Saturday Fulham Stuff (12/01/13)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Ireland defender Kelly switches Fulham for Reading as Jol chases Huddlestone


On the move: Fulham defender Stephen Kelly

Reading have completed the signing of right-back Stephen Kelly from Fulham - while Cottagers boss Martin Jol has admitted that he is interested in Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone.

Kelly was a main part of Jol's team last season but struggled for games this campaign. Fulham  would not reveal how much the transfer fee for the Republic of Ireland international was.

The defender has become Reading's third signing in the January transfer window after the arrivals of Hope Akpan from Crawley and Daniel Carrico from Sporting Lisbon.

Jol said: 'We won't lose any other players. It's one single player who could go in this transfer window. Kelly is the only one.

'I thought it was good for him because he wanted to play. Last year he played all the games almost so I thought it was good for him to talk to Reading and they decided to take him and he decided to go there. I never say never but the players I want to keep here will be here after the 31st.'

Jol is still keen to strengthen his squad in the transfer window and clearly sees Fulham's midfield as an area he needs to improve.


On the radar: Martin Jol is still tracking Spurs midfielder Tom Huddlestone

He is still interested in defensive midfielder Derek Boateng, who is at Ukrainian club Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and also Tottenham's Huddlestone, whom he has monitored for years.

The 56-year-old added: 'Over the last six years I had an interest in Tom Huddlestone but he was injured and then went to Stoke. I think he failed a medical there but I am not sure, so he went back to Spurs.

'If Tom is fit, he is always in the back of my mind but as I told you before, I won't speculate on names. I can't say Tom is not on my list because I like him.' 

Reading say Kelly's move is still subject to final ratification of all paperwork from the football authorities but expect that to be a formality, although he was not signed in time to be involved against West Brom on Saturday.

Royals boss Brian McDermott is thrilled to have captured the defender, who was a key player for the Cottagers last season, making 34 appearances, but has lost his starting berth to Sascha Riether this term.


Out of favour: Kelly had fallen behind Sascha Riether in the pecking order

McDermott said: 'I'm delighted to have Stephen here.

'He has played a lot of games in the Premier League and more than 30 times for his country. He's the kind of player I've been talking about - someone with great experience, but at 29 still very young in football terms and at a really good stage in his career.

'I know he's going to fit into the dressing room here really well. He's up for the fight, up for the battle, he's hungry, he wants to do well and I know he'll be successful for us.'

Kelly, who can play on either the right or left of defence, came up through the youth ranks at Tottenham before breaking into the first team at White Hart Lane.

After several spells out on loan, he joined Birmingham permanently in 2006 and spent three years at St Andrew's - incorporating a loan stint at Stoke - before making the move to Fulham, who helped reach the Europa League final in the 2009/10 season.

Kelly has been a regular for the Republic of Ireland since making his debut in 2006 and captained his country for the first time against Uruguay in March 2011.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2260913/Stephen-Kelly-signs-Reading.html#ixzz2HkFP69Uo
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

[WhiteJC]

 
Do We Have Money, Or Don't We Have Money?

Martin Jol, October 20, 2012:

"He [Al Fayed] said before the season you can spend the same amount as last year and we sold for over £30million and only bought for £8m. So I am 100 per cent certain he knows there is a lot in the kitty."

Martin Jol, January 11, 2013:

"We don't have a lot to spend, to be honest, so we have to be very creative."

Well then. Seems that a few things have happened this season.  Either a) we've somehow bled cash between October and January, b) Jol was lying in October, or c) Jol is lying now.

Fulham have made just one move this January, adding Chris David from FC Twente's youth ranks.  You'd think if we had money, it wouldn't be smart to go flaunting that around, so it very well could be that he's keeping his coffers on safeguard.  However, Fulham were very frugal with their money this past offseason, and continue to do so this transfer window.  When we sold Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele, the club received a touch under £30 million in compensation.  You'd think at least part of that would be made available, but then again every Premier League club save 1 last season registered a loss.  Also remember January isn't the greatest of transfer windows to spend, especially this season.

