News:

Use a VPN to stream games Safely and Securely 🔒
A Virtual Private Network can also allow you to
watch games Not being broadcast in the UK For
more Information and how to Sign Up go to
https://go.nordvpn.net/SH4FE

Main Menu


Friday Fulham Stuff (26/08/11)...

Started by WhiteJC, August 26, 2011, 06:35:46 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

WhiteJC

 
Dnipro 1 Fulham 0 (agg 1-3): Riise's pain taints Jol joy as boss demands more from Johnson

Juande Ramos won the battle of the former Tottenham bosses - but Martin Jol won the war.

Fulham qualified for the Europa League group stages, with last week's 3-0 first-leg win enough to see them through to the draw in Monaco despite Evgeny  Shakhov's close-range winner on the night.


Test of nerve: Evgeny Shakhov (centre) gave Dnipro hope with an early goal in Ukraine

The one blot on the night was a leg injury suffered by John Arne Riise in the first half. Jol said: 'He has a serious problem with the leg, that's why I substituted him with Matthew Briggs.

'We are a great team and tonight we were very good in defence. We didn't want to lose. We could be better in attack and I wanted to see more from Andy Johnson tonight.'

Fulham had the first chance when Damien Duff saw his low drive pushed round the post by Dnipro goalkeeper Jan Lastuvka, but the visitors' hopes were hit when John Arne Riise hobbled off on 20 minutes.

Shortly afterwards Shakhov netted the opener when a Dnipro corner was headed back across goal, and suddenly Fulham's hopes of making easy progress to the group stage looked in doubt.

Both sides had chances in an even first half but it could have got worse for Fulham on the stroke of half-time when a dangerous free-kick from Evgeni Konoplyanka was tipped over by Schwarzer.

Dnipro, coached by the man who replaced Jol at Spurs, Juande Ramos, made their intentions clear at the start of the second half as they poured forward in search of a goal to keep the tie alive.

Aaron Hughes got back well to block a drive from Brazilian Giuliano then Schwarzer had to be on hand again to stop a goalbound effort from Ghanaian midfielder Samuel Inkoom.


A hard day's night: Fulham striker Andrew Johnson (left) battles with Derek Boateng

Nikola Kalinic - a recent recruit from Blackburn - and Shakhov again had further chances, before Dnipro's best chance of further reducing the deficit when Schwarzer fumbled an effort from Konoplyanka and Chris Baird had to hack clear.

With time running out Fulham almost stole a goal of their own on the break when Duff raced clear and crossed to Pajtim Kasami, who somehow contrived to shoot over with the goal at his mercy.




Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2030184/Dnipro-1-Fulham-0-agg-1-3--Martin-Jols-men-book-Europa-League-spot.html#ixzz1W6uDp9aG

WhiteJC

 
Jol's men into group stages
Defeat in Ukraine not enough to dent Fulham's Euro ambitions

Fulham suffered a 1-0 second-leg defeat in their play-off against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in Ukraine but still progressed on aggregate to the Europa League group stages.

Evgeniy Shakhov scored the only goal of the night from close range in the 22nd minute, however, despite making Cottagers keeper Mark Schwarzer work overtime the home side could not overturn their 3-0 first-leg loss.

Martin Jol's men did the hard work at Craven Cottage a week ago but the Dutchman warned his side not to take Dnipro lightly and his words proved wise.

Fulham had the first chance when Damien Duff saw his low drive pushed round the post by Dnipro goalkeeper Jan Lastuvka but the visitors' hopes were hit when John Arne Riise hobbled off on 20 minutes.

Shortly afterwards, Shakhov netted the opener when a Dnipro corner was headed back across goal and suddenly Fulham's hopes of making easy progress to the group stage looked in doubt.

Dangerous

Both sides had chances in an even first half but it could have got worse for Fulham on the stroke of half-time when a dangerous free-kick from Evgeni Konoplyanka was tipped over by Schwarzer.

Dnipro, coached by the man who replaced Jol at Spurs, Juande Ramos, made their intentions clear at the start of the second half as they poured forward in search of a goal to keep the tie alive.

Aaron Hughes got back well to block a drive from Brazilian Giuliano then Schwarzer had to be on hand again to stop a goalbound effort from Ghanaian midfielder Samuel Inkoom.

Nikola Kalinic - a recent recruit from Blackburn - and Shakhov again had further chances, before Dnipro's best chance of further reducing the deficit when Schwarzer fumbled an effort from Konoplyanka and Chris Baird had to hack clear.

With time running out, Fulham almost stole a goal of their own on the break when Duff raced clear and crossed to Pajtim Kasami, who somehow contrived to shoot over with the goal at his mercy.




http://www.skysports.com/football/match_report/0,,11065_3438098,00.html?

WhiteJC

 
Fulham hang on in Dnipro
by DAN on AUGUST 25, 2011

This was far from a vintage Fulham performance. Martin Jol put his trust in what was, minus Bobby Zamora, his strongest side and they delivered a courageous defensive performance to progress to the group stages surviving a thorough and frantic examination from Dnipro.

