RSSMix.com Mix ID 3829118

Pele: Brazil legend discharged from hospital

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 20:29:24 GMT

Brazil legend Pele is discharged from hospital after undergoing treatment for a colon tumour.

Pep Guardiola: Man City boss raises prospect of strike but does not think it would happen

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 19:23:42 GMT

Pep Guardiola raises the possibility of players going on strike over their welfare - but adds he does not think it will happen.

Arbroath: Can Dick Campbell's high-flying part-time side really reach the top flight?

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 16:35:52 GMT

With Dick Campbell's part-time Arbroath side riding high at the top of the Scottish Championship, BBC Scotland examines whether they can really reach the top flight.

Manchester United almost at full strength following Covid outbreak - Ralf Rangnick

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 16:25:36 GMT

Ralf Rangnick says his Manchester United squad is almost at full strength following the recent outbreak of Covid-19 at the club.

Liverpool v Leeds and Wolves v Watford postponed because of Covid cases

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 15:10:15 GMT

The Premier League postpones Liverpool's game against Leeds United and the match between Wolves and Watford because of coronavirus.

Seri selected in Ivory Coast AFCON squad

Dan — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 15:00:21 GMT

Fulham midfielder Jean Michael Seri has been named in the Ivory Coast squad for the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Cameroon.

Seri, who has been a revelation since being reintroduced to the Fulham squad by new coach Marco Silva this summer, has won 34 caps for his country and has become a regular under national coach Patrice Beaumelle of late. The former Nice midfielder has made 22 appearances for the Whites in the Championship this season – providing six assists.

The Elephants, who won the tournament in 2015, have been drawn in Group E alongside Algeria, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea. The Ivory Coast’s campaign gets underway on January 12. If they go all the way to the final on February 6, Seri could miss as many as four of Fulham’s Championship fixtures.

Ivory Coast squad – Goalkeepers: Sylvain Gbohouo (Wolkite Ketema), Badra Ali Sangare (JDR Stars), Abdoul Karim Cisse (Asec Mimosas), Ira Eliezer Tape (San Pedro).

Defenders: Serge Aurier (Villarreal), Eric Bailly (Manchester United), Willy Boly (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Wilfried Kanon (Pyramids), Odilon Kossounou (Bayer Leverkusen), Simon Deli (Adana Demirspor), Ghislain Konan (Reims).

Midfielders: Habib Maiga (Metz), Maxwel Cornet (Burnley), Serey Die (Sion), Ibrahim Sangare (PSV Eindhoven), Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro (Lazio), Franck Kessie (AC Milan), Hamed Traore (Sassuolo), Jeremie Boga (Sassuolo), Max Gradel (Sivasspor), Jean Michael Seri (Fulham).

Forwards: Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace), Jean Evrard Kouassi (Trabzonspor), Nicolas Pepe (Arsenal), Sebastien Haller (Ajax), Christian Kouame (Anderlecht), Yohan Boli (Al-Rayyan), Karim Konate (Asec Mimosas).

Afcon 2021: Ivory Coast recall Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 14:13:23 GMT

Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha returns to the Ivory Coast squad for the Africa Cup of Nations after missing November's World Cup qualifiers.

Ferran Torres: Pep Guardiola 'happy' for Barcelona-bound forward

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 13:41:20 GMT

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola confirms Ferran Torres is close to joining Barcelona, saying: "I'm happy for him."

Gigg Lane: Bury fans given £1m government pledge in ambition to buy back home

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 13:02:52 GMT

A government-run community ownership fund pledges to give Bury fans £1m towards Gigg Lane, if they can raise the same figure.

Birmingham game postponed

Dan — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 13:02:19 GMT

Fulham’s Boxing Day game against Birmingham City has been postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak in the Blues camp.

The number of positive cases in Birmingham’s first team squad has surpassed the level required in the EFL protocols for a postponed – and both clubs will now work with the EFL to rearrange the fixture when possible. Fulham’s next fixture, at Reading on December 29, is also in doubt due to the Royals currently managing a Covid outbreak that saw their Boxing Day game at Peterborough postponed.

