Sunday Fulham Stuff (13.02.11)

[White Noise]

http://blogs.soccernet.com/fulham/archives/2011/02/belief_will_beat_the_blues.php

Belief will Beat the Blues

Posted by Phil Mison 18 hours, 49 minutes ago



Counting down to our biggest game of the season, the local derby Monday against the champions has Whites fans salivating and arriving from all parts to support the boys.

First up, welcome once again to all our loyal supporters from overseas who make the effort and the financial sacrifice to attend these games. Will Nick the Swede be looking out for the moron who swung a punch at him on the walk back from the Bridge last October?

It's Valentines Day after all so here's hoping the rival fans can spread a little love, regardless of the result. Lobbing heart-shaped chocolate bonbons at each other we could just about tolerate, but no hard centres please. To continue the theme, a massacre on the night is unlikely to be headlines come Tuesday.

Why? At home Fulham's defence is back to its miserly best. Roy's fortress has been well and truly restored. The side are going for their 6th straight home win in 2011, with no goal conceded in our last three league home wins. In fact, against WBA, Stoke and Newcastle chances created by the opposition were all but non-existent, while the Cup win over Spurs was a stroll in the park.

This suggests the same-again back four sent out at Villa Park. Forget the aberration of Pantsil's oggies this campaign. Before being injured last season in our narrow loss at the Bridge (own goal that day too, Smalling the unfortunate son), John had Drogba in his pocket. Go back further. In 2007 Bairdinho did such a number on Didier at their place, the Ivorian's frustration boiled up and he got sent off.

Chelsea, and Drogba are in decline. The club conceded their title chances had gone after last week's home loss to Liverpool. Drogba's season has been blighted by malaria, an ever lurking curse for players from West Africa. It's a disease difficult to eradicate from the body, and leaves you drained, playing as if with a heavy cold. I saw George Weah struggle with it for half a season at PSG in the 90's - his magnificent physique rendered torpid as a tortoise.

Will Hughes be sweating under the duvet Sunday night trembling at the threat of Torres? Why should he? He's done nothing against us recently and failed utterly to raise a performance against his old club last week. He and Luiz are just two further megabuck signings to a squad of superstars. Both are still feeling their way into a side that has at times lost its way on the road this season. As for that vital ingredient from your 12th man - 'motivation' - I sense the hunger may not be there for this visit as it has been in recent years.

Enough of the opposition. Hughes won't under-estimate them. But Monday sees an opportunity for Fulham to get on the ball from the off and really dictate the game. We don't want to see an improvement after the interval, as at Villa last week. We need to go for the throat at a high tempo from the off and really shake Chelsea to their boots. In contrast to last October, we have goals in the side now. Confidence levels, so vital in expressing yourself on the pitch, must be sky high. Monday is the perfect showcase for Hughes to demonstrate our 'top 10' credentials.

Ignore the record books and our dismal showing in London derbies, it's all in the mind. At the risk of repeating my optimism ahead of the Liverpool trip, Fulham must be fearless in their pursuit of a win Monday night. It is very achievable. A final plea to the footballing gods, how about an OG at the other end for once? And to the man on the whistle, Mr. Dean, 'keep it real!'

Away from Fulham stuff, it's been a week to make me chuckle. Laughing at others misfortune diminishes our humanity, but is deliciously irresistable. In their current striker crisis Newcastle have turned to 34 year-old semi-retired journeyman Shefti Kuqi to give them a 'bulk and presence' up front. Why not stick a shirt over the St James Park heavy roller? Both have the same amount of mobility.

Roy makes a quick return to management at West Brom. Nice club, good fit. Can he keep them up? Possibly. What's good about the appointment will be the exodus of Fulham players to the Hawthorns this summer. If the Baggies do drop, I'll be rushing to get money on them to walk the fizzy pop league next season with the likes of Gera, Davies, Kamara, Dikgacoi and Pants added to the 5 decent players they've got now.

COYW! The essence of a proper football club


Twitter@fulhamphil

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Giving His All


Sunday 13th February 2011




Steve Sidwell has seamlessly slotted into Fulham's starting eleven since his January switch from Villa Park, with his arrival coinciding with an impressive run of results for Mark Hughes' side.

