Cottagers Confidential: FanPosts

Stockdale Call-Up

2011-08-08T13:51:30Z

David Stockdale, now on loan at Ipswich after signing a new long-term deal with Fulham, has been called up by Fabio Capello for England's game against the Netherlands on Wednesday. Meanwhile, manager Martin Jol has been linked with a move for highly rated Lens right-back, Serge Aurier. A £3 million bid is mooted to have been tabled.

AFC Wimbledon Friendly

2011-06-25T17:43:43Z

AFC Wimbledon have confirmed that they plan to host a Fulham side made up of 'some first teamers and some reserves' in a friendly on Saturday 9th July.

The tie will fit not so neatly between our First round 2nd leg tie and our potential second round Europa League games.

Kameni Move Expected to Go Ahead

2011-06-24T14:07:29Z

Despite the quality of current crop Mark Schwarzer and David Stockdale, Martin Jol still seems keen on employing a new goalkeeper, and rumours are still rife that Carlos Kameni will be that man.

The Espanyol goalkeeper confirmed to Goal.com that he would like to play Premier League football in the near future, and Martin Jol is certainly expected to be interested.

Meanwhile, the Daily Star are reporting, with astonishing and quite dissuading brevity, that Mahamadou Diara, a current free agent and former Real Madrid star, wants to join Fulham specifically.

Clint Dempsey a fashion icon?

2011-02-02T23:50:31Z

Clint was recently featured on Five Four's look of the week. Check out Clint showing off his fashion sense! Insane!

http://www.fivefourclothing.com/blog/Look_of_the_Week

Seems at though he's moving up in the world both in fashion, soccer, and life. Clint should be an inspiration to us all. Please check out the featurette and help support him in his endeavors. I hope to see him in alot more articles! Go Clint and GO FULHAM!!

Fulham thrash Peterborough, Tottenham next up

2011-01-10T05:39:54Z

In what could have possibly been a slip up game for the Cottagers against a lower division foe, the team easily took care of business in their third round FA Cup tie. After pulling themselves out of the relagation zone against West Brom last week, Mark Hughes selected an unchanged side in the hopes of retaining their fine form. But the match did not start as the White would have liked, with Peterborough United starting the game just a shade brighter. The recently impressive David Stockdale was able to keep the underdogs at bay.

Fulham got on the board with a goal from Diomansy Kamara, the striker heading home a cross from the versatile Chris Baird. The Cottagers then went on the front foot and it looked a matter of time before they got a second. Surprisingly it was the normally defensive minded Dickson Etuhu who scored it, sending in a scorching shot off of a ball deflected out to him. Going into the half the tie looked all but locked up for Fulham.

The Cottagers came out in the second half just as they had finished the first, coming close a couple times before Kamara scored the third goal of the night. Finding himself one one one with the opposing keeper he managed a finish which had been lacking from the team much of the season. The Whites were flying high and Zoltan Gera, a second half substitute, made it four to nothing after heading home from short range. From there the teams exchanged two goals each, with Lee Tomlin scoring an impressive solo goal before Kamara netted his third of the match. It was his first hat-trick in his time with Fulham and hopefully will give him confidence to go forward the rest of the season. Grant McCann scored a second for Peterborough before substitute Jonathan Greening finished the scoring for the rampant Cottagers.

The match was not filled with much drama after Fulham scored but the fourth round looks to provide a much sterner test. The draw was unfavorable for the Whites as Tottenham will await them in their next FA Cup match. In the EPL, Fulham will take on Wigan Athletic next Saturday and hopefully can continue to move up the table.

One question for the upcoming fixture will be if recent signee Steve Sidwell will make his debut for the club. Just signed from Aston Villa, it is unknown if manager Mark Hughes will want to upset the squad's chemistry by putting in the newly arrived midfielder. But at the very least Sidwell will provide depth and experience for a team that will only want to look up the rest of the season.

