Saturday Fulham Stuff (03/07/10)...

[WhiteJC]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/03072010/2/tearful-ghana-rue-gasp-penalty-drama.html?
Tearful Ghana rue last-gasp penalty drama

Ghana defender John Pantsil choked back tears as he bemoaned a decision to award a last-minute penalty instead of a goal which would have seen the Africans qualify for the semi-finals of the World Cup on Friday.

Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez handled the ball on the line in the dying seconds of the quarter-final, denying Ghana a goal while both teams were tied at 1-1.

Striker Gyan Asamoah blasted the ball against the bar and over, sending the match to a penalty shootout which Uruguay won 4-2.

"In the last minute we got a goal but the referee disallowed it," Pantsil told reporters, the emotion straining his voice.

"Instead of him giving the goal he whistled for a penalty. It was not a penalty, it was a goal because he (Suarez) was the last man in the goalline and he saved the ball with the hands."

CHEERING ASAMOAH
Pantsil said there would be no blame laid on striker Asamoah for the missed penalty.

"We have been talking to him about it. Obviously he is feeling very bad and it is not easy to forget it," Pantsil said.

"As a team mate, we have to keep him with us, talk to him about it so that he can forget it as soon as possible.

"It is penalty, anyone can miss it. It is part of football. It is not a mistake, it is not a mistake at all. He kicked it from his heart. We all wanted to win the game but, yeah, we will pick it from there."

Goalkeeper Richard Kingson said there would be no repeat of the backlash from fans in Ghana against Asamoah like that which occurred following a poor showing at the African Cup of Nations at home in 2008.

"No, there will be nothing like that," Kingson said. "I had a message from my wife. She said everybody is happy now. We did our best and everybody is cheering him."

Ghana's Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac congratulated Uruguay but made clear his feelings on the last-second drama.
"It was sporting injustice," he muttered at the end of his news conference.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=203556
Fulham - Zamora Hits Back!
We English can be a cruel race!

Last season Bobby Zamora gave us some special performances capped with some very special goals, as the months passed by the clamour for Fabio Capello to give him a run-out for England grew by the day.

Sadly, just as that breakthrough beckoned and possibly the chance to go to South Africa 2010, an Achilles injury ruled Bobby out. Now in the aftermath of our inglorious exit from 2010, Capello merely pointed out that Zamora would be give a chance, along with several youngsters, to restore our battered pride.

Cue howls of derision from the English media, the same media that were championing his cause not many weeks ago. Naturally, Bobby has heard how these news hounds have responded and is quoted in the media this morning a shaving said,

"People can read into that what they want - I just let that sort of reaction wash over me."

"It is flattering to hear the England manager single me out."

"It`s nice to be linked with that and it`s a big target for me once I`m 100 per cent fit again."

"I`m the sort of player who wouldn`t even give a thought to being in the squad until I actually got a phone call from Fabio Capello."

"But the other day the words were straight out of his mouth, so that was good. There`s always speculation about who might be in the squads but I`d rather hear it from the manager himself."

"Joe Bloggs might be laughing at the thought of me at the next World Cup but listen that`s four years away, and there`s another big tournament before that. I feel I have four more years left at the top level."

"I`m a hard worker, I`ve got a tough mentality from coming up the hard way and I`m always thinking about how to move on to the next step."

Go prove those sceptics wrong Bobby, we know you`re every bit as good, if not far better, than the likes of Peter Crouch, Jermaine Defoe and Darren Bent!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=203556#ixzz0sbB1CGaX

[WhiteJC]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/07/02/2006024/the-leading-five-contenders-to-be-the-next-fulham-manager?
The leading five contenders to be the next Fulham manager
Goal.com UK rates the men on Fulham's radar to succeed Roy Hodgson

Twenty-four hours after losing the first manager in their history to take them to a European final, Fulham will step up the process of finding Roy Hodgson's successor.

