Friday Fulham Stuff (16/04/10)

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/HamburgScreening.aspx

Hamburg Screening
 
Roy Hodgson's Team face Hamburg in the Semi-Finals of the UEFA Europa League, with the first leg taking place in Hamburg on Thursday 22nd April.

Don't worry if you can't make it to Hamburg, as you can cheer the Team on with fellow Fulham fans at one of our stylish bars at the Cottage (from 7pm, Thursday 22 April).

We are also offering a great value food and drink deal - a beer and a pie for just £5 .

Arguably the biggest match in the Club's history, this is a game you won't want to miss!
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Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/HamburgScreening.aspx#ixzz0lF9HA7CW

[WhiteJC]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2559/rumours/2010/04/15/1879362/fulham-interested-in-adding-fc-twente-striker-bryan-ruiz-to
Fulham interested in adding FC Twente striker Bryan Ruiz to their armoury - report

Fulham are reportedly keen on adding to their strike force by bringing FC Twente striker Bryan Ruiz to Craven Cottage.

The Costa Rica international made a move to the Dutch giants last summer after spending three years with Gent, and has swiftly become a hot property with his new club, having scored 23 goals in 30 appearances.

The Daily Mail claims that the Eredivisie leaders have inserted a £13 million buyout clause in the player's contract, which the Cottagers will have to match if the 24-year-old is to ply his trade under manager Roy Hodgson.

The former Inter boss is also reported to have watched the striker in action during the recent 1-0 loss suffered by Twente against AZ Alkmaar.

Everton are also believed to be monitoring the progress of the hitman.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/FairPlayUpdate.aspx

Barclays Premier League Fair Play Latest
 
The latest Barclays Premier League Fair Play tables have been released. The tables are compiled from marks awarded by The Premier League Match Delegates.

Fulham's fans have remained first in the Behaviour of the Public Fair play table. Meanwhile the Team also remains third in the Fair Play league.
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Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/FairPlayUpdate.aspx#ixzz0lF9vl2f5

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Tickets/Games/FulhamvHamburg.aspx
Fulham v Hamburg
UEFA Europa League

Tickets for our UEFA Europa League Semi-Final against Hamburg at Craven Cottage on Thursday 29th April (Kick-Off 8:05pm) have now sold out.

Competition requirements during the final stages have meant a small number of seats have been held back. These may be released to Season Ticket Holders and Members as we near the fixture date.

We would like to advise fans to regularly check the ticketing section of fulhamfc.com| for updates should tickets become available.
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Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Tickets/Games/FulhamvHamburg.aspx#ixzz0lFAQoBxl

[WhiteJC]

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks-ignore/diomansy-kamara-puts-focus-on-landing-permanent-deal-1.1020911
Diomansy Kamara puts focus on landing permanent deal


Diomansy Kamara has been thrown the chance to secure a long- term future at Celtic.

The Senegalese striker is five games from the end of the loan deal which brought him north from Fulham on the final day of the January transfer window.

A hamstring injury picked up at the start of last month – when he played his first inter-national for two years – has prevented him building on the initial good impression he made at the Parkhead club.

But Kamara has declared he would like Celtic to activate the option to make his move permanent and has pushed himself to get back into action.

This has been noted by an appreciative Neil Lennon. The interim manager is a big fan of the pacy former West Brom and Portsmouth star – nicknamed Joe – and now plans to give him the opportunity to cement his case for a contract.

"Joe Kamara was great for me on Tuesday against Motherwell," said Lennon. "For him to be out for five weeks, then have just a couple of days training and play like that said a lot.

"You do worry because he has probably come back a bit early. But I spoke to Joe last week and he said, 'I want to train. I'm 29 and I know my own body.'

"You have to trust the players. He has been playing top-level football for a number of years and is an international.

"I told him it was his call, and I had no qualms about playing him. He's a great pro. I like his person-ality and his attitude."

If Lennon is handed the manager's job at the end of the season, it would boost Kamara's chances of prolonging his stay.

Landry N'Guemo is another loanee whose future must be decided soon. A fee of around £1m has already been agreed with the midfielder's club, AS Nancy.

