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Wednesday Fulham Stuff(02/01/13)...

Started by WhiteJC, January 02, 2013, 04:36:04 AM

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WhiteJC

 
Jol's West Brom Reaction

Fulham Manager Martin Jol is hoping the 2-1 defeat of West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns on New Year's Day will provide a platform for his side to build from.

The Whites impressed as goals from Dimitar Berbatov and Alexander Kacaniklic secured a second away win of the season and ended a four-game winless run.

"I'm delighted with the result and the three points," said Jol to fulhamfc.com. "We started the game very well, and played some good football in the first-half. We put a lot of pressure on West Brom, and as a result, we got a good goal.

"Perhaps we lacked a bit of aggression up front when going in search of a second and they [West Brom] took advantage of that, by changing their formation and getting their fans behind them.

"We conceded a bit of a soft goal, but thankfully we managed to pick things up again. We got on the ball in midfield and over the course of the 90 minutes I think it was a deserved victory."

Jol's charges bounced back from Saturday's home defeat against Swansea City. Despite losing 2-1 at Craven Cottage, Fulham showed a positive second-half response and seemingly carried that positivity in to Tuesday afternoon's encounter – the first Barclays Premier League fixture of 2013.

"It was an important win because we needed the points," added Jol. "Our last win came against Newcastle a few weeks back, so it was a good day for us. It was also a win away from home - the last time we did that was against Wigan in September.

"I was very happy for David Stockdale too. He was unlucky against Swansea, and was very disappointed for his part in the second goal. But he's a fantastic goalkeeper and I think he responded really well today. I was very happy for him and the rest of the boys.

"It was our first game in 2013 and to get the New Year off to a winning start was fantastic."

Fulham face Blackpool in the Third Round of the FA Cup this coming Saturday, with Jol confident his side can use the defeat of West Bromwich Albion to push on.

"The league is very tight and we still need five or six wins," he said. "We know that we are not in a great position, but we know we have the capabilities to move forward.

"The return of Bryan Ruiz (pictured) has been a big boost and we will hopefully have Damien Duff and Mladen Petric back soon as well. When we have a full squad we are a very good team."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/january/01/jol-reaction?

WhiteJC

 
Fulham stop the rot against Baggies

Fulham eased their relegation worries as Alexander Kacaniklic's second-half goal earned them a shock 2-1 win at high-flying West Brom in the Barclays Premier League.

The Cottagers had slid towards the bottom three after winning only one of their previous 12 games but were well worth their second away success of the campaign.

Dimitar Berbatov's seventh goal of the season gave the Cottagers a half-time lead, and although Romelu Lukaku levelled after the break, Kacaniklic restored the visitors' advantage.

Albion struggled to find any initial momentum and it was 20 minutes before they threatened, with Gareth McAuley heading past the post from a Chris Brunt free-kick.

Fulham keeper David Stockdale then raced off his line to save at the feet of Lukaku after he had exchanged passes with Zoltan Gera.

Gabriel Tamas glanced a header wide from a Brunt corner before Berbatov wasted a golden opportunity. A mistake by Brunt left the former Manchester United player with a clear run towards Ben Foster but he shot over the bar.

But Berbatov made amends after 39 minutes by putting Fulham ahead. Ashkan Dejagah turned inside Liam Ridgewell before squaring the ball across the box to Berbatov, whose first time shot flew past Foster.

Lukaku needing only three minutes of the second period to bring West Brom on level terms. Marc-Antoine Fortune spread the ball out wide to Billy Jones, who skipped past Steve Sidwell before centring for Lukaku to make no mistake from close range.

The home side were revitalised and Lukaku held off Aaron Hughes before crashing a rising shot against the outside of a post.

But after 57 minutes Fulham regained the lead against the run of play through Kacaniklic's third goal of the season. Bryan Ruiz played a lofted ball forward to Kacaniklic on the edge of the box and he checked back inside before firing home.



http://icscotland.icnetwork.co.uk/sport/nsport/tm_headline=fulham-stop-the-rot-against-baggies%26method=full%26objectid=32527805%26siteid=50141-name_page.html?

WhiteJC

 
West Brom 1 Fulham 2: Dimitar Berbatov shines as Martin Jol's men show mettle

Football: There was no New Year's Day hangover for Fulham as the London side picked up just their second win on the road this season in yesterday's early kick-off.

