Friday Fulham Stuff (04.03.11)

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http://www.fulhamweb.co.uk/news/Fulham-welcome-Blackburn-~-Match-Preview.aspx

Fulham welcome Blackburn ~ Match Preview

last updated Friday 04th March 2011, 1:30 PM

Fulham boss Mark Hughes made a point on his return to Manchester City last weekend, but the aborted handshake with successor Roberto Mancini shows the manner of his departure still rankles with the Welshman.

Relations with Blackburn, another of his former clubs, should be more cordial, although Hughes did criticise Rovers' surprise decision to axe manager Sam Allardyce earlier this season. The way in which Steve Kean was quickly installed at Ewood Park by the club's ruthless new owners certainly had some parallels with Hughes' sacking at Eastlands.

Kean said in December that a top-five finish was a possibility for Blackburn if they avoided injuries, but with the club's Indian backers providing little support in the transfer window, survival is now the focus for Rovers, who have lost three of their last four. Kean, who spent four years as Chris Coleman's assistant at Fulham, believes his side are 10 points shy of the 42 needed to guarantee safety.

Like Rovers, Fulham begin the weekend four points above the relegation zone, but the Londoners' recent form has seen them pull away from trouble - they have lost only once since New Year's Day.

Mark Clattenburg will take charge of the game at Craven Cottage after escaping censure for his display at Wigan last weekend, when many observers felt he should have shown Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney a red card.


•Blackburn's 3-0 defeat at Craven Cottage last season is their only loss in their last nine games against Fulham (W4, D4).



•Fulham have lost only one of their last eight league games, although they have drawn the last three.



•Clint Dempsey has scored four goals in his last four games against Blackburn.



•Since leaving Ewood Park, Mark Hughes has taken charge of four games against Rovers, winning two and drawing two.



•Opta stats show Fulham have converted just 10% of shots into goals this season - the lowest figure in the Premier League.



•Rovers have won three of 11 league games under Steve Kean (W3, D2, L6).



•They have lost their last four away games, leaking 13 goals in the process.



•Rovers have conceded 35 goals away from home this season, the highest figure in the top flight.



•They have not kept a clean sheet in an away league game since beating Aston Villa 1-0 on the final day of last season, a run of 14 matches.



•Fulham - Leading goalscorers
Dempsey: 10 goals (9 league); Kamara: 5 goals (2 league)



•Blackburn - Leading goalscorers
Kalinic: 6 goals (5 league); Mame Diouf: 6 goals (3 league)



•Referee:Mark Clattenburg

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http://www.skysports.com/football/match_preview/0,19764,11065_3284566,00.html

Fulham v Blackburn preview


Hughes welcomes former club while Rovers aim to arrest slump


By Ben Collins   


Last updated: 4th March 2011
   


Hughes: Successful spell at Blackburn



Mark Hughes hopes Fulham take another step towards survival as they host his former club Blackburn.

After managing his native Wales, Hughes began his club career at Blackburn in 2004 and left for Manchester City after a successful four-year stint at Ewood Park.

Hughes was handed the Fulham job last summer and after a shaky start the Cottagers were in the bottom three on New Year's Day.

But a run of one defeat in eight league games since has seen Hughes steer Fulham up to 13th, four points above the drop zone with 10 games left.

Having been ninth at the turn of the year, Blackburn have moved the other way, with one point from their last four league games seeing them slide to 14th and they are level on points with Fulham ahead of their trip to Craven Cottage.

Rovers slumped to a 4-1 defeat at Aston Villa last weekend while Fulham virtually killed off Man City's title hopes by claiming a 1-1 draw at Eastlands.

Damien Duff will also be facing his former club on Saturday and the Irish winger has been back in form of late, equalising against City for his second goal in four games.

Hughes signed Roque Santa Cruz for Blackburn and City and was linked with a move for the Paraguay striker again last summer and in January.

Instead the 29-year-old returned to Ewood Park on loan and is yet to reproduce the form of his first spell. He has failed to score in four appearances so far and is struggling with a back injury so Nikola Kalinic could come in after coming off the bench at Villa to score his fourth goal in six games.

