Fulham may not have been at their fluent best at Stoke City last weekend, but arguably their victory at the Bet 365 Stadium was more impressive than any of the thrashings the league leaders had handed out in their previous outings. Surviving the setbacks of an early goal and then being pegged back to win a five-goal thriller in the absence of Aleksandar Mitrovic and Harry Wilson, their two biggest goal threats this season, was a serious statement about their durability.
Marco Silva’s men now have a significant advantage at the top of the Championship as they come towards the end of a frenetic run of rescheduled fixtures that was supposed to test their mettle. Overlooking the challenge posed by Blackpool, however, would probably prove fatal. Fulham have done that once before – they were surprised at Bloomfield Road by Neil Critchley’s impressive outfit, who exploited Silva’s lack of rotation after an international weekend, to inflict Fulham’s first defeat of the season.
The Tangerines are perhaps the surprise package of the season. Critchley, a coach widely regarded for his cultivation of young talent, has assembled a side that are certainly not afraid to do the hard graft but play plenty of football as well. Plenty of pundits tipped them for an immediate return to League One but instead the Seasiders sit in fourteenth, comfortably clear of the drop zone, and eight points off the play-offs – with more than enough time left in the season to make a tilt for the top six.
Don’t expect Blackpool, roared on by a sold out away end, to make it cagey at Craven Cottage tomorrow by sitting in and hoping to hit Fulham on the break. Critchley has insisted his team will ‘take the game to them,’ whilst employing the same intense pressing ploy that so uncomforted the Whites back in September. The former Liverpool under 23 manager has dismissed any suggestion that Fulham’s position at the top of the table means this game is a free hit for his side – and has already proven that he can successfully outwit Silva tactically this term.
Critchley is likely to stick with largely the same side that narrowly beat Millwall last weekend, although he could sacrifice a striker from his conventional 4-4-2 system to try and stifle Fulham’s stranglehold on possession. Blackpool will definitely be without the former Fulham loanee Luke Garbutt, who picked up a long term knee injury against Millwall, and will likely be replaced by Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel at left back. Critchley has gone with veteran Gary Madine and Shayne Lavery, who scored the winner last week, up front in recent weeks, although Jerry Yates – who came off the bench against the Lions – has found the net seven times this season.
Fulham won’t need any reminding to watch out for their former academy graduate Josh Bowler, who scored at Craven Cottage for Hull City this seasons ago, and settled the reverse fixture in Lancashire with a fine individual goal. Blackpool look to have successfully retained the winger’s services despite significant interest in his services, whilst on the opposite flank Keshi Anderson has added seven assists – although he has been kept out of the side by CJ Hamilton of late.
Silva’s selection issues will revolve around the fitness of Mitrovic and Wilson, who missed the trip to Stoke through illness. He would dearly the potent pair available for selection, especially as Bobby Decordova-Reid – who rifled home the winner at Stoke – is on international duty with Jamaica. Rodrigo Muniz delivered perhaps his best performance in a Fulham shirt in Mitrovic’s absence last week and the Brazilian should be brimming with confidence after his brilliant brace took his goal tally to five since signing from Flamengo in August.
Who steps in for Wilson on the right should the Welsh winger remain sidelined is a more intriguing question. Ivan Cavaleiro travelled with the squad to Stoke – and was the focus of Muniz’s exuberant celebrations following his fine second-minute equaliser – but it remains to be seen whether the Portuguese winger will have added enough sharpness in training this week as he recovers from a groin strain to be considered. There could be another sighting of Anthony Knockaert, tipped for an exit earlier this month, who produced a whole-hearted cameo when summoned from the bench last weekend.
Fulham are definitely without Antonee Robinson, who scored the decisive goal in the USA’s crucial World Cup qualifying victory over El Salvador last night. Joe Bryan should come in at left back, whilst Denis Odoi will continue to deputise for Kenny Tete, whom he replaced after the Dutch international injured his groin when colliding with Jack Bonham at Stoke. Other changes should be minimal – unless Silva blames Marek Rodak for the recent increase in goals conceded – the Fulham head coach will have to decide whether to include Jean Michael Seri in his squad after the midfielder returned from AFCON duty following Ivory Coast’s penalty shoot-out defeat against Egypt on Wednesday.
MY FULHAM XI (4-2-3-1): Rodak; Odoi, Bryan, Adarabioyo, Ream; Reed, Cairney; Wilson, Kebano, Carvalho, Mitrovic. Subs: Gazzaniga, Hector, Chalobah, Seri, Knockaert, Stansfield, Muniz.
