Friday Fulham Stuff (03/10/14)...

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Williams' Barnsley Loan

The Club can confirm that Ryan Williams has joined Sky Bet League One outfit Barnsley on a one-month emergency loan deal.

The 20-year-old winger spent the entirety of last season on loan at League Two side Oxford United, where he scored eight times in 32 appearances.

He made his debut for the Fulham First Team this term against Wolverhampton Wanderers, before making further appearances at Derby County and in the Capital One Cup victory over Brentford.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/october/02/williams-barnsley-loan?

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Resurgent Fulham head to Teesside confident of beating Boro

Caretaker manager Kit Symons has seen the Cottagers win their last three matches since Felix Magath's dismissal


Fulham celebrate their third goal against Bolton
Boro are set to come up against a resurgent Fulham on Saturday after the Cottagers thrashed Bolton 4-0 last night to claim a third straight win.

Since Felix Magath was sacked as manager Fulham's form has improved dramatically under caretaker boss Kit Symons.

Led by veteran skipper Scott Parker, Fulham have won three times in eight days, beating Doncaster and Birmingham 2-1 before last night's mauling of the Trotters.

With calls for Symons to get the job full-time intensifying, Boro must avoid complacency and not read too much into a league table which shows Fulham in the bottom three of the Championship.

Instead, with Fulham targeting a fourth straight win, Boro are likely to come up against a very different beast on Saturday.

After last night's win Symons told the club's website: "We've got three wins on the spin now and I can't remember the last time we managed to achieve that as a football club so it's brilliant, but we're taking small steps.

"We're still down at the wrong end of the table and we need to work our way up, but I said to the players that the problem they've got now is those are the standards they've set themselves, and my job now is to make sure they maintain those.

"When I took over, my two things I really wanted to focus on was galvanising the club, getting everyone together, and winning games of football, and I think I'm doing that quite well at the moment.

"I'm just trying to bring the best out of the players. I was delighted tonight because of some of the great football but even more so with the defensive display. We looked really solid as a unit, as a team.

"We know we've got good attacking players but you need that solid base. If you combine the two, you've got a chance.

"We've got some really good players and we've got to try to get them playing somewhere near to the best of their ability."

Boro go into Saturday's match looking to make amends for Tuesday's disappointing 1-1 draw with Blackpool. However, with Wolves missing the chance to go top of the division last night, the Teessiders remain only three points off the Championship's top two.


http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/resurgent-fulham-head-teesside-confident-7869070?

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Zola favourite for Fulham job

Former Chelsea legend, Gianfranco Zola has emerged as the front-runner to become the next manager of Fulham according to Sky Sports News.

According to the betting odds, Zola went from 18/1 to 6/4 since Tuesday afternoon and is now said to be in pole position for the job at Craven Cottage.


Club owner, Sahid Khan has pulled together a panel of 5 including, Niall Quinn, Danny Murphy and Brian McBride who will all be involved in the decision as to who will be appointed as the next manager.

It is said that former Norwich City and Newcastle United boss, Chris Hughton is in the mix to be considered for the role as well as Neil Lennon, Tony Mowbray and Alan Curbishley.

However, former West Ham and Watford manager, Zola looks to be the favourite at this point. Fulham won't make a rash decision despite beating Bolton 4-0 yesterday, they are still in trouble and need to make amends over the course of the season.


http://www.brandish.tv/2014/10/02/zola-favourite-fulham-job.html?

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Symons Brings The Smile Back To Craven Cottage

Kit Symons's job application is getting better with each passing game. Having masterminded Fulham's first win of the season, he has followed it up with Fulham's first victory at Craven Cottage in the Championship. Following on from last week's progression in the League Cup, Symon's has left the ground smiling three times in 8 days.

The recipe seems fairly simple. Symons has brought the smile back to the team. The stories of departed manager Felix Magath's training ground tyranny have occupied the back pages since his departure, making players run for 45 minutes and then pouring the water out of their water bottles and dropping players on a whim.

It's in wooing these experienced troops back into the fold that Fulham's fortunes have changed. For starters Symons has put Bryan Ruiz back in the team. An outcast under Magath, despite a wonderful World Cup, the Costa Rican captain is looking like the composed visionary player that Fulham thought that they were buying. Despite not scoring, Ross McCormack looks like a striker you might pay some money for, obviously not £11 million.

