Wednesday Fulham Stuff (18/09/13)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Former Real Madrid man could still win Fulham contract
Mahamadou Diarra is competing for a new Fulham deal as he continues to recover from injury


Diarra last played for Fulham in December 2012. (©GettyImages)

Mahamadou Diarra completed 90 minutes for Fulham's development squad on Monday as he bids to earn a new deal at Craven Cottage, reports The Mirror.

The former Real Madrid man made his first appearance for over nine months as the Cottagers Under-21s took on their Reading counterparts.

Diarra has been training with the club despite not having his contract renewed upon its expiry at the end of last season, but could yet earn a new deal if he's able to prove his fitness.

The 32-year-old would add yet more experience to a Fulham midfield which already boasts Scott Parker, Damien Duff and Giorgos Karagounis.

The former Real Madrid and Lyon man first linked up with Martin Jol's side in February 2012 and could now occupy the last place in Fulham's 25-man Premier League squad having come through the game without any injury repercussions.

Should he be awarded a new deal the Mali international would add steel to a side who are yet to win a league game since their opening day victory over Sunderland, who currently side bottom of the Premier League table having endured a dismal start.

Write for GiveMeSport! Sign-up to the GMS Writing Academy here: http://gms.to/130seMa

DISCLAIMER: This article has been written by a member of the GiveMeSport Writing Academy and does not represent the views of GiveMeSport.com or SportsNewMedia. The views and opinions expressed are solely that of the author credited at the top of this article. GiveMeSport.com and SportsNewMedia do not take any responsibility for the content of its contributors.



http://www.givemesport.com/380983-former-real-madrid-man-could-still-win-fulham-contract?autoplay=on

[WhiteJC]

 
West Brom apologise after fans are sold faulty tickets for Fulham match

Supporters bought tickets from the Albion website but were told by Craven Cottage officials they would have to buy valid tickets to enter.


Fans outside Craven Cottage before the Fulham v West Brom match.

West Bromwich Albion fans have received a club apology and promise of compensation after a ticket printing blunder saw them turned away from Fulham's Craven Cottage ground.

The supporters ordered their tickets for the Premier League clash in London via Albion's official website.

But when they turned up at Craven Cottage on Saturday they were told the tickets were not valid – and they had to pay again.

Lifelong Baggies fan Simon Taylor booked his £30 ticket online and travelled to London with friends for the game, which ended 1 -1.

"I got to the Craven Cottage turnstile 20 minutes before kick-off, but when I tried to scan the barcode it would not work and I was sent to the ticket office," said the 39-year-old from Harborne.

''The official collected the tickets from us and went away to investigate. He came back to tell us the tickets had been wrongly resold by West Brom and that if we have a complaint we need to take it up with them.

"At this stage we were getting quite angry. Fulham send those tickets to West Brom to sell on, how can they be resold?

"We were told that if we wanted to see the match we would have to buy another ticket. Many refused.

''In ten years I have never seen anything like this."

Simon was among those who refused to pay again and says the day, including ticket, travel, food and drink, had cost him £100.

An Albion spokesman said: "The club can confirm there was a ticket reprint error for Saturday's game at Fulham.

"After carrying out a thorough investigation, we understand this resulted in six Albion fans encountering difficulties gaining entry.

"The supporters affected have been contacted by ticket office staff. Those who purchased further tickets at Fulham will have them refunded. Fans who did not gain entry will have their ticket refunded and travel costs compensated.

"The club would like to apologise for the inconvenience and unnecessary stress caused."


Six Albion fans were told the tickets they had bought from the club were invalid.



http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/west-brom-apologise-after-fans-6039979?

[WhiteJC]

 
Ruiz Injury Update

Following Bryan Ruiz's injury suffered in Saturday's draw with West Bromwich Albion, the Club is now able to provide an update on his progress.

Following an awkward landing as he contested an aerial ball, Bryan suffered an injury to his left ankle. He was assessed on Sunday and, despite swelling to his ankle, was able to walk with minimal symptoms.

