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Tuesday Fulham Stuff (06/12/11)...

Started by WhiteJC, December 06, 2011, 07:45:05 AM

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WhiteJC

 
'Wee' Jay Spearing Dismissed For Tackle on Mousa Dembele in Liverpool's Loss at Fulham



Jay Spearing was Kenny Dalglish's first choice to replace injured midfielder Lucas in the Liverpool starting lineup. But the diminuitive Spearing faces a three-game ban after he was dismissed in the second half of Liverpoo's 1-0 loss at Fulham on Monday.

Spearing received his marching orders after going in hard on a 50-50 ball with Mousa Dembele and upending the Belgian attacker with a two-footed tackle. Referee Kevin Friend showed Spearing a straight red card, reducing Liverpool to 10 men.

The 23-year-old was impressing in his first English Premier League start of the season. He was growing in influence as the game progressed, breaking up Fulham's attacks and neatly passing the ball to teammates with great effect.

Fulham would go on to snatch a victory from Liverpool. The Reds will leave Craven Cottage with serious worthy gripes about Friend's performance.

To give Spearing a red card on the tackle was, at best, a contentious decision. The Reds will also note two penalty appeals that were denied. Luis Suarez and Charlie Adam were fouled in and around the Fulham penalty area on seperate occasions, but friend did not point to the spot in either case. Suarez also had goal disallowed in the second half because he was judged to be offside. Replays showed he was even with the last defender.



http://www.nesn.com/2011/12/wee-jay-spearing-dismissed-for-tackle-on-mousa-dembele-in-liverpools-loss-at-fulham.html?

WhiteJC

 
Jol - Fortune favoured us
Cottagers boss delighted with win but sees Murphy pick up knock

Martin Jol was delighted to see Fulham get 'the rub of the green' in a 1-0 win over Liverpool, but was dealt a blow by an injury to Danny Murphy.

The Dutchman saw the Cottagers edge out the Reds in an entertaining encounter on Monday night, with Clint Dempseygrabbing what proved to be the winner five minutes from time.

Liverpool had been reduced to 10 men by that stage, with Jay Spearing dismissed for a lunging challenge on Moussa Dembele.
Jol admits his side profited from the Reds' misfortune, but believes Fulham offered enough to justify their success.

"It was a very good performance," he told Sky Sports.

"Liverpool are a good team. It was an even game, they had a few chances and we had a few chances as well.

Advantage

"Every time we had the ball in their half, they broke us and I have to say that after the sending off we had a little bit more space and we took advantage of that.

"Tonight we probably had the rub of the green. It was even, we had a couple of chances and even with 10 men they had an unbelievable shot but Mark Schwarzer is one of the best in the business and he saved us. After that we scored and it was very much needed."

While Jol was delighted to pick up three points that help to move Fulham away from the Premier League drop zone, he is sweating on the fitness of club captain Murphy.
"I think it's a bad one," he said after seeing the midfielder hobble off in the closing stages.

"His ankle is swollen up and I don't think he will play in the next match, or couple of matches.

"First we will celebrate the win and then we will have an assessment tomorrow, but I think it's a bad one."


http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/7355171/?

WhiteJC

 
Dalglish queries Spearing red
Reds boss believes his side deserved something at Craven Cottage


Jay Spearing: Saw red for a lunging challenge on Moussa Dembele

Kenny Dalglish wants to see greater consistency from match officials after Jay Spearing's red card cost Liverpool in a 1-0 defeat at Fulham.

The Reds midfielder was dismissed after 72 minutes of a keenly-fought encounter at Craven Cottage.

Spearing dived in on Moussa Dembele, catching the Cottagers forward after first winning the ball.

Leaving the ground went against the 23-year-old, with his challenge deemed to be reckless.

Dalglish believes Spearing might have got away with the tackle on a different day, with 'interpretation' now a buzz word in Premier League refereeing.

"He has won the ball with the first thing but he has probably upset the referee with his follow through," the Reds boss told Sky Sports.

Decision

"But he has won the ball first and it's not his fault somebody is standing there. Sometimes you see them result in a red, sometimes they get away with it.

"You can go through every referee decision and find a problem with it, I think the problem everyone has at the moment is the level of interpretation and that's not consistent."

While disappointed with that particular call, Dalglish believes Liverpool were unfortunate to leave the capital empty-handed on Monday night.

"I think we would have taken something from the game if we had been left with 11 men," he said.

"For us, we played as well as we have been playing but you have to do enough to win the game. I think we did enough to come away with something, but we haven't done it.

"We need to brush ourselves down and get on with it and not feel sorry for ourselves. The lads put in a great effort to try and win the game, even when we went down to 10 men we had a couple of close things."



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/7355173/?


WhiteJC

 
Fulham has Liverpool seeing red


Clint Dempsey of Fulham slots home the winner against Liverpool.
Photo: Getty Images


Clint Dempsey struck a late winner for Fulham to hand Liverpool a 1-0 defeat in a match which saw the losing side controversially reduced to 10 men at Craven Cottage on Monday.
Jay Spearing was dismissed for a tackle on Mousa Dembele with 18 minutes remaining of the English Premier League clash.

THE EPL TABLE
It was the turning point of the game with Spearing taking the ball but also sending his opponent into the air and referee Kevin Friend issued a straight red card.

