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The Final Day
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Gavin looks forward to the final day as Fulham welcome Manchester City to Craven Cottage. The hosts are eyeing up a top half finish while the visitors still have work to do to secure their Champions League berth for next season.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Daily Fulham Podcast
00:00:01
Speaker
Every club. Every day. The Global Sports Podcast Network. work What's up everybody, welcome back to the Daily Fulham Podcast brought to you by the Global Sports Podcast Network, bringing you the latest news and views from across the Premier League as well as women's football.
00:00:19
Speaker
My name is Gavin Ruffell and yes, it's a very warm welcome back to you all. It's been a while since the last episode, almost two weeks in fact, and it certainly feels like a lot has happened in that space of time, whether it's ongoing and talk about the manager's position,
00:00:34
Speaker
New contracts, European prospects and potential incomings and outgoings over
Harry Wilson's Future at Fulham
00:00:39
Speaker
the summer. The latest one I did see was Harry Wilson. Fabrizio Romano reported the other day via Twitter that the player is looking for a better deal than the one that Fulham have given him. Otherwise, he may be one to depart in the summer.
00:00:53
Speaker
Would be a shame if he did decide to leave the club, but who knows at this stage. It's a guessing game. It's a lot speculation, a lot of unknown factors. It's always interesting at this stage. It helps to build excitement for everyone during the off-season. keeps everyone invested, doesn't it? So we'll just have to watch this space as far as that's concerned.
Fulham's Remarkable Premier League Season
00:01:11
Speaker
What we do know for sure, though, is that this weekend brings the curtain down on the Premier League season for Fulham. It all began on a Friday in Manchester and it ends on a Sunday against the other side from Manchester.
00:01:24
Speaker
Since I was last on Fulham, they have managed to secure... that record Premier League points tally, something I've been banging on about for months. And following that loss at Everton, there was a lot of doubt that they would even secure it at all because it did seem as though the season...
00:01:41
Speaker
was in 3-4 but as Michael Corleone would say just when I thought I was out they pull me back in Fulham have had a habit of doing that this season haven't they when things look like they go from bad to worst they spring a surprise on you they get a result out out of nowhere when you're not expecting it and they all is good in the world again Unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch the Brentford game. I did, of course, watch the highlights after. And I guess if there's going to be a game to secure that record points tally, then then I suppose that's the perfect scenario, isn't it? Come from behind to defeat your neighbours, just like they were able to do in November.
00:02:19
Speaker
And at the same time, Scupp of Brentford's hopes of getting into Europe for the very first time. There was just a glimmer of hope after that result that it could still give Fulham an outside squeak, an outside chance of getting into Europe on
Crystal Palace's FA Cup Impact on Fulham
00:02:33
Speaker
the final day. But obviously following Brighton's win over Liverpool, that is no longer a possibility. I think, to be honest, after the defeat ever to Everton, most people had written it off anyway. Most people had given up hope.
00:02:44
Speaker
I can't speak for everyone else, but it certainly seemed like that was the final nail in the coffin. And then we saw Palace go on to win the FA Cup, which subsequently made things even more difficult.
00:02:56
Speaker
Certain permutations, certain scenarios became even... even more difficult to qualify. Credit to Palace, by the way. I know there was a lot of suffering after the quarterfinal defeat to them, but look, they've gone on to win it by beating Villa and Manchester City without conceding, I think is a huge achievement. So it might cushion the blow of that defeat slightly. For others, I'm i'm sure there's a little bit of jealousy as well, i seeing another side lift silverware for the first time.
00:03:22
Speaker
ah But from a neutral perspective, I think it's always nice to see underdogs succeed because it gives hope to everyone else. And what is football without a bit of hope? But yeah, following Brighton's win, there is no mathematical possibility of Europe, regardless of how unlikely it would have been anyway.
