Friday Fulham Stuff (28/09/12)...

[ScalleysDad]

Interesting to see the first comments about a six month lay off for Diarra. Have to say had the injury been a twinge, a cartilage issue or a patella injury he would be on the physio bench by now. It looks like surgery is being assessed and the first we will hear, formally, is that it has been done and he is out for the duration.

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham set to complete Chris David signing in January
Time ran out on the young striker's switch to the Premier League in the summer but he now appears to be moving closer to a move when the next transfer window opens


Getty Images

Fulham are set to complete the signing of FC Twente striker Chris David in January after missing out on the 19-year-old's signature in the summer transfer window.

Martin Jol's men had an agreement in place with the Eredivisie side on the final day of the window and a move almost went through for a nominal fee until time ran out on the deal.

David's move will be resurrected in January though, with reports in the Netherlands suggesting he has undergone a medical with Fulham already in preparation for the New Year switch.

After the striker refused to sign a new contract with Twente, he has not been included in first-team matches and he is planning talks with the Dutch club to smooth things over for his remaining time with Steve McClaren's team and ensure he is allowed to move to England in January.

Twente's domestic rivals Ajax were also in the race to sign David but have missed out to the pulling power of the Premier League side.

Fulham had a busy transfer deadline day, completing deals for Dimitar Berbatov, Kieran Richardson and Ashkan Dejagah.

As well as missing out on David, they also saw moves for Lyon left-back Michel Bastos and Ghanaian midfielder Derek Boateng fall through in a frantic day of transfer market trading.



http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/09/28/3408883/-?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Focus - Baird could be unlikely midfield stop-gap at Craven Cottage

As Fulham welcome Manchester City to Craven Cottage this weekend, Martin Jol will know that despite the champions' stuttering form defensively, it is their midfield which brings them their success. The likes of Chris Baird will have to stand up to the power and athleticism of Yaya Toure, as well as the vision and guile of David Silva and Samir Nasri ahead of him.



On the face of it Fulham could struggle to compete in the middle of the park, particularly with the Cottagers not only shorn of the talents of the departed Moussa Dembele, but now without Mali international Mahamadou Diarra for a prolonged period due to injury. Manager Jol has cast his net wide and brought in Giorgos Karagounis to offer some creative spark but the Greek veteran is yet to appear for his new club.

However, despite the apparent hole in their midfield, the Cottagers have rallied and produced two of their best performances of the season to take maximum points at home to West Brom and more impressively, away at Wigan in their last encounter. Dimitar Berbatov of course gets the headlines and rightly so but perhaps more importantly ahead of Fulham's toughest of midfield tests, the efforts of Steve Sidwell and Chris Baird have gone under the radar.

While Sidwell has often been in and around the Cottagers' first team, Chris Baird's arrival has coincided with his side's return to form. The Northern Irishman is clearly in the twilight of his career at 30 years of age and is never likely to produce a defence-splitting pass or beat two or three players in the manner of the departed Dembele. Indeed, Baird's spells in defence often had Fulham fans wondering where the next mistake was coming from.

However, what Baird offers in a holding central midfield role is simplicity. His role is simply to shadow, track back, tackle and when with the ball pass it on as quickly as possible to Fulham's more creative talents. It may not get the headlines but away from home where Fulham were often left exposed due to their desire to go forward, particularly when Dembele, who would be one of only two central midfield players, would also go forward.

Now, it may be less exciting and explosive but with Baird and Sidwell acting as a double defensive pivot, Fulham can let their attacking talents loose to flourish without any defensive constraints. Berbatov in particular thrives on this.

The last time City came to the banks of the Thames, the would-be champions raced into a 2-0 lead courtesy of Sergio Aguero only to be pegged back by goals from Bobby Zamora and Danny Murphy to drop their first points of the season. Both those players may have departed but the message was clear - on their day, Fulham can compete with the very best and with Baird and Sidwell doing such a good job, who would bet against Berbatov and co. pulling off a similar upset one year on.


http://www.adifferentleague.co.uk/p6_1_16903_fulham-focus-baird-could-be-unlikely-midfield-stop-gap-at-craven-cottage.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Hugo Rodallega confident Fulham can beat Manchester City

Fulham striker Hugo Rodallega is undaunted by the prospect of taking on Barclays Premier League champions Manchester City at Craven Cottage tomorrow.

The former Wigan forward opened his account for his new club against his old employers last weekend.

