Wednesday Fulham Stuff (21/04/10)

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http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2940610/Ruud-van-Nistelrooy-I-couldve-played-for-Fulham.html
I could've played for Fulham!

HAMBURG'S Ruud van Nistelrooy has labelled Fulham a European football revelation - after rejecting a move to Craven Cottage.
The Dutchman was wanted by several Premier League sides in January, including Spurs and Fulham.

But the striker, 33, chose Germany over England as he thought Hamburg stood a better chance of winning trophies.

Now, three months after trading Real Madrid's Bernabeu for the Bundesliga, Van Nistelrooy is preparing to line up against the Cottagers in tomorrow's Europa League semi-final first leg.

The former Manchester United star revealed: "Fulham asked Real about me but did not come up with a concrete proposition.

"The decision to join Hamburg was purely down to sporting aspects. I am still very ambitious and wanted to play for as many minutes as possible this season."

But, having seen the Londoners' progression under boss Roy Hodgson, Van Nistelrooy cannot disguise his respect for what they have achieved this season.

He added: "It is incredible that they are in a European semi-final but they fully deserve their success.

"Having said that, if we don't make the final it will be a total disaster. It is impossible to think we might fail."

Van Nistelrooy, who never won a Euro title in his time with PSV Eindhoven, United and Real, has four goals in eight games for Hamburg.

He said: "To play against an English club in a European semi-final is very special for me.

"I am very grateful to English fans because they were always kind. They praised my performances for United even though they might have supported rival teams.

"Now I'm confident for this match and our dream is 180 minutes away.

"If we analyse history, Hamburg are better than Fulham but that means absolutely nothing. Fulham have been a revelation in Europe this season.

"People here think Bobby Zamora is the key to Fulham but we see how compact their team is and how powerful they are in defence. It won't be easy to break them down.

"They have already had some historic results - like the one against Juventus - and the key to victory will be to stop them scoring in the first leg."



Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2940610/Ruud-van-Nistelrooy-I-couldve-played-for-Fulham.html#ixzz0liLniB12

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http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/schwarzer-they-should-make-hamburg-drive-over-for-the-second-leg-1949422.html
Schwarzer: 'They should make Hamburg drive over for the second leg'

As Fulham head to Germany by road, and Liverpool take a train to Spain, Glenn Moore asks if they are losing a competitive edge

It was the invention of the jet airliner which enabled European competition to get off the ground a half-century ago. Many Fulham and Liverpool players will this week feel that only the inventions of the PlayStation Portable, iPod and the pocket-sized DVD player make the concept bearable when the airliners are grounded.


Fulham's epic Europa League campaign began in July, has involved 16 matches to date, and featured ties against teams from seven countries. They will nevertheless be covering new ground this week, around 600 miles of it, to play Hamburg in tomorrow's semi-final. That, however, is but a short hop compared to the odyssey Liverpool embarked upon yesterday ahead of their tie against Atletico Madrid.

Departing from Runcorn, where they were mobbed at the railway station, Liverpool yesterday travelled by rail to Paris. This morning they catch another train to Bordeaux before flying to the Spanish capital. They will train tonight, play tomorrow, then, if England's airports remain closed, must make the journey in reverse ahead of Sunday's Premier League match at Burnley.

Valuable as the players' gadgetry will be in keeping minds occupied, it is their bodies that are their managers' main concern. The danger is that such prolonged travel will cause stiffness leading to muscle strains. Clive Lathey, registered osteopath and MSc (sports medicine), a consultant to Liverpool based at the Putney Clinic, has advised on planning for the trip.

"It's not ideal," he said. "Travelling is draining, mentally and physically. It's boring, and it's not good for the physiology, blood flow and so on. The knee and hip joints are in a fixed position and stiffen up, which can shorten the muscles. The lower back stiffens which increases disc pressure. Hydration and diet can suffer.

"When they stop they will need to limber up and do a lot more stretching and mobility exercises than if they had gone by air. But the train is better than a coach, at least they can walk around."

In the circumstances it might have been thought that Liverpool's squad would have walked the half-mile between railway termini from Euston to St Pancras yesterday, but instead a coach was laid on.

Fulham, who face 12 hours' coach travel, broken up by a trip under the English Channel on Eurotunnel, and an overnight stay near the Dutch-German border, trained yesterday morning in London and will do so again this evening in Hamburg. They will stay in Germany after the match, before making a return journey that concludes at Everton on Sunday afternoon.

For goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, no stranger to long trips given his international duty with Australia, the issue is even-handedness. "It's not particularly fair if the ban on flights is lifted and Hamburg just fly across next week," he said. "Uefa should have an arrangement whereby they should be made to take the same path that we've had to; but I'm 95 per cent sure that it won't happen." It could be worse. Fulham's travels this season have taken them to Russia, Ukraine and Lithuania.

Ex-players, and the general public, may have limited sympathy for the players' privitations and manager Rafael Benitez recalled travelling "12 to 14 hours" by coach in his playing days in Spain's lower leagues, though he added: "Now you expect something more comfortable." Lucas, Liverpool's Brazilian midfielder, is also able to draw on past experience. "When I was younger, I played for Gremio in Porto Alegre. My home town was 1300km [800 miles] away in Dourados and I used to go back by coach quite a lot on holiday. That was 24 hours, sometimes more. Even now, when I go to Brazil it takes 24 hours to get there. You just have to relax."

