Fulham vs. Brentford

When we beat them 2-nil at Griffin Park in November, they did not have their current striker Jota who, since being recalled from his loan at Eibar in December, has impressed mightily. The 25 year old has 12 goals in 21 matches since returning, and they'll fancy their chances with him in the lineup and their current run of good form. And the Bees' irritating supporters will find a way to get more than their share of bodies into the Putney End and, I suspect, other areas of the Cottage as well. But we're not doing too badly ourselves, are we? I think it will be a dogfight. But we still owe these bastards from the rude way they treated us when we first came down, and I like how our defending has improved so much in recent weeks. The lads should be upset they haven't managed a clean sheet out of this winning streak. Lord knows they've deserved it. I believe they will step up to the challenge and get it Saturday.

 

A win this week and then we can start talking playoffs.

 

I have to admit I started out this week supremely confident that we were going to make it to the playoffs. But beating Brentford is no small task (they have been just as good as us over the last 8), and I shudder to think about the team's attitude going to Sheffield if we should lose at home and see Leeds win over Norwich. My excitement has turned to nervousness that we'll find some way to blow it. The way Fulham has played over the past four matches gives no indication that will happen, but I still fear it.

I surely hope that we can get this one win at home to reward the fans with something to celebrate.

 

I'm with you Micah. Nervousness is the prevailing feeling at this point. I just can't seem to get over that hump of "It's FFC." But, this is not the same culture that has been there for the last 7 or so years that I've followed. They expect to win, and I'll try and let that comfort me for the next 3 days.

 

Just to illustrate the difference, here's there lineups from the previous encounter in November and last week.

November
Line-up: Bentley; Colin, Dean, Egan, Bjelland; Nico Yennaris, Woods, McEachran (Kaikai 63'); Clarke (Hofmann 85'), Hogan, Sawyers (Vibe 71')

Unused substitutes: Balcombe, Barbet, Manny Onariase, Kerschbaumer

April
Bentley, Colin (Clarke 71), Dean, Barbet, Henry, Woods, Yennaris, Jota, Sawyers, Canos (Jozefzoon 71), Vibe (Shaibu 87)

Subs not used: Hofmann, Egan, Bonham, Kerschbaumer

 

Is everyone nervous about tomorrow? I figured this post would get to 2 pages by game time.

 

Very nervous Dtown. Winning every week does not jibe with being a Fulham supporter. That said what better way to finish the home schedule with a packed Cottage to see a derby?

Throw in the significance of clinching a playoff spot before the final game when a month ago we all were just hoping to still have a chance going into the Wednesday match makes me have an instant Fulhamish feeling.

 

Plus, we haven't beaten the Bees at the Cottage since 1990 (3 draws, 4 losses)...

 

No time like the present!

 

DO have to admit being nervous this late in the Spring (for positive reasons) sure beats the alternative. Biggest match since Hamburg....COYW!!!!!!!!

 

Anyone able to watch a stream of the game? If so, where? Thanks!

 

Welcome to the site LPATL, hope you were able to find a stream.

I was only able to check my phone periodically and was dying seeing the Leeds-Norwich match in the 7th minute of stoppage....HOWEVER, a point was good enough!!!!! We're going to the playoffs!!!!!

 

Bummer for the supporters who turned up
at the Cottage not to get a deserved result, but I'll take getting into the playoffs any way, anyhow, anywhere. Regardless of the outcome at Hillsborough, it's a whole new ballgame come the post season. And let's be honest...we aren't overmatched by any of the teams in with us. Dominated Huddersfield twice. Split with Reading, winning 4-nil at home and drawing nil-nil away. Wednesday? Remains to be seen, but if we can find a way to keep Fernando Foresteri from beating us, that would help. Today was disappointing, but the bottom line is we've earned a chance to go up. Who'd have thunk it a year ago?

 

I don't care how we get to the playoffs, as long as we are in the playoffs. It was unrealistic for us to think that we could just keep winning everything and a draw wasn't an unfair result based on recent form and the team history.

Cairney put his last two PK's in the exact same spot. That side is also the side that left footed kickers will typically default to, so I was worried that if he was called upon to do another PK it might be blocked by a goalie who had done a little research. If we just had McCormack to take PK's this year we'd probably have 7 more points!

It would be great if we could make the Premier League, but nothing from this point forward can stop me from feeling good about this season. After our August winning streak I had this to say:

Of course, September was a disaster that took us all season to recover from! The team finally lived up to their potential at just the right time. Hopefully they can keep it going just a few more games. COYW!!!