The Ukrainians looked far more threatening in front of their home fans than at Craven Cottage a week ago. Juande Ramos, under pressure after Dnipro's disappointing start to their domestic campaign, told a pre-match press conference that not only was his job safe but that the tie was far from over. That confidence seemed justified as Dnipro attacked with real vigour and pressed Fulham deep inside their own half. With Giuliano and Yevhen Konoplyanka playing in far more advanced positions than during the first leg, the Ukrainians quickly exploited alarming gaps between Fulham's midfield and a deep defence.

Konoplyanka, who looked a cultured midfielder when he wasn't rolling around in apparent agony on the floor, was the home side's creative hub. There seemed more of a thrust to the Dnipro attacks than at the Cottage and just to illustrate the point, the Dnipro playmaker forced Schwarzer into a low save after twisting and turning past Chris Baird, who had been restored to right back in place of Philippe Senderos. Fulham were forced into a defensive reshuffle when John Arne Riise picked up a groin strain after falling awkwardly on the poor surface, although Matthew Briggs delivered a commanding performance as if to underline his international credentials after being called up to the England under-21 squad.

Fulham looked unusually shaky from set-pieces, though, and their nervousness only increased after Dnipro took the lead. Hangeland inadvertently glanced on a Serhiy Kravchenko corner and Evgeniy Shakhov bundled the ball past Mark Schwarzer at the back post. The goal sparked another period of sustained home pressure, although Fulham's defence did well to restrict Dnipro to long-range efforts. Kravchenko sent a shot agonisingly wide of Schwarzer's goal and Konoplyanka sliced his 22-yard effort horribly wide after a promising move from the hosts. Konoplyanka almost punished Sidwell for a crude challenge right on the edge of the box before half time but his curling free-kick was smartly tipped over by Schwarzer.

The pattern was largely the same in the second period. Fulham were on the back foot right the restart with Aaron Hughes excelling at the heart of the defence. He produced a terrific saving tackle to thwart a mazy run from Giuliano and recovered his footing sufficiently to block Samuel Inkoom's low follow-up. The recalled right back had posed real problems from Fulham in the first half with his surging forward runs and he succeeded in tricking his way into the penalty area midway through the second period, only for Shakhov to shoot wastefully high.

Ramos made a double change, throwing on Strinich and Rotan in a bid to offer more of an attacking threat, and Dnipro kept pressing. Schwarzer almost carried a Kravchenko set-piece over his goal-line before Hangeland timed a challenge impeccably to end a Shakhov run, only for the ball to break to Rotan, who shot inches wide. Konoplyanka then sparked panic in the Fulham area as he cut in from the left and beat two defenders before his low cross eluded any blue shirts and rolled away to safety.

It was nerve-racking stuff but you felt Fulham's continental experience served them well. Two years ago, they survived a similar second-half assault to eliminate Shakhtar Donetsk and they summoned similar resolves of courage here. When Schwarzer spilled a cross from Antonov dangerously inside his six-yard box, Baird bravely threw himself at Konoplyanka's feet to clear the danger. Nikola Kalinic, who had spurned a hatful of second-half chances in the first leg, sent a free header wide from a corner as Fulham clung on for dear life. Their task might have been made easier had substitute Pajtim Kasami not contrived to miss an open goal from five yards after Damien Duff had done brilliantly to fashion a rare opening, but Fulham hardly ever do things the easy way.

This was far from a vintage performance. It was gutsy and determined and the relief was tangible at the final whistle. Fulham's predatory instincts had secured a valuable first-leg lead and a well-drilled defence preserved it this evening.

DNIPRO (4-5-1): Lastuvka; Inkoom, Cheberyachko (Rotan 57), Denisov (Strinic 57), Mandiuk; Boateng, Konoplyanka, Kravchenko, Giuliano (Antonov 72), Shakhov; Kalinic. Subs (not used):Kanibolotskiy, Kulakov, Oliynyk, Zozulya.

BOOKED: Boateng.

GOAL: Shakhov (22).

FULHAM (4-4-1-1): Schwarzer; Baird, J.A. Riise (Briggs 21), Hughes, Hangeland; Sidwell, Murphy, Duff, Dempsey (Etuhu 80); Dembele (Kasami 71); Johnson. Subs (not used): Etheridge, Kelly, Senderos, Gecov.

BOOKED: Murphy, Baird.

REFEREE: Tom Hagen (Norway).

ATTENDANCE: 12,100.




http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/08/fulham-hang-on-in-dnipro/?


WhiteJC

 
Dnipro 1 Fulham 0: Mark Schwarzer saves Martin Jol's side but John Arne Riise's leg injury is "serious
Dnipro1 Fulham 0 (Fulham win 3-1)


Centre of attention: Clint Dempsey battles for possession in their 1-0 defeat 
Photo: ACTION IMAGES


Fulham manager Martin Jol admitted John Arne Riise's leg injury is "serious" after his team booked their place in the Europa League.

The Cottagers lost 1-0 on the night but last week's 3-0 success in the first leg enabled their European adventure to continue.

However, left-back Riise was forced off in the 22nd minute with a leg injury and the summer signing could be absent for some time.

Jol said: "Riise has a serious problem with the leg. We are not sure yet when he will be fit."

On the performance in Ukraine, Jol said: "We wanted to punish Dnipro for the goal when we went behind and I wanted us to take our chances to make it 1-1. But we did enough."

Fulham's nerves were tested when Riise hobbled off. Shortly afterwards Evgeniy Shakhov netted the opener when a Dnipro corner was headed back across goal, and Fulham's hopes of making progress to the group stage looked in doubt.

