Monday Fulham Stuff (26/11/12)...

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Jol admits Fulham couldn't deal with Stoke long balls

Fulham boss Martin Jol admitted his side struggled to cope with the direct style of Stoke, who are still to be beaten at the Britannia Stadium this season.

Charlie Adam's solitary goal was enough to consign the Whites to a fifth game without victory, though the scoreline could have been worse for the west London side as Ryan Shawcross hit the woodwork amid a host of chances.

Fulham stepped up their search for an equaliser late on but were shut out and Jol admitted his side, like many who travel to the Potters, were second best.

"In the second half we did better - in the first half it was exactly the same as it is for most of the teams here, and probably how it was for us last year," the Dutchman said.

"We couldn't get out of our half. We still wanted to play, but it was difficult and then you get the long balls and they close you down, pressurise you, play their style.

"It was not easy for us - we play a different style."

On the other hand Stoke boss Tony Pulis was disappointed his side could not convert the chances they had to put themselves "out of sight".

He said: "I'm really disappointed we have not won the game by more goals.

"Even just looking at the first half, if you look at the chances, Robert has missed a point-blank header from a corner and Ryan hits the bar when he is almost under the goal.

"There were some great opportunities and in the second half we had more.

"Then in the last few minutes, you are starting to scramble.

"We had so many chances and you get a little bit uptight because you know one mistake could have cost us the game - a game that we should have been out of sight in."



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/jol_admits_fulham_couldn_t_deal_with_stoke_long_balls_1_1707826

[WhiteJC]

 
The View from South Texas — Stoke City v. Fulham FC

by HatterDon

WRESTLING IN THE RAIN
Fulham traveled to Stoke today to play in the outdoor carwash known as The Britannia Stadium. With injuries to two attacking players, a makeshift midfield, and a defensive lineup that did not feature our best defender, I suppose a 1-0 defeat was to be expected. But I always expect more when Berbatov is on the pitch, and so I was bitterly disappointed with the result.

Stoke City are no walk in the park at the best of times. Composed – as they are – of power forwards and middle linebackers, and playing – as they do – on a green postage stamp slightly larger than a tennis court, it is natural for them to play a physical and destructive game. Today, they did what came naturally. They hacked, shoved, tripped, and elbowed the livelong day. If there was a surprise in the score, it was that the yellow card result was 1-1. Both cards were well deserved, but there should have been at least three more yellows awarded to City. Sigh. Well, what can you expect of a side whose most technically brilliant and creative players are Peter Crouch, Charlie Adam, and Ryan Shawcross.

Fulham's makeshift midfield included Dejagah and Karagounis, each of whom impressed and depressed in equal measure. One had to admire Dejagah's consistency in finding attacking space and despair at a first touch so reminiscent of Eddie Johnson. Karagounis played very well, except for the 3 or 4 times he gave the ball away when not under pressure.

Senderos, our own Scapegoat Come Home Dog, had his hands full with the red and white striped redwoods. Crouch had the beating of him all day – something that would not have happened with Hangeland – and Stoke were very wise in pressuring him for the entire 90+ minutes. Schwarzer had an absolute craptastrophy of a match. Barring one tip over the bar from a set piece, he looked uncertain and tentative the entire match. If I read any more "Schwarzer's positioning and control of his penalty area is brilliant" comments, I may have a an absolute tiswas. As it happened, however, Stoke's 26th minute goal was the fault of neither Senderos nor Schwarzer. The Swiss Baldy found it difficult to jump in the penalty area with Crouch's arm shoving him down and Adam's conversion of Crouch's knock down would have beaten any keeper. While Hughes and Riether both turned in good shifts in the appalling conditions, it's fair to say that Fulham's most effective defenders were the linesman's flag and the crossbar.

Petric and Berbatov deserved better. They deserved better service, better protection from the referee, and better luck with their conversions. The major weakness in the attack was the fact that the creative midfielder charged with following up the attacks and converting the dribs and drabs was Steve Sidwell, not his strongest point, and I'm sure not Jol's first choice.

And so we lost a match we would have been expected to lose. Once again, quality was trumped by size and strength. Complain as we might, this is the very essence of the English game. Is there good news? Why yes! We're at the Dog Track on Wednesday. This is good news? Yes! I'll be drinking beer with Aggie Matt while watching this one, so my View may be enhanced and blurry at the same time.

