Tomorrow, without doubt, gives the Whites their biggest test of the season so far. Brighton have continued from where they left off last season and with only 2 defeats so far, they are the most difficult to beat. Can Fulham get an amazing result down on the south coast? We will need to be at our best to get something from this game. Last weeks home draw was a minor disappointment given the form of the two sides before the international break. We were flying and Wednesday were stuttering. International breaks seem to do us no favours when they come during excellent form. Although it could be argued that the previous international break was a god send, allowing us to regroup after a disastrous string of results. The positive we can take from the last game is that we didn't give up, and last season a home draw against Sheff Wed. would have been satisfactory. Slav and the boys won't be thinking about last week, and hopefully they will have worked hard, at Motspur Park, to get back to where we were before the international break. We should have nothing to fear by playing one of the two top teams in the league, and if the lads are brave then anything can happen. If we are at our best, and Brighton are below par, then anything is possible. Last week a few of our players had mediocre matches, including Kalas, McDonald and most notably the ineffective Cairney, who found little space in a congested midfield. Tom, on his day, is brilliant, and if he can produce his best form tomorrow then the Seagulls may be in for a good kicking.
Brighton- Undoubtedly a good solid team, all over the park, with a very mean defence. One of the criticisms aimed at them this season is that they are not so deadly upfront, but on their day they can whack anybody. Just ask Leeds or Norwich. We all know about Stockdale who is an excellent shot-stopper, and who, in my opinion, should never have been allowed to leave the Cottage. Defensively they are very sound, and although they may not be household names, FFC fans should know all about the impressive Dunk, who we tried to sign. Steve Sidwell will probably get stuck in on Tom and Sone, so we need to keep him occupied. Norwood and Knockaert will need close attention as they can both score goals from midfield, with the latter already netting 6 times this term. Glen Murray has already scored 10 this term, so Kalas and Sigurdsson will need to stay tight on him, but they should not forget about Hemed or Baldock either. The real danger man for me is Knockaert.
Fulham- There are no injuries to report on, so i doubt the team will be changed much, if at all. The only change at the back, may come if Slav decides to give Sessegnon a run. Kalas had a poor game last week, but his class should mean that was only a temporary blip. Fredericks should keep his place and we need his pace and willingness to run at the opposition, but Odoi is an option. I can't see the much improved Johansen being dropped as we will need his stamina and energy. There is a possibility that Tunnicliffe may replace McDonald at some stage if we are losing the midfield, as it appears that Parker is suspended. Cairney is a shoe in, and should be back to his best. Aluko should also start, but I wouldn't be surprised if Slav gives Ayite a run ahead of Piazon. Martin will definitely start up front. From what we know of Slav, he will stick to his philosophy of possession football, so don't expect us to park the bus. Key men for FFC- Cairney and Kalas.
Prediction- Seeing as my recent predictions have been wrong because of my bias towards the Whites, i am going for 2-0, or 2-1 to Brighton.
Whatever happens tomorrow, we should remember that Brighton are a good team, and we need to be behind the lads until the final whistle, and keep the faith.
IN SLAVISA WE TRUST
COYWs
Our Facebook group- https://www.facebook.com/groups/FFC.Ambition/?ref=bookmarks
© Nic Smith
I am certain that many readers know much more about travelling to the Amex than I do, but for those who have not been there before, below are a few tips.
Travel by train- Fares vary greatly, so check your times and what train you are intending to get. Cheapest return to Brighton, from East Croydon is £10.50, but you must use a Thameslink service. There is not much difference in journey times, but if you want to save 10 minutes then pay another £8 plus for the return ticket. Many fans drink in Lewes, but the return fare is over £19. Trains from Brighton to Lewes are frequent and the journey time is only 15 minutes. There are many options, but it all depends on your budget and where you wish to drink before hand.
Drinking and eating- Naturally Brighton has a much greater variety than Lewes, so again depends on what you want. Be warned that, if you are drinking in Brighton, virtually every pub near the station is "home fans only", and there will be a filth presence to martial this. There are some smaller, chicer bars but they can be pricey, and pretentious. The Wetherspoons on West Street is "Fulham fans only", and is a nice roomy pub, which echoed to some good FFC songs last season. Sources told me that there was a large contingent of Whites' fans in the pub on the pier last season, but it is a bit of a trek given where the station is. Lewes also has several pubs, but eating may be limited compared to Brighton. Due to the hassle getting to the Amex, many people may think Falmer is a better bet. IT IS NOT. There is one pub in Falmer, and it is usually "home fans only". The only other option around Falmer are the bars around the outside of the ground, but it is pricey and the beer not great.
