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Tamworth boss backs former Fulham FC man to make his mark

DALE Belford has backed striker Richard Peniket to make a name for himself at The Lamb this season.

And the Tamworth boss believes the former Fulham forward has what it takes to battle his back into the Football League one day.

Belford said: "Richard has been unbelievable for me so far and I am delighted with him.

"He has a big part to play this year, with his pace and power.

"His work rate is fantastic. I have never seen a forward work as hard as he has done to be honest.

"I know fans were disappointed to see (last season's top scorer) Adam Cunnington leave.

"But the fact is we simply couldn't afford to keep him at the club.

"We have managed to bring in three players for the money that Adam was on.

"Richard is one of those players and, for me, three players represents terrific value for money.

"He's come from the under-21s at Fulham and so his quality is not in doubt.

"He will score goals too, as he has already shown in pre-season.

"But there's no pressure on him to do so. Scoring goals is a collective effort and I want all the lads to chip in."

He added: "The team ethos we are building is one of team ethic and togetherness so we will not be putting pressure on any of the lads. We are all in it together.

"All we ask is that the lads listen to what we tell them, stick to the game plan and enjoy their football."

Meanwhile, Belford is looking for his players to maintain their good form as the Lambs prepare for a Bank Holiday double-header.

Belford's unbeaten troops travel to Hereford United on Saturday before hosting Dartford on Monday (kick off 3pm).

And Belford is keen to banish memories of last season's 5-2 defeat at Edgar street.

He said: "From a personal point of view, I want to put things right from last season.

"We got thrashed there and it was possibly the only performance that I was disappointed with when I took over as manager.

"I am sure that it will be another tough test this weekend.

"They are a big and strong side, very physical and they will cause you a lot of problems if you are not organised.

"So we have to make sure we are fully prepared and committed."

The Lambs will also come up against a familiar face as the Bulls include Michael Rankine in their line up.

Rankine had a trial at Tamworth in the summer, scoring in the 2-0 friendly win over Atherstone Town.

"Michael's a smashing lad," said Belford. "He did well for us but we decided to go for Richard Peniket.

"I am sure Michael will be out to prove a point and he's certainly a handful when he's fit.

"But it's about more that Michael. Hereford are a strong side full stop but we are looking forward to the test."



http://www.tamworthherald.co.uk/story-19692550-detail/story.html? (http://www.tamworthherald.co.uk/story-19692550-detail/story.html?)

 
Diarra handed Fulham chance

FULHAM will wait until Mahamadou Diarra returns to full fitness before making a decision on his future.

The Mali midfielder hasn't featured for the Whites since December due to a serious knee injury.

Diarra, 32, is a free agent after his deal expired in the summer but is still training at Motspur Park as he tries to prove his fitness to Martin Jol.

"He is doing a lot of ball work and the warm-up with us," said the Dutch manager of the former Real Madrid star.

"He needs another three or four weeks before playing games with us or the reserves and then we will make a decision on him."



Read more: Fulham Chronicle http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2013/08/22/82029-33758448/?#ixzz2clG2KUXX (http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2013/08/22/82029-33758448/?#ixzz2clG2KUXX)

 
Chelsea, Spurs and Fulham In Race For England U21 Star

Chelsea have been tipped as the favourites to sign Sporting Lisbon's English-born centre back Eric Dier.

The 19-year-old was recently called up to the England Under 21 side for their friendly against Scotland last week.

He regularly appeared for Sporting last year but has a £4.2 million buyout clause that has tempted a lot of European clubs to his signature. He made his debut in November 2012 and since has retained his place in the side as he appeared 14 times for the Portuguese giants last season.

Dier was born in England but moved to Portugal when he was 10-years-old as his mother got a job in the western Europe country during Euro 2004.

He was part of Peter Taylor's FIFA U20 World Cup squad this summer, in which England exited at the group stages.

He has previously moved on loan to Everton but failed to make enough of an impression to break into the first team.

ITV are reporting that Spurs are the frontrunners in the chase for the youngster, with Fulham also preparing a bid.


http://theyouthradar.com/2013/08/22/chelsea-spurs-and-fulham-in-race-for-england-u21-star/? (http://theyouthradar.com/2013/08/22/chelsea-spurs-and-fulham-in-race-for-england-u21-star/?)

 
Darren Bent can recapture golden form at Fulham - Curbishley

(http://www.standard.co.uk/incoming/article8775565.ece/ALTERNATES/w620/Darren-Bent-Fulham.jpg)
Loan star: Bent is hoping to revive his career at Fulham this season

Darren Bent is a footballer who divides opinion. There are some like Fulham manager Martin Jol who believe he is still one of the best predatory strikers in the Premier League, which is why he has brought the striker on loan for the season from Aston Villa.

There are others, such as Paul Lambert, Bent's boss at Villa, who remain unconvinced.

One man firmly in the Jol camp of Bent advocates is former Charlton manager Alan Curbishley, who signed the striker from Ipswich in June 2005 for a fee of £2.5million and sold him to Tottenham two years later for £16.5m.

Curbishley believes Fulham have done good business in signing Bent, who could make his debut for the club in Saturday's match at home to Arsenal.

"We all have our opinions but the statistics don't lie," says Curbishley. "Throughout his career Darren has scored close to one goal every two matches and that is impressive."

Bent netted 31 goals in 68 League appearances during his spell at The Valley and Curbishley says: "Darren is an out-and-out goalscorer.

"The secret is not to ask him to do things which could detract from that. I don't know what went on at Villa, maybe there was a personality clash or perhaps he couldn't get in because Christian Benteke was doing so well.

"When Darren was at Charlton I asked him to play on the shoulder of the last defender and not to worry too much about build-up play.

"We had Danny Murphy in a three-man midfield that season and he would just pick out Darren who would get right on the end of things."

At the end of the 2005-06 season Bent finished as the leading English striker in the top flight with 22 League and cup goals and Curbishley believed his in-form striker was a certainty to be selected for the World Cup finals in Germany.

"I was so sure he would be picked I took him off at half-time of our last game of the season at Manchester United to protect him.

"I was shocked when Sven-Goran Eriksson left him out of the squad," said Curbishley, who has been out of management since 2008 when he left West Ham.

Curbishley remains optimistic Bent can recapture the golden form he demonstrated at Charlton now that he has moved to Fulham, where the 29-year-old striker has been reunited with Scott Parker, who joined from Tottenham this week.

Curbishley added: "Martin doesn't seem to mind signing experienced players and I can see him working really well with Dimitar Berbatov, who likes the ball to feet rather than running in behind.

"What with Scott Parker in midfield, Fulham have done some shrewd business and I can see them doing well this season."



http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/darren-bent-can-recapture-golden-form-at-fulham--curbishley-8779788.html (http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/darren-bent-can-recapture-golden-form-at-fulham--curbishley-8779788.html)

 
Bent to make flying start for Fulham against Arsenal
The well-travelled striker has scored seven goals in 11 games against the Gunners

Darren Bent was an unused substitute for Fulham in their 1-0 win against his former club Sunderland, but the striker will surely make his debut against Arsenal if Martin Jol is aware of his record against the Gunners.

In 11 matches against Arsenal, Bent has scored seven times for four different teams, and he is a good bet to find the net again at 9/4 to score in the 90 minutes.

In his past five matches in all competitions against the Gunners Bent has scored five times, including winners for both Aston Villa and Sunderland.

The only team Bent has a better record against is Bolton, and Jol would be wise to use him either from the start or off the bench.

Laurent Koscielny is unavailable for the match after being sent off against Aston Villa and Bacary Sagna will be required to fill in at centre-back in a makeshift defence.

Villa ruthlessly exposed the Gunners' vulnerability to the counter attack at the Emirates, and Bent will thrive on long balls in behind the high line Arsene Wenger favours.

After a morale-boosting win over Fenerbahce in the Champions League play-offs, Arsenal will be desperate to get their league campaign back on track.

The visitors are 23/20 to win, but with Fulham likely to pose a sterner test than the Turkish side, backing the draw at 12/5 could be the better bet.

It is also notable that in the past three matches between the two sides at Craven Cottage there have been four red cards, with both Steven Sidwell and Olivier Giroud sent off last season.

Fulham were unable to overcome the early dismissal of Sidwell last year, and lost 1-0, but with Bent in their ranks they will be hoping for at least a point this term.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing



http://news.ladbrokes.com/en-gb/football/premier-league/bent-to-make-flying-start-for-fulham-against-arsenal_168878.html (http://news.ladbrokes.com/en-gb/football/premier-league/bent-to-make-flying-start-for-fulham-against-arsenal_168878.html)

 
The Marathon Trip

(http://www.fulhamfc.com/-/media/Gallery/2013/Sunderland%20Gallery/1.ashx?w=717&h=320)

For the first game of the 2013/14 Barclays Premier League season, our new title sponsor Marathonbet treated 200 Fulham fans to free away travel to Sunderland.

What they didn't tell them was they would be giving each fan their own brand new Third team shirt to wear for the match, and enlisting the help of Fulham legend, Luis Boa Morte as a surprise landlord.

Before arriving at the Stadium of Light, the four coaches pulled up to a pub for a scheduled pit stop to let fans refuel and grab a pre-match pint.

It was then that Marathonbet exclusively revealed Fulham's brand new Third kit and gave each lucky fan a shirt for the match, making them the first people other than players to wear it.

However the surprises didn't stop there, as the 200 buoyant Fulham fans wearing blue and orange entered the pub, they saw Fulham legend Luis Boa Morte behind the bar pulling pints.

As chants of 'Boa Morte' rang around the pub, he had a bite to eat with the travelling Fulham faithful and posed for photos before everyone headed back to the coaches for the final leg of their 'Marathon Trip'.

To top it off, Fulham came away with three points in the bag after a narrow 1-0 victory, so for the 200 fans it was the perfect start to the 2013/14 campaign. Bring on Arsenal at home!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCm2pucx0D0&feature=player_embedded#t=0 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCm2pucx0D0&feature=player_embedded#t=0)



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/august/21/the-marathon-trip? (http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/august/21/the-marathon-trip?)

 
Transfer news: Fulham to wait before discussing Mahamadou Diarra deal

(http://e1.365dm.com/13/01/16-9/20/Mahamadou-Diarra-Fulham_2883817.jpg?20130110101918)
Mahamadou Diarra: Free agent has been training with Fulham

Mahamadou Diarra must prove his fitness to Fulham before they will consider offering the midfielder fresh terms.

The 32-year-old was released by the Cottagers at the end of last season and has not figured for the club since suffering a knee injury in December 2012.

