Sunday Fulham Stuff (13/05/12)...

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Kelly hoping to stay at Fulham
Martin Jol has shown confidence in me, says Irish full-back


Stephen Kelly: Hoping to extend his stay with Fulham

Stephen Kelly believes he has done enough to secure a new deal at Fulham and will begin contract talks next week.

The Republic of Ireland international had been a peripheral figure under previous bosses Roy Hodgson and Mark Hughes but has played 33 games for Martin Jol's side this season.

Jol has put all contract discussions on hold until after the Cottagers have played their final game of the Premier League season at Tottenham on Sunday.

But Kelly is keen to extend his stay at the club.

"For myself it's just been a matter of performing at my best every game and I think I've done that. I've been able to show the Fulham fans here what I am about," Kelly told Fulham's official website.

"It's been a big thing for me that Martin Jol has shown confidence in me this season.

Difficult

"Before it was stop and start, and I was only playing every couple of weeks, which made it difficult.

"But since I've been playing consistently I've really been able to show my character, and the type of player I am, and really bed myself into the team.

"That's been fantastic this season so hopefully I will carry that on for as long as I can."

Kelly is not the only priority with Jol also planning to hold talks with Danny Murphy, whose contract expires this summer, as well as complete the signing of on-loan striker Pavel Pogrebnyak.
But with Jol looking to trim down his squad, Bjorn Helge Riise appears set to leave and Andy Johnson's future at the club is far from certain.


http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/7751596/?

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Academy 2-0 Blackburn



Goals from Cauley Woodrow and Ryan Williams saw Fulham overcome a physical Blackburn Rovers outfit to be crowned 2011/12 Premier Academy League Champions at Craven Cottage.

Kit Symons made just one change from the side that defeated Leicester City by two goals to one in the Semi Final a week ago as Josh Pritchard replaced the suspended Josh Passley in the heart of defence.

Captain Ronny Minkwitz led his side in a group huddle before Blackburn kicked the game off at a sunny yet blustery Cottage.

A high-tempo opening five minutes culminated in the game's first chance as a hopeful long ball saw visiting forward Hugo Fernandez in space down the right but the Rovers man fired wide after cutting inside onto his left foot.

Fulham's neat interchanges were in stark contrast to Rovers' robust approach which was typified when Jack O'Connell was booked after 13 minutes for a two-footed lunge on Ryan Williams.

Good work from Raheem Hanley down the left on 20 minutes saw the midfielder fizz a good ball into the area for Curtis Haley, only for Josh Pritchard to get the Whites out of trouble with a great tackle.



Fulham were enjoying more of the play but Blackburn were creating better opportunities and went close after half an hour when Fernandez drilled wide from distance.

The imposing Fernandez had skill as well as power in his locker and worked space for himself five minutes later on the edge of the area but, once again, failed to test Connor Roberts in the Fulham goal.

The Blackburn fouls were racking up as they struggled to cope with Fulham's silky play – with Williams in particular causing problems down the flank. Willian Beesley was next in the book for a late challenge on the Australian.

From the resulting free-kick Cauley Woodrow rose highest to make contact with Omri Altman's bending set piece but couldn't control his header which sailed well over the bar.

In the 45th minute Sean Kavanagh went within an inch of handing the Whites the lead after his bending free-kick deflected onto the crossbar before being cleared to safety.

Stoppage time in the first-half was only a minute but it was long enough for both teams to fashion another chance each.

First, John O'Sullivan beat Alex Brister down the left-wing but couldn't find a yellow shirt with his cross, before Fulham countered with Minkwitz, Altman and Na Bangna but unfortunately it was a similar story as Woodrow failed to get on the end of Mesca's ball across the face of goal.



The first decent chance of the second period fell to Haley who found space in the Fulham box but the big striker could only head Beesley's pinpoint cross onto the top of the netting.

Fulham dealt well with an early barrage from Rovers and got back into their stride after eight minutes of the second period when Ryan Williams' goal-bound shot deflected just wide from a corner.

Rovers failed to deal with the resulting set-piece and made the mistake of leaving Woodrow unmarked ten yards from goal. That was all the invitation the striker needed to clinically turn in Na Bangna's low cross to hand the Whites the lead after 55 minutes.

The strike gave the Whites a huge confidence boost and Na Bangna and Williams both drew saves from Rovers stopper Christopher Dilo in the following 10 minutes.

The list of Blackburn names in the referee's notepad continued to grow too as O'Sullivan and Hanley were booked for dissent and a late challenge respectively.

Rovers were getting increasingly frustrated but did draw a first save of the game from Roberts after 81 minutes when the 'keeper was forced to palm away Fernandez' fierce drive.

The Whites had the result in the bag though two minutes later when Williams scored his second goal in two games. More good work down the right from Na Bangna ended with the Portuguese youth international cutting back for Williams to easily slot into the near corner to double Fulham's lead.



Kit Symons had replaced goal scorer Woodrow with Corey Gameiro and the Australian striker was denied an almost immediate goal when his shot was cleared off the line following excellent attacking play by Na Bangna once again.

The afternoon went from bad to worse for Blackburn when a late challenge by O'Sullivan on Williams saw the Rovers man shown his second yellow card before captain Ryan Edwards was also cautioned for an off the ball incident with Gameiro.