Sidwell is clearly enjoying a fresh start at Fulham and spoke of the satisfaction he is taking from playing regular first team football after a frustrating spell at Aston Villa.

"I don't think you'll find a player hungrier than me to get back playing again," Sidwell explained. "I've been given an opportunity and game-by-game I'll make the most of that chance and put in good performances for the Club.

"It's the feeling I wanted to get back. I want to feel drained and tired coming off the pitch after a good win and feel that satisfaction.

"All the games I've played in so far we've deserved something out of them which is good, because we play the right way and play good football. It's coming together now."

Monday night's SW6 derby will see Sidwell face his former side Chelsea and despite only spending a year at Stamford Bridge, the experience clearly aided the midfielder's development, on and off the pitch.

"It didn't work out the way I wanted it to at Chelsea, but in the year I was there, I made a healthy number of appearances," Sidwell explained. "I didn't come home with any silverware but in terms of experience, on and off the pitch, it was fantastic.

"The reason I left Chelsea was to go and play football but it didn't work out at Villa and the same situation occurred. I left Villa to come and play football and it's working out.

It's just one of those things in life – if it works out at a Club then great but if it doesn't you get your head down and move on. It didn't work out at either club but that's life and my life now is here at Fulham."

Fulham looked to have made another astute play in the transfer market with the capture of Sidwell and after a highly impressive start to his Fulham career the midfielder is adament there is much more to come from him.

"It's going well so far but there is still a lot more to come from me. I'm getting fitter and stronger game by game. I'm about 75% right now. It's just about being out on the pitch in a game situation but as I say, I'm getting stronger every game. I just want to put in the performances that the Manager and fans want to see."




Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/February/SidwellChelseaPreview.aspx#ixzz1DpJbpyBm

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Local Pride


Sunday 13th February 2011




Aaron Hughes is looking forward to possibly facing Chelsea's new look front line of Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba when the Whites face Chelsea at Craven Cottage on Monday evening (Kick-off 8pm).

Fulham have been in fine form since the festive period, losing only twice in the last ten games and Hughes is hoping to continue that form in the SW6 derby.

"There are a lot of London derby games but it's the South West London derby on Monday night - it's the big one," Hughes told fulhamfc.com. "They are just up the road and this match is about pride.

"They're seen as the big spending, highflying club that are expected to win titles. These games are always great to play in and they're good for the fans.

"You want to test yourself against the best players and that's why everyone always singles out these big games because we enjoy playing in them. It's about coming up against the best and testing yourself against them.

"One of Chelsea's strengths is being able to go out and buy a player of Torres' calibre. It's going to be a tough night on Monday. If you switch off for a second against a player of his [Torres] calibre you will get punished. Your concentration has to be spot on for the entire game.

"Drogba's powerful and strong and you've got to pick your moments when to go shoulder-to-shoulder with him. If you're not 100% certain, you can get embarrassed because he's got the strength to roll you. He can play off your shoulder as well because he's got that power."

Fulham have enjoyed an impressive record at Craven Cottage of late, in fact you would have to look back to Boxing Day to find the last Premier League goal the Whites conceded on home turf. A good defensive base at the Cottage has provided the team with a fine foundation upon which to build.

But it was Fulham's emphatic four-goal FA Cup victory over Tottenham at the Cottage that really emphasised the team's upturn in form.

"We never lost confidence or belief in what we were doing," Hughes explained. "There's always been the sense that we've got a lot of ability and good players in the squad. We knew it would eventually turn and I think the Spurs game is a good example of that.

"We came in off the pitch from that game and said, 'that's how we want to play'. We want to go at teams and if we do that every week we're going to get something from a game because you can't play that well and create so many chances without picking up points.

"We don't have one or two big massive star players at Fulham. We've got good, honest, hard working professionals who know what it takes to survive in this league. That's how we work and how we've worked over the last few years. One of the core values of the Club is that everyone contributes and I think that's why we've had the success we've had over the past few years. Everyone who plays knows their job and exactly what they need to do.

"Gradually we got used to what was being asked of us and took it on board. Now we're getting good results from it. Hopefully this little run we've been on can continue right through until the end of the season."