It could have got even worse when a free-kick from Evgeni Konoplyanka was tipped over by Mark Schwarzer.

Dnipro made their intentions clear in the second half as they poured forward in search of a goal to keep the tie alive.

Aaron Hughes got back well to block a drive from Brazilian Giuliano, then Schwarzer had to be on hand again to stop a goalbound effort from midfielder Samuel Inkoom.

Dnipro's best chance of reducing the deficit came when Schwarzer fumbled an effort from Konoplyanka and Chris Baird had to hack clear.

Dnipro: (4-3-3) Lastuvka, Inkoom, Cheberyachko, Mandzyuk, Denisov (Str inic 57), Kravchenko, Giuliano, Boateng, Konoplianka, Kalinic, Shakhov. Subs: Zozulya, Rotan, Antonov.

Fulham: (4-3-3) Schwarzer, Baird, Hangeland, Hughes, Riise (Briggs 22), Dempsey (Etuhu 81), Murphy, Sidwell, Duff, Johnson, Dembele (Kasami 71). Subs: Etheridge, Kelly, Senderos, Gecov. Bookings: Baird, Murphy.

Referee: T Harald Hagen (Norway).



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/8723788/Dnipro-1-Fulham-0-Mark-Schwarzer-saves-Martin-Jols-side-but-John-Arne-Riises-leg-injury-is-serious.html

WhiteJC

 
Dempsey named in US squad
by DAN on AUGUST 25, 2011



Clint Dempsey has been named in the American squad for their forthcoming friendlies against Costa Rica and Belgium.

The Fulham midfielder has been included in an experimental squad by new USA boss Jurgen Klinsmann and will hope to make his first appearance under the new manager. The States play Costa Rica in California on September 2 and travel to Belgium for the second game four days later.

USA SQUAD – GOALKEEPERS: Bill Hamid (D.C.United), Tim Howard (Everton).

DEFENDERS: Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Edgar Castillo (Club America), Timmy Chandler (FC Nürnberg), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Zach Loyd (FC Dallas), Michael Orozco Fiscal (San Luis), Heath Pearce (Chivas USA), Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls).

MIDFIELDERS: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht), Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado Rapids), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Jose Torres (Pachuca).

FORWARDS: Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Teal Bunbury (Sporting Kansas City), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)




http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/08/dempsey-named-in-us-squad/?

WhiteJC

 

Riise 'out for some time,' says Jol
by DAN on AUGUST 25, 2011



Fulham manager Martin Jol  has said that John Arne Riise could be out of action for 'some time' after limping off during the Europa League tie in Dnipro tonight.

Riise fell awkwardly during the first half of Fulham's 1-0 defeat in Ukraine and had to be replaced by Matthews Briggs after 21 minutes. He appeared to be holding his groin as he went off, but the BBC report references a leg injury.

UPDATE: This Jol quote comes from Sporting Life.

Riise has a serious problem with the leg, that's why I substituted him with Matthew Briggs.




http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/08/riise-out-for-some-time-says-jol/?


WhiteJC

 
Mission Accomplished

Fulham reached the Group Stage of the UEFA Europa League after producing a stubborn defensive performance at the Dnipro Arena on Thursday evening and securing a 3-1 aggregate victory over FC Dnipro.

Martin Jol was understandably pleased to have reached the Group Stage – as he explained after the game.

"That was the target and it was fantastic that we were able to achieve something," he explained. "We wanted to achieve the Group Stages and that's what we did.

"You have to keep the ball and show everybody that you come here for the result. I know that if you're three-nil up and score one goal it's over but we couldn't do that so we had to contain them and fight for the result.

"We couldn't do a lot up front today, we didn't have a lot of choices on the bench. Normally you could give Duffer a rest, take Dempsey off early but Riise was injured so that didn't help. But overall, for now, I think it was a result we wanted."

Whilst Fulham performed well in defence – absorbing wave after wave of Dnipro attacks, Jol would have liked to have seen his side score an away goal and take strain off the back line.

"That is why you have to score a goal as well," he said. "Of course it was not easy for Andy Johnson up front – it was probably the first time he and Dembele played together. But I was happy with the midfield and the back four because they had to anticipate all the time because the number eight and number ten for Dnipro were fantastic players. It wasn't easy but in the end the win was deserved."




Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/JolDniproAwayReaction.aspx?#ixzz1W6wPVfwd

WhiteJC

 
Dnipro 1-0 Fulham, Fulham 3-1 Dnipro Aggregate: Someone Hand Me An Oxygen Tank


First things first: hats off to Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.  They played their freakin asses off.  They were organized, energized, and relentless.  Their attacks were heart-pounding.  Fulham's defense was frantic, jumbled, disorganized, and messy.

But, thankfully, adjectives don't win soccer matches, goals do.  And Fulham, thanks to their 3-0 win at home, had more of the goal things.

Quite frankly, if I'm Juande Ramos, my first stop on my way home is a private detective's office to find out who kidnapped my soccer team during the away leg in London, because the side that played today in the Ukraine looked completely different.  I have a very less-panicky take on this match than it may have seemed from watching, so take a read, because there are some important points I'd like to make.

Before I get into this........breathe......in.....out.....in.....out.....ok that's better. Haven't done that for about 70 minutes.  Now on to the breakdown.

