Monday Fulham Stuff (31/01/11)

[WhiteJC]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6712239,00.html?

Hughes - We deserved it
Fulham boss delighted with win

Fulham boss Mark Hughes felt his side deserved everything they got after their emphatic 4-0 FA Cup win over Tottenham.

The Cottagers breezed into the last 16, after they comfortably wrapped up victory at Craven Cottage.

Two early penalties from Danny Murphy, were followed by strikes from Brede Hangeland and Moussa Dembele.
And Hughes insisted that Fulham were well worth their win.

"I think it's been coming, especially against Spurs," said Hughes.

"We've played well on two occasions against Spurs and haven't had any reward.

"We were on the front foot and forced errors from their back four."

Hughes reserved a special mention for Murphy, who turned in a commanding display a day after signing a contract extension.

"Danny is a big influence on the pitch, a good captain and a good leader and we're pleased he's staying," he added.

"You saw with his performance today that he gets on the ball and makes us tick. It was important that we secured his future."

[WhiteJC]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/30012011/63/redknapp-slams-sloppy-spurs.html?

Redknapp slams sloppy Spurs

Harry Redknapp was disappointed with Tottenham's first-half performance after seeing his side exit the FA Cup at the fourth round stage with a 4-0 hammering at Fulham.

The Cottagers were by far the better side at Craven Cottage as they raced into an unassailable 4-0 lead by half-time.

Danny Murphy opened the scoring from the spot after 11 minutes before Michael Dawson was sent off minutes later for pulling back Moussa Dembele in the box. The Fulham captain made no mistake with his second penalty before Brede Hangeland and Dembele made it 4-0 by the break.

"Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong," Redknapp said.

"We gave two horrendous goals away and had Michael Dawson sent off and gave two penalties away. How do you come back from that?

"You can't keep coming back from those situations."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/854155-redknapp-everything-that-could-have-gone-wrong-did?

Spurs' Harry Redknapp: Everything that could have gone wrong did
Harry Redknapp was furious with Spurs' horrendous first-half display against Fulham which condemned his team to the FA Cup scrapheap on Sunday.



Fulham were by far the better side as they roared into an unassailable 4-0 lead by half-time of the fourth-round tie at Craven Cottage.

Danny Murphy opened the scoring from the spot after 11 minutes before Michael Dawson was sent off almost immediately for pulling back Moussa Dembele.

Fulham captain Murphy again made no mistake with the penalty. Brede Hangeland and Dembele exploited more lax defending to make it 4-0 by the break.

'Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong,' said Redknapp.

'We gave two horrendous goals away and had Michael Dawson sent off and gave two penalties away. How do you come back from that?

'Michael started sloppily... he gave two goals away which is not like him. He is usually fantastic for us but he got off to a terrible start.'

Fulham boss Mark Hughes said: 'We wanted to make it hostile. We managed to force a few errors from their defenders and we capitalised on those situations.'

Dawson's three-match ban has left Spurs short at the back, with Ledley King and Younes Kaboul injured and Jonathan Woodgate short of fitness.

'Kaboul is having an operation on his knee and could be out for six weeks,' added Redknapp.


Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/854155-redknapp-everything-that-could-have-gone-wrong-did#ixzz1CarlpKnT

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http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/01/30/fulham-striker-could-be-new-hero-after-tottenham-hotspur-knockout-82029-28083420/?

Fulham striker could be new hero after Tottenham Hotspur knockout

Fulham 4-0 Tottenham Hotspur

FULHAM fans saluted old favourite Danny Murphy after his double knocked out Spurs in the FA Cup, but the Craven Cottage faithful could have a new hero in the form of Moussa Dembele.

Making only his second start since November after having his promising Fulham start curtailed by injury, the Belgian international (pictured) taunted the Spurs defence throughout and put the icing on the cake with a superb individual goal just before half-time.

It was only Dembele's fourth goal since his summer move from AZ Alkmaar, but at the age of 23 there looks to be plenty more to come from the striker.

By the time Dembele struck the fourth on the stroke of half-time, Murphy had already celebrated his contract extension at Craven Cottage with two well-taken penalties as Fulham made short work of Harry Redknapp's men.

In-form Clint Dempsey was the architect of Fulham's storming start as he turned Alan Hutton and was brought down.

Murphy made no mistake from the spot in the 12th minute just a day after signing a one-year extension at the club and the former Liverpool midfielder was given a standing ovation from the Fulham faithful after making way for Jonathan Greening in the second-half.

It got worse for Spurs less than two minutes later when Michael Dawson was given his marching orders after bringing down Dembele and Murphy emphatically struck again from 12 yards with the subsequent penalty.

Dempsey came so close to making it 3-0 with an effort that brushed against the crossbar, but the Fulham faithful did not have to wait long for a third when Brede Hangeland punished terrible marking in the box by slotting home at the back post from a corner.

Fulham piled on the misery for the visitors on the stroke of half-time when Dembele scored with a brilliant individual goal after a great run and shot.

The second-half was virtually a non-event as Fulham settled for 4-0 and a last-16 spot against Bolton or Wigan, while Spurs were happy to accept damage limitation with a header from Aaron Hughes that struck the bar almost making it five.



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/01/30/fulham-striker-could-be-new-hero-after-tottenham-hotspur-knockout-82029-28083420/?#ixzz1Cas8DR7j

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http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2900/fa-cup/2011/01/30/2330565/fulham-manager-mark-hughes-aiming-for-fa-cup-final-after?

Fulham manager Mark Hughes aiming for FA Cup final after thrashing Tottenham
Welshman doesn't expect any new faces in transfer window

Mark Hughes is aiming to take Fulham to their second cup final in consecutive years after overseeing a club record 4-0 humiliation of Tottenham.

The Fulham manager was delighted with the performance of his players and believes his squad is in better shape in the second half of the season following the return from injury of key players.

Hughes' team's reward for destroying Spurs is a home fifth round FA Cup tie against either Bolton Wanderers or Wigan Athletic.

"We would love to have a good cup run and progress in this fantastic competition," said Hughes in his post-match press conference. "We've negotiated two early rounds and a positive result in the next one will put us in a good position. The club really enjoyed the experience last year and we would love to get to another final.

"I see evidence of what I'm trying to install in this side. I knew we needed a more dynamic team than we had because individuals were not available for us at the start of the season.

"Key players are starting to come back like Moussa [Dembele], Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora. I always knew we would be stronger in the second half of the season."

Hughes says he does not expect Fulham to make any additions on the final day of the window after loan bids for Shaun Wright-Phillips and Paul Konchesky hit brick walls.

"I don't think so, no," he said. "We have probably done our business although you never know and sometimes something presents itself. But I don't expect it to."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2280360,00.html?

Hughes happy with fast start

Mark Hughes was pleased with the speed Fulham came out of the blocks in the 4-0 FA Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur.

In a nightmare opening 14 minutes for Spurs, ex player Danny Murphy converted two penalties to put Fulham on their way to a place in the fifth round, writes Stewart Coggin.

