Friday Fulham Stuff (30/09/11)...

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Andy Johnson double gives Fulham win in Odense



Odense 0-2 Fulham

  A RELIEVED Fulham claimed first win in nine games to give them a perfect tonic ahead of Sunday's big derby with QPR at Craven Cottage.

Two goals from Andy Johnson secured the points for Martin Jol's men in their Europa league group, taking his tally to six for the season – all of them coming in European ties.

Johnson's first after 36 minutes owed much to the persistence of Clint Dempsey – and some shoddy defending.

The USA striker wiggled past two ineffectual challenges and then cut inside a defender who stood off him before firing in a low shot that the keeper allowed under his body.

The second came two minutes from time, when he deftly controlled a long clearance and calmly curled a sublime shot into the far corner.

Johnson – who was also on target in Fulham's opening group game against Twente – also created opportunities for Pajtim Kasami and Dempsey, while Dempsey had a header cleared off the line by ex-Man United midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba.

Also among the familiar faces for the Danes was Bernard Mendy, who played in the Premier league for Bolton on Sam Allardyce, making his debut in a 4-1 defeat to Fulham.

But neither player was as big a threat as Djiby Baye Fall, with burly striker forcing Mark Schwarzer into a great one-handed save and also clipping a right foot volley narrowly wide in the first half.

Peter Utaka came on for him in the second half and the brother of ex Pompey player John Utaka forced Schwarzer into another save in the second half.

But Fulham were mostly in control of the evening, even if they did leave it a bit later than they should have to administer the final blow.



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/09/29/andy-johnson-double-gives-fulham-win-in-odense-64767-29511736/?#ixzz1ZPmSwyDE

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Fulham Bests Odense 2-0 Behind Andy Johnson's Double

Andy Johnson's brace lead visiting Fulham to a 2-0 victory over Odense BK (OB) at Odense Stadium in Denmark.

The win puts Fulham in 2nd place in Group K following FC Twente's 4-1 demolishing of Wisla Krakow. With both teams on four points, Twente sits in first ahead of Fulham on goal differential. OB is in third place with three points,while Wisla has not yet claimed a point in the competition.

While not fielding an entirely first choice lineup (Bobby Zamora stayed behind), Fulham still took to the field with a strong squad, featuring Clint Dempsey and Andy Johnson up top.



While Fulham looked the stronger side off of the opening kick off, it was OB who came closest to scoring first, but March Schwarzer's diving stop denied Djiby Fall.

Eventually, Fulham grew back into the match and were rewarded when Andy Johnson bagged his first, in the 36th minute, receiving a pass from Dempsey and firing home from the edge of the box.

OB pressed to equalize late, but it was Johnson who bagged a second for Fulham, latching onto a clearance near the top of the box, creating some space and finishing well into the upper right of the net, making it 2-0 to Fulham.

OB would lose Kalilou Traore to a second red card moments later, leaving them with 10-men to finish the match.

Fulham will return to action on Sunday when they look for their first Premier League victory at home against recently promoted rivals Queens Park Rangers.




http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2011/9/29/2458539/fulham-bests-odense-2-0-behind-andy-johnsons-double?

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Fulham have to shake slow start quickly – opposition focus

There weren't too many dissenting voices around Craven Cottage when Fulham appointed Martin Jol as manager in the summer, but a worst ever start to a Premiership season has nerves fraying a little.


Overview
For all the talk of looking to emulate the likes of Stoke and compete with teams like Newcastle and Aston Villa the honest truth is that the best QPR can probably hope for in the Premiership is to match what Fulham have done.
These two West London clubs, separated by less than three miles of expensive real estate but historically lacking the meetings to build up a really fierce rivalry, share an otherwise unique set of circumstances that make Premiership football almost impossible to maintain sustainably. Fulham have been n the top flight for ten years now and it has cost chairman Mohammed Al Fayed £196m to do that, on top of all the television money they have received in that time.

When they first shot through the leagues, cruelly sweeping aside one of the worst QPR teams of all time en route in 2000/01, Al Fayed was making grand promises about being the "Man Utd of the south" and indeed upon arrival in the Premiership he spent massive money on the likes of Steed Malbranque, Steve Marlet and Edwin van der Sarr to make them competitive. But plans for a new super stadium on the current Craven Cottage site were repeatedly turned down (Al Fayed never has had much luck with applications to authorities in this country, be they planning or passport) and they actually ended up playing at Loftus Road for two years while a cheaper, quicker fix was put into place. Craven Cottage is an odd place now, not only because of the Michael Jackson statue behind the main stand.

The lack of conferencing, banqueting, hospitality and hotel facilities means that Craven Cottage, like Loftus Road, only earns money for the club on matchdays and a capacity that only just creeps past the 20,000 mark means it doesn't make much of that – certainly not when compared to the majority of the rest of the Premiership. Everton stated again this week that they are unable to compete at this level because of their stadium, and Goodison Park is more than twice the size of both Craven Cottage and Loftus Road.

Even with the television money clubs like ours need subsidising to stay at this level. Al Fayed has happily done it to date but isn't getting any younger, Tony Fernandes seems willing to do the same for Rangers at the moment but time will tell. This summer Fulham spent £12m on Bryan Ruiz, a striker who is relatively unproven at the highest level who was previously playing in the Dutch League which isn't that much better than the pointless farce that they currently have in Scotland. That's the going rate these days, and Ruiz looked completely shell shocked by English football in his debut against Blackburn last week.

The problem for clubs like Fulham and QPR is that even with extensive subsidy it only needs one thing to go wrong and the trapdoor will start to creak. Fulham were exceptionally fortunate to stay in this league in the 2006/07 season when they replaced long serving Chris Coleman with Northern Ireland manager Lawrie Sanchez. Now Sanchez had done the best job of any manager for two decades with his country but his decision to try and move those Northern Ireland players to Fulham with him en masse looked flawed from the start – even with Sanchez as manager Northern Ireland were never particularly good. Only a miraculous rescue job, that included previously unheard of back to back away wins at Man City and Portsmouth, by Roy Hodgson saved them from what seemed like certain relegation. Hodgson, of course, went on to do a superb job with the Cottagers and led them to a Europa League final.

When he left for Liverpool Fulham turned to Mark Hughes which worked out nicely, but then this summer he walked out in something of a farce. With Aston Villa in the market for a boss and fluttering their eyelashes at Hughes he chose to take advantage of a break clause in his Fulham contract and walk away. Villa then promptly went after David Moyes instead, and then Roberto Martinez, and although they got neither the pride of both Randy Lerner and Mark Hughes meant they couldn't get back together. Hughes ended up with nothing, Villa ended up with worse than nothing, and Fulham went for Martin Jol.

The Dutchman's persona, attitude and style of football would seem to make him a perfect fit for Fulham but they have started the season very badly – picking up excellent results in the Europa League which they qualified for through the fair play league necessitating a summer of trips to the Faroe Islands and elsewhere, but failing to win any of their first six Premiership matches. It's their worst start to a top flight campaign since they returned ten years ago and even recent improved showings against Chelsea in the League Cup and Man City in the league, where they came from two down to draw, will count for little if it continues much longer.