La Liga: Karim Benzema scores stunner as Real Madrid edge past Athletic Bilbao

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 11:16:03 GMT

Watch highlights including two goals from Karim Benzema as Real Madrid edge past Athletic Bilbao 2-1 to move eight points clear at the top of La Liga.

Five arrests made as Tottenham and West Ham fans clash at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 11:03:59 GMT

Metropolitan Police confirm five arrests have been made as fans clash during London derby in Carabao Cup.

La Liga: Granada beat Atletico for first time in 48 years

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 10:56:06 GMT

Watch highlights as Granada beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 to get their first win over Atletico since 1973, ending a 25-game winless streak.

Diego Simeone: 'He's totally transformed Atletico Madrid' - but is he suffering an identity crisis?

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 09:25:05 GMT

As Diego Simeone celebrates 10 years in charge of Atletico Madrid, Spanish football writer Andy West looks at his impact.

Ellen White's Christmas - Lionesses star unwraps career highlights

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 06:23:47 GMT

Manchester City and England striker Ellen White sits down with Football Focus' Liam MacDevitt to unwrap some presents and look back on her record-breaking career.

Frank Mill: The Germany striker whose name means failure - and how he found success

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 00:01:08 GMT

Frank Mill is known in Germany as the man behind the 'miss of the century'. But this charismatic ex-striker has plenty more to say.

Watch Wednesday's Scottish Premiership goals

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 00:00:47 GMT

Watch the goals from Wednesday's Scottish Premiership action, including a winning start for new Hibernian manager Shaun Maloney.

PFA chief feels players' concerns over their welfare should be heard

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 17:01:56 GMT

Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Maheta Molango believes it is right that players like Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson should voice their concerns over players' welfare.

Jordan Henderson: Liverpool captain says player welfare 'not taken seriously enough'

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 16:58:18 GMT

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson says the welfare of players is "not taken seriously enough" with a busy festive fixture schedule and Covid-19 cases affecting squads.

Best of 2021: FIFA Puskas Award - Caroline Weir's 'worldie' against Manchester United nominated

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 16:21:36 GMT

Manchester City midfielder Caroline Weir is nominated for FIFA's 2021 Puskas Award for her fantastic goal against Manchester United.

Best of 2021: FA Cup highlights: Everton 5-4 Tottenham Hotspur

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 16:19:37 GMT

Watch highlights of an incredible FA Cup fifth-round tie at Goodison Park as Everton beat Spurs 5-4 after extra time to reach the quarter-finals.

Best of 2021: Women's FA Cup final highlights - Arsenal 0-3 Chelsea

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 16:18:49 GMT

Watch highlights as an early goal from Fran Kirby and a Sam Kerr double helps Chelsea comfortably see off Arsenal in the delayed final to last season's FA Cup to win their first domestic treble.

Best of 2021: FA Cup final highlights -Chelsea 0-1 Leicester City

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 16:17:46 GMT

Watch highlights as Youri Tielemans' glorious goal wins Leicester City the FA Cup for the first time in their history.

La Liga highlights: Barcelona draw with 10-man Sevilla

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 10:01:29 GMT

Barcelona draw 1-1 with second-placed Sevilla in La Liga, despite playing the last 26 minutes against 10 men after Jules Kounde's red card for the hosts.

Bundesliga: Meet the worst team in Europe's major top divisions

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 09:22:58 GMT

Bundesliga side Greuther Furth have made the worst start to the season out of any of Europe's major leagues.

Christie opens up on exile, fatherhood and racism

Dan — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 16:26:44 GMT

There are plenty of news lines to come out of the Evening Standard’s revealing chat with Cyrus Christie. He is clearly keen to start again somewhere other than Craven Cottage after falling out of favour under Marco Silva – but his frustration at a lack of first team football almost pales into insignificance in comparison to the birth of his severely premature daughter and experiences of racism have impacted his outlook.

Christie, who is out of contract in the summer, appears certain to be moving on soon – although whether it is next month or in the summer remains to be seen.

