Wednesday Fulham Stuff (21/04/10)

[WhiteJC]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/20/fulham-coach-europa-league-hamburg
Fulham to take coach to Europa League tie in Hamburg
• Fulham's trip to the away leg of their semi-final to take 12 hours
• Essex fast bowler Chris Martin to miss Lancashire match

Fulham have confirmed they will travel by road to Germany today for the first leg of their Europa League semi-final against Hamburg. Flights out of Britain continue to be disrupted by the volcanic ash cloud produced by the erupting Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull.

British airspace reopened this morning having been closed since Thursday, but it could close again this afternoon after the air traffic control company Nats warned the volcano could erupt again.

The Cottagers, who are seeking to reach the first European final in their history, had hoped to fly by private jet to Hamburg tomorrow morning. The team will instead board a luxurious coach to Folkestone this morning, where they will catch the Eurotunnel to Calais before driving to Hamburg on the same coach. It is anticipated that the approximate 600-mile journey will take between 10 and 12 hours to complete. A club spokesman said: "I can confirm that we will be travelling to Germany some time today in line with our contingency plans."

With airports set to close again this afternoon, it is unlikely the Fulham supporters who have bought airline tickets to Germany will be able to fly to Hamburg. Around 2,500 of them have tickets to the game and many are planning to travel by land.

In cricket, Essex will be without the New Zealand fast bowler Chris Martin for their County Championship match against Lancashire because of the travel disruption. The 35-year-old's arrival was put back owing to a delay in the processing of his visa and the situation has been compounded by the problems affecting air travel. Martin is not now expected to be available until next week. The Essex first-team head coach Paul Grayson said: "It's disappointing for both ourselves and the player but unfortunately, we can't do anything about the situation."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6104921,00.html
Fulham confirm long road
Cottagers to make 570-mile land trip to Hamburg

Fulham have confirmed they will travel by road in order to reach Germany for their Europa League game against Hamburg.

The Cottagers take on the Bundesliga outfit on Thursday but travel arrangements have been scuppered by the cloud of volcanic ash that is disrupting flights on the continent.

The semi-final at the HSH Nordbank Arena had been in doubt but the club confirmed the game was set to go ahead on Monday, despite the problems caused by the erupting Icelandic volcano.

Fulham now face a 570-mile trip to reach Hamburg which could hamper their preparation for the game.

Roy Hodgson's men are bidding to reach the club's first ever European final after a fantastic run in the competition so far.

The Cottagers have already knocked out Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Wolfsburg in the knockout stages and are aiming to make HSV their next victims.

Parts of UK airspace opened on Tuesday morning but the West Londoners have opted to take the long road to Germany instead.

Liverpool have got a similar problem as they prepare to travel to Atletico Madrid in the other semi-final.

The Reds, though, have an even longer journey to make as they try and get to the Spanish capital in good time.

Meanwhile, Celtic's friendly game against Dutch side AZ Alkmaar scheduled for Wednesday has been cancelled due to travel problems.

Celtic said in a statement: "The club is hoping to rearrange the fixture against the Dutch side for the near future."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1267483/Liverpool-Fulham-begin-epic-journeys-play-Europa-League-semi-final-leg-ties.html?ITO=1490
Liverpool and Fulham begin their epic journeys to play Europa League semi-final first leg ties

Liverpool and Fulham have set off on epic journeys to Madrid and Hamburg respectively for Thursday's Europa League semi-finals.
UEFA have confirmed the first-leg clashes against Atletico Madrid and Hamburg will go ahead as planned.

The continuing problems caused by the ash spewing from Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull will see the Reds take three separate trains to the south of France before a short flight to Madrid. The marathon trip includes an overnight stop-over in Paris on Tuesday night.

Liverpool officials hope other options for flying to Madrid from the middle of France may become available but the current plan is to travel by train to London, take the Eurostar to Paris and then on Wednesday morning a TGV train to Bordeaux and fly from there across the Pyrenees to Madrid.

The journey will begin with a coach trip from Liverpool's training ground to a station in the north-west making it a real planes, trains and automobiles experience.

The Cottagers, who are chasing their first European final in history, had hoped to fly by private jet to Hamburg on Wednesday morning but they have now admitted defeat and will revert to plan B.



