Dnipro 1 Fulham 0 (agg 1-3): Riise's pain taints Jol joy as boss demands more from Johnson
Juande Ramos won the battle of the former Tottenham bosses - but Martin Jol won the war.
Fulham qualified for the Europa League group stages, with last week's 3-0 first-leg win enough to see them through to the draw in Monaco despite Evgeny Shakhov's close-range winner on the night.
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/08/25/article-2030184-0D92452E00000578-903_634x404.jpg)
Test of nerve: Evgeny Shakhov (centre) gave Dnipro hope with an early goal in Ukraine
The one blot on the night was a leg injury suffered by John Arne Riise in the first half. Jol said: 'He has a serious problem with the leg, that's why I substituted him with Matthew Briggs.
'We are a great team and tonight we were very good in defence. We didn't want to lose. We could be better in attack and I wanted to see more from Andy Johnson tonight.'
Fulham had the first chance when Damien Duff saw his low drive pushed round the post by Dnipro goalkeeper Jan Lastuvka, but the visitors' hopes were hit when John Arne Riise hobbled off on 20 minutes.
Shortly afterwards Shakhov netted the opener when a Dnipro corner was headed back across goal, and suddenly Fulham's hopes of making easy progress to the group stage looked in doubt.
Both sides had chances in an even first half but it could have got worse for Fulham on the stroke of half-time when a dangerous free-kick from Evgeni Konoplyanka was tipped over by Schwarzer.
Dnipro, coached by the man who replaced Jol at Spurs, Juande Ramos, made their intentions clear at the start of the second half as they poured forward in search of a goal to keep the tie alive.
Aaron Hughes got back well to block a drive from Brazilian Giuliano then Schwarzer had to be on hand again to stop a goalbound effort from Ghanaian midfielder Samuel Inkoom.
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/08/25/article-2030184-0D92742900000578-392_634x444.jpg)
A hard day's night: Fulham striker Andrew Johnson (left) battles with Derek Boateng
Nikola Kalinic - a recent recruit from Blackburn - and Shakhov again had further chances, before Dnipro's best chance of further reducing the deficit when Schwarzer fumbled an effort from Konoplyanka and Chris Baird had to hack clear.
With time running out Fulham almost stole a goal of their own on the break when Duff raced clear and crossed to Pajtim Kasami, who somehow contrived to shoot over with the goal at his mercy.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2030184/Dnipro-1-Fulham-0-agg-1-3--Martin-Jols-men-book-Europa-League-spot.html#ixzz1W6uDp9aG (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2030184/Dnipro-1-Fulham-0-agg-1-3--Martin-Jols-men-book-Europa-League-spot.html#ixzz1W6uDp9aG)
Jol's men into group stages
Defeat in Ukraine not enough to dent Fulham's Euro ambitions
Fulham suffered a 1-0 second-leg defeat in their play-off against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in Ukraine but still progressed on aggregate to the Europa League group stages.
Evgeniy Shakhov scored the only goal of the night from close range in the 22nd minute, however, despite making Cottagers keeper Mark Schwarzer work overtime the home side could not overturn their 3-0 first-leg loss.
Martin Jol's men did the hard work at Craven Cottage a week ago but the Dutchman warned his side not to take Dnipro lightly and his words proved wise.
Fulham had the first chance when Damien Duff saw his low drive pushed round the post by Dnipro goalkeeper Jan Lastuvka but the visitors' hopes were hit when John Arne Riise hobbled off on 20 minutes.
Shortly afterwards, Shakhov netted the opener when a Dnipro corner was headed back across goal and suddenly Fulham's hopes of making easy progress to the group stage looked in doubt.
Dangerous
Both sides had chances in an even first half but it could have got worse for Fulham on the stroke of half-time when a dangerous free-kick from Evgeni Konoplyanka was tipped over by Schwarzer.
Dnipro, coached by the man who replaced Jol at Spurs, Juande Ramos, made their intentions clear at the start of the second half as they poured forward in search of a goal to keep the tie alive.
Aaron Hughes got back well to block a drive from Brazilian Giuliano then Schwarzer had to be on hand again to stop a goalbound effort from Ghanaian midfielder Samuel Inkoom.
Nikola Kalinic - a recent recruit from Blackburn - and Shakhov again had further chances, before Dnipro's best chance of further reducing the deficit when Schwarzer fumbled an effort from Konoplyanka and Chris Baird had to hack clear.
With time running out, Fulham almost stole a goal of their own on the break when Duff raced clear and crossed to Pajtim Kasami, who somehow contrived to shoot over with the goal at his mercy.
http://www.skysports.com/football/match_report/0,,11065_3438098,00.html? (http://www.skysports.com/football/match_report/0,,11065_3438098,00.html?)
Fulham hang on in Dnipro
by DAN on AUGUST 25, 2011
This was far from a vintage Fulham performance. Martin Jol put his trust in what was, minus Bobby Zamora, his strongest side and they delivered a courageous defensive performance to progress to the group stages surviving a thorough and frantic examination from Dnipro.
The Ukrainians looked far more threatening in front of their home fans than at Craven Cottage a week ago. Juande Ramos, under pressure after Dnipro's disappointing start to their domestic campaign, told a pre-match press conference that not only was his job safe but that the tie was far from over. That confidence seemed justified as Dnipro attacked with real vigour and pressed Fulham deep inside their own half. With Giuliano and Yevhen Konoplyanka playing in far more advanced positions than during the first leg, the Ukrainians quickly exploited alarming gaps between Fulham's midfield and a deep defence.
Konoplyanka, who looked a cultured midfielder when he wasn't rolling around in apparent agony on the floor, was the home side's creative hub. There seemed more of a thrust to the Dnipro attacks than at the Cottage and just to illustrate the point, the Dnipro playmaker forced Schwarzer into a low save after twisting and turning past Chris Baird, who had been restored to right back in place of Philippe Senderos. Fulham were forced into a defensive reshuffle when John Arne Riise picked up a groin strain after falling awkwardly on the poor surface, although Matthew Briggs delivered a commanding performance as if to underline his international credentials after being called up to the England under-21 squad.
Fulham looked unusually shaky from set-pieces, though, and their nervousness only increased after Dnipro took the lead. Hangeland inadvertently glanced on a Serhiy Kravchenko corner and Evgeniy Shakhov bundled the ball past Mark Schwarzer at the back post. The goal sparked another period of sustained home pressure, although Fulham's defence did well to restrict Dnipro to long-range efforts. Kravchenko sent a shot agonisingly wide of Schwarzer's goal and Konoplyanka sliced his 22-yard effort horribly wide after a promising move from the hosts. Konoplyanka almost punished Sidwell for a crude challenge right on the edge of the box before half time but his curling free-kick was smartly tipped over by Schwarzer.
The pattern was largely the same in the second period. Fulham were on the back foot right the restart with Aaron Hughes excelling at the heart of the defence. He produced a terrific saving tackle to thwart a mazy run from Giuliano and recovered his footing sufficiently to block Samuel Inkoom's low follow-up. The recalled right back had posed real problems from Fulham in the first half with his surging forward runs and he succeeded in tricking his way into the penalty area midway through the second period, only for Shakhov to shoot wastefully high.
