three points behind seventh-placed Brentford, who host bottom club Wolves on Monday.

Forest analysis: Another attacking blank
Before this round of Premier League fixtures, Forest were ranked in the top 10 for attempts on target, but only Wolves (22) had scored fewer than their tally of 28.

Despite an improved second-half display, they drew a blank for the 14th time in 30 league outings this term.

They had been limited to long-range efforts by Fulham in the first half, with Leno comfortably dealing with shots from outside the box by Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicolas Dominguez.

The introductions of Ndoye and Omari Hutchinson at half-time had the desired positive impact and, on the balance of play after the break, probably should have taken all three points.

The two offside decisions against Ndoye were very close calls, while Aina's superb attempt was only a couple of inches off target.

Forest are now seven games without a Premier League win and their next league opponents are Tottenham on 22 March, in what could prove to be a critical game for both sides' survival hopes.

Fulham analysis: Silva's side remain in hunt for Europe
Last weekend's FA Cup fifth-round defeat by Championship club Southampton left Fulham with one solitary objective this season - to secure qualification for European competition next term.

They are among a group of clubs tightly packed on the fringe of the top six, with Brentford in seventh and 14th-placed Crystal Palace separated by only five points.

If Fulham are to compete on the continent for the first time in more than a decade, they will need to improve their inconsistent results in the closing weeks of the campaign.

The stalemate at the City Ground was their first league draw since 4 January. During the intervening period, they won four and lost five of their nine league fixtures.

They were in the game throughout but struggled to create clear opportunities after Bassey failed to convert his first-half chance.

The visitors remained resolute at the other end, though, to ensure they clinched a point.

What's next for these teams?
Forest visit Midtjylland in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday, 19 March (17:45 GMT), looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit. They visit Spurs in the Premier League next on Sunday, 22 March (14:15 GMT).

Fulham are next in Premier League action against second-bottom Burnley on Saturday, 21 March (15:00 GMT).



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cvg80x8rkzkt

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Post-Nottingham Forest Press Conference
Marco Silva was pleased with a clean sheet away from home as Fulham picked up a point from their trip to Nottingham Forest.

Both teams battled to try and find a winner at the City Ground – with the hosts seeing a goal chalked off in the second half – but it was honours even in the Midlands.

"A difficult game as we expected," Marco assessed. "We've come to the moment of the season where all the teams, it doesn't matter what they're fighting for, every game is going to be much more difficult to get the three points.

"Very tight, the first half. I think both teams, they didn't get the tempo or the momentum. The biggest chance was from us, from Calvin Bassey in the six yard box, completely alone from a set piece.

"Apart from that, we arrived in certain areas, dangerous areas with the ball but didn't get the right decisions or inspiration that we needed to create something more. It was a very balanced first half."

It was substitute Dan Ndoye who finished well past Bernd Leno to seemingly give his side the lead, but the striker was adjudged to be marginally offside.

"Second half, with the emotions of that offside and the chances first for Forest and after we had our moments as well, the game became a little bit more emotional, a little bit more open.

"Both teams were trying to win the game. It's a point on the road for us, keeping a clean sheet which is very, very important for us – something that we have been missing.

"We move on for a game before the international break (against Burnley at Craven Cottage) that is going to be crucial if we want to fight for something more. It's going to be crucial for our aspirations."

Today's result lifts Fulham two places in the table up to 11th, with a European place still on the cards.

"If you are in this position right now in the table, of course we have to look ahead. Every game that we have now should be played like a final. We are some points behind seventh position but if it's there for us to fight for, why not?

"We are going to fight as hard as we can to be there. Until the end of the season, we'll fight."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/march/15/post-nottingham-forest-press-conference/

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Fulham ride their luck in draw at Forest
Fulham rode their luck to take a point in a goalless draw at the City Ground.

The Whites, now without a win in three matches, had three big let-offs early in the second half.

Dan Ndoye, on as a half-time substitute, was bundled over by Calvin Bassey and a penalty would probably have been awarded had the Nottingham Forest man not been marginally offside.

And after former Fulham loanee Ola Aina fired against the bar, another ex-Whites loanee, Neco Williams, played in Ndoye, who slotted past keeper Bernd Leno but the goal was disallowed because he was again just offside.

Even with Harry Wilson back from injury, Marco Silva's side struggled to create clear-cut chances in a game low on quality.

Back-to-back league wins recently put them in the thick of the battle for a European spot, but taking a solitary point from their following three matches has seen them lose ground, leaving them 11th in the table.
Fulham: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Berge (Cairney 78), Iwobi, Wilson (Sessegnon 90+1), King (Lukic 62), Bobb (Chukwueze 62), Jimenez (Muniz 62).
Subs not used: Lecomte, Castagne, Diop Reed.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/nottingham-forest-v-fulham-ride-luck-in-draw

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Nottingham Forest 0-0 Fulham: Vitor Pereira boosts survival bid with sorely needed point
Midlands club continue to struggle for goals as Marco Silva's poor form continues

Nottingham Forest climbed out of the Premier League relegation zone, but they will see the 0-0 draw against Fulham as a missed opportunity.

Forest moved above West Ham on goal difference after the City Ground stalemate and level with Tottenham, who play Liverpool later on Sunday.

But their lack of goals at home is making their survival task so much more difficult.

They have now found the net just twice in seven Premier League games in front of their own fans after drawing another blank.

Dan Ndoye had a goal disallowed for offside, while a penalty award was also chalked off after the winger had strayed the wrong side of the away defence.

Boss Vitor Pereira, who is yet to taste a league victory since replacing Sean Dyche, now must decide whether to sacrifice Thursday's Europa League last-16 second-leg tie with FC Midtjylland to prioritise next week's humongous visit to Spurs.

Fulham still have European ambitions, but they never really threatened.