Fulham Prepares for Manchester City Encounter
00:03:38
Speaker
But look at the positives. I know it's not always easy to do, but it's taken until the end of game week 37 for Fulham to be officially out of the race for Europe. So I certainly don't see that as a bad thing.
00:03:49
Speaker
What it does mean is that the pressure is off on Sunday, so hopefully Fulham can go out there and express themselves, maybe play with a bit of freedom. It is a big game for Manchester City, we all know that. They need the points, well they certainly need a point, um otherwise they will be having to rely on results elsewhere in their bid for Champions League football.
00:04:07
Speaker
So it's quite a nice position to be in at this stage where you can play the role of spoilers and try and ruin someone else's season. I hate the phrase nothing to lose because I just find it defeatist and it almost downplays the importance of something.
00:04:21
Speaker
But I do think this is one exception where there genuinely is nothing to lose. This one result isn't dramatically going to change Fulham's season, but it could change Manchester City's.
00:04:33
Speaker
And look, it's not like there's absolutely nothing to play for. OK, there isn't that carrot dangled of European football next season, but there is still a possibility to finish as high as ninth,
00:04:44
Speaker
Or on the flip side, if things don't go to plan, if results go against Fulham, then they could see themselves finishing as low as 12th. um So it's been a positive season and I don't think the result on Sunday will change that.
00:04:55
Speaker
But you'd certainly rather finish in the top half than the bottom half, especially when you've been in the top half for most of that time. And of course, the higher up you finish, the more financial rewards that brings. So I'm not for one minute saying it doesn't have some relevance.
00:05:08
Speaker
but maybe it does give you a chance to try something different, knowing there's no grave consequence if it doesn't work out. However, it still would be awfully nice just to get something out of the weekend's game, because we know it is a fixture that doesn't exactly bring much cause for optimism. I don't need to tell you all about Fulham's record against Manchester City.
00:05:28
Speaker
It's absolutely wretched, and there's been some one-sided games in there, but there's also been games in there that have been... more even, closely fought, tight the affairs, where Fulham have just come out on the wrong end of it. And I don't know whether that's a case of Manchester City's winning mentality or whether it's Fulham just maybe lacking a bit of belief at times and maybe they go into games. I don't know if players step onto the pitch aware of the record. It's probably been said to them, it's probably been addressed in...
00:05:59
Speaker
the lead up to games against the opposition, and how you haven't beaten them in so long. So I don't know subconsciously if that does have some sort of an effect when they go out onto the pitch. There could be some truth to that if we take a closer look back at the meeting in October, as it could have and probably should have been a very different story.
00:06:17
Speaker
On another day, it was certainly a game where Fulham could and probably should have got something out of it. They had ample chances and on the balance of play, They were certainly worthy of getting something. I think Adama Traore probably should have scored a hat-trick, but ultimately they didn't have that ruthless streak about them on that day and Manchester City ran out 3-2 winners. In hindsight, I kind of feel that's where City's problems began.
00:06:41
Speaker
They started the season well and it was looking like business as usual, but maybe that game opened everyone else's eyes into thinking, hey, maybe they're not that juggernaut, maybe they're not that unstoppable force that they have been in seasons gone by, and that there were vulnerabilities, especially in Rodri's absence.
00:06:57
Speaker
But look, Fulham, they haven't even managed so much as a draw against City since 2011. Going further back, their last win was in 2009, and going even further back for their last victory on home soil against Manchester City that was all the way back in November 2005 some of you probably weren't even born then it was so long ago that Westlife were top of the chart in the UK with you raised me up so fingers crossed let's hope Fulham can get something because to say it's overdue would certainly be an understatement and in the next part I will be turning my attention to the visitors but before I do that let me just tell you a little bit about our sponsors
00:07:37
Speaker
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Speaker
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00:07:54
Speaker
If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description to learn more about Zencastr. Big win for Manchester City in midweek, wasn't it? Important for them to bounce back after the obvious disappointment they would have felt following the FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace.
