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Thursday Fulham Stuff (11.02.10)

Started by White Noise, February 10, 2010, 10:32:04 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

White Noise

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson delighted with comfortable win - video interview

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/fulham/8507384.stm


Fulham manager Roy Hodgson says his side were good value for their 3-0 win against Burnley.


White Noise

http://hammyend.com/?p=5345

How far we've come


by Dan on February 10, 2010

Last night was a first-class Fulham performance. The Whites could have below par or taken Burnley for granted but they showed character to get through some sticky early moments before establishing an unassailable advantage.

Chris Baird continues to have a magnificent season. At the moment, you expect him to come out with a Superman cape on – because he seems to be able to do anything. Strong in the challenge, aware of what's around him and his positioning and good in the air, Baird's been exemplary in central defence and outstanding in midfield. He looked terrific at right back last night and seems so controlled on the ball, gone is the stagefright of that horrible Sanchez season.

Nicky Shorey looks like a really promising attacking outlet on the other flank too. Both of the full backs provided goals last night and that was one of the interesting things about just how Fulham have progressed under Roy Hodgson. Chris Coleman's last game was a lamentable defeat by Manchester City and the distribution from the full back positions was woeful that day:


by Guardian Chalkboards

Now, I'm not blaming Rosenior or Volz for that. Both were decent players who had regressed badly under Coleman's coaching and the tactics he employed left defenders too often without an out ball.

Contrast this with Baird and Shorey on Tuesday night:


by Guardian Chalkboards

That's a striking difference.


White Noise

http://hammyend.com/?p=5338



Ecstatic Elm



by Dan on February 10, 2010

David Elm was delighted to score his first Fulham goal on only his second league start and hopes that it will be the first of many.

The tall Swede followed up Bobby Zamora's first half shot and the goal was a fitting reward for a bright display from the striker, who seems to have formed a good understanding with Zamora.

It was a really nice feeling scoring my first goal and I hope I can experience the same feeling again soon. It's always good as a striker to score.

We knew it would be a tough game because there are no easy teams in the Premier League but we got a really nice start and played very well in the first-half.

I didn't know the manager before I came to Fulham but I knew he was a great coach because I'd heard so many good things about him. It wasn't a hard decision for me to come to Fulham.

It took four or five months just to settle down and adjust to the tempo and the pace of the play. It was hard in the beginning but you just have to work as hard as you can and do your best. Now it's starting to feel like I can do something here. We have many good players at Fulham and it's going to be tough but I just have to keep on working as hard as I can.

And here's a bit more reaction from David's blog, which is fast becoming a riveting read:
I managed to poke in a goal yesterday. A nice feeling. A rebound that rolled out in front of me, and I had time to think about which foot I would shoot with. Eh, who am I trying to fool? I had time to think about this, I don't miss and I wasn't going to choose my right I can barely stand on the leg.

It felt as early as the warm up that everything would be fine. My body responded to everything I did, there was power, strength, and it was a wonderful feeling. A few nerves, as the start of the game gave way to inspiration and desire.

But what I am most pleased with, after the fact that the team took three very important points, is that I managed to play ninety minutes. Although I was very tired at the end, and mostly ran around and treading water

White Noise

http://hammyend.com/?p=5340

David wants to deliver at Fulham



by Dan on February 10, 2010

Plenty of reaction to David Elm's impact at Fulham in the Swedish press, who are already speculating that the towering forward has plenty of suitors should we fail to take up an option of offering him a new two-year deal.

His agent said:

Clubs from across Europe have called, but Fulham have got the option to keep him for another two years. He is enjoying himself at the club and feels that he has got Hodgson's confidence.

The man himself seems very happy:

It was good fun. Everything went well. I am really enjoying myself now.

It has been difficult coming from Sweden to the Premier League. There is a big difference in the tempo of the game here and it is more aggressive but I have been patient and I took my chance when I got it against Burnley.

Fulham told me before I joined that I was an interesting player and it would be exciting to see if I could make the step. I knew it was going to be tough but I never had any second thoughts. I love it here. The dream scenario is that I can get a lot of time playing here.

