Saturday Fulham Stuff (16/03/13)

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http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/kacaniklic-has-a-future-at-fulham-jol


Kacaniklic has a future at Fulham – Jol






16/03/2013


By Lyall Thomas


Fulham manager Martin Jol insists young winger Alex Kacaniklic still has a big future at the club despite allowing him to join Burnley on loan for the rest of the season.

The 21-year-old Swede made 22 appearances and scored four goals for the Whites before departing for the Championship side on 1 March.

And Jol said: "Kacaniklic did ever so well – I'm very pleased with him and he will probably be first choice in that position in the future

"But I have Damien Duff playing there and he has been a bit more productive. He has better stats in that position with more goals and more assists.

"Kacaniklic was good but you need assists from that position. But he's young."

Jol also allowed defender Matthew Briggs to join Watford on a month's loan after he too was unable to establish himself as a first-team regular at Craven Cottage.

"I'm not disappointed with these youngsters. It is an opportunity for them to help other managers," Jol added.

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Diarra may have played his last Fulham game after being ruled out for season



By Riath Al-samarrai

PUBLISHED:22:30, 15 March 2013| UPDATED:22:30, 15 March 2013

Comments (1)


Mahamadou Diarra's Fulham career could be over after Martin Jol admitted the injury-ravaged 31-year-old will not play again this season.

The former Real Madrid midfielder has only played eight times this season having twice undergone surgery on his left knee.

There were initial hopes that the Malian could return to full training later this month, but Jol revealed on Friday that a third operation is likely for a player whose contract expires in the summer.



Blow: Mahamadou Diarra will be out until summer, when his contract expires

Jol said: 'It is still painful. I think it will be quite complicated without an operation to get him going and fit again. We need to sit down and talk to the surgeon and make a decision, but I think he will out for the next couple of months.

'He was the main man last year when he came in. He gave us a boost again and was one of the most important players. It was quite a boost for us to get a player of his quality, but you have to be fit. If he isn't fit he can do nothing for us.'

Meanwhile, Jol has hit out at the scheduling that will see his side play only two games this month.

No other side in the Premier League has such a light schedule and Jol, speaking ahead of tomorrow's clash with Tottenham, believes it could have a negative effect on his side. He said: 'This month was very annoying for us because we will only have two games – Sunderland earlier in the month and this game.

'That is not what you want. There are other teams in the cups, like Spurs, and I think it is better to keep your rhythm than not.' Jol also denied that a deal has been done to bring Blackburn midfielder Danny Murphy back to the club in a coaching capacity.

He said: 'In England, 10 years ago you could get your coaching licence from the supermarket with your bacon and your beans. Now you have to do your courses, so I don't see that happening because in England it is quite firm. So no, I don't see that happening.'


Difficult: Martin Jol says coaching badges are harder to come by


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2294068/Mahamadou-Diarra-played-Fulham-game-injury-rules-season.html#ixzz2NhGgBFJd

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http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/march/16/chicks-predict-spurs


Chicks Predict


Saturday 16 March 2013 10:00


Enjoying the glorious weather, the Mystic Chicks took their time making their Spurs selection but eventually a brand new contender stepped forward.


Chicks Predict - Tottenham Hotspur

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http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/march/15/manager-video



Martin Jol's Tottenham Preview


Friday 15 March 2013 15:39


Watch our Manager assess the Team's preparations heading into the match against Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Martin Jol's Tottenham Preview

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http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/march/15/fixture-change


Fixture Change


Friday 15 March 2013 17:44


Due to Newcastle United's progression in the UEFA Europa League, our match at St James' Park has been moved to Sunday 7th April, with a 3pm kick-off.

The match was originally scheduled for Saturday 6th April. The Magpies will play their Europa League Quarter-Final against S.L. Benfica on Thursday 4th April at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon.

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http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/march/15/jol-spurs-preview



Jol's Spurs Preview

Friday 15 March 2013 14:23



Martin Jol admits he has been frustrated by Fulham's lack of match action this month.

Sunday's (3pm) trip to Tottenham Hotspur represents Fulham's second and final game of March and Jol is irked that the Whites have been unable to try and maintain their momentum from a three-match unbeaten run.

"It was very annoying to only have two games this month," he told the press on Friday. "It's not what you want. It's better to keep your rhythm."

