Tuesday Fulham Stuff (06/01/15)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham keeper wants Liverpool next

...provided Whites get past Wolves

Marcus Bettinelli has Liverpool in his sights - provided Fulham beat Wolves in the FA Cup replay on Tuesday week.

The Whites shot stopper was the hero in the 0-0 draw that makes sure his club are in the hat for tonight's draw, and wants to face his boyhood heroes in the fourth round.

Bettinelli will need to be as good at Molineux as he was in the first game. Shaun Hutchinson was first to thank the Whites number one when the defender gifted James Henry a second-half chance saved by the keeper just six yards out.

But Bettinelli reckoned his touch on to a post in the first 45 from Bakary Sako's low drive was the better save of the two.

"The Sako shot was the better save, because I didn't see it until late - there were a few people in the way," added the keeper.

"Hutchy was saying thank you to me after because it was his mistake, but that's what I'm there for and he's there for me when I make a mistake as well."

The 22-year-old revealed fingers were pointed in the Fulham camp after the abject 2-0 defeat to Brighton last week as boss Kit Symons hinted, and insisted the Wolves draw was something back to pre-Christmas form that eased the club out of the Championship dropzone.

"I don't think we've lost our mojo - we're just going through a dry patch," he explained.

"We know we didn't create enough chances against Brighton and we had a long, hard look at ourselves in the week. We had stern words with ourselves and individuals and we put up the fight that was lacking in the previous game."

With fingers crossed for a favourable draw and a win for Liverpool at AFC Wimbledon tonight, Bettinelli's fine first season as Whites custodian will give his cake a cherry on top when he steps out at Anfield.

"Mum's from Liverpool, and she was always a Red fan. Dad's from the south and supports Millwall, but I was always a Liverpool fan," he said.

"I've always wanted to play at Anfield, and to go there would be great."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-keeper-wants-liverpool-next-8381052?

[WhiteJC]

 
Bristol City loanee Matt Smith eyes FA Cup glamour tie

Matt Smith

MATT Smith is convinced the lure of a glamour tie against Premier League opposition can inspire Bristol City to overcome Doncaster Rovers at the second time of asking in the FA Cup.

The League One rivals fought out a 1-1 draw in a third round tie at the Keepmoat Stadium at the weekend and must replay at Ashton Gate on Tuesday, January 13.

But City's players will be hoping for the incentive of a money-spinning tie against a Premiership giant in tonight's BBC-televised fourth round draw after being forced to travel to Gillingham and Doncaster and tackle non-League AFC Telford United in previous rounds.

Although a replay is the last thing City need when they already face a congested fixture list, Smith insists the prospect of landing a glamour tie will help he and his team-mates overcome the effects of fatigue to earn a place in the last 32 of the world's oldest domestic club knockout competition.



Read more: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-City-loanee-Matt-Smith-eyes-FA-Cup/story-25806338-detail/story.html?#ixzz3NyLFdSCq
Follow us: @BristolPost on Twitter | bristolpost on Facebook

[WhiteJC]

 
Loan Round-Up

Stephen Arthurworrey played the full 90 minutes as Yeovil Town put in a brave performance on Sunday, only to go down 2-0 to Manchester United in the FA Cup Third Round.

Sky Bet League One's bottom club held their own at Huish Park in the first half, and were presented with a golden opportunity to take the lead 10 minutes after the restart, but Kieffer Moore couldn't get any power on his shot when the ball dropped to him in the box, allowing David De Gea to easily claim.

It proved an important miss as United took the lead not long after. The ball sat up kindly for Ander Herrera and the Spaniard lashed in a stunning volley from 20 yards to put the 11-time competition winners in front.

The Glovers refused to throw in the towel, though, and Joseph Edwards was unlucky to see his diving header cleared off the line by Angel Di Maria.

But United wrapped things up in the final minute of normal time. With Yeovil attacking, Wayne Rooney got hold of the ball and launched it up field to send Di Maria through, and the Argentina international kept his cool to dink beyond home keeper Jed Steer.

Despite the result, Arthurworrey won plaudits for his display, and facing the likes of Rooney, Di Maria, Radamel Falcao and Juan Mata will no doubt prove to be great experience for the 20-year-old.

The previous day, Matt Smith continued his good form for Bristol City with an equalising goal to earn them an FA Cup Replay with Doncaster Rovers.

Rovers went ahead on 50 minutes when Luke McCullough hooked in the loose ball following a corner, but Smith's towering header a quarter of an hour before the end means the sides will go again next week.

In Sky Bet League Two, Josh Passley played the full game as Shrewsbury Town slipped to a narrow 1-0 loss at fellow promotion chasers Burton Albion.