But Celtic must inform the French outfit that they will proceed with the deal by May 31, by which time N'Guemo will be preparing with Cameroon for the World Cup Finals.

After his poor performance at Hampden last weekend, which saw him hooked after just 42 minutes, N'Guemo's chances of becoming a full-time Celt looked to be in serious danger.

But Lennon reinstated him to the side in midweek, and the player grabbed the lifeline. The manager said: "I didn't want to make wholesale changes. I still have faith in a lot of the players.

"I was delighted for the boys who played on Saturday and then played again on Tuesday. I thought long and hard about Landry.

"But the two of them (N'Guemo and Scott Brown) played well together in my first two games in charge, and I put Saturday down to a complete aberration of sorts that can happen sometimes.

"I just asked him to repay the faith I've shown in him – and he did."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/McKinlayonMilsomHoesenLoans.aspx
Fulham's Loan Stars




Following Wayne Brown's recent successful loan spell with Finland's TPS Turku, two more young Fulham players will be heading out to Finland to gain vital experience.

Midfielder Robert Milsom will be joining TPS Turku whilst striker Danny Hoesen will play for Finnish champions HJK Helsinki this summer.

Speaking to fulhamfc.com, Reserve Team Manager Billy McKinlay talked about the benefits both players would gain as a result of their moves.   

"With the Manager's contacts in Finland and Wayne Brown's successful sortie into Finnish football last season, letting Rob Milsom move to Finland was always in the back of our mind," McKinlay said. "Rob's now been fit for four or five games - so he's always going to take a bit of time to get himself up and running again.

"There are only a few games left before the end of the Reserve season. And he's obviously missed the best part of the year through injury so we felt that it would be best to keep him playing after having been out for so long. 

"Apart from the physical benefits and match practice, he's also going to pick up some experience playing at a good, competitive level. He'll be able to go there have a good three or four months. When he comes back in August we'll be able to re-evaluate him and hopefully he'll be ready for the push into the First Team.


"He made his debut at Old Trafford the week before he injured his knee. We think a lot of him at the Club and we feel that he's got some really good attributes. We just need to see that he's back on form and the one thing that he's missing, through no fault of his own, is the experience of playing league football. I'm pretty sure he would have got that, had he not got injured."

Danny Hoesen has been one of the star performers in the Reserve Team this season and McKinlay is keen for the striker to get a taste of league football.

"Danny's shown some real progress over the last eight to ten weeks," McKinlay explained. "He did take a while to come to terms with the intensity and physical aspects of the game. He's an intelligent player who has good technique and he's a threat in the final third with the movement and his positional play.

"It's worth sending him to Finland to get that experience and see where he's at in terms of playing football in a league scenario. 

"Since Danny's played for the Reserves at the turn of the year, he's been a real plus for us - he's been arguably our best player. I'll be going out to have a look at him over the summer and I'll be looking for him to kick on and really grasp the experience for what it is."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/McKinlayonMilsomHoesenLoans.aspx#ixzz0lFBXpZEA

[WhiteJC]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/15042010/63/zubar-fulham-distracted.html
Zubar: Fulham will not be distracted

Wolves defender Ronald Zubar does not expect Fulham to take their eye off the ball when the two sides meet at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

Roy Hodgson's men face Hamburg next Thursday in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final, but Zubar does not expect that to be on the Fulham players' minds at the weekend.

He told the Express & Star: "Fulham are playing us at home, where they're very strong and as they're playing well, they will be on the front foot,

"I think to have the confidence they need against Hamburg it's best if they go there with a win, so they will be fully committed to beating Wolves.

"The players want to play - Bobby Zamora has a chance of playing in the World Cup so he needs to play, and Clint Dempsey is the same.

"They might also be thinking of getting to the final, so that could be good for us, but it would be wrong to say they're going to ignore the game against us."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/AaronHughesWolvesandLeague.aspx
Hughes' Top Ten Target




Fulham's qualification for the Semi-Final of the UEFA Europa League has certainly generated plenty of excitement amongst players and fans alike - but as Aaron Hughes told fulhamfc.com, no one is looking beyond this Saturday's Barclays Premier League encounter at home to Wolves.