The Current State of the Cottagers

2011-01-05T16:14:30Z

To say the Cottagers stand on rocky ground at the moment would be a bit of an understatement. Fulham appears to be mired in a relegation battle similar to the one the club went through a few years ago, only for Clint Dempsey to score against Liverpool to help save the club from heading to the Championship. Since that time the team has reached new heights, qualifying for the Europa League and eventually making it to the finals of that competition. This season has seen the club regress back to previous form. After the jump I will look at reasons why, recent results and how the season can be saved.

This past summer Roy Hodgson moved from the Cottagers to Liverpool, an event that has worked for none of the parties involved so far. The Whites sit in 13th place in the EPL, yet they are just two points away from the relegation zone and four away from the bottom of the table. Hodgson's job is on the line at Liverpool as the squad no longer appears to be a lock for Champions League soccer with the emergence of Manchester City and Tottenham. In Roy's stead Fulham decided to bring in former Manchester City boss Mark Hughes, a man who lost his previous job mainly due to drawing too many games. Unsurprisingly, Fulham is tied for the most draws in the league with Everton and Birmingham City.

Injuries have not helped matters, with last year's leading scorer Bobby Zamora and the creative Mousa Dembele missing much of the season so far. Because there is a lack of squad depth this has forced Hughes to use the oft injured Andy Johnson far too often, put Dempsey in an unnatural position and be left with few creative options. The biggest problem is that the system run leaves the strikers on an island without a creative player to pull the strings. The midfield quartet of Etuhu, Murphy, Davies and Duff industrious players who lack the flair to take on teams. When their main options are not clicking, the Cottagers seem to be left with few answers.

For me the biggest dissapointments at Fulham have been the fact that Zoltan Gera cannot capture his Europa League magic in the Premier League, and the failure to bring in either a pacey winger or an inventive midfielders with the money earned from their Europa League exploits. Gera appeared to be a player on the rise last year as he scored six goals in Europe and another two in the EPL. But it appears that the goals were more a benefit of playing with the in form Zamora than anything else. And with funds limited, I believe cashing in on Mark Schwarzer, especially knowing he would likely miss a month of the season due to the Asian Cup, would have been a good way to improve other areas of the club. Stockdale has proven to be a capable understudy and I think he will be a fine keeper to replace the aging Australian international.

As with much of the season, recent results have been up and down. The two matches to kick off the holiday season were perfect examples of why the season has been so frustrating. The 3-1 loss to then bottom of the table West Ham had to be the lowlight so far. The team generally looked uninspired as they slogged their way through a match against a team that clearly wanted it more. A poor showing by everyone in the squad and not a way to enjoy the day after Christmas.

Against Stoke City the team was much livelier from the get go. Despite playing two days after the match against the Hammers, they looked fresh and ready to go. Stoke set up to play their usual anti-football, but it would be to no avail as Chris Baird of all players scored a double to down them. The defender's first goal of the campaign was a thing of beauty, making a darting run through the midfield to rifle his shot home. He enjoyed finding the back of the net so much, he did so again later in the contest. It was a positive result for a team in need of momentum heading into the new year.

After beating the Potters, the Whites lost to a Tottenham team that is flying high at the moment, and even with the 1-0 final I would say the Cottagers were lucky the score was that close. Even though Fulham kept possession well they struggled to create many solid chances and even when they pushed everyone forward the squad appeared to lack ideas.

Their most recent match was a convincing 3-0 win against fellow relegation struggler West Brom. It was definately one of the better recent matches and the team deserved the win as Simon Davies' goal just before the half time whistle sent them on their way. Deuce scored his team leading 6th goal while Brede Hangeland once again used his impressive height to head home the final tally.

Fulham's season remains in the balance as they wait for the return of their injured forward. They must beat the teams below them in the table and hope to gain some points off of those at the top as well. One would hope they would offload an excess player or two while trying and bring in an attacking player who brings something different to the table, though there has been no sign that will happen. Stockdale must also remain a stalwart in goal with the help of the ever imposing Hangeland and Hughes in front of him. There are definately reasons to be optimistic as a Fulham fan going forward but the ledge on which they rest is a precarious one.