So it's up to each person to decide for themselves: do Fulham have money, or not?



http://fulhamsfinest.com/2013/01/11/do-we-have-money-or-dont-we-have-money/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Kelly Departs

Fulham defender Stephen Kelly has joined Reading for an undisclosed fee, the Club confirmed on Friday evening.

The full-back joins the Royals after three-and-a-half years in SW6, during which time he made more than 60 appearances in all competitions.

The Republic of Ireland international, who moved to the Club from Birmingham City, was a key figure in Fulham's 2009/10 UEFA Europa League campaign – famously setting up Zoltan Gera for our crucial winning goal in Basel – and also enjoyed a memorable 2011/12 season on the banks of the Thames.

The Club would like to thank Stephen for his contribution and wishes him well for the future.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/january/11/kelly-departs?

[WhiteJC]

 
Pointless Chat Proves That Example Still Hates Wigan

So we usually do these things by flicking through our little black books for an opposition fan that we've know, either through the fanzine, the website or through messing about on Twitter rather than doing any proper writing.  Occasionally the page for a club is blank.  Like when we didn't have a 'sixy talk' for QPR a few weeks back.
Determined to stop that happening I threw a speculative plea out on twitter this morning.  If I didn't know someone then maybe someone I knew, knew someone.  Maybe Fulham fan and top  rap star (?) Example would still be desperate to prove that he didn't think that Wigan was an absolute hole and would volunteer.  Well, all that "friend of the town" stuff was clearly just a ploy as he didn't get back to us, but ready to save the day for both celebrity-dom and Fulham in general was Richard Osman.
Richard is brother of Suede bassist Mat Osman and the world's foremost expert on the Central African Republic.  He's also a TV producer and Director, including being the Creative Director for the global domination conspiracy  sorry, TV Company Endemol UK.  Most importantly, for those of us like me that never really got over being students, he's the co-host on, BBC tea-time quiz, Pointless.
Oh, he's also a season ticket holder at Fulham
Obviously we didn't expect Richard to be paying a visit to TNS towers, so a quick tidy up and a redraft of the questions so that they grilled him to check his credentials and examined the life of a celebrity fan was probably in order.  But we did neither, we had a brew instead and asked him the same pointless... erm... stupid questions as we would ask anyone else.
So with ne'er a do (well, after I've instructed my lawyers to prepare to be sued by Alexander Armstrong) hand you over to my pointless friend, Richard...
Hiya!
Wigan Athletic, what do you really think of us?
Everyone loves Wigan don't  they? Like everyone loves Pandas. They're quite cute, usually unthreatening, and always on the brink of extinction.
I think everyone loves Martinez, and Dave Whelan seems, from the outside, to be a proper old-school chairman.
I particularly love the fact that we can beat you away, and yet you can still beat Man U when you put your mind to it. And I love it when you stay up year after year while bigger clubs get relegated all around you.

I honestly thought Fulham were doing alright this season, but I keep hearing about your poor form.  How would you describe your current position? What kind of side will we be meeting tomorrow?
You know when you've had the Norovirus for 24 hours and you start thinking you MIGHT be getting over it, but you're not absolutely certain? That's where Fulham are at the moment. We had a terrible run, but now Berba and Ruiz are back in tandem that could be bad news for Wigan. But we're still lacking in central midfield and at least you're playing us before we bring someone in, in the transfer window. So have we got over the Norovirus, or is there more puking to come?

Back when we were young nouveau riche upstarts, you had a proper minted owner who wasn't afraid to get his wallet out.  These days you look like the poorer (or at least more prudent) relations in West London.  I suppose you've always had some rivalry with Chelsea and QPR, but how do you view your spendthrift cousins these days?
We're quite proud of being a well-run club that makes intelligent decisions on and off the field. That's why we loved Roy Hodgson so much, and Jol is another smart, no-nonsense character. Chelsea and QPR are a bit like soap operas at the moment (Chelsea being Dallas and QPR being Eldorado) and it's nice to stay out of that fray.

