http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6846809,00.html (http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6846809,00.html)
Hughes expects to stay up
Fulham manager confident of survival
Last updated: 1st April 2011
Mark Hughes has declared that Fulham are on course to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
The Cottagers currently occupy 12th place in the standings but the bottom of the table is so tight they are just three points clear of the drop zone.
However, Hughes is confident of taking another massive stride towards survival when fellow strugglers Blackpool visit on Sunday.
Fulham have four home games remaining, including the clash with the Seasiders, and Hughes wants to keep their recent run of good form at Craven Cottage going.
He said: "We're very close to where we think we should be.
"We want to maximise our home games and that should get us to the target we thought we'd reach.
"Up until our defeat by Everton last time out we'd been on a great run and that loss maybe made us take a step back.
"But we're still playing well and are on the back of a decent run of results and performances.
"The first half against Everton is the only exception to that.
"We're happy that we're playing well and producing positive performances, which is what you need at this time of year.
"If you're struggling for form and points, then it becomes a case of looking over your shoulder and then at the fixture list to see where your next points are coming from.
"We don't feel like that, we feel like we're playing well enough to pick up a good portion of the points we have left to play for.
"We're 12th in a very congested area of the table. We still have to get the job done, but we're playing well."
Twists and turns
Traditionally 40 points is viewed as the safety net required to escape relegation, but Hughes insists an unpredictable season makes it impossible to predict a minimum target.
Fulham have so far collected 35 points from 30 games and Hughes is just focused on trying to get as much out of the remaining eight fixtures as possible.
"It's difficult to call what points total will be enough," he said.
"You can look at trends and previous years and there have been very few times when 40-plus points have been needed.
"Maybe this year will be one of those, but there have been so many unexpected results with top teams not getting maximum points when you suspect they will.
"Then teams at the bottom gain points when previously you thought they had no chance of doing so.
"It's been that kind of season from the start and that's not going to change now.
"There will still be twists and turns and results that surprise us."
.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6845782,00.html
Kamara expects Fulham exit
Striker open to Leicester stay
By Pete O'Rourke
Last updated: 1st April 2011
(http://img.skysports.com/10/09/218x298/kamara_2508285.jpg)
Kamara: Moving on
Diomansy Kamara has revealed he will be leaving Fulham at the end of the season and admits he would be open to joining Leicester on a permanent deal.
Senegal international Kamara is currently on loan at Leicester for the remainder of the campaign after finding himself out of favour at Craven Cottage.
The 30-year-old is resigned to leaving Fulham this summer when his contract expires and he would consider staying at the Walkers Stadium.
"It has been a little bit frustrating for me at Fulham," Kamara told the Leicester Mercury.
Decision
"At the start of the season I was doing well and I was the second-best scorer in the team with five goals in 11 games, but I am at the end of my contract and they made the decision not to play me. This is football.
"I enjoyed my time at Fulham but now it is over and I say good luck to them."
Kamara, who has yet to make his debut for Leicester, says he would be happy to join the Foxes if his loan spell is a success.
"There is definitely a possibility of me staying if it all goes well," he added.
"I see this as a fresh beginning. I like to push myself and this is a big challenge."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/01/squad-sheets-fulham-blackpoool?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Ffootball%2Frss+%28Football%29
Squad sheets: Fulham v Blackpool
guardian.co.uk, Friday 1 April 2011 18.32
Blackpool have won only twice in 2011, but the scalps of Liverpool and Tottenham prove that they can beat the best – they just have to beat some of the rest in order to earn a second season in the Premier League. Fulham, though, are in good form at Craven Cottage in the league over the same period, with four wins and a draw out of five. They could be without Aaron Hughes, who dislocated a shoulder on Northern Ireland duty, while DJ Campbell completes a three match suspension for Blackpool. Nick Szczepanik
Venue Craven Cottage, Sunday 1.30pm
Tickets £30-42 (0843 208 1234)
Last season n/a
Referee Stuart Attwell
This season's matches 11 Y42, R2, 4.00 cards per game
Odds Fulham 4-7 Blackpool 11-2 Draw 17-5
(http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/pictures/2011/4/1/1301681423015/Fulham-v-Blackpool-001.jpg)
Probable starters in bold, contenders in light. Photograph: Graphic Fulham
Subs from Stockdale, Etheridge, Pantsil, Kelly, Briggs, Riise, Halliche, Greening, Dikgacoi, Gera, Kamara, A Johnson, Gudjohnsen, Davies, Sidwell
Doubtful Sidwell (ankle), Hughes (shoulder), Zamora (illness)
Injured Senderos (achilles, unknown), Kamara (back, unknown)
Suspended None
Form guide LWDDDW
Disciplinary record Y36 R0
Leading scorer Dempsey 10
Blackpool
Subs from Rachubka, Baptiste, Phillips, Southern, Reid, Ormerod, Varney, Kornilenko, Grandin, Sylvestre
Doubtful None
Injured Gilks, (knee, 9 Apr), Basham (leg, May), Clarke (knee, May)
Suspended Campbell (last of three)
Form guide DLLWDL
Disciplinary record Y36 R2
Leading scorers Adam, Campbell 9
Match pointers
• Fulham have not lost at home to Blackpool since a 1-0 defeat in the old Third Division in August 1986
• Blackpool have dropped 10 points as a consequence of goals conceded in the 85th minute or later, more than any other side in the division
• Fulham have had the best disciplinary record for the last two seasons and are in the same position again this term
• Charlie Adam has scored 33 goals in 90 appearances for Blackpool compared with 29 in 138 playing in Scotland
• Damien Duff needs to score one more goal to reach 50 in his Premier League career
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/04/01/article-0-0B71572C00000578-992_964x1240.jpg)
http://www.sportingpreview.com/matches/10112387.php (http://www.sportingpreview.com/matches/10112387.php)
FULHAM v BLACKPOOL
BIG MATCH STATS AND FACTS
Betfair: 1 April 2011
Fulham have kept five clean sheets in their last seven Premier League games at Craven Cottage.
• The Whites have won four and lost none of their last five Premier League games on home soil.
• Blackpool have dropped 10 points from goals conceded after the 85th minute, more than any other team in the top flight.
• This is the 100th league meeting between the sides.
• Fulham are unbeaten in their last three matches against Blackpool and have lost only one of the last 14 league meetings between the pair. Blackpool's last win over Fulham was in 1998.
• Blackpool's last win at Fulham was in 1986. They have not won in any of their seven subsequent visits.
61% of the goals Fulham have conceded have been netted in the first half, the highest proportion in the Premier League.
• Fulham have picked up just 35 yellow cards in 2010-11, fewer than any other team in the Premier League and they are the only side who have not earned a red card.
• Blackpool have won just one of their last 10 Premier League matches.
• Fulham have won four of their last five matches at Craven Cottage and are unbeaten there in the league in 2011.
• They have drawn 14 league matches this season, more than any other team in the top flight.
• Fulham are the only Premier League club yet to concede from a penalty this season. The only one they gave away was missed by Manchester United's Nani back in August.
• Fulham have conceded just one goal in the final 10 minutes of their league matches this season.
• Damien Duff is one goal away from scoring 50 in the Premier League. He would become the third Irishman to reach this milestone after Robbie Keane and Niall Quinn.
• Blackpool have won just one of their last 10 league matches.
• The Tangerines have lost four of their last five away matches although they are sixth in the 2010/11 Premier League away form table.
• Blackpool are without a clean sheet in their last 13 league games and they have lost nine times during this period. They are also bottom of the Premier League form table over the last eight games.
• The Seasiders have not won any of their three Premier League visits to London this season (D1, L2). They have not scored in the capital but have conceded 10.
• Charlie Adam has scored nine Premier League goals this season. If he scores again, he will be the first Scotsman to reach double figures in a season since Paul Dickov scored 11 goals for Leicester City in 2003/04.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/blackpool/8421891/Lets-hope-the-lights-dont-go-out-on-Blackpools-great-entertainers.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/blackpool/8421891/Lets-hope-the-lights-dont-go-out-on-Blackpools-great-entertainers.html)
Let's hope the lights don't go out on Blackpool's great entertainers
Des Lynam: With so many depressing events in Libya and Japan dominating the headlines in recent weeks thank heavens for some light relief – one of the most exciting Premier League seasons is back this weekend.