The lack of games has one benefit, however, with Jol able to report a near clean bill of health ahead of the clash with his former side at White Hart Lane.

"We've got pretty much the same squad as before," said Jol. "We've had no more problems. Mahamadou Diarra is still out long term. He won't be involved. The rest are all fit."

Tottenham, in contrast, have played three games since Fulham were last in action, including Thursday's UEFA Europa League tie at Inter Milan which went to extra-time.

Jol, though, isn't counting on any tiredness in the Tottenham ranks, adding: "They've got a big squad and won't have any problems. Aaron Lennon had been injured but came on for a few minutes so that will be positive for them."

Fulham may have moved back into the top 10 for the first time since November with their 2-2 draw at Sunderland last time out, but with the Barclays Premier League so tight, Jol admits the Whites are still 'looking over our shoulder' at the teams below them.

"It's not a strange situation," he said. "I can remember a lot of clubs and even Fulham over the last five years, being in a similar position. We are in a good position but you have to look over your shoulder because four or five clubs are alongside us and you don't want to end up in a situation you don't like."

Asked if he had set a points target for his side, Jol replied: "No. You just want to get more than the year before and the year before that. We'd like to get to 40 points as quick as possible and then you never know."

Jol spent three years as manager at Spurs and was the man who took Gareth Bale to White Hart Lane from Southampton. He admits he takes pride at seeing the player Bale has become, as well as the club's continued battle in the higher echelons of the table.

"They've done well over the last three or four years, it's not only this season," he stated. "They are top-four material and at one stage under Harry Redknapp they were going for the title. I maybe started the foundation there and after that it just got better and better.

"I saw Bale at Southampton when he was 15. We followed him after that and I convinced him to come to Spurs. In hindsight, that was very satisfying as he's the best player in the Premier League. He shows that week in, week out. He's getting stronger and stronger and in the hole he's probably even better.

"I even tried to sign him on loan at Hamburg. He'd played 20 games without winning at Spurs but they knew he was an exciting player. They did well to keep him."

Finally, Jol was quick to dismiss reports linking Blackburn Rovers' former Whites midfielder Danny Murphy with a coaching role back in SW6.

"I don't see that happening; we haven't spoken about it or thought about it," said Jol. "He's at Blackburn, maybe he will be a coach there. He would need to get his licence. In England, 10 years ago you could get your licence in the supermarket with your bacon and beans. But now you have to do your courses."

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http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2013/03/16/3829306/-



Riise: Bale has no reason to leave Tottenham

By Matt Davis


16 Mar 2013 09:20:00


The Fulham defender has warned the in-form Wales international sensation that leaving the Premier League to join one of Europe's biggest clubs might not be in his best interests.

John Arne Riise believes Tottenham star Gareth Bale should shun the lure of Europe's biggest sides in the summer, insisting the Welshman can fulfil his potential at the north London club.

The Fulham defender left home in Norway at 17 to fulfil his career ambition, but does not see any reason for Bale to leave Tottenham or the Premier League.

Riise, who will face Bale's side on Sunday at White Hart Lane, told The Sun why the Wales star should resist leaving Spurs.

"When Real Madrid and Barcelona call your name it is tempting," the Norwegian admitted. "But, for me, there seems no reason to leave Tottenham.
"The club seems to be going places, he is playing unbelievable football and he has his friends and family here.

"Moving abroad is a lonely business. When I was 17 I left Norway but I had to. The football there is not a high level.

"Going to Monaco was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.

"But in my contract it was written that the club would pay for four members of my family to stay with me for two weeks out of every four," explained Riise, who subsequently signed for Liverpool in 2001 and then Roma in 2008.

"When I moved to Rome I was more mature. But they didn't speak a word of English there.

"Only one player in the team did. The manager came up to me and just said 'you play left' — that was it. On the team bus I couldn't speak to the other players.

"It was the same in the dressing room and all I would do is focus, focus, focus.

"Fans would come up and babble away and all I could do was nod my head and sign my autograph.

"Luckily I am mentally strong and got through it but it was difficult. Simple things become quite difficult with a big language barrier."

