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Friday Fulham Stuff (20/09/13)...

Started by WhiteJC, September 20, 2013, 07:55:18 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

WhiteJC

 
Meulensteen Wanted by Jol
   
Under-fire Martin Jol could, if the papers are correct, be looking to recruit a new assistant manager.

The tabloid press is insinuating that Jol is hoping to take on board the former Manchester United coach, Rene Meulensteen

Meulensteen opted to leave Old Trafford after the introduction of the new David Moyes regime and took on a post, in Russian football, with Anzhi Makhachkala.

Unfortunately, the 49 year-old only lasted 16 days in his role there, although we suspect very much that may have had something to do with the financial mess that has befallen the big-spenders.

We`ll keep you afoot of any potential developments.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=332787#ixzz2fPopBWzQ

WhiteJC

 
Jol: I chose Bent over Everton loanee Lukaku

The Fulham boss decided not to pursue the young Belgian's signature having already brought in Aston Villa's forgotten man, while Sam Allardyce was disappointed to miss out

Fulham manager Martin Jol admits his regret at missing out on Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku last season, but claims he chose Darren Bent over the Belgian this summer.

After sealing a year-long loan move to Everton on transfer deadline day, the 20-year-old will be hoping to rediscover the form that saw him hit 17 Premier League goals during a similar stint at West Brom last season, but Jol insists he held no interest after bringing fellow loanee Bent to Craven Cottage.

"I wanted to have him on loan last year," Jol admitted.

"But, they wanted him to come back if he would have done well before January, and I said 'no, I want him for the whole season', I was wrong, I should have taken him for the four or five months.

"This year was different because they couldn't make their mind up and they needed their strikers.

"On the last day, he went to Everton and there was no chance for us. Because we already had Bent, and you can only have a [certain amount of] similar players."

The Dutchman was not alone in his pursuit of the young striker, as Sam Allardyce admits he held a long-standing interest in bringing Lukaku on loan to West Ham.

"I chased him all summer to be honest," Allardyce told reporters.

"But when it became the final day of the deadline we missed out an Everton managed to secure his position. We were more or less told he was going back to West Brom.

"We tried, but didn't manage to clinch it."



http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2013/09/19/4274030/-?

WhiteJC

 
Jol: I was wrong to react
Martin Jol admits he was wrong to react to booing from home supporters and accepts they have a right to express frustration.

The Cottagers have failed to build on their 1-0 win at Sunderland on the opening day, losing to Arsenal and also away to Newcastle before conceding a stoppage-time equaliser to West Brom last weekend.

Jeers and cries of "Jol out" from some sections of the home support followed the final whistle against the Baggies, which the Dutchman described as "disappointing" in his post-match interviews.

Fulham Supporters' Trust has called for everyone to get behind the manager - who has been in charge since replacing Mark Hughes in 2011 and continues to have the support of new owner Shahid Khan - ahead of the west London derby with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Jol, though, expressed some regret at his choice of words last weekend, when he also questioned what fans of a club of Fulham's stature should realistically expect.

"I think it is better not to talk about it, but I did, and I shouldn't have because they are entitled to express themselves," Jol told a press conference.

"They pay us to play football for them and they have got an opinion, and to lose [two points] in the 92nd minute was very disappointing - not only for them, but for me and the club.

"I talked about the fact that expectations can make you very unhappy at any club - Chelsea, even Manchester United, big clubs, smaller clubs, and especially at Fulham as well.

"We feel that we have got good players, but five of the seven new players were not even there last week so we still have to find a balance."

Jol remains confident the team's fortune can turn around as the squad integrate.

He said: "It is not easy, but I think there are probably 10 or 11 other teams that are not settled and play with different players, new players, so what I mean is that as soon as we gel together, we will be fine."

Chelsea suffered a surprise 2-1 home defeat in the Champions League against Basle on Wednesday evening, a second successive reverse for Jose Mourinho's men after they had been beaten at Everton.

Jol, though, knows better than to take the Blues lightly.

He said: "I think if we beat them it will be the first time that they have lost three games in a week, so it puts a little bit more pressure on them.

"However, I don't know if it is an advantage or not.

"When they lost against Everton, it put pressure on them in the Champions League, so they had to win that game.

"So to talk about must-win games, I think that for Chelsea this is a must-win game against us because they want to be champions in England."

Fulham are waiting on the fitness of striker Dimitar Berbatov, who has a hamstring problem which forced him off against West Brom.

Forward Darren Bent, though, should be available after his own hamstring concern.

Bryan Ruiz is out, but Jol revealed: "He had a traumatic ankle injury but not as bad as we thought. It's one ligament and it's getting better and better so he'll hopefully be back next week."

Goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg is still not yet match fit, while full-back Matthew Briggs is set for around three weeks out after a hernia operation.


http://www.football365.com/fulham/8930163/-?


WhiteJC

 
Eden Hazard v Bryan Ruiz: Head-to-head analysis ahead of the clash between Chelsea and Fulham
Check out all the vital statistics concerning the two sides' forwards
ahead of this weekend's Premier League meeting at Stamford Bridge



Ahead of this weekend's Premier League meeting, between Chelsea and Fulham, see how the sides' forwards Eden Hazard and Bryan Ruiz compare.



http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/eden-hazard-v-bryan-ruiz-headtohead-analysis-ahead-of-the-clash-between-chelsea-and-fulham-8827535.html

WhiteJC

 
Cheerio, Cheerio, Cheerio!
   
I always thought it was an eye-sore and had no place at Craven Cottage so I guess I`m absolutely delighted that it is going.

What am I on about you might be asking, well it`s that damn statue of Michael Jackson.

Apparently our new owner, Shahid Khan, has decreed that it should be removed from where it sits now and returned to Mohamed Al Fayed.

Good riddance I say!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=332799#ixzz2fPq3fhcG

WhiteJC

 
Fulham boss Martin Jol sweating on Dimitar Berbatov's fitness for visit to Chelsea

However, Jol is boosted by the return of Darren Bent who has recovered from a hamstring problem


Doubt: Dimitar Berbatov is struggling to be fit for the weekend
Getty


Fulham are sweating on the fitness of star striker Dimitar Berbatov ahead of Saturday's west London derby with Chelsea.

The Bulgarian international limped out of last weekend's draw against West Brom with a hamstring injury and is rated at 50/50 to be ready in time for the Stamford Bridge clash.

Boss Martin Jol is boosted by the return of Darren Bent after he recovered from a hamstring problem that kept him out against the Baggies.

Bryan Ruiz's ankle injury isn't as bad as first feared but faces another week on the sidelines, while Aaron Hughes (thigh), Maarten Stekelenburg (shoulder) and Matthew Briggs (hernia) are also missing.

Jol came under-fire from a section of Fulham fans last weekend following Gareth McAuley's last-gasp leveller that extended their winless run at Craven Cottage to six games.

But the Dutch manager insists the Whites will come good when their summer signings start to click.

He said: "We have good players, but five of the seven new players were not there last week, so it's not easy.


Back again: Darren Bent scores against Arsenal
Reuters


"There are 10 or 11 teams who have not settled, but as soon as we gel together we will be fine.

"Sometimes you have to put things in perspective. We're doing better in this transitional period over the past couple of years than people give us credit for."

Fulham face a Chelsea side hurting from back-to-back defeats this week following the shock Champions League reverse against Basel last night.

And Jol reckons the losses have piled the pressure on their neighbours ahead of the clash.

"For Chelsea it's a must-win game against us because they want to be champions," he said.

"I was thinking yesterday if they lost a second game in a week it could be difficult.

"It puts a little bit more pressure on them, but I don't know whether that's an advantage or not."

The former Spurs chief is looking forward to renewing rivalries with Jose Mourinho, adding: "I'm happy he's back.

"He's almost like a friend to me, a very nice guy. We've got a connection with each other. He's quite popular."



Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/fulham-team-news-martin-jol-2286133#ixzz2fPqLrL9C
Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook


WhiteJC

 
Premier League Preview: Chelsea v Fulham

Chelsea will be desperate to end a four-match winless streak when they host Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Saturday in the Premier League.

Meetings between the two West London sides are normally tight affairs, and Chelsea have won just one of their last five league fixtures against Fulham.

And the match takes on extra significance for the UEFA Europa League winners given their slow start to the season.

Chelsea will enter the Premier League clash without a victory in any competition in a month, and defeats to Everton and Basel in the last week will have caused concern with the club's supporters.

Pressure is already starting to build on returning manager Jose Mourinho, while his decision to loan Romelu Lukaku to Everton has been questioned by many.

New signing Samuel Eto'o has failed to impress in his first two matches for the club after joining from Anzhi Makhachkala, while fellow striker Fernando Torres is still short of form.

And Wednesday's defeat to Basel was a real shock, with Chelsea conceding twice in the last 20 minutes in front of their home fans on Wednesday to lose 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League.

Chelsea defender Gary Cahill is aware that the club's form has been poor, but stopped short of calling it a crisis.

"It's not a disaster but it's not ideal. A club like this wants to win the majority of games it plays," Cahill told the club's official website.

"That's the expectation. It's a blow but it's not the be all and end all.

"We need to win our next game now, as simple as that. The manager will stress that."

Mourinho's unbeaten record in Premier League fixtures at Stamford Bridge is a staggering 62 matches and although Chelsea's struggles will give Fulham a boost, Martin Jol's side are in poor form themselves.