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01862/adam_1862494c.jpg)
Proper Charlie: Blackpool's Charlie Adam has been the revelation of the Premier League season Photo: ACTION IMAGES
By Des Lynam 1:39AM BST 02 Apr 2011
And Blackpool are coming to the capital. Hurrah! I like a team who play in an attacking style, insisting it is the best form of defence, one win being worth more points than two draws.
Now, however, it is crunch time for them.
Can Blackpool retain their top-level status by continuing to delight us with their positive play? They have been the most entertaining team in the Premier League over the season, each of their matches averaging 3½ goals, for or against.
Starting at Fulham on Sunday, a difficult enough test, Blackpool have eight games left, five of them at home, ending with Manchester United at Old Trafford, to stay in the top flight.
Will they try to 'park the bus' and grind out the necessary points? Not a chance. I expect their wily manager, Ian Holloway, to stay true to his principles and go for broke. What shall it profit a football manager if he stays up but loses his soul?
At the start of the season I was fantasising about Blackpool taking the league by storm. I liked the idea of the scruffy new kid showing it to those rich posh boys, and at times they have done precisely that, the 'double' over Liverpool and a win against Spurs among their scalps.
You have to remember that at the beginning of last season they were a hot tip for relegation from the Championship, but instead they came up through the play-offs – and they did it paying just about the lowest average wages in the division with the second-lowest average gate.
The revelation then and since has been their midfield player and captain Charlie Adam, who was signed for half a million pounds and has been worth every penny. He runs the game for them and scores some brilliant goals.
Liverpool and others tried to sign him during the transfer window for a mooted £4million.
Holloway was not impressed at the time. "If he's only worth £4 million, then I'm a Scotsman called McTavish," was the quote. Now Manchester United are rumoured to be planning a bid for considerably more.
The mystery is how the leading lights of the Premier League did not spot Adam before. He has been around and had appeared in a good number of games for Rangers, including a Uefa Cup final, before they let him go; which must say something about their judgment too.
Holloway is realistic enough to know that, whatever happens, Adam will be off to a bigger club and probably multiply his wages tenfold at the end of the season, but that likelihood has not lessened the player's endeavour for Blackpool and, as a result, the fans have been understanding.
Holloway has even managed to get the best out of Dudley Campbell, who prefers to style himself DJ. Well you would, wouldn't you?
He is a player who had been all over the place but has been turned into one of the best strikers in the division. Unfortunately for them he is suspended for tomorrow.
Their goalkeeper is Richard Kingson, the Ghanaian World Cup star who played so well in the friendly against England at Wembley on Tuesday. He began the season as third choice but injuries meant he found his way into the side. In most games he tends to be busy.
Blackpool have become most people's 'second' team. They have been a breath of fresh Irish Sea air.
Another of Holloway's quotes goes like this: "I love Blackpool, we're very similar. We both look better in the dark."
He's got it wrong. He and his football club have both been brightening the gloom all season. I must ask him on Sunday about the Libyan crisis. I'm sure he will have an answer.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704530204576236513165301514.html (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704530204576236513165301514.html)Do Michael Jackson and Soccer Fit Like Hand in Glove? That's the Question as an English Stadium Unveils the Star's Statue
By ALISTAIR MACDONALD And SARA SCHAEFER MUñOZ
LONDON—For more than a century, Fulham Football Club's London stadium, Craven Cottage, has played host to many a hard-fought competition. But it has never seen a battle like this one: a tussle over erecting a life-size statue of Michael Jackson.
On Sunday, Fulham Football Club owner Mohamed Al Fayed—former owner of the famed Harrods department store—will unveil the Jackson statue inside the stadium, to "honor his friendship with the legendary performer" and the singer's "legacy of music so vast it takes one's breath away."
(http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/HC-GP830_Jackso_BV_20110401230502.jpg)
Michael Jackson and Bubbles
.Mr. Jackson, who died in 2009, will watch over Craven Cottage alongside a statue of legendary Fulham soccer star Johnny "The Maestro" Haynes, who died in 2005 and whose own statue was installed just over two years ago. Despite their respective successes—Mr. Jackson scored 13 No. 1 singles, Mr. Haynes scored 158 Fulham goals—they now form what may be the self-styled King of Pop's oddest alliance since his days hanging out with Bubbles the Chimp.
Mr. Al Fayed's off-the-wall move has created a meeting of the minds between two camps of equally unlikely allies: wacko Jacko fans and rabid Fulham supporters. Both hate the idea and want the statue to beat it to some other venue.
The statue is "completely inappropriate and irrelevant to the football club," says Ben Reed, a 28-year-old Fulham supporter. "Without a doubt, it will be mocked by every other football club. Football fans are not subtle."
The Fulham Football Club "is no place for Michael to reside and certainly no safe place for MJ fans to visit him," says an online petition to Mr. Al Fayed, from a group that calls itself the United Michael Jackson Fans of the World.
The statue was originally destined for Harrods, where Mr. Al Fayed pursued a passion for celebrity sculpture. Several years after the 1997 death of his son Dodi and Diana, Princess of Wales, he erected in the store a bronze statue of the couple holding hands behind a large bird.
Mr. Al Fayed, 78 years old, also had a life-size statue of himself installed in the Harrods men's department. But that was removed when he sold the store to Qatar Holding, the investment arm of the Qatari government, in 2010. The sale also sent him scrambling for a new home for the Jackson statue, which Mr. Al Fayed had commissioned after Mr. Jackson's sudden death.
To find a new home for the orphaned statue, Mr. Al Fayed turned to another of his London properties—Fulham Football Club, whose Craven Cottage is akin to Wrigley Field in Chicago. Mr. Jackson will watch over fans of a sport more commonly associated with muddy fields, rowdy fans and meat pies than with moonwalking.
Icon v. Icon
Johnny Haynes Michael Jackson
Profession Soccer, inside forward Singer, dancer
Born London, England Gary, Indiana
Nickname The Maestro King of Pop
Achievements 158 Fulham goals 13 No. 1 singles
Pets Dogs, cats, a parrot A chimp, llama, a parrot
Favorite song Poor Butterfly, various Smile, Charlie Chaplin
.Mr. Haynes's widow, Avril, said she was "absolutely aghast" when she heard of the plan. "It's like putting my husband's statue outside Neverland—just as ludicrous."
A spokesman for Mr. Al Fayed said the pairing isn't as weird as people think. He said that Mr. Jackson told Mr. Al Fayed of his life-long interest in the game when he attended a match at the Fulham stadium with Mr. Al Fayed in 1999, seated in the chairman's box.
A spokesman for the late singer's estate had no comment.
"When Michael Jackson was a small boy growing up in Gary, Ind., he would spend a lot of time looking out the window at boys playing [soccer] and wishing he could go out and join them, but his father did not allow it," said the spokesman. "Michael always felt there was something lacking in his life because of it."
That comes as news to Jackson diehards.
"Football? No," said Matt Blank, a spokesman for the fan club Michael Jackson World Network.
So what does the statue look like? Mr. Al Fayed's spokesman said the piece is "striking and animated," but he said it wouldn't be appropriate to give any other details ahead of its Sunday debut. "When they unveiled the statue of Winston Churchill, no one had seen it beforehand," he said.
Despite Mr. Al Fayed's enthusiasm, he is being attacked by both sides. Fulham fans fear that Mr. Al Fayed's latest creation will become fodder for soccer rivals, known for mercilessly taunting opposition teams in often profane chants.
"Jackson is a very obvious and easy target," said Robert Whittaker, a fan of Blackpool Football Club, the team Fulham will face on Sunday. One rival Stoke City fan wondered in an online post if Fulham's goalkeeper would need to wear black glittered gloves.
When Fulham midfielder Dickson Etuhu first heard the news that a statue of Michael Jackson was being erected, he thought Mr. Jackson must be another footballing legend, he wrote in a column for the London Evening Standard. "Once I realized it was for the music legend, I just thought 'wow,'" he wrote.
The derision has scared some away from the Sunday match. Jackson fan Diane Harding, 48, is taking no chances. After reading something online anticipating the arrival of a "load of weirdo obsessive Jacko fans," she decided to stay home. "We might provoke negative attention... It isn't safe," she said.