He underwent an MRI scan on Monday which confirmed that it is an isolated ligament strain, with no clear fracture. The early signs suggest that the injury is better than first feared, although a recovery time cannot be estimated until the swelling has reduced.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/september/17/ruiz-injury-update?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham 1 West Brom 1: Premier League player ratings aggregator
We take in the player ratings from across the national newspapers so you can see how your team really got on this weekend



Stockdale (pictured) = 6.8 (aggregated score): 7 (Telegraph) 7 (Mirror) 6 (Sun) 7 (Daily Mail) 7 (Times)

Senderos = 6.2 (as): 6 (Te) 6 (M) 6 (S) 7 (DM) 6 (Ti)

Hangeland = 6 (as): 6 (Te) 6 (M) 7 (S) 5 (DM) 6 (Ti)

Richardson= 6.4 (as): 6 (Te) 7 (M) 6 (S) 6 (DM) 7 (Ti)

Riether= 6.6 (as): 6 (Te) 6 (M) 7 (S) 7 (DM) 7 (Ti)

Sidwell = 7.8 (aggregated score): 8 (Telegraph) 7 (Mirror) 8 (Sun) 8 (Daily Mail) 8 (Times)

Ruiz (pictured) = 6.2 (as): 6 (Te) 7 (M) 7 (S) 7 (DM) 7 (Ti)

Kacaniklic = 6.2 (as): 6 (Te) 6 (M) 7 (S) 6 (DM) 6 (Ti)

Parker = 6.6 (as): 6 (Te) 7 (M) 6 (S) 7 (DM) 7 (Ti)

Kasami = 6.4 (as): 7 (Te) 6 (M) 6 (S) 7 (DM) 6(Ti)

Berbatov = 6.4 (aggregated score): 7 (Telegraph) 6 (Mirror) 6 (Sun) 6 (Daily Mail) 7 (Times)



http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/fulham-1-west-brom-1-premier-league-player-ratings-aggregator-8820239.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Loose connections
by WhiteJC.

This is the first in an ad hoc series, with four matches of this season gone I thought that I'd take a look at some of the players and managers who have been connected with both Fulham and our opponents.

This is not a "definitive list", its just a list of people that I can connect to both teams, I'm grateful to a number of the really knowledgable members over on the FoF forum who gave me most of these names however, I'm sure I'll leave out somebody significant, let me apologise in advance as I've not left them out "out of spite" its either ignorance or senility, you decide.



Sunderland
The first player who springs to mind is Steed Malbranque. Having left the Whites for Spurs,  I still don't really understand why he left us in the way he did? I can only assume that there was a problem between Steed and Cookie?  Anyhow, he spent a couple of seasons at White Hart Lane and then moved to Sunderland. Steed spent three seasons with the black cats and by all accounts became a fan favourite, much as he had with us.

One of our current players, on loan from Aston Villa, Darren Bent, spent two seasons with Sunderland making a total of 63 appearances, league and cups, scoring a total of 46 goals.

Kieran Richardson was at Sunderland from 2007 until 2012, when he joined us. Kieran was brought to Sunderland by his former captain at Man Utd. Roy Keane. According to wikipedia, yeah I know, he's a left winger who can also play as a left-back, central midfielder and support striker. He played a total of 149 games scoring 15 times for Sunderland over 5 seasons.

Dickson Etuhu joined us in 2008 after spending a season at Sunderland. Dickson made 91 appearances for the whites and scored 3 times.

Andy(Andrew) Cole played for Sunderland in 2007-08, he made 7 appearances but didn't score.

After Vic Halom left Fulham in 1971 for Luton, where he spent a couple of seasons, he then joined Sunderland in 1973 where he spent 3 seasons and scored 35 goals in 113 games.

In the eighties we had a goalie on loan from Sheffield Wednesday, Iain Hesford, who went on to play for Sunderland for a couple of seasons.

Later in the 80's Clive Walker joined us having previously spent a couple of season at Sunderland.

In 1995 Martin Gray came to Craven Cottage on loan from Sunderland, he made 6 appearances for the whites.

Paul Bracewell had 3 terms at Sunderland, 1983-84, 1989-92 and 1995-97. Paul joined us from his last term at Sunderland in 1997 and played 62 games scoring 1 goal. Paul later went on to manage Fulham after Kevin Keegan left to become the England Manager. Jean Tigana replaced Paul as Fulham manager in 2000.

Another player to join us from Sunderland was Andy Melville in 1999. Andy made 153 appearances for us scoring 4 times.

Lee Clark joined us at the same time as Andy and scored 20 goals in 149 appearances. Perhaps Lee's finest game for the whites was against Man Utd in October 2003, Lee scored the opener in our 3-1 victory at Old Trafford.

Another player who joined at that time was Kevin Ball who made 18 appearances during the 1999-2000.

Louis Saha played eleven times for Sunderland in the 2012-13 season, he didn't manage to find the back of the net.


http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=417

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol keen for more youngsters to go on loan

Fulham manager Martin Jol says he is keen for more of his youngsters to join lower-division clubs on loan.

The Whites boss has let Dan Burn join Birmingham City, Marcello Trotta join Brentford and Ryan Williams and Cauley Woodrow move to League Two sides Oxford and Southend respectively.

And he wants more of the club's young players to gain important first-team experience.