Blackburn seemed resigned to defeat so Fulham were content to keep the ball until the final whistle sounded, when they were deservedly confirmed as Champions.



Fulham Team: 1. Roberts, 2. Brister, 3. Kavanagh, 4. Christensen (15. Sambou 87 mins), 5. Grimmer, 6. Pritchard, 7. Williams (14. Banya 89 mins), 8. Minkwitz (c), 9. Woodrow (17. Gameiro 82 mins), 10. Altman, 11. Na Bangna

Subs: 14. Banya, 15. Sambou, 16. Tankovic, 17. Gameiro, 18. O'Reilly

Blackburn Team: 1. Dilo, 2. Wylie, 3. Beesley, 4. Hanley, 5. Edwards (c), 6. O'Connell, 7. Cotton (14. Cham 69 mins), 8. Lennahan (15. Boland 45 mins), 9. Haley, 10. O'Sullivan, 11. Fernandez (12. Payne 82 mins)

Subs: 12. Payne, 13. Urwin, 14. Cham, 15. Boland, 16. Mason



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2012/May/AcademyMatchReport.aspx?#ixzz1ujTqQKkz

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Redknapp ready for Jol test

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is fully expecting a tough battle against Fulham on the final day of the season (Spurs 2/5, Draw 15/4, Fulham 7/1 Match Betting with bet365) as he believes Martin Jol will be determined to prove a point.

Spurs (1/10 Top Four Finish with bet365) are desperate for a return to the Champions League next season and need the win to ensure a place in the top four, while hoping that third-placed Arsenal (1/33) – a point ahead in the table – slip up at West Brom.

Fulham seemingly have little to play for – other than finishing seventh in the table – but Redknapp is wary that Jol will be out to remind Spurs of what he is capable of.

The Dutch manager recorded successive top-five finishes at White Hart Lane before being controversially sacked and takes the Cottagers to White Hart Lane one point shy of their record Premier League points haul of 53.

Redknapp said: "Martin Jol was the manager here so he will want to come back and do well with Fulham.

"He won't want to do us any favours, that is for sure.

"Fulham are playing really well at the moment so it will be a very difficult game for us but we have to win it."

Spurs are short of left-backs as Benoit Assou-Ekotto is injured and Danny Rose is suspended, meaning William Gallas could be switched, while Scott Parker is unlikely to play as he has an Achilles problem, although Fulham will be without top-scorer Clint Dempsey.



http://football.betsplayer.com/premier-league/redknapp-ready-for-jol-test/

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Tottenham v Fulham

Redknapp: Jol will have a point to prove Harry Redknapp thinks Fulham manager Martin Jol will be out to prove a point when he visits White Hart Lane for the first time since he was sacked as Tottenham boss.

Jol became a fans' favourite at the north London club after guiding Spurs to two consecutive fifth-place finishes, but he was controversially sacked in 2007.

Juande Ramos claimed he was made a "dizzying offer" to take over at White Hart Lane while Jol was still in place and the Dutchman heard of his sacking via a text message from his nephew shortly after the club's defeat to Getafe.

Jol has since gone on to have successful spells at Ajax, Hamburg and now Fulham, who have claimed 52 points - one short of the club's Premier League record - under his leadership.

The game is of huge significance to Tottenham as the outcome could determine whether they qualify for the Champions League, but current boss Redknapp is not expecting to receive a helping hand from his opposite number tomorrow afternoon.

Redknapp said: "Martin Jol was the manager here so he will want to come back and do well with Fulham.

"He won't want to do us any favours, that is for sure.

"Fulham are playing really well at the moment so it will be a very difficult game for us but we have to win it.

" Should Tottenham win they will seal a fourth-place finish in the Barclays Premier League for the second time in three seasons under Redknapp.

Such a feat would normally secure Champions League football, but Spurs need to finish third to guarantee their passage to Europe's top club competition as Chelsea will take the fourth qualifying spot if they beat Bayern Munich a week today in the European Cup final.

To finish third Spurs will have to beat Fulham and hope Arsenal drop points at West Brom while Newcastle also have an outside chance of gate crashing the top four as they are one point behind Redknapp's team ahead of their visit to Everton.

Spurs striker Jermain Defoe insists his team will not be distracted by all the permutations surrounding Sunday's games.

"We can't think about the other games and all the other permutations, we just have to think about ourselves.

That will be our approach," he told Spurs TV Online.

"It's like a cup final for us on Sunday.

"Finishing fourth was the goal at the start of the season and if you look at our squad we should be finishing in the top four.

" Spurs produced some stunning displays against Inter and AC Milan last season as they defied the odds to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League in their debut season in the competition.

Defoe was a spectator for much of the European campaign due to an ankle injury, making his desire to qualify for the competition next year stronger.

"We want to be in the Champions League.

It's the elite competition," the 29-year-old said.

"I was injured in first part last year but was involved in the last part.

"I loved everything about it - that music, playing against the best players and the best teams in world so it's important for the whole club to get back in it.

" At the turn of the year few would have predicted Spurs' bid for Champions League football would come down to the final day of the season.

The Londoners had gone on an 11-match unbeaten run - drawing just once in the process - towards the end of 2011 and had a chance to move joint top in mid-January.

