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Friday Fulham Stuff (11/04/14)...

Started by WhiteJC, April 10, 2014, 07:10:27 PM

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WhiteJC

 
Relegation stakes high at Fulham

The stakes are sky-high at Craven Cottage on Saturday when Fulham host Norwich in a game that is sure to have a major bearing on who is eventually relegated from the Premier League.

Fulham are currently unwanted holders of the third and final relegation place, but a victory over fourth from bottom Norwich would bring them to within two points of their opponents, who appear to have the toughest final four games of any of the clubs currently in fear of the drop.

Norwich must play Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal after their Fulham assignment, and their anxiety was apparent following last week's home loss to West Bromwich Albion when they sacked manager Chris Hughton.

Youth coach Neil Adams was drafted as interim boss for the rest of the campaign and Felix Magath, who is the third manager Fulham have tried this season following the dismissals of Martin Jol and Rene Meulensteen, admitted he was wary of a backlash from the visitors.

"They have changed manager now and that will give them new energy, so we have to be careful," Magath said.

Fulham will go into the game with added confidence following a rare away win last weekend, a 2-1 success at Aston Villa.

Midfielder Scott Parker is fit again and Darren Bent is also available after missing last week's game.

Kostas Mitroglou,who has played just two games, is not yet ready, however.

For their part, Norwich know that victory will open up a sizeable points cushion, although they have not beaten Fulham in any competition since 1986.

Adams may be able to bring midfielder Leroy Fer back into the squad, with the Dutchman having been missing since March with a hamstring problem.

The fitness of centre-backs Joseph Yobo and Ryan Bennett is being monitored.


https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/soccer/a/22552504/?

WhiteJC

 
Fulham keeper not willing to tempt fate ahead of Norwich City clash

Whites have have already done a league and cup double over Norwich this season, but Stockdale is taking nothing for granted

Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale doesn't believe in omens.

The Whites remain in the Premier League relegation zone this week despite claiming a dramatic win at Aston Villa on Saturday to drag themselves off the foot of the table.

Five games remain in their bid to stage a great escape and they face Norwich City this weekend in a real six-pointer as they look to close the five-point gap to the Canaries.

It's a high-pressure game, however the signs all point to three points for Stockdale and his team-mates at Craven Cottage.

Norwich are a club in turmoil, having sacked boss Chris Hughton this week after a poor run of results and replaced him with youth coach Neil Adams.

And Fulham have already beaten City at home and away this season having won at Carrow Road on Boxing Day and knocked them out of the FA Cup a month later.

But despite recent history being on their side, Stockdale is not one to favour the form book and says the Whites will have to do it all themselves if they are to clip the Canaries' wings.

"I don't like saying things like that," came the response from Stockdale when asked if he thought the omens were good for the visit of Norwich.

"We've beaten them so we know can do it so if we play like that, and like how we played against Villa and against Everton, then we will do fine. It's a hope game so if the fans can get up again [like they did at Villa] then we'll have a good chance."

Thousands of Fulham fans made the trip to Villa Park at the weekend to witness a stunning victory, creating a great noise in the away section.

It did not go unnoticed by the Whites players and Stockdale would love more of the same from the fans at the Cottage this weekend.

"I think they [the fans] were maybe the difference," Stockdale said of the Villa triumph. "They were driving us forward and there was no booing or anything and considering we were the bottom club, all the credit goes to them today.

"All of the lads and the staff showed how much they appreciate that. I'm enjoying playing and I'd like to keep a few more clean sheets, but as long as we keep winning I don't really care."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-keeper-not-willing-tempt-6933247?

WhiteJC

 
Why Fulham can avoid Premier League relegation

As turbulent seasons go, this has perhaps been one of the worst for Fulham FC.

Three managers, 38 players and one of the more nightmarish relegation dogfights, full to the brim with gutless performances, has-been footballers and kamikaze transfer dealings.

And yet, here we are, five games to go, hope intact. Many other things have been shattered along the way, including the belief that this club is well run, intelligent and geared towards self-sustainability, but the hope still remains.

Felix Magath has overseen a dramatic upturn in form for Fulham (Picture: Getty Images)

In fact, it's more than that now. There is a genuine feeling around the club that our fate rests in our own hands. At any other point in the season, that would be no good thing.

Yet, now at least, with form and momentum on our side, retaining our Premier League status is more than a mere pipe dream now. It is a plausible reality.

Felix Magath should perhaps take the most credit for that. He has done what he is renowned for – entering a dishevelled club and turning them around in a particularly short amount of time.