The game started with Hugo Rodallega scoring an early goal and just before half time with Fernando Amorebieta headed a second. That made the second half a stroll, and it was no surprise when Lasse Vigen Christensen and Tim Hoogland wrapped up the match.

Symons said of his free-flowing charges: "Bryan is a great player. We saw in the World Cup what we can do. He's the type of player who needs to enjoy his football and look like he can play it. Bryan, Fernando and Hugo, the three amigos, we couldn't get them in before and now they are on the training ground playing together, it's lovely to see." The manager says he was not privy to everything that went on under the Magath regime but he has now changed "loads."

Now the focus must be on visiting manager Dougie Freedman. How he must rue his decision to leave Crystal Palace to take over the supposedly bigger Bolton side. They look wretched, with no shape and no movement. Fulham leapfrogged Bolton after the win and one wonders whether it will be Bolton who will soon be hoping that a managerial change will lead to an upturn in fortunes.

But Freedman argues that he's the man for the job, especially given the financial constraints the club are under. "I think I will be given the time to turn things around because we have to look at the big picture and is changing manager every five minutes the answer? It's an unforgiving place the championship and I get it."


http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-743e-Symons-brings-the-smile-back-to-Craven-Cottage?#.VC5DAkvA5Rw

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Ex-PNE striker's key Cottagers' role

PNE old boy Brian McBride is helping find Fulham a new boss

Former Preston striker Brian McBride is having a say over who should be Fulham's next manager.

McBride is on a five-man 'search committee' who are to be consulted by Cottagers owner Shahid Khan as he looks for his fourth manager since buying the London club.

The others on the panel – which seems to be more X-Factor than Football League – are midfielder-turned-pundit Danny Murphy, ex-Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn, Fulham's academy chief Huw Jennings and Nike director and Cottagers fan David Daly.

North End signed McBride on loan in the 2000/01 season from MLS side Columbus Crew.

Lilywhites boss of the time David Moyes added the United States international to a Deepdale forward line which was led by Steve Basham and Jon Macken.

At the time they were new to the First Division – now the Championship – and had lost the services of Brett Angell from the previous season.

McBride's time with PNE was to be blighted by an injury which ended up threatening his life.

His debut came in a 1-1 home draw with Stockport and in that game he took a hefty knock to the chest.

While McBride played in the next two matches – at home to Coventry and in a 3-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough – the knock he got on his debut had caused a blood clot to form.

He needed major surgery to remove the clot and also had a rib taken out.

McBride's return to the Preston side came three months later on December 30 against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane – David Healy made his debut that afternoon after a £1.8m switch from Manchester United.

McBride's one goal in North End colours was in a 5-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers, Macken (2), Healy and Iain Anderson also on target.

He returned to Columbus Crew in February 2001 in readiness for their season.

PNE made a big-money bid for his services – reported at the time to be around the £1.5m mark – on a permanent basis, one which was rejected by the MLS.

McBride signed for Everton on loan in January 2003, Moyes having taken over there the previous year.

He scored four goals in eight games for the Toffees, then in 2004 joined Fulham.

In his four years at Craven Cottage, McBride became a big favourite, netting 40 goals.

The status he earned in that time led to his services being called upon to help choose the successor to Felix McGath.

Cottagers owner Khan said: "I've got the right five men to help us to find the right man for Fulham.

"They each bring something similar, and yet unique, to the search.

"They understand what we want to achieve and they are committed to the process.

"And they very much respect Fulham.

"They know this is a special job for a manager and they want to play a role in making sure that we get this right for everyone who plays for Fulham or loves the club."

McBride, 42, currently coaches part-time at Chicago Fire – the club he finished his career with – and is also a television pundit.



http://www.lep.co.uk/sport/national-football/ex-pne-striker-s-key-cottagers-role-1-6872779

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Exclusive - Murphy rules himself out of running for Fulham top job

Danny Murphy has ruled himself out of the running for the Fulham job.

The former Cottagers star was heavily linked with the role following Felix Magath's departure last month.

But Murphy has been included on the Fulham manager search committee, which also features Brian McBride, Niall Quinn, academy director Huw Jennings and season-ticket holder David Daly.

And, speaking on the Colin Murray show, the 37-year-old claims his inclusion on the panel has ended his participation in the race for the Craven Cottage hotseat.