Despite being kept awake by a New Year's Eve firework display outside the team's Birmingham city centre hotel, Martin Jol's side secured a valuable three points to ease recent relegation worries.

"(There were) fireworks yesterday at 12 o'clock in front of my hotel but to have a win under our belt the next day — January 1 — it's fantastic," Cottagers boss Martin Jol beamed.

"It was annoying, you know. I said that we need a quiet hotel and then it was unbelievable — 2,000 people in front of my window. But it was the best fireworks I've seen so it was worthwhile."

Man of the Match Dimitar Berbatov opened the scoring for the away side, becoming just the second player to ever score a Premier League for goal for Fulham at The Hawthorns, with Andrew Cole being the other in a 1-1 draw in September 2004.

"I don't want to talk about him (Berbatov) all the time because other players will probably get annoyed," said Jol.

"If you don't get the results they will pick on him. If you get the results they will say he is fantastic, but I am very happy he is playing for us."

The Bulgarian's goal was cancelled out minutes after the restart when on-loan striker Romelu Lukaku tapped into an empty net.

The Baggies then had a chance to take the lead when former Fulham man Zoltan Gera saw a great chance come back off the upright with Chris Brunt firing the rebound over the bar.

Steve Clarke's side would rue the miss as Alexander Kacaniklic secured all three points for the Cottagers in their first win at The Hawthorns in seven Premier League encounters.

"It's three points today that we have thrown away," claimed a frustrated Steve Clarke. "I've asked the players to claw that somewhere over the course of the season and we'll just keep working from game to game to try and get as many points as we can."



http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/127768?


WhiteJC

 
Martin Jol hopes first win of 2013 can give Fulham a boost

Fulham manager Martin Jol admitted his side's win at West Brom was the perfect way to start 2013.

With just one victory in the last 12 games, Fulham were desperate for a victory and goals from Dimitar Berbatov and Alexander Kacaniklic earned all the three points for the London side on Tuesday.

'We are in a false position but the league doesn't lie. Starting the new year with three points is great,' Jol said.

He was full of praise for Berbatov, who opened the scoring before Romelu Lukaku levelled for the hosts after the break.

'He wants us to win and do well and pass it,' said Jol. 'I am very happy with him.'

And goalscorer Berbatov was delighted for his side to get a long-awaited win.

'It was very important for us. We did it against a very good team. They are playing very well especially at home. We knew it was going to be tough for us,' he said.

'I think we deserved three points.'


http://metro.co.uk/2013/01/01/martin-jol-hopes-first-win-of-2013-can-give-fulham-a-boost-3334558/?

WhiteJC

 
Fulham ready to snap up Derek Boateng

English Premier League side Fulham are also hopeful of agreeing terms with Ghana midfielder Derek Boateng.

The 29-year-old is valued around £2 million and could be set for a move to Craven Cottage after a summer deal fell through.

Boateng has been on the fringes at Ukrainian side FC Dnipro where he has made two appearances this season.

The former Gatafe player wants more game time to save his international career.

Struggling Aston Villa are reported to be interested in the Ghana international.

Boateng has played at 8 different clubs in 7 different leagues and has 40 International caps to his name.

He is a member of Ghana's provisional 26-man squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.



http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=260969

WhiteJC

 
Dalla Valle impresses Davis

Lauri Dalla Valle signed off in style by netting the winner against Carlisle in his last home game for Crewe before returning to Fulham.

The Finn scored his fifth goal of his loan spell to keep the Railwaymen in touch with the play-off places and boss Steve Davis admitted he is still to decide whether to extend the 21-year-old's stay at Gresty Road.

Davis said: "Lauri is a player who can pop up with a goal out of nothing. He's done well for us. He works very hard and he is a poacher.

"He's got one more game with us and then we will have to assess the situation with Fulham. We haven't decided what to do with him yet, but we are grateful for how hard he has worked for us.

"There are no easy games in this division. Everyone is fighting and you have to really work hard for your points.

"We passed the ball well without being a big threat, but Lauri came up with the goal and we were the better team.

"We are delighted with how the first half of the season has gone, but we have to keep picking up points.

