Friday Fulham Stuff (08/11/13)...

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More bad news for Jol! Suarez can face Fulham after Uruguay FA give the OK ahead of World Cup qualifier

Luis Suarez will be available for Liverpool's game against Fulham on Saturday after reaching a compromise with the Uruguay FA.

Uruguay face Jordan in the first leg of their World Cup play-off in the Middle East on Wednesday and under FIFA rules can insist Suarez is released five days prior to the game.

However, Suarez has asked to to play for Liverpool and his country have agreed. Liverpool will send him by private plane to Istanbul following Saturday's game where he will link up with the Uruguay squad.

The second-leg of the play-off takes place in Montevideo on Wednesday November 20 - just three days before the Merseyside derby against Everton at Goodison Park, which Suarez faces a 7,000-mile return trip for.

Suarez has been in excellent form for Liverpool this season. Although he failed to shine in he 2-0 defeat to Arsenal at the weekend, captain Steven Gerrard is in no doubt the Uruguayan will play a decisive role in the club's bid for Champions League football.

In an interview with ESPN, Gerrard when asked whether Suarez was the best to have pulled on a Liverpool shirt during his time there answered: 'Yes. Simple. He's out on his own.

'The only player who comes close to producing what Luis produced in a red shirt is Fernando Torres... but Luis just pipped him for me.'

Gerrard also believes Suarez will stay with Liverpool beyond the January transfer window despite concerns that Real Madrid are poised to bid.

'I don't feel like that about January. January will be different because I think Luis is committed. I think he is happy. I think he is pleased with the decision he has made to stay around. He is in good form. The team are playing well so I think January won't be a problem. But come the summer, I think depending how Liverpool have done will determine what goes through Luis' mind.

'He is the key,' he added. 'His goals, his performance and his form will be the key whether we finish in the top four or not.'



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2488750/Liverpools-Luis-Suarez-face-Fulham-Uruguay-FA-OK.html#ixzz2k2P7XKrd
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Fulham's Riether handed three-match ban

Fulham's Sascha Riether has been given a three-match ban for stamping on Manchester United winger Adnan Januzaj after accepting a charge of violent conduct, the Football Association announced.

The incident occurred towards the end of United's 3-1 win at Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday, with Riether appearing to tread on Januzaj's leg as the 18-year-old lay prone close to one of the corner flags.

It was not seen by any of the match officials, but the FA charged the German right-back under a new pilot scheme that allows a panel of three former elite-level referees to review video evidence of particular incidents.

Riether is the first player to have been charged since the initiative was introduced.

"Following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing today (Wednesday), Fulham's Sascha Riether has been suspended for three matches with immediate effect after he accepted an FA charge for violent conduct," read a statement published on the FA website.

"Riether was charged by The FA following an incident which occurred in added time of Fulham's game against Manchester United on Saturday 2 November 2013.

"The incident, which involved United's Adnan Januzaj, was not seen by the match officials but caught on video."

Riether apologised to Januzaj after the match, writing on Twitter: "I want to say I am sorry to Adnan Januzai (sic). It was very unlike me and I can only say that frustration got the better of me.

"I also want to apologise to my teammates, fans and everyone at the club, for the ban incurred following Saturday's match."



http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=2219482.html?cid=rssfeed&att=

[WhiteJC]

 
Time for Jol to make tough decisions

Fulham FanZoner Andy Lye has questioned some of Martin Jol's decision making as the Cottagers' disappointing start to the season continues.

Losing to Manchester United is not a problem. On any given day, everyone loses to Manchester United, and those days are more common for the likes of us than they are for some others. It's no shame to be beaten by a team boasting the kind of players they've got.

There is, however, a great deal of potential for shame in the way you go about

at least trying to stop them winning. We can blame other things as much as we want - referee Lee Probert mothering every United player to fall over, and a linesman at the Hammersmith End who doesn't actually know the offside rule, didn't help - but the fact of the matter is that our first half performance was shameful. Scott Parker 0, United 3 was a fair half-time score line given the application of both teams.

We rallied a bit in the second half once the team on the field was the team which should have started the game, but when the biggest cheer from the home crowd was not for Alex Kacaniklic's deflected consolation goal, but for the removal of Bryan Ruiz, it should be obvious to all that something is wrong with the way we're going about our games.

Apparently that's not so obvious to Martin Jol, who could have gotten away this week with saying we weren't good enough to beat the nation's most successful club, and left it at that. He could right now have been enjoying a week where he doesn't look like a deluded fool, even if he did make foolish decisions on Saturday like throwing fit-again Ashkan Dejagah straight back into the starting 11 after he hasn't made a first team appearance in over two months (no surprise, he tried hard but lacked sharpness).

But no, he couldn't just leave it be, because you can't be saying bad words about Bryan Ruiz when Martin's around. Oh no. He had this to say, "It was very disappointing. That is something I can cope with because I know football. Bryan is a player that came back from Costa Rica's game against Mexico; he scored, they won 2-1 and he goes to the World Cup. Then to come here and get that sort of contradiction: over there he is a hero and here they boo him off the park. I said he is arguably my best player and that he should know that."