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/February/AaronHughesChelseaPreview.aspx#ixzz1DpKpmOiM

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http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/48983/fulham-vs-chelsea/preview


Fulham – Chelsea Preview: David Luiz set for first start as Jose Bosingwa misses Craven Cottage trip

By Alex Stamp

Fulham

Fulham striker Bobby Zamora made a scoring comeback for the club's reserves in their midweek game against Brighton as he played 45 minutes on his return from injury. However Monday's game comes too soon for the striker who will not feature for Fulham against their local rivals as he continues his drive for full fitness following recovery from a broken leg.

Meanwhile manager Mark Hughes must also do without the services of Dickson Etuhu, who is out with a hamstring injury, and also on-loan Chelsea attacker Gael Kakuta, who is ineligible to face his parent club.

However, there will be several familiar faces in the Fulham squad for Chelsea fans, as old boys Steve Sidwell, Damien Duff and Eidur Gudjohnsen could all come up against their former club along with manager Hughes who won an FA Cup with the Blues.

Possible starting XI: Schwarzer; Pantsil, Hangeland, Hughes, Baird; Sidwell, Murphy, Duff; Dempsey; Dembele, Johnson.

Chelsea

Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that £21.3 million defender David Luiz will make his first start for the Blues following his January move from Benfica.

However, defender Jose Bosingwa picked up a knock while on international duty with Portugal and misses out, with Branislav Ivanovic likely to move to right-back as Ancelotti otherwise has a full squad to choose from bar long-term absentees Alex, Yossi Benayoun and Yuri Zhirkov.

£50m man Fernando Torres is likely to start alongside Didier Drogba with Ancelotti looking to move to a two-man forward line after the team struggled for fluidity with a three-man strike force against Liverpool.

Speaking to the club's website ahead of the game, Ancelotti said: "My aim as a coach is to try to find the better solution with the players we have in the squad. I think Drogba and Torres are fantastic strikers and we have to try everything to put them together to play.

"There is not a sacrifice, if sometimes I choose one player or another, because in the future we will have very important games and I think rotation of the players will be very important."

Possible starting XI: Cech; Ivanovic, Terry, Luiz, Cole; Essien, Mikel, Lampard, Malouda; Drogba, Torres.

Hughes starts looking forward

After enduring a topsy-turvy start to his Fulham career, Mark Hughes has admitted that he always believed the second half of the campaign would be the time his team would shine.

Speaking to the club's website ahead of Monday's game, he said: "I've always stated that the second half of the season would be better for us

"The results are backing up the performances we've been producing. It was always going to change because we were getting players back and Dembele and Johnson are playing really well for us at the moment.

"We've got a real cutting edge now which we were lacking earlier in the season and as a consequence we're winning more games. Confidence is high at the moment and given the opposition on Monday I would suggest we're in as good a state as we could possibly be, confidence wise, going into the game."

Ancelotti sings Luiz's praises

Carlo Ancelotti sang the praises of new boy David Luiz ahead of his side's derby date at Craven Cottage, and suggested he could become world class.

Speaking to the club's website ahead of the game, he said: "I think he will be one of the best defenders in the world in the future. He is young but has fantastic experience; he played in Benfica and the Champions League. We are upset because he cannot play in the Champions League for us but he can show his quality in the Premier League and FA Cup.

"With David Luiz we can have more rotation and maintain freshness in the other defenders. Now we have a lot of opportunity to choose players, give someone a rest and keep every defender fit for the rest of the season."

A one-sided rivalry

Fulham and Chelsea are two of the closest Premier League teams in terms of distance with Craven Cottage and Stamford Bridge just two miles away from each other; but in footballing terms these two clubs have seldom been close.

In fact Chelsea have lost just once in their last 28 league and cup meetings with their London rivals, which came in 2006 when Fulham triumphed 1-0 courtesy of a Luis Boa Morte strike.

But Mark Hughes' side are in terrific form at their home ground, winning their last three games without conceding a goal, while Carlo Ancelotti's side have been less than impressive away from Stamford Bridge, failing to keep a clean sheet in all but one of their last nine away matches - though they have won their last two matches, scoring eight goals in the process.

[WHITEwitch]

And one more...............

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-1356401/Lewis-Moody-Chris-Ashton-definitely-doghouse-drops-ball.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Interestingly FFC have a hyperbaric chamber and MAF has offered it to help England Rugby - bless his little Egyptian cotton socks.  Nice gesture I thought but doubt our chairman will get any credit from the British press - it was pure chance I came across it.

