PROFILE: Scott Parker

So now that Fulham have promoted Scott Parker to ‘Head Coach’ having been in the ‘Caretaker Manager’ role since February, replacing Claudio Ranieri, we thought we’d give you a brief rundown of Scott’s football career to date.

Scott Parker enjoyed a successful playing career with six different Premier League clubs before going into coaching.
A Charlton Athletic academy graduate, Scott made his professional debut in 1997 and went on to make 368 Premier League appearances, over 18 seasons, for Charlton, Chelsea, Newcastle, West Ham, Tottenham and Fulham.

Scott won the Football Writers’ Player of the Year award in the 2010/11 campaign, his first season with Spurs.

Charlton Athletic – 1997-2004
Scott began his career at Charlton Athletic after graduating from Lilleshall and made his first-team debut against Bury (First Division) on the 23rd August 1997. 
In October 2000 Scott was loaned to Norwich City for a couple of months, on returning to the Valley he was called into the first team to replace the injured Mark Kinsella.

Chelsea – 2004-05
January 2004 Scott signs for Chelsea on four and a half year contract for a reported £10 million fee.
Scott’s only goal was scored in a 2-0 win against Portsmouth at Fratton Park.
At the end of the 2003-04 season he was named ‘PFA Young Player of the Year’.
Scott found it difficult to break into a regular first team spot however, he was a regular starter in League Cup matches where he played in three consecutive victories against West Ham, Newcastle and Fulham, Scott would play for all three teams later in his career.

Newcastle United – 2005-07
July 2005 Scott joined Newcastle Utd for £6.5 million where he became a first team regular.
Scott’s first goal came on 25th March 2006 in a 3-1 defeat to Charlton.
In July 2006 he was made captain by manager Glenn Roeder. His first goal as Captain was against Wigan Athletic, his second came against Fulham, September 2006, after he was substituted Newcastle conceded 2 goals and lost the match.

West Ham United – 2007-11
June 2007 Scott signed for West Ham United for a £7 million fee.
His first goal was a last minute winner against Middlesborough on 22nd December 2007.
2008-09 Scott was voted ‘Hammer of the Year’ by the clubs supporters and became the first player since Julian Dicks to retain the award after winning again in May 2010.

Tottenham Hotspur – 2011-13
August 2011 Scott joins Spurs for a reported fee of £5.5 million.
Scott did not score for Spurs.
Signing for Spurs gave Scott the unique record? of playing for clubs in North, East, South and West London in the Premier League.
At the end of his first season Scott was named ‘Player of the Year’

Fulham – 2013-17
August 2013 Scott joined on a three year contract with fulham for an undisclosed fee and went on to make 128 appearances in three seasons.
Scott scored his first goal against Swansea City in a 1-2 loss at the Cottage.
Fulham were relegated at the end of the season and Scott retired from playing in June 2017.
Whilst at Fulham, Parker completed his UEFA badges and coached for the Fulham FC Academy.

International Career
Scott has represented England at every level from under-16 to the senior team.

Managerial Career
Scott retired from playing in 2017, taking up a coaching role with Spurs’ Under-18 side.
A year later, Parker made the next step in his coaching career, joining Slavisa Jokanovic’s first-team coaching staff at Fulham.
He was reunited with Ranieri, the man who signed him for Chelsea in 2003, following Jokanovic’s departure on 14 November 2018.

Fulham 2018/19 end-of-season awards survey

Please complete by Tuesday 21st May 23:59 (UK Time)

FoF end of season survey

It’s fair to say that 2018/19 has been a season Fulham fans would prefer to forget. What did you make of last year’s recruitment policy? Were there any highlights this season? Are you hopeful about the future of the club? Is Scott Parker the man to turn things around?

We want to hear what you think. It’s time to cast your votes in the Cottage Talk 2018/19 End-of-Season Awards, in 2 brief surveys. If you can please spare a few minutes to answer the questions and share these links with your fellow Fulham fans, this will be much appreciated.

Survey 1 – http://bit.ly/2WKLmyR_fof

Survey 2 – http://bit.ly/2W3g4X1-fof

Games for the Weekend 12/05

Our final game of the season is against Newcastle

Fulham v Newcastle

So we’ve come to the end of our Premiership adventure, apart from the last few games its largely been a season to forget for us Fulham fans.
However we still have one last game against Newcastle, I’m sure that Mitro will be looking to prove a point! I’ve got a sneaking suspicion he’ll be back on fire for this game, fingers crossed he gets his first Premiership hat-trick against his old club.

