Saturday Fulham Stuff (28/04/12)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol in Davies warning
Fulham boss says he wants to play younger players ahead of midfielder


Simon Davies: Warned first team opportunities at Fulham will be limited next season

Martin Jol has warned Simon Davies he will only be a bit-part player if he opts to stay at Fulham next season.

The 32-year-old's contract expires at Craven Cottage at the end of next season and has found himself slipping down the pecking order this term.

The Welshman missed the first half of the season with a knee injury, and has started only four games since returning to action.

He has not even managed to earn a place on the bench over the previous month with 18-year-old Kerim Frei and 20-year-old Alex Kacaniklic, who has been recalled from a loan spell at Watford, being preferred.

Jol says he has no personal problem with Davies, but wants to make the team more youthful next season.

"He was involved at first, but was injured for eight, nine months, then I took him back," Jol told the Fulham Chronicle.

"But I've got a few youngsters and I don't want to just create a space for the older players all the time - and I think I had to do this from the start of the season.

"The only youngster player here was Matthew Briggs and the average was 31, so it was the oldest team in Europe.

"He (Davies) is a great boy. He can play on the left, on the right, or in midfield and I can even use him as a right back like I did before."



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/7709286/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Everton v Fulham: match preview

Saturday, April 28, 2012
Everton v Fulham
Goodison Park
Kick-off: 15.00 BST
TV: Highlights BBC ONE Match of the Day
Everton (Probable, 4-4-1-1): Howard; Hibbert, Jagielka, Heitinga, Distin; Osman, Gibson, Neville, Pienaar; Fellaini; Jelavic.
Out: Baines, Rodwell (both hamstring), Drenthe (club suspension).
Test: Osman (head).
Fulham (probable, 4-1-4-1): Schwarzer; Kelly, Hughes, Hangeland, J Riise; Murphy; Duff, Diarra, Dembele, Dempsey; Pogrebnyak.
Out: Grygera (knee), Ruiz (foot), Sidwell (groin).
Test: Kelly (hand).
Referee: Phil Dowd (Matches 26, R3 Y101).


Match Notes
The incentives are clear. A victory for Everton means they will extend their lead over Liverpool; just a point for Fulham and they could be above the same opposition by the time they visit Anfield on Tuesday.

Both sides should be confident. In Nikica Jelavic, Everton now appear to have a striker they can rely on, while in Pavel Pogrebnyak Fulham have their own talisman scoring a regular flow of goals.

Team News
Everton will again be without defender Leighton Baines and midfielder Jack Rodwell.

Baines is still sidelined with the hamstring injury which forced him to miss missed last weekend's 4-4 draw at Manchester United while Rodwell has not played for six weeks because of a similar problem.

Centre-back Sylvain Distin is expected to deputise on the left of defence once more but on-loan Royston Drenthe is not likely to return to the squad having been disciplined before the FA Cup semi-final.

Fulham defender Stephen Kelly returned to training this week and is in contention for the trip to Everton.

Pavel Pogrebnyak made a goalscoring return to action against Wigan last weekend after recovering from an ankle problem while Fulham also have striker Andrew Johnson fit and available.

Winger Bryan Ruiz will be out for 10 weeks while Steve Sidwell and Zdenek Grygera are also long-term absentees.

Betting: Home 4-5, Away 18-5, Draw 5-2 .

Stat of the game: Everton have scored eight goals in two games, their best return since November 2007.

Si Hughes’ Prediction: Everton 2 Fulham 1.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/9228847/Everton-v-Fulham-match-preview.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol confident of Pog stay

Fulham boss Martin Jol is confident striker Pavel Pogrebnyak will sign an extended deal at Craven Cottage in the summer.


The Russian international moved to the Cottagers on a short-term deal in January, joining from German side Stuttgart until the end of the current campaign.

Pogrebnyak has been in fine form since his switch to west London with six goals in eight games, which is believed to have attracted interest from elsewhere, especially as he will be a free agent at the end of the season.

However, Jol remains confident the frontman will put pen to paper on a new deal at Craven Cottage, despite speculation over his future.

