Monday Fulham Stuff (23.08.10)

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http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6330365,00.html


Hero Hangeland relieved

Fulham defender delighted to have made amends for own goal


By Jamie Casey  


Last updated: 22nd August 2010    

Defender Brede Hangeland expressed his relief at cancelling out his own goal with a late equalised in Fulham's draw with Manchester United.

The two sides were deadlocked at one apiece before Hangeland bundled the ball into his own net in the 84th minute of a 2-2 draw.

The Norway international revealed he was determined to make amends and seized his chance when Fulham earned an 89th minute corner.

Hangeland got on the end of Damien Duff's corner and his towering header beat Edwin Van der Sar in United's goal to snatch a point for the home side.

"I looked at the clock straight after I scored the own goal and saw we had five minutes to do it," Hangeland told Sky Sports.

"I just hoped we'd get a corner and we did and I scored. It was a great feeling to get it."

Fulham boss Mark Hughes praised his side's team spirit and Hangeland echoed his comments, hailing the club's attitude since he joined from Copenhagen in 2008.

Spirit
"We've had a great team spirit for the last two years here and that was proved once again, we never say die," said Hangeland.

The 29-year-old admits the guilt of scoring an own goal is not one he savours but believes there was little he could do to prevent it from happening.

He said: "It's a terrible feeling but I don't think there is anything else I could have done. It looked as though someone was going to head it and then it just struck my leg."

Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale had a memorable game and will have enhanced his chances of being installed as the club's new first choice after saving a Nani penalty while his side were a goal down.

Stockdale has kept goal for the Cottagers in their opening two games with regular first choice Mark Schwarzer out of the side having handed in a transfer request.

His 24-year-old replacement has vowed to keep his feet on the ground but hopes his display will have gone some way towards convincing boss Hughes of his ability.

"To get Mark Schwarzer out of the team has proved a very hard thing to do over the past two years," Stockdale said.

"I just take it day by day and now I can go to the manager and say 'there you go'."

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http://www.skysports.com/football/match_report/0,19764,11065_3293498,00.html

Brave Cottagers hold United


Fulham earn a point late on in frantic finale at Craven Cottage


By Jamie Casey   

Last updated: 22nd August 2010   

Man of the match: Hangeland was influential for Fulham and his determined header to snatch a point for his side more than made up for his error moments earlier.

Goal of the match: Scholes' opener was vintage stuff as he drilled a low hard shot into the bottom corner after being teed up by Berbatov.

Save of the match: Van der Sar made a superb double-save in the first half to twice deny Etuhu, the second of which was the pick of the bunch and was made while grounded.

Moment of the match: Fulham were a goal down when Stockdale saved from Nani's penalty and it proved crucial as the hosts went up the other end and equalised immediately after.

Talking points: Do United need to strengthen before the transfer window closes? Can Mark Hughes make a bigger impression than his predecessor Roy Hodgson?

Brede Hangeland scored in both ends late on as Fulham twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Craven Cottage.

United piled the pressure on the hosts early on and didn't have long to wait for an opener as veteran Paul Scholes gave them the lead with a trademark strike on 11 minutes.

It was the in-form midfielder's 150th goal for the club and followed his man-of-the-match display against Newcastle last Monday.

The away side failed to build on their early breakthrough, though, and allowed the hosts back into the game, with Edwin Van der Sar called into action on numerous occasions for the remainder of the first half.

Fulham continued to pressurise in the early stages of the second period and were rewarded for their efforts on 57 minutes as Simon Davies finished off a flowing move.

United regained the lead, however, and it came via an own goal courtesy of Hangeland, who inadvertently deflected an attempted clearance into his own net six minutes from time.

Substitute Nani then had a penalty saved by Fulham keeper David Stockdale after Damien Duff accidentally handled inside the area in a frantic end to an entertaining game.

The save proved vital as Hangeland made amends for his error in the 89th minute when he rose highest from a Duff corner and powered home a header to square up the sides once more.

Deserved
It was a thrilling way for Mark Hughes to mark his first home match as Fulham manager while Sir Alex Ferguson will know his side deserved no more than a point.

Ferguson would have been delighted by United's formidable start with a dashing early run from Antonio Valencia caught the eye only for Scholes, the intended recipient of his back heel, to stumble on the ball.

Berbatov and Darren Fletcher combined to good effect without any end product as play began to concentrate on Fulham's area.

Only lightening reflexes from Stockdale kept a header from Berbatov out but moments later the Cottagers keeper was beaten by a magnificent strike from Scholes.

The ball was sprayed around with ease from a corner until Berbatov teed up Scholes who found the bottom right corner with a powerful low drive from 25 yards out.

Davies flashed an effort over the bar at the other end but United were still looking formidable as Berbatov tested Stockdale from a tight angle.

Bobby Zamora was gifted a free header from 10 yards out, but he could only nod a cross by Paul Konchesky wide with the target at his mercy.

Berbatov directed a header over the crossbar but United's defence was in disarray in the 31st minute and only a superb double save from Van der Sar denied Fulham.

Zamora used his strength to cause problems on the edge of the area and possession squirted out to Dempsey, who laid on a perfect pass for Dickson Etuhu.

Etuhu directed his first shot straight at Van der Sar but was presented with a second attempt when the ball rebounded to his feet only for the Dutch keeper, who was sat down, to prod the effort over the bar with an outstretched hand.

Despite the fluidity of United's play, with Berbatov, Javier Hernandez and Valencia prominent, Fulham looked very capable of pinching an equaliser.

Scholes almost jinked his way into a shooting position but Fulham were enjoying the lion's share of possession early in the second half.


Power shift
Zamora blazed a free-kick over the crossbar after he had been hacked down by Jonny Evans and the balance of power was clearly shifting with the equaliser arriving in the 57th minute.