Of the trip to Madrid he said: "It will not be easy but we will have plenty of movies, PSP, books, whatever, and a lot of things to talk about, so we have to enjoy it. We cannot complain because it is the only option. We have to accept it and not think too much about the trip."

All managers know that, if they give players an excuse for failure, some will take it. Benitez, while noting "it could be better to postpone the game," insisted "it will not be a problem."

One man who may be following the teams' progress with interest is Dennis Bergkamp. The former Arsenal striker, now living back in the Netherlands, refused to fly. For domestic matches, such as Sunderland or Newcastle away, he would usually travel by train. Occasionally he played on continental Europe for Arsenal, travelling by car and train as far as Sweden. The last trip was to Paris for the 2006 Champions League final. He was an unused substitute as they lost. This week's adventurers will hope for better fortune.

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http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/sports/article/Fulham-views-Hamburg-another-Europa-League-victim-456028.php
Fulham views Hamburg another Europa League victim

LONDON (AP) — Having already knocked out UEFA Cup champion Shakhtar Donetsk, overturned a 4-1 deficit against powerhouse Juventus and ousted Bundesliga winner Wolfsburg, Europa League upstart Fulham is out to stop Hamburg reaching a final which will be played in the German club's own stadium.

While Liverpool goes to Atletico Madrid in the other semifinal, Fulham's journey through European football's second tier competition has been a memorable one for a club which has never won a major trophy.

"For me it is the big one, I have not been involved in a game like this before," said Fulham attacking midfielder Zoltan Gera. "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 another step on what has been a fantastic journey."

Hamburg, Liverpool and Atletico have all won European titles in different competitions. But Fulham has never even captured a domestic crown and its best in Europe was winning the lightly regarded InterToto cup, a now defunct qualifying stage of the former UEFA Cup.

Only 10th in the Premier League, Fulham is out to take a big step towards eliminating Hamburg at the same Hamburg Arena where the final will be played on May 12.

"Hamburg are a good side, we know that, but so were Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Wolfsburg," Gera said. "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. We have to."

They didn't gather any belief from being held to 0-0 at home by relegation-threatened Wolves last weekend

Hamburg fared even worse, losing 1-0 at home to Mainz to slip to seventh place in the Bundesliga, five points behind the last spot needed to secure European play next season.

Hamburg striker Ruud van Nistelrooy said the poor result against Mainz was extra motivation for Thursday while forward Paolo Guerrero can face Fulham even though his Bundesliga season is over after he was given a five-match ban for throwing a drink bottle at a fan.

Sidelined for the rest of the season after knee surgery, Liverpool striker Fernando Torres will miss the two games against former club Atletico Madrid.

He also missed Liverpool's two Champions League matches against the Spanish team last season and midfielder Yossi Benayoun said his absence again would spur his team on to reach the final.

"Fernando is the best striker in the world and, with him, it is much easier," said Benayoun, who scored in Liverpool's 3-0 victory over West Ham on Monday. "But unfortunately he is injured and cannot play. We need to give more to try to play for him because he won us a lot of games and played a big part in us getting to the semifinal.

"We need to try to win the game for him and all the club."

While Liverpool will miss Torres, Atletico won't have the suspended Sergio Aguero.

"Both teams lose a lot, but I think (Aguero's) absence is more notable because he is key to Atletico," midfielder Jose Antonio Reyes said. "His absence will be noted, let's just hope not too much."

Like Fulham, Hamburg and Liverpool, Atletico has played well in Europe compared with its Spanish league form, where it has lost three straight games including Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Villarreal which left the team halfway down the standings.

Because ash blowing across northern Europe from an Iceland volcano have grounded aircraft, the two English teams are making their way to the venues largely overland by train or bus, which is likely to be tiring for the players.

Fulham headed for Hamburg by bus, a journey of 900 kilometers, while Liverpool took three trains plus a flight from Bordeaux to Madrid, stopping over Tuesday night in Paris.

"I'm sorry that they have to travel so many kilometers to get to Madrid, but I'm not sure that that will be noted on the field," Atletico midfielder Jose Manuel Jurado said.

"On top of the trip, they'll also be tired after playing on Monday. But in a semifinal like this you give it your all and I don't think you feel tired."

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/fulham/8625909.stm
Pantsil questioning delayed

BBC World Service programme Fast Track is still planning to put a selection of your questions to Ghana international defender John Pantsil.

Unfortunately the interview has had to be delayed and so you will not be able to hear it for the time being.

We have had hundreds of questions sent to us through this site.

People asked about the World Cup, Fulham's magnificent season, his fitness and motivation, even how he spells his name.

As soon as we are able to sit down with John we will let you know - and tell you when you will be able to hear what he has to say.

Apologies for any disappointment - but stay tuned!

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http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_6106539,00.html
Schwarzer happy as underdog
Shot-stopper wants to add Hamburg to list of continental scalps

Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer hopes that he and his team-mates continue to silence the critics in the Europa League.

The Cottagers are journeying by coach to Hamburg for Thursday's semi-final first leg as a result of the travel chaos in Europe and they are making the trip aiming to cause another upset.

Fulham have accounted for the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Wolfsburg on their way to the last four and Schwarzer is happy to continue in the role of underdogs.

