Time to sign off – I’ll leave you with Jack Kelly’s match report from Craven Cottage.
Marco Silva: “Looking overall, we were more dominant, we were better – I believe we deserved more from the game [but] we conceded sloppy goals. They scored from counter attacks, two set pieces. The performance was there, but at this level if you lose focus, good sides are going to punish you.”
“Difficult game, not our finest performance but you win these types of games in the mind,” says Eddie Howe. “We knew it was going to be difficult here tonight, and we’ve not been at our best. We weren’t at our best in the first half, so I was very happy to be in front at half-time. Dan’s scored some important goals for us, including in the Carabao Cup run last season.
“[Getting to the FA Cup final] would be incredible. Hopefully we can go a long way.” ITV’s Becky Ives then tells Eddie Howe that he’s just earned his first FA Cup win against Premier League opposition, after nine previous defeats. “Thank god for that,” he says. “That’s not a great stat is it?”
Fulham have hit back at fan discontent over ticket prices, pointing out via ITV that the attendance tonight was “just under 19,000,” the club are “very satisfied” with that figure given the run of recent home games, and that tickets were “priced reasonably”.
It all seems a bit petty to me, and I’ve never understood why any club would rather have empty seats than offer cheaper tickets. That’s not aimed specifically at Fulham – I’ve always thought Cup games would be a great way to get new fans through the gate, by making cheaper (or even free) tickets available.
On that subject, John Davis writes: “according to my Ipswich-supporting pal, tickets for Maidstone today were £10 for adults and £3 for children. Plenty of them stayed behind to applaud Maidstone off and filled the ground too.” I’d have been out front asking for a refund. Just kidding.
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Here’s Dan Burn: “We’ve not been great on the road this season, and we talked about putting a performance for them [the away fans]. We weren’t at our best tonight, there were glimpes of it in the second half, but Fulham are a very good side. It’s been such a long time since this club’s won something – it’s four games now to win it, so let’s see who we get next and push on.”
Full time! Fulham 0-2 Newcastle
It wasn’t all that pretty, and they spent large parts of the game on the back foot – but Newcastle have won, and are into the fifth round of the FA Cup. They deserved the win for their defensive resilience and for taking their chances, which Fulham did not do.
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95 mins: Oh my! Tosin charges forward and cuts back to Tom Cairney, who finally finds the Newcastle defence away from their posts. He shoots – and sends it wide of the far post! Ack, that about sums it up for Fulham.
94 mins: Matt Ritchie replaces Anthony Gordon, who was a lively presence on the break throughout for Newcastle.
93 mins: Fulham, who are 2-0 down with three minutes left, play the ball around in front of the Newcastle defence before Robinson crosses. Dan Burn is up to clear it, leaping majestically, like a salmon moving upstream.
90 mins: Six added minutes. Lee Dixon picks Dan Burn as his player of the match and, er, I agree with him?
89 mins: Livramento plays in Isak, who opts to cut it back to Miley rather than shoot. The young midfielder looks to have been fouled on the edge of the area, but Gillett waves play on. Emil Krafth comes on for Kieran Trippier.
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87 mins: Since Jimenez passed up that pair of chances about 10 minutes ago, the wind has gone out of Fulham’s sails, and many home fans’ thoughts are turning to the District Line.
84 mins: Who’s that in the middle of the away end? It’s only Alan Shearer! Word has finally got around to the other Newcastle fans, who are now serenading their former No 9 at great length and volume.
Alan Shearer in the away end. Love it😅 pic.twitter.com/WGlmDITJI8
— ToonArmy (@toonarmy_com) January 27, 2024
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82 mins: That foul aside, Lewis Miley has been very good again – he just looks completely at home in this expensively-assembled team, and has been one of Newcastle’s best performers today.
80 mins: Miley’s hefty challenge on Lukic, who has been able to continue, goes without further punishment. Time ticking away for Fulham here.
79 mins: Livramento gets forward and cuts back towards Gordon, and while Robinson gets back to intercept, his clearance loops behind for a Newcastle corner.
