Monday Fulham Stuff (19/04/10)

[WhiteJC]

http://www.tribalfootball.com/baird-hodgson-has-transformed-fulham-sanchez-days-778631
Baird: Hodgson has transformed Fulham from Sanchez days

Fulham defensive utility Chris Baird admits manager Roy Hodgson has completely transformed the club.

Baird says there's a chasm between the way they're playing now and under previous manager Lawrie Sanchez.

Baird told the Sunday Times: "The style Lawrie had was more from the time he was international manager — a lot of long-ball stuff — and that is what killed him, whereas Roy Hodgson has got us playing some really nice football. On the floor and pass and move."

Drafted in on a caretaker basis in April 2007 while still managing the national team, Sanchez did enough to keep Fulham in the Premier League that season but with the team back in the relegation zone the next season, and being booed off by their own fans, Sanchez was sacked at Christmas.

"Lawrie was a very quiet man," says Baird. "He would just deal with things with his staff and not come to players and speak to them one to one, as much as what Roy Hodgson does. Roy Hodgson would do it every day. He comes out, he shakes your hand, says good morning and all the little things like that.

"It makes a big difference. If you have any problems as well you can speak to him and if you are not doing well he will speak to you.

"His man management skills are a lot better. Still, you've got to give respect to Lawrie and not slag him off."

[WhiteJC]

http://hammyend.com/?p=6990
More hot air from the transfer journalists?
by Tor on April 18, 2010

The Screws of the World suggest that we might be about to sign John Carew for around £3.5m – on the basis that he's bought an apartment in nearby Battersea. That's some quality stalking and excellent mathematics (Norway + Roy + riverside apartment = FFC) on what must be a bit of a slow news day.

I have to admit to not having picked Carew up on my radar so I don't know an awful lot about him. Would Roy sign another forward though? I'd have thought we have just about enough cover in that area – not that I'd refuse someone of Carew's quality and experience of course. I also can't see Roy paying £3.5m for a player – as Dan pointed out yesterday the £4m being mooted for Marc Wilson is a lot for a club like Fulham, and I'm not sure 500k is enough of a difference for Roy to think "Bargain!". Only time will tell I suppose.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.football.virginmedia.com/page/Football/PremierLeague/Headlines/0,,12555~2028187,00.html
Hodgson fears eruption disruption

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson fears his side's travel plans for this Thursday's Europa League semi-final against Hamburg could be thrown into jeopardy by the volcanic ash cloud that has caused travel chaos across Europe.

UEFA are expected to announce on Monday whether or not they intend to let Fulham's first leg in Hamburg go ahead and Hodgson confirmed that European football's governing boday had been in touch with the club during Saturday`s 0-0 Barclays Premier League draw with Wolves.

"One of UEFA's concerns is that it should be fair and that their opponents don't have to go through hell and high water to get to the game," Hodgson explained.

"An ideal scenario would be that the volcanic ash clears up and we can fly over to Germany.

"It's totally and utterly linked to if there are flights. If there are no flights then the only option is to get a train and bus to Hamburg.

"There could still be a further problem because there might be no trains or coaches to travel on but I'm confident UEFA will resolve the problem."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.tribalfootball.com/fulham-boss-hodgson-insists-hangeland-okay-hamburg-777741
Fulham boss Hodgson insists Hangeland okay for Hamburg

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson expects Brede Hangeland to be available for their Europa League semifinal at Hamburg.

Hangeland was absent from the Cottagers' starting XI for their 0-0 draw with Wolves after his wife went into labour this morning.

Hodgson hopes that the Norway centre half will be available for Thursday though, should the volcanic ash cloud disappear.

"Hangeland would have played had she not but we hope that he becomes a father for the second time by Monday and by Tuesday he'll be back in training and ready to play in Hamburg," said Hodgson.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/10/04/18/SOCCER_Fulham_Nightlead.html&TEAMHD=soccer
GERA DESPERATE TO PLAY PART

Zoltan Gera cannot wait to play his part in Thursday's Europa League semi-final against Hamburg - should UEFA give the green light for the game to go ahead.

Thursday's first leg in Germany is in doubt after a volcanic ash cloud caused by an erupting Icelandic volcano continued to linger across Europe's skies.

The cloud has caused major disruption to flights across Europe and Britain's airports will remain shut until at least 7pm on Sunday night.

UEFA will meet on Monday to decide whether or not next week's Europa League and Champions League semi-finals should go ahead.

Gera has been an unlikely hero in Fulham's Europa League campaign, where they have seen off the likes of Juventus, Wolfsburg and UEFA Cup champions Shakhtar Donetsk to make the last four.

He has played all but one of the club's European games this season having moved up from midfield to develop a strong partnership with Bobby Zamora in the absence of injured record signing Andy Johnson.

Gera's double strike against Serie A giants Juve also helped him become a fans' favourite and now the Hungarian is desperate to play on Thursday night - providing UEFA sanction the match.

