Friday Fulham Stuff (26/04/13)...

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Fulham prepare for bogey ground visit
Fulham hoping to end their run of Premier League defeats against Everton at Goodison Park


Fulham looking to break losing streak (©GettyImages)

Fulham will be hoping for better fortune on Saturday as they travel to Goodison Park, a ground where they have lost in each of their last 11 attempts.

This incredible barren run without victory will not be easily overturned with Everton battling for the European qualification spots.

The Cottagers are also looking to avoid a third consecutive defeat, while the Toffees will also look to bounce back after defeat at Sunderland.

Everton and United States keeper Tim Howard believes the home record will count for nothing on Saturday, and told Everton's club website he and his team-mates must concentrate on the game as an individual.

"The record sounds good and hopefully we can add to it, but I think every game is its own single entity. Those previous games aren't going to really matter when the whistle blows on Saturday."

To add to the already difficult task, Martin Jol's side may not be at full strength for the trip to Merseyside, with Sascha Riether and Damien Duff likely to miss out again after not featuring in Saturday's defeat by Arsenal.

Meanwhile, Steve Sidwell will definitely be absent after he was dismissed for a nasty lunge on Mikel Arteta against the Gunners.

Fulham who are all but safe from relegation on 40 points are already preparing for the 2013/14 campaign.

One player that will not be donning the white shirt next season though is on loan AC Milan midfielder Urby Emanuelson, who Jol confirmed earlier this week will leave the club at the end of the season.



http://www.givemefootball.com/342174-fulham-prepare-for-bogey-ground-visit?

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Fulham handed boost ahead of Everton trip


Damien Duff

Everton v Fulham

FULHAM are boosted by the return of Damien Duff for Saturday's trip to Goodison Park.

The Irish winger has missed the past few games through injury, but is back in contention to face the Toffees.

Boss Martin Jol also has midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong available again after he was ineligible for last weekend's defeat to Arsenal.

Elsewhere, Sascha Riether is still a doubt, so Stanislav Manolev is set to continue to deputise at right-back.

Steve Sidwell begins the first of a four-game ban following his straight red card against the Gunners, while Mahamadou Diarra (knee), Ashkan Dejagah (ankle) and Simon Davies (hip) are also missing.



Read more: Fulham Chronicle http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2013/04/25/82029-33236591/?#ixzz2RXwAXbGm

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Fulham join Arsenal in race to sign Aston Villa defender Matthew Lowton


Target: Arsenal and Fulham will battle it out for Villa's Matthew Lowton (Picture Getty Images)

Fulham have joined Premier League rivals Arsenal in the hunt for Aston Villa's highly-rated defender Matthew Lowton.

The 23-year-old has had an impressive campaign for Paul Lambert's Villa side but should the Midlanders lose their top flight status, they currently stand just three points off the drop zone ahead of Monday night's clash with fellow strugglers Sunderland, Lowton could well be tempted to move on.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is a big fan of the versatile former Sheffield United full-back and would expect to have to spend in the region of £5million to bring him to the Emirates Stadium.


Fulham boss Martin Jol has joined the race to sign Lowton (Picture: PA)

Wenger sees Lowton as an idea replacement for Paris Saint-Germain target, French international Bacary Sagna, whose future in north London remains uncertain.

Fulham are said to be at an advanced stage in their quest to land the youngster leaving the Gunners at a disadvantage, although the Gunners interest in Lowton could be scuppered by his lack of experience.



http://metro.co.uk/2013/04/25/fulham-join-arsenal-in-race-to-sign-aston-villa-defender-matthew-lowton-3666843/?

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Jol warns Fulham midfielder over discipline

MARTIN Jol has warned Steve Sidwell over his future conduct after he was hit with a four-game ban by the FA.

The Fulham midfielder will miss the rest of the season through suspension following a second successive sending-off.

Sidwell saw red against QPR for a late tackle earlier this month, and was dismissed again on his return to the side after serving a three-game ban in the defeat to Arsenal last weekend.

Boss Jol has revealed he has held talks with the 30-year-old in a bid to keep him on the pitch in the future.

"It's a bit of his style, but if the team suffers then there is a problem," said the Dutchman.

"I know players want to win the ball, but there is a different way of doing it to this.

"Hopefully it wont happen in the future."



Read more: Fulham Chronicle http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2013/04/25/82029-33237206/?#ixzz2RXxJHxo0

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Martin Jol wants Fulham to finish the season with a flourish


Martin Jol: Does not want Fulham to cruise through their last four games

Fulham manager Martin Jol is determined to finish the season with a flourish after a run of four games without a win.

The Cottagers guaranteed Premier League safety with wins over Tottenham and QPR, but they have picked up only one point from their last four outings to end their chances of a top-six finish.

Successive defeats against Chelsea and Arsenal have left Fulham with little left to play for over the last four games, but Jol insists his side are motivated to end the season strongly.

