Saturday Fulham Stuff (29/12/12)...

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QPR to swoop for Fulham star

Queens Park Rangers are set to make a swoop for Fulham defender Brede Hangeland in the January transfer window.

The Fulham Chronicle reports that Harry Redknapp is hoping to make the Norwegian centre-back one of his first signings for the club in a £4million deal.

Hangeland has been linked with a number of moves away from Craven Cottage over the past few seasons due to his consistent high level of performances in the heart of the Cottagers' defence.

Speculation

Arsenal and Liverpool are amongst a number of clubs who have come knocking in recent years, and now QPR are set to try their luck at luring the 31-year-old away from Fulham.

Redknapp appears to be taking priority in trying to plug the holes in his leaky defence, which has shipped 33 goals in just 19 league games this season.

If the giant defender was to leave Martin Jol's side he would end a near five year stay with the club.

After joining Fulham in 2008 from FC Copenhagen, Hangeland has gone on to make over 200 appearances for the Premier League side, scoring 11 times.


http://www.touchlinetalk.com/qpr-to-swoop-for-fulham-star/21740/?

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Swansea City's Luke Moore ready to take chance and fill Michu role

SWANSEA CITY striker Luke Moore is eager to build on his first Premier League start since April.

Moore started Boxing Day's goalless draw with Reading ahead of Danny Graham and Itay Shechter and could keep his place for the trip to Fulham tomorrow as Swansea sweat on the fitness of top scorer Michu.

The 26-year-old hadn't featured in the Swans' starting XI since last season's 2-0 defeat at home to Newcastle under Brendan Rodgers, but looks to have pushed his way up the pecking order under Michael Laudrup.

Moore started wide of Michu in the game at the Madejski before being pushed through the middle in the second half and could continue to lead the line if the Spaniard fails to shake off his ankle injury.

"It was good to get a start," said Moore.

"Like anyone you have to get on with your job when you're not playing.

"There's disappointment but you get on with it and do your best.

"As a footballer it's always great to start because you want to be involved.

"I work hard in training and try and do my thing and keep believing.

"I work as hard as I can and then if the manager thinks he wants to put me ahead of certain people then I'm happy for that."

Moore and Graham have both found their chances at a premium this season because of the form of £2m summer capture Michu.

The former Rayo Vallecano man has hit 13 goals in the Premier League already and has been preferred up front to Moore and Graham despite being more comfortable as a number 10.

But Michu's injury could hand Moore the chance to impress with Swansea having to play eight games in the league and cups before the start of February.

"I don't want to jump to conclusions because I don't know how bad Michu is," said Moore.

"But he's got out of the blocks so quick and when you've got his amount of goals he can do what he wants in terms of playing.

"He's been a great signing for us and all the boys are pleased for him.

"We're a great team and the great thing about Swansea is the players who have been here for five, six years, or even longer like (Garry) Monks and (Leon) Britts, they keep everyone in order.

"They make sure the new players know where we stand and it's all about the team rather than individuals."

Swansea travel to Craven Cottage tomorrow having lost just two of their last 10 games in the top flight, a run which has taken Laudrup's side to 25 points at the halfway mark of the season.

They produced one of their best performances of the season at Fulham under Rodgers, but Moore has warned his side about getting complacent.

He said: "In this league you can't get too far ahead of yourself. Look at us against Fulham away last year and then we lost four on the bounce.

"When you get a bit too comfortable you can easily go on a run that you don't win for five or six.

"I don't personally look at the league table, I couldn't tell you how many points we had last year at this time. We just have to keep plugging along, playing well and come March see where we are."

"Fulham have some great players and they are at home.

"In the Premier League there are no easy games – when you think a game will be easy, that's when you come unstuck."



Read more: Wales Online http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/swanseacityfc/swansea-city-fc/2012/12/27/91466-32503787/?#ixzz2GQku7ikQ

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Fulham star Ruiz keen to play part in crunch Swansea visit

FULHAM'S Bryan Ruiz is relieved to be back playing again after a frustrating spell on the sidelines.

The 27-year-old has been out since suffering a hamstring injury in the 3-1 defeat to Sunderland on November 18.

Ruiz suffered a setback in his recovery and only returned to action on Boxing Day, playing the entire second half of the 1-1 draw with Southampton.

"I was really pleased to be back in the side and to play 45 minutes but I was disappointed with the result," said Ruiz, now in contention to feature against Swansea City tomorrow.

"We knew we needed to win and we couldn't do it.

"At half-time they said I was going on and I was surprised. I was happy to play again and they just told me the position I needed to play in and what I had to do on the pitch."

Ruiz's absence coincided with a poor run of results for Fulham, who now lie just six points above the relegation zone.

"We didn't take any risks with the injury," Ruiz said. "We're trying to do things properly.

"Now it's a case of doing preparation work to avoid another injury.

"Every team has bad moments. At the beginning of the season we were playing really good football but we're having a tough period now.

"We have to stay together and get back on track."

Fulham defender John Arne Riise admits the Cottagers must improve to prevent any flirtation with relegation.

"At the moment we're not playing our best football," said the Norwegian veteran.

"We're working hard to get back to the football we were playing at the start of the season.

"We are not playing the best football so we need to get the confidence back and start playing the well we can."

The Boxing Day draw with Southampton leaves Fulham desperate for points and heightens the importance of Swansea's visit to Craven Cottage.

"We have had some bad results lately but the team has worked hard on the training ground," Riise added.

"You could see everybody was really fired up. They really wanted to show the fans that we're back to normal.

"We have just got to recover now and get ready for the Swansea game, which will be another tough battle and hopefully we can get three points."



Read more: Wales Online http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/football-news/2012/12/28/91466-32503887/?#ixzz2GQlKG1rI

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Mid-season report: Fulham

Once again Fulham's away form is halting their progress up the Premier League.

The West London side regularly entertain the Craven Cottage faithful and four wins have come in front of their own fans this term.

However, just one win has been picked up away from home and that's led to another frustrating start to this campaign.

Below, Sports Mole goes over the Whites' first half of the 2012-13 season.

August

The season began in rampant fashion as the Cottagers breezed past Norwich 5-0 on the opening day.

Next up was a trip to Manchester United and, despite a solid performance, conceding three first-half goals didn't help as Fulham were edged 3-2 at Old Trafford.

The month may have ended miserably on the pitch as Fulham exited the Capital One Cup to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday. However, the fans were delighted when their club brought in Dimitar Berbatov from Manchester United on the final day of the transfer deadline.

September

Four Premier League games came in September and Jol's men picked up a pair of wins and losses. The month began with a drubbing at West Ham but they accounted for the 3-0 loss by beating West Brom by the same score, with Berbatov notching a brace on his home debut.

Two more consecutive scorelines ended the month as, first, the Cottagers beat Wigan 2-1 but then lost late at home to Manchester City.

October

October was a three-game, unbeaten month for Fulham but the two trips away from London were to the newly-promoted sides of Reading and Southampton - games from which Jol's side would have hoped to take more than two points. Sandwiched between two score draws on the South Coast and in Berkshire was a home win over Aston Villa where Chris Baird bagged a late winner.

November

Five games came in November and Fulham couldn't pick up a win in any. The penultimate month began with draws against Everton and Arsenal before a first loss in five when Sunderland came to Craven Cottage.

A narrow loss at tricky Stoke followed before a goalless draw in the West London derby against an ailing Chelsea.

December

The Cottagers' winless run was extended to seven as December began with a thumping from Spurs at home.

A maximum was finally found in the next, however, as Newcastle left Craven Cottage pointless. Jol's men couldn't build on this as they afforded QPR their first win of the season before receiving a 4-0 thrashing from Liverpool.

The halfway point of the season was marked with a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to fellow strugglers Southampton on Boxing Day.