Obviously, we've both got chairmen with big personalities who've spent a lot of cash on getting the clubs where they are, but does that give them free reign to do what they want? What do Fulham fans think about that statue? I heard Jacko was West Ham when he was younger.
I personally love the Jacko statue. If any Wigan fans haven't seen it you have to check it out. It is SPECTACULARLY tasteless and out of place, but that makes me cherish it. We're an unconventional club, and it seems fitting we'd have a deeply unconventional statue.
Chairman Mo has been such a positive force for FFC he should be allowed to stamp his personality on the place
How do you see tomorrow's game panning out?
We very, very, very much need a win. But so do you, so it should be a cracker. There will be goals

I've not been to Fulham for a good while, so I won't pass comment on your pies, tell us what they're like, do you partake and, if you do, what's your favourite flavour and how do you go about eating it?
Fulham are from the South so our opinion of pies is meaningless. Like asking an Eskimo what he thinks of sand. But I will say that the Organic Goose & Walnut Truffle Terrine at the River Cafe is terrific.
It will genuinely be a pleasure to welcome Wigan down to Craven Cottage; your fans are always lovely. I hope it's a great game. And despite losing, say, 3-1, I hope you have a great time.
I feel like I should wish you good luck for tomorrow, but, you know...

I would say the same, but you've got Berbatov so you don't need luck.
I'm sure you'd all like to thank Richard for taking time to chat with us.  He didn't have anything to plug, but I'm sure you can find something to watch, read or buy, if you use Google (other search engines are available).
The eagle eyed amongst you will have noted that this Sixy Talk doesn't have Sixy Talk in the title, that's because we also found a Fulham fan that doesn't co-host a television show to answer our questions as well, you can read that by clicking here:
http://thisnorthernsoul.co.uk/match-previews/sixy-talk-fulham-120113



http://thisnorthernsoul.co.uk/articles/pointless-chat-proves-that-example-still-hates-wigan?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol's solution: Scoring more goals is the way to go, Hugo

Martin Jol has told Hugo Rodallega he needs to start scoring more goals at Fulham – as he prepares to face former club Wigan.

The Colombian striker has only only scored twice this season in 21 matches in all competitions since his move on a free transfer in the summer.

One of those goals was the winner against his old club back in September but he has only added another strike against Newcastle – also the winner in a 2-1 victory – to that and Jol expects to see an improvement.

Challenge: Hugo Rodallega has been told by Martin Jol he needs to score more goals

The Dutchman said: 'I would like Rodallega to score at least 10 goals over the season. He can certainly do that, but on the other hand improvement is not easy. He's scored one in four, 24 goals in 84 games, so I would like him to do a bit better. He knows if he plays for us and comes up with the goods he'll play next time.'

Rodallega is competing with Dimitar Berbatov and Mladen Petric for a place in the side. The Bulgarian is their top scorer with seven goals and Petric has scored five – three more than Rodallega in less games. And Jol believes the competition is improving his side.

The 56-year-old added: 'Rodallega feels he hasn't got enough goals, but Berbatov is our top scorer with seven goals and he feels like he should have scored more goals. He thinks he should have 13 or 14. If you are a good player you would like to be very successful and productive for the club you play for.


Looking for more goals: Martin Jol is looking for his team to score more

'Hugo is on two goals and has played more games than Mladen Petric who has scored five. I think that is what you need in a good squad, you need competition and ambition to do better.'

Jol also revealed that Stephen Kelly was yesterday having a medical at Reading and was close to completing a move to the club but he does not expect anyone else to leave in January.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2261060/Hugo-Rodallega-told-score-goals-Fulham.html#ixzz2HkH6ast3
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

[WhiteJC]

 
Hang about! Jol urges Brede Hangeland to accept Fulham's contract offer

"We'll try to do everything we're capable of to keep him" says boss of defender who'll be a free agent in the summer PLUS Wigan dread losing stars


Norse sense: Hangeland belongs at Fulham says Jol
Neville Williams

Martin Jol has told Brede Hangeland to put his money where his mouth is and sign his new deal at Craven Cottage.

Fulham offered Hangeland a new contract back in November, but the Norway defender has yet to commit his future to them.

His current deal ends at the end of the season and European clubs are already allowed to make an approach, while QPR boss Harry Redknapp has also been linked with a swoop.