That 2-1 win means Martin Jol's side go into the City game in sixth place, one spot above their opponents who had endured a difficult start to the campaign.

Rodallega told Fulham's official website: "We all know the players they have got and how good they can be.

"But there's no reason why we can't get the result that we want."

Tottenham striker Gylfi Sigurdsson has hailed his new side's attacking intent as they prepare to travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United.

Sigurdsson, who scored the final goal in Spurs' 3-0 midweek Cup win at Carlisle, told Tottenham's official 'Hotspur' magazine: "Once we click we will be clinical.

"The signs are all there in our build-up play and the next step, consistent finishing, will be key."

Adam Johnson is facing a race against time to be fit for Sunderland's clash with Wigan at the Stadium of Light, while the Black Cats have captain Lee Cattermole suspended.

Boss Martin O'Neill said: "Adam went for more scans - thankfully they have not shown up anything fresh. Obviously we would like to get him playing as soon as possible."

Wigan have doubts over striker Franco Di Santo who is struggling to shake off a calf problem, while defender Antolin Alcaraz is definitely out.

Newcastle head to struggling Reading buoyed by boss Alan Pardew's new eight-year deal, and with Papiss Cisse pushing for a return to the starting line-up after coming off the bench to score in midweek Capital One Cup loss to Manchester United.

Resurgent Southampton will aim to test Everton's excellent start to the new campaign at Goodison Park, although they must do so without Jack Cork, who is out for up to six week with a knee injury, and Japan international Tadanari Lee.

Norwich will have to look for their first league win of the season over Liverpool without on-loan Harry Kane, who suffered an ankle injury in the midweek win over Doncaster that is expected to keep him out for up to six weeks.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis is refusing to panic as his side look for their first league win of the season at home to Swansea.

"We need to win a game and once we do that it can be an exciting season," said Pulis.

"We are just hoping and praying we get that bit of luck. If we keep playing the way we are, it will come."

West Brom face a full-back crisis for Sunday's short trip to Aston Villa after Liam Ridgewell limped out of the Cup loss to Liverpool, while Alejandro Faurlin is a doubt for QPR's Monday night clash with West Ham.



http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/hugo-rodallega-confident-fulham-can-beat-manchester-city-8189464.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Neil Etheridge's journey from Manila to the Memorial Stadium



Bristol Rovers' loan signing of Fulham goalkeeper Neil Etheridge earlier this month may have slipped under a lot of people's radars but he is, by his own admission, kind of a big deal.

At the tender age of 22, Etheridge has 37 international caps for the Philippines, a contract with a Premier League club, 100,000 followers on Twitter and an army of female fans - thanks to his ventures in the world of underwear modelling.

And all of this despite the fact he only made his professional league debut last weekend.

He has even been held in the same esteem as boxer-come-actor-come-politician, and national hero, Manny Pacquiao.
"The Philippines is a very passionate country," he told BBC West Sport. "With me playing over here in England they see me as a big deal.

"But there are bigger stars than me. Manny is the biggest star."

Yet Filipino football's poster boy has gone relatively unnoticed in the English game.

A graduate of Chelsea's academy set-up, London-born Etheridge has been an understudy to Mark Schwarzer at Craven Cottage for the past two seasons and until his arrival at the Memorial Stadium, his only league games were with non-league minnows Leatherhead.

He was playing for England schoolboys when he was asked to switch allegiances to the Philippines - for whom he qualifies through his mother - and had never kicked a football for Fulham's first team.

Aged just 18, Etheridge made his international debut in the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup game against Brunei.

He has gone on to claim the number one shirt, and played an integral part in one of their biggest adventures - in the South East Asian Cup in 2010.

"We weren't even meant to qualify, but we did, and we were drawn in the hardest group against the highest-ranked teams [Vietnam and Singapore]," he said.

"We beat them both and went through to the semi-finals. We lost to Indonesia over two legs but both games were played away because we didn't have the facilities.

"We played in front of 85,000 in the first leg and 100,000 in the second leg - it's something I'll never forget.

"People will think it was a strange decision to make at such a young age but I've loved every moment of playing for them.

"I want to take football forward over there."

It seems a bold statement for such a young player, but his pop star-like fame has helped raise the game's profile in his mother's homeland.

"Basketball is the number one sport and football is quite far behind," he said.

