Tuesday Fulham Stuff (13/04/10)

[WhiteJC]

http://www.eatsleepsport.com/fulham/cottagers-ace-aims-to-shape-up-for-new-deal-1050764.html
Cottagers ace aims to shape up for new deal

Simon Davies is hoping to maintain his fitness levels so he can open contract talks about staying at Fulham for the rest of his career.

The 30-year-old Wales international midfielder has endured a difficult campaign due to a troublesome instep bone which has seen him endure two spells on the sidelines. However Davies now hopes that he is finally over the worst of the injury and is looking to stay fully fit for the rest of the campaign in order to ensure a new deal is offered to him at Craven Cottage.

The January 2007 signing from Everton told the Fulham Gazette: "I would like to stay on 100 per cent.

"But I needed to get back fit - and I'm over the worse and enjoying myself as at any stage in my football life.

"I was scheduled for (contract) talks but then I had a recurrence of my injury. So I'm sure the club are making sure I can stay fit before they start again. But I want to extend my stay here, and look to finish my career here."

On his injury problem, Davies added: "Missing some of the season's games was a worry - but I hope to get a run from now until the end of the season.

"It's been a struggle to get my fitness back over the last few games."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.eatsleepsport.com/fulham/keeper-winning-deserved-plaudits-hodgson-1050767.html
Keeper winning deserved plaudits - Hodgson

Roy Hodgson claims goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer is finally getting the recognition that he deserves following his move to Fulham.

The Cottagers boss, who signed the 37-year-old Australian international on a free transfer from Middlesbrough in summer 2008, has been delighted with his recent form as the side have reached the Europa League semi-finals, where they will meet Hamburg next week.

Schwarzer was instrumental in Fulham keeping a clean sheet at Liverpool in Sunday's 0-0 draw and Hodgson feels he is finally getting the plaudits he deserves.

He said: "I think he was underrated at Middlesbrough but since he has come to Fulham, I would say he has got quite a lot of recognition for his performances, not least the player of the month for February.

"When that happens you can't complain you're underrated. He's been recognised this year.

"You don't have to wrack your brains to find goalkeepers who have been top class in the top league in England well into their 30s.

"Schwarzer did a fantastic job for us, and you notice it in a game when your opponents have got the ball much more than you.

"If you don't have a goalkeeper who commands his area and takes the shots he should take, then you lose the game."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2010/04/13/1876488/exclusive-fulhams-roy-hodgson-hoping-inter-will-beat
EXCLUSIVE: Fulham's Roy Hodgson Hoping Inter Will Beat Barcelona & Win The Champions League
Former Nerazzurri boss backs Special One to conquer Europe

Roy Hodgson has backed his former club Inter and their coach Jose Mourinho to see off the challenge of holders Barcelona and win the Champions League.

Speaking exclusively to Goal.com UK at the annual Football Extravaganza fundraiser in aid of the Nordoff Robbins charity, Hodgson hailed Inter's progress under Mourinho.

The Fulham manager had two spells in the top job at San Siro in the late 1990s, and has been impressed by their progress in Europe this season. "They've done very well," he said.

"Normally in the past they've reached the quarter-finals and now they're in the semi-finals." He admitted a difficult task awaited the Italian champions in the last four.

"Hopefully this year they'll crown their domestic glories by also doing one internationally, in Europe, and I'm hoping that they'll go to the final, albeit that they have an enormously tough nut to crack in Barcelona before they reach it."

As well as praising Mourinho's season, Hodgson drew attention to the foundations laid for the Portuguese coach by his predecessor, Manchester City's Roberto Mancini.

"They've been exceptionally good the last four years to win the championship every year. It's been an outstanding achievement," said the 62-year-old. 

Hodgson has received a shower of plaudits himself this season, following Fulham's near-miraculous 2008 escape from relegation and seventh-place finish last season by masterminding an extraordinary run to this year's Europa League semi-finals.

However, the former Blackburn Rovers coach was characteristically modest on his role in Fulham's achievements, preferring to leave the credit to his players. "You can never put a price on experience and you can never quantify it, that's the problem," he smiled ruefully.

"I don't feel it's been anything special that I've done. I can't put my finger on anything I've done that someone else with less European experience wouldn't have done. On the other hand, you don't know to what extent some of the decisions you're making and some of the things you're doing are being affected by the experience you've had of Europe and European football in the past.

