Friday Fulham Stuff (05/10/12)...

[WhiteJC]

 
U21s Face Chelsea

Fulham Under-21s take on rivals Chelsea at Craven Cottage on Friday evening in the hope of securing the SW6 bragging rights.

Kit Symons' side slipped to a 3-0 defeat at Liverpool on Monday, so naturally, they will be looking to bounce back in what is always a competitive encounter for young hopefuls. Going out with the same commitment as their more senior peers, Friday's clash should be no different.

Chelsea visit the Cottage having taken five points so far following one win and two draws from their five fixtures. Last Friday, the Blues slipped to a 3-1 home defeat against Middlesbrough.

Their Under-19s were in action against CSKA Moscow in the NextGen Series this week, so manager Dermot Drummy is expected to make changes ahead of this Barclays Under-21 Premier League match. 

Symons' charges have looked impressive in training this week, and three points on Friday night will certainly give their season a boost.

"We're looking forward to the game, the matches against Chelsea are always that bit more special because it's a derby fixture," Symons told fulhamfc.com. "We could have a few First Team players involved; ones that the Manager believes need a bit of a run out.

"So it will be a bit of a mix in terms of personnel, but that's what development football is all about. Obviously only three outfield players over the age of 21 are allowed to play, so it's still very much our younger boys.

"As we know, Chelsea are a good side, and they may well have a mix of players as well. Their various teams all tend to play the same way, so they will get the ball down and play bright, forward-thinking football.

"I've watched them a bit this season, and they look good. They have some very good players and ones that on their day, could ask a lot of questions. But at the same time, we have players that can cause them problems too, so it should be an entertaining game.

"We lost against Liverpool on Monday, and as I've said before, there's always a chance to put things right and after what was a largely disappointing performance, we have that opportunity on Friday.

"We've gone through what went wrong, and we've had a positive week out on the training field in terms of moving forward from that. I'm pleased with what I've seen and hopefully we can go out and get the result we need."

Fulham Under-21s v Chelsea Under-21s takes place at Craven Cottage, kick-off 7pm. 

Tickets for this fixture can no longer be purchased online, to buy, please call 0843 208 1234 (option 3) or drop in person to the Ticket Office or purchase at the gate.

Season Ticket Holders can attend this fixture for free by showing their pass at the turnstiles, while adult tickets are £3 and both under 16s and over 65s just £1.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/october/04/u21s-face-chelsea?

[WhiteJC]

 
Liverpool and Arsenal eye Norwegian bargain
Liverpool and Arsenal transfer news: Fulham defender Brede Hangeland available on a free next summer

Fulham defender Brede Hangeland is attracting interest from Arsenal and Liverpool, according to talkSPORT.

The 31-year-old has entered the final 12 months of his contract at Craven Cottage, and with Martin Jol yet to open negotiations over a new deal, could leave the club on a free transfer next summer.

Anfield has been mentioned as a potential destination for the Norwegian international, with Jamie Carragher looking ever closer to retirement.

Hangeland's ability on the ball would also fit in with Brendan Rodgers' football philosophy, so it would be no surprise to see him plying his trade on Merseyside next season.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has also been credited with an interest in Hangeland in the past, and may rival Liverpool for his signature if it becomes clear he will not sign a new deal with Fulham.

Arsenal have improved considerably in defence this campaign, and with the likes of Per Mertesacker, Thomas Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny currently vying for a place in Wenger's starting XI, competition for places at the Emirates Stadium is as strong as ever.

Fulham would be foolish to let a player that has served their club with such distinction over the past four years leave, but failure to reach agreement will mean he is free to talk to foreign clubs when the transfer window reopens in January.



http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/liverpool-and-arsenal-eye-norwegian-bargain?

[WhiteJC]

 
Winger pencilled in for Fulham return

KERIM Frei is set to feature in tomorrow night's reserve game with Chelsea as he steps up his comeback from a pelvis injury.

The Fulham youngster has not appeared so far this season after picking up a knock on international duty with Turkey.

However, the winger returned to full training last week and is closing in on a return to full fitness.

And Frei will continue his rehab with a run-out for the development side in the U21s clash at Craven Cottage against their west London rivals.



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2012/10/04/82029-31968396/?#ixzz28OOZXgdA

[WhiteJC]

 
Ex-favourite amazed by Schwarzer's form

Former Fulham goalkeeper Antti Niemi believes Australian stopper Mark Schwarzer is getting better and better with age.
Niemi has been reminiscing about his time at Craven Cottage and Sunday's opponents Southampton in an exclusive interview with the club's official website ahead of this weekend's game.