Bringing him in and letting Rene Meulensteen go was no long term plan, it was purely temporary. At least, though, he has restored confidence to an otherwise deflated team, added a little shape to an otherwise porous defence and brought spirit to an otherwise despondent group of individuals.

That's all was ever needed, in truth. I've said it all along – in terms of talent, this is no poor squad. There are gaping holes, naturally, but player by player the Fulham first team can match many across the bottom half of the table.

They just needed guidance from a level-headed manager with experience and wisdom. Magath is that man, and with each and every passing game he is proving that beyond any reasonable doubt.

There are other reasons to be positive too. Lewis Holtby, for one, has been nothing short of superb since joining on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in January.

His creativity is his most endearing trait but, beyond that, he appears to have a true affinity with the club. He tackles hard, runs with sheer, boundless enthusiasm and, above all, wants to win for the good of the club.

It is genuinely rare you find a player of that ilk these days.

And then, of course, there is our run-in, probably the most favourable of all the relegation candidates. I suspect that Norwich City, for example, would gladly swap places with us right now, even though they are five points ahead.

It all paints an astonishingly upbeat picture for our survival hopes. For so long we have been, justifiably, written off, but now it seems public perception is changing for the better.

There is a reason for that and it is because taking such great strides under our new German gaffer.

With our own destiny all-but in our own hands, the great escape (mark three) is most certainly on.


http://metro.co.uk/2014/04/11/why-fulham-can-avoid-premier-league-relegation-4693992/?


WhiteJC

 
Holtby hopes for Tottenham return and praises 'exceptional' Van Gaal

The midfielder says he wants to fulfil his White Hart Lane contract but is currently focused on trying to help Fulham escape relegation from the Premier League

Lewis Holtby says he is hopeful of returning to Tottenham and seeing out his contract when his loan spell with Fulham ends this summer.

The midfielder moved to Craven Cottage in the January transfer window on a short-term deal after struggling to establish himself under Tim Sherwood.

Holtby has gone on to become a key figure for the Cottagers, making 10 appearances and scoring once, but says he is not currently thinking about his future.

"There is little sense in talking about other clubs since I have a long-term contract at Tottenham," he told Goal.

"The status quo is that I will go back to Spurs after the summer holidays. I can't tell you what is going to happen until then. My agent takes care of everything and as far as I know his mobile is always turned on.

"I loved playing for Tottenham and I would like to fulfil my contract there. But at first it is important to avoid relegation with Fulham.

"Alone because of these unbelievable fans. I would be a shame if such a great club would not play in the top league.

"I will only think about stuff when the time comes to think about it."

Goal understands Sherwood will be replaced as manager at White Hart Lane at the end of the season with Louis van Gaal favourite to take over, and Holtby is an admirer of the Dutchman.

"There is always lots of talk," he added. "Louis van Gaal is an exceptional coach, you can't deny that.

"He led big teams to big success. I don't know whether he will be the new coach and of course it is not for me to decide. I don't want to think about it now."


http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2892/transfer-zone/2014/04/11/4744476/-?

WhiteJC

 
Brede: As Big As It Gets

Brede Hangeland admits that Fulham's season could well hinge on Saturday's fixture with Norwich City.

Last weekend's memorable win at Aston Villa moved Fulham to within five points of the Canaries and Hangeland is fully aware of the importance a victory at the Cottage over City would have. He believes games don't come much bigger.

"It's as big a game as you can get in the Premier League," Hangeland told the official website. "It's a key game for our season and it will more or less decide how things go. So we're preparing really well for the game and after last weekend we're confident we can come good.

"Norwich have had a change of manager for the game but we can't do much about what they do or don't do. We're focused on ourselves, we've had a good week of training so far and we're looking forward to it."

There's nothing quite like a late winner to lift spirits and Hugo Rodallega's 86th-minute strike at Villa Park sent the travelling 3,000 fans wild and galvanised everyone connected with the Club.

"I thought we deserved to win," said Hangeland. "The fans were incredible before, during and after the game. They really gave us the extra energy we needed. It was a good day all round and hopefully we'll repeat that on Saturday.

"It was a great boost for us. We've worked hard in recent weeks and had some knocks. So it was really nice to get a reward for all that hard work and to prove to ourselves and others that we're a decent team when it clicks."

Rodallega has endured something of a frustrating season. It was clear what the winning goal – his first in the league this season – meant to the Colombian striker who impressed after his introduction at the start of the second half.

"We all know what a good player Hugo is," stated Brede. "He put in a really good performance when he came on and I was delighted for him to score a goal."


