Fulham vs. Burton Albion
Saturday 20th January, 2018 - 3pm k-o - The English Football League Championship
On
a weekend when the Championship produced goal-less results in only
its Friday night and Saturday night games, my pre-match sentiment was that the
intensely wet conditions could well lead to a goal-fest. It had been raining fairly
consistently for much of the previous 48 hours. Pre-match sprinklers were
certainly NOT required; and Enfield Town’s away fixture at Burgess Hill FC was
postponed. In such conditions it would, surely, be difficult to attempt to ‘park the team bus’ on the goal-line, with full confidence in its hand-brake. Despite appearances, we had, it later turned out, been comparatively lucky with the weather. The
following day, the rain would turn to sleet; and then snow. Whether those
prevailing wet conditions would better suit Fulham or their visitors, “The
Brewers” of Burton Albion, was yet to be seen. Much of the chatter on the club
website and in the fans’ forums was around the need for an early goal for the
home side, in order to negate the visitors’ anticipated spoiling tactics. After the game, my match-day buddy, Graham (thanks for the ticket, Graham!) offered the opinion that Brewers' manager, Clough Junior, had even made the choice of ends a part of his spoiling game-plan. Did he really hope that making the hosts play towards the Hammersmith End (which contains the biggest section of home support) in the first half, rather than in their preferred second half, would disorientate Fulham's players - and/or their fans? If so, it was a desperate ploy; a loud scraping at the bottom of the proverbial tactical barrel.
Burton's Bus, en route to the 6-yard box - source: burton-on-trent.org
Following another intriguing, though unrelated, comment Graham made, I also did some research on comparative crowd sizes. I discovered that, in 2015, The English Football League Championship was the fourth most-watched league in Europe, as measured by declared physical attendances at matches. Only the Premier League, the Bundesliga in Germany and Spain's La Liga announce bigger total crowd numbers.Given how much Burton Albion FC's attendances must bring the Championship's average down, I thought that was a pretty impressive stat; but I also wondered if it were still true, three years on - and whether there wasn't, perhaps, some mass collusion in other leagues, to avoid paying taxes on their gate receipts. Surely not!
(source: "City A.M." - http://www.cityam.com/216327/football-league-championship-attendance-makes-it-fourth-most-watched-league-europe)
It would be just the fifth time these two sides had met in a competitive fixture; which gives you some sense of the two clubs’ differing histories - and perhaps some of the difference in their respective crowd / fan bases. There was also significant contrast in their current status. The Whites started the day in 8th place, a mere stone’s throw away from the coveted play-off positions; albeit with inferior Goal Difference, due to a preponderance of draws and narrow wins. While Burton were languishing in 22nd position, just two places off the bottom of the table – a basement location enjoyed by a Sunderland side now managed by former Fulham favourite and want-away Welshman, Chris “Cookie” Coleman. Which reminds me of another conversation Graham and I had regarding the recent appointment of Ryan Giggs to Coleman's old job. That's a whole other story, though; most of which is unprintable - and I don't mean because of any super-injunctions imposed by the plaintiff. Perhaps strangely, though, given their lowly status, Burton had started the day as the Division’s form Away side; which was something of an additional worry for nervous home fans, many of whom perennially fear the odd away goal, in a low-scoring game; stolen ‘on the break’, in a smash-and-grab stylie.
(source: "City A.M." - http://www.cityam.com/216327/football-league-championship-attendance-makes-it-fourth-most-watched-league-europe)
It would be just the fifth time these two sides had met in a competitive fixture; which gives you some sense of the two clubs’ differing histories - and perhaps some of the difference in their respective crowd / fan bases. There was also significant contrast in their current status. The Whites started the day in 8th place, a mere stone’s throw away from the coveted play-off positions; albeit with inferior Goal Difference, due to a preponderance of draws and narrow wins. While Burton were languishing in 22nd position, just two places off the bottom of the table – a basement location enjoyed by a Sunderland side now managed by former Fulham favourite and want-away Welshman, Chris “Cookie” Coleman. Which reminds me of another conversation Graham and I had regarding the recent appointment of Ryan Giggs to Coleman's old job. That's a whole other story, though; most of which is unprintable - and I don't mean because of any super-injunctions imposed by the plaintiff. Perhaps strangely, though, given their lowly status, Burton had started the day as the Division’s form Away side; which was something of an additional worry for nervous home fans, many of whom perennially fear the odd away goal, in a low-scoring game; stolen ‘on the break’, in a smash-and-grab stylie.
