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Leicester x Fulham Crossover Episode with Daily Fulham
8 Plays4 months ago
This time Jake caught up with Gavin from Daily Fulham previewing the match at Craven Cottage on Saturday. We also discussed the opening fixture for both teams and what both sets of fan can expect from both sides on Saturday.
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Transcript
00:00:22
Speaker
Every club. Every day. The Global Sports Podcast Network.
Podcast Crossover Introduction
00:00:29
Speaker
Hello and welcome to The Daily Fulham Podcast, your home of all things Fulham, bringing you your daily fix five days a week. Today, we have a very special crossover episode because on the weekend, Fulham play Leicester. So joining me at this time is from The Daily Leicester Podcast, Jake Levelyn. Jake, how are you?
Leicester's Match Review
00:00:49
Speaker
I'm good, ah glad to be here, um more enthusiastic about the season after our result last night and looking forward to talking about Fulham and Leicester. Yeah, let's dive straight into it then. So, Leicester in their first game, they drew 1-0 which spurs, you must be relatively positive about that result.
00:01:05
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. First half was difficult, Spurs had quite a few chances, but yeah the second half was much better, especially sort of after the goal. We had a number of good opportunities, and I think if we play like that in in the games this season, then we give ourselves a good chance.
00:01:21
Speaker
I guess you must have been fearing the worst though after the first 60 minutes of the game. just's been thinking geez What have we let ourselves in for a year? I was having a conversation at half time saying that the second goal was inevitable. to be honest It didn't really cross my mind that ah we'd play like we did in the second half. which I think everyone was quite surprised, we've got a new manager in Steve Cooper so and we won the ball high up quite a lot and and we gave Spurs a really good game in the second half and I think deserved a point based off the second half performance although on another day Spurs would have been two or three nil up before we scored.
Jamie Vardy's Role at Leicester
00:01:55
Speaker
and of course getting equalising goals, Jamie Vardy, 37-year-old Jamie Vardy, what servant he's been for Leicester and he's still going as strong as after, isn't he? Yeah, he doesn't seem to stop, it doesn't matter how much I or or anyone writes him off and you think that he's he's a bit old or he's injured or, yeah, we we didn't think he'd start last night. um I don't think he was particularly fit, ah but he he was brilliant as he always is and and when he's in that penalty area, he's always a threat.
00:02:24
Speaker
You said you weren't expecting him to start last night, maybe because of injuries. ah Do you think he's still got a large part to play during the course of the season? I hope so. I hope so. We're a much better team when he's on the pitch, which is slightly worrying when he's 37 now, 38. But ah hopefully he's got a big part to play if he can keep himself fresh for games. And we saw it sort of last season. He was playing games when he wasn't training. As long as he can get on the pitch on match day, he's always a threat. And at the moment, with Dakar being injured as well, he's our only ah fit striker that Cooper seems to like as we have Tom Cannon. But he doesn't seem to rate him at the moment.
Reaction to Maresca's Departure
00:03:01
Speaker
Can I just talk to you about the summer the Leicester have had? What was your initial reaction to Maresca leaving for Chelsea? Yes, I had the same question last week from Tottenham. I think that a lot of people are going to be really interested because we've just come up from the championship. We did win the league in the end. It was difficult at the end of the season. We scraped over the line in truth. I was a little disappointed but general reaction from Leicester fans they weren't too fussed in a way to see him go. and We got a lot of money for him and his staff um and at times last season the style of football was difficult because you'd have a lot of the ball and not always do too much with it and then when results turned fans did get quite frustrated.
00:03:42
Speaker
Yeah, I know towards the end of the season, there was a bit of a blip, but that was the same for some of the other teams that were vying for promotion as well. And no no, there was a feeling of maybe discontent about the manager then. So what was the overall sort of sense of feeling about Maresculin?