Ramos made a double change, throwing on Strinich and Rotan in a bid to offer more of an attacking threat, and Dnipro kept pressing. Schwarzer almost carried a Kravchenko set-piece over his goal-line before Hangeland timed a challenge impeccably to end a Shakhov run, only for the ball to break to Rotan, who shot inches wide. Konoplyanka then sparked panic in the Fulham area as he cut in from the left and beat two defenders before his low cross eluded any blue shirts and rolled away to safety.
It was nerve-racking stuff but you felt Fulham's continental experience served them well. Two years ago, they survived a similar second-half assault to eliminate Shakhtar Donetsk and they summoned similar resolves of courage here. When Schwarzer spilled a cross from Antonov dangerously inside his six-yard box, Baird bravely threw himself at Konoplyanka's feet to clear the danger. Nikola Kalinic, who had spurned a hatful of second-half chances in the first leg, sent a free header wide from a corner as Fulham clung on for dear life. Their task might have been made easier had substitute Pajtim Kasami not contrived to miss an open goal from five yards after Damien Duff had done brilliantly to fashion a rare opening, but Fulham hardly ever do things the easy way.
This was far from a vintage performance. It was gutsy and determined and the relief was tangible at the final whistle. Fulham's predatory instincts had secured a valuable first-leg lead and a well-drilled defence preserved it this evening.
DNIPRO (4-5-1): Lastuvka; Inkoom, Cheberyachko (Rotan 57), Denisov (Strinic 57), Mandiuk; Boateng, Konoplyanka, Kravchenko, Giuliano (Antonov 72), Shakhov; Kalinic. Subs (not used):Kanibolotskiy, Kulakov, Oliynyk, Zozulya.
BOOKED: Boateng.
GOAL: Shakhov (22).
FULHAM (4-4-1-1): Schwarzer; Baird, J.A. Riise (Briggs 21), Hughes, Hangeland; Sidwell, Murphy, Duff, Dempsey (Etuhu 80); Dembele (Kasami 71); Johnson. Subs (not used): Etheridge, Kelly, Senderos, Gecov.
BOOKED: Murphy, Baird.
REFEREE: Tom Hagen (Norway).
ATTENDANCE: 12,100.
http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/08/fulham-hang-on-in-dnipro/? (http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/08/fulham-hang-on-in-dnipro/?)
Dnipro 1 Fulham 0: Mark Schwarzer saves Martin Jol's side but John Arne Riise's leg injury is "serious
Dnipro1 Fulham 0 (Fulham win 3-1)
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01981/Fulham_1981129c.jpg)
Centre of attention: Clint Dempsey battles for possession in their 1-0 defeat
Photo: ACTION IMAGES
Fulham manager Martin Jol admitted John Arne Riise's leg injury is "serious" after his team booked their place in the Europa League.
The Cottagers lost 1-0 on the night but last week's 3-0 success in the first leg enabled their European adventure to continue.
However, left-back Riise was forced off in the 22nd minute with a leg injury and the summer signing could be absent for some time.
Jol said: "Riise has a serious problem with the leg. We are not sure yet when he will be fit."
On the performance in Ukraine, Jol said: "We wanted to punish Dnipro for the goal when we went behind and I wanted us to take our chances to make it 1-1. But we did enough."
Fulham's nerves were tested when Riise hobbled off. Shortly afterwards Evgeniy Shakhov netted the opener when a Dnipro corner was headed back across goal, and Fulham's hopes of making progress to the group stage looked in doubt.
It could have got even worse when a free-kick from Evgeni Konoplyanka was tipped over by Mark Schwarzer.
Dnipro made their intentions clear in the second half as they poured forward in search of a goal to keep the tie alive.
Aaron Hughes got back well to block a drive from Brazilian Giuliano, then Schwarzer had to be on hand again to stop a goalbound effort from midfielder Samuel Inkoom.
Dnipro's best chance of reducing the deficit came when Schwarzer fumbled an effort from Konoplyanka and Chris Baird had to hack clear.
Dnipro: (4-3-3) Lastuvka, Inkoom, Cheberyachko, Mandzyuk, Denisov (Str inic 57), Kravchenko, Giuliano, Boateng, Konoplianka, Kalinic, Shakhov. Subs: Zozulya, Rotan, Antonov.
Fulham: (4-3-3) Schwarzer, Baird, Hangeland, Hughes, Riise (Briggs 22), Dempsey (Etuhu 81), Murphy, Sidwell, Duff, Johnson, Dembele (Kasami 71). Subs: Etheridge, Kelly, Senderos, Gecov. Bookings: Baird, Murphy.
Referee: T Harald Hagen (Norway).
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/8723788/Dnipro-1-Fulham-0-Mark-Schwarzer-saves-Martin-Jols-side-but-John-Arne-Riises-leg-injury-is-serious.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/8723788/Dnipro-1-Fulham-0-Mark-Schwarzer-saves-Martin-Jols-side-but-John-Arne-Riises-leg-injury-is-serious.html)
Dempsey named in US squad
by DAN on AUGUST 25, 2011
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01653/dempsey_reuters_1653234c.jpg)
Clint Dempsey has been named in the American squad for their forthcoming friendlies against Costa Rica and Belgium.
The Fulham midfielder has been included in an experimental squad by new USA boss Jurgen Klinsmann and will hope to make his first appearance under the new manager. The States play Costa Rica in California on September 2 and travel to Belgium for the second game four days later.
USA SQUAD – GOALKEEPERS: Bill Hamid (D.C.United), Tim Howard (Everton).
DEFENDERS: Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Edgar Castillo (Club America), Timmy Chandler (FC Nürnberg), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Zach Loyd (FC Dallas), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis), Heath Pearce (Chivas USA), Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls).
MIDFIELDERS: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado Rapids), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Jose Torres (Pachuca).
FORWARDS: Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/08/dempsey-named-in-us-squad/? (http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/08/dempsey-named-in-us-squad/?)
Riise 'out for some time,' says Jol
by DAN on AUGUST 25, 2011
(http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/fulhamchronicle/jul2011/1/5/john-arne-riise-image-1-119859971.jpg)
Fulham manager Martin Jol has said that John Arne Riise could be out of action for 'some time' after limping off during the Europa League tie in Dnipro tonight.
Riise fell awkwardly during the first half of Fulham's 1-0 defeat in Ukraine and had to be replaced by Matthews Briggs after 21 minutes. He appeared to be holding his groin as he went off, but the BBC report references a leg injury.
UPDATE: This Jol quote comes from Sporting Life.
Riise has a serious problem with the leg, that's why I substituted him with Matthew Briggs.
http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/08/riise-out-for-some-time-says-jol/? (http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/08/riise-out-for-some-time-says-jol/?)
Mission Accomplished(http://www.fulhamfc.com/Images/MainNews/NewsPages/Management/Jol/DniproAway.jpg)
Fulham reached the Group Stage of the UEFA Europa League after producing a stubborn defensive performance at the Dnipro Arena on Thursday evening and securing a 3-1 aggregate victory over FC Dnipro.
Martin Jol was understandably pleased to have reached the Group Stage – as he explained after the game.
"That was the target and it was fantastic that we were able to achieve something," he explained. "We wanted to achieve the Group Stages and that's what we did.
"You have to keep the ball and show everybody that you come here for the result. I know that if you're three-nil up and score one goal it's over but we couldn't do that so we had to contain them and fight for the result.
"We couldn't do a lot up front today, we didn't have a lot of choices on the bench. Normally you could give Duffer a rest, take Dempsey off early but Riise was injured so that didn't help. But overall, for now, I think it was a result we wanted."
