Tuesday Fulham Stuff (02/09/14)...

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Tim Hoogland insists Felix Magath knows how to ride out the Fulham storm

Defender says manager is showing no signs of strain under pressure at Craven Cottage


Opener: Tim Hoogland celebrates after scoring for Fulham against Cardiff
If Felix Magath is feeling the heat after Fulham's poor start to the new season then he's certainly not showing it, according to defender Tim Hoogland.

Hoogland scored his second goal of the campaign on Saturday but Kenwyne Jones was also on target as Cardiff City pegged back the Whites at Craven Cottage.

It stopped the rot of four straight defeats for Fulham and gave them their first point of their Championship adventure.

But few would have thought Magath's side would be in this position, second-from-bottom, five games into the new season as they look to bounce back to the Premier League.


Action Images / Steven Paston
Second goal for the club: Hoogland has already notched twice for the Whites
Hoogland is one of those who expected to find the team fighting at the other end of table after joining from Schalke in the summer.

Magath has borne the brunt of the Cottage crowd's frustrations and has had to work under intense scrutiny after the series of disappointing results.

Hoogland, who worked with the 61-year-old at his old club Schalke, knows his manager better than most and believes he has the inner-belief to ride out the storm.

"Absolutely," came the response when quizzed as to whether Magath was the right man for the job.


Under pressure: Fulham manager Felix Magath
"I don't know how many new players we have in this team and it's always difficult.

"There are teams in the Championship who have played over years together.

"You have to find your first team and it's a process. I think we're going to come nearer and nearer and he's doing good.

"It [the pressure] doesn't show. It's the life of a manager. He's old - experienced - he knows how to handle it. We showed we stick together as a team, with the manager, with everyone."


All action: Hoogland takes on Millwall earlier this season
A defeat against Cardiff was unthinkable for Magath and Fulham.

Hoogland's goal gives his manager much-needed breathing space and, particularly in the first 45 minutes, the signs were there that the Whites are beginning to gel as a team.

"It's our first point," the full-back added. "I think we played very well today. Normally we have to win this game because we had the better chances but at the end it's just a draw and one point but I think this was our beginning.

"It's a great feeling to score - its my second goal and I'm happy. I'm a defence player but when I get a chance to be in the opponent's box I think I can sometimes be dangerous for them.


Buzzing: Hoogland in action against the Bees
"It was really important [to stop the run of defeats].

"They had two or three corners in the last minutes and we stood strong. It's our first point. They were a good team. I think we can grow now.

"Of course we were thinking not again. It's in your head when you've lost four games in a row in the season it is in your head. In the end it's ok but normally we have to win this game."

His header against Cardiff was already the second goal of his career after the German got off the mark on his debut.


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/tim-hoogland-insists-felix-magath-7695517?

[WhiteJC]

 
Felix Magath and Fulham are struggling to adapt to the Championship, the team have no experience... this mess could continue
Fulham have used 25 players so far this season... they can't gel
Drew 1-1 to Cardiff on Saturday and still haven't won in the Championship
Scott Parker only regular from last season who is starting
Lack of Championship experience is costing the Cottagers

There is a new game being played at Fulham this season and it's called 'Felix bingo'.

The concept is simple, guess the starting XI before boss Felix Magath names his side for the game.

And with 25 players used already this season it's easy to see why it's a game with no winners, which includes the German manager.

He has made multiple changes in every game this season — but is yet to find a winning formula. Players have started matches one week and not made the bench the next.

And after Saturday's 1-1 draw with Cardiff, Magath admitted he is waiting for Monday's transfer deadline to pass before he can know for sure which players he will have to work with and from there he can figure out his best XI.

So it is easy to see why Fulham remain second bottom of the SkyBet Championship after five games.

The former Bayern Munich boss is quick to point to the major overhaul of his squad this summer, with 13 new arrivals and 17 players departing, leaving Scott Parker as the only survivor who played regularly last season.

And the changes do not stop there, with Magath targeting three additions to his squad in the final hours of the transfer window, after failed £12million experiment Kostas Mitroglou went back to Olympiacos on loan.

Despite Magath believing promotion is still possible, their slow start to the season could cost Fulham a quick return to the top flight.