The first was awarded by referee Phil Dowd after Alan Hutton had brought down Clint Dempsey. Michael Dawson was then sent-off for tugging Moussa Dembele's shirt as the striker went clean through. Dowd played the advantage but after Dembele had seen his shot saved by Heurelho Gomes, he gave a second penalty and Dawson his marching orders.

A close range finish from Brede Hangeland and a superb solo effort from Dembele sent the Cottagers in 4-0 up at half-time and Hughes was delighted with his players.

OBVIOUSLY STARTED
"You look at the opposition and you know it is going to be difficult," he said.

"But we looked to make a fast start and that's what we did. We were able to force errors out of their back four players and capitalised on those situations.

"They were obviously hampered by going down to ten men but we still had to put the game beyond them and that's what we were able to do. 4-0 at half-time is more than we would have hoped for before the game."

Hughes added that he was unlikely to do any business on Monday, the final day of the transfer window.

His counterpart Harry Redknapp was left to rue a catastrophic start from his players which meant that the match was effectively over as a contest by half-time.

Redknapp had already seen his side go 4-0 down in the first-half of a match this season with ten men. However, at the San Siro against Inter Milan in the Champions League, he looked on as a Gareth Bale hat-trick gave much respectability to the scoreline.

Bale missed this match with a back injury and his team-mates struggled in the Welshman's absence.

TWO PENALTIES
"We came in 4-0 down at half-time and with ten men but we didn't have Gareth Bale in the second-half to get us out of it," Redknapp acknowledged.

"Everything that could have gone wrong did. We gave two horrendous goals away, had Michael Dawson sent-off; two penalties and a sending-off. How do you come back from that?

"I thought the second one was harsh. I thought the sending off was harsh. But I haven't seen a replay. Michael started sloppily.

"We just got off to a horrific start today. It was difficult, very difficult."

Redknapp added that he was unlikely to sign a defender despite several injuries, while he denied bids had been made for Newcastle United's Andrew Carroll, West Ham United's Scott Parker and Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/01/30/tottenham-hotspur-victory-provides-perfect-tonic-for-fulham-star-after-liverpool-nightmare-82029-28083612/?

Tottenham Hotspur thrashing provides perfect tonic for Fulham star after Liverpool nightmare

JOHN Pantsil admitted that Sunday's thrashing of Spurs was the perfect tonic for him after his nightmare at Anfield.

The Fulham favourite's customary victory lap of honour at Craven Cottage had added significance for him after his horror show at Anfield on Wednesday night when he struck an own goal to hand Liverpool a 1-0 victory.

But the 29-year-old Ghanaian had his name cheered by the Fulham faithful today – and Pantsil was delighted to pay back the fans by helping to hammer Spurs.

"Some bad things happen in games for you, but that is history and you have to concentrate on what is ahead," he said.

"Today was great for the players, all the fans and the people around the club. Every home game when we win I always go out and give the fans what they deserve because they do so much for us. They keep us going when we go behind and they deserve everything that I do for them."

Pantsil says that Wednesday's visit of Newcsatle United is a crucial game for Fulham to maintain their recent push up the table away from the relegation zone.

"It is a home game and we know how important it is," he added. "We have to go all out for three points, it is a must-win game and a draw will not be good for us. If we can produce the same performance as today then we can deliver the goods."



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/01/30/tottenham-hotspur-victory-provides-perfect-tonic-for-fulham-star-after-liverpool-nightmare-82029-28083612/?#ixzz1Cat24fQn

[WhiteJC]

http://www.spurs.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=7507422

Clueless at the Cottage
Grrrr....alright, listen up chaps, know you don't like the length of some of these articles so today I'll keep it short. Quite simply, FA Cup Fourth Round. Spurs arrive at Craven Cottage. Hilarity ensues. That's it for today, guys, see you later...oh, blast it, I`ve got to write more about this debacle, the urge has overtaken me. Spurs arrived at the Cottage smarting after last week's near defeat to the Geordies, and were determined to progress to the next round amid a blaze of glory. At least, that's what we thought. We hoped. Well, we hoped in vain. Make no mistake, Sunday was quite possibly the most terrifyingly bad display since Harry took over. No, without exception. Not even the Young boys game at half-time or the first Inter match could compare to the forty-five minutes of absolutely rancid hopelessness displayed by the lads here. Both Young Boys and Inter were better teams than Fulham. No disrespect meant, obviously, but they were. at YB we had an excuse, one that rang hollow in the ears of many Spurs supporters-plastic pitch. At Inter, the one man second-half fight back put some gloss over what was a dismal performance. Finally, here, our shortcomings were exposed in brutal fashion, and boy are they scary.



)Damn it, Daws! - You are entitled to a bad game, Daws. You`ve earned one. But that was no ordinary bad game. Why? Well, first off, a 'game' implies lasting ninety minutes. You lasted fourteen. Secondly, after Hutton was bamboozled by Dempsey for the first goal, where were you? Being blocked off by effing Dembele. Oh, the mighty Daws, colossus in the heart of the back four, you got blocked off by Moussa. Dembele. Actually, scratch that. You didn't get blocked off. You ambled gently against Dembele's back as he trudged slowly towards the penalty area. Thirdly, when you get the ball, Daws, it's evidently better if you just wallop it into orbit like you always do. Trying to look for a pass, if today is anything to go by, only leads to you watching on rather stupidly as a striker nips in and gently lifts the ball off your toes with a 'thank you, my good man' and a tip of the long felt hat, pausing to turn around and execute a tap dance to the tune of the Marseillaise, all while you try and figure out where the ball suddenly went. Finally, after you do your best imitation of a tugboat pulling an aircraft carrier backward, you are given a red card. I cannot tell if it was deserved, haven't seen the replay. Not sure I want to. You, the captain, the man who must set an example, pull your shorts up in the usual rather freakish fashion, throw the armband to the floor in disgust and trudge off without a backward glance. Well done, that was leadership at its most awe-inspiring. Like I said, Daws, this was quite possibly the worst 1/6th of a game you have ever had. It must NEVER happen again.



)Hutton the Helpless-Hutton in full flow is like a barbarian horde-attack, attack, attack, measure consequences later. When it works, a la Wolves, it works superbly. Today, Hutton, the Barbarian horde was replaced by Hutton, the horde of inebriated Scotsmen. Unsure whether to go forward or stay back, he usually hovered around midway between defence and attack. Yes he's fast. strong, powerful, etc, etc. but he has all the defending abilities of Groucho Marx in a football jersey. Maybe Corluka is the better option. I mean, sure, he has the turning circle of an oil tanker, but at least he can grasp the complicated algorithm of 'ball+opposing winger+space=cross=goal' and move to cut it out with the hideously complex equation of 'opposition winger minus ball minus space = no goal'. As for his penalty, well, there was nothing for it, Daws wasn't covering , so he had to go to ground.