I genuinely have no doubt Bryan is a very nice guy, but the complaints everyone has are not in the spirit of putting down a player out of form. It's Martin Jol who needs to get the message that no player should be an automatic choice in their position and it's down to him to drop those who aren't performing. His continued backing of someone who can't tackle, can't head, can't protect the ball, doesn't defend, frequently passes to the opposition, and doesn't actually create very much is inexcusable. How a man who "knows football" can't see the difference between Costa Rica's international games and the Premier League is bewildering.

To go on and say he's our best player is idiocy. Say it to the player to give him some confidence by all means, but don't try to hoodwink everyone else. Not to mention the demoralising effect a statement like that can have on other players who put in good performances themselves and have to watch Ruiz make mistake after mistake.

On other matters, he continues to say he doesn't fear for his job, and doesn't feel under pressure. Well, he's got to say that (although I can't help but feel the reason he doesn't feel under pressure is because he doesn't actually care about the fortunes of our club, and because Shahid Kahn is never around to put any pressure on him in the first place), but what he seems to be missing is why the fans are so unhappy with him.

He keeps pointing to the fact that we're still above other teams, or that the points in the league are still very tight, as his arguments because he thinks we're all the kind of armchair fans who can only measure the situation in terms of league position, but we're not falling for it. Especially when he so often tries to back them up with references to how great his previous record was and how much other clubs love him (I highly doubt anyone has ever said "never fear, Martin is here".)

It would be nice if he gave the fans a little more credit. If we were playing really well, and losing, we'd be OK with that, because we'd see the potential for the wins to come, perhaps with a bit more luck. But nothing we are doing on the pitch is convincing the fans that the team are actually capable of improving our fortunes. At least, not with Jol in charge.

Let's not forget there are a lot of players who were here last year, who were good professionals, and who this year can't string a coherent performance together. They haven't all, at the same time, become significantly worse players. Even Ruiz hasn't. It can only be the coaching and tactics, or lack thereof as dictated by the manager.



http://www.teamtalk.com/fulham/9011916/Time-for-Jol-to-make-tough-decisions?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Sascha Riether banned for stamping as FA chairman Greg Dyke wins rules battle
Fulham defender Sascha Riether has been banned for three games for a stamp on Adnan Januzaj after FA chairman Greg Dyke succeeded in closing a rules loophole that prevents trial by video


Missed me: Adnan Januzaj takes evasive action to avoid a tackle from Fulham defender Sascha Riether
Photo: JOHN PETERS

Greg Dyke has won his first major battle as Football Association chairman after forcing through an unprecedented midseason rule change that will avoid a repeat of the Fernando Torres and Sascha Riether sagas.

On the day the FA decided it did have the power to ban Fulham defender Riether for three matches over his stamp on
Manchester United winger Adnan Januzaj, it emerged that Dyke had also succeeded in securing increased powers for retrospective action to be taken over incidents not seen clearly by the match officials.

The rule change was enacted in defiance of the convention that the full agreement of stakeholders such as the Premier League and Football League is obtained prior to any such amendments, which have previously only been enacted during the summer.

The Telegraph has seen correspondence which confirms the new regulations will come into force on Nov 22, ahead of the first round of domestic fixtures after the international break. That meant Riether's case was dealt with under present rules, which Fulham argued prevented the German being punished because Torres had avoided suspension in similar circumstances just over a month ago.

The fact Riether had already acknowledged his guilt led to the farcical situation of a club rejecting a charge their player had effectively accepted.

The FA duly banned Riether on Wednesday and was expected to publish its written reasons for that on Thursday, including why it rejected Fulham's claim that referee Lee Probert must have had some view of his clash with Januzaj.

The latest rule change closes the loophole that prevents trial by video being used if any of the match officials witness a "coming together" of two or more players but not in its entirety.

The regulations are now worded to allow retrospective action to be taken provided officials are deemed not to have been in a position to make a correct decision, even if they had some view of an incident.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/10431414/Fulhams-Sascha-Riether-banned-for-stamping-as-FA-chairman-Greg-Dyke-wins-rules-battle.html

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Kasami relishing Liverpool return

Fulham midfielder back at Anfield this weekend following spell during his teens


Fired up: Fulham midfielder Pajtim Kasami
Fulham midfielder Pajtim Kasami has unfinished business at Liverpool ahead of his Anfield return on Saturday.

The Swiss rising star spent eight months on Merseyside as a teenager, only for paperwork to scupper any chance of a permanent deal.

Kasami has since carved out a career in England with the Cottagers via Italian outfits Lazio and Palermo.

The 21-year-old is relishing the return to the North West as Fulham bid to end a run of three successive defeats.

"It went well but I had some problems with my documents because I was very young," Kasami recalls from his time with the Reds.

"I have fond memories of my time up there. I met a lot of good people. I played two friendlies for the reserves, with players like Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso.

"I am looking forward to going back up there."

Brendan Rogers' boys go into the Anfield clash as favourites against a Fulham side who are struggling for form.

