Bobby's Back
Monday 8th February 2010
Fulham FC News Powered by LG Electronics
Bobby Zamora will return to Fulham's First Team fold on Tuesday night when the Whites take on Burnley (KO 8pm) at the Cottage after missing last weekend's draw at Bolton through illness.
There was further good news regarding midfielder Simon Davies, who has also recovered in time for Tuesday's game, as Roy Hodgson explained on Monday afternoon.
"Bobby's fine and has recovered from his sickness," said Hodgson. "He's back in contention, as is Simon Davies, which is good.
"That's at least two of the injured players back tomorrow. To be fair I've not really counted Bobby when I've talked about the injured players because it was a sickness which kept him out of one game.
"He [Zamora] doesn't belong in the group of six or seven that we'll have to do without for a long period.
"We've barely got 18 players to be quite honest. There's no longer a selection problem at this Club – it's 'have we got 18 players to field the eleven places and the sub spots'.
"Until we get back to a situation when the squad starts to resemble a normal size and we start to get players back of the ability of Pantsil, Konchesky, Dempsey and Dikgacoi – it's going to be difficult for us."
Competing on three fronts this season, married with the Club's current injury crisis, is certainly testing Fulham's First Team squad to the limits, as Hodgson explained on Monday.
"We can't ignore the fact that playing FA Cup matches, when other teams are out of the competition, and UEFA Europa League matches, when other teams aren't playing, is placing a burden on our resources and the League matches that follow are that much more difficult for us.
"Burnley's personnel is roughly the same and I would imagine they're still playing the same type of football. I haven't studied Burnley that much. That's one of the major problems; with the games coming so thick and fast you don't get the week to give the next opponent the amount of thought and attention you would like to.
"Of course we've got our videos and scouting reports and we will prepare the Team as usual. Personally I don't have the same feeling that I know Burnley as well as I would say know Arsenal or Manchester United if we were playing them come Tuesday."
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_5927194,00.html (http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_5927194,00.html)
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is optimistic he will receive the required funds to improve the quality of his squad at the end of the season.
Hodgson has not been a major mover in the transfer market this term and has also seen injuries to key players hit his squad hard.
He is hoping the money to be received from the sale of Chris Smalling to Manchester United will boost his transfer kitty and he also expects to get the backing of owner Mohamed Al Fayed.
And, having taken Fulham from relegation strugglers to European contenders during his time in charge, Hodgson is keen to maintain that progress.
"The chairman has been very supportive throughout and I have no reason to think he won't be," said Hodgson, who has admitted an interest in signing on-loan full-back Nicky Shoreypermanently.
"We made decisions in this transfer window which were for the good of the club, not just the short term, but the long-term good.
"We are fully aware that if we are to do as well as we have done in the last year and a half then we will need some help in the summer.
"That will probably mean we will be seeking some quality additions to the squad as we've run the squad right down.
"We have between now and the summer to identify targets and persuade the chairman that all the support he has given in the past isn't yet finished, and he has to keep going."
Hodgson added: "A lot of the money that I have spent in my couple of years has actually been recouped, in part by the sale of Smalling.
"Of course that doesn't help the chairman, because all the money he has put in in the past hasn't been.
"However, I am still asking him to put money onto money and I am aware of that."
Dikgacoi Update
Monday 8th February 2010
Fulham FC News Powered by LG Electronics
Fulham midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi was arguably the most impressive player on the pitch at the Reebok Stadium last weekend before his afternoon was curtailed by an ankle injury after 54 minutes.
During Saturday's post match press conference Roy Hodgson described Dikgacoi's performance as "outstanding", but on Monday afternoon Fulham's Manager confirmed that the South African international will now join the Club's extensive injury list.
"Bolton was an expensive game for us because we got a point but we lost Kagisho Dikgacoi for five or six weeks. It was another costly game in terms of personnel.
"All our injuries have been trauma injuries. You'd expect that with such a long injury list someone would have a pulled muscle but they're all trauma injuries.
"We've now had three injuries exactly the same - three ankle ligament injuries - Davies, Konchesky and now Dikgacoi. All have been a result of tackles and we don't have any injuries from strains. They've all happened in games."
Whilst discussing Dikgacoi's injury Hodgson also confirmed that Paul Konchesky may return to traning in the not too distant future as Clint Dempsey and John Pantsil continue their rehabilitation.
"They said Konchesky would be four to six weeks and he's coming up to three now so there's some hope that we'll get him back in a week to ten days time.
"Simon Davies was as long as eight or nine weeks but he had had the stress fracture in his foot which exacerbated the situation.
"Dempsey and Pantsil are posterior cruciate ligament injuries. Dempsey's posterior curciate injury is less acute than Pantsil's injury. There's some hope we'll get him back in a month but Pantsil will be longer."
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/DikgacoiInjuryUpdate.aspx#ixzz0ey6Kf6kA (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/DikgacoiInjuryUpdate.aspx#ixzz0ey6Kf6kA)
http://www.sportinglife.com/football/premiership/fulham/news/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=soccer/10/02/08/manual_111004.html&TEAMHD=fulham
ZAMORA TO MAKE COTTAGERS RETURN
Fulham v Burnley.
Fulham will welcome back striker Bobby Zamora from a virus for the clash with Burnley at Craven Cottage.
Simon Davies (ankle) also returns but South African midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi has been ruled out for up to six weeks because of ankle ligament damage.
Striker Andrew Johnson - recovering from knee surgery - is out for the rest of the season, while Paul Konchesky (foot), Clint Dempsey and John Pantsil (both knee) are all still sidelined.
Stephen Jordan is pushing to be in contention for Burnley.
Jordan has been out with a hamstring strain for two weeks but manager Brian Laws confirmed that the defender is nearing a comeback.
Chris McCann's recovery from a knee injury is progressing well but the match at Craven Cottage is too soon for him, while Graham Alexander (calf) and Steven Caldwell (groin) remain sidelined.
Teams:
Fulham (from): Schwarzer, Hangeland, Baird, Hughes, Shorey, Duff, Murphy, Greening, Etuhu, Nevland, Okaka, Elm, Smalling, Zuberbuhler, Riise, Stoor, Kelly, Davies, Zamora.
Burnley (from): Jensen, Weaver, Carlisle, Cort, Bikey, Jordan, Mears, Edgar, Eagles, Elliott, McDonald, Fletcher, Duff, Blake, Thompson, Penny, Guerrero, Gudjonsson, Kalvenes, Eckersley, Nugent, Nimani, Paterson, Fox, Cork.
http://football.fanhouse.co.uk/2010/02/08/fulham-v-burnley-preview-roy-hodgson-concerned-over-injury-proble/?
Fulham v Burnley Preview: Roy Hodgson Concerned Over Injury Problems
08/2/2010 10:14 AM GMT
By Dean Jones
PREMIER LEAGUE: CRAVEN COTTAGE, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010. KICK OFF: 2000 GMT
FULHAM:
At a time when Fulham are struggling to fill their matchday squad, Roy Hodgson is hoping his side can show enough mettle to come through this latest test of character.
Against Bolton at the weekend, Fulham were forced to start with a forward partnership of fringe player Erik Nevland and debutant David Elm.
Thankfully, Bobby Zamora has recovered from a sickness bug to ensure he will start this fixture against resurgent Burnley, but Hodgson realises his side could still struggle as their physiotherapy team work overtime in the treatment room.
Last week Fulham edged out bottom of the league Portsmouth 1-0, and this game is likely to pan out in a similar fashion.
"On paper, it looks just like the Portsmouth game - it is one which Fulham should comfortably win, but it certainly won't be like that," said Hodgson. "If ever we needed a reminder, we only have to cast our minds back a week ago.
"Portsmouth came and played very well, and we were fortunate to get away with three points, and Portsmouth were unlucky to go away with nothing. That should be uppermost in our mind.
"We need to remain humble and modest, knowing full well we are not in the form we were in just before Christmas, which is understandable given the fact the team has changed so much.
"We have barely got 18 players. There is no longer a selection problem at this club - it is a question of whether we have 18 fit players to fill the 11 spots andl the substitutes bench.
"Until we return to a situation where the squad starts to resemble normal size with quality players back, it will be difficult for us."
Strategy: First and formost, this will be a battle. Burnley will have gained confidence from their weekend victory over West Ham and Fulham need to ensure the Clarets do not score an early goal that will boost their confidence further. A lack of depth in the squad means Hodgson's tactics will be limited, so most of their attacking play will see the ball played towards Zamora, as Damien Duff, Simon Davies and Danny Murphy look to feed off him.
Injury Update: Davies is back from an ankle problem and is likely to begin on the bench, while Zamora has proved in training that he is now match fit after his bug. Andrew Johnson, John Paintsil, Paul Konchesky and Clint Dempsey all remain sidelined with injuries though, and Kagisho Dikgacoi has joined the list after suffering ankle ligament damage at the Reebok.
BURNLEY:
Confidence is back in the camp after Brian Laws's side ended their 12 match winless run at the expense of fellow strugglers West Ham, but just as one hurdle is overcome another one remains in their path - and has done since the start of the season.
Remarkably, Burnley are still without a league victory on their travels since winning promotion to the Premier League and Laws knows this has to change if his side are to avoid relegation.
They cannot continue to rely on how well they do at home, but Laws is sounding confident about breaking the club's duck at Craven Cottage because Fulham are vulnerable following some suspect form.
Laws said: "The win over West Ham will give the players a lot of belief and we are confident we can get a positive result at Fulham.
"Getting back to winning ways can make such a difference to confidence levels and things like that. It can be the start of a good run for us.
"Any point away from home is huge in this league but we want to get all three. We are getting closer and closer. Fulham's form has not been great of late and all teams have weaknesses, so we will be looking to exploit them."
Strategy: Laws have vowed to change the mentality of the players and the way they approach away games in the hope it will see them actually win one. Laws could be set to throw caution to the wind and go on the attack more, but not at the expense of leaving his back four exposed.
He knows it is about finding the right balance and he added: "We've not won away from home this season so we need to change our mentality. All the pressure will be on Fulham because no-one expects us to win and this is the encouragement I will be giving to the players.
"If something is not right and isn't working, you have to change the elements of your preparation. It's not that easy and won't guarantee you a win, but we will look at doing certain things differently."
Injury Update: Laws picked up no fresh injury worries from the weekend. Chris McCann (knee) and Steven Caldwell (groin) remain unavailable, although Stephen Jordan returns to the squad following a hamstring problem.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/preview?id=269818&cc=5739
Zamora back to bolster Cottagers
Team Stat Comparison
Fulham Burnley
Matches Played 25 24
Table Position 10 15
Points 31 23
Goal Difference -1 -22
Goals for * 1.3 0.7
Goals against * 0.7 2.9
Last 5 D-W-L-L-L W-L-L-L-L
Last 5 home W-L-D-W-W W-L-D-D-D
Last 5 away D-L-L-L-L L-L-L-L-L
* Goals per match - home matches for home club and away matches for away club
· Club Stats: Fulham | Burnley
Competition Stats
Fulham Burnley
Goals Bobby Zamora 6 Steven Fletcher 6
Reds Kagisho Evidence Dikgacoi 1 Steven Caldwell 1
Yellows John Pantsil 4 André Stéphane Bikey 5
· Club Squads : Fulham | Burnley
Last Five Matches in Competition
Fulham Burnley
A: Bolton Wanderers 0-0 H: West Ham United 2-1
H: Portsmouth 1-0 H: Chelsea 1-2
H: Aston Villa 0-2 A: Bolton Wanderers 1-0
A: Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 A: Manchester United 3-0
A: Blackburn Rovers 2-0 A: Everton 2-0
· Club Results: Fulham | Burnley
Next Five Matches in Competition
Fulham Burnley
9/2 H: Burnley 9/2 A: Fulham
21/2 H: Birmingham 21/2 A: Aston Villa
28/2 A: Sunderland 27/2 H: Portsmouth
6/3 H: Stoke City 6/3 A: Arsenal
14/3 A: Manchester United 9/3 H: Stoke City
· Club Fixtures: Fulham | Burnley
Updated: February 8, 2010, 3:21 PM UK
Fulham will welcome back striker Bobby Zamora from a virus for the clash against Burnley at Craven Cottage.
