Wednesday Fulham Stuff (27.04.11)

[White Noise]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3548631/Kevin-Davies-tells-Chelsea-to-beware-Daniel-Sturridge.html


Dan will create a Sturr at Blues


By MARTIN BLACKBURN


Published: Today


KEVIN DAVIES warned Chelsea's forwards that Daniel Sturridge is after their place.

The hitman, 21, has been a revelation during his loan spell at the Reebok with seven goals in nine games so far.

He faces a late check on an ankle problem ahead of tonight's trip to Fulham.

But Davies believes Sturridge is destined for the top and can give Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba a run for their money next season.

He said: "The ability Danny's got is really something. In training he looks unbelievable.

"I've not seen anyone like that for years.

"He's very confident and now he's playing regularly he'll want to challenge Torres and Drogba.

"He's got what it takes to go right to the very top. It's been great to have him with us."

[White Noise]

http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/coyle-retains-euro-hopes-bolton-1595281

Coyle retains Euro hopes for Bolton


27.04.11 | tribalfootball.com


Bolton Wanderers boss Owen Coyle retains hope of qualifying for the Europa League.

Victory tonight against Fulham would take Bolton above Everton into seventh place and maintain their slim hopes of securing a Europa League spot.

Coyle said: "Where we sit in the league we recognise there's a clamour of clubs behind us hoping to continue their improvement and move up the league.

"Equally we've got to look above us to Everton and Liverpool and try to capitalise on our game in hand tomorrow night."

[White Noise]

http://www.setanta.com/ie/Articles/2011/04/26/Sturridge-keen-to-keep-run-going/gnid-93325/


Preview: Fulham v Bolton (Wed, 20h00)

by Setanta Staff , 26 April 2011 


Fulham captain Danny Murphy and striker Bobby Zamora are expected to be fit for Wednesday's game with Bolton.

Murphy came off during Saturday's 1-1 draw at Wolves with a dead leg, while Zamora hurt his back in training last week and only came on from the bench at Molineux.

Winger Damien Duff is unlikely to be fit after two-and-a-half weeks out with his Achilles injury, while Philippe Senderos has a long-term injury but is on the way back and could feature before the end of the season.

Daniel Sturridge is unlikely to be fit for Bolton's Premier League clash with Fulham.

The on-loan Chelsea starlet added to his growing tally this season in Sunday's 2-1 win over Arsenal but was forced off with an ankle problem late in the game.

Bolton boss Owen Coyle was hoping the in-form Sturridge, who has scored seven goals in nine appearances since arriving in January, would recover in time for the trip down to London.

However, Bolton's medical staff have decided not to risk him at Craven Cottage, which is a blow for the on-loan Chelsea striker, who wanted to play in all five of Bolton's remaining matches to give himself the best chance of scoring the three further goals to take him to double figures for the season.

He said: "I hope I can get to double figures for Bolton. It would be amazing."
-
Teams:
Fulham (from): Schwarzer, Baird, Hangeland, Hughes, Salcido, Etuhu, Duff, Davies, Murphy, Sidwell, Dempsey, Duff, Dembele, Zamora, Johnson, Stockdale, Kelly, Gudjohnsen, Kakuta.

Bolton (from): Jaaskelainen, Robinson, Cahill, Wheater, Knight, Muamba, M Davies, Gardner, Petrov, K Davies, Elmander, Klasnic, Taylor, Alonso, Rodrigo, Cohen, Steinsson, Blake, Lee, Bogdan, Sturridge.

[White Noise]

http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/ex-tottenham-fulham-keeper-keller-unhappy-blatant-act-against-teammate-1594391


Ex-Tottenham, Fulham keeper Keller unhappy with blatant act against teammate

26.04.11 | Andrew Slevison


Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller was left disappointed by events which occurred on Friday night.

Just three minutes into their 1-0 win over Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Brian Mullan launched in with a horror tackle on Sounders winger Steve Zakuani, leaving him with a badly broken leg.

Ex-Tottenham and Fulham custodian Keller says it was a crying shame that Zakuani now has to miss most of the season because of somebody's poor decision on the pitch.

