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Monday Fulham Stuff (07/05/12)...

Started by WhiteJC, May 07, 2012, 05:36:38 AM

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WhiteJC

 
Riverside Stand Update
by WILL on MAY 6, 2012

It seems as though Fulham have hit a setback in their attempts to get the Riverside Stand planning permission before the season ends. The Agenda for the Planning Committee of Hammersmith and Fulham was published on the 4th of May and it did not contain any case study or decision on the Riverside Stand.

The Agenda for the 15th of May meeting can be found here

The next schedule meeting for the Planning Committee of Hammersmith and Fulham is the 13th June 2012 which is shown to be schedule here

A bitter blow for the new stand- Fulham wanted work to start as soon as the season was over.

I will, of course, keep every Fulham fan updated through Hammy End. Here's hoping.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2012/05/riverside-stand-update/?

WhiteJC

 
Keeping Clint Dempsey will be Martin Jol's main job for the summer
Fulham 2 Sunderland 1



It took a second glance to check that Martin Jol was not one of those holding the banner asking Clint Dempsey to "Make my day, please stay", as Fulham marked their final home game with a deserved lap of honour.

The Texan had underlined his value with the 23rd goal of a prolific season to set Fulham on the way to a victory that carried them to eighth in the Premier League. Dempsey's superb free-kick was the first of three excellent goals which enlivened a better-than-average end-of-season match. His 12th-minute 25-yarder was followed by a 34th-minute bolt from David Bardsley that was immediately cancelled out by Moussa Dembélé's drive. There ended the scoring, though only because both goalkeepers made fine saves.

"I'm very pleased at the way we played, but we should have scored more goals," said Jol. But the Fulham manager was content. "Given the games we played in Europe [14, in a campaign that began in June] this is probably the club's best ever league campaign."

There was a time when a fixture such as this, with neither side chasing a place in Europe nor concerned about relegation, would have been an opportunity to give the youngsters a run-out. But there is around £800,000-a-place Premier League merit money at stake these days and both managers fielded strong teams.

Fulham are patient in possession, happy to play five-yard passes back and forth while the fluid forward players interchange to create an opening. Danny Murphy is the conductor, a Scouse Andrea Pirlo, knitting the play and seeking the decisive pass. For long periods Sunderland sat off him, allowing the former England midfielder to do much as he wanted. Ahead of him flitted Dempsey, Dembélé, Damien Duff and Lassana Diarra, who was given licence to push on.

It was from a free-kick awarded when an early Diarra surge was halted by Lee Cattermole that Dempsey scored the opening goal. Though Mark Schwarzer had to deny Stéphane Sessègnon soon after it was still a surprise when Sunderland levelled, Jack Colbeck and Ji Dong-won setting up Bardsley for a 25-yard flier. The riposte was swift, Dembélé's 20-yard shot deflecting in off Michael Turner.

"Within 10 seconds of the kick-off they nullified our goal," said an irate Martin O'Neill. "We should have done better."

Fulham ought to have then made the game safe but Colbeck headed Dempsey's shot off the line and Simon Mignolet made excellent saves from Gary Kelly, Duff and Dembélé.

O'Neill brought on Frazier Campbell moving John O'Shea to centre-half, and Craig Gardner to right-back. Within three minutes this shaped up to be a master-stroke. Gardner, from the right-back position, launched the ball forward, another substitute, Nicklas Bendtner, nodded it down and Campbell ran off Brede Hangeland to... shank his shot well wide.

"Scoring goals is difficult, but not that difficult," said O'Neill. With a match against Manchester United to come Sunderland are likely to end the season safe, but in the bottom half of the table. It is not what they aspired to in August, but is a huge improvement on the situation O'Neill inherited at Christmas. "I'm glad we are not playing under the pressure some of the teams below us are," said O'Neill. "We've a great game to finish, then we can look forward to pre-season," added the manager, who plans to 'freshen' his squad in the summer. For Jol the focus will be on keeping hold of the players he has, especially Dempsey.

