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

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

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WhiteJC

 
Pritchard's Europa Bow



Josh Pritchard made his debut in the UEFA Europa League Group Stages on Thursday evening as his loan side Tromso were beaten 3-0 by Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.

The midfielder played the full 90 minutes of the Group K clash, but his Norwegian side were comfortably beaten by one of the competition's early favourites.

Pritchard proved to be the visitors' most attacking threat in the game, but Spurs were already two goals to the good through Jermain Defoe's brace when the Welshman tried his luck from range to no avail.

The 20-year-old had Tromso's second and final shot in the second half after Lewis Holtby had been dispossessed, but his effort was never likely to trouble Hugo Lloris as it flew harmlessly over the bar.

Christian Eriksen added some gloss to the scoreline late on with a sublime strike to send the London outfit to the top of the group, condemning Tromso to bottom spot in the process.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/september/20/pritchards-europa-bow?

EJL

I'm not liking that statement from the Supporters' Trust.

WhiteJC

 
Big weekend in the Premier League Sack Race

A handful of top-flight managers head into this weekend's matches under pressure making for an exciting time in the early Premier League Sack Race. Paolo Di Canio leads the way at this early stage following a torrid start to the campaign, but the controversial Italian is not alone in feeling that the world is on his shoulders, with the likes of Steve Clarke, Martin Jol, Paul Lambert and even the "Special One" Jose Mourinho coming under fire in the last week.

Jose Mourinho

Chelsea are experiencing an unwanted mini-crisis following back-to-back defeats to Everton and FC Basel. The Blues have got off to their worst Premier League starts since Roman Abramovich took over, having suffered a surprise defeat at Everton last weekend. To make matters worse they were then lambasted by the media a few days later after their shock 2-1 defeat at home to Swiss minnows Basel who condemned Jose Mourinho's men to their first ever opening-day Champions League defeat, while it was their first group stage loss at home in the competition for a whopping 10 years.

Chelsea have now failed to win in four games in all competitions, whilst they have fired blanks in two of those encounters. There is no doubting that Mourinho now heads into Saturday's match at home to Fulham in desperate need of a victory. The Portuguese coach has been criticised for frequently changing his team, while the lack of a permanent presence in attack has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Paolo Di Canio v Steve Clarke

Premier League strugglers West Brom and Sunderland lock horns in an early season relegation nail-bitter on Saturday afternoon at the Hawthorns. The rock-bottom Black Cats have endured a shocking start to the campaign, having picked up just one point from their opening four games, while the Baggies are only a point better off in 19th.

The nerve-shredding match pits together two under-fire managers who are amongst the favourites for the chop, with Paolo Di Canio the 15/8 frontrunner(Sky Bet), while Steve Clarke is priced at 8/1. A vital three points will substantially ease the pressure on the winning manager, whereas a defeat could have grave consequences. However, with neither team in any form at all a draw looks the way to go at 5/2 with Bet Victor.

Martin Jol

Martin Jol was booed off by a section of Fulham fans last weekend after his side let in a last-gasp equaliser to West Brom. The Cottagers have made a slow start to the season with just one win to their name in four games, leaving them 17th in the table.

They now face a daunting trip to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, although it is worth noting that they have drawn their last three away games at Chelsea. But if Fulham fail to take anything from their upcoming home games against Cardiff and Stoke then the fans will no doubt really get on Jol's back and his position will come under severe threat.

Paul Lambert

Aston Villa enjoyed a stunning start to the season after shocking Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates. The Midlands club were simply blistering on the break and fully deserved the victory. However, since that pulsating performance they have suffered three defeats on the trot, which has seen them plummet down the table to 17th.

Next up is Paul Lambert's former club Norwich at Carrow Rd, which is a venue they won twice at last season, in both the league and cup. However, yet another defeat will almost certainly see Lambert's current odds of 20/1 cut in the Next Premier League To Leave market.



http://www.thesackrace.com/news/20th-september-2013/big-weekend-in-the-premier-league-sack-race?


WhiteJC

 
Brede's Milestone


Brede Hangeland joined an elite group of Fulham players last Saturday as he made his 250th appearance for the Club in our 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion at the Cottage.

Since signing in January 2008, Hangeland has been an integral part of the Whites backline and a cornerstone of the success that the Club has enjoyed in recent years. Rarely injured or suspended, he remains one of the first names on the teamsheet and was rewarded for his loyalty and consistency last summer when Manager Martin Jol handed him the Captain's armband.

As unassuming as ever, Hangeland wasn't aware he'd reached such a milestone until he was informed so by fulhamfc.com this week.

"Was it really?" he asked when told West Brom was his 250th appearance. "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."

