Wednesday Fulham Stuff (04/02/15)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Goalkeeper blunder helps Sunderland win at Fulham

Sunderland looked like they would become the latest Premier League victim of a shock-filled FA Cup fourth round until Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli's embarrassing fumble help them turnaround this replay.

Little over a week after Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham and Southampton saw their hopes go up in smoke, Gus Poyet's side looked like they would follow suit after Hugo Rodallega gave the Championship side a first-half lead.

However, an unfortunate own goal from the otherwise impressive Bettinelli was followed up by a fine strike from Ricardo Alvarez and Jordi Gomez's penalty as Sunderland secured a 3-1 win at Craven Cottage.

A trip to giant-killing Bradford now awaits in the fifth round for Sunderland, who dominated proceedings for the most part.

However, poor finishing and fine goalkeeping from Bettinelli allowed Fulham to make the breakthrough in the 28th minute as Rodallega struck home their first real chance .

Ross McCormack threatened to add to that strike but Sunderland pushed for a leveller which came in slapstick fashion as Bettinelli somehow fumbled a deflected Patrick van Aanholt cross over the line.

It proved the catalyst to a Sunderland comeback and Alvarez, the evening's standout player, cut in from the right to unleash a fierce drive to put the visitors ahead with 15 minutes remaining.

Gomez's stoppage-time penalty to a chorus of "cheat, cheat, cheat" rubber-stamped their progress to the fifth round.

It was a result many had expected when the line-ups were announced, with Poyet only making three alterations from the vital league win against Burnley.

That continuity appeared to have the desired effect as Sunderland began impressively, with Bettinelli at his best to stop Gomez.

Steven Fletcher, a late inclusion in the line-up after Connor Wickham dropped out, was the next to threaten, finding the net only for the goal to be chalked off.

The Scotland striker was soon back at the heart of things, forcing Bettinelli into a save before the Fulham goalkeeper burst off his line to stop him reaching a through-ball.

Kit Symons' side were being reduced to counter-attacks and long, hopefuls punts forwards until the 27th minute, when a last-ditch intervention was all that prevented a Kostas Stafylidis cross being turned home.

The resulting corner, taken by McCormack, caused confusion in the 18-yard box and Rodallega capitalised, firing home from close range after an initial effort from Cauley Woodrow was thwarted.

It was a sucker punch to which Sunderland did not react too well, and McCormack felt he should have had a penalty moments later, only for referee Paul Tierney to wave away his appeals against Alvarez.

The Argentina international had efforts of differing quality as Poyet's side attempted to level, while Van Aanholt's mis-hit cross came close.

McCormack fizzed a strike inches wide as Fulham went close to doubling their lead before a half-time break during which Poyet must have had strong words given his side's improved display.

Jermain Defoe was proving a nuisance and Alvarez threatened, before Van Aanholt missed a great opportunity under pressure.

Alex Kacaniklic headed wide at the other end, but that was a rare moment of respite for Fulham, who conceded in embarrassing circumstances as Bettinelli fumbled a simple, deflected Van Aanholt cross over his own line.

Emanuele Giaccherini went close to putting Sunderland ahead for the first time moments later, curling inches wide, as the game became increasingly stretched.

Seko Fofana fizzed an effort wide minutes after wasting a fine chance to shoot, before Bettinelli raced off his line to smother Alvarez.

The Inter Milan loanee was not to be denied for long, though, running into the box and cutting onto his left foot, before belting a strike home.

It was a deserved goal by the Black Cats, who could have well been reduced to 10 men when Giaccherini raised his hands to Fofana - an incident which led both players to be booked.

Fulham made late changes in a bid to force the match into extra time, but there was to be no leveller.

In fact, Sunderland pulled further ahead in stoppage time, with Gomez scoring from the spot after Shaun Hutchinson was adjudged to have fouled Danny Graham.


http://www.espnfc.co.uk/english-fa-cup/match/413728/fulham-sunderland/report?

[WhiteJC]

 
Sunderland sweep through after Marcus Bettinelli own-goal undoes Fulham

Someone had to stand up for the big boys in the FA Cup fourth round and Sunderland did just that last night. After the near carnage, in which Chelsea, Manchester City and Swansea City made their exits to lower league teams, at least Sunderland kept their Premier League flag flying.

It was not without a scare, though, against Fulham of the Championship. Held to a 0-0 draw at the Stadium of Light in the initial meeting, they trailed 1-0 in the replay until a goalkeeping error from Marcus Bettinelli helped them on their way. Bettinelli's own-goal provided the equaliser and the momentum, with late efforts from Ricardo Álvarez and Jordi Gómez, a penalty, securing safe passage into the last 16.