"We have made him a very good offer. He likes it here so hopefully my people can agree a good contract with him. I'm confident because if you look at the top five [in the Premier League], if he went to one of them he would be in the same situation as he was before," he told the London Evening Standard.

"It would be like, for example, the situation Jermain Defoe has got at Spurs. And there are other players at big clubs, like Fernando Torres [at Chelsea], who are not playing all the time. That is what you get if you are playing in the top five.

"With me, Pavel knows that, if he gives 100 per cent, he starts. He knows that, I've told him. There is not a lot of rivalry up front here, so that should be a good feeling for him."



http://www.setanta.com/ie/Articles/2012/04/27/Jol-confident-of-striker-stay/gnid-140176/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Full back in contention for Fulham’s clash with Everton

Stephen Kelly may feature against the Toffees

Stephen Kelly could return to Fulham’s starting line-up for their clash with Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.

Andrew Johnson may also play and could partner Pavel Pogrebnyak up front, although a place on the bench is more likely.

Bryan Ruiz remains sidelines with a broken foot, while Steve Sidwell (hernia) and Zdenek Grygera (knee) are also long-term absentees.

Provisional squad: Schwarzer, Hangeland, Hughes, Riise, Kelly, Duff, Murphy, Etuhu, Diarra, Sa, Frei, Pogrebnyak, Kacaniklic, Johnson, Dembele, Dempsey, Stockdale, Kasami, Senderos, Briggs.



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/full_back_in_contention_for_fulham_s_clash_with_everton_1_1362181?

[WhiteJC]

 
EVERTON v Fulham: Baines and Rodwell to miss out again against Cottagers

Everton will again be without defender Leighton Baines and midfielder Jack Rodwell for Saturday's visit of Fulham.

Baines is still sidelined with the hamstring injury which forced him to miss missed last weekend's 4-4 draw at Manchester United while Rodwell has not played for six weeks because of a similar problem.

Centre-back Sylvain Distin is expected to deputise on the left of defence once more but on-loan Royston Drenthe is not likely to return to the squad having been disciplined before the FA Cup semi-final.

Provisional squad: Howard, Heitinga, Jagielka, Distin, Hibbert, Neville, Coleman, Fellaini, Osman, Gibson, Anichebe, Jelavic, Gueye, Duffy, McFadden, Stracqualursi, Mucha, Pienaar, Cahill, Hahnemann.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2136153/EVERTON-v-Fulham-Leighton-Baines-Jack-Rodwell-miss-Cottagers.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Moyes: We must be wary of Fulham threat

David Moyes does not believe tomorrow’s match against Fulham is a foregone conclusion.

The Cottagers travel to Goodison Park having never beaten the Toffees in the league on Merseyside, but despite this Moyes believes Martin Jol’s outfit will provide a stern test for his squad, who have maaged to keep five clean sheets out of the last six league matches on home soil.

“I don’t think about it (having never lost in the league to Fulham at Goodison),” Moyes stated. “I didn’t even know the stat.

I knew we had a pretty decent record against Fulham, but it’s not really something I thought too much about.

“Fulham are doing well and they’re just behind us in the league, they’re in a good league position and I think they’ve signed some really good players and they’ve got a good side.

“Pogrebnyak played against us for Zenit (St.Petersburg), we knew about him because when Diniyar Bilyaletdinov was here he mentioned him. He’s done really well and scored some good goals for them.

“We have to play as well as we have done in recent weeks. The challenge is to continue that form and finish the season off in the form we’re in.”


Read more: http://www.nsno.co.uk/everton-news/2012/04/moyes-we-must-be-wary-of-fulham-threat/#ixzz1tJA0uXYX

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham defender John Arne Riise looking to leapfrog Everton and Liverpool



John Arne Riise is targeting a Merseyside double over the next four days that could set Fulham on course for a top-seven finish in the Barclays Premier League.

Fulham tackle Everton at Goodison Park tomorrow and then cross Stanley Park to face FA Cup finalists Liverpool on Tuesday night at Anfield.

"With two good results we can go above both teams and that is a big thing for us," said Riise, Fulham's former Liverpool full-back.

"I knew this was a club that would like to be in the top 10 regularly and be consistent on that.

