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Tuesday Fulham Stuff (05.04.11)

Started by White Noise, April 05, 2011, 06:56:56 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

White Noise


http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/sport/fulham-fc-ealing/2011/04/05/head-injury-won-t-stop-fulham-defender-facing-manchester-united-64767-28459440/



Head injury won't stop Fulham defender facing Manchester United


Apr 5 2011


By Yann Tear




AARON Hughes should be OK for Saturday's trip to Manchester United, even though he suffered his second painful injury in a week in Sunday's win over Blackpool.

The central defender, who overcame a shoulder injury picked up while on international duty to just in time to play against the Tangerines, had to go off early after a clash of heads left him with a bump on the head, feeling groggy.

But boss Mark Hughes is confident the hardy Northern Ireland defender will recover in time for the Old Trafford assignment.

"He had to come off because his vision was starting to be affected and he was struggling," said the Fulham chief.

"He's got a little bit of concussion, so we'll look after him and hopefully he'll be OK for the weekend."


White Noise


http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6853241,00.html

Cottagers check on Strootman

Hughes eyes Utrecht midfielder


By Gerrit van Leeuwen   


Last updated: 4th April 2011   


Strootman: Fulham link

Fulham are reported to be tracking FC Utrecht midfielder Kevin Strootman.

Reports emanating from Holland claim Mark Hughes' side are keeping tabs on Strootman as they weigh up a summer move for the 21-year-old.

Fulham scouts are believed to have watched Strootman in action for Utrecht against ADO Den Haag on Sunday.

Strootman only joined Utrecht from Sparta Rotterdam during the January transfer window and he has impressed during his time at the club.

The highly-rated midfielder won his first cap for Holland in the friendly against Austria in February and is regarded as one of the best young players in Eredivisie.

Utrecht are unlikely to welcome any interest from Fulham in Strootman as the player was seen as ready-mate replacement for Michael Silberbauer at the club, with the Danish international expected to leave Utrecht at the end of the season.


White Noise


http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/apr/04/michael-jackson-statue-al-fayed?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Ffootball%2Frss+%28Football%29


Fulham's awful Michael Jackson statue is very Al Fayed

The new statue of Michael Jackson outside Fulham FC's ground fits right in with the Mohamed Al Fayed's taste for all things golden and glitzy


Comments (113) 


Jonathan Jones guardian.co.uk, Monday 4 April 2011 20.00


The Michael Jackson statue outside Fulham FC's Craven Cottage ground in west London. Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Action Images

Context is everything. Fans of Fulham FC who may feel disconcerted by a statue of Michael Jackson placed near their home stands at the behest of club chairman Mohamed Al Fayed need only visit his former empire in nearby Knightsbridge to see where his taste in art is coming from. Harrods, which Fayed sold for £1.5bn last year, is still richly decorated with his artistic commissions. Statues of sphinxes beam in the Egyptian Hall, which also has a colossal pharaoh and rich inlays right out of a Hollywood fantasy of excess. The Egyptian staircase is even more ornate, and what's more, it works as an appropriately entertaining and daft decor for this emporium. If you are shopping at Harrods do you want the prosaic, the taciturn, the dour? The statue of Jackson Al Fayed commissioned after the star's death would have fitted right in with the memorial to Princess Diana and his son Dodi that he placed here.

The Craven Cottage ground where Fulham fans make their fortnightly pilgrimage is a very different corner of west London, miraculously connected with the Harrods heritage by its chairman's money.

The small, unostentatious football club skulks between redbrick houses and the pebbly shoals of the river Thames, nuzzling a wan park. Inside, receptionists politely refuse access to see the statue, whose photographs make it look like an unconvincing portrait, clumsily posed, totally lacking in artistic merit but completely in sync with Fayed's propensity for halls of luxury (it is made of gold) and ostentatious monuments. The ban on viewing the statue comes from the club's press office; evidently reports of a froideur between chairman and fans over artistic taste are a surreal and confusing distraction they would rather get beyond.