“The boys are doing fantastic this season. The manager’s made a decision – and that’s football. You learn that. You have to get on with it. I have to look for a new chapter, get back to playing football and be the best version of myself as a footballer. I have lost that at Fulham. Personally, being out there on my own has been tough. I could understand it if I was being an a******e or kicking off. If you’ve got clarity, it makes it easier for you.

I’ve played over 400 games, I went to the Euros with Ireland as the youngest in the squad. I’ve played World Cup qualifiers, two play-off finals with Fulham, been promoted to the Premier League. I’ve got a wealth of experience, it’s just about getting back to playing regular football. I believe I’ve got a lot to offer many teams – as long as it’s the right fit, the right style of football for me to thrive.”

The more revealing elements of the interview surround Christie’s continued frustration with the football authorities and police for failing to take tangible action against racism – he tells a story of horrific social media abuse he received as he was joining Fulham that seems to have gone unpunished – and how the birth of his daughter came as a shock in September, with a nervous few days as the family waited to see if Amaya would survive. Thankfully, she did. Some things are far more important than football.

Reed: ‘We weren’t good enough’

Dan — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 00:41:55 GMT

Harrison Reed admitted Fulham ‘weren’t good enough’ after the Whites slumped to their first defeat in twelve games against Sheffield United.

The Fulham midfielder gave a frank interview to FFCTV after the final whistle at Craven Cottage, conceding that the Blades deserved the victory secured by Iliman’s Ndiaye’s stunning early strike.

“It wasn’t good enough tonight by our standards. As a team, we weren’t good enough. They probably deserved the win. We’ll keep our heads down, we’re top of the league. We don’t get too emotional. We’ll get back to the training ground put things right. We’ll never get up.

We felt like maybe the goal would come – sometimes, it’s not meant to be. No matter how hard you try – the chances just didn’t happen tonight. I think the chances were limited anyway. We were maybe just waiting for that one clear cut one and hopefully put it away. It wasn’t to be. We’re very disappointed. We need to dust ourselves down, get back to the training ground and keep working hard.”

Reed still feels Fulham are well placed to go up automatically, but wants to return to winning ways against Birmingham City on Boxing Day.

“At the start of the season our aim was to get promoted. We’re top of the league. We know our form of late isn’t where it should be. We’re working relentlessly to put that right, get back to scoring goals and winning games. That won’t stop. Boxing Day is something we’ll look forward to. The fans in here, the Christmas feeling. Hopefully we can come away with three points and a smile on everyone’s face.”

Kebano subjected to racial abuse

Dan — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 00:31:12 GMT

Neeskens Kebano has shared some of the racial abuse he has received via social media this evening.

The Fulham winger was targeted on Instagram in the wake of the Whites’ defeat by Sheffield United yesterday and becomes the latest footballer to be racially abused online.

We’d like to send our best wishes to Neeskens and hope that robust action is taken against this abhorrent behaviour.

UPDATE: Fulham have confirmed in a statement issued this morning that they have reported the matter to the police.

Fulham’s trip to Swansea goes behind closed doors

Dan — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 00:25:45 GMT

Fulham’s trip to Swansea City will be played behind closed doors after the Welsh government introduced measures designed to quell the spread of the omicron variant.

The Whites will travel to the Liberty Stadium on Monday 3 January for a 3pm kick off. The game is due to be screened line on Sky Sports.

The restrictions affecting Welsh sport will begin on Boxing Day with no definitive end date set at present.

Welsh economy minister Vaughan Gething said a £3m fund will be in place to “support” clubs and venues.

In a statement the Welsh government said: “The latest figures showed a further steep rise in the number of confirmed cases of the fast-moving variant.”

Gething said: “Sporting events over the Christmas period are one of the big highlights of the year. Unfortunately, the new omicron variant is a significant development in the pandemic and could cause a large number of infections.

“We need to do everything we can to protect people’s health and control the spread of this awful virus.

“Throughout the pandemic we have followed scientific and public health advice to keep people safe. The advice is clear – we need to act now in response to the threat of omicron. We are giving people as much notice of these decisions as we can.

“Crowds will come back as soon as possible. We want everyone to be here to enjoy their favourite sports.”

