Tuesday Fulham Stuff (25/12/12)

[White Noise]

Berbatov's sulks a cause for concern, admits Fulham boss


By Yann Tear


Dec 24 2012



Dimitar Berbatov

MARTIN JOL has hinted for the first time that his star player is giving him a headache because of his downbeat attitude.

The moody Dimitar Berbatov is hardly all smiles at the best of times, and with Fulham's form dipping in recent weeks, the sulks and signs of frustration have become more obvious.

"When things were going well, we were happy with him, but when things are not going well, he could be unhappy," said Jol on the eve of a vital festive programme.

"He's almost used to winning games with the clubs where he was [Tottenham and Man United], so we have to talk to him and players have talk to him, and he has to do the same.

"He's got to put in the same sort of attitude or work-rate that he always did. When he does that, there's no problem, but he is certainly a player we have to keep on his toes to do well for us."

Jol added: "We were very happy with him the first couple of months and now he should be happy with us as well, so we have to keep each other happy."


Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2012/12/24/82029-32490854/#ixzz2G3B5CqTs

[White Noise]

Fulham boss admits current spell is his 'toughest yet'


By Yann Tear


Dec 24 2012



Martin Jol



MARTIN JOL says he is experiencing his toughest spell since taking over at Fulham at the start of last season.

The Dutchman takes his team into the Christmas programme looking to improve on a run of one win in 10 matches and admitting his team could be on the verge of a relegation battle.

"Yes it is [my hardest spell]. We have worries," said the Dutchman. "We need goals and if you don't score the goals, you will never have a result.

"Before, we scored a lot of goals, but also if you see the goals against, that is terrible.

"We conceded a lot of goals from set plays and that is a concern as well, so we try to do something about it. Hopefully we can come up with a few solutions.

"I feel we will have a good look at the transfer market. Now is the time, if possible, to do something."

Jol added: "Last year was not easy, because we had European games, but it's not easy at the moment, with players playing out of position. Kevin Richardson is probably a wide player and he had to play in centre midfield, for example.

"You can say we have been stretched to the limit in the last few weeks."


Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2012/12/24/82029-32490635/#ixzz2G3BQjpJY

[White Noise]

Sort it out! Fulham boss Jol fears relegation scrap if worrying slump continues


By Simon Peach, Press Association


PUBLISHED:20:11, 24 December 2012| UPDATED:20:11, 24 December 2012


Comments (2)



Martin Jol believes Fulham will find themselves in a 'relegation battle' if they do not pick up points over the festive period.

The Cottagers lost a number of key players during the summer but begun the season surprisingly well.

Things, though, have taken a turn for the worse of late and Jol has only led his side to one victory in their previous 10 matches.


Slump: Fulham are dropping like a stone towards the relegation zone

That poor form has seen them plummet in the table and the Dutchman knows they need to improve in the coming games, starting when Southampton visit Craven Cottage on Boxing Day.

'We wanted that win last week against QPR but I don't think we were good enough,' Jol said.

'Against Liverpool we didn't show our strength and hopefully we can pick up the points not because it is a vital game for us. It is a vital game for them as well.

'We are in a good position, we have got a good cushion but if we don't pick up the points in the next week or so then we're really in a relegation battle with other teams.'

Jol believes Southampton are one of the sides that will around the dropzone come the end of the season, but will not be taking them for granted on Boxing Day.

'Sometimes they showed they can get the results and sometimes their weaknesses have been exploited, like we have,' he said.

'You saw a big contradiction with Aston Villa, losing 8-0 at Chelsea after winning at Liverpool the week before.

'That is the Barclays Premier League for you. It is unbelievably strong so you have to be strong in your organisation and you need your players that can make the difference.

'I feel we have got these players and hopefully they will be available. Even when they're not, we have got other players that can do the job, but the margin is a bit thin between being successful and not successful.'


Up please: Jol has fired a stern warning in the direction of his squad

Jol may well be able to welcome back one of those key players, with Bryan Ruiz rated 50-50 for the match after a hamstring injury.

Steve Sidwell returns after a one-match ban, but Mahamadou Diarra and Mladen Petric are doubts, while Damien Duff is definitely out.

Southampton's only injury concern is likely to be that of captain Adam Lallana, although Jol is wary of their other attacking options.

'I don't think it matters,' he said of the left winger. 'If you see them, they had Jay Rodriguez and we had a close look at him.

'He was quite expensive and they bought him. They have Gaston Ramirez, who has over £10million and is a good player.

