John Paintsil - Ny mand på højreback

Rygterne om, at John Paintsil og Bobby Zamora skulle være på vej til Fulham, viste sig at være sande, da de for et par dage siden rykkede fra det østlige til det vestlige London. Lejrene på begge sider er delte omkring klubskifterne, og jeg er også splittet i to sind, må jeg indrømme...

På den ene side er det udmærket at få en høj habil targetman og en solid højreback, men på den anden side havde de ikke den store succes i sidste sæson, og så er fem millioner pund for Bobby Zamora mindst to millioner for meget...!

Argumentation følger:

Først og fremmest var Zamora reserve i West Ham, og burde egentlig ikke være fem millioner værd grundet hans manglende spilletid... For det andet er hans spillemæssige kvaliteter ikke fem millioner værd, da han ikke er andet end en middelmådig angriber set med Premier League øjne (Hvilket jeg selvfølgelig håber, at han modbeviser...).. Og for det tredje... Øhmmm... er han ikke noget boost for den kommercielle afdeling af organisationen...! (Okay, dårligt argument, men der skulle jo komme et tredje...)

Hvis priserne virkelig er så høje på reserver, burde Alexei Smertin næsten blive solgt for 3 millioner pund en af dagene til Wigan...

Paintsil kan til gengæld vise sig at være alle 1,3 millioner pund værd, da hans fremadrettede kvaliteter er en ekstra trussel på højrekanten udover Simon Davies' farlige raids... Paintsils defensive forcer er solide, så jeg ser ingen problemer i den stærke ghanesiske landsholdsspillers check-in på The Cottage.

Jeg håber naturligvis, at Bobby Zamora viser sig at være alle pengene værd, men jeg kan ikke undgå at få flashback til sidste sommer, hvor en vis Kamara ankom til Fulham med et prisskilt på seks millioner pund...

Som en lille fodnote blev Tony Warner skibbet afsted til nyoprykkerne fra Hull... Held og lykke til Tony-boy, og lad os håbe på et par drops i den indledende runde mod de hvide, hvis han formår at slå Boaz Myhill af holdet... Han er jo trods alt god for et par målmandsfejl i løbet af en spillerunde...

Bobby Zamora - Profil

Nationalitet: Engelsk / Trinidad & Tobago

Født: 16. januar 1981 i London, England

Højde: 185 cm

Position: Angriber

Tidligere Klubber:

Bristol Rovers (4 kampe/0 mål)
Bath City (Lån - 6 kampe/8 mål)
Brighton & Hove Albion (125 kampe/76 mål)
Tottenham Hotspurs (16 kampe/0 mål)
West Ham (130 kampe/30 mål)

England U21 (6 kampe/0 mål)

John Paintsil - Profil

Nationalitet: Ghanesisk

Født: 15. juni, 1981 i Berekum, Ghana

Højde: 178 cm

Position: Højreback

Tidligere Klubber:

Berekum Arsenal
Liberty Professionals
Widzew Lodz
Maccabi Tel Aviv (46 kampe/ 0 mål)
Hapoel Tel Aviv (42 kampe/3 mål)
West Ham (19 kampe/ 0 mål)

Bobby Zamora var også på vej fra London rivalerne West Ham sidste sommer, og igen er vi nævnt som en mulig ny arbejdsgiver efter han er blevet bedt om at finde en ny klub... Efter legendariske McBrides exit mangler vi en targetman, og Zamora kunne være en mulig afløser. I West Hams comeback sæson til Premier League var han topscorer i klubben, men siden da er det gået ned af bakke for den høje englænder. Om han er svaret er svært at sige, men til en fornuftig pris vil jeg da påstå, at han er et udmærket køb. Alt over 2 millioner pund er dog rent landevejsrøveri...

Den 26-årige østrigske hitman Ronald Linz er en anden angriber på Roy Hodgsons velfungerende radar. Efter to mål mod mægtige Malta! i sidste uge, har han fanget engelske klubbers opmærksomhed (Mon ikke de var opmærksomme inden da!). M'boro og West Ham har også tentaklerne ude efter den østrigske landsholdsspiller, så det kan måske blive lidt af en udfordring at lokke ham til de hvide i det sydvestlige London. Hvis han imponerer i det forestående EM, kan Linz koste helt op til 5 millioner pund, hvilket måske også er i overkanten.. Men spændende bliver han at følge på den helt store scene.

At elegantieren Zoltan Gera skulle være på vej, er måske det mest hårdnakkede rygte... Allerede i går rapporterede flere medier, at han allerede var i London for at skrive under med The Cottagers, men det skete dog ikke... Det forlyder, at Gera har afvist flere Premier League rivaler for at skifte til Fulham (deriblandt den sovende gigant Newcastle og de blå fra Everton), hvilket jo er ganske fornøjeligt, da han er transferfri. West Brom fans undrer sig over Geras valg, da de mener, at Fulham formodentlig vil være blandt West Broms rivaler i bunden næste sæson, men de får sig en overraskelse, når FFC ender i top 13:p 

Excellent point by reckless over on the Rovers Mad messageboard:

"The most successful manager to depart Rovers since the Premiership began is Roy Hodgson!
What did any other manager do, post Rovers (Ray Harford excluded). Only Hodgson is plying his trade at the highest level now, the rest of them (Kenny, Kidd, Souey) failed once leaving! Watch out Hughesy................the money will be greener but the grass may not!!!!"

Frightening, but true, and Hughes should bear that in mind!

4 millioner pund bliver kastet ind i manegen for Zheng Zhi, hvilket måske er lige i overkanten.. 4 millioner pund er desuden også den påståede pris for Marlon Harewood, hvilket også er håbløst overpriced!

Det er som om den engelske klubber forventer nogle helt urealistiske summer for middelmådige spillere! Jeg tror desværre Roy er nødt til at kigge mod andre vidder for at finde bedre spillere til de samme summer...

Måske det kommende EM kunne afsløre nogle nye talenter på stjernehimlen, som Fulham eventuelt kunne være interesserede i at hente til klubben! I hvert fald kunne Hodgson godt tage et kig på et par af Ruslands spillere, som jeg opfatter som den helt store outsider til titlen..

Der foreligger ikke en pris på Paul Scharner, men sidst han blev sat i forbindelse med det sydvestlige London, lagde prislejet omkring 3 millioner pund..

Scharner er en udmærket og solid forsvarsspiller, og det kunne da sagtens tænkes, at Brede og ham kunne lappe et par huller nede i bagkæden...

Ellers har dagen ikke budt på det helt store... Og denne blog står stadig på 0 besøgende... Så egentlig taler jeg bare med mig selv...:s

En ny dag gruer i morgen!

Oguchi Onyewu - Giant Man On Campus

Hele syv spillere er i løbet af de sidste par dage blevet sat i forbindelse med Fulham, hvoraf et par stykker af dem er gamle kendinge i rygtemøllen...

Daniel Cousin, Rangers - Efter den lille farce med FIFA og co. tilbage i januar, tvivlede jeg på, at Cousin nogensinde kom til Fulham... Efter at have set UEFA Cup finalen var jeg nu ganske glad for, at hans skifte blev spærret pga. FIFAs 2-klubsregel (Max. 2 klubber i løbet af en sæson). Et rødt kort og teknik som en haltende giraf gjorde nemlig ikke mit indtryk bedre...

Men nu er han altså sat i forbindelse med os igen... Cousin er en fuldvoksen fyr på 187 cm og ligner mere en bokser end en fodboldspiller... Altså er han formodentlig mere kendt for krops- og hovedstødsstyrke end vævre driblinger og tæmninger... Men Newcastle og West Ham er også faldt pladask for denne store angriber fra Gabon!, så der bliver kamp til stregen... Den kamp må vi gerne tabe...

Marlon Harewood, Aston Villa - Endnu en krops- og hovedstødsstærk spiller finder vi i Birmingham, hvor muskelbundtet Harewood græsser for tiden uden den helt store succes, selvom det dog er blevet til fem kasser i løbet af sæsonen... Harewood er jeg lidt mere positivt stemt for end ovennævnte dumbass, men her er der også "rift" om spilleren, da Stoke og Rangers (De køber sgu hva som helst!) også er interesserede...