Dempsey struck in the 85th minute after goalkeeper Pepe Reina spilled the ball, bringing an end to the run of six straight away wins for Kenny Dalglish's side.

Despite Fulham struggling for goals this season and Liverpool conceding the fewest goals in the league, both teams created chances throughout an open first half.

Craig Bellamy and John Arne Riise, former team-mates who clashed off the pitch while at Liverpool, faced each on the right flank and the Fulham full-back was fortunate not to be booked for one tackle.

From the other wing, Jordan Henderson cut inside and struck the post with a toe-poke just before the half-hour mark, with the ball fortuitously bouncing to safety for Fulham.

It also took a last-gasp tackle from Brede Hangeland to deny Andy Carroll after Luis Suarez had set up another chance for his strike partner.

Liverpool appeared to be on top but Dempsey had two efforts before the break. One went wide, and the other was saved well by Reina.

Bellamy and Dempsey were booked just after the restart when they confronted each other after a tackle, while Philippe Senderos was also cautioned when he brought down Charlie Adam when the Scotland midfielder was racing through.

Liverpool were creating the better chances. Jose Enrique met Mark Schwarzer's punch with a volley and the goalkeeper had to be down sharply to save.

Suarez was accused of diving when he went into the penalty area next and tried to get around Hangeland, with the assistant referee flagging for simulation.

Liverpool thought they had taken the lead when Enrique chipped over the defence and Suarez took the ball past Schwarzer and volleyed in, but play was called back for offside.

AFP



Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/fulham-has-liverpool-seeing-red-20111206-1og32.html#ixzz1fk2qgzQY

WhiteJC

 
Dempsey ends Liverpool's road reign
Fulham 1 Liverpool 0: Fulham striker Clint Dempsey struck a late winner as Liverpool's outstanding form on the road ended during a controversial evening at Craven Cottage.

Dempsey stabbed home a long-range 85th-minute shot by Danny Murphy that had bounced off the arms of Jose Reina, to secure only Fulham's third Premier League win of the season.

However, a sense of grievance cloaked Liverpool's night after they were denied a strong claim to a penalty and a legitimate goal from Luis Suarez was disallowed for offside, before Jay Spearing was shown a straight red card.

Philippe Senderos hacked down Charlie Adam with referee Kevin Friend claiming the tackle was executed just outside the area in what was a desperately tight call.

Worse was to come when Suarez produced a brilliant finish after jinking his way clear, only for a flag to be raised even though the Uruguay striker was onside.

The final insult was delivered in the 72nd minute when Spearing, making his first Premier League start of the season, was shown a straight red card.

Spearing, who had replaced knee-injury victim Lucas Leiva in the starting line-up, caught Mousa Dembele with a sliding challenge, but only after cleanly winning the ball in what was a harsh call.

The result denied Liverpool a record-equalling seventh successive away win in all competitions as they endured their first defeat in 12 games.

The goal came when the United States international Dempsey followed in after visiting goalkeeper Jose Reina uncharacteristically spilled Danny Murphy's low shot.

And Dempsey said: "You've always got to take a chance. Danny did a good job getting the shot off and you've got to be in the right place at the right time. Sometimes you get lucky and it falls to you.

"Any points right now are big because the table's so tight. We're just happy to get the win."

Liverpool manager boss Kenny Dalglish was frustrated by the dismissal of Spearing and felt it changed the outcome of the game.

"He won the ball, he probably upset the referee with his follow-through but it's not his fault there's somebody standing there.

"You see them sometimes get a red card, other times they get away with it. The problem everybody has is the level of interpretation, that's not consistent.

"I think we would have taken something if we'd been left with 11 men. I don't think we played as well as we have been but we did enough to come away with something but we haven't done it."



http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/soccer/2011/1205/1224308619731.html?

WhiteJC

 
Fulham 1-0 Liverpool


These dark nights by the Thames aren't half special, eh?  A lively 0-0 turned into a scintillating 1-0 win, Clint Dempsey's late goal nicking the points with five minutes left.  We more or less deserved them, riding our luck to a degree but mainly doing enough, then taking advantage when Liverpool lost a man after Spearing's red card.

That was key. Before that we couldn't find space anywhere, so the dismissal solved that issue and all of a sudden a win seemed not just possible but likely. The team's buildups got that bit sharper, shots started pinging Reina's way, and it felt like something had to give, if only we could break through before time ran out.  We did: Senderos reversed a lovely ball wide to Murphy, Murphy scuffed in a shot that Reina couldn't hold, Dempsey pounced from a yard out, his lime green boots whirling through the air to send the ball crashing into the net.  YES!

Before that Dempsey's shots had mainly been from distance, his speculative efforts often coming close and serving to maintain some semblence of pressure (we couldn't get into the area so had to shoot from outside it). Dembele was marauding again, Dickson Etuhu had as good a 45 minutes as he'll ever have in the first half, and the teams left the field after 45 engrossing minutes with no goals but plenty to think about.  Fulham had to work out how to find space, but also how to deny it to Liverpool: it felt like we were living on the edge, slightly, particularly down the right flank where Kelly perhaps wasn't getting the protection he'd have liked and was often isolated.