A rampaging run from Duff swept the winger away from Patrice Era before he found Zamora, whose astute pass fell to an unmarked Davies.

Stood 10 yards out and with time to pick his spot, the Wales midfielder thumped the ball past Van der Sar.

Substitute Nani was making a telling impact and he expertly teed up Berbatov who was bundled off the ball as he was pulling the trigger.

Van der Sar caught a dangerous curler from Danny Murphy while at the other end a Nani free kick crept narrowly over the crossbar before skipper Nemanja Vidic directed a header off-target.

With 11 minutes to go Zamora blew a fine chance, and Fulham were left ruing the opportunity as they conceded a disastrous own goal.

Nani's innocuous-looking corner fell straight to Hangeland, deflecting off his shin and into the goal.

Fulham suffered another blow in the 86th minute when Duff handled the ball, but Stockdale pulled off a fine save to deny Nani from the spot.

Yet Hangeland and Duff still had time to make amends for their errors in a breathless finish that saw Fulham get what they deserved.

Duff floated in a corner from the right and Hangeland leapt high to head it home, via a touch from the hand of the diving Van der Sar.



Fulham
Team Statistics
Manchester United

2 Goals
2

0 1st Half Goals
1

8 Shots on Target
8

9 Shots off Target
8

3 Blocked Shots
6

5 Corners
11

10 Fouls
7

0 Offsides
2

2 Yellow Cards
2

0 Red Cards
0

80.3 Passing Success
84

14 Tackles
6

78.6 Tackles Success
66.7

42.4 Possession
57.6

45 Territorial Advantage
55

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http://www.skysports.com/football/user_ratings/0,19768,11065_3293498,00.html


Fulham Player ratings 


Player Our Rating Your Rating Rate player


David Stockdale
Great penalty save to keep Fulham in the game  7 7.6  Rate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 
Brede Hangeland
Solid all afternoon, unlucky with the own goal and deserved his equaliser  8 7.6  Rate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 
Paul Konchesky
Mixed afternoon for the left-back  6 6.5  Rate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 
John Pantsil
Made some good runs and got in some good crosses  7 6.4  Rate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 
Aaron Hughes
Formed a decent partnership with Hangeland at the back  7 6.6  Rate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 
Danny Murphy
Not his best performance and lucky not to be booked  6 6.0  Rate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 
Simon Davies
Ran his socks off and took his goal well  7 7.1  Rate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 
Dickson Etuhu
Denied a goal by a double save from Van der Sar  6 6.6  Rate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 
Clint Dempsey
Improved in the second half but a quiet game overall  6 6.1  Rate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 
Bobby Zamora
A constant threat to United's back line  7 7.3  Rate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 
Damien Duff
Great run down the flank in helping to set up Davies' goal  7 6.6  Rate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 
Jonathan Greening
(Sub)
Showed a few good touches  6 5.8  Rate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 
Moussa Dembele
(Sub)
Made a decent debut as a replacement for Dempsey.  7 6.5  Rate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 
Zoltan Gera
(Sub)
No time to make an impression 

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Dembele Impresses on Debut

Sunday 22nd August 2010


Fulham FC News
 
Fulham fans were given their first glimpse of new signing Moussa Dembele on Sunday as the new arrival from AZ Alkmaar was brought on as a substitute after 60 minutes against Manchester United.

Having only signed for the Club days earlier, being thrown on against the Red Devils was a true baptism of fire for the attacker, but one that he thoroughly enjoyed.

"I was happy with my debut," he explained post-match. "We played well and the team got a positive result, so I'm happy with how things have started.

"I thought if I could play well against Manchester, then this would be a good sign of how well I will do in the Premier League, so it was a good game to start in.

"It was faster than I'm used to, but I can handle it. Now I have to keep working. The group has welcomed me very well, so that makes it much easier for me to adapt. So I'm pleased with the situation and very grateful to be joining a club with good players and good staff."

The 23-year-old replaced Clint Dempsey, and made his debut playing just off of Bobby Zamora, but, he revealed that is just one place we could see him deployed in the coming months.

"I can play in many positions – from the left, from the right, behind the strikers, and if necessary I can play at the top. Today I was just happy to get on and experience the Premier League for the first time."

And after his first run out on Sunday, the Belgian international is looking to Wednesday night's Carling Cup meeting with Port Vale as a chance to get some more game time.

"For me it's important that I get some minutes on the pitch because in pre-season I have played just one game against amateurs, so today was the first serious game I've had this season. It was hard because I'm not ready yet to play a whole game.

"So I'm happy to have played 30 minutes today and if I can play again on Wednesday that would be good for me."
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Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/August/DembeleDebut.aspx#ixzz0xMhoN5OR

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Fulham 2 - 2 Manchester United

A late Brede Hangeland header secured a well-deserved draw for Fulham in a thrilling encounter at Craven Cottage.

A fast-paced start saw United trying work the ball to their wingers Antonio Valencia and Ji-Sung Park, who were attentively marshalled by John Pantsil and Konchesky. David Stockdale produced an outstanding reaction save from Berbatov's close-range overhead kick on nine minutes, palming the ball over for a corner.

But the pressure continued to build and United soon broke the deadlock in the 11th minute when Paul Scholes, in space some 30 yards from goal, drilled a shot low and hard past left hand of Stockdale.

The Fulham keeper was called into action again to block a powerful drive from Berbatov moments later. United looked dangerous in attack but Fulham soon started to find their range. A cross from Paul Konchesky on 23 minutes found Zamora in the area, but the England striker's downward header bounced just wide of Van der Sar's post.

As the first-half developed Fulham upped their urgency with Zamora becoming a greater threat to the United defence.

