Sunday Fulham Stuff (09.01.11)

[White Noise]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1345397/Too-average-footballers-millionaires--drive-Ferraris-deserve-Reliant-Robin.html

[White Noise]

http://www.people.co.uk/sport/football/football-hotline/2011/01/09/steve-kean-chases-aston-villa-duo-stephen-warnock-and-james-collins-102039-22835611/


Steve Kean chases Aston Villa duo Stephen Warnock and James Collins

Jan 9 2011 By Alan Nixon, The People


Stephen Warnock is ready to rejoin Blackburn Rovers as part of a swap deal.

Aston Villa left-back Warnock has been dropped by Gerard Houllier and made a scapegoat for recent results – and Rovers boss Steve Kean is interested in taking him AND team-mate James Collins in exchange for the unsettled Chris Samba.

Villa have been trying to sign 6ft 4in Samba but have not matched Blackburn's valuation.

The clubs were trying to sort out a cash adjustment on top of Welsh international Collins but Warnock's availability interests Kean.

Rovers' advantage is that Villa still owe them an instalment on the England international defender.

Samba rocked the Rovers boat when Kean took over after Sam Allardyce was sacked, but insiders reveal he has been angling for a move all season.

Kean is still keen on Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam and is waiting for Manchester City to agree that former Rover Roque Santa Cruz can go on loan. A third ex-Blackburn player, Damien Duff, is unlikely to be sold by Fulham.

Rovers, though, will have to move fast if they want to snap up 16-year-old Crewe teenager Nick Powell, as the England youth striker is also interesting Arsenal.

[White Noise]

http://www.people.co.uk/sport/football/football-hotline/2011/01/09/capital-calls-suit-spurs-striker-robbie-keane-102039-22835673/

Capital calls suit Spurs striker Robbie Keane


Jan 9 2011

By Dean Jones and Alan Nixon, The People



ROBBIE KEANE is being granted his chance to remain in London as West Ham and Fulham battle to sign him.

Talks with Birmingham about a £7million transfer have gone cold and Blues have now agreed a fee for Rangers' front man Kenny Miller.

Republic of Ireland international Keane, 30, is now set for a switch across the capital and that suits him because he does not want to move house.

Fulham are interested but the forward would have to take a 30 per cent cut on his current £65,000-a-week wages.

The Hammers are willing to pay a salary close to his current one.

West Ham are also making a £7m bid for bad-boy striker Demba Ba from German side Hoffenheim this week.

The Senegalese international striker has been to London twice in recent weeks as he pushes for the move.

The relegation-haunted club are willing to pay the cash in three installments and negotiations are 'close' according to both sides.

Ba's arrival is sure to spark interest in Carlton Cole – the pair are similar in style and size.

[White Noise]

http://www.people.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/fa-cup-match-reports/2011/01/09/fulham-6-2-peterborough-flash-kamara-puts-sparky-s-men-in-frame-102039-22835713/


Fulham 6-2 Peterborough: Flash Kamara puts Sparky's men in frame

Jan 9 2011


By Matt Butler, The People

DIOMANSY KAMARA hit his first hat-trick on English soil to help Fulham ease into the fourth round – and boss Mark Hughes now wants to go on and win it.

Kamara scored before the break, then added two more in the second half and was joined on the scoresheet by Dickson Etuhu, Zoltan Gera and Jonathan Greening.

Now Sparky would love to add a winner's medal as a manager to the four Wembley victories he enjoyed as a player with Manchester United and Chelsea.

The Craven Cottage boss said: "We want to have a good run in this competition, it is important for the team. We are playing well. We proceeded in the right way and picked a strong side because we are on a decent run and it was important for our continuity."

Hughes named a first-choice squad – but they nearly came unstuck after just two minutes. Peterborough's Arron Davies was left free to get a shot off which David Stockdale had to be quick to palm clear.

Posh were fearless in attack, as shown on 29 minutes by Lee Tomlin, who burst clear on the break only to fire wide with only Stockdale to beat.

Three minutes later Kamara settled the hosts' nerves, as the Senegalese star nodded home unmarked from Chris Baird's cross.

Etuhu made it two on the stroke of half-time, as he pounced on a loose ball to put daylight between the sides.

With the tie safe, Kamara started showboating after the break and almost added another with a cheeky backheel – before netting his second with a simple sidefoot on 59 minutes.

Sub Gera made it 4-0 on 66 minutes, before Tomlin got on the scoresheet, pulling one back five minutes later.

But Kamara was not done yet and he completed his hat-trick on 76 minutes with another easy shot from the edge of the area.

After Grant McCann slotted a penalty for Posh, Greening added Fulham's sixth with a minute to go.

