http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/feb/09/fulham-burnley-premier-league
Bobby Zamora makes a scoring return as Fulham easily beat Burnley
Sachin Nakrani at Craven Cottage
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 9 February 2010 22.03 GMT
Fulham captain Danny Murphy jigs in delight after opening the scoring against Burnley. Photograph: Joe Giddens/Empics
It has taken some weeks but Fulham have at last rediscovered their swagger. The side have been in stuttering form ever since they thrashed Manchester United 3-0 at this ground just before Christmas and with injuries mounting, some wondered if they would be able to repeat such an eye-catching trick again any time soon.
Those fears can now be laid to rest. Roy Hodgson's men may have only beaten Burnley last night, but the job was done in wholly impressive style
Key to the victory was Bobby Zamora, once a figure of frustration for Fulham supporters but now undoubtedly their hero. On his return from illness, the striker terrorised Burnley and having created the second goal for his strike partner David Elm, got the third himself after half-time. The scoring was opened by Danny Murphy following a brief flurry from Burnley that suggested they could be about to secure their first away win of the season. Fulham, though, stamped on those dreams.
Their recent struggles in front of goal – Roy Hodgson's men have scored just once in their last five league games – meant the return of the top scorer Zamora was greatly welcomed in these parts. It took the striker some time, however, to get into the game due to a vibrant start from Burnley. Zamora did, though, eventually make his mark on eight minutes, cushioning Chris Baird's chip into the path of Damien Duff who dragged the resulting shot wide of the visitor's goal.
After further Burnley pressure Fulham came forward again and on 23 minutes took the lead. Nicky Shorey swept a pass towards David Elm at the edge of the area who, in turn, headed the ball into the path of Murphy. The Fulham captain was under pressure but showed enough composure to poke the ball past Brian Jensen in the Burnley goal.
The visitors suddenly found themselves being overwhelmed. Dickson Etuhu and Zamora both went close to doubling the their lead before Elm eventually did so, with a close-range shot on 31 minutes. It was the Swedish striker's first goal for the club since arriving last month.
Burnley's manager Brian Laws brought the winger Chris Eagles on in place of the central defender Leon Cort near the end of the first half in a bid to salvage something from this game. The admirable attacking intent proved negligible as Fulham simply picked up from where they left off before the interval. It took them less than five minutes of the second half to have a shot on goal and once again Zamora was involved, albeit rather fortunately.
The 29-year-old just happened to be in the right place as David Edgar's clearance ricocheted into his path but, having created space for himself, the striker's resulting low, curling shot was close enough and slow enough for Jensen to make the save.
That proved to be a warning shot as on 54 minutes Zamora found a way past the Dane with a free-kick from the edge of the area. Once again the effort was low and swerving, but this time strong enough for him to secure a 12th goal of the season.
Burnley were now struggling even more to assert themselves in the contest and the manner in which Andre Bikey hacked down Elm close to the far touchline summed up their frustration.
Zamora went off to a standing ovation on 72 minutes and was replaced by on-loan striker Stefano Okaka. And the Italian then almost got a fourth for Fulham on 79 minutes, but saw his shot charged down by Jensen.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/7198576/Fulham-3-Burnley-0-match-report.html
Fulham 3 Burnley 0: match report
Read a full match report of the Premier League game between Fulham and Burnley at the Craven Cottage on Tuesday Feb 09 2010.
By Jonathan Liew at Craven Cottage
Published: 10:05PM GMT 09 Feb 2010
In the coming weeks, Brian Laws may want to keep an eye on the fortunes of Rothes. The amateur team from the north-east of Scotland have lost all 10 of their away fixtures in the Highland League, and are currently the only team in Britain with a worse record on their travels than Burnley's.
After a 12th defeat in 13 away games, perhaps only a genuine humiliation will awaken them. On this evidence, it's certainly coming.
Striker David Nugent epitomised Burnley's poverty. Such was Fulham's midfield monopoly that he hardly got a touch, and spent the game alternately haring after lost causes and shaking his head sadly. Not that the home side were in top gear. There was no need. They simply waited to be presented with the ball and passed it around at will.
Fulham have often struggled with the favourites' tag. But with the visitors content to play the game inside their own half, they enjoyed all the early pressure and had time to pick the telling ball.
It was Nicky Shorey who provided it, floating a cross on to the head of David Elm. The Swede held off David Edgar and nodded the ball into the path of Danny Murphy, the midfield general making a rare sortie behind enemy lines. The captain made no mistake from six yards, although Elm may have been a touch offside.
It was a familiar but ever perplexing story for Burnley: a side so elegant and assured on their own patch looked like they were playing on ice. Two free-kicks, one fired straight at Mark Schwarzer by Danny Fox and one from Tyrone Mears that clipped the upright, were the limit of their potency.
With a dulling inevitability, they went two down. Bobby Zamora beat the offside trap and shot low from an angle. Brian Jensen blocked but should have held, and Elm was on hand to swipe home his first goal in English football.
In such promising circumstances, it was only a matter of time before Zamora ended his six-game league drought. He should have scored when a clearance hit him and fell at his feet 12 yards out, but made amends with a low left-footed free-kick from 20 yards.
Burnley were fortunate that it stayed at that, having created virtually nothing of their own. They now enjoy a break of almost a fortnight before playing Aston Villa, but this week could yet hold more ignominy: Rothes travel to second-bottom Fort William on Wednesday.
Fulham 3 Burnley 0
Published: Today
FULHAM moved into ninth place in the Premier League with a comfortable win over Burnley at Craven Cottage.
First-half goals from Danny Murphy and David Elm put the home side in control and Bobby Zamora wrapped up all three points with a second-half free-kick.
Burnley, who have yet to win away this season, remain close to the relegation zone.
The home side had the first chance of the game in the seventh minute when Damien Duff's cross-shot only just missed the far post and the waiting Simon Davies.
Duff should have done much better when he got clear of the Burnley defence five minutes later but his cross from the touchline fell behind all the onrushing Fulham attackers.
The Clarets responded with Andre Bikey trying his luck from 30-yards. However, his weak effort was well-wide of the tarrget.
There was little to enthuse about in a dull opening period although Duff continued to threaten for the home side.
Captain Danny Murphy broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute. A cross from Nicky Shorey was headed into his path by Elm and the Fulham midfielder applied a neat finish from six yards.
Burnley almost levelled from the re-start but Steven Fletcher's 20-yard angled drive flashed past Mark Schwarzer's right-hand post.
Etuhu was denied Fulham's second goal in the 28th minute when his 20-yard shot was brilliantly pushed to safety by Jensen.
The second goal arrived in the 31st minute when Bobby Zamora got the better of Leon Cort only to see his shot parried by Jensen.
However, Elm followed up to slip the loose ball beyond Jensen from six yards for his first goal for the club.
Burnley boss Brian Laws immediately replaced Cort with Chris Eagles.
Zamora should have made it three for Fulham five minutes after the restart but his eight-yard shot was brilliantly saved by Jensen.
Seconds later an attempted cross from Duff almost confused Jensen and the Burnley keeper was relieved to see the ball drop onto the top of the net.
But Burnley paid for some woeful defending in the 53rd minute when Zamora was fouled by Edgar on the edge of the Fulham penalty area.
The striker curled a low free-kick into the bottom corner of the net to make it 3-0 to the home side.
Fulham continued to dominate and Duff had a shot deflected just wide in the 65th minute.
Elm and Zamora were forming a clever partnership in attack and Burnley struggled to cope with their neat approach work.
In the 69th minute Murphy almost worked a shooting chance for himself after threading his way through the Burnley defence but Jensen smothered the danger.
The 23,005 fans packed into Craven Cottage enjoyed a thrilling win for Fulham and more misery for Burnley as their poor form on the road continues.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2846656/Fulham-3-Burnley-0.html#ixzz0f50mikrt (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2846656/Fulham-3-Burnley-0.html#ixzz0f50mikrt)
Fulham 3 Burnley 0: Danny Murphy, David Elm and Bobby Zamora condemn Brian Laws to fifth loss in six as Clarets boss
By Simon Cass
Last updated at 10:11 PM on 09th February 2010
Burnley head to Portugal for a training camp on Wednesday and manager Brian Laws must be hoping the jaunt finally cures his side's travel sickness after Fulham consigned them to yet another away defeat.
Goals from Danny Murphy, the impressive David Elm and Bobby Zamora moved Fulham to within eight points of the magic 42 and, even with their injury problems, hitting that survival target should not prove beyond them.
Burnley, by contrast, remain in serious relegation danger.
They stand just two points above the drop zone, thanks in no small part to their shocking away form.
Burnley had arrived at Craven Cottage confident of erasing a record of no away wins all season, having been buoyed by their first league victory in 13 attempts on Saturday against West Ham.
Beating Fulham on their own patch always looked tough, though, given that Roy Hodgson's men had lost just once at home in nine league games prior to Tuesday night's match.
Burnley hopes had been raised by Fulham's rocky recent form, which had brought just one win in eight matches, a fortunate 1-0 victory over Portsmouth last week.
But it took just 23 minutes for Fulham to take the lead when Elm's header across goal was steered in from close range by Murphy.
Dickson Etuhu nearly doubled Fulham's advantage with a 25-yard drive moments later, an effort which needed a fine stop from Brian Jensen, but the home side's second goal was not long in coming.
Jensen could only parry a shot from Zamora - with the striker looking suspiciously offside - straight into the path of Elm, who had a simple tap-in for his first Fulham goal on the half hour.
Tyrone Mears came closest to pulling one back for Burnley before the break, but was desperately unlucky to see his 25-yard free-kick shave the outside of Mark Schwarzer's right-hand post.
Zamora almost made it 3-0 five minutes after the restart and Burnley were once again indebted to Jensen, who kept out the striker's shot with a one-handed save.
But Zamora soon made amends, sending a low free-kick round a badly positioned wall and beyond Jensen's reach to complete a resounding win.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1249734/Fulham-3-Burnley-0-Danny-Murphy-David-Elm-Bobby-Zamora-condemn-Brian-Laws-fifth-loss-Clarets-boss.html#ixzz0f52Bx0nf (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1249734/Fulham-3-Burnley-0-Danny-Murphy-David-Elm-Bobby-Zamora-condemn-Brian-Laws-fifth-loss-Clarets-boss.html#ixzz0f52Bx0nf)
Forget unearthing the next Chris Smalling, Fulham must spend big to compete, urges Roy Hodgson
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 5:03 PM on 09th February 2010
Roy Hodgson has revealed he wants Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed to fund a summer spending spree that will allow the Craven Cottage club to keep playing European football.
Hodgson believes his academy may have unearthed another two gems in Wayne Brown and Robert Milsom to go along with Chris Smalling, the defender who has agreed to join Manchester United in a £12million summer deal.
Both Brown, 21, and fellow midfielder Milsom, 23, have earned rave reviews during loan spells away from West London, but as the duo are still completing their football education and are not yet ready to become first-team regulars in the Premier League, the Fulham manager wants to reinforce his injury-hit and paper-thin squad.
The list of those currently on the sidelines includes Kagisho Dikgacoi, John Pantsil, Paul Konchesky, Clint Dempsey and Andy Johnson, while Bobby Zamora and Simon Davies are due to return in tonight's match with Burnley after spells out.
And with so many on the treatment table, Hodgson admits new players are needed if the club wants to repeats their heroics of the previous year and a half in both the Premier League and European competition.
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.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1249692/Forget-unearthing-Chris-Smalling-Fulham-spend-big-compete-urges-Roy-Hodgson.html#ixzz0f539HwTN (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1249692/Forget-unearthing-Chris-Smalling-Fulham-spend-big-compete-urges-Roy-Hodgson.html#ixzz0f539HwTN)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8503958.stm
Fulham 3 - 0 Burnley
Swedish striker David Elm scored and set one up for the Cottagers
By Kevin Darling
Fulham extended Burnley's dismal away run in controversial circumstances at Craven Cottage.
Danny Murphy lashed home the opener after being teed up by David Elm, who looked clearly offside.
Elm then tapped home a second after Brian Jensen parried a shot from Bobby Zamora, who also looked offside when he received the ball.
Zamora rounded off the win with a 20-yard free-kick as the Cottagers coasted to victory.
It was a familiar story for Burnley's success-starved travelling support but the visitors will feel aggrieved at two key decisions that went against them in the first half.
For injury-hit Fulham it was a welcome - and ultimately comfortable - win but their two decisive first-half goals could both have been ruled out.
The Cottagers had scored only once in their last five league games but could be encouraged by the visitors' extraordinarily inept away form.
The Clarets arrived in west London with just a solitary point from their previous 12 away matches, while conceding at a rate of about three goals a game.
The clearest opening in the scrappy early exchanges fell to Damien Duff in farcical scenes that would prove ominous for the visitors.
The Irish midfielder found himself in acres of space down the right-hand side but looked almost surprised to be deemed onside - and duly wasted the chance to cross.
The Clarets looked to be matching their lacklustre opponents until another poor decision from the referee's assistant led to Brian Laws' side falling behind.
Nicky Shorey's lofted pass from the left found Elm, who looked a clear foot ahead of the last defender before he headed the ball into the path of the onrushing Murphy.
The Fulham captain deftly controlled with his chest before superbly firing a volley past Jensen from eight yards.
Steven Fletcher almost levelled instantly when his sizzling left-footed effort flew just past the post, before the Cottagers scored another disputed goal.
This time, Zamora was the man who appeared offside when he raced onto Chris Baird's pass down the line.
Zamora was allowed to cut inside and his shot was parried by Jensen straight to the feet of Elm, who calmly dispatched the ball past the helpless Clarets keeper.
Burnley boss Laws immediately introduced winger Chris Eagles for injured defender Leon Cort as the Clarets attempted to hit back.
The closest they came was from free-kicks, with a 25-yard Tyrone Mears effort grazing the crossbar and Danny Fox hitting a set-piece straight at Mark Schwarzer.
Zamora almost added a third goal after the break when the ball fell kindly to him the area but Jensen got down superbly to palm the striker's low effort around the post.
However, it didn't take for Fulham's top scorer to get on the scoresheet. After David Edgar felled Zamora on the edge of the area, the striker picked himself to place a low free-kick past Jensen.
If the keeper felt disappointed not to get a hand on the shot, he partially redeemed himself minutes later by saving well with his legs from substitute Stefano Okaka.
Burnley battled to find a way back into the game and Chris Eagles missed two good chances to add some tension to the closing stages - but Fulham's eighth home win of the season never looked in danger.
Burnley's away record will not look any healthier after another comprehensive defeat on the road, but Laws will be left wondering what might have been if the game's vital decisions had gone his way.