"My philosophy is it's always necessary for them to get games under their belts and to go on loan," Jol said.

"We've got a lot of players in our Under-21s who could do well for lower-league clubs – the only thing is I have to find the right clubs for them.

"Hopefully other managers in these leagues will know them and see them."

Jol has also let Israeli midfielder Omri Altman return to his native country on loan with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The Dutchman added: "They all want experience, so sometimes we have to go abroad."



http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/jol-keen-for-more-youngsters-to-go-on-loan?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham handed Ruiz boost

FULHAM have been handed a boost after scans showed Bryan Ruiz's ankle injury isn't as bad as first feared.

The Costa Rica international was carried off in the latter stages of Saturday's 1-1 draw with West Brom after going down under the challenge of Baggies defender Liam Ridgewell.

Fulham sent Ruiz for a scan on Monday to assess the full extent of the problem, which showed he had suffered ligament damage.

A statement on the Fulham website said: "The early signs suggest that the injury is better than first feared, although a recovery time cannot be estimated until the swelling has reduced."



Read more: Fulham Chronicle http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2013/09/17/82029-33856131/?#ixzz2fEMqJPnp

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham boss Martin Jol looking for Marcello Trotta to prove worth during loan spell

Martin Jol has hailed Marcello Trotta's potential, but is looking for the youngster to prove that he deserves a shot at Fulham.

The 20-year-old forward has made just three senior appearances for the Cottagers, forcing him to seek regular game time at Wycombe Wanderers, Watford and Brentford.

Trotta has returned to Griffin Park for a second loan spell this season, and Jol hopes the Italian will show that he has a long-term future at Craven Cottage.

He said in the Fulham Chronicle: "For a player like Trotta, it's not easy to break into the first team.

"Trotta scored nine or 10 goals but in a lower league at Brentford, which is good.

"Hopefully for him he can score more goals now and step up a gear. Then maybe he can play for Fulham in the next couple of years."

Trotta's return to Brentford has not been universally well received by Bees supporters - after a missed penalty cost them promotion on the final day of last season - but Jol believes they should be welcoming the striker back with open arms.

He added: "Trotta is a goal machine. I think they should be very happy to get a player like him back.

"I wouldn't say he is the finished article, because he's not, but he gets around the box and can score goals.

"He has the right mentality, otherwise he wouldn't have gone there. He would probably have gone to another club because there were more options for him."



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11681/8926661?

[WhiteJC]

 
Cottagers sweat on Ruiz injury

Fulham have yet to discover how long Bryan Ruiz faces on the sidelines but his ankle injury is not as bad as initially feared.

The striker picked up the injury in the 1-1 draw with West Brom last time out and was sent for scans on Monday, which revealed he had suffered ligament damage. Fulham must wait for the swelling to go down before they can put an accurate timescale on the forward's recovery, but the club have revealed the injury is not as bad as the initial prognosis suggested. A statement on the club's official website read: "The early signs suggest that the injury is better than first feared, although a recovery time cannot be estimated until the swelling has reduced."



Read more at: http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/cottagers-sweat-on-ruiz-injury-1634129.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's foreign plan for young guns


Chris David

MARTIN Jol may be forced to send some of his Fulham youngsters abroad in a bid to find regular first-team football.

The Dutchman has a string of his Under-21 players on loan to Football League clubs, with Dan Burn, Marcello Trotta, Marcus Bettinelli, Ryan Williams and Cauley Woodrow all getting game time in the lower leagues.

However, Jol still wants to loan out the likes of Chris David and other young guns to continue their development.

The Whites boss sent Pajtim Kasami to Swiss side Lucerne last season, while Omri Altman has returned to Israel to join Maccabi Tel Aviv.

And Jol says he may have to look abroad for his youngsters if there are no opportunities in England.

He said: "My philosophy is it's always necessary for them to get games under their belts and to go on loan.

"We've got a lot of players in our Under-21s who could do well for lower-league clubs – the only thing is I have to find the right clubs for them.

"Hopefully other managers in these leagues will know them and see them.

"They all want experience, so sometimes we have to go abroad."



Read more: Fulham Chronicle http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2013/09/17/82029-33856686/?#ixzz2fENfGtMp

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham relieved to find Bryan Ruiz's ankle injury is not as bad as first feared

But the club are still unsure on how long the Costa Rica international will be out for and will wait until the swelling reduces


Out for now: But Bryan Ruiz's injury isn't as bad as first feared
Clive Rose

Fulham boss Martin Jol has been handed a boost after scans showed Bryan Ruiz's ankle injury isn't as bad as first feared.

The Costa Rica international was carried off in the latter stages of Saturday's 1-1 draw with West Brom after going down under the challenge of Baggies defender Liam Ridgewell.