)Sorry, Sandro- He was the unfortunate victim of a bizarre substitution. Once Daws had so nobly exited the field of play with his head held high, Sandro was sacrificed to make way for Gallas. I mean, sure, Gallas was necessary to prevent us doing a Wigan 2009, but why Sandro? He's one of the few promising defensive mids we have, and he was probably itching for his chance. And yet he makes way for Gallas, while Steven Pienaar, who did as much good as a freight train without an engine, stays on. Sorry, Sandro. Once again, you've been compromised by the incompetence of your fellow team-mates on the day. A more level-headed manager would see that, but Harry? Prepare for some more time on the sidelines, my son.



)Pie-naar in the sky-Everton must be laughing with glee as they cheerfully count the three million quid we stumped up for him. Wasn't he supposed to be their creative anchor, around whom the play flowed? Creative anchor, my sodden arse, the only thing he could create was a sense of wild despair at the absence of our Gareth. I mean, sure, anybody short of Messi would make us miss the lad, but Pienaar certainly didn't distinguish himself today. Misplaced passes, lack of invention, run ragged by the astute through balls to Duff by Hughes, chasing shadows. Though that goes for most of our lads yesterday, Pienaar just isn't looking like a player who should be entitled to the first eleven every week ahead of Niko. Perhaps he'll improve later, I dunno. Not spectacular today though, me boy.



)Ricardo Fuller, anyone? A couple of days back, someone on here(don't remember who, sorry!) joked that Fuller would possibly be a more realistic option to solve our striking quandary, although his wages might be a problem. After tonight's by now expected shower of impotence, perhaps...? I'm getting desperate now, even the ghost of Pol Pot would be an improvement over our sullen lot.



)Harry Houdone-it?- Bad, bad game from the gaffer. He failed to motivate the lads in any way and they swaggered out, lazily complacent, expecting a win. 2-0 and a man down fifteen minutes later, and what does the new Alf Ramsey do? Sandro off, Gallas on. thirty minutes later, the lads come staggering back in, gasping for air and stumbling over themselves, the boos of the crowd ringing in their ears, and what does the strategic supreme come up with? Defoe off, Crouch on. twenty minutes later, we've failed to make any inroads at all, but we have some attacking talent on the bench, so we still have hope. Niko's warming up, he should be the one to...no. VDV off, Jenas on. Bravo. Masterstroke by the tactical mastermind. They'll be quivering in their boots now. And, after the inevitable slump to a 4-0 defeat, he merrily blames Daws, the ref, and just about everyone but himself for the humbling. No, he says, the tactics were spot on. No, he says, the lads were motivated. no, he says, I'm happy with my squad, we're not buying. We're not buying? WE'RE NOT BUYING? that better be the biggest goddamn white lie on the face of God's green earth. It better be. No, I'm deadly, DEADLY serious. It better be.



)The opponents-Fulham pressed us all over the pitch, took their chances superbly well, and look to have found a real talent in Dembele, a man I now wish we had signed, if this performance is symbolic of his skill. Well done to the Cottagers. 'Nuff said.



)Conclusion-The worst performance we have ever turned in under Harry. Without a shadow of a doubt. Terrifyingly stupid defending, woefully impotent attacking and a quality midfield struggling between the two. 'It's lucky for Spurs when the year ends in 1'. No FA Cup this year, lads. It's not luck we needed tonight, it's a clue of any sort. We were powerless, and our arrogance in believing that this tie was won before we got off the bus proved our downfall. Daws is an absolute moron for what he did today, but we still heart him, and Gareth-oh, how we need Gareth. If this performance shows anything, it shows how badly we've been playing this season. We've been lucky, several times. That must surely now be running out. We need a new front man, mother-effing sharpish. If not, I fear for the remainder of the campaign. Keep the faith, is all, keep the faith. We'll snap out of this. We have to. And if there's any positives to take from that 4-0 debacle, it's that we drew the second half.



gainst effing Fulham.



ob.



ritten by DubaiSpur


Read more: http://www.spurs.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=7507422#ixzz1CatGMjzS

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http://www.sportinglife.com/football/premiership/tottenham/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/11/01/30/SOCCER_Fulham.html

Fulham 4 Tottenham 0

Fulham cruised into the last 16 of the FA Cup with an impressive demolition of London rivals Tottenham at Craven Cottage.

The result of the match had been determined by half-time after Fulham had raced into a four-goal advantage by the break.

Danny Murphy scored from the spot 11 minutes in after Alan Hutton barged down Clint Dempsey in the box.

The Cottagers captain, who signed a new deal with the club on Friday, added a second penalty three minutes later after Michael Dawson was sent off for tugging back Moussa Dembele in the box.

Brede Hangeland stabbed home to make it 3-0 before Dembele rifled home a blistering strike just before half-time to seal the impressive win.

The win will provide another morale boost for Mark Hughes' resurgent side but will raise serious questions about Tottenham's ability to challenge for honours, particularly given that Harry Redknapp fielded arguably his strongest team available.

Gareth Bale was out due to a back injury but Redknapp named an XI that included the likes of Rafael van der Vaart, Steven Pienaar and Heurelho Gomes, who returned in goal after a shoulder injury kept him out of last week's draw at Newcastle.

Fulham, who had lost twice to Spurs already this year, replaced Chris Baird with Carlos Salcido in the only change from the XI that lost to Liverpool in midweek.

After a dull opening 10 minutes, the game sparked into life when Salcido robbed the careless Dawson 30 yards out before Hutton barged over Dempsey in the box as he raced towards goal.

Referee Phil Dowd blew for a penalty and Murphy fired the spot-kick to Gomes' right to put Fulham 1-0 up.

Dawson's match went from bad to worse two minutes later when he dithered on the ball just inside his own area. Dembele pinched the ball off Dawson before the England centre-half tried to yank the striker back by his shirt.

Dowd dismissed the former Nottingham Forest man before Murphy beat Gomes again from 12 yards.

Buoyed by their excellent start, Fulham looked for a third goal and it came after 23 minutes.

Andrew Johnson flicked on Damien Duff's corner and the ball found Hangeland at the back post. With Gomes stranded, the Norwegian made no mistake from three yards.

Sensing Tottenham could crumble, Redknapp sent on William Gallas for Sandro but Spurs still looked weak at the back.

Luka Modric fizzed a shot wide from long distance and Van der Vaart went into the book after clattering into Murphy from behind just before the half-hour mark.

Fulham made their numerical advantage count by dominating play. Johnson raced at the Tottenham defence as the first half came to a close but his shot fell straight into Gomes' hands.

Dembele then rounded off an incredible first half for the hosts with a fourth goal when he strode past Sebastien Bassong and fired a sublime 20-yard strike past Gomes.

Redknapp brought on Peter Crouch for Defoe at the break as Spurs looked to get back into the game.

Crouch's introduction had little effect though as Fulham started the second period the stronger of the two sides.

Johnson flicked a header just wide of Gomes' goal from a John Pantsil cross.

At the other end David Stockdale had his first test of the half, saving a tame Sebastien Bassong header from Aaron Lennon's cross.

Dempsey's 25-yard curling shot caused Gomes to pull off an impressive save low down to his right just after the hour mark.

