Monday Fulham Stuff (30/09/13)...

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Jol urges Fulham to tighten up

Fulham manager Martin Jol has urged his defence to tighten up following Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Cardiff City.

The Dutchman watched on as Jordon Mutch's long-range strike clinched the points for the newly promoted visitors, leaving Fulham in the bottom three.

Jol lamented the late lapse and admitted that his men, who had levelled through Bryan Ruiz, need to address their defensive frailties.

"You can always concede a goal and again it happened like it has two or three times before," he said.

"It's not only about mentality, it's about quality. You have to defend especially corner kicks, I think that is the easiest way.

"I know that we can do a lot better, we had all the size in the world today but we were still losing headers.

"If you concede goals late it can be a couple of things, quality and fitness. We talk about it and we work on it."

Jol's future has been cast into doubt by a poor run of form that stretches back to last season, when they finished with six defeats from their last eight matches.

Stoke City will visit Craven Cottage on Saturday as Fulham look to halt the decline.



http://uk.soccerway.com/news/2013/September/29/jol-urges-fulham-to-tighten-up/

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Kieran Shares Frustration

Kieran Richardson underlines the importance of sticking together after Saturday's frustrating defeat to Cardiff City.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrteizfZCJY&feature=player_embedded#t=0


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/september/29/richardson-verdict?

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Jol: Fulham are in safe hands
Martin Jol is confident Fulham will not be relegated from the Barclays Premier League with him in charge.

Martin Jol is confident Fulham will not be relegated from the Barclays Premier League with him in charge.

The Dutchman's position is under scrutiny after another late lapse saw Cardiff claim a 2-1 win on Saturday, meaning the Cottagers are still without a home victory in the top flight since April 1 in a run which has seen supporters' frustration grow.

"The devil was playing with us. If you concede goals that late, it's awful," former Tottenham, Hamburg and Ajax boss Jol said.

"We are very close. It's not easy to win games.

"I can appreciate fans are getting a bit nervous, or other people. If they invest money in the club, they would like to be in the top 10.

"The only risk I can see is that we will still be near the bottom at the end of the season. I never did that (took part in a relegation battle). I feel I can keep them up, but it's not about me."

Jol, who guided Fulham to ninth and 12th in the last two seasons, is not happy with the jeers.

"That is a problem," said Jol of the boos.

"It's not helpful. That is what always worries me.

"It's bad, it's not good for your health. I've got a thick skin. I could easily say 'b***** off', but I won't do that. It's the reality of the Premier League."

Jol also believes supporters calling for his dismissal should recognise the financial constraints at Fulham.

He added: "I can understand the criticism but they should realise that we are 20th in the table in spending money."

Following a change of ownership, with American billionaire Shahid Khan taking control from Mohamed Al Fayed, there could be more funds available in the future.

Whether Khan will entrust Jol to spend them remains to be seen.

Jol added: "You never know. They could say that you are fine and the next day you are out."



http://sport.bt.com/sportfootball/football/jol-fulham-are-in-safe-hands-S11363837295297?

[WhiteJC]

 
Moving On
by CHRIS GILBERTSON on SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

Tu ne cede malis sed contra audientior ito
Yield not to misfortunes but advance all the more boldly against them

I have refrained up till now of canonising my thoughts on the matter of Fulham's management into words, preferring to give a team and a manager the common decency of time to improve.

There is, though, a quote by Oscar Wilde that sums up most of the opinion swirling around the Fulham managerial position that has now reached a crescendo; "It is absurd to divide people into good and bad, people are either charming or tedious".

As it is, after another largely lifeless late loss, Martin Jol's tired and passionless attempts to lower expectations in post match interviews have crossed to the point of tedium.

Change will not come if we wait for some other time, for some other moment of despair. The time for action is now, not posturing or equivocation.

The current situation at Craven Cottage is not something that has just arisen out of the blue either. Calls for the manager's head are not new and they are not unexpected. Form has long been a matter for concern and it has now reached breaking point.

Had we not won at Swansea on the last day of last season, it is not unreasonable to believe we would be under different management already.

Three weeks ago the excuse was that at least we were still mid-table. Well now we are in the relegation zone and at risk of being cut adrift. Our points tally this season is also somewhat misleading with the one shot opening day win at Sunderland masking glaring deficiencies from back to front.

The match yesterday felt like a dead man's walk to the gallows. The midweek victory over Everton seems little more than a stay of execution. If body language tells more about a person than their words, then this Fulham team and its management are in deep trouble.