HatterDon's Man of the Match?  The Classiest player on the pitch by far was our own Dimitar Berbatov. I just hope he doesn't get too discouraged at not finding any teammate capable of picking up his wavelength. Let's hope Bryan will soon be back.

COYW



http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=223

[WhiteJC]

 
Memory Lane

From the past or present, we catch up with a different Fulham personality. This week, Barry Lloyd talks to Club Historian Dennis Turner.

He played 290 times for Fulham, captained one of our promotion-winning teams and was on the bench at Wembley. He also played for three other league clubs, had a spell in the United States and then had a stint at management.

Today, aged 63, Barry Lloyd is still involved on a full-time basis at Championship club Brighton & Hove Albion and talks about of lifetime and football with all the enthusiasm of someone just starting out on their career.

"It's in my DNA," he confessed. "And football has been a passion all my life. I love the involvement, I like being with football people and it's a joy to be at Brighton, a club which is clearly on the up. After some really difficult years, we now have a terrific stadium, a good side which is capable of challenging for a place in the Barclays Premier League with very healthy attendances, and a very supportive board. The Bloom family have done for the Seagulls what Mr Al Fayed is doing for Fulham, and it's an exciting time on the Sussex bit of the South Coast."

It all started for Barry as a 17-year-old in 1966. After a schoolboy career in the Middlesex area in which he collected a host of representative honours, and also played for England Youth, he had attracted the interest of a number of London clubs.

"I chose Chelsea," he explained, "because under Tommy Docherty's management, they were an exciting team, with the likes of Peter Osgood, Charlie Cooke and Bobby Tambling. And Dave Sexton was the reserve-team manager, a really nice man and terrific coach. In four years at Stamford Bridge, I learned a lot and think I developed good habits as a professional which helped me later in my career.

"Although I made my (old) First Division debut in April 1967 when I was only 18, there were so many good players at Chelsea that it was hard to establish myself as a regular. So I took a gamble. When the opportunity arose, I left Chelsea, a club near the top of league and heading for FA Cup and European success, to join Fulham, a club in free-fall.

"They had been relegated to the Second Division the previous May and looked like dropping straight into the Third. By the time I arrived, Bill Dodgin was the fourth Manager in 12 months and he had inherited a pretty demoralised team. But he was a good Manager and I liked him a lot. I got to talk a lot to him about football and it was clear that he believed in playing the game the right way. He wasn't afraid to make changes and to keep faith with the players and methods he believed in. His approach not only stopped the rot but got us back to the Second Division."

Although he is too modest to admit it, Barry was probably the symbol of the new Dodgin era. He was made Captain, the successor as skipper and in midfield to the legendary Johnny Haynes.

"His were big shoes to fill," Barry admits. "And it was a real challenge. But Johnny was terrific. I obviously had seen him play before I arrived at Fulham and knew how good he was. But even at the veteran stage, he was early into training, always with a smile and bags of enthusiasm. He was especially good with the youngsters and we all enjoyed learning from him. He was a role model and an inspiration."

In his first full season at the Cottage, Dodgin's team took shape, with Steve Earle and Les Barrett scoring freely and Jimmy Conway and Barry patrolling midfield. In his second season, 1970/71, it all came right, and we won promotion.

"That was a good season," said Barry. "I remember getting one of the goals in midweek at Bradford City which clinched promotion. We had been amongst the leaders from the start and should have won the title. But we blew it on the last day at home to Preston North End. Still, we went up and that's what mattered.

"We struggled the following year and it was hard to see why. We had the same players and we played the same style. But it was a big jump, even in those days, and we really didn't bridge the gap. Games were much tougher, goals were harder to come by and we were punished for our defensive lapses. We did stay up, thanks to a spirited rally in the last few weeks, and it was a real shock when Bill Dodgin was sacked. We all felt it was unfair but life isn't fair, especially in football."

Within days, Alec Stock had been installed as Dodgin's successor.

"He built a solid Team, not as attack-minded but consistent," said Barry. "Although few of the players knew Alec, he knew us and steadily changed the Team around. He wasn't afraid to introduce youngsters and was a shrewd operator in the transfer market, signing Alan Mullery and Bobby Moore, as well as Alan Slough and Viv Busby from his previous club. But he never got very involved with the coaching or tactics. He left that to the coaches and in Bill Taylor, he had a particularly good one.

