Monday Fulham Stuff (23/11/15)...

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MK Dons: Robbo believes Fulham striker Ross McCormack should have seen red

MK Dons manager Karl Robinson believes Fulham striker Ross McCormack should have been sent off during the 1-1 draw at stadiummk yesterday.

McCormack had already been booked when he kicked the ball away in anger at a refereeing decision against him in the second-half.

And Robinson claims that was worthy of another yellow card, although admitted he desperately wanted to see the back of the 29-year-old.

He said: "The second-half was a very equal half – territorially we had a lot of the ball.

"But when they have players like (Moussa) Dembele and McCormack who should have got sent off cause you can't kick the ball away four seconds after the referee has blown the whistle into the stand when you've already been booked.

"And obviously because he's a top player I wanted him to go off!"

Dean Bowditch's strike had given the Dons the lead, before Moussa Dembele levelled up the score as Robinson's men drop into the Championship relegation zone for the first time this season.

And Robinson was disappointed his side couldn't take away all three points after a brilliant first-half performance where they were unlucky to be drawing at the break.

The 35-year-old added: "We should have been two up, two clear, but then after a slight switching off McCormack's sent one across and Dembele's tapped it in.

"And that's where you think football isn't fair because you go in 1-1 and you should be at least two clear. Then in the second half you think maybe a draw might be fair.

"I don't think it was fair, I think we were that good first half."


http://citiblogmk.co.uk/2015/11/22/mk-dons-robbo-believes-fulham-striker-ross-mccormack-should-have-seen-red/?

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Fulham job a fantastic opportunity, says Robinson

Dons boss believes Whites have one of strongest squads in the league


Compliments: Karl Robinson

Karl Robinson believes the Fulham manager's job will be a fantastic opportunity for somebody – but not for him.

The MK Dons boss saw his side held to a 1-1 draw yesterday by a Fulham side led from the dugout by Peter Grant, who has already ruled himself out of taking the role full time.


This comes after Reading chief Steve Clarke took himself out of the running on Friday, having looked the previous day all set to be named as Kit Symons' replacement.

This comes after Reading chief Steve Clarke took himself out of the running on Friday, having looked the previous day all set to be named as Kit Symons' replacement.


Not interested: Peter Grant

Robinson said: "Fulham are a tremendous football club. It will be a great job for whoever comes in – no that I'm putting myself forward for it!

"They have one of the best squads in the league and so much experience on and off the pitch, with Peter Grant and Alan Curbishley helping run things.

"Their players showed real togetherness today. It's the natural thing for players to do, whereas they're a lot more reliant on the manager lower down the leagues.

"But Kit is a tremendous guy and a top man, and I hope to see him back in a job soon. I said they have a great squad, and it was Kit that assembled it, as well as bringing young players through. It was only a matter of time before they started picking up results."

For all that, Robinson believes Fulham were lucky to get a point, and that Ross McCormack, having already been booked, should have been sent off for kicking the ball away.

He added: "You can't kick the ball away like that, and he was lucky to stay on. But we should have already put it to bed by then – they were very lucky to go in 1-1 at half time, and Joe Lewis made some phenomenal saves."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-job-fantastic-opportunity-says-10481753?

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Holland Linked With Vacant Fulham Job
   
Down the road, at Craven Cottage, our local rivals Fulham Football Club, are still looking for a new manager.

Having disposed of the services of Kit Symons, a fortnight ago today, it looked as if the former Chelsea favourite, Steve Clarke, was set to leave his managerial post at Reading to take the Fulham job.

However, a massive backlash on the social media networks convinced Clarke that it would be a better option to stay at the Berkshire club.

This morning it seems that Fulham have now identified another prospective candidate for the role. Their search is being orchestrated by Mike Rigg and The Sun , this morning, is suggesting that Rigg is set to approach Chelsea to ask for permission to speak to Jose Mourinho`s assistant Steve Holland.

The inclination is also given, buy our source, that the money Fulham are offering for the vacant role isn`t sufficient to tempt the likes of Nigel Pearson or Slavisa Jokanovic to take the role.

It`ll be interesting to see if Chelsea do grant Fulham permission to talk to Holland or indeed whether Holland would be interested.


Read more: http://www.chelsea.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=559270#ixzz3sIVltKQw

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O'Hara's Assessment

Jamie O'Hara was frustrated Fulham couldn't send the 3,371 travelling fans home with a win on Saturday.

MK Dons took a deserved lead at stadiummk but, after equalising just before half-time, the Whites were much improved in the second half as they attacked towards their supporters behind the goal.