Simon Davies (ankle) also returns but South African midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi has been ruled out for up to six weeks because of ankle ligament damage.
Striker Andrew Johnson - recovering from knee surgery - is out for the rest of the season, while Paul Konchesky (foot), Clint Dempsey and John Pantsil (both knee) are all still sidelined.
The Cottagers made hard work of seeing off the challenge of bottom club Portsmouth last week, when the visitors dominated for long spells before eventually being beaten by a late goal from Jonathan Greening.
Fulham had lost five successive Barclays Premier League games before the victory over Pompey, and picked up another point following a goalless draw at Bolton.
Hodgson, though, knows full well his team must not be complacent against the Clarets, despite their dreadful away record of 11 defeats and one draw.
"On paper, it looks just like the Portsmouth game - it is one which Fulham should comfortably win, but it certainly won't be like that,'' said Hodgson. "If ever we needed a reminder, we only have to cast our minds back a week ago.
"Portsmouth came and played very well, and we were fortunate to get away with three points, and Portsmouth were unlucky to go away with nothing. That should be uppermost in our mind.''
Stephen Jordan is pushing to be in contention for Burnley.
Jordan has been out with a hamstring strain for two weeks but manager Brian Laws confirmed that the defender is nearing a comeback.
Chris McCann's recovery from a knee injury is progressing well but the match at Craven Cottage is too soon for him, while Graham Alexander (calf) and Steven Caldwell (groin) remain sidelined.
Brian Laws believes the game is the perfect opportunity for them to bring their long wait for an away win in the Premier League to an end.
The Clarets beat West Ham 2-1 on Saturday in a typically dynamic performance at Turf Moor to give Laws his first win since being appointed manager last month.
Laws is eager to see his players sustain the momentum and, with Fulham having won only once in eight league games, he feels Craven Cottage could be the ideal place for the Clarets to finally overcome their travel sickness.
"We haven't won away all season so that is our objective, to change that mentality, and there is no better one (for that) than against Fulham,'' Laws said.
"They are not playing as well as they would like, I know that and I know (Fulham boss) Roy Hodgson would say the same thing.
"We've got to go into this with confidence. All the pressure will be on them, not on us, and those kinds of elements do even themselves out. That's the kind of encouragement I'll be giving to the players.''
FULHAM v Burnley: Striker Bobby Zamora fighting fit for Cottagers
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 3:29 PM on 08th February 2010
Comments (0)
Fulham will welcome back striker Bobby Zamora from a virus for the clash against Burnley at Craven Cottage.
Simon Davies (ankle) also returns but South African midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi has been ruled out for up to six weeks because of ankle ligament damage.
Striker Andrew Johnson - recovering from knee surgery - is out for the rest of the season, while Paul Konchesky (foot), Clint Dempsey and John Pantsil (both knee) are all still sidelined.
Provisional squad: Schwarzer, Hangeland, Baird, Hughes, Shorey, Duff, Murphy, Greening, Etuhu, Nevland, Okaka, Elm, Smalling, Zuberbuhler, Riise, Stoor, Kelly, Davies, Zamora.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1249408/FULHAM-v-Burnley-Striker-Bobby-Zamora-fighting-fit-Cottagers.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0ez4xtIVW (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1249408/FULHAM-v-Burnley-Striker-Bobby-Zamora-fighting-fit-Cottagers.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0ez4xtIVW)
ARGH!!!!!! Its only 10 o clock on Monday! Tuesday is not for another 2 hours!!!
Quote from: os5889 on February 08, 2010, 10:08:00 PM
ARGH!!!!!! Its only 10 o clock on Monday! Tuesday is not for another 2 hours!!!
Fulham is a 24 hours a day, seven days a week sort of club. The sun never sets on the balck and white and all that. And I think our antipodean members would take issue with you on the whole Tuesday thing!! ;)
http://www.twtd.co.uk/news.php?storyid=15991
Ferguson Calls for Youth Cup Break
Mon 08th Feb 2010 18:49
Town groundsman Alan Ferguson says he would like to see a winter break for the FA Youth Cup to prevent damage to pitches. Ferguson's Portman Road surface was less than its usual self when the Blues took on Middlesbrough on Saturday in the wake of last Tuesday's Youth Cup defeat to Fulham.
Ferguson wrote in his blog for Horticulture Week at the end of last week: "Most groundsmen will tell you that the damage from a kids' game is much worse than the damage from a first team game. This is because the kids tend to slide in more often.
"We duly picked up quite a bit of damage. It will repair but the pitch won't be in its usual tip-top condition for Saturday's home game.
"Clubs like ours enter into the Youth Cup in good faith accepting we will have to play games in and around the first team schedule at a difficult time of the season if drawn at home. This can be problematic and is something I am trying to change.
"I am in favour of the Youth Cup taking a winter break of two months through January and February. This would allow clubs to reduce the usage during the worst period of the year."
Ferguson says that he is a fan of the Youth Cup but is unhappy that clubs like the Blues' fourth round opponents Arsenal are allowed to switch their games to smaller grounds such as Barnet's Underhill: "The Youth Cup has become a sore subject for me in recent years," admitted the Scot.
"I think the competition is great and offers the young pros a chance to play in the country's top stadiums.
"At least that's how it is supposed to be. In recent seasons many of the big clubs have been given permission to play the early rounds away from their main stadium, only playing at home from the quarter-final, the idea being to protect the pitches during the winter."
Ferguson says the majority of clubs would be in favour of his proposal, which he says is fairer than the current situation: "Such a break should find favour with most clubs and should allow them to play the games at home and not a third party stadium. It would put us on a level playing field."
Full-back Liam Rosenior says he noticed the change in the condition of the Portman Road surface at the weekend: "Our pitch has been unbelievably good. But on Saturday it was not conducive to good football.
"Our fans were maybe disappointed at the way we played, but it was not easy and I felt sorry for keeper Arran Lee-Barrett every time he had to take a back pass.
"You really had to concentrate on your first touch and a few of my crosses were not to my usual standard. This is something we are going to have to get used to."
Rosenior, on loan from Reading until the end of the season, says that despite the Blues' disappointing 2009/10 Town will be contenders next season: "If we stay in this division I wager we'll get promoted next term.
"The foundations are there, and if we win at Queens Park Rangers tomorrow everybody will be back saying how well we're playing."
Meanwhile, Coventry boss Chris Coleman has escaped a touchline ban but been fined £1,000 after admitting an FA improper conduct charge relating to the comments he made about referee Michael Oliver's time-keeping after the Blues' 3-2 victory over the Sky Blues last month.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/hodgson-seeks-fulham-war-chest-1893229.html
Hodgson seeks Fulham war chest
By Jim van Wijk, PA
Monday, 8 February 2010
Roy Hodgson is hoping he will find Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed in a generous mood when they discus how to take the Cottagers' depleted squad forward next season.
Hodgson, 62, has transformed the fortunes of the west London club since arriving in December 2007, going from successfully fighting a relegation battle to enjoying a first ever European campaign.
However, plans for another top-10 finish have been scuppered by a succession of injuries to key men which leaves Fulham down to the bare bones ahead of the visit of Burnley tomorrow night.
That is followed by an FA Cup fifth-round tie against Notts County and the resumption of the Europa League.
South Africa international Kagisho Dikgacoi is the latest new addition to a packed treatment room, the midfielder set to be out for up to six weeks with ankle ligament damaged suffered during the goalless draw at Bolton.
Paul Konchesky, Clint Dempsey and John Pantsil are all still sidelined, while striker Andrew Johnson will miss the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery in the United States.
Fulham agreed to sell England Under-21 defender Chris Smalling to Manchester United last month, with the £7million transfer set to go through in the summer.
By then, Hodgson hopes Al Fayed will once again give the club his support.
The Fulham boss said: "The chairman has been very supportive throughout and I have no reason to think he won't be.
"We made decisions in this transfer window which were for the good of the club, not just the short term, but the long-term good.
"We are fully aware that if we are to do as well as we have done in the last year and a half then we will need some help in the summer.
"That will probably mean we will be seeking some quality additions to the squad as we've run the squad right down.
"We have between now and the summer to identify targets and persuade the chairman that all the support he has given in the past isn't yet finished, and he has to keep going."
Hodgson added: "A lot of the money that I have spent in my couple of years has actually been recouped, in part by the sale of Smalling.
"Of course that doesn't help the chairman, because all the money he has put in in the past hasn't been.
"However, I am still asking him to put money onto money and I am aware of that."
Hodgson, meanwhile, sees no reason why Johnson, 28, cannot make a full recovery to be a major player for the Cottagers next season.
He added: "He is just relieved in his own mind that they have not only found the problem, they have solved the problem.
"He faces a fairly lengthy spell on the sidelines, but come next season he will join us fully fit, raring to go and with the knee in good condition.
"Andy is an enthusiastic and dedicated footballer. He is still very young with a lot of football left in him."
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/08022010/63/laws-seeks-end-day-blues.html
Laws seeks end to away-day blues
Mon, 08 Feb 15:21:01 2010
Brian Laws believes Burnley's trip to Fulham is the perfect opportunity for them to bring their long wait for an away win in the Barclays Premier League to an end.
The Clarets beat West Ham 2-1 on Saturday in a typically dynamic performance at Turf Moor to give Laws his first win since being appointed manager last month.
Laws is eager to see his players sustain the momentum and, with Fulham having won only once in eight league games, he feels Craven Cottage could be the ideal place for the Clarets to finally overcome their travel sickness.
"We haven't won away all season so that is our objective, to change that mentality, and there is no better one (for that) than against Fulham," Laws said.
"They are not playing as well as they would like, I know that and I know (Fulham boss) Roy Hodgson would say the same thing.
"We've got to go into this with confidence. All the pressure will be on them, not on us, and those kinds of elements do even themselves out. That's the kind of encouragement I'll be giving to the players."
Quote from: White Noise on February 08, 2010, 10:13:22 PM
Quote from: os5889 on February 08, 2010, 10:08:00 PM
ARGH!!!!!! Its only 10 o clock on Monday! Tuesday is not for another 2 hours!!!
Fulham is a 24 hours a day, seven days a week sort of club. The sun never sets on the balck and white and all that. And I think our antipodean members would take issue with you on the whole Tuesday thing!! ;)
Cheers Mr WN, You flustered me is all, I've been buried away in the local town hall reading journals and preparing for a job interview on Tuesday all day....
A Tuesday Fulham stuff upon arrival on the sanctuary of FoF sent a rush of panic and despair through me!
Carry on!
http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=187558
Fulham - Continuity the Key?
Throughout the 2008/2009 season Fulham FC were blessed with few injuries and few international departures.
This meant Roy Hodgson had the good fortune to be able to field a similar team week-by-week, and, based on our 7th place finish in May, it was a fortune that clearly paid its dividends.
That's why, as our injury crisis amounts to be ever bigger and ever more threatening, I look upon Birmingham City with the greatest of envy.
Over the course of the season they have had few injuries to speak of and have valiantly battled up the table with a foundation of consistency on which to build.
I for one only wish we could endure a similar plight this year, but, karma has caught up with us and has punished us for such a comfortable and, quite literally, painless term the last time around.
After the Summer transfer deadline closed, I must say, I was a little disappointed with the quality Roy had brought in. Damien Duff seemed like the only purchase of his that would settle straight into a first team role, and, so far, I have been proved right on that front.
However, now I must congratulate our gaffer on the job he has done at adding a whole host of depth to the squad. We have suffered injuries left, right and centre, and yet, it's never felt like we were fielding a truly 'shoddy' team.
Foresight is the word that springs to mind when talking of Roy's summer dealings and it's it only now, as we struggle and battle onwards and upwards, that I can officially congratulate him on what he did.