Following Jordan Mutch's spectacular but deserved winner for Cardiff yesterday, Martin Jol slunk into the dugout like a man resigned to his fate. While Paolo Di Canio's opposite tact of standing in front of fans taking the flack was the polar extreme prior to his dismissal last week; the lack of any passion from Jol was a similar moment of separation from his people. While we had to stand there and take it and then share a walk through Bishop's Park with swooning gleeful Welshmen, our manager was making excuses and attempting to lower expectations.

This side, like their manager, appear passionless.

Brede Hangeland, club captain, is playing like a dethroned monarch; sunken, sullen and afraid to gee up his troops. His worst performance, or close to it, in a Fulham shirt yesterday shows that he either doesn't like working with Jol or the manager has failed to spot a glaring lack of leadership from Fulham's would be defensive talisman.

While the substitution of Alex Kacaniklic worked tactically, the young winger was then promptly ignored by his manager upon reaching the dugout. For a manager who has a reputation in hushed tones for behind closed doors favouritism and as a bully boy [example Kasami's 18 month extrication, Kerim Frei's sale and the disappearance of Ashkan Dejagah], this cold hearted and callous gesture showed more than he'd care for it to. The shift in tactics to a never before seen 4-3-1-2 also the act of a man scrambling for a lifeline.

Martin Jol referenced Danny Murphy's late winner at Portsmouth in 2008 and Clint Dempsey's goal against Liverpool in 2007 seemingly ignoring three top ten finishes, two 12ths and two European campaigns that have taken place since that day at Fratton Park 5 years ago. I can only imagine his insistence on tempering expectations is a tactic to keep himself employed.

A Dad's Army summer recruitment strategy, narcoleptic defending and schizophrenic tactical pack shuffling has left Fulham as a team as bereft of confidence as they are points.

Yesterday's game against Cardiff was embarrassing. Bryan Ruiz's magical equalizer served merely as temporary pain relief, with the problems running deeper than one or two abhorrent performances.

There are rumblings that Martin Jol has lost the dressing room. Despite his nepotistic recruitment it is evident this team are not playing for him, while some of them don't even seem to be playing for us.

Even if he hasn't yet lost the players; inside the ground, talking to fans of all ages and creeds, there is one thing that is blindingly evident, he has lost the fans. Fulham is a family club, and there is a large proportion that won't holler, scream and boo, but the near unanimity of season ticket holders in our section in the Riverside is that change, starting with the manager, is immediately necessary.

It is never nice to see vitriol pointed at one man, but a football club's manager is its figurehead. Cardiff yesterday out shot us 22 to 9, had more possession at 51.5%, had double the number of key passes and out passed us in general 432 to 386 with a better completion percentage. All this against a team without a top-flight away victory since 1961. It simply isn't good enough.

There is also talk of a justifiable split inside the club, with the seeming insistence on keeping the talented academy and the first team as separate entities at the whim of the Dutchman. The out-of-the-blue first team debut of Mesca at Chelsea last week an obvious reaction to the catcalling for more youth from many after the West Brom debacle the week before.

Life moves on, and so should we. The quicker Mr Khan and Mr Mackintosh let go, the sooner we can begin to improve. Yes inheriting an aging team such as ours is not an easy job for any manager, but this Fulham team isn't far from being half decent, it just has no idea how to get there.

If change doesn't come, we are in danger of leaving it too late.

COYW



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/09/moving-on/?

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Under-fire Jol has message for Fulham fans after Cardiff defeat

Martin Jol has told Fulham fans that the Cottagers will not be relegated from the Premier League with him in charge.

The Dutchman's position is under scrutiny after another late lapse saw Cardiff claim a 2-1 win on Saturday, extending the Cottagers' wait for a first home victory in the top flight since April 1 in a run which has seen supporters' frustration grow.

"The devil was playing with us. If you concede goals that late, it's awful," former Tottenham, Hamburg and Ajax boss Jol said.

"We are very close. It's not easy to win games.

"I can appreciate fans are getting a bit nervous, or other people. If they invest money in the club, they would like to be in the top 10.

"The only risk I can see is that we will still be near the bottom at the end of the season. I never did that (took part in a relegation battle). I feel I can keep them up, but it's not about me."

Jol, who guided Fulham to ninth and 12th in the last two seasons, is not happy with the jeers.

"That is a problem," said Jol of the boos.

"It's not helpful. That is what always worries me.

"It's bad, it's not good for your health. I've got a thick skin. I could easily say 'b***** off', but I won't do that. It's the reality of the Premier League."

Jol also believes supporters calling for his dismissal should recognise the financial constraints at Fulham.

He added: "I can understand the criticism but they should realise that we are 20th in the table in spending money."