Match facts

Fulham: SCHWARZER 8/10; KELLY 7; HUGHES 8; HANGELAND 6; J RIISE 7; DUFF 7; DIARRA 7; MURPHY 8; DEMBELE 8; DEMPSEY 8; POGREBNYAK 6

Sunderland: MIGNOLET 8; BARDSLEY 7; KILGALLON 6; TURNER 6; O'SHEA 6; McCLEAN 5; CATTERMOLE 6; COLBACK 6; GARDNER 6; SESSEGNON 6; JI 5

Scorers. Fulham: Dempsey 12, Dembélé 35. sunderland:

Bardsley 34

Substitutes: Fulham Frei (Pogrebnyak, 81), Baird (Murphy, 84). Sunderland Bendtner 5 (Ji, 60), Campbell (Kilgallon, 71).

Booked None.

Man of the match Dempsey. Match rating 7/10.

Possession: Fulham 55% Sunderland 45%.

Attempts on target: Fulham 15 Sunderland 7.

Referee M Atkinson (West Yorkshire).

Attendance 25,683.



http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/keeping-clint-dempsey-will-be-martin-jols-main-job-for-the-summer-7718607.html

WhiteJC

 
Arsenal set to steal Dempsey from Liverpool
Wenger keen to play him behind Van Persie and Podolski


Clint Dempsey of Fulham puts his thumbs up during the Barclays Premier League match
against Sunderland at Craven Cottage on Sunday in London, England. (GETTY)


Arsene Wenger is making a move for Fulham striker Clint Dempsey who became the first American to score 50 goals in the English Premier League.

Dempsey has been the standout performer for Fulham this season scoring 23 goals and was linked with a move to Liverpool earlier in the week after their chairman, Tom Werner, claimed any club would be lucky to have him.

But Arsenal are poised to win the race for the Fulham frontman with Wenger keen to play him behind Robin van Persie and Lukas Podolski, The Sun reported in an exclusive.

Dempsey's contract expires next summer and the Cottagers' have offered the USA international striker a new three-year deal.

Arsenal also have 21-year-old Blackburn striker Junior Hoilett in mind if they fail to land Dempsey.

Dempsey strikes in Fulham win

American forward Clint Dempsey scored the 50th goal of his Premier League career to help Fulham to a 2-1 victory over Sunderland at Craven Cottage on Sunday.

Dempsey scored his 23rd goal of the season with a superbly-taken free kick in the 22nd minute.

Defender Philip Bardsley leveled for Sunderland in the 34th with a shot from the edge of the area but Mousa Dembele restored Fulham's lead just a minute later with a deflected drive which found the top corner.

The introduction of substitutes Nicklas Bendtner and Frazier Campbell saw Sunderland end on a high but the visitors could not find a way past Fulham, which secured its fifth win in seven games.

The run leaves the west London side with a record-equaling seventh-place finish within reach. Currently eighth, it is a point behind Everton.


Why Dempsey is Arsenal's Van Persie back-up

While the battle for pride, Champions League slots and survival rage on in the Barclays English Premier League, it might be worth noting some end-of-season gems that will spark a twist or two to the transfer market.

Hatem Ben Arfa at Newcastle (among others there).

And surely, now Clint Dempsey of Fulham. With his 21 goals in all competitions and 15 in the league, Dempsey a Fulham soldier for so long now, might finally be headed to "the big time."

And word on the web, if not at the Emirates, is that Arsene Wenger will be first in line at Craven Cottage should Dempsey say no to Martin Jol's promised "bumper offer" for him to stay.

Wenger might also be bearing in mind that his own Robin Van Persie might be on a few shopping lists in Europe and Dempsey might be the low-cost 10 million (relative) answer to Arsenal's forward move for cup and league success again.

Van Persie may be thanking his stars he did not stoke the Manchester City flames any more and might well stay at the resurgent Arsenal, but even then, Dempsey might be the kind of bench strength Arsenal need to gun down troublesome teams like QPR, or Stoke.

The American is in no hurry to decide his future club.

Dempsey, 29, signed from New England Revolution in 2007, has already broken Brian McBride's 36-goal record as all-time American top scorer in the Premier League.