The west London club insist they will take their time to appoint the new man but chief executive Alistair Mackintosh, who will lead the hunt, has already had a head start after Hodgson was granted permission to speak to Liverpool a fortnight ago.

The two early contenders for the vacant post, Sven-Goran Eriksson and Mark Hughes, have been joined on the shortlist by Tony Mowbray, Alan Curbishley and Glenn Hoddle.

Goal.com UK assesses the pros and cons of the five main contenders.

Sven-Goran Eriksson | Odds: 3.25
Age: 62
Available: Yes

Trophies: 18 with Gothenburg, Benfica, Roma, Sampdoria, Lazio including 2000 Serie A title

Pros: Eriksson has vast experience and a track record at club and international level that demands respect.

He has an excellent contacts book and a good relationship with chief executive Alistair Mackintosh from the season they spent together at Manchester City. He also would not want to make vast changes to Fulham's established backroom team.

Cons: His age and reputation as a footballing nomad would appear to make him a short-term option. He has spent only one season as a club manager since taking the England job in 2001 and has had mixed results over the last decade.

Alan Curbishley  | Odds: 5.00   
Age: 52
Available: Yes

Trophies: 1 - 1999/2000 First Division title with Charlton

Pros: Strong-minded and experienced, Curbishley masterminded Charlton's revival to make them into an established Premier League club.

He also spent two solid years at West Ham, where he steered them away from relegation and achieved a top-ten finish.

He already has a connection at Fulham through his long-standing deputy Mervyn Day, who is part of the club's scouting team.

Cons: He is not considered a training ground coach in the Hodgson mould as he prefers to lead through his management and team selection. Fell out with Fulham captain Danny Murphy and defender Paul Konchesky when they were all at Charlton.


Mark Hughes | Odds: 5.00
Age: 46
Available: Yes

Trophies: None

Pros: Hugely respected figure who did an excellent job with Wales and at Blackburn Rovers working with a restricted budget. Renowned for getting the best out of misfits and difficult players who have struggled elsewhere.

Cons: Hiring Hughes would mean hiring his expensive and extensive close-knit backroom staff of Mark Bowen, Eddie Niedzwiecki, Kevin Hitchcock and Glyn Hodges. Although there was widespread sympathy for his Manchester City dismissal, there was criticism of his tactics and team selection.


Tony Mowbray | Odds: 15.00
Age: 46
Available: Yes

Trophies: 1 – 2007/08 Championship title with West Brom

Pros: Fine technical coach and astute tactician with a reputation for delivering eye-catching football.

Mowbray would minimise the impact on Fulham players used to a coaching-oriented culture and would fit in well with the club's established structure.

Cons: Sacked as Celtic manager in March after nine months and West Brom were relegated after finishing bottom of the Premier League in 2008/09. His teams have a habit of failing when the pressure is at its most intense.


Glenn Hoddle | Odds: 15.00
Age: 52
Available: Yes

Trophies: None

Pros: Thoughtful and modernistic, Hoddle is a highly regarded technical coach and tactician who prefers to improve players on the training ground in the same way as Hodgson.

Cons: During 15 years managing Swindon Town, the dark side, England, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers, his biggest achievements was as a beaten finalist in the 1994 FA Cup and 2002 Worthington Cup. Has a reputation for being socially awkward and a clumsy man-manager.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/June/DaviesFinishingTouch.aspx
Finishing Touch



Fulham's players return to Motspur Park for pre-season training next week and midfielder Simon Davies will be looking to continue where he left off when the action commences on August 14th.

Davies was plagued by injury during the first half of last season but his return was the stuff dreams are made of, with the Welsh midfielder scoring in both the Semi-Final and Final of the UEFA Europa League.

Looking back on THAT goal against Hamburg at the Cottage, Davies admits the pain he felt from a challenge as he struck the ball home killed any immediate feelings of joy.