After dozens of calls and emails from Michael Jackson fans who wanted to see the statue, but didn't want to pay more than £20 ($30) for a match ticket, the football club agreed to allow them in for a private viewing at a later date. They plan to play his hits on boom boxes and adorn his statue with flowers. A spokeswoman for Fulham denied the move was to head off possible clashes between Jackson fans and football supporters.
Regardless, some Jackson followers are hanging tough. Motsey Hamid, a 26-year-old from Winchester, will attend with other English fans who plan to play music and "have a big sort of sing-along, light candles and remember Michael."
For him, the debate isn't about whether to show up; it's about what to wear.
He's choosing between his sparkly "Billie Jean" jacket, a red "Thriller" coat or his "Smooth Criminal" white suit.
Write to Alistair MacDonald at
[email protected]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/01/fulham-michael-jackson-statue-fans (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/01/fulham-michael-jackson-statue-fans)
Fulham fans cry foul over 'bizarre' Michael Jackson statueAl Fayed's tribute to the pop star – who has no links to the club – causes disquiet ahead of Sunday's unveiling at Craven Cottage
Share141 Comments (62) Barney Ronay guardian.co.uk, Friday 1 April 2011 18.36
(http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Arts/Arts_/Pictures/2011/4/1/1301673678642/Michael-Jackson-and-Moham-007.jpg)
Mohamed Al Fayed invited Michael Jackson to watch a Fulham home game in 1999. Photograph: Michael Craig/LFI
It may be approaching the two-year anniversary of his death from cardiac arrest in Los Angeles, but as of this weekend there will be a corner of suburban south-west London that is forever Michael Jackson. On Saturday, to a chorus of outrage from supporters and disquiet even from Jackson loyalists, a six-foot high golden statue of the King of Pop will be unveiled at Fulham football club, creating an incongruous permanent shrine to a pop culture icon of the 80s and 90s.
The statue is at the behest of the Fulham chairman and owner Mohamed Al Fayed, a close friend of the singer. "Michael Jackson was truly a legend, a term used too often in this modern world," Fayed told Fulham's website, when news emerged of the unveiling. "I hope that Fulham fans will appreciate seeing the finest performer in the world in and among them."
Football clubs have their own loyalties, however, and the unveiling of the statue – which depicts Jackson draped in ammunition belts and wearing what has been described as "his underpants outside his trousers" – has caused disquiet. Hundreds of supporters have signed a petition in protest at the club honouring "a controversial American pop star, who has no links to Fulham Football Club ... causing heated debate and much unrest". A demonstration is being planned to mark the unveiling tomorrow before the home match against Blackpool.
"Why? Why us? Fulham football fans do not want a statue of Michael Jackson," said Fulham supporter Lee Robinson. "It's completely mad. He's got nothing to do with us. To be honest, he's the last person you'd want there."
From the outside there is little to connect the two. On one hand, the most commercially prolific recording artist of the modern era, a man who almost single-handedly popularised the moonwalk. On the other, London's sleepiest Premier League football club, whose starriest encounters have tended to be the odd appearance in the stands by Hugh Grant. Indeed, this is something of a marriage of convenience: Fayed originally planned to erect the statue outside Harrods, which he sold to the Qatari royal family for £1.5bn shortly after commissioning it.
"The whole thing is bizarre," said David Lloyd, editor of the club fanzine, There's Only One F in Fulham. "If I was asked: did I want it? I would say no. But we've got a chairman who has done so much for us if he wants a Michael Jackson statue, so be it. What we don't want is the ridicule that will come with it."
Jackson's effigy will not be alone. Fulham's stadium, Craven Cottage, already plays host to a tribute to the club's greatest player, the legendary 1960s midfielder Johnny Haynes. For some, the confluence of the two has added to the affront. As Fulham supporter Andrew Lawford said: "I'm not sure fans will delight in the contrast of Johnny Haynes, Fulham legend, a man of standing and dignity who inspired generations of young supporters, and Michael Jackson."
The Haynes statue was a supporter-funded effort, erected in 2008 with planning permission from Hammersmith and Fulham council. By contrast, the council's planning department said the Jackson statue had been "discussed" and was deemed not to require permission, despite the fact that Craven Cottage is a Grade I-listed building. "It's not a black and white issue," said the council's duty planning officer, echoing one of Jackson's most memorable lyrics.
With the unveiling imminent, even Jackson's famously devout fans seem disquieted. "I think what Mr Al Fayed wants to do is a great thing and really nice," said Matt Blank, spokesman for Michael Jackson World Network, an online fan group. "It's lovely for Michael Jackson fans over the world to have a statue in such a public place. But I understand the anger of the football fans too. I think there are lots of locations in London that would be more fitting to the legacy Michael left behind."
A group identifying itself as The United Michael Jackson Fans of the World has posted a counter-petition calling for the statue's relocation, noting "as has been clearly demonstrated by the awful comments on the club's website, FFC is no place for Michael to reside and certainly no safe place for MJ fans to visit him".
In Fayed's defence, Jackson did at least visit the club once, attending a home game against Wigan as Fayed's guest in 1999. Lloyd was there to witness Jackson's pre-match lap of the pitch. "I thought he was an impersonator so I didn't take much notice."
Jackson has also appeared as an effigy in London once before. In 1995 a gold statue of the singer was floated down the Thames by his record company to mark the release of the album HIStory.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6846842,00.html (http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6846842,00.html)
Etuhu - Players are targets
Fulham midfielder speaks about brother's remorse
Last updated: 1st April 2011
(http://img.skysports.com/10/08/218x298/Dickson-Etuhu-Fulham-Premier-League-PA2_2495523.jpg)
Etuhu: Feels players can be targets
Fulham midfielder Dickson Etuhu believes his brother Kelvin's status as a Premier League footballer made him a target.
Kelvin Etuhu, who had been released from his contract at Manchester City in part due to the criminal proceedings, received an eight-month prison sentence last week for a drunken street brawl which left a man with a broken jaw.
The 22-year-old attacked Owen Fitzpatrick following a dispute in a casino cocktail bar and was caught on camera kicking the victim three times on the ground after he floored him with a punch.
Dickson Etuhu used his column in Friday's London Evening Standard to question the severity of the sentence.
"Being a professional footballer is a privilege and a wonderful career, but you do the job with a realisation that, in some people's eyes, you are a target," he said.
Struggling
"My younger brother, Kelvin, learned the painful lesson of the perils that can come with being a famous face last week.
"Let me stress that he is very sorry for what has happened. He accepts that he should not have behaved in the manner that he did.
"What all of us are struggling to come to terms with is the severity of his sentence.
"Kelvin had never been in trouble before, had no criminal record and the judge accepted that he was provoked and yet now he finds himself behind bars aged 22, his contract at Eastlands cancelled and his future uncertain."
.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/mark-hughes-confident-of-fulham-survival-2259847.html (http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/mark-hughes-confident-of-fulham-survival-2259847.html)
Mark Hughes confident of Fulham survival
By Duncan Bech, PA
Friday, 1 April 2011
Mark Hughes believes Fulham are on the brink of guaranteeing their survival in the Barclays Premier League for another season.
The Cottagers, who host Blackpool on Sunday, occupy 12th place in the table yet are still only three points above the relegation zone.
However, they have won four of their last five home league matches and with four games at Craven Cottage remaining, Hughes is confident they are on course to avoid the drop.
"We're very close to where we think we should be," he said.
"We want to maximise our home games and that should get us to the target we thought we'd reach.
"Up until our defeat by Everton last time out we'd been on a great run and that loss maybe made us take a step back.
"But we're still playing well and are on the back of a decent run of results and performances.
"The first half against Everton is the only exception to that.
"We're happy that we're playing well and producing positive performances, which is what you need at this time of year.
"If you're struggling for form and points, then it becomes a case of looking over your shoulder and then at the fixture list to see where your next points are coming from.
"We don't feel like that, we feel like we're playing well enough to pick up a good portion of the points we have left to play for.
"We're 12th in a very congested area of the table. We still have to get the job done, but we're playing well."
Traditionally 40 points is viewed as the safety net required to escape relegation, but Hughes insists an unpredictable season makes it impossible to predict a minimum target.