After a 1-0 triumph at Sunderland on the opening day, Fulham have failed to win in the league, leaving them in 14th position in the table.

Fulham looked set for all three points at Craven Cottage on Saturday against struggling West Brom, but conceded in injury time, as Gareth McAuley's header salvaged a point for the visitors in a 1-1 draw.

Star striker Dimitar Berbatov has failed to score in his four Premier League fixtures this season, while loan signing Darren Bent has started just once.

Bent is likely to return from a hamstring injury for the match, while Berbatov – who limped off against West Brom with a hamstring problem of his own – is a doubt.

Attacker Bryan Ruiz (ankle) was also substituted against West Brom and is likely to miss out, while goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg (shoulder) and defenders Aaron Hughes (thigh) and Matthew Briggs (hernia) will not feature.

Chelsea have a clean bill of health and will be hopeful of extending their 14-match unbeaten league run against Fulham.

Of their seven home matches in that run though, just three have been wins, and Mourinho will be desperate to improve that in a potentially season-defining encounter.



http://uk.soccerway.com/news/2013/September/19/premier-league-preview-chelsea-v-fulham/?

WhiteJC

 
Alan Curbishley admits he's always regretted selling Scott Parker at Charlton Athletic


Back to being the boss: Curbishley takes charge of a training session at Dorking
(Picture: Action Images /Budweiser)


Alan Curbishley has admitted his great regret in football was having to sell Scott Parker when he was manager of Charlton.

Curbishley, who has been out of management since leaving West Ham in 2008, was in charge of the Addicks in two spells between 1984-87 and 1990-93.

And, asked what the hardest sale of his managerial career had been at an event run by Budweiser, he told players of non-league Dorking, it was the transfer of midfielder Parker, a firm favourite at The Valley, in 2004.

Curnishley said: 'Definitely the Parker deal, because we were fourth in the Premier League, we beat Chelsea 4-1 at The Valley and the next week Chelsea made a bid for him and it was impossible to keep him.

'And I couldn't spend the money [Parker cost Chelsea £10million] because we had three or four days before the window closed. We finished seventh and I think we'd have finished in the top five [if we'd not sold Parker] because of the squad we had.'


Wanted man: Nine years on from his Chelsea move, Parker is playing for Fulham (Picture: Getty Images)

Coach the Coaches is backed by the League Managers Association (LMA) and aims to help non-league coaches enhance their technical training skills.

The programme was developed to provide clubs with a pre-season confidence boost and help them head into the season with a sense of optimism.

The initiative kicked off with former Birmingham boss Alex McLeish visiting Shepshed Dynamo to help develop their technical skills and ex-Brighton manager Gus Poyet joining Stanway Rovers to help them put together a strong attack.

Tony Pulis, who left Stoke last season, visited Blackfield & Langley to work on their tactical ability and Stuart Pearce talked strategy with the coaches at Oldham Borough.



http://metro.co.uk/2013/09/19/alan-curbishley-admits-hes-always-regretted-selling-scott-parker-at-charlton-athletic-4057097/?

WhiteJC

 
EPL Preview: Chelsea v. Fulham

Chelsea will look to regain their form against Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night.

The Blues have suffered back-to-back defeats to Everton and FC Basel, and have endured their worst start in the Premier League in the Roman Abramovich era.

Despite the club's poor form, Jose Mourinho — who took responsibility for the loss against Basel in midweek — has insisted everyone must 'keep calm.'

"I am the manager, I am responsible for everything," the Portuguese Sky Sports.

"Especially after a bad result. In the good moments I want everyone to shine, in the bad moments I want everyone to keep calm.

"Tomorrow I will not wake up with a smile on my face but at seven o'clock I will work hard to get three points against Fulham.

"In the next match, we go to Bucharest [in the Champions League], we have to get the points to put us in the Champions League. We don't want to play in the Europa League."

However, before Chelsea travel to Bucharest, they must face Fulham at the weekend.

Fulham (1-2-2) have not won since the opening day of the season at Sunderland.

The Cottagers narrowly escaped an embarrassing defeat at the hands of League Two side Burton Albion in Round 2 of the Capital One Cup on 27 August, winning by the slimmest of margins (5-4) on penalties after being held to a 2-2 draw at the infamous Pirelli Stadium.

Players to Watch

For Chelsea, Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires and Eden Hazard have been the standout performers this season, while strikers Andre Schürrle, Demba Ba, Fernando Torres and Samuel Eto'o have been out-of-sorts, to put it mildly.

On the other side of the touchline, Fulham top performers thus far have been Aaron Hughes and one-time Gunner Philippe Senderos, with significant contributions from Bryan Ruiz and Pajtim Kasami.