"But the funding is slowly coming in and there's a lot of hard work going on to try and push football.

"I'm trying to be an ambassador over here and over there. I've been called that a few times. It doesn't put any pressure on me and, in fact, it gives me confidence."

And although confidence is something which oozes from the young keeper, he admits to being apprehensive about making his Football League debut, which came in Rovers' uneventful 0-0 draw with Fleetwood, in front of a humbling 5,000 fans.

"It's kind of crazy what I've done before but I was still nervous for my first game," he said.
"You try to blank it out and try and get on with the job in hand.

"There were nerves there but they seemed to calm down once I stepped on the pitch. It was a good result for us and hopefully I can carry on in the right direction."

His image is as famous as his ability between the sticks in some parts of the world, and Etheridge is happy to continue living his life in the spotlight.

"Modelling isn't really my forte," he says, coyly. "But I like endorsing products - it comes with the sport.

"It puts me in a good light as well. The people I work with help people in the Philippines as well, so it's not just for myself, it's for others as well."



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19741354?

[WhiteJC]

 
Sing When You're Winning – Fulham Look Good Value To Spring A Surprise This Weekend

This week's treble comes from the Premier League with a couple of surprise selections included, the pick of which, is Fulham to upset Man City at Craven Cottage.

The other upset is predicted to come in the form of Chelsea who can maintain their good start to the season by landing attractive odds at the Emirates.

In the third and final selection, we're going for Martin O'Neill's Sunderland to finally end a run of four draws from their first few games with victory at home to Wigan .

Fulham v Man City – Home Win @ 7/2

Fulham have played two and won two at home in the Premier League so far this season, scoring eight and have yet to concede in the process. Whilst the visit of Man City on Saturday will be their toughest game to date, Martin Jol's side should be confident enough about making it three wins from three, even if it against the defending champions.

With Dimitar Berbatov seemingly somewhere close to being back to his best with two goals in two games, the Cottagers will be a match for anyone whilst the Bulgarian is on song and at 7/2 they look reasonable valuable for the win.

Man City are not finding the defence of their title particularly easy going and have produced a somewhat mixed bag of results from their opening five games, in fact, they have not won a match since 1st September and were dumped out of the League Cup this week by an inconsistent Aston Villa side.

It will only be a matter of time before City rediscover their winning formula but whilst they are not on song, we're happy to call a shock result in this game.


http://www.itsroundanditswhite.co.uk/2012/09/28/sing-when-youre-winning-fulham-look-good-value-to-spring-a-surprise-this-weekend/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sing-when-youre-winning-fulham-look-good-value-to-spring-a-surprise-this-weekend

[WhiteJC]

 
iPhone App Launches!

The official Fulham Football Club app is now available on your iPhone! It's all you'll need to keep in touch with all-things Fulham throughout the season.

Featuring all the latest news and updates from Fulham, including exclusive player interviews, team news, match reports and much more, you can also see what other fans are reading about most or look back at updates from the past month at the touch of a button.

Fans can also head to the Match Centre for up-to-the-minute updates from each Fulham game, including line-ups, match statistics, text commentary and audio commentary from the legendary Gentleman Jim.

Purchasing match tickets and hospitality has also never been easier; with direct access to our mobile ticketing service you'll never miss out again. Plus, get your official Fulham FC merchandise with access to our Online Store, optimised for use on your mobile device.

Fans can also view upcoming fixtures for the current season, including league and cup games, which are all updated to reflect any fixture changes throughout the term, as well as peruse First Team player profiles and view individual statistics for the current campaign.

Can't remember who scored on the opening day of the season, or looking to see how we performed in our last game? Check out the previous results from the current season and see statistics and more for each game.

Whether you're visiting Craven Cottage for the first time and need directions, want to read about the history of the Club or find out more about our Chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed, the Visit section will provide you with all of the answers.

And - coming soon; meet up with Fulham fans the world over by discovering new places to watch and chat about the game.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/september/28/iphone-app-launches?

[WhiteJC]

 
EXCLUSIVE: Hugo Rodallega says Fulham can be the surprise of the season
Striker sees no reason why Fulham cannot stun their rivals to reach Champions League, starting with City tomorrow

When Hugo Rodallega suggested securing a place in the Champions League ought to be within the scope of Fulham's ambition this season, it was important to check that nothing had been lost in translation.

