Friday Fulham Stuff (21/02/14)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Magath: We Play To Win

Felix Magath's message to Fulham fans is that he will do whatever it takes to get the points the Club needs to secure their Barclays Premier League status.

Previous sides under Magath's stewardship have produced attractive, ruthless football going forward, but the Whites Manager admitted he would take scrappy narrow victories between now and the end of the season.

"At the moment, 1-0 is the best result for us," he said. "It's a special situation and we have to play to win, not to impress our fans. Sorry for that, but they have to be patient for a few months.

"In Germany I put a team together at Wolfsburg over three years and we scored the most goals. I had Grafite, he was the best scorer, I had [Edin] Dzeko, he was the second best scorer, and then I had [Zvjezdan] Misimović, he had the most assists ever in Germany. So, you see, I'm a fan of attacking not defending, but if you're willing to attack then you have to be closed in the defence."

Much has been made of Magath's alleged mentality when it comes to preparation for matches, but when quizzed about his training methods the 60-year-old laughed off suggestions that he pushed his players too hard.

"So far, everybody has loved my training sessions, everybody; no-one died!" he stated. "The most important thing, for me, is to get the players together and to work as fast as we can. Therefore I called them to come [in to training] on Sunday because otherwise we would have had no time to get together and know each other.

"The players have to know me and try to understand what I want. I have to understand the players and I have to think about what I can ask of the players. I'm sure that the players want to stay in the league so I think they're happy they have a change and I think they trust me that we can stay in the league."

Magath was also asked about his dealings with Shahid Khan since he was first approached about taking over at Fulham, and the new boss was full of praise for our Chairman having met with him last week.

"He's a very impressive person and I'm sure that he's the right man for Fulham," he said. "He also is overwhelmed by the tradition here and he told me it's the only club in England he fits.

"He's willing to do a lot for Fulham. He's not satisfied [with our position in the table] and he was very surprised at the situation that Fulham are in last place."

On the morning of Thursday's press conference, rumours began to do the rounds that Mark McGhee, a playing colleague of Magath's in their Hamburg days, was being lined up as a potential Assistant Manager at Fulham, but the six-time Bundesliga winner explained that he currently has no plans to add to his backroom staff.

"There's no plan to bring in anybody else – at the moment I'm not thinking about that," he said. "I know Mark very well, not only from when we played together but I also visited him when he was manager at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"So I know him, he's a friend of mine, but at the moment I only focus on the next game. I don't think about the next season or who can join me, I'm only focused on winning games."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/february/21/we-play-to-win?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham decided to sack Meulensteen two games before he left to according to Felix Magath
FELIX MAGATH has revealed Rene Meulensteen was a dead man walking for his final two games as Fulham boss.


NEW MAN IN CHARGE: Felix Magath [GETTY]
The German was unveiled at Craven Cottage yesterday and admitted he was approached for the manager's job on the same weekend as Meulensteen pulled off a shock 2-2 Premier League draw at Manchester United.

Magath then held a four-hour meeting with Fulham chairman Shahid Khan and chief executive Alistair Mackintosh in London one day before Meulensteen's final game in charge against Liverpool which ended in a heart-breaking 3-2 home defeat.


DEAD MAN WALKING: The decision to sack Meulensteen was made two games before the Dutchman left the club [GETTY]

Straight-talking Magath, who took over at the rock-bottom outfit following the Dutchman's dismissal a week ago, said: "It was the weekend before last that Mackintosh first told me.

"He called me and then said on Tuesday the owner is in London and we are able to meet and talk with them.

"We spoke four hours in the afternoon and I was very delighted. It was a good conversation and I got a good impression. I crossed my fingers it would develop.

"I went back to Germany and on Thursday they called me. They said, 'Could I come to England on Friday?' so I was sure that the club wanted me and I would have the job here."

As well as the departure of Meulensteen, assistant boss Ray Wilkins and technical director Alan Curbishley have also since left the west London club.


GIVEN HIS MARCHING ORDERS: Magath told Alan Curbishley he was no longer needed at the club on Monday [GETTY]
Magath, whose first game is at West Brom tomorrow, added: "I never met Meulensteen. I met Curbishley and talked with him but I made the decision for him to go on Monday.

"I'm sorry for that, but it's the best for Fulham. To avoid relegation is a must.

"The owner was not satisfied and very surprised by the league position. He said at the start of the season he gave the manager (Martin Jol) what he wanted and gave Meulensteen all what he wanted.

"He told me he was totally surprised that at the moment he was in last place."


http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/366376/Fulham-decided-to-sack-Meulensteen-two-games-before-he-left-to-according-to-Felix-Magath

[WhiteJC]

 
McGhee Isn't Joining Backroom Staff
   
Felix Magath has played down reports of Mark McGhee joining the Fulham backroom staff.

Magath has insisted that his friend isn't going to be coming onboard to become his assistant at Craven Cottage and reports have surfaced purely due to the pairs friendship that was stuck up years ago.

In fact Magath has gone as far as saying he had no plans to add anyone to his backroom staff.

The Fulham boss is quoted by West London Sport as saying: 'There is no plan to bring in anyone else.

'I know Mark very well and not only from playing together. I met him last year and I visited him when he was manager at Wolverhampton.

'He is a friend of mine, but I am only thinking about the next game and not about who can join me.'