Forest fans channelled their inner Brian Clough before the game by unfurling a banner reading 'We hope anybody is not stupid enough to write us off', reimagining the famous quote from Clough during Forest's 1978-79 run to European Cup glory.

The current ambition is more humble, trying to avoid relegation back to the Sky Bet Championship in what has been a tumultuous season.

Scoring goals has been a big problem, but they tried to make an early impression and had a good chance inside the opening 10 minutes.

Elliot Anderson burst into the box and cut back to give himself the perfect chance to shoot, but he got it wrong and dragged wide.

Fulham were not exactly banging the door down either and their best moment of the first half came when Calvin Bassey headed a free-kick straight at Matz Selz when he should have scored.

Forest had few ideas going forward, though, testing Bernd Leno with shots from outside of the box, with Morgan Gibbs-White and Nico Dominguez forcing routine saves.

There was some brief excitement at the start of the second half when substitute Ndoye was bundled over in the penalty area and referee Sam Barrott pointed to the spot, but the linesman's flag went up for offside.

The hosts continued on the front foot and only the woodwork denied them in the 57th minute.

Right-back Ola Aina somehow found himself as the furthest man forward and, when Murillo picked him out, he thundered a 20-yard shot which rattled the crossbar and went to safety.

Ndoye's inability to stay onside cost Forest again in the 63rd minute.

The Switzerland international was played in by Neco Williams and he coolly slotted past Leno, but VAR ruled his heel was offside and the goal was chalked off.

Fulham almost rubbed salt in the wound immediately, but Rodrigo Munoz's shot was blocked by Aina and then Sasa Lukic's effort from the resulting corner dribbled agonisingly wide.

Forest's big chance came in the 88th minute when Anderson played in Taiwo Awoniyi, but the striker dragged his shot wide.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/nottm-forest-fulham-result-premier-league-b1274962.html

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Nottingham Forest 0-0 Fulham
Fulham played out a goalless draw with Nottingham Forest in their Sunday afternoon clash at the City Ground.

Neither side could really claim to have done enough to win the contest, although the hosts did see a goal disallowed for offside early in the second half.

Marco Silva's men survived that scare and dug in to take a point back to SW6.

There were three changes from Fulham's last Premier League outing, with Joachim Andersen, Oscar Bobb and Harry Wilson coming into the XI. Raúl Jiménez led the line just two days after the tragic passing of his father, Raúl Jiménez Vega.

Fulham's best chance of the half fell to Calvin Bassey. The centre-back did well to meet Alex Iwobi's inviting free-kick from the right, but his header was straight at Matt Sels.
Calvin Bassey comes close in the first-half

Bernd Leno was called into action twice in quick succession – first when Elliot Anderson struck a low free-kick on target, and again when Nicolás Domínguez tried to pick out the bottom corner from the edge of the box, with our number one comfortably claiming both efforts.

Chances were at a premium, though Harry Wilson did test the Forest defence when he aimed for the top corner with his trusty left foot, only for Murillo to make the block.

Former Fulham man Neco Williams tried to break the deadlock shortly before the break, but his fierce drive took a deflection and went behind for a corner.
Bernd Leno in first-half action

There was a nervy moment early in the second half when Bassey brought down Dan Ndoye in the box. Referee Sam Barrott pointed to the spot, but the decision was overturned as Ndoye had strayed offside before racing through.

Fulham rode their luck again moments later when Ola Aina – another former White – set himself up with a clever first touch before seeing a thunderous half-volley crash against the crossbar.

Forest thought they had taken the lead just past the hour mark when Ndoye got the wrong side of the defence and nudged the ball beyond Leno, but the forward was once again ruled marginally offside.

Marco looked to change things with a triple substitution, and Rodrigo Muniz almost made an immediate impact, his effort being headed over. Saša Lukić then tried his luck from the resulting corner, firing narrowly wide.

Substitute Samuel Chukwueze was next to threaten, latching onto a ball over the top and looking to pick out Iwobi in the middle, but he couldn't quite apply the finishing touch.

Forest pushed late on, but Fulham stood firm to secure a point on the road.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/march/15/nottingham-forest-0-0-fulham/

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Nottingham Forest 0-0 Fulham: Unless Vitor Pereira's side can rediscover their magic at home, they look like they are heading for the Championship, writes TOM COLLOMOSSE
A message to Evangelos Marinakis: Forget the Champions League dream.

The chances of Nottingham Forest winning the Europa League are vanishingly unlikely and the longer they pursue it, the more likely it is that they will start next season in the Championship.

On Sunday, Forest travel to Tottenham for what might prove their most important match of the campaign, following the goalless draw with Fulham. Three days earlier, they will be in Denmark to try to overturn a 1-0 deficit against FC Midtjylland and advance to the last eight in Europe.

If boss Vitor Pereira tries to name largely the same side for both matches, he risks compromising his team's chances of survival. It really is that simple. Pereira cannot allow his main men to be tired when they walk out at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - and the penny seems to have dropped.

'I have to rotate the team,' he said. 'It's the third game in eight days and we have to travel. I need to think about the Tottenham game.'

Nobody said it was easy for Pereira. He is Forest's fourth manager this season and Marinakis' overriding ambition is to carry the club into Europe's elite competition. That is the best way to generate that and would help them challenge the wealthiest clubs consistently. If Pereira picks a weakened team at Midtjylland it may annoy Marinakis.

Yet Forest cannot try to run before they can walk. Last season's seventh-placed finish relied on a highly unusual set of circumstances: goalkeeper Matz Sels and centre-forward Chris Wood had the seasons of their lives, and others like Ola Aina and Anthony Elanga produced form they have rarely shown at other times in their careers.

There was always likely to be a regression this season and last summer's chaotic transfer business means the drop-off has been greater than it should have been.

