Tuesday Fulham Stuff (15/04/14)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Sascha Riether delighted by "fantastic" Fulham win

Fulham defender Sascha Riether has described Saturday's 1-0 win over relegation rivals Norwich City as a "fantastic result" in the team's bid for Premier League survival.

The Cottagers moved to within two points of safety as Hugo Rodallega's goal separated the teams in West London.

"It was a fantastic result," Riether told the club's official website. "Everyone in the ground knew how important the game against Norwich was, in many ways it was make or break.

"We gave ourselves a much better chance of staying up after the win at Aston Villa, and it was vital that we built on that performance – which we did.

"We have now taken six points from our last two matches, and as a result, our position in the table is a lot more positive."

Fulham continue their Premier League campaign this Saturday when they travel to Tottenham Hotspur.



http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/relegation-battle/news/riether-delighted-by-fantastic-win_149827.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Stoke Sold Out

The Club can confirm that the entire away allocation for our match against Stoke City on Saturday 3rd May has now been sold.

We took the maximum allocation for this fixture and, as was the case at Villa Park in our previous away game, Fulham will be backed by almost 3,000 travelling fans!

We would like to thank fans for their unwavering support of the team at this crucial point of the season.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/april/14/stoke-sold-out?

[WhiteJC]

 
Hugo On Cloud Nine

There was no bigger smile inside Craven Cottage than the one strewn across Hugo Rodallega's face when fulhamfc.com caught up with the striker after our win over Norwich City.

Fresh from scoring his second crucial winner in as many games, the 28-year-old was beaming as he described his joy that's come from the faith placed in him by Felix Magath.

He stated: "I'm happy, I'm very happy because I want to play, I want to play every game. I waited a long time for this opportunity and now I'm trying to enjoy every game and, of course, I have to score. I have to score for the team, for myself, and I'm very happy. I enjoyed the game."

Tensions were high amongst both sets of players, staff and fans on Saturday, with the knowledge that whoever won the relegation six-pointer would have an excellent chance of staving off danger, while the losers faced an anxious end to the season.


And, despite some hairy moments, it was Fulham who emerged victorious courtesy of a brilliantly taken strike from Rodallega. At first glance it appeared to be a simple enough finish for the Colombian but, on closer inspection, he deserves even greater credit for controlling his shot when the ball came to him at a difficult angle after Lewis Holtby's free-kick had been flicked on by Steve Sidwell.

Rodallega said of his goal: "It was a little bit behind me but I was able to use a bit of technique. Siddy just touched the ball with his head, that sent it a little bit behind me but I tried to score with my left foot and luckily the ball went inside the net.

"The win means so much to my family and myself, and everybody here in Fulham because everybody is working so hard at the Training Ground and everyone wants to keep Fulham in the Premier League.

"This is very important and, of course, I have to say thank you to the fans because they are unbelievable. Not just on Saturday; last week at Villa Park it was great support and that's amazing for us on the pitch. I see everybody pushing hard for Fulham and that makes you enjoy it and work hard for these people."

Suddenly, many outside of the Club have altered their stance on the Whites' hopes of staying up. Considered dead and buried by plenty of pundits and bookmakers a couple of weeks ago, Fulham's back-to-back victories have provided a fresh impetus and belief that another 'Great Escape' is achievable.

And although Rodallega insisted there is still a huge amount of work to be done, he stated that the team will go into each of their next four matches believing they can win, starting at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

"The confidence went up last week with the win against Villa," he explained. "Then everybody said we have to win against Norwich because Norwich is the team directly above us with five more points than us. Now it is just two points difference. That's why it was very important that we won this game.

"The next four games are the same as our last two wins. We said before that we had six cup finals – and now we have four finals left, and we have to think that we can win every game. I know Tottenham is a very good team and it will be a hard game for us but we have to think only of winning as three points would be very important for us."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/april/14/hugo-on-cloud-nine?

[WhiteJC]

 
Doing Better
   
With our hopes of staving off relegation growing by the game, following back to back wins, an interesting statistic has come to light.

Our German manager, Felix Magath, has now been in charge of Fulham Football Club for 8 games. During those 8 games Fulham have collected 10 points.

The two previous incumbents of the managerial post - Martin Jol and Rene Meulensteen - both took 13 games, this term, to accumulate 10 points.

Things must be getting better!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=356041#ixzz2yvKw0jZu

[WhiteJC]

 
Zero to Hero!
   
The rise of Hugo Rodallega from zero to hero continues with aplomb.

Winning goals, in consecutive games, are giving Hugo cult status amongst the Fulham supporters, not bad for someone who was making only his third start of a troubled season.

Talking to the media, after the hard-fought 1-0 win over Norwich City, Hugo had this to say to the media,

"I feel happy. Not just me, everybody inside. When you win it is very important for the team in this situation."

"The goal against Norwich could be very important because I want Fulham to stay up."

"This is my opportunity. I have waited for a long time to play and now I am happy. I am going to enjoy every moment."

"I am happy because when I have these opportunities I want to score, always."

"The manager told me during the second half at Villa last week, 'You`re coming on.` And I felt, 'Oh my goodness, this is my chance. I`ve got to score!"

"And I did, to get three very important points. Now I have done the same and have to say thank you to the fans because their support is amazing and it is important for us."

It`s our pleasure Hugo.

How about a third winning goal, on the bounce, at White Hart Lane this weekend?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=356042#ixzz2yvLB5iYL

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham eye double Bundesliga swoop

FULHAM manager Felix Magath is targeting a double signing from Germany this summer as he looks to bolster the Cottagers, according to the Sun.

Reports suggest Magath is looking at Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Alex Meier and Wolfsburg defender Ricardo Rodriguez, with Fulham keen to add strength to the spine of their side.

Fulham are still embroiled in a relegation battle, but their 1-0 win over Norwich on Saturday gave them hope of avoiding the drop.



Read more: http://www.surreymirror.co.uk/Fulham-eye-double-Bundesliga-swoop/story-20954951-detail/story.html#ixzz2yvLSzZ7Q

[WhiteJC]

 
What it means to Kieran!
   
The 'Great Escape II` is well and truly on.

Back-to-back wins have given Fulham Football Club the springboard to ensure their Premier League status is maintained.

But what does it mean to somebody like Kieran Richardson, a player who has been troubled with injury but always gives his best?

Well this is what Kieran had to say after the 1-0 win over Norwich City, on Saturday,

"Even if we stay up, it has still - for me - been a bad season. We shouldn`t really be down there."

"I know it would be great for us to stay up but with the players we have, and the manager we have, we shouldn`t be in this predicament. So hopefully if we can stay up we can move on next season as a club."

"Everyone has their own opinion but, on a personal note, in terms of pride, I don`t want to have relegation on my resume."

"I don`t want to play in the Championship. So I am trying to do everything I can along with everyone else in that changing room. We don`t want to be there so when we are out there we are fighting for our lives and showing that."

"We`ve always been together but the games are so big now that when you get the results it feels like you`ve won the World Cup."

"This result is a massive relief for us. All week we`ve had it drummed into us that we need the three points. We`ve done that now, achieved back-to-back wins."

A remarkably honest assessment and one that, hopefully, will provide the motivation to ensure we do survive in the top-flight.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=356045#ixzz2yvLhYqtT

[WhiteJC]

 
Tottenham v Fulham: Lewis Holtby hoping for Fulham victory as win would mean more to Cottagers in bid for survival


Holtby is on loan from Spurs until the end of the season and while he can't take part in the match, he is hoping that the Cottagers emerge victorious in their fight to avoid relegation

On loan Fulham midfielder Lewis Holby is hopeful that the relegation strugglers can earn a precious victory against Tottenham on Saturday even though he is due to return to the White Hart Lane club at the end of the season.

The 23-year-old has been on loan at Craven Cottage since January after falling out of favour with Spurs manager Tim Sherwood, and although he is ineligible to take part in the lunchtime kick-off due to his loan terms, Holtby is cheering for a Fulham win.

Despite maintaining a belief that he can build a long and successful career with Spurs, the German feels that a victory for the Cottagers would be more important in helping them remain in the Premier League , as he explained in the Evening Standard.

"It's a tough game for me, because I'm on loan from Tottenham but Fulham need the three points more at the moment to stay up," he said. "I signed a long contract at Spurs and I was hoping to have a long future at the club. I still believe in my quality and that I can play for Tottenham.

"I was desperate to have some games. I hate being on the bench. I love being on the pitch and expressing myself and Fulham have given me the chance to play high-quality football in the Premier League.

"Every game is exciting now and we believe we can win all four of those that remain. For example, we play Stoke on May 3 and they are essentially safe, so maybe they won't be that tense."

Current Spurs head coach Tim Sherwood is not believed to rate Holtby highly but as he is to leave at the end of the season, Holtby is watching the situation closely. Holland coach Louis van Gaal has supporters in the Spurs boardroom.