The good:

-Matthew Briggs: Something lost in all this was John Arne Riise's injury that occured right before Dnipro scored their goal.  Let's hope he's ok.  But it may have been a blessing in disguise, because it brought on Matthew Briggs, and he was one of the saviors of the day.  He made countless vital blocks, and his tackling skills are plentiful.  He didn't go in way too hard like many of the midfielders did, rather he stays controlled and collected while trying to wrench the ball from the opponent.  I'm excited about his future.

Update: Martin Jol says John Arne Riise could be out for "some time" after suffering a "serious" leg injury.  If that's true, we'll be seeing a lot more of Briggs not only in Europe but in the Premier League as well.

-Aaron Hughes: My man of the match.  Quite frankly, if you pick anyone else you didn't watch the same match.  Hughes was the only defender who consistently beat his man one-on-one every time.  And not only that, his clears actually went far and away from the people in blue shirts (*cough*Chris Baird*cough*Brede Hangland*cough*).  He is a stud in this Fulham defense.  The rock, if you will.

-Damien Duff: The guy hates playing defense, I think that's obivous after this match.  He was frustrated beyond belief.  But when given the all-out defend order, whether he likes it or not he did it, and did it pretty well for a winger.  And he created the only real Fulham opportunity; with about 10 minutes left, he brought the ball down beautifully, then instead of rushing a shot, he held and waited for help, which he got in Kasami.  The kid horribly missed the target, but Duff's lay off was about as perfect as you can get on that disasterous pitch.

The bad:

-Chris Baird: I think Baird knows just as well as we do that this match was his one shot at impressing Martin Jol before he's potentially sold.  He actually got better in the last 15 minutes or so when the pressure was absolutely pouring on, but before that he was dreadful.  His clears went nowhere, his crosses were dreadful, he was constantly out of position, and he was beaten one-on-one multiple times.  I'm not sure who's more disappointed in his performance, Baird himself, or the fans (like me) who were begging Jol to play him.

To be honest, that's all that was truly bad to me.  Sure, you can point to the possession (which actually ended up 56-44 surprisingly; it was 69-31 with about 8 minutes left to play).  Sure, you can point to the many misses by Dnipro.  But when you play all-out defense, you don't want possession, you just want to spoil as many opponent's chances as you can, and they sure did just that.  Sidwell played surprisingly good defense, and so did Etuhu, Dempsey, and the rest of the midfield (when not lunging in to challenge).  The defense itself, save Baird, was spotty but held strong when in dire straits.

You can point to how many times the club gave away the ball, and it was pretty frustrating, but I really think it's because they weren't really concentrating on keeping possession.  If they got it, sure.  But they completed the task they were given after the surprisingly strong start and goal by Dnipro.  I'm content, and we'll move on from here.

I need a nap.



http://fulhamsfinest.com/2011/08/25/dnipro-1-0-fulham-fulham-3-1-dnipro-aggregate-someone-hand-me-an-oxygen-tank/?

WhiteJC

 
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 1-0 Fulham 0 (1-3 agg)

Martin Jol's Fulham booked their place in the Europa League group stage with a 3-1 aggregate win over Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, despite a 1-0 reversal in Ukraine tonight.

Evgeniy Shakhov scored the only goal of the night from close range in the 22nd minute but despite making Cottagers keeper Mark Schwarzer work overtime the home side could not get back in the tie.

Jol's men did the hard work at Craven Cottage a week ago but despite their comfortable cushion the Dutchman warned his side not to take Dnipro lightly and his words proved wise.

Fulham had the first chance when Damien Duff saw his low drive pushed round the post by Dnipro goalkeeper Jan Lastuvka, but the visitors' hopes were hit when John Arne Riise hobbled off on 20 minutes.

Shortly afterwards Shakhov netted the opener when a Dnipro corner was headed back across goal, and suddenly Fulham's hopes of making easy progress to the group stage looked in doubt.

Both sides had chances in an even first half but it could have got worse for Fulham on the stroke of half-time when a dangerous free-kick from Evgeni Konoplyanka was tipped over by Schwarzer.

Dnipro, coached by the man who replaced Jol at Spurs, Juande Ramos, made their intentions clear at the start of the second half as they poured forward in search of a goal to keep the tie alive.

Aaron Hughes got back well to block a drive from Brazilian Giuliano then Schwarzer had to be on hand again to stop a goalbound effort from Ghanaian midfielder Samuel Inkoom.

Nikola Kalinic - a recent recruit from Blackburn - and Shakhov again had further chances, before Dnipro's best chance of further reducing the deficit when Schwarzer fumbled an effort from Konoplyanka and Chris Baird had to hack clear.

With time running out Fulham almost stole a goal of their own on the break when Duff raced clear and crossed to Pajtim Kasami, who somehow contrived to shoot over with the goal at his mercy.




http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2011/0825/dnipro_fulham.html?


WhiteJC

 
Mark Schwarzer helps Fulham make the grade against Dnipropetrovsk
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 1-0 Fulham (Fulham win 3-1 on agg)
Shakhov 22


Fulham's Andrew Johnson, left, tries to shut out Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk's Ivan Strinic.
Photograph: Alex Morton/Action Images


Martin Jol's Fulham booked their place in the Europa League group stage with a 3-1 aggregate win over Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, despite a 1-0 reversal in Ukraine.