The second half was just as fun.  True, Fulham's buildup was frustratingly slow, but Liverpool's defence was excellent.  At the other end Mark Schwarzer made some fine saves, notably palming the ball onto the post following a Downing drive.  Johnson came on, not for Ruiz (showing flashes of brilliance while giving the ball away too often), but for the again disappointing Zamora.  What would this mean?  But we maintained forward progress and Johnson's running offered something we didn't have before: he made the most of his time on the pitch.

Liverpool kept up their pressure but it didn't feel like they'd have enough to get through.   Charlie Adam was pulling strings, but doing so rather like a puppeteer who's got a bit drunk and thinks he's better than he really is.  He looks the part but not all of his passing is what it could be, and Danny Murphy taught him a nice lesson in when to expand and when to play safe. Pantomime villain Saurez tumbled hither and thither, Bellamy buzzed around annoyingly, too, but nobody in the side looked really dangerous.  And for that we must thank our defence, who stood up tremendously well under pressure.

A great win then, earned against a good team playing quite well.  It's been a while since we took down one of the biggies, so Martin Jol will be delighted.





http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/fulham-1-0-liverpool/?


WhiteJC

 
Dalglish rues Spearing dismissal

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish felt the dismissal of Jay Spearing at Craven Cottage proved decisive to the outcome of his side's 1-0 loss against Fulham.

With Monday night's Premier League match delicately poised, Liverpool's hopes of coming away with victory were dented when Spearing, starting in place of the injured Lucas Leiva, was handed a straight red card by referee Kevin Friend.

Friend deemed that Spearing's challenge on Moussa Dembele was worthy of a sending off, after the midfielder took the ball but also caught the Belgium international on the ankle.

Fulham's Clint Dempsey went on to score the winner, and Dalglish was left to rue the defeat, in particular after seeing his rivals for a top four finish all claim victories at the weekend.

"He won the ball," the Scot told Sky Sports 1. "He probably upset the referee with his follow-through but it's not his fault there's somebody standing there.

"You see them sometimes get a red card, other times they get away with it. The problem everybody has is the level of interpretation - that's not consistent.

"I think we would have taken something if we'd been left with 11 men. I don't think we played as well as we have been but we did enough to come away with something but we haven't done it."

Fulham boss Martin Jol, however, felt the red card was justified. He said: "I think it was a bad tackle. His ankle was there and I think it was a sending-off."

Jol also reserved praise for match-winner Dempsey, who capitalised on a mistake from goalkeeper Pepe Reina to pounce for the decisive goal with five minutes remaining.

The Dutch coach said: "Clint is a good player. He scored 13 goals in the league last year and tonight it was a much-needed goal and a much-needed win.

"We dropped points at home against Everton when we were the better team - we were pretty unlucky. Tonight we had the rub of the green. We weren't the better team but it was even.

"Mark Schwarzer is one of the best in the business and he saved us."


http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/992943/liverpool-manager-kenny-dalglish-rues-jay-spearing-dismissal?&cc=5739

WhiteJC

 
Liverpool deserved to beat Fulham says striker

Liverpool deserved to beat Fulham on Monday night, according to Reds striker Luis Suarez.

Kenny Dalgish's side lost 1-0 at Craven Cottage thanks to a late strike from Clint Dempsey after Liverpool midfielder Jay Spearing had been shown a straight red in controversial circumstances.

Speaking on Twitter, Suarez said: "We lost a game that We deserved to win, I'm very upset with what happened tonight ... Cheer up everyone!"

In an open match, both sides has their chances with Downing hitting the post for Liverpool before Pepe Reina fumbled Danny Murphy's shot which led to Dempsey's goal.



http://www.cleansheetsallround.co.uk/2011/12/liverpool-deserved-to-beat-fulham-says-striker?

WhiteJC

 
Fulham forward Clint Dempsey becomes top American goalscorer ever in the Premier League with winner against Liverpool
The USA star's late winner at Craven Cottage takes him past Brian McBride as the most successful American goalscorer in the English top flight


Getty Images
Fulham star Clint Dempsey will have more reason than most to celebrate his late winner against Liverpool on Monday night, as it set a Premier League record.

The USA international became the highest scoring American player in Premier League history, after he knocked in his 85-minute goal.

The forward took advantage of a rare mistake by Reds goalkeeper Pepe Reina to score his 37th goal for Fulham, topping former Cottagers striker Brian McBride's previous tally of 36 goals. The goal was Dempsey's sixth of the season.

The win takes the Cottagers up to 13th in the table.


http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/12/05/2789552/fulham-forward-clint-dempsey-becomes-top-american-goalscorer?


WhiteJC

 
Suarez flips! Race-row striker loses cool over taunts by Fulham fans

Luis Suarez - who is already facing a racism charge - could find himself in more hot water with the FA after making an obscene gesture towards Fulham supporters after Liverpool's 1-0 defeat.

The Anfield striker was given a torrid time by the home support throughout the clash at Craven Cottage as he was subjected to chants of 'cheat' for what Fulham supporters perceived to be his constant diving.

And Suarez cracked after the final whistle by making an explicit hand gesture towards Cottagers fans.  Wembley disciplinary chiefs will decide on Tuesday whether to investigate the incident further.


Out of order: Liverpool's Luis Suarez made a gesture to Fulham fans

Suarez has already been charged by the FA for making racist remarks towards Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during the 1-1 draw at Anfield earlier this season.

And Reds manager Kenny Dalglish admitted he could be forced to talk to Suarez about his conduct after the latest controversy to hit the Uruguay international.

