Etuhuhuhu I Wanna Be Like You

[White Noise]

Forward Thinking

Monday 27th September 2010

Share With a new manager comes change. It is an inevitable part of the game, and how those changes impact a team is largely down to its players.

And there is one man in particular who seems to be flourishing after the appointment of Mark Hughes as Fulham Manager – Dickson Etuhu, who has started the season positive and bright.

Having taken over from the perceived-to-be-irreplaceable Jimmy Bullard with limited fuss, Etuhu has become an important player for Fulham, a key component of the Club's recent success.

Over the previous two seasons, the 28-year-old has done an admirable, yet often selfless job in the heart of the Whites midfield. Protecting the back four, he has been disciplined and ordered, following instructions to the letter.

But while he impressed greatly as our resident midfield 'enforcer', there was a nagging sense that he had more to offer. A player once dubbed 'the new Patrick Vieira' must possess other facets to his game than winning tackles and breaking up opposition attacks, regardless of how effective he may be at those tasks. At times, one could almost feel his desire to break free from those defensive shackles.

"I used to be more of a box-to-box player before I came to Fulham," reveals Dickson. "But for the last two seasons my job was to sit in front of the defence. This season I'm being encouraged to drive forward a bit more and it's working really well.

"It's a part of the game that I enjoy and like to think I can bring something extra to other parts of the pitch. Of course, first and foremost as a midfielder you have to offer protection to those behind you, but you can also offer support to those in front."

Change is perhaps the wrong word when describing Hughes' philosophy since his arrival – adjustment is probably the word of suit. The Manager has recognised the foundations that already exist, and with an element of tweaking, appears to have transformed the Whites into a more complete unit.

"Mark Hughes is more dynamic and explosive," he explains. "He wants pace and power, he wants us to take the game to our opponents. We have been driving at teams and that's something we haven't really done before.

"As a result, we know that we are going to get more goals this year - I think you will see a more unpredictable Fulham. That's not to say we will lose any of the control and organisation that we have had in the past, there's just a bit more freedom now."

Etuhu is clearly enjoying his football. For some, a shift in management could represent a potentially testing period, yet the midfielder appears to have relished the challenge.

"My brother Kelvin played under Mark at Manchester City," says Dickson. "Before the Manager arrived he told me a lot of good things about him and that he thought my style of play would suit the way Mark likes his teams to play.

"That said, I was still quite surprised to find out what a great manager he actually is, the football he believes in and the way that he carries and presents himself. I'm really enjoying working with him; I think we can learn a lot from him.

"He has got us all wearing suits instead of Club tracksuits to games now, home and away. That might not seem like a big deal to those on the outside, but it goes a long way in our mental preparation."

Back on the field, Etuhu will be hoping his good form continues. Particularly impressive against Manchester United last month, his use of the ball has been more positive and his selection of pass more ambitious.

Dickson is the epitome of the modern day player, an athlete as well as a footballer. With an ability to break at ease, this season he has also emerged as a genuine goal threat, his lung-busting run and confident finish against Blackpool illustrating that ability.

"That's something the Manager believes I can give the team," he explains. "I've been told to get into the box as much as possible and hopefully I can score a few goals this year. The goal at Blackpool came at a good time for us, and as a result we came away with a valuable point.

"It was nice to be able to contribute in that way and I believe that I can do more of that. It's quite possible that I will find myself in more goal scoring situations over the course of the season so we'll see if that can be the case. I'll have to get out on the training pitch with the strikers and see what I can pick up."

Talking of strikers, Etuhu was devastated by the sight of close friend and team-mate Bobby Zamora being stretchered off against Wolves.

"I think it's fair to say that everyone at the Club was shattered by what happened to Bobby," he admits. "He is more than just a good player and our top goal scorer – he is also one of the biggest personalities in the dressing room. He will be missed.

"You could tell by the pain he was in on the pitch that it was serious, we just did not want to look. I went to see him after the game and understandably he was very low. But Bobby will be back, there is no doubt in my mind about that.

"This can be a very cruel game," he considers. "One minute a player can feel like he is on top of the world, and the next he's facing four to five months on the sidelines. I know just how harsh it can be - I've been there myself.

"It's strange because before we signed the new deals we were both joking that we would have to be careful walking down stairs and things, just in case either of us got injured. Bobby even suggested that we slept at Motspur Park just to make sure nothing happened.

"It's a sobering thought because that could easily have happened to any one of us, including myself."

The hugely impressive Mousa Dembélé has also since joined Zamora on the sidelines, although the Belgian flyer's absence will thankfully be much shorter. Yet despite missing two of our most influential players, Etuhu believes Fulham still have the firepower to worry their opponents.

"I know some will look at the fact that we have Bobby and Mousa missing, and think that we'll perhaps struggle in the final third. Don't get me wrong, that's a blow, but I believe we can adapt.

"Clint Dempsey and Zoltan Gera can play in that advanced position and both have goals in them. Then we have Eddie Johnson and Diomansy Kamara who will be hungry to show what they can do.

"In midfield we have goals too, with Simon Davies and Damien Duff more than capable of making a difference. And let's not forget that Danny Murphy has a decent goal scoring record too. It will be tough, but this team has a lot of character – we'll manage."

Etuhu has now entered his third season at Craven Cottage, a period of his career he not only looks upon as his most successful, but a phase in which he has developed considerably as a player.

"I love wearing the Fulham shirt, and I'm very happy at this club," he levels. "I feel very settled on and off the pitch. My time here has been exciting and certainly the past 12 months have been the best of my career.

"I think I have improved as a player and I have a lot to thank the previous manager, Roy Hodgson, for. He kind of coached me from the beginning again and I understand the game better because of him.

"This is an equally exciting chapter for me, and I feel I can improve even more. This is a special Club and who knows what we can achieve here?"
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Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/September/EtuhuForwardThinking.aspx#ixzz10k8mrReV

[Lighthouse]

I have complained about the subject headline. It will spread and we will have a whole lot of Walt Dismal themed Subject Headings now.

[White Noise]

I have complained about the subject headline. It will spread and we will have a whole lot of Walt Dismal themed Subject Headings now.

You can do many things Lighthouse but spontaneously creating Fulham related Walt Disney thread titles is a 'whole new world' for you.

[White Noise]

I really like quotes like this about Sparky. All the players seem very impressed and some almost in awe of him. Our last few managers have all tried different things to improve our away mindset - does anyone think wearing suits might do the trick??


"That said, I was still quite surprised to find out what a great manager he actually is, the football he believes in and the way that he carries and presents himself. I'm really enjoying working with him; I think we can learn a lot from him.

"He has got us all wearing suits instead of Club tracksuits to games now, home and away. That might not seem like a big deal to those on the outside, but it goes a long way in our mental preparation."

[jarv]

Mr Lighthouse, you mean themes like 101 diomansis or the team that time forgot.

[Jimpav]

You've got those Baird neccesities, those good old Baird necessities forget about your troubles and your strife lighthouse.

[Lighthouse]

Didn't I warn you it would start?

Wouldn't mind but they are BOTH better than ones I came up with.  :012:

[FatFreddysCat]

The two J's in this thread deserve  a  :Sparkyticus:  :Sparkyticus: . Lighthouse, must try much harder  :53: