Friday Fulham Stuff (04/01/13)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Can Livermore handle first team football at Redknapp's QPR or Jol's Fulham? Stat breakdown.

Rumours are inbound that Jake Livermore has decided that he needs first team football to become the player he wants to be.

With Parker coming back and Sandro forming an excellent partnership with newcomer Mousa Dembele, opportunities are thin on the ground for the central holding midfielder. What does he offer as a player?

Passing is a luxury
Tottenham Hotspur are blessed with some of the best ball-playing midfielders in the Premier League. All of Dembele, Sandro, Huddlestone, Carroll and Livermore himself have pass completion rates above 82%. Dembele tops the lot with 91% pass accuracy but Livermore is close behind with 87% of his passes reaching the intended target; especially impressive given that over two thirds of them are forward.


Livermore's pass direction breakdown

Despite only playing four full games this season, this is an impressive stat.

If you don't shoot, you don't score

Livermore is a dynamic and quick player who is always involved in the play. His discipline is remarkable for one so young and that is reflected by the fact he has not taken a single shot so far this season.

Not even having a pot shot from range might seem a bit silly but choosing to always recycle possession rather than waste it with a 30 yard speculative effort is an admirable trait for a 23 year old.

First and second ball
One aspect of Livermore's performances this season that will interest/worry Mr Redknapp and Mr Jol is the fact he has lost 87% of his headed duels.


Livermore's duels this season

You'd hope that this will improve with experience but Livermore is 5ft11 so should at least be holding his own in there.

Holding midfielders naturally take more time to learn their trade given the all-round complexity of their role and it is likely Livermore will be available for not too much of an investment, what matters is if Redknapp thinks he can handle a relegation dogfight or whether Jol thinks he can force his was into Fulham's starting XI.



http://blog.squawka.com/2013/01/04/can-livermore-handle-first-team-football-at-redknapps-qpr-or-jols-fulham-stat-breakdown/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol's Blackpool Preview

Fulham boss Martin Jol has several injury absentees for Saturday's (3pm) FA Cup with Budweiser Third Round tie with Blackpool.

Mladen Petrić (hamstring), Damien Duff (calf), Mark Schwarzer (neck), John Arne Riise (shin) and Stephen Kelly and Mahamadou Diarra (both knee) will all be missing when the Tangerines arrive in SW6, while Simon Davies also remains sidelined with a hip problem.

"Petrić is still out," said Jol. "Hopefully he will be back next week, but that is what I said last week. We'll have to wait and see. Duff is still out and Diarra is still injured."

Despite being out for some weeks, Diarra has been called up by Mali for the African Cup of Nations. Jol, though, doesn't expect the midfielder to feature.

"He will travel to Mali next week but he can't play for us and I don't think he will be available for them for the African Cup of Nations," said Jol. "They will look at him next week and make an assessment.

"Kelly is out with a knee injury but it's minor and hopefully he will be back next week. Schwarzer has got this neck spasm and he will be out. Riise has a gash in his shin and will also be out on Saturday."

Despite the lengthening injury list, Jol has confirmed he will name a strong starting XI for the fixture with npower Championship outfit Blackpool as he looks to make an impression in this season's FA Cup.

"I will go with a strong side," he said. "I don't want to make that mistake. We haven't played 60 games like last year. We can use the players that are fully fit.

"I love the competition. When I played in England there were always special moments and special games. Most of the time they were sell-outs and it gave a lot of teams reason to spark their season. For me, that's still the same.

"It's about motivation and if we can inspire ourselves. Our supporters haven't been spoilt with a lot of Finals over the years. I've had a few Semi-Finals and Finals as a player and a manager and they are always great occasions. A club like Fulham won't win the title but a cup is a possibility."

With the January transfer window now in full swing, Fulham have been linked with a host of names already this month.

Jol, though, insists the majority of the reports are just speculation, stating: "We will only tell you if something happens - 95 per cent of all names mentioned are not true.

"Hopefully the players who are currently out injured will be back soon and that will be a big bonus. There won't be a lot of business to be done in January. You have to pay maximum price but if we can strengthen we will. I can't tell you now how many faces there will be, but hopefully one or two.

"I prefer to do my business in the summer. There are more free transfers and loan deals to be made. It's the perfect time to do something."

Meanwhile, Jol has confirmed that defensive midfielder Mickael Tavares has departed the Club after his short-term deal came to an end.

The 29-year-old joined the Whites on a free transfer in October after leaving Hamburger SV in the summer but didn't make an appearance for Fulham's First Team.

"We didn't extend it," said Jol. "It was a month to month contract. He was a great pro and I knew him from Hamburg but he was a back-up player and there was no necessity to use him. We thank him for being here but we decided not to extend his contract."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/january/04/jols-blackpool-preview?

[WhiteJC]

 
Martin Jol confirms Fulham midfielder's departure

Transfer news: Fulham manager Martin Jol confirmed former Middlesbrough midfielder Mickael Tavares is to leave the club after being brought in on a month-to-month basis in October.

The 30-year-old did not make an appearance for the Whites since making the move and will now depart.

"He was a great pro and I knew him from Hamburg, but he was a back-up player," the Dutchman said.

"There was no necessity to use him so we thank him for being here but we decided not to extend that contract. This was probably his last day."


http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/martin_jol_confirms_fulham_midfielder_s_departure_1_1782734

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol rejects Forren reports

MARTIN Jol has denied reports that Fulham have made a bid for Molde defender Vegard Forren.

The Whites are believed to be one of a string of Premier League clubs tracking the highly-rated 24-year-old, along with Everton, Manchester United, Newcastle and Sunderland.

Molde revealed yesterday that the Norwegian was in talks with an unnamed club, reported to be Fulham.

"That is not true," said boss Jol when asked if they had tabled a bid for the centre-back.



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2013/01/04/82029-32546539/?#ixzz2H1VqTVWT

[WhiteJC]

 
Blackpool star relishing Berbatov test at Fulham

Kirk Broadfoot is excited at the prospect of making his FA Cup debut when Blackpool face Fulham.

The 28-year-old is expected to be in Michael Appleton's side at Craven Cottage and the defender is hoping to test himself against Dimitar Berbatov once again.

The ex-Rangers centre-back has featured in the Champions League during his time in Glasgow - and kept Berbatov quiet when the Light Blues welcomed Manchester United to Ibrox in 2010 - but appearing in the oldest knockout competition in the world is still something to savour for the Scot.

"It's a big trophy and a competition that I have always watched when I was in Scotland," he told Blackpool's official website.

"I'm really looking forward to it. It's always good to play against a team like Fulham and to test yourself against some of the best players in the world - and you can definitely say that about the likes of Berbatov. He's definitely up there.

"We'll go there looking to do well. It will be a difficult game and obviously Fulham are favourites, but I know the manager will have us well drilled and ready to go."


http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/blackpool_star_relishing_berbatov_test_at_fulham_1_1782778

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham U21s 5-2 Crystal Palace U21s

Fulham and Crystal Palace Under-21s played out a goal-fest in a friendly match at Motspur Park on Friday afternoon.

The Whites dominated the game and ran out 5-2 winners, with goals from Lasse Vigen Christensen (2), Tom Donegan, Ryan Williams and Richard Peniket doing the damage.

After storming into a 3-0 half-time lead, Kit Symons' boys extended their advantage with a fourth in the second period, only for the Eagles to find a way back into the match with two strikes of their own.

Peniket sewed things up, though, with a cool finish to ensure a morale-boosting victory for the Whites.

Palace had the first sight on goal after two minutes when Hiram Boateng blazed a free-kick over after Reise Allassani had been felled by Alex Smith 25 yards from goal.