'I haven't seen the picture and I'm not taking anybody's word for it,' said Dalglish.

'If you show me the picture and I'm convinced that what you're saying is true, then I've got a decision to make.'

In response to Fulham fans branding Suarez a 'cheat', Dalglish added: 'That's scandalous. We'll look after Luis as best we can, and I think it's about time he got a bit of protection from some people.


Lunge: Jay Spearing fouls Fulham's Moussa Dembele before being sent off

'His integrity is impeccable. He can look in the mirror and go to bed at night and sleep soundly.'

Liverpool's misery was compounded by Jay Spearing's debatable sending off - the latest incident in a controversial weekend of refereeing decisions.

The Liverpool midfielder clearly made contact with the ball in his challenge with Moussa Dembele  - but was given his marching orders by Kevin Friend after catching the Fulham forward with his follow through.

And Dalglish felt his midfielder was harshly sent off: 'I think, you need to ask the referee what their interpretation is? What the level of acceptance is? 'Jay never had another thought in his mind but to win the ball, and he did win it.


Turning point: Spearing is sent off as Liverpool's players protest

'As long as the officials are consistent, it's not a problem. But I don't think we were going to get anything tonight, were we?
'The (offside) goal that Luis scored, Charlie [Adam] could have had a penalty. We played well enough to have won the game.'

Fulham boss Martin Jol added: 'Was it a red card?  I think it was a bad tackle. 'If you see from another angle, you saw his ankle up there and I think it was a sending off.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2070424/Luis-Suarez-gives-Fulham-fans-finger.html#ixzz1fk5IMAuZ

WhiteJC

 
Dempsey becomes top American scorer in English Premier League as Fulham beats Liverpool 1-0

LONDON — Clint Dempsey became the American career scoring in the English Premier League, capitalizing on a mistake by goalkeeper Pepe Reina to lead Fulham over Liverpool 1-0 Monday night.

With 37 goals since joining Fulham in 2006, the 28-year-old midfielder from Nacogdoches, Texas, broke a tie with Brian McBride, who played in the Premier League with Everton (2003) and Fulham (2004-08).

After Dempsey hit the crossbar earlier in the match, Reina spilled a shot by former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy in the 85th minute, and Dempsey converted the rebound from close range.

Liverpool played a man short after Jay Spearing was shown a red card for a 72nd-minute tackle on Moussa Dembele.

Fulham (3-5-6) climbed to 13th place with 15 points, five above the relegation zone. Seventh-place Liverpool (6-3-5), which lost for the first time in nine league matches, has 23 points — five behind Chelsea for the final Champions League berth.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/dcunited/dempsey-becomes-top-american-scorer-in-english-premier-league-as-fulham-beats-liverpool-1-0/2011/12/05/gIQA976ZXO_story.html?

WhiteJC

 
Spearing was out of control! Friend had to give Liverpool midfielder his marching orders

Kevin Friend was right to dismiss Jay Spearing for his lunging challenge on Moussa Dembele despite the fact the Liverpool man played the ball before catching his opponent.

Spearing was out of control of his forward movement and the force at which he caught the Fulham forward led Friend to dismiss him for serious foul play.


Lunge: Jay Spearing fouls Fulham's Moussa Dembele before being sent off

The primary concern for a referee is the safety of the players and if a reckless challenge endangers that safety then the player must be sent off.

Looking at the pictures it is hard to disagree that the challenge was reckless and endangered Dembele's safety. I have long argued that playing the ball does not make a player exempt from disciplinary action; the challenge from Spearing proves that.


Lucky: Philippe Senderos (left) could have been sent off for Fulham

Liverpool can argue that Fulham should also have been reduced to 10 men as Phillipe Senderos committed two clear cautionable offences. The first was a very good decision from Friend as the Swiss defender brought Charlie Adam down right on the edge of the Fulham penalty area.

It was a close call but a correct one as was the decision to show a yellow card as it was not the denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

Senderos was later seen on TV to have pulled Andy Carroll back as Liverpool broke forward; had Friend seen that he would have sent Senderos off.

But of course he doesn't have the luxury of video replays.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2070404/Graham-Poll-Jay-Spearing-sent-off.html#ixzz1fk6PMHq3


WhiteJC

 
Dempsey delivers vital win
by DAN on DECEMBER 5, 2011



Unbelievable as it might seem now, Clint Dempsey had his detractors at the start of his Fulham career. He was too lightweight, tried too many tricks and was even labelled a luxury player. Roy Hodgson, albeit only half-seriously, suggested that the American midfielder's problem was that he wasn't as good as he thought he was. But Fulham have learnt to depend on Dempsey. He's delivered in the big games: his first goal helped secure their Premier League status in 2007 and plenty of priceless strikes have followed.

Tonight, there was no-one else you wanted a rare fumble from Pepe Reina to fall to. The Spaniard spilled a speculative shot from Danny Murphy and Dempsey was there, quick as a flash, to sweep the rebound into the net from three yards. It was his 37th Premier League goal – a record for an American – and was richly deserved after a night of typically boundless adventure. Dempsey had drew a first-class save from Reina in the first half and crashed a drive against the crossbar just prior to scoring the winner. In between, he was booked for going head-to-head with Craig Bellamy in the centre circle.