Dembele then skipped past two markers before Bassong blocked the striker's goal-bound effort from eight yards.

A fifth Fulham goal looked inevitable as they laid siege to the Spurs goal.

Dempsey raced at the Tottenham back four and beat Gomes from 25 yards but his rising strike flew over the Tottenham goal.

Redknapp brought the ineffective Van der Vaart off, bringing on Jermaine Jenas, and Mark Hughes took Johnson off and introduced Zoltan Gera.

Pienaar was lucky not to be booked when he hacked down Duff after 71 minutes.

Murphy received a standing ovation when he departed two minutes later to be replaced by Jonathan Greening.

The home crowd taunted their north London rivals as they struggled to get hold of the ball.

The match's tempo had dropped to that of a practice match by the time Simon Davies replaced Dembele with 10 minutes left.

A rare move down the Tottenham right allowed Hutton to cross for Crouch but the England striker was muscled off the ball by Pantsil.

Fulham almost had a fifth in the 87th minute when Aaron Hughes' glanced header hit the bar from Duff's corner.

Gera had a golden chance a minute later but Gomes saved with his feet from the Hungarian's 12-yard shot and Fulham had to settle for four.

Teams

Fulham Stockdale, Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Salcido, Duff, Sidwell, Murphy (Greening 74), Dempsey, Andrew Johnson (Gera 68), Dembele (Davies 80).

Subs Not Used: Etheridge, Kelly, Kamara, Dikgacoi.

Booked: Duff.

Goals: Murphy 11 pen, 14 pen, Hangeland 23, Dembele 45.

Tottenham Gomes, Hutton, Bassong, Dawson, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Sandro (Gallas 17), Modric, Pienaar, Van der Vaart (Jenas 66), Defoe (Crouch 46).

Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Pavlyuchenko, Kranjcar, Corluka.

Sent Off: Dawson (13).

Booked: Van der Vaart.

Att: 21,829

Ref: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).

[WhiteJC]

http://mcnamarasband.wordpress.com/2011/01/30/no-wheels-on-our-wagon-fulham-4-tottenham-0/?

No wheels on our wagon! Fulham 4 Tottenham 0

I haven't been to Craven Cottage and I'm very glad that I did not choose today to change that. Unfortunately for them a strong contingent of Spurs fans made the trip across London and made a better fist of it than the players being extremely vocal throughout the game.

It was probably all there was to do as we threw ourselves wholeheartedly into the worst Spurs display for many months leaving Harry looking very hot under the collar as he chose his steps carefully back across the pitch to issue (hopefully) the rollocking of all rollickings to those gathered in the dressing room. Quite what the problem was is hard to tell but both teams carried on from the last time we met with Fulham getting much better and Spurs getting much worse!

Over confidence? Complacency? The thought of a home draw after coming through this match? The year ending in 1? Whatever it was it gripped them all at the start, none more so than Michael Dawson who firstly played a suicide pass to Alan Hutton before allowing himself to be blocked off in the chase back and then giving away a second penalty and getting himself sent off for tugging a shirt after 14 minutes.

Hutton's challenge which conceded the first penalty looked unfortunate in real time but he never got any the ball and clipped his man so a fair decision. Quite whether Dawson should have gone for the second is debateable. I felt it harsh but the way he was playing Phil Dowd clearly felt sorry for him and allowed him to sneak off quickly to the Cottage changing rooms.

But it was not just Dawson who was having a mare. Over the 90 minutes we hardly had an attack and one shot I recall was from a Van Der Vaart free kick near the half way line. Not the right decision though the keeper was a shade of his line but Rafa could only see two men ahead of him and both were short and useless in the air.

Fulham were good – of that there is no doubt but when they got the team sheets they probably felt we can get a "Lancashire performance" out of this lot if we get into them early. The midfield we presented was Lennon on the left, Rafa out right with Pienaar, Sandro and Modric in the centre. Time and time again we feel we can go into these games in all out attack mode but once we get put onto the back foot there is never any answer to it.

Sparky's job was easy, "The only real tackler is the boy Sandro and he has no experience of our game." I know I've complained about Jenas on this blog but this year he has looked better and his experience was vital to compete and take the sting out of Murphy and Dempsey in the early stages. So we lost that battle and inside 45 minutes the war. What made it worse was that Sandro was them removed to allow Gallas to come on.

Let's understand this. Sandro plays for the defensive midfield role – or that was my understanding – and then gets taken off after 17 minutes. In the past Lennon or Modric would have gone, personally I think it should have been Pienaar. He's new to the club and it could have been justified. Easy for me to say after the game but I thought he showed little and will only be a squad player as he offers nothing over Bale or the others.

Many will look at the absence of Bale but that wasn't it. He would have helped as he has been able to assist in back tracking but he would not have got the ball enough to make a difference. Added to that he played in games where we did give away goals for fun before recovering.

So looking at our team – and squad – what we can see is that it's OK when things are going well but when things go wrong the personnel are sadly lacking in breaking up play and taking the steam out of the opposition. There are exceptions. Gallas – but he was on the bench, Dawson – who went Hari Kari today and Palacios but he cannot keep it when he's got it.

Once again Crouch was called upon to try and resurrect the failures of the first half and Rafa limped off when it was clear it was game over. So it appears we have problems with a day to go in the transfer window. Or do we? Juvenile football says you play your strongest team, win the game and then make changes. Why don't we do that?

Lennon's started right all season so why start left today. Switch by all means but start? Sandro is in his first season so why put him in as he is clearly not ready yet. Why rest Gallas if we want to win the competition and we needed a different strategy up front. When first signed Rafa was arriving in the box and scoring these days he is pressed back against the half way line leaving us with no support in the box.

Bad day at the office? Bloody bad day at the office if truth be told. No new striker on the horizon and only loan deals for those leaving. This was a competition we had a decent chance of winning. Unfortunately we thought we already had or at least for the first 14 minutes.   

[WhiteJC]

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/24-sports-news/article328594.ece?

Dempsey sparks Fulham's thrashing of Tottenham

LONDON (AP) - American midfielder Clint Dempsey sparked Fulham's 4-0 rout of Tottenham in the fourth round of England's FA Cup on Sunday.

Dempsey drew a foul in the area from Spurs defender Alan Hutton in the 11th minute and Danny Murphy converted the penalty to put Fulham ahead.

Murphy scored a second penalty after Tottenham defender Michael Dawson was ejected for pulling back Moussa Dembele in the 13th, and goals by Brede Hangeland and Dembele completed the win.

Dempsey also struck a shot against the crossbar in the first half. Fulham will play either Wigan or Bolton in the round of 16 in the knockout competition.

Edin Dzeko rescued Manchester City with a late equalizer in a 1-1 draw at Notts County and 10-man Arsenal required an 86th-minute penalty by Cesc Fabregas to edge past Huddersfield 2-1.

West Ham beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 and Stoke won 1-0 at Wolverhampton in Sunday's other fourth-round matches.