Meanwhile, Hangeland says the Whites are raring to go ahead of Saturday's (5.30pm) SW6 derby at Chelsea.

Martin Jol's men make the short trip to Stamford Bridge for this weekend's televised clash, with Hangeland and company desperate to send the travelling supporters home happy.

"The game means a lot to the fans but it means a lot to the players as well," Brede told the official website. "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."

Like Fulham, Chelsea have suffered something of a hit-and-miss start to the new season. Indeed, the Blues have lost their last two games – a 1-0 league defeat at Everton last weekend was followed by Wednesday's shock 2-1 reverse to Basel in the UEFA Champions League.

But Hangeland is still more than aware of the threat that Jose Mourinho's side will pose on Saturday.

He continued: "It's definitely not an easy place to go to. They have a fantastic team with world-class players. As I said, they tend to be tight games and we've done quite well there over the last few seasons, picking up some draws. So anything is possible.

"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.

The late strike left the Cottage deflated so what better way to raise spirits, says Hangeland, than a favourable result against the Club's local rivals.

"It was very disappointing," stated Hangeland. "I thought we played very well. It's not often you have three disallowed goals and on another day it could have been a comfortable win. But it's in the past now, we can't do much about it so we need to look ahead and try and pick up some points on Saturday. That would be a nice way to react to last week."

A few tickets remain for our trip to Chelsea. Click here for more details.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/september/20/brede-250-not-out?

WhiteJC

 
Former Chelsea star wary of Mourinho factor

SCOTT Parker has warned his new Fulham team-mates that Jose Mourinho gives Chelsea a whole new dimension.

Parker knows the Special One well after Mourinho paid £10million to take him to Stamford Bridge in January 2004 during his first spell in charge.

The move did not work out, as the England star struggled to force his way past Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Claude Makelele into the first team.

Parker left for Newcastle in summer 2005 – but not before he picked up a Premier League winners medal as Mourinho led Chelsea to their first English title for 50 years. And the Portuguese manager made a lasting impression.

Mourinho returned to Chelsea this summer and Parker is also back in SW6, having moved from Tottenham to Fulham in August.

The sides lock horns tomorrow (Saturday).

"It's a big game for us," Parker said. "It's always going to be a big game. We'll go there, set out and try and see what we can do. We'll work on it this week and try and pick up a result if we can.

"He [Mourinho] has added another dimension to Chelsea certainly. For us it's obviously another game against a very, very good team that we'll prepare well for and go and give them a game."

Fulham head into the game on the back of conceding a last-minute equaliser at home to West Brom at the weekend, leading some fans to question boss Martin Jol, however Parker believes signs of improvement are clear.

"We passed the ball really well and looked a well-organised team," Parker added. "I think there are a lot of positives to take."



Read more: Fulham Chronicle http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2013/09/20/82029-33864009/?#ixzz2fQkFeopL

WhiteJC

 
Back Fulham to frustrate misfiring Chelsea with bwin offer insurance
The 1-1 is well worth a dabble with money back on your bet if the Blues aren't winning at half-time and full-time.

Chelsea head into their west London face-off against Fulham with the blushes from a Stamford Bridge humbling at the hands of Basel still burning their cheeks and they're set for more frustration with Fulham fancied to nab a 1-1 draw at odds of 19/2.

Martin Jol's side love a low-scoring stalemate in this fixture and with bwin refunding losing single stakes on correct score wagers, as well as a range of other correct score and goalscorer markets if Chelsea aren't ahead at the break and the final whistle, chancing your arm is all the more worthwhile.

Jose Mourinho's side are 1/4 to lick their wounds with a derby day success, the draw is 9/2 and a Cottagers victory is a fanciful 10/1.

The dour recent history of this derby will be known to all die-hards who have dutifully attended renewals over the last three seasons.

With the exception of a 3-0 win for the Blues at Craven Cottage last term – in which Fulham were missing bedrock centre-half Aaron Hughes – each of the six clashes during that period have limboed the 2.5 goals bar.

It's a tasty 6/5 that the unders deliver again.

Two of the last four meetings have seen 1-1 draws posted, with Fulham the ones to equalise once Chelsea had taken the lead on both occasions.

Mourinho's men will be out to banish memories of their campaign-opening Champions League defeat sharpish, but shooting reminiscent of toothless hillbillies blotto on moonshine allowed that mid-week Stamford Bridge smash and grab to happen and their finishing in the Premier League has been no different.

Only 19 of 68 shots from Blue boots have hit the target so far in 2013/14, from which four goals have been notched.

Fulham have been resolute on their travels this term so it may take a moment of wonder from long-shot lashers Frank Lampard or David Luiz to start the scoring.