"It's difficult to call what points total will be enough," he said.
"You can look at trends and previous years and there have been very few times when 40-plus points have been needed.
"Maybe this year will be one of those, but there have been so many unexpected results with top teams not getting maximum points when you suspect they will.
"Then teams at the bottom gain points when previously you thought they had no chance of doing so.
"It's been that kind of season from the start and that's not going to change now.
"There will still be twists and turns and results that surprise us."
Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed will unveil a commemorative statue of Michael Jackson before Sunday's match in memory of his friendship with the singer.
Steve Sidwell set to return for Fulham against Blackpool
By Jacob Murtagh
Apr 1 2011
(http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/ealinggazette/feb2011/9/7/steve-sidwell-image-1-817116134.jpg)
Fulham v Blackpool
FULHAM are boosted by the return of Steve Sidwell for Sunday's Craven Cottage clash.
The midfielder has been sidelined since the FA Cup defeat in Bolton back in February, but is available again after recovering from a knee injury.
Defender Aaron Hughes is expected to overcome the shoulder problem he suffered on international duty to partner Brede Hangeland at the heart of defence.
Meanwhile, Bobby Zamora will be fit for a place on the bench, despite being ill this week.
Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/04/01/steve-sidwell-set-to-return-for-fulham-against-blackpool-64767-28443724/#ixzz1ILT3QB7a (http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/04/01/steve-sidwell-set-to-return-for-fulham-against-blackpool-64767-28443724/#ixzz1ILT3QB7a)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1372374/FULHAM-v-Blackpool-Illness-threatens-rule-striker-Bobby-Zamora.html (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1372374/FULHAM-v-Blackpool-Illness-threatens-rule-striker-Bobby-Zamora.html)
FULHAM v Blackpool: Illness threatens to rule out striker Bobby Zamora
By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 2:49 PM on 1st April 2011
Bobby Zamora is a doubt for Fulham's Barclays Premier League clash with Blackpool on Sunday because of illness.
Midfielder Steve Sidwell is in contention to play after recovering from his knee injury. Defender Aaron Hughes is expected to feature despite dislocating his shoulder on international duty for Northern Ireland.
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/04/01/article-0-0B23B860000005DC-560_468x346.jpg)
New setback: Zamora (left) has spent much of the season injured
Provisional squad: Schwarzer, Stockdale, Pantsil, Hangeland, Hughes, Baird, Briggs, Etuhu, Davies, Murphy, Sidwell, Duff, Dempsey, Gudjohnsen, Kakuta, Gera, Dembele, Salcido, Greening, Johnson, Zamora, Halliche.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1372374/FULHAM-v-Blackpool-Illness-threatens-rule-striker-Bobby-Zamora.html#ixzz1ILTJN77s (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1372374/FULHAM-v-Blackpool-Illness-threatens-rule-striker-Bobby-Zamora.html#ixzz1ILTJN77s)
Quote from: White Noise on April 02, 2011, 07:38:29 AM
Steve Sidwell set to return for Fulham against Blackpool
By Jacob Murtagh
Apr 1 2011
(http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/ealinggazette/feb2011/9/7/steve-sidwell-image-1-817116134.jpg)
Fulham v Blackpool
FULHAM are boosted by the return of Steve Sidwell for Sunday's Craven Cottage clash.
The midfielder has been sidelined since the FA Cup defeat in Bolton back in February, but is available again after recovering from a knee injury.
Defender Aaron Hughes is expected to overcome the shoulder problem he suffered on international duty to partner Brede Hangeland at the heart of defence.
Meanwhile, Bobby Zamora will be fit for a place on the bench, despite being ill this week.
Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/04/01/steve-sidwell-set-to-return-for-fulham-against-blackpool-64767-28443724/#ixzz1ILT3QB7a (http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/04/01/steve-sidwell-set-to-return-for-fulham-against-blackpool-64767-28443724/#ixzz1ILT3QB7a)
Yes, now that is what im talking about! :beer: :wine: :beer: :wine:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/9440000.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/9440000.stm)
Fulham v Blackpool
Sunday, 3 April 2011
Barclays Premier League
Fulham v Blackpool 13:30
Barclays Premier League
Venue: Craven Cottage Date: Sunday, 3 April Kick-off: 1330 BST
Coverage: Watch live on Sky Sports 1 and highlights on Match of the Day2; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and local radio; text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles
TEAM NEWS
Fulham's Steve Sidwell hopes to be ready to face Blackpool after over a month out with an ankle injury.
Aaron Hughes should play despite dislocating his shoulder on international duty, but Bobby Zamora is doubtful with illness.
Blackpool's DJ Campbell serves the final game of his three-match ban.
Ian Holloway's goalkeeper crisis has eased with Paul Rachubka and Matt Gilks playing for the reserves in midweek but Richard Kingson is expected to start.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fulham
Doubtful: Hughes (shoulder), Sidwell (knee), Zamora (illness)
Injured: Senderos (Achilles)
Blackpool
Suspended: Campbell (one match)
Doubtful: Rachubka & Gilks (match fitness)
Injured: Carney (shoulder), Clarke (match fitness)
MATCH PREVIEW
A statue of the late king of pop Michael Jackson will be unveiled before Sunday's game at Craven Cottage, which is a place where Fulham have been on song in 2011.
Everyone thought we would only get 10 points, so to have 33 at this stage of the season is brilliant by my lads
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway
Mark Hughes's side have won four of their last five home league matches, form that has helped to lift them out of the relegation zone. Another win on Sunday will put them within touching distance of the "40 point" mark, although in this highly competitive Premier League season, that is no guarantee of safety.
Ian Holloway says the Jackson tribute is "terrific" and his Blackpool side have been one of the Premier League's biggest entertainers themselves this season.
Their games have produced more than 100 goals, with only the Premier League's top three having scored more than the Seasiders' 45 goals.
However, they have also conceded a top-flight high of 60, and with just one win in 10 league games, they need to rediscover their winning ways or the curtain could come down on their Premier League career after just one season.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• This is the 100th league meeting between the sides.
• Fulham are unbeaten in their last three matches against Blackpool and have lost only one of the last 14 league meetings between the pair. Blackpool's last win over Fulham was in 1998.
• Blackpool's last win at Fulham was in 1986. They have not won in any of their seven subsequent visits.
Fulham
• Fulham have won four of their last five matches at Craven Cottage and are unbeaten there in the league in 2011.
• They have drawn 14 league matches this season, more than any other team in the top flight.
• Fulham are the only Premier League club yet to concede from a penalty this season. The only one they gave away was missed by Manchester United's Nani back in August.
• Fulham have conceded just one goal in the final 10 minutes of their league matches this season.
• Damien Duff is one goal away from scoring 50 in the Premier League. He would become the third Irishman to reach this milestone after Robbie Keane and Niall Quinn.
Blackpool
• Blackpool have won just one of their last 10 league matches.
• The Tangerines have lost four of their last five away matches although they are sixth in the 2010/11 Premier League away form table.
• Blackpool are without a clean sheet in their last 13 league games and they have lost nine times during this period. They are also bottom of the Premier League form table over the last eight games.
• The Seasiders have not won any of their three Premier League visits to London this season (D1, L2). They have not scored in the capital but have conceded 10.
• Charlie Adam has scored nine Premier League goals this season. If he scores again, he will be the first Scotsman to reach double figures in a season since Paul Dickov scored 11 goals for Leicester City in 2003/04.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
Fulham
Dempsey: 11 goals (10 league); Kamara: 5 goals (2 league)
Blackpool
Campbell: 10 goals* (10 league); Adam: 10 goals (9 league)
*Includes 1 goal (1 league) for Leicester
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Assistant referees: Mike Cairns & Ron Ganfield
Fourth official: Phil Dowd
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
Fulham (L1-2 v Everton, a): Schwarzer, Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Salcido, Duff (Kakuta 75), Murphy, Etuhu (Zamora 60), Dempsey, Dembele, Johnson (Gudjohnsen 84). Subs not used: Stockdale, Kelly, Greening, Davies.