That leaves the Cottagers in 14th place, six points ahead of the drop zone. Jol will be hoping for a higher finish than that and Berbatov's qualities will be key to their push for the top half.



http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/news/mid-season-report-fulham_61033.html

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Fulham v Swansea

Fulham's Bryan Ruiz has been passed fit to start against Swansea on Saturday.

The Costa Rica international made his return from a hamstring injury in the 1-1 draw with Southampton, playing the entire second half on Boxing Day.

Mahamadou Diarra and Mladen Petric are doubts to face Swansea, while Damien Duff could miss out again.

Top scorer Michu is out for Swansea due to the ankle injury he suffered in the Boxing Day draw at Reading.

The 13-goal Spaniard has not recovered in time to face the Cottagers, with Danny Graham, Itay Shechter and Luke Moore all competing to start up front in his place.

Winger Pablo Hernandez and full-back Angel Rangel are set to return from thigh and ankle problems respectively after missing the opening part of the festive period.

Teams:

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

Swansea (from): Vorm, Bartley, Flores, Williams, Britton, Lita, Michu, Graham, Hernandez, Dyer, Routledge, Monk, Shechter, Moore, De Guzman, Tiendalli, Rangel, Ki, Tremmel, Agustien, Gower, Richards, Davies.



http://www.sportinglife.com/football/live/match-preview/261754/ruiz-set-for-fulham-start?

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Hopes And Dreams

Kieran Richardson admits Fulham fans have yet to see the best of him. It's something he's keen to quickly address.

"It's been stop-start for me," Richardson tells the official matchday programme for Saturday's game with Swansea City. "I had two injuries which set me back not long after signing and I haven't really got going. I'll be working hard in training to get a run of games, get consistent and get my form back up there.

"It's been very frustrating. But it goes like that in football sometimes. It's what's happened so far, I just need to get on with it and try and put it behind me. The most important thing for me now is to stay injury free. The more games I play, the fitter I'll get and the better I'll get."

Elsewhere in the only matchday magazine that matters - which is available in both traditional print format and digitally - are exclusive interviews with Martin Jol, Giorgos Karagounis, Jim Hicks, Wayne Routledge, Leighton James and Brian McBride.

Jol pens his regular Manager's notes, Karagounis takes the Fulham 50 challenge, Hicks is the subject of our 'Cult Heroes' section and McBride recalls some festive football encounters during his time in SW6.

Swans legend James also gives his thoughts on the Cottage encounter and current Swansea star and former Fulham loanee Routledge looks ahead to the game and recalls his spell with the Whites.

With all the usual news and views from in and around the Club, plus much more besides, the official Fulham programme really is the essential matchday accessory. Priced £3.50, the 84-page publication is available from various sellers on Stevenage Road from two hours before kick-off. Fans can also order copies online by heading here.

The digital edition of the programme is available from 9am on the day of the game. Click here for details on how to download your digital edition.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/december/28/hopes-and-dreams?

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Martin Jol expects better from Fulham's Kieran Richardson


Kieran Richardson: 'Lacking spark and fitness' according to Jol

Fulham manager Martin Jol says Kieran Richardson has not been living up to expectations after dropping him for the Boxing Day draw with Southampton.

The winger failed to make the bench for Wednesday's 1-1 result after he was part of the side that were thumped 4-0 by Liverpool last weekend, with Alex Kacaniklic taking his place.

Richardson has struggled to make an impact at Craven Cottage since arriving from Sunderland for a reported £2million in the summer and Jol says he expects to see more from the 28-year-old.

The manager told The Sun: "He's lacking the spark and a little bit of fitness.

"Alex Kacaniklic is only 20 and Richardson should be better than him. But he hasn't been.

"I want him to do well and be better than what I've got. He knows and he wants to do better."



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/8364064/?

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Stockdale Still Wanted

Although David Stockdale was called back, with immediate effect, from his loan spell at Hull City, he is still a wanted man.

It transpires that Stockdale is one of a trio of players that the Hull City manager, Steve Bruce, wants to keep until the end of the season as the Humberside club seekS to round off a good first half to the season by securing promotion back to the Premier League.