"Obviously the way I ended up taking that goal was great," Davies told fulhamfc.com. "It was one of those things that you wouldn't even try in training! It was just instinct after a great ball from Danny.

"My first touch set it up for me but the importance of the goal meant much more to me. We were playing okay at the time and knocking the ball around but they'd got the away goal and sitting back.

"It was going to take something a bit different to get us back in the game and it was great that I came up with that.

"I don't even remember much about scoring the goal apart from the pain. If you've ever been kicked right on the bone – well I thought I was going to be sick! That's my overriding memory of that moment!"

Davies is clearly proud to have played his part in a truly memorable campaign last season after overcoming months of injury frustration and evidently remains clearly committed to Fulham in the long term.

"It was a bitter-sweet season for me personally. The start of the season was very tough as I was struggling for a long time with my injury, but to finish the season really feeling like I'd played a part gives me great satisfaction.

"At the beginning of the season I was just trying to get fit. I was struggling with my foot and I didn't know when I'd be back. To come back and play such an amount of games in a short space of time was fantastic for me.

"Last season it was Saturday to Saturday with the odd midweek game chucked in. A lot of the time you're going into games fully prepared but since the turn of the year it was game after game after game.

"We hardly had that many training sessions really because we were always recovering. That's what made it a great season as well because we haven't used that many players.

"I love playing for Fulham and love being at the Club. Hopefully there'll be a few more years for me to come at Fulham."

Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/June/DaviesFinishingTouch.aspx#ixzz0sbDCeFlO

[WhiteJC]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/07/02/2005889/personal-quarrels-with-players-could-go-against-alan
Personal quarrels with players could go against Alan Curbishley if appointed as Fulham manager - report

Alan Curbishley could reportedly encounter trouble in the Fulham dressing dressing room if he is appointed as the club's new manager, following the departure of Roy Hodgson to Liverpool.

The former Finland boss guided the Cottagers to a monumental run in the Europa League, guiding them to the first European final in the history of the west London club. But the exit of Rafael Benitez from Anfield saw Hodgson eventually installed as the latest manager at the helm of the Merseyside Reds.

That move in turn opened up a vacancy at Craven Cottage, with the ex-Charlton Athletic and West Ham United boss believed to be one of the candidates for the job.

However, The Independent reports that Curbishley could be in for a rocky ride if he is appointed, having experienced difficulty dealing with a few of the current Fulham players in the past.

Skipper Danny Murphy parted ways with the gaffer on difficult terms when he moved from Charlton to Tottenham Hotspur in 2006.

And full-back Paul Konchesky had a thing or two to say about the 52-year-old following his transfer from West Ham to Fulham, maintaining at the time that there were "a lot of unhappy players at the club [West Ham] who don't like Curbishley."

Meanwhile, the manager will also have to reconcile with Bobby Zamora and John Pantsil after the duo were sold under his watch at the east London club.

Curbishley has not held a managerial position at a football club in the past two years.

[beijing ben]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/07/02/2005889/personal-quarrels-with-players-could-go-against-alan
Personal quarrels with players could go against Alan Curbishley if appointed as Fulham manager - report

Alan Curbishley could reportedly encounter trouble in the Fulham dressing dressing room if he is appointed as the club's new manager, following the departure of Roy Hodgson to Liverpool.

The former Finland boss guided the Cottagers to a monumental run in the Europa League, guiding them to the first European final in the history of the west London club. But the exit of Rafael Benitez from Anfield saw Hodgson eventually installed as the latest manager at the helm of the Merseyside Reds.

That move in turn opened up a vacancy at Craven Cottage, with the ex-Charlton Athletic and West Ham United boss believed to be one of the candidates for the job.

However, The Independent reports that Curbishley could be in for a rocky ride if he is appointed, having experienced difficulty dealing with a few of the current Fulham players in the past.

Skipper Danny Murphy parted ways with the gaffer on difficult terms when he moved from Charlton to Tottenham Hotspur in 2006.

