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From the Cottage to the Continent  

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Fulham will hope to return to Hamburg for the final on 12 May


By David Ornstein 


Vilnius. Perm. Sofia. Rome. Donetsk. Turin. Wolfsburg. Hamburg. It looks more like a list of destinations you could fly to for £9.99 on a low-cost airline, but it actually tells the remarkable story of Fulham's trailblazing adventures through Europe this season.

With more than 18,000 miles on the clock, Roy Hodgson's men have effectively travelled three-quarters of the way round the world to reach the Europa League semi-finals and the journey has not been without its pitfalls.

"I decided to drive to the Wolfsburg away game but didn't realise there were two Wolfsburgs in Germany," Fulham Supporters' Club spokesman John Aitkin told BBC Sport.

"I accidentally typed the wrong Wolfsburg into my sat-nav and ended up 350km away from where I needed to be."

Travel problems notwithstanding, Fulham's foray into Europe - only their second in the club's 131-year history - is a tale of managerial excellence, the growing bond between a group of players and relentless work on the training field.

It all started nine months ago on a scorching summer's day in Lithuania, where the Cottagers beat FK Vetra in the third qualifying round, before moving on to west-central Russia for the qualifying play-off second leg against Amkar Perm.

And while the victories over Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Wolfsburg made the wider football world take note, it was those unheralded early travels that laid the groundwork for the drama that was to follow.

"We've spent a lot of time away from our families and grown closer as a squad," centre-back Chris Smalling told BBC Sport.

"These are people who normally you might only speak to now and again on the training ground but this season we've been on long flights and in hotels together, so you develop a real bond.

"The group stage gave Roy a chance to play a lot of fringe players, so when you get this far in the competition everyone feels a part of the European adventure."

Enormous credit must go to Hodgson, whose shrewd dealings in the transfer market and meticulous planning on and off the pitch have paid dividends.

He not only rejuvenated the likes of Danny Murphy and Simon Davies, but identified unheralded talents such as Brede Hangeland and experienced players who had fallen out of favour at their previous clubs - Mark Schwarzer, Zoltan Gera, Bobby Zamora and Damien Duff to name but four.

Hodgson employs a simple but effective 4-5-1 formation featuring an uncompromising defence, a robust but creative central midfield and two wingers who can both track back and push forward to support lone-striker Zamora in attack.


"The right players have certainly been brought to the club," said Hangeland, who helped Fulham to a club-best seventh in the Premier League last season. "The players all buy into what the manager wants to achieve.

"This is a team built on organisation and resilience, the philosophy is about everyone working for the team and trying to limit space for the opposition and their time on the ball.

"We have done so much work on making sure we know our roles and what needs to be done - so much so that I think every player could now write a book on it!"

Over the course of his 34-year managerial career, Hodgson has brought European football to Malmo, Neuchatel Xamax, Blackburn, Viking and now Fulham.

He also led Inter Milan to the 1997 Uefa Cup final and constructed the side that Luigi Simoni took one step further a year later.

"Roy is one of the best managers around," said 20-year-old Smalling, who will join Manchester United this summer after impressing Sir Alex Ferguson. "He's been to many other countries and his knowledge of European football is second to none.

"That's especially important as you get to the latter stages of the competition because you need someone with a cool head, someone who's been there and done it before. He's passed that on to us and he's been a big, big influence."

Hodgson will hope that influence extends to his players in Hamburg on Thursday, and then in the return leg at Craven Cottage a week later.

His opposite number Bruno Labbadia is currently under intense pressure and the 1983 European Cup winners cannot contemplate missing out on the final at their home stadium.

Knocking out some of the best teams in the competition has given us the belief that we're good enough to beat anyone - now we're one round away from the final and it would be bitterly disappointing if we didn't get there


Leading their attack will be former Manchester United hitman Ruud van Nistelrooy, who scored 10 goals in nine games against Fulham during his time in England, but the loss of his strike partner Mladen Petric to a groin injury is a big blow.

And with Saturday's defeat by Mainz ending Hamburg's 12-game unbeaten home record, Fulham will arrive in high spirits - despite the arduous 600-mile drive they were forced to take because of the closure of British airspace after the volcanic ash cloud.

It is all a far cry from the final day of the 2007-08 Premier League season, when Murphy's 76th-minute winner against Portsmouth saved the Cottagers from relegation on goal difference alone.

"This is a new experience for us," said supporter Aitkin. "We know it's probably not going to happen again next season so we've got to enjoy while it lasts.

"We've been to cities and stadiums we never thought we'd see Fulham play in, it's been an unforgettable time.

"Tickets are much more affordable in Europe - Wolfsburg was £20 - and many of us have tried to be economical by sharing cars and hotel rooms wherever possible.

"None of us expected to spend so much money because we never thought Fulham would get this far - but how can you complain about costs when you're in dreamland?"

The experience has been just as rewarding for the players.

"In every round we've managed to surpass expectations and each time you go a step further you become more and more hungry to go all the way," explained Smalling.

"We've already knocked out some of the best teams in the competition and that's given us the belief that we're good enough to beat anyone.

"Now we're one round away from the final and it would be bitterly disappointing if we didn't get there."

Beat Hamburg over two legs and a return to the HSH Nordbank Arena beckons on 12 May.

That would provide a dream finish to what has been a fairytale adventure.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/english-football/roy-hodgson-has-become-a-destroyer-of-reputations-but-there-is-nothing-random-about-fulham-s-europa-league-romp-1.1022281

Roy Hodgson has become a destroyer of reputations but there is nothing random about Fulham's Europa League romp


Richard Wilson

21 Apr 2010

Roy Hodgson has enhanced his reputation by dismantling others.

His Fulham side have displayed the impertinence of upstarts in defeating Wolfsburg, Juventus and Shakhtar Donetsk on their way to 
the Europa League 
semi-final against Hamburg. The progress has been unexpected, but it relies upon a profound sense of order.

Few managers spend more time working on training-ground routines than Hodgson. His players are meticulously instructed, as every routine is devised specifically for the next fixture, and at times Fulham have performed with a measured restraint that has foiled more illustrious opponents. Even so, if the thinking is regimented, it still allows room for incredulity.

Fulham have defeated Liverpool and Manchester United this season, but it is European competition that has proved most invigorating. Few would have predicted that a 3-1 defeat to Juventus in Turin could be overcome, but logic was discarded in Fulham's 4-1 victory in the return leg at Craven Cottage. "We should retire, because it's not going to get any better than this," Hodgson said in the heady aftermath.

He was being facetious, but the Fulham manager would never allow himself to fall into hyperbole. His entire management career has been based on imparting method and discipline into teams. Occasionally, there have been accusations of rigidity, but Hodgson's sides are never sterile. Fulham seldom deviate from 4-4-2 and the wide players, while expected to track back, are encouraged to be audacious.

Hodgson, at 62, is a contemporary of the coaching beliefs that shaped the likes of Don Howe, Bobby Robson and Terry Venables. He does not lead a team by the magnetism of his personality (although he is a captivating individual), and he is distrustful of the cult of managerial celebrity. His faith is that in being scrupulous, and devising a wholesale strategy, will bring reward.

"Every day in training is geared towards team shape," says Simon Davies, the midfielder. "It's certain drills defensive, certain drills attacking, and we work very hard at it. There are no diagrams. It's all on the pitch with the ball, nothing unopposed. We do a lot of work after every game on analysis, sorting the bad things out, sorting the good things out."

The results have been vindicating. Fulham were 19th when Hodgson replaced Lawrie Sanchez in December 2007, and the remainder of the season was spent on the verge of relegation. It was Diomansy Kamara's late winning goal against Manchester City, when Fulham fought back from 2-0 down at half-time, that prompted a surge of optimism. They won their following two games to stay up, on goal difference, at Reading's expense. The following season, Hodgson's side were seventh in the league, Fulham's highest finish.

Mavericks are too temperamental to fit into Hodgson's conscientious approach, so Jimmy Bullard was sold to Hull for £5m and some of the money spent on Dickson Etuhu, an industrious, hard-running midfielder. Other signings have included Bobby Zamora, a striker whose career needed to be rejuvenated, Andrew Johnson, a proven goalscorer, Mark Schwarzer, a dependable goalkeeper, and Brede Hangeland, an imposing centre-back.

"He changed the whole way we were playing," said Danny Murphy, the midfielder. "He made us more of a footballing team than the direct-ball team under Lawrie. His knowledge of the game, his philosophies . . . he has that temperament a manager needs. He never gets too down, and he doesn't let us get too carried away when we're having a good spell."

Fulham's rise has been achieved with self-effacement. Hodgson has sought players willing to work on behalf of the team rather than their own prominence. In spending frugally, and wringing the most out of his players, Hodgson has become a sage-like figure. He is the kind of manager who would instantly restore credibility to Celtic, but his work has been so persuasive that there is already a conviction that he is the ideal candidate to follow Fabio Capello as the England manager.

He might be wary of the acclaim. Despite a management career at club and international level that was accomplished, a dismal spell at Blackburn – the only club to have sacked Hodgson – seemed to have prejudiced opinion in England. A player with Tonbridge, Gravesend & Northfleet, and Maidstone, Hodgson has had to strive for eminence.

He took Internazionale to the Uefa Cup final in 1997, only to lose to Schalke, but has won five league titles in Sweden and Denmark. Hodgson has also managed three international sides, most notably Switzerland, who he took to the finals of the World Cup and the European Championships.

His stature has never been greater, but the prestige has accumulated over time. Fulham, in their humility, seem appropriate. Ahead of the away leg of the quarter-final against Wolfsburg, the German press did not ask about team selection, but whether or not Hugh Grant, a Fulham supporter, would be attending. Hodgson would have smiled wryly; he is comfortable being unassuming.

NB - There is also a video report on this report. Click the link at the bottom to go to the page with it on.


Fulham stay on road to the Europa League final with a motorway kickabout


By Laura Williamson in Hamburg

Last updated at 8:13 AM on 22nd April 2010

(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/04/21/article-1267884-093C8849000005DC-503_233x373.jpg)


Fulham players were reduced to training at the side of a motorway near Bremen after a traffic jam made their seemingly never-ending journey just that little bit longer.

Roy Hodgson's side finally arrived in Hamburg for their Europa League semifinal at 4pm on Wednesday, more than 24 hours after leaving west London.

An accident on the Autobahn on the final leg of their 595-mile journey meant the two coaches carrying Fulham players and staff were at a standstill for three hours - giving the players time to stretch their legs at the side of the road.

The delay meant the players were sitting on a coach for 17 hours before the biggest match in the club's history.

Hodgson said: 'Liverpool were luckier than us in that they could travel by train (to Madrid). Our 17 hours was spent totally on a bus, unless you count the 30 minutes it took to cross the English Channel.

'The plan was to arrive here at 1.30pm to have lunch, which would've given us all afternoon for the physio to work with the players. That has all got lost on the way, which is a further disadvantage, but I hope that won't hamper us.'

Hodgson read The Bridge by Iain Banks and the players listened to music, tried to follow Inter Milan's Champions League semi-final against Barcelona on a TV with an intermittent signal and watched films. 'The NeverEnding Story, that was it,' quipped Mark Schwarzer.

The goalkeeper added: 'We're fighting an uphill battle with the trip that we've made, so it's going to be really tough for us.

'The motivation is definitely there for Hamburg to play the final in their own stadium but with that comes extra pressure. They're expected to get there. They're the ones under pressure. They are the favourites to get through, even more so with the circumstances that have arisen in the past week.'

A timely reminder of the daunting task ahead for Fulham came in the form of former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Holland forward will be 34 in July but looked sharp in training at the Nordbank Arena as he stayed behind after training yesterday to practise beating his man.

Van Nistelrooy attracted interest from 'Tottenham, West Ham, Fulham and some others from the Premier League' before joining Hamburg in the January transfer window, but it was only the length of the contract on offer that prevented a move to White Hart Lane.

He said: 'I was in serious negotiations with Spurs. I had a very good conversation with (Tottenham boss) Harry Redknapp. That was all fantastic. We couldn't agree terms, though.

'Tottenham only offered me a six-month contract. That wasn't ideal for me, with a family to get over to England just for six months.'

The striker has won league titles in Holland (twice, in 2000 and 2001, with PSV Eindhoven), England (in 2003 with United) and Spain (2007 and 2008, with Real Madrid). He has also scored 62 goals in 90 appearances in UEFA competitions and is second on the all-time Champions League scoring list behind Real Madrid's Raul.

But he has never progressed beyond the semi-finals of a European competition. The last time he was in the last four, in 2002, United went out to Bayer Leverkusen on away goals.

But after recovering from the knee surgery in November 2008 that effectively brought an end to his career in Madrid, Van Nistelrooy has found the old goalscoring grove - scoring five goals in 14 appearances for Hamburg.

He said: 'I'd like to make the World Cup. I want to be a part of the Holland squad but I know my position as well. I know I haven't played (internationally) since Euro 2008 due to my injuries and stuff. 'But I hope that, one way or another, there's a role there - maybe a Becks role type of thing. Super sub, why not? It's my last chance.'