Fulham sent Ruiz for a scan on Monday to assess the full extent of the problem, which showed he had suffered ligament damage.

A statement on the Fulham website said: "The early signs suggest that the injury is better than first feared, although a recovery time cannot be estimated until the swelling has reduced."



Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/fulham-relieved-find-bryan-ruiz-2280094#ixzz2fENxMaLJ
Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook

[WhiteJC]

 
New Contract for Diarra?
   
It had previously been inferred that perhaps Mahamadou Diarra might have a future at Fulham!

His Fulham career has, so far, been wrecked by a long-term injury and with his contract up at the end of last season it was anticipated that he`d be leaving Craven Cottage.

However, the 32 year-old is doing his hardest to make sure that he does remain at Craven Cottage and. On Monday, the midfielder played a huge role in our development squad`s win against Reading!

Perhaps the saying about good things coming to those who wait might be quite apt in Diarra`s case!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=332551#ixzz2fEOIGbTi

[WhiteJC]

 
Berbatov would thrive if he was still at Manchester United
Manchester United would have a frightening forward line if they hadn't sold Dimitar Berbatov


Berbatov would thrive in a golden triangle with Kagawa & Van Persie. (©GettyImages)

Dimitar Berbatov caused a split between sections of Manchester United fans. One side branded him lazy, the other stated he was a calculated player that didn't need to run around aimlessly.

One thing is for sure, though; his first touch, class on the ball, and comfort holding off defenders are second to none.

Unfortunately we never got to see Berbatov in a front triangle alongside Shinji Kagawa and Robin van Persie. There would have been so much effortless class on show that those three clicking would have meant dominance in abundance.

It would have enabled Michael Carrick to sit back and pull the strings and two wingers to terrorise from the outside; meaning more space for this golden triangle.

Indeed we could still see centre-triangle this in effect with Wayne Rooney in place of Berbatov, yet with the arrival of Marouane Fellaini and Carrick holding down a prominent spot in the centre, it's unlikely to happen without Kagawa or Rooney being played out of position.

FIFA this isn't, a headache for David Moyes is what it is, however.

Write for GiveMeSport! Sign-up to the GMS Writing Academy here: http://gms.to/130seMa

DISCLAIMER: This article has been written by a member of the GiveMeSport Writing Academy and does not represent the views of GiveMeSport.com or SportsNewMedia. The views and opinions expressed are solely that of the author credited at the top of this article. GiveMeSport.com and SportsNewMedia do not take any responsibility for the content of its contributors.


http://www.givemesport.com/381370-berbatov-would-thrive-if-he-was-still-at-manchester-united?autoplay=on

[WhiteJC]

 
Ruiz ankle injury not as bad as first feared



Fulham have revealed that striker Bryan Ruiz's ankle injury is not as serious as first feared. The Costa Rican frontman landed awkwardly during Fulham's draw with West Brom in Saturday's Premier League clash at Craven Cottage and he was sent for a scan on Monday. The results revealed that Ruiz has suffered a ligament strain and although it is not clear how long he will be sidelined, the diagnosis is more positive. A statement on the club's official website revealed: "Following an awkward landing as he contested an aerial ball, Bryan suffered an injury to his left ankle. He was assessed on Sunday and, despite swelling to his ankle, was able to walk with minimal symptoms. "He underwent an MRI scan on Monday which confirmed that it is an isolated ligament strain, with no clear fracture. The early signs suggest that the injury is better than first feared, although a recovery time cannot be estimated until the swelling has reduced."


Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/ruiz-ankle-injury-not-bad-first-feared#ZpB8bDrO1zbVdtI7.99

[WhiteJC]

 
We have all the time in the world

I think this is probably quite original analysis. Bear with me then while I explain myself.

In basketball they have a notion of 'pace'. This is important in the way players are analysed: if a basketball player averages 20 points per game in a team that attacks 100 times a game, he's not the same as a player who averages 20 points per game in a team that attacks 50 times a game. Different teams employ different approaches: you get fast break sides that go back and forth a lot, and other teams the slow the tempo down.

This applies to football as well to a degree. With the help of Opta stats I first took each game from last season and checked to see how long the ball was actually in play.

So let's call this step 1, and let's say that in match 1 the ball was in play for 60 minutes.

In step 2 we look to see what percentage of possession each team had. So if team A has 75% of the ball and team B 25% of the ball, that effectively means that team A had 45 minutes to do things and team B 15 minutes.

Do you see why this might be important? By doing this we get an idea of how teams are playing, how good they are at creating opportunities and at stopping opponents from creating same.