"Bill was the coach who guided us through to Wembley in 1975. That was a remarkable run. We won every round away from home and never once faced a team from a lower division. The Everton game was a standout performance and we surprised a lot of people that year. Although I was involved in all the rounds up to Wembley, I had a feeling I would be on the bench on the big day, and I was. There was only one substitute in those days but I didn't get on the pitch. Even though we lost, it was a great day for the Club and one of the highlights of my career."

Despite beginning the 1975/76 season amongst the promotion favourites, the Club started on a long downward path. Events behind the scenes were starting to take their toll and that Team broke up quite quickly. Ernest Clay pushed out the Deans and Tommy Trinder from the Board, and Bobby Campbell replaced Alec Stock as Manager.

There were huge changes amongst the players as well. When we kicked-off in August 1978, just three years after the FA Cup Final, only one of our players had played in the Wembley match, and that was Kevin Lock who had been with West Ham United. Barry, though, is too discreet to talk about the instability behind the scenes and the impact of the new Manager.

"He was in a very difficult position and tried to shield us from what was happening at Board level," stated Barry. "But Les Barrett, Alan Slough, Peter Mellor and myself all moved on very quickly, while Alan Mullery and Bobby Moore both retired. Les went to Millwall, Alan to Peterborough United and I went briefly to Hereford United. I wanted to get away from London but in the event didn't stay away long. I even bought a house down there but wasn't around long enough to live in it. I did manage to get my full coaching badge, however, because Lilleshall wasn't far away and as I came up to 30, it was time to think about life after playing."

First stop, however, was Brentford's Griffin Park as a player where once again Barry teamed up with manager Dodgin, whose number two was his old Fulham teammate Fred Callaghan, a regular in the 1970/71 promotion side.

"I had a good time there and helped the Bees to promotion from the Fourth Division and it was a nice way to round off my first class playing career," said Barry. "I then went into management, starting with Yeovil Town, who were then a non-League club. I enjoyed my time there. Yeovil is a nice town and the people enjoy their football but sustaining league football is a serious challenge. After that, I went to Worthing and helped them to jump from the Second Division of the old Isthmian League to runners-up in the Premier Division.

"In 1986, I got the chance to get back into the league with Brighton as assistant manager and a few months later I was manager. We got promoted from the (old) Third Division to the Second in my first season and then had an extended run in the Second, the last until the current side. My involvement now is on the recruitment side and it occupies me fully. I see a lot of Fulham people around and everyone is so pleased with what has happened at the Cottage. And much of the credit must go to the Chairman who has overseen the remarkable progress.

"He has generally appointed good managers, let them get on with it and the results speak for themselves. The ground has never looked better and the training facilities are top class. And everything he has done has kept faith with the best traditions of Fulham.

"Unlike some chairmen and owners, he has not hogged the limelight or tried to change the character of the Club. I still have great affection for the Club where I spent so many happy seasons and try to keep up to date with what is happening at the Cottage."

Despite being of an age when he qualifies for a bus pass, Barry retains a youthful enthusiasm that is very refreshing. Although there must have been darker moments in his career, all his reflections and memories are positive and he seems genuinely grateful to have enjoyed a working life in football that stretches back more than 45 years to the mid-1960s.

There is no sense of bitterness of opportunities missed or envy of the modern footballer. This is how supporters want to think of their favourites - that they have enjoyed playing football as much as the fan has enjoyed watching. And also that they both share the same passion for the Club. Any Fulham supporter who feels like this would find a conversation with Barry very rewarding.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/november/25/memory-lane?

[WhiteJC]

 
In For Bent?
   
Speculation continues to mount over the future of the Aston Villa striker Darren Bent.

Despite being fit, Bent is unable to make the starting eleven, under Paul Lambert, at Villa Park and is rumoured to be available in the January transfer market.

Several possible suitors are mentioned but the interesting proposition for us is that one red-top tabloid is offering the suggestion that Martin Jol may be tempted to bid for a player he signed, for £16.5 million, during his tenure in the managerial chair at White Hart Lane.

At 28 years of age, you`d imagine that Bent still has a lot to offer the right club, but could that club be us?



Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=300906#ixzz2DIgzFewW

[WhiteJC]

 
Whites Head To Blues

An away trip to London rivals Chelsea awaits Fulham's Under-21s on Monday evening (7pm).

The clash takes place at Brentford's Griffin Park, with Fulham hoping for a similar result to the last time they faced the Blues in early October.