[HatterDon]

http://www.people.co.uk/sport/football/news/2011/02/13/mark-hughes-insists-london-neighbours-chelsea-won-t-win-the-title-this-season-102039-22918417/

Mark Hughes insists London neighbours Chelsea won't win the title this season

Ah, Sparky, in the immortal words of the late Bob Marley

Bob Marley - Stir it up

[White Noise]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markdarcy/


All that activity may distract, unfairly, from Committee Corridor where there are plenty of meaty hearings scheduled. The Transport Committee will be asking some searching questions about the adverse weather conditions this winter. "There'll be standing room only," titters one source. The Health Committee will be looking once again at litigation and complaints against the NHS, with the Health Service Ombudsman Ann Abraham. Culture Media and Sport will be investigating football governance - with (gasp!) the chance to question a real life footballer, Brede Hangeland. Home Affairs will be discussing the significance of Turkey joining the EU - would Turkish accession mean more access to Britain for people traffickers and organised crime? The witnesses include the Serious and Organised Crime Agency and the Poppy Project which helps women caught up in the sex trade.

[White Noise]

http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/02/13/fulham-v-chelsea-preview-moussa-dembele-looking-good-for-derby/


Fulham v Chelsea Preview: Moussa Dembele Looking Good for Derby Duel

13/2/2011 5:00 AM GMT


By Ben Hunt

PREMIER LEAGUE: CRAVEN COTTAGE, MONDAY FEBRUARY 14, 2011. KICK-OFF: 2000 GMT



If Sir Alex Ferguson had a justified complaint about Manchester City being Manchester United's "noisy neighbours", then surely the Fulham manager, Mark Hughes, could say the same about Chelsea.

The west London derby is usually one that slips below the radar, with Fulham's chances generally discounted against Chelsea's expensively assembled squad.

But make no mistake about it - this match means a lot to the clubs' more senior supporters, for in the past it has been a hotly contested fixture.

It promises to be another interesting game because Chelsea's £71 million duo David Luiz and Fernando Torres will again come under the spotlight.

Yet also because Fulham are in a good run of form and will be motivated by the prospect of silencing the noisy club from a mile down the Kings Road.

Form Guide: Fulham are on a roll and have pulled away from the relegation zone. Last weekend's 2-2 draw with Aston Villa means they have now only lost twice in their last ten games. Goals have also been in plentiful supply, with four coming against Tottenham in the FA Cup. Chelsea's slump is officially over with five wins and a draw in their last six outings, although the performances have been somewhat laboured. Chelsea have enjoyed the better form in this fixture in recent years with five wins in their last seven west London derbies.

Key Match-up: Moussa Dembele v David Luiz Fulham striker Dembele is proving to be a real find for Fulham. A few eyebrows were raised when Fulham signed the Belgium international from AZ Alkmaar but his contributions have been impressive and he has created opportunities for his team mates. Dembele could be a real test for Luiz - the £21 million deadline day signing from Benfica. The Brazilian made a good debut when he came on as a substitute against Liverpool last weekend and could add to that reputation with another solid showing alongside John Terry.

Odds: Fulham 4/1, Chelsea 8/11, Draw 13/5
Tweeter Facebook FourSquare iPhoneFULHAM:
Fulham's league position is much healthier than it was a month ago when Hughes was under pressure to halt their slump towards the relegation zone.

The club are now looking to make it six consecutive wins at Craven Cottage and Hughes is feeling confident.

He said: "I've always stated that the second half of the season would be better for us. The results are backing up the performances we've been producing.

"It was always going to change because we were getting players back and Dembele and Andrew Johnson are playing really well for us at the moment.

"We've got a real cutting edge now which we were lacking earlier in the season and as a consequence we're winning more games.

"Confidence is high at the moment and I would suggest we're in as good a state as we could possibly be, confidence wise, going into the game."

Strategy: It is highly likely that Hughes will resist the temptation to change his approach, although he may move Dembele deeper at times to create a midfield of five with the purpose of nullifying Chelsea's midfield. John Pantsil has been the Cottagers' weak link and either Damien Duff or Simon Davies could be told to provide protection for the Ghana defender.

