Hangeland’s return the key to survival for Fulham
by CHRIS GILBERTSON on JANUARY 18, 2014
Guest writing for Hammyend.com Archie Rhind-Tutt looks at the return of Brede Hangeland and the significance that the Norwegian could have on the remainder of Fulham’s season.
These days, a phone call between David Moyes and Roy Hodgson would be an interesting insight into coping with two of the most high profile, and subsequently, most scrutinized jobs in English football. Just over nine years ago, Moyes and Hodgson probably had a different comprehension of the word scrutiny.
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Back then in November 2004, a phone call did take place between Moyes and Hodgson. Managers of Manchester United and England, they weren’t. Manager of Everton and coach of Viking Stavanger, they were.
With a six foot six inch Stavanger centre back completing a trial at Everton, Moyes asked Hodgson if Brede Hangeland was good enough to play in the Premier League. Indeed he was, according to Hodgson. Yet despite his endorsement, Hangeland did not move to Moyes’s Everton. Instead, the towering Norwegian went to FC Copenhagen in 2006 but he would eventually get that Premier League move.
With his former manager moving to Craven Cottage in late 2007, Brede Hangeland became Roy Hodgson’s first signing at Fulham in January 2008 – and what a signing. Without Hangeland, you could argue whether Hodgson would be in the position he currently holds, such was the integral role he played in the side that revitalised Hodgson’s standing in English football.
Like most relationships, it all started on a cold Tuesday night in Bolton with a most glorious clean sheet. That night was the genesis of a central defensive partnership that would form the bedrock of Fulham’s success under Hodgson. Because it was there, that Hangeland first played with Aaron Hughes.
Salt and pepper, gin and tonic, fish and chips, Batman and Robin, dust pan and brush –Hangeland and Hughes was a combination to rival any. Hangeland, in footballing parlance “the stopper”, was the man charged with sniffing out the danger, meeting it head on whilst it was Hughes’ job to cover the lanky Norwegian should any pesky forward nip past him.
So they had to overcome some hard times, namely the Whites near relegation to the Championship in 2008. But after that hurdle was negotiated in the most improbable manner, it was with Hangeland and Hughes at the back that Fulham enjoyed, firstly, their best ever league finish and then most memorably, that run to the Europa League Final. Hangeland was the one who took most of the credit, linked with a move away as a result, with Hughes the able yet underappreciated sidekick.
But then came the inevitable fall after attaining such heights. Whilst the partnership made it through the Mark Hughes reign, it was to be Martin Jol who’d split up the pair and it’s no coincidence that Hangeland’s performances deteriorated. Pace has never been a great strength of the lanky Norwegian, so as a result, Jol’s increasingly attacking or defensively irresponsible tactics, depending on your point of view, were not conducive.
Still, by this point, Hangeland had been made Fulham captain after Danny Murphy’s departure. His mere presence in the side was still important though. Fulham and Hangeland’s form was already waning before he was ruled out through injury in October last year.
His final game of 2013 came against Crystal Palace where he was outjumped by Adrian Mariappa for the opening goal. Clearly the sciatic nerve problem, as it was later revealed, was affecting him given that Mariappa is nearly a foot smaller than the Norwegian. Fulham went on to win that game but it would be Jol’s final victory as five consecutive defeats after sealed his fate.
His successor Rene Meulensteen hasn’t had a chance to use Hangeland in the Premier League yet but he might well be the key to survival this season. In the eight games with Brede Hangeland this season, Fulham conceded 10 goals in eight games. In the 13 without him, the Whites have conceded a staggering 36 – averaging out at nearly three per game.
It’s not just his statistical importance to Fulham though – symbolically, he is crucial. It’s a mark of the man that away from home, no Fulham player makes a greater point of running over to the visiting fans to applaud them before kickoff. After every game, he’s there too. He embodies the spirit that you want from a captain.
It’s poignant too that his Premier League return should come against Arsenal. It was against the Gunners that he was first presented to the Craven Cottage faithful back in January 2008. His first Premier League goal for Fulham was also against Arsene Wenger’s side and during his time at Craven Cottage, he has been linked with a move to the Emirates on a few occasions.