Manchester City's Highlights and Challenges
00:08:10
Speaker
They also started that game outside the Champions League places, so all of a sudden the pressure had kind of ramped up on them, given the results of those teams in and around them who were able to do their job, keep their end of the bargain up.
00:08:23
Speaker
um So win was essential. I know a draw would have still meant destiny would be in their own hands going into the final day, but the three points clearly gives them a little bit more breathing room.
00:08:34
Speaker
Also did Fulham a small favour, guess you could say, and with Bournemouth being defeated means they stay behind them going into that final game. What a goal by Marmouche, by the way. I mean, he's got no right to score from there. Normally, if you see your keeper beating from that range, from that sort of distance, you'd be asking questions and pointing fingers. Something that Kepa could have done with that. Incredible goal.
00:08:57
Speaker
And we're at that stage now where people will start the debate about goal of the season. I can't think of what mine would be, to be honest. My memory isn't as good as it once was. So i I'd need to see a collection for me to go, oh yeah, that was a great goal. But that Marmouche strike surely would have to be a contender.
00:09:13
Speaker
ah But overall, job done. Strange sort of atmosphere at the Etihad, with it being Kevin De Bruyne's final home game. Almost felt a bit like a testimonial. It was one stage where he got a standing ovation for missing an open goal.
00:09:28
Speaker
Rodri also came back as well, so that was something for those fans to get excited about. ah Despite that defeat to Crystal Palace, the league form has been good. No team can match the 16 points they've accumulated in the last six games.
00:09:42
Speaker
We know one more will get them over the line in this very competitive race for Europe. And look, if they do go on to achieve that on Sunday, I'm not expecting any great celebrations. This isn't something they thought they would have to do.
00:09:56
Speaker
Going into final days, we've become accustomed to them already having secured the title or at least on the cusp of clinching it. So it's been a massive drop off this time around. There's no getting away from that.
00:10:08
Speaker
Champions League qualification is absolutely bare minimum. Quite naturally, it is a surprise to see them so far adrift because of the standards they have set. But this kind of season, it was always going to happen at some point. I felt it was just a matter of when, not if.
00:10:23
Speaker
It's hard to keep going to the well to keep up those standards. high standards that high intensity year upon year season after season when everyone expects you to do it it's not always so easy so i guess the bigger question now is is this the end of their era of dominance it's their first trophyless season since 2016 2017 pep's first season in charge of club and i know pep is trying to claim that the community shield is a trophy, but I think we can disregard the Community Shield.
00:10:53
Speaker
No major trophy for Manchester City this season. So is it just a blip? And will we see them return to their lofty heights next campaign? I'm not sure we will, to be honest. I know Rodri's been a big loss for...
00:11:04
Speaker
for them and it's been difficult for them to find a ready-made replacement someone who can fill his shoes do the sort of job he can do to the same level but i think it is a little bit too simplistic to say his injury has been the root of all problems some players are getting a bit older now so their powers are slightly on the wane but i think the biggest disappointment in terms of playing staff would have to be phil foden just because of the season he had last time The individual accolades he was winning, but then he had a disappointing Euros, didn't he, with England from a personal standpoint, and that's kind of seeped into this season.
00:11:44
Speaker
He is 24, so still relatively young, but he's also vastly experienced, so I don't think you can use age as an excuse for him, nor would he want to. I'm sure he would be the first to admit that he hasn't hit the levels that he expects yet.
00:11:57
Speaker
of himself that Manchester City fans that Pep expects of him the difference between top top players and the tier below is those top top players go again after their best season and they say you know what I can do even better scored x amount of goals this season which was my best I'll go on next season and I'll do even better than that and he's not reproduced that for whatever reason I'm not quite sure We can't also forget that they did spend a lot of money in January. They were the big spenders. And you look at those signings in, by and large, barring Omar Mamoose, you go, meh.