The ex-Finnish international, who now coaches his country's goalkeepers, is particularly impressed by the form of his successor between the sticks in west London as he continues to defy his advancing years, with just two days to go until turns 40.

He said: "Mark's been at the top of his game for 15 years now - he's a goalkeeper I admire so much and he proves it's not about your age. It's about how they play and obviously they've been injury free which helps a lot.

"When I watch Schwarzer play I think he looks like he's getting better and better. You'd think that a goalkeeper would hit their peak in their 30's but he's unbelievable.

"I have to say he's so fit - I'm jealous because he looks marvellous when he's standing in that goal! Once he finishes his career, whenever that will be, people will look back and say he was one of the best."

Niemi, who is only a few months older than Schwarzer, has admitted he will have divided loyalty when the two teams clash at St Mary's on Sunday, as he has fond memories of his time with both clubs.

He added: "It's going to be a funny feeling on Sunday knowing who to support. It's really difficult for me and I just hope it's a cracking game that ends in a 3-3 draw. I want to see lots of goals, excitement and a draw to make me happy! That's my wish!"



http://www.eatsleepsport.com/Fulham/Ex-favourite-amazed-by-Schwarzer's-form--1479753.html?#.UG5Wx7S_wds

[WhiteJC]

 
Dan Burn: Yeovil Town loan spell crucial to Fulham top flight dreams

Dan Burn sees his spell with Yeovil Town as crucial to hopes of making the step up to featuring in the Premier League.

The giant defender is in line for his third appearance of a youth loan from Fulham when the Glovers lock horns with Colchester United on Saturday.

Burn is yet to appear for the Cottagers, but admits he has to be patient with illustrious competition ahead of him and said now was the time to prove himself after finally completing a temporary switch to Somerset.

The 20-year-old who joined Fulham as a teenager for a six-figure fee said: "I have been trying to get out on loan for a while. I am trying to break into the first team at Fulham and I feel I really need some first team experience before I get that chance.

"If you are choosing between Brede Hangeland who has played so many times internationally, you have got Phillipe Senderos, you have got Aaron Hughes and all those big names you are not going to just chuck in a young lad just for the sake of it.

"I think this is a good chance for me to prove myself in a good league at a good team and hopefully possibly get back and break into the first team and make that step."

Burn first caught manager Gary Johnson's eye in Fulham's reserves aged 18, before representing the Craven Cottage outfit's under-21 development side this season.

The 6ft 6ins left footer revealed he had been aware of Yeovil's interest for some weeks and was delighted the two clubs finally came to an agreement.

He added he would be prepared to stay with the Glovers until the end of the season providing he was performing and it suited all three parties.

"They had been talking about it for a while," he said. "We had Manchester City at home on the Monday for the under-21s and they told me in the morning I was going to go.

"We had been waiting for weeks but for whatever reason they couldn't agree. I have known for weeks. I am glad they have got it sorted, it is always good too come to a new club and meet players but it is also daunting because you have never met those players before.

"I love it so far, it's really good. Since the start of the season I have been checking the results and watching the Football League show. They did a piece where they went into the club so I already knew some people from there. I had done my research.

"We will see how it goes and see what happens. If I play well and I put in some good performances and the team's playing well I can't see why it can't go until the end of the season."

Burn enjoyed a dramatic debut at Preston North End, scoring at both ends in the 3-2 defeat. He described the game as "crazy", saying: "It was great to be back playing first team football, I am just disappointed with the result.

"There are not many games that you can say you have scored an own goal and gone up the other end and scored as well.

"It was just one of those where if I had reacted quicker I would have been in a position to deal with it but I was in my stride and I couldn't get out the way if I tried. I then had it in my mind that I would just go for it. I saw the ball drop over the keeper and was in shock."



http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/story-17032929-detail/story.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Southampton looking to extend home record against Fulham

Saints are hoping to extend one of their finest home records when they take on Fulham at St Mary's on Sunday.

Nigel Adkins' team are desperate for another home victory to go alongside their 4-1 demolition of Aston Villa as they aim to go into the next international break with six points on the board.

To do that they have to get past Martin Jol's Fulham side – but the omens are very good.

Saints have amassed a quite remarkable home record against the Cottagers down the years, losing just once in 27 league meetings on the south coast – and that in the pre-war era.


It was 1935 the last time Fulham actually beat Saints on their own patch and Adkins and his team will certainly be aiming to extend that run still further.

An even better omen for the three points is that of the 27 meetings, Saints have actually won 19 and drawn just seven.

As he prepares for the game Adkins has some major decisions to make with his team.