"I'm just pleased that the team has responded so well to the constant challenges they've had to face and that we're in with a fighting chance of reaching the final."


Europa charge

Hodgson admitted he was still doing his homework on Fulham's semi-final opponents Hamburg, though he has faced the German club in Europe before. "I don't know a lot about them," he said.

"I played them when I was at Viking (Stavanger) three or four years ago in the same competition. The team has changed a lot since then, though one or two of the players are still there. I know (Piotr) Trochowski who's still there for example. (Mladen) Petric I know a little about because I had him at Grasshoppers. (Ruud) Van Nistelrooy of course everyone knows from his time in England and Holland."

The coach promised Fulham would be ready to try and secure a second trip to the northern German city, in the May 12 final, by the time the semi arrives. "I'm not an expert on the team at the moment," he conceded, "but we're getting a lot of information on them, and by the time Thursday week comes around I think I'll have a pretty good grip on how they play and what they do and we'll be trying to prepare against it."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/36810/I_think_in_Smalling_he_has_a_player_who_could_quite_easily_do_that.aspx
think in Smalling he has a player who could quite easily do that
Author:  Ben Moss

Fulham FC boss Roy Hodgson has once again praised Manchester United counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson for recognising the potential and ability of Chris Smalling.

Manchester United agreed to sign Smalling from Fulham in January and at the end of the season the 20-year-old centreback will move to Old Trafford, and Hodgson believes the Premier League champions are signing a supremely talented footballer with great potential.

The Fulham FC manager told Sport.co.uk at the annual Football Extravaganza fundraiser in aid of the Nordoff Robbins charity, that Smalling could be moulded into a similar player to Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand, claiming the England Under-21 international has all the tools to be equally successful.

Hodgson told Sport.co.uk: "Well I think Sir Alex did ever so well in recognizing Chris Smalling, he's an extremely talented young player, very mature for his age."

"I think he has all the qualities that Sir Alex is looking for in a centre half because he is obviously looking to duplicate the success he has had in the past with people like Rio Ferdinand and now Vidic."

"I think in Chris Smalling he has a player who could quite easily do that, he's young, he needs experience, he needs games but then that's the case for every 19, 20-year-old player."

"No one becomes an immediate success overnight; you need to get experience by playing."

"He's got some experience playing for us at Fulham and now he'll get even more moving forward and playing for Manchester United."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/783341/FULHAM-PROVIDE-A-LESSON-FOR-OTHER-CLUBS.html
FULHAM PROVIDE A LESSON FOR OTHER CLUBS
Cottagers were right to resist Arsenal

WHEN the big clubs come calling, it's easy to cave in and accept the inevitable.
Money talks and there's no point keeping an unsettled player is always the explanation or excuse forwarded for flogging your best performers.

Last summer, there came a point when it looked increasingly likely that Brede Hangeland was on his way to Arsenal.

A lot comes down to the personality of the individual involved and the Norway centre-back stressed he was happy to remain at Fulham, but all credit must go to Roy Hodgson for fighting to keep the defender.

The reward has been a dream run all the way into the last four of the Europa League and an eye-catching campaign that sees the Cottagers continue to progress under their excellent boss (they are 12th at present).

On Sunday, the west London outfit didn't roll over at Liverpool, potential opponents in the Europa League Final, despite having other matters on their mind.

They set their stall out at Anfield to defend and Hangeland was outstanding, as he was in last Thursday's win at Wolfsburg.

If Fulham had cashed in on their defensive rock, would they have enjoyed such a great season? Almost certainly not.

In a Premier League that has been more even this term with plenty of examples of smaller clubs upsetting the big boys, long may this be the case.

But it will only happen if chairmen, directors and managers are brave enough to resist approaches for their star men.

I recall in 2004 that Fulham and Charlton both enjoyed fine starts to the season. What happened in January? They sold star men Louis Saha to Manchester United and Scott Parker to Chelsea respectively.

The upstarts weakened their own sides and, at the same time, strengthed the teams above them.

That breeds inequality and there are numerous cases in Scotland over the years where one of the clubs outside of the Glasgow duo have a player performing well and they end up selling him to the Old Firm. I'm thinking Claudio Caniggia, Scott Brown and Kevin Thomson off the top of my head.

So it would be refreshing to see more clubs adopt the approach of keeping their best talent until a time comes when they simply cannot stop their transfer.