"I don't think anyone would be expecting us to be fighting with Everton and Liverpool for places in the league.

"In that point we have done well and probably Liverpool have underachieved."

Fulham have rediscovered their form in recent weeks, building a run of three league wins and a home draw with Chelsea from their last four matches.

"It will be a tough game (against Everton) but we have been on a good run of results and I am confident we can go there and hopefully get a good result," Riise told Fulham's official website.

"It has been a tough place to go for the Fulham players and the fans. Hopefully we can change that this weekend."

Striker Pavel Pogrebnyak slipped right back into the groove with a goalscoring return against Wigan last weekend, after missing two matches with an ankle injury.

Clint Dempsey spearheaded Fulham's attack in Pogrebnyak's absence, scoring three times, but together he believes they are a force to be reckoned with.

"Clint Dempsey has done very well when he has played as a striker against Bolton and Chelsea. I really enjoy playing up front when Clint is in midfield because when we are playing together on the field, we are great," Pogrebnyak said.

"The match on Saturday will be a very important contest because both teams are looking for points in the table.

"As we say in Russia 'the appetite comes with the food' and I believe we can do better as a team and finish the season strongly."

Fulham also have striker Andrew Johnson fit and available, although long-term absentees Bryan Ruiz, Steve Sidwell and Zdenek Grygera are long-term absentees.

Manager Martin Jol has been unwell this week but the club were uncertain, when contacted, whether he had been well enough to travel with the squad to Merseyside.



http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/fulham-defender-john-arne-riise-looking-to-leapfrog-everton-and-liverpool-7685034.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Behind Enemy Lines: FULHAM



Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham have all experienced the might of Everton's home performances in recent months, but Fulham know about the Goodison effect more than most.

In their 23 league visits to the Blue half of Merseyside, the Cottagers have never recorded victory.

In fact, the Cottagers have failed to pick up a single point in any of their last 18 league games at Goodison Park.

To find out more about the London side and their chances of finally leaving with a win on Saturday, evertonfc.com spoke to supporter Frankie Taylor and Jacob Murtagh, Fulham reporter for Trinity Mirror.

TRICKY TOFFEES

Everton are two points ahead of Fulham and Murtagh reckons that should provide sufficient motivation for Martin Jol's men to end their woeful run. Taylor isn't convinced though.

“Everton always - and I mean always - seem to beat us," says Taylor.

"I expect it will be a good competitive game as ever, but you should get the three points. I would be very, very happy otherwise. I'd take a point now.”

 "It's a big game in terms of league positions," Murtagh continued. "Fulham can leapfrog Everton with victory on Merseyside.

"However, David Moyes' men are a force to be reckoned with, and will be buoyed after last weekend's stunning comeback at Old Trafford.”

A GAME OF TWO HALVES

That 4-4 draw against the champions was yet another highlight in a superb second half of the season for the Blues.

But Murtagh insists comparisons can be drawn to the Cottagers’ transformation since the turn of the year.

"It's been a mixed season for Fulham,” he says. “They started the campaign almost two months earlier than most of their Premier League rivals due to Europa League qualifiers, which hasn't helped.

“Fulham's early league form struggled as a result, but results have picked up notably since they were eliminated from Europe in December.

“Jol has also injected Fulham's ageing squad with youth, and added some more attacking flair to their play. On their day they are a match for anyone, as wins against Arsenal and Newcastle show."

HOMESICKNESS?

Fulham's indifferent away form isn't confined solely to Goodison. Whilst Jol's charges have bagged nine league victories at home this season, that has been matched by just three on the road.

"Craven Cottage has been a fortress for Fulham over the years," explains Murtagh. "But they've always struggled away from home.

"However, they were unlucky to lose at Manchester United recently and recorded an emphatic 3-0 win at Bolton in their last outing.”

Supporter Taylor adds: "I think it's seven away wins in the last 60 or something silly like that now.

"It may improve with continuity of management and playing style. We've definitely got the players to challenge with Everton to try and break into the top six.