Van Nistelrooy, who worked under England boss Fabio Capello at Madrid, also regards Fulham striker Bobby Zamora as a genuine World Cup contender.

He said: 'Zamora is an effective striker. He's very important for the team. He holds the ball, he's a team player, works hard and he's an all-round striker.

'He can score and he's got more skills than you might think. He's definitely a candidate now, but Carlton Cole of West Ham is also in the picture.

'But getting through against these teams and scoring goals in these European games, it makes Zamora more attractive for Capello.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1267884/Fulham-stay-road-Europa-League-final-motorway-kickabout.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0loal2rWf (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1267884/Fulham-stay-road-Europa-League-final-motorway-kickabout.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0loal2rWf)

Martin Keown: Why Fulham can't trust my old enemy Ruud van Nistelrooy

Last updated at 12:43 AM on 22nd April 2010


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Moment of madness: Martin Keown shows his delight after Van Nistelrooy missed a late penalty


Ruud van Nistelrooy was up there with the best strikers I played against but you couldn't trust him - which is why I ended up losing my rag with him.
The fundamental thing about him is that he was always looking to test referees. He was strong and physical when he wanted to be but when he was in and around the box, he went down like a pack of cards. You would go into a strong challenge one minute and he would bounce off it. The next, he would be rolling around on the ground.

Every challenge brought a different reaction so you started to think twice about making them when you were near the box. That was annoying and if you compared him to someone like Mark Hughes, who was quite consistent in the way he played, he was difficult because he just fell over when it suited him. It used to infuriate me.
Fulham have to hope tonight that referee Claus Bo Larsen - and the five assistants he has in the Europa League - will help them with such dubious incidents.

Fulham's defenders can't let him affect their thinking but they need to be aware of what he is capable of because he is such a clinical finisher. He has that arrogance in front of goal that all the top strikers have. He's always on the shoulder of the defender, he's got good movement and he's very good at recognising the movement of other players and darting into the space they had come from.
Van Nistelrooy is intelligent too and he was the first player to take advantage of the change in the offside rule, which meant players were onside if they weren't interfering with play.

We would play a high line at Arsenal and he would sit behind our line in an offside position, often in between the left centre back and the left back. Then United would switch the ball out to the right to Beckham or Ronaldo and he would then have a 10 or 15 yard start on you when it came to getting to the cross into the middle, when he would be onside again. I don't know whether it was his idea or Sir Alex Ferguson's but he was cunning in the way he did it.

You could call it intelligence, you could say he was playing the rules to the limit or you could say there was an element of cheating going on. It was me feeling he had cheated which provoked that famous incident at Old Trafford in 2003 when I charged into him after he missed a penalty. It was the product of years of frustration playing against him.

In my opinion he got Patrick Vieira sent off that day. He feigned injury again. It was a game that was going nowhere and then it was like the Alamo. I gave a late penalty away and then you're standing thinking you're going to be ridiculed for that so when he missed, it was a case of giving him both barrels. It was all linked to getting Vieira sent off. I don't know what I was trying to achieve because I didn't come down on him to any real effect. It was just a case of intimidating a player.

You behave how you behave at the time and you look back and you can't believe it's you. But at the end of the day, we got a result and went the whole season unbeaten. You can't regret moments like that but when I got home, my wife said to me 'you've really gone and done it now'. It's become one of those iconic moments that the Arsenal fans love and the United fans just hate.
The only time I've seen him since was at the FA Cup final later that season. We shook hands, there was no animosity and we moved on. Van Nistelrooy has done well to come back from his knee injuries and still be going strong at 33. It will be interesting to see if he is still as good as he used to be. But Fulham must respect him or they might find my old enemy makes them pay a heavy price.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1267894/Martin-Keown-Why-Fulham-trust-old-enemy-Ruud-Van-Nistelrooy.html#ixzz0loc1zEJe (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1267894/Martin-Keown-Why-Fulham-trust-old-enemy-Ruud-Van-Nistelrooy.html#ixzz0loc1zEJe)

Remember when the UEFA Cup was as much fun as the Europa League

By Sportsmail Reporter

Last updated at 12:22 AM on 22nd April 2010

With Liverpool and Fulham's exploits in the Europa League making it glamorous again, Sportsmail casts its mind back to the halcyon days when Europe's second cup competition regularly had us on the  edge of our seats...

Two-legged finals 

Two-legged finals In the days before fixture congestion, the UEFA Cup final would span 180 minutes - and sometimes more. After the transformation from the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the first final was an all-English affair in 1972, when Tottenham (right) beat Wolves 3-2 on aggregate.

England dominatepurs lost to Feyenoord

- inspired by Wim van Hanegem - in the 1974 final in a match marred by hooliganism, but Liverpool won it twice as England started to dominate in Europe. They beat Borussia Moenchengladbach in '73 and Bruges in '76, opponents they would later defeat in European Cup finals.

Movie stars

Ipswich players starred alongside Michael Caine and Sylvester Stallone (right) in the film Escape To Victory in 1981 but still had the strength to lift the 15kg trophy, beating AZ Alkmaar 5-4 on aggregate in the final.

Tottenham Spotspur

Tony Parks was the hero as Spurs beat Anderlecht on penalties to win in 1984 - he saved two, one from Eidur Gudjohnsen's dad Arnor - but that campaign was tarnished by scandal years later when a former chairman of the Belgian club confessed to bribing the referee ahead of the second leg of their semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

Golden own goal

More heartache than celebration for British teams in the 21st century. Arsenal, Celtic, Middlesbrough and Rangers have all lost in the final. But Liverpool beat Alaves 5-4 in extra time in 2001 when Delfi Geli (above, right) scored a 'Golden Goal' ... into his own net.

Tutti fruttiItalian teams dominated the competition through the Nineties - winning it eight times in an 11-year stretch - but Roy Hodgson's Inter Milan team, which included Paul Ince, lost the final on penalties to Schalke in 1997.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1267888/Remember-UEFA-Cup-fun-Europa-League.html#ixzz0locidQsB (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1267888/Remember-UEFA-Cup-fun-Europa-League.html#ixzz0locidQsB)

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/preview?id=290753&cc=5739


Dempsey lift for Fulham


Competition Stats  
  Hamburg SV  Fulham  
Goals  Marcus Berg 4  Bobby Zamora 3  
Reds  Guy Demel 1  Danny Murphy 1  
Yellows  David Jarolim 3  Jonathan Greening 5  
·   Club Squads : Hamburg SV | Fulham  


Last Five Matches in Competition  
Hamburg SV  Fulham  
A: Standard Liege 1-3  A: VfL Wolfsburg 0-1  
H: Standard Liege 2-1  H: VfL Wolfsburg 2-1  
A: Anderlecht 4-3  H: Juventus 4-1  
H: Anderlecht 3-1  A: Juventus 3-1  
A: PSV Eindhoven 3-2  A: Shakhtar Donetsk 1-1  
· Club Results: Hamburg SV | Fulham  

Next Five Matches in Competition  
Hamburg SV  Fulham  
22/4  H: Fulham  22/4  A: Hamburg SV  
29/4  A: Fulham  29/4  H: Hamburg SV  
· Club Fixtures: Hamburg SV | Fulham  
Updated: April 21, 2010, 10:07 PM UK

Fulham have been handed a boost ahead of the Europa League semi-final clash with Hamburg by the return of Clint Dempsey from a thigh injury.

Manager Roy Hodgson has a full squad to choose from after all his players came through their 17-hour coach journey to the German city unscathed.

Long-term absentee Andrew Johnson (knee) remains the only player to miss out through injury while John Pantsil, Stefano Okaka and Nicky Shorey are all ineligible.

Mark Schwarzer admits Fulham will find it hard win after completing a 27-hour journey to the German city.

The Cottagers arrived in Hamburg at 4pm on Wednesdayafter an arduous coach trip which began at their training ground in Surrey yeson Tuesday.

After abandoning their planned flight aboard a private jet due to the volcanic ash cloud, the squad crossed the channel aboard two luxury coaches on the Euro tunnel before driving to the German city of Munster.

They were then left at a standstill for three hours as they attempted to drive to Hamburg thanks to a lorry crash on the motorway they were travelling on.

The squad finally arrived at their hotel before heading to take part in a training session at the Hamburg Arena, where they will begin their bid to make their first European final.

The squad took breaks throughout their trip in a bid to keep fit ahead of the game, which is arguably the biggest in their 141-year history.

Schwarzer says spending 17 hours on the road has brought the team closer together, but admits the long journey has left the team facing an struggle.

"We're fighting an uphill battle, really, with the trip that we've made so it's going to be really tough for us, but we'll try and do what we can,'' said Schwarzer, who made the UEFA Cup final with Middlesbrough in 2006.

"Hamburg are expected to get to the final now. They are the favourites to get through, even more so with the circumstances that have come about.

"The atmosphere on the journey has been very good though. We have a very good relationship anyway in the team.

"A really long trip can either pull the team part or to the contrary and I'd say it's pulled us all together.''

Hamburg defender Dennis Aogo hopes to erase the disappointment of last year's UEFA Cup semi-final exit by winning the Europa League on home soil next month.

The Bundesliga side take on Fulham almost a year after being knocked out of the UEFA Cup by bitter Bundesliga rivals Werder Bremen.

This season Hamburg have beaten the likes of Celtic, Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven to make the last four of the revamped competition and are favourites to reach the final at the Hamburg Arena on May 12.

A win over Roy Hodgson's side would guarantee Bruno Labbadia's team a mouth-watering clash against Liverpool or Atletico Madrid.

Aogo has been key to the team's success this year and hopes a win over the Cottagers will ease the pain which he has and his team-mates have had to endure for the last 12 months.

"We all remember the semi-final last year and it hurt,'' the 23-year-old said.

"Those of us who were there want to put that right now and what better motivation can we have than playing in our home stadium?

"That is the real drive that drives us on.''

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_6107965,00.html


Hodgson bemoans Hamburg haul

But journey won't stop Fulham boss believing


Last updated: 21st April 2010   


The Cottagers, who have been the surprise package of this season's tournament, have endured an arduous 27-hour journey to the German city due to the flight restrictions imposed due to the cloud of volcanic ash across much of the continent.

After abandoning their planned flight aboard a private jet, the squad crossed the channel aboard two luxury coaches on the Euro tunnel before driving to the German city of Munster, where they spent Wednesday night.

They were then left at a standstill for three hours as they attempted to drive to Hamburg thanks to a lorry crash on the motorway they were travelling on.

The squad finally arrived at their hotel before heading to take part in a training session at the Hamburg Arena, where they will begin their bid to make their first European final.

Not ideal
Hodgson has been forced to change his pre-match plans but is keen for his squad to recharge their batteries ahead of the first leg showdown.

"The plan was to arrive here at 1.30pm to have lunch and that would have given us all afternoon for the physio to work with the players," Hodgson said.

"Because of the delay, they didn't get to look at them until 5pm, which is further disadvantage, but that I hope won't hamper us.

"It will be a little bit harder for us. It is not ideal preparation for an important game. Now we've got the night here and we can relax and rest.

"We're going to be playing top class opposition and an away game in Hamburg is always going to be hard."


Uphill battle
And goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer believes their lengthy journey has helped bring the squad closer together, although he too feels they will be at a disadvantage.

"We're fighting an uphill battle, really, with the trip that we've made so it's going to be really tough for us, but we'll try and do what we can," said Schwarzer, who made the Uefa Cup final with Middlesbrough in 2006.

"Hamburg are expected to get to the final now. They are the favourites to get through, even more so with the circumstances that have come about.

"The atmosphere on the journey has been very good though. We have a very good relationship anyway in the team.

"A really long trip can either pull the team part or to the contrary and I'd say it's pulled us all together."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/teams/england/7617968/World-Cup-2010-Bobby-Zamora-deserves-England-call-up-says-Ruud-van-Nistelrooy.html

World Cup 2010: Bobby Zamora deserves England call up, says Ruud van Nistelrooy

Hamburg and Holland striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has backed Fulham's Bobby Zamora to be included in Fabio Capello's squad to travel to South Africa this summer.

By Telegraph staff


Published: 9:00AM BST 22 Apr 2010


The 19 year-old, who is yet to have been called up to the England senior team, has scored 19-times for Fulham this season leading many, including Van Nistelrooy, to back him for a place at the World Cup 2010.

"Bobby has earned the right to be taken seriously in international football," Van Nistelrooy told the Sun. "I don't think Capello looks at the fashionable things he just looks at the effectiveness more than anything else.

"Zamora is an effective striker, he's very important for the team. He holds the ball, he's a team player, works hard and he's an all round striker.

"He can score and he's got more skills i think than you could imagine. He's definitely a candidate now but Carlton Cole is also in the picture. Maybe he's a bit like Zamora.

"Now he can also prove himself on a European level which is very important for him.

"Getting through against theses teams and scoring goals in these games it makes him more attractive to Capello."

Zamora has a possible seven matches remaining this season in which to impress Capello and secure himself a place on the plane to the finals.