Whilst Fulham performed well in defence – absorbing wave after wave of Dnipro attacks, Jol would have liked to have seen his side score an away goal and take strain off the back line.
"That is why you have to score a goal as well," he said. "Of course it was not easy for Andy Johnson up front – it was probably the first time he and Dembele played together. But I was happy with the midfield and the back four because they had to anticipate all the time because the number eight and number ten for Dnipro were fantastic players. It wasn't easy but in the end the win was deserved."
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/JolDniproAwayReaction.aspx?#ixzz1W6wPVfwd (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/JolDniproAwayReaction.aspx?#ixzz1W6wPVfwd)
Dnipro 1-0 Fulham, Fulham 3-1 Dnipro Aggregate: Someone Hand Me An Oxygen Tank
First things first: hats off to Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. They played their freakin asses off. They were organized, energized, and relentless. Their attacks were heart-pounding. Fulham's defense was frantic, jumbled, disorganized, and messy.
But, thankfully, adjectives don't win soccer matches, goals do. And Fulham, thanks to their 3-0 win at home, had more of the goal things.
Quite frankly, if I'm Juande Ramos, my first stop on my way home is a private detective's office to find out who kidnapped my soccer team during the away leg in London, because the side that played today in the Ukraine looked completely different. I have a very less-panicky take on this match than it may have seemed from watching, so take a read, because there are some important points I'd like to make.
Before I get into this........breathe......in.....out.....in.....out.....ok that's better. Haven't done that for about 70 minutes. Now on to the breakdown.
The good:
-Matthew Briggs: Something lost in all this was John Arne Riise's injury that occured right before Dnipro scored their goal. Let's hope he's ok. But it may have been a blessing in disguise, because it brought on Matthew Briggs, and he was one of the saviors of the day. He made countless vital blocks, and his tackling skills are plentiful. He didn't go in way too hard like many of the midfielders did, rather he stays controlled and collected while trying to wrench the ball from the opponent. I'm excited about his future.
Update: Martin Jol says John Arne Riise could be out for "some time" after suffering a "serious" leg injury. If that's true, we'll be seeing a lot more of Briggs not only in Europe but in the Premier League as well.
-Aaron Hughes: My man of the match. Quite frankly, if you pick anyone else you didn't watch the same match. Hughes was the only defender who consistently beat his man one-on-one every time. And not only that, his clears actually went far and away from the people in blue shirts (*cough*Chris Baird*cough*Brede Hangland*cough*). He is a stud in this Fulham defense. The rock, if you will.
-Damien Duff: The guy hates playing defense, I think that's obivous after this match. He was frustrated beyond belief. But when given the all-out defend order, whether he likes it or not he did it, and did it pretty well for a winger. And he created the only real Fulham opportunity; with about 10 minutes left, he brought the ball down beautifully, then instead of rushing a shot, he held and waited for help, which he got in Kasami. The kid horribly missed the target, but Duff's lay off was about as perfect as you can get on that disasterous pitch.
The bad:
-Chris Baird: I think Baird knows just as well as we do that this match was his one shot at impressing Martin Jol before he's potentially sold. He actually got better in the last 15 minutes or so when the pressure was absolutely pouring on, but before that he was dreadful. His clears went nowhere, his crosses were dreadful, he was constantly out of position, and he was beaten one-on-one multiple times. I'm not sure who's more disappointed in his performance, Baird himself, or the fans (like me) who were begging Jol to play him.
To be honest, that's all that was truly bad to me. Sure, you can point to the possession (which actually ended up 56-44 surprisingly; it was 69-31 with about 8 minutes left to play). Sure, you can point to the many misses by Dnipro. But when you play all-out defense, you don't want possession, you just want to spoil as many opponent's chances as you can, and they sure did just that. Sidwell played surprisingly good defense, and so did Etuhu, Dempsey, and the rest of the midfield (when not lunging in to challenge). The defense itself, save Baird, was spotty but held strong when in dire straits.
You can point to how many times the club gave away the ball, and it was pretty frustrating, but I really think it's because they weren't really concentrating on keeping possession. If they got it, sure. But they completed the task they were given after the surprisingly strong start and goal by Dnipro. I'm content, and we'll move on from here.
I need a nap.
http://fulhamsfinest.com/2011/08/25/dnipro-1-0-fulham-fulham-3-1-dnipro-aggregate-someone-hand-me-an-oxygen-tank/? (http://fulhamsfinest.com/2011/08/25/dnipro-1-0-fulham-fulham-3-1-dnipro-aggregate-someone-hand-me-an-oxygen-tank/?)
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 1-0 Fulham 0 (1-3 agg)
Martin Jol's Fulham booked their place in the Europa League group stage with a 3-1 aggregate win over Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, despite a 1-0 reversal in Ukraine tonight.
Evgeniy Shakhov scored the only goal of the night from close range in the 22nd minute but despite making Cottagers keeper Mark Schwarzer work overtime the home side could not get back in the tie.
Jol's men did the hard work at Craven Cottage a week ago but despite their comfortable cushion the Dutchman warned his side not to take Dnipro lightly and his words proved wise.
Fulham had the first chance when Damien Duff saw his low drive pushed round the post by Dnipro goalkeeper Jan Lastuvka, but the visitors' hopes were hit when John Arne Riise hobbled off on 20 minutes.
Shortly afterwards Shakhov netted the opener when a Dnipro corner was headed back across goal, and suddenly Fulham's hopes of making easy progress to the group stage looked in doubt.
Both sides had chances in an even first half but it could have got worse for Fulham on the stroke of half-time when a dangerous free-kick from Evgeni Konoplyanka was tipped over by Schwarzer.
Dnipro, coached by the man who replaced Jol at Spurs, Juande Ramos, made their intentions clear at the start of the second half as they poured forward in search of a goal to keep the tie alive.
Aaron Hughes got back well to block a drive from Brazilian Giuliano then Schwarzer had to be on hand again to stop a goalbound effort from Ghanaian midfielder Samuel Inkoom.
Nikola Kalinic - a recent recruit from Blackburn - and Shakhov again had further chances, before Dnipro's best chance of further reducing the deficit when Schwarzer fumbled an effort from Konoplyanka and Chris Baird had to hack clear.
With time running out Fulham almost stole a goal of their own on the break when Duff raced clear and crossed to Pajtim Kasami, who somehow contrived to shoot over with the goal at his mercy.
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2011/0825/dnipro_fulham.html? (http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2011/0825/dnipro_fulham.html?)
Mark Schwarzer helps Fulham make the grade against Dnipropetrovsk
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 1-0 Fulham (Fulham win 3-1 on agg)
Shakhov 22
(http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2011/8/25/1314309025417/Andrew-Johnson--007.jpg)
Fulham's Andrew Johnson, left, tries to shut out Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk's Ivan Strinic.
Photograph: Alex Morton/Action Images
Martin Jol's Fulham booked their place in the Europa League group stage with a 3-1 aggregate win over Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, despite a 1-0 reversal in Ukraine.
Evgeniy Shakhov scored the only goal of the night from close range in the 22nd minute but despite making the Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer work overtime the home side could not get back in the tie.
Jol's men did the hard work at Craven Cottage a week ago but despite their comfortable cushion the Dutchman warned his side not to take Dnipro lightly and his words proved wise.
Fulham had the first chance when Damien Duff saw his low drive pushed round a post by Dnipro's goalkeeper Jan Lastuvka, but the visitors' hopes were hit when John Arne Riise hobbled off on 20 minutes.
