Monday Fulham Stuff (21/04/14)...

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SURVEY: Fulham braced for major changes in the summer as Magath makes his mark but who should stay and leave?


Felix Magath. (Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images)

A host of Fulham players face uncertain futures at Craven Cottage – but who should stay and who should go?

The Whites have a few players on loan including Tottenham's Lewis Holtby and Aston Villa's Darren Bent.

Damien Duff has already announced that he is leaving, while John Arne Riise, Steve Sidwell and others are all coming to the end of their contracts.

It promises to be a summer of change at Craven Cottage and London24 wants your opinions.


http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/survey_fulham_braced_for_major_changes_in_the_summer_as_magath_makes_his_mark_but_who_should_stay_and_leave_1_3565944

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Magath hopeful on trio´s return

Fulham boss Felix Magath hopes to have up to three players back from injury or illness next week to boost his side's survival fight.

After successive wins that brought his club to within two points of Premier League safety, Magath made five changes for Saturday's trip to Tottenham.

Although Fulham put in a fighting display, second-half goals from Harry Kane and Younes Kaboul gave the hosts a 3-1 win at White Hart Lane.

Magath revealed afterwards that several of the alterations he made were enforced, although he hopes that Sascha Riether, Kieran Richardson and Mahamadou Diarra will all come into contention for the crucial visit of Hull City next weekend.

"We had some problems before the game. We had some injured or ill players, so we have (had) to change the team from last week," Magath said in his post-match press conference.

"Sascha Riether, he was ill. He's at home this morning and yesterday Kieran Richardson and Momo Diarra...they are injured.

"For next week, they are only small injuries. Diarra has a knee problem, but he joined us yesterday and the day before, so I'm sure he can be with us next week and Kieran – he tried this morning, but he has muscle problems.

"He will join us next week. I think all the players will be back. Sascha Riether, he has a headache and a (sore) throat and it will be good next week again."

Scott Parker came off early in the second half against Tottenham, having suffered a dead leg following a challenge from Emmanuel Adebayor, but Magath is hopeful that the issue will not prove too serious.

"He has a kick on the muscle but he is confident, I'm sure that he can train next week," added the Fulham manager.


http://uk.soccerway.com/news/2014/April/20/magath-hopeful-on-trios-return/?

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Fulham Sold Out

Tickets for our match against Fulham on Sunday 11th May at Craven Cottage are now completely SOLD OUT.

There will be no further tickets available for this game over in west London, which kicks off at 3.00pm.

Coaches for travelling supporters will be leaving Selhurst Park at 12.30pm, with spaces available at a cost of £10 per person. The club's directors' car park will be open for supporters to use on the day. 

The club would like to take this opportunity to thank our supporters for their continued and excellent support during the 2013/14 Barclays Premier League season.



Read more at http://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/article/fulham-sold-out-1499422.aspx#IRZLjYAJGweUOEMG.99

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Relegation odds shift makes Fulham, not Sunderland, best survival bet
The Chelsea-slaying Black Cats have a dreadful record against bottom-half clubs and this will cost them.

Sunderland's universally unanticipated victory at Chelsea will have struck terror into Fulham and their basement-dwelling bedfellows, but the Cottagers are still better placed to survive than Gus Poyet's men.

Hours prior to the Wearsiders' coupon-desecrating heroics, the west Londoners put in a battling, but ultimately futile effort against capital rivals Tottenham, which meant they slipped to 19th in the table following Cardiff's 1-1 draw with Stoke that was sandwiched between the two aforementioned matches.

The results reshuffled the relegation punting picture to such an extent that, of the current bottom three, the previously condemned Black Cats are now 3/5 favourites to avoid the axe, while 11/25 says Fulham will get out of trouble, leaving Cardiff doomed at 4/25, refuting their higher league placing than the other two.

Dropping two home points against a Potters side with nothing to play is likely to prove fatal for the Bluebirds, or so the odds indicate, which leaves a straight shootout between the sides sitting 19th and 20th to make a late break for safety.

Despite having a game in hand, there's still plenty of cause to oppose Sunderland's hopes of survival in favour of Felix Magath masterminding the capital club's escape act.

A Spurs setback was always on the cards, whether Fulham receive a stay of execution or not depends on their home results.

With Hull and Crystal Palace to visit, the Cottagers will be eyeing six points having picked up as many from the previous nine on offer at base camp.

The Tigers' away record is the fourth worst in the top-flight, while only one side has scored fewer on the road than Palace, making them both very beatable adversaries on the homestead.

Sunderland have an easy-on-the-eye run in, but their record against bottom half teams doesn't bode well.

Three home games with Cardiff, West Brom and Swansea are deceptively difficult given the Black Cats' woeful showings against lower echelon rivals.

In 15 meetings with those residing below the top-tier equator, Poyet's charges have prevailed just once, scoring a paltry eight goals.

Even having 75 per cent of their remaining fixtures at home doesn't aid the north east natives.

Based on their previous five fixtures at the Stadium of Light, only Cardiff would fare worse than Sunderland and this is only owing to an inferior goal difference.