And Kasami is desperate to stop the rot going before the international break.

He added: "Liverpool is a very important game now but they have started the season well, so it is going to be very difficult.

"We need to step up and play as a team. We can take confidence from the second-half performance against Manchester United."


Pajtim Kasami celebrates



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/pajtim-kasami-relishing-liverpool-return-6279013?

[WhiteJC]

 
Wrong Kind of History for Sascha Riether as FA Slap Retrospective Three-Match Ban for Adnan Januzaj Stamp

Fulham defender Sascha Riether has become the first player to be suspended via retrospective action after the English FA banned him for three games for a "violent conduct" charge.

Riether was charged after appearing to stamp on Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj during Saturday's game and the FA's punishment was announced yesterday evening.

He will now sit out the next three games for Fulham, though he had issued an apology earlier this week via his Twitter account.

"I want to say I am sorry to Adnan Januzai [sic]. It was very unlike me and I can only say that frustration got the better of me," Riether wrote.

"I also want to apologise to my team-mates, fans and everyone at the club, for the ban incurred following Saturday's match

"I will accept the consequences of my actions, and hope to put it behind me when I return.

"I want the fans to know that I will be working hard to stay fit and will be ready to continue fighting for the club as soon as I am able."

The incident was not seen by the referee at the time due to a melee that involved players from both sides.

The FA's punishment comes a few weeks after Fernando Torres escaped a similar retrospective ban for his "scratch" on Jan Vertonghen.


Read more at http://www.insidefutbol.com/2013/11/07/wrong-kind-of-history-for-sascha-riether-as-fa-slap-retrospective-three-match-ban-for-adnan-januzaj-stamp/107723/#khXxaAUdjxQuS3De.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Moving on – what to look for this weekend

An interesting perspective on the Manchester United game from a commenter on the statsbomb.com website.

The 'analytics community', such that it is, have been looking at Fulham with mouths agape this year.

The reason is the shots disparity.

This is important because shots for and against are in many ways a better indicator of a team's ability than are goals. No really. The problem with goals is that they are rare and relatively random, especially in the short term. Teams can and do play well without getting the goals their play deserves.

If you think about most goals you see this becomes reasonably clear: while football rewards good play and good teams usually beat bad teams, within 90 minutes all kinds of strange things can happen to make the use of actual goals a bit tricky. A goal will usually be the product of some effective play, a mistake (usually more than one) in the defence, and some luck, too. Throw all this into 90 minutes and this is why it's hard to predict individual matches and almost impossible to predict correct scores.

Anyway, here is Fulham's problem:



We have been absolutely battered this season. Usually with statistical analysis you take your numbers then look for a qualitative explanation: are the numbers reasonable? If not, why not? You use these things as a basis for what we might optimistically call diagnosis; what on earth is going wrong?

The numbers for Fulham have been historically bad. We've been outshot to such a degree, against ordinary teams, that things genuinely do look very very bad. It suggests that the points we do have have been earned fortunately, for one thing, and I think that's true: Sunderland dominated us but we scored from a corner to snatch the game. Against Crystal Palace, a terrible team, we were well and truly under it until that man Kasami scored that wonder strike. Then Steve Sidwell knocked one in, too. These goals weren't random but they weren't exactly a result of a coherent plan, a repeatable circumstance; they were out of this world. They count like any other goal but you can't rely on screamers all season, can you?

Anyway, the point of all this: Manchester United. We conceded three early on and in some ways that led me to believe that everything we achieved afterwards could be discounted. I still think that might be true to a degree: United had the game wrapped up, had to make three substitutions; it's no wonder we got back into it.

But the thing here is that we didn't just get back into it, we actually gave a fair crack at retrieving the game. United weren't just sitting back and limiting us to hopeless long-shots, we made real chances. And a few of them, too. It was, at long last, a real performance. It gives us some hope for the weeks ahead.

It would be daft to take a good 45 minutes as evidence that a corner is being turned, but it would be just as daft to write that 45 minutes off altogether. Liverpool's exciting attacking play will tie our team in knots if we defend 'like that' again, but there's some quality in our own team and while a heavy defeat must be the most likely result, it will be very interesting to see how things are shaping up.

Signs of progress, even in defeat, might be:

1. A sensible balance of shots. Looking at the chart above, we need to get to double figures here, and we need to keep their attempts sensible as well. You can't go around with 19-3 differentials and expect to win anything; this desperately needs to improve. You can't just go around saying "we need 10 shots" but to accomplish this would at least demonstrate that we'd been in the game.

This is in some ways the end product of the other things we need to do. We can't stop them shooting if we have no defensive protection; we can't create shots if we dilly dally all day and have no attacking movement. We need a target of keeping up with Liverpool in the shots stakes, and a plan to achieve this.

I won't keep harping on but some of this is Derek Boateng, some of this is Scott Parker staying near his defence, and part of it is attacking patterns (e.g. have some, rather than trying to work out a big move on the fly).  If you insist on playing Ruiz and Berbatov tell both of them you expect them to make a shots from inside the area.