Shortly afterwards Shakhov netted the opener when a Dnipro corner was headed back across goal, and suddenly Fulham's hopes of making easy progress to the group stage looked in doubt.
Both sides had chances in an even first half but it could have got worse for Fulham as half-time approached when a dangerous free-kick from Evgeni Konoplyanka was tipped over by Schwarzer.
Dnipro, coached by the man who replaced Jol at Spurs, Juande Ramos, made their intentions clear at the start of the second half as they poured forward in search of a goal to keep the tie alive.
Aaron Hughes got back well to block a drive from the Brazilian Giuliano then Schwarzer had to be on hand again to stop a goalbound effort from the Ghanaian midfielder Samuel Inkoom.
Nikola Kalinic – a recent recruit from Blackburn – and Shakhov again had further chances, before Dnipro's best chance of further reducing the deficit when Schwarzer fumbled an effort from Konoplyanka and Chris Baird had to hack clear.
With time running out Fulham almost stole a goal of their own on the break when Duff raced clear and crossed to Pajtim Kasami, who contrived to shoot over with the goal at his mercy.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/aug/25/dnipro-dnipropetrovsk-fulham-europa-league?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Ffootball%2Frss+%28Football%29 (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/aug/25/dnipro-dnipropetrovsk-fulham-europa-league?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Ffootball%2Frss+%28Football%29)
Total Concentration(http://www.fulhamfc.com/Images/MainNews/NewsPages/Players/Sidwell/clapping1.jpg)
Fulham produced a professional performance on Thursday to record a 3-1 aggregate victory over FC Dnipro and, as Fulham midfielder Steve Sidwell explained after the game, the display from Fulham was certainly one of total concentration.
"We did the job in the first game," Sidwell assessed. "You've got to credit their [FC Dnipro's] performance tonight, it was a great performance and we knew that we could expect a tough game. The main thing is that the result got us through and that's all that matters.
"Our game plan was to sit back but keep a good shape and keep compact. They had to come at us and we were going to catch them on the break. We said before the game, whether they scored first or we did, it's about concentration for the whole game – we did that from the 'keeper to the front men.
"I'll be interested to see who we'll be up against next and where we'll be travelling to – I think once we see that, then it will really start to sink in. Now we've got to concentrate on the Newcastle game, which is vital."
Indeed, Fulham are back on the road this weekend with a demanding trip to St James' Park awaiting on Sunday.
"It's just part-and-parcel of being a professional football player," Sidwell said. "Sometimes you can go a couple of weeks without a game and sometimes to get them in quick succession.
"Again, it's all about concentration, recovering right and being professional on and off the pitch. We'll do that and will go up to Newcastle hoping to bring three vital points back. You want to get points on the board as soon as possible."
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/SidwellDniproReaction.aspx?#ixzz1W6xhkVRf (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/SidwellDniproReaction.aspx?#ixzz1W6xhkVRf)
Riise injury concerns Jol
Fulham manager disappointed following Dnipro defeat
(http://img.skysports.com/11/08/660x350/riisecrop_2635665.jpg)
Fulham manager Martin Jol described John Arne Riise's leg injury as 'serious' after his team had booked their place in the Europa League on Thursday night.
The Cottagers were beaten 1-0 by Dnipro but last week's 3-0 success in the first leg enabled their European adventure to continue.
However, left-back Riise left the action in the 22nd minute with a leg injury - and the summer signing could be absent for some time.
Jol said: "Riise has a serious problem with the leg, that's why I substituted him with Matthew Briggs."
The Fulham manager was disappointed to suffer a defeat in the second leg in Ukraine and challenged striker Andy Johnson to contribute more in future.
The Dutchman said: "We didn't want to lose, we wanted to defend our lead, to do our best.
"We are a great team and tonight we were very good in defence. It was great that we won at home.
"We could be better in attack and I wanted to see more from Andy Johnson tonight.
"We wanted to punish Dnipro for the goal when we went behind and I wanted us to take our chances to make it 1-1 at the end."
Ramos reaction
Dnipro won thanks to Evgeniy Shakhov's header, which came shortly after Riise hobbled off.
And coach Juande Ramos, the man who replaced Jol as Tottenham manager in 2007, said: "I'm satisfied with my team's game.
"We have won, we played a good game and we did everything possible to go further in the Europa League.
"We fought and we dominated during the whole game. We tried so very hard but what happened, happened."
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,,11681_7124975,00.html? (http://www.skysports.com/story/0,,11681_7124975,00.html?)
Fulham defender John Arne Riise faces a spell on the sidelines
Fulham have suffered an injury blow with the news that John Arne Riise could face a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
The Norwegian defender was forced from the pitch as Fulham qualified for the Europa League group stages on aggregate despite a 1-0 defeat by Dnipro.
And Jol has admitted he could lose the player for some time.
"Riise has a serious problem with the leg," he said. "That's why I substituted him with Matthew Briggs."
The injury took the gloss from Fulham's progression to the group stages of the competition after a difficult night in the Ukraine.
They eventually won on aggregate after weathering wave after wave of attacks on a difficult pitch.
Riise joined the Cottagers in July, signing a three-year contract after leaving Italian side Roma for an undisclosed fee.
He has made six appearances this season - including both of the club's Premier League fixtures - but will now have to sit out with Briggs likely to get a run in the team.
The 20-year-old has impressed this term and was rewarded with a call-up to the England under-21 squad for their matches against Azerbaijan and Israel in September.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14674218.stm? (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14674218.stm?)
Dnipro 1 - 0 Fulham (agg 1 - 3)
Fulham endured a torrid night in the Ukraine but held on to book their place in the draw for the group stages of the Europa League.
Evgeny Shakhov hauled Dnipro back into the tie with a 22nd minute strike but, despite coming under serious pressure, Martin Jol's men held firm.
The visitors created few chances, although Pajtim Kasami did blaze over from six yards out late in the game.
Fulham were second best, riding their luck on a number of occasions.
They were slow out of the blocks and it was no real surprise when the home side went into the lead.
Serhiy Kravchenko whipped in a fantastic corner and Shakhov was on hand to head home from inside the penalty area on 23 minutes.
That set the tone for a nervy remainder of the first half as the Cottagers struggled to deal with a succession of corners, while defender John Arne Riise was forced off the pitch with a serious looking injury.
At the other end, they failed to force a serious save out of Jan Lastuvka despite the workmanlike efforts of Damien Duff and Clint Dempsey on the flanks.
Dnipro stepped up a gear in the second half and Aaron Hughes made a fine block on Giuliano, while Shakov blazed over after good work by the lively Samuel Inkoom.
Without talismanic striker Bobby Zamora, the visitors struggled to hold onto the ball up front and, as a result invited wave after wave of attack.
Even so, the tie should have been over with 10 minutes to go when Kasami, who could blame a slight bobble on the difficult pitch, shot over after good work from Duff on the wing.
The hosts were guilty of some glaring misses themselves and former Blackburn Rovers striker Nikola Kalinic should have scored with a free header.
Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer, who looked sharp all evening, perhaps saved his best stop until last when he denied Yevhen Konoplyanka.
The final whistle proved music to the ears of the west London side, who will now look forward to Friday's draw for the group stages.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14569546.stm? (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14569546.stm?)
Riise Injured As Fulham Limps Past Dnipro In Europa League Play
It was the worst possible of ways to progress, but Fulham did, in fact, progress.