He tinkered with the side that defeated Villa and saw the team lose 3-1 at Everton last weekend.

Among his biggest dilemmas is whether to stick with Paulo Gazzaniga in goal, draft in new signing Artur Boruc or recall Kelvin Davis.

In the centre half department Adkins partnered Maya Yoshida with Jose Fonte at Goodison Park but Jos Hooiveld is now considered fully fit and is hoping for a recall.

In the left back slot Danny Fox should be available but at Everton it was Nathaniel Clyne moved across the back line with Frazer Richardson at right back.

Jason Puncheon is also pushing for a recall after being left out at Everton despite some impressive recent displays.

Morgan Schneiderlin still appears unlikely to be fit for the game after injuring his knee ligaments while Jack Cork also remains on the sidelines.



http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/9968357.Fulham___a_team_that_can_t_win_at_Saints/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Ready And Set

Giorgos Karagounis insists he is ready for the rigours of the Barclays Premier League after his brief bow against Manchester City last weekend.

The Greece legend arrived in SW6 early last month, but - by his own admission - was short of match action, having not featured since the summer's European Championships.

However, he is now close to full fitness, and was handed a 10-minute stint against City on Saturday after Chris Baird was forced off with a late injury.

"I feel good and I've been working hard," he said. "I've trained hard and played a practice match too to allow me to get used to the rhythm of play. The main focus for me now is to get used to the pace of the game, but I feel good and physically I'm ready.

"It was great to make my Premier League debut for the club, although I'm naturally disappointed that we lost the game. We could have taken a point from the match but in the end we didn't and we should now look forward to the next match.

"All of the matches in the Premier League are difficult regardless of whether you play against the team in first place or last position in the league. They [Manchester City] are a good side and were worthy champions last season but I feel that there aren't any easy games in the Premier League."

Snapped up on a free transfer by Martin Jol, having left Panathinaikos at the end of last season, Karagounis has had plenty of time to get to know his Fulham teammates and adjust to his new surroundings.

And he's been impressed by what he has seen so far, stating: "It's like a real family here, everyone has been good to me and has helped me to settle in well. The whole squad is in fact like a family, there are good players and there's a great atmosphere in the dressing room which helps new players coming to the Club integrate quickly."

He continued: "We're aiming to do as well as we can in the Premier League and to be as high up the table as possible, and hopefully do well in a cup also.

"We want to try to have a good season and to be able to reflect at the end of the campaign and assess how we have done. For now, I think we're progressing well and we are playing good entertaining football and scoring a lot of goals, one of the highest-scoring teams in the Premier League, and this is a good basis to move forwards."

The 35-year-old midfielder became the joint highest-capped player for Greece last June, scoring the only goal against Russia which saw them qualify for the Quarter-Finals of Euro 2012 on his 120th appearance.

He now looks set to break that record when Greece takes on Bosnia and Slovakia in two qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup during the forthcoming international break.

"I've been called up for Greece to play two big matches against Bosnia and Slovakia, two teams competing against us for top spot in the qualifying group," said Karagounis. "It's important to do well for the national team.

"In terms of the record, this is a great achievement of course, but for me what means more is that within the 120 appearances so far, we've won a European Championship and we have competed in three European Championships, in the last one we were among the best eight teams in Europe.

"We've played in one World Cup Finals and one Confederations Cup and what pleases me most is we've had more success with the Greece national team than ever before and have had some fantastic victories during this time."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/october/05/ready-and-set?

[WhiteJC]

 
Petric's glad to be in hot form after rejecting sunny Spain

So long as it keeps raining goals for Fulham striker Mladen Petric, it will take the Croatian's mind off the thought that he might now be enjoying sunny football in Spain.

Petric, Fulham's first major signing of the summer when he moved to Craven Cottage on a free transfer from Bundesliga side Hamburg, has scored three goals

in four Premier League games for Martin Jol's team. In the continuing absence through injury of Dimitar Berbatov, he will look to lead the line and add to that tally at Southampton on Sunday.

But the 31-year-old, on target from the penalty spot in last weekend's defeat against Manchester City, has revealed how Fulham almost missed out on his signature.

Petric (above) said: "I had a few choices when my contract at Hamburg came to an end and it was between Spain and England. To play in the Premier League has always been an ambition of mine. However, Spain was also an exciting destination.

"I'm from Croatia and my wife is from Greece, so I had always presumed the difference in weather would make our decision. But in speaking to the club, very quickly I was aware of their ambition and ideas going forward, something I wanted to be part of.

"When you join a new team, move to a new country, there is always an element of doubt.