Forest remain above the bottom three on goal difference and despite the lack of goals, they have a talented squad.

But if they believe they can fight on two fronts with the same 13 or 14 players, they are asking for trouble. It is encouraging that Pereira seems to have grasped that.

Home discomforts
Forest turned the City Ground into a fortress when they returned to the Premier League but suddenly the walls are crumbling.

In their first season back in the top flight, Forest's home form helped keep them up and the crowd here nearly roared them to the Champions League last term. Yet as they try to save themselves this season, their confidence on their own patch has deserted them.

Forest have not scored here in the league for six weeks. They have won only three times at home all season and Fulham were there for the taking but Forest could not do it. Aina hit the bar, Dan Ndoye had a goal ruled out for a fractional offside and Taiwo Awoniyi should have done better with a late chance.

'In the VAR era, I've stopped celebrating goals but I celebrated that one as I was so convinced it was a legal goal,' admitted Pereira. 'We did everything we could to win the game.'

That may be so. Yet unless they can rediscover the magic here, it is difficult to see how Forest haul themselves clear. Last season's leading scorer Wood is no closer to returning from the knee injury that has kept him out since October. Can Forest somehow get him on the pitch for their final few games?

What next for Marco Silva?
Marco Silva has done a fine job at Fulham and yet the closer we draw to the end of the season, the more chances of him staying seem to recede.

The Portuguese is out of contract at the end of the campaign and he has always been admired by Marinakis since the pair worked together at Olympiacos in 2015-16. Whether Silva would respond favourably to interest from Forest is another matter. He is admired by clubs in England and beyond and will surely not be short of offers.

For now Silva's priority is to take Fulham into Europe. 'For as long as it is possible, we have to fight for it,' he said. The club finishing seventh could secure qualification for the Conference League and Fulham are only three points shy of Brentford. If Silva could take Fulham over the line, his legacy at the club would be secure.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-15644161/Nottingham-Forest-0-0-Fulham-Unless-Vitor-Pereiras-rediscover-magic-home-look-like-heading-Championship-writes-TOM-COLLOMOSSE.html

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Fulham ride their luck in dour 0-0 draw against Forest
Silva's men go three games goalless after being second-best in a nervy second half in Nottingham

Fulham have their first draw of the season since January, but unlike the character and fight shown against Liverpool on that occasion there was nothing thrilling whatsoever about our performance at the City Ground today. 0-0 is a generous scoreline for our performance, in which Nottingham Forest were far the more productive team over the 90 minutes, creating numerous headaches for our stumbling defence, and only VAR could deny super-sub Dan Ndoye from earning his side a penalty and a winning goal in the second half. Frustrated as he may be with their failure to beat a poor Fulham, Vitor Pereira can take positives from a crucial point for Forest's relegation battle; Marco Silva risks his team all but resigning themselves to the beach if our games continue to play out like this.

First Half
"Attritional" was the theme of the day, and fittingly is the way to describe the start of the game. Forest, four managers into a relegation battle, entered the game struggling to generate danger - difficult when you're without a home win since before Christmas. Our hosts having peeled themselves off the floor following a dismal home defeat in their Conference League fixture, Fulham might have taken the initiative and put the pressure on the hosts with a slick start. Sadly our own troubles hung around our necks - miserable defeats at home, one of which ejected us from the FA Cup, had lulled the energy around the team, and the opening spell was much of a nothingness.

Slowly though, the two sides crept out of their shells. Elliot Anderson was a driving force here, taking initiative around the pitch with a steely determination and playing the ball directly into the path of Forest's wide threats, Neco Williams and Callum Hudson-Odoi. His own runs were productive, too - an early surge produced a turn on Bassey that might have produced an on-target effort if he'd been able to get the ball onto his right foot.

Physical strength was an asset of this Forest side, one that sometimes veered beyond legality. Milenkovic was fortunate not to receive a booking - or even a foul - for catching Jimenez in the jaw with an elbow. Such hands-on play was to be found across their football - sharp passes could advantage this however, and one such move exposed Forest's clunky backline - a ball forward was trapped brilliantly by Raul, who deftly turned Murillo and moved the ball onto the charging Wilson, bursting along the right. Williams took a yellow-card to scythe his compatriot down, earning Fulham a free kick in the process. It should have been scored - Iwobi, with what would turn out to be his best pass of the half, floated a ball neatly to the edge of the six-yard-box, perfectly into the path of Calvin Bassey. Yet with the goal at his mercy, he headed straight to Sels, who gratefully kicked it away from the net and into his control.

This was as good as it got for Fulham for the rest of the half. Our passing was timid and uninspired, lacking the fluidity to unsettle Forest's backline, failing to reach our strongest finishers Raul and Wilson in areas remotely close to the goal and often undone by clumsy passing from the usually reliable Iwobi. With Anderson playing such a versatile role, the limitations of Berge really stuck out here - his vision for attacking opportunities was deeply lacking, and our tempo couldn't rise effectively as a result. Smith Rowe's influence was missed in absentia, too - King and Bobb weren't able to operate as coolly in the pockets of space Aina and Williams left, allowing Forest to avoid serious danger.

It should be said that our better moments did involve the former, though - once he'd got himself into a bit of sharpness, his nippy runs and tenacity caused concern for Forest trying to weather the storm. Robinson's bursts along the left were also impressive, and it's telling that our best chances besides the Bassey header were won through taking pace to the game. King moving the ball to Robinson drew defenders towards the left and gave Wilson space drifting centrally to shoot, but from an awkward angle put a lofty effort into Murillo for Sels to catch. At the end of the half, a run of his own for King, intelligently seizing upon a loose pass from Anderson, brought Fulham to the edge of the box. The Forest man compounded his mistake by felling King, earning a yellow and a free-kick in a precarious area... but Wilson's strike ricocheted off the wall, and the resulting corner came to nothing.