The Whites are through to the group stage of the Europa League after defeating Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 3-1 on aggregate following a 1-0 away loss today.
Not only did the Londoners lose, they lost convincingly.
Dnipro out-shot Fulham 16-3 on the evening, along with an 8-2 advantage in shots on target. Corners were similarly skewed in the hosts favor at 9-4 and possession, if the numbers were available, would assuredly look similar..
So yes, Fulham did achieve the required result. But it was not a result that will leave the players, or fans at that, feeling confident. At least that's from my perspective, Martin Jol's seems to be considerably brighter.
"(Progressing to the group stage) was the target and it was fantastic that we were able to achieve something," he explained. "We wanted to achieve the Group Stages and that's what we did.
"You have to keep the ball and show everybody that you come here for the result. I know that if you're three-nil up and score one goal it's over but we couldn't do that so we had to contain them and fight for the result."
More after the jump.
Adding to Fulham's woes was an injury suffered by John Arne Riise early in the match, the severity of which is currently unknown. Riise was replaced by recently called up England U21 International Matthew Briggs in the 22nd minute.
Dnipro opened their account shortly after Riise was removed when Yevhen Shakhov headed home from close range, finishing off a header sent across the goalmouth off of a corner.
From then on, the Whites backs were against the wall. Patjim Kasami, entering for Moussa Dembele in the second half, had an opportunity to seal the match shortly after coming on when Damien Duff found him open and found him with a sharp pass across the box. The 19-year-old's nerves proved too much however, and he skied his shot over a yawning goal while goalkeeper Jan Lastuvka hopelessly out of position.
The final scoreline now marks three consecutive away matches, including Europa League play, in which Fulham has failed to score a goal. They'll have little time to regroup before this weekend when they hit the road once again, heading north to face an impressive-looking Newcastle side on Sunday.
http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2011/8/25/2384841/riise-injured-as-fulham-limps-past-dnipro-in-europa-league-play? (http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2011/8/25/2384841/riise-injured-as-fulham-limps-past-dnipro-in-europa-league-play?)
FULHAM SURVIVE A 'RAINE STORM
MARTIN JOL was left counting the cost as Fulham survived a scare in Ukraine.
The Cottagers were under the cosh for long periods, but booked their place in the next round thanks to their comfortable 3-0 win at Craven Cottage last week.
Evgeny Shakhov's goal for Dnipro was not enough to deny them, but Fulham were handed an injury blow to full-back John Arne Riise.
He was forced off with a groin injury and faces a battle to be fit for Sunday's trip to Newcastle.
Fulham started brightly and Damien Duff forced Dnipro keeper Jan Lastuvka to turn his shot around the post.
But after that it was one-way traffic.
Dnipro were given hope when the Fulham defence fell asleep from a corner and Shakhov powered home a header.
And the home side continued to dominate, with Samuel Inkoom blasting over from a good position.
Another Dnipro corner caused havoc in the box, but the Cottagers manage to hack clear.
And Fulham were lucky not to go into half-time under even more pressure as Mark Schwarzer was forced to tip a venomous shot by Yevgen Konoplianka over the bar.
The Dnipro charge was maintained after the break with Evgeni Konoplienka sending in a decent effort which Schwarzer almost let through his grasp.
The Australian keeper had another scare with 15 minutes to go when he flapped at a cross and was relieved to see Chris Baird produce a brilliant block.
Pajtim Kasami was handed a golden chance to ease the nerves in the closing stages for Fulham as they launched a rare counter-attack, but he somehow blazed over from six yards after Duff's cross.
And there was enough time for Dnipro to waste another opportunity as former Blackburn striker Nikola Kalinic sent a free header wide.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/207901/Fulham-survive-a-raine-storm/? (http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/207901/Fulham-survive-a-raine-storm/?)
Fulham back in for Jerome?
by DAN on AUGUST 25, 2011
Fulham are preparing to up their offer for Cameron Jerome as Martin Jol attempts to add another striker to his squad before the end of the transfer window.
Fulham had an offer for Jerome, believed to be around the £3m mark, turned down earlier this month and Jol had previously publicly ruled out an increased offer. But the Daily Mirror claims that Fulham are readying a new offer for the 24 year-old and are confident of beating Stoke and Bolton to his signature.
Jerome scored league goals for Birmingham in 2009-10 but struggled as the Blues were relegated from the top flight last term, scoring five times in 42 games. Chris Hughton has apparently admitted that a number two of his star players, defender Scott Dann and Jerome, are likely to be sold before the window closes at the end of the month.
http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/08/fulham-back-in-for-jerome/ (http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/08/fulham-back-in-for-jerome/)
Dnipro 1 Fulham 0: Mark Schwarzer saves Martin Jol's side but John Arne Riise's leg injury is "serious
Dnipro1 Fulham 0 (Fulham win 3-1)
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01981/Fulham_1981129c.jpg)
Centre of attention: Clint Dempsey battles for possession in their 1-0 defeat
Photo: ACTION IMAGES
Fulham manager Martin Jol admitted John Arne Riise's leg injury is "serious" after his team booked their place in the Europa League.
The Cottagers lost 1-0 on the night but last week's 3-0 success in the first leg enabled their European adventure to continue.
However, left-back Riise was forced off in the 22nd minute with a leg injury and the summer signing could be absent for some time.
Jol said: "Riise has a serious problem with the leg. We are not sure yet when he will be fit."
On the performance in Ukraine, Jol said: "We wanted to punish Dnipro for the goal when we went behind and I wanted us to take our chances to make it 1-1. But we did enough."
Fulham's nerves were tested when Riise hobbled off. Shortly afterwards Evgeniy Shakhov netted the opener when a Dnipro corner was headed back across goal, and Fulham's hopes of making progress to the group stage looked in doubt.
It could have got even worse when a free-kick from Evgeni Konoplyanka was tipped over by Mark Schwarzer.
Dnipro made their intentions clear in the second half as they poured forward in search of a goal to keep the tie alive.
Aaron Hughes got back well to block a drive from Brazilian Giuliano, then Schwarzer had to be on hand again to stop a goalbound effort from midfielder Samuel Inkoom.
Dnipro's best chance of reducing the deficit came when Schwarzer fumbled an effort from Konoplyanka and Chris Baird had to hack clear.
Dnipro: (4-3-3) Lastuvka, Inkoom, Cheberyachko, Mandzyuk, Denisov (Str inic 57), Kravchenko, Giuliano, Boateng, Konoplianka, Kalinic, Shakhov. Subs: Zozulya, Rotan, Antonov.
Fulham: (4-3-3) Schwarzer, Baird, Hangeland, Hughes, Riise (Briggs 22), Dempsey (Etuhu 81), Murphy, Sidwell, Duff, Johnson, Dembele (Kasami 71). Subs: Etheridge, Kelly, Senderos, Gecov. Bookings: Baird, Murphy.
Referee: T Harald Hagen (Norway).
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/8723788/Dnipro-1-Fulham-0-Mark-Schwarzer-saves-Martin-Jols-side-but-John-Arne-Riises-leg-injury-is-serious.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/8723788/Dnipro-1-Fulham-0-Mark-Schwarzer-saves-Martin-Jols-side-but-John-Arne-Riises-leg-injury-is-serious.html)
Fulham to Learn Group Opponents(http://www.fulhamfc.com/Images/MainNews/NewsPages/Trophy/UEFAEuropaLeague/UEFAEuropaLeague1.jpg)
Fulham will learn their UEFA Europa League group stage opponents on Friday lunchtime. All 48 UEFA Europa League contenders have been split into four seeding pots for the group stage draw from 13.00 CET (12:00 BST) at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco.