Blackpool (D2-2 v Blackburn, a): Kingson, Baptiste, Cathcart, Evatt, Crainey, Grandin (Phillips 66), Adam (Southern 88), Vaughan, Puncheon, Taylor-Fletcher, Varney (Reid 81). Subs not used: Halstead, Eardley, Ormerod, Beattie.
http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/6286/6/exclusive-%E2%80%93-coleman-blackpool-are-no-longer-premier-leagues-surprise-package (http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/6286/6/exclusive-%E2%80%93-coleman-blackpool-are-no-longer-premier-leagues-surprise-package)
Exclusive – Coleman: 'Blackpool are no longer Premier League's surprise package'
By Alex Varney
Friday, April 1
Chris Coleman has warned Blackpool they are in big trouble as Premier League teams have finally worked out how to play them.
Ian Holloway's newly-promoted side made an incredible start to the season but have won just one of their last ten games to leave them a point above the relegation zone.
And Coleman told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast: "They were the surprise package at the start but maybe they are not the surprise package anymore.
"
If you can't keep clean sheets you're going to be in big trouble and they can't do that
"
Chris Coleman
"People have worked out the way they play, they are very open and expansive in their build-up, very easy on the eye. But unfortunately in the Premier League if you can't keep clean sheets you're going to be in big trouble and they can't do that."
Blackpool face a tough fixture this weekend away to Fulham, who are only two points above the Seasiders.
But Coleman expects his former club to pull clear of danger with star striker Bobby Zamora back to full fitness.
He added: "They missed Bobby. Back at Christmas time they got beat by West Ham at home and slid into the bottom three. And I have to say I feared for them a little bit because they didn't have Zamora, they had Andy Johnson, who had just got back from injury, who was finding his feet and lacking a bit of confidence.
"Dembele is a good player but they missed Zamora's presence, his goal threat, and since he's come back he's given everybody else a lift. I don't see Fulham being in trouble. They'll get the points they need especially with Bobby and I think they'll push on next season."
Symons' Title Target
Friday 1st April 2011
(http://www.fulhamfc.com/Images/MainNews/NewsPages/Management/Symons/general3.jpg)
Fulham's Under 18s extended their unbeaten run to seven games last weekend with a 2-1 victory over Reading, despite fielding a weakened side. The excellent run of form has lifted Kit Symons' team to second place in the league, just two points behind leaders Southampton.
Following Fulham's disappointing exit from the FA Youth Cup sponsored by E.ON, the players were set the target of going the reminder of the season unbeaten, and they certainly appear to be on track so far.
"It was a really good performance," Symons told fulhamfc.com as he looked back on the win over Reading. "Going into the game, about eight or nine of our normal starting eleven were unavailable due to a Reserve Team game. So we went in with a really young and inexperienced side.
"It was also Richard Peniket's first competitive match since recovering from glandular fever. It was a big ask for the boys and Reading are a decent side who are very strong and physical. They had a few Under 18 internationals playing so it was a really big test and we did tremendously well. It was a real battling performance.
"The big thing that the Manager talks about is the winning mentality. Even going into the Reading game with a young and inexperienced side, the boys showed real resilience. That's something that we've been conscious of for a long time. If you can instil that belief into the players, it really gives them a good chance.
"We're now starting to win these scrappy games, which we've always struggled to do. We've always done well in the purist games – but we're now winning the not so nice games. The match against Tottenham a week earlier was a similar case. The pitch here wasn't in great condition but again we showed really good resilience, concentration and focus, which are huge things in football.
"As much as you like to see the boys learning the technical and tactical aspects. The mental side of football is just as important and that's been a big plus for me these recent weeks."
With Fulham now sitting in second place the next few weeks sees fixtures against Charlton and Bristol City, before the big one against leaders Southampton. But due to a planned Reserve Team fixture, Symons is likely to be without a number of regulars against the Saints – giving another opportunity to the youngsters who performed so admirably against Reading.
"We played an Under 15 lad as centre-half for the Reading match, and I'd never have dreamed of playing him there," Symons said. "But the change was forced on us and he was fantastic.
"The chances are we'll go into the Southampton game very light in terms of experience. But that gives other people the opportunity to come in and play. Southampton are a good side, it will be a huge ask for the players. But we'll get out there and see what we can do."
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/April/SymonsTitleTarget.aspx#ixzz1ILUWHPaL (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/April/SymonsTitleTarget.aspx#ixzz1ILUWHPaL)
Aaron Injury Update
Friday 1st April 2011
(http://www.fulhamfc.com/Images/MainNews/NewsPages/Players/Hughes/HughesCeleb.jpg)
There was some positive news regarding the fitness of Aaron Hughes on Friday afternoon when Manager Mark Hughes revealed he is confident the defender will be fit for Sunday's game against Blackpool at the Cottage.
The Northern Ireland international retuned early from international duty last week after suffering a shoulder injury but after training on Friday, Hughes explained the nature of the injury and his belief that the ever-present defender will be lining up alongside Brede Hangeland this weekend.
"Aaron's had an issue with his shoulder," Hughes explained. "It was a slight dislocation of the shoulder where it's popped out and straight back in. He's trained today [Friday] and he's got a little bit of tenderness there but we don't anticipate that he'll miss the game.
"The issue is at the back of the shoulder rather than the front and more often than not if the issue is at the front it's more than likely to pop out again. The medical staff think there's only a slight chance of that and it would have to be a very unfortunate way of falling.
"We feel he's moving correctly and not carrying the injury so he should be okay."
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/March/HughesFitnessUpdate.aspx#ixzz1ILV2ahXO (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/March/HughesFitnessUpdate.aspx#ixzz1ILV2ahXO)
Team News
Friday 1st April 2011
(http://www.fulhamfc.com/Images/MainNews/NewsPages/Players/Sidwell/SidwellAction.jpg)
Fulham's international players returned to Motspur Park this week after the recent international break and Mark Hughes revealed on Friday that his squad is looking fit and healthy ahead of Sunday's Barclays Premier League match against Blackpool at the Cottage.
"Everybody's come back fit and well and we're in pretty good shape in terms of injuries and getting people back from injury," said Hughes on Friday afternoon.
"We've had guys who've had a lot of air miles so we're conscious of that, looking after the likes of Carlos Salcido and Clint Dempsey. Travelling can take a lot out of players but we don't think it will have an impact on Sunday's game."
Hughes also revealed on Friday that striker Bobby Zamora's fitness levels are bringing his closer to a return to Fulham's starting eleven whilst midfielder Steve Sidwell is now fit and ready to play after recovering from a knee injury.
"Bobby's still building up his fitness but he's getting very close now to starting games," Hughes explained. "He's been a little under the weather this week so we'll have to keep an eye on that but he's obviously getting stronger.
"Steve Sidwell has had a good week of training so he's very much in my thoughts for Sunday's game."
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/March/BlackpoolTeamNews.aspx#ixzz1ILVT0iFZ (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/March/BlackpoolTeamNews.aspx#ixzz1ILVT0iFZ)
Matchday Programme
(http://www.fulhamfc.com/Images/MainNews/NewsPages/Programme/1011/Blackpool.jpg)
As the tightest of Barclays Premier League seasons edges nearer to a dramatic climax, Fulham entertain Blackpool on Sunday with just two points and two places separating them from Ian Holloway's side.
Both are known for their attacking football, and having played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in August, many, including Whites' Captain Danny Murphy, are anticipating an encounter not to be missed.
Throw in Mark Hughes' team's excellent home record, the Seasiders' impressive form on the road and the continued return to action for Bobby Zamora and it all makes for an intriguing 90 minutes of football.
And as ever, fans heading to Craven Cottage, will be able to get their hands on the Club's award-winning official Matchday programme. With its sleek design, the must-read 84-page publication comes packed full of Fulham facts and info, in-depth discussion, exclusive player interaction, innovative features and detailed coverage of your favourite club.
What is more, buy a copy this week and you will automatically be in with a chance of winning a fantastic Fulham v Bolton hospitality package courtesy of Jack Wolfskin in our Lucky Programme Number competition – so don't be an April fool, pick up a copy as soon as you can.
The essential matchday read also includes:
Fulham Manager Mark Hughes reflects on recent activity.
Danny Murphy's views as Club Captain.
An exclusive one-on-one feature interview with Fulham stopper Mark Schwarzer.
Away team insight from Blackpool's in-form defender Ian Evatt.