Interview

Fulham fans are a bit like London buses – you ask for days for one to help you out and then two come along at once. Therefore, with thanks to Nick Bylung from The Hammy End and James Browne from Fulham Web, we have a long than usual interview section for our preview this week.

Tell us about Fulham's start to the season. Would it be fair to say it's been a slow start?

Nick - Of course we can't say anything else than that most of us had far higher hopes for the start of the season so far. Especially when looking at the fixture list ahead of the season. We've played fairly well in most games and dominated the possession without creating enough to put the ball into the opponents net. The games against Newcastle, Villa and Blackburn were all there for the taking. In all fairness in hindsight we could, and maybe should have got three points against Man City and knocked out Chelsea in the cup too, but performance wise we have no complaints regarding the latter two games. Although it has looked really good from time to time, football is about scoring and that's something we're not doing enough of so far this season.

James - No wins in six and the only team in the PL yet to register a win, the post match "we deserved to win" quotes from Martin Jol will not wash for much longer. Fulham need a win and will be desperate to reinforce fortress Craven Cottage with derby success against QPR. Signs have been more encouraging of late as the new formation and style of play introduced by Jol is starting to bed in. The first win is not far away, and Fulham fans will be desperate to put one over QPR.

What impact, if any, positive or negative has a summer of European football had on the team?

James - When we won the Intertoto ("We won it one time") we flew out of the blocks in the PL, but early this season we have looked lethargic and disjointed. Jol played very strong teams even against no-hopers from the Faroe Islands and regular Thursday night games will have a negative impact on the league campaign. In saying that the Europa league campaign will give more playing time to some talented youngsters, and it's great to be in Europe again as long as PL safety isn't compromised.

Nick - Not sure if the actual Europa games have had much impact per se, but the travels to places like Faroe Islands, Ukraine, Northern Ireland has taken its toll. In the space of seven days the team had to travel away to Wolverhampton, Ukraine and Newcastle, a series of games we got nothing from. I think we might have handled the qualifications for the Europa League better with a more settled squad and a manager that did just arrive to the club.

What on earth went on with Mark Hughes during the summer? What was the Fulham fans' opinion of him as a manager and has that changed because of the way he left?

Nick - Your guess is as good as mine; the Sparky-saga is one we probably never will unveil in full. Hughes said it was the clubs lack of ambition (i.e. funds for new players) that made him chose not to extend his contract, but as Martin Jol has had quite substantial fund to his disposal that seems strange. Most of us did like Hughes both when appointed and during the season, although he had a spell where many of us wanted him out. When we lost at home to West Ham on boxing day I thought he'd be fired before the turn of the year, but chairman Mo decided to show faith in him and he surely did well after that. After his odd departure from the club I think most people think less of him than before, still a decent manager but a very unreliable person sums it up I guess.

James - Not sure what happened with Hughes. Apparently he was nailed on for the Villa job but it didn't pan out for him. Opinions of Hughes were pretty mixed throughout the season, his Chelsea connections not helping to endear him to the fans. Personally I would have liked him to stay as our performances in the second half of last year were very good.

What do you make of Martin Jol's appointment? Is he the manager you wanted? What are your first impressions of him?

James - Martin Jol has a decent CV and has managed some big and successful clubs in Europe, so he was a perfect match for Fulham. He has a fairly difficult job as he inherited a small ageing squad (the oldest in the PL) and had a ridiculously early start. My first impressions of Jol were not good (but I'm renowned for knee jerk over reactions!) as some of the early season performances were pretty woeful and tactical decisions questionable - for example breaking up the successful Hangeland - Hughes central defensive partnership. The comeback against Man City proved that the players are playing for Jol and the Carling Cup performance v Chelsea persuaded me that Jol knows what he is doing. His transfer dealings look shrewd and players are slowly getting used to a new formation. Fulham will play some entertaining attacking football this year

Nick - He was, already before the appointment of Mark Hughes, the man I wanted. Most Fulham fans seems to share that sentiment but there are, as always, some that were disappointed too. As a person he's quite likable, outspoken and want to play football the "right" way, not the Tony Pulis way. There have been rumors about him not getting along with some players, but to me it sounds like the normal lazy journalism that always follows a new appointment in football.

What are the aims and ambitions of Fulham this season and in the long term?

Nick - The target this season still has to be the top half of the table, a decent cup run and get through to the knock-out stages of the Europa League. However if we don't start to score regularly soon we might have to revise those goals. ;) Long term I'd say we need to keep pushing every season to remain a top 10 side in the premiership but that might turn out to be very hard unless the Financial Fair play regulations are introduced in full very soon.

James - There is only one ambition every season and that is PL survival. We should have enough quality for another season of mid table obscurity, so hopefully we will get another decent run in the Europa League or FA Cup. The long term ambitions are to stay at the highest level for as long as possible without additional reliance on the chairman.

Mohammed Al Fayed has loaned £196m into Fulham to get them where they are today. Is this worrying? Do you worry about what lies beyond his reign?

James - Chairman Mo has clearly invested heavily in Fulham but has actually run the club very well. I'm not a financial expert, but for his investment he has many assets including Craven Cottage and a large training facility plus the value of the playing staff so his 'loans' to the club would mostly be recouped if he ever sold the club. However his son is involved in the club and I think the club will stay in the family at the end of his reign

Nick - I personally do, especially as there is a huge lack of transparency as to how the clubs finances are handled. Obviously Al Fayed is an old man and won't be around forever one has to be concerned about our long-term future. One of his sons are already on the board of directors and has stated that he'd like to fill his father's shoes in the future. On the other hand his daughter Camilla is not interested in the club at all and might want to sell the club or at least reclaim the loans. All this is obviously very speculative. One can't worry too much as these things are not something us fans can do much about at this point of time. We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed that Chairman Mo will be with us for many years to come.

Tell us a bit about Bryan Ruiz because his debut against Blackburn looked like a bit of a nightmare.

Nick - Oh, you saw that? Well, it really was one of the worst debuts I've seen in relation to the hype that surrounded his arrival. He obviously comes highly regarded from the Dutch league and one can assume that it is a player that Martin Jol has scouted for some time whilst with AJAX. Bryans displays versus Chelsea and WBA showed that the boy is talented and hopefully will deliver in the EPL as well. Guess we all know how some players need longer to adopt to the pace and physical side of the English game. I still have loads of faith in him and wouldn't be too surprised to see him start versus you on Sunday, considering we have a game on Thursday where he's tied. James - Ruiz had a shocker on his debut, but showed glimpses of brilliance against Chelsea in the Carling Cup. Despite an impressive goal scoring record in Holland, he is not an out and out striker, and will be used as a support striker or played wide as part of a three man attack. Ruiz has too much quality to struggle for long and he will provide Fulham with a genuine cutting edge. Get him in your fantasy team is my advice.

In the weird West London foodchain of fooball rivalry where do Fulham fans place QPR?

James - Just above Brentford is the honest answer Personally I think the rivalry with QPR is more real than rivalry with Chelsea, with both clubs claiming to be the secondary force in West London. The Fulham support is split on this issue mainly along age lines. Younger fans see Chelsea as the big one, whilst the older fans are looking forward to a 'proper' rivalry with QPR. The last games between Fulham and QPR definitely had an edge and Sunday will be no different.