"For me it is the big one, I have not been involved in a game like this before," said Gera, who has 10 goals in 42 appearances so far this season.

"It's the biggest that I have ever been part of, and hopefully I will be involved. But it's not just an important one for me, but for everyone at the club.

"It's one that we're all looking forward to, and another step on what has been a fantastic journey.

"Hamburg are a good side, we know that, but so were Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Wolfsburg. We know that on our day we are more than a match for any side. So we'll go there with the belief that we can do well."

Fulham had planned to fly by private jet to the north German city on Wednesday morning and train at the 57,000 capacity HSH Nordbank on the night before the match.

While the journey would take little more than an hour by plane, should flights remain grounded, Roy Hodgson's team would have to either catch a ferry or train to mainland Europe and then endure an arduous journey by road or rail to Hamburg.

Hodgson doubts whether that would be feasible given many of those stranded in Britain are using the same method to get back to Europe now.

He said: "If there are no flights on Wednesday we'd have to get the train across the channel tunnel and then a train or a bus to Hamburg.

"That causes extra problems because from what I understand at the moment it's not very easy to get train tickets and it's not easy to find buses to travel on.

"Even if UEFA thought that the best solution was that a club should travel 15 or 16 hours rather than the normal travel time - then that might not be possible because there might not be buses or trains for us to travel on."

Hodgson revealed after Saturday's 0-0 Barclays Premier League draw with Wolves that striker Erik Nevland would leave for Norwegian side Viking Stavanger at the end of the season.

Hodgson had hoped to tempt Nevland to stay at Craven Cottage with a new one-year deal but the 32-year-old has decided to return to the club where he started his career.

"He's a marvellous player, a fantastic professional and a very good footballer," said Hodgson of the former Manchester United player.

"He has played a major part in the success we have had in the two and a half years he has been at the club and I must congratulate Viking on the signing. He'll score lots of goals for them."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.teamtalk.com/fulham/6101239/Gera-relishing-trip-to-Hamburg
Gera relishing trip to Hamburg

Zoltan Gera is desperate to play in Thursday's Europa League semi-final against Hamburg - if UEFA give the game the green light to go ahead.

Thursday's first leg in Germany is in doubt after a volcanic ash cloud caused by an erupting Icelandic volcano continues to linger across Europe's skies.

The cloud has caused major disruption to flights across Europe, and Britain's airports will remain shut until at least 7pm on Sunday night.

UEFA will meet on Monday to decide whether or not next week's Europa League and Champions League semi-finals should go ahead.

Gera has been one of the heroes of Fulham's Europa League campaign, where they have seen off the likes of Juventus, Wolfsburg and UEFA Cup champions Shakhtar Donetsk to make the last four.

He has played all but one of the club's European games this season having moved up from midfield to develop a strong partnership with Bobby Zamora in the absence of injured record signing Andy Johnson.

Now the Hungarian is desperate to play on Thursday night - providing UEFA sanction the match.

"For me it is the big one, I have not been involved in a game like this before," said Gera, who has 10 goals in 42 appearances so far this season.

"It's the biggest that I have ever been part of, and hopefully I will be involved. But it's not just an important one for me, but for everyone at the club.

"It's one that we're all looking forward to, and another step on what has been a fantastic journey.

"Hamburg are a good side, we know that, but so were Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Wolfsburg. We know that on our day we are more than a match for any side. So we'll go there with the belief that we can do well."

Fulham had planned to fly by private jet to the north German city on Wednesday morning and train at the 57,000 capacity HSH Nordbank on the night before the match.

While the journey would take little more than an hour by plane, should flights remain grounded, Roy Hodgson's team would have to either catch a ferry or train to mainland Europe and then endure an arduous journey by road or rail to Hamburg.

Hodgson doubts whether that would be feasible given many of those stranded in Britain are using the same method to get back to Europe now.

He said: "If there are no flights on Wednesday we'd have to get the train across the channel tunnel and then a train or a bus to Hamburg.

"That causes extra problems because from what I understand at the moment it's not very easy to get train tickets and it's not easy to find buses to travel on.

"Even if UEFA thought that the best solution was that a club should travel 15 or 16 hours rather than the normal travel time - then that might not be possible because there might not be buses or trains for us to travel on."

Hodgson revealed after Saturday's 0-0 Premier League draw with Wolves that striker Erik Nevland would leave for Norwegian side Viking Stavanger at the end of the season.

Hodgson had hoped to tempt Nevland to stay at Craven Cottage with a new one-year deal but the 32-year-old has decided to return to the club where he started his career.

"He's a marvellous player, a fantastic professional and a very good footballer," said Hodgson of the former Manchester United player.

"He has played a major part in the success we have had in the two and a half years he has been at the club and I must congratulate Viking on the signing. He'll score lots of goals for them."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2010/4/18/1428985/analysis-of-my-5-keys-to-victory
Analysis of My 5 Keys to Victory for Fulham Against Wolverhampton

Fulham played Wolverhampton yesterday to a 0 - 0 draw. This games was a defensive struggle with both teams having a hard time creating scoring chances. It was a frustrating game to watch.  After each match I analyze my "keys to the match" to see if they were factors in the game. Below is the "analysis of my 5 keys to victory for Fulham against Wolverhampton."   