Diarra is yet to return to full match sharpness and remains in the free-agent pool as a result.

He has, however, been training with Fulham over the summer and could be handed a new deal at Craven Cottage if he can convince Martin Jol that he is deserving of a place in his squad.

"He is doing a lot of ball work and the warm-ups with us," the Dutch coach told the Fulham Chronicle of the former Real Madrid enforcer.

"He needs another three or four weeks before playing games with us or the reserves and then we will make a decision on him."

Meanwhile, Jol has revealed that he will look to send promising forward Chris David out on loan this season in an effort to get the 20-year-old important game time.

He said of a player who moved to England from FC Twente in January: "He's a very talented left-footer. He looks good but he needs games.

"Abroad they go into the first team at 18 or 19, but you don't see that in England.

"They go on loan, like (Alex) Kacaniklic, come back and be better. That is my idea with the youngsters, to try to find clubs for them."


http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11681/8882786? (http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11681/8882786?)

 
Cox: Jol set to start Parker against Arsenal

Fulham rarely hit the headlines for either their on-pitch performance or their off-field antics, so it's no surprise that their summer transfer captures have hardly dominated the footballing news agenda in recent weeks.

However, quietly, Fulham have gone about their recruitment very effectively. The extent of a side's transfer dealings are often summarised by a balance sheet-style profit or loss figure, but Fulham's signings offer quality without causing a huge dent in new owner Shahid Khan's savings.

The last fortnight has turned Fulham's summer from 'decent' to 'very good'. The Cottagers seemed to be lacking numbers in midfield positions – but the signings of both Scott Parker and Adel Taarabt means they now have an impressive squad. With Derek Boateng, Fernando Amorebieta and Maarten Stekelenburg already signed, and Darren Bent providing another striking option, Fulham have done well.

Parker should be in line for his debut this weekend, and Jol has to decide who makes way – after Boateng and Steve Sidwell started together in the 1-0 win against Sunderland last weekend. There's not a huge difference between the three players stylistically – all are tenacious, energetic and committed tacklers.

Parker will expect to slot into the side immediately, however, which means one of last week's starters will drop to the bench. Although Sidwell was dismissed in this fixture last season, against one of his former sides, he'll probably remain in the team. Boateng was removed midway through a quiet Premier League debut, and Sidwell's Premier League experience will probably be favoured.



Read more: http://pickourteam.com/premierleague/fulham/news/22-08-2013/cox-jol-set-to-start-parker-against-arsenal/843326?#ixzz2clHjoWwY (http://pickourteam.com/premierleague/fulham/news/22-08-2013/cox-jol-set-to-start-parker-against-arsenal/843326?#ixzz2clHjoWwY)

 
Fulham transfer news: Sako close to Forest switch

Fulham are in danger of losing out to Championship side Nottingham Forest in their bid to sign winger Bakary Sako from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Cottagers boss Martin Jol has been targeting Wolves player Sako all summer but the two clubs have been haggling over a fee.

Wolves wanted £4 million for the player but Fulham were not prepared to increase an initial £2.5m bid.

Now Forest could pull off a coup by stealing the player from under the Londoners' noses.

Forest have made a 100 per cent start to the season and are top of the Championship, with boss Billy Davies showing he has a squad capable of winning promotion to the Premier League.

But Davies wants to strengthen still further, despite bringing in nine players this summer - including the re-signing of former Forest defender Kelvin Wilson from Celtic.

Now he has set his sights on the flair of Sako, although - once more - the fee could prove a sticking point.

Wolves are under no pressure to sell and get Sako off the wage bill, despite going down to League One last season.

And Sako - despite a summer protest over the stalled Fulham switch - is not causing a fuss and continues to impress under Wolves boss Kenny Jackett.


http://www.sportsdirectnews.com/premier-league/30670-fulham-transfer-news-sako-close-to-forest-switch.php (http://www.sportsdirectnews.com/premier-league/30670-fulham-transfer-news-sako-close-to-forest-switch.php)

 
Fulham v Arsenal

By Jonathan Pearce
BBC Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Craven Cottage Date: Saturday, 24 August

Fulham manager Martin Jol must decide whether to give ex-Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker his debut against Arsenal.
Goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg injured his shoulder at Sunderland so David Stockdale is set to start.
Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny is banned after his sending off against Aston Villa last weekend.
Nacho Monreal is back in the Gunners' squad, but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee) has joined a lengthy injury list headed by Thomas Vermaelen (back).
MATCH PREVIEW

The alarm sirens for Arsene Wenger's reign will be screeching if Arsenal lose back-to-back opening league matches for the first time since the inaugural Premier League season 21 years ago. If they surrender as meekly as they did against Villa then Fulham can record successive opening Premier League victories for the first time.

But the Gunners reminded everyone that they're not far short of being a really good team when they won handsomely at Fenerbahce in the Champions League on Wednesday. Arsene Wenger has been overly-cautious in the transfer marker so far, but some of the criticism of him has bordered on the hysterical.

Fans have rightly been frustrated that big-name signings have been mooted yet no deals have been forthcoming. But it's not Wenger's fault that Liverpool wouldn't sell Luis Suarez. The Anfield club told me last week the Uruguayan was never going to move to the Emirates.

Yohan Cabaye's smooth passing and movement would add numbers and quality to midfield, a composed defender like Ashley Williams is a must, while a consistently reliable goalkeeper like Asmir Begovic would be an improvement.

A marquee signing up front would also appease the fans - although actually the side already has plenty of potency with four players reaching double figures last season. Olivier Giroud will always be unfairly compared to Robin van Persie but his 19 goals from 49 games ratio is a decent return. He scored twice in the home game last season against Fulham, who've never won at Arsenal.

Martin Jol has significantly added bite to his midfield with the signing of Scott Parker. The loaning of Darren Bent is also sharp business.

Fulham certainly have enough quality to stay up, although they will have to end their miserable Spring slump at home where they've lost their last four games.

But Fulham's opening win at Sunderland was flattering. The home side dominated possession and had 14 shots. The Cottagers won it with their only effort.

There is also a lack of pace in key areas of Jol's side. Theo Walcott, supplied by Santi Cazorla, can exploit that. It'll be tight and tense but I can't see Arsenal being beaten again.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
Three of the last five meetings between the two clubs have ended in a draw.

Fulham have won just three of 24 Premier League matches against the Gunners; all three of those wins have come at Craven Cottage.

Arsenal have won on eight of their 12 trips to Craven Cottage since Fulham were promoted to the Premier League.

There have been four red cards in the last three Premier League fixtures between the teams at Fulham.

Fulham
Fulham have lost their last four home matches dating back to last season, including April's 1-0 defeat to the Gunners. They were beaten nine times at Craven Cottage during the 2012-13 campaign - the equal-most home defeats in last season's Premier League.
The last time Fulham started a campaign with back-to-back victories was their 2000-01 promotion-winning season when they won their opening 11 fixtures.
Darren Bent has scored six goals in his last eight Premier League games against Arsenal.
Martin Jol's men have scored six of their last eight goals in the second half of matches

Arsenal
Arsenal took 19 points in London derbies last season, more than any club from the capital. Victory would see them become the first club to register 100 London derby wins in the Premier League.
Only Manchester City (34) conceded fewer goals than the Gunners (37) last season.
All 12 of Olivier Giroud's 12 Premier League goals have been scored in London (11 at the Emirates Stadium).
The Gunners have been given more Premier League red cards since the start of last season than any other side (six).


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23744679? (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23744679?)

 
LAWRO'S PREDICTION

Fulham v Arsenal (12:45)
(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/69411000/jpg/_69411271_fulham-arsenal.jpg)
Who would have thought that Fulham would have bought more players by this stage of the season than Arsenal? They have bought well, too.

I felt the Cottagers still needed a midfielder but they have got a quality one in Scott Parker and Martin Jol's squad looks strong.

Winning at Sunderland was a great start and this will be a real test for Arsenal.

I watched the Gunners against Fenerbache in their Champions League qualifier in midweek and, although it took them until the second half to really get going, they were convincing winners.

Their home defeat to Aston Villa was a bad result but it was blown out of proportion because it was the first weekend of the season - they did not actually play that badly.

Whatever happens in this game, people are going to be talking about who Arsene Wenger could or should buy, and that will continue until the transfer window shuts.

Prediction: 1-1



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23784502 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/23784502)

 
Arsenal shouldn't underestimate Fulham on Saturday
The west London side have the potential to cause an upset on home soil

(http://static.givemesport.com/uploads/images/f166109bf38541f59cdbdd467db8ca70/130216576309218557/650x420/top.jpg)
Dimitar Berbatov oozes class (©GettyImages)

Arsenal visit Fulham on Saturday for a lunchtime kick off and the North London side will have to be on song to ensure they recover from their opening day horror show.

Arsenal go into the London derby with a number of significant injuries.Thomas Vermaelen, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mikel Arteta all are unavailable with injuries, not forgetting the the absence of Laurent Koscielny, who is banned after receiving a red card against Villa.

With these injuries and bans the Arsenal defence will have a make shift look to it, with it likely containing Gibbs, Mertesacker, Sagna and Jenkinson.

It is here that Fulham may be able to capitalise. With the likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Hugo Rodallega, Darren Bent and Bryan Ruiz, Fulham aren't short of firepower!

They have also brought in the likes of Scott Parker from Tottenham and Adel Taarabt from QPR on a season-long loan to bolster their midfield.

Arsenal are also stepping into the game with poor Premier League form. Following their 3-1 loss to Aston Villa in the opening game of the season things are looking bleak for the North London side this season.

However, with a 3-0 win midweek in the Champions League play-off first leg against Fenerbahce, spirits in the Gunners camp could well be a lot more healthier than after last Saturday's result.

Fulham go into the game in buoyant mood after beating Sunderland 1-0 in their first game of the season. Despite being largely outplayed for most of the match the west London outfit showed a clinical side to their game as they secured maximum points at the Stadium of Light.