Live text and stats
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Premier League
Home Team Score Away Team Time
Fulham 3-0 Burnley R
(HT 2-0)
Murphy 23
Elm 31
Zamora 54
Hide team line-ups and match stats
Fulham
01 Schwarzer
05 Hangeland
06 Baird
07 Shorey
18 Hughes
13 Murphy
16 Duff (Riise 77)
20 Etuhu yellow card
29 Davies (Greening 62)
25 Zamora (Okaka Chuka 71)
35 Elm
Substitutes
19 Zuberbuhler, 02 Kelly, 26 Smalling, 17 Riise, 27 Greening, 09 Okaka Chuka, 10 Nevland Burnley
12 Jensen
05 Carlisle
14 Mears
15 Edgar
18 Cort (Eagles 32)
21 Bikey
34 Fox
07 McDonald
11 Elliott (Cork 56)
09 Fletcher
22 Nugent (Paterson 76)
Substitutes
31 Weaver, 04 Duff, 42 Cork, 33 Eagles, 10 Paterson, 20 Blake, 30 Thompson Ref: Foy
Att: 23,005
FULHAMBURNLEYPossession
Fulham 54% Burnley 46% Attempts on target
Fulham 12 Burnley 3 Attempts off target
Fulham 4 Burnley 7 Corners
Fulham 6 Burnley 2 Fouls
Fulham 9 Burnley 9
http://www.fulhamfc.com/MatchAndTeam/MatchCentre/Matches/0910/Premiership/BurnleyHome.aspx
Fulham 3 - 0 Burnley
Fulham produced a fine performance to deservedly take all three points on Tuesday evening against Burnley. It was certainly a game pleasing on the eye as both Fulham and Burnley started with the intention of keeping the ball on the floor.
The White soon seized control of proceedings and David Elm set up Danny Murphy for the opener. Elm turn from provider to scorer soon after when he prodded home a rebound from Bobby Zamora's shot. The scoring was rounded off in the second-half when Zamora placed a low free-kick past Brian Jensen.
Simon Davies and Dickson Etuhu made their returns to the Fulham starting eleven, somewhat relieving the Whites of the recent injury troubles. Whilst up front Bobby Zamora was also back on the team sheet, having recovered from short bout of illness.
Following a slow start to the encounter, the Whites were first to work a dangerous opportunity when Simon Davies, who was lurking at the back post, almost got his foot to a wide shot from Damien Duff.
The game sparked into life soon after that opportunity with both sides playing neat, one-touch football much to the appreciation of the Craven Cottage crowd. One such passage of play produced a fine opening for Duff down the Fulham right flank, unfortunately when the ball was cut back to the edge of the area, there were no Fulham players on hand to apply the finish.
Despite chances being at a premium during the first 20 minutes, there were no groans of frustration from the crowd who were witnessing a delightful show of passing football. Fulham upped the tempo on 21 minutes when Duff fed a short pass to David Elm, whose attempted curling effort into the bottom corner was held by Brian Jensen.
Fulham took the lead in the 22nd minute through Danny Murphy. The pressure had been building up from Roy Hodgson's side and the breakthrough came from a well-worked opportunity. David Elm was the creator as he nodded Nicky Shorey's diagonal pass into the path of Murphy, who had made a darting run into the area to finish well past Jensen.
Fulham continued to apply the pressure and a fine save from Jensen helped stave off a Fulham second. The Whites maintained their momentum and the second goal of the evening came soon enough when David Elm opened his account. Bobby Zamora made good ground down the right flank and his left-footed shot could only palmed out by Jensen but only to the feet of Elm who delicately lifted the ball over the grounded keeper and into the net.
There was a timely reminder of the danger that Burnley posed on 41 minutes when Tyrone Mears' free kick clipped the outside of Mark Schwarzer's post.
The Whites didn't have to wait long for their first chance of the second-half to present itself. Bobby Zamora blocked a clearance and forced an impressive low save from Jensen, winning Fulham a corner in the process.
There was a glimmer of danger on 50 minutes when a surging run from Andre Bikey took him clear of his midfielder marked but an uncompromising clearance from Aaron Hughes stopped the big midfielder in his tracks.
Fulham won a free right on the edge of the area when Bobby Zamora was hauled to the ground on 52 min by David Edgar. Zamora stepped up to coolly side foot the free kick past the despairing grasp of Jensen to make it three-nil.
Simon Davies was replaced by Jonathan Greening on 61 minutes after making a good return from his spell on the sidelines.
With the game drifting away from them Burnley stuck to their task and kept Fulham honest – although the Whites were certainly in no mood to give Brian Laws' side an easy way back into the game.
Fulham's attack was refreshed on 70 minutes with the introduction of Stefano Okaka for Bobby Zamora. The Whites' final change of the evening saw Bjorn Helge Riise come on for Duff on 77 minutes – by which time the game was clearly in the process of winding down.
Only another good stop from Jensen prevented Fulham from netting their fourth of the night when Stefano Okaka's shot was tipped wide after the Italian Under-21 international was played in on goal by Riise. It proved to be the last moment of note in the match as Fulham closed out the game well in control.
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/MatchAndTeam/MatchCentre/Matches/0910/Premiership/BurnleyHome.aspx#ixzz0f55ANEhU (http://www.fulhamfc.com/MatchAndTeam/MatchCentre/Matches/0910/Premiership/BurnleyHome.aspx#ixzz0f55ANEhU)
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/09022010/58/premier-league-revitalised-fulham-trounce-burnley.html?
Premier League - Revitalised Fulham trounce Burnley
Eurosport - Tue, 09 Feb 21:55:00 2010
Fulham cruised to a 3-0 Premier League win over Burnley at Craven Cottage to go ninth in the standings and leave their visitors hovering above the drop zone.
Goals from Danny Murphy, Bobby Zamora and David Elm - his first for Fulham - saw off Burnley, who were outclassed as their hosts took seven points from three games since snapping a worrying losing streak.
After a 3-0 win over Manchester United and goalless draw with Tottenham were followed by five straight defeats, it seemed like the rails had come off for Roy Hodgon's side, with injuries to John Panstil, Paul Konchesky, Clint Dempsey and Andy Johnson threatening to ruin their season.
But the loan signings of Nicky Shorey and Stefano Okaka have helped the Whites bounce back, with Swedish target man Elm adapting to the Premier League and left-back Shorey helping them regain their shape.
Elm was particularly impressive, with a goal and an assist in an all-round performance showcasing an impressive touch alongside his natural aerial ability.
Burnley, for all their neat passing and endeavour, lacked that cutting edge up front and were short of defensive organisation as they were cut apart at times.
A slow start by both sides reflected a lack of recent confidence compared to their early-season exploits, but with possession the name of their games they soon found passing grooves.
With ownership of the ball evenly-matched, Fulham's extra quality told as they created the better chances.
Brian Jensen saved well from Elm and Dickson Etuhu, Damien Duff somehow placed a cut-back to the edge of the box when clean through on the right and Simon Davies was just not quick enough for Duff's cross-shot, before scooping over later in the half.
Burnley were restricted to long-range efforts, Steven Fletcher firing wide twice, a 25-yard Danny Fox free-kick deflected harmlessly into Mark Schwarzer's arms and a Tyrone Mears effort from the same spot that fizzed just over.
The hosts took the lead on 23 minutes after a spell of pressure was rounded off by Murphy's low finish into the bottom right, fed by classic centre-forward play from Elm to control and lay-off Shorey's crossfield pass.
Elm doubled the hosts' lead eight minutes later with his first goal in a Fulham shirt, a tap-in from close range after Jensen could only parry Zamora's low drive.
There was a hint of offside about that goal, with Zamora marginal when he initially raced through down the right, although Fulham had a penalty appeal waved away when Duff's cross appeared to hit a Burnley defender on the arm.
The second half followed a similar pattern as Fulham, in control now, toyed with their opponents with some mesmerising passing.
Zamora missed one sitter, allowing Jensen to save from eight yards after a sweeping move down the right saw him played clean through.
But he made up for it with a 54th-minute free-kick placed low into the bottom left, exploiting a poorly-positioned wall and Jensen's lack of awareness of the gap.
Burnley battled gamely enough in an attempt to salvage some face, with Chris Eagles shooting just over and several deliveries from wide testing Schwarzer.
Fulham had another penalty appeal turned away by referee Chris Foy, the ball bouncing up against Edgar's arm after Duff fired a low shot in following a corner.
Substitute Okaka impressed on his introduction and the Italian should have hit a fourth to open his account at the Cottage, but a combination of hesitance to finish and a slide challenge from Clarke Carlisle were enough to allow Jensen to save.
Despite the match being effectively over from Zamora's strike, both sides pushed for more goals, with Okaka and Eagles both going close from the edge of the box.
The result means Fulham climb one point above Everton to ninth, although the Toffees have two games in hand, while the Clarets slip one place to 16th after Wigan drew with Stoke.
Reda Maher / Eurosport
http://fulhampatsfan.blogspot.com/2010/02/fulham-beat-burnley-3-0-at-craven.html?
Fulham beat Burnley 3-0 at Craven Cottage
This ended up being a very good week for Fulham. They were able to take 7 points from their last 3 matches. The latest match tonight was a 3 - 0 victory against Burnley. Fulham now have 34 points and currently sit 9th in the table.
In the first half, Fulham's first goal was scored by Danny Murphy in the 23rd minute. The goal was set up from a pass from David Elm. The second goal was set up by a shot on net by Bobby Zamora which ricocheted off of Brian Jensen. David Elm took the deflection and scored the second goal of the game in the 31st minute.
In the second half, Bobby Zamora is pulled down in a very dangerous area outside of the box.
Bobby Zamora then scores the free kick on a low drive that got past Jensen in the 54th minute. Other action in the second half involved a couple of good opportunities for Stefano Okaka to try to score his first Premier League goal. In the 77th minute Okaka was one on one with Jensen and his shot was blocked. In stoppage time Bjorn Helge Riise sent a great cross to Okaka. Unfortunately for Okaka his shot went wide of the net.
Overall for Fulham this was an important win to get some momentum going into the FA cup Match against Notts County and then their Europa League Match against Shakhtar Donetsk. The match tonight saw Fulham have 52% of possession while scoring three goals. I am sure Roy Hogdson will be happy with this result.
Posted by Fulham-Pats Fan at 5:06 PM
http://www.tribalfootball.com/fulham-boss-hodgson-delighted-goal-scorer-elm-632711?
Fulham boss Hodgson delighted for goal scorer Elm
10.02.10 | tribalfootball.com
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson was delighted to see David Elm grab his first Premiership goal in their victory over Burnley.
First-half goals from Danny Murphy and Elm put the home side in control and Bobby Zamora wrapped-up all three points with a second-half free-kick.
"It was really good to see David score," added Hodgson. "He's been a bit of a revelation. At the time he came in we had a lot of strikers, but he has moved up the pecking order and deserves to be where he is."
http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/sport/football-ealing/fulham-fc-ealing/2010/02/10/fulham-cruise-to-burnley-win-64767-25801545/?
Fulham cruise to Burnley win
Feb 10 2010 By Jacob Murtagh
Fulham 3-0 Burnley
BOBBY Zamora returned to fire Fulham to a comfortable victory against Burnley last night.
The former West Ham frontman missed Saturday's draw at Bolton through sickness, but made the Clarets feel even worse at Craven Cottage to heap more misery on Brian Laws' men.
Zamora wrapped up the points 10 minutes after the break with a well-taken free-kick to add to Danny Murphy and David Elm's first-half efforts.
Fulham flew out of the blocks, with Damien Duff, Elm and Murphy going close early on.
And they finally made the breakthrough midway through the first-half.
Nicky Shorey's left-wing cross was headed down by Elm, and Murphy steered his effort beyond Brian Jensen and inside the near post.
Burnley barely threatened Mark Schwarzer in the Fulham goal, and Roy Hodgson's side almost added to their lead through Dickson Etuhu, but Jensen was equal to his curling effort.
However, they did double their advantage on the half-hour mark when Elm scored from close range after Jensen could only parry Zamora's effort.
The Whites took their foot off the gas after the interval, but they put the game out of sight through Zamora's 12th goal of the campaign.
The 29-year-old was brought down on the edge of the Burnley box, and dusted himself down to curl the free-kick around the wall and into the bottom left-hand corner.
Things could've got even worse for the visitors late on, but Jensen denied Fulham sub Stefano Okaka.
http://hammyend.com/?p=5326
Thoughts from the Burnley game
by NickW on February 10, 2010
Fulham were superb tonight, all the way through the team. The BBC match report seems rather skewed to me, suggesting that Burnley were at least as good as we were tonight, and only lost because of some poor refereeing. Sat from where I was in the Putney End tonight, I must say that the first two goals didn't seem blatantly offside to me or those sat around me, although obviously I must be wrong about that. In fact, I could have sworn that there were a couple of handballs in the Burnley penalty area that were missed by the referee too, so I suppose it's swings and roundabouts.
Schwarzer was solid if rarely tested, collecting every cross that came his way with consummate ease. Even Mears' free-kick that clipped the post appeared to be covered by the Australian. Hughes was as good as ever – it hardly seems worth commenting on his performances any more. What a snip he was at £1m – thank you Martin O'Neill (and Lawrie Sanchez)! Hangeland was more dominant than he has been in recent months, even if his positioning isn't as good as it perhaps was last season.
Shorey continues to look absolute quality at left-back. At this rate, Konchesky is not going to get back into the side, unless he plays in front or behind Shorey on the flank. Baird too seems a lot more composed and adept in the RB slot than he did under Sanchez. Not sure whether that has anything to do with a) Roy's coaching and defensive set-up; b) confidence and an improved skill set from playing in midfield; or c) having better players alongside him. Either way, he was excellent tonight. Baird and Shorey too offer the attacking threat from full back that is so crucial to our play, providing valuable width whilst our wingers cut inside and feed off front men's work.
I was saying last week how it was time to give up the Baird-Murphy partnership, and play a more physical enforcer to add some presence next to Murphy. Etuhu and Dikgacoi really do seem to provide Murphy with a lot more space and time on the ball, and crucially we seem to be much more adept at regaining possession with one of them in the side. Etuhu was superb tonight, breaking up play well, and allowing Murphy to influence play and spray passes all over the park, safe in the knowledge that Etuhu was offering protection behind him.
Duff was dangerous every time he got the ball, and seemed to get behind the Burnley defence time after time (maybe due to some poor work from the officials. And how good was it to see Simon Davies back playing again? He has played on the left hand side and fair bit under Hodgson, so that doesn't worry me too much. Considering it was his first game back in a while, I thought he played well, despite being slightly rusty at times. Riise demonstrated the bundles of energy that we have come to expect from him; Greening came on with the sole intention of preventing the dangerous Eagles from inspiring any Burnley attacks, and did so pretty effectively.
Zamora showed yet again just how crucial a player he is to our attacking play, bullying the Burnley defence, linking up beautifully with Duff, Murphy and Elm, putting pay to the concept that two target men can't play well together. Zamora scored an excellent free-kick – another string to his bow – and could have had a couple more, were it not for the keeping of Jensen. Fortunately, one fell nicely at the feet of the impressive Elm who tucked it away nicely. He looks a decent player to me, leading the line well, with some nice flicks and link-play.
Despite having no real pace up front, these two played well together – either getting the better of the defence and running at goal; or passing it out wide and getting into decent positions in the box. They're our best bet up front at the moment. Okaka caused Burnley some problems, but that first goal still eludes him. I think he's better off at the moment coming on from the bench whilst he learns the nature of our game, and using his strength and pace to attack tiring defences.
For the first time in weeks, we looked a good, balanced side out there. We really cannot afford any more injuries though. Not because (as some might suggest) we will get sucked into a relegation battle – we have 34 points with 12 games remaining. But there is a very real danger that our season can peter out into nothingness.