There they will meet Bradford City, the shock conquerors of Chelsea. Gus Poyet is looking forward to the tie but not the notorious pitch at Valley Parade, which often resembles a cabbage patch. "It's going to be tough after what Bradford did because they did something incredible," Sunderland's manager said. "And we are already talking about their pitch, which everyone knows is one of the worst in the country.

"So that is going to make the game different. We'll see how we plan it. Of course, it's not going to be a passing football game. Maybe I'm going to ask the groundsman at our training ground to mash one of the pitches and train on it the week before. Maybe we'll have to play a little more direct.

"Bradford can play a bit, I've seen them, and I'm sure they're not happy about the pitch as well. It's also a problem for them. I'll invite them to come to the Stadium of Light. Our pitch is great. We can ask them to change the venue [of the tie] but I don't think they'll accept that."

Sunderland will need to adapt in West Yorkshire. Yet on a true surface at the Cottage, on a bitterly cold night in west London, they were able to show their skills to the full early on. Fulham hardly got a look-in.

And that was despite Sunderland losing the striker Connor Wickham, who injured a calf in the pre-match warm-up and had to be replaced by Steven Fletcher. It barely made a difference up front, where Sunderland also had the services of Jermain Defoe. He was busy throughout but could not add his second goal for the club since moving from Toronto FC.

Fulham were also a man light at the off, with Bryan Ruiz absent pending international clearance for his loan move to Levante in Spain.

Though Fulham have improved radically since Kit Symons took over as permanent manager, they were fortunate still to be level when they went ahead in the 28th minute. Ross McCormack slung over a corner from the left and, after a scramble in the area, Hugo Rodallega powered the ball home via the crossbar.

"Even though we had been the better team by far, I was not really worried," Poyet said. "I just wanted the players to keep believing that something would happen."

Happen it did, in the 61st minute, when Patrick van Aanholt's cross deflected high into the air and Bettinelli – with barely a challenge in sight – dropped it over the goalline – a huge clanger.

"It was a mistake but Marcus has been excellent for us this season," Symons said. "So I'm not going to point any blame at him. He'll be all right, he's a strong character. One error like that won't affect him too badly. He's a bit upset but these things happen.

"We never really got going in the first half, we never got our passing going. In fact, we never really got going all night. I expected us to play much better but the performance – or the result – was just not there."

After Bettinelli's blooper Sunderland grew in confidence, especially Álvarez, who slalomed in from the right and unleashed a fierce effort. This time Bettinelli had no chance.

He had little chance again when, after Shaun Hutchinson brought down Danny Graham in stoppage time, Gómez coolly converted the penalty and Sunderland, having avoided the embarrassment of many of their peers, rubber stamped their path into the fifth round and a day trip to League One Bradford.

If their cabbage patch is up to it.


http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/feb/03/fulham-sunderland-fa-cup-fourth-round-replay?

[WhiteJC]

 
Manager Reaction

Kit Symons believed 'too many off nights' from his players contributed to Tuesday's 3-1 FA Cup Fourth Round defeat to Sunderland at the Cottage.

The Whites led at the break – somewhat against the run of play – through Hugo Rodallega but the Black Cats hit back in the second half to win it after a Marcus Bettinelli own goal, a Ricardo Alvarez strike and a late Jordi Gomez penalty.

"We hadn't played particularly well in the first half and I told the players that at half-time," said Symons afterwards. "I told them they needed to pass the ball a lot better. We never really got our passing going all night and the performance wasn't there along with the result.

"There were too many off nights and a few enforced changes which didn't help. Scotty Parker was ill, Lasse Vigen Christensen is coming back from injury and we couldn't afford to start him in two consecutive games so quickly. Those two were big misses but we still had more than enough. I was happy with the team we put out and I expected us to play better than we did tonight."

The Premier League visitors levelled just after the hour mark when Bettinelli dropped a deflected cross from Patrick van Aanholt over the line from just under his crossbar. Symons, though, backed his goalkeeper to recover quickly from the error.

"Goals are generally defining moments in games," said the boss. "It was a mistake but he's been excellent for us so we're not going to point any blame at him.

"He's alright, he's a strong character and he's been superb for us this season. One mistake like that won't affect him too badly; he'll dust himself down and get on with it."

Symons was also asked for an update on Bryan Ruiz's future and a proposed loan move to Levante UD which was mooted on Saturday.

"The paperwork was all done on Friday evening," explained Symons. "We're just waiting on confirmation from FIFA that it has all gone through. It was close to the Spanish deadline but from our side the FA are happy."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/february/03/manager-reaction

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham vs Sunderland match report: Ricky Alvarez finally displays his class as Black Cats make superiority count in FA Cup replay

Whether Ricky Alvarez has earned himself a place in Gus Poyet's first-choice team remains to  be seen, but he did win them a trip to Bradford City.