00:12:35
Speaker
What's he done, really? Even be even before that, going back to the summer recruitment and Savinho was brought in. And I've not been overly impressed by what I've seen with him. Two goals in 44 games across all competitions.
00:12:48
Speaker
And on the other side, Doku. I know Doku's been there a little bit longer, but again, his goal scoring record. I know wingers aren't just there to score goals. They're there to create and provide assists for others as well. But looking at those two, I don't think even the assists, they've had them by the bucket load.
00:13:05
Speaker
And Doku is a player that would actually infuriate me if I was a City fan. He's one of those wingers that will just He'll beat his man and then for some reason he wants to beat him again. Like you've got the better of the fullback.
00:13:16
Speaker
You've got an opportunity to get a cross in or have a shot. But he'll just want that extra touch and then the attack ends up fizzling out. So I mean we can criticise Adama Traore for lacking end product. But I feel those City wingers are guilty of it as well. And maybe they're unfairly judged in a way. I don't know because they've had wingers before them in seasons gone by that are put up staggering numbers.
00:13:37
Speaker
You can compare their numbers to the likes of Sane and Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva when he used to play out wide. They're a long way short of that. I don't feel like there has been too much of an onus on their centre forward to get the goals.
00:13:50
Speaker
But anyway, back to my initial point about their January signing. So, Marmouche, €75m, and I think you can say... that's been successful good signing he's definitely been a welcome addition for them so i think that's a tick in the box but then the others gonzalez 60 million kusanov 40 million young center half reese 37 million and then before then savinho in the summer 25 million and and these are players they're all under the age of 25 but you kind of want to see them hit the ground running and make an impact straight away not be players that need to bed in acclimatize to the league and then in the long run we'll see the best of them
00:14:28
Speaker
So the minute the jury is out on them, i accept that they are young and that they are for the future. They are a part of that next cycle, the next golden generation, or at least they want it to be the next golden generation. But given the price tag, don't think you can put a tick in the box for any of the others apart from Marmouche.
00:14:47
Speaker
As for the manager, this is the first real adversity he's faced, certainly at City, maybe even in his whole managerial career. Wherever he's been, he's always inherited the best squad. He's had the best players to work with.
00:14:59
Speaker
We'll learn a lot more about him, I feel, now because he has the task of rebuilding a squad. Now that they are the hunters, not the hunted, it adds a different dynamic to it. It's interesting, actually. I don't know why can remember this, but I can. It was actually when Neil Warnock was appointed Huddersfield manager a few seasons ago.
00:15:17
Speaker
He was tasked with keeping them up in the championship and I had a little interaction with someone on Twitter. I'll spare you all the boring details, but the original post was about Warnock being the most equipped man to keep them in the division.
00:15:29
Speaker
And this Huddersfield fan responded somewhat sarcastically saying, I don't know, I think Pep might have something to say about that. To which I replied, just paraphrasing, but words to the effect, Oh, well, I wouldn't be so sure. Pep isn't used to managing average players in a scrap in a dogfight, whereas Neil Warnock is.
00:15:47
Speaker
So basically, if you gave Pep the keys to your Maserati, he'd take care of it and you'd know he's a safe pair of hands. But if you want someone driving a battered old three-wheeler, is he going to get it from A to B? Your guess is as good as mine.
00:16:00
Speaker
We'll only know when we find out. We've never had to find out. Pep Guardiola's never been in a position where he's had to rebuild. Well, he's in that position now, so I guess we will find out if he has the right tools for the job.
00:16:12
Speaker
I can't finish this talk about Manchester City without talking, of course, about Kevin De Bruyne. And you think of the great players they've had over the last 10 years or more, ah the likes of Sergio Aguero, Yaya Torre, David Silva, Vincent Kompany, but I think you'd have to rank Kevin De Bruyne as number one. There was a lot of scepticism about his signing following that brief time he had at Chelsea, went over to Germany, built up a reputation for himself, but even then, people
Kevin De Bruyne's Legacy and Future
00:16:41
Speaker
weren't so sure. Well, those doubters, those naysayers, well, they've been proven wrong, haven't they, categorically, and...