Rodallega, not a single hair out of place among those trademark braids and a tight tee-shirt revealing the outline of a lean torso, was relaxing after the last intensive training session before tomorrow's Premier League clash with Manchester City at Craven Cottage.

Maybe the Colombian was a little too relaxed. After all, with an interpreter helping with his Spanish, this was Fulham he was talking about. The friendly little club down by the Thames, traditionally content to celebrate Premier League survival and whose fans are still wondering if that joyous march to the Europa League Final two-and-a-half years ago was just a dream.

But a glance at the Premier League table five games into the season shows Fulham a high-flying sixth, one place above Roberto Mancini's cash-rich City for whom the Champions League is a necessity, not an aspiration.

At this point last year, Fulham had not won a game. That was when they were playing to type. This season Fulham are a different proposition.

Rodallega, a canny summer signing by manager Martin Jol after the striker's contract with Wigan had expired, said: "I didn't expect this at all. It is a good surprise and I hope we can continue this trend.

"With how the team have been playing at the start of the season, we're very ambitious. The supporters feel it, the club feel it, and that is important for us players.

"We want to do more than just stay up. We want to change the history of the club and who knows what can happen? Maybe we can be the surprise of the season. Maybe we can get into the Champions League. We want to leave our mark."

The Champions League? Really? Our Spanish interpreter, who happened to be a Barcelona fan and so knows all about the tournament, was prompted to ask Rodallega if he was serious.

The absence of a smile confirmed the 27-year-old was definitely not joking. "We want to be the best we can be," he said. "If that means qualifying again for the Europa League, that's great. If it means the Champions League, even better. We have trust in the club, we have confidence in the club, so we are willing to fight for it. It will be a very long season but we certainly have good players to aspire for something big."

Before Rodallega made his Fulham debut as a substitute in the season-opener against Norwich, it looked like the loss of some very good players — Mousa Dembele, Clint Dempsey and captain Danny Murphy were either gone or in the process of departing — had already dealt a death blow to any European aspirations Fulham may have harboured.

But a debut brace by Mladen Petric in the 5-0 romp over Norwich, along with the two goals by Dimitar Berbatov in his first start for Fulham against West Brom, suggested that Jol's new boys could compensate for the high-profile exits.

All it needed was for Rodallega to show the form that saw him hit 24 goals in 92 League games for Wigan. It was a long time coming. Five appearances came and went without a goal and ahead of last Saturday's game at the South American's former club, Jol admitted that he had to make a big decision over whether to start with his misfiring star.

Jol decided that the player would be inspired by his return to the DW Stadium and his faith was rewarded with Rodallega's first goal for the club.

Rodallega said: "I'd had my chances before that game but they just didn't go in. It did worry me a bit, especially as my team-mates Damien Duff, Petric and Berbatov were scoring goals. But now I have got my first one, I just want to score more."

The partnership with Berbatov, who is being used in a roving role which produces both goals and assists, looks promising. Rodallega said: "Berbatov is an experienced player who has been at amazing clubs such as Manchester United and Tottenham. That inspires me to play.

"I want the combination to work as good as possible. I know the loss of Dempsey and Dembele was a big thing but with my partnership with Berbatov I want to make up for that loss."

Tomorrow's game against City will indicate whether Rodallega's ambitions have real substance. He said: "We all know the players they have but there's no reason why we can't get the result that we want."

The Colombian connection

Hugo Rodallega (above) is only the fifth Colombian to play in England — but how did his fellow countrymen fare in the Premier League?

Faustino Asprilla (Newcastle 1995-1998)

Champions League hat-trick against Barcelona ensured hero status on Tyneside. HIT



Hamilton Ricard (Middlesbrough 1998-2002)

£2m signing from Cali averaged a goal every three games but lacked consistency. MISS



Juan Pablo Angel (Aston Villa 2000-2007)

Cost a club record £9.5m and hit 74 goals in 205 games. Now playing across the Atlantic in the MLS. HIT



Jhon Viafara (Portsmouth 2005-2006; Southampton 2006-2008)

Played 90 games for south coast rivals before returning to Once Caldas due to 'homesickness'. MISS



http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/exclusive-hugo-rodallega-says-fulham-can-be-the-surprise-of-the-season-8189421.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol set to reignite striker deal

Martin Jol will look to take FC Twente's 19-year-old striker Chris David to Fulham in January after just missing out in the summer.
The Cottagers boss looked set to snap up the highly-rated forward on the August 31 transfer deadline day after coming to an agreement with the Dutch Eredivisie side.