White Noise

http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=187824



Fulham - Marvellous Murphy



Not so long ago I published an article highlighting Danny Murphy's weak spots and the need for a younger more fruitful player to take his role. In general, I'd say people agreed, yet, over the past week, in my eyes, he's been nothing short of amazing.

Against Portsmouth and Burnley in particular he looked to be 'at his best', which, at his age is the most you could ask for. He, for once, looked threatening and his distribution was top-notch.

One thing I've known Murphy holds over most midfielders of his style, is his sheer dogged spirit. He never gives up; If he loses the ball, he'll win it back and he certainly isn't afraid to run from one end of the pitch to the other or stick his foot in for the odd rough tackle.

It's that side of his game that would set him apart from any foreigner we could bring in to replace him. Obviously, plenty of central midfielders have brute force and a reasonable amount of determination, but not many can mix that with the range of passing and attacking contributions Danny can bring us.

His goal really capped off his week as well. It was a cool, calm and collective finish any striker would have been proud of (especially Okaka!)

So this is the time I apologise to Murphy, if he is at all reading this, and congratulate him on what has been a good week for the club as a whole and for him, with some fighting performances on the pitch.

All that aside though, the question does still remain if he's got it in him to sustain these performances week in week out. I certainly hope his recent poor performances were merely a blip and this last week or so is more of a sign of what to expect from him.


White Noise

http://fulhampatsfan.blogspot.com/2010/02/david-elm-breaks-through-with-first.html?

David Elm breaks through with first goal in Fulham victory



David Elm was the last summer transfer to be added for Fulham for the season. He is 6ft. and 3 inches tall. He looks tall and a little lanky up front. I remember reading more about his brother Rasmus Elm as a very good prospect for Fulham. Rasmus is 21 and ended up going to AZ in the Netherlands.

I had been waiting for months to see Elm get a shot with the first team at Fulham. My thought was if Roy Hogdson signed him at some point he needed to play at Craven Cottage. In the F A Cup against Accrington Stanley I watched him play. I thought he might have a decent first touch as he made some nice passes. I knew I needed to see how he would react in the Premier League.

In Fulham's loss to Aston Villa I thought David Elm showed good effort and hustle. He almost scored his first goal against Aston Villa, but he was offsides when he shot the ball into the net. The Aston Villa game was a horrible loss for Fulham. The team looked out of sorts, but Elm seemed to be one of the only bright spots.

Move forward to last night at Craven Cottage against Burnley. David Elm in the 23rd minute headed a pass to Danny Murphy who scored the first goal of the game. It did look like he was offsides but he was not flagged for it. Next, later in the first half Bobby Zamora's shot was deflected off of the goalkeeper. David Elm was right there to kick and score his first goal in the Premier League.

I think time is needed until the end of the season to make a complete judgement on David Elm. His contract is up with Fulham this summer. According to Sky Sports there is an option for both sides to agree on a 2 year extension. We should have all the answers we need by May.

Posted by Fulham-Pats Fan at 1:46 PM

White Noise

http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/sport/football/5000274.Hodgson__Fulham_will_give_Notts_County_respect/?

Hodgson: Fulham will give Notts County respect



5:08pm Wednesday 10th February 2010

By Simon Fitzjohn »


Roy Hodgson vows Fulham will take Sunday's FA Cup clash with Notts County seriously after revealing he would gladly trade Europa League glory in exchange for seeing off the League Two side.

Due to cup commitments the Cottagers will play at least eight games in the month of February, including a trip to Ukraine for their clash with Shaktar Donetsk.

And the Fulham boss insists it is a case of prioritising.

Hodgson said: "If I could sacrifice the two Europa League games to progress in the FA Cup and move further up the Premier League I would do that.

"The FA Cup is very important to us.

"It would be great to reach the quarter-finals for two years in a row and we have a real opportunity to achieve something.

"Obviously we know it will not be easy but if we perform like we have been in the last three games we are a match for anybody."

Hodgson was talking after Tuesday's encouraging 3-0 win over Burnley at Craven Cottage, a win secured thanks to strikes from Danny Murphy, David Elm and Bobby Zamora.

