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Tuesday Fulham Stuff (10/10/17)...

Started by WhiteJC, October 10, 2017, 07:26:10 AM

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WhiteJC

Β 
Why QPR's Conor Washington and Fulham's Oliver Norwood look to be spearheading an exciting time for Northern Irish football

Despite falling to a 1-0 defeat against Norway, Michael O'Neill's side are all but confirmed to take part in the play-offs next month, with the reward being a place in the World Cup next year.

Northern Ireland could find themselves in the promised land of the global football scene, as they move closer to a summer excursion to Russia.

Despite falling to a 1-0 defeat against Norway, Michael O'Neill's side are all but confirmed to take part in the play-offs next month, with the reward being a place in the World Cup next year.

A remarkable achievement for any nation, let alone a country the size of Northern Ireland.


BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - NOVEMBER 11: Oliver Norwood of Northern Ireland pictured during the FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier between Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan at Windsor Park on November 11, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Two members of the overachieving squad are QPR forward Conor Washington and Fulham's loan star Oliver Norwood, who are part of a new generation in Northern Irish history.

Although both players were born and brought up in England, they qualify for O'Neill's side through family connections, meaning a win-win scenario for both player and country.

International opportunities are hard to come by, and with England boasting such a large pool of talent, it's near impossible for most players to get anywhere near the international set-up, but to be given the chance to compete elsewhere is an opportunity not to be missed for either Washington or Norwood.

As well as this, the national team benefit as they look to widen the pool of talent available to them, meaning they have greater strength in depth when competing on the world stage.

Both players are a key part of the Northern Ireland squad, and the opportunity to qualify for the World Cup next summer would go down as a career-defining aspiration, and one which would be the envy of thousands of players around the UK.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/qprs-conor-washington-fulhams-oliver-13735032

WhiteJC

Β 
Fulham lead London race to host Chris Eubank Jr fight against George Groves


Arsenal and Chelsea could host Chris Eubank Jr's potential clash against George Groves β€” but Fulham's Craven Cottage has emerged as the front-runner.

Hammersmith's Groves makes the first defence of his WBA super‑middleweight title against Swindon's Jamie Cox at Wembley Arena on Saturday in the quarter‑finals of the World Boxing Super Series.

The winner will face Eubank in either January or February after the Briton surged into the semis with a third-round knockout of Turkey's Avni Yildirim in Stuttgart on Saturday night.

Kalle Sauerland, one of the promoters behind the tournament, will this week fly to London for the clash between Groves and Cox and to run the rule over semi-final venues.

And, with their options for an indoor venue limited, they could take the fight outdoors despite the risk of bad winter weather.

They already have Wembley Arena on hold for late January but Sauerland is now exploring the possibility of staging the clash at a football ground.

Groves is a Chelsea fan and Stamford Bridge and Arsenal's Emirates Stadium have been discussed while Brighton's Falmer Stadium, in Eubank's home town, is also in the running.

However, Standard Sport has been told Craven Cottage, the home of Fulham, is the most likely outdoor venue should Groves cement his place in the semi final.

Sauerland said: "The tournament dictates the dates so it has to be January or February, which also happens to be a very busy time for venues so you have to be creative with other options.

"We want as many people as possible to be able to see such a great event and that might mean taking it outdoors.

"At the moment when it comes to football grounds there are a few possibilities. We are hoping to speak to Arsenal and Brighton this week and we are waiting on Chelsea.

"We want to talk to four or five clubs but at the moment Fulham looks most realistic.

"Obviously going outside in January is difficult but on the other hand I grew up in England and I think it's possible. Just put a coat on! IΒ  think that's a fight you could put in a lot of places β€” Cardiff too."

Should Cox upset the odds and beat Groves, it is likely the semi‑final match with Eubank would then be at Wembley Arena, with a decreased demand for tickets precluding the need for a stadium.

Eubank was impressive in his victory and said: "It was a spectacular fight against Yildirim but I feel like it was over too quickly. Personally, I like a fight where you get to really see both fighters box and go through it."




https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/other-sports/fulham-lead-london-race-to-host-chris-eubank-jr-fight-against-george-groves-a3653756.html

WhiteJC

Β 
Johnson Hoping For Exciting Encounter At Craven Cottage

Daniel Johnson is expecting a tough but exciting test against Fulham at Craven Cottage at the weekend.