"You never like to see players get injured, but of course, you don't like to see them get injured in situations like that where it's so blatant and so, just, kind of a disregard for personal safety," said Keller.

"It's just a shame."

Defender James Riley was also unhappy by Mullan's actions, describing the situation as 'unfortunate'.

"It's probably a video I'll never watch again, but I got reactions that [Mullan] didn't get a foul and then kind of went after the next player who had the ball," Riley said.

"When you get to hear that, obviously, it's unfortunate that that's the circumstance."

[White Noise]

http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/valencia-challenge-liverpool-barcelona-youngster-montoya-1593201

Valencia challenge Liverpool for Barcelona youngster Montoya

26.04.11 | tribalfootball.com


Valencia are chasing Barcelona fullback Martin Montoya.

The youngster is expected to leave the Nou Camp in the summer and has been linked with English clubs Fulham and Liverpool.

Barca management are yet to decide on Montoya's future and coach Pep Guardiola would like to keep him around next season.

Montoya's current deal carries a €3 million buyout clause and Barca want to renegotiate to raise the fee before the summer market opens.

[White Noise]

http://www.fansfc.com/story/31755.html

Hughes plans Bentley reunion at Fulham

01:00 PM 26 April, 2011



Fulham Football Club will bid for David Bentley in the summer.

Mark Hughes knows the midfielder as well as anybody, having perhaps got the best football out of the midfielder during their time together at Blackburn Rovers.

Since leaving Ewood Park for Tottenham Hotspur in 2008, Bentley's career has nosedived, and he is currently struggling to make an impact on loan at Birmingham City.

The 26-year-old is due back at White Hart Lane in the summer, where he has two years left on his contract, but Harry Redknapp is hoping to offload him permanently.

And it is believed Hughes is prepared to offer the England international, who has seven caps, a move to Craven Cottage, if he can secure his signature for around £6million.

[White Noise]

http://www.cameroononline.org/2011/04/26/webo-makes-it-onto-fulham-wanted-list/


Webo makes it onto Fulham wanted list

Pierre Webo is earning interest from Fulham Football Club.

Mark Hughes has been fairly satisfied with his debut season at Craven Cottage, but he wants to see his side competing for a place in Europe next term.

It is believed the former Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City coach has already drawn up a list of summer targets, included on which is Webo.

The Cameroon international has flirted with a move to the Premier League in the past, but he has spent the past eight seasons plying his trade in Spain.

Currently of Real Mallorca, the 29-year-old striker is said to be a top want for Hughes, who has been impressed with the former Osasuna man this season.

[White Noise]

http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/bolton-boss-coyle-rates-fulham-attack-among-best-land-1595661


Bolton boss Coyle rates Fulham attack among best in the land

27.04.11 | tribalfootball.com


Bolton Wanderers boss Owen Coyle rates Fulham's attacking options among the best in the land.

Cottagers manager Mark Hughes found himself under pressure earlier this season following a run of only two wins in 18 games, but since then they have won five out of seven home matches, with their only defeat coming against Bolton in the cup.

And Coyle said: "Mark Hughes is an outstanding manager and he always has been. I think they started with a lot of draws and then they had a little dip, as can happen to any team, but from that point on they've really picked themselves up and they've been going from strength to strength.

"They've had big injuries to key players. Bobby Zamora is a top player and to get him back with the strength in depth they have in that area - Clint Dempsey, Moussa Dembele, Andy Johnson - they're strikers that could play for anybody in the Premier League."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2995/betting/2011/04/27/2460264/goals-the-likely-outcome-between-fulham-and-bolton-wanderers?

Goals the likely outcome between Fulham and Bolton Wanderers in bet of the day
Despite both sides' records this season, an open game looks in prospect at Craven Cottage, so expect the low-scoring cycle to be broken on Wednesday evening in this game

Most eyes on Wednesday evening will be on the Bernabeu, ensuring this clash slips quietly under the radar. Just like Stoke City on Tuesday, Wednesday's hosts Fulham enter the game on 39 points and look virtually assured of retaining their top-flight status. The Cottagers have been reliable at home (W7 D6 L3) and scored three times in their last two games on their own ground.

