Sitting just one point above the relegation zone, Mark Hughes’ Fulham can ill-afford to relax going into their upcoming double Gameweek, as the battle for survival begins to hot up. The Cottagers have suffered considerably from a lack of goals this season since Bobby Zamora’s leg-break back in game week 4 and with Mark Schwarzer currently starring for Australia in the Asian Cup, Sparky will need big performances from the rest of his squad to make any investment worthwhile for Fantasy Managers this upcoming week.
The Opponents
Stoke travel to Craven Cottage with three wins, three losses and three clean sheets from their last six games. Tony Pulis’ side sit eighth in the table, only four points behind Sunderland and with a game in hand, indication of their ability to handle life in the top division as the seasons go by. They have actually won more games on the road than Man United, with three victories, though have tasted defeat six times on their travels.
Fulham then travel to Anfield, where Kenny Dalglish will be looking for a first win in front of the Kop since his return, following last weekend’s Merseyside derby draw with Everton. With one win on the road all season, Fulham will be up against it, particularly if Liverpool replicate their first-half performance against David Moyes’ team. Liverpool have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six games, though, suggesting the visitors could well find the net, at least.
Current Form
Since Zamora’s game week 4 injury, Fulham have only scored more than one goal in a game three times, but, encouragingly, two of those occasions have come in their last four matches. Aside from a narrow 1-0 defeat at Spurs, their form in those last four games has been positive, with two wins and a draw -plus two clean sheets- earning vital points as the likes of Wolves and West Ham start chalking up the points around them.
Rotation Risk
In a squad beset by injuries and enforced international absences, Fulham’s first-team options have been severely stretched this season and there’s resultantly been little chance for variation or rotation in team line-ups. Zoltan Gera seems to flit in and out the side and Carlos Salcido now seems to have lost his left-back berth to Chris Baird.
Moussa Dembele played 32 minutes last game week, his first involvement since game week 13. Injuries have limited the game time of Andy Johnson and Diomansy Kamara up front, leaving Clint Dempsey as an out-of-position favourite with Fantasy Bosses.
Potential Targets
Fulham are really struggling to score but at the back, they’re performing well, with the second-best defence on the road this season, conceding just eleven goals. They’ve averaged a goal per game so far and with that in mind, two goals seems the likeliest outcome for Hughes’ side. Who will grab the goals, though?
David Stockdale
The man between the sticks until Schwarzer’s return, Stockdale should see plenty involvement over the two games. Tim Howard made nine saves at Anfield last Sunday, with Fernando Torres’ six goal attempts a possible hint at his return to form. With two clean sheets in their last three home games, though, Stockdale will need to be in good form to improve that record for the game with Stoke.
Predicted Return: 1 clean sheet, 9 saves
Brede Hangeland
Has found the net three times already this season, making him the club’s second-top scorer. However, he seems to only be awarded bonus when he scores, with only one game being the exception to this rule. The other members of the back four- Aaron Hughes, Chris Baird and John Pantsil- are around £1m or so cheaper, but Hangeland looks like the best bet for anything over and above any clean sheet returns.
Predicted Return: 1 Clean Sheet
Clint Dempsey
The main man this season for Fulham, Dempsey’s versatility has seen him fielded up front as the injuries rack up around him. Fantasy-wise, he’s a steady points-gatherer who doesn’t quite get the attention his value seems to deserve (he’s only six points behind Samir Nasri, for example) and with a goal, an assist and four Bonus Points in the last two game weeks, he’s the man in form for Fulham as the doubler approaches.
Predicted Return: 1 goal, 2 Bonus Points, 1 Clean Sheet
Simon Davies & Damien Duff
Three assists in his last two home games bodes well for Davies and sharing corner kick duties with Duff only adds to his chances of grabbing yet another. Duff is only second to Dempsey in Fulham Goal Attempts over the last three game weeks and with the likes of Dempsey sniffing around the penalty box, a rebound from Begovic or Reina could see Duff bag the assist his play of late deserves.
Predicted Return: 1 assist, 1 Clean Sheet apiece.
Moussa Dembele.
Bit of a long shot this, but a win against Stoke may well prove to be critical to their chances of survival and Hughes could well pin his hopes on starting the Belgian. It may well be Andy Johnson or Diomansy Kamara that starts alongside Dempsey, though, depending on who manages to make it out the treatment room. With so much uncertainty around the levels of fitness of Fulham’s forwards, a punt seems unadvisable.
Predicted Return: 1 goal, 1 Bonus Point.