And the Fulham boss was delighted to see his side make it seven points from nine, and their third successive clean sheet.

Hodgson added: "We made it comfortable due to the quality of our performance.

"We pressurised them right from the start and were good value for the win.

"I cannot speak highly enough about this group of players.

"We have battled injuries and had some really difficult fixtures, but the players have consistently over-achieved and done more than I could reasonably ask of them."

Fulham's next three matches: Feb 14 Notts County (h), 18 Shaktar Donetsk (EL, h), 21 Birmingham City (a)

White Noise

http://blogs.soccernet.com/fulham/

Cottagers Seem to Be Back on Track......Random Thoughts


Posted by Tom Wille 9 hours, 40 minutes ago



Fulham Football Club looked to be in crisis mode at the end of January. Not only did the Cottagers lose four straight league matches, but they were also dealing with an assortment of injuries that would test the team's depth during one of the busiest and most important times of the year. Little was expected of Roy Hodgson's club entering February and perhaps that is how he likes it as Fulham has responded well with two wins and a draw in their last three matches. The most recent, a 3-0 drubbing of Burnley at Craven Cottage put the Cottagers back into 9th place on 34 points.


Fulham definitely seems to be back on the right track after playing extremely poor in January. While the two wins and draw came against weaker opponents in the aforementioned Burnley, Portsmouth and Bolton, the fact remains that Fulham did what was needed to get positive results at a critical time when the team could have packed up the tent and mailed it in as other clubs have done in years past.

This team is resilient and after some patchy play in defense, the staple of this team, the Cottagers have found some form and played much better at the back. Brede Hangeland looks to be healthy once again and Aaron Hughes is as solid as ever. Mark Schwarzer is back on his game and the addition of Nicky Shorey in the back has been a nice addition to a team that has been without John Pantsil and Paul Konchesky of late. The club did a nice job identifying Shorey as a player that could step right in and help the team and the former Reading man has done just that. He has and will continue to be a nice piece of the Fulham puzzle as the season progresses.

Up front and in the midfield, there was no doubt that players would have to step up in the absense of Clint Dempsey and Andy Johnson who are both out for quite some time with injuries. One player that has taken advantage of his opportunity is striker David Elm. The lanky 27-year-old Swedish striker might not be the quickest or have the best touch, but he is creating problems for opposing defenses. On Tuesday, Elm recorded his first goal in league play for the Cottagers and played a key role in assisting Danny Murphy in the opening goal of the match.

Elm, like Peter Crouch, is tall and looks a bit awkward out on the pitch. However, he can hold the ball up and can get into scoring positions. I am not sure he will be the long term solution for the Cottagers offense, but his height alone makes for defenses to have to know where he is at all times and he poses a threat on set pieces as well. He is not as good as Peter Crouch, but he plays similar to him. He is a change of pace attacker that can compliment Bobby Zamora, Stefano Okaka and others well for the Cottagers.

I am pleased with the direction the team is headed after hitting a bump in the road during January. However, the rest of February will be a busy month for the Cottagers. Not only do the Cottagers have a fifth round FA Cup home tie with Notts County, but they also return to the Europa League for a home and home tie with defending champions Shakhtar Donetsk as well as league matches against Birmingham City and Sunderland. Three competitions and a possible six matches over the next 18 days is a lot for any team.

It has been a few weeks since I last wrote in my blog. I apologize for this as my wife was sick and then my child was sick which kept me from writing and keeping this blog current. For those of you with children, I am sure you understand. Anyways, I have some random thoughts I wanted to share you with you regarding Fulham.

- Stephen Kelly is not a Premier League player. He has been lackluster in the back for the Cottagers and the sooner he is not playing regular first team football, the better things will be for Fulham.

- Losing John Pantsil for the season has been possibly the biggest loss of the season injury wise. He played with energy and was a vocal leader in the back for the club. The aforementioned Stephen Kelly is nowhere near as good as Pantsil. My hope is that when Paul Konchesky returns to full fitness that Nicky Shorey will play in the right back role, Konchesky will play on the left and Kelly will no longer be needed. It's tough to watch him out there.