That's the end of that on then?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=350346#ixzz2twSaTnD1

[WhiteJC]

 
Magath: I'm Sure We Will Avoid Relegation
   
On Thursday Felix Magath addressed the media for the first time since his appointment as he held the pre-match press conference ahead of the huge game with West Bromwich Albion this weekend.

West Brom, at the Hawthorns, starts the 12 games that will make or break Fulham's season and Magath was in buoyant mood. He went as far as saying he was certain that premier league relegation would be avoided.

Magath said: 'In the next months, we will have a lot of work to avoid relegation but in the first days here, the work we've achieved has been very good.

'I'm sure we will avoid relegation with this team as the players are willing to avoid relegation.

'We have a good atmosphere at the club when we all work together. We are able to avoid relegation and that's now the most important thing.

'Now we have to concentrate on the next 12 games, especially on the game on Saturday against West Brom.'

For Fulham to have much chance of survival you would think that a win over West Brom is virtually a must to get him off to a positive start.

Questions were also pitched to him about his training methods, which have come under scrutiny.

Asked about this, and if he was a 'tough guy' he said: 'No, I am a nice guy.

'Ask Raul about my work, but don't ask players you didn't know here in England. Ask the good players, and then you will get the right answer.'

The time for talking to end is almost here and it is the actions that follow his words to the players that will speak louder than any words....


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=350347#ixzz2twSsAqE5

[WhiteJC]

 
Mel: Fulham will be unknown quantity

Hawthorns chief is prepared for all eventualities

PEPE Mel has told his players to expect the unexpected when they take on Fulham at The Hawthorns on Saturday (ko 3pm).

The Cottagers appointed former Bayern Munich boss Felix Magath as their new manager last Friday, replacing René Meulensteen. .

Mel believes it is difficult to predict how Fulham will line up at the weekend but insists he is fully focussed on his own team.

"The next match is a big match for us," he said.

"For us there is a new coach at Fulham so all the reports are no good because they have new coaches and new concepts.

"But on Saturday is 11 vs 11.

"I think Fulham play 4-2-3-1 but it's possible Magath says he doesn't like that.

"Maybe he will play five in defence, for example.

"That doesn't make things more difficult because for me what is more important is my team, my players, my way.

"My focus is only on keeping the ball and tactics.

"The other things are important but not the most important.

"The most important thing is the way we play, the system, the tactics and set-plays.

"This is more important for us.

"We need to win against Fulham and after that the other games.

"Fulham is the next game and it's very important because Fulham are in the relegation zone.

"But all our focus is on the way to win."



Read more at http://www.wba.co.uk/news/article/mel-fulham-will-be-unknown-quantity-1372601.aspx?#vzocc89admP5yMgR.99

[WhiteJC]

 
LAWRO'S PREDICTION

West Brom v Fulham

What has been going on at Fulham is just daft.

Since Martin Jol was still manager and they appointed Rene Meulensteen as head coach to work alongside him in November, things have gone from bad to worse at Craven Cottage.

Now Meulensteen has gone and Felix Magath has been parachuted in.

Magath is expected to keep them up, and he has got 12 games left to save them, but he arrives at a club which is in a right mess.

For me, the decisions which have been made in the last few months have been the main reason they have plunged to the bottom of the table quicker than anybody else. They also keep conceding goals by the barrel-load.

West Brom look a bit short of firepower up front but I am still backing Pepe Mel to get his first win as Baggies boss.

Lawro's prediction: 2-0
Katy B's prediction: Being a Palace fan I need this one to be a draw. 2-2


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26272372

[WhiteJC]

 
Felix Magath: 'Hellfighter' could be perfect fit for Fulham



Fans of Felix Magath liken him to a demon headmaster. One of his former players claims he was more like Saddam Hussein.
Another one dubbed him "the last dictator in Europe". None of this sounds good.

Perhaps Dimitar Berbatov, who left Craven Cottage in January, learned of the imminent arrival of Fulham's new manager in a premonition and got spooked. "Pack your bags, Mrs Berbatov, we're moving to Monaco." Certainly, the notoriously sedentary Bulgarian striker is better off out of it.

But hack your way through the sensationalist stories - about outlandish fines, about players collapsing on beaches and halfway up mountains and having their water bottles emptied while on gruelling training runs through Alpine forests - and you will find plenty of former Magath charges who respect and revere him.

Why wouldn't you? This is a man who won three Bundesliga titles in the last decade. With Bayern Munich he won the league and cup double twice in two years. He delivered unfashionable Wolfsburg their first league title.

But it was as a firefighter that Magath made his name. Indeed, Magath was to German football what Red Adair was to the US oil industry, a man who never came across a blowout he could not quell.

"When he took over at Hamburg [in 1995] we were bottom of the league," says Stephane Henchoz, the former Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool defender.

"He didn't speak a lot but he got results by working the team very hard and putting discipline in the squad. There was a lot of running through forests and over hills, probably the same methods he was used to as a player in the 1970s and 80s. It was quite basic and it was hard but it was needed at the time.

"For one January training camp, instead of flying somewhere warm, he drove us to a very cold part of Germany. We had to get up at 6am and we'd be out running in the snow at 6.30, when it was still dark.

"But to call him Saddam Hussein is a bit strong. I understand where his critics are coming from but we're only speaking about football training. As far as I know, Felix Magath never killed anybody on one of his runs.