That evening at a rain-soaked Craven Cottage, a fine Charles Banya effort and a Marcello Trotta brace saw Fulham overcome Chelsea 3-1.

Last Monday, Fulham slipped to a 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough. Andy Halliday put Boro in front from the spot and, after Josh Pritchard had hit the woodwork, Luke Williams made sure of the points for the hosts.

Kit Symons said: "I actually thought this was an evenly matched game, and had we made more of our early chances then perhaps we could have had something to show. I thought we played some good football in patches, it's just a shame that we didn't make the most of that. No one likes losing, so we'll have to move on and make sure we bounce back."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/november/25/whites-head-to-blues?

[WhiteJC]

 
Schwarzer tops for most goals let through

Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has earned himself an unenviable statistic in the English Premier League.

The Fulham glove man has conceded the most goals in the competition, 23 to date in the 2012 season, a title he shares with Wigan keeper Ali Al-Habsi, British newspaper The Sun reports.

Schwarzer added to his ignominious tally on Saturday when Fulham lost 1-0 at Stoke City.

While the reliable and respected Australian made an impressive save in the match's closing stages, a 26th-minute close range shot by Stoke's Charlie Adam was too good for the 40-year-old.

Fulham sit in ninth place on the league table with four wins, four draws and five losses.

Meanwhile, respect for Schwarzer is unwavering, as the Australian is a frontrunning contender for the Asian Football Confederation International Player of the Year.

With the winner due to be announced on November 29, Schwarzer's main rivals are reported to be Manchester United playmaker Shinji Kagawa and fellow Japanese international Yuto Nagatomo.



Read more: http://www.watoday.com.au/breaking-news-sport/schwarzer-tops-for-most-goals-let-through-20121126-2a1z2.html#ixzz2DIhdBlev

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Jol optimistic Hangeland will sign new Fulham contract
The Dutch boss has confirmed that talks are ongoing between the London club and the experienced centre-back and believes that the Cottagers have made a strong offer


Getty Images

Fulham manager Martin Jol is optimistic club captain Brede Hangeland will sign a contract extension by the end of the year to remain at Craven Cottage, despite the centre-back being free to talk to other clubs in January.

The 31-year-old has yet to commit his future to the west London side, with his current deal set to expire next summer - but the Dutch boss is confident of securing the experienced defender's signature.

And the 56-year-old revealed that the club have already offered the Norwegian a new deal which he hoped could lead to a conclusion in talks before Christmas.

"We are talking to [Hangeland]," he told the Fulham and Hammersmith Chronicle. "He knows what we've offered him is good so hopefully he will make a decision in the next month or so. We're optimistic."

Fulham currently sit in ninth place in the Premier League with 16 points from 13 games, but lost 1-0 to Stoke City on Saturday afternoon.

Hangeland missed the match at the Britannia Stadium due to the three-match suspension he received for a straight red card during the Cottagers' 3-1 home defeat to Sunderland last weekend, and will be out until the game against Newcastle on December 10.



http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/11/25/3554908/-?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Martin Jol angers Stoke City with talk of being 'bullied'
• Jol: 'They try to bully teams and they bullied us'
• Charlie Adam's goal decisive in strong Stoke opening

Martin Jol felt his Fulham side were "bullied" by Stoke City in the first half of Saturday's defeat but said he admires the playing style of Tony Pulis's team.

Jol thought Fulham struggled to deal with Stoke's physical style in an opening period during which they fell behind to Charlie Adam's goal. The manager said he had spoken to his players beforehand about Stoke's capacity to "bully" opponents but insisted this implied no criticism of the home side's tactics.

"They try to bully teams and they bullied us," Jol said. "You have to get them on the back foot and then play your football in their half. Then they will probably not be as good as they looked – but we couldn't do that in the first half.

"In the second half we did, but we needed a lot of forward players to try to create that – with Dimitar Berbatov, Mladen Petric, Ashkan Dejagah and [the substitutes] Hugo Rodallega and Damien Duff. But it was disappointing that we still couldn't score.

"You have to try to build up, and it is possible, but you need self-belief, you need quality and you must not let Stoke force themselves on you. That is what they did in the first half, but possibly they could not in the second half. Even Charlie Adam looked bigger than last year when I saw him before [when he was at Liverpool]."

Jol was keen to emphasise he was not suggesting foul play on Stoke's part and even said he admired their style, although he did appear to be flagging up a certain irony when he claimed City had been complaining about the conduct of Berbatov.