Fayed has said fans who dislike the statue can "go to hell" or, better still, support Chelsea FC. But perhaps he simply needs to educate their taste. Looking at the ground, it is really a bit low-key and Edwardian with its low, plain brick facade and statue of a famous player on the forecourt. How about spicing up the whole place? A sphinx at each corner of the club would be a start. The facade could be redone in gold, chalcedony, amethyst and lapis lazuli. Instead of the tedious bronze statue of some old player, why not a silver colossus of Justin Bieber? And let's replace the club shop with a Louis Vuitton outlet. As for the surly blokes, well, as the chairman says, they can go to Chelsea.


White Noise


http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/hawksbee-and-jacobs/blog/2011-04-04/blank-al-fayeds-choice-statue-great-little-odd



Blank: 'Al Fayed's choice of statue is great, but a little odd'


by Michael Wade | Monday, April 4


Matt Blank, the spokesman for the Michael Jackson World Network is surprised at the unveiling of a Michael Jackson statue at Fulham Football Club

Video Interview -

http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/hawksbee-and-jacobs/blog/2011-04-04/blank-al-fayeds-choice-statue-great-little-odd

White Noise


http://www.ghanasoccernet.com/2011/04/john-pantsil-confirms-fulham-exit/



John Pantsil confirms Fulham exit


Posted On Monday, 4th April 2011


Ghana defender John Panstil has confirmed he will be leaving Fulham at the end of the season.

The right-back lost his place in manager Mark Hughes after a series of errors which saw him score a record equaling three own-goals in one season.

His last league appearance dates back to 6 February in which he scored an own goal in their 2-2 home draw with Aston Villa.

Pantsil's three-year stay at Craven Cottage ends in June and he told Kickoff that there is no room for him at the club.

"I haven't spoken about it before but there is no future for me at Fulham. I know my agent is working hard to resolve the situation," Pantsil said.

"It has been a difficult season for me. I have made mistakes and I will be the first to admit but to go from a first team member to having to watch the game from the stands has been difficult to take."

White Noise


http://nz.sports.yahoo.com/football/news/article/-/9133876/palace-midfielder-dikgacoi-preparing-to-leave-fulham/


Palace midfielder Dikgacoi preparing to leave Fulham


tribalfootball.com


April 5, 2011, 1:05 am


Kagisho Dikgacoi is ready to leave Fulham.

The People says the midfielder will look for a permanent move away from Fulham in the summer.

He is currently on loan at Crystal Palace but will speak to Mark Hughes upon his return to Craven Cottage at the end of the season.

The club recently took up an option to extend his contract but South African international Dikgacoi wants to move on if he is not given a guarantee of regular first team action.



White Noise


http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_6852874,00.html


Etuhu aiming high with Fulham

Midfielder looking up rather than down


By Pete O'Rourke



Last updated: 4th April 2011   


Etuhu: Looking up

Fulham midfielder Dickson Etuhu insists they are not even considering relegation and are targeting a top ten finish.

The Cottagers eased any lingering fears of being dragged into a relegation dogfight with a 3-0 win over Blackpool at Craven Cottage on Sunday.

The win moved Fulham six points clear of the drop zone and with five wins from their last six home games, Etuhu believes Mark Hughes' men can end the season on a high.

"We're not thinking about going down, we're thinking about going up and concentrating on that," Etuhu said.

"We're focused, the manager and coaching staff have a plan and we're all together on it and it is working well.

Target
"Obviously the top 10 is the target for us, but at the end of the day we have just got to keep getting points on the board.

Etuhu added: "We don't have a points target. We've set our sights high - the manager does not expect us to lose to anybody.

"He expects us to win every game and that is what we need.

"That is what we need to believe and that is why we go out, especially at home, believing we can beat anyone."


White Noise


http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/shades-of-2009/



Shades of 2009


Filed under: General — timmyg @ 4:31 pm

Believe it or not, but Fulham are currently 10th in the table on goal difference. We're also three points off 7th spot, occupied by Everton (who just lost their best striker).

That's right, after this doozy of a roller coaster season, we're in the top half of the table. Which is something we haven't done/been in since Halloween. How did this happen? When did this happen?

Not only that, but we have the exact same amount of points as we did at this stage last year — and about now we basically chucked the season to focus on our European Rampage – and just two less than we did two years ago. The table from then is below:



Things can obviously change pretty soon. We go to Old Trafford next week. We still have trips to St. Andrews, Sunderland and Molineux; all while getting to play host to Arsenal and Liverpool.