A terrible run of one win in nine matches through February and March saw Spurs' season take a major wobble, but midfielder Luka Modric thinks the club deserve to finish third thanks to their form earlier in the campaign.

"To finish third would be an amazing achievement," the playmaker said.

"We deserve to finish third if you look at how we have played over the season.



http://www.itv.com/sport/football/news/previews/tottenham-v-fulham-19864/?

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Fulham Claim Premier League Academy Crown

Fulham have beaten Blackburn Rovers to claim the FA Premier League Academy crown.

They won 2-0 against the FA Youth Cup finalists to claim the trophy at Craven Cottage after beating Leicester City in the semi-final.

The game started with a very high-tempo to it as Hugo Fernandez of Blackburn had the first effort. The Rovers striker fired just wide after cutting on to his inside and blasting a shot with his left foot.

Josh Pritchard made some vital interceptions in the opening period to deny Blackburn more attacks as Curtis Hanley began to look dangerous.

Fernandez drilled another effort wide on the half hour mark and Rovers looked increasingly threatening.

It was Fernandez again who almost broke the deadlock when he had another effort from just outside the area but couldn't test Conor Roberts in the Fulham goal.

With the barrage of Blackburn attacks seemingly over, Fulham took full advantage from a corner. The ball was lofted in and Cauley Woodrow was there to find the back of the net and put the home side in front.

Ryan Williams put Fulham two goals in front when he had a ball cut back by Na Bangna and had the opportunity to place the ball into an almost empty net.

Fulham Team: 1. Roberts, 2. Brister, 3. Kavanagh, 4. Christensen (15.  Sambou 87 mins), 5. Grimmer, 6. Pritchard, 7. Williams (14. Banya 89 mins), 8.  Minkwitz (c), 9. Woodrow (17. Gameiro 82 mins), 10. Altman, 11. Na  Bangna

Subs: 14. Banya, 15. Sambou, 16. Tankovic, 17. Gameiro, 18.  O'Reilly

Blackburn Team: 1. Dilo, 2. Wylie, 3. Beesley, 4. Hanley, 5. Edwards (c),  6. O'Connell, 7. Cotton (14. Cham 69 mins), 8. Lennahan (15. Boland 45 mins), 9.  Haley, 10. O'Sullivan, 11. Fernandez (12. Payne 82 mins)

Subs: 12. Payne, 13. Urwin, 14. Cham, 15. Boland, 16. Mason



http://theyouthradar.com/2012/05/12/fulham-claim-premier-league-academy-crown/?

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Everton join Fulham race

The race is on between Liverpool, Everton and Arsenal for the services of Fulham's Clint Dempsey who could be on the move this summer.

The American international has had an excellent campaign for Fulham this season with a record 23 goals for the club and that has led to interest from across the Premier League.

David Moyes is looking for a new additions and Dempsey, with a bag full of goals from midfield, would certainly fit the bill.

Fulham manager Martin Jol insisted that his star performer is not for sale and wants to keep his best players to improve Fulham, but Dempsey only has a year left on his current deal and therefore could walk away for nothing next summer.



http://www.clubcall.com/everton/everton-join-fulham-race-1428006.html?

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Harry expects no Jol favours

Harry Redknapp accepts Martin Jol will be the last man wanting to do Tottenham a favour when he visits White Hart Lane with Fulham on Sunday.

Jol became a fans' favourite at the north London club after guiding Spurs to two consecutive fifth-place finishes, but he was controversially sacked in 2007.

Juande Ramos claimed he was made a "dizzying offer" to take over at White Hart Lane while Jol was still in place and the Dutchman heard of his sacking via a text message from his nephew shortly after the club's defeat to Getafe.

Jol has since gone on to have successful spells at Ajax, Hamburg and now Fulham, who have claimed 52 points - one short of the club's Premier League record - under his leadership.

The game is of huge significance to Tottenham as the outcome could determine whether they qualify for the Champions League, but current boss Redknapp is not expecting to receive a helping hand from his opposite number on Sunday afternoon.

Redknapp said: "Martin Jol was the manager here so he will want to come back and do well with Fulham.

"He won't want to do us any favours, that is for sure.

"Fulham are playing really well at the moment so it will be a very difficult game for us but we have to win it."

Should Tottenham win they will seal a fourth-place finish in the Premier League for the second time in three seasons under Redknapp.

Such a feat would normally secure Champions League football, but Spurs need to finish third to guarantee their passage to Europe's top club competition as Chelsea will take the fourth qualifying spot if they beat Bayern Munich in the European Cup final on Saturday week.

To finish third Spurs will have to beat Fulham and hope Arsenal drop points at West Brom while Newcastle also have an outside chance of gate crashing the top four as they are one point behind Redknapp's team ahead of their visit to Everton.

Spurs striker Jermain Defoe insists his team will not be distracted by all the permutations surrounding Sunday's games.

"We can't think about the other games and all the other permutations, we just have to think about ourselves. That will be our approach," he told Spurs TV Online.

"It's like a cup final for us on Sunday.

"Finishing fourth was the goal at the start of the season and if you look at our squad we should be finishing in the top four."

Spurs produced some stunning displays against Inter and AC Milan last season as they defied the odds to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League in their debut season in the competition.