Fulham take on Hamburg in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final tonight before travelling to Everton in the league this weekend.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6108418,00.html

Ruud hoping for final spot


Van Nistelrooy hoping to beat Fulham


Last updated: 22nd April 2010   

Ruud van Nistelrooy is hoping he can fire Hamburg past Fulham and into the Europa League final.

The Cottagers have been the surprise team of the tournament so far, dumping out holders Shakhtar Donetsk along with the likes of Juventus and Wolfsburg.

They now face Hamburg at the Nordbank Arena - where the final will also be held.

Van Nistelrooy is now excited at the prospect of another European final.

"People, including the manager, were surprised that I wanted to come to Hamburg after playing for United and Real Madrid. But after overcoming my ankle injury, which kept me out for 16 months, I just wanted to get my career back on track," he said.

"What I obviously didn't expect was that I would be in my second European semi-final in my career, and I couldn't have thought it would be with Hamburg.

"I had one with Manchester United against Bayer Leverkusen, which we lost, so it would be amazing to reach a European final with Hamburg.

"I knew Fulham from my time in the Premier League, although they weren't at this level then. So, to reach something like this is amazing.

"They can beat anyone. That's what they've proved. We're aware of that. We have to be very careful.

"They are a Premier League side who play week-in, week-out against the best teams with the best players, so it will be a big test."

Road Trip Review

Wednesday 21st April 2010


Fulham FC News

After arriving in Hamburg on Wednesday afternoon Mark Schwarzer spoke to fulhamfc.com and explained that Fulham's road trip to Germany will not distract the Team from the job at hand on Thursday night.

"It was actually fine for such a long journey," said Schwarzer. "We had plenty of chance to chat and watched a few movies along the way. It was long, but it was fine.

"The atmosphere has been very good, but we have a very good atmosphere within the squad anyway. A long trip like this can either pull the team together, or it can cause some friction and I'd say with us it has pulled us together.

"There are things that you have to be careful of. It's natural that you can suffer dehydration when you're travelling long distances, whether that be by plane or by bus, so we had access to plenty of food and plenty of fluid on the bus.

"We had three hours to walk around a motorway today [Wednesday], so we got plenty of exercise then! But obviously you can get up and move around the bus.

"Of course, it's not ideal preparation, but it's what we've had to deal with so we've accepted it fully and got on with it. You have to deal with these things as best you can.

"The amount of travelling is always an issue. Whether you start the tournament at the very beginning, or come in at the group stages, there's always a lot to do before you reach a Semi-Final or Final.

"Obviously we have clocked up the miles and this time around it hasn't been ideal, but that's the fact of the situation and there's nothing we can change about that.

"I, for one, am used to travelling long distances, travelling around the world with Australia. We're footballers and we get paid to play football, and sometimes that's not in the most ideal situation, but we have to get on with it and hopefully perform at our best come the game tomorrow night."

Schwarzer is clearly determined to make the most of Fulham's opportunity in Hamburg on Thursday night and is hoping Fulham can benefit from the extra pressure the home side face as favourites.

"The motivation is definitely there for Hamburg to be able to play the Final in their own stadium, but with that comes extra pressure.

"In many ways, at this stage of the tournament, they're expected to get there and without doubt they're the favourites to go through, even more so given the circumstances that have arisen over the last week or so.

"We're fighting an uphill battle really with the trek that we've made and it's going to be very tough for us, but they have the pressure on them, and we'll try and do what we can."


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/SchwarzerHamburgPreMatch.aspx#ixzz0lofv1HgU (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/SchwarzerHamburgPreMatch.aspx#ixzz0lofv1HgU)

A Massive Boost

Wednesday 21st April 2010


Fulham FC News

As the Team finally arrived in Hamburg on Wednesday afternoon, fulhamfc.com caught up with Aaron Hughes and the defender is clearly looking forward to getting a feel for the HSH Nordbank Arena this evening ahead of Thursday night's UEFA Europa League Semi-Final (first leg). 

"It's been a long couple of days but we're almost there and we'll have a chance to have a look at the stadium and have a training session on the pitch tonight," said Hughes from the Team bus.

Roy Hodgson's side were boosted by the news that both Fulham Flyers will touch down in Germany on Thursday and Hughes is delighted that Fulham's loyal supporters will be present in Hamburg to witness arguably the biggest match in the Club's history.

"Having a bit of support in the stadium will be great," Hughes explained. "It's good for the supporters because it gives them the chance to come out and see the Semi-Final and it's not very often you get to see a European Semi-Final.

"In the European trips there's been a great atmosphere both at the Cottage and away from home so it's great that they've got the chance to get on a plane and come out.

"A lot of people are desperate to come and watch us - they've travelled so far following us throughout this competition. Now that the flights are back on, it will make life easier for so many fans."


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/AaronsArrivalMessage.aspx#ixzz0logGykBj (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/AaronsArrivalMessage.aspx#ixzz0logGykBj)

Hamburg Screening

Wednesday 21st April 2010


Fulham FC News


Roy Hodgson's Team face Hamburg in the Semi-Finals of the UEFA Europa League, with the first leg taking place in Hamburg this Thursday, 22nd April.

If you are unable to travel to Hamburg, the Club would like to offer supporters the opportunity to cheer the team on from one of our stylish bars at Craven Cottage (doors open at 6:15pm).

Join fellow Fulham fans and enjoy some great food and drink offers in the comfort of a Craven Cottage lounge before watching the boys in Europa League Semi-Final action!

The event is FREE but we ask that supporters wishing to attend register their interest below.

 

Register your interest
Register your interest now   
   
Name*  Please enter your name
Email*  Please enter email
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Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/HamburgScreening.aspx#ixzz0lohO7zJS (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/HamburgScreening.aspx#ixzz0lohO7zJS)

http://hammyend.com/?p=7013

Up next: Hamburg (a)


by Dan on April 22, 2010

The day's finally here. There's been more anticipation and anxiety about this stage of our European adventure than any other and that's not just because we're in the last four of a European competition for the very first time. All the uncertainty over whether the tie would go ahead and how the players and fans would make the trip out to Germany what with that friendly Icelandic volcano has almost made the football secondary. The fact that many people's plans have been disrupted or shelved by an angry volcano just as the Whites reach a major semi-final does strike you as rather Fulhamish.

The game itself should be a real ocassion. One of the legacies of Roy Hodgson's sterling achievements at the Cottage is that nobody takes us too lightly anymore. Hamburg will be aware of the threats posed by a well-organised and hardworking English side but will still be confident of taking a lead to London for the second leg. They do, of course, have the considerable carrot of a home final dangling in front of them as well.

They crashed out at this stage last year to bitter Bundesliga rivals Werder Bremen and are desperate not to avoid a similar fate this time around. Whilst their domestic form has been patchy – Hamburg sit in seventh as the German season draws a close – they are unbeaten in their seven European home games this year. With no Mladen Petric, most of the focus will be on Ruud van Nistelrooy, whose nine goals in ten games against us for Manchester United will strike fear into Fulham hearts.

I would take issue with the assertion of Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia that we'll be sitting deep.

Fulham will play defensively with only one striker so we have to be very patient and pass the ball around.

A characteristic of Hodgson's planning and our away performances is that while we are pretty resilience, there's an onus to get forward and pose a problem as well. Knowing the value of scoring away from home, Fulham will surely look to get one. We've only failed to score in one of our European away games – and that was way back in August over in deepest Russia.

The strength of German sides in Europe is well known. Hamburg have the organisation and drive that seems to hardwired into the German teams but they also have plenty of creativity in their line-up. Captain David Jarolim can certainly play a killer ball as well as keeping things steady in midfield, whilst out wide the Whites will have to watch the exceptionally gifted Eljero Elia and keep an eye on Jonathan Pitroipa.

Hamburg are well staffed in the defensive department too so Bobby Zamora might not find it as easy to run wild on this particular European night. With the likes of Mathijsen, Rozenhal, Demel and Boateng able to play in the back line, the home side will probably be confident of shutting Fulham down. The massive x-factor is just how an ardurous coach journey, further held up by a crash on the autobahn yesterday as the boys finally arrived in Germany, will affect the team.

Hodgson conceded that the plan to give the physios some extra time to work on some weary bodies in preparation for kick-off tonight would need to be modified, but these boys have come through adversity more than once already this season.

MY FULHAM XI (4-4-1-1): Schwarzer; Baird, Konchesky, Hughes, Hangeland; Etuhu, Murphy, Duff, Davies; Gera; Zamora. Subs: Zuberbuhler, Kelly, Smalling, Riise, Dikgacoi, Nevland, Elm.

http://www.caughtoffside.com/2010/04/22/hamburg-vs-fulham-europa-league-semi-final-team-news-bet-of-the-day-and-predictions/


Hamburg Vs Fulham Europa League Semi Final: Team News, Bet of the Day and Predictions

by Christian Bailey on April 22nd, 2010

From Craven Cottage to Hamburg, Roy Hodgson is on the brink of something very special indeed.


Fulham could have Clint Dempsey back in their side to face Hamburg after he overcame the thigh injury that has ruled him out of the last three games.
John Pantsil, Nicky Shorey and Stefano Okaka are all ineligible for the Europa League semi-final first-leg tie.
Paolo Guerrero, who is serving a domestic ban for attacking a fan, is available to play for Hamburg.
He is set to partner Ruud van Nistelrooy up front in the absence of the injured Mladen Petric.
The hosts are also without experienced Germany midfielder Marcell Jansen, who is racing to be fit in time for the World Cup.
Hamburg have added motivation to reach the Europa League final as it will be held at their home ground, the Nordbank Arena.
However, their form is not encouraging.

Having made a bright start under manager Bruno Labbadia, their Bundesliga challenge has fallen away and they are in danger of missing out on qualifying for European competition next season.

The pressure increased on Labbadia with Sunday's home defeat by Mainz. (BBC Sport)

Roy Hodgson has done wonderfully well to get this far in the Europa League and even a lengthy trip to Germany will not dent the west London side's hopes to make it back to Hamburg for the final next month. The Craven Cottage side are unbeaten in their last five games and looking good for a top half Premier League finish and should have no fear going into this Semi Final encounter.

Having easily overcome reigning Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg in the Quarter Final's expect a confident Fulham side to take the field at the Nordbank Arena against a side who has lost of their last four matches to leave them floundering outside the European qualification spots.

My Bets of the Day would favour yet more European glory for Fulham and a first goalscorer win double of Bobby Zamora to score the only goal of tonight's game takes my fancy at a very decent 50/1. A bet on Fulham to win at 9/2 is also worth a punt.

My Prediction: 1-0 to Fulham

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6108382,00.html

Konchesky hopes for England call


Fulham full-back has eyes on World Cup


Last updated: 22nd April 2010   

Paul Konchesky hopes he can still earn a shock call-up to England's World Cup squad.

The Fulham left-back has two England caps to his name, with his last appearance for the Three Lions coming in 2005.

But with Wayne Bridge retiring from international duty, there is a potential place as Ashley Cole's back-up available - although Stephen Warnock and Leighton Baines were preferred for the last friendly with Egypt.

Konchesky, though, has not given up hope of making the trip to South Africa.

"If the team keep doing well, you never know what could be round the corner," he told the Daily Star.

"I'm gutted there has not been more [caps], but there is a world-class defender in Ashley. He's probably everything you want in a left-back.

"Other than that, I know Wayne Bridge has been in there and he's all right.

"But Leighton Baines got a chance last time out, so the position might still be open."

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23826838-jack-knifed-lorry-delays-fulham-further-ahead-of-europa-clash.do

Jack-knifed lorry delays Fulham further ahead of Europa clash

22.04.10

A major traffic jam was the latest in a long line of hurdles that Roy Hodgson's Fulham had to overcome before completing their 27-hour road trip to Hamburg for tonight's Europa League semi-final.

The Fulham boss must have thought he was due a good turn in luck after volcanic ash caused him to ditch plans to fly to Hamburg and make the 600-mile trip by road instead.

But as both of the team's luxury coaches departed their hotel in the Westphalian city of Munster, where they stayed on Tuesday night after leaving London in the afternoon, trouble struck once more.

A lorry had jack-knifed on the Autobahn, causing the coaches to remain at a standstill for three hours and delay the team's arrival in the city.

The team's much-needed physio session was delayed because of the traffic jam, but Hodgson was nonetheless upbeat ahead of the match.

"We were on the road for 17 hours from leaving Motspur Park (where Fulham train) to arriving at the Hyatt (hotel) in Hamburg," Hodgson said.

"Three hours of that was standing in a queue thanks to a traffic accident on the Autobahn.

"The plan was to arrive here at 1.30pm to have lunch and that would have given us all afternoon for the physio to work with the players.

"Because of the delay, they didn't get to look at them until 5pm, which is a further disadvantage, but that I hope won't hamper us.

"It will be a little bit harder for us. It is not ideal preparation for an important game."

Bruno Labbadia, however, had little sympathy for the Cottagers as he looks to book a place in the final, which is also being played at the Hamburg Arena.

The German said: "For Fulham it would have been a risk to fly, a risk they couldn't take. It will be the same for us for the (Bundesliga) game against Hoffenheim (this weekend).

