Saturday Fulham Stuff (21/09/13)...

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Five things Fulham and Chelsea would like to return to their previous owners
The 'King of Pop' may be on his way, but there are several other sundry items worthy of return or recall.

In the week when Fulham supremo Shahid Khan revealed that the club would be removing the statue of Michael Jackson that has been dividing opinions outside Craven Cottage since 2011 and giving it back to Mohamed Al Fayed we look at other items the west London rivals might like to see returned to their previous owners.

The clash between Chelsea and the Cottagers represents a great betting opportunity, with bwin offering money back on losing single bets on a range of correct score and goalscorer markets if Chelsea aren't winning at half-time and full-time.

Fernando Torres
The fact that Liverpool spent £35m on Andy Carroll yet still have cause to smirk over the January 2011 transfer madness that brought Torres to Chelsea says it all.

As long as owner's pet El Nino is hanging around with a face like a smacked bottom a much-needed wholesale reconstruction of the Stamford Bridge striker's hierarchy is unlikely.

Martin Jol's thoughts on Cottagers fan-disgruntlement

Chants of "Jol out!" greeted the denouement of Fulham's draw with West Brom last time out as the Dutchman's charges avoided victory for the tenth time in their last 12 league games.

The self-assured Jol expressed his disappointment with the terrace critique in his post-match interview, but has since admitted to regretting his outburst, suggesting the fans were entitled to express themselves.

The beautiful young eggs that cracked

Six years after Jose Mourinho bemoaned his inability to get to Waitrose for the finest eggs in an extended transfer metaphor, he was talking of the "beautiful young eggs" that made up his new Blues side before they took on Basel.

After his young team singularly failed to hatch his best laid plans against the Swiss champions, the Special One may wish he could head back to the supermarket and exchange them for another batch.

Fulham FC
At least in the later years of the Egyptian entrepreneur's stewardship of the club Cottagers fans knew their side were skint so there was no need to hope and dream of exotic and expensive new signings.

New owner Khan – otherwise known as the 491st richest man on the planet – took over in the summer, but only six permanent signings replaced the 12 squad members that departed the club and creaky-limbed greaser Scott Parker was the most expensive addition to the outfield playing staff.

Mark Schwarzer
Did the Blues really have to nick their neighbours' veteran shot-stopper just to let him warm their bench?

With Maarten Stekelenburg injured, Fulham would dearly love to have held on to the man who saved the second most shots of any Premier League custodian last season.

Top bet: Chelsea v Fulham 1-1 correct score @ 19/2



- See more at: http://bwinbetting.com/leagues/premier-league/fulham-chelsea-returned-previous-owners,45269.html?#sthash.EYvcqD1H.dpuf

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Fulham's Brede Hangeland is ready for Sunday's derby game against Chelsea

Fulham's Brede Hangeland says that his team are ready for the London derby against Chelsea on Saturday.

Martin Jol's men make the short trip to Stamford Bridge with Hangeland and company desperate to send the travelling supporters home happy.

And speaking to Fulham's official website, the giant defender declared that Fulham are determined to put on a good show.

Hangeland said: "The game means a lot to the fans but it means a lot to the players as well.

"We know it's a big local derby and we always look forward to it. They're normally tight games but also fun games to take part in.

"So we're all excited and looking forward to Saturday. We'll just focus on ourselves, make sure we're well prepared and ready to go. If we do that, it's always possible to get a result."

Fulham were denied three points last weekend by an injury-time equaliser at home to West Bromwich Albion.

Hangeland made his 250th appearance in the match against the Baggies and was proud to reach such a milestone.

He said: "I didn't know that but it's not a bad tally in just over five years. I've enjoyed every moment of those 250 games but I'm not someone who cares much for records or achievements. I'm just someone who's keen to do as well as they can in the next game and in the future.

"It's still a great milestone to reach, though, and I'm proud to have played 250 games for the club in five and a bit years."



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11681/8932308?

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Premier League: Chelsea v Fulham match preview
A look ahead to this weekend's Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge

£50m striker Fernando Torres could be set to start up front for Chelsea after the player didn't even make the match-day squad for Chelsea's Champions League defeat to Basle on Wednesday.

Fulham striker Darren Bent is still suffering with an injury, so Dimitar Berbatov is set to start as Fulham's only striker at Stamford Bridge.

Jose Mourinho comes into the game on the back of two straight defeats, but has never lost a Premier League home game as Chelsea manager.

Chelsea goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer made 172 appearances for Fulham during a 5-year spell at the club. He is unlikely to face his old team on Saturday with Petr Cech set to start in goal.   

