Sunday Fulham Stuff (31/10/10)...

[WhiteJC]

http://www.tribalfootball.com/johnson-frustrated-long-term-fulham-injury-1214261?

Johnson frustrated with long term Fulham injury

Fulham striker Andy Johnson has admitted it was hard to cope with a year long absence on the sidelines.

Johnson returned to first-team action as a substitute in the 2-1 defeat at West Brom last weekend and will continue his comeback against Wigan on Saturday.

"I'd never spent such a long period on the sidelines and it was very frustrating," said Johnson.

"It was something mentally hard that I had to deal with.

"The fans mostly see the glitz and the glamour, the nice cars and the nice houses and all the other rubbish connected with football that appears in the newspapers and magazines.

"This was the other side of the game. For me, it was very tough."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1325106/Fulham-2-Wigan-0-Clint-Dempsey-double-sink-lacklustre-Latics.html?

Fulham 2 Wigan 0: Clint Dempsey at the double to sink lacklustre Latics

Mark Hughes set his team the target of staying in the top half of the Premier League after this emphatic win swept Fulham eight places up the table.

In a faltering start to the season, the London club had won only one of their first nine games, but this quality performance against a poor Wigan side gave undoubted credence to the Welshman's pre-match boast that Fulham should be in the top 10.
'It's been frustrating not getting the results our performances have deserved, so we're delighted by the events of today,' said Hughes. 'I wasn't worried with our position in the table because I feel we're a top-10 side.


Star man: Clint Dempsey looks skyward at Craven Cottage
'I see the quality every day in training. We're now up to eighth in the table and we have to make sure we stay there.'

Against a Wigan side surprisingly unbeaten away in the league before yesterday, Fulham dominated in every department, scored twice in 14 minutes before half-time and comfortably held at bay any possible Wigan fightback.

There were excellent performances from the likes of Mexican left-back Carlos Salcido, captain Danny Murphy in midfield and bustling Belgian striker Mousa Dembele. But the star man was Clint Dempsey, whose first effort was a soaring header to meet Salcido's left-wing cross, the second a sharp volley from a Chris Baird centre, giving Ali Al Habsi no chance on either occasion.

Hapless Wigan barely mounted an attack and their manager, Roberto Martinez, described this as their worst performance of the season.

'We came here with no real energy,' said the Spaniard. 'We couldn't get the ball and we were weak.

'They were brighter and sharper than us and our performance was one of those that we have to eradicate from the rest of the season. We must make sure it never happens again.'


Making the points secure: Clint Dempsey hits his second of the game
In his team's defence, Martinez pointed to the midweek Carling Cup victory over Swansea City which had left his players with some knocks and bruises and short of energy.

'Some of the players can't cope with three games in a week,' said Martinez.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1325106/Fulham-2-Wigan-0-Clint-Dempsey-double-sink-lacklustre-Latics.html?#ixzz13v81cll1

[WhiteJC]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/oct/30/fulham-wigan-athletic-premier-league?

Fulham ease past woeful Wigan Athletic thanks to Clint Dempsey double


Clint Dempsey scores the first of his two goals for Fulham against Wigan Athletic in
their 2-0 win. Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Action Images

Fulham finally secured their second league win of the season, with two superb first-half goals from Clint Dempsey catapulting Mark Hughes's side from 16th to eighth in the Premier League and easing the pressure at Craven Cottage.

Not that Hughes had been unduly concerned with the club's lowly status. "When you wake up on Sunday morning you want to see yourselves in the top half, that goes without saying," the Fulham manager said. "We feel we're a top-10 side. I see the quality we have every day in training. Nothing sways me from that. It is just the make-up of the Premier League, with a lot of teams on a similar amount of points. We just found ourselves on the bottom of that pile. What are we now seventh, eighth? It can happen very quickly. What we need to now is make sure we stay there."

After a drab opening half-hour, Fulham's first goal was anything but. Carlos Salcido, a rampaging presence at left-back throughout, surged to the byline and dinked in the perfect cross to find Dempsey. The American, climbing high, powered his header home.

That seemed to galvanise the home side and they were deservedly two goals up by the break. Dempsey had already been denied by a combination of Ali al‑Habsi and the crossbar, again from a Salcido centre, when, seconds before the break, he acrobatically turned Zoltan Gera's ball past the Wigan goalkeeper.

Roberto Martínez responded by replacing the utterly ineffectual Franco di Santo with Jordi Gómez, but the effect was negligible. Fulham eased off from their pre-interval frenzy, but never seemed likely to allow the visitors back into the game. Indeed Dempsey almost completed his hat-trick midway through the half, just failing to slide on to Simon Davies's low cross, and five minutes later Gera had Habsi at full stretch with a drive from 20 yards. The Latics, ostensibly chasing down a two-goal deficit, failed to register a shot on target.

Before the game Martínez had insisted that performances mattered more than results at this stage of the season, but he got neither from his side here, despite Charles N'Zogbia's best efforts in the first half.

Wigan have now won once in seven attempts and have scored seven goals in the league. "It's our worst performance of the season," said Martínez, who felt his side were lacking sharpness following their Carling Cup victory over Swansea in midweek. "It's something we must eradicate and make sure it never happens again."


THE FANS' PLAYER RATINGS AND VERDICT

DAVID LLOYD, TOOFIF.co.uk It was a routine win for us and the ultimate team performance. We just kept going and they didn't trouble our keeper. At the start there was a lot of huff and puff, some clever interplay but no result. I think the key thing was it was very tight down the middle but once we got wide Salcido got a cross in and Dempsey had an easy header. In the end it was hugely impressive considering that we have slipped a bit recently. It also proves there is life after Zamora and it was also great to see Johnson get on near the end, although it was just a cameo performance. The result takes the pressure off Mark Hughes.