The team will now board a luxurious coach to Folkestone, where they will catch the Eurotunnel to Calais before driving to Hamburg on the same coach. It is anticipated that the approximate 600-mile journey will take between 10 and 12 hours to complete.

A club spokesman said: 'I can confirm that we will be travelling to Germany some time today in line with our contingency plans.'

With airports set to close again on Tuesday afternoon, it is unlikely the Fulham supporters who have bought airline tickets to Germany will be able to fly to Hamburg.

Around 2,500 of them have tickets to the game and many have already started making plans to travel by land.
UEFA revealed both last-four games would take place as scheduled.

They said in a statement: "UEFA is continuing to closely monitor the travel situation throughout Europe and beyond, in an effort to confirm the staging of a number of matches that are due to take place this week in UEFA competitions.

'Regarding the UEFA Europa League semi-final first-leg matches scheduled for Thursday 22 April, between Club Atletico de Madrid and Liverpool FC, and Hamburg SV and Fulham FC, it is planned that both games will go ahead as normal.'
Both the Champions League matches between Inter Milan and Barcelona, and Bayern Munich against Lyon, are going ahead with the visiting teams travelling overland by coach.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1267483/Liverpool-Fulham-begin-epic-journeys-play-Europa-League-semi-final-leg-ties.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0liCvqqV8

[WhiteJC]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2557/news/2010/04/20/1886825/fulham-to-travel-by-coach-to-hamburg-for-europa-league-tie
Fulham to travel by coach to Hamburg for Europa League tie
Cottagers not travelling by air

Fulham have confirmed that they will travel by coach to Hamburg for the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.

The volcanic ash cloud has made air travel very difficult, and UEFA's insistence on continuing with the games as planned has meant that affected teams across Europe will have to use a mode of transport other than aeroplane to get to their desired destination.

The club had initially expected to fly to Germany in the hope of carving out the right result in the double-header that is the potential pathway to a first European final in their history.

However, a club spokesman has said: "I can confirm that we will be travelling to Germany some time today in line with our contingency plan."

It is believed that the journey is expected to take between eight and 12 hours.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/CoachTravelUpdate.aspx
Coach Travel Update
 
In light of the current flight restrictions the Club has secured an additional option for fans wishing to attend Thursday night's Europa League Semi-Final (first leg) against Hamburg in Germany.

The Club now has two additional coaches for the trip to Hamburg. Places can now be purchased by Season Ticket Holders, Members or fans with a booking history with FFC. Seats can only be booked by calling the Ticket Office on 0870 442 1234 (option 3).

Coach travel timings are as follows:

Depart Craven Cottage (Wednesday 21 April) 18:00
Eurotunnel depart Folkstone (Wednesday 21 April) 20:50
Eurotunnel arrive Calais (Wednesday 21 April) 22:30
Arrive Hamburg (Thursday 22 April) 10:00
Depart immediately after game (Thursday 22 April)
P&O ferry depart Calais 09:25 (Friday 23 April)
P&O ferry arrive Dover 9:40 (Friday 23 April)
Arrive back to Craven Cottage (Friday 23 April) approx 11:30
The cost per place is £99 (excluding match ticket).

Supporters are advised to bring their passports.

Phone 0870 442 1234 (option 3) to book your place on the coach to Hamburg today.

Fans currently booked on the Fulham Flyer please note: At this present time the Club is awaiting confirmation on whether the Official Flyer will operate as planned.

If you have already booked a place on the Fulham Flyer and now also wish to book a place on the coach, we will be unable to refund the cost of either your coach or flight booking if the Fulham Flyer operates.

However, in the event that the flight is cancelled, you will be refunded the full cost of your flight.
.

Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/CoachTravelUpdate.aspx#ixzz0liE9IdGr

[WhiteJC]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2557/news/2010/04/20/1886905/paul-scharner-to-leave-wigan-athletic-amidst-interest-from-aston-
Paul Scharner to leave Wigan Athletic amidst interest from Aston Villa, Everton, Fulham & Sunderland
Austrian hoping to play on European stage

Paul Scharner has revealed that he will leave Wigan Athletic this summer in order to ply his trade elsewhere.

The Austrian's contract with the Latics expires at the end of the season, and manager Roberto Martinez had previously maintained that there would be no talks until the club's top-flight status had been ensured.

Now the versatile 30-year-old midfielder insists that he is looking forward to playing on the European stage, claiming that at least four Premier League clubs are interested in procuring his services.