All in all, an excellent three points. Lucky? Maybe. But nobody could suggest that it wasn't deserved.
From the Other Side
Tuesday 9th February 2010
Fulham FC News
Speaking after Tuesday evening's encounter at Craven Cottage, visiting Manager Brian Laws was disappointed in the nature of his side's defeat:
"Luck has not been on our side tonight," he explained. "We did not particularly play well but I thought their first two goals were offside.
"The TV replays show the referee and linesman got it wrong. They are important decisions for us. We need any help we can get.
"Our performance was not up to the standard we set on Saturday against West Ham.
"We shot ourselves in the foot with the first goal because we could have cleared our lines, but the second phase of play was offside.
"But if the referee and linesman get it right, it is no goal. One or two heads dropped but we cannot carry anybody.
"The two goals coming in quick succession, knocked the stuffing out of us.
"We know our away form is not great but we will just have to pick ourselves up.
"We have got to keep working with the players, continue trying to change their mindset and that's what we will do. We will get there.
"There are plenty of games left and nobody is panicking. We know what's at stake and we certainly know what we have to do to stay in the Premier League. We have every confidence in ourselves that we will achieve that."
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/LawsReaction.aspx?#ixzz0f73bwuZH (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/LawsReaction.aspx?#ixzz0f73bwuZH)
Burnley Photo Special
Tuesday 9th February 2010
http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/BurnleyPhotoSpecial.aspx
All Right on the Night
Tuesday 9th February 2010
Fulham FC News
Speaking after Fulham's convincing three-nil win over Burnley at Craven Cottage, Whites Manager Roy Hodgson gave his post-match reaction:
"It's been a very good week and it was nice to crown it in a positive way," he said.
"I thought we worked well from the first to the last minute and we were good value for our victory.
"With this game coming after a few where we were forced to ride our luck from time to time, it was nice to win in a very convincing manner.
"Getting Simon [Davies] and Bobby [Zamora] back was really important and both of them did very well to last as long as they did.
"It was nice to be able to substitute them fairly early on as well and not push them to the limit.
"I thought the victory lay in the hard work and the quality of our defending.
"We gave them very little time and space to play and we used the ball wisely.
"We got everything right tonight - the defending and attacking - and on a night like that, we would have been a tough nut to crack for any team."
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/BurnleyReaction.aspx#ixzz0f74CSlKN (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/BurnleyReaction.aspx#ixzz0f74CSlKN)
Season Tickets 2010/11
As we are sure you'll agree, the 09/10 Barclays Premier League season so far has been one to remember. Highlights include memorable victories against both Manchester United, and Liverpool, reaching the Round of 32 in the UEFA Europa League, and our great run in the FA Cup finds us successfully through to the 5th round. The second half of the season promises to be just as exciting, with some great football to be witnessed at Craven Cottage.
You can play your part next Season by seeing the live action from your guaranteed seat, whilst enjoying some of the great benefits we offer exclusively to our Season Ticket holders.
We are delighted to announce that our 2010/11 season tickets will be on sale shortly, and you will be able to take advantage of the best prices for top class football in London and secure your seat to witness more history in the making at one of the most iconic and traditional sporting arenas in the country.
Register your interest today! Fill in the form below and you'll be the first to hear about our Season Ticket packages for the 2010/11 season.
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Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Tickets/SeasonTickets201011.aspx#ixzz0f74TFaKs (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Tickets/SeasonTickets201011.aspx#ixzz0f74TFaKs)
http://www.tribalfootball.com/hard-work-and-quality-defence-key-%E2%80%93-fulham%E2%80%99s-hodgson-632261?
Hard work and quality defence the key – Fulham's Hodgson
10.02.10 | Andrew Slevison
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson identified hard work and quality defending as the main reasons for his side's 3-0 victory over Burnley on Tuesday night.
The Cottagers moved up to ninth with the win after Danny Murphy, David Elm and Bobby Zamora netted at Craven Cottage – the performance delighting Hodgson.
"I thought the victory lay in the hard work and the quality of our defending," said Hodgson.
"We gave them very little time and space to play and we used the ball wisely.
"We got everything right tonight - the defending and attacking - and on a night like that, we would have been a tough nut to crack for any team."
http://www.epltalk.com/15721/15721?
Showwww Hodgson the Moneeeeeyyyy
by Robert Anke
on February 10, 2010 · 0 comments
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson put an early bug in Mohamed Al Fayed's ear for coinage toward the'10-'11 season. After reading about it and watching his current patchwork team, decimated by injuries, put together two wins and a draw while keeping three clean sheets in a row- in addition to morphing/improving steadily over the course of the last two and a half seasons- I'm thinking, "Does any manager in the Prem have more of a right to some cold cash money than Hodgson?"
Show. Him. The money.
Before Hodgson, the Whites were as porous in defense as a stop sign made from a cheese grater with birdshot through it. And their midfield was literally nonexistent since, apparently, Lawrie Sanchez' philosophy was to render them invisible by playing longball like a schoolyard kickball fanatic. In contrast, Hodgson's Fulham have been a slowly maturing labor of love that started from the back and have aged into a team that can play stalwart, attractive football in the first two-thirds of the field on a more and more consistent basis the longer his tenure continues. It's been slow, and it's been ugly at times, but increasingly it's been rock solid, and has gained a well-connected midfield that plays like a midfield should. Heck, I give him praise for just using the midfield after the Sanchez era. With all the good and bad put into a messy whole, The Cottagers are visibly, and undoubtedly evolving toward a guided vision. Leaving aside his past globetrotting successes- and the fact that he's a players' coach, generally loved by teams and their fans upon exit (I said generally, Blackburn fans)- you could take Fulham's snowballing run over the past two and a half seasons, put it in a vacuum, and there'd still be no wondering why he garners respect from the respected.
Now for his hard-earned money. Now for his push to round out and polish his vision to a high shine with a final third worthy of what he's banked. If Zamora's form continues he's at least got a brick wall to build around that most teams need as a back-to-the-goal necessity (see Arsenal). You could argue that he's got Andy Johnson coming back next season, and I'd have to say, "meh." But if Hodgson elects to keep him, I'd also have to give in and say he's also earned the time to will the same mojo into AJ that he did in Baird, Dempsey, Zamora, and Hughes who have all blossomed under his tutelage and faith in them. If he gets the money he's asking for, and spends it on the front line as well as he did on the back two thirds, there could well be a thing of beauty to behold. At the very least, he'll have created another addition to the pack of teams jackhammering away at the widening cracks in third and fourth place. And what a great addition to Premier League football a rising Fulham would be. Ahhh, to not only see, for years to come, an increasingly consistent, solvent, strong Tottenham, Everton, Aston Villa, Man City (anomaly, I know), and Fulham knocking, but to bask in the glory of financial insolvency as it helps to level the playing field from the top down at the same time. The Premiership's looking up.
...and Roy Hodgson's Fulham are too.
So it's time to show him the money Al Fayed.
Show. Him. The money.
http://www.fulhamusa.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=932
Fulham Stroll with Fine Win against Burnley
Fulham produced a fine performance to deservedly take all three points on Tuesday evening against Burnley. It was certainly a game pleasing on the eye as both Fulham and Burnley started with the intention of keeping the ball on the floor.
The White soon seized control of proceedings and David Elm set up Danny Murphy for the opener. Elm turn from provider to scorer soon after when he prodded home a rebound from Bobby Zamora's shot. The scoring was rounded off in the second-half when Zamora placed a low free-kick past Brian Jensen.
Simon Davies and Dickson Etuhu made their returns to the Fulham starting eleven, somewhat relieving the Whites of the recent injury troubles. Whilst up front Bobby Zamora was also back on the team sheet, having recovered from short bout of illness.
Following a slow start to the encounter, the Whites were first to work a dangerous opportunity when Simon Davies, who was lurking at the back post, almost got his foot to a wide shot from Damien Duff.
The game sparked into life soon after that opportunity with both sides playing neat, one-touch football much to the appreciation of the Craven Cottage crowd. One such passage of play produced a fine opening for Duff down the Fulham right flank, unfortunately when the ball was cut back to the edge of the area, there were no Fulham players on hand to apply the finish.
Despite chances being at a premium during the first 20 minutes, there were no groans of frustration from the crowd who were witnessing a delightful show of passing football. Fulham upped the tempo on 21 minutes when Duff fed a short pass to David Elm, whose attempted curling effort into the bottom corner was held by Brian Jensen.
Fulham took the lead in the 22nd minute through Danny Murphy. The pressure had been building up from Roy Hodgson's side and the breakthrough came from a well-worked opportunity. David Elm was the creator as he nodded Nicky Shorey's diagonal pass into the path of Murphy, who had made a darting run into the area to finish well past Jensen.
Fulham continued to apply the pressure and a fine save from Jensen helped stave off a Fulham second. The Whites maintained their momentum and the second goal of the evening came soon enough when David Elm opened his account. Bobby Zamora made good ground down the right flank and his left-footed shot could only palmed out by Jensen but only to the feet of Elm who delicately lifted the ball over the grounded keeper and into the net.
There was a timely reminder of the danger that Burnley posed on 41 minutes when Tyrone Mears' free kick clipped the outside of Mark Schwarzer's post.
The Whites didn't have to wait long for their first chance of the second-half to present itself. Bobby Zamora blocked a clearance and forced an impressive low save from Jensen, winning Fulham a corner in the process.
There was a glimmer of danger on 50 minutes when a surging run from Andre Bikey took him clear of his midfielder marked but an uncompromising clearance from Aaron Hughes stopped the big midfielder in his tracks.
Fulham won a free right on the edge of the area when Bobby Zamora was hauled to the ground on 52 min by David Edgar. Zamora stepped up to coolly side foot the free kick past the despairing grasp of Jensen to make it three-nil.
Simon Davies was replaced by Jonathan Greening on 61 minutes after making a good return from his spell on the sidelines.
With the game drifting away from them Burnley stuck to their task and kept Fulham honest – although the Whites were certainly in no mood to give Brian Laws' side an easy way back into the game.
Fulham's attack was refreshed on 70 minutes with the introduction of Stefano Okaka for Bobby Zamora. The Whites' final change of the evening saw Bjorn Helge Riise come on for Duff on 77 minutes – by which time the game was clearly in the process of winding down.
Only another good stop from Jensen prevented Fulham from netting their fourth of the night when Stefano Okaka's shot was tipped wide after the Italian Under-21 international was played in on goal by Riise. It proved to be the last moment of note in the match as Fulham closed out the game well in control.
Posted by: AmericanMike on Tuesday, February 09, 2010 - 03:32 PM
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/portsmouth/article7021202.ece
Fulham confirm rude health with comfortable victory
Fulham 3 Burnley 0
Gary Jacob
Recommend?
Burnley fly to Portugal for a team-bonding trip on Wednesday, but they suffered another bout of travel sickness the night before. Once again, they were floored by an ailing defensive performance and could return to the bottom three on Wednesday night after Fulham eased to a straightforward victory.
Bobby Zamora made the critical minority of home fans eat their words with an assured display, made considerably easier by being given space by wayward opposing centre backs. The forward created one and scored another from a free kick, which he celebrated with a finger pressed to his lips. David Elm's poached first goal was especially welcomed by Roy Hodgson, who will be without Andrew Johnson and Clint Dempsey, both injured, for most of the rest of the season.
Zamora was laid low by a virus for four days last week, but his season's tally of 12 goals is his highest in a top-flight campaign. He scored Fulham's third when his free kick crept into the corner of the net after Brian Jensen placed a defensive wall poorly, then stepped behind it, allowing Zamora space to find the net.
"It was an excellent performance and Zamora was going strong at the end when we took him off," Hodgson, the Fulham manager, said.
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The tone was set by Zamora's nod-down that allowed Damien Duff to shoot just wide. Soon after, the striker exchanged passes on the edge of the area with Elm, then Dickson Etuhu, both of whom shot straight at Jensen.
Elm was more productive soon after, caressing Nicky Shorey's deep cross back for the onrushing Danny Murphy to chest down the ball and volley home.
David Edgar had a horrible time at left back and he was caught for Fulham's second goal. Chris Baird slid a pass inside the channel for Zamora, who replays showed was offside, to cut inside and shoot low. Jensen should have held on and Elm pounced on the loose ball for his first goal for the club.
Stefano Okaka, a substitute, burst clear to be denied by Jensen's parry. Brian Laws's attempts to tighten up defensively backfired as Burnley failed to muster a meaningful chance. Daniel Fox struck a free kick straight at Mark Schwarzer and Tyrone Mears had a similar strike that shaved a post.
Burnley have conceded nearly three goals a match in 13 trips and their solitary away point came against Manchester City in November.
"The performance was not up to standard and it was not helped by the refereeing decision [when Zamora was offside for Elm's goal]," Laws said. "The two goals before the break knocked the stuffing out of us."
Fulham (4-4-2): M Schwarzer — C Baird, A Hughes, B Hangeland, N Shorey — D Duff (sub: B H Riise, 77min), D Murphy, D Etuhu, S Davies (sub: J Greening, 62) — R Zamora (sub, S Okaka, 71), D Elm. Substitutes not used: P Zuberbühler, S Kelly, E Nevland, C Smalling. Booked: Etuhu.
Burnley (4-4-2): B Jensen — T Mears, C Carlisle, L Cort (sub: C Eagles, 32), D Edgar — W Elliott (sub: J Cork, 56), K McDonald, A Bikey, D Fox — D Nugent (sub: M Paterson, 76), S Fletcher. Substitutes not used: N Weaver, M Duff, R Blake, S Thompson.
Referee: S Bennett.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/elm-ensures-burnleys-poor-run-continues-1894667.html
Elm ensures Burnley's poor run continues
Fulham 3 Burnley 0
By Dean Jones
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
When David Elm arrived at Fulham, manager Roy Hodgson admitted he would not be given many chances to make an impression in the first team. This was just his second start in a white shirt, yet by half-time he had set up an opening strike for Danny Murphy and scored his first Premier League goal.
The contribution left Burnley dumbstruck, perhaps because most of their players had probably never heard of him before. Elm joined from Kalmar FF at the end of August for about £300,000, and was signed in hope he could fulfil his potential, rather than meet any expectations. He signed a one-year contract, and could not have done more here to show that he can still have a future in England.
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In light of Chris Smalling's recent £10million transfer to Manchester United following a rapid rise from non-league Maidstone United, he could yet turn out to be the club's latest diamond.
"He will be encouraged by the goal and has been a revelation since he joined," said Hodgson. "He has really progressed quickly through the ranks. When we play like that we are a tough nut to crack for any team."
This victory virtually ensures Fulham will not become entwined in a relegation battle. Instead they can focus more intently on attempting to win silverware. They remain in the FA Cup and Europa League and will have high hopes of finishing in the top half of the Premier League.
As routine victories go, this is about as straightforward as they come. And while Burnley continue to search for a first away league victory, manager Brian Laws can not help but feel his side are having little luck.
He felt the two opening goals could have been given as offside. "You need the referee and linesmen to get those decisions right, and quite clearly they didn't," he said. "It knocked the stuffing out of us, but we will pick ourselves up because no one is crying about it. Our away form is not great but we have to remain optimistic."