Will Bruce get his wish?

That remains to be seen!


http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=303679

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Buck Your Ideas Up!
   
The summer signing of Kieran Richardson was seen as a good one.

Richardson got his request to return to London whilst Fulham signed a player who had a lot of Premier League experience.

Unfortunately, Richardson has struggled to impress and has been in and out of the team prompting Martin Jol to explain why Kacaniklic was preferred to Richardson for the clash Southampton after Richardson had started against Liverpool, commenting,

"He`s lacking the spark and a little bit of fitness."

"Alex Kacaniklic is only 20 and Richardson should be better than him. But he hasn`t been."

Anyone like to suggest why Richardson hasn`t lived up to expectations?



http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=303680

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FULHAM v Swansea: Ruiz set to reunite forward partnership with Berbatov after making return

Fulham's Bryan Ruiz has been passed fit to start against Swansea tomorrow.

The Costa Rica international made his return from a hamstring injury in the 1-1 draw with Southampton, playing the entire second half on Boxing Day.


Bryan's back: Ruiz (centre) had been out for a month before returning Boxing Day

Mahamadou Diarra and Mladen Petric are doubts to face Swansea, while Damien Duff could miss out again.

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



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2254097/FULHAM-v-Swansea-Bryan-Ruiz-set-reunite-forward-partnership-Dimitar-Berbatov-making-return.html

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Rangers boss dismisses Hangeland link

QPR manager Harry Redknapp has played down speculation linking him with a move for Fulham defender Brede Hangeland.

Redknapp was asked before the recent derby against the Whites which Fulham player he most admired and he chose Hangeland.

That triggered reports that he was interested in signing the Norwegian centre-back, who has been discussing a new contract at Craven Cottage.

But Redknapp said: "It's the first I've heard about us being linked with Hangeland. He's a top player but we've made no approach for him."

Rangers are hopeful that Ryan Nelsen, who has been struggling with a virus, will be fit for Sunday's home game against Liverpool.


http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/rangers-boss-dismisses-hangeland-link?

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Harry Wants Hangeland!
   
If Bede Hangeland hasn`t been persuaded, just yet, to put pen-to-paper on his new deal, at Craven Cottage, then we suggest someone gets him to do so.

Otherwise, if one prominent news source is correct, Brede could well join the exodus of players that have exited Craven Cottage and walked that short distance to join Queens Park Rangers.

The inference being that Harry Redknapp sees Brede as the ideal defender to shore up a defence that is sending Queens Park Rangers on a headlong dive straight through the relegation trapdoor.



Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=303684#ixzz2GQuKspvP

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Jol's Swansea Preview

Martin Jol is expecting a tough test of Fulham's credentials when Swansea City arrive at the Cottage on Saturday (3pm).

The Whites are currently in the midst of a poor run of form, with just one win in their last 11 games. Swansea, meanwhile, sit five places and four points above Fulham going into the fixture in SW6 and Jol is aware of the threat that Michael Laudrup's side pose.

Jol said: "It's a very talented team, they've got a very good coach – a playing coach – and they can play in the same sort of line-up all the time. All these teams playing with the same sides all the time, they pick up the points and we've had to change it around all the time and that didn't help.

"Normally, you will see Swansea playing in your half, trying to be dominant and trying to take the initiative."

The Swans, then under Brendan Rodgers, defeated Fulham 3-0 in SW6 last season and have arguably improved further under Denmark legend Laudrup.

They could, however, be without key man Miguel Michu on Saturday. The Spaniard, a £2m signing from Rayo Vallecano, has hit 13 Barclays Premier League goals in his debut season with the Swans.

But he limped out of the Boxing Day draw at Reading with an ankle injury and is a doubt for the date with the Whites.

"He's scored a lot of goals; he's their top scorer and he's certainly making the difference for them," said Jol. "Michu was a player who was known by his manager and that always helps.