"We keep setting the lads high standards and hopefully as a club we can reach them."



http://www.sportinglife.com/football/league-one/news/article/419/8376309/dalla-valle-impresses-davis?


WhiteJC

 
Jol: Berbatov's always angry

Martin Jol understands the way Dimitar Berbatov's mind works and is more than happy to have the Bulgarian on board at Fulham.

Berbatov scored the opening goal in the 2-1 win over West Brom on New Year's Day.

The striker has been criticised by some for his languid style and at times sullen demeanour, but Jol has no issues with his attitude.

He told Sky Sports: "[Berbatov] is different, people criticise him because he's not always great, but he's always angry with himself so that is another way to look at it.

"He wants us to win, he wants us to do well and to pass it. I'm very happy with him, but he's not the only player, we've got some good players the only thing is away from home against a team like West Brom you need all the quality and all the attitude and that is what we showed today.

"We started off very bright, we kept possession, we pressurised their midfield early enough to get something from it first half.

"Second half they changed it and pushed forward, but after 20 minutes we found ourselves back into the game.

"The most important thing is the three points for us, because I think we are in a false position but you get what you deserve and the league doesn't lie so we have to get the points to start the new year with three points."



http://www.football411.com/story/0,22162,14287_8376317,00.html?

WhiteJC

 
Kacaniklic clinches vital Fulham victory
by DAN on JANUARY 1, 2013



As a manager ending 2012 under pressure, Martin Jol enjoyed his return to the Hawthorns on New Year's Day. The Dutchman, who spent two years as a player at West Brom, watched his Fulham side secure their first top-flight success at high-flying Albion thanks to a second half strike from Alex Kacaniklic. The Swedish winger's clever finish was the perfect response after the visitors had surrendered the lead fashioned for them by Dimitar Berbatov and halted Fulham's worrying descent down the Premier League table.

Introducing Kacaniklic in prace of Turkish teenager Kerim Frein was Jol's only change to the side that succumbed to Swansea on Boxing Day and Jol would have been delighted with the way his side made light of their recent struggles in a composed and calm performance. Most impressively for a team that has dropped sixteen points from winning positions already this campaign, Fulham failed to buckle after Romelu Lukaku's equaliser threatened to rouse West Brom shortly after half time and Kacaniklic kept his cool when he reached a raking ball from Byran Ruiz and to roll home his third goal of the second after Ben Foster had rashly rushed from his line.

West Brom would have viewed the visit of a Fulham side who started the day just four points from the relegation zone as a perfect opportunity to begin their assault on the top six after an outstanding first four months of the season. Yet, despite a noisy night in Birmingham hotel and their dismal recent run, it was Fulham who settled the brighter, limiting the Baggies to half chances from set plays. Dimitar Berbatov had already lashed the game's best chance over the bar from 20 yards after collecting a stray backpass from Chris Brunt before the Bulgarian striker started and finished the flowing counter-attack that gave the Cottagers the lead their start more than merited. Berbatov's floated pass from midfield sent Ashkan Dejagah away down the right and arrived to clinically convert an inviting cut-back after the Iranian international had tricked his way past Liam Ridgewell.

Berbatov had scored his first Fulham goals during a September stroll against the Baggies and it appeared as though Steve Clarke's charges had learnt little from his first defeat as a manager. They allowed the former Manchester United man plenty of space to play the game at his own pace and there was none of the intensity that has made the Hawthorns such a difficult place for opponents to get a result this season. Lukaku laboured as an isolated front man for much of the first half and the Baggies' best opportunities came in the form of headers that Gabriel Tamas, Gareth Macauley and Yusuf Mulumbu sent wide.

It didn't take long for West Brom to rectify the situation after the restart. Marc-Antoine Fortune found Billy Jones, who burst past Matthew Briggs on his way into the penalty area and the full-back's low cross was bundled home by Lukaku for his seventh goal in seven league starts since opting to join the Baggies ahead of Fulham on loan from Chelsea. The Belgian might have strayed offside, but the goal stood and his equaliser appeared to have altered the game's momentum. Lukaku was inches away from adding a second moments later when he shrugged off Aaron Hughes and hit the outside of the post, before testing David Stockdale with a low shot. Mark Schwarzer's understudy made a fine reaction save and former Fulham midfielder Zoltan Gera struck the near post with the rebound before Hughes athletically headed Chris Brunt's drive over the crossbar.