"They [Stoke] do play within the rules," Jol said. "The only thing is that they moan about our fouls and I know my team – we never foul. They were talking almost as if Berbatov was a 'clogger', but he is probably one of the most elegant players in England. So that was quite strange. I admire Stoke for their style, because I always admire teams that have a style.

"It is not my style, but it is a style and they are doing well with it. So you have to stand up, hold firm against it, come up with something and if you have the ball, show your quality. We did that in the second half, but not the first half."

Whether the term "bullied" was meant in a negative or positive way, Pulis, the Stoke manager, was not happy about it being used to describe his team's play, and made specific reference to Berbatov. "I don't think they [Fulham] were bullied out of it," he said. "I think if you have a look at Berbatov and a few of the others, they are competitive enough and can look after themselves. I don't think saying they were bullied is fair for us. We are strong and resilient but we are an honest group of lads who work hard. That is part of the make-up of this club. We are not dirty."

Stoke carved out the better opportunities, their captain Ryan Shawcross going close with a crashing header against the bar. Pulis had to endure a nervy finale before the final whistle confirmed a result that left Stoke 12th in the Premier League table, level on points with 10th-placed Fulham.



http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/nov/25/stoke-fulham-premier-league-report?

[WhiteJC]

 
Liverpool U18s 1 Fulham U18s 2

Fulham qualified for the Elite Group of the second stage of the Barclays Under-18s Premier League after a 2-1 win at Liverpool on Saturday morning.

Jerome Sinclair put Liverpool in front on nine minutes when he slotted home after Kristoffer Peterson's shot had been spilled by Max Oberschmidt.

But Steve Wigley's men drew level on 35 minutes, Muamer Tankovic slotting home from the spot after Lyle Della-Verde had been fouled by Niall Heaton.

With the game heading for a draw, Fulham then snatched the winner in the 83rd minute when Tankovic teed up Jordan Evans to fire home.

Academy Director Huw Jenning said: "It was a tight game. We played well in the first half in possession. We had a different structure to the team but still passed the ball well only to concede a goal on the break after Pat Roberts had almost scored.

"We kept passing and probing away and equalised from the spot. Liverpool pressed hard in the second half but we always looked dangerous on the break and got the second goal late on. On balance I think we deserved the win and it secures our status in the second stage of the league which was obviously our objective at the start of the season."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/november/24/u18s-defeat-reds

[WhiteJC]

 
David Stockdale: Hull City move 'is my big chance'

HULL City's new signing David Stockdale will keep an open mind over his long-term future as he bids to seize his golden chance for regular first-team football with the Tigers.

Stockdale switched to the KC Stadium last Thursday on a six-week loan deal from Fulham and did not have long to wait for his debut when replacing Ben Amos in goal for City's 1-0 loss to Burnley on Saturday.

The temporary move has been designed to give the 27-year-old much-needed action as well as proposing a solution to the Tigers' goalkeeping problems.

City boss Steve Bruce has not ruled out a January move for Stockdale if a deal can be struck and the one-time England squad member is ruling nothing out.

"If I do well here you never know what could happen in the future," said Stockdale, whose Fulham deal runs until June 2015.

"It's a terrific opportunity for me because I have been struggling to get games in the Premier League because we have been doing so well at Fulham, who are wanting me to stay and hopefully take Mark Schwarzer's gloves when he has finished.

"There were a couple of other clubs but I knew straightaway that I would come here. I said yes straightaway.

"If someone says 'Hull City are in for you' you know who Hull City are, and that's no disrespect to other teams, because they have done well in recent years and with a manager like Steve Bruce it shows where the club wants to go."

Although Fulham have inserted a recall option into Stockdale's loan deal, he is expected to remain with the Tigers at least until January 2, a window of opportunity that could see him start a further eight games.

A debut against Burnley brought mixed emotions for the Leeds-born keeper.

Although a first competitive game for nine months saw him praised by Bruce, he was unable to prevent Dean Marney's first-half strike condemning the Tigers to a 1-0 loss.

"It's been nearly a year since I last played and it is frustrating but to be able to come out to a club like this, a manager like this and a team like this highlights how far they want to go and I was happy to join.

"You don't want to go into a game looking a little bit sloppy so I was nearly match sharp but I felt a bit rusty in the first 10 minutes, especially when the first shot had a little swerve on it and hit me in the chest.