1. Will John Pantsil be starting for Fulham tomorrow?  John Pantsil did not play in this match. It is hard to say if he would have had a huge impact in this particular match. Chris Baird I thought did a nice job at right back. He has been solid in filling in for Pantsil. This key to me was a non-factor.

2. Fulham need to contain Kevin Doyle.  I have to say I was impressed by Kevin Doyle for Wolverhampton. He had a few chances in the match. In one situation he seemed a little surprised the ball fell to him. He did not capitalize on this situation. Fulham's defense for the most part did contain him. I thought Aaron Hughes did a really nice job on defense. In this key Fulham definitely succeeded.

3. Danny Murphy needs to control the midfield.  Wolverhampton in general came to play yesterday. They made it difficult for Fulham to control the game. Danny Murphy definitely battled in the midfield. Many times I noticed it was a tough area of the field for both sides. This is an area of the field that no team really controlled. The lack of control in the midfield was probably a factor in the match.

4. Who will be playing on the left side of the midfield?  Simon Davies played this position yesterday. It was nice to see him back after being out a few matches. I thought he was effective, but again Fulham could not score a goal. This key to me was a non - factor in the match.

5. If Fulham score early in the first half they can completely control this match.  Fulham actually did have some great pressure in the first 5 minutes of the match. I think they missed an opportunity by scoring an early goal in this period. As the first half went on Wolverhampton settled down and became more and more difficult to breakdown. Both teams being so disciplined made it very difficult to score. The lack of an early goal by Fulham probably helped with the confidence of Wolverhampton. This key was probably a factor in the match.

In concluding I don't think my "keys"were major factors in this match. This game was about the  Wolverhampton defense. Fulham could not effectively get the ball to Bobby Zamora on a consistent basis. Jody Craddock and Christophe Berra for Wolverhampton were all over Zamora.  Bobby had a tough time with these 2 players. To me they were the difference in this match. Zamora did have a great opportunity to score. He had a great strike in the second half that hit the post. Unfortunately, there weren't enough opportunities for Zamora and Gera. At Craven Cottage yesterday, Defense was the difference in the match

[WhiteJC]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=773040&sec=uefachampionsleague&cc=5739&cc=5739
Champions League ties to go ahead as planned

UEFA has confirmed that this week's Champions League ties will go ahead as planned despite the volcanic ash clouds restricting air travel around Europe.

Barcelona will travel to Italy to face Inter Milan by coach on Sunday and expect to train on Monday ahead of Tuesday's game, while French side Lyon are set to make a similar journey to Germany to face Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

A statement on the UEFA website read: "Both of this week's UEFA Champions League semi-final first legs will go ahead as scheduled this week despite the current restriction on European air travel due to the volcanic cloud.

"The refereeing team that has been announced for the match on Tuesday is so far maintained and a backup appointment has been prepared in case it should prove necessary to make a replacement.

"Both visiting teams have taken all the necessary steps to rearrange their travel plans to ensure they reach their match venues on time. FC Barcelona are away to FC Internazionale Milano at 20.45CET on Tuesday and Olympique Lyonnais are at FC Bayern Munchen 24 hours later."

Liverpool and Fulham are due to travel to Spain and Germany respectively this week for their Europa League semi-final first legs, but UEFA has yet to decide whether those games will take place.

The statement continued: "A decision will be taken in the coming days about Thursday's two UEFA Europa League matches: Club Atletico de Madrid v Liverpool FC and Hamburger SV v Fulham FC, as well as for the UEFA Futsal Cup finals in Lisbon from Friday. However, Sunday's UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final between Umea IK and Lyon in Sweden was postponed as the French side were unable to travel."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/gera-desperate-to-play-his-part-
Gera desperate to play his part

Zoltan Gera cannot wait to play his part in Thursday's Europa League semi-final against Hamburg - should UEFA give the green light for the game to go ahead following travel disruption caused by the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud.

Gera has been an unlikely hero in Fulham's Europa League campaign, where they have seen off the likes of Juventus, Wolfsburg and UEFA Cup champions Shakhtar Donetsk to make the last four.

"For me it is the big one, I have not been involved in a game like this before," said Gera, who has 10 goals in 42 appearances so far this season.

"It's the biggest that I have ever been part of, and hopefully I will be involved. But it's not just an important one for me, but for everyone at the club.

"Hamburg are a good side, we know that, but so were Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Wolfsburg. We know that on our day we are more than a match for any side. So we'll go there with the belief that we can do well."

Fulham had planned to fly by private jet to the north German city on Wednesday morning and train at the 57,000 capacity HSH Nordbank on the night before the match.

While the journey would take little more than an hour by plane, should flights remain grounded, Roy Hodgson's team would have to either catch a ferry or train to mainland Europe and then endure an arduous journey by road or rail to Hamburg.