The two sides drew 1-1 in the reverse fixture in September, while the home team won each of their games last season, with Fulham's Clint Dempsey having scored four goals in the last four games against Rovers.

Team news
Bobby Zamora is unlikely to be risked after the England striker's recovery from a broken leg was set back by a minor ankle injury in training.

Midfielder Steve Sidwell (knee) is set to be out for another three weeks while Philippe Senderos and Diomansy Kamara have both had back problems.

Steve Kean may make changes in a bid to arrest Rovers' recent slump and has named former Barcelona B striker Ruben Rochina in his squad for the first time.

The January signing could be handed a chance to impress with Santa Cruz (back) doubtful while Kalinic is pushing for a recall.

Although centre-half Ryan Nelsen is suspended after being sent off late on against Villa, Christopher Samba is set to be a direct replacement after a virus.

Junior Hoilett is expected to recover from a hamstring strain but Phil Jones (knee) and David Dunn (hip) remain out.


Possible starting XIs:
Fulham: Schwarzer, Salcido, Hangeland, Hughes, Baird, Etuhu, Murphy, Duff, Dempsey, Johnson, Dembele.

Blackburn: Robinson, Salgado, Samba, Hanley, Olsson, Emerton, Grella, J Jones, Pedersen, Kalinic, Rochina.

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http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/04032011/58/premier-league-matchpack-fulham-v-blackburn.html


Premier League - Matchpack: Fulham v Blackburn


Fri, 04 Mar 14:34:00 2011


Fulham to follow...

Former Barcelona B striker Ruben Rochina is named in the Blackburn squad for the first time.

Rochina's arrival in the group is a timely boost for manager Steve Kean as Roque Santa Cruz is doubtful because of a back problem.

Christopher Samba returns after a virus while Junior Hoilett is expected to recover from a hamstring strain. But Ryan Nelsen (suspension) and David Dunn (hip injury) are both ruled out.

MATCH FACTS

Clint Dempsey has scored four goals in his last four Premier League appearances against Blackburn.

Chris Samba has scored in the last two matches for Rovers against Fulham.

Fulham have won just one of the last nine Premier League games against Blackburn.

The Whites have kept just one shut out in their last 14 Premier League matches against Rovers.

Mark Hughes is unbeaten against his former club as a manager (two wins, two draws).

Fulham have kept four clean sheets in a row on home soil in the Premier League.

Blackburn have gone 14 Premier League away matches without keeping a clean sheet.

Rovers have lost six of their last seven Premier League away games.

Fulham have scored with just 10% of their shots this season, a lower conversion rate than any other team in the top flight.

Fulham are the only team in the top flight who have not picked up a red card this season.

ODDS

Fulham 4/6, Draw 13/5, Blackburn 9/2

PA Sport / Opta .

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Rochina ready for Blackburn debut

Published 11:14 04/03/11



By MirrorFootball



Former Barcelona B striker Ruben Rochina is named in the Blackburn squad for the first time for their visit to Fulham.

The Spain Under-19 international's arrival in the group is a timely boost for manager Steve Kean, as frontman Roque Santa Cruz is doubtful because of a back problem.

Christopher Samba returns in defence after a virus while Junior Hoilett is expected to recover from a hamstring strain, but centre-back Ryan Nelsen (suspension) and midfielder David Dunn (hip) are out.

Team (from): Robinson, Salgado, Samba, Givet, Olsson, Andrews, J Jones, MB Diouf, Santa Cruz, Pedersen, Bunn, Hanley, Emerton, Nzonzi, Grella, Benjani, Hoilett, Roberts, Kalinic, Rochina.



Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Fulham-Blackburn-team-news-Striker-Rochina-makes-squad-for-first-time-Samba-and-Hoilett-are-fit-but-Nelsen-is-banned-Dunn-is-out-and-Santa-Cruz-is-a-doubt-article710433.html#ixzz1Fe1107ts

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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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Season Tickets


This season has seen an unprecedented demand for Season Tickets with a record number of supporters securing their place at all 19 Barclays Premier League home matches.