Group games will be played from 15th September until 15th December, the day before the draws for the rounds of 32 and 16. The top two teams in each group will be joined by the third-placed UEFA Champions League finishers in the knockout phase. The final will be held at the National Stadium, Bucharest on 9th May 2012.
Fulham have been seeded in Pot 2.
Pot 1
Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG)
PSV Eindhoven (NED)
Club Atlético de Madrid (ESP)
Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR)
SC Braga (POR)
FC Schalke 04 (GER)
FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)
Paris Saint-Germain FC (FRA)
FC København (DEN)
AZ Alkmaar (NED)
RSC Anderlecht (BEL)
FC Twente (NED)
Pot 2
Fulham FC (ENG)Beşiktaş JK (TUR)
Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC (TUR)
FC Metalist Kharkiv (UKR)
R. Standard de Liège (BEL)
FC Rubin Kazan (RUS)
Club Brugge KV (BEL)
AEK Athens FC (GRE)
FC Steaua Bucureşti (ROU)
Udinese Calcio (ITA)
Athletic Club (ESP)
S.S. Lazio (ITA)
Pot 3
FC Salzburg (AUT)
Maccabi Haifa FC (ISR)
FC Zürich (SUI)
Odense BK (DEN)
FC Lokomotiv Moskva (RUS)
PAOK FC (GRE)
Birmingham City FC (ENG)
Stoke City FC (ENG)
Stade Rennais FC (FRA)
FK Austria Wien (AUT)
FC Rapid Bucureşti (ROU)
Hannover 96 (GER)
Pot 4
FC Vorskla Poltava (UKR)
Wisła Kraków (POL)
FC Vaslui (ROU)
FC Sion (SUI)
SK Sturm Graz (AUT)
Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR)
ŠK Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
Legia Warszawa (POL)
NK Maribor (SVN)
AEK Larnaca FC (CYP)
Malmö FF (SWE)
Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/GroupDrawLunchtime.aspx?#ixzz1W7H21o2L (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/GroupDrawLunchtime.aspx?#ixzz1W7H21o2L)
Tottenham, Fulham, Stoke and Birmingham learn Europa League fate
Tottenham will face Irish giantkillers Shamrock Rovers in the Europa League group stage.
Rovers, the first Irish side to have progressed to this stage of European football, beat Partizan Belgrade 2-1 on Thursday night to secure a place in today's draw.
The clubs are in Group A against Rubin Kazan, from Russia, and Greek side PAOK Salonika.
Fulham face FC Twente from Holland, Odense from Denmark and Wisla Krakow from Poland in Group K.
Stoke will play Dynamo Kiev, Besiktas and Hapoel Tel Aviv in Group E, while Birmingham are in Group H with Club Brugge, Braga and Maribor.
If Celtic are successful in replacing Sion, who are alleged to have breached a transfer ban, they would be in Group I with Atletico Madrid, Udinese and Rennes.
Tottenham director of football administration Darren Eales admitted the six-hour journey to Kazan, a city on the River Volga and a 90-minute flight east of Moscow, would pose challenges.
Eales however welcomed the prospect of playing Shamrock Rovers. He said: "I must admit after we had Rubin Kazan first out of the hat and then PAOK from Greece I thought I might struggle to go back to White Hart Lane with that draw - but at least we got Shamrock.
"It's a great fairy tale for them, the first Irish club to get into the group stage of a European competition, and it's what European football is all about.
"It should be a great night in Dublin. I know their stadium only holds 6,000 so I think they will need to find somewhere with a few more seats than that and it should be a cracking atmosphere there, and a great little trip for our fans."
Asked whether Tottenham would have to prioritise domestic competitions, Eales insisted not.
He added: "We are not going to treat this as a second-class competition but clearly we are going to have to manage our squad to make sure we get the best out of it for all competitions. That's part of the challenge of being in Europe."
Stoke face journeys to Ukraine, Turkey and Israel and club secretary Eddie Harrison admitted that would provide a challenge.
Harrison said: "There are long journeys and it is a tough group.
"The impact on Premier League matches is a fear that every club has expressed but our preparation will be correct - our manager is renowned for his preparation and we will use the travel as best we can and slot in with our Premier League fixtures.
"It's great for the club to be in Europe, the supporters love it. We have not been in the competition for 37 years so it's a novelty that has been embraced by the supporters and the club."
Shamrock chairman Jonathan Roche said the Spurs fixture was a dream come true for the fans.
He said: "We would have taken anybody, it's a great draw for our fans.
"Tottenham are so close to us. Last night was an historic occasion for us and to top it off like this, it hasn't quite soaked in.
"It's been an unbelievable two days. Five years ago we were relegated, then the fans took over the club. We won the league for first time in 16 years last season.
"Hopefully now this shows people that we play a good style of football. It's not really about the money but it's the whole razzmatazz and the whole profile on the football club. Hopefully we can do ourselves justice."
Roche insisted that the club would first see if they could play their home games at their 6,000-seat Tallaght stadium but that the Aviva stadium would be an option.
He added: "We will sit down with our association and see what the best thing is for ourselves.
"We might hope to use our ground because it is our home ground and that's where we will try our best to actually play. It might need a few adjustments but we will hopefully work on that first."
Draw for the group stage of the Europa League:
Group A: TOTTENHAM, Rubin Kazan, PAOK, Shamrock Rovers
Group B: Copenhagen, Standard Liège, Hannover 96, FC Vorskla Poltava
Group C: PSV Eindhoven, Hapoel Tel-Aviv, Rapid Bucuresti, Legia Warsaw
Group D: Sporting Lisbon, Lazio, FC Zürich, FC Vaslui
Group E: Dynamo Kiev, Besiktas, STOKE CITY, Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Group F: PSG, Athletic Bilbao, FC Salzburg, Slovan Bratislava
Group G: AZ Alkmaar, Metalist Kharkiv, Austria Wien, Malmö
Group H: Braga, Club Brugge, BIRMINGHAM CITY, NK Maribor
Group I: Atletico Madrid, Udinese, Stade Rennes, FC Sion
Group J: Schalke, Steaua Bucuresti, Maccabi Haifa, AEK Larnaca
Group K: FC Twente, FULHAM, Odense BK, Wisla Kraków
Group L: Anderlecht, AEK Athens, Lokomotiv Moscow, Sturm Graz
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/tottenham-fulham-stoke-and-birmingham-learn-europa-league-fate-2344396.html? (http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/tottenham-fulham-stoke-and-birmingham-learn-europa-league-fate-2344396.html?)
Fulham target Moroccan ace Assaidi but face fight with PSG
(http://www.talksport.co.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/ts_news_article_header_image/Oussama%20Assaidi.jpg)
Fulham face competition from Paris Saint Germain to sign Moroccan international Oussama Assaidi, according to reports in France.
The midfielder is being tracked by Fulham after the player caught Martin Jol's eye when he was in charge of Ajax.
But Jol's hopes of signing the Heerenveen star have been dealt a blow by the news that big-spending PSG are also interested in the 23-year-old.
The Qatari-backed club have been spending heavily and their interest, would drive the price up for a player considered one of the most talented youngsters in Holland.
http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/1023/99/fulham-target-moroccan-ace-assaidi-face-fight-psg? (http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/1023/99/fulham-target-moroccan-ace-assaidi-face-fight-psg?)