Predicted Line-ups:

Fulham (4-4-1-1): Stekelenburg, Reither, Hangeland, Hughes, Briggs, Duff, Sidwell, Taarabt, Kacaniklic, Ruiz, Berbatov

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Fabianski, Jenkinson, Sagna, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Ramsey, Wilshere, Cazorla, Podolski, Walcott, Giroud

Write for GiveMeSport! Sign-up to the GMS Writing Academy here: http://gms.to/130seMa (http://gms.to/130seMa)

DISCLAIMER: This article has been written by a member of the GiveMeSport Writing Academy and does not represent the views of GiveMeSport.com or SportsNewMedia. The views and opinions expressed are solely that of the author credited at the top of this article. GiveMeSport.com and SportsNewMedia do not take any responsibility for the content of its contributors.



http://www.givemesport.com/371514-arsenal-shouldnt-underestimate-fulham-on-saturday?autoplay=on (http://www.givemesport.com/371514-arsenal-shouldnt-underestimate-fulham-on-saturday?autoplay=on)

 
Fulham and Crystal Palace eyeing Inter Milan's Ezequiel Schelotto

(http://e2.365dm.com/13/02/16-9/20/Ezequiel-Schelotto-celeb-Inter-Milan-v-AC-Mil_2906042.jpg?20130822184247)
Ezequiel Schelotto: Linked with moves to Fulham & Crystal Palace

Sky Sports understands several Premier League clubs are chasing Inter Milan winger Ezequiel Schelotto.

Inter are willing to listen to offers for Schelotto as he does not figure in new coach Walter Mazzarri's plans at the San Siro.

The highly-rated 24-year-old only joined Inter last January in a €6million from Atalanta and scored his first goal for the club in last season's Milan derby.

Inter are thought to be willing to loan out Schelotto with the option to buy at the end of the loan spell.

Italian agent Augusto Carpeggiani has been given permisson by Inter to sound out interested clubs and he is thought to be speaking to several clubs about signing the pacy attacker.

The news has alerted a host of clubs across Europe with the likes of Fulham and Crystal Palace thought to be admirers of the powerful wide player.

Schelotto, who was born in Argentina, is an Italian international and he made his senior debut against England last August.



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11681/8883318? (http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11681/8883318?)

 
Bremen step up Riise interes

German side Werder Bremen are ready to move for Fulham full-back John Arne Riise, who has been allowed to move on as a free agent.

Riise has a year left on his contract but has revealed he will be allowed to move on if he can find a club before the transfer window closes on September 2. Bundesliga outfit Bremen were linked with the Norwegian defender earlier this month and Weser-Kurier have now reported that the German side are trying to agree a deal with Riise. The 32-year-old was a regular for the Cottagers last season but wasn't included in the squad for the opening-day victory at Sunderland as Kieran Richardson started at left-back.



Read more at: http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/bremen-step-up-riise-interest-1620527.html? (http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/bremen-step-up-riise-interest-1620527.html?)

 
Fulham build momentum

New Fulham arrival Scott Parker could make his club debut this weekend versus Arsenal.
The talking stops and for those of us besotted with the game, the first round of matches immediately answers a number of questions. The great joy of the digital age is how social media has created this global democracy whereby everyone has the chance to express a view and provide opinions. Fulham fan sites continue to proliferate, debates rage, reputations are trashed, new heroes championed.

I like to believe content reflecting our own unique club is a cut above the rest. To my mind, we certainly have a high quotient of erudite and articulate followers spread around the globe. Nobody can question their dedication or passion for the colours, even though Fulham have repeatedly disappointed, like an unfaithful spouse, throughout history.

Results from round one suggest few radical changes to the old order in the Premiership, despite three of the top four changing managers in the summer. Manchester United remain formidable for as long as Robin van Persie stays fit. His instinctive mental capacity to sniff out chances is unsurpassed. Manchester City spent the most, and with a more steely hand on the tiller appear a juggernaut that will take some stopping. Chelsea cannot be ruled out as genuine title contenders under Jose Mourinho, still with the capacity to spend more.

But Arsenal? Fulham's summer spending-spree took a while to get going, testing the fans' patience while leaving us in the dark -- understandable with the club changing hands in early July. But the Gunners seem to have gone into hibernation. Home defeat to Aston Villa was the big shock of day one. Will it take another loss at Fulham to wake the board from their paralysis?

Let's hope we can add to the Gunners problems this week. Factors in our favour are a horribly long injury list for Arsene Wenger, plus an early kick-off Saturday lunchtime on the back of a trip to Turkey for the Champions League with Fenerbahce. At time of writing Wenger is down to one central defender in Per Mertesacker, and while Arsenal still parade a number of star names, this is a game Fulham can face without fear.

There's no team news this early in the week coming out from the boss. But so ineffective was our midfield engine at Sunderland I am certain Scott Parker will go straight into the side. Now signed to his fifth London club, even at 32 the tigerish midfielder and England international with a strong work ethic has much to offer. This at last is a combative player for the big occasion with the presence to inherit Danny Murphy's crown.

This mouth-watering derby will surely see the debut of Darren Bent up front, especially as the Arsenal are weak at the back. With our new Dutch keeper nursing his bruised shoulder for a fortnight, it's another chance for David Stockdale to press his credentials, but he was in goal the last time we beat Arsenal in January 2012 and won't let anyone down. Skipper Brede Hangeland was arguably MoM at Sunderland in negating the threat of Jozy Altidore, so the spine of the team looks impressive, should Scotty start.

Who else gets the nod and how we set up tactically will however be a test of Martin Jol's acumen. It's not going to be easy to drop either Adel Taarabt or Pajtim Kasami after that win over Sunderland. One of our U.S. sites has been promoting a very fluid line of four offensive minded players playing almost a free role behind Bent, naming Bryan Ruiz, Dimitar Berbatov, Taarabt plus one (either Ashkan Dejagah or Alex Kakaniklic). That's way too cavalier for Fulham to consider at this early stage. In recent fixtures between the clubs, Fulham have done really well to subdue Arsenal down the flanks, even last spring when we played 80 minutes with ten men. I can't ever recall Theo Walcott having a good game against us. Let's hope that trend continues this week, where Fulham, as we know, do have issues currently at left-back.

There are interesting links between our two clubs. A merger was proposed in 1913 but rejected by the FA. One Henry Norris, an enterprising and colourful character, was Fulham's chairman at the time when he then took on ownership of Woolwich Arsenal after the club went into liquidation. A former mayor of Fulham and property developer, Norris used his freemasonry and political contacts to re-locate Arsenal to a new site in North London, Woolwich was dropped from the name, Archibald Leitch, the architect behind Craven Cottage, was hired to build on the site that became Highbury, and the energetic Norris made Arsenal the first London club to go fully professional.

Once the FA told Norris he could not be chairman of two clubs, Fulham were jettisoned as Norris saw greater potential in North London. A decade later, and now knighted, he enticed Herbert Chapman down as manager -- the man who delivered up the first golden age for the Gunners with three consecutive league titles. Fulham meanwhile, charted a different course.

After one shady deal too many Norris ended his days having been banned from any association with football. He was found guilty of paying his chauffeur via club accounts and once sold the Arsenal team bus for £125 and kept the cash!

Check back later in the week as we preview Fulham's first London derby of the season with Arsenal -- always a fascinating fixture.

twitter@fulhamphil



http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/fulham/id/1243?&cc=5739 (http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/fulham/id/1243?&cc=5739)

 
Fulham v Arsenal: Cottagers can inflict more woe on weary Wenger

Jaymes Monte previews Saturday's early kick-off as Fulham host Arsenal at Craven Cottage...


Fulham v Arsenal
Saturday August 24, 12:45 BST
Live on BT Sport 1

Less than 72 hours after an arduous trip across Europe to all but book their place in the Champions League group stages, Arsenal are required to line-up at Craven Cottage for a Premier League clash that even at this early stage in proceedings takes on huge significance.

It's not very often that I find myself siding with Arsene Wenger, but he has every right to feel aggrieved at the Premier League's scheduling of this one. Surely the powers that be should be doing everything they can to help English clubs prosper in European competition. Is there any logical reason why this game couldn't have been scheduled as Sunday's 16:00 televised game?

We know that every other country in Europe does their utmost to give their teams every chance in the Champions League. Why isn't it the same in England?


Match Odds
Fulham 3.9 v Arsenal 2.14; The Draw 3.55

Such has been the hysteria and overreaction to Arsenal's start to the season that their odds on winning this game have fluctuated from as low as 1.63 prior to the game against Aston Villa to a high of 2.34 as reports of potential injuries to most of the back four surfaced in the early part of this week. Following the midweek win over Fenerbahce they have now settled at a more sensible 2.14.

The hosts' price has also oscillated accordingly and at their high of 4.7 they'd certainly have been worth a bet, but their terrible record against the Gunners - three wins in the last 24 league meetings - is a stumbling block when considering a punt at the current odds of 3.9.

Given Arsenal's poor start against Villa, the inevitable strains that the midweek trip to Turkey will have had on a notably thin squad and Fulham's poor win ratio in this fixture, the draw looks to be the best bet here at odds of 3.55.


Over/Under 2.5 Goals

From what we saw against Aston Villa at the weekend and Fenerbahce in midweek, Arsenal do not have any concerns in the offensive department. Their problems lie in defence. And they are big problems.

Thomas Vermaelen is out for at least another few weeks yet, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker are accidents waiting to happen and there is nobody in midfield to effectively protect the back four.

Villa were able to exploit the Gunners' deficiencies through Gabby Agbonlahor and Christian Benteke, Fulham also have the weaponry to do so. Although they represent a different type of threat Dimitar Berbatov and Darren Bent are each, in their own ways, potent goal threats.

This game has goals in it, at both ends, and the 1.88 about Over 2.5 goals is undoubtedly the best bet of this fixture.


To Score

In my weekly Sidemarket Special column I wrote about how the stars have aligned for Darren Bent to get on the scoresheet here. Not only does Bent have an extremely good record of scoring against Arsenal - six goals in his last eight Premier League appearances against the Gunners - but he has also scored on debut for Charlton, Sunderland, Aston Villa and England Under-19s throughout his career.

So long as he starts the game, as we expect he will, then the 3.6 about him scoring anytime is an absolute steal.


Cash Out

As I'm predicting a high scoring game that could end level, my best Cash Out opportunities come in the Correct Score market. The 2-2 scoreline is currently available to back at odds of 15.5 and the 3-3 draw an I'll-take-the-kids-to-Disney-land-if-it-comes-in 70.0.

Early goals could see those prices tumble, especially if Fulham take the lead, and we should get some prime opportunities to Cash Out for a guaranteed profit. But if you can hold your nerve a little longer then I'd advise waiting until half time at least, when we could be sitting on a small fortune.


Best Bet
Back Over 2.5 goals @ 1.88

Recommended Bets
Back The Draw @ 3.55
Back Darren Bent to score anytime @ 3.6



http://betting.betfair.com/football/premier-league/fulham-v-arsenal-cottagers-can-inflict-more-woe-on-weary-wenger-220813-159.html? (http://betting.betfair.com/football/premier-league/fulham-v-arsenal-cottagers-can-inflict-more-woe-on-weary-wenger-220813-159.html?)