00:03:57
Speaker
um until probably Christmas, January time, very positive. There was murmurs because again, slow football, high possession without sometimes doing stuff with it. And then we got sort of February and and we were I think 12 to 15 points clear at one point and we had a midweek game and um We were 2-0 up and and there was a ah frustration from the fans because we didn't go for it. We just kept the ball. And it wasn't very interesting to watch some of those games. It's strange being 2-0 up but not feeling very entertained. um And then, as I say, once the results turned, ah frustration really came out. And I do wonder if some of that frustration, when the results were positive, possibly fed into the poorer results we saw later.
Steve Cooper's Reception at Leicester
00:04:42
Speaker
Are you surprised that Chelsea went in for him once they sacked Pochettino?
00:04:47
Speaker
um Yes, a little bit at the time. I think he's a very good manager, he has some very clear ideas, um he has a lot of potential as a coach. um However, Chelsea is a club over the last 20 years that are used to instant winning and I know they're trying to do things completely different over the last few years but um He isn't necessarily going to bring them instant success. um He might develop players, but I can see the fans getting frustrated with him quite quickly, um but he probably does fit what they're going for in terms of young coach young players.
00:05:20
Speaker
And of course, his successor, Steve Cooper, was there a bit of a mixed reaction there with his links to obviously not in Forest? ah Yeah, mixed is probably ah generous, to be honest. It was a little bit of a negative reaction and I'm included in that. ah The links to Forest don't help. um I think it was a bit of an uninspired appointment, if I'm being honest, and probably be a bit critical saying that um because he's ah he he's an honest guy. and He said a lot of good things in the press.
00:05:49
Speaker
and He said some really good things after last night's game, and but we were also in for Graham Potter and and I think he was probably the fan's favourite or Carlos Corbran from West Brom, but we ended up with Cooper um and I think he is winning fans over. He's winning me over, slowly, the performance last night, but also comments after. um I am quite impressed so far.
Dewsbury-Hall's Transfer Reaction
00:06:09
Speaker
I just want to talk about some of the transfer business over the summer, losing Dewsbury Hall, Maresca taking into Chelsea must be a massive loss.
00:06:17
Speaker
Uh, yeah, yeah. Um, Jesus, you know, he's a Shepshire boy, so that's a local to to Lester. Um, he's a proper Lester lad, really good. to See him go. But, um, for PSR reasons, he he had to leave. I don't believe he actually wants to do. He's one of the few players that we've lost to Chelsea over the last 10 years. I genuinely don't think he wants to leave, but in some ways it's possibly done the club a favor. Um, and, and I, I genuinely hope he does well at Chelsea. Um, but we see him back at Lester.
Leicester's Summer Signings
00:06:47
Speaker
as soon as possible to guys because no one wanted to see him leave. and would you make a sort of the income inofar you got buen andnotta on loan from brighton za adover reed who's come from on a free from fulham ah oliver skip also come for a decent sum of money Yeah, so we've bought those three. We've had Kayla Bocceli, who's coming from Matalanta, which is probably the least known of the signings, and Dec or David Reed play a lot of games for Fulham, who Fulham fans are going to be very used to, and made his debut last night. ah We need more, and they've they've tried to sign a number of players this summer, and they haven't gone through for varying reasons, which is very frustrating. I think the identification of players isn't the problem. It's the getting deals over the line and
00:07:32
Speaker
I suppose the truth is we're a promoted club with a possible points deduction and so trying to sell that isn't easy. um we We need a few more um but I'm happy enough with what we've done. I think we just need more numbers especially a striker um because of injuries and Oliver Skip who literally only got announced yesterday. 25 million seems like a big fee to me personally.
00:07:54
Speaker
So what do you feel are the key areas that
Leicester's Transfer Needs
00:07:56
Speaker
need strengthening? You said Striker there, are there other places available? and Yes, I've mentioned Striker twice and and that's definitely one, and possibly and a wide attacker, another wide man.