Pardew Focuses On Fulham
Fulham have not enjoyed the best of starts to the Barclays Premier League campaign, with a draw and a defeat from their opening two games, but Alan Pardew believes their performances have been better than their results suggest.
Martin Jol's side began the season with a 0-0 draw against Aston Villa at Craven Cottage before losing 2-0 at Wolves last weekend to leave them with just one point so far.
But the Cottagers have progressed to the Europa League group stages after overcoming Ukrainian side FC Dnipro and Pardew expects them to enjoy another good year after finishing in the top ten in two of the last three seasons.
"From what I've seen, sometimes the right results don't reflect the performances," said the Magpies manager. "I think their performances have been very strong and they've got some very good players.
"They'll have another strong season.
"They're a good defensive unit and they're playing a little bit more expansively under Martin Jol, so that's a little tweak on their style.
"And obviously we're tweaking our style a little bit. We haven't actually got it as I want it yet but (Yohan) Cabaye probably had his best game last night and was starting to influence things for us and making us look a bit different."
Both teams were in action on Thursday, and Pardew accepts that tiredness could come into play at St. James' - so he plans to make full use of his squad over the 90 minutes.
He said: "I think both managers, myself and Martin, will be looking at our side and looking for fatigue around the 60, 70 minute mark and maybe need to freshen the team up.
"Certainly I think we'll both use 14 players. You have to remember it's a squad game in the Premiership and the competitions you're in.
"Our squad has come through with flying colours in the first three and now we have a big game on Sunday."
http://www.nufc.co.uk/articles/20110826/pardew-focuses-on-fulham_2281670_2432971? (http://www.nufc.co.uk/articles/20110826/pardew-focuses-on-fulham_2281670_2432971?)
Davies Knee Woe
Having sustained a knee injury during our first Europa League qualification match, news has broken that will not please Fulham supporters.
Sky Sports are reporting that Simon Davies could be out for a further five months due to complications related t the original knee problem.
We`ll provide further details when they are available!
Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=252786#ixzz1W9TcWHBA (http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=252786#ixzz1W9TcWHBA)
Blow for Fulham as midfielder Davies is ruled out for five months with knee injury
Fulham midfielder Simon Davies faces up to five months on the sidelines after suffering complications with a knee injury.
The 31-year-old was expected to be back in the Cottagers set-up soon after returning to training but the injury is more complicated than first thought.
Davies is still experiencing problems with the bone in his right knee and could now be out until next year.
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/08/26/article-2030463-0B9DC38C000005DC-555_468x392.jpg)
Setback: Simon Davies faces a spell on the sidelines for a further five months
'Simon has a pretty tough injury,' said manager Martin Jol. 'He will be out for the next couple of months.'
When questioned further, the Dutchman added: 'It is a technical thing. It could be four to five months.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2030463/Simon-Davies-ruled-Fulham.html#ixzz1W9TpWo3a (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2030463/Simon-Davies-ruled-Fulham.html#ixzz1W9TpWo3a)
Team News(http://www.fulhamfc.com/Images/MainNews/NewsPages/Players/RiiseJA/General1.jpg)
After touching down in London in the early hours of Friday morning, Fulham's players returned to Motspur Park for a recovery session on Friday afternoon ahead of Sunday's Barclays Premier League match against Newcastle United at St. James' Park.
Manager Martin Jol spoke to the press ahead of training and revealed that the fitness of Bobby Zamora and John Arne Riise will be assessed on Friday afternoon as the Dutchman prepares his Team for Sunday's match.
"We've got a few knocks from the match on Thursday evening but we'll make an assessment [on the players] this afternoon," explained Jol. "There were a few players with ice packs after the game but I don't think it will be a problem.
"We've got seven or eight players who will take part in a proper training session but the rest will be in for a recovery session. It's not a priority to load them this afternoon or make it an intensive session.
"Of course Bobby [Zamora] is still a doubt for the game on Sunday against Newcastle. We will make an assessment on Bobby this afternoon but he's fifty-fifty.
"John Arne Riise had to come off after 20 minutes on Thursday night so he'll be a doubt for Sunday. He will go for a scan today an after that the Club's Medical team will let me know.
"I think John is one of the best left backs in the business. He wanted to come back to England and we were very happy to get him. I couldn't let the opportunity to sign him pass us by. It was disappointing he got injured last night because he's such a good player."
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/NewcastleTeamNews.aspx?#ixzz1W9UER8Xm (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/NewcastleTeamNews.aspx?#ixzz1W9UER8Xm)
Zamora and Riise doubtful for Newcastle
by DAN on AUGUST 26, 2011
Bobby Zamora and John Arne Riise are Fulham's main injury concerns ahead of Sunday's trip to Newcastle.
Zamora has missed Fulham's two fixtures due to ankle complaint, while Riise was substituted in the first half of Fulham's Europa League defeat to Dnipro last night with a knee injury. Martin Jol says that the pair will be assessed after training this afternoon – with Riise going for a scan on his knee problem – and monitored in the run-up to Sunday's game at St. James' Park.
We've got a few knocks from the match on Thursday evening but we'll make an assessment this afternoon. There were a few players with ice packs after the game but I don't think it will be a problem.
We've got seven or eight players who will take part in a proper training session but the rest will be in for a recovery session. It's not a priority to load them this afternoon or make it an intensive session.
Of course Bobby [Zamora] is still a doubt for the game on Sunday against Newcastle. We will make an assessment on Bobby this afternoon but he's fifty-fifty.
John Arne Riise had to come off after 20 minutes on Thursday night so he'll be a doubt for Sunday. He will go for a scan today an after that the Club's Medical team will let me know.
I think John is one of the best left backs in the business. He wanted to come back to England and we were very happy to get him. I couldn't let the opportunity to sign him pass us by. It was disappointing he got injured last night because he's such a good player.
http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/08/zamora-and-riise-doubtful-for-newcastle/? (http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/08/zamora-and-riise-doubtful-for-newcastle/?)
Simon Davies Update
The Club can confirm that Simon Davies will have a minor operation on his right knee, and the initial prognosis is a 3 month rehabilitation process following surgery.
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/SimonDaviesUpdate.aspx?#ixzz1W9UhyA3k (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/SimonDaviesUpdate.aspx?#ixzz1W9UhyA3k)
Fulham face Champions League dropouts
Fulham will face FC Twente from Holland, Odense from Denmark and Wisla Krakow from Poland in Group K of the Europa League.
Boss Martin Jol will know all about the Dutch club, who won the title under Steve McClaren when Jol was in charge of Ajax.
Twente, who are the group seeds, missed out on Champions League qualification this week when they lost 3-1 to Benfica in Lisbon to go out 5-3 on aggregate.
Their star player Bryan Ruiz has been linked to Fulham but, according to chairman Joop Munsterman, was not interested in a switch to Craven Cottage.
Fulham have also shown interest in Twente winger Nacer Chadli and the liklihood of the club holding onto their best players has decreased now they have dropped out of the Champions League.
Odense finished second in the Danish Superliga last season and failed to get past Villarreal in the Champions League qualifiers this week.
Their star player is Nigerian forward Peter Utaka, who scored 14 league goals last season, but they also have the experienced Eric Djemba-Djemba in midfield once of Manchester United.