To call him Saddam Hussein is a bit strong. I understand where his critics are coming from but we're only speaking about football training. As far as I know, Felix Magath never killed anybody on one of his runs."
Stephane Henchoz
Played under Magath at Hamburg

"It's always difficult when you're training so hard because you feel like you're training too hard. But when you were last in the league and now you're in the top six, you believe in the methods. He's the perfect man for Fulham."

Having led Hamburg into the Uefa Cup, Magath was sacked the following season. This is a recurring theme of Magath's career - recovery, boom and bust.

After Hamburg, Magath took Nuremberg from bottom of the second tier to the Bundesliga. When BBC Sport asked former Nuremberg midfielder Michael Wiesinger about Magath's training methods, he swallowed up a snigger before replying: "He's certainly a special one." But he could not deny they worked.

After a row with Nuremberg's president - he has a lot of those - Magath landed at Werder Bremen, another club he managed to drag clear of danger.

"Playing under Felix was an experience of a lifetime," chuckles former Werder Bremen and Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Havard Flo.

"He was tough, he expected commitment from his players and if he didn't get it, he would let you have it. I won't use the word 'dictator', but he's strong at giving orders and setting agendas.

"He was very proud of his fitness for an older guy. He'd take us into the forest and before we set off he'd line us up and say, 'Nobody is to run in front of me and nobody is to fall more than 20m behind me.' And then he'd be off.

"He could run to the end of the world, so we could be running for 40 minutes or two hours. It was a psychological ploy. A few players would moan, saying, 'What the hell is this?' And he would be onto them immediately.

"But I'm Norwegian, so I'm used to giving 100% and doing what the boss tells me. As long as you did what he said, even if he could see your limitations, he would back you and it could be a nice ride for a player. I had a really good connection with the man and wish I'd spent more time with him."


Havard Flo wishes he had played more than one season under Magath at Werder Bremen
After a couple of years with Frankfurt, whom he also saved from the drop in his first season, Magath took over at Stuttgart. He transformed them from relegation strugglers to Bundesliga runners-up, delivering them Champions League football for the first time.

"Stick it out and do what he asks and he'll get the best out of the team and the team will get the best out of him," says Sean Dundee, the South African-born striker who joined Stuttgart from Liverpool in 1999.

"I asked him after one training session: 'Why are you always picking on me?' He said: 'Be happy that I pick on you because if I didn't, it would mean that I didn't care.' That stuck with me, I looked upon being picked on as a positive.

"During his pre-match team talks he'd stir his tea and ask his players about opposition tactics. He'd get angry if you hadn't done your homework.

"I used to write down the names of opposition players on my arm, because if I couldn't answer a question he'd speak to me later and tell me I wasn't taking the game seriously enough."

But Magath, the son of a US serviceman and a German mother and a keen chess player, has a softer and more subtle side. Indeed, there are shades of the great Brian Clough in some of his team-building tactics.

Dundee recalls long team walks after breakfast, during which mobile phones and personal stereos were banned. Flo recalls being ordered out of his hotel room and summoned to the bar the evening before matches, where players would be encouraged to drink beer and talk about things other than football.

With such eccentric methods, Magath salvaged an awful lot of seasons. But while Red Adair revelled in the nickname 'Hellfighter', Magath was dubbed 'Qualix', a mash-up of his given name and the German verb 'qualen', meaning 'to torture'. And even his most earnest supporters can understand why.

Dundee remembers his Stuttgart team-mate Thomas Schneider being "murdered" with running sessions for a fortnight, having returned a day late following the birth of his child. Schneider had been with the club for 20 years.

Flo concedes Magath cut some of Werder Bremen's foreign contingent little slack, or at least those who struggled with German.
"We had a couple of Ukrainian players in that team and their German wasn't the best," says Flo. "Felix gave them a really tough time, telling them that they had to communicate in German if they wanted to play for his team."

Still, former Liverpool and Blackburn defender Markus Babbel says most of Stuttgart's players had only good things to say about Magath when he joined the club in 2004, shortly after the manager's departure for Bayern Munich.

"He took over a club that was in pieces," says Babbel. "He brought through players like Philipp Lahm, Kevin Kuranyi, Alexander Hleb, Timo Hildebrand and brought them Champions League football. He was a legend in Stuttgart. If the total focus on success is old-fashioned, then I am old-fashioned, too."

However, with success came a Messiah complex, something that is not required at a perennially successful club such as Bayern. So despite his two league and cup doubles in three seasons in Munich, he is remembered far less fondly.

"I would never want to treat human beings like he does," said Bayern president Uli Hoeness last week, as if he was speaking about... well, Saddam Hussein.

But Wolfsburg welcomed Magath with open arms and he repaid their faith, leading them to the Bundesliga title  in his second season in charge. It was an achievement roughly equivalent to Clough delivering First Division titles to so-called provincial English clubs Derby and Nottingham Forest.


During his pre-match team talk he'd stir his tea and ask players about opposition tactics. He'd get angry if you hadn't done your homework. I used to write down the names of opposition players on my arm, because if I couldn't answer a question he'd speak to me later, tell me I wasn't taking the game seriously enough"
Sean Dundee
Played under Magath at Stuttgart

In 2009, Magath joined Schalke, who finished runners-up  in the Bundesliga in his first season in charge. At which point Magath appears to have lost it.

Perhaps it was his hunger for total control (as at Stuttgart and Wolfsburg, Magath combined the roles of manager and director of football at Schalke)?

