Sunday Fulham Stuff (09/03/14)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Premier League: Cardiff boost survival hopes with 3-1 win over Fulham

Cardiff boosted their Premier League survival hopes and pushed Fulham closer to the drop with a 3-1 win over their relegation rivals at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Two goals from Steven Caulker and an unfortunate own goal from Sascha Riether were enough to give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side all three points, with Lewis Holtby briefly drawing Fulham level in the second half.

The win moves Cardiff level on points with West Brom, while Fulham remain rooted to the bottom of the table with just nine games left in the campaign.

After a nervy start from both sides, Fulham fashioned the first opening as Johnny Heitinga found Ashkan Dejagah with a quickly-taken free-kick, but the midfielder fired his shot into the side netting.

Five minutes later, Fraizer Campbell went close for Cardiff when he cut in from the left and beat a couple of Fulham defenders on the edge of the box before firing in a shot which forced Maarten Stekelenburg to push away at full stretch.

The lively Craig Noone created a chance for himself on 21 minutes when he skipped past Steve Sidwell and Brede Hangeland and shot narrowly wide of the post from the edge of the box.

The home side were on top and Kenwyne Jones headed straight at Stekelenburg from Jordon Mutch's cross before Noone drove a shot from 25 yards out over the top.

Fulham's record signing Kostas Mitroglou had a half chance on 40 minutes when Holtby picked him out inside the box, but the Greek striker got his header all wrong and it flew well wide of the target.

Cardiff went close to scoring on the stroke of half-time when Mutch's cross found Jones inside the box and his shot was well saved by Stekelenburg.

There was still time left for Cardiff to break the deadlock deep into injury time at the end of the first half as Fulham failed to clear their lines and Noone fired in a shot which deflected into the path of the grateful Caulker to convert two yards from goal, much to the relief of the home fans.

Fulham went close to equalising two minutes into the second half when substitute Alex Kacaniklic teed up Holtby on the edge of the box and his half-volley was superbly pushed away by David Marshall.

A minute later, Jones really should have doubled Cardiff's lead when Noone's deep cross found him unmarked at the far post, but the Trinidad and Tobago striker headed wide of the target with the goal at his mercy.

Jones and Cardiff were made to pay for that miss just before the hour mark when Heitinga flicked on substitute Giorgos Karagounis' corner and Holtby was left unmarked to tap home from close range with his first goal for Fulham since joining on loan from Tottenham in January.

Cardiff responded well to Fulham's equaliser and Kim Bo-kyung was unlucky not to score when his shot from inside the box was kept out by the legs of Stekelenburg.

From the resulting corner, Cardiff hit the front again as Caulker rose highest to meet Mutch's cross and his header bounced into the ground and somehow Stekelenburg dived under the ball to concede a soft goal.

Cardiff made it 3-1 on 71 minutes when Noone fired over another inviting cross from the right and Mutch saw his point-blank header saved by the feet of Stekelenburg, only for the ball to rebound off the helpless Riether and into the net.

Fulham tried to find a way back into the game and Mitroglou went close to scoring his first goal for the club, only to be denied by a flying save from Marshall before Sidwell had a goal disallowed for offside late on.

Cardiff saw out the closing stages with ease as they gave their survival hopes a major boost with a morale-boosting win to leave Fulham staring down the barrel of relegation.


http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/287567/report?

[WhiteJC]

 
This Supporter Doesn't Believe Any Longer

After the Cardiff match, I can't see anyway the club stays up. There could be a miracle, stranger things have happened; but I don't have any expectations of it. I won't bore you with a recap. I want to lay out my thoughts on how to move forward

Having no expectations of Premier league Football next year leaves me struggling with what to do. I'm still going to support the team through the rest of the season. I may be far away and have no tangible connection to the club, but the years I've spent with them in my life are important to me. I can't just throw that away. I'm going to savor the last games of this season. Fulham is in the Premier League right now, and it may be a long time before we see the club play Premier League football again. There are still nine games left to enjoy. Hopefully with the pressure off and their fate accepted, we can just enjoy the football.

I'm still planning on attending two games in London this season. It may be the only time I get to see them in the Premier League in person. I'm going to count myself lucky that I got that opportunity. There are many Fulham fans around the world who might never get that opportunity.

I'm going to look the future. Fulham's academy is strong. They have a great base of young players and it's possible that those players shine in the Championship and bring the club back up quickly.

I'm going to enjoy mornings listening to Gentleman Jim. As a US based supporter, finding any video of the Championship can be very hard. But I'll always have Gentleman Jim.

I'm not going to throw my allegiance behind another Premier League club. Like most of you, I do have a second favorite club. When they aren't playing Fulham, I like for them to do well. I love watching football, and I watch most of the Premier League games that air here anyway, and I'll probably watch more of their matches in the future. But you won't see me wearing their kit, or following them obsessively. I already have an English\  team to support, I don't need another.