A fine double save from Van der Sar denied Dickson Etuhu an equaliser just after the half hour mark. A sublime one-touch pass from Dempsey on the edge of the United area found the run of Etuhu. The Nigerian midfielder's first effort was blocked by Van der Sar and his second attempt, a chip over the grounded keeper, was just helped over the bar by the recovering stopper.

Antonio Valencia earned a caution on 38 minutes after a blood and thunder challenge between Valencia and Davies ended with the Fulham man on the deck. \But Fulham certainly finished the first-half stronger than they started.

Two valuable interventions from John Pantsil early in the second-half helped the Whites avert some potentially dangerous situations as United made a bright start following the break.

Fulham's counter-attacking intentions were clear for all to see on 51 minutes when Dempsey, Zamora and Davies led the charge up-field following a United attack. The move, culminating in Davies' effort deflecting over for a corner, certainly gave the visitors something to consider.

Fulham were back on level terms on 57 minutes when a penetrating attack was finished off emphatically by Simon Davies. Damien Duff skilfully evaded the attentions of Patrice Evra on the right touchline and fed the ball to Bobby Zamora whose low cross was slammed into the net by Davies.

Mark Hughes handed Moussa Dembele his debut on the hour mark as Fulham's latest signing came on for Clint Dempsey. The debutant slotted in immediately alongside Zamora in attack.

David Stockdale needed to be alert when Dimitar Berbatov's header took a slight deflection off Scholes, nearly wring-footing the Fulham keeper who did well to re-adjust and collect the ball.

The introduction of the evergreen Ryan Giggs and Michael Owen underlined the visitors' desire to leave Craven Cottage with more than just the draw.

Fulham still looked dangerous and Bobby Zamora went close to putting Fulham in the lead when he volleyed from Paul Konchesky's diagonal pass across the face of Edwin Van der Sar's goal.

Jonathan Greening replaced Danny Murphy for the final ten minutes as Mark Hughes looked to keep the tempo up in midfield. The fresh legs were needed as United pushed hard for the winner, penning Fulham back in their penalty area for long periods.

United's second goal had a distinct air of fortune about it when a Ryan Giggs corner found its way into a crowded penalty area only to deflect off Brede Hangeland's shin and roll agonisingly over the line. United were then awarded a penalty somewhat harshly when Damien Duff's sliced clearance struck his own arm.

Nani stepped up but Stockdale produced a wonderful save to deny the Portugal international.

Hangeland soon made amends for his own goal when he towered high over the Manchester United defence to power a header past Van der Sar from Damien Duff's corner - earning the Whites a draw



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/MatchAndTeam/MatchCentre/Matches/1011/Premiership/ManUnitedHome.aspx#ixzz0xMi5qqMv

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Manchester United Photo Special


Sunday 22nd August 2010


http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/August/ManUnitedPhotoSpecial.aspx

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http://www.stretford-end.com/blog/2010/08/fulham-2-2-manchester-united-report-and-video/


Manchester United Blog | The Stretty Rant

Fulham 2-2 Manchester United report and video


August 22, 2010


A fantastic game at Craven Cottage with 4 goals should have seen this report start with a 3-1 win for Manchester United as the headline, but Fulham fully deserved a share of the spoils and snatched a late equaliser in a game that had it all. Read on to see video highlights of the game.


Wayne Rooney was absent with illness but this didn't have any adverse effect on United's opening play as they dominated the opening exchanges. Paul Scholes' excellent form has thrust him into his uncomfortable position in the public eye and it was he who opened the scoring with a goal that had been coming. Both Dimitar Berbatov and Ji-Sung Park had efforts before a well worked short corner from Valencia found Berbatov at the edge of the area – the forward's roll back to Scholes invited a bullet of a shot 30 yards out to give the visitors the lead.

View the first half highlights here – http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/6645531/

United could have extended their lead; Sir Alex Ferguson's side clearly concentrating on movement where natural creativity was absent, with impressive results early on. Hernandez (making his first start) and Berbatov went close again but after the half hour the hosts rallied to make their own impact on the game. Konchesky found space between O'Shea and Vidic to play in Dickson Etuhu, but the lanky midfielder found veteran stopper Edwin van der Sar defying his age with stunning flexibility to pull off not one but two world class saves.

Nonetheless, the warning was there, and it was neither a surprised or undeserved when Fulham got the equaliser in the 57th minute. Damien Duff completely embarrassed Patrice Evra near the halfway line with an outrageous piece of skill, then played in the impressive Bobby Zamora. Zamora cut the ball back to Simon Davies (who once had a trial at Old Trafford) who scored via the smallest of deflections, with van der Sar unable to save it despite getting a good hand to it. 5 minutes later, United had a lucky escape when Vidic was all hands on Fulham new boy Dembele, but the referees view was blocked by Darren Fletcher.

The Red Devils began to compose themselves and made a double switch with first Nani and then Ryan Giggs coming on for Park and Valencia respectively, and Michael Owen replacing the energetic but otherwise disappointing Chicharito. Chances were aplenty; clear cut opportunities on the other hand were scarce. Nani fired a freekick just over, and Vidic headed two Giggs corners wide, while at the other end, United breathed another sigh of relief when a quick, long free kick caught them out but Zamora fired just wide.

With 7 minutes left the visitors were truly in the ascendency and got a goal that their spell of domination earned. Having benefitted from an extraordinary number of own goals last season, United were in luck here too when Nani's corner was shinned into his own goal by Hangeland in the 84th minute. Neither scorer or provider had yet to register their final mark on the match, though. Just two minutes after the goal, United racked up another corner which resulted in Damien Duff being bizarrely reprimanded for handball when it seemed he was helpless to stop the ball hitting him.