Demand for 2011/12 Season Tickets will be high given the significant number of SOLD OUT matches we've seen this season, seats will be extremely limited at Craven Cottage next season so get in early.

All current Season Ticket Holders will be contacted directly via email in the coming weeks with information on how to renew their season tickets online for the 2011/12 season. This will also include all other relevant 2011/12 Season Ticket package information.


For those fans that don't have a 2010/11 Season Ticket who are interested in purchasing a 2011/12 Season Ticket, please register your interest below to be the first in line when 2011/12 Season Tickets are launched.

Make sure you don't miss out!

Register your interest
Register your interest now   .

Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Tickets/SeasonTickets.aspx#ixzz1FeSF8xQ3

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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."

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http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/857257-eric-cantona-and-mark-hughes-the-game-misses-physical-characters-like-them


'Eric Cantona, Mark Hughes: The game misses physical characters like them'


In his regular chat with Metro.co.uk, FootballFanCast's Neil Ruddock tells us why football's losing its soul because it's lacking physical challenges and characters like Manchester United legends Eric Cantona and Mark Hughes.

Football is changing, as the authorities do their level best to take the physical nature out of the game and slowly make it something of a non-contact sport.

I played in an era when it was all about outsmarting your opponents with your skill and abilities, not looking to deceive officials by getting your rivals booked or sent off. A lack of professionalism and personal pride has been removed from the game and I fear it has gone forever.

There is no place in football anymore for the tough tackling footballer; hence why the Lee Cattermole's of this world find themselves suspended as often as they do.

I wonder how many games the likes of Terry Hurlock and Stuart Pearce would have missed over the course of the season, given the nature of officiating these days.

.I don't blame referees as they have little option but to follow the current letter of the law that is in place, but long gone are the old days when I could take out a centre forward only to be told by referees like Roger Milford 'that's your one challenge now, the next time you will be going in the book for that'. The physical nature was accepted as a part of the game then and the opposition strikers would certainly give it out as much as they received it.

If you asked any footballer the one question that supporters always ask of them then it will be who is the hardest player you ever played with or against? Jimmy Case was by far the hardest I ever played with, but in terms of against it is never an easy answer for me to give as there have been many who have tested my 6ft 3" frame to the very limit.

Billy Whitehurst used to scare the life out of me as a youngster and put the wind up most defenders with his... should we say... committed approach.

Likewise, Cyrille Regis was a formidable opponent and you knew you were in a game with him. United's front two of the mid 90s, Cantona and Hughes, would give you the toughest game out of the lot as both players were as strong as an ox who not only provided a physical presence, but were top-class footballers to boot - making them doubly hard to contain.

Unfortunately those physical battles are now a thing of the past as strikers tend to take the easy option and plead with officials for free kicks at the slightest nudge.

It is why for me the game has become incredibly frustrating to watch as a spectacle with the way players fall over at will and clearly having a lack of personal pride about them. You wouldn't have had the likes of Cantona, Hughes or Regis falling over at the slightest nudge in the back or shoulder charge as they were made of a lot sterner stuff than the modern footballer.

Maybe it is just the current climate of harsh officiating that has turned them soft, but there is certainly no place for physicality in the current game.



Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/857257-eric-cantona-and-mark-hughes-the-game-misses-physical-characters-like-them#ixzz1FesfqKaU

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/mar/04/squad-sheets-fulham-blackburn-rovers

Squad sheets: Fulham v Blackburn Rovers

Share   guardian.co.uk, Friday 4 March 2011 17.07 GMT



Probabale starters in bold, contenders in light. Photograph: Graphic

Viewed by some as an upstart in managerial circles, Steve Kean would be forgiven for practising his post-match handshake ahead of Blackburn Rovers' trip to Fulham. Mark Hughes's apparent need for validation from his peers – he clashed with Roberto Mancini in last weekend's draw with Manchester City – does his side no credit as they creep up the table. Blackburn, who could give a debut to the former Barcelona B forward Rubén Rochina, were ninth on New Year's Day but are now heading in the wrong direction. James Callow