New signing Fernando Amorebieta has made just one appearance for Fulham this season, and should not start against the Blues on Saturday given his dubious disciplinary record, which includes 13 red cards since 2005.

Last season, Chelsea were held to a 0-0 draw in this fixture, as then-manager Rafael Benitez was booed off the pitch by the club's supporters.

Betting Odds

Although Fulham earned a point from this fixture last term, the Blues are massive favourites to take all three points this time around, and rightfully so.

Chelsea (2/7) v. Fulham (10/1); Draw (9/2)

No matter how poor the Blues' current run of form, do not place a hero bet on Fulham. The Cottagers did not score against Chelsea last season, and it would probably be unreasonable to think they could find the back of the net at the Bridge.



http://www.soccernews.com/bpl-preview-chelsea-v-fulham/128172/?


WhiteJC

 
Fulham v City u18s: Match preview

City u18s travel to Fulham on Saturday looking to extend their unbeaten league run to five games.

Yet to suffer a loss in the Barclays u18 Premier League this season, the Blues currently sit top of the North Division table, one point ahead of rivals Manchester United.

A last minute winner against Leicester from Bersant Celina was enough to secure all three points two weeks ago, while the boy Blues also saw off Stoke three days earlier thanks to a first City goal for Denzeil Boadu.

This weekend's opponents, Fulham, provide a tough assignment for the young Blues – the Cottagers have taken maximum points from their opening three games.

Jack Byrne is still suspended following his red card against West Brom, but Jason Wilcox welcomes Tosin Adarabioyo back from England duty.

Kick off is at 1pm. We'll have goal updates on twitter, as well as a full match report on mcfc.co.uk.



http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Academy-news/2013/September/Fulham-v-City-u18s-match-report?

WhiteJC

 
Jol admits he was wrong to criticise fans after they booed Fulham's draw with West Brom

Fulham boss Martin Jol has admitted he was wrong to criticise fans for booing at the end of their draw with West Brom last weekend.

There were cries of 'Jol out' when West Brom scored a stoppage-time equaliser at Craven Cottage which the Dutchman called 'disappointing.'

But he said yesterday: 'I shouldn't have because they are entitled to express themselves.'


Admittance: Martin Jol says Fulham fans are entitled to to express their opinion at the team's performances


Leveller: West Brom's last minute equaliser at Fulham last week caused home fans to boo at full time



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2426043/Jol-admits-wrong-criticise-fans-booed-Fulhams-draw-West-Brom.html#ixzz2fPsEjsla
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

WhiteJC

 
PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: CHELSEA V FULHAM - PART ONE

For the second Saturday running Chelsea are in tea-time action, and on this occasion it's a local affair. Club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton size up the SW6 derby...


TALKING POINTS
It is kind when the neighbours know you are having a bit of a rough time and pop straight round to see how you are. Unfortunately Fulham will not be knocking on the door on Saturday evening with a bottle of red, chocolate and compassion. At the same time, the Whites should prepare themselves just in case the greeting they receive is a bit brisk.

Chelsea's home group stage defeat by a tenacious Basel, our first in the Champions League since the opening match of the 2003/4 campaign proper (an even more surprising 0-2 to Besiktas), follows the narrow league loss at Everton.

The squandered chances of Goodison were not so abundant against the Swiss, which will concern Jose Mourinho. Chelsea may not have a mountain to climb but the Swiss made the route to the knockout stage a little steeper and the Blues need a lift.

Although it is decades since we lost in this branch of the west London derby, Fulham have drawn four of their last seven at the Bridge, including the most recent two. We have not scored more than one home league goal against them since Christmas 2009.

KEY STAT
Sir Bobby Robson was in the Fulham side the last time they won at Stamford Bridge in a top-flight league game, in 1964.


A win for under-pressure Martin Jol's team would inflict a third successive defeat for the first time since May/August 2006, when the newly crowned Premier League champions slipped up in the final two league games against Blackburn and Newcastle and the Community Shield against Liverpool.

The last hat-trick of defeats when it mattered was in September/October 2002 when our failure at Viking Stavanger in the UEFA Cup was sandwiched between league losses at home to West Ham and away to Liverpool.

The Dutch coach has squeezed just one win from a dozen meetings with Chelsea at Tottenham and his current side. The victory came at White Hart Lane and against 10 men. He has drawn four of the others and taken nil points on seven occasions.

The most recent west London derby was in mid-April at the Cottage, the visitors running out easy 3-0 winners.

Jol's men are finding goals equally hard to come by so far this season, notching three in four Premier League outings.

After just four matches no Premier League side can boast a perfect start. That is for the second successive season, but the previous four campaigns all had teams protecting a 100 per cent record at this stage. Are the stronger teams growing weaker or has the general standard improved?