"People ask me 'is it easy to inspire your players or to motivate each other?', but if you saw us play against Chelsea and Arsenal you saw that we were very dedicated and very energetic to try to get results," the Dutchman said.

Jol also revealed he had spoken at length to Steve Sidwell after he was sent off for the second time in as many matches in the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last weekend.

Sidwell saw red twice for reckless late tackles, and Jol added: "Hopefully that won't happen again in the future. What I said to him is private.

"It is a bit of his style, but if the team suffers then there is a problem. I know players want to win the ball, but there is a different way of doing it to this and hopefully it won't happen in the future."

Fulham travel to Everton this weekend hoping to end a run of 11 matches without a victory at Goodison Park.

"For Fulham, it's not an easy ground so we have to try to do some things differently and try to come up with a result," Jol said.

Winger Damien Duff is expected to be back in contention from his thigh injury lay-off, while combative on-loan Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong is available again after being ineligible against his parent club last weekend.

Jol added: "We will have a look again at (defender) Sascha Riether (ankle) on Friday morning and (midfielder) Mesca (Tue Na Bangna) has got a knock on his knee, so he won't be involved."



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/8671488/?

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End of Season Sale

Choose from a wide range of fantastic bargains within our End of Season Sale!

Whites fans can save up to 60 per cent on the Kappa 2013/13 Home and Away Kits, including the Home Goalkeeper Shirt now priced at just £14.99 (pictured, was £49.99).

There are also huge reductions on Fulham fashion, souvenirs, and Kappa Training and Travel Collections, all while stocks last.

Shop direct on 0843 208 1223, at the Stadium Store, or online today to take advantage.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/april/25/end-of-season-sale?

[WhiteJC]

 
Stockdale Wanted by Fellow London Club
   
With it being rammed down our throats, day after day, Fulham are chasing a new keeper this summer, we have some speculation relating to one of our current batch of keepers.

We`d assumed, and with David Stockdale making all the right noises about signing permanently for Hull City, that would be his likely destination.

However, with Martin Jol, reportedly, closing in on the AS Roma keeper, Maarten Stekelenburg, the tabloid press believes that Stockdale`s departure, for a cool £4 million, has been sanctioned and that it could well come down to a straight choice between Hull City and West Ham United for his services!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=317523#ixzz2RXy4ThU4

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LAWRO'S PREDICTION

Everton v Fulham

I think Everton's Champions League hopes are over following the defeat by Sunderland.

A month ago I looked at the fixtures and saw they had Arsenal and Tottenham away, which they both drew, and they've still got Chelsea to come. It was always a tough ask for them to finish in the top four.

The Sunderland match came at the worst possible time because of the Black Cats' recent good form, and the fact they played them having tackled Arsenal in midweek. They looked leggy in the 1-0 defeat.

I think if Fulham finish halfway, then they would have done really well. Cottagers boss Martin Jol doesn't get a team to finish halfway up the league by lumping the ball from back to front. They are a kind of team everybody likes.

I still think they look unconvincing on the road. They'll be without Steve Sidwell, again, after he received another three-match suspension for his red card. That will make a difference against a tough Toffees midfield.

David Moyes's side will have been hurt by last week's loss so it's a home win for me.

Lawro's prediction: 2-0


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22294165

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No easy finish for Fulham

Martin Jol maintains Fulham will not just look to cruise through the final four games of the Barclays Premier League campaign.

After the Cottagers closed in on top-flight safety with successive wins at Tottenham and over QPR, Jol's men have managed only one point from the last 12 with back-to-back defeats against Chelsea and Arsenal. Jol, though, insists his side will be out to press on again when they travel to Everton this weekend. "People ask me 'is it easy to inspire your players or to motivate each other?', but if you saw us play against Chelsea and Arsenal you saw that we were very dedicated and very energetic to try to get results," the Dutchman said. Fulham have not won at Everton in any of their previous 11 visits since returning to the top flight. Jol hopes to put that record straight. He said: "For Fulham, it's not an easy ground so we have to try to do some things differently and try to come up with a result." Winger Damien Duff is expected to be back in contention from his thigh injury lay-off, while combative on-loan Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong is available again after being ineligible against his parent club last weekend. Jol added: "We will have a look again at (defender) Sascha Riether (ankle) on Friday morning and (midfielder) Mesca (Tue Na Bangna) has got a knock on his knee, so he won't be involved."



http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/no-easy-finish-for-fulham-1581397.html?

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Cottagers must prove ambition

Fulham FanZoner Henry Walmsley believes the club should set themselves a target of finishing within 10 points of the top four next season.

Presuming nothing disastrous happens between now and the end of the season, next year will be our 13th year in the Premier League.

Before I go any further, let's just take a moment to appreciate what an achievement that is, especially when you think of the stature of a lot of teams who would love to be in our position.