00:08:09
Speaker
um ah But most importantly that haven't said a number 10 when an otter coming in from Brighton great debut
Points Deduction Concerns
00:08:16
Speaker
very very impressed ah But we need another one for sure Cooper clearly wants one as he's been talking about it for weeks and weeks and weeks So hopefully in the next week or two before the window shuts we're gonna see at least one more number ten come through the door and you touched upon it, the the possibility of the points deduction, how difficult is it at the moment with that uncertainty looming over everyone's head? um Yeah, it's difficult. It was something we've been aware of now since January, so everyone's talking about it. It's, you know, do you want it early in the season and now we stand? Do you want it later where you you might be, I think, safe and then suddenly dragged in? It's really difficult. um I'm going off the basis that we are 99% going to have a points deduction.
00:08:59
Speaker
how many points that will be is anybody's guessing based off Everton and Forest somewhere between I don't know I guess five to ten maybe could be less could be more we've we've genuinely got no idea I think we just uh Spurs is almost a bonus point for a team that's come up um especially as the game went it was it seems it feels like a bonus point so maybe if we can get enough of them uh alongside beating sides in and around us then that will give us a good opportunity to have a decent points telling once whatever's decided is decided.
Leicester's Relegation Battle: Can They Survive?
00:09:32
Speaker
Let's just say it's the best case scenario and there is no points deduction do you have faith that there is enough quality in the squad potentially to stay up because it's always that case isn't it when you have newly promoted teams they're always the favorites to go down. What are your feelings towards that?
00:09:47
Speaker
yeah yeah absolutely i mean what we saw last year was free promoted clubs go straight back down which which doesn't tend to happen um and hasn't happened for a while but almost always one and two go down um Ipswich in Southampton obviously lost but had difficult games themselves at the weekend um we just need to, it's such a cliché, have to be better than three other sides but it's true and get enough points i think we've got enough quality it's whether It's whether what we add, as I said, we we do need, I think three or four, ah is the right players um and probably beating those around us has never been more important because of, and it not just accumulating our own points, but taking them away from other teams. Okay, great. That's the lowdown on Leicester before we come on to Fulham. Would you mind reading out a few words from our sponsor, Zencaster?
00:10:38
Speaker
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00:10:55
Speaker
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00:11:22
Speaker
and Well, I watch the game against Manchester United on Friday, so ah firstly, what were your thoughts on on the game against them? I thought it was a very tight game. I think probably on the balance of play, neither team did enough to win the game. Fulham started off the game brightly. um It looked like it was going to be another case in terms of Manchester United spoken about this previously last season. They were so easy to play against because they didn't have that solidity and structure. They were so easy to get that conceding so many shots on goal, not just to the top teams, but to said the teams in the lower reaches of the table.
00:11:54
Speaker
um They played, obviously, with Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount as false nines, not playing with a recognised centre forward. um So that was interesting to see. But in terms of the balance of the play, obviously the big moment was the Andres Perreira misplaced pass, which I know has caused a bit of you know this disruption amongst Fulham fans.
00:12:13
Speaker
He was just it was just one of those things, he just he just got wrong, no don't want to dwell too much on a bit on it. In terms of the result, yeah, i mean you know you don't want to do you don't want to lose your opening game, but it's it's nothing for really to dwell on. Yeah, um ah from a neutral point of view, I was quite impressed with Fulham. It was a close game when it managed to score a low goal. um um And what are your thoughts and in terms of the season coming up? What's the ambition, I guess, for for the team, for the squad and what fans think?
00:12:43
Speaker
I think Fulham are blessed with Marco Silva as their manager. I don't honestly see them being a real threat for a like relegation, um but at the same time, I don't see them pushing on for Europe. They're just one of those steady, mid-table clubs at the minute.
Fulham's Summer Signings Evaluation
00:12:58
Speaker
I think the important thing for Fulham, because they had a period of time where they were up, down, up, down. They were labelled as a yo-yo team.
00:13:04
Speaker
So just to have that stability in the last couple of seasons where they finished 10th and 13th is great. And of course, you know, fans get optimistic. They want European pushes, but you've got to be careful. You've got to be mindful of what can happen with that. They've lost Pelina. Pelina is a massive, massive blow for them. A huge, important player for the last couple of seasons. so Those are difficult boots to fill. Looks like they're going to bring in Sander Berger possibly, but you know to fill Paulina's boots you almost need two players really. But in terms of season and expectations, I think just consolidation if you can get top half great, but just to make sure you're well clear of any danger.