Expert Analysis from Blackpool legend and former England captain Jimmy Armfield.
Academy Manager Kit Symons discusses the Under-18s' recent fine form and their challenge for the Academy Group A Premier League title.
Through The Ranks with young Academy hopeful Richard Barroilhet.
The popular Black & White Eye, covering all things Fulham.
Match action from our games against Blackburn and Everton.
Unprecedented fan interaction and tonnes of fun for younger fans too.
Plus, so much more besides!
The brilliant publication will be on sale in and around the ground from two hours before kick-off and at half-time.
If you miss your copy outside then look out for sellers on the Putney and Hammersmith Terrace, or at half-time from the programme room situated inside the Johnny Haynes Stand by Block E (opposite Turnstile 24).
Buy Matchday Programmes online|
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Fanzone/FFCMatchdayProgramme.aspx#ixzz1ILVpzPbf (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Fanzone/FFCMatchdayProgramme.aspx#ixzz1ILVpzPbf)
Fulham v Liverpool tickets
Barclays Premier League
Monday 9 May
Kick-Off 20:00
Due to a number of tickets being returned for this match, a limited quantity of tickets are now available to Season Ticket Holders and Members (max 2 per person).
Check availability and buy online|
Seatwave Ticket Exchange
The Seatwave ticket exchange is now open for this game. If you're a Season Ticket Holder and can't attend this match, you can sell your ticket via Seatwave to another Fulham supporter and you'll even get some money back! For those short of a ticket, the exchange will give Fulham fans the opportunity to get hold of genuine match tickets safely and securely.
Using the Fulham FC Ticket Exchange couldn't be easier:
1. Log on at www.seatwave.com/fulhamfc (http://www.seatwave.com/fulhamfc) and activate your Fulham FC account. You will need your client reference number then simply follow the prompts.
2. Select the match and list your ticket for sale.
3. Fulham FC Season Ticket Holders and Members can browse the site for your available tickets.
4. If your ticket sells, your season ticket for that match will be deactivated and the buyer will be sent a paper ticket (there's no need to hand over your card).
You will be reimbursed for your ticket directly into your bank account. (Your season ticket cost divided by 19, less a 10% + VAT seller's service charge). If your ticket does not sell you will be notified before the fixture.
For more information on the exchange please visit http://www.seatwave.com/fulhamfc/ticket-exchange/FAQ (http://www.seatwave.com/fulhamfc/ticket-exchange/FAQ)|
Go to Seatwave|
Hospitality Matchday Experiences
We have a limited number of places remaining for those wanting to enjoy the ultimate matchday experience on the Thames prior to the match.
Find out more about hospitality available and book your place| or call 020 8336 7555 (Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm) to book your place.†
Matchday Info
Seat Moves & Upgrades
Seat moves are not available on the day of the game. Upgrades can be obtained by visiting the Ticket Office.
Refunds
Refunds will only be given on tickets if the match is cancelled or postponed. The ticket must be returned to the Ticket Office within 7 days of the rescheduling announcement, which shall be made on fulhamfc.com
Postponements
Tickets will remain valid for the rearranged match.
Lost Season Tickets / Match Tickets
Fans must report to Ticket Office where valid ID must be shown. £5 is charged to replace a lost access card.
Concession Ticket Holders
Supporters with junior and concession tickets are reminded to bring ID to the stadium in the event of being asked for proof of age on matchday.
.
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Tickets/Games/LiverpoolHome.aspx#ixzz1ILW5Gv1s (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Tickets/Games/LiverpoolHome.aspx#ixzz1ILW5Gv1s)
Fulham v Blackpool tickets
Barclays Premier League
Sunday 3rd April
Kick-Off 13:30
With only a limited number of tickets remaining for Sunday's match against Blackpool the Club is expecting this game to sell out. Make sure you don't miss out on this crucial encounter and buy your ticket today.
On-sale dates
Season Ticket Holders On sale (6 tickets)
Fulham Club Members On sale (6 tickets)
General Sale On sale (4 tickets)
Loyalty points: 3 (more info)|
Buy tickets online|
How to Buy Tickets
buy tickets online - 7 days a week, 24 hrs a day. Save on booking fees by booking online*
by phone on 0843 208 1234 (option 1) - 7 days a week, 24 hrs a day
in person from the Ticket Office: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; non-match day Sat 10am-12pm * Lower booking fees compared to telephone booking
† Special offers and packages only available on advance bookings and not on the day of the match.
Prices
Category B prices apply to this match.
NB: Blocks A and AL are a designated Family Area and are not available to book online. To book, call the Ticket Office on 0843 208 1234 opt 3 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm).
Stand (Grade B) Block Adult Conc Junior
Riverside S, Z £40 £25 £10
J Haynes D, DL, G, GL £42 £28 £15
Hammersmith / Putney All Blocks £35 £25 £15
J Haynes B, BL, C, CL J, JL, H, HL £40 £25 £10
J Haynes A, K, AL, KL £30 £20 £10
Junior - under 16
Concessions: Young Person - under 21. Under 21 prices are not available to purchase after midday on matchdays (Saturday/Sunday) and after 4pm for midweek matches.
Concessions: Senior - over 65
Matchday Info
Seat Moves & Upgrades
Seat moves are not available on the day of the game. Upgrades can be obtained by visiting the Ticket Office.
Refunds
Refunds will only be given on tickets if the match is cancelled or postponed. The ticket must be returned to the Ticket Office within 7 days of the rescheduling announcement, which shall be made on fulhamfc.com
Postponements
Tickets will remain valid for the rearranged match.
Lost Season Tickets / Match Tickets
Fans must report to Ticket Office where valid ID must be shown. £5 is charged to replace a lost access card.
Concession Ticket Holders
Supporters with junior and concession tickets are reminded to bring ID to the stadium in the event of being asked for proof of age on matchday.
.
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Tickets/Games/BlackpoolHome.aspx#ixzz1ILWI8BA1 (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Tickets/Games/BlackpoolHome.aspx#ixzz1ILWI8BA1)
http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/carney-out-blackpool-v-fulham-fixture-1544601 (http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/carney-out-blackpool-v-fulham-fixture-1544601)
Carney out of Blackpool v Fulham fixture
01.04.11 | Andrew Slevison
David Carney has been ruled out of Blackpool's meeting with Fulham on Sunday.
The left-back hurt his shoulder in Australia's 2-1 victory over Germany on Tuesday, in which he scored the equaliser for the Socceroos.
He will now miss the chance to face off with national teammate Mark Schwarzer who will be in goals for Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Fulham currently sit 12th on the table but have lost just one of their last six (to Tim Cahill's Everton) whilst Blackpool, as entertaining as they are, sit 15th and are just a point off the relegation zone.
Quote from: White Noise on April 02, 2011, 07:46:56 AM
Aaron Injury Update
Friday 1st April 2011
(http://www.fulhamfc.com/Images/MainNews/NewsPages/Players/Hughes/HughesCeleb.jpg)
There was some positive news regarding the fitness of Aaron Hughes on Friday afternoon when Manager Mark Hughes revealed he is confident the defender will be fit for Sunday's game against Blackpool at the Cottage.
The Northern Ireland international retuned early from international duty last week after suffering a shoulder injury but after training on Friday, Hughes explained the nature of the injury and his belief that the ever-present defender will be lining up alongside Brede Hangeland this weekend.
"Aaron's had an issue with his shoulder," Hughes explained. "It was a slight dislocation of the shoulder where it's popped out and straight back in. He's trained today [Friday] and he's got a little bit of tenderness there but we don't anticipate that he'll miss the game.
"The issue is at the back of the shoulder rather than the front and more often than not if the issue is at the front it's more than likely to pop out again. The medical staff think there's only a slight chance of that and it would have to be a very unfortunate way of falling.
"We feel he's moving correctly and not carrying the injury so he should be okay."
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/March/HughesFitnessUpdate.aspx#ixzz1ILV2ahXO (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/March/HughesFitnessUpdate.aspx#ixzz1ILV2ahXO)
:beer: :wine: :beer: :wine: :yay:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3505038/Mark-Hughes-says-Ian-Holloway-is-more-than-a-joker.html
Ian is an Ollie good boss
By CARL LONG
Published: Today
MARK HUGHES says Blackpool manager Ian Holloway is as wacky off the pitch as he is on it.
