Friday Fulham Stuff (23/11/12)...

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Stoke v Fulham: Contrasting sides tough to separate
Visitors have the guile to breach home defence, but not strong enough to keep them out



The Premier League doesn't throw out many opportunities to draw Beauty and the Beast connotations, but when Dimitar Berbatov is sauntering around the Britannia with a snarling Stoke defence trying to give him a good hiding, you can't help but draw similarities.

Much like in the tale as old as time, it will become clear that despite their contrasting exterior, the Potters and Fulham are not so different on the inside and will settle for a share of the spoils that can be backed at 23/10.

Stoke's game, as uneasy on the eye as it is, revolves around rigid defending and clean sheets, while Fulham's expansive style doesn't half look pretty but opens up weaknesses at the back.

The hosts have struggled to turn draws into wins this season but have been as resolute as ever in their own third, with the point they earned at West Ham proving their seventh tie of the campaign to date.

Martin Jol's Cottagers are proving a dab hand at picking up solitary points as well, especially on the road where they've notched three on the spin in games that have yielded a total of 16 goals.

For them to net two or three times here pays out handsomely at 2/1, while the 6/4 that says Stoke achieve the same feat is a shade on the short side, despite Fulham's defensive susceptibility.

Brede Hangeland's suspension is a big loss for the visitors as his physical presence and aerial prowess is exactly what's required in the Cottagers' quest to repel Stoke's advances.

They haven't kept a single clean sheet away from Craven Cottage this term which is great news for Tony Pulis' men who have struggled for goals, only once scoring more than a single goal in their last six having failed to find the net in three of them.

The 10/3 that says the game will finish as a score draw is well worth a bet, while the 14/1 on offer for the teams to be level at 2-2 when the final whistle is blown offers good value too.



http://news.ladbrokes.com/en-gb/football/premier-league/stoke-v-fulham-contrasting-sides-tough-to-separate_124991.html

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Berbatov class key to Fulham revival - Sidwell
The elegant Bulgarian has found the net five times in the Premier League this season as the Cottagers have defied the doubters while thrilling fans and neutrals alike


Getty Images

Dimitar Berbatov's "class" has been the key to making Fulham the entertainers of the Premier League this season, according to team-mate Steve Sidwell.

Having lost last season's top scorer Clint Dempsey and powerful midfield playmaker Mousa Dembele to Tottenham last season, a difficult season appeared in prospect for the Cottagers.

But after 12 matches Martin Jol's men find themselves ninth in the table, five points better off than at this stage last season, with their tally of 25 goals scored only bettered by Manchester United.

Key to the Fulham revival has been Dimitar Berbatov who, having arrived from Old Trafford on transfer deadline day, has netted five times and thrilled fans and neutrals alike with his skill.

And Sidwell is in no doubt as to the impact the elegant Bulgarian has made since his summer move.

"After losing Clint, our top scorer last season, and Mousa, with the type of player he is, the fans thought 'This is going to be a tough season', and us players thought it too," he told Goal.com.

"But we brought in quality too. With Berba, people can see what he's done already in games, and the class that he brings.

"In games he's been immense. He's scored five goals, and his assists and chances created are going to be up there with the best in the league.

"He's got that class, and he shows it day-in and day-out in training.

"As a footballer you know that if you get the ball into him it's going to stick, and if you make runs off him that he's going to make chances."

Sidwell himself has played a significant role in Fulham's impressive early season form, scoring three times and being ever-present in a dynamic and expansive midfield.

It is something of a personal renaissance for the 29-year-old after difficult spells at Chelsea and Aston Villa, and the man himself credits the welcoming atmosphere at Craven Cottage.

"My time at Reading was fantastic, and I enjoyed every moment of it," he continued.

"In truth, I've enjoyed myself at every club I've been at, because it's been a good experience, whether good or bad.

"Sometimes you go to a club and it just doesn't work out. Unfortunately that happened at Chelsea, and it never really got going at Villa.

"But as soon as I stepped through the door at Fulham it felt like being home. It's a good, family club, and I hit the ground running because I felt comfortable.

"Being back in London was good too. As a footballer, when your life is settled off the field then your football takes care of itself."

Earlier this month Everton midfielder Leon Osman was awarded his first England cap against Sweden at the age of 31 – the fruit of over a decade of consistent service at Goodison Park.

Sidwell, himself uncapped, is heartened by the call-up, and believes it shows that the international door is always open for those who perform consistently at club level, regardless of age.

"It gives any player hope," he admitted. "When a new manager comes in, it's a fresh start for everyone.

"As far as Leon Osman was concerned, I think it was quite long overdue. He's been one of the most consistent midfield players the Premier League has seen.

"But it goes for any player. If they perform consistently for their club, and they're playing well, then they've got a chance to play for their nation."



http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/11/23/3550266/-?

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Take a flutter on Fulham re-finding form with a draw at Stoke
The high-flying Londoners can snatch a point at the Britannia Stadium against a Potters side who have flattered to deceive so far this term.

High-flying, full of confidence and with goals throughout their team – all of these things describe Fulham in the Premier League in 2012/13.