 
Diarra could earn another Fulham deal
by DAN on AUGUST 23, 2013

(http://www.thenational.ae/deployedfiles/Assets/Richmedia/Image/SaxoPress/AD20120306711466-Mahamadou%20Diarr.jpg)

Martin Jol says he will consider whether to offer Mahamadou Diarra a pay-as-you-play deal once the midfielder returns to full fitness.

The Malian international has not featured for Fulham since last December's 3-0 home defeat by Tottenham and the 32 year-old's contract expired in June. Diarra has been training at Motspur Park as he attempts to persuade Fulham to offer him a short-term deal and the Fulham manager hasn't ruled out the possibility despite adding Derek Boateng and Scott Parker to his midfield options over the summer.

He is doing a lot of ball work and the warm-up with us. He needs another three or four weeks before playing games with us or the reserves and then we will make a decision on him.

The former Real Madrid midfielder could feature in some of Fulham's under-21 fixtures before Jol makes a final decision on whether to extend his Craven Cottage career.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/08/diarra-could-earn-another-fulham-deal/? (http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/08/diarra-could-earn-another-fulham-deal/?)

 
Bent can hit old heights at Fulham
by DAN on AUGUST 23, 2013

(http://whatculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Darren-Bent.jpg)

Darren Bent can reinvigorate his career during his loan spell at Fulham, according to the striker's former manager Alan Curbishley.

Curbishley, who took Bent from Ipswich to Charlton in June 2005 and managed him for two seasons before the forward moved on to Tottenham, believes that the England international's record speaks for itself.

We all have our opinions but the statistics don't lie.Throughout his career Darren has scored close to one goal every two matches and that is impressive. Darren is an out-and-out goalscorer.

The secret is not to ask him to do things which could detract from that. I don't know what went on at Villa, maybe there was a personality clash or perhaps he couldn't get in because Christian Benteke was doing so well. When Darren was at Charlton I asked him to play on the shoulder of the last defender and not to worry too much about build-up play. We had Danny Murphy in a three-man midfield that season and he would just pick out Darren who would get right on the end of things.

Bent, who scored 31 league goals in 68 appearances at the Valley, was a surprise omission from Sven-Goran Eriksson's 2006 World Cup squad.

I was so sure he would be picked I took him off at half-time of our last game of the season at Manchester United to protect him. I was shocked when Sven-Goran Eriksson left him out of the squad.

Curbishley believes that Martin Jol has picked up a couple of considerable bargains during his transfer window business.

Martin doesn't seem to mind signing experienced players and I can see him [Bent] working really well with Dimitar Berbatov, who likes the ball to feet rather than running in behind. What with Scott Parker in midfield, Fulham have done some shrewd business and I can see them doing well this season.

Bent, who an unused substitute during Fulham's win at Sunderland last weekend, could make his debut for his new club in the London derby against Arsenal at Craven Cottage on Saturday.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/08/bent-can-hit-old-heights-at-fulham/? (http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/08/bent-can-hit-old-heights-at-fulham/?)

 
Fulham keen on Inter winger
by DAN on AUGUST 23, 2013

(http://binaryapi.ap.org/fa4d34c8400e42db8e21acf4a90a1355/512x.jpg)

Fulham and Crystal Palace are both preparing to offer Ezequiel Schelotto an opportunity to end his nightmare spell at Inter Milan with a move to the Premier League.

New coach Walter Mazzarri left the Italian international out of Inter's pre-season tour to America and has told the 24 year-old that he is free to look for another club, despite only joining the Nerazzurri in January. The winger struggled to live up to the £5m that Inter paid Atalanta for his signature, despite scoring in the Milan derby, and the 24 year-old, who made his international debut against England last August, would be available on loan, with an option for a permanent transfer.

Martin Jol is a long-term admirer of Schelotto and Fulham were heavily linked with the winger in January before his move to Inter. Both Fulham and Palace will face stiff competition from a number of European clubs, according to reports from Italy.


http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/08/fulham-keen-on-inter-winger/? (http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/08/fulham-keen-on-inter-winger/?)

 
Pritchard scores Europa League winner for Tromso
by DAN on AUGUST 23, 2013

Tromso 2-1 Beşiktaş (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDJUpUSgsrU#)

On-loan Fulham midfielder Josh Pritchard scored the winner for Tromso as they toppled Besiktas tonight in their Europa League play-off first leg.

The 20 year-old midfielder, who spent ten years at Manchester United, as a youngster seized on a defensive mistake by Besiktas centre back Julien Escude, running fully forty yards to calmly finish past goalkeeper Tolga Zengin. It was Pritchard's first senior professional goal. The Norwegian side will take their precious first-leg lead to Istanbul for the second leg next Thursday.

Pritchard's impressive form for Tromso has seen his loan deal extended to the end of the Norwegian season in November.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/08/pritchard-scores-europa-league-winner-for-tromso/? (http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/08/pritchard-scores-europa-league-winner-for-tromso/?)

 
Preview: Fulham vs. Arsenal

rsène Wenger is under pressure after no progress in the transfer market
A 3-0 midweek win at Fenerbahçe all but assured Arsenal's spot in Champions League group stage
Fulham has lost its last four league matches at Craven Cottage
Talk about two teams that started the season off on different notes. Fulham and Arsenal come into their match on Saturday (7:45 a.m. ET, NBCSN) after vastly different results in their first fixtures and sharply contrasting buzz among fans and media.

Fulham defeated Sunderland 1-0 away from home, while 10-man Arsenal crumbled to Aston Villa, 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium after Laurent Koscielny picked up two yellow cards, despite going up a goal in the first six minutes. Manager Arsène Wenger has come under a lot of scrutiny for failing to make any big summer signings, with many pointing to the result as proof of necessary change.

The home side will likely need another good defensive performance to come up with a similar result against the Gunners as it got against Sunderland. Center back Brede Hangeland (pictured) led the line for the Whites, clearing 11 balls and making three interceptions to lead all defenders in both categories.

This fixture last season was a low-scoring affair, as Arsenal big man Per Mertesacker scored the only goal of the game to lead Arsenal to a 1-0 win. With Arsenal's attack looking largely tame against Villa — although three different players scored in midweek against Fenerbahçe in the Champions League — scoring goals at Craven Cottage has become an interesting challenge in recent visits for the North Londoners.

Fulham will be without goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg and left back Kieran Richardson, injured in the opening-day win, making its task of defending more difficult.

What they're saying

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on his transfer policy: "I would just like to reiterate to you that in the last 16 years, we have been very successful with transfers. If you look at the players we have, they are top quality, and you should never forget that. It is not always to think what is outside is better than what you have. What is important as well is to rate what you have, and our fans have to understand that as well. It's hard, but I can understand the impatience."

Fulham forward Darren Bent on his loan signing: "I'm not just hungry to play football again. I'm absolutely starving. I'm ready to get going. Hopefully for the next game, I'll get a piece of the action. I've missed on a couple of major competitions with England, but I just hope this is my year. I need to get back to playing regularly, scoring goals for Fulham, and that's my priority. That's what I do best."

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey on the difficult start to the season: "It wasn't the ideal start to the Premier League, but we bounced back [against Fenerbahçe]. ... I'm feeling really confident at the moment. I've overcome my injury now, I feel, and after a couple of difficult seasons, I'm very happy, and hopefully, it will continue."

Prediction

Even with all the turmoil at Arsenal, the team seems a bit too strong for Fulham. Forward Olivier Giroud provided the only goal against Villa last week, and he added another against Fenerbahçe, making him Arsenal's go-to attacking player at the moment. With the right service, he should be able to bag another against Fulham and lead his team to victory.



http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/08/22/preview-fulham-vs-arsenal/? (http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/08/22/preview-fulham-vs-arsenal/?)

 
Former Arsenal star fears Gunners could struggle at Fulham

Arsenal travel west for their first London derby of the season on Saturday with the pressure cranked up after their lamentable home defeat to Aston Villa.

Their 10-game unbeaten Premier League run – a sequence which pushed them over the line into fourth place last May at the expense of Tottenham – was shattered in emphatic fashion by Paul Lambert's side.

Fulham, who were 1-0 winners at Sunderland last Saturday, have strengthened their squad with the signing of out-of-favour Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker – an Arsenal target not so long ago – and will fancy their chances of overcoming a Gunners squad down to its bare bones.

Former Arsenal midfielder Stewart Robson is not overly confident about his old club's chances.

"They will be nervous going to the Cottage, very nervous," said Robson ahead of Saturday's big game.

"It was a poor start to the season last weekend – we are still waiting for fresh new blood to come into the club and the squad is looking very thin. Nerves will be stretched.

"I have been honest about where the club is at and where I think it is going, and I honestly felt that we would improve on last season.

"We're only one game in so it is early days, but it doesn't bode well.

"Fulham is a tough place to go to – I was there last season when we won 1-0 against 10 men although we really scraped that win. It was far from convincing.

"The squad has just had a midweek trip to Istanbul, and there are injuries. Add the pressure that is building up and it is a big weekend for Arsenal."

Robson has polarised the Arsenal faithful with his outspoken criticism of the club, but he claims there are serious flaws that make him sound like a "stuck record".

He added: "I feel like I am repeating myself but nothing changes – that has been the case for several seasons, I'm afraid.

"Players continue to play out of position, defenders don't do the basics properly, midfielders don't cover them ... when we don't have the ball we look vulnerable and you could see that against Villa.

"For one Villa goal the referee ran past Jack Wilshere! I love Jack, he is a great player, but he wasn't exactly chasing back hard to help his defence out.

"And on top of that we desperately need reinforcements – quality reinforcements –which is what all the other clubs are doing. Spurs have brought in several big signings while we have brought in one lad on a free!"

Arsene Wenger celebrates 17 years at the club next month, but Robson is critical of the manager's methods – echoing a growing debate among many fans.

"He has been fantastic on so many levels but now I have big concerns," admitted Robson, who made 186 appearances for the club before leaving for West Ham in January 1987.

"He has too much control and even helped hire his own boss, which simply cannot be healthy. I want to see Steve Bould take more coaching and to really have an impact on the defence – I sometimes wonder how he feels about the situation.

"I am sorry, but Wenger doesn't convince me any more despite the fact there are some quality players at the club.

"I honestly believe that if Jose Mourinho was at the club we'd finish top two easily.

