Friday Fulham Stuff (06/03/15)...

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Norman Joins Farnborough

The Club can confirm that goalkeeper Magnus Norman has joined Farnborough on a two-month youth loan deal.

Marek Rodák had been on loan at the Vanarama South Conference side, but he has now returned to Fulham.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/march/05/norman-joins-farnborough?

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FULHAM LINE UP V BOURNEMOUTH – ANOTHER HOME WIN FOR THIS XI?

Fulham will be looking for a second consecutive home Championship win as they host Bournemouth on Friday evening.

Kit Symons has named a similar XI over the last few games although there could well be changes to the team with the manager indicating that Tim Hoogland and Fernando Amorebieta could be involved in the starting line up.

However, this side did win 2-0 against a high flying Derby side in their last home game and will be hoping for a similar performance this week.

Our chosen XI have played together four times this season and also have a fair amount of Championship experience, appearing in over 720 games with 110 goals scored and 67 conceded during that period.

Despite a couple of poor results recently, the Whites have been finding the net on home turf and will be looking to do so again on Friday afternoon.

Ross McCormack is the highest scorer in the last 20 Championship games for Fulham with seven of his strikes coming over the period.

Bryan Ruiz and Cauley Woodrow have been playing with their teammate up front over the last few games with four and three of their respective five-goal tally's coming in the league this term.

Lasse Vigen Christensen (5), Scott Parker (3) and Shaun Hutchinson (2) have also contributed this season and could also find the net this week.

Although they face a strong Bournemouth side, it's hard to chose just one of these players to be a dead set bet with any looking good for a flutter on Friday evening.



http://www.kickoff.co.uk/41343/fulham-line-up-v-bournemouth-another-home-win-for-this-xi/?

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Fulham's Kit Symons: we must get off our backsides to return to Premier League

Fulham sit just above the Championship drop zone but their manager insists with the right rebuilding, they could challenge for promotion next season

here have been bigger and more scandalous falls from grace in English football but Fulham's recent descent has still been remarkable. So emphatically has the club dropped that it is easy to forget the Cottagers were a Premier League stalwart for over a decade until last season's fiasco of a campaign concluded with relegation.

While their standing of only two spots above the Championship relegation zone before Friday night's visit of promotion-chasing Bournemouth suggests Fulham are bouncing back about as convincingly as Alan Partridge did, their manager, Kit Symons, believes the club is on the up and could return to the big time. "The table just doesn't look nice at the moment," he says. "We need to get off our backsides and do it."

There was no doubt the club seemed to be doing that when Symons first took charge this season. The former Fulham player and academy coach replaced Felix Magath in mid-September after the eccentric German followed on from last season's demotion by mustering only one win in Fulham's first eight matches. They promptly won five of nine during Symons's caretaker reign, a run that led to the 43-year-old being appointed on a full-time basis in October. However, results have deteriorated since then and Fulham went into last Saturday's match against Derby County on a worse winless streak than the one under Magath earlier in the campaign.

With discontent simmering among some sections of the crowd, the club's owner, the American businessman Shahid Khan, felt it necessary to make a public declaration of support for Symons. "We've become a more cohesive club, on and off the pitch, since Kit was promoted to manager," said Khan. "I'm confident we'll finish the season safe, sound and strong." Fulham duly beat Derby to record their first win in nine matches and though they then lost 1-0 to Watford on Tuesday, Symons feels they are righting themselves after their downturn.

"I certainly galvanised things when I first took over," he says. "I got everyone together, which was very important. The results went very well initially and then sort of plateaued and now we're having a tough spell but I think overall things have gone in the right sort of direction. Building takes time ... If I'm given enough, with the people I've got around me, we'll do well at this club for sure."

Symons inherited a mishmash of players that reflected the confusion of the previous year, when three different managers recruited and tweaked tactics without any clear plan emerging. Symons has had to make sense of a squad consisting of veterans of questionable worth, journeymen of no fixed prowess and youngsters with plenty of promise but little battle-hardness.

Some supporters had suggested that relegation might at least have offered the advantage of giving the club's talented young players a chance to replace over-rated senior pros, but it has become clear that most are not yet ready to lead a successful promotion campaign. The teenage forwards Patrick Roberts and Moussa Dembélé made their debuts while the club was still in the Premier League but have rarely started this season and have not yet looked ready for a regular starting place ahead of Ross McCormack, Hugo Rodallega or Bryan Ruiz, who has performed well since his proposed January transfer to Levante fell through.

The only one of the club's youngsters to establish himself as a regular starter this season is 20-year-old Lasse Vigen Christensen, who has shown unusual maturity and power in midfield, often alongside Scott Parker, who remains, according to Symons, an "inspirational" figure at the club. Kostas Stafylidis, a 21-year-old on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, has become a fixture at left-back in a defence marshalled by the 28-year-old Bulgarian Nikolay Bodurov. A formula has been found.