Part of it is passion. We English fans are terrible on this front, in that we tend to rate passion over quality, but there's something to this as well. Look at Jose Mourinho's reaction to Chelsea losing at Newcastle. What he's been describing is Fulham all season. We don't need Derek Boateng and Steve Sidwell sliding into Liverpool's skill players all day, but we do need a sense of urgency, a tempo, a controlled aggression.

2. Rack up some fouls. We seem a bit too easy to play against. A number of sensible fouls would suggest that we at least got in Liverpool's faces a bit, slowed down their breaks and allowed us to get men back in set positions when we're stretched.

3. Perseverance in the face of being dominated. Liverpool are a really good team and match up well with us. They have skilful front players and players like Lucas who are very good at protecting the back four (or three, or whatever they do). It will be a really tricky match for us but we need to win battles, we need to dust ourselves off whenever Suarez and Sturridge turn us inside out for the fifth time. We need to accept this and we need to play with a purpose anyway. Try things; break quickly; make life uncomfortable to the extent we are able. Evidence of this would probably just be from keeping the game close. There is no shame in losing 2-1 or something but at this level we should have the capability to avoid a drubbing.



https://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/moving-on-what-to-look-for-this-weekend/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol set to raid former club

Fulham are ready to launch a cut-price bid for Hamburg midfielder Tomas Rincon in January but face competition from Sunderland.

The German outfit look set to lose the Venezuela international in the near future, with Rincon's contract due to expire in June 2014. With talks on a new deal showing no signs of progress, Hamburg are ready to let the 25-year-old leave on the cheap in the new year, rather than risk losing him for nothing at the end of the season. The Bundesliga club are looking for offers in the region of £2.2million and that could tempt Fulham boss Martin Jol to open his cheque book in a bid to improve his options in the middle of the park. Jol brought the South American to Hamburg in January 2009 and will hope he is able to persuade Rincon to jump ship again and join him at Fulham. However, the Whites aren't the only Premier League club interested in Rincon, with Sunderland manager Gus Poyet believed to also be keen on the South American.



Read more at: http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/jol-set-to-raid-former-club-1660537.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Torres swipe sparks FA law change


Fernando Torres scratches the face of Jan Vertonghen
(Action Images)

The FA has changed its laws on retrospective disciplinary action after two high-profile Premier League incidents of violent conduct met with contrasting punishments.

Following an unprecedented mid-season rule change announced on Wednesday, the FA will now be able to retrospectively charge players with violent conduct regardless of whether an incident was seen by the match referee.

In September, Chelsea's Fernando Torres escaped punishment after scratching the face of Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen.

Under the old laws, as the match officials reported having witnessed the two players coming together, the FA's disciplinary panel was unable to bring a charge.

FA chairman Greg Dyke described that situation as "not right" and the governing body escaped further embarrassment on Wednesday with the successful ratification of a suspension on Fulham defender Sascha Riether, despite his club appearing to contend the ruling.

A frustrated Riether stamped on Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj towards the end of his club's Premier League defeat at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

As the action went unpunished by referee Lee Probert, the FA began retrospective disciplinary procedures based on video evidence of the incident.

Riether's stamp was judged by a three-man panel made up of former Premier League referees, who charged the player with violent conduct on Monday. Fulham were then told they had a 6pm Tuesday deadline by which to either accept or appeal the charge.

Fulham did not appeal the decision but are understood to have sought clarification from the FA in the hope of avoiding a suspension, as Torres had done.

Fulham's argument is believed to have centered on whether Probert had seen Riether's stamp. The panel would only have been allowed to make a judgement if the incident went unspotted, and video footage appears to show the referee blowing his whistle at the moment of impact.

In the midst of widespread confusion surrounding the charge, the FA remained confident of being able to ratify Riether's ban as Probert did not mention the stamp in his match report and confirmed to the panel the incident had gone unnoticed.

On Wednesday it was announced that Riether would be banned for three matches, but the FA has now made a further rule change that will avoid future confusion in matters of retrospective punishment.



http://www.sportsdirectnews.com/premier-league-news/35347-torres-swipe-sparks-fa-law-change.php#.UnyYwaUcKbA

[WhiteJC]

 
Three Ways For Jol To Mastermind A Fulham Victory At Anfield

When Fulham slumped to a seven-game winless run at the back end of last season, many put it down to a lacklustre approach after all but confirming their top-flight status for the campaign that followed, and that was supported when they thumped Swansea on the final day. Martin Jol saw his players' energy levels drop, their confidence evaporate and ultimately their displays fall through the floor, but fans of the London club weren't to fret as they had a summer to rebuild and establish a back-line to structure a finish more comfortable than the last.

However, things haven't gone to plan for Jol and he finds his side sat just two points above the drop zone after 10 games and in apparent danger of being booted out of the club. With six losses from ten so far and the fans calling for his head, the last place the Dutch boss would want to travel to this weekend would be Liverpool, who themselves have won four out of their five Anfield clashes this season. If results go against the Cottagers this weekend they could find themselves languishing in the bottom three and quite possibly manager-less, so what can Jol do to potentially save his job?