Injury Update: On-loan Chelsea midfielder Gael Kakuta is ineligible to face his parent club and midfielder Dickson Etuhu is doubtful with a hamstring problem. Bobby Zamora (broken leg) and Philippe Senderos (Achilles' tendon) are still not fit. Eidur Gudjohnsen could make his first start.

CHELSEA:
Chelsea defender Luiz cannot wait to get stuck into the rough and tumble of the Premier League.

The former Benfica player, whose move to Chelsea on transfer deadline day was somewhat overshadowed by that of Fernando Torres at the same time, will make his first start against Fulham.

And after playing the final 20 minutes of Chelsea's loss to Liverpool last week, the Brazilian knows what he can expect for the rest of the season.

Luiz said: "The Premier League is a lot faster and a lot more physical than the leagues I have played before. I now it is a higher level, but I know I can become a better player here. I also understand Chelsea have the greatest facilities available for me to improve.

"I enjoy the physical side of the game – if I didn't like it I would be playing tennis."

Luiz arrived at Stamford Bridge having won the Portugal Player of the Year award after helping Benfica to the title. And his manager Carlo Ancelotti claims he will be regarded as the best defender in the world one day.

Luiz is eager to learn more about the game from current captain Terry. He said: "Terry has won a lot and I hope I can learn a lot from him and have the same kind of success he has had."

Strategy: Ancelotti is insistent on trying to find a way to play Torres alongside Didier Drogba – and is not yet ready to drop one to accommodate the other. Chelsea's build-up play will be boosted by the inclusion of the technically adept Luiz.

Injury Update: Chelsea have no new injuries from the international break, although defender Jose Bosingwa faces a late test. Alex is back in training but is at least three weeks from a first-team return. Long-term absentees Yossi Benayoun and Yuri Zhirkov remain out.

[White Noise]

http://betting.betfair.com/football/premiership/premier-league-betting-fulham-v-chelsea-1-130211.html


Premier League Betting: Fulham v Chelsea.

Premier League  / Dan Fitch / 13 February 2011 /



Fulham have been in excellent defensive form of late, keeping clean sheets in four of their last five home games.


With the title out of reach, Chelsea must concentrate on qualifying for the Champions League, but Dan 'The Betting Man Fitch' doesn't think that their West London rivals Fulham will make things easy. Best Bet: Back Fulham in the Corners Match Bet @ 2.8.

Venue: Craven Cottage

Kick Off/TV: 20:00/Sky Sports 1

With Spurs having gone three points clear of Chelsea on Saturday, thanks to their 2-1 win over Sunderland, this West London derby has suddenly become even more important for Chelsea.

The debut of Fernando Torres against his old club Liverpool last week, proved to be something of an anti-climax, as the Blues slumped to a 1-0 defeat. Carlo Ancelotti has written off his side's chances of retaining their Premier League title, but to finish outside the top four would represent a true disaster.

Ancelotti has claimed that Chelsea's new £21.3m signing David Luiz will make his first start and with Jose Bosingwa struggling with an injury, it looks likely that Branislav Ivanovic will switch to right back, with Luiz taking his place in the centre of defence.

Fulham will be without the ineligible Gael Kakuta, who is currently at Craven Cottage on-loan from Chelsea, while Bobby Zamora has not been considered fit enough to be involved, despite scoring in the reserves this week, as he recovers from a broken leg.

Match Odds: Fulham 5.2, the draw 3.8, Chelsea 1.82

Chelsea have not lost at Fulham since 2006, but I've got my doubts in regards to backing them to win at anything less than evens. The introduction of Fernando Torres saw Chelsea switch to a diamond formation against Liverpool. They lacked width as a result and if they persevere with the same system, then they could struggle to overcome a Fulham side who tend to keep things very tight.

For my money, Florent Malouda has been Chelsea's best player this season, so it was puzzling to see him on the bench last weekend. The switch from 4-3-3 also reduces the effectiveness of Frank Lampard and his ability to get forward into goalscoring positions.

Of course, you cannot discount a Chelsea victory when they have so many match-winners available to them, but since the days of Jose Mourinho, any attempt to change their normal formation has ended in failure. I would stay clear of this market, but if I had to recommend anything, then I think that the draw at 3.8 represents the best value.

