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Wednesday Fulham Stuff (24.03.10)

Started by White Noise, March 23, 2010, 10:21:25 PM

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White Noise

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/March/ReservesvChelsea.aspx


Reserves 2-1 Chelsea


Tuesday 23rd March 2010


Fulham FC News

Fulham secured the SW6 bragging rights at reserve level on Tuesday night, courtesy of strikes from Danny Hoesen and Erik Nevland.

Both sides had early chances, with Fabio Borini drawing a smart save from Neil Etheridge, while Rob Milsom drew an equally impressive stop from visiting 'keeper Sam Walker, drilling at goal from the edge of the box.

Chelsea certainly suggested that they would be a threat, with the much-talked about Gael Kakuta pulling the strings and Liam Bridcutt adding steel in the middle of the park.

However, mirroring the exploits of the First Team, Billy McKinlay's side are content and effective at soaking up the pressure, with Milsom and Kagisho Dikgacoi breaking play and linking the ball from defence to attack.

And it was from one such move that allowed Nevland to free the in-form Danny Hoesen, with the young Dutch striker racing clear and forcing Walker into action once more. He would make amends from the subsequent corner though, sweeping home Christopher Buchtmann's teasing delivery on 17 minutes.

The Blues responded with another flowing move, with Kakuta involved once more, but fortunately for the Whites, Jacob Mellis blazed over with the goal in sight.

The impressive Cheick Toure twice snuffed out the lively Borini, and 10 minutes after the first, Fulham had a second when Nevland knocked in a low pass from Hoesen, with the Norwegian striker showing his predatory instincts by sneaking in unopposed.

A Dikgacoi strike from his own half drew the breath of those in attendance, with the South African international's ambitious effort falling the wrong side of the Chelsea bar.

Milan Lalkovic fired over as Chelsea finished the half on top, but it was a deserved lead at the break for an impressive Fulham.

And a rampant start to the second-half almost rewarded the hosts with a third, with Nevland rolling the ball to Hoesen, who was denied again by Walker's giant frame.

Toure was needed at the other end, heading an arching cross from the tricky Lalkovic off from the line, while captain Matthew Briggs showed his excellent reading of the game to cut out a chance for Borini.

Clever play from Freddie Stoor and Keanu Marsh-Brown, saw the latter thread a pass through to Nevland just after the hour mark, but this shot from the angle could only find the side netting.

Marsh-Brown then curled a free-kick from the left wide of the far post, while substitute Michael Uwezu, making his first appearance for the Whites following a loan spell at Lincoln , tested Walker within moments of coming on.

Borini made it an interesting final 10 minutes, rising high and heading in George Saville's floated cross from the left and undoing Fulham's four games without conceding in the process.

The Italian almost levelled moments later, but was thwarted by a fantastic block from Etheridge. The talented shot-stopper then denied Mellis from the rebound with an equally vital stop.

With the momentum, Chelsea pushed forward, with Etheridge again doing well, claiming Nana Ofori-Twumasi's deep delivery with authority.

A shuddering tackle from Alex Smith down the left touchline reminded the Blues of the hosts' commitment. And despite the visitor's attacking intent, Fulham held on, with their unbeaten record stretching to seven games.

The win also moved the Whites five points above Chelsea in the Barclays Premier Reserve League South table, and closed the gap on second-placed Arsenal.

Billy McKinlay's side have a break in action next week, with the Development Squad facing Wolverhampton Wanderers at Motspur Park on Tuesday, April 6th, Kick-Off 7pm.

Fulham DS: Etheridge; Stoor, Smith, Briggs, Touré; Dikgacoi (Harris 75), Marsh-Brown (Marquez-Sanchez 89), Milsom, Buchtmann; Hoesen (Uwezu 71), Nevland; (Subs not used): Bettinelli, Pierre.

Chelsea Reserves: Walker; Ahamed, Hutchinson (Ince 46), Ofori-Twumasi, Strickland; Bridcutt, Mellis, Philliskirk, Kakuta (Devyne 58); Borini, Lalkovic (Saville 63); (Subs not used): Sampayo, Haxhia.

White Noise

Foundation's PL4Sport Launch


Tuesday 23rd March 2010


Fulham FC News


Fulham FC players John Pantsil & Pascal Zuberbuhler attended the launch of Fulham Football Club Foundation's Premier League 4 Sport scheme on the eve of the team's FA Cup Quarter-Final replay against Tottenham Hotspur.

The players were asked to put their football skills to one side and encouraged by 50 young local participants to try out four Olympic sports (Judo, Table Tennis, Badminton & Volleyball) which make up the PL4Sport project and aims to increase the participation of young people in these four sports in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympic Games by linking Premier League football clubs with local community sports.

All twenty Premier League football clubs, the sports governing bodies, the Youth Sports Trust, Sport England and DCMS aim to get 25,000 young people across the country, aged between 11 and 16, to join local sports clubs during the three-year scheme.

Fulham Football Club Foundation has been involved in the project since last September and, working with Richmond Volleyball Club, Ebbisham Sports Club in Epsom, Graham Spicer Table Tennis Centre in New Malden and Ernest Bevin Judo Club in Tooting, has so far successfully delivered sessions to over four hundred local young people who have all had an opportunity to experience a new sport, receive expert coaching and showcase their skills at festivals.

Steven Day, Chief Executive of Fulham Football Foundation, said:

"As Olympic fever will undoubtedly start to grip the nation in the build up to the London 2012 Games, the PL 4 Sport programme comes at a great time for young people to get involved in sport. The programme allows young people to make use of their local sports facilities, enjoy participating in these four sports and lead a healthy lifestyle. The popularity of football and, in particular, the Premier League can act as a catalyst in encouraging young people to participate in other sports through this scheme and I'm delighted that the Fulham Football Club Foundation is able to play a key role in delivering this programme."

Fulham FC defender, John Pantsil, added:

"There are so many sports for young people to enjoy and although some may not appear as popular as others, they all bring with them their own goals, ambitions and rewards. Participation in any sport is important to develop a range of skills such as team work, social interaction and communication; skills that are transferable and important in everyday life."


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/March/FoundationLaunch.aspx#ixzz0j2bpESEx

White Noise

Wolfsburg v Fulham tickets


UEFA Europa League


Thursday 8 April


Kick-Off 20:05 BST - 21:05 CET


Tickets and Travel
The Club is pleased to announce it has secured an allocation of 2,400 tickets for the away leg of the Europa League Quarter-Final against Wolfsburg.