But, still, is seventh spot conceivable? Here is our run out, compared to 2008-09′s:



In 2008-09, we ended up with 53 points. In all honesty, it was a bit easier then. So, assuming we'll need to match at least that amount, where are/must the 15 or so points come from our final seven games?

Okay, who am I kidding. We should probably just revisit this next week and say "So...where are/must the 15 or so points come from our final seven six games?"


White Noise

It's off the wall! United star Ferdinand sticks the boot into Fulham's Jacko statue

By Sportsmail Reporter


Last updated at 9:42 PM on 4th April 2011


Rio Ferdinand has hit out at Fulham's controversial Michael Jackson statue on Twitter, slamming Mohamed Al Fayed's memorial to the King of Pop.

Cottagers' chairman Fayed told 'stupid' Fulham fans to 'go to hell' or 'go to Chelsea' if they do not like the statue unveiled at the club on Sunday.

But Manchester United and England star Ferdinand is not impressed with the tribute, questioning Jackson's links with football and Fulham, and suggesting Fayed should have put up the statue at home rather than at Craven Cottage.


Thriller: Fulham owner Al Fayed stands proudly in front of the Michael Jackson statue at Craven Cottage

'Did michael Jackson even like football??! What is a statue of the great man doing outside of the Fulham fc stadium?!', Ferdinand tweeted before adding: 'Put a poster up not a statue!! A statue outside a stadium is for people who have achieved great things at that club not for 1lil appearance!'

He then said: 'al fayed said he and jacko were great friends....well put the statue up at YOUR house maaaaaaan!!'


Wacko: Fayed strikes a pose in front of his memorial

Ferdinand also poked fun at Fulham by suggesting West Ham were to erect statues to their own celebrity supporters James Corden, Russell Brand and Ray Winstone.

He tweeted: '*breaking news* a @JKCorden @rustyrockets and ray winston statue is going up at west ham because they attend a few games!'

Fayed unveiled the 7ft 6in statue of the deceased singer before Fulham's 3-0 win over Blackpool. Positioned inside Craven Cottage between the Hammersmith and Riverside stands and overlooking the River Thames, the memorial has the the lyrics to Jackson's 1988 hit Man in the Mirror inscribed on the two-and-a-half-tonne granite base and cost Fayed £100,000.

Fulham's owner had initially intended to put it at Harrod's department store in Knightsbridge, but sold the shop last year for £2.2billion.

Many Fulham fans have expressed their displeasure at the statue. Season ticket holder Roger Bullivant told Sportsmail: 'It's not right. It should be standing outside the Hard Rock Café or Planet Hollywood. But I guess he can put up a statue to whoever he likes.'

But Fayed said fans could go and support west London rivals Chelsea if they did not appreciate the controversial memorial.

Al Fayed said on Sunday: 'Why is it bizarre? Football fans love it. If some stupid fans don't understand and appreciate such a gift they can go to hell. I don't want them to be fans. If they don't understand and don't believe in things I believe in they can go to Chelsea. They can go to anywhere else.

'People will queue to come and visit it from all over the UK and it is something that I and everybody else should be proud of.'



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1373225/Fulhams-Michael-Jackson-statue-slammed-Rio-Ferdinand.html#ixzz1IcuKzJQ0


White Noise

Craven's graven image

by Richard Littlejohn

Mohamed Fayed has erected a 7ft 6in statue of Michael Jackson outside Fulham football ground.

Alan Mullery, I could understand. Tosh Chamberlain, Jimmy Hill, too. But why the certifiably insane, kiddie-fiddler Wacko Jacko?

Craven Cottage might be heralding the start of an exciting new trend. We could soon see statues of deceased Motown stars outside every Premier League stadium.

A life-size bronze figure of the great Levi Stubbs Jnr, late of the Four Tops, would enhance any match-day experience. David Ruffin, from the Temptations, who died of a drugs overdose, might brighten up the approach to Villa Park.

When Spurs finalise their plans for a new stadium, they could top it off with a statue of Marvin Gaye.

What's going on?


