FANTASY FOOTBALL TIPS

Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has backed new signing Pavel Pogrebnyak to fill the hefty void left by Bobby Zamora.

Zamora moved to rivals Queens Park Rangers on deadline day, but the departure was quickly countered with a move for VFB Stuttgart striker Pogrebnyak. The Russian was at a loss of form in Germany and Jol signed him up on a six month deal.

The outcast looks good for the former Zenit man, however, after he netted on his debut in a 2-1 victory over Stoke City, and Schwarzer clearly feels the forward has great credentials.

“Pavel has had one game and the signs are positive,” the Australian told the Daily Star.

“In training he has been very good but it will take someone special to replace Bobby in the long term.”

Schwarzer then went on to bemoan the loss of Zamora, but he definitely feels that Fulham’s new singing is in a similar mould to the departed English international.

“It’s always difficult when you lose