"In fact, I would say the same if we had Guus Hiddink or even Rafa Benitez. We need to get back to basics and see the players do the simple things.

"With this side they can easily go and score two or three goals – and that is possible at Fulham on Saturday – but we also know we are vulnerable and can concede sloppy goals too easily.

"Which Arsenal will turn up at the Cottage?"



http://www.london24.com/sport/arsenal/former_arsenal_star_fears_gunners_could_struggle_at_fulham_1_2348149 (http://www.london24.com/sport/arsenal/former_arsenal_star_fears_gunners_could_struggle_at_fulham_1_2348149)

 
Statistical Preview: Can Arsenal Overcome Opening Day Loss In London Derby With Fulham?

Patjim Kasami picked a good moment to score his first Fulham goal as his second half header earned Martin Jol's side all three points on their opening day fixture.

Brede Hangeland's presence in the centre of defence will clearly once again be crucial to Fulham's chances this year. The giant Norwegian centre half already leads the Fulham squad for clearances with 13.

New signing Martin Stekelenburg will no doubt be hoping the relatively quiet introduction he got to Premier League life against Sunderland will continue this week. He only had to make two saves according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the second lowest of any keeper in the league and 3 less than the other keeper starting life with a new club in the Premier League, Simon Mignolet.

Derek Boateng has already earmarked himself as Fulham's potential midfield enforcer for this season, racking up 4 fouls in his first appearance.

Arsenal's season got off to the worst possible start as they fell to a 1-3 defeat to Aston Villa at The Emirates. Olivier Giroud's well-taken goal had seemingly set the stage for the Gunners to dominate the match but a spirited fightback from Villa saw their afternoon end in disappointment and yet more pressure heaped on an embattled Arsene Wenger.

Despite his expertly taken goal, Olivier Giroud struggled to consistently test Brad Guzan last weekend. He scored with his only on-target attempt on goal, being off-target with the other 75%. Giroud is 9/5 with 888sport.com to get himself on the scoresheet again this weekend though.

Although Arsenal fans are desperate for Wenger to spend before the close of the window, one area where they do have relative strength in depth is in creative midfielders. Despite coming out on the wrong end of 1-3 home defeat last weekend, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey still placed 2nd and 4th on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for passes completed inside the opponent's half, with 54 and 52 respectively.

The loss of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for the near future to a knee injury deprives Arsenal of one of their gamer-changers and Arsene Wenger will be concerned about losing the attacking purpose the Ox brings to the team. The young winger took on Villa with a joint squad-high 4 dribbles and the Gunners will miss his surges forward in the coming weeks.

Key in replacing Oxlade-Chamberlain's attacking instincts will be Tomas Rosicky who already leads his colleagues for attacking contributions with 7 according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance. This is despite being the oldest member of the Arsenal squad.

Data supplied by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Select and manage your own team of stars at http://fantasy.premierleague.com/ (http://fantasy.premierleague.com/) or with FIFA Ultimate Team for FIFA 14.


http://www.footballfriendsonline.com/blogs/2013/8/23/statistical-preview-can-arsenal-overcome-opening-day-loss-in.html? (http://www.footballfriendsonline.com/blogs/2013/8/23/statistical-preview-can-arsenal-overcome-opening-day-loss-in.html?)

 
Steve Sidwell v Jack Wilshere: Head-to-head analysis ahead of the clash between Fulham and Arsenal
Check out all the vital statistics concerning the two sides' midfielders ahead of this weekend's Premier League meeting at Craven Cottage

(http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/article8780706.ece/ALTERNATES/w460/WilsherevsSidwell.jpg)

Ahead of this weekend's Premier League meeting, between Fulham and Arsenal, see how the sides' midfield men Steve Sidwell and Jack Wilshere compare.

Data and graphic provided by whoscored.com


http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/steve-sidwell-v-jack-wilshere-headtohead-analysis-ahead-of-the-clash-between-fulham-and-arsenal-8780739.html (http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/steve-sidwell-v-jack-wilshere-headtohead-analysis-ahead-of-the-clash-between-fulham-and-arsenal-8780739.html)

 
Diary of a Fulham Tourist
by CHRIS GILBERTSON on AUGUST 23, 2013

The opening weekend of the Premier League season brings about a sense of nervous excitement, the eager anticipation of another season and the promise of 'what if'. It also brings about a familiar conundrum; does it clash with your summer holiday.

If I could have £1 for every time I've had to miss Fulham's opening fixture through being on holiday, I'd have at least £3 or £4 in my back pocket by now. The issue is, however, something I'm sure most of us are familiar with.

This year was different for me, having taken a fortnight off over Easter, my summer remained unfathomably clear barring a few weekend excursions and activities designed to fill the barren wasteland months that are the off-season. This meant that when the other half and I decided to go away relatively last minute, I was able to wait until the fixtures were released before choosing when to go.

The where was to be Copenhagen. The Danish capital proving an irresistible mix of place we wanted to visit with flights that were reasonably priced. Seeing as Sunderland is not high up on the list of romantic weekend getaways, Copenhagen seemed a good compromise.

Yet the reason I am writing up my travels on here, and not writing a letter to the editor of the Sunday Times travel supplement, is that I was able to ensure my weekend still included a nice chunk of the beautiful game.

Through bargaining skills good enough so that I could take up a career in hostage negotiation, I persuaded my fiancée that a good use for our Sunday evening would be a trip to Parken, Denmark's national stadium, to watch FC Copenhagen play AGF Aarhus. So herein lies the tale of our experience.

It all starts the day before the match, we were at the stadium not for football but rather for a spot of lunch. In a game of one-upmanship that makes the café at Haynes Place look somewhat insignificant, Parken is home to Geranium, a 2-Michelin Starred restaurant that was recently named the 45th best in the World. It is located on the 8th floor of one of the four modern office blocks that form each corner of the stadium. On the way to lunch we bumped into Olof Mellberg, literally, as the vastly experienced former Aston Villa, Juventus and Sweden defender came out of the lift the restaurant shares with the players' training facilities.


For the match itself we arrived at Parken by taxi as public transport links from the city centre are in somewhat short supply. Once outside the stadium we found our entrance and went in after a short security search. The moment you enter the arena of a new stadium for the first time is always something special and this was no different. Parken is a relatively large ground holding around 40,000 when full and it certainly has an aura of the impressive about it. It also feels somewhat intimate. It is an old fashioned 4 separate sided ground. There are no corners, as we established earlier, and fans are kept relatively close to the pitch.

FC Copenhagen are sponsored by Carlsberg, the famous brewery based in the city, and their advertising is hard to miss. It was emblazoned on their shirts, and over 50% of the fans seemed to be wearing replica, and it adorns the walls of the stadium both inside and out. So the first obvious difference to English football is that once you've ordered one of their famous green bottled beverages, you are welcome to drink it freely in the stands.


One aspect that I did not care for was the ability to smoke in the stand. 90 minutes of smoke inhalation against your will is enough to annoy anyone. The fan in front of me taking solace on an electric cigarette with increasing regularity as his side's performance slid into the depressive as the game wore on.

However the stands at FC Copenhagen were, overall, a social place. We were sat in the lower tier of the main 'side' stand, in a loosely similar location to our season tickets in the Riverside Stand at Craven Cottage. The entire stand did not sit down once. There were no stewards questioning the policy and no-one complaining. Children stood on chairs, everyone else stood happily, chatting, singing and booing as the situation dictated. There was a dedicated "singing" section behind the goal where flags and banners were waved, chants were sung in a manner English fans could just not replicate for fear of being un-British. There was a family stand though, and the away section was well populated. Indeed the whole place felt a lot fuller than the 13,000 attendance figure indicated.

It was evident that the people here loved their football. For a country renowned for it's expensive nature, £15 for the most costly match ticket indicates that attendances are not what they should be. The fans love the game, but they know the league is a stepping-stone to the rest of Europe. Indeed Fulham's own captain, Brede Hangeland moved to west London from the Danish capital club. In three days in Copenhagen we saw more Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester Utd shirts than we did of Copenhagen, Brondby or Nordsjaelland.

When watching a football match in person that is not the Fulham first team, my mind instinctively tries to establish ways the experience could help the club. It is as if, in my head, I am expecting a call from Martin Jol the next morning asking for my report. We all do it, don't we? Overseas football scout, that's the dream job isn't it? I blame a youth growing up playing Football Manager and FIFA for making me this way. It is also how I knew that Copenhagen's starting centre mid was a Brazilian called Claudemir who I once took to Lazio, but more on him later.

From my pseudo-scouting of the game itself, I can confirm there are no FC Copenhagen players that will be following Brede's path to Fulham anytime soon. While the experience off the field was top class, the football on it was anything but. I would hazard that most League One sides would give either of the teams we saw a decent game.

Copenhagen won the Danish Superliga last season. However, that was on the back of the goals of Andreas Cornelius. The blond haired Scandinavian super striker was sold to Cardiff City in July for a fee of over 70 million Danish Kroner [about £7.5m]. His absence has hit the team he left behind hard and a change of manager has already taken place since we were there.

The team was an eclectic mix of Danish youngsters thrown into the Lions den too early, Scandinavians who had either not made the jump to a bigger league as a teenager, or had returned from such a venture and obscure foreigners brought in with the hope of finding a diamond in the rough.

In goal there was nervous home grown 19 year old Jacob Busk, who's every touch was cheered. Only Swedish left back Pierre Bengtsson and 25 year old Icelandinc left winger Rurik Gislason, who had a brief spell in Charlton's youth ranks as a teenager, showed any real ability that may yet translate to a move out of Scandinavia. Bryan Ruiz's countryman Christian Bolanos was a particular disappointment on the right wing. I shall also never again buy the aforementioned Claudemir in a make believe world, having realised the ratings man at EA Sports was clearly on something the day he dished out a 75/100 rating to the Brazilian of FIFA.

So once it became clearly evident the match was not a scouting mission, my next idea was could Fulham benefit from loaning any players to either side to gain experience. Well, yes and no. FC Copenhagen would clearly benefit from Chris David or Pajtim Kasami in their midfield, Matthew Briggs at left back and Marcello Trotta up front, but would those players benefit from playing there. Probably not. The players who could benefit are the ones a step below them, the Under 21s who are probably a loan spell or two away from the first team.