Saturday's game with Norwich has been designated as the Club's Official Charity Match in support of Shooting Star Chase – a leading hospice charity caring for babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions and their families.

On Wednesday, Hangeland and members of the First Team squad met children from Shooting Star Chase and the skipper smiled: "It's always a nice day for them and it's good for us to see how happy they get if we just spend some time with them.

"It was a lovely day for them to come and watch training. They took some pictures and got some autographs and we gave them some boots and shirts, that sort of thing. It looked like they enjoyed it and we did as well. We're happy to have Shooting Star Chase as our chosen charity."

Tickets are still available to buy for Saturday's game, priced from £35 for adults and £15 for juniors.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/april/11/as-big-as-it-gets?

WhiteJC

 
Fulham Host Norwich in Ultimate 'Must Not Lose' Game

FULHAM v NORWICH CITY 15:07; Craven Cottage



The 2-1 win at Villa last Saturday has reinstalled belief among Fulham players and fans that they might just pull off a great escape.  The win, the second under Felix Magath's management, has sprung the Cottagers up two places off the bottom and the defeat for Norwich last weekend means the gap between 17th and 18th remains at five points.

It still looks a big ask with only five games to play, but Fulham were the last team to escape relegation having only acquired 24 points from 32 games – in 2007/08- so they may be able to do the same again.  Failure to beat the Canaries today though would almost certainly be fatal.



Chris Hughton suffered the dismal consequences of failing to manage Norwich to victory over relegation rivals West Brom last Saturday.  The board's decision to sack him and replace him with youth coach Neil Adams with five games remaining could either prove to be a masterstroke or a huge error of judgment and it certainly throws Adams in at the deep end considering the club's fixtures.

This 'must not lose' game at Fulham is followed by dates with Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.  A rare away win in West London would advance their lead over Fulham to a very healthy eight points, but even a draw would not completely relieve them from the stress of relegation concerns, bearing in mind the games left.



What to watch out for: Recent meetings make the home side favourites.  Fulham have lost none of the seven previous encounters between the sides in the Premier League and won five of them.  They've also scored 13 goals in the three games at Craven Cottage.

Possible line-ups:

Fulham – Stockdale; Heitinga, Hangeland, Amorebieta, Richardson, Holtby, Sidwell, Riether, Diarra, Dejagah, Rodallega

Norwich – Ruddy; Martin, Yobo, Bassong, Olsson, Snodgrass, Tettey, Howson, Hoolahan, Elmander, Hooper

Recent form: Fulham – LLWLLW; Norwich – LDLWLL

Prediction: 2-1



http://www.footymatters.com/articles/english-football/premier-league/premier-league-preview/fulham-host-norwich-in-ultimate-must-not-lose-game/?


WhiteJC

 
Ready For The Battle

He's played for some of Europe's top clubs, has UEFA Champions League expertise and has lined up for his country in a World Cup Final - now John Heitinga is calling upon that vast experience to keep Fulham in the Barclays Premier League.

"You have to believe we can still do it, I believe we can," stated the man in question in Saturday's matchday programme. "The only thing that matters right now is the Club's survival - we just need to find the way.

"This is the first time I've been involved in a relegation battle, but you have to deal with the same pressures as when you are challenging for trophies.

"Of course, the trophy for us will be staying up in the Premier League. It's a real challenge but it's up to us to play as well as we can between now and the end of the season.

"There's so much to play for right now; the team, the history of the Club and, of course, the fans. We saw them singing and celebrating at the end of the last game at Aston Villa - hopefully there's more of that to come."

To read the full interview with Heitinga, pick up an official matchday programme on Saturday.

Other key content in the only matchday magazine that matters - which is available to download digitally from 9am on Saturday - include: 

A focus on Shooting Star Chase – Saturday's game has been designated as the Club's Official Charity Match in support of the hospice
Shahid Khan on our magnificent win at Aston Villa
Felix Magath's programme notes
Cauley Woodrow takes the Fulham 50 challenge
Zat Knight revisits the 6-0 win over Norwich in May 2005
Former Norwich star Paul McVeigh assesses the Cottage encounter
A Whites fan writes for the publication
And Les Strong is Yesterday's Hero
Priced £3.50, the 84-page publication is available from sellers on Stevenage Road from two hours before kick-off. Fans can also order copies directly from www.programmemaster.com

The programme is also available as an app with added video content from 9am on Saturday via Apple's Newsstand or Pocketmags for £1.99.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/april/11/prog-plug?

WhiteJC

 
Why Fulham v Norwich is the biggest game in the Premier League this weekend

Forget Liverpool hosting Manchester City for an insight into Premier league superiority, Fulham v Norwich City is this weekend's biggest fixture.