COYWs

Games of Interest…

Sunday 12th
Brighton v Man City
Liverpool v Wolves
Fulham v Newcastle
Man Utd v Cardiff
Southampton v Huddersfield


come on over to the Friends of Fulham forum and join in the conversation…
http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0

Games for the Weekend 04/05

This weekend we travel to the midlands to give Wolverhampton Wanderers a game.

Wolves v Fulham

So we’ve won our last 3 games without conceding a goal, I wonder what odds you’d have got on that earlier this season?
Wolves have had a fantastic season, they’ll comfortably finish in the top 10 above established Premiership teams such as Everton and West Ham.
However we must be full of confidence and, based on last seasons games, be looking forward to our trip to Molineux.

COYWs

Games of Interest…

Friday 3rd
Everton v Burnley

Saturday 4th
Cardiff v Palace
Newcastle v Liverpool
Wolves v Fulham

Sunday 5th
Huddersfield v Man Utd
Arsenal v Brighton


come on over to the Friends of Fulham forum and join in the conversation…
http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0

Games for the Weekend 26/04

Cardiff make the trip along the M4 to visit the Cottage this Saturday

Fulham v Cardiff

This could be interesting.
After 2 wins and 2 clean sheets we’re up against one of our fellow promoties and one of the remaining relegation candidates.
Colin will have his men fired-up for this match as I’m sure they’ll believe that this is their most winnable remaining game, Palace and Man U being their last games of the season.
But then I’m sure both Everton and Bournemouth would have thought the same.

Scotty Parker appears to have got the team playing the way he wants and surely can’t be doing his ‘permeant’ manger chances any harm, however this game will show how he/we cope with a team battling for their premiership survival. It’ll be a tough physical game that could see Cardiff joining us in the Championship next season, Im certain Mr Warnock and his team will do everything to avoid that result…

COYWs

Games of Interest…

Friday 26th
Liverpool v Huddersfield

Saturday 27th

Fulham v Cardiff
Southampton v Bournemouth
Brighton v Newcastle

Sunday 28th
Burnley v Man City


come on over to the Friends of Fulham forum and join in the conversation…
http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0

Games for the Weekend 20/04

We visit Bournemouth for this weekend’s game.

Bournemouth v Fulham

Both teams had good results last weekend, wasn’t it great to score two and keep a clean sheet!
Not that it really matters but I think we might sneak a result against Bournemouth, they’re a good team but have little to play for, their safe in mid-table but won’t be competing for a Europa run.
Mitro’ is due a goal, or two?, and for some reason I fancy him to get on the score sheet, mind you I think that every game so its about time he proved me right!

COYWs

Games of Interest…

Friday 20th
Liverpool v Huddersfield

Saturday 27th
Bournemouth v Fulham
Huddersfield v Watford
Newcastle v Southampton

Sunday 21st
Cardiff v Liverpool


come on over to the Friends of Fulham forum and join in the conversation…
http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0

The View from South Texas – Fulham 2 Everton 0

by HatterDon

Let me say that again: Fulham 2 Everton 0. After nine consecutive matches without a point or a clean sheet, we beat a team fighting for Europe 2-0. Wowser.

I watched Everton take care of Arsenal coolly and easily on Sunday, and I expected the same for us today, but it never happened. Here’s why – my opinion only of course: All season we have blamed our back line for our generosity towards opponents. I haven’t seen it that way. I’ve seen basically three major factors in our goals against: (1) Our defensive midfield tends to pass sideways until every teammate is covered upfield and, then, one of them will send a weak backpass to a defender giving an opponent an easy one-on-one. (2) Our keepers are reluctant to boot the ball upfield to relieve pressure when we’re under consistent attack. Short passes increase the pressure and goals result. (3) Our strikers and attacking mids DON’T pressure the ball when we lose possession. They fall back, giving our opponents free rein to attack before our defensive wall has a chance to form.

The first thing I noticed today was that Parker reversed #3. Our front guys – especially Babel and Cairney were aggressive whenever we lost possession. The result? Either we won the ball or, if Everton won it, they faced a defense with nobody out of position. Throughout the first half, we looked disciplined – even though I thought it weird to have LaMarchand on the back line with Ream and Bryan.

The second thing that I noticed was that Mitrovic decided that nobody wearing blue belonged on the pitch with him. He was a major pain-in-the-ass to Everton’s defenders for the entire 90. He was a hungry, angry bully out there and TODAY we actually got the ball to him on a regular basis. 

The first half was all evens. We looked the better side, but I scored another cup of coffee convinced that we’d find a way to collapse in the second half. Well, THAT pressure was eased in less than a minute. Ryan Babel, who did precious little attacking in the first 45, picked a Toffee pocked, juked and turned, and then found Cairney who coolly scored. Less than 40 seconds into the half and we’re up 1-0.