Fulham played with a verve and endeavour that was severely lacking in Twente in midweek. As early as the sixth minute, Bryan Ruiz released Moussa Dembele and the Belgian's side-footed shot was smartly saved by Reina. Liverpool were equally bold, fielding Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez alongside Bellamy in attack, and the former Newcastle forward should have shot them in front from their first real attack instead of powering a drive straight at Mark Schwarzer from ten yards.

The Australian could do little about a fine curling effort from the right angle of the box by Jordan Henderson after the young midfielder had cleverly cut inside, but the ball cannoned off the far post and away from danger. Suarez was full of clever running – not to mention the odd eager tumble – but he spurned his best opportunities, shooting wastefully wide after a swift Liverpool break. Fulham, who had earlier tested Reina with speculative shots from Dembele and Dempsey, finished the first period the stronger, with Reina again denying Dempsey.

Liverpool attacked with greater vigour after the break with Schwarzer somehow repelling a venomous 30-yarder from Luis Enrique and Bellamy screwed a shot horribly wide after being found by Glen Johnson. Suarez had a goal ruled out for offside and Fulham survived a shout for a penalty when Senderos, who later escaped a second booking for blocking off Adam, crudely ended a rampaging run from Charlie Adam. Referee Kevin Friend adjudged that the foul was just outside the box, but that wasn't his most controversial decision of the evening. The official reached quickly for his pocket after Jay Spearing's reckless lunge at Dembele and to Liverpool's astonishment produced a red card. Spearing protested that he had won the ball, but Dean decided he had led with his studs.

The visitors could have taken the lead as the game opened up, with Schwarzer managing to turn a terrific effort from substitute Stewart Downing onto the post, but, with five minutes to play, Reina's mistake settled the game. Murphy, perhaps wary of the fact that his choice to pass had ended a promising counter-attack previously, cut inside Johnson and drove a hopeful shot towards the near post. Reina appeared to have it comfortably covered, but when the ball squirmed loose, Dempsey pounced to seal a massive win for Martin Jol.

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Schwarzer; Kelly, J.A. Riise, Hangeland, Senderos; Etuhu, Murphy (Gecov 90); Dembele, Dempsey, Ruiz; Zamora (A. Johnson 71). Subs (not used): Etheridge, Briggs, Hughes, Kasami, Frei.

BOOKED: Dembele, Dempsey, Senderos.

GOAL: Dempsey (85).

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Reina; G. Johnson, Enrique, Skrtel, Agger; Henderson, Adam, Spearing; Carroll (Kuyt 77), Bellamy (Downing 77), Suarez. Subs (not used): Doni, Coates, Carragher, Kelly, Maxi Rodriguez.

BOOKED: Bellamy.

SENT OFF: Spearing.

REFEREE: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire).

ATTENDANCE: 25,688.


http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/12/dempsey-delivers-vital-win/?

WhiteJC


Kenny Dalglish angry about Fulham fans' Suarez chants


Fulham's Danny Murphy voices his anger at Suarez

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish described the chants of "cheat" directed at Luis Suarez during his side's 1-0 defeat by Fulham as "scandalous".

Fulham fans felt Suarez went down too easily at Craven Cottage, yet Dalglish defended the Uruguayan striker.

Asked about the taunts, Dalglish said: "I would like to see you write that in the paper because you would be in a bit of trouble as well.

"It is about time he got a wee bit of protection," the Scot added.

Suarez was photographed making a hand gesture at the end of the match, but Dalglish refused to comment on the incident.

"I've not seen the picture and I am not taking anybody's word for it," he said.

"Until you have proved it is true to me, I won't comment."

LIVERPOOL RUN ENDS
Since losing at Tottenham on September 18, Liverpool had put together an 11-game unbeaten run before being defeated at Fulham.
Liverpool had won three Premier League away games in a row before going to Fulham - but their defeat means they still haven't won four in a row on the road since May 2009.

The Liverpool manager is considering appealing against Jay Spearing's controversial second-half red card though.

Midfielder Spearing was sent off after fouling striker Moussa Dembele with his follow-through in a tackle, having initially won the ball.

Dalglish said: "Jay will be upset, but we will have a little look and see whether it is worthwhile appealing.

"I think you need to ask the referees what the interpretation is."

Spearing was shown a straight red card by referee Kevin Friend after 71 minutes, with the score at 0-0, before Clint Dempsey's late winner sealed victory for Fulham to move them 13th in the league.

Dalglish added: "It is frustrating because nobody tells us what the level of acceptance is. Jay had no other thought on his mind other than to win the ball and he did win it.

"I am not a referee. Sometimes they have been given, sometimes they haven't. As long as they are consistent, there is no problem."

A series of decisions went against Liverpool, with Charlie Adam denied a penalty after being brought down by Philippe Senderos and Luis Suarez having a strike disallowed for offside.

Discussing the game, Dalglish said: "It could have gone either way but I don't think we were going to get anything tonight, were we?

"The goal Luis Suarez scored that was ruled offside could have gone either way. Charlie Adam could have got a penalty when he was pulled down on the edge of the box.

"Tonight wasn't as well as we've been playing, but it was enough to have won the game. We never got the luck but we have just got to brush ourselves off and get on with it."



http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16043901.stm?

WhiteJC

 
Kevin Friend Made Four Contentious Decisions That Enraged Liverpool Supporters



Kevin Friend had a bad day at the office Monday. And Liverpool supporters are holding the referee in their team's 1-0 loss to Fulham responsible for the outcome.