With West Brom pushing for a second, Fulham caught Albion by surprise at the other end. Ruiz clipped a clever pass over the horribly square West Brom back four, locating Kacaniklic's clever run between Macauley and Jones, and the Swede scampered around Foster to finish with his weaker right foot. Clarke threw on Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie in search of a second leveller but Fulham belied their poor defensive record to hang onto their first away win since September.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION (4-2-3-1): Foster; Jones, Ridgewell, Tamas, Macauley; Mulumbu, Brunt (Thorne 84); Fortune (Odemwingie 66), Gera (Long 66), Morrison; Lukaku. Subs (not used): Myhill, Jara, Dawson, Rosenberg.

GOAL: Lukaku (49).

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Stockdale; Riether, Briggs, Hughes, Hangeland; Karagounis (Rodallega 76), Sidwell; Dejagah, Kacaniklic, Ruiz; Berbatov (Senderos 90). Subs (not used): Somogyi, Baird, Richardson, Kasami, Frei.

GOALS: Berbatov (39), Kacaniklic (58).

REFEREE: Mike Dean (Wirral).

ATTENDANCE: 25,436.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/01/kacaniklic-clinches-vital-fulham-victory/?

WhiteJC

 
WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1 - FULHAM 2: DIMITAR BERBATOV PROVIDES SPARK

MARTIN JOL will have had many sleepless nights lately, given his side's form, and New Year's Eve was no exception.

On this occasion, the source of his frustration was the fireworks outside Fulham's Birmingham hotel, the Hyatt.

But his mood was cheered by what was only the Cottagers' second victory in 13 as they gave themselves breathing space over the bottom sides.

Dimitar Berbatov, the man of the match, gave Fulham the lead only for Romelu Lukaku to equalise for the Baggies.Then Alex Kacaniklic had the final say, in the 58th minute.

Jol said: "Probably the best fireworks of all were at 12 o'clock in front of my hotel. I said we needed a quiet hotel and it was unbelievable – there were 2,000 people in front of my window. It was annoying.

"But it was the best fireworks I have ever seen. I think it kept the players up too and I was worried.

"Next time we'll go to the Moathouse, where I lived for seven months when I was a West Brom player."

This was the Baggies' fifth defeat in eight games, and manager Steve Clarke said: "We've thrown three points away. I've asked the players to claw that back somewhere over the course of the season."

Lukaku and Berbatov both wasted chances in a low quality opening.

But the Fulham striker made no mistake after 39 minutes, as he fed Ashkan Dejegah out wide before sweeping home the return. West Brom levelled four minutes after the break when Billy Jones darted down the right and crossed for Lukaku, who slotted home.

Lukaku outmuscled Aaron Hughes only to fire against a post. Then he was foiled by goalkeeper David Stockdale before Zoltan Gera fired the rebound against the woodwork.

Bryan Ruiz dissected the Baggies defence to find the unmarked Kacaniklic for the winner.

He took full advantage of Ben Foster's ill-judged decision to dart off his line, slotting the ball underneath the keeper.

Jol said: "We need five or six more wins as soon as possible."



http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/368202?


WhiteJC

 
MOTD play familiar Fulham tune



This is something that this site has touched on before, but it's worth revisiting – Match of the Day's treatment of less popular clubs is still extremely substandard.

Fulham won yesterday and in so doing gave a very accomplished team performance away from home – not that you'd know that from the BBC's highlights and summation. It was seemingly a back and forward game, with West Brom supposedly enjoying the majority of the chances and Fulham fortunate to leave the Midlands with all the points.

Except it wasn't; the visitors enjoyed sustained periods of control and thoroughly deserved everything they got. West Brom were, a ten minute period after half-time aside, second-best in every aspect of the play and unusually passive.

Everyone understands the need for MOTD to present entertaining, audience-friendly highlight packages, but there also exists a responsibility to convey an accurate portrayal of a game as a whole – and that wasn't done. The reality was distorted yesterday, and that did a disservice to Fulham and the manner by which they won their game.