The hosts weren't much better. Anderson powered around productively, Gibbs-White had a clever pass or two from his position on the left and the overlaps of Williams forced Andersen to come across and deal with him, but too many of their teammates were cumbersome and disjointed. Hudson-Odoi has the talent but rarely put his pace to good use, cruising through the game and seldom challenging Robinson on the right, whilst Igor Jesus trundled about the box on a different wavelength to his teammates - a shame for Forest, as Bassey was having a skittish game and might have been one to target. Subsequently Leno's work was simple - a good run out of the box to intercept a long ball to Hudson-Odoi was his greatest strain, facing only a comfortable shot from Dominguez to actively stop (Wilson, in fairness, did block a speculative attempt from Williams from finding the target). 0-0 was more than a fitting scoreline to end the half with - both sides would need to be much better.

Second Half
Pereira wasted no time trying to up the ante - a languid Hudson-Odoi and a poor Dominguez were swapped for the pacey pair of Ndoye and Hutchinson, moving Gibbs-White to the centre in the process. It was a masterful move, and produced instant results - the winger peeled off Tete following a long pass from Murillo and stormed into the box, winning a penalty by being bundled over by the clumsy Bassey. VAR came to our rescue, flagging the tightest of offsides from Ndoye in the build-up, but it was evident Forest were not interested in letting the half play out. It was a very nervous watch for Fulham. We'd been ineffectual for most of the game, but with Forest smelling blood our players started feeling the pressure, struggling to pass the ball in the slightest bit of proximity to a man in red.

Forest were in a strong phase of play, the new wingers carrying the ball superbly along the wings and poking holes in our defence. Given our frequent errors on the ball, the space was there for them to exploit. A deeply underwhelming cross to no one from Iwobi was headed clear by Aina and taken from one end to the other in seconds by Gibbs-White and then Hutchinson, narrowly put out of play by Robinson. Another failed build-up let Murillo bend a pass through the entire team, Aina surging away from a loose Bassey to meet the through ball on the bounce, and smack a volley past a prone Leno - fortunately the crossbar came to our rescue. Aina's involvement was hurting us here, moving confidently from right-back to support his team's attacking play - a combination with Sangare worked itself wide to Hutchinson, producing a yellow for Robinson upon the foul and a free kick which was narrowly cleared.

Perhaps our substitutes would allay the threat? Silva, finally realising his team were on the backfoot, reorganised the attack - Jimenez, Bobb and King, deemed to be underperforming, were swapped for Muniz, Chukwueze and Lukic, the latter moving alongside Berge to put a struggling Iwobi into more attacking positions. But Bassey had other plans. Taking what should have been a comfortable clearance, the centre-back smacked a header straight back to Williams, who wasted no time looping the ball over his head and into Ndoye's path, running into the chasm Bassey failed to close down. As play entered the box, Leno came off his line to intercept, but Ndoye was too quick and lifted it over him, opening the scoring. Yet VAR struck down his move again - the Swiss had again strayed marginally beyond Leno.

It was clear we needed a response - a third offside reprieve surely wouldn't bail us out. A ball pumped into the box almost did this; Milenkovic's attempt to head the ball away from Chukwueze fell kindly for Muniz, who smacked a volley goalwards, only denied by a timely defensive header over the bar by Aina. The corner from Iwobi was cleared by Sangare, again falling to a Fulham man - on the bounce, Lukic narrowly placed his shot wide of the left post. Iwobi at AM at least changed things a little for Fulham, Lukic adding his energy from deeper to try and repel the Forest momentum, and there were hints of us changing the flow of the game; Forest refused to yield, Williams shunting Wilson and Lukic's runs into dead ends, Muniz starved of a goal-scoring chance by Murillo and Milenkovic's impressive marking and Yates swapping for Gibbs-White to add an extra barrier between us and the goal.

All the while, Forest continued to purr in attack. Andersen's day took a sour turn when he collected a yellow card, forced to haul Hutchinson down on a breakaway along their right - it was an ugly moment for the team, with Bassey outjumped by Yates for a header and a hideous touch from Iwobi taking the ball to Hutchinson's path, and swung momentum firmly back to the hosts. With Robinson and Andersen booked, and Bassey having a hellish match, Forest concentrated their attacking along Hutchinson's wing and tried to exploit our vulnerability at the back. Awoniyi almost got the better of Bassey, latching onto a through ball from deep from Hutchinson and surging into the final third alongside his marker, but Bassey made just about enough of a recovery to take the ball and win a free-kick.

With our difficulties compounding, Cairney arrived for Berge to calm the storm (and lower the risk of going down to ten men). As always, the captain had a pretty pass in him, trying to get Robinson involved in the game again and pinpoint gaps in Forest's defence. Again, the moves couldn't quite connect themselves - a good intervention from Murillo stopped one ball from Chukwueze on the edge of the box reaching Iwobi in the centre, and whilst Iwobi had the freedom to get himself into dangerous positions, his finishing touch was still dismal, overhitting crosses repeatedly as the clock ticked down.

His ball across the box, sailing hopelessly off-target and out for a throw-in, gave Forest possession, and one last chance to seize the win - as they played it from the back, Sangare lifted the ball into Awoniyi's path, again ahead of our dozing centre-back pairing. He strode into the box, but Tete was alert to the danger and intervened, cutting across his teammates to slide across the grass and block his effort. It was a stupendous piece of defending, arguably the best of the game from us, and saved the point - the corner was cleared away and, following one last piece of dithering from Fulham, here Cairney squandering a chance to pass to an unmarked Sessegnon for a late breakaway, the referee blew time on the game.