Lasse Vigen Christensen is the obvious name that comes to mind, the Denmark Under 21 midfielder would walk into either side we saw and would benefit from playing first team football in front of a decent crowd in competitive environs. Perhaps Swedes Muamer Tankovic or Dino Islamovic would enjoy a spell in Scandinavian first team football. Manchester City are doing the same with Abdi Ibrahim in Norway, as indeed are Fulham with Josh Pritchard at Tromso [Pritchard scored his first senior goal as Tromso beat Besiktas on Thursday]. Indeed as Danish champions, Copenhagen have Champions League football assured, so an immediate loan would guarantee at least 6 games against top class opposition for any loanee.

The game itself ended 1-1. After a lively first half both on and off the pitch, the second half was a mundane almost friendly like affair. Aarhus took the lead early on, only for David Elm lookalike Nicolai Jorgensen, a promising if somewhat flat footed 22 year old, to score a tap in following a goalkeeping howler fit for a football funnies dvd.



So there we have it. Like a build up to the real thing at Craven Cottage tomorrow, my adventure in Denmark was both enjoyable, whilst serving to help me appreciate how good we have it as Fulham fans. Fulham is my football home and how lucky I am to say that.

COYW



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/08/diary-of-a-fulham-tourist/? (http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/08/diary-of-a-fulham-tourist/?)

 
Fulham - Arsenal Preview: Cottagers have lost only one in last five against Wenger's side

The Gunners look to bounce back from opening-day defeat by visiting Craven Cottage but do so without several key players, while Scott Parker and Darren Bent could debut at home

Arsenal are confident that they can bounce back from a shock home loss to Aston Villa when they visit Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday.

Arsene Wenger's men made a dreadful start to their league campaign, suffering a 3-1 home defeat to a Villa side who only just avoided relegation last term but the Gunners recovered strongly on Wednesday, posting a terrific 3-0 win at Fenerbahce in the first leg of their Champions League play-off.

Theo Walcott starred for Arsenal, creating two of the goals, and feels that his side can beat anyone at their best.

"If everyone works hard for each other, we can get the results," the forward told the club's official website. "I think at the weekend that probably wasn't the case and we knew how disappointing it was. You don't want to start a season like that.

"We've forgotten about that and we're concentrating on Fulham. And if we perform like [Wednesday], with that intensity, we can beat anyone."

GOAL PREDICTS THE PL
7/1   Bet365 offer 7/1 for Theo Walcott to score first and Arsenal to beat Fulham

Defender Laurent Koscielny suffered a deep cut to the head against Fenerbahce but was suspended for the trip to Craven Cottage anyway, while Wenger is also without club captain Thomas Vermaelen as he recovers from a back injury. Bacary Sagna is expected to fill in at centre-back.

Midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee) is sidelined for up to three months, leaving Wenger short of midfield options with Abou Diaby (knee) and Mikel Arteta (thigh) not expected back any time soon.

Left-back Nacho Monreal has recovered from a back problem, though, and featured against Fenerbahce.

Fulham enjoyed a far better opening day to the season as they claimed a 1-0 win at Sunderland thanks to Pajtim Kasami's second-half strike.

New signings Scott Parker and Darren Bent could make their debuts on Saturday. Parker joined from Tottenham for an undisclosed fee on Monday, while Bent, on a season's loan from Villa, did not feature from the bench at Sunderland.

Fulham will be without goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg (shoulder) and Kieran Richardson (hamstring), who both limped off at the Stadium of Light, but attacker Alexander Kacaniklic has a chance of returning from a hamstring problem of his own. David Stockdale is likely to deputise in goal for Martin Jol's side after coming off the bench for Stekelenburg.

Fulham have enjoyed a good record against Arsenal in recent times, losing just one of their last five fixtures, but Arsenal did win the most recent meeting as Per Mertesacker scored the only goal in a 1-0 away win in April that saw both sides end the match with 10 men.



http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/109200/fulham-vs-arsenal-fc/preview (http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/109200/fulham-vs-arsenal-fc/preview)

 
Programme Preview


The past, the present and the future all take centre stage in Saturday's (12.45pm) official matchday programme for the visit of Arsenal.

With Mohamed Al Fayed ending his 16-year spell at the Cottage this summer, we pay homage to our former Chairman with an extensive feature, including tributes from ex-Fulham stars such as Luis Boa Morte, Jimmy Bullard, Rufus Brevett and Louis Saha.

Although he will not be at the game, Mr Al Fayed said: "I am on holiday and finding that retirement is suiting me well, so I will watch the match on television here with my family. I also feel that Saturday should be about your new Chairman, Shahid Khan. He is deserving of the special experience that awaits him and I know Fulham supporters will give him the same welcome and love that I enjoyed for so many years."

Mr Al Fayed's successor, Mr Khan, will be in SW6 this weekend for the game and the new Chairman outlines his ambitions for the Club in an exclusive column.

Captain Brede Hangeland is the cover star and main interview, while Martin Jol discusses a fine start to the new season at Sunderland last weekend and the welcome addition of Scott Parker to his squad.

Other highlights in the only matchday magazine that matters - which is available to download digitally from 9am on Saturday - are:

Brian McBride recalls a famous clash against Arsenal
Bryan Ruiz takes the Fulham 50 challenge
Ex-Arsenal star Ray Parlour assesses the capital clash
The full lowdown on our visitors
Quizzes for fans both young and old
A nostalgic trip down programme memory lane in our Rewind feature
And Barry Hayles gives his thoughts on Fulham's season ahead
Priced £3.50, the 84-page publication is available from various sellers on Stevenage Road from two hours before kick-off. Fans can also save money by taking out a season subscription for just £55 for the campaign - that's a saving of £11.50 if you were to purchase each edition individually. Head to www.programmemaster.com (http://www.programmemaster.com) for more details.

The programme is also available as an app with added video content from 9am on Saturday, so whether you're at home or away, you need never be without it on your iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, PC or Mac via Apple's Newsstand. The programme is also available via the Pocketmags app on Kindle Fire and Blackberry Playbook. You can subscribe for the whole season for the digital edition for just £24.99 or buy a single issue for £1.99.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/august/23/programme-preview? (http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/august/23/programme-preview?)

 
TOOFIF 129 on sale Saturday (including a FoF advert)...

...the excellent, unputdownable, exciting and brilliantly edited TOOFIF (David's words) is on sale on Saturday for the game against Henry Norris' splitter team from Norf Lahndan.

Featuring Strongy, Ara, Diddy D, Windy Gale - and a tribute to our outgoing Chairman Mo and a welcome to the new 'Ghengis' Khan!

Also on the back page there is an advert for an independent Fulham website and message board you may already be familiar with:-

 
Pritchard's Europa Joy

(http://www.fulhamfc.com/-/media/Placeholder/Players/Josh%20PritchardPlace.ashx?w=350&h=250)

Josh Pritchard was the hero for Tromso on Thursday evening as he scored a crucial winner against Besiktas in their UEFA Europa League Play-Off in Norway.

Portugal striker Hugo Almeida had given the visitors the lead within nine minutes, but Besiktas failed to build on their advantage despite dominating the first half.

It meant Tromso were still firmly in the tie and they levelled matters up shortly after the interval when former Rangers midfielder Thomas Kind Bendiksen emphatically planted a penalty into the top left hand corner.

Pritchard - who is on loan from Fulham until the end of December - then took centre stage in the 68th minute when he capitalised on an error in the Turkish side's defence. The experienced Julien Escudé – who has 13 caps for France – was caught in possession on the edge of the centre circle by the midfielder, who dashed towards goal with the ball before calmly slotting a finish beyond Turkey international goalkeeper Tolga Zengin.

Tromso take their slender advantage to Istanbul on Thursday of next week for the Second Leg.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/august/23/pritchards-europa-joy? (http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/august/23/pritchards-europa-joy?)

 
The Fulham Perspective: A Gillespie Guest Post

Our man Hamish is back again with his take on Saturday's game at The Cottage....

Fulham play host to Arsenal this weekend, with an early kick-off spot and the associated TV coverage. Added media exposure is probably enough to make any Gooner cringe at the moment, but for us Cottagers this is an eagerly anticipated opportunity to see how our new squad will be received.

Off the back of a shock victory at Sunderland, Fulham have opened the season with a rare away three points: somewhat unexpected, considering our position at the end of last season. With three points from the final seven games, eight players leaving, and confirmation from Director Alistair Mackintosh that the summer budget would be nil, things looked rather bleak.

Yet somehow, Martin Jol may have kept our dreams alive, by intelligently sourcing from the loans, frees and plus-thirty market. Additions include England duo Scott Parker and Darren Bent. Parker is what we have lacked in the hold since Danny Murphy's departure, and Bent is sure to be amongst the goals, competing for the shirt with Bryan Ruiz. New keeper Maarten Stekelenburg is well proven between the sticks, and there were early signs from Adel Taarabt, that Fulham may have at last acquired a player on Berbatov's artistic wavelength, with some tasty flashes of link-up against Sunderland.

So what damage might we inflict this weekend?

Unfortunately our defensive line up looks rather weakened. Stockdale may replace the already injured Stekelenburg (shoulder), and the inexperienced Briggs might have to cover at Left back, with Richardson injured (hamstring) and Riise seeking a late move. Walcott will no doubt have an absolute field day if he is running at Briggs all afternoon. A start for Parker is also unlikely, due to his lack of match fitness. Therefore Sidwell and new signing Derek Boateng will start as holding midfielders. If you Gooners can recall the calibre of tackle that saw Sidwell sent off the last time our sides met at the Cottage, this is unfortunately exactly how Boateng likes to play. Both look good with the ball, but without – as you might expect against Arsenal – they are a bit of a liability. No doubt their lunging tackles will yield many a yellow this season.

(http://gillespieroadramble.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/article-0-1966582d000005dc-38_634x376.jpg?w=590&h=349)

Our attack will obviously centre on Berbatov, supported by wingers Kasami, Duff or Dejagah, and either Taarabt or Ruiz playing behind. Every cottager is also quietly waiting for the saving grace of Bent to come on late, and score with his first and only touch in the game: wishful thinking perhaps.

I can only imagine that Arsenal will inch ahead of us by successfully controlling the midfield for most of the game. Wilshere, Cazorla, and Rosicky can pick apart most defences, but the finishing touch is occasionally missing. May I take this opportunity to remind the Emirates faithful that despite your transfer window woes thus far, your midfield is world class (second only to City, and perhaps Chelsea, in this league) and the results will come. Clearly a team needs more to contend for titles and progress in the Champions League, but your current set-up stops teams outside the top four from playing. The Villa game was a blip, and you deserve to be confident going into such league games. We will hope to catch you on the counter, but opportunities will be limited – Hopefully the writing of the script for Darren Bent's first Fulham goal! Prediction: 2-1 to Arsenal.