Fulham were bouyed by the presence of Bobby Zamora, returning from a brief bout of flu. The only surprise after Fulham had dominated the opening stages was that Zamora did not score the opening goal. Instead the honour fell to captain Murphy.
Full-back Nicky Shorey swept a cross deep into the Burnley penalty box and Elm headed the ball downwards Murphy arrived to steer the ball over the line. Fulham doubled the lead when Zamora sent a drilled effort towards goal which goalkeeper Brian Jensen failed to hold and Elm followed in to score. Zamora put the game out of sight, curling home a free-kick from the edge of the penalty area.
It all looked so easy. Burnley have 13 matches left to prove they are worthy of their Premier League status. That may prove far from easy.
Fulham (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Shorey, Hangeland, Hughes, Baird; Davies (Greening 62), Etuhu, Murphy, Duff (Riise 77); Zamora (Okaka 71), Elm. Substitutes not used: Zuberbuhler (gk), Kelly, Smalling, Nevland.
Burnley (4-4-2): Jensen; Carlisle, Mears, Cort (Eagles 32), Edgar; Fox, Bikey, McDonald, Elliott (Cork 56); Fletcher, Nugent (Paterson 76). Substitutes not used: Weaver (gk), Duff, Blake, Thompson.
Referee: C Foy
Booked: Fulham: Etuhu
Man of the match: Zamora
Attendance: 23,005
http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Fulham-3-0-Burnley-Murphy-Elm-and-Zamora-strike-for-Cottagers-The-Daily-Mirror-match-report-article318955.html
Fulham 3-0 Burnley: The Daily Mirror match report
Published 23:04 09/02/10
By Mike Walters
David Elm left travel-sick Burnley looking like relegation fodder who can't see the wood for the trees.
Riddled with a disease as virulent as the Clarets' anaemic away from, it had to be a man called Elm who extended their wretched spoils to just one point from a possible 39 when they venture beyond their front doorstep at Turf Moor.
Elm, a Scandinavian totem who travels to training by rail every day, decorated his full home debut with a poacher's goal as Burnley went barking up the wrong tree again.
At £550,000, Fulham paid less for Elm than it allegedly takes for an England captain to buy a kiss-and-tell lover's silence.
But if his partnership with Bobby Zamora continues to sprout as easily as the green shoots of promise evident at Craven Cottage last night, he will soon e a household name in the capital from Gospel Oak to Forest Gate.
Poor Clarets boss Brian Laws takes his squad to Portugal today for a sunshine break in the hope they will recover their wanderlust. They were so poor last night that he will be lucky if half of his players remember their passports.
Unlike celebrity Burnley fan Alastair Campbell, who was tongue-tied and close to tears on TV last weekend, at least Laws was not completely lost for words after Fulham's routine stroll by the Thames towpath.
But on the evidence of this desultory display, his predecessor Owen Coyle deserted a sinking ship last month, and Laws said: "That performance was not up to the standard we set against West Ham on Saturday, but it didn't help that the first two goals were offside.
"We need all the help we can get away from home, and when you're having a difficult time you rely on the referee and linesmen to get the important decisions right.
"But we've got to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and start picking up points away from home, so there's no point in crying about it. We still have a fantastic opportunity to stay in the Premier League, but we can't rely on our home form alone to do it - I think pretty soon the whole nation will want us to win away from home."
After a sluggish start, when pulse rates were comparable with those in a chapel of rest, Fulham seized the initiative with two goals in eight minutes midway through the first half.
Elm's superb cushioned header from Nicky Shorey's deep cross set up Danny Muphy to sweep home his sixth goal of the season, and when Burnley keeper Brian Jensen could only shovel Zamora's shot across the six-yard box, Elm pounced on the rebound.
Burnley's magnificent band of travelling fans never stopped singing, even though their team gave them little to shout about, and when Jensen went down in instalments, too late to reach Zamora's tame free-kick 10 minutes after the break, the Clarets had long been reduced to cheap plonk.
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson said: "Elm will be encouraged by his goal and the marvellous way he set up the first one for Danny.
"David is probably the least famous of three brothers who played for the same club in Sweden, and I believe Everton were close to signing one of them, Rasmus, before he went to AZ Alkmaar in Holland.
"He has been a revelation because, when he joined us, we had quite a few forwards available, but he has moved up the pecking order quickly and he deserves to be there.
"I feel a bit sorry for Burnley - we were excellent from back to front tonight and we would have been a tough nut to crack for any team."
Fulham: Schwarzer 7, Baird 6, Hangeland 7, Hughes 7, Shorey 8, Davies 6 (Greening, 62, 5), Murphy 7, Etuhu 7, Duff 7 (Riise, 77, 7), Zamora 7 (Okaka, 71, 6), Elm 7.
Burnley: Jensen 5, Mears 6, Carlisle 6, Cort 4 (Eagles, 32, 5), Edgar 5, Bikey 6, McDonald 6, Fox 5, Elliott 5 (Cork, 56, 5), Nugent 4 (Paterson, 76, 4), Fletcher 5.
Footage of last night's goals -
http://www.caughtoffside.com/2010/02/10/fulham-3-0-burnley-premier-league-highlights-video/
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1788_5929659,00.html (http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1788_5929659,00.html)
Graft paid off for Cottagers - Roy
Roy Hodgson was delighted with Fulham's 3-0 win over Burnley - a result that pushed the Cottagers into ninth place in the Premier League
First-half goals from Danny Murphy and David Elm put the home side in control at Craven Cottage on Tuesday night and Bobby Zamora wrapped-up all three points with a second-half free-kick.
The result stretched Fulham's unbeaten run to three games while Burnley remain without an away success this season.
"I thought the victory lay in the hard work and the quality of our defending," said Hodgson.
"We gave them very little time and space to play and we used the ball wisely.
"We got everything right tonight - the defending and attacking - and on a night like that, we would have been a tough nut to crack for any team."
Hodgson was also delighted to see Elm grab his first goal for the club.
The Swedish striker made the opener for Murphy and then slotted home from close range after Brian Jensen had parried a shot by Zamora.
"It was really good to see David score," added Hodgson. "He's been a bit of a revelation. At the time he came in we had a lot of strikers, but he has moved up the pecking order and deserves to be where he is."
Fulham now face Notts County in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday and then Shakhtar in the Europa League next week.
But Hodgson is not getting excited about the resumption of their European adventure.
"We will attack the FA Cup," said Hodgson. "But I'm not going to change by mind about the Europa League. My priority is still the league and the FA Cup."
Burnley boss Brian Laws claimed Fulham's opening two goals were offside but insists they will keep working hard in an effort to start winning away from home.
"Luck has not been on our side tonight," said Laws. "We did not particularly play well but I thought their first two goals were offside.
"The TV replays show the referee and linesman got it wrong. They are important decisions for us. We need any help we can get.
"Our performance was not up to the standard we set on Saturday against West Ham.
"We shot ourselves in the foot with the first goal because we could have cleared our lines, but the second phase of play was offside.
"But if the referee and linesman get it right, it is no goal. One or two heads dropped but we cannot carry anybody.
"The two goals coming in quick succession, knocked the stuffing out of us.
"We know our away form is not great but we will just have to pick ourselves up."
Laws admits it is vital that his side manage to break their away duck.
"Psychologically it will start to affect the players," conceded Laws. "We have to change the mind set.
"We put in a magnificent performance against West Ham on Saturday and we have not had time to enjoy that because there was another important game against Fulham."
http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/812528-fulham-find-it-so-easy-against-burnley (http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/812528-fulham-find-it-so-easy-against-burnley)
Fulham find it so easy against Burnley
FULHAM 3-0 BURNLEY
Fulham moved into ninth place in the Barclays Premier League with a comfortable win over Burnley at Craven Cottage.
(http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2010/02/10/article-1265790468454-0837A746000005DC-113090_636x416.jpg)
First-half goals from Danny Murphy and David Elm put the home side in control and Bobby Zamora wrapped up all three points with a second-half free-kick.
Burnley, who have yet to win away this season, remain close to the relegation zone.
Fulham engineered the first chance of the game in the seventh minute when Damien Duff's cross shot only just evaded the far post and the waiting Simon Davies.
Duff should have done much better when he got clear of the Burnley defence five minutes later but his cross from the touchline fell behind all the onrushing Fulham attackers.
Burnley responded with Andre Bikey trying his luck from 30 yards. However, his weak effort was well wide of the target.
There was little to enthuse about in a dull opening period although Duff continued to threaten for the home side.
In the 21st minute, Elm tried to curl the ball around Brian Jensen but the Burnley goalkeeper held the ball at the second attempt.
But captain Murphy broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute. A cross from Nicky Shorey was headed into his path by Elm and the Fulham midfielder applied a neat finish from six yards.
Burnley almost levelled from the restart but Steven Fletcher's 20-yard angled drive flashed past Mark Schwarzer's right-hand upright.
Dickson Utuhu was denied Fulham's second goal in the 28th minute when his 20-yard shot was brilliantly pushed to safety by Jensen.
But the second goal arrived in the 31st minute when Zamora got the better of Leon Cort only to see his shot parried by Jensen.
However, Elm followed up to slip the loose ball beyond Jensen from six yards for his first goal for the club.
Burnley boss Brian Laws immediately replaced Cort with Chris Eagles.
In the 42nd minute the Clarets almost pulled a goal back when a 25-yard free-kick from Tyrone Mears hit the angle of crossbar and post.
But Fulham remained in charge and Elm could have added to his tally had he not drifted offside moments later.
Zamora was a constant thorn in Burnley's side but required much better support from the midfield.
Schwarzer was called upon to deal with a cross from Wade Elliott in the 45th minute but the Fulham keeper had largely been untroubled in the opening half.
Zamora should have made it three for Fulham five minutes after the interval but his eight-yard shot was brilliantly saved by Jensen.
Seconds later an attempted cross from Duff almost confused Jensen and the Burnley keeper was relieved to see the ball drop onto the top of the net.
But Burnley paid for some woeful defending in the 54th minute when Zamora was fouled by David Edgar on the edge of the Fulham penalty area.
The striker dusted himself down and curled a low free-kick into the bottom corner of the net to make it 3-0 to the home side.
Fulham continued to dominate and Duff had a shot deflected just wide in the 65th minute.
Elm and Zamora were forming a clever partnership in attack and Burnley struggled to cope with their neat approach work.
In the 69th minute Murphy almost worked a shooting chance for himself after threading his way through the Burnley defence but Jensen smothered the danger.
Substitute Stefano Okaka should have made it 4-0 to Fulham in the 78th minute but Jensen pulled off another fine save to deny him.
Okaka then saw a 90th-minute shot flash just the wrong side of the post as Fulham tried to finish with a flourish.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23804025-roy-hodgsons-gamble-paying-off-as-its-a-nightmare-on-elm-street-for-struggling-burnley.do (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23804025-roy-hodgsons-gamble-paying-off-as-its-a-nightmare-on-elm-street-for-struggling-burnley.do)
Roy Hodgson's gamble paying off as it's a nightmare on Elm street for struggling Burnley
(http://i.thisislondon.co.uk/i/pix/2010/02/David-Elm415.jpg)
Fulham 3
Burnley 0
When Roy Hodgson failed to sign Sweden international Rasmus Elm last summer, he decided to gamble £500,000 on the midfielder's brother, David.
It may turn out to be one of the bargains of the season, as Elm impressed in his first Premier League start at Bolton on Saturday and was even better last night, setting up one goal for Danny Murphy and scoring another.
The 27-year-old striker was brought from Swedish league champions Kalmar FF as an understudy for Bobby Zamora and although he initially found it hard to adapt to English football, he hopes to win an extension to his one-year contract.
He said: "It has been difficult coming from Sweden to the Premier League. There is a big difference in the tempo of the game here and it is more aggressive but I have been patient and I took my chance when I got it against Burnley.
"Fulham told me before I joined that I was an interesting player and it would be exciting to see if I could make the step. I knew it was going to be tough but I never had any second thoughts. I love it here. The dream scenario is that I can get a lot of time playing here."
Elm is desperate to emulate brothers Rasmus, 21, and Viktor, 24, by playing for Sweden.
Impressing with Fulham will help him achieve that goal and he has certainly made an impression on Hodgson.
The Fulham boss said: "At the time David came in, we had quite a lot of forward players but he's moved very quickly up the pecking order and he's shown that he deserves to be there. He's probably the least-famous of the three brothers.
"Rasmus was the one who had attracted the most attention, both ourselves and Everton were very keen to sign him. He eventually chose to go to AZ Alkmaar. Viktor was already at Heerenveen and I don't think David was really expecting a foreign club to come in for him.
"Luckily I have some contacts in Sweden, everyone spoke very well of him and I must say he's been a bit of a revelation."
Elm has got his chance as a result of long-term injuries to Andy Johnson and Clint Dempsey and because Seol Ki-Hyeon and Diomansy Kamara have been allowed to go elsewhere.
Playing alongside Zamora, Elm was instrumental in Fulham's opening goal against struggling Burnley after 23 minutes when he touched on Nicky Shorey's deep cross for Danny Murphy to beat goalkeeper Brian Jensen from close range.
Seven minutes later, Jensen could only parry Zamora's low curling shot into the path of Elm, who could not miss from four yards out.
Zamora himself sealed the win in the 53rd minute with a low free-kick from just outside the penalty area.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/121602/Elm-chop-for-Clarets/
ELM CHOP FOR CLARETS
10th February 2010
By Sami Mokbel
SWEDISH striker David Elm gave Fulham owner Mohamed Al-Fayed a reason to keep his cheque book closed last night.
Boss Roy Hodgson called on the megarich Harrods owner to bank roll his plans for a summer spending spree.
But the £500,000 bargain buy from Kalmar last summer could save the Egyptian a fortune if he continues to show the form that left relegation threatened Burnley in a spin at Craven Cottage.
Elm's first goal for Fulham helped them to a comfortable win over Brian Laws' strugglers.
Prior to last night's clash, the Clarets hadn't tasted an away league victory since a 2-1 win at Plymouth in the Championship last March.
And on the evidence of their display at Craven Cottage, there is little chance of that sorry stretch ending any time soon.
Fulham started the brighter, as Damien Duff's right-footed cross-shot from Bobby Zamora's headed knock down rolled just short of Simon Davies in the ninth minute.
Elm forced Brian Jensen into the fi rst save of the game in the 22nd minute with a curling effort from the edge of the box after linking up with Duff.
And it was the Swede, who turned 27 last month, who helped unlock the Clarets a minute later.
Elm – who looked to have strayed just offside – nodded Nicky Shorey's clipped ball into the path of Danny Murphy.
And the former Liverpool midfi elder fired past Jensen to give Hodgson's men the advantage.
Steven Fletcher smashed a venomous shot just wide from fully 25 yards two minutes later as Burnley looked to hit
back.
But the Clarets had Jensen to thank for not going further behind after the giant Dane produced an acrobatic one-handed save to keep out Dickson Etuhu's 20-yard drive.
But Elm did double the Cottagers' lead in the 31st minute, though there was again a hint of offside in the build-up.
Bobby Zamora looked to have gone a split second too early in his burst to collect Chris Baird's pass, but the fl ag stayed down.