Perhaps it was because some were unaware of his achievements as a player (Magath won the European Cup with Hamburg, the 1980 European Championship with Germany and played in two World Cups)? Whatever it was, just about everybody at Schalke couldn't wait to see the back of him.

Having rejoined Wolfsburg in March 2011, Magath saved them  from relegation. He led them to mid-table respectability the following season  but destroyed any goodwill he had fostered during his glorious first stint in charge.

"He's not even a hero at Wolfsburg," says German football expert Raphael Honigstein. "He bought and sold so many players, nobody was sure who was in the team at any given time. It was a system of hire and fire and trial and error, players bought and played a couple of times and never seen again.

"In the end, everyone at the club lost patience with him and he realised he needed to take a break from football and resurrect his career elsewhere. Even Hamburg, despite being in desperate trouble themselves, didn't want him.

"If you want sustained success, he's probably not the right man. But he might turn out to be a viable short-term option for Fulham. They're already bottom of the Premier League table, so it can't really get much worse for them."

Describing an oil well blowout, Red Adair once said: "It scares you, all the noise, the rattling, the shaking. But the look on everybody's faces when you're done and the well is under control, they're the best smiles in the world."

Magath might just be the man to quell all that rattling and shaking going on down at Craven Cottage. Just don't expect those smiles to last too long.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26265494

[WhiteJC]

 
Chris Brunt v Steve Sidwell: Head-to-head analysis ahead of the clash between West Brom and Fulham



Check out all the vital statistics concerning the two sides' players ahead of this weekend's Premier League meeting at the Hawthorns

Ahead of this weekend's Premier League meeting, between West Brom and Fulham, see how the sides' players Chris Brunt and Steve Sidwell compare.

Data and graphic provided by whoscored.com



http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/chris-brunt-v-steve-sidwell-headtohead-analysis-ahead-of-the-clash-between-west-brom-and-fulham-9142092.html

[WhiteJC]

 
The FourFourTwo Preview: West Brom vs Fulham



Premier League | The Hawthorns | Sat 22 Feb | 3pm

Billed as
Felix from the Ful-ames. Look, we tried.

The lowdown
Premier League: meet Mr Magath, one of few managers to be nicknamed The Torturer AND keep busy on Facebook. He's had successes (consecutive German doubles with Bayern Munich) and failures (sacked by Schalke amid fan and player unrest), but most of all he's known for his gruelling training techniques, which have seen players collapse in exhaustion. Lewis Holtby won't mind – when Louis van Gaal was linked with Spurs he said, "I wouldn't have a problem if Van Gaal came in; after all, I've survived Felix Magath" – but it's probably best Dimitar Berbatov got out before the cross-country runs began.

Evil Stepfather Felix replaces Friendly Uncle Rene, just as Meulensteen had begun to make his mark on Fulham with encouraging performances against Manchester United and Liverpool. OK, they only took one point having led in both games, but what did owner Shahid Khan – who will find himself sharing an unsavoury reputation with Vincent Tan and Assem Allam if he's not careful – expect?

The arrival of a new manager always gives hope to fringe players but there can't be many left at Craven Cottage – Fulham have used 34 (!) players this season, four more than any other club. And Konstantinos Mitroglou hasn't even featured yet. The club had better hope Magath is a fan: the Greek cost £11 million, a lot of money for a gooseberry.

It's all been a bit farcical, not least with Fulham officially announcing the departure of Meulensteen and his backroom staff some five days after Magath was appointed. Maybe Alan Curbishley was hiding in a broom cupboard.

When Fulham met West Brom in September the match ended 1-1, with Albion finally scoring their first goal of the campaign in injury time of their fourth match. They had Gareth McAuley to thank for scoring his third goal in nine days, which is a sentence that doesn't belong anywhere outside of an LSD hallucination.

Approximately none of the players who started for Fulham that day are likely to feature here, not least because three of them (Bryan Ruiz, Berbatov and Philippe Senderos) are in different countries.

Team news
West Brom's 'warm-weather training' (holiday in the sun) has helped a few injured players recover, so there should be cautious optimism over the fitness of Jonas Olsson (hamstring), Stephane Sessegnon (groin) and Billy Jones (awful, awful hair). Nicolas Anelka and Claudio Yacob, who weren't on the plane, are bigger doubts.

Mitroglou may be in line for his first appearance after recovering from a knee injury, and Fernando Amorebieta may also be available once again. Maarten Stekelenburg should play despite a cut above the eye, presumably having it slathered up with the stuff boxers use.

Players to watch: James Morrison, Thievy
Two key players, for two different reasons. Thievy has looked very bright, scoring barely 30 seconds into his debut against Crystal Palace and giving Chelsea a few scares on his first start. The 21-year-old created 3 chances in the box against the Blues and completed 4 of his 5 take-ons – very encouraging indeed. Fulham will need their defence to be less static than they have been at times.

Morrison is crucial for the Baggies in the middle of the park. Yacob has made the most tackles in the league this season (98), despite having not started half a dozen games, so if he misses out through injury it'll be up to Morrison, as well as Yacob's likely replacement Youssuf Mulumbu, to win the ball. The Darlington-born Scotsman (that's, uh, not Mulumbu) is certainly capable of doing that: in the defeat to Palace he won all 5 of his tackles – and a further 6 out of 8 against Chelsea a few days later – as well as cracking off 2 shots on target and completing 92% of his passes. Useful.