Evgeniy Shakhov scored the only goal of the night from close range in the 22nd minute but despite making the Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer work overtime the home side could not get back in the tie.

Jol's men did the hard work at Craven Cottage a week ago but despite their comfortable cushion the Dutchman warned his side not to take Dnipro lightly and his words proved wise.

Fulham had the first chance when Damien Duff saw his low drive pushed round a post by Dnipro's goalkeeper Jan Lastuvka, but the visitors' hopes were hit when John Arne Riise hobbled off on 20 minutes.

Shortly afterwards Shakhov netted the opener when a Dnipro corner was headed back across goal, and suddenly Fulham's hopes of making easy progress to the group stage looked in doubt.

Both sides had chances in an even first half but it could have got worse for Fulham as half-time approached when a dangerous free-kick from Evgeni Konoplyanka was tipped over by Schwarzer.

Dnipro, coached by the man who replaced Jol at Spurs, Juande Ramos, made their intentions clear at the start of the second half as they poured forward in search of a goal to keep the tie alive.

Aaron Hughes got back well to block a drive from the Brazilian Giuliano then Schwarzer had to be on hand again to stop a goalbound effort from the Ghanaian midfielder Samuel Inkoom.

Nikola Kalinic – a recent recruit from Blackburn – and Shakhov again had further chances, before Dnipro's best chance of further reducing the deficit when Schwarzer fumbled an effort from Konoplyanka and Chris Baird had to hack clear.

With time running out Fulham almost stole a goal of their own on the break when Duff raced clear and crossed to Pajtim Kasami, who contrived to shoot over with the goal at his mercy.




http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/aug/25/dnipro-dnipropetrovsk-fulham-europa-league?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Ffootball%2Frss+%28Football%29

WhiteJC

 
Total Concentration

Fulham produced a professional performance on Thursday to record a 3-1 aggregate victory over FC Dnipro and, as Fulham midfielder Steve Sidwell explained after the game, the display from Fulham was certainly one of total concentration.

"We did the job in the first game," Sidwell assessed. "You've got to credit their [FC Dnipro's] performance tonight, it was a great performance and we knew that we could expect a tough game. The main thing is that the result got us through and that's all that matters.

"Our game plan was to sit back but keep a good shape and keep compact. They had to come at us and we were going to catch them on the break. We said before the game, whether they scored first or we did, it's about concentration for the whole game – we did that from the 'keeper to the front men.

"I'll be interested to see who we'll be up against next and where we'll be travelling to – I think once we see that, then it will really start to sink in. Now we've got to concentrate on the Newcastle game, which is vital."

Indeed, Fulham are back on the road this weekend with a demanding trip to St James' Park awaiting on Sunday.

"It's just part-and-parcel of being a professional football player," Sidwell said. "Sometimes you can go a couple of weeks without a game and sometimes to get them in quick succession.

"Again, it's all about concentration, recovering right and being professional on and off the pitch. We'll do that and will go up to Newcastle hoping to bring three vital points back. You want to get points on the board as soon as possible."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/SidwellDniproReaction.aspx?#ixzz1W6xhkVRf

WhiteJC

 
Riise injury concerns Jol
Fulham manager disappointed following Dnipro defeat



Fulham manager Martin Jol described John Arne Riise's leg injury as 'serious' after his team had booked their place in the Europa League on Thursday night.

The Cottagers were beaten 1-0 by Dnipro but last week's 3-0 success in the first leg enabled their European adventure to continue.

However, left-back Riise left the action in the 22nd minute with a leg injury - and the summer signing could be absent for some time.

Jol said: "Riise has a serious problem with the leg, that's why I substituted him with Matthew Briggs."

The Fulham manager was disappointed to suffer a defeat in the second leg in Ukraine and challenged striker Andy Johnson to contribute more in future.

The Dutchman said: "We didn't want to lose, we wanted to defend our lead, to do our best.

"We are a great team and tonight we were very good in defence. It was great that we won at home.

"We could be better in attack and I wanted to see more from Andy Johnson tonight.

"We wanted to punish Dnipro for the goal when we went behind and I wanted us to take our chances to make it 1-1 at the end."

Ramos reaction

Dnipro won thanks to Evgeniy Shakhov's header, which came shortly after Riise hobbled off.

And coach Juande Ramos, the man who replaced Jol as Tottenham manager in 2007, said: "I'm satisfied with my team's game.

"We have won, we played a good game and we did everything possible to go further in the Europa League.

"We fought and we dominated during the whole game. We tried so very hard but what happened, happened."



http://www.skysports.com/story/0,,11681_7124975,00.html?


WhiteJC

 
Fulham defender John Arne Riise faces a spell on the sidelines

Fulham have suffered an injury blow with the news that John Arne Riise could face a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The Norwegian defender was forced from the pitch as Fulham qualified for the Europa League group stages on aggregate despite a 1-0 defeat by Dnipro.

And Jol has admitted he could lose the player for some time.

"Riise has a serious problem with the leg," he said. "That's why I substituted him with Matthew Briggs."

The injury took the gloss from Fulham's progression to the group stages of the competition after a difficult night in the Ukraine.

They eventually won on aggregate after weathering wave after wave of attacks on a difficult pitch.