78 mins: Burn slides in expertly again to flick the ball away from Jimenez. Fulham regroup, Tete crosses – but when Botman misses his header, Jimenez can’t react in time. Robinson follows up, sending his shot into the side netting.
76 mins: OK, it nearly worked this time. Tete’s near-post cross, nicely cushioned off the instep, is met by Raul Jimenez, who heads just over with Botman and Dubravka looking at each other.
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75 mins: Jacob Murphy is coming off after an encouraging return; he’s replaced by Tino Livramento, also on his way back from injury.
73 mins: Willian tries to lift in a cross *removes glasses, buries face in hands* … which is headed clear of Raul Jiménez, who at least might offer some aerial threat for Fulham.
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“An overused word in football: proper,” writes Alan Pugh. “As in proper cup tie, when a lower league hard man deposits a Premier League star on his arse with no attempt to play the ball. Or, proper football club, which means any football club. Except MK Dons.”
@niallmcveigh football speak we want to bin off, is it? "And here's your commentary team, Sam Matterface and Lee Dixon"
— Spectacled Langour (@SpectacledLangr) January 27, 2024
70 mins: Three changes for Fulham – Decordova-Reid, Reed and Diop go off; Jiménez, Palhinha and Adarabioyo all come on. Is it too little, too late? Probably.
69 mins: It’s been a grind at times for Newcastle but they’re starting to enjoy themselves now. Particularly Gordon, who picks up Trippier’s pass and engages Issa Diop in a foot race. To the big centre-back’s credit, he gets back to stop the shot from coming in.
67 mins: A lovely bit of play from Gordon, who stands Tete up then drops a shoulder, cruises to the byline and hits a rising cross that ends up far too high for Trippier at the far post.
66 mins: Decordova-Reid lifts in a cross – please, I beg you, try something else – and after it’s headed clear, Robinson hits a low shot which is comfortable for Dubravka, even coming through a forest of legs from the edge of the box.
64 mins: Andreas Pereira is off, replaced by Tom Cairney. On ITV, Lee Dixon seems determined to blame Fulham’s defenders for not anticipating Rodak would spill the ball; I think stopping Botman getting a free header would have been more useful.
Trippier’s corner is perfect for Sven Botman, who crashes a downward header on goal. Rodak saves it, but can’t hold it, and Burn is in the right place to turn it in. The travelling fans go wild, and they’ve every right to go wild!
GOAL! Fulham 0-2 Newcastle (Burn 61')
From a corner, Newcastle double their lead! Dan Burn, who’s been excellent in defence is first to react on the rebound, and the fifth round is in reach.
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59 mins: Robinson and Willian trade passes down the left before the full-back sends in an overhit cross – not that many Fulham players were in the area anyway. It lands to Tete, who sends a hopeful shot over the bar.
57 mins: Newcastle have been happy to sit back, but Murphy’s prod through midfield finds Isak here. The forward adjusts his feet and thwacks a shot at goal, which Rodak gets behind well to save at the second attempt.
56 mins: A big shout for handball, as Tete sends another cross crashing into Dan Burn. It hit him on the elbow, arms by his side, so there’ll be no penalty.
54 mins: Another testing cross from Tete but once again, it’s cleared away. Burn, Botman and Schar aren’t going to have much trouble with Muniz (5’10”) on his own up front.
52 mins: Tete gets into space down the right again, but finds Stretch Armstrong, aka Dan Burn, blocking his path again. Lukic is limping back on to the pitch, but who knows how long for.
49 mins: Sasa Lukic swings a leg to try and bring down Lewis Miley, but succeeds only in hurting himself. He needs a spell of treatment, as injury worries mount for Silva.
48 mins: Willian gets crowded out in the area chasing down a loose ball. Fulham very much on the front foot again, but to put it simply, they need a goal.
Peep!
We’re back under way, no half-time changes for either side.
“If you handle the ball accidentally, and go on to score, it is ruled out,” writes Colin Young. “Rightly so. Why is it different if someone else does it for you?” Well, that’s the question. Those are the rules, but I’m not sure what makes it any different.