And full-back Paul Konchesky had a thing or two to say about the 52-year-old following his transfer from West Ham to Fulham, maintaining at the time that there were "a lot of unhappy players at the club [West Ham] who don't like Curbishley."

Meanwhile, the manager will also have to reconcile with Bobby Zamora and John Pantsil after the duo were sold under his watch at the east London club.

Curbishley has not held a managerial position at a football club in the past two years.

It's quite likely that Murphy, Konchesky and Zamora will leave anyway meaning that he would only have Pantsil to sort out any problem if any. Lucas Neill was their right back at the time so i'm not sure if there was any problem he just couldn't get ahead of Neill.

However, if his appointment means that those players announce that they want to leave then the club won't get as good a transfer fee.

[WhiteJC]

http://hammyend.com/?p=7322
Thanks Roy – and good luck
by DAN on JULY 3, 2010

Seeing Roy Hodgson in a Liverpool tracksuit is going to take some getting used to. It certainly stirs the emotions. My first instinct was to turn off the television, but then I'd have missed Jason McAteer's penetrating insight, namely: 'He'll find it hard to deliver at Anfield'. Hodgson's departure, which may or may not have been a little more acrimonious then the media are suggesting (it's clear Fulham fought tooth and nail to hold onto him), is like the seeing girl you fell for parading her engagement ring around your local just a few months after she told you she wasn't ready for a serious relationship. It hurts.

The trouble with football becoming a business is that it ended any concept of loyalty at a stroke. Players, liberated by the Bosman ruling, seeing their current clubs as stepping stones and agents delight in using contracts as bargaining chips. Managers, constantly in fear of the sack, have suddenly become much the same. Knowing that staying too long at a club could curse their chances of landing a plum jub, they too have to be adept at playing the field. Chairman – and brazen benefactors – come and go too. The only constant in the game these days are the supporters and too often they are treated with disdain by the clubs, whose marketing consultants are forever dreaming up new strategies to increase revenue with craven disregard for the long-term security of the football club.

Two and a half years isn't that long in the history of London's oldest professionsal side. But Hodgson, so much of a left-field choice to succeed Lawrie Sanchez that he didn't appear on the media's radar, utterly transformed Fulham's fortunes in that space of time. He inherited a side that seemed to be broken, not just in spirit but also in pure footballing terms, and destined for relegation. He quickly identified the need for a tall, imposing centre back and set about restoring some defensive stability. The great escape was one ridiculous rollercoaster ride (think how that elusive away win at Reading seemed to have been wasted with an abject display against Sunderland) and, yes we rode our luck on ocassions, but it a remarkable rise to redemption.

Whilst Fulham fans walked away smiling at preserving their Premier League status, Hodgson worked hard to improve on what he had during the close season. Shrewd signings like Mark Schwarzer, Zoltan Gera, John Pantsil and Bobby Zamora added honest endeavour to the spine of the side – and he kept faith with the likes of Gera and Zamora when others might have benched them after indifferent starts. Simultaneously, Hodgson challenged those who were struggling to get in the side, like Clint Dempsey, to work harder and prove themselves worthy of a place. None of us who were there will forget the look of utter convinction on the Texan's face when he celebrated an unlikely equaliser at Fratton Park by screaming 'I'm back' over and over again to the travelling supporters.

Seventh place, with some memorable afternoons at the Cottage, was achieved even after Hodgson jettisoned Jimmy Bullard and replaced the cheeky chappie with the disciplined Dickson Etuhu. Bullard was the definition of a luxury player, keen to roam from his midfield role and drift around the pitch in search of the ball. Some loved his dafter than Gazza persona, but it grated not just with his club manager and Chris Baird – but Fabio Capello too apparently. Etuhu, derided as useless and limited, grew into his role as the enforcer alongside Danny Murphy, and added greater stability to Fulham's spine.