Riise joined the Cottagers in July, signing a three-year contract after leaving Italian side Roma for an undisclosed fee.

He has made six appearances this season - including both of the club's Premier League fixtures - but will now have to sit out with Briggs likely to get a run in the team.

The 20-year-old has impressed this term and was rewarded with a call-up to the England under-21 squad for their matches against Azerbaijan and Israel in September.




http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14674218.stm?

WhiteJC

 
Dnipro   1 - 0   Fulham (agg 1 - 3)

Fulham endured a torrid night in the Ukraine but held on to book their place in the draw for the group stages of the Europa League.

Evgeny Shakhov hauled Dnipro back into the tie with a 22nd minute strike but, despite coming under serious pressure, Martin Jol's men held firm.

The visitors created few chances, although Pajtim Kasami did blaze over from six yards out late in the game.

Fulham were second best, riding their luck on a number of occasions.

They were slow out of the blocks and it was no real surprise when the home side went into the lead.

Serhiy Kravchenko whipped in a fantastic corner and Shakhov was on hand to head home from inside the penalty area on 23 minutes.

That set the tone for a nervy remainder of the first half as the Cottagers struggled to deal with a succession of corners, while defender John Arne Riise was forced off the pitch with a serious looking injury.

At the other end, they failed to force a serious save out of Jan Lastuvka despite the workmanlike efforts of Damien Duff and Clint Dempsey on the flanks.

Dnipro stepped up a gear in the second half and Aaron Hughes made a fine block on Giuliano, while Shakov blazed over after good work by the lively Samuel Inkoom.

Without talismanic striker Bobby Zamora, the visitors struggled to hold onto the ball up front and, as a result invited wave after wave of attack.

Even so, the tie should have been over with 10 minutes to go when Kasami, who could blame a slight bobble on the difficult pitch, shot over after good work from Duff on the wing.

The hosts were guilty of some glaring misses themselves and former Blackburn Rovers striker Nikola Kalinic should have scored with a free header.

Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer, who looked sharp all evening, perhaps saved his best stop until last when he denied Yevhen Konoplyanka.

The final whistle proved music to the ears of the west London side, who will now look forward to Friday's draw for the group stages.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14569546.stm?

WhiteJC

 
Riise Injured As Fulham Limps Past Dnipro In Europa League Play

It was the worst possible of ways to progress, but Fulham did, in fact, progress.

The Whites are through to the group stage of the Europa League after defeating Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 3-1 on aggregate following a 1-0 away loss today.

Not only did the Londoners lose, they lost convincingly.

Dnipro out-shot Fulham 16-3 on the evening, along with an 8-2 advantage in shots on target. Corners were similarly skewed in the hosts favor at 9-4 and possession, if the numbers were available, would assuredly look similar..

So yes, Fulham did achieve the required result. But it was not a result that will leave the players, or fans at that, feeling confident. At least that's from my perspective, Martin Jol's seems to be considerably brighter.

"(Progressing to the group stage) was the target and it was fantastic that we were able to achieve something," he explained. "We wanted to achieve the Group Stages and that's what we did.

"You have to keep the ball and show everybody that you come here for the result. I know that if you're three-nil up and score one goal it's over but we couldn't do that so we had to contain them and fight for the result."

More after the jump.



Adding to Fulham's woes was an injury suffered by John Arne Riise early in the match, the severity of which is currently unknown. Riise was replaced by recently called up England U21 International Matthew Briggs in the 22nd minute.

Dnipro opened their account shortly after Riise was removed when Yevhen Shakhov headed home from close range, finishing off a header sent across the goalmouth off of a corner.

From then on, the Whites backs were against the wall. Patjim Kasami, entering for Moussa Dembele in the second half, had an opportunity to seal the match shortly after coming on when Damien Duff found him open and found him with a sharp pass across the box. The 19-year-old's nerves proved too much however, and he skied his shot over a yawning goal while goalkeeper Jan Lastuvka hopelessly out of position.

The final scoreline now marks three consecutive away matches, including Europa League play, in which Fulham has failed to score a goal. They'll have little time to regroup before this weekend when they hit the road once again, heading north to face an impressive-looking Newcastle side on Sunday.




http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2011/8/25/2384841/riise-injured-as-fulham-limps-past-dnipro-in-europa-league-play?


WhiteJC

 
FULHAM SURVIVE A 'RAINE STORM

MARTIN JOL was left counting the cost as Fulham survived a scare in Ukraine.

The Cottagers were under the cosh for long periods, but booked their place in the next round thanks to their comfortable 3-0 win at Craven Cottage last week.

Evgeny Shakhov's goal for Dnipro was not enough to deny them, but Fulham were handed an injury blow to full-back John Arne Riise.

He was forced off with a groin injury and faces a battle to be fit for Sunday's trip to Newcastle.

Fulham started brightly and Damien Duff forced Dnipro keeper Jan Lastuvka to turn his shot around the post.
But after that it was one-way traffic.

Dnipro were given hope when the Fulham defence fell asleep from a corner and Shakhov powered home a header.

And the home side continued to dominate, with Samuel Inkoom blasting over from a good position.

Another Dnipro corner caused havoc in the box, but the Cottagers manage to hack clear.

And Fulham were lucky not to go into half-time under even more pressure as Mark Schwarzer was forced to tip a venomous shot by Yevgen Konoplianka over the bar.