The ex-West Ham man cut inside Leon Cort before sending a low strike straight at Jensen – who failed to hold it, leaving Elm to put Fulham two up.
Tyrone Mears hit the outside of the post with a curling free-kick two minutes before the break.
But Fulham continued their dominance in the second period, Zamora forcing Jensen into a smart low save .
Zamora didn't have to wait long before notching his 12th goal of the season and boost his hopes of a debut England call-up in the forthcoming friendly against Egypt.
Picking himself up after being fouled by Edgar on the edge of the box, the Fulham hitman smashed a low effort past
the luckless Jensen to give his side a 3-0 lead –and leave Burnley deep in the mire
http://wvhooligan.com/2010/02/09/the-evolution-of-the-american-striker/
The Evolution of the American StrikerEPL, MLS
How has Eddie Johnson has changed our lives? New WVH writer John Parker takes a look.
By John Parker
Brian Mcbride was a good player. So was Joe-Max Moore. Eric Wynalda held the American scoring record for nearly a decade.
Alright, I don't know where to start with this, and my free writing is a little sub par here. But there is a point, and it's not that subtle. The US has produced some adequate players up top, but the position has been the country's Achilles heel...and an anomaly. This is a nation that hosts the most astonishing athletes in the world, and yet cycle after cycle we see gadflies, overachievers and "hard workers" leading the line. Meanwhile, the Damani Ralph's of the world were entering the MLS and snatching golden boots.
Before the 2006 cycle, this is what we not only experienced, but expected. We waited on the coming Hispanic infusion that would introduce craft to the position; the demographics of America were rapidly changing, and the future of American soccer supposedly with it. We would see a new breed of player, one who preferred to play on the ball, to strike it from distance and to create for his teammates. Brian Mcbride was great, but we could improve.
But then something curious happened. Eddie Johnson, an American striker with sub par ability on the ball won the golden boot with the U-20's, and then again with the MLS. It was astonishing...because he was an astonishing athlete. Playing off the hips of the defender, Eddie looked to impose his will with his speed. He didn't finish off of crosses or set pieces but rather through balls. He was introduced to the National Team and quickly reeled off seven goals. The message boards lit up. People bought the jersey they were sure to wear for a decade...after all, who offered what Eddie did up top? Those seven goals may have been somewhat of a fluke, but they may also have been proof of something greater than just Eddie. The American style, with its counter-attacks and its high pressure defending (which leads to interceptions up the pitch) could take advantage of a forward who routinely got behind the defense. The Twellman's of the world slowed down our attack when, if anything, we needed to be speeding up.
Don't beat yourself up for falling for the hype to early. I did...and your favorite blogger probably did too. After all, it's not like we could complain that Eddie's ball skills didn't compare with the rest of the pool. We'd later realize how much better Mcbride's first touch was, or how much better Moore was off the ball...but the point is for a youth player it was tough to criticize him in comparison (remember, he was battling Taylor Twellman for a spot).
Yes, in the end it did not work out with Eddie. However, his fiery start revealed a seed that is just barely now sprouting. The American striker was not going to be born out of Latino influence but rather an American one. Our obsession with physically dominating our opponents...of physically imposing our will...that was the future of the position, and one that fit our American sensibilities.
Yeah, we are still lacking at the position, but let's go back to the beginning of the current cycle. Eddie Johnson was beginning to be exposed...and...and...who started against Mexico in the Gold Cup? (Hint: one isn't a forward, and the other probably won't be there this summer. Look it up...it took me five minutes to figure it out too.)
Now, the trail-blazing Eddie Johnson has left us with two (yes two!) options up top who offer an array of talents. I know Davies is injured, but as an American product, he must be discussed. You see, we now have a striker tree building from Eddie. One branch, Jozy Altidore, offers extraordinary power, good speed, and a penchant for taking players on off the dribble. The other, CD9, has fantastic speed, good power, and consistently attack the goal with fiery determination. Both can score off through balls, or create a goal themselves. They can play off the defenders hip, but can also be effective receiving it with their backs to the goal. In general, they're advantage is an athletic one coupled with adequate skills and a confidence we haven't seen in our past strikers...it's a confidence that wants to take over the game rather than simply be a cog. Yes, "team" play is great, but sometimes you need more from your strikers than target play. Sometimes you need a goal like Jozy's against Spain, or Charlie's against Mexico. Sometimes you need it from both your strikers.
So where do we go from here? Sheer math makes me believe that the previously mentioned dearth of Hispanic influence will be overcome. However, if you look at the current prospects, the proof points more to the growth of the Eddie tree.
Brek Shea, a tall, lanky winger/striker was taken second by FCD in the draft a couple of years ago after a display of speed and flair at the combine. He may not be a striker in the end, but the mere fact that he was drafted with the position in mind was proof of a new American mindset. He still might have a future at the position.
Robbie Findley will probably see little time on the pitch for the US in any competitive matches, but Findley seems to have become a preferred option to the Conor Casey's of the world because of what he offers athletically (which, unfortunately, is about all he offers).
At the U-20 level, Juan Agudelo and Stefan Jerome seem to be top options for the next cycle. Agudelo is looking at offers from NYRB and Millionaros because of an intriguing balance of size, speed and technical ability, especially at his age. Jerome, who has fallen off quite a bit since his stunning performance against Brazil a couple of years ago, is a tall, lanky striker with speed and desire to beat his defender off the dribble (perhaps too much). [Note: The other striker here is Jack McInerney, but he is unlike any American striker produced, so I'll pretend he doesn't exist for the purposes of this article]
Then there is the 2010 draft. Teal Bunbury may be playing for Canada, but he fits the mold, and MLS large GA offer is proof to his value in the American game. However, Danny Mwanga, the first pick of the draft, should be of more interest to us. Mwanga told a soccernet reporter he hoped to play for the U.S., and given his status as a refugee with a green card, he shouldn't be too far away from his citizenship. As a 6-2 striker who wows with both elite level athleticism and the technique to match, he would be a natural fit in the new breed of American striker.
Finally, there is Alfred Koroma, the 15 year old who recently left Bradenton after beginning his second cycle. Koroma was highly advertised as the star of the new class as a player who was not only physically dominant but also technically advanced. Yes, he is young...but Jozy got his first cap at 17 and Koroma will turn 19 before the next world cup.
All of this is admittedly wild speculation. All the speculation, however, points towards one conclusion. Many of these players won't make it, but the fact that almost all of America's top prospects at the position fit the Davies/Altidore mold speaks to what we can learn from the past and expect of the future. Current trends point towards a focus on strikers with the ability to get behind defenses off the ball and to overtake them off the dribble.
With Davies and Altidore taking two positions in the next cycle, two remain open. Will we see an entire leading line built in a similar fashion? Will it become a position of strength? Will the American striker become a unique character in the world of soccer?
All of this is unlikely...but it's still cool to think that Eddie Johnson may have changed American soccer forever.
Editor's Note: John Parker is new to WVHooligan.com. Feel free to leave him a comment below.
Lucky Programme Number Wednesday 10th February 2010
Fulham FC News
The lucky programme number from Tuesday night's match against Burnley at the Cottage was 00142.
If you were the lucky buyer of this numbered edition then please email
[email protected]| with a scan or photograph of the inside back cover as proof of your success.
The winner will receive a medium Fulham shirt, signed, as well as a signed copy of Tuesday's programme.
Be sure to pick up a copy of the programme at every home game to be in with a chance of winning great Fulham prizes like these.
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/BurnleyLuckyProgrammeNumber.aspx#ixzz0f82OlqKt (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/BurnleyLuckyProgrammeNumber.aspx#ixzz0f82OlqKt)
Burnley Highlights
See all the goals from Tuesday evening's win over Burnley at the Cottage.
http://www.fulhamfc.premiumtv.co.uk/articles/20100210/highlights-fulham-3-0-burnley_2269935_1961223
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-fire-confidential/2010/02/john-looking-for-redemption.html
John looking for redemption
Sam Stejskal
on 02.09.10 at 9:04 AM | 12 comments
It's been a long journey for Collins John.
Bursting onto the scene in 2004 as a precocious 18-year-old, John quickly became a fan favorite at Craven Cottage. But despite displaying a solid strike rate and picking up two full international caps with Holland during his first year in the Premiership, the best was yet to come from John. He proved that with his 2005-06 season, which saw him lead Fulham with 11 league goals despite the fact that he only started 15 of the 37 games he appeared in.
Unfortunately for John, he has never been able to recreate the magic of 2005-06. He lost his place at Fulham, bounced around the second division of English soccer, failed to impress during a one-year loan with Dutch side NEC Nijmegen, and - most recently - got cut from Belgian team KSV Roeselare. Now, John finds himself on-trial with the Fire, where he is hoping he can make a good impression and jumpstart his once promising career.
"I just needed a new spot," John said. "I have played in the big competition that is the Premiership. I've played in Holland, I've played in Belgium... but after this fall I just wanted to get far away from European football and I guess that's what brought me to MLS."
"Hopefully I can do well here and play well in my auditions to the team and maybe I can play and maybe in a couple of years I can go back to Europe, but you never know. I may love it here and stay for the rest of my life. It's still early days. So far I'm enjoying my time here, I'm having a good training camp and hopefully I can score a lot of goals for Chicago this season."
If John is to rack up the goals for the Fire this season, he'll be doing it in his own way. Employing a playing style he compared to that of Juventus-striker David Trezeguet, John typically looks to use a quick first step to capitalize on the mistakes of defenders.
"Obviously we've got [Patrick Nyarko] as a striker and [Brian McBride] as a striker but I think I'm a different type than both of them," John said. "McBride is good in the air and Pat is a good dribbler and I think I'm a totally different player... You might not see me for 15 minutes in a game and all of a sudden I score a goal. I'm a hunter, I just wait for the moment and then I grab it."
While past managers have criticized John for attitude and fitness problems, he has received nothing but positive remarks from the staff in Chicago.
"Collins John is a proven guy," Fire Technical Director Frank Klopas said. "He's been at a high level when he was a young player and I think his additive results have been very good. He's been working very hard to get back to the fitness level that he knows he can be at and... he has a good attitude - he gets along with the other players. It's [only a few] days into it and we'll get to know more as the days go by but so far it's been very good."
For his part, John is looking at his chance to make the Fire as an opportunity for redemption. His career has fallen a long way since he was Fulham's top goal scorer in 2005-06 and he wants to get back to the form he knows he can play at.
"I'm still a young player; I'm just 24 years old. I just want to play football and put everything behind me," John said. "I've had a great career already. I've played for a lot of big clubs, I've got three caps and last year and a half hasn't worked out for me but I guess that's football. It's ups and downs. I've been down but I want to go up this year with Chicago. Hopefully I'm going to score a lot of goals this year and forget about everything that happened in '08 and '09. That's one of the key things in sports, if things don't go well for you then you have to try and forget things and work hard and get back to the level you want to be and that's what I'm doing right now."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's clear to me that John has more than enough talent to be a great player in this league. The only questions for me are his work ethic and attitude. If he continues to get along with the Fire players and staff and continues to work hard to get his game up to snuff, then there is no reason why he shouldn't have success in Chicago. For now though, I'm going to remain a skeptic. With John - who hasn't exactly left his last two teams on the best terms - I'm going to have to see it to believe it.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11708_5928890,00.html
Cottagers clout Clarets
Fulham seal comfortable 3-0 win over struggling Burnley
Last updated: 9th February 2010
Man of the match: David Elm. The Swede not only claimed his first Premier League goal but also helped Danny Murphy break the deadlock in the 23rd minute.
Moment of the match: When Bobby Zamora capitalised on some poor wall positioning to score Fulham's third and final goal.
Save of the match: Brian Jensen produced a fine reaction save to deny Bobby Zamora moments in the 50th minute.
Talking point: How much longer will Burnley's woeful away record continue? They played the ball nicely but were unable to find that killer touch.
Strikes from Danny Murphy, David Elm and Bobby Zamora earned Fulham a comfortable victory as Burnley's woeful away record continued at Craven Cottage.
Murphy converted a well-worked move to power the hosts in front and Elm doubled the advantage before the break by tapping in from close range after Clarets goalkeeper Brian Jensen had parried a fizzing Zamora shot into his path.
Roy Hodgson's side continued to press forward and Zamora made it three by passing his free-kick around the wall and into the bottom corner.
Burnley tried their best to haul themselves back into the game but were constantly thwarted by a solid Cottagers defence.
The closest the visitors came was in the final minute when Chris Eagles drew a good low save from Mark Schwarzer.
Fulham had looked in determined mood from the off and engineered the first chance of the game in the seventh minute when Damien Duff's cross shot only just evaded the far post and the waiting Simon Davies.
Duff should have done much better when he got clear of the Burnley defence five minutes later but his cross from the touchline fell behind all the onrushing Fulham attackers.
Response
Burnley responded with Andre Bikey trying his luck from 30 yards. However, his weak effort was well wide of the target.
There was little to enthuse about in a dull opening period although Duff continued to threaten for the home side.
In the 21st minute, Elm tried to curl the ball around Brian Jensen but the Burnley goalkeeper held the ball at the second attempt.
But captain Murphy broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute. A cross from Nicky Shorey was headed into his path by Elm and the Fulham midfielder applied a neat finish from six yards.
Burnley almost levelled from the restart but Steven Fletcher's 20-yard angled drive flashed past Mark Schwarzer's right-hand upright.
Dickson Utuhu was denied Fulham's second goal in the 28th minute when his 20-yard shot was brilliantly pushed to safety by Jensen.
But the second goal arrived in the 31st minute when Zamora got the better of Leon Cort only to see his shot spilled by Jensen.
However, Elm followed up to slip the loose ball beyond Jensen from six yards for his first goal for the club.
Burnley boss Brian Laws immediately replaced Cort with Chris Eagles.
In the 42nd minute the Clarets almost pulled a goal back when a 25-yard free-kick from Tyrone Mears clipped the upright.
In charge
But Fulham remained in charge and Elm could have added to his tally had he not drifted offside moments later.
Zamora was a constant thorn in Burnley's side but required much better support from the midfield.
Schwarzer was called upon to deal with a cross from Wade Elliott in the 45th minute but the Fulham keeper had largely been untroubled in the opening half.
Zamora should have made it three for Fulham five minutes after the interval but his eight-yard shot was brilliantly saved by Jensen.
Seconds later an attempted cross from Duff almost confused Jensen and the Burnley keeper was relieved to see the ball drop onto the top of the net.
But Burnley paid for some woeful defending in the 54th minute when Zamora was fouled by David Edgar on the edge of the Fulham penalty area.
The striker dusted himself down and curled a low free-kick into the bottom corner of the net to make it 3-0 to the home side.
Fulham continued to dominate and Duff had a shot deflected just wide in the 65th minute.
Elm and Zamora were forming a clever partnership in attack and Burnley struggled to cope with their neat approach work.
In the 69th minute Murphy almost worked a shooting chance for himself after threading his way through the Burnley defence but Jensen smothered the danger.
Substitute Stefano Okaka should have made it 4-0 to Fulham in the 78th minute but Jensen pulled off another fine save to deny him.
Okaka then saw a 90th-minute shot flash just the wrong side of the post as Fulham tried to finish with a flourish.