"I would say this is part and parcel of the game and you just have to cope with it, to deal with it."

United States forward Clint Dempsey is in contention for a start after he overcame a thigh injury which ruled him out of the Cottagers' last three games.

Hodgson's side are unbeaten in five matches while their opponents have dropped to seventh in the Bundesliga after winning just once in their last six games.

The former Inter Milan boss feels that chasing a final on home soil will inspire Labbadia's side to give Fulham a stern test over the two legs though.

Hodgson said: "We're aware that Hamburg will be extremely motivated for these two matches because the final will be played on their home ground in front of their home fans."

Roy Video -

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/sportvideo/footballvideo/7616944/Roy-Hodgson-Fulham-face-a-very-tough-match.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/sportvideo/footballvideo/7616944/Roy-Hodgson-Fulham-face-a-very-tough-match.html)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/22/fulham-hamburg-europa-league

Fulham's never-ending season finally ready for take-off in Hamburg

• Europa League semi-final is Fulham's 57th game


• Seventeen-hour drive 'not the ideal preparation'
   
Jamie Jackson in Hamburg

The Guardian, Thursday 22 April 2010


After their 17-hour coach trip to reach Hamburg, Roy Hodgson and Mark Schwarzer got in a car to reach their pre-match press conference. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images

Fulham's most marvellous European adventure continues in northern Germany tonight. Hamburg and 180 minutes of football (at least) separate Roy Hodgson's team from a date with Liverpool or Atlético Madrid in next month's Europa League final, which will also be played here at the Nordbank Arena.

Fulham's 57th match of a season soon to enter a 10th month pits them against one of Kevin Keegan's former clubs, a club who were European Cup winners in 1983 and then made the semi-final of the Uefa Cup last year only to lose on away goals to Werder Bremen.

Shaktar Donesk (the holders), Juventus and Wolfsburg (the German champions) have all been eliminated by Fulham thus far, so a club with Hamburg's pedigree hold no fear though Hodgson, as always, respects any opposition from Germany.

"They've had success if we talk about Bayern Munich and Hamburg, even teams like Dynamo Dresden way back," he said. "The success of German teams goes [back] very far. If you've ever seen them play you're aware of the strength of German football so, if you get drawn [with one], you know it's going to be a tough game.

"Here we're talking about [two] teams who have reached the semi-finals of a tough competition because there are more games in the Europa League than even the Champions League.

"When you get drawn against Wolfsburg and then Hamburg you know they're very tough teams and they're going to test you to the absolute limit."

Also providing a trial was the 600-mile drive that took the Fulham team from their Motspur Park training ground in west London to northern Germany. That started on Tuesday and ended at 4pm local time yesterday.

There was also a three-hour delay due to a crash on the autobahn as the team coach rode the final leg from Münster to Hamburg. Hodgson said: "The plan was to arrive here at 1.30pm to have lunch and that would've given us all afternoon for the physio to work with the players. That all got lost on the way, which is a further disadvantage."

That doubled yesterday's journey time to six hours, taking the total the squad spent on the bus to 17. "I hope this won't hamper us because the physios couldn't work with them until 5pm, when we got to the hotel," Hodgson said. "Of course it will be a little bit harder for us. It is not ideal preparation for an important game – we're going to be playing top-class opposition and an away game in Hamburg is always going to be hard."

Fulham's Mark Schwarzer, who has German parents and arrived in English football from Kaiserslautern in 1996, emerged from his odyssey still happy enough to offer a few quips. The Australian said of the entertainment en route: "I'm not really sure which films we watched, they sort of rolled into each other. A never-ending story, that was the one."

Fulham's passports have also been required for trips to Lithunia, Ukraine and Russia on this run – the battle to reach next month's final has not been easy. Schwarzer said: "We have clocked up the miles and this time it hasn't been [simple]. But whether you come by bus or plane, it's going to be difficult to get to a final.

"I'm used to the mileage – I've a fair few under my belt travelling around the world with Australia. We're footballers – sometimes we can't prepare in the best possible way, but we have to deal with it.

"Whenever you get a break in a travel it's always nice to get out. We did it in the middle of the journey from Calais to Münster – we stopped along the way to stretch our legs. You do suffer from dehydration whenever you're travelling long distances, by bus or flying. It's not the ideal preparation, but it's one we've had to deal with."

While Fulham's prospects over the two legs may depend on how they handle a reinvigorated Ruud van Nistelrooy, who signed for Hamburg from Real Madrid in January, the Dutchman believes the 19-goal Bobby Zamora is a potent threat.

"He's effective. Zamora's very important for the team – he holds the ball, he's a team player, works hard and he's an all-round striker," the 33-year-old striker said of the Fulham forward who says he idolised Van Nistelrooy when learning the game. "He can score and he's got more skills, I think, than you would say."

For Hodgson and his happy band of Euro travellers, the season could just be about to become even more memorable.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/fulham/7616163/Hamburg-v-Fulham-Roy-Hodgsons-men-bond-during-never-ending-journey.html

Hamburg v Fulham: Roy Hodgson's men bond during 'never-ending' journey

The latest leg of a magical mystery tour that began in July, in Lithuania, has included seven countries and covered more than 15,000 miles has offered Fulham the chance of a bonding session they did not necessarily want, but could ultimately deliver them back to Hamburg, venue for next month's final.

By John Ley in Hamburg


Published: 7:00AM BST 22 Apr 2010


Fulham face Hamburg in Thursday night's Europa League semi-final, first leg having taken 17 hours to arrive in this northern German port at around teatime on Wednesday.

The journey, by road, was extended at a German service station by three hours by a motorway accident but manager Roy Hodgson and his players, while accepting it may have a detrimental effect, are determined to use the journey to their advantage.

Hodgson said: "It was 17 hours from leaving our training ground at Motspur Park to arriving in Hamburg. But three hours of that was standing in a queue thanks to a traffic accident on the Autobahn.

"I'm very pleased with the way the players have accepted the fact it wasn't easy to get here, something that was beyond everyone's control and the way they've adapted to the situation."

Mark Schwarzer, Fulham's German-born goalkeeper, added: "We have a very good relationship anyway in the team. A really long trip can either pull the team part or to the contrary and I'd say it's pulled us all together."

Schwarzer revealed that the players tried to tune into the Inter Milan-Barcelona game but reception was so poor that they made do with a succession of films. "I'm not really sure which films we watched," he said, "they sort of rolled into each other. it was like The Never-ending Story."

And how fitting, because Fulham's European adventure has become just that and it could be argued that taking the club to the final would rank ahead of Middlesbrough's Uefa Cup appearance under Steve McClaren in 2006, given the manager, later to coach England, had greater resources at his disposal at the time.

Fulham will face former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who confirmed that Fulham were one of the clubs interested in signing him, along with Tottenham, before the Real Madrid forward chose Hamburg.

Now Van Nistelrooy has the incentive of taking Hamburg to the final – to be held in the HSH Nordbank Arena here – and face one of two former foes. "Of course I'd look forward to either Liverpool or Atletico Madrid," he added, but the Dutchman warned: "If you beat Shakhtar, Juventus and Wolfsburg that says something.

"I knew Fulham from my time in the Premier League and they weren't there then. So to reach something like this is impressive. And they can beat anyone. We have to be very careful."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/fulham/7615262/Hamburg-v-Fulham-match-preview.html

Hamburg v Fulham: match preview


Read a full match preview of the Europa League semi-finals first leg between Hamburg and Fulham at the HSH Nordbank Arena, Hamburg on Thursday Apr 22 2010, kick-off 20.05 BST.

By John Ley

Published: 6:00AM BST 22 Apr 2010


Link to this video Thursday April 22

Hamburg v Fulham
HSH Nordbank Arena, Hamburg, Germany
Kick-off: 20.05 BST
TV: ESPN 19.30 BST


Bruno Labbadia v Roy Hodgson: In terms of their playing careers, Labbadia is streets ahead of Hodgson. The German born former striker of Italian heritage scored 103 goals in 328 league games having played for some of Germany's top Bundesliga clubs including Hamburg, while also representing Germany twice.

But the 44 year-old's experience as a coach is limited and a poor result could cost him his job. By contrast Hodgson has coached throughout Europe and, in 1997, reached the Uefa Cup final with Inter Milan. No doubts over his future.

Key battle

Ruud Van Nistelrooy v Mark Schwarzer: The former Manchester United striker has a good track record against Fulham, scoring 10 goals in nine games during his time at Old Trafford, winning seven and drawing one.

But most of those came against Edwin van der Sar, who later joined him at United. In Schwarzer, German-born of Australian parents, he faces one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the Premier League

Talking tactics

In terms ox experience Hamburg have the upper hand. This is their ninth appearance in the semi-finals of a major Uefa club competition while Fulham have never before got this far.

Paolo Guerrero, the Peruvian striker, is available though he is currently banned from league duty for an attack on a fan. Hamburg are also missing experienced midfielder Marcell Jansen. And Fulham arrive having scored in all but one of their away games in Europe this season, though Clint Dempsey will be missed.

Team details

Hamburg (4-2-2-2): Rost, Demel Mathijsen Boateng, Agogo, Jarolim, Tesche, Trochowski, Ze Roberto, Van Nistelrooy. Guerrero
Fulham (4-4-1-1): Schwarzer, Baird, Hughes, hangeland, Konchesky, Duff, Murphy , Etuhu, Davies, Gera, Zamora
Referee: C Larsen (Denmark).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/quiz/2010/apr/21/fulham-europa-league-quiz

Football quiz: Fulham in the Europa League

Today's questions are along for the ride ...


Evan Fanning guardian.co.uk, Thursday 22 April 2010 00.10 BST  

(http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2010/4/21/1271874092110)
Roy Hodgson's taxi service is thriving. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images


1. Which Lithuanian side did Fulham begin their Europa League campaign against?

FC Kaunas  FC Ekranas  FC Vetra  FC Banga

2. If Fulham reach the final of the Europa League, how many games in total will they play in the competition?

13  15  17  19

3. Who scored Fulham's fourth and winning goal against Juventus at Craven Cottage in March?

Zoltan Gera  Danny Murphy  Clint Dempsey  Damien Duff

4. How many European trophies has Roy Hodgson won in his managerial career?

None  One  Two  Three

5. Who is their leading scorer in Europe this season?

Zoltan Gera  Andy Johnson  Bobby Zamora  Danny Murphy

6. How many goals has he got?

Five  Six  Seven  Eight

7. Who were the only team to beat Fulham in the group stage of this season's competition?

CSKA Sofia  AS Roma  FC Basle  Juventus

8. How many different national teams has Hodgson managed?

One  Two  Three  Four

9. Prior to this season, when was the last time Fulham played in European competition?

1972-73  2001-02  2002-03  They have never played in Europe before this season

10. Where will the final of this year's Europa League take place?

Dortmund  Barcelona  Copenhagen  Hamburg  

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/hodgson-praises-fulhams-spirit-in-face-of-arduous-trek-2147163.html


Hodgson praises Fulham's spirit in face of arduous trek

By Glenn Moore


Thursday April 22 2010

AS Fulham's battlebus rolled into Hamburg yesterday and the players disembarked, staring at the filling skies, they could have been forgiven for cursing their luck.

Seventeen hours on a coach is no preparation for the biggest game in the club's history. And, while it was broken up by an overnight stay in Munster, a traffic accident on the autobahn yesterday added a frustrating three, stationary hours to the journey.

Whether Fulham will lack sharpness as a result, as Barcelona appeared to in Milan on Tuesday, remains to be seen. What is certain is that they cannot approach tonight's Europa League semi-final first-leg believing they might.

The task in the Nordbank Arena is to ensure they return to Craven Cottage next week with a place in the final still in their grasp. As Juventus found in the last round, and Manchester United and Liverpool discovered earlier this season, Fulham take on unexpected powers when playing at their own humble, but intimidating ground.

"It was a long journey," said Fulham coach Roy Hodgson. "It was not ideal preparation for a match against top-class opposition, but I'm pleased with the way the players accepted it.

"They made the most of the situation. I think our team spirit is good anyway, but these long journeys do test things out."

Mark Schwarzer, who at 6ft 7in will have found the bus more uncomfortable than most, said the players had watched a lot of films, drank fluids to keep hydrated and enjoyed three hours walking along the hard shoulder during the jam.

The goalkeeper added: "We are fighting an uphill battle with the trek we have made and it will be very tough for us, but we will do as well as we can.

"They are favourites, and the fact the final is being being played here is a motivating factor, but it also brings extra pressure."

That is especially the case as Hamburg's domestic campaign has drifted since the winter break. They have won four times in 14 matches and a home defeat to Mainz last weekend left them seventh in the Bundesliga. They are now struggling even to qualify for next season's Europa League, let alone return to the Champions League they won, in its previous guise as the European Cup, in 1983.

As a consequence Bruno Labbadia, who replaced Martin Jol at the start of the season when the Dutchman left for Ajax, has an uncertain future.

