Peter Crouch is a columnist for Sportsmail

The first point to make is important: this is not a column that is advocating the sacking of Maurizio Sarri.

I’ve been in football long enough to know how managers react in times of great pressure and the last thing I would ever want to do is show someone a lack of respect. Sarri has had a good career. He earned the opportunity to work at Chelsea and could even lift a trophy for them on Sunday.

This has been a difficult season and being hit with a transfer ban on Friday has only added to their problems. I wouldn’t completely rule them out of winning the Carabao Cup but if Manchester City turn up in top form, it is going to be incredibly difficult.

Another loss would leave Sarri back in the spotlight and it is not difficult to read the signals that are coming from Stamford Bridge. Chelsea managers are in trouble the moment Champions League qualification is in danger and the noise surrounding him is not without foundation. He is in trouble.

So what happens next? If they are going to make a change, the only man I could see altering the atmosphere around the place is Frank Lampard. Sometimes, appointing the polar opposite of your previous manager works and why couldn’t that be the case with Frank?

I understand the risks that come with being Chelsea manager — it’s not a position that offers long-term security — and I also appreciate why plenty of people would see it as a gamble for both sides: Frank lacks experience on the touchline, Chelsea want someone who will win immediately.

If Chelsea look to bring in another manager then Frank Lampard would be an excellent option

You only have to look at what happens, though, when you have a manager who is genuinely in tune with the club’s history and traditions. Who thought Manchester United had made an error turning to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before his first game? Now he looks like he’s been in the role his whole life.

Football is all about timing and opportunity. Some say Lampard should wait before returning to the club where he is the record goalscorer — but what makes them think the opportunity will always be there? Things change quickly in this industry and chances don’t always come a second time.

People can talk about him serving his apprenticeship but sometimes you have to be ready to make the jump. I know how ambitious Frank is. He is doing an excellent job at Derby but the dream will be to go back to west London.

Current Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri is under increasing pressure after a tough run of results 

I always got on well with him when we played together for England. Frank is a good lad and was always a good laugh around camp. But I saw first-hand how focused he is now he has started the second phase of his career.

Stoke played Derby at the Bet365 Stadium last November and he just came into the stadium to do his job.

There was no time for small talk or handshakes. Nothing else other than the game mattered. He is, I am sure, going to have a long managerial career.

One day I expect it to happen for him at Chelsea, in the same way I can see Steven Gerrard managing Liverpool.

If Sarri is moved on and Chelsea want to restore harmony, they know where to look.

Lampard is the only man I could see altering the atmosphere around Stamford Bridge

Criticism of Gareth Bale is so wrong, he’s just a nice quiet lad 

For some reason, it seems Thibaut Courtois has become the unofficial spokesman of Real Madrid.

He has upset Chelsea fans with comments that Eden Hazard should leave to join him in Spain and now he has made some curious remarks about Gareth Bale.

It all revolves around Bale staying at home rather than going on a night out in Madrid with the squad.

Gareth Bale has won the Champions League four times since joining Real Madrid

Toni Kroos never attended, either, but the focus is on Bale, who has been christened ‘The Golfer’. 

Marcelo has also joined in, saying Bale doesn’t speak Spanish at all. I won’t get involved in the dressing-room politics of Real Madrid but I will tell you that Gareth not going on a night out is not a detriment to his character.

I knew him as a kid at Southampton and played for two years with him at Tottenham.

He didn’t drink with us — he doesn’t drink full stop — and he didn’t bother much with nights out but everyone in the squad knew him to be a good lad who was always involved in having a laugh.

He was quiet but why is that a problem? Gareth has won the Champions League four times since joining Real Madrid and I would say that would entitle him to some respect.

He will come back to the Premier League at some stage, I think, but there is still much for him to achieve in Spain.

Injuries have been his worst enemy but all players with his explosive pace are vulnerable to such issues.

If Gareth feels he needs early nights to ensure he is in the best condition, I don’t see why it should be questioned.

Injuries have been his worst enemy since he left the Premier League to move to the Bernabeu 

There are some moments in life when you think ‘is this really happening?’ and Gordon Banks asking me for an autograph was one such episode.

It happened last year at Stoke’s Clayton Wood training ground after Gordon, who was a regular visitor, had bought some copies of my book for a couple of the grandkids. 

