Sunday Fulham Stuff (03/02/13)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Unlucky Fulham beaten by Rooney's late strike for Manchester United

Fulham 0 Man Utd 1

Fulham were denied a deserved point by Wayne Rooney's late winner as the Premier League leaders went 10 points clear at Craven Cottage.

The Whites seemed set for their first clean sheet in more than two months after a sterling defensive performance, but let Rooney in to score the only goal of the game 11 minutes from time.

Despite holding their own for most of the game, Fulham suffered from the absence of the injured Dimitar Berbatov as several promising attacks lacked an end product.

United somehow failed to find the net following an astonishing passage of play in the eighth minute when Mark Schwarzer clawed away Antonio Valencia's header from a corner and Patrice Evra struck the rebound against the bar.

The Whites were still unable to clear and Sascha Riether nodded a third attempt off the line from Rooney before Schwarzer dived to foil Evra again.

Fulham responded as John Arne Riise's viciously swerving volley from 30 yards was tipped over by the back-pedalling David de Gea.

The home side broke again soon afterwards and Riise set up Bryan Ruiz but, although the Costa Rican's left-foot shot beat de Gea, it bounced off the post.

However, Fulham were rescued again by the woodwork when Brede Hangeland misdirected a clearance onto the crossbar – and a third time as Tom Cleverley teed up Rooney for a drive that beat the keeper but hit the left-hand upright.

It took a floodlight failure three minutes before half-time to stem the flow of chances and, while the lights soon came back on, it took much longer for the game's attacking spark to reappear.

De Gea was called into action 18 minutes into the second half to smother a daisy-cutter from Chris Baird while, at the other end, the Whites player did well to force Nani's effort behind.

Fulham came close to breaking the deadlock when right-back Riether played a one-two with Ashkan Dejagah, moved inside and fired an angled shot that de Gea could only parry.

And it needed a far-post clearance from Rafael to keep Ruiz's header from crossing the line soon afterwards – but, just as Fulham appeared to be getting on top, they conceded.

Evra pumped a long clearance down the line, Philippe Senderos missed it and Rooney galloped clear to slot a precise finish beyond the outstretched arm of Schwarzer.

Fulham piled on the pressure in the closing stages, but could not find an equaliser, even though Senderos had a header nodded off the line by Van Persie in added time.

Fulham: Schwarzer; Riether, Senderos, Hangeland (Hughes 45), Riise; Baird, Karagounis (Emanuelson 68); Dejagah (Petric 82), Ruiz, Duff; Rodallega.



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/unlucky_fulham_beaten_by_rooney_s_late_strike_for_manchester_united_1_1857127

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham 0-1 Manchester United

Wayne Rooney's solitary goal turned the spotlight on Manchester United's Barclays Premier League title rivals after they beat Fulham in a match which was interrupted by floodlight failure at Craven Cottage.

Rooney's 10th goal in as many games 11 minutes from time sent United 10 points clear of Manchester City, who entertain Liverpool tomorrow, and a massive 16 ahead of third-placed Chelsea.

And it all came after a whirlwind opening was halted by a break in play just before half-time when the stadium was plunged into darkness.

Prior to that, United had struck the woodwork on three occasions, and Fulham once.

But instead of a goal deluge, there was just Rooney's single strike, a cool curling finish from David De Gea's long punt downfield.

Released from the Old Trafford cabbage patch, United stated their intent by selecting two orthodox wide-men and attacking from the first whistle.

With Fulham, even minus former Red Devils striker Dimitar Berbatov, far more of a threat than they were when the sides met in the FA Cup seven days ago, it made for a rip-roaring opening in which both keepers excelled and the woodwork at either end was rattled.

Indeed, in more ways than one, the mad penalty box scramble after nine minutes proved to be a sign of things to come.

Robin van Persie's corner started it, bouncing off Brede Hangeland and towards his own goal, forcing Mark Schwarzer into the first of a series of excellent saves.

Patrice Evra reacted quickest but could only scoop the ball against the bar before Sascha Riether cleared Wayne Rooney's shot off the line.