Labbadia is expected to recall playmaker Paolo Guerrero, who was suspended last weekend after an attack on a fan. The coach can also call upon Dutch defender Joris Mathijsen, Czech midfielder David Jarolim, German winger Piotr Trochowski and, most notably, Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Fulham, however, have shown in this campaign every opponent can be overcome, even Eyjafjallajokull.

http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/matches/season=2010/round=2000041/match=2000965/prematch/focus/index.html?rss=1475149%20Aogo%20out%20to%20transform%20HSV%20hard-luck%20story

Aogo out to transform HSV hard-luck story


by Tim Vollmerfrom Hamburg Arena


Published: Wednesday 21 April 2010, 16.05CET

Dennis Aogo learned "how much it hurts to lose" as Hamburger SV bowed out in last season's UEFA Cup semi-finals and is determined to lay those ghosts to rest against Fulham FC.

Having learned "how much it hurts to lose" in last season's semi-finals, Dennis Aogo is determined Hamburger SV will not miss their chance of reaching the UEFA Europa League final as Fulham FC come to call.

Hamburg lost out to Bundesliga rivals Werder Bremen in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup last four, but with the additional incentive this time round of playing in the final at their own Hamburg Arena on 12 May, the 23-year-old Aogo was adamant they would not slip up against their English opponents. "Everyone who played in last season's semi-final knows how much it hurts to lose," he said. "This is why we want to do much better this year, and there could be no bigger motivation than knowing that the final will be staged here in Hamburg."

Fulham are an unknown quantity for Hamburg, as they were to most of the sides they met this season. Having seen Roy Hodgson's side eliminate German champions VfL Wolfsburg in the quarter-finals, though, Aogo knows the Cottagers' lack of European pedigree is no reflection of the danger they can pose. "They have a lot of quality, especially in attack with Bobby Zamora and Damien Duff, so we will have to be careful," he said, adding: "All English sides play the same way; they are physical and aggressive and we will have to match them."

Aogo – who can play at the back or in midfield – is now something of a seasoned campaigner, having made his Bundesliga debut for SC Freiburg at the age of 17 before moving to HSV in 2008. Another fine year has strengthened the former Under-21 international's claims for a place in Germany's FIFA World Cup finals squad, and there are rumours that AC Milan are monitoring his progress. "Of course, I have heard that they are watching me, but this does not matter at the moment," insisted Aogo. "I am purely focused on this match. It is not me that matters, but the whole team and the club."

Hamburg's Bundesliga campaign has not gone to plan this season, and they lie seventh in the table, five points adrift of fifth-placed BV Borussia Dortmund, who occupy the final European place for next season. However, they remain unbeaten in seven UEFA club competition home games, and have shown much of their best form under Bruno Labbadia on continental nights. Aogo is certainly going into the Fulham opener with a certain indomitable spirit, asserting: "With our fans behind us at this stadium, we can beat any team in the world."

http://www.footballconference.co.uk/news/news_article.asp?id=3181


Murphy Lends His Support

21 April 2010 17:19:00

(http://www.footballconference.co.uk/images/uploaded/news3181.jpg)

Ahead of his 410-mile trek from Wrexham to Wembley in a bid to highlight the current unfair youth funding policy, Cambridge United Director of Football Jez George yesterday met with Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy who showed his support of the Walk fo

Murphy took time out before his trip to Hamburg for the semi final of the UEFA Europa League this Thursday to express his feelings towards the current situation faced by ex-Football League clubs.

Murphy`s career took the exact same route Jez George will be taking when the walk commences - he started as a schoolboy at Wrexham and moved on to Crewe Alexandra, which is where the end of day one will culminate.

Talking briefly about his playing career history, Murphy spoke fondly regarding his start at Wrexham. "I was very fortunate at the start. I almost fell upon Crewe where I settled for a while. Wrexham had a very homely feel - they really made you feel welcome. Then I went to Crewe and realised how special their Centre of Excellence was and how much time and effort they give to the kids. It was a place of development - not necessarily about winning the next game, but about developing as a player.

"While I was there Dario Gradi played a massive part in getting me back on track. I don't know where I'd be if the club hadn't given me the guidance I needed.

"The possibility if they drop out of League Two and won't receive funding is shocking. A lot of big clubs are falling into the Conference - look at Wrexham, Oxford and Luton. It seems bizarre and unfair as it's the kids that suffer.

"I think that awareness in general about this campaign is limited which is a strange thing as there are so many players that started in the lower leagues. It's something that needs to be addressed and made aware to the players as it's potentially something that could be harmful to the clubs and players. The fact youngsters can't get the funding is so bad that an 8 year old could get the guidance and funding they need, just to have it taken away when they reach 15/16.

"The PFF campaign is something that's important to me and to a lot of players. I personally think it needs addressing really quickly. It's imperative we get people to be aware of the subject otherwise we will miss out on the ability to bring kids through the lower levels. It is completely unfair these teams fall out of the League and remain full time but are punished. They should get the funding too."

George`s `Walk for Change` began on Wednesday morning with Max Rushden and Dean Saunders from Wrexham's Racecourse Ground and will take him via the other affected Conference clubs.

www.protectfootballsfuture.co.uk (http://www.protectfootballsfuture.co.uk) for more details

http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/content/west_ham_united_football_club/story.aspx?brand=RECOnline&category=Hammers&tBrand=RecOnline&tCategory=ahammersnew&itemid=WeED21%20Apr%202010%2017%3A03%3A30%3A380

Boa Morte's eight months of agony reaches its end

21 April 2010



SOME PEOPLE say it is easy being a professional footballer and most of the time it is, writes DAVE EVANS.

But when you hear of the efforts that injured players have to go through, when you hear about players like Dean Ashton failing to make it back, suddenly the job is not quite as easy as it seems.

West Ham's number 13, the unlucky man of the Hammers squad this season, is finally close to a return to first-team football after eight months on the sidelines.

It was in pre-season when Luis Boa Morte last pulled on a West Ham shirt when the Hammers took on Spurs in the Beijing Cup.

He lasted just 14 minutes. A challenge on Benoit Assou-Ekotto left him in a knee brace being stretchered off and with a very long road back to fitness. It has been eight months of tough rehabilitation until he finally returned for the reserves last week.

Boa Morte has certainly been a victim of the boo-boys at Upton Park since he became Alan Curbishley's first signing in a £5million deal with Fulham in January 2007.

Things have not always gone well for the number 13. In 80 appearances in claret and blue he has mustered just one goal, and many saw him as surplus to requirements a long time ago.

But slowly, very slowly during the 2008-09 season he began to win over the fans. He still didn't score a goal, despite an avalanche of chances, but new boss Gianfranco Zola certainly had faith in him and he played a part in the final 10 matches of the season.

The 32-year-old even muscled his way back into the Portuguese national team, playing in their World Cup qualifier in Albania, and though his chances of making their squad for South Africa seem remote, he may well play for the Hammers before the end of the season.

The winger played the first half in the reserve clash with Wolves last week and the full 90 against Spurs on Tuesday.

Reserve team boss Alex Dyer was delighted to see him return.

"It was good to have Boa back," said Dyer.

"He played 45 minutes against Wolves, which is all he was meant to complete.

"Against Spurs he was pencilled in for 60 or 70 minutes, but he said he felt comfortable enough to carry on and he did so."

One thing you could never criticise Boa Morte for was his commitment to the cause. He never stopped running and never seemed to be too affected when the crowd began to get on his back.

"He's an honest professional and when times have gone bad for him, he didn't shy away," insisted Dyer. "He digs in and the crowd has been appreciative of that as his career at West Ham has gone on.

"His injury came at a bad time, because the crowd were just starting to see the best of him. Hopefully now, if he can get a couple of friendlies under his belt, the supporters might be able to see him before the end of the season."

Boa Morte is being pencilled in for a place on the bench for the trip to his old club Fulham on May 2 and his experience could be vital as the season reaches its climax.

http://fulham.theoffside.com/europa-league/q-a-time-hamburg-sv.html


Q & A Time: Hamburg SV

By: timmyg | April 21st, 2010

Many, many thanks to Chris over at the Hamburg-Offside page for answering my questions to preview tomorrow's Europa League encounter.

Go grab a bit to eat or drink before you begin, as Chris' answers are thorough and quite worth the read.

Do you think having the Europa League final in Hamburg is a bonus or a stress factor?

Having the Final in Hamburg is the only thing that is holding the squad together. There is nearly an open revolt against gaffer Bruno Labbadia, and he effectively eliminated the remaining support he had from a small group of loyal players before and during Saturday's disastrous defeat to Mainz (who were promoted this season—not that they aren't playing well, they are, but we should have managed a result). First, Bruno dressed down keeper Frank Rost for going to the cinema without Bruno's permission with 3 teammates Friday night before the match, despite the fact that the group returned before bed check/curfew. THEN, he removed captain David Jarolim in favor of Soren Bertram, who was called up from the reserves for this match and has never been up with the first team. Rost has since resigned from a committee that mediates disputes between players and club management, and Jarolim has been professional but very cool in interviews since the Mainz match.

Hamburg have been knocked out of the UEFA Cup on away goals for the past two years by the same aggregate scoreline (3-3; both by German clubs coincidentally). Is this something that concerns you heading into the tie with Fulham?

Having reached the semi-finals each of the past 2 years should be playing right into our hands, particularly against an opponent who has never been this far in a European competition. BUT, with all of the turmoil in the dressing room, I think that experience is probably negated. HSV has a solid, if somewhat unspectacular, starting XI, but the rigors of contending for both the Bundesliga title and the UEFA Cup each of the past 2 years really put a strain on those eleven, and we've never had a lot of quality depth to accommodate multiple campaigns.

What has been the Achilles heel for HSV this season?

As I just wrote, HSV have never really had a great deal of depth and that has haunted us this season with a stunning rash of injuries. Here's a list of players that have been injured so far this season: Mladen Petric (ankle and now groin tear), Eljero Elia (ankle surgery), Paolo Guerrero (torn knee ligaments), Alex Silva (torn knee ligaments), Marcel Jansen (ankle and knee injuries), Ze Roberto (ankle injury), Romeo Castelen (torn knee ligaments), Bastian Reinhardt (broken metatarsal bones). Of that list, all but Castelen and Reinhardt were in the starting XI at the beginning of the season. Also, I personally feel (and that of my readership, who almost completely agree) that Labbadia has been a hindrance to what was a very good squad on paper when the season started. Bruno came to us from Bayer Leverkusen in June, and he was practically run out of town there. He had a reputation for training his players too hard and not really being a player's coach. This was in marked contrast to Martin Jol, who was universally adored in Hamburg. Jol left when he went to club management to ask for a larger role in the club's transfers. When club president Berndt Hoffmann told him to get lost, he did—Jol called Ajax about their opening and was gone within 24 hours.

What player(s) should us Fulham fans really worry about?

As far as who to watch on HSV, I would have said Mladen Petric prior to his injury (if you have a chance, find video of his second goal from the second leg versus Standard Liege). Now? I think I should qualify my answer, because it has 2 parts. First, who to watch that will be exciting? Probably Ruud van Nistelrooy, who's been missing goals by the slightest of margins lately. I think he gets his timing down this week. Second, who to watch that is a fantastic player that no one really knows outside Hamburg? That'd be Joris Mathijsen. He is an absolutely world class lockdown defender.

You've had four different managers in as many seasons. Has this lack of managerial consistency been what's holding HSV back from a Bundlesliga or European title, or is it something else? And will Bruno Labbadia be sticking around?

We've had four managers in four years and it's taking its toll. Thomas Schaff led the team to the Champion's League group stages in 2006 but didn't win a match in the Bundesliga (and HSV were dead last in the Bundesliga and they are the only original Bundesliga side that has never been relegated [Bayern were not an original member—they joined in year 2]) and was sacked. No big deal—he wasn't cutting it. Huub Stevens came in and the team rattle off 7 wins in a row to avoid the drop. The following season, Huub announced in November that he would be resigning as his wife had Crohn's Disease and was confined to an Eindhoven hospital. The board took nearly 6 months to name Jol the new trainer and he was a great hire. As I described above, Jol left after only a year, and now we have Bruno. And he will be gone shortly too (at least I hope so). The answer is yes and no—it's taken its toll and the players are starting to be very vocal about it since they are likely to be playing for another new gaffer next season, but we have been able to maintain a pretty high level of competition, as witnessed by the appearance in CL and progression in the UEFA Cup the last 3 years.

Baird and Hughes in Ruud health for Northern Ireland's Hamburg test

Thursday, 22 April 2010


Northern Ireland team-mates Aaron Hughes and Chris Baird aren't going to let a volcano in Iceland make their Europa League dream go up in smoke.

Fulham have travelled to Hamburg on a mission to keep their extraordinary European dream alive.

The Cottagers embarked on a long road trip for tonight's first leg of their semi-final clash in Germany, refusing to let a volcanic ash cloud blow them off course.

Hughes and Baird are part of a Fulham side that is brimming with confidence after knocking out defending champions Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Wolfsburg on their sensational run.

"We've done really, really well to get here and we're eager not to let it go," said Northern Ireland skipper Hughes.

"We want to take that extra step to the final. There are a lot of us that haven't won something so prestigious.