Mark Schwarzer Interview

2011-01-04T09:27:09Z

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I recently caught up with Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, it would be great if you could check out my interview with him.

http://equipio.com/blog/mark-schwarzer-bag

Any other help you could provide in spreading this video to Fulham fans would be great.

A Fairly New (American) Fulham Fan

2010-12-22T20:10:57Z

A few years ago while stationed in Korea I began to watch the English Premier League for the first time in my life. I had been an avid FIFA video game player for years and had thus heard of all the great players. But in Korea I began to watch and play soccer more often as my passion for the game began to pick up. In the games I always played as Arsenal as Robin van Persie was my favorite player at the time. That all changed when I started watching futbol on TV.

Initially I mostly watched to see how the USMNT players over in England were playing. Because I did not already have a team I rooted for them whenever they played, hoping they would play well regardless of the team's success. That all changed when watching Clint Dempsey play for Fulham. The more I watched and read about the team, the more attached I became. The struggle for survival and Dempsey's goal to keep them in the Premiership that year had me on the edge of my seat for the first time while watching a soccer match. From there I was hooked.

No longer do I consider myself a Dempsey lover who follows Fulham, but a full fledged Fulham fan. Even the rumors that Clintinho might be leaving no longer phase me as I have learned to love the other players as well. I still hope E.J. gets more playing time and Clint stays on the squad, I know I will support the team anyway. I know the team is not where they want to be this season, but I have faith they will pull it out and move forward once more. Go Fulham!

Breaking News: Fulham Strike a New Deal with Mark Schwarzer

2010-12-02T15:21:38Z

Fulham have resigned keeper Mark Schwarzer to a contract extension, ending speculation that he may get transfered to Arsenal when the window opens in January. No word on how much the contract is worth, but it will keep him at Craven Cottage through the 2011-2012 season. This is an excellent and well-advised move by Mark Hughes, and will also end speculation on most transfer rumors of other keepers moving to Fulham in January.

Mid-Week Links: Plenty of Transfer Rumors

2010-12-01T15:57:26Z

The search for back-up plan to Schwartzer continues:
Mark Hughes has interest in Bolton keeper on loan to Wigan as well as Man Utd 3rd stringer

Hughes also keeping an eye on Dutch league defender Anderas Granqvist, formerly of Wigan

Senderos' recovery still on track
The article doesn't mention a timetable but if his 6-month estimated recovery time is indeed on schedule, this puts him on track to be back just around the transfer window opening

Mark Hughes challenges Pantsil to keep starting spot
Forgot to mention this in the recap post but he got an incredible ovation as he entered the pitch and the crowd cheered every touch he got in the first half. It was real nice to see. Also, clearly Mark Hughes reads this blog and agreed with my assessment of Pantsil in the recap post. Just sayin.

Fulham 1 - 1 Birmingham City

2010-11-27T17:54:31Z

This was an interesting and promising match. Been a good long time since we've seen a balanced, calm yet aggressive attack for an extended period of time from Fulham like the 2nd half of this game. I think it's safe to say this team is a clear 2nd half team. Breakdown time.

The Good:

Chris Baird - Created multiple chances off crosses. Some were good and some were bad, but he didn't give any bad balls away, which is a serious weakness of this team. I really liked how he created opportunities.

John Pantsil - Really the whole defense played well, but I single out Pantsil because he came in for an injured (thank God) Salcido at a moments' notice and played outstanding. Not only was he solid in his own end, but he played back on corners and also, like Baird, had a few nice crosses. I think he earned some more playing time over the disasterous Salcido (more on that later).

The entire attack - Moreso in the 2nd half, this was a renewed attack we haven't seen in a while. Dempsey and Gera had nice headers on the lone goal, Dempsey had a great chance later in the game, and the entire half there were chances. They need to figure out how to finish with more than just Dempsey, but for now I'll take baby steps. I was impressed.

The Bad: There aren't many that really stand out, but outside of Salcido I'll try to nitpick a bit.