But after selling stars Mousa Dembele and Clint Dempsey in the summer, Jol insists he won't let Hangeland follow them out of the door.

"We will try to do everything we are capable of to keep him. There is a contract and the only thing for him to do is sign it," he said, ahead of Saturday's home clash with Wigan.

"With players like Brede, if they have a decent history and are playing well for their clubs, there will always be an interest from other clubs. I thought he was quite happy to stay here.

"Of course, he wanted to know the mission of the club – who is coming in because there were quite a lot of players going out.

"Then [Dimitar] Berbatov, [Mladen] Petric and [Hugo] Rodallega came in and he was happy, but now it is three months on. There is still five months left and hopefully he will put the money where his mouth is, show everyone he is happy again and sign."

Right-back Stephen Kelly joined Reading on Friday, while Jol has so far failed to add to his squad.

A move for Ghana midfielder Derek Boateng is still in the balance, but Jol is convinced there is nothing wrong with Fulham's recruitment drive.

"If you look at some of the players that came here, they had a lot of choices of other clubs, but they chose us," he said. "So, I don't think there's a problem with our charisma."

Martinez: Roll on February!

By Alan Nixon

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez wants to draw the curtains during the transfer window – and hope the big boys prowling about outside go away.

Martinez is going through his twice-a-year torment as Latics come under siege from clubs interested in buying their best players.

Midfield maestro James McCarthy and keeper Ali Al Habsi may attract offers if the likes of Everton and Liverpool come into money.

But Martinez, who has lost star men Victor Moses and Charles N'Zogbia in badly-timed exits during recent seasons, said: "If we lose any players it will be for the good of the football club, we won't sell out best performers or assets.

"When we lose them it will be for the right price and at the right time. January is not the right time. We are in the middle of the fight."

But Franco di Santo may be off in the summer when his contract is up.


http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/fulham-vs-wigan-preview-brede-1530732?

[WhiteJC]

 
MARTIN JOL FEARS A BATTLE

MARTIN JOL fears he could have a fight on his hands to keep Brede Hangeland at Fulham.

The defender's deal runs out this summer. Fulham offered him a lucrative extension in November but he has yet to commit his future to the club. QPR are believed to be interested.

"We will try to do everything that we are capable of to keep him." said manager Jol.

Roberto Martinez believes loan signing Angelo Henriquez can fast-track his way into Manchester United's side if he helps Wigan avoid relegation.

Striker Henriquez, 18, is set for his league debut at Fulham today after joining the Latics on loan until the end of the season.



http://www.express.co.uk/football/view/370275?

[WhiteJC]

 
Martin Jol wants Huddlestone reunion

Fulham manager Martin Jol has admitted that he continues to monitor Tom Huddlestone and is interested in signing him if Tottenham Hotspur are willing to sell.

Huddlestone got his first taste of first-team football at Spurs under Jol, with the Fulham boss revealing that he will always have a soft-spot for the midfielder.

He told reporters: "Over the last six years I had an interest in Tom Huddlestone but he was injured and then went to Stoke.

"I think he failed a medical there but I am not sure, so he went back to Spurs.

"If Tom is fit, he is always in the back of my mind but as I told you before, I won't speculate on names. I can't say Tom is not on my list because I like him."

After being plagued by injuries in recent seasons Huddlestone has made 19 appearances in all competitions for Spurs this season.

Jol is desperate to strengthen in central midfield, with Huddlestone linked with a move to West London along with Ghana international Derek Boateng.



http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/transfer-talk/news/jol-wants-huddlestone-reunion_63491.html

[hongkongfulham]

Do We Have Money, Or Don't We Have Money?

Martin Jol, October 20, 2012:

"He [Al Fayed] said before the season you can spend the same amount as last year and we sold for over £30million and only bought for £8m. So I am 100 per cent certain he knows there is a lot in the kitty."

Martin Jol, January 11, 2013:

"We don't have a lot to spend, to be honest, so we have to be very creative."

Well then. Seems that a few things have happened this season.  Either a) we've somehow bled cash between October and January, b) Jol was lying in October, or c) Jol is lying now.