'He can play on that flank and if you see Jason Puncheon on the other flank, he has done very well. They also have Emmanuel Mayuka, who we had a look at as well. He was £6million or £7million.

'They have a few players that can fill in that role. We have to do that all the time so why couldn't they come up with a solution?'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2252945/Fulham-boss-Martin-Jol-fears-relegation-scrap-2013.html#ixzz2G3I7p3FC

[CurryForMario]

Berbatov's sulks a cause for concern, admits Fulham boss

This is why we need reinforcements as soon as possible! Show him why he should stay!

[White Noise]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/fulham-vs-southampton-team-news-1504633




Life of Bryan: Ruiz could return for Fulham but Lallana set to miss out for Saints



24 Dec 2012 13:53



Damien Duff will definitely miss Boxing Day clash





Fulham could have Bryan Ruiz back for the visit of strugglers Southampton.

The 27-year-old has been out since coming off in the 3-1 defeat to Sunderland on November 18 with a hamstring injury, but is rated 50-50 by manager Martin Jol for a return.

Mahamadou Diarra and Mladen Petric are doubts and Damien Duff is definitely out. Simon Davies (hip) is also unavailable, while Steve Sidwell returns from suspension.

The visitors will almost certainly be without Adam Lallana again.

The Saints captain missed Saturday's 1-0 home defeat to Sunderland with a knee injury and is expected to miss out on the trip to Craven Cottage.

Nigel Adkins' side appeared to come through the defeat to the Black Cats without any new knocks.

Provisional Fulham squad : Schwarzer, Stockdale, Riether, Kelly, Hangeland, Hughes, Senderos, Riise, Dejagah, Baird, Sidwell, Diarra, Karagounis, Kacaniklic, Richardson, Kasami, Duff, Ruiz, Rodallega, Petric, Berbatov.

Provisional Southampton squad: K Davis, Gazzaniga, Boruc, Richardson, Butterfield, Stephens, Clyne, Fox, Shaw, Yoshida, Hooiveld, Fonte, Reeves, Ward-Prowse, Do Prado, Cork, Chaplow, De Ridder, Ramirez, Schneiderlin, S Davis, Puncheon, Lee, Lambert, Rodriguez, Mayuka.

[White Noise]

http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2012/12/24/3801264/fulham-set-to-capture-duo


Fulham set to capture duo



By Kristian Balkin on Dec 24, 6:13p +




Valerio Pennicino



Deals have reportedly been agreed for two players, with an early-January move imminent


Fulham are to set their stall out early in January with the acquisitions of Standard Liege goalkeeper Sinan Bolat and Wolfsburg defender Alexander Madlung.

Bolat had a fine campaign for Liege last season but the Turskish international has had a checkered history of injuries to his name.

In spite of that, he is still held in high regard, especially after a last minute penalty save against one Bryan Ruiz, then of Gent, that ensured his side a place in the title play-off match against RSC Anderlecht in 2009. They went on to win the final, Bolat keeping a clean sheet.

He has been training at Craven Cottage recently, in his recovery from injury, and Martin Jol has seemingly got his man in a reported £800,000 deal.

Standard Liege technical director, Jean-Francois De Sart, confirmed a deal was in place:

"We have reached an agreement with Fulham for Sinan."

Meanwhile, Bild have reported that Madlung, a centre back, will be joining on a free transfer. While hardly an inspirational move from Jol, the 30 year-old will provide ample cover for Brede Hangeland, Aaron Hughes and, potentially, Phillippe Senderos.

In another Fulham connection, the 6ft 4" German was the only Wolfsburg player to score against us in the Europa League tie of 2010, with a late header.

[White Noise]

http://bwinbetting.com/leagues/premier-league/fulham-stop-rot-southampton-cottage,34668.html



Fulham to stop the rot against Southampton at the Cottage


Both Martin Jol and Nigel Adkins have had to contemplate disappointing defeats in the last couple of days, but it is the London side who go into this clash as favourites




There was not an awful lot of Christmas cheer for Fulham as they licked their wounds on their way back from Anfield, where Liverpool comfortably dispatched them 4-0 on Saturday.

However, with a Boxing Day bout against Southampton on the horizon, Martin Jol will be hoping his charges can bounce back with a second home win on the spin.

The Cottagers have not played on home soil since December 10th, when they beat Newcastle, and have suffered defeats at QPR and Liverpool since then.

They now sit just five points above the relegation zone and five points above fourth-bottom Southampton, who are also coming into this one on the back of a disappointing loss.