However, the deal did not go through before the 11pm cut-off point which left David consigned to spending the first half of the campaign with his current club.

But reports in the Netherlands suggest that David has already had a medical with Fulham and is poised to make the switch to Craven Cottage when the January window opens for business on New Year's Day.

In the meantime David has not featured for FC Twente this season as coach Steve McClaren clearly feels there is no point utilising a player who will be departing in three months' time. Therefore he will need to build up his fitness levels before Jol will be able to consider him for first-team action should he complete a move to the Londoners.


http://www.eatsleepsport.com/Fulham/Jol-set-to-reignite-striker-deal-1476078.html?#.UGWqKkK_wds

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham v MAN CITY: Nasri back in contention after two weeks out with hamstring injury

Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri has recovered from a hamstring injury and is available to play at Fulham on Saturday.

The Frenchman was substituted in the first half at Real Madrid on September 18 and missed last weekend's draw with Arsenal and the midweek League Cup defeat to Aston Villa.


Hamstrung: Samir Nasri was injured in the Champions League fixture with Real Madrid but will return at Fulham

Jack Rodwell is missing however after injuring his groin in the warm-up before the Villa match. Right-back Micah Richards (ankle) is back in training but is short of fitness.

Provisional squad: Hart, Pantilimon, Wright, Maicon, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, K Toure, Nastasic, Kolarov, Clichy, Milner, Sinclair, Y Toure, Barry, Garcia, Nasri, Silva, Aguero, Dzeko, Balotelli, Tevez, Razak.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2209944/Manchester-City-team-news-Fulham-match.html#ixzz27lvpxrwn
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

[WhiteJC]

 
Be The Best

Back home in Colombia during the summer months, free agent Hugo Rodallega considered an array of offers on the table for him following his departure from Wigan Athletic.

Rodallega was certainly not short of admirers, but following conversations with Fulham Manager Martin Jol, the striker was convinced professional and personal fulfilment would be found on the banks of the Thames.

"I had to consider my position a lot when I was on holiday back in Colombia," Rodallega explained of his move to Craven Cottage. "There were other clubs interested, in England and abroad, so it was a decision that needed to be taken in a very calm manner.

"I spoke a lot with Martin Jol – he told me that Fulham was a good club and I would like it here. I would be fighting with a lot of ambition and that motivated me. I would also be starting a new life here and I'm really enjoying it.

"London is a very big city so I'm still getting used to everything. When I was in Colombia I heard many things about London and how it was the place to be. My family are enjoying it too and if they're happy it means I can be more focused on my career here at Fulham."

Rodallega has struck up an instant rapport with Dimitar Berbatov at Craven Cottage and the respect he showed towards his former employers when scoring for Fulham last weekend was widely applauded, as the forward was evidently desperate to open his account for his new club.

"I'd had a few chances [to score] in the games before and it did worry me for a little bit, especially after seeing my colleagues Dimitar Berbatov and Mladen Petrić score," said Rodallega. "It's my obligation to score so now I've got that first goal I'm itching to score more.

"I want the combination between Dimitar and I to work as well as possible for the benefit of the Club. Dimitar is a very experienced player who has been at some amazing clubs. That really inspires me and there is good communication between us as we're good friends off the pitch."

The striker's next goal is helping his Team achieve a third consecutive win this weekend against Manchester City and retaining a top-six position, but Fulham fans will be enthused to hear Rodallega speak of what he hopes to achieve at Fulham, both this season and in the years to come.

"I didn't expect to be in the top six at all but it's a nice surprise," said Rodallega. "Fulham have always been good but at the start of the season we're doing really well which makes me very happy. I'm enjoying my time here and I hope we can continue our winning form.

"We want to do more than just stay up. We're very ambitious. The supporters feel that, the Club feel that and that's important. We want to change the history of the Club and maybe we can be the surprise of the season.

"We don't know what's going to happen but we certainly want to leave our mark. The Club made it to the UEFA Europa League Final a few years ago and that has made Fulham aspire for more."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/september/28/rodallega-interview?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham v Man City preview
Team news ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash between Fulham and Manchester City at Craven Cottage.

City midfielder Samir Nasri has recovered from a hamstring injury and is available to play against the Cottagers.