Fulham have made just one move this January, adding Chris David from FC Twente's youth ranks.  You'd think if we had money, it wouldn't be smart to go flaunting that around, so it very well could be that he's keeping his coffers on safeguard.  However, Fulham were very frugal with their money this past offseason, and continue to do so this transfer window.  When we sold Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele, the club received a touch under £30 million in compensation.  You'd think at least part of that would be made available, but then again every Premier League club save 1 last season registered a loss.  Also remember January isn't the greatest of transfer windows to spend, especially this season.

So it's up to each person to decide for themselves: do Fulham have money, or not?



http://fulhamsfinest.com/2013/01/11/do-we-have-money-or-dont-we-have-money/?

I think the answer is we do have money! but we are going to keep it until summer where we can see if brede has gone, how we finished etc and then build a squad for next season, the money is there we are just being smart with it, cant remember the last time we sold for over 20 mill?

[Sammyffc]

Hang about! Jol urges Brede Hangeland to accept Fulham's contract offer

"We'll try to do everything we're capable of to keep him" says boss of defender who'll be a free agent in the summer PLUS Wigan dread losing stars


Norse sense: Hangeland belongs at Fulham says Jol
Neville Williams

Martin Jol has told Brede Hangeland to put his money where his mouth is and sign his new deal at Craven Cottage.

Fulham offered Hangeland a new contract back in November, but the Norway defender has yet to commit his future to them.

His current deal ends at the end of the season and European clubs are already allowed to make an approach, while QPR boss Harry Redknapp has also been linked with a swoop.

But after selling stars Mousa Dembele and Clint Dempsey in the summer, Jol insists he won't let Hangeland follow them out of the door.

"We will try to do everything we are capable of to keep him. There is a contract and the only thing for him to do is sign it," he said, ahead of Saturday's home clash with Wigan.

"With players like Brede, if they have a decent history and are playing well for their clubs, there will always be an interest from other clubs. I thought he was quite happy to stay here.

"Of course, he wanted to know the mission of the club – who is coming in because there were quite a lot of players going out.

"Then [Dimitar] Berbatov, [Mladen] Petric and [Hugo] Rodallega came in and he was happy, but now it is three months on. There is still five months left and hopefully he will put the money where his mouth is, show everyone he is happy again and sign."

Right-back Stephen Kelly joined Reading on Friday, while Jol has so far failed to add to his squad.

A move for Ghana midfielder Derek Boateng is still in the balance, but Jol is convinced there is nothing wrong with Fulham's recruitment drive.

"If you look at some of the players that came here, they had a lot of choices of other clubs, but they chose us," he said. "So, I don't think there's a problem with our charisma."

Martinez: Roll on February!

By Alan Nixon

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez wants to draw the curtains during the transfer window – and hope the big boys prowling about outside go away.

Martinez is going through his twice-a-year torment as Latics come under siege from clubs interested in buying their best players.

Midfield maestro James McCarthy and keeper Ali Al Habsi may attract offers if the likes of Everton and Liverpool come into money.

But Martinez, who has lost star men Victor Moses and Charles N'Zogbia in badly-timed exits during recent seasons, said: "If we lose any players it will be for the good of the football club, we won't sell out best performers or assets.

"When we lose them it will be for the right price and at the right time. January is not the right time. We are in the middle of the fight."

But Franco di Santo may be off in the summer when his contract is up.


http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/fulham-vs-wigan-preview-brede-1530732?

I personally think Brede is starting to take the piss now . We all know fulham have a tight wage structure , and it is quite obvious he is holding out for more money and we have offered him the best are structure can allow . People who say this is on Jol's head have no idea about the business side of football . Stop wasting are time on brede if he is playing games and bring someone in new and fresh because in his last few games he hasn't been no where near the brede im use to seeing play

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol Praises Martinez

Wigan Athletic – like Fulham – have won many plaudits over the years for their brand of football, with both sides keen to play the ball on the floor with pace.

It's a trait that Latics boss Roberto Martinez has stuck with during his time at the DW Stadium, and Fulham Manager Martin Jol admires what the Spaniard is trying to achieve in Lancashire.