"It's the same that I had with probably Mahamadou Diarra or Dimitar Berbatov and that helps because you know, for a fact, that they can do well and he [Laudrup] knew. And that was probably the same with Chico Flores, the centre-back – he knew him well, so that helps.

"He's scoring more goals than before so the Premier League is well suited for Michu. Sometimes he plays in the hole as a number 10, now he plays up front. But they've got other players who could play in that position."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/december/28/manager-preview?

[WhiteJC]

 
Do Fulham under-utilise Dimitar Berbatov? | Striker Comparison

When Dimitar Berbatov ended his seven-game scoring drought against Southampton, the elegant Bulgarian unveiled a shirt that read "Keep Calm and Pass me the Ball." A surprisingly forthright gesture from a normally laid-back player, the message suggested that Berbatov thought Fulham's recent struggles had been due to not focusing their play through their top scorer.

Fulham are an exciting team to watch, scoring 1.52 goals per game while conceding 1.78. The Cottagers, currently sit 14th in the league, but take the 11th most shots and have the 9th highest pass success percentage. Martin Jol's squad have been dealing with injuries to many of their defense-minded midfielders such as Mahamadou Diarra, so in many ways it seems that they've had little option but to play as offensively as possible. Players such as Berbatov and Bryan Ruiz are given license to stay high up the pitch and expend all their energy on attacking and creating goals for their teammates.

Player Name	Total Shots	Minutes Per Shot	Minutes Per Shot On Target	Shooting Accuracy	Clear Cut Chance Conversion
Robin Van Persie	58	27	55	48%	33%
Michu	48	34	75	46%	69%
Luis Suarez	82	20	49	40%	41%
Demba Ba	65	24	46	52%	50%
Dimitar Berbatov	35	37	69	54%	57%

Looking at the data it seems obvious that Dimitar Berbatov is being underutilized by Fulham compared to how other teams are using their top scorers. Despite being the most accurate of the players listed above, and second best at converting clear chances, Berbatov has to wait the longest for a shot. While clubs like Liverpool and Newcastle are giving their superstars as many opportunities as possible to put the ball in the net, Berbatov is being pushed to the periphery by Fulham.

Comparing this version of Berbatov to the player that scored 20 goals for Manchester United in the 2010/11 season, it's clear how effective he can be when given opportunities. Although the Bulgarian's shooting accuracy was the same as when he was surrounded by more talented teammates than at Fulham, at United he shot every 28 minutes instead of every 37. That's the difference between an elite striker scoring 20+ a season and a decent one hovering around 12-15 goals.

Perhaps some of the difference can be attributed to personality. If Luis Suarez is denied a chance to shoot from a position he deems good enough he will make everyone around him aware, vociferously. If Berbatov is passed up in a similar position perhaps he will shrug it off, not because he doesn't think he's good enough, but because he's just not that type of player.

Either way, Berbatov cannot influence the team for the better when he doesn't have the ball, as his T-shirt explained. Without the ball at his feet he cannot score or feed his teammates, as he demonstrated at the start of his Fulham career by picking up three assists.

With the creative heartbeat of Fulham in Bryan Ruiz returning to fitness, perhaps the amount of shots Fulham take will start to increase as they use their possession better. But as the gross number increases, it must not be lost that the percentage of shots taken by Berbatov must also increase.


http://www.eplindex.com/24036/fulham-underutilise-dimitar-berbatov-striker-comparison.html?

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Fulham v Swansea



By Simon Brotherton
Match of the Day commentator

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Craven Cottage Date: Saturday, 29 December

TEAM NEWS
Fulham's Bryan Ruiz is fit to start after returning from a hamstring injury as a half-time substitute in the 1-1 draw with Southampton.

Mahamadou Diarra and Mladen Petric are doubts, while Damien Duff could miss out again.

Prolific Swansea forward Michu misses out after suffering an ankle injury against Reading on Boxing Day.

Winger Pablo Hernandez and full-back Angel Rangel are set to return from thigh and ankle problems respectively.