Alvarez is a very gifted footballer – he is a full Argentina international who grew up being compared to Kaka – and yet he has struggled to make an impact on Wearside. This was just his fourth start for Sunderland, and the fact that they are likely to buy him for £7.5million this summer is not necessarily a reflection of his contribution.

But Alvarez, in the bitter cold at Craven Cottage, was decisive here, scoring the crucial late goal to put them 2-1 up. They had needed a mistake by Marcus Bettinelli to draw level but it was Alvarez who won them the game, killing off a competitive but limited Fulham side.

Injuries and adaptation have limited Alvarez's playing time since he joined on loan from Internazionale in the summer. But here he was given a chance by Poyet and he took it, which was the most he could have done. He was Sunderland's best attacking player, taking the game to Fulham in the first half, in which they went somehow went behind. Alvarez had some early openings but he kept on probing all evening. When he thumped the ball past Marcus Bettinelli with 15 minutes left it felt like a reward for his efforts.

Poyet was delighted afterwards for Alvarez, and said that his team-mates were too. "You saw the reaction from the other players," Poyet said. "They watch him every day, and they know what he can do because they try to get the ball from him. I wouldn't be happy if I was a full-back and he was running at me."

This was Alvarez's first goal in English football and one which Poyet hopes will be a turning point for him. "He needs to get the pace of English football," said Poyet, who knows something about adapting to the speed of the Premier League. "The time you have to recover between matches in Italy, it's not going to happen here."

Until Alvarez's intervention this was an open and competitive game, which more than enough chances and bookings to keep the 15,000 freezing fans engaged. There was even something approaching a mass brawl in the second half, which surprisingly led to just two yellow cards.

While Sunderland were the superior side throughout, dominating possession and creating chances, they had needed a freak mistake to draw level.

Marcus Bettinelli had been excellent in the first half, saving from Alvarez, Jordi Gomez, Emanuel Giaccherini and Steven Fletcher but he cost Fulham their lead soon after the re-start. Patrick van Aanholt's deflected cross looped into the air and Bettinelli let a comfortable catch slip through his fingers and into the net. "Goals are defining moments in games," said Kit Symons afterwards, "it was a mistake but he's been excellent for us, so we are not going to point any blame. He will dust himself down and get on with it."

Fulham had taken the lead in the first half when Hugo Rodallega bundled in Ross McCormack's corner but that had been against the run of play. Symons admitted that his team were not at their best here – "too many off nights" – whereas Poyet was impressed with the rhythm his team showed with the ball. Jordi Gomez's stoppage-time penalty completed the win and sets up a fifth round trip to Valley Parade. "Everybody knows it's one of the worst pitches in the country," he smiled, "and we will need to adapt." It would be an unlikely but appropriate step on Alvarez's long journey, but only if he is picked.

Man of match Alvarez.

Match rating 6/10.

Referee P Tierney (Lancs).

Attendance 14,777.


http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/fa-league-cups/fulham-vs-sunderland-match-report-ricky-alvarez-finally-displays-his-class-as-black-cats-make-superiority-count-in-fa-cup-replay-10022021.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham boss forgives keeper - but not the rest in Sunderland Cup defeat

Symons reckons Whites passing game was poor as Black Cats take advantage

Kit Symons was sadly right when he reckoned Fulham's best chance was in the first match at Sunderland.

The Premier League side were never going to get caught cold twice even if 14,777 fans did on a night when the Black Cats asked the questions and the Whites briefly responded when Hugo Rodallega fired high into the net from a yard for an improbable 1-0 lead.

However, when keeper Marcus Bettinelli dropped the ball over his own line for the equaliser, there was no turning back

"Goals are generally defining moments in games," said the boss. "It was a mistake but he's been excellent for us so we're not going to point any blame at him.

"He's all right. He's a strong character and he's been superb for us this season. One mistake like that won't affect him too badly; he'll dust himself down and get on with it."

"We hadn't played particularly well in the first half and I told the players that at half-time," said Symons afterwards. "I told them they needed to pass the ball a lot better. We never really got our passing going all night and the performance wasn't there along with the result.

"There were too many off nights and a few enforced changes which didn't help.

"Scotty Parker was ill. Lasse Vigen Christensen is coming back from injury and we couldn't afford to start him in two consecutive games so quickly.

"Those two were big misses but we still had more than enough. I was happy with the team we put out and I expected us to play better than we did tonight."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-boss-forgives-keeper---8575521?