Venue Craven Cottage Tickets Sold out Last season Fulham 3 Blackburn 0 Referee M Clattenburg

This season's matches 20 Y54, R3, 2.85 cards per game

Odds Fulham 7-10 Blackburn 7-2 Draw 12-5

Fulham

Subs from Stockdale, Pantsil, Etheridge, Kelly, Briggs, Riise, Halliche, Greening, E Johnson, Dikgacoi, Gera, A Johnson, Gudjohnsen Doubtful Zamora (ankle)

Injured Kamara (back, 12 Mar), Senderos (back, 12 Mar), Sidwell (knee, Apr)

Suspended None Form guide DDDWLW

Disciplinary record Y34 R0

Leading scorer Dempsey 9

Blackburn
Subs from Kalinic, Hoilett, Roberts, Givet, Diouf, Benjani, Linganzi, Goulon, Bunn, Lowe, Doran, Morris, Rochina

Doubtful Santa Cruz (back), Hoilett (hamstring)

Injured Dunn (hip, 19 Mar), P Jones (knee, 19 Mar)

Suspended Nelsen (one match)

Form guide LDLLWL

Disciplinary record Y47 R3

Leading scorer Kalinic 5

Match pointers

• Clint Dempsey has scored four goals in his last four matches against Blackburn


• Chris Samba has scored in his last two games against the hosts


• Fulham have scored with 10% of their shots this season, the lowest conversion rate in the top flight


• Blackburn have not kept a clean sheet in their last 14 away league matches


• Mark Hughes is undefeated as a manager against his former club


• Fulham have not received a red card this season

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http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2011/3/4/2029862/blackburn-rovers-h

Blackburn Rovers (H)


by Kristian Balkin on Mar 4, 2011 5:34 PM GMT


Mark Hughes will come up against one of his old sides for the second consecutive week on Saturday afternoon, when the Cottagers play host to Steve Kean's Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League.

Caught between the kick and run football of Sam Allardyce and the more elegant play of Kean, Rovers will bring a unique test for Mark Hughes and his men. Hughes will take heart, however, in that Steve Kean brings his men to South West London off the back of an abysmal 4-1 defeat at Villa Park last week. It is likely to be a tight game but home advantage will be crucial for Fulham, as well as a host of injuries to some of Blackburn's key players.

Another man that faces his old club will be Steve Kean himself. The ex-Scottish winger played the role of assistant manager at the Cottage between 2003 and 2007, which saw him fall under the tutorship of Chris Coleman. He's sure to get a warm welcome from the Fulham faithful.

Blackburn, as mentioned, come into this tie with an inconsistent, if not shameful, form book. They haven't won since January and have conceded 8 goals in their last three games.

Following the respectable and understated draw at The City of Manchester Stadium last Sunday, Fulham still haven't won since their 1-0 victory over Newcastle United on 2nd February.

In September, Fulham visited Ewood Park and picked up a valuable point; Dempsey scoring the only goal in a 1-1 draw. Over the years, the Whites haven't fared too well against Rovers in London, disregarding a 3-0 win in November 2009. In the previous season, we succumbed to a 2-1 defeat and the year before that saw us held to a 2-2 draw by a late Warnock goal.

Bobby Zamora is well in contention to start for the first time since that fateful day against Wolves, and it's thought likely that he will get a place in the first eleven. Steve Sidwell is still out, but his recovery is on track. Fulham fans will still await a glimpse of Phillipe Senderos, after feeling a tightness in his hamstring.

David Dunn will miss out for Blackburn Rovers, but he is only one of many that make up their injury list. Jones, Formica, Hoilett and our Summer/January target Santa Cruz are all doubtful.

Score Prediction: Fulham 1 - 0 Blackburn

Predicted Line-Up: Schwarzer; Baird. Hangeland, Hughes, Salcido; Duff, Murphy, Etuhu, Dempsey; Zamora, Dembele.

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http://blogs.soccernet.com/fulham/archives/2011/03/bobby_give_us_a_wave.php

Bobby, Give Us a Wave

Posted by Phil Mison 5 hours, 35 minutes ago


The big man is fit and must surely make his first start since September against muscular Blackburn. News from the north is that nerves are getting to Rovers, they see Saturday as a relegation 6 pointer.