Nick - In terms of squad size, talent and fan base I'd say the ranking is: Chelsea, Fulham, QPR and Brentford. When it comes to rivalry it's a completely different matter though. Many older fans regards the games versus QPR and Brentford as the true derbies, some younger fans only rate Chelsea as a rival whilst I guess most of us see the games versus yourselves as the main game, then Chelsea. I know a lot of Brentford fans really "dislikes" us with a passion but they don't stir up many feelings in our end these days.

Who is your star man, weak link, and unsung hero or up and coming youngster we maybe haven't heard about before?

Nick - This is obviously down to personal views and preference, but my star man is Clint Dempsey. Clint always works hard, scores vital goals and is a true sportsman to look up to. Weak link is a harder question depending on what line-up we'll field, having said that our weakest position so far this year has been at right back but with the arrival of Grygera from Juventus we seem to have found the man for the job. I don't really feel we have an unsung hero at the moment, feels like most players are fairly recognized for their part in the team. One might consider some of the youngsters as "unsung". The young 'uns are the ones we can be most happy about at the moment as we, for the first time in years, have several young prospects in our ranks. The ones that might be included in the squad for Sunday are Briggs, Kasami, Gecov and Orlando Sa.

James - Star Man is Bobby Zamora. When BZ plays well so do Fulham. Has been struggling with a niggly injury so far this season but still our main source of goals Unsung Hero - Chris Baird. Already played right back, centre back and in midfield this season. Always does a job and his passing is underrated Weak link - Still a couple of question marks about the defensive midfield position. Jol has been choosing between Sidwell and Etuhu but neither have nailed down a starting berth Up and coming youngster(s) - Academy graduates Matt Briggs and Karim Frei. Briggs has already played left back for England U21s and is improving all the time. 17 year old Frei will be a big star in years to come, goes past players for fun and could well be the best player Fulham have produced for 50 years. Both will probably be on duty in Denmark on Thursday so may not see action against QPR. Kasami a 19 year old summer signing from Palermo is another one to watch

With thanks to Nick and James for taking time out to help LoftforWords out this week.




http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/fb_news.php?storyid=14227

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Briggs earns another U21 call-up
by DAN on SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

Matthew Briggs has earned another call-up to the England under-21 squad for the forthcoming qualifiers against Iceland and Norway.

The Fulham left back made his Under-21 debut in last month's Euro 2013 qualifying opener against Azerbaijan. The 20 year-old made a goal in a comprehensive 6-0 win for England at Vicarage Road. Stuart Pearce has included Briggs alongside the uncapped Jason Lowe and Ryan Bennett.

Pearce's side travel to Reyjavik to face Iceland on October 6, before taking on Norway in Drammen on October 11 in two games that are sure to shape the Group 8 table.

FULL ENGLAND UNDER-21 SQUAD

GOALKEEPERS: Ben Amos (Manchester United), Jack Butland (Cheltenham Town – on loan from Birmingham), Declan Rudd (Norwich City).

DEFENDERS: Nathan Baker (Aston Villa), Joe Bennett (Middlesbrough), Ryan Bennett (Peterborough United), Matthew Briggs (Fulham), Craig Dawson (West Bromwich Albion), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Martin Kelly (Liverpool), Adam Smith (MK Dons – on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur).

MIDFIELDERS: Ross Barkley (Everton), Gary Gardner (Aston Villa), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Henri Lansbury (West Ham United – on loan from Arsenal), Jason Lowe (Blackburn Rovers), Josh McEachran (Chelsea), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Jack Rodwell (Everton), Jonjo Shelvey (Liverpool).

FORWARDS: Nathan Delfouneso (Aston Villa), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Marvin Sordell (Watford), Martyn Waghorn (Hull City – on loan from Leicester City), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United), Connor Wickham (Sunderland).



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/09/briggs-earns-another-u21-call-up/?

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Odense BK v Fulham – Player Ratings
by LORK on SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

Not a great performance and we certainly didn't continue our impressive play of our previous two and a half games but our team are good enough to beat Odense while not at our best. I as suprised at the strength of our team, was probably our strongest available  – we were missing Zamora, Ruiz and Dembele of course – other than the full backs (although that's under question on both sides) and Sidwell. In a way I was disappointed not to see Gecov or Frei at all during the game but we got a win, our first in a while, and that is wonderful to see. Good away win against a team which can cause problems, beating Villareal for example in their last home game, no injuries assuming Briggs fully recovered from that tackle and relatively little energy expunged, all in all it was solid. Win our next two home games and we should be sorted for the group I think.

Schwarzer – 7, alright I've been getting a bit of slack for underrating Schwarzer so maybe I do judge keepers too harshly, usually I'd give a performance like this a 6.5. Anyway pulled off two superb stops, the one from Fall in the first half was sensational. Otherwise he was never tested from crosses and never had to sweep up behind the defence so wasn't really too troubled over the 90 minutes other than the stops he made. Distribution wasn't particuarly poor or impressive.

Senderos – 5, I've been bigging him up recently but today he was really quite poor. Slipped three or four times in with potentially disastrous concequences but fortunately for him and us there was a goalie, gold shirt or yellow card in the way. Other than that he didn't make any remarkable clearances or tackles. Senderos picked up an assist too which I won't give him credit for but he did look up and spot Johnson to play the long ball in his direction which I thought was neat.

Hangeland – 6.5, like Senderos had a fairly sloppy game but stood up strong when he needed too, making some good clearing headers and blocks while we were under pressure. Never really used the ball like he normally does, and while some might point to the through ball for Briggs in the first half I thought it was an average ball which was made good by the right back switching off.

Briggs – 6, didn't really see too many of those surging runs forward that we know he can make, and I can only remember one on the ball which he should have made more of when almost at the byline but his cutback was poor, but was good as usual with the ball in tight situations. I like his flair from left back, it gives us a different attacking outlet, and an example of that was the nice little flick inside when he got vicuously tackled by Traore. Defensively I thought he was quite solid tonight other than being guilty of being too central a couple of times in the first half which were almost costly.

Kelly – 6.5, ...who's slack marking gave Kadrii alot of time and space to put the ball back into a dangerous area from those two far post crosses. Apart from that though his defending was pretty good, with a few key sliding challenges and blocks. Didn't really give the ball away although I can't remember a cross or meaningful action in their final third.

Murphy – 5.5, was very poor overall, giving the ball away numerous times inexplicably and mis-hitting long passes which could have caused Odense trouble. Improved in the second half to be fair and started to get into the swing of things but was then replaced by Sidwell. Wouldn't have played him personally, like I said I would have preferred to have seen Gecov get another chance.

Etuhu – 5.5, first start for a while and to be fair to him he is getting back into the swing of things after recovering from injury but he was bypassed too often really, not closing down when he could have done (why was he so far from Djemba Djemba so often?), couple of dodgy clearances from long throw-ins. His passing didn't let him down though which is one issue Fulham fans really have with him and he did make a couple of good intelligent runs into the Odense box but defensively not very good really.