The Dnipro charge was maintained after the break with Evgeni Konoplienka sending in a decent effort which Schwarzer almost let through his grasp.

The Australian keeper had another scare with 15 minutes to go when he flapped at a cross and was relieved to see Chris Baird produce a brilliant block.

Pajtim Kasami was handed a golden chance to ease the nerves in the closing stages for Fulham as they launched a rare counter-attack, but he somehow blazed over from six yards after Duff's cross.

And there was enough time for Dnipro to waste another opportunity as former Blackburn striker Nikola Kalinic sent a free header wide.




http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/207901/Fulham-survive-a-raine-storm/?

WhiteJC

 
Fulham back in for Jerome?
by DAN on AUGUST 25, 2011

Fulham are preparing to up their offer for Cameron Jerome as Martin Jol attempts to add another striker to his squad before the end of the transfer window.

Fulham had an offer for Jerome, believed to be around the £3m mark, turned down earlier this month and Jol had previously publicly ruled out an increased offer. But the Daily Mirror claims that Fulham are readying a new offer for the 24 year-old and are confident of beating Stoke and Bolton to his signature.

Jerome scored league goals for Birmingham in 2009-10 but struggled as the Blues were relegated from the top flight last term, scoring five times in 42 games. Chris Hughton has apparently admitted that a number two of his star players, defender Scott Dann and Jerome, are likely to be sold before the window closes at the end of the month.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/08/fulham-back-in-for-jerome/

WhiteJC

 
Dnipro 1 Fulham 0: Mark Schwarzer saves Martin Jol's side but John Arne Riise's leg injury is "serious
Dnipro1 Fulham 0 (Fulham win 3-1)


Centre of attention: Clint Dempsey battles for possession in their 1-0 defeat 
Photo: ACTION IMAGES


Fulham manager Martin Jol admitted John Arne Riise's leg injury is "serious" after his team booked their place in the Europa League.

The Cottagers lost 1-0 on the night but last week's 3-0 success in the first leg enabled their European adventure to continue.

However, left-back Riise was forced off in the 22nd minute with a leg injury and the summer signing could be absent for some time.

Jol said: "Riise has a serious problem with the leg. We are not sure yet when he will be fit."

On the performance in Ukraine, Jol said: "We wanted to punish Dnipro for the goal when we went behind and I wanted us to take our chances to make it 1-1. But we did enough."

Fulham's nerves were tested when Riise hobbled off. Shortly afterwards Evgeniy Shakhov netted the opener when a Dnipro corner was headed back across goal, and Fulham's hopes of making progress to the group stage looked in doubt.

It could have got even worse when a free-kick from Evgeni Konoplyanka was tipped over by Mark Schwarzer.

Dnipro made their intentions clear in the second half as they poured forward in search of a goal to keep the tie alive.

Aaron Hughes got back well to block a drive from Brazilian Giuliano, then Schwarzer had to be on hand again to stop a goalbound effort from midfielder Samuel Inkoom.

Dnipro's best chance of reducing the deficit came when Schwarzer fumbled an effort from Konoplyanka and Chris Baird had to hack clear.
Dnipro: (4-3-3) Lastuvka, Inkoom, Cheberyachko, Mandzyuk, Denisov (Str inic 57), Kravchenko, Giuliano, Boateng, Konoplianka, Kalinic, Shakhov. Subs: Zozulya, Rotan, Antonov.

Fulham: (4-3-3) Schwarzer, Baird, Hangeland, Hughes, Riise (Briggs 22), Dempsey (Etuhu 81), Murphy, Sidwell, Duff, Johnson, Dembele (Kasami 71). Subs: Etheridge, Kelly, Senderos, Gecov. Bookings: Baird, Murphy.
Referee: T Harald Hagen (Norway).



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/8723788/Dnipro-1-Fulham-0-Mark-Schwarzer-saves-Martin-Jols-side-but-John-Arne-Riises-leg-injury-is-serious.html


WhiteJC

 
Fulham to Learn Group Opponents

Fulham will learn their UEFA Europa League group stage opponents on Friday lunchtime. All 48 UEFA Europa League contenders have been split into four seeding pots for the group stage draw from 13.00 CET (12:00 BST) at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco.

Group games will be played from 15th September until 15th December, the day before the draws for the rounds of 32 and 16. The top two teams in each group will be joined by the third-placed UEFA Champions League finishers in the knockout phase.  The final will be held at the National Stadium, Bucharest on 9th May 2012.

Fulham have been seeded in Pot 2.

Pot 1

Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG)
PSV Eindhoven (NED)
Club Atlético de Madrid (ESP)
Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR)
SC Braga (POR)
FC Schalke 04 (GER)
FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)
Paris Saint-Germain FC (FRA)
FC København (DEN)
AZ Alkmaar (NED)
RSC Anderlecht (BEL)
FC Twente (NED)

Pot 2

Fulham FC (ENG)
Beşiktaş JK (TUR)
Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC (TUR)
FC Metalist Kharkiv (UKR)
R. Standard de Liège (BEL)
FC Rubin Kazan (RUS)
Club Brugge KV (BEL)
AEK Athens FC (GRE)
FC Steaua Bucureşti (ROU)
Udinese Calcio (ITA)
Athletic Club (ESP)
S.S. Lazio (ITA)