Bolton played their cup final a week late according to Arsene Wenger and are guaranteed another season of Premier League football. Owen Coyle's team have wandered off the path away from home this season with a W2 D5 L9 record in the league. A rare good away day this season for the Trotters was their defeat of Fulham in the FA Cup at Craven Cottage in February.

Traditionally, goals have been a a rarity in this fixture, with the last four going under 2.5 goals. Three of those were under 1.5 but that goes out the window for Wednesday night's game which has little riding on it.

Fulham will need a dramatic slump in form to get relegated. Since losing at home to Bolton in the FA Cup they've beaten Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool, where both games went over 2.5 goals. Bolton's last four games have also gone over the same mark.

This game has a distinctly end of term feel to it and goals look the likely outcome.

Tip: Over 2.5 goals @ 2.10

Value Bet: Fulham 2-1 Bolton correct score @ 8.50

Match Odds: Fulham 1.75, Draw 3.40, Bolton 4.20 (Sportingbet)

[WhiteJC]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/27042011/58/premier-league-matchpack-fulham-v-bolton-wanderers.html?

Premier League - Matchpack: Fulham v Bolton Wanderers

TEAM NEWS
Fulham captain Danny Murphy and star striker Bobby Zamora are expected to be fit to start.

A dead leg forced Murphy off during Saturday's 1-1 draw at Wolves, while Zamora was restricted to a late cameo after tweaking his back in training.

It remains to be seen whether winger Damien Duff has recovered sufficiently from his Achilles injury to return after two-and-a-half weeks out, while Philippe Senderos is still working his way back to full fitness having missed the entire season to date.

Bolton manager Owen Coyle is hoping striker Daniel Sturridge will have recovered from an ankle knock in time for Tuesday's trip.

The on-loan Chelsea man scored his seventh goal in nine games in Sunday's 2-1 win over Arsenal but was forced off with the problem late in the game.

Sam Ricketts (Achilles), Sean Davis and Stuart Holden (knee) are all long-term absentees.

MATCH FACTS
Fulham have failed to score in their last three meetings with Bolton in all competitions.

The last three Premier League meetings between Bolton and Fulham have ended as draws.

Bolton have scored exactly one goal in seven of their nine Premier League away games against Fulham and none in the others.

Ivan Klasnic has scored in his last two visits to Craven Cottage.

Fulham have won 16 of a possible 18 points from their last six matches at home in the Premier League.

Just one of Bolton's last 11 Premier League matches have ended in a draw.

Bolton Wanderers have collected just one point from their last nine away matches in the Premier League.

In these last nine Premier League away games, Bolton have netted just four times.

Daniel Sturridge has scored seven goals in nine Premier League appearances for Owen Coyle's side.

Fulham have conceded only one penalty in the Premier League this season; fewer than any other side.

PA Sport / Opta

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/April/BairdBoltonPreview.aspx?

Attacking Intentions

Last weekend's draw against Wolves at Molineux saw the Whites edge ever closer to the 40-point mark and also placed Fulham within striking distance of a top ten placing.

Fulham continued to show their attacking intentions on Saturday with a dominant display which, unfortunately, did not bring with it three points. But as Chris Baird insisted, the manner of the Team's performance was more than heartening.

"I think it was two points dropped at the weekend – but I thought we played really well," Baird told fulhamfc.com. "We watched a video of it with all of the positives that came out from the game. It looked really good and we have to take that into the Bolton game.

"We know what Bolton are about, we played them before and they beat us in the cup at home. So we know what to expect, it will be a tough game but we'll be ready for them.

"Credit to them, they made it hard for us [in the FA Cup defeat]. No excuses, they scored their goal and we didn't take our chances. We know it's going to be a tough game, they're a strong physical team but we just have to play our normal game and hopefully that will be enough."

Whilst Baird categorically states that a top ten finish is the main objective, but he also remains aware of the situation below the Whites.

"It only takes a few of the teams down the bottom to get a few wins and it drags you right back amongst it," he warned. "I think we're nearly there but for us a top ten finish is our priority. A couple more wins would see us in that position so hopefully that will start against Bolton."

Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/April/BairdBoltonPreview.aspx?#ixzz1KjUTsHO0

[WhiteJC]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23944786-no-place-like-home-for-baird-as-he-eyes-survival.do?

No place like home for Baird as he eyes survival

Chris Baird believes Fulham can home in on Premier League survival tonight now that Craven Cottage has been transformed into something of a football fortress.

Fulham have not lost at home in the league since the Boxing Day humiliation inflicted by West Ham that left Mark Hughes's men mired in the relegation zone. Six subsequent league games at their ground have yielded 16 points from a possible 18.

Now Baird goes into tonight's clash against Bolton confident that achieving revenge for an FA Cup defeat against Owen Coyle's team will secure Fulham's place among the English elite for an 11th consecutive season.

Fulham are just five points above the relegation zone and Baird, vying with leading goalscorer Clint Dempsey to be his club's player-of-the-season award, said: "It takes only a few of those teams at the bottom of the table to get a couple of wins and it could drag you right back down again."

But the 50-cap Northern Ireland international, Fulham's 'Mr Versatile' after playing left-back, centre-half and in midfield before becoming the club's regular right-back, added: "We're nearly there. Bolton beat us at home in the FA Cup so we know to expect a tough, hard game against a strong, physical team.

"But I fancy us against anyone at home. On our patch we're hard to beat so I think we'll be comfortable and safe."

A win tonight will give Fulham 42 points, good enough for ninth place in the table. That will satisfy Baird, who said: "We can push on from there. To cement that top-10 finish is the aim for us. Given the injuries we've suffered, it would make for another fantastic season."

Baird has had to fight to establish himself at Fulham after joining the club from Southampton in the summer of 2007. The 29-year-old initially failed to win over the Fulham faithful after Lawrie Sanchez paid £3million to bring him from St Mary's to the Cottage.

Baird said: "I heard the abuse. It wasn't nice but that's part and parcel of football. If you're not doing it on the pitch then things are going to be said. Everybody knows it was a bad time for me, a frustrating time.

"I just kept my head down and got on with it. I have an inner belief. I know I'm a good player when I want to be. Everyone has to fight for their position but maybe I worked that extra bit harder and wanted it more. When I did get my chance I kept hold of it."

And how. Last season, the tireless Baird made 52 appearances for Fulham - only goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and Aaron Hughes played more - including a starring role in the sensational 4-1 win over Italian giants Juventus at Craven Cottage in the Europa League. He started that game in midfield but this season he has blossomed as a right-back. So much so that he has kept cult hero John Pantsil out of the side.

Baird said: "Centre-half is my favourite position but when I first came to the club I played right-back and I got torn to bits, I didn't have a clue what to do.

"Roy Hodgson and now Mark Hughes have worked on it with me and I feel that's now my position and I'm playing it well. From my perspective, it shows how far I've come."

Indeed, after enduring those first jeers, he now draws cheers and extravagant chants of "Bairdinho".

"That's nice," said Baird, whose determined progress was rewarded last September with a three-year extension to his contract. "Things have changed for me as a player. I'm enjoying my football and I'm enjoying my time here, I'm loving it."

Bobby Zamora is set to return to Fulham's starting line-up tonight after being relegated to the substitutes' bench at Wolves on Saturday in order to protect a hip injury, while Damien Duff remains unavailable with an Achilles injury.

For Bolton, who have collected just one point from their last nine away league fixtures, Daniel Sturridge will have a late test on an ankle knock picked up in Saturday's 2-1 win over Arsenal during which the Chelsea loan player scored his seventh goal in nine games.

Tickets for tonight's clash at the Cottage, which kicks-off at 8pm, will be available on the gate, with junior (under-16) admission from £5. Full details at www.fulhamfc.com/tickets

[WhiteJC]

http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/04/danny-past-it/?

Danny past it?
by LYDIA on APRIL 27, 2011

I will admit that I have been critical of Danny Murphy this season. Sometimes I feel that he loses his temper and follows it up by making a silly tackle. I feel that he has been lucky to avoid a booking or even a sending off on some occasions! I also feel that we need to start finding a suitable midfielder like him for the future because we will surely only have him for a few more seasons.

