A pivotal week for a lot of clubs three games coming up which will go along way to deciding how the remainder of the season pans out. Six points behind the last play off spot we face a Fulham side who are five points from the last spot with a game in hand, following this game we have a Direby side and Reading. First up Fulham, who have probably surprised a lot of people with their performances this season, hiowever given their manager Slavisa Jovanovic managed to get Watford promoted a couple of seasons back maybe it is no surprise that they have done well.they beat us 2-1 at the start of the season after also beating us 5-0 in a pre season friendly in Ireland. Apart from a cup defeat at home by Spurs they have not been beaten at home cince Brighton won on 2/1/2017 they have scored 12 goals in their last four home games bizarrely they lost 4-0 at home to the now sinking Bristol City at home in September but since then have been pretty much unbeatable at home. They don't have the biggest squad a couple of loannees from Chelsea plus Coldplay singer Chris Martin on loan from Direby, they are blessed however with pace Aluko being slightly rapid to say the least. They also have a 16 year old full back who is getting rave reviews Ryan Sessegnon. Really hard game this one a win for us would be great. Squad wise Gallagher fully fit, hopefully Pearson will be fit but will they get in, question is though who will play right back as all four are injured. Saturday is Gentry Day when the vast majority will be dressing up in suits and wearing bowler hats, it is the day to remember those who are no longer with us. The terminolgy relates back to Alan Ball senior who first called North End fans the Gentry. Given the occasion 2600 North Enders are off for an afternoon by the river.
Occasinally when you lose you have to hold your hands up and say you were beaten by the better team, yesterday that happened as North End were beaten 3-1 by a very good Fulham side. Personal view no disgrace at all this is a Cottagers side which seem to be moving upwards at a rapid pace. Gentry Day for the visiting 2800 fans who travelled by car, coach, train and those hardy souls who hired a boat and were boated down the Thames to Putney Bridge. Special train for me although lightly surprised to see two well dressed women get on it, took them a while to realise that the train wasn't going to Birmingham, some peoplejust cannot read notice boards. Virtually the same seat as last year looking straight down row four of the main stand. As for the game we saw little of the ball in the entire game Fulham keep possession well, the majority of danger came down the right hand side were Ryan Fredericks and Aluko were giving Tommy Spurr the runaround, they looked like scoring at any time, whilst going forward they were good they did have some iffy moments on the rare occasions we got close to goal. After 22 minutes they took thelead when we didn't fully clear a throw in the ball was cut back to Aluko whose first time shot raced into the net. Getting to half time one down was a boost only just though Maxwell pulled off a great one handed save from a flick on at a corner, both Martin and McDonald also went close. Still up against the cosh in the second half, Grayson made two changes after 10 minutes Robinson and Pearson being brought on and we went to a 343 formation we looked better but we were soon two down when Martin was played in 15 yards out he didn't miss' We were briefly back in the game when McGeady's wonderful defence spitting pass fed in Barkuizen who finished well. Increased noise from the away end but 13 minutes from time Kebano made it three just as Kim Jung Il was being arrested in the away end for holding up a North Korean flag stating that he hated Blackpool. Result aside a top day out excellent game of sardines on the tube back to Kings Cross and that lesser known celebrity Jack Wilshire was spotted trying to look anonymous outside Euston. Put in down to experience as we rock on o Derby on Tuesday the start of the not going anywhere this season games. Fulham 3 Preston North End 1 Att 20205 Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic: "We are around the top six and we now want to close the gap to the top six. This is our target and we are still in position to be fighting to play after the first week in May. "We have taken 13 points from the last five games and my team plays with confidence. "In general where we are now, we can be relatively satisfied." Preston assistant manager Glynn Snodin: "We've come up against a good side today. I felt they were different class, a step above us. "To be fair to our players they kept going and got back in it at 2-1. They have got belief as a unit and always believe we can get something from a game. "But Fulham are a good counter-attacking side with good footballing brains. And that's what we've been undone by today."
It has to be congratulations to Fulham FC fo fielding a very good team, playing very good football. The young NE team will improve by playing against such very good teams.