Nani stepped up to take the spotkick, but it was comfortably but well saved by Fulham keeper Stockdale. The home side responded impressively and won a corner in the 89th minute, which was headed in by Brede Hangeland, completing his retribution for his error moments earlier. Again, van der Sar got a hand to it, but the giant defenders contact was good, as was his leap to get the ball in front of three other players, including Vidic.

View second half highlights here – http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/6645511/

A late period of concerted pressure in injury time from the away team never amounted to anything of note and though United could lament over the lost chance to take a comfortable three points, Fulham were left thinking that with better officiating they too could have snatched the win. With the game coming so early in the season then it's probably fair to just hold hands up and say "good game", but with Chelsea's run of easy games set to continue until October, United can't afford to drop too many points in these early games. Especially when, with less than 5 minutes to go, they should have been two goals clear. Those of a superstitious disposition may also wish to forget that in our first away game of last season, we missed a penalty that turned out to be crucial.

Still, after the heads down approach from West Brom and Wigan after conceding opening goals to Chelsea, Sir Alex's comments in 1996 about the effort of Leeds following our tough 1-0 win are particularly pertinent. Teams owe it to themselves and the integrity of the league (Liverpool, take note) to put in 100% all of the time, regardless of the opponent. Fulham showed nothing is a lost cause; if they play the entire season with the same commitment, they'll have a good year.

Ratings : van der Sar 7, O'Shea 6, Evans 6, Vidic 7, Evra 6, Valencia 6 (Giggs), *Scholes 8, Fletcher 7, Park 6 (Nani 7), Berbatov 6, Chicharito 6 (Owen)

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Hughes Pleased with Display

Sunday 22nd August 2010


Fulham FC News

 
Speaking after Sunday's match against Manchester United at Craven Cottage, Fulham Manager Mark Hughes was delighted with his side's performance as they twice came from behind to register a well-deserved draw.

"I really enjoyed it, I thought it was a really competitive Premier League game, with two good sides really trying to win the game and put a show on," Hughes said. "Obviously the neutrals would have enjoyed it but as a football person I also enjoyed it – I thought it was very competitive and evenly matched."

With the score at two-one, the visitors had the chance to wrap things up when they were awarded a penalty following an accidental handball by Damien Duff. Fortunately, David Stockdale continued his recent impressive form and saved Nani's spot kick.

"At two-one down with something like four or five minutes left, at that stage you think the awarding of the penalty is the conclusion of the game," explained the Fulham Manager. "At three-one it would have been very difficult to come back. But I think David's penalty save gave us that extra bit of belief we needed at that point in the game and it really kicked us on to try and get an equaliser.

"We showed real application and desire to try and get back on level terms. It was a fantastic header by Brede Hangeland, who was feeling a little bit upset about his own situation, but he came back and had the answer for it.

"He's a strong guy, not only on the field of play but also in the dressing room. I've been really impressed with not only Brede's attitude and application but also the whole group.

"The quality of players, the support staff and everything that's geared around Fulham has been a surprise to me – I've been really delighted with what I've found here. Because of that I haven't had to waste energy addressing things away from the football field. I can just concentrate on getting the best out of the players and that's a Godsend from my point of view."
.

Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/August/HughesManUnitedReaction.aspx#ixzz0xMm3T9r6

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http://a-kick-in-the-grass.blogspot.com/2010/08/fulham-good-value-for-point-as-united.html

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Fulham good value for point as United get lucky...

United went into this afternoon's clash with Fulham hoping to avenge two league defeats on the spin at Craven Cottage, it looked as though they might just do that when Paul Scholes scored after just eleven minutes with a trademark power-driver into the bottom corner from fully 25-yards out. The opening goal came about following a neat lay-off from Berbatov on the edge of the Fulham penalty area. It was Scholes's 150th goal for United and he won't have scored many better; the special one Prince became only the tenth player in the club's history to score 150.

However, after the first 15 minutes Fulham fought their way back into the contest and they had the better of the remainder of the first-half. On 30 minutes the West London club spurned two excellent chances when Dickson Etuhu was denied by Edwin van der Sar - but truth be told and as good as the Dutchman's blocks undoubtedly were, the home team should have been on level terms.

Peter Walton had an afternoon to forget, first he booked Atonio Valencia when he scythed down Etuhu, but minutes later the referee allowed Danny Murphy to get away with an identical tackle on Paul Scholes. The referee's performance will no doubt have angered both manager's following a catalogue of errors by the official.

The second-half started pretty much like the first, with United gaining a degree of control, but without ever seriously threatening Stockdale in the Fulham goal.
Chicharito partnered Dimitar Berbatov up front in a four-four-two formation; the young Mexican striker looked sharp and his passing was crisp, but he found it difficult to make any impression around the Fulham penalty area against a well drilled home defence. While Fulham were quick on the break, they almost always had sufficient cover at the back and much credit to Roy Hodgson and the new manager Mark Hughes for retaining the continuity which saw Fulham reach last season's Europa League Final.

As the game went on, United didn't really look like scoring; Chicharito had two efforts on goal in total, one in either half, but neither troubled Stockdale, while Berbatov had at least forced the Fulham 'keeper into an early first-half acrobatic save. Berbatov was once again the pick of the United forwards, but he needs to improve his finishing.

As the second-half went on the home team pressed United back and the visitors were extremely lucky to get away with what looked like a good shout for a penalty when Vidic was guilty of shirt pulling. United had another lucky escape when Zamora was through on goal, but the England striker pulled his shot wide of the target when he should have pulled the ball back.

While Scholes was playing well and being busy as ever, United looked vulnerable to the counter-attack, especially down Fulham's left flank. The decision to play John O'Shea at right-back didn't look like a particularly good one as the Irishman was guilty of wasting possession on a number of second-half occasions, when he opted to lump the ball down the middle, invariably, over the heads of Chicharito and Berbatov.