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“‘Back to winning ways’ is my current bete noir”, writes Peter Smith. I particularly dislike that one, as it reminds me of this appalling piece of music which I heard once, and can somehow never escape.
Catch up with today’s FA Cup action:
Half time: Fulham 0-1 Newcastle
That’s the first half in the books – an entertaining 45 minutes, with Fulham creating the better chances before Sean Longstaff fired Newcastle in front. More soon.
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48 mins: Decordova-Reid almost scoops the ball into Muniz’s path, but then, ‘almost’ is the word to sum up this first-half Fulham display.
47 mins: Pereira gets the ball in the centre circle, then runs and runs and runs some more, before dragging his shot well wide.
45 mins: Willian replaces Wilson, and Tete almost finds the Brazilian with a low cross right through the six-yard box – but Trippier is there to prod it away, with centre-forward Muniz lurking without intent on the edge of the area.
44 mins: Jacob Murphy runs on to a through ball and buries his shot past Rodak. The away end goes wild – and then the flag goes up. Replays show Murphy, who was right in front of the assistant, was about five yards offside. Another rule that needs work.
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43 mins: Muniz cranes his neck to direct Pereira’s header on target, but it lacks the power to trouble Dubravka.
42 mins: Anyway, as Fulham fans Google ‘handball laws’ around the ground, their team are trying to bounce back – but Harry Wilson looks unable to continue, which is a blow.
GOAL! Fulham 0-1 Newcastle (Longstaff 39')
The goal stands! Pretty much every Fulham player protested, but the VAR has not intervened. The ball definitely struck Bruno’s arm, which was down by his side. Because he didn’t score himself, it can’t be chalked off for an accidental handball.
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Goal? Sean Longstaff drills home on the rebound from Trippier’s cross – but there’ll be a VAR check for a Bruno Guimarães handball, which diverted the ball into Longstaff’s path.
36 mins: There’s a break in play while Harry Wilson, who has been a bright spark for Fulham, gets treatment for a sore shoulder.
“May I nominate, ‘that wasn’t too far wide’ and its ilk for an off-target (aka too far wide) attempt?” asks Geoff Wignall. You may, Geoff.
@niallmcveigh Overused football phrase: X “was first to react.” This is almost never true, it’s just that the ball came to him.
— Zachary Roth (@zackroth) January 27, 2024
34 mins: Another Fulham free kick in a dangerous spot, and another decent Wilson delivery – this time nodded clear of danger by Dan Burn.
32 mins: Close again from Muniz! The Brazilian turns sharply in the area and shoots, but Dan Burn gets enough of a deflection to send it spinning wide of the post.
30 mins: Isak – who does look like he’s lurking without intent at times – latches on to a through ball, accelerates past Ream and tries to go around Rodak, but runs out of room. A shot on goal, even from a tight angle, was probably the better option there.
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29 mins: Having been on the back foot for much of the last 20 minutes, Newcastle are trying to get something going in attack. Ream’s loose pass ought to help, but he is able to make amends by cutting out Murphy’s attempted pass to Isak.
26 mins: Pereira looks for Reed, who has been pushing forward from central midfield down the right flank – but the pass is overhit, to much frustration all round.
“I’m not a fan of ‘leave it all on the pitch’,” writes Peter Oh. “It goes without saying, really, and frankly it sounds like an invitation to litter.”
@niallmcveigh "It was always", as in "it was always going wide". Something about the claimed omniscience of this really irks me. Also, when the co-comms is talking about an incident and coverage cuts to the manager. The co-comm always then adds "And HE knows this". How the hell ?
— Robert Walnut (@bobbywalnut) January 27, 2024
25 mins: Fulham corner, cleared by Schär who has the chance to send Bruno away on the break – but Robinson gets across and intercepts with a risky, but well-timed tackle.
23 mins: At the other end, Trippier’s cross is mishit, and sails into Rodak’s arms. There are a few patches of empty seats around Craven Cottage, but it’s far from deserted.