North End return to action on Saturday afternoon in the capital after the international break, and Johnson knows what to expect from a strong Fulham team who reached the Play-Offs last season.

Speaking to iFollow as the players returned to Springfields after a short break over the weekend, the midfielder said: "They are one of the better teams in the league, we obviously know what they are about, they are a very good passing team and they move the ball really well.

"We've adapted a new style of play this season so I think it's going to be a really interesting game.

"We want to pass the ball more and keep the ball more and obviously that's what they do and that's what they've always done so it's going to be a really exciting game I think."

Fulham currently sit in tenth place in the Championship, and Johnson knows that despite some changes in the squad, the London side will pose just as tough a test as they did last season.

"Ultimately they are a good team whether they've started slow or not, they are a really good team. They have changed a few players and brought in a few players but their philosophy remains the same.

"We've just got to go down there and do what we do and stop them from playing and play our game and hopefully we can come away with the three points.

After a two week break from games, Johnson feels the rest has been beneficial to the squad and is pleased there is plenty of time to prepare for games this month with no mid-week games in October.

"It becomes hectic at the start and gradually it kind of slows down but I think it benefits us. We can have a bit more rest when it's not just back to back Saturday/Tuesday games, it gives us a bit more rest and a bit more preparation so I think it will do us good.

"It gives the manager and the staff an extra couple of days to make sure they don't miss anything so I think it does well for everybody. Especially the players because we need the rest so I think it's great.

North End will be backed by over 1,000 PNE fans at Craven Cottage and Johnson has praised the fans for their backing this season, particularly on the road.

"We've done really well on the road and credit to the fans because they spend a lot of money just to come and support us and to show us their support.

"So credit to them and obviously we are very thankful to them for travelling to wherever we are playing. We've not disappointed so far, we've had one loss on the road but everywhere else we have managed to pick up points.

"It's been really good and hopefully we can just continue that."

Watch the full interview with DJ by clicking on the video above.



https://www.pnefc.net/news/2017/october/johnson-hoping-for-exciting-encounter-at-craven-cottage/


WhiteJC


How Chris Coleman cracked it
by Dan on October 9, 2017


I remember the first time I met Chris Coleman. I was waiting outside Craven Cottage having been dropped off from school hours before a League Cup tie. The Fulham captain as he was then wondered through the gates, stopped and came back to ask what I was doing. 'If you've got time to kill,' he said in that extremely chatty Welsh manner, 'come and sit with us up in the Cottage. Soon I was sitting between Kit Symons, Coleman and Simon Morgan as they argued over whether to have Bovril or coffee and quizzed me about which of them was the more mobile centre back.

The next time I saw Coleman was under entirely different circumstances. Fulham had invited me in to their Motspur Park training ground as I continued to recover from an operation related to my cerebral palsy. My doctors thought that seeing my heroes up and close and person – and their commitment to fitness – might encourage me to be as active as possible. On the bike next to me in the gym was Coleman, right at the start of the long road back following that horror car crash at the start of the millennium that almost cost him his life.

I was struck then by how chipper he was – chatting away to physios and encouraging me to pedal faster and faster – and there seemed no doubt in his mind that he was going to return to peak fitness. It was little surprise that the driven defender pulled on both a club and Welsh shirt again, even if Coleman had to eventually admit that he'd never again be the classy, ball-playing centre back whose arrival at Fulham had signalled that one of London's sleeping giants was really stirring under the stewardship of Mohamed Al Fayed.


Nobody quite knew that the Coleman story was only just beginning then. He was always the life and soul of the party, a lively conversationalist, and someone with strong opinions. Unlike many of the modern footballers, he had never lost sight of where he had come from – the heart of the Swansea valleys – and just how lucky he was to be earning a living from the beautiful game. That's what gave him such an affinity with the fans. When his remarkably successful playing career came to such a heartwrenching and premature end, Coleman turned to the next challenge – coaching – after being offered the opportunity to learn his trade under Jean Tigana.