United maintained the pressure but Schwarzer came to Fulham's rescue again with another fine stop to prevent Evra's effort flying in.

Within seconds, John Arne Riise tested De Gea with a dipping effort the under-fire Spain youngster tipped over.

De Gea got nowhere near a Bryan Ruiz shot that thudded against a post before play switched down to the other end where Hangeland, after denying Nani with a superb last-ditch tackle, turned Van Persie's corner on to the bar.

Only then did a breathless contest slow in intensity, although a brilliant move involving Nani and Tom Cleverley created another opportunity for Rooney, which he stroked against a post.

Nani was certainly making an impression on only his fourth match back after two months out with a hamstring injury, only for his momentum to be halted as the stadium was plunged into darkness.



The players did return to complete the opening period, although Van Persie's shot, gathered at the second attempt by Schwarzer, was the only incident of note.

So brilliant has Van Persie been for United this season it is a disappointment when he has a quiet game.

This one went on around him after the re-start, a failure to get any power behind a header from Nani's cross his only opportunity of note.

Indeed, the floodlight incident seemed to take the zip out of the entire contest, with neither side coming close to matching the thrills they had produced before the impromptu break in proceedings.

Van Persie did somehow wriggle his way down the by-line before setting up Nani, only for Chris Baird to block.

De Gea endured another uncomfortable moment when he could only parry Riether's shot to Bryan Ruiz, but the Fulham forward was unable to get any purchase on his volley.

For a while it appeared Fulham might claim a major scalp.

Rafael cleared off the line from Ruiz after Jonny Evans had been forced to head away from underneath his own bar.

Rooney had other ideas, though, and when Fulham failed to get a touch to De Gea's long kick downfield, the England man picked his spot and, in front of England manager Roy Hodgson, calmly found the bottom corner.

Van Persie might have added a second only to volley over from close range, although the striker was required at the other end to clear Philippe Senderos' injury-time header off the line.


http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/english/2013/0202/365901-fulham-v-manchester-united/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham 0-1 Manchester United: It's Not The Size Of The Dog In The Fight...

Just a week ago, this was 4-1. Just a week ago, it looked like it was 22-on-11, it looked like nobody cared, it looked like 11 players rather than 1 team.

Not anymore.

A week after the most boring 4-1 match in history, we had the most exciting 1-0 match in history. 5 posts hit in the first half.  32 shots overall.  49 crosses overall. 13 corners.  What a game.

The good:

The creativity – I put this here because no one single person stood out to me.  At any point, new players stepped up to make fantastic passes or runs.  Ashkan Dejagah was a joy to watch, although he needs to improve on his first touch.  Bryan Ruiz's passing was poor in the first half, but he played so much better in the second and was a key player in the crazy charge in the final minutes.  Damien Duff also reappeared in the second half.  Hugo Rodallega ran things from the front, and made some fantastic cutting passes in the box and just outside it.  Sascha Riether played a key role on the right, especially after Rooney scored.  Urby Emanuelson came on in the 68th minute and showed his pinpoint long passing.  Nobody stood out to me, but everyone certainly contributed. Just ask Sir Alex Ferguson:

"I think it was really determined performance. It wasn't easy because Fulham played their part"

Sascha Riether – Once again, the man stood out in defense.  Many are saying he's our clear-cut player of the year, and I can't disagree. A must-buy for Jol after the season.

Chris Baird – Also fantastic defensively in the midfield, with Sidders out Baird filled in admirably.  Happy he didn't go to West Brom, yes? I know I am.

Mark Schwarzer – We've said here for a while that this may be Schwarzer's last season as Fulham's first choice keeper, and deservedly so.  But today, he matched David De Gea in quality, as both were fantastic between the sticks.  He made a ridiculous save inside the first 10 minutes, and kept up the performance the whole match.