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1373412/Shakespeare-called-right-comes-lawyers.html#ixzz1IcvNUgw3

White Noise

Wacko Jacko scores an own goal for Fayed

By Craig Brown


Last updated at 8:32 PM on 4th April 2011



Impulse: The Michael Jackson statue at Craven Cottage is a good example of an object we buy and then later regret for the rest of our life

We have all had the experience of buying something on impulse only to regret it for the rest of our lives.

A moment of madness can lead to a lifetime in the company of the most gruesome impulse purchases: an oversized teddy bear, a hideously uncomfortable sofa-bed,  a novelty bra-and-panties apron, a psychedelic lava-lamp, a toasted-sandwich maker, a 24-piece fondue-set.

So one's heart goes out to Mr Mohamed Fayed. When Michael Jackson died in June 2009, Fayed took the snap decision to commission a statue of him. Quite why this elderly gentleman — now aged 78 — should have felt so strongly about a singer a quarter of a century his junior is hard to fathom. One might have thought he would prefer a singer closer to his own era — George Formby, say, or Dame Nellie Melba.

And then we come to the question of size. The rest of us would probably have been more comfortable with a little statue measuring 18 inches, or the size of an Action Man. This would mean that, if, after a year or two, one regretted the impulse buy, you could always stuff it in a cupboard, or use it as a door-stop in an upstairs room.

This was Fayed's first big mistake. Instead of going for a pocket-sized figurine, he had a rush of blood to the head and ordered a statue of Michael Jackson substantially larger than life-size.

Even hideous objects take time to make, so some months would have passed before the statue was ready. Fayed is a busy man, with a lot on his plate, so after this length of time he may well have forgotten all about it. One can only imagine the look of horror on his poor face when — ding! dong! — the delivery man arrived at his door, asking him to sign for the 7ft 6in package (or 13ft 6in, including the plinth).

Eek! What to do with it? He had originally planned to plop it down somewhere in Harrods, his Knightsbridge department store. Harrods is such a huge building that it could easily hold a 7ft 6in statue of Michael Jackson without too much fuss. And when Jackson went out of fashion they could always re-dress him in overalls and place him behind the counter in the Food Hall.

But by the time he took delivery, Fayed had sold Harrods, so this handy storage facility was no longer an option. We have not been told whether or not he tried to dump his statue of Michael Jackson on the new owners of Harrods. If he did, they clearly proved resistant. Who knows? Perhaps the new owners had already commissioned a job-lot of statues of dead pop stars more in tune with their own enthusiasms to scatter hither and thither around the store: Jim Morrison in soft furnishings, for instance, or Freddie Mercury in fitted kitchens, or Janis Joplin in homeware.

So the 7ft 6in Michael Jackson would have been destined for the Fayed garage, or even the Fayed bonfire, had this ever-resourceful Egyptian not come up with a brainwave: as the owner of Fulham Football Club, he could offload it around the back of the Craven Cottage stadium!

The statue was unveiled on Sunday. Before the unveiling, eager Fulham fans must have quivered in anticipation, imagining it would be a statue of a muddy-kneed Fulham footballing legend, such as Rodney Marsh or Bobby Moore, to go with the statue of the redoubtable Johnny Haynes by the front entrance.

These fans might even have settled for a well-known footballer from another team, like Bobby Charlton or Nobby Stiles, or even a distinguished resident of Fulham, such as the actor Leslie Grantham.

So when the veil was finally pulled away to reveal —tarantara! — the androgynous girly-voiced Jackson, surely the least footbally person who ever lived, their faces must have been a Munch-like picture of desolation and despair. Having suffered years of ribbing for their nickname 'The Cottagers', Fulham fans now found themselves faced with a fresh source of humiliation.

Fresh humiliation: After years of ribbing about their nickname, Fulham fans now have to put up with a statue of Michael Jackson, possibly the least footbally person ever to have lived

But Fayed put his best foot forward. While his smooth PR man Michael Cole — Muttley to Fayed's Dick Dastardly — jigged around to a Jackson tune, Fayed insisted: 'Football fans love it!'

Sadly, he then ruined the impression of bonhomie by losing his temper and snapping: 'If some stupid fans don't understand and appreciate such a gift this guy gave to the world they can go to hell. I don't want them to be fans. If they don't understand and don't believe in things I believe in, they can go to Chelsea, they can go to anywhere else.'