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http://www.spurs-web.com/spurs-news/spurs-vs-fulham-fan-preview/


Tottenham Hotspur vs. Fulham: Cottagers visit the Lane looking to rattle nervy Spurs



Manager fields a much-changed side. Players go in with a sizeable first leg advantage and all the lax cockiness that comes with it. Their opponent actually shows up to play. It was a recipe for a phenomenon Spurs fans are all too familiar with: the team's breathtaking ability to smash the panic button with both fists when things get messy. What transpired on Thursday over 120 manic minutes at the San Siro, while disappointing to say the least, was hardly a surprise.

This recent run of self-destructive performances started in the last league match. At 1-0 down to Liverpool, hope was hardly lost. And indeed, after Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen scored two goals of the quality Emmanuel Adebayor spends his nights only dreaming of, Spurs were in control of the game. Enter Kyle Walker and a looping back pass that can only be described as daft. Enter keeper Hugo Lloris with a comically miscalculated clearance attempt. Finally, enter that much maligned Liverpool man Stewart Downing, who despite Vertonghen's best efforts to play striker, centre back, and keeper in one match, managed to score the goal that put the hosts back in the match. It was a quintessential "my own worst enemy" performance from Spurs. When Defoe played a clearance back into his own box, leading to the series of events that culminated in Gerrard smashing in a late penalty, the game was at last thrown away.

That Spurs nearly repeated this feat against a team they should have navigated past more comfortably on Thursday shows that fear and doubt are once again starting to nestle within the psyche of a team that had been playing some of the best football of any Premier League side prior to the Liverpool match. But should Spurs fans be mashing the panic button with the same fervor their squad did against the Italian outfit? The simple answer is no, not based on two poor results. Spurs were in control of the Liverpool game until two individual mistakes cost them; it's not as though the team performance was terrible. And though Inter managed to hassle them into blowing a big lead, the fact is that without the suspended Bale and injured Lennon, Spurs were always going to struggle. Width and pace are the side's greatest assets, and shorn of their wingers, they were predictably lacking.

But with Gareth Bale certain to start against Fulham on Sunday and Aaron Lennon hoping to play at least a supporting role, Spurs will look a different team at White Hart Lane. Fulham, meanwhile, have only won 2 of their last 5 matches, with Manchester United being the only top-half team they faced in that time frame. Their form has been erratic all season. Though they possess several players capable of hurting Spurs, including a certain sulking Bulgarian chap home fans may be familiar with, they aren't unbeatable by any means. In many ways, they are the ideal opponent for Spurs to bounce back against: strong enough to test the hosts, but ideally not strong enough to overwhelm them.

Since star man Bale is well-rested and raring to return to the side, Spurs should offer more going forward than they did against Inter. Though fatigue will certainly play a role from Thursday, as many starters from the San Siro are likely to play again Sunday, they have the quality to overcome that fitness disadvantage. The restoration of Lloris to the goalkeeper position will enable the hosts to properly employ their high defensive line again, something they were utterly incapable of with Brad Friedel minding the net in Italy. German Lewis Holtby is the freshest of the midfield options and may even warrant a start in the hole behind (hopefully) Defoe. The youngster seems eager to prove himself and stepping up against Fulham would be the ideal way to do so. A return for Michael Dawson or Steven Caulker to the centre of defense would offer Vertonghen a more solid partner than the shaky William Gallas, while Benoit Assou-Ekotto resuming his duties at left-back represents a much better option than Naughton was on Thursday. In short, a better team selection will be the difference on Sunday if AVB can get it right, and he'll be keen to do just that after making all the wrong moves against Inter.

Fulham have enough about them to score, so I don't necessarily expect a clean sheet. But if Spurs can pick themselves up from the lows of some of their recent, less than stellar outings, they will be too strong for the visitors to handle. 3-1 to Spurs, with Berbatov, Bale, and Defoe on the score sheet for their respective sides.

By: Mike Schmidt
Follow on Twitter @Schmidt_the_yid

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http://sportingpreview.com/football2012-5/2012200.php


TOTTENHAM v FULHAM: BIG MATCH STATS AND FACTS


William Hill: 16 March 2013



Tottenham have won their last six Barclays Premier League games in a row against Fulham, this after winning only five of the previous 17.

Fulham have scored a total of only two goals in their last eight top-flight games against Spurs.

Spurs have scored more long range goals than any other Premier League team this season (11).

Fulham have only ever won 21 of their 104 Premier League London derbies.