But where next? Are we happy to be a team who consistently finish just inside the top 10? I'm sure a lot of fans would say yes, especially the ones who have been there since the darkest days at the foot of the 4th tier, but is this lacking ambition?

Mark Hughes said he left the club because we lacked exactly that; funnily he then joined QPR and is now unemployed, but I won't go into that.

The club's model we have to follow is that of our opponents this weekend, Everton, a club who probably start each transfer window with a similar budget to our own. I see us at the moment as a worse version of them.

Last transfer we took a serious hit and lost our two star players as well as our captain, so we had to rebuild.

If someone had offered me a top-10 finish on the 1st of September I would have grabbed it with both hands, which is a shame in a way because we finished nith last year - do we not want to be moving forward?

Without trying to sound like a Liverpool fan, I hope next year could be a year we make genuine progress, to get within, I don't know, say 10 points of the top four.

Unrealistic? At the moment we are 22 points off; last season we finished 17 points off. It would probably mean us needing to achieve about 58 points. I think that's do-able.

So how are we going to achieve this? Well for a start let's try not to go backwards from this season; it's essential that we keep our best players such as Bryan Ruiz, Dimitar Berbatov and Sacha Riether (sign him on a permanent).

Tthose in my opinion are our star players, all the rest are squad players who can be inter-changed without too much effect.

Ashkan Dejagah has made a very strong case in the last few months that he is a star player, but I don't think we'll be receiving much interest for him...yet.

Secondly, are there any players in our squad who we really do not need and should get rid of as soon as possible?

No players jump to mind apart from Mahamadou Diarra, which is a shame because he's a very good player, but it makes no sense to keep someone as injury prone as he is at the club.

So in what areas do we need to strengthen? A centre-back, central midfielder and a striker are essential and we could probably do with another centre midfielder on top of that.

The future of Mark Schwarzer seems to be up in the air at the moment; I'd be happy with him staying for another year, but if he wants to go then I'd be more than happy with World Cup finalist Maarten Stekelenburg between the sticks if reports are to be believed that he will be at the Cottage next season.

Another player who looks like he may be with us next season accordin to numerous newspapers is Athletic Bilbao defender Fernando Amorebieta, a player who I admittedly know little about but have heard good things about.

This means we could possibly be lining up with Stekelenburg, Riether, Hangeland, Amorebieta and Richardson as our back five next season. I would be very happy with that.

On to midfield, I am quite traditional in thinking you need to have four centre midfielders in your squad. Out of the current batch I'd take Steve Sidwell, Giorgos Karagounis and Eyong Enoh (if, like Riether, we could get him on a permanent). There's not a great deal of flair there, though, is there?

I can't think of many Premier League players who we would be able to buy, so I'll leave that one in the hands of Mr Jol and his scouts.

As for wingers, I'm happy with Dejagah, Duff, Frei and Kacaniklic; there's a good mix of youth, experience, flair and well everything for a team with our ambitions in my opinion so I'll move onto the strikers.

Berbatov has been fantastic for us this season at times, and has won us numerous points by individual pieces of brilliance. But he doesn't always work; there have been many games this season where we have looked awful and it has been down to him not staying up front in my opinion, so we need a Plan B, someone who will make runs and score tap ins.

Step forward Andi Weimann. I would love to see us snap up the Villa forward at the end of the season, which shouldn't be too hard if they go down but should still be achievable even if they don't.

There is one player who I haven't mentioned yet, Ruiz. How do you solve a problem like Ruiz?

I would like us to play with two strikers, but this means there is no position for Ruiz if you want to keep two wingers and Ruiz going out on the wing is not an option.

I'd like to see him make the transition that Mousa Dembele made, back into centre midfield. His strength and ability to hold onto the ball have improved massively this season and if he continues to work on that I think he could become a good centre midfielder.

My ideal team for next season would therefore be: Stekelenburg, Riether, Hangeland, Amorebieta, Richardson, Sidwell, Ruiz, Kacaniklic, Berbatov, Dejagah, Weimann.

This would see Berbatov given a free role, because to be honest that's what he's done this season and he doesn't seem set on changing.

If that was our team, and they could all stay fit for as much of the season as possible, I don't see why the target of 10 points off the top four couldn't be reached.

It's ambitious, I know, but we do not lack ambition, Mark Hughes does...



http://www.teamtalk.com/fulham/8671546/Cottagers-must-prove-ambition?

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Jol demands Fulham focus for Everton clash

Manager Martin Jol maintains Fulham will not just look to cruise through the final four games of the Premier League campaign.

After the Cottagers closed in on top-flight safety with successive wins at Tottenham and over QPR, Jol's men have managed only one point from the last 12 with back-to-back defeats against Chelsea and Arsenal.

Jol, though, insists his side will be out to press on again when they travel to Everton this weekend.

"People ask me 'is it easy to inspire your players or to motivate each other?', but if you saw us play against Chelsea and Arsenal you saw that we were very dedicated and very energetic to try to get results," the Dutchman said.