Hear me mumble
Filed under: General — weltmeisterclaude @ 10:27 pm
Timmy from The Offside was good enough to invite me to take part on his podcast. I have never actually listened to a podcast, I don't think, but thanks to the miracles of modern technology Timmy called me on Sunday night and we had a brief chat about Fulham, which he recorded. You can listen to that recording here. I did try to speak up, but some things aren't meant to be, and I was my usual mumbling michael.
http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/hear-me-mumble/?
http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/roy-wants-to-spend/?
Roy wants to spend
Filed under: General — weltmeisterclaude @ 10:38 pm
Roy making his usual noises about next season:
"A lot of the money that I have spent in my couple of years has actually been recouped, in part by the sale of Smalling.
"Of course that doesn't help the chairman, because all the money he has put in in the past hasn't been.
"However, I am still asking him to put money onto money and I am aware of that."
It's funny just how much football teams change isn't it? You'd think that, once in a while, teams would settle down. But these days it just never happens. Can we build a team to stay the same for five years? Almost certainly not.
Schwarzer – will be 40 before too long
Paintsil – should be okay for a while
Konchesky/Shorey – one of them is going to have to leave at some point
Hughes/Hangeland – would be nice for them to play out their days together. I'd like that
Duff – you'd hope we'll keep him a while
Dikgacoi/Etuhu/Baird/Greening – presumably can't all be happy, but all are keepable
Murphy – one of these days he'll have gone on too long
Dempsey – Dempsey's a risk to get plucked; Gera should be keepable
Zamora – looks set; Arsenal should buy him though
Johnson – we still need a long-term 'answer' here don't we? I like the look of Okaka but that's just conjecture.
So the team, if it is to be 'finished' for a few years, is still short a playmaker and a goalscorer. And maybe some depth. And a goalkeeper really.
There.
http://fulhamish.blogspot.com/2010/02/ffc-paintball.html?
Monday, February 08, 2010
FFC Paintball
A random internet search tonight plucked this gem of a picture from the jaws of obscurity. It must have been during Lawrie Sanchez' one and only pre-season prep. Lots of happy smiling faces (apart from Wayne Brown strangely). I'm looking forward to Burnley tomorrow night, they were the team I saw play against Fulham in my very first match. How far we've both come since then.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JAR7UvJP0gc/S3Cdk-YmQdI/AAAAAAAABOg/J1mu2O6Fpn0/s640/fulham)
http://www.fulham-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/famous_fulham_players_no_6_bob_thomas_492267/index.shtml
Famous Fulham Players: No 6 Bob Thomas
By Kevin Markey Tuesday, 9th February 2010
'Over the bar Bob'.
Bob Thomas
1947-51, 167 appearances, 55 goals
Nicknamed "Over the bar Bob," Thomas did, however, score 23 goals in Fulham's 1948-49 second division championship season, and managed 57 in 176 career games for the Whites. Worked for the Financial Times after he retired from football.
http://fulham.theoffside.com/team-news/loaner-report-28.html?
Loaner Report 2/8/10
By: timmyg | February 8th, 2010
Diomansy Kamara started in and played 90 minutes in Celtic's 1-0 loss at Kilmarnock last Tuesday. He started, played 65 minutes and scored a goal in Celtic's 4-2 win at Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Cup on Saturday.
Eddie Johnson started and played 45 minutes in Aris Thessaloniki's match against Panthrakikos on Saturday. The match was abandoned at halftime because of a waterlogged pitch.
David Stockdale started and played 90 minutes in Plymouth's 1-0 loss against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. He recorded 6 saves, including a penalty.
Toni Kallio started, played 90 minutes, and received a yellow card in Sheffield United's 1-1 draw with Derby County on Saturday.
Matthew Briggs was an unused substitute in Leyton Orient's 3-0 win over Bristol Rovers last Tuesday and the O's 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
Wayne Brown started and played 67 minutes in Bristol Rovers' 3-0 loss at Leyton Orient last Tuesday. He started and played 90 minutes in the Pirates' 0-0 draw at Walsall.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/7189546/Fulham-v-Burnley-match-preview.html?
Fulham v Burnley: match preview
Read a full match preview of the Premier League game between Fulham and Burnley at Craven Cottage on Tuesday Feb 09 2010, kick-off 20.00 GMT.
By John Ley
Published: 6:00AM GMT 09 Feb 2010
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson Photo: PA
Tuesday, February 9
Fulham v Burnley
Craven Cottage
Kick-off: 20.00 GMT
TV: Highlights MotD Feb 10.
Fulham have scored one goal in their last five Premier League games but they have kept successive clean sheets. When the teams met at Turf Moor Bobby Zamora gave Fulham the lead but Wade Elliott responded to earn Burnley a point.
Burnley beat West Ham on Saturday to claim their first League win in 13. But they have the worst away record in the Premier League with one point from 12 games and 35 goals conceded.
Fulham's injury problems show no sign on improving. Andrew Johnson is out for the season while Paul Konchesky, Clint Dempsey and John Pantsil are out and Zoltan Gera and Simon Davies undergo tests. But Bobby Zamora and Stefano Okaka should return to attack. Burnley test Stephen Caldwell, Stephen Jordan, Christian Kalvanes, Graham Alexander and Chris McCann.
Fulham (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Shorey; Duff, Dikgacoi, Murphy, Greening; Okaka, Zamora.
Burnley (4-4-2): Jensen; Mears, Cort, Carlisle, Fox; Elliott, Bikey, McDonald, Blake; Nugent, Fletcher.
Referee: Chris Foy. Matches: 19. R2 Y48.
This season: Burnley 1 Fulham 1.
Last season: N/A.
Stat of the game: Fulham have won their last six home League games against Burnley.
Betting tip: Take 1-0 to Fulham at 4-1.
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1775_5927563,00.html?
Laws: Hodgson perfect for England
Brian Laws thinks Roy Hodgson would be "the perfect choice" to succeed Fabio Capello as England manager as he "knows the game inside out".
Laws' Burnley side travel to Craven Cottage in the Premier League on Tuesday night to take on Fulham, whose fortunes have been transformed by Hodgson over the last two years.
The Cottagers were struggling in the relegation zone when Hodgson was appointed manager in December 2007, but after keeping the club up in his first season, the former Blackburn and Inter Milan boss led them to seventh place and qualification for Europe in the following campaign.
Fulham are currently 10th in the table and have made it to the knockout stages of the Europa League, with Hodgson signing a new 12-month rolling contract in December.
But the 62-year-old, who has international managerial experience with Switzerland and Finland, has frequently been touted as a successor to Capello when the Italian's time in charge of England comes to an end, and Laws believes Hodgson has the ideal credentials.
"He's very experienced, he knows the game inside out and I think he'd be the perfect choice," said Laws.
"I don't think you can be England manager without all those ingredients.
"You have to have had those experiences and I think you have to be at a certain age. It's not one for a young manager; I think you have got to be seasoned.
"You need that aura about you and he has certainly got that."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article7019392.ece
Zat Knight (Bolton Wanderers): 1 league point, 90 minutes played.
Dispensed of by Fulham a couple of years back, Knight produced an outstanding performance in central defence against his old club at the weekend to earn Bolton Wanderers a point at the Reebok Stadium that would have been three had Kevin Davies not had a last-minute "goal" controversially ruled out. Knight has found himself back in favour at Bolton following the appointment of Owen Coyle as manager and can expect plenty more playing time now that Gary Cahill's season appears to be over.
http://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/pass-10-noticed-weekends-pl-action
10. Whatever will be will be - Another bore fest at Bolton was almost reprieved when Kevin Davies headed home a last minute winner, only for it to be disallowed for absolutely nothing at all. Presumably the referee, and Fulham, were under the impression they were playing Pompey's version of non touch football?
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1775_5926686,00.html
Cottagers boss wary of complacency
Roy Hodgson hopes it will not be a case of deja vu when Fulham host relegation battlers Burnley in the Premier League on Tuesday.
The Cottagers made hard work of seeing off the challenge of bottom club Portsmouth last week, when the visitors dominated for long spells before eventually being beaten by a late goal from Jonathan Greening.
Fulham had lost five successive Premier League games before the victory over Pompey, and picked up another point following a goalless draw at Bolton.
Hodgson, though, knows full well his team must not be complacent against the Clarets, despite their dreadful away record of 11 defeats and one draw.
"On paper, it looks just like the Portsmouth game - it is one which Fulham should comfortably win, but it certainly won't be like that," said Hodgson.
"If ever we needed a reminder, we only have to cast our minds back a week ago.
"Portsmouth came and played very well, and we were fortunate to get away with three points, and Portsmouth were unlucky to go away with nothing.
"That should be uppermost in our mind.
"We should be making sure we keep doing the things which have got us four points from the last two games."
Hodgson added: "We need to remain humble and modest, knowing full well we are not in the form we were in just before Christmas, which is understandable given the fact the team has changed so much.
"We have barely got 18 players. There is no longer a selection problem at this club, (the problem) is 'have we got 18 fit players to fit the 11 spots and fill the substitutes bench?'.
"Until we get back to a situation where the squad starts to resemble normal size with quality players back, it will be difficult for us.
"It is not easy to finish mid-table and we cannot ignore the fact that playing FA Cup matches and Europa League matches, when other sides are out, places a further burden on our resources, making the league match which follows much more difficult for us."
Striker Bobby Zamora has recovered from a virus and is expected to come back into the starting XI tomorrow and midfielder Simon Davies is also fit again after overcoming an ankle problem.
However, South Africa international Kagisho Dikgacoi has been ruled out for up to six weeks because of ankle ligament damage suffered at Bolton.
With striker Andrew Johnson, recovering from knee surgery, out for the rest of the season, and Paul Konchesky, Clint Dempsey and John Pantsil all still sidelined, Hodgson admits his squad is at full stretch as he prepares for the weekend's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Notts County as well as the resumption of the European campaign.
"Bobby is fine and has recovered from his sickness, and will be back in contention tomorrow, as is Simon Davies," said Hodgson.
"The game at Bolton was once again an expensive game for us, because we got a point, but have lost another player as Dikgacoi will be out for five to six weeks."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8503958.stm
Fulham v Burnley
Live text and stats
Content will update automatically
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Premier League
Home Team Score Away Team Time
Fulham v Burnley 20:00
FULHAMBURNLEYPossession
Fulham 50% Burnley 50% Attempts on target
Fulham 0 Burnley 0 Attempts off target
Fulham 0 Burnley 0 Corners
Fulham 0 Burnley 0 Fouls
Fulham 0 Burnley 0
Barclays Premier League
Venue: Craven Cottage Date: Tuesday 9 February 2010 Kick-off: 2000 GMT
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 Live, local radio & highlights on Match of the Day on Wednesday
TEAM NEWS
Fulham welcome back top scorer Bobby Zamora after illness while Simon Davies also returns.
But midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi will be out for up to six weeks after damaging ankle ligaments in the weekend's draw with Bolton.
Burnley defender Stephen Jordan could be fit to play after a fortnight out with a hamstring strain.
Chris McCann (knee), Graham Alexander (calf) and Steven Caldwell (groin) remain sidelined.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fulham (from): Schwarzer, Hangeland, Baird, Hughes, Shorey, Duff, Murphy, Greening, Etuhu, Nevland, Okaka, Elm, Smalling, Zuberbuhler, Riise, Stoor, Kelly, Davies, Zamora.
Burnley (from): Jensen, Weaver, Carlisle, Cort, Bikey, Jordan, Mears, Edgar, Eagles, Elliott, McDonald, Fletcher, Duff, Blake, Thompson, Penny, Guerrero, Gudjonsson, Kalvenes, Eckersley, Nugent, Nimani, Paterson, Fox, Cork.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fulham
Doubtful: Gera (knee)
Injured: Dempsey, Johnson & Pantsil (all knee), Dikgacoi (ankle), Konchesky (ankle)
Burnley
Doubtful: Jordan (hamstring)
Injured: Alexander (calf), Caldwell (groin), McCann (knee)
MATCH PREVIEW
After notching up his first win as Burnley manager, Brian Laws revisits the ground where he scored his first goal as a Clarets player.
February is going to be a very difficult month.
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson
An 18-year-old Laws opened the scoring in Burnley's 2-0 win at Craven Cottage in an old Division Three match in October 1980 that is also the last time the Clarets tasted victory at Fulham.