Meanwhile, Hodgson revealed after Sunday's 0-0 Barclays Premier League draw with Wolves that striker Erik Nevland would leave for Norwegian side Viking Stavanger at the end of the season.

Hodgson had hoped to tempt Nevland to stay at Craven Cottage with a new one-year deal but the 32-year-old has decided to return to the club where he started his career.

"He's a marvellous player, a fantastic professional and a very good footballer," said Hodgson of the former Manchester United forward. "He has played a major part in the success we have had in the two and a half years he has been at the club and I must congratulate Viking on the signing. He'll score lots of goals for them."

[WhiteJC]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=772683&sec=uefaeuropaleague&cc=5739
Hodgson: Hamburg tie in doubt

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson fears his side's travel plans for this Thursday's Europa League semi-final against Hamburg could be thrown into jeopardy by the volcanic ash cloud that has caused travel chaos across Europe.

UEFA is expected to announce on Monday whether or not it intends to let Fulham's first leg in Hamburg go ahead. British airspace is closed until at least 7am Sunday morning.

Hodgson confirmed that UEFA has been in touch with the club during this afternoon's 0-0 Premier League draw with Wolves. He now hopes that the ash blows over to allow Fulham to fly to Hamburg on Wednesday morning as originally planned.

"UEFA have been in touch with the club and the English FA are in touch with the matter,'' Hodgson said. "One of UEFA's concerns is that it should be fair and that their opponents don't have to go through hell and high water to get to the game.

"An ideal scenario would be that the volcanic ash clears up and we can fly over to Germany. It's totally and utterly linked to if there are flights. If there are no flights then the only option is to get a train and bus to Hamburg.

"There could still be a further problem because there might be no trains or coaches to travel on but I'm confident UEFA will resolve the problem.''

Hodgson was delighted to have picked up no fresh injuries ahead of Thursday's clash, as they look to extend a European campaign which has already seen them account for the likes of Juventus, Wolfsburg and Shakhtar Donetsk. Brede Hangeland was absent from the Cottagers' starting XI against Wolves after his wife went into labour on Saturday morning.

Hodgson hopes that the Norway centre half will be available for Thursday though, should the volcanic ash cloud disappear.

"Hangeland would have played had she not but we hope that he becomes a father for the second time by Monday and by Tuesday he'll be back in training and ready to play in Hamburg,'' Hodgson said.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=195697
Big John Carew to move to Fulham?
It appears that the tabloids have unearthed a story of Aston Villa's forward buying a pad in the Fulham area, sparking rumours of him joining Fulham!

If this happens, though he is 30, I think he would be a great buy as he is both great in the air and with the ball at his feet and he holds the ball up well.

He has not featured much in Martin O'Neil's side this season and with rumours of the manager leaving and John looking for regular football, it makes sense he would want to join the Mighty Whites.

From what I have seen he also has a great work ethic. Could be a great partner for Bobby, but also could play that role if Bobby is injured and could also link well with AJ.

[WhiteJC]

http://hammyend.com/?p=6996
He's in Ruud health
by Dan on April 18, 2010

Ian Hawkey, who I understand has a soft spot for Fulham, paints a worrying picture of Ruud van Nistelrooy's potency for Hamburg in today's Sunday Times. Of course, the former Manchester United man likes scoring against the Whites.

Hawkey chose to highlight his much-heralded mazy dribble away from a trail of Fulham defenders that has been drooled over ever since. He doesn't mention the crafty use of his trailing arm to deliver a sneaky elbow to Sylvain Legwinski as the Frenchman tried to close him down.

Our first game back in the top flight seems ages ago but I can remember it as clear as day. Louis Saha lobbing the keeper delightfully and then scoring a second for as the newcomers retook the lead at Old Trafford. Of course, we all know that van Nistelrooy popped up with a couple of goals to pinch the three points.

Charged with stopping him on Thursday, will be Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes. Over to you, boys.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.tribune.ie/sport/soccer/article/2010/apr/18/kellys-eye-on-europe/
Kelly's Eye On Europe

Stephen Kelly is developing a habit for throwing up statistical quirks. At Birmingham, he played every single minute of their 2007/08 Premier League campaign, the full 3,420 plus injury time, the only outfield player in the league to do so that season. His numbers at Fulham this season may not be as comprehensive but they're just as interesting. As of this week, the full-back has played more games in Europe for his club than he has in the domestic league, making him a unique specimen. Where most Premier League footballers are used to the frantic pace of English football, Kelly is fast becoming a player equally attuned to the continental game.

"I suppose that's just the way things have worked out," laughs the 26-year-old when confronted with the stat. His Europa Cup season started way back on 6 August with a start against Vetra Vilinius at Craven Cottage and he's lined out against Amkar Perm of Russia, CSKA Sofia, Basle, Roma, Shakhtar Donetsk and Juventus since. In all, Kelly has started 10 European games as opposed to seven in the Premier League. At this point, you'd figure the full-back could pen an interesting guide to the variances of football on the continent.