The fan's player ratings Schwarzer 7, Baird 8, Hughes 8, Hangeland 8, Salcido 8; Gera 8, Murphy 8 (Dikgacoi 86 7), Davies 8 (Johnson 80 7), Greening 8; Dempsey 8,Dembélé 8

MARK ASHURST, Observer reader Beaten by a better team, it was a mixture of them being good and us poor. They were quicker to the ball. We started off OK but didn't really threaten their keeper. Their fans will be thinking it was the easiest game of the season. We have been on a half-decent run so it is not the end of the world. We missed the injured James McCarthy in midfield and our right hand side was weak. Cleverly did well on loan from Manchester United but will probably go back to them soon. The game was overshadowed by the death of our former manager John Benson. He worked very hard for the club in a number of roles.

The fan's player ratings Habsi 6, Stam 5, S Caldwell 5, Alcaraz 6, Figueroa 6; Thomas 6,Diamé 5 (Moses 73 6); N'Zogbia 7, Cleverly 7, Rodallega 6; Di Santo 6 (Gómez ht 5)

To take part in the Fans' Verdict, email [email protected]

[WhiteJC]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/7943541/Fulham-2-Wigan-Athletic-0-match-report.html?

Fulham 2 Wigan Athletic 0: match report
Read a full match report of the Premier League game between Everton and Stoke City at Goodison Park on Saturday Oct 30 2010.


High rise: Clint Dempsey heads Fulham ahead against Wigan
Photo: REUTERS

Clint Dempsey scored twice to lead Fulham out of a barren spell in the sunshine of Craven Cottage.

The American steered Fulham to a first win in seven games with two first half goals, a victory that enabled Mark Hughes' side to leap-frog Wigan Athletic in the Premier League.

Wigan, unbeaten in their previous six games, were first to threaten in a generally mundane opening period with Franco Di Santo, once of nearby Chelsea, seeing an effort hit the body of team-mate Tom Cleverley.

The Manchester United midfielder, on loan at the DW Stadium, was given his first start for Wigan and offered an attempt of his own soon afterwards but the weak effort was held easily by Mark Schwarzer.

Fulham's response was minimal, with Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi forced to rush from his area to clear from the feet of Clint Dempsey.

And when Fulham won a free-kick 20 yards out, Zoltan Gera's dipping effort flew narrowly over the target.

However, a dull game suddenly came to life after half an hour when Fulham scored a classically manufactured goal.

Gera found Carlos Salcido on the left and the Mexican defender's well-placed cross was met by the head of Dempsey, the American claiming his fourth goal of the season.

Fulham finished the first half with a flourish. Gera came close to a second goal on two occasions, firstly finding the side netting, then heading over from a matter of yards after Ali Al Habsi had saved from Mousa Dembele's header.

But in the penultimate minute of the half, poor defending allowed Dempsey to claim his second. Chris Baird crossed from the right and Dempsey got behind returning captain Gary Caldwell to finish in style.

Wigan made an interval change, with Jordi Gomez replacing the ineffective Di Santo, but Fulham continued to dominate.
The ever-improving Salcido almost turned a cross into a goal when his deceptive delivery dropped just over the Wigan bar, in the 55th minute.

Wigan responded briefly with a telling run from Mohamed Diame, but he shot wide from an acute angle.

Al Habsi denied Gera a goal he deserved, in the 76th minute.

Fulham were cruising and were able to give Andy Johnson another valuable run out when the striker, who last started a game in January, came on for the final 10 minutes.

Johnson was offered the chance to claim a late third goal for Fulham, from Dembele's long ball, but the striker lost possession to Maynor Figueroa. And in the closing stages Johnson fell at the feet of Hendry Thomas but was denied a penalty.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.premierleague.com/page/MatchReports/0,,12306~51684,00.html

Fulham 2-0 Wigan Athletic
Fulham avoided a third successive league defeat to rocket up the table with victory over Wigan Athletic.


Clint Dempsey struck twice as Fulham avoided a third successive Barclays Premier League defeat to rocket up the table.

Dempsey, paired alongside Moussa Dembele in attack, took his tally for the season to five with both goals arriving in the first half of an encounter dominated by Mark Hughes' side.

The USA international's brace saw him take centre stage at Craven Cottage, but left-back Carlos Salcido was another outstanding performer.

Salcido, a £1.6m summer signing from PSV Eindhoven, set up the opener for Dempsey and was a constant menace to Wigan Athletic's over-worked defence.

The Mexican has become a key attacking weapon and his reputation at Craven Cottage is growing.

Fulham should have claimed their second league victory of the season by a more convincing scoreline given their ascendancy with Zoltan Gera and Brede Hangeland missing chances.

It was Wigan's first defeat in seven matches in all competitions and they appeared lethargic, hardly troubling Mark Schwarzer throughout the 90 minutes.

Athletic made five changes to the side that drew with Bolton, among them the return of Gary Caldwell who was making his first league appearance of the season having undergone double hip surgery over the summer.

ATTACKING MOMENT
The Wigan captain was involved in an early goalmouth scramble that was eventually cleared before Hangeland nodded a Simon Davies free-kick over the crossbar.

The lively Davies, who along with Danny Murphy was restored to the midfield after overcoming injury, squared a quickly-taken free-kick when he should have pulled the trigger himself.

Charles N'Zogbia ended a dynamic run by blazing wide of the left post as Wigan enjoyed a rare attacking moment.