Now the Burnley manager must hope such omens inspire his team, who have the worst away record in the Premier League, with just one point earned all season.
Striking statistics about Fulham are of a more literal kind - Roy Hodgson's side have scored just once in their last five league matches.
And with Andrew Johnson ruled out for the season, Clint Dempsey battling with a knee injury and Bobby Zamora recovering from illness, Hodgson must be wondering where the much-needed goals will come from.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• Burnley have not won on their last seven league visits to Craven Cottage - their last win there came in an old Division Three clash in 1980.
• The teams drew 1-1 at Turf Moor in the reverse fixture in December.
606: DEBATE
Have your say on Tuesday's match
Fulham
• Fulham have lost just one of their last nine league games at Craven Cottage.
• The Cottagers have scored just one goal in their last five league matches.
Burnley
• Burnley have not won away from home in the league all season and have lost their last six away league matches.
• The Clarets have picked up just one point away from home - at Manchester City in November - from a possible 36.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
Fulham
Zamora: 11 goals (6 league); Dempsey: 7 goals (6 league)
Burnley
Fletcher: 10 goals (6 league); Alexander: 6 goals (5 league)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Chris Foy
Assistant referees: Mike Bull & Ron Ganfield
Fourth official: Dean Whitestone
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
Fulham (D0-0 v Bolton, a): Schwarzer, Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Shorey, Duff, Dikgacoi (Etuhu 55), Murphy, Greening, Elm (Okaka 76), Nevland (Smalling 76).
Subs not used: Zuberbuhler, Kelly, Riise, Stoor.
Burnley (W2-1 v West Ham, h): Jensen, Mears, Cort, Carlisle, Fox (Edgar 86), Elliott, Bikey, McDonald, Blake (Paterson 72), Nugent (Thompson 88), Fletcher.
Subs not used: Weaver, Duff, Eagles, Cork.
MOST RECENT MEETING
Burnley 1-1 Fulham (12 December 2009)
Burnley scorer: Elliott 60
Fulham scorer: Zamora 50
http://www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk/burnleyfc/Burnley-FC-winger-Chris-Eagles.6052516.jp
Burnley FC winger Chris Eagles still have a part to play
08 February 2010
By Chris Boden
BRIAN Laws sprung a surprise on Saturday by leaving Chris Eagles out of the side.
But he has assured the hugely talented wide man he is a big fan of the 24-year-old, and he will have a major part to play as the Clarets look to stave off relegation.
Eagles started the season on the bench, but his impact as a substitute, notably against Sunderland and Blackburn, earned a first start against Wigan, and he had started the last 16 games before the weekend.
However, as Laws starts to tweak the style and shape of the side, he is met with the conundrum of making the side more solid, while retaining that attacking flair.
And with West Ham playing a narrow midfield, with Julian Faubert bombing on down the right from full back, Laws went with Robbie Blake and Wade Elliott in the wide positions, utilising the pace and overlapping qualities of debutant Danny Fox and Tyrone Mears.
Asked whether it was a tough decision to leave out Eagles, arguably the side's stand-out player of late, Laws said: "Absolutely. Every decision we make is a tough one.
"Chris hasn't done anything wrong, I just think the gameplan, with how West Ham were going to play, suited the players better than Chris.
"He'll be disappointed, I'd be very disappointed if he wasn't, however, justification is winning the game."
Laws insists it is very much a case of horses for courses as he looks for the results to keep the Clarets in the top flight: "It's not just about leaving Chris out, it's about doing things right and, going into the next game, it could be someone else who is left out, even though we won the game.
"We've got to take each game on it's own merits.
"Players don't like being left out of the side, but you have to do what you have to do.
"They are uncomfortable decisions, but you have to make them.
"Chris is a good player, no question about it, and he'll find himself back in the team sooner rather than later, so he's got nothing to worry about.
"He's a fans' favourite, and we know what he's capable of.
"Just this particular game I felt suited someone else."
Laws has wrestled with Burnley's propensity for open, expansive football, while noting a need for more organisation and discipline, and he added: "We knew what was at stake when we came into the job, and I couldn't have asked for a worse start with Manchester United, Chelsea, but there were elements within those games that we were developing and improving, becoming much more solid.
"The way the team had been playing was very cavalier, very open, and it looks pleasing to the eye, but you're 2-0 down.
"To add that little bit of shape and knowledge has helped them, and now we've got that result under our belt now we can march on and go to Fulham believing we can get a result there.
"We said these five games will be the turning point, which direction are we going in?
"We've got a win in the first one, and it's onwards and upwards.
"We believe this is the start of our season."
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23803606-roy-hodgson-hopes-to-spend-big-to-breathe-life-into-fulham.do
Roy Hodgson hopes to spend big to breathe life into Fulham
David Smith
09.02.10
Roy Hodgson believes Fulham's academy has unearthed two more gems with the potential to be just as valuable as Chris Smalling, the England Under-21 defender who is bound for Manchester United for a fee that could reach £12million.
But since Wayne Brown and Robert Milsom have still to mature into regular first-team squad members, Hodgson has revealed he will seek the agreement of chairman Mohamed Fayed to go on a summer spending spree.
Hodgson is desperate to breathe new life into a team so decimated by injuries that he has already conceded last season's club record seventh-place finish in the Premier League is almost certainly beyond reach.
South African midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi, who limped out of Saturday's goalless draw at Bolton, has now joined John Pantsil, Paul Konchesky, Clint Dempsey and Andy Johnson on the long-term injury list.
Bobby Zamora, who missed the game with a virus, and Simon Davies, who was out for much of December, are back for tonight's game at home to a Burnley side boosted by new manager Brian Laws' first win over rival relegation strugglers West Ham at the weekend.
But Hodgson acknowledges he will need to spend in the summer despite 21-year-old Brown earning rave reviews for a loan period with Finnish side TPS Turku and fellow midfielder Milsom, 23, having recovered from a cruciate ligament injury.
Hodgson said: "Brown is now doing well on loan at Bristol Rovers and we like Milsom very much. We think they've got a chance to be players.
"But we are fully aware that if we are to do as well as we have done in the last year and a half then we will need some help in the summer.
"That will probably mean we will be seeking some quality additions as we've run the squad right down. We have between now and the summer to identify targets and persuade the chairman that all the support he has given in the past isn't yet finished and he has to keep going.
"A lot of the money that I have spent in my couple of years here has actually been recouped, in part by the sale of Smalling.
"That hasn't helped the chairman, because all the money he has put in in the past hasn't been.
"However, I'm still asking him to put money onto money."
Hodgson is already poised to turn left-back Nicky Shorey's loan from Aston Villa into a permanent move after the former England international's impressive performances in place of Konchesky.
And a striker will be on the shopping list, even though Hodgson is confident Johnson will return fully fit for the start of next season following knee surgery conducted this week.
Towering Swede David Elm is tonight set to make his second start as Zamora's strike partner.
http://hammyend.com/?p=5320
Where Fulham could be in a few years
by Dan on February 9, 2010
Rich has a post up over at CCN suggesting that we don't see many teams built and staying together in modern football these days. His list is a bleak assessment of the prospect of Roy Hodgson putting together a side at Fulham any time soon. But, taking a little more long-term view, you could see the seeds of this future Fulham line-up being sown in the next few months:
Stockdale
Marsh-Brown —– Hughes —– Hangeland —— Shorey
Duff ———- Dikgacoi ——– Brown ———- Dempsey
A. Johnson ————- Zamora
Not bad, eh?
Aaron Hughes has already made 111 appearances for Fulham, whilst Hangeland's ten shy of bringing up his ton. As Rich says it would be nice for them to carry on together for a few more years. Say, we didn't hang onto Nicky Shorey for whatever reason, and you could play another centurion in Paul Konchesky at left back.
The interesting one for me is Wayne Brown in central midfield. Touted by a few as a possible long-term replacement for current captain Danny Murphy, Brown's currently out on loan at Bristol Rovers and he'll have to work hard to get into the central midfield picture given all the quality we have in that area now. If that was a sentimental pick, there's plenty of experience on the flanks in Damien Duff and Clint Dempsey (Fulham's longest serving player in the current squad has notched up 122 appearances for the Whites).
If any of Marcello Trotta, Richard Peniket or Danny Hoesen progress to match their talent then we could have an Academy scholar partnering Bobby up front in due course too.
http://www.adifferentleague.co.uk/default.aspx?Tab=1&Page=6&Article=1384
Club Focus - Fulham - Sturdy at the back yet limp in attack
By Matt Domm
At long last the gods of luck have been distracted and the Whites are beginning to get just a little of their attention. Enough interest to provide four points from two somewhat undeserving performances, that is, yet they still refuse to allow Roy Hodgson's injury list any respite.
Kagisho Dikgacoi is possibly the most patient man in west London. He waited the best part of a calendar year to join the club after Work Permit appeals and problems persisted. He waited until his new manager thought he was fully match fit before he made his debut. He waited - with newspaper interviews claiming his intent - for injuries or suspensions to allow him to make his first start, so he could stamp his authority on the side. Now, after sitting through all that, he faces five to six weeks on the sidelines due to an injury picked up at the Reebok on Saturday. It seems someone does not want him to play for the host nation in the World Cup this summer, despite him showing what he is capable in the 55 minutes he did manage at the weekend. In yet another below-par team performance, Dikgacoi was the best outfield player in his minutes on the pitch. He mopped up well in front of the over-active defence and kept things ticking over tidily. Although Chris Baird has become a completely new player in the holding midfield role, Dikgacoi - a natural in the position - helps the side going forward more than his Northern Irish counterpart. Baird's versatility helps him perform where needed, but Dikgacoi offers enough more that, if not for his injury, he would be fighting with Dickson Etuhu for the slot permanently. So, for Hodgson, instead of having a natural holding midfielder available to ease his injury woes, he will have to make do with a utility man for a while longer.
Despite luck not favouring Hodgson in terms of injuries this year, the new month has seen a more solid defence creating their own. The fortune at the weekend was having a referee who appears to know the rulebook, which clearly states that no pushing or pulling - or wrestling, Zat Knight - can go on in the penalty box. Some officials will ignore Bolton's sparring, but others, Mark Clattenburg included, are intent on stamping out unfair play, which was emphasised by his handing out of six yellow cards to Owen Coyle's side. Although the referee claimed he disallowed the hosts' last-minute winner due to the push by Kevin Davies on Brede Hangeland (which was somewhat fortunate), other incidents in the box from the Bolton players make the decision a good one. With that verdict came Fulham's second clean sheet in as many games, a statistic that will please their manager, who had previously seen his side concede 11 goals in just five games. Fans will be pleased, too, but they will also be looking for more potency going forward, as those same games provided just three goals, with a further one strike arriving this month, to make the total four in seven.
Top-scorer Bobby Zamora should return to the starting XI against Burnley tonight, which should make the Whites far more of a threat going forward, but otherwise the manager has limited options in the attacking department. Against Bolton David Elm got his first start, and despite him being alongside a more frequently seen face in Erik Nevland, even he is used far more often off the bench than in the starting line-up. The return of Zamora will probably see Elm return to the bench, but with Hodgson's preferred trio of partners for the big man, Andy Johnson, Clint Dempsey and Zoltan Gera, all out, Nevland - who is a super-sub by trade - will most likely continue. Coming on in the second halves of games, the Norwegian would be fancied to score against any opponents, but when on the pitch from kick-off his man threats, surprise, intelligent running and exquisite finishing are somewhat wasted. That said, a home tie against Burnley, a side with an even worse away record than Fulham, is as good an opportunity as any for the struggling forwards to rediscover their goalscoring touch.
It is likely to be another scrappy, hard-fought contest tonight, but the Burnley fixture offers a real chance for the sturdy defence to gain even more confidence and the limp attack to find some of their own.
http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/hodgson-pins-hopes-fit-hitman-1020222.html
Hodgson pins hopes on fit hitman
Fulham, 09:33, February 9, 2010
Striker Bobby Zamora is fit following a virus for Fulham's home clash against Burnley on Tuesday but Kagisho Dikgacoi is out.