The Whites took the lead four minutes later, however, after clinically punishing some sloppy play by the visitors. After Fulham had half-cleared a corner, a Palace defender tried to play the ball back to his keeper but massively undercut his pass. Donegan advanced and, with options in the middle, found Vigen Christensen who made no mistake with the keeper exposed.

Omri Altman came close to doubling the lead on 12 minutes when he cut in from the left - beating two defenders in the process - before dragging his shot narrowly wide.

With a quarter of an hour gone, Sulaiman Kai Kai went on a marauding run before shooting from range but his speculative effort was never troubling Jesse Joronen.

Vigen Christensen grabbed his second of the afternoon on 18 minutes following another clinical move by Fulham. Donegan was again the architect as he slid the Dane in to poke the ball under the body of the goalkeeper.

And Donegan went from provider to scorer four minutes later when he smashed in a fine goal from 25 yards. The midfielder had the angles against him as well as the distance but that didn't deter him as he rifled a low effort into the far corner.

It should have been four on the half-hour mark when Sean Kavanagh sent over a sublime cross from the left which Corey Gameiro glanced wide.

A powerful run by Kadell Daniel moments later caused the Whites' backline some concern as he beat two players only to drill his shot wide.

Palace nearly pulled one back on the stroke of half-time when Ibra Sekajja got in behind but dragged his shot wide as he began to lose his balance, before visiting captain Michael Chambers fired a tame volley from 20 yards that Joronen claimed comfortably.

Dino Islamovic, Peniket and Ronny Minkwitz were all introduced at half-time, with Gameiro, Donegan and Kavanagh making way. In a formation re-jig, Vigen Christensen went to right-back, with Alex Brister taking Kavanagh's spot on the left.

Sekajja drew a solid save from Joronen five minutes into the second half as the Finnish keeper smothered his powerful drive well.

Williams then made it 4-0 10 minutes into the second half. Vigen Christensen did superbly well to win a sliding tackle on the halfway line before seeing off his marker - despite being persistently fouled - to find the Australian down the right. The winger cut in and fired towards the far post with the outside of his right foot and Ross Fitzsimons could only palm the ball over the line and into the back of the net.

A fierce strike from the edge of the area by Islamovic brought a good save from Fitzsimons as he got a firm hand behind the shot to put it behind for a corner.

Symons made another change with 20 minutes remaining as Jordan Evans replaced Alex Brister at left-back.

A magnificent effort by Altman on 72 nearly added a fifth. The Israel Under-21 international cut in onto his favoured right foot and unleashed a dynamite shot from 25 yards that the keeper did well to parry.

Palace pulled one back a minute later when Kai Kai did well to hold the ball up before squaring to Sekajja who confidently bent a shot in at the far post.

A decent run by the lively Allassani on 77 nearly crept in after taking a deflection but drifted just wide for a corner. Unfortunately for the Whites, though, a Palace forward was there to poke home following a scramble in the box from the subsequent set-piece.

Confusion in the Palace penalty area on 84 minutes allowed Peniket to restore the three-goal lead. Two defenders and the keeper all left a chipped through ball for each other, allowing Vigen Christensen to cross for the striker to smash home Fulham's fifth.

Fulham's goal lived a charmed life moments later when, first, Joronen parried a shot away for a corner, before we needed a clearance off the line and the woodwork to prevent the visitors grabbing a third.

Fulham: 1. Joronen, 2. Brister (17. Evans, 70 mins), 3. Kavanagh (15. Minkwitz, 45 mins), 4. Smith (c), 5. Passley, 6. Pritchard, 7. Williams, 8. Vigen Christensen, 9. Gameiro (14. Peniket, 45 mins), 10. Donegan (16. Islamovic, 45 mins), 11. Altman

Crystal Palace: 1. Fitzsimons, 2. Blake, 3. Parsons, 4. Boateng, 5. Wynter, 6. Chambers, 7. Fenwick, 8. Daniel, 9. Sekajja, 10. Allassani, 11. Kai Kai



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/january/04/palace-u21s-result?