Silva slates shocking showing

Dan — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 23:00:26 GMT

Marco Silva admitted Fulham were well short of the level required as Sheffield United under their eleven match unbeaten run at Craven Cottage tonight.

The Whites were stunned by a superb solo goal from Iliman Ndiaye after just three minutes of the contest but struggled to create chances throughout. Silva was honest in his assessment of a desperately disappointing display, telling his post-match press conference:

“We didn’t perform at the level we should do, we only created one or two chance. They scored, and it was our fault because the balance wasn’t good enough. After that, we didn’t create. It was up to us to play with a different intensity, and this evening, we made unforced errors and seemed so nervous to play football. When it’s like this it’s difficult to perform well. If you’re anxious, you’re unable to do your job well. We’ve done so many good things so far, from the start until now.

It wasn’t a good game of football, in my opinion. I know what we should do to win, and that’s to perform better than our opponents and play in our way. This evening we didn’t perform in our way. The players have my feedback.”

Silva and Fulham will seek to return to winning ways against Birmingham City on Boxing Day.

“We’ll analyse more in the next few days and the things we should improve for the next game. Nobody wins or loses anything in the middle of the season. We had a really bad evening, but we’re more than capable to change the situation because we have the capability to do it.”

O’Neill brace beats the Baggies

Dan — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 22:41:40 GMT

A second half brace from Ollie O’Neill saw Fulham’s under 23s beat West Brom 4-2 at the New Bucks Head tonight and extend their lead at the top of the PL2 Second Division to a commanding eleven points.

The young Baggies side had been unbeaten in Telford all season and earned a share of the spoils at half time courtesy of a fine strike from Mo Faal and Jamie Andrews’ penalty after Adrion Pajaziti and Sonny Hilton had twice put Steve Wigley’s visitors in front. It was Republic of Ireland under-21 international O’Neill who turned the game decisively in Fulham’s favour in the final quarter. The classy midfielder fired a low finish into the corner to complete a flowing move and five minutes later drove in a second to settle matters.

Albion had began brightly with Reyes Cleary tested George Wickens inside the first minute and the Fulham goalkeeper was called upon again to deny Cleary with a diving stop. At the other end, the visitors almost scored with their first opportunity when Kieron Bowie took advantage of a fortunate ricochet off Aurio Teixeira to round Alex Palmer but the Scottish striker lost his balance and missed the target altogether.

Wickens then made a fine sprawling save to keep out Faal’s header after brilliant play by Fellows and Cleary along the Albion left and the visitors quickly made West Brom pay. Pajaziti’s piledriver from distance after a half cleared corner was unstoppable – it screamed past Palmer and into the far corner to give the Londoners the lead. Tom Fellows almost equalised for the Baggies after being played in by Andrews but Charlie Robinson did brilliantly to clear off his own line.

They did draw level six minutes before the break when classical hold up play saw Cleary create the simplest of openings for Faal, who beat Wickens from close range with a modicum of fuss. In a crazy finale to the first half, Fulham regained and lost the lead in the space of sixty seconds. In-form Sonny Hilton pounced on a defensive mistake to fire the young Whites ahead but Cleary cleverly won a spot-kick from the hosts’ very next attack, which was emphatically converted by Andrews.

The second period was an altogether more cagey affair as both teams probed patiently for an opening. Eighteen year-old O’Neill, who has really come into his own under Wigley’s tutelage this season, eventually broke through the Baggies defence to ensure Fulham build up a healthy cushion at the top of the table heading into Christmas.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION UNDER 23s (3-4-3): Palmer; Williams, Ashworth, Taylor; Ingram, Fellows, Teixeira, Andrews; Windsor (R. Richards 63), Faal (Okoko 63), Cleary. Subs (not used): Ciise, Joshua.

GOAL: Faal (39), Andrews (pen 42).

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Wickens; S. Sessegnon (D’Auria-Henry 33), Larkeche (Page 80), C. Robinson, Odutayo; Francois, Pajaziti; Hilton, O’Neill, Dibley-Dias; Bowie (Tiehi 88). Subs (not used): Allen, Bowat.

BOOKED: D’Auria-Henry.