The managers
Magath – who, unbelievably, is Germany's first permanent manager in the Premier League – has wasted no time, saying Fulham's match-up with West Brom is "probably the most important game in this club's history". That's one hell of a statement, not least because the Cottagers were in a major European final only four years ago. He's also criticised Meulensteen's rearrangement of the defence, which you may remember led to Man United becoming very frustrated. Magath doesn't half like making a rod for his own back, it seems.

Pepe Mel will be very aware that his team need to start winning matches, not least because his predecessor, Steve Clarke, has said the team has been drawing games under the Spaniard that they should have won.

Clarke isn't on the firmest ground: those draws have been against Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton, and while it's true Mel is still waiting to taste his first win, the Baggies have in fact won only one of their last 17 matches. For Fulham, it's none in seven. This isn't a six-pointer; it's a 12-pointer – 18, even. Sod it, it's a 24-pointer.

Facts and figures
West Brom have not won any of their last 6 matches against Fulham (W0 D3 L3).
West Brom have drawn 12 of their 26 games this season – 3 more than any other team.
13 of Fulham's last 18 away matches have had more goals in the second half than the first, with 9 being goalless at HT.
6 of Fulham's last 8 trips to bottom-six teams have been goalless at HT.

Best Bet: Second half to be most scoring half @ 11/10

FourFourTwo prediction
Fulham have won as many games on the road as West Brom have at home, and Magath should put the fear of God into them. A surprise 2-1 away win will lift the Cottagers, albeit not off the bottom just yet, and make Mel's record read DLDLDL.



Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/fourfourtwo-preview-west-brom-vs-fulham#CRHGHmQHsveotVXE.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Will Felix's Fulham Revival Begin At West Brom?

WEST BROMWICH ALBION v FULHAM 15:00; The Hawthorns



West Brom's draw with Chelsea in their last match and the performance that went with it has made supporters start to feel positive about their club's direction under Pepe Mel for the first time and it could spearhead a strong challenge to beat relegation.  However, they have tended to fare well against the bigger sides all season and it's the games against their fellow strugglers that they need to improve in, starting with Fulham.  The Baggies are currently 17th, only out of the dropzone on goal difference and with a number of 'six-pointers' to play in the next few months.  It is likely to be these games that decide their fate.



Fulham's last ditch defeat at home to Liverpool last time out proved too much for Fulham owner Shahid Khan to take and Rene Meulensteen paid with his job.  It wasn't the biggest of surprises, for in spite of only taking over from Martin Jol in December, the Dutchman had won just four of his 17 games in the hotseat in all competitions.  Whatever lineup his replacement Felix Magath fields, it is obvious he needs to get the best out of a squad of players clearly low on confidence.  As a three-time Bundesliga winner Magath is no novice, but he is new to the English game – though he has faced English opposition in European competition.  His biggest achievement will be stopping the Cottagers shipping goals.  Their 58 conceded is 14 more than the team with the second worst defensive record, Cardiff.



What to watch out for: Fulham will be banking on the galvanising effect a new manager can bring to get them something from the game and with a record of no defeats in their last six against Albion it's not out the question at all.

Possible line-ups:

West Brom – Foster; Jones, McAuley, Dawson, Ridgewell, Berahino, Yacob, Morrison, Brunt, Thievy, Anichebe

Fulham – Stekelenberg; Riether, Heitinga, Burn, Riise, Tunnicliffe, Kvist, Sidwell, Richardson, Holtby, Bent

Recent form: West Brom – LDLDLD; Fulham – LLLLDL

Prediction: 1-1



http://www.footymatters.com/articles/english-football/premier-league/premier-league-preview/will-felixs-fulham-revival-begin-at-west-brom/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham assessing three, including record signing, for West Brom trip

New Fulham manager Felix Magath will run the rule over his squad before deciding whether to make sweeping changes for a first Premier League match in charge at West Brom.

Striker Kostas Mitroglou (knee) is one of several fitness concerns, with goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg (eye) and defender Fernando Amorebieta (knee) also set to be assessed.

Defender Matthew Briggs (hernia) continues his long-term recovery.

Provisional Squad: Stekelenburg, Stockdale, Heitinga, Riether, Riise, Burn, Sidwell, Richardson, Kacaniklic, Kvist, Tunnicliffe, Bent, Holtby, Cole, Parker, Duff, Kasami, Hangeland, Mitroglou, Amorebieta.



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/fulham_assessing_three_including_record_signing_for_west_brom_trip_1_3345071

[WhiteJC]

 
Kieran's Albion Reunion

Plenty has happened in SW6 since Fulham were last in action against Liverpool – but Kieran Richardson's focus is now solely on Saturday's clash at West Bromwich Albion.

Richardson was on target as the Whites went down to a late 3-2 defeat at home to Liverpool on 12th February – a game that proved to be René Meulensteen's last in charge.

Felix Magath has since been named the Club's new First Team Manager and takes his side to The Hawthorns this weekend for a crucial game against a team also struggling at the wrong end of the table.

"It was a massive blow for us to lose to Liverpool," said Richardson. "Leading twice and Liverpool coming back, and conceding a penalty in the last minute was a bit hard to take but that's football and hopefully we can win our next game against West Brom.

"We played really well in the first half [against Liverpool] and put a lot of pressure on the ball. But they have some top-drawer players that can open you up in the blink of an eye."

