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Friday Fulham Stuff (26.02.10)

Started by White Noise, February 25, 2010, 11:13:41 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

White Noise

Defensive Giant


Friday 26th February 2010



Fulham FC News


Brede Hangeland was one of the many heroes on Thursday evening as he put in a colossal display in defence, and scored the crucial goal, as Fulham progressed to the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League at the expense of reigning UEFA Cup holders Shakhtar Donetsk.

"It feels fantastic. It's a really, really great achievement for this club and I'm proud to be a part of it," he beamed after the historic aggregate victory.

"It proves how far we've come as a team since Roy Hodgson became Manager. We've beaten one of the top teams in Europe and we've achieved that by trusting in the way we play and working hard.

"It's been a fantastic team effort so we're really proud of ourselves."

After a successful first leg a week earlier, the Whites travelled to Donetsk with a 2-1 lead, but with the hosts' imperious home record and their characteristic attacking outlook, Brede and his team-mates knew that they would have to fight to prevent their hosts from scoring the single goal that would send them through on the away goals rule.

However, after an initial Shakhtar onslaught, Hangeland gave his team-mates some vital breathing space when he nodded a crossed Damien Duff free-kick from the left past Pyatov, grabbing an away goal of our own and clinching a two-goal lead in the tie.

"We knew we had a good chance from set pieces because when you're a team of tricky Brazilians, you can't be big giants at the same time!" He said of his well-timed strike.

"When I looked at my marker I thought, "If the ball comes in at the right angle I have a good chance." We'd said to Duffer to be sure to put all the crosses into the box instead of playing them short and he did that, so as it came in all I had to do was flick it into the corner.

"It turned out to be a very important goal, but I'm not too bothered about who scores the goals as long as we get the result we need.

"If we're honest, it was against the run of play. It felt like we were defending for 90 minutes today, but having said that, we did that well and restricted them to long shots, which Mark did really well to save.

However, Shakhtar's incessant pressure did bring a goal with just over 20 minutes remaining, as Jadson slotted in a low shot after a typically stylish attacking sweep, setting up a tense and dramatic finale as the Ukrainian side threw everything forward.

Skipper Danny Murphy's dismissal heaped further pressure on Roy Hodgson's charges, but they held on firmly to their aggregate advantage, eventually seeing the game out.

"Normally you have a glance at the stadium clock every now and then, but there wasn't a chance for that, it was really hectic," reflected Hangeland.

"I remember speaking to Hughesy with about five minutes to go and agreeing that if we managed to get through it, it would be a really big achievement.

"But we all knew what was ahead of us if we managed to hold on, and we kept focused to do that. So when they finally blew the final whistle it was a good feeling."

The result that will surely go down as one of the greatest in the history of Fulham Football Club secured progression to the Quarter-Finals of the UEFA Europa League, setting up another great European occasion against Italian giants Juventus.

"It's certainly great to be a part of nights like this," concluded Brede. "Who would have thought this would be possible with this club a while back?

"But it just proves that with hard work and a group of players and coaching staff pulling in the same direction, you can achieve things like this. Now we look forward to playing Juventus at the Cottage, as I'm sure the fans do too."


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/bredeshakhtarreaction.aspx#ixzz0gcgOdzrs


White Noise

Fulham v Juventus

UEFA Europa League

Thursday 18 March


Kick-Off TBC

On-sale dates
Season Ticket Holders 9am 26 Feb (six tickets) (seats held until 9am 2 Mar)
Fulham Club Members 1 Mar (six tickets)
General Sale  3 Mar (six tickets) 
How to Buy Tickets
buy tickets online  - 7 days a week, 24 hrs a day. Save on booking fees by booking online*
by phone on 0870 442 1234 (option 1) - 7 days a week, 24 hrs a day
in person from the Ticket Office: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; non-match day Sat 10am-12pm
by fax 0207 384 4810 (download printable form )
by postal application to FFC Ticket Office, Stevenage Road, Fulham, SW6 6HH enclosing a stamped addressed envelope (download printable form )
Seatwave - the official fan-to-fan ticket exchange
Thomas Cook - match breaks for all Fulham FC home games
* Lower booking fees compared to telephone booking

Prices

Stadium Areas  Adults  Conc  Juniors 
Riverside & Haynes (excludes A/AL)  £40  £25  £20 
Hammersmith & Putney & Haynes A&AL (family area)*  £30  £20  £15 


*Family Area of A & AL to be sold from FFC Ticket Office only.


Junior - under 16
Consessions: Young Person - under 21
Concessions: Senior - over 65
 

Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Tickets/Games/EuropaLast16Home.aspx#ixzz0gcgxMLNI


White Noise

Shakhtar 1 - 1 Fulham

It was another remarkable night of European football for Fulham in the Ukraine on Thursday, with the Whites defeating the UEFA Cup holders, Shakhtar Donetsk, 3-2 on aggregate. A 1-1 draw at the Donbass Arena was enough to see the Whites through to the final 16.

Fulham, in their all-white kit, got Thursday evening's UEFA Europa League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk underway, in front of a sea of orange and black inside the stunning Donbass Arena.

With Fulham holding a 2-1 advantage over the current UEFA Cup holders, Shakhtar went on the offensive from the first whistle.