I knew him well but, even still, it felt a little surreal that one of the heroes of 1966 wanted my signature. When you were with him, you knew you were in the presence of a great. 

Gordon Banks asking me for my autograph last year was a surreal experience

Even with his years advancing, you could tell he was a goalkeeper. He had these big hands and a presence about him and always had a story. His family were lovely, too. Jack Butland was particularly close to him and used to take advice whenever he could. 

I know he will take tremendous pride in wearing the kit Stoke have commissioned in tribute to Gordon: a plain green jersey, without a sponsor, name or logo, just a white No 1 on the back. The day I signed his books was the last time I saw him and it was so sad to hear he had passed away last week.

We can roll off the names of the great English goalkeepers, from Ray Clemence to Peter Shilton to David Seaman, but the best of them all was Gordon Banks. May he rest in peace.

When you were with the goalkeeper, you knew you were in the presence of a great

MY WEEK 

WHO’S CAUGHT MY EYE… Diego Costa

I make no secret of how much I love watching him and he was box office in Atletico Madrid’s 2-0 win over Juventus in the Champions League, ruffling feathers from the start. 

Diego Costa was box office for Atletico Madrid against Juventus this week

NEXT UP FOR ME… 

A busy week at Burnley with games in quick succession against Tottenham on Saturday and at Newcastle on Tuesday.

We had a great few days training in Portugal and hopefully we can put it all into practice. I’m really starting to feel settled now.

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO… 

A very new band Lona have a debut track out called She’s With Me. Give it a listen. It’s gonna be big! 

WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO… 

I’ve spent most of my life in London but, last weekend, I did something that I have never done before: an open-top bus ride. I took the kids out and, with the exception of having to duck every time there was a railway bridge, it was great to see the sights! 

CARDIFF: Etheridge, Ecuele Manga, Morrison, Bamba, Bacuna, Arter, Ralls (Mendez-Laing), Bennett, Paterson, Niasse (Zohore 71), Murphy (Hoilett 56)

Subs not used: Smithies, Reid, Gunnarsson, Cunningham,

Bookings: Paterson 

Goals: Bamba (82)

Manager: Nail Warnock

WATFORD: Foster, Janmaat, Mariappa, Cathcart, Masina, Doucoure, Capoue (Cleverley 79), Hughes, Pereyra (Quina 71), Deulofeu (Gray 86), Deeney.

Subs not used: Gomes, Britos, Sema, Navarro

Bookings: Capoue, Pereyra

Goals: Deulofeu (18)(61)(63) Deeney (73)

Manager: Javi Gracia 

Referee: SImon Hooper 

Attendance: 

The instant replays on the London Stadium’s big screens only shovelled salt into the wounds for Claudio Ranieri, who felt Fulham were the victims of an injustice on Friday night.

The visitors scored within three minutes but their lead was cancelled out when Javier Hernandez applied a finish which would not look out of place in a beach volleyball tournament.

He dived and diverted the ball into the back of the net using his hand. Next season, VAR would rule it out. On this occasion, referee Lee Mason missed it and Fulham wound up losing.  

Javier Hernandez scored a controversial goal with his left hand to help West Ham United beat Fulham in the Premier League 

French defender Issa Diop was also on target for West Ham, who climbed to ninth in the Premier League table with their win

Ryan Babel (centre) had earlier given Fulham an early lead with his first goal since signing from Besiktas in January

Michail Antonio added a third West Ham goal in second-half stoppage time to make sure of the victory for the home side

To tell the truth, the Cottagers did not deserve a lot out of this. To describe their defending here as Sunday League would do a disservice to any amateur weekend warriors out there.

This defeat moves Fulham one step closer to dropping back down to the Championship, despite their £100million spending spree in the summer. It moves Ranieri closer to the sack, too.

The former Premier League title winner was hired to steer Fulham to safety but apart from an amusing selection of soundbites, he has not brought much to the party.

Ranieri went into this match with the words ‘must-win’ ringing in his ears. Plenty holding microphones in front of him had used the phrase in the build-up.

For good reason, too. Fulham were the only top-flight side without an away win this season and they had leaked a league-high 58 goals – 10 more than any other side.

Despite those doom-and-gloom statistics, Fulham should have taken the lead after 38 seconds. Pablo Zabaleta attempted a back pass but failed to see the bloke with bright red hair. Ryan Babel stole the ball and was left with Lukasz Fabianski to beat. He took an age and his shot was saved.