When Fulham fans moan that the team's buildup is too slow, we can in part counter that actually, in home games at least, Fulham get a shot in every 2 1/2 minutes of actual possession, which is normal (away from home is another matter).

Let's work this through then.

First, here are the numbers for overall shots in teams' home games.  Again, what is shows is that in their home games, Spurs get a shot off every 2.1 minutes they actually have the ball.  They allow their opponents to get a shot off every 3.8 minutes of their possession.

There's not much differentiation there, but it shows that some teams are quicker in making shots in their home games than are others.



Note how hard United and City make it for opponents to get off a shot. Fulham, by contrast, are not particularly good here: I suspect it's one reason fortress Cottage is no longer really fortress Cottage.

Next, total shots in teams' away games. Spurs are at it again, piling in the shots.



Note that FUlham are pretty much a disaster, needing the ball for almost four and a half minutes to get off a shot, and allowing a shot every two minutes. It's probably the worst combination in the league. Spurs were very impressive in preventing shots away from home, too. They had a terrific away record last year and here we can see why. From the numbers, their away games were more like most teams' away games.

Fine, that's overall shots, but this isn't the be all and end all. You need *good* shots, and that's where a bit more differentiation becomes apparent.



The first thing that stands out is how hard Manchester City made it to get off good shots against them. It took 10-11 minutes of possession at the Etihad to create a single on target effort. Wow. Fulham are again middle of the road. It's curious to see Chelsea landing where they do.



Away from home it's again Spurs and City, with Fulham again right down there. In our away matches it's taking us almost 10 minutes of possession to get off a shot on target. We effectively turn home teams into Man City! Swansea actually had a pretty good away record so what you're seeing there, I suspect, is a team picking its moments quite carefully. Reading gave up a shot on target every 3 1/2 minutes, which is worse only than Fulham.

I can break all this down by outcomes as well. We need to be careful here as small sample sizes are all over the place, but nevertheless, some nuggets:

Villa won five away games in and in these games their opponents went a remarkable 13 minutes of possession between shots on target. In Villa's away defeats it took five minutes to get through them. Actually they were really interesting in these away wins: despite being battered at Anfield, they held Norwich, Reading, Stoke and Sunderland to a combined 11 shots on target in almost two hours of defending.

Chelsea's home numbers are weird. In wins and losses they got off a shot on target every three minutes. In draws it's every nine minutes. Clearly they had five big stalemates where they were completely shut down.

They were probably quite unlucky away, too. In five defeats their opponents got off a shot every 12 minutes of possession and Chelsea every three. They must have been unlucky there (these were close defeats to Newcastle, Southampton, WBA and West Ham).

Fulham attacking didn't vary much in home games regardless of outcome, but in the wins we stopped the opposition shooting (sot every seven minutes) and in defeats we didnt' (every four).

For most teams there's a fairly straightforward relationship between success and stopping shots on target.

What does it all mean? For one thing I think it really draws out teams' strengths and weaknesses, also asking questions about their style, what works, what doesn't. It shows that Fulham are no longer dominant at home and have a fairly disastrous combination away, whereby it takes us a long time to get off a good shot, but opponents find it easy to do same against us. This is pretty damning and perhaps suggests that what looked like an improved away performance last year may have merely been quite fortunate.

Thanks to Opta for providing me with the numbers I needed for this.



http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2013/09/18/we-have-all-the-time-in-the-world/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol must stand up and be counted

Fulham FanZoner Andy Lye laments his side's start to the season, and thinks it's time Martin Jol stopped making excuses for inept performances.

Another week, another Fulham performance lacking in energy, urgency, and for the most part, class. It's a situation that's becoming very wearing on the fans, and some have been making their views known for a while now, but mostly from the relatively voiceless platform of Facebook and fan forums.

The first few however have reached the point where they feel booing the team from the field, and shouting at Martin Jol, is the next necessary course of action, and their doing so is being viewed in entirely the wrong light.

After most of our games it seems that certain players (Dimitar Berbatov, Bryan Ruiz) are the only ones people can see when watching Fulham. Somehow their names dominate match reports, even when they've had poor games and people like last year's real player of season Sascha Reither outplay them for 90 minutes, but we're used to that.

We're used to the real detail of our games being missed or misreported, and we're used to the star names being the only ones to catch the eye. What we're not used to is our manager having the same attitude, and that's just one of the reasons those complaining about Jol feel justified in doing so.

West Brom on Saturday was the story of our season so far. Once again the likes of Reither and central midfield pair Steve Sidwell and Scott Parker put in the biggest shifts, Berbatov and Ruiz were poor, we conceded a late goal to throw the game away, and as usual those two were hailed in match reports as being the centre of everything we did.