Luiz Adriano fired in the first shot of the game inside the first minute of play; his 25 yard effort falling safely into Mark Schwarzer's arms.

Just two minutes later the striker fired in a scintillating shot from distance, forcing Schwarzer to produce a superb fingertip save to keep Fulham's lead intact.

For all of Shakhtar's possession and attacking intent during the opening exchanges, Roy Hodgson's team kept their composure with some well organised defensive play.

After 10 minutes Jadson latched onto a cross from the right in a central position 12 yards from goal. The home crowd were off their feet, sensing a finish, but Jadson fluffed his shot.

The deafening noise inside the Donbass Arena went up a few notches when Fernandinho smashed a thirty-yard effort in on goal. It was a fierce drive but once again, Schwarzer was on hand to produce a stunning fingertip save.

The Whites were certainly camped in their own half during the first half but Fulham's two banks of four were keeping the tide at bay. If Fulham were to increase their advantage it would be on the counter but every effort was needed to protect their advantage.

As the half hour mark approached Shakhtar turned the pressure up, winning several corners off long-range strikes. Fortunately Schwarzer was once again producing another world-class performance in goal.

To their credit Fulham remained resolute and some of Brede Hangeland's last-ditch tackling was inspired. The towering Norwegian was taking no prisoners on Thursday night, as Ilsinho discovered in a tussle on the by-line after 30 minutes of play.

Fulham's 'catch them on the counter' tactic worked an absolute treat after 32 minutes play when Brede Hangeland sent the Donbass Arena into complete silence when he headed Damien Duff's corner into the Shakhtar net.

Hangeland rose above Shakhtar's defence to head into the corner of the net from 8 yards out. It was a stunning moment, which left Shakhtar shaken. Fulham's tails were up with a 3-1 advantage and after defending for near on half an hour the balance of play literally switched halves. Roy Hodgson's Team were attacking at will as half-time approached.

Hangeland's goal certainly took the sting out of Shakhtar's offensive play and the remainder of the first-half was played out in relative comfort for Fulham.

Shakhtar came out early for the second half with Fulham retaining the same eleven for the second period.
The home side, looking to recover a two-goal deficit, attacked from the flanks but Roy Hodgson's side never looked troubled during the early stages of the second half.

Hangeland underlined his defensive strength after 47 minutes when Fernandinho smashed into a fifty-fifty challenge with the Norwegian powerhouse 20 yards from goal. Hangeland didn't move an inch from the full-blooded challenge, remaining rooted to the ground.

After 52 minutes play Willian limped from the field of play, replaced by Douglas Costa. It wasn't until the 62nd minute until Costa earned his first sight of goal but his long range effort sailed harmlessly over Schwarzer's bar.

For Fulham, Bobby Zamora was working tirelessly in attack, hunting down any stray balls and harrying Shakhtar's defence - the big man provided a crucial outlet on Thursday night.

The Donbass Arena erupted after 68 minutes when Jadson stroked the ball home from close range after latching onto Costa's cross from the right. The aggregate was now 3-2 in Fulham's favour.

If Fulham were to reach the last 16 they would have to ride out 20 minutes of unabated pressure. Roy Hodgson made his first change of the game immediately after Shakhtar's equaliser, replacing Bobby Zamora with David Elm.

The home side attacked in waves and utter composure was required on and off the ball inside the cauldron that was the Donbass Arena. It was nerve-wracking stuff for Fulham's supporters in the top tier but the players were producing a sterling and stubborn defensive performance to keep Shakhtar at bay.

Ten minutes from time Rat went within a whisker of bringing the game level with a fierce left footed drive from 30 yards out down the left channel. The home crowd thought it was a cert but much to Fulham's relief the ball rebounded off the advertising board behind Schwarzer's goal.

Fernandinho was appealing for a penalty after 84 minutes following a rebound off Hughes in the area but the Referee was not impressed. Some relief came four minutes from time as Fulham entered into an extended spell of possession.

Roy Hodgson then introduced Bjorn Helge Riise for Simon Davies with barely a minute of normal time remaining. As the Fourth Official indicated one minute of added time Zoltan Gera was handed a glorious chance to put the contest beyond doubt. Racing through for a on-on-one Gera sent his shot agonisingly wide of goal.

Fulham rode out the storm and a final flourish wasn't required as a 1-1 draw was enough to see Roy Hodgson's Team through to the final 16 of the UEFA Europa League. It was another memorable night of European football for the Club and the Europan adventure continues. The only sore point on a otherwise stunning night was a red card for captain Danny Murphy in the final seconds of the contest at the Donbass Arena.

Roy's Reaction
Roy Hodgson credits his Team following a "marvellous performance" in Donetsk on Thursday night.

A delighted Roy Hodgson spoke of his pride at seeing his Team knock out the UEFA Cup holders on Thursday night after Fulham recorded a 3-2 aggregate win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Donbass Arena.

"It means a lot to me," said Hodgson of Thursday night's victory. "The performance will live long in the memory because we've done it with a Team, if you look at our squad on paper, that is missing maybe three, four or possibly five players who we believe can strengthen us. It's great credit to the players that have come into the Team.

"The game was as tough as we expected it to be. They're a very talented team and we knew they'd take the game to us and we'd be under pressure.