00:16:47
Speaker
As a kid, aside from Thierry Henry, Steven Gerrard was someone I always admired. wouldn't say he was a hero, but someone that I watched and i thought, wow, what a player. And I've always considered Gerrard to be the best midfielder to play in the Prem, but De Bruyne would have to be right up there with him. So it will no doubt be an emotional afternoon for him on Sunday, and it'll be interesting to see where he does end up going in the summer.
00:17:12
Speaker
But that's all the talk for now in this part about Manchester City. In the final part, I will be continuing the build-up to this game after this quick message. Your body is unique.
00:17:25
Speaker
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Speaker
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00:17:54
Speaker
Don't settle for off-the-shelf solutions made for just anybody. Get what's right for you right now. It will be quite interesting to see what team Marco Silva decides to go with for the weekend at this time of recording. This goes out before his pre-match press conference, so I don't believe there are any fresh injury concerns, just the ones we're already aware of.
00:18:15
Speaker
But nevertheless, we could still see changes. I think in the first dozen or so games, he was quite reluctant to change the team. But in the last few weeks, he has been tinkering a bit more than usual. It's probably due to the poor results. So he is seeking the right combination.
00:18:30
Speaker
Once again, at Brentford, we saw the subs come on and make a difference, setting and a new Premier League record, making it 17 goals from the bench this season. Again, I didn't see the game, so I can't comment on individual performances. But hear that Josh King did quite well when he came on ah So could there be a temptation to see him from the off?
00:18:48
Speaker
I think I'm right in saying he's just made the one start which was at home to Southampton. I mean, it's a very different game, isn't Home to Southampton, home to Manchester City. But I certainly wouldn't be against throwing him in from the start here.
00:19:02
Speaker
Someone slightly more advanced in years than Josh King is, of course, Tom Kearney. And we saw him score that equaliser against Brentford. Very rare headed goal. Now, there has been a lot of talk about his future in the last week or two.
00:19:15
Speaker
He's been a terrific servant to the club, experiencing the highs, lows, everything in between. Now, normally I would say there's no room for sentimentality, but if it does turn out to be his final appearance, then I think he probably deserves to lead the team out for it.
00:19:30
Speaker
You'd normally expect to see Berger alongside Lukic for games like this, where Fulham will see less of the ball, but given the stakes aren't so high for Fulham, then I think it would be nice to see Kearney in there.
00:19:41
Speaker
Elsewhere, he's got options, isn't he? Traore came in for the last game and had two assists, but you've got Sessegnon and you've got Wilson if you want to change it up. I don't think it's a case of Fulham owing something to other clubs in this race for Europe. It's very different now than it was 10 or 15 years ago.
00:19:58
Speaker
Back then mid-table teams didn't quite have the depth in their squad so if they made multiple changes you'd really notice it. I don't think Marco Silva should feel obliged to play certain XI just because it benefits Aston Villa or Chelsea per se.
00:20:11
Speaker
I'm sure he'll pick a side that he believes can go out there and and win. If they do make three or four changes, it's not like those people coming in aren't capable of performing at Premier League level. If he played half a dozen players from the under-21s, that would be a different story. But obviously that's not going to happen, so it's a non-issue.
00:20:28
Speaker
As for Manchester City, well, we know they're going to be forced into making at least one change from midweek. Kovacic is out suspended after picking up that red card against Bournemouth. So I suppose that is good news in a way from a full point of view as he was effectively the match winner in a first fixture with his two goals.
00:20:46
Speaker
If only they had a ready-made replacement who's just come back from injury. Oh wait, but in all seriousness, could we see Rodri from the start? Ideally, I don't think Pep would want to do that. It's one thing coming off the bench for the final 10 minutes in a game where you're 2-0 up and it's another thing starting in a pressure game after being out for so long.