He said in the Daily Mirror: "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'.

"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.

"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.

"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."

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http://football.uk.reuters.com/uefacup/news/LDE63J0RV.php?rpc=401
Hamburg hoping to sink Fulham in uncharted waters
By Karolos Grohmann

MUNICH, Germany April 21 (Reuters) - Hamburg SV coach Bruno Labbadia knows he could be out of a job if they fail to advance past England's Fulham in their Europa League semi-final.

Getting a good result in the first leg on Thursday is crucial for the northern German side, who have slipped to seventh in the Bundesliga after a disastrous second part of the season saw them record only four wins in 14 games. They are also unlikely to claim a place in the Europa League next season.

Labbadia said his team had not played to their full potential in a shock 1-0 defeat to visitors Mainz at the weekend, but he could be the one paying the price if Hamburg fail to advance to the Europa League final on May 12 at their own stadium.

Labbadia will be able to call on striker Paolo Guerrero for the match against Fulham. The Peruvian is suspended from league duty for an attack on a fan.

"Unfortunately I had to watch from the stands on the weekend and could not help the team but I am available for the Europa League," said the 26-year-old striker, who missed most of the season with a cruciate ligament injury.

"I want to show that I am back in top form."

Hamburg will be missing experienced midfielder Marcell Jansen, whose World Cup hopes are in doubt due to a long-term injury.

UNCHARTED WATERS

Fulham have had to travel by train under the English Channel due to the flight disruptions from the volcanic ash spreading from Iceland, and the semi-finals of a major European competition represents uncharted waters for the west London club.

A little more than two years after coach Roy Hodgson arrived with the club in dire danger of relegation, any sense of inferiority on the European stage was blown away by their stunning victory over Juventus and their elimination of German champions VfL Wolfsburg in the last two rounds.

"The most important thing is staying focused on the task in hand and just get on with it," defender Aaron Hughes told www.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. 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 Murphy's won a few trophies with Liverpool but the majority of us haven't so for us it would be a big thing."

Fans who endured their last two goalless Premier League games will be hoping for better things on Thursday but only a few hundred are expected to attend the game because of the travel difficulties.

Bobby Zamora, who has scored six goals in the competition this season, is Fulham's key weapon and is seeking his 20th goal in all to support his late bid for an England World Cup call-up.

Probable teams:

Hamburg: 1-Frank Rost, 6-Dennis Aogo, 5-Joris Mathijsen, 17-Jerome Boateng, 20-Guy Demel; 14-David Jarolim, 15-Piotr Trochowski, 8-Ze Roberto, 13-Robert Tesche; 22-Ruud van Nistelrooy, 9-Paolo Guerrero.

Fulham: 1-Mark Schwarzer, 2-Paul Konchesky, 5-Brede Hangeland, 6-Chris Baird, 18-Aaron Hughes, 20-Dickson Etuhu, 16-Damien Duff, 11-Danny Murphy, 11-Zoltan Gera, 29-Simon Davies, 25-Bobby Zamora.

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http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/SchwarzerHamburgPreview.aspx
The Final Step




Mark Schwarzer was keen to brush aside Fulham's travel disruptions and focus on the positives as Roy Hodgson's Team prepare for the biggest game in the Club's history on Thursday night.

"I've never come across a situation like this before and it's a difficult situation to judge," said Schwarzer of the volcanic ash that has disrupted air travel across Europe. "You've got to look on the bright side and you can't let it get you down. The players are looking forward to a Semi-Final.

"It's just the way things are and everyone's in the same predicament all over Europe. From what I hear the last time this volcano erupted it blew smoke for two years so I think we should all go and buy shares in Eurostar and P&O. Those shares will skyrocket if this continues!"

Fulham are approaching Thursday night's encounter with the same mindset that has served them so well thus far in the UEFA Europa League and Schwarzer is planning to prove the doubters wrong once again against Hamburg on Thursday night.

"The Carling Cup is the only thing I've ever won," explained Schwarzer. "I've been involved in an FA Cup Final when I first went to Middlesbrough but I was Cup-tied. When you get to this stage of a major Cup competition obviously you want to try and take the next step.

"We've had the philosophy from day one that we've always just looked at the next round - we can't deflect from that direction and understanding now because we're so close.

"This is the stage where you can get excited and lose focus and throw it all away. It will be a momentous evening for the Club and the players. We understand how important it is for everyone associated with Fulham Football Club.

"Every round, even in the group stages, we've looked at our opposition and by rights we're not supposed to be here. That's worked in our favour – we've gone about our business and had the self-belief and it's nice to prove people wrong. We've been doing that since I joined the Club as have most of the Team."

Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/SchwarzerHamburgPreview.aspx#ixzz0lj2IL4gP

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http://www.eatsleepsport.com/fulham/schwarzer-enjoys-knocking-doubters-1053698.html
Schwarzer enjoys knocking doubters

Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer claims Fulham are thriving on being underdogs in their bid to reach the Europa League final this season.

The Australia international veteran has played a key role in the Londoners march to the semi-finals of the competition, which has seen them dump high-profile sides such as reigning UEFA League champions Shakhtar Donetsk, Italian giants Juventus and German champions Wolfsburg out of the competition.

Hamburg await in the semi-finals with the first leg due to take place in Germany on Thursday night and Schwarzer claims the fact many outsiders have not given them hope of winning the tie will again boost the Cottagers.