Peterborough boss Gary Johnson, despite being a boyhood Fulham supporter, could see no silver lining. He said: "I still am a fan, or I was up until today.

"You can't be happy with them when we have been beaten. But I hope they win the Cup, that's for sure."

[White Noise]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/01/09/2296678/fulhams-former-liverpool-midfielder-danny-murphy-kenny


Fulham's former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy: Kenny Dalglish is a sensible appointment

But Roy Hodgson deserved to have been given more time, says ex-Red


By Adithya Ananth


9 Jan 2011 08:54:00


Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy has backed the appointment of Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool manager until the end of the season, following the dismissal of Roy Hodgson.

The ex-Inter boss parted ways with the club after a series of poor results left the team only four points off the relegation zone, and Liverpool brought in former boss Dalglish - who was the last manager to win the league title with the Reds - to take charge of the side for the remainder of the season.

"They want to get it right, of course, and Kenny knows the club well, so it's quite a sensible appointment - and most if not all the fans love Kenny, respect him and will give him time to work with the team," Murphy told talkSPORT.

"It's a sensible decision and knowing Kenny he'll rise to the challenge. It is a sad day in the fact that I feel for Roy but the club will carry on. Managers come and go as players do but the club has to continue moving forward."

The veteran midfielder was also unhappy that his former boss was not given a significant amount of time to make his mark at Anfield.

"It's a strange time at the moment and I can't quite put my finger on why that is," Murphy added. "When Roy Hodgson came to Fulham we didn't win a game until his ninth game in charge and then we went on to finish seventh, which is the highest in the club's history, and reach the final of the Europa League.

"There is something to be said for stability and I also understand that clubs sometimes need to make decisions to move in a different direction, and that can work too, but the general overview and people who know football know that the best way to create stability and success is to stick with the manager and give him a bit of time."

[White Noise]

http://fulham.theoffside.com/mark-hughes/kamaras-hat-trick-sends-posh-packing.html


Kamara's Hat Trick Sends Posh Packing

By: Jason Gatties | January 8th, 2011



Diomansy Kamara, if only for a day, silenced his critics as the striker found the back of the net three times in Fulham's 6-2 victory over Peterborough United in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup.

The embattled big man, who is attempting to fill Bobby Zamora's boots, earned his first hat trick in English football. But it wasn't all Dio today, as Dickson Etuhu, Zoltan Gera & Jonathan Greening (yes, Jonathan Greening) also found the back of the net. The boys played well and did something Newcastle couldn't do...win a match you're suppose to win. As the Magpies found out, that's easier said than done in the FA Cup.

As expected, Peterborough came out playing with a ton of emotion and dominated play for about the first 10 minutes or so.  Even though it would take 32 minutes for Chris Baird to set up Kamara's first goal, Fulham dominated from about the 10th minute on. Just before the half, Damien Duff helped set up Etuhu's goal, which came off a deflection. Etuhu has been struggling and I've given him much crap, but he found the back of the net and for now at least, all is forgiven.

At halftime, I felt we needed at least two more goals before I would begin to feel comfortable and in the 59th minute, Dio put us up 3-0 after Danny Murphy's fantastic through ball found Dio and he simply tucked it away.  Six minutes later, Zoltan Gera headed home Duff's corner to put the Whites up 4-0.  The Posh could have rolled over, but to their credit, they continued to fight and it paid off in the 71st minute when Lee Tomlin blasted one past David Stockdale to make the score 4-1. Dio's hat trick would come in the 76th after a nice back and forth passing display with Jonathan Greening.  Grant McCann picked up a cheap goal in the 87th minute following a PK thanks to a silly foul in the box by Rafik Halliche, who was making his Fulham debut.  Greening would then score a rare (for him) goal in the 88th minute to put a cap on the day.

As I stated before...mission accomplished. While Peterborough didn't "roll over" when they easily could have, they were completely outclassed. Fulham fired off 22 shots (11 on target) to 8 (4 on target) for the League One side and held a 57%-43% possession advantage.  I have to believe that Mark Hughes' offensive vision was played out today on the pitch. Yes, we defeated a League One side, but we still put on a fantastic display, which can't be said of Newcastle, Sunderland & most other clubs who tasted defeat today. Enjoy the win boys and keep the momentum going.

The 4th Round draw will be held tomorrow and it will be interesting to see who we draw.  Here's hoping for another lower league side as I would like to avoid Premiership competition for as long as possible.

COYW!