Six years to the day that he signed for Fulham, Brede Hangeland is likely to lead the Cottagers out at front runners Arsenal on Saturday. A result is unlikely but that game won’t decide if Fulham survive. If Rene Meulensteen was able to bring in a lithe central defensive partner for Hangeland, it would only help but that looks unlikely given the backlog of centre backs at the club. Dan Burn appears to be Hangeland’s protégé judging by the FA Cup replay against Norwich.
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Burn worked well with the captain on the Norwegian’s return from injury as the Whites kept only a second clean sheet in Rene Meulensteen’s 13th game in charge. He may not be the most suitable partner for the rest of the season but in the long term, he looks the heir apparent to Hangeland’s position in the side.
Even though 20 goals have been shipped in the last 6 league games, the general performances have been improved under Meulensteen. You might argue that it wasn’t too difficult when they’d plumbed to such depths as those given away at West Ham in Martin Jol’s final game. Then again, the ten goals conceded against Hull and Sunderland alone testify against any improvement but overall, there has been a greater balance to Fulham under the former Manchester United coach.
Brede Hangeland’s return to the first team will only improve that and providing he stays fit until the end of the campaign his comeback is likely to provide the stability that Fulham need to stay in the Premier League once more.
Archie is a reporter for BT Sport’s European Football Show and he produces LBC 97.3′s Saturday Afternoon radio programme Scores with Ian Payne. You can follow Archie on twitter @archiert1
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Finding A Balance
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René Meulensteen is looking for Fulham to produce the perfect away performance when they take on Barclays Premier League leaders Arsenal on Saturday.
The Gunners are overwhelming favourites to triumph at the Emirates but Meulensteen knows that if his side can find the right balance between attack and defence, then they have a decent chance of leaving North London with a result.
“I think you need to be sensible, that’s the word,” he explained. “You need to look at what the situation is – they’ve got a very good record throughout the season, home and away, so it’s going to be a hell of a challenge for us.
“But on the back of the clean sheet against Norwich City, I said to the players that in many performances we’ve shown that we can attack and go forward, but let’s also start to show that we can be good defenders as well and be very solid and very hard to break down.
“I think you need to find the right balance. If you’re too open they will hurt you because of the players that they’ve got, if you’re too negative you won’t get forward and won’t ask them any questions. It’s making sure you find the right way to be solid but still be able to hurt them when we can.”
He continued: “We know what we’re going to be up against, there are no secrets. We’ve worked hard on the training ground and I really hope I can look back on a performance which sees us get something out of the game. If we do that we’ve done really well.”
Fulham’s main aim on Saturday will be to ensure that it’s not consecutive defeats in the league, following last week’s perplexing 4-1 reversal against Sunderland. The Whites dominated for large portions of that fixture with little to show for it, but Meulensteen reassured fans that everyone at the Club is working hard to find the correct formula for success.
“There’s a great application from everybody,” he said. “I cannot fault for one minute the application that these boys show and the desire in every training session we put in.
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“I’m still juggling and finding the best combinations and I’ve seen a lot of positive things. I saw a lot of positive things against Norwich and if we can build on those together, we’ll become more and more solid.
“If we become more solid then that’s the way forward because we’ve proven we’ve got enough going forward, and there’s also the introduction of some young Academy players. You can see straight away there’s quality there, there’s energy there, they’re definitely not the finished article but they can act as our sort of trump cards that you can throw in and use when you have to.”
Shipping goals has been a major concern for Fulham this season, and so the return to fitness of Brede Hangeland is most welcome. The Club Captain played 90 minutes in midweek as the Whites defeated Norwich 3-0, and when questioned as to whether his availability for selection is akin to a new signing, Meulensteen stated: “It is, absolutely. Brede is like a new player because as long as I’ve been here and involved I’ve had no access to him.
“It’s a big boost, and a big boost for him because, first and foremost, he’s a fantastic centre-back, a very good footballer. You see his calmness and straightaway that transfers to all the players. It was very good to see him back – he’s been very important over the years for Fulham so it was a big boost.”
Aside from a couple of nervy moments early on against the Canaries, the home defence was relatively comfortable containing their attacking threats, and Meulensteen was naturally delighted to see his side prevent the opposition from scoring for the first time in eight outings.
He revealed: “I said before the game, ‘listen guys, if you get me a clean sheet I’ll be the happiest man in England, whatever the number is after that, even if it would’ve ended up in a 0-0 after 90 minutes plus extra-time.’ So I really set that out as a target and we were focused on that and the lads did ever so well.”
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