- I was pleased with Fulham's deals during the January transfer window. Both Stefano Okaka and Nicky Shorey will make solid contributions for this team. Seeing as both players joined on loan, the Cottagers did not break the bank for them.

- Could this be the year Fulham makes a serious run in the FA Cup? It's been since 1975 the last time Fulham made it to Wembley and the FA Cup final. With big dogs Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool out of the competition and Fulham facing lowly Notts County on Sunday in the fifth round, there is a distinct chance the Cottagers will advance to the Final eight. I guess it all depends on the draw going forward, but if the ping pong balls bounce the right way and the Cottagers can avoid Chelsea, I would say they have as good a chance as any other remaining team to make it Wembley. Exciting times ahead for the Cottagers in the FA Cup if they can get past Notts County.

- I am not really disappointed in the loss of Andy Johnson through injury. I have waited the better part of a year and a half for Johnson to do something productive on a consistent basis and my wish has remain unfulfilled. Rather than see him being unproductive on the pitch I would rather him get fully healthy and be ready for next season. I also think this gives others like David Elm and Stefano Okaka the opportunity to step in and show the manager and the supporters that one, the other, or both can score goals consistently for the club.

- I like Dickson Etuhu. He may not score a lot of goals and may not do anything flashy but he simply gets the job done. He is a strong, physical presence in the middle of the park that can go toe to toe with opposing players. His presence on the pitch will not allow the Cottagers to get run over physically in midfield. I hope he can continue to improve and play a role for Fulham.

That's all for now. Let me know what you think about David Elm, Dickson Etuhu and the team in general? Do you think the struggles in January are a thing of the past? Can Fulham make it to Wembley and the FA Cup final for the first time since 1975? Have your say. I would love to hear from you.


White Noise

http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2010/02/10/next-day/?

Next day



Filed under: General — weltmeisterclaude @ 1:38 pm

Just as playing against a good team highlights any weaknesses, playing against a bad team emphasises strengths. So last night we saw several encouraging signs:

Dickson Etuhu, as discussed last night, seems to make Murphy play better. Hard to assess whether this was just the Burnley factor or the two of them working brilliantly as a combination, but something clicked. Murphy must have spent more time in the attacking third than he has in all other games combined this season. His goal, well taken, was a reaction to a nice Elm knockdown, but how often do we see him make those runs? Hardly at all. It wasn't just then though, he got in the box all game. Etuhu, for his part, was swaggering about the place. He looked leaner than I remember him, and moved quickly, passed accurately, and got stuck in to an amusing degree (the yellow card slowed him down on this front).

David Elm, says Roy Hodgson, has been a pleasant surprise. Indeed. Dan highlighted this the other day with some chalkboard work, but he seems a lot more involved in buildup play than most forwards. He doesn't look a natural footballer in the way that Shorey does, but he's effective enough, and has a nice portfolio of skills. You'd say that he's a 6/7 out of 10 in enough areas to be a useful squad player: good enough in the air to win high balls, alright at holding the ball up, tidy enough to pass the ball around, seems to have decent instincts in the area (he's effectively scored twice now in not much time on the pitch), and will work for the team. No 'wow' factor, but solid. Compare this with Nevland, who is a deadly finisher but has a poor first touch and is not a good passer. Not wishing to kick a man when he's down or anything, but it's an interesting contrast, I think.

Zamora was phenomenal. When he plays like this few defenders can stop him. The trick is to get bodies around him to take advantage, and we more or less achieved this. Damian

Duff was too good for Burnley. Even when things were messy Duff was playing well. He get go left and right, can cross or shoot, and was a menace and a half to a sub-par Burnley defence. He is now, I think, our best player.

The defence, with Baird and Shorey on the flanks and Etuhu standing guard, looked phenomenal. Schwarzer really had very little to worry about. Nicky Shorey could not have played better in his first two home games. At this rate Konch is going to be very worried about his place. Shorey seems to be a natural attacking left-back: the step up from fielding Baird or Kelly out of position to Shorey is enormous.

Finally, nice to see Simon Davies back. He had a quietish game, but he's a definite plus when he's fit and we'll need him in the weeks ahead.