Hamish



http://gillespieroadramble.wordpress.com/2013/08/23/the-fulham-perspective-a-gillespie-guest-post-2/? (http://gillespieroadramble.wordpress.com/2013/08/23/the-fulham-perspective-a-gillespie-guest-post-2/?)

 
Premier League Preview: Fulham v Arsenal

FULHAM v ARSENAL 12:45, Craven Cottage (Saturday)
Fulham will have been disappointed to have let a 2-1 lead slip against Norwich last weekend but with new signings Darren Bent, Scott Parker and Adel Taarabt pushing for starting places the Cottagers can be optimistic ahead of Saturday's match. Martin Jol will be without first choice goalkeeper Martin Stekelenburg following the Dutchman's shoulder injury sustained against Sunderland, so David Stockdale is likely to deputise. Fulham have only lost one of their last five league matches against Arsenal and after the Gunners dismal performance against Aston Villa last weekend, the Cottagers will feel victory is possible.

Arsenal bounced back from their embarrassing 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa last weekend with an impressive 3-0 victory over Fenerbache on Wednesday. Arsene Wenger has come under huge criticism at his side's lack of signings this summer and knows he cannot afford to lose ground on the likes of Spurs and Liverpool who both won last weekend. If Arsenal are to finish in the top four this season, this is a game they should win, but a London derby away from home will be a difficult task given the amount of pressure they are currently under.

What to watch out for: Darren Bent could make his Fulham debut on Saturday and it wouldn't be a surprise if the former Spurs and boyhood Arsenal fan got off the mark.

Possible line-ups:
Fulham – Stockdale; Reither, Hughes, Hangeland, Briggs, Taarabt, Sidwell, Boateng, Duff; Ruiz; Berbatov
Arsenal – Szczesny; Jenkinson, Sagna, Mertesacker, Gibbs; Cazorla, Ramsey, Wilshere; Walcott, Giroud; Rosicky

Prediction: 1-1



http://www.footymatters.com/articles/english-football/premier-league/premier-league-preview/premier-league-preview-fulham-v-arsenal-2/? (http://www.footymatters.com/articles/english-football/premier-league/premier-league-preview/premier-league-preview-fulham-v-arsenal-2/?)

 
Steve Sidwell won't stop putting his foot in after twice seeing red

(http://www.standard.co.uk/incoming/article8582190.ece/ALTERNATES/w620/Sidwell-tackle-Arteta.jpg)
Double trouble: Steve Sidwell is about to besent off after this challenge on Mikel Arteta, which followed his dismissal against QPR

Steve Sidwell hopes he will be treated fairly by Premier League referees despite his red cards in successive games at the end of last season.

The Fulham midfielder served a three-game ban after he was dismissed for a challenge on Queens Park Rangers' Armand Traore and was then sent off for a late tackle on Mikel Arteta just 12 minutes into his return.

That red card against Arsenal, who he faces tomorrow, earned him another four-game suspension and ended his season. Arsene Wenger said the tackle could have broken Arteta's leg but Sidwell has had a good disciplinary record throughout his career.

Before the QPR match, he had not been sent off since a UEFA Cup game for Aston Villa in 2008.

Sidwell, 30, who received eight yellow cards last season, will not change his tough-tackling approach and hopes those two incidents are not used against him by officials.

"Hopefully I will not get punished for it in this coming year now," he said. "I am going to keep putting my foot in and be as committed as ever and hopefully referees do not see a late tackle and think about last season.

"The Arsenal one was a definite red card but I still think the QPR one was a bit harsh. It tarnished a really good season because I thought I played well on a consistent basis and the two red cards ruined it for me."

Sidwell came through Fulham's opening game of the season, the 1-0 win at Sunderland, without any dramas and admits he was "chomping at the bit to get back". He said: "It was hard to watch the last few games [at the end of last season] but the gaffer [Martin Jol] knows the way I play."

Fulham added further steel to their midfield this week with the signing of Scott Parker and he could make his debut tomorrow.

Parker, 32, moved to Craven Cottage on a three-year deal from Tottenham and Sidwell is looking forward to forming a partnership with him.

"We have had a few [battles] over the years," he said. "It has probably been an even match but it is nice to be on the same team now, rather than lining up against him. He has got that tenacity in his play, he closes down players and stops them. He is a box-to-box midfielder who chips in with the odd goal. It is what we have been looking for."

Sidwell started his career in the  Arsenal Academy but was sold to Reading in 2003 after a number of spells on loan at clubs including Brentford.

When asked about the plight of his former club and the criticism Wenger is receiving, he said: "It is a Catch-22 because he has nailed down Champions League football every year, which is vital. When I was there as a youth-team player I saw the Invincibles and the fans want to get back to those days because that is what they feel they deserve. It is just not ticking for them at the moment.Fans pay good money to see them play and they want to get something back for it. They do not feel they are getting that at the moment. What he has done for the club is great. Is it time for Wenger to go? I am not too sure.

"Can they get back to their former glories under Wenger? Certainly. He has proved that over the years and I see no reason why it should stop there. Any time you play Arsenal it is always going to be a hard game and we have got to be right on top of our game."



http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/steve-sidwell-wont-stop-putting-his-foot-in-after-twice-seeing-red-8781694.html (http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/steve-sidwell-wont-stop-putting-his-foot-in-after-twice-seeing-red-8781694.html)

 
STATS: Hangeland's clearances for Fulham vs Giroud's on target shots Arsenal

Fulham vs Arsenal, Saturday 12:45

- Patjim Kasami picked a good moment to score his first Fulham goal as his second half header earned Martin Jol's side all three points on their opening day fixture.

- Brede Hangeland's presence in the centre of defence will clearly once again be crucial to Fulham's chances this year. The giant Norwegian centre half already leads the Fulham squad for clearances with 13.

- New signing Martin Stekelenburg will no doubt be hoping the relatively quiet introduction he got to Premier League life against Sunderland will continue this week. He only had to make two saves according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the second lowest of any keeper in the league and 3 less than the other keeper starting life with a new club in the Premier League, Simon Mignolet.
- Derek Boateng has already earmarked himself as Fulham's potential midfield enforcer for this season, racking up 4 fouls in his first appearance.

- Arsenal's season got off to the worst possible start as they fell to a 1-3 defeat to Aston Villa at The Emirates. Olivier Giroud's well-taken goal had seemingly set the stage for the Gunners to dominate the match but a spirited fightback from Villa saw their afternoon end in disappointment and yet more pressure heaped on an embattled Arsene Wenger.

- Despite his expertly taken goal, Olivier Giroud struggled to consistently test Brad Guzan last weekend. He scored with his only on-target attempt on goal, being off-target with the other 75%.

- Although Arsenal fans are desperate for Wenger to spend before the close of the window, one area where they do have relative strength in depth is in creative midfielders. Despite coming out on the wrong end of 1-3 home defeat last weekend, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey still placed 2nd and 4th on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for passes completed inside the opponent's half, with 54 and 52 respectively.

- The loss of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for the near future to a knee injury deprives Arsenal of one of their gamer-changers and Arsene Wenger will be concerned about losing the attacking purpose the Ox brings to the team. The young winger took on Villa with a joint squad-high 4 dribbles and the Gunners will miss his surges forward in the coming weeks.

- Key in replacing Oxlade-Chamberlain's attacking instincts will be Tomas Rosicky who already leads his colleagues for attacking contributions with 7 according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance. This is despite being the oldest member of the Arsenal squad.



http://www.byfarthegreatestteam.com/posts/stats-hangelands-clearances-for-fulham-vs-girouds-on-target-shots-arsenal/? (http://www.byfarthegreatestteam.com/posts/stats-hangelands-clearances-for-fulham-vs-girouds-on-target-shots-arsenal/?)

 
Sidwell Still Committed

(http://www.fulhamfc.com/-/media/hero/Players/Steve%20Sidwell/sid-hero-away.ashx?w=350&h=250)

Steve Sidwell says he will be as committed as ever as Fulham seek to overcome the test of Arsenal at Craven Cottage on Saturday (12.45pm).

The former Gunners midfielder was sent off against his old side in the 12th minute of the Barclays Premier League game last season, as we slipped to a 1-0 defeat, but thinks that Fulham are ready to take the challenge to the opposition after an impressive start to the season up at Sunderland.

"It wasn't a pretty game for us by any means," he said. "We didn't play well. Attacking wise, we didn't create much and maybe that was down to good tactics from Sunderland. But you will take three points any time of the season, especially on the first day. It is vital to get off to a good start. We need to raise the standard of our play, which we will do over time with players settling in."

Sidwell was sent off twice at the end of last season which saw him suspended for seven games as he missed the end of the campaign but says that, while he will be careful not to cross the line, he won't be changing his style of play ahead of the Gunners' visit.

"It tarnished a really good year for me," he said. "I thought I played well on a consistent basis and the two red cards back-to-back ruined it for me. Hopefully I won't get punished for it in this coming year now.

"Obviously I am going to keep putting my foot in and be as committed as ever and hopefully referees don't see a late tackle and think about last season. The Arsenal one was a definite red card but the QPR one I still think was a bit harsh. But it was a long summer and I have been chomping at the bit to get back. It was hard to watch the last few games but the gaffer knows the way I play."

A player who also loves a tackle in the middle of the pitch is Scott Parker, with the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder arriving on a three-year deal this week.

"He has got that tenacity in his play, closing down players and stopping them from playing," said Sidwell. "On the ball he is very good, very composed. He is a box-to-box midfielder who chips in with the odd goal. It is what we have been looking for and managed to get in.

"It is easy for good players to settle in. It can be harder for foreigners to come over to the Premier League but the Premier League has been his bread and butter for a number of years. He knows the game. He listens to his body, as you do when you start getting older. For that standard of player, it is easy to settle in. It is nice to be on the same team now, rather than lining up against him."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/august/23/sidwell-still-committed? (http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/august/23/sidwell-still-committed?)

 
Arsene Wenger wary of Fulham

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said he believes Fulham will be a threat in the Premier League after recruiting a number of experienced players over the summer.

Wenger has come under fire for his lack of transfer dealings so far, but Fulham counterpart Martin Jol has acted swiftly to bolster his squad by bringing in the likes of Darren Bent, Scott Parker and Adel Taarabt.

As a result, the Arsenal boss is expecting to face potent opponents when his side travel to Craven Cottage for their first away league game of the season on Saturday.

"Fulham have signed one goalscorer [Bent], a guy who can give the final ball and he has a guy in the middle of the park with a lot of experience [Parker]," Wenger said.