Whatever next? In future Mr Fayed must learn to keep his impulse-purchases to a minimum. His tastes are not, I fear, always shared by the average football fan. Just this once, Fulham fans may be prepared to turn a blind eye to the statue of Michael Jackson around the back, but a statue of Gary Glitter above the main entrance may prove more than they could bear.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1373345/Michael-Jackson-statue-scores-goal-Mohammed-Al-Fayed-Fulham.html#ixzz1IcvjHaKI

White Noise


http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23938179-bobby-zamoras-hoping-for-an-england-call-or-text.do


Bobby Zamora's hoping for an England call... or text


David Smith


4 Apr 2011





Bobby Zamora was today hoping for a good news text from Fabio Capello's No2 Franco Baldini, after the striker marked his first start for Fulham since breaking his leg with two goals against Blackpool.

Zamora, whose brace in a 3-0 win at Craven Cottage all but guarantees Premier League safety for Fulham, revealed how he now wants to
relaunch an England career cut short after just one cap by the injury he sustained at Wolves in September.

And Zamora has been encouraged by Baldini, who has kept in touch with the 30-year-old Londoner while he recovered from the leg break and ligament damage which came just a month after he made an impressive England debut in the 2-1 win over Hungary at Wembley in August.

With an eye on England's next European Championship qualifier, against Switzerland at Wembley on June 4, Zamora said: "I think I've got a chance of getting back into the squad but I have to be performing and doing well for Fulham first, so that's my main aim - getting fit, starting games and doing well for the club.

"I like to think that Fabio Capello and Franco Baldini were impressed with my training and performance when I was with the England set-up.

"I still get a text every now and then from Franco. It's nice to know I'm still in his thoughts."



White Noise


http://blogs.soccernet.com/fulham/archives/2011/04/bobby_dazzler.php



Bobby Dazzler

Posted by Phil Mison 19 hours, 35 minutes ago


© Associated Press

Super Sunday at the Cottage sees Fulham comfortably skin the Tangerines, with Bobby leading from the front. Suddenly we're up to 10th in the table on a day to savour.

It's a while since I enjoyed a match day quite so intensely. With a large contingent over from Scandinavia for the game it's fair to say there was quite some drinking done pre and post game, though behaviour of course was good natured throughout - we are Fulham after all. The away fans added to the atmosphere, though they had precious little to cheer, and the ones I spoke to were just delighted to get to visit the Cottage and still be in with a shout of survival. With four straight home games to come for Blackpool, points are there for the taking from the likes of Wigan, Stoke and Newcastle - so let's all hope they stay up. The Prem would be a poorer league without Holloway's side and their supporters next season.

You sensed this would be our day with the roar that greeted news of Zamora's inclusion from the off. What a difference he made. Making his first start since the Wolves game last September when he fractured his right ankle, Bobby needed just 28 minutes to put us two clear, and underline all that we have missed in his absence. Hughes stuck with the regular back four and Etuhu in midfield, Dempsey and Duff were on the flanks, a revitalised Dembele lying a little deeper, up alongside Bobby in a 4-4-2, with AJ back on the bench.

And let me be the first to say Hughes was fully vindicated with his team selection. Full-backs don't always catch the eye from the press box but Bairdinho was my clear man of the match, not least for his crucial goal-line clearance on the stroke of half-time. That might well have changed the course of the second half, had we been made to pay for Schwarzer's aberration (his one weakness, the inability to punch forcefully). We got away with that and a couple of other narrow squeaks as Holloway admitted his men had been below par. He tinkered with his line-up and I for one was delighted to see Varney overlooked - he caused us problems up at their place. All today's graphs show Blackpool dominated possession and made 50% more passes than us. Their problem was, most went backwards or sideways,

Fulham by contrast bristled with intent and incision. Dempsey, Duff and some mazy Dembele runs all carried the threat to our opponents from the off. I felt Blackpool began over cautiously, almost as if they for once didn't quite believe in their ability to hurt us. Schwarzer didn't see the ball for half an hour, by which time Bobby had struck twice.