On Sale Dates
Season Ticket Holders - Wed 24 March, 9am (1 ticket)
Members - Tue 30 March, 9am (1 ticket)
General Sale - N/A
Ticket Prices
£20 (including booking fee)
Please note Season Ticket Holder / Member making the booking must be the named traveller, tickets can not be allocated to third parties. In accordance with UEFA Europa League regulations, you must pre-register your details| prior to making a booking.

How to Buy Tickets
buy tickets online  - 7 days a week, 24 hrs a day.
by phone 0870 442 1234 opt 3: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; non-match day Sat 10am-12pm
in person from the Ticket Office: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; non-match day Sat 10am-12pm
Official travel to see Wolfsburg v Fulham

We are pleased to announce that the Official Fulham Flyer Trip to Germany is now on sale to Season Ticket Holders and Club Members.

From £399pp and includes:

 

Chartered flight from Gatwick to Hannover departing on the morning of Wednesday April 7th.
Coach transfer from the airport to the 4* Grand Maritim, Hannover.
Overnight accommodation at the 4* Grand Maritim
Coach transfer from Hannover to the Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg
Match kick off 2105
Transfer from the stadium back to Hannover Airport after the final whistle
Chartered flight returning after the game, arriving back into Gatwick in the early hours of Friday morning.
Fulham stewards and TMG trip escorts throughout
All taxes, fees and ATOL bonding
Your match ticket
You will be required to input your Season Ticket Number or Club Membership Number as well as date of birth at the time of booking.

Buy Today|

PLEASE NOTE, THE DAY TRIP PACKAGE HAS NOW SOLD OUT


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Tickets/Games/WolfsburgvFulham.aspx#ixzz0j2c5ikMc


White Noise

Tottenham v Fulham tickets
   
FA Cup

Wednesday 24th March


Kick-Off 19:45

 

PURCHASE NOW AND COLLECT YOUR TICKETS FROM WHITE HART LANE 

Tickets for Wednesday night's FA Cup Quarter-Final Replay against Spurs at White Hart Lane remain on sale to the Club's Season Ticket Holders and Members.

Victory at the Lane would fire Roy Hodgson's side to Wembley for a FA Cup Semi-Final showdown against Portsmouth.

Wednesday night could be another historic night for the Club and with tickets still available, this is not a game to be missed.

Tickets can be purchased by phone (0870 442 1234) or by visiting the Club's Tickets Office at Craven Cottage (open 9am-5pm weekdays), tickets will then be held at White Hart Lane for collection from the main Ticket Office in Paxton Road.  The deadline to buy your tickets for this away fixture is 2pm Wednesday 24th March.

Prices

Adults -  £25
Over 65s -  £10
Under 16s -  £10
Travel
Coaches depart from Motspur Park at 4:30pm, Craven Cottage 5pm.

Coach travel price

Season Ticket Holders - Adults £10 ; Juniors £5
Non Season Ticket Holders – Adults £15 ; Juniors £8
To book coach tickets, call 0870 442 1234 option 3.

How to buy tickets
by phone on 0870 442 1234 (option 3) Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; non-match day Sat 10am-12pm
in person from the Ticket Office: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; non-match day Sat 10am-12pm


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Tickets/Games/TottenhamvFulham.aspx#ixzz0j2cTIy0a

White Noise

Wigan Fixture Confirmed


Tuesday 23rd March 2010


Fulham FC News

Fulham's Barclays Premier League fixture against Wigan Athletic at the Cottage will be played on Sunday 4th April (KO 3pm).

The date of Fulham's game against Wigan was moved to Sunday 4th April due to the Club's participation in the Quarter-Finals of the UEFA Europa League.


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/March/wiganfixture.aspx#ixzz0j2cjZ95r

White Noise

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/March/DempseyFACupPreview.aspx


A Golden Opportunity


Tuesday 23rd March 2010


Fulham FC News


Fulham will be looking to record another memorable result when the Whites face Tottenham in the Quarter-Final of the FA Cup at White Hart Lane.

The home side are likely to be without key players Jonathan Woodgate, Ledley King, Aaron Lennon, Tom Huddlestone, Jermaine Jenas, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jermain Defoe but looking ahead to Wednesday's encounter, Clint Dempsey expects a typically challenging match.

"Any time you play a team like Spurs it's going to be difficult, it doesn't matter if they have injuries or not," he told fulhamfc.com. "Everybody who's selected will be up for this game. We're playing away which has been tough for us sometimes but hopefully we can play well and get the result we need to get to the Semi-Final against Portsmouth.

"Losing to Manchester City was disappointing but that's behind us now, we're moving forward and we've got an important game on Wednesday so were just trying to focus on the next game and improve.

"It would be good to reach the FA Cup Semi-Final but we want to do more than just that. You don't want to get one step closer to the Final and not go all the way. If you want to do something special in your career this is the opportunity to do that, hopefully we can take advantage of the opportunities that we have."

Less than a week ago Dempsey crowned a stunning Fulham fight back against Juventus with a spectacular winning goal to add to his collection of memorable strikes for the Whites.

"It's up there," Clint explained. "Along with scoring in the World Cup, scoring the goal that kept us up against Liverpool, the goal against Stoke was a special moment and getting a brace against Chelsea. Those are a few of the special moments I've had in my career and I'm glad that some of them have come at Fulham Football Club."


White Noise

Fulham v Wolfsburg

UEFA Europa League


Thursday 1 April


Kick-Off 20:05


On-sale dates
Season Ticket Holders Now on sale (6 tickets per person)
Fulham Club Members Now on sale (6 tickets per person)
General Sale 9am Thur 25 Mar
Buy tickets now|

How to Buy Tickets
buy tickets online  - 7 days a week, 24 hrs a day. Save on booking fees by booking online*
by phone on 0870 442 1234 (option 1) - 7 days a week, 24 hrs a day
in person from the Ticket Office: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; non-match day Sat 10am-12pm
by fax 0207 384 4810 (download printable form )
by postal application to FFC Ticket Office, Stevenage Road, Fulham, SW6 6HH enclosing a stamped addressed envelope (download printable form )
Seatwave - the official fan-to-fan ticket exchange
Thomas Cook - match breaks for all Fulham FC home games
* Lower booking fees compared to telephone booking


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Tickets/Games/FulhamvWolfsburg.aspx#ixzz0j2dxKN85

White Noise

Back The Boys

Tuesday 23rd March 2010


Fulham FC News


Tickets for Wednesday night's FA Cup Quarter-Final Replay against Spurs at White Hart Lane remain on sale to the Club's Season Ticket Holders and Members.