"Parker is not the youngest any more, but what you lose a bit with maybe physical quality, with age you can gain in positioning on the field and guiding other players. On that front, Parker has always been a very motivated player. He still has that hunger. Even for Tottenham last year, he was an important player.

"Taarabt is a guy who can give a final ball, who can create a difference. He has a very good technical level. They have made good signings and this will be a tough game for us."

Wenger hopes his side's win against Fenerbahce in the Champions League on Wednesday will reignite their confidence after last weekend's deflating home defeat against Aston Villa.

"We were disappointed after Saturday, but I said that it was under special circumstances and the result didn't reflect the game," he said. "It was important to respond quickly for certainly the most important game of the start of the season [against Fenerbache], and we did that well.

"Every time we go there [to Fulham], the pitch is small. The crowd is close. It's not only technical as they play as well a technical game, but against us they always put a lot of physical commitment in. It's usually a big fight."

Wenger confirmed that he has no fresh injury worries ahead of Saturday's game, with full-back Nacho Monreal in contention for a starting spot after returning to full fitness.



http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1531221?&cc=5739 (http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1531221?&cc=5739)

 
Match Discussion - Fulham (a)

So the boys managed to bounce back from a depressing first day defeat to Aston Villa with an impressive 3-0 away win over Fenerbahce which will surely see us through to the group stages of the Champions League proper.

However, with the complete lack of summer signings, zero points on the board and a big game against Spurs coming up, it`s vital we register a win against Fulham tomorrow.

If memory serves me correctly we don`t have the greatest record at Craven Cottage in recent years (someone please tell me my memory is failing) but is simply a must win game, even at this early stage.

It`s not must win in the terms of the final outcome of the season, after two games that would be ridiculous to suggest, when we look at the atmosphere around the club right now, we just can`t afford to be heaping so much pressure on to a North London derby.

I can`t even bare the thought of going into a match against Tottenham on no points whatsoever, especially a game that takes place one day before the transfer window closes.

In my opinion we have to win, unfortunately my gut feeling says it`ll be a draw.

What do you think? Will we win? Who will be in the team? Are you as nervous as I am? Have your say and more in the Vital Arsenal forum, you can find the match day thread by clicking here.

If you`ve not yet registered for the site, click the banner below and follow the instructions, it`s quick and easy and it will make you one of the most powerful people in the universe ... sort of.



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Sidwell hopes red cards won't count against him
by DAN on AUGUST 23, 2013

(http://d.yimg.com/i/ng/sp/empics/20110205/17/747920439-soccer-barclays-premier-league-aston-villa-v-fulham-villa-park.jpg)

Steve Sidwell hopes his two red cards towards the tail end of last season won't be considered by referees during this campaign as he tries to help Fulham build on their opening day win at Sunderland.

The tigerish midfielder endured a disappointing end to last season after being dismissed twice having fought his way back into Martin Jol's first team following an injury lay-off. Sidwell was sent off in the 3-2 win over QPR for a late tackle on Armand Traore and then also saw red on his return from suspension against his old club Arsenal. Arsene Wenger felt Sidwell's challenge could have ended Mikel Arteta's career and, although the Fulham man admits that dismissal was justified, he points to a more impressive disciplinary record throughout his career.

The 30-year old says he isn't about to change his style of play in fear of receiving further red cards.

Hopefully I will not get punished for it in this coming year now. I am going to keep putting my foot in and be as committed as ever and hopefully referees do not see a late tackle and think about last season.

The Arsenal one was a definite red card but I still think the QPR one was a bit harsh. It tarnished a really good season because I thought I played well on a consistent basis and the two red cards ruined it for me. It was hard to watch the last few games but the gaffer knows the way I play.

Sidwell could well be joined in the Fulham midfield on Saturday by Scott Parker, who completed a move from Tottenham earlier this week.

We have had a few [battles] over the years. It has probably been an even match but it is nice to be on the same team now, rather than lining up against him. He has got that tenacity in his play, he closes down players and stops them. He is a box-to-box midfielder who chips in with the odd goal. It is what we have been looking for.

As a player brought through the Arsenal academy under Wenger, Sidwell has an unique perspective on the current position of this weekend's opponents.

It is a Catch-22 because he has nailed down Champions League football every year, which is vital. When I was there as a youth-team player I saw the Invincibles and the fans want to get back to those days because that is what they feel they deserve. It is just not ticking for them at the moment.Fans pay good money to see them play and they want to get something back for it. They do not feel they are getting that at the moment. What he has done for the club is great. Is it time for Wenger to go? I am not too sure.

Can they get back to their former glories under Wenger? Certainly. He has proved that over the years and I see no reason why it should stop there. Any time you play Arsenal it is always going to be a hard game and we have got to be right on top of our game.



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Premier League: Fulham v Arsenal match preview
A look ahead to this weekend's Premier League fixture at Craven Cottage

The last time these two teams faced off at Craven Cottage on the second week of the season, the game ended 1-0 to the hosts thanks to a solitary Brede Hangeland goal in August 2008. Arsene Wenger and his side will be aiming to avoid repeating history as they look for a quick Premier League recovery, having succumbed to Paul Lambert's youthful Villa team at home on the opening day of the season.

Martin Jol's Fulham team enjoyed a more fruitful start to their campaign with surprise inclusion Pajtim Kasami scoring the only goal at the Stadium of Light. Arsenal go into Saturday's lunchtime kick off without many first team players, including injured Thomas Vermaelen, Mikel Arteta and the suspended Laurent Koscielny. David Stockdale will almost certainly fill in for the injured Maarten Stekelenburg, and new signings Darren Bent and Scott Parker could make their debuts.

Arsenal go into their 25th top-flight league encounter with Fulham on the back of a crucial Champions League away win against Fenerbahce, but Wenger will surely hope that this fixture doesn't live up to its red card-littered recent history, with the Frenchman already having a very small squad at his disposal.     

KICK-OFF: Saturday, 12.45pm

PAST THREE MEETINGS...

Fulham 0 Arsenal 1 (Mertesacker), Premier League, April 2011

Arsenal 3 (Giroud 2, Podolski) Fulham 3 (Berbatov 2, Kacaniklic), Premier League, November 2011

Fulham 2 (Sidwell, Zamora) Arsenal 1 (Koscielny), Premier League, January 2012

STATS...

Darren Bent has scored 7 goals in his last 11 matches against Arsenal.

There have been 4 red cards in the last 3 fixtures between these two teams (Sidwell, Giroud, Djourou and Gera).

Fulham haven't lost their opening home game of the season since the 2009-10 campaign (losing 2-0 to Chelsea).

ODDS...

Fulham to win: 3.95

Arsenal to win: 2.12

Draw: 3.55

TV: Live on BT Sport 1 at 12.45pm, highlights on BBC1 at 10.20pm.


http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/premier-league-fulham-v-arsenal-match-preview-8782206.html (http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/premier-league-fulham-v-arsenal-match-preview-8782206.html)

 
London's top dogs Arsenal head for barometer at easy-pickings Fulham

Fulham have lost 68 home games in their 12 seasons in the Premier League and one club stands clear in inflicting the most defeats on them on their own turf: Arsenal.
In 12 visits to Craven Cottage in the Premier League, Arsenal have won eight times. They are Fulham's visitors again at lunchtime on Saturday.
Fulham, in common with Stoke, are a club who have been particularly reliant on their home form to retain their Premier League status over the years. That pair are the only two clubs among the 20 in the Premier League currently to have more than twice as many points at home for each point won away.
In short, both are woeful on the road and need to be particularly good at home to make up for it.
Fulham's 68 home PL defeats are detailed by opponent in the graphic below.
The most recent reverse for Fulham at the feet of Arsenal was by the single Mertesacker goal in April when first Sidwell and latterly Giroud were given their marching orders by the referee.
For Arsenal fans, the match this weekend might act as a barometer of the shape they're in. They must expect, on historical form, to win. As the graphic also shows, they were the top club in the inter-London fixtures and this is their first London derby of the season to boot.

(http://www.sportingintelligence.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Arsenal-at-Fulham-defeats-h.jpg)


http://www.sportingintelligence.com/2013/08/23/londons-top-dogs-arsenal-head-for-barometer-at-easy-pickings-fulham-230801/? (http://www.sportingintelligence.com/2013/08/23/londons-top-dogs-arsenal-head-for-barometer-at-easy-pickings-fulham-230801/?)

Quote from: WhiteJC on August 23, 2013, 05:16:30 PM

Premier League Preview: Fulham v Arsenal

FULHAM v ARSENAL 12:45, Craven Cottage (Saturday)
Fulham will have been disappointed to have let a 2-1 lead slip against Norwich last weekend but with new signings Darren Bent, Scott Parker and Adel Taarabt pushing for starting places the Cottagers can be optimistic ahead of Saturday's match. Martin Jol will be without first choice goalkeeper Martin Stekelenburg following the Dutchman's shoulder injury sustained against Sunderland, so David Stockdale is likely to deputise. Fulham have only lost one of their last five league matches against Arsenal and after the Gunners dismal performance against Aston Villa last weekend, the Cottagers will feel victory is possible.

Arsenal bounced back from their embarrassing 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa last weekend with an impressive 3-0 victory over Fenerbache on Wednesday. Arsene Wenger has come under huge criticism at his side's lack of signings this summer and knows he cannot afford to lose ground on the likes of Spurs and Liverpool who both won last weekend. If Arsenal are to finish in the top four this season, this is a game they should win, but a London derby away from home will be a difficult task given the amount of pressure they are currently under.

What to watch out for: Darren Bent could make his Fulham debut on Saturday and it wouldn't be a surprise if the former Spurs and boyhood Arsenal fan got off the mark.

Possible line-ups:
Fulham – Stockdale; Reither, Hughes, Hangeland, Briggs, Taarabt, Sidwell, Boateng, Duff; Ruiz; Berbatov
Arsenal – Szczesny; Jenkinson, Sagna, Mertesacker, Gibbs; Cazorla, Ramsey, Wilshere; Walcott, Giroud; Rosicky

Prediction: 1-1



http://www.footymatters.com/articles/english-football/premier-league/premier-league-preview/premier-league-preview-fulham-v-arsenal-2/? (http://www.footymatters.com/articles/english-football/premier-league/premier-league-preview/premier-league-preview-fulham-v-arsenal-2/?)

Umm what pipe has this journalist been smoking? Or has being in a different country got to me... I'm pretty sure it was a 1-0 win against Sunderland...