The bad:

Philippe Senderos – I honestly don't have much to put here, so I have to single out the man who made the mistake that led to the goal. Maybe I've been too harsh on Senderos this season, but he's flat out not good.  He stayed too long under a header he had no chance of winning, and by the time he realized he'd been beaten, it was too late to recover, and Aaron Hughes was no match for Rooney that close to goal on his own.  Brede Hangeland left at halftime, and I hope he's ok because I don't know how much more of Senderos I can take. He's good off corners, that's about it.

The lights -



Some of the best jokes on Twitter included MAF forgetting to pay the electric bill despite pulling the club out of debt, Peter Odemwingie trying to tunnel into Loftus Road and hitting a main, and blaming David De Gea because everything's his fault anyways.  Well done folks.

Man of the Match: This is tough for me, because like I said before, nobody really stood out to me.  I would have gone with Hangeland because he was doing excellent at the back before getting injured.  I'm going to go with Sascha Riether because he once again proves how valuable he is on the right, making tackle after tackle and providing lots on the attacking end as well.

What now?: This result was expected, just not in the way it happened. Of course it's frustrating to not get anything from this match, but after last week, who honestly expected points here? It's a great match to build from, and Martin Jol's tactics were spot on.  With the added players from the transfer window into the ranks, it's promising looking ahead.  We have Norwich away, Stoke home, Sunderland away in our next 3, and that's a bit tougher of a stretch than it may sound off the bat given this team's away record.  However, if we can manage at least 5 points from those 3 fixtures and not lose, it will be a successful period to me ahead of back-to-back games against Chelsea and Tottenham.

Remember: No points were earned from this match.  So the only way the valiant effort benefits us is if we build on it in the future.  If we take a step backwards in the next few games, this effort is all for nothing.  If we can build on this, it becomes a stepping stone and possibly a turning point in the season.  That all depends on what the club does going forward. COME ON YOU WHITES!

Martin Jol postgame:

"According to Jol, Brede Hangeland's Achillies tightened up, nothing to play around with. Said it's not serious, but may miss a few weeks"

UPDATE: Jol also said Brede Hangeland's achillies tightened up, and although it's not serious, he may miss a few weeks.  That's a massive blow to a team with just 3 center backs on the roster, although Chris Baird can play back there in an emergency.


http://fulhamsfinest.com/2013/02/02/fulham-0-1-manchester-united-its-not-the-size-of-the-dog-in-the-fight/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Hangeland injury a worry for Fulham

Brede Hangeland suffered an Achilles injury in Fulham's defeat against Manchester United and boss Martin Jol is hoping the defender will not be added to the club's list of long-term absentees.

Hangeland was forced off at the interval after struggling to get through the first half.

Jol said: "I'm hoping it is not a long one – he picked up an Achilles problem.

"That's the first time I've had to substitute him all season and hopefully it's not too serious."


http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-fulham/hangeland-injury-a-worry-for-fulham?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol: Fulham matched Man United

Martin Jol feels his Fulham side were very fortunate to not get a point after they lost  1-0 against Premier League leaders Manchester United.

The Cottagers gave a good account of themselves and came close to scoring on several occasions but conceded late on as Wayne Rooney scored.

"We deserved something out of the game," said Fulham boss Jol after the match at Craven Cottage.

"If you don't score against them you could have a problem and that's exactly what happened. But when they scored we had a chance to get one ourselves.

"In the second half we matched them and I'm really disappointed that we didn't get a point."



Read more: http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/130202/jol-fulham-matched-man-united-190834?#ixzz2JoPRtqMr
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Read more at http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/130202/jol-fulham-matched-man-united-190834?#hAK6tI9R8AvWqD1s.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Riether: We were 'very close' to beating United
by DAN on FEBRUARY 2, 2013

Sascha Riether believes Fulham can take plenty of positives from an improved Fulham display despite the pain of Wayne Rooney's late winner.

The German full-back, on loan from Cologne, had a busy afternoon, clearing off the line in the first half, and forcing a smart save from David De Gea after the break, and felt Fulham deserved a point against the leaders. In an interview with the club's official website, Riether reflected on an adventurous performance from Martin Jol's side and hopes to replicate the positive effort in Fulham's next fixture, against Norwich City, at Carrow Road next weekend.