"It's been a long season but I've enjoyed every second of it," he says. "It was so frustrating to be injured for the two Wolfsburg games because I think I played in nearly every European game before that. But the experience has been brilliant. There's been some amazing moments, games that will stay with me forever and the Fulham fans as well I'm sure. The Juventus game at Craven Cottage obviously, stood out. There aren't many players who can say they were part of a team to beat Juventus 4-1. That was an amazing night but so were the games against Shakhtar Donesk, both home and away. They were a brilliant team, the holders, and we put in two magnificent performances."

Fulham's long European march continues on Thursday when they travel – volcanoes in Iceland permitting, that is – to Hamburg to take on the locals in the semi-final. From the outside, it's a minor miracle that they've actually got this far. With what looks on paper to be an average group of players, Roy Hodgson has moulded a team in the truest sense of the word. It has been refreshing to watch, if not a little puzzling, but for Kelly there is no great mystery behind what Fulham have achieved this season. "It's down to a few things, really," he explains. "We've worked very hard in training on shape, we've practiced what we've wanted to do and then gone out and done it during matches. We've been very confident in what we're doing on the pitch and that has given us an incredible self-belief."

The signing of Kelly last summer is a good example of how Hodgson goes about his business. The full-back has always been a steady player, one who perhaps struggled a little at Tottenham, the club where he started his career, but who was clearly a step above the general quality of the Championship when at Birmingham. Hodgson tried but failed to sign him in the summer of 2008 but he persisted because he knew that besides having a sound grasp of football's basics, Kelly was a bright individual, a player not only capable of following any instruction delivered his way, but of interpreting it in an intelligent manner. The current Fulham squad is full of solid footballers equipped with sharp minds and that is how, without a lot of investment, the club have prospered this season.

As has Kelly. In the March friendly against Brazil in London, he was arguably the best Irish player on the night: calm, composed and confident on the ball. Giovanni Trapattoni certainly seemed to be impressed and you can't help but get the sense that Kelly's experience of European football is not only going to be of benefit to him in the development of his overall game, but also in the way his international manager views him. "I certainly hope this Europa Cup run will have caught his [Trapattoni's] eye," says Kelly. "I don't think it will do me any harm, anyway. When you think about it, it's another string to my bow. If you're playing regularly in the Premier League as opposed to the Championship that's one thing, but to have played regularly in European competition has to be a help when trying to impress an international manager. After my experiences this season I suppose I can make him think, 'He's been there, done that, he's performed on the European stage'."

With his consistent form of recent months, Kelly clearly has his sights on becoming Ireland's first-choice right-back for the 2012 European qualifying campaign. "There's competition for the right-back slot, there's no doubt about that and I suppose in some ways it depends where the manager wants to play John [O'Shea]. But I'm a natural right-back. I've played there my entire career and I think I did well there against Brazil, I was happy with my performance. I do believe there's a chance for me to go out and make the spot my own."

Kelly sees similarities between his club and international managers, a pair who are believed to be in regular contact. "They have quite a lot in common when you think about it. I suppose they're both quite regimented in how they want their teams to go about their business. They make sure that everybody in the team knows exactly what their job is on the pitch. They do the same kind of drills in training. There are a lot of similarities."

Certainly, there is a parallel to be drawn between the way, given their far from bountiful resources, Trapattoni brought Ireland to the cusp of the World Cup and Hodgson has led Fulham to the Europa League semi-finals. Kelly, however, is hoping that over the course of the next two Thursdays against Hamburg, the campaign not yet finished will have a happier ending then the other one he was involved in. "It sounds like such a cliché but you can never underestimate the Germans," he says. "Technically, they're going to be very good, I'd imagine they'll be similar in some ways to Wolfsburg. It's going to be a difficult match but we have a great belief in ourselves at the moment."

As for the strange and interesting statistics, Kelly could play his part in another interesting one in the coming weeks. The last two Irish footballers to win a Uefa Cup medal were a full-back and winger playing for a London club who wore white. All going well in the next few weeks, Kelly and Damien Duff could be the new Chris Hughton and Tony Galvin, 26 years on.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.clicklancashire.com/sport/wigan-athletic-fc/126660-fulham-fc-and-stoke-city-on-alert-as-paul-scharner-future-in-doubt-at-wigan-athletic.html
Fulham FC and Stoke City on alert as Paul Scharner future in doubt at Wigan Athletic

Wigan Athletic boss Roberto Martinez has revealed he will discuss the future of Paul Scharner at the end of the season.

30-year-old Scharner is out of contract in the summer having been with at the DW Stadium for four years.

Martinez's admission will put known suitors Fulham on notice and it is believed that Stoke City are also interested.

"We're in a position where we need to stay in the Premier League, and that's our aim," said the Spaniard.

"There are six clubs fighting to avoid the remaining two relegation places, and that's not going to change until late in the campaign.