KEY TWEET
Q: Which sacked Fulham manager worked briefly as a scout for Chelsea under Dave Sexton? #CFCPMB


A win will put the Blues above both Manchester clubs, who play each other on Sunday. Chelsea then detour to Swindon Town (our first visit for 20 years) in the League Cup on Tuesday night before facing Tottenham away Saturday lunchtime.



http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/3464348/title/pre-match-briefing-chelsea-v-fulham?


WhiteJC

 
Fulham hold contract talks with Sidwell

Fulham have held talks with Steve Sidwell about extending his contract.

The 30-year-old midfielder's current deal expires at the end of the season and manager Martin Jol is keen for him to stay at Craven Cottage.

"We are talking with Sidwell to extend his contract," the Dutchman confirmed

"I think he wants to stay. We will wait and see."

Sidwell joined Fulham from Aston Villa in 2011 has made 76 appearances for the Whites, scoring 10 goals.

The former Arsenal trainee played for Reading and Chelsea before moving to Villa in 2008.


http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-hold-contract-talks-with-sidwell?

WhiteJC

 
Predicting Martin Jol's Fulham Plan to Topple Chelsea

Fulham travel to Stamford Bridge this Saturday hoping to extend Chelsea's run of four winless games.

On the back of three consecutive defeats in the UEFA Super Cup, Premier League and Champions League, it could be the perfect time for Martin Jol's side to record their first victory against the Blues since 2005/06.

It could also be the toughest.

Chelsea have had their worst start to a season since the Roman Abramovich era began, and this weekend they will look to get back on track, with Fulham the potential whipping boys.

However the Cottagers do have reason to feel confident. In the last six Premier League meetings between the two sides, Fulham have held Chelsea to a draw on four occasions.

Last season's SW6 derby saw Jol's team come away from Stamford Bridge with a point from a 0-0 stalemate. A drab affair but a point nonetheless.

There were rumblings of dissatisfaction among the home support then, with Rafa Benitez not long in Chelsea job. Now, the same air of discontent threatens to return if results do not take a turn for the better. It must be the season, as even Fulham fans have been on their manager's back of late.

In last term's fixture, Fulham seemed happy to sit back and defend, allowing the hosts possession and attacking on the break. A tactic that Jol will probably be happy to employ on Saturday.

The Dutchman told Fulham's official website that this is a "must-win" game for the hosts:

I think if we beat them it will be the first time that they've lost three games in a week. So it puts a little bit more pressure on them, but I don't know if it's an advantage or not.

When they lost against Everton, it put pressure on them in the Champions League, so they had to win that game. To talk about must-win games, I think that for Chelsea it's a must-win game against us because they want to be champions in England.

I won't say there's nothing to lose when we go there because it's a difficult game, but I think the last two or three away matches against Chelsea we did quite well.

Over the summer, Jol went about remodeling his squad, most notably signing Scott Parker, Adel Taarabt and Maarten Stekelenburg while bringing Darren Bent in on loan.

Parker may play a pivotal role in this weekend's game. In much the same way that Everton's Gareth Barry managed to impose himself on Chelsea at Goodison Park last week, Parker could be instrumental in breaking up the Blues' play in the center of the pitch.

The former Chelsea man may be 32, but he adds much-needed steel in midfield. He's still a great tackler, vocal and has a tireless work rate. Parker's range of passing and distribution also sees him connecting the back four with Fulham's counter-attacks. In this, Parker takes on a similar role that Danny Murphy had for Fulham—Murphy being a figure that Jol's side have struggled to replace since he departed at the end of the 2011/12 season.

Bryan Ruiz (ankle) is out for this game, as is Aaron Hughes (thigh) and Stekelenburg (shoulder). Dimitar Berbatov will be undergoing fitness tests to see if he is available for selection, as reported by Jacob Murtagh in the Mirror.

Comforting for Fulham is the fact that Chelsea have only scored four goals in the top-flight this season, two of those strikes were from set-pieces and none from a centre-forward.

According to Squawka, the Blues' shot accuracy is only 35 percent and their overall possession stats are 54 percent.

Fulham's numbers are not as different as you would think. The Cottagers have scored three goals so far this season—this figure might have been more, had they not had three goals chalked off for offside against West Bromwich Albion last weekend. In terms of possession they have 49 percent, with a shot accuracy of 48 percent.

Where they differ is in chances created, Chelsea with 50 to Fulham's 25—testament to Mourinho's talent-packed midfield.

And it's here that the game will be won or lost.