Apart from Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United are also eyeing the £10 million-rated ace who has just 16 months left on his contract, according to reports in the British press.



http://www.emirates247.com/sports/football/arsenal-set-to-steal-dempsey-from-liverpool-2012-05-07-1.457490


WhiteJC

 
Captain's Pride

Danny Murphy was at his influential best on Sunday afternoon as he captained his Fulham side to a 2-1 victory over Sunderland at Craven Cottage.

Victory put the Whites on 52 points and the evergreen 35-year-old was pleased they could see the SW6 Faithful off with a win in our last home match of the campaign.

"It's always nice to finish with a win," our Captain admitted. "We've played well at the Cottage for the majority of the season to be honest and the fans have witnessed some good football.

"On Sunday again we played some terrific stuff and although Sunderland had some decent spells as well, I think overall we just edged it and deserved the win. We really turned on the style."

Victory at Spurs on the last day of the season at the weekend could see the Whites match their best ever finish of seventh in the league and Danny is keen to see Fulham end the campaign as high as they possibly can.

"You have to remember that we're playing for positions in the league for both pride and financial reasons," he said. "We're eighth now and that's where we ended up last year so to finish in that top eight would be a terrific achievement."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2012/May/CaptainsPride.aspx?#ixzz1uC5q6OEG

WhiteJC

 
Dembele pleased with Fulham's improvement
by DAN on MAY 7, 2012



Moussa Dembele was delighted to score his first Fulham goal since October in yesterday's win over Sunderland and believes that reaching the fifty point mark shows the club are making consistent progress.

The Belgian midfielder put Fulham back in front with a deflected effort shortly after Phil Bardsley's stunning strike had drawn Martin O'Neill's side level in the first half at Craven Cottage. It was his second goal of the season and the 24 year-old has already spoken at length about his desire to score more goals. Such are the high standards that former AC Alkmaar man sets himself that Dembele feels he should have added to his goal against the Black Cats during a typically mesmerising display:

Of course I'm delighted to get on the scoresheet but I think we should have won by more goals. I could have scored two more so it would have been nice if those had gone in but we're happy overall.

Dembele feels that both the victory over Sunderland, which came after Fulham survived a concerted spell of pressure from their visitors late in the second half, and the fact that the three points takes Martin Jol's side past the points tally that Mark Hughes amassed last season are very significant.

It was an important game against a team who played with confidence and who have very good players so we are very happy. We know that at home we are a very strong side and we managed to get the win which is very good.

It's good that we have beaten last season's points total because it is important that we keep improving as a team. We've played some really good stuff this season and we're happy that we're now on more than 50 points which is a great achievement.

It is a barometer of the current confident amongst the squad that Dembele feels Fulham could finish the season on a high at White Hart Lane on Sunday:

We're not finished yet though because we want to win the next game against Tottenham away. It will be hard but we have confidence in ourselves so why not?


http://hammyend.com/index.php/2012/05/dembele-pleased-with-fulhams-improvement/?

WhiteJC

 
Arsenal ready to make Dempsey move in battle with Liverpool for Fulham ace


Exit ahead? Clint Dempsey could leave Fulham

The race to sign Clint Dempsey this summer is hotting up as Arsenal prepare to make the first move for the Fulham forward.

Liverpool are believed to be the favourites to sign the USA international, who is heading for the Craven Cottage exit door as he stalls over accepting the offer of a new three-year contract.

The 29-year-old, who scored his 23rd goal of the season in Sunday's 2-1 Barclays Premier League win over Sunderland, has just one year remaining on his current deal and Fulham could be forced to cash-in this summer - or lose him on a free.

Dempsey's reluctance to put pen to paper has alerted Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, who is looking to bolster his side this summer following the recent addition of Lukas Podolski.


In demand: Dempsey - who scored his 23rd goal of the season on Sunday - is wanted by Arsenal and Liverpool

Fulham boss Martin Jol remains tight-lipped over the possibility over losing the free-scoring American's services, however.

He said, when asked if players would be leaving this summer, after Sunday's final home game of the season: 'If you don't mind, I don't want to think about that kind of negativity.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2140643/Clint-Dempsey-wanted-Arsenal-Liverpool.html#ixzz1uC6XKKfJ


WhiteJC

 
Clint Dempsey's 50th Premier League goal
by DAN on MAY 7, 2012

What a way to bring up a special landmark.