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22 mins: Fulham looking the more likely to break the deadlock here, although Antonee Robinson’s cross is easy for Dubravka. Incidentally, he and Rodak are Slovakia’s No 1 and 2 keepers – some serious Euro 2024 selection subtext at play tonight.
20 mins: Schär goes into the book after running into Muniz, who anticipated the contact. Harry Wilson takes it, and puts in a terrific left-footed cross that just needed a touch from anyone in white.
“One phrase that gets to me is ‘lurking with intent’,” says Adam K. “As opposed to without intent? ‘No mate I’m just standing here; you go right on through.’”
17 mins: Unlucky for Muniz, who scored a few in the Championship but is yet to net against a Premier League side since joining Fulham from Flamengo in 2021. He’s made a bright start here, though.
16 mins: Big save! Wilson gets involved with a shimmy into the area and picks out Muniz, whose first-time shot stays low. It’s creeping into the corner until Martin Dubravka gets down to palm it behind. A touch more pace and he would’ve had no chance.
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15 mins: At the other end, some nice footwork from Muniz before he plays it to Tete, whose deep cross is just about dealt with.
13 mins: From the corner, Trippier whips in a dangerous low cross which gets a touch before Rodak sticks out an arm to save. It’s half-cleared before Anthony Gordon cracks his shot into the advertising hoardings, a couple of feet wide of the near post.
12 mins: Newcastle win their first corner, a neat passage of play ending with Burn’s cross getting turned behind.
10 mins: It’s been a low-key start, that Murphy chance aside. Fulham with plenty of the ball, but not doing much beyond pinging it around in their own half.
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8 mins: Fulham win a corner, play it short and Reed finds Pereira, whose low cross is cut out at the near post by Isak.
More overused football phrases: “I suggest ‘journey’ – everyone seems to be on one nowadays and it’s totally meaningless,” says Norman. “So-and-so has made a big difference since he came on,” adds John Stoddart. “He could hardly do it from the bench, could he?”
5 mins: But Fulham hand the ball back on a plate, a loose pass getting away from Robinson. Murphy has time and space, but hits his shot straight at Rodak, who can gather at the second attempt. An early let-off for the hosts.
4 mins: Newcastle look set up to play on the break and get their first chance to do so here, with Gordon racing down the left before Isak’s attempted cross to Murphy is cut out …
2 mins: Fulham work the ball back and forth for a while before Harrison Reed plays a pass in to Muniz’s feet. On the turn, he sends a well-hit but wayward shot over the bar.
Peep!
Tonight’s referee, Jarred Gillett (Gold Coast), gets the match under way. Newcastle are in their green and white away kit, and their fans are here in big numbers.
Almost time for kick off. Fulham have played Newcastle four times in the FA Cup before, all between 1908 and 1961. They lost all four, conceding at least four goals in each game. Hopefully they can at least break that run tonight.
“The term ‘suffer’ is being used a little too much by managers these days, to describe a poor run of form,” writes Chris Paraskevas. “As a result, I’ve started applying it as an all-encompassing term in my own life, out of habit.”
“As a Newcastle fan, both of those emotional states have been my default setting for as long as I can remember. The mood surrounding our season arguably hinges on this result. Huge game coming up for Eddie Howe and Jason ‘Mad Dog’ Tindall.”
Eddie Howe speaks: “We’ve got some good training under our belts, we’ve enjoyed the work*. We come here in a confident mood … the attacking options are still quite thin, though. We’re desperate to stay in this competition, and to find our best form.”
Howe adds that Miguel Almirón is absent due to illness, Jamaal Lascelles has a calf problem and Jacob Murphy’s return is “good timing – he brings a lot of qualities for us.”
*Don’t like this one either
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On tedious football phrases, Nelson Calvinho offers: “Definitely ‘asking questions’. Why is everyone in a football match asking questions? What questions? Is it a football match or a press conference or school class?”