We had a very good game. We made a big fight against the best team in the league at the moment – and we made it very difficult for them to win, but in the end it was disappointing.

There were chances for both sides and I think we deserved a point, but the people watching on television saw a great game with a lot of chances with very good football but I felt we deserved more today.

We were very close today, especially in the second half, we played very well and we had a lot of chances, but there was always a little bit missing. We have to go on like that, with the same spirit and the same fight – and then it will be a good season.

I said to Bairdy after the game that we had so many chances and I can't remember a game this season where we had as many chances. Though we did well today, we have no points at the end – and it's always important to have points – so we are disappointed.

Norwich will be a very different game. United play very differently and we won't have as much space as today. It will be a fight too – and we will fight.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/02/riether-we-were-very-close-to-beating-united/?

[WhiteJC]

 
U18s put five past Saints
by DAN on FEBRUARY 2, 2013

Braces from both Muamer Tankovic and Moussa Dembele saw Fulham's Under 18s bounce back from their FA Youth Cup exit by putting five past Southampton at Motspur Park this morning.

Huw Jenkins' side were quickly into their stride and took an early lead through Patrick Roberts, who kept his composure to steer home the opener after unselfish approach play from Swedish striker Tankovic. The former IFK Norrköping forward doubled the hosts' lead, starting and finishing a clinical counter-attack from a Saints corner, in another eye-catching display.

Southampton were gifted a way back into the game three minutes before half time. Goalkeeper Max Oberschmidt badly misjudged a cross from Tom Leggett and Jason McCarthy halved Saints' arrears with a simple header. A tight second half saw Southampton see more of the ball and put Fulham under sustained pressure, but late defensive mistakes cost them dear. Fulham scored a crucial third from the penalty spot after Dembele capitalised an under-hit backpass and was brought down by goalkeeper Chris Jones. Tankovic calmly converted the spot-kick.

Fulham put a far more convincing gloss on the scoreline by scoring twice in stoppage time. First, Dembele headed his second of the afternoon before Jordan Evans dribbled his way past a couple of defenders and fired in a low shot from the edge of the area. Jenkins admitted afterwards that the 'scoreline wasn't a fair reflection on the game' but the five-goal show will certainly boost morale ahead of next Saturday's trip to Everton.


http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/02/u18s-put-five-past-saints/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Williams rescues a point for U21s
by DAN on FEBRUARY 3, 2013

Ryan Williams' late equaliser rescued a point for Fulham's Under-21s in an enthralling encounter at Middlesbrough.

The Australian winger delighted Kit Symons with a composed finish as time ticked away as Fulham threatened to throw away a terrific start. England youth international Cauley Woodrow had given the Londoners' a dream start in the first minute turning home a dangerous cross from Sean Kavanagh, but some sloppy defending saw Middlesbrough in front by half-time.

It took just three minutes for Curtis Main to take advantage of some slack marking and rifle home and the home side took a deserved lead just before the break courtesy of a clever finish from Luke Williams. Fulham were indebted to three excellent saves from Jesse Joronen which kept them in the contest and the Finnish goalkeeper even kept out one goalbound effort after Williams had levelled the contest late on.

Symonds told the official website:

We had the momentum and we were the better side in the second half so I was delighted when Ryan popped up to make it 2-2. The tempo of our passing was much better, but Middlesborough had a couple of good chances too and we've got Jesse to thank for a great save late on to keep it level.

The only disappointing thing was the nature of the goals we conceded. We lost concentration and they were very sloppy which is very annoying as otherwise it was a good performance. We started brilliantly, scoring the early goal, then conceded those two really sloppy goals which I'm not happy about, but we responded well and finished the game strongly.

FULHAM U21s: Joronen; Grimmer, Kavanagh, Passley, Burgess; Smith, Minkwitz, Altman, Williams; David, Woodrow. Subs: Grainger, Donegan, Christensen, Islamovic.


http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/02/williams-rescues-a-point-for-u21s/?