Defender George Taft half-volleyed in the game's only goal on the hour mark, as Burton leapfrogged Shrewsbury into second in the standings.

On the other side of the Channel, Maarten Stekelenburg kept a clean sheet as Monaco defeated Nimes 2-0 in the Coupe de France.

Bernardo Silva opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark, with Valere Germain sewing things up in stoppage time at the end of the match.

In Greece, Kostas Mitroglou hit the winner as Olympiakos secured a 2-1 win at home to Platanias.

Delvin Ndinga had put the hosts in front with a brilliant first-time finish on 17 minutes, only for Platanias to draw level shortly after the interval through Juan Nunez Aguilera.

But Mitroglou had the final say on 73 with an easy finish from close range, before being substituted five minutes before full-time.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/january/05/loan-round-up?

[WhiteJC]

 
Betts Pleased With Fight

Marcus Bettinelli was pleased with the fight shown by Fulham in their FA Cup stalemate with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

The two sides cancelled each other out at Craven Cottage, and despite the frustration at not nicking the win, Bettinelli took comfort from the way the Whites went about their game.

Asked if a draw was a fair outcome, he replied: "I think so. I remember making a couple of saves but Hugo [Rodallega] and Cauley [Woodrow] also had a couple of chances so, yeah, a draw was probably a fair result in the end.

"We said to ourselves in the changing room that in the last couple of games we've not really shown enough fight and teamwork, and Scotty [Parker] got us in a huddle before the game and said we had to show what we're made of, and I think we did that.

"We were a lot better – we fought for second balls and showed we're a strong team with and without the ball. I thought we played really well and it was just disappointing that we couldn't get a goal. But we haven't lost, we're still in the hat for the next round, so we're looking forward to the Replay."

Not for the first time this season Bettinelli was a standout performer for his side, making numerous saves to keep Wolves from the door.

A key moment in the match arrived after half an hour, when Leon Clarke somehow put his shot wide with the goal gaping after Bettinelli had made a superb fingertip stop to push Bakary Sako's effort onto the post.

"I got a little touch," he said. "As the guy was about to shoot I couldn't really see it so it was a tough one for me. But I had to just react and, luckily enough, when I touched the ball it hit the post and didn't go in, and thankfully their striker missed the rebound.

"I'm happy with my own performance. I made a couple of saves but I think, as a team overall, it's not just down to me and it's not just down to me making saves, the boys defended in front of me really well.

"Kostas [Stafylidis] in the air was terrific, Niko [Bodurov] made some great blocks, [Shaun] Hutchinson was terrific, and so was Jack [Grimmer]. We're a back five, we're not a back four, and we showed that. We showed how strong we can be when we work well together."

Attentions quickly return to league matters now, with a trip to Wales awaiting Fulham on Saturday as we take on Cardiff City in the Sky Bet Championship.

With the disappointment of consecutive losses at the end of 2014 fresh in the mind, Bettinelli is keen to build on the Wolves draw when they visit the Welsh capital.

"Cardiff was the first league game I played for Fulham," he stated. "It was my Cottage debut, so I'm looking forward to playing against them again.

"We'll do our homework in the week, we'll watch clips of them and we're going to prepare like we do for every other game. Hopefully we can show the same sort of fight and the same sort of attitude that we showed on Saturday.

"We were really disappointed after the Brighton game. We had a long, hard look at ourselves and there were a few words said in training, and that's sometimes good.

"We needed that and we trained really well in the week and we showed on Saturday that work that we'd done, and we'll do the same for Cardiff."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/january/05/betts-pleased-with-fight?

[WhiteJC]

 
Cardiff Tickets

Fulham are next in action away to Cardiff City on Saturday, and tickets are available to purchase on General Sale.

Make it a family day out in the Welsh capital by taking advantage of the Family Package where you can get two adult and two child tickets for just £40.

Individual tickets are priced from just £18 for adults, £10 for concessions and £5 for juniors, so make sure you're at the Cardiff City Stadium as the Whites look to return to winning ways in their first Championship outing of the New Year!

Victory over the Bluebirds could see Fulham move above them in the table, and your support could make all the difference in helping that happen.

Coach travel is also available for the trip to Wales, available from both Craven Cottage and Motspur Park, and is priced from £20 adults and £15 juniors.

Buy your tickets online, by phone on 0843 208 1234 (option 1) or in person from the Ticket Office.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/january/05/cardiff-tickets?

[WhiteJC]

 
FA Cup Fourth Round Draw

Fulham/Wolverhampton Wanderers are represented by ball number 22 in the FA Cup Fourth Round draw which will take place from 7.35pm on Monday evening, live on BBC One.