When asked whether anyone in the group can also be up for the job, he told talkSPORT: "No. That was a conversation I had before going onto the panel. That ends that.

"I was disappointed, initially. When I thought about it objectively and I looked at the criteria needed for the Fulham job, I'm not ready for that.

"The fact I've been asked to have some sort of input and asked my opinion makes me feel proud, because it means I am valued in some capacity.

"I am in my infancy in terms of coaching. This is a great experience for me and I'm proud to be involved."

Fulham fans are eager to for an appointment to be made, but Murphy admits it may take more than a month to appoint a new man at Craven Cottage.

"There's not an exact deadline, but we're thinking four to five weeks maximum," he told Colin Murray.

"We will put together a shortlist and you need to get it down to single figures. The owner will have the ultimate say though."


Read more at http://talksport.com/football/exclusive-murphy-rules-himself-out-running-fulham-top-job-141002116849#5xVHeECVWzlUAAim.99

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Fulham FC – What's going wrong?

Fulham put fellow strugglers Bolton Wanderers to the sword on Wednesday night. However despite the strong result at Craven Cottage, the former Premier League side still lie in the relegation zone of the Championship having picked up only seven points in 10 games. So, where has it all gone so wrong for this once solid Premier League force?

When Fulham were relegated to the Football League last season, few of the west London club's fans would have expected them to get off to such a slow start in a lower division. The Championship season started with Fulham fans having reason to be hopeful of a swift return to the top flight, with many tipping the Cottagers to do just that. With boss Felix Magath seemingly have the full backing of the board and his players; a successful campaign appeared in store.

It then came as a shock with what followed. Fulham endured a horrific start with Magath's side going down to Ipswich Millwall and Wolves. However the most embarrassing of the lot was a real drubbing at the hands of Derby. Fulham were well beaten by the Rams, 5-1 at iPro Stadium. Add this to the quite humorous yet embarrassing 'cheese saga' story which broke leading up to the dismissal of Magath in which the Fulham boss reportedly told then club captain Brede Hangeland to treat a knee injury with the dairy product. This event summed up the weird way in which Magath coached, with many Fulham fans calling for the German's spell in charge to come to an end.

Fulham's position in the table surely boils down to their summer dealings in the transfer window, the frantic buying and selling we saw from them was in stark contrast to that of current table toppers Norwich City. They began to pay over the odds for players who weren't proven at the top level, such as the £11million fee paid for Ross McCormack from Leeds United. This transfer smashed records but many viewed it as a panic buy by Magath who really needed to strengthen elsewhere.

The squad boasts players with a lot of Premier League experience. High calibre pros such as Hugo Roadallega, Bryan Ruiz, Scott Parker and Fernando Amorebieta to name but a few. They just couldn't replace the leaders that left the squad with Hangeland being a big loss so close to the transfer window deadline. Combine this with the crazy world and management technique of Magath, who had a poor win percentage of only 20% during his time in charge, and you can begin to see why Fulham have begun the way they have. However, with the entrance of a presence such as Neil Lennon or Danny Murphy – both who have been linked with the full-time post – the ship may still be steadied down at the Cottage.


http://www.tibsnews.com/blogs/fulham-fc-whats-going-wrong/?

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Football League expert: Fulham should sign these Stoke and Newcastle stars

Peter Beagrie has named the two Premier League stars who Fulham should sign to help them up the table.

Fulham recorded their second win of the season on Wednesday night, putting in their best performance this term with a 4-0 victory over Bolton.

It represents a sharp change in recent fortunes for the West London club, with both wins coming under the tutelage of caretaker head coach Kit Symons.

An intense pre-season saw a huge turnaround of players in the first-team squad, and it appears as if the methods at Craven Cottage are starting to bring results.

However, there are still weaknesses throughout the playing squad, with a number of problems arising in the defensive aspect of Fulham's game. In 10 games the Cottagers have conceded 20 goals, the joint worse defensive performance in the division.

To resolve this problem, former player, and current Football League expert for Sky Sports, Peter Beagrie gave his opinion on who Fulham could sign to continue the run of good performances that have arisen in recent weeks - with Stoke and Newcastle stars leading the line.

He said: "I would build from the back and start by looking for two powerful and vocal centre-halves who may not be featuring at Premier League level.

"A couple who would fit the bill are Stroke's Robert Huth and Newcastle's Steven Taylor – strong, commanding leaders and potential captains who are dominant in both boxes and, vitally, who have stood up to the rigours of the Championship in the past."