Victory at the Lane would fire Roy Hodgson's side to Wembley for a FA Cup Semi-Final showdown against Portsmouth.

Wednesday night could be another historic night for the Club and with tickets still available, this is not a game to be missed.

Tickets can be purchased by phone (0870 442 1234) or by visiting the Club's Tickets Office at Craven Cottage (open 9am-5pm weekdays).


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/March/SpursTicketsAvailable.aspx#ixzz0j2eI5Wbk

White Noise

FA Cup Preview

Tuesday 23rd March 2010


Fulham FC News


Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham


FA Cup Sixth Round

Wednesday March 24th 2010, Kick-Off 7.45pm.

It's FA Cup time again on Wednesday when we cross the capital to take on Tottenham in a Quarter-Final replay. The prize for the victors in a game which must be settled on the night, is a trip to Wembley for a Semi-Final encounter with Portsmouth.

Trips to White Hart Lane have, of course, been a regular occurrence since we regained top-flight status in 2001. The most notable from our point of view being a 3-0 win in August 2003 when the magic of Barry Hayles and Luis Boa Morte ripped a fragile Tottenham defence apart. Hayles scored the first two goals that afternoon with Boa sealing a convincing win after 71 minutes. More recently, 0-0 draws have been gained in two of the last four visits.

Fulham and Tottenham have been drawn together in the FA Cup on three previous occasions and although we have yet to come out on top, it's worth noting that only in the February 1909 encounter were the clubs competing at the same level.

One memorable cup victory against the north London side came in a League Cup fourth round encounter at Craven Cottage in November 1999 when the then second tier Whites upset the applecart with an emphatic 3-1 win, Barry Hayles (again), Wayne Collins and Geoff Horsfield the men on target for the Whites.

Whilst Wednesday's tie will doubtless prove a tough encounter, Roy's boys have already proved their ability to get results away from home in cup action this season, most notably at Basel in December and more recently against Shakhtar Donetsk last month. With this game being far closer in terms of distance, it's a great chance for the Fulham faithful to turn out in force and cheer the Whites all the way to Wembley.

Tickets
Now on sale to Season Ticket Holders and Fulham Members' Club.
- Adults £25
- Over-65s £10
- Under-16s £10

Purchase tickets by calling: 0870 442 1234 or buy directly from the Ticket Office at Craven Cottage (Open 9am - 5pm weekdays).

Ground Details
Address: Bill Nicholson Way, 748 High Road, Tottenham, London N17 0AP
Telephone: 020 8365 5000
Capacity: 36,236
Visitors Sections: South Stand
Disabled Fans: South Stand

Fulham at White Hart Lane
P31 W2 D12 L17 F26 A56


Getting There
Coaches
Depart Motspur Park 4.30pm/Craven Cottage 5pm
Season Ticket Holders / Fulham Members' Club: Adults £10, Juniors £5
Non-Season Ticket Holders/Members: Adults £15, Juniors £8

By Road
From Hammersmith join A4 to Chiswick then join North Circular (A406). Continue on A406 until reaching Edmonton. At Edmonton turn right onto Fore Street (A1010) signs Tottenham. Ground is on the left in 1 mile.

Car Parking
Car Parking in the vicinity of the ground is now more restricted than in the past. There are a number of residents' parking schemes. Street parking may involve a significant walk. A number of schools and industrial units do offer parking from between £5 and £10. Keep valuables out of sight.

By Rail
The nearest station is White Hart Lane, accessible direct from Liverpool Street, or by changing from the underground at Seven Sisters. Station about a five minute walk from the ground.

The nearest underground station is Seven Sisters, on the Victoria Line. Catch bus 149, 259 or 279 to ground along Tottenham High Road. Station is at least a 30 minute walk from ground.


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/March/NextUpSpurs.aspx#ixzz0j2edr9gk


White Noise

Overnight Fulham Flyer

Tuesday 23rd March 2010


Fulham FC News


Official Overnight Trip to see Wolfsburg v Fulham Announced
With the Official Fulham Day Trip now sold out, Fulham FC is pleased to announce that the Official Fulham Overnight Fans trip to the match against Wolfsburg is now on sale to Season Ticket Holders and Club Members.  Your support at this match will be crucial to seeing the Whites through to the Semi-Final round of the UEFA Europa League. Guarantee your match ticket by reserving your seat for the overnight trip today!|

The cost of the official overnight trip to Wolfsburg start from £399pp, guarantees you a match ticket and the following:

Chartered flight from Gatwick to Hannover departing on the morning of Wednesday April 7th.
Coach transfer from the airport to the 4* Grand Maritim, Hannover.
Overnight accommodation at the 4* Grand Maritim
Coach transfer from Hannover to the Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg
Match kick off time 21:05 CET
Transfer from the stadium back to Hannover Airport after the final whistle
Chartered flight returning after the game, arriving back into Gatwick in the early hours of Friday morning.
Fulham stewards and TMG trip escorts throughout
All taxes, fees and ATOL bonding
Your match ticket
You will be required to input your Season Ticket Number or Club Membership Number as well as date of birth at the time of booking.  There are a limited number of places so reserve your place today|.

Buy Today|


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/March/WolfsburgAwayTravel.aspx#ixzz0j2gfHQPR

White Noise

http://www.spursodyssey.com/0910/prevpackfac6r.html

Spurs Odyssey Preview - FA Cup 6th Round Replay


Spurs v Fulham - 24.03.10 


The following is our record against Fulham in the FA and Football League Cups. The details are:


FA Cup   Round   Venue   Result  Scorer(s)
1908-09    2       H      1-0    R. Steel
1983-84    3       A      0-0
          3R       H      2-0    Archibald, Roberts
1997-98    3       H      3-1    Clemence, Calderwood
                                 + o.g
2006-07    5       A      4-0    Keane(2), Berbatov(2)
2010-11    6       A      0-0

FL Cup
1981-82    4       H      1-0    Hazard
1999-2000  4       A      1-3    Iversen
2001-2002  4       A      2-1    Rebrov, Davies

Can the last eleven standing win it?

· The full preview for the first match at Craven Cottage can be read here

Congratulations must go to Fulham for their fantastic result in the Europa League last week against Juventus. The match will without doubt go down as one of the greatest nights at The Cottage, and Fulham now have a quarter-final against Wolfsburg to look forward to next Thursday.