Captain Brede Hangeland has to shoulder some of the blame for being out-jumped at a corner by scorer Gareth McAuley, but Berbatov having two goals disallowed for off-side simply because he couldn't be bothered to make sure he stayed on is the real reason we lost.

He and Ruiz are becoming an increasingly large thorn in the side of the club, and it isn't helping that they are Jol's favourites as well.

Parker and Sidwell are so regularly called upon in our games because of the front two's inclusion. In fact, the reason we can't even consider playing with one holding midfielder in order to have an extra attacking player on the pitch is because of Berbatov and Ruiz's unwillingness (and in the latter's case, inability) to help out defensively. At the back, especially Reither when Ruiz is deployed on the right leaving the German constantly exposed, we are are under heightened pressure in every match for the same reason. And it's because of Jol's favouritism towards them that players like Damian Duff, and the now departed Kerim Frei, who was criminally sold for £3m or less to Turkish side Besiktas, were reduced to supporting roles. Even Adel Taarabt, another of Jol's apparent favourites, spent 90 minutes on the bench despite proving our most creative midfield player in previous matches.

So the boos and calls for Jol's sacking have started at games, echoing similar online sentiment that has been brewing among the faithful for a few months, and this is being condemned by many as the kind of knee-jerk reaction to a couple of poor results that teams like Man City and Chelsea have to endure from time to time. Except that Fulham fans have never been like that (except possibly when Laurie Sanchez was briefly in charge) and the perspective many seem to have lost when viewing these reactions is that these lacklustre performances are not a new phenomenon.

We haven't played well as a team since March and finished the 2012/13 season with such a pathetic whimper that we were, in reality, just one win away from relegation. Had it not been for the miracle at Tottenham in March, that squad did not look like it had enough quality or passion to pull itself out of danger, going on to scrape a win at home to bottom club QPR, then fail to win another match in seven attempts, including saving a draw through a lucky own goal at Aston Villa, and that appalling home defeat to Reading.

On paper we looked liked we finished well with the win at Swansea on the last day, jumping us above a few teams in an incredibly tight bottom half, but had we been in the bottom three at that time, which we would have been without the three points at Spurs, that was not the team to echo the great escape of 2007/08.

So it's not just a couple of poor performances fans are upset about, it's a dozen or so. Even in pre-season, we just about got out of Costa Rica with three wins from three against weak opposition, and as soon as we came back to Europe to play stronger sides in Werder Bremen, Parma, and Real Betis, we lost or scraped draws.

Jol trots out the usual "we need to gel" lines on a weekly basis, rarely varying his tired statements, and some fans are starting to do the same because they don't want to face up to the fact that Berbatov and Ruiz are not going to single-handedly save us, and the reality is we're in quite a bad way at the moment, but the most concerning thing to come out of all of it is an underlying arrogance in Martin Jol that it now would appear has been there the whole time. Comments in recent interviews following the West Brom reactions such as "I'm a very proud person and I'm used to playing in the top five or even higher... I came here to try and help the club... I would like people to be a bit more appreciative", clearly indicate that he feels he's a big manager helping out our meek little club; doing us a favour for his seven-figure annual salary and that perhaps we should be grateful he even came here.

Fulham fans, perhaps more than most, always appreciate effort and passion in their players and managers above anything else. Give us that, and we will always be grateful for what we have. We'd rather watch a 17-year-old from the development squad run his heart every week and have goals disallowed for offside because he's still learning positional play, than a 32-year-old who should know better and simply can't be bothered.

It's time for Martin to stop saying "that's not what you want" and "you've got a problem" after every game and start achieving what we want and fixing the problem. No fan in their right mind expects us to be challenging for Europe this year. Or winning a cup. Our new owner doesn't even expect that.

What we expect is 11 men to run out onto the pitch every week and not stop running for 90 minutes. And we expect the manager to recognise who does and doesn't put that kind of effort in for the club, and make selections, substitutions and transfers accordingly.

Maybe Martin knows his time is short anyway and has given up. It wouldn't be unfair to suggest that if we're already in a relegation scrap by Christmas then he'll be sacked, and if we're not, that he simply won't have his contract renewed in the Summer when it expires, but that either way he won't be here next season. It's pretty obvious Shahid Kahn and the board don't trust him with serious transfer funds after the meagre return we've gotten from the £10.5m spent on Ruiz, so maybe he's right.

But shouldn't professionalism, and that all-important pride he wants us to believe he has in himself, dictate that he at least tries to earn himself a new deal so that he can be the one to turn us down?

The players have to take some blame for our extended run of bad form, of course, but when several of those players have changed, and we're still playing the same way, the finger of blame has to at least start shifting towards the management/coaching, and it would be nice if Jol started accepting some of that responsibility.



http://www.teamtalk.com/fanzone/15164/8927757/Jol-must-stand-up-and-be-counted?