One major reason that Fulham are struggling this season is the dwindling form of Dimitar Berbatov, who has scored just once in his nine appearances so far this season. The former Manchester United man  was the standout player at Craven Cottage last season, scoring 15 goals and carving-out 46 opportunities, but his score of -18 this season is the worst in the whole squad this time round.

His pass success has dropped from 78% to 76% and his duel completion has also take a hit – falling from 52% to 39%.

Swapping the Bulgarian for Darren Bent for their trip to Merseyside would not only freshen things up, but it would allow the latter to use his turn of pace to run at Kolo Toure and Martin Skrtel. Given Liverpool's sluggish second-half performances this term – their defensive score plummets from 1015 to 280 when only the second half is taken into account – it could also open an opportunity for Berbatov to come on and change the game with his creativity.

Another problem that is evident at the club is their ineffectiveness from the wide areas. A massive 64.9% of the chances they have created have come through the central areas and four of their goals have been the result of corners, so to play a narrower game at Liverpool and concentrating on shooting from distance would not only stifle the performance of Steven Gerrard and Philippe Coutinho, but it may also increase their chances of penetrating the Reds.

With Scott Parker and Steve Sidwell the anchor in Jol's 4-4-1-1 formation, utilising the likes of Bryan Ruiz and Adel Taraabt on the flanks, both of whom can tuck inside, rather than out-and-out wingers like Alex Kacaniklic could benefit the capital club.

The truth of the matter is that Fulham will struggle to contain a silky Liverpool side with their lack of organisation at the back – especially as they attempt their embarrassing high line approach like they did against Manchester United – and if they come away with a draw then all connected with the club will take it as a positive, depending on the circumstances. The likelihood is that Saturday could very well be Fulham's last game with the former Spurs boss at the helm.


http://squawka.com/news/2013/11/07/under-pressure-three-ways-for-jol-to-mastermind-fulham-victory-at-anfield/2013110732104?

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Fulham end four-year legal battle against Premier League & ex-chairman

The London club have finally dropped their claim that Sir Dave Richards interfered in Peter Crouch's £9 million transfer from Portsmouth to Tottenham in 2009

EXCLUSIVE
By Wayne Veysey | Chief Correspondent

Fulham have ended their four-year legal battle against the Premier League and its former chairman Sir Dave Richards over his alleged role in Peter Crouch's move to Tottenham, Goal can reveal.

A recent League board meeting was told that the west London club have finally dropped their claim that Richards interfered in Crouch's £9 million transfer from Portsmouth to Spurs in 2009.

Goal understands that Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore was notified the lawsuit had ended after new owner Shahid Khan bought the club from Mohamed Fayed in July.

The Cottagers had taken their legal battle against Sir Dave all the way to the Supreme Court after refusing to accept judgements from the Premier League, the High Court and the Court of Appeal.

Fulham were angry that they missed out on Crouch despite offering £2m more than Tottenham in the summer of 2009. The west Londoners thought that a deal worth up to £11m had been clinched with Portsmouth for the former England striker but alleged the situation changed following Richards' involvement.

Fulham lodged a formal complaint alleging that Richards helped 'facilitate' Crouch's transfer to White Hart Lane, and that he had acted as an 'unauthorised agent', in breach of the game's regulations.

However, the ex-Premier League chairman, who was replaced in his position at the organisation by Anthony Fry earlier this year, denied any impropriety.

Crouch eventually joined Spurs for £9m, although Portsmouth claim they decided to accept less money from the north Londoners because it was an up-front payment, and due to pressure from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs for unpaid tax, and was a better deal than the £11m in instalments that Fulham were offering.

In 2010, Fulham asked Mr Justice Vos to restrain Richards from participating in transfer negotiations or to order that he should "cease to be chairman" of the Premier League.

The judge refused, following a High Court hearing, and said the dispute should go to arbitration.

Three Court of Appeal judges then dismissed Fulham's appeal against the High Court judgement and the Premier League club subsequently lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court in a fresh bid to have their case against Sir Dave heard in open court.



http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2013/11/07/4390132/-?

[WhiteJC]

 
Liverpool: The View From Craven Cottage

As part of our build-up to Liverpool's fixture with Fulham this weekend we've interviewed a Cottagers fan for their thoughts on the game...

Saturday's Premier League encounter at Anfield sees third placed Liverpool host a Fulham side who currently sit 16th.

The Merseysiders, who won 3-1 in the last meeting, will be firm favourites once more against a side who have acquired just 10 points from 10 games so far this term.

But could the under pressure Martin Jol lead his side to a surprise, and much needed, victory?

Vital Fulham's Andrew Joyce gives us his thoughts on this and plenty more besides below:

Q. How has your season started and where do you see yourselves finishing?
It's not been the best of starts to a season is the polite way of putting it. We're looking nervously over our shoulders at that relegation trap door wondering if it has got our name on it this season. As for where we'll finish, halfway would be great but I can't see it at the moment.