Brahim Hemdani, Rangers - Det er som om Rangers går igen hele tiden, hva??? Brahim Hemdani, den mest usynlige mand i dette års UEFA-cup finale, har fået besked på at finde en anden arbejdsgiver, og naturligvis bliver vi nævnt som en mulig kommende arbejdsgiver... Han blev sidste år kåret som "Player of the Season" i Rangers, hvilket er lidt af en cadeau for en defensiv midtbanespiller, så måske kunne der være lidt perspektiv i den algeriske midtbanemand... Dog taler alderen ikke for den helt store fremtid på Craven Cottage, så måske skulle vi bare lade Boro eller Reading overtage ham i stedet...

Blerim Dzemaili, Bolton - Denne schweiziske midtbanemand, med et efternavn der ligger lige på tungen, har generelt haft lidt af en mareridtssæson hos primitivtspillende Bolton.. Lige inden skiftet til the Trotters blev han langtidsskadet, og fik først sin debut sidst på sæsonen i en FA cup kamp mod Sheffield United... Det lykkedes ham derefter ikke at opnå kampe i Premier League, og han blev desuden droppet til EM slutrunden.. Så det er en mand med selvtillid, der bliver linket med Fulham... Kender ikke så meget til ham, men jeg kan da fortælle, at han er en ung midtbanespiller på 22 somre, og han blev kaptajn for FC Zürich allerede som 20-årig, hvilket må tælle som et eller andet...

Mark Bresciano, Palermo - Den skaldede tekniker Bresciano, der har spillet næsten hele sin karriere i Italien, er også rygtet til Craven Cottage. Her er der da tale om en ganske udmærket spiller, der har slået igennem i den hårde Serie A, hvor han har repræsenteret Empoli, Parma og Palermo med stor succes. Med sine kun 28 år og et hav af international rutine kunne dette være et godt køb af den gamle Roy, og Bresciano har da også indrømmet, at han gerne vil til England i den nære fremtid...

Roman Eremenko, Udinese - Roy Hodgson kender russiskfødte Eremenko fra det finske landshold, hvor han har opnået hele 4 kampe (bemærk sarkasmen...).. Eremenko skulle dog eftersignende være en udmærket tekniker, og han har da opnået 17 kampe i Serie A (Dog over en del sæsoner!)... Ved ikke helt om Roy lader sig påvirke af sin tid som finsk landstræner (Var der nogen der sagde Litmanen?), så nu må vi jo bare se tiden an (Eremenko er dog udmærket i Football Manager!..)..

Oguchi Onyewu, Standard Liege - Den store amerikaner afviste Fulham tilbage i 2007 for at tage til Newcastle på lån!!, men nu er han måske på vej igen... Dog er flere klubber interesserede, så vi kan få den kolde skulder endnu engang... "Gooch", som han bliver kaldt, er 192 cm og vejer imponerende 92 kg, hvilket ikke just gør ham til nogen hurtigløber... Men det kan dog være han kan stabilisere vores til tider vakkelvorne forsvar, selvom han ikke just imponerede i sin tid i Newcastle...

Bresciano og Onyewu hilser jeg velkommen, mens der måske kan være lidt fremtidsperspektiv i Dzemaili og Eremenko... Harewood ville såmænd være okay, mens Hemdani og Cousin gerne må holde sig væk:p 

Udviklingen i alle syv sager følges løbende her på siden!

The Chelsea revival might have looked solid in terms of results but they rarely strung together a good 90 minutes under Grant. They were quite fortunate against United, second-best at Newcastle until they scored, failed to beat Wigan (the result which pretty much derailed their title aspirations) or deal convincgly with Bolton on the final day. With the talent at his disposal this Chelsea team should have been running the show and playing great football - and they just didn't.

Although I have been an ABU since 1983 (long before they were any good) they were the right team to win the league. And to triumph while giving games to the likes of Ji-Sung Park, John O'Shea, Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick says even more about them. No, I'm still not buying this Michael Carrick thing - sorry.

Next seasons Premiership whipping boys

Bristol City are likely to face Hull in the play off final with the latter defending a 2-0 lead in their play-off semi second leg this evening against Watford. You have to hand it to managers Gary Johnson and Phil Brown as both have done amazing jobs. It's just a shame that they are more likely to sign a Wallwork than a Ronaldo next year on their way to being relegated by Christmas.

But staying up...

I was delighted that Fulham survived on the final day. Partly it was because I quite like the chummy awkwardness of Roy Hodgson. He's the football manager equivalent of Bush or Def Leppard - revered outside his home nation and longing for that hit single on home turf (but in the shape of avoiding relegation).

It was also partly because it sent Alex McLeish (and Birmingham) down. McLeish walked away from managing his country for the bright lights of the Premiership after just 10 months in charge. The SFA refused Birmingham's approach but McLeish resigned and left a bad taste in the mouth of Scotland fans who had seen Walter Smith walk away before him.

Similarly Lawrie Sanchez (sacked by Fulham after 17 games for consistent rubbishness) got his cumuppance after walking away from Northern Ireland when they were top of their Euro 2008 qualifying group. He then hilarious claimed that Fulham would have been well safe if he had been left in charge. He must have been expecting a late run of form from Chris Baird and David Healy.

Mark Hughes was the last person to dump one of the home nations for the Premiership but he left Wales on the back of a poor run and after putting in a solid 5 years. And he has proven himself to be a more than competent manager. That's the difference.

Barry to Pool

I indicated that Aston Villa would not be properly remunerated for Gareth Barry given his rather low-profile in the football world. But if, as reported, Liverpool are willing to bid £10m then I think O'Neill should give in and let the midfielder go.

Values are crazy at the moment though. David Bentley - an occasional performer - is being valued at £15m. It's as obscene a valuation as Michael Carrick or even Louis Saha back in the day.

Dowie-diness

Meet the new Bryan Robson. Following relegation with Crystal Palace and walking out to join Charlton, sacked from Charlton after 12 league games and then being "released" from his contract with Coventry, Ian Dowie has not been assigned another league club to underacheive with - QPR. What a come-down for Rangers fans. Following media speculation that Zinedine Zidane was being lined-up as their next manager, they ended up with someone a little less glamorous.

Mit vækkeur ringede.. Højt og grusomt, syntes jeg selv...

Jeg klaskede min knyttede næve ned over det lille SWATCH-ur og åbnede mine øjne, så godt som jeg nu kunne..

Det var middag, og jeg kunne godt mærke, at jeg havde siddet oppe til klokken 3 i nat...

Jeg rejste mit dvaske kadaver fra sengen, og begyndte at klæde mig på...

Sløvt gik jeg langsomt ned af trappen, og indtog en plads i køkkenet..

Jeg var dagen forinden taget hjem til de gamle, da jeg skulle have lidt afstand fra alle distraktionerne (jf. øl, kabeltv og Football Manager) i Dobbelt A, så jeg kunne blive færdig med mit teori til P4 projektet på Uni..

Anspændtheden var tydelig i mine skuldre denne morgen, og min mimik viste en smule nervøsitet, mens jeg slubrede mine cornflakes ned i mavesækken..

Jeg sad og stirrede lidt tomt ud i luften, og mest af alt lignede jeg en fjernstyret robot, der i takt løftede og sænkede skeen gang på gang..

Det var lørdag den 3. maj 2008, og Fulham skulle møde Birmingham i Premier League..

En vigtig kamp i den engelske bundstrid, og en af de vigtigste kampe i Fulhams historie..

Begge hold lå under nedrykningsstregen, og med en sejr kunne Fulham, hvis alt flaskede sig, rykke op over den røde streg..

Jeg varmede lidt op til bundbraget med kampen mellem Manchester United og West Ham, hvor "De Røde Djævle" klart var deres modstander overlegen..

Jeg sad selv og håbede på samme scenarie i Fulham kampen, men tvivlen lagde stadig i baghovedet..

Klokken var nu 15.46, og stillingen var 4-1 til Manchester United, der, selv med en mand i undertal, havde forholdsvis let spil mod et svækket West Ham mandskab, der dog bed godt fra sig i dele af kampen...