"The season's not yet over for us," Hughes explained. "A lot of people are looking at the Hamburg game because it gives us the chance of reaching a final.  But in terms of the league it would be nice to finish in the top ten, we'd like to push for that but we'll have a tough game on Saturday against Wolves, who themselves have had a very good season.

"I think we've coped very well with not letting one competition distract us from another one this season. There are a few teams who are all pushing to get into that top ten - so it would be nice to still be able to finish up there with all of the games in the FA Cup and Europa League we've had to deal with.

"Those games have given the Manager the chance to give a few of the other lads a game and allow them to show what they can do. It's also meant that one or two of the players who have played a lot of games can be given a rest. We've used the squad well and all of the lads have done well."

The Whites recently passed the 40-point mark effectively guaranteeing another season of Barclays Premier League football.

"All that does is tick a box for us," said Hughes. "Reaching 40 points was the primary objective at the start of the season and that's what we've done. As we've progressed through the season a few more boxes have appeared which would be good to tick. But we're glad that it's pretty much a certainty that we'll be playing Premier League football next season.

"With the European competition we've had some good nights, obviously the Juventus match sticks out. For me the Shakhtar Donetsk away game was massive - that game maybe didn't get the same level of hype as the Juve game. Maybe Shakhtar weren't as well known as Juve but for us the result was just as big. In terms of the league we had a good wins against Liverpool and Manchester United at home.

"Now our ambitions are to do well in the Europa League, that's a big incentive, but we also want that top 10 finish."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/AaronHughesWolvesandLeague.aspx#ixzz0lFCG9KYd

[WhiteJC]

http://fourfourtwo.com/news/restofeurope/52140/default.aspx
Petric to miss Fulham first leg

BERLIN - Croatian striker Mladen Petric will miss Hamburg SV's Europa League semi-final first leg at home to Fulham next Thursday due to a thigh muscle injury.

"If all goes well he will be missing for two weeks but the normal recovery period is a full three weeks," coach Bruno Labbadia told reporters on Thursday.

Petric, 29, who was injured in training on Wednesday, has netted five times in the competition this season and scored six goals in the Bundesliga.

Petric scored one of the best goals of the season, volleying home from 15 metres with his back to goal, to help Hamburg win 3-1 at Standard Liege and set up the final four clash against Roy Hodgson's side.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Tickets/Games/FulhamvWolves.aspx
Fulham v Wolverhampton Wanderers


Our next Barclays Premier League home match sees in-form Wolverhampton Wanderers visit Craven Cottage on Saturday 17th April (Kick-Off 3pm).

With just three home matches remaining in the 2009/10 Barclays Premier League season, Fulham fans have been busy snapping up their tickets for the match and a number of areas have already sold out.


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Tickets/Games/FulhamvWolves.aspx#ixzz0lFCqlzH8

[WhiteJC]

http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=1476946.html
Hamburg lose Petrić to injury
Hamburger SV striker Mladen Petrić will miss the first leg of their semi-final against Fulham FC next Thursday after suffering a groin tear in training and is a clear doubt for the return.



Hamburger SV will be without striker Mladen Petrić for at least the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final tie against Fulham FC.

The Croatian international, who has scored five goals in the competition, tore muscle fibres in his groin during training this week. He will certainly miss the visit of Fulham next Thursday, and is doubtful for the return in London seven days later. "If all goes well, he will be sidelined for two weeks," said Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia, "but typically this injury takes about three weeks to heal."

Petrić, 29, had already suffered from groin problems in recent matches against R. Standard de Liège and VfL Bochum 1848. "I wanted to take things slowly this week," the forward said. "Maybe I should not have trained at all."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=195361
Fulham - What If - Andrew Johnson!
There`s absolutely no doubt that the star of our season, so far has been Bobby Zamora.

Bobby has exceeded all expectations this season and his goal scoring exploits have catapulted him to national prominence with an ever-growing fan club increasingly calling for him to be given his chance at international level, possibly with a view to gate-crashing the England 2010 World Cup squad.

But, discussing all things football, down the public house the other night, we got pondering!

This season, whilst being an exceptional one for Bobby Zamora, has been a relatively poor one for Andrew Johnson.

