Team News
Craig Gardner is still missing for Blues who are likely to be unchanged.
Ex-Blue Andrew Johnson is a doubt and they will also be without strikers Booby Zamora and Moussa Dembele. Maybe it was best we didn’t get him after all.
Last Meeting
The last game took place in February where Fulham won due to a last minute Bobby Zamora free kick. Blues had taken the lead early through a bizarre own goal by Chris Baird before a great goal by Damien Duff levelled the score in the second half.
Recent form
Blues have an even record over the last six games having won two, drawn two and lost two. They have not won away though since March.
Fulham have won only once in the their last six games and have dropped to 17th. Most of this season’s points have come at home.
Outlook
What a win last week. I admit it was a freak result but what a result for us. Not only did we beat the Champions but the three points has taken us clear from the relegation zone when things were beginning to get edgy. I’m sure I’m not the only one who turned up to work/school/college on Monday with a large smile on my face. It was particular fun for me as I work in London with a lot of Chelsea fans. I even found myself smirking at a branch of the Chelsea building society.
Anyway it’s now time to look forward and as fate would have we find ourselves in West London tomorrow with a trip to my favourite away ground, Craven Cottage. It’s a great location and I always find it to be a decent and unthreatening atmosphere. That’s despite us not having a great record there. We’ve only won there once in the Premier League which was back in 2004. I think tomorrow may be our best chance in a while to get some points from this fixture.
I take my optimism not from our result last week but from their defeat by a Man City team that had been struggling for consistent form. They didn’t look great at the back and offered very little in an attacking sense. They have good attacking midfielders such as Dempsey, Duff and Gera but are missing Zamora and Dembele up front. It’s lucky for us that they will be relying on Andrew Johnson who has only just come back from a major injury and Diomansy “One good game a year” Kamara. Of course our own front two are hardly setting the world alight and I’m yet to be convinced that Zigic and Jerome will ever be the partnership we are looking for. In midfield we will also be missing the goal threat of Gardner but I hope this allows Keith Fahey to get forward more as he is a better player when allowed to play with freedom. Who’d have thought at the beginning of September that he would be keeping Alex Hleb out of the team!
I think that as long as we go in with a positive attitude then there are points to be gained.
My Prediction 1-1 Fahey to score. If you’re going wrap up well. It’s going to be seriously cold in the capital tomorrow.
Let’s prove that we are at least as good as Man.C. So my prediction is 1-4. Zigic 2 , Johnson and Bowyer. It’s sorry to say, but my football prediction is never right.