N'Zogbia continued to look Wigan's most penetrating player as he darted into space once again, though on this occasion his shot fell straight into the arms of Schwarzer.

Fulham were still the more likely goal scorers, however, and in the 30th minute they crept into the lead through Dempsey.

Murphy sprayed the ball wide to Salcido who dashed forward before delivering a tremendous cross into the six-yard box.

Dempsey drifted in between Antolin Alcaraz and Caldwell before outjumping the latter and heading into the corner to give goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi little chance.

Fulham almost extended their lead but Gera hit the side netting with a sweetly-struck shot and a heartbeat later the Hungarian shook his head in reaction to missing a good chance.

POINT BLANK
The dangerous Salcido delivered another superb cross which Dempsey appeared to have converted only for Al Habsi to scoop his effort off the line.

The danger was not over as the ball fell to Gera but he nodded over from point blank range.

Fulham were on the rampage and the second arrived a minute before half-time, Chris Baird supplying a wonderful pass that outwitted Caldwell for Dempsey to thump home.

Dembele was eventually crowded out as he zig-zagged his way into Wigan's area before Salcido found the top netting with a speculative lob.

The home defence was largely confined to a watching brief as Wigan struggled to secure any possession.

Fulham continued to dominate but could not produce the decisive ball, though Jonathan Greening caused a few anxious moments with a crafty pass.

Davies slid a ball across goal that the omnipresent Dempsey just failed to meet before stabbing Gera's cross wide.

Gera and Dembele saw attempts foiled by desperate defending as Fulham pressed for a third they richly deserved.

Davies was replaced by Andy Johnson with 10 minutes to go, but the former England striker had little impact as outgunned Wigan focused on damage limitation.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.skysports.com/football/match_report/0,19764,11065_3283268,00.html?

Dempsey double sinks Latics
Dempsey hits brace to give Cottagers deserved win

Clint Dempsey notched a first-half brace to hand Fulham a deserved victory over Wigan at Craven Cottage.

The American striker headed home the opener from six yards on the half-hour mark from Carlos Salcido's cross.

He then doubled the advantage with a strike from 12 yards from Chris Baird's cross a minute before the interval.

The victory saw Mark Hughes' side rise to eighth in the top flight, while Roberto Martinez's team lost their unbeaten away record.

Dempsey, who took his tally for the season to five, took centre stage at Craven Cottage, but left-back Salcido was another outstanding performer.

Salcido, a £1.6million summer signing from PSV Eindhoven, was a constant menace to Wigan's over-worked defence.

The Mexican has become a key attacking weapon and his reputation at Craven Cottage is growing.

Fulham should have claimed their second Premier League victory of the season by a more convincing scoreline given their ascendancy with Zoltan Gera and Brede Hangeland missing chances.

It was Wigan's first defeat in seven games in all competitions and they appeared lethargic, hardly troubling Mark Schwarzer throughout the 90 minutes.

Changes

Athletic made five changes to the side that drew with Bolton, among them the return of Gary Caldwell who was making his first Premier League appearance of the season having undergone double hip surgery over the summer.

The Wigan captain was involved in an early goalmouth scramble that was eventually cleared before Hangeland nodded a Simon Davies free-kick over the crossbar.

The lively Davies, who along with Danny Murphy was restored to the midfield after overcoming injury, squared a quickly-taken free-kick when he should have pulled the trigger himself.

Charles N'Zogbia made a dynamic run from inside his own half into the Fulham box but blazed wide of the left post as Wigan enjoyed a rare attacking moment.

N'Zogbia continued to look Wigan's most penetrating player as he darted into space once again, though on this occasion his shot fell straight into the arms of Schwarzer.

Fulham were still the more likely goalscorers, however, and in the 30th minute they took the lead through Dempsey.

Murphy sprayed the ball wide to Salcido who dashed forward before delivering a tremendous cross into the six-yard box.

Dempsey drifted in between Antolin Alcaraz and Caldwell before outjumping the latter and heading into the corner to give goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi little chance.

Missed sitter
Fulham almost extended their lead but Gera hit the side-netting with a sweetly-struck shot and a heartbeat later the Hungarian shook his head in reaction to missing a sitter.

The dangerous Salcido delivered another superb cross which Dempsey appeared to have converted only for Al Habsi to scoop his effort off the line.

The danger was not over as the ball fell to Gera but he somehow nodded over from point-blank range.

Fulham were on the rampage and the second arrived a minute before half-time, Baird supplying a wonderful pass that outwitted Caldwell for Dempsey to thump home.

After the interval, Moussa Dembele was eventually crowded out as he zig-zagged his way into Wigan's area before Salcido found the top netting with a speculative lob.

The home defence was largely confined to a watching brief as Wigan struggled to secure any possession.

Fulham continued to dominate but could not produce the decisive ball, though Jonathan Greening caused a few anxious moments with a crafty pass.

Davies slid a ball across goal that the omnipresent Dempsey just failed to meet before stabbing Gera's cross wide.

Gera and Dembele saw attempts foiled by desperate defending as Fulham pressed for a third they richly deserved.

Davies was replaced by Andrew Johnson with 10 minutes to go, with the former England striker, who featured against West Brom last week, receiving a rapturous ovation from the Fulham faithful as he made his return from long-term injury at Craven Cottage.

Johnson created problems for the Wigan defence but could not add to his side's goal tally as the Cottagers ran out easy winners.

[WhiteJC]

http://blogs.soccernet.com/fulham/archives/2010/10/double_delight_from_deuce.php?