MATCH PREVIEW
Fulham boss Martin Jol described his mood as being like a thunderstorm following the 1-1 draw with Southampton the other day. It's something for me to bear in mind for the post-match interviews if this game doesn't go according to plan either!
His Boxing Day frustration was understandable as they failed to finish the job and conceded a late penalty for the equaliser. A daft early booking for Dimitar Berbatov - for removing his shirt when he scored to reveal the message 'Keep calm and pass me the ball' - didn't help the manager's state of mind either, particularly when the player came close to a second yellow later in the game.

I'd be tempted to pass him the ball if I was a Fulham player though, because Berbatov likes his festive football, scoring 15 goals in 12 Premier league matches played between the 26th and 31st of December in his career.

Fulham are still six points clear of the relegation zone but have had a rough couple of months results-wise, winning only one of the last 11 matches. They could do with a couple of wins to lift the mood.

I thought they were really poor at Loftus Road recently in losing to QPR, but they're usually a much better team at Craven Cottage, where they've won four times this season.

Swansea produced the best away performance I've seen all season at Arsenal last month when two late goals from Michu secured a memorable 2-0 win at The Emirates on a day when they outpassed and, for much of the time, outclassed their hosts.

Michu's 13 Premier League goals have been a major factor for The Swans as they sit comfortably in ninth place, so fingers crossed his ankle injury sustained against Reading the other day doesn't keep him out for long.

This is a fixture Swansea rather enjoyed last season, winning 3-0 away and 2-0 at home. They go into this one on the back of draws against the two sides who are top and bottom of the table in Manchester United and Reading, and arrive having collected 11 points on the road this season - eight more than at the same stage a year ago.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Swansea won both of their matches against Fulham last season, scoring a total of five unanswered goals.

Their 3-0 win at Craven Cottage on St Patrick's Day 2012 was their first win at Fulham since 1980.

Fulham
Fifteen of the 19 Premier League games involving Fulham this season have produced three or more goals scored.

Since their 3-0 defeat to Swansea in March, Martin Jol's men have scored in 12 of 13 home league matches, with Tottenham the only team to deny them.

They have only won one of their last five games on home turf (W1, D2, L2).

Dimitar Berbatov has scored 15 career goals in 12 Premier League games played between 26 and 31 December.

Swansea City
Swansea are the only Premier League side to have won every game so far in which they opened the scoring, which they have done six times.

The Swans have not kept back-to-back clean sheets in Premier League away games since March 2012, when they won 2-0 at Wigan and then 3-0 at Fulham.

They have only scored one first-half league goal away from home this season - Michu's eighth-minute strike at QPR on the opening day.

Swansea have collected 11 away points this term - eight more than they had at this stage last season.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20823036?

[WhiteJC]

 
View From The River: Fulham must embark on five-step plan to get season back on track

Another day another disappointing result. It's safe to say that it hasn't been a happy couple of months for the Fulham faithful.

Our seemingly everlasting poor away record puts big pressure on us to win our homes games and a few defeats and draws at the Cottage have left fans looking nervously down the Premier League table rather than up.

With the festive period ongoing and the January transfer window around the corner here is what I think we need to turn our season round.

Tighten up in defence

We all know that the Roy Hodgson days of drilled defence are over but we have to be better at the back.

Long term this is going to involve a large rebuilding of our defence with Mark Schwarzer, Aaron Hughes, John Arne Riise and possibly Brede Hangeland (please don't go to QPR) all coming towards the end of their Fulham careers.

In the meantime we need to sort out defending from corners and distribution from the back because we're desperately missing Danny Murphy and Mousa Dembele coming to get the ball from the defence and linking play.

I wouldn't be against giving David Stockdale a run in the side now that he's back but the talk of bringing in Sinan Bolat probably doesn't spell good news for him and also means Schwarzer will continue as number one for a while yet.

Mark has been a great player for us over the years but I'm becoming more and more worried that he's slowing up and his kicking has been poor for a while now.