"I think it was a marvellous performance from the players to score the goal and keep them at bay and hold them out in the closing stages. It's one of those nights that every Fulham fan can be extremely proud of."
The only blemish on an otherwise memorable night in Donetsk was a red card for captain Danny Murphy and a possible injury to striker Bobby Zamora

"It was an expensive night again with Bobby Zamora suffering with his Achilles and Danny Murphy sent off, " Hodgson explained. "It's one of those evenings that will be expensive in the future.

"Bobby felt his Achilles in the second half. The pitch was very hard and that doesn't help. We can only hope that it's not too serious but I would have my doubts for this weekend's game against Sunderland."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/MatchAndTeam/MatchCentre/Matches/0910/EuropaLeague/ShakhtarDonetskAway.aspx#ixzz0gchIshCO

White Noise

Fulham's Danny Murphy admits he made a "silly" mistake as he was sent off on an historic night for Fulham as they progressed to the quarter-finals of the Europa League after beating Uefa Cup holders Shakhtar Donetsk 3-2 on aggregate.


BBC Sport - Football - Murphy disappointed with himself after seeing red

White Noise

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/sam-wallace-a-wimp-no-a-man-who-has-suffered-all-that-he-can-bear-1911121.html

Desperation point? England's left-back options


Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa)

Age 28

Caps 1

Best club honour European Super Cup Winner 2005, with Liverpool.

Shares the shortest England playing career of eight minutes.

Leighton Baines (Everton)

Age 25

Caps 0

Best club honour FA Cup runner-up 2009

Reknowned for his impressive dead-ball skills, has twice made the squad.

Nicky Shorey (Fulham, on loan from Aston Villa)

Age 29 Caps 2

Best club honour Championship 2006

In Fabio Capello's first England squad, recently loaned to Nottingham Forest.

Paul Konchesky (Fulham)

Age 28

Caps 2

Best club honour FA Cup runner-up 2006

Injured and last played for England in 2005. Never been in a Capello squad.


White Noise

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8750_5980443,00.html

Sunderland

13 games without a win now. Arsenal away last weekend was perhaps not realistically winnable. Fulham at home this weekend most certainly is. Remember, this is a Fulham side who have not won away since the opening weekend of the season. Anything but victory is surely not an option.

White Noise

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_5982146,00.html

BLACK CATS BEHIND BRUCE - BENT

Posted 26/02/10 08:35



Sunderland star Darren Bent insists the whole squad remains behind under-fire manager Steve Bruce.


Bruce's position at the Stadium of Light has come under the microscope in recent weeks after a disastrous run of form in the Premier League.


After a promising start to the campaign, Sunderland have now gone 13 games without a win to leave them nervously looking over their shoulders at the relegation scrap at the wrong end of the table.


However, Bent insists Bruce is the right man to turn things around on Wearside.


"All the players are behind the manager 100 per cent," said Bent.


"We know he's the man to take us forward. We'd all like to be further up the league, but it shouldn't be forgotten that it's still early days for him and his team.


"At every club, the manager is the one who gets the stick, but it's the players who have to perform on the pitch."


Bent has also pledged his long-term future to Sunderland, saying he is enjoying life in the North East following his arrival from Tottenham last summer.


"I feel like an honorary Mackem," added Bent. "I feel like I've got into the spirit of the Sunderland way.


"I knew before I came here that this was a massive club and nothing I've seen has dented that.


"Every time I train, every time I go out on to the pitch, I want to grasp it, to show that I'm worthy of playing for a big club like Sunderland ."

White Noise

http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/nufc-results-reports/2010/02/26/fa-youth-cup-newcastle-4-crystal-palace-2-61634-25918173/


Newcastle U-18s 4 Crystal Palace U-18s 2


Feb 26 2010 by Lee Ryder, The Journal


FA Youth Cup

NOT since the days of a youthful Paul Gascoigne have Newcastle United lifted the FA Youth Cup.

Well, as the Fog on the Tyne swirled into St James' Park last night the dreams of a new generation of young Geordies to emulate Gazza and the class of '85 remained in tact.

United now find themselves into the semi-finals of the competition and face a two-legged crack against Fulham or Aston Villa.


White Noise

http://www.bettingpress.com/category/Football/Liverpool-FC-are-now-9-2-favourites-to-win-the-Europa-League-201002260026/

Liverpool FC are now 9/2 favourites to win the Europa League


Betting Press Staff - 26 Feb 2010


Liverpool FC have been made 9/2 favourites to win the Europa League with Skybet after their 3-1 win over Unirea Urziceni booked their place in the last 16.

The Reds avoided potential embarrassment in Romania as they came from behind after Bruno Fernandes' header gave Unirea Urziceni the lead.

Goals from Javier Mascherano and Ryan Babel turned things around before the interval and Steven Gerrard's 33rd European goal wrapped up a 4-1 aggregate success for Rafael Benitez's men.

They face French side Lille (25/1) next and while city rivals Everton crashed out, Fulham made it two English teams through by beating the 2009 UEFA Cup winners Shakhtar Donetsk on aggregate.

Things do not get easier for Roy Hodgson's men, though, and they face Italian giants Juventus next, the Serie A side 6/1 second favourites with Skybet outright while Fulham are 20/1 shots.