Travelling to the Amex- If you are going from Brighton by train, make sure to leave plenty of time, and by plenty of time I mean an hour at least. Your ticket gives you free travel within Brighton on public transport, so every man and his dog go to the station. There is no segregation, just a mass of people heading to a couple of platforms, herded like sheep. I don't know about the buses, but they are free travel also. If there are a few of you, you can take a taxi, but be warned the taxi will not book a return fare. Lewes is a better bet, for getting to the Amex, but again leave some time if you are getting the train. After the game be prepared to stand in the masses waiting to get on the two platform station. You may be standing there not moving for ages, so if it is cold wrap up well.
My personal tip- Train to Brighton, then train to Lewes for beer, then train to the Amex, before heading back into Brighton for victory celebrations.
Overall- Whoever planned this stadium, clearly did not take into consideration the infrastructure nightmare. Be prepared for mayhem on both journeys to Falmer. Also be prepared for the old style bouncers if you mistakenly go to a "home fans only" pub. Friendly security clearly hasn't reached Brighton yet.
Anybody with better travel tips, please comment below in the comments box.
Hope this helps some of you, and see you all at the Amex on Saturday.
IN SLAVISA WE TRUST.
COYWs
Our facebook group- https://www.facebook.com/groups/FFC.Ambition/?ref=bookmarks
© Nic Smith
It seems like only last week that silly season was here, with rumours of which player was joining which club. Now, January approaches and the rumour mill is in full swing. Whether the rumours of players linked with a move to the Cottage are speculation, part truth, or simple bollocks, it is anybody's guess. But let's look at these 3 players.
1. Peter Crouch- Crouch struggles to get regular match time, and we need to ask how long it would take him to reach full match fitness, especially in the tough world of the championship. There is no way that Jokanovic would see him as a permanent signing, and therefore would only join on loan. And what could he bring to FFC and our style of play? Apart from the occasional moments of brilliance, he is basically a long person who is average in the air. Fulham don't play the style of football to suit his height, and we already have big Matty Smith for that, anyway. A non- starter for me.
2. Ross McCormack- Unlike Leeds fans, who nicknamed him Ross McContract, FFC fans seem to be a little more forgiving. No doubt, that Ross is an excellent Championship player, but he harbours delusions of being a Prem. league player. The reality is that he has never been snapped up by a top flight club, and his time is running out regarding that ambition. Another reality is, that he shows a lack of loyalty, which is all too common in modern football. On the plus side, he is an excellent goal scorer, although he is not an out-and-out striker. He clearly has a soft spot for the Whites (even buying his kid an FFC shirt after he joined Villa), but it is difficult to see where he would fit into the team. Slavisa likes a 4-2-3-1, and Ross can't play the loan striker role. Cairney is our man for the central, attacking, midfield role, and the two wide attacking midfielders need to be pacy, which Ross isn't. So where would he fit in? If Slavisa plays a 3-5-2, then Ross could play as the deeper of the "2". But is Slavisa going to change tactics, that we have worked on for so long, just to accommodate a player who clearly wanted to leave the club? It is also difficult to see Bruce loaning him to another Championship club.
3. Nahki Wells- With reports that Wells has refused to sign a new contract, he may well be looking for a move. However, Huddersfield are likely to put a price of £8 million plus on him, and whether Khan & co. would be willing to pay that is open to question. On the playing side, Wells is a proven scorer at this level, and he also possesses excellent technical skills. He is also very quick and could give a totally different option to Chris Martin. If I had my way, i would pick Wells above Martin every day, but I am not the manager. Wells could also slot perfectly into Slavisa's system, and out of the three would be the best buy (or loan).
But, at the end of the day, these are all rumours and I doubt Slav is even thinking about this at the moment. Whatever happens, we have a good squad and it is Brighton up next. Let's worry about January in January.
IN SLAVISA WE TRUST.
COYWs.