"We were so young when I first took over and had so little experience that I had to try and get the experienced players in and find a system that suited them," explains Symons. "That certainly worked initially and then we played fairly narrow at times and teams were finding out about that and exposed us a little bit in wide areas. But we've adjusted how we play and our defensive shape. It's taken a lot of work on the training field and a lot of video analysis with the players but they've taken it on board and now, in the last two games, defensively our shape is now looking a lot more solid and stronger."

Fulham are accused of overplaying and being too cautious, with fans baying for the team to attack more during Tuesday's defeat at Watford. Some supporters are frustrated that Matt Smith, the 6ft 6in striker, has made only one start since returning from his loan stint at Bristol City in January. Symons says the directness that Smith offers is an option that will be used throughout the rest of the season and maintains the side is generally getting things right going forward.

"One of the other things we had to address was that we had a lot possession but were not getting enough shots or crosses," he says of this season's rebuilding. "But we had more shots and crosses and possession than Watford so we're creating chances, playing good football and defending pretty well overall so those are big improvements. But ultimately it needs to be linked to getting the three points."

The rebuilding is far from finished. However, Symons says that if he is allowed to pursue it over the summer, Fulham could challenge for promotion next season. "That's not unrealistic at all, that's what our aim would be," he says. "This group have come a long way and have improved a lot. There will be comings and goings in the summer without a shadow of a doubt. It's going to be an ongoing rebuilding process and looking to the future."


http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/mar/05/kit-symons-fulham-championship-premier-league?

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AFC Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe: Different viewpoint can work in our favour in Championship promotion race

EDDIE Howe is hoping Cherries' journey into uncharted territory could give them the edge as the race for the Premier League heads towards a thrilling climax.

Boss Howe has this season piloted Cherries to the upper reaches of the Championship where they are battling for promotion with a host of established clubs.

Howe's men tonight face Fulham in a Sky Sports-televised clash knowing victory at Craven Cottage would take them back to the top of the table (7.45pm).

Asked whether he felt a lack of experience in his squad was a concern heading into the run-in, Howe replied: "Experience doesn't win you games and, if it was based on that, we wouldn't be where we are.

"I think sometimes the fact you are different, you have a different viewpoint and come from a different place can be your strength.

"Nobody expected us to be in this position. We haven't been here before so, in some senses, that fear, if there is any, might not apply to us. We can play with freedom and enjoy these big-pressure games. We can enjoy the big occasions because it isn't every day we go to Fulham in the position we are in.

"Going to Craven Cottage will be a really good occasion for us and our supporters. A few years ago, they were competing in major cup competitions in Europe.

"They are a very good side and have some very good players from their time in the Premier League so it is a big task for us. But, the bigger the task, hopefully, the more we can rise to it."

Asked whether the prospect of going top was added motivation, Howe said: "I don't think we need any more incentive. When you consider what is at stake for us and all the other teams fighting for those positions, going top at this stage would be nice but it wouldn't mean anything more than that.

"The bigger picture for us is that with so few games to go, you don't want to be left with any regrets and it is a case of trying to do everything you can to pick up points.

"It is almost like the league starts again because it is so tight and we have to try to get consecutive wins because they are so important at this stage.

"You are aware of the table but I don't look at the fixtures and see what other teams are doing. It is all about our fixtures and making sure we try to maximise our performance and only affect what we can control."


http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/sport/cherries/clubnews/11837775._/?

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Rival Lines: players not solely to blame for Fulham's league position
Rival Lines
Match Preview
Fulham v AFCB
Blogger Interview: Cottagers Confidential

Last weekend I managed to fly some questions over the Atlantic to Andrew Beck at Fulham Blog Cottagers Confidential to ask him what he thought of Fulham's sudden improvement and what he thought about the job that Kit Symons is doing at the Cottage and whether Fulham's players have fully embraced the Championship?

CC: It was a great win against Derby and a big help to AFCB, but is it annoying that the team has not played to that standard all season?

FBCC: It has been a frustrating season for Fulham supporters. But in reality it's been a frustrating couple of years. On 1 April 2013 Fulham had 39 points with eight matches left to play. They had a chance to finish strong and in the top 10. Instead, they only managed four points in their last eight matches. Then they continued that form into 2013-14. That malaise continued under Magath to start this year. With only one point in their first seven matches this year, it was always going to be a challenge to salvage the year. The number one goal in my opinion, once Kit Symons was appointed, was to finish mid-table and then worry about next year. There was an outside shot at the play-offs, but even that was unlikely.

CC: You play Wigan, Rotherham and Blackpool in April so that could be your season just there I suppose?