Much has happened since we blogged the fall out from our draw at Ewood last autumn. The two targets of my take on that 1-1 result, Big Sam and the biggest yob on the UK scene - you know who I mean - have both left Blackburn behind. North of the border, Diouf continues to act the barbarian, Old Firm games proving the ideal arena for his brand of incendiary indiscipline.

Will Blackburn be so blatant in their attempts to target Schwarzer this time around? I don't think so, though for such a tall man Mark does not handle the physical hurly burly as well as he should and punching remains the major weakness in his game. Will man mountain Chris Samba be fit for Rovers? I'm praying not. He's a big presence for them.

The good news is our visitors have lost six of the last seven, and from what I heard of his time as Coleman's number two at the Cottage, I don't rate Kean highly as a manager. Rovers midfield went missing in last week's 4-1 reverse at Villa Park, Robinson has been single-handedly keeping them afloat in recent weeks, Roque's made no impact since coming back and Wigan put four past them a month ago. A bit like us, the side is crying out for a real predator up front.



© Getty Images

But hey, we've got Bobby Zamora back. Yes, that's the England centre forward of last year. Having shaken off his ankle sprain, I'm going to stick my neck out and predict Bobby gets back on the goal trail Saturday and we see another home shut out from our defence. Clint also enjoys scoring against Blackburn, while Duff's goal from Sunday I hope will have whetted his appetite for more - both he and the boss of course are going up against a club where they enjoyed good times. Shame Steve's knee sees him sidelined till the end of the month, he would have been just right for mixing it in midfield for this one. Momentum with Fulham, so three points please by Saturday night and a few notches up the table.

In other news, I see Della Valle is going to get a month on loan at Bournemouth. Great for the boy to get a chance to show what he can do, and also for us all to get a look at him on TV too.

Congrats to Matthew Briggs, landing a new three year contract. I saw this boy look utterly composed last August against Port Vale, two operations to both calves and an ankle since have hampered his progress. This boy is a natural and will surely supplant Carlos once we've had the best out of Salcido.

On a lighter note, did you spot the story of Smalling and some low-lifers trashing his luxury hotel suite (£2,000 per night) following the Chelsea defeat? Young Chris splashed another £2,400 on room service for the chavs and agreed to settle the bill of the one guest who complained the loudest. Wow! Whatever would Uncle Woy have said to that?

Of course, it's no joke when you're on the receiving end. In 2007 I was at the Mandalay Bay in Vegas - that's a pretty high end hotel on the Strip. In the next room I had some weekend party animals when there was clearly a huge row between one girl and her fella. First we had her hysterics, then more verbals when he returned to the room, a scuffle, screaming, then an hour of high decibel phone chat to everyone in her address book. It went on till 4.00 am. I moaned like hell at reception the next day...and was offered a complimentary breakfast voucher!

While I'm in the mood for bitching, I think I know you all well enough to get a real bugbear off my chest. It's been Oscar week and social networking has been in the news. Facebook, I'm all for it - search my name and you'll find me. It's great for business links, finding old friends, people with the same interests...But, I'm sorry, the futile and meaningless drivel sane and well-educated people load up my wall with...it makes me want to reach for a gun. A sample from this week. These all from clever people I consider friends and fun people to know:

Nick is fixing a new chrome letter box to the front door, Lisa, 'Best job in the world...being mummy.' Antony is checking in to the Frankfurt Holiday Inn (he's cabin staff for BA, so what the f*** is remarkable about that?), In the week Libya is in uproar - 'Katy has a dilemma, should she bake a Batman or Spaceman cake for Ben's 1st birthday' ... GIVE ME STRENGTH!

Tim Berners-Lee (look it up), where did it all go wrong?

Keep smiling and...COYW! Twitter@fulhamphil

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http://www.soccerway.com/news/2011/March/04/subs-the-key-for-fulham/


Subs the key for Fulham

4 March 2011



Mark Hughes will have a substitute's bench with a point to prove on Saturday when his side take on Blackburn at Craven Cottage. Mark Hughes will have a substitute's bench with a point to prove on Saturday when his side take on Blackburn at Craven Cottage.