Chelsea vs. Fulham head-to-head (last four meetings)
Premier League, April 17, 2013   Fulham 0-3 Chelsea         
Premier League, Nov 28, 2012   Chelsea 0-0 Fulham         
Premier League, April 9, 2012   Fulham 1-1 Chelsea         
Premier League, Dec 26, 2011   Chelsea 1-1 Fulham         
soccerbase.com

Last year, Benitez omitted Juan Mata from his squad, and it will be interesting to see if Mourinho continues to overlook the Spaniard in a starting role. If Fulham can mark Oscar and Eden Hazard as tightly as they did in the same fixture last season, they will snuff out their biggest threat.

Fulham's back five did well against West Brom last weekend, conceding an equalizer in the 90th minute. If they can stay switched on (and perhaps freshness will be in their favour), Chelsea's misfiring strikers may be denied.

"We had chances and chances but we didn't score," Mourinho said in the Guardian after losing to Everton. "If you don't score you can't win, and what you create means nothing. Artistic football is no good without goals."

Following that 1-0 defeat, Mourinho blamed his players' emotional state for their loss. He was quoted in the Independent as saying:

They did not lose the game tactically, they lost it emotionally. Tactically, they knew what they had to do with three at the back. They know the distance they can go. Emotionally, it is different. You see your watch ticking down, 15, 12, 11... it goes very fast when you are losing and they lost a little bit of emotional control.


Fulham will probably opt to go with their preferred 4-2-3-1 against Chelsea, with David Stockdale in goal, Riether as first choice right-back, with Brede Hangeland and Philippe Senderos in central defence and John Arne Riise at left-back.

Steve Sidwell should get the nod to partner Parker as the holding midfielders, with Adel Taarabt providing creativity on the left, the confident-looking Pajtim Kasami in the middle and, in the absence of Ruiz, experienced Damien Duff starting on the right.

If fit, Berbatov is likely to start as the lone striker, with Darren Bent a great option to have on the bench.

Perhaps Fulham can recapture the form they showed on the opening day of the season, when they beat Sunderland at home. If so, it would be their first win against Chelsea in 14 attempts.

As Mourinho put it last weekend in the Mirror, "We are not unbeatable."



http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1780630-predicting-martin-jols-fulham-plan-to-topple-chelsea?

WhiteJC

 
TIME TO ABANDON THE PIVOT?

Following Chelsea's midweek European disappointment, come Saturday evening Jose Mourinho and his men will be ready to take on local rivals Fulham at Stamford Bridge.

Jose Mourinho refused to scorn his young side despite relinquishing a first half lead against Basel on Tuesday night. Van Ginkel and Willian made their first Chelsea starts, as Samuel Eto'o lead the line with Fernando Torres nowhere to be seen. Juan Mata remained on the bench. After Oscar put the Blues' ahead on half time, Chelsea allowed Basel to win the game in the last twenty minutes.

Chelsea haven't won since the second game of the season against Aston Villa, despite a lengthy international break and European commitments. Whilst the team hasn't been leaking goals at an alarming rate, a problem remains that despite the array of creative, attacking midfielders at the club, the curse of the Chelsea number 9 seems no further from exorcism. Making Romelu Lukaku's deadline day loan move to West Brom all the more peculiar.

One would certainly expect Torres to start this weekend after missing out on the matchday squad midweek. It will also be interesting to see which attacking trio Jose plumps for with Willian now fit and ready, and the fans voicing their opinions over the exclusions of Juan Mata.

A real problem for Mourinho at the moment has been who to play in defensive midfield. The pivot role rarely works playing two attacking minded players such as Lampard and Ramires. Despite Mourinho trying a number of combinations, other then Mikel (who has only started 3 games this season) Chelsea appear to lack  a real anchor man. Many fans are starting to berate the overall balance of the squad that Mourinho has inherited.

Chelsea haven't lost to their neighbours in the league in almost a decade. Fulham themselves have only won once since the start of the season, and languish in 14th place in the premature Premier League table. There were even boo's and jibes toward Martin Jol following last weekend's 1-1 draw with West Brom. At least they are getting rid of that ridiculous MJ statue.

Saturday's match at Stamford Bridge kicks off at 5:30pm.



http://www.cfcnet.co.uk/2013/09/time-to-abandon-the-pivot/?


WhiteJC

 
Putney Bridge could shut for six months during redevelopment


The Great River Race at Putney Bridge

Putney Bridge could be closed for six months if redevelopment goes ahead.

The Grade II listed structure, which connects Fulham and Putney, is in need of urgent repairs to its underlying waterproofing system and carriageway.

It will cost about £1.5m to complete the works, with funding secured from the Department for

Transport (DfT) and the London Bridges Engineering Group (LoBEG.)

The bridge would need to be fully closed for six months or partially closed for 11 months.

Pressure is expected to be placed on surrounding roads and bridges, with 13,977 vehicles using the bridge daily between 7am-7pm, about 20 every minutes.