FBCC: It could, but I don't think it will. Fulham are eight points clear of the relegation spots. They're closer to 10th than they are to twenty second. Plus, I think Fulham are simply better than a lot of the teams around them. I truly believe Fulham are better than Birmingham City, Leeds United, Reading, and Bolton. I find it hard to believe that three of the five teams below Fulham will pass them without any of those other teams falling below them as well.

CC: I am guessing that you won't need to get too many points in your last two fixtures against promotion chasing Middlesbrough and Norwich - could you do AFCB a favour in those games?

FBCC: Well Middlesbrough is at home and Fulham do have quite a history of breaking the hearts of Norwich fans, so stranger things have happened. However, it could end up with those games having no meaning left for Fulham. Counting on a team with nothing to play for to do you favors can be dangerous.

CC: Looking at how well Brentford are doing do you get the feeling that Fulham's players are not giving enough to the cause this season and that they have not really embraced the Championship?

FBCC: I don't think you can put too much on the players. Felix Magath was horrible in his first seven games and almost every player he brought in has failed or already departed. At times Fulham have started a midfield with every player 22 or younger. There's a good base to build on, but the team needs some strengthening which has simply not happened in the last two windows.

CC: Does Kit Symons ever come out and say anything other than Fulham played really well but are just not getting the results that the team deserves - what's been going wrong of late? (I asked this pre-Derby result)

FBCC: Kit's actually less positive than recent managers. If you think he was positive you should have heard the things coming out of the mouth of Martin Jol and Rene Mulensteen. Symons actually called out the players last week, which I took as a positive sign. Fulham's recent struggles can be chalked up to a combination of bad luck, injuries catching up with them, and a squad that's talents don't really work together in a logical formation on the pitch.

CC: Steve Bruce dismissed rumours linking him to a takeover in the summer as rubbish journalism, but for the fans is staying up enough for Mr Nice Guy - Kit Symons - to keep his job?

FBCC: I'm not sure it is. However even with the recent poor spell, Kit hasn't been bad as manager. If Fulham had performed as well under Magath as they have under Kit, they'd be sitting in tenth place with an even goal differential. While that's not great, it's hardly a disaster. If he keeps the team up, I expect them to focus in the off season to building the kind of squad that Kit wants to use. Unless you can hire a sure upgrade, I'm not sure it's worth it to make another change.

CC: What do you know of Fulham's billionaire owner Shahid Khan - I am not sure of his history with NFL side Jacksonville Jaguars - do you think he's a patient man?

FBCC: I think he's patient enough. His patience was probably what got the team relegated though. He should have been quicker to cut ties with both Martin Jol and Felix Magath. That being said, he's a businessman who knows how to make money. Fulham has a built in advantage over a lot of clubs just do to its location in London. But the only way to recognize that value is to get back to the Premier League. If Khan were to sell the team while in the Championship, he'd lose most of the money he paid for the club.

CC: Has Marcus Bettinelli looked more reassured since his FA Cup cross handling howler against Sunderland?

FBCC: Marcus has had a great year. He makes a mistake every once in a while, but everyone needs to remember that he's only 22. There's at least five years before he reaches his peak. He's going to make mistakes, but that's the only way he'll learn. It wouldn't shock me to see him get a few England caps as he continues his career.

CC: Bryan Ruiz seems out of favour if he almost went to Levante on loan in January, but are you pleased that he has stayed?

FBCC: Bryan Ruiz is a hard player to talk about. He might be the most talented player in the Championship. But he doesn't really want to play in this division. The problem is that Fulham have not won a match this year without his involvement. That's a double-edged sword though. Ruiz can really only play one position, behind the striker(s) in the centre of the pitch. This has led to the use of a 4-4-2 diamond formation with him at the tip. There are some issues with this formation. Namely, width only comes from the advancing fullbacks. This leaves the club wide open on the counter and has hurt their defense time and time again.

CC: Has Ross McCormack been a disappointment or should the team be based around him like it was at Leeds for him to do better?

FBCC: Ross McCormack has been very good this year. The main issue with him is 100 per cent related to Bryan Ruiz. McCormack is best used as a striker, but doesn't really play well as a lone striker. If you play a 4-4-1-1 or a 4-2-3-1, he needs to be in the withdrawn role. Unfortunately that's the place where you have to put Ruiz. This is why Kit has used the diamond. It allows him to get both players on the pitch. He's experimented at times with a 4-3-3, but McCormack's goal scoring is compromised when he's wide and Ruiz doesn't have the speed to play wide. Many supporters feel like Kit is wedded to the diamond. However, in my opinion, he just doesn't have another option to get both players on the pitch. Kit never used the diamond when he coached the youth squads, so I feel like he's only using it to fit the talent he was given. Which to be fair, he had no role in picking.

CC: How do you think Fulham will set up against AFCB at home?