Changes to the squad were long overdue and the promotion of six players from last season's FA Youth Cup final side has to be applauded.

But at the moment whichever 11 players are handed a starting place, the team does not seem to be gelling.

There were glimpses in the first 45 minutes on Saturday that things were coming together and a lot of the football was easy on the eye as Tim Hoogland gave Fulham the lead. But they remain vulnerable to being outmuscled and they lacked the strength and experience to see the game through as Kenwyne Jones scored his fourth goal of the campaign to earn Cardiff a point.

Only Parker and big-money signing Ross McCormack have experience of playing in the Championship and that lack of knowhow in a demanding division is costing Fulham.

Magath remains defiant and insists he is not just the right man for Fulham — but also the only man.

But poor results inevitably lead to unrest in the stands and the fans are not happy with the way things are going. Magath was met with a chorus of boos — not for the first time this season — from pockets of the Craven Cottage faithful at the final whistle.

As a Fulham fan myself, the decline in the last 18 months has been very difficult to watch. In the end relegation was almost a relief as we were put out of our misery.

Four years is a very long time in football, and the days when European heavyweights such as Juventus, Shakhtar Donetsk and Hamburg were put to the sword by Roy Hodgson's side as Fulham reached the 2010 Europa League final are now just a memory.

Reality for Fulham is a side that is struggling to adapt to life outside the top tier and the only joy this season has come from beating Brentford in the Capital One Cup.

The feeling is things could get worse before they get better at Craven Cottage.

Magath cannot be blamed for relegation last season, but now this is his squad and he cannot hide from the position Fulham are in.

Whether he is the right man to lead Fulham into this new era remains to be seen. But his first job must be to settle on his best side or the slide down the divisions will continue quicker than their rapid assent 17 years ago.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2739317/Felix-Magath-Fulham-struggling-adapt-Championship.html#ixzz3C5DIADIK
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[WhiteJC]

 
Voser's Verdict

After an impressive opening 45 minutes by Fulham, Kay Voser was left frustrated that his side had to share the points with Cardiff City on Saturday.

Tim Hoogland had headed the Whites into a deserved lead at Craven Cottage, but the visitors left SW6 with a share of the spoils after Kenwyne Jones netted 10 minutes after the restart.

"It's not a bad result but we wanted to win this game," Voser told fulhamfc.com. "That's a little bit disappointing – especially after we took the lead. We gave it away in the second half so that's a bit of a shame.

"We played well, the first half especially – we had a couple of good chances and we defended quite well so it was a good performance from us in the first half.

"Second half we struggled a little bit in the first 15 minutes, I don't know why, but we came back strongly in the end. We just have to be more precise in the last 20 yards from the goal.

"I think the crowd was happy with the first half – we could feel that and we have to continue like this."

Following a frustrating start to the 2014/15 campaign that saw Fulham record four straight losses, things improved last week with the Bluebirds draw following up a 1-0 victory in the Capital One Cup at Brentford.

Hopefully the corner has now been turned, and Voser is backing his side to climb the table having now had time to gel together.

He explained: "Of course we should have a better standing in the league but I think it's always difficult in the first games when you have a really new team together.

"Almost everybody left so only a few guys who played last season are playing now again here and that's always difficult, especially if we have the young players, and also for us new players it's not easy to adapt to the English football.

"So it takes time but I think now we are good. Our first point gives confidence, especially after the first win in the cup, so we have to continue like that and hopefully we can have our first league win next time."

With Hoogland operating in a holding midfield role in the last two matches, Voser has been ever-present at right-back in the Fulham defence, and the 27-year-old is determined to hold on to his starting berth now that he's been presented with an opportunity.

"I know how it is in football – it goes quick sometimes," he said. "You have to be ready, you have to focus in training to give everything and show the Manager that you are ready.

"You wait for the chance and now I have my chance and I'm happy that I played the last two games. My performance was okay but I know that I can play better – I want to play well.

"I have to continue to get better. To improve is very important – we're at the beginning of the season so we have to improve during the season and show every weekend the best performance we can."

Like many members of the squad, the Sky Bet Championship represents a new challenge in Voser's career, and he insists he is relishing the battles that lie in wait.