The structure forms part of the A219 road network and is often busy on Saturdays when Fulham football club is playing at home.

Work needed to redevelop the bridge includes the creation of kerbside drainage, removal of plug joints and increasing the capacity of drainage pipes.

A Wandsworth Council report said: "There are alternative approaches in terms of the bridge being fully or partially closed for the successful execution and completion of the refurbishment works.

"These are currently being explored with the range of stakeholders involved and will be the subject of a future paper to this committee."

Councillors are expected to make a decision on how long the bridge will close for at a future date.



http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/10683320.Putney_Bridge_could_shut_for_six_months_during_redevelopment/?ref=mr

WhiteJC

 
Fulham FC news: Meulensteen close to confirmed


Meulensteen [R] with Ferguson [Action Images]

Fulham could unveil Rene Meulensteen as assistant manager to Martin Jol this weekend.

Meulensteen, who was Sir Alex Ferguson's right-hand man at Manchester United from 2007-2013, has been a free agent since his ill-fated spell at Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala.

He joined them in the summer as assistant to Guus Hiddink and was then handed the manager's post after just two games when Hiddink quit. However, Meulensteen was fired just a handful of games later.

The Dutchman was highly-rated by Ferguson at United and new boss David Moyes claimed he wanted to keep Meulensteen as part of his back room staff but Meulensteen refused.

A source said: "Martin and Rene have known each other for years and they would be a perfect fit."

Fulham travel to Stamford Bridge to take on west London rivals Chelsea tomorrow.



http://www.sportsdirectnews.com/premier-league-news/32588-fulham-fc-news-meulensteen-close-to-confirmed.php#.UjwRwBa_wds

WhiteJC

 
Where next?
By rich on September 20, 2013

Just following up on below's post: if there's one thing that watching and studying Roy Hodgson's teams taught us is that attacking and defending are not unconnected.

When Hodgson picks James Milner to man England's left flank he's accepting that he might not create as much as, say, Adam Johnson, but he will more or less ensure that opponents don't get to create much on that flank either. It's important to remember that a goal not conceded is just as valuable as a goal scored; it's virtually impossible to actually measure this defensive contribution but it's there and it's valuable. Provided Hodgson feels he has enough ways to create through other channels, or that he's not too fussed about creating in the first place, Milner remains a sound option.

We've long wondered about the balance of the current Fulham side, but what I think the numbers bear out is that we're adopting an attacking philosophy, by and large, but that the gains going forward are simply not compensating for the holes being left at the back. That's balance, and it's not correct.

Part of this is because our best players are forwards. Berbatov, Ruiz and Bent must play. But all three are more or less one-way players. Jol's default has been to add in at least one more forward player, and then we have Parker and Sidwell both going box-to-box, and Riether likes to overlap, and Riise at least attempted to.

But despite all this we're not creating chances, we're not scoring lots of goals.

So what needs to be fixed? There are perhaps a few options:

Change the balance and field more defensive players. We have Derek Boateng and he did well against Sunderland, and would give Parker and Sidwell justification to play as they do. To do this you would have to sacrifice an attacking player, but as noted, that extra attacking player isn't paying off anyway.

Keep the existing lineup but make them play differently. Parker is a wonderful defensive shield player, and while you'd lose a lot of Riether's value by making him stay back, there's no reason why you can't just get Parker to sit much deeper, tell whoever's at left back not to overlap as much, and generally set a bit more discipline about just how many players are to get ahead of the ball.

The latter might see a trend towards a more counter-attacking philosophy. People say that Berbatov and Ruiz slow down our attacks but I think that's only because the team as a whole is favouring a slow buildup and defences are behind the ball. Ruiz can counter, Berbatov's vision would seem to lend itself to this approach, and Bent's best facing the goal. Riether's overrated by Fulham fans but is the best counter-attacking full-back I've seen at the club. Sidwell has the energy and nous to make late scoring runs into opposing areas. I think we have the talent to play this way.

I am always very nervous of "we should do this" type posts, me being a footballing outsider and all. But when data is on my side, and the data below suggests that the balance of the team is wrong, then there's some justification here.

If we see more tight defending, fast attacks and perhaps even a bit more speculative shooting, we'll know they've been reading!



http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2013/09/20/where-next/?


WhiteJC

 
Inside Stamford Bridge

Chelsea season ticket holder Martyn Landi gives us the lowdown on his side and previews the first SW6 derby of the campaign.


First off, the consensus was extremely positive regarding Jose Mourinho's return in the summer. Were you pleased to see him back?

Absolutely. Not only for what he's achieved in the past with us and in general, but because the atmosphere around the place was horrible last season. Jose is a standard around which we can all gather and in the long run that can only make us a more difficult team to face. He's got the CV and the connection with the fans; on paper it's all there. We'll have to see what the season brings.