The fixture with the Baggies will see the Whites attempting to secure a first league win since the New Year's Day victory over West Ham United.

"There are a lot of positives [from the Liverpool match] and we'll be going into the West Brom game with a lot of confidence," continued Richardson. "We won't get complacent, we know it's going to be very hard and hopefully we can beat them."

Albion are a side close to Richardson's heart. An impressive loan spell in the 2004/05 campaign saw him score three times in 12 games as the Baggies eventually survived relegation on the last day of the season despite being bottom of the table at Christmas.

But the 29-year-old is concentrating purely on helping Fulham to three points this weekend, stating: "Whenever I'm playing for Fulham I want to win, whoever it's against; whether it's Manchester United, Sunderland or West Brom. I'll be trying my 100 per cent best.

"It was one of the greatest moments of my career playing in that West Brom team and surviving and hopefully I can do that with Fulham as well. It was a massive achievement. I don't think a team has achieved that since, being bottom at Christmas and surviving."

West Brom currently sit in 17th place in the table – above the relegation zone on goal difference, and Richardson added: "They're in the same boat as us. It's going to be hard, perhaps harder than the last two games we've played. Obviously they don't have the quality of the other two teams [Manchester United and Liverpool] but their desire and passion is going to be there as much as ours.

"It's going to be a very hard game and it's a must-win for us really; we can't go there and lose. I've been in this position before and I'm confident in my teammates and the signs are there in the last two games where we've been positive and hopefully we can kick on.

"It takes confidence in your ability, you can't think that you'll go down. You have to think about each game at a time and not get sidetracked on other matches. We have a lot of experience in our changing room and we have good players with a lot of ability."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/february/21/kierans-albion-reunion?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Game Plan Goes Out The Window

Head coach Pepe Mel has said that Fulham will be an unknown quantity following the appointment of Felix Magath as their manager.

Speaking to wba.co.uk Mel said he had told the players to expect the unexpected when we host them this Saturday at The Hawthorns because all our scouting reports will now count for very little and Magath will have made changes.

'The next match is a big match for us. For us there is a new coach at Fulham so all the reports are no good because they have new coaches and new concepts. But on Saturday it is 11 v 11.'

Mel goes on to say that we are expecting Fulham to line up similar to 4231 but that isn't guaranteed as it may not be the formation Magath has in mind for his first outing as their boss.

'Maybe he will play five in defence, for example. That doesn't make things more difficult for me, what is more important is my team, my players, my way. My focus is only on keeping the ball and tactics.'

Rightly, whatever Fulham do, we just have to counter and then dictate hopefully our plan and style on them. If we get ourselves right what they do doesn't matter.

It could go two ways, Magath may make changes to try something new, or he may keep things as they are so he can have a proper in game assessment on his new team. Whichever way it goes, the players will be up for impressing their new gaffer as that usually happens, but if we play who we can we can more than come out with the result we need.

The gaffer is also quoted by the Birmingham Mail as saying he remains very confident that we will be in the Premier League at the start of next season.

He picks out five more wins this season to ensure that is the case, and of course if that starts with Fulham, we get the double benefit of rising up the points tally ourselves, but we also make one of the relegation spots a little more concrete given the points they are on.



Read more: http://www.wba.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=350377#ixzz2txpjlXMT

[WhiteJC]

 
Magath keeps hitman fitness under wraps

Kostas Mitroglou looks set to make his Fulham debut at some stage in Saturday's crunch relegation clash away at West Bromwich Albion.

The Greek striker has a niggling knee injury, although he has started two Fulham Under-21 matches since his £11million transfer from Olympiakos and did complete 90 minutes in the 3-1 defeat to Leicester City's development squad on Tuesday. New Fulham manager Felix Magath would not confirm whether Mitroglou was fit enough to start at The Hawthorns but with few forward options available he looks worth the gamble. Goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg (eye) and defender Fernando Amorebieta (knee) are also set to be assessed. Defender Matthew Briggs (hernia) continues his long-term recovery.



Read more at: http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/magath-keeps-hitman-fitness-under-wraps-1714131.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Gera has no time for sentiment

And Great Escape veteran ready for a another fight

ZOLTAN Gera has vowed to put sentiment to one side as he prepares for tomorrow's Barclays Premier League Hawthorns clash with former club Fulham (ko 3pm).

The Hungary international enjoyed three seasons at Craven Cottage and was a runner-up when Roy Hodgson's side reached the Europa League final in 2010.

But the 34-year-old, who has amassed 186 appearances during two spells with the Baggies, says he is fully focussed on securing his current club's top-flight status.

"I have very good memories from my time at Fulham," said Gera.

"It's a great family club.

"I enjoyed every minute of my time in London but that time is gone.

"I came back here and I'm very happy I did.

"It's going to be a big game for both clubs.

"It doesn't matter who I am playing against, I want to win.

"We are in a dangerous position and I will put everything to one side until after the game.

"I can think about it being my former club after the game but on the pitch I cannot think like that.

"It is key that I play well for my club."

Gera netted six crucial goals in the Great Escape season of 2004/05 - when Albion became the first side in Premier League history to be bottom at Christmas and beat the drop.

And the experienced winger says his team-mates need to be mentally strong as they look to stave off relegation.

"There are about eight teams fighting against relegation, which is crazy," he added.

"There is not much difference between a lot of the teams in the bottom half.

"There is a top six, then another four or five, and then the rest.