Of course, Fulham let us Spurs fans down on Sunday with their home defeat against Man City, who also play tomorrow night and who could go above us in the league, unless Everton manage to take something out of the game. Come on you Toffees!

Fulham will want to gain a few more league points, but realistically they are already safe in the Premier League, although their hopes of European football next season must rest with success in the FA Cup or the Europa League. Roy Hodgson has been mixing and matching his squad a little in his team's busy programme. Apart from long term absentee Andy Johnson, Fulham's only big loss is centre back Brede Hangeland, who is still recovering from a chest injury and may yet need 5 days to re-gain match fitness. Bobby Zamora went off after 52 minutes in the City game, and will be needed to play a big part as usual against his old team. Danny Murphy will also be available, and keen to put one over his former employers, who did not value him as much as Fulham do.

There is no sign of a Fulham burn out yet, and Spurs will have to be at their best to win through to the semi-final against Portsmouth which would be played on Sunday April 11th. The trouble is (still) that in the case of Spurs, it's almost going to be the last eleven men standing that take the field, although Tom Huddlestone and David Bentley will have late fitness tests, and could play a part. Wilson Palacios was safely preserved for this game, and will replace the cup-tied Younes Kaboul. Roman Pavlyuchenko may not be out for long, but he does miss tomorrow's game along with Defoe, Lennon, Jenas and Ledley King - not forgetting Jonathan Woodgate of course.

It follows that the only option for the strike partnership will be Eidur Gudjohnsen and Peter Crouch. Personally I have been very happy with the current team, despite the injury crisis. Luka Modric has done a sterling job in central midfield. Wilson Palacios has been in great form. Gareth Bale burns up and down the line in front of Ekotto, and Niko Kranjcar covers loads of midfield territory, whilst also linking in with the attack very effectively. The defence has hardly leaked any goals (no more than one in a game, and just 7 in the last 12 games). With Huddlestone and Bentley perhaps being available for the bench tomorrow, we'll even have a little something in reserve in the event of yet more injury woe.

I have to admit that I personally did not see the spat between Corluka and Ekotto at Stoke on Saturday, but that seems to be water under the bridge, and there are at least two centre backs between them most of the game!

Spurs have played an FA Cup quarter final replay in just 8 seasons in their history:-



SEASON   RD   H/A   Score  Opposition
1900-01  3R    H     3-0    Reading
1921-22  4R    H     2-1    Cardiff
1952-53  6R    H     2-2    Birmingham
1952-53  6(2R) N     1-0    Birmingham
1960-61  6R    H     5-0    Sunderland
1966-67  6R    H     6-0    Birmingham
1970-71  6R    H     0-1    Liverpool
1978-79  6R    A     0-2    Man Utd
2006-07  6R    H     1-2    Chelsea


Note that in three of those seasons, Spurs won and went on to win the trophy. Their aggregate score in the three games is 14-0. Let's hope for a clean sheet and a win tomorrow! I'll settle for any win, but will predict a repeat of our 2-0 Premier League win over Fulham in January.


White Noise

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/preview?id=289458&cc=5739

Spurs likely to be without Pav


Competition Stats 
   Tottenham Hotspur  Fulham 
Goals  Jermain Defoe 5  Bobby Zamora 2 
Reds   
Yellows  Jermain Defoe 1  Zoltan Gera 1 
·   Club Squads : Tottenham Hotspur | Fulham 


Last Five Matches in Competition 
Tottenham Hotspur  Fulham 
A: Fulham 0-0  H: Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 
H: Bolton Wanderers 4-0  H: Notts County 4-0 
A: Bolton Wanderers 1-1  A: Accrington Stanley 1-3 
A: Leeds United 1-3  H: Swindon Town 1-0 
H: Leeds United 2-2   
· Club Results: Tottenham Hotspur | Fulham 

Next Five Matches in Competition 
Tottenham Hotspur  Fulham 
24/3  H: Fulham  24/3  A: Tottenham Hotspur 
· Club Fixtures: Tottenham Hotspur | Fulham 
Updated: March 23, 2010, 4:33 PM UK

Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko is doubtful for the FA Cup quarter-final replay with Fulham after suffering a hamstring injury at Stoke.
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is hoping David Rose (knee) and David Bentley (virus) will be passed fit after training.

Younes Kaboul is cup-tied but Wilson Palacios returns to the midfield after being rested for the league win at Stoke because he is one booking away from a two-match ban.

Defender Jonathan Woodgate (groin) and goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini (wrist/pelvis) are long-term absentees.

Redknapp has sent a stern reminder to Jamie O'Hara that his ultimate loyalties lie with Tottenham after the midfielder admitted he wants Fulham to knock Spurs out of the FA Cup.

O'Hara is a lifelong Tottenham fan but he is on loan at Portsmouth, who will face the winners of the replay in a Wembley semi-final.

But the 23-year-old would not be eligible to play against Tottenham and he said: "It is a weird one because for the first time in my life I will be hoping Spurs lose. I want play at Wembley.''

Redknapp understands O'Hara's predicament but thinks he was wrong to back Fulham when he will be returning to play for Tottenham next year.

"Jamie shouldn't say that, really. I understand where he is coming from. I think he just wants to play at Wembley,'' said Redknapp.

"But this is his club, he is a Tottenham player and he will be back here next year.

"He has got to be careful what he says because this is his club and the fans love him here.

"He has done a great job for Portsmouth and I am delighted how well he has done for them. I have so much time for Jamie.

"He obviously wants to go to Wembley and play, so it is difficult.

"He had the disappointment in the league cup final of being left out of the team when Tottenham played Chelsea. He is obviously desperate to get there this year.''

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson will make a late check on Brede Hangeland's chest injury.

Hangeland missed the defeat to Manchester City at the weekend but Hodgson rested Bobby Zamora and Zoltan Gera for much of the second half to keep them fresh for the Spurs clash.

Andrew Johnson and John Pantsil remain in the treatment room, while David Elm has been ill.

Fulham midfielder Zoltan Gera has warned Tottenham he is relishing another chance to shine on the big stage after last week's heroics against Juventus.

Gera scored twice against Serie A giants Juve in the Europa League but considers the FA Cup quarter-final replay, with a place at Wembley at stake, just as important.

"This is a big occasion for the players, fans and the club,'' he said. "It will be an important night for us all, and hopefully I can play my part. I am pleased with my season so far, but there is always more that you can do.

"I have managed to score some important goals, and I would like to do so again. It's always nice to score, but of course, when it has a greater importance for the team that is great.