Along with Liverpool and Juve, Valencia, Hamburg and Benfica are available at single-figure prices with Skybet.

White Noise

 
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=285556&cc=5739


Shakhtar Donetsk 1 - 1 Fulham

2ND LEG: 2 - 3 (Agg)

Cottagers seal shock passage


Updated: February 25, 2010, 8:09 AM UK

Brede Hangeland was the hero on a European glory night for Fulham as they stunned Shakhtar Donetsk to reach the last 16 of the Europa League.

The defender, along with goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, kept out almost everything the Ukrainians threw at them at the vast Donbass Arena.

Hangeland popped up with Fulham's goal - with their first attack of the night - to set up a stunning success for Roy Hodgson's men.

During their visit to England Shakhtar's players were barred from Harrods, owned by Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed, and the Londoners knew that if they could shut up shop again they would be going through.

They managed to do just that, under immense pressure and in front of a vociferous home crowd, for 69 minutes until Jadson fired Shakhtar level.

But Fulham held out for the final, nerve-jangling last 20 minutes to knock out the 2009 UEFA Cup winners and make the last 16 of the revamped competition for the first time in their history.

Only a stoppage-time red card for Danny Murphy, which will rule him out of their next match, marred a memorable evening in Donetsk.

Shakhtar, who had Luiz Adriano's away goal to show for their efforts in the first leg at Craven Cottage, were quickly into their stride with their five-strong Brazilian contingent looking sharp.

In the first minute Adriano fired in a low shot which was comfortably dealt with by Schwarzer.

The Fulham goalkeeper was called into more serious action when he tipped a long-range effort from Willian over the crossbar with just three minutes gone.

Adriano should have done better with an attempted curler moments later before, with the visitors retreating deeper and deeper, Schwarzer kept his side on level terms with a superb diving one-handed save to deny Fernandinho.

Fulham's overworked keeper then had to block another low Willian drive midway through the first half.

It was all hands to the pump in the Fulham area with striker Bobby Zamora hacking a dangerous low centre clear before Schwarzer scrambled Yaroslav Rakitsky's 30-yarder round a post.

But having stood up to the barrage, incredibly it was Fulham who took the lead with their first attack of the night.

After 33 minutes Zamora won a free-kick down the right, Damien Duff floated in the cross and Hangeland's glancing header beat the motionless Shakhtar goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov.

It cancelled out Adriano's strike seven days earlier, to the delight of 350 hardy travelling fans, and meant Shakhtar needed to score twice to stay in the tie.

The hosts were straight back on the attack after the break and Adriano headed captain Darijo Srna's cross into the arms of Schwarzer.

But although Shakhtar continued to dominate Hangeland was imperious at the back, cutting out a driven centre from Razvan Rat with an immaculate first touch and getting his head onto just about everything else thrown at him.

With frustration growing in the home ranks, substitute Douglas blazed an ambitious 25-yarder high over Schwarzer's crossbar.

The Cottagers had a chance to kill off the tie when a rare counter-attack saw Zamora break clear down the right but his square cross, towards an unmarked Zoltan Gera, was cut out by defender Olexander Kucher.

And the moment Fulham feared came in the 69th minute when Douglas reached the byline and pulled the ball back for Jadson to sweep past Schwarzer to level the match on the night.

Fulham hearts were in their mouths with 10 minutes to go when a vicious curler from defender Rakitsky thundered into the side-netting.

Then Douglas' shot was deflected wide off Murphy with Shakhtar screaming for handball.

Gera passed up another chance to put Fulham clear when he scuffed wide in the final minute, before Murphy was shown a red card for kicking out at Srna moments before the final whistle.

Roy Hodgson saluted a historic night for Fulham after Brede Hangeland's goal sent them into the last 16 of the Europa League.

Hodgson said: "It has been a wonderful night for the club. Shakhtar showed what a good team they are. Their ability to pass and keep the ball is as good as I've seen in my 35-year career.

"I don't like to compare nights, but it's yet another marvellous night along the way and great credit to the team. I really enjoyed the night and the performance but I still hope there'll be some more good nights to come. I'll wait until I retire to discuss which were the great moments and which were the lesser moments.''

But they survived the final nerve-jangling 20 minutes and the stoppage-time dismissal of Danny Murphy, for kicking out at Darijo Srna, to see out a stunning success.

"The only thing that marred the evening was the sending-off of Danny Murphy, who had a very good game and will now miss the next game,'' added Hodgson, who also apologised for his touchline rant after a foul by Douglas on Duff.

"I thought it was a bad foul on Damien Duff and I was angry he fouled him in that way, but if ever you let your emotions get the better of you it's not good and inexcusable and I made my excuses to the referee.

"Sometimes things happen to make the red mist fall, but I'm thankful no further damage has been done.''

White Noise

http://blogs.soccernet.com/fulham/archives/2010/02/down_goes_shakhtar_down_goes_s.php


Down Goes Shakhtar!! Down Goes Shakhtar!!

Posted by Tom Wille 14 hours, 55 minutes ago


Fulham has knocked out the defending UEFA Cup champions on Thursday with a nailbiting 1-1 draw in Donetsk. It was not pretty and there were some nervy moments throughout the match, but Roy Hodgson's side continue to defy the odds in what was a tie most experts thought would be won by Shakhtar.