Steven Taylor has made just one substitute appearance for Newcastle this season, whilst Huth has yet to play even one game for Stoke. The duo are certainly available, with a loan deal a possibility, but Beagrie is worried that the precarious position of Fulham's current status could deter a number of players from head to West London.

"It's going to be difficult to attract players to your wonderful football club while you are in such a precarious position, particularly ones of the correct pedigree, but I genuinely believe such tried-and-trusted defenders who attack the ball at either end of the field will give you the opportunity to acclimatise to the division and start climbing the table."



http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/10/02/football-league-expert-fulham-should-sign-these-stoke-and-newcas/?

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Kit Symons will quit Fulham if not offered manager's job - as 60 others apply
Symons will go if he's not given Fulham job
60 others apply to replace axed Magath
But fans chant for Kit after 3 consecutive wins


Interested: Kit Symons

Kit Symons will quit Fulham if he is not confirmed as the club's new manager. Standard Sport can reveal over 60 applicants have joined the queue to replace axed boss Felix Magath.

Billionaire club owner Shahid Khan has assembled a five-man committee to find the next manager, but Fulham fans have already made it clear they want caretaker boss Symons to stay.

Symons has slowly pulled Fulham away from the bottom of the Championship, masterminding three consecutive wins, including last night's 4-0 thumping of fellow strugglers Bolton.

Jubilant fans chanted Symons' name and sang: 'We have our Fulham back'. The need for a five-man selection committee seems increasingly pointless, especially as only one of them — club fan and Nike director David Daly — was present last night.

Symons' main rivals for the job are Tim Sherwood, Neil Lennon, Chris Hughton, Steve Clarke and Gianfranco Zola, but if Fulham earn at least a point at eighth-placed Middlesbrough on Saturday, there are clear indications Khan may abandon his selection process.

It is also my understanding that Symons will walk away if he is overlooked and that will only antagonise fans whose loyalty has been stretched to the limits over the past 12 months by managerial ins and outs.

Symons said: "I don't feel a result like this is doing me any harm but I respect the club's process to recruit a new manager and will just concentrate on doing the job to the best of my ability and be judged on that.

"The two things I set out to do when I came in were to galvanise the club and start winning games. On both counts it's going well, but I have had tremendous support.

"I've changed a lot of things and everyone has bought into that. It's nice to see people come into the club with smiles on their faces. The enthusiasm and determination to succeed on and off the field has been first class. Everyone is pulling in the same direction.

"It's nice to see the team play with so much freedom and the supporters to appreciate what we are trying to do. If it continues it can only be positive."

Khan abandoned his usual conference call from America with the manager and chief executive Alistair Mackintosh on Monday following Fulham's first league win of the season, at Birmingham. The owner felt there was no need when things were going so well on and off the field.

Captain Scott Parker said: "I'm seeing massive improvements and I think the lads are slowly getting to realise what this league is all about, and what some of the main ingredients you need are.

"We've got a young squad. Even those who aren't young have never played in this league. Technically I think we're probably one of the best teams in the league but there's the other side to the game, especially in the Championship, which you need."



http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/kit-symons-will-quit-fulham-if-not-offered-managers-job--as-60-others-apply-9769942.html

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Fulham striker Marcello Trotta set to move to Barnsley on loan

Fulham striker Marcello Trotta is set to move to League One side Barnsley on loan, according to the Daily Mail.

The 22-year-old forward is currently in talks with Barnsley regarding a potential loan deal, and it could be completed this week.

Danny Wilson's Barnsley side currently lie fourth from bottom in the Sky Bet League One table after a poor start to life in the third tier.

The Italy under-21 international has had previous loan stints at Brentford, Watford and Wycombe.


http://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-striker-marcello-trotta-set-to-move-to-barnsley-on-loan/?

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Preview: Middlesbrough vs. Fulham

Fulham will be hoping to maintain their recent run of success when they travel to Middlesbrough in the Championship this weekend.

Following Felix Magath's dismissal last month, the Cottagers have won back-to-back matches in the league, moving them off the bottom of the table and up to 22nd.

Caretaker boss Kit Symons named an unchanged starting lineup for the team's 4-0 win over Bolton Wanderers earlier this week, and with no new injury concerns could stick with the same XI against for the trip to the Riverside.