“Improving our away form is definitely the most vocal way of going about it.”



http://www.evertonfc.com/news/archive/2012/04/27/behind-enemy-lines-fulham

[WhiteJC]

 
1 Down, 2 to go!
by LYDIA on APRIL 27, 2012

I love the end of the season. We can find insane joy, tears, disappointments, targets missed or hit or even widely succeeded. Not only in our league, but how exciting is it knowing who will be going to next season? The play-off final for Championship clubs seems unmissable as every year we get drama. So far we know that we will be facing Reading, the only team we got the double against in our famous great escape year. It excites me that we are going back there purely because of the memories of that vital victory at their ground a number of years ago. It proved vital in our attempt at staying up.

But we also lose 3 teams and this year the relegation battle has been very tense, particularly for 5 or 6 teams, ever since the beginning. Blackburn were routed to the bottom of the table for months due to losing ALOT of games right at the beginning. The ‘Kean out’ protests for me were rather harsh whenever the players weren’t performing and the owners weren’t buying! I’m glad that Kean is still there and I hope that they do stay up and that he gets a better chance next year. We have already lost Wolves (good riddance) after they lost to City at the weekend but what I love about this year is that even now, it is still so tight at the bottom. Villa are making things very difficult for themselves, especially after Tuesday nights defeat to fellow strugglers Bolton. Who would have thought that Villa could easily go down when they were aiming for a 4th place finish not long ago? Their form has been terrible and McLeish must be the most hated man in Birmingham right now! I like Bolton but they just haven’t been good enough this year. It’s a shame because last year they played such good football but they have just been a bit of a shambles this year. I think Wigan will go down purely because they aren’t good enough all over the pitch to be in the Premier League. They have some super players like Moses and Di Santo but they leak far too many goals and they certainly haven’t scored enough goals. Finally we have QPR and I’ll admit that I am very mixed about what I want to happen to them! On one hand I would say that I like having that particular derby again next year because they are just so excited and so much pride is at stake! But on the other hand I want to see Mark Hughes go down with our rivals. After his behaviour last year and thinking that he was much bigger than Fulham, I hope that he gets fed some humble pie and has to cope with Championship football next year!

So who do I think will join Wolves next year? I think Wigan and QPR will because Wigan are just not good enough and QPR have a horrible run in. I could be very wrong however because this league is just so unpredictable! You just can’t tell what’s going to happen one weekend to the next and that is why I love it.

But it’s not just the relegation battle that brings drama! How exciting is the Manchester Derby going to be on Monday night? Again it is just one that really could go either way. We have United with so much experience in title races and then we have Moneybags City who have pretty much tried to buy success. Anyone for Tevez to score the winner?

And of course we have the mighty whites who have the chance to equal their best finish of 7th ahead of Liverpool and Everton. With games against the Merseyside teams coming up there are still places up for grabs. I’m hoping that our fine form continues and we glide into 7th heaven once again. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the future is bright for Fulham with Jol at the helm! I am glad that we aren’t anywhere near the bottom of the table this year and I am happy enough to sit watch from our ‘upper-mid’ table position. Perhaps next year we could be realistically challenging for 6th but that’s for next year!


http://hammyend.com/index.php/2012/04/1-down-2-to-go/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Squad sheets: Everton v Fulham

Everton's display at Old Trafford last week showed the side has not downed tools following their defeat to Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-finals and, indeed, the very real prospect of finishing above their Merseyside rivals for a second time in eight seasons is sure to keep them motivated until the end of the campaign. They will fancy their chances of defeating Fulham given the London club has not even gained a point at Goodison Park since 1959 but should also be weary of opponents who are unbeaten in their last four matches. Sachin Nakrani

Venue Goodison Park, Saturday 3pm

Tickets £30-37 (0871 663 1878)

Last season Everton 2 Fulham 1

Referee Phil Dowd

This season's matches 26 Y101, R3, 4.00 cards per game

Odds Everton 5-6 Fulham 4-1 Draw 13-5


Everton v Fulham: Probable starters in bold, contenders in light.
Photograph: Graphic

Everton

Subs from Hahnemann, Mucha, Cahill, Drenthe, Stracqualursi, Gueye, Barkley, Coleman, Vellios, Anichebe, McFadden, Duffy, Baxter

Doubtful None

Injured Baines (hamstring, 6 May), Rodwell (hamstring, Aug)