"But it's not just about one player, this is a team and we all have the same hopes for Wednesday - we all want to go through.''

Getting to Wembley would be the latest chapter of success under Hodgson, who has taken the club into Europe after being relegation candidates under Lawrie Sanchez.

"It has been a long while since Fulham last ran out at Wembley,'' Gera added. "So to be part of a team that achieves that for the club would be very special.

"And it's a special place to play, one of the best. I have been lucky enough to play there twice before, but I would love to go back and this time with Fulham.''


White Noise

Tottenham v Fulham – Preview – 24 March 2010

by: Jonathon Feyerherm


24Mar 2010

Tottenham v Fulham
English FA Cup
White Hart Lane – London, England
24 March 2010 – 19:45 GMT
Tottenham will host Fulham in a FA Cup quaterfinal replay with a spot in the semifinals at stake.

Tottenham v Fulham Preview
Both clubs are based on London and are in the top half of the English Premier League. The first match at Craven Cottage ended in a scoreless draw with this match at White Hart Lane.

Spurs will be without leading scorer Jermain Defoe who has five goals in the FA Cup while Fulham could be without Brede Hangeland. David Bentley and Danny Rose could feature in the match for Spurs are resuming training recently. Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko could miss the match after suffering a hamstring injury at Stoke on Saturday.

Tottenham will be favored in the match have a 10-2-3 record at home in the EPL and a 2-1-0 record at home in the FA Cup. Fulham struggled on Sunday against Manchester City after their surprising 4-1 victory in the Europa League against Juventus.

If Spurs are without both of their starting strikers (Defoe and Pavlyuchenko) then Peter Crouch will be called on to start up top. While his goal scoring record has been solid for England, Crouch has 10 goals in 37 matches for Tottenham.

Fulham have most of their key players available for Wednesday's match. Bobby Zamora and Zoltan Gera will likely start up top combined with midfielders Clint Dempsey and Damien Duff. Fulham are still alive in the Europa League it will be interesting to see if manager Roy Hogdson chooses to rest any players or put his strongest team available.

Even if Fulham bring their best side, Tottenham should be able to advance in a very close match.

How each team reached the quarterfinals

Fulham: Swindow Town (1-0), Accrington Stanley (3-1), Notts County (4-0)

Tottenham: Peterborough (4-0), Leeds (2-2 & 1-3), Bolton (1-1 & 4-0)

Tottenham v Fulham Prediction
Tottenham will win the match 2-1.



Read more: http://soccerlens.com/fulham-tottenham/42164/#ixzz0j3bSwFja

White Noise

http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/164856/Dempsey-Fulham-need-to-reach-the-top/


DEMPSEY: FULHAM NEED TO REACH THE TOP 


Dempsey believes that getting to an FA Cup semi-final means nothing unless Fulham reach the final


Wednesday March 24,2010


By Gideon Brooks 

CLINT Dempsey believes that getting to Wembley and an FA Cup semi-final means nothing unless Fulham can take full advantage of the position and reach the final.


Striker Dempsey, who came off the bench last week to score the goal that knocked Juventus out of the Europa League, is hoping to continue that form against Spurs at White Hart Lane tonight in the FA Cup quarter-final replay.

But he insisted that making the last four means next to nothing.

"You don't want to get one step closer to the final and not go all the way," he said. "If you want to do something special in your career this is the opportunity to do that, to take advantage of the opportunities that we have."

Fulham's dreadful away record this season will not fill their travelling supporters with much hope, even if Spurs are struggling with a long injury list.

"Any time you play a team like Spurs it is going to be difficult whether they have injuries or not," said Dempsey. "It has been tough for us away from home sometimes this season.

"But hopefully we can play well and get the result we need to get to the semi-final against Portsmouth next month." With struggling Pompey lined up for the winner, both sides will fancy their chances of a final appearance if they can make it into the last four.

And while Spurs could be missing key players, Fulham look set to be boosted by the return of defender Brede Hangeland, who missed the defeat against Manchester City with a chest injury.

Further good news surrounded the imminent return to full training of John Pantsil, who has been out with knee ligament trouble since late December.

White Noise

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/127687/Fulham-hoping-to-keep-fantastic-season-going-with-a-Wembley-visit-/


FULHAM HOPING TO KEEP FANTASTIC SEASON GOING WITH A WEMBLEY VISIT



24th March 2010


By David Woods

FULHAM'S fantastic season ­continues tonight when they play their 50th game of the season.

And they are hoping to celebrate by booking their first Wembley appearance since 1975.

Roy Hodgson's over-achievers face Tottenham at White Hart Lane in an FA Cup quarter-final replay six days after their historic 4-1 win over Juventus in the Europa League.

That earned them a 5-4 aggregate victory over the Italian giants and a tie against Wolfsburg in the last eight of the competition.

If Fulham were to reach the final of both cups, it would see them playing a staggering 65 matches this campaign – all with a squad much smaller than some of their Premier League ­rivals.

It would also guarantee boss Hodgson being even more heavily linked with a possible return in the ­summer to former club ­Inter Milan and their Serie A rivals Juventus.

To put the scale of ­Fulham's achievements this season into some kind of perspective, they have played 14 matches already in the ­Europa League.

They have played 12 games more than Birmingham, the team immediately above them in the Premier League, while Stoke, who are just behind them, have played 11 fewer games.

Fulham's last appearance at Wembley was a 2-0 FA Cup Final defeat to West Ham 35 years ago.

And Clint Dempsey, the winning wonder-goal hero against Juve, said: "It would be good to reach the FA Cup semi-final but we want to do more than just that.

"You don't want to get one step closer to the final and not go all the way.

"If you want to do ­something special in your career, this is the ­opportunity to do that.

"Everybody is up for this game and ­although we are away, which will be tough, hopefully we can get the ­result to put us in the semi-final against ­Portsmouth."


White Noise

http://www.clubfanzine.com/tottenham_hotspur/v2.showNews.php?id=27725

Spurs v Fulham preview - Who can provide the goals to take us through?


Tuesday 23 Mar 2010 23:05:38


by Editor

Spurs are one game away from a semi-final against Portsmouth at Wembley with Fulham standing in our way. 


Spurs Preview – Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham (FA Cup sixth round replay – 24 March 2010)
Expected line-ups

Tottenham: Gomes, Assou-Ekotto, Corluka, Bassong, Dawson, Palacios, Modric, Kranjcar, Bale, Crouch, Gudjohnsen.