With Fulham holding a 2-1 lead heading into Thursday's affair, it was important for the Cottagers to start well. Unfortunately, it was the Ukrainian side that was getting most all of the possession and in turn the shots on goal in the opening 30 minutes. The ball was in the Shakhtar end almost exclusively and it seemed as that it was not a matter of if, but when Orange and Black attack from Ukraine would score the match's opening goal.

That opening goal came.....but it was Fulham that did the scoring. Brede Hangeland headed home a free kick in the 34th minute to give the Cottagers a shocking early lead and a 3-1 aggregate lead in the tie. It was a goal that was completely against the run of play and one in which I did not see coming from a million miles away.

Truth be told, my belief heading into the match was that if Fulham was going to advance they would need to hold Shakhtar scoreless. I never in my wildest dreams thought Fulham would go to the Ukraine and score in Donetsk. Fortunately, I was wrong.

While Fulham held the 3-1 aggregate lead at halftime, Shakhtar continued to pile the pressure on the Cottagers throughout the second half. The Orange and Black won corner after corner only to either take a short corner or do nothing with the longer corner kicks.

It is not as though Shakhtar did not have shots on goal Thursday. It was more a matter of Mark Schwarzer being on top of his game and thwarting almost every single advance on his goal.

Things got even more interesting with 20 minutes to play as Rodrigues Jadson scored for Shakhtar to make it 3-2 Fulham on aggregate. The goal was well deserved and honestly, it was a long time in the making.

After the goal, Shakhtar looked as though they might add another and send the match to extra time. However, the defense hunkered down and Schwarzer continued his masterful play to keep the hosts from scoring another.

In stoppage time things go a bit chippy as Damien Duff was basically punched on the side of the head and thrown down by two Shakhtar players with no whistle from the referee. Then with less than a minute to play, Danny Murphy was given a straight red card for what the referee said to be a trip on Dario Srna in the Fulham end as Murphy was trying to keep the ball in the corner and waste time. That red card means Murphy will mess the next round against either Juventus or Ajax. That is disappointing to say the least as a straight red card was very harsh.

The magical ride of Fulham Football Club continued today. This win over Shakhtar will go down as one of the biggest, if not the biggest win in the club's long history. Few believed this team would get past the group stage of the tourney, let alone knocking out the defending champions. But that is exactly what this team did on Thursday.

Up next in the Europa League will be Ajax or Juventus. While both of those clubs have a lot of history in European competitions and are clearly bigger clubs than Fulham, I do not doubt the Cottager's chances of advancing to the quarterfinals of the Europa League.

It is a glorious day for Fulham supporters everywhere. The Danny Murphy red card is disappointing and will play a factor in the next round, but the win overshadows that in what will be a day many Fulham supporters will cherish and remember for a long, long time.

Where does this win rank for you in the club's history? What are Fulham's chances in the next round against Juve or Ajax? What did you think of Fulham's gameplan against Shakhtar? Was the Murphy red card harsh? Let's read what you have to say.



White Noise

http://hammyend.com/?p=5655

Good old Rufus

by Dan on February 25, 2010

Via Jacqui Oatley:

Rufus Brevett got so excited about his old club Fulham scoring that he jumped up and knocked out the BBC London commentary line!

Get in there, Ruuuuuufuuuuuuuus!

White Noise

http://fulham.theoffside.com/team-news/fulham-dig-deep-shock-shaktar.html

Fulham dig deep, shock Shaktar

By: timmyg | February 25th, 2010

There was something vaguely Italian about today's match. Or Greek?

It was anonymous yet defensive; nervy but at times boring. Shaktar dominated possession, shots (19 to 4), and corners (17 to 0), but found Fulham difficult to ultimately break down. Fulham's first shot on target was from a set piece, as Brede Hangeland took Henry Rollins' advice to "Rise Above" and nodded the ball into the corner net.

Goal scored. Mission (sort of) Accomplished.

Come the second half Fulham dropped 9 (sometimes 10) men behind the ball but held their lines. Shaktar passed around and around, and shot and shot but fluffed their chances or fired over and away from the goal. Rodrigues Jadson found space and fired in a ball — a tidy goal — setting up a nervous last 20 minutes. But no mass offensive, no Picketts Charge, really materialized. Fulham held on to the 1-1 draw, prevailing 3-2 on aggregate.

But will Danny Murphy's sending off become a Pyrrhic victory? Unless the straight red is rescinded Murphy could miss anywhere from one to three matches. Considering all the injuries, losing a player to suspension of any sort compounds Fulham's worries. When it is our talismanic captain, the impact is immesurable.

But hey I don't mean to be negative. FULHAM JUST KNOCKED OFF THE CUP HOLDERS! WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Oh, and he's probably locked up to some long term, lucrative deal, but watch out for Ilsinho in the years to come. He was absolute quality.

White Noise

http://hammyend.com/?p=5661

Listen to Roy's press conference

by Dan on February 25, 2010

Hear the Fulham manager speak after the win over Shakhtar Donetsk. Audio from the Shakhtar website.

http://shakhtar.com/ru/news/12311


White Noise

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/160506/Fulham-knock-out-holders-Shakhtar-Donetsk


FULHAM KNOCK OUT HOLDERS SHAKHTAR DONETSK 

Friday February 26,2010


By Frank Wiechula 

FULHAM'S fantastic European adventure lives on after they achieved one of their best results to knock out reigning Europa League holders Shakhtar Donetsk in an exhilarating encounter.

