Thursday Fulham Stuff (16/12/10)

[WhiteJC]

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2010/12/16/pre-match-preview-liverpool-fc-v-fulham-premier-league-with-vintage-robbie-fowler-video-100252-27837359/?

Pre-match preview: Liverpool FC v Fulham, Premier League (with vintage Robbie Fowler video)

To be played at Anfield on Saturday December 18 2010, kick off 17:30

Liverpool's last five games

Dec 15: Europa League - Liverpool 0 FC Utrecht 0

Dec 11: Premier League - Newcastle 3 Liverpool 1

Dec 6: Premier League - Liverpool 3 Aston Villa 0

Dec 2: Europa League - Steaua Bucharest 1 Liverpool 1

Nov 28: Premier League - Tottenham 2 Liverpool 1

Fulham's last five games

Dec 11: Premier League - Fulham 0 Sunderland 0

Dec 4: Premier League - Arsenal 2 Fulham 1

Nov 27: Premier League - Fulham 1 Birmingham 1

Nov 21: Premier League - Fulham 1 Man City 4

Nov 13: Premier League - Newcastle 0 Fulham 0

Liverpool vs Fulham - matches at Anfield

Played: 29 Won: 20 Drawn: 9 Lost: 0 Goals for: 78 Goals against: 18

Selected matches

11 April 2010 - Liverpool 0 Fulham 0 Read match report here


Fulham's second successive goalless draw at Anfield all but ended Liverpool's hopes of Champions League qualification for the season.

Cottagers keeper Mark Schwarzer enjoyed a trouble-free afternoon as the Reds failed to get on the scoresheet at Anfield for the first time since December 08, the late spark provided by substitute Dani Pacheco the only positive in a forgettable afternoon.

10 Nov 2007 - Liverpool 2 Fulham 0 Read match report here


Fernando Torres returned from an injury lay-off to inspire the Reds to a much-needed win.

Liverpool were struggling to break Fulham down and the visitors were only nine minutes away from a valuable away point when the Spaniard, who had replaced Andriy Voronin only ten minutes previously, collected Pepe Reina's goal kick midway inside the Fulham half and advanced menacingly on the Fulham goal before turning inside marker Aaron Hughes and cunningly beating goalkeeper Anti Niemi on his near post.

Steven Gerrard added a second goal from the penalty spot after Peter Crouch had been fouled by Carlos Bocanegra.

9 Dec 2006 - Liverpool 4 Fulham 0 Read match report here


A rare goal for Jamie Carragher was the highlight as the Reds romped to a pre-Christmas victory.

After a goalless first half, Steven Gerrard had already broken the deadlock early in the second half before Carragher slid in at the far post following a left-wing corner to register his first goal at the Kop end since his debut strike against Aston Villa in 1997.

Luis Garcia and Mark Gonzalez also managed to get on the scoresheet with Pepe Reina's clean sheet ensuring he broke Ray Clemence's record of the most clean sheets (28) in his first 50 League games for the club.

15 March 2006 - Liverpool 5 Fulham 1 Read match report here


A week after losing their crown as European champions following Anfield defeat by Benfica, the Reds bounced back with a resounding win over Fulham as Robbie Fowler finally registered his first goal of his second spell at the club.

The Toxteth terror opened the scoring with a close-range header at the Anfield Road end and, although Collins John threatened to give the visitors a foothold in the game by pulling a goal back after a Michael Brown own goal had doubled Liverpool's advantage, second half strikes from Fernando Morientes, Peter Crouch and Steven Warnock's first goal for the club ensured the Reds' biggest Anfield win since 2002.

23 September 1986 - Liverpool 10 Fulham 0, Littlewoods Cup second round first leg


Liverpool equalled the record for the League Cup's biggest win by demolishing their Third Division opponents.

Ian Rush got the Double winners off and running with an 8th minute opener but it was Steve McMahon who stole the headlines with a four-goal salvo which would have been five if he hadn't missed a penalty.

John Wark (2), Ronnie Whelan, Steve Nicol and Rush again all got on the scoresheet as the Reds bounced back the previous weekend's League defeat at Southampton.

The Fulham programme for the second leg, which Liverpool won 3-2, optimistically still printed details of the competition rules just in case the scores were level after 90 minutes.

Quick quiz (answers over the page)

1 Who scored his first goal at Anfield for the Reds in the 3-1 win over Fulham in February 2005?

2 Who missed a penalty for Liverpool when the sides played out a goalless draw at Anfield in April 2004?

3 Who joined Liverpool from Fulham in the summer of 2003?

4 Which member of Liverpool's last title-winning side played 129 games for Fulham between 1982 and 1985?

5 One of Fulham boss Mark Hughes' least favourite experiences of Anfield was when the Reds ended Man Utd's title hopes in April 1992 - who opened the scoring that day by finally bagging his first goal against the Old Trafford side?