Upon hearing that the day’s match official was to be Fulham nemesis, Mr. James Linington, an Isle of Wight plumber and something of a total spanner, I had my concerns. He has a track record of turning off a match's taps and dismantling its boilers, metaphorically. For some sense of his infamous form and failings, see an earlier entry in this blog [Championship: Fulham vs. Norwich City - 7.45 pm k-o, Tuesday 18th October, 2016]. My ref. reservations turned out to have been aroused by a false alarm, however. Instead, I learned that I was soon to become a hard-core fan of the talented and tenacious Tim Robinson, of West Sussex - who turned out to be the game’s actual appointed referee. This news might have been greeted with deep sighs of relief by home fans with memories of previous, shambolic Linington performances. I shouldn’t have had too many worries, though. When I looked up Robinson's 'records', after the game, I discovered that he’d previously refereed three Fulham fixtures in 2017: all of them in the Championship; and all of them victories for the Cottagers. [Sept. 13th - 2:1 vs. Hull City; 1st April 0:1 at Rotherham; 22nd Feb. 0:2 at Bristol City]. Incidentally, I also liked his 1977 #5 hit record, "2-4-6-8 Motorway". The catchiest of all his singles; and highly anthologised on truckers’ CD’s and play-lists, these days, I believe.
Tim Robinson, in his day-job? - source: BBC Music
In those three games, Robinson had issued a total of only 5 yellow cards; but it turned out this was not an indication that he is a soft touch for foul play. Something he duly demonstrated as early as the 6th minute. Following pretty much the first foul of the game, Robinson issued his first yellow card of the game: to Burton Albion’s Leeds United loanee, and wannabe-'enforcer’, Luke Murphy. That was for his “agricultural” late challenge, coming through the back of Fulham’s Oliver Norwood; long after the latter had released a routine sideways pass. It was no minor matter, given the impact it would potentially have on the opposing sides’ approach to the game. Since Robinson had simultaneously also issued the clearest possible warning that (regardless of the ‘greasy’ conditions) he would not tolerate rash or dangerous play. This would seriously damage Burton’s game-plan, if my memories of Nigel Clough’s visit with his Sheffield United team, on 4th Feb. 2014, were anything to go by (again, see an earlier post for detailed match coverage, on this blog). That was an FA Cup replay in which “Whispering” Bob Harris, of the lower league club, had clearly been instructed to tear lumps out of Fulham’s Josh Passley for as long as he could get away with it (i.e. for much of the game) whenever he came within kicking distance. For the record, referee “Slack” Neil Swarbrick punished Passley with just one yellow card – when he could easily have got three or four; and possibly a straight red. Swarbrick gave a refereeing performance indicative of how it is possible for smaller clubs to narrow the capability gap to mightier opponents, in cup fixtures; and, thus, struggling Premier League outfit Fulham were punished with an ignominious cup exit, to alleged “Giant-Killing Minnows”. It was a game which also, incidentally, featured one of Burton’s current starting line-up, John Brayford (obviously a Clough disciple) but none of Fulham’s former Premier League "Stars".
This fixture attracted what seemed like a relatively meagre audience, of only 19,003 (Craven Cottage’s capacity is 25,700 – making the ground less than 75% full). I later learned, however, that this attendance was, in fact, marginally higher than Fulham's average league crowd (of 18,728). So the marketing ploy of charging under-16’s a nominal £1 for entry had clearly had some effect - given that lowly Burton were not the greatest of crowd drawers. Those who failed to take up the few remaining available empty Home roosts would (one hoped) come to rue such a rejection; and the missed opportunity for a bird’s-eye view. There was a largely-empty away section; but no criticism is implied of Burton’s travelling fans, for all that. Their home stadium’s capacity, after all, is a mere 6,912 (with just 2,034 seats).
Coach Slaviša Jokanović announced a home team set-up with only a couple of changes from the recent away win, on Teesside. Our Liverpool loanee, 20 year-old striker Sheyi Ojo, was unavailable due to a “slight knock”. Our as yet unproven #9, Rui Fonte (yes, he’s the younger brother of West Ham’s European Championship winner, Jose) started up front, in preference to in-form striker, “AK47” Aboubakar Kamara (he wears the number 47, y’know!). At the back, Tomas Kalas resumed his partnership in the centre with “Captain America”, Tim Ream; while Denis Odoi moved to left back, allowing 17 year-old wunderkind Ryan Sessegnon to play further up, on the left.