Cottagers boss Roy Hodgson has endured a nightmare time with injuries for the majority of this season and his problems continued on Monday when South African midfielder Dikgacoi was ruled out for up to six weeks because of ankle ligament damage.
Striker Andrew Johnson is out for the season following knee surgery, while Paul Konchesky, Clint Dempsey and John Pantsil are all still sidelined.
However Fulham are boosted by Zamora's return from illness and Simon Davies is also fit following an ankle injury. And Hodgson is hopeful that Zamora can help inspire the side to victory against Brian Laws' Clarets, who occupy a place in the relegation zone.
He said: "There is a lot of responsibility on him, but Bobby is used to responsibility and has taken it on his shoulders ever since he came to the club.
"When we were playing well before Christmas, getting through in Europe and doing well in the Premier League, he was in splendid form.
"There will be a lot of weight on his shoulders, but he is big enough to carry it."
http://www.burnleyfootballclub.com/page/LatestHeadlines/0,,10413~1959852,00.html
FULHAM v BURNLEY: The Preview
Posted on: Tue 09 Feb 2010
Barclays Premier League
Fulham v Burnley
Craven Cottage 09/02/10
Kick-off: 7.45
OVERVIEW
The Clarets head for Craven Cottage buoyed by Saturday's win over West Ham which has breathed new life into their battle for Premier League safety.
A first away win is the next major obstacle to overcome, although even a point would represent progress under Brian Laws.
Fulham have lost just once at Craven Cottage in their last nine games, but this still looks an opportunity for Laws' new-look Burnley line-up to break their away-day duck and climb further away from trouble.
Roy Hodgson has again worked wonder on the banks of the Thames but injuries have taken their toll and the Cottagers are not at the top of their game.
They are tenth in the table and stopped the rot of a recent run of five straight defeats with four points from their last two games.
But they came against Portsmouth and Bolton and with just one goal in five games the evidence suggests they are not firing on all cylinders and have FA Cup and Europa Cup ties to come as their sapping season continues.
Bobby Zamora celebrates his goal at Turf Moor
ONE TO WATCH
Bobby Zamora couldn't buy a goal last season but has hit 11 this term to lead the Cottagers' scoring charts - including one at Turf Moor in December. The former Tottenham and West Ham striker is having to carry much of the goalscoring burden with Clint Dempsey out with a knee injury and Andrew Johnson ruled out for the season.
STAT OF THE DAY
Brian Laws scored his first goal for the Clarets at Fulham in October 19080 - the last time Burnley won at Craven Cottage.
LAST MEETING
12/12/09 Burnley 1 (Elliott 60), Fulham 1 (Zamora 51)
Burnley: Jensen, Mears, Jordan, Carlisle, Caldwell, Alexander, Bikey (McDonald 77), Eagles (Guerrero 86), Fletcher, Blake (Nugent 57), Elliott. Substitutes: Penny, Kalvenes, Gudjonsson, Thompson.
Fulham: Schwarzer, Konchesky, Paintsil, Hangeland, Baird, Nevland (Gera 77), Duff, Hughes, Dempsey, Zamora, Greening. Substitutes: Stockdale, Murphy, Riise, Smalling, Elm, Dikgacoi.
Referee: Mike Jones
Attendance: 18,397
Wade Elliott earned Burnley a point in December
FORM GUIDE (last ten league games)
Burnley: LDDLDLLLLW
Fulham: DWDLLLLLWD
TEAM NEWS
Burnley: Stephen Jordan could return to the Clarets' squad after missing four weeks with a hamstring problem but Chris McCann has not yet fully recovered from his knee problem.
Graham Alexander and Steven Caldwell remain sidelined so Clarke Carlisle will carry on as skipper with boss Brian Laws doubtless considering few changes from last Saturday's winning line-up.
Fulham: Fulham have been hit by major injury problems in recent weeks with the absences of Clint Dempsey and Andrew Johnson potentially the most damaging after Roy Hodgson allowed Diomansy Kamara to join Celtic on transfer deadline day.
The Cottagers are also without midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi and defenders John Pantsil and Paul Konchesky for the visit of the Clarets, while Zoltan Gera is a doubt.
But top scorer Bobby Zamora returns after missing Saturday's goalless draw at Bolton through illness and winger Simon Davies is also set to return.
Referee: Chris Foy
David Nugent helped send Burnley off as winners
LAST TIME OUT
Burnley 2 (Nugent 14, Fox 55), West Ham 1 (Ilan 80)
Burnley: Jensen, Mears, Carlisle, Cort, Fox (Edgar 85), Bikey, Nugent (Thompson 88), McDonald, Elliott, Fletcher, Blake (Paterson 73). Subs: Duff, Eagles, Cork, Weaver.
Bolton 0, Fulham 0
Fulham: Schwarzer, Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Shorey, Duff, Murphy, Dikgacoi (Etuhu 54), Greening, Elm (Okaka 75), Nevland (Smalling 75). Subs: Kelly, Riise, Stoor, Zuberbuhler.
THEY SAID
Brian Laws: "We've only had one point away and so there's only one way we can go, and that's upwards. After a good win on we are in the mood."
Roy Hodgson: "Personally I don't have the same feeling that I know Burnley as well as I would say know Arsenal or Manchester United if we were playing them come Tuesday."
Premier League fixtures (7.45pm unless stated)
Tonight
Fulham v Burnley (8.00)
Man City v Bolton
Portsmouth v Sunderland
Wigan v Stoke
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=738898&sec=england&cc=5739
Coyle defends Davies following Clattenburg claim
By Soccernet staff
February 9, 2010
Bolton Wanderers manager Owen Coyle has urged the Football Association not to take action against Kevin Davies despite the striker claiming referee Mark Clattenburg has a personal grudge against him.
Kevin Davies feels there is "something personal" with Mark Clattenburg
Davies was controversially denied a late winner in Saturday's 0-0 draw with Fulham when he was penalised for what Clattenburg deemed to be a push on Cottagers defender Brede Hangeland as he headed home.
The Bolton striker subsequently claimed that there was "something personal" behind Clattenburg's decision and that "when I saw who was the referee I didn't expect to get anything off him".
It is reported that the FA will scrutinise the comments and that disciplinary action could follow, but Coyle has defended Davies' outburst.
"He certainly shouldn't be reprimanded," Coyle said. "Kevin is a very honest player. He is a physical player, that's the way he plays the game. But he probably gets hit more than anyone else as well. You need a balance.
"He is a terrific captain and a terrific player, who scored a perfectly good goal. It is only right he feels aggrieved. If people are going to get into trouble for being honest, it is a sad day."
http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/sport/news/Burton-adapting-League-life/article-1814195-detail/article.html
Burton adapting well to League life
Tuesday, February 09, 2010, 08:00
BURTON Albion have made a solid start to life in the Football League following their promotion from the Blue Square Premier last season.
Paul Peschisolido took over from interim boss Roy McFarland in the summer and has guided the Brewers to 12th place in League Two.
They have won three out of their last four games.
Peschisolido is a former Fulham team-mate of Cheltenham Town striker Elvis Hammond.
They defeated Port Vale 1-0 on Saturday, courtesy of Tottenham Hotspur loanee Jacques Maghoma's 39th-minute strike.
Shaun Harrad leads the way with 10 goals this term, while Greg Pearson has scored nine.
Robins boss Mark Yates sold Russell Penn to Burton from Kidderminster Harriers last summer and he also tried to sign long-serving full-back Aaron Webster during his time in charge at Aggborough.
Cheltenham and Burton last met in a competitive fixture in May 1997.
It was the final day of the Southern League Premier Division season and a 0-0 draw gave Cheltenham the result they needed to secure promotion to the Conference.
Darren Stride remains at Burton from that season and is the club's record appearance maker.
http://hammyend.com/?p=5316
Up next: Burnley (h)
by Dan on February 9, 2010
Tonight's game against Burnley is vital for Fulham. Not just in the short-term sense of keeping up our improved form, with four points from attritional fixtures against Portsmouth and Bolton in four days, but also in determining the direction of the rest of our season. How so? Well, we saw last season how Roy Hodgson became more adventurous in his tactics – particularly away from home – once safety was achieved. There's no reason to doubt that, injuries permitting, the wily old fox would be more willing to fully commit to our FA Cup and Europa League runs if a couple more wins nudged us closer to the 38-40 point mark.
Recent signs have been encouraging for Hodgson. Fulham were much tighter defensively at the Reebok on Saturday than they were in an alarming first half against Pompey at the Cottage and clung on at the end for a big point. It's no secret that Roy plays with much less caution down by the Thames and a Burnley side that could justifiably sniff a chance of recording their first away win in the Premier League will be typically obdurate opponents.
Just how Hodgson sets up his side will depend on the ongoing injury nightmare. At least Bobby Zamora will be back to lead the line, having missed the trip to Lancashire with a virus. Simon Davies could be in contention to play down the right as well, which could be very timely indeed if Zoltan Gera fails to recover in time from the injury he picked up in training last week. Whether Hodgson will risk the Welshman, who was forced off early against Aston Villa with a recurrence of the foot problem that has plagued him for the past eighteen months, is something of a moot point.
There can be no denying that Fulham are without a number of key players, though, and Kagisho Dikgacoi is the latest to face a lengthy lay-off having been forced out of the Bolton game with an ankle injury. The Whites are fortunate that Dickson Etuhu is able to step straight into the South African's place as the anchor of our midfield quartet, especially as Chris Baird – excellent in that role so far this season – is likely to pressed into service at right back again, ahead of the underperforming Stephen Kelly.
Of course, the possible return of Davies or Gera could mean that Jonathan Greening returns to the substitutes bench, which would be harsh on the on-loan midfielder. He's played a more noticeable role since having a shave (though I'm sure the two are unrelated!) and has demonstrated his versatility by filling the left midfield berth in the last two matches. He popped up to score his second goal from a strikingly similar position against Portsmouth in as many seasons and covered plenty of ground at Bolton a few days later.
Hodgson's conumdrum is who to play alongside Zamora up front. Stefano Okaka should be fairly fresh after the briefest of runs up at the Reebok and must be the favourite to play alongside Bobby, especially in the light of Erik Nevland's disappointing display on Saturday. Okaka, though still incredibly inexperienced, looks like a lively customer, showing his spirit for the fight with a lengthy bit of tracking back to recover possession at Bolton, which he followed with a mazy dribble.
A few people have been perturbed by Hodgson's admission that he hasn't studied Burnley too closely. While it strikes me as a public statement that's very unlike Roy, the point he was trying to get across was that the Clarets' style hasn't changed much despite the switch from Owen Coyle to Brian Laws in the dugout. Laws had made some excellent additions in the transfer window and Danny Fox, whose fledging career went backwards north of the border, made a real impact against West Ham at the weekend. Hangeland and Hughes will also need to watch out for the rejuvanated David Nugent, capped for England under Steve McClaren, who looks to have rediscovered that precious poacher's instinct.
MY FULHAM XI (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Baird, Shorey, Hughes, Hangeland; Etuhu, Murphy, Greening, Duff; Zamora, Okaka. Subs: Zuberbuhler, Smalling, Kelly, Davies, Riise, Nevland, Elm.
http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/local/Fulham-v-Burnley-Laws-backing.6054180.jp
Fulham v Burnley: Laws backing rival Roy for England role
Date: 09 February 2010
Brian Laws thinks Roy Hodgson would be "the perfect choice" to succeed Fabio Capello as England manager.
Laws' Burnley side travel to Craven Cottage in the Barclays Premier League tonight to take on Fulham, whose fortunes have been transformed by Hodgson over the last two years.
The Cottagers were struggling in the relegation zone when Hodgson was appointed manager in December 2007, but after keeping the club up in his first season, the former Blackburn and Inter Milan boss led them to seventh place and qualification for Europe in the following campaign.
Fulham are currently 10th in the table and have made it to the knockout stages of the Europa League, with Hodgson signing a new 12-month rolling contract in December.
