Jack and Loz at the Cottage When Mitro Scored Another First Half Hat Trick - Blog 205

Date: 15th January 2022

Opposition: Bristol City

Score: 6-2

Fulham goal scorers: 🔥, Kebano, Carvalho,🔥,🔥, Kebano

Weather: chilly

Atmosphere: fantastic

MOTM (football): Aleksandar Mitrovic scores goals. It’s what he was put on earth to do. He’s hungry, menacing, truly terrifying. But on the day he exceeded his total for 2019-20 and scored his third hat trick of the season, it wasn’t just his goals that caught the eye. There’s no debate that Mitro has improved his all round game. He has become a pass master and an executive assistant. But on Saturday he was a playmaker - creative, commanding, fully involved and generous as well - he had a shance for a fourth goal but tried to set-up Kebano’s hat trick instead. Our combustible hero has become a complete footballer. And an inspirational leader.

MOTM (non-football): it was great to see Leroy Rosenior receive his Forever Fulham award at half time. His book, It’s Only Banter, is highly recommended

Pub: we had some pre-match Chateau Craven Cottage on the banks of the Thames chatting to old friends and new

As the great Ian Fleming wrote, one is happenstance, twice is coincidence and the third time is enemy action.

Over the festive period, three of Fulham’s matches were postponed due to the illness/injuries/hangovers/bad hair days of other sides. It began to look like a conspiracy: the Powers That Be realised that the only way to stop us winning the league was to delay so many of our games that we’d have to play every day in April and twice on Easter Sunday.

Being Fulham, there were only two ways we were going to respond to this enforced and unsettling winter break: struggle to find momentum and slide down the table, or stun the league with Hurricane Fulham.

The team chose the latter approach.

A side which scores seven goals on Tuesday should be brimming with confidence on Saturday. And yet Bristol City started the match the better team and credit to them for taking the game to a free-scoring side without fear and (unlike another team we could mention….) making the most of their shances. Semenyo is some finisher and with their fast attacks and purposeful play they made life very tough at the top of the league.

Although this blog is occasionally very slightly biased towards Fulham, we have to mention the two goals conceded and the fact that both were the result of defensive frailties. Both were alarmingly reminiscent of Sheffield United’s goal - for some reason our otherwise solid defence cannot cope with footballers running at them at speed with the ball. In a sport which involves footballers, a ball and speed this is a major failing and needs some work please, Marco.

But, let’s move on. One thing every Fulham side we can remember has struggled with, is coming back from a losing position. On Saturday, we did this twice and, of course, once we went ahead we stayed there. If the reaction to City’s first goal was calm and professional, the reaction to the second was immediate and devastating.

Mitro scored the first and it was one of his classics - the tussle with defenders, the well-timed jump, and the unstoppable header. He made the second for Kebano who was quick and nimble. Fulham were back on level terms and there was no more messing about. The team slipped effortlessly into a higher gear and for the rest of the first half we were unplayable.

The football was breathtaking. Pass after pass, possession with intent, mesmerising intensity. Tom Cairney (defensive mistake behind him) was back to his best showing off his passing range, his breadth of vision, and a touch of grace. Harry Wilson was tireless - just when you think he might be beaten for pace he flicks on the afterburners; just when you think he might run out of pitch he finds an extra yard.

Harrison Reed never stopped running and this match was proof that the midfield works better with Tom in the advanced role and Harrison sweeping up. Meanwhile, Fabio Carvalho suddenly woke up and decided to show us what he could do. His solo goal was superb and his enthusiastic applause of the Hammersmith End after the final whistle is hopefully a sign of things to come. [See what we did there?!]

It is worth pausing here to review that first half again because it was Championship football at its entertaining, unpredictable best - 7 goals, 5 for Fulham, 3 for Mitro. It was genuinely one of the best halves we have witnessed at the Cottage and was confirmation of the Reading result: Fulham are scoring goals for fun again. Look out below.

By contrast, a decent second half was disappointing although Kebano’s second goal, in which he plucked the ball from the air, spun, shot and scored from a impossibly acutely angle, was arguably the best of the match.

The dynamism waned with the substitutions although all put in good performances, Chalobah in particular. Having been thwarted in his efforts to supply Kebano with his hat trick, Mitro tried to supply Harrison Reed with his first goal but that didn’t go well either and Mitro was replaced with the ever enthusiastic Muniz. Despite polite requests from the crowd for a seventh goal the team didn’t deliver and Bristol City were relieved not to join the ever growing club of Teams Who Have Conceded Seven to Fulham.

A shout out now to Marek Rodak whose kicking to Mitro was almost 100% perfect. We also have to mention Antonee Robinson who had a strong second half and worked very hard. On the touchline, Marco Silva urged the team to ever faster, greater and more frantic efforts - for him, like us, no amount of goals is ever enough.

Oh, and back to that argument about the best goal - we can’t decide between Neeskens #2, Fab’s solo slice and dice, and the way Mitro picked his spot and found it with easy elegance for his third. This one will run and run, but hopefully not beyond Tuesday.

This was a ruthless performance from Fulham and the poor string of results in December can be put behind us. The proscribed rest did players still recovering from illness a world of good and sharpened their competitive instincts rather than dousing the flames. To have scored 13 goals in a week is, of course, remarkable, but it was the fact we came from behind twice against City and then flattened them with total dominance which is most promising for us, and most ominous for the rest of the league.

Random musings:-

- like Fulham, Bristol City got worse after their substitutions but that’s because they brought on Chris Martin and he thinks Craven Cottage is a train station

- Muniz is as adorable as a puppy. He was desperate to come on - looking longingly at the bench as he warmed up. The Hammy End helped by chanting his name.

- Mitro made very sure he got the match ball! Again…..

- And what were he and Kalas chatting about for so long after the match….?

- thanks to the City fans in the box behind us for adding to the atmosphere!

- had someone unplugged the lights so they could charge Mitro instead?!

- note to the choir: we don’t actually have Seri at the moment. Côte d’Ivoire have him and are singing, “Nous Avons Seri”

- Manchester City, we’re coming for you.

When you’re disappointed that your team only scores six goals it says a lot about you (a few deadly sins included) and more about them: Fulham have scored 13 goals in five days and are back on top of the league with a game in hand. The team look unstoppable. Our goal difference is ridiculous and records are about to fall. We’re only half way through the season and it feels like it’s about to get even better.

The long run for home, and the title, have begun.