Watch classic video of Robbie Fowler scoring his first goals for Liverpool >>>>>

Reds striking legend Robbie Fowler certainly took a shine to playing against the men from Craven Cottage.

He made his first team debut, at the tender age of 18, against them in a Coca Cola Cup second round first leg tie in September 1993, scoring an adept half-volley to wrap up a 3-1 Reds victory and a fortnight later in the second leg at Anfield scored all five goals in a resounding Liverpool win to illustrate the strking prowess Kopites would soon get to know and love.



Ones to watch

Liverpool

Joe Cole continued his recovery from injury against FC Utrecht and will be wanting to bag his first league goal for the Reds while Fernando Torres and Pepe Reina should be well-rested having not started the midweek Europa League tie.

Raul Meireles has been one of the bright sparks of the Reds season so far and will hope to continue his decent form - Fabio Aurelio performed well against the Dutchmen and will be striving to put pressure on Paul Konchesky for the left-back slot.

Fulham

Clint Dempsey is the Cottagers' top scorer this season so far with 5 goals and scored in his side's 3-1 home win over the Reds last October. Ex-Red Danny Murphy will relish another return to Anfield while centre Brede Hangeland has been impressive since signing from FC Copenhagen and has been linked with a move to various top clubs.

Latest odds from Betfred (click here for info)

Liverpool - 4/7

Draw - 11/4

Fulham - 6/1

Quiz answers

1 Fernando Morientes

2 Steven Gerrard

3 Steve Finnan

4 Ray Houghton

5 Ian Rush



Read More http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2010/12/16/pre-match-preview-liverpool-fc-v-fulham-premier-league-with-vintage-robbie-fowler-video-100252-27837359/2/#ixzz18HbmmOc1

[WhiteJC]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/8206064/Murphy-We-need-firepower.html?

Murphy: We need firepower
Danny Murphy admits the story of Fulham's season is beginning to sound like a broken record after their winless run stretched to seven matches.

Saturday's goalless game with Sunderland was the Cottagers' 10th Barclays Premier League draw of the campaign, more than any other club.

Goal difference alone continues to separate Mark Hughes' men from the bottom three, and captain Murphy told the club's official website: "We're very frustrated and it's becoming a familiar story.

"People talk about not having the rub of the green, and that's how it feels at the moment.

"But at the end of the day, it's scoring goals that wins you matches and we haven't been doing that enough. Let's be honest, we've drawn too many."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/sport/football-ealing/fulham-fc-ealing/2010/12/16/liverpool-v-fulham-82029-27838505/?

Liverpool v Fulham

FULHAM are still without striker Mousa Dembele for Saturday's visit to Liverpool.

Boss Mark Hughes had hoped the Belgium international would have recovered in time to return to training this week ahead of the trip to Anfield.

But Dembele has returned to his homeland to seek more advice on his troublesome ankle injury.

Matthew Briggs is also still sidelined after he had an operation on his calves last week.

Bobby Zamora and Philippe Senderos are the only long-term absentees.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/December/BobbysFirstStepsToRecovery.aspx

First Steps

Fulham and England international striker Bobby Zamora has taken his first steps on the road to recovery following the serious ankle injury he sustained against Wolves at the Cottage in early September.

Zamora's rehabilitation moved from the gym to running out on the training pitch on Thursday morning, and as Mark Hughes revealed later in the day, the striker is on schedule to return in February.

"Bobby went out today and was running on the pitch for the first time," Hughes told fulhamfc.com on Thursday afternoon.

"He's done a lot of work in the gym and worked on a machine that increases the load and weight bearing that he can manage.

"He hit 100% load bearing last week so we go him outside today. It's very early days for him and it's a case now of building up his confidence and getting his body to where it was before.

"He's bang on schedule and hopefully we'll have him back sooner rather than later. I think it will be February but there's going to be a period of adaptation."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/December/BobbysFirstStepsToRecovery.aspx#ixzz18INTcxDC

[HatterDon]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/December/BobbysFirstStepsToRecovery.aspx

First Steps

Fulham and England international striker Bobby Zamora has taken his first steps on the road to recovery following the serious ankle injury he sustained against Wolves at the Cottage in early September.

Zamora's rehabilitation moved from the gym to running out on the training pitch on Thursday morning, and as Mark Hughes revealed later in the day, the striker is on schedule to return in February.

"Bobby went out today and was running on the pitch for the first time," Hughes told fulhamfc.com on Thursday afternoon.

"He's done a lot of work in the gym and worked on a machine that increases the load and weight bearing that he can manage.

"He hit 100% load bearing last week so we go him outside today. It's very early days for him and it's a case now of building up his confidence and getting his body to where it was before.

"He's bang on schedule and hopefully we'll have him back sooner rather than later. I think it will be February but there's going to be a period of adaptation."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/December/BobbysFirstStepsToRecovery.aspx#ixzz18INTcxDC

Great to see him in that shirt. I hope to see him in it again soon.