"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."

Schwarzer also sees similarities between Fulham and his former club Middlesbrough, who he helped to reach the UEFA Cup final in 2006.

He added: "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.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/KoncheskyHamburgPreview.aspx
Konch On Ruud Threat




Paul Konchesky is relishing the prospect of Thursday evening's UEFA Europa League Semi-Final against Hamburg in Germany. 

The Fulham left-back has reclaimed his place in the starting eleven after returning from an ankle ligament injury sustained in Fulham Barclays Premier League encounter against Blackburn Rovers in January.

"I missed seven to ten games and the Team was doing well," Konchesky explained as he looked back on his spell on the sidelines.

"I went to see a consultant straight away, I was quite lucky that I didn't need an operation. Once I knew that, I could get my head around the fact that it was going to take time. It was seven weeks of hard work but I've got myself fit again and I feel as good as I did before the injury.

"I don't like missing games so it was hard to take. I'd enjoyed my time up to that point and I'm now enjoying being fit, getting back into the Team and helping the Team do well. The Europa League has pushed me on a bit more. "

Having already negotiated the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk and Juventus - Fulham's place in the Semi-Final was booked courtesy of home and away victories over German champions, VfL Wolfsburg.

"We knew that was going to be tough against Wolfsburg," said Konchesky. "It was good to get a great lead but we were disappointed with the goal they scored late in the first leg, but we still went into the second-leg with the lead. Scoring very early on out there meant so much; it took a bit of pressure off us."

Fulham fans will undoubtedly be familiar with one particular member of the Hamburg side, none other than Ruud van Nistelrooy.  And Konchesky is certainly wary of the threat the Dutchman poses.

"Everyone knows how good Ruud is from his time in England, how many goals he can score and how dangerous he is," Konchesky explained. "He's obviously still got that because he's still playing for the best teams. It didn't really work out for him at Real Madrid but now he's gone to Hamburg and he must be doing something right because they're having a good season."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/KoncheskyHamburgPreview.aspx#ixzz0lj2sKjwv

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http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/euro-rivals-striker-reveals-cottage-snub-1053694.html
Euro rivals' striker reveals Cottage snub

Hamburg striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has confirmed that he turned down a chance to join Fulham as he looks to knock them out of Europe.

The veteran Dutch hitman had been heavily linked with a switch to Craven Cottage from Real Madrid last summer, but decided against a return to the Premier League for a move to Hamburg in the German Bundesliga. And Van Nistelrooy is now being charged with the task of scoring the goals to send his side to the Europa League final at the expense of Roy Hodgson's men.

Fulham are making the long journey to Hamburg via road and ferry after all flights were cancelled due to the volcanic ash cloud hanging over northern Europe. And Van Nistelrooy feels Thursday's first leg result will be crucial for his side to progress into the final.

On his decision to snub Fulham, the former Manchester United star told the Sun: "Fulham asked Real about me, but did not come up with a concrete proposition.

"The decision to join Hamburg was purely down to sporting aspects. I am still very ambitious and wanted to play for as many minutes as possible this season."

On the Cottagers European progress, he added: "It is incredible that they are in a European semi-final, but they fully deserve their success.

"Having said that, if we don't make the final it will be a total disaster. It is impossible to think we might fail.

"Now I'm confident for this match and our dream is 180 minutes away.

"If we analyse history, Hamburg are better than Fulham, but that means absolutely nothing. Fulham have been a revelation in Europe this season.

"People here think Bobby Zamora is the key to Fulham, but we see how compact their team is and how powerful they are in defence. It won't be easy to break them down.

"They have already had some historic results, like the one against Juventus, and the key to victory will be to stop them scoring in the first leg."

[WhiteJC]

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/sow_experts/post/Fulham-s-Mark-Schwarzer-wants-travel-retribution?urn=sow%2C235561
Fulham's Mark Schwarzer wants travel retribution
By Brooks Peck

"Uh, excuse me, Mr. Turdbrain -- I mean, Mr. Platini?"

I know some of you have already said it, but now Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer is saying what is surely on the minds of every player who has had to make a grueling trip by bus or train for European fixtures this week:

"It's not particularly fair if the ban on flights is lifted and Hamburg just fly across next week. UEFA should have an arrangement whereby they should be made to take the same path that we've had to; but I'm 95 per cent sure that it won't happen."

Well I'm 100 per cent sure it won't happen, Mark.

Fulham are in the midst of a 12-hour bus trip that took them under the English Channel via Eurotunnel, had them spend a night on the Dutch-German border, then regain blood flow to their legs with training on Wednesday evening upon arrival in Hamburg for their Europa League semifinal match on Thursday, followed by a trip all the way back before an away match at Everton on Sunday. And by the time Fulham return home from that game, Schwarzer will probably be demanding that Hamburg walk the whole way with hypodermic needles in their shoes. 

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http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23826497-paul-konchesky-spots-a-route-to-world-cup.do
Paul Konchesky spots a route to World Cup



Paul Konchesky isn't moaning about Fulham's gruelling journey here for tomorrow's Europa League semi-final because he hopes it might lead to a longer trip to South Africa this summer.

The two-day overland trek to Germany — caused by the volcanic ash cloud grounding flights across much of Europe — gave the players plenty of time to look back on a season in which they have exceeded expectations.