Tilbage i Kanal 5 studiet sad Claus Thomsen og indikerede, at han ikke troede på Fulhams overlevelseschancer, mens Jacob Laursen høfligt mente det modsatte..

"Bare Jacob Laursen får ret", tænkte jeg, hvorefter jeg søgte mod køleskabet for at finde en lille let snack til kampen..

Tilbage i lænestolen med et par leverdrenge i mit skød, var jeg nu klar til dagens helt store brag: Fulham versus Birmingham på Craven Cottage..

Kampen havde påtaget sig klart mest opmærksomhed i de engelske medier, da det var en kamp mellem liv og død, og man kunne næsten føle nervøsiteten gennem skærmen fra alle involverede...

Fulhams startellever havde fået selskab af tomåls-skytten fra sidste weekends meriterende comeback mod City, Diomansy Kamara, mens David Healy havde taget plads på bænken..

På slaget fire fløjtede dommer Chris Foy kampen i gang, og jeg kunne nu se frem til 90 neglebidende minutter i selskab med to hårdt kæmpende mandskaber i bunden af verdens bedste liga.

Brian McBride - GOOOOOAAALLLL

Fulham var altdominerende i startfasen af kampen, og man fornemmede, at de virkelig prøvede at vise deres fans, at de fortjente deres plads blandt de bedste..

Flot flydende spil langs jorden førte til flere gode chancer for Fulham, der kulminerede i Brian McBrides hovedstød på overliggeren allerede efter fem minutter, som dog fejlagtigt blev dømt offside.

Efter tyve Fulham dominerede minutter, begyndte Birmingham at komme bedre med i kampen. Brede Hangeland kom godt imellem et par halvfarlige Birmingham forsøg, og den gigantiske midtstopper viste rigtigt format i denne hektiske fase af matchen.

I det 42. minut kunne det dog være gået galt, da James McFadden, efter et Jimmy Bullard boldtab på midten af banen, fandt en fri Mikael Forssell oppe i front, men en befriende fod fra nordirske Aaron Hughes reddede Fulham fra at komme bagud..

De to hold måtte gå til pausen med stillingen 0-0, men man fornemmede stadig en opløftet stemning på et fyldt og larmende Craven Cottage.

"Pyha...", tænkte jeg, "... jeg er sgu for gammel til det her pis", mens mit hjerte langsomt begyndte at optage en normal hastighed efter hektiske 45 minutter.

Et hurtigt kvarter senere gik de to hold på banen til anden halvleg, og pludseligt røg mit signal på computeren... "NEEEEEJJJ", råbte jeg, mens jeg bandede og svovlede...

Jeg spurtede ind og hev kablet til modemmet ud, som man nu gør, når Internettet ikke virker... Men intet skete, og forbindelsen var stadig ikke at se nogen steder... "Argggh.. Det er ikke fair", småhulkede jeg, mens jeg forbandede alt og alle...

"GOD DAMMIT YOU F*CKING PIECE OF CRAP"

"Det er ikke fair, det er ikke fair, det er ikke fair", blev jeg ved med at gentage, alt imens jeg rodede rundt med ledningerne bag i computeren...

Efter 7 minutters frustrationer var signalet på mystisk vis tilbage, og jeg hoppede ind i det 50. minut...

Bare to minutter senere sendte Jimmy Bullard et frispark ind i feltet, hvor Brian McBride dukkede op med sin amerikanske skal, og gjorde det til 1-0!!

"JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!", råbte jeg højlydt, mens min mor var ved at tabe både potter og pander... "Du var ved at give mig et hjerteanfald", vrissede hun, mens jeg hoppede rundt i køkkenet som en kænguru på speed...

Troen var for alvor tilbage, og det var da også Fulham, der stadig havde teten.. Bare få minutter efter havde Kamara en ganske god chance for at afgøre kampen, men hans flade skud voldte ingen problemer for den tidligere Fulham-keeper Maik Taylor.

Mellem det 70. minut og det 80. minut begyndte Fulham at have lige lovligt mange boldtab, som dog ikke førte til det helt store for modstanderholdet, der kvitterede med selv at smide bolden tilbage i Fulhams sort/hvide favn.

I Fulhams højreside fortsatte  walisiske Simon Davies med at voldtage Birminghams venstreback med mange gode raids op af kanten.

Bagved ham fortsatte, den i Tottenham, lånte Paul Stalteri med at overbevise ledelsen om, at han ikke skulle have en permanent kontrakt.. Jeg ved ikke selv, hvor mange gange jeg råbte: "Hvad Fanden laver du Paul Stalteri din canadiske retarterede skovhugger"!!!

Klokken rundede nu de 85 minutter..

Frustrationerne hos Birmingham-spillere og tilhængerne var nu brudt ud i lys lue, mens Fulham fansene optimistiske sad og svingede med flag, scarfs og hvad de ellers havde i hænderne..

Ude på sidelinjen stod træner Roy Hodgson og var eftertænksom, mens ejer Mohammed Al-Fayed så mere rolig ud med et uldtæppe foldet hen over sine ben.

Fulham har dog i denne sæson indkasseret mange mål i de sidste ti minutter, så jeg sad stadig og borede mine negle ned i egetræsbordet foran mig.. Desuden har Fulham været foran i 13 kampe og kun vundet tre, så intet under at dette sad i baghovedet...

Erik Nevland - Pure Class

Men ud af det blå kom forløsningen i det 87. minut...

Venstreback Paul Konchesky hoofer en lang hold op af banen, hvor Birminghams venstreback, den tidligere Fulham-mand Frank Queudrue, ser ud til at have styr på begivenhederne..

Men Queudrue går håbløst galt i byen, og får slet ikke kontrol over bolden, hvorefter indskiftede Erik Nevland hugger den lille runde kugle og udplacerer Taylor i Birmingham målet..

Mine øjne blev større end tekopper (Lige en lille intertekstuel reference til Fyrtøjet), og jeg gryntede højt i triumf, som boede jeg i en hule sammen med Osama i Afghanistans bjergrige sydvestlige region... Jeg strakte begge arme op i luften, knyttede mine næver og skrålede: "FULHAAAAAAAAM... YAAARRRRRRHHHH"..

Min mutter fik igen et chok, men undlod at kommentere på det, andet end: "Nå, nu står der to nul eller hva?"... Jeg havde store bloklys i øjnene, og smilet fyldte hele mit lalleglade fjæs, for hun havde ret..

2-0... Nu kunne det ikke gå galt... Og det gjorde det da heller ikke...

Chris Foy fløjtede af efter fire minutters overtid og alle supporterne holdte deres "Come On You Whites" skilte op mod himmelen..

Klasse perfomance med gude spillere, som Martin Birn sikkert ville have udtrykt det!

Samtidig tabte Reading til Spurs, og det betyder, at Fulham selv kan afgøre sin skæbne mod Pompey på udebane i næste uge.. En gyser af dimensioner!

Portsmouth har ikke noget at kæmpe for samtidig med, at de har en pokalfinale få dage senere... Fulham har naturligvis ikke den bedste udebanestatistik, men med to udebanesejre i træk er formen god, og jeg håber naturligvis på et hattrick...

"Cheer Up Roy, you old buggar, We got a fucking Victory"

Come On You Whites

Das Zimmer direkte fra Craven Cottage blandt eufori og pure class!

April 2007 - Lawrie Sanchez bliver hentet til Fulham som korttids-afløser for Chris Coleman, og en kolossal nedtur venter forude 

Sommeren 2007 - Sanchez får en transfersum på ekstravagante 25 millioner pund at handle for, og det ligner lysere tider på The Cottage, som i de senere år havde oplevet en mindre nedgangsperiode..

Syv måneder senere ser virkeligheden ganske anderledes ud.. Fulham ligger i øjeblikket på en lidet flatterende 19. plads, og manager Lawrie Sanchez er for længst skiftet ud med, den af danske fans bekendte, Roy Hodgson..

