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We’re not Real Madrid …
… we are Fulham as Mo so memorably put it. And we’ve lasted longer in European competition than the galaticos. Unbelievable.
No fear, says Pantsil
John Pantsil says Fulham’s progress under Roy Hodgson means they aren’t daunted by even the most illustrious of opponents.
We’re not afraid of anyone – whoever comes, we are ready. I’m not used to losing games. I just go for victory.
He [Hodgson] has done well. He has time for each and every [player]. He has changed the team, he has lifted the team to a certain level. His training makes us feel more relaxed and more comfortable with our positions on the pitch. He is experienced.
He knows how to coach his players to play European football.
Nice bit on the fans who love him so much.
The fans deserve everything I give them on the pitch, because they show appreciation. Whether it’s raining or not, they’re sitting, shouting, singing. So every game the team wins, I have to give them the lap of honour. They deserve it.
Greening: We’ll have to be at our best
Jonathan Greening says Fulham will have to call on some of that Shakhtar spirit to compete with the mighty Juventus in Turin tomorrow night.
It’s just what dreams are made up. If we can put in a good performance like we did against Shakhtar – then everything is possible. We’re well prepared under the gaffer because everyone knows their jobs.
Danny Murphy’s suspension gives Greening an opportunity against Juventus, though he’s had plenty of European action already this season.
I knew we would be in Europe this year and that’s one of the reasons I came. Danny’s captain and has been playing well – but it gives me a chance to come in and do well. Every player wants to play in these type of games.
Hello Juventus
Juventus on Thursday. Still can’t really get my head around that.
La Vecchia Signora has seen better days than this by the sounds of it. Expectations are always high for a team that’s won the Serie A title 27 times – even if there’s still a stench after calciopoli – and poor old Ciro Ferrara couldn’t stand the heat. Brought in as a temporary replacement for Claudio Ranieri at the end of last season, Ferrera oversaw a truly disastrous start to this campaign which saw Juve crash out of the Champions’ League, the Coppa Italia and slumped to the relatively troubling position of sixth in the table.
Alberto Zaccheroni has since stepped in and steadied the ship. Sunday’s 2-1 win over Fiorentina took Juventus back into the Champions’ League places and had Alessandro Del Pierro purring about the prospect of winning the Europa League. Diego scored an early goal and hopes to break his ‘home’ duck even if the game won’t be played at Juve’s traditional home.
Zaccheroni, who says he’s fully focused on Fulham, hasn’t escaped criticism, though, or more accurately fire. Their previous performance against Palermo was so bad that their fans decided some arson was in order. It’s not as if that burning desire was unique: seats were set alight against Milan in January, when Juve were beaten 3-0. How might they react if Bobby belts in another screamer?
As well as considering donning some productive clothing, Zaccheroni’s got a few injury problems to deal with. Buffon won’t feature leaving the shaky Alex Manninger, once of Arsenal, as the last line of defence. Fabio Cannavaro could be pressed into service in central defence despite only returning to training this week and Fabio Grosso must be the favourite to start at left back after his stunning strike in Florence.
Felipe Melo is missing through suspension, so it’s a bit of a guessing game as to how Juventus might play it in midfield. The clever Candreva energised a flagging side against the Viola at the weekend and playing him alongside Diego, the Brazilian who shot to prominence – in Europe at least – with Werder Bremen, would certainly keep Etuhu and Greening occupied.
For all those of you fearing the worst in Turin, here are a few interesting stats:
- Juventus haven’t beaten an English side at home in their last four attempts (with three draws and a defeat) since beating Newcastle in the 2002/03 Champions’ League.
- Juve have lost all four of their two-legged knockout ties against English clubs since they beat Liverpool 1-0 on that horrid night at Heysel.
- Fulham have lost just one of their four games against Italian opposition – and that was a battling performance. Junichi Inamoto’s hat-trick against Bologna will live long in the memory.
- Juventus have won only one of their past six European home games – a 1-0 win over Maccabi Haifa in the Champions’ League.