The 40-year-old official has been in charge of English Premier League games for over two years. He will come under scrutiny for several contentious second-half decisions he made that Reds' fans feel swung the game in Fulham's favour.

In the 48th minute, goal-hero Clint Dempsey went nose-to-nose with Craig Bellamy after the Welshman made a clumsy tackle on him. Though the irate Dempsey appeared to headbutt Bellamy, Friend spoke to -- and cautioned -- both players for their roles in the incident. Dempsey could have seen red for seeing red early in the second half.

In the 55th minute, Luis Suarez was brought down in the Fulham penalty area by defender Brede Hangeland. Suarez tricked his way past the towering defender, playing the ball to one side of him and trying to run past him on the other. Hangeland stepped into the path of Suarez, initiating contact, but Friend -- who had seemingly spoken to Suarez about diving earlier in the game -- denied the penalty appeal. It was a clear foul and Friend should have awarded Liverpool a spot-kick.

Four minutes later, Philippe Senderos put a stop to a counterattack when he fouled Charlie Adam near the Fulham area. He initiated the contact outside of the box, but both players fell into the penalty area. Friend awarded a free-kick on the line. He could have called it either way, but he gave the Reds a free-kick that they failed to convert.

In the 67th minute, Suarez appeared to score the opening goal, but he was judged to have been offside on the play (the play is pictured in the photo above). Friend followed his assistant's call and disallowed the goal Suarez scored on the move. Replays showed that Suarez was even with Hangeland at the time the ball was played and the goal should have stood.

Finally, Friend sent off Liverpool's diminutive midfielder Jay Spearing for a challenge on Mousa Dembele in the 72nd minute. The tackle was well-timed but two-footed and Friend showed Spearing a straight red card. The peoples' choice to replace Lucas in th LFC midfield faces a three-game ban for the dismissal.


http://www.nesn.com/2011/12/kevin-friend-made-four-contentious-decisions-that-enraged-liverpool-supporters.html?


WhiteJC

 
A Much-Needed Win

A late goal from Clint Dempsey was enough to hand Fulham all three points after an entertaining affair at Craven Cottage on Monday night.

Dempsey rounded off a fine team performance when he was first to react after Pepe Reina spilled Danny Murphy's shot.

Speaking after Monday's encounter, Fulham Manager Martin Jol looked back on the match and gave his assessment of the performance and Dempsey's contribution.

"Clint is a good player," Jol explained. "He scored 13 goals in the league last year and tonight it was a much-needed goal and a much-needed win.

"We dropped points at home against Everton when we were the better team - we were pretty unlucky.

"Liverpool are a good team. Every time we had the ball in their half, they broke us and I have to say that after the sending off we had a little bit more space and we took advantage of that.

"Tonight we probably had the rub of the green. It was even, we had a couple of chances and even with 10 men they had an unbelievable shot but Mark Schwarzer is one of the best in the business and he saved us. After that we scored and it was very much needed."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/December/JolLiverpoolReaction.aspx?#ixzz1fk8hxTC1

WhiteJC

 
Kenny on Jay and Fulham

Kenny Dalglish believes the key decisions didn't go in Liverpool's favour on a night they lost 1-0 to Fulham at Craven Cottage and had Jay Spearing sent-off.

Clint Dempsey's late strike brought an end to the Reds' 11-game unbeaten run on a controversial night in London, which saw the Reds reduced to 10 men when Spearing was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Mousa Dembele.

Asked whether he felt the challenge from his midfielder warranted a straight red, Dalglish told his post-match press conference: "I think you need to ask them (referees) what their interpretation is. It's frustrating because no one ever tells us what the interpretation is.

"Jay had no other thought in his mind but to win the ball, and he did win the ball. I'm not a referee so all you can say is sometimes they are given, sometimes they are not, but as long as they are consistent then it's not a problem.

"We'll have a look at it again and see if it's worth appealing."

The Reds also hit the woodwork twice through Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing, while Luis Suarez had a goal disallowed for offside, when television replays suggested he wasn't.

"I don't think we were going to get anything tonight, were we?" added Dalglish.

"Luis scored a goal which didn't count that could have gone either way and Charlie Adam could have got a penalty when he got pulled down.

"They had a couple of good efforts and Pepe made some good saves and they also hit the bar, but I think overall we looked as though we were going to get something from the game - we certainly deserved to.

"We didn't play as well as we have been playing but we still did enough to win the game. We have just got to brush ourselves down now, get on with it and get ourselves ready for QPR on Saturday."

The manager was also asked how frustrating it was to see his side lose their unbeaten run.

He added: "We have done well and given a bit of luck tonight we could have had three points. We will just continue working hard and see where it takes us."

Dalglish was also questioned about Luis Suarez, who came in for some rough treatment on and off the field during the 90 minutes.

He added: "We will look after Luis as best we can and I think it's about time he got a bit of protection from some people."

With Lucas Leiva ruled out for the season through injury and Spearing now facing a ban, the boss was quizzed whether he had any news on captain Steven Gerrard's likely return to action.

"He's closer," said the boss.

"We have never put any time on it and he will be right when he is right. Everything he has done has been very positive and we are delighted with the progress."

Author: Steve Hunter at Craven Cottage


http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/kenny-on-jay-and-fulham?