The draw takes place at Kingsmeadow ahead of AFC Wimbledon's Third Round meeting with Liverpool.

If Fulham overcome Wolves in the Third Round Replay then our Fourth Round tie will be played over the weekend of 24/25th January.

Full list of FA Cup Fourth Round numbers:

1. Arsenal

2. Southampton or Ipswich Town

3. Stoke City

4. Blackburn Rovers

5. Crystal Palace

6. AFC Wimbledon or Liverpool

7. Manchester City

8. Rochdale

9. West Bromwich Albion

10. Birmingham City

11. Aston Villa

12. AFC Bournemouth

13. Reading

14. Swansea City

15. Cardiff City

16. Bolton Wanderers

17. Sunderland

18. Burnley or Tottenham Hotspur

19. Millwall or Bradford City

20. Derby County

21. Brighton & Hove Albion

22. Fulham or Wolverhampton Wanderers

23. Leicester City

24. Scunthorpe United or Chesterfield

25. Everton or West Ham United

26. Cambridge United

27. Chelsea

28. Middlesbrough

29. Sheffield United

30. Manchester United

31. Preston North End

32. Doncaster Rovers or Bristol City


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/january/05/fa-cup-draw?

[WhiteJC]

 
Top FIVE Winston Reid replacements West Ham should take a look at

Sam Allardyce has confirmed West Ham are likely to lose Arsenal and Manchester United target Winston Reid either at the end of the season or in January, so what next for the Hammers defence?

James Tomkins and James Collins are solid enough, with new boy Doneil Henry an unknown quantity, and here we look at five possible players the Hammers could sign to replace the departing New Zealander.

Ryan Shawcross (Stoke City)

The Stoke man seems to be imperiously consistent and is of course a fans' favourite on the Trent. Links with bigger clubs have been a theme of Shawcross' time at the Britannia Stadium, but a move has never materialised. Regularly and harshly overlooked by England on a regular basis, the tough tackling centre back is still only 27 years old, so is arguably coming into his prime. The issue West Ham would have in this deal is the money. The Hammers insist they don't have serious transfer funds to spend this month, and Stoke are certain to put a hefty price tag of more than £8million on the head of their key man. If Shawcross sees West Ham as a step up and the Hammers can find the cash by selling elsewhere, this would arguably be the perfect signing.

Dan Burn (Fulham)

The 22-year-old has been linked with a move to Upton Park in recent months but has struggled at Craven Cottage since then. The Whites are not having the best of seasons, which doesn't reflect too well on Burn who has already made 17 appearances this term. A young, English centre back is something often overrated in the modern game, but with the right coaching and given time in the first team, Burn would be a solid purchase. Like Shawcross, Fulham would not want to sell the 6ft7in defender, who is always a threat from set pieces and loves a tackle, so negotiations may be tough.

Matija Nastasic (Manchester City)

Remember him? Arguably one of the best defenders in the Premier League during his first season in England under Roberto Mancini, Nastisic formed an almost unbeatable partnership with Vincent Kompany. Two years down the line and the Serbian is nowhere to be seen under Manuel Pellegrini, despite issues at the back for the Chilean. Without a single league or European appearance to his name this term, reports suggest City are prepared to use the 21-year-old as a bargaining tool for other deals. West Ham could do much worse than to give Pellegrini a call though, as a possible loan deal with a view to a permanent switch would surely suit both clubs and the player.

Christophe Berra (Ipswich)

West Ham have already succeeded in transfer dealings with Ipswich this season in Aaron Cresswell, and another bargain could well be on offer here in the shape of unsung hero Christophe Berra. The Scotland international has been an absolute rock at the back for Town this season and is part of one of the meanest defences in the division, with Ipswich on a 12 game unbeaten run. The 29-year-old played for three years in the Premier League with Wolves, partnering (carrying) the legendary Roger Johnson. After a drop down to the Championship, Berra has found his top form again and also pops up with the odd important goal. The finances should work in the Hammers' favour here and it could be a deal that makes sense, albeit without bowling over supporters.

Curtis Davies (Hull City)

The Hull man, who was born in east London, would surely cherish coming back home after a difficult few months on Humberside. Another defender to regularly be overlooked for an England spot behind Chris Smalling et al, the 29-year-old was one of the best defenders in the division last term and was included in many a 'team of the season'. This campaign has not been as kind, with Hull struggling and slipping down the table, but his experience and aerial ability as well as passion as a local lad could be invaluable for the Hammers. Stewart Downing's recent England call up could also persuade Davies to come back down south, with Roy Hodgson clearly watching, but once again the finances would have to suit West Ham as Hull are not short of a quid or two.


http://www.london24.com/sport/football/clubs/west-ham/top_five_winston_reid_replacements_west_ham_should_take_a_look_at_1_3905687

[WhiteJC]

 
Cardiff City v Fulham: Which club has made the biggest mess of their Championship return?