However, I was reading up on an article on Skysports and found a very interesting stat-

Successful passes by midfielders (2010/11):

1. Danny Murphy (1642)
2. Michael Essien (1596)
4. Gareth Barry (1365)
5. Alex Song (1354)
6. Yaya Toure (1330)
8. Jack Wilshere (1279)
9. David Vaughan (1272)
10. John Obi Mikel (1247)

Our man Dan sits at the top of the list with 1642 successful passes in the Premier League, a fantastic amount. All the players who are always talked about including Gerard (although he has missed alot of the season), Fabargas, Scholes and Giggs aren't even mentioned in the top 10. This highlights way Murphy is so important to us. He maybe doesn't score all the time, but he can certainly find a pass. He plays other players in and he spreads the ball wide as well as passing the ball out of trouble when he sometimes allows himself to get surrounded. He also has the commitment to go and win the ball by getting the strong tackles in, although I do think that that is the one area he has to be careful with!

Every team needs a consistant passer like him the next player to come into his role will, undoubtedly, have huge shoes to fill! Lets hope they are up for the challenge.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.sport.co.uk/features/Football/1666/Mark_Hughes_Sparking_the_quiet_revolution.aspx

Mark Hughes: Sparking the quiet revolution

Mohamed Al-Fayed may have very questionable taste in sculpture, but there is no doubt he knows how to pick a manager for his beloved Fulham.

The appointment of Roy Hodgson in December 2007 saw Fulham complete a remarkable escape from relegation on the final day of the season. The following year he led Fulham to seventh in the Premier League and a place in the Europa League, which led to a remarkable run to the final, where they lost 2-1 in extra time to Atletico Madrid.

Hodgson's success led to his now infamous move to Liverpool last summer, but Al-Fayed did not take long to find his replacement. Mark Hughes stepped into the role with a pretty impressive act to try and follow.

Redemption

Hughes came to Fulham looking to rebuild his managerial reputation after enduring a difficult 18 months at Manchester City. The Abu Dhabi Group's takeover of the club shortly after Hughes' arrival suddenly ramped up the pressure, and led to the record signing of Robinho, reportedly without Hughes' permission.

A run of just two wins in eleven matches during the 2009-2010 campaign saw Hughes sacked and replaced by Roberto Mancini and Hughes had to wait until July before Fulham came knocking.

Reputation

Hughes has built up an impressive reputation for leading relatively small Premier League teams to success in the past, after guiding Blackburn to as high as seventh place during his time there, before City offered him the chance to further his career. And although things did not work out for him there, he has shown once again with Fulham that he is a competent, intelligent and solid leader.
Although Fulham currently lie 14th place in the table and just five points above the relegation zone, Hughes has continued the good work of Hodgson on a relatively small budget, just as he did at Rovers. His biggest outlay during the summer was £5million for striker Moussa Dembele. All other players to arrive under Hughes have joined on free transfers and loan deals. Dembele has impressed in between lengthy injury spells, whilst the likes of Steve Sidwell have added some steel to the Fulham midfield.
Continuity

Essentially though, Hughes' achievements have been accomplished with largely the same squad that Hodgson left behind. Mark Schwarzer has once again been a solid presence in goal and Brede Hangeland continues to be a rock at the heart of an underrated defence. Clint Dempsey's creativity coupled with more experienced heads like captain Danny Murphy combined with their high work rate and energy make them a tough team to play against.

The one area where Fulham have struggled this season is scoring goals. Last season's top scorer has been missing for most of the campaign with a broken leg, and is unlikely to be back to his very best until next season. Dembele has also been out for large periods, whilst Andy Johnson's fitness has been a major concern for some time now. This has been reflected in the fact Fulham have managed just 37 goals in 33 games this season, and is a key reason why their Premier League safety is not yet secured.

But overall, things do appear to be heading in the right direction. They've lost six less games (although the number of draws has gone up) so far although it is unlikely they will exceed last season's points total. But certainly Hughes does appear to have continued the good work of Hodgson.