Pot 3

FC Salzburg (AUT)
Maccabi Haifa FC (ISR)
FC Zürich (SUI)
Odense BK (DEN)
FC Lokomotiv Moskva (RUS)
PAOK FC (GRE)
Birmingham City FC (ENG)
Stoke City FC (ENG)
Stade Rennais FC (FRA)
FK Austria Wien (AUT)
FC Rapid Bucureşti (ROU)
Hannover 96 (GER)

Pot 4

FC Vorskla Poltava (UKR)
Wisła Kraków (POL)
FC Vaslui (ROU)
FC Sion (SUI)
SK Sturm Graz (AUT)
Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR)
ŠK Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
Legia Warszawa (POL)
NK Maribor (SVN)
AEK Larnaca FC (CYP)
Malmö FF (SWE)
Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/GroupDrawLunchtime.aspx?#ixzz1W7H21o2L

WhiteJC

 
Tottenham, Fulham, Stoke and Birmingham learn Europa League fate


Tottenham will face Irish giantkillers Shamrock Rovers in the Europa League group stage.

Rovers, the first Irish side to have progressed to this stage of European football, beat Partizan Belgrade 2-1 on Thursday night to secure a place in today's draw.

The clubs are in Group A against Rubin Kazan, from Russia, and Greek side PAOK Salonika.

Fulham face FC Twente from Holland, Odense from Denmark and Wisla Krakow from Poland in Group K.

Stoke will play Dynamo Kiev, Besiktas and Hapoel Tel Aviv in Group E, while Birmingham are in Group H with Club Brugge, Braga and Maribor.

If Celtic are successful in replacing Sion, who are alleged to have breached a transfer ban, they would be in Group I with Atletico Madrid, Udinese and Rennes.

Tottenham director of football administration Darren Eales admitted the six-hour journey to Kazan, a city on the River Volga and a 90-minute flight east of Moscow, would pose challenges.

Eales however welcomed the prospect of playing Shamrock Rovers. He said: "I must admit after we had Rubin Kazan first out of the hat and then PAOK from Greece I thought I might struggle to go back to White Hart Lane with that draw - but at least we got Shamrock.

"It's a great fairy tale for them, the first Irish club to get into the group stage of a European competition, and it's what European football is all about.

"It should be a great night in Dublin. I know their stadium only holds 6,000 so I think they will need to find somewhere with a few more seats than that and it should be a cracking atmosphere there, and a great little trip for our fans."

Asked whether Tottenham would have to prioritise domestic competitions, Eales insisted not.

He added: "We are not going to treat this as a second-class competition but clearly we are going to have to manage our squad to make sure we get the best out of it for all competitions. That's part of the challenge of being in Europe."

Stoke face journeys to Ukraine, Turkey and Israel and club secretary Eddie Harrison admitted that would provide a challenge.

Harrison said: "There are long journeys and it is a tough group.

"The impact on Premier League matches is a fear that every club has expressed but our preparation will be correct - our manager is renowned for his preparation and we will use the travel as best we can and slot in with our Premier League fixtures.

"It's great for the club to be in Europe, the supporters love it. We have not been in the competition for 37 years so it's a novelty that has been embraced by the supporters and the club."

Shamrock chairman Jonathan Roche said the Spurs fixture was a dream come true for the fans.

He said: "We would have taken anybody, it's a great draw for our fans.

"Tottenham are so close to us. Last night was an historic occasion for us and to top it off like this, it hasn't quite soaked in.

"It's been an unbelievable two days. Five years ago we were relegated, then the fans took over the club. We won the league for first time in 16 years last season.

"Hopefully now this shows people that we play a good style of football. It's not really about the money but it's the whole razzmatazz and the whole profile on the football club. Hopefully we can do ourselves justice."

Roche insisted that the club would first see if they could play their home games at their 6,000-seat Tallaght stadium but that the Aviva stadium would be an option.

He added: "We will sit down with our association and see what the best thing is for ourselves.

"We might hope to use our ground because it is our home ground and that's where we will try our best to actually play. It might need a few adjustments but we will hopefully work on that first."

Draw for the group stage of the Europa League:

Group A: TOTTENHAM, Rubin Kazan, PAOK, Shamrock Rovers

Group B: Copenhagen, Standard Liège, Hannover 96, FC Vorskla Poltava

Group C: PSV Eindhoven, Hapoel Tel-Aviv, Rapid Bucuresti, Legia Warsaw

Group D: Sporting Lisbon, Lazio, FC Zürich, FC Vaslui

Group E: Dynamo Kiev, Besiktas, STOKE CITY, Maccabi Tel-Aviv

Group F: PSG, Athletic Bilbao, FC Salzburg, Slovan Bratislava

Group G: AZ Alkmaar, Metalist Kharkiv, Austria Wien, Malmö

Group H: Braga, Club Brugge, BIRMINGHAM CITY, NK Maribor

Group I: Atletico Madrid, Udinese, Stade Rennes, FC Sion

Group J: Schalke, Steaua Bucuresti, Maccabi Haifa, AEK Larnaca

Group K: FC Twente, FULHAM, Odense BK, Wisla Kraków

Group L: Anderlecht, AEK Athens, Lokomotiv Moscow, Sturm Graz




http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/tottenham-fulham-stoke-and-birmingham-learn-europa-league-fate-2344396.html?