The Frenchman was substituted in the first half at Real Madrid on September 18 and missed last weekend's draw with Arsenal and the midweek League Cup defeat to Aston Villa.

Jack Rodwell is missing however after injuring his groin in the warm-up before the Villa match. Right-back Micah Richards (ankle) is back in training but is short of fitness.

Fulham team news to follow......

Man City (from): Hart, Pantilimon, Wright, Maicon, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, K Toure, Nastasic, Kolarov, Clichy, Milner, Sinclair, Y Toure, Barry, Garcia, Nasri, Silva, Aguero, Dzeko, Balotelli, Tevez, Razak.


http://www.football365.com/match/3518094/preview?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol reveals Fulham close to midfielder signing

Fulham manager Martin Jol expects to sign a midfielder on a free transfer in the 'next couple of days' - but not Owen Hargreaves or Nigel Reo-Coker.

Jol's squad is light in midfield after both Clint Dempsey and Mousa Dembele left during the transfer window, while Mahamadou Diarra has been ruled out for a month with a knee injury.

And the manager says that he is close to bringing in a new face, although he was not willing to reveal who it is.

It was put to Jol that he may be talking about Hargreaves or Reo-Coker, both high-profile midfielders who are available on a free transfer.

But the Dutchman said: "I hope to sign a central midfielder in the next couple of days. He will be on a non-contract basis and from abroad.

"Diarra is out for about four weeks. He had some bone removed from his knee. It is not as bad as we thought."



Read more at http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/120928/jol-reveals-fulham-close-midfielder-signing-181949?#fDegutlql3SeFsql.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham vs Man City

Martin Jol's Fulham host Premier League Champions Manchester City at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

The Citizens have drawn their last two league games 1-1 and are still yet to register a clean sheet all season. And to make matters worse they were dumped out of the League Cup in midweek after a 4-2 extra time defeat at the hands of Aston Villa.

Fulham welcome Roberto Mancini's side off the back of two league victories and come into this game as joint highest scorers with twelve goals in five games.

Vincent Kompany will resume the captain's duties for City after he was rested in midweek while Pablo Zabaleta is expected to remain at right back due to injuries to Maicon and Micah Richards. Scott Sinclair will keep his first-team place with Samir Nasri still out injured.

The Cottagers are expected to name the same side that beat Wigan last weekend, with new signing Giorgos Karagounis likely to feature.

A good home performance could see Fulham heap further pressure on Mancini after an unconvincing start to the season that see's the his side occupy seventh place on the table, one place behind Fulham on goal difference.



http://www.football411.com/story/0,22162,14287_8116043,00.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham v Man City



BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Craven Cottage Date: Saturday, 29th September

TEAM NEWS

Fulham must cope without Dimitar Berbatov, who suffered a hip/thigh problem in training on Thursday.

Kieran Richardson and Philippe Senderos are back in training but are not yet ready for first-team action.

Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri has recovered from a hamstring injury but Jack Rodwell is missing with a groin injury.

Right-back Micah Richards is back in training after an ankle injury but is a couple of weeks short of fitness.

MATCH PREVIEW

Sometimes the week's events cause questions and conundrums to just pop into your head at the strangest of moments.
I was putting petrol in my car when I started wondering if Lee Cattermole had more career red cards than goals; later, at the supermarket, I asked myself whether there really used to be a third-place play-off in the FA Cup. In the shower I was troubled by whether Soccer AM is still on the telly, and on the school run it was when Manchester City last went five matches without a win.

The answers are: yes, yes, nobody knows and December 2008.

If City don't win at Craven Cottage, they will repeat that sequence of almost four years ago when Mark Hughes was the manager and the first of the marquee signings, Robinho, had just arrived.

Fulham will fancy their chances. Martin Jol's side have lost only one of their last 13 home games (winning 10) and came back from 2-0 down to draw this fixture a year ago, the first points City had dropped that campaign.

Then there is Dimitar Berbatov - perhaps the best value-for-money signing of the summer. Jol knows his faults and foibles but loves him anyway, and he will give the Bulgarian the kind of leeway to express himself which he never had at Old Trafford. The swagger is back in Berbatov, and that makes him a threat to anyone, especially when ably supported by Hugo Rodallega and a revitalised Damien Duff.

Yes, I know that City can boast half-a-dozen talents like Berbatov in their squad - but they will have the Champions League visit of Dortmund in the back of their minds, and it's just possible that Fulham can improve on last season's City draw.