They are also the exact opposite of how you would describe Stoke City, based on their start to the season.

Despite last weekend's surprise defeat by Sunderland, Fulham still sit just four points off a European spot and boast the widest array of scorers in the Premier League this season with nine.

By contrast, Stoke have scored more than one goal at the Britannia just once this season as they languish in 14th place, with Tony Pulis wondering what happened to the side previously labelled by Arsene Wenger as his least favourite away trip.

So on the face of it, this seems like a good game to take a chance on a rare away result for the Cottagers and the bwin bookies add fuel to the fire by offering Fulham at 5/2, with Stoke 11/10 favourites and the draw at 9/4.

In truth, Fulham aren't punching as far above their weight as many might suggest, with astute Martin Jol signings like Premier League winners Dimitar Berbatov and Kieran Richardson combining with youngsters like Alex Kacaniklic (although the latter two are currently injured) to give the Londoners the look of a side set to stay near the top.

Berbatov in particular has been key. The former Manchester United striker has five goals in eight games and whenever he's scored, Fulham haven't lost. For those wanting to back the Bulgarian to net again, he's 9/4 to score at any time and 7/1 to open the scoring, as he did on his Fulham debut.

That's not to say Jol doesn't have other goal-getting options at his disposal. As mentioned earlier, the division's second top scorers also have the most different marksmen, including four-goal Mladen Petric (11/4 to score at any time), Hugo Rodallega (also an 11/4 chance) and Bryan Ruiz, who will miss out with a hamstring injury on this occasion.

However, for all their struggles so far this season, one thing Stoke have been is resilient – only conceding more than twice at Manchester United – so expect them to keep the score down and back them to limit Fulham to a single strike at 7/5.

If Stoke are to have any hope of getting more than a draw out of this game, their chances seem to rest with former England strike duo Peter Crouch and Michael Owen.

Crouchy's goals have dried up of late, but having started with five in six he still has the talent to strike at any time at odds of 8/5, while a returning Owen has always had the quality to make the difference after coming on as a late substitute and he can be backed at 15/2 to notch the final goal, just as he did when he last faced Fulham in a Manchester United jersey.

But even if the Stoke strikers roll back the years, I still think Fulham have enough to pick up a point at 9/4 and that is my top bet for Saturday's clash, with winnings of £65 on offer for anyone successfully backing it with their free £20 bet after registering with bwin.

Top bet: Stoke and Fulham to draw @ 9/4


http://bwinbetting.com/leagues/premier-league/flutter-fulham-re-finding-form-britannia,33282.html?

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Premier League: Stoke v Fulham match preview
A look ahead to this weekend's Premier League fixture at the Britannia Stadium



Stoke will draw level with Fulham on 16 points if they win on Saturday but with the visitors having not won in four matches, they are due a victory.

Fulham manager Martin Jol may be keen to bring Diarra straight back into his starting line-up as his team have struggled defensively this season. Stoke held on for an impressive 1-1 draw away to West Ham last week and have picked up five points in their past four fixtures as they have moved up to 14th position.

For Stoke to win against Fulham they will most likely need to keep the visitors scoreless as Tony Pulis' side have only scored more than one goal in three Premier League matches this season with Peter Crouch Stoke's main attacking weapon.

KICK-OFF: Saturday, 3pm

PAST THREE MEETINGS...

Fulham 2 (Pogrebnyak, Sorensen OG) Stoke 1 (Shawcross), Premier League, February 2012

Stoke 2 (Walters, Delap) Fulham 0, Premier League, October 2011

Fulham 2 (Dempsey 2) Stoke 0, Premier League, January 2011

STATS

In the last five Premier League meetings between Fulham and Stoke, all six goals that the Whites have scored have been in the first hour and five of them in the opening 33 minutes, while all four netted by Stoke have been scored in the final 15 minutes of games

Stoke are unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League home matches, though they have won just five and drawn seven in that run

Fulham are unbeaten in their last four Premier League away games; only twice before, August 2004 (six games) and November 2006 (five games) have they been on a longer run without defeat on the road

ODDS

Stoke to win: 2.15

Fulham to win: 3.40

Draw: 3.40

TV: Highlights on BBC1 at 10.30pm



http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/premier-league-stoke-v-fulham-match-preview-8344400.html

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Stoke vs. Fulham 24/11/2012

Season ticket holders at the Britannia Stadium have seen just five goals in five games this season, with two goalless draws.

However, Stoke are still unbeaten at home, although three of these five matches have been draws, and performances against Sunderland and QPR have shown a lack of cutting edge.

This weekend's visitors, Fulham, are set up to attack and in their six away games this season, 27 goals have been scored.

The Cottagers are proving to be a slick side this term, especially with Dimitar Berbatov in such fine form. However, they'll miss suspended defender Brede Hangeland for Stoke's impending aerial bombardment, leading us to lean more to a draw.

My11 prediction: 1-1



http://my11.com/games/tips/tips-page/article/10689?

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'GOOD OPPORTUNITY' FOR MARCELLO

New loan signing looking forward to getting back into the routine.

