A vital away match and an intriguing Cup draw
As an exciting transfer window draws to an end, with a possible last-minute flurry, Fulham enter a vital period when the promise held out by transfer activity needs to be translated into results.
While enjoying a lengthy unbeaten run, Fulham haven’t won a Premiership match since mid-December’s victory against Boro, and six points out of 18 since then has seen the club fall to 15th place in the division.
However, the middle of the table is very tight, and good results against Sheffield Utd tomorrow and Newcastle on Saturday could propel Fulham into the top half, depending on other results.
Although Fulham’s away record is still patchy, the confidence of Saturday’s FA Cup win over Stoke, and the effects of the new blood being brought in, could see Fulham put some distance between themselves and the club just below them in the league.
This match has become a ‘must win’ for Fulham if the club wants to secure safety and set up a strong platform for the fifth round of the FA Cup, where another home match versus Tottenham has come out of the hat.
While lower league opponents would have been preferable, Fulham now have to show that they can beat their peers, and Spurs will be keen to show that they can do better than their showing at the Cottage just over a week ago, when they looked anemic at best, and to keep an interest in the Cup following their probable expulsion from the Carling Cup at Arsenal’s hands.
Attention will once again focus on the return of Steed Malbranque, and it is to be hoped that Michael Brown has got the bug out of his system that produced an early and unwise challenge on his ex-colleague in the Premiership match.
So, a good couple of league results would set Fulham up nicely for a rousing cup tie against an old enemy. Chris Coleman now has the beefed-up squad he needed to avoid relegation worries and to produce a Cup run.
This is now the vital few weeks for Fulham, and supporters can feel optimistic that the club’s dealings in the market will give Fulham a real chance of a Top Ten finish and a decent run in the Cup.
Much will depend on how quickly the new signings will integrate with the established players, and how much Chris Coleman uses the new midfield firepower to ring the changes.
Chris Coleman says:
‘We’re over halfway through the season and in a good position. Looking at the points tally we’re very close to the top 10 and I’d have taken this position at the beginning of the season.
‘We were three minutes away from going 10th against Tottenham and we know the situation can change very quickly.
‘We’ve got 14 Premiership games left this season and we’re going to need all our players and it’s great that we’ve now got competition for places.’
Sheffield Utd Team News:
Sheff Utd squad: Kenny, Davis, Jagielka, Kozluk, Tonge, Armstrong, Bromby, A Quinn, S Quinn, Montgomery, Fathi, Webber, Hulse, Law, Nade, Kazim-Richards, Geary, Lucketti, Seck, Gerrard.
Player to watch: Rob Hulse
Fulham Team News:
Fulham squad: Lastuvka, Niemi, Rosenior, Davies, Christanval, Bocanegra, Smertin, Queudrue, Routledge, Brown, Volz, Radzinski, McBride, Jensen, Knight, Dempsey, Montella.
Player to watch: Alexiy Smertin
Smertin will be keen to impress on his first outing for Fulham, assuming he gets onto the pitch.
Match Facts & Stats
Match Prediction:
Sheffield Utd 1, Fulham 2
Fulham vs Newcastle
Newcastle are one of the Premiership’s most unpredictable sides, capable of triumph and disaster in the space of a single match. This was the case at St James’s Park earlier in the season, when Fulham stole an unlikely victory.
The Magpies will come looking for revenge, and if Martins is on song, a draw could be the most likely outcome.