An avoidable predicament for Forest
Seeing as Forest were the active force in the game, it makes more sense to start with them. You can see both sides of the team's recent fortunes on the pitch - they have some exceptional footballers across their squad, and clearly had something special there very recently. Anderson should go to the World Cup with England - he dominated the midfield and put the senior pairing of Berge and Iwobi to shame with his industry and pragmatism across the match. Whilst Gibbs-White probably has harsher odds of making Tuchel's squad, the talent is clearly there - be it in dainty backheels, outside-the-foot through balls or pure attacking venom, the man is central to all things good for Forest. Sangare was a warrior, covering the space around the backline very effectively - for as much as we stank out the game at times, our task was made harder by the disciplined defending we had in front of us.

Aina and Williams, once Fulham men, had a world of fun darting down the wings and cutting inside to link play to their attacking pieces - both might have scored goals of their own. Murillo and Milenkovic both rose to the occasion to wrestle Forest out of danger in their own box. The substitutes Ndoye and Hutchinson ignited their wings upon arrival, and the tightest of margins denied them a strong win today against us. You wonder what this club could do if they hadn't bungled the hard work of Nuno Espirito Santo - this squad were a whisker away from the Champions League last season under him, and the fantastical decision to mistreat and then sack him by owner Evangelos Marinakis have plunged the club into a relegation battle. It demonstrates the importance of confidence and trust in football - if these players were not adapting to life under their fourth manager there is every chance they'd have settled into decent form by now.

We're clear of the drop, at least, but our season is threatening to peter out with months still to go. Forest are not in a great place right now, but had they started the game with a functioning Igor Jesus (and maybe Dominguez and Hudson-Odoi demoted to the bench) there's every chance they'd have had enough to actually strike a goal today. Indeed, the only thing that did save us was the marginal boundaries - a couple of tight offsides, a crossbar, the well-timed slide of Kenny Tete at the death...

Our clean sheet is a cheap one, arguably less fitting today than in games we've actually failed to keep them in. Tete aside, I thought the team struggled at the back - Robinson can at least balance out his tricky second half against Hutchinson with some decent contributions going forward, and wasn't so much exploited as he was the natural victim of a fresh-faced substitute. Andersen and Bassey started the game nicely and seemed to be settling back into their flow as our first-choice partnership, but imploded in the second-half - Bassey was asleep to the danger happening around him, his pace only-just bailing him out on a number of occasions (and not even that on a few of them), whilst Andersen continued to look worryingly slow compared to the play happening around him. Remove the aerial clearances from his game and opponents have far too much joy outrunning the Danish defender.

Perhaps the problems lie further forward. The Berge-Iwobi pairing is in urgent need of alteration - the pair are out of energy and ideas. Berge has entered a rather rotten patch of form, unable to take the game forward with any ambition and alarmingly losing the ball to more alert and sprightly opponents. He couldn't lock down the space in front of the defence and the backline were threatened by a barrage of attacking passes as a result. A fully-fit Iwobi can do wonders - an Iwobi desperate for a rest and also detached from his passing radar is not that man, and he had a horrid afternoon today.

Of course, he's not the only one. Raul took a fierce knock from Milenkovic early on and did little else for the rest of the game - Muniz at least had a flash at goal when he came on later but couldn't get himself in the box ahead of a fierce pair of centre-backs. Wilson missed a couple of games and struggled to get himself into the action today, not quite having the momentum to get into suitable striking positions enough - albeit starved of quality service from his teammates. Chukwueze demonstrated the advantages of pace over Bobb, actually managing to run beyond Aina and put balls into the box, but they didn't have the quality or consistency to trouble the hosts. I was a little surprised King came off when he did - whilst it wasn't a strong performance, he at least seemed willing to take some mettle to Sangare, and combined nicely with Robinson on the left. However, the season has been long, and Smith Rowe's experience might have been better suited to today's gruelling match.

We can perhaps be pleased that we have a clean sheet, something to at least satisfy Leno's personal statistics, and the point ensures we keep pace with the European chasers, something that should on paper keep the squad - and manager - motivated. But it's precious little for Fulham - we lacked urgency going forward throughout the game, leaving us goalless for the third game running (and given our most recent goals came against this historically-bad Tottenham team, it's not saying a lot). Bowing out of the cup in such tepid fashion has had its toll, and in some ways this is one of Silva's (potentially last) great tests - with the team still in touching distance of the European places, and a final set of fixtures with more than a few winnable ties across them, can Marco take us out of this slump and push us right to the end of a potential return to Europe? As bleak as today feels, it is still a point - with the right attitude, the team can still use it to kickstart their season against Burnley next weekend. It remains to be seen whether the squad realise the campaign is far from dead.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/fulham-ride-their-luck-in-dour-0

[WhiteJC]

Silva welcomes Fulham's clean sheet but says Burnley game is 'crucial'
Marco Silva was pleased with Fulham's clean sheet at Nottingham Forest but said his side now face a "crucial" home game against Burnley.

The 0-0 draw at the City Ground gave Fulham their first clean sheet since December.

But taking just one point from their past three matches has seen them lose ground in the battle for a European place.

The Whites boss therefore believes the game against struggling Burnley takes on added importance.

"A clean sheet is something very important for us," he said.

"I have to say that's been missing and probably playing a big part in some games for us when we are not able to win the game, to not concede as well.

"We move on for a game before the international break that is going to be crucial if you want to fight for something more. It's going to be crucial to our aspirations."

ut Fulham might have to do without record signing Kevin for the rest of the campaign, Silva admitted.

The winger was recently sidelined by a foot injury and Silva said it is unclear how long Kevin will be unavailable for.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/silva-welcomes-fulhams-clean-sheet-but-says-burnley-game-is-crucial

[WhiteJC]

Fulham winger Kevin could miss rest of season
Fulham's record signing Kevin could miss the rest of the season, boss Marco Silva has admitted.