00:13:40
Speaker
Yes, Pauline was going to be one of my questions, obviously he played a massive part last season. I believe Fulham's win ratio was always a lot higher when he was in the team and and obviously fantastic player moving on to Bayern Munich. In terms of transfer businesses, Summer then, you've had, I think, Ryan Seshenong and Emil Smith-Rao is obviously the notable one come through. um what What do you think of those two?
00:14:04
Speaker
Yeah so Ryan Cessignon is a bit of a it's a bit of a nice story really he because and he made his name at Fulham as a 16-17 year old coming through. He went to Spurs, hasn't really quite worked out for him. He's had injuries along the way. I ah i always feel as well with him it's knowing his best position. Is he a left back? Is he a left wing? He's not quite so great that either one you can play the left wing back as well i think at the minute is just getting his fitness levels up i don't see him playing a big part should be for the first two or three months in the season and then maybe come the second half the season you'll see him.
00:14:39
Speaker
integrated into the sort of first team with Emil Smith Rowe. Emil Smith Rowe's a really exciting talent for me and I know a lot of Fulham fans are really excited with this signing. A guy that carried the ball from midfield gives you options, ah gives you options playing out left or ah more central, I guess, find out what his best position is. we We'll find out in sort of coming weeks, but he's played in pre-season through the middle and he scored a couple of goals. I know he might not have had the best debut against Manchester United, but for me that was just about getting minutes minutes in in the bank, really, and I'm sure as the weeks go on in the season, you'll see the best of Emilio Smith-Rowan. I know he's got ambitions of getting into the England squad, getting back involved in our squad, and I have no doubt he's at the right place to do that.
00:15:24
Speaker
So other than Smith Rowe, who are players for Leicester fans to watch out for this weekend? um Well, I think the interesting interesting one is Rodrigo Moniz because he came into the side last season when Raoul Jimenez had an injury. Raoul Jimenez actually had rediscovered some of the form that he had initially when he went to Wolves, subsequently since that head injury wasn't really the same player. it So Manise is a guy that's been at the club for a few years, but he was playing the second fiddle to Mitrovic, so he knew he wasn't going to get a sniff when Mitrovic was there. Went out on loan to Middlesbrough, didn't really work out for him. So to see him come into the team last season and he went on a hot streak for a couple of months, I think that was a surprise to a lot of people. And now it's just the case of he's a known quantity, defenders will be wary of him, it's just can he go again and prove that it wasn't a one-off.
Marco Silva's Impact on Fulham
00:16:18
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. And Marco Silva, I guess, he's been there. Is this third or fourth season in charge? um Obviously, he was there in the championship. ah There's been rumors of him moving to Saudi, lots lots of links. and what What do you think of him and and the possibility of him moving on at some point in the future?
00:16:37
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it looked at the start of last season that he might go to Saudi Arabia, but that didn't come to pass. And I think that was Fulham's most important signing, making sure he was tied down and because I feel from a Fulham perspective with him at the helm, there is no threat of relegation. As you said, he's been there for three seasons and they managed to get promotion from the championship, finished top half and finished 13. So for me, as much as the players are important, he's the most important man at Fulham Football Club.
00:17:08
Speaker
Yeah, um and ah just talk me through, you know, ah style of play. yeah I'm sure a lot of less fans might have watched the first game against Manchester United, but ah that was at times without the ball. um I would expect for them to have quite a lot of the ball on Saturday. and What are some of the things to look out for in terms of patterns of play? Yeah, we'll follow and we'll play out from the back. and They're very comfortable in doing so, apart from maybe the He said the the main guy at right centre back with tossing going to Chelsea and there's rumours in the transfer window about that's a position they're looking looking to to go for. He said he would definitely bring in another defender and if that was the case it would.