Striker Bobby Zamora returned from his horrific broken leg in the FA Cup defeat to Bolton two weeks ago, only to suffer a minor setback in training afterwards that forced him out of the 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Sunday.

Meanwhile, on-loan Gael Kakuta - the French prodigy that Chelsea worked so hard to sign - has featured for just 18 minutes since his arrival in the January window.

Both will be on the bench for the game against Steve Kean's side but Hughes believes they could hold the key to a victory and Fulham's Premier League survival.

"Bobby is training, it was only a setback, he went over on his ankle. He didn't compromise the break that he had, it was just one of those things that happen time and time again on the training pitch," Hughes said.

"He is happy where he is now, after a long time out, there were obviously times in that period when it was difficult for him but he has come through them."

"We've got Bobby back basically, we know that because he is loud and shouting so we know he is positive in his own mind."

Kakuta, on the other hand, has grown frustrated with the delayed start to his Fulham career after arriving from their local rivals with so much promise and expectation.

"It's no reflection on Gael, he is going to be involved from now until the end of the season because every day on the training ground we see quality from him that we will need to unlock defences," Hughes said.

"He is a little bit frustrated because he wasn't able to play against Chelsea and he was cup-tied for the Bolton game, so he has kicked his heels for a number of weeks, but he is free and able to play and we hope to see a lot more of him."

Another player Hughes has already seen a lot of but will be hoping is anonymous at the weekend is Paraguayan striker Roque Santa Cruz, now on-loan at Blackburn, whom the Welshman signed while manager of both Blackburn and Manchester City.

"Roque is a good player," Hughes added. "I think it is well documented how highly I think of him. I spent significant amounts of money on him. I spent probably all of Blackburn's budget on him and a small part of Man City's."

"He is a good player and you just have to give him an opportunity and a run of games and then he will make an impact for you."

Midfielder Steve Sidwell is sidelined for up to three weeks with a knee injury and defender Philippe Senderos is not ready to return from Achilles tendon and hamstring injuries

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http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/179659/Fulham-boss-Mark-Hughes-confident-of-continuing-impressive-Premier-League-run/


FULHAM BOSS MARK HUGHES CONFIDENT OF CONTINUING IMPRESSIVE PREMIER LEAGUE RUN

By Mauro Galluzzo for DailyStar.co.uk

FULHAM manager Mark Hughes has backed his players to secure a top-half finish in the Barclays Premier League.

The Cottagers' relegation worries have been quelled in recent times by an impressive run of form that has seen them beaten only once since New Year's Day, moving up to 13th place in the process.

However, Hughes' side still lie just four points above the relegation zone heading into Saturday's clash with his former club Blackburn and know they could yet be sucked into the relegation mire.

While Fulham have lost just eight of their 28 Premier League matches this season, the Londoners have drawn half of their games with the latest point coming last weekend at another of Hughes' former charges, Manchester City.

The Welshman believes such inability to eke out a victory has cost his side dearly since taking over from Roy Hodgson in the summer, yet he believes his players have the attitude and aptitude to push up the table.

"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.

"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."

He added: "We have been playing well for a long time. 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."

While much of the pre-match talk have been about the long-awaited league return of England striker Bobby Zamora, Hughes was instead quick to hail his side's recent defensive prowess.

Fulham have yet to concede a league goal at Craven Cottage in 2011 and now face a Rovers side on a four-game losing streak away from Ewood Park.

"We are playing well in terms of our defensive work and I think obviously the central partnership we have at the moment - Aaron Hughes and Brede Hangeland - are playing exceptionally well," he said.

"Their performance against Manchester City was exceptional and along with the form of Carlos Salcido and Chris Baird we look a good, solid unit.

"Obviously we make sure they have protection in front as well so the team is working collectively really well and I'm pleased with what we are doing."