Formøbling af en formue

Det begyndte allerede at gå ned af bakke under Chris Coleman, men det tog for alvor til under nordirske Sanchez. 25 millioner engelske pund skød Fulham op som et af de mest spenderende hold under sommeren 2007, da Sanchez gik på shoppingtur indenfor især Nordirske "esser" og middelmådige Championship spillere.

Man kan argumentere for, at Chris Coleman aldrig fik de helt store midler at begå sig med på transfermarkedet, og derfor finder undertegnede det især besynderligt, at en inkomepetent primitivt-spillende manager som Lawrie Sanchez blev bevilliget 25 millioner pund (Prøv at spørg om jeg er Sanchez-fan)..

En lille hjerneblødning af ejer Mohammed Al-Fayed, og selvom jeg så en nedadgående spiral under Coleman, var det ikke svært at se skriften på væggen, da Sanchez f.eks. valgte at spendere 6 millioner pund på floppet Diomansy Kamara, som tidligere, uden succes, havde forsøgt sig i Premier League...

Derudover valgte Sanchez at hive hele fire nordirere ind i form af Aaron Hughes (A.Villa), David Healy (Leeds), Steven Davis (A.Villa) og Chris Baird (Southampton)... Davis lignede et udmærket køb, men har vist sig slet ikke at kunne gøre en forskel i motorrummet på Fulhams midtbane, og er nu lejet ud til Glasgow Rangers.

Chris Baird har overhovedet ikke kunne følge med i tempoet, og har gjort sig vældig upopulær ved at koste op til flere mål samt komme i kambolage med publikumsyndlingen Jimmy Bullard.. "Bomberen" David Healy er simpelthen bare overmatchet, og har langt fra vist samme målform som for det nordirske landshold..

Til gengæld har Hughes, sammen med Danny Murphy (Som ironisk nok var gratis), været blandt de bedre indkøb, men for andre folk som sydkoreanske Seol Ki-Hyeon (Med verdens laveste bundniveau), kantspilleren Hameur Bouazza, skildpadden Dejan Stefanovic og evigt skadede Lee Cook har succesen været til at overse..

The New Guy On The Block

Efter at Fulhams dårligste manager nogensinde har forladt Craven Cottage, er, som nævnt før, Roy Hodgson kommet til.. Den garvede brite har heller ikke fået den bedste start, men det lykkedes da at vinde en kamp for første gang i evigheder, da Villa blev sendt hjem til Birmingham med et 1-2 nederlag!

Desuden har man også set betydelig fremgang på transfermarkedet, selvom Hodgson fik en mindre pose penge at handle for... Danske Leon Andreasen og norske Brede Hangeland er blandt de nye ansigter på træningsbanerne ved Motspur Park, og de er da også begge gået direkte ind i startopstillingen med en anden attitude en f.eks. den skotskbundne Steven Davis..

To nye angribere (Eddie Johnson & Erik Nevland.red) er også hentet ind til en meget formsvag frontkæde.. Dog er jeg lidt bekymret over, hvorfor vi hentede tudsegamle Jari Litmanen til London, men han kan jo sikkert dele ud af sin erfaring, og så var han jo gratis..

Men siden sejren over Villa, er vi løbet ind i det ene nederlag efter det andet, og Fulham ligger nu seks point under stregen, hvilket f.eks. fik Kanal 5's fodboldspeaker til at dømme dem som sikre nedrykkere sammen med bundproppen Derby...

Så det ser lidt sort ud, og Fulham kan kun redde sig ved at vinde nogle særdeles vigtige nøglekampe i et slutprogram, der inkluderer følgende kampe:

Blackburn Ude (Spilles i dag, og Fulham er ikke engang bagude efter 30 minutter!)

Everton Hjemme (Måske en hjemmesejr, men det bliver svært)

Newcastle Ude (Hvis Newcastle fortsætter sin krisesæson, kan der vente 3 overraskende point)

Derby Ude (Skal simpelthen give 3 point, hvis der skal gøre forhåbninger om at blive blandt de bedste)

Sunderland Hjemme (Samme som mod Derby)

Reading Ude (Endnu en nedrykningskandidat, men en svær udebanekamp - Uafgjort er nok mit bedste bud)

Liverpool Hjemme (Ikke mange chancer her selvom Liverpool er stinkende dårlige til tider - Torres "voldpuler" formodentlig hele forsvaret, så jeg håber, han er skadet)

Manchester City Ude (Ikke meget håb, da City samtidig kæmper for europæisk deltagelse)

Birmingham Hjemme (3 point skulle være muligt, men det kan allerede være slut på det her tidspunkt)

Portsmouth Ude (Pompey har måske ikke noget at kæmpe for på dette tidspunkt, og derfor kan man håbe på en sjælden udebanesejr)

Der forekommer nemme kampe på papiret, men Fulham skal virkelig oppe sig, hvis de skal stå distancen...

Jeg håber stadigvæk, men håbet svinder for hver runde uden point..

COYW!

Das Zimmer direkte fra Craven Cottage blandt spillemæssige kriser og højtråbende managers!

Bobby Zamora had been at West Ham since 2004 but only played 14 games last season.

However, rollercoaster is one which could describe the season that Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish has had. It started with the Scotland team, leading us to victory over Lithuania, France and Ukraine (goals below) as a nation hoped for the miracle of Euro 2008 qualification. A final game defeat to Italy put paid to that, but Scotland, and McLeish, were rightly lauded. National heroes if you like.

But despite saying he would be loyal to Scotland for the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, he was off 10 days after the Italy match to take over as Birmingham boss, following Steve Bruce's departure to Wigan. It started well enough for him, with his new charges winning 3-2 at Tottenham in his first game in charge.

But despite just one home defeat in 13, Birmingham have struggled. Games which should have been won were drawn (2-0 up on Liverpool, drew 2-2) while their away form was poor. The January signing of Scotland hero James McFadden couldn't provide enough firepower and on the penultimate day, they slumped 2-0 at relegation rivals Fulham.

So Eck's team went into the final day knowing they had to beat Blackburn and hope Fulham and Reading slipped up in their games to have any chance of survival. And City did their part, demolishing Rovers 4-1.

But the day didn't go to plan. Reading, who started play outside the bottom three, romped to a 4-0 win over dismal Derby at Pride Park, who went down as officially the worst team in Premiership history. The Royals knew that if Fulham failed to win at Portsmouth, then they would stay up at the Cottagers expense.

But it was to be heartbreak for Reading along with Birmingham as Fulham completed a miraculous escape. Danny Murphy's header 14 minutes from time from Jimmy Bullard's free-kick sealed a 1-0 win and Fulham's survival on goal difference.

And their manager Roy Hodgson deserves huge credit. After a 3-1 home loss to Sunderland, Fulham looked doomed with 5 games to go. But a 2-0 win at Reading, followed by a sensational 3-2 success at Manchester City having been 2-0 down and effectively relegated, breathed new life into their chances and in the end they accumulated 12 points from their final 5 games to preserve their status. A terrific effort.

So joy for the Londoners, but bitter disappointment for Reading and Birmingham. Steve Coppell is said to be considering his future at Reading despite his chairman and the fans hoping he'll stay. Relegation is a bitter pill to swallow for the Royals after a superb 8th place finish last season, and it is reminiscent of Ipswich coming up to the Premiership under George Burley, finishing 5th then going down the next season.

As for McLeish and Birmingham, it was always going to be a struggle for the Blues. Their fans rounded on the board after the match, but now its up to them to prepare to attempt to bounce back immediately. McLeish is a good manager, but I said at the time he was mad to leave Scotland, a flying Scotland, for a struggling club like Birmingham. One wonders if that he wishes in part he was still at Hampden rather than St Andrews.

A year is a long time in football, just ask Derby County. Just under 12 months ago they were celebrating an unlikely, but all-the-same impressive victory over West Brom in the play-off final at Wembley.

Now, with a new manager at the helm and having won just one league match since that date, they are back in the Championship.

Some will say that they are in a much better state financially, but is a few quid really worth seeing your team thrashed week in, week out? I'm not so sure!

So with Derby having secured the bottom of the league spot, two more spaces remain.

I would like to see both Reading and Fulham make the drop down - not because I don't like them, but because I feel that they are both clubs who could compete at a decent level in this division.