Marcello Trotta, who has signed on loan at Griffin Park until January 13, says that he cannot wait to get back into the routine of regular first-team football.

Trotta enjoyed loan spells at Wycombe and Watford last season and the former Italian U19 striker told Bees Player that he is looking forward to getting back playing competitive games in a league that he has a lot of respect for.

"League One is a good league. It gives you lots of experience," said Marcello.

"It is obviously different from the Development Squad but I think it is a good league for young players to learn how to develop as a player.

"It definitely makes you more ready to play man's football compared to the U21 League as it is a physically stronger league and it is a different type of game.

"I like the physical side of the game and it is good to get this experience some times as it makes you compete as a player and makes you a more complete player.

"The club was interested in taking me on loan and it was a good opportunity for me to come and play some first team football. I think it will be good.

"It is an opportunity for me to come back and get into the routine of first-team football again. Hopefully I can come in and help the team and score some goals.

"It is good that there are lots of big important games coming up and hopefully I can help the team.

"It will be great to get a win on Saturday in a big game.

"If we can move up into the promotion places that will be really good."

Marcello also gave Bees fans a little taste of the kind of striker that he feels he is.

"I like to play around the box and score some goals but of course it depends on the state of the game.

"Sometimes I need to come deep but I prefer to stay closer to the goal so that I can score more goals."

The Italian striker is also looking forward to working with Bees manager Uwe Rösler and he says that it is always helpful as a striker when the manager is a former striker.

"When your manager is a striker he always tries to help you. It is in his nature to help you. He can help you to score goals and maybe even to win games."


http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk//news/article/marcello-trotta-quotes-23.11.12-504395.aspx?

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Stoke v FULHAM: Kacaniklic and Ruiz remain out after limping off against Sunderland

Fulham will again be without a number of key players for Saturday's trip to Stoke.

Alex Kacaniklic and Bryan Ruiz are both out for the next two weeks with hamstring injuries picked up against Sunderland, while Mickael Tavares and Kieran Richardson miss out with similar complaints.


Early end: Bryan Ruiz (right) was forced off injured after an hour against Sunderland

Fulham can call upon Mahamadou Diarra (knee) and Chris Baird (ban) again, although captain Brede Hangeland (ban), Simon Davies (hip) and Kerim Frei (loan return) are also unavailable.

David Stockdale, Marcello Trotta and Alex Smith left the club on loan yesterday.

Provisional squad: Schwarzer, Etheridge, Riether, Kelly, Hangeland, Hughes, Senderos, Riise, Sidwell, Dejagah, Diarra, Baird, Karagounis, Kasami, Duff, Rodallega, Petric, Berbatov.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2237359/Stoke-v-FULHAM-Alex-Kacaniklic-Bryan-Ruiz-remain-limping-Sunderland.html#ixzz2D3OpDUfL
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Dejagah calls for greater fight
Fulham winger Ashkan Dejagah believes the Cottagers need to forget their free-flowing football and show some fight at Stoke on Saturday.


Ashkan Dejagah: Wants Cottagers to show fighting spirit

The Cottagers have been one of the most entertaining teams in the Premier League this season, scoring 25 goals in their opening 12 matches.

However, summer signing Dejagah knows they will need to show a grittier side at the Britannia Stadium if they are to get a positive result.

"The players tell me that Stoke are very direct and it's not easy to play at their ground," the winger told official website.

"They have some big players and they like to play long balls.

"We must fight in this game - it's not a match to play football. If we fight for each other we can win this game."

Mahamadou Diarra and Chris Baird return for Saturday's match and will no doubt help to shore up the midfield.

Martin Jol's side will be without a number of players, though, as captain Brede Hangeland is unavailable through suspension and Bryan Ruiz and Mickael Tavares are both injured.

Wingers Alex Kacaniklic and Kieran Richardson are also out, but Dejagah is happy to fill the void on the left if called upon.

"The right is my favourite but I've played on the left before for Wolfsburg," the Iran international said.

"The manager is the boss and he will decide who will play there on Saturday."

Dejagah will be hoping to return to the starting line-up after being named among the substitutes for last weekend's disappointing 3-1 home defeat to Sunderland.

He has been on the bench more often than not since his move from the Bundesliga, thanks in no small part to the injury that sidelined him when he first moved to west London.

Dejagah is now back to full fitness, though, and looking to build on his lone start at the Emirates Stadium, where Fulham held Arsenal to a 3-3 draw.

"It was a big game for me," he said. "It was my first match for Fulham from the beginning and it was against Arsenal at an amazing stadium.

"It was a good game. It ended 3-3 so we were very happy to score three goals at Arsenal.

"I was very happy that the manager gave me the chance to start the game. It showed he believes in me.

"I feel very good after my injury. The physios have been great and I'm very happy here. It's good to now be involved with the first team.

"Every player has been great with me and the games have also been good apart from the last one.

"We were disappointed to lose against Sunderland but now we must look to the next game against Stoke and hope we can play better."



http://www.football365.com/fulham/8274066/Dejagah-calls-for-greater-fight?