"I feel that he showed us that he's got an idea to football and that is a continental sort of philosophy," Jol said ahead of Wigan's visit to the Cottage on Saturday afternoon (3pm). "20 or 30 years ago it was probably different and difficult in England to try to introduce these new styles.

"He did that and everybody sees the advantage of keeping the ball and playing in a certain style. But I have to say that he changed his philosophy a bit as well and all credit to him - it's not only about one thing, it's about different styles. It's about learning all the time for managers and coaches, and that is what he did.

"He's trying to be successful with his system and he's played a couple of different systems until now. When he was at Swansea City, they played in a totally different system to what he is playing now with Wigan. So I felt that there was a good foundation at Swansea and they still play in that style and they are still successful. You could say it's good to have a style and he's certainly got a style, so that is what I always admire."

The Latics, despite losing 2-1, enjoyed over 63 per cent of the ball when the two sides met in the corresponding fixture back in September, and Jol is well aware that they will do what they can to dictate the play on Saturday.

"His [Martinez's] teams always have a lot of possession. They play out from the back – even the goalkeeper needs to be talented on the ball - so I think he's certainly played his part over the last five or six years.

"We will try to do something to stop them and I think we did that the last few times we played them. Last year we were quite satisfied to be one of the only teams to take maximum points against Wigan."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/january/12/jol-praises-martinez?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham v Wigan Athletic: match preview
Read a full match preview of the Premier League game between Fulham and Wigan Athletic at Craven Cottage on Saturday Jan 12, 2013, kick-off 15.00 GMT.


Back at the back: Mark Schwarzer is set to return in goal for Fulham against Wigan Photo: PA

Saturday, January 13, 2013
Fulham v Wigan Athletic
Craven Cottage
Kick-off: 15.00 GMT.
TV: Highlights BBC ONE Match of the Day.

Fulham (Possible, 4-4-1-1): Schwarzer; Reither, Hughes, Hangeland, Riise; Dejagah, Sidwell, Karagounis, Kacaniklic; Ruiz; Berbatov.
Out: Diarra (knee), Etheridge (leg), Frei (groin).

Wigan (Possible, 3-4-3): Al Habsi; Ramis, Caldwell, Figueroa; Boyce, Espinoza, McArthur, Beausejour; Koné, Di Santo, Maloney.
Out: Alcaraz (groin), Lopez (hamstring), Watson (broken leg), Crusat (knee), Miyaichi (ankle).

Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Matches 12, R6 Y27).

Team News
Mahamadou Diarra and Kerim Frei are both unavailable for Fulham, although manager Martin Jol can welcome back a number of players.

Mladen Petric, Damien Duff, Mark Schwarzer and John Arne Riise all return after missing last weekend's 1-1 FA Cup third round draw with Blackpool. Right-back Stephen Kelly is set to join Reading.

Meanwhile, midfielder Roger Espinoza is set to make his Wigan debut at Craven Cottage.

The Honduras international, signed from Sporting Kansas City, stayed on the bench in last weekend's FA Cup tie against Bournemouth, having only arrived in the UK two days before, but now has a week's training under his belt.

Fellow newcomer Angelo Henriquez is pushing for a start after impressing as a substitute last weekend, but defenders Antolin Alcaraz and Adrian Lopez and midfielders Ben Watson, Albert Crusat and Ryo Miyaichi are all out.

Match Notes
You make your own luck. That is Wigan manager Roberto Martínez's message to his players as they head to Craven Cottage, a singularly unhappy hunting ground for the Premier League strugglers.

Wigan have won only once by the Thames in the Premier League – in fact they are without a win against Fulham in their last 12 meeting – and Martinez believes his side has enjoyed little luck along the way.

The remedy? "We need to work hard enough and be good enough to earn that luck," he says.

Betting: Home 5-6, Away 3-1, Draw 12-5.

Stat of the game: There have been 14 goals in the final 10 minutes of games involving Fulham.