Over/Under 2.5 Goals: Under 2.5 goals 1.89, over 2.5 2.1

Chelsea have scored two goals in each of their last four visits to Craven Cottage, but Fulham have been in excellent defensive form of late, keeping clean sheets in four of their last five home games.

Earlier this season, the reverse fixture saw Chelsea come away with a narrow 1-0 win. Considering that Chelsea are adapting to a new formation and that Fulham are better in defense than attack, then I'd expect a similar scoreline and fancy the 1.89 for unders as a decent price.

Corners Match Bet

When this market gains more liquidity closer to kick off, I would expect Chelsea to be priced at around 1.6, with Fulham at about 2.8 and the draw at 8.0.

I think that such a price would be very good value for a Fulham side who possess genuine width in the form of Damien Duff, especially if Chelsea field the same narrow diamond formation as they did against Liverpool.

Half Time

Five of Chelsea's last seven Premier League games have been all-square at half-time, so as I anticipate a tight match, I like the look of the 2.24 on offer for the half-time draw. Chelsea are 2.46 to be winning after 45 minutes, with Fulham at 5.5.

Best Bet: Back Fulham to win the Corners Match Bet @ 2.8.

Recommended Bets: Back under 2.5 goals @ 1.89, back the draw at half-time @ 2.24.

[White Noise]

http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/02/13/eidur-set-for-long-fulham-deal-82029-28163662/

Eidur set for long Fulham deal


By Paul Warburton


Feb 13 2011




EIDUR Gudjohnsen will get a long-term contract in the summer if he lives up to Fulham expectations. The former Chelsea striker is set to feature in tomorrow night's west London derby against old club – with boss Mark Hughes so far impressed with what he's seen.

The Icelandic international, now 32, arrived from Stoke in the transfer window with a mere five substitute appearances behind him this season.

But Sparky insists it was no gamble to take the player who Barcelona thought was worth around £8million when he joined the Spanish giants five years ago.

Hughes said: "I don't think it was a gamble.

"We allowed David Elm and Eddie Johnson to leave in the transfer window, so it was a case of bringing one forward in.

"Eidur has pedigree and quality, and in the time he's been here he's already showed that. He'll play games and be given a chance to show what he can do."
But Hughes warned there were no appearance guarantees expected from either party – and that to displace the likes of Andy Johnson, Mousa Dembele and Clint Dempsey – the Icelander had to show his worth.

The manager added: "He just wanted to come to a club that matched the way he played and get his career back on track and be given an opportunity to show what he can do.

"He's here short-term – but we'll look at it again in the summer. He's in good shape and technically one of our better players."


Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/02/13/eidur-set-for-long-fulham-deal-82029-28163662/#ixzz1DrNCjsq0

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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/605964-mvp-samir-nasri-and-the-top-10-players-of-the-2010-11-premier-league-season#page/4

MVP?: Samir Nasri and the Top 10 Players of the 2010-11 Premier League Season

By Omar El-Sadany (Contributor) on February 13, 2011 1,691




8. Clint Dempsey (Fulham)

Matthew Lewis/Getty Images Fulham have underwhelmed this season, failing to reach last year's illustrious heights (most notably being a Diego Forlan goal away from winning the Europa League). With the departure of Roy Hodgson, Fulham initially struggled, battling to escape the relegation zone. In midst of the slump, however, Clint Dempsey shined, with his 10 goals putting him on level with superstars like Didier Drogba and Darren Bent. The fire, passion, and dedication with which Dempsey plays his game has inspired his teammates, won over fans, and clearly placed him at a leadership position at Craven Cottage. Dempsey has also been integral in Fulham's recent run of good form (which has carried them 4 points clear of the relegation zone), with 4 goals in his last 6 Premier League matches.

[White Noise]

http://www.bettingzone.co.uk/football/betting/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=betting/11/02/13/manual_122006.html&BID=3711


BACK FULHAM TO STUN CHELSEA

By Ben Linfoot


BETTING BOX
FIXED ODDS 
1pt Fulham to beat Chelsea at 4/1 (general) Won last five at home and Chelsea still getting to grips with new strikeforce.


Fulham v Chelsea


If Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka 'click' in this game then Fulham could be in trouble.


