Fulham moved back into the Championship’s automatic promotion places by putting four past Nottingham Forest at the City Ground and bringing Steve Cooper’s unbeaten start to his new job to a shuddering halt. Marco Silva’s side scored three times in the space of nine second half minutes as Forest quickly lost control at what had been a largely even contest. Aleksandar Mitrovic bagged a brace after pressurising former Fulham academy graduate Djed Spence into an early own goal – registering his fifteenth goal in fourteen games.
Silva signalled his intentions to dominate proceedings by handing Tom Cairney a first start in eleven months after his goalscoring return against Cardiff in midweek alongside Jean Michael Seri in central midfield. Any concerns that Fulham’s engine room might prove a little lightweight against Cooper’s industrious outfit had long since been dispelled by the time the pair were playing one-touch keep ball between themselves with a quarter of an hour still remaining. Fulham were far from their fluent best, but clinically killed off the hosts – who had looked dangerous when their wing-backs got well forward.
The visitors enjoyed a dream start when Denis Odoi’s decoy run at Seri’s corner attracted Forest’s attention and allowed Mitrovic to move unimpeded towards the near post. The Serbian forward flicked a finish goalbound, although the final touch came off the unfortunate Spence. Fulham enjoyed more of the possession and could have had a second when Harry Wilson waltzed to the byline, but Mitrovic couldn’t find a decisive connection at the near post.
Forest’s own clear opening of the first period came when Brennan Johnson won a duel with Antonee Robinson and darted dangerously into the area but dragged his shot wide of the near post, but Cooper would have been encouraged by the way his charges put together a decent spell of possession in the last ten minutes of the first half. They had a great chance to equalise at the start of the second period when Spence sprinted into acres of room down the right flank and found Philip Zinckernagel, but Grabban somehow skied his finish high over the bar.
Cooper hauled off Jack Colback, who had already been booked, after he escaped further sanction for pulling down Wilson and the hosts were soon the architects of their own downfall. There was a horrible mix up after Scott McKenna appeared to have cleared the danger when he collided with Tobias Figueiredo and Mitrovic rifled a second beyond Brice Samba. Forest looked all over the place at the back and the lively Neeskens Kebano soon made it three. The Congolese winger worked a clever one-two with Wilson after winning possession back and slotted an assured strike behind the goalkeeper and his near post.
Fulham were now rampant and Mitrovic added his second of the afternoon from the penalty spot after Odoi had been held back by Ryan Yates as he lined up a shot. Samba went the right way in trying to save Mitrovic’s penalty, but the Serbian’s spot kick had too much power. Kenny Tete ended his two month injury exile as a late substitute and, after Marek Rodak had saved smartly from Joe Lolley, Fulham spurned a three-on-one break as they finished in fifth gear. This might not have been the most complete of performances but a display of real ruthlessness – together with another clean sheet – sent out a serious message to the rest of the promotion contenders.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST (3-4-1-2): Samba; Worrall, Figueiredo (Mighten 60), McKenna; Spence, Lowe, Yates, Colback (Garner 50); Zinckernagel (Lolley 62); Johnson, Grabban. Subs (not used): Horvath, Bong, Ojeda, Taylor.
BOOKED: Colback, Zinckernagel, Garner, Yates, Samba.
FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Rodak; Odoi, A. Robinson, Adarabioyo, Ream; Seri, Cairney; Kebano, Decordova-Reid, Wilson; Mitrovic. Subs (not used): Gazzaniga, Tete, Hector, Reed, Onomah, Muniz, Stansfield.
BOOKED: Ream, Odoi, Robinson, Wilson.
GOALS: Spence (o.g. 7), Mitrovic (58, pen 67), Kebano (61).
REFEREE: Matt Donohue (Lancashire).
ATTENDANCE: 27,470.
Some victory that. I admit to being slightly worried about who was going to get through the hard graft in midfield when I saw the team but we had plenty of grit and passed the ball beautifully. Perhaps the most pleasing part of the performance was how clinically we took our chances. Great to boost the goal difference – and it will surely give us real confidence going into West Brom now.