Any Fulham hands on heads were soon in the air in celebration when Babel scored with two minutes, 49 seconds on the clock. How simple it was, too.

Ryan Sessegnon crossed, no defenders got near it, and Babel tapped in for his first Premier League goal in 3,000 days. Issa Diop, Aaron Cresswell and Angelo Ogbonna all stared at one another, wondering who should have been marking who. 

Moments before getting his first goal for Fulham, Babel was denied from close range by a save from keeper Lukasz Fabianski

But Fabianski was unable to keep out Babel’s low shot on three minutes as Fulham took an early lead at the London Stadium

Babel used his left foot to fire a low first-time shot past Fabianski as players from both teams watched on in the penalty area

Fulham’s Joe Bryan (left) and Ryan Sessegnon — who assisted the goal — joined Babel to celebrate after Fulham went ahead

Holland international Babel jumped up and punched the air after scoring his first Premier League goal since December 2010

At the other end of the pitch Fulham keeper Sergio Rico looked delighted after seeing Babel score the game’s opening goal

Fulham’s away supporters at the London Stadium were clearly very pleased after witnessing Babel’s first goal for the club

‘How s*** must you be? We’re winning away,’ sang the visiting supporters who had seen their side lose their last eight London derbies in succession.

They weren’t leading for long. West Ham got back into it before the half-hour mark.

A corner was whipped in, and Sergio Rico made a mess of a punched clearance. The ball bounced off the heads of Michail Antonio and Ogbonna before finding Hernandez.

The Mexican striker, who was searching for his 50th Premier League goal, stuck his head out but instead used his hand to force it in. Referee Mason took no notice of the Fulham protests.

The big screens inside the London Stadium showed the replay which, understandably, left the visiting supporters upset. Sadly, VAR was not there to save them.

Ranieri was furious on the touchline, and rightly so. His mood worsened when another corner was whipped in and Diop, surrounded by five white shirts, headed home.

Fulham have now conceded 60 goals this season – more than anyone else in Europe’s big five leagues. Steve Holland, linked with taking over from Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri, was in the stands at the London Stadium. It just so happens that the Blues face the Cottagers on March 3.

West Ham introduced Manuel Lanzini for the final 15 minutes to make his first appearance since May 2018 following a 10-month injury lay-off.

Marko Arnautovic was brought on, too, as he looks for forgiveness from the fans he thought he bid farewell in January. He struck the woodwork in the dying moments, then set up Antonio as his header made it 3-1.

Another loss for Fulham, and the future is looking bleak for their boss.

But the Hammers were soon level thanks to Hernandez who equalised in controversial circumstances from close range

Mexico international Hernandez punished some static Fulham defending as he put the ball in the net using his left hand

Hernandez raised his left hand, which had moments earlier diverted the ball into Fulham’s net, as the striker celebrated

Midfielder Declan Rice hugged team-mate Hernandez after West Ham had hit back to draw level with the Cottagers

Rice attempted to encourage the West Ham fans to raise the noise level at the London Stadium following their equaliser

And the West Ham fans had cause to make noise when Diop headed the home side into a 2-1 lead before the half-time break

Diop rose well against Fulham No 4 Denis Odoi before powering a header into the net to make the score 2-1 to West Ham 

Angelo Ogbonna hugged Diop as West Ham’s players expressed their jubilation on the pitch after taking the lead on Friday

Javier Hernandez scores handball equaliser for West Ham as Gary Neville identifies Fulham’s set-piece weakness

• Javier Hernandez scored West Ham leveller against Fulham with his hand 
• The Mexican’s 50th Premier League goal was allowed to stand despite handball
• Ryan Babel had given visitors the lead before Issa Diop completed turnaround 
• Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri led the protests in vain from the touchline 
• Gary Neville felt West Ham had a huge slice of luck for the equalising goal 

By

Sportsmail Reporter

Published:
16:22 EST, 22 February 2019

|
Updated:
16:25 EST, 22 February 2019

Referee Lee Mason and his assistants failed to spot a clear hand ball by Javier Hernandez as he converted West Ham’s equaliser against Fulham.