Clint Dempsey Goal vs. Sunderland (5-6-12)

More than a decade ago, Fulham supposedly signed the American David Beckham. The man himself, now ironically plying his trade in the States, would have been very proud of that free-kick.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2012/05/clint-dempseys-50th-premier-league-goal/?

WhiteJC

 
Fulham Move Into The Top 8 As Cottagers End On A High Note

Fulham have beaten Sunderland at Craven Cottage on Sunday, with a 2-1 victory lifting the London club up to eighth place.

Clint Dempsey opened the scoring with an exquisite free-kick, before Phil Bardsley equalised for the visitors. However Moussa Dembele restored the hosts' lead less than a minute later, claiming victory for the Cottagers.

Martin Jol hailed his side's performance and feels it has been a good season for the club.

"It was a great season, fantastic season and we ended on a very high note," Jol told Sky Sports.

"I think that's quite an achievement especially as we've played in Europe. It would be a great achievement from this club to be in this position after a hell of a job in Europe.

"Today was 54 or 55 games so I think it's great.

"We've got terrific youngsters, good experienced players so the only thing now is to keep all these players together," he concluded.

Fulham have leapfrogged Liverpool into eighth place with the win, and take on Tottenham at White Hart Lane in the final game of the campaign.



http://www.footballfancast.com/2012/05/football-news/fulham-move-into-the-top-8-as-cottagers-end-on-a-high-note?

WhiteJC

 
MURPHY REJECTS TALK OF ENGLAND CALL

Fulham's Danny Murphy has dismissed talk of a surprise England call-up but praised the appointment of Roy Hodgson.

The former Whites boss was named as successor to Fabio Capello last week and swiftly added Fulham coach Ray Lewington to his backroom staff.

The Fulham connections have seen some suggest Murphy may be in line for a shock call-up for Euro 2012, eight and a half years after collecting his last England cap against Denmark.

The 35-year-old has laughed off such talk but believes Hodgson is a great appointment.

"I have not thought about that for a long time," the evergreen midfielder said about playing for England.

"My only thought when I heard he got the job was pleasure for him.

"I know what a gentleman he is and what a knowledgeable man he is and the players will certainly go into the Euros knowing what he wants from them. They will be well organised.

"Ray is a terrific coach as well and together they - them two and Mike Kelly - turned Fulham into nearly a Europa League-winning team.

"He will do his country proud. I think he is a terrific coach, an absolute gentleman and I am really pleased for him."

If England scouts were at Craven Cottage on Sunday, they would have been impressed by another influential performance by the Fulham captain.

Murphy led his side to a 2-1 victory over Sunderland to put the Whites on 52 points heading into the season finale against former club Tottenham next weekend.

"It is always nice to finish [your home campaign] with a win," said Murphy, who has yet to extend his contract past the summer.

"I think for the majority of the season, to be honest, we have played well here.

"The fans have witnessed some good football and I think in spells against Sunderland we played some terrific stuff.

"Even though Sunderland had some good spells as well, I think overall on chances we probably just edged it and deserved the win.

"When you finish the season, it is nice for the fans to go away and have a good memory for the return next season.

"We are playing for positions in the league, which is for both pride and financial reasons.

"Let's be honest, every time you finish a couple of places above where you anticipate is good for the club, who get more money from the Premier League, and in terms of your own personal pride to try and beat what we have already done.

"Our best is seventh and I don't think we can beat that and we got eighth last year.

"To try and get in the top eight would be a terrific achievement. With one game left, why not?"

The result leaves Fulham eighth in the standings, while counterparts Sunderland sit 11th.



http://www.sportinglife.com/football/premiership/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/12/05/07/SOCCER_Fulham_Nightlead.html


WhiteJC

 
Jol: No Pressure on Spurs game

Martin Jol insists he will be pleased with Fulham's season even if they fall short of securing a record Premier League points tally on Sunday.

The west Londoners secured their fifth win in seven games on Sunday as goals from Clint Dempsey and Mousa Dembele helped them to a 2-1 victory at Craven Cottage.

The result means Jol will return to former club Tottenham next weekend knowing the Cottagers lie one point shy of their previous record, secured under Roy Hodgson in the 2008/09 season.

