Saturday Fulham Stuff (20.03.10)

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http://uk.soccerway.com/news/2010/March/20/juventus-win-inspires-konchesky/

Juventus win inspires Konchesky


20 March 2010


Fulham defender Paul Konchesky believes that the Cottagers can see off the challenge of Manchester City on Sunday following their historic win over Juventus on Thursday night.

The Londoners head into Sunday's clash awash with confidence having dumped the Turin giants out of the Europa League with a shock 5-4 aggregate win.

But City are unbeaten in their last five league games, though, and a win could see them move into fifth to replace Liverpool, who face leaders Manchester United also on Sunday.

Fulham have won their last three league games at Craven Cottage, however, and Konchesky thinks everything is set up for Fulham to take at least a point from the match.

"Juventus are one of the best teams in Europe. But football-wise we outclassed them. That's what we've been like all season," said the 28-year-old.

"Games like the one against Juventus give you loads of confidence.

"If we can play like that again on Sunday against Manchester City then we've got a great chance."

While Thursday's win will undoubtedly go down as one of the most famous in the club's history, Konchesky believes the team must move on and focus their attention on tomorrow's game and Wednesday's FA Cup quarter-final replay against his former side Tottenham.

"It was a great night for us and for the club but we were back in training on Friday," he said.

"We've got a big game on Sunday and we've just got to work hard and concentrate on that now."

Fulham are boosted by the return of Danny Murphy and Jonathan Greening for the match, while Clint Dempsey is pushing for a starting place alongside Bobby Zamora after scoring the winner that booked next month's quarter-final meeting with German champions Wolfsburg.

The American, who signed from New England Revolution in January 2007, believes the club's future is looking bright.

"You have to be trying to better yourself and be moving in the right direction, and this club is doing that," said the 26-year-old.

"We're getting stronger and stronger, and hopefully we can push further in this competition and in the FA Cup, and see if we can try to finish where we did or higher in the league than last season."

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http://www.goal.com/en/news/1715/match-preview/2010/03/20/1841734/premier-league-preview-fulham-manchester-city

Premier League Preview: Fulham - Manchester City

Two teams with very different European ambitions meet...

By Jamie Dunn


Mar 20, 2010 4:27:45 PM


Kickoff: Sunday 21 March, 15:00 GMT
Craven Cottage, Fulham

After recording perhaps the biggest win in the club's history on Thursday, Fulham must be currently riding the crest of a wave. The transformation of the club under Roy Hodgson has been remarkable, and a 4-1 victory over Juventus - capped by a magnificent chip from Clint Dempsey - means the European adventure rolls on.

However, Thursday's goalfest is in stark contrast to Fulham's current Premier League scoring form. The Cottagers have drawn blanks in their last two outings and played out a goalless draw with Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup, but Hodgson will be hoping strikes from Zoltan Gera, Dempsey and his talisman Bobby Zamora in Europe will stand them in good stead to find their shooting boots in domestic competition; they will almost certainly need them against Manchester City on Sunday.

The blue side of Manchester kept their top four ambitions alive on Sunday as they salvaged a point against Sunderland, thanks to a stoppage time goal from second half substitute Adam Johnson. City had dominated in the second half, but Roberto Mancini's side were kept frustratingly at bay, until Johnson – a reported Sunderland fan – wrapped his magic wand of a left foot around the ball to secure a much-needed point.

A point against the Black Cats, who have struggled of late, may not be entirely convincing from a club with designs on Champions League football, but Mancini will feel his club are still in the driving seat as they race for fourth place. With a game in hand on Tottenham Hotspur and only two points between them, it is City's to lose, but a win over Fulham is essential.

FORM GUIDE

Fulham

Fulham 4-1 Juventus (Europa League)
Man Utd 3-0 Fulham (Prem)
Juventus 3-1 Fulham (Europa League)
Fulham 0-0 Tottenham (FA Cup)
Sunderland 0-0 Fulham (Prem)

Man City

Sunderland 1-1 Man City (Prem)
Chelsea 2-4 Man City (Prem)
Stoke City 3-1 Man City AET (FA Cup)
Man City 0-0 Liverpool (Prem)
Stoke City 1-1 Man City (Prem)

TEAM NEWS

Fulham

Dickson Etuhu is a doubt for Fulham after midweek action, while David Elm has picked up a bug and is also unlikely to feature. Cottagers fans will see the welcome return of Danny Murphy and Jonathan Greening, who were suspended for the Juventus tie, but Andrew Johnson and John Pantsil are both long-term casualties with knee problems. Nicky Shorey and Stefano Okaka are both available after being cup-tied in the Europa League.

Possible Starting XI: Schwarzer; Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Shorey; Duff, Murphy, Greening, Dempsey; Gera, Zamora.

Man City

There are three major absences from Roberto Mancini's squad; Emmanuel Adebayor is serving a suspension, Wayne Bridge has a hernia problem and Martin Petrov has taken a knock to his knee. Javier Garrido is likely to step in for Bridge, but there is still no sign of Michael Johnson, who has been missing for much of this season.

Possible Starting XI: Given; Richards, Toure, Zabaleta, Garrido; De Jong, Kompany, Barry, Wright-Phillips; Bellamy, Tevez.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Fulham

The Cottagers' stellar performance on Thursday was littered with fine performances, none more than that of Bobby Zamora. The striker returned to scoring form and proved a handful for the Juventus defence in front of England manager Fabio Capello. Another strong performance would do his national team credentials no harm.

