FULHAM v WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Barclays Premier League
Sunday 22nd February 2009, 1:30pm
Craven Cottage

Forget the ‘credit’ side of things - crunch time starts this Sunday for Tony Mowbray’s men in their battle to avoid the drop.

With Everton away next up, followed by a home match with the unpredictable yet undoubtedly dangerous Arsenal, the trip to Craven Cottage has become something of a ‘must win’ fixture for the Baggies.

After surviving the drop last year, Roy Hodgson has quietly gone about rebuilding Fulham and they now have a resilience and flair about them that has made them a relatively safe bet for mid-table security. They boast a home record that is the envy of most teams in the division and considering the Baggies’ relatively poor returns on the road this season, an away win does not look likely.

However, Mowbray will aim to convince the players that this is a very winnable game. Having beaten an unimpressive Fulham side at the Hawthorns back in October, the mindset must be that the Baggies have nothing to fear from the fixture. With the spectre of being cut adrift at the bottom of the table looming large over the team, the gaffer’s motivational speech will be an easy one and picking up all three points in a fixture that the boys have not fared well in during recent years, is vital.

The break in Spain will hopefully have given the team time to regroup and rebuild confidence after the Newcastle defensive debacle and while Jonas Olsson is unlikely to return in time for this weekend, Mowbray will be hoping to call on Gianni Zuiverloon and Jay Simpson who both missed the aforementioned game due to suspension and injury.

The problematic goal scoring department now appears to be in order with the fine form of Marc-Antoine Fortune and Arsenal loanee Simpson, but all eyes will undoubtedly now be on the defence following it's nightmare against the Geordies. Mowbray is likely to keep faith with Abdoulaye Meite and Leon Barnett and will be hopeful that they are both back to something approaching full fitness and form.

The Sunday lunchtime kick-off could put an added pressure on the boys to get a result depending on how our relegation rivals have done the previous day though it could also provide an additional incentive to go all out for the win.

All in all, it’s a biggie and the time is approaching to stand up and be counted.

Prediction: Away win.

Julian Safe

TEAM NEWS

Albion

In goal Scott Carson will retain his place with Dean Kiely providing back-up on the bench.

Baggies’ boss Tony Mowbray will definitely be without defenders Jonas Olsson (knee) and Neil Clement (knee) whilst left-back and captain Paul Robinson is a doubt with his wife expected to give birth this weekend. If Robinson does miss out, Marek Cech will return to the starting line-up probably alongside Abdoulaye Meite, Leon Barnett and Gianni Zuiverloon. Pele and Ryan Donk look likely to figure on the bench.

In midfield Albion are still without Jonathan Greening who is recovering from a knee injury. Recent signings Juan Carlos Menseguez and Youssouf Mulumbu are both in contention for starting places although they will probably start on the bench. Borja Valero, Robert Koren, James Morrison and Chris Brunt look the likely starters.

Jay Simpson should return up front for the Baggies following his recent hamstring strain and looks set to partner the in-form Marc-Antoine Fortune. Roman Bednar and Luke Moore will start on the bench with Craig Beattie out on loan at Sheffield United and Ishmael Miller still missing through injury.

Albion (from): Carson, Kiely, Zuiverloon, Hoefkens, Pele, Donk, Meite, Barnett, Robinson, Cech, Morrison, Koren, Brunt, Kim, Menseguez, Teixeira, Mulumbu, Valero, Bednar, Simpson, Fortune, Moore.

Fulham

Fulham look set to welcome back Andy Johnson and Paul Konchesky who both missed the defeat at Manchester United in midweek through injury. Dickson Etuhu has an outside chance of returning but Frederik Stoor is rated very doubtful.

The game could also see the return of former Albion striker Diomansy Kamara who has been out since June after suffering ruptured ligaments playing for Senegal against Liberia.

Recent loan signings Olivier Dacourt and Giles Barnes should figure despite both lacking match fitness.

Fulham (from): Schwarzer, Hughes, Konchesky, Pantsil, Hangeland, Johnson, Zamora, Nevland, Gera, Murphy, Kamara, Gray, Zuberbuhler, Stoor, Dempsey, Davies, Milsom, Brown, Smalling, Kallio, Barnes, Dacourt.

QUOTES

Albion manager Tony Mowbray:

"It's about time we turned some half-decent away performances into points.

"Three of our next four are away, and Arsenal at home is the other game, so winning away, be it at Fulham, Everton or West Ham, is part of the challenge.

"Let's hope we can pick up points in all three of these away games."

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson:

"This is a vitally important game for us, but unfortunately it's also vitally important for our opponents.

"We proved last season that with our backs to the wall we can produce that bit extra, so we have to be careful.

"But if our defending, attacking, movement, passing and tempo are as good as they have been, I'm confident we'll end the season well."

MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 7/2, Fulham Win: 4/5, Draw: 5/2.

First Goalscorer

Johnson 4/1, Nevland 6/1, Zamora 6/1, Dempsey 8/1, Fortune 9/1, Gera 9/1, Simpson 9/1, Bednar 9/1, Moore 10/1, Barnes 10/1, Dorrans 12/1, Brunt 14/1, Morrison 14/1, Koren 14/1, Brown 14/1, Murphy 14/1, Davies 14/1.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets are available at the turnstiles on the day for Albion fans. Prices are £35 adults, £25 over-65's and £15 under-16's.

Mostly cloudy but mild.