They'll need to win at least two, if not all, of their final three home games to stay up, but just three wins all season on their own patch highlights how difficult achieving such a feat will be, while two goals in their previous five backyard encounters suggests a chronic lack of firepower will cost them dear.

Sunderland to be relegated @ 7/10


- See more at: http://bwinbetting.com/leagues/premier-league/relegation-odds-shift-fulham-sunderland-survival-bet,54117.html?#sthash.mj99PiU0.dpuf

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Going Home?
   
With John Arne Riise destined to leave Craven Cottage this summer it remains to see where the Norwegian ends up.

At 33 years of age, his options are somewhat limited but speculation is rife that John Arne might be looking to finish his playing days back in his native Norway.

One destination that keeps cropping up is Lillestrom where another of the Riise clan, Bjorn Helge is playing, prompting John Arne o remark,

"I see it as fun to end my career with my brother."

Lillestrom so it is then!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=356610#ixzz2zVOftLHp

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Brentford striker says he has repaid debt to club

Trotta relieved at winning a place in the second tier


Trotta now a happy man
Brentford striker Marcello Trotta says winning promotion to the Championship makes up for last season's heartbreak.

The Italian's penalty miss against Doncaster on the final day of the campaign cost the Bees a top-two finish.

However, Trotta returned to Griffin Park for another loan spell from west London rivals Fulham to help fire the club to promotion this time around.

"It's an amazing feeling," he said. "I'm so happy and it's unbelievable to be promoted. I felt I owed something to Brentford, that's why I decided to come back after what happened last year.

"I dug in and wanted to repay the fans and the club. The lads have been great and it's a special day."

Trotta's return was met by a mixed reaction among fans, but 13 goals, including the vital winner against Leyton Orient last month, has seen the frontman play a pivotal part in promotion.

He added: "I learned a lot through the experience of what happened last season. It was not easy at the beginning but it helps you grow as a footballer."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/brentford-striker-says-repaid-debt-7011065?

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Hangeland still confident

Brede Hangeland, the sole survivor of Fulham's great escape six years ago, is confident Felix Magath's side can pull of a similarly-epic escape this term.

Brede Hangeland: Up for the scrap

The towering defender arrived at Craven Cottage in January 2008 and played a key role in Roy Hodgson's side completing a memorable turnaround, staving off relegation on the final day of the season with victory at Portsmouth.

Fulham enjoyed the highs of top-10 finishes and a European final in the seasons that followed, but now find themselves again facing a fight for survival.

Only three matches remain following Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Tottenham and, while they sit 19th heading into next weekend's match with Hull, captain Hangeland is confident they can beat the drop.

"I think all three games remaining now we look at those and think, 'yeah, we should probably get something from all of them if we play well'," the 32-year-old Norwegian said. "That is the task we have to set ourselves.

"It (the great escape) can definitely happen again. Before Saturday, we had two wins on the spin and we know it is possible.

"We will work really hard to prepare for the next vital game, then the next one and the next one. Hopefully that will see us through."

Saturday's defeat to Spurs leaves Fulham on 30 points with home matches against Hull and Crystal Palace either side of a trip to Stoke to play.

Hangeland has refused to set a point target - "I don't really work like that, you try and win the next match" - but believes the performance at White Hart Lane bodes well.

"I think we had our chances," he said. "On another day, it could have been a different story.

"We can't hide from the fact we conceded three goals and lost the game 3-1, so we need to put this to bed as soon as possible and focus on a massive game next Saturday.

"The games are running out. We felt like we could get something here but that wasn't to be so onto the next one."

Like Fulham, Tottenham are also hoping to end the season with a flourish given they face matches against Stoke, West Ham and Aston Villa.

However, even winning all three is unlikely to be enough to secure a top-four finish and may be too little too late for Tim Sherwood, who is widely-expected to be replaced in the summer.

His position as head coach comes under increasing scrutiny each week, but forward Harry Kane insists it is not distracting for the players.

"I think all the players have got on with it," the England Under-21s international said.

"You can see against Fulham and recent performances we've been playing great, we've been scoring goals.

"Nah, all the players are focused on the games ahead.

"We're just taking each game as it comes. We've got three more games and we want to win all three, then wherever we end up, we end up.

"They are three winnable games and we'll take this into the next one."

It appears few Tottenham fans would be sad to see Sherwood leave this summer, although his focus on youth will leave a lasting legacy.

Nabil Bentaleb has become a first-team regular under the former midfielder as has 20-year-old Kane, whose header against Fulham was his third goal in as many games.

"It has been great to get the chance to get the goals," he said.

"I obviously have three in three now and hopefully get more between now and the end of the season.

"Tim has given me the chance and at this level you've got to take it. You've got to take your chance every game and I have been able to do that so far to keep my place in the team.

"There is competition at every level and you have to perform at a high standard."


http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/article/312/9275288/-?

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Three Cup Finals

Alexander Kačaniklić cut a frustrated figure after his Fulham team fell to a 3-1 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

The Whites matched their London rivals for long spells but second half strikes from Harry Kane and Younes Kaboul secured victory for the home side after Steve Sidwell had cancelled out Paulinho's opener.