Following a change of ownership, with American billionaire Shahid Khan taking control from Mohamed Al Fayed, there could be more funds available in the future.

Whether Khan will entrust Jol to spend them remains to be seen.

Jol added: "You never know. They could say that you are fine and the next day you are out."



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/under_fire_jol_has_message_for_fulham_fans_after_cardiff_defeat_1_2823563

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Fulham target Greek international

Fulham, Spurs and Sunderland are set to scout Olympiakos defender Kostas Manolas who could be moving in the January transfer window.

Reports in Greece claim that all three Premier League clubs will send representatives to watch the 22-year-old in action against Anderlecht in the Champions League next Wednesday. Manolas has impressed since moving to Olympiakos on a free transfer from AEK Athens in 2012 and played in every minute of the Greek champions group stage matches last season. He has also established himself as a regular for Greece and could be heading for the World Cup next summer if the Greeks maintain the form which has seen them post the best defensive record in qualifying, conceding only four goals in eight matches. Manolas nearly joined Everton at the start of 2012 after AEK agreed a fee with the Toffees, only for the player to decline to opportunity to move.



Read more at: http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/fulham-target-greek-international-1641584.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
A parting of ways would work for everyone at Fulham

Shahid Khan is almost certainly already thinking about replacing Martin Jol, and the chances of Fulham's manager making it through until Christmas are very remote indeed.

From afar, Fulham's loss to Cardiff City at Craven Cottage could well be dismissed as just one of those days, but for anyone who actually watched that game – and who has sat through almost any of the other performances Jol has presided over this season – there are some glaring issues which will be apparent.

At the moment, Fulham are rudderless, and all the optimism garnered by their mid-week win over Everton was washed away yesterday by a directionless performance that hinted at nothing but a progressively negative season. Tactical deficiency is an easy stick with which to beat Martin Jol, but how can such a problem be ignored when his side continue to play away from their strengths and so many of his players continue to perform within themselves. The lack of cohesion between Darren Bent and Dimitar Berbatov yesterday served as an appropriate metaphor for the state Fulham find themselves in as a whole: two players being used in a way which didn't accentuate the positives of their respective games, and a combined performance which did very little to trouble an extremely average Cardiff City side.

With regards Jol's potential sacking, this situation now looks inevitable – it's becoming 'if' rather than 'when'. If Shahid Khan does make a change, Sky Sports News will doubtless wheel out an ex-professional bemoaning the lack of patience in the modern game, but really, how would patience benefit anyone at Fulham right now? 21st Century football doesn't reward owners who sit on their hands and hope that their managers 'turns it around', instead it tends to punish that laissez-faire approach brutally.

It's not as if there's any great progression and it's not as if there's a lengthy injury list which is restricting their performance – Fulham look old and uninspired, and with each week they seem to get worse. Is there even any hint of a long-term plan with this squad? Not really – it's been assembled for the here and now, with players either at the end of or beyond their prime, yet it's not producing anything. This is the key question for Khan: if Martin Jol stayed for another year, what actually is there to suggest that the team will have advanced by then?

The sooner club and manager decide to go their separate ways, the better it will be for both.



http://thepremierleagueowl.com/a-parting-of-ways-would-work-for-everyone-at-fulham/

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Premier League: Martin Jol admits defensive shortcomings are proving costly for Fulham

Fulham manager Martin Jol rued another late error which cost his side dear in the 2-1 defeat against Cardiff City.

Fulham, whose last home win in the top flight was against QPR on April Fools Day, allowed Cardiff to claim their first Premier League away win courtesy of Jordan Mutch's late winner.

This follows the concessions of late goals against West Brom and Newcastle United which have cost his side four points this season.

Jol, whose contract expires next summer, said: "We have to do better, but I can't go on the pitch and do it myself.

"We beat (Everton), but it's the Capital One Cup, it's not the Premier League. And in the Barclays Premier League you have to win your games.

"Everyone who is in the bottom three or bottom five is concerned. There's always pressure.

"I take responsibility, because I took all these players on board.

"It was not easy, because we don't have all the millions but I still feel that we did well to get the (Darren) Bents, even (Dimitar) Berbatov.

"(But) it's not good enough to win games sometimes.

"It's not about me. If you're in the bottom three or four you're under pressure. I try to make people happy and most of the time I've done that."

Jol fielded Brede Hangeland and Fernando Amorebieta in central defence and acknowledged that had not delivered as he had hoped.

"It's tough to take, but it's a structural thing, that's the disappointing thing," he added.

"You've got good intentions, we've got all the size in the world. We work on it, we talk about it, we try to do better and then they've got clear headers on goal. That is awful.