Q. Is Martin Jol the right man for the job?
At the moment we need stability, but how long do you leave it before you opt for change? Our owner, Shahid Khan, has given Jol his vote of confidence but with several names being linked to Craven Cottage I wonder if we'll have a new man at the helm come the festive period.

Q. Has the change in ownership made any noticeable differences at Craven Cottage so far?
One decent change has occurred... the statue of Michael Jackson has gone! Apart from that it's early days and it remains to be seen how much Shahid Khan puts into the club time and money wise.

Q. Who are the Fulham player(s) we should look out for?
Pajtim Kasami because he just has something about him, as the goal he scored against Crystal Palace recently showed, and Dimitar Berbatov if the Bulgarian decides to turn up, which is something Jol needs to address.

Q. What have you made of Liverpool so far this season?
You've surprised a lot of people with the manner in which you've started the season. Brendan Rodgers appears to have the team, plus the support, on his side and that can make one hell of a difference.

Q. Which Liverpool player(s) do you rate the most and why?
Luis Suarez - Despite his occasional tendency to go off the rails, he is a fine player and I reckon if you can't secure Champions League football he'll be off to pastures new. Daniel Sturridge has also looked good and it remains to be seen if he can keep scoring.

Q. What is your probable line up for the game?
Probable as opposed to what I'd like? I reckon Jol will go for something like: Stekelenburg, Risse, Senderos, Hangeland, Richardson, Sidwell, Parker, Kasami, Kacaniklic, Berbatov, Ruiz.

Q. How do you think you can be successful against Liverpool?
With a huge amount of luck, a few below par performances from your best players and Berbatov taking any chances that come his way.

Q. What's your prediction for the result?
I can't see us winning, so how about 0-0 with Liverpool hitting the woodwork several times, Maarten Stekelenburg playing out of his skin and Jon Arne Riise getting the man-of-the-match award!



Read more: http://www.liverpool.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=338068#ixzz2k2U7xvdV

[WhiteJC]

 
Three Game Ban Dished Out
   
Just as we suspected, Sascha Riether goes down into the record books as being the first player to be found guilty, of violent conduct, by the so-called 'star chamber` of former referees.

His assault on Adnan Januzaj was always going to be punished, even if Fulham Football Club believed that the referee, Lee Probert, had dealt with matters by admonishing Riether for the challenge.

But yesterday it was announced that Riether will be banned for a total of three games, for his act of frustrated retribution.

I suppose it could have been worse, the ban could have been longer of Riether, considering he`s the first to fall foul of the new system, could have been sent to the Tower of London!



Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=338075#ixzz2k2UJqrju

[WhiteJC]

 
Premier League: Fulham striker Hugo Rodallega out for five to six weeks


Hugo Rodallega: Fulham striker faces up to six weeks out with a groin injury

Fulham striker Hugo Rodallega has been ruled out of action for between five and six weeks.

The Colombia striker missed the 3-1 home defeat to Manchester United last weekend after suffering a groin injury during the Capital One Cup defeat at Leicester on October 29.

The 28-year-old was initially expected to be out for around a fortnight but he is now facing a longer absence after undergoing further tests.

Fulham have scored only 10 goals in 10 Premier League games this season and Rodallega's injury is a blow to Cottagers boss Martin Jol as his side look to revive their flagging fortunes.

Rodallega has yet to score in the league this term although he has netted three times in the Capital One Cup, including a double in the game against Leicester.

Centre-back Brede Hangeland has, however, returned to training and is in contention to start against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.

The Norwegian has not featured for Fulham since being forced off at half-time during the 4-1 victory at Crystal Palace on October 21.



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/9013022/?

[WhiteJC]

 
#FFC Photo Challenge

We loved your Fulham-related photos from October, so for the month of November we're setting fans another challenge via the social media platform Instagram.

If you're not doing so already, follow fulhamfc, then get to work by snapping our five photo challenges. Instagram is also letting you shoot 15 second videos – so why not get even more creative by adding film to the fun.

For November, we want to see images/videos of: 1). Billy the Badger (real or toy), 2). Your pre-match rituals, 3). You wearing an old Fulham adidas shirt, 4). The outside of Craven Cottage and 5). You at an away ground showing your Fulham colours.

Be sure to tag fulhamfc and use the hashtag #snapFFC – we'll then collate your images (see below for the month of October) and upload them to the Club's website. We'll also give you a follow back.

This month, we're also giving a prize away for our favourite #snappFFC offering - so get creative!

Happy snapping!



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/november/07/october-instagram-challenge?

[WhiteJC]

 
Win Chris David's Shirt

Couldn't make it to last week's signing session at the Stadium Store? Check out the video to catch up on all the action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iCvBi4qQI8

Supporters had the chance to meet Fulham legend Luis Boa Morte, as well as Pajtim Kasami, Jesse Joronen and Chris David.

Highlights from the day include Chris David printing and signing his own 2013/14 adidas Home Shirt, for one lucky fan to win!

Just fill out the form below to be entered into the draw. The competition closes at midnight on Sunday 10th November and the winner will be notified by email.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/november/07/win-davids-shirt?