Saturday: 17.30

Past three meetings

Fulham 0 Chelsea 3 (Terry 2, Luiz), Premier League, April 2013

Chelsea 0 Fulham 0, Premier League, November 2012

Fulham 1 Chelsea 1, Premier League, April 2012

Stats

Fulham manager Martin Jol will be looking for his second away win of the season, but Fulham have not beaten Chelsea in the league since the 05/06 season

Fulham have only beat Chelsea 7 times in the league, whilst Chelsea have claimed victory against Fulham thirty-nine times.

Eden Hazard has played 90 minutes of every Chelsea league game so far this season. He has created 12 chances in the opening four games, the highest of any player in the division.

Odds

Chelsea: 1.32

Fulham: 13



http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/premier-league-chelsea-v-fulham-match-preview-8830194.html

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Jol on a mission as Fulham boss targets derby pain for under-fire Mourinho

Manager Martin Jol has called on his Fulham players to believe they can pull off their own 'mission impossible' and inflict a third straight defeat on Chelsea when they head to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The Blues slumped to a surprise 2-1 home loss against Swiss club Basle in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, as Jose Mourinho's men failed to shrug off the Barclays Premier League reverse at Everton.


Positive: Fulham manager Martin Jol

Jol is not having it all his own way this season either, the Dutch coach apologising for his public outburst against those supporters who booed the 1-1 draw with West Brom last weekend, where the home side conceded a costly equaliser in stoppage-time.

While Jol accepts it will be a stern challenge to take all three points the mile or so back down Fulham Road to the banks of the Thames, he believes the squad can take confident from recent performances against their neighbours, having drawn five of the last seven meetings, which included a penalty shoot-out defeat in their 2011/2012 Carling Cup tie.

Mourinho has never lost a Premier League home game, winning 48 and drawing 14, an impressive record which stretches back through his first spell in charge. Jol, though, will focus on producing a positive mental attitude.

'I have to put it in the minds of my players that we had good results (there),' the Fulham manager said at a press conference.

'I don't know what that means to have good results in the away matches against them, but we still know the way we played against them, so maybe that will help.

'I can remember a few games - the penalty kick with Pajtim Kasami that we should have won, but that was for the cup.

'We had a few situations last year in the away match where we could have scored in the last 10 minutes, so we could have had a win.


Shocker: Chelsea slipped up against Basel in the Champions League

'It is a good thing that we haven't lost (there recently), although remember that we lost at home (3-0 to Chelsea) a couple of months ago (in April last season).'

Jol continued: 'They changed managers, although he [Mourinho] plays almost a similar system now to Rafa Benitez.

'Before he (Mourinho) played a different system in a 4-3-3, he changed it a bit so that is different, but we are quite confident.'

Fulham Supporters Trust have given their backing to Jol, who has one year left on his contract.

The former Tottenham boss is hoping to give the travelling fans something to remember from Saturday's early evening kick-off.

The Dutchman added: 'It is 10 minutes from our place, so it is the same as a home game almost.

'We have got good support from our supporters, and hopefully we can do something nice.

'We are in the Fulham area with Chelsea and their stadium is in the Fulham area, so that is why it is a big and important derby.

'If you look at the support we always get at Chelsea from our away fans, it is terrific.'

Striker Dimitar Berbatov will have a fitness test on a hamstring problem, and Bryan Ruiz (ankle) misses out, but forward Darren Bent should be back in the squad following his own hamstring issues which forced him to miss the West Brom match.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2427031/Martin-Jol-mission-Fulham-boss-targets-derby-pain-Jose-Mourinho.html#ixzz2fVQS3Ggj
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Guest post: With more disappointment, what now for Martin Jol?

With Chelsea coming up tomorrow, loyal Fulham's Finest reader Nick Macnee takes a peek over Fulham's shoulder at the results of the young season so far, and how it will affect the squad going forward.

After a disappointing late draw with Steve Clark's West Bromwich Albion, boo's were heard around the Cottage as Martin Jol's Fulham walked back into the dressing rooms. Jol stated that he would like to confront the supporters who booed if he could. Were the boo boys right to do their act of chanting against their own team? Yes and No. Why yes, you say? Well, who wouldn't be disappointed when your team concedes a later goal in a game you dominate in? Its how people keep their emotions in that defines us. However, while the late goal by Gareth Macauley may have been disappointing, as a whole it was not a bad performance...for the first half. Steve Sidwell improvised to score a half volley, lucky as it may have been, and we had 3 goals all ruled out for offside (correctly) unfortunately. Fulham haven't been as productive as they were this stage last season, scoring 10 goals in their first 4 matches, compared to, well, 3 this season. Admittedly, there are many reasons why we scored so many last season and many why we haven't this year.