Double Delight from 'Deuce'

Fulham end Wigan's unbeaten run on the road with their most convincing performance to date under Hughes. The Whites give full value, with two goal Dempsey the hero.

A huge fillip for the fans - and new manager Mark Hughes, with Fulham playing delightful, fluent football in the autumn sunshine. The return of Davies and Murphy restored cohesion to midfield, the ball was played up at speed, the side added width to their approach play, and Dempsey profited with two great goals. Best of all, we finally managed a clean sheet.

On 30 minutes Gera galloped across the park as Wigan backed off, fed the ever willing Salcido and his cross from in front of the Cottage was powered into the bottom corner by the soaring Clint. Fulham's second goal was even better. A minute before half-time a neat triangle gave Baird all the time in the world to rifle in a cross from the opposite flank and Dempsey reacted brilliantly to get ahead of hs marker and volley home from 12 yards for his 5th of the season.

Gera headed over an empty net, saw the keeper parry a fierce drive in the 2nd half with Dembele almost turning in the rebound, and went close on two other occasions. At the other end Schwarzer was never troubled by a very subdued Wigan side. It's now eight attempts since they last beat us.

Fulham were so dominant it was only a shame not to see further goals arrive after half-time to boost the GD and reward fans at the Hammy End. As the clock ran down AJ got a brief chance to unsettle defenders, with Clint even showboating some feints and tricks. Unlike previous weeks nobody underperformed, even Greening putting in a decent shift. Clint though takes the plaudits as our matchwinner, how he loves scoring against Wigan.

So tight is the table, Fulham supporters are tonight all smiles as the Whites zoom up into 8th place. And their pass and move football - especially from the first-half - made this a significant step in Mark's development of the team. More of the same please for Villa next week.

Well done to the boys, and, at last, no need to mention the match officials!

[WhiteJC]

http://wigan.illarterate.co.uk/2010/10/30/fulham-2-0-wigan-scary-stuff/?

Fulham 2-0 Wigan: Scary stuff

In the interests of keeping you awake long enough to even make it as far as the second paragraph, I'm going to start off by 'doing a Bob' and attempting to stick to the positives that came out of today's game.

Nnnngh... well, I think that would actually be nigh on impossible, because this really was a totally forgettable game from Wigan's point of view. In fact, many of those that made the arduous trip to London would struggle to remember if there even was a Latics match this afternoon, we were so ineffective. I suppose things have picked up a bit from our drubbing at the hands of Portsmouth this time last year, and on the whole I'd say we're performing a bit better than we were at that point, but it isn't much consolation.

Maybe the midweek cup tie against Swansea took its toll on Latics' squad, whereas Fulham had a nice week of rest and relaxation, but that doesn't account for our non-appearance at Craven Cottage. Yes, there was the odd sniff of an opportunity, but the long-distance shooting we favoured in the first 45 minutes was never really going to challenge Mark Schwarzer.

If Wigan struggled in the first half, they simply weren't even present for the second. I suppose the majority of our troubles stemmed from lack of possession, which limited the potency of our attackers and put Alcaraz and Caldwell under too much pressure. In this sense, Fulham must be credited for their tight, man-to-man football (doing their homework well, then) which Wigan never adapted to at any stage, really. Roberto actually made a change or two to try and combat this, but it wasn't much use when the midfield couldn't string more than a couple of passes together, relegating Rodallega to a mere spectator in the second stanza.


It's been a bad day in more ways than one, as just a few hours before kicking off at Fulham, Latics were drawn away to Arsenal in the Carling Cup. It was a toss-up as to whether the Gunners or Man United would be the more difficult, but we'll have to see how that goes. I can tell you right now, though, we'll have to be infinitely better than we were today if anyone at the club harbours ambitions of making it to the semis. Either that or Arsenal agree to play the game with ten men, and even then we would struggle.

Forgive me if I'm totally unenthusiastic today, but I'll bet you can guess why. I also note that Tomasz Cywka, who left on a free during the summer, continued his fine scoring spree by grabbing two for Derby County this afternoon. I can't help but think he's the kind of player we might miss this season, and it's a bit of a shame we had to let the two Polish lads leave.

Still, I guess today's scoreline could have been a lot more damaging had Fulham not effectively settled on their lead. Doesn't change the fact we now have the worst goal difference in the league, though, and let's not hope it doesn't come back to haunt us to that in May 2011. Haunt, get it? Cos it's Halloween? Hmm, I guess that 'joke' fell as flat on its face as Latics did today.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=1326378.html?cid=rssfeed&att=

Dempsey double sinks Wigan

Clint Dempsey struck twice against Wigan Athletic as Fulham avoided a third successive Premier League defeat to rocket up the table. Dempsey, paired alongside Moussa Dembele in attack, took his tally for the season to five with both goals arriving in the first half of an encounter dominated by Mark Hughes' side.

The USA international's brace saw him take centre stage at Craven Cottage, but left-back Carlos Salcido was another outstanding performer. Salcido, a £1.6m summer signing from PSV Eindhoven, set up the opener for Dempsey and was a constant menace to Wigan's over-worked defence. The Mexican has become a key attacking weapon and his reputation at Craven Cottage is growing.

Fulham should have claimed their second Premier League victory of the season by a more convincing scoreline given their ascendancy with Zoltan Gera and Brede Hangeland missing chances. It was Wigan's first defeat in seven games in all competitions and they appeared lethargic, hardly troubling Mark Schwarzer throughout the 90 minutes.

Athletic made five changes to the side that drew with Bolton, among them the return of Gary Caldwell who was making his first Premier League appearance of the season having undergone double hip surgery over the summer.