White Noise

http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20100210&content_id=8050868&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp

Former and future teammates in Chicago? Chicago forward Brian McBride remains on the lookout for a new running mate or two in the attacking third after Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Chris Rolfe departed during the close season. The Fire's response to those departures may include one of McBride's former teammates from his time at English Premier League club Fulham.

Former Dutch international striker Collins John joined Chicago on trial last week as he attempts to resurrect a once-promising career that included a pair of caps for his country and 11 Premier League goals for the London-based club during the 2005-06 season.

John struggled to replicate that impact in subsequent seasons after battling injuries and poor form, fell out of the side and failed to impress in a trio of loan stints to Leicester City and Watford in the English Championship and NEC Nijmegen in his homeland. After leaving Fulham when his contract expired at the end of 2008-2009 campaign, John plumped for an ill-fated move to Belgian side KSV Roeselare that ended when the two parties terminated their relationship in December.

Despite John's meanderings over the past few years, McBride backed the 24-year-old forward, a fellow January transfer window signing for the Cottagers back in 2004, to recapture his past form, earn a deal and add to the Fire's attacking options.

"He's a very good player," McBride told the Fire website. "He's powerful, he's strong and he's quick. He likes to score goals and you need that sort of attribute, especially because it's good to have a teammate like that. It'll be good to see him out there with the guys and hopefully we'll be able to get him going again."

White Noise

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23804288-portsmouth-may-be-just-the-first-of-the-chickens-coming-home-to-roost.do

Portsmouth may be just the first of the chickens coming home to roost


Chris Blackhurst



10.02.10



At the Fulham game against Burnley last night, the chat among the fans around me was of Portsmouth's financial troubles. If the club went into administration, how many points would be deducted? If it was wound-up, how would that affect league positions?

It was all about how Pompey's misfortunes would affect our team — whether Fulham would be better or worse off as a result. Not once did anyone raise the wider issue of football's lack of sustainability.

Knowing football, there will be some even today who will accuse HMRC and the accountants and lawyers dealing with Portsmouth of somehow behaving unfairly. As with reactions to decisions taken by the referee, the game's ability to view itself through a myopic lens is often distorting and astonishing.

Clubs have been bought on the back of mountains of debt that need servicing; players have been acquired for ludicrous fees that must be paid; their contracts and those of the other staff require honouring. TV revenues have gone some way to alleviating the burden as have ticket prices and merchandising. But it's not enough: football's blinkered headlong rush has brought it to the point of bankruptcy.

Attempts by the glib money men to justify the numbers in terms of marketing clout and widening global reach have had little positive benefit. Yes, people in Asia are familiar with Manchester United and Liverpool but they also happen to be two clubs with the greatest burdens of all.

The clubs have become locked in a spiral of venality — aided and abetted by equally greedy and spineless authorities — in which they've grown ever more bloated without ever thinking that one day they may be made accountable and the bubble in which they've been operating these past few years may burst.

Which is why, increasingly, the noise you hear in the directors' boxes isn't that of hands clapping but of clucking. Portsmouth is merely one of many, as football's chickens come home to roost.


White Noise

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Fulham-s-David-Elm-admits-Nobody-at-Craven-Cottage-knew-who-I-was-when-I-signed-article319759.html


Fulham's Elm admits: Nobody knew who I was when I signed


Published 22:30 10/02/10


By Mile Walters


Fulham's Mr Nobody David Elm celebrated his first goal for the club by revealing: "None of the players knew who I was when I signed."

Swedish striker Elm, 27, opened his account at Craven Cottage by scoring one goal and making another in the 3-0 win against Burnley on Tuesday night - and he was glad to throw off his cloak of anonymity.

Elm said: "It's always nice for a striker to score his first goal for a new club. It has taken me five months to settle down and get used to the pace of English football, but now I'm starting to feel I can do something here.

"When I joined, none of the other players knew who I was. It was hard because I was no-one, but I have worked hard to help the team and show I belong here.


"I don't know if I'm a big name in Sweden, but I have won the league there with Kalmar FF, although I think my two brothers Viktor and Rasmus are more famous than me."