WhiteJC

 
Fulham 1-0 Liverpool

15th place has never looked so gratifying and neither has Clint Dempsey getting into a spontaneous tussle. The thought of Dempsey applying a cheeky little right hook to the grin of Craig Bellamy was one that couldn't help but cross my mind, but, of course, it is one I wouldn't condone on any level.

But for all the intensity that came with this clash there was only one goal in it. Ironically, it was the result of a goalkeeping error despite a general display of solidarity and composure from both stoppers throughout the evening.

Martin Jol will take anything at the moment, though, and his first ever Premier League win over Liverpool couldn't have come at any better time.



The Ducthman had laid faith in Summer signing Bryan Ruiz, starting the Costa Rican international wide on the right. The winger-cum-striker had a sporadic afternoon in which his deft flicks and fast-thinking approach play were both his highlight and his downfall. On one occasion, he played a wondrous back heel into the path of Danny Murphy but when he replicated the trick barely ten minutes later it went embarrassingly wrong.

With Ruiz starting, however, clearly Jol had a degree of intent coming into the game. Alongside the former Twente man were Bobby Zamora, Moussa Dembele and Clint Dempsey, and as such, an expansive game ensued.

Dembele had a guilt-edged opportunity to put Fulham up inside five minutes when an incisive pass from Ruiz fed the ball astutely at the feet of Dembele, whom himself had timed his run perfectly. The Belgian could only shoot straight at Pepe Reina, though, when faced with the one-on-one.

Andy Carroll then reflected the feat of wasting a chance at the other end, again placing his shot against the goalkeeper.

Dempsey and Dembele then tested Reina from a fair distance, both times forcing the Spaniard to stretch. For both their efforts, though, it was clear that Fulham weren't creating genuine and clear cut opportunities and a resolute Liverpool defence were restricting the Whites' attack to efforts from outside the area.

Jordan Henderson had the away section celebrating, but it wasn't long before such jubilation was met with mockery from the home fans as the midfielders effort hadn't in fact crossed the line. It was a close call, though, as the ball struck the post and rolled eerily along the line.

Dickson Etuhu, despite the rumours that surround a supposed imminent departure, laid stake to a claim for a first team spot with a display of the greatest graft and resistance. Throughout the evening he tackled hard yet fairly and was a consistent possession gainer in the middle of the park. The Nigerian also proved to be a persistent shackle to an expectedly lively Luis Suarez.

The half drew to a close and while the game seemed finely balanced, Kenny Dalglish probably entered the dressing rooms as a happier manager. His side had carved open the Fulham defence on a few occasions and most could sense there was a goal in the game - either way.

As the game restarted, Liverpool had clearly been ordered to step up a gear. A series of corners had Mark Schwarzer worried in the Fulham goal, but Brede Hangeland and his defence came out of an abundant spell of pressure unscathed.

The Norweigan put in a fine defensive shift yet again and matched £35 million man Andy Carroll on all occasions. The former Newcastle man eventually came off and Hangeland should be partly credited for keeping him so quiet.

Liverpool still attacked and Phillipe Senderos resorted to an altogether different type of tackle to bring Charlie Adam to a halt as he headed towards the Fulham area. On the counter, the Reds broke with speed and as Adam looked set to pull the trigger, the Swiss lunged in, almost head first, to bring the Scotsman down. Contact was, thankfully, outside the area, and despite a yellow card for Senderos, the free kick failed to provide any substance for Liverpool.

Bobby Zamora was then replaced on 70 minutes and it almost seemed a relief. The England international had picked up a knock early on, but with the three midfielders behind him, the target man was failing to make a difference. Whether off-the-field troubles are affecting him or not, Fulham needed another dimension and Andy Johnson's capability of getting behind and between defenders was a welcome adaptation to play.

Barely a minute later, and Liverpool were down to ten men. Jay Spearing lunged at Dembele and, while winning the ball, was justifiably reckless in doing so.

This spurred on Fulham and two great opportunities followed. Clint Dempsey opened up his body in the penalty area and delivered a fine chip over Reina, only for the ball to strike the woodwork.

Yet again, Dembele had a great opportunity to score but struck the ball straight at Liverpool's 'keeper. His efforts on goal may have been tame, but as always, Dembele performed admirably on the pitch and the number of times he tracked back makes you wonder how he lasted ninety minutes.

The one man advantage finally played its dividends for Fulham in the 85th minute, though, as Clint Dempsey pounced upon a rebound after what was a meagre shot from captain Danny Murphy. The pressure was building and Dempsey had earned a goal after a labouring display.

Fulham held on in the last few minutes, even as Danny Murphy left the field in some discomfort, to claim a memorable and vital three points.

Let's hope Bellamy isn't too aggrieved to see John Arne Riise on the winning side.



http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2011/12/5/2613826/fulham-1-0-liverpool?


WhiteJC

 
Andy Carroll's ineffectiveness adds to Liverpool frustration at Fulham
Another lumbering performance from Liverpool's £35m striker played its part in a Fulham victory than was hardly deserved


Liverpool's Andy Carroll came off worse in his battles with Fulham's Philippe
Senderos, right. Photograph: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images


Liverpool brought the first chill blast of winter to the Cottage, and it blew them right back home. The misconceived refusal to give Charlie Adam a penalty and send off Philippe Senderos on the hour, a spoilsport decision to disallow a goal for Luis Suárez midway through the second half and a red card for the young midfielder Jay Spearing a few minutes later prefaced a crescendo of Fulham attacking which ended with a dreadful Pepe Reina error and a decisive tap-in for Clint Dempsey.