United's luck eventually ran out when Damien Duff somehow found his way around Patrice Evra, the former Chelsea winger played in Bobby Zamora who pulled the ball back to Simon Davies and he crashed home a well deserved equaliser on 57 minutes.

From that point on it was fairly obvious Fergie had to do something to change the pattern of the game as United were finding it difficult to break down Fulham. In a bid to do something to alter the flow of the game, Ferguson replaced the hard-working, but ultimately ineffective Park with Nani, who it has to be said didn't do much better.

Chicharito was trying to play on the shoulder of the last defender - but the ploy wasn't working; the Mexican looked much better when he dropped deeper and linked up the play, but on too many occasions it was a case of either being in the wrong place or else the service simply wasn't good enough - truth be told it was a combination of both and so it came as no great surprise when Ferguson eventually made a double substitution when sending on Giggs and Owen for Valencia and the Mexican.

United eventually started to take a measure of control when they forced the home on to the back foot. Vidic had two headers from corners, but neither troubled Stockdale. But eventually United's pressure paid off when Hangeland scored an own goal from a Nani corner.

Just minutes later United were awarded a very dubious penalty by Mr Walton following a 'hand-ball' by Damien Duff, but Nani failed to convert the resulting spot-kick as Stockdale made an excellent save, but United's Portuguese winger should have done better.

United went on to pay a high price for Nani's penalty miss as Hangeland atoned for his own goal when he powered home a headed equaliser as the clock was running down. Vidic will feel he should have done better as not for the first time, the marking in the United penalty area left a lot to be desired.

The draw was a fair result and United can have no complaints.

[White Noise]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/8935249.stm


Sir Alex Ferguson rues loss of 'silly points' at Fulham 

Hughes and Ferguson both felt 2-2 was a fair result at Craven Cottage

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson criticised his players for throwing away "silly points" in the 2-2 draw with Fulham on Sunday.

Leading 2-1, United missed a penalty and then allowed Brede Hangeland to head Fulham level in the last minute.

"When you get the chance to seal the game with that penalty you should be taking it," Ferguson told MUTV.

"It was a missed opportunity and it galvanised them, got the crowd up and they scored the equaliser."

Five minutes prior to his last minute equaliser, Hangeland had shinned a corner into his own goal to seemingly give United the points at Craven Cottage.

It was minutes after this that Nani saw his spot-kick saved by home keeper David Stockdale after Damien Duff was ruled to have handled after the ball hit his knee then hand.

"When we got that second goal I thought 'we've escaped here'," admitted Ferguson. "But to miss a penalty kick to make it 3-1, you're throwing two points away there I'm afraid."


Click to play
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Penalty save spurred Fulham on - Hughes
Ferguson also questioned the decision to allow Nani to take the spot-kick and not Ryan Giggs, who had come on as a substitute.

"I thought Ryan should have taken it," said the Scot. "In the last game we played against Tottenham at home Ryan scored two penalty kicks and Nani was on the pitch the same day. Maybe Ryan should have taken it."

United began well and took the lead after 11 minutes through Paul Scholes' low drive, but were pegged back when Simon Davies deservedly levelled for Fulham with a close-range finish.

It remained that way until the dramatic finale.

"In fairness to Fulham they were the better team in the second half. I don't think we deserved to be in front at 2-1," said Ferguson. "They caused us a lot of problems, particularly Bobby Zamora who was very good for them. We can't complain in terms of the run of the game."

Ferguson reserved special praise for goalscorer Scholes, who once again produced a superb display after his midfield masterclass in the opening-day 3-0 victory over Newcastle last Monday.

606: DEBATE
After a good start we failed to capitalize on our early advantage

Ditchthebid
"We've seen that before from Paul - he's done that so many times," added Ferguson. "Once again it was an outstanding performance from him. It's just disappointing we didn't ram home the advantage."

The result means reigning champions Chelsea - probably United's main rivals for this season's title - are the only side with maximum points following their second successive 6-0 win on Saturday at Wigan.

Fulham boss Mark Hughes was pleased with his side's showing, and admitted that the penalty save had given his players the belief to push on and achieve an equaliser.

"I thought it was a competitive game between two evenly matched sides trying to win and put a show on," said Hughes. "The fans will have enjoyed it and as a football person I enjoyed it.

"At 2-1 down with only four or five minutes remaining, the award of the penalty - which we thought was really harsh - at that stage you think it's the conclusion of the game.

"At 3-1 it would have been nigh-on impossible to come back but David's save gave us that bit of extra belief we needed at that point in the game and it kicked us to get an equaliser.

"It was a fantastic header from Brede Hangeland, who was feeling a little upset about the own goal but came back and had an answer for it."

Hughes also praised keeper Stockdale, who has filled in this season because of an injury to regular keeper Mark Schwarzer.


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Vidic disappointed not to hold on for win
Australian Schwarzer remains a target for Fulham's Premier League rivals Arsenal, but Hughes is keen to keep the 37-year-old to assist the development of his young understudy.

"Mark was injured today and unavailable for selection but I had no qualms in bringing David in," said Hughes. "He was excellent last week and continued in the same vein today.

"He's an outstanding young keeper but I'm conscious of his development as sometimes giving them too much too soon can hamper that.

"We need an experienced keeper as well as David. We have one here already and we would like it to remain like that way.

"I understand the interest in Mark as he's been one of the top keepers in the Premier League, but we have to protect Fulham's position."

Hughes also admitted he will be looking to strengthen his squad before the end of the transfer window on 1 September.

"There will be a number of things we will pursue and try to conclude," he said. "There's nothing in the offing yet but we'll be trying to add to the quality we already have here."