GOAL: Pajaziti (19), Hilton (40), O’Neill (69, 74).

Magical Ndiaye ends Fulham’s unbeaten run

Dan — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 22:22:35 GMT

A brilliant individual goal from Iliman Ndiaye and diligent defending saw Sheffield United end Fulham’s eleven match unbeaten run and claim a first league victory at Craven Cottage since 1985. Marco Silva’s side were rocked by Ndiaye’s superb strike in the third minute when he dribbled fifty yards to turn a home corner into the game’s decisive moment, punishing the home defence for backing off him with a precise finish past Marek Rodak from 23 yards. It took Fulham 75 minutes to force a save from Wes Foderingham and had they equalised in stoppage time when Aleksandar Mitrovic rattled the woodwork – and Harry Wilson somehow sent the rebound over – it would have been harsh on Paul Heckingbottom’s resilient side.

This was supposed to be the night when Fulham welcomed back one of their old heroes, but the Blades had sacked Slavisa Jokanovic following a slow start to the season. The Serbian had masterminded Fulham’s first climb from the Championship back to the top flight so the warmest appreciation was reserved for Ollie Norwood, a part of that play-off winning side from 2018, who turned in a composed display at the heart of United’s midfield. The former Fulham man had a bit part in the goal, hammering a clearance away from his own penalty area before Ndiaye surged away from Jean Michael Seri and took advantage of hesistancy from Tim Ream and Tosin Adarabioyo to place a finish past Rodak after advancing into shooting territory.

Heckingbottom, handed a four-year contract last month with a brief to make the most of the Blades’ brightest young talent, devised the perfect gameplan for nullifying the league leaders. Fulham had been faltering before this fixture – with a run of four underwhelming draws having hinted at a drop in standards – but they had no answer to the visitors’ subtle switch of system that saw Ndiaye paired with Billy Sharp up front. The two strikers pressed relentlessly from the front and Morgan Gibbs-White, enjoying a excellent loan spell from Wolves, drifted in dangerous pockets of space before he was forced off injured at half time.

Fulham were alarmingly flat for much of a contest that seemed to pass their key players by. Mitrovic missed the clearest chance of the first period, dragging a shot wide after he had raced onto a raking ball from Kenny Tete, but Silva’s side lacked penetration or urgency. The Serbian striker had just two touches in the penalty area throughout a first half where Fulham had more than two-thirds of possession. Their wingers were anonymous and teenage talent Fabio Carvalho was substituted shortly after half time as he struggled to make any impression on proceedings.

Indeed, the home side’s frustrating even was summed up by the way Wilson weaved his way into the penalty area having cut in from the right flank and lost his footing as he beat Jaden Bogle and lined up a shot. Kebano saw a shot scrambled off the line by Jack Robinson after Adarabioyo had headed a free-kick back across goal, but former Fulham academy graduate Wes Foderingham had a far easier return to Craven Cottage than he might have envisaged. He was booked just before the break for delaying the taking of a goal kick but the Blades certainly hadn’t come to put men behind the ball.

Norwood almost capitalised on a weak punch from Rodak right at the end of the first half and the Blades continued to pose serious problems on the break. Substitute Sander Berge’s lovely pass gave Jaden Bogle a sight of goal but the wing back’s decision to take another touch instead of shooting allowed Kenny Tete to slide in and avert the danger. Sharp thought he had scored a clinching second, but his celebrations were cut short by an offside flag after he had fired Ndiaye’s cut back high into the net. Fulham continued to the enjoy the majority of the ball, with Tom Cairney having come on for Seri at half time, but struggled to find space between the away side’s three centre backs.

The hosts threatened a grandstand finish with fifteen minutes left. Mitrovic cracked a low shot straight at Foderingham after Reed had headed on a poor clearance but neither the Serbian, who had earlier headed over a floated Kebano cross, or Rodrigo Muniz – sent on in place of the below par Antonee Robinson – unduly worried an assured Blades back line. Heckingbottom’s heroes managed proceedings pretty well before they had a huge slice of slick in the first minute of added time. Mitrovic dribbled his way past a succession of green shirts before lifting a shot against the frame of the goal on the search and Wilson volleyed wastefully over when it seemed simpler to convert the follow-up.