Man City

With 15 strikes in the league to his name, and a grand total of 21 in all competitions, Carlos Tevez stands head and shoulders above the rest of the City strikers this season. The Argentinean drew a blank against Sunderland last Sunday but, in the absence of Emmanuel Adebayor, it is important the striker replicates the form that saw him score a brace against Chelsea three weeks ago.

PREDICTION

Roy Hodgson will fear the fixture load will be piling up on his Fulham charges, but thus far they have proved difficult to beat even after Europa League games. Manchester City were held by Sunderland on Sunday, and a similar result at Craven Cottage is a distinct possibility.

Fulham 1-1 Manchester City

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http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/sport/football-ealing/fulham-fc-ealing/2010/03/20/shorey-writes-off-man-city-s-top-four-chances-64767-26070051/

Shorey writes off Man City's top-four chances


Mar 20 2010


By Jacob Murtagh



NICKY Shorey has written off Manchester City's chances of a top-four finish.

The Fulham full-back hopes to put a major dent in City's Champions League hopes when Robert Mancini's side visit Craven Cottage tomorrow.

But the Aston Villa loan-star reckons Spurs, Liverpool and his team-mates at Villa Park stand a better chance.

He said: "I'd like to see Villa do it, but I also like the look of Tottenham.

"I reckon one of those two will finish fourth. But Liverpool have still got a good chance. They've been there, seen it and done it."

However, he admits the Fulham defence are in for another stern test against City's star-studded attack.

"They've got plenty of talent and pace, so we're going to have to be on our guard," said Shorey.

"You don't want to give them too much space or they will hurt you. They've got top quality all over the pitch.

"We're all going to have to have a good game to get a result."

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http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6039332,00.html

Hodgson - Cups the priority


Fulham boss to go for Europa League and FA Cup success


Last updated: 20th March 2010   

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson admits the Premier League now sits behind both the Europa League and the FA Cup in his list of priorities.

The Cottagers completed a massive turnaround against Serie A giants Juventus in the Europa League on Thursday night, running out emphatic 4-1 winners on the night and 5-4 victors on aggregate.

The win put the Londoners into the quarter-finals of the competition, while an FA Cup quarter-final replay with Tottenham on Wednesday awaits in another fine season for Hodgson's men.

Sitting comfortable in mid-table in the league, Hodgson admits that with Premier League survival now likely, the club's cup aspirations have propelled to the top of his wish list.

"I don't think we'll go down this year," the 62-year-old former Inter Milan coach said.

"Maybe we're a few points short but I'm pretty confident that we will do it, so there's no doubt that the two cup competitions will now take priority, particularly the one on Wednesday, but that might be a competition that come Thursday we won't have to worry about because that game at Tottenham is by no means a given."

Dedicated
Hodgson is by no means suggesting that whichever side he picks in the Premier League, in which they host Manchester City on Sunday, will not be dedicated to finding the points to ensure safety.

"I think in the Premier League, with the quality of the opposition, the interest in the game, the full stadiums of people, the cheering, the intensity and the speed of the game, I think it will be very difficult for a serious professional footballer not to be up for games," he said.

City's home form has been their main strength this term, but defeats away to Hull City, Everton and Stoke, among others, means Fulham have every right to feel confident heading into the game.

However, Hodgson is wary of the expensive squad they possess and admits that his team are taking on a side with realistic chances of becoming a top-four outfit.

"I haven't thought that much about who they have lost and who they have beat but it's comforting to think that they have lost against some of the so-called 'lesser teams'," he said.

"They do have a lot of good players though and they have obviously spent a lot of money on a team that is capable of winning the Premier League just as Chelsea did a few years before them, and I'm certain that they will be very disappointed if they don't get into the top four."

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http://backofthenet.markwatsonthecomedian.com/


Man who predicted Fulham's win over Juventus in 1995 gets last laugh from padded cell

March 19, 2010 | Posted by paulwatson | 0 comments

A psychiatric patient who was committed after insisting Fulham would one day overcome Juventus in a transparently trumped up version of the UEFA Cup has spent the last few hours grinning smugly, staff at St Bernard's Hospital report.

Mr David Ilcombe from Putney, London had no history of mental illness before appearing to have a breakdown in 1995.

On his way back from Fulham's Division Three defeat against Torquay United, Ilcombe worried friends and family by repeatedly stating his belief that the Cottagers would "see off a struggling Juventus side with a heroic 4-1 victory."

"Of course by then the UEFA Cup will have lost its status and will have been renamed the Europa League in a clumsy attempt to rejuvenate the flagging competition," he had reportedly chirped from the back of a Fiat Punto.

After a series of heart-rending family meetings, Ilcombe was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and taken to St Bernard's where he scared staff with predictions of "a Juventus side failing to come to terms with a match-fixing scandal that would cause lasting damage to the global viability of Serie A."

However, 15 years later it seems that Ilcombe may not have been suffering from delusional episodes.

"The patient has just been staring out of his room with an incredibly smug expression for the last few hours," chief of staff Elaine Graham admitted grimly.

"Every so often he asks one of us whether we know what the score of the Fulham game was this evening. He knows what the score was."