v Fulham (a) - 5/3/22

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

8 hours ago, yankfan said:

We can give them a challenge in back.  Last time we went down a man then made tactical subs to be more attacking. The 7-0 score line was bad but we we’ve improved in the back since then. I think Zeefuik will give us more in the attack as rwb but until otherwise shown we will lose a bit defensively there. I still don’t know where our goals would come from. And as long as that’s the case it’s difficult to expect anything from this match. 

Nyambe will be a big loss for this game, you could rely on him to keep that RH side quiet. Zeefuik looks lively but a bit impetuous.

Edited February 28, 2022 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Sparks Rover]

22 minutes ago, RoverDom said:

Are the odds that bad? I've not looked. We're not scoring at the moment and our defence is strong so if we dug in I can see us holding Fulham out with a fair wind. 

10/1 for under 0.5 goals

Edited February 28, 2022 by Sparks Rover

[oldjamfan1]

Great preview. Did Etuhu not also play for Fulham - not surprised you forgot him though!

[arbitro]

I really think we should approach this game the same as we pretty much have since early November. Fulham can't play any other way that to attack so if we can absorb the pressure with fundamentally a back five and hit them with pace on the break we could sneak something. Huddersfield did this recently at Craven Cottage and pulled off a really good win. The 7-0 home defeat still rankles with me and hopefully will motivate the players and management to give this lot a bloody nose. Taking anything from the game will boost confidence and morale going into three winnable home games.

I actually like going to Fulham with a nice walk to the ground through Bishops Park and a chat to some Fulham supporters who I have always found to be a friendly bunch.

[JHRover]

Tickets sold out for this one which I think is an outstanding effort at £35 per adult for an early kick off and TV game.

If we were Forest or Middlesbrough we could make a weeks worth of social media posts about what a massive incredibly well supported club we were.

 

[rigger]

21 hours ago, Proudtobeblue&white said:

Got tickets for the game. An old school friend from Blackburn has lived for many years in the capital and is putting me up, and has kind of adopted Fulham as his team. I suppose Fulham is one of the smaller capital clubs, and has a family feel. New ground for me, in the away end, hope we have a good following despite being on the telly.

Ground:

Fulham St Andrew's was originally a church team, and had a few grounds before, in 1894, they leased land in grounds of the building Craven Cottage. Whilst the ground was being built, they moved again, before settling at their current home in 1896.

The cottage itself, had been around since 1780, built by Baron Craven, amid woods that formed part of Anne Boleyn's hunting grounds. By the time it opened, it could hold 50,000 spectators, although there were no stands! When one was finally built it was known as the "rabbit hutch". Their highest attendance, 49,335 v Millwall 8th October 1938.

The new Riverside development is still under construction, but is due to be ready for their return to the PL (no doubt they will win the Championship this year). Look's a fairly impressive new addition to the ground and will boost the capacity up to 30,000. See below.

We are in the Putney End Stand, and normally away supporters are allocated 1,600 tickets whilst the building work ends.

The rest of that stand is usually designated for "neutrals", which is a novel concept.

A few stats:

Head to head, we have played each other 94 times in league and cup, Rovers winning 38 times, draws 25, losing 31 times. First game against Saturday's opponents was in the FA Cup 8th January 1921 at Ewood, drawn 1-1, before we lost 1-0 in the replay five days later.

I will gloss over the last time we met on the 3rd November 2021, as an aberration. I hope that we can at least prove we are better than that!

Fulham's current record shows their Championship topping credentials:

P 33 W21 D7 L5 For 82 A29 GD53 Pts 70

Of course, whilst our talisman marksman will not be available, Mitrovic is scoring for fun for Fulham. I think it's damage limitation, and who wouldn't take a point right now?

Players/connections common to both clubs:

Tom Cairney, of course.

Andy Cole

Ian Pearce

I refuse to recognise Murphy

Ray Harford

Damian Duff

Mark Hughes

Shefki Kuqi

Billy McKinley

Chris Coleman

Watering holes:

The Crabtree on Rainville Road is highly recommended.

The Temperence on Fulham High Road welcomes away fans. The Kings Arms is opposite.

The White Horse at Parsons Green is a smashing boozer.

2000/1:

This was the year under Souness, when we gained promotion back to the PL, finishing second behind Fulham. They ran away with it finishing on 101 points to our 91. Now I'm not trying to tempt fate, but following the Fulham game we have three consecutive home games. Rumours yesterday BD on the bench Saturday...would be a boost. Sky saying BBD not back till April?

Matt Jansen grabbed 23 as our top scorer. We were given special dispensation to wear a different kit against Wolves to celebrate our 125th anniversary, and Dunny became the first player in our history to score a hat-trick of penalties in a game in the match against Rochdale in the Worthington Cup. It was also the season we demolished the old enemy 5-0 at Ewood.

Still a chance we could dream after yesterday's result....?

To all those going, let's hope we have a grand day out, whatever, let's hope it's not as embarrassing as last time.

 

 

Harrison Reed, Tosin.

Edited February 28, 2022 by rigger

[Glosrover]

30 minutes ago, rigger said:

Harrison Reed, Tosin.

Viv Busby......

[chaddyrovers]

Great effort by Rovers fans for selling out tickets for Fulham away. 

[tomphil]

1 hour ago, JHRover said:

Tickets sold out for this one which I think is an outstanding effort at £35 per adult for an early kick off and TV game.

If we were Forest or Middlesbrough we could make a weeks worth of social media posts about what a massive incredibly well supported club we were.

 

Yes seeing as we've been getting it in the neck all week for not taking thousands to Sheff U.

Back to being glory hunters this week no doubt.

[JonnyP]

This game will be a different game to the one at Ewood. Our shape has changed from the 4-3-3 that in my opinion never really worked constantly to the 3-4-1-2 shape that we have now.