The winger was recently sidelined by a foot injury and has had surgery.

Speaking after the 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest, Silva said he was unsure when Kevin will be available again.

He said: "One of the players that's been growing in our squad is Kevin.

"He's probably going to be out for a long period. I don't know if he's going to play again this season. Let's hope he can play."

Silva welcomed the clean sheet at the City Ground but said the home game against Burnley will be "crucial" to Fulham's chances of securing a European place.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-winger-kevin-could-miss-rest-of-season

[WhiteJC]

Fulham handed warning as Ricardo Pepi chase continues
Former PSV Eindhoven striker Rene Viscaal has cautioned Fulham over their pursuit of American striker Ricardo Pepi.

Ricardo Pepi has been linked with a move to the Premier League for some time now. Fulham are one of the clubs that are very keen on his signature and have been tracking him for months.

While the Cottagers are looking to step up their pursuit of the USMNT international, Former PSV Eindhoven striker Rene Viscaal has issued a warning to the English club. He feels Pepi's transition to the Premier League could be far from straightforward. The 23-year-old might not be able to replicate his Eredivisie performances in the English top flight.

Viscaal on Ricardo Pepi's strength as a forward
Viscaal spoke very highly of the young striker on Eindhovens Dagblad. He highlighted his biggest strength: the instinctive movements that help him be at the right place at the right moment.

    He said, "What Pepi does is very difficult to train. He has the gift that real strikers need. Getting into position in exactly the right way in or around the penalty area is something you naturally have to possess."

Viscaal understands why Fulham are keen on signing Ricardo Pepi and have already made multiple attempts to sign him in the past. They were keen on his signature last summer and even revived their interest during the winter window. But PSV turned down the London club's late move in January.

The Cottagers are now set to return for his signature this summer. They are ready to step up their pursuit of the young striker who has 13 goals and two assists in his 27 outings this term. While he has had a few injury issues this season, it has hardly affected his performances on the pitch.

Pepi's move to Fulham might not work out
Fulham, who are desperate for attacking reinforcement, consider Ricardo Pepi an ideal fit for their setup, but Viscaal feels he might struggle to adapt to the Premier League. He believes the 23-year-old might not be able to replicate his Eredivisie form in England.

    He said, "In the Netherlands, the game is played quite openly, and he can benefit from that. In England, you have to deal with a completely different intensity, and defenders are physically much stronger. Whether he can handle that remains to be seen."

While he wants Fulham to be cautious, Viscaal feels the move could still work out if handled correctly. He feels the move will only work if the expectations are realistic.

    He further added, "Fulham is not a club that plays at the absolute top level. Such a route is perhaps more logical than a move to a very big name, where you are immediately called into question if you don't score a few times."

Given the kind of potential the 23-year-old striker has, it might be worth the risk to bring him to the Premier League. While adaptation to the Premier League won't be easy, Pepi will surely be eager to test himself in one of the best leagues in the world.



https://thehardtackle.com/reactions/fulham-handed-warning-as-ricardo-pepi-chase-continues/

[susiescw]

Excellent analysis of a game that was far from that! Thank you

[susiescw]

Fulham ride their luck in dour 0-0 draw against Forest
Silva's men go three games goalless after being second-best in a nervy second half in Nottingham

Fulham have their first draw of the season since January, but unlike the character and fight shown against Liverpool on that occasion there was nothing thrilling whatsoever about our performance at the City Ground today. 0-0 is a generous scoreline for our performance, in which Nottingham Forest were far the more productive team over the 90 minutes, creating numerous headaches for our stumbling defence, and only VAR could deny super-sub Dan Ndoye from earning his side a penalty and a winning goal in the second half. Frustrated as he may be with their failure to beat a poor Fulham, Vitor Pereira can take positives from a crucial point for Forest's relegation battle; Marco Silva risks his team all but resigning themselves to the beach if our games continue to play out like this.

First Half
"Attritional" was the theme of the day, and fittingly is the way to describe the start of the game. Forest, four managers into a relegation battle, entered the game struggling to generate danger - difficult when you're without a home win since before Christmas. Our hosts having peeled themselves off the floor following a dismal home defeat in their Conference League fixture, Fulham might have taken the initiative and put the pressure on the hosts with a slick start. Sadly our own troubles hung around our necks - miserable defeats at home, one of which ejected us from the FA Cup, had lulled the energy around the team, and the opening spell was much of a nothingness.

Slowly though, the two sides crept out of their shells. Elliot Anderson was a driving force here, taking initiative around the pitch with a steely determination and playing the ball directly into the path of Forest's wide threats, Neco Williams and Callum Hudson-Odoi. His own runs were productive, too - an early surge produced a turn on Bassey that might have produced an on-target effort if he'd been able to get the ball onto his right foot.

Physical strength was an asset of this Forest side, one that sometimes veered beyond legality. Milenkovic was fortunate not to receive a booking - or even a foul - for catching Jimenez in the jaw with an elbow. Such hands-on play was to be found across their football - sharp passes could advantage this however, and one such move exposed Forest's clunky backline - a ball forward was trapped brilliantly by Raul, who deftly turned Murillo and moved the ball onto the charging Wilson, bursting along the right. Williams took a yellow-card to scythe his compatriot down, earning Fulham a free kick in the process. It should have been scored - Iwobi, with what would turn out to be his best pass of the half, floated a ball neatly to the edge of the six-yard-box, perfectly into the path of Calvin Bassey. Yet with the goal at his mercy, he headed straight to Sels, who gratefully kicked it away from the net and into his control.