"Had I made the right decision? Thankfully, I feel that I have."



http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/petrics-glad-to-be-in-hot-form-after-rejecting-sunny-spain-8198981.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Playing Away: Reading, Everton and Fulham set for wins on the road
The last set of Premier League fixtures before another international break take place at the weekend and Shaun Curran has picked out three teams who are capable of getting a result on their travels.

After we did another 'Meat Loaf' in last weekend's Playing Away selections (two out of three ain't bad, with Liverpool winning at Norwich City and West Ham United doing the business at Queens Park Rangers), this week are are hoping to keep our good record going and looking at the Premier League fixture list we fancy Reading, Everton and Fulham to pick up results at Swansea City, Wigan Athletic and Southampton respectively.

Punters who open a bwin account will receive a free £20 bet which can be used to back any of the selections in a single or, if you fancy all three to come in, in a treble that will pay out £413.40 in returns.

Reading to beat Swansea City @ 29/10

Brian McDermott's side are yet to win a match since their promotion back to the Premier League but there is enough evidence to suggest that Reading could break their duck with a victory over Swansea at the Liberty Stadium.

Since a poor display in losing 3-1 at home to Tottenham, the Royals seem to have turned a corner performance-wise: unlucky to lose to West Brom, a win over QPR in the League Cup and a 2-2 draw with Newcastle that deserved much more means Reading are in decent fettle heading to Wales.

Swansea, on the other hand, have been poor since their electric start and those two wins from their opening couple of matches seem a long tome ago right now. The Swans have lost three Premier League games on the bounce without scoring and have conceded at least two goals in each of their last five games, including a cup tie at League One Crawley. Performances have dropped alarmingly and at a nice price, Reading can prevail in a meeting of two sides who look set to struggle this year.

(Read a full Swansea v Reading betting preview here)

Everton to beat Wigan Athletic @ Evens

Wigan only ever seem to play in August, April and May and with their season already looking like it is taking an all too familiar turn, in-form Everton can grab a win at the DW Stadium.

Quite why Roberto Martinez can't get his side to play when the leaves turn brown is something of a mystery, but year after year the Latics go on epic runs without a victory and it looks as though they may be about to embark upon one now.

Martinez's side have lost three league games on the trot against Manchester United, Fulham and Sunderland, scoring just one goal, and Everton have to be backed to make it four consecutive defeats.

A blip in the Capital One Cup at Leeds United shouldn't detract from the start Everton have made, with the Toffees sitting pretty in second place and playing some great stuff. Thirteen points from six games is a great return and with Nikica Jelavic back in the groove, Everton can pick up the points.

(Read a full Wigan v Everton betting preview here)

Fulham to beat Southampton @ 33/20

In defeat at Everton last weekend, Southampton once again showed their inability to defend and Fulham could be the latest team to profit from the Saints' lax back four when they travel to St Mary's on Sunday.

Despite taking an early lead at Goodison Park, Nigel Adkins' men showed no signs that they are capable of seeing out a result and with good players able to exploit the many gaps in the Saints' rearguard, it is worth taking a chance on Fulham going home with all the points.

No team has conceded more than Southampton's 18 league goals and it doesn't take a genius to work out if you are going to concede three goals a game you aren't going to win many football matches.

Fulham, who have won three and lost three of their six fixtures, have some quality attacking players despite the departures of Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele, and only Manchester United have scored more than the Cottagers' 13 goals.

The Londoners do struggle on the road, but Martin Jol is making a forceful attempt to change that and a win at Wigan last time out will have lifted spirits. At 33/20, they are worth backing here.



http://bwinbetting.com/leagues/premier-league/playing-away-reading-everton-fulham-pick-wins-road,25975.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Premier League Injuries: Fulham to miss Berba threat

Dimitar Berbatov, Micah Richards and Anton Ferdinand will all be big misses for their clubs this weekend...

Dimitar Berbatov - Southampton v Fulham (Sunday 13:30)

It was a real coup for Martin Jol to prise Berbatov away from the jaws of Juventus in the dying hours of the transfer window. For such a ridiculously small transfer fee of around £4 million this was surely among the very best signings of the summer, especially when you consider his last price tag was valued at over seven times that amount just four years ago. The silky Bulgarian's impact at Craven Cottage was immediate too, scoring twice on his home debut to ensure Fulham halted a run of three straight defeats. He'll be a big loss at St Mary's where the Cottagers haven't won in their last four attempts.

Recommended Bet: Back Southampton and Fulham to draw



http://betting.betfair.com/football/premier-league/premier-league-injuries-fulham-to-miss-berba-threat-051012-579.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
The youth of today

One of life's great chicken and egg situations lies with young football players. Do the good players get games when they're young because they're good enough to play at a young age, or do the good players become good players because they played at a young age?