Fulham: Schwarzer, Baird, Hangeland, Hughes, Shorey, Dempsey, Gera, Murphy, Duff, Davies, Zamora.

TPC's key battle: Gudjohnsen v Hangeland

To see the up-to-date injury list for both sides, click here.

Recent meetings

FA Cup: Fulham 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur, 06-03-10
League: Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Fulham, 26-01-2010
League: Fulham 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur, 26-12-2009
League: Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Fulham, 26-12-2008
League: Fulham 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur, 15-11-2008

Preview

Spurs can turn their attentions back to the FA Cup on Wednesday night safe in the knowledge their focus has not wavered between the goalless draw at Craven Cottage and this replay, where a semi-final spot at Wembley against Portsmouth is at stake.

It would have been easy given the draw to have let the imagination run wild but Spurs have instead maintained their push for fourth to the extent that the FA Cup, for so many years our only hope of silverware after Christmas, is not the be all and end all. Victories against Blackburn Rovers and away at Stoke City have proved that this Spurs team are up for the scrap and useful at breaking down resilient sides and they will need to show those qualities again to overcome Fulham at the second time of asking.

Both sides have shown their intent ahead of this game by leaving out significant personnel for their league games at the weekend and the superior strength in depth was displayed by Spurs as we ground out a win at Stoke without our most combative player, Wilson Palacios, while Fulham were quickly behind and never recovered against Manchester City, with Hangeland's absence a factor undoubtedly.

Aside from the return of Palacios, there are no new faces peeking out of the treatment room as far as we know so it will be up to the mix-and-match side that have served us so well in recent weeks to continue us on the road to Wembley. That said, Roman Pavlyuchenko could well be frustrated in his attempts to keep his good run of form going meaning the time could be right for Eidur Gudjohnsen to write his name into Tottenham folklore.

If Spurs can ensure no others players go under the doctor then we would fancy ourselves against a Fulham side that look dominant at home but toothless on their travels. That was proved in the league game at the Lane not so long ago when Spurs eased to a routine home victory but you feel this one will be trickier given Fulham are focussing all their efforts on this competition given their league position is safe and a return to Europe unlikely via that route.

For Spurs to progress we need to find goals from somewhere. Peter Crouch and Gudjohnsen are hardly prolific while the midfield, aside from Niko Kranjcar, do not really chip in with the number of goals we need from players of such quality. As such, plenty may rest on the shoulders of Gudjohnsen and Kranjcar and how the pair link with Luka Modric after the promising beginnings at Stoke. And, of course, there is the danger posed by Gareth Bale. With all that creativity, you would hope that Spurs just about have enough to break down a stubborn opponent.

Prediction

Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Fulham

White Noise

http://blogs.news.sky.com/sportslines/Post:bf2deae1-6d1b-428c-b58d-b17aad34a812


Zamora For World Cup?

Nick Powell


March 23, 2010 11:13 PM


Bobby Zamora will be at the World Cup.

It might sound an improbable prediction, given that the Fulham striker appears some way down the queue for places among Fabio's fliers, the lucky 23 England manager Capello will put on the plane for South Africa this summer.

Twelve months ago, moreover, most sane observers would have dismissed out of hand the idea that Zamora could find the quality to grace football's biggest stage.

But two factors now weigh in his favour. First, his form. Among English strikers, only Wayne Rooney, Jermaine Defoe and Darren Bent have scored more than his 16 goals this season.

His general play, too - holding up long balls from defence, and creating goals for teammates - is winning new admirers weekly. Capello himself turned up to watch Zamora's influential, goal-scoring display in Fulham's eyebrow-raising Europa League triumph over Juventus.

The other pointer towards Zamora is nothing to do with him. It's England's mounting injury toll. Rooney's wounded knee might well dominate the headlines through the next nine nervous weeks. Defoe is injured too, while Bent failed to sparkle in his audition against Brazil last autumn.

Peter Crouch and Emile Heskey are fit - so far. But only a super-optimist would believe further injuries won't trouble Capello as overused muscles stretch towards the climax of the Premier League and Champions League seasons.

Suddenly, the idea of Zamora at the World Cup doesn't seem so far-fetched.

And remember, when Geoff Hurst made England global champions for the only time, his international career was only five months old.

White Noise

http://www.cfcnet.co.uk/2010/03/23/fulham-res-2-1-chelsea-res-walker-impresses-in-debut-defeat/

FULHAM RES 2-1 CHELSEA RES – WALKER IMPRESSES IN DEBUT DEFEAT


By Philip Rolfe • on March 23, 2010 • 235 views

For readers familiar with the phrase 'after the Lord Mayor's show', Tuesday night's 2-1 Reserve defeat away to Fulham can be summed up quite nicely in such a manner. If you're not au fait, a wet night in Merton for Chelsea's second string came as something of an anticlimax to Monday night's breathtaking youth team performance.

Perhaps surprisingly, goalkeeper Sam Walker played in both fixtures. With Jan Sebek travelling with the first team squad for the Portsmouth match tomorrow due to Rhys Taylor's injury, and Niclas Heimann looking for a new club for next season, the decision was taken to give the impressive youth team stopper his debut in Steve Holland's reserve side. Also playing for the second consecutive night was Milan Lalkovic, who played an hour of the Youth Cup Semi Final. With this being the club's third game in as many days across all levels, numbers were thin, and were made even thinner by the first team's injury crisis.

This amounted to Nikki Ahamed playing in an unfamiliar left-back role, and rare opportunities for Nana Ofori-Twumasi and Daniel Philliskirk to start. Alongside Kenny Strickland at centre-back was captain Sam Hutchinson, playing for the first time in five months after the latest in a series of knee problems. The rest of the team saw usual stalwarts Bridcutt, Mellis, Kakuta and Borini take to the field, although the subs bench left experience to be desired, with four first year scholars alongside backup goalkeeper Aldi Haxhia.

Fulham, as is standard at this level, came in with a mix of youth and experience, giving playing time to internationals Erik Nevland, Kagiso Dikgacoi and Frederik Stoor, but also to young defenders Matthew Briggs and Cheikh Toure and impressive Dutch forward Danny Hoesen, who would be the peripheral figure he tends to be against the Blues. In front of a surprisingly busy crowd at a Motspur Park pitch shrouded in darkness and rain, the action got underway with the Cottagers pressing high up the pitch, forcing early errors from a nervous visiting back four.

