Wednesday Fulham Stuff (19/10/11)...

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We Came Second

And by some margin. Not seen one Fulham fan complain about the final score at Stoke. But plenty to moan about from yet another underwhelming performance away from home.


© Getty Images

That ungrateful lover Fulham completely wrecked my mood over the weekend. I moped around all Sunday as if a wonderful Saturday night out with the missus/girlfriend had ended with a silly tiff about nothing escalating to one of us sleeping in the box room and a cold war silence holding sway over the morning cornflakes.

It was a day to go outside and give the lawn its final cut of the year (hopefully) before furiously digging over the garden. Fulham losing away from home - what's new about that? I know, I know - should be well used to it by now, but after such gutless displays I shun MOTD and can't even be bothered with the papers.

After the 6-0 walloping of QPR, a 'defining moment in our season' Jol called it, the bitter pill in the Potteries seemed for many a fan to stick in the throat from what's appeared on the forums. It all started ominously when I saw the manager reported as saying 'a draw would be a good result.' What kind of psychology is that? Certainly not a winning one! There was nothing wrong with the team selected, although I was wrong-footed by predicting a same again approach. Aaron in for Grygera would have pleased most, but that in itself I find puzzling. Early season Jol was reluctant to pick Hughes in his best position and our Irish stalwart seemed to be down the pecking order. Without him we didn't look as settled at the back as was customary. Now, despite Grygera's strong showing last time out, the gaffer decides to restore the centre-back pairing that's been the best in the division for three years. Go figure.

How galling to see that arch moaner Pulis call all the shots with his tactical plan, while Fulham performed like non-league rabbits holding out for a replay. And Martin showed he had no answer to changing the pattern of play. Stoke's high line and aggression in midfield is the simple way to stop Danny playing his game. When Sidwell decides to have a day where passing to a team-mate is beyond him, we are doomed from the off. Atkinson, as I feared, missed plenty of off-the-ball action on Zamora - Stoke nailed him in the fixture of 2009 you may recall - and poor Zamo was simmering fit to bust by the end. He did well to keep his frustration in check.

Not so some of our other under-achievers on the day. It was excrutiating to watch, as the match began drifting Stoke's way, how we got sucked into trying to match Stoke's style, as admitted by Jol afterwards. This was indeed Groundhog Day for the Whites, as with so many previous road trips. The side seem to have no real conviction, rarely appearing 'up' for the fight. Schwarzer for some reason has a phobia about leaving his line and punching the ball. Mind you, he nailed that Blackburn striker the other week! I hope I'm not typing this for the next 8 months, but what has Riise done since arriving? Yes, for once he smashed one through the wall and on another day it might have bounced down and gone in - fine margins in football - but it's not happening for him in the final third, while his marking for the second goal was simply amateurish.

We are far too easy to nullify with our pretty passing and ineffective midfield away from home. I'm reluctant to criticise the strike force, because we tactically played right into Stoke's hands and they had nothing to feed off. Did we once in the whole game get to the by-line? Can't remember. But I did see the stat from the weekend that showed Fulham managed just four efforts on goal - the lowest of ANY team in this round of fixtures.

This was not good enough by a long chalk Mr. Jol. If this side cannot produce mentally from awadays, maybe time to ring the changes and blood some youngsters with fire in their belly. Bill Shankly would have had a way in dealing with it.

Who he I hear our younger readers cry. The game in England only really began to shake out of its wartime slough from around 1960. That defining decade saw an acceleration in social mobility and rapid changes to social mores. It was an epoch that saw an end to the age of deference and an ingrained acceptance of one's status. Change was in the air, the old civilities were challenged, it was the decade where for the first time both footballers and their managers became vocal.

None more so than Liverpool's iconic Bill Shankly. The abrasive Scot took a metaphorical razor to the face of football, his wit as acid as his opinions. There are many great stories from Shankly's era at Liverpool, where in no time he turned a promotion side into European top dogs. Just imagine the fillip you got on Merseyside when, attending a club function, the gravel voiced gaffer got to the microphone. "We must never forget, he said in measured tones as he fixed the room with a beady eye, there are two teams in this city...dramatic pause...Liverpool, and Liverpool reserves!

Here's another gem. West Ham are the visitors, boasting three of England's World Cup winners in Moore, Hurst and Peters. Shanks bursts into the dressing-room for his team talk. "I've just seen the opposition come off the coach, and that Bobby Moore can hardly walk lads. The local press told me they were all out on the razz last night in Blackpool till 2 a.m. Boys, I want you to tear into them, we canna lose!" It was of course all nonsense. But it worked a treat.

If our boys have gone soft when it comes to going mano a mano with the scuffers of Stoke, Blackburn, Wolves and the rest, I suggest it's time we resorted to another old trick of Shankly's and send the squad out for some Army training. Back to boot camp for the over-paid fancy dans I say!

Well, that's not very Fulhamish is it. I just wish our roly poly Dutch Uncle would come across less like a friendly flower seller outside Amsterdam Railway Station and show a bit more fire and brimstone from the bench. A chance to put things right when we visit Poland this week for more Europa League action, where surely some of the fringe players will again get a chance to impress. Competition for places is one of the plus points we can certainly focus on at present. A win please against Wisla, and an upping of the tempo too would be appreciated.

Not least because this will be my first foray into Europe this season. In fact, it's time I was turning in in readiness for my early flight Wednesday morning to Krakow. The scarf is neatly folded and my bags are packed, so my pre-match piece will have all the authentic flavour of coming to you direct from the Old Town, as long as Nik's Swedish contingent haven't got me roaring drunk in the meantime. (In case any Uefa delegate is reading this, I shall of course be sipping just mineral water on my way to the ground, and I'll be leaving the knuckledusters at home).