Premier League leader Manchester United, which will play non-league side Crawley in the last 16, advanced out of the fourth round by beating Southampton 2-1 Saturday, when defending champion Chelsea drew 1-1 at Everton.

___

PAMPLONA, Spain (AP) - Real Madrid fell seven points behind first-place Barcelona in the Spanish league, losing 1-0 at Osasuna as Javier Camunas scored in the 62nd minute.

Carlos Aranda slipped the ball through two defenders, and Camunas' shot hit a post and bounced into Iker Casillas' goal.

Madrid's new striker, Emmanuel Adebayor, made his debut, coming off the bench in the 65th, along with Xabi Alonso and Kaka. But the trio couldn't rally Madrid (16-2-3), whose only other league loss this season was 5-0 to Barcelona (19-1-1).

Elsewhere, Giuseppe Rossi scored on an impressive drive from a tight angle in the 45th minute to give third-place Villarreal (14-4-3) a 1-0 win at Espanyol. The New Jersey-born Rossi has 20 goals this season, including 12 in the league.

___

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Gaizka Toquero scored twice in Athletic Bilbao's 2-0 win over 10-man Atletico Madrid that strengthened the Basque club's claim on a Europa League spot in Spain.

Toquero raced unmarked into the area to volley home Andoni Iraola's cross just before the half, and then jabbed in another cross by Iraola to double Bilbao's lead in the 64th.

Sixth-place Bilbao's third straight victory marked its longest winning streak of the season and lifted it to within five points of fourth-placed Valencia and five points clear of the struggling seventh-placed Atletico.

___

MILAN (AP) - Inter Milan needed new signing Giampaolo Pazzini's inspiration to mount a second-half comeback and beat Palermo 3-2.

Pazzini joined Inter for $16.5 million Friday and came on at halftime with Inter trailing 2-0 on goals by Fabio Miccoli and Antonio Nocerino.

He hit his first in the 57th, before Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar saved Javier Pastore's penalty.

Pazzini scored his second in the 73rd and then earned the winning penalty that was converted by Samuel Eto'o.

Napoli beat Sampdoria 4-0 at home with Edinson Cavani hitting a hat trick to stay second, four points behind league leader AC Milan on 47. Lazio is third with 40.

Udinese followed up its victory over Inter a week ago by rallying for a 2-1 win at Juventus. After Claudio Marchisio put the hosts ahead in the 60th, Cristian Zapata tied the score in the 67th and Alex Sanchez put Udinese ahead in the 85th.

___

PARIS (AP) - Defending champion Marseille was held to a 0-0 draw at next-to-last-place Monaco in the French league, falling eight points behind leader Lille in the title race.

Montpellier rallied to win 2-1 at Nancy, with Garry Bocaly scoring the go-ahead goal from long range in the 59th minute.

Nancy midfielder Youssouf Hadji tapped in a pass from Joel Sami to put the hosts ahead 1-0 after two minutes. But Montpellier striker Souleymane Camara headed home a cross from winger Karim Ait-Fana to level six minutes later.

___

BERLIN (AP) - Johannes Flum's first-half goal earned Freiburg a 1-0 win at Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, ending the home side's unbeaten start to 2011.

Freiburg climbs to sixth in the standings with 33 points, 17 behind leader Borussia Dortmund.

Stuttgart remains second from bottom on 16 points after 20 games.

___

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) - United States midfielder Maurice Edu scored the opening goal in Rangers' 2-1 win over Motherwell in the Scottish League Cup semifinal.

Edu netted in the 20th minute and although Keith Lasley equalized for Motherwell in the 66th, Steven Naismith scored the winner for the Scottish champions in the 75th, heading in from close range following a cross by Nikica Jelavic.

Rangers will play its fierce Glasgow rival Celtic in the final.

[WhiteJC]

http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Fulham-tear-tenman-Tottenham-apart.6706730.jp?

Fulham tear ten-man Tottenham apart in dramatic first half
By Craig Forbes

Danny Murphy scored twice from the penalty spot as Fulham tore 10-man Tottenham apart with a destructive first-half display in their FA Cup fourth round tie at Craven Cottage.

Murphy's spot-kick put Fulham ahead 12 minutes in after Alan Hutton hacked down Clint Dempsey, before the Cottagers' captain made it 2-0 by converting from 12 yards again after Dawson was sent off for pulling Moussa Dembele back inside the box.

Bede Hangeland nipped in at the back post to stab home a third before Dembele's blistering 20-yard strike capped an incredible first half.

There was no scoring in the second half - and no way back for Spurs.

Cesc Fabregas came off the bench to net another late penalty as 10-man Arsenal laboured into the fifth round with a 2-1 home victory over League One Huddersfield. The Gunners took the lead when Nicklas Bendtner's angled shot deflected off Terriers captain Peter Clarke on 22 minutes. However, influential midfielder Samir Nasri limped off with a hamstring problem, which could yet rule him out of the Champions League showdown with Barcelona, before Sebastien Squillaci was shown a red card by referee Mark Clattenburg for blocking Jack Hunt's run.

Alan Lee headed a deserved equaliser for the Terriers, but Fabregas won it from the spot after Jamie McCombe was adjudged to have pushed Bendtner over. Edin Dzeko's first goal for Manchester City ten minutes from time earned the Premier League side a 1-1 draw with Notts County and a replay in three weeks. Neal Bishop's header on the hour had threatened to add City's name to the Sunderland scalp County collected in the previous round.

Victor Obinna scored a hat-trick in a thrilling 3-2 defeat of Nottingham Forest at Upton Park. The West Ham striker scored twice in the first half and then slotted home a penalty in the second as the hosts edged out a Forest side who demonstrated just why they are pushing for a Premier League place next season. Dele Adebola and David McGoldrick got their goals.

Robert Huth's late goal earned Stoke a 1-0 win over Wolves at Molineux.

The former Chelsea defender headed home Matthew Etherington's free-kick with ten minutes remaining and Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen saved a last-minute penalty from Nenad Milijas.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/fa-league-cups/two-down-10-men-13-minutes-in-spurs-killed-by-awful-start-2199051.html?

Two down, 10 men, 13 minutes in: Spurs killed by awful start
Fulham 4 Tottenham Hotspur 0

By Sam Wallace at Craven Cottage

How bad were Harry Redknapp's side? After 23 minutes, they were down to 10 men, three goals behind and, to put it bluntly, Richard Keys had more chance of a comeback than Tottenham in the FA Cup.

When things go awry for Spurs they do so in spectacular fashion and yesterday just about everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Defensive calamities, a red card for Michael Dawson, two penalties conceded and four goals behind at half-time meant Spurs were not so much eliminated from the FA Cup as frog-marched to the door and thrown out on their faces.

Redknapp got it wrong with the team he picked – a strange configuration with Luka Modric in the holding midfield position, Steven Pienaar on the left and Rafael van der Vaart on the right. But it was in the centre of his defence that it became almost comically bad at an early stage.

It was the third time this season that Spurs have gone three goals down in a game but at least against Young Boys and Internazionale away in the Champions League this season they salvaged something from the second half. Yesterday was Spurs' heaviest defeat to Fulham in their history.