Holtby added on talkSPORT: "I think he would be able to adjust. He's proved in the Dutch league, the Spanish league and the German league that he's a top manager. You can see his influence in the way the current Bayern Munich team play."



http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/tottenham-v-fulham-lewis-holtby-hoping-for-fulham-victory-as-win-would-mean-more-to-cottagers-in-bid-for-survival-9259260.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Craven Corner: A Fulham fan's view on the win over Norwich

Our Fulham blogger gives his view on the 1-0 win over the Canaries.

I have to admit we rode our luck against Norwich at the weekend. Firstly, I want to give the Norwich team credit because they did look like a refreshed team under the new manager and Leroy Fer and Nathan Redmond looked very lively and if they were to go down it's these two players I'd love to see play in the black and white if we survived!

I apologised to David Stockdale after our victory over Newcastle and ever since then he has continued to impress everyone since reclaiming the number one spot under Felix Magath.

The two mind-blowing saves in the first half were simply sensational, David if you do ever read this - I'm sorry for ever doubting you, hard-work has paid off & your performances have been mind-blowing.

Without Stockdale's performance we would have lost by two or three goals at the weekend. Pajtim Kasami was back in the line up after being pulled off at half-time at Aston Villa, but it was a standard Kasami performance - hard work and tested the keeper a few times.

I wasn't 100 per cent on the starting system, with Fernando Amorebieta, Johnny Heitinga & Brede Hangeland looking like a back three, with Kieran Richardson & Sascha Riether acting as wing-backs.

So was it 3-5-1-1/5-4-1 I personally thought it was a very defensive game plan from the get-go but our Colombian hero, Hugo Rodallega stepped up to the plate again and scored another key goal.

A man rejuvenated in recent weeks and he has to start in our next fixture against Tottenham, we need hard-work and pressing from the front.

David Stockdale made plenty of saves and we foiled Norwich a few times, but Fulham weren't playing at their best but it's games like these that make or break your season.

If you can get through the games you play poorly and still pick up points you survive. Simple as that really. As for Norwich I don't think this means their season is over despite the hard run-in they have, especially with the performance they showed at the weekend.

I still believe they will pick up three points against Arsenal in their run-in, which does mean we will have to get two draws and two wins from last games to survive.

I'd be over the moon if we could magically get three points against Tottenham, but I think most fans would agree that draw would be a good result.

Felix didn't start Ashkan Dejagah again which was puzzling for me, but he did come on in the second half and adding a more direct threat when we did get forward.

Hopefully he will start against Tottenham Hotspur as I think he could cause Kyle Naughton and co some real problems.

Luckily for us, a lot of the teams we have left to play have had their season decided now.

Spurs look likely to miss out on the top four, with Palace, Stoke & Hull seemingly safe - meaning they won't have much to play for, fingers crossed we can take advantage of this and really apply some pressure.

The Great Escape II is truly on now, the players have to keep believing and we have to keep going strong.

Fans, I urge you do everything you can to get to the Tottenham game on Saturday, the lads really need your support. I'll be there, so if you see me, say hello! :D


http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/craven_corner_a_fulham_fan_s_view_on_the_win_over_norwich_1_3559265

[WhiteJC]

 
Magath miracle very much on for Fulham after gutsy win against Norwich
The Canaries have overtaken Fulham as third favourites to go down following the west Londoners' vital 1-0 victory over Neil Adams' side.

Fulham's Premier League survival race is far from run after Felix Magath's side grabbed a third victory in five fixtures against Norwich, with the vanquished Canaries now 1/2 to lose their top-flight status this term.

Magath's men can be backed at 5/6 to stay up and considering their relatively straightforward remaining fixtures, particularly when compared to Norwich's hellish run-in, another season of Premier League football at Craven Cottage looks likely.

Since the veteran German coach took over in February, Fulham have won two and lost two on their own patch, with that pair of defeats coming against Chelsea and Everton, who currently occupy the second and fourth places in the league respectively.

Home wins against Newcastle and Norwich bode extremely well for the Cottagers' survival hopes as Hull and Crystal Palace are still to visit the west London whites.

Both those sides look safe at this stage and will have little to play for, while the former are sure to be distracted by an FA Cup final engagement against Arsenal, with Steve Bruce's Tigers 12/5 to win the trophy for the first time in their history.

One win may well be enough for Fulham to edge ahead of Adams' side, as the Canaries' caretaker boss must lead his men through a gauntlet containing Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal between now and mid-May.

It's hard to see Norwich getting a sniff from any of those games, which means Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's somewhat-resurgent Cardiff could pose the biggest threat to Fulham's Premier League survival.