In Konchesky's case he could reflect on the excellent form, which may yet convince Fabio Capello to add him to England's World Cup squad as cover for left-back Ashley Cole.

Ahead of the first leg against Hamburg, the Londoner said: "If the team keep doing well, you never know what could be round the corner."

Sven-Goran Eriksson handed Konchesky his England debut against Australia in 2003 and also gave him his second cap against Argentina two seasons later.

That was the 28-year-old's last international and he admitted: "I'm gutted there's not been more. But there is a world-class defender in Ashley — he's probably everything you want in a left-back. Other than that, I know Wayne Bridge has been in there, and he's all right. But Leighton Baines got a chance last time out [against Egypt in March], so a position might still be open."

Bridge, of course, has made himself unavailable for further international duty. So how compelling is Konchesky's case to be in Capello's squad?
His style, making overlapping runs down the left wing, is similar to that of Chelsea's Cole. And his pin-point crossing has helped re-establish that other England hopeful, Bobby Zamora, as a regular goal scorer this term.

The whippet-like defender said: "Those runs were part of my game when I started out at Charlton and it developed under Alan Pardew at West Ham. He really wanted his full-backs to go. I brought it with me to Fulham. We play with a tight midfield and the manager, Roy Hodgson, likes his full-backs to get forward. That suits my style."

Konchesky has also proved he can play as a member of a tight defensive unit, which will be as vital to England's World Cup challenge as it has been to Fulham's remarkable march on Europe highlighted by shock victories over Shakhtar Donetsk, last year's UEFA Cup winners, and Italian giants Juventus.

Since Hodgson replaced Lawrie Sanchez, responsible for signing Konchesky from West Ham for £2.5million in July 2007, Fulham have built upon the foundation of a defence mainly featuring goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, Konchesky, Brede Hangeland, Aaron Hughes and John Pantsil.

Konchesky said: "Part of our success is down to the work we do with the manager and his staff. You can tell on the pitch we're a well-worked team. We know everyone's position and we know the shape we're supposed to keep.

"Results don't lie. Look at our Premier League position and where we are in the Europa League."

As Pantsil has not been eligible for the second
half of the European campaign, either Chris Baird or Simon Davies will start at right-back tomorrow.

Konchesky, though, has no qualms about a change for the defence, which will be charged with containing the goal threat posed by former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.

"This season has been a bit stop-start with injuries to John and myself but whoever has come in for us has bonded straight away with Brede and Aaron in the middle," he said.

Konchesky acknowledged that his England ambitions were not helped by his seven-week absence with an ankle ligament injury sustained at Blackburn in mid-January. He said: "That was a killer blow for me but now I feel as fit as I was before that game."

There is also a wary acceptance that the clamour for Zamora to be given an England call has yet to be heeded by national manager Capello. But Konchesky believes reaching the final, which will be back at Hamburg's HSH Nordbank Arena on 12 May, would be a big boost for his prolific team-mate.

He said: "If the team continue to do well, Bobby will thrive on that. If he can score more goals then he's got a great chance of going to the World Cup."

The two men go back a long way, to when they both played for the legendary Senrab youth team based in east London which also produced, among others John Terry, Sol Campbell, Lee Bowyer, Ledley King and Jermain Defoe.

Konchesky said: "I used to play left-wing in those days. Bobby was still up top but he was quite small back then, not like he is now. But he worked hard, he's got stronger and stronger, and he's turned out to be a fantastic player."

They were both members of the West Ham team beaten on penalties by Liverpool in the 2006 FA Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium.

For Konchesky, who scored a rare goal that day, the nightmare of that heartbreaking defeat will provide an extra spur tomorrow and in the return leg next Thursday.

He said: "People want to go to finals and when you get to finals you want to win them. It was a disappointing thing for me to go to Cardiff and lose. If we get to the final this time, I want to go home being a winner."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.tribalfootball.com/lucescu-backing-fulham-win-europa-league-785961
Lucescu backing Fulham to win Europa League

Shakhtar Donetsk boss Mircea Lucescu is backing Fulham to win the Europa League.

Lucescu's side won the competition under its previous guise - the UEFA Cup - last season but were knocked out of the revamped competition this term by the Cottagers.

And he is tipping Roy Hodgson's team to beat Hamburg in the semis before seeing off Atletico Madrid or Liverpool in the final.

Lucescu said: "Fulham can do it because they have improved from one match to the next. They are more powerful than at the beginning."

And he claims Hodgson is the secret to their success, adding: "He's a strategist and a very tactical coach who has a good understanding with his players."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/WednesdayFlyerUpdate.aspx
Fulham Flyer Update


The Club is currently awaiting confirmation that German Airspace is allowing planes to fly into Germany and following the opening of this air space, that Fulham FC's official tour partner is able to operate the flight which will allow Fulham's Flyers to travel to Hamburg as scheduled on Thursday.

The Club would like to thank supporters hoping to attend Thursday night's Semi-Final (first leg) in Germany for their ongoing patience. As soon as further news concerning the Flyers is received from the Club's official tour operator the Club will publish a further announcement on fulhamfc.com with immediate affect.