That result moves Fulham up to ninth in the table while Burnley have dropped to 16th, just two points above the drop zone.
Fulham
Team Statistics
Burnley
3 Goals
0
2 1st Half Goals
0
8 Shots on Target
3
4 Shots off Target
8
5 Blocked Shots
0
6 Corners
2
13 Fouls
10
5 Offsides
3
1 Yellow Cards
0
0 Red Cards
0
75.8 Passing Success
75.8
34 Tackles
20
67.6 Tackles Success
70
49.8 Possession
50.2
51.5 Territorial Advantage
48.5
http://goal.com/en/news/9/england/2010/02/09/1783919/fulham-3-0-burnley-ruthless-cottagers-down-toothless-clarets
Fulham 3-0 Burnley: Ruthless Cottagers Down Toothless Clarets
Cottagers earn comfortable victory...
By Tom Hird
Feb 9, 2010 9:50:00 PM
A display of attacking first half football earned Fulham a comfortable victory that sent Burnley to their 17th away defeat in succession.
The home side started the brightest with Simon Davies and Danny Murphy both going close. Swedish striker David Elm also produced a fine save from Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen.
The Cottagers eventually opened the scoring in controversial fashion. Nicky Shorey played the ball onto the head of Elm who flicked it on to Murphy and the ex-Liverpool man slotted home. Elm did, however, appear to be in an offside position much to Burnley's dismay.
Steven Fletcher then went down the other end and almost immediately levelled for the visitors, before Dickson Etuhu forced another good save out of Jensen with a shot from the edge of the area.
It was Fulham who scored again just after the half hour mark when Bobby Zamora found himself in space but after his shot was saved, Elm followed up to tap in the rebound with more suggestions of offside.
Tyrone Mears went close with a free-kick just before the break, but it was Zamora this time who effectively ended the contest just before the hour mark. His free-kick looked weak but somehow found its way past Jensen to put Fulham out of sight.
The away side struggled to create anything against a mean Fulham defence led by Brede Hangeland, and the game eventually fizzled out into a rather disappointing affair.
The Cottagers could, and perhaps should, have scored more goals, but they won't turn down what will probably be their most comfortable victory of the season.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_5929334,00.html
Hodgson hails performance
Cottagers boss delighted by comfortable win
Last updated: 10th February 2010
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson was delighted with the way his side capped a busy week by claiming a comfortable 3-0 victory over Burnley.
The Cottagers made it seven points from nine and climbed to ninth in the Premier League table courtesy of strikes from Danny Murphy, David Elm and Bobby Zamora.
The hosts were rarely troubled by the Clarets and Hodgson felt they had fully deserved their win.
He said: "It's been a very good week and it was nice to crown it in a positive way.
"I thought we worked well from the first to the last minute and we were good value for our victory.
"With this game coming after a few where we were forced to ride our luck from time to time, it was nice to win in a very convincing manner."
Zamora and Simon Davies both made their returns to the side after illness and injury respectively, and Hodgson was full of praise for their contributions.
"When you have quality players like those two, you miss them when they are not playing.
"Getting Simon and Bobby back was really important and both of them did very well to last as long as they did.
"It was nice to be able to substitute them fairly early on as well and not push them to the limit."
http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201002100292817
Eagles will perform in S'Africa – Etuhu
By 'Tana Aiyejina, Published: Wednesday, 10 Feb 2010
Fulham defensive midfielder Dickson Etuhu believes that the Super Eagles can post a good outing at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, despite the team's unimpressive performance at the Angola 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in January.
The Eagles ended in third position at the biennial championship after they were eliminated in the semifinals by the Black Stars of Ghana. But Etuhu is optimistic about a better performance at the Mundial.
He said, "We can do better at the World Cup than we did in Angola because of the quality of players in the squad. Just like any other player, I am ready to give my best always if invited for the World Cup.
"We were favourites in Angola but we ended up in the third place. I still feel we had a great squad that could have reached the final and probably win the cup but that is over now and we have to prepare for the World Cup."
The player, who suffered a tooth problem during the tourney, is happy that he did not leave Angola empty-handed even if the Eagles failed to perform to expectations at the Africa Cup of Nations.
"I think I am very happy to have returned to England with a medal. This is my second Nations Cup and it's an improvement on our performance two years ago in Ghana when we lost to the Black Stars in the quarterfinals.
"I know there is a lot of disappointment back home because our fans expected us to win the trophy but football could be funny. We should have beaten Ghana in the semifinals but for ill luck. We had goods chances which we failed to convert into goals," Etuhu told our correspondent on the telephone on Monday.
The 27-year-old former Manchester City player, who was also eligible to play for England, made his international debut for Nigeria in 2007 in a friendly match against Mexico.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/157221/Laws-men-felled-by-towering-Elm-
LAWS MEN FELLED BY TOWERING ELM
Wednesday February 10,2010
By Tony Banks
Fulham 3, Burnley 0
DAVID ELM added to Burnley's away disease last night, as he dismantled their dismal defence and plunged the Lancashire club deeper into relegation trouble.
It might be the Swedish version of the disease rather than the traditional Dutch with Elm, 27, a native of the Scandinavian country.
He made one goal and scored one on his full home debut for Fulham to begin putting down roots in English football in some style.
Elm, signed from Kalmar in September for just £500,000 and who still travels to training on the train, set up the first goal for Danny Murphy.
Then he neatly added the second himself and watched strike partner Bobby Zamora add to Burnley's misery with a third in the second half.
The last time Burnley won at Fulham was back in 1980, when a certain 18 year old named Brian Laws nabbed the opening goal in a 2-0 win in the old Third Division.
This time round the need for a win for the man now in charge was even more urgent.
Burnley tasted victory for the first time in five games under Laws when they beat West Ham at Turf Moor on Saturday, but they had not won on their travels all season in a dozen attempts.
Injury-hit Fulham boss Roy Hodgson has said he will be asking chairman Mohamed Al Fayed for some cash during the summer to prevent another backs-to-the-wall season like this.
At times he has seen his side robbed of as many as seven key players through injury. But his team at least put an end to a five-game losing streak last week in beating Portsmouth and went into last night's game unbeaten in their last two, keeping two clean sheets in the process.
Fulham went close early on as Damien Duff shot across the face of gaol, then Swedish beanpole Elm forced a fine diving save from Burnley keeper Brian Jensen.
But a minute later their persistence paid off.
Nicky Shorey's long cross from the left was neatly nodded down by Elm, and there was skipper Murphy racing into the area to pick up the ball and slot home for his sixth goal of the season after 23 minutes.
Steven Fletcher curled a 25-yard effort just wide as Laws' team tried to hit back.
Then Jensen saved his side again as he reacted superbly to tip Dickson Etuhu's blistering shot away one-handed. But the second goal arrived just after the half-hour. Chris Baird released Zamora, who looked suspiciously offside, to cut in and shoot.
Jensen managed to parry the ball, but could not hold on to it and there was Elm in the right place to tap in his first goal for the club.
It was all the more galling for Laws and Burnley, as Tyrone Mears' free-kick then shaved the angle of Fulham's post and bar as they desperately tried to get back into the match.
But Fulham almost added a third when Burnley once again failed to clear the ball and the alert Zamora picked up, made space and fired in a shot that Jensen tipped round the post.
It didn't matter, however. Burnley's defending was so woeful another chance was bound to come along.
It did, as Zamora was hauled down on the edge of the area. The Fulham striker picked himself up to take the free kick himself, and curl it with aplomb around a wretchedly placed wall and into the corner of the net.
And it was nearly four for rampant Fulham as the alert Jensen had to dive bravely at Zamora's feet to prevent the evening turning into a rout for Laws' men.
But Fulham, with Murphy running the show, were never in any danger of failing to take their unbeaten run to three games.
Burnley travel to Portugal for a mid-season break today. Let's hope its a better trip than the rest of their adventures this season.
Fulham (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Shorey; Duff (Riise 77), Murphy, Etuhu, Davies (Greening 62); Zamora (Okaka 71), Elm. Booked: Etuhu. Goals: Murphy 23, Elm 31, Zamora 54.
Burnley (4-4-2): Jensen; Mears, Cort (Eagles 32), Carlisle, Fox; Elliott (Cork 56), McDonald, Bikey, Edgar; Nugent (Paterson 76), Fletcher.
Referee: S Bennett (Kent).
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/10022010/58/premier-league-fulham-trounce-burnley.html
Premier League - Fulham trounce Burnley
Eurosport - Tue, 09 Feb 21:56:00 2010
Goals from Danny Murphy, Bobby Zamora and David Elm - his first for Fulham - saw off Burnley, who were outclassed as their hosts took seven points from three games since snapping a worrying losing streak.
After a 3-0 win over Manchester United and goalless draw with Tottenham were followed by five straight defeats, it seemed like the rails had come off for Roy Hodgson's side, with injuries to John Pantsil, Paul Konchesky, Clint Dempsey and Andy Johnson threatening to ruin their season.
But the loan signings of Nicky Shorey and Stefano Okaka have helped the Whites bounce back, with Swedish target man Elm adapting to the Premier League and left-back Shorey helping them regain their shape.
Elm was particularly impressive, with a goal and an assist in an all-round performance showcasing an impressive touch alongside his natural aerial ability.
Burnley, for all their neat passing and endeavour, lacked that cutting edge up front and were short of defensive organisation as they were cut apart at times.
A slow start by both sides reflected a lack of recent confidence compared to their early-season exploits, but with possession the name of their games they soon found passing grooves.
With ownership of the ball evenly-matched, Fulham's extra quality told as they created the better chances.
Brian Jensen saved well from Elm and Dickson Etuhu, Damien Duff somehow placed a cut-back to the edge of the box when clean through on the right and Simon Davies was just not quick enough for Duff's cross-shot, before scooping over later in the half.
Burnley were restricted to long-range efforts, Steven Fletcher firing wide twice, a 25-yard Danny Fox free-kick deflected harmlessly into Mark Schwarzer's arms and a Tyrone Mears effort from the same spot that fizzed just over.
The hosts took the lead on 23 minutes after a spell of pressure was rounded off by Murphy's low finish into the bottom right, fed by classic centre-forward play from Elm to control and lay-off Shorey's crossfield pass.
Elm doubled the hosts' lead eight minutes later with his first goal in a Fulham shirt, a tap-in from close range after Jensen could only parry Zamora's low drive.
There was a hint of offside about that goal, with Zamora marginal when he initially raced through down the right, although Fulham had a penalty appeal waved away when Duff's cross appeared to hit a Burnley defender on the arm.
The second half followed a similar pattern as Fulham, in control now, toyed with their opponents with some mesmerising passing.
Zamora missed one sitter, allowing Jensen to save from eight yards after a sweeping move down the right saw him played clean through.
But he made up for it with a 54th-minute free-kick placed low into the bottom left, exploiting a poorly-positioned wall and Jensen's lack of awareness of the gap.
Burnley battled gamely enough in an attempt to salvage some face, with Chris Eagles shooting just over and several deliveries from wide testing Schwarzer.
Fulham had another penalty appeal turned away by referee Chris Foy, the ball bouncing up against Edgar's arm after Duff fired a low shot in following a corner.
Substitute Okaka impressed on his introduction and the Italian should have hit a fourth to open his account at the Cottage, but a combination of hesitance to finish and a slide challenge from Clarke Carlisle were enough to allow Jensen to save.
Despite the match being effectively over from Zamora's strike, both sides pushed for more goals, with Okaka and Eagles both going close from the edge of the box.
The result means Fulham climb one point above Everton to ninth, although the Toffees have two games in hand, while the Clarets slip one place to 16th after Wigan drew with Stoke.
Reda Maher / Eurosport
http://hammyend.com/?p=5332
Bobby boosts improving Fulham
by Dan on February 10, 2010
This was a lot more like it from Fulham. Bobby Zamora returned from being laid low with a virus to deliver the kind of display that makes him virtually unplayable and, even more pleasing, David Elm – who Roy Hodgson surprisingly preffered to Stefano Okaka up front – notched his first goal for the club. Burnley were obdurate and played some pretty football, particular in the first twenty minutes when the movement of Steven Fletcher and David Nugent posed problems for Fulham's back line but once Danny Murphy put the home side in front there was an assurance about their play.
The relative goal glut that ensured – Hodgson's side had mustered a grand total of five goals in their eight previous league encounters – lifted the doom and gloom that has been prevalent amongst Fulham fans lately. A dire injury crisis was supposed to rob the side of vigour and see Hodgson reevaluate his priorities. A series of away defeats could prompted a slide down the table that might see us scrapping for our lives again, according to the pessimists. Not so. Fulham have been steadily improving since the nervy win over Portsmouth and thoroughly deserved the three points, even if the margin of victory might have been a bit flattering by the end.
Credit to Brian Laws and Burnley, who didn't come to sit in and see what happened, preferring to go forward in search of their first away win of the season. They didn't create a great deal in the early stages but there were some ominous moments as both Hughes and Hangeland were forced into last ditch tackles. There was frustration at the other end as Damien Duff narrowly failed to find the returning Simon Davies, who provided plenty of penetration down the left, at the far post with a low cross. Elm almost opened his account with a curler from 20 yards, but Brian Jensen did well to smother the shot.
The distribution of Fulham's full backs was splendid throughout. Nicky Shorey continued his fine start to his Fulham career with a gloriously floated ball up to the towering Elm, who might have been offside, and the Swede's deft flick on found Danny Murphy. The Fulham captain was clinical from six yards, but the visitors could have been level only moments later when Fletcher's volley flew just past the junction of crossbar and post from outside the box.
Dickson Etuhu, who added plenty of bite to Fulham's midfield on his return starting line-up, tested Jensen's reflexes with a fierce shot from the edge of the area and Zamora went close to doubling the lead. The pressure paid soon afterwards, though when Chris Baird sent one of several searching balls into the inside right channel. Zamora pursued it gamely, cut inside his man and fired a shot towards goal. Jensen could only push it out and Elm had his first goal from a simple finish into six yards out.
Laws responded by bringing out Chris Eagles, who I had expected to see in the side from kick off, and Tyrone Mears served notice of Burnley's continued ambition when his free-kick clipped the top of the crossbar just before the break. Any question of a nervy second period with an awkward two-goal advantage, disappeared when Zamora, who had already drawn a top-drawer save from Jensen, drove a low free-kick into the corner t0 put the game beyond Burnley.
Stefano Okaka came on with victory assured and missed a couple of decent chances to open his Fulham account, although Burnley's Danish goalkeeper did well to save with his legs as the Italian striker bore down on goal. The press reports make a lot of Hodgson pledging 'to attack the FA Cup' this morning. That should make Sunday, with Sven-Goran Eriksson, Lee Hughes and Ade Akinbiyi travelling to the Cottage with Notts County, very interesting indeed.
FULHAM (4-4-2): Schwarzer, Baird, Shorey, Hughes, Hangeland; Etuhu, Murphy, D. Duff (Riise 77), Davies (Greening 62); Zamora (Okaka 71), Elm. Subs (not used): Zuberbuhler, Smalling, Kelly, Nevland.
BOOKED: Etuhu.
GOALS: Murphy (23), Elm (31), Zamora (54).