Try and find a Dembele replacement

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that we are desperately short of quality in midfield. Mahamadou Diarra is class but isn't fit often enough and whilst Steve Sidwell and Chris Baird will give their all, we are lacking in class and numbers in that area.

Our new enforced system with two in the middle rather than three also means that we are struggling to keep possession and being overrun by the better teams.

For example, I would imagine that Swansea will dominate possession on tomorrow. I know January doesn't bring the best value for money but losing Dembele late in the last transfer window, and Murphy before that, has left gaps that we must fill.

Get Bryan Ruiz 100 per cent fit and figure out where to play Dimitar Berbatov

It seems a while ago now that we saw Berba and Bryan consistently linking up and causing chaos.

We were averaging nearly two goals a game less with Ruiz out and there's no doubt that Dimitar hasn't been as effective. With no Ruiz he has ended up coming deeper and deeper to try to influence play and get the ball.

We need Berbatov up front and a fully fit Ruiz in behind to find some of our early season fluency and potency again.

With Bryan's injuries we would also benefit from another creative midfielder that could play in behind Berba. Ruiz added class initially against Southampton but understandably faded as the game went on.

Figure out our best wingers

While we initially seemed to be coping without Clint Dempsey, we are struggling for goals and consistency in our wide positions.

Damian Duff continues to do a job for us and Alex Kacaniklic and Ashkan Dejagah have done OK in patches but it feels like we are fielding a different wing pairing every game.

I think it's fair to say that Kieran Richardson hasn't set the world alight yet and Kerim Frei has only impressed in cameos (although he hasn't had much of a chance to play).

We need to figure out our first choices and give them a run of games. It can't help Frei or Kaca to know that they are only a poor performance away from not even making the bench for the next game.

The Saints game was a classic example of this with Kaca impressing then being hauled off at half-time.

Less formation tinkering mid-match

By my reckoning we played four different formations in the second half against Saints. We are struggling as it is to keep our shape but we completely lost all semblance of a formation in the second half and ended up with players all over the place by the end of the game.

Ruiz playing wide right of a midfield four is a prime example of this and Giorgos Karagounis just seemed to be randomly running around when he came on.

Apart from all of this we are going to be OK.

In all seriousness, a few decent performances will get confidence back and add a few good additions in January and all will be fine.

It's a big game against Swansea tomorrow so sing up loud and get behind the team. Come on you Whites!



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/view_from_the_river_fulham_must_embark_on_five_step_plan_to_get_season_back_on_track_1_1755153

[WhiteJC]

 
Martin Jol blames Fulham's unsettled starting line-up for their recent poor form

Fulham boss Martin Jol believes his side would be enjoying a season like Saturday's opponents Swansea if they too had a settled starting line-up.

The Cottagers made a surprising start to their league campaign following the loss of a number of key players over the summer, but recent results have left Fulham just six points from the relegation zone after one win in 11 games.

With a Craven Cottage clash against the ninth-placed Swans on Saturday, Jol believes his team would also be enjoying a successful season if it wasn't for injuries and suspensions unsettling his line-up.

He said: "Last year Swansea played well but we still managed to finish ahead of them in a very good position.

"It is a very talented team, they play with a good culture but I have to say they can play in the same kind of line-up all the time.

"They have one or two different players maybe. They are in a very good situation.

"You see all these teams playing with the same sides all the time, they pick up the points and we had a big problem. I have to admit that.

"We had to change it around all the time and that didn't help us so Swansea is a team.

"If you see Michu up front or sometimes in the hole, he scores a lot of goals. He is their top scorer so he is certainly making the difference for them."

Michu looks unlikely to feature for Jol's side in west London after suffering an ankle injury at Reading on Boxing Day.

The Spaniard has taken the Premier League by storm since his summer arrival, having already scored 13 stunning goals.

Jol is wary of the threat Michu poses but will not be taking Swansea for granted regardless of the Spaniard's availability.

"Michu was a player known by his manager and that always helps," he said.

"It is the same that I had with Mahamadou Diarra or Dimitar Berbatov, which helps because you know for a fact they will do well.