As the season draws to a close, fixtures invariably become increasingly important, and on paper, Fulham's game against Norwich City could well decide both team's fate.

While three points for Fulham won't even be enough to take them above Norwich – or out of the relegation zone for that matter – the game is extremely important for the Canaries.

With remaining fixtures of Liverpool (H), Manchester United (A), Chelsea (A) and Arsenal (H) – good teams all arguably fighting for something (consistency in United's case) – Norwich will want to make the most out of their visit to West London.

Fulham's remaining fixtures of Tottenham (A), Hull City (H), Stoke City (A) and Crystal Palace (H) are, perhaps only on paper however, kinder to the eye.

Writing off Spurs away, and Stoke for that matter, I am hopeful that we can pick up points against Hull and Palace; not because we are better than them, but because, hopefully, they will be safe and playing for very little when we line-up against them.

This game is therefore absolutely massive for both teams; for Fulham to close the gap that Norwich are going to struggle to extend beyond this fixture and for Norwich to create a substantial gap that will prevent Fulham catching.

Looking at the two teams, both are relatively equal. Norwich and Fulham have both produced positive and negative performances – more of the latter – over the course of the season, and have, much to the frustration of their respective fans, flirted with relegation on a worrying number of occasions.

Traditionally however, Fulham have been Norwich's bogey team – a team that ruthlessly sent the Canaries into the Championship a few years ago, after beating them 6-0 at the Cottage.

While many Norwich fans may be lamenting their luck, which has them facing their bogey team in a must-win fixture, I, as a Fulham fan, am not so confident.

Formalities and football go together like oil and water. And Fulham, expecting to pick up three points against a team they would normally pick three points up against is exactly the kind of thing that Fulham, being Fulham, could fail to do.

What's more, if Neil Adams is able to instigate some sort of honeymoon period – that so often occurs when a new manager takes over – our task could become a lot harder.

Another worry for the Whites is the fact that this season's home form hasn't been anything to brag about. In seasons-gone-by winning at the Cottage kept Fulham in the league, but this year playing by the Thames has been somewhat of a mental hindrance.

So for me, previous fixtures, stats, form, tactics, managers, players, fans and venue for that matter are all entirely irrelevant in the build up to this game.

Saturday's match is a cup final, which may as well be played at a neutral venue, and arguably the most important fixture of the two clubs' recent Premier League history.

May the best team win.



http://metro.co.uk/2014/04/11/why-fulham-v-norwich-is-the-biggest-game-in-the-premier-league-this-weekend-4695537/?

WhiteJC

 
Magath's Magic Men? Three Players Who Are Key For Fulham's Survival Bid

Sat adrift at the bottom of the table, with a third manager of the season showing little signs of turning around the mess created by the other two and with an ageing squad of has-beens and never-weres, Fulham looked to be most people's certainties for the drop when – exactly a month ago today – they meekly went down to a 3-1 defeat at fellow strugglers Cardiff City.

What a difference a month makes. The Cottagers may well end up lining up in the Championship next season, having given themselves a mountain to climb with their early performances, but are now looking the most likely of the bottom three to survive following wins in two of their last four fixtures.

Victory over Aston Villa built upon a 1-0 win over Newcastle in mid-March and while their last four games have also seen two defeats, albeit against two of the top five, the gap to Norwich City has been closed to five points – a not-insurmountable amount considering the Canaries horrendous run in.

Key to the mini resurgence so far – and, more importantly to keeping it up in the huge match with Norwich City this weekend – has been the form of three key players. We take a look at the stats of three of their top performers of recent weeks.

Lewis Holtby
Not a surprise for our first choice: Lewis Holtby. The Tottenham loanee has embraced the relegation tussle head on and must have left Spurs fans wondering why they let him go.

Over the last four games, Holtby has created ten chances for his team-mates. This is the highest amount of any Fulham player during the period (below) and includes three assists amongst the ten.

Injecting a touch of quality and creative spark into the experience, but plodding, midfield that he was thrust into, Holtby has also gone past his man with the ball on nine occasions over the past four games, from 12 attempts.

Displaying the industry needed for a relegation dogfight, Holtby has also made 13 tackles, three clearances and three interceptions over the past four games.

Ashkan Dejagah
Scorer of two of Fulham's last three Premier League goals, Dejagah has been a key man from the bench in recent weeks. He may not have started any of Fulham's four most recent games, but makes our selection based upon his crucial goals. With top scorer Steve Sidwell on just six goals, it is not difficult to find where one of Fulham's main problems lies and Dejagah's winner against Newcastle and assist as a half-time substitute against Villa could prove crucial come the end of the season.