"With the players we've got at the back, sometimes defensively, especially in the air, we can do better."




http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/8948180/?

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Jol: Fulham's form is my responsibility, and I'm feeling the pressure, but there ARE things we're doing well

Martin Jol defended his record as Fulham manager after recurring errors heaped further pressure on his position.

Six months will have elapsed between Barclays Premier League home wins at Craven Cottage, even if Jol steers Fulham to victory over Stoke and predecessor Mark Hughes next Saturday.

Fulham, whose last home win in the top flight was against QPR on April 1, failed to follow up the Capital One Cup defeat of Everton by defeating Cardiff, as the Welshmen claimed their maiden Premier League away win with a 2-1 success.


Early-season struggles: Fulham boss Martin Jol is under pressure after his side's uncertain start to the season

Jol, whose contract expires at the end of this season, guided Fulham to ninth and 12th-placed finishes in his first two campaigns, but his side are now in the relegation zone.

The Dutchman said: 'We have to do better, but I can't go on the pitch and do it myself.

'We beat (Everton), but it's the Capital One Cup, it's not the Premier League. And in the Barclays Premier League you have to win your games.

'Everyone who is in the bottom three or bottom five is concerned. There's always pressure.

'I take responsibility, because I took all these players on board.


Under-performing squad? Jol could do with more help from some of his more talented players, like Bryan Ruiz

'It was not easy, because we don't have all the millions but I still feel that we did well to get the (Darren) Bents, even (Dimitar) Berbatov.

'(But) it's not good enough to win games sometimes.

'It's not about me. If you're in the bottom three or four you're under pressure. I try to make people happy and most of the time I've done that.'

Unfortunately for Jol, who saw Scott Parker depart with a calf injury early on, familiar failings were the undoing of Fulham, errors which may not be tolerated for much longer.

Fulham owner Shahid Khan, the American billionaire, may act decisively, just as he did when removing the Michael Jackson statue installed by his predecessor Mohamed Al Fayed.

 
Big-name signings: But Dimitar Berbatov and Darren Bent have yet to inspire Fulham out of their slump

Steven Caulker headed Cardiff in front from an early corner while unmarked before Jordon Mutch's late winner, sublime though it was, featured a lucky break off Kieran Richardson.

It had looked as though Bryan Ruiz, moments after stepping off the substitutes' bench late in the first half in a tactical change, had earned the Cottagers a point before the second late lapse in successive home Premier League games prompted loud booing at the final whistle.

Former Tottenham, Hamburg and Ajax boss Jol added: 'It's tough to take, but it's a structural thing, that's the disappointing thing.

'You've got good intentions, we've got all the size in the world.

'We work on it, we talk about it, we try to do better and then they've got clear headers on goal. That is awful.


Asking for patience: Jol had a half-time message for the club's fans

'With the players we've got at the back, sometimes defensively, especially in the air, we can do better.'

Jol fielded Brede Hangeland and Fernando Amorebieta in central defence and expected better.

'That was not probably our best pair,' he said.

It was Cardiff's second win of the campaign following the defeat of Manchester City and ended a four-match winless run.

Manager Malky Mackay felt his side were deserved winners and praised the new additions to his squad for making a difference.

Caulker captained the Bluebirds at Craven Cottage and performed well, but Mackay was also impressed with midfielder Gary Medel, right-back Kevin Theophile-Catherine and Peter Odemwingie.


Satisfied: Cardiff boss Malky Mackay felt his side deserved the three points

Mackay said: 'He (Caulker) is very comfortable at this level; we were delighted to get him.

'I look to get as many captains on the pitch. Gary Medel's an obvious choice, as and when he learns English, because he's a born leader.

'Medel ran the whole game; he orchestrated the whole game.

'Theophile-Catherine at right-back is an outstanding piece of business. He's come in with minimum fuss and maximum energy.

'He looks as if he's been playing at right-back for us for years.

'Odemwingie wasn't match-fit coming to us, but was a fantastic talent and someone we knew could help us.

'He looks incredibly dangerous in the opposition half and people back off when he gets the ball.

'We were delighted to get him in as well.'




Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2437291/Martin-Jol-Fulhams-form-responsibility-Im-feeling-pressure-things-doing-well.html#ixzz2gLStXkOl
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Fulham Set To Replace Manager Martin Jol With Former Manchester United Assistant Coach

West Londoners are currently in the drop zone after opening six rounds of fixtures this season.

Under-pressure Fulham head coach Martin Jol could be relieved of his duties at Craven Cottage as early as this week following yet another dispiriting defeat in the Premier League, according to reports in the Sunday Mirror.