The campaign began last July in the homespun setting of Lithuanian side Vetra and now continues against the cream of the Continent in the shape of Juventus, as Fulham made club history to reach the last 16 thanks to Brede Hangeland's goal against Shakhtar Donetsk.

But how Fulham rode their luck and stretched the nerves of their fans as they somehow initially weathered an incredible Shakhtar storm, took the lead and control – and then hung on frantically at the finish with skipper Danny Murphy sent off for a straight red in stoppage-time.

The result will go down in west London folklore, an unforgettable occasion for the Fulham diehards fortunate enough to witness it – a roller-coaster ride in which even the usually cool manager Roy Hodgson lost his rag near the end after Damien Duff was chopped by Ilsinho.

Hodgson ran to the edge of the pitch and had to be restrained by the fourth official such was his anger although, like the true gentleman he is, he apologised later.

Hodgson said: "It was a bad foul on Damien and I was angry. But if ever you let your emotions get the better of you it's not good and inexcusable. And I've made my excuses to the referee.

"Sometimes things happen to make the red mist fall but I'm thankful no further damage has been done. I don't like to compare nights but it's yet another marvellous night along the way and great credit to the team.

"I enjoyed the performance but I still hope there will be some more good nights to come. 

"I'll wait until I retire to discuss which were the great moments and which were the lesser moments.

"It's a fantastic atmosphere here and it must be a marvellous place to play regularly. I see why Shakhtar have done so well; when you play here you realise why.

"Shakhtar showed what a good team they are – their ability to pass and keep the ball is as good as I've seen in my 35-year career.

"Most of the testing came from long shots, which is a credit to us. The only thing that marred the evening was the sending-off of Murphy, who had a very good game and will now miss the next one." Murphy, who kicked out at Darijo Srna as tiredness crept in, was a giant, alongside goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, Hangeland and lone striker Bobby Zamora.

Schwarzer brilliantly tipped over a long-range, third-minute thunderbolt from Willian.

Shakhtar, roared on by a passionate, partisan crowd in the marvellous 51,000-seater, space-age Donbass Arena, spurned a fantastic 11th-minute opportunity when Rodrigues Jadson shot weakly wide. Schwarzer kept out a regulation low shot from Adriano and then had another memorable one-handed stop after 14 minutes, denying a viciously struck, angled effort from Fernandinho.

Once again Fulham were indebted to Schwarzer's alertness as he held on to a low shot from Willian after 21 minutes.

Willian badly screwed an effort wide before Schwarzer made another fine save from Yaroslav Rakitskiy's long-range attempt after 27 minutes. Then, as so often happens, the team on the receiving end broke away to score against the run of play.

Zamora won a free-kick on the right, Duff curled in an inviting, inswinging cross and there was Hangeland, on the edge of the six-yard box, to flick his header low into the far corner, leaving goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov powerless.

It was only the third goal Norwegian Hangeland had scored in 95 Fulham appearances, but his second in Europe this season – and such an utterly priceless one.

Still Fulham had to be wary and Schwarzer was almost caught out by Rakitskiy's 69th-minute effort.

Moments later, Shakhtar did finally break through Fulham's indomitable rearguard to set up a grandstand finish, level on the night and one behind overall.

Substitute Douglas Costa de Souza got clear past left-back Stephen Kelly on the byline, cut it back and Jadson drilled home from six yards to send the crowd wild.

In the 90th minute, Fulham's Zoltan Gera broke away and had a golden chance to make the game safe but shot wide, ensuring an even nervier final four minutes of stoppage-time which included Schwarzer making a save from Rakitskiy.

Murphy's sending-off added to the tension but Fulham held on and deservedly so.

SHAKHTAR DONETSK (4-2-3-1): Pyatov; Srna, Kucher, Rakitskiy, Rat; Hubschman (Kravchenko 46), Fernandinho; Ilsinho, Jadson, Willian (Costa 54); Adriano (Gladkiy 76). Booked: Ilsinho. Goal: Jadson 70.

FULHAM (4-4-1-1): Schwarzer; Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Kelly; Duff, Etuhu, Murphy, Davies (Riise 89); Gera; Zamora (Elm 72). Booked: Gera.Sent off: Murphy 90. Goal: Hangeland 33.

Referee: S Moen (Norway).

SHAKHTAR 1 FULHAM 1

(Fulham win 3-2 on agg)

White Noise

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The case for the defence

by Dan on February 26, 2010

Last night showed just how far Fulham have come under Roy Hodgson. The European run has been a terrific experience for the club and the fans but our beloved side have stood on the brink of something special many times before, albeit often at a much lower level than where we find ourselves now. Only those have proven to be false dawns. Too often when it came to the crunch, Fulham would fail to play, slip at the final hurdle or make a silly mistake.