Fulham in Europe - COYW!!! Twitter@fulhamphil



http://blogs.soccernet.com/fulham/archives/2011/10/we_came_second.php?

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Relegation battles beat the boredom for thousands of fans - scrapping them would be crazy

It's been a staple of the modern game and provides the type of drama you don't experience at the top end of the table, so why is the highly successful relegation system under threat?

Of course the answer is obvious – foreign owners who have invested in Premier League clubs do not want their product to come under the financial threat that the drop down into the Championship brings.

The Premier League may arguably be the most entertaining in the world, with clubs rich in history at home and in Europe such as Manchester United and Liverpool, but at the end of the season how often does a title fight capture the imagination of fans across the division?


Up and down: Blackpool's roller-coaster ride ended on the final day last season when they led at Old Trafford before losing 4-2 and dropping to the Championship

It rarely contains high excitement and drama on the final day in the Premier League.

If you are lucky you may get a fight between two teams and even then there is little in the way of last-minute twists and turns – it has nothing on what we have seen at the basement end in recent years.

Last season was a perfect example. United had walked away with the league title and had already been crowned champions before the final-day fixtures kicked off.

But the five-way fight against relegation between Wolves, Blackburn, Blackpool, Birmingham and Wigan was nothing short of extraordinary.

Every team during the afternoon had moments where they were safe, only for a goal elsewhere to change everything.

It was intense even for a neutral in an era where the battle for the title has become stale and predictable.

Such is the lockout at the top we now have teams celebrating a top-four finish as if they have been crowned champions.


How much it means: The joy and relief can be seen on the faces of Wigan chairman Dave Whelan (left) and manager Roberto Martinez after they stayed up

Relegation battles keep the product fresh and large numbers of fans, who do not support a fortunate five or six clubs, are genuinely interested.

That's not to say people purposefully watch it to see who stays up, but it's hard to deny there was more interest in that five-way battle last season than United lifting the trophy afterwards at Old Trafford.

It wasn't a one-off either, the 2004/05 season brought its own unique drama in that four clubs were battling to avoid relegation on the final day.

Like last term the title was already sewn up by Chelsea and the only interest was seeing who out of West Bromwich, Southampton, Norwich and Crystal Palace would stay up.


Fan-tastic: Supporters invaded the pitch after West Brom's 2005 great escape

The Baggies beat the odds to become the only side bottom at Christmas to survive and there has been plenty more memorable moments over the years.

Graham Stuart will forever be remembered by Everton fans for keeping them up on the final day in 1994, David Weatherall is a hero in Bradford after his header to defeat Liverpool kept the Bantams up 11 years ago, while Carlos Tevez will never have to buy a pint near Upton Park again after his heroics against Manchester United in 2007.

To the neutral they are all names and events that are more likely to roll off the tongue than the scorer who sealed Manchester United's title in 2001.

Scrapping relegation would have severely dampened the above seasons.


Memorable: David Weatherall saved Bradford when his goal beat Liverpool on the final day



If a title fight is over in April, who is going to care what happens in the final few games?

This is a strong enough argument alone to keep the relegation format.

For clubs with a proud history such as Nottingham Forest, Derby, Leeds and West Ham, how can they be denied the chance to return to the big time?

For the likes of Blackpool, Burnley, Hull and Swansea the Premier League adventure has been a huge boost for fans who only five years ago had just dreams of top-flight football.

It gives supporters of every club in the Championship hope, however faint, that one day their heroes can achieve the same.
This crucially not only keeps the lower divisions alive but also the clubs in them.

How many kids in the future will stick with these sides when playground talk can easily sway them to support a top-flight team?


What a finish: Carlos Tevez kept West Ham up in 2007 with this Old Trafford goal

You only have to see how many people living miles away from Manchester support United to notice that success and exposure is easy to follow.

In an era where Champions League football is now more worthy than winning a trophy to club owners and some fans, it's easy to forget that for most clubs this is out of reach.

A relegation battle may not be a pleasure to experience but it sure isn't boring.

Take that element away from the Premier League and not only do you have a sterile boring division for the majority of teams and supporters in it, but you take away the dreams and fans from many clubs outside it.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2050547/Relegation-battles-beat-boredom--scrapping-crazy.html#ixzz1bCxBEwFG

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The Big Debate

As part of a regular feature in this season's matchday programme, we're inviting fans on Fulham's social media channels to have their say on topical football subjects.

Ahead of every home Premier League game, we'll post a question of Facebook and Twitter and invite you to respond with your thoughts. Our pick of the responses will be selected and printed in the following matchday programme.

This week, with the Rugby World Cup Final preceding our match against Everton, the subject of our debate is:

What lessons, if any, can football learn from rugby? Or should rugby be looking at football for inspiration?

Share your views now on Fulham's official Facebook or Twitter feed.



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/October/TheBigDebate.aspx?#ixzz1bCyGDL00

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American Player Rankings: No movement on a week of poor results for the top five

The international break didn't seem to do many favors to the top five players on this list. Only Landon Donovan's club won, and he wasn't a part of it. Jozy Altidore did help his club to a big draw against Ajax (you can check out the highlights above), but Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard both took big losses and any dropped point's Carlos Bocanegra's team in league play are generally taken as losses.

Howard and Dempsey should both be frustrated at this point with the play of their teams. Again on Sunday the Cottagers' frontrunners failed to produce the kind of danger that they are capable of and Howard's defense was taken apart by Chelsea. But both players have actually been bright spots for their clubs, even if the results haven't been good.