The struggling Cottagers went down 2-1 to newly promoted Cardiff City at home on Saturday afternoon to leave the west London club still firmly stuck in the relegation zone after the opening six rounds of matches in the top flight this season.

And of those first six league encounters, Fulham have won just one, and even that was in their opening fixture away at now rock-bottom Sunderland, while in recent weeks the Dutchman's side have been hit by a series of late, late goals that have left them with just four points on the board.

As a result, it is understood that new Fulham owner Shad Khan is weighing up the possibility of replacing Jol with his compatriot, the former Manchester United assistant coach Rene Meulensteen, who had ironically been heavily linked last week with becoming Jol's own right-hand man at the Cottage this season.

Meulensteen has just finished a brief stint working as a coach at big-spending Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala, but with him now available to work and a number of other big-name clubs from across the Continent also believed to be keen on securing his services, Fulham may have to act fast if they wish to appoint the Dutchman as Jol's successor.



http://www.caughtoffside.com/2013/09/29/fulham-set-to-replace-manager-martin-jol-with-former-manchester-united-assistant-coach/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Who could Fulham turn to if Shahid Khan sacks the hapless Martin Jol?

Martin Jol hasn't gone yet but you get the feeling that with each passing minute, his position at the helm of Fulham becomes less and less tenable.

He may be given another game to show what he's worth – and with a home tie against Stoke City you'd expect a decent result – but it's difficult to picture Jol in the Craven Cottage dugout in, say, a month's time.

Our form is too poor and our squad is too lost for him to cling on for any extended period of time.

But where do Fulham, and more importantly, new owner Shahid Khan go from there? Who do they employ, what approach do they take?

There are various options, some more desirable than others.

Available managers are at a premium right now, and that fact alone may be keeping Jol in the job.

Gus Poyet, Rene Meulensteen and Martin O'Neill have all been heavily linked in the press, while reasonably short odds are available on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Roberto Di Matteo.

Left of field you can find the likes of Alan Curbishley and Paolo Di Canio.

Many of those can be written off straight away. Di Canio does not deserve to manager at Premier League level again, and Curbishley has been out for too long.

Solskjaer won't come and Di Matteo is unlikely to either.

Martin O'Neill works well on a budget and is a good motivator, if not the best of tacticians

It leaves a brief list and means Khan must choose between the virtue of experience and the value of youth.

Older, wiser managers, like O'Neill, come with obvious benefits but similar drawbacks. They might not hang around long, and as O'Neill proved in his most recent stint at Sunderland, they might not be up with the modern game.

But that shouldn't rule him out immediately.

Sunderland aside, he has a solid record. The Northern Irishman works well on a budget and is a good motivator, if not the best of tacticians.

A young, fresh manager can often have the biggest effect, though.

Poyet, for example, would no doubt promote a classier style of play and may develop the legacy he could so easily have done at Brighton and Hove Albion, were it not for his still somewhat mysterious sacking.

Khan has an unenviable task on his hands choosing a new boss if Jol does indeed go over the next few weeks, but there are, at least, finite stipulations he can make when picking. Youth, for example, must be promoted – something our current manager has almost ignored completely.

Moving on from Martin Jol may not be the easiest of options, but it'd bring a fresh start. Something Fulham definitely need right now.



http://metro.co.uk/2013/09/29/where-could-fulham-go-if-shahid-khan-sacks-martin-jol-4127498/?

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Jol on the brink as Fulham boss is booed off in home defeat to promoted Cardiff

Martin Jol conceded he does not know whether he has the support of Fulham owner Shahid Khan as he fights to save his job as manager.

Irate fans called for his head with cries of 'Jol out' as Fulham fell to defeat by Cardiff at Craven Cottage and the Dutchman admitted the situation was bad for his health.

Fulham have not won since the opening day and are in the bottom three, with Jol's position coming under increasing pressure.

But he hit back, insisting more investment was required if the club were ever to be anything other than relegation candidates.


On the brink: Martin Jol was booed by Fulham fans as his side lost 2-1 at home to promoted Cardiff


Dejected: Bryan Ruiz and Steve Sidwell (left) look on after Cardiff score the winner

Khan, who bought the club from Mohamed Al Fayed in the summer, offered a modicum of praise for the manager in his matchday programme notes and Jol said: 'His piece in the magazine was remarkably good. But you never know because they can say they are a fan and the next day you're out.

'I've got other people I to talk to – people from the board. They are here all the time. He's in America so I don't speak to the owner a lot. Only when he's here. He was here a couple of weeks ago.'