It`s been a season where our record signing has spent much of the season on the treatment table nursing injury after injury and probably cursing his luck that he`s missed out on most of our thrilling Europa League campaign.

Now, we couldn`t come to an agreement and we`d like your opinion on this one.

The big debating point we got stuck on relates to whether Bobby would have enjoyed quite such a remarkable season if Andrew Johnson had off been fit, would the presence of Johnson have changed Bobby`s role in the team thereby reducing his goals tally?

Or would the presence of two big-guns have opened up defences for the duo to plunder further?




Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=195361#ixzz0lFDTukLI

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/ReservesvPortsmouth.aspx
Reserves 1-0 Portsmouth




A second-half strike from Marcello Trotta handed Fulham's Reserves a deserved victory over Portsmouth on Thursday night.

After a tentative start, Billy McKinlay's young Fulham gradually grew in confidence, with Matthew Briggs and Keanu Marsh-Brown driving forward down the flanks, and Christopher Buchtmann pulling the strings in the middle of the park.

Bright play saw Michael Uwezu find space and fire at goal, while Courtney Harris also forced Portsmouth stopper Liam O'Brian into action again following a curled shot from the left early on.

Marsh-Brown then teased his way into the visitors' box before shooting narrowly over, with a David Elm strike ruled out for offside. The Swedish striker then moved O'Brien into another routine stop when well-placed, with the hosts impressing with their pass and move football.

With just under 30 minutes played, Buchtmann broke from the midfield and after carrying the ball into the final third, Elm could only direct the German's cleverly weighted pass into the arms of O'Brien. Up until that point Portsmouth had rarely threatened, although Nadir Ciftci's glancing header from Tero Mantyla's deep cross from the left did go close.

The visitors finished the half on top though, with Neil Etheridge claiming Perry Ryan's hopeful long pass under pressure from Ciftci's powerful run and Cheick Toure blocking an effort from James Hurst. That said, the Whites should have entered half-time in front, with Elm's stooping header from a Cristian Marquez-Sanchez cross falling inches wide.

Fulham certainly could have had more to show for their endeavour, and started the second-half in positive fashion. Marsh-Brown delivered two dangerous crosses, while Briggs cantered down the left only to be denied by Billy Tsovolos' last-ditch tackle. It was another promising showing from the Fulham captain, with another cultured display catching the eye once more.

With an hour gone, Hurst weaved inside Josh Pritchard and Buchtmann to shoot from distance, Etheridge claimed with ease, but had to be at his best moments later making a stunning stop to turn away Cifti's stinging close-range drive.

At the other end O'Brien had to be alert to Marsh-Brown from 20 yards, with the England youth international unfortunate not to take advantage of Mantyla's uncertainty shortly after.

However, Fulham's bright play was rewarded on 68 minutes, with Uwezu's pull-back from the right rolling into the path of substitute Marcello Trotta. Keeping his cool, the Italian striker picked his spot and finished well.

Trotta almost made it two for Fulham moments later, breaking free before firing into the side netting. It was a shining impact by the 17-year-old, who has scored for fun for the Under-18s this season. Marquez-Sanchez thwarted Ciftci with an expert intervention inside the last 15 minutes, before Etheridge kept the visitors out further with another excellent save, this time from the boot of Jordan Hughes.

Marshalled impeccably by the growing talent of Cheick Toure, Fulham's defence held firm to secure a valuable win and deserved three points.

McKinlay's side travel to Stoke City on Monday, before completing the 2009-10 Barclays Premier Reserve League South season eight days later making the trip to Bishop's Stortford to face West Ham United.

Fulham: Etheridge; Marquez-Sanchez, Pierre, Toure, Briggs; Pritchard (Payne 90), Marsh-Brown, Buchtmann, Harris; Uwezu (Frei 83), Elm (Trotta 62). (Subs not used): Bettinelli.

Portsmouth Reserves: O'Brien; Tsovolos (Tallack 60), Mantyla, Wilkinson, Ryan; Pack, Hurst (Walshe 70), Goddard, Stockford (Bennett 76), Hughes; Ciftci.

Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/ReservesvPortsmouth.aspx#ixzz0lFE70eod

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=195362
Fulham - Pantsil Keen to Return!
Last week we reported on how John Pantsil`s recovery had started to pick up pace.