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/April/WednesdayFlyerUpdate.aspx#ixzz0ljTDqR8N

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1267738/Fulham-keeper-Mark-Schwarzer-believes-Cottagers-confound-critics-reach-Europa-League-final.html?ITO=1490
Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer believes Cottagers can confound critics again and reach Europa League final

Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has insisted his team-mates can continue to silence the critics and reach the final of the Europa League.

The Londoners take on Hamburg in the semi-finals, with a place in next month's final in the German city up for grabs.
Fulham have seen off Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Wolfsburg on their way to the last four, and Schwarzer is happy to continue in the role of underdogs.

He said: '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.

'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.'

He added in the Daily Mirror: '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.

'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.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1267738/Fulham-keeper-Mark-Schwarzer-believes-Cottagers-confound-critics-reach-Europa-League-final.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0ljUXZvCG

[WhiteJC]

http://www.goal.com/en/news/166/europa-league/2010/04/21/1888350/europa-league-preview-hamburg-fulham
Europa League Preview: Hamburg - Fulham
Now into the final four of Europe's silver medal event, the Cottagers will try to maintain their dream run at HSV's expense...

One Step Beyond

Either Hamburg or Fulham will return to the HSH Nordbank Arena in three weeks' time to compete in the final of the Europa League, and the identity of which side will progress should become a little clearer after Thursday's first leg encounter at the German venue.

For hosts HSV, playing at their own stadium in a European final has clearly been a driving force for their progression in the competition, which has started to eclipse a Bundesliga campaign that at one stage hinted at a top three finish. Bruno Labbadia's men have stuttered a little of late domestically, with their latest disappointment a 1-0 defeat against Mainz last weekend that has consigned them to seventh in the table.

The dip in form has not helped Labbadia's standing in the eyes of HSV president Bernd Hoffmann, and the German media is presently speculating who will replace the 44-year-old at the helm of the side. Gerard Houllier has been mentioned in the past, but Englishman Steve McClaren is now one of the favourites for the role.

Such disappointing form on the Bundesliga front hasn't stopped the march of the Rothosen into the depths of continental competition. Having negotiated a group containing Hapoel Tel Aviv, Celtic and Rapid Vienna, HSV eliminated a trio of clubs from the Low Countries - PSV, Anderlecht and Standard Liege - in the knockout stages en route to the semis.

After tripping up late in the competition last season, striker Mladen Petric is keen to avoid such a mishap this term. "We shouldn't be looking too much at mistakes we made last season," he declared to the press. "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."

Having stumbled against Wolfsburg last season, HSV must now eliminate die Wolfe's vanquishers from this term's competition.

Impressive

Roy Hodgson's Fulham have achieved great things since the former Inter coach rescued them from the clutches of relegation when he took charge at Craven Cottage in 2007. The 62-year-old Englishman has led the Cottagers from strength-to-strength over the past three years, and undoubtedly the highlight of his tenure with the London club has been this fairytale run in the Europa League.

A string of big clubs have had their scalp taken by the Premier League side, who have never previously reached a European final. Victory over Juventus will be remembered as the pinnacle of the campaign, with Clint Dempsey's audacious chip eliminating the Bianconeri after trailing 4-1 on aggregate at one stage.

Arguably the best team that Fulham have eliminated, however, are reigning UEFA Cup champions Shakhtar Donetsk, and Mircea Lucescu, coach of the Ukrainians, has sponsored Fulham to achieve great things against Hamburg.

"Fulham can do it even if they have to play against Liverpool or Atletico Madrid in the final, because they have improved their game from one match to the next," the Romanian is quoted to have said to UEFA's official website. "They are much more powerful than at the beginning. They are a good, very organised team and have a very good coach."

Hodgson, a much-travelled manager, has seen some sights in his days, which include spells in Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and the UAE, but the long coach journey to Hamburg, caused by the cloud of volcanic ash above Europe, ahead of such an important match is doubtless an unwelcome new experience. Rest assured that Fulham's amiable general will not, however, accept this as a potential excuse should his side struggle against HSV.




FORM GUIDE

Hamburg

LOST 1-0 (h) Mainz (Bundesliga, April 17)

WON 2-1 (a) Bochum (Bundesliga, April 11)

WON 3-1 (a) Standard Liege (Europa League, April 8)

DREW 0-0 (h) Hannover (Bundesliga, April 4)

WON 2-1 (h) Standard Liege (Europa League, April 1)

Fulham

DREW 0-0 (h) Wolverhampton Wanderers (Premier League, April 17)

DREW 0-0 (a) Liverpool (Premier League, April 11)

WON 1-0 (a) Wolfsburg (Europa League, April 8)

WON 2-1 (h) Wigan Athletic (Premier League, April 4)

WON 2-1 (h) Wolfsburg (Europa League, April 1)

TEAM NEWS

Hamburg

Bruno Labbadia has a number of unwelcome headaches prior to Thursday's game. The coach will be without regular starters such as Marcell Janssen and Mladen Petric due to injury problems, though the key absentee is Dutch winger Eljero Elia, who is not expected to feature again this season.

Jonathan Pitroipa, who did much to help them through in the previous round against Standard Liege, is expected to shake off a knock to start.

Probable Starting XI: Rost; Demel, Mathijsen, Boateng, Aogo; Trochowski, Ze Roberto, Jarolim, Pitroipa; Guerrero, Van Nistelrooy

Fulham

Andrew Johnson is a long-term problem for Fulham, while Nicky Shorey and Stefano Okaka are ineligible and can't play any part in this fixture.