Our defence has significantly improved since that 7-0 battering where we have only conceded 9 goals in 18 games which is a fantastic change to what has been a number of very frustrating years of a very leaky defence. So fair play to lads in the back and the coaching staff for making the changes and turning it around. 

I think if the players can get the 7-0 out of their heads and approach this game positively they can get a result and a point away from home against this Fulham team would be fantastic. I think we need Dolan in there again to really up the press and make it hard for Fulham to build from the back.

I’m going for a 1-1 all draw. Also going to take a massive gamble by saying Gally will get the goal.

[RoversTilliDie]

19 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I think we can do that if we’re on our game. We’ve become pretty hard to score against.

Fulham are class on their day, if rovers can get something out the game rovers will be dreaming of the play offs at least with 3 home games following it. The Lancashire Telegraph reckon Bradley Dack might be back for the Bristol city home game. Tony Mowbray doesn't want to risk him to soon. Another cruel blow for rovers, Nyambe could be out for 8 weeks, but they have got a decent replacement in Zeefuik.I hope Tony Mowbray plays Khadra and Dolan for 90 minutes against Fulham, they gave the Q.P.R defence something to think about at times.

 

 

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

4 minutes ago, Geoff66 said:

Fulham are class on their day, if rovers can get something out the game rovers will be dreaming of the play offs at least with 3 home games following it. The Lancashire Telegraph reckon Bradley Dack might be back for the Bristol city home game. Tony Mowbray doesn't want to risk him to soon. Another cruel blow for rovers, Nyambe could be out for 8 weeks, but they have got a decent replacement in Zeefuik.I hope Tony Mowbray plays Khadra and Dolan for 90 minutes against Fulham, they gave the Q.P.R defence something to think about at times.

 

 

 

Nyambe will be missed, I’m not thrilled with Zefuik as a defender. He looks a bit hot headed to me. Rather him than JRC though.

[BigUts]

Fancy a result here, rather weirdly. Don't quit fancy a win but a draw at least which would be hugely confidence boosting and keep us well on our way for a play-off berth.

[WacoRover]

The year we fell to League 1, we still beat magpies by identical 1-0 scores, and gave ManU all they could handle in FA Cup. Mourinho had to bring on Zlatan & Pogba to overcome Graham’s strike. 

Anything can happen; logic says we won’t win, but that’s why they play the games.

COYB!!!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

9 minutes ago, WacoRover said:

The year we fell to League 1, we still beat magpies by identical 1-0 scores, and gave ManU all they could handle in FA Cup. Mourinho had to bring on Zlatan & Pogba to overcome Graham’s strike. 

Anything can happen; logic says we won’t win, but that’s why they play the games.

COYB!!!

That’s the spirit.

[Dreyski]

7-0 win please.

After the match, Reed and Cairney to like Kaminski’s Instagram post.

[Waggy76]

4 hours ago, Glosrover said:

Viv Busby......

Busby , what a donkey ..

[darrenrover]

I fancy us to win at Craven Cottage (please Mercer don't agree with me!)

If we keep the same shape with Khadra and Dolan hunting down and defending from the front along with a finisher (Jack Vale?), I think we could surprise Fulham.

With 2 thousand plus Rovers following us, I predict a great day 'down the smoke'.

Yet another long day in prospect with a 6am start!

[Mercer]

6 minutes ago, darrenrover said:

I fancy us to win at Craven Cottage (please Mercer don't agree with me!)

If we keep the same shape with Khadra and Dolan hunting down and defending from the front along with a finisher (Jack Vale?), I think we could surprise Fulham.

With 2 thousand plus Rovers following us, I predict a great day 'down the smoke'.

Yet another long day in prospect with a 6am start!

If anyone fancies Rovers to win at Fulham then odds of 13/2 represents terrific value - in fact for two top 4 teams meeting, it's ridiculous.

I'll wait until I see the team news an hour before kick off but I might just want a big slice of that!

[Gav]

7 hours ago, JHRover said:

Tickets sold out for this one which I think is an outstanding effort at £35 per adult for an early kick off and TV game.

If we were Forest or Middlesbrough we could make a weeks worth of social media posts about what a massive incredibly well supported club we were.

 

Just goes to show, if the product on the pitch is worth supporting, Rovers fans will always turn out, its always been that way.

Fulham 1 Rovers 2

[Mattyblue]

…away from home, yes.

At Ewood it is much more complex, as the home crowds are showing.

[Darrenbot]

There's a lot of optimism about the result in this thread.I wish i was as optimistic but i can't see anything other than a 2 or 3-0 win for Fulham,i'll be delighted if i'm completely wrong though.

[Atko's Engine]

Free hit?? Absolutely not, esp given some of the other fixtures.

This is the chance for the team to put things right. THAT defeat will forever be an embarrassment for us as fans, but also for the players as professionals. It will be mostly the same personnel that play, and this is where they can show what they've learnt since in terms of intelligent, counter attacking football & game management. 

Didn't Leicester beat Southampton 9-0 at St Mary's a few seasons back, only for Saints to win the return fixture?  That's what we should be looking to emulate.

[tomphil]

We've often done well for support down in the smoke when things are going well so it isn't really a fair marker of cost/attendance in general.

Day/weekend trippers, family outing down there, London branch plus other exiled fans plus it being the Cottage a quaint little famous old ground.

I'd lay odds on if this was in the midlands or north east and ten quid less we wouldn't take that many.

Still it's a great effort and i hope there's something to show for it.

[yankfan]

11 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Nyambe will be a big loss for this game, you could rely on him to keep that RH side quiet. Zeefuik looks lively but a bit impetuous.

Agreed, Zeefuik sone quality but haven’t seen enough of him at his natural position to not think it will be a loss without Naymbe