The Wigan captain was involved in an early goalmouth scramble that was eventually cleared before Hangeland nodded a Simon Davies free-kick over the crossbar. The lively Davies, who along with Danny Murphy was restored to the midfield after overcoming injury, squared a quickly-taken free-kick when he should have pulled the trigger himself.

Charles N'Zogbia ended a dynamic run by blazing wide of the left post as Wigan enjoyed a rare attacking moment. N'Zogbia continued to look Wigan's most penetrating player as he darted into space once again, though on this occasion his shot fell straight into the arms of Schwarzer.

Fulham were still the more likely goal scorers, however, and in the 30th minute they crept into the lead through Dempsey. Murphy sprayed the ball wide to Salcido who dashed forward before delivering a tremendous cross into the six-yard box. Dempsey drifted in between Antolin Alcaraz and Caldwell before outjumping the latter and heading into the corner to give goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi little chance.

Fulham almost extended their lead but Gera hit the side netting with a sweetly-struck shot and a heartbeat later the Hungarian shook his head in reaction to missing a sitter. The dangerous Salcido delivered another superb cross which Dempsey appeared to have converted only for Al Habsi to scoop his effort off the line. The danger was not over as the ball fell to Gera but he somehow nodded over from point blank range.

Fulham were on the rampage and the second arrived a minute before half-time, Chris Baird supplying a wonderful pass that outwitted Caldwell for Dempsey to thump home.

Dembele was eventually crowded out as he zig-zagged his way into Wigan's area before Salcido found the top netting with a speculative lob. The home defence was largely confined to a watching brief as Wigan struggled to secure any possession.

Fulham continued to dominate but could not produce the decisive ball, though Jonathan Greening caused a few anxious moments with a crafty pass. Davies slid a ball across goal that the omnipresent Dempsey just failed to meet before stabbing Gera's cross wide. Gera and Dembele saw attempts foiled by desperate defending as Fulham pressed for a third they richly deserved.

Davies was replaced by Andy Johnson with ten minutes to go, but the former England striker had little impact as outgunned Wigan focused on damage limitation.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.itv.com/sport/football/news/matchreports/report-fulham-v-wigan-38189/?

Report: Fulham v Wigan

Dempsey at the double Clint Dempsey struck both goals in the 2-0 win over Wigan as Fulham avoided a third successive Barclays Premier League defeat to rocket up the table.

Dempsey, paired alongside Moussa Dembele in attack, took his tally for the season to five, with both goals arriving in the first half of an encounter dominated by Mark Hughes' side.

The USA international's brace saw him take centre stage at Craven Cottage, but left-back Carlos Salcido was another outstanding performer.

Salcido, a #1.

6million summer signing from PSV Eindhoven, set up the opener for Dempsey and was a constant menace to Wigan's over-worked defence.

The Mexican has become a key attacking weapon and his reputation at Craven Cottage is growing.

Fulham should have claimed their second Premier League victory of the season by a more convincing scoreline given their ascendancy with Zoltan Gera and Brede Hangeland missing chances.

It was Wigan's first defeat in seven games in all competitions and they appeared lethargic, hardly troubling Mark Schwarzer throughout the 90 minutes.

Athletic made five changes to the side that drew with Bolton, among them the return of Gary Caldwell who was making his first Premier League appearance of the season having undergone double hip surgery over the summer.

The Wigan captain was involved in an early goalmouth scramble that was eventually cleared before Hangeland nodded a Simon Davies free-kick over the crossbar.

The lively Davies, who along with Danny Murphy was restored to the midfield after overcoming injury, squared a quickly-taken free-kick when he should have pulled the trigger himself.

Charles N'Zogbia ended a dynamic run by blazing wide of the left post as Wigan enjoyed a rare attacking moment.

N'Zogbia continued to look Wigan's most penetrating player as he darted into space once again, though on this occasion his shot fell straight into the arms of Schwarzer.

Fulham were still the more likely goal scorers, however, and in the 30th minute they crept into the lead through Dempsey.

Murphy sprayed the ball wide to Salcido who dashed forward before delivering a tremendous cross into the six-yard box.

Dempsey drifted in between Antolin Alcaraz and Caldwell before outjumping the latter and heading into the corner to give goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi little chance.

Fulham almost extended their lead but Gera hit the side netting with a sweetly-struck shot and a heartbeat later the Hungarian shook his head in reaction to missing a sitter.

The dangerous Salcido delivered another superb cross which Dempsey appeared to have converted only for Al Habsi to scoop his effort off the line.

The danger was not over as the ball fell to Gera but he somehow nodded over from point blank range.

Fulham were on the rampage and the second arrived a minute before half-time, Chris Baird supplying a wonderful pass that outwitted Caldwell for Dempsey to thump home.

Dembele was eventually crowded out as he zig-zagged his way into Wigan's area before Salcido found the top netting with a speculative lob.

The home defence was largely confined to a watching brief as Wigan struggled to secure any possession.

Fulham continued to dominate but could not produce the decisive ball, though Jonathan Greening caused a few anxious moments with a crafty pass.

Davies slid a ball across goal that the omnipresent Dempsey just failed to meet before stabbing Gera's cross wide.

Gera and Dembele saw attempts foiled by desperate defending as Fulham pressed for a third they richly deserved.

Davies was replaced by Andy Johnson with 10 minutes to go, but the former England striker had little impact as outgunned Wigan focused on damage limitation.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2010/10/30/1783508/clint-dempsey-scores-twice-in-fulhams-dominant-2-0-victory-against?