The striker used a raised hand to turn home Angelo Ogbonna’s header after half an hour to cancel out Ryan Babel’s opener for the hosts, before Issa Diop completed the comeback.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Gary Neville felt the goal highlighted Fulham’s set-piece weakness but also believes West Ham had a lucky break.

Despite going for the ball with his head, it was Javier Hernandez’s hand that turned it home

Gary Neville felt the goal showed up Fulham’s struggles from set-pieces during the game

Neville said: ‘They’ve had a nightmare on corners, Fulham. 

‘West Ham do get a huge slice of luck, the ref and assistants are not able to spot it. 

‘He knows, Chicharito, he hasn’t celebrated it because he thinks it will be given. Actually not many Fulham players’ complaining.  

‘It was probably Ranieri making the most fuss. He might be blocked, Lee Mason, and can’t see, but VAR will remove this.’

 Fulham had gone ahead through Ryan Babel’s early goal before Hernandez’s intervention

The controversial strike for the Hammers was Hernandez’s 50th Premier League goal

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Greig Laidlaw backs Scotland team-mate Peter Horne to produce the goods in Six Nations clash with France

• Peter Horne will shine in Paris according to Scotland team-mate Greig Laidlaw 
• Horne was selected ahead of Adam Hastings to replace the injured Finn Russell
• Horne will play alongside Glasgow team-mates Sam Johnson and Nick Grigg
• Blair Kinghorn will also feature at full-back in place of the injured Stuart Hogg 

By

Andy Newport, Press Association Sport

Published:
13:22 EST, 22 February 2019

|
Updated:
13:23 EST, 22 February 2019

Greig Laidlaw has backed Pete Horne to shine in the Paris limelight as Finn Russell’s understudy prepares to take on Scotland’s leading role against France.

Gregor Townsend’s injury woes deepened this week as Racing 92 star stand-off Russell became his latest key man to be ruled out of Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash with a head knock.

Horne was given the nod ahead of Adam Hastings and will now be tasked with masterminding victory against Les Bleus in the Stade de France.

Peter Horne will shine against France according to Scotland team-mate Greig Laidlaw

Replacing Russell may be a hard act to follow but skipper Laidlaw has no concerns about his new partner’s ability to cover at 10.

Asked if he had spent much time working on his alliance with Horne, the Clermont Auvergne scrum-half said: ‘Not too much. Pete has been in the squad the whole time. He’s played at 10 for a long time at Glasgow, he’s played 12 for us.

‘He’s ready to go and has got a lot of confidence after playing really well for Glasgow last week.

‘It’s important that Sam Johnson and Nick Grigg are outside him too having played with them at Glasgow.

Horne was selected ahead of Adam Hastings to replace the injured Finn Russell (above)

‘We’ll have to change our approach from how we play with Finn slightly to suit Pete’s strengths. You have to play to your strengths in the team and Pete brings some different attributes to Finn.

‘But he also brings a lot of the same ones Finn provides and we won’t be deviating too much from our game plan and we’ll play like we want to play.’

The absence of Stuart Hogg due to a shoulder injury means Edinburgh’s Blair Kinghorn also gets his chance to take on his favoured slot at full-back.

And Laidlaw is convinced the young pretender will prove just as dangerous to the French as he did against Italy earlier this month as he became the first Scot in 30 years to score a Championship hat-trick.

Horne will play alongside Glasgow team-mates Sam Johnson (above) and Nick Grigg

He said: ‘I don’t think Blair is going to be nervous. He’s played exceptionally well when he’s had the opportunity.

‘He’s a young guy but he’s been doing really well for Edinburgh and he just has to get out there and do what he does.’

France have added a youthful streak to their line-up too as they look to bounce back from two disastrous results against Wales and England.

Blair Kinghorn will also feature at full-back in place of the injured Stuart Hogg

Youngsters Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack will recreate their Toulouse half-back partnership for the national team and Laidlaw expects both to prove they are ready for the step up.

He said: ‘France are a very dangerous team. They will probably be hurting from some of the things going around the media so we’re expecting them to come out all guns blazing, which I know they will.

‘Dupont and Ntamack are both excellent young rugby players. I think it’s Ntamack’s first start at 10 for France, while Dupont has been in excellent form for Toulouse in the Top 14.

‘I think the fact they play together for Toulouse will help them. They are dangerous so we’ll need to defend very smartly tomorrow.’

 

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