"I thought 'no, it's going to be one of them days' but as soon it happened I thought let's get back in the game."

A fingertip save to deny Ross Wallace from distance showcased Stockdale's talents on his debut but it was a game to forget for City.

"We've learned that we can't play bad in the first half and okay in the second and expect to get something out of a game," he said.

"As a defensive unit a couple of lapses in concentration cost us the goal. It's how we fight back that counts but we didn't react like we should have done.

"If you look at the chances we created in the second half we could have got a point which may have been a bit harsh on Burnley, but you have to scrape a point here and there even when you are not playing well."



http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/story-17425586-detail/story.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Focus - Hangeland absence proves decisive in Cottagers' tight defeat

It has been mooted by some that Brede Hangeland's performances for Fulham this season should perhaps put his place as a cornerstone in Martin Jol's starting XI into question. However the Cottagers' narrow 1-0 defeat at Stoke on Saturday proved that a declining force the captain may be, but Hangeland's presence in the side remains a vital one for Fulham's chances of future success.



Fulham simply could not cope with Stoke's aerial bombardment in the first half, with Aaron Hughes and Hangeland's replacement Philippe Senderos comprehensively failing to control the presence of Peter Crouch. Unsurprisingly in a scrappy game that lacked quality and was played in awful conditions, it was Crouch's aerial dominance which decided the outcome, knocking the ball down for Charlie Adam to strike home the only goal of the match.

Admittedly, the conditions were hardly conducive to the type of passing football Fulham have at times been so brilliant at this season. However, such is life in the Premier League, and if the Cottagers are to progress beyond being a safe, mid-table club, then a degree of adaptability - particularly on the road at places like the Britannia - must become a necessity to achieve.

That is not to say that Hangeland's mere presence yesterday would have decided the game in the visitor's favour. Indeed, the Norwegian has been at the heart of a defence that has leaked goals at an alarming rate this season, while going forward - until the latter stages when Dimitar Berbatov began to grab hold of the ball - the Cottagers created little and in truth, were lucky to come away with only a 1-0 reverse.

However, Fulham's defence can often be confidence-based and unfortunately, fine defenders they may be on their days, that is not a quality that can be immediately associated with Senderos and particularly Hughes, who often appears unsure and lacking conviction when bereft of his usual defensive partner.

Perhaps it is an indication that through all the attacking talents that remain at Craven Cottage through the likes of Berbatov, Bryan Ruiz, Hugo Rodallega and Mladen Petric, it is defensive reinforcements that Martin Jol should be eyeing up in the approaching January transfer window.

If possible, a new partner for Hangeland should be the highest priority, and possibly a younger long-term replacement for the big Norwegian, who is surely reaching the twilight of his Fulham career - particularly if the Cottagers are to continue to espouse the sort of high-tempo, all-out attacking football Jol desires. This is fantastic to watch, but can leave the defence looking increasingly exposed and particularly for the slower defenders such as Hangeland and Senderos, vulnerable to pacy opposition counter-attacks.



http://www.adifferentleague.co.uk/p6_0_17715_fulham-focus-hangeland-absence-proves-decisive-in-cottagers-tight-defeat.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Premier League preview: Chelsea v Fulham

New Chelsea coach Rafa Benitez will be searching for his first Premier League win when his side hosts Fulham on Wednesday night.

Benitez took charge of the reigning European champions last week after fan-favourite Roberto Di Matteo was sacked following a string of poor results.

The former Liverpool manager's first game in charge ended in a scoreless draw against defending champions Manchester City as the Blues dropped to fourth place on the table.

During that clash at Stamford Bridge the home fans made their feelings known with Benitez greeted with boos and chants of 'There's only one Di Matteo'.

Despite admitting it will be tough to win the fans over, the 52-year-old is confident he can turn things around with some positive results.

While they failed to defeat Manchester City, their defence showed vast improvement and the clean sheet was their first in 11 matches.

Benitez made minimal changes to Di Matteo's formation with Fernando Torres returning to the starting side after missing the Champions League loss to Juventus – which cost Di Matteo his job.

Torres, who has scored just once in his past nine games for Chelsea, will be keen to recapture the form he showed in his Liverpool days when he was one of the most prolific strikers in the world.

While Chelsea are without a win in their past five Premier League matches their neighbours Fulham, who are in 10th place, are also in a form slump.

They haven't tasted victory since a 1-0 triumph over Aston Villa last month and are coming off the back of consecutive losses to Stoke City and Sunderland.