At least one of the two will get a point next weekend when Fulham and Everton face off.
1. Clint Dempsey

Age: 28

Club: Fulham
Position: Midfielder

Last Week: 1

Comment: Dempsey had a few moments in the match against Stoke where he looked dangerous, but Fulham's forwards didn't offer much threat.
2. Tim Howard


Age: 32

Club: Everton
Position: Goalkeeper

Last Week: 2

Comments: Howard gave up three more goals on Sunday, and once again wasn't bad in doing so. The second of the three might have been on Howard, but having the defender in front of you facing the wrong way as John Terry beats him to the ball never helps.
3. Landon Donovan

Age: 29

Club: Los Angeles Galaxy
Position: Midfielder

Last Week: 3

Comments: Donovan is still sitting out, but his team keeps winning and he'll get a shot at playoffs glory.
4. Carlos Bocanegra

Age: 32

Club: Rangers
Position: Defender

Last Week: 4

Comments: Bocanegra keeps his place, but his club did drop two points in a 1-1 draw with St. Mirren. Still, the defender is a key member of a Rangers team that looks a clear favorite to win its league.
5. Jozy Altidore

Age: 21

Club: AZ
Position: Forward

Last Week: 5

Comments: Altidore played well in his 71 minutes against Ajax. He looked a real threat at times and drew a couple of fouls in good spots, but directly involved on the goals. It was a huge point for AZ as the club looks keep pace at the top of the table.

Honorable Mention: Michael Bradley, Chievo, may be the most debated player the USA has right now, but it's hard to argue the results that have followed with him in the lineup for his new Italian squad. A draw with Juventus was the latest in a string of big results for the side against some of the top teams in the league. Herculez Gomez, of Tecos, also deserves a nod



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

[WhiteJC]

 
Scrap Promotion And Relegation? It's The American Way.

It was revealed on Monday that, apparently, some of the Premier League's foreign born owners were hoping to scrap the idea of promotion and relegation.

"There are a number of overseas-owned clubs already talking about bringing about the avoidance of promotion and relegation in the Premier League," Bevan said at the Professional Players Federation conference in London. "If we have four or five more new owners, that could happen."

Though no specific numbers (we know there are 10 foreign owners in the Premiership) or names were given, it's easy to figure out that the owners most likely to object to the idea of promotion and relegation are the Americans: Stan Kroenke at Arsenal, Randy Lerner at Aston Villa, Fenway Sports Group, specifically Tom Werner and John W. Henry, at Liverpool, Malcolm Glazer at Manchester United, and Ellis Short at Sunderland.

David Conn, an English journalist with a keen interest in the financial aspects soccer, released a two-part interview with Werner and Henry last week after he sat down with the ownership duo and discussed their baseball (they also on the Boston Red Sox) and soccer interests. Unsurprisingly, the piece provided a less-than-flattering portrait of the pair of neophyte Premiership owners.

While Conn missed the mark on some of his baseball analogies and analysis, he provided a startlingly clear landscape of the minds of Henry and Werner through some surprisingly earnest quotes from the pair. They admitted to everything from how little they actually knew of English soccer before investing in Liverpool, to, unsurprisingly, not enjoying the idea of sharing their money.

It became quickly clear, talking to them, that a prime attraction to the Americans of buying English football clubs is that in the Premier League the clubs keep all the money they make, from everything except television rights. So it was no surprise that the managing director they appointed, Ian Ayre, talked this week about beginning the break-up of even that, the collective TV deal. "That is the difference with the EPL," Werner said. "If we can generate interest in Liverpool here and around the world, we will benefit from that."

What is another obvious way of not sharing money? Cutting off promotion and relegation and severing ties with the Football League, a vehemently North American sporting ideal.



Structure, Sharing And Socialism

The Premier League is not, in fact, an extension of the Football League. It is its own separate entity. In 1992, the top flight of the then-First Division broke away from the English Football League, creating its own division. This allowed the top teams in England to collectively negotiate television deals on their own and keep more money within their new division.

Though the reason given was the need to make England more competitive in international club competition, the elephant in the room was greed, and it was impossible to ignore. While the Football League lost its ability to govern the Premier League, ties still remained, and the institution of promotion and relegation was still kept a part of the machine.

Since splintering, the Premier League has had a 20-man Board of Directors headed by owners, each with an equal say in governing matters. When you're relegated, you're essentially forced to resign. When you're promoted, you gain membership.

Alongside promotion and relegation, foreign investment in English soccer has seen a meteoric rise through savvy businessmen and charitable millionaire fanboys alike.

The problem with the Premier League as an investment for a foreign owner is that, if things go wrong, you get relegated. If you get relegated, you lose access to tens of millions, or rather hundreds of millions of pounds (or dollars) in possible revenue, through television contracts, Premier League prize money, continental competitions and decreased gate revenues.

As hinted earlier, the idea of sharing money to Fenway Sports Group is not a positive one, specifically with smaller clubs. Negotiating their own television deal would mean they could avoid having to share in a deal with the Wolverhamptons, Wigans and, yes, even Fulhams of the world.

Henry, and another top Fenway executive, made no bones about how much they dislike revenue sharing, and feel little, if any, obligation to smaller clubs.

All clubs' income is taxed, then shared out, a system Lucchino described, drily and without obvious enthusiasm, as "very socialistic". Werner was quite open that, as a richer franchise, Fenway resents how much money it is taxed, which is not publicly disclosed. "It is a balance," he acknowledged. "We realise we are part of a league, but we feel the burden on the top is higher than appropriate. We feel we deserve the fruits of our labour."