Last season was simply glorious. A European run that began at the end of July, much as Liverpool's will soon do under Hodgson's tuteledge, lasted all the way to the dying embers of extra time in Madrid in May, when Diego Forlan cruelly snatched parity away from a gallant Fulham side. Many voices told us that the Europa League would wreck our league campaign, but the beauty of Roy's early rotation was that the Whites were comfortably in mid-table before the demands of the knockout stages took their toll. Fulham reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, too, and Hodgson's tactical tinkering, prompted by a lack of forwards, suddenly liberated Zoltan Gera. The Hungarian looked every inch the classy performer Hodgson had identified at West Brom when played just behind Bobby Zamora, who, had he not been restricted by a niggling Achilles injury, might have made a real impact in South Africa this summer.

Hodgson may have traded in his cosy life at the Cottage for a shot at what looks (from afar at least) an impossible job on Merseyside, but Fulham fans have had to get used to being the bridesmaid rather than then the bride. They'll be those who wish to slate Hodgson for his supposed betrayal, but even a cursory glance at his managerial career reveals he doesn't stay in one place too long. Rather than being bitter, we should simply thank Roy for the memories and move on. The priority should be ensuring that his departure doesn't lead to a summer exodus of the players we'll need to avoid another undignified relegation scrap.

[WhiteJC]

http://articles.squarefootball.net/squarefootball/2010/07/fulham-who-will-replace-hodgson-at-the-cottage.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Squarefootball+%28Squarefootball%29
Fulham: Who will replace Hodgson at the Cottage?

Fulham were always going to struggle to keep their hands on Roy Hodgson following last season's amazing campaign. The 62-year-old worked wonders at the Cottage as they reached the Europa League Final against all the odds. The former Inter Milan and Switzerland boss felt that he had one big challenge left in him and he couldn't resist the lure of Anfield when Liverpool came calling.

Fulham fans will obviously be disappointed at Hodgson's decision to leave but nobody connected with the club will begrudge him for moving on after what he achieved at the club. He miraculously saved them from the drop in his first season, qualified for Europe in the following campaign and then defied all the critics last year by going all the way to their first European final. That was one hell of a journey Roy!

But now the search is on for somebody who can build on that platform and there a number of high-profile names being linked with the vacant position. Here I will go through the main runners and riders and give my analysis on their chances of succeeding Roy in the Fulham hot seat.

Sven Goran-Eriksson

The former England and Manchester City boss is one of the front runners for the vacant post at Craven Cottage and he has an eye for talent on and off the pitch. The Swede has a superb record at club level and has won trophies in every country that he has managed, bar England. He would love to put that blot on his copy book right. Eriksson's style of football entertained the Manchester City fans during his brief spell at Eastlands and Fulham would surely appeal to former Ivory Coast coach. He also has the managerial clout to attract top players.

Alan Curbishley

The former Charlton Athletic and West Ham United boss has been patiently waiting for a plum Premier League position to come up and this one would suit him down to the ground. It's in the capital, the expectations from the fans will not weigh him down and he will be given time to do things his way. He established Charlton as a Premier League club but the fans then wanted someone who could push them on further. He left, they went down to League One! He didn't win too many friends at West Ham though with his style of play, but would he be a success at the Cottage?

Mark Hughes

Like Curbishley, the former Manchester City and Blackburn manager is looking for another crack as manager in the Premier League. Unfairly axed by City in December, Hughes knows how to build a successful team. He builds from the back making his team hard to break down before implementing his attacking options. He has a wealth of domestic and European experience to call on and has a knack of signing gems from across the globe. Unfortunately, it looks as though Hughes's insistence on bringing in his own backroom team may go against him with Al Fayed looking to make the change as seamless as possible.