I suspect it must be a bit of both.

The England team, with senior games in their age 18,19,20 years:

Johnson 23, 19, 16
Jagielka 1, 15, 23
Lescott 1, 37, 44
Baines 6, 26, 41
Lampard 13, 31, 38
Gerrard 12, 29, 33
Milner 25, 28, 35
Cleverley 0, 15, 33
Defoe 30, 35, 38

All of them were playing regular football somewhere when they were young. This of course proves nothing at all, for reasons outlined above, but it seems reasonable to say that none of the current England team was a late starter.

But we're still not getting at the big issue, are we?

Take three equal players at the age of 19 and let one play every week, one play selectively 15 times a year, and the other almost never, which do you think turns into the player? I'm inclined to go for player 1, but we really can't tell, can we?

John Jeremiah Sullivan wrote this about the Williams sisters:

_____

It's more something that she doesn't even know she's doing, something having to do with the transfer of force, of mass, from the back of her body to the front, and the way that this transference is passed along into the shot, the way it enters her racket head at precisely the millisecond she hits the ball, resulting in a kind of popping sound, the distinctive pop in ball-striking that signals someone who can really play, the thing you simply cannot and will never learn to do if you are a hack or even a pretty good player who has hit that cruel ceiling, the limits of your own physical ability, beyond which you cannot progress, even after decades of lessons and work, but beyond which some 8-year-old girls can go and indeed beyond which they were born. It's the tyranny of talent. Watching this little girl do it, watching her have it, that lays it bare, undeniably evident, extracted from the game like the Higgs boson from those protons.

_____

Is football all about talent? The debate seems to go back and forth. Certainly when I was growing up this was the prevailing sentiment, the idea of improving wasn't really offered: you were good or you weren't. Then Malcolm Gladwell and Matthew Syed started talking about the power of putting thousands of hours in, and now it was all about hard work. Then Ed Smith, sensibly, reminded us that this really can't be universal: you can put all the hours in you want but you need the genes, the talent, too. If you have the talent and put in the work, then you become a star, which is what Sullivan was getting at with the Williams's. It's funny, we think, "well did Wayne Rooney work harder than anyone else growing up?" And the answer is that in some ways he probably did: he lived next door to a park and spent hours on end firing balls at bricks in a wall. A young Rooney found transcendence in the solitary and neverending wellying of a ball against a wall and, coupled with some kind of natural talent, this gave him all the boost he needed to become an elite player.

But these are the exceptions. What of players like Matthew Briggs and Alex Smith? Is Premier League survival so finely balanced that there's no scope for giving young players like this an extended chance? Karagounis played 9 minutes the other day. In those 9 minutes he touched the ball once, was fouled once, and fouled a City player once. If Alex Smith had been on the pitch instead, what would have happened? I'm not saying that Alex Smith is as good as Karagounis – of course he isn't – but football still has a conservatism that values (expensive) experience over youth. It's one way that smart baseball teams used to have an advantage over silly ones, the latter being perfectly happy to pay big money for known mediocrities while their rivals paid peanuts for unproven players of similar or better players.

Fulham are getting to this point, it seems: they are playing Kacaniklic and Frei and I imagine we'll see Smith again, but it still feels we're not quite bold enough. The idea was that the club would get younger, by phasing out the old and bringing in the new, but other than Bryan Ruiz and Hugo Rodallega we haven't actually acquired anyone who might be expected to be playing in 2015. This means that at some point another 10-15 players are going to have to be found, which is an expensive business. Some of them might come from the youth teams, but how many? Put another way, how many of our young players are on the cusp of missing out, of stalling in their progress because they're not getting the senior games they'll need?

Dan Burn is 20 and has just gone out on loan.
Alex Smith is 20 and got a cameo the other day in a game when we were well ahead.
Ronnie Minkwitz is 18
Richard Peniket is 19

Matthew Briggs is 21
Kerim Frei is 18
Kacaniklic is 21
Marcello Trotta is 20.

These players aren't *that* young. Certainly at 21 Kacaniklic should be playing now if he's going to be good enough. It's not too late for them, but for Matthew Briggs in particular there's a sense of "where did all the time go?". Central defenders seem to mature later so Dan Burn's age need not be an issue, but it's certainly time for him to get some games under his belt at a lower level. Trotta showed promise in some loans but now isn't the time to spend a season watching football is it?