Meanwhile, Middlesbrough are unbeaten in their last five outings, but have drawn the last two to leave them eighth in the table.

Aitor Karanka's side were held to a 1-1 draw by Blackpool earlier this week, leaving them with back-to-back stalemates following a run of three wins in a row last month.

Albert Adomah will be available again after serving a one-match suspension for picking up a red card last weekend, forcing him to sit out the match against Blackpool.

The home side should also be boosted by the return of Adam Clayton after he was forced off just 30 minutes into their last outing with illness.

This will be the first time that these two sides have played since the 2008-09 season, when Fulham won at home before sharing a goalless draw with Boro at the Riverside.

Recent form

Middlesbrough: LWWWDD

Fulham: DLLLWW

Possible starting lineups

Middlesbrough: Konstantopoulous, Fredericks, Ayala, Gibson, Husband, Ledesma, Clayton, Leadbitter, Reach, Bamford, Tomlin

Fulham: Bettinelli, Hoogland, Bodurov, Burn, Amorebieta, Parker, Christense, Stafylidis, Ruiz, Roberts, Rodallega

Sports Mole says: 2-1


http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/middlesbrough/preview/preview-boro-vs-fulham_180270.html?

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FIXTURES: Date Change For Fulham Away

Watford's match at Craven Cottage switched to Fri Dec 5 (ko 7.45pm) for live TV broadcast
SKY SPORTS have chosen to broadcast the Hornets' trip to Fulham, which will now be played on Friday December 5.

The Sky Bet Championship match at Craven Cottage has been moved forward one day (from Saturday December 6) and will now kick off at 7.45pm.



Read more at http://www.watfordfc.com/news/article/141205-fulham-on-tv-1984221.aspx#GJsv2GbdbAI8AbzR.99

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Barnsley fend off interest from Fulham for Crystal Palace man

CRYSTAL Palace defender Peter Ramage is on his way to Barnsley on loan for three months and could make his debut on Saturday away at Rochdale.

The 30-year-old was also the subject of an enquiry from Championship side Fulham, but it is understood the defender wants to be closer to his family in Newcastle.

Ramage enjoyed a loan spell at Oakwell last season and it us understood he has pushed for a move back there.

Fulham enquired about his services but Barnsley's offer was more concrete and they want to throw him into their starting line-up in 48 hours' time.

The move could be made permanent in January depending on how he gets on.



Read more: http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Barnsley-fend-Fulham-Crystal-Palace-man/story-23034543-detail/story.html?#ixzz3F3ur20R6
Follow us: @CroydonAd on Twitter | croydonadvertiser on Facebook
Read more at http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Barnsley-fend-Fulham-Crystal-Palace-man/story-23034543-detail/story.html?#RKgICHXmWC2VsISv.99

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Fulham youngster Christensen hails Parker

Fulham youngster Lasse Vigen Christensen says Scott Parker has had a huge influence on his game.

The 20-year-old Dane is one of several Whites youngsters to have featured for the first team this season and he believes playing alongside former England international Parker has helped him.

"He's phenomenal. He's a great role model, not just for me but for all of us – he's a midfielder and he's done it all," said Christensen.

"The way he guides me around the pitch and tries to help me off the pitch and comes and talks to you – it's great for a player like me because I have him to lean on. It has been brilliant."

Christensen scored his first senior goal as Fulham crushed Bolton 4-0 on Tuesday to register their first home league win of the season.

His tidy finish after being set up by Hugo Rodallega made it 3-0 and ended any real chance of a Bolton fightback.

"It was a special moment for me – one that I'll always remember," he said.

"Hugo looks like he is going to shoot but then he turns round and just slots me in.

"I didn't have a lot of time to think of it so I put my foot through it."


http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-youngster-christensen-hails-parker?

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International Call-Ups

A number of Fulham faces have been called up to represent their respective countries during the forthcoming international period.

Several Whites will be continuing with their European Championship Qualifying campaign, while the Play-Offs for next year's European Under-21 Finals commence next week.

Below is the full list of Fulham players involved for their various age groups, and there will be a detailed preview on the official website in the lead up to the games.