Kasami – 5.5, saw alot of the ball in dangerous positions and credit to him for that but his final ball or decision making when a scoring chance could have been created was dreadful. Really was poor, and that's uncharacteristic  from someone who's crossing is usually very impressive. His decision making has always been a bit up and down to be fair but he's only 19 and he will learn from that. Would have played Frei ahead of him but if only to see Frei get some more minutes, not as a refelction on Kasami.

Duff – 6, didn't attack defenders much at all or put in devestating crosses but made one very good run on his weaker foot across the box and overall had a solid game. His energy levels really are phenomenal, he approaches every game with equal intensity.

Dempsey – 6.5, had some bright moments but shot from distance way too much in the first half. Caused problems for the Odense defence though, and just on perseverence and quick thought alone did well to set up Johnson for his first, plus he worked hard for the midfield.

Johnson – 8, the stand out Fulham man today, scoring the two goals to take us to victory. The first was good, a neat touch when he collected it onto his right foot before striking it low, and while he hit it well the goalkeeper must take the blame I think. The second was superb, wonderfully collecting the ball from out of the sky first time into space and onto his favoured foot in a good position after Senderos' long clearance, giving him the opportunity to wait, play mind games with the keeper before very nicely curling the ball around him. An excellent goal. Beside them his running into wide positions was tireless and he fizzed in a couple of dangerous balls. After falling out of favour recently it should give him alot of confidence. A couple of nice stats came out of that game too; the first is that Fulham's never lost when he's scored and the second is that AJ is now the leading scorer in Europe with 6 from 10 games.

~Subs~

Sidwell – 6, I think that we struggled to keep possession as well when Murphy came off for Sidwell, as I say Murphy was starting to control the game, but he did alright. Nothing really to say.

Sa – N/A, wasn't on for long and didn't see much of the ball although was setting up to shoot after a neat run in to the box which could have been interesting if it weren't for a timely challenge.




http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/09/odense-bk-v-fulham-player-ratings/?

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Jol praises AJ display

Martin Jol described Andy Johnson as a "handful" after the striker's brace fired Fulham to a 2-0 win in their second UEFA Europa League Group K match in Denmark.

Johnson gave the Whites the lead after 36 minutes and sealed the victory in the closing minutes with a breathtaking, instinctive strike.

"If you're 1-0 up you're not really nervous, but 1-0 is 1-0. They could have scored five minutes before the end, so it's always good to have someone like Andy who scores a second goal and then the pressure is off," reflected the Fulham Manager.

"Sometimes you need to be given opportunities. But then the second goal wasn't even an opportunity, it was unbelievable. The ball was sky high and his first touch was perfect. Maybe he didn't think about it, but that's probably why it was an amazing goal."

The victory was Fulham's first in September, after a run of five draws, although Jol has been at pains to point out that recent results haven't necessarily been reflective of his team's performances.

"I don't think there will be another match in the past where we would have created more chances than at West Brom," he explained. "We had 60% possession in the first-half there, so it's only a matter of putting those chances in the net. What Andy did in the first-half for example - out of nothing – that is a good striker."

However, despite Johnson's outstanding display, Jol would not confirm whether or not the striker had played himself into a guaranteed starting place when the Whites host Queens Park Rangers this Sunday.

"I'll have to make a decision on that," he said. "Bobby Zamora scored against Man City, and he scored against Blackburn as well. Against Man City he set up the second goal too, so it's always a matter of making a decision. But I'm 100% certain that if I do start Andy he won't let anybody down, because he's a true professional. He always plays with his heart, and I don't think you can say that with all the professionals in football."

However, despite the positive result, Jol was cautious about getting too carried away, recognising that the quest for a first Premier League win continues on Sunday and that there is still room for improvement in his side.

"We didn't do particularly well in the first-half," he reflected." We created five or six chances, but they had four chances as well. So we were caught between thoughts. Their two strikers were too high up, we couldn't screen, they played too wingers so we couldn't press in the midfield and then they started to play around us at times. So we changed that and then they had the same problem as we had.

"But we know we are a good defensive side. We just need to take our opportunities better. There were some situations when we caught them on the break, four against three, and still lost the ball ourselves, so there are a lot of things to work on."




Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/September/JolOdenseReaction.aspx?#ixzz1ZPoMyqij

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Fulham tops Odense BK on the road

Andrew Johnson's brace helped Fulham end an eight-game winless run and secure three points at Odense in the Europa League on Thursday evening.

The 30-year-old broke the deadlock with a first-half strike that snuck under former Everton goalkeeper Stefan Wessels, before scoring with a neat curling effort with two minutes remaining.

Odense had started the Group K encounter strongly and Djiby Fall twice went close to breaking the deadlock in the opening 20 minutes.

Mark Schwarzer did well to save the first effort and was called into action on a number of occasions during the evening's play at the Odense Stadion.

The hosts had only lost one of their previous 15 home games in European competition, but the west Londoners remained resolute to secure victory.

Heading into the Group K encounter, Johnson was named as lone striker in a 4-4-1-1 formation and was one of six changes made to the side that started Saturday's 0-0 draw with West Brom.

Fulham's Danish opponents named four players with Premier League experience in their starting XI, including former Manchester United and Aston Villa midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba.

Odense came into this evening's match on a poor run of form having lost three successive matches, including a 4-1 home defeat to FC Midtjylland on Sunday.

However, Henrik Clausen's side have impressed in Europe and had their first shot within a minute when Bashkim Kadrii skewed a volley wide.

While Odense goalkeeper Wessels was forced to save goalbound efforts from Pajtim Kasami and Clint Dempsey within the opening 10 minutes, the home side dominated the early exchanges.

Djemba-Djemba fired a 20-yard drive just wide and only a superb one-handed Schwarzer save prevented Fall breaking the deadlock in the 12th minute.

The latter again came agonisingly close to scoring eight minutes later but the Senegal international's acrobatic volley from Andreas Johansson's cross went just wide.

Fulham were being pinned back by their hosts but looked dangerous on the counter-attack, going close in the 27th minute.

After neat play between Philippe Senderos and Johnson, the ball fell kindly to Dempsey in the six-yard box and only Tore Reginiussen's last-gasp block prevented a certain-looking goal.

The Cottagers were beginning to find their feet as the first half wore on and, after Dempsey blazed over, Wessels had to thwart Brede Hangeland from a corner.

The visitors were getting ever closer and a powerful Dempsey header was sneaking in before Djemba-Djemba's goalline clearance.

Fulham's pressure eventually paid dividends in the 36th minute when Johnson latched onto a ball from Dempsey and struck a shot that snuck under Wessels.

Fall and Kadrii both blazed wide attempts to equalise wide shortly after, allowing the visitors to go in boasting a half-time lead.

Odense looked rejuvenated after the break and, aside from a Kasami drive, dominated the first 10 minutes.

Djemba-Djemba thrashed over and Johansson saw a shot flash just wide after Schwarzer saved well from Kadrii.

Damien Duff managed to wriggle free and force Wessels to save at the other end, before the home side returned to the attack.

Senderos was booked for a 63rd-minute foul on Fall as the home side threatened to break, before the striker was replaced four minutes later by Peter Utaka - brother of former Portsmouth forward John - in a bid to force an equaliser.

Shortly after the change, Kalilou Traore received a yellow card for a two-footed challenge on Matthew Briggs that saw the left-back receive treatment.