Both clubs bombed out of the Premier League last season and have endured nightmare returns to the second tier. We compare the two teams ahead of their meeting this weekend

Last May saw both Cardiff City and Fulham relegated from the Premier League after dismal campaigns in the top-flight.

This Saturday, the two meet in the Championship at Cardiff City Stadium with both sides having made a right pig's ear of their return to the second tier of English football.

After a shocking Christmas period, the Bluebirds welcome the Cottagers to the Welsh capital in 12th place with their opponents this weekend down in 17th, albeit just three points behind.

It's hard to say who has had a worse six months or so out of the two clubs. Here, we compare how the underperforming sides have fared since relegation both on and off the pitch.

What's the current situation?

The two clubs go into this weekend's fixture in mid-table obscurity. With the squads available to either manager, it's undoubtedly a massive disappointment.

Both sides have had shocking Christmas periods, Fulham's 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday the only bright spot. Cardiff haven't won in the league since November 29 and shipped 13 goals in December as Watford, Brentford and Bournemouth handed them defeats.

How did we get here?

Just two points separated Cardiff and Fulham at the end of the 2013/14 Premier League season. Sadly, they finished six and four points adrift of survival respectively as the Bluebirds saw their dream return to the top-flight end in tears.

After taking over from the sacked Malky Mackay, former Manchester United hitman Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had little impact as manager as his side finished bottom of the pile.

A 4-0 away defeat to Sunderland was one of the final straws, with relegation confirmed in another reversal in the north east to Newcastle United.

Fulham fared little better, with well respected German boss Felix Magath failing to turn it around after a disastrous short-term spell in charge from Rene Meulensteen. Magath's appointment made it three managers in one season for the Cottagers after Martin Jol had begun the campaign in charge.

Summer transfer dealings

Whether a team bounce back from relegation or not is often decided by their dealings in the transfer market. And it's fair to say both sides splashed the cash in the summer as they looked to get back to the big time at the first time of asking. Fulham paid an eye-watering £11m to sign former Cardiff striker Ross McCormack from Leeds United while they also added giant striker Matt Smith from Leeds and forward Adam Taggart from Newcastle Jets.

Brede Hangeland, Damien Duff and Steve Sidwell left the club but McCormack was one of 14 new faces brought in by Magath.

While there was no one-off giant outlay at the Bluebirds, Solskjaer was not afraid to stamp his mark on the Cardiff squad.

In came Adam Le Fondre, Javi Guerra, Guido Burgstaller, Federico Macheda, Kagisho Dikgacoi, Tom Adeyemi, Sean Morrison, Anthony Pilkington and Bruno Manga.

The summer splurge saw the Bluebirds left with an inflated squad and while a number of players did leave, Solskjaer still had plenty of options at his disposal.

Frazier Campbell, Steven Caulker and Jordon Mutch left for another shot at the Premier League, Gary Medel joined Italian giants Inter Milan and Andrew Taylor, club captain Mark Hudson and Don Cowie all found new Championship clubs. Craig Bellamy retired from football and ended his career with the Bluebirds.

New managers

Despite the massive outlay from both sides, it's fair to say the season didn't start well for either team. In fact, it couldn't have got much for Magath and Fulham as they failed to win any of their first nine league games. The shocking run included a 5-1 humbling at Derby and a 5-3 defeat away to Nottingham Forest, with Magath unsurprisingly sacked after his side's loss to Forest.

Wales assistant Kit Symons took over as caretaker boss but was soon appointed on a permanent basis after turning things around for the Cottagers.

While it was all change in west London, it was a similar story in the Welsh capital. Solskjaer resigned in mid September, citing a 'difference in philosophy' with club owner Vincent Tan. The two parties insisted they parted on amicable terms but Solskjaer made clear it was him who decided to step aside.

Danny Gabbidon and Scott Young took over on a short-term basis and after a brief flirtation with Dundee's Paul Hartley, Russell Slade was officially named Bluebirds boss in early October after a period working with the club on a consultancy basis.

Off the field outcry

Where to start? It's been another tale of woe both on and off the pitch for the Bluebirds. Relegation followed by Solskjaer's departure saw more uncertainty at the club though Slade's appointment and initial good run of home form did settle things down for a while.

But a poor run of results, particularly over Christmas, saw the tide turn again.