A stupefied Silva threw his hands skywards – knowing that Fulham had fluffed another glorious opportunity to extend their advantage at the top of the Championship to five points. The glorious unpredictability of England’s second tier had struck again. Far from being invincible, Fulham suddenly look fragile. It is Sheffield United who are upwardly mobile at present: a fourth consecutive victory puts the Blades only three points off the play-off positions.

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Rodak; Tete, A. Robinson (Muniz 69), Adarabioyo, Ream; Reed, Seri (Cairney 45); Wilson, Kebano, Carvalho (Decordova-Reid 61); Mitrovic. Subs (not used): Gazzaniga, Odoi, Bryan, Chalobah.

SHEFFIELD UNITED (3-4-1-2): Foderingham; J. Robinson, Basham, Egan; Bogle, Stevens, Norwood, Hourihane (Fleck 76); Gibbs-White (Berge 45); Ndiaye (Osborn 78), Sharp. Subs (not used): Eastwood, Baldock, Freeman, Burke.

BOOKED: Foderingham, J. Robinson, Bogle.

GOAL: Ndiaye (3).

REFEREE: James Linington (Newport).

ATTENDANCE: 17,308.

Up next: Sheffield United (h)

Dan — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 08:00:00 GMT

When the fixture list was released in June, this was a match everyone earmarked as an opportunity for Craven Cottage to offer our appreciation for Slavisa Jokanovic’s stylish three years in the Fulham hotseat. His harsh sacking at Sheffield United has now robbed us of that reunion, although Ollie Norwood is deserving of a standing ovation tonight for that Wembley tackle on Conor Hourihane alone. The Blades head to London in good heart having recorded three consecutive wins and a fortnight off following a Covid-related postponement at QPR will have allowed Paul Heckingbottom plenty of time to hone his plans to nullify the league leaders.

Nobody would have foreseen that there would have been a twelve point gap between two of the promotion favourites at the start of this season. Jokanovic, a Championship promotion specialist, is known to require patience as players warm to his philosophy and methods and United’s squad, primed to play in Chris Wilder’s unique 3-5-2 system, was in dire need of an overhaul. The Blades have had to rely on veteran Billy Sharp for their most regular source of goals and, just as they were showing signs of improvement, the hierarchy pulled the plug on an expensively acquired head coach.

It is not beyond the realms of possibility, as Marco Silva suggested a few weeks ago, that the Blades could yet find themselves in the top six by the end of the season – although United diehards won’t exactly be enthralled by such a prospect given their play-off record. Heckingbottom has been restricted to just two outings since he returned to Bramall Lane, with an opening win over Bristol City followed by a fine comeback at Cardiff City inspired by the mercurial Morgan Gibbs-White. Some of the quality at United’s disposal has never been in doubt; consistency has been in frustratingly short supply.

The visitors will want to keep a tight rein on Aleksandar Mitrovic – the man Jokanovic successfully brought to SW6 to put potency in the final third – as Fulham have failed to win when the Serbian hasn’t found the net this season. His prodded close range finish at Luton last weekend represented his 22nd goal of an extraordinary campaign – and ended his two-game goal drought, if that can even be considered a dry spell. What will worry Silva is the fact that Fulham’s flow of goals has definitely dried up: the Whites hit 25 goals in seven matches before a run of three in four has seen a seven-match winning streak followed by four frustrating draws.

There might have been mitigating circumstances with injury and illness badly affecting preparations for a couple of games last month, but the sight of Silva blowing his top on the touchline at Kenilworth Road well before the end of another agonising afternoon told everyone that Fulham’s recent displays have been below par. Luton could easily have ended up winning a match that the Whites had controlled completely in the first period and there is a sense that sides have now devised a formula to frustrate Fulham’s flowing football.