Clint Dempsey Scores Twice In Fulham's Dominant 2-0 Victory Against Wigan


Until today's game against Wigan, Fulham had only one victory this season in the league. Fulham definitely took care of business today in a dominant performance at Craven Cottage. Clint Dempsey scored twice in the first half leading Fulham to the 2-0 victory against Wigan.

Before the game began Fulham fans were given great news. Danny Murphy and Simon Davies returned to the starting lineup for the Cottagers. Both players would make their presence felt in this match.



The first half began with the clubs feeling their way into the match. Fulham's first opportunity of the match came in the 10th minute. Fulham had a free kick which was taken by Simon Davies. His kick went to Brede Hangeland, and his header just went over the net.

In the 20th minute, Fulham would have another great scoring opportunity. Fulham had a free kick just outside of the box. Zoltan Gera had a strike just went over the net. It was a nice shot by Gera.

Fulham were really beginning to control the first half. The Cottagers hard work would pay off in the 30th minute. Carlos Salcido made a great run, and sent in a tremendous cross into the box. Clint Dempsey headed the ball past Al Habsi and Fulham were up 1-0.

Fulham's aggressive play would continue late in the first half. They would have a few chances to get a second goal. In the 42nd minute, Moussa Dembele sent a great pass to Gera. His shot just goes wide of the goal. In the 43rd minute, Salcido sent in an another great cross into the box. That pass led to a header by Dempsey which was saved, and got out to Gera, who also had a header that just went over the net.

Fulham were knocking at the door. They finally opened it in the closing minutes of the first half. In the 44th minute, Chris Baird just outside of the box on the right, sent in a great pass to Dempsey. He slammed the cross past Al Habsi to give Fulham a 2-0 lead. The half would end shortly afterwards.

The second half was completely dominated by Fulham. There really weren't too many chances in the second half. Fulham controlled the play. Mark Schwarzer barely worked up a sweat in this game. He was not really challenged all day by Wigan. The game ended with Fulham taking a convincing 2-0 victory against Wigan.

Today, Fulham really played a great game. Danny Murphy being back in the lineup made a huge difference in the midfield. He really controlled the play of the game with his passing. He wasn't the only Fulham player that stood out. Clint Dempsey was tremendous scoring 2 goals, and really tried hard to get the hat trick. Carlos Salcido and Chris Baird were very instrumental in creating scoring chances for other Fulham players. Both players sent great crosses which led to both goals by Dempsey.

However, this was a complete team effort by the Cottagers. I think they showed Wigan the kind of quality play they are capable of playing each and every week. Let's hope Fulham can put in this type of performance next week against Aston Villa.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.soccerway.com/news/2010/October/30/dempsey-at-the-double-as-fulham-end-winless-run/?

Dempsey at the double as Fulham end winless run

LONDON (AFP) - A first-half double from Clint Dempsey earned Fulham a 2-0 win at home to Wigan Athletic on Saturday as the Cottagers brought a five-game winless run to an end with only their second victory of the season.

American international Dempsey's goals proved enough to inflict a first away defeat of the season on Roberto Martinez's Wigan, who slip one place to 16th in the Premier League table while Fulham shoot up to eighth.

Wigan were first to threaten, with Tom Cleverley's shot inadvertently blocked by team-mate Franco di Santo, but the presence of Brede Hangeland in the Wigan penalty area soon began to cause problems for the visitors.

The giant Norwegian centre-back had a shot blocked after Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi sewed chaos in the area by fumbling a corner and Hangeland then sent a header over the crossbar from a deep Simon Davies cross.

The pace of Charles N'Zogbia on the counter-attack was a constant source of concern for the Fulham defence but in the 30th minute the hosts took the lead with a well-constructed goal.

Zoltan Gera sprayed the ball wide to Carlos Salcido on the left and the Mexican international's cross was headed into the bottom corner by Dempsey.

Gera twice came close to extending Fulham's advantage, curling a low effort inches wide of the post and then heading over the crossbar after Al Habsi had tipped Demsey's header onto the bar following another Salcido centre.

Mark Hughes's side did not have to wait long for a second goal, however, as Dempsey lashed a half-volley high into the net from Chris Baird's cross a minute before the interval.

Salcido almost put Fulham 3-0 up early in the second half with a mis-hit cross that narrowly avoided dipping inside the far post, while Mohamed Diame threatened for the visitors with a marauding run and shot that went wide from a tight angle.

Striker Andy Johnson was given a rousing reception by the Craven Cottage crowd when he came on as a late substitute to make his first home appearance since January after a spell on the sidelines through injury.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_6477407,00.html?

Hughes hails dominant display
Fulham boss delighted after top display to see off Latics

Mark Hughes believed it was Fulham's best performance of the season after his side easily beat Wigan at Craven Cottage.

American hot-shot Clint Dempsey sealed a vital three points with a first-half brace (30, 44) as Fulham dominated the game.

The deserved win was only Fulham's second in the top flight this term and moved the Cottagers from the bottom five up into eighth in a tight league.

Hughes told Sky Sports: "I am delighted. We've played well this season and today, I thought certainly in the first half, it was the best we've produced all year.

"That's saying something because we have played well this year so I was delighted with going in two-nil to the good and we were good value for that in fairness.

"Second half Wigan tried to ask more questions of us but in fairness we were quite comfortable and Mark Schwarzer has had very little to do today.

"So, I just thought our intensity to out-play and our real intention and the way we took the initiative in the game was there for everybody to see and we fully deserved the win today."

Attacking threat

Full-backs Carlos Salcido and Chris Baird provided the crosses for Dempsey to convert and Hughes hailed the attacking threat of his side.

"We have great movement, we've got a lot of rotation in forward areas," he said.