Combined with dissatisfaction with Slade's style of play and renewed hostility towards the controversial rebrand, the pressure mounted yet again. Last Friday's FA Cup home win over Colchester United saw just over 4,000 attend the third round tie as fans voted with their feet.

Why have they both performed so badly?
For Cardiff, it seemed Solskjaer never knew what his best side was as a bloated squad saw the Norwegian almost spoilt for choice. Slade seems to know what he wants and has picked a much more settled side since taking over though his preference for 4-4-2 isn't popular.

Fulham meanwhile remain very much Jekyll and Hyde. Symons had an impressive start in charge but in the last month, they've lost 5-0 at home to Watford and beaten Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 as they struggle for consistency.

What does the future look like?

There's certainly plenty of room for improvement for both sides. Fulham's inconsistency is maddening while the Bluebirds are looking to turn things around after a dismal run of results over the festive period.

So who's been worse?

Hard to say. Both remain miles away from a return to the top flight though a win for either this weekend would be a big boost.



http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/cardiff-city-v-fulham-club-8384515?

[WhiteJC]

 
International Youngsters

Several of Fulham's younger players will be taking in some international action in the coming weeks.

Tiago Casasola has been named in the Argentina Under-20 squad for the 2015 South American Youth Football Championship.

The tournament, which takes place every other year, provides nations with the opportunity to qualify for the Under-20 World Cup later in the year, as well as the 2016 Olympic Games.

The tournament – which takes place in Uruguay – starts with two groups, and Casasola's Argentina are in Group A alongside Paraguay, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru. The top three teams then advance to the Final Stage of the competition, where they play a mini-league with the three best teams in Group B to see who comes out on top.

The Championship will run from 14th January until 7th February.

The United States will also be looking to cement their place at the Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand this coming summer, and Emerson Hyndman has been named in the squad for their upcoming matches.

Four CONCACAF teams can qualify for the event, and the States are currently in a group with Jamaica (the host nation for the qualifiers), Trinidad and Tobago, Panama, Aruba and Guatemala.

There are two groups, and the winners of each will qualify for the World Cup, while the runners-up and third place nations from each group will compete in a Play-Off to earn a spot in New Zealand.

America's first match is against Guatemala on Friday 9th January, and their final group game is versus Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday 21st.

Elsewhere, Mattias Kait has been called up by Estonia Under-19s for a friendly tournament in Russia, Harrison Paton will join up with Canada Under-17s for an International Tournament in Guatemala, while Magnus Norman has been chosen to attend an England goalkeeping camp at St George's Park.

Photo courtesy of Tiago Casasola's Instagram account.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/january/05/international-youngsters?

[WhiteJC]

 
Replay Information

The Club can confirm that, subject to television scheduling, Fulham's FA Cup Third Round Replay will take place on Tuesday 13th January, kick-off 7.45pm.

Tickets for the Molineux fixture are priced at £15 for adults, £10 for over-65s, under-17s and students, and £5 for under-12s.

On sale dates for the match will be released in due course.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/january/05/replay-information?

[WhiteJC]

 
Sunderland Await Winners

Fulham or Wolverhampton Wanderers will face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup.

Should Fulham overcome Wolves in next Tuesday's Replay at Molineux, the Fourth Round meeting with the Black Cats will take place on the weekend of 24/25th January.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/january/05/fa-cup-fourth-round-draw?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham releases Emerson Hyndman for U-20 World Cup Qualifying

When Emerson Hyndman was listed on the roster for the upcoming tournament, it was unclear whether he would be allowed to go.

This CONCACAF tournament doesn't fall on a FIFA date, and therefore, Fulham would not be obligated to release him. Rubio Rubin, who was also listed on the roster was not released from Utrecht. With Hyndman playing and being on the bench quite often, many didn't think the club would release him.

However, it does make some sense for Fulham to let him go. Assuming the US makes the final, Hyndman will be playing in 7 games over 15 days. That's WAY more work than he would be getting at Fulham. He's also going to be one of the older and most experienced players on the U-20 squad allowing him to build on his leadership skills. In the long run that might just be better for Fulham than having him play a handful of minutes over January. Also, with Alex Kacanicklic and Ryan Tunnicliffe coming back, there is some cover for him in the midfield.

As a fan of the USMNT who came to Fulham because of the Fulhamerica period, I'm always happy to see more Americans at Fulham and relish when they are on the national team. I'm rooting for Hyndman to have a big tournament, helping the USA qualify and then building on that when he comes back to the club.


http://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2015/1/5/7496203/fulham-releases-emerson-hyndman-for-u-20-world-cup-qualifying