While it's fashionable to have a moan about Mark Lawrenson and whoever else happens to be sitting next to him, it's not without due cause. When teams outside of the top-6 win games, the BBC have a habit of focusing the analysis around a single player – in Fulham's case, Dimitar Berbatov. How many times are Lawrenson and Gary Lineker going to have that same old conversation about what a good signing the Bulgarian was, and how many times do we have to watch the vignettes of him walking around the pitch, casually stroking the ball to his teammates.

Berbatov is an outstanding player, but we know that. Fulham were dreadful throughout much of November and December, but he wasn't – and so it stands to reason that there must have been more to that performance yesterday than just one player hitting some form. Berbatov hasn't been the problem with Fulham, nor was he the solution yesterday. Steve Sidwell was excellent, Bryan Ruiz's passing and imagination have been sorely missed, and Alex Kacaniklic's all-round game was as good as it has been at any point during 2012/13 – but none of that was even mentioned. Fulham did the basics extremely well: their defence looked organised and secure, their urgency in hunting possession was more intense than it has been in weeks, and they did a really good job of getting forward slowly, but in numbers. Compare that with the loss to QPR a couple of weeks ago: night and day.

It wouldn't have been difficult to hit on a couple of those topics, even briefly, before the program got back to its loving Manchester United/City narrative. One Sidwell tackle, maybe a couple of examples of how Fulham advanced up the pitch methodically with the ball, and a few Ruiz's passes. Three minutes, and then it's back to Robin van Persie and the comfort zone again. It wouldn't be difficult, and the tired excuses about time restraints aren't applicable to that.

Nobody is asking for anything extraordinary here, just an accurate evaluation of a team's merits when appropriate. Not to sound like a middle-aged malcontent, but it's not very gratifying to see such consistent laziness in exchange for the license fee.



http://thepremierleagueowl.com/motd-play-familiar-fulham-tune/

WhiteJC

 
Martin Jol delighted with improved performance from Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale
Understudy made some crucial saves in victory over West Brom



Martin Jol heaped praise on Fulham after overcoming New Year's Eve disruptions to register their first ever Barclays Premier League away win over West Brom yesterday lunchtime.

Jol and his players were kept awake in their hotel in the centre of Birmingham by the fireworks and celebrations outside which heralded the start of 2013.

But it was Albion who looked sleepy, particularly in the first half, as goals from Dimitar Berbatov and Alexander Kacaniklic helped Fulham triumph 2-1.

It was only their second win in the last 13 games as the Baggies managed a solitary reply from on-loan Chelsea striker Roman Lukaku.

Jol, a former West Brom player, said: "Probably the best fireworks were at midnight in front of my hotel!

"That was annoying. I said we needed a quiet hotel and it was unbelievable. There were 2,000 people in front of my window!

"I think it kept the players up too so I was worried. At first I thought it was fans, but it wasn't.

"To then get a win under our belts the next day, on the first of January, was fantastic.

"I was in a penthouse suite at the Hyatt Hotel. The next time we'll go to the Moat House where I lived for seven months when I was younger (as an Albion player)!"

Jol was pleased with the performance of goalkeeper David Stockdale, who made several crucial second-half saves to help clinch Fulham's second away win of the campaign.

He said: "I was very happy for him. Against Swansea (On Saturday) I think we deserved the three points more than at Albion.

"Because of a couple of mistakes, we didn't look very good and that was very disappointing for him and for us because we know that he's a fantastic goalkeeper.

"Against West Brom, luck was on his side and I'm very happy for David and for the team that we could get the three points because we really needed them.

"We had five or six draws away from home so you can't say that we've done awful but the only win we had was a long time ago, at Wigan."

Albion head coach Steve Clarke blamed sloppy defending for his side's third home defeat of the season.

He said: "Both goals were disappointing, certainly avoidable. The first one was on the counter-attack from our attack.

"We didn't occupy the pitch well and got caught on that one. For the second one, we just switched off.

"We were so far on top in the game at that stage, it just looked as if we were going to go 2-1 in front and we and got caught cold.

"It was just a bit of mental fatigue maybe as well as physical fatigue."

PA


http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/martin-jol-delighted-with-improved-performance-from-fulham-goalkeeper-david-stockdale-8435168.html

WhiteJC

 
Patrick Barclay: Look out as Berbatov brings prickly side to the Hawthorns


Fired-up: Dimitar Berbatov

It may not have looked too pretty — least of all to Steve Sidwell — but Dimitar Berbatov was only observing a noble Fulham tradition in speaking sharply to his team-mate for overhitting a pass at West Brom yesterday.