Lets take a look at the positives so far from this start to the season. But before you say "what positives?" take a step back. Firstly, Pajtim Kasami. Kasami scored his first goal in Fulham colours in our scrappy win against Sunderland. His game has clearly stepped up, with his physical strength doing wonders for us so far. His versatility has also been key, playing behind the striker in the win against Sunderland and the right wing against Arsenal and West Brom, though this does give us the question of where the heck is Ashkan Dejagah, who has disappeared altogether it seems. Secondly... is there a secondly? I certainly don't see one. Last season, one would say that Dimitar Berbatov was a positive. Certainly not this year, with no goals to his name yet. The big question still remains of why exactly was Bryan Ruiz signed, with only 7 goals and 14 assists going into his third year as a Fulham player, with loanee Adel Taarabt so far being a lot more impressive than Ruiz.

Performances have been poor. Very poor. There is just no other way to put it. The win against Sunderland was fortunate, with our only shot being Kasami's header into the back of the net. The ever counter attacking machine of Arsenal made quick work of our slow defence, resulting in a very easy win for the Gunners. Lets not even get onto the beyond dreadful performance against Newcastle, where we were easily beaten by a dreadful team. And then came the international break and back to Craven Cottage, with us playing West Brom. While the performance against West Brom was certainly much improved, questions are still to be asked on why exactly we couldn't kill an easy game off. Yes, we had three goals disallowed. But we had numerous chances to get that 2nd goal and win the game. The absence of Darren Bent can certainly be used as an excuse, and one I will accept, for the time being. Plenty of positives can be taken out of the game, like the fact that Philippe Senderos had a sort of good game for us and that Fernando Amorebieta got his debut looking very impressive at left back, despite his natural position being at the centre. Kasami was again, industrial as ever. Scott Parker was fighting as he always does. But there are also the negatives, and at this current time, the negatives certainly loom over the positives after the poor performances of the first couple of games.

Jol can be thankful that Shahid Khan wasn't there, I don't think that Mr Khan would have appreciated the boo's at the end. Jol certainly knows that he is in the final year of his contract with Fulham and that if he wants to stay in his job, then he must deliver a top 10 finish or at the very least, as Mr Khan cited, "Improvement". At the moment, that's not looking too well for him so far. The property nowadays is young managers with lots of potential, with the rewards being reaped by teams such as Tottenham and Swansea, with Andre Villas Boas and Michael Laudrup respectively. Gus Poyet, free after his incorrect sacking at Brighton, is available. Jol knows that with a new owner, there is unlikely to be that much patience, with Khan quickly getting rid of the head coach of his NFL team after a horrible first season for his NFL team, the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jol has to step it up quickly, or he could find himself wondering where it all went wrong for him at Fulham. The perfect way to do that? A win or draw at Jose Mourinho's Chelsea. But is that likely, especially after their loss to Everton? No. So it all comes down to Cardiff at the Cottage on the 27th. A loss there could certainly condemn Martin Jol to the job centre. Good luck, Martin. You're going to need it.

And now we watch the vultures of Poyet, Rangnick and Murphy circle around Jol, waiting for a bite...



http://fulhamsfinest.com/2013/09/20/guest-post-with-more-disappointment-what-now-for-martin-jol/?

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Chelsea v Fulham: Five players under the spotlight

Chelsea welcome local rivals Fulham to Stamford Bridge in Saturday's tea-time game as they look to put the disappointment of the last week behind them.

Last season: 0-0

Odds: Chelsea 3/10, Draw 23/5, Fulham 11/1


Chelsea started the season with seven points in the first three games but in the last week suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season to Everton at Goodison Park, and a surprise defeat to Basel in the Champions League on Wednesday, which they will look to put behind them.

Fulham have had an inconsistent start, after winning at Sunderland on the opening day they have only picked up a solitary point from their other three games after a last minute Gareth McAuley equaliser for West Brom denied then all three points at Craven Cottage last weekend.

Dimitar Berbatov could miss out for Fulham with a hamstring injury whilst it might be a week too early for Maarten Stekelenburg as he recovers from a shoulder injury. Chelsea, however, have no fresh injury worries and it may be a case of how much Mourinho would like to tinker with his side with the fixture schedule starting to get a little bit busier.

Darren Bent:

There are one or two question marks over his fitness but Darren Bent could be essential if Fulham are to get anything from Stamford Bridge. With his pace and his finishing ability, he could give the Chelsea back line a lot to think about. 