Roy Hodgson has gone some way to sorting out the mess that Lawrie Sanchez created in his short spell as Fulham boss, while Steve Coppell has more than enough Championship experience in order to master-mind a Reading promotion charge.

It was Keller and Hahnemann in net- two goalkeepers from the Pacific Northwest and apparently on the Seattle Sounders radar come 2009. Hahnemann looks the more likely decision and you could see why today. A 2-0 win for Fulham was modest, thanks to Hahnemann who got his hand to a number of chances that should have been clear goals. The Cottagers hit the post FOUR times - one being the most acrobatic volley I've ever seen out of the 35-year old McBride.  David Healy worked hard today, but it was sub Erik Nevland who took advantage of his chances - finishing a run down the right side in the 91st minute. Carlos Bocanegra came in for Dempsey with about 20 minutes to go and shut his marks down. Therefore, the Americans played well - but where in the world is Bobby Convey? He makes a big fuss about dooming Fulham to relegation, how it doesn't really matter that there are other Americans on the team, and then he can't make the damn bench...

Oh. Right. Why focus on the relegation battle? No real reason...except that it was Fulham's first AWAY win in 34 - I repeat 34 - away games. That's almost two full years of NOT winning away from home. Why the sudden change? The burst of energy, desire to win? Did Hodgson just say to go out and play...cause they didn't look like Hodgson tactics today.

But once again, too little too late? They are now 4 points from safety, 4 games left, 2 away, and Liverpool's looming. You do the math.

Hislop calls the Houston Dynamo the favorites for the upcoming 2008 MLS Season. I love it. He writes well, he analyzes well, and people will read him. He actually barely talks about the Dynamo, but focuses mainly on his former team Dallas and Beckham's Boys.

Now on the neverending drama:

GILLETT and HICKS: George Gillett is still trying to figure out how to get rid of his Liverpool share without selling it off to his partner Hicks. The American's rant paints Hicks as a crazy man who is impossible to work with. Could be. Plus, Gillett has already found another outlet in the Saputo Family and the Montreal Impact. Man, would that be awesome. Saint Louis and Montreal for the next two teams?

TIM CAHILL: I feel like this headline pops up once every 6 months and it really is a shame. Cahill is easily one of the best midfielders in the EPL when fit and to see him struggle mightily with injuries not only hurts Everton, Everton supporters, but the general spectatorship. The guy has all the tools to help lead Everton into the Big Four. To prepare for the future, David Moyes has already been forced into lining up replacements like Lyon's Kim Kallstrom.

MASCHERANO: Javy Masch's bitching and moaning got him a $200,000 fine of 2 weeks' wages for his outburst last weekend against Manchester United. On top of that, he's got to serve an initial one-match ban which could be increased once revisited by the FA. For many, this all seems unwarranted...but it just goes to show they weren't kidding when they said they'd give out bookings like mad if you continually bitch to the ref.

ROY HODGSON: According to various sources, striker David Healy will not play the rest of the season for Fulham and be released from his contract at the start of the transfer window. He can hit for his country, but has done nothing for his club. Jari Litmanen is in the same boat as he has yet to don the Cottagers jersey. Apparently, Hodgson hit out at the Finnish legend saying, "he has not played one game in a Fulham shirt but he has played two matches for Finland". I ask again, is Hodgson the right guy for the job in Fulhamerica?

DROGBA: Chelsea's saving grace and brace scorer in last weekend's win over Arsenal is yapping quite a bit. He has apparently told teammates he's headed to Inter in the offseason. Add this to Ronaldinho's possible move away from Barca and you got yourself a fun-filled summer coming up.

Derby County 

It's clear. We don't need to discuss Derby, but it's safe to say Paul Jewell's January acquisitions have done little to help the prospects of a club that should have paid more attention to trying to get the most of Robert Earnshaw - who has all but vanished - and the highly coveted Giles Barnes. All that's left with the Rams is to see whether or not they can escape the shame of holding the record for fewest points ever by an EPL squad. Sunderland sits with that record at 15 points. Derby needs 6 points out of their last 7 and a game vs. Fulham at home this Saturday could be the first three points towards their homestretch.

On we go...Fulham.

The Cottagers sit in a position they undoubtedly put themselves in. Many times this year they carried a lead into the final 15 minutes of a match only to be overtaken. Roy Hodgson has done little to turn around a team and many have said, Hodgson needs the full year to do so. The schedule is working against him though...nevermind the opponents. The Cottagers might have games against Derby and Reading coming up, but one troubling fact remains. They are away. And this is a Fulham team that hasn't won away all year. If it was based on the personnel alone, Fulham certainly have the tools as long as they can service Brian McBride, EJ, and Dempsey properly, but when 4 of your last 7 are away that's big. Remaining fixtures: @ Derby County, vs. Sunderland, @ Reading, vs. Liverpool, @ Manchester City, vs. Birmingham City, @ Portsmouth

Bolton

I don't care what Gary Megson has said or wants to say. Not having Nicolas Anelka in the homestretch destroys them. Not having Jussi Jaskaleinen in the midst of a relegation battle destroys them. The Wanderers' only saving grace is Kevin Nolan, who continues to organize Bolton's midfield well enough to grab points here and there. Truth is, though, that Bolton's recent tie with Manchester City at home was their first point in almost two months. Their final games see Arsenal coming to Reebok Stadium and a visit to Chelsea, Tottenham, and Aston Villa. That doesn't paint a pretty picture, and - in all honesty - it's about time sparkplug El-Hadji Diouf is brought down to Earth. Bolton is on their way down. Remaining Fixtures: vs. Arsenal, @ Aston Villa, vs. West Ham United, @ Middlesbrough, @ Tottenham, vs. Sunderland, @ Chelsea.

Who will stay up...

Newcastle

Kevin Keegan is still cleaning up Big Sam Allardyce's mess and, understandably, it's hard to believe one has to do so when you have players like Michael Owen, Obafemi Martins, and Mark Viduka at your forefront. And that's precisely why the Magpies will stay up...Keegan has decided to put all three of these boys on the field. With Barton and Butt in the midfield and these three on the forward line - even working at subpar rates - Keegan's troupe can climb their way out of the darkness. Newcastle's 2-0 win over Fulham this past Saturday was a testament to that. Owen had countless chances, Martins created chances, and Viduka dutifully took the ones he was  given. Keegan has opted to play himself out of relegation through offense and it will work. Plus, who doesn't love a manager that wears his heart on his sleeve game in and game out. Newcastle sits 6 points clear of Bolton - the third relegation spot. Their remaining schedule includes - @ Tottenham, vs. Reading, @ Portsmouth, vs. Sunderland, @ West Ham, vs. Chelsea, @ Everton.

Reading

Anytime that bounces back from 9 consecutive defeats to start the new year gets my nod to resist relegation. The Royals weren't just losing games, they were losing close games. The ones where you fight until the bitter end. Reading's talent level and tenacity on the playing field set them up for that kind of disappointment in defeat, but sheer joy when the result goes in their favor. Their nine losses - 5 came in dramatic fashion, one goal thrillers, while others came at the hands Villa [twice], Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham. The Royals have been found out...they're not being underestimated like last season. All clubs are firmly aware this year of the rapid development of Dave Kitson, Shane Long, and Stephen Hunt. No one has questioned the form of Marcus Hahnemann, who along with Tim Howard and Brad Friedel, looks poised to grab at least a top-three in GK of the Year tallies. Reading has won two out of three as of late, losing out only to Liverpool, but I wouldn't peg them to slide any further into the abyss. Fixtures remaining: vs. Blackburn,  @ Newcastle, vs. Fulham, @ Arsenal, @ Wigan, vs. Tottenham, @ Derby County.

Birmingham

March 1st's 4-1 drubbing of Tottenham could have been the three points that wind up keeping Birmingham from the bottom three. Hell, before that they took points from Arsenal and Newcastle. If there's a clear loser when it comes to remaining schedule, the Blues have got to be it. Alex McLeish has done well to instill a hard-nosed approach to every game in his squad and that approach has helped them so far, but will it withstand meetings with Manchester City, Everton, Blackburn, Villa, and Liverpool? Yep. And believe it or not, if they had Fulham's schedule remaining - the Blues would be on their way down. Fixtures Remaining: vs. Manchester City, @ Wigan, vs. Everton, @ Aston Villa, vs. Liverpool, @ Fulham, vs. Blackburn

Two teams primed to go down, but will escape...