[White Noise]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8927954.stm

Fulham   2 - 2   Man Utd

By Phil Dawkes 


Brede Hangeland made amends for an own goal with a late header to rescue a point for Fulham and spoil Manchester United's 100% start to the season.

Paul Scholes's 25-yard drive put United ahead but Simon Davies' 12-yard finish deservedly drew the home side level.

Hangeland diverted a corner into his own net to give the lead to United, for whom Nani saw a penalty saved by David Stockdale minutes later.

Hangeland rose to head in from a corner to give his side a share of the spoils.

It was the least Fulham deserved for their contribution to a match that had seen them denied possession for large periods but give as good as they got against in-form opponents.


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Penalty save spurred Fulham on - Hughes
The Cottagers may have changed manager since last season, but Roy Hodgson's replacement, Mark Hughes, will be pleased to see that much of what made Fulham such a tough opponent under his predecessor remains.

No better is this illustrated than in their determination and ability to battle back into the game not only once but twice, when lesser teams would have wilted, especially after such a seemingly decisive late blow as Hangeland's own goal.

That their keeper Stockdale also saved a penalty - diving to his right to palm away substitute Nani's effort after Damien Duff was adjudged to have handled in the box when the ball struck his knee and then arm - between the final two goals of the game serves only to enhance this durable quality.

Such late drama was unforeseeable after the opening 10 minutes, which the away side completely dominated and deservedly led through Scholes's superb low drive - his 150th goal during a career spent entirely with United.

Two seasons ago Scholes was sent off at Craven Cottage in a 2-0 United defeat, the first of two on the ground for the Red Devils in 2009, but he more than made up for this indiscretion with another strong performance on Sunday.

606: DEBATE
Well played Fulham, you definitely deserved a point, maybe even all three!

United from Lahore
The midfielder was always available, always neat and continually central to his side's patient, progressive and polished play.

The other key figure in United's first goal - Dimitar Berbatov, who teed Scholes up - was also heavily involved throughout the game, shouldering much of the senior attacking responsibility in the absence of the ill Wayne Rooney.

An often maligned figure during his time at Old Trafford, Berbatov has been accused of not scoring often enough, and while he opened his account early this campaign with a goal in the 3-0 opening win over Newcastle, here he was wasteful.

He was presented with half a dozen goalscoring opportunities, and despite testing Stockdale with the majority of them, he should have done better.

But the same could be said of many of Fulham's attacking players.


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Vidic disappointed not to hold on for win
But for greater accuracy in their own shooting, and the superb intervention of their former goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar - who rescued his current employers United by firstly blocking from Dickson Etuhu and then somehow tipped the midfielder's follow-up effort over the bar - they would have gone into the break level.

A quarter of an hour into the second half the home side were level as Duff robbed Patrice Evra and fed Bobby Zamora down the right, whose pull-back was fired home by the onrushing Davies.

Both sides continued to press for the advantage: Nani flicked the top of the net with a free-kick from the left and Nemanja Vidic headed wide from a corner for United, while Zamora miscued an effort past the far post from a tight angle after being found by Paul Konchesky's flighted free-kick.


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Hangeland delighted to make up for own goal
It was no surprise that further goals came, only that they were both from the same source.

Central defender Hangeland can consider himself unlucky to see a corner ricochet off his shin and fly in after 84 minutes.

But he can be equally proud of his response at the other end, rising to head home from a corner to give his side a thoroughly warranted equaliser - made possible by Stockdale's spot-kick save.

Dropping two points, even though early in the season, is a blow to United, with reigning champions and title-rivals Chelsea having hit six goals for the second successive game on Saturday to leave them as the only side with maximum points.

[White Noise]

http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2010/08/22/late-drama-for-fulham-keeps-man-united-in-check-82029-27114672/


Late drama for Fulham keeps Man United in check

Aug 22 2010


By Yann Tear

FULHAM gave new boss Mark Hughes plenty to admire in his first competitive outing at the Cottage as Whites boss – and a thoroughly merited point.

The way his side twice recovered from being a goal down was heartening evidence for the Welshman that there need not be a hangover from Roy Hodgson's summer departure.

In an astonishing finale to a truly thrilling encounter for so early in the season, Brede Hangeland (pictured) atoned for an own goal with six minutes remaining by powering home a Damien Duff corner in the final minute and Nani had a penalty saved by David Stockdale.

United led after only 11 minutes when Paul Scholes drilled in another of his trademark low drives from 30 yards past Stockdale - Antonio Valencia and Dimitar Berbatov having worked the ball to him from a short corner.

But on 57 minutes, Simon Davies drew Fulham level, hammering low past Edwin van der Sar after Bobby Zamora – full of confidence and menace all afternoon – had taken a pass from Damien Duff and pulled a ball back from the byline.

With six minutes to go, the otherwise impeccable Hangeland turned a Nani corner into his own net and the game really looked up two minutes later when Damien Duff handled a cross from the right and Nani had the chance to seal victory from the spot.

In the end, a great save by the man who may turn out to be a permanent replacement for Mark Schwarzer, set up the chance for Hangeland to gain redemption.

It sparked pandemonium in the stands comparable with last season's Europa League highs.

Successive home wins against United had left Fulham hoping to become only the third team to have beaten United three years in a row in the Premier League.

It would have been a fitting record to chalk up at the start of their 10th season on the top flight – their longest spell among the elite.

But unlike last season, when the Whites ran riot against a makeshift back four that included Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick, there was no such luck this time.

That was not to say they were without chances of breaching a much sturdier looking United defence throughout and Dickson Etuhu will rue the moment he was denied by a fantastic double save from former Fulham favourite van der Sar in the first half.