Fulham were certainly unfortunate not to have got something from last Saturday's home encounter against Arsenal, where they played most of the match with only 10 men after Steve Sidwell's red card.

The midfielder had only just returned from a three-match suspension after also being sent off against QPR and will now be unavailable for the remainder of the season following poor discipline.

Jol revealed he had taken the matter up with Sidwell, and believes everyone can learn lessons from the incident.

"Hopefully that wont happen again in the future. What I said to him is private," the Fulham manager added.

"It is a bit of his style, but if the team suffers then there is a problem.

"I know players want to win the ball, but there is a different way of doing it to this and hopefully it wont happen in the future."

Fulham have not won at Everton in any of their previous 11 visits since returning to the top flight.

Jol hopes to put that record straight.

He said: "For Fulham, it's not an easy ground so we have to try to do some things differently and try to come up with a result."

Winger Damien Duff is expected to be back in contention from his thigh injury lay-off, while combative on-loan Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong is available again after being ineligible against his parent club last weekend.

Jol added: "We will have a look again at (defender) Sascha Riether (ankle) on Friday morning and (midfielder) Mesca (Tue Na Bangna) has got a knock on his knee, so he won't be involved."



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/jol_demands_fulham_focus_for_everton_clash_1_2168874

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Everton v Fulham – Tactical Preview



Saturday sees us take on Martin Jol's Fulham at Goodison in a fixture the Toffees routinely triumph.  In the most recent match at Craven Cottage one of the key tactical points of interest was how we managed to link play through Fellaini with consummate ease whereas Fulham struggled to get their key man Dimitar Berbatov into the game in any capacity.  This preview will take a look at the reasons why both situations occurred.



Berbatov

Top scorer Dimitar Berbatov is Fulham's stand out performer having scored in six of their ten wins this season whilst also creating the most chances for team mates (43). He usually pivots between the no 9 and 10 roles with fellow flamboyant rogue Bryan Ruiz. His record against us isn't great with just 3 goals from his 11 appearances.

Berbatov was completely anonymous in the 2-2 draw earlier this season and has generally struggled in games against us due to his and our style. We setup with a high line and look to play the game in the opposition half meaning that – due to the compression of space - forward short passing angles into him from colleagues are hard to engineer which makes sides 'go long' to relieve pressure.

Berbatov made just 4 final third passes in the game, created no chances for teammates and had just a solitary shot on goal all afternoon. His 'passes received' are shown below with Hangeland and Schwarzer his main line of service indicating a 'back to front' style not usually associated with the Cottagers.



Compare this to his involvement against QPR lately when tactics sceptic, dog rape enthusiast Dirty Arry set them up to drop off deep and allow Fulham the space to in front of them to play. Consequently,  Berbatov was heavily involved linking midfield to attack, making treble the amount of final third passes and supplemented this with a couple of goals which won the game.



Berbatov is theoretically the ideal opponent for us in this respect as he isn't going to 'work the channels' and provide an out ball to defences to relieve pressure, nor does he have the pace (or ability to be arsed) running in behind to exploit our the high line. Heitinga's more suited skill set of intercepting play was preferred to Distin's physical, recovery based game last time and it wouldn't be a big shock if twitter troll nemesis 'Big Sylv' sat this one out.



Fellaini

Despite recent outings in a deeper role I'd be amazed if Fellaini wasn't given a forward brief for this fixture having scored four in his last three games against this weekend's opponents. With the towering presence of Hangeland at left of centre, Fellaini loiters on the opposite side and has routinely dominated whichever beleaguered opponent Jol has pitted against him. As the below passes received stats board shows, we managed to get Fellaini involved with almost double the amount of service that Fulham did to their Bulgarian frontman.



Last season Fellaini was used in the forward role home and away and caused real problems in this respect. In the Goodison game we played the ball predominantly short to him but such was the hapless Baird's afternoon that he was subbed for Senderos at half time by which time we were 3-0 up already.

In the 2-2, Hughes was pitted against the Belgian but also struggled badly. Initially he looked to stand off Fellaini but as we started mixing up the service and going longer quicker, the Irishman tried to get tight and was rolled on numerous occasions including Fellain's second goal which to be fair was superb. Hughes was completely befuddled and turned inas convincing  defence as this, or this. Or even this. It's likely that ex toffee Phillipe Senderos (yes, really) will be given the job of stopping him this time which could permeate tremendous scenes.

Betting

Martin Jol's side have an unenviable record at Goodison,  losing the last 19 on the spin and not winning home or away in the last seven against us.

Given that Fulham are not the most resilient – they've won fewer points from losing positions than any side in the top flight– one goal would probably do it so expect the Everton win / Fellaini score double to be a popular wager with Blues this weekend – this is best priced at 9/4 with 888Sport.