"Fulham, Everton, Aston Villa and Sunderland are interested in signing me, which would even guarantee me a spot in Europe," said Scharner, according to The Daily Mail. "So there is no reason to stay here."

Apart from manning the midfield, Scharner can also double up as a defender when called upon to do so.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/HughesonHamburg.aspx
Eye On The Prize




Aaron Hughes is determined not to let a volcanic eruption disrupt Fulham's bid to reach a major European Final when the Whites take on Hamburg in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League Semi-Final in Germany on Thursday night.

Hughes and company began their road trip to Hamburg on Tuesday afternoon and the Northern Ireland international highlighted the need to stay focused in light of recent travel disruption across Europe.

"The most important thing is staying focused on the task in hand and just get on with it," Hughes explained to fulhamfc.com.

"We know what's at stake and we've done really, really well to get here and we're eager not to let it go.

"All those games that we've played throughout the season and all the matches that were changed to a Sunday instead of a Saturday – hopefully the extra effort we've put in won't be for nothing in the end.

"We want to take that extra step to the Final. There are a lot of us that haven't won something so prestigious. Obviously Danny's won a few trophies with Liverpool but the majority of us haven't so for us it would be a big thing."

Hughes will be competing against a certain Dutch striker on Thursday night whom the defender knows well from past encounters on the domestic front.

"We know what he [Ruud van Nistelerooy] is like from his time playing in the Premier League with Manchester United. A few of us have played against him before so we know what a threat he poses.

"He's a finisher with a strong, physical presence with a lot of ability. We know he'll be a threat and we'll need to keep an eye on him."

Whilst the focus of attention has now turned towards Thursday night's game in Hamburg, Hughes is determined to record a successful finish to the season on both the domestic and European fronts this season as the Club reaches the business end of the 2009/10 campaign.

"We've come along way since beating Portsmouth to stay up and a lot of people wouldn't have believed we would be here but it's been through a lot of hard work and effort.

"I think for us to finish in the top ten again would be a big achievement. We've done what we set out to do at the start of the season which is to make sure we're in the Premier League next year.

"It would be nice to finish in the top ten again considering all the games we've had to play. We want to finish the season on a high and we've got to keep the momentum going."

Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/HughesonHamburg.aspx#ixzz0liFMM8Ux

[WhiteJC]

http://www.teamtalk.com/fulham/6105291/Roy-s-boys-facing-a-long-road-trip
Roy's boys facing a long road trip

Fulham have confirmed they will travel by road in order to reach Germany for their Europa League game against Hamburg on Thursday.

The Cottagers take on the Bundesliga outfit on Thursday but travel arrangements have been scuppered by the cloud of volcanic ash that is disrupting flights on the continent.

The semi-final at the HSH Nordbank Arena had been in doubt but the club confirmed the game was set to go ahead on Monday, despite the problems caused by the erupting Icelandic volcano.

Fulham now face a 570-mile trip to reach Hamburg which could hamper their preparation for the game.

Roy Hodgson's men are bidding to reach the club's first ever European final after a fantastic run in the competition so far.

The Cottagers have already knocked out Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Wolfsburg in the knockout stages and are aiming to make HSV their next victims.

Parts of UK airspace opened on Tuesday morning but the West Londoners have opted to take the long road to Germany instead.

Liverpool have got a similar problem as they prepare to travel to Atletico Madrid in the other semi-final.

The Reds, though, have an even longer journey to make as they try and get to the Spanish capital in good time.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/FlyerLatest.aspx
Fulham Flyer Latest


Due to the on-going air travel disruption across Europe, the Club is not in a position to confirm whether Thursday's Fulham Flyers to Hamburg will depart as scheduled.

Fulham Football Club would like to assure supporters that the Club is in regular dialogue with the aviation authorities and hoping that conditions improve sufficiently to allow the Flyers to carry Fulham's travelling army of supporters to Hamburg. Clearly at this stage there is a likelihood that the flight may not be allowed to depart, but we still await a decision.

Any further news or updates concerning the Fulham Flyers will be published on fulhamfc.com. In the event that the flights are cancelled, supporters will be refunded the full cost of their flight.

Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/FlyerLatest.aspx#ixzz0liFqOrdn

[WhiteJC]

http://www.goal.com/en/news/166/europa-league/2010/04/20/1886965/fulham-to-travel-by-coach-to-hamburg-for-europa-league
Fulham To Travel By Coach To Hamburg For Europa League Teurie
Cottagers not travelling by air

Fulham have confirmed that they will travel by coach to Hamburg for the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.

The volcanic ash cloud has made air travel very difficult, and UEFA's insistence on continuing with the games as planned has meant that affected teams across Europe will have to use a mode of transport other than aeroplane to get to their desired destination.

The club had initially expected to fly to Germany in the hope of carving out the right result in the double-header that is the potential pathway to a first European final in their history.

However, a club spokesman has said: "I can confirm that we will be travelling to Germany some time today in line with our contingency plan."

It is believed that the journey is expected to take between eight and 12 hours.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.epltalk.com/supporting-fulham-from-america-my-personal-journey/18390?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EPLTalk+%28EPL+Talk%29
Supporting Fulham From America: My Personal Journey

In the United States, it didn't used to be easy to see your favorite English Premier League team each week. Your team might not be shown on broadcast television each week. You might not be able to find your team online either. These challenges however I believe have made me a more dedicated fan of Fulham. Over the past few years I have had to work hard to follow Fulham.

My journey began with the NFL Network and Comcast. I am a diehard fan of the New England Patriots. Several years back Comcast made subscribers purchase the sports and entertainment package to get the NFL Network. That package also included Fox Soccer Channel. I had been a casual fan of the EPL, but nowhere near the fan I am today. I have Comcast to thank for my push into the EPL. The team I grew to follow was Fulham.

My journey of watching Fulham faithfully started in the 2007 season. Fulham were going through a relegation battle. I was completely involved in the week-to-week situation with Fulham. The problem I was having is I could not watch Fulham each week. They were not on FSC each week. At that point I went online and was frustrated by the options.


Websites like ESPNSoccernet.com and Fulhamfc.com became very valuable to me. I started by following gamecasts on my computer. These were updates every couple of minutes of the game action. I kept thinking to myself this is what baseball fans must have felt listening to games on the radio before television. These gamecasts were good, but I still could not watch every game each week.

The next step was listening to the games online through the Fulhamfc.com website. To be honest, listening to the games with the Fulham announcer were very good. It helped me appreciate the experience of being a fan. All of these frustrations just made me want to get into Fulham even more.

Last season I either listened to or followed updates of the Fulham games that were not on Fox Soccer Channel. I was hoping that soon there would be options to watch all of the Fulham games.

This season began with the improvement of options of watching Fulham each week. First, ESPN2 announced they would be covering a game or two each week of the EPL. This was great news and the coverage has been great. I have watched more than a few Fulham games on ESPN2 this season. Fox Soccer Channel also was putting more Fulham matches on their channel.

However, as we progressed into the middle of the 2009/2010 season I still could not watch Fulham each week. That was about to change with the announcement earlier this year that Fox Soccer Channel would be having a sister station called Fox Soccer Plus. This new channel would be showing more EPL games that they took over from Setanta. I thought this was great news. I would finally be able to see the games each week.

Unfortunately for me I have never seen Fox Soccer Plus. When it launched March 1st, my cable provider had not picked up the channel. It still has not picked up the channel. I have emailed and called Comcast several times. Each time they have thanked me for letting them know about my interest. No representative has been able to tell me if or when they will be adding Fox Soccer Plus. Would my journey of watching Fulham each week be delayed again? The answer to this is absolutely not!

Since Fox Soccer Channel and its sister station were taking over the majority of the EPL games they got from Setanta, another site would be changing. Now, many of these matches were going to be on a revamped version of their online channel, FoxSoccer.tv.

Now I have read all of the problems many people have had on Foxsoccer.tv since its re-launch. All I can talk about is my own personal experience. The very first game that was scheduled after March 1st on Foxsoccer.tv with Fulham for some reason never aired. The day of the game it magically disappeared from its schedule. I was disappointed by this, but I was going to check the following week.

That following week I decided to buy a "day pass". The first five minutes of the Fulham match had no audio. Eventually after the five minutes the audio and video were together. The rest of the match I had no issues with the service. The next week I again bought a "day pass" and had no problems with the service. After the second match I watched I bought a monthly pass. I have watched several games now from Fulham and other teams. For me, Foxsoccer.tv has provided the games I want to watch with very good streams.