The greatest player ever to wear the white shirt, Johnny Haynes, seldom suffered gladly the shortcomings of colleagues and didn't always care to wait for the privacy of the dressing room before expressing it.

Haynes was a shade more subtle than Berbatov. He would stand, hands on hips, and briefly stare at the miscreant, whose sin might have been to fail to read a pass — not everyone had the maestro's ability to read the game as if it were Janet and John. But such quality oozed from Haynes, who made nearly 600 appearances in the League alone for Fulham between 1952 and 1970 (plus 56 for England, including 22 of them as captain), that his impatience was cheerfully accepted as a feature of the landscape.

Berbatov is one of the few players whom Craven Cottage's older inhabitants would even mention in the same breath as the dear departed Johnny. And you may have noticed that, as well as reprimand Sidwell, he was quick to break off from the celebration of his goal to thank Ashkan Dejagah for setting it up.

The Bulgarian can be quite demonstrative because he cares.

In this sense, his body language lies. There is nothing dilettante about him.

So let's hope the victory at the Hawthorns signalled the end of Fulham's slide towards Premier League insecurity.

With Berbatov and Bryan Ruiz, this could be a very attractive team and the former's attitude yesterday suggested that he wants to lead.

Martin Jol spoke in that vein afterwards. So let's hope the mini-crisis is over because, with a fired-up Berbatov around, there could be plenty of entertainment to come.


http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/patrick-barclay-look-out-as-berbatov-brings-prickly-side-to-the-hawthorns-8435167.html


WhiteJC

 
West Brom 1-2 Fulham: Player ratings
by DAN on JANUARY 2, 2013



Fulham's first Premier League win at the Hawthorns was a fabulous way to start the year and the spirit and application that the Whites showed to survive a significant spell of pressure after Romelu Lukaku's equaliser and go onto re-take the lead bodes well for the second half of the season. Most impressive of all was the way the patient passing and possession football return as Martin Jol's side kept the ball excellently against the season's surprise package – and never allowed the Baggies to settle.

Stockdale: Such an important afternoon for Stockdale after his mistakes against Swansea – and the 27 year-old certainly didn't let anybody down. Looked nervy under crosses and high balls to begin with, but grew in confidence as the game went on. Made a couple of sharp second half saves to deny the lively Lukaku and commanded his back four well. One poor game doesn't make a bad keeper. 7

Riether: The German full-back was Fulham's most consistent performer of 2012 and he delivered a typically efficient effort at the Hawthorns. Calm in possession and eager to provide an overlap for Ashkan Dejagah, Riether's resolution was one of the reasons why former Fulham favourite Zoltan Gera struggled to make an impression down the West Brom left. Coped well against an entirely different threat – Lukaku's pace and power – when Steve Clarke switched the Belgian to the left of the Baggies' front three in the second half. 7

Briggs: Given how long Matthew Briggs has been in and around the Fulham first team squad, it's sometimes easy to forget he's still only 21. A measure of Martin Jol's confidence in the young man was that John Arne Riise, his first choice left back for two seasons, was left out of the eighteen altogether yesterday. Put plenty of tackles and nullified the threat of Marc-Antoine Fortune, but was caught out by Billy Jones' burst down the right flank for the West Brom equaliser. Offered plenty going forward, making one fine run in advance of Kacaniklic, and deserves a continued run in the side. 7

Hughes: Quietly excellent once again, Hughes lost a couple of grapples with Lukaku but stuck to his task admirably. Read the game superbly as demonstrated by two crucial second half clearances – the first a brilliant header from underneath his own crossbar to clear Chris Brunt's goalbound shot and, as time ticked away, the Northern Irish international managed to divert a dangerous cross to relative safety with his thigh. 7

Hangeland: This was the Fulham skipper's best performance in months. There was still the odd sloppy concession of possession but his partnership with Hughes meant Lukaku was so isolated for much of the first half. As the Baggies' belief grew in the second half, Hangeland's positioning came to the fore – taking decisive action on countless occasions to clear loose ball – and his will to win was encapsulated by the way that he made every high ball his in the final five minutes. The victory meant so much to the Norwegian that he even gave Stockdale a little kiss as he clung to a loose ball deep into added time. 7