Fulham boss Hughes, preparing for tomorrow's visit from the Seasiders, has become a pal of opposite number Ollie over the years.
Hughes said: "I really enjoy his company as you'd expect. He is a great personality and a great guy to spend time with. And he is exactly the same in private as he is in public.
"What you have to understand is that at times people laugh at his comments and his bravado but he knows his stuff. He is a very knowledgeable football man.
"Sometimes when he says stuff that makes people chuckle, that is lost.
"But make no mistake, he knows what he is about and that is reflected in his teams."
Why Roy Hodgson deserves a standing ovation from the travelling Liverpool fans today
By Mark Lawrenson
Published 07:01 01/04/11
Roy Hodgson was the wrong manager, in the wrong place, at the wrong time as Liverpool boss.
But he has done really well at West Brom. He is making them much more difficult to beat and hard to play against.
That is Roy. His coaching is about filling in the holes defensively. He has them all onside, buying into it, and Albion have not been beaten since he took over, so confidence is good and the mood brighter.
Hodgson tried to do the same thing at Anfield.
The problem with that was Liverpool didn't need to be turned into a team who are difficult to play against, they had that anyway. Over the years under Benitez they never conceded that many goals.
Liverpool needed the coaching to be geared to the other end of the pitch - how could they get Gerrard and Torres into positions to create more chances?
Roy had to deal with the club being sold too.
He did a wonderful job at Fulham, and looks like he will do a wonderful job at West Brom. But at Liverpool he just didn't fit.
It happens.
He has not become a bad manager. He is one of the good guys, as everyone knows. I think the Liverpool fans say thanks Roy, but no thanks.
The fans who go to the Hawthorns will give him an ovation because that is just the way they are.
Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/mark-lawrenson/Mark-Lawrenson-on-Why-West-Brom-Roy-Hodgson-deserves-a-standing-ovation-from-the-Liverpool-fans-today-article718970.html#ixzz1ILYweuPj (http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/mark-lawrenson/Mark-Lawrenson-on-Why-West-Brom-Roy-Hodgson-deserves-a-standing-ovation-from-the-Liverpool-fans-today-article718970.html#ixzz1ILYweuPj)
Like Roy Hodgson at Liverpool, Gerard Houllier is being FOUND out by fans rather than DRIVEN out
By Brian Reade
Published 23:02 01/04/11
It would be nice if UEFA's veteran technical advisors occasionally descended from their Ivory Towers to admit the flaws in their own ability.
I'd have more respect for men such as Roy Hodgson and Gerard Houllier (who when "resting" between coaching jobs are flown round the world by UEFA to compile critical reports) if they confessed their own technical limitations. If they admitted that when it comes to the highest level of management they may just be out of their depth.
Instead, both arrogantly wave away any criticism of their ability with the dismissive air of pseudo-intellectual academics.
As Hodgson faces his old club today, he's telling everyone it was the fans who got him the sack at Anfield. That every Kopite wanted Kenny Dalglish appointed last July, which meant he was doomed from the off.
That's just not true.
There was no mass call for Dalglish to succeed Rafa Benitez. The majority of supporters may have been underwhelmed by Hodgson's appointment but backed it and willed him to succeed.
They only started calling for Dalglish five months into Hodgson's reign when they were in despair over most of his woeful summer signings, his negative tactics and his clear inability to motivate world-class players.
They concluded that Hodgson's coaching strengths lay in helping lower-to-mid-table teams punch above their weight, which made him the wrong man for Liverpool.
To carry on blaming the fans for his abject failure only serves to prove his blindness to his own limitations.
Even if he beats Dalglish's side today and pushes relegation strugglers West Brom closer to safety, it won't vindicate his reputation but serve to confirm it.
Houllier, it seems, is equally blinded to his own culpability in Aston Villa's fall from top six side under Martin O'Neill, to relegation fodder under him.
Indeed, he blamed a recent defeat at Bolton on the zonal marking system he inherited from O'Neill. But apart from the fact Villa didn't defend corners zonally under O'Neill, Houllier has been in charge since last September. So why didn't this technical genius change it?
This week, he pointed the finger of blame at his players. Not just the indisciplined like Richard Dunne and James Collins, the banished like Stephen Warnock, but those who turn it on for their country yet turn it off for him.
"We've a squad half-full of international players so should be able to cope," he said, before claiming the manager may be responsible for the results "but the players are responsible for the game".
Feel free to unravel that denial of guilt if you can.
Houllier has never been short of excuses.
He still puts his failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup as France boss totally down to one poor David Ginola cross.
At Liverpool, he refused to see that not getting anywhere near winning the Premier League or Champions League meant he had ultimately failed, instead painting his time there as an unmitigated success.
Who will he blame if Villa fans' anger towards him reaches breaking point and he is forced out at the end of the season?
Probably them.
No doubt, like Hodgson, after he's pocketed his hefty pay-off, he will put his sacking down to their hostility rather than his lack of ability.
Despite the truth being, that, like Hodgson at Liverpool, Houllier isn't being driven out, just found out.
But when it comes to them writing their own technical report into their time in charge, don't expect them to admit it.
As long as UEFA view them as coaching geniuses of the highest calibre, so will they.
***
Andy Carroll's main problem over the next couple of years is going to be the fact that ever bad touch will be greeted by people yelling "£35million for that?!"
My advice is to invest in a DVD of Tuesday night's game against Ghana and watch it repeatedly.
Not to study his goal, but to see Joleon Lescott's performance, enabling him to scream "£24million for that?!" - and feel good about himself.
As for Carroll being forced to go to the Under-21 tournament this summer, someone needs to remind Sergeant Major Pearce that we did away with compulsory National Service in 1960.
And even back then the law restricted it to young men between 17-21. Carroll is 22, meaning he doesn't even need to play the conscientious objector card.
He can just claim to be part of Dad's Army.
***
Liverpool's shirt sponsors Standard Chartered say they don't care if the Reds fail to qualify for the Champions League as matches are played when their Asian audience is asleep.
Presumably, they're not too worried about the Europa League either – when those games are played the entire world audience goes to sleep.
Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-reade/Brian-Reade-column-Like-Roy-Hodgson-at-Liverpool-Gerard-Houllier-at-Aston-Villa-is-being-FOUND-out-by-fans-rather-than-DRIVEN-out-plus-Liverpool-and-Andy-Carroll-article718954.html#ixzz1ILZJd4Vg (http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/brian-reade/Brian-Reade-column-Like-Roy-Hodgson-at-Liverpool-Gerard-Houllier-at-Aston-Villa-is-being-FOUND-out-by-fans-rather-than-DRIVEN-out-plus-Liverpool-and-Andy-Carroll-article718954.html#ixzz1ILZJd4Vg)
http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/blackpool-morale-remains-strong-cathcart-1545171 (http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/blackpool-morale-remains-strong-cathcart-1545171)
Blackpool morale remains strong - Cathcart
02.04.11 | tribalfootball.com
Blackpool morale is as strong as ever, says defender Craig Cathcart.
The former Manchester United defender says Ian Holloway's off-the-wall approach to management has made the Seasiders squad an incredibly close unit.
Cathcart, whose side travel to Fulham tomorrow, said: "There is a fantastic bond at the club.
"I'd suggest we're probably even tighter than our rivals because of what we've been through together.
"The feeling of togetherness gets stronger when you're running on the beach in the snow together.
"We haven't had any days at the casino or the pleasure beach for a while because of all the games. But it's also because the manager could see we'd got that spirit he was trying to build."
http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/we-have-no-memory-tonight/ (http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/we-have-no-memory-tonight/)
We have no memory tonight
Filed under: General — rich @ 9:05 am
I can't remember who it was, but I read an interview with a football who said that he never watches his goals on TV as his memory of scoring the goal becomes eroded and replaced by the TV version. I know exactly what he means there.
When you think back to last year's Europa League run, which parts can you remember from the grounds? Which from the TV images?
I haven't seen the final on TV so that's as I saw it, save for the goals, which are TV images.
I didn't do away games so those are TV images.