Defoe was a spectator for much of the European campaign due to an ankle injury, making his desire to qualify for the competition next year stronger.

"We want to be in the Champions League. It's the elite competition," the 29-year-old said.

"I was injured in first part last year but was involved in the last part.

"I loved everything about it - that music, playing against the best players and the best teams in world so it's important for the whole club to get back in it."

At the turn of the year few would have predicted Spurs' bid for Champions League football would come down to the final day of the season.

The Londoners had gone on an 11-match unbeaten run - drawing just once in the process - towards the end of 2011 and had a chance to move joint top in mid-January.

A terrible run of one win in nine matches through February and March saw Spurs' season take a major wobble, but midfielder Luka Modric thinks the club deserve to finish third thanks to their form earlier in the campaign.

"To finish third would be an amazing achievement," the playmaker said.

"We deserve to finish third if you look at how we have played over the season."



http://www.teamtalk.com/fulham/7752134/Harry-expects-no-Jol-favours?

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Why Tottenham's Van der Vaart is sure to score against Fulham
The Tipster is backing Rafael van der Vaart to score and Tottenham Hotspur to beat Fulham at White Hart Lane

Arsenal, Newcastle United and Tottenham are all in the hunt for a top-four finish on the final day – and the Tipster is backing Rafael van der Vaart to score in a Spurs win against Fulham at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Elsewhere, our man-in-the-know is tipping Arsenal to drop points and draw with West Bromich Albion, while backing Nikica Jelavić to score for Everton against Newcastle.

This weekend's special offer: Open an account at bet365 with £10 or more and you'll get a free bet of up to £200 on us. Click here for more information.

Van der Vaart to score at any time against Fulham – 21/20

Van der Vaart has returned to goal scoring ways in recent weeks, with strikes against Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers. The 29-year-old is also a threat from free-kicks and will be keen to add to his tally of 12 goals for the season at the final time of asking. So, the Tipster's opening bet for this edition is for Van der Vaart to score against Fulham at 21/20.

Tottenham to beat Fulham by two goals or more – Evens

Spurs have a good record against Fulham in recent seasons, with Harry Redknapp's men winning four of their last five meetings. The White Hart Lane outfit side will be desperate to snatch third place from Arsenal, while Fulham have little to play for. Tottenham have won by a two-goal margin in two of their last four meetings, and the same to happen on Sunday is good value at Evens.

West Bromich Albion to draw with Arsenal – 16/5

West Brom are on a reasonable run of form at the Hawthorns, with just one defeat in their last six games. Roy Hodgson's side have beaten Chelsea and an impressive Sunderland at home. Meanwhile, Arsenal have fallen flat again and are now missing Bacary Sagna and Mikel Arteta. So The Tipster reckons a draw is a good bet at The Hawthorns at 16/5.

Jelavić to score at any time against Newcastle – 21/20

Jelavić has adapted superbly to the Premier League, with eight goals since his £5m move from Rangers in January. The Croatian striker has not scored in his last two games but will want to sign off in style, with Everton having won six of their last seven at Goodison Park. Jelavić to score at any time for the Toffees is 21/20.

The long shot: Van der Vaart to score first and Spurs to win – 5/1

Van der Vaart has been in good form for Tottenham this season – the Dutch midfielder has scored first in Spurs victories on six occasions. The former Real Madrid star has 12 goals in total and needs two more to equal his tally from last. So, the Tipster's audacious long-range effort for this edition is Van der Vaart to score first and Spurs to win at a more-than-tempting 5/1.



http://www.thesportreview.com/tsr/2012/05/rafael-van-der-vaart-tottenham-hotspur-fulham-tipster/?

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Redknapp fears Jol backlash

Harry Redknapp thinks Martin Jol will be out to prove a point on Sunday when he makes his first return to Tottenham with Fulham.

Jol became a fans' favourite at the north London club after guiding Spurs to two consecutive fifth-place finishes, but he was then controversially sacked in 2007.

Juande Ramos claimed he was made a "dizzying offer" to take over at White Hart Lane while Jol was still in place and the Dutchman heard of his sacking via a text message from his nephew shortly after the club's defeat to Getafe.

Redknapp said: "Martin Jol was the manager here so he will want to come back and do well with Fulham.

"He won't want to do us any favours, that is for sure.

"Fulham are playing really well at the moment so it will be a very difficult game for us but we have to win it."



http://www.clubcall.com/tottenham-hotspur/redknapp-fears-jol-backlash-1428060.html?

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Betting: Tottenham can seal fourth place with victory over Fulham
Harry Redknapp's team have had a rollercoaster of a season but Willie Duncan is confident that they can end on a high by beating Martin Jol's side to secure a top four finish

Tottenham will go into Sunday's final Premier League fixture with Fulham at White Hart Lane knowing that a victory will ensure a top four finish after what has been a real roller coaster of a season for Harry Redknapp's men.

Spurs' battling 1-1 draw with Aston Villa last weekend aligned with Newcastle United's defeat at Manchester City has left Redknapp's men clear in fourth place and should north London rivals Arsenal slip up when they travel to West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, they could yet finish in the top three.

Tottenham are considered strong favourites by the odds compilers with Sportingbet making the home side a 4/11 (1.36) shot to pick up all three points from their final fixture.