"It's a tough league," he admitted. "The rhythm is high and the duels are really hard so you have to give everything in one-against-one situations, but I like to play like that and hopefully we can do better every game."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/september/01/vosers-verdict?

[WhiteJC]

 
Player Focus Ross McCormack

We compare Ross McCormack's performances at Leeds and Fulham from the 2013/14 and 2014/15 Championship seasons. Taken from the article - Team Focus: Lack of Consistency in Team Selection Costing Fulham
http://www.whoscored.com/Articles/tsdlxovxlecp6yndut-ifa/Show/Team-Focus-Lack-of-Consistency-in-Team-Selection-Costing-Fulham



http://www.whoscored.com/Graphics/2622/Show/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Team Focus: Lack of Consistency in Team Selection Costing Fulham

What a difference a few months make – for both Fulham and their new striker Ross McCormack. The Scot managed his first assist of the season against Cardiff on Saturday to earn his team their first point of the season five games in but that same spark which saw him carry Leeds for most of last season remains absent.

Already it is difficult to envisage him coming close to the 28 he scored last year. He did find the net in the Capital One Cup but constant questions over his exorbitant transfer fee appear to be weighing him down at present despite his insistence otherwise. There are also more fundamental issues which need urgent remedying at Craven Cottage.

Felix Magath would have been sacked long ago under certain chairmen and following Mohamed Al Fayed's scathing criticism of him in last Friday's Evening Standard, it's safe to say that the German manager would never have been appointed under Fayed's stewardship.

Magath is "an odd man" according to Fayed. "When I was young, there was a cartoon character, Felix the Cat," he wrote. "Whatever happened to him – whether he was run over on the road to Dover or blown up with dynamite – he just kept on walking. If Fulham's results do not improve, starting with Cardiff tomorrow, perhaps this particular Felix should follow that cat down the road to Dover and then just keep on walking."

While off the field there are obvious issues simmering, on the pitch things have been bordering on disastrous – though the Cardiff performance was improved on previous efforts. Already, Magath has used 25 players – 23 from kick-off. In comparison, Wolves, who are heading in the opposite direction, have named the same starting XI in each game since returning to the second tier. The early pace-setters, Nottingham Forest, have had 14 starters.

Only four players have been ever present for Fulham and while the club's youth structure is admired by so many, Magath has placed too much emphasis on the younger players. Seventeen of the 25 to have appeared so far are 23 and under. In this league, experience is a necessity.

A penny for the thoughts of Scott Parker, at 33 the oldest player in the squad by a scarcely believable three years, one of the four constants and one of the few working components in a faulty system. He is also one of only two players to have scored so far, along with Tim Hoogland, who moved from right-back to central midfield against Cardiff, but needs to have a stronger midfield around him.

And while McCormack is some way off his optimum level of performance, there hasn't quite been an abundance of good service to him. The constant tinkering from Magath meant there has been no opportunity to build an understanding with his teammates.

He had three shots against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team but only hit the target once and, while from a small enough sample size, his shots per game average has dropped by a third compared to last season at Leeds (3.1 to 2).

Magath's criticism of McCormack's fitness has also been notable. "He has to improve his fitness and I don't know how long that will take," he said earlier in the season. "Ross came to us with a lack of fitness and not at the beginning of pre-season. He is not at the same level as the rest of the players. I wanted him to be fit when we signed him but at the moment he is not in the right shape." Surely the manager would have been aware of his issues during his medical – why spend such a ludicrous amount if there were issues?

"I'm more than happy to take the stick if I can shut them up at the other end," McCormack said of fans having a go about his price tag but he has only been adding fuel to their arguments by firing blanks.

He scored 47% of Leeds's goals last season, the longer he remains on 0% the louder those catcalls from opposition supporters are going to get.

The crowds are beginning to drift away from the banks of the Thames too – even if there were still over 17,000 at Craven Cottage on Saturday. Last season's game against Cardiff was a sell out. After the international break they travel to Reading and Nottingham Forest – fail to win those and Magath will certainly be following the cat.


http://www.whoscored.com/Articles/tSdLxOVxlECp6yNDuT-IfA

[WhiteJC]

 
Riise Gets Cypriot Deal
   
One of those who left, nay fled, Craven Cottage last season, has found another club to play for.