Our facebook group- https://www.facebook.com/groups/FFC.Ambition/?ref=bookmarks
© Nic Smith
It seems like an age since the Whites were busy beating our rivals just west of us. Internationals may stir up a little patriotism, but nothing compares to the intimacy shared between a club and it's fans. I am English and proud, but our national team will never come above FFC in terms of loyalty. Fulham come first every time, and as we "wise" old men grow older, we realize that through joy and pain our beloved Whites will always be there. So I, for one, am pleased to see the back of the international break, an international break that came when we were just building up a head of steam, and showing excellent form. Let's hope that Slav and the boys have been working hard to continue that form. After all we all know what happened after the first international break of the season......
The run up to Christmas, on paper, looks difficult, and next week's away game at Brighton is going to be our trickiest test yet. But first we face last season's surprise team in Sheffield Wednesday.
So far this season, the Owls have struggled to repeat their form of last season, although they are sniffing around just outside the play-offs, with the same points as us. Last season they had one of the meanest defences in the league, but the fact that they have conceded more goals than Fulham may go towards explaining some of their adverse form. Add into this, their problems with Forestieri, and Carvalhal may struggle to repeat last season's success. However, even though all does not seem perfect at Hillsborough, we should not take them lightly and we will need to be at the top of our game to get the three points we need in the bag before the trip to the South Coast.
Sheffield Wednesday-
Last season, Wednesday built the foundations of a solid defence, and given their current, indifferent form, we should expect to see them tight at the back. Westwood in goal has been around a long time and is a good solid keeper. None of the defenders are household names, but that does not mean we should underestimate their defensive understanding. Abdi, Lee and Bannon, in midfield are all good performers at this level, but the real threat lies upfront where Hooper is making up for Forestieri's tantrums, by being leading scorer. If Forestieri has patched up his differences, then he may have a point to prove, so we should be wary of his threat. We should expect the Owls to be cautious, but if we allow them to build up any pressure then they have the fire power to score from midfield as well as up front. After all, who can forget the "worldie" they scored last year to beat us.
FULHAM
There are no major injuries or doubts for the visit of the Owls, so Slavisa should be able to pick his strongest squad. I would be very suprised if the boss doesn't stick with the same team who did magnificently against Huddersfield and Brentford. Although Slav understands the need for a deep squad in the slog of the Championship, he also knows that a settled team can build consistency. Button showed against Brentford that he is making decisions as to when to play short or kick long, and hopefully the rest of the team are realizing that although it is effective to retain possession, there has to be a mix to avoid the mistake we saw at Villa. The back four is looking solid, and Slav has singled out Kalas for praise this week. Kalas is too good for the Championship, and we can only hope he stays injury free as he starts to lead, and organize, the defence. Sigurdsson has replaced the impressive Madl, so we have strength in that position. Fredericks has come back well from injury, and Odoi, despite his impressive games, will likely miss out again. I would also expect Malone to keep his place above prodigy Sessegnon. Johansen seems to have settled in now, and is showing amazing stamina, proving that he can be an excellent box-to-box midfielder. McDonald has an excellent array of passing and with a little terrier next to him, it gives him the space to pick his passes. Aluko and Cairney, are virtual shoes-ins, and Piazon is showing the talent that should give him the nod above Ayite, and Kebano. Martin is looking leaner and fitter, and it is impossible to see big Matty Smith getting a start above him.
Match prediction-
Expect the Whites to have possession early on as Wednesday start off cagily. Fulham need an early goal to allow their possession football to frustrate the Owls, allowing Aluko to get forward on the break. If Wednesday score early on then we, the fans, will need patience as they will become more and more difficult to break down. This game looks like one where whoever scores first will dictate the rest of the game, so that early goal is even more important for Slav and the Lads.
Score prediction-
I can't see this being high scoring, but the Whites may just have the edge. 2-1 or 2-0 to FFC.
Worth a punt-
Scott Malone to be first goalscorer. Odds of anywhere between 25/1 to 33/1 look good value given that Scott gets high up the pitch and isn't afraid to have a go at goal. Other than that, William Hill have Piazon at 10/1 to be first goal scorer, whereas Aluko at 7/1 (with some bookies) looks a little mean.
Whatever happens on Saturday we need to get behind the boys.
IN SLAVISA WE TRUST.
COYWs
Our facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/groups/FFC.Ambition/?ref=bookmarks
© Nic Smith