Martin Jol's Fulham are rated as a 15/2 (8.50) chance with Sportingbet to win at White Hart Lane. The same firm makes the draw a 3/1 (4.0) shot.

This match, of course, could be the last appearance in a Spurs jersey for Emmanuel Adebayor.

Harry Redknapp will be desperate to make the Manchester City striker, currently on loan, a permanent signing as the Togolese striker has performed admirably during the campaign but his high wages could prove a stumbling block.

Adebayor has scored 16 goals in 32 appearances for Spurs and is chalked up at 11/4 (3.75) to score first on Sunday while Gareth Bale is priced at a tempting 11/2 (6.50) with Sportingbet to break the deadlock.

Spurs are likely to come flying out of the traps and the 7/4 (2.75) with Sportingbet for the opening goal to be scored inside the opening 15 minutes is decent value but the best bet on offer is Sportingbet's 4/5 (1.80) quote for Spurs to lead at half time and that should be snapped up by punters here.



http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2995/betting/2012/05/12/3093432/betting-tottenham-can-seal-fourth-place-with-victory-over?

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United line up £10m Dembele bid as major rebuilding begins in earnest

Manchester United are considering a £10million bid for Fulham's attacking midfielder Mousa Dembele with Paul Scholes still to make a decision over whether he will play on next season.

United are expected to start rebuilding in the likely event of losing their Premier League title to Manchester City and Dembele is in line to be the first of a number of signings.

The 24-year-old Belgium midfielder has made a huge impression since his £5m move from AZ Alkmaar in 2010 and he has been a revelation following Fulham manager Martin Jol's decision to drop him back into a deeper central-midfield role in the 2-1 win over Stoke in February.


Impact: Moussa Dembele (right) has impressed since joining from AZ Alkmaar

He has only scored twice this season but has been instrumental in Fulham's rise to ninth and is seen as a ready-made replacement for Scholes, 37.

With Lille's attacking midfielder Eden Hazard - who has just been voted player of the year in the French League - likely to join City, Ferguson must find cover for Darren Fletcher, who has a long-term illness, and Tom Cleverley, who has been prone to injury problems throughout the current campaign.

The United boss is known to covet Borussia Dortmund midfielder Shinji Kagawa and flew to Germany on Saturday to watch the Japanese international, who scored the opening goal in their 5-2 win over Bayern Munich in the German Cup Final.


City boy: Lille playmaker Eden Hazard (left) looks like moving to Manchester

Ferguson, also interested in Kagawa's team-mate Mario Goetze, will have talks with Scholes in an attempt to persuade him to extend his comeback for another season and has been full of praise for the way the veteran slotted into the side after reversing his decision to retire after five months on the coaching staff.

'I will speak to Paul,' said Ferguson. 'Obviously he made a tremendous contribution when he came back. But it was his decision to return and I will respect whatever he wants to do.

'I haven't discussed it with him yet, to be honest. I think I made that mistake last season, talking to him before the season had finished. 'It is better getting the season over and having a break and I may not speak to him before he has been away on holiday.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2143537/Manchester-United-line-10m-Moussa-Dembele-bid.html#ixzz1ujXcEqph

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Did Hughes make Fulham blunder? QPR face relegation but old pals flying high

Mark Hughes left Fulham last June because he felt they were not ambitious enough. That decision is now looking suspect, with Fulham possibly finishing seventh if they beat Spurs, while Hughes's QPR face possible relegation.

'I felt my ambition for where I wanted to take the club was not matched,' he said.


City boy: Mark Hughes (centre) returns to another of his former clubs on Sunday

He took over from Neil Warnock in January and promptly spent £10million but QPR are in the same position as they were when he arrived - 17th. If QPR are to survive, Hughes will have to improve his away record.

Since he left Blackburn, he has managed only seven away Premier League wins in 55 matches.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2143558/Did-QPR-manager-Mark-Hughes-make-Fulham-blunder.html#ixzz1ujYLygvu

[WhiteJC]

 
Wales manager Chris Coleman points to Mohamed Al-Fayed for owner blueprint


Mohamed al Fayed: Gets the thumbs up from Chris Coleman

WALES boss Chris Coleman believes foreign owners of British football clubs should copy Mohamed Al-Fayed.

Coleman worked under Al-Fayed during his time as Fulham manager between 2003 and 2007 and often had to contend with the Egyptian's eccentricities.

But Coleman, speaking in a week dominated by proposals to re-brand Cardiff City and the club hierarchy's subsequent u-turn, claimed owners should be careful about changing too much too soon.

"Mohamed Al-Fayed was very cute and very wary about changing too much at Fulham," said Coleman.


"Yes, he had to change things to get them where they are – he said he was going to pump the money in and he did that.

"He said he was going to get the team to the Premier League and he did that.

"There was a big hoo-ha that he was going to sell Craven Cottage and move somewhere else.

"But he ended up improving Craven Cottage, kept improving the team and they've had another great season.

"He's been there for the right reasons, he ticked all those boxes and is a classic example for any foreign owners buying a club in this country because he recognised what the supporters wanted and what Fulham needed."

Cardiff's Malaysian owners caused a stir this week when plans to change club colours from blue to red and replace the iconic Bluebird badge with a Dragon were leaked.