It seems obvious now that 'Cookie' as he's universally known would succeed Tigana when the weight of the French maestro's falling out with Al-Fayed looked likely to cost Fulham their Premier League place. It was quite a surprise at the team when the club, still homeless and in the midst of a very public battle between the fans and the decision-makers over whether they would ever return to the Cottage, decided to make Coleman – initially on a short-term basis – the Premier League's youngest-ever manager. But the Welshman was confident he could do it and he kept the Whites above the drop with such aplomb – winning three out of five games – that his promotion to the permanent position, ahead of the likes of Louis van Gaal, Klaus Topmoller and George Burley, was merely a formality.

The pundits weren't convinced and many tipped Fulham for the drop ahead of the novice's first full season in charge. Nobody gave a new look defence, which included the unheralded Jerome Bonnissel and Arsenal loanee Moritz Volz, much of a chance of keeping the best in the Premier League at bay. Plenty of seasoned observers felt Louis Saha had been found out and, when both Sean Davis and Steve Marlet started to agitate for moves away, those doomsday predictions tumbled in. Coleman revelled in proving the 'experts' wrong – devising a 4-5-1 system that protected his defence, whilst simultaneously showcasing the unique talents of Luis Boa Morte, Steed Malbranque and Saha. Fulham famously recorded a first league win at White Hart Lane, breezed past Manchester United at Old Trafford, humbled Leeds and held Arsenal's invincibles at Highbury. Coleman's side occupied a Champions' League place in December and would certainly have finished higher than a club record ninth had they been able to hold onto Saha, whom the Welshman initially insisted would be leaving 'over my dead body'.


Despite bringing Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra across from the United States, blooding the likes of Liam Rosenior and Collins John, recruiting Papa Bouba Diop and Jimmy Bullard, the various Coleman sides sparkled only sporadically once Fulham returned home the following year. There were famous home wins over Arsenal, Liverpool and – of course, Chelsea – but, as Al-Fayed's interest waned and the big-money that had accompanied Fulham's rise gave way to a steadier hand, warding off relegation became the major ambition. As a manager who was still learning his trade, Coleman paid for his loyalty to Steve Kean and what appeared to be too cautious an outlook, eventually being sacked in April 2007 after a seventh successive game without a win saw the Whites pummelled at home by Manchester City.

For a while it seemed as if Coleman's passion for the game would remain cruelly unrequited as a manager. He endured horrendous spells overseas at Real Sociedad and Larissa and a struggle with Coventry that saw him replaced after the Sky Blues recorded their worst league finish in 45 years. The turning point came in the face of an unspeakable tragedy after his closest friend in football, Gary Speed – then on the brink of a major breakthrough in charge of Wales – took his own life. Coleman stepped in his great mate's shoes but his first campaign – a wretched attempt to qualify for Euro 2012 – saw him struggle to reshape a squad still in mourning and face serious pressure over his future.

Coleman eventually resolved to do things his own way and impose his own playing style on his country. He revamped his backroom staff and decided to take his players back to their roots, instituting a number of community events to remind them just how many people – as well as an impressionable next generation – were rooting for Welsh success. Together Stronger wasn't a clever marketing strap line, it was intended to tie a talented group of footballers to something more substantial than 90 minutes. Coleman's commitment to those ideals shone through in his support of the laudable work of the Gol! Cymru charity set up by supporters who follow Wales abroad.

Coleman didn't shirk away from the tough footballing decisions either. He stripped Arsenal playmaker Aaron Ramsey of the captaincy, entrusting the inspirational Swansea centre halve Ashley Williams with the armband, and liberating Gareth Bale in a free role in attack. Ramsey, who had been publicly critical of the FAW's decision to appoint Coleman so soon after Speed's shocking death, delivered some of the best football of his career. Bale came up with two late goals to beat Scotland in Coleman's first win – and there was once again some hope at the heart of Welsh football.

Qualifying for Euro 2016, emerging from a tough group containing the well-fancied Belgians, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Israel, was 'the best thing I've ever done' said a delighted Coleman pitchside in Zenica, a sentiment he was soon to rethink as the Welsh went on to make magnificent history in France at their first international tournament for 57 years. You could tell something special was stirring from when Hal Robson-Kanu struck a late winner over Slovakia in Bordeaux, but the completeness of Wales' dismantling of Russia in Toulouse nine days later made the world sit up and take notice.