The last four meetings have all featured over 2.5 goals however five of Fulham's last six on the road have been under 2.5. It's also worth noting that Fulham have shut out Chelsea and Spurs on their own patch so definitelyhave a clean sheet 'in their locker'. This combined with our own recent low scoring games plus an upturn in clean sheets for the Blues makes me think this will be under and probably 2-0 to the Toffees.

EB



http://theexecutionersbong.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/everton-v-fulham-tactical-preview/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Opta Stats: Everton v Fulham

The top five might be out of the question now, but Everton look in pole position to finish above Liverpool and can put further pressure on the Reds by beating Fulham at home.

Everton have won the last 19 league games in a row on home soil against Fulham. They are 1.52 to win again and make it 20.

The Toffees are unbeaten in their last seven matches in all competitions against the Whites (W5 D2 L0). A draw can be backed at 4.5.

Marouane Fellaini has scored four goals in his last three appearances in all competitions against Fulham. Fellaini is 2.7 to find the net.

Fulham have recovered fewer points than any other team in the top flight from losing positions this season (5). Everton are 2.32 to win half-time/full-time.

Everton have conceded the highest number of headed goals in this season's Barclays Premier League (14). Fulham's 6ft 2" striker Dimitar Berbatov is 3.8 to score a goal.

The Toffees have scored a higher percentage of first-half goals than any other team in this season's top flight (57%). Fulham are 2.88 to score the first goal.

Darron Gibson has been on the losing side only four times in 31 appearances for Everton. The long-range shooting expert is available at 5.0 to score a goal.

Five of Everton's last six games have gone under 2.5 goals. Unders can be backed at 2.24.

Fulham have failed to score in three of their last four league games. Everton are 2.3 to keep a clean sheet.

Everton have gone 214 minutes without a Premier League goal. A Fulham clean sheet is 7.6.



http://betting.betfair.com/football/opta/opta-stats-everton-v-fulham-1-250413-629.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Midfielder Eyong Enoh makes a big impression at Fulham

Despite not winning a game in which he has started, Fulham's on-loan defensive midfielder Eyong Enoh has enjoyed a satisfactory start at Craven Cottage since arriving from Ajax in January.

The Cameroonian, 27, came in because of Mahmadou Diarra's injury. He presents a more mobile option than the Malian, something Fulham fans have noted in recent games, and they will be keen for him to make the deal permanent at the end of the season. Enoh appears to be the favoured choice, having started Fulham's last four matches after a month when he could not get in the side.

It is the first time Enoh has appeared in England after a circuitous career which has seen him play in Cameroon, Northern Cyprus, South Africa and Holland, but he links up with his former manager Martin Jol and Urby Emanuelson, his former Ajax midfield colleague.

Emanuelson, on loan from AC Milan himself, has improved alongside Enoh and Jol may try to make the two permanent signings.

Enoh is a ball-winner and his robust style won him cult status among Ajax fans, but it comes at a price - he received more yellow cards than any other player at the club.

Enoh's aggression may be best suited to the more physical style of English football, though he will need to establish himself in a central midfield that has chopped and changed, with Giorgos Karagounis sometimes used, or Steve Sidwell when he is not suspended.

Diarra will recover from injury, too, while fans still have a nostalgia for the departed Danny Murphy. Enoh is not Murphy, but he is effectively auditioning for the part under Jol, which is the story of his career.

The intelligent son of a law graduate who became a customs officer and a teacher, he is used to stepping into the unknown and facing an immediate challenge following a nomadic career. By age 21 he was playing in his fourth country.

He moved from west Africa to Northern Cyprus because a teammate came from there, but playing in a football outpost was not the best move for career advancement and a trial was arranged for him at Ajax Cape Town in 2007 - the sister club to the Amsterdam giants which had provided them with Benni McCarthy and Stephen Pienaar.

Enoh's energetic and tenacious display saw him signed up after two days - a pattern which would be repeated.

He was named South African player of the Year for 2008, after which Ajax took first choice on the midfielder and flew him to Holland for a trial.

"The trial went well," he said, modestly. So well that the four-times European Cup winners produced a contract after two days.

A debut goal against rivals Feyenoord saw the deeply religious Enoh quickly cement his first team place, being compared with Claude Makelele.

Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez may have grabbed the headlines and was linked with the biggest teams, but Enoh was the Amsterdam club's best player in 2009/10, the season he won the first of his 27 Cameroon caps.

His first came after was told to report to the training camp of his national team in Brussels.

He initially thought the request was a joke, someone taking advantage of the turmoil in the national team at the time.

Persuaded that it was genuine, he drove from Amsterdam, where he plays his club football with Ajax, to the Belgian capital.

His suspicions were partly confirmed when he arrived - the coach who called him had just walked out on the team, leaving Enoh to explain that he had genuinely been called up to bewildered officials. This, for a country ranked 11th in the world at the time.

For now Fulham are comfortable, occupying 11th place in the Premier League.

Can Enoh make himself as comfortable in Fulham's midfield?



Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/sport/football/midfielder-eyong-enoh-makes-a-big-impression-at-fulham#ixzz2RY1Oi6pA
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Everton vs. Fulham - Q&A with Cottagers Confidential

It is always a pleasure to speak with Kris, the editor at SB Nation's Fulham blog Cottagers Confidential - we caught up with him ahead of Saturday's game between Everton and Fulham.

Once again Kris, the excellent editor over at our fellow SB Nation blog 'Cottagers Confidential' spoke with us ahead of Saturday's game at Goodison Park between Everton and Fulham, and he filled us in on the goings-on at the Cottagers this season.

RBM - Fulham have hit the magical 40-pt mark and will remain in the Premier League. Is there any motivation to play the remainder of the games?

CC - You'd like to think so, but it doesn't look that way. As a club that is quite regularly safe in mid-table, we've grown accustomed to reaching 40 points somewhat prematurely and most years it actually spurs us on. I remember under Roy Hodgson, some of our infamous away draws turned into wins. Newcastle United was a highlight, in particular. The same applied under Hughes and also last season but this year, the motivation has just slipped away. It could be various things - the underlying feeling that this squad is very much a stop-gap side that will be intensively treated next season, a rapidly ageing squad or just a very difficult fixture list. I think it's mostly the latter - I've seen a lot of our fans getting angry over 'lack of form' but we're playing the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and you guys in a matter of weeks. It was never going to be easy.

RBM - How would you rate Martin Jol as a manager after his performance this season? Is your opinion widely-shared among the fanbase?

CC - I think, given the circumstances, Martin Jol has done an admirable job this season but I know a lot of people - including some vociferous family members - who would disagree. A lot of people either forget that we lost our two best players - Moussa Dembele and Clint Dempsey - to Tottenham Hotspur or they blame that fact on Jol himself, in spite of the fact Dempsey was always going to leave and Dembele had a release clause. In response, Jol had a matter of days to bring players in and we pulled off a major coup with Dimitar Berbatov, even if he's not a midfielder.
Giorgos Karagounis came in as the man to replace Dembele - hardly like-for-like - and it's leaves an impression, as I said before, that this squad has been strung together purely for the short term. With that in mind, some of the results we've gained have been fantastic - Spurs 1-0, away, and for entertainment value alone, 3-3 with Arsenal - and to be on 40 points already is an achievement. It's just a pity some fans, eyes misted over by our success in recent years, think we should be wriggling into the top eight season-upon-season. That kind of thing just isn't sustainable for a club like ours, unfortunately.

RBM - What have been the weaknesses in the side? Will Jol have the financial support to address these in the offseason?

CC - The weaknesses have fluctuated through different departments throughout this season which is kinda weird, I guess. At first, our defence was abysmal. While we were scoring for fun, and I thoroughly enjoyed that, we were inept at the back. Before long that caught up with us and there was a good two-to-three month period where we were shipping goals like they were going out of fashion and yet not firing them in up front. That was a bleak time for us, without doubt. Currently, we're looking a lot more solid defensively but we're not as sharp as we have been, and there's a lot of work to be done.
In terms of personnel, I would say we are weakest in midfield and I think it is inevitable that this will be addressed. Steve Sidwell is the only central midfielder who has a long term contract with the club and he is too accustomed to red cards to truly rely on. We'll bring in replacements there, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Eyong Enoh or Emmanuel Frimpong, our current loanees, as one of those we bring in permanently. I think Al Fayed will be generous this summer with regards to funding. My gut feeling is that this coming transfer window will be one of quite some upheaval at Fulham.

RBM - Who were the young players that caught your eye this season, and will be worth looking out for next season?

CC - Alex Kacaniklic has been brilliant, though this is a continuation from last season more than anything. He has hit the international stage with Sweden and a recent loan spell at Burnley has refined him and just, generally, made him a better player. He's one of few in our squad who could be considered an out-and-out winger, who likes to get crosses in and is technically proficient. I think he'll finally claim a permanent first team spot next season.
Someone who has gone under the proverbial radar is a chap called Buomesca Tue Na Banga - or Mesca, whatever you prefer. He excelled last summer in pre-season and Jol has openly said he is a player he particularly likes. He's pacey more than anything, which is menacing in itself, but he's also got an edge to him that makes him difficult to play against. As for why no-one's heard of him - he's been injured practically this whole campaign. It must have been so frustrating for him, as he was right on the fringes of the first eleven, but he'll pick himself up.

RBM - Who is your Fulham player of the season? Who else would be in contention for that title?

CC - I don't think there's much debate - well, not with me at least. Berby. Lots of our fans like to bemoan his laziness which, I admit, is prevalent. He's a very languid player who plays at his own pace but if we do what a lot of people think we should do and drop him (as some sort of punishment for being so good that he can play at a slower pace than other people) then we would miss him. A lot. He's just a touch of class that we were not expecting at the club; someone who can change a game in an instant. By far our most talented player. Aside from that, Mark Schwarzer has been his superb, reliable self and while Brede Hangeland has been up and down, he's still a hugely important player for us.

