Thursday Fulham Stuff (14/10/10)

[WhiteJC]

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/10/10/14/SOCCER_Fulham_Nightlead.html&TEAMHD=soccer
DAVIES HOPEFUL OF BEATING SPURS

Simon Davies has warned Tottenham that Fulham will be out to prove just what a "dangerous team" they are in Saturday's London derby at a sold-out Craven Cottage.

Mark Hughes' men are unbeaten in the Barclays Premier League this season, but also have managed only one victory from seven matches.

Manchester United were held to a 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage back in August and Davis maintains Harry Redknapp's Champions League hopefuls will be in for similar treatment.

"We look a really dangerous team and it has been a shame that we have not gone on and won a couple more games, but the longer the season goes on, the better I am sure we will become," Davis said on the club's official website.

"Spurs have got some great individual players, as they always have had, but they are really playing as a team now - that is why they are doing so well in the league and in the Champions League.

"It is going to be a tough game, but we have done all right against them over the last few years.

"The Cottage is a difficult place to come to and hopefully we can keep our home form going."

Davies, who will be 31 at the end of the month, has not been away during the international break after recently calling time on his career with Wales.

However, the midfielder revealed the group which stayed behind in west London have been working hard towards this weekend's resumption of domestic action.

"The manger's really keen to keep people as fit as possible," he said.

"We had a nice weekend off, but we came back and everyone's getting ready for Tottenham, which we know is going to be a tough game.

"It's been quite a small group that we've been working with every day. The sessions have been intensive - you definitely get your work in.

"It's been good, but it's a long time to go without a game so it'll be good when everyone's back.

"For the lads that are here it's about getting your head down and training as hard as you can."

Mousa Dembele is hoping to be involved again after an injury lay-off, while former England striker Andy Johnson is also on the comeback trail following an extended rehabilitation.

"He is looking sharp," Davies said.

"I've been talking to AJ a lot because I was out for a long time last season.

"The main thing is that his knee isn't giving him a problem so if we can get him back fit and firing he'll be like a new signing"

Fulham captain Danny Murphy made headlines during the international break when he pointed the finger of blame for reckless challenges at the managers of Stoke, Blackburn and Wolves, claiming "sending out their players so pumped up there is inevitably going to be problems".

It has already drawn criticism from Bolton boss Owen Coyle, but long-serving Crewe manager Dario Gradi believes his former trainee has it about right.

Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke, the 69-year-old said: "You don't play good football if you're hot-headed.

"I am happy to see people make tackles. I am just not happy for people to risk injury getting tackled.

"One of our supporters says to me every week, 'have you got them going Dario?'

"I always say 'No, I hope not, I am trying to keep them calm'."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6444566,00.html?
Big Sam fights accusations
Rovers boss unhappy with Murphy's tackling claims

Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce has defended the club's disciplinary record in the wake of Danny Murphy's tackling comments.

The Fulham midfielder alleged that teams such as Blackburn, Stoke and Wolves go out onto the pitch with the sole purpose of rattling the opposition.

Murphy was unhappy with the spate of bad tackles that have blighted the game of late, saying that managers should accept their fair share of the responsibility.

Allardyce was displeased Murphy singled the club out for criticism as it gives the wrong impression of Blackburn, who have one of the league's better disciplinary records this season.

The Rovers boss insists he would never send out a team to intentionally hurt an opposition player and that the disciplinary facts surrounding the club this term speaks for itself.

Allardyce says his players are unhappy that Murphy labelled some of the modern day tackles as 'brainless', stating they are angry about the experienced midfielder's choice of wording.

Unfortunate

"I think it's very unfortunate that I have to sit here and defend myself, the players and Blackburn Rovers football club," he said on Sky Sports News.

"It should be unnecessary that I have to do it, but considering the allegation that was made by Danny, which was totally and utterly wrong, I had to.

"Myself as a manager, this football club and its players in its disciplinary terms since I've been here have improved enormously.

"We've reduced the average booking record. We've reduced the number of sending offs. We are not dirty. We never go out to injure a player. I never send a player out to go and try and injure an opposition player. We're too professional for that.

"We've had to pull up the stats and facts to show you exactly where we lie in terms of our disciplinary record. I think in the league's disciplinary table we're actually fourth. That's how good we are this year.

"Since I've been here it's been the best disciplinary record over the five years at the football club. I think that speaks volumes for what we really are. People like Danny Murphy are giving a perception that isn't true. I hate perception. There's far too much of it in the game. We should stick to the reality.

"The players are very, very angry about what Danny called it. Was it 'brainless' or 'mindless'? I think that's an outrageous statement to make. The players are unhappy about that.

"What we don't want is any backlash from those suggestions because they are unfounded. The backlash is that people's perception out there is that we're dirty side now and we're not, and we never have been."