[WhiteJC]

 
Ahead of the Game: Fulham

Liverpool take on Fulham at Anfield on Saturday afternoon: a fixture which the Reds won 4-0 last season on our way to a double over Martin Jol's men. We haven't had it all our own way against the Cottagers in recent years though, as they have escaped with three clean sheets in their last five visits to Anfield. To flip the coin, though, Liverpool have conceded a meagre three goals in 12 home Premier League matches against Fulham.



Despite these statistics suggesting a lack of goals, I've got a feeling this could change on Saturday, if the Londoners' recent, hopelessly sorry defending is anything to go by.

After a solid start to the season, in which we conceded no goals in each of our first three Premier League games, Liverpool have gone seven matches without a clean sheet. This run has, perhaps significantly, coincided with a switch in shape to three at the back by Brendan Rodgers.



Saturday's meeting with Fulham seems an ideal opportunity to put this sequence to an end, and on the face of it, the game could be seen as a relieving fixture, sandwiched in between a trip to the Emirates and a Merseyside derby at Goodison Park. Three points here is a must.



Despite a previous worry about the availability of Luis Suarez, because of a FIFA ruling whereby a player must meet with his international team at least four days in advance of a match, Uruguay have confirmed that the mercurial forward will be able to play for the Reds against Fulham. He will then fly to Turkey on Saturday evening for a training camp in Istanbul with his compatriots. Suarez's presence will of course be a boost for us, but fears that Steven Gerrard could miss the game with a hip injury will counteract Brendan Rodgers' mood.



The Reds' captain picked up the injury in our defeat to Arsenal last weekend, and rumours are subsequently mounting that he could miss the Fulham game. I've noticed a lot of people suggesting that Gerrard's absence could be some sort of blessing in disguise, but in my opinion, they couldn't be more mistaken. The 33-year-old has played 2.5 key passes per game this season: the fourth most of any player in the Premier League and more than Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi, Iniesta, Isco, Pirlo, Vidal, Hamsik and Schweinsteiger in their respective leagues. But hey, why let factual statistics get in the way of an arbitrary opinion?



Fulham will arrive at Anfield, looking to avoid a fourth straight defeat in all competitions. In my opinion, manager Martin Jol's days at the club are numbered; his team look disorganised and careless and rely too heavily on individuality.



My view is credited by the fact that the Cottagers have attempted just 8.3 shots per game this season: comfortably the least in the Premier League. That statistic highlights their lack of control in matches.





To add to Fulham's woes, right-back Sascha Riether, whose performances have been a beacon of positivity at the club in the last 18 months, could miss Saturday's game after being punished retrospectively by the FA for an unscrupulous stamp on Adnan Januzaj last weekend. The German looks set to be handed a three-match domestic ban, although this has not been confirmed yet.



Despite wrongly predicting a Liverpool win last Saturday against Arsenal, I am going to remain undeterred and can only see the Reds winning comfortably here.



- See more at: http://www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/2013/11/07/ahead-of-the-game-fulham-by-whatahitsonlfc/#sthash.ab4S3G5u.dpuf

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol's Liverpool Preview

Martin Jol may be able to call upon Brede Hangeland's services at Anfield on Saturday when Fulham face Liverpool in the Barclays Premier League.

The Whites Captain has not featured since the 4-1 win at Crystal Palace – a game in which he was withdrawn at half-time – and the Fulham Manager will assess the big Norwegian before deciding whether or not to restore him to the starting XI.

"Brede is fine," Jol said in his pre-match press conference. "Brede trained with us so the only thing now is we have to need to have a look on Friday to see if he's fit enough to start."

One man who definitely won't return for the trip to Merseyside is the unfortunate Hugo Rodallega, who is expected to miss the majority of games in the run-up to Christmas.

"Hugo Rodallega, who had a grade II injury to his abductor muscle on his left leg, will be out for the next five, six weeks," Jol confirmed. "And Matthew Briggs will take probably another five weeks with the surgery he had."

Fulham take on a Liverpool side who currently occupy third spot in the Premier League table, with their defeat at Arsenal last week only their second loss of what's been a productive season so far.

"Before the match against Arsenal they were probably at least top-four candidates," Jol said of Saturday's opponents. "They've spent a lot of money on very good players. Luis Suarez stayed and Suarez, in my opinion, is one of the best in the world, and he will prove that. I had Suarez with Ajax in Holland and he will score a lot of goals – he would have been top scorer last year if he hadn't been suspended.

"Daniel Sturridge has had a big impact since he came to Liverpool and Philippe Coutinho will probably be back against us, and he's talented. They have a different shape sometimes with three at the back but they're still defensively very good and very good going forward with these top players up front."

He continued: "They started [the season] so well that they were top of the league so, of course, you could stretch your imagination a bit and say that maybe they could be title contenders. I don't know, but they are strong.

"They haven't been in the top four over the last couple of years, so I think they will be going for a top four spot this year. We will try to get a result against Liverpool. We have to try to be strong and solid at the back and then try to hurt them, like we did two years ago when we beat them 1-0 away from home."