This was as good as it got for Fulham for the rest of the half. Our passing was timid and uninspired, lacking the fluidity to unsettle Forest's backline, failing to reach our strongest finishers Raul and Wilson in areas remotely close to the goal and often undone by clumsy passing from the usually reliable Iwobi. With Anderson playing such a versatile role, the limitations of Berge really stuck out here - his vision for attacking opportunities was deeply lacking, and our tempo couldn't rise effectively as a result. Smith Rowe's influence was missed in absentia, too - King and Bobb weren't able to operate as coolly in the pockets of space Aina and Williams left, allowing Forest to avoid serious danger.

It should be said that our better moments did involve the former, though - once he'd got himself into a bit of sharpness, his nippy runs and tenacity caused concern for Forest trying to weather the storm. Robinson's bursts along the left were also impressive, and it's telling that our best chances besides the Bassey header were won through taking pace to the game. King moving the ball to Robinson drew defenders towards the left and gave Wilson space drifting centrally to shoot, but from an awkward angle put a lofty effort into Murillo for Sels to catch. At the end of the half, a run of his own for King, intelligently seizing upon a loose pass from Anderson, brought Fulham to the edge of the box. The Forest man compounded his mistake by felling King, earning a yellow and a free-kick in a precarious area... but Wilson's strike ricocheted off the wall, and the resulting corner came to nothing.

The hosts weren't much better. Anderson powered around productively, Gibbs-White had a clever pass or two from his position on the left and the overlaps of Williams forced Andersen to come across and deal with him, but too many of their teammates were cumbersome and disjointed. Hudson-Odoi has the talent but rarely put his pace to good use, cruising through the game and seldom challenging Robinson on the right, whilst Igor Jesus trundled about the box on a different wavelength to his teammates - a shame for Forest, as Bassey was having a skittish game and might have been one to target. Subsequently Leno's work was simple - a good run out of the box to intercept a long ball to Hudson-Odoi was his greatest strain, facing only a comfortable shot from Dominguez to actively stop (Wilson, in fairness, did block a speculative attempt from Williams from finding the target). 0-0 was more than a fitting scoreline to end the half with - both sides would need to be much better.

Second Half
Pereira wasted no time trying to up the ante - a languid Hudson-Odoi and a poor Dominguez were swapped for the pacey pair of Ndoye and Hutchinson, moving Gibbs-White to the centre in the process. It was a masterful move, and produced instant results - the winger peeled off Tete following a long pass from Murillo and stormed into the box, winning a penalty by being bundled over by the clumsy Bassey. VAR came to our rescue, flagging the tightest of offsides from Ndoye in the build-up, but it was evident Forest were not interested in letting the half play out. It was a very nervous watch for Fulham. We'd been ineffectual for most of the game, but with Forest smelling blood our players started feeling the pressure, struggling to pass the ball in the slightest bit of proximity to a man in red.

Forest were in a strong phase of play, the new wingers carrying the ball superbly along the wings and poking holes in our defence. Given our frequent errors on the ball, the space was there for them to exploit. A deeply underwhelming cross to no one from Iwobi was headed clear by Aina and taken from one end to the other in seconds by Gibbs-White and then Hutchinson, narrowly put out of play by Robinson. Another failed build-up let Murillo bend a pass through the entire team, Aina surging away from a loose Bassey to meet the through ball on the bounce, and smack a volley past a prone Leno - fortunately the crossbar came to our rescue. Aina's involvement was hurting us here, moving confidently from right-back to support his team's attacking play - a combination with Sangare worked itself wide to Hutchinson, producing a yellow for Robinson upon the foul and a free kick which was narrowly cleared.

Perhaps our substitutes would allay the threat? Silva, finally realising his team were on the backfoot, reorganised the attack - Jimenez, Bobb and King, deemed to be underperforming, were swapped for Muniz, Chukwueze and Lukic, the latter moving alongside Berge to put a struggling Iwobi into more attacking positions. But Bassey had other plans. Taking what should have been a comfortable clearance, the centre-back smacked a header straight back to Williams, who wasted no time looping the ball over his head and into Ndoye's path, running into the chasm Bassey failed to close down. As play entered the box, Leno came off his line to intercept, but Ndoye was too quick and lifted it over him, opening the scoring. Yet VAR struck down his move again - the Swiss had again strayed marginally beyond Leno.

It was clear we needed a response - a third offside reprieve surely wouldn't bail us out. A ball pumped into the box almost did this; Milenkovic's attempt to head the ball away from Chukwueze fell kindly for Muniz, who smacked a volley goalwards, only denied by a timely defensive header over the bar by Aina. The corner from Iwobi was cleared by Sangare, again falling to a Fulham man - on the bounce, Lukic narrowly placed his shot wide of the left post. Iwobi at AM at least changed things a little for Fulham, Lukic adding his energy from deeper to try and repel the Forest momentum, and there were hints of us changing the flow of the game; Forest refused to yield, Williams shunting Wilson and Lukic's runs into dead ends, Muniz starved of a goal-scoring chance by Murillo and Milenkovic's impressive marking and Yates swapping for Gibbs-White to add an extra barrier between us and the goal.

All the while, Forest continued to purr in attack. Andersen's day took a sour turn when he collected a yellow card, forced to haul Hutchinson down on a breakaway along their right - it was an ugly moment for the team, with Bassey outjumped by Yates for a header and a hideous touch from Iwobi taking the ball to Hutchinson's path, and swung momentum firmly back to the hosts. With Robinson and Andersen booked, and Bassey having a hellish match, Forest concentrated their attacking along Hutchinson's wing and tried to exploit our vulnerability at the back. Awoniyi almost got the better of Bassey, latching onto a through ball from deep from Hutchinson and surging into the final third alongside his marker, but Bassey made just about enough of a recovery to take the ball and win a free-kick.