But the 62-year-old, who has international managerial experience with Switzerland and Finland, has frequently been touted as a successor to Capello when the Italian's time in charge of England comes to an end, and Laws believes Hodgson has the ideal credentials.
"He's very experienced, he knows the game inside out and I think he'd be the perfect choice," said Laws.
"I don't think you can be England manager without all those ingredients.
"You have to have had those experiences and I think you have to be at a certain age. It's not one for a young manager; I think you have got to be seasoned.
"You need that aura about you and he has certainly got that."
Laws has no fresh injury concerns ahead of tonight's contest and defender Stephen Jordan is pushing to be in contention after two weeks out with a hamstring strain.
Chris McCann's recovery from a knee problem is progressing well but the match has come too soon for him, while Graham Alexander (calf) and Steven Caldwell (groin) remain out.
Meanwhile, Burnley have unveiled ambitious plans for the redevelopment of Turf Moor as part of a project that also includes the country's first 'Football University'.
Clarets chief executive Paul Fletcher is leading the 'Premier Plan' in conjunction with Burnley Borough Council and The Prince's Charities.
The proposals would see a "StadiArena" stand erected in place of the David Fishwick Stand at Turf Moor, which would be employed to stage concerts and conferences in addition to its use for football.
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/4995964.Jensen_looks_for_first_away_win/
Jensen looks for first away win
8:37am Tuesday 9th February 2010
By Suzanne Geldard »
BRIAN Jensen is targeting back-to-back wins to kick-start Burnley's season, and keep the Clarets out of the bottom three.
Having spent more than a week in the relegation zone, Brian Laws' men climbed back up to 15th by picking up three points for the first time since October with Saturday's 2-1 win over West Ham United.
Jensen aims to build on that by claiming a first Premier League away win at Fulham tonight, and he believes a more resolute approach instilled by new boss Laws will soon pay dividends.
"We are more organised," said the Danish goalkeeper, who has his sights set on a first clean sheet since beating Hull City three months ago.
"It's different. You're trying to find a balance now where we're playing a lot of positive football going forward. Maybe we didn't focus too much at the back and defensively before now. But the gaffer is trying to add a little bit of that, to try to be more organised and tactically maybe go a little bit differently about it, especially in away games.
"We know what to do. But we also know in this league, you can try to prevent it, but if the service is good and the run is good - like you saw with John Terry when we played Chelsea - it doesn't matter.
"We do look more solid but we still have to find the balance between playing good football and being organised at the same time. We're slowly getting there."
And Jensen feels a long-awaited win could speed up the process.
"Of course it gave us a boost – we hadn't won for ages.
"Hopefully it was a turning point on Saturday and fingers crossed we can do even better at Fulham. That could kick-start our season again," said the 34-year-old, who revealed the frustrations of a winless three-month spell.
"It's tough, definitely," he continued.
"We're in the best league in the world now, playing against the best opposition and in the best grounds in the world.
"If you don't get the results and you're not confident it will always be tough.
"Confidence is everything in football.
"If you're not confident and you don't have a strong mentality you might as well just pack it in.
"It's a tough season. We just have to keep on our toes and see if we can get that clean sheet again, that would be nice because it's been a while now," added Jensen, who has made the most saves in the Premier League according to the Opta statistics.
"I'm there to make the saves. We just want the points on the table and stay in this league."
And manager Laws has urged his players not to dip below the standards they set in securing his first win since taking charge last month.
"We're fighting against good players and good clubs. If we can't match them for ability then what we can do is work extremely hard, as we did on Saturday against a very good West Ham side," he said.
"You throw your body in the way, you work hard, and the stats don't lie.
"On the ProZone stats we've worked harder than they have, we've run further than West Ham. It shows you that you have to put in the groundwork.
"The players know it was a fantastic win but that's the start. We've set the bar and set the targets and now we've got to change the mentality away from home, and if we can get a result away from home that will just embrace everything that we're doing at the moment.
"We can't afford to drift off the high standard because anything less then we won't win a game in the Premier League. We have to be at our best, on full throttle, and hope the opposition are below that. There's a weakness in every team."
Lapses in concentration have proved to be Burnley's Achilles heel this season, but Laws admitted he is working hard to iron out such errors.
"The lads have made some elementary mistakes, which you get away with in the Championship, but you get murdered in the Premier League," he said.
"The opposition might only have two or three opportunities, but they'll bury them.
"I watched Birmingham against Wolves, who were in full control with 10 minutes left, and they lose 2-1 with two slip-ups, not getting tight.
"Give a player time and space, the likes of (Kevin) Phillips, and it's in the back of the net.
"We're renowned for passing, but getting nothing at the end of it I don't want to be renowned for.
"We've got to change and mix our game up. We still want the football element, absolutely, that's the way I like to play, on the floor, attractive football, but there's the dirty side of the game, making sure the team works to the degree where we know exactly what we're doing.
"That gung-ho approach hurts you at this level, but we're getting stronger."
http://www.thestar.co.uk/sportheadlines/Blades-loan.6054189.jp
"Toni Kallio, who we brought here from Fulham, was originally down as a full-back but had to play in the middle and Jordan Stewart, who is a midfielder rather than a full-back, is being forced to do a job for us down the left.
"I thought we were over all of this but the problems with injuries have really come back.
"There's nothing we can do to stop them because the boys are picking-up problems that we just can't legislate for."
http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/33887/French_veteran_alerts_trio_after_contract_termination.aspx
French veteran alerts trio after contract termination
Author: Nigel Brown
Posted on:09 February 2010 - 10:05
Former Leeds United and Everton midfielder Olivier Dacourt is available on a free transfer after the Frenchman left Belgian club Standard Liege by 'mutual consent.' It is thought that Fulham and West Ham United are possible destinations for free agent Dacourt, while a number of Leeds United fans are calling for Dacourt to make a sensational return to Elland Road.
Dacourt has developed the reputation as a journeyman after representing 8 clubs in 12 years after beginning his career at Strasbourg, before stints at Everton, RC Lens, Leeds United, Roma, Inter Milan, Fulham and Standard Liege.
The Frenchman was signed by the Belgian giants as cover for their star man Steven Defour, however, due to a lack of first team football Dacourt was eager to terminate his contract in order to find a new club to finish the current campaign.
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson is a big admirer of Olivier Dacourt and could be tempted to re-sign the centre midfielder who he brought to the club on-loan last year, where the French combative midfielder made nine appearances.
However cash strapped West Ham United could also be another destination for Dacourt with boss Gianfranco Zola still considering options to add numbers to his squad. Hammer's boss Zola is feeling the pressure with West Ham currently in 18th position one point behind Bolton Wanderers.
However, Leeds United fans have reportedly made a plea for Dacourt to return to his old stomping ground and help the Yorkshire club into the Championship. Dacourt was signed by former manager David O'Leary and played 57 times for the Elland Road outfit scoring on three occasions. The fans of Leeds United have never forgotten the tenacious Dacourt with the 'general' gaining cult status. It is believed that Dacourt once stated that he would like to finish his playing days at the Yorkshire club.
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/4995982.Clarets_Blog__We_should_be_Ful_of_confidence/
Clarets Blog: We should be Ful of confidence
8:43am Tuesday 9th February 2010
By Stephen Cummings »
It might have been scrappy. It might have been ugly at times. But on Saturday, Burnley managed to do what they hadn't done since the last weekend in October. Burnley won a game of Premier League football.
And what a crucial victory it was. Had the Clarets failed to claim three points from their encounter with West Ham, the psychological damage would have been enormous.
As it is, the win has given the players, the manager and the supporters an incredible and timely boost.
After a run of 12 league games without coming out on top, the switches marked 'belief' and 'hope' have been flicked. And, to coin a phrase, we can dare to dream again.
By and large, the game was not one for the purists, But it should be borne in mind that a team which has not recorded victory for over three months is unlikely to have confidence flooding through its veins.
Gianfranco Zola's Hammers were strong for certain periods of the game and a neutral observer might argue that they deserved a share of the spoils.
Yet in the final analysis, the ultimate statistic shows that the Clarets did what the visitors failed to do by scoring twice.
David Nugent's goal will have done him the world of good after he picked Matthew Upson's pocket so adeptly.
And whilst the ball which gave Nugent (right) the platform to open the scoring might be described as an agricultural hoof, there was no getting away from the sublime quality of Fox's superbly executed goal.
As has been noted elsewhere, Burnley have not made the most of the dead ball situations this term. Fox's footwork may yet prove a vital weapon in the Clarets' quest to survive.
Fox was rewarded for his efforts with the man of the match gong. Yet for this writer's money, he was overshadowed by Kevin McDonald.
At his best, the giant Scot is unplayable. His sheer physical bulk means he is not easy to knock off the ball whilst he has a pleasing knack of being able to keep possession.
Along with his team-mates. McDonald will have to be at his best tonight. Fulham at Craven Cottage is a tricky proposition, as the likes of Manchester United will testify. Under Roy Hodgson's stewardship they have shipped just eight goals at home all season.
A point would be a welcome return. And with the confidence from Saturday still swilling around their system, they must believe they can get it.
http://blog.sport.co.uk/Football/595/Top_Ten_Players_outside_the_Big_Four.aspx
Top Ten: Players outside the 'Big Four'
Sam Williams
Posted on: 09 February 2010 - 09:31
6. Mark Schwarzer (Goalkeeper, Fulham):
With a respectful nod to Brad Friedel, Fulham's Schwarzer is the Premier League's second best 'keeper from outside the 'Big Four', behind only Shay Given.
In fact, the 37-year-old's career has many parallels to that of Given, as both gave over a decade's worth of loyal service to a club whose defence often left a lot to be desired (Middlesbrough, in Schwarzer's case) before moving on.
Since moving to Craven Cottage in May 2008, the ever-reliable Schwarzer has played a key role in Roy Hodgson's transformation of the club from perennial strugglers to a Europa League outfit.
9. Brede Hangeland (Centre-back, Fulham):
Another Roy Hodgson masterstroke.
Hangeland, along with Mark Schwarzer, provides the foundation on which Fulham's recent success has been built.
The Norway captain was reunited with Hodgson, who he had previously played under at Viking Stavanger, in January 2008, and is now widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the Premier League.
After an outstanding first six months in England, it was no surprise to see Hangeland heavily linked with clubs such as Arsenal last summer.
Tall, quick, dominant in the air, reads the game well, superb distribution...what more could you ask for in a top-class centre-back?
http://www.clarets-mad.co.uk/feat/ed13/midweek_at_the_cottage_493562/index.shtml
Midweek at the Cottage
Feature by Tony Scholes
Updated Tuesday, 9th February 2010
After two home games, against Chelsea and West Ham, it is back on the road and a third successive game against London opposition when we travel to Craven Cottage to play Fulham.
If this game was at home you would be confident of a result against a Fulham side who just don't win at Burnley. But things are somewhat different at Craven Cottage.
The last time we got anything there was in a 1-1 draw during the 1981/82 season when we were both promoted from the then third division. Kevin Young got our goal that day but a year earlier we won 2-1 with current manager Brian Laws scoring the first goal.
One point out of 36 tells its own story away from home. We have seven games to try and put that right and get a few more. Tonight, added to the win on Saturday, would be just about the right time to do that.
Our Opponents
Fulham are currently in a disappointing run of form, but we shouldn't be fooled by that. They are a very good, and extremely well organised, side under Roy Hodgson who has done a fantastic job there in two years since taking over from the disaster area known as Lawrie Sanchez.
Hodgson kept Fulham up, against all the odds, in 2008 and last year led them to a seventh place finish and a place in the Europa League. This season, despite the recent run, they are still in the top half and are confident they can get further up the table.
Whilst Brian Laws was busy during the January window, Hodgson was able to bring in three new players, two of them on loan.
The permanent signing is Chris Buchtmann, a Dutch midfielder from Liverpool, whilst he strengthened his squad further with two loan signings in Nicky Shorey (Aston Villa) and Stefano Okaka from Roma.
Click HERE to see all Fulham's results this season
Team News
One of their key players, Bobby Zamora, was missing on Saturday when they drew at Bolton, but he's back tonight after shaking off illness. And there is further good news for the Cottagers who also have Simon Davies available.