Spurs had goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to thank on numerous occasions as the French number one pulled off some top saves to leave Kačaniklić and his teammates tasting defeat for the first time in three games.

"It was a very disappointing result as I thought we played pretty well at times," the 22-year-old told fulhamfc.com. "We created a lot of chances and troubles for them but an away game against Spurs is always going to be hard.

"We let two goals in from set-pieces and we have to work on that to make sure that doesn't happen. It's not easy to defend when they put in a good delivery and have got some tall guys in there but we're always disappointed to let in goals – the whole team is – so we have to work on that."

After Paulinho had tapped in from a yard to put his side in front after 35 minutes, Fulham responded brilliantly to haul themselves level through some excellent play by Sidwell who held off a brutish challenge to keep his balance before clipping a shot beyond Lloris.

"It shows character; the fact that we didn't let our heads drop," Kačaniklić explained. "We went behind but we came back. Steve took his goal really well. He could have gone over but he stood up and provided a good finish

"Then they scored and we went close to scoring again but their keeper made a great save to deny Hugo [Rodallega]. He made a number of great saves and that helped them a lot."

Fulham could have reduced the deficit with little more than 10 minutes remaining when Rodallega won a penalty, but Sidwell's powerful strike from 12 yards was too close to Lloris who was able to beat the ball away.

"It's shame for him because he's always confident to do that," Kača said. "I've seen him score a few penalties here at Fulham. He scored our goal today, he's top scorer, so he's had a great season.

"If that goes in then it's 3-2 with 10 minutes to go and anything can happen, but it went the other way unfortunately. We just have to forget about this game and win against Hull."

The clash with the FA Cup Finalists this week is one of only three remaining for Fulham as the fight against relegation goes on, and Kačaniklić is well aware that nothing but three points will suffice.

"There were positives to take from the Spurs match but we just have to let this game go and win against Hull," he insisted. "It's massive, it's a big game. The two home games coming up are massive, and the game against Stoke too, they're all cup finals."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/april/21/three-cup-finals?

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Five things we learnt from the Premier League's Saturday action: Rodallega's a good sport; Ameobi's timing was right; Pulis has changed his spots; Nice guys don't come first; Draw fits the Villa pattern

Rodallega's a good sport

Such is the cynicism that cloaks the Premier League it is easy to forget there is still sportsmanship about. The moment when Hugo Rodallega embraced Hugo Lloris after the Tottenham keeper had saved wonderfully from him was a case in point.

Fulham desperately required something from White Hart Lane and this was their chance. They did, however, play well enough in a 3-1 defeat to suggest Felix Magath's side may get enough from their remaining games against Hull, Stoke and Crystal Palace to survive.

Ameobi's timing was right

There were not many lights shining on the Tyne as Newcastle slipped to their fifth straight defeat with a 2-1 loss to Swansea City. However, as the World Cup grows ever nearer it was a good time for Shola Ameobi to find the net.

The Newcastle striker, who came to Tyneside as a five-year-old, spent years hoping to be picked by England before throwing in his lot with Nigeria, the country of his birth, and helping Stephen Keshi's side qualify for Brazil via a play-off with Ethiopia. It was, however, Ameobi's first league goal in nearly 24 hours of football since December 2012, when he scored the winner against Queen's Park Rangers.

Pulis has changed his spots

What is remarkable about Tony Pulis's salvaging of Crystal Palace, emphasised at West Ham by a fifth straight win, is that it has been done contrary to the principles that brought him such success at Stoke. There has been no sign of what Arsène Wenger lampooned as "rugby tactics" and the pattern of results has been very different. Stoke under Pulis became notorious as a side that faded after the new year. Since the turn of the year, Palace have taken 27 points from 16 games – a rate of return that over a full campaign would guarantee European football.

Nice guys don't come first

Cardiff may be going down screaming about leaked team sheets but they are hardly going down kicking. Their encounter with Stoke was a contest between the team with the best disciplinary record in the Premier League and the one with the worst – evidence that Mark Hughes has not changed everything about Stoke's approach. Fittingly, it was a 1-1 draw decided by two penalties. The one converted by Peter Whittingham was the first Cardiff have been awarded this season, proof that the nice guys don't get the breaks.

Draw fits the Villa pattern

When the League Managers Association holds its annual awards bash, Paul Lambert might like to seek out Gus Poyet and compare notes. Aston Villa and Sunderland have managed to screw up the simple things while playing astonishingly well against teams in the upper reaches of the Premier League. Saturday's goalless draw with Southampton was a real achievement, given the chaos surrounding Villa Park. It fits a pattern in which Lambert's team have overcome Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal, and outplayed Liverpool at Anfield, but faltered against almost everyone else.



http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/five-things-we-learnt-from-the-premier-leagues-saturday-action-rodallegas-a-good-sport-ameobis-timing-was-right-pulis-has-changed-his-spots-nice-guys-dont-come-first-draw-fits-the-villa-pattern-9272471.html