Hughes rightly hailed Zamo's return as the key, he created danger from the first minute. Intelligently holding up the ball when it was played long, linking well with Duff, prowling the penalty area, committing defenders. From Beattie's misplaced pass in the centre-circle he accelerated away into the space between the centre-backs for our opener. Still with it all to do his control at high speed was perfect, the rocket of a right foot finish into the top corner unstoppable. A terrific strike. Might AJ from the same situation have finished so emphatically I wonder? Having already set up Duff to hit a post - outstanding touch from the keeper to be fair - it was the Duffer who then turned provider, curling over a quick free kick five minutes later for Bobby to nod home number two. Another free kick after half time killed off the game, this time met with a crashing header by Clint against the post. Brede coolly kept the ball alive from a tight angle, crossed, and Etuhu turned it over the line from close in.

Close behind Baird for top marks, Etuhu also had a fine time of marauding around midfield and put in some tough challenges - rode his luck a bit with the ref as well. Bobby trotted off after an hour, he's had a head cold all week, and although the game was wrapped up, AJ gave us a cameo of his 'irritating fly' presence, which did nothing to unsettle the Blackpool back four nor enhance his diminishing reputation.

With Fulham's international army out in force it was a good opportunity for this blogger to reveal his identity to a number of people. Too many to mention, but if you follow the blog, you know who you are, and great to meet up. Common threads expressed are that Zoli's days seem clearly numbered, not even on the bench Sunday, but that he deserves to have a couple more good seasons where his type of game will flourish - possibly the Bundesliga. Fulham have twice denied Gera the chance to move since January, now looks as if they're just angling for some kind of fee for last year's Player of the Season. Pantsil it seems would like to stay, I know his family are very settled in London and a big part of the local church, but after Baird's performance yesterday, I fear we may have to wave goodbye to John and his post-match salute to the fans. That will be sad.

I sense a lot of fans would not be sorry to see AJ offloaded. If Fulham are to strengthen in the summer, as indeed they must, getting the highest earner off the wage bill will free up resouces for younger prospects. And many are of the opinion Stockdale needs to be confirmed soon as Fulham's new number one - mess this future England keeper around any longer and he'll be snapped up by one of the big clubs. Sorry, Mark - but thanks for everything, and g'bye mate.

If Hughes, as seems likely now with 38 points and a strong GD, keeps us up, the summer is the time to show us how he's going to take Fulham forward to another level. We've got another 38 games out of a squad that was starting to show its age with last year's massive work-load of 63(!) competitive matches. We won't get away with it a second time. Stand still in football and you ask for trouble.

Finally, I guess we have to mention 'that statue.' Having now been within touching distance of it, it is indeed hideous, and shows a monumental lack of class by our chairman. Luckily MJ is tucked away in a corner, staring out across the Thames to a boathouse. The jacket looks as if it's been crafted from silver bubblewrap and there's more than a hint of early Cher and sister La Toya about it. You can't see it from the Stevenage Road frontage thank heavens, and never likely to become a tourist attraction where it stands. It would be highly appropriate if Blackpool collected it on their next trip and stuck it up on the Golden Mile where it would be more at home. I do fear for the statue where it is- it will surely be vandalised e'er long, sawn off at the base and chucked in the river.

Big thumbs up to the guy in the Hammy End yesterday who donned the full Bo' Selecta Jacko outfit on 85 minutes and scarpered up the terraces before the stewards could nab him. Top gesture! That summed up Fulham fans thoughts for the most on the 'Maestro' now sharing exhibition space with the dysfunctional high-pitched warbler...that er, 'close friend' of Mohammed al-Fayed, who once upon a time was led down to the Cottage by his publicity people and the Harrod's press office for a solitary game.

Fulham FC - the Pride of London Twitter@fulhamphil


White Noise


http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sport/football/blackpool-fc/zamora_the_scorer_s_back_1_3253033



Zamora the scorer's back



Bobby Zamora opening the scoring for Fulham

By Steve Canavan


Published on Monday 4 April 2011 14:26




BOBBY Zamora used to be a favourite of Ian Holloway's when he managed him at Bristol Rovers.

But yesterday, Holloway was sick of the sight of him.

Zamora started a game for the first time since breaking his leg in September and proved he has lost none of his ability by scoring twice in Fulham's 3-0 victory.

What made the frontman's performance more impressive is that, according to his manager Mark Hughes, Zamora had been struggling with illness in the build-up to the game.