A record-equalling seventh-place finish is also within grasp but Jol will be happy even if they fall short.

"It will be my first game back at White Hart Lane and it will be nice [to get the record]," he said.

"There is not a lot of pressure on us and it would be nice to get three points.

"I would like Spurs to play in the Champions League, of course, but, on the other hand, if we can get three points that would be good.

"I am satisfied with what we have achieved and this is probably our best season ever when combining with European football.

"Of course, they were higher in the league before but then they didn't have to play all these games in Europe.

Sunderland counterpart Martin O'Neill struck a frustrated figure after the game.

The Black Cats are without a win in seven league matches after the loss, which was made especially irritating after Dembele scored Fulham's winner straight after Phil Bardsley had pulled them level.

"I think that obviously we missed some gilt-edged chances and eventually that proved the difference in the game," O'Neill said.

"Overall it was an encouraging performance by us and in possession I thought we passed the ball pretty well today so to concede just after we scored a great equaliser was particularly galling.

"We went to sleep after the equaliser and maybe we were distracted by the fact that [Stephane] Sessegnon had to change his footwear at that time.

"I would say within 10 seconds of kick-off they have made it 2-1 so it just nullifies our goal immediately and sets you on the back foot.

"We should have done better. We should have dealt with it better, but overall we are learning.

"It was Ji Dong-won's first start under me. I knew he would get pretty tired in the last half an hour but I thought there were some very encouraging signs."



http://www.teamtalk.com/tottenham-hotspur/7737800/Jol-No-Pressure-on-Spurs-game?

WhiteJC

 
Fulham 2-1 Sunderland

How about that then, eh? Fulham were absolutely fabulous, and deserved to score more than two against a good Sunderland side. More than anything it was a win that confirmed Martin Jol's nous for teambuilding, taking Roy Hodgson's stalwarts and making them thrilling. Everywhere you looked was someone at the top of their game and Sunderland may very well have traveled back north shaking their heads: how could they have seen that coming?

Fulham took the lead with a Clint Dempsey thunderbolt. "That's in" I said as soon as the ball left his boot, and so it proved, flying past Mignolet's dive and into the corner. 50 league goals for Clint? If so, a terrific milestone for a terrific player – we must hope he sees it that way and, furthermore, makes it his business to double the tally.

Sunderland weren't here to make up the numbers and came back at us. Schwarzer made a couple of good saves (one throwing himself at the feet of a forward was particularly fine) but had no chance with a Phil Bardsley belter, the ball fading away from him and into the far corner.

But but but! There went Dembele in, out, roundabout, bang, goal. Suspect it got a deflection on the way but hey, you can count the number of players in this league who could've scored that goal on about one finger. Manchester United representatives will have been watching Sunderland today; one hopes they didn't notice anyone in white because currently Dembele's playing like a late vintage Ryan Giggs, with extra tackling. He, Murphy and Diarra must, between them, be about a good as midfield as Fulham have ever had, or could ever hope to have. If only they were all 25.

That was all the scoring, although Fulham could've had more. Dempsey nearly scored with a smart prod from a corner, only to see the ball headed off the line. Dembele nearly bagged a fabulous solo goal, only for Mignolet to perform miracles for what felt like the thousandth time (but probably wasn't).

It wasn't just chances though, the performance just oozed excellence. Our passing was wonderful, a cut above anything we've put together in recent memory. Murphy, ace organiser, gave a 10/10 display in the middle of the park: he's like a grand-master playing speed chess, calculating from all possibilities and choosing the best in a fraction of a second, whether playing simple passes to nearby runners or launching a missile from one flank to another, he's absolutely *on* at the moment. Age? Pah. Nobody else can pass like that. Diarra (who had another "there are three of him out there" performance) and Dembele (see above) complement him splendidly and we need them together for another season.

So there we are. That's all folks for Craven Cottage 11/12. We've started slowly, and the Europa games were, in retrospect, not quite as much fun as they might have been, but whether it was a clearer schedule, the players tuning into Jol's ideas, or even the removal of Zamora, something's turned out for the best at Fulham and we're now, more often than not, a fine side.



http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2012/05/06/fulham-2-1-sunderland/