"Milton Keynes is tough place to come," O'Hara admitted. "They play good football, they are well organised and drilled.

"I thought in the second we were on top and could have won the game. We are still disappointed to come away with only one point when we feel we could have taken all three.

"In the second half when we were playing towards the travelling fans it really lifted us once we started to get on top.

"We pressed hard in the second half and we had a few chances that we could have put away and hopefully pressed on from there and come away with all three.

"But it wasn't to be and it is a shame we didn't give the travelling fans those three points to go home with."

O'Hara was deployed in the deep-lying playmaker role that he's occupied so successfully this season, but the introduction of Sakari Mattila with 20 minutes remaining gave him more scope to roam forward.

Three of his four efforts on goal arrived after the Finland international had entered the action, and O'Hara was disappointed he couldn't make one count.

"I had a couple of good chances," he admitted. "It fell to me a couple of times and I just couldn't get it away.

"There was one where I cut in across the box from the right flank and had an effort which went wide. Normally I put those away but I didn't catch it well enough. It is just one of those things.

"When Sakari came on he really allowed me to press on and get forward a lot more. I transitioned from my deeper role and his defensive mindedness allowed me to be more of a creator up the pitch."

The Whites are back at Craven Cottage next Saturday when Preston North End journey south, and O'Hara is desperate for his side to secure a first win in four matches in front of their own fans.

"It would be very nice to get back to winning ways with a home game," he stated. "It will be nice to get back to the Cottage.

"We can hopefully build on the second half performance against MK Dons and press on and get three points against Preston.

"We want to start looking up the table again. Hopefully things will start looking good for us and we can move onwards and upwards."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/november/22/oharas-assessment?

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Fulham Linked With Peterborough Player
   
Even though the club are currently without a permanent manager, it hasn`t stopped Fulham Football Club being linked with possible transfer targets.

The latest suggested target the club has its eyes on is Jermaine Anderson.

Anderson is on the books of Peterborough United and the 19-year-old impressed with is recent performances.

Yesterday the player, who was once on the books of Arsenal, scored twice as Peterborough beat Crewe 5-1 away from home.

The brace made it five goals in his last four appearances.

As for potential rivals for his signature, it seems that our South London rivals, Charlton Athletic, are also interested.

We`ll offer any further information if, or when we come across it.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=422739#ixzz3sIWZSdmW

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What next for Fulham in their managerial search?

Clarke and Grant out; Curbishley interested; Pearson the bookies' fav; fans vote for Rogers

It's been an interesting few days in the race to replace Kit Symons as Fulham manager – but what next for the Whites?

Steve Clarke looked odds-on to take the job on Thursday, with his weekly press conference as Reading manager cancelled and all betting on him suspended.

However, Clarke pulled himself out of the running the following day, deciding he was better of at the Madejski, although money was rumoured to be a sticking point.

Fulham may well have avoided a banana skin there, considering the mainly negative reaction from their fans on social media over Clarke's possible appointment.

Another day on, and U21s coach Peter Grant, who was only a few days before the game given the caretaker-manager role, ruled himself out too after leading the Whites to a 1-1 draw at MK Dons.

The Scot feels that his place is amongst the back room staff, and like Lee Carsley at west London rivals Brentford, insists that not even a good run of form under his tenure would change his mind.


Fulham coach Alan Curbishley in the stands

Alan Curbishley, who has been running things alongside Grant since Symons' departure, is understood to be interested and has already admitted it is an attractive job to him.

However, despite his impressive track record during 15 years as Charlton Athletic boss, there would be concerns over the fact that Curbishley, who was in the stands rather than the dugout yesterday, has not managed a side in more than seven years.

And so to the best of the rest, and former Leicester boss Nigel Pearson, who has been the bookies' favourite all along, remains so, and would be a shrewd appointment.


Nigel Pearson

Having guided Leicester into the top flight and kept them there against the odds, laying the foundations for a side currently topping the Premier League, Pearson's stock remains high, despite being sacked by the Foxes in June, and was being lined up as Clarke's replacement at the Madejski if the Reading boss had joined Fulham.

Slavisa Jokanovic is still high up in the odds, just ahead of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who is being strongly linked with the QPR post, and Harry Redknapp, a former incumbent of the Loftus Road hot seat. Chelsea first team coach Steve Holland could also emerge as a good outside bet.

However, the leading candidate in our GetWestLondon poll is former Liverpool boss Brendan Rogers, who had polled just under a quarter of all votes (24.9%) at the time of writing, followed by ex-Man United boss David Moyes (21.6%) and Pearson (20.1%).


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/what-next-fulham-managerial-search-10481754?