"We need to sort that out first, which is our priority, and then at the end of the season we will sit down and see how Paul (Scharner) is feeling, and we'll make a decision.

"Paul has been here long enough, he knows the club well enough, and I'm sure he'll have the right feeling to determine his future."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.footballeconomy.com/content/fulham-need-restructure-debt
Fulham need to restructure debt

Fulham need to restructure their debt to meet Uefa rules if they are to replicate their success in Europe this season in future years.   Since Mohammed-al-Fayed took over in 1967 they have accumulated £167.6m of debt.   They lost £7.5m in the financial year ending in 2008 and £15.2m in 2007.

They are in many respects the prototypical  benefactor club.  If Manchester City lost their benefactor, they would still have a big stadium and a substantial support base.   Fulham face competition from other London clubs that have built up larger followings over the years.   But in many ways they have often punched above their weight on the pitch.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1267070/Fulham-0-Wolves-0-Aaron-Hughes-lines-Ruud-viewing-ahead-European-tour.html?ITO=1490
Fulham 0 Wolves 0: Aaron Hughes lines up a Ruud viewing ahead of European tour

Aaron Hughes will be watching DVDs of Ruud van Nistelrooy on Monday, as he works out how to shackle the Hamburg danger man ahead of Fulham's Europa League semi-final on Thursday.

Volcanic ash has put the trip in doubt, but Hughes says he is desperate to reward chairman Mohamed Al Fayed for his investment in the club by bringing the European trophy home to south-west London.

But when asked where Fulham's trophy cabinet is, Northern Ireland captain Hughes admitted: 'I don't know, actually.'

You can't really blame him. They have never won a major trophy, with their biggest honour being the 2002 Intertoto Cup.
Hughes wants the Egyptian multi-millionaire to be the man who starts decorating Fulham's bare shelves.

'He has done a lot for this club and if we could bring the trophy back for him, it would make him extremely proud,' said the former Newcastle and Aston Villa defender. 'Not only for him, but for the fans and us, too.

'There are a lot of us who haven't won anything in football — certainly nothing of that prestige.'

Speaking of his pivotal role keeping an eye on Van Nistelrooy, Hughes added: 'A few of us, including me, have played against him before. He's a strong, physical presence and he has a lot of ability. He will be a threat.'

Hughes added that it would be a huge blow to the club to go out of Europe at this stage of the tournament.
'That's a view shared by a lot of people. All those games that we played, all those games that were changed to a Sunday from a Saturday and that extra effort we have had to put in.

'We have to make sure it won't be for nothing and get to the final.'

It is incredible to think that just two years ago, Fulham were in an even worse position than Wolverhampton and were lucky to escape relegation.

This result should help Wolves ease to safety, as they maintain their six-point cushion above the drop zone.

It was a tight game of few chances, with Bobby Zamora coming closest to breaking the deadlock when he turned Jody Craddock and struck a fierce, 25-yard effort off the post after 65 minutes.

There was only one shot on target during the 90 minutes. Wolves have ground out three 0-0s in four games to edge closer to safety, but boss Mick McCarthy has never panicked during their run-in.

'I've been relaxed all season,' he said. 'It's just been everyone else going mad around me.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1267070/Fulham-0-Wolves-0-Aaron-Hughes-lines-Ruud-viewing-ahead-European-tour.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0lWl802xT

[WhiteJC]

http://fulham.theoffside.com/team-news/fulhamwolves-0-0-pretty-football.html
Fulham/Wolves 0-0 Pretty Football

It's odd that during this time of the year, when the weather is becoming quite beautiful and the days longer, the quality of play often drops off considerably. In fact, April — despite being amazing in every other way — is my least favorite footballing month.

Sure, games in the dearth of January aren't often spectacles. But we don't expect them to be. Instead, on gorgeous sunny days like Saturday we hope that the warm weather removes the players from hibernation and we fans get to see free-flowing football. But it doesn't happen for a myriad of reasons. Bear with me as I haphazardly explain the reasons why:

Exhaustion
Footballers aren't robots, and the season is long and grueling. You could probably even argue that the season is really 12 months long with a 6-week (if that?) summer break. As a result, players and clubs tend to hit a wall, especially if the squad is small. Villa last year, and partially this year, are probably a prime example of this. Mental lapses or bad breaks become amplified because you lack that extra 10-percent to play at 110 percent and overcome like you did in October.

Survival
You're probably not going down, but it's still a mathematical possibility. So what to do? Well, grind out every single point you can. Don't play afraid or not to lose, but also don't throw much forward. Keep it organized, keep it simple, keep the point. Wolves today personified this, and you can't really blame them for doing it.

Relegation
You've either been relegated or it's imminent without any glimmer of hope. Some players quit on their managers to prove a point while others play for the summer transfer fee and a ticket out of purgatory. It's never pretty, and only the fans usually have to suffer. Sometimes clubs in the relegation zone can go on a tear, pulling themselves up from the mire to achieve "The Great Escape." But it often requires teams above them in the Relegation or Survival mode to play some poor football.