Senior team

Fernando Amorebieta – Venezuela (Training camp)

Nikolay Bodurov – Bulgaria (European Championship Qualifiers)

Jonathan Buatu – Angola (Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers)

Gabor Kiraly – Hungary (European Championship Qualifiers)

Bryan Ruiz – Costa Rica (Friendlies)

George Williams – Wales (European Championship Qualifiers)

Elsad Zverotić – Montenegro (European Championship Qualifiers)

Under-23s

Emerson Hyndman – United States (Friendly)

Under-21s

Lasse Vigen Christensen – Denmark (Euro Play-Offs)

Marcello Trotta – Italy (Euro Play-Offs)

Cauley Woodrow – England (Euro Play-Offs)

Under-20s

Cameron Burgess – Australia (AFC Championship)

Under-19s

Noe Baba – Republic of Ireland (Friendlies)

Moussa Dembélé – France (UEFA Qualifiers)

Patrick Roberts – England (UEFA Qualifiers)

Marek Rodák – Slovakia (Friendlies)

Under-17s

Luca De La Torre – United States (Four-team tournament)

Mattias Kait – Estonia (UEFA Qualifiers)



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/october/02/international-call-ups?

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Symons: Bolton rout boosts my chances

Fulham caretaker boss Kit Symons says Wednesday's 4-0 rout of Bolton Wanderers will boost his chances of taking charge on a full-time basis.

The Championship outfit are still seeking a permanent manager after Felix Magath was dismissed last month following the club's dismal start to the season.

Under Symons, Fulham have enjoyed a mini-revival and have won their last three matches in all competitions, including the comprehensive victory over Dougie Freedman's men.

It was announced earlier this week that Fulham owner Shahid Khan had named a five-man panel consisting of former players Danny Murphy and Brian McBride, academy boss Huw Jennings, ex-Sunderland striker Niall Quinn and season-ticket holder David Daly to help select a new manager.

Fulham fans showed their support for Symons by chanting his name in the Bolton win and the former Wales international reaffirmed his hope of being offered the role.

"That performance and result certainly won't do me any harm," Symons told reporters.

"When I took over I tried to galvanise the club and get everyone pulling together, and to start winning games, and on both counts it's going pretty well so far.

"It's a great feeling hearing the fans sing my name. I've had stadiums booing me before, when I played, so it's nice to have one cheering me now."



Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/symons-bolton-rout-boosts-my-chances#ukv0wwbigx4BB7J6.99

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Symons Enhances His Reputation
   
A third win on the bounce, this time a 4-0 thrashing of Bolton Wanderers has added more kudos to the suggestion that Kit Symons should get the job.

In fact the Craven Cottage faithful were suggesting just that last night, something that Kit picked up on in his post-match interview, remarking,

"That performance won`t do me any harm I`m sure in terms of getting the job."

"Having the fans chanting my name was a brilliant feeling, I`ll always remember it."

"I`ve had stadiums booing me when I was a player."

"They sung 'we`ve got our Fulham back` and I love them singing positive things. They`ve needed something to sing about."

"It wasn`t a must win but it was an important match. We needed a performance and result and we got both."

"The players are delighted. The fans are too. It`s a happy place."

"When I took over I had two aims - to galvanize the club and to win games of football. That`s happening."

Surely a win, against Middlesbrough, will swing public opinion so far towards giving Kit the job full tie it`ll become a certainty!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=372321#ixzz3F3w6GvC7

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham 4 Bolton 0
   
Heading towards Craven Cottage last night, weaving my way through the crowd, I was always confident we`d get the three points on offer last night.

The win, up at St Andrews had topped up my enthusiasm levels and when you threw into the mixer the fact Bolton Wanderers were having almost as hard a time as us, I just knew fortune would favour the Cottagers.

As it turned out Kit Symons inspired the side and we romped home 4-0.

The first goal came in the 9th minute when Rodallega continued his fine run of scoring form slotting home the opener.

Bolton managed to keep the score at 1-0 until just before the half time break but the lead was to be doubled before the teams left the pitch for the half-time break when Amorebieta headed home a set piece delivery.

If Bolton were thinking of making any sort of comeback in the second half the game was effectively ended in the 67th minute when Christensen tapped home the third.

The rout was completed in the 79th minute when Hoogland drilled home the fourth to complete a memorable night down by the river, it`s just a shame that there were only 14,496 there to see it!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=372331#ixzz3F3wM2LrY

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Danny Murphy tips Kit Symons to keep job as Fulham boss

IF Kit Symons keeps winning games, Fulham will call off their search for a new manager, Danny Murphy said last night.