It will be a matter of time before Chelsea do hit top gear, but by then their title aspirations will have gone and they aren't guaranteed a Champions League place either with Tottenham holding their form so well.


Last week Carlo Ancelotti's team failed to deal with a Liverpool side that defended deep and well and with that in mind the odds-on quotes about them at Fulham just don't appeal.


The Cottagers have been extremely miserly at home recently, keeping four clean sheets in their last five games at Craven Cottage.


They've won all five of those games too, and, despite being perennially one of the worst teams in the Premier League away from home, they dug deep to pick up a point following a 2-2 draw at Villa Park on their latest start.


That shows they're in good form and I find it hard to resist the 4/1 being dangled about Mark Hughes' men.


Several bookies offer that price and it seems too big for a team that is so solid and in such good form at home.


They only just lost 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in the reverse fixture and with their defence in good nick there's every chance they'll be able to repel Chelsea's strikeforce who are still learning about each other.


Considering that last point there may be some value in the first scorer market as messrs Drogba, Torres and Anelka are the three favourites.


Andy Johnson and Clint Dempsey are among the goals at the moment and are both available at around the 9/1 mark, while set-piece specialist Danny Murphy might be worth a tickle at 22s.


However, we'll keep things simple in this one and just have a small punt on the home win at a generous 4/1.


Verdict: Fulham 1 Chelsea 0

[White Noise]

http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2011/02/13/the-riverside-rockets/


The Riverside Rockets

Filed under: General — rich @ 3:05 pm

Just doing a bit of digging around for something, and found a report from 1954 describing Fulham as "The Riverside Rockets".   We were scoring a lot of goals at the time, you see.  Nice.

[White Noise]

http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/02/fulham-v-chelsea-preview/

Fulham v Chelsea: Preview


by Lork on February 13, 2011

When the fixture list gets released there are always certain games you look for first. Some might look for when they get the chance to travel to a promoted club for the first time, others might want to know when they can go with their Spurs supporting brother to White Hart Lane because 'this is the season we'll turn you over'. For us Fulham lot this is the match that everyone looks for and there couldn't be a better setting for it; Chelsea at Craven Cottage under the lights on a weekday evening, what a game this is going to be.

Over the last few years we've relied on our home form to consistently put points on the table. That's not to say our away form is shocking, infact relative to others it's ok (check out the away league tables, they're quite suprising), but when a team came here we knew that we'd always push them close and, more often than not, get a good result. Not so much this season before the new year during which we only won twice but since then the turn around has been remarkable. It is now 5 straight wins in all competitions with 4 clean sheets since that West Ham defeat and whilst they're against teams which we would be favourites to get the win against (Tottenham aside perhaps) the ease at which we dispatched them all is what really gives me confidence going into monday's game. Even against Newcastle I felt confident that we'd hold out comfortably instead of expecting the usual 89th minute own goal and of course the 4-0 dismantling of  Tottenham, who are 3 points above Chelsea in the league, is still fresh in the memory and will no doubt raise our expectations of what we can take from the game.

Mind you, Chelsea are starting to play their way back into form as well. Our games against them this season sandwich a staggering dip in performances that saw them win just one league game in nine, a run which has pretty much extinguished their title ambitions despite the incredible sums of money spent on Torres and Luiz. A 7-0 thrashing of Ipswich in the cup proceeded wins over Sunderland, Blackburn and Bolton, although they suffered a suprising loss to an improving Liverpool last Sunday, and the 70 million spent on the two players will have lifted spirits amongst players and fans alike. I still have the feeling though that confidence is fragile and if we get at them and force the play, we'll have a good chance of a win.

Team news courtesy of the BBC:

Fulham's Bobby Zamora scored for the reserves in midweek but is still a few weeks away from making a first-team return from his broken leg.

Gael Kakuta, on loan from Chelsea, is ineligible under Premier League rules.

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed £21.3m defender David Luiz will make his first start after coming off the bench against Liverpool.

Ancelotti has also revealed that Portugal defender Jose Bosingwa is a doubt with an unspecified injury.