The pair are 5/1 and 15/1 to score first respectively in another market in which bwin will refund your losing stakes should Chelsea not be winning at half-time and full-time.

However, the Cottagers have conceded a goal or less in their last seven Premier League road trips (including three clean sheets) and with their stopper David Stockdale leading the league for saves the 1-1 may be as entertaining as it gets.

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


http://bwinbetting.com/leagues/premier-league/fulham-frustrate-misfiring-chelsea-bwin-offer-insurance,45217.html?


WhiteJC

 
Chelsea v Fulham

Chelsea will be looking to turn around their stuttering form in the new season when they welcome Fulham to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The Blues have endured their worst start to the Premier League in a decade, managing just two wins from their opening four top-flight matches to sit in sixth place with seven points, three behind leaders Liverpool.

The west London giants also suffered defeat in their Champions League opener against FC Basel on Tuesday, the first time they have lost in the opening game of the European Cup in almost 10 years.

Manager Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, will be looking to extend his unbeaten Premier League run at Stamford Bridge, having not tasted defeat in his last 62 home matches in charge of the club.

Fulham have not had the greatest of starts either, with Martin Jol's men having kicked off the campaign well enough, seeing off Sunderland on the opening day, but followed up that result with two defeats before being held by West Brom last time out.

Those results have left the Cottagers 14th in the standings with just four points, one above the relegation zone and in desperate need of more consistency.

In team news, Mourinho will be hoping for an improved showing up front, with Andre Schurrle, Demba Ba, Fernando Torres and Samuel Eto'o all having so far performed below par.

The Portuguese tactician has no new injury or suspension concerns, though, and will be looking to name his strongest possible XI.

Fulham, meanwhile, are set to welcome Dimitar Berbatov back from injury, but Darren Bent and Bryan Ruiz are not expected to play any part.



http://www.football411.com/story/0,22162,14287_8931308,00.html?

WhiteJC

 
Premier League: Chelsea take on Fulham at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea play host to Fulham on Saturday Night Football live on Sky Sports 1 aiming to avoid a fourth successive defeat.

Chelsea have also made their worst start to a Premier League season in a decade - winning only against Hull and Aston Villa, while drawing at Manchester United and losing at Everton - in an inauspicious opening to Mourinho's second spell as boss.

Mourinho puts his unbeaten run of 62 Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge on the line against west London neighbours Fulham in the week the Blues lost a home Champions League group game for the first time in nearly 10 years.

Chelsea will be boosted by their 14-match unbeaten run against Fulham in the league as they look to silence their critics.

Fulham boss Martin Jol is a man under pressure ahead of the trip across west London.

The Cottagers have failed to win since their opening day of the season victory at Sunderland and last weekend's draw at home to West Brom saw some fans calling for the head of Jol.

In his previous two games as Fulham manager at Stamford Bridge, Jol has picked up two draws and he will be hoping to avoid defeat again on Saturday

Paul Merson's prediction (5pm, Sat, Sky Sports 1 HD)

As I said on Soccer Saturday last week, Chelsea haven't got a centre-forward at the moment. Samuel Eto'o was a great player, but you can't always stay a great player. He's gone over to Russia for a few years and been a lot better than everybody else, so he's picked up a few lazy habits. Now he's come into the hardest league in world football and it will take some getting used to. Fernando Torres isn't fit and I've said from day one that Demba Ba is not a Chelsea-type player.

But the biggest shock is no Juan Mata in the team. Has Jose Mourinho come in and said: 'Who was the best player last season? Who got the most assists? I'll leave him out and we'll see who the Special One is." That's the only way I can explain why Mata isn't playing. Everybody reading this knows he should be in the team so how does the Special One not know?

Fulham aren't the best travellers, they're not in the best form and they won't kick you off the park. This is a nice game for Chelsea after a shocking result in Europe - but they were probably saying that about Basel after losing to Everton. I expect Chelsea to win comfortably.

PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0



http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/287328/preview?

WhiteJC

 
REVEALED: Why Fulham owner Khan is finally getting rid of THAT Jacko statue

Fulham owner Shahid Khan believes that removing the Michael Jackson statue from Craven Cottage is the 'right thing' to do for the club.

Former owner Mohamed Al Fayed put up the statue as a tribute to the King of Pop in 2011. The Egyptian initially planned on placing the statue outside Harrods, but after selling the Knightsbridge store in 2010 he switched the site to Craven Cottage.
And he told fans they could 'go to hell' if they did not appreciate the statue.