"He knew him and it was probably the same with Chico Flores, the centre-back. He knew him as well.

"That helps but he has scored more goals than before so the Premier League is well suited to Michu.

"Sometimes he plays in the hole as a number 10 or up front, but they have other players that can play in that position.

"If you saw the game against Manchester United, they did ever so well.

"Man United pressed them and I thought they looked quite impressive, but they couldn't score the goals they needed.

"Then Swansea broke them and got the goal so got the result, but normally you will see Swansea playing in your half, trying to be dominant and trying to take the initiative."



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LAWRO'S PREDICTION

Fulham v Swansea

Fulham are another team on a bad run. They got themselves in front against Southampton and really should have seen it out, which they struggled to do.

That is another sign of a lack of confidence and, as is often the way when you badly need a win, someone ends up doing something stupid - in the Cottagers' case it was Chris Baird's handball that allowed the Saints to level from the spot.

Swansea might be without Michu after he picked up an injury against Reading and it will be interesting to see how they cope in his absence, because he has been absolutely brilliant.

Prediction: 2-0


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20790042

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Jol handed forward fitness boost

Fulham's Bryan Ruiz has been passed fit to start against Swansea after making his return against Southampton on Boxing Day.

The Costa Rica international finally made his comeback to the side from a hamstring injury as he played the full second half in the 1-1 draw with the Saints.

Ruiz is now in line to start for the first time since the 3-1 defeat to Sunderland on November 18 when the Cottagers play host to the Swans on Saturday.

However, Mahamadou Diarra and Mladen Petric are doubts, while Damien Duff could miss out again.

Meanwhile, boss Martin Jol believes Fulham would be enjoying a season like Swansea if they had a settled starting line-up this season.

The Cottagers started the campaign surprisingly well given the fact they lost a number of key players during the summer, including Clint Dempsey, Mousa Dembele and Danny Murphy.

Things have taken a turn for the worse in recent times though, with Fulham just six points off the drop zone after one win in 11 attempts.

"Last year Swansea played well but we still managed to finish ahead of them in a very good position," the Dutchman said.

"It is a very talented team, they play with a good culture but I have to say they can play in the same kind of line-up all the time.

"They have one or two different players maybe. They are in a very good situation.

"You see all these teams playing with the same sides all the time, they pick up the points and we had a big problem. I have to admit that.

"We had to change it around all the time and that didn't help us so Swansea is a team."


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FULHAM DEFENDER CAN HELP QOR AVOID THE DROP

A new central defender is one of Harry Redknapp's chief priorities in the January transfer window and number one on his wishlist seems to be Brede Hangeland of Fulham.

Hangeland has been a colossus since joining Fulham from FC Copenhagen, but his form has noticeably dipped in the current campaign, potentially because of unrest over his future.

His contract is up at Craven Cottage at the end of the season and despite talks having been ongoing since the end of the last campaign, little progress has been made to date regarding an extension.

Never one to miss out on a bargain, Redknapp is aware of developments and looks set to test Fulham's resolve with an offer of around £3m for the 31-year-old.

Back-to-back defeats to Newcastle and West Brom have resulted in QPR slipping back to the foot of the Premier League table and they are now 4/9 to be relegated.

Redknapp certainly requires some additional options at centre back, with veterans Ryan Nelsen and Clint Hill being regularly called upon because of a lack of squad depth.

Nelsen, in particular, was only expected to play sporadically because of injury problems and Hangeland's extra pace and physical attributes will be a big asset.

The importance of Hangeland at Fulham is highlighted by the fact that they have only taken one point from the three games in which he has been absent this season.

Alternatively, Redknapp may decide to raid former club Tottenham for Michael Dawson, who has found first-team opportunities limited under Andre Villas-Boas.

Dawson captained Spurs regularly under Redknapp and has already been on the QPR radar once this season when he was coveted by Mark Hughes in the summer.

An offer of around £6m may be enough to sign Dawson.


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