- Surprisingly, Fulham have only failed to score once – in Perm when we were hanging on for dear life – in their 13 European away trips since making their continental debut in 2002.
- Hodgson has an impressive record against Zacheroni, winning three games and drawing another other, whilst he was at Inter. The only defeat came when Zaccheroni’s thumped Udinese 4-1.
- Zaccheroni hasn’t beaten an English side in five attempts. He has managed three draws but his last experience was humiliating. Arsenal, inspired by Thierry Henry, won 5-1 at Inter yet to win in five outings against English clubs, with his AC Milan and Inter in 2003.
Excited? I know I am.
European Prize
We’re doing well
There is much of interest that is of no real use (our most common home score this season has been 3-0! Imagine!) but a couple of things really do stand out.
You know how one of the knocks on Roy has been that he doesn’t use his subs enough? I have never been sure about that. I can see how the Mourinhos and Capellos of this world can change games with decisive action, but equally, I can see Roy’s perspective: if this is my best XI at 3pm, so it is at 345pm.
Anyway, if Roy’s lack of action here was holding the club back, you might expect us to not do well when behind in games. This doesn’t come through at all. In fact, when Fulham either concede the first goal, or are behind at half-time, the team does better than most at retrieving the situation.
Now, the obvious argument against this is that it’s not coming back that’s the issue, it’s turning draws into wins. I would dispute that too. We score more second half goals than most, so surely that suggests some degree of positive action? It’s probably more that Roy makes a few subtle tweaks to the way the team is playing, rather than sending on three centre-forwards (I exaggerate for effect).
The other good thing is when we get ahead: you can basically lock the game up. Only once have we scored first and lost, or lead at half-time and lost. I am assuming that both of those were the unfortunate Chelsea game.
So, in conclusion, we do well when we’re behind, and we’re very good when ahead. Not bad. The only knock might be that we haven’t ‘got ahead’ enough, but you can’t have everything.
Not long until tomorrow… Juventus, eh? I may even get myself one of those two-team scarfs.
(Woops – Timmy has something very similar up over his place! No plagiarism intended, let’s call it ‘great minds think alike’, eh?)
Juventus Awaits
Stoke Match Re-arranged
Penalty heartache for Fulham’s youngsters
Fulham’s U18s went out of the FA Youth Cup after being beaten by Aston Villa on penalties at the end of an enthralling contest on a chilly night at Craven Cottage.
The defeat will have been a horrible way for Gary Brazil’s side to end their finest run in the competition, especially as progress to a semi-final against Newcastle was within their grasp as the game entered the final minute of extra time. Fulham, leading 2-1 with time ticking down thanks to a pair of outstanding finishes from the impressive Italian youth international Marcello Trotta, were less than a minute away from taking a sizeable scalp when some nervous defending allowed Devine to fire Villa into a penalty shoot-out from close range.
You felt that might prove to be a difficult pyschological barrier to overcome and so it proved. In a horribly compelling penalty shoot-out, Fulham managed to convert just one of their four penalties and despite one great save from the excellent Marcus Betinelli were left agonisingly short of a place in the last four.
Villa went through, and considering their recent pedigree in youth football, that’s not a huge surprise. But Fulham gave them a real run for their money. Some tentative early exchanges saw both sides struggle to get a grip on proceedings, with Fulham’s first chance coming courtesy of a flowing move down the right. Christian Marquez-Sanchez, the eye-catching Spaniard we’ve mentioned before, and Keanu Marsh-Brown (who I’ve already raved about) linked nicely down that flank and the former Arsenal man burst into the box having exchanged passes with Richard Peniket only to be denied by a brilliant block from Calum Barratt. From the ensuing corner, Cheick Toure headed over the bar from six yards out.
Villa looked lively in spells with their tall and intelligent centre forward Kofi Poyser looking a real menace. They were restricted largely to long range shots which Betinelli handled well, although Poyser did very well to nod dangerously towards the Fulham goal from 15 yards. The home side continued to threaten, with Barratt having to sprint out to the edge of his area to thwart a Trotta burst.