From Their Perspective...

Now you have to put this in perspective and, to do this, you need to understand where the Red Sox get their money from and what their standing in Major League Baseball. While they are required to share a portion of their local revenues (money they generate on their own, mainly through the Boston market) with the other 29 MLB clubs, they have full control over the majority of this revenue generation, and most importantly, through television.

Local revenues consist of gate receipts, local television, radio and cable rights fees, ballpark concessions, advertising and publications, parking, suite rentals, postseason, and spring training. In a 2007 study, Gennaro found that local revenue contributes 70-80% to a team's total revenue. Therefore, economic factors such as attendance, per capita income, and other Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area census figures are largely responsible for the level of total revenue baseball teams receive.

A city like Boston, will generate significantly more money than a city like, say, my hometown of Pittsburgh. A larger stadium, higher population base, more historical success, and a higher per capita income translates to a more successful team. But, as the above piece goes on to say, as all of these MLB franchises share the same labor pool, it can lead to severe competitive imbalance.

Further, there is no threat of promotion or relegation, no worry of another team taking their seat at the table. A draft system has been forever instituted, making the idea of youth academies moot. High schools, colleges and amateur clubs develop the baseball players of the future, who MLB teams then divvy up among themselves and effectively loan out to lower division (minor league) teams. They have full control over whether to recall or demote the players. A single MLB team, at any time, will have rights, in one capacity or another, to something like 250-300 players. Probably more, I'm estimating.

They also have no obligation to play games against these lower clubs. No FA or League Cup-like gate receipt sharing, ever. They pay certain institutional costs to the minor league clubs they partner with, but nothing of any merit to the minor league system as a whole.

Fenway Sports Group doesn't mind the freedom MLB allows them to generate their own money, they just detest having to share it. And while the growth of their Liverpool brand is seemingly endless, the idea of having to share television revenue and potentially sacrifice some exposure is sickening to them.

The Case Of Major League Soccer

A weird case study of the merging of the European and North American systems is in Major League Soccer. The league runs on a very complexly staggered salary cap, hoping to promote parity among its participants. There is a draft, but there are also youth academies, from which teams can benefit and sign a very limited number of players.

There is also no promotion and relegation. A significant portion of fans, though not necessarily a majority (It could be. I, in fact, have no idea), are keen to the idea of instituting promotion and relegation within the North American top flight. There are a few key problems with this.

MLS uses their aforementioned salary cap and draft as ways to enforce parity. By enforcing parity, you give teams little chance to flex their financial muscle and stand out, effectively forcing everyone's name into the hat of who could be excluded from the league on a yearly basis.
The league is still trying to expand, granting franchises to ownership groups located in cities with significant fan potential and high financial prospects. Those expansion teams are rarely of the dominant variety, and the potential for a new team to be immediately relegated, as they subsist on lower division players and scraps from MLS teams at the start, is not an enticing proposal.
Why would a prospective North American sports owner want to risk relegation? How could you convince them to spend tens of millions of dollars to enter the league, with there being a real threat of immediately being expunged from the league? Here, we'll convince you to join this league, but if you're poor at the start, you'll be kicked out and have to earn your way up. Sorry, that's how it goes. Every other major North American league rewards failure with the bounty of youth and potential. But us, no, we're the exception. Good luck recruiting on that.
Why Play By The Rules When You Can Make Your Own?

While hearing the idea of scrapping relegation from these nameless, likely North American, Premier League owners proved shocking to many English analysts, players and fans, it should be unsurprising. It is incredibly rational to those nameless, faceless, likely North American owners.They threw all of this money into an attractive investment and they want it shored up. The prospect of relegation is enough to scare any financier caught in this deadly battle of pockets.

Would scrapping relegation be to the detriment of the English game? Fairly obviously, yes. When explaining the European league system to a new soccer fan, lower division clubs are frequently juxtaposed with their minor league kin in the U.S.

But it's not the same. In England, these are, instead, small clubs, not minor league clubs.

The prospect of improving your lot in life is always there, moving up the financial ladder to bigger and better things. If not for that institution, the likelihood of this blog even being around is almost non-existent.

That moment of moving up the ladder, or barely defying relegation on the last day of the season is what makes the English, and by extension European, game so attractive. There are no all-out rebuilding years, there's always this year. Can't hack it? No worries, someone will take your place. You may not have a shot at the league title, but you always have something to play for.

It was funny reading Henry espouse the virtues of UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules in Conn's article, and, subsequently, hear Liverpool Managing Director Ian Ayre speak frankly of breaking away from the Premier League television deal to craft their very own, more profitable deal. Or, at least, to get a bigger share of whatever pie is collectively negotiated.

It's clear that Henry and Werner don't mind playing by the rules at all, so long as they get to make them.



http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2011/10/19/2498235/promotion-relegation-premier-league-fenway-sports-group-john-w-henry-tom-werner-liverpool-red-sox?

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Away games route to Europa League knock-outs - Kasami

FULHAM can confound the accepted formula for European success in the group stages by claiming a second win on the road, according to Pajtim Kasami.

The 19-year-old Swiss striker believes victory in Krakow on Thursday night – following on from the win at Odense – can put the Whites firmly on the path to the knock-out stages.

"Normally, home form is probably what will decide if we progress, but maybe this time we have a chance to go on by doing well away," he said.

"We can get into a really strong position after these two away games if we play our normal game and we can show a bit more more confidence in front of goal.

"Maybe it is an advantage that we are not having to travel so far for our three group games."

