Posts Tagged ‘Everton’

Breaking Down Fulham’s 2012/13 Fixtures

Posted: June 18, 2012 by Kyle Bonn in Club, Previews
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If you haven’t seen the fixture list yet, which was released today, do yourself a favor and check out the path Fulham will look to traverse next season as they take on their Premier League foes in the 2012/13 season.  Martin Jol is setting out on another full campaign that is sure to be littered with peaks and valleys, euphroia and heartbreak, celebration and controversy.  This year is the first in many that Fulham will be starting the season with the same manager they ended the previous one (knock on wood, hopefully Martin Jol doesn’t pull another Mark Hughes that no one saw coming. Not saying he will, just saying no one saw the last one coming).  So with the road paved, now all Fulham have to do is perambulate the meandering path of the Premier League.  To me, there are three sections of the fixtures that Fulham must conquer to have a successful season.  The definition of “successful season” for the upcoming year is also up for debate (another post? I think so!) but whatever that goal is, these two portions of the season must end in Fulham’s favor.  Let me explain:

Section 1: The first 2 months

Fulham have been notorious in the past 2 seasons at least of getting off to some pretty crummy starts, having fans question the manager, then beasting in the second half and finishing strong.  Now, imagine last year that the club hadn’t needed the break-in time with a new manager in the beginning of the year. Imagine they started how they finished.  9th doesn’t seem so good anymore does it? They could have finished 7th, or even better, and all the fans know it.  Well, this year, there’s no break-in time.  Sure the club will have new signings to get settled in, but who doesn’t?  That’s why this year the stretch of the first 8 games is ESSENTIAL to this season’s success.  If progress is to be made, they need to perform where they didn’t last year, and that’s in the beginning.

The first 8 matches are as follows:

(H) Norwich City
(A) Manchester United
(A) West Ham
(H) West Brom
(A) Wigan
(H) Manchester City
(A) Southampton
(H) Aston Villa

The way I see it, best case scenario we finish with 18 points from that stretch.  That’s best best case scenario obviously, so it’s slimly realistic.  But it’s attainable.  There are 5 winnable matches in that stretch.  You know what we need to do to maximize points from this stretch? WIN AWAY.  It’s time, folks.  This club showed at the end of last season that the monkeys may be off our back.  But to do this they need to start early.  Fulham won 3 of their final 7 away matches last year.  While that’s not great, it’s better than it has been. We’ve gone SEASONS with 3 away wins.  If you look at that stretch, there are 6 winnable matches of the 8.  3 of those 6 are away.  If Fulham is to separate themselves from the middle of the pack and step into an upper echelon of clubs such as the Evertons and the Newcastles, this is where it’s going to get done.

Section 2: December

If Fulham finishes off the first half of the season on a good note, the wins will come in the second half, bottom line.  Also, there are some huge matches against teams that Fulham are looking to emulate the success of, and these matches will be vital tests to see if the club has indeed reached that level.  This month will be the busiest for the staff at Craven Cottage, as there are four, yes that’s FOUR, home games in the month of December, and 6 matches overall.  That includes an exhausting stretch at the end of the month where there are 3 matches in 8 days.  Here’s the month of December fixtures:

Dec 1: (H) Spurs
Dec 8: (H) Newcastle
Dec 15: (A) QPR
Dec 22: (A) Liverpool
Dec 26: (H) Southampton
Dec 29: (H) Swansea

Yikes.  The first 4 are the roughest, although the stretch of Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday matches to end the month will be brutal for the players.  Think about this though.  Last year, Spurs finished 4th, Newcastle finished 5th, and Liverpool finished 8th.  If Fulham are to progress into the top 7 consistently in the table and challenge for a Europa League spot on a yearly basis, they need to prove they can challenge these clubs.  Last year, Fulham lost to Spurs at home 3-1, destroyed Newcastle at home 5-2, and beat Liverpool away 1-0.  To me, that’s competing.  However, this is a new year.  If Fulham are to once again have those kind of results, they need this stretch badly.  It’s going to be tough.