00:21:04
Speaker
And if you are given a start, then you are expected to last the majority of the game, aren't you? But I don't know where his fitness levels are at just at this moment in time. Maybe he can only do 10, 15 minutes.
00:21:15
Speaker
In which case, you would say that Gonzalez would be the more likely replacement. Of course, he's fresh from a goal himself in midweek and, as I previously stated, £60m sign. And so it's time to start delivering on that, isn't it?
00:21:28
Speaker
I am expecting Manchester City to see the majority of the ball and surprisingly they rank highest in the possession stats this season, averaging almost 62%. I know they only need a point but they're not exactly going to come to Craven Cottage and set the stall out to defend.
00:21:44
Speaker
They'll go looking to win the game but with that, Fulham may be able to cause them some problems. i feel like City have looked slightly vulnerable, susceptible to the counter-attack recently. That was evident in the goal Crystal Palace scored against them at Wembley and In midweek as well, for the first 15 or 20 minutes, I felt that there were two or three occasions where Bournemouth almost got in, but they weren't quite able to make the most of their attacks.
00:22:05
Speaker
Therefore, Adama Truary, once again, he plays an important role if he does start, and if he does get the chances he got the Etihad, then hopefully he can bury at least one of them this time. And then defensively, Fulham have given away some really cheap goals in the last few games. Goals from set pieces, goals from crosses that they've been unable to deal with. So I'm hoping we don't see that again.
00:22:25
Speaker
the opposition open you up for a piece of skill or pop one in top bins from 30 yards like Mamouche the other day, then you don't mind it so much. But but yeah, the majority of goals Fulham have conceded recently have been pretty soft and easily avoidable.
00:22:39
Speaker
I think purely from a neutral standpoint, if Fulham can score the first goal, then it makes it fascinated and throws the cat amongst the pigeons as far as that Champions League race is concerned. Fans of those other clubs, deep down, they're probably expecting Manchester City to do the business. But a goal to Fulham and the perspective changes, doesn't it? City fans will definitely be nervous, even if it is 0-0 for the first 15 or 20 minutes.
00:23:02
Speaker
They'll be aware that it can change, especially if their rivals are all winning. I hate the fact that the title and relegation has been sorted for, what, a month now? But it is exciting that we go into the final day with five teams chasing the same thing.
00:23:16
Speaker
I would like to see Nottingham Forest do it. I think they've been one of the success stories of the season and it would just be so unexpected if they got in. But I do feel that they will miss out.
00:23:27
Speaker
And I actually think the top five will remain as is. I'm not going to commit to giving an order on their finishing positions. But I think Villa and Forrest will miss out. I've said it so many times recently. It feels like anyway. that I felt that Chelsea would be the team to drop out.
00:23:42
Speaker
But I have been quietly impressed with them. in the way that they've been able to grind out results when they haven't played great. um So I think they'll actually go to Forrest and win. know a lot of people think Chelsea might slip up, but I just think as a club and those players, they're more used to playing high-pressure games with high stakes.
00:23:59
Speaker
No doubt it'll be a raucous atmosphere, but I almost feel that could work against Forrest. They're not so accustomed to those big games, so I'd be slightly concerned on how they cope with that. As I said, I hope they do it. I'd like to see Man City and Chelsea miss out, but I think ultimately it will be Villa and Forest that fall short.
00:24:16
Speaker
Either way, it's sure to be a dramatic and tense day, lot twists and turns, and one I'm looking forward to, and one from a full-on perspective you can go into with no fear, no dread, no anxiety, pressures off, and hopefully just enjoy what could be a good game and maybe a good result on Sunday. Who knows?
00:24:35
Speaker
But on that note, we're just about done here today. The final match preview of the season. Thank you all for listening. Hope you all have a great weekend and be sure to tune in next time on the Daily Fulham Podcast.
00:24:50
Speaker
Every club. Every day. The Global Sports Podcast Network. work