Kasami, who has yet to score since a summer move to Craven Cottage from Palermo in Italy has every reason to look forward to this week's game, having had little chance to shine on the domestic front so far.

"These games maybe give me more chances to play and gives me a chance to get a goal which will help me get my Fulham career going," he said.

"I hope that once I score, it will get better for me and help me reach my right level.

"The Premier League is very important, but for me the Europa League is very important because you always get more experience playing in Europe and it's always exciting to play."



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/10/18/away-games-route-to-europa-league-knock-outs-kasami-82029-29617439/#ixzz1bCzPWQhy

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Wisla Krakow - Fulham Preview: Martin Jol's side desperate to maintain unbeaten start in Group K

The Londoners face a tricky clash against last season's Polish champions but will be keen to win to stay top of their Europa League group and close in on the knockout stages



PROBABLE LINEUPS
WISLA KRAKOW
Pareiko
Lamey, Diaz, Chavez, Jaliens
Nunez, Sobolewski, Jirsak, Kirm
Dudu, Iliev

FULHAM
Schwarzer
Hughes, Hangeland, Baird, Riise
Dempsey, Murphy, Sidwell, Duff
Zamora, Johnson

Wisla Krakow are likely to go with the same front pair which started their Europa League defeat away to Twente, with Dudu Biton and Ivica Iliev again leading the line. The Polish side will have to do without forward Patryk Małecki who looks set for a prolonged spell on the sidelines with a broken shinbone.

As for Fulham, Martin Jol is likely to recall Damien Duff to his starting line-up having benched the flying winger for their 2-0 weekend defeat away to Stoke. Bobby Zamora and the in-form Andy Johnson should start up front. Long-term injury absentee Simon Davies is sidelined for another six weeks, whilst big-money buy Bryan Ruiz is cup-tied.



DID YOU KNOW?
Wisla Krakow all-time top goalscorer in European competitions is former Celtic striker Maciej Zurawski, who netted 23 goals for the club.

The Polish outfit's highest ever home crowd came in a Uefa Cup clash against Celtic, when a whopping 45,000 fans turned up to watch a 2-0 home win back in September 29 1976.

Wisla Krakow won the Uefa Intertoto Cup way back in 1969, 1970 and 1973.

Fulham have a fantastic defensive record so far in Europe, conceding just three goals in 10 Europa League matches  this season.
This is only the London side's third season of playing in a European competition - having also appeared in the Intertoto Cup and Uefa Cup back in the 2002-03 campaign and the Europa League in 2009-10.

They narrowly missed out on winning the Europa League in 2009-10, losing the final 2-1 in extra time to an Atletico Madrid side boasting Manchester United's David de Gea, Manchester City's Sergio Aguero and Inter Milan's Diego Forlan.



http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/66163/wisla-vs-fulham/preview

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Wisła out to set record straight for Fulham visit

Fulham FC will be eager to secure their second away victory in Group K against a Wisła Kraków side who have lost their opening two matches and never beaten an English side.


Andrew Johnson has scored all of Fulham's goals in Group K
©Getty Images

Wisła Kraków host Fulham FC looking for their first UEFA Europa League Group K points and a maiden victory against an English side.

Previous meetings
• The sides are meeting for the first time and this is also Fulham's first tie against a Polish club.

• Wisła's three games against English outfits – two against Tottenham Hotspur FC and one against Blackburn Rovers FC – have ended W0 D1 L2 (W0 D1 L1 at home).

Match background
• Wisła have lost only two of their last 11 European home games – a 3-1 defeat by Odense BK on matchday one and a surprise 1-0 reverse against FK Qarabağ of Azerbaijan in last season's UEFA Europa League third qualifying round. That run includes seven victories.

• Fulham have already played ten European games this season, since entering the first qualifying round through the UEFA Respect Fair Play system. They have won six of those, drawing three and losing one.

• The game against Wisła will be Fulham's 20th competitive game this season, since beginning their campaign with a 3-0 win against NSÍ Runavík on 30 June.

• The Cottagers are the only side to have made it all the way from the first qualifying round to the group stage this season.

Team facts
• David Biton's strike in matchday two's 4-1 loss at FC Twente was Wisła's 100th goal in 58 UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League games – their first was scored by Michal Wrobel during a 2-2 draw at Celtic FC on 15 September 1976.

• Wisła's Dutch defender Kew Jaliens and Fulham's Belgian attacking midfielder Moussa Dembélé were team-mates at AZ Alkmaar from 2006 to 2010. They won the Dutch title together in 2008/09.

• Wisła's Dutch defender Michael Lamey is on loan from English side Leicester City FC. He made his professional debut under Fulham coach Martin Jol at RKC Waalwijk in the 2001/02 season.

• Fulham striker Andrew Johnson was once considered a potential Poland player by virtue of a Polish grandfather. However, in February 2005 then England Sven-Göran Eriksson handed Johnson his debut in a friendly against the Netherlands when in came on for Wayne Rooney as a second-half substitute.

• Wisła boss Robert Maaskant was a midfielder, who earned acclaim coaching RBC Roosendaal, Willem II and NAC Breda before winning the title with Wisła in 2010/11, his first season in Poland.

• A former midfielder, capped three times by the Netherlands, Fulham boss Jol played in Germany (FC Bayern München) and England (West Bromwich Albion FC and Coventry City FC) as well as his home country (ADO Den Haag and FC Twente), and has coached in all three nations too with Tottenham Hotspur, Hamburger SV and AFC Ajax.