Not last night. Not in Shakhtar. Not, in truth, too often under Hodgson. He deserves great credit for taking an almost ludicrously leaky defence and reshaping it to such an extent that it is now miserly. Much has been made of Hodgson's Italian influences. The manner in which the coach organises his sides and sides them up away from home has all the marks of an Italian coach, whose first priority is, in the words of a writer at Corriere dello Sport many moons ago, to 'protect the nil after the opponent's name'. Such organisation requires discipline in the midfield, especially the two central midfielders in a regular 4-4-2 (or – as we've seen more recently in the 4-4-1-1), but also demands a strong work ethic from the wide players.

Hodgson's tactics were spot on last night. Fulham defended excellently from the front. He noted just how well Zoltan Gera stuck to Barry Ferguson on Sunday and the Hungarian was more than willing to drop back into midfield to supplement the four behind him when Shakhtar had the ball. Bobby Zamora would frequently drop off as deep as the halfway to make it difficult for the home side to play their way through Fulham, even with their ridiculously precise and successful passing.

More than that, there was something subtle about the little tweaks to Hodgson's formation. Fulham have always been narrow in midfield since Hodgson came to the helm, but the 'wide' players probably couldn't even be given that moniker last night. Davies and Duff have immense ability with the ball at their feet and can turn a game in an instant (as the Irishman demonstrated with an inch-perfect cross for the Fulham goal) but their value tonight was in stopping Shakhtar's raiding forwards from gaining too much joy, especially when the Ukrianians tried to switch the ball quickly.

The midfielders also had a responsibility to get back and shut down the space in the full back positions. That was because Fulham's back four were so close together at times you could have thrown some playing cards over them and covered the defensive line easily. This was obviously a reaction to how Shakhtar played in the pockets of space between the centre backs and the gaps between centre half and full back. It largely worked – although Shakhtar had a lot of the ball they didn't gallop through any holes. Roy also referred, in the post-match press conference, to the fact that Shakhtar played largely 'in front of us' – a welcome development after the way Ilsinho floated a ball behind a square defence for the equaliser at the Cottage.

Hangeland was immense at the back but we expect that. It was reassuring to see him back to his best after an iffy January with injuries and some sub-par performances. Aaron Hughes was outstanding, full of confident last-ditch tackles and important blocks, especially as the crosses came flying in during the second period.

But I'd like to finish with a word about our fabulous full-backs. It's easy to forget that neither Chris Baird nor Stephen Kelly were playing in their rightful positions last night. I'd quibble with the ITV assertion that 'Baird is a midfielder by trade,' however well he's done when forced into that role this season. It would have been tempting prior to Christmas to say he wasn't a right back either, but the newly confident Northern Ireland international is revelling in proving the doubters wrong. Plenty of people questioned his ability during a nightmare start at the Cottage, but nobody can doubt his quite brilliant character to put all that behind him and be playing probably the best football of his career right now.

Many observers were worried about Kelly being the weak link in the second leg and rued the absence of both Paul Konchesky and Nicky Shorey. The on-loan Aston Villa left back has made a real difference since he's come in on loan but this was a strong performance from Kelly, who certainly didn't let anybody down. I'd go further than that still. It was a confident display, full of determination and his distribution was pretty progressive throughout. Anyone who blames Kelly for the goal, when he gets beaten by an electric turn of pace and a sumptuous bit of skill from the Brazilian Douglas Costa, is being unduly harsh. It could be the night Kelly came of age.

Let's face it: with Roy Hodgson's Fulham, the sky's the limit.

White Noise

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/fulham/7322058/Shakhtar-Donetsk-v-Fulham-Europa-League-win-wonderful-night-says-Roy-Hodgson.html

Shakhtar Donetsk v Fulham: Europa League win 'wonderful night', says Roy Hodgson


Roy Hodgson saluted a historic night for Fulham after Brede Hangeland's goal sent them into the last 16 of the Europa League.

Published: 7:58AM GMT 26 Feb 2010


Shakhtar, the 2009 Uefa Cup winners, were sent spinning out as Fulham's European adventure took them further than they have been in their history in the revamped competition.

Roy Hodgson said: "It has been a wonderful night for the club.

"Shakhtar showed what a good team they are. Their ability to pass and keep the ball is as good as I've seen in my 35-year career.

"I don't like to compare nights, but it's yet another marvellous night along the way and great credit to the team.

"I really enjoyed the night and the performance but I still hope there'll be some more good nights to come.

"I'll wait until I retire to discuss which were the great moments and which were the lesser moments."

During their visit to England, Shakhtar's players were barred from Harrods, owned by Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed, and the Londoners knew that if they could shut up shop again they would be going through.

In a frantic opening half an hour they did just that, with goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer pulling off a string of superb saves to deny Brazilian attackers Adriano, Willian and Fernandinho.

And having stood up to the barrage, incredibly it was Fulham who took the lead with their first attack of the night.

Bobby Zamora won a free-kick down the right, Damien Duff floated in the cross and Hangeland's glancing header beat the motionless Shakhtar keeper Andriy Pyatov.

The moment Fulham feared came in the 69th minute when substitute Douglas reached the byline and pulled the ball back for Jadson to sweep past Schwarzer to level the match on the night.

But they survived the final nerve-jangling 20 minutes and the stoppage-time dismissal of Danny Murphy, for kicking out at Darijo Srna, to see out a stunning success.