This week news comes through that Pantsil continues to make good progress and enjoyed a full ninety minutes of action in the reserves fixture against Aston Villa, on Monday evening.

Pantsil, who got injured against Chelsea, has missed a sizeable chunk of the season and on the official web site has spoken about his comeback and missing what has been going on, remarking,

'To play a full 90 minutes against Aston Villa's reserves on Monday was fantastic and I'm looking to be involved with the first team again very soon.'

'The injury happened on the last day before leaving to join my colleagues in the African Cup of Nations so I missed out on the African Cup of Nations and also all the Europa League games and I nearly lost the World Cup."

'We all started the season together but my injury pushed me away from competing in the Europa League competition."

'The boys are doing so well and I'm really pleased with their performances but on the other hand I'm not happy that I'm not involved.'

'I feel very happy with the progress of my knee and much more confident and comfortable.'

'I'm someone who always gives my best and tries my heart out and I went in for a challenge and lost out."

'It's been really frustrating so now that I'm fit to play again I have to work so hard so that I can be the same player I was before.'

How soon John will be able to resume first team action isn`t made clear but wouldn`t it great for the Craven Cottage cult hero if he could make it back in time for some Europa League action, possibly the final!





Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=195362#ixzz0lFEGl1oG

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=195360
Fulham - The Nicky Shorey Conundrum!
Back in January, when the transfer window was open, (Sir) Roy Hodgson pulled off something of a smart move when he signed Nicky Shorey on a loan deal.

Shorey had been on loan at Nottingham Forest, from his parent club Aston Villa, and came into a Fulham squad ravaged by injury.

The full back proved to be an instant hit and it was easy to see how he`d attracted international recognition, albeit whilst at Reading.

At the time talk was of pushing on to secure a regular place and even the possibility of securing a late call up for the England 2010 World Cup squad.

But it all seems to have gone a little flat for Shorey recently with the most activity the full back has had being warming the substitutes bench.

Therefore, with the small matter of the season coming to an end we`ve another of our little teasers for you to mull over.

If you were (Sir) Roy, would you say you`ve seen enough to sign Shorey on a regular basis or has his contribution always been to merely fill the void left by the injury to Paul Konchesky?




Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=195360#ixzz0lFEX7u3q

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/SeasonTicketDropOff.aspx
Season Ticket Drop Off

Drop off your Season Ticket Renewal applications before Saturday's match
Season Ticket Holders looking to renew via postal application now have the option of dropping off their application forms at a designated drop off point outside the Ticket Office prior to our home match against Wolverhampton Wanderers this Saturday 17th April (Kick-Off 3pm).

Fans should make sure they enclose all paperwork in the envelope provided to them in their renewal pack before handing it in.  Please include your application form, return receipt postcard and your instalment plan leaflet (if you've decide to take up this option).

Fans can still renew their Season Ticket seat online| via our online renewal process which is quick and easy to follow and if you fancy a change you can even choose somewhere new to sit from our interactive seating plan.

Renew your Season Ticket online now|


Remember, seat release deadline is this Monday 19th April at 5pm so be sure you don't miss another exciting season of Barclays Premier League football at Craven Cottage.
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Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/SeasonTicketDropOff.aspx#ixzz0lFEyEmUW

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=195359
Fulham - Your Europa League Vote!
Back in July, when we were going through the qualifying stages of the Europa League, I wonder how many supporters truly believed we`d make the last four!

I, for one, thought our hopes would flounder in the group stages, but, as usual I`ve bene proven wrong.

Instead of floundering we`ve surprised most of Europe by our clinical dispatching of three European giants, Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Wolfsburg, as we`ve marched through the knockout stages to stand on the edge of greatness.

We now face a semi-final date with Hamburg and I still can`t help wondering if the bubble is going to burst any minute, have we reached our limits in this competition or can we go on and do what Middlesbrough, Rangers and Celtic have previously done and reach the final of a European competition?

Intrigued by the prospect I thought I`d put it to the vote and ask the Vital Fulham membership if they thought the semi-final represented our final destination in this competition.

The result was a resounding No!