Section 3: April

Just like they need to start strong, this club is going to have to finish strong to have a shot at the top 7.  I don’t need to tell you any more about Fulham’s away form for you to get where I and just about every other fan stands on the subject. With that in mind, take a look at April:

(A) Newcastle
(A) Aston Villa
(H) Arsenal
(A) Everton

Yikes.  That’s a tough way to bring the season to a close.  May isn’t as difficult, but this has the potential to bring the club to a screeching halt.  They need to perform well here to not ruin any good form they had leading up to it.  If they can navigate this month with 6 points, I’d consider it successful.

So what are everyone’s thoughts?  Are there other areas of concern or stretches where the Cottagers should excel? What are your expectations for this season?

Fulham vs. Sunderland: Clint’s Cottage Climax?

Posted: May 4, 2012 by Kyle Bonn in Previews
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Is Fulham’s home tie with Sunderland the last time the Hammersmith End will see Clint Dempsey in a Fulham shirt?

Clint Dempsey.  One of the most well-liked players on the club.  One of the most coveted players on the club.  And someone who quite possibly could be playing his final match at Craven Cottage in home white.  It’s a sad reality that I haven’t exactly wrapped my head around just yet.  As an American, Clint’s a major – not the only, but a big – reason why I began to support Fulham.  To think that he could be moving on is heartbreaking to be honest.  But I know that Clint will always be a Cottager.  Always.  If he goes, I’ll support him wherever he chooses.  I’m a Clint Dempsey fan for life.

So now that we’ve gotten that out of the way and cast a horribly depressing shroud over this preview post, we might as well get into the nitty gritty of the standalone match.

State of Fulham:

The Cottagers just came off one of the most roller-coaster trips to Merseyside ever, getting thrashed by Everton at Goodison Park, then turning around and winning for the first time all-time at Anfield against Liverpool.  The Reds played horrible and the Toffes played exceptional, so they’ve seen the spectrum.

The Cottagers are just four points away from their highest Premier League point total ever (53 in the 08/09 season).  It’s been a season of change and a season of future promise for the club that deserves to be capped with a strong finish.  However, these games really don’t have a lot of meaning, and I would love to see some youngsters get some playing time.  Martin Jol recently said he wants to get younger but he also isn’t going to hand the team to undeserving youth, so here’s the perfect time to give Alex Kacaniklic, Kerim Frei, Pajtim Kasami, David Stockdale, etc the chance to prove they belong.

Craven Cottage is a fortress, and a 9-5-4 record at home this season with a +9 goal differential shows how they’ve taken advantage of most opportunities at home.  This should play into the match as well.

State of Sunderland:

In 11th place with 45 points, the Black Cats have an equally dismal road record this season as Fulham at 4-5-9 with a -9 goal differential (which oddly enough happens to be the EXACT opposite of Fulham’s home record stated above. Statistical anomaly alert!) and coming to a place like the Cottage should prove to be anything but easy.  They played Fulham at the Stadium of Light earlier this season to a horribly boring 0-0 draw.

Speaking of horribly boring draws, Sunderland has drawn in 5 of their last 6 matches, including 3 0-0 draws. YAWN.  The only non-draw during that span was a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Everton (where have we heard that befo……..ohhhhhhh….)

They could have a mass exodus during this transfer window, which is just as similarly important to them as it is to Fulham.  Nicklas Bendtner could be moving on (although he did say a return to Arsenal is pretty unlikely).  Stephane Sessegnon has been linked with PSG and Arsenal and could be on his way out, with it rumored he’s not happy in the Sunderland area of England.  Asamoah Gyan, on loan to UAE side Al Ain who just won the Pro League title with Gyan’s help, has made it look like he’s going to stay there.  Youngster Ryan Noble, on loan to Hartlepool United, has said he might want to stay there. Unfortunately on this note, Martin O’Neill was told he has to sell before he buys, so that could pose some problems replacing these exits.

Prediction:

This seems like a pretty easy fixture, given both Sunderland’s poor away and recent form.  However, Fulham never make the easy ones look easy, do they? I’m going to go out and say 2-1 to Fulham, but 3-1 could be likely as well.  Then again, don’t be surprised with a draw, seeing as the Black Cats sure do love their draws.  You have a prediction?

