Maddison will be hoping southgate not catch his nasty video at Craven Cottage
James Maddison will be hoping Gareth Southgate does not catch a glimpse of Tottenham's video nasty at Craven Cottage.
The way he was stifled by Sasa Lukic not only disrupted the Spurs game plan, it could have wider repercussions with Lukic’s Serbia in England’s group at the Euros.
Certainly, the Fulham midfielder — who also broke forward to score his first goal for the club — did not try to hide the significance.
‘I can’t wait for the England game,’ he said. ‘This was like a dress rehearsal because Maddison was there. I’m proud to play for my country — we haven’t been to the Euros for a long time and hope to do well.’
Maddison, so influential a week earlier against Aston Villa, was pressed and harried from the first minute, when he gave the ball away to present Andreas Pereira with a chance. Lukic got stuck into him throughout and, when Maddison kicked back, referee Rob Jones need a word with both men to calm them down.
By the time a disconsolate Maddison trudged off midway through the second half, still limping from another war wound, Spurs were 3-0 down and their hopes of climbing into the top four already extinguished.
Credit has to go to Fulham, whose ninth home win is bettered only by the top five.
They deserved to be in front long before Rodrigo Muniz broke the deadlock after 42 minutes. Lukic doubled the lead early in the second half with his knee and Muniz scored again to take his tally to seven in seven games.
‘I’m not surprised by him at all, I see him every day in training and how he works,’ said Lukic of the in-form striker. ‘When you play a big team here, the atmosphere is better and every player gets the best out of themselves.’
Fulham’s online team, fresh from teasing Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, posted a
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