Red is the national colour of Malaysia, the Dragon – as in Wales – is seen as an important symbol there, and Cardiff's owners feel a re-branding exercise would make the club more marketable in the lucrative Asian market.

At first many Cardiff fans reacted with outrage at the proposed changes with supporters voicing their fears on messageboards, internet forums, petitions and in emergency meetings.

But that hard-core view softened after Cardiff's owners reversed the decision on Thursday and raised question marks over their future here, saying the club could not continue running up huge debts and function in its current state.

Many of the very supporters who were against the change from blue to red are suddenly in favour of the radical alteration.

The Bluebirds hierarchy is currently undertaking a review about the way forward for the Championship club.

"To me, Cardiff City play in blue and white and they are the Bluebirds, not the Dragons – and I'd like it to remain that way," said Coleman.

"But it's not up to me and if someone's going to come in and pay Cardiff City £100m to keep them financially stable for a long time to come and get them into the Premier League, well, he's going to call the shots.

'You have to weigh it up financially and if people are going to pump a lot of money in that's good for the club in the long-run, then what price is heritage and history?

"I know how proud Cardiff City fans are to be Bluebirds and it would be strange to see them all as something else.

"But this just shows that more and more owners of football clubs in this country are foreign and they do things their own way.

"Those owners from overseas come with pluses and minuses but the fans will be there a long time after the players, the chairman and the owners.

"The fans are the blood of the club and you don't mess about with that. You can't. You have to recognise what the fans want, but also what the clubs needs also.

"Sometimes fans want things they can't have, like everybody in life. but it's not necessarily what the clubs needs. It's a fine line."

Coleman, meanwhile, has told Bluebirds striker Robert Earnshaw that he needs to play first-team football to revive his Wales career.

Earnshaw had a desperately disappointing campaign after returning to first club Cardiff, being a fringe figure under manager Malky Mackay and scoring only four times all season.

"He needs to play and hopefully that is at Cardiff," Coleman said about the 58-times capped striker.

"If it's somewhere else then it's somewhere else, but his future is between him and Malky.

"Being selfish, we need Rob to be playing because he can still score a goal out of nothing.

He's experienced and a good character to have in the squad but I explained my reason for not including him this time and he was fine about it.

"He hasn't had a lot of football, but I'm not going to learn anything about Rob against Mexico.

"I want to see Simon Church because I haven't seen enough of him.

"He's had a good season at Reading and I may learn something about him."



Read More http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/cardiff-city/cardiff-city-fc/2012/05/13/wales-manager-chris-coleman-points-to-mohamed-al-fayed-for-owner-blueprint-91466-30955344/?#ixzz1ujYtKtcv

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RETURN TO TOTTENHAM IS REAL SPUR TO MARTIN JOL

MARTIN JOL insists ­Tottenham overachieved during his spell in charge.

And he reckons current Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has more than double the budget he had to spend on players.

The Fulham boss returns to White Hart Lane this afternoon for the first time since Daniel Levy gave him the boot in October 2007, with the opportunity to ruin their hopes of finishing in the top four.

Jol was sacked despite only missing out on Champions League qualification on the final day of the 2006-07 season.

But he says you cannot compare the current side with his because of the amount of money the club have spent since he left.

"The budget at Spurs was probably not even half of what they have got now. I read somewhere it is £154million – but we had £75m," said the Dutchman.

"When I started we were fourteenth in the league and improved in my first full season before coming fifth two years in a row.

"It was good to be fifth because it was the first time they qualified for Europe through the league in twenty three years."

Jol's current side are aiming to match their highest-ever top-flight finish of seventh – but face a Spurs side knowing that they need to win to put pressure on Arsenal in third place.

And the former Hamburg and Ajax boss is not expecting things to be easy.

He said: "They've done really well to come back from their bad run and are in good form.

"We have to match them otherwise it's impossible to get anything."



http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/251003/Return-to-Tottenham-is-real-Spur-to-Martin-Jol/?

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Spurs Insight

Spurs season ticket holder of seven years Robin Evans shares his thoughts ahead of Sunday afternoon's match between Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham at White Hart Lane.

It was only a matter of months ago that Spurs looked like outsiders for the Title but things seem to have petered out towards the end of the campaign. Why do you think that is?

We had a tough run of games where we had to face the top six teams in the space of a few weeks and we struggled a bit. There are no easy games in this league and against Norwich and QPR, in particular, they [the players] didn't put in the kind of performance we've come to expect this season.

You're still in with a chance of securing a Champions League place though – that is still some achievement isn't it?

Considering the amount of quality players the sides around us can now boast, I think we've done fantastically well so far, but I'd have sooner had the FA Cup trophy in the cabinet. I thought we'd finish fifth at the start of the year so I'm happy on the whole with our league position.

What did you make of your 3-1 victory at the Cottage earlier in the season?

I was surprised we came away with three points if I'm honest, considering the balance of play that day. Fulham have a decent record against us in recent meetings, especially at Craven Cottage, so maybe a draw would have been a fair result in that match.

What threats do you expect Fulham to pose and who do you think our players to watch out for are?