Again I know people have had problems with FoxSoccer.tv. As time goes by and they improve their service hopefully these issues that others are having will be less and less. In my opinion, all fans of the EPL should be able to watch every game of their favorite team in America.

Since Fulham are playing in the Europa League how would I watch these matches? Many Europa League matches have been shown on GolTV. The coverage of these matches have been great. I would recommend GolTV for any fan of football.

However, there have been several Europa League games that were not shown on GolTV. I was alerted to a website on a Fulham fans messageboard that would be showing the Europa League matches. This site was UEFA.com. Let me tell you the streams on this site are excellent. For fans having issues with Foxsoccer.tv watching Champions League matches, you should check out UEFA.com. They have a pricing option for watching each game and a price for replays.

I have come a long way since looking at gamecasts each week on the internet. I am now watching Fulham each week on the Internet and broadcast television. I am hopeful that my journey of watching Fulham each week has been fulfilled.

I now need to watch every game because I report on the team as a blogger. My website Cottagers Confidential launched last month. This is a website for fans of Fulham. It is a part of sbnation.com. It is important that I have the most up to date information on Fulham. My readers deserve that type of coverage. Please feel free to check out www.cottagersconfidential.com .

I wanted to write about my personal journey so fans of other teams know they are not alone in there frustrations of watching the EPL every week. In my opinion, the options are growing to watch matches. Let's hope it gets to the point that every fan of each team can watch their club with no frustrations in the United States.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.goal.com/en/news/166/europa-league/2010/04/20/1887276/hamburger-sv-should-not-underestimate-fulham-mladen-petric
Hamburger SV Should Not Underestimate Fulham - Mladen Petric
The HSV striker has warned his team-mates not to underestimate Fulham...

Hamburger SV only just missed out on a ticket to last year's UEFA Cup final, but the Rothosen are determined to make it to the final of this year's Europa League. Attacker Mladen Petric has warned his team-mates not to underestimate Fulham though in their semi-final games.

"We shouldn't be looking too much at mistakes we made last season, in order to improve. I think that potentially we have a better team now, with more quality, and if we can demonstrate that, then it will hopefully go better than last time.

"I watched TV coverage of Fulham's win against my old club, FC Basel, in the group stage, but I didn't really pay much attention, because back then nobody thought we would be facing each other.

"I can't say much about them, except that we should never underestimate them because they have already eliminated very big names, and in the last four there are no easy teams."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2557/news/2010/04/20/1887436/fulham-striker-erik-nevland-to-leave-at-the-end-of-the
Fulham striker Erik Nevland to leave at the end of the season
Norwegian set to depart Craven Cottage...

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson has confirmed striker Erik Nevland will leave the club at the end of the season.

The 32-year-old, who is out of contract in the summer, will rejoin Norwegian side Viking Stavanger, where he had had two spells before.

Hodgson had hoped to convince Nevland to stay at Craven Cottage for another season but the striker has opted to join the club where he started his career.

Speaking after Saturday's 0-0 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Hodgson said: "He's a marvellous player, a fantastic professional and a very good footballer.

"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."

Nevland joined Fulham from Dutch side Groningen in January 2008 and has scored eight goals in 48 league appearances for the club.

[WhiteJC]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/8633390.stm
Smalling needs to stay level-headed - Stuart Pearce

England U21 coach Stuart Pearce has urged Chris Smalling not to let his approaching move to Manchester United change his personality.

The 20 year-old defender moved from Maidstone United to Fulham in 2008, and signed for the Old Trafford club in January 2010.

Pearce told BBC Radio Kent:"The main thing is for Chris to remain the same lad he was at Maidstone United.

"I've worked with him in the under-21s and he's level-headed and intelligent.

"The important thing for him now is to take the opportunity he's been given."

Pearce was in Kent leading a workshop for 70 local coaches, arranged by the county's FA at Dartford's Princes Park Stadium.

It is believed Manchester United paid Fulham £7m for Smalling when they signed him on a four year contract.

"Chris came on to the radar when he signed for Fulham, but now he's gone to Manchester United even more will be expected from him," said Pearce.

"He'll still have his talent, he just needs to fulfil the expectation of him."

Smalling was immediately loaned back to Fulham after the deal was signed with Manchester United.