Tottenham have scored 249 goals in Premier League London derbies.

Spurs have fashioned 31 chances from counter-attacks this season, more than any other size.

Fulham have taken only five points from six London derbies this season, while Spurs have 16, more than any other capital club.

Gareth Bale has taken more direct free-kicks than any other player in the Premier League this season (19) but has scored with only two.

Tottenham have conceded exactly one goal in their last four Premier League home games and in seven of the last nine at White Hart Lane.

Only five of Gareth Bale's 16 Premier League goals this season have come at White Hart Lane.

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http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/fulham_boss_gives_survival_guide_ahead_of_spurs_trip_1_1981222



Fulham boss gives survival guide ahead of Spurs trip


Fulham Manager Martin Jol stands in the dugout prior to the Barclays Premier League match at Craven Cottage, London. Picture: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire


Saturday, March 16, 2013 7:30 AM


Fulham manager Martin Jol believes his side are not safe from relegation, just yet.

The Whites are on 33 points, nine points clear of the drop zone.

"It's not a strange situation," Jol said. "I can remember a lot of clubs and even Fulham over the last five years, being in a similar position.

"We are in a good position but you have to look over your shoulder because four or five clubs are alongside us and you don't want to end up in a situation you don't like."

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http://www.spursodyssey.com/1213/prevpackfuh.html


No goal leaking here please, Spurs!


Spurs have leaked seven goals in the last week, in their last two games, and we want no more of that behaviour tomorrow!

The trouble is that since Fulham last played on 2nd March, Spurs have played 4 games, losing the last two. By the time we play we will know what Arsenal have done at Swansea, and Chelsea will also be playing tomorrow afternoon. It is time for Spurs to re-assert their hold on third position in the Premier league.

Fulham could become our fourth league "double" victims of this season, and with their away form not great, and current form patchy, we will be odds on favourites to win here.

We won 3-0 at Craven Cottage in December, but it was looking like a 0-0 until Sandro's 35 yarder in the 55th minute opened the floodgates, with Jermain Defoe scoring two more Spurs goals before the game was over. Defoe was in a rich vein of form then, and we need him to find that goal-scoring prowess again. How we miss our Brazilian star Sandro too!

Defoe also scored in last season's home game which was played on the last day of the season. Adebayor had scored an early goal to put the home crowd in a great mood, anticipating Champions League football, before Chelsea put those hopes to bed with their victory in that tournament. Let's hope that the exhausting schedule coming up for Chelsea is punishing and debilitating for them. Fulham fans will join us in that hope. They have a re-arranged home game against their closest rivals to play, due to Chelsea's involvement in last week's FA Cup quarter finals.

Mind you, Spurs know a thing or two about debilitation, after this week's venture to Italy. A few of the team that played were out on their feet after extra time, but fortunately (or was it by design?), Andre Villas-Boas could play a completely different defence from the one that played the 120 minutes on Thursday.

Lloris will return in goal. Dawson and Caulker could take over the central defence spots. Benoit Assou-Ekotto will return at left back, and Kyle Naughton could cover for Walker at right back. Naughton though also played most of the game, so maybe Walker will retain his position. Walker has played considerably more minutes than any other player this season, which is a worry.

Aaron Lennon should be okay after 40 minutes on Thursday, and of course Gareth Bale will return and he will be raring to go for Spurs. Former Fulham man Mousa Dembele's fitness will be crucial in the middle though.

Martin Jol is giving Fulham almost as short a season as he did when leading Spurs through the 2005-06 season, when we played only 40 games in our shortest ever season. We lost to teams in lower divisions at the first hurdle in both competitions, and famously fell at the last Champions League hurdle at Upton Park on the last day of that season. Those cup exits and finishing fifth was not so much fun for me, and I'll be honest, I won't be joining the regular Jol love-in tomorrow.

This will be our 44th game of the season, while for Fulham, it will be just their 33rd game, due to the absence of European football, and early cup exits in both competitions. They lost to Sheffield Wednesday at their first hurdle in the league cup, and after struggling to get past Blackpool, got thrashed by Man Utd at Old Trafford in the FA Cup. Fulham's only away wins in the league have been at Wigan and (perhaps surprisingly) at West Brom.

That West Brom win came on New Year's Day and they have since won only a further three games in ten matches. Two of those have been league wins at home against West Ham, and Stoke.