The Nigerian timed his run into the penalty area perfectly to meet Clint Dempsey's astute pass, but stabbed a shot at the United keeper, who blocked the first effort and then thrust up a hand from a prone position to pull off an amazing save from Etuhu's second go.

It typified a breathless encounter.

[White Noise]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6330304,00.html


Fergie - Fulham earned it


United boss concedes draw is a fair result


By Jamie Casey   

Last updated: 22nd August 2010

   
Sir Alex Ferguson had no complaints after seeing Manchester United twice surrender a lead at the hands of Fulham.

United led through an early Paul Scholes strike but allowed Fulham back into things as Simon Davies struck in the second half.

Brede Hangeland then put through his own net but made amends by scoring at the right end five minutes later in an epic 2-2 draw.

Substitute Nani missed an opportunity to put United 3-1 up as David Stockdale heroically saved his 87th minute penalty, but Ferguson admits the Cottagers earned their draw.

"In fairness, I think they deserved a point because they played very well in the second half," Ferguson told Sky Sports.

"The first half belonged to us. Their goalkeeper made a couple of good saves which could have put us in a comfortable position.

"But in the second half they upped their game and played better than us, you've got to give credit to them, they deserved their point."

Veteran midfielder Scholes opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a trademark long-range effort and Ferguson was unsurprised to see the 35-year-old score from outside the box.

The manager added: "He's done it before, he's got a tremendous record over the years and once again he's done it."

[White Noise]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=816783&sec=england&cc=5739

Ferguson: Giggs should have taken crucial penalty


By Soccernet staff

August 22, 2010

Sir Alex Ferguson reprimanded his Manchester United side for dropping "silly points" after Fulham rescued a 2-2 draw in the final minute of a pulsating game at Craven Cottage.

Nani missed the chance to put United 3-1 up as David Stockdale saved his penalty

Ferguson's men were missing Wayne Rooney because of a virus and they lost ground on Premier League leaders Chelsea when Nani missed an 87th-minute penalty that would have secured a 3-1 lead - a spot kick the United boss thought Ryan Giggs should have taken.

Nani's effort was well saved by David Stockdale and in the final minute Brede Hangeland, whose own goal had nudged United ahead, nodded home the equaliser to earn Mark Hughes' side a share of ther spoils.

"When you get the opportunity to seal the game with that penalty you should be taking it,'' Ferguson told MUTV. "It was a missed opportunity and it galvanised them, got the crowd up and they scored the equaliser in the end.

"I thought Ryan should have taken it. In the last game we played against Tottenham at home Ryan scored two penalty kicks and Nani was on the pitch the same day. Maybe Ryan should have taken it.

"When we got that second goal I thought 'we've escaped here'. But to miss a penalty kick to make it 3-1, you're throwing two points away there I'm afraid.

"You don't want to be dropping silly points and we dropped silly points today. We can't escape that. There was an opportunity to go 3-1 ahead with three minutes left and we didn't take it.''

Ferguson's frustration at failing to join Chelsea at the top of the table was tempered by the admission Fulham deserved a point from an enthralling contest. An ominous start from United saw Paul Scholes fire a powerful 25-yard drive in the 11 minute only for Simon Davies to equalise in emphatic fashion during a second half controlled by the Cottagers.

"In fairness to Fulham they were the better team in the second half. I don't think we deserved to be in front at 2-1,'' Ferguson said. "They caused us a lot of problem, particularly Bobby Zamora who was very good for them. We can't complain in terms of the run of the game.''

Ferguson added: "We've seen that before from Paul - he's done that so many times. Once again it was an outstanding performance from him. It's just disappointing we didn't ram home the advantage.''

The United boss confirmed that Rooney, who has gone 13 games for club and country since his last competitive goal, was ruled out through illness. "Wayne has a virus," Ferguson said. "The problem is he turned up yesterday with it and he had no chance in 24 hours.

"If it had been a Thursday or Friday we may have been able to patch him up. Sometimes these viruses are 24-hour things and that could have been the case but there was no attempt to see if he could recover from this.''

Fulham had Stockdale's reflexes to thank for keeping them in contention but boss Mark Hughes was wary of lavishing praise on the 24-year-old. Arsenal target Mark Schwarzer, who has handed in a transfer request, failed to recover from his back injury so Stockdale continued between the sticks.

"Stockdale has done very well, he's a good young keeper,'' Hughes said. "We're pleased with what he's producing at the moment but it's always difficult for young keepers. They get by initially on enthusiasm, but can they keep it up over time? We've got to be careful with him.''

[White Noise]

Hangeland BBC video interview -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/fulham/8935259.stm

[White Noise]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6330238,00.html


Hughes hails Fulham spirit


Boss 'delighted' with point after Cottage fight-back


By Jamie Casey   


Last updated: 22nd August 2010   

Fulham boss Mark Hughes believes his team were worthy of their creditable draw with Manchester United on Sunday.

The Cottagers showed resounding spirit to twice come from behind to earn a 2-2 draw in an entertaining game at Craven Cottage.

Simon Davies cancelled out Paul Scholes' early opener before Brede Hangeland scored in the wrong end with just six minutes remaining.

The Norway international atoned for his error, however, as he netted in the right end in the 89th-minute to seal a point, of which Hughes was delighted to come away with.

"Certainly, United were the better team for the majority of the first half," Hughes told Sky Sports.

"But I just sense that we had a little more relief towards the end of the half and then we took that into the second half."

Penalty
United were rewarded a soft penalty in between Hangeland's exploits, only for Fulham keeper David Stockdale to save substitute Nani's take.

Stockdale has emerged as Fulham's first choice with regular number one Mark Schwarzer dropped after handing in a transfer request earlier this month, and Hughes has confidence in his replacement.