Nigel Adkins was left frustrated at the weekend as his men sank to a 1-0 defeat at home to Sunderland, keeping them on the very edge of the relegation zone.

With one win and six defeats from their seven away trips so far, Adkins will need his players to produce more if they are to get anything from their trip to west London.

The Cottagers have coughed and spluttered a bit in recent weeks, but they showed earlier in the season what they are capable of when they click into gear.

Big home wins over Norwich and West Brom – who have since motored ahead of Fulham in the table – were evidence that they can perform to a very high standard when their best players are on form.

If you think Jol can inspire his men to victory against the Saints then odds of 83/100 will be your reward.

Adkins will no doubt be reliant on Jol's men being sapped of confidence following their limp display on Merseyside, while hoping his charges can brush off their underwhelming home performance at the weekend.

The form of Rickie Lambert will be key as he remains the only Saints player to have scored more than twice this season.

There will be confidence from the south coast outfit that they can trouble Mark Schwarzer given that Fulham have actually conceded the same amount of goals as Southampton this season, and the joint-second most of anyone in the top flight.

However, with Fulham boasting 28 scored and the likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Hugo Rodallega and Mladen Petric to call on, the Saints backline will have to continue their improvement from earlier in the campaign.

If you think Southampton can continue to pile the Christmas misery on to Fulham then you can find them at generous odds of 29/10.

The fact that both sides put in poor performances at the weekend, as well as the fact that they drew 2-2 in the reverse fixture in October, could lead you to think that this one may end all square, and 27/10 is the bookies' way of teasing you with such thoughts.

Fulham have drawn as many as they have won this season, but given the fact that just one of their five stalemates has come at home, and Southampton have not drawn a single away game, I personally doubt this will finish level.

This game is intriguingly poised heading into the post-Christmas period, but I can't disagree with the bookies who believe that it will be Fulham who are celebrating with a mince pie, a glass of sherry and three points and 83/100 is a tempting enough price for me to go for it.

No you're right, I can't picture Martin Jol drinking sherry either.

Merry Christmas and happy punting!

[White Noise]

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/christmas-points-crucial-for-fulham-warns-martin-jol-8430916.html


Christmas points crucial for Fulham warns Martin Jol



24 December 2012





Martin Jol believes Fulham will find themselves in a "relegation battle" if they do not pick up points over the festive period.

The Cottagers lost a number of key players during the summer but begun the season surprisingly well.

Things, though, have taken a turn for the worse of late and Jol has only led his side to one victory in their previous 10 matches.

That poor form has seen them plummet in the table and the Dutchman knows they need to improve in the coming games, starting when Southampton visit Craven Cottage on Boxing Day.

"We wanted that win last week against QPR but I don't think we were good enough," Jol said.

"Against Liverpool we didn't show our strength and hopefully we can pick up the points not because it is a vital game for us. It is a vital game for them as well.

"We are in a good position, we have got a good cushion but if we don't pick up the points in the next week or so then we're really in a relegation battle with other teams."

Jol believes Southampton are one of the sides that will around the dropzone come the end of the season, but will not be taking them for granted on Boxing Day.

"Sometimes they showed they can get the results and sometimes their weaknesses have been exploited, like we have," he said.

"You saw a big contradiction with Aston Villa, losing 8-0 at Chelsea after winning at Liverpool the week before.

"That is the Barclays Premier League for you. It is unbelievably strong so you have to be strong in your organisation and you need your players that can make the difference.

"I feel we have got these players and hopefully they will be available. Even when they're not, we have got other players that can do the job, but the margin is a bit thin between being successful and not successful."

Jol may well be able to welcome back one of those key players, with Bryan Ruiz rated 50-50 for the match after a hamstring injury.

Steve Sidwell returns after a one-match ban, but Mahamadou Diarra and Mladen Petric are doubts, while Damien Duff is definitely out.

Southampton's only injury concern is likely to be that of captain Adam Lallana, although Jol is wary of their other attacking options.

"I don't think it matters," he said of the left winger. "If you see them, they had Jay Rodriguez and we had a close look at him.

"He was quite expensive and they bought him. They have Gaston Ramirez, who has over £10million and is a good player.

"He can play on that flank and if you see Jason Puncheon on the other flank, he has done very well.

"They also have Emmanuel Mayuka, who we had a look at as well. He was £6million or £7million.

"They have a few players that can fill in that role. We have to do that all the time so why couldn't they come up with a solution?"