The youngster recovered from the injury and had to defend immediately as Odense pressed for an equaliser.

Schwarzer was forced into action to stop substitute Utaka before Johnson wrapped up victory with his second of the evening.

The striker showed a good touch to control a long ball before curling the ball past Wessels in the 88th minute.

Odense's evening got even worse moments later when Traore was sent off for a second booking.




http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/latinamerica/story/odense-bk-2-0-fulham-europa-league-match-report-andrew-johnson-scores-twice-092911?

[WhiteJC]

 
JOHNSON STRIKES IMPRESS JOL



Fulham manager Martin Jol set his sights on tying Andrew Johnson down to a new contract after he proved the matchwinner at Odense on Thursday evening.

The 30-year-old's brace helped the Cottagers end an eight-game winless run and secure three points in Group K of the Europa League at the Odense Stadion.

Johnson, whose contract expires at the end of the season, broke the deadlock with a first-half strike that snuck under former Everton goalkeeper Stefan Wessels, before scoring with a neat curling effort with two minutes remaining.

Jol said: "He is top scorer in Europe if you count qualification matches too. He was a handful tonight.

"He hasn't done it in the league but sometimes you have to give him the opportunities too.

"The second goal was unbelievable. The ball was high and he took it on his shoe.

"It was amazing. It came from nothing.

"We have offered him another two years so there is a lot of confidence in him.

"Sometimes it's better to start talking in December or January.

"Andy is a good boy and a good worker.

"He has one year left and hopefully we can change that. If not, it is in his hands.

"He is a team player and will give you his all.

"He was good for us today and Fulham has been good to him before my time here.

"He has had a lot of big injuries and didn't score a lot of goals last year, just two, maybe three. It's a good marriage, you know?

"I want Andy to be with us and stay here. I don't think there's a lot of difference [in the negotiations].

"We have spoken a couple of times in the last couple of weeks."

Johnson's brace has seen him rack up six Europa League goals in nine appearances.

Jol hinted such form could see him start Sunday's Barclays Premier League encounter with QPR, against whom he hopes the Cottagers will be more clinical.

"I'm 100% certain that if I start Andy he won't let anyone down," the Dutchman added.

"He is a true professional, he always plays with his heart and you can't say that of all the pros in football.

"We didn't do particularly well in first half.

"We have to look at every game again. If we'd scored against West Brom there's no problem. We have had five draws. It's ridiculous.

"It means we are good defensively but we couldn't put the ball in the net."

Many Odense fans felt the 2-0 defeat was harsh given the balance of possession and manager Henrik Clausen was also frustrated by the result.


"The situation in the group is where you'd expect it to be with Fulham and Twente the favourites," he said.

"I saw a lot of opportunities to get a point today but we didn't so that decreases our chances of going through.

"But there's a long way until December 14 and we still have two home games.

"Plus if we have a good day at Fulham we still have a chance to go through and I will be very happy."

On Odense's performance against Fulham, he added: "We played the way I want them to play.

"I was happy with the performance but not the result.

"They took their two chances well. This was a far, far better performance than our previous three games."




http://www.sportinglife.com/football/premiership/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/11/09/29/SOCCER_Fulham_Quotes.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Odense 0-2 Fulham: Andrew Johnson hits brace as Martin Jol's men cruise to victory in Denmark

Fulham comfortably beat OB Odense 2-0 in its Europa League tie in Denmark on Thursday.

Andrew Johnson recorded a pair of goals, the first of which was set up by American midfielder Clint Dempsey in the first half.

The game started at a frantic pace with both sides creating early chances to score, Kadrii volleyed wide in the first minute and Kasami should have done better than hitting the keeper following Johnson's cut-back.

Neither side was able to dominate but the game remained open, Dempsey hit a flying volley straight at Wessels and moments later former Manchester United midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba hit a 30-yard shot wide.

Odense then carved a golden chance to score. Kadrii squared the ball to the Senegalese forward Djiby Fall, whose toe-poke was heading for the corner when Mark Schwarzer dove to his left and clawed the ball away magnificently.

Fall then hit an overhead kick wide before Dempsey saw an effort blocked as both sides continued to hunt for the game's opening goal.

Dempsey had a header cleared off the line by Djemba-Djemba but it was Fulham which finally broke the deadlock minutes later.

Dempsey did well to break two tackles and play the ball to Johnson, who cut inside from the left and hit a low shot towards Wessels, who was unable to keep the ball out.

Fall had yet another chance to score from Andreasson's cut-back but could only side-foot over from 12 yards when unmarked.

The second half was a more tense affair as Fulham looked to consolidate behind its goal. Kasami threatened early on as he flashed the ball across the Odense goal with Senderos lurking.

Young winger Kadrii was looking Odense's brightest attacking threat and his long-range effort stretched Schwarzer. Fulham struggled to clear the ball with Senderos looking particularly unsure.

Fulham continued to drop further and further back but should have had a man advantage after 70 minutes, with Traore only picking up a yellow card for a two-footed lunge on Briggs that left the young fullback requiring treatment.

Senderos was again causing his teammates problems as Peter Utaka muscled him off the ball and brought a good save from Schwarzer.

Odense continued to search for an equalizer but was caught on the counter, Johnson plucked the ball out the air and curled a sumptuous shot past Wessels.

Traore was eventually sent-off for a second yellow card late on as Odense's challenge fizzled out and Fulham headed back to West London with all three points.



http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=goal-odensefulhamandrewjohnsonhi

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AJ can be deadly

Fulham midfielder Dickson Etuhu praised goal hero Andrew Johnson after the striker's double handed the Whites a valuable European victory.

Johnson opened the scoring on 35 minutes with a trademark run and finish before adding an even better effort in the closing stages.

"That's what AJ gives you," Dickson told fulhamfc.com. "He has so much quality and he took his goals really well. But that's what he is all about. When he gets in those positions he can be deadly.

"We were under a bit of pressure at times and his goals came at important moments. He gives us something that others can't and tonight he did that, and in some fashion.

"He was lively throughout and was always a threat. Every time we got on the ball he was making his run - he was always an outlet. He had a great game and was rewarded with two goals."

Like Johnson, Etuhu was recalled to Martin Jol's starting line-up and like his goal-scoring team-mate the 28-year-old impressed.

"It had been a while since I was out there," he explained. "I had been injured for a bit and then found myself out of the starting XI - so it was good to be back.

"Of course, it made it even better following a performance and result like that. It was tough at times, but it was good. You just want to show what you can do and hopefully that will be enough."

The 2-0 defeat of Odense secured Fulham's first UEFA Europa League Group Stage win and their first victory since August.

"It had been a long time coming and it's given us a real lift," added Dickson. "It was good to get our first win of the group stages and we now need to take that into our next game.

"That is a difficult match against QPR, but we'll take a lot from this game. We need to start putting a few wins together now and get some momentum back. Hopefully we can do that on Sunday."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/September/DicksonOdenseReaction.aspx?#ixzz1ZPpmIorX

[WhiteJC]

 
Odense 0-2 Fulham

Andy Johnson is authoring a curious season.  He now has six goals, all of which have come in Europe. How about that?