"What we wanted to do today was to play in the opposition half - sometimes we've been guilty of conceding a little bit of ground and having too much to do going forward but today we played the vast majority of the game in Wigan's half and they found it very difficult.

"Time and time again we released our full-backs to good effect and the crosses from wide areas were perfect for Clint."

He added: "I think it (the win) was important for us, I think we've played well and maybe not got the results that our performances have deserved.

"Last week (in the loss to West Brom) we were missing a few key personnel and I think you saw the difference today, obviously with the likes of Danny (Murphy) who has a big influence on the team and Simon Davies gave us his experience and I just thought straight from the off we showed real intent that we really wanted to get something out of this game and, as I said, arguably our best performance this year."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/October/WiganReaction.aspx?

Hughes' Wigan Reaction

Speaking after Saturday's two-nil victory over Wigan at the Cottage, Fulham Manager Mark Hughes gave his post-match assessment.

"We made it easy for ourselves because of the manner of our performance. From the start we were on the front foot," said Hughes.

"In the first-half I thought we were outstanding - certainly some of the approach play we produced was on a par with anything we've been able to produce so far this season.

"We had plenty of energy and dictated to the opposition, which is what we want to do this season.

"We're asking the Team to be more dynamic this year and not concede ground as readily as they did in the past.

"We saw the benefit of that today. The guys are enjoying the type of football we're playing and we were rewarded.

"We felt that maybe we haven't been getting the points our performances deserve this season.

"We weren't worried about dropping down the table but you want to be in the top half when you wake up on a Sunday morning.

"I feel we are a top 10 side and I won't be persuaded from that."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/October/WiganReaction.aspx?#ixzz13vCxu2Rl

[WhiteJC]

http://hammyend.com/index.php/2010/10/dempsey-double-downs-wigan/?

Dempsey double downs Wigan
by DAN on OCTOBER 30, 2010

Fulham fans have become accustomed over the years to watching two completely different sides. The insipid, sickly travellers are a world apart from the team that calls Craven Cottage home and it has largely been the Whites' sparkling home form that has sustained their ten year stay amongst the elite of English football. It was little surprise that Fulham were far more vibrant this afternoon in brushing aside Wigan than their dour display at West Brom a week ago and the win was a much appreciated boost for Mark Hughes, who might not have been under pressure down by the Thames yet, but would have been alarmed by how easily that 'draw specialist' tag had transferred from Manchester City to Fulham.

Hughes' side have all the quality necessary to finish in the top half of the table, but injuries and a disappointing recent run of form had seen Fulham moored closer to the relegation zone than the top ten at the start of play. Wigan, on a rather unheralded seven-game unbeaten streak, might have sensed an opportunity to snare a point or more given how meekly their opponents had surrendered under the slightest pressure at The Hawthorns last week but the combined talents of Clint Dempsey and Zoltan Gera soon had Hughes smiling.

Gera and Dempsey had started the season in competition for the same spot in support of Bobby Zamora, but the Hungarian had found himself out of favour after Hughes had introduced Moussa Dembele. Gera's continued absence, even after Zamora felt the full force of Karl Henry's mistimed lunge a month ago, has baffled many regulars at the Cottage. You don't go from player of the season and a potent goal threat to a poor player simply because your manager has changed. With Gera playing in a more advanced role this afternoon, Fulham looked far more lively going forward.

The game was decided by two goals in 15 minutes from Dempsey as the first half came to a close but Gera's artistry threatened the Wigan goal long before that. His languid, almost relaxed running style, disguises both his quick feet and a clever footballing brain. Floating between a fluid front two of Dempsey and Dembele, Gera was afforded the license to influence the contest, something which Wigan would soon come to forget. Wigan endured a sticky opening with Ali Al-Habsi's juggling of a Simon Davies corner somehow unpunished after a desperate goalmouth scramble and Brede Hangeland heading over from close-range, but it was remarkable that they resisted the white tide for half an hour.

When the deadlock was broken it was Gera who was the architect of the opening goal. Spotting Carlos Salcido surging down the left flank, Gera spread the play with a perfectly weighted pass and Dempsey gleefully glanced Fulham in front from the edge of the six-yard box. He could have stretched Fulham's lead, too, shooting narrowly wide and spurning a glorious headed chance, but Dempsey gave the half-time scoreline a more convincing look with a predatory volley from Chris Baird's cross shortly before the interval.

Fulham started the second half with similar ambition and Salcido was a matter of inches away from opening his Fulham account with a confident cross-shot that almost outfoxed Al-Habsi before the busy Wigan goalkeeper denied Gera a deserved goal and fielded a follow-up from Dembele. Roberto Martinez's side carried more of an attacking threat in the second period but a slalom run from Mohamed Diame only resulted in a low drive into the side netting and Hugo Rodallega saw little of the ball up against Aaron Hughes and Brede Hangeland.

The three points vaulted Fulham from sixteenth up to eighth in the table after ten games, though nobody will be celebrating just yet. If Hughes could complete the conundrum that has flummoxed all of his predecessors – namely how to get Fulham turning in complete performances away from the Cottage as well – then it might be time to crack up the champagne. Until then, his evolving side is very much a work in progress.

FULHAM (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Baird, Salcido, Hughes, Hangeland; Greening, Murphy (Dikgacoi 86), Davies (A. Johnson 80), Gera; Dempsey, Dembele. Subs (not used): Stockdale, Kelly, Pantsil, Riise, E. Johnson.

GOALS: Dempsey (30, 44).