RBM - Finally, a match prediction for Saturday's game? Who are you expecting to shine at Goodison Park?

CC - If our form is anything to go buy, you should win at a canter. If we were at home, I think it would be an entirely different game (I guess that's kind of obvious but hey, I'm no worse than some football pundits) but at your place I doubt we'll get much of a foothold in the game. I would expect Kevin Mirallas and NIkica Jelavic to do well for you guys, while Enoh will be a stand-out player for us, if only for his ability to break down your attacks. Guess that shows how much confidence I have. I'd say, 2-1 you guys. Enjoy it!



http://www.royalbluemersey.com/2013/4/25/4265898/everton-vs-fulham-q-a-with-cottagers-confidential?

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Fulham's Aaron Hughes could leave

Martin Jol couldn't confirm that he'd stay beyond the summer, as Hughes tries to fight off Philippe Senderos for a starting spot

Martin Jol could not rule out the possibility of Aaron Hughes leaving at the end of the season with the Northern Irishman losing his first team place to Philippe Senderos.

Jol has faced dozens of questions over recent weeks concerning a potential overhaul of the squad in the summer and it now seems Hughes can be added to a list of players who could potentially depart.

The defender, formerly a firm favourite to partner Brede Hangeland in defence, has been forced into the periphery by Senderos, preferred by Jol for much of this season.

It has undoubtedly left Hughes concerned for his future, and Jol could not give him any assurances.

"It depends on the player as well. I've got one or two players who tell me almost every week that they need to play," the Dutchman said.

"If they need to play and you're not playing here then you probably think about going to another club.

"But that is something for the end of the season - and I don't think Aaron [Hughes] will be one of them, but you can never say never."

Many feel that Hughes' demotion has been somewhat unjustified. The 33 year-old hasn't suffered a loss of form and while Senderos has been respectable in filling in, the Swiss international has hardly been faultless.

Working on a one-game-one-error tally, the former Arsenal man has made some perilous mistakes on various occasions this season. He's slow, flat footed and can lose concentration all too easily.

But still, Fulham have improved defensively since his call up to the first team. It leaves Jol in an understandably difficult situation, but Hughes, at the very least, should be retained.

Age may be getting the better of him but we know all-too-well at Fulham that he and Hangeland together can prove, on their day, beyond impenetrable.

As the season winds to a close, maybe Jol could begin to experiment a little and, though it feels weird to say it after proving so indispensable in recent years, perhaps that experiment should be Hughes' reinstatement to the first eleven.

It seems it could either be that, or no Hughes at all.



http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2013/4/25/4266424/fulhams-aaron-hughes-leave-senderos?

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Jol in keeper quandary


Martin Jol revealed Mark Schwarzer, pictured, has not responded to a contract offer from Fulham yet

25 APRIL 2013

Fulham manager Martin Jol admits he has a "little problem" over his goalkeeper choices for next season - with veteran Mark Schwarzer yet to commit to the offer of a contract extension.

Australian Schwarzer, 40, signed his last deal in January 2013 and has not given any firm indications on his future plans.

David Stockdale, meanwhile, has impressed during his loan spell at Hull as they press for promotion from the npower Championship. Jol hopes the situation will be resolved one way or another soon.

He said: "As you know we made him (Schwarzer) an offer, so that means we would like to keep him."

Asked if he had come back to the club yet, Jol added: "No."

Jol, though, knows Stockdale cannot wait forever to stake his claim for the Fulham number one jersey, the 27-year-old having had loan spells with several different clubs since joining from Darlington in 2008.

"The reality is Stockdale wants to be the number one, so I have got a little problem and it is a choice. Do you get him back and make him the number one or do you stick with your keeper?" Jol said. "Schwarzer did ever so well, so it's about making decisions. If I want another goalkeeper, I won't take a mug, I would like to take a good goalkeeper, and a good goalkeeper is someone who could be a number one."

Jol added: "I have got a very good one in Neil Etheridge, but he has played two games in his career so for him it would be better to play games at another club and then in two years time he could be number one, because he is a tiger, he is very good talent, but in the meantime we need a very good goalkeeper."

Fulham have several players coming to the end of their current deals, including several on loan, like Cameroon midfielder Eyong Enoh from Ajax.

Jol indicated veteran forward Mladen Petric could be among those who move on, adding: "Petric is one who could make his mind up himself because as long as (Dimitar) Berbatov was here, there is not a big role for him to play."



http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/jol-in-keeper-quandary-29222934.html

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Fulham Not Thinking of Holidays Yet Martin Jol Warns Everton

Fulham manager Martin Jol has reiterated that his squad are fully motivated ahead of their Premier League match against top four contenders Everton this Saturday.