Not a great deal happened tonight, and we still look like a team in transition.  I was encouraged by Pajtim Kasami's relentlessness but not his decision making; it was nice to see Dickson Etuhu back again; ditto Matthew Briggs.  Mark Schwarzer made some good saves, one, in the first half, being outstanding.  On the debit side Philippe Senderos had a weird night which suggested not all was entirely well in his world, Damien Duff seemed quiet, and Danny Murphy blew hot and cold.

Odense – sporting a Wigan Athletic style dull blue and white striped outfit – were a reasonable lot but aside from the odd scare here and there really didn't cause Fulham enough bother, and will be immensely disappointed to have lost a home game so softly.  We ought to beat them easily at the Cottage, Wisla Krakow look poor, so progress in Europe at least looks very achievable. And with Johnson up front, who could possibly stop us?



http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2011/09/29/odense-0-2-fulham/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham offer Johnson new deal
Fulham boss wants to keep hold of his prized striker


Jol: Faces an anxious wait to see if Johnson will sign his new contract

Martin Jol has revealed Fulham have offered Andrew Johnson a new contract after seeing him notch a brace against Odense in the Europa League.

The former Engalnd striker was in supreme form as he struck in each half to end a run of eight games without a win for the Cottagers.

Johnson's contract expires next summer but showed why Jol is keen to retain him with a second goal that oozed class.

Jol said: "He is top scorer in Europe if you count qualification matches too. He was a handful tonight.

"He hasn't done it in the league but sometimes you have to give him the opportunities too.

"The second goal was unbelievable. The ball was high and he took it on his shoe. It was amazing. It came from nothing.

"We have offered him another two years so there is a lot of confidence in him.

Sometimes it's better to start talking in December or January. Andy is a good boy and a good worker.

"He has one year left and hopefully we can change that. If not, it is in his hands.

He is a team player and will give you his all. He was good for us today and Fulham has been good to him before my time here.

Injuries

"He has had a lot of big injuries and didn't score a lot of goals last year, just two, maybe three. It's a good marriage, you know?

"I want Andy to be with us and stay here. I don't think there's a lot of difference [in the negotiations].

"We have spoken a couple of times in the last couple of weeks."

Johnson's brace has seen him rack up six Europa League goals in nine appearances.

Jol hinted such form could see him start Sunday's Premier League encounter with QPR, against whom he hopes the Cottagers will be more clinical.

"I'm 100% certain that if I start Andy he won't let anyone down," the Dutchman added.

"He is a true professional, he always plays with his heart and you can't say that of all the pros in football.

"We didn't do particularly well in first half. We have to look at every game again. If we'd scored against West Brom there's no problem. We have had five draws. It's ridiculous.

"It means we are good defensively but we couldn't put the ball in the net."

Defeat

Many Odense fans felt the 2-0 defeat was harsh given the balance of possession and manager Henrik Clausen was also frustrated by the result.

"The situation in the group is where you'd expect it to be with Fulham and Twente the favourites," he said.

"I saw a lot of opportunities to get a point today but we didn't so that decreases our chances of going through.

"But there's a long way until December 14 and we still have two home games.

Plus if we have a good day at Fulham we still have a chance to go through and I will be very happy."

On Odense's performance against Fulham, he added: "We played the way I want them to play.

"I was happy with the performance but not the result. They took their two chances well. This was a far, far better performance than our previous three games."



http://www.skysports.com/story/0,,12040_7211563,00.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Etuhu happy to be back
by DAN on SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

Dickson Etuhu was delighted to return to the Fulham starting line-up and pleased to come away from a tough encounter against Odense with three precious points in the Europa League.

The Nigerian midfielder was making his first start Fulham's 2-0 defeat by Wolves at Molineux in August after coming on as a late substitute against West Brom on Saturday. Etuhu had been sidelined with a thigh injury and hopes to keep his place for Sunday's Premier League game against QPR.

It had been a while since I was out there. I had been injured for a bit and then found myself out of the starting XI – so it was good to be back.

Of course, it made it even better following a performance and result like that. It was tough at times, but it was good. You just want to show what you can do and hopefully that will be enough.

Etuhu was glad to help the team return to winning ways and wants the momentum to continue for the weekend's local derby.

It had been a long time coming and it's given us a real lift. It was good to get our first win of the group stages and we now need to take that into our next game.

That is a difficult match against QPR, but we'll take a lot from this game. We need to start putting a few wins together now and get some momentum back. Hopefully we can do that on Sunday.

Etuhu heaped praise on Andy Johnson after the striker's brace settled the game.

That's what AJ gives you. He has so much quality and he took his goals really well. But that's what he is all about. When he gets in those positions he can be deadly.

We were under a bit of pressure at times and his goals came at important moments. He gives us something that others can't and tonight he did that, and in some fashion.

He was lively throughout and was always a threat. Every time we got on the ball he was making his run – he was always an outlet. He had a great game and was rewarded with two goals.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/09/etuhu-happy-to-be-back-2/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Martin Jol wants Andrew Johnson to sign new Fulham deal


Johnson has less than a year remaining on his Fulham contract

Fulham manager Martin Jol hopes striker Andrew Johnson will sign a new contract after he scored twice to give Fulham a Europa League win over Odense.

The 30-year-old's fifth and sixth goals of the season earned the Cottagers their first win in nine games.

And with Johnson's contract expiring next summer, Jol said the club have offered him a two-year deal.

"I want Andy to be with us and stay here. We have spoken a couple of times in the last couple of weeks," Jol said.

Johnson's brace took his tally to six Europa League goals in nine appearances in the competition this season.

But he is yet to score in the Premier League, having made four starts.

Both goals against Odense came on the counter attack. Johnson cut inside to register his first on 36 minutes before curling in a second two minutes from the end.

"He is top scorer in Europe if you count qualification matches too. He was a handful tonight," Jol added.

"He hasn't done it in the league but sometimes you have to give him the opportunities too.

"We have offered him another two years so there is a lot of confidence in him. Sometimes it's better to start talking in December or January.

"He has one year left and hopefully we can change that. If not, it is in his hands."

Fulham were without first-choice striker Bobby Zamora in Denmark because of illness.

And Jol hinted that Johnson's form could mean he starts Sunday's west London derby against QPR, as the Cottagers seek their first Premier League win of the campaign.

"I'm 100% certain that if I start Andy he won't let anyone down," the Dutchman stated.

"He is a true professional, he always plays with his heart and you can't say that of all the pros in football."



http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15118866.stm?

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Queens Park Rangers and Fulham could consider sharing a new stadium
Queens Park Rangers visit Craven Cottage on Sunday for a west London derby, but is there a chance that the two Premier League clubs may eventually share a bespoke new stadium? It seems so.

They have shared before, of course, with Fulham the tenants at Loftus Road for two seasons between 2002 and 2004 while Craven Cottage was redeveloped after plans for an ambitious new ground had been shelved.

Going even further back, in the late 1980s, there was even a scheme by the club's then owners to sell off the Cottage and merge the two clubs as Fulham Park Rangers and play at Loftus Road.

That plan, after understandable hostility, was quickly dropped.

However new QPR chairman Tony Fernandes has identified that with a stadium at a capacity of just 18,300 and with limited facilities and no real hope of redeveloping the existing ground, his club have to move. And quickly.