Many of their problems have centred around their leaky defence, which is the equal third-worst in the competition with 23 goals conceded in 13 games.

But they still pose a threat up front with former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov relishing his fresh start with five goals in nine matches.

The Bulgarian international impressed his manager in Saturday's loss to Stoke when he was used predominantly in a midfield role in the absence of Bryan Ruiz, who looks set to miss again with a hamstring injury.

Former Chelsea midfielder Damien Duff is likely to return to the starting line-up after being used off the bench against Stoke and he will need to be at the top of his game if they can cause an upset.

Fulham have only tasted victory over their London rivals once in 20 Premier League encounters, while their last victory at Stamford Bridge was way back in 1980.


http://uk.soccerway.com/news/2012/November/26/premier-league-preview-chelsea-v-fulham/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol Pins Hopes on Berbatov to Lead Fulham Midfield

Fulham boss Martin Jol has once again praised Bulgarian Dimitar Berbatov, describing him as a born leader who could be the team's midfield general.

"Berbatov was unbelievable as he had to play in midfield because Bryan Ruiz wasn't there," Jol has said, referring to Berbatov's performance during Fulham's game againct Stoke.

"He can pull the strings in midfield. That's what we did in the second half," he added, as cited by The Sun.

"If Berbatov wasn't there then we're left looking a bit rigid."

The Bulgarian striker, 31, took the armband at Stoke, since Brede Hangeland was suspended, The Sun reminds.



http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=145464

[WhiteJC]

 
A Harsh Result

Fulham centre-back Phillipe Senderos believed Saturday's 1-0 loss at Stoke City was harsh on the Whites.

Charlie Adam's first-half strike secured all three points for the Potters as Fulham failed to turn their possession into clear-cut chances.

And Senderos, who replaced the suspended Brede Hangeland at the heart of the Fulham defence for the match at the Britannia Stadium, felt the result wasn't a fair reflection on the Whites' display.

Speaking after the physical encounter, he told the official website: "It was disappointing to come away with nothing as I feel we fought quite well. In the second half we were the better team. We controlled the game in the second half; we had a few chances and a lot of possession.

"It's a shame we couldn't convert any of those chances into goals but we fought. When you come to places like this you have to stand up and be counted and we did that for the best part of the game.

"Unfortunately we conceded a goal and that put us back so we had to pressurise them a bit higher. In the second half I thought you really saw the character of this side.

"In the final third maybe we lacked the little thing that makes a goal but we created a few crosses. Possession-wise we were there and we will look to continue to improve."

The fixture was Senderos' first start in a Fulham shirt this term. The Switzerland international suffered a foot injury in the summer that ruled him out for several months.

When he was finally fit, the form of Aaron Hughes and Hangeland meant Senderos had to wait patiently on the sidelines for his chance.

"On a personal side, I'm happy to be back," he said. "I hope I continue to improve and that we can get some good results in the next few weeks. I'm feeling good; I've been fighting for my place for a while and unfortunately I got my chance through a red card but you have to be ready and hopefully I can put in some good performances and help the Team.

"The injury forced me to miss the Olympics. It would have been nice to have been involved but I wasn't available."

Fulham have now suffered two straight defeats and face a tough trip to rivals Chelsea on Wednesday night.

"It's always a hard game against Chelsea," said Senderos. "We know what we have to do when we go there and hopefully we can continue in the same character that we showed against Stoke, especially in the second half.

"Last year against Chelsea we got good results in both league games so hopefully we can go there on Wednesday and do the same again."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/november/26/a-harsh-result?

[WhiteJC]

 
Academy Fixture Amendments

Supporters are advised that, owing to a pitch problem at Brentford's Griffin Park, Monday evening's match against Chelsea U21s will now be played at their training ground in Cobham.

This match will be played behind closed doors and, therefore, no spectators will be admitted.

In addition, our U18 match originally scheduled for Wednesday 28th November has been postponed and will now take place at Motspur Park on Wednesday 19th December (12pm).


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/november/26/u21-match-amendment?

[WhiteJC]

 
Davies returns to training for Fulham

Fulham's midfielder Simon Davies has returned to training after missing out on the whole season so far with a variety of problems including a hip and knee injury. Davies' hip problem required an operation and he was not expected to make a return to the Fulham side until the new year however it seems as if he is now a few weeks ahead of schedule.
So far, Davies has only made one appearance for Fulham in an under-21 game at the end of August.