And, of course, knowing this side well and being a Fulham supporter anyhow, I waited for the inevitable collapse. I try NOT to take it personally when we look decent in the first part of a match and then, the second we concede, look like a kid whose dropped his lolly in the dirt. But Mitro and Cairney and – FINALLY Sessegnon [who was invisible in the first 45] kept the pressure up, kept being the attacking side. Everton, frankly, looked overwhelmed. 

As the match went on, I had two chants – I was alone in the apartment, so … – the first was “get the second” and the third was “clean sheet.” The first prayer was answered in the 69th minute. Mitro, naturally, seized on a well-contested ball and sent it into the Everton half where it met Ryan Babel. The former Liverpool man charged upfield with three Toffees following and scooped the ball over Pickford’s head into an empty net. 2-0. Holy crap!

About that clean sheet … . You know, I never thought I’d see us get a clean sheet and have our keeper the LEAST effective player on the pitch. Once we took the lead, Rico was horrible. Twice he punched a ball any of us could have caught. That was bad enough, but both punches went straight up in the air. Kudos to our defenders for covering him. Betts anyone?

But, all ended well, and we deserved the win. It’s a win made sweeter by the fact that Cardiff lost by the same score. 

HatterDon’s Man of the Match: With a strong nod to Babel who made both goals, it’s got to be Mitrovic. Man, I loves me some bad-ass centre forwards, and Mitro is all that. COYW

Games for the Weekend 12/04

This weekend its the blue half of Liverpool, Everton to come to the Cottage.

Fulham v Everton

So now that we’re relegated will Scott play some of the youngsters, will the loanees still get a game, if so why?
Fulham players, all of them, need to play with pride and now that we’ve “nothing to play for” perhaps they’ll be able to play with a level of freedom now that the pressures off?IF Scott really wants the managers job “full time” he may well continue with the loanees as he probably thinks that they’ll give him his best chance for his first win as a manager, if he looses all of his games in charge he’ll almost certainly have no chance of the job full time?

Whatever team we field Everton will be a tricky game, they’ve had some good results recently, historically we do quite well against them at home but I think our “attitude” will be the major factor for this game?

COYWs

Games of Interest…

Friday 12th
Leicester v Newcastle

Saturday 13th
Spurs v Huddersfield
Brighton v Bournemouth
Burnley v Cardiff
Fulham v Everton
Southampton v Wolves


come on over to the Friends of Fulham forum and join in the conversation..
.http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0

Games for the Week 02/04

Tuesday see’s us travel the relatively sort distance to Watford’s Vicarage Road ground.

Watford v Fulham

With Mitro coming back from international duty injured I can’t see us winning this game.
Anything other than a win against Watford will see us relegated, 18 points available and a 17 point gap between us and Burnley and Southampton both of who have a far better goal difference than us -22 and -15 respectively against our -43. To avoid relegation we need to win every game and either Burnley and/or Southampton must loose all of their remaining games!

COYWs

Games of Interest…

Tuesday 2nd
Watford v Fulham

Wednesday 3rd
Man City v Cardiff

Friday 5th
Southampton v Liverpool

Saturday 6th
Bournemouth v Burnley
Huddersfield v Leicester
Newcastle v Palace


come on over to the Friends of Fulham forum and join in the conversation…
http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0

Games for the Weekend 30/03

This Saturday it’s the other title contenders, Man City, turn to visit the Cottage.

Fulham v Man City

Well the 2nd half against Liverpool showed that theres a good team hidden amongst the current crop of Fulham players, even after yet another loss we played a better game and showed some fight.
This is another game that I don’t expect us to get anything from, if we can keep the score ‘respectable’ then that will be a good result for us?

It’s worth keeping an eye out for the Burnley, Cardiff and Southampton results, over the next two games as if Burnley and Southampton get a win and we loose both games then we would be mathematically relegated as the most points we could achieve would be 32 points, currently Burnley & Southampton are on 30.
Should Cardiff win their next two games, Fulham loose both and either Burnley or Southampton win a game then we’d be relegated.
On the bright side, if we manage to get, highly unlikely, 15 points from the remaining 7 games, and other results go in our favour, even more unlikely, then we would be safe.
If it comes down to goal difference then we’re in trouble, currently we’re -41 the worst in the division, and with the game against City, +58, I can only see that figure climbing.

Remember that this game is the early Saturday kick-off at 12:30

COYWs

Games of Interest…

Saturday 30th
Fulham v Man City
Brighton v Southampton
Burnley v Wolves
Palace v Huddersfield

Sunday 31st
Cardiff v Chelsea

Monday 1st
Arsenal v Newcastle


come on over to the Friends of Fulham forum and join in the conversation…http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0