Credit

It is likely that the success of Hodgson has raised expectations amongst supporters at Craven Cottage. Such European adventures do not come around for clubs of Fulham's size that often, and having had a taste of it, a season of mid-table mediocrity does not match a European final for glamour or prestige.

But then Fulham are one of the lowest spending teams in the Premier League, with Al-Fayed no longer pumping the same money into the club that he was in the previous decade. Therefore a mid-table finish considering their transfer outlay is about roughly where Fulham should be. Finishing seventh and reaching the Europa League Final was a massive overachievement.

Therefore it is clear that once again Hughes is doing another competent job at a Premier League club. Hughes the manager is very different to the tough, confrontational footballer that used to frighten defences to death. Although he is not afraid to show his emotions in the dugout, away from the field he comes across as a softly-spoken thoughtful character who clearly enjoys battling away in the trenches.

Although things did not work out at City, many would consider him to have been unlucky to be sacked with City still very much in contention for a Champions League place when Mancini replaced him. His judgement in the transfer market has to be questioned, but overall he now has to be regarded as a proven Premier League manager. There are many clubs in precarious positions who wish they had a manager of Hughes' ability.

One day, he may well land himself another shot at a big job (possibly at Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge?), but for now, the quiet man will continue to do what is required of him. And Fulham will be more than happy with that.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/johnson-theres-still-plenty-to-play-for-?

Johnson: There's still plenty to play for
Fulham – Andrew Johnson will keep on fighting until the end of the season

Fulham striker Andrew Johnson has urged his teammates not to rest on their laurels as they bid to stave off the threat of relegation from the Barclays Premier League.

Fresh from scoring his first goal since February to salvage a point for the Cottagers in their 1-1 draw at Wolves at the weekend, Johnson hopes to maintain momentum to ensure they retain their top-flight status.

"I don't think you can say you're safe at any point," said Johnson.

"It's so tight at the bottom of the table and there's still a lot to play for in these last five games."

Currently sitting 14th in the table with 39 points - five clear of the drop zone. Mark Hughes' side know that realistically, they are just one win away from securing survival.

But Johnson is taking nothing for granted, and he for one will continue to fight right until the very end of the season.

"Every year people talk about the 40-point mark, but it might be higher than that this year.

"Everyone keeps beating everyone else down at the bottom. It's the closest run-in I've ever been involved in.

"At the moment I don't think anyone is safe from tenth downwards," he concluded.

[WhiteJC]

http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2011/04/27/chance/?

Chance
Filed under: General — rich
This is a comment from Joe Posnanski's blog:

I think this is about two things: meaning and chance.

Meaning–People want sports to mean something. They want it to be about dedication, or about drive, or about a team overcoming obstacles. It's usually just about the player or the team that executes or gets lucky on a given day. But when there is a good guy and a bad guy, a redemption, a comeback–something–there is a story with meaning. People like to have meaning. Sports provides meaning and stories provide meaning. So people like for there to be stories in their sports (and sports in their stories).

Chance–people hate chance. They find it revolting and hard to comprehend. People like to eliminate the chance element in sports, even though it's so dominant. Why did Tiger miss that put? Probably a chance event–he misses lots of puts and this was one of them. People don't like to think that, so they create a story (popping up again) that explains the event in a way not depended upon chance, a way that has meaning. Who will win this upcoming game? Well, it's likely that chance will play a huge roll in it. (As an aside, that's why European soccer fans don't like playoffs–the team with the best record after 38 games is the best teams, playoffs are too often decided by change. That's also why the MLB regular season is so good–it a big enough sample to eliminate the chance element. If you'd in first after 162 games, you're the best team). But we don't like having change play such a big role, so we come up with narrative-centric keys to the game (stay committed to the run; be tougher on the line of scrimmage). People also, because they don't like change, confuse execution with results. Sometimes you can make a good decision–even a great decision–and still have the result go against you. That's why we fire coaches too often.

When people talk about sports, they don't want to talk about chance. They want to talk about stories. So we create stories to talk about.