• Jol's AFC Ajax beat Maaskant's NAC Breda side 6-0 in Amsterdam in a 13 September 2009 Eredivisie game. The rematch in Breda on 17 January 2010 ended 1-1.



http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/season=2012/matches/round=2000272/match=2007345/prematch/background/index.html#fulham+fancy+wisła+trip

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FFC Podcast

In this week's edition of the Inside Fulham podcast, we hear from Martin Jol as he looks back on the Barclays Premier League match against Stoke City.




Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/October/FFCPodcastPostStoke.aspx?#ixzz1bEHS07YK

[WhiteJC]

 
Move Forward: Why Fulham Needs To Do It In More Ways Than 1

Let me start by saying this: I'll be the first to admit that I've criticized Martin Jol time and time again since he was hired by Fulham.  Let me also say this: by no means should he be sacked like many fans are calling for.  Fulham need to move forward from the beginning of the season; distance themselves from what has happened.  It's not like they're in a terrible position, being 14th in the table.  It's not like they're in panic mode this early.  They recently beat QPR 6-0 in a shellacking of a club Fulham is hoping will develop into a long-term rival, and then lost a tough 2-0 match at Stoke, where many many clubs (including Liverpool this year) have travelled to and lost.  People need to calm down.

Now that I got that out, let me show you why Fulham need to move forward in another way.  Talking with Matt Diner of London24.com on the most recent episode of Cottage Talk, he brought up a great point about how the midfield, particularly the middle two (Murphy and Sidwell), needed to move way way forward more against Stoke.  Guess what? He's right.  I looked at the average positions against Stoke and against the QPR match, and you can see very clearly, Fulham played too far back overall.  Take a look:





See how much farther forward the club is vs QPR than it is vs. Stoke? And you can't even use the excuse "oh, we just held the ball the entire time against QPR, so obviously they were more forward." Nope.  In fact, Fulham held the ball for only 49% of the time vs. QPR as compared to 52% of the time against Stoke.  So they actually had more opportunities to get forward and be creative in the Stoke match, but failed to do so.

It's funny, because you look at the average positions of Sidwell and Murphy, and they're exactly the same in both. However, you can plainly see how they failed to be creative and get forward.  Look at Sidwell's passes:




What do you notice? Well, for starters, every one of his passes into the box or the wide area outside the box was a failure.  He was 0-5 in that regard.  Also, look at the direction of his successful passes in the attacking half.  There were 6 successful FORWARD passes by Sidwell in the attacking half (forward defined as towards the goal as compared to a line parallel with the mid line).  Of those 6, 2 were above a 45 degree angle.  Four!

If you look at Danny Murphy's chalkboard, he actually had a MUCH better match on paper than one would have thought.  So let's throw that one out.  Here's El Capitan's chalkboard just incase you're wondering:



In any case, Sidwell definitely needs to be more creative, and in general, the team needs to get farther forward.  Matt Diner, well played sir.

Finally, Matt said something on the podcast last night that I could not have said better myself. It involves fan criticism of Martin Jol up to this point.  Take a listen, it's well worth your time:




http://fulhamsfinest.com/2011/10/19/move-forward-why-fulham-needs-to-do-it-in-more-ways-than-1/?

[WhiteJC]

View from the river: No matter the boss, away form has always been poor

"For all the progress Fulham have made in the last few years one thing that we steadfastly struggle with is winning away"

Another away defeat.

For all the progress Fulham have made in the last few years one thing that we steadfastly struggle with is winning away.

Whether under Sanchez (winning in any game in his case), Hodgson, Hughes or now Jol our away from has been pretty average to say the least.

As a result it has put serious pressure on the team to get results at home, something that (thankfully) they have consistently done.

What is odd is that the team's away form in Europe has been pretty good. In the 2009/10 Europa League run we beat Basel away in the group stage before drawing with Shakhtar Donetsk and Hamburg and beating Wolfsburg in the knockouts round.

Even the defeats, Roma and Juventus, were not exactly disgraceful. The team have also beaten Odense in their first away group game this year.

Here's hoping that this continues against Wisla Krakow on Tomorrow.

Compare our Europe away form with several years of disappointing results in the Premier League.

In fact in the last five and a bit seasons, the club have only won away 11 times in the league and have never won more than three on the road in any of those seasons.

There have been a few notable blips in this, the great escape where the team won three out of their last four away games to beat relegation, and a few of the away results last year (wins at Stoke, Sunderland and Bolton).

Despite this, there can be no doubt that the mystery of why we can't consistently win away in the league remains.

If anyone has any ideas as to why and how to fix it please feel free to let Mr Jol know.



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/view_from_the_river_no_matter_the_boss_away_form_has_always_been_poor_1_1102902?

[WhiteJC]

 
Expanding the Riverside Stand

We appointed a professional team of planners and architects to advise us of the best way to increase our stadium capacity to 30,000. They looked carefully at The Cottage and the challenges we face and recommended that the Riverside Stand should be expanded. Here are some of the options that were explored.

The Johnny Haynes Stand
Opportunity	Constraints
Improve stand that is in need of modernisation	Stand is a Grade II listed building and must be retained and respected
Expand numbers	Next to residential neighbours
The Hammersmith Stand
Opportunity	Constraints
Increase the size of the home territory	Next to residential neighbours
	Limited opportunity to increase capacity
The Putney End
Opportunity	Constraints
Neutral fan opportunity	Neighbouring Bishops Park

The Riverside End
Opportunity	Constraints
Only area for expansion of overall capacity	Would need to expand into the River Thames
Provide new riverside walkway
Enhance the appearance of the Riverside
Improved views to and from the Thames

Improve the Cottage, Improve the Experience

The recommended option allows the club to increase the capacity at Craven Cottage to 30,000 and to offer new toilet and bar facilities along with new corporate hospitality boxes.





Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/StadiumProject/ExpandingtheRiversideStand.aspx#ixzz1bELl9rZx

[WhiteJC]

 
Atletico Madrid to rival Fulham for Ajax striker



Fulham face competition from Atletico Madrid in their bid to land Ajax outcast Mounir El Hamdaoui.

Martin Jol - as talkSPORT revealed earlier this month - is back in for the striker for a third time, having signed him while manager of Ajax and then later Tottenham.

El Hamdaoui is not wanted by Ajax and manager Frank De Boer will sell him in January for a cut-price fee.

The Morocco international was given a letter this summer informing him he was not needed at Ajax and when Jol took over at Fulham, he sounded the Dutch club out regarding a deal.

Ajax and Fulham failed to agree terms but El Hamdaoui remains on Jol's radar. The Fulham manager, however, now faces a fight to land the 27-year-old as Atletico Madrid are keen on him.

Ajax are willing to do business at around £2m and Madrid are ready to make a bid when the transfer window opens.



http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/1205/29/atletico-madrid-rival-fulham-ajax-striker?

[WhiteJC]

 
On being convinced: Julian Barnes and Dickson Etuhu and the subjectivity of it all

A strange revelation hit me today.  It's not surprising that Fulham fans don't all agree about what they see; it's surprising that they agree on so much.



The slightly pretentious root of this thought is as follows: this morning I was reading Tim Gautreaux, the American story writer. At lunchtime I read an interview with him, then noticed at the end of the piece that there were other interviews with writers, and, seeing the award winning Julian Barnes, clicked to that interview, where I saw the following exchange:

RB: You really don't mind if people don't like your books?

JB: I prefer people to like them, of course. For everyone who likes my books there will be someone who doesn't. Fine, read someone else. Sorry I didn't convince you. But that's it, you know.

RB: I take that to mean if some people didn't like your books, okay. If nobody liked your books, you would be very troubled.

Which is about the size of it. Martin Jol would prefer us to like him and the football his team is producing, but aside from the Fulham glue that means we're all trying to give him a chace, to a degree we're not all going to agree.  In no other walk of life do we agree.  We all have political leanings that seem very obvious to us but which others – incorrectly, of course – think are completely wrong.  We like music that others hate. Some people we take a dislike to just from looking at them (David Cameron, for instance).



This has struck me as something of a revelation. Which I suppose shows how stupid I can be, but with 25,000 people watching Fulham there are going to be hundreds of interpretations of what happened out there. There are certain truths, that if you score goals or always look busy out there then fans will warm to you, but leave too much to ambiguity and we have to make our own minds up.

Dickson Etuhu is a good example here.  He plays a position that is probably the hardest for fans to appreciate.  Much of his role is in shielding his defence, which means he's doing well if he forces opponents to, say, pass the ball to the left wing instead of going through the middle.  (The American corner-back Deion Sanders used to be good this way, so good that opposing teams just didn't throw to his side after a while. So he had really ordinary stats, but everyone knew that there was a good reason for this).  So anyway, Etuhu might indirectly impact a game dozens of times over the course of 90 minutes, but we won't notice this. We'll only notice him if he does a big show-off tackle. Then he's getting 'stuck in' and is no longer a 'pussy cat'.

Equally, when he gets the ball he does the sensible thing and gives it to someone else on his team.  He rarely gives the ball away and in this sense is being immensely useful. Barcelona keep the ball for 75% of their games, which is a bit like a test match in which one team gets to bat three times and the other once.  Possession is everything, but in England we don't really go for this and so get cross with players like Etuhu and their safe, sideways passing. It's a weakness that isn't really a weakness.  How many defensive midfielders are really good passers?  He's not a Sidwell or a Parker but he does a job, as results have shown over the years.  But because we don't really get this we make up our own minds, and if we're looking for a certain thing in a player and that's not Etuhu, we get negative.  Just as we do if we read a book we don't like or hear a record that's not to our tastes.  All this urban music people listen to must be doing something right or they wouldn't all listen to it, but to me it's bloody awful; same process for how we see footballers.  Once we get beyond the universals (scores goals, looks busy, pretty obviously a really good player) it's all up for grabs.

Does this matter?  Not a jot.  There is no absolute truth in football outside of the points earned on the field, and even those aren't always fair.  It's a subjective game based on a million reference points – no wonder we can't make up our minds about it.

That exchange again, doctored to fit the above:

RB: You really don't mind if people don't like you as a player?

JB: I prefer people to like me, of course. For everyone who likes my play there will be someone who doesn't. Fine, sorry I didn't convince you. But that's it, you know.

RB: I take that to mean if some people didn't like your play, okay. If nobody likes your play, you would be very troubled.

(the actual truth: David Cameron well deserves my scorn; Barnes (in my mind, I can't remember reading him though I'm sure I must have) is overrated and Dickson Etuhu is pretty good at football)





http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2011/10/19/on-being-convinced-julian-barnes-and-dickson-etuhu-and-the-subjectivity-of-it-all/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Hungry for More

Rated as one of the Czech Republic's brightest prospects, Marcel Gecov is now looking forward to establishing himself in Fulham's starting eleven.

And having tasted domestic action in Fulham's recent Carling Cup tie against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, the lively midfielder is clearly eager for more.

Marcel, you must be hungry for more game time after getting a taste of top-flight English football at Stamford Bridge a few weeks ago in the Carling Cup?

Yes, obviously the Premier League is the most popular for viewing amongst Czech football supporters, and it's one of, if not the best league in the world, so when you watch it on television you love it, but to be here, and to be out there in person is just incredible.