"The teams in those groups are very similar to the others."

"We have a few six-point games coming up.

"If you win against a rival you can move away from them.

"You have to be mentally strong as there is a lot of pressure in these games."

Copyright 2014 WEST BROMWICH ALBION FOOTBALL CLUB LTD. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.wba.co.uk as the source.

West Bromwich Albion, WBA and Baggies are registered trademarks of West Bromwich Albion Football Club Ltd. The club is also known as West Brom.

Read more at http://www.wba.co.uk/news/article/gera-has-no-time-for-sentiment-1373290.aspx?#Z4dQH89LbpQJWuBY.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Can Felix Magath keep Fulham up?

Fulham have rolled the dice one last time in the 2013-14 season. Felix Magath took over last Friday at Craven Cottage with the small task of keeping the Premier League's basement club in the top flight. There have been a lot of reports claiming he can do it with just as many to the contrary.

The fact remains that he has 12 matches to secure Fulham's short-term future. Can the man that they call 'The Firefighter' pull off what to the casual observer looks an impossible task? Sports Mole considers his chances.

The situation on the banks of the Thames looks dire. Fulham have been playing terribly all season with their previous two bosses - manager Martin Jol and head coach Rene Meulensteen - managing an identical league record: 10 points from 13 games. That is not good enough and now the Whites need closer to 20 points from 12 games to even stand a chance.

The biggest aspect of Magath's management style that has been highlighted is his discipline. Some reports have claimed that his tough training regime has led to players complaining about his management style, while others hold him in high regard for getting the best out of a squad at hand. And this is the key point. He has no transfer window and a squad compiled by two previous regimes, so getting them singing from the same hymn sheet is the first battle. If he wins that quickly then he might succeed.

Magath was critical of what he perceived as unstable tactics from Meulensteen during his 75 days in charge. Under the Dutchman Fulham started brightly, before slipping into familiar sideways passing ahead of finally trying to park the bus to gain points. Magath knows how he wants to play and he will be able to translate that to his players.

Another criticism of Magath is that he has not previously managed in England. He has only - and only is used in a very loose sense - won titles and saved other clubs from certain relegation in Germany. It is quite an easy argument against a new manager coming to England, but with football being a global and European game is this actually much of a problem at all?

For a start, the Premier League and the Bundesliga are as close as two leagues can get in terms of tactics and style of football. Both are full of attacking play and both have room within that for a well-drilled, stable team to overachieve. Just look at Roy Hodgson's success with Fulham for proof of that, which is not dissimilar to the way Magath managed to keep Stuttgart up before propelling them to the top quarter of the table in the early 2000s.

Another point here is that football is constantly evolving. What works in one league might not in another right now, but with coaches hopping across countries and taking styles of play from where they came there is not a set formula for how to succeed in a particular top flight. If Magath gets the Fulham squad to back his methods then there is no reason why a lack of experience in the Premier League should hinder him.

Even if the German gets his new squad to buy into him 100% there still remains the question whether Fulham's players are even good enough to survive. After all, many of the current team are the ones who got them in the current mess in the first place. The January business done by Shahid Khan and Alistair Mackintosh has given the Cottagers a strong chance of survival - if they are managed properly.

The likes of Lewis Holtby, Kostas Mitroglou and William Kvist - who all arrived in the summer - are all too good to be in a relegation scrap, but equally importantly they are hard workers too. Holtby, of course, has worked with Magath as a youngster although he was twice loaned out. Magath's first task will be to stop the defence leaking goals, but second to that will be getting the best of a Champions League-quality player who has the ability to lift Fulham out of their current mess.

Magath has used 4-4-2 - or a variation of - almost everywhere he has managed. Even with Mitroglou having arrived in the summer, Fulham do not look as strong up front as they do in other areas. He is also an advocate of using players on the flank who can cross but also have the ability to tuck inside, combined with attacking full-backs. His first week of training will have been important to decide on the right system to take Fulham forward.

Of all available managers, Magath is the one out there who will offer Fulham the best chance of survival. Whether he is a long-term option is another matter, but this writer suspects that with an immediate improvement and at least a point against West Bromwich Albion, Magath could turn out to be a shrewd appointment.



http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/relegation-battle/news/can-magath-keep-fulham-up_139908.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Felix Magath's simple solution to Fulham's big problem


Survival instinct: Felix Magath believes Fulham need six wins from their remaining 12 games

In a period where business jargon is becoming more prevalent in football, Fulham's new manager Felix Magath showed a refreshing ability to make his point.

Speaking in competent English, the 60-year-old German made no mention of "culture", "vision" or "philosophy", three pillars of the vocabulary of many a modern coach, and gave a simple assessment of his side's predicament and how he intended to tackle it.

Magath's message was as clear as could be. Six wins, he said, would be needed from the Cottagers' remaining 12 games to guarantee survival in the Premier League. His preference was for attacking football but this was not "a time to dream". The immediate future would be predicated on pragmatic football, defensive solidity and, Magath hopes, a series of 1-0 victories.

For a team who have won only six league games all season, conceding 58 goals in the process, this might be a tall order. But at his first press conference, despite needing occasional help from a translator, Magath's message was simple. If he can transmit it successfully to his players, then Fulham, who are four points adrift of safety and face fellow strugglers West Brom tomorrow, surely have a fighting chance of beating the drop.