Seldom slow to complain when fortune frowns on his team, Kenny Dalglish was presented with enough excuses to moan from now until New Year's Eve. If Martin Jol felt that his players deserved something for sticking to their task and making the most of 20 minutes of numerical superiority, any dispassionate audit of the match would end with the conclusion that the visitors were robbed.

Yet Liverpool's team contained the biggest individual disappointment, while Fulham's included a performance of infinite promise from a surprising source. Whereas Andy Carroll did little more than lumber about the pitch to no measurable effect during his 77 minutes in the action, Moussa Dembélé looked to have the makings of a player capable of delighting Craven Cottage for many seasons to come.

This was a good night not to be consigned to the bench, swathed in quilted gear and bobble hats. Excellent news, then, for Carroll, handed his seventh Premier League start in a season that has seen his fitness and application questioned. Dalglish paired Carroll and Suárez up front, with Craig Bellamy buzzing around them.

On paper that combination of complementary styles is potent enough to unsettle any Premier League defence, the only question being whether Suárez, Liverpool's key goalscorer, responds well to the presence of a big centre-forward alongside him or prefers to work with the energetic unselfishness offered by Maxi Rodríguez or Dirk Kuyt.

On this occasion it was the Argentinian and the Dutchman who shivered in a wind that seemed to be threatening to turn the nearby Thames into a skating rink, while the Englishman had a chance to run around and cuddle up to Senderos and Brede Hangeland for additional warmth.

Two goals in 12 Premier League appearances this season, five of them as a substitute, is not much of a return on a £35m investment, but eight minutes into Monday night's match Carroll came close to glory. Adam's thoughtful pass found Suárez on the left, the Uruguayan cut the ball back at pace, and Carroll stretched out a boot but saw his effort from 12 yards out fly straight at Mark Schwarzer.

There would be a knockdown from Adam's diagonal ball which led to a shot from Suárez that skimmed past the right-hand post, followed by an attempted shot from the Uruguayan's angled pass that was foiled at source by Hangeland's crunching block, but Carroll never really brought his strength and weight to bear on the match with any sort of consistency or incisiveness.

For most of the time Hangeland and Senderos looked as though they could cope quite comfortably with whatever threat he was able to produce. The Swiss centre-back's nastiest moment came not from Carroll but from Adam, who took advantage of a mix-up in the Fulham midfield on the hour to dribble from the halfway line to the edge of the area, where Senderos barged him over and was extremely fortunate to see Kevin Friend award a free-kick and a yellow card rather than a penalty and a dismissal.

Behind the Liverpool forwards, good work was being done by the all-British midfield trio of Adam, the busy Jordan Henderson and the young Spearing. Dalglish's resources are currently so stretched, following last week's season-ending injury to the unlucky Lucas Leiva, that he has found it necessary to recall the highly promising 19-year-old Jonjo Shelvey from a loan at Blackpool, where he has impressed by scoring six goals in 10 games. Leiva is too good a player not to be missed, however, as Spearing demonstrated when a poorly judged and potentially dangerous tackle on Dembélé led to his dismissal with 18 minutes to go.

Dembélé is definitely someone to watch. The 24-year-old Belgium international, the son of a Malian father and a Belgian mother, cost a mere £5m from AZ Alkmaar when he joined Fulham in Mark Hughes's first month as manager last year, and he looks to be in the best tradition of the club's inside-forwards and attacking midfielders. Roving across the width of the pitch, but doing his best work in the arc behind the main striker, he covers the ground with a supple, low-slung grace, disguises his passes beautifully and needs only to refine his shooting.

If he was a little slow to warm to the contest on Monday night, greater coolness in the closing stages would have brought him a pair of goals. But a backheeled pass to Bryan Ruiz after 80 minutes started an exchange that ended with Dempsey's shot bouncing off the top of the crossbar, a move worth the price of admission alone.



http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/dec/06/andy-carroll-liverpool-fulham?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Ffootball%2Frss+%28Football%29

WhiteJC

 
Ruiz starting to shine for Fulham, says Jol

FULHAM are starting to see the quality that persuaded Martin Jol to bring Bryan Ruiz to Craven Cottage in the summer, according to the Dutchman.

Ruiz's debut for the Whites against Blackburn in September was so bad that he was withdrawn at half-time, but he is starting to look more assured since scoring his first goal against Everton in October and has justified a starting place in the past two matches.

He played his part in Monday night's 1-0 win over Liverpool, taking good care of the ball on the flanks as a supporting striker.
"On the ball, you see that Bryan's a quality player," said Jol.

"It's a different style he used to play in Holland. He's got more time, he's got vision, he wants to play the killer ball and I think it's the quality you need. You saw that with the first chance [against Liverpool] for Moussa Dembele, he got his pass in.

"We have to adapt to him and he has to adapt to English football. I started him against Arsenal and on the ball, he's good. He can make a difference and again tonight, he played with confidence. That is what I like."



http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/sport/fulham-fc-ealing/2011/12/06/ruiz-starting-to-shine-for-fulham-says-jol-82029-29901818/?