"Hopefully the extra effort we've put in won't be for nothing. We want to take that extra step to the final. It would be a big thing for the club to win the Europa League."

If Hughes is to reach a major European final he will have to keep former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy (pictured) quiet.

And the Cookstown man has been doing his homework by watching DVDs of the Hamburg hitman in action.

"A few of us, including me, have played against him before," added Hughes. "He's a strong, physical presence and he has a lot of ability. He will be a threat."

While the dream is tantalisingly close to coming true, Hughes and co. are also gripped by a fear of failure.

"That's a view shared by a lot of people," he added.

"All those games that we played, all those games that were changed to a Sunday from a Saturday and that extra effort we have had to put in.

We have to make sure it won't be for nothing and get to the final."

Meanwhile, Rasharkin man Baird has transformed his career at Fulham. He seemed to be surplus to requirements under manager Roy Hodgson but is now, arguably, the club's most improved player.

"Up until a few months ago I wasn't even getting in some of the squads, never mind the team, which was hard to take," he said.

"At one point I was thinking the time had come to move on. I was patient and I have been working hard and I think Roy has made a lot of us better players because he has got all that experience."

Fulham will have to shake off their travel blues to triumph and Hodgson concedes the long road journey has left his side at a disadvantage.

"The plan was to arrive here at 1.30pm to have lunch and that would have given us all afternoon for the physio to work with the players," Hodgson said.

"Because of the delay, they didn't get to look at them until 5pm, which is further disadvantage, but that, I hope, won't hamper us.

"It will be a little bit harder for us. It is not ideal preparation for an important game. Now we've got the night here and we can relax and rest.

"We're going to be playing top class opposition and an away game in Hamburg is always going to be hard."



Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/baird-and-hughes-in-ruud-health-for-northern-irelands-hamburg-test-14775536.html#ixzz0lotwUQJq (http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/baird-and-hughes-in-ruud-health-for-northern-irelands-hamburg-test-14775536.html#ixzz0lotwUQJq)

http://www.sportsfeatures.com/soccernews/story/46785/gera-thrilled-by-call-of-destiny-as-fulham-fly-into-europa-unknown

Gera thrilled by call of destiny as Fulham fly into Europa unknown

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT / Sports Features Communications

LONDON/HAMBURG, Apr 21: As European airspace is cleared so flights can resume Fulham will take off for Hamburg with their heads in the clouds but insisting their feet remain on the ground.

The west London club have never appeared previously in Europe and their only link with the international club game was when they supplied various players to the London XI who lost to Barcelona in the initial Fairs Cup final in 1958.

Now the heirs of Johnny Haynes and Jim Langley are within 180 minutes' football of a remarkable achievement in an era when power and wealth are more commanding than ever among the elite.

The Europa League semi-finals on Thursday see one comparatively traditional tie in Atletico Madrid against Liverpool in Spain while Fulham go to northern Germany knowing their rivals have the lure of knowing the final will be back in their own Volkparkstadion home.

Gera go-ahead

Fulham's Zoltan Gera is one of the players most relieved that the ties have been given the go-ahead. The Hungarian winger has emerged as one of the heroes of Fulham's progress past Juventus, Wolfsburg and UEFA Cup champions Shakhtar Donetsk after switching forward from wide in midfield.

Gera, who struck twice in the comeback victory over Juventus and totals 10 goals in 42 games in all competitions, said: "For me this game at Hamburg is the big one. I have never been involved in a game like this before. But I also understand that this is somewhere new for everyone at the club.

"Hamburg are a good side, we know that, but so were Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Wolfsburg. On our day we are more than a match for any side. So we'll go there with the belief that we can do well."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/apr/22/liverpool-fulham-europa-league

Europa League best preserves Europe's grand and eclectic ideals

The Premier League has generally been oblivious to the pleasures of the junior European tournament, but it should be a competition of mounting relevance

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Many clubs should envy Liverpool their gruelling journey to Spain. Rafael Benítez's team are still going places in every sense as they seek to beat Atlético Madrid in the Europa League semi-final. They and Fulham, who face Hamburg in Germany, are prominent on an unexpected landscape in which Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal are nowhere to be seen. Those three were, of course, eliminated in the Champions League.

So, too, were Liverpool, yet it is to their advantage that they were knocked out so much earlier, even if the annual accounts may beg to differ. Whatever the financial ramifications, Benítez's side have a genuine prospect of taking a trophy. The Spaniard agrees that this was never the main priority of the campaign, yet most managers would crave the possibility at their clubs of a third piece of silverware in half a dozen seasons.

Where English football is concerned, the Europa League ought to be a competition of mounting relevance. No Premier League side, after all, got past the quarter-finals of the Champions League and, without major outlay, United and Chelsea will most likely deteriorate a little more. The outlook for Arsenal is a matter of guesswork and Liverpool cannot be certain of the ramifications should an expected takeover eventually go ahead.

England, in short, is a country now primed for the Europa League. The snobbery about the tournament has been absurd, but there are few nations left who can afford to be contemptuous of it. By this stage, there ought to have been a keen appreciation of the challenge it poses. No English club has prevailed in this event, under its previous name as the Uefa Cup, since Liverpool's 5-4 victory over Alaves in the splendidly dotty final of 2001.

Sides from this country sometimes appear not even to try. Martin O'Neill, for instance, wanted to put the emphasis on domestic priorities and used fringe players in what turned out to be a 2-0 loss for Aston Villa at CSKA Moscow in February of last year. Angry fans who had made the trip to Russia were not to be mollified in the Premier League, for which energies were supposedly being conserved. The side did not win any of their next eight matches.

Premier League managers have often looked baffled by the Europa League and its predecessor tournament. David Moyes is understandably seen as a potential successor to Sir Alex Ferguson, but he had better work hard on his answers for a job interview in which he will be grilled on the topic of leading United against continental opposition. Everton's 5-1 trouncing by Dinamo Bucharest in Romania happened as long ago as September 2005, but the club have since got into a habit of inconsequence. In the present campaign, the side went out to Sporting Lisbon in February.

Some fans complain that Moyes "over-thinks" in Europe as the side ceases playing in its normal manner. Whatever the reason, the common bragging about the strength in depth of the Premier League was being undermined long before the misadventures of Chelsea, United and Arsenal, although the latter merit compassion after being pitted against Barcelona.

The Premier League, in its haughtiness, has generally been oblivious to the pleasures of the junior European tournament, which retains a heartening diversity. Since 2000, the prize has gone to sides from Turkey, England, Holland, Portugal, Spain, Russia and Ukraine. This is no parade of also-rans and José Mourinho's Porto, who beat Celtic in 2003, were European Cup winners a year later.

The allure can be intense and some estimates put the number of Scottish fans in Seville seven years ago as high as 80,000. There were even more Rangers supporters in town when their team lost the 2008 final to Zenit St Petersburg at Eastlands, although Mancunians and their police force did not always see it as a fiesta.

Nonetheless, this competition has lived up to the vision of a grand and eclectic tournament to a degree that the Champions League, which is so influenced by brute economics, cannot match. People ought to rejoice in this week's fixtures. Fulham have never won a major honour, but Roy Hodgson's team routed Juventus at Craven Cottage, eliminated the Bundesliga champions, Wolfsburg, and can hope to return to tonight's venue on 12 May, when the final itself is held in Hamburg.

In the Europa League, football is once more the common property of a continent. The ideals behind the creation of the European Cup, with its joy in the reach and variety of the game, are best preserved in the competition that continues night.

Go play on the motorway


GOT HERE ... Danny Murphy leads the way in Hamburg last night


From ANDREW DILLON in Hamburg

Published: Today

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ROY HODGSON took Fulham's Busman's Holiday to a new level with a training session on the hard shoulder of a German motorway.

Preparations for tonight's Europa League clash with Hamburg were thrown into even more chaos when the team coach got stuck in a three-hour traffic jam.

Hodgson's squad were just 70 miles from the end of a gruelling 17-hour, 600-mile road trip when they were halted by a smash on the busy A1.

So boss Hodgson ordered his men on to the side of the autobahn to stretch tired muscles with a light workout.

Keeper Mark Schwarzer admitted: "It's not ideal preparation but it was good to get out and stretch.

"Whether you come by bus or plane it's going to be difficult to get to a final.

"We have clocked up the miles and this time it hasn't been the best but we're professionals and just have to get on with it.

"I'm used to the mileage. I've got a fair few miles under my belt travelling around the world with Australia."

Despite yesterday's delay, Fulham still got to Hamburg in time to train at the Nordbank Arena ahead of tonight's first leg of their semi-final crunch.

Ironically, this trip is the shortest in terms of miles Fulham have had during this season's European adventure.

It has earned the club almost £7million but they are being made to earn the cash the hard way, clocking up 19,000 miles.

Boss Hodgson has kept his nose buried in his latest read, 'The Bridge' by Iain Banks, to while away the hours on the coach after after being forced to scrap plans to fly to Germany.

He said: "This is an act of God. We have to keep things in perspective. Some people have been stranded abroad with no money to get home.

"But we stopped ourselves from getting depressed.

"I'm very pleased with the way the players have accepted the fact it wasn't easier to get here, something that was beyond everyone's control and the way they've adapted to the situation."

LIKELY LINE-UP - Fulham: Schwarzer, Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky, Duff, Murphy, Etuhu, Davies, Gera, Zamora.


Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2942424/Go-play-on-the-motorway.html#ixzz0louutvPQ (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2942424/Go-play-on-the-motorway.html#ixzz0louutvPQ)

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Transfer-news-Fulham-line-up-2million-bid-for-Belgian-international-Jelle-van-Damme-article400427.html

Fulham line up £2million bid for Belgian international


Published 18:23 21/04/10

By MirrorFootball


Fulham have made a bid to sign Belgium international Jelle van Damme.

The 6ft 4ins midfielder, who played in the Premier League for Southampton five seasons ago, has just inspired Anderlecht to their second consecutive title.

However, Van Damme will be out of contract next summer - and Fulham boss Roy Hodgson can land him for a bargain £2m.

The 26-year-old said: "I have received a concrete offer from a club in England, although I won't yet say which one.

(http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/match-centre/article352159.ece/ALTERNATES/gallery-)

"I have always said that I will not pass up a second chance to play in the Premier League."

Van Damme has won 23 caps, and can also operate at left-back or in central defence.

Anderlecht general manager Herman van Holsbeeck added: "Jelle has to decide whether he wants to make a financial coup or take a further upward step with us.

"He is a modern midfielder, and very important with his enthusiasm, strength and stamina - and I can still see him staying if he is ready to make a compromise on his salary."

http://www.skysports.com/football/match_preview/0,19764,11065_3268729,00.html

Hamburg v Fulham preview


Cottagers head to Germany for semi-final showdown


Last updated: 22nd April 2010   


Hamburg are the latest side to try and bring Fulham's remarkable European adventure to a halt.

The German outfit have already put paid to the hopes of Standard Liege, Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven in the knockout stages of this season's competition.

They have, however, been struggling domestically of late, taking only one win from their last six Bundesliga fixtures.

Hamburg need no added motivation, though, ahead of their semi-final showdown with the Cottagers as the final is set to be staged at their very own Nordbank Arena.

They also came unstuck at this stage last season and will be desperate to go one better this time around.

Fulham will fancy their chances of causing another upset, though, especially as the second leg will be at Craven Cottage.

They have ripped up the form book on a regular basis to reach the last four, seeing off current holders Shakhtar Donetsk, Italian giants Juventus and German champions Wolfsburg along the way.

One Premier League win in seven outings has all-but ended any hopes they have of qualifying for Europe again through their league placing, so they will be gunning for glory.

In Roy Hodgson they also have a manager who knows what it takes to make the final of this competition, with the experienced coach having led Inter Milan to a runners-up spot in 1997.

Team news
Hamburg will be looking to former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy to fire them to glory.

With Mladen Petric injured, goalscoring responsibility now falls squarely on the shoulders of the experienced Dutchman.

Bruno Labbadia has few other concerns ahead of the game, although a falling out with first-choice goalkeeper Frank Rost has thrown his participation into doubt.

Fulham have been handed a timely boost by the return of Clint Dempsey from a thigh injury.

Hodgson has a full squad to choose from after all his players came through their 27-hour coach journey to Germany unscathed.

Long-term absentee Andrew Johnson (knee) remains the only player to miss out through injury while John Pantsil, Stefano Okaka and Nicky Shorey are all ineligible.

Hamburg Training Photo's -

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/HamburgAwayTrainingPhotos.aspx (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/HamburgAwayTrainingPhotos.aspx)

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23826925-forget-travel-chaos-the-road-ahead-looks-bright-for-fulham.do

Forget travel chaos, the road ahead looks bright for Fulham


David Smith in Hamburg


22.04.10


So many of the preliminaries ahead of tonight's Europa League semi-final, first leg here might have been scripted for the theatre of the absurd, it has been easy to forget that the grand stage of the HSH Nordbank Arena is about to host a serious football match.

But that is what Fulham boss Roy Hodgson must remind his players. Because Hamburg, struggling for results in the Bundesliga and riven by unrest in the ranks, are ripe for the plucking.