Much of it was the result of a dreadful afternoon for Dawson, who was culpable in part for both the penalties and got himself sent off in the process. "He started sloppy and gave two goals away, which is not like him," Redknapp said. "He got off to a terrible start. We gave away two horrendous goals and Dawson got sent off. You can't keep coming back from these starts."

Redknapp still hopes to sign Phil Neville from Everton and, judging by Alan Hutton's performance, it was not hard to see why. Robbie Keane has gone on loan to West Ham. There were strong suggestions in Spain yesterday that Spurs have made a bid for Fernando Llorente of Athletic Bilbao. Redknapp denied a bid had been made for West Ham captain Scott Parker.

Yesterday Spurs suffered, as their manager said, a "horrific start" but as bad as they were, Redknapp's side were beautifully dispatched by a Fulham team who are starting to rediscover their form.

There was a vintage performance from Danny Murphy who tucked away too penalties with the minimum of fuss in the space of three first-half minutes. Andy Johnson looked like the player he was before that cartilage injury last season and, in Moussa Dembélé, Fulham have what might just be one of the signings of the season.

A fifth-round place at home to the winners of the replay between Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers awaits for Mark Hughes' team and on this kind of form they look like a decent bet for the quarter-finals.

Yesterday, there was a flavour of the club's Europa League run last season, a determined, attacking Fulham team making life awkward for their opponents all game.

The first goal started with Dawson, who gave the ball away to Johnson as he tried to play the ball out from the back. Johnson played in Clint Dempsey who was allowed to charge into the box by Hutton before the right-back made a clumsy lunge and conceded the penalty.

Murphy dispatched that one and within two minutes he was back at the penalty spot. This time, Dawson received the ball on the edge of his area, turned awkwardly and was robbed by Dembélé. The Spurs captain grabbed the Belgian striker's shirt and although Dembélé got away and hit a shot that was saved, referee Phil Dowd sent off Dawson for a denial of a goalscoring opportunity.

"I thought the second penalty was harsh and the sending-off as well," Redknapp said. "Michael feels it was harsh because Dembélé had the shot." Hughes countered that view, saying Dowd had already whistled for the penalty before Dembélé hit his shot.

After Murphy scored the penalty, Redknapp replaced Sandro with William Gallas to sure up the defence but not before Fulham almost scored their third. On 23 minutes they did; Johnson flicked on a corner and Brede Hangeland swept the ball in at the back post. It was embarrassing.

By half-time Fulham had scored a fourth. The impressive Dembélé picked the ball up on the halfway line and, with few options open to him, turned and ran at Sébastien Bassong. After he had left the Frenchman behind, there were few takers when it came to making a tackle on Dembélé, who scored from the edge of the area.

In the place of Jermain Defoe, Redknapp sent on Peter Crouch, who covered considerably more ground in the second half. Fulham might have had more at the end of the game as Spurs tired. Hughes said that he believed his team could go further. "We have no apprehension about taking on anyone here," he said. "We are hoping to get to the business end of the competition."

Fulham (4-4-2): Stockdale; Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Salcido; Duff, Sidwell, Murphy (Greening, 74), Dempsey; Johnson (Gera, 68), Dembélé (Davies, 80). Substitutes not used Etheridge (gk), Kelly, Kamara, Dikgacoi. Booked Duff.

Tottenham (4-1-4-1): Gomes; Hutton, Dawson, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto; Modric; Van der Vaart (Jenas, 66), Pienaar, Sandro (Gallas, 17), Lennon; Defoe (Crouch, h-t). Substitutes not used Cudicini (gk), Pavlyuchenko, Kranjcar, Corluka.

Booked Van der Vaart. Sent off Dawson (13).

Possession Fulham 55% Tottenham 45%.

Shots on target Fulham 7 Tottenham 2.

Man of the match Dembélé. Match rating 7/10.

Referee P Dowd (Staffordshire). Att 21,829.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2011/0131/1224288603866.html

Inept Tottenham torn asunder

KEVIN McCARRA at Craven Cottage

Fulham 4 Tottenham H  0: STATUS SHOULD come with a health warning. Tottenham Hotspur, for the first time in their history, are looking forward to a tie in the last 16 of the Champions League but it looked here as if everyday life had become a mystery to them.

So disoriented were they that Craven Cottage appeared even less familiar to Harry Redknapp's team than the San Siro will be when they take on Milan. Fulham's disbelief over the outcome of this FA Cup tie must have been as great as that of the spectators.

This is the club's record victory over Tottenham, yet it looked all but unavoidable and not only because the captain, Michael Dawson, was sent off when the score stood at 1-0. Fulham advance to a fifth-round home tie with Bolton or Wigan.

Tottenham, for their part, move into a period of self-analysis as they ask how they could have been so incompetent.

Mark Hughes's side caused such havoc from the outset that a startling result had the tone of an inevitability well before the close.

The Fulham support was so much at ease that it relished early mockery when chanting "You might as well go home" to the visiting fans. The latter might have taken it as compassionate advice. Only the thought of further derision on the way to the exits kept them in their seats.

There was a tinge of clemency at least since the scoring had been completed by half-time. Blame can be pinned on Dawson for getting himself sent off in the 14th minute, but the captain, as he conceded a penalty, had no more than a severe case of the bewilderment that was everywhere in his team. That spot-kick was the second from which Fulham prospered during the opening quarter of an hour.

Alan Hutton, the visitors' right-back, had signalled the general lack of concentration as he needlessly brought down Clint Dempsey. Danny Murphy then converted the first of the penalties after 11 minutes.

In theory the situation might just have been recoverable by Tottenham, bland as their three-man attack had been at that stage, but there was no substance in midfield to check Fulham for long. Tottenham's back four, for their part, were just too woozy to limit the damage.

The next penalty came three minutes later as Dawson took the witless decision to tug back Moussa Dembele, who had run past him and into the area. After the red card for the defender, Murphy slotted home once again.

For the sake of variety, the third goal arose from a different sort of set piece. In the 23rd minute Andy Johnson glanced on a Damien Duff corner and Brede Hangeland knocked the ball into the net.

The entire victory was as elementary as that goal. It looked effortless for Dembele to go past Sebastien Bassong in first-half stoppage time, even if the shot that flew beyond Heurelho Gomes had remarkable power and accuracy.

The Champions League representatives had not come to Craven Cottage with any notion that the varying merits of the goals they conceded would be a topic of conversation.

It was shaming that the Tottenham manager, Harry Redknapp, should even try to quibble by contending that the red card might not have been shown to Dawson since Dembele had gone on to shoot.

By then, the referee, Phil Dowd, had blown for the penalty. Tottenham did try to regain a little self-respect in a largely bland second half but the contest finished as it had begun.

That last phase saw a renewed onslaught by a Fulham team professional enough to try to make the most of rare circumstances. An Aaron Hughes header hit the bar in the 86th minute and Gomes had to reach a Zoltan Gera shot soon after.