White Noise

http://fulham.theoffside.com/team-news/burnley-home.html?

Burnley Home

By: timmyg | February 10th, 2010


NONE SHALL PASS!

Okay, maybe a bit dramatic. But boy oh boy was our defense good yesterday. If a team's offense cannot make a pass or attempt a shot inside the box, then they're not going to score.

Which happened yesterday.




White Noise

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/121754/Fulham-David-Elm-on-root-to-the-top-/?

FULHAM: DAVID ELM ON ROOT TO THE TOP


11th February 2010

By Sami Mokbel

DAVID ELM hopes he will no longer be a Fulham nobody after breaking his goalscoring duck.

But the forward insists he isn't quite ready to replicate team-mate Chris Smalling's meteoric rise.

The Swedish striker hit his first goal for the club in Tuesday's routine 3-0 win at home to Burnley.

Elm joined from Kalmar FF in a £500,000 move in the summer, but has made just two Premier League starts since the switch.

The 27-year-old may have been forced to wait for his first-team chance, but Elm is now out to make a name for himself.

He said: "When I joined, none of the other players knew who I was. It was hard because I was no-one.

"I don't know if I would say I'm a big name in Sweden, but I have won the league there and I think they know my name because of my two brothers (AZ Alkmaar striker Rasmus and Heerenveen utility man Viktor).

"It has taken four or five months to settle down and get used to the pace of play here, but now I'm starting to feel I can do something.

"It was a really nice feeling to score my first goal in the Premier League and I hope I can feel it again.

"I don't think I'll be doing a Chris Smalling and join Manchester United, but I will try to do well."


White Noise

http://www.clarets-mad.co.uk/feat/ed12/i_could_see_one_or_two_heads_dropped_early_in_the_game_494175/index.shtml


I could see one or two heads dropped early in the game



Feature by Tony Scholes


Updated Wednesday, 10th February 2010

Burnley fell to a 3-0 defeat at Fulham and whilst Brian Laws was set to get to the bottom of the poor away record, home boss Roy Hodgson was enthusing about his team's performance.

Fulham, who played so well at Burnley back in December, have had a difficult run of late but now look to be coming out of it with seven points from the last three games. Hodgson said after the game: "It's been a very good week and it was nice to crown it in a positive way.

"I thought we worked well from the first to the last minute and we were good value for our victory.

"With this game coming after a few where were forced to ride our luck from time to time, it was nice to win in a very convincing manner. Getting Simon Davies and Bobby Zamora back was really important and both of them did very well to last as long as they did.

"It was nice to be able to substitute them fairly early on as well and not push them to the limit.

"I thought the victory lay in the hard work and the quality of our defending. We gave them very little time and space to play and we used the ball wisely.

"We got everything right tonight - the defending and attacking - and on a night like that, we would have been a tough nut to crack for any team."

After finally breaking the run without a win on Saturday the Clarets were looking to extend that with a good result at Craven Cottage but it was not to be and Laws said after seeing his side go down 3-0: "After we put in a magnificent performance against West Ham we've not had time to enjoy the moment.

"Fulham have got a great home record and we knew coming here we'd have to have a steely determination about us but I thought the performance wasn't to a standard that we set and what we showed on Saturday.

"However, you have elements within that, that you need to stay in the game. Even though we haven't particularly played well thought the first two goals were offside. You need that fortune on your side where the referee and linesman get it right, but quite clearly the television cameras show they got it wrong.

"They're important decisions for us because we need all the help we can get. If you're not playing well the one thing you have to rely on is making sure the referee and linesman get it right and quite clearly they didn't."

He continued: "We know that we're having a difficult time away from home. We're having to try to change the mindset that's been here all season. Psychologically I think it will start to affect the players because their mindset is an acceptance that this is what's the norm. That's what we have to change.

"I could see one or two heads dropped early in the game. We can't have that, we've got to have players fully focused because we can't carry anybody.

"If anybody's under par that's a difficulty. If you have two or three of them, that's an impossibility. But we've got a terrific opportunity to work with the players over the next three or four days, where we are together.