Conservation
You're in the final stages of Europe, and you don't want any injuries. Fulham benefited from this during greatly the 2006-07 season when Rafa Benitez put out a JV squad to focus on the Champions League. As a result, Fulham won and stayed up. Conversely, Fulham did this a few weeks ago at Hull and gave them a (temporary?) lifeline to survival. And although the squad was about the same Saturday as we'll see on Thursday, it was evident that is where Roy's attention laid.

Cruise Control
Quite possibly the worst category to be in of the four for us fans. Your league position is safe, but you have no cup competitions of European qualifying places to play for. The players don't give up per se but there is an apathetic atmosphere around the grounds, boards, and blogs. The good part of being here is that you can enjoy the games for what they are: games. But with rising ticket prices it seems harder to justify spending so much on something seemingly insignificant.

So what does all this have to do with Saturday's draw? Well, everything.

Fulham are in conservation mode, with the only thing left playing for is the Europa League title. Although Wolves are probably not going down, it's still a mathematical possibility. So they are resorting to Survival tactics, playing uber-defensively and latching onto every point like it will be their last.

Which is why Saturday's encounter saw one shot on target and Roy not just not making any substitutions, but keeping two strikers on the bench. At home. To Wolves. Who are in 15th spot.

Ho hum.

And for those keeping count, it's been 269 minutes since Fulham has scored and 389 since Wolves has scored.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/169963/Fulham-settle-for-stalemate
FULHAM SETTLE FOR STALEMATE

IT isn't an election issue just yet, but Wolves and Fulham put up a pretty good case for capital punishment yesterday.


Wolves because this was their third, and arguably their most important, visit to London this season.

Fulham because they played a major part in a truly archetypal bore draw.

But remarkably most partisans will have left Craven Cottage with broad smiles on their faces last night. Not because of what they saw, but because of what the result means to them.

A point for Wolves was another step nearer the Premier League survival they just about deserve, while Fulham came through unscathed ahead of a Europa Cup semi-final against Hamburg on Thursday that was clearly much more on their minds than the visitors were yesterday.

It was more like cricket weather, but quite frankly there was never any danger of a score to match it.

Too much at stake for Wolves and too much to worry about pre-Hamburg for Fulham for that.

In fact, there were so few shots at goal in the first half-hour that goalkeepers Marcus Hahnemann and Mark Schwarzer could have gone to the loo and still missed nothing.

Neither side managed a single shot on target during a period in which we learned more about safety-first than the St John Ambulance Brigade could teach you at night classes.

So imagine the gasps when Wolves' lone striker Kevin Doyle let fly with one that rattled the side-netting on 35 minutes.

You could almost hear the cry: Where did that come from?

And you know what? When Diddy David Hamilton announced there were going to be two minutes of added time in the first half you would have sworn there were groans, from the Fulham end in particular.

To be fair Wolves, still in need of at least one win to secure their Premier League survival, were the more positive – probably because they had to be.

And head-bandaged skipper Jody Craddock was a real rock at the back.

Fulham on the other hand have that Europa Cup semi-final in less than five days time – and it showed.

No one could excuse them for a lack of effort, but let's say Gamblers Anonymous would have been proud of them for long periods yesterday.

True, they did liven up somewhat after the break and Danny Murphy and Chris Baird briefly woke Hahnemann and the otherwise resolute Craddock from their slumbers.

And they really ought to have got their noses in front on 62 minutes when Baird put Damien Duff clean through with a peach of a pass in the best move of the match up until then. But the Irishman delayed what should have been a first-time shot long enough for George Elokobi to get in a crucial tackle.

And when Bobby Zamora hit the post soon afterwards the sudden surge of meaningful activity came as something of a culture shock!

Having cottoned on to the fact that Wolves were more interested in survival than adventure, Fulham dominated from thereon and, with a bit more belief, should have won it on the day.

Duff was always a second-half danger and Zamora didn't do his World Cup hopes any harm either.

Wolves? They were just grateful to move one step nearer another season in the top flight.

And the cheers of relief from their large travelling army of supporters said it all – even though they haven't seen their side score for more than six hours

[WhiteJC]

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/premiership/hodgson-concern-over-europa-tie-as-air-chaos-continues-14772059.html

Hodgson concern over Europa tie as air chaos continues


Roy Hodgson has asked Uefa not to force Fulham to travel by land and sea to Hamburg for Thursday's Europa League semi-final should the flight restrictions caused by the cloud of volcanic ash over the UK continue.


Europe's governing body will make a decision today about the week's European fixtures, although it is expected Lyons and Barcelona will journey by rail for the first legs of their respective Champions League semi-finals against Bayern Munich and Internazionale. Fulham manager Hodgson expects Uefa to make exceptions for Fulham and Liverpool because of the complication of getting to mainland Europe, with the Merseyside club away to Atletico Madrid.


"I'm convinced that's what Uefa want as well. Not just for us but the big teams left in the semi-finals of the Champions League and Europa League," Hodgson said.