It helps that QPR are well located within London with parcels of land available nearby, partly opened up by the BBC's Salford relocation and the huge Westfield shopping development. Indeed Fernandes has already candidly floated the idea of not just moving but sharing.

Some have assumed that this would entail a deal with Chelsea, who have been considering for some time whether to quit Stamford Bridge and have received approaches ever since Roman Abramovich acquired the club.

It is believed that QPR would like to examine whether an initial 30,000-capacity stadium would work for them and there has even been the idea of building a slightly larger arena and trying to offer discounted tickets to watch the other team that occupies it, and vice-versa.

The attitude of Fulham owner Mohamed Fayed is key, of course, to the possibility of a ground-share. He would encounter opposition to re-developing the Craven Cottage site for commercial use from the local council, as he has found out before, while there is no suggestion that right now he would be even interested in discussing a new stadium.

But given the proximity of both clubs, 2.5 miles apart, and given their similar fan-bases and the challenges they face to stay in the Premier League and compete, it would be surprising if, come Sunday, there isn't even the slightest suggestion of a collaboration in the pre-match hospitality.

Capello planning for all eventualities with large squad for Montenegro
Fabio Capello has drawn up a bigger than usual provisional squad ahead of next week's final Euro 2012 qualifier away to Montenegro because of the fitness concerns over Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand, three of England's most important players.

All are in that provisional squad but have to take some part of their club matches this weekend. Even then doubts persist over Gerrard, in particular, who is set to be among the substitutes for the Merseyside derby.

Capello will be at Goodison Park and then take in Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal on Sunday while England general manager Franco Baldini will watch Manchester United face Norwich City tomorrow and travel to White Hart Lane the following day.

Rooney, who has been suffering from a hamstring strain, is expected to be in the United squad. Even if he does not get on the pitch, Capello might consider including him when he names his squad on Sunday evening.

That provisional squad also includes Daniel Sturridge, Andy Carroll and Danny Welbeck and the England management are encouraged, in particular, that the Liverpool striker is returning to form and fitness.

Shaun Wright-Phillips has also returned to the fold, as this column revealed last week, although his inclusion depends on whether Capello selects Theo Walcott while Peter Crouch is also back in the reckoning.

Spurs remain defiant over Modric's future
Tottenham Hotspur were adamant throughout the Luka Modric transfer saga that the Croatian midfielder would not be allowed to leave and join Chelsea.

That resolve was tested all summer with Chelsea making a series of improved offers which were rebuffed, including a final bid of £40 million. It was quite a statement from Spurs and one made by chairman Daniel Levy.

He had the full backing and was encouraged to be so aggressive by Joe Lewis, the billionaire who effectively owns the club.

It is understood that Lewis is also playing a key role in ensuring that Modric is offered a new, improved contract to persuade him to stay at Spurs even though he has five years left on his current deal.

Modric turned down the chance to meet Lewis while he still hoped to move to Chelsea but now that the window is closed the two are believed to have met for tea last week to discuss not only the player's future but to let him know the club's ambitious plans to compete.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/8797924/Queens-Park-Rangers-and-Fulham-could-consider-sharing-a-new-stadium.html?

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Johnson finds the edge to end Fulham's winless run
Odense BK 0 Fulham 2


Andy Johnson celebrates scoring his first goal during
Fulham's 2-0 win over Odense last night


Fulham may have finally generated some momentum last night, as they earned to an away win at Odense. Martin Jol's side have endured a draining start to the season; this was their 17th competitive match, and their 10th in the Europa League alone. The insistence of their schedule has prevented them from building much rhythm – last night ended an eight-game winless streak – but their performance was good enough to suggest that improvement is imminent.

Andy Johnson scored the two goals, one at the end of each half, both calm right-footed finishes as he cut in from the left. "He is the top scorer in Europe if you count qualification matches too," said Jol. "He was a handful tonight."

Odense had started the game sharper than their visitors, Senegalese striker Baye Djibi Fall forcing one brilliant sprawling save from Mark Schwarzer. Towards the end of a half of alternating breaks and chances, Fulham found the net. Johnson cut past centre-back Anders Moller Christensen and shot fiercely beyond Anders Wessels.

Once ahead, Fulham were free to play a different game. They kept the ball when they had it, and defended deep when they did not: Brede Hangeland, Danny Murphy and Schwarzer all showed the assurance of experience.

With Odense so far up the pitch in the hope of an equaliser, the second goal was simple. Philippe Senderos played a long pass upfield, Johnson took it down, moved inside Christensen and curled a shot into the net.

Odense BK (4-4-2): Wessels; Ruud, Christensen, Reginiussen, Mendy; Andreasen, Johansson, Traoré, Djemba-Djemba (Skoubo, 84); Kadrii (Gislason, 79), Djiby Fall (Utaka, 69). Substitutes not used Toppel (gk), C Sorensen, Larsen, Hoegh.

Fulham (4-2-3-1): Schwarzer; Kelly, Hangeland, Senderos, Briggs; Kasami (Sa, 84), Murphy (Sidwell, 77); Duff, Etuhu, Dempsey; Johnson. Substitutes not used Etheridge (gk), Riise, Baird, Frei, Grygera.

Referee M Layushkin (Russia).



http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/johnson-finds-the-edge-to-end-fulhams-winless-run-2363315.html?

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Odense 0 Fulham 2: Johnson's two good to divorce, claims Jol

Martin Jol described Andrew Johnson and  Fulham as a 'good marriage' after the striker scored two goals to give the club a much-needed win in Denmark.

With the 30-year-old out of contract next summer, Johnson did himself little harm of extending the union beyond its fourth anniversary.

Fulham have played much better this season and not come away with a win. But, with a west London derby against QPR on Sunday and Jol yet to achieve his first Barclays Premier League win as Fulham boss, last night's result was a confidence booster for a side who had not won for six weeks.


Golden goal: Andrew Johnson celebrates giving Fulham the lead in the first half

Without Bobby Zamora, who did not travel after missing  Saturday's stalemate at West Bromwich through illness, Fulham can look short of a genuine goal threat.

But Johnson's brace on Thursday has taken his tally to six goals in 13 appearances this season, although all have come in the Europa League. 

Jol praised Johnson's contribution but revealed the striker has turned down a two-year contract extension. The Fulham boss added: 'Andy was a handful. He hasn't done it in the  Premier League but sometimes you have to give him the opportunities.

'The second goal was unbelievable. The ball was high and he took it on his shoe. It was amazing. We have offered him another two years so there is a lot of confidence in him. It's a good marriage, you know.'

Johnson hit the target, but Clint Dempsey worked tirelessly, Odense struggling to cope with his movement.


Top save: Mark Schwarzer gets down low to save a shot from Hans Henrik Andreasen

Dempsey's right-foot shot from the edge of the area after three minutes was  followed by a right-foot volley and then his header from a Pajtim Kasami corner was cleared off the line by former Manchester United midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba.


All you need is Duff: Fulham winger Damien Duff challenges former Manchester United midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba of Odense

But Odense certainly had their chances, too, and notched up 24 attempts at goal. Mark Schwarzer had to pull off a world-class save,  diving to his left and steering Djiby Fall's shot wide, after 13 minutes.