For me, the obvious stand-out player is Mousa Dembele who has enjoyed a fantastic season. That said though, Damien Duff is on form at the moment and I expect he'll get some joy down the right flank if he's played there as our left-backs are both out. I've also been very impressed by young Kerim Frei when he's been given a run out.

And which Spurs players are likely to cause Fulham problems?

Rafael van der Vaart is coming back to form at the moment and his distribution is brilliant so you'll need to find a way to keep him quiet. It will also be key for us to have both our wingers in good form because, on their day, Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale are unplayable at times and we'll need them to be at their best against Fulham to ensure Emmanuel Adebayor gets sufficient ammunition.

Fulham are finishing the season strongly – what do you make of Martin Jol's first year in charge?

Martin Jol was my favourite ever Spurs manager – he always came across as a very endearing man. He turned this club around and now he's doing a great job at Fulham which is evident by the league position you currently find yourselves in.

Score prediction?

I'd love to say a Spurs win but I'm concerned you'll exploit us down the right. So with



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2012/May/SpursInsight.aspx?#ixzz1ujZWleDP

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Confidence Is High

Fulham defender Philippe Senderos believes the Whites' newly found away-day form puts the Team in confident mood they can finish their season on a positive note at White Hart Lane on Sunday afternoon.

Martin Jol's men have racked up two victories, in Bolton and Liverpool, from their last three matches on the road and have the strongest record from all sides involved in London derbies this campaign, with 12 points to Tottenham's 11.

Senderos, who returned to the match-day squad against Sunderland after missing the trip to Anfield through injury, says spirits couldn't be higher in the camp ahead of Sunday's showdown at White Hart Lane.

"We all believe we can get a good result in the last game against Spurs to finish on a high," Senderos told fulhamfc.com.

"This season is definitely something we are really happy about and we know if our away form had been better, we could have got even more points in the league.

"That [away form] has improved a lot in the way we have played during this season and that has shown with some of the strong recent results."

Swiss centre-half Senderos puts the Fulham's top-half finish down to the Team's impressive home form at Craven Cottage, and says the Fulham faithful have played a valuable role in inspiring the Team.

"Our fans have been brilliant at home and that has helped us have such good form there," Senderos added.

"We've controlled the games we've played at home and I think only a couple of times we weren't in control of the games, the rest of the times we were always on top."

Senderos believes there is even more room for improvement if the Team can replicate those kind of performances away from SW6 next season.

"We've won some good games, and picked up a few good results away from home, and we've improved throughout this season.

"But we know that we could have done better away from home, so hopefully next season we can build on this even more."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2012/May/SenderosSpursPreview.aspx#ixzz1ujZp7JQY

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TOTTENHAM v FULHAM
SPURS CAN SECURE FOURTH SPOT

After months of poor form and even poorer results, Tottenham Hotspur head into the final game of the season still needing a victory to guarantee a top four finish.

Even three points against London rivals Fulham may not be enough to return the north London side to the Champions League final though as – assuming Arsenal beat West Brom – a Chelsea victory against Bayern Munich next weekend would see the Blues take the final English spot amongst Europe's elite.

And, based on their recent form, there's plenty to suggest Fulham will make this a tough afternoon for Spurs...

Match odds

Spurs are the big 4/11 favourites to pick up what could be a vital three points and they have every reason to be confident against the Cottagers.

The north London side haven't lost against Fulham in their previous eight league encounters and have won their last five.

However, Spurs have endured a torrid time of things in recent months winning just three of their last 12 Premier League games and were held by strugglers Aston Villa last week.

Fulham are 7/1 to get their fifth win in seven games and their third on the bounce after victories over Liverpool and Sunderland in their last two games.

Goal markets

There have been plenty of goals in this match in recent seasons with only one of their last four encounters yielding less than three goals.

Fulham have struggled to find the net on the road this term though and have the second worst away attack in the division, scoring just 12 in their 18 games away from Craven Cottage.

Backing Spurs to score 2-3 goals at 1/1 and to win to nil at 6/4 could be well worth consideration.



http://www.sportingpreview.com/football2012-2/11121403.php?

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Tottenham Hotspur Vs. Fulham Preview: It's Not Straightforward At All

It all comes down to this, kind of. Yeah, Tottenham have to beat Fulham so it does all come down to that, but then there's Chelsea next week and Arsenal and Newcastle this week. So it kind of comes down to this, which is good because if anything was straightforward in this clusterfuck of a season then it would be disconcerting.

Let's lay it out:

If Tottenham win, they are guaranteed a top four finish.
If Tottenham win and Arsenal lose or draw at West Brom, Spurs will finish in third place.
If Tottenham draw and Arsenal then lose by two goals, Spurs finish ahead of the Gunners, but Newcastle can finish ahead of both for third place if they then win.
If Tottenham lose and Newcastle win then the Magpies take fourth (or third) and Spurs are in fifth.
Even if Spurs win or draw and finish fourth place, they are not guaranteed a place in the Champions League because if Chelsea win the Champions League final next week then they will take England's fourth spot in next year's competition.
If either of the last two happen then there is a strong possibility that all of Tottenham drinks the Kool-Aid so let's try to avoid that. Putting it simply: beat Fulham and there is a good chance that everyone survives.