Let’s not kid ourselves. This was a sub-par performance with a number of our players failing, once again, to hit their marks away from home. Apart from the third goal – which was a reminder of how incisive we CAN be, our efforts were flat and uninspiring. Mitro, somehow, grabbed two more goals but had been missing in action until then. Likewise, Decordova Reid whose touch was abysmal and Robinson who, once again, demonstrated an uncanny ability to mis-control a football.
Yes, four goals and three points away from home are not to be sniffed at but where, oh where, has the brilliant, defence splitting, breakaway football of a few weeks ago disappeared?
Somebody please remind Tom Cairney that he no longer plays for Scott Parker. It is NOT okay, when you find yourself in an attacking position wide left-with Robinson and Kebano alongside – to turn towards your own goal and hoof the ball back over the halfway line to a central defender. We will make allowances for TC because he has been out for so long but he needs to understand that this team is supposed to move the ball forward incisively and swiftly unlike how he tended to play. I know, I know -he is not 100% yet but…
I don’t mean to be too critical but, against a better team than Forest, we could have found ourselves, yet again, dropping away points because of the poor showing of just a few players. The miss by Grabban was a mighty let off and the game could have turned against us at that point.
I am pretty sure that our manager won’t have been fooled by the scoreline-at least, I hope so.
I think that’s a pretty harsh assessment of a professional away performance, Charles. You aren’t going to be able to out pass and blow every opponent away with flowing football – being that open comes with its own risks. I thought Forest more than matched us in the first half and we managed the game particularly well.
Cairney is a key component of the side, if only because he keeps the ball effortlessly and allows us to tire out opponents who are chasing the ball for long periods. Silva will clearly have things he wants to improve upon but the fact that we were able to clinically dispatch in-form opposition without hitting the heights that we can is a positive for me.
I think Charles is being harsh in his criticism.
Granted we didn’t play particularly well.
But to win by 4 when playing averagely is a good sign. Every team has one if those games. Just the same as you can play well and lose. Swings and roundabouts. Big game next week.
No doubt we deserve to win but 4-0 was very flattering>everything went for us today but lets not kid ourselves it was not the greatest performance. On the plus side What would we do without Mitro. Seri was terrific again. Kebano is being given the run he deserves and it was great to see him on the score sheet. Rodak gives me far more confidence at dealing with crosses and should be given an extended run as our number one keeper. Toshin looks our best defender Seeing Cairney lasting 90 minutes was a real bonus, On the negatives at at corners ( Both ends). I have severe reservations about him as a defender. Odoi looks dangerous going forward, but is vert prone to mistakes. Booby Reed can be brilliant but also anonymous. The proof of the pudding will next Saturday against West Bromwich, when I hope Cavalaho,Tete and Harrison Reed are fit and chosen to play from the start
A Good well deserved win but it was not as comfortable as the score line suggests .two big opposition mistakes vastly helps us. Without Mitro we would probably be just above mid table but to be fair he is getting the service that was lacking last season. Both full backs look suspect defensively and in not sure the balance in mid field was right . Seri for me runs Mitro closevfor man of the match. When we went 4 -0 up,I would have liked to have seen Stansfield given at least 15 minutes. Hope Harrison Reed is fit for west Browich. I have noticed in nearly every match Fulham are very subsceptiable to given away goals and clear cut chances in the first 15 minutes of the second half.
I think we can all agree we didnt deserve to win 4-0. We needed a bit of luck. The miss by Grabban was crucial.
That said Forest had won 4 on the bounce and this fixture’, away from home, had all the makings of a Fulham under par performance. To get through it with 3 points is huge. We have to be realistic that we cant blow every team away every single week. We still have Tete, Bryan, Reed and Carvalho to come in which personally I believe would be in our 1st choice team if everyone was fit. I dont think Odoi’, Robinson and BDR are at the same level as Tete, Bryan and Carvalho. Reed and TC are too different to compare.
Massive game next Saturday now. Got to believe the games v West Brom and Bournemouth will decide the division.