"I think everyone accepted that had the penalty been converted the game was over but David has been impressing everybody," he said.

"I haven't been through the door long but since I've been here his training and the two games that he's played he's been outstanding, so credit to the young boy," he said of the 24-year-old.

The penalty was awarded against Damien Duff, who was in open space when he accidently handled the ball when trying to clear a deep cross.

Hughes felt the decision was incorrect but believes justice was done and his side duly punished United for the miss by equalising almost immediately after.

Hughes added: "I was disappointed with the penalty award and obviously the own goal. Yes, it hit his hand but there was no intention, he hasn't tried to affect the play, he swung a leg out and it bounced into his hand.

"I thought it was a harsh decision. We had a couple of shouts ourselves but overall I'm just delighted with the overall spirit we've shown."

[White Noise]

Nemanja Vidic Video interview -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/8935237.stm

[White Noise]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/aug/22/fulham-manchester-united


Fulham's late goal caps miserable day for Manchester United

• Ferguson says Giggs should have taken penalty, not Nani

• Visiting manager accepts Fulham deserved a point


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Dominic Fifield at Craven Cottage guardian.co.uk, Sunday 22 August 2010 21.46 BST Article history

Sir Alex Ferguson said his side dropped "silly points" after Fulham fought back to earn a 2-2 draw against Manchester United at Craven Cottage yesterday.

The United manager said he was surprised that Nani took the late penalty that could have maintained United's flawless start to the Premier League season, only to see the spot-kick saved by the Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale three minutes from time after Damien Duff had been penalised for handball. The miss saw the visitors' one-goal lead maintained until Brede Hangeland headed an equaliser in the last minute to earn the hosts a point.

"I thought Ryan [Giggs] should have taken it," Ferguson said. "In the last game we played against Tottenham Hotspur at home, Ryan scored two penalty kicks and Nani was on the pitch the same day. Maybe Ryan should have taken it. We had that opportunity to seal it with only a few minutes to go, and you think you're home and dry then. But the goalkeeper reacted quickly, getting across his goal, though I always think height is crucial at a penalty kick.

"It was [struck at] a bad height, maybe. You don't want to be dropping silly points and we dropped silly points today. We can't escape that. There was an opportunity to go 3-1 ahead with three minutes left and we didn't take it. I don't think we deserved to be in front at 2-1 but, when you get the opportunity to seal the game with that penalty, you should be taking it. To miss a penalty kick to make it 3-1, you're throwing two points away there, I'm afraid."

Ferguson said Fulham merited at least a point after a spirited second-half response. "I thought they were revitalised in the second half," he said. "They upped their game and were the better team. When we got that second goal I thought: 'We've escaped here.' They caused us a lot of problems, particularly [Bobby] Zamora, who was very good for them. We'd played well in the first half and their goalkeeper made four excellent saves, but we didn't ram home the advantage. I can't complain in terms of the run of the game."

[White Noise]

http://cottagers.blogspot.com/2010/08/fulham-2-2-manchester-united.html

Fulham 2 -2 Manchester United


An undeserved point for Fulham today. Undeserved because they were worth all three. My usual Man United supporting, Fulham season ticket holding dichotomy was resolved by me decamping to P2's neutral end, which was 80% Man United. Still I wasn't as confused as the Irish guy sat behind me who didn't seem to be supporting either team, but instead giving continual support to Damien Duff and John O'Shea. It was a bit odd considering most of the time these two were in direct opposition.

United started well. Very well in fact and completely dominated right unto Paul Scholes scoring one of those long range efforts from a corner situation. Encouragingly this spurred Fulham on and they slowly started to take control of the game. This probably ensued when Danny Murphy started getting a little bit closer to Scholes and started cutting off the creative supply. In fact once Scholes was watched a bit more closely, there was little true creativity from United and their two forwards were starved of supply, mainly because of the rather ordinary games the two wingers Valencia and Park were having.

Hughes' Fulham were very reminiscient of Hodgson's. Tidy and organised; they were a team through and through. Etuhu, who appears to be pushing further up the field these days, really should have scored after Van der Sar only palmed one of his shots straight back at him. However the Dutch keeper manager to tip the second shot over the bar, despite being sat on his backside at the time. So dominant were Fulham that it was a surprise when United came out with the same team in the second half. Inevitably Fulham continued thier first half pressure and got a deserved equaliser when Davies swept in a great move down the right.

Hughes provided us with our first look at Dembele. The Belgian showed willing and went on a couple of runs which suggested he could be a handful for opposition teams in the future. However it was a Man United substitute - Nani - which switched momentum and it was one of his many corners that came off the shin of Hangeland and into the back of the net for a barely deserved second.

Minutes later and Duff was penalised for handball - he miscontrolled a cross from the United right and the ball popped up onto his hand. It was a harsh penalty, but one of those that would be given 7 out of 10 times. Surprisingly Nani stepped forward to take the spot kick but it was even more of a surprise to see David Stockdale dive to his right and push the ball wide of the post. It was Stockdale's second great save of the match - his reactions to push a Berbatov volley over the bar in the first half were exemplary and will do no harm to Hughes' complicated goalkeeping options.

The save turned out to be pivotal. Fulham forced another corner and this time Hangeland rose high above everyone and powered a header past Van der Sar. In three seasons I only remember two other last minute goals from Fulham - hopefully it's a sign of things to come. With the game being so early in the season, the need for points isn't as pronounced, so I was able to enjoy the game - although I don't think I 'celebrated' any of the four goals. It was a cracking, rip roaring match though and bodes well for the future under Hughes. Not many teams will have th gumption to come back from behind twice against United this season. At least I hope not

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Mark Hughes Video Interview -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/fulham/8935242.stm