BURNLEY (4-4-2): Jensen; Mears, Cort (Eagles 32), Carlisle, Edgar; Elliott (Cork 56), McDonald, Bikey, Fox; Fletcher, Nugent (Paterson 76). Subs (not used): Weaver, M. Duff, Blake, Thompson.
REFEREE: Steve Bennett (Orpington).
ATTENDANCE: 23,005
http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2010/02/10/brede-backs-fulham-ace-to-build-on-first-goal-82029-25804127/
Brede backs Fulham ace to build on first goal
Feb 10 2010 By Yann Tear
BREDE Hangeland has given a big thumbs up to fellow Scandinavian David Elm after the striker bagged his first goal for Fulham in Tuesday night's canter to victory over Burnley.
Elm, who has had to bide his time waiting for a chance to shine at Craven Cottage, headed a Nicky Shorey cross smartly down for Danny Murphy to open the scoring on 23 minutes.
Eight minutes later, the Swede was on hand to tuck home a rebound after keeper Brian Jensen had spilled a Bobby Zamora shot.
"I thought David Elm was outstanding," Hangeland said.
"No-one knows him and he hasn't really played a lot at this level, but he really showed that he can play and all credit to him.
"He's got that nice Scandinavian mentality where he comes to a club and sees that he has to work really hard to get to the right level and that's what he's done.
"He's worked hard in the gym and worked hard in every session and it paid off. I'm delighted for him."
Fulham added a third goal after 54 minutes through Bobby Zamora and always looked in control against a team with only a single point away from home all season.
"In the end it was comfortable, but it never feels totally comfortable when you play a Premier League game," Hangeland said. "It always takes a lot of hard work to put yourself in that position.
"But I felt we were back to somewhere near our best and it was very nice to get a good performance and a good win.
"Even though we beat Portsmouth and got a draw against Bolton, we didn't play well, but against Burnley we played well and deserved to win."
http://www.burnley.vitalfootball.co.uk/matchrep.asp?a=187768
Fulham 3 - Burnley 0
Craven Cottage
Tuesday 9th February 2010 @8pm Kick-Off
Attendance: 23,005
New Lows in Fulham Debacle
A few weeks ago we went down to Manchester United at Old Trafford 3-0. This was Brian Laws first game in charge and despite the defeat there were a number of positives to take from the match and we received a number of plaudits. The criticism was that we didn`t take our chances and Laws admitted himself that at times we were a little 'Gung-Ho` and had to tighten up in defence.
Well against Fulham at Craven Cottage last night we lost 3-0 again and the problem this time was that we didn`t create ANY chances and were in fact more 'dung-ho` than 'gung-ho` This match would be my candidate by far as our worst performance on the road in the Premier League this season even beating the recent frustrating game at the Reebok against Susan Boyle`s Bolton. We were woeful in defence, clueless in midfield and may as well have played 4-6-0 such was the ineffectiveness of both Fletcher and Nugent. This is simply not good enough and was so disappointing after the highs against West Ham on Saturday. We simply can`t string two good games together and you have to go back to August before we had back-to-back League wins (against Manchester United and Everton at Turf Moor). Disappointing is just one word but there are numerous other D words you could take from this mauling. Dross, dire, dreadful, diabolical, disaster...but you get the idea with that!
If this was a battle of tactical wits, Roy Hodgson had done his homework better than Laws. He certainly got his side to stifle any chances we tried to create with everything it seemed snuffed out by their defence. It looked like our only option was to shoot from distance and those attempts were few and far between and I don`t recall their keeper being properly tested all night. Things were not much better at the other end with Edgar in particular looking exposed at left back and Jensen having a poor night. The Beast seemed at fault with all the goals and had problems communicating with the back-four at times. It probably didn`t help also losing Cort to injury in the first half after just 32 minutes although that did allow Fox to go back into his more familiar left back position with Edgar now playing in the centre of defence. Eagles came on to replace Cort but again he seemed subdued and ineffective.
Our best spell if that`s what you can call it was probably the opening few minutes of the match when we seemed to have most of the possession but could not make any of it tell. Two Fulham goals in eight minutes virtually killed off our chances though when first Murphy put the Cottagers ahead on 23 minutes before Elm doubled their lead on 31 minutes. There was a suspicion of offside for both goals but Fulham deserved to be ahead based on our lacklustre performance.
In the second-half Fulham killed off the game when pesky Zamora scored their third goal from a direct free kick after 54 minutes
The defeat at Fulham means we drop one place to 16th but we could find ourselves back in the relegation zone tonight with Bolton and Portsmouth if both West Ham and Wolves win their home games against Birmingham and Spurs respectively. We now have a break until the 21st February with the FA Cup fifth round ties being played next Saturday and Laws is taking his squad to sunny climes for some team-bonding and training in Portugal. He will certainly need to shake them up after this very poor performance considering our next game is against Aston Villa at Villa Park. Villa currently in 7th spot are chasing a Top 4 finish and make no mistake about it, if we play against them like we did against Fulham we will be absolutely massacred.
The Clarets Team Sheet
Brian Laws according to Owls fans had a reputation at Sheffield Wednesday for selecting players out of their normal positions; he seems to be continuing that tradition with the Clarets! Danny Fox had been brought in we thought to tighten up our defence at left-back whereas David Edgar is more renown for being a centre back. It was perhaps surprising therefore that Laws decided to play Edgar at left-back a role he has played a couple of the times for the Clarets recently but play Fox in front of him on the left side of midfield. This was the only change Laws made to the eighteen he selected for our previous game against West Ham at Turf Moor last Saturday. Robbie Blake was the unfortunate casualty of the change and was dropped back to the bench. Chelsea loan midfielder, Jack Cork also had to be content with a place on the bench for his second game since arriving in the January window.
The line-up in summary was as follows:
Jensen, Mears, Carlisle, Cort, Edgar, Bikey, Elliott. McDonald, Fox, Nugent, Fletcher.
Subs: Weaver, Duff, Eagles, Cork, Blake, Thompson, Paterson
The Full Match Report
(to follow)
Match Detail
Fulham: Schwarzer, Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Shorey, Duff (Riise 77), Murphy, Etuhu, Davies (Greening 62), Elm, Zamora (Okaka 71.
Subs Not Used: Kelly, Nevland, Smalling, Zuberbuhler.
Goals: Murphy 23 Elm 31 Zamora 54
Booked: Yellow Card for Etuhu
Burnley: Jensen, Mears, Carlisle, Cort (Eagles 32), Edgar, Bikey, Elliott (Cork 56). McDonald, Fox, Nugent (Paterson 76), Fletcher.
Subs Not Used: Subs: Weaver, Duff, Blake, Thompson
Booked: 0
Possession: Fulham 54% Burnley 46% (Source: BBC Sport)
Referee: Steve Bennett (Kent)
Star Player
There were definitely no stars in this game. A very poor performance in all departments makes it difficult to pick out the best player.
Just as nobody was rated below 7 in our last game, in this match nobody would be rated above 6 in my opinion
Andre Bikey had his moments but then faded and the only bright spark was really Jack Cork, our new loan midfielder from Chelsea. He came on from the bench to make his Clarets debut in the 56th minute to replace a woeful Elliott and looked both lively and determined. He was not on the pitch long enough really to give a full assessment but in the absence of anybody else shining enough to deserve our star player award, we give the honour to Jack!
There was only one star performer on the night and that was our away support. Only Clarets fans could shout 'Brian Laws Claret & Blue Army` continually for almost 50 minutes in the second half just before and after going 3-0 down. The din was immense. I had to leave a few minutes early to catch a train back and I could hear the resonant Clarets fans for a full three minutes at least walking away from the ground. Proud to be a Claret but these away defeats have to stop.
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/10022010/63/cherries-deserved-kevan.html
Cherries deserved it - Kevan
Wed, 10 Feb 10:20:52 2010
Notts County caretaker manager Dave Kevan admitted Bournemouth were worthy winners after watching his side suffer a 2-1 defeat at Dean Court.
Danny Hollands scored twice in the opening 35 minutes to put the Cherries on course for their first home win of the year and rekindled their automatic promotion prospects.
Playing their seventh match in 21 days, County only had a solitary strike from Neal Bishop to show for their efforts.
The Magpies face Fulham in the sixth round of the FA Cup on Sunday and Kevan hopes his players will be refreshed by the time they travel to Craven Cottage.
"It was a poor goal to concede so early in the game and meant we were playing catch-up for the whole match," conceded Kevan. "But to be fair to Bournemouth, they played some excellent football and deserved their success.
"Our lads need a rest now to recharge the batteries for Sunday, which will be a great occasion for us. We've played a lot of games and done a lot of travelling in the past three weeks. The lads are tired, but we've got games in hand and are still very much in the play-off frame."
http://blog.sport.co.uk/Football/598/Top_Ten_Im_not_playing_Get_me_out_of_here.aspx
4. Diomansy Kamara (Fulham)
The Senegal International has played just 40 league games in three years at Fulham. Whilst admittedly injuries have played their part, Kamara has never established himself as a Fulham regular since his move from West Brom. He is currently 4th choice behind Bobby Zamora, Andy Johnson and Erik Nevland, and with Stefano Okaka brought in on loan in January from AS Roma, Kamara ended up loaned out to Celtic. Will it become a permanent one on the summer?
Off The Mark
Wednesday 10th February 2010
Fulham FC News
Roy Hodgson described David Elm as a "revelation" during his post match press conference on Tuesday night following Fulham's three-nil win over Burnley at the Cottage.
Elm marked another impressive performance with his first league goal for the Club against Burnley and the Swedish striker was clearly delighted to have opened his account for the Whites.
"It was a really nice feeling scoring my first goal and I hope I can experience the same feeling again soon," said Elm following Tuesday night's win. "It's always good as a striker to score.
"We knew it would be a tough game because there are no easy teams in the Premier League but we got a really nice start and played very well in the first-half."
Elm admits that whilst moving from Kalmar FF to Fulham last summer was an easy decision to make, he has had to prove his worth on the Training Ground to earn the opportunities that have come his way in recent weeks.
"I didn't know the Manager before I came to Fulham but I knew he was a great coach because I'd heard so many good things about him. It wasn't a hard decision for me to come to Fulham.
"It took four or five months just to settle down and adjust to the tempo and the pace of the play. It was hard in the beginning but you just have to work as hard as you can and do your best. Now it's starting to feel like I can do something here.
"We have many good players at Fulham and it's going to be tough but I just have to keep on working as hard as I can."
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/ElmBurnleyReaction.aspx#ixzz0f8SlUNOu (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/ElmBurnleyReaction.aspx#ixzz0f8SlUNOu)
http://www.tribalfootball.com/fulham-hero-elm-chasing-new-contract-633941
Fulham hero Elm chasing new contract
11.02.10 | tribalfootball.com
Elm struck his first goal in the Premiership in last night's win over Burnley.
The 27-year-old striker was brought from Swedish league champions Kalmar FF as an understudy for Bobby Zamora and although he initially found it hard to adapt to English football, he hopes to win an extension to his one-year contract.
He told the London Evening Standard: "It has been difficult coming from Sweden to the Premier League. There is a big difference in the tempo of the game here and it is more aggressive but I have been patient and I took my chance when I got it against Burnley.
"Fulham told me before I joined that I was an interesting player and it would be exciting to see if I could make the step. I knew it was going to be tough but I never had any second thoughts. I love it here. The dream scenario is that I can get a lot of time playing here."
http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/hodgson-reveals-priority-season-1021073.html
Hodgson reveals priority for season
Fulham, 15:04, February 10, 2010
Roy Hodgson has promised to field a strong side against Notts County in the FA Cup at the weekend after seeing Fulham overcome Burnley.
Hodgson's team lifted themselves up to ninth place in the table thanks to a comfortable 3-0 success over strugglers Burnley - their eighth win of the season at Craven Cottage.
Fulham will now turn their attention to Sunday's FA Cup fifth round clash against League Two side County before they face Shaktahr Donetsk in the Europe League next week but Hodgson insists he will continue to field weakened line-ups in Europe.
"We will attack the FA Cup," said Hodgson. "But I'm not going to change by mind about the Europa League. My priority is still the league and the FA Cup."
Tell Your Story
Wednesday 10th February 2010
Fulham FC News
Do you fancy the chance to see the lads play with an all-expenses paid trip for two including all travel and hotel.....from anywhere in the world?
Not all fans can get to Craven Cottage itself but many still go to extraordinary lengths to follow their favourite team. Now Barclays 'Around the world in 90 minutes' is looking for the ultimate fan's match-day experience.
From the pubs of Pretoria to the beaches of Goa to the homes, pubs and clubs a mere corner-kick away from the the Hammersmith End, fans have created their own spiritual homes outside of the Barclays Premier League stadiums to support their beloved teams, and Barclays wants to hear all about them.
Barclays, wants to find the best match-day experience in the world. With matches reaching an estimated 500 million homes in 211 countries, Barclays 'Around the World in 90 Minutes' wants to know about the venues, locations, viewing rituals and football superstitions that make your experience the best.
Submit your entry by going to www.barclaysfootball.com (http://www.barclaysfootball.com)| to upload videos, photos and tell the judges why you should win.
The closing date is 22 March 2010 and terms and conditions apply. The best 25 runners up will win a team shirt of your choice.
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/BarclaysComp.aspx#ixzz0f9KOpTPT (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/BarclaysComp.aspx#ixzz0f9KOpTPT)
Fulham v Notts County
FA Cup
Sunday 14 February
Kick-Off 15:00
On-sale dates
General Sale 9am Friday 29 January
Season Ticket Holders: Seats will be held until 5pm on Monday 1st February.
Season ticket holders who are on the Home Cup Tie Scheme will automatically have their ticket loaded onto their Season Ticket Access Cards.
Advance Booking Prices
Adults £15
Concessions £10
Juniors £5
Matchday Prices
Adults £20
Concessions £15
Juniors £5
How to Buy tickets
buy tickets online - 7 days a week, 24 hrs a day. Save on booking fees by booking online*
by phone on 0870 442 1234 (option 1) - 7 days a week, 24 hrs a day
in person from the Ticket Office: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; non-match day Sat 10am-12pm
by fax 0207 384 4810 (download printable form )
by postal application to FFC Ticket Office, Stevenage Road, Fulham, SW6 6HH enclosing a stamped addressed envelope (download printable form )
Seatwave - the official fan-to-fan ticket exchange
Thomas Cook - match breaks for all Fulham FC home games
* Lower booking fees compared to telephone booking
Junior - under 16
Consessions: Young Person - under 21
Concessions: Senior - over 65
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Tickets/Games/FulhamvNottsCounty.aspx#ixzz0f9KhAllV (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Tickets/Games/FulhamvNottsCounty.aspx#ixzz0f9KhAllV)
http://blogs.soccernet.com/fulham/archives/2010/02/fulham_football_club_looked_to.php
Cottagers Seem to Be Back on Track......Random Thoughts
Posted by Tom Wille
2 hours, 41 minutes ago
Fulham Football Club looked to be in crisis mode at the end of January. Not only did the Cottagers lose four straight league matches, but they were also dealing with an assortment of injuries that would test the team's depth during one of the busiest and most important times of the year. Little was expected of Roy Hodgson's club entering February and perhaps that is how he likes it as Fulham has responded well with two wins and a draw in their last three matches. The most recent, a 3-0 drubbing of Stoke City at Craven Cottage put the Cottagers back into 9th place on 34 points.