If some still hadn't paid attention, they were rubbing their eyes in disbelief when the Welsh matched their Cardiff qualification victory over Belgium with an even more dominant display as Williams, Robson-Kanu and Sam Voakes wrote their names into folklore on a magical night just outside Lille. Coleman's spine-tingling speech after the final whistle – where he told watching television viewers, 'Don't be afraid to have dreams,' showed that the banal platitudes mouthed by many a manager just weren't for him.

This is a man who strives for perfection but is honest enough to admit he often falls short of that lofty goal. Tonight, Wales go in search of something close to sporting immortality – that would be back-to-back qualifications for major tournaments – as they face the Republic of Ireland in a crunch World Cup qualifier in Cardiff. Coleman has come a long way since he stepped off the Millennium Stadium bench to win the last of his playing caps as an injury-time substitute in the famous win over Germany back in 2001. He'd be the first to say sentiment doesn't win points – but there are plenty who are very proud of how the charismatic Cookie cracked it in management.




http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/10/how-chris-coleman-cracked-it/

WhiteJC

Β 
Is Fulham the natural destination for Wolves' in-demand winger Ben Marshall?

Wolves will let Ben Marshall leave in January and Championship rivals Fulham have tried to sign the winger in the past.

Newcastle United and Norwich City might have joined Fulham at the top of the Championship goalscoring charts last season but Slavisa Jokanovic's side were out on their own when it came to entertainment.

This season, however, Fulham have not been the prolific, free-flowing thespians they were in 2016/17. The Cottagers have won just four of their 11 Championship games and have scored just 15 goals – a tally bettered by ten other clubs in the second tier.

This is despite the fact they managed to keep hold of the likes of Tom Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon in the summer. Therefore, perhaps the natural solution is to give the squad a boost via an extra injection of quality.

The Mail reported in August of 2016 that Fulham were interested in Blackburn Rovers winger Ben Marshall and were willing to pay around Β£2.5 million. Flash forward to the present day and the attacker could be on the move with The Sun (8th October, page 61) reporting that current club Wolves will let him leave on loan.

Marshall only arrived at Molinuex in January but Wolves have spent big reinforcing their attack, meaning the 26-year-old has only started one league game all season. The report adds that there is plenty of Championship interest and it would be no surprise if Fulham were at the front of the queue.

After all, Jokanovic's side look the perfect fit for a dynamic and creative player capable of moments of real genius and unpredictability.

Fulham made excellent use of the loan market last season, landing Chris Martin on a temporary deal from Derby County. And they could repeat the trick in January.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/10/09/is-fulham-the-natural-destination-for-wolves-in-demand-winger-be/

WhiteJC

Β 
International Whites

Stefan Johansen came up against Fulham team-mate Oliver Norwood on Sunday evening as Norway beat Northern Ireland 1-0 in the final round of World Cup Qualifiers in Oslo.

The match eventually came down to an own goal from Chris Brunt, handing the Norwegians all three points on their home turf.

Norwood celebrated his 50th international cap already in the knowledge that Northern Ireland had secured a Play-Off spot after Scotland drew to Slovenia prior to kick off, although victory would potentially have given them an easier route to Russia as a seeded team.

Norwood played the the opening 45 minutes before making way for George Saville.


Johansen was involved in the opening 88 minutes of the match, and was substituted for Martin Linnes in the dying minutes.

The Norwegian captain made a telling contribution to the match, with the goal coming from his cross into the box as Brunt steered the ball into his own net.

Tomas Kalas, who was also in Group C with Norwood and Johansen, played 90 minutes for the Czech Republic against minnows San Marino.

The Czechs ran out 5-0 winners against San Marino, who finished their World Cup Qualification campaign without a point. Czech Republic finished third in their group, behind Germany and Ireland.

Mattias Kait continued his fine international form with a goal against Gibraltar on Saturday afternoon, as they thrashed the British team 6-0.

Kait played 90 minutes for his national team as Estonia won both their matches over the the international break. With 11 points they finished in fourth spot in Group H.

Tim Ream was an unused substitute on Friday evening as the USA demolished Panama 4-0 in a crucial World Cup Qualifier. Their final deciding match is on Tuesday evening in Trinidad and Tobago, and a win would book their place on the plane to Russia this summer.

In Africa, Neeskins Kebano helped keep the Democratic Republic of Congo's World Cup hopes alive as he played 72 minutes as they beat Libya 2-1 away from home.

Only the top of the group goes through, and DR Congo currently sit in second place, three points behind Tunisia and two behind on goal difference.