Bad? Mohamed Al Fayed shows off his statue of Michael Jackson at its unveiling in April 2011

   

But now Khan - who also owns NFL franchise the Jacksonville Jaguars and paid £150m this summer for the Premier League club - says it is right the statue is removed.

He said: '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.'


Handing overL Mohamed Al Fayed sold Fulham to Shahid Khan in the summer

The decision to relocate it to Craven Cottage was controversial, with statues at football grounds generally reserved for club legends.

Jackson's links to Fulham are tenuous to say the least - he watched a game against Wigan there as a guest of Al Fayed in 1999 - while the singer was also dogged by controversy during his lifetime.

Al Fayed had joked with Khan that there would be 'big trouble' if the sculpture disappeared.

But a Fulham spokesperson told Sportsmail earlier this week: 'The statue is not part of the Riverside development of the stadium and will be returned to the former chairman in due course.'




Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2426562/Fulham-owner-Shahid-Khan-says-getting-rid-Michael-Jackson-statue-right-thing.html#ixzz2fQlSpk2v
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook


WhiteJC

 
Fulham fans want Michael Jackson statue removed so it's 'right thing to do', says club owner Shahid Khan
Fulham chairman Shahid Khan believes removing the controversial Michael Jackson statue outside Craven Cottage is the "right thing" to do.


Return to sender: Michael Jackson statie is being sent back to Mohamed Al Fayed Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Former owner Mohamed Al Fayed, a close friend of the late performer, commissioned the statue which was erected outside the west London stadium in April 2011.

The memorial for a man that only visited the ground once shocked many, but Khan promised to get fans' views rather than make a "knee-jerk reaction" after completing his takeover of the club.

Al Fayed warned Khan he would be "in big trouble" if it went, promising to shave off his moustache, but the new owner has decided to take the statue down.

"Craven Cottage means the world to generations of Fulham supporters, and I have heard from many of them over the past two months," he said in a statement.

"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."

The statue was commissioned following Jackson's death in June 2009 and was due to be erected at Harrods before Al Fayed sold the Knightsbridge store.

The decision to relocate it to Craven Cottage was controversial, with statues at football grounds generally reserved for club legends.

Jackson's links to Fulham are tenuous to say the least - he watched a game against Wigan there as a guest of Al Fayed in 1999 - while the singer was also dogged by controversy during his lifetime.

Despite that, Al Fayed refuted claims that the memorial is bizarre and lashed out at the naysayers.

"Why is it bizarre?," he said at its unveiling. "Football fans love it.

"If some stupid fans don't understand and appreciate such a gift they can go to hell.

"I don't want them to be fans. If they don't understand and don't believe in things I believe in they can go to Chelsea, they can go to anywhere else."

The statue will now be given back to the former owner Al Fayed as the club presses on with its redevelopment of the Riverside Stand.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/10322769/Fulham-fans-want-Michael-Jackson-statue-removed-so-its-right-thing-to-do-says-club-owner-Shahid-Khan.html

WhiteJC

 
Former Fulham defender Baird rejects QPR in favour of Reading



Former Fulham defender Chris Baird has rejected QPR in favour of a move to their Championship rivals Reading.

The Northern Ireland international has spent the last few weeks training with QPR and was offered a contract at the west London club.

But Harry Redknapp's side have been gazumped by Reading, who offered the 31-year-old an improved deal on Thursday.

Redknapp, who admitted earlier on Friday that he is desperate to sign at least one new defender, faces an injury crisis this weekend as he just two fit centre-backs for the league match at Yeovil Town.



Read more at http://talksport.com/football/former-fulham-defender-baird-rejects-qpr-favour-reading-move-13092060883#YUpKbHiGLjYhwK1e.99

Joe McDonald

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/sep/20/premier-league-10-things-weekend

QuoteFulham fans should relax and enjoy the ride

All is miserable in West London before the derby. Chelsea are desperate to prevent a three-game losing streak while Fulham fans appear to have lost patience with Martin Jol's focus on the aesthetic over the pragmatic. The former seems entirely understandable – the latter less so. Fulham may have a rich new owner but the idea that they were suddenly going to compete at the upper echelons of the table is ludicrous. Jol showed at Tottenham that with sustained investment and time he was capable of growing a club, improving steadily year on year, but that process is only just beginning at Craven Cottage. In the meantime perhaps the fans should enjoy watching some wonderfully entertaining footballers rather than prematurely worrying about their position in the table. Results will come – any team that has the attacking talents of Dimitar Berbatov, Bryan Ruiz, Darren Bent and Adel Taarabt should possess enough fire power to secure a midtable finish. Unbalanced they may be – but surely it is more fun to see a team skewed to the attacking side of the game rather than dour defensive football aimed at survival and nothing more. TM