Wigan Athletic

Five points separate the Latics with Bolton and who is worse off? Bolton. Wigan was able to grab a 1-0 win over . If there was a team next in line behind Fulham and Bolton to go down, it's the Latics. But Wigan hasn't been pisspoor as of late. Yes, they were routed by Blackburn even when they had a man advantage for half the game, but they squeezed points from Arsenal and beat West Ham and Derby. More than most of these relegation battlers can claim. Their schedule doesn't help much with 5 games against top-half club. Wigan has also made it their habit to start slow and end strong, which will not fly against the likes of Pompey, Chelsea, and ManYoo. Both Emile Heskey and Marcus Bent have returned to the line-up which could provide the jumpstart needed to slip just above the relegation zone. Verdict: Up, but barely. Remaining Schedule: @ Portsmouth, vs. Birmingham, @ Chelsea, vs. Tottenham, vs. Reading, @ Aston Villa, vs. Manchester United

Sunderland

It's Roy Keane people. He'll fight managers on the sideline and kids in the stands to stay up. The Black Cats started admirably and have faded in the homestretch. Kenwyne Jones has been figured out and Keane's talent pool has all but dried up. Still Keane has shown a knack for putting in the right people at the right time and Michael Chopra's entrance this past weekend secured a 1-0 upset win over Aston Villa, a vital three points to have. This is not the 2005/2006 Sunderland team. The difference - a battling Keane personality, a will to win in the last 15 minutes of tough matches, and a discipline that sticks against the big competition. Verdict: the Cats will remain and an infusion of talent in the offseason will make them mid-table runners next year. Remaining Fixtures: vs. West Ham United, @ Fulham, vs. Manchester City, @ Newcastle, vs. Middlesbrough, @ Bolton, vs. Arsenal

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Big Fulham supporter, but if the mentality shown against Newcastle prevails - the Cottagers are going down. Bolton and Derby are locks with seven games to go, but Fulham has the chance if they play the way they did against Everton. Hodgson also has to let Dempsey play. Jimmy Bullard was the only real threat vs. Newcastle, I agree, but it was as if Hodgson set him up that way. He might have a long shot, but Dempsey will be able to open up McBride and Eddie Johnson with outlet passes, instead of passes to their feet with a defender in tow.

Final Verdict: the same three we got now, Fulham, Bolton, and Derby.

What do you think?

My wife and 2 of my boys are Fulham supporters, they’re our local premiership club and thanks to a kindly aunt with access to some cheap tickets they are the club they all first visited. How did any of us start? Anyway they were all devastated when the popular Chris “Cookie” Coleman was sacked and replaced by the awful Lawrie Sanchez. Sanchez’s “I saved Fulham from relagtion” mantra is laughable. The fixture computer ensuring that a week before Liverpools Champions League Semi final they arrived at Fulham with half a team an half an eye on a bigger prize gave Sanchez his only win in half a dozen games at the end of the 2006 - 2007 season. His attempt at rebuilding Northern Ireland in South West London mixed with a desperate long ball game left Fulham relegation certainties before Christmas and Sanchez sacked soon after. The cheer from our house was almost as loud as the cries when Coleman was sacked!

The same person who got the last two managerial decisions so horribly wrong at Fulham hoped it would be third time lucky and went for the experienced and much travelled Roy Hodgson . I feel his transformation of Fulham considering how truly awful they were under Sanchez is very impressive. This is why.

First job, buy a centre half, Hangerland was whisked over from Norway with 50 international caps and an obsession with heading the ball in his own penalty area. At 6 foot 5 this is something he was born to do and suddenly Fulham were defending at set pieces.

Second job, ditch the Northern Irish, Baird, Healy & Davies consigned to the bench only the impressive Hughes alongside Hangerland remains.

Third job, (bit of luck needed) get players fit, Bullard and McBride back and playing well.

Fourth and most important and most impressive completely change the style of play. Yesterday against Everton, Fulham passed and passed and passed and defended and then passed again until a break got them their goal and they defended some more. Not once did they resort to the Sanchez long ball and give it away tactic.

All credit for this must go to Hodgson, as Newcastle under “King Kev” continue their freefall and Bolton stumble under the “Ginger Mourinho” Fulhams next three games see them play Newcastle, Sunderland and Derby which could see them out of the bottom 3.

Hodgson is a proper coach, he’s English and he’s been a succes everywhere he’s been. My wife and 2 boys hope he keeps Fulham up and you know what so do I

Sonst gibt es eigentlich auch wenig Neues aus der englischen Liga. David Moyes ist Trainer des Monats, die Auszeichnung "Spieler des Monats" ging an Fernando Torres vom FC Liverpool. Das sind nachvollziehbare Auszeichnungen. Everton hat im Monat Febaur nicht verloren und nur ein Gegentor kassiert, Torres erzielte einen Hattrick gegen Middlesbrough und ist mit 18 Treffern jetzt drittbester Torschätze der Liga hinter Adebayor und Christiano Ronaldo.

FC Liverpool - Newcastle United
Premiere live ab 15h55; Kommentar: Gerhard Willmann

Tja, ein Spiel muss man noch durchhalten, dann kann man die Aufholjagd beginnen, hieß es vor zwei Wochen bei Newcastle United. Seitdem hat sich an der Lage bei den Magpies nicht wirklich verbessert, sondern eher verschlimmert. Macht ja auch wenig Sinn, sich nur auf die Spiele zu konzentrieren, bei denen man meint, dass man sie gewinnen könne. Bei dem Team von Kevin Keegan läuft so wenig zusammen, dass man sich aufgrund der aktuellen Form des FC Liverpool sich mal wieder Sorgen machen muss um Newcastle. Denn die Zahlen, die Kevin Keegan vorweisen kann, sprechen für sich. Man hat die drittschlechteste Abwehr der Liga, nur eine Partie in den letzten 14 Pflichtspielen gewonnen, lediglich drei Tore erzielt unter Keegan. Das sind Statistiken, die einem Trainer eigentlich nur so um die Ohren fliegen müssten. Es ist nicht verfrüht zu sagen, dass sich der Trainerwechsel in Newcastle bei weitem nicht gelohnt hat. Und daran ist eigentlich nur eine Schuld: Der Trainer selbst. Seit seinem Amtsantritt ist nicht ein nennenswerter Fortschritt festzumachen, es fehlt nicht an den Basics, wie Einstellung oder Leidenschaft, sondern an der Spielweise, an der Taktik. Und das zu lösen, ist nur mal Aufgabe des Trainers, der daran bis jetzt aber noch scheitert. Verstärkung soll jetzt vom Nationalspieler des Senegals, Lamine Diatta, kommen. Der Verteidiger hat zunächst einen Vertrag bis zum Saisonende bekommen. Newcastle muss mit Marc Viduka, Joey Barton, Emre und Stephen Carr auf einige Stammkräfte verzichten. Bei Liverpool, die die letzten vier Pflichtspiele gewonnen haben, fehlen Mascherano und Finnen verletzt.

FC Reading - Manchester City 
Beide Teams sind unterm Strich. Der FC Reading ist weiterhin auf dem ersten Abstiegsplatz, hat nach dem überraschenden Auswärtssieg gegen Middlesbrough letzte Woche wieder Hoffnung geschöpft. Es war der erste Sieg nach einer Serie von acht Niederlagen. Mit einem Sieg heute könnte man die Abstiegsplätze verlassen. Manchester City hat nur einen Sieg in den letzten sieben Spielen auf dem Konto stehen. City muss weiter auf den gesperrten Martin Petrov verzichten, was angesichts dessen Formkrise nicht allzu schwerwiegend sein sollte.