"I'll get to know them a bit better, we'll hopefully get to the bottom of this and try to find out what we can turn around."

White Noise

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/elm-targets-swedish-cap-after-impressive-start-for-fulham-1895618.html


Elm targets Swedish cap after impressive start for Fulham

Striker desperate to follow his two brothers into the international set-up

By Adrian Curtis


Thursday, 11 February 2010

Striker David Elm is hoping Fulham can help him to emulate his more famous brothers by getting him into the Sweden team. The club's manager Roy Hodgson failed to sign Swedish international Rasmus Elm last summer but decided to take a chance on the midfielder's brother instead.

At £500,000, Elm's signing may turn out to be a real steal after his impressive performance in Fulham's 3-0 win over Burnley at Craven Cottage on Tuesday night. Elm laid on the first goal for captain Danny Murphy with a cushioned header and then scored his first for the club when he slipped the ball beyond Brian Jensen on the half-hour.

The 27-year-old striker was signed from Swedish champions Kalmar FF and although he initially found it hard to adapt to English football, he is now pushing for an extension to his one-year deal. "It has been difficult coming from Sweden to the Premier League," said Elm. "There is a big difference in the tempo of the game here and it is more aggressive but I have been patient and I took my chance when I got it against Burnley.

"Fulham told me before I joined that I was an interesting player and it would be exciting to see if I could make the step. I knew it was going to be tough but I never had any second thoughts. I love it here. The dream scenario is that I can get a lot of time playing here."

Long-term injuries to Andrew Johnson and Clint Dempsey plus the departures of Seol Ki-Hyeon and Diomansy Kamara have allowed Elm to flourish. He is desperate to emulate brothers Rasmus, 21, and Viktor, 24, by playing for Sweden and there is every chance of him achieving that goal after impressing Hodgson.

"At the time David came in, we had quite a lot of forward players but he's moved very quickly up the pecking order and he's shown that he deserves to be there," said Hodgson. "He's probably the least famous of the three brothers. Rasmus was the one who had attracted the most attention, both ourselves and Everton were very keen to sign him. He eventually chose to go to AZ Alkmaar. Viktor was already at Heerenveen and I don't think David was really expecting a foreign club to come in for him.

"I have some contacts in Sweden, everyone spoke very well of him and I must say he's been a bit of a revelation."

Meanwhile, Burnley boss Brian Laws believes the nation are behind his team as they look to end their away-day hoodoo. The club are yet to win away from Turf Moor and in a bid to re-charge their batteries, the Clarets have headed for a three-day break in the sun.

After taking just one point from a possible 39 on their travels, Laws insists the players would be doing their utmost to put an end to the miserable run in the last six away fixtures.

He is hoping they can find the key during their short stint in Portugal. "I think we are getting to a point where the nation will feel sorry for us and want us to get a point," said Laws. "We will be trying ever so hard to put it right and we have a good opportunity now, going to Portugal, to look a little deeper and break down what is triggering these defeats.

"We will get this result somewhere. It may be Aston Villa, it may be Arsenal, but we will keep banging at it and trying to change things. We're not going to give up on our away performances."

He also paid tribute to the Burnley fans who made the long trip to West London and chanted his name throughout the second half. "The one positive we have is the supporters who made the trip," said Laws. "They have seen their team not play particularly well and get beat again, yet their support was unwavering."

Lighthouse

Congolese hit man alerts trio after contract termination

Author:  Nigel Brown
Posted on:11 February 2010 - 10:04
Category:Football
Comments: Be the first to comment
 



Congolese forward Shabani Nonda has alerted the Premier League trio of Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, and Hull City after the 32-year-old striker was released from his contract at Galatasaray.

The powerful forward, who has already spent a season on loan at Balckburn Rovers in 2006 netting 7 goals in 26 appearances, has had his contract with the Turkish giants Galatasaray terminated after the player revealed he was looking to seal a move abroad, with the Premier League his ideal destination.

Nonda made a name for himself at Monaco scoring 57 times in 115 games for the club before moving to AS Roma in Serie A. Fulham boss Roy Hodgson is reportedly interested in signing Nonda after losing former Everton striker Andy Johnson for the season, leaving Fulham with Bobby Zamora and Erik Nevland as their only experienced front men.