He has played in the Europa League for the West London Club, and made his Premier League debut against Chelsea in December 2009.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=195915
Fulham - Stockdale on the Way Back!
Since going to Plymouth Argyle, on loan, David Stockdale has proved to be a hit with the Pilgrims supporters.

It`s not been a good season for the club, despite the intervention of Paul Mariner, the ex-Ipswich and Arsenal striker, Plymouth have been relegated.

Last night, Stockdale bade farewell to the Home Park faithful as Plymouth went down 2-0 to the Championship title winners, Newcastle United.

With his loan spell almost at its maximum limit of three months, Stockdale will make his 20th and final appearance for the club in the away fixture with Nottingham Forest before returning to Craven Cottage.

As one who couldn`t see the point of the move considering Plymouth appeared to have a favoured shot-stopper, I take my hat off to David and admit that sometimes I can be wrong.




Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=195915#ixzz0liIArlUO

[WhiteJC]

http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2010/04/20/defensive-masterclass/
Defensive masterclass
Filed under: General — weltmeisterclaude @ 9:17 pm

Amazing fun at the San Siro.   When Barca have the ball against most teams it seems like they have too many players; today, it felt like Inter had too many defenders.

The amazing thing was the regularity with which the Inter defenders anticipated tiny little nicks.  They'd have a man challenge the runner, that man would invariably get half a foot on the ball, which would then go to a second Inter player.  Uncanny.

Also uncanny was the number of relatively clean tackles made on Lionel Messi.   Zanetti – how old must he be? – in particular seemed to be reading Messi well.   The usual story is that people know where Messi's going but can't stop him, but that wasn't the case at all tonight.

Thiago Motta and Cambiasso were astonishing in front of the back four.  They were sometimes almost tied together, a two man wall that got all over the pitch.  Other times Cambiasso would be out covering full-backs, or dropping in as a sort of sweeper, or even, late on, pressing up the pitch.  Wow....   I was interested in how these two interacted with the back four: for much of the time Inter were more or less playing with a back six, but Lucio (a centre-back) would sometimes step up into space while one of these two dropped back to cover.   Depth, they call it.  You need it against Barcelona, with all the ways they have of getting through a flat line, but you also, crucially need enough men back for when they do find a chink in your armour.   There were always enough men back, there were always people covering.

Inter, like Arsenal, conceded 70% of possession, but this time Barca could get nothing done where it mattered.    Phenomenal.  Jose Mourinho knows his onions alright.   He won't have expected to score three times; that he did was a massive bonus.  The second leg could be one of the great European nights.   This is what football's about.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1267607/Fulham-head-Hamburg-buses-Europa-League-semi-final-leg-tie.html?ITO=1490
Fulham head to Hamburg on the buses for their Europa League semi-final first leg tie

Fulham set off for the biggest match in their history by coach on Tuesday, as the flight ban caused by the volcanic ash cloud showed no signs of ending.
Their semi-final against Hamburg on Thursday will be the 17th match of their Europa League campaign - but no-one could have envisaged it would take the team quite so long to get there.

The club took the coach they drive to Premier League matches, but spruced it up with pillows to make the players comfortable for the 600-mile, 24-hour journey.

Fulham left their training ground at lunchtime, drove to Folkestone for the Eurotunnel train to Calais and were planning to drive for at least eight hours before stopping overnight in Germany, near Dortmund.

The team are due to arrive in time to train on the pitch at the Hamburg Arena on Wednesday night and defender Aaron Hughes said: 'The most important thing is staying focused on the task in hand and just getting on with it. We know what's at stake and we've done really, really well to get here and we're eager not to let it go.'

Fulham have put on two extra coaches for season ticket-holders. They will leave Craven Cottage at 6pm and return straight after the game. The trip costs £99 but fans who have booked on the Fulham Flyer trip will not get a refund unless the flight is cancelled.

Commentator Jon Champion and analyst Craig Burley were among an eight-strong ESPN party making their way to Hamburg in two minibuses.