FBCC: Playing on short rest could be hard for the club. The club are playing a Saturday, Tuesday, Friday series of matches. Lasse Vigen Christensen appeared to injure his hamstring against Derby, and I don't expect him to play either game this week. Hugo Rodallega is also out, but even healthy I don't expect him to start over Woodrow. Scott Parker was completely gassed in the Derby match, so I don't expect him to play Tuesday, leaving him available for Friday. I expect the diamond to prevail with McCormack and Woodrow up top and Ruiz just behind. The midfield three is anyone's guess. But the back four will probably be Jazz Richards, Nikolay Bordurov, Shaun Hutchinson, and Kostas Stafylidis.

However, if I were in charge, I'd probably set the team up in a 4-3-3. The same back four with Parker, Ryan Tunicliffe, and Seko Fofana in the midfield. With Alex Kakaniklic, McCormack, and Woodrow up top.

CC: This game was moved to a Friday night from Saturday for TV coverage but the atmosphere will be pretty special in the Cottage. Have Fulham performed better in evening games?

FBCC: I don't recall Fulham playing any better at night. If anything it's just a frustration for me. I live and work on the West Coast of the United States. That means night games are right in the middle of my work day. I can usually get away with listening to the game, but watching it is almost impossible.

CC: What is your score prediction for the match against AFC Bournemouth?


FBCC: A lot depends on what Kit decides to do in mid-week. A Tuesday match away to Watford is going to be tough. It's quite possible Symons decides to kind of punt on that one and try to earn points at home. If we play as well as we did against Derby, you should be worried. I'm an eternal optimist so I think Fulham have a good chance. I'd guess 2-1 Fulham.

CC: When this season is over what do you think needs to happen to get Fulham back up on its feet and challenging for promotion?

FBCC: Fulham need to settle on a manager early. Whether it's Kit or someone else, a decision needs to be made with in a week of the season ending. The off season needs to be spent identifying new players who will work in the system that the new manager wants to run. The team can't afford to have a third consecutive window that weakens the squad (and depending on how you feel about January of 2014, you might say that it could be four).

CC: Many thanks Andrew for getting through that marathon session of Rival Lines. It is always fascinating to know how fans can explain the kind of season that Fulham have had as they are probably the most unpredictable sides in the league - either magnificent or rather absent from what I am told. It also brings home to us that there is a lot of talent in the Fulham squad and AFCB will have to play particularly well to get anything in this game, but AFCB have to play to our strengths and see where that takes them.


http://afcbchimes.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/rival-lines-players-not-solely-to-blame.html

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Fulham v Bournemouth: Scott Parker sees the benefits as he learns the hard way in the Championship
Midfielder admits he has 'hated' parts of this season but believes his young team are progressing

EXCLUSIVE

This was always going to be a transitional season for Fulham but Scott Parker has seen enough to believe that happier times are around the corner at Craven Cottage.

"You would like to think so," he says. "After the year we've had, with a young squad developing and learning what the Championship is all about, you would like to think we will only improve. It is clear to see the way Fulham are trying to go in terms of young players and with this year under their belt I am sure there is more to come in the future."

Relegation last May ended Fulham's 13-year stay in the Premier League and has given Parker his first proper taste of Championship football.

"There have been times when I have hated it," admits the 34-year-old. "Everyone says how hard the Championship is and you probably do not realise until you are actually playing in it. But there are times when I have enjoyed it."

Fulham host Bournemouth tonight just  two places above the relegation zone albeit with an eight-point cushion to third-from-bottom Millwall.

Parker is under no illusions as to the size of the task at Fulham but is convinced they are progressing under Kit Symons, who replaced Felix Magath last September.

"I was driving home reflecting on our win against Derby last weekend and I think any team in the Championship could have come to Craven Cottage that day and we would have beaten them," says the midfielder. "You think to yourself, 'if only we could have sustained that level all year we would not be in the position we are in'.

"Why have we not been able to do that? That's the million-dollar question. If you spoke to Kit, he would ask the same thing. It is about trying to get consistency and you could probably put that down to us having a young team. When you are a young player, you do not have that consistency to your game. It is very up and down and maybe that has something to do with the way this season has gone.

"It's been very patchy. When I look back on, it has been quite disappointing really. But you'd like to think that with a year under their belt, the younger boys in the squad will benefit next year. It is definitely a process."

Symons received public backing from chairman Shahid Khan before the 2-0 win against the then-leaders Derby, a result that ended a run of eight games without a victory. Khan craves stability and has backed Symons to build a team to compete for a return to the top flight. But does Parker think they will be ready to challenge next season?

"Hopefully, we can," says the Fulham captain. "I certainly think we will be in a better place than we are now. Whether that means bringing in a few new faces, and with the younger lads pushing on more with a year's experience.