Jol said the booing, which started soon after Steven Caulker gave Cardiff a 12th minute lead, was 'not helpful', adding: 'That worries me. It's not good for your health. I've got a thick skin. I could easily say "Get lost" but I won't do that.

It's a reality of the Premier League. They pay the money to come to watch us and express their feelings.'

Jol's mood will not be improved with the news that Steve Walford, Martin O'Neill's long-time assistant was at Craven Cottage.

O'Neill has also been strongly linked to the Republic of Ireland job.


Battle: Kieran Richardson (right) vies for the ball with Kevin Theophile-Catherine


Last-gasp: Jordan Mutch is mobbed by his team mates as he celebrates on his knees after Cardiff's winner

Bryan Ruiz came off the bench to score a stunning equaliser against the run of play but substitute Jordan Mutch produced an even better strike to win the match for Cardiff in added time.

Jol said tight budgets kept his hands tied. 'I can understand the criticism but they should realise that we are 20th in the table for spending money,' he said. 'So I always have to look for the Berbatovs and the Bents and take them when they're bad and try to get the maximum amount out of them. That is not easy.'


Aerial duel: Fulham's Dimitar Berbatov, (left) fights for the ball with Cardiff City's Steven Caulker

Malky Mackay said he pushed Cardiff owner Vincent Tan to spend money this summer after analysing the fortunes of the previous year's promoted teams.

'We looked at West Ham, Southampton and Reading going up and the investment of those three clubs,' Mackay said. 'West Ham and Southampton spent about £30m and Reading had £10-15m. To give us the best chance of being in the division we needed to get players that we felt could improve our squad.'


Silver Lining: Bryan Ruiz celebrates his stunning equaliser



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2437596/Jol-brink-Fulham-boss-booed-home-defeat-promoted-Cardiff.html#ixzz2gLV0Fnkm
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Ruiz backs Jol to end Fulham slump

BRYAN Ruiz insists Fulham's squad are united behind Martin Jol and has backed the under-fire manager to turn things around.

Some supporters called for the Dutchman to be sacked after Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to Cardiff City.

The Whites haven't won since the opening day of the season and are without a Premier League victory at home since April.

But Ruiz, who scored in the reverse against the Bluebirds, insists Jol is the right man for the job.

He said: "We are all in it together. He's having a difficult time because everybody blames him for the results.

"But we're a team and we can and will change things."

"He means a lot to me because he gave me the opportunity to come here.

"He likes to talk to the players and to motivate us, especially when we have a difficult situation."

Fulham have a massive home game with Stoke City next week.

And Ruiz added: "It's a difficult situation but the season is still young.

"Hopefully we will get a good result next week.

"It's going to be a difficult game. We know we need to win."



Read more: Fulham Chronicle http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2013/09/29/82029-33899415/?#ixzz2gLVb0zQW

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Fulham's under-pressure Martin Jol tells terrace critics they are not helping his struggling side

Flak after Cottagers' sixth loss in last seven home matches "is not good for you. I could easily say 'b***er off' but I won't"

Martin Jol admitted Fulham's boo-boys are bad for his health – and his team.

Frustrated supporters chanted "Jol out" after a 2-1 home defeat by Cardiff left the Dutchman in danger after taking just one point from his last seven home games.

That disastrous run has put Fulham in the relegation zone and Jol fighting to save his job, his popularity with fans at rock bottom.

Fulham's new owner Shahid Khan was supportive in the club programme but stressed the need for some wins.

Defeat at home to Stoke on Saturday could spell the end for Jol.

The problem is Jol refuses to pay lip service to the fans as he claimed their booing is dragging down the team and that their expectations are unrealistic.

He said: "It is not helpful. That worries me.

"Look at Wigan, they were in the bottom three for the last three years and Roberto Martinez is at Everton now and Wigan are in the second division. It's about expectations.

"I can't criticise the fans. They pay the money to come to watch us and express their feelings. But it's not good for your health.

"I've got a thick skin. I could easily say 'bugger off' but I won't do that. It's a reality of the Premier League.

"I can appreciate the fans getting nervous. The only risk I can see is if they are still at the bottom at the end of the season. I feel I can keep them up but it's not about me.

"The owner's piece in the magazine was remarkably good. But you never know, because they can say they are a fan and the next day you're out! You never know."

Finally, a Premier League manager has figured out the Martinez mystery.

The Spaniard's charm and style meant he was never criticised for hovering around the drop zone. Then he got a top job at Everton when Wigan finally went down, clutching the FA Cup as they fell.

Jol refuses to buy into that, tells it how he sees it - and maybe that does not do him any favours.