The Cottagers are currently in 11th place on 40 points, nine points clear of the drop zone with just four games left in the season. Despite their apparent safety, the Dutch tactician insists his team aren't thinking of their summer holidays just yet.

"If you saw us play against Chelsea and Arsenal you saw that we were very dedicated and very energetic to try to get results", Jol told Fulham's official site.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax head coach has also lavished praise on the quality of Everton's team this season.

"Everton is not an easy team for us. For Fulham, it's not an easy ground so we have to try to do some things differently and try to come up with a result.

"They are a very consistent team and, of course, rely on the big players. Marouane Fellaini, for example, if he's there they've got a little something extra.

"Of course they've got that style with these full-backs, being very compact and very organised, so I feel that they've had a season that is more consistent than before probably", the Fulham boss added.

The last time Fulham faced Everton was in November of last year in a 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage, with Steve Sidwell scoring a 90th minute equaliser.



Read more at http://www.insidefutbol.com/2013/04/26/fulham-not-thinking-of-holidays-yet-martin-jol-warns-everton/84507/#rHB6RHPI2fmvEJyl.99

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Jol reveals plans to loan out Fulham defender


Dan Burn

MARTIN Jol is ready to send Fulham defender Dan Burn out on loan again next season.

The towering centre-back is yet to make his first-team debut for the Whites, but has been a revelation at League One Yeovil Town this campaign, making 38 appearances for the promotion-chasing Glovers.

Burn is back at Craven Cottage for treatment on an ankle problem, but is set to return to Huish Park for Yeovil's play-off push.

And boss Jol has revealed he plans to loan out the 20-year-old again next season to continue his development.

He said: "They love him there and hopefully he can get fit and be involved next in the next week or so.

"I have four other centre-backs here and one of them can't even get in the squad at the moment.

"He needs games, so this is a good chance for him, and if we get guarantees he will play he can go out on loan again."



Read more: Fulham Chronicle http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2013/04/26/82029-33237471/?#ixzz2RYSa8hyT

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Steven Pienaar says Everton FC must be mentally strong against Fulham

STEVEN PIENAAR has called for  Everton to be mentally strong as  they bid to keep weariness at bay  and finish the season on a high.

The Blues were noticeably  lacking their customary zest during  a disappointing defeat at  Sunderland last weekend, which  was their third fixture in seven  days.

That set-back at the Stadium of  Light effectively ended their dreams  of playing in next season's  Champions League, and although  Pienaar accepts it was a blow – he  has warned his team-mates not to  feel sorry for themselves if they  want to keep their Premier  League progress alive.

"We've got a good record at  home and we need to maintain  that," said the former Ajax  playmaker.

"I know it's difficult mentally  and physically, especially when  you've been pushing the whole  season for that European slot and  it seems like it's slipping away  slowly but we need to keep  playing and win as many as we  can.

"We can't control what the  teams above us do. We can only  pick up our own points and maybe  somewhere along the way they  might slip up. We've got to see how  it goes.

"Football is a strange sport  sometimes. It can go from one day  when you're feeling on top and the  next you're deflated.

"But if we concentrate on  ourselves and keeping in the mix  who knows?"

Pienaar knows his side will have  to be back at their best in time for  the visit of Martin Jol's men  tomorrow.

"That's why a win on Saturday  will be so important after last  weekend's performance," he said.

"Sometimes you have slip-ups like  we did. The guys put a lot of energy  into the two games before it and we  were a bit flat against Sunderland.

"Our energy levels were really  low in that game. You could see in  the first half we were going through  it. We're professionals and we know  what's expected of us but you can't  always perform at the highest level  all of the time. We just have to make  sure the disappointment doesn't  stay with us too long.

"That's not an excuse, we have to  do it week in, week out but we now  have a chance to give something  back to the supporters at  Goodison."

The 30-year-old is justifiably  proud of Everton's home record  this season, and hopes they can  reach the end of the campaign  with a solitary defeat by Chelsea  the only blemish on an otherwise  impressive run.

"Fulham is our second to last  home game and we always want  the fans to go away smiling," he  added.

"We've only lost once this season  at Goodison which is impressive so  we want to keep that going."

Pienaar is also quick to underline  the fact that nobody in David  Moyes' side will underestimate the  11th-placed Cottagers, largely  because of the threat of Dimitar  Berbatov.

"The guys know what to expect  with Berbatov," he said. "He's a  world class player and he's always  going to be dangerous. He can  dictate the pace of the game because  of his quality and for me he's one of  the best strikers in the world.

"He's got so many qualities. You  don't have to be 90 minutes in a  game when you have the ability to  decide it in two minutes. I think we  have to be very aware of him and  what he can do."



Read more: Liverpool Daily Post Steven Pienaar says Everton FC must be mentally strong against Fulham - Everton FC News - Everton FC - Sport - Liverpool Daily Post http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/sport/everton-fc/everton-fc-news/2013/04/26/99623-33239984/?#ixzz2RYSw1fYo