FIXTURE HISTORY

LAST MEETING AT CRAVEN COTTAGE

Fulham 6-1 Albion
Barclays Premiership
Saturday 11 February 2006, 3:00pm

Fulham: Niemi, Volz, Bocanegra, Knight, Bridge, Radzinski,Elliott, Malbranque, Boa Morte, McBride, Helguson (John 64). Subs not used: Warner, Legwinski, Goma, Niclas Jensen.

Goalscorers: Helguson 4, 40, Radzinski 48, Curtis Davies 58 (own goal), John 83, 90

Booked: Helguson 45 (foul), Radzinski 47 (foul), Boa Morte 85 (foul).

Albion: Kuszczak (Hoult 61), Albrechtsen, Curtis Davies, Gaardsoe (Martinez 45), Clement, Inamoto, Wallwork, Quashie, Greening, Campbell, Horsfield (Ellington 45). Subs not used: Kozak, Carter.

Goalscorer: Campbell 85

Booked: Wallwork 30 (dissent), Martinez 61 (foul).

Attendance: 21,508

Referee: Graham Poll (Hertfordshire)

Fantastic Fulham cruised to their biggest win of the season in the Barclays Premiership thanks to a disputed 'hat-trick' from Heidar Helguson and two goals from substitute Collins John. The 28-year-old Icelandic striker helped condemn awful Albion to their 14th defeat of the season to keep them on the edge of Barclays Premiership relegation battle. But he will have to wait until the Premier League decide whether his third goal will be officially credited to him after his original shot was directed into the net by Albion defender Curtis Davies. The ball appeared to be going wide of the target when he attempted to curl Tomasz Radzinski's pass into the net and changed direction completely when it struck the Albion defender.

There had been no such doubt about his first-half double. He began his demolition job in the fourth minute when he latched on to a header from Brian McBride and ran on into the penalty before firing in a low drive. His second arrived five minutes before the interval when he leapt highest at the far post to meet Simon Elliott's free-kick. The afternoon had begun on a sombre note with a minute's silence for former Fulham player and England manager Ron Greenwood, who died on Thursday aged 84. Helguson and McBride were a constant threat to the Albion defence with their aerial ability but three minutes after the Icelander's strike Albion keeper Tomasz Kuszczak was forced to hold a header from Carlos Bocanegra. Albion offered little invention in midfield and consequently their attack was starved of the service it required in order to flourish. But when the Albion midfield were given space and time to play Fulham discovered it could pack a punch with keeper Antti Niemi forced to tip a dangerous 20-yard drive from Nigel Quashie over the crossbar in the 17th minute. Fulham's failure to increase their lead allowed the visitors to enjoy a sustained spell of pressure which almost brought them an equaliser in the 33rd minute. The home defence failed to deal with a near-post corner and amid the panic to clear their lines the ball fell to Quashie, whose shot from the edge of the penalty area had Niemi diving low to his right to keep it out. The chance sparked Fulham back into life and McBride was unlucky not to get their second when he tried to steer the ball beyond Kuszczak at the near post. Five minutes before the break a foul by Albion's Martin Albrechtsen on Luis Boa Morte was punished by the impressive Helguson when he rose highest at the far post to plant Elliott's curling free-kick into the top corner.

Albion's plight worsened in the 48th minute when Fulham added their third of the afternoon. This time the scorer was Radzinski, who evaded the attentions of the Albion defence and lobbed the ball over the stranded Kuszczak. However, the scorer was booked by referee Graham Poll seconds later for taking off his shirt to celebrate his goal. In the 52nd minute Kevin Campbell went close for the visitors with a curling shot from the edge of the penalty area which only narrowly evaded the Niemi's left-hand upright. Three minutes later Albrechtsen sent a right-foot effort into the side-netting from an acute angle as Albion, for the first time in the contest, looked as though they wanted to make a fight of it. Helguson looked to have completed a deserved hat-trick in the 59th minute with a deflected shot from the edge of then penalty area, although the effort has so far been credited as an own goal. Malbranque fed the ball to Radzinski on the right flank and he sped fully 30 yards unchallenged before delivering a perfect pass to Helguson. But the striker's original effort appeared to be going wide of the target before it struck Albion defender Davies, changed direction and wrong-footed Kuszczak. Albion boss Bryan Robson immediately replaced the injured goalkeeper with substitute Russell Hoult. But Helguson, replaced by John in the 64th minute, will have to wait for the Premier League to adjudicate on whether he can claim a hat-trick or not. John scored Fulham's fifth in the 82nd minute when he poked home Radzinski's curling cross and Albion pinched a consolation effort three minutes later when Campbell beat Niemi with a low drive at the near post. John wrapped up the scoring in the 89th minute when he fired Radzinski's pass beyond Hoult.

Sporting Life

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

Zoltan Gera joined Albion in July 2004 from Ferencvaros and became an instant fans' favourite at The Hawthorns. The Hungarian went on to make over 100 appearances for the club, scoring 25 goals in the process, before moving to Craven Cottage at the start of this season after his Albion contract expired.

Senegal star Diomansy Kamara moved to Fulham from The Hawthorns in July 2007 for a then record sale of £6,000,000. The striker had joined Albion two years previously from Portsmouth.

Goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbuhler spent just seven months at The Hawthorns following a move from Basle in July 2006. The Swiss international - widely regarded as one of Albion's worst ever keepers - moved to Fulham in August of this year.

PAST CONNECTIONS

Vic Buckingham and Ray Harford both managed Albion and Fulham; Ex-Albion manager Archie Macauley played for Fulham during the 1950's; Gordon Clark managed Albion from 1959-61 and later had a spell as assistant manager at Fulham.