Blackburn Rovers - FC Fulham 
Angst vor dem Absturz, vor der zweiten Liga gibt es auch im Südwesten Londons beim FC Fulham. Und eigentlich brauchen die Cottagers gar nicht erst antreten, denn man ist seit 30 Auswärtsspielen sieglos. Fulham gewann nur eine Partie aus den letzten 18 Pflichtspielen. Der Trainer des FC Fulham, Roy Hodgson, hat sich am Donnerstag auf der Pressekonferenz geäußert, hat Verantwortung von seinen Spielern gefordert auch auswärts aufzutreten, wie sich der Trainer das wünscht verbunden mit der Aussage, dass wenn entsprechende Leistungen ausbleiben, sich jeder auf der Bank wiederfindet. Der Mannschaft fehle es an Führungsspielern, man sei zu leise auf dem Platz. Trotzdem glaube Hodgson, dass sich die harte Arbeit im Trainung auszahlen werde. Auch für die Rovers ist es ein wichtiges Spiel. Mit dem dritten Sieg in Folge könnte man mit dem sechsplatzierten Aston Villa nach Punkten aufschließen.

Tottenham Hotspur - West Ham United 
Es ist das Duell zweier Tabellennachbarn trotzdem durch acht Punkte getrennt, für die es in dieser Saison eigentlich um nichts mehr geht. Dass Tottenham mit derzeit 32 Punkte nochmal in die Abstiegszone rutscht, dürfte dann dank der Mannschaften hinter den Spurs ausgeschlossen werden. Man kann also befreit aufspielen an der White Hart Lane. Und wie das geht, haben die Spurs ja schon mehrfach gezeigt diese Saison. Erinnert sei an das 6:4 gegen Reading. Oder Juande Ramos entscheidet sich für die andere Variante. Er schont seine erste Elf für das wichtige Rückspiel im UEFA-Cup am Mittwoch beim PSV Eindhoven, in welchem man ein 0:1 aus dem Hinspiel aufholen muss.

FC Sunderland - FC Everton 
Wie geht der FC Everton damit um nicht länger vorlegen zu können, sondern vielleicht stets nachziehen zu müssen im Kampf um Platz Vier mit dem Lokalrivalen aus Liverpool? Die Reds spielen am Samstag, Everton muss dann am Sonntag nachlegen. Der FC Everton wird wohl zum fünften Mal in gleicher Startaufstellung spielen, einzig und allein Leon Osman ist leicht angeschlagen. Die Toffees spielten am Donnerstag beim AC Florenz und verloren 0:2, haben am Mittwoch also auch noch keine leichte Aufgabe vor der Brust. Aber die Liga hat laut Moyes klare Priorität. Sunderland ist nur zwei Punkte von einem Abstiegsplatz entfernt. Wer sich eine Schiedsrichterschelte par exellance mal durchlesen will, dem sei das Interview von Roy Keane mit BBC Radio Newcastle empfohlen. Und für Roy Keane heißen nach Everton die nächsten Aufgaben Chelsea und Aston Villa. Da ist ein Sieg gegen Everton ja fast schon Pflicht. Wenn es denn so einfach wäre...

Wigan Athletic - FC Arsenal London 
Premiere live Sonntag ab 16h55; Kommentar: Marco Hagemann 

Die Gunners müssen den Spagat schaffen zwischen dem ruhmreichen Sieg beim AC Mailand und der Pflichtaufgabe im Auswärtsspiel gegen Wigan Athletic. Interessant dürfte zu sehen sein, inwieweit man den Schwung aus der Champions League mit in die Premier League nehmen kann, wo zuletzt der Titel-Motor ein bisschen zu stottern begann. Zwei Remis in den letzten zwei Spielen zu Buche. Die Partien gegen Birmingham und zuhause gegen Aston Villa haben gezeigt, wo der Schuh so ein bisschen drückt. Man macht zu wenig aus seinen Torchancen. Wie immer sieht das schön rausgespielt aus, aber irgendeiner müsste dann auch mal abschließen. Und gerade so ein Umstand könnte gegen die Kaltblütigkeit von Manchester United sich nachteilig auswirken. Die Gunners können mit der Rückkehr von Robin van Persie rechnen, es fehlen aber Eboue, Walcott und Diaby. Wigan kann mit seiner besten Mannschaft antreten und hofft auf Tore von Emile Heskey. Wigan ist zuhause aber gefestigt. Man gewann vier der letzten sechs Heimspiele, zuletzt gegen Derby und West Ham - und das ohne Gegentor.

Die Partie Liverpool - Newcastle werde ich nachher im Rahmen einer kleinen Bundesliga und Premier League Konferenz live mitbloggen. Über die drei Nachholspiele am Mittwoch kommender Woche schreibe ich dann rechtzeitig einen eigenen Eintrag.

All statistics come from the Barclays Premier League.

With league survival hanging by a thread, perhaps the last team Fulham would wish to meet on Saturday is Premiership champions Manchester United, who are desperate to boost an impressive goal difference advantage.

Privately, Fulham's manager Roy Hodgson might expect to take nothing from the match. Publicly, he cannot give such a defeatist impression and plans for his team to stop the United juggernaut.

"We need to win," he said. "We need to win our home games and some away games as well."

"There is an element of luck and sometimes you can play well and lose, or play badly and win. I am very much aware that wins are the order of the day for us and if we don’t get some soon then our predicament will worsen."

So how can Fulham claim victory against United, a side which broke Tyneside hearts with an irresistible display of pace and power just last Saturday?  

Scoring consistently has been a problem for the division's second worst side. Keeping the ball out of the Fulham net has proved even more problematic for a defence which has leaked 45 goals this season. The chances of toppling Sir Alex Ferguson's side, which has the best goal difference and the meanest rear guard in the division, would seem bleak indeed.

However, Fulham will hope that Sir Alex's worst tinkering excesses come to the fore. United are certain to play a weakened team with half a mind on Tuesday's Champions League clash against Lyon. The importance of that game, and Ferguson's Euro-obsession, could affect the mindset of United's defenders.

It is also true that Fulham are due some luck. Last week's controversial loss to West Ham was a terrible blow. There have been other moments this season, notably at the Emirates Stadium, where Fulham have played well only to suffer a late collapse in concentration and be punished accordingly by a more ruthless team.

The lower reaches of the Premiership however, are awash with similar hard luck stories and what is clear is that Fulham are now at serious risk of being relegated due to sloppy trading, poor decision-making and instability.

Fulham's board must sorely regret sacking Chris Coleman and hiring Lawrie Sanchez, a man who plainly lacked Premiership experience, as a replacement.  

Sanchez rid the club of old established pros and was given more than £25 million to spend on new and mostly unproven players. "Fifteen in and 15 out," he calls it. "The Premiership can be an unforgiving place for a manager so daring."

Under the former Northern Ireland boss, Fulham tried to create a ‘club-Ireland’ mentality, played some decent football at times, drew too many matches and lost even more.  

Chairman Mohammed Al Fayed saw the error of his ways and dispensed with Sanchez. Then, bizarrely, he hired another international manager of some repute but who had no recent experience of the carnivorous environment that is the Premiership.

Roy Hodgson is not lacking in confidence and knowledge, but does he have the players who can haul the club to safety?

Talents like goalkeeper Niemi, Konchesky in defence, Bullard in midfield and McBride up front do give reason for some hope. Any team capable of beating Aston Villa, as Fulham did recently,  is worthy of respect. Yet Hodgson will need all his coaching ability and motivational skills, honed at Malmo and Inter Milan, among many other European boltholes, to coax a limited squad towards survival.  

United will run out at Craven Cottage hoping to accelerate still further Fulham's retreat from the top division and arrest a sequence that has seen Sir Alex Ferguson’s team fail to win in London for the past year.

The match is exactly the sort of present the United boss hopes the fixture computer will deliver at this time of the season.

Ferguson will be mindful of the partisan crowd and committed opposition that his team will face at a small ground. But surely he must be confident that his players will profit from the strong likelihood that Fulham will fail to concentrate for the full 90 minutes.

Fulham’s statistics this season confirm the manager’s reasons for optimism. The Cottagers have lost the lead in 11 matches. Some 25 points have been squandered from winning positions too. Fulham have managed only three clean sheets and failed to score in 11 games.