It is quite possible that this once-mighty side, previous winners of the UEFA Cup and six domestic titles, will get stage fright in front of a baying home crowd expecting them to return to this same towering stadium for the Europa League Final on 12 May.

Should that happen, a confident Fulham boasting Bobby Zamora in England form could employ an effective counter-attack to plunder the vital away goals that will make next Thursday's second leg at Craven Cottage so much easier to control.

Forget any doubts about Fulham being fit for purpose following a drive across Europe that took 27 hours door-to-door. The vehicle of choice was not a Megabus but a five star road-liner equipped with every luxury convenience, so Hodgson's men were hardly slumming it.

And they will now be flying home, unlike hundreds of their supporters who have travelled in packed coaches and who will have their patience tested again tomorrow by Germany's go-slow Autobahn system.

Maintaining concentration might be more of a problem. Hodgson and goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer yesterday told tales of the entire squad taking an afternoon stroll along the hard shoulder of an Autobahn during a three-hour stoppage caused by a traffic accident.

That sort of incident can be a lingering distraction.

And there were more fun and games during the pre-match press conference where Schwarzer, who spent two seasons during the mid-nineties playing in the Bundesliga for Dynamo Dresden and Kaiserslautern, responded to questions in English by speaking fluent German.

The official translator then took great pride in turning Schwarzer's answers back into English for the benefit of those of us who don't sprechen sie Deutsch, much to the amusement of the Aussie and the assembled company.

If Fulham can find their focus, a remarkable season which has already seen them score stunning victories over UEFA Cup holders Shakhtar Donetsk, Italian giants Juventus, and reining Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg, may yet offer further surprises.

Wolfsburg, it has to said, were a disappointment. If they were representative of the current middle-rank in the Bundesliga, then Hamburg should hold no fears for Fulham.

Defeat at home by newly-promoted Mainz on Saturday — Hamburg have just one victory from their last six Bundesliga fixtures — leaves them languishing seventh in the table, five points away from securing a place in next season's Europa League.

Now speculation is growing in the local media that coach Bruno Labbadia is on the way out, with Steve McClaren and Gerard Houllier suggested as possible replacements, despite only being in his first year in charge.

If Labbadia wanted a testing introduction to managing at elite level, he's had it. Brazilian Ze Roberto challenged his boss's authority by returning a week late from a winter break and there has been a major bust-up between Labbadia and his goalkeeper, Frank Rost.

In addition to all that, £11million defender Jerome Boateng is ready to jump ship and join Manchester City in the Premier League, where his older brother, Kevin-Prince Boateng, already plays for Portsmouth.

Labbadia's cause has not been helped by a groin injury to Mladen Petric, Hamburg's leading scorer in Europe, which keeps him out of the game.

Petric's goals, including a spectacular bicycle kick against Standard Liege in the quarter-finals and a key strike in an ugly last-32 decider at PSV Eindhoven, have been vital for his side.

In his absence, much will depend upon Dutch veteran Ruud van Nistelrooy, displaying the kind of form that established him as a legend at Manchester United.

Labbadia said: "Van Nistelrooy's presence on the pitch will be important for us. He can score goals and everyone knows that.

"Fulham will play defensively with only one
striker up front, so we will have to be very patient and pass the ball around."

That could play right into Fulham's hands. Maintaining shape and discipline have been keys to their success this term. And, if anything, the problems encountered in getting here will make the team even more determined to reward themselves with a result.

Schwarzer said: "A really long trip can either pull the team apart or to the contrary. And I'd say it's pulled us all together. Sometimes we can't prepare in the best possible way but we have to deal with it."

There is a growing expectation Fulham will do just that tonight.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/danny-murphy/article/4873/


Travel chaos no excuse tonight


(http://l.yimg.com/i/i/eu/sp/epta22.jpg)


Thu Apr 22 10:02AM


It was certainly an experience getting to Hamburg by bus because of the volcanic ash, but we cannot use the long trip as an excuse for a bad performance.

The club planned our journey to give us the most pleasant experience possible, and we even got to stretch our legs on the hard shoulder of the Autobahn when we got stuck in traffic. We have prepared as we normally would and just have to deal with a freak occurrence - even if the volcano could have picked a better week to erupt!

This game is a unique opportunity for us and none of the lads will be looking to hide behind the travel problems as an excuse. I can't imagine any of our players not being 100 per cent focused and motivated for this game.

It seems we have played 'the biggest game in the club's history' a few times this season, but that just shows what a great period this is for Fulham. The spirit in the changing room and with the fans is fantastic, and hopefully they will have got out to Germany without too many problems.

At this stage, I still won't be thinking ahead to the prospect of a Europa League final against Liverpool because this would mean my focus wasn't solely on the next job in hand - which is of course to defeat a very talented Hamburg side. I will consider the prospect of a final against them if and when it comes to that stage, but for now Hamburg is my priority.

Some people say it is worse to lose a semi-final than a final, but I have played in a few finals in my time and fortunately have won them all so it is difficult for me to say this is true.

Losing at any stage in a competition is bad enough, but the thought of losing in a final is far worse than a semi-final in my opinion. I try and stay positive and don't really consider the prospect of defeat in any game.

http://blog.partybets.com/201004225791/europa-containment-is-the-key-for-fulham-in-hamburg/


Europa Containment Is Key For Fulham In Hamburg

April 22, 2010


Fulham continue their epic Europa League run with a trip to one of the most consistent squads in the Bundesliga. Hamburg SV lie seventh in the current table and have finished in the top five in both 2008 and 2009.

The key for Fulham is to ensure they stay in the tie and give themselves a big chance in the return leg. It's crucial in European two leg football to avoid conceding a two-goal lead in the first leg. Fulham's only real problem in their journey from the preliminary rounds came when they went down 3-1 to Juventus.

The Cottagers produced something special to overturn that deficit but still needed a large slice of good fortune as Juve were reduced to first ten, and then nine men. The chances of the team managing another comeback of that magnitude would be slim- especially as Europe is now wise to their quality.

For Roy Hodgson, a win in Germany would be huge, a draw would be excellent but any defeat limited to a single goal would still be satisfactory. The manager is likely to use Bobby Zamora to occupy the Hamburg defence and string five across midfield- Zoltan Gera and Damian Duff will be asked to get close and support their top scorer when possible.

Hamburg have some serious attacking talent and a massive incentive as the final will be held at their stadium. In January they acquired Ruud Van Nistelrooy from Real Madrid and the Dutchman is still a predatory striker.

Hamburg boss Bruno Labbadia can pair him with Mladen Petric, the hard running, combative forward who caused Steve McClaren's England such problems in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, or Swedish player Markus Berg who has shown his best form in Europe this year.

"They've had success if we talk about Bayern Munich and Hamburg, even teams like Dynamo Dresden way back," he said. "The success of German teams goes back very far. If you've ever seen them play you're aware of the strength of German football so, if you get drawn with one, you know it's going to be a tough game, " says Roy Hodgson.

Pulling the strings in midfield is Czech playmaker David Jarolim who has been with the club since 2003 and exerts an influence similar to Danny Murphy in the Fulham ranks. Both players are excellent passers who can calm the side and bring shape to the game.

Defensively Hamburg are built around Dutch centre back Joris Mathijsen and can put out a back four of international players. Fulham will hope to snatch at least one away goal but even the in-form Zamora has his work cut out.

After removing Shaktar Donetsk, Juventus and Wolfsburg successively, Fulham will not be intimidated; they should certainly keep the tie alive but it would be no surprise to see Hamburg take a single goal lead to the return. A 1-0 (5.50) or 2-1 (8.00) defeat would still be a good night's work for Fulham.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23826959-after-my-nine-hour-car-trip-i-hope-roys-boys-find-top-gear.do

After my nine-hour car trip, I hope Roy's boys find top gear


David Smith


22.04.10


Forget travel chaos, the road ahead looks bright for Fulham


It took me longer to drive from Calais to Hamburg than for a volcanic ash-skirting jumbo jet to cross the Atlantic. For that reason alone, I'll be celebrating if Fulham inflict defeat upon their Deutsche rivals here tonight.

Don't sprechen to me about the German reputation for efficiency. Their road work crews transformed the Autobahns on my route map into car parks for steaming Volkswagens and angry black Mercs.

The east-bound A40 at Duisburg was coned off completely. Aren't Germans supposed to think of everything? Well, they didn't think to provide a signposted diversion, so I ended up getting lost. That cost me an hour.

This odyssey didn't end there. Compared to a 35-mile stop-start stretch of the A1 between Bremen and Hamburg, that eternal contraflow on the western side of our M25 is a race track.

Another hour was lost crawling at a snail's pace between rows of bollards where two Herrs, armed with pick and shovel, were attempting, all by themselves, to add two extra lanes to a mammoth stretch of four-lane Autobahn.

I consoled myself with the thought that German superhero Michael Schumacher has hardly driven faster during his increasingly fraught Grand Prix comeback. And the former world champion has had clear Tarmac in front of him.

It had all started so well with a comfortable sleep in a Folkestone Premier Inn — if it's good enough for Lenny Henry etc etc — before catching a Eurotunnel train at crack of dawn yesterday.

The roads through France and Belgium were fine and fast. The sun was shining, the car was bouncing to Bruce Springsteen and the winegums were going down a treat.

Okay, so hitching a ride aboard the Fulham team's charter jet would have been a quicker way to reach Hamburg and a great deal more convenient at 95 minutes from take-off at Gatwick to touch-down in northern Germany.

But the lifting of flight restrictions had come too late for our Fulham Flyer and in times of adversity we all have to grin and bear it, don't we?

Nein, not on the Autobahns from hell we don't. It took nine hours and nine minutes to drive 498 diversion-boosted miles from Calais to Hamburg.
It may have been my imagination but at least eight hours and nine minutes of that time seemed to have been spent at eins, zwei, drei miles per hour on the road.

And guess what? I've got to face it all again returning home tomorrow. Come on you Whites!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/fulham/7618760/Hamburg-v-Fulham-Roy-Hodgson-says-Hamburg-have-added-incentive-to-reach-final.html

Hamburg v Fulham: Roy Hodgson says Hamburg have added incentive to reach final

Fulham are planning to fly back from Germany tomorrow in time to face Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.

By John Ley in Hamburg


Published: 11:15AM BST 22 Apr 2010


There were fears that a prolonged ban on flights to and from the UK could delay Fulham on their return from Hamburg, where they play in tonight's Europa League semi-final, first leg.

The journey from London to northern Germany took the team 17 hours but a club representative confirmed today that they were expecting to be able to fly back tomorrow.

And Fulham are also expecting 400 fans here, with most making the 1,200 mile round trip by land, which will be a huge boost for the club as they attempt to reach the final, also being played in Hamburg.

Roy Hodgson, the Fulham manager, admitted that having the incentive of the final at their stadium could act as motivation for Hamburg.

He said: "Obviously it will be if they reach the final. It's an extra motivation for them to each the final.

"However Real Madrid had the same motivation in the Champions League but it didn't help them this time.

"But we're aware that Hamburg will be extremely motivated for these two matches because the final will be played on home ground in front of their home fans.

"That's something the draw has thrown up for us to deal with but it's still 11 against 11, the football pitch is still roughly the same size, so it's a question after these two games of which team has been lucky enough to reach the final."

And Hodgson paid his respect to German football, when he added: "They've had success if we talk about Bayern and Hamburg, even teams like Dynamo Dresden, way back.

"The success of German teams goes very far. If you've ever seen them play you're aware of the strength of German football so, if you get drawn against one, you know it's going be a tough game."

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23827064-hamburgs-home-help-wont-save-them-says-roy-hodgson.do

Hamburg's home help won't save them, says Roy Hodgson


David Smith


22.04.10


Fulham boss Roy Hodgson believes there will be no home comfort for Hamburg in tonight's Europa League semi-final first leg here.

The German Bundesliga team are desperate to end Fulham's glorious adventure in Europe because the Europa League Final will be held back at their impressive 57,000-seater HSH Nordbank Arena next month.

Hodgson said: "We are aware that Hamburg will be extremely motivated because the prize will be a final to be played on their home ground in front of their own supporters."

However, he added: "Real Madrid had the same motivation in the Champions League but it didn't help them."

This season's Champions League Final will be hosted at Real's Bernabeu Stadium but the Spanish side won't be there. Having lost 1-0 at Olympique Lyon, Cristiano Ronaldo and his team-mates could only draw 1-1 at home in the second leg of their round of 16 tie and they crashed out of the competition 2-1 on aggregate.

Hodgson, who has almost a full-strength squad to pick from following Clint Dempsey's return from injury, will tell his players not to be intimidated by a baying crowd desperate for Hamburg to rescue a disappointing domestic season that now sees the axe hover over coach Bruno Labbadia.

He will also remind them that it is irrelevant that Hamburg's home, built in 1998 and one of 12 venues for the 2006 World Cup, will stage the climax to the competition that has taken on the mantle of the UEFA Cup.

Hodgson added: "That's something the draw has thrown up for us to deal with. But it's still two teams, one playing against the other. It's 11 against 11 and the football pitch dimensions don't change a great deal.