Before the game, the whole stadium quite rightly observed a minute’s standing ovation for the late, great Cyril Regis - impeccably. Soon, though, we were into the main proceedings; and it was clear from the start that the pantomime roles assigned to each side were also being impeccably observed. As Norwood made his 6th minute sideways pass (see above) the crowd might easily have shouted to him, en masse, “he’s behind you!” It would have been in keeping with the season. I had travelled into London with my daughter, who was heading to see the National Theatre’s Xmas production of “Pinocchio”.
After a rather flat opening quarter of an hour, in which Fulham had all the possession but showed little sign that they knew what to do with it, things did finally come to life. Burton were mostly playing with 10 and 11 men behind the ball; while, The Whites were struggling to find the key that would unlock the massed ranks of their defence. The Fulham website later noted “Fouling early and often also seemed to a part of the Brewers’ plans”; and it’s difficult to disagree with that evaluation - despite the impact of Murphy's early yellow card, which had somewhat given a clue to the visitors' spoiling intent.
Several early attacks were launched from Fulham’s right wing, where Ryan Fredericks (Potters Bar’s finest) was making great, over-lapping runs – but without an end result. He persisted in driving in low crosses, with which the Burton defence had no difficulty in dealing. The Londoners were mostly trying to bypass a crowded centre of the ‘park’, using their width; and sometimes building slowly, across the back four, probing and feinting. After 18 minutes, the tireless McDonald cut out a Burton forward pass, from the luckless Murphy, near the half-way line. He pushed a quick, short ball to Johansen who, with his back to goal, moved it on sharpish, to Norwood, before any unseen assailant could hit him – and before Burton’s defence could re-group. Norwood’s incisive onwards pass to Piazon split open the visitors’ back line. The Brazilian took a great, controlling first touch, as the ball came across his body, placing it precisely into his own forward run. This drew the ‘keeper out, allowing him to place a perfect square ball (an obvious oxymoron) to his left, for Fonte’s relatively straight-forward, left-footed finish. It wasn’t much more than a tap-in; but the release of tension from the Portugueezer’s shoulders was palpable. According to Wiki, it was only his second goal in 20 Fulham appearances; and the Hammersmith End gave him heart-warming congratulations in encouragement, which he gratefully accepted.
Piazon's Perfect Pass For Fabulous Fonte's First - source: FFC
There followed a couple of attacks in quick succession, delivered through Sessegnon. Bywater saved the first. The second run culminated in a drilled ball across the Burton area, on which Fonte, Johansen and Piazon were all unable to capitalise. It showed the youngster had clearly been the victim of serious over-hyping, in the sports media. Hadn't he?! The next action of note, just before the half-hour mark, involved a three-way tie to reach an aerial ball. Three players went to ground, like scattered ten-pins. Kevin McDonald (Fulham) and Marvin Sordell (Burton Albion) stayed down; resulting in a stoppage long enough for many fans to take advantage of ‘the facilities’. After the re-start, Fredericks’ was next to get a sight of goal; but he blazed over. In the home end, the usual, ignorant, back-seat coaching was, almost inevitably, taking place in the stands; as some nervous home fans sensed the need to cement the lead by scoring a second before half-time. The volume of their shouts seemed broadly, as ever, to be inversely proportional to their knowledge of The Beautiful Game.
Burton were struggling to clear their lines. The pressure on them just kept on building. The visitors hadn’t really changed shape or gear, after going a goal behind. Yet Fulham were struggling to find the key to that door again; even though Burton’s defence was visibly tiring. Despite this, and entirely against the run of play, after 32 minutes, the next good opportunity fell to Burton’s Marvin Sordell. He collected a ball from Murphy, did some good work on the right-hand edge of Fulham’s penalty area and drove a powerful, right footed shot along the ground … across goal and fractionally wide. The warning shot was a salutary one.
Just two minutes later, The Whites provided the best of all possible responses. Fredericks’s cross from the right earned a clever dummy / step-over from Johansen, allowing it to reach Piazon - who curled the ball home, right-footed, into the bottom-right corner of a bulging net. It was his first goal since returning from a lengthy lay-off due to a broken leg; and it was no less than his industry and guile deserved. After four minutes more, Fonte chalked up his ‘brace’. The Centre Forward made a gut-busting run from distance, out-pacing his team-mate Piazon, to challenge for Fredericks’s pin-point cross from the right. Timing his arrival to perfection, there was a touch of head-shoulders-knees-and toes pin-ball with Burton’s C-B, #2 Brayford, on the 6-yard line, before the ball fell kindly for him, one yard out. He was just able to stretch out and get to it ahead of Bywater, stabbing the sphere past Burton's goalie. At last, the Fulham-ish heckling of the home side by a moronic minority of their fans finally started to abate, as fears of a cagey, low-scoring game also began to recede.