Hodgson said: "Zamora is fine and has recovered from his sickness. He's back in contention, as is Simon Davies, which is good. That's at least two of the injured players back tomorrow.
"To be fair I've not really counted Bobby when I've talked about the injured players because it was a sickness which kept him out of one game. He doesn't belong in the group of six or seven that we'll have to do without for a long period."
Amongst those injured players are Paul Konchesky, Clint Dempsey, John Pantsil and Kagisho Dikgacoi.
Fulham's team at Bolton was: Mark Schwarzer, Chris Baird, Aaron Hughes, Brede Hangeland, Nicky Shorey, Damien Duff, Danny Murphy, Kagisho Dikgacoi, Jonathan Greening, Erik Nevland, David Elm. Subs: Pascal Zuberbühler, Kelly, Bjorn Helge Riise, Fredrik Stoor, Chris Smalling, Stefano Okaka, Dickson Etuhu.
Click HERE to see the full Fulham squad
Steven Caldwell, Graham Alexander and Chris McCann remain out of the reckoning for Brian Laws, but Stephen Jordan is close to fitness and there were no further injuries reported from the game on Saturday.
It is difficult to determine whether Laws will stick with the team that won on Saturday or whether he will freshen it up with a couple of changes.
The team on Saturday was: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Leon Cort, Danny Fox, Wade Elliott, Kevin McDonald, Andre Bikey, Robbie Blake, David Nugent, Steven Fletcher. Subs: Nicky Weaver, Michael Duff, David Edgar, Jack Cork, Chris Eagles, Martin Paterson, Steven Thompson.
Last Time
Our last trip to Craven Cottage was back in September 2000 during a fuel crisis. It was our second trip to London in four days having won 1-0 at Crystal Palace on the Saturday with a Graham Branch goal.
We'd made a good start to the season after winning promotion and were sat in eighth place with eight points from five games. Our opponents Fulham were already points clear at the top with five wins out of five.
It was always going to be a difficult game and it was made a lot harder by the appalling performance of referee Trevor Parkes, with some Burnley fans suggesting he must have picked up a Harrods hamper on the way.
Paul Cook gave us an early lead with a deflected free kick, but it was an incident early in the second half that turned the game. Andy Cooke was clean through and brought down by Fulham defender Chris Coleman. Coleman turned to go, knowing he was to be sent off, but incredibly Parkes was waving play on. He'd given nothing.
Two minutes later and Bjarne Goldbaek had equalised for Fulham and they went on to win 3-1 with Louis Saha netting twice. To make matters worse, idiot Parkes sent off Lee Briscoe to leave us with ten men.
The teams that night were;
Fulham: Maik Taylor, Steve Finnan, Andy Melville, Chris Coleman, Rufus Brevitt, Bjarne Goldbaek, Lee Clark, Sean Davis (John Collins 75), Fabrice Fernandes, Barry Hayles (Luis Boa Morte 74), Louis Saha (Eddie Lewis 86). Subs not used: Marcus Hahnemann, Zat Knight.
Burnley: Paul Crichton, Paul Weller, Ian Cox, Gordon Armstrong (Andy Payton 67), Mitchell Thomas, Lee Briscoe, Glen Little, John Mullin (Micky Mellon 74), Kevin Ball, Paul Cook (Graham Branch 61), Andy Cooke. Subs not used: Robbie Jepson, Brad Maylett.
We've to go back to the 1967/68 season for our last top flight game at Craven Cottage. On that occasion we had a goal feast with Fulham coming out on top in a 4-3 scoreline.
We were 1-0 down but then 2-1 up with just 17 minutes remaining, our goals coming from Andy Lochhead and Frank Casper. Then Fulham scored three times to lead 4-2 before a John Dempsey own goal pulled one back for us in the last minute.
Our team was: Rodney Jones, John Angus, Ray Ternent, Sammy Todd, Colin Waldron, Colin Blant, Willie Morgan, Andy Lochhead, Frank Casper, Martin Dobson, Ralph Coates.
Previous games against Fulham
Previous 20 Seasons
Season
Div
Ven
Result
Att
Scorers
1992/93
2
h
5-2
9,881
Harper Farrell Penny Heath Conroy
. .
a
0-4
5,531
.
1993/94
2
h
3-1
9,021
Randall Eyres Deary
. . a
2-3
4,943
Eyres Randall
1997/98
2
a
0-1
5,096
.
. . h
2-1
9,745
Cooke Payton
1998/99
2
a
0-4
9,983
.
. .
h
1-0
13,086
Jepson
2000/01
1
a
1-3
11,863
Cook
.99 . h
2-1
15,737
I Moore Little
2002/03
FA
a
1-1
13,062
A Moore
. . h
3-0
11,635
Taylor I Moore Diallo
2008/09
LC
h
1-0
7,119
Rodriguez
2009/10
PL
h
1-1
18,397
Elliott
Click HERE to see all our results against Fulham
Programme Preview
Tuesday 9th February 2010
Fulham FC News
It's an old-time classic football occasion at Craven Cottage this evening as Burnley come to town to take on Fulham in a true clash of traditional football clubs.
The Whites and the Clarets have done battle many times over the years, dating back to the days when the Lancashire club were one of the most feared in the land.
They're back in the top-flight this season after a long absence, so tonight's fixture is a blast from the past for many supporters who recall the halcyon days of English football.
So as the two teams do battle once more in our famous old ground, be sure to pick up the most traditional of football accompaniments, the matchday programme.
Packed from cover to cover with all the essential matchday information, the 84-page journal is the essential companion and souvenir for every Fulham fixture.
With its eye catching design and in-depth features, this week's edition includes:
• Exclusive insight from Manager Roy Hodgson.
• Danny Murphy's views on the matches against Portsmouth and Bolton.
• Former Fulham and England captain Alan Mullery recalls some of his own memories of matches against Burnley.
• Northern Ireland international Chris Baird discusses his longest unbroken spell of action in the Fulham First Team.
• A peak inside the opposition's camp with Burnley's Jamaican full-back Tyrone Mears.
• Expert Analysis from Burnley goal scoring legend Andy Lochhead.
• A look back in pictures at some of the past meetings between the two clubs.
• A flick through the photo scrapbook of Whites favourite Paul Konchesky.
• Match action from our recent matches against Aston Villa and Portsmouth.
• Through the ranks profile on defensive rock Aaron Pierre.
• Unprecedented fan interaction and tonnes of fun for younger fans too.
• Plus, so much more besides!
The brilliant matchday publication will be on sale in and around the ground from two-hours before kick-off.
If you miss your copy outside then look out for sellers on the Putney and Hammersmith Terrace, or at half-time from the programme room situated inside the Johnny Haynes Stand by Block E (opposite Turnstile 24).
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/BurnleyProgrammePreview.aspx#ixzz0f2Zpdb63 (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/BurnleyProgrammePreview.aspx#ixzz0f2Zpdb63)
Shame on you WhiteNoise you missed the league table of debt in the Sun, we are the fourth biggest debt ridden club behinf only Manure , Arsenal and Liverpool. I think it says we are £179 million in debt, very worrying if Mo should suddenly kick the bucket. Or have you posted it and i've missed it?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1249612/Burnley-boss-Brian-Laws-backs-Roy-Hodgson-man-succeed-Fabio-Capello-England-manager.html?ITO=1490 (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1249612/Burnley-boss-Brian-Laws-backs-Roy-Hodgson-man-succeed-Fabio-Capello-England-manager.html?ITO=1490)
Burnley boss Brian Laws backs Roy Hodgson as the man to succeed Fabio Capello as England manager
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 11:54 AM on 09th February 2010
Brian Laws thinks Roy Hodgson would be 'the perfect choice' to succeed Fabio Capello as England manager.
Laws' Burnley side travel to Craven Cottage in the Barclays Premier League on Tuesday to take on Fulham, whose fortunes have been transformed by Hodgson over the last two years.
The Cottagers were struggling in the relegation zone when Hodgson was appointed manager in December 2007, but after keeping the club up in his first season, the former Blackburn and Inter Milan boss led them to seventh place and qualification for Europe in the following campaign.
Fulham are currently 10th in the table and have made it to the knockout stages of the Europa League, with Hodgson signing a new 12-month rolling contract in December.
But the 62-year-old, who has international managerial experience with Switzerland and Finland, has frequently been touted as a successor to Capello when the Italian's time in charge of England comes to an end, and Laws believes Hodgson has the ideal credentials.
'He's very experienced, he knows the game inside out and I think he'd be the perfect choice,' said Laws. 'I don't think you can be England manager without all those ingredients.
'You have to have had those experiences and I think you have to be at a certain age. It's not one for a young manager; I think you have got to be seasoned. You need that aura about you and he has certainly got that.'
Laws has no fresh injury concerns ahead of Tuesday's contest and defender Stephen Jordan is pushing to be in contention after two weeks out with a hamstring strain.
Chris McCann's recovery from a knee problem is progressing well but the match has come too soon for him, while Graham Alexander (calf) and Steven Caldwell (groin) remain out.
Meanwhile, Burnley have unveiled ambitious plans for the redevelopment of Turf Moor as part of a project that also includes the country's first 'Football University'.
Clarets chief executive Paul Fletcher is leading the 'Premier Plan' in conjunction with Burnley Borough Council and The Prince's Charities.
The proposals, which Fletcher expects will take two to three years to reach fruition, would see a 'StadiArena' stand erected in place of the David Fishwick Stand at Turf Moor, which would be employed to stage concerts and conferences in addition to its use for football.
Laws hailed the news as further evidence that the club, who won promotion to the top flight for the first time in 33 years last summer, is heading in the right direction.
'Any football club that stands still is going backwards for me and this is just another large step forward for this football club,' Laws said.
'Regeneration, change and progress are what this football club has been striving for for a long, long time and the fact is we are now very close to it.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1249612/Burnley-boss-Brian-Laws-backs-Roy-Hodgson-man-succeed-Fabio-Capello-England-manager.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0f3NGp1p6 (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1249612/Burnley-boss-Brian-Laws-backs-Roy-Hodgson-man-succeed-Fabio-Capello-England-manager.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0f3NGp1p6)
http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2010/02/09/win-fulham-fc-tickets-82029-25795455/ (http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2010/02/09/win-fulham-fc-tickets-82029-25795455/)
Win Fulham FC tickets!Feb 9 2010
FANCY watching Fulham for free?
We have two pairs of tickets up for grabs for the Whites' Europa League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday, February 18 at Craven Cottage.
Roy Hodgson's side qualified for the last 32 after a famous 3-2 win in Basle, and now the UEFA holders stand between them and a place in the last 16.
For a chance to win a pair of tickets, simply answer the following question:
Who won last year's UEFA Cup?
Email your answer to
[email protected] by midday next Tuesday (February 16)
Please include your full name and a daytime contact number..
If you're not lucky enough to win this time, tickets are still available, priced from £20 for adults and from just £5 for juniors (under 16) from the Fulham ticket office.
Tickets can also be purchased online at www.fulhamfc.com (http://www.fulhamfc.com) or by calling 0870 442 1234.
Please state if you do not want your details forwarded on to the club's marketing department.
Normal Trinity Mirror Southern competition rules apply.
http://cottagers.blogspot.com/2010/02/eight-year-anniversary.html
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Eight year anniversary
A bit of spring cleaning this weekend unearthed the ticket stub from my very first game at Craven Cottage: Fulham v Blackburn eight years ago today. It's interesting to see the old stadium diagram on the back of the ticket. Away fans in the A&B sections of the then Stevenage Road Stand (now Johnny Haynes Stand of course) with the Putney End no longer broken up with a 'neutrals' area.
Of course the old look Craven Cottage used to have a standing area - terracing at the front of Stevenage Road Stand - which is what attracted me to the match in the first place. Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to stand and watch as my ticket was bought for me by a work contact (play Namco games, kids) but I was still given a complementary Fulham poncho in case I got wet. I've still got it somewhere, as well as I had no reason to unpack it on the day.