Berbatov will be Fulham's main danger of course, and he would probably quite like to put one over us, but Fulham's other main source of goals has been the Croatian Petric, with five to his name. Two of those came in their first game of the season against Norwich, and he is not a regular starter anyway.

Fulham are in tenth place on 33 points, and not exactly out of the woods just yet when it comes to relegation, but you'd expect them to easily find the necessary points to formally get over the line in their remaining games. They are bottom of the "London League" though, with only that win against West Ham to their name. They have three more Derby matches yet to play, after our game too.

Spurs are three points clear of Arsenal in that "London League", and I expect them to maintain that position with a 3-1 win tomorrow. Berbatov might get a goal against his old team, but we'll be too good for them, I am sure.

Tomorrow's referee will be Mike Jones.

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http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/fulham/id/779?cc=5739


Spurs of constant sorrow


Posted by Phil Mison


Fulham fans are a pragmatic and reasonable bunch. That summer stroll down to the Cottage for matchday one each August reminds us how blessed we are with the team we choose to follow. Soak up the pre-match atmosphere, nod to old friends and acquaintances, check the ground for any cosmetic improvements, gaze fondly on the reassuring permanency of the Cottage and the gable end atop the Stevenage Road stand. The green sward is immaculate, awaiting first footfall of the men in white at the start of a new season. The emotional barometer is set to sunny, with Craven Cottage bathed in optimism.

November for some reason seems to be the month we hit the skids. Early into the New Year optimism has been replaced by uncertainty, perhaps even fear. Ever fretful, Fulham fans could well be Dylan's 'Man of Constant Sorrow', worry being the mantle all too familiar for those drawn to the Fulham cause. As a journalist, those months from August up to December are spent scrutinising the new signings and evaluating the manager. What are the tactics? Where are the weaknesses? What's the state of the nation? Where are we going?

Our ambitions and hopes for the side are generously modest. Survival is the name of the game. Can we please just win more at the Cottage than we lose? Three wins on the road usually provide just enough nourishment to make us keep coming back for more. Tweaking the tail of one or two top clubs along with a couple of real tonkings against the fall guys usually satisfy us through another year of following the Whites, while winning nothing.

But every season I harbour private little thoughts of glorifying over one mad weekend with a stand out win. Something you really can revel in and enjoy discussing ten years hence. In 2003, we had two such landmark results early in our season. A double from Barry Hayles hastened Glenn Hoddle's departure from Spurs as Fulham won 3-0 at the Lane. Then Chris Coleman's side followed that up with a 3-1 win at Old Trafford. And there was nothing of the fluke about either result. Of course, we've not won at either ground since.

Last season Fulham finally managed to win at Anfield. The game wasn't too memorable, it was an own goal on the night that gave us the points, and Liverpool were frankly in some disarray. For this season, I have offered up a small but perfectly formed slaughtered goat to the footballing gods asking for a win at Everton or Aston Villa. I will settle for either, no preference. It's nothing personal, but both teams irritate the hell out of me.

That means I cannot be greedy and ask for another win at Spurs on Sunday. I will settle for a point. In truth we have completely lost the ability to best our North London rivals. Tottenham have won their last six Barclays Premier League games in a row against Fulham, this after winning only five of the previous 17. In that time Fulham have scored a total of only two goals in their last eight top-flight games against Spurs. It was 0-3 at our place on December 1st after we folded up in the 2nd half, not helped by Mark's howler. With Liverpool ending their unbeaten EPL run of 12 that has seen AVB's side up into 3rd. you better believe Tottenham will be out to get back on track against Martin's poor travellers on Sunday.

There's no hint as to Fulham's line-up, but I'm not expecting more than one change to the team. At least the Whites should be well rested. As indeed will PFA Player of the Year candidate Gareth Bale, sitting out Thursday's Europa League trip to Inter through suspension. I didn't see that game, but caught both first legs against Olympique Lyonnais and Inter Milan. You have to admit, Spurs are playing some great football this season, with you-know-who pulling the strings from midfield. I'm not building up my hopes, but at least it will be good to see Fulham back in action. Will we have anything positive to blog from the game come Monday? One thing I do know, I'm missing that little goat already...                                                                                                 

COYW!