Karagounis: Probably the gutsy Greek's best performance in a Fulham shirt so far. He waged a fierce battle with Mulumbu and Brunt for supremacy of the midfield area and, vitally, dropped deeper regularly to receive possession from the back four and distributed the ball successfully. He also denied time and space to James Morrison, who was playing just behind Lukaku, and such a disciplined, defensive-minded display afforded Sidwell more license to roam than in recent weeks. 7

Sidwell: Another all-action, eye-catching effort from the man who's become undroppable at the heart of Fulham's midfield. Might have done better than shoot over with an early sighter, but Sidwell's organisation and short passing were far more important as Jol's side played at a higher tempo in the early stages than they have in a long time. His ability to link the play and drive forward offered the back four an important outlet as they sought to play the ball out from the back. 7

Dejagah: The Iranian international rubbished all that invective about a lack of quality in the final third with a clever cut-back for Berbatov's opener. Just as importantly, there was a purpose to his pacey running and his desire to reach and create something out of the Bulgarian's floated forward pass took him away from Jones. Linked well with Riether – as you'd expect given their understanding from their time at Wolfsburg – and covered acres of ground up and down the right. 7

Kacaniklic: Jol broke with the past and played the Swedish winger from the start away from home for the first time since the trip to St. Mary's – and his decision paid off. Kacaniklic has the look of a youngster who's still largely left-footed, but he used his right step superbly to skip around from Ben Foster and score the winner after accelerating away from Macauley and Jones to reach Ruiz's accurate through ball. Looked lively throughout – troubling Foster again with a low drive at the near post – although his adventurousness did leave Briggs a little isolated at times. 7

Ruiz: The Costa Rican playmaker's floated pass for the decisive second was a thing of real beauty. Ruiz, so crucial to Fulham's forward fluidity, found space intelligently throughout and rarely gave the ball away. He battled for possession frequently, working back tirelessly to aid a solid defensive effort, and his intelligent running was vital in occupying defenders, as he did beyond Berbatov for the first goal. Ruiz, who slotted serenely into an orthodox central midfield role once Karagounis had departed, now has six Premier League assists – one behind the division's best in Mata and Rooney – despite having only made twelve appearances. 8

Berbatov: Games like these show why the Ruiz-Berbatov axis is so important. They look like languid footballers, but both only need a yard of space to hurt the opposition. Berbatov's pass to release Dejagah on the counter-attack was perfectly judgement and, for a man with a supposed economy of effort, he raced into the box to keep up with the speedy winger. The Bulgarian's willingness to wander away from central areas was a real asset here, extending Fulham's spells in possession, and dragging West Brom's defenders out of position. 8

Substitutes:

Rodallega: Gave West Brom a different problem up front in the final fifteen minutes after Karagounis ran out of puff – and it was an adventurous change from Jol as he had Richardson and Kasami on the bench. Rodallega drove one shot over the bar shortly after his arrival and helped to keep the ball higher up the pitch. 6

Senderos: The Swiss centre back's late arrival will have caused less consternation than on Saturday as Fulham successfully saw off the Baggies' added-time assault to record their second away win of the season. 6



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/01/west-brom-1-2-fulham-player-ratings/?

WhiteJC

 
Addicks starlet in Jol's sights

Fulham are one of several Premier League clubs reportedly interested in Charlton midfielder Bradley Pritchard this transfer window.

Addicks boss Chris Powell snapped up the youngster from non-league football in the summer of 2011 and he has gone on to become a first-team regular with the Championship side having helped them secure the League One title last term.

Following some impressive performances in the second tier this term, it appears a number of top-flight managers, including Cottagers boss Martin Jol and Aston Villa's Paul Lambert, are set to offer him the opportunity to cut his teeth in the Premier League.

If any club does step up their interest in Pritchard they will face a battle with Powell to take him as he recently warned rival clubs off making bids for his key men in the transfer window. But he stressed that every player has their price and will be sold if the valuation is met.

Powell said last month: "It is a part of the job I don't really like because they upset a player who is quite happy here and you want clubs to do it the right way.