"We need to realise how to win games. At times this year, even early on when we had one point from eight matches, there were games when the quality we had was miles better than what we had played against. We have dominated teams but the Championship is a tough league and you have got a know how to win games."

Parker thinks Fulham are beginning to realise it is not just about playing "pretty football" and believes Symons, who worked at the Academy, is the perfect man to nurture the young talent.

"Kit is used to bringing young players through so he knows how to work with them," he says. "He is doing a brilliant job — you have seen that in the way things have turned around.

"In an ideal world we'd love to be in the Premier League and everyone at the club is working to make that happen."

Tickets for tonight's match (7.45pm kick-off), priced from £30 for adults and from £15 for juniors, will be available to purchase from turnstiles at Craven Cottage.


http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-v-bournemouth-scott-parker-sees-the-benefits-as-he-learns-the-hard-way-in-the-championship-10088485.html

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Parker set to return for Fulham against Bournemouth

Hoogland and Amorebieta could also be restored to starting line up


Back in the fold: Fulham's Scott Parker
Fulham midfielder Scott Parker will be fit and ready to face Bournemouth tonight.

The England man missed Tuesday night's defeat at Watford after putting in a storming display to help the Whites beat Derby three days before.

But he should be back in the starting line up tonight to face brother in law Harry Arter, who plays in the middle for the Cherries.

Fulham boss Kit Symons said: "We expect Scott to be fit on Friday. He had a bit of a knock and was also tired following his heroics last Saturday."

Symons also suggested one or both of Tim Hoogland and Fernando Amorebieta could be involved from the start, while Matt Smith will also be pushing to be involved following an impressive cameo as a late sub at Watford.


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/parker-set-return-fulham-against-8783538?

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BOURNEMOUTH'S CAPITAL WOES TO PICK UP AT CRAVEN COTTAGE

Cherries have won just one of seven Championship games in London so far

AFC Bournemouth haven't looked back since winning promotion to the Championship, narrowly missing out on a play-off spot last year and still fighting for promotion this time round.

However, despite the Cherries' lofty position trips to London haven't brought fond memories for the south coast side, with just one win in seven attempts.

Eddie Howe's men have lost to Watford, Brentford, Millwall, Charlton and QPR in that time, to take just four points from a possible 21 available in the capital.

And if Bournemouth's promotion dreams are to be realised then this worrying trend will need to be put to bed starting with a trip to Craven Cottage on Friday night.

Fortunately for the Dean Court outfit, the recent game with Wolves saw a return to winning ways and with Fulham losing to Watford Howe will hope to build some momentum for the closing stages of the season.

Bournemouth ended a five-game run without a win when sending Wolves packing 2-1 and after beating Fulham 2-0 in the reverse fixture, Howe will be confident of picking up a result.

The Cherries have now lost just four of their last 15 games on the road in the league and while the Cottagers recently picked up an impressive win over promotion-chasing Derby, that was their only victory in their last 10 attempts.

However, with Bournemouth conceding in six of their last seven games many could be tempted by the Ladbrokes Price Boost that has seen a Cherries win with both teams scoring move from 3/1 to 4/1.

And the man most likely to put Fulham to the sword? On current form it has to be Yann Kermorgant. Callum Wilson may be the club's top scorer this season but the 33-year-old Frenchman is in something of a purple patch, netting five goals in his last seven games including a brace in the win over Wolves last time out.

The former Charlton man can be backed 11/2 to score the opener, something he has done six times so far this season, or 8/5 to add to his tally of 13 at any time.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.


http://news.ladbrokes.com/football/championship/bournemouths-capital-woes-pick-craven-cottage_228019.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham have the quality to topple the best
Just the name Fulham football club has me visualising some of the great players of the past like George Best and Tony Currie - showing my age! The team today is not as primed with such top names as it used to be but they have just beaten table toppers Derby County in the last week and have more than enough goal scorers to upset teams in the Championship. Scott Parker played really well in the game against the Rams and Ross McCormack looked back to his very best. They considered themselves unlucky not to get something at Watford in their last match as well.

You do have to wonder what an earth Fulham are doing down in 19th place with a points total of 39 from 35 games? Fulham still have their own destiny very much in their own hands with games against Wigan and Blackpool to come, but they can really move well away from danger with a couple more wins and they'll be out to get those as soon as possible.

They have got injuries and have been missing Hugo Rodallega, but he came back as a sub against Watford and there seems to be a bit of team spirit coming together at Craven Cottage and it is frankly not before time. Lasse Vigen Christensen also went off injured in their match against Derby, so Harry Arter could find himself up against Sean Kavanagh, if Scott Parker does decides he needs some help to keep pace with his brother-in-law for 90 minutes. Matt Smith could also play up front for them alongside Ross McCormack. Kit Symons has some options and Alan Curbishly has joined the backroom staff a Fulham.