The question then would be when Fulham last beat City at home; the answer - November 2005.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
Manchester City are unbeaten in their last six Premier League matches against Fulham (their last seven meetings in all competitions).

City are unbeaten on their last six visits to Craven Cottage.

City have scored in each of their last 16 league matches against Fulham since a 0-0 at home in March 2004.

Fulham have not kept a clean sheet in their last 14 top-flight home matches against Manchester City since a 1-0 win in old Division One in December 1960.

Fulham
Fulham have registered three league wins already - they had to wait until the beginning of December to achieve that last season.

Martin Jol's side have nine points from their opening five matches, their second best points total at this stage of a Premier League season, and the best since they had 10 points in 2002-03.

Fulham's tally of 12 goals is the top flight's joint-highest (along with Man Utd).

Fulham have won their last four league home matches. They last won five top-flight home matches in a row between November to December 1966 in the old Division One.

Players from 14 different countries have represented Fulham in this season's Premier League, more than any other team.

Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has made a league-high 30 saves this season.

Manchester City
City dropped just two points from the first 36 available last season; in 2012-13, they have already dropped six from the first 15 available.

The champions have scored 10 goals in their first five league games; at the same stage last season, they had scored 17 times.

City have drawn their last two matches - the last time they drew three in a row was in October-November 2009 when they drew seven on the trot - manager Mark Hughes was sacked the following month.

Roberto Mancini's side have lost their last two Premier League matches in London - 1-0 at Arsenal in April, and 2-1 at Chelsea in December 2011.

If City concede against Fulham, they will become the first reigning Premier League champions to concede in each of their first six matches of the following season.

City have had 33 corners, more than any other top-flight team.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19684404?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham to inflict Manchester City's first defeat of the season



A little bit speculative, but at 7/2 this is worth a punt.

Manchester City aren't quite right at the moment, and they look far less metronomic than they did last year. As the season goes on, it's inevitable that they'll eventually click into gear and start steamrolling sides on a weekly basis. But not yet.

A lot has been made of Fulham's potential decline in the wake of Moussa Dembele and Clint Dempsey leaving the club, but it hasn't really materialised – they've won two out of three since the window closed.

Craven Cottage is traditionally a place where sides get found out if there out of form, and expect something like that tomorrow – Fulham will play with a lot of intensity, and in Dimitar Berbatov they now have a player who can trouble every defence in the country. It's not a good time for City to visit.

Maybe it's because of Sergio Aguero's prolonged absence and the subsequent lack of familiarity in the side, or maybe it's because of Roberto Mancini's insistence on altering the tried and tested tactical formula from last year, but this is not a City side to be afraid of yet – and Fulham, with enough intensity and incisiveness, can hurt them at Craven Cottage.

Fulham are 7/2 for the win, dropping to a still very generous 2/1 on a Draw No Bet.



http://thepremierleagueowl.com/fulham-to-inflict-manchester-citys-first-defeat-of-the-season/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fulham-to-inflict-manchester-citys-first-defeat-of-the-season

[WhiteJC]

 
Premier League: Fulham v Manchester City match preview
A look ahead to this weekend's Premier League fixture at Craven Cottage

Fulham have won both of their home games this
season without conceding a goal and considering Manchester City's defence has
looked quite shaky so far this season, Martin Jol will have reason to believe
Fulham can cause an upset on Saturday.

City's defensive frailties were there for all to see in the League Cup on Tuesday as they were eliminated 4-2 by Aston Villa and although captain Vincent Kompany should return against Fulham to strengthen the back four, City's defence remains suspect.

With all three of Jol's new strikers scoring already this season, midfield is a problem area as Mahamadou Diarra, Simon Davies and Kieran Richardson are all out injured, prompting the Dutchman to reportedly run the rule over former Bolton midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker as a possible free transfer.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini could have Samir Nasri back in action for the trip to Craven Cottage after the Frenchman missed his club's lastt two games with a hamstring injury.

KICK OFF: Saturday, 3pm



PAST THREE MEETINGS...

Manchester City 3 (Aguero, Baird OG, Dzeko) Fulham 0, Premier League, February 2012

Fulham 2 (Zamora, Kompany OG) Manchester City 2, (Aguero 2), Premier League, September 2011

Manchester City 1 (Balotelli) Fulham 1 (Duff), Premier League, February 2011



STATS...