But their TV crew in the second bus were held up in nine miles of tailbacks on the M25 and had to wait for the next ferry from Dover.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1267607/Fulham-head-Hamburg-buses-Europa-League-semi-final-leg-tie.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0liJ40Btt

[WhiteJC]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/apr/21/roy-hodgson-fulham-hamburg-europa-league
How Roy Hodgson steered Fulham on long road to Hamburg
The Cottagers' manager has taken the club from the brink of relegation to a remarkable Europa League odyssey

'Roy is a gentleman and a football man and, in the modern game, you don't get those things together too often.' Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Action Images

The whistle for half-time shrills at Eastlands and, as the home support break from applause into another rowdy chorus of "Sven-Goran Eriksson", Roy Hodgson peels himself up from his slouch in the visitors' dugout. It is a little after 3.45pm on Saturday 26 April 2008 and Fulham, trailing 2-0, appear condemned to the Championship. Much has been made of the slog the Londoners began yesterday to Hamburg's Nordbank Arena, but nothing compares to the journey this club has embarked upon since Hodgson stared relegation in the face.

A 600-mile coach journey involving a cross‑Channel ferry and a night's stopover sounds nightmarish preparation, but a Europa League semi-final is the stuff of dreams for Fulham. The transformation of this team from the unlikely escapologists of two years ago, to European qualifiers last season and now contenders to lift the recently revamped Uefa Cup remains astonishing. Carlo Ancelotti could claim Chelsea's first ever Double this season. If he fails, Sir Alex Ferguson may steer Manchester United to a fourth Premier League title in succession and his club's 19th domestic championship. Yet Hodgson will still be many people's manager of the year.

Back at Eastlands that afternoon a little shy of two years ago, that prospect was unthinkable. Hodgson had been named as Lawrie Sanchez's successor at Craven Cottage at the end of December 2007 with the side 19th in the Premier League and still reeling from a thrashing at Tottenham Hotspur on Boxing Day. They lost the new manager's first three league games, all derbies, and had won only three of his 15 league matches – hardly the stuff of renaissance – by the time City eased into their two-goal lead. The introduction of Diomansy Kamara 26 minutes from the end smacked of desperation yet, from the moment the Senegalese lashed in the visitors' third deep into stoppage time that afternoon, Fulham have not looked back.

Birmingham and Portsmouth were beaten in the final two games of the campaign, the Cottagers squeezing breathlessly above the cut-off on goal difference at Reading's considerable expense. Theirs had been a frantic, adrenaline-fuelled recovery yet, from the basis of preserving Premier League status, Hodgson has instigated a more measured, long-term revival.

"He changed the whole way we were playing," said Danny Murphy, whose header at Fratton Park on the final day had kept the side up. "He made us more of a footballing team than the direct‑ball team under Lawrie. It hadn't been ideal for the players we had: we had footballers, rather than just 6ft 2in athletes.

"Roy brought in some of his own personnel and made some really astute signings. The squad suddenly had more experience and, with time, we were able to adopt the style and pattern of play that he wanted. It was clear very quickly that we were moving forward as a squad and a team. His knowledge of the game, his philosophies ... he has that temperament a manager needs. He never gets too down, and he doesn't let us get too carried away when we're having a good spell, either."

There have been plenty of them. Mohamed Al Fayed had been seeking style as well as survival in appointing the much-travelled Hodgson, and the manager has provided both. Fulham may not scintillate every week but they are easy on the eye – their wingers are inventive, with Murphy the heartbeat in midfield – organised and fiercely disciplined. This squad is not the deepest, which makes it all the more remarkable that Hodgson has shuffled his pack so efficiently as to stay comfortable in mid-table while playing what could amount to 19 European games. Only Bordeaux, with 20 in 1995-96, have ever played more in a single European campaign. His players are so steeped now in what is expected of them that they have become, in effect, interchangeable, which allowed what appeared to be a second string to play with panache through the early stages of the Europa League.

The method is simple: constant drills to increase awareness of responsibility, discipline and defensive duty. "People say that his sessions aren't always the most free-flowing because he is so meticulous in everything he does," said the former Fulham coach Dave Beasant.

"He probably spends more time preparing the team for what they have to do when they don't have the ball than what they need to do with it. Shape, discipline, knowing where you have to be positioned in relation to your team-mates: he will stop a practice game every couple of minutes to point out if people are out of position or not covering in the right way. It is stop-start, but thorough. You can see the influence his time in Serie A with Inter had on his style. He is a true scholar of football."

There is room for creation within his system, but those mavericks who do not buy into the workaholic structure are moved on. Jimmy Bullard, once this team's talisman, was shipped out to Hull midway through last season for £5m, with a fraction of that money reinvested on the journeyman Dickson Etuhu. He, like Simon Davies, Aaron Hughes, Chris Baird, Paul Konchesky and Bobby Zamora, has thrived amid a "team first, individual second" mentality. "Roy came in with a philosophy and created an organised team," said Murphy. "We have a side made up of effective team players."