[White Noise]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6794680,00.html

Bradbury happy with loan deal

Cherries secure Fulham striker on a month's loan


Last updated: 4th March 2011

   

Bournemouth manager Lee Bradbury is confident Lauri Dalla Valle will be a 'great asset' after signing the striker on loan.

Skysports.com revealed earlier on Friday that the Cherries had lined up a deal to bring in the Fulham youngster on loan for a month.

Dalla Valle has now completed his switch to the League One club and Bradbury is looking forward to the opportunity of working with the Finn.

"It's brilliant for us and I'm really pleased," Bradbury told the club's official website. "He's come here and given extra strength to the squad and it will invigorate everyone.

Hungry
"He's a quick player who can play off our front men. He has a really good work rate and he can stretch the line. He can score goals and he will be a great asset for us

"He is very hungry to play and he will want to prove a point to Fulham that he is capable of being in their squad.

"For him to come down to a League One club from the Premier League shows how hungry he is.

"He has a lot of self belief and it's a good opportunity for him and this can only be good for us because it can help push us on."

[White Noise]

Fine Form


Friday 4th March 2011



Fulham will be looking to build on two recent impressive Barclays Premier League performances against Chelsea and Manchester City with another positive result against Blackburn Rovers at the Cottage on Saturday afternoon.

However Mark Hughes' Team will not be underestimating Saturday's opponents and Fulham will need a fine collective performance to navigate their way past Steve Kean's side at the Cottage.

"We're playing well at the moment," Hughes told fulhamfc.com. "We've come through the games against Chelsea and Manchester City with a lot of credit and taken two points from those games.

"We're looking forward to the game against Blackburn but it's a difficult one for us because they're a good side that have threats. When they play well collectively they're a difficult team to overcome. We have to approach the game in the right manner and make sure we get the job done."

Hughes took a moment to praise the form of his central defensive pairing of Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes on Friday afternoon as the duo enjoy another outstanding season at the back for Fulham.

"We're playing well defensively and our central partnership, Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes, are playing exceptionally well," said Hughes. "Their performance against Manchester City was exceptional and with the support of Carlos Salcido and Chris Baird, we look a good solid unit.

"We make sure they have protection in front as well but the Team is working well collectively and I'm pleased with what we're producing at the moment."


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/March/HughesRoversPreview.aspx#ixzz1Ff67xrBt

[White Noise]

http://www.footballfancast.com/2011/03/football-news/kean-hopes-hard-work-pays-off-for-rovers


Kean hopes hard work pays off for Rovers

Date: 4th March 2011 at 4:08 pm

Written by FFC News Desk


Blackburn Rovers manager Steve Kean cancelled his players' day off this week in a bid to halt his side's bad run ahead of their match at Fulham on Saturday.

Blackburn have lost four of their past six Premier League games including a comprehensive 4-1 defeat at Aston Villa last week and Kean knows they desperately need to create more goal-scoring opportunities.

"We have got to make sure we get service to the front men and make sure we can dictate play. That has been one of the disappointing aspects of recent weeks; we have not had enough service to the front unit. We have been working to fix that," he said.

"We had a good meeting with the players on Tuesday afternoon and we watched certain aspects of the game against Aston Villa. We've worked on that all week and the mood is good."

The players have been forced to forego their usual Wednesday day off in order to get in an extra day's preparation for the Craven Cottage showdown.

With new club owners Venky's expecting great things from the Lancashire club, the manager will be trying everything he can to improve on the club's current 14th position in the Premier League table.

"We've had a long week; normally we train very hard on a Tuesday and I give them the Wednesday off but we've been in all week. They have put in a lot of hard work on the training ground so hopefully we will see the rewards on Saturday," Kean said.

"This match is an opportunity for us to bounce back. Fulham are in decent form so we know it will be a tough game."

Blackburn will be without David Dunne (hip), Mauro Formica (fitness) and Phil Jones (knee). Junior Hoilett (hamstring) and Roque Santa Cruz (back) are both doubtful.

[White Noise]

http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/03/next-up-blackburn-h/


Next up: Blackburn (h)

by Tor on March 4, 2011

I shall try to make a better go of this than last week's Man City preview which was, frankly, rubbish. Although I did manage a correct result, even if not the correct score. Better than Lawro managed. Ha!