Twitter@fulhamphil

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http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2013/03/15/82029-32998445/



Jol says Fulham need 'collective strength' to curb Tottenham wizard


By Yann Tear


Mar 15 2013



Martin Jol

MARTIN Jol thinks Gareth Bale is the best player in the Premier League at the moment – but is banking on a collective effort, rather than a man-marking role, to curb his menace.

The Welshman is in fantastic form at the moment, relishing his role as a roving player in the hole and terrorising defences every week.

He also missed the midweek trip to Milan through suspension and should have plenty of fuel in the tank to test Fulham at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

"You can play with a number four and try to mark him, but he's on the left, then he's on the right, and he drifts nowadays," Jol said.

"It's not easy to do something with one of your centre backs or with one of the midfield players, it has to be a collective thing. You have to try to eliminate his strengths and that is not easy, but we'll give it a go.

"There was only one manager who said there were no plans [for Bale] and that was because he wanted to concentrate on his own qualities – that was Arsenal," said Jol.

"But if you see Gareth, he can score from deep and if you try to mark him in midfield, he can score from crosses.

"Against Arsenal, he stretched the defence and used his speed, so it's not easy to get a solution, but we will try to do something about it.

"The main thing is that you try to focus yes indeed on your own qualities and you have to score a goal there at White Hart Lane, otherwise you end up with nothing.

Jol is is a good position to appreciate Bale's strengths, having enticed him to Spurs from Southampton when he was the manager at White Hart Lane.

"I saw Bale when he was 15," said the Dutchman. "We followed him and after that, other people came in, but I had a few strong words with his mum and that convinced him to come to Spurs and in hindsight, that was very satisfying.

"I said it a couple of months ago, that he's probably The player in the Premier League. He's probably the best at the moment and he shows that week in, week out.

"Hopefully for the league and for Spurs, he will remain at Spurs because I think it's a very good club for him and he will do well for them, because he's getting stronger and stronger in that different position in the hole."

Jol added: "He's not a jinx, but I think he played 20-21 games without being on the winning side and they maybe started to doubt his ability, but they knew and I knew and everyone knew that he was an exciting player."


Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2013/03/15/82029-32998445/#ixzz2NhQvQxtU

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http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11096/8568510/Top-ten-stadiums


Top ten stadiums


From Craven Cottage to Camp Nou via The Chocolate Box, Matt Stanger's love affair with football stadia is a continent-spanning effort that takes in stops at Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Germany, Scotland and England

By Matt Stanger.   Last Updated: March 15, 2013 5:05pm


Craven Cottage



What better than a walk by the Thames, followed by an afternoon in the antiquated splendour of Craven Cottage?

There is something wonderfully charming about Craven Cottage as it nestles on the bank of the Thames, away from the hustle and bustle of central London. There are bigger stadiums with better facilities and superfluously sized television screens, but there is much to be said for the understated beauty and tradition of Fulham's home since 1896.

On one side, the red brick facade welcomes supporters with narrow, old-fashioned turnstiles leading into the ground. The Thames peacefully flows behind the opposing stand and fans often enjoy a stroll along the river on their way to the game. It sounds so ridiculously twee, yet even football ruffians can't help but become misty-eyed at their first sight of the Cottage Pavilion and the...quaint statue of Michael Jackson.

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/9931073/Timing-is-everything-in-Premier-League-sack-race-leave-it-too-late-and-the-new-manager-bounce-wont-save-you.html

Timing is everything in Premier League sack race - leave it too late and the new manager bounce won't save you

Is it ever too late in the season for a change of manager to turn a club's fortunes around? History suggests that it may well be, which is bad news, as well as bad timing, for Reading.


Roy of the Rovers returns to save Fulham (2007)

Fulham were in peril on New Year's Eve having won just two games all season. Mohamed Al-Fayed called time on Lawrie Sanchez's reign, replacing him with Finland boss Roy Hodgson. The acclaimed coach has spent almost a decade away from his homeland after a disastrous start to the 1998/99 season with Blackburn.

Roy initially struggled at Craven Cottage with Fulham stranded five points adrift in the drop zone with only three games remaining. A hat-trick of victories including a second half comeback from two down against Man City, a 2-0 triumph over relegation rivals Birmingham and a final day win against Portsmouth sealed Fulham and Roy's astonishing survival.