"Hopefully if clubs do come in for any of my players if they do it the right way then we will stick to what we believe is right. If both parties agree then the player goes."


http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/addicks-starlet-in-jols-sights-1525579.html?

WhiteJC

 
Stoke, Fulham and Udinese battle it out for Saint Etienne star



Stoke City and Fulham are locked in a three-way battle with Serie A side Udinese to sign Saint-Etienne left-back Faouzi Ghoulam.

The 21-year-old, who came through the ranks at Saint-Etienne, has racked up 59 league appearances since making his senior debut back in 2010.

His displays saw him rewarded with call-ups for France's Under-21 squad, but he recently announced his intention to feature for Algeria, the country of his parents, at the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations.

Ghoulam, who is valued at £2.2m, is rated as one of the best young talents in Ligue 1 and could make the move to the Premier League later this month.

West Ham have also been linked with the defender in recent weeks.



Read more: http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/130102/stoke-fulham-and-udinese-battle-it-out-saint-etienne-star-18?#ixzz2GpgxipHv
Follow us: @talksport on Twitter
Read more at http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/130102/stoke-fulham-and-udinese-battle-it-out-saint-etienne-star-18?#lQ0MXszXjTrvqmP0.99


WhiteJC

 
Besiktas interested in loan move for Fulham star Kerim Frei

BeÅŸiktaÅŸ have expressed interest in making a loan move for Fulham starlet Kerim Frei.

Galatasaray also have Frei on their radar however, Fulham manager Martin Jol has been unwilling to let the 19-year-old winger leave on a permanent deal.

Jol has however, been open to sending Frei on loan moves. The Turkish international joined Cardiff City on a short loan spell earlier in the season.

Frei was born in Feldkirch, Austria however, was raised in Switzerland and has Turkish citizenship. Despite only being 19, the explosive winger has featured in five Premiership games for the Cottagers this season.

The 19-year-old winger recently switched allegiances from the Switzerland U-19 national team to the senior Turkish national team and was called up for his first international on 15 August 2012 against Austria.

Frei's contract with Fulham runs until 2015, the young prospect is currently valued in the region of €3 million.



http://www.turkish-football.com/news_read.php?id=3971

WhiteJC

 
Boateng having Fulham medical
by DAN on JANUARY 2, 2013



Dnipro midfielder Derek Boateng is having a medical at Fulham, according to various reports, as his proposed move to the Premier League club inches ever closer.

The Ghana international was close to joining Fulham in the summer only for the deal to fall through on transfer deadline day. Boateng, who has fallen down Juande Ramos' pecking order at Dnipro this season, has been in talks with Fulham via his representatives over the past month and is expected to complete a move to Craven Cottage in the coming days.

The 29 year-old, who can also play in central defence, has largely been deployed as a defensive midfielder by Dnipro and caught Jol's eye during Fulham's Europa League qualifying round victory over the Ukrainian side in 2011. He has won 40 caps for Ghana – and was part of the side that reached the World Cup quarter-finals in South Africa in 2010 – and won back-to-back Israeli titles with Beitar Jerasulem after impressing during a three-year spell at AIK.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/01/boateng-having-fulham-medical/?

WhiteJC

 
Did referee Mike Dean celebrate Romelu Lukaku's West Brom goal v Fulham?

Does Mike Dean now support Tottenham, QPR and West Brom?

Dean, the veteran Premier League referee, attracted plenty of attention on New Year's Day for his excited reaction to Romelu Lukaku's goal for West Brom against Fulham.

After the Chelsea loanee scored early in the second half at the Hawthorns, ref Dean was spotted on TV doing what looked like a celebratory jump after seeing the Belgian hit the back of the net.

In truth, Dean has a history of 'celebrating' Premier League goals.

Back in Febraury and then again in April 2012, eagle-eyed football watches spotted Dean making remarkable gestures after a Louis Saha goal for Tottenham against Arsenal and then again when Adel Taarabt scored for QPR against the Gunners.

(Thanks to @adamdnathan for bringing the below video to our attention.)

Watch referee Mike Dean appear to celebrate Romelu Lukaku's West Brom goal v Fulham below, while tweets on the subject can be seen below the fold.

Mike Dean Goal Reaction



http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/did-referee-mike-dean-celebrate-romelu-lukakus-west-brom-goal-v-fulham/?