The result against Derby was a real coupon buster as the London club was not much fancied against a Derby side that had been knocking teams over for fun. But Fulham's home form is started to look better when you see they beat Nottingham Forest in mid-January and Forest have since been on a great run. Their only home defeat in their last five games was against Ipswich Town. 

Fulham may well still finish mid-table in what will probably be seen as an adjustment season back in the Championship, mainly because they got off to an awful start. They can still have a big say in who goes up with their matches against Derby and AFCB followed in April and May with what could be key matches against Brentford, Middlesbrough and then Norwich on the last day.

Fulham Home Form
WWDLW

AFCB Away Form
WLWLL

You can read what Andrew Beck of Cottagers Confidential had to say about Kim Symons and the season Fulham have had by visiting Rival Lines.

Enjoy the game tonight whether like me you are up at the Cottage or are watching it on TV or listening on radio - a win for the Cherries would put them back on top of the league for at least a few hours. UTCIAD!


http://afcbchimes.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/fulham-have-quality-to-topple-best.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Next Up: Bournemouth

Fulham face their third promotion chasing team on the trot as they host high-flying Bournemouth on Friday night at Craven Cottage in front of the Sky Sports cameras (7.45pm).


The opposition

Despite a 4-0 demolition of Huddersfield Town on the opening day, it was a slow start to the season for the Cherries as they failed to find any consistency in their first 10 games, and following a defeat at Derby County the south coast side found themselves in 15th spot.

It was a win at Bolton Wanderers with 10 men in early October that sparked a terrific run for Eddie Howe's men that would see them go an impressive 14 games unbeaten – form which took them to the top of the Sky Bet Championship table.

That run included hammering Birmingham City 8-0 away from home, and a 6-1 thumping of Blackpool before the Cherries came unstuck at home to Norwich City to end the marvellous run in January.

Bournemouth have had a patchy spell of late, recording just one win in six in February, but they arrive at Craven Cottage on the back of a 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in midweek and are still firmly in the hunt for automatic promotion.

Team news

Bournemouth are likely to be without Dan Gosling who is returning from an ankle problem. Fellow midfielder Eunan O'Kane is still not fit having suffered ankle ligament damage in the game against Watford in January.

Inside the camp

Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter wants his team to get some consistency back into their results as they approach the business end of the season.

The Cherries dropped off the top of the table after going five games without victory prior to Tuesday's win, and Arter is hoping those three points kick-start their season.

"Consistency is the key to any successful team," he told the Bournemouth Echo. "In recent weeks, one minute people have been saying we are out of contention and the next they have been saying we are in it.

"It is so tight and it is impossible to predict how the league is going to finish. If one team was eight or nine points ahead then maybe you could look at it and say there was a good chance they would go up but that is not the case.

"We need to take one game at a time, starting with Fulham and our attention is focused on that. With 11 games to go, we know what we have to do and it is a challenge we are all looking forward to.

"The only way the Wolves result is going to mean anything is if we can go to Fulham and make it two out of two."

Player to watch

Callum Wilson: The pressure was on Callum Wilson when he made the move to Bournemouth from Coventry City last summer for a fee in the region of £3m. However, the 23-year-old has started to repay the fee having scored 15 league goals already this season. Wilson came up through the ranks at his hometown club Coventry and made his league debut in 2010, and a brief loan spell at Tamworth followed. It was the 2013/14 season that Wilson announced himself on the scene, though, as he hit 22 goals in League One, finishing as the division's third top scorer and earning a place in the PFA League One Team of the Year. His form did not go unnoticed and bids from Norwich City and Bournemouth were accepted by Coventry, with the striker deciding to join the Cherries. Wilson has hit the ground running at his new club and his form earnt him a call up to the England Under-21 squad, making his debut against France last November. Wilson is an all-round striker who is deceptively strong and can mix his game up. His pace in behind is a threat and he is willing to run the channels, always on the move pulling defenders out of position. The front man can hold the ball up and link the play well and is deadly in front of goal.

Marathonbet match odds

Fulham: 61/20

Draw: 5/2

Bournemouth: 53/50

Tickets for the game are still available to purchase, priced at £15 for juniors and from £30 for adults.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/march/06/next-up-bournemouth?

[WhiteJC]

 
Grimmer's New Deal

The Club is delighted to confirm that Jack Grimmer has signed a new two-year contract extension, keeping him at Fulham until the summer of 2017. Have a watch below of the first interview with the Scottish defender since he put pen to paper.

Grimmer Signs New Contract

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/march/06/grimmers-new-deal?

[WhiteJC]

 
Luca Aids USA

Fulham youngster Luca de la Torre claimed his third assist in as many games as the U.S. defeated Guatemala 4-1 at the CONCACAF U17 Championships in Honduras on Thursday.