John Arne Riise, who has been very critical of the Felix Magath regime, has signed a contract with the champions of Cyprus, Apoel Nicosia.

The move gives John Arne Riise the opportunity to play Champions League football although we suspect it`ll be for a maximum of six games as the Cypriot side have been drawn in the same group as Barcelona, Paris St-Germain and Ajax.

But never mind, the weather`s nice in Cyprus is it not!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=369177#ixzz3C5Fa1XPP

[WhiteJC]

 
Lewis Holtby to Hamburg: Latest Loan Details, Reaction and More

Clearly frustrated by a lack of playing time at Tottenham, midfielder Lewis Holtby wanted out in January. He got his wish, joining Fulham on loan last winter.

Now Holtby will be making another loan move this year, as he moved to Hamburg on a season-long loan.

BBC Sport reported the move, noting that Hamburg has an option to buy at season's end: 

Holtby had made himself a key contributor for Schalke by the 2011-12 campaign, and in the one-in-a-half seasons before he joined Spurs in January 2013, he made 46 Bundesliga appearances, scoring nine goals and adding 13 assists.

Previously, he made a big impact on loan with Mainz, appearing in 30 Bundesliga games, scoring four goals and adding eight assists in the 2010-11 season. And on the international level, he not only rose to the honor of being named the captain for the Germany Under-21 side, but also was capped for the senior side.

For a country as deep and talented as Germany, that is no small feat. But Holtby found playing time at Tottenham harder to come by, to the point where last January, he clearly wanted to leave the club.

It got to the point to where his agent, Marcus Noack, publicly came out and said in Bild (per the Press Association, via The Guardian), "Lewis is desperate to play, which is why we are looking intensively for solutions." Ultimately, he was loaned to Fulham, where he started 11 games and made 13 total appearances, scoring a goal and adding three assists.

That earned him a solid 6.97 average match rating from WhoScored.com for his spell with Fulham.

Surely, there was plenty of competition at Tottenham in the midfield. Holtby was in direct competition with players like Christian Eriksen, Gylfi Sigurdsson and even Mousa Dembele, so regular playing time was far from guaranteed.

Still, many fans and pundits will be quite disappointed with Holtby's departure, as his potential is obvious when he in fact does play. ESPN FC's Dan Fitch wrote before Holtby's loan why he preferred the club stuck with the German midfielder, an analysis that still holds true:

Holtby plays as if he actually cares what the end result will be, which sadly has marked him out at times this season. Trying hard isn't enough if you can't actually play—which is why I'm not one of the fans at Spurs that sings the Steffen Freund song—but Holtby has talent as well.

He's never really had a run-in what I consider to be his best position of central midfield.

Like many other Spurs fans, Fitch will perhaps be left to lament the loss of Holtby, a player who never quite was given the chance to live up to his potential at White Hart Lane. There was the thought that new manager Mauricio Pochettino might prefer Holtby to Tim Sherwood, but clearly that wasn't the case.

Perhaps it simply wasn't the right fit. Or perhaps a team in transition like Spurs simply gave up on him a bit too soon.


http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1925433-lewis-holtby-to-hamburg-latest-loan-details-reaction-and-more?

[WhiteJC]

 
18s beaten by Fulham

Fulham U18s 3-1 Reading U18s

Reading's Academy fell to a 3-1 defeat to last season's Youth Cup finalists Fulham this past weekend.

With many first year scholars still finding their feet at under 18s level, it was a tough ask at the Cottagers' Motspur Park training ground - as Dennis Adeniran opened the scoring with a left-footed effort into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

It was 2-0 to in the 57th minute, Josh Walker coolly converting from the penalty spot after Adeniran had been fouled in the box.

With the Royals pushing forward late on, they were caught on the counter for the third of the afternoon as an unfortunate deflection from Humphrys' shot beat Reading stopper Luke Southwood.