Fulham definitely seems to be back on the right track after playing extremely poor in January. While the two wins and draw came against weaker opponents in the aforementioned Stoke City, Portsmouth and Bolton, the fact remains that Fulham did what was needed to get positive results at a critical time when the team could have packed up the tent and mailed it in as other clubs have done in years past.
This team is resilient and after some patchy play in defense, the staple of this team, the Cottagers have found some form and played much better at the back. Brede Hangeland looks to be healthy once again and Aaron Hughes is as solid as ever. Mark Schwarzer is back on his game and the addition of Nicky Shorey in the back has been a nice addition to a team that has been without John Pantsil and Paul Konchesky of late. The club did a nice job identifying Shorey as a player that could step right in and help the team and the former Reading man has done just that. He has and will continue to be a nice piece of the Fulham puzzle as the season progresses.
Up front and in the midfield, there was no doubt that players would have to step up in the absense of Clint Dempsey and Andy Johnson who are both out for quite some time with injuries. One player that has taken advantage of his opportunity is striker David Elm. The lanky 27-year-old Swedish striker might not be the quickest or have the best touch, but he is creating problems for opposing defenses. On Tuesday, Elm recorded his first goal in league play for the Cottagers and played a key role in assisting Danny Murphy in the opening goal of the match.
Elm, like Peter Crouch, is tall and looks a bit awkward out on the pitch. However, he can hold the ball up and can get into scoring positions. I am not sure he will be the long term solution for the Cottagers offense, but his height alone makes for defenses to have to know where he is at all times and he poses a threat on set pieces as well. He is not as good as Peter Crouch, but he plays similar to him. He is a change of pace attacker that can compliment Bobby Zamora, Stefano Okaka and others well for the Cottagers.
I am pleased with the direction the team is headed after hitting a bump in the road during January. However, the rest of February will be a busy month for the Cottagers. Not only do the Cottagers have a fifth round FA Cup home tie with Notts County, but they also return to the Europa League for a home and home tie with defending champions Shakhtar Donetsk as well as league matches against Birmingham City and Sunderland. Three competitions and a possible six matches over the next 18 days is a lot for any team.
It has been a few weeks since I last wrote in my blog. I apologize for this as my wife was sick and then my child was sick which kept me from writing and keeping this blog current. For those of you with children, I am sure you understand. Anyways, I have some random thoughts I wanted to share you with you regarding Fulham.
- Stephen Kelly is not a Premier League player. He has been lackluster in the back for the Cottagers and the sooner he is not playing regular first team football, the better things will be for Fulham.
- Losing John Pantsil for the season has been possibly the biggest loss of the season injury wise. He played with energy and was a vocal leader in the back for the club. The aforementioned Stephen Kelly is nowhere near as good as Pantsil. My hope is that when Paul Konchesky returns to full fitness that Nicky Shorey will play in the right back role, Konchesky will play on the left and Kelly will no longer be needed. It's tough to watch him out there.
- I was pleased with Fulham's deals during the January transfer window. Both Stefano Okaka and Nicky Shorey will make solid contributions for this team. Seeing as both players joined on loan, the Cottagers did not break the bank for them.
- Could this be the year Fulham makes a serious run in the FA Cup? It's been since 1975 the last time Fulham made it to Wembley and the FA Cup final. With big dogs Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool out of the competition and Fulham facing lowly Notts County on Sunday in the fifth round, there is a distinct chance the Cottagers will advance to the Final eight. I guess it all depends on the draw going forward, but if the ping pong balls bounce the right way and the Cottagers can avoid Chelsea, I would say they have as good a chance as any other remaining team to make it Wembley. Exciting times ahead for the Cottagers in the FA Cup if they can get past Notts County.
- I am not really disappointed in the loss of Andy Johnson through injury. I have waited the better part of a year and a half for Johnson to do something productive on a consistent basis and my wish has remain unfulfilled. Rather than see him being unproductive on the pitch I would rather him get fully healthy and be ready for next season. I also think this gives others like David Elm and Stefano Okaka the opportunity to step in and show the manager and the supporters that one, the other, or both can score goals consistently for the club.
- I like Dickson Etuhu. He may not score a lot of goals and may not do anything flashy but he simply gets the job done. He is a strong, physical presence in the middle of the park that can go toe to toe with opposing players. His presence on the pitch will not allow the Cottagers to get run over physically in midfield. I hope he can continue to improve and play a role for Fulham.
That's all for now. Let me know what you think about David Elm, Dickson Etuhu and the team in general? Do you think the struggles in January are a thing of the past? Can Fulham make it to Wembley and the FA Cup final for the first time since 1975? Have your say. I would love to hear from you.
http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/fulham-3-burnley-0-manager-reaction
Fulham 3 Burnley 0: Manager reaction
Fulham boss delighted as problems mount for Brian Laws
By Dave Smith February 10, 2010
"I thought the victory lay in the hard work and the quality of our defending," said Hodgson. "We gave them very little time and space to play and we used the ball wisely.
"We got everything right tonight - the defending and attacking - and on a night like that, we would have been a tough nut to crack for any team."
Hodgson was also delighted to see Swedish striker David Elm claim his first goal for the club.
"It was really good to see David score," added Hodgson. "He's been a bit of a revelation. At the time he came in we had a lot of strikers, but he has moved up the pecking order and deserves to be where he is."
Fulham now face Notts County in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday and then Shakhtar in the Europa League next week.
"We will attack the FA Cup," said Hodgson. "But I'm not going to change by mind about the Europa League. My priority is still the league and the FA Cup."
Brian Laws
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Burnley boss Laws felt his side were the victims of two offside goals. "Luck has not been on our side," said Laws. "We did not play particularly well but I thought their first two goals were offside.
"The TV replays show the referee and linesman got it wrong. They are important decisions for us. We need any help we can get. Our performance was not up to the standard we set on Saturday against West Ham.
"We shot ourselves in the foot with the first goal because we could have cleared our lines, but the second phase of play was offside.
"But if the referee and linesman get it right, it is no goal. One or two heads dropped but we cannot carry anybody.
"The two goals coming in quick succession, knocked the stuffing out of us. We know our away form is not great but we will just have to pick ourselves up.
"Psychologically it will start to affect the players," conceded Laws.
"We have to change the mind set. We put in a magnificent performance against West Ham on Saturday and we have not had time to enjoy that because there was another important game against Fulham."
http://www.clarets-mad.co.uk/rprt/mtch/another_day_another_away_defeat_494021/index.shtml
Another day, another (away) defeat
by Pete Waters
Fulham 3 Burnley 0
A magnificent show of support from the travelling fans was not rewarded with a similar performance on the pitch as Burnley were comfortably beaten at Craven Cottage.
Andre Bikey - probably our best player
It was a familiar story away from home and in truth we never looked like ending our winless run against a strong, mobile and organised Fulham side.
Three poor refereeing decisions did not aid our cause but it would be folly to put the blame solely at the officials' door in a game in which we never got going.
We had started brightly enough having the bulk of possession in the first fifteen minutes. But other than a snapshot from Fletcher we didn't fashion any chances.
Soon we were made to pay and it started with a mix up from Mears and Jensen. A lack of communication resulted in a needless corner and within sixty seconds we were picking the ball out of the net.
We had failed to clear the corner properly when Shorey picked out Elm who, from an offside position, nodded it down for Murphy and he confidently swept the ball past Jensen.
Fulham were now on top and effectively sealed the win just ten minutes later as Zamora broke clear, checked inside and fired a deflected shot straight at Jensen who could only spill it to the onrushing Elm to tap home from six yards. Yes, Zamora was clearly offside but he was allowed too much time to get his shot away and Jensen will be disappointed with his part in the goal.
This prompted Laws to replace Cort, clearly carrying a knock, with Eagles while Fox retreated to left back and Edgar replacing Cort at the heart of the defence.
We tried to force a way back in the game before half time with Mears clipping the bar from a set piece and Fox firing tamely at Schwarzer but Fulham were looking more like extending their lead as Zamora and Elm were pulling our defence apart.
The second half continued in much the same way as Zamora ghosted behind our defence but could only tamely shoot at Jensen who easily palmed the shot away. However, he wasn't to be so wasteful next time as he won a debatable free kick after going down from a challenge by Edgar. It looked very dubious but the result was anything but as he planted his shot past the hapless Jensen into the bottom corner. Again, the goalkeeper will surely be disappointed with his contribution.
Just minutes later, Fulham could have extended their lead as Okaka raced past Carlisle but this time Jensen saved well with his legs.
Burnley tried to salvage something from the game, giving an impressive Jack Cork his debut but only had a tame effort from Eagles and a weak header from Fletcher to show for their efforts.
The game petered out with Fulham looking content to hold on to what they already had and Burnley realising the game was up.
Nevertheless the superb away support continued unabated throughout the half and beyond the final whistle. Although the football was, for the most part, dire it was a joy to be in the away stand to witness the support.
Back to the game though and we need to forget this one and move on to the Villa game where, if we play anything like this, will suffer an equally disappointing fate.
There were few positives from tonight where nobody fared particularly well, the defence was wide open, the midfield overrun and the attack toothless. Our best player was probably Bikey, who, although not up to his recent form still showed a physical presence in an otherwise poor midfield performance.
Other than Bikey, Carlisle turned in a reasonable performance and both Eagles and Cork showed some energy and some nice touches when they came on but in reality this is clutching at straws on a very disappointing evening.
Sometimes you have to give the opposition credit though and apart from the opening fifteen minutes Fulham controlled this one with ease. They look a solid and well organised outfit and will certainly beat better teams than us before the season is out.
So we move on to Aston Villa, still searching for that elusive first away win. Hopefully the trip to Portugal will have the players refreshed as we now have thirteen games left to preserve our status in the best league in the world.
http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2010/02/10/next-day/
Next day
Filed under: General — weltmeisterclaude @ 1:38 pm
Just as playing against a good team highlights any weaknesses, playing against a bad team emphasises strengths. So last night we saw several encouraging signs:
Dickson Etuhu, as discussed last night, seems to make Murphy play better. Hard to assess whether this was just the Burnley factor or the two of them working brilliantly as a combination, but something clicked. Murphy must have spent more time in the attacking third than he has in all other games combined this season. His goal, well taken, was a reaction to a nice Elm knockdown, but how often do we see him make those runs? Hardly at all. It wasn't just then though, he got in the box all game. Etuhu, for his part, was swaggering about the place. He looked leaner than I remember him, and moved quickly, passed accurately, and got stuck in to an amusing degree (the yellow card slowed him down on this front).
David Elm, says Roy Hodgson, has been a pleasant surprise. Indeed. Dan highlighted this the other day with some chalkboard work, but he seems a lot more involved in buildup play than most forwards. He doesn't look a natural footballer in the way that Shorey does, but he's effective enough, and has a nice portfolio of skills. You'd say that he's a 6/7 out of 10 in enough areas to be a useful squad player: good enough in the air to win high balls, alright at holding the ball up, tidy enough to pass the ball around, seems to have decent instincts in the area (he's effectively scored twice now in not much time on the pitch), and will work for the team. No 'wow' factor, but solid. Compare this with Nevland, who is a deadly finisher but has a poor first touch and is not a good passer. Not wishing to kick a man when he's down or anything, but it's an interesting contrast, I think.
Zamora was phenomenal. When he plays like this few defenders can stop him. The trick is to get bodies around him to take advantage, and we more or less achieved this. Damian
Duff was too good for Burnley. Even when things were messy Duff was playing well. He get go left and right, can cross or shoot, and was a menace and a half to a sub-par Burnley defence. He is now, I think, our best player.
The defence, with Baird and Shorey on the flanks and Etuhu standing guard, looked phenomenal. Schwarzer really had very little to worry about. Nicky Shorey could not have played better in his first two home games. At this rate Konch is going to be very worried about his place. Shorey seems to be a natural attacking left-back: the step up from fielding Baird or Kelly out of position to Shorey is enormous.
Finally, nice to see Simon Davies back. He had a quietish game, but he's a definite plus when he's fit and we'll need him in the weeks ahead.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_5930978,00.html
Elm hoping to grow at Fulham
Swedish striker hoping to pen contract extension with Cottagers
By Kent Hedlundh Last updated: 10th February 2010
Elm: Has generated interest
David Elm's agent claims his client would be more than happy to prolong his association with Fulham.
The Swedish striker's current contract at Craven Cottage is set to expire in the summer, but there is an option for both sides to agree a two-year extension.
Elm is said to be keen on penning fresh terms, having forced his way into Roy Hodgson's plans of late, and his representative is confident a deal can be struck.
"Clubs from across Europe have called, but Fulham have got the option to keep him for another two years," Patrick Moerk told Sportbladet.
"He is enjoying himself at the club and feels that he has got Hodgson's confidence."
Elm, who joined Fulham from Kalmar last summer, scored his first goal for the Cottagers in Tuesday's 3-0 win over Burnley and claims he now feels settled in England.
"It was good fun," he said on his showing against the Clarets.
"Everything went well. I am really enjoying myself now."
...you have to laugh at Elm's agents 'agentspeak' "having forced his way into Roy Hodgson's plans of late" = most of the usual first team are injured and if that was not the case he would still be playing in the reserves!
"Clubs from across Europe have called" = I have called several contacts offering him for sale, so that I can generate a Dutch auction!
Don't get me wrong, he has impressed in his last two games and I want him to get better and fight for a first team place, I just get annoyed at the inferences...
Quote from: LBNo11 on February 10, 2010, 04:29:24 PM
...you have to laugh at Elm's agents 'agentspeak' "having forced his way into Roy Hodgson's plans of late" = most of the usual first team are injured and if that was not the case he would still be playing in the reserves!
"Clubs from across Europe have called" = I have called several contacts offering him for sale, so that I can generate a Dutch auction!
Don't get me wrong, he has impressed in his last two games and I want him to get better and fight for a first team place, I just get annoyed at the inferences...
Maybe but Roy's been quick to ditch underperforming full backs.
Elm's got his chance through injury but he has something to offer and to that extent has forced his way in. We had Okaka and a probably unfit Nevland on the bench with Elm picked ahead of them. He's doing enough to deserve to stay in
Quote from: LBNo11 on February 10, 2010, 04:29:24 PM
...you have to laugh at Elm's agents 'agentspeak' "having forced his way into Roy Hodgson's plans of late" = most of the usual first team are injured and if that was not the case he would still be playing in the reserves!
"Clubs from across Europe have called" = I have called several contacts offering him for sale, so that I can generate a Dutch auction!
Don't get me wrong, he has impressed in his last two games and I want him to get better and fight for a first team place, I just get annoyed at the inferences...
Please - please , please use your brain... I know you have one... why are you trying to manipulate what he's saying.... what would be the point in saying his client really likes Fulham, wants to grow at Fulham under Roy and then to say clubs from across europe have called - with you giving a reason as to why its said to insinuate that he has called several contacts offering him for sale?!... He wouldn't have Elm as a client if he went against Elms wishes, Elm would be moving to a worse league -If he can make it in the premiership - which he's showing signs of being able to, then why go back to the Dutch league soo soon! You really haven't thought it out!... :-\ :-X ???