All of this should not overshadow Cardiff's achievement in winning their first top-flight away game since 1961 and ironically that was at Fulham.

Cardiff boss Malky Mackay is doing brilliantly but will deserve a medal if he keeps them up and is still in a job.

Cardiff's eccentric owner Vincent Tan's expectations are off the scale and may just distract him from celebrating Jordon Mutch's sensational injury-time winner.

Mutch's goal just about outdid Bryan Ruiz's wonderful 25-yard curler which cancelled out Steven Caulker's headed goal. Cardiff were worthy winners.

Mackay said: "It's a solid start. That's what counts. It's tough – at times it kicks you in the teeth and we saw that last week against Spurs.

"We've got to be as competitive as we can. And be where we want to be next year – in the Premier League."



Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/fulhams-under-pressure-martin-jol-tells-2320074#ixzz2gLW44aJy
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Martin Jol rues Fulham's lack of financial resources after defeat to Cardiff City
There is something quaintly old-school about Martin Jol. Management runs through his veins. You could easily imagine him taking charge of an under-nines team on a Sunday morning.

In an age when most managers carry the same, technocratic, faintly inhuman whiff to them, Jol retains a refreshing, tobacco-stained authenticity. This is both a gift and a curse.

The conviction of Fulham fans that Jol is no longer the right man to lead them is growing. They accuse him of being out of touch, of being overly reliant on players who are past their best. Only two of the starting line-up on Saturday were under the age of 28.

You might say it was inevitable that they would succumb to a late winning goal, were it not for the fact that they were even worse in the first half.

Jol was not deaf to their entreaties. "I can't criticise them," he said. "They pay their money to watch us and express their feelings. I could easily say 'bugger off', but I won't do that. I can understand the criticism, but they should realise that we are 20th in the table in spending money."

In other ways, too, Jol appears to be dating. The classic 4-4-2 system has virtually been purged from the upper echelons of the game; debunked, discredited and denuded, like a daring Victorian chess opening. But Jol tried it here, playing Dimitar Berbatov and Darren Bent in tandem and leaving his midfield exposed. Cardiff passed through them at will, scoring through Steven Caulker's header and Jordon Mutch's beautiful long-range strike.

"Of course, I could go 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 to make it easier," Jol said. "But I still feel that if Berbatov and Bent are not playing, there are not enough goals in us. We can't afford to get the 23-year-olds. So I always have to look for the Berbatovs and the Bents. I have to take them when they're bad, and try to get the maximum out of them. That is not easy. We spent money on Scott Parker. But Scott Parker is 32."

Jol may well be casting envious glances at Cardiff City, who are ¬reaping the benefits of their £30 million summer spending. "I felt we needed a certain amount of investment to live in this league," their manager Malky Mackay said.

"We looked last year at the investment of West Ham, Southampton and Reading when they went up. West Ham and Southampton had spent about £30 mil¬lion, and Reading £10 million-15 million."

While Fulham fans may thirst for a change at the top, the squad remains united. "We are all together with the trainer," said Bryan Ruiz, who scored with a curling effort. "We know he is in a difficult situation because everyone blames him. But we are a team. When we win we are together. It's the same when we lose."

For the time being, Jol believes he has the backing of new owner Shahid Khan. "But you never know," he said with a chuckle, "because they can say they are a fan, and the next day you're out."



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/10342897/Martin-Jol-rues-Fulhams-lack-of-financial-resources-after-defeat-to-Cardiff-City.html

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Martin Jol knows writing may be on the wall at Fulham if not in the programme

Martin Jol knows the end could be nigh. The Fulham manager was offered support by his board before and after this defeat, with the new owner, Shahid Kahn, also using Saturday's programme notes to laud the team's efforts so far this season. Jol believes that Kahn and the chief executive, Alistair Mackintosh, are sympathetic to the fine margins in play but he is painfully aware that defeats such as this one can cause patience to run out quickly.

"His piece in the magazine was remarkably good but you never know because they can say they are a fan and the next day you're out," said Jol with a shrug when asked whether he has his employer's support. The Dutchman does not have regular contact with Kahn as the pair have so far talked only when the US-based owner has been in London. Kahn's next scheduled visit is when his NFL franchise, the Jacksonville Jaguars, play at Wembley at the end of October. But it would be no surprise if Jol heard from him before then.

After all, among the optimistic sentiments expressed in the programme, Kahn also gave the following explanation for last week's removal of the unloved Michael Jackson statue from Craven Cottage: "Listening to the customer, or in this case the fans, has been a key theme throughout my career and that principle will continue to guide me." There is only so long, then, that he will ignore chants of "Jol Out" that are more widespread at The Cottage.