The match is there for the likes of Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick to shine and underline their service to the team. It also offers Ferguson the chance to rest Cristiano Ronaldo and perhaps Wayne Rooney or Carlos Tevez.

Yet again, Sir Alex has been talking up the latest Louis Saha revival. The Frenchman scored in the blitz of Newcastle last week and Ferguson would like nothing more than to see the former Fulham hitman to show his best form on his old stamping ground.

"Louis Saha coming back is a big bonus for us," said Ferguson. "He gives us strength and penetration and is different to everyone else. It was good that Louis has come back and scored."

United have stuttered in the league in recent weeks against Spurs and Manchester City but will hope that last Saturday’s rout of Newcastle represented a corner turned. The performance at Fulham will offer further clues.

TEAM NEWS
 
Fulham

Midfielder Simon Davies is likely to return to the Fulham side after suspension. Striker Diomansy Kamara could find himself named as a substitute. Boss Hodgson told Fulham TV this week that he's relishing the prospect of having 'two full teams' to select from as the Cottage injury situation clears up: only Litmanen is out injured, while Andreasen is out suspended.

Squad: Niemi, Keller, Stalteri, Hughes, Konchesky, Hangeland, Murphy, Davies, Bouazza, Bullard, Nevland, Kamara, Bocanegra, Volz, Stefanovic, McBride, Smertin, Healy, Seol.
   
Manchester United    
 
United have slight doubts about the fitness of defenders Vidic and Evra. Otherwise, Sir Alex can chose from a full strength squad but is likely to hold back his more senior players for the Lyon test in midweek. Giggs should recover from his leg injury suffered against Lyon but should expect to be kept in reserve.

Squad: Van der Sar, Brown, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Fletcher, Hargreaves, Nani, Rooney, Tevez, Scholes, O'Shea, Saha, Kuszczak, Anderson, Park, Simpson, Eagles.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Niemi (Fulham): The goalkeeper will need to be at his best and inspire those around him to produce their finest performances of the season too, if Fulham are to stand any chance. The Cottagers will, in all likelihood, sit deep to guard against United’s speed and counter attacking power which means Niemi is likely to be in for a very busy afternoon.

Carrick (United): The quiet man seems to be hitting his best form just at the right time for United. Looks better with runners either side of him and Ferguson may well oblige by fielding Anderson and Fletcher in a line-up similar to the one that trounced Arsenal. The manager knows he is spoilt for choice when his midfielders are fully fit. Carrick will hope to make that selection dilemma even more difficult by giving a dominant performance against the Premiership strugglers.  
 
PREDICTION
 
Early March is an opportunity for Ferguson’s side to keep up the pressure on Arsenal by recouping maximum points from matches against teams from the lower reaches of the division. Fulham know that their Premiership future will not depend on results against teams like United but will hope to play to their capacity and catch the visitors when they are distracted by the Champions League. By 5.45pm, United ought to have demonstrated the folly of such an idea.

Fulham 0 - 3 Manchester United 

The older you become, the harder it is to believe in Father Christmas. I was 7 when I began to question his existence, and it took some twenty years for my faith to be restored. In that time, I did watch Ernest Saves Christmas on numerous occasions, and it's pretty damn convincing, I must admit. In this masterful 1980s movie, Ernest P Worrell explains the science behind Santa's Christmas Eve mission succinctly:

You take the International Date Line, multiply it by the Time Zones, divided by the accelerated rotation of the earth... uh, carry the 1, and, uh, allowing for the Vernal Equinox on the Tropic of Cancer, he might just pull it off. 

I figure that believing in Santa Claus is no less plausible than believing in God, and there was certainly something divine about the delivery of my Christmas wish this year. When the inept and out-of-his-depth Lawrie Sanchez was appointed manager of Fulham in May of last year, I told anyone who'd listen that I wished him to be gone by Christmas. It's not that I get pleasure in seeing a man made unemployed, but Sanchez knew next-to-nothing about managing a Premier League club, and under his stewardship we risked dropping down a division, stuck as we were in a rut of dull and depressing football.

My fears were proved right when we made a catastrophic start to the 2007/08 season. With just two victories between August and December, and £25 million spent on players who could barely control the bell let alone score with it, the writing was on the wall. But Fulham's chairman Mohamed Fayed was rather preoccupied with the inquest into the death of his son, Dodi, and Princess Diana. I had a horrible feeling he wasn't keeping his eye on events at Fulham, which were fast spiralling out of control.

But Santa heard my early Christmas wish, and duly delivered. Sanchez was kicked out a week before Christmas. What happened next proves that this wasn't merely coincidence, but part of Santa's master plan to make me happy. I had clearly been a good boy in 2007.

One of my heroes is a 60-year-old man from Croydon called Roy Hodgson. He is a fellow Scandophile, having lived and worked in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway as a football manager. When I lived in Sweden, I wrote the odd football report or two, and so often Swedish football fans and journalists would tell me how great a manager Roy Hodgson was. He had won everything there was to win in Sweden, and is widely credited with leading a roots and branch overhaul of the way Swedes play football.

In England, he's rather less respected by casual football observers who haven't paid close attention to his extraordinary CV. But the journalists who know their stuff - admittedly few and far between - have long defended him.

I've spent the last seven years or so banging on about Hodgson, about how much of an over-achiever he is (rather like Sweden itself). I would fantasise about him becoming Fulham manager, knowing deep down that was about as likely as George W Bush holding his hands up and saying "You know what? I'm out of my depth. I resign. Party on, America!" Hodgson had been rejected by his homeland once before, after an uneasy time as coach of Blackburn Rovers, and he was snubbed in favour of Swede Sven Goran Eriksson for the England manager's job in 2001. Not only that, but in November of last year he accepted an executive job at one of Europe's footballing giants, Inter Milan.

But so it came to pass that my Christmas wish - and the final bit of Santa evidence - appeared a couple of days after Christmas. Roy Hodgson ha changed his mind about Inter Milan and been appointed Fulham manager. He got the phone call offering him the job whilst on holiday in Torquay.

Within hours of the announcement, I received a flurry of text messages from friends who know I have a lot of love for the Hodge. My friend John jokingly wondered if I'd had some sort of influence on the decision. This was a monumental event and it made absolutely no sense.

It may not seem much to you, and I do often lose all rationality and reason when it comes to football, but Hodgson's appointment is my idea of a dream-come-true and on Saturday the Hodgson Revolution truly began. This was the first time the Hodge fielded a team featuring a number of his own signings - three Scandinavians - and the team put in a gutsy, committed performance. The result was our first win since early November, against a team more than 20 points above us in the league table. It was heroic stuff, and more than that - I won £26 from a £5 bet that Fulham would win, and win 2-1. This rare betting success will almost cover my ticket to watch the team play Everton in a few weeks' time.

There's a long way to go, and Fulham are still very much stuck at the wrong end of the table, but all the players are falling over themselves to compliment the new boss, gushing about his experience, skill and motivation skills. Whether he can motivate a squad comprised largely of mediocrity remains to be seen, but one of the most successful English managers in football history is leading my club, and I'm thanking Santa for the honour.

Sticking to this Christmas theme (we need something cheery to get us through the dark and dismal February) take a look at this video. It's a tutorial I made for making a gingerbread house. Pictures of the completed house are available on the left of this page, in my Flickr profile. Enjoy!

Here's what Roy Hodgson had to say:

‘I am delighted to be able to welcome Erik to Fulham. He is a player that I know well and I am confident he will contribute to the squad to assist us in this, and further, campaigns. Erik has great attributes and played an important part in keeping FK Viking in the Norwegian First Division.

"After joining FC Groningen he quickly established himself as a firm favourite both with the fans, and with the management, and it has been no easy task securing his signature at Fulham. However, Erik’s desire to play in the Premier League and to find a new challenge has enabled us to bring him to the Club, and it is very pleasing that we have been able to do so.’

Nevland is 30 years old, which to most people means his best soccer is behind him. But I have trust in Roy Hodgson and if he feels Nevland would be a key to keeping us up, hell, the guy has my support. Welcome to the Cottage Erik!