The Juve game is almost all TV now. I can sort of remember the Trezeguet goal in person: the ground seemed somehow golden, caused no doubt by the early evening kickoff and the Juve away kits. But while I remember the euphoria and slowness (time stood still) of Dempsey's chip, the act itself is more or less a TV image.
Roma at home I haven't seen on TV, so that's all in my mind.
The Wolfsburg game I can't remember very well.
The Hamburg game I do remember, but I didn't enjoy that. I remember not enjoying it, but not what happened on the pitch. I do remember not standing up when people said "Stand up if you still believe" because I didn't believe.
Does any of this apply to anyone else? Do you see football as you saw it at the ground, or as you saw it on TV? I would rather remember Clint's chip as it happened at the ground, but to preserve that particular memory you'd have to avoid all TV coverage of it. And who could do that?
http://www.skysports.com/opinion/story/0,25212,15205_6845738,00.html
Staying power
Merse previews the Super Sunday games
Paul Merson Posted 1st April 2011
Sky Sports brings you a Super Sunday double header with implications at both ends of the table.
Things kick off at Craven Cottage from 1pm as Blackpool travel to Fulham hoping to boost their survival chances, while their opponents are bidding to avoid getting dragged into the dogfight.
Fulham v Blackpool
1pm, Sun, Sky Sports HD1
Everybody wants to see Blackpool stay up - apart from fans of the three teams that end up going down.
The thing about them is they are a bit too naïve. I watched their last game against Blackburn and they were 2-0 up at half-time. If they'd kept it tight for 10 minutes after the break they would have won that game comfortably, but they conceded a quick goal and ended up drawing the match.
At one point in the second half, they had a corner at 2-1 up. Before you knew it Blackburn had a break with three against two and Blackpool left themselves too wide open. It's very entertaining, but it might not help them stay up.
All season long they seem to have decided they're not good enough to keep clean sheets, so they've played with freedom and tried to score lots of goals. Ian Holloway has told his players to go forward and I hope it works for him.
Scoring goals is the only thing that can keep them up. I don't expect Blackburn to even look like scoring at Arsenal on Saturday, but Blackpool look like getting goals everywhere they go. They even had great chances when they lost 6-0 at the Emirates.
That's the reason I think they will stay up and that's the reason I think this game will be very entertaining.
I personally believe that if Matthew Gilks was fit they'd be safe already. Richard Kingson was outstanding at Wembley the other night, but he has thrown away points in games for his club.
He's done his best but he's not in the same class as Gilks. He doesn't look commanding and he's not great on crosses, which is an issue in the Premier League.
This game will hinge on Saturday's results to some extent. If results go against Blackpool then the pressure is on, but if the teams below them lose then this is like a free punch. They can go out and play with freedom.
It's a bit like the golfer who putts second. If the first guy holes his then it becomes a very small hole to aim for, but if he misses then it's a massive target.
Fulham can't afford to lose this game either. I don't see them going down but they'd have questions to answer if they lost this.
They'll have highlighted this game as a must-win match, but a draw would be great for Blackpool. To go to Blackburn and Fulham without losing either game keeps them right in the hunt.
Sadly I think they might come unstuck.
PAUL'S PREDICTION
HOME WIN - I hate predicting against Blackpool because they can make you look silly. I can't see them keeping a clean sheet, but you can't be sure about much else. I'm going to say this will be a very entertaining football match, but Fulham are a good team when their players are fit and I expect them to win 2-1.
MERSON'S MAGIC MAN
DANNY MURPHY - The midfield battle between him and Charlie Adam could be a crucial area in this game. If Murphy can boss it then I think Fulham will go on to win the match.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6846589,00.html (http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6846589,00.html)
Latics facing drop - poll
Readers and bookies in agreement as Wigan edge closer to relegation
By Kristian Walsh
Last updated: 1st April 2011
Nearly half of skysports.com readers believe Wigan Athletic are most likely to be relegated from this season's Premier League, but the remainder appear split.
The uncertainty surrounding this season's relegation battle has been replicated by readers, with only two clubs - Wigan and Wolverhampton Wanderers - polling more than 10 per cent of the vote.
Forty-nine per cent of the 15,000 readers who took part in the poll believe bottom-of-the-table Wigan will go down, making them clear favourites; but even Wolves, with 11 per cent, are no guarantee to go down with our readers.
Fierce rivals West Brom are third with seven per cent, while four more teams polled between six and seven per cent, reflecting how tight this year's relegation battle is.
Blackburn, Blackpool, West Ham and Birmingham make up that contingent, while Aston Villa and Newcastle garnered four and three per cent of the vote respectively.
Bookmaker Sky Bet appear to mirror the result of the poll with Wigan strong odds-on favourites for the drop. Roberto Martinez's side are only two points from safety but face trips to Chelsea, Sunderland and Aston Villa, making their odds of 1/3 seem fair.
Readers have more faith in Blackpool (11/10) than the online bookmaker with only six per cent of readers backing Holloway's men for the drop; with the return of Matt Gilks in goal and home games against Wigan, Newcastle, Stoke and Bolton, the Tangerines are capable of peeling away from the relegation mire.
Readers seem less confident on the chances of Wolves and West Brom (7/4), while Blackburn's woes are not considered too troubling by readers.
Although Rovers currently sit fourth in the poll, the online betting firm make them 6/4. This low price can be attributed to the growing worries surrounding Steve Kean's job, while away matches to relegation rivals West Ham (7/4) and Wolves could prove their downfall.
The wild cards in this fight for survival are the Midlands pair of Birmingham (13/8) and Aston Villa (7/1). The poll suggests both are capable of staying in the Premier League despite both facing crunch games against those around them.
Birmingham will play Blackburn, Newcastle, Wolves and Fulham, while Gerard Houllier's side encounter Newcastle, West Ham, Stoke, West Brom and Wigan.
Both their fates may rest upon those games, particularly with Birmingham yet to play Chelsea, Liverpool or Spurs away, while Aston Villa face Arsenal and Liverpool in their final two fixtures, meaning wins against those around them will be paramount to their survival.
.
Hughes: I'm a man on the brink
Published 17:37 01/04/11
By MirrorFootball
(http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/match-centre/article638503.ece/ALTERNATES/gallery-large/fulham-mark-hughes-cropped)
Mark Hughes believes Fulham are on the brink of guaranteeing their survival in the Barclays Premier League for another season.
The Cottagers, who host Blackpool on Sunday, occupy 12th place in the table yet are still only three points above the relegation zone.
However, they have won four of their last five home league matches and with four games at Craven Cottage remaining, Hughes is confident they are on course to avoid the drop.
"We're very close to where we think we should be," he said.
"We want to maximise our home games and that should get us to the target we thought we'd reach.
"Up until our defeat by Everton last time out we'd been on a great run and that loss maybe made us take a step back.
"But we're still playing well and are on the back of a decent run of results and performances - the first half against Everton is the only exception to that.
"We're happy that we're playing well and producing positive performances, which is what you need at this time of year.
"If you're struggling for form and points, then it becomes a case of looking over your shoulder and then at the fixture list to see where your next points are coming from.
"We don't feel like that, we feel like we're playing well enough to pick up a good portion of the points we have left to play for.
"We're 12th in a very congested area of the table. We still have to get the job done, but we're playing well."
Traditionally 40 points is viewed as the safety net required to escape relegation, but Hughes insists an unpredictable season makes it impossible to predict a minimum target.
"It's difficult to call what points total will be enough," he said.
"You can look at trends and previous years and there have been very few times when 40-plus points have been needed.
"Maybe this year will be one of those, but there have been so many unexpected results with top teams not getting maximum points when you suspect they will.
"Then teams at the bottom gain points when previously you thought they had no chance of doing so.
"It's been that kind of season from the start and that's not going to change now.
"There will still be twists and turns and results that surprise us."
Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed will unveil a commemorative statue of Michael Jackson before Sunday's match in memory of his friendship with the singer.
Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Mark-Hughes-believes-his-Fulham-side-are-on-the-brink-of-clinching-survival-in-the-Premier-League-for-another-season-article718997.html#ixzz1ILbGLAnU (http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Mark-Hughes-believes-his-Fulham-side-are-on-the-brink-of-clinching-survival-in-the-Premier-League-for-another-season-article718997.html#ixzz1ILbGLAnU)