Final note:

I would like to ask all those going to the match a massive favor.  Because I won’t be there, I have to garner support on the interwebs.  Please, for the love of god, cheer Dempsey as loud as you can every time he gets the ball.  I don’t care if every Fulham fans leave without a voice.  That’s how it should be.  If he does in fact leave, I want his last time at the Cottage in a home white to be one of the most memorable days of his life.  Make his REALLY rethink leaving, if he’s leaning that way.  And if he’s leaning towards staying, remind him what staying would mean to us fans.

Folks, you have to realize, if Clint Dempsey decides to stay with Fulham, it means we’ve turned a corner.  It means we’ve become a desirable club where the positives outweigh the lack of Champions League football.  It means we have some of the best fans in the league – which we do – but we need to show it.  Please, cheer your lungs out for the man.  He’s given more to this club than we could ask for, and let’s make him know we appreciate it.

Final final note:

It’s my birthday for this fixture, so let’s get a win for that too :)

Liverpool vs. Fulham: Let’s Make This Trip to Merseyside a Little Better

Posted: May 1, 2012 by Austin in Previews
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So our last trip up to Liverpool on Saturday didn’t go so well, but hey – Everton is the better side in the city right now.

Just as a side note before we get started, can I mention how entertaining the fact that Everton are above Liverpool in the table is? 35 mill on Andy Carroll, 20 mill for both Henderson and Downing, and 7.5 mill for Charlie Adam. Compare that to Everton’s total lack of finance. Loanees and cheap buys have been the answer for them this season, as well as the mid-season pickup of Jelavic, and I’m happy to see a cash-strapped club doing well, especially when it means the table-jumping of an intense rival.

That being said, I don’t dislike Liverpool as a club and, truth be told, I’m a bit jealous of Everton for their success. I sometimes feel as if Fulham could and perhaps should be doing something similar. But I digress, there’s a preview to be made.

State of Fulham:

Could be better. The thrashing at the hands of Everton was unexpected and a bitter pill to swallow. I wasn’t expecting a result from one of our bogey away teams but we could have made a much better effort than we did. It was another limp away performance, and doesn’t bode well for the rest of the season. However, I think the players will go into this game feeling optimistic for two reasons:

1. They beat Liverpool at the Cottage, and it could have been by more than one goal. That’ll give them encouragement and hopefully they’ll play with a little less fear than otherwise.

And 2. Anfield has fallen from a fortress to not much more than a playground. Liverpool have won just five home matches this season, drawing nine and losing three. We only lost by an own goal from The King of Own Goals, John Paintsil (may his Fulham career be remembered for better reasons) last season, and I think a decent result is there for the taking.

Overall, Fulham really have nothing to play for, but neither do Liverpool, and I think Jol should hope and try to improve away performances (as Kyle talked about in his Everton preview). With Sunderland at home and Tottenham away coming up (what a hilariously capitulatory season Spurs have had as well), any sort of result would be welcome to build confidence ahead of two tough fixtures.

State of Liverpool:

Basically, who knows? They’ve been terrible at home this season, decent away, but overall incredibly disappointing in the league when compared to the Cups and when their monetary outlay and pre-season expectations are considered. They’ve just come off of a dominant performance against a fading Norwich side – it seems like the end of the season can’t come soon enough for them – and will be confident heading into this match. However, they have the FA Cup Final this weekend, and hopefully will be resting many of their key players. And by that I mean Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez. I watched a lot of the Norwich game and those two seem to be the only players really trying on offense – the rest looked to be saving themselves for the final I guess. Overall, they’re in decent form but will be distracted by what’s to come.

Prediction:

I’d love to say that Fulham will upset the Reds and cause another day of misery at Anfield, but with that tragic Everton performance and the general away-day hoodoo around the club, I don’t see three points on the cards. A draw, however, isn’t asking too much, given Liverpool’s troubles at home and their rather large and trophy-shaped distraction on Saturday. I’m calling a 1-1 draw, with either Dempsey or the Pog scoring (brave I know), and hopefully an assist for Dembele. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for an unlikely win, but I don’t see it happening. Also, I hope Suarez won’t play. He’s terrifying.

Thanks for reading and please comment with your thoughts!

We Didn’t Play Today, Did We?

Posted: April 28, 2012 by Kyle Bonn in Postgame
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No? Good, I didn’t think so.