The impression Magath gave was that he would rely primarily on players who knew and understood the Premier League. He said: "I have to cut down the number of players in the team [squad] because we have to concentrate and get together.

"If we have too many players, we have too many influences. Sorry for that but it is the only way to concentrate, to focus on the next game. If the player has not been here long enough to accept the English way of playing  English football, I cannot use him.

"Every manager tells you every time, it is the biggest challenge. We will have a chance if every player helps each other. I am proud to be here but I am a little bit afraid of not being able to stay in the Premier League. I know what I want to do and am convinced we can avoid relegation."

Much has been made of Magath's fearsome training regimes during his time as a coach in the Bundesliga, with players wheeled out to describe how the former Germany international had broken them physically during fitness sessions.

Yet Magath would not have won three Bundesliga titles, two of them with Bayern Munich, if he were nothing more than a glorified personal trainer. He undoubtedly knows his job and is comfortable with the responsibility of leadership.

Only results will demonstrate whether Magath can bring the best from a vulnerable squad but this was a reassuring start.


http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/felix-magaths-simple-solution-to-fulhams-big-problem-9144150.html

[WhiteJC]

 
It's looking bad but Fulham midfielder Kieran Richardson knows how to escape trouble


Experience: Kieran Richardson helped guide West Brom to survival in 2005 despite being bottom at Christmas

Avoiding relegation with West Brom remains one of Kieran Richardson's career highlights and, as he prepares to return to The Hawthorns tomorrow with Fulham, the midfielder is convinced he can help pull off another unlikely escape act this season.

Richardson scored on a dramatic final day of the 2004-05 season as West Brom became the first Premier League team to stay in the top flight after being bottom at Christmas.

At this stage nine years ago, West Brom were five points from safety but lost just three times in their last 12 games to eventually stay up by a point.

Richardson knows Fulham need to go on a similar run under new manager Felix Magath  but he is convinced the club have enough to get out of trouble.

"I have been in this position before and I am confident in my team-mates," said Richardson, who was on  loan at West Brom from Manchester United when he helped lift them off the bottom of the table on the final day of the season.

"It was one of the greatest moments of my career to play in that West Brom team that survived. We were well out of it at Christmas, so it was a massive achievement. Hopefully I can do that with Fulham as well."

Bottom-side Fulham are four points from safety but know victory at fellow strugglers West Brom will move them within striking distance of a cluster of clubs above them.

Magath has described the fixture as "probably the most important game in this club's history" and Richardson knows defeat for Fulham would be a huge blow to their survival chances.

"It is a must-win game for us," he said. "They are in the same boat as us and it is going to be even harder than our last two games, against Manchester United and Liverpool. They have not got the same quality as those other two teams  but their passion and desire is going to be up there with ours. We can't go there and lose."

West Brom have yet to win since head coach Pepe Mel took over last month but they have drawn with Everton, Liverpool and Chelsea in their three previous home games.

Fulham are without a win since New Year's Day but, in Rene Meulensteen's final two games before he was sacked, they picked up a valuable point at United and were seconds away from a creditable draw at home against Liverpool.

Richardson believes the performances against two of the Premier League's strongest teams shows they  are on the  right track.

Richardson said: "The signs of improvement were there in the last two games so hopefully we can  kick on tomorrow.

"I know what it takes to survive because I have been there and I do not  see why we can't stay up.  It takes confidence in  your ability.

"You can't think about going down and you have to take each game at a time. We will be going there confident but we  will not be complacent because it is going to  be very hard to beat them."


http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/its-looking-bad-but-fulham-midfielder-kieran-richardson-knows-how-to-escape-trouble-9144187.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Why Fulham are wager of the week material at 17/5 to beat West Brom
The Cottagers excel against fellow strugglers, whereas their opponents are in poor form and rarely outwit the visitors.

Fulham are bottom of the Premier League, but their trip to West Brom is a meeting of equals – six points or fewer have split the clubs in the past three seasons, with the Baggies only four points stronger now.

It is therefore extraordinary that Fulham are 17/5 to convert the new manager bounce provided by three-time Bundesliga-winning trainer Felix Magath's arrival into a victory over out-of-sorts hosts.

Fulham have won all three away encounters against bottom-six rivals.

With two sackings, 18 league defeats and a concession rate of 2.23 goals a game, it is tricky to pick positives from Fulham's campaign to date, which is why their record against positional adversaries leaps out.

The west Londoners have won at Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Norwich – scoring seven and leaking a mere two – and their overall figures against bottom-half companions are six wins, a draw and four losses.

West Brom have claimed just one victory in their last 17 fixtures.

While Fulham's double dugout re-jig has ensured lots of headlines about their failings, West Brom's have snuck under the radar somewhat.

Their slide down the table has been alarming though, and hasn't been arrested by Pepe Mel's appointment: they are winless in five under the affable Spaniard.

Fulham are unbeaten in their last six showdowns with West Brom.

The Cottagers can take heart from having regularly conquered West Brom when the midlanders were in far ruder health.

They did the double over them last term and were only denied a hat-trick in the 90th minute of 2013/14's Craven Cottage clash, while they have gathered four points from their last two Hawthorns visits.

Fulham to win at West Brom @ 17/5


- See more at: http://bwinbetting.com/leagues/premier-league/fulham-wager-week-material-175-beat-west-brom,52210.html?#sthash.7BdI14F8.dpuf

[YankeeJim]

So, when is someone going to speak to Raul?