Redknapp's men have to recover before the Premier League match at Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday. Some effort will be made to dismiss this drubbing as a combination of ill-fortune and aberrations that the side will not repeat.

Such a theory might conceivably be well-founded but this was a jarring outcome. Tottenham would not claim that they had diluted the line-up all that much at Craven Cottage.

After all they are yet to prove they are one of the small number of clubs that places a low priority on the FA Cup because they have faith in a grander destiny.

The task is to ensure that contamination of this unexpected embarrassment is contained.

Fulham, after four home wins in a row, may start to believe they can achieve a higher standing after this impressive performance.

© 2011 Guardian Service

[WhiteJC]

http://www.express.co.uk/football/view/226270/Fulham-4-Tottenham-0-It-s-a-horror-show-for-unhappy-Harry-Redknapp?

FULHAM 4 TOTTENHAM 0: IT'S A HORROR SHOW FOR UNHAPPY HARRY REDKNAPP

HARRY REDKNAPP  suggested that the view from the dugout at  Craven Cottage is the worst that he can  remember anywhere in his life.

But when he reviews this match at his leisure, he might conclude that was the one positive to take from a desperate afternoon.

Down to 10 men after Michael Dawson was sent off early and four goals down at half-time against a rampant Fulham side, Tottenham were outclassed, outplayed and out of the FA Cup.

The hosts' reward is a fifth- round tie back here on February 19 against Bolton or Wigan, but the concern for Redknapp last night was how to invigorate this side before their next cup date, against AC Milan in the last 16 of the Champions League four days earlier.

One way to do that, of course, is to offer a British record-breaking £38.5million for Sergio Aguero of Atletico Madrid which was reported to have been rejected by the Spanish club last night.

Redknapp was mugged and had pockets rifled when watching Atletico 10 days ago. What he lost was just a bit of small change compared to the amount on offer for Aguero, a sum which has fallen short of the club's demands. Atletico president Enrique Cerezo said: "It is unthinkable he can go."

Redknapp is also in the market for Andy Carroll and Athletic Bilbao are said to have turned down a £25m offer for striker Fernando Llorente. Villarreal have also rebuffed a bid for forward Giuseppe Rossi. Otherwise, it is the San Siro that will no doubt have better viewing facilities than Craven Cottage, but whether that will be a good thing is anybody's guess with this Spurs team.

They have been brilliant at times this season, particularly in the Champions League, but at the Cottage they just did not turn up.

Spurs skipper Dawson's dismissal after just 14 minutes dictated the plot. It was his first intervention in the game that led directly to Fulham's opener, when he turned the ball into the path of Clint Dempsey. The American charged in gratefully to the area where he was chopped down by Alan Hutton and Danny Murphy converted the spot-kick.

Just three minutes later, Dawson gave away possession again, this time trying to turn Moussa Dembele on the left side of the area, and compounded his error by hanging on to Dembele's shirt to give away a second penalty, an act that proved to be his last action of the afternoon.

Dembele had managed to get his shot away – saved by Heurelho Gomes – but referee Phil Dowd had no hesitation in dispensing retrospective justice, pointing to the spot. Murphy again stepped up and hammered the ball home.

Spurs' day got worse – and quickly. After 23 minutes, a corner from Damien Duff, flicked on by the head of Andy Johnson, went uncontested right across the six-yard area where it was turned in by the swinging boot of Brede Hangeland from two yards.

And on the stroke of half-time, the outstanding Dembele ended the contest with the best of the lot, crashing home a shot from 25 yards. Boss Mark Hughes said that 4-0 at half-time was "more than they could have hoped for".

He added: "We wanted to start quickly and force a few errors, but we were able to put the game beyond them."
But he could barely take the smile off his face.

With all the damage done in the first half, limitation was the prime concern for Spurs in a second half that bordered on the farcical at times. And despite Fulham having several chances to increase the lead, limit it they did.

Fulham's fans were not sure whether they should further antagonise the visiting support as Hughes, one by one, removed his three best players and watched his side still spray the ball around.

In the end, they settled on cheering every touch from the men in light blue.

Fulham missed three very late chances to get a fifth. Aaron Hughes, Hangeland, Zoltan Gera and Duff were all denied late on by a combination of woodwork and Gomes as Fulham had to settle for four.

Redknapp said: "Everything that could go wrong did today."

Bale, who scored a second-half hat-trick against Inter when Spurs lost 4-3 in the group stages, is recovering from a back injury and is expected to be fit for the Milan game but yesterday Redknapp received the bad news that defender Younes Kaboul will need a knee operation.

It was just one of those days.

Fulham (4-4-2): Stockdale; Pantsil, Hangeland, Hughes, Salcido; Duff, Murphy (Greening 74), Sidwell, Dempsey; Dembele (Davies 80), Johnson (Gera 68). Booked: Duff. Goals: Murphy 11 pen, 14 pen, Hangeland 23, Dembele 45.

Tottenham (4-4-1-1): Gomes; Hutton, Dawson, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto; Sandro (Gallas 17), Modric, Pienaar, Lennon; Van Der Vaart (Jenas 66); Defoe (Crouch 46).Booked: Van Der Vaart. Sent off: Dawson
Referee: P Dowd (Staffs).


Read more: http://www.express.co.uk/football/view/226270/Fulham-4-Tottenham-0-It-s-a-horror-show-for-unhappy-Harry-RedknappFulham-4-Tottenham-0-It-s-a-horror-show-for-unhappy-Harry-Redknapp#ixzz1CawU3INQ

[WhiteJC]

http://www.newcastleunited-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/pardew_looks_at_walking_wounded_626991/index.shtml

Pardew Looks At Walking Wounded

Danny Guthrie is ready for Newcastle Utd's trip to Fulham.

Alan Pardew: "Danny will be fine for Fulham. He did not train, but he's OK.

"Kevin had an ankle knock and also didn't train, but he will fine too for Fulham.

"The weather out there in Portugal was pretty damp and miserable.

"But at least we had the chance to get some solid training done on grass and I caught up with a few of the players.

"We also rested a couple of the lads.

"We came back together as a group and, in terms of fitness and football, it's looking good, it was worthwhile to go.

"Now we are just focused on Fulham."

[WhiteJC]

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8204058

Fulham eyeing Wembley after Spurs rout

Mark Hughes is already eyeing a trip to Wembley after his Fulham side crushed Tottenham to set up an FA Cup fifth round tie at home to Wigan or Bolton.

Hughes's side have emerged from a difficult first half of the campaign to move away from the Premier League relegation zone and they advanced in the Cup on the back of a comprehensive 4-0 demolition of Harry Redknapp's Spurs.

The Fulham manager is now confident his side can compete on two fronts and wants them to emulate their efforts of last season when they reached the final of the Europa League when Roy Hodgson was at the helm,

"They are both our priority," said Hughes, referring to the league and the Cup.

"We are looking to try to progress in this competition. It's a fantastic competition. We've navigated the two early rounds and if we get a result in the next round here we're right in the business end of it.