Kit Symons has overseen a defeat and three straight wins in charge of Fulham[ACTION IMAGES]

Caretaker manager Symons is firm favourite for the job after Wednesday's thumping 4-0 win over Bolton made it three wins on the trot since he took over from the sacked Felix Magath.

Owner Shahid Khan has picked a five man "panel" to choose the next manager, and former Cottagers skipper Murphy is one of them.

Academy coach Symons, who played more than 100 games for Fulham from 1998 to 2001, has already made it clear he wants the job full time, and fans and players seem keen for him to get it after a remarkable turnaround in his two weeks in charge.

Murphy, on the panel along with ex Fulham star Brian McBride, former Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn, club academy director Huw Jennings and season ticket holder and Nike director David Daly, said: "If Kit keeps winning there won't be any search, because what a job he is doing.

"They have won three games out of the last three so he is doing a brilliant job, though obviously there are tougher games to come around the corner."

Murphy said that the search would take a maximum of four to five weeks and he is not under consideration himself.

"I am not in the running," he said. "That was a conversation I had before going onto the panel. I was disappointed. But when I thought about it and looked at the criteria needed for the Fulham job, I'm not ready for that.

"I am in my infancy in terms of coaching. This is a great experience for me and I'm proud to be involved."

Chris Hughton, Steve Clarke, Tim Sherwood, Neil Lennon, Tony Mowbray and Gianfranco Zola are understood to be also in the frame.



http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/518078/Fulham-Craven-Cottage-new-manager-Kit-Symons-Danny-Murphy

[WhiteJC]

 
With three wins in a row, can Fulham build on recent success?

Fulham finally won their first League game of the season on Saturday, with a 2-1 away win at Birmingham. They had previously only picked up one point from their eight Championship fixtures and only recently sacked Felix Magath. Kit Symons has since taken over as caretaker manager and managed three victories in a row following Wednesdays 4-0 thrashing over Bolton.

The first came in mid-week against League One Doncaster in the League Cup. That win gave them the much needed belief that they can actually win football matches. Other than the win against Birmingham of course, the next big positive was the way they won. Fulham came from a goal down to take all three points, when they could have easily lost the belief when conceding. But goals from Tim Hoogland and Hugo Rodallega gave the Cottagers a long overdue win.

Fulham's dreadful start to the season was down to a couple of things. Firstly, and perhaps most crucially, the negativity around the team ever since Felix Magath took over as manager at the start of the year. They have been on a downward spiral ever since, getting relegated from the Premier League and then performing poorly in the lower division.

Another factor has been the amount of change in personal over the summer. They lost a number of experienced key players -Damien Duff, Steve Sidwell, John Heitinga, John Arne Riise, Kieran Richardson and Brede Hangeland all left, which took out the heart and soul of the squad. These were all experienced players and most of them had been around the Fulham set-up for many years so to lose them all in the same transfer window was a huge blow.

The replacements so far have not looked up to the mark. Fulham opted to sign relatively unheard of foreign talent which has, up to this point, back-fired. These players have failed to adapt to the English game and to the Championship style of football. Certainly the pace of the game is something that perhaps many of the new players would not be used to.

Fulham spent a massive amount of money on Ross McCormack from Leeds United. The striker cost a reported fee of up to £11 million, an enormous fee for a Championship striker and particularly so for one who has been fairly inconsistent over the course of his career. Although he has managed a couple of big scoring seasons, such as the 28 goals he scored last term, there have been seasons where he has not performed. A lot of what Fulham do this season will depend on which Ross McCormack shows up.

Despite all these doubts over the playing staff, there are some positives to be said for Fulham's squad. The club's youngsters, many of whom were blooded under the previous manager have impressed and there are also a few experienced names still around. Scott Parker has been the key figure in the side and will need to be if they have a chance of doing anything this season.

Hugo Rodallega is a player who has performed well in the Premier League and should be able to deliver at this lower level. Then there is Bryan Ruiz who spent much of last season on loan to PSV. He has only just won his place in the side back but is certainly a player with a lot of talent and one that should be a handful at this level.

Fulham travel to Middlesbrough on Saturday and although they have had an awful start to the season, there are starting to be a few signs that perhaps their fortunes will be changing in the near future.


http://backpagefootball.com/three-wins-row-can-fulham-build-recent-success/84752/?