Wisla complete a trio of Champions League dropouts in the group - the Polish club having been stunned 3-2 on aggregate by Cyriot side APOEL.
They also have a strong Dutch influence with coach Robert Maaskrant and several players brought in from Eredivisie clubs by sporting director Stan Valckx.
http://www.eatsleepsport.com/fulham/fulham-face-champions-league-dropouts-1270537.html?#.TlfGN3PHo98 (http://www.eatsleepsport.com/fulham/fulham-face-champions-league-dropouts-1270537.html?#.TlfGN3PHo98)
Draw Reaction(http://www.fulhamfc.com/Images/MainNews/NewsPages/Management/Jol/Conf1.jpg)
Following Friday afternoon's UEFA Europa League draw, Fulham Manager Martin Jol spoke of his belief that Fulham can progress through Group K despite the fierce competition his team will face against FC Twente, Odense BK and Wisla Kraków.
"It's obviously a tough group," Jol told fulhamfc.com. "We were in pot two so we weren't in the strongest group of teams but I think the other teams in our group will recognise us as a strong team. I feel that it's a tough group for all the teams involved.
"We're a Premier League side and we've got the quality to make it difficult for all the teams in our group.
"It's about how strong you can be as a team on the Thursday and if we've got our strongest team I think we've got a good chance to go through to the next stage.
"Of course you always need a bit of luck, as we did when we reached the Final in 2010. It raised the profile of the Club and the players so it's an important competition for us."
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/EuropaDrawReaction.aspx?#ixzz1W9VFFKr9 (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/EuropaDrawReaction.aspx?#ixzz1W9VFFKr9)
Newcastle v FULHAM: Zamora and Riise doubts for trip to St James' Park
Fulham pair Bobby Zamora and John Arne Riise are doubts for Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash at Newcastle.
The England international striker missed Thursday night's Europa League play-off against Dnipro with an ankle injury and is rated 50-50 for the match at St James' Park.
Riise was forced off with a groin problem and has had a scan, while Simon Davies could face a further five months out with a knee injury.
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Crocked: Riise picked up a knock during the defeat to Dnipro
Provisional squad: Schwarzer, Etheridge, Kelly, JA Riise, Hangeland, Baird, Senderos, Hughes, Halliche, Sidwell, Kasami, Murphy, Gecov, Duff, Etuhu, Dempsey, Johnson, Dembele, Zamora.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2030492/Newcastle-v-Fulham-Bobby-Zamora-John-Arne-Riise-doubts.html#ixzz1W9VSLxB1 (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2030492/Newcastle-v-Fulham-Bobby-Zamora-John-Arne-Riise-doubts.html#ixzz1W9VSLxB1)
Newcastle v Fulham
Barclays Premier League
Venue: St James' Park Date: Sunday, 28 August Kick-off: 1300 BST Coverage: Watch highlights on Match of the Day; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and local radio; text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles
TEAM NEWS
Newcastle are expected to begin life without midfielder Joey Barton, meaning Dan Gosling or Sylvain Marveaux could get a run in the team.
Shola Ameobi is a doubt, while Hatem Ben Arfa, Steve Harper and Mike Williamson are injured.
Fulham suffered a blow when John Arne Riise was carried off with a leg injury in the Europa League clash with Dnipro.
In further bad news, Simon Davies has been ruled out for five months.
MATCH PREVIEW
I was interested to read Mick McCarthy's comments about qualifying for the Europa League through a Uefa Fair Play Award: "If we get anywhere near that Fair Play thing, I'm going to tackle someone down the tunnel," was the opinion of the Wolves boss.
It's safe to say he's not a fan of that route into European football; yet that is the way that Fulham got into Europe this season, and after a long journey back from the Ukraine the match at Newcastle will already be Fulham's 11th of the season.
There's no doubt that there'll be a spring in the step of every Newcastle fan after last weekend's victory at Sunderland. Although there will surely be plenty of questions asked about the make up of their team for this match given the imminent departure of Joey Barton to QPR, who, incidentally, are Newcastle's next opponents on 12 September.
With Kevin Nolan and Jose Enrique having also moved on in recent weeks Newcastle's squad is not the biggest, but four points from their opening two fixtures is a very good start to the campaign.
Martin Jol didn't want to blame tiredness for last weekend's defeat to Wolves at Molineux, but it will be a far more valid reason if Fulham don't pick up three points this weekend - and it won't only be the players who might be a touch fatigued.
The lunchtime start means Fulham's fans using official coaches will be leaving Craven Cottage at 5.15 in the morning for the 1pm kick off.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Fulham lead the overall head-to-head count by 26 wins to 24, with 13 draws.
Last season's encounter at St James' Park ended 0-0, Fulham won the reverse fixture 1-0 at Craven Cottage.
Newcastle
Newcastle's win over Sunderland was only their second in their last nine league matches.
Cheick Tiote had been booked in his previous six games before the win over Sunderland. He has never gone more than three matches without a yellow card in the division, according to Infostrada.
Fulham
Fulham have kept clean sheets in 10 of their last 15 competitive games (including Europa League qualifiers). They have shut out their opponents in four of their last seven Premier League matches.
Fulham conceded just 23.3% of their goals last season from set pieces, the lowest proportion in the top flight.
They also conceded just one penalty, fewer than any other Premier League side.
This will be their 11th match of the season.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14606026.stm? (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14606026.stm?)
Lawro's prediction
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By the looks of things so far, Fulham are good at home and average away, but the biggest factor for Cottagers boss Martin Jol is that his side have to travel back from a Europa League match in the Ukraine for this game.
Jol says his side were not tired from playing in the same competition before last week's defeat at Molineux but, whether they were or not, Wolves boss Mick McCarthy was clever to make something out of it for his team.
Newcastle were excellent in what turned out to be quite a strange derby game against Sunderland last week, and I can see them getting another three points here.
We don't know whether Jol has finished his spending ahead of deadline day next week but I think Alan Pardew will definitely be bringing somebody in. He is actively looking for a striker, and after watching them against Sunderland, you can tell he needs one.
Prediction: 1-0
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/football_focus/14617155.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/football_focus/14617155.stm)
Jol set for Dutch dates
Fulham will face FC Twente from Holland, Odense from Denmark and Wisla Krakow from Poland in Group K of the Europa League.
Boss Martin Jol will know all about the Dutch club, who won the title under Steve McClaren when Jol was in charge of Ajax.
Twente, who are the group seeds, missed out on Champions League qualification this week when they lost 3-1 to Benfica in Lisbon to go out 5-3 on aggregate.
Their star player Bryan Ruiz has been linked to Fulham but, according to chairman Joop Munsterman, was not interested in a switch to Craven Cottage.
Fulham have also shown interest in Twente winger Nacer Chadli and the liklihood of the club holding onto their best players has decreased now they have dropped out of the Champions League.
Odense finished second in the Danish Superliga last season and failed to get past Villarreal in the Champions League qualifiers this week.
Their star player is Nigerian forward Peter Utaka, who scored 14 league goals last season, but they also have the experienced Eric Djemba-Djemba in midfield once of Manchester United.
Wisla complete a trio of Champions League dropouts in the group - the Polish club having been stunned 3-2 on aggregate by Cyriot side APOEL.
They also have a strong Dutch influence with coach Robert Maaskrant and several players brought in from Eredivisie clubs by sporting director Stan Valckx.
http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/jol-set-for-dutch-dates-1270537.html? (http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/jol-set-for-dutch-dates-1270537.html?)