Consecutive defeats in the league have seen Fulham drop to 16th in the table, and Jol is keen to string a few results together to get the Whites back up the standings to where the supporters want their team to be.

"If they [the fans] are disappointed I can understand that," he said. "As long as we don't have the results they can do it [be disappointed] with me, but hopefully they will support our team because we are not in the best of situations, but not in the worst.

"We experienced this before at this Club over the last 10 years, so hopefully we will get results. Look at Cardiff City; they were in the same position [as Fulham], then they won the derby game against Swansea City and now they're fine. So that's what we look for, we look for a few results. You have to start somewhere to get wins under your belt and then go from there. We need a few surprise results and maybe we can start against Liverpool."

The game at Anfield will be the first of three sat out by full-back Sascha Riether, after the FA charged him with violent conduct following a challenge on Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj last weekend.

And while Jol would rather have his dependable defender available, he's happy to call on Elsad Zverotić who has patiently been waiting for his First team chance.

"If he did do it deliberately, it's fair enough he got three games," Jol admitted. "The referee didn't see it, I didn't see it but they decided to give him that punishment. He apologised to the Club, to the fans, to us, of course, and it's not what you need but we move on because we've got some good players in that position.

"Zverotić will be desperate for a game and he's an international and hopefully he will do well. We will move on and I don't think he will do it again in the future."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/november/07/jols-liverpool-preview?

[WhiteJC]

 
Premier League: Martin Jol insists Fulham have moved on after Sascha Riether ban

Fulham manager Martin Jol has admitted he has no complaints over the three-match ban handed to Sascha Riether.

The right-back became the first player to be retrospectively charged with violent conduct by the Football Association following his stamp on Adnan Januzaj towards the end of the 3-1 defeat to Manchester United.

The match officials took no action at the time, and Fulham initially asked the FA for clarification on the new retrospective action rule after Riether was charged.

The club decided not to contest the charge and Jol insists they have "moved on" as he considers who will replace Riether in Saturday's clash with Liverpool.

Jol said: "If he did do it deliberately it is fair enough to get three games. The referee didn't see it. I didn't see it, but they decided to give him that punishment and people around me said it was probably something deliberate.

"He said it was not deliberate but he apologised to the club, to the fans and to us. It is not what you need, but we move on."

Jol revealed he will be speaking to Riether again about the incident and added: "They are all responsible for their own actions. Sascha Riether is responsible and we are responsible. You don't want that sort of thing.

"He has been punished for it and I don't think he will do it again in the future.

"If he tells me he didn't do it deliberately and other people say he did there is always a grey area with that. But I think you should try not to stamp on someone's feet, probably fall over and do something."

Jol also maintains he feels no pressure on his position despite incuring the wrath of of the home fans after the defeat to United, in which Bryan Ruiz was booed off the pitch when he was substituted.

"I don't think you are under pressure against Liverpool or Manchester United. You are under pressure in your home games against teams who should lose points against us," he added.

"If they (the fans) are disappointed I can understand that. The only disappointing thing was with Ruiz.

"As long as we don't have the results they can (boo) me, but hopefully they will support the team. We are not in the best of situations, but we are not in the worst.

"We had a very difficult schedule. We have played most of the top teams in difficult away games. The only really inconsistent game was 1-1 against West Brom. We need a few surprise results and maybe we can start against Liverpool."



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/9013179/premier-league-martin-jol-insists-fulham-have-moved-on-after-sascha-riether-ban?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham wait on Hangeland ahead of Liverpool clash

Defender to have late fitness test before Anfield trip at the weekend

Fulham are sweating on the fitness of skipper Brede Hangeland ahead of Saturday's trip to Liverpool.

The towering centre-back has been struggling with a nerve problem in his leg, which kept him out of the defeats against Southampton, Leicester City and Manchester United.

However, Hangeland returned to training earlier this week and will be given a late check to see if he's ready to return to the side at Anfield.

Meanwhile, striker Hugo Rodallega faces up to six weeks on the sidelines after tearing his groin in the Capital One Cup loss at Leicester.

The Colombian frontman scored twice before limping off against the Foxes and will now be sidelined until the middle of December.

Youngster Matthew Briggs is also out as he recovers from a hernia op.

Fulham go into the game against the Reds on the back of three-straight defeats, while the hosts are third in the table after an impressive start to the campaign.

The Cottagers were thumped 4-0 in the same fixture last time out, and boss Martin Jol is fully aware of the threat posed by Brendan Rodgers' side.

He said:  "Liverpool spent a lot of money on players. [Luis] Suarez stayed, who is one of the best in the world. He would've been top scorer last year if he wasn't suspended.

"[Daniel] Sturridge has made a big impact since he went there. They are very good going forward with these top players up front.

"We have to try to be solid and hurt them like we did when we beat them two years ago.

"We were a little bit weak last time and conceded cheap goals. It wasn't the best of games we had."



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-wait-hangeland-ahead-liverpool-6282374?