Cheeky Forlan Flick Wins It For Atletico!

Fulham could not cope with the striking duo of Forlan and Aguero in the mind. A valiant fightback from Fulham amounted to nothing as Forlan's flick ended Fulham's fairytale run in Hamburg. This is the extra time winning goal as it happened.

graphics by malay mail

  

Europa League Final Preview: Can Fulham Pull It Off?

After a glorious European adventure which started in July last year, Fulham step into the Europa League Final knowing that whatever happens, they have made all of Europe sit up and take notice. The resilience and fighting spirit shown by the Fulham players against Juventus and Hamburg truly were amazing. Fulham fans through the Europa League have had enough memories to last a lifetime.

Some say that Fulham's name is on the cup this season. After those great comebacks against Juventus and Hamburg, who is to deny them this bit of glory? I look forward to seeing Roy Hodgson and his motley crew of journeyman players lifting the trophy in a few days time. Roy and Fulham have proven that the Europa League can be a happy hunting ground for English clubs. Aston Villa and Everton have, in the past, given up on this European competition to focus on the league. If Fulham wins, it might interest even Mancini and Benitez to take this competition seriously.

West Ham To Get Second Away Win At Craven Cottage?

West Ham look to build on a good result at Wigan last week with an equally good performance against Fulham. Roy Hodgson's team will be physically exhausted after a tough Europa League semifinal win over Hamburg.

A tight passing game maintaining possession will be a great strategy to wear down the Fulham players and allow West Ham to dictate the tempo of the game.

David Sullivan said that all except Parker has a price tag and therefore there is added incentive for the players to produce good performances in the last two matches before they are put in the shop window.

The excellent understanding between Ilan and Cole automatically makes them the preferred striking partnership for the last two Hammers matches.

Continue Reading >>>

Four Reasons Why England Need Bobby Zamora

The performance of Bobby Zamora under Roy Hodgson particularly have been stellar. The marked improvement in his game have led to numerous calls for an England call up. If the thoughts were that Zamora does not have the big match mentality then those reservations would have been smashed to bits after stunning goals against Juventus and Wolfsburg in the Europa League.

Emile Heskey and Carlton Cole are great as the target and/or link up man upfront but they are not prolific goalscorers. At major world tournaments, goals typically determine how far a nation progresses, hence Bobby Zamora, who is in the form of his life, can provide that secondary goalscoring threat while performing the duties that Heskey and/or Cole does for England.

Continue Reading >>>

How Does West Ham Compare To Fulham This Season?

West Ham as a football club have officially lodged a complaint to the Premier League over Fulham fielding a weakened team against Hull City on March 27, 2010. Fulham lost that game at the Kingston Stadium 2-0 to Iain Dowie's Hull which put them level on points with the Hammers.

The question I want to ask is how does the West Ham squad compare with the Fulham squad as a whole? This is my assessment of West Ham against Fulham's squad this season.

Goalkeeping:

Rob Green (WHU) is an England international and quite possibly England's no. 1 in the World Cup.

Mark Schwarzer (FUL) is Australia's no. 1 and will also be in the World Cup this summer.

Not much difference between the two in terms of goalkeeping strengths.

Defence:

James Tomkins, Matt Upson, Danny Gabbidon, Jon Spector, Julien Faubert, Ilunga, Daprela (WHU) - All internationals. However, Spector and Faubert are suspect defensively and the fullback area is the weakest part of West Ham's squad. The right fullback position sorely need reinforcements. Gabbidon looks past his best, and strangely, Upson does as well.

Chris Smalling, Hangeland, Konchesky, Aaron Hughes, Shorey, Baird, Pantsil (FUL) - Smalling is the best young defender in England without a doubt. Fulham's defenders have the edge as they have the defensive toughness and the experience of top-flight Premiership football.

Continue Reading >>>

Dismal Home Form Will Spur West Ham To A Win Against Fulham

After the away defeat against Manchester City, Zola had stated that the team including himself will have to bring the thunder back. This basically means that the players must show desire, motivation and fighting spirit if West Ham are to start winning again.