I'm also going to continue writing and covering the team here as long as SB Nation will have me. It may be harder, you'll probably see less three questions posts. But I love the community here and want to stay in contact with all the other Fulham fans I've met, even if I've ever seen few of them in person. Hopefully you all stick around too.


http://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2014/3/8/5484800/this-supporter-doesnt-believe-any-longer?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham boss Felix Magath: 'We must defend better'

Fulham boss Felix Magath is adamant that his side have to defend with better quality following their 3-1 defeat to relegation rivals Cardiff City.

A brace from defender Steve Caulker and an own goal from Sacha Riether put a huge dent in the survival hopes of the Cottagers with just nine games left this season.

Magath told BBC Sport: "It's not too good today but for us always a problem [when we concede]. Until the goal we played OK but one goal and the confidence is over.

"We have got nine games and 27 points to play for which is a lot but in our situation. We have to win our home games like Cardiff have done today.

"The only thing that can help us is a win next week against Newcastle. We will work in defending better. Yes [we can avoid relegation]."

Fulham are bottom of the Premier League following the defeat



http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/news/magath-we-must-defend-better_143197.html

[WhiteJC]

 
FULHAM FANS DISAPOINTED WITH KOSTAS MITROGLOU

Finally, we all get to see record-singing Kostas Mitroglou starting for Fulham today. After all the speculation that the Greece international is not yet fit enough or has not overcome his injury we finally realise that all of those rumours were completely and utterly... true.

The former Olympiakos striker had nothing good to show in today's match against Cardiff, arguably the second worse team in the Premier League this season.

Fulham fans took it to Twitter and they are certainly not happy. Nevertheless, we should not judge the 25-year-old for just one match. He is indeed recovering from an injury and the Premier League is something completely new to him.

He did win the corner from which Fulham scored the equaliser...

Chris Barber @CurlingCottager
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Mitroglou has been hugely disappointing. Without the control at mid we've made him a target man and he's simply lost or made poor decisions.
3:54 PM - 8 Mar 2014

Justin C. @JustinAntonson
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@mrwtch I hate to say it, but I'd also take off Mitroglou in about 10 if he still looks terrible.

Jack Stroudley @jack_2547
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What has Mitroglou offered this half nothing

Bigo1 @Bigo1_
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Mitroglou, money well spent...tells you a lot about the Greek league

Chris Fisher @alphafitch
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Ahhhhhhhh c'mon boys! Mitroglou not playing well, Sidwell playing great but lack of concentration and we conceded...


http://www.footballfancast.com/premiership/fulham/fulham-fans-disapointed-with-kostas-mitroglou?

[WhiteJC]

 
Magath defends Mitroglou

Felix Magath defended Kostas Mitroglou after the striker's lacklustre display in Fulham's 3-1 defeat at Cardiff City on Saturday.

The London outfit fell to a morale-crushing defeat in Wales that keeps them four points adrift of safety at the foot of the Premier League table.

Steven Caulker scored twice for the hosts, either side of Lewis Holtby's equaliser, before Sascha Riether's own goal put the seal on a miserable day for Magath and his team.

Mitroglou made his first start since a big-money move from Olympiacos in January, but failed to impress and appeared short of match fitness.

Magath, who only took over from Rene Meulensteen once the Greece international had already been signed, said on Thursday that Mitroglou was not match fit, despite playing an hour in midweek for his national team.

However, Magath raised a few eyebrows by first selecting the 25-year-old in his starting XI and then giving him the full 90 minutes despite a disappointing showing.

"He is not used to a relegation fight," said Magath of Mitroglou.

"He came from the best club in Greece and the best club was better than the others in the league.

"He's only used to scoring and that's his strength. Here in the Premier League it's the best league in the world so he needs to get used to it.

"He's not used to it. Unfortunately he had some opportunities but at the moment he's not in the situation to score."



http://uk.soccerway.com/news/2014/March/08/magath-defends-mitroglou/?

[WhiteJC]

 
'Home games are must-win' - Felix Magath says Fulham form at Craven Cottage will determine fate

Felix Magath said Fulham's home form will decide if they beat the drop after suffering a 3-1 defeat at Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday.

Magath admitted confidence is low amongst his rock-bottom Fulham outfit who have not picked up three points since New Year's Day - a run of eight games.

Lewis Holtby's close-range finish levelled the match just before the hour mark to give his side hope of taking at least a point from south Wales, but they held out for just eight minutes before Caulker's second.

And having received a frosty reception from their travelling supporters at the final whistle Mageth knows he faces a tough task to lift his squad for the visit of Newcastle.

"The second goal breaks us," he said. "If you come back into the game especially in an away game, and you score, then you are very eager to get more and the second goal came too early. After that we are not able to come back.

"Our chances are worse than before. We have to win our home games, that is the most important thing. The next game is a home game against Newcastle and we need three points.

"When you are in the situation when you are losing you have not enough confidence to take unfortunate situations as happened here."