Despite playing just 98 minutes of the past four games, Dejagah has the fourth highest Squawka Performance Score of any Fulham player in the period, while he also has a 67% shot conversion rate in the same period

Brede Hangeland
Alongside a goalscoring problem, Fulham have also been shipping goals like mad this season – hardly the best combination. No side in Europe's top five leagues has conceded more goals than Fulham, in a pattern that must change if they are to stay up.

Brede Hangeland has been a fixture in Fulham sides of recent years, but has missed much of the season through injury. The club's captain played the first eight games of the season and upon his injury had led the side to back to back wins. However they they lost the next six games in a row, setting the tone for the porous defence that has undermined the rest of their season.

However Hangeland has returned in recent weeks and could be key in steadying the ship. While Magath's side has conceded eight goals in their two games against Man City and Everton, the clean sheet against Newcastle was invaluable and just the one goal was conceded against Villa, although admittedly Villa were complicit through their toothless attack.

In the past four games Hangeland has won 18 headed duels, a success rate of 82%, while has he also won 70% of his tackles and averaged 12 defensive actions per game.



http://www.squawka.com/news/2014/04/11/mini-magath-revival-three-key-players-if-fulham-are-to-stay-up/2014041193978?


WhiteJC

 
Jimmy Bullard: I'd love Fulham to copy what we did but I fear it's all over


Magic moment: Jimmy Bullard celebrates Danny Murphy's crucial goal in 2008

Mohamed Fayed promised his players a Harrods hamper of caviar and smoked salmon if they escaped relegation six years ago but Fulham do not need any incentives ahead of tomorrow's game against Norwich.

Lose at Craven Cottage and Fulham may be pushed beyond the point of no return. A win moves them just two points from safety with four games remaining and could lead to another unlikely Premier League escape act.

Back in 2008 Fulham were in a similarly precarious position but Roy Hodgson masterminded a great escape.

Jimmy Bullard was part of that squad so knows that the seemingly impossible is possible — unfortunately he thinks the feat may just be beyond the class of 2014.

"I can't understand what has gone on at Fulham because they had some great players — like Bryan Ruiz, Dimitar Berbatov and Adel Taarabt — and they are at top-class clubs around the world now," he said. "I can't understand why top-quality players like that are not getting a game.

"Three managers in one season is too much as well, the players will not know whether they are coming or going. It has been a bit of a laughing stock. Look at what happened with Ray Wilkins and Alan Curbishley. I would love to see them survive but, honestly, I worry they may not have got enough to stay up."

Bullard hopes he is proved wrong and for that to happen a win against Norwich is crucial.

Fulham are five points from safety and have an inferior goal difference to their rivals but they beat Aston Villa last weekend and belief is growing among a squad who were bottom of the table two weeks ago.

Norwich, just above the drop zone, face Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal in their last four fixtures while Fulham's remaining games after tomorrow are against Tottenham, Hull, Stoke and Crystal Palace.

Six years ago, Fulham had just 24 points from 33 matches — three fewer than they have now — but won four of their final five games and survived on the final day of the season.

It was an incredible turnaround and one that still amazes Bullard.

"If you were a betting man, you would never have bet on us that year," said the former midfielder.

"We were doomed basically. Everyone was saying we were down — the media, the pundits, the bookmakers — and it is difficult to get away from that sometimes.

"It all started away at Manchester City, when we were 2-0 down at half-time and we looked doomed. We brought Diomansy Kamara on, he scored twice and we won 3-2, which was an unbelievable result. It went from there really.

"It does not look good for Fulham at the moment but what we did shows you never know."

Bullard recalls how Fulham were 19th in the Premier League and looked a lost cause when Hodgson replaced Lawrie Sanchez in December of that season. They were six points from safety at this stage before beating Reading, Manchester City and Birmingham to take it to the final game of the season at Portsmouth.

Needing a win at Fratton Park to survive, Danny Murphy scored a 76th-minute header from Bullard's free-kick and Fulham avoided dropping into the Championship.

"We had a great team spirit," said midfielder Bullard. "We were in a dogfight all year but we always had that spirit. We had some good players, too. When you achieve something like that, you feel like you have won something.

"The camera panned to Roy and Ray Lewington after the game at Portsmouth and you see Roy say, 'I can't f*****g believe that!' Even he couldn't believe the position we managed to get ourselves out of."



http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/jimmy-bullard-id-love-fulham-to-copy-what-we-did-but-i-fear-its-all-over-9253859.html