Clearly there are more questions than answers in youth development and we don't know what a realistic target for 'home grown' players is. In past years the answer was "more than we have now" but in the last handful of seasons Smalling, Frei and Kacaniklic have shown signs of life at the top level. Whether we have the scouting and then boldness to continue this initial progress remains to be seen: certainly it would help the club financially to do so.



https://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/the-youth-of-today/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Under-18s Take On Blues

Fulham's Under-18s will look to bounce back from their first defeat of the season when they head to table-topping Chelsea on Saturday (11am).

The Whites saw their 100 per cent winning run come to an end in their fifth game of the season after a disappointing 3-1 loss to Liverpool at Motspur Park last weekend.

Emerson Hyndman put the Whites in front with a well-taken effort and Fulham missed further chances to increase their lead.

But Liverpool hit back in the second half and goals from Jerome Sinclair, Kristoffer Peterson and Yalany Baio secured the Reds the points.

Under-18s Manager Steve Wigley said: "It was a poor display from my side and Liverpool deserved to win. We'll be looking to improve on that against Chelsea, who have won all five of their games this season."

You can see the goals from the Liverpool match – and highlights from all the Under-18s games this season – by heading to our Media Centre.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/october/05/under18s-take-on-blues?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham: the Premier League's great entertainers



A quick look at the current Premier League table won't tell you much, six games into the new season. But one thing is notable: ahead of their game against Southampton this Sunday, Fulham are ninth, which happens to be exactly where they finished last season. It's a pretty good indication that they're a fully-fledged mid-table team these days. Luckily, that doesn't have to be such a bad thing.

Normally there are two options for a club in Fulham's position, and neither is much fun. There's a: boredom, or b: getting into an unnecessary relegation battle to spice things up (otherwise known as 'doing a West Ham'). But Fulham have got a new angle on it: free from agonising over Champions League places or feeling insecure about relegation, they've gone and become the most entertaining thing to watch in the league – notwithstanding Roberto Mancini's attempts to play with a back three.

Under Martin Jol, Fulham aren't mediocre mid-table – they're liberated entertainers with an appetite for playing a brand of football that doesn't quite look like anyone else's. Last season, for instance, they were the only team in the league to create more chances from the middle of the pitch than either the left or the right. It was a style which had something to do with playing with a ludicrously attacking selection of central midfielders – Bryan Ruiz and Mousa Dembélé both started from deep at various points. Anyone who's seen either of those players knows that that kind of thing doesn't happen at many other clubs.

And it's not an accident, either. It's an ideology. Dembélé and Clint Dempsey, last season's top scorer, have left the club to join Tottenham, but the midfield replacements are equally as progressive. Giorgos Karagounis and Alexander Kacaniklic look like they've had fallings out with the centre-backs for all that they refuse to look back to them, while Mladen Petric and Hugo Rodallega were brought in as dynamic goalscorers before Dempsey had even squeezed himself away from the club. Which is even before Dimitar Berbatov gets a mention.

Now on to the man himself. Halfway through the process of signing for Fiorentina, Berbatov was persuaded to join Fulham by Jol, his former manager at Tottenham, creating the kind of club-player match-up that makes far more sense than reality usually serves up. In Berbatov, the aesthete's club meets the aesthete's aesthete of a player. Manchester United, and perhaps most of the teams launching themselves full-throttle at the Champions League, no longer feel they can afford the supposed luxury of a player like Berbatov. Fulham, on the other hand, have room for the deep sensuality of that velvet striker's first touch and languid stride. And who isn't thankful that they do? Philistines. Only philistines.

Orchestrated by Jol and completed by Berbatov, something special has come together on the banks of the Thames. Roy Hodgson made them solid, Mark Hughes kept them ticking over and Jol has made them likeable, maybe the rarest quality available in football. Only Manchester United have scored more goals than Fulham this season. Technically, they're as good as anyone. In terms of entertainment, they're better. And if they're not at least your second team, you haven't watched them enough.

Where do they go from here? Well, alongside the style, there is already more substance than last season. Both Manchester sides have already been given difficult games and Berbatov may be a luxury but he also happens to be a player capable of scoring more goals than anyone else in a Premier League season (Carlos Tévez excluded). It won't be mid-table forever, then, because enough right decisions are being made at the club that tangible progress should follow.

So we should probably enjoy them as a mid-table side while we can, before success shackles them. Success ruins everything.



http://www.lifesapitch.co.uk/opinions/fulham-the-premier-leagues-great-entertainers/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham snap up Senegal star on short-term deal

Fulham are set to complete the signing of Mickael Tavares on a short-term deal.

The Senegal international is a free agent having been released by Hamburg, and is now set to join the Cottagers until January.