Few other Premier League managers spend as much time as Hodgson actually coaching their players on the training pitch. "He has a more continental approach," said Brede Hangeland. "He spends more time on the training ground than other managers over here. He's there every day and does most of the work himself, and is involved in the day-to-day sessions and tactical planning. When he has something to say, people listen."

There are few teams as organised in the top flight these days. Their away record remains unimpressive but, since surviving the 2007-08 season, this side have conceded three goals only four times in the Premier League – at Manchester United, Chelsea, West Ham and Stoke. Liverpool, who would once have considered them cannon fodder, have failed to score against them at Anfield in each of the last two seasons. Manchester United have been humbled twice in the league at Craven Cottage. The rout of Juventus in the last 16 of the Europa League still defies comprehension.

Returning to Hamburg for the Europa League final, a stage Hodgson's Inter graced in 1997, would represent a staggering achievement and, inevitably, further his claim to succeed Fabio Capello with England. For now, though, he and his side serve as an inspiration for the Premier League's current also-rans. "They are a clear example for everyone to follow," said the Wigan manager, Roberto Martínez. "Roy is a gentleman and a football man and, in the modern game, you don't get those things together too often."

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http://www.tribalfootball.com/fulham%E2%80%99s-schwarzer-welcomes-underdog-tag-europa-league-785461
Fulham's Schwarzer welcomes underdog tag in Europa League

Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer understands the club should have the underdog tag now they have reached the Europa League semi-finals.

The Australia international has helped guide the Cottagers to the final four of the competition in a first for the London club and ahead of Thursday's semi-final first leg against Germany's Hamburg, Schwarzer knows his side will again be against the odds to get a positive result.

"In every round since the group stage we have looked at our opposition and thought: 'By rights we are not supposed to be here. We are not supposed to get through to the next round,'" Schwarzer said.

"And that's worked in our favour. We've gone about our business and done our job. We've had the self-belief even though we've had a lot of doubters."

Fulham's real belief in the Europa League started when they defeated reigning UEFA League champions Shakhtar Donetsk in the first knockout stage and since then Schwarzer has seen his teammates grow with every challenge.

He also sees a distinct similarity between this Fulham side and the Middlesbrough team he helped reach the 2005/06 UEFA Cup final which they lost to Sevilla.

"There have been a lot of jibes and from opposition teams and players that have written us off even after the first leg, like the Shakhtar Donetsk players," he added.

"I know (right-back Dario) Srna was very, very confident that they were going to beat us in the return leg and even after their game he has been quoted as saying on the internet that there is no way Fulham should have beaten Shakhtar and gone through. He even predicted that we'd get knocked out in the very next round.

"So it's nice to have that in the back of your mind still. We often joke about it still as you like to prove people wrong.

"In fact, there are a lot of similarities between the current Fulham side and that Middlesbrough side that reached the UEFA Cup Final.

"When I was at Middlesbrough people asking why Mark Viduka had gone there from Leeds when there was talk of him going to Roma for £20-odd million?'

"Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink and Bolo Zenden left Chelsea and came to Middlesbrough and all these people were told that it was a step down or that they had joined us because they couldn't play at a high level anymore.

"The similarities are here at Fulham. People said similar things about me when I first arrived. Danny Murphy as well.
"John Pantsil and Bobby Zamora were bit-part players seen as not being able to take that next step up again.

"But the things being said can create a unique environment because everybody is out to prove the critics wrong."

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http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/131742/Fulham-s-Aaron-Hughes-defies-volcanic-ash/
FULHAM'S AARON HUGHES DEFIES VOLCANIC ASH

AARON Hughes has vowed not to let Fulham's Europa League ambitions be blown off course by the volcanic ash cloud.

Fulham hit the road yesterday for a road trip to Hamburg for tomorrow's first leg of their semi-final clash.

Hughes said: "The most important thing is staying focused on the task in hand and just get on with it.

"We know what's at stake and we've done really well to get here and we're eager not to let it go. Hopefully the extra effort we've put in won't be for nothing.

"We want to take that extra step to the final.

"There are a lot of us that haven't won something so prestigious. It would be a big thing."