What would you categorise as a successful campaign for Chelsea this season?

My heart would say we have to aim to win the title, but given the iffy start I think third would be good, and splitting up the Manchester monopoly even better. Jose loves a trophy so a run in both the domestic competitions would be hoped for and anywhere around the Quarter-Finals of the UEFA Champions League.

We saw some more big spending over the summer – what have you made of your new signings so far?

Well for starters, with the exception of Samuel Eto'o, they're all very young which is a bit of a shift in our transfer policy generally under Roman Abramovich. Marco van Ginkel hasn't featured much yet but had a good Under-21 European Championship and looks a good passer of the ball deeper in midfield. I think Andre Schurrle and Kevin De Bruyne will both be very popular once they bed in because of their pace and directness, and Willian has got good strength and Brazilian flair to go with it. As individuals they're great, the problem is we now have six attacking midfielders for only three spaces, and they're all very similar. There isn't much of a Plan B.

We've also seen a Fulham favourite added to your ranks – Whites fans will tell you you've got a quality number two in Mark Schwarzer.

This surprised us as much as you guys, I'm sure. He'll play the cup games but I imagine that'll be it. In fairness to Mark, he's been a fantastic keeper for years so to have Petr Cech and the younger keepers working with him every day can only be a good thing in my eyes.

You've hit a bit of a rocky patch already some might say, so how do you see Saturday's game going?

I'm not expecting a fantastic spectacle, to be honest. We are very stop-start at the moment and Fulham haven't got going either. The pressures of a derby tend to tighten things up so I'd expect a cagey game. Of course an early goal would make a difference, drawing Fulham out and opening space up for the likes of Eden Hazard, Juan Mata, Willian or Oscar to exploit. The problem is our team is built in such a way that we don't like the opposition compact and behind the ball. And, of course, that's exactly what teams like to do at Stamford Bridge.

What have you made of Fulham so far this season?

I liked the business Martin Jol did in the summer; bringing in the likes of Scott Parker to sure up midfield and even Adel Taarabt because of that flash of brilliance he can produce. On paper that's a very good midfield now and Dimitar Berbatov up front always gives you a chance, although he might miss out this weekend through injury. I'm slightly surprised you've only picked up four points so far, but I think it's more a slow start than anything more serious.

Which Fulham players are you most wary of?

I think Alexander Kačaniklić having is becoming a real prospect, and Berbatov is always a menace around the box. Then you've got the Chelsea old boys in Damien Duff and Steve Sidwell who will be up for proving a point or two.

Talking of former Chelsea players, can Duff, Sidwell and Parker expect warm welcomes?

Duff can in particular. He was wonderful to watch in a front three with Arjen Robben and Didier Drogba and we have great memories of his time with us. Sidwell gave his all while he was here and that's all we can ask for. Scottie Parker will be an interesting one given his association with a certain North London club whose name we won't mention.

The SW6 derby is a game that Fulham fans relish – they've thrown up some decent encounters in recent years and are never a foregone conclusion are they?

Not at all. This is strange derby as Chelsea fans have never really taken it seriously. That's nothing against Fulham - I remember a group of Chelsea fans on the tube recently marvelling at how years ago if they couldn't get to our away game one week they would go to Fulham back when you were in the lower leagues. For some it feels like turning on the second team they've had for years. Obviously you guys have always hated us so it does make for a strange atmosphere and that often translates onto the pitch. The 3-2 win for Chelsea on Boxing Day back in 2005 being the perfect example; we were cruising then let a very determined Fulham back in until Hernan Crespo did his thing.

What's the best and worst thing about a trip to Stamford Bridge?

The atmosphere remains a pain and that's the worst thing. The passion is lacking on two-and-a-half sides of the stadium. The best thing, as I'm sure Fulham fans will agree with, is the setting; SW6 is one of the best places you could ever go to watch football.

What's one song that we're bound to hear on Saturday?

The inevitable chorus of 'Jose Mourinho' even though he waves at us and tells us to stop doing it.

Where's a good place for an away fan to get a pint before the game?

You guys know them all already, I'm sure - it's only down the road!

Score prediction?

I'll go for a cagey 2-1 Chelsea win.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/september/20/inside-stamford-bridge?

WhiteJC

 
Jackson Statue Update

A message from Chairman Shahid Khan:

"Craven Cottage means the world to generations of Fulham supporters, and I have heard from many of them over the past two months. Our supporters' views on the statue have been made clear. I respect Mr Al Fayed and know he had good intentions in paying an individual tribute. However, the removal of the statue is the right thing for Fulham Football Club."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/september/20/jackson-statue-update?