Fonte Bags HIs Brace, By Beating Bywater - source: BBC website
There still remained some confusion over just who was performing the refereeing
duties. The club website later said that “James Linington’s half-time whistle
provided the relief the Brewers so desperately needed”, even though they (and the BBC) named Robinson as the match official. Whomsoever blew it, that sharp peal of an Acme Thunderer came with the big
screens showing Fulham ahead 3-0; which was in no way a flattering score-line for the dominant home
side.
It was always going to be difficult for The Whites to maintain their momentum and to re-emerge with the same degree of purpose as that with which had characterised the first half. Clough seemed to have reacted to the first period by instilling renewed, steely purpose in his side. They were busier and more focused, in dealing withe the runs of Fonte & Piazon; and it was the visitors who nearly added next to the scoring. An opportunistic long ball from Naylor on the hour mark was pursued into space by Dyer. Luckily for home nerves, the vigilant Marcus Bettinelli, despite having had little else to do during the whole game, emerged at speed from his area into no-man's land, to intercept … with his head.
Sweeper-'Keeper Betinelli Uses His Head - and Goes Airborne - source: FFC website
That obvious warning was not heeded by Fulham; and, just a minute later, the Burton Left-Back, Flanagan, inexplicably found himself in acres of space at the back post, from a headed Sordell flick-on, following a great left-footed cross from the right. Flanagan, blazed hopelessly high from close range, despite being completely untroubled by any Fulham marking; with Fredericks gone AWOL, ball-watching the original cross. It was probably Burton’s best move of the game, their clearest chance; and arguably their last - but perhaps Flanagan wouldn’t have been Clough’s ideal first choice of personnel to get on the end of it. He’d had time to take a controlling touch or two. Possibly even three. His lack of composure may have been just the spur Fulham’s players needed to inject some new life into their own game, after a flat first quarter-of-an-hour of the 2nd half. Some fresh legs also helped.
That obvious warning was not heeded by Fulham; and, just a minute later, the Burton Left-Back, Flanagan, inexplicably found himself in acres of space at the back post, from a headed Sordell flick-on, following a great left-footed cross from the right. Flanagan, blazed hopelessly high from close range, despite being completely untroubled by any Fulham marking; with Fredericks gone AWOL, ball-watching the original cross. It was probably Burton’s best move of the game, their clearest chance; and arguably their last - but perhaps Flanagan wouldn’t have been Clough’s ideal first choice of personnel to get on the end of it. He’d had time to take a controlling touch or two. Possibly even three. His lack of composure may have been just the spur Fulham’s players needed to inject some new life into their own game, after a flat first quarter-of-an-hour of the 2nd half. Some fresh legs also helped.
For a 17-minute spell, starting after 64 minutes, a series of substitutions by both sides interrupted the flow of play; but NOT so much the flow of goals. Jokanović, deciding he needed a change of approach, replaced Fulham’s influential Norwood with the influential Tom Cairney, giving the club skipper a 30-minute cameo, on his birthday. Said cameo really got going with his involvement in the fourth goal. Fed intelligently by recent substitute Cairney, Fredericks cut back an accurate low cross, from the right. Piazon made a clever step-over, distracting the Burton defence and allowing the ball to roll to Johansen, in space. His left-footed shot from the edge of the box was deflected by a desperate double-team, Burton charge-down. That left insufficient defenders on their feet to deal with the second phase, as “highly-rated 17-year old” Sessegnon neatly slotted home the ricochet. He’d taken up a great position, loitering just outside the 6-yard box; and was rewarded with the chance to despatch the spinning, loose ball with a sweet, left-footed snap-shot, through the advancing ‘keeper’s legs. Burton’s #4 looked particularly guilty of “ball-watching”, to give the youngster the space he needed. It proved a particularly costly example of such, as those “flood-gates” much beloved of lazy sports ‘journalists’ now, officially, opened. Sessegnon is a local talent, developed through the Fulham Academy system. He also has a brother who’s breaking into the senior side, too. Ryan wheeled away to his left, to celebrate in front of The Cottage. Cue delirious singing; as the home fans attempted (regardless of their predictably somewhat tuneless delivery) to show him exactly how much-loved he really is – and please to not think about moving to Spurs, Man U, PSG, or any of those other alleged fat-cat carrion crows, circling the club ahead of the January transfer window deadline: “He’s one of our own, he’s one of our own. That Ryan Sessegnon, he’s one of our own …”
Duly
responding to his ovation, the lad went on to show he wasn’t finished
inflicting damage on The Brewers, just yet. In the 79th minute, he scored
Fulham’s fifth and the second of his rapid-fire brace. This time it was Piazon who cut a ball back
in from the right of the box. Burton’s demoralised Centre-Back, Buxton, tamely
pushed out a half-clearance, straight to Johansen, whose twice-deflected shot
wasn’t dealt with, yet again, by the tiring Burton defence. It fell
fortuitously to Sessegnon, once more; after he'd made another good positional choice. In fact, the same choice as last time. He’d taken up an identical position to
that he’d adopted for his first goal; and Burton appeared to have failed to
notice the dangerous pattern. The end result was, inevitably, much the same, as the youngster
slotted the ball through Bywater’s legs again – though this time with a
right-footed finish.
