Fulham host Burnley on Saturday with kickoff at 11am EDT on USA Network. We still have one more week to go before England joins us on daylight savings time.
Burnley and Scott Parker are going back down to the Championship. That has been clear for months. Yet, Burnley have still managed to make a number of their recent matches competitive and they have cobbled together five points from the last five. That, combined with Fulham's traditional springtime downturn, has me pessimistic for this one. Fulham haven't scored in two consecutive matches against teams fighting off relegation. I will really be disappointed if Saturday becomes a third.
I haven't seen a team update yet, but hopefully Smith-Rowe is available again. Despite a goalless draw against Forest, I won't be surprised if the lineup is unchanged. I'd prefer to see Chukwueze over Bobb and I've lost confidence in Andersen, but I think Silva will stay consistent.
A shot at Europe has probably passed by already for Fulham, but if they don't get a win at home against Burnley, even the most optimistic Fulham supporter will have to say that the season is done.
Josh King gets his goal!! And an assist! I absolutely loved the look on his face after scoring - sheer joy! Fulham has had a number of dazzling goals this season - this was not one of them - but it was memorable none the less. Way to go kid.
This match did not start well. I was following the text feed of the game and it seemed like Fulham wasn't doing much of anything, so when the goal went in for Burnley I decided to work on my taxes instead because I was already miserable. I was shocked when I saw the final score. Frankly, Burnley probably deserved more than one goal, but this seems to be what happens to teams that end up in the relegation zone - I remember feeling that way about Fulham a few years ago.
I'm also thrilled Raul has kept his PK streak going, but I don't know how that run-up was allowed. I was worried after his last PK when he did a full stop and shifted backward, but this was a full backward step that should not be allowed by my understanding of the rules. I feel like he could be under some extra scrutiny next time he steps up to the spot.
Alright, the season isn't done yet. King has finally gotten his deserved goal so let's hope this opens up the floodgates for him!
Great to see 3 goals and a win. And on Saturday.
I agree on Raul, and based on the current trend, Raul's streak will end on a violation...not from a save.
To see Fulham put away a team that they should beat was overdue. I’m always dreading those last ten minutes but Fulham (and perhaps Burnley helped a little) made it enjoyable this time.
I’m so very happy for King. He started the season out so promising and had his first goal taken from him before regressing through the middle third. He’s got a lot of potential that I’m excited for.
I can barely watch Raul take penalties. I abhor the dancing, stuttering and stalling that players do in an effort to trick the goalie into making an early decision. I love it when a player picks their spot, then runs up and smashes the ball into it - daring the keeper to stop it. Reminds me of a power pitcher that throws their best heat and tells the batter to beat them if they can. I have no arguments with the results and it’s a really amazing streak. I just hate watching it.
Now we’re into the international break five points and four spots out of 5th in the table… and the next opponent is that team in 5th. It’s fun to dream about Europe but I really don’t think this squad has the consistency to pull it off. They’re bound to drop enough points and end up on the outside (plus six of the remaining seven matches are against teams virtually even with them or higher in the table).