Salcido - Ugh. Before getting hurt he did nothing to help the team, and once again completely blew what turned into a goal for the other team. After flopping on Tevez's first goal against Man City, today he charged and completely whiffed at a half-hearted tackle on Alexander Hleb. I'm glad he got hurt. Maybe he'll take his time coming back this time.

Brede Hangeland - I don't think there's any question his defensive skills are outstanding. I've been nothing but impressed by him this season. However, his ball skills may need a bit of sharpening. He had a few silly passes and when challenged he usually concedes the ball quite easily.

The officiating - They did an absolutely horrible job figuring out who touched the ball last on multiple occasions, including one that clearly deflected off Nikola Zigic (by the way, did anyone else watching the game find it funny how Martin Tyler enjoyed saying Zigic's name so much?) but was given as a Birmingham goal kick. There were also a number of challenges on both sides that should have been blown dead but weren't. At least they were consistent in letting them play, but I thought it was poor.

Defining moment - Has to be Dempsey's goal, but I considered Dempsey's missed shot later in the match. Both were the culmination of a lot of nifty successful passing and good opportunity making.

What we learned - This team isn't relegation material. They may not be top half of the board by any means, at least not now, but they are definitely not getting relegated, and I firmly believe that. There are a few teams much worse than them, and Fulham fans can breathe easy in that department. However, they have a lot of work to do to move themselves out of the very bottom of the board. I'm confident going forward, but Fulham have a tough few matches ahead, including at Arsenal next. They'll have to bring their A game. If they can avoid a loss in the next 3 matches vs Arsenal, Sunderland, and Liverpool, I'll be happy. And if they avoid a loss in all 3 of those matches, I believe they will pick up a win in the process. It would be a much needed win.

Fulham Interested in Freiburg Striker Cissé

2010-11-23T17:40:42Z

According to skysports.com, Fulham have emerged as one of the top interested parties in Freiburg striker Demba Cissé. I don't know much about the 25 year old, but from the sound of it, he's having a breakout year. He's scored 16 goals in 29 appearances, which puts him towards the top in all of Europe. According to the article, Freiburg aren't exactly ready to make him available just yet, and Fulham may have to wait until the summer to make a run for him. Also according to the article, if and once the German team does decide to make him available, the estimated asking price would be in the vicinity of £4 million. He also plays for the Senegalese international team.

This is exaclty what Mark Hughes should be looking for. This team needs help most on the attack, and Hughes should be looking for both players who can keep possession and also those who can not only create opportunities but take advantage of them. Cissé sounds like just that type of player.

Poll

From your knowledge of Cissé, is he worth the £4 million?

Yes, open the wallet!

4 votes

No, Hughes needs to look for cheaper options

0 votes

4 votes | Poll has closed

Fulham 1 - 4 Manchester City

2010-11-21T18:12:41Z

Where to begin with this disaster? Manchester City exposed every single one of Fulham’s weaknesses, and then they exposed some things that nobody even thought were weaknesses that apparently are. Fulham’s defense had been a positive until this match. Let’s break this one down.

The scapegoats:

Damien Duff – Completely ineffective on the defense, his disaster of a clear led to Man City’s 2nd goal. Hughes agreed, taking him out after half, but it was too late by then. This was surprising to me because he has been playing relatively well along with the rest of the defense until this match. Let’s hope this is a one-time thing.

Carlos Salcido – A horrible flop led to the opening goal for City in just the 6th minute. Instead of trying to challenge Tevez and get the ball out of the box, he flopped and tried to get a call, failed, and left Tevez one-on-one with Schwarzer with what basically amounted to a penalty kick, no chance for Schwarzer. The rest of his play was rusty at best, in his first match back in a while, being out with an MCL injury. He made some head-scratching passes and some pretty poor challenges.

Dickson Etuhu – The scapegoat of the 2nd half, he also had some serious clearing issues. Practically whiffing on the clear in the 2nd half, he ended up assisting Tevez’s 2nd goal (Man City’s 4th). Hughes also recognized he was ineffective and subbed in Kamara, but it was also too late by then.