With our difficulties compounding, Cairney arrived for Berge to calm the storm (and lower the risk of going down to ten men). As always, the captain had a pretty pass in him, trying to get Robinson involved in the game again and pinpoint gaps in Forest's defence. Again, the moves couldn't quite connect themselves - a good intervention from Murillo stopped one ball from Chukwueze on the edge of the box reaching Iwobi in the centre, and whilst Iwobi had the freedom to get himself into dangerous positions, his finishing touch was still dismal, overhitting crosses repeatedly as the clock ticked down.

His ball across the box, sailing hopelessly off-target and out for a throw-in, gave Forest possession, and one last chance to seize the win - as they played it from the back, Sangare lifted the ball into Awoniyi's path, again ahead of our dozing centre-back pairing. He strode into the box, but Tete was alert to the danger and intervened, cutting across his teammates to slide across the grass and block his effort. It was a stupendous piece of defending, arguably the best of the game from us, and saved the point - the corner was cleared away and, following one last piece of dithering from Fulham, here Cairney squandering a chance to pass to an unmarked Sessegnon for a late breakaway, the referee blew time on the game.

An avoidable predicament for Forest
Seeing as Forest were the active force in the game, it makes more sense to start with them. You can see both sides of the team's recent fortunes on the pitch - they have some exceptional footballers across their squad, and clearly had something special there very recently. Anderson should go to the World Cup with England - he dominated the midfield and put the senior pairing of Berge and Iwobi to shame with his industry and pragmatism across the match. Whilst Gibbs-White probably has harsher odds of making Tuchel's squad, the talent is clearly there - be it in dainty backheels, outside-the-foot through balls or pure attacking venom, the man is central to all things good for Forest. Sangare was a warrior, covering the space around the backline very effectively - for as much as we stank out the game at times, our task was made harder by the disciplined defending we had in front of us.

Aina and Williams, once Fulham men, had a world of fun darting down the wings and cutting inside to link play to their attacking pieces - both might have scored goals of their own. Murillo and Milenkovic both rose to the occasion to wrestle Forest out of danger in their own box. The substitutes Ndoye and Hutchinson ignited their wings upon arrival, and the tightest of margins denied them a strong win today against us. You wonder what this club could do if they hadn't bungled the hard work of Nuno Espirito Santo - this squad were a whisker away from the Champions League last season under him, and the fantastical decision to mistreat and then sack him by owner Evangelos Marinakis have plunged the club into a relegation battle. It demonstrates the importance of confidence and trust in football - if these players were not adapting to life under their fourth manager there is every chance they'd have settled into decent form by now.

We're clear of the drop, at least, but our season is threatening to peter out with months still to go. Forest are not in a great place right now, but had they started the game with a functioning Igor Jesus (and maybe Dominguez and Hudson-Odoi demoted to the bench) there's every chance they'd have had enough to actually strike a goal today. Indeed, the only thing that did save us was the marginal boundaries - a couple of tight offsides, a crossbar, the well-timed slide of Kenny Tete at the death...

Our clean sheet is a cheap one, arguably less fitting today than in games we've actually failed to keep them in. Tete aside, I thought the team struggled at the back - Robinson can at least balance out his tricky second half against Hutchinson with some decent contributions going forward, and wasn't so much exploited as he was the natural victim of a fresh-faced substitute. Andersen and Bassey started the game nicely and seemed to be settling back into their flow as our first-choice partnership, but imploded in the second-half - Bassey was asleep to the danger happening around him, his pace only-just bailing him out on a number of occasions (and not even that on a few of them), whilst Andersen continued to look worryingly slow compared to the play happening around him. Remove the aerial clearances from his game and opponents have far too much joy outrunning the Danish defender.

Perhaps the problems lie further forward. The Berge-Iwobi pairing is in urgent need of alteration - the pair are out of energy and ideas. Berge has entered a rather rotten patch of form, unable to take the game forward with any ambition and alarmingly losing the ball to more alert and sprightly opponents. He couldn't lock down the space in front of the defence and the backline were threatened by a barrage of attacking passes as a result. A fully-fit Iwobi can do wonders - an Iwobi desperate for a rest and also detached from his passing radar is not that man, and he had a horrid afternoon today.

Of course, he's not the only one. Raul took a fierce knock from Milenkovic early on and did little else for the rest of the game - Muniz at least had a flash at goal when he came on later but couldn't get himself in the box ahead of a fierce pair of centre-backs. Wilson missed a couple of games and struggled to get himself into the action today, not quite having the momentum to get into suitable striking positions enough - albeit starved of quality service from his teammates. Chukwueze demonstrated the advantages of pace over Bobb, actually managing to run beyond Aina and put balls into the box, but they didn't have the quality or consistency to trouble the hosts. I was a little surprised King came off when he did - whilst it wasn't a strong performance, he at least seemed willing to take some mettle to Sangare, and combined nicely with Robinson on the left. However, the season has been long, and Smith Rowe's experience might have been better suited to today's gruelling match.

We can perhaps be pleased that we have a clean sheet, something to at least satisfy Leno's personal statistics, and the point ensures we keep pace with the European chasers, something that should on paper keep the squad - and manager - motivated. But it's precious little for Fulham - we lacked urgency going forward throughout the game, leaving us goalless for the third game running (and given our most recent goals came against this historically-bad Tottenham team, it's not saying a lot). Bowing out of the cup in such tepid fashion has had its toll, and in some ways this is one of Silva's (potentially last) great tests - with the team still in touching distance of the European places, and a final set of fixtures with more than a few winnable ties across them, can Marco take us out of this slump and push us right to the end of a potential return to Europe? As bleak as today feels, it is still a point - with the right attitude, the team can still use it to kickstart their season against Burnley next weekend. It remains to be seen whether the squad realise the campaign is far from dead.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/fulham-ride-their-luck-in-dour-0

[susiescw]

Excellent analysis of a game that was far from that! Thank you