Fulham finished last season badly and they have developed a ruinous habit of finishing matches badly this term, conceding late goals in each of their last four games, including Jordan Mutch's superb late strike that gave Cardiff City a deserved victory. Malky Mackay's promoted team outplayed their hosts for long periods and were unlucky to be level at half-time, Bryan Ruiz's sweetly taken goal from 20 yards cancelling out Steven Caulker's opener for the visitors.

Jol accepts that mistakes have been made – primarily by his defenders, whose marking at virtually every Cardiff set piece was again slovenly – but he insists the main reason for Fulham's hapless streak has been misfortune. "It's not as if we are losing 3-0 or 4-0, we are very close," he says. "On the continent you would say the devil is against us."

The bad luck line has some validity insofar as Fulham have been hit hard by injuries. Scott Parker, the inspiration behind last week's Capital One Cup victory over Everton, hobbled off with a calf strain six minutes into the Cardiff defeat and will be out for two weeks; key players such as Darren Bent, Adel Taarabt, Bryan Ruiz and Dimitar Berbatov have all been in and out because of fitness problems; and one of the club's main summer signings, the goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, has been sidelined since hurting his shoulder on the opening day.

That instability is no doubt one of the reasons Fulham have struggled to find fluency, although critics argue that the problem was predictable, as a club always risks a spate of injuries when most of its recruits are in their 30s. Jol responds that he has not been given the resources to buy better – Premier League clubs may have paid out a record amount in transfer fees last summer but Fulham, like the season before, spent less than £10m and most of their activity was confined to loans or cut-price deals for veterans who are out of favour elsewhere.

"I can understand the criticism but [fans] should realise that we are 20th in the table for spending money," Jol said. "If you realise that, you can see we can't afford to get the 23-year-olds. So I always have to look for the Berbatovs and the Bents and I have to take them when they're 'bad' and try to get the maximum amount out of them. At the start of the season everybody was happy with the players we got in."

Asked whether he thinks Kahn should give him money to spruce up the squad in January if he is still around, Jol took his time to consider his words, replying with studied neutrality: "You'll have to ask him."

Man of the match Gary Medel (Cardiff City)



http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/sep/29/fulham-cardiff-city-premier-league-match-report

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Barclays U18 Premier League: Newcastle End Fulham's Unbeaten Start

17-year-old Mousa Dembele is the current top goalscorer in the Barclays U18 Premier League but he couldn't add to his total this weekend as his Fulham side went down 1-0 to Newcastle United.

England Under 17 international Ben Drennan was the man who scored the only goal of the game to give the Magpies a first away win of the season and upset Fulham's unbeaten record.

Cottagers manager Steve Wigley told their official club website: "I have to say we didn't really create many opportunities. We worked hard but when Liam hit the post late on that probably summed the day up. We tried hard but lacked a bit of quality in the final third.

"It's always disappointing when you lose, but once Newcastle got in front they had something to hang onto. We just didn't have the quality to break them down. We should have stopped the goal by preventing the cross coming in."

Chelsea were in emphatic form this weekend as they beat Middlesbrough 5-0 at home.

Ambrose Gnahore grabbed a brace while Jordan Houghton, Dominic Solanke and Chike Kandi also netted as they beat Boro 5-0 to record their fifth victory of the season and add to their tally of goals, bringing them to 22.

Spurs recovered from a goal down to beat Manchester City in a goal feast in North London.

After Charlie Oliver gave the visitors an early lead by heading in a free kick, Emmanuel Sonupe and Nathan Oduwa put Tottenham ahead before the half-time break.

Goals from Harry Winks and substitute Daniel Akindayini ensured that it was six wins out of six for Spurs.

West Ham thrashed Liverpool as Steve Potts' side netted five against the Merseyside club.

Kieran Bywater, Jordan Brown and Reece Burke all scored first half goals before Bywater and Brown added to their tallies in the second half.

The result comes as a bit of the shock, as the Hammers celebrated only their second win of the season, the first coming on the opening day against Manchester City.

Full results:

Arsenal 1-1 Bolton, Villa 3-1 Man Utd, Chelsea 5-0 M'Boro, Fulham 0-1 Newcastle, Leicester 1-3 Sunderland, Norwich 2-0 Stoke, Reading 3-1 Wolves, So'ton 3-0 B'burn, Spurs 4-1 Man City, WBA 1-3 Everton, West Ham 5-0 L'pool



http://theyouthradar.com/2013/09/29/barclays-u18-premier-league-newcastle-end-fulhams-unbeaten-start/?