Indeed, they were to have the first goalmouth action, as Robert Milsom's well-struck drive from the edge of the area drew a sharp stop away to Walker's left, before a rebound effort skidded wide. As the rain picked up speed and Chelsea toiled with poor control of a wet ball, Fulham grew in stature and ensured that the young Chelsea goalkeeper's first night at this level would be a busy one. He was again impressive in keeping out a good shot from Hoesen, but from the resulting corner he was powerless to prevent the striker turning the ball home from close range. It was his fourth goal against the visitors at youth and reserve level, and put his side ahead after just sixteen minutes.

Billy McKinlay's side pressed with a high tempo and continued to force mistakes, particularly from Ahamed, who was finding the going tough out of position. Former Blues schoolboy Neil Etheridge was having a quiet night in the home goal, it taking until midway through the first half for Chelsea to really threaten, but Jacob Mellis' shot was high and didn't worry the Filipino international. Whilst they toiled, Fulham looked clinical, and doubled their lead before the half hour. Hoesen was once more an integral figure, coming inside and firing a powerful shot across the face of goal. Walker looked set to deal with it but Nevland arrived unmarked to blast home from point blank range.

Chelsea were simply second best in every area of the pitch, and were lacking a commitment and enthusiasm which somewhat mirrored the first team's approach at Blackburn on Sunday. Heads had dropped and blue shirts were hiding behind white when options were needed in possession. Borini was working a lone furrow up front and not getting much joy out of either centre-back, both of whom had the physical edge, and instead had to resort to shooting from distance. The results weren't pretty, sailing over the crossbar and into the car park on one occasion. At the other end, Dikgacoi chanced his arm from the halfway line, and whilst Walker had it covered, it wasn't too far away from being a worry.

In first half stoppage time a Kakuta free kick from just under 30 yards out went close enough to earn applause but not quite enough to fluster Etheridge, and it was a damning indictment on Chelsea's performance that it was their moment of the half. Holland isn't typically a man for stern words, so one imagines his team talk was more encouraging and confidence-building than teacup-throwing, but to his credit, the attitude changed in the second half, and was helped by more of a physical presence. Rohan Ince entered the fray for Hutchinson, who had come through his 45 scheduled minutes unscathed, and went straight into midfield, with Bridcutt taking the captaincy and going to centre-back.

Admittedly, it took a while for the Blues to assert themselves, and Walker was once more required to keep Hoesen at bay, but Ince's added size and long stride in the middle of the pitch gave Chelsea a transition their game had lacked. With the wet surface not conducive to spreading the ball out to the wingers, a different approach was adopted, and began to reap reward. The ball still found its way to the flanks, but from further up the pitch and into feet rather than into space. It allowed Lalkovic to get down the right and test out young Alex Smith, who struggled against the Slovakian. Three or four times in a short spell, Lalkovic produced a threatening cross, but with only Borini to aim for in a sea of giants, they were wasted.

Unfortunately, Lalkovic was withdrawn after an hour, playing 120 minutes in the space of 24 hours, and was replaced by George Saville, who was making his reserve debut. Bobby Devyne was doing similar, coming on for Kakuta, and it meant a reshuffle in personnel. Mellis moved onto the right wing, with Devyne on the left, and Saville taking up a central midfield role, initially more advanced than Philliskirk, but the trio moved with fluidity and discipline. Saville's left foot added balance to the centre of the pitch, and Chelsea seized the initiative. They lacked creativity in the final third, but had at last assrted themselves on proceedings.

Walker was still busier than Etheridge, making a low stop from sub Michael Uwezu, who had entered the fray along with Courtney Harris. Harris' arrival was a strange one, with Fulham first team manager Roy Hodgson demanding McKinlay make the change from his vantage point in the stands. With time running out, the game was rolling towards a 2-0 final score, but Chelsea set up a grandstand finish with ten minutes left on the clock. Ahamed went to the byline and stood up a cross to the far post. Philliskirk arrived on the scene at the opportune moment and headed in from a yard out to reduce the deficit to one and offer a lifeline.

With the ball firmly in their court now, the visitors knew they would have at least one more chance to get a second goal, and when it came, it was a golden one. Mellis played a slide-rule ball down the channel and Borini beat the offside trap. With just Etheridge to beat, the Italian set himself but was unable to convert the gilt-edged opportunity, and in truth, there was never a feeling of confidence in him putting it away, such had been his evening. Ahamed and Ince had thrashed efforts sail over in desperation, and Fulham were able to come away with a 2-1 win which they probably deserved on the balance of play.

For Chelsea, it was a mixed bag for a mixed team. Walker was easily his side's man of the match, whilst fellow youth teamers Lalkovic, Ince and Saville also turned in good performances. In contrast, reserve regulars Ofori-Twumasi, Phillskirk and Kakuta had disappointing evenings, whilst Mellis and Bridcutt had solid outings. There was some individual promise, once more from the younger side of the club, but it took the team too long to get going. As a result, they were never truly able to control the game, and paid for it.

Team: Walker, Ofori-Twumasi, Strickland, Hutchinson (c) (Ince 45), Ahamed, Bridcutt, Mellis, Phillskirk, Kakuta (Devyne 59), Lalkovic (Saville 61), Borini

Goal: Philliskirk '78
Booked: Bridcutt

Fulham: Etheridge, Stoor, Smith, Briggs (c), Toure, Dikgacoi (Harris 70), Milsom, Marsh-Brown (Marques-Sanchez 90), Buchtmann, Nevland, Hoesen (Uwezu 65)


White Noise

http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2010/03/23/1846482/fa-cup-preview-tottenham-hotspur-fulham

FA Cup Preview: Tottenham Hotspur – Fulham


Two stalemates so far this season, who will triumph at the Lane?


By Richard Parry


Mar 23, 2010 7:44:00 PM

Kick-Off: Wednesday, 23 March, 19:45 GMT
White Hart Lane, north London


Roy Hodgson's Fulham travel across London to face Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, with a replay required to separate the sides after the teams played out a goalless draw at Craven Cottage.

The match was the second time this season that the side's have remained deadlocked for 90 minutes, having drawn their Boxing Day contest, again at Craven Cottage, 0-0.

Spurs, however, did manage to find the net during their league meeting at White Hart Lane, running out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Jermain Defoe and David Bentley.

Fulham, buoyed by their Europa League heroics against Juventus, found themselves somewhat numbed at the weekend, as Roberto Mancini's Manchester City side made the trip back up north with all three points.

Spurs, meanwhile, recorded an impressive 2-1 victory away to Stoke City, a performance, and result, which shows the increased competitiveness amongst Harry Redknapp's charges, especially considering Wilson Palacios was rested for the match.