[WhiteJC]

 
The Tony Gale Column

It was frustrating to concede such a late goal on Saturday against West Bromwich Albion, especially considering the way it came. Going into the final minutes, 1-0 up, admittedly we haven't set the world alight with the way we've played, but you want to just see it out. It was really disappointing and I think Brede Hangeland, of all people, who's one of our most reliable defenders, will be very angry with himself that he allowed Gareth McAuley a run and a jump at him and didn't even get off the floor when the header went in.

It was a poor piece of defending because even though sometimes you mark zonally, you have to get close to someone and you have to impede the run, or at least make body contact with someone who's heading the ball. But he was allowed the run, a free header and he just got miles above Brede.

It's a shame because it would have been a massive three points. Getting three points against those teams that are in and around that area just gives you a cushion when you go into a big match, which is what's up next for Fulham, but I'll talk about Chelsea in a bit. Saturday was a game where I think West Brom had as much of the play, but we carved out the better chances. And having carved out those chances, Dimitar Berbatov had a goal that was fractionally offside after Pajtim Kasami had slipped him a nice little ball through. When you get the two-goal cushion you're alright, but that's why it's so galling to draw 1-1 right at the end of the game.

I was quite surprised to hear the booing from some of the fans at the end of the match. Booing doesn't help anyone. I can understand their frustration, particularly when you concede so late on, and maybe it's because we haven't signed younger players with a bit more legs in them and a bit more pace, but Martin Jol's getting on with what he's got and is trying to get the best out of them. We just need to get behind him and get behind the team.

Next up is the SW6 derby and, I must admit, I used to love the Fulham-Chelsea games when I was playing in them. I know Chelsea weren't as good then as they are now – obviously they're now right up there with the top clubs – but I would relish it on Saturday if I was a player. We got a good draw there last year and if we can do that again then I think we'll be happy. You never know, we might nick something on the break. I don't think Chelsea are as settled as everybody thinks they are – they suffered a poor defeat at Everton and I thought they were second best against Manchester United, although they came out with a draw, so it might not be a bad time to face them. I wouldn't be all doom and gloom going into the game thinking that we're going to get our backsides smacked. They're also in action on Wednesday against Basel and I think it's always good to play a team either just before or after they've got a UEFA Champions League match, because I'm sure the team won't be the same as the one that lines-up in Europe.

It's well documented that we never win at Chelsea, and you have to go back to 1979 to the last time we beat our rivals at Stamford Bridge – a match that I was fortunate enough to play in. John Beck and Gordon Davies scored in a 2-0 win and, although my memory isn't as fresh as it was years ago, I still remember that victory clearly. Back then they weren't the force they are now, though, so I think if the lads get a result on Saturday then it'll be far better than what we achieved. We beat them, and we beat them well that day thanks to Beckie and Ivor's goals, although I was Man of the Match (ha, ha)!

Cheer on the Whites in the South-West London derby! Tickets are on sale to all supporters with a Booking History, (max. 2 per person).


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/september/17/the-tony-gale-column

[WhiteJC]

 
Opta Evaluation



Fulham produced their most confident passing display of the Barclays Premier League season on Saturday, but it still wasn't enough to come away with three points.

The Whites bossed the possession stakes with 56.6 per cent of the ball – a dramatic improvement of 10.4 per cent on the Arsenal and Newcastle United possession statistics, and a 14.4 percentage improvement on our opening day victory at Sunderland.

The 1-1 draw also saw the boys secure season bests in terms of attempted passes (522), attacking passes (234) and accurate passes (461), giving Martin Jol's men an impressive pass accuracy of 88 per cent – the best either team has managed in any Fulham match this season, (Arsenal came closest with 87 per cent).

But for all our possession we were only able to muster two shots on target; Steve Sidwell's lashed volley which opened the scoring, and Dimitar Berbatov's effort that was smothered by Boaz Myhill after the Bulgarian had been sent through by a delicious Bryan Ruiz pass.

The Baggies were able to double that number, with each of David Stockdale's saves more impressive than the last. Firstly, he comfortably held Chris Brunt's header in the first half, before he made himself big after the interval to deny the powerful Victor Anichebe. His best stop came in the 74th minute, though, when he got down brilliantly to keep out, and hold, Nicolas Anelka's accurate strike.

The shots on target statistic reflects somewhat harshly on the home side, though, as it does not include the three strikes which found the back of the net but were subsequently ruled offside. Dimitar Berbatov was twice denied by the linesman's flag, while substitute Hugo Rodallega's goal was also chalked off. Indeed, those were the only three occasions on which the flag was raised against a Fulham man throughout the match.