Ben Findon's prediction: Fulham 2 Wigan Athletic 0.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/9788922/Fulham-v-Wigan-Athletic-match-preview.html

[WhiteJC]

 
FULHAM v WIGAN: ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN HERE

Fulham have held the upper hand in their most recent meetings with Wigan, but their struggles in the Premier League of late mean that there is a better 19/20 bet on offer at Craven Cottage than a home win.

Wigan have failed to win any of their last 12 Premier League meetings with Fulham, but have avoided defeat on half of these occasions.

Meanwhile, Craven Cottage has hardly been the fortress of old this season, with Fulham winning just one of their last six on their own patch.

This is not the form expected of a team that are odds-on.

In fact, Martin Jol's team have taken maximum points from just two of their last 13 top-flight fixtures home or away.

Wigan have already won three times on the road this season, including a comprehensive 3-0 triumph at Aston Villa on their last away day.

They appeal more in the match betting market here at 11/4, with 7/4 a more than decent price on a Wigan win in the draw no bet market.

However, the best match offering is another 19/20, which says that more goals will be netted in the second period in comparison to the first half.

Wigan have only scored a single first-half goal away from home thus far, which was Ivan Ramis' early strike against Villa. Furthermore, Fulham have only conceded twice at home in the opening period.

This would indicate that 4/7 is a reasonable price that Fulham go in at half time with a clean sheet.

Like Wigan, Fulham also score more at home after the interval than before it and so there is every reason to believe that this fixture will burst to life in the second 45 minutes.

When looking for a goalscorer, Dimitar Berbatov has eight in 11 games with Wigan and so interests at 6/5 to be on target at any time in the 90 minutes.



http://sportingpreview.com/football2012-3/2012942.php?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham looking to find some home form and deny Wigan



Fulham secured an excellent 1-2 away win against West Brom last time out, Dimitar Berbatov and Alex Kacaniklic registering for the Cottagers. It was a very important win for Martin Jol's improving side, as they became only the third side to win at the Hawthorns this season, the Baggies having established their home turf as something of a fortress.

Here are your EA SPORTS Player Performance Index stats for what will be a tough fixture.

- Dimitar Berbatov has been grabbing many of the headlines for Fulham since his arrival from Man Utd, but his strike partner Hugo Rodallega has actually been proving himself the more accurate in front of goal. The Colombian has an on-target rate of 68% from 38 attempts, to Berbatov's 57% from 47 attempts.

- Steve Sidwell has certainly been active in the centre of the park for Fulham so far this season, having made a total of 106 attempted challenges and 77 interceptions this season according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.

- Alex Kacaniklic achieved the quite rare distinction against West Brom of passing the 7 miles in one game marker, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.

- Aaron Hughes has been Fulham's most successful player from a defensive perspective this season, having successfully contributed 190 times, that's one every 10.1 minutes.

- Full-back Sascha Reither has certainly been willing to mix up his standard defensive duties with an eagerness to get higher up the pitch. He's currently the joint 3rd highest rated defender in the Premier League for crosses delivered with 39.

- Wigan were unable to resist a dominant Man Utd last week, as the Red Devils punished some lackluster defending in a 0-4 win. The Lactics will be keen to put this loss behind them quickly against Fulham this weekend, as they look to rise out of the league's bottom three.

- Ivorian Arouna Kone arrived at the DW Stadium as a relative unknown but has quickly made his presence felt in the Premier League. He's Wigan's top goalscorer this season with 6, at a very solid rate of one goal for every 8 attempts he's had on goal.

- Jean Beausejour will be looking to test Fulham's aerial ability in defence this weekend, given his willingness to whip balls in for his strikers. He's currently ranked 4th on the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for crosses delivered with 71.

- Wigan can be a great team to watch on their day and James McCarthy is always central to the fluidity of their game. The young midfielder is the highest ranked player in the Wigan squad for passes completed in the opponent's half with 511.

- Maynor Figueroa has been something of an unsung hero for Roberto Martinez's side this season, quietly establishing himself as one of Wigan's defensive rocks with 128 interceptions, 21 clearances and 15 blocks.



http://threeandin.com/2013/01/12/fulham-looking-to-find-some-home-form-and-deny-wigan/?