Luckily for Spurs, Fulham will be without the injured Clint Dempsey. That is obviously a knock for the Cottagers, who have been fortunate enough to watch the American develop into one of the better players in the league, but this is not the Fulham of old that would be lucky to score one goal a game.

As Tottenham supporters should know, Martin Jol likes to attack and he's built himself a pretty fine attacking squad at Craven Cottage. Obviously Dempsey in the linchpin, but there is still Pavel Pogrebnyak, Damien Duff, Moussa Dembele and Danny Murphy, which, while solid, won't scare you unless you have Tottenham's defense.

With Benoit Assou-Ekotto out injured and Danny Rose suspended for last week's red card, Harry Redknapp has two options at left back, neither one good: William Gallas or Gareth Bale. Good luck there.

Outside of that (and it's a big "that"), Spurs are at full strength. That means they need width from Aaron Lennon and Bale, even if he's at left back, and the good early passing from Luka Modric to strike quick. There's the lurking Rafael van der Vaart and Emmanuel Adebayor. In short, there are a lot of things that has Spurs right rightly worried of the match becoming another cross and corner fest.

If that happens, Spurs are in trouble. Nobody needs to be reminded that Tottenham are next to useless when a match becomes a series of crosses, but Fulham are also the last team to do that against. Brede Hangeland can dominate in the air and Aaron Hughes, John Arne Riise and the rest of the Cottagers' crew are no slouches either. The "who is bigger game" is all Fulham's.

But Fulham don't have much to play for. Spurs do. There's that Champions League thing, which is kind of a little important.

"To finish third would be an amazing achievement,'' Modric said. "We deserve to finish third if you look at how we have played over the season.''

Now I don't disagree with Luka often, or ever, but let's get one thing straight. Don't win tomorrow and you don't deserve poo.



http://www.cartilagefreecaptain.com/2012/5/13/3016993/tottenham-hotspur-vs-fulham-2012-premier-league-preview?

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TOTTENHAM v FULHAM
INTERESTING OPTA STATS

Fulham's London derby record this season hints that Tottenham's top-four slot isn't yet confirmed...

Fulham had 13 shots on target against Spurs in the reverse fixture this season. That's only the second time they have had that many in the last six seasons, both times against Tottenham.

Fulham have won five and lost just one of their last seven Premier League matches.

Fulham have picked up the most points from London derbies this season (12), but if Spurs win, they will have earned the most in capital clashes (14).

Fulham have failed to score in four of their last six Premier League games against Spurs, including each of the last three at White Hart Lane.

The west Londoners have actually failed to score in six of their last seven Premier League away trips to White Hart Lane.

Tottenham have won five and lost just one of the last 11 league games against Fulham and have won the last four games in a row.

Spurs have lost on the final day in three of the last four seasons.

Nine different Spurs players have received five or more yellow cards this season, more than any other club in the top flight.

The Cottagers are the only PL side yet to be shown a red card this season. Their last dismissal came on the final day of last season against Arsenal.

Clint Dempsey has either scored or assisted 53% of Fulham's league goals this season, only Robin van Persie has a higher ratio (56%).


http://www.sportingpreview.com/football2012-2/11121414.php?

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Manchester United Plan £10 Million Move for Belgian Paul Scholes - Report

Manchester United are lining up a £10 million bid for Fulham midfielder Moussa Dembele, with veteran Paul Scholes yet to decide on his future, according to the Daily Mail.

The report says that the Red Devils are keeping tabs on the 24-year-old as Sir Alex Ferguson has already started shortlisting players to strengthen the squad ahead of next season.

The Belgian made 35 league appearances for Fulham this season and has played a key role in the west London club's rise to ninth position in the table and could be an apt replacement for Scholes, who was forced out of retirement by Ferguson around the beginning of the year.

Dembele joined the Cottagers from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar for £5 million in 2010 and though he originally was bought as a striker, Fulham boss Martin Jol's decision to play him as a midfielder has been crucial to the player's success in English football.

With Lille's talisman Eden Hazard likely to join rivals Manchester City, Ferguson is desperate to add a few bodies to the United midfield, especially due to the long-term absence of Darren Fletcher and Tom Cleverley, due to illness and injury problems respectively.

Ferguson has also admitted that he will hold talks with Scholes in an attempt to persuade him to extend his comeback from retirement for another season.

"I will speak to Paul. Obviously he made a tremendous contribution when he came back. But it was his decision to return and I will respect whatever he wants to do," the newspaper quoted the Scot as saying.

"I haven't discussed it with him yet, to be honest. I think I made that mistake last season, talking to him before the season had finished. It is better getting the season over and having a break and I may not speak to him before he has been away on holiday," the United manager added.

Ferguson was spotted in Berlin monitoring Japanese playmaker Shinji Kagawa as Borussia Dortmund beat Bayern Munich 5-2 in the German Cup final on Saturday.

The 23-year-old opened the scoring for the German Champions as they cruised to a comfortable victory over the Champions League finalists.

Kagawa has only one year left on his current contract with Dortmund and has been linked heavily to make a move to Old Trafford in the summer. "For sure Manchester is a great club, but what the future holds I do not know yet," ESPN quoted the midfielder speaking after the game.



http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/340391/20120513/manchester-united-transfer-news-dembele-kagawa.htm?