The game itself is an odd one for me. I knew Fulham won, but was a bit fuzzy on the score. I thought it was 2-1 to Fulham, but it turns out the game ended 2-0 to the whites. What I did have a clear memory of was the Blackburn red card. Excpet I thought it was Brett Emerton getting sent off, not Craig Short. And I thought it was much earlier in the game than the 90th minute. I can't remember a thing about the goals scored. reading the match report archived on Fulhamweb, it sounds like a cracking match but none of it rings a bell. All I remember with clarity is a Blackburn player getting a red.
Mind you, the number of times I've had to refer to this very blog to remind myself what happened in a game, what the score was and if I was even at the Cottage for a match, is a little disconcerting. I've started using the site as a virtual football memory.
Posted by Bad Andy at 14:21
http://www.tribalfootball.com/fulham-boss-hodgson-pleased-brown%E2%80%99s-bristol-rovers-form-631591 (http://www.tribalfootball.com/fulham-boss-hodgson-pleased-brown%E2%80%99s-bristol-rovers-form-631591)
Fulham boss Hodgson pleased with Brown's Bristol Rovers form
10.02.10 | tribalfootball.com
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson is delighted Wayne Brown is doing so well at Bristol Rovers.
But since midfielder Brown and Robert Milsom have still to mature into regular first-team squad members, Hodgson has revealed he will seek the agreement of chairman Mohamed Fayed to go on a summer spending spree.
Hodgson said: "Brown is now doing well on loan at Bristol Rovers and we like Milsom very much. We think they've got a chance to be players.
"But we are fully aware that if we are to do as well as we have done in the last year and a half then we will need some help in the summer."
http://fulham.theoffside.com/team-news/assessing-our-road-form.html
Assessing our road form
By: timmyg | February 9th, 2010
Tonight's match against Burnley begins a nice little home stretch that expands across three competitions.
This offers ample time to reassess our road form. Per usual, much has been made regarding how awful we are away from home and the like. Yet after doing some research, we're really not as bad as people make it seem. In fact, we're probably just average:
(http://fulham.theoffside.com/files/2010/02/away-table.jpg)
The asterisks next to next gaffer's name mean they took over with about a month left in the season. Also, statto ranks each team by points per game. So for some seasons we were actually tied with other clubs for higher positions. For space issues, I go into that here.
If we break down the standings using statto.com's PPG (GD divided by games played) it further shows how our road form has improved under Roy:
(http://fulham.theoffside.com/files/2010/02/away-table-ppg.jpg)
The 2007-08 season was memorable for the Great Escape, but also for how well the team performed on the road while Roy was manager. Under Sanchez, Fulham played 8 games on the road, drawing 3 and losing 5, obtaining a .375 PPG and having a -10 GD. That is tied with Cookie's 2005-06 season for the worst. So to rebound to 2007-08's final away record — whilst adding Ray Lewington's brief caretaker spell, the 5-1 to Spurs — is remarkable.
Coleman's great 2003-04 season proved to be exceptional for his reign. In calculating each manager's average road PPG I bundled Coleman's tutelage at the end of the 2002-03 season with Tigana's and Sanchez's with his at the end of the 2006-07 season. Again, the results shows that the team has performed best under Roy.
(http://fulham.theoffside.com/files/2010/02/gaffer-away-ppg.jpg)
It may be a bit unfair to compare the managers as each had differing number of seasons and games. But the point should remain.
Going back a bit, the results do show that this season has been one of the worst since Fulham have been in the topflight in regards to away form. Yet there are still 6 matches to go (granted to 3 of the big 4). Compared to other season's Fulham's GD of -9 is third best and we've failed to score in just 5 matches — tied for first. This could all go pear shaped, but it would be rather uncharacteristic considering the trends under Roy.
So, 1.5 really bad seasons under Coleman and one awful half-season under Sanchez and we're the worst road team in the history of the league? Please. It's disappointing, but I don't see how it's different from any other club of our stature.
Lastly, if any statistician wants to debunk my claims feel free. I'd rather have someone very knowledgeable in math prove points rather than a dilettante like myself.
http://www.footballaudio.com/post/1830/fulham-v-burnley-188bet-match-preview.html
Fulham v Burnley - 188BET Match Preview
Fulham will look to record their second straight win at home when Burnley journey down to London.
Roy Hodgson's side are going through a difficult period which has seen them win just once in the last eight matches, but face a Burnley side who have recorded just one point on their travels all season.
Bobby Zamora is back after illness forced him to miss the 0-0 draw at Bolton and Simon Davies is also back in contention. Brian Laws meanwhile has called on his side to end their barren run on the road. Left-back Stephen Jordan is fit again after a fortnight out but the Clarets are expected to name the same team which beat relegation rivals West Ham just three days ago.
188BET, the in-play betting specialists, make the home team favourites for the clash. A win for the home side is odds-on at 1.76.
If you fancy Burnley to win their first away match of the season however, that's available at 5.80.
And it's 3.40 for the draw.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester_united/s/1191975_homegrown_stars_step_up
The United boss has already put in motion plans for the future of the centre-back department by capturing Fulham's Chris Smalling during the January transfer window.
The England Under-21 defender is back at Craven Cottage until the summer and will become a Reds player for next season.
McQueen knows all about Smalling's qualities - he recommended him to Middlesbrough when scouting for the Riverside club.
"Chris went to Middlesbrough and had agreed to sign when Fulham came in late and he decided he'd be homesick on Teesside," added Gordon.
"He's got a bit to learn and is one for the future. He is a tremendous prospect. He is very much in the Rio Ferdinand mould.
"He has all the attributes to make it to the very, very top because he is mobile, quick and athletic."
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2010/02/tony-cascarinos-midday-predictions.html
Tony Cascarino runs his eye over tonight's Premier League fixtures. See what he has to say and then let us know in the comment box below if you agree with them.
Fulham v Burnley (8pm)
Cas's crystal ball: 2-1 to Fulham
Yes, Fulham have lots of injuries, including to key men such as Andrew Johnson and Clint Dempsey. And yes, they've been on a bad run lately and didn't look good when beating Portsmouth last week, which ended a run of five straight losses. They followed that up with a goalless draw at the Reebok Stadium last weekend which was a reasonable result. But despite Fulham's problems, the good news is that they're playing Burnley at home, and when Burnley travel, they almost always lose: just a single point on the road all season. I can't see Brian Laws's team keeping a clean sheet and I back Fulham to edge a feisty encounter where both teams will scrap for every loose ball.
http://www.football365.co.uk/mediawatch/0,17033,8749_5928085,00.html
Propaganda
'Lawro got FIVE results right with TWO perfect scores,' trumpeted the BBC website on Mark Lawrenson's latest set of predictions.
Well done, Lawro. We take it all back. Except, wait a minute, we don't think Bolton beat Fulham 2-1, did they?
Mind you, in Lawrenson's head Fulham are always losing. In the table constructed from his predictions this season, they are just one point off the relegation zone. Mind you. they're in good company - Birmingham are doing just three points better.
http://www.offthebarandout.com/2010/2/9/1302224/midweek-mayhem
Tuesday 9th February 2010
Fulham vs. Burnley 20:00 GMT
After an excellent weekend performance that temporarily eased their relegation worries while prompting cries of anguish from filth merchants Gold and Sullivan, Burnley have a realistic chance of getting more points on the board away to a Fulham team who have struggled badly due to the recent absence through injury of key forwards Zamora and Johnson. Fulham need to be a bit careful here, because if their bad sequence of results continue then they could see themselves on the sort of run that has caused Sunderland to tumble down the table.
http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Fulham-boosted-by-return-of-key-duo-as-Bobby-Zamora-and-Simon-Davies-are-passed-fit-to-face-Burnley-article317535.html
Fulham boosted by return of key duo
Published 15:38 08/02/10
By Nick Ive
Fulham will be boosted by the return of Bobby Zamora and Simon Davies for tomorrow's home clash with struggling Burnley.
The Cottagers' leading scorer missed Saturday's goalless draw at Bolton through sickness, while Davies has been a long-term casualty with ankle ligament damage.
But both will be back to face the Clarets. Manager Roy Hodgson confirmed: "Bobby is fine and has recovered from his sickness, and will be back in contention tomorrow, as is Simon Davies."
Despite the return of the influential duo, Hodgson is still reeling from a long casualty list that now includes Kagisho Dikgacoi, who was crocked against the Trotters.
Fulham are also without Andy Johnson, Clint Dempsey, John Pantsil and Paul Konchesky and Hodgson admitted that could cause a few problems with a hectic fixture schedule ahead.
The Cottagers are still in the Europa League and FA Cup and Hodgson added: "We have barely got 18 fit players, so there is no longer a selection problem.
"Until we get back to a situation where the squad starts to resemble normal size, it will be difficult for us."
Mrs Clint Dempsey -
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010_swimsuit/painting/bethany-dempsey/
'The Sun' today published a 'Premier League Debt Table' which is not retrievable online so I have copied it out from the paper -
1) Man Utd - £716.5m (June 09)
2) Arsenal - £297.7m 9 (May 09)
3) Liverpool - £237m (June 10)
4) Fulham - £197m (June 08)
5) West Ham - £110m (Jan 10)
6) Aston Villa - £73m (May 08)
7) Sunderland - £69.2m (July 08)
Wigan - £66.4m (May 08)
9) Portsmouth - £60m (Jan 10)
10) Birmingham - £57m (Aug 08)
11) Bolton - £53.8m (Jun 08)
12) Tottenham - £45.9m (Jun 09)
13) Everton - £39m (May 08)
14) Wolves - £20.68m (May 08)
15) Blackburn - £14m (Jun 09)
16) Hull - £9m (Nov 09)
17) Stoke - £2.3m (May 08)
18) Bunley - £0 (Jun 09)
19) the dark side - £0 (Dec 09 ) NB - £701 million debt wiped
20) man City - £0 (Jan 10) - NB £305 million debt wiped
Actually, looking at those figures, I am not sure how reliable they are. If Hull are only £9 million in debt then I'm Jimmy Bullard.
In addition here are some revenue and wages figures from 'The Guardian' last June -
Premier League clubs' turnover, wages and debt 2007-08
David Conn guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 3 June 2009 00.00
Club Debt (£ms) Turnover (£ms) Wages (£ms) Wages/turnover
Arsenal 416 223 101.3 45%
Aston Villa 73 75.6 50.4 66.6%
Blackburn Rovers 17 56.4 39.7 70%
Bolton Wanderers 52 59.1 39 67%
the dark side 701 213.6 149 68%
Everton 39 76 44.5 59%
Fulham 197 53.7 39.3 73%
Hull City (2007 figures) 1 9 6.9 77%
Liverpool 280 (est) 159 80 (est) 50%
Manchester City 147 82.3 54.2 66%
Manchester United 699 256.2 121.1 47%
Middlesbrough 93 48 34.8 73%
Newcastle United 106.2 100.8 74.6 74%
Portsmouth 57.7 70.6 54.7 78%
Stoke City 2.3 11.2 11.9 106%
Sunderland 69.2 63.6 37.1 58%
Tottenham Hotspur 65 114.8 52.9 46%
West Bromwich Albion 8.9 27.2 21.8 80%
West Ham United 36 57 44.2 76%
Wigan Athletic 66.4 43 38.4 89%
Total 3126.7 1800 1095 55%
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/table/2009/jun/03/premier-league-turnover-wages-debt (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/table/2009/jun/03/premier-league-turnover-wages-debt)
Thanks for writing that out White Noise.
It looks as though we are fahooked if Mo decides enough is enough.
Quote from: mike_f on February 09, 2010, 04:40:17 PM
Thanks for writing that out White Noise.
It looks as though we are fahooked if Mo decides enough is enough.
Or maybe that is one of the things that keeps him tied into the club? There is no way Fulham is worth £200 million so MAF's best bet is to get his money out little by little as the club becomes profitable. The accounts of a few years ago said that he planned to start taking back £7 million a year so that £197 million figure is probably lower now. That said, Roy always talks about having to ask MAF to put his hand in his pocket as if our transfer expenditure is MAF's own money and not something the club generates sufficient revenue to manage.