Inevitably, the Italian was at the heart of Fulham’s opener which also owed much to a mazy dribble from Marsh-Brown. The chance appeared to have gone when Ellis Deeney got a foot to thwart Trotta’s forward momentum, but the striker had the presence of mind to readjust to the position of the loose ball and beat Barratt with a fine finish from the right side of the box.
The visitors immediately played with more purpose in the second period. Richard Blythe tested Betinelli’s reactions with a header and then the young goalkeeper did brilliantly to prevent Poysner from levelling mattters with an instinctive block. Having seemed to have recovered their composure, it was disappointing to see Fulham concede a rather sloppy goal.
Reece Jones laboured on the ball down on the left touchline and was robbed by the hard-working Ryan Simmonds. The Villa captain’s run and low cross left Poyser with the simplest of tasks to touch in the equaliser from close range. Villa then began to pass the ball with real confidence, although chances came for both sides in a gripping last quarter of an hour. A lovely turn saw the former Manchester City man fashion a chance for himself almost of nothing but Barrett did well to save. A superb sliding challenge from Daniel Devine denied Peniket a run on goal, but Pierre was similarly well positioned to block Arseinho Halfhuid’s late header.
Extra time was engrossing even if the supporters congregated in the Johnny Haynes Stand were now starting to feel the cold. Halfhuid outfoxed Toure just with a clever bit of footwork and drew a terrific save from Betinelli, whilst Sam Williams timed his intervention perfectly to prevent Trotta from reaching an inviting through ball from substitute Kerim Frei. Trotta did score again shortly afterwards and this strike was even better than the one that had given Fulham their first lead, as he lashed home off his left foot with real power from an almost implausible angle.
Trotta had the chance to seal it with four minutes to play bursting onto a fine through ball from Paudie Quinn but he was denied by a brilliant reflex save from Barett. That miss was to prove costly, although it seems harsh to blame Trotta on a night when he looked outstanding and especially as the referee appeared to miss a clear foul on Peniket before awarding a free kick to Villa. Tempers flared and Fulham never really regained their composure. Barrett launched it hopefully forward, Poyser climbed and there was Devine to prompt the penalty heartache.
Fulham’s penalties were nervous and there was no repeat of the heroics that took them past Bolton in the last round. Substitute Josh Pritchard and Peniket saw their efforts saved and Marsh-Brown sent his into the Putney End handing the momentum back to Villa after Betinelli had briefly revived interest in the shoot-out with a fine save from Carruthers. The shoot-out defeat was a horrible way to end a terrific run and Brazil’s boys can be proud of their energy and endeavour.
FULHAM (4-4-2): Bettinelli; Marquez-Sanchez (Frei 63), Kamau, Pierre, Touré; Marsh-Brown, Harris, Jones (Quinn 80), Smith (Pritchard 99); Trotta, Peniket. Subs (not used): Fry, Maloney.
BOOKED: Harris, Pritchard.
GOALS: Trotta (39, 115).
ASTON VILLA (4-4-2): Barrett; Grocott, Deeney, Williams, Blythe (Nelson-Addy 80); Devine, Lampkin, Carruthers, Roberts (Arsenio 75); Poyser, Simmonds. Subs (not used): Johnstone, Berry, Taylor.
GOALS: Poyser (55), Devine (120).
FFC Hosts Down's Syndrome Tournament
The Barclays Premier League Turns (Red)
Season Ticket Winning
Juventus Screening
Juventus Transport Info
Zolly's Euro Dream
Fulham 2-2 Aston Villa (aet) - Villa win on penalties
USA!
Nice little piece over at Nike Soccer on Boca. (picture lifted from there).
In many ways Bocanegra is our “one that got away”. Sure, he had limitations, but you have to think he’d have been coachable. Still in the goals though. Good man.
And here’s a nice piece by Grant Wahl on Landon Donovan’s time at Everton. “Redemptive” is the word, perhaps.
I’ll write something about Erik Nevland at some point, but have no time whatsoever at present. Bear with me (one of my favourite phrases – every time someone says that to me I want us both to act like a bear for a while. It will never happen though).