After Josh Perez's hat-trick had put the U.S. into a 3-0 half-time lead, Pierre Da Silva increased their advantage shortly after the break after being set up by De la Torre's driving run and pass. Erick Soto pulled one back for Guatemala in the 65th minute.

The U.S. had already defeated Cuba 5-0 and Trinidad & Tobago 2-0 prior to the Guatemala fixture. The latest win moved them to the top of Group A and one victory away from clinching a place at the U17 World Cup later this year. The U.S. face Honduras on Sunday.

De la Torre said: "We've beaten some huge footballing countries. There's no reason why we can't qualify for this World Cup and even win it."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/march/06/dlt?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham appoint Alan Curbishley in backroom role

Fulham have appointed Alan Curbishley in a backroom role to assist current manager Kit Symons, according to the club's website.

The 57-year-old will work in tandem with Symons as the Whites look to revitalise what has been a disastrous season back in the second tier.

It is seen as a surprise swift return for Curbishley, having previously held a 'technical director' role on the banks of the Thames up until the beginning of last year.

In his press conference before hosting high-flying Bournemouth on Friday night, Symons expressed his delight with the appointment.

He told fulhamfc.com: "I am delighted. Alan is someone who I know reasonably well. And I know him by reputation extremely well.

"He's been around a long time with a wealth of experience.

"That's the one thing that myself and my staff, who have been fantastic I've got to say, haven't got at that level. He's got that experience in abundance. I'll be certainly tapping into him trying to get as much knowledge and use his experience as much as possible.

"I want to be as good as I can be and want the staff to be as good as they can be and I want the football club to do as well as it can. And Alan Curbishley coming in will help that."

The move is likely to cause a mixed reaction amongst fans of the SW6 outfit, with many finding his previous tenure to be a waste of both time and money.

However, a large chunk will be encouraged by the introduction of much needed experience for the former Under-21 manager who has struggled of late.

Following a sixth loss in nine games on Tuesday night at Watford, the Cottagers will be hopeful of getting back to winning ways in front of the Sky cameras on Friday night against Bournemouth.


http://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-appoint-alan-curbishley-in-backroom-role/?

[WhiteJC]

 
A Family Affair

It's not an everyday scenario when you come up against your brother-in-law on the football field. But that will be the case if Scott Parker and Harry Arter are selected to start for Fulham and AFC Bournemouth on Friday night.

And Parker, who is married to Arter's sister Carly, will no doubt be out for a bit of revenge. Arter took the bragging rights when the pair met during Bournemouth's 2-0 win over Fulham on Boxing Day, rubbing salt in the wounds by scoring the Cherries' second goal.

"It was quite strange," admits Parker to Friday's official matchday programme. "When I first met Hazza he was a little boy so I wouldn't really have anticipated that I'd ever be playing against him. It was an unusual experience on Boxing Day but it was good."

Like Parker, Arter began his career at Charlton Athletic. As a highly rated midfielder, Arter made his debut at just 16 - the same age Parker was handed his Addicks bow. However, a bad Achilles injury would seriously curtail his progress. Brief loan spells at Staines Town and Welling United would follow and he was released by the Addicks in 2009, dropping into non-League to join Woking.

Eddie Howe and Bournemouth took a chance on him in 2010 and Arter hasn't looked back. The 25-year-old has gone on to make nearly 150 appearances in all competitions for the Cherries.

"We speak all the time, we're very close," said Parker. "I give him advice if he needs it. I like to think I'm that soundboard for him to come and talk to. I'm older than him so I've probably experienced things that he's going through now. Hopefully I can reassure him or tell him how to deal with a certain situation. I'm always there to give him the best support I can."

In Fulham's last game at the Cottage, Parker played a key role in the superb 2-0 win over promotion-chasing Derby County. A combination of his relentless running and a knock earned him a rest for Fulham's trip to Watford on Tuesday night, a game the Whites lost 1-0.

"It was very good against Derby - the way we played as a team, took the game to them and pressed them," mused Parker. "We had a bit of a gameplan and it worked. For some weeks results haven't been coming and some of the performances haven't been great. But on Saturday it all clicked - we had the performance and the result.

"I was driving home afterwards and thinking about the game and there wouldn't be many teams that could have beaten us on Saturday with the way we played. We had intensity to our game and pressed them really well. We looked a threat going forward. But I came away scratching my head thinking if we played like that every week we'd be top of the league. But I suppose that's football and we need to try and get that consistency to our game.

"I know we keep saying it, but we have got a very young squad and you like to think they'll have benefitted from getting a season like this under their belts. Hopefully they'll have gained a bit more knowhow about how to win and they realise what's needed to secure points in this league. At times it's been very disappointing this year but we hope that everyone's learning from it and we can give it a real go next season."