Eden Hazard:

We've not seen much of Hazard early on this season a Oscar seems to have outshone him. Nevertheless a player of Hazard's quality can't be kept quiet for long, and he may start firing on Saturday tea time.

Juan Mata:

It will be interesting to see whether or not Mata plays. He hasn't played much this season but with the fixture list getting a bit busier, Mata may be called upon to play a significant role for Chelsea against Fulham.

Steve Sidwell:

A return to his former club, and Fulham will need to play well in the middle of the park if they are to get something off Mourinho's men. Sidwell, along with Scott Parker will be the key men in the engine room as they both try and get one over their former club.

Samuel Eto'o:

He has had a peculiar first couple of games in a Chelsea shirt, although he has looked threatening with some good movement, he hasn't managed to find the back of the net for his side. Will he get another start this weekend, and a chance to get his first goal for the club?

Last time they met:

Fulham 0-3 Chelsea – Premier League April 2013

This game contained one of the goals of the season as David Luiz's 35 yard effort put Chelsea into the lead before John Terry headed home for Chelsea's second. Terry added to his and Chelsea's tally 20 minutes from time. The result kept up Chelsea's pursuit of a Champions League place whilst Fulham remained in mid-table.



http://hereisthecity.com/2013/09/19/ib-chelsea-v-fulham-five-players-under-the-spotlight/?

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Parker's Chelsea Return

Scott Parker is hoping for a happy return to Stamford Bridge when the Whites make the short journey down Fulham Road to face Chelsea on Saturday afternoon (5.30pm).

Parker took residency at Stamford Bridge for a season and a half earlier in his career and the midfielder knows full well that the SW6 derby will be tricky test for his new team.

"It's obviously going to be a big game," he said. "We'll go there and we'll set out and see what we can do. We've worked hard this week and we'll try to pick up a result if we can.

"Certainly for us it's obviously another game against a very good team which we've prepared for, and we will go there and try to give them a game.

"We all want to get the results that we are striving for. I'm sure if we carry on the way we are going and keep improving, I think we can make fast improvements week in week out. Hopefully we can keep taking those small steps and we can start to pick up results."

While Fulham did pick up a result in their last outing, there was still a feeling of regret after West Bromwich Albion snatched a late equaliser following a corner at Craven Cottage last week.

"We were very disappointed we didn't get the result in the end," Parker admitted. "I think the performance was pretty good to be fair. In the first half we absolutely dominated and deserved to go 1-0 up and second half we came under the cosh a little bit.

"I still thought that we probably edged it and still deserved to win. We passed the ball around very well and we looked a very organised team.

"We had three goals disallowed and in the end they put us under a lot of pressure. Towards the end they put in some long balls and unfortunately one has gone in from a set play. But I think there are a lot of positives to take.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/september/21/parkers-chelsea-return?

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Why Fulham fans calling for the dismissal of Martin Jol should get real:

When a new chairman or chairwoman comes into a club they often have their own ideas on how things should be run on and off the pitch, which means whoever is the manager at that point is in danger of losing their job. In the case of Fulham under the new ownership of Shad Khan, it appears to be a minority of fans rather than a know-it-all businessman or woman that would do way with the current boss, Martin Jol.

This was exemplified plainly at their home game against West Bromwich Albion, which left them in their usual area of 13th place. It's usually the opposite although I wouldn't be surprised if Khan was or will eventually be on their side going by the past actions of owners. The members of the Craven Cottage faithful that want Jol out of the club for not getting them to where they 'rightly deserve' are forgetting a few things.

Although The Whites have been established in the top tier for 12 straight years now, and reached the Europa League final three years ago after a remarkable spate of victories against much bigger clubs such as Juventus and Hamburg on route to it, Fulham's highest top-flight finishes are 7th and 8th.

They have never won a major honour throughout their entire history as London's oldest club and have spent the majority of their lifespan in the lower leagues, so we are not talking crème de la crème here. But that is not what some impatient and narrow minded 'supporters' would have you believe going by some of their behaviour.

In terms of size, it's arguable whether the club that are currently residing in 13th place in the Premiership (them) are even Premier League standard when you think of the likes of Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers plying their trades in the divisions below. Whether fans thought that Fulham should have built on the dizzy heights of 7th, 8th and a European final then challenge for the Champions League I don't know.

But those calling for Jol's head should remember that there's stiff competition out there. You never know, with Khan's backing they could do a 'Manchester City', but it's highly unlikely.



http://thisisfutbol.com/2013/09/blogs/why-fulham-fans-calling-for-the-dismissal-of-martin-jol-should-get-real?