"It's a question of which team, after these two legs, have played the better football and which team have been lucky enough to reach the final."

Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, fully recovered from Fulham's 27-hour overland marathon to reach this north German port, said: "The motivation is definitely there to play the final in your own stadium and at this stage of the tournament Hamburg are expected to get to the final.

"They are the favourites to go through, even more so with the circumstances that have arisen in the past week. So the pressure is all on them."

If Fulham are to progress they will be looking to striker Bobby Zamora to continue his impressive form tonight. Zamora has 19 goals to his name so far this season — by far his biggest haul since he first made the step up to top-flight football in 2003.

His ability to hold the ball up and eye for goal have led some to call on England manager Fabio Capello to give the striker a chance to test himself at international level ahead of this summer's World Cup in South Africa. Time is running out for the 29-year-old, though, with Capello due to name his 30-man provisional squad on 16 May.

Zamora's burly physique would make him an unfashionable choice for some but Hamburg's Ruud van Nistelrooy believes the former Tottenham striker deserves a chance.

"I think Capello doesn't look at fashionable things — he just looks at the effectiveness more than anything else," said the Dutch frontman, who spent five successful seasons at Manchester United.

"He's definitely a candidate now. He's very important for the team. He holds the ball, he's a team player, works hard and he's an all-round striker. He has proven himself on a European level, which is also very important for him.

"Getting through against these teams and scoring goals in these games makes him more attractive for Capello."

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23827073-hamburg-keeper-will-ignore-bust-up.do


Hamburg keeper will ignore bust-up

22.04.10



Hamburg goalkeeper Frank Rost says he will forget his row with under-pressure coach Bruno Labbadia to focus on beating Fulham.

Rost and Labbadia clashed in the dressing room following Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Mainz, which left Hamburg in seventh place in the Bundesliga.

Labbadia argued with Rost for taking some players to a movie on the eve of the match - the team traditionally stay in their hotel the night before a game.

The German media compared Labbadia to a schoolmaster disciplining his pupils but Rost now admits the cinema visit was "a mistake" and that he will put personal differences to one side.

"What really unites us is that we all want success. We have to turn back personal pride," said Rost, adding that having four coaches in four seasons has not helped the club.

"Every year comes a new coach with new ideas, a different philosophy. It's incredibly difficult. It's real a drag on both the players and the club."

Chairman Horst Becker has already warned Labbadia that the board will look at his position at the end of the season.

Captain David Jarolim insists the team are united and said: "We want to help our coach and ourselves to come out of this situation."

http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2010/4/22/1436460/talking-fulham-vs-hamburg-on-world

Talking Fulham vs. Hamburg on World Football Daily


by Fulhampatsfan on Apr 22, 2010 1:20 PM BST

This afternoon I will be on World Football Daily previewing the upcoming Europa League Semifinals match for Fulham. I would highly recommend this show and website for all fans of football.  They have a few options for listening and viewing the show. Please go to there website for details. The show begins at noon EST. I should be on sometime around 12:45 PM EST.

This will be my second appearance on the show as a guest. I look forward to talking about Fulham. I will be posting a an audio clip after the show once it is available.

http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/822892-hamburg-v-fulham-key-battles


Hamburg v Fulham: Key Battles - Van Nistelrooy v Hughes, Boateng v Zamora, Jarolim v Murphy

Metro picks out the key battles for tonight's Hamburg v Fulham Europa League semi-final: Ruud van Nistelrooy against Aaron Hughes, Jerome Boateng against Bobby Zamora, and David Jarolim against Danny Murphy.

RUUD VAN NISTELROOY v AARON HUGHES

Fulham expect star centre-half Brede Hangeland to be available after his wife went into labour over the weekend but if not, Aaron Hughes will be the senior man at the heart of the Cottagers' defence.

Ruud van Nistelrooy – a three-time Champions League top scorer – is set to lead the Hamburg line after Croatian Mladen Petric was ruled out with a torn hamstring.


JEROME BOATENG v BOBBY ZAMORA

Bobby Zamora has been a revelation in Europe this season and is the top scorer left in the competition with six goals.

Jerome Boateng, brother of Portsmouth's Kevin-Prince, is adept across the back four.

The 6ft 3in German Under-21 international's height will be important to nullify Zamora.

DAVID JAROLIM v DANNY MURPHY

Czech midfielder and club skipper David Jarolim is a key man in the heart of the Hamburg engine room and sets the tempo for his side.

Likewise, Danny Murphy is Fulham's linchpin, with the ability to slip the killer pass.

A class act, the veteran's technical nous is well-suited to the more refined pace of European football.

http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=1479807.html

Beckenbauer's Hamburg hopes

Published: Thursday 22 April 2010, 10.55CET

Having seen FC Bayern München take a big step towards a European final, Franz Beckenbauer hopes that another former club, Hamburger SV, can achieve more of the same tonight.

Franz Beckenbauer may be an FC Bayern München man to the core but the German football great has a soft spot for Hamburger SV – and says it would be "a dream" for them to reach this season's UEFA Europa League final on home soil.

'Der Kaiser' spent two years with HSV after moving back to Germany from New York Cosmos and helped them win the 1981/82 Bundesliga in his final campaign before a valedictory season with the Cosmos.

Hence he is hoping Bruno Labbadia's charges can achieve their goal of participating in the inaugural UEFA Europa League final at their own Hamburg Arena on 12 May. "HSV are one of the best teams we have in Germany," Beckenbauer told UEFA.com at last month's UEFA Congress in Tel Aviv.

"Fate has decreed that the final of the Europa League will take place in Hamburg, and it would be a dream if HSV could reach the final. It is possible – of course it is possible, the draw has made it possible – but it will definitely be very difficult."

Beckenbauer is now honorary president of Bayern and watched his side defeat Olympique Lyonnais 1-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final last night. A similar result against Fulham FC tonight would also put HSV in the box seat ahead of next week's return match in London.

Hamburg lost to another Bundesliga team, Werder Bremen, at the semi-final stage last term and have been urged by coach Labbadia to take "this great chance" as they target their first major European final since winning the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1983.

It would be a fitting return to the top for a side Beckenbauer praised for their long tradition, describing them as a "real institution" in the German game.

"HSV are a traditional club, an old club, more 100 years old. They have produced many big players – Uwe Seeler, Willi Schulz and so on. They're a traditional club in the Bundesliga, and also a great name in international football.

"The Bundesliga was created in 1963, and HSV are the only club that have always stayed in the Bundesliga – all the others have gone up and down, while Bayern only joined in 1965. So HSV are a real institution, a real tradition. I think any fan of HSV is proud to support their club."

http://www.bettingpro.com/category/Football/Hamburg-v-Fulham-preview-and-betting-tips-201004220089/ (http://www.bettingpro.com/category/Football/Hamburg-v-Fulham-preview-and-betting-tips-201004220089/)

Hamburg v Fulham preview and betting tips

Bobby Zamora is 8/1 to open the scoring tonight in Hamburg

Bettingpro Staff - 22 Apr 2010

German side may be too strong for Cottagers

Fulham's season has dipped since they begun concentrating on the Europa League, and since their first-leg against Juventus at the start of March, Roy Hodgson's side have only one out of nine domestic fixtures.

Form is vital towards the end of the season, as bodies and minds become tired, and Fulham may find it difficult to lift their game sufficiently to cope with the threat posed by Hamburg this evening, particularly after a 27-hour coach trip to Germany.

Fulham did beat Wolfsburg the last time they were in Germany, and Hodgson will attempt to play the same stifling defensive tactics that worked so well against the Wolves. His ideal result would be another one-nil victory (12/1, SkyBet), although it is unlikely that the English side will be able to stop their opponents from scoring.

Hamburg have scored in, and won, every one of their home Europa League fixtures this season, apart from a goal-less draw with Celtic in the group stages. They are, therefore, actually good value, at 4/6 (Bet365) to win tonight, particularly as the last time Fulham played a first-leg tie away from home they were soundly beaten three-one by Juventus.

It is 14/1 (Bet365) that Hamburg win by the same score-line as Juventus did, and both Marcus Berg (6/1, StanJames) and Ruud Van Nistlrooy (4/1, Bet365) are capable of goals. The latter has been adding his voice to the growing number calling for Bobby Zamora (8/1, Bet365) to be called into the England World Cup squad. If Zamora can score at any time tonight (5/2, Bet365) then he will greatly increase his chances of catching Fabio Capello's eye.

Recommendation

Win Market – Hamburg (4/6, Bet365)

http://community.footballpools.com/blog/2010/04/22/cascarinos-europa-league-preview-hamburg-v-fulham/

Cascarino's Europa League Preview: Hamburg v Fulham

It would take a brave man to bet against Fulham reaching the Europa League final as they keep surprising everybody with their performances in this competition including me. Roy Hodgson and his team will not be overawed by Hamburg in any way shape or form after dumping out the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Wolfsburg en-route to the semi-final. The Cottagers comfortably beat a German side in the last round and they will line-up in a very similar way with the same game-plan in order to progress this time.

Why should Roy change anything tactically for this one when his team have kept coming up with aces against the top European teams they've faced. It has been a simply amazing adventure for Fulham in Europe this season and they won't want it to end when they are so close to a final. The Cottagers are a very strong organised team and will be extremely hard for the Germans to break down.

Hodgson has obviously put in the hours on the training ground with this team and it has paid dividends. Fulham are one of the most organised sides in the Premier League and give very little away. There is plenty of experience within the team and they all know their roles and all put in a shift on the pitch. One of the unsung heroes for me this season has been goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer who has been consistently strong and breeds confidence to his defence. He has been a solid Premier League goalkeeper for some time and he has got to be one of the best signings the club has made in recent years.

Bobby Zamora also plays a key role in holding the ball up and getting the midfield runners involved and his performances in this competition have been superb. He will occupy the home defenders and look to feed the likes of Damien Duff, Zoltan Gera and Simon Davies who all make great supporting runs. Bobby is the team's main goal threat too and he has shown a real eye for goal in Europe with seven goals including scoring home and away against Wolfsburg. Hopefully he can add to that tally again tonight.

Hamburg are likely to have former Manchester United striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy up front so Fulham will need to keep a close eye on him. The Dutchman has had his injury problems and at 33-years-old is not getting any younger but he remains an excellent finisher. He is not the player he once was but if you allow him any chances in the box, more often than not, he will score. Ruud has scored five goals in 14 appearances for Hamburg but only started ten games. He has only played a full match on five occasions as injuries have limited him but he is still a player to be feared, at least in terms of taking chances. The Dutchman won't offer an awful lot outside the box these days but give him a sniff and he is likely to score.

The way Fulham play is perfect for playing away in Europe; they hold their shape, flood the midfield and have a number of intelligent footballers like Danny Murphy who can keep possession when needed. After getting this far against the odds, I certainly wouldn't back against them getting a positive result ahead of the 2nd leg at Craven Cottage even with all the travelling they've done.

http://www.premiershiptalk.com/2010/04/22/fulham-show-unity-in-pursuit-of-glory/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PremiershipTalk+%28Premiership+Talk%29

Fulham show unity in pursuit of glory


By Zain Alvi | 22nd April 2010


It wasn't too long ago that Fulham were poised for relegation. To be precise, about two years ago, the Cottagers were battling for Premier League survival, which was finally masterminded by their persistent manager Roy Hodgson. One of the most impressive English managers in the modern game, Hodgson inherited (and successfully groomed) a team that had struggled to find its identity under Lawrie Sanchez.

Now that the West Londoners are only three games away from lifting the Europa League title, the club's players are making it a point to publicly recognize the contributions of a man who is a very qualified candidate for the Manager of the Year award this season. Speaking ahead of Fulham's semifinal first leg in Hamburg, Danny Murphy lavished praise at his boss for changing the mentality of the club.

"He changed the whole way we were playing. He made us more of a footballing team than the direct‑ball team under Lawrie. It hadn't been ideal for the players we had: we had footballers, rather than just 6ft 2in athletes."

Murphy, who inherited the captain's armband under Hodgson last season, added: "Roy brought in some of his own personnel and made some really astute signings. The squad suddenly had more experience and, with time, we were able to adopt the style and pattern of play that he wanted.

"It was clear very quickly that we were moving forward as a squad and a team. His knowledge of the game, his philosophies ... he has that temperament a manager needs. He never gets too down, and he doesn't let us get too carried away when we're having a good spell, either."

The Fulham faithful have also made it clear that they are enjoying their team's football a lot more than they did before Hodgson took over. Their strong support was witnessed at the beginning of the week when a lot of them decided to follow the team to Germany in a long trip that involved traveling by ferry and ground transportation in the absence of an operational airspace.

Defender Aaron Hughes made it a point to also pay tribute to these fans. He told the club's website that the players are delighted to see the supporters show such great enthusiasm.

"Having a bit of support in the stadium will be great," Hughes told fulhamfc.com. "It's good for the supporters because it gives them the chance to come out and see the semifinal and it's not very often you get to see a European semifinal.

"A lot of people are desperate to come and watch us – they've traveled so far following us throughout this competition. Now that the flights are back on, it will make life easier for so many fans," he concluded.