Blackburn Rovers boss Sam Allardyce and Hull City manager Phil Brown are also willing to ignite negotiations. The two former colleagues fought out a tense encounter yesterday evening at Ewood Park which saw Allardyce pinch a 1-0 win. Both managers are keen to bolster their attacking options for the remainder of the season and it is believed Brown and Allardyce are weighing up a move for the former Monaco ace, if the financial package is value for money.

Shabani Nonda's agent John Dario told Skysports.com: "Shabani is free to go anywhere he likes after he left Galatasaray.

"I have heard of interest from English teams, but I have not spoken to any clubs as yet.

"Shabani was very happy at Blackburn and he would come back to England with pleasure
The above IS NOT A LEGAL DOCUMENT. It is an opinion.

We may yet hear the horse talk.

I can stand my own despair but not others hope


Lighthouse

Fulham produced a fine performance at the Cottage on Tuesday evening to secure an important win over Burnley. Following a run of five consecutive league defeats in January and December, the Whites have now claimed seven points from a possible nine in February.

Looking back on the display against Brian Laws' side, Mark Schwarzer was pleased to get back to winning ways.

"In the second-half we looked more at ease," he said.  "I thought Burnley at times were very dangerous. Even at two-nil up just before half-time, we went through a period where we made a couple of silly mistakes and got a bit complacent. 

"We were made aware of that at half-time and made sure that we started the second-half in confident fashion and cut out any minor mistakes that could allow them back into the game.

"It was very important that we got back to winning ways as we'd gone quite a number of games without winning - it wasn't pleasant and we needed to get back on track because before long you start looking over your shoulder at what's going on below.

"The boys fought very hard over the last couple of weeks to get results. Before our last three results, we played some pretty decent football but we always had nothing to show for it, which was probably the most frustrating thing of all.

"Obviously when you're picking up no points from five games, you start to drift down towards the bottom half of the table. That always starts to play on your mind but we were always confident in our ability to grind out a couple of results. We did that against Portsmouth and Bolton and that gave us a platform to build on. The performance against Burnley certainly showed that the confidence is back again.

"The dogged defending and solidity that we've shown over the last 18 months has come back and we deservedly won that game."

The Whites now take a break from league football with games in the FA Cup and UEFA Europa League next on the horizon - starting with the visit of Nott County to Craven Cottage this coming Sunday.

"The way we've been playing, we would liked to have continued playing league games," Schwarzer said. "Saying that, the Cup is an opportunity for us to change focus a little. The FA Cup is a fantastic tournament to be involved in. I've been fortunate over the course of my career to be involved in the latter stages of the Cup quite a number of times. It's the most historic cup competition in the world and the way things have panned out so far means it's going to be a very interesting competition this season.

"The one thing we can't do is take Notts County for granted. They're going to come to the Cottage with a lot of confidence having beaten Wigan in the last round. It's going to be a very tough game for us.

"We've come this far in both the FA Cup and Europa League, so why can't we go any further in both competitions? I believe we're good enough to do it but we have to go out there and perform. We can't underestimate any team, regardless of what league they playing in - whether it's Nott County or Shakhtar Donetsk.  We've got our work cut out for us in the next two games."

 



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/SchwarzerCupFocus.aspx#ixzz0fFHuvKbE
The above IS NOT A LEGAL DOCUMENT. It is an opinion.

We may yet hear the horse talk.

I can stand my own despair but not others hope

FatFreddysCat

I must admit i wasn't to pleased to see he'd swap Europa league progress in return for being able to progress against the mighty div 2 Notts County. I still think the Europa is massive for us, and to be honest although i'd definately go to Wembley for a semi final just to say i've seen Fulham play there, i still dont think it's right, I'd rather travel back to Villa Park than Wembley for a semi for the right to play the Final at Wembley. If you win the semi at Wembley the final it's self is a bit of an anti climax , and you'd look silly singing "were going to Wembley". And given the choice i'd rather Hamburg, though i must admit i think Shaktar will knock us out. Wembley for the final only >:(.