Clint Dempsey's place in the team is uncertain as he is carrying a foot problem and may require a late check, though there is better news regarding John Paintsil, who was able to take a spot on the bench last weekend after an extended period on the sidelines.

Probable Starting XI: Schwarzer; Baird, Hangeland, Hughes, Konchesky; Duff, Etuhu, Murphy, Davies; Gera, Zamora

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Hamburg

Ruud van Nistelrooy will be asked to provide the cutting edge for HSV in attack. While the Rothosen have generally been sound defensively for the majority of the season, scoring goals has proven to be something of a problem for them. The veteran Dutchman is, of course, an expert at putting the ball in the net, so expect him to cause the Cottagers more than a few problems come Thursday.

Fulham

Bobby Zamora has been a revelation for the London club this season, to such an extent that there have been regular calls for the former West Ham United forward to be called into Fabio Capello's England panel for the World Cup. The 29-year-old has a formidable goal-getting record in the Europa League, having found the net eight times in 14 games, and his physique and strength are sure to cause the German's problems.

PREDICTION

Both of these sides have been going superbly in Europe, though it is the Premier League outfit who have arguably caused the greater stir, having already enjoyed success against the likes of Juventus and Wolfsburg en route to the last four. The Cottagers may have already won on German soil previously in this competition, but the likelihood of them doing so again is not especially high as they tend to be poor on their travels, and a lengthy coach journey won't have aided them any.

Hamburg 1-1 Fulham

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http://www.101greatgoals.com/can-fulham-take-advantage-of-hamburgs-internal-crisis-to-claim-another-major-europa-league-scalp/53360/
Can Fulham take advantage of Hamburg's internal crisis to claim another major Europa League scalp?



Hamburg v Fulham, Europa League semi-final first leg, April 22, 2010

Hamburg 1.69; Draw 3.50; Fulham 5.25


Roma. Basel. Shakhtar Donetsk. Juventus. Wolfsburg. So, will Hamburg be next for European football's surprise package Fulham?

At the start of this season's Europa League, not even the biggest Fulham optimist would even joke that Roy Hodgson's ragtag bunch of misfits would be in the semi-final of the competition. And more amazing perhaps, no-one would have dared dream that the Cottagers would be worthy of reaching this far in the tournament. Yet, after dispatching of European football's toughest and most seasoned opponents Fulham are fully deserving of their moment in the spotlight and perhaps - just perhaps - they could cause one last upset and beat HSV. (Fulham are 5.75 to win the Europa League, Hamburg are 2.90.)

"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.' 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." - Mark Schwarzer.

Bobby Zamora, who has scored six goals in the competition this season, is Fulham's key weapon, and should the former Brighton forward net his 20th goal in all competitions it would seem even more difficult for Three Lions coach Fabio Capello to leave the in-form England hitman out of his World Cup squad.

There is more good news for Fulham though with the return of several stars at just the right time. John Pantsil has been out since December with a knee injury but after playing a reserve game last week the defender may have to settle for a place on the bench. Elsewhere, Clint Dempsey could seal a place in the starting eleven after missing last weekend's goalless draw with Wolves with a thigh injury, while Simon Davies returned to the team against Wolves and should get the nod to start the match on the right hand side.

Yet, rather than focus on single player participation, where Roy Hodgson has been truly successful has been developing a "team first, individuals second" mentality. Accordingly, the experienced pros such as Danny Murphy, Damien Duff and keeper Mark Schwarzer have been able to bond brilliantly with the likes of Brede Hangeland, Chris Baird, Dickson Etuhu and the exciting Zoltan Gera to form a well-oiled and effective unit.

Hamburg, who have the carrot of knowing that the Europa League final will be played at their home HSH Nordbank Arena on May 12th, will prove as tough as any opponent Fulham have faced so far in this season's tournament.

But Hamburg do have their own internal problems to contend with. At the halfway point of the season, Hamburg sat fourth in the league, four points off the lead and seemingly on course for a Champions League berth as well as habouring hopes for the Bundesliga. Since, however, their domestic form has dipped sharply and they now lie in lowly seventh, a cool 15 points off pace-setters Bayern.

That has left many to question whether coach Bruno Labbadia made the right decision to bring in Ruud van Nistelrooy in the winter transfer window, as opposed to signing a quality defender to shore up their leaky backline. And in truth the criticism against Labbadia, which again grew louder last weekend when lowly Mainz ran out 1-nil visitors at Hamburg, is wider than the signing of RVN with fallouts at the club a constant factor this season.

As reported by Raphael Honigstein, "cack-handed attempts to act as a tough disciplinarian have seen [Labbadia] lose respect in the dressing room; Brazilian midfielder Zé Roberto publicly exposed the manager's lack of authority when he came back a week late from his winter holidays. Since then, Labbadia has systematically alienated almost every player by making strange substitutions and bizarre tactical decisions. On Saturday, the crowd booed when captain David Jarolim, the last remaining supporter of Labbadia in the dressing room, was hauled off after 69 minutes for 20-year-old debutant Sören Bertram... The next day, Rost resigned from his post on the players council after a public rebuke from Labbadia. The 35-year-old had taken five team-mates to watch Clash of the Titans the night before the Mainz game. They were back in the team hotel before curfew but Labbadia wasn't happy."