The average player position graphic depicts that much of the action migrated to the right hand side of the pitch, with Scott Parker, Pajtim Kasami and Bryan Ruiz all in close proximity to one another. Those three players were in fact three of the busiest on the pitch and were involved in 229 ball events between them. They were also ably assisted by the attacking mindset of right-back Sascha Riether who was the game's busiest individual, with the German involved in 98 events during the match.

One of the key battles on Saturday came in the heart of midfield as Parker battled with Albion enforcer Youssuf Mulumbu in the middle of the park. The pair's statistics are fairly evenly matched when it comes to defensive work, although it's the England man who comes out on top offensively. Mulumbu made three successful tackles to Parker's two, but both players won possession of the ball five times, while Parker was the only one of them to win an aerial duel.

And while Mulumbu made three interceptions, Parker was a threat going forward, playing the ball into the final third on 13 occasions (compared to Mulumbu's four) and passing it forward 33 times – 20 more than the Albion man's 13. Our new signing also made 74 accurate passes (one of which turned out to be a key pass) in total – 11 more than Mulumbu.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/september/17/opta-evaluation

[WhiteJC]

 
Premier League Week 5 Fixtures: Previewing Weekend's Most Intriguing Clashes

The fixture list for this week's Premier League action isn't as captivating as previous weeks, but fans still have plenty of entertaining matches ahead.

We're only four matches into the season, but the haves seem to have separated themselves from the have-nots. Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Manchester United are the top five clubs in the table.

You cannot lose the title in the first few weeks of the season, but dropped points can end up costing a club big in the end. These five clubs will all be looking to keep up with the competition with three points from their next matches.

Here's the list of fixtures for this weekend.

Premier League Fixtures—Week 5

Time   Home Club   Away Club
Saturday, Sept. 21      
7:45 a.m. ET; 12:45 p.m. BST   Norwich City   Aston Villa
10 a.m. ET; 3 p.m. BST   Liverpool   Southampton
10 a.m. ET; 3 p.m. BST   Newcastle   Hull City
10 a.m. ET; 3 p.m. BST   West Brom   Sunderland
10 a.m. ET; 3 p.m. BST   West Ham   Everton
12:30 p.m. ET; 5:30 p.m. BST   Chelsea   Fulham
Sunday, Sept. 21      
8:30 a.m. ET; 1:30 p.m. BST   Arsenal   Stoke City
8:30 a.m. ET; 1:30 p.m. BST   Crystal Palace   Swansea City
11 a.m. ET; 4 p.m. BST   Cardiff City   Tottenham Hotspur
11 a.m. ET; 4 p.m. BST   Manchester City   Manchester United
ESPN FC

These three matches are the best the Premier League has to offer this weekend.



Chelsea vs. Fulham


Clive Rose/Getty Images

You always roll your eyes when anybody tries to make much of a derby out of Chelsea's matches with Queens Park Rangers and Fulham. There was a time when the Blues were a little closer to their West London counterparts, but with Chelsea's success any sort of drama and passion in these matches has all but left.

With the talent as Fulham have in the attack, they could spring an upset. Even without Darren Bent this weekend, Martin Jol still has Dimitar Berbatov up top and Bryan Ruiz and Adel Taarabt in midfield. When the Cottagers are on the ball, they can give any Premier League club a run.

Therein lies their problem, as well. Fulham have so many players who are inclined to attack and do little to nothing in the defensive end of pitch. When they lose the ball, they're absolutely vulnerable.

Fulham are bound to pick up a major scalp this season, and Chelsea could well be that big club.

Over at Stamford Bridge, it hasn't exactly been the most perfect return for Jose Mourinho. Chelsea played one of the most boring matches in recent memory, away to Manchester United and followed that up with losses in the UEFA Super Cup to Bayern Munich and then to Everton in the EPL.


Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

They've got Basel in the Champions League on Wednesday to get back in the win column.

With the quality of attacking midfielders at Chelsea, this match is going to go one of two ways. It will be a shock win for Fulham, or a one-sided mauling by Chelsea. At least fans shouldn't be treated to a boring match.



http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1777760-premier-league-week-5-fixtures-previewing-weekends-most-intriguing-clashes?

[ScalleysDad]

The Andy Lye piece is an interesting read. How Berbatov averaged a 6.2, highlighted in another piece of work, is beyond me but I guess that these days it is not only me anymore. I had not thought much about the Jol perspective on the malaise around the Club. He must know the 'orange is the new black revolution' is shot to hell and as he is sackable in a few games or out of work next summer with a cv in tatters no wonder he looks grumpy and is starting to talk like a man possessed.