Harry Cardwell did pull one back for his side late on - finishing expertly after rounding the goalkeeper to slot home, but David Dodds' side were left still searching for their first win of the season.
Reading: Southwood, Akinwumni, Sheppard (Osho 15), Husin, Ethelston (Waritay 65), Jules, Lawal, Barrett (Collins 80), Cardwell, Novakovich, Williams       
Subs not used: Ward, Smith
           
Fulham: Norman, Elworthy, Adebayo, Sheckleford, Edun, Nabay, Kait, De La Torre, Adeniran (Humphrys 58), Walker (Fossey 79), Redford



Read more at http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article/18s-beaten-by-fulham-010914-1891350.aspx#y7BUflBWGcBA0p86.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Extension & Loan For Kača

The Club can confirm that Alexander Kačaniklić has signed a contract extension which sees him committed to Fulham until 30th June 2016.

The Sweden international winger has, with immediate effect, moved to FC Copenhagen on a season-long loan deal.

Last term Kačaniklić made 29 appearances for the Whites in all competitions, and everyone at the Club wishes him the best of luck during his time in Denmark.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/september/01/new-deal-loan-for-kaca?

[WhiteJC]

 
Blackburn Rovers sign Ryan Tunnicliffe

21-year-old Tunnicliffe began his career at Manchester United but failed to make an appearance at Old Trafford.

He spent time away on loan from Old Trafford at Peterborough, Barnsley and Ipswich Town, before making a permanent move to Fulham in January of this year.

Making just three appearances at Craven Cottage he was again sent out on loan towards the end of last season making five appearances for Wigan Athletic.

Blackburn beat a number of other Championship clubs to the players signature, and he will be looking to play games to kick-start his career.


http://footballleagueworld.co.uk/blackburn-rovers-sign-ryan-tunnicliffe123/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Leeds United striker Matt Smith joins Fulham for £500k

Leeds United striker Matt Smith has joined Fulham for £500, 000, reports Ian Dennis.

The 25-year-old has signed a three-year-deal at Craven Cottage, and is the second Leeds United striker to sign for the London club after the arrival of Ross McCormack.

Matt Smith arrived at Elland Road in June 2013 from Oldham Athletic. He set up an injury time winner on his Leeds debut in a 2-1 opening day victory against Brighton & Hove Albion.

He will wear the number nine shirt for the Whites.


http://footballleagueworld.co.uk/leeds-united-striker-matt-smith-to-join-fulham-for-500k/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Smith Signs For Fulham

Fulham Football Club has this evening confirmed the signing of Matt Smith from Leeds United on a three-year deal, with an option of a further 12 months.

The deal will see the player at the Club until at least the summer of 2017. 

The 25-year-old striker formed a formidable pairing with Ross McCormack at Leeds United last season, with Smith scoring 13 goals in 43 appearances. The players are now reunited in SW6.

Matt Smith arrived at Elland Road in June 2013 from Oldham Athletic. He set up an injury time winner on his Leeds debut in a 2-1 opening day victory against Brighton & Hove Albion.

He will wear the number nine shirt for the Whites.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/september/01/smith-signs-for-fulham?

[WhiteJC]

 
Tunnicliffe's Loan Deal

The Club can confirm that Ryan Tunnicliffe has joined Blackburn Rovers on a season-long loan deal.

The 21-year-old midfielder signed from Manchester United in January and has made three appearances for the Whites.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/september/01/tunnicliffes-loan-deal?

[WhiteJC]

 
Leeds fans fume as Fulham snap up Matt Smith

Matt Smith. (Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images)

Fulham have completed the signing of Leeds striker Matt Smith.

The 25-year-old has agreed a three year deal with the Whites and will wear the number nine shirt at Craven Cottage.

Last season, he scored 13 goals in 43 appearances for the Yorkshire club and formed a strong partnership with Ross McCormack, who also moved to west London.

The announcement caused outrage among supporters of the Yorkshire club after they'd promised some action on their Twitter feed.

However, that departure, followed by Dominic Poleon's exit were the only deals confirmed, much to the chagrin of their supporters, who took to the social networking site to vent their anger towards the club.


http://www.london24.com/sport/football/clubs/fulham/leeds_fans_fume_as_fulham_snap_up_matt_smith_1_3753118