It isn’t necessarily a matter of personnel. Antonee Robinson should return to the starting line-up this evening as he remains Silva’s first choice left back and Fulham no longer have any serious long-term injury worries. It might well be about mindset. Fulham were blowing sides away in August and September, reinvigorated by the accent their new Portuguese head coach placed on attacking football. That dynamism returned with interest during a seven-match winning run that took them to the summit, especially in a seven-goal thrashing of Blackburn Rovers, whose own recovery from that setback has been nothing short of stunning, but Fulham’s football has been more laboured of late. A meticulous perfectionist, Silva will want more creativity from his team and is probably desperate to try and fit both Tom Cairney and the precocious talent of Fabio Carvalho into the same side.

There has arguably been an issue in recent weeks with the balance of Fulham’s midfield. Harrison Reed has recovered from the muscle problem that ruled him out of the draw at Luton, but his ball-winning capabilities and instinctive reading of the play has been sacrificed somewhat as Silva seeks to convert the former Southampton midfielder into more of a box-to-box man. Jean Michael Silva has been operating as a number six when his talents are more suited to supplying defence-splitting passes and concerns about Tom Cairney’s knees still persist. Carvalho looks devastating when committing defenders in the final third, but we are all still anxious about whether the teenager can be persuaded to stay at Cottage beyond the end of the season.

Even Fulham’s wide men have been a little under par in their last few outings. Harry Wilson’s form struggled once Championship opponents began to put two men on the Welshman and, when team-mates fail to spot his clever runs in from the flank, he can become less of a weapon. Neeskens Kebano is arguably in the richest form of his Fulham career but the Congolese winger was pretty anonymous at Kenilworth Road, whilst Mitrovic looked isolated in ploughing a lone farrow through the middle. The key has to be the pace of Fulham’s precise passing – things have been too slow during those distinctly underwhelming draws – and a swift start will be essential this evening.

MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Rodak; Tete, A. Robinson, Adarabioyo, Ream; Reed, Seri; Wilson, Kebano, Carvalho; Mitrovic. Subs: Gazzaniga, Hector, Odoi, Onomah, Decordova-Reid, Cairney, Muniz

FA agrees new £30m three-year deal for women’s football

Suzanne Wrack — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 08:00:09 GMT

Barclays backs women’s Championship for first time
Bank launches ‘community fund’ for grassroots groups

The Football Association and Barclays have agreed a new three-year £30m sponsorship deal that will double the bank’s investment in women’s and girls’ football.

In addition to extending the title sponsorship of the Women’s Super League, Barclays will become title sponsor of the women’s Championship as part of the deal and increase its support for the development of the grassroots game.

RSSMix.com Mix ID 3829118

Pele: Brazil legend discharged from hospital

Pep Guardiola: Man City boss raises prospect of strike but does not think it would happen

Arbroath: Can Dick Campbell's high-flying part-time side really reach the top flight?

Manchester United almost at full strength following Covid outbreak - Ralf Rangnick

Liverpool v Leeds and Wolves v Watford postponed because of Covid cases

Seri selected in Ivory Coast AFCON squad

Afcon 2021: Ivory Coast recall Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha

Ferran Torres: Pep Guardiola 'happy' for Barcelona-bound forward

Gigg Lane: Bury fans given £1m government pledge in ambition to buy back home

Birmingham game postponed

La Liga: Karim Benzema scores stunner as Real Madrid edge past Athletic Bilbao

Five arrests made as Tottenham and West Ham fans clash at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

La Liga: Granada beat Atletico for first time in 48 years

Diego Simeone: 'He's totally transformed Atletico Madrid' - but is he suffering an identity crisis?

Ellen White's Christmas - Lionesses star unwraps career highlights

Frank Mill: The Germany striker whose name means failure - and how he found success

Watch Wednesday's Scottish Premiership goals

PFA chief feels players' concerns over their welfare should be heard

Jordan Henderson: Liverpool captain says player welfare 'not taken seriously enough'

Best of 2021: FIFA Puskas Award - Caroline Weir's 'worldie' against Manchester United nominated