Magath made four changes but two selections in particular raised eyebrows in the away end with Kostas Mitroglou thrown into the starting line-up for the first time since arriving from Greece for a club-record fee to partner untried teenage Cauley Woodrow on his Fulham debut.

But the German rejected suggestions that handing a 19-year-old, whose last competitive action came during a loan spell at Southend in January, was a risk.

"I see no gamble in it because he is a very talented player and I was satisfied with him," the German said.

"He did a lot of work for the team and I was very satisfied."


http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/home-games-are-mustwin--felix-magath-says-fulham-form-at-craven-cottage-will-determine-fate-9178948.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham: Heading For The Premier League Exit But Not Permanent Exile

Fulham supporters are probably in a very dark emotional place this evening, and that's an understandable response to what looks increasingly to be a lost cause. Giving up on seasons and embracing relegation benefits nobody, but the chances are that Fulham will be playing Championship football next season.

Relegation is a horrible scenario, and there are plenty of ex-Premier League teams floating about the football league who serve as a caveat as to what can happen post-demotion, but there's every reason to believe that Fulham are a side who possess the infrastructure to remain even-keeled and who could theoretically bounce straight back up.

It's not a foregone conclusion yet, but as a worst-case scenario relegation really isn't as terrifying for this club as it might seem.

The most obvious point first: relatively speaking, Fulham are well-managed. Whilst the club did spend heavily on Kostas Mitroglou in the January transfer-window, they have not gambled their own sustainability on staying in the Premier League. In Championship terms, the wage bill is high, but this isn't a QPR situation and the club is not going to be at the mercy of huge earners who refuse to let-go of generous contracts.

The temporary loss of television revenue is a problem for any relegated club, but Fulham have some very substantial assets which could be traded away to both compensate their balance sheet and re-equip the squad for promotion. Mitroglou would certainly depart, Pajtim Kasami would interest plenty of buyers, and Ashkan Dejagah and Alex Kacaniklic each hold a certain amount of value.

Because so much emphasis has been placed on the age of the Fulham playing squad, very little attention is paid to the club's youth development system and to the players who are emerging from it. Whilst not Premier League-ready right now or useful in the current fight against relegation, teenagers like Muamer Tankovic, Cauley Woodrow, Lasse Vigen Christensen, and Moussa Dembele represent a healthy future, and that's in addition to Dan Burn, Chris David, and Matthew Briggs, who are all in their early twenties. That group isn't enough on its own to win promotion, but the resources – as mentioned – would exist to supplement that developing talent with experience and nous. In addition to which, there are probably half-a-dozen other youngsters up Huw Jennings' sleeve that nobody is yet aware of – he has a good reputation for a reason.

When you look at the sides who have gone down, it's very easy to identify the factors which have prevented them from returning: Blackburn (institutional chaos), Portsmouth (financial blackhole), Bolton (saddled by debt), Blackpool (under-talented squad), Wolves (failure to replace key personnel/debt/poor management decisions). There are more, obviously, but Fulham don't really have any of those frailties or dysfunctions, and so – disappointing as it would be – relegation wouldn't be the disaster it has been for those clubs mentioned.

There's a difference between having a bad season and enduring a bad era, and the recognition that Fulham are embroiled in the former rather than the latter should provide both context to the present and hope for the future.


http://thepremierleagueowl.com/fulham-heading-for-the-premier-league-exit-but-not-permanent-exile/

[the nutflush]

"When you look at the sides who have gone down, it's very easy to identify the factors which have prevented them from returning: Blackburn (institutional chaos), Portsmouth (financial blackhole), Bolton (saddled by debt), Blackpool (under-talented squad), Wolves (failure to replace key personnel/debt/poor management decisions). There are more, obviously, but Fulham don't really have any of those frailties or dysfunctions,"

We have plenty of those frailties.  Failure to replace key personnel and poor management decisions describe Fulham to a tee.

[ToodlesMcToot]

"When you look at the sides who have gone down, it's very easy to identify the factors which have prevented them from returning: Blackburn (institutional chaos), Portsmouth (financial blackhole), Bolton (saddled by debt), Blackpool (under-talented squad), Wolves (failure to replace key personnel/debt/poor management decisions). There are more, obviously, but Fulham don't really have any of those frailties or dysfunctions,"

We have plenty of those frailties.  Failure to replace key personnel and poor management decisions describe Fulham to a tee.

Until our players begin demonstrating the qualities that convinced the club they were worth signing, I'd say "under-talented squad" hits too close to home as well. I fear the poor choices taking in the building of this squad will be repeated once it becomes necessary to rebuild over the summer.

[aaronmcguigan]

institutional chaos?? An American owner who knows nothing, and Alistair who thinks he knows more than he does leading to implosion this season.

We have many of the frailities listed above. We're also saddled with high earners, as i doubt the trog, stek and hangeland are under 50k per week. Magath must also be earning a pretty penny as well as the long list of payoffs this year