Up next for Kebano is Guinea, three points is a must, and Tunisia need a loss to bottom of the group Libya for DR Congo to progress.

At Under-21 level, Aron Davies was an unused substitute for Wales in their 3-1 away win over Liechtenstein.


Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson played 90 minutes for Iceland at the same level in their 2-0 win in Slovakia and next travel to Albania on Thursday.

At Under-20 level Tayo Edun played 75 minutes in England's 5-1 demolishion of Italy in Gorgonzola, eventually being replaced by Arsenal's Josh Dasilva.

Steven Sessegnon is currently in India for the Under-17 World Cup and was an unused substitute in their opening match against Chile, where the Young Lions made a statement with a 4-0 win over the South Americans.

England next face Mexico in their group on Wednesday, you can watch the match on Eurosport 2 at 12.30pm BST.

On Saturday, Mikolaj Kwietniewski played 90 minutes for Poland's Under-19s as they won 3-0 over Belarus, they face a real test of Tuesday when they come up against Germany.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/october/09/international-round-up


RaySmith

Quote from: WhiteJC on October 10, 2017, 07:33:00 AM

How Chris Coleman cracked it
by Dan on October 9, 2017


I remember the first time I met Chris Coleman. I was waiting outside Craven Cottage having been dropped off from school hours before a League Cup tie. The Fulham captain as he was then wondered through the gates, stopped and came back to ask what I was doing. 'If you've got time to kill,' he said in that extremely chatty Welsh manner, 'come and sit with us up in the Cottage. Soon I was sitting between Kit Symons, Coleman and Simon Morgan as they argued over whether to have Bovril or coffee and quizzed me about which of them was the more mobile centre back.

The next time I saw Coleman was under entirely different circumstances. Fulham had invited me in to their Motspur Park training ground as I continued to recover from an operation related to my cerebral palsy. My doctors thought that seeing my heroes up and close and person – and their commitment to fitness – might encourage me to be as active as possible. On the bike next to me in the gym was Coleman, right at the start of the long road back following that horror car crash at the start of the millennium that almost cost him his life.

I was struck then by how chipper he was – chatting away to physios and encouraging me to pedal faster and faster – and there seemed no doubt in his mind that he was going to return to peak fitness. It was little surprise that the driven defender pulled on both a club and Welsh shirt again, even if Coleman had to eventually admit that he'd never again be the classy, ball-playing centre back whose arrival at Fulham had signalled that one of London's sleeping giants was really stirring under the stewardship of Mohamed Al Fayed.


Nobody quite knew that the Coleman story was only just beginning then. He was always the life and soul of the party, a lively conversationalist, and someone with strong opinions. Unlike many of the modern footballers, he had never lost sight of where he had come from – the heart of the Swansea valleys – and just how lucky he was to be earning a living from the beautiful game. That's what gave him such an affinity with the fans. When his remarkably successful playing career came to such a heartwrenching and premature end, Coleman turned to the next challenge – coaching – after being offered the opportunity to learn his trade under Jean Tigana.

It seems obvious now that 'Cookie' as he's universally known would succeed Tigana when the weight of the French maestro's falling out with Al-Fayed looked likely to cost Fulham their Premier League place. It was quite a surprise at the team when the club, still homeless and in the midst of a very public battle between the fans and the decision-makers over whether they would ever return to the Cottage, decided to make Coleman – initially on a short-term basis – the Premier League's youngest-ever manager. But the Welshman was confident he could do it and he kept the Whites above the drop with such aplomb – winning three out of five games – that his promotion to the permanent position, ahead of the likes of Louis van Gaal, Klaus Topmoller and George Burley, was merely a formality.

The pundits weren't convinced and many tipped Fulham for the drop ahead of the novice's first full season in charge. Nobody gave a new look defence, which included the unheralded Jerome Bonnissel and Arsenal loanee Moritz Volz, much of a chance of keeping the best in the Premier League at bay. Plenty of seasoned observers felt Louis Saha had been found out and, when both Sean Davis and Steve Marlet started to agitate for moves away, those doomsday predictions tumbled in. Coleman revelled in proving the 'experts' wrong – devising a 4-5-1 system that protected his defence, whilst simultaneously showcasing the unique talents of Luis Boa Morte, Steed Malbranque and Saha. Fulham famously recorded a first league win at White Hart Lane, breezed past Manchester United at Old Trafford, humbled Leeds and held Arsenal's invincibles at Highbury. Coleman's side occupied a Champions' League place in December and would certainly have finished higher than a club record ninth had they been able to hold onto Saha, whom the Welshman initially insisted would be leaving 'over my dead body'.