The days of the biggest clubs stockpiling talent should be ending with stricter rules on squad size coming into play and this can only benefit the league as a whole.

Of course, Fulham have bowed to pressure and sold Chris Smalling to Manchester United for £10million, another of their defenders who also interested Arsenal.

But Hodgson knows the England Under-21 international is not yet the finished article and has not been a first-team regular this term.

Sacrificing Smalling to boost his transfer budget will enable the Cottagers to keep their outstanding performers and add experienced talent to their ranks to instantly slot into the starting XI.

Hangeland signed a new contract in November and still seems content in the capital.

And why wouldn't he be? He's playing in a great league for a side not concerned by relegation and one of only two English top-flight clubs chasing European glory this term.

He's a key figure and is working for a real contender for Manager of the Year.

Arsenal ended up buying wisely at the back in the shape of Thomas Vermaelen, an excellent acquisition from Ajax. With William Gallas a regular until breaking down to injury, it's fair to say they were extremely well covered in this area until needing to call upon veterans Mikael Silvestre and Sol Campbell in the last few weeks.

Imagine if Arsene Wenger had been able to sign both Vermaelen and Hangeland.

The Gunners would have had a regular first-choice pairing and then been able to slot the Norwegian in when required, as has only been the case recently due to the form and fitness of Vermaelen and Gallas.

They would have been powerful in the centre of their defence but what about Fulham? The Cottagers would have lost their lynchpin and surely struggled without him.

It's also feasible to suggest that he has helped those around him improve their games and form a tight defensive unit - Aaron Hughes and Chris Baird, for instance, have been exceptional.

So when people look back on 2009/2010 and praise Fulham for a fabulous season they should remember the foundations were laid in rebuffing all approaches for their giant centre-back.

Let's hope it proves a lesson to other clubs faced with similar dilemmas during the close season.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/alan-green/alan-green-donrsquot-get-too-hung-up-on-english-teamsrsquo-euro-demise-14765885.html

Alan Green: Don't get too hung up on English teams' Euro demise


So, for the first time in seven years, England doesn't have at least one representative in the last four of the Champions League: so what?


There's been an awful lot of soul-searching but, honestly, I'm not in that camp.

Of course, I wanted both to go through but there are times when you have to think what might be good for football overall.

Wasn't it getting a little bit boring? Weren't we thinking, at the start of each campaign, which English team would reach the final if not which two? Wasn't it, in contrast, healthy that six different countries were represented in the quarter finals?

Call me disloyal if you want to but I remember leaving the Emirates the other week thinking how unjust the scoreline was and how ridiculous it would be if Barcelona didn't go further. And they have. Twice, they comprehensively outplayed Arsenal.

And Wenger's team is a very, very good one. Had Diaby, at one nil, picked out Walcott free on the right, things might have turned out very differently. I doubt it. And, just think, now we get to see Messi versus Mourinho.

Manchester United lost a wonderful position because Michael Carrick got himself in a twist and allowed Olic to score a critical goal before half time: and because Rafael was naive in the extreme. Don't blame the Germans. Ask what alternative the referee had.

So, is this a blip or evidence of a serious demise? I think it's the former. I don't believe, for example, that Bayern Munich are better than Manchester United. It just went wrong.

We could be sitting here thinking what a stroke of genius it was by Ferguson to play a half-fit Rooney, a tactic that plainly took Bayern by surprise and unsettled them. Instead, in defeat, it looks foolish.

It does emphasise though that, contrary to what the manager seems to think, his team may need re-shaping in the summer.

For example, what future can Berbatov have if he's largely ignored in such circumstances until it's too late?

But is all this the first sign that the money-rich Premier League has hit the buffers and that their economic situation will worsen because of tax changes and the pound's weakness in relation to the euro?

No, I think those fears are wildly exaggerated. Spending a fortune is no guarantee of success: ask Real Madrid. Next season will provide evidence of whether I'm right or wrong.

In the meantime, there are related side issues to consider. Chelsea, undoubtedly, would give anything to still be involved in the Champions League but their season could end with them winning the double.

And, remember, England still has teams playing in Europe. It may be 'only' the Europa League but Fulham's achievement is staggering and I think Liverpool knocked out an excellent team in Benfica. What odds an all-English final in Hamburg?



Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/alan-green/alan-green-donrsquot-get-too-hung-up-on-english-teamsrsquo-euro-demise-14765885.html#ixzz0kzXlJ5MX