To read the full interview with Parker, get your hands on a copy of the matchday programme against Bournemouth on Frirday.

Other exclusive highlights in the only matchday magazine that matters - which is also available to download digitally from 12pm on Friday - are:

Kit Symons pens his regular programme notes and welcomes a new addition to his backroom team
Patrick Roberts answers your questions via our social media channels
Ex-Bournemouth midfielder Danny Hollands recalls his days at Dean Court
In our regular feature, key figures take a walk back down memory lane to the 1981/82 promotion-winning season
Academy starlet Anthony Dolan is profiled in 'Through The Ranks'
And Les Strong and Gentleman Jim bring fans their latest columns

Priced £3.50, the 84-page publication is available from various sellers on Stevenage Road from two hours before kick-off. Or order it online from ProgrammeMaster.

For just £1.99, the programme is also available as a digital download with added video content from 12pm on Friday, so whether you're at home or away, you need never be without it on your iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, PC or Mac via Apple's Newsstand or Pocketmags.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/march/06/a-family-affair?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham full-back Jack Grimmer signs new contract with club

Fulham defender Jack Grimmer has signed a new two-and-a-half-year contract at Craven Cottage.

The 22-year-old full-back was signed from Aberdeen in 2012.

He has established himself in Fulham's first team since returning from a loan spell at Shrewsbury in November, making 14 appearances in all competitions.

"I'm very delighted. It's something that's been on my mind for a while and I'm very happy to get it signed," Grimmer told Fulham's website.

"I went to Shrewsbury, enjoyed every minute of my time there and then was lucky enough to come back and go right in to the team."


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31764433

[WhiteJC]

 
Bottom half bullies Bournemouth great value for more points at Fulham

Many have anticipated the Bournemouth bandwagon shedding its wheels before crossing the finishing line in the Championship promotion race and with just one win in six prior to their trip to Fulham this premonition appeared accurate.

Three points at home to Wolves last time out, however, enabled the Cherries to move within two points of Derby in second and another spearing of the spoils at Fulham this evening will see them climb above the play-off zone.

A price of 19/20 says Eddie Howe's men will prevail at Craven Cottage, with the hosts on offer at 13/5 next to a 5/2-rated draw.

The Cottagers' inconsistencies on the homestead makes a wager on the travelling party well worth their near-even money value, but backing them to do so in a game containing over 2.5 goals at 2/1 is the best way to land a profit.

It's a bet that returns £60 profit if prospective punters invest their £30 free bet for opening an account at bwin.com in the eventuality.

Here's why doing so would be a shrewd move:

Matches involving both parties have comfortably averaged above the goal line in question.

With 3.06 strikes recorded in a typical game involving Bournemouth, it's only Watford who have provided spectators with more net rustles per match in the division.

Tied with the south coast club is Nottingham Forest, then comes Fulham in fourth with a mean of exactly three goals scored every time they take the field.

Elated Fulham celebrate an FA Cup penalty shootout win over Wolves

Of the pair's last 14 at home and away respectively, they have played out nine matches with over 2.5 goals registered.

These figures encompass each of the Cherries' last four on the road across all competitions, while four of the last six Craven Cottage collisions for Fulham have also surpassed the mark.

In a table based on road results against those in the bottom half Bournemouth would be top.

Howe's troops are adept points plunderers against those stationed in the lower reaches.

With seven wins from eight sojourns and a staggering +23 goal difference (which is formed largely down to their watertight rearguard shipping just four), the Cottagers have ample cause for fear ahead of tonight's game.



http://news.bwin.com/en/football-betting/championship/bournemouth-value-for-more-points-fulham,70250.html

[WhiteJC]

 
AFC Bournemouth will return to top of Sky Bet Championship with win over Fulham tonight

AFC Bournemouth will return to the top of the Championship tonight if they beat Fulham and Craven Cottage.

The Cherries, who won the reverse fixture 2-0 will be looking to build on Tuesday's win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Fulham captain Scott Parker is available for the visit of Bournemouth after being rested for Tuesday's defeat at Watford.

Midfielder Lasse Vigen Christensen (hamstring) is set to miss out, but one of fit-again duo Tim Hoogland or Fernando Amorebieta could start.

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe is likely to name an unchanged starting XI after Tuesday's win against Wolves.

Dan Gosling and Eunan O'Kane remain sidelined for the Cherries.

Bournemouth moved up to fourth in the Championship with that victory over Wolves - their first win in six matches.

Fulham beat then-leaders Derby on Saturday but the loss to Watford left them 20th in the table.


http://www.blackmorevale.co.uk/AFC-Bournemouth-return-Sky-Bet-Championship-win/story-26129878-detail/story.html?