"They will want to make sure there's no risk afterwards that one of the teams turns round and say it wasn't fair, that they had to travel 20 hours in difficult conditions, whereas when the next game is played the team can fly for an hour and be there to play.


"My hope remains that the volcanic ash will pass over or will no longer be deemed to be a problem and flights will continue. It would be nice to play the game as scheduled."


Hodgson, after his team's dreadful stalemate with Wolves, agreed that the advantage of playing the second leg at home could disappear: "It will be a disadvantage if we can't fly and are obliged to find other means of travel. One of the major difficulties will be finding that means of travel. It's not going to be easy. The trains are fully booked because there are no flights.


"If there is a solution, which might be to switch the games and make it a week later, and a week later again, then we'll happily abide by it."


Fulham (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Baird, Hughes, Smalling, Konchesky; Duff, Murphy, Etuhu, Davies; Zamora, Gera.


Substitutes not used: Zuberbühler (gk), Pantsil, Okaka, Nevland, Greening, Dikgacoi.


Wolves (4-1-4-1): Hahnemann; Zubar, Craddock, Berra, Elokobi; Mancienne; Foley, Edwards (Guedioura, 70), Jones (Milijas, 73), Jarvis (Iwelumo, 79); Doyle. Substitutes not used: Hennessey (gk), Ebanks-Blake, Ward, Halford.


Referee: M Dean (Wirral).


Booked: Fulham Zamora.


Man of the match: Craddock



Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/premiership/hodgson-concern-over-europa-tie-as-air-chaos-continues-14772059.html#ixzz0lWn1AxYZ

[WhiteJC]

http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/170143/Roy-Hodgson-hopes-Fulham-can-find-a-way-to-Germany/
ROY HODGSON HOPES FULHAM CAN FIND A WAY TO GERMANY

Having travelled stealthily under the radar for much of the competition there will be no little irony if Fulham find their attempts to get one foot in the Europa League final hampered by the volcanic ash which has grounded all air traffic.


But with UEFA expected to make a decision today on whether to postpone this week's ties , it could be that semi-final opponents Hamburg will have another week to assess the threat that Fulham pose.

The worst-case scenario according to manager Roy Hodgson, is that Fulham face a potentially long, difficult road or rail trip to get to the city in northern Germany for Thursday's game , then have Hamburg fly in for the return leg in comparative luxury.

More likely, however, given the gloomy warnings emanating both from the volcanologists and air traffic controllers, is that their match will be put back a week by UEFA, with the return leg at Craven Cottage seven days later.

Hodgson said: "You want it to be as level a playing field as possible and I'm sure UEFA want that too.

"They want to make sure there is no risk afterwards that one of the teams turns around and says, 'It wasn't fair that we had to travel 20 hours in difficult conditions'.

"But we'll deal with whatever situation occurs. It will be a disadvantage if we can't fly and are obliged to find other means of travel. Finding those other means will not be easy given the trains are fully booked.

"In addition, we wouldn't be able to contemplate booking until some time on Monday which is very, very late. If it turns out we are told we have to travel anyway, then we'll travel there the best we can and still do our best on the night."

Volcanic ash aside, the scouting report landing on the desk of Hamburg manager Bruno Labbadia this morning will not have a health warning on its cover, after Fulham failed to break down Wolves or muster a single shot on target.

The closest they came was when Bobby Zamora hit the woodwork in the second half. If a home fixture in the sunshine produces such results, no wonder Hodgson harbours fears about the possible negative effects of a gruelling road trip.

Wolves were not much better – their one effort on target was a tame header late in the day from Christophe Berra – but they emerged sweat-soaked from the clash delighted at having picked up another point on their way to Premier League safety.

Manager Mick McCarthy, however, refused to accept his club have already run clear of the clutches of relegation.

"Not yet. We still need some points," he said.

But he would concede his side were improving as a result of their continued exposure at the top level.

"I just hope we get a chance to get better again next season," he added.

For Hodgson and Fulham, that much is assured. But he accepted their season will not be judged on anything other than the next two games in the Europa League.

"We'll be trying hard in the next four Premier League games to finish as high as we can, but I can't say the league is now the priority," he said. "Finishing ninth, 10th, 11th or 12th is not as important as reaching a Europa League final."

Reaching the first leg of the semi, therefore, would be a start.

Fulham (4-4-2): Schwarzer 5; Baird 6, Hughes 7, Smalling 6, Konchesky 5; Duff 6, Murphy 5, Etuhu 6, Davies 5; Gera 6, Zamora 6. Booked: Zamora.

Wolves (4-5-1): Hahnemann 5; Zubar 5, Berra 7, Craddock 7, Elokobi 7; Mancienne 6; Foley 6, Edwards 5 (Guedioura 70, 5), Jones 5 (Milijas 72, 6), Jarvis 5 (Iwelumo 79, 5); Doyle 6.

Referee: M Dean (Wirral).fulham 0 wolves 0