“He’s one of our own, he’s one of our own …” (repeat). Ryan still has some learning to do, though, about goal celebrations. He wheeled away to his right, this time; only to find himself punching the air in front of the down-trodden, bemused Burton fans – or, at least, those who hadn’t already trudged off for the long journey home.
Sessegnon Celebrates His First, as some of Burton's defence prepares for a picnic? Scarily, he is a 21st century baby - source: FFC website
In between these two Sessegnon goals, Jokanović brought Fonte off, to a raucous ovation, replacing him with Kamara in the 75th minute. The coach made his final change in the 81st minute, swapping Piazon for another emerging talent, Luca De La Torre. It turned out that Fulham were still neither satisfied nor finished. Kamara got in on the scoring action in the 88th minute, making it 6-0 with an absolutely audacious, lobbed finish. With his back to Burton's goal, on the half-way line, he played a very neat one-two with Cairney, after an accurate, clearing pass from Fredericks (who was heavily involved in four of FFC’s goals). “AK47” then span away from his marker, and between two more lumbering Burton defenders, sprinting onto Cairney’s fine, incisive return through-ball. AK controlled it neatly, taking the ball away from his nearest pursuer and on to the edge of the area, where he chipped it delicately over the advancing Bywater – who’d had little option other than to charge off his line, given the failure of his three-man defence to deal with one opponent, to try and distract the substitute striker. His ruse was to no avail, as Fulham rounded off a 6-goal rout with probably the finest finish of them all. Not satisfied with the drubbing so far, in the 90th minute Kevin McDonald even tried his luck from half-way, with Bywater off his line. It was another audacious effort; but there was no end result this time – and some Fulham fans will, no doubt, be pleased to have gone away disappointed not to have seen a seventh goal. Many stayed on after the final whistle, to provide a standing ovation in tribute to the home side's efforts. They also gave some resounding choruses of “I Love You Fulham”, sung to the tune of Andy Williams’s 1968 #5 hit, “Can't Take My Eyes Off You” (Bob Crewe & Bob Gaudio). It was no vain boast, either. Fulham had been mesmerising. The result meant they had extended their unbeaten league run to seven matches, moving up into 7th place with a vastly improved Goal Difference, whilst simultaneously dispatching Burton to the foot of the table.
After
the game, Nigel Clough indulged in some deep, meaningful and undeniably accurate
philosophising, for the media: "When you go 1-0 down early … don't concede
the second goal and don't concede the third”. Thanks for those pearls of wisdom,
Nigel - duly noted! He didn't actually say "Sick as a parrot"; but the sentiment was clear. The commentator on Channel 5’s highlight’s package observed that “Fulham
looked Premier League quality, here”. It was difficult to argue with that
assessment; although Burton Albion may not be the best barometer against which
to make such a judgment. It was Fulham’s biggest win since November 2011 –
another memorable 6-0 drubbing; though that time the grateful recipients had been local rivals Queens Park
Rangers. How we larrfed!
That Match! Already available as an audio CD. Burton Albion fans may well want to file it away under "Adult Horror" - Source: Thunder
That Match! Already available as an audio CD. Burton Albion fans may well want to file it away under "Adult Horror" - Source: Thunder