Interesting. Chance plays a massive part in football.  While bad outcomes usually have some root in bad somethingorothers (e.g. England were poor at the World Cup... but had the Germany game gone to 2-2 as it should have, Germany would have been deprived the counter attacking opportunities they thrived on and England could well have won the game, resulting in stories about mental strength and English spirit in adversity which could have propelled us onwards. But didn't, because a clear goal was ruled out) the breaks of the ball do matter, football games do take on a life of their own.

I've done a lot of research on football's past recently, and it was reasonably common for teams to play twice in a short period of time (often twice in two days).  Once in the 50s, Fulham beat Wolves, then an amazing side.  A few days later Wolves beat Fulham 9-0.

How could this happen? Answer: that's football.  Weird things happen all the time and however much we might analyse it, there isn't always a reason, a problem or something to fix.  The trick is to think long-term, do the right things and allow this to even out over the season.  People got bent out of shape about the Wolves game and I found that surprising. We played really, really well, Schwarzer had very little to do, and Wolves scored out of nothing.  Play that game another 10 times and we'd have won 5-6 of them.  That's the key: do the right thing and let results take care of themselves.  I've seen enough from recent performances to believe that we're broadly on track.  No quantum leap improvement under Hughes, just the same team doing things a bit differently.  Which is fine for now.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.bwfc.co.uk/page/General/0,,1004~2347230,00.html?

Fulham Preview

Wanderers play their second game in four days when they travel to Craven Cottage to face Fulham for the second time this season.

Owen Coyle's men knocked Fulham out of the FA Cup earlier this season when Ivan Klasnic's goal proved decisive back in February.
Team News
The only fresh injury worry for Wanderers in on loan striker Daniel Sturridge who limped off during Sunday's win over Arsenal with an ankle injury. The 21-year-old is still expected to feature in some capacity at Craven Cottage.

Stuart Holden (knee), Sam Ricketts (Achilles) and Sean Davis (knee) are all still sidelined.

Philipe Senderos (Achilles) looks set to be the only definite absentee for Fulham. Damien Duff (Achilles), skipper Danny Murphy (dead leg) and Bobby Zamora (back strain) are all expected to play some part.
Facts & Figures
- Fulham have failed to score in their last three meetings with Bolton in all competitions.

- The last three Premier League meetings between Bolton and Fulham have ended as draws.

- Bolton have scored exactly one goal in seven of their nine Premier League away games against Fulham and none in the others.

- Ivan Klasnic has scored in his last two visits to Craven Cottage.



- Fulham have won 16 of a possible 18 points from their last six matches at home in the Premier League.

- Just one of Bolton's last 11 Premier League matches have ended in a draw.

- In these last nine Premier League away games, Bolton have netted just four times.

- Daniel Sturridge has scored seven goals in nine Premier League appearances for Owen Coyle's side.

- Fulham have conceded only one penalty in the Premier League this season; fewer than any other side.
All-Time Record
Fulham Wins   Draws   Bolton Wins
FA Cup   0   0   3
League   25   21   27
League Cup   0   2   2
Total   25   23   32
What They Say
Wanderers skipper Kevin Davies says his side will go down to the capital in high spirits following the weekend's result over Arsenal.

"We've been down there and beaten them in the cup already this season.

"They're really good at home and it will be a difficult game for us.

"But we played some great stuff against Arsenal and we go down there full of confidence.

"Hopefully we can finish the season undefeated and finish off what has been a good season."




Fulham striker Andrew Johnson told the Daily Mirror he doesn't believe his side are safe of the drop just yet.

"I don't think we can say we're safe yet.

"It's so tight down at the bottom, and there are still a lot of points to play for.

"Over the past few years, people have looked at the 40-point mark as the safety line, but it might be higher this year because everyone's beaten each other at the bottom.

"We have to get as many points as we can, and as quickly as we can, because nobody is safe from about 12th place downwards."
Man In The Middle


Anthony Taylor will oversee proceedings at Craven Cottage. The Manchester-based official has never been in charge of a Wanderers game and this season has so far shown 108 yellow and 11 reds in 29 games.
Listen Live
Wanderers fans who are unable to make the journey to Craven Cottage can tune into live exclusive commentary on Wanderers Player. They'll be all the pre-match build-up with the club's official commentator Phil Gittins from 7.30pm followed by interrupted coverage of the game.