Fulham are joint top-scorers in the English Premier League with 12 goals from five games, matched only by second-placed Manchester United

Manchester City have not kept a clean sheet in any competition this season and have conceded two goals per game on average

Fulham, as the home side, have scored eight goals in two games on their own turf in the league this season



ODDS...

Fulham to win: 4.33

Man City to win: 1.80

Draw: 3.60


http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/premier-league-fulham-v-manchester-city-match-preview-8189947.html

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Under-18s Face Reds

Steve Wigley's side host Liverpool on Saturday with our in-form Under-18s looking to maintain top spot in Barclays Under-18 Premier League Group Three.

Defeat of Manchester City last weekend made it four wins from four and 19 goals in the process, as the Under-18s continued their impressive start to the 2012/13 season.

Cauley Woodrow was on target once more, and enters this weekend's action with seven goals to his name. At the other end, Stephen Arthurworrey – who has made an impressive return from injury in recent weeks – could be up against Liverpool's own fine striking prospect in the shape of Jerome Sinclair who made his senior debut in Liverpool's 2-1 Capital One Cup defeat of West Bromwich Albion.

Steve Cooper's Liverpool come to Motspur Park searching for their first win of the season, having drawn their matches against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crystal Palace and lost their previous two encounters against Manchester City and second-placed Chelsea.

"Like Manchester City last weekend, we're going up against another of the best academies in Liverpool," said Wigley to fulhamfc.com. "They have a good reputation at this level and in recent weeks we have seen quite a few of their young players step up and play for the first team.

"We know it will be a tough test, but we've started the season well and have been doing a lot of things right. If we can continue to do that, then we know what we can do. I don't think too much about winning four from four, but of course, in football momentum is important."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/september/28/under-18s-face-reds?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham v Manchester City: match preview
Read a full match preview of the Premier League game between Fulham and Manchester City at Craven Cottage on Saturday Sept 29, 2012, kick-off 15.00 BST.

Saturday, September 29
Fulham v Manchester City
Craven Cottage
Kick-off: 15.00 BST
TV: Highlights BBC1 Match of the Day.

Fulham (Possible, 4-4-1-1): Schwarzer; Riether, Hughes, Hangeland, Riise; Duff, Baird, Sidwell, Kacaniklic; Rodallega; Berbatov.
Out: Davies (hip), Dejagah (unspecified), Diarra (knee). Frei (pelvis), Richardson (thigh), Senderos (match fitness).

Manchester City (Possible, 4-4-2): Hart; Zabaleta, Kopany, Lescott, Clichy; Garcia, Y Toure, Silva, Sinclair; Dzeko, Aguero.
Out: Richards (ankle), Rodwell (groin).

Referee: Mark Halsey. Matches: 2, R2 Y4.

Team News
Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri has recovered from a hamstring injury and is available to play at Fulham.

The Frenchman was substituted in the first half at Real Madrid on September 18 and missed last weekend's draw with Arsenal and the midweek League Cup defeat to Aston Villa.

Jack Rodwell is missing however after injuring his groin in the warm-up before the Villa match. Right-back Micah Richards is back in training but is short of fitness.

Match Notes
If Fulham score on Saturday, City will become the first reigning Premier League champions to concede a goal in each of their opening six matches.

Fulham are joint top scorers in the division, unbeaten at home since March, and victory today would represent their best start to a Premier League season.

City have not lost at Craven Cottage since 2005, but have won only two out of eight games this season, and none of the last four

Betting: Home 16-5, Away 4-5, Draw 5-2.

Stat of the game: City have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their opening five Premier League games for the first time.

Gerry Cox's prediction: Fulham 2 Manchester City 2.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/9570525/Fulham-v-Manchester-City-match-preview.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Dimitar Berbatov Injured; Won't Play Against Manchester City

Bad news for Fulham fans [and Fantasy Premier League managers who own the red hot Dimitar Berbatov]. Great news for Roberto Mancini as Manchester City look for a road clean sheet and away win.

Dimitar Berbatov won't feature for Fulham tomorrow against Manchester City due to injury, according to Martin Jol.

Berbatov has been inspirational for Fulham in just a few short weeks at the club, but manager Jol will surely look to one of Petric or Rodallega to lead the line against Manchester City this weekend.



http://www.nevercaptainnickybutt.com/2012/09/dimitar-berbatov-injured-wont-play-against-manchester-city.html?