Despite bringing Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra across from the United States, blooding the likes of Liam Rosenior and Collins John, recruiting Papa Bouba Diop and Jimmy Bullard, the various Coleman sides sparkled only sporadically once Fulham returned home the following year. There were famous home wins over Arsenal, Liverpool and – of course, Chelsea – but, as Al-Fayed's interest waned and the big-money that had accompanied Fulham's rise gave way to a steadier hand, warding off relegation became the major ambition. As a manager who was still learning his trade, Coleman paid for his loyalty to Steve Kean and what appeared to be too cautious an outlook, eventually being sacked in April 2007 after a seventh successive game without a win saw the Whites pummelled at home by Manchester City.

For a while it seemed as if Coleman's passion for the game would remain cruelly unrequited as a manager. He endured horrendous spells overseas at Real Sociedad and Larissa and a struggle with Coventry that saw him replaced after the Sky Blues recorded their worst league finish in 45 years. The turning point came in the face of an unspeakable tragedy after his closest friend in football, Gary Speed – then on the brink of a major breakthrough in charge of Wales – took his own life. Coleman stepped in his great mate's shoes but his first campaign – a wretched attempt to qualify for Euro 2012 – saw him struggle to reshape a squad still in mourning and face serious pressure over his future.

Coleman eventually resolved to do things his own way and impose his own playing style on his country. He revamped his backroom staff and decided to take his players back to their roots, instituting a number of community events to remind them just how many people – as well as an impressionable next generation – were rooting for Welsh success. Together Stronger wasn't a clever marketing strap line, it was intended to tie a talented group of footballers to something more substantial than 90 minutes. Coleman's commitment to those ideals shone through in his support of the laudable work of the Gol! Cymru charity set up by supporters who follow Wales abroad.

Coleman didn't shirk away from the tough footballing decisions either. He stripped Arsenal playmaker Aaron Ramsey of the captaincy, entrusting the inspirational Swansea centre halve Ashley Williams with the armband, and liberating Gareth Bale in a free role in attack. Ramsey, who had been publicly critical of the FAW's decision to appoint Coleman so soon after Speed's shocking death, delivered some of the best football of his career. Bale came up with two late goals to beat Scotland in Coleman's first win – and there was once again some hope at the heart of Welsh football.

Qualifying for Euro 2016, emerging from a tough group containing the well-fancied Belgians, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Israel, was 'the best thing I've ever done' said a delighted Coleman pitchside in Zenica, a sentiment he was soon to rethink as the Welsh went on to make magnificent history in France at their first international tournament for 57 years. You could tell something special was stirring from when Hal Robson-Kanu struck a late winner over Slovakia in Bordeaux, but the completeness of Wales' dismantling of Russia in Toulouse nine days later made the world sit up and take notice.

If some still hadn't paid attention, they were rubbing their eyes in disbelief when the Welsh matched their Cardiff qualification victory over Belgium with an even more dominant display as Williams, Robson-Kanu and Sam Voakes wrote their names into folklore on a magical night just outside Lille. Coleman's spine-tingling speech after the final whistle – where he told watching television viewers, 'Don't be afraid to have dreams,' showed that the banal platitudes mouthed by many a manager just weren't for him.

This is a man who strives for perfection but is honest enough to admit he often falls short of that lofty goal. Tonight, Wales go in search of something close to sporting immortality – that would be back-to-back qualifications for major tournaments – as they face the Republic of Ireland in a crunch World Cup qualifier in Cardiff. Coleman has come a long way since he stepped off the Millennium Stadium bench to win the last of his playing caps as an injury-time substitute in the famous win over Germany back in 2001. He'd be the first to say sentiment doesn't win points – but there are plenty who are very proud of how the charismatic Cookie cracked it in management.




http://hammyend.com/index.php/2017/10/how-chris-coleman-cracked-it/
0001.jpeg

hovewhite

Shame cookie didnt get the result last night with his welsh team.