Best of 2021: FA Cup highlights: Everton 5-4 Tottenham Hotspur

Best of 2021: Women's FA Cup final highlights - Arsenal 0-3 Chelsea

Best of 2021: FA Cup final highlights -Chelsea 0-1 Leicester City

La Liga highlights: Barcelona draw with 10-man Sevilla

Bundesliga: Meet the worst team in Europe's major top divisions

Christie opens up on exile, fatherhood and racism

Reed: ‘We weren’t good enough’

Kebano subjected to racial abuse

Fulham’s trip to Swansea goes behind closed doors

Silva slates shocking showing

O’Neill brace beats the Baggies

Magical Ndiaye ends Fulham’s unbeaten run

Up next: Sheffield United (h)

FA agrees new £30m three-year deal for women’s football

Reporting on racism: ‘There are days it feels we are getting somewhere’

Lesley Lloyd: ‘It’s an honour to have won the first Women’s FA Cup’

FA and Met deserve greater share of the blame than Casey review suggests | Paul MacInnes

England fan disorder at Euro 2020 final almost led to deaths, review finds

‘Just enjoy the ride’: why club football can wait for Gareth Southgate

Gareth Southgate signs England contract extension to Euro 2024

Elite football in England has 40 referees – all white. Why don’t black officials get top jobs?

Gareth Barry charged by FA over alleged breaches relating to Swindon

Gareth Southgate expects ‘no complications’ over new England deal

Gareth Southgate expected to sign England contract extension to 2024

FA expands diversity code and reveals first year’s successes and failures

FA aims to almost triple average WSL attendances to 6,000 in three years

The great betrayal: how the Hillsborough families were failed by the justice system – podcast

The great betrayal: how the Hillsborough families were failed by the justice system

Fan ban will hurt but the FA needs to answer some tough questions | Paul MacInnes

England hit with stadium fan ban for Wembley disorder

Value of UK and Ireland 2030 World Cup bid to be scrutinised by MPs

FA aims to be ‘beacon for society’ as it reveals first disability football plan

Met police to increase presence at Wembley for England v Hungary

Report: Manchester City Won't Sign Cristiano Ronaldo amid Man United Transfer Rumours

Cristiano Ronaldo Transfer Rumours: Manchester United in Talks with Star's Agent

Report: Cristiano Ronaldo 'Definitely' Wants to Leave Juventus, Asks Club to be Sold

Manchester City's Benjamin Mendy Arrested, Charged with Rape and Sexual Assault

Jack Grealish Completes Manchester City Transfer from Aston Villa on 6-Year Contract

EPL Schedule 2021-22: Official List of Fixtures for New Premier League Season

Report: 6 EPL Clubs Fined over $31M After Intending to Break Away to Super League

Kevin De Bruyne Suffered Nose, Eye Injuries in Manchester City's UCL Final Loss

Top Winners and Losers After Men's Champions League 2021 Final

Liverpool, Chelsea Earn Last Champions League Spots on Final Day of EPL Season

Manchester City vs. Chelsea 2021 Champions League Final Moved to Porto Amid COVID

Manchester City Clinch Premier League Title After Man United Lose vs. Leicester

Sergio Aguero Apologizes for Penalty Miss in Manchester City's Loss to Chelsea

UK Government in Talks to Move UCL Final After Placing Turkey on Travel Red List

Man City's Raheem Sterling Racially Abused on IG After Social Media Boycott

Champions League Final 2021: Date, Venue, Predictions for Manchester City vs. Chelsea

Manchester City Beat PSG to Advance to UCL Final Behind Riyad Mahrez Brace

Manchester City's Pep Guardiola Slams Super League Plans: 'It Is Not Fair'

Manchester City Bests Borussia Dortmund, Will Face PSG in Champions League Semifinal

Manchester City Tops Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in 1st Leg of UCL Quarterfinals

Manchester City's Match vs. Everton Postponed After Multiple COVID-19 Positives

‘Noisy Neighbours’ will want to put things right at Old Trafford

Pep Guardiola, Manchester City Agree to 2-Year Contract Extension

Lionel Messi Rumors: Manchester City Preparing 5-Year, €750M 'Mega' Contract

The Obvious Pros and Surprising Cons of Manchester City Signing Lionel Messi

Report: Lionel Messi's Possible Manchester City Contract Could Have MLS Clause