A huge proportion of you, 79% firmly believe that humble old Fulham are going all the way to the final whilst not a single person went for the option that implied the semi-final was most definitely the end of the road.

Sure there were a few doubters with 17% opting for the damned if I know anymore option whilst 4% went for the it could well do option.

Fascinating!

Like I said, who`d have dreamed we`d be having such a conversation back in July?




Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=195359#ixzz0lFFEZEQR

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=195358
Fulham - Keen on Costa Rican Winger!
It would appear, if the gossip columns have gauged the rumours right, that (Sir) Roy Hodgson aims to splash out big-time this summer.

The Daily Mirror carries a small article that implies Fulham are chasing the FC Twente winger, Ryan Ruiz.

Ruiz, a Costa Rican, is twenty-four years of age and has attracted a lot of interest from around Europe, mostly from Spanish clubs.

Valued at £10 million, the Costa Rican has, reputedly, expressed an interest in moving to England and according to the tabloid Roy seems him as the ideal candidate to allow Fulham to move onwards and upwards and capitalise on their Europa League achievements this season.

We`ll endeavour to keep a watch on this one in case something concrete materialises.




Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=195358#ixzz0lFFZJ7P4

[WhiteJC]

http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/2010/04/15/edwards-backs-fulhams-squad-rotation/
Edwards backs Fulham to rotate

Wolves midfielder Dave Edwards has backed Fulham to rotate their squad against Wolves on Saturday after declaring criticism of the Cottagers is "rubbish."

Fulham host Mick McCarthy's side at the weekend, with one eye on their Europa League semi-final first leg away to Hamburg next Thursday.

McCarthy incurred Wolves a suspended £25,000 fine for making 10 changes against Manchester United last December.

Fulham were criticised by struggling West Ham for making five changes for their game against Hull which they lost 2-0, three days after losing to Tottenham and five days before they beat Wolfsburg in the Europa League.

But Edwards reckons any criticism of Fulham's use of their squad should be thrown in the wastepaper bin.

He said: "I think it's absolute rubbish – there's no point in any Premier League club having more than 18 players if they're not going to use their squad.

"Roy Hodgson has a squad there with players he believes are good enough for the Premier League – it's the same as our manager did up at Manchester United.

"I thought it was a shame that the club got a suspended fine for that because we know that as a squad, we're all equals, we're all as good as each other and all deserve to play.

"Fulham's players got their chance in that game against Hull and even if they didn't quite take that chance, it's a squad game so there are no arguments from us."

Edwards concedes however that Fulham's involvement in the semi-finals could see them catch the Cottagers at the right time, as Saturday's clash will be the Londoners' 55th game of the season before their 17th in Europe.

He said: "I definitely think there's a chance of us catching them when they're not at their best, if maybe they've got one eye on the game on Thursday.

"If we start strongly, hopefully we might get on top of them and get a goal to carry us through.

"I'm sure the manager there will say the extra games don't affect them, but the players will have an eye on that game because I'm sure they'd prefer to play Hamburg in the semi-final of the Europa League than Wolves, with no disrespect to us!"

"I'm not sure what team he'll put out, but I'd imagine he'll be trying his best to get his players geed up."

[Tom]

http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=195360
Fulham - The Nicky Shorey Conundrum!
Back in January, when the transfer window was open, (Sir) Roy Hodgson pulled off something of a smart move when he signed Nicky Shorey on a loan deal.

Shorey had been on loan at Nottingham Forest, from his parent club Aston Villa, and came into a Fulham squad ravaged by injury.

The full back proved to be an instant hit and it was easy to see how he`d attracted international recognition, albeit whilst at Reading.

At the time talk was of pushing on to secure a regular place and even the possibility of securing a late call up for the England 2010 World Cup squad.

But it all seems to have gone a little flat for Shorey recently with the most activity the full back has had being warming the substitutes bench.

Therefore, with the small matter of the season coming to an end we`ve another of our little teasers for you to mull over.

If you were (Sir) Roy, would you say you`ve seen enough to sign Shorey on a regular basis or has his contribution always been to merely fill the void left by the injury to Paul Konchesky?




Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=195360#ixzz0lFEX7u3q

Yes, sign Shorey Roy!