00:17:50
Speaker
would would be to challenge the ECD op. But no, a full-on-play stylish brand of football. I think you saw on the weekend, there was more counter-attacking play with Adama Troyerie being in that outlet. Adama Troyerie, again, is someone that's come into the fall off the back of the good pre-season. Last season, it didn't really work out for him because he had an injury early on. He sustained another injury after that. And then when he was fifth, he was just used as a bit-bar player to come off the bench for 15, 20 minutes. So in terms of that,
00:18:20
Speaker
attacking outlets, you're always looking at him. ah But the the worry for me, not so much a worry, but it's he almost seems better as an impact substitute, rather than a starter. um Because it he just seems he's better suited to come in, come in at the back end of the game when tight, when there's tight defenders, and he's he's got the attributes, he's got the speed, and he's got the strength, but the criticism has always been that in product.
00:18:46
Speaker
Yeah, again, from ah a neutral point of view, he's obviously been at Wolves um and Middlesbrough and Aston Villa a long time ago, but yes, it's always been high pace, very good dribbler, but yeah, that final ball. um and But he's always a threat on his day and we sort of saw ah Victor Christensen for us at left back struggle against Tottenham. And I do wonder if Adama's pace might be a big issue on Saturday. um Yeah, that that's great on the low down on Fulham. Do you want to read our next advert?
00:19:14
Speaker
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Predictions for Leicester's Lineup
00:19:17
Speaker
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00:19:37
Speaker
So for the last part of this episode we're just gonna look ahead to the weekends fixture, look at sort of key players, key aspects of the game and give some predictions. So in terms of Leicester, are you expecting them to line up similar to what was the case against Tottenham?
00:19:55
Speaker
Yeah, I would have thought so. to To be honest, when I was predicting my lineup before the Tottenham game, I think only six or seven started. so ah But I can't imagine there'd be too many changes. Vardy's the one, depending on fitness, that could be an issue up there.
00:20:10
Speaker
um But other than that, deco David Reed made his debut. um Some fans weren't too impressed. I was quite happy with him because he he gets for a lot of running, holds his shape really well. And I think he was playing a certain role to stop Poirot really for Spurs. and We've got Mavadini who could come in. We've got Riccardo Pereira who was probably our best player last season, and didn't play a minute against Tottenham, I was quite surprised. so He's another one that could come in, but ah probably not too many changes. um um In terms of Fulham's line-up, what are you thinking?
00:20:42
Speaker
Well, it looks like the Sanderberg deal is going to go through at any stage in the next couple of days, but I think it'll come too soon for him to start. Silver likes to integrate his players quite slowly, so the one position I guess is centre of the park. We've had the discussion on this weather and because they've dropped Andreas Pereira back the last game of preseason and in the United game as well, where he'd always played as a central attacking midfielder for Fulham. So it's just whether they continue to to go with that or whether they bring in someone that's got a bit more solidity. ah not not more of it Not a defensive move because
00:21:22
Speaker
I see it as a positive one in that they've got someone in the central midfield that can win the ball back. And that would be to bring in someone like Harrison Reed, who I feel opposition fans might not have too high an opinion on. But for me, he's a real underrated player. He's brilliant off the ball and he gives 100% in every game. So for me, that might be the be the one area they're looking to tweak. ah Kenny kenny tet a came in as well at right back. when he was playing second fiddle to Kostanya last season. Obviously, you would know Kostanya from his time at Leicester, ah but Kostanya came in and was a very consistent performer last season. So that's another
Key Players for the Upcoming Game
00:22:01
Speaker
area. But having said that, Kenny Tettie was probably, apart from Bernd Leno, the standout performer in the United Games.
00:22:08
Speaker
wherever he wants to make too many changes, I wouldn't expect it if there is one change, as I said, that you might be looking at something in central midfield. and in in terms In terms of key players for this game, who who are you looking at in particular?