Suspended None

Form guide DWDWWL

Disciplinary record Y56 R0

Leading scorer Jelavic 8

Fulham

Subs from Stockdale, Kelly, Briggs, Frei, Etuhu, Davies, Baird, Kasami, Gecov, Kacaniklic, Trotta, Orlando Sá, Johnson

Doubtful Kelly (wrist)

Injured Etheridge (wrist, 6 May), Sidwell (hernia, 13 May), Grygera (knee, Aug), Ruiz (foot, Aug)

Suspended None

Form guide WDWWLL

Disciplinary record Y51 R0

Leading scorer Dempsey 16

Match pointers

• Everton have won their past 18 home league meetings with Fulham and have not been beaten by them at Goodison Park since February 1948

• Fulham have conceded just two goals in their last four games away from home

• Everton have scored more goals (14) in their last five Premier League games than they managed in their previous 17 combined (13)

• Pavel Pogrebnyak has scored six goals from six shots on target this season

• If selected, Tony Hibbert will be making his 250th appearance in the top flight


http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/apr/27/squad-sheets-everton-fulham?

[WhiteJC]

 
Statistics against Fulham while Jol may not make Merseyside trip - Game preview - Everton (a)

Martin Jol has been ill throughout the week, to such an extent that it still isn't clear whether he will travel with his Fulham side to Goodison Park, where they face an Everton side in quite sterling form. Perhaps, though, he isn't ill and is instead just avoiding the inevitable; the inevitable being a bleak and foreseeable defeat on Merseyside that would bring the tally to nineteen. In a row. I'd feign sickness if I knew those statistics.

Every side has their Achilles heel - a side they can never seem to fathom nor get around. For Fulham, David Moyes' men are that team and the facts and records continue to unravel, none of them looking at all favourable. We haven't won there in Premier League history and our F.A Cup defeat at their hands earlier in the campaign proved that remedy could not be found outside of league football. What sombre reading.



Nevertheless Fulham will travel, with or without Jol, with hope aplenty and, although it has probably been said before, on undoubtedly countless occasions, perhaps the Whites are better prepared than ever before to deal with the threat that the blue side of Liverpool pose.

Unfortunately, though, Everton find themselves in fine form having just applied a chink in the Manchester United title armour. At Old Trafford, striker Nikica Jelavic scored a brace as the Blues fought from two behind, twice, to draw 4-4 and give Manchester City the impetus to push United yet further in their pursuit of Premier League glory. What is more worrying, though, is Moyes' claim that the best is yet to come from the Croatian striker who is proving to be January's most astute signing. A 4-0 victory over Sunderland came before their Manchester exploits and Everton currently sit in seventh place, two points clear of Fulham.

The away side will carry some confidence into the fixture too, however, with this game tying off what has been a positive month for Jol's team. Wins over Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers have added vital points to the tally while a draw with Champions League finalists Chelsea showed the best of Fulham's abilities. Three points would not have been unjust after an astute footballing performance.

We've faced Everton on two occasions already this season, losing in the F.A Cup by two goals to one and things were just as damning at Craven Cottage. In one of the lower ebbs of Jol's Fulham tenure, the Whites fell to a 3-1 defeat on home soil. Last year in the same match, we lost 2-1.

To help the Fulham cause, Everton will be without key duo Leighton Baines and Jack Rodwell with both Evertonians carrying similar knocks while Royston Drenthe is unlikely to feature.

Stephen Kelly returns for the visitors while Andrew Johnson is still in contention for a first team place. The only confirmed non absences are Bryan Ruiz, Zdenek Grygera and Steve Sidwell - all with long term setbacks.

Team prediction: Schwarzer; Riise, Hangeland, Hughes, Kelly; Dempsey, Murphy, Diarra, Duff; Dembele, Pogrebnyak

Score prediction: Everton 2-2 Fulham



http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2012/4/27/2981033/statistics-against-fulham-while-jol-may-not-make-merseyside-trip?

[bizarrebaz]

Well Danny will not be starting this game. So the asumptions above are wrong

[cebu]

Well Danny will not be starting this game. So the asumptions above are wrong

Is Danny injured?