You are well remembered in England for your performance against England's Under-21 team in the European Championships – did you see that game as a pivotal moment in your career?

Obviously, from my point of view, England was just like any other team. But, of course, English people saw something special in it because it was a group of Czech youngsters playing against their team. To us it was just a game, and I just took it as such. It didn't matter who it was to us, but I thought I did well to help turn the game around against England.

Joining Fulham was a big move - are you settling in well?

The first three months have naturally been quite demanding, because we had to find an apartment and sort out a number of personal matters, but now all of that seems to be behind me so I can focus fully on football.

Finally, what are your expectations for this season and long term?

Now all of the other things are behind me I can focus on football, which is why I'm here. At my previous clubs I always worked extra hard, and now I can do that here too.

Putting everything I have into training and matches. As for long-term targets, I like to keep them close to my chest. The obvious one is to pull on the white shirt in a Premier League game – that would make me very happy. This is the best league in the world and to play on that stage would be wonderful. The rest, well, I'll reveal at the end of the season!



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/October/GecovHungryforMore.aspx?#ixzz1bEqpt0TY

[WhiteJC]

 
New suitors for Cottage target

Atletico Madrid have reportedly joined the race to sign Fulham target Mounir El Hamdaoui from Ajax in the January window.
Cottagers chief Martin Jol was heavily linked with a swoop for the Morocco international during the summer transfer window when it became clear he had little future under Frank De Boer at the Amsterdam Arena following Jol's departure at the turn of the year.

And, as Jol also managed El Hamdaoui during his stint in charge of Tottenham, it seems that he could try and take him to Craven Cottage to beef up his attacking options in the New Year.

Ajax reportedly wanted £8million for El Hamdaoui's signature in the summer, but could be ready to listen to offers of just £2.5million in January which would be much more appealing to Jol.

However, the chance to sign the 27-year-old on a cut-price deal has now alerted Atletico Madrid, who lost the likes of Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero in the summer transfer window.



http://www.eatsleepsport.com/fulham/new-suitors-for-cottage-target-1314716.html?#.Tp7gm2DHo98

[WhiteJC]

 
Back favourites Fulham to scrape to victory in Krakow
Wisla Krakow have a strong European home record but their early Europa League form points to a win for Fulham.

Wisla Krakow (13/5), draw (23/10), Fulham (21/20)

Fulham's run of seven games without defeat might have come to an end against Stoke at the weekend, but one sequence remains intact.

Seven of the last eight games Martin Jol's men have played have featured fewer than 2.5 goals, with the 2-0 loss at the Britannia falling into this bracket.

As such, a bet on there to be fewer than three goals in Fulham's next match against Wisla Krakow on Thursday looks to be a safe option.

Those looking for more attractive returns could combine this bet with a win for Fulham, with this double-edged option priced at a tempting 17/5.

Fulham certainly appear the more likely of the two teams to secure victory despite Wisla's home advantage.

The Polish side have had an underwhelming start to their Europa League Group K campaign, with two defeats recorded from their opening two games and seven goals conceded.

While Fulham often struggle away from Craven Cottage, a 2-0 win over Odense in Denmark on matchday one suggests they are in a position to prey on Wisla's vulnerability.

That said, the Lilywhites' task will not be as easy as Wisla's 3-1 loss to Odense in Krakow would suggest.

Robert Maaskant's men have only lost two of their last 11 European games in the former Polish capital, so any Fulham victory is likely to be hard fought.

This makes the bet on Fulham to win a game with under 2.5 combined goals all the more tempting, with a successful £25 free bet on this outcome set to return £110.




http://bwinbetting.com/favourites-fulham-scrape-victory-krakow,8247.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
New suitors for El Hamdaoui

Atletico Madrid have reportedly joined the race to sign Fulham target Mounir El Hamdaoui from Ajax in the January window.


Cottagers chief Martin Jol was heavily linked with a swoop for the Morocco international during the summer transfer window when it became clear he had little future under Frank De Boer at the Amsterdam Arena following Jol's departure at the turn of the year.

And, as Jol also managed El Hamdaoui during his stint in charge of Tottenham, it seems that he could try and take him to Craven Cottage to beef up his attacking options in the New Year.

Ajax reportedly wanted £8million for El Hamdaoui's signature in the summer, but could be ready to listen to offers of just £2.5million in January which would be much more appealing to Jol.

However, the chance to sign the 27-year-old on a cut-price deal has now alerted Atletico Madrid, who lost the likes of Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero in the summer transfer window.



http://www.setanta.com/ie/Articles/2011/10/19/New-suitors-for-Cottage-target/gnid-113957/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Place Your Bets

The Whites face Wisla Krakow in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday evening and the Club's official online and in stadium betting partner Bet Butler is offering 6/5 that Martin Jol's men gain another group stage victory.

Wisla have lost both of their Europa League group matches and the 6/5 could be a very popular bet.

In Fulham's last European outing, the team comfortably beat Odense BK 2-0 and a repeat scoreline is available at 9/1,this is same Odense side which won 3-1 at Wisla so the form line suggests a positive showing.

Manager Martin Jol may rest a few for the game so team news is important before placing your first goal scorer bets but providing his name is on the team sheet, Andy Johnson will again be a very popular selection at 6/1.

To open an account with Bet Butler please register at www.betbutler.co.uk and follow us on Twitter @betbutler for all the latest betting and Fulham news plus competitions to win signed shirts and match tickets.



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/October/BetButlerPreviewWislaKrakow.aspx#ixzz1bFG4P3Lo