00:22:21
Speaker
um yeah From a Leicester point of view, Abdul Fattari has got the assist ah for Jamie Vardy. He's definitely he dribbling, his speed, his balance, fantastic. i Trying to isolate him 1v1 against Robinson or in behind Robinson could be quite key. um Jamie Vardy I don't need to speak much about, you know he speaks for himself. but they're the two going forward but probably Wilfrid indeed in our midfield and Harry Winx just as a solid midfield um indeed he was a lot more aggressive in the second half it meant we won quite a few high turnovers and I saw in the Manchester United Fulham game that sometimes Fulham lost the ball from deep positions
00:23:00
Speaker
um possibly that could be an area where we could exploit um if we can win those but yeah they're from a Leicester point of view and the ones I'm worried about about Fulham are Emil Smithrow obviously Pereira Dahmer but Anthony Robinson coming on the overlap and possibly 2v1 and yeah Rodrigo Moniz up front and um we struggled with crosses against Spurs and he thrives on those Yeah, yeah, I agree with what you're saying there. I mean, and Anthony Robinson, again, is someone that's a real dependable performer. He links up well with whoever's on our left hand side, whether it's ah it will be or, or whoever, William in the in seasons gone by the only criticism of Robinson and is his final ball is his crossing at times. um But Smith row is the one I'm looking to, to just produce that bit of magic. And I feel that in a game against Leicester at home, they are going to enjoy
00:23:52
Speaker
probably the majority of possession, so this is where you're looking at him and just to produce that bit of magic, that reason why you spent the you spent the money you spent on him. I guess from a Leicester perspective, um in terms of this season, and I know it's a difficult game away from home, but you've got to be looking at teams like Fulham, middle of the road teams like Fulham is where you you're going to get your points in order to stay up.
Score Predictions for Fulham vs. Leicester
00:24:15
Speaker
Yeah, there's no easy game in the Premier League um and every away game is going to be really difficult. But yeah, if we can come away with a point, then I think you'd be another good point. At some point, obviously, you know, we're we're going to have to find that first win as every team is going to at some point. But I think a point I'd be very happy with Tottenham at home, Fulham away and then we've got Aston Villa in the next game is a tough start. So a point I'd be quite happy with. um I would have thought Fulham were probably looking for three points against a newly promoted team.
00:24:46
Speaker
Yeah, so if I'm going to give a prediction, I don't think it's going to be an easy game, but I think Fulham will nick it to one. um I'm looking to Moniz to get back on the score sheet because he did add that two month purple patch. And then the goal started to start to dry up, but um aside from the goals, his work rate, his build that plays is is pretty good as well, even when he wasn't scoring goals. But I think for him, he'll just give him that confidence boost and it'll They'll reassure Marco Silva that he's doing the right thing, showing the faith in him. So I can see him getting on a score sheet and full of maybe just hedging the 2-1 win. What about you?
00:25:24
Speaker
ah Yeah, I mean, it's hard to to see. pat It depends how we play look the first half. ah We could really struggle. and But the second half, then we will cause a lot of problems. So it's so difficult because it was such a first half, second half performance. My prediction is going to be if ah it was was being negative, then I would actually probably agree with your two on, to be honest with you. If I'm being optimistic, then I'm i'm going to go for another one, one draw. um And the possibly again, we we play better in in the second half than the first.
00:25:55
Speaker
Vardy on a score sheet again? If he plays then he's always a threat and I'll never get tired of seeing Jamie Vardy scoring for Leicester. Yeah, he's the he's the king of, well I'm not going to say the word but it ends in hounsery doesn't he? It's great from a neutral point for you to have him back in the Premier League, obviously Premier League winner and probably the greatest, well £1m from Fleetwood wasn't it?
00:26:17
Speaker
Yeah, it was and and I wrote him off as most Leicester fans did at the start, but oh, wow, just, yeah, the best Leicester player has ever been and there will ever be. Yeah. Well, there we have it. There's the lowdown on all things Fulham, the lowdown on all things Leicester. Thank you to Jake, being a special guest on today's episode. Thanks for tuning in. We hope you've enjoyed it and tune in next time to the Daily Fulham Podcast. Every club.
00:26:46
Speaker
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