The Bluebirds have given themselves a live chance of beating the drop after taking four points from their last available nine and have winnable matches coming up against Stoke, Sunderland and Newcastle.

Solskjaer's side are still heavily fancied for the drop after a sole season in the top-flight at 3/10, with Gus Poyet's rock-bottom Black Cats given little chance of rescuing their dire current situation at 7/100, despite holding two games in hand over the three teams above them.

Fulham to avoid relegation @ 83/100



- See more at: http://bwinbetting.com/leagues/premier-league/magath-miracle-fulham-gutsy-win-norwich,53953.html?#sthash.Ja4I0BiL.dpuf

[WhiteJC]

 
Ten Games To Survival: Fulham smile as others falter

Don't you give me hope. Don't you dare give me hope.

Fulham got a rare but vital away win this past weekend against Aston Villa, thanks to goals from two players that I have derided all season. Kieran Richardson. who seemingly only turns it on when I mention how rubbish he has been since he signed (I maintain the worst 45 minutes I've seen a football player was his debut vs West Ham), and Hugo Rodallega, who is far from consistent enough to still be in the first team plans. The whole team battled superbly to not do the Fulham thing, and balls up a 1-0 lead, like we've done almost every week since the season began. Lewis Holtby was immense once again, and should have had our third if it wasn't for blasted goal line technology deeming that because one inch of the ball hadn't gone over the whole white line, it wasn't a goal. Regardless, those two goals – in between a Grant Holt reply, ensured three points, and with Norwich, Cardiff and Sunderland all losing – it makes the league table somewhat bearable reading.

We now stand four points behind safety, with the teams around us in absolute freefall. Norwich have only won three times in their last twenty games and have sacked their manager Chris Hughton, replacing him with an unknown youth coach promoted from within. They have also not beaten Fulham in three games with played them (League and two FA Cup ties) and the last time we faced Norwich in a relegation battle, we trounced them 6-0. so it would be great if we had them next, wouldn't it?
That worked out nicely then.

The key thing right now is that we have won twice in the last four – playing great football with a determined bunch of players that look hell-bent on staying in this league.  I did give out about his arrival, but Magath has turned a situation from a 'no chance' to a 'slim chance' – and that's something. Meanwhile Cardiff, Sunderland and Norwich are all in freefall – so maybe our early failures might now play into a favour in this run-in. Our rivals have tougher games; Sunderland and Cardiff face Everton and Southampton respectively – and all three of them have an awful final few games (Norwich's games are basically a massive snake in this sporting games of snakes and ladders); our slightly easier end of the season could see us safe. Felix Magath has said he expects to stay up, so confidence is nice to here, compared to Jol's 'hey, whatever man – itll be fine' approach.
I hate to say I'm quietly confident of the result – but I'm quietly confident of the result.

Finally, it's great to see Moussa Dembele and Patrick Roberts send Fulham's Under 18's to the Youth FA Cup Final, beating Reading over two legs. Moussa won't be in the squad for the near future, as he has gone to Dallas to defend Fulham's Dallas Cup against the best and brightest youth teams in the world. Patrick Roberts and Cauley Woodrow have stayed, however, showing that Magath thinks those two are the ones to help the team stay in the Premier League.

Let's see how I feel seven days from now.

Screw you, Darren Bent.


http://ballsybanter.com/new/recent-posts/485-ten-games-to-survival-fulham-smile-as-others-falter?

[WhiteJC]

 
Felix Magath threatens Fulham players with post-season training after dreadful campaign

The eccentric German wants to keep his squad back until the end of May


Charlie Crowhurst
Mag as a hatter: Felix is none too feliz with his team

Felix Magath is considering calling his Fulham players in for training AFTER the season has ended.

The Cottagers boss, known for his controversial methods, is ready to have his squad back until the end of May – regardless of the relegation-haunted club's fate.

Fulham have trained after the end of the season in the past ahead of post-season tours. However, there are no matches planned once the current campaign comes to a close on May 11.

The club's squad have so far responded well to Magath's methods, despite claims from some of his former players they would be left demoralised by his strict approach.

During his time in Germany, the former Bayern Munich, Eintracht Frankfurt and Hamburg manager was given two nicknames – 'Saddam' and 'The Torturer'.

And former Frankfurt striker Bachirou Salou described him as the "last dictator in Europe".

But Fulham have won their last two matches, beating Aston Villa and Norwich, to climb off the bottom of the table to within two points of the 17th-placed Canaries.



http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/felix-magath-threatens-fulham-players-3414691#ixzz2yvNz7l7c
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