We have no front page injury news really. Etuhu, Senderos and Zamora are still out, although it's great to hear Senderos and Zamora are returning to training, and Kakuta won't be allowed to play as standard for a loan player and their parent club. Sidwell and Gudjonsen are a week closer to peak fitness which is nice for us (Sidwell says he's only at 75%! Can't wait to see him at 100 if that's the case) but other than that our squad is as it was last week, with Hughes seemingly getting over the injury which stopped him from playing for his country in midweek. There is speculation this morning that Gudjonsen will start but I can't see who he'd play over or why Hughes would change a successful side so I expect us to start with the team which got the draw at Villa. We've played so well recently that I'd feel quite bad picking specific players out for praise but I have to mention Dempsey who is so far my man of the season, 10 goals by this stage for a midfielder is really impressive and hopefully he pushes on from here. Credit also to Murphy who keeps our midfield running like a well oiled machine, Schwarzer who's come back from the Asian cup and played like he's never been away and Duff who started the season slowly but is now playing as he was last year.

You'd expect this game to be Torres' second start for Chelsea but I'm not really sure what to predict of his performance. The usual football cliche is that if a player moves for big money they'll be quick off the mark, desperate to make a big impact as soon as possible, but against Liverpool when it was destiny to see a Torres winner he was anonymous. I'd be cautious because he's still a brilliant player but I don't think he'll be make much of an impression tommorow, he still seems far off what we've seen from him before.

We've seen over the last few weeks that Chelsea's biggest troubles involve a significant lack of width. Liverpool's three centre halves dealt with everything Chelsea threw at them, and despite getting almost 20 shots on goal none of them were real goal scoring opportunities. This then plays perfectly into our style of play, a deep, narrow 4-4-1-1 with Dembele dropping very deep when defending which was moderately succesful in the harsh loss to Chelsea earlier in the season. This problem will be accentuated with the absence of Bosingwa. With no real wingers in the side the fullbacks are key in providing any width they do have and as good as Ivanovic, who will surely deputise for Bosingwa, is he's neither quick or gifted on the ball. Cole down the left is probably the world's best left back but if Duff and Pantsil stay disciplined I think that threat is fairly easily negated. What is key to getting a result against Chelsea is to concentrate and stay disciplined, a point which Hughes made in his interview to the official website earlier today. Give a player a yard more space than they should and they can punish you very, very easily. A front pairing of Drogba and Torres is the stuff fantasy football dreams are made of and when you look further down the team sheet you see Lampard and Essein pairing each other in midfield, with Nicolas 'most expensive footballer in history' Anelka and Malouda in reserve! Not only that but Chelsea are exceptional on the counter, the pace and fluidity they got the ball forward during their early season wins was exceptional to watch so it will be important not to get absorbed in the moment when we have the opportunity to push forward. We musn't overcommit and leave gaps at the back, something which Liverpool did exceptionally at (how many times did Chelsea players run at the back four? The early Torres chance is all I can think of) so Murphy and Sidwell will have to be on their game defensively if we're to restrict their opportunities. My prediction? It'll be a tough game, 1-1, with that man Clint Dempsey getting on the score sheet.

[White Noise]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6749932,00.html


Sidwell puts past behind him

Midfielder has nothing to prove to former employers


Last updated: 13th February 2011
   


Sidwell: Working hard

Steve Sidwell insists he will not be looking to prove a point when Fulham face Chelsea on Monday.

The midfielder, who joined the Cottagers from Aston Villa in January, endured a frustrating 12-month spell at Stamford Bridge in 2007/08.

He made just seven league starts for the Blues before being moved on to Villa.

The 28-year-old also struggled to hold down a regular role during his time in the Midlands, leading to his switch to Fulham during the winter transfer window.

He is now determined to get his career back on track at Craven Cottage, with it important for him to get vital minutes under his belt.

Trial
A Premier League date with Chelsea will offer him another chance to prove his worth at the highest level, but he claims he will not be raising his game just because the Blues are the opposition.

"I don't feel I've got anything to prove," said Sidwell, who has penned a short-term deal with Fulham which could be extended through to 2014 over the summer.

"It's one of those things in life where if it works out at a club then great, if it doesn't you get your head down and move on.

"It didn't work out at Chelsea but I'm at Fulham now, and all I'm concerned about is putting in a performance for the fans and the manager.

"Every training session and game is a trial for me. I've got to prove my worth to Mark Hughes and wait for discussions at the end of the season."