"The only thing that marred the evening was the sending-off of Danny Murphy, who had a very good game and will now miss the next game," added Hodgson, who also apologised for his touchline rant after a foul on Duff.

"I thought it was a bad foul on Damien Duff and I was angry he fouled him in that way, but if ever you let your emotions get the better of you it's not good and inexcusable and I made my excuses to the referee.

"Sometimes things happen to make the red mist fall, but I'm thankful no further damage has been done."

Hodgson also saw Zamora limp off with an Achilles injury and rated the striker doubtful for Sunday's trip to Sunderland.

Last-16 draw

Juventus v Fulham
Atlético Madrid v Sporting Lisbon
Valencia v W Bremen
Hamburg v Anderlecht
Benfica v Marseille
Lille v Liverpool
Panathinaikos v Standard Liege
Rubin Kazan v Wolfsburg
Two-leg ties to be played March 11 & 18


White Noise

http://hammyend.com/?p=5679

What the papers say

by Dan on February 26, 2010

The press are full of praise for a fine Fulham performance this morning. And rightly so.

Dave Middleton, Guardian online:

Fulham enjoyed a famous night as they qualified for the last 16 of the Europa League thanks to a first-half headed goal against the run of play from Brede Hangeland that gave the Londoners a 3-2 aggregate win. The defender also starred at the opposite end of the pitch as Fulham withstood a determined Shakhtar Donetsk onslaught that saw tempers fray in the closing stages at the Donbass Arena.

Kevin Darling, BBC:

Fulham produced a backs-to-the-wall display to seal a famous Europa League win against Uefa Cup holders Shakhtar.

The Ukrainian side dominated before Brede Hangeland headed in Damien Duff's free-kick with Fulham's first chance.

Sky Sports:

A herculean performance from Fulham in the Ukraine ensured their qualification to the last 16 of the Europa League, as they held Shakhtar Donetsk to a 1-1 draw which saw them progress 3-2 on aggregate.

John Ley, Daily Telegraph:

Fulham recorded one of the greatest results in their history when they knocked holders Shakhtar Donetsk out of the Europa League and moved into the last sixteen of the competition.

Brede Hangeland's first half goal gave Fulham a 3-1 aggregate advantage and though Jadson responded in the 70th minute, Roy Hodgson's team held out to book a place against Juventus or Ajax.

Times Online:

Fulham cannot lay claim to many glorious European nights in their history, but a short list is growing longer by the game.

The Premier League side, ambivalent about the merits of the Europa League in its early stages, are now fully paid-up members of its fan club. Fulham produced a terrifically stubborn display last night to oust Shakhtar Donetsk and have advanced deeper into a continental competition than ever before.

Andrew Dillon, The Sun:

BREDE HANGELAND was immense in every sense as Fulham came to Ukrainian mining country and dug out an amazing result.

The defender's goal put the tie beyond Shakhtar's reach and he marshalled a defence which let its guard slip just once against an onslaught.

But there were heroes all over the pitch for boss Roy Hodgson's side as they reached the last 16 with a 3-2 aggregate win.

Daily Mail:

Roy Hodgson hailed Shakhtar as the best side he had faced in 35 years of management, but his troops thwarted the UEFA Cup holders thanks to stunning defensive performances from centre-half Brede Hangeland and goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.

Hangeland was also the hero at the other end, heading a 33rd-minute goal against the run of play that Shakhtar never quite recovered from.

Andy Sims, PA/Independent/Daily Mirror:

Brede Hangeland was the hero on a European glory night for Fulham as they stunned Shakhtar Donetsk to reach the last 16 of the Europa League.

The defender, along with goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, kept out almost everything the Ukrainians threw at them at the vast Donbass Arena.

Hangeland popped up with Fulham's goal – with their first attack of the night – to set up a stunning success for Roy Hodgson's men.

During their visit to England Shakhtar's players were barred from Harrods, owned by Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed, and the Londoners knew that if they could shut up shop again they would be going through.

White Noise

Hodgson's Heroes


Friday 26th February 2010


Fulham FC News   

A delighted Roy Hodgson spoke of his pride at seeing his Team knock out the UEFA Cup holders on Thursday night after Fulham recorded a 3-2 aggregate win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Donbass Arena.

"It means a lot to me," said Hodgson of Thursday night's victory. "The performance will live long in the memory because we've done it with a Team, if you look at our squad on paper, that is missing maybe three, four or possibly five players who we believe can strengthen us. It's great credit to the players that have come into the Team.

"The game was as tough as we expected it to be. They're a very talented team and we knew they'd take the game to us and we'd be under pressure.

"I think it was a marvellous performance from the players to score the goal and keep them at bay and hold them out in the closing stages. It's one of those nights that every Fulham fan can be extremely proud of."

The only blemish on an otherwise memorable night in Donetsk was a red card for captain Danny Murphy and a possible injury to striker Bobby Zamora

"It was an expensive night again with Bobby Zamora suffering with his Achilles and Danny Murphy sent off, " Hodgson explained. "It's one of those evenings that will be expensive in the future.

"Bobby felt his Achilles in the second-half. The pitch was very hard and that doesn't help. We can only hope that it's not too serious but I would have my doubts for this weekend's game against Sunderland."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/ShakhtarReactionHodgson.aspx#ixzz0gdo31JIv