If the Manchester City loss can be considered an "acceptable defeat", then this weekend's match against Fulham is rightly labelled as "the Cup final". Personally, I doubt it's as serious as that but for sure, a win looks vital even at this early stage in the season. What better motivation for the players than the chance to correct a winless home record and continue bragging rights against Fulham. West Ham have not lost to Fulham, winning eight and drawing three in their last 11 meetings. Fulham is also in a slump and a win would see West Ham overtake Fulham in the Premiership table.

Steve Clarke has said in the club website that the team is ready and focused to achieve three points on Sunday. Scoring goals remain a problem and I hope that Guillermo Franco is available for this match as he looks an intelligent striker capable of goals. The positive side is that Fulham is also struggling for goals and the probable absence of Matthew Upson should not hurt the Hammers as much.

Another energetic performance from cult hero-to-be Diamanti can be expected. If he can chip in with some goals, I am sure that West Ham can grab only their second win this season at Upton Park this Sunday.

Probably Team News (as seen in The Telegraph)
West Ham United: Green; Faubert, Tomkins, Da Costa, Ilunga; Parker; Diamanti, Kovac, Noble, Jimenez; Cole
Fulham: Schwarzer; Pantsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Kelly; Duff, Etuhu, Murphy, Dempsey; Johnson, Zamora

Fulham's Player of the Season: Clint Dempsey

Clinton "Deuce" Dempsey joined Fulham in January 2007 from MLS New England Revolution for $4million. Dempsey's dream of playing in Europe was achieved. Fulham was the ideal club at the time for an American trying to find his way in Premier League waters. Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra had made Fulham their home. Clint Dempsey came into a club where Americans are well received by the fans.

Prior to his arrival to the English Premier League, Clint Dempsey established himself as a superstar in the MLS. He was drafted by the New England Revolution in 2004. Playing in his favoured attacking midfield position, he scored seven goals in his rookie season and was promptly named MLS Rookie of The Year 2004.

He followed that rookie season with an equally eye-catching second season. In 2005, he scored 10 goals and had nine assists, including five game-winning goals (which was the third best in the MLS). He was named to the MLS Best XI.

After the 2006 World Cup, where he scored the side's only goal against Ghana, Dempsey won United States men's soccer highest individual honour when he was named Honda Player of the Year for 2006.

Dempsey announced his arrival to the Premier League in dramatic fashion. Primarily used as sub in his first season in the EPL, he came off the bench and scored the only goal in a must-win match against Liverpool in the penultimate game of the season. That win virtually guaranteed Fulham Premier League status for another season.

2007/2008 saw another season of struggle for Fulham as they battled relegation yet again. Clint Dempsey contributed six goals and two assists, playing a key role as Fulham negotiated an unlikely escape to stay in the Premier League. He ended the 2007/08 season as Fulham's top scorer with eight goals.

This season, Dempsey has again proven indispensable amid an uncertain start to the season. Nevertheless, he has started 28 games, made 835 successful passes (79% accuracy), and made 62 successful tackles (67% success rate). He has scored seven goals and made 2 assists, making him joint-top scorer at Fulham alongside Andy Johnson.
With Dickson Etuhu providing the needed defensive solidity and Danny Murphy as the creative fulcrum of Fulham's midfield, Dempsey is able to do what he does best i.e. harassing opposition into mistakes and making late runs into the box. Possessing bags of energy and immense athleticism, he has been a tireless workhorse in midfield.

He has superb close control and excellent technical abilities. His anticipation and late arrivals into the box enable him to score close-range goals, toe-pokes or tap-ins. He is an exceptionally good header of the ball, scoring headed goals ala Tim Cahill. His tenacity in midfield combined with his dribbling skills frequently results in opponents fouling him (49 fouls won).

When Fulham need energy and enthusiasm from someone, the team looks to Clint Dempsey to provide it this season He has assumed the high energy playing style of Jimmy Bullard ensuring that Bullard's absence is not missed in Craven Cottage. He has a very charismatic and infectious personality and that has endeared him to the Fulham fans and players alike.

With a gunslinger's name, Clint Dempsey is ready to lead Fulham's challenge in the new Europa League. The impact of Brian McBride's departure has been significantly reduced by the emergence of another talented American soccer star.

For me, Fulham's Player of The Season 2008/09 is...Clint Dempsey.