It's probably fair to say that Blackburn seem to have a few defensive concerns this season, or certainly they do away from home where they've conceded a massive 35 goals. And the less said about the 1-4 defeat at home at the hands of Aston Villa last weekend, the better. Is that poor defending, poor goalkeeping or a combination of the two? With the usually safe England international Paul Robinson between the sticks perhaps the weakness sits with the back four. Unfortunately for Blackburn that back four will be further weakened tomorrow by the enforced absence of the suspended captain Ryan Nelsen, but boosted by the return of Chris Samba who we should all be fairly familiar with as he's been rumoured to join us every transfer window since forever. Well, a couple of years. He's good though. And for a centre-back he's a bit of a Hangeland-esque goal machine with 13 goals in 135 appearances. It'll be interesting to see if they can contain Clint Dempsey who like scoring against Blackburn, with 5 goals in 5 games. They could also have fit-again Bobby Zamora to deal with. Zamora looked in good shape on his eagerly-awaited return to the Fulham fold back in the FA Cup game against Bolton – not only was he hassling the defence, he didn't look afraid to get stuck in which some feared he may after such a horrific injury. I can't see Zamora starting tomorrow but Moussa Dembele and Andrew Johnson should both be available and they seem to be building up a decent understanding together.

In midfield, Blackburn are without the wonderfully entertaining El Hadji Diouf who's currently plying his trade on loan to Rangers (and getting into a wee spot of bother, as you'll know if you watched the Old Firm game on Tuesday) and the two injured Davids, Dunn and Hoilett. Last week's match featured Jermain Jones, Grella, Brett Emerton, Keith Andrews and subs Jason Roberts and Nzonzi. Only Emerton has made it to double figures for league appearances so far this season. With 27 games played so far this season, that doesn't suggest the most stable midfield ever. There's a little fire power up front though with Morten Gamst Pedersen and this season's top-scorer Nikola Kalinic leading the line. Roque Santa Cruz, on loan from last week's opponents Manchester City, is another player recently mooted for a link-up with Fulham but for one reason or another it didn't pan out. We won't get to see whether that was a good or bad outcome tomorrow as he's likely to be out with a back injury. There's a lot of that going around at the moment – yes Mr Senderos, I'm lookin' at you. I shouldn't have thought there'd be too much there to worry Hughes and Hangeland who can together handle just about anything thrown at them. It probably goes without saying that Baird will start, probably at right back leaving Carlos Salcido on the left. With Matthew Briggs having signed a new contract in the week that'll keep him at Craven Cottage until 2013, I'd prefer to give him a bit of a run out and see how well he fares against a similar level team. I can't see it though, we may not look like relegation fodder at the moment but that table is still looking scarily tight and a slip-up could have dire consequences, a risk I'm not sure Mark Hughes will want to take in his first season in charge. In midfield, Steve Sidwell is still out with that knee injury although his recovery is progressing according to schedule. Duff's on form and hopefully neither the week's Twitter excitement (the person claiming to be him is actually an imposter) nor the fact that this is where his career started will put him off that stride. Dickson Etuhu did well on his return last Sunday although Murphy looked a bit off his game. Was it me or was there an unusually high number of misplaced passes courtesy of Captain Dan?

This will be Steve Kean's first trip back to Craven Cottage as a fully-fledged manager, having spent four years here as assistant to Cookie. The team has seen wholesale changes since then so Kean won't have much inside info to help him out. Historically Blackburn have done reasonably well against us at Craven Cottage if you ignore last season's rainy Wednesday night 3-0 defeat (starring Erik Nevland, *sighs*). Overall though I think we should out-muscle Blackburn even with our reluctance to shoot from more than 5 yards beyond the goal-line. With a strong defence; a midfield which, on its day, can control anyone's game; and a couple more options in attack than previously this season, I'm fully anticipating a home win. I hope it'll be pretty too but I'd happily snatch a scrappy 3 points from you if offered it. By goodness do we need them.

How about your prediction? And what would be your starting XI?