"We'd love to have a run in the Cup. We enjoyed the run to the final of the Europa League last year so if we could get to the final this year, it would be fantastic."

And contemplating the draw, he added: "I think you just want a home draw. Ideally you would want lower league opposition if you could but we've got another Premier league team which is going to be difficult but we don't have any fear of facing anybody here and we are hoping to progress."

Fulham raced into a two goal lead when Danny Murphy converted twice from the penalty spot, the second effort coming after Tottenham skipper Michael Dawson was sent off.

Brede Hangeland and Mousa Dembele than completed the scoring before the break.

Hughes believes his side is now beginning to reflect his methods, having been criticised earlier in the campaign.

"I think you now see elements of what I am trying to instill in the team," he said.

"When I came in I thought we could be a bit more of a dynamic team than we have been because of the personnel we have.

"I was hamstrung somewhat because key individuals weren't available to me at the start of the season. Those key players are starting to come back, the likes of Dembele and Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora is still to come back.

"We always thought we would be stronger in the second half of the season but we needed those key personnel to come back and thankfully they are now."

Redknapp was left stunned by the defeat and admitted to growing concerns about his side's defensive cover. Dawson will now miss three games through suspension while long term casualties Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King are unavailable.

William Gallas was forced to come off the substitutes bench to cover for Dawson despite carrying an injury and the manager is anxious to avoid losing any more defenders.

"We are down to two central defenders," Redknapp said.

"William Gallas has a hip injury. I didn't want to play him today but he had to be on the bench because we didn't have any cover.

"He had to come on when we went down to 10 men. Otherwise I only have Sebastien Bassong if Dawson is going to be suspended for three games. Younes Kaboul is having an operation on his knee. I'm not sure how long he'll be out for. Maybe six weeks.

"Ledley King and Woodgate are not fit. We have one spare defender on our books in Vedran Corluka. There is no-one else who can play in the back four."

[WhiteJC]

http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/elation/?

Elation

Filed under: General — timmyg 
That felt...awesome.

When we got the draw a few weeks ago, I thought our Cup run was over before it began. We hadn't beaten Spurs in the Cup since Queen Elizabeth, or something around then. Harry Redknapp actually takes this competition seriously, and the match date wasn't close enough to Spurs' Champions League duties that we could catch them distracted.

But before the game even began, there was a glimmer of hope: Redknapp's lineup. His hand was forced a bit with injuries in the middle, and I doubt he wanted a replay — February 19; three days after the first leg tie with AC Milan — but a 4-1-4-1 with Sandro as the holding midfielder and Defoe all alone up top? Surely could this be our day?

On oue side, Hughes has settled into a groove that coincidentally Roy found success with: the triangle-esque offense that relies on a striker, striker/midfielder slotted in behind, and the wings cutting in. Last year Roy found a formula of Zamora up top, Gera just behind, and Dempsey/Duff/Davies crashing in on the wings to great success. Now it is Andy Johnson, Dembele, and the usual Dempsey/Duff/Davies trio; with Gera subbing in where needed.

The rest was history. Rich has all the tasty details in the post below so go read that again, and savor it.

Today made up for that 4-0 loss four years ago, a horrible afternoon that, to me, began the downfall of Coleman. It also made up for last year's crushing exit where David freaking Bentley scored and put our Wembley dreams to bed. And this past fall's game where they whined and complained enough to have the ref overturn the linesman, and win the match.

Right before the match Chopper posted on Twitter: "Dear gods of football. Please let us win today...". Well, God answered our prayers.

Enjoy these random screen-captures, a la the ever-awesome 30fps:

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/January/HughesSpursFACupReaction.aspx

FA Cup Reward

Speaking after Sunday's impressive four-goal victory over Tottenham at Craven Cottage in the FA Cup sponsored by E.ON, Mark Hughes gave his post-match reaction.

"I think it's been coming, especially against Spurs," said the Fulham Manager.

"We've played well on two occasions against Spurs and haven't had any reward. We were on the front foot, forced errors from their back four."

Hughes also praised Captain Danny Murphy, whose two goals set Fulham on their way to a place in the Fifth Round against either Wigan or Bolton.

"Danny is a big influence on the pitch, a good captain and a good leader and we're pleased he's staying," he explained.

"You saw with his performance today that he gets on the ball and makes us tick. It was important that we secured his future."

Danny Murphy added:

"I think we started brightly, on the front foot and of course the sending off helped, but it was thoroughly deserved and it was won by half-time.

"We saw they didn't play a big man up front, so we pressed them to play longer balls and we caught them out. Because we got the goals, we could relax in the second-half. It's satisfying because we haven't beaten Tottenham for a while."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/January/HughesSpursFACupReaction.aspx#ixzz1CayTjHV7

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/January/SidwellSpursReaction.aspx

Four Star Fulham

Fulham turned heads at Craven Cottage on Sunday with a performance new midfielder Steve Sidwell described as "sensational".

And he wasn't wrong as Mark Hughes' side made light work of in-form Tottenham who many had backed not just to progress into the Fifth Round but to go on and lift the trophy.

But in an action-packed first-half, the Whites cantered to a 4-0 lead courtesy of two Danny Murphy penalties, a goal from Brede Hangeland and a superb solo strike from Mousa Dembele.

Sidwell told fulhamfc.com: "I imagine it was a good game for the fans to watch, but at the same time it was a great game to be part of.

"Spurs are a very good side and we knew this was going to be a tough match. But we went out there in the right frame of mind and things worked out for us.

"We started very well, pressing them high up the pitch and forcing them into errors. There's no doubt the penalties helped, but it was nothing that we didn't deserve.

"Even after we were two goals to the good and they had Michael Dawson sent off we never took our foot off the gas - and as a result a lot of credit goes out to the boys.

"Perhaps we could have had a few more because we dominated the second-half as well. But let's not lose focus on what was a sensational performance"

David Stockdale remained relatively untroubled throughout and with the defence at its resilient best, Fulham impressed in controlling the tempo and creating chances. Both Aaron Hughes and Zoltan Gera went close late on.

"Throughout the team we looked assured and every individual stuck to the task," said Sidwell. "For me personally, I like to think I played my part and I have to say that I'm enjoying myself here already.

"Its early days, and I haven't played an awful lot of football this year but I'm getting there. It was certainly great to be part of the action today - and long may that continue."

The magic of the Cup was certainly there to be seen for the Fulham Faithful today who took particular joy in seeing their team defeat a side that had won the last three encounters and knocked them out of last season's competition.

"It's always a good game against Spurs whether it's in the league or cup and today was our day," he said. "I think the spirit of the FA Cup was very clear today and it was definitely one for the fans to savour.

"They go home happy and we can all look forward to the next round. We'll face the winners of the game between Bolton and Wigan and again it's another home tie for us.

"We're confident that could be another positive result for us, and we'll go away and prepare in due course with some important league games up next.

"But we're taking this competition very seriously and I think they'll be a few people sit up and take notice of this result."

Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/January/SidwellSpursReaction.aspx#ixzz1Caymn3JF