Speaking about his return, Fulham boss Martin Jol said on Thursday

Simon Davies will return to full training next week so he will be back. It will be good to have Simon back. He has been unlucky so hopefully he can stay injury-free and have a good run.

Speaking in October, Davies said

I hope I'll be able to start running over the weekend and crack on with training next week. If all goes to plan I should be back and available by the end of the month. I hope I'll only miss two or three games at the most. It's been frustrating, but it's just one of those things.



http://injuryleague.com/2012/11/davies-returns-to-training-for-fulham/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham keeper David Stockdale is hoping to make an impression in his loan spell at Hull City


David Stockdale: Hopes to make an impression whilst on loan at Hull City

David Stockdale is hoping that his loan spell at Hull City can put him in good stead to eventually take the number one shirt at Fulham.

The 27-year old has not featured for the Cottagers since February, due to the form of Mark Schwarzer, and he has been sent out on loan to the KC Stadium in a bid to play some first-team football.

Stockdale is hoping he can make an impression in his short stay with the Tigers.

"It's a terrific opportunity for me. I have been struggling to get games in the Premier League because we have been doing well at Fulham," he said in the Daily Mirror.

"They want me to stay and hopefully, take Mark's gloves when he has finished. If I do well here, you never know what could happen in the future."

Stockdale made his debut in Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Burnley and he admitted it took him a while to get into the game, saying: "You don't want to go into the game looking a little bit sloppy, but I felt a bit rusty in the first 10 minutes, especially when the first shot had a little swerve on it and hit me in the chest."



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11714/8285181?

[WhiteJC]

 
Longmeadz Kickn Success

Longmeadz Kickn is a social inclusion project delivered by Fulham FC Foundation in partnership with Epsom & Ewell Borough Council. The local estate-based programme, which has been running for a number of years, uses sport as a platform to help young people develop life skills and revitalise disadvantaged communities. The programme is aimed to engage 'at risk' young people, between 10 and 18 years, in sport and positive activities.

Football had been the main focus of the programme, until in February 2012 when Fulham FC Foundation launched girls-only street dance and zumba sessions in partnership with Award Winning Dance Instructor Leanne Pero, Founder of The Movement Factory, in order to engage more girls in the project.

The Longmeadz Kickn team has made considerable progress throughout the duration of the project. Paige Mollatt, a 15-year-old from Blenheim High School, is usually the only female member that attends the Longmead football sessions. Over the past few years, her determination and commitment to the group has resulted in her being one of the highest attending members of the programme and her engagement within the team has been extremely professional and of great quality. With a strong personality, Paige has truly become a valued member of the team, resulting in her being nominated for Young Personality of the Year in 2011.

In the last few months Paige has matured into a goal-minded individual, improving beyond the coaches' initial expectations. In previous sessions Paige was known for her bad language and had struggled with her behaviour. The Fulham FC Foundation coaches knew to raise this issue in her personal action plan, in the hope that she would acknowledge and develop her performance in sessions. Over the past couple of months, the coaches have seen a massive improvement in not only her language but in her overall behaviour and aptitude in embracing new skills and the understanding of each individual session.

In addition to her skills development, Paige has started to think about her future career goals and has been attending workshops based on areas such as Event Planning, Self Esteem, Diet and Nutrition and Volunteering & Business Enterprise. She completed all workshops on the programme but really excelled in Event Planning, as she led part of the session on her own, putting together the rules for a tournament involving the whole group.

Paige is still currently in school, however she wants to pursue a career in sport when she leaves and already has her mind set on the college she would like to apply for.  Fulham FC Foundation coaches and youth workers are helping her look into the best course for her chosen career path.

Paul Smithers, Fulham FC Foundation Lead Coach, added:

"Paige seems to lead by example and has a drive to complete objectives she has set herself. She currently plays for AFC Wimbledon ladies team and I think she could progress there, as she is still young. We as her coaches will encourage her to excel herself in the hope that she will be able follow her dream of becoming a PE teacher or coach.

"Paige has been a major part of the project's achievement and we will be keeping an eye on her to make sure she keeps on the correct path and becomes as successful as we all know she can be."

If you are interested in helping to fund or joining the Longmeadz project, please contact Fulham FC Foundation on 0870 442 5432 or visit www.fulhamfc.com/foundation.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/november/26/longmeadz-kickn-success?