WIGAN ATHLETIC (4-4-2): Al Habsi; Alcaraz, G. Caldwell, Stam, Figueroa; Thomas, Cleverley, Diame (Moses 73), N'Zogbia; Di Santo (Gomez 45), Rodallega. Subs (not used): Kirkland, Gohouri, S. Caldwell, Watson, Boselli.

REFEREE: Andre Marriner (Birmingham).

ATTENDANCE: 25,448.

[WhiteJC]

http://hammyend.com/index.php/2010/10/hughes-delighted-with-dominant-fulham/?

Hughes 'delighted' with dominant Fulham
by DAN on OCTOBER 30, 2010

Mark Hughes was 'delighted' with Fulham's impressive win over Wigan this afternoon, suggesting that his side have been a little unfortunate not to pick up more points given the quality of the football they have been playing.

I am delighted. We've played well this season and today, I thought certainly in the first half, it was the best we've produced all year. That's saying something because we have played well this year so I was delighted with going in two-nil to the good and we were good value for that in fairness.

Second half Wigan tried to ask more questions of us but in fairness we were quite comfortable and Mark Schwarzer has had very little to do today. So, I just thought our intensity to out-play and our real intention and the way we took the initiative in the game was there for everybody to see and we fully deserved the win today.

We have great movement, we've got a lot of rotation in forward areas. What we wanted to do today was to play in the opposition half – sometimes we've been guilty of conceding a little bit of ground and having too much to do going forward but today we played the vast majority of the game in Wigan's half and they found it very difficult.

Time and time again we released our full-backs to good effect and the crosses from wide areas were perfect for Clint. I think it was important for us, I think we've played well and maybe not got the results that our performances have deserved.

Last week we were missing a few key personnel and I think you saw the difference today, obviously with the likes of Danny (Murphy) who has a big influence on the team and Simon Davies gave us his experience and I just thought straight from the off we showed real intent that we really wanted to get something out of this game and, as I said, arguably our best performance this year.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6477527,00.html?

Dempsey hails overall display
Two-goal hero praises Cottagers' all-round display after easy win

Two-goal hero Clint Dempsey hailed Fulham's all-round display after the Cottagers registered an easy victory over lacklustre Wigan.

The American headed home a fine cross from Carlos Salcido in the 30th minute before converting another good assist from fellow full-back Chris Baird a minute before the break.

The convincing victory ended a two-game losing run for Fulham and moved the hard-working Cottagers up from the bottom five to eighth in the Premier League.

Afterwards Dempsey told Sky Sports that Mark Hughes' men came out and pressed as hard as they could, chose their moments when to get forward, put the opposition under pressure and made it difficult for the Latics to play out of the back.

"Also we wanted to get more crosses in the box and the two goals that I scored were great crosses and without that I wouldn't have been in a position to score," he said, adding he thought his headed goal to open the scoring was his best of the day.

He added: "It's always good to get the first one out of the way, another good ball in by Carlos - it's the second goal I've scored off a cross from him.

"So that was probably my best goal of the day but the most important thing was that we got the three points and we are looking to replicate that performance in the future."

Although the Cottagers were not able to get a third goal in the second period, Dempsey thought Fulham did a good job of managing the game.

"Even though we weren't able to kill the game off in the sense of getting the third, we were able to keep a clean sheet which is important after having two defeats and it is something to build upon for the future.

"We feel that we are a team that should be in the top half and it was good to get the points to move us out of the position that we were in."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/October/WiganPhotoSpecial.aspx?

Wigan Photo Special

[WhiteJC]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/fulham/9142255.stm?

Mark Hughes video interview

[WhiteJC]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/fulham/9142359.stm?

Fulham manager Mark Hughes is delighted after Wigan win

Fulham manager Mark Hughes was delighted with the manner in which his side ended their six-match winless run with a 2-0 victory over Wigan.

A first half brace from midfielder Clint Dempsey earned Fulham all three points and Hughes told BBC Sport: "This was a result waiting to happen.

"There was a real intent to our play and we were totally dominant, particularly in the first half.

"We don't have the points on the board we feel we have deserved so far."

Injuries and a lack of goals have hampered Fulham's progress since Hughes took over at Craven Cottage in the summer but he is confident results will start improving.
   
606: DEBATE
Anybody who ever questioned whether Clint Dempsey should be starting for Fulham has probably been silenced by this point.
Scott

"Some of the approach play was on a par with anything we have been able to produce this season so far. We made it very difficult for Wigan to get a foothold in the game.
"We worked the ball out wide and two good crosses produced two goals and it could have been more in that first half.

Obviously after the break we expected a response from Wigan but even so they created very few chances in fairness," said Hughes.

The victory has moved Fulham up to eighth in the Premier League and Hughes thinks the table is starting to show a more accurate picture of their progress.

"We're getting to the point where things are starting to even out and get more of an idea of the level teams will think they can play at. We certainly feel we're a top 10 side given the quality we have in our team," added Hughes.

Meanwhile Wigan manager Roberto Martinez felt the midweek Carling Cup win over Swansea City had taken its toll on his players.

"I felt Tuesday's game took a lot out of us, we had a lot of knocks and niggles and we couldn't match Fulham," he told BBC Sport.

"Today we were very flat even though we made changes and we need to isolate this as a bad performance and make sure it doesn't happen again.
"We need to make sure we recharge and rest ahead of our next game on Saturday," Martinez said.

The defeat was Wigan's first in seven games and Martinez does not think they will suffer the same inconsistency as last season.

"We had two difficult games right at the start but since then we've been consistent. I don't have any complaints about today's result. Fulham deserved to win. Once they had a two-goal lead they played really well," Martinez added.