The positives:

Mark Schwarzer – The keeper has been unreal in his last few matches, cementing what I believe is a no-brainer to resign him if he agrees to return at the end of his contract. Every opportunity he’s had he’s made. It’s funny to say the keeper is a positive after a 4-1 loss, but every goal he had absolutely no chance on, with the defense failing so badly. He made a great save one-on-one with Tevez, and another beautiful diving stop on a relatively poor shot by Kolarov. He’s been strong recently.

Zoltan Gera – Not the prettiest shot that ended up being deflected by Dempsey for Fulham’s only score, but he’s been making opportunities on the attack in his little bit of playing time, something that nobody else on the attack can really lay claim to recently. Fulham haven’t scored a meaningful goal since Hangeland’s header in stoppage time to draw Aston Villa 4 whole matches ago. With Andrew Johnson not looking 100% and in my opinion completely ineffective, I may start Gera once or twice if I were Hughes until Zamora gets back. I believe Gera’s earned it.

Brede Hangeland – Despite the defense’s complete disaster today, Hangeland continues to play well. He’s been a force when challenging, and seems to always get a head on the ball off corners. One of the only aggressive defenders Fulham has right now.

Defining moment:

You may be surprised to see I’m not picking a goal here. The moment I’m going with is in the 53rd minute, Fulham was finally mounting some semblance of an attack to open the 2nd half. With chance after chance at a shot, not one person wanted to take the shot. Everyone kept passing the ball, or looking at their teammates for someone else to get the ball. Dempsey, Salcido, Etuhu, and AJ all had touches they gave up to another member of the team. This was shocking to me. Nobody wanted to step up, nobody wanted to be the one to put the team on their back. It was a frustrating moment for the attack, something there has been plenty of in the past few matches.

What we learned:

A lot. Man City have exposed a ton of weaknesses on this team. There are 3 big ones that stand out to me. Two we’ve known for a while now, and the other is completely new, and a bit worrisome. The first is the inability of the attack to finish. They get their fair share of opportunities, but whiffs, poor shots, and an inability to contend with challenges have plagued the offense. The second is the poor passing decision-making. We’ve seen it constantly in the last few matches, every time Fulham get the ball, they seem to always give it right back, relying on their strong defense rather than making good opportunities on the attack end. The one, however, that worries me the most, is the sudden inability of the defense to clear. Etuhu, Salcido, and Duff all completely whiffed or came close to it, directly leading to Man City scores, and in Etuhu and Duff’s cases, actually assisted scores. This is troubling to say the least.

I’d try to look for more statistical analysis of this match, but I know I would rather not dwell on this disaster and I’m sure you probably don’t either. I know being 4th from the bottom on the table is tough to look at, but I wouldn’t worry at this point. This team is NOT as bad as those around, and especially below, them. Best thing to do at this point is move on to Birmingham.

Get involved with Make the Team and win Premier League tickets!

2010-10-19T13:28:08Z

Chris Kamara, sports commentator promotes Make The Team (via vinspired2008) - a new campaign introduced by vinspired. If you're between 16-25 register online and by spending a few hours of your time helping out at your local football club you get a chance to win Premier League tickets to watch your favourite team in action! It is a great way how to get more involved with the beautiful game and make yourself useful at the same time! Go now to www.vinspired.com/football for more detail.

The campaign is supported by many important football people, including Chris Kamara, John Inverdale, David Seaman, Kieran Gibbs and others.

www.vinspired.com/football

Cottagers Confidential Fan Poll: Where Do You Think Fulham Will Finish By The End Of The Season?

2010-09-29T17:41:02Z

We are very early into the Mark Hughes era at Craven Cottage. However, I am curious to see where fans think Fulham will end up at the end of the season in the EPL. Please feel free to vote in my Cottagers Confidential Fan Poll.

Poll

Where Do You Think Fulham Will Finish By The End Of The Season?

Top Seven

15 votes

Top Ten

59 votes

Bottom Half But Not Relegated

15 votes

Relegated

0 votes

89 votes | Poll has closed