The 29-year-old midfielder has previous experience of English football having spent time at loan during the 2010-11 season, and Martin Jol has now snapped him up as he seeks cover for the injured Mahamadou Diarra.



Read more at http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/121005/fulham-snap-senegal-star-short-term-deal-182436?#5L8V0V4DBsX4hBy3.99

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Southampton - Fulham Preview: Cottagers looking to keep up unbeaten run against Saints
Martin Jol will be trying to arrest his side's poor away form against a shaky home defence, but faces a big challenge without Dimitar Berbatov pulling the strings

PROBABLE LINEUPS

Southampton
Gazzaniga
Clyne, Yoshida, Fonte, Fox
Schneiderlin
Puncheon, Ramirez, Ward-Prowse, Lallana
Lambert

Fulham
Schwarzer
Riether, Hughes, Hangelaand, Riise
Ruiz, Baird, Sidwell, Duff
Petric, Rodallega

Home side Southampton have a clean bill of health except for youngster Jack Cork, who will be out for a minimum of five weeks after sustaining a knee injury during last week's League Cup tie.

They have no suspended players either, so Nigel Adkins will be able to work with a near-full squad of players, which will be heartening given the Saints' poor start to the 2012-13 campaign.

Morgan Schneiderlin should be back for the hosts to screen Fulham's attacks in front of the defence, while Ricky Lambert and Jose Fonte returned during last week's 3-1 defeat at Everton.

The visitors have more to worry about in terms of injuries, with striker Dimitar Berbatov (thigh) out until at least October 20.

Kerim Frei (groin) has returned to training and is in contention for his first Fulham appearance of the season, and Phillippe Senderos (foot) could be back to bolster the back line.

Simon Davies (neck) has no return date as of yet, while Mahamadou Diarra (knee) is out until at least November.

   DID YOU KNOW?
Southampton have lost five of their last six matches in the Premier League.

The Saints have dropped nine points from winning positions this season.

A massive 83% of Southampton's matches have had over two goals scored in total.

Southampton have conceded at least two goals in five of their last six matches in the Premier League.

There have been over two goals scored in Fulham's last six games in the Premier League

Fulham are undefeated in their last five matches against Southampton in all competitions.

A total of 78% of Fulham's conceded goals were conceded away from home.

Southampton have played Fulham six times at home, with each side winning three games.

Fulham's Giorgos Karagounis (pictured) is one goal away from 50 strikes in league football, in a decorated career that has seen him play in the Greek Super League, Serie A and Portuguese Liga.



http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/80872/southampton-vs-fulham/preview

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Southampton v Fulham

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: St Mary's Stadium Date: Sunday, 7 October

TEAM NEWS

Southampton boss Nigel Adkins has virtually a full squad to choose from, with only injured midfielder Jack Cork unavailable for selection.

Centre-back Jos Hooiveld is fully fit again, while Jason Puncheon is also pushing for a recall.

Fulham give Dimitar Berbatov (hip) only a slim chance of playing, while Mladen Petric (calf) is rated doubtful.

Kieran Richardson is fit, while Kerim Frei and Philippe Senderos are close to making their comebacks.

MATCH PREVIEW

Southampton's season has started rather like a very big dipper, unfortunately one with more downs than ups. Conceding goals at the rate of three a game just cannot continue without terrible damage being done to their season, so the first priority must be to toughen up defensively.

Nigel Adkins has some delightful attacking talent at his disposal. I saw a fair bit of Gaston Ramirez playing for Uruguay's Olympic side in the summer and he is real quality. Rickie Lambert has been hugely impressive in keeping up his impressive goal ratio in a higher division, but Saints are going to struggle to win any points to go with the plaudits if they need to score three times to even get a draw.

Adkins will point to their second-half demolition of Aston Villa as evidence that there are plenty of games Southampton can hope to win - and this must be one of them.

Fulham are not quite the terrible travellers of days gone by - they have actually won four of their last 10 on the road - but they are still prone to some really bad away days and Southampton will hope to make this another.

Fulham missed the guile of Dimitar Berbatov against Manchester City last weekend - who wouldn't? Already most of their play goes through the Bulgarian when he is on the pitch. Mladen Petric is a goalscoring replacement, but cannot match the missing creativity. It goes without saying that a speedy return for Berbatov from a thigh injury would be most welcome.

Defensively Fulham are sound. Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer - who turns 40 the day before this game - Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes are as reliable as ever. Chris Baird has developed into a useful defensive midfielder whilst Alexander Kacaniklic provides a challenge to full-backs and commentators alike. Throw in Mladen Petric, Hugo Rodallega and Damien Duff and you have some very handy options - it's just that none of them are Berbatov.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
These two clubs have not met since 2005, the last season of four in which they competed against each other in the Premier League. Over those eight matches, Fulham won three and Southampton won one (four draws).