Fall also saw a 24th minute free-kick bend round Fulham's wall but  whistle past the post.

But Johnson's 36th minute strike settled Fulham's nerves. Dempsey was the provider with a forward surge which allowed his strike partner to beat Stefan Wessels with a right-foot finish.


Beating the man: Steven Kelly beats Hans Henrik Andreasen to the ball

If his first was a little  fortuitous, his second was class. Johnson controlled the ball with his left foot, as Anders Moller Christensen stood off him, before curling a shot round Wessels after 88 minutes.

Kalilou Traore should have seen red for a two-footed lunge at Matthew Briggs after 70 minutes.


First to the ball: Andrew JOhnson shows his pace as he gets away from Bernard Mendy

But the midfielder managed to stay on the pitch until stoppage time, when he received a second booking for another poor challenge on Damien Duff.


MATCH FACTS
Odense: Wessels 4; Ruud 5, Reginiussen 5, Moller Christensen 5, Mendy 5;  Johansson 6, Traore 5,  Djemba-Djemba 6 (Skoubo 84), Kadril 6 (Gislason 79); Andreasen 5, Fall 6 (Utaka 68, 5). Subs not used: Toppel, Sorensen, Larsen, Hoegh.
Booked: Traore Sent off: Traore

Fulham: Schwarzer 8;  Kelly 7, Senderos 6, Hangeland 7, Briggs 6; Kasami 3 (Sa 84),  Murphy 7, (Sidwell 77), Etuhu 7,  Duff 6; Dempsey 8, Johnson 8.  Subs not used: Etheridge, JA Riise, Baird, Frei, Grygera
Booked: Senderos, Etuhu.
Scorer: Johnson 36, 88

Man of the match: Andrew Johnson
Referee: Maksim  Layushkin  (Russia).




Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2043414/Odense-0-Fulham-2-Andrew-Johnsons-good-divorce-claims-Martin-Jol.html#ixzz1ZPsn5jFa

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Andy Johnson offered improved Fulham deal

FULHAM have offered striker Andy Johnson an improved deal in a bid to keep him at the club.

The former England frontman scored twice in tonight's win over Odense, but is in the last 12 months of his contract at Craven Cottage, with talks over a new one-year deal having stalled.

However, Whites boss Martin Jol has offered him a two-year deal that would keep him in SW6 until 2014.

The Dutchman said: "He is top scorer in Europe if you count qualification matches too. He was a handful tonight.

"He hasn't done it in the league but sometimes you have to give him the opportunities too.

"The second goal was unbelievable. The ball was high and he took it on his shoe. It was amazing. It came from nothing.

"We have offered him another two years so there is a lot of confidence in him.

"Sometimes it's better to start talking in December or January. Andy is a good boy and a good worker.

"He has one year left and hopefully we can change that. If not, it is in his hands.

"He is a team player and will give you his all. He was good for us today and Fulham has been good to him before my time here.

"He has had a lot of big injuries and didn't score a lot of goals last year, just two, maybe three. It's a good marriage, you know?

"I want Andy to be with us and stay here. I don't think there's a lot of difference [in the negotiations].

"We have spoken a couple of times in the last couple of weeks."



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/09/29/andy-johnson-offered-improved-fulham-deal-82029-29512920/?#ixzz1ZPu0nAYI

[WhiteJC]

 
ODENSE 0 FULHAM 2: ANDY JOHNSON AT THE DOUBLE TO SHOW HE IS THE REAL DEAL

FULHAM came home from their Danish expedition with the bacon, thanks to their Europa League predator Andy Johnson.

Johnson, above, scored both goals to take his tally to six in the competition and manager Martin Jol said he was hoping to tie the striker down to a new contract as they have the "perfect marriage".

Johnson, 30, has been offered a two-year deal and Jol said: "He is a team player and will give you his all. He was good for us today and Fulham has been good to him before my time here because he had a lot of injuries.

"It's a good marriage you know. Some players would have been unsettled by contract talks. Andy is a good boy, a good worker even if he had a four-year contract. He has one year left and hopefully we can change that. If not, it is in his hands."

Johnson showed he has as much bite as the mosquitoes that plagued this stadium last night, with a vicious low shot that beat the sprawling Stefan Wessels to put Fulham one up after 35 minutes. He added the second in the 89th minute with an even better curling finish after controlling a long ball.

Fulham had another hero in goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer as he made two excellent saves to deny Odense, who finished with 10 men after Kalilou Traore was given two yellow cards.

The victory puts Fulham level with FC Twente at the top of Group K on four points.

Odense (4-4-1-1): Wessels; Ruud, Reginiussen, Muller Christensen, Mendy; Johansson, Traore, Djemba-Djemba (Skoubo 84), Kadrii (Gislason 79); Andreasen; Fall (Utaka 68). Booked: Traore. Sent off: Traore.

Fulham (4-4-1-1): Schwarzer; Kelly, Senderos, Hangeland, Briggs; Kasami (Sa 84), Murphy (Sidwell 77), Etuhu, Duff; Dempsey; Johnson. Booked: Senderos. Goals: Johnson 35, 89.



http://www.express.co.uk/football/view/274566/Odense-0-Fulham-2-Andy-Johnson-at-the-double-to-show-he-is-the-real-deal?

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ODENSE 0 FULHAM 2: LETHAL ANDY JOHNSON'S DOUBLE TROUBLE

FULHAM came home from their Danish expedition with the bacon, thanks to their Europa League predator Andy Johnson.

Johnson scored both goals to take his tally to six in the competition.

And manager Martin Jol said he was hoping to tie the striker down to a new contract as they have the "perfect marriage".

Johnson, 30, has been offered a two-year deal but talks are still going on between the west London club and the player.

Jol said: "He was good for us today and Fulham has been good to him because he had a lot of injuries. It's a good marriage, you know.

"Some players would have been unsettled by contract talks. But Andy is a good boy, a good worker. He has one year left and hopefully we can change that."

Johnson got his first by firing home a vicious low shot that beat the sprawling Stefan Wessels to put Fulham one up after 35 minutes.

Wessels had already kept out decent efforts from Pajtim Kasami and Clint Dempsey.

Dempsey also blazed over and saw Tore Reginiussen make a last-gasp block to stop another chance.

Odense could have had an equaliser at the start of the second half but former Manchester United midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba fired too high.

Johnson added his second in the 89th minute with an even better curling finish after controlling a long ball.

The win puts Fulham level with FC Twente at the top of Group K on four points.Odense: Wessels, Ruud, Reginiussen, Muller, Mendy, Johansson, Traore, Djemba-Djemba (Skoubo 84), Kadrii (Gislason 79), Andreasen; Fall (Utaka 68). Subs: Toppel, Sorensen, Larsen, Hoegh.

Fulham: Schwarzer, Kelly, Senderos, Hangeland, Briggs, Kasami (Sa 84), Murphy (Sidwell 77), Etuhu, Duff, Dempsey, Johnson. Subs: Etheridge, Riise, Baird, Frei, Grygera.



http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/213539/Odense-0-Fulham-2-Lethal-Andy-Johnson-s-double-trouble-/?