The home side will fancy their chances on Wednesday night and home advantage could prove a key feature, especially at a packed Lane. Spurs will take confidence from the fact that Fulham have failed to score against them in three matches so far this season, but having bagged four goals against Serie A giants Juve, Redknapp's side will not underestimate the Cottagers.

FORM GUIDE

Tottenham

20 Mar: Stoke City 1-2 Tottenham (Premier League)
13 Mar: Tottenham 3-1 Blackburn Rovers (Premier League)
6 Mar: Fulham 0-0 Tottenham (FA Cup)
28 Feb: Tottenham 2-1 Everton (Premier League)
24 Feb: Tottenham 4-0 Bolton Wanderers (FA Cup)

Fulham

21 Mar: Fulham 1-2 Manchester City (Premier League)
18 Mar: Fulham 4-1 Juventus (Europa League)
14 Mar: Manchester United 3-0 Fulham (Premier League)
11 Mar: Juventus 3-1 Fulham (Europa League)
6 Mar: Fulham 0-0 Tottenham (FA Cup)

TEAM NEWS

Tottenham

Tottenham's in-form Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko will miss out on Wednesday's cup match with a hamstring injury, while top goalscorer Jermain Defoe (hamstring) will also be unavailable for Redknapp's side.

Long-term absentees Ledley King (thigh), Aaron Lennon, Jermaine Jenas and Jonathan Woodgate (all groin) are also still out, although David Bentley could return to the squad.

Younes Kaboul will not feature on Wednesday as he is cup-tied, having already participated in this season's competition whilst at Portsmouth.

Starting XI from last match (vs Stoke): Gomes; Corluka, Dawson, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto; Kranjcar, Kaboul, Modric, Bale; Pavlyuchenko, Crouch.

Fulham

Roy Hodgson travels across London without three members of his first team squad. Striker Andrew Johnson (knee) and David Elm (virus) will be unavailable for selection, whilst Ghanaian defender John Pantsil has yet to overcome his cruciate ligament tear.

Starting XI from last match (vs Man City): Schwarzer, Konchesky, Baird, Hughes, Smalling, Gera, Murphy, Duff, Etuhu, Davies, Zamora.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tottenham – Eidur Gudjohnsen

A testament to the strength of Tottenham's squad was the performance of Eidur Gudjohnsen on Saturday. Having lost yet another striker to injury in the first half against Stoke, Redknapp replaced Pavyluchenko with the former Barcelona and Chelsea man.

The Icelandic international opened the scoring immediately after the interval, and played a big part in Kranjcar's winning goal, showing the kind of composure which fans of the Premier League will remember fondly from his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

A former Chelsea hero playing in a London derby against his old club's closest rivals makes interesting reading where the FA Cup is concerned, and I expect him to produce another moment of magic on Wednesday.

Fulham – Clint Dempsey

Fulham's returning USA international didn't hang about before making an impact on his return to first team duties; coming off the bench to send his fans into raptures with an audacious chip to knock the mighty Juventus out of the Europa League. A memory that will be etched into the minds of Fulham fans forever.

Dempsey is arguably Fulham's best attacking talent. In a similar mould to Everton's Tim Cahill, the American has a knack of finding the net at pivotal moments for his club, and Spurs will have to watch him closely.

PREDICTION

Spurs' victory over Stoke showed enough fight to suggest that they can overcome the obstacle posed by Roy Hodgson's men for the second time this season.

Fulham, having failed to score in any of the three games against Spurs this season, will look to keep it tight at the Lane, but the home side will have enough to pick them off.

Tottenham 1-0 Fulham

White Noise

http://community.footballpools.com/blog/2010/03/23/cascarinos-super-6-preview-tottenham-v-fulham/

Cascarino's Super 6 Preview: Tottenham v Fulham

This is should be another intriguing tie as Tottenham have been hit with a number of injuries while Fulham will be suffering from a hectic fixture list. Spurs have a golden opportunity to grab an FA Cup semi-final spot this Wednesday if they don't think that the job is already done by taking the Cottagers back to White Hart Lane.

Harry Redknapp has been putting out his best side in this competition and nothing should change on that front. Spurs will be missing a number of key players with their in-form striker Roman Pavlyuchenko the latest casualty. This should give on-loan Eidur Gudjohnsen another chance to impress up front with Peter Crouch.

The Icelandic star is a footballer's footballer, he will bring other players into the game but hasn't been prolific throughout his career. The likes of Luka Modric and Niko Kranjcar will enjoy playing with him as he will always be looking to keep possession with little one-two's and clever passing. Eidur is technically superb as you have to be to have lasted so long at Chelsea and Barcelona. However, he is not the quickest of forwards.

His signing was a typical Harry deal, a pragmatic move to fill a gap left in the squad. Many managers wouldn't have touched him despite his pedigree after the amount of years he has spent in the football wilderness but Harry knew what he could bring to his squad. Gudjohnsen has spent 6 or 7 years in and out of his club sides even when he was at Chelsea but he is a good fit for Spurs in the short-term as he perfectly suits their current style of play. Without a natural predator in the side, Tottenham may struggle to break Fulham down but there is enough talent within the team to get goals.

Modric certainly has the ability to get goals as does Kranjcar while Gareth Bale will certainly provide the team with chances. Crouch may have a barren run of late but he is always a threat. If Fulham centre-half Brede Hangeland doesn't return from injury, Peter should get some joy aerially against the likes of Chris Smalling and Aaron Hughes who are not as tall as the big Norwegian.

Fulham have been on a great run of form but lost at the weekend to Manchester City. That result may worry Roy Hodgson ahead of this match as he will be wary that his team's fantastic performance against Juventus could lead to a lull in form. They did so much against the Italians that it wouldn't surprise me if it took them 3 or 4 weeks to return to their usual level of performance. Fulham have a great bunch of honest players but it sometimes turns out that after a truly great performance, motivation and concentration levels drop for the next few games as the players' heads remain in the clouds. The Cottagers can't afford to under-perform against Tottenham.

For some reason, Fulham perform far better at Craven Cottage than on the road. It's not as though their home patch is that intimidating to opposition sides but they do tend to be a bit more adventurous in front of their own fans which they don't away. Roy has created a very organised, disciplined team but with Spurs playing extremely well and in front of their own fans, I am backing them to win at the Lane and to book a trip to Wembley on Super 6. With £750 up for grabs, who will you back?