[White Noise]

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/171105/Fulham-6-Peterborough-2-Diomonsy-Kamara-gets-Sparky-s-side-flying/


FULHAM 6 - PETERBOROUGH 2 - DIOMONSY KAMARA GETS SPARKY'S SIDE FLYING


9th January 2011

By Tony Stenson


Fulham 6 - Peterborough 2


A DIOMANSY KAMARA hat-trick helped Premier League strugglers Fulham to an easy win at Craven Cottage.

The striker headed Mark Hughes' men into the lead after 32 minutes when he got on the end of Chris Baird's teasing cross.

And when Dickson Etuhu added a second just before the break, the tie was safe.

Kamara bagged his second on 59 minutes and Zoltan Gera added a fourth when he headed Jonathan Greening's 67th-minute cross past Joe Lewis.

But Posh carried on and were rewarded when Lee Tomlin skinned Baird and drove past David Stockdale in the 72nd minute.

Kamara then fired home his third with 14 minutes left before Grant McCann pulled another back for Peterborough.

Fulham sub Rafik Halliche brought down Craig Mackail-Smith in the 86th minute and McCann made no mistake.

There was even time for Greening to add Fulham's sixth, one minute before time, when he raced clear of the Posh defence.

Fulham boss Sparky said: "It was very pleasing. It shows we are going the right way."

[White Noise]

FULHAM 6 PETERBOROUGH 2: CRACKING KAMARA 


Sunday January 9,2011

By Tony Stenson at Craven Cottage

FULHAM 6 -- PETERBOROUGH 2

DIOMANSY KAMARA, whose Fulham future is in doubt, turned in the type of performance that once made his manager an FA Cup legend.


He scored a sensational hat-trick to help pummel once proud Posh in a goal-fest that had Fulham boss Mark Hughes beaming.


Hughes loved the passion showed by Kamara, who scored and played for fun, and it was the type of performance that 'Sparky' once made his own in soccer's oldest cup competition.


Hughes said: "I think it is widely known I take this competition seriously, and that I intend to progress as far as possible.


"A good cup run brings a sense of excitement to any club, and can also breed confidence than enhances league performance."


After a ragged start to the season, Hughes believes Fulham have already turned the survival corner.


Now he'll be tuned into that magic mix of 'balls from the bag' as the fourth round draw is made.


With the so-called big clubs not sure how to play the FA Cup these days, the door is open for a good, honest run by outsiders who still believe.


Division One Posh made it hard, raising their game, hearts big as oaks, and gave Fulham a mighty fright until they left the doors open.


Peterborough have one of the best scoring records outside of the top flight, but sadly also one of the  worst defensive records.

 

It led to a wonderful punch and counter-punch tie, with Peterborough playing above themselves and Fulham walking on eggshells, not wishing to be a cup casualty.


Posh boss Gary Johnson, born and bred in Fulham and a childhood supporter, can be proud of the side once dubbed 'Proud Posh' for previous cup exploits, now fading in black and white memory.


But once Kamara headed Fulham into a 32nd-minute lead you always knew the visitors were facing an uphill struggle.


Kamara's future is uncertain at Fulham, and many believe he might leave this month, but his contribution yesterday was immense. He ghosted in at the far post to calmly head in Chris Baird's raking cross for the opener.


Damien Duff, Fulham's skilful, enigmatic and often injured Irish winger, should have added a second in  the 38th minute, but he pushed Kamara's pass wide.


Then when Dickson Etuhu added the second on virtually the stroke of half time it was only a case of how many were to follow.


Posh were perfection in the early skirmishes, with striker Craig Mackail-Smith forcing David Stockdale into action after just five minutes.


Stockdale was getting a rare chance because first choice Mark Schwarzer was in Asian Cup action in the Middle East with Australia.


Kamara added a third before Zoltan Gera bagged Fulham's fourth, heading in Jonathan Greening's 67th-minute cross.


Both had arrived as substitutes a few minutes earlier to show why Hughes and the FA Cup have such a magical relationship.


Posh refused to bow down and deserved their 72nd-minute consolation when Lee Tomlin skinned Baird and fired home.


Kamara, inevitably, was going to have more say in the tie, driving home Fuham's fifth in the 80th minute.

The drama wasn't over, though. Posh pulled one back when Grant McCann struck home an 86th-minute penalty after Fulham sub Rafik Halliche brought down Mackail-Smith.


But Fulham added the icing on the cake a minute later when Greening raced through the Posh defence to score Fulham's sixth


Read more: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/222030/Fulham-6-Peterborough-2-Cracking-Kamara/Fulham-6-Peterborough-2-Cracking-Kamara#ixzz1AXJR2uSg

[White Noise]

Mark Hughes has been handed £8m to spend in January but will have to wait until the summer to land Swansea defender Ashley Williams. (News of the World)