Unfortunately, for Pool he recovered in time to take his place in the starting line-up.

Hughes said: "Bobby had been under the weather. He just had a head cold and had not been sleeping particularly well.

"He just wasn't quite as lively during the week as he normally is. Normally you hear Bobby before you see him, so he was a little bit quiet but I thought this was the perfect game for him.

"I thought he got over the last hurdle in his head after the injury and I couldn't have hoped for a better impact from him.

"Straight from the off he showed the qualities we have lacked in many games this season. It was a perfect day for him."

It was Fulham's fifth home win in six matches and Hughes believes such form is an indication of the spirit within the Cottagers' squad.

The victory has propelled Fulham into the top half of the table, which Hughes said reinforced his view that the Londoners are a top-ten side.

"We've never wavered from that view and now we're in that position," he added.

"We're three points from seventh and it's possible that for the rest of the season we can really establish ourselves in that top half.

"That's what we anticipated we would do this season but we lost key personnel, Bobby being the main one.

"But we've been really strong and accomplished in the second half of the season, which I knew we would be."


White Noise


Our Great Adventure



Monday 4th April 2011



Fulham defender Brede Hangeland spoke of his admiration and respect for Chairman Mohamed Al Fayed as Fulham strengthened their position in the Barclays Premier League on Sunday with a 3-0 victory over Blackpool.

The Norwegian international captain spoke of the great adventure he has experienced since joining Al Fayed and his Team from Copenhagen in January 2008 as Fulham prepare for Saturday's trip to Old Trafford to face Champions elect, Manchester United.

"The Chairman has done fantastic things for this Club and we all owe him so much," Hangeland told fulhamfc.com. "He comes in occasionally and talks to the players and he's a really nice guy. We know what he's done for the Club, in my time, and long before I was at Fulham.

"We all have a lot of respect for him and only good things to say about him. He's the main factor why the Club has done so well over the last ten years or so. I've been part of a great adventure with him as Chairman."

As one of the Barclays Premier League's outstanding central defenders in recent seasons, Hangeland has no shortage of admirers, but as the towering defender pointed out, he is more than happy plying his trade with the Club from SW6 that took him to a European Cup Final last season.

"There's been speculation about me during my time at the Club, but I've always said, I really enjoy it here," Brede explained. "It's speculation from the media. I'm contracted at Fulham for this season and two more. It's [FFC] full of good people and surrounded by good people.

"I've been very fortunate. I lived in Copenhagen for two years and now a little over three years in London. I'm sure you could live here for 100 years and not see half of the city. I'm really happy with the clubs I've come to.

"It's such a gift to be able to be a professional footballer and go to live where you would never normally live and experience different cultures. I've been very fortunate in that respect."


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/April/BredePraisesChairman.aspx#ixzz1IcysQBYJ


White Noise


http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/that-statue/



That statue

Filed under: General — rich @ 9:23 am



Just feels like a missed opportunity.  A sky high concrete Michael Jackson in the Egyptian style might have been genuinely far out.  I'm firmly in the "it's his club, he can do what he wants" camp, but just wish he'd got a slightly better statue made.   Still, we're unbeaten with MJ in our corner.  Can't be bad.


White Noise


http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/sport/fulham-fc-ealing/2011/04/04/hughes-eyes-top-10-finish-for-fulham-64767-28454900/


Hughes eyes top-10 finish for Fulham

Apr 4 2011


By Yann Tear




MARK Hughes says he has 'no concerns' over relegation and thinking only of a top 10 finish.

Sunday's handsome victory over a well-beaten Blackpool has effectively ended relegation fears, but the Fulham boss says his side's form has removed the fear in any case.

"We've been talking about being a top 10 side all season and never wavered from that view and it's nice we are in that position now just three points from seventh," Hughes said.

"It's possible that we can really establish ourselves from now until the end of the season in that top half and that's what we anticipated we would do.

"We've been really strong in the second half of the season, which I knew we would be. The players are really progressing as a group. They are receptive and really get the job done at the moment and that's all you can ask for."

Hughes added: "It's not done and dusted at the bottom. Until you get the points which mean you know mathematically you can't go down, there's always a little bit of a worry.

"But I have to say in terms of what we're producing and how we've played in the last two or three months after Christmas, I don't have any concerns."