“Not a huge fan of ‘I’ve seen them given’ on the premise of a terrible refereeing decision over a decade ago,” writes Matt Bryant.
“Can I nominate ‘in and around’ please?” asks Andy Flintoff (not that one). “It tells you absolutely nothing. Also, while I’m at it, can I ask what the LGBTQ+ rights organisation Stonewall has to do with penalties?”
Some Fulham fan groups have vowed to stay away tonight over ticket prices; the cheapest ticket available for this game is £40. The stands certainly look emptier than you might expect 15 minutes before kick off – and they were packed for the Carabao Cup match. More information below:
ℹ️ If you are choosing to not attend today's game versus Newcastle over your concerns about #AffordableFulham, please take five minutes to email us at contact@fulhamsupporterstrust.com with your reasons so we can put your arguments to the Club during our next meeting. [JK]
— Fulham Supporters’ Trust (@FulhamSuppTrust) January 27, 2024
Here’s Marco Silva: “It was a tough game [on Wednesday], took a lot of energy from us. In seven days we are going to play three games, it’s not normal, it’s really tough. We took many positives, but the main one was to be at Wembley. We were competitive in both matches, which gives us confidence we are in the right direction.”
Magpies on the pitch and starlings in the floodlights at Craven Cottage.
“Delighted as I am to be able to watch Fulham on real TV, I am concerned they won’t have recovered emotionally or physically from Wednesday’s defeat,” writes Richard Hirst. “The team selection further increases my fear of a damp squib. Oh Marco!”
It does feel like – to borrow a modern phrase – Silva put his eggs in the Carabao Cup basket, but let’s see. Given what’s happened on Merseyside since, feels very weird that the Liverpool game was only three nights ago.
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The teams in full
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Rodak; Tete, Ream, Diop, Robinson; Reed, Lukic; Decordova-Reid, Andreas Pereira, Wilson; Rodrigo Muñiz.
Subs: Benda, Adarabioyo, Jiménez, Cairney, Willian, Castagne, João Palhinha, Vinícius, Francois.
Newcastle (4-3-3): Dubravka; Trippier, Schär, Botman, Burn; Miley, Bruno Guimarães, Longstaff; Jacob Murphy, Isak, Gordon.
Subs: Dummett, Ritchie, Krafth, Karius, Hall, Livramento, Alex Murphy, Parkinson, Hernes.
Marco Silva makes seven changes from Wednesday’s game, with Marek Rodak replacing Bernd Leno in goal. Kenny Tete and Tim Ream come into defence, with Sasa Lukic and Harrison Reed in midfield. Harry Wilson, impressive off the bench against Liverpool, replaces Willian while Rodrigo Muñiz starts up front.
Just one change from the Newcastle team that lost 3-2 at home to Manchester City two weeks ago. Jacob Murphy is fit to start after recovering from a shoulder injury, and replaces Miguel Almirón in Eddie Howe’s line-up.
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And here’s how Newcastle line up.
HOWAY NEWCASTLE! 💪#FULNEW // #NUFC pic.twitter.com/qQpUya9WrR
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) January 27, 2024
Marco Silva’s starting XI is out …
Saturday night in SW6. 🫡#FULNEW pic.twitter.com/uQJ33yiBP7
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) January 27, 2024
Preamble
It’s somehow still January – that’s right, check your calendars – but for the loser of this tie, there may not be much else to get excited about this season.
Fulham saw their Carabao Cup dream ended by Liverpool here on Wednesday night, and look too good to be dragged into the Premier League relegation battle. As for Newcastle – currently three places and five points better off than their hosts in the league – a season of huge promise is on the verge of fizzling out.
Out of Europe early, 14 points adrift of the top four and more concerned about keeping players on board than signing new ones, Newcastle’s Saudi-backed project has hit a sticky patch. Still, that means there is little reason not to make the FA Cup a top priority; a difficult second season could end up being historic.
All of which means we’re set up for a prime time, high-stakes classic at Craven Cottage, right? We’ll find out. Kick-off is at 7pm (GMT), team news coming up.
