Sparky's Press Conference Stuff

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Sidwell Injury Update


Friday 4th March 2011


Mark Hughes revealed on Friday afternoon that Steve Sidwell is on course to return to fitness at the end of the month as he recovers from a knee injury sustained in training last week.

"It's still early days for him and it's quite an unusual injury, in terms of where it is," Hughes explained. "It's outside his knee and quite high on the ligament so I'm going to be cautious with him, but he's on track.

"Hopefully the timescale we've been given (2-3 weeks) in terms of his recovery will be okay."


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/March/SidwellInjuryUpdate.aspx#ixzz1FeREqxOY

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Bobby's Back


Friday 4th March 2011




On Friday afternoon Mark Hughes revealed some positive news ahead of this weekend's match against Blackburn Rovers, informing the press at Fulham's pre-match press conference that Bobby Zamora is fit and ready for Saturday's game after recovering from an ankle injury sustained during training last week.

"Obviously Bobby wasn't available for last weekend's match against Manchester City but he's okay now," Hughes explained. "He's an option for us, and apart from Philippe Senderos, who needs a little bit more work, we're okay.

"He's [Zamora] been training and it was only a setback last week. He just went over on his ankle and it wasn't a consequence of his injury. It was just one of those things that happens out there on the training pitch sometimes.

"He's had a decent few days training and he looks good. Bobby is happy now because he had a long time out and there were obviously times during that period when it was difficult for him.

"He's come through that and he's always right in the middle of things and gets things going; the Team has missed that. We've got Bobby back basically. He's loud and he's shouting so we know that he's positive in his own mind!

"It was a huge loss for us losing Bobby and to have him back for the run-in is great for us. Even when he came on against Bolton everyone saw, with the way he plays and the quality he has, what we've lacked on occasions this year. We have that again now and it's great that he's back."


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/March/BobbysBack.aspx#ixzz1FeRoR6tW

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http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6794769,00.html


Hughes sets top-half challenge


Fulham boss is looking up the table rather than down it


Last updated: 4th March 2011   



Hughes: Pleased with progress


Mark Hughes believes his Fulham side have a bright future and has targeted a top-half finish this season.

Hughes took over from Roy Hodgson last summer and after a shaky start the Cottagers were in the bottom three on New Year's Day.

But one defeat from their last eight league games has seen Fulham climb to 13th, four points above the drop zone with 10 games left.

And the former Blackburn and Manchester City boss feels they should be even better off heading into the run-in having drawn 14 of their 28 games - more than any other Premier League club.

"I think we are doing well, we've moved on," said Hughes. "The team has added qualities that maybe it didn't have before we came.

"Certainly the way we approach away games and the way we take the game to the opposition away from home is something that is a positive for us.

Calm
"In terms of points accumulated, we would say we feel we are probably better than the points we have. We have had a hell of a lot of draws that even if we had converted a very small number of those draws then we would be very comfortably in the top 10, which is where I feel we should be.

"But we are quite calm and reasonably pleased with where we are and certainly next year we feel we can kick on."

Hodgson led Fulham to a seventh-placed finish in 2008/09 to secure a place in Europe and they went all the way to last season's Europa League final while coming 12th in the Premier League.

But Hughes is confident of matching those achievements if his side can become more consistent.

"We have been playing well for a long time," he added. "I would be more concerned if we were showing inconsistent form, struggling in games and conceding poor goals.

"That's not the case in our view and we're playing good stuff, creating chances against top quality opposition.

"I'm very pleased with what we're doing at the moment and that's why I look at the teams above us rather than the ones below us."