Fulham have not won a league match at Southampton for 77 years.

Overall, the two clubs have met 59 time in all competitions - Southampton winning 22 times to Fulham's 18 victories.

The clubs first met in 1915, with Saints winning 3-2 at Fulham (after extra-time) to book a place in the third round of the FA Cup.

Southampton
The club's starting line-up last weekend had an average age (24 years and 221 days) that was fully four years younger than that of Everton's.

They have scored as many goals (10) as Arsenal and Swansea this season, only failing to score in one of their six matches.

Gaston Ramirez, the club's record £12m signing, has scored one Premier League goal in two starts so far.

Fulham
The Cottagers have yet to draw in this season's Premier League, winning three times and losing three times.

Only Manchester United (14) have scored more league goals than Fulham (13) this season.

Damien Duff and Mladen Petric have both scored three Premier League goals each this season.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19782523?

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Fixture Amendments

The Club can confirm that the following fixtures have been selected for live television coverage and, as a result, will now be played on alternative days or at different times:

Newcastle United (H) Monday 10th December 2012 KO 8pm (Sky Sports). Previously due to be played Saturday 8th December
Liverpool (A) Saturday 22nd December 2012 KO 5.30pm (ESPN). Previously due to kick-off at 3pm
West Bromwich Albion (A) Tuesday 1st January 2013 KO 12.45pm (Sky Sports). Previously due to kick-off at 3pm


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/october/05/fixture-amendments?

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LAWRO'S PREDICTION

Southampton v Fulham (13:30 BST)

This should be a very open game, and I fancy Southampton's chances.

I know Fulham won their last away game, at Wigan, but the Latics created plenty of scoring opportunities in that match and, as a Saints player, you would be going into a home game against the Cottagers thinking that we are going to do the same and we can win.

I'm not sure Southampton felt that confident about taking the three points even when they went ahead against Everton last week but this weekend will be a different story, especially if Fulham have one of their off-days on the road.

Southampton have conceded an average of three goals a game in the league this season and I am sure their manager Nigel Adkins will have been working like mad on their defending but it is important they do not lose any of their attacking threat at the same time.

It is all about getting the balance right and I am with Adkins when he says he will keep on attacking. As a newly promoted team he has not got the strongest of squads but he has some useful attacking players like Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert so he should play to his strengths.

Prediction: 2-0



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19795970

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Tavares set for Fulham deal

Fulham are on the verge of sealing a short-term deal for Senegal international Mickael Tavares as they look to bolster their midfield.
The 29-year-old is a free agent and therefore eligible to join the Cottagers outside of the transfer window at a time when manager Martin Jol is down to the bare bones in the middle of the park.

Jol has been desperate to draft in additional personnel after seeing fellow midfielder Mahamadou Diarra ruled out for up to five months after damaging cruciate ligaments.

Tavares has been looking for a new club for some time after being released by Hamburg, where he will have worked previously with the Fulham boss during the Dutchman's own stint with the German side, and has been handed a contract initially until January.

The defensive stopper is no stranger to English football himself either, having enjoyed a lengthy loan spell with Middlesbrough in 2010/2011, where he played 12 times.



http://www.eatsleepsport.com/Fulham/Tavares-set-for-Fulham-deal-1480069.html?#.UG78w7S_wds

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Southampton vs Fulham – Match Preview

Southampton welcome Fulham to St Mary's on Sunday lunchtime, looking to bounce back from a defeat last time out at Goodison Park.

The Premier League new boys have played some decent football since their return, but their problems clearly lie in defence. Their current record shows they are conceding three goals a game on average.

Fulham have made a solid start to the season under Martin Jol, and were unfortunate to lose to Champions Manchester City last weekend after a late Edin Dzeko goal.

Nigel Adkins will look to use his teams last home performance as inspiration, as his side ran out 4-1 winners over Aston Villa.

Adkins also has a virtually full squad to pick from for this encounter, with midfielder Jack Cork the only player missing.

Big money signing Gaston Ramirez is set to start, after he scored his first goal for his new club during the defeat to Everton last weekend.

Fulham striker Dimitar Berbatov is still missing with a thigh injury.

But winger Kerim Frei, centre-back Philippe Senderos and midfielder Simon Davies could all return.

Prediction: Southampton 2-2 Fulham



http://www.footballfancast.com/2012/10/football-news/southampton-vs-fulham-match-preview?