With so much disruption at the club, many players are reported to want out this summer. And that may inspire Manchester City fans to tune into this match as German 21-year-old defender Jerome Boateng is mooted as being a likely target for the Citizens this summer.

Hmaburg arrive into this match with their fair share of injuries too, with Mladen Petric, Jose Paolo Guerrero, Marcell Jansen, Eljero Elia and Romeo Castelen all sidelined with injury.

Having witnessed Fulham reach this stage of the tournament and defy the boo-boys time after time, betting against the Cottagers upsetting the odds once again could be compared to being like the boy who cried wolf. Nevertheless, despite all their problems, Hamburg have quality sprinkled throughout their team, and a narrow German victory can be expected.

101gg predicts: Hamburg 1 - Fulham 0 (6.07)


Hamburg 1.69; Draw 3.50; Fulham 5.25

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http://football.fanhouse.co.uk/2010/04/21/hamburg-v-fulham-preview-ruud-van-nistelrooy-provides-the-major/
Hamburg v Fulham Preview: Ruud Van Nistelrooy Provides the Major Threat

FULHAM:
The further you go in a cup competition, the more difficult it becomes, but Fulham never envisaged they would have to put in so much effort just to get to to their Europa League semi-final first leg in the first place.

But, then again, for a team that has already clocked up more than 17,000 miles in the Europa League, a road and rail trip to Hamburg shouldn't pose too many additional problems.

Roy Hodgson's side, who found themselves in action at the foot of Russia's Ural Mountains in the qualifiers, are close to going all the way in the inaugural Europa League.

Only Hamburg - featuring former Manchester United star Ruud van Nistelrooy - now stand in their way between a place in the final and a return to this stadium, which will be staging the climax to the competition.

The Iceland volcano that grounded planes for almost a week forced Fulham to make a 24-hour journey by coach, train and coach again to reach their destination.

Centre-back Aaron Hughes was determined not to let the inconvenience distract them. "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. We are eager not to let it go."

Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer agreed. "I've never come across a situation like this before and it's a difficult situation to judge," he said "You've got to look on the bright side and you can't let it get you down.

"It's just the way things are and everyone's in the same predicament all over Europe. From what I hear the last time this volcano erupted it blew smoke for two years so I think we should all go and buy shares in Eurostar and P&O. Those shares will skyrocket if this continues!"

Strategy: Fulham will look to keep in tight in Hamburg. Not just because they are the away side in an important two-legged fixture but because that's the way they play. No Premier League side is more capable of grinding out a 0-0 draw but Fulham will look to Bobby Zamora for an all-important away goal, which the striker provided in the quarter-finals in Wolfsburg.

And whatever Hamburg attempt you can bet that the meticulous Hodgson will have tried to prepare his players for it on the training ground. "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."

Injury Update: Defender John Pantsil is back in the fold following a serious knee injury sustained in December. David Elm has been struggling to recover from a virus while Clint Dempsey (thigh) and Andy Johnson (knee) missed the 0-0 draw with Wolves at the weekend.

HAMBURG:
Much will depend on the impact of Nistelrooy who could have been playing for Fulham instead of against them. The Dutchman had known his time at Real Madrid was coming to an end and eventually left for Hamburg in January. "Fulham asked Real about me, but did not come up with a concrete proposition," he said. "The decision to join Hamburg was purely down to sporting aspects. I am still very ambitious and wanted to play for as many minutes as possible this season."

Defender Paul Konchesky admitted the 33-year-old was already on his mind. "Everyone knows how good Ruud is from his time in England, how many goals he can score and how dangerous he is," he said. "He's obviously still got that because he's still playing for the best teams. It didn't really work out for him at Real Madrid but now he's gone to Hamburg and he must be doing something right because they're having a good season."

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1267749/Fulham-store-Ruud-awakening-Van-Nistelrooy-plans-destroy-Europa-League-bid.html?ITO=1490
Fulham in store for Ruud awakening as Van Nistelrooy plans to destroy their Europa League bid


Ruud van Nistelrooy plans to dent Fulham's hopes for a second time this season after the former Manchester United striker revealed he rejected a January move to Craven Cottage.

Now at Hamburg, after joining from Real Madrid during the last transfer window, the Dutch forward wants to score against Roy Hodgson's side when the clash at the Hamburg Arena on Thursday in the Europa League semi-final.
Van Nistelrooy, 33, admits he is amazed by Fulham's success this season, saying he favoured a move to Germany, believing he had a better chance of winning trophies.

Having seen Fulham beat off defending champions Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus and Wolfsburg en route the last four, Van Nistelrooy claims Hodgson's side are a footballing revealtion - but he wants their joy to end there.
'It is incredible that they are in a European semi-final but they fully deserve their success.
'Fulham asked Real about me but did not come up with a concrete proposition


'The decision to join Hamburg was purely down to sporting aspects.

'I am still very ambitious and wanted to play for as many minutes as possible this season.
'Having said that, if we don't make the final it will be a total disaster. It is impossible to think we might fail.'



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1267749/Fulham-store-Ruud-awakening-Van-Nistelrooy-plans-destroy-Europa-League-bid.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0ljrOOgx8

[os5889]

A bit of Nostalgia found on facebook, hardly worthy of a thread, Michael Jackson at the cottage April 1999