Glenn Hoddle

The former Chelsea and Wolves boss has been out of management for four years now but has emerged as a shock contender for the job. As a player Hoddle oozed class and he won a number of admirers from his time as manager at Chelsea. So much so that he was handed the England job. Unfortunately, ill-advised comments resulted in his contract with the national side being terminated. In the past 10 years he has had spells at Southampton, Spurs and Wolves but has failed to recapture the spark he achieved at Swindon and Chelsea. He has also been busy with his coaching school in Spain but could Fulham and Hoddle be a perfect match?

Tony Mowbray

If Fulham fans want to see their team play attractive attacking football then I have just the man for them . . . Tony Mowbray. The former Hibs, West Brom and Celtic boss is a keen advocate of playing football on the deck. He keeps the fans entertained but that doesn't always equate into results. Unfortunately, despite being a solid defender in his day, Mowbray can never get his back four to play as a unit. His dour demeanour on the touchline failed to win over the Celtic fans and he was axed by the Glasgow giants after nine months following a 4-0 defeat at St Mirren. Mowbray knows Zoltan Gera and Jonathan Greening well from his days at the Albion, but would Al Fayed offer him the job?

[ScalleysDad]

Interesting stuff on the succession. Mowbray could jump ahead of the pack as he has no baggage, apart from looking miserable all the time, and the key  "con" regarding the lack of success with defensive units could be resolved if the existing four could be kept together. People will bemoan the fact that Hangers looks favourite to follow Shwarz out but Hughes is the stalwart and, imho, it is he, in a Cookie sort of mould, who is the lynch pin not Murph. Could Hughes link up seamlessly with Senderos as with the unimpressive Smalling gone I don't see an option. Could Greening flourish under Mowbray and take the pressure off Murph who lets face it had a fair share of "mares". Not sure I go with the Etuhu as Enforcer role. The man is a mountain and we know he can shoot but more often than not he lost out in the tackle and passed sideways. If that was his given task perhaps we might see a more adventurous Etuhu actually bringing the ball out.
Unlike many teams we are in for a rollercaster July as along with the will we wont we respond at Brentford and Bournemouth we will have the will they wont they stay factor.

[Roberty]

Interesting stuff on the succession. Mowbray could jump ahead of the pack as he has no baggage, apart from looking miserable all the time, and the key  "con" regarding the lack of success with defensive units could be resolved if the existing four could be kept together. People will bemoan the fact that Hangers looks favourite to follow Shwarz out but Hughes is the stalwart and, imho, it is he, in a Cookie sort of mould, who is the lynch pin not Murph. Could Hughes link up seamlessly with Senderos as with the unimpressive Smalling gone I don't see an option. Could Greening flourish under Mowbray and take the pressure off Murph who lets face it had a fair share of "mares". Not sure I go with the Etuhu as Enforcer role. The man is a mountain and we know he can shoot but more often than not he lost out in the tackle and passed sideways. If that was his given task perhaps we might see a more adventurous Etuhu actually bringing the ball out.
Unlike many teams we are in for a rollercaster July as along with the will we wont we respond at Brentford and Bournemouth we will have the will they wont they stay factor.

I think not.

MAF might have sold Harrods but he will still want a manager who could pass by their doorman and like the Shakhtar players last season Mowbray would be directed to Poundland or 99p shop.

[ScalleysDad]

Actually I agree regarding Mowbray but his current credentials put him above other candidates on the list. The final candidate might be influenced by MAFF's current mood. If he feels cheated by Roy he might pull out all the stops, in this case open his wallet, and get us a name and back that up further with resources, back room staff and transfer dosh. That would still make Hughes the dark horse though as I doubt Jennings and co will work with the Hughes possee.Of course will the Hodgson back room appointments stay or survive a change at the helm. If he still has his business head on we could end up a medium term replacement to nuture stability whilst he sorts out his own future with the club and we could all be suprised. Lewington is'nt even on a longer list but is apparently popular at Motspur Park and another hands on coach who we seemed to like a while ago, Bilic, still hovers around. Could'nt do much worse and after all who saw Sanchez and Hodgson coming.....