Right, no recap then!

Also, this:

Everton vs. Fulham: Nothing to Play For and Everything to Play For

Posted: April 26, 2012 by Kyle Bonn in Previews
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This match has absolutely no bearing on anything at either the top or bottom of the table.

This match has absolutely every bearing on the fact that Fulham are heading into Goodison Park for the eleventh time in Premier League history and not a single point to show for any of their efforts.  In fact, they’ve scored a total of six measly goals.  Overall, they’ve lost their last 18 league matches at Goodison Park in all leagues.  EIGHTEEN IN A ROW! The last time they left that wretched place with points to show for it: 1959.  The last time they left there with a victory: 1974 FA Cup.

Shouldn’t that be enough to want nothing more than to beat David Moyes’ scrappy side?

Fulham have been outscored at Goodison 22-6.  They’ve only drawn Everton once ever in the 21 times they have played, a goalless draw at Craven Cottage.

But Everton exorcised their Craven Cottage demons a few years ago.  After they themselves lost their first seven Premier League visits to the banks of the Thames (how bout that for a stat? Everton 7-0-0 vs Fulham at home, 0-0-7 away?), they’ve now got two wins and a draw to their name.

It’s this simple: If Fulham have aspirations of finishing 7th this season, this is a must-win match.  Their final three fixtures are away to Liverpool, home to Sunderland, and away at Spurs.  Correct me if I’m wrong but if a few things go poorly, Fulham could be looking at a big fat zero in the points column from those three fixtures.

But here’s the even more important part: If Fulham are looking to exorcise their away form demons, they need to start right here, with this fixture.  You can’t say you’re a good away form club if you’ve never even drawn a side in 11 attempts.  This is a crucial fixture if the Cottagers want to get into the offseason on the right foot.  Beat Everton here, and ensure that both table finish and form in the final three fixtures are of very little consequence.

Martin Jol has Fulham on the brink of doing things the club has never done before in my opinion.  I think everyone on Al Fayed’s payroll believes they can do what Newcastle is doing this season (whether they can or not is a big question mark, and a tall task, but I know they all believe, and that’s the first step).  But if they are to do that, the first thing they need to rectify is the away form. And what better way to get that monkey off your back heading into next season than to get this monkey off their back this season?  Why head into next season with questions still surrounding your away form when you can start the vanquishing process right here, right now?

So you see, Fulham may not have anything to play for technically this season.  But if they are to take the next step as a club, this is an incredibly important moment.

And if that’s still not enough motivation for you, let this one sink in:

0 – 0 – 10

The Home Stretch

Posted: April 12, 2012 by Kyle Bonn in Opinion
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Fulham fans have found them once again in a familiar position:

There’s 5 fixtures left, and the club isn’t fighting to stave off relegation but also isn’t fighting for a top spot.  Since coming into the Premier League, aside from the one nearly disastrous season I’m sure you’re all aware of, Fulham has finished between 7th and 14th every single season.

So where does the club stand?

Moving up the Premier League is a looooooong road.  Everyone knows that.  Look at Everton, the league’s definition of stagnant.  Now, I’m sure no Everton fan is complaining, especially with what they’ve able to accomplish with such a tight budget, but they’ve been around a while, and still have a way to go to consistently compete with Liverpool, Spurs, and the next tier of clubs.

Fulham isn’t there yet.  They’re close, but not there yet.

Anyways, I digress.  With 5 matches left, we once again find our Cottagers clawing for a top-10 spot.  With the club sitting in 9th place, and tied in points with Norwich in 10th, it will be a fight to the finish for that distinction.  The remaining matches include Wigan and Sunderland at home, and Liverpool, Spurs, and Everton away.  Those are 3 pretty darn tough away fixtures and 2 very winnable fixtures at home.  Where do you see this team finishing, and more importantly, where do they need to finish for you to be satisfied with this season?

Remember, injuries are a concern at the moment.  Zdenek Grygera and Bryan Ruiz are shelved for the remainder, Steve Sidewell is a question mark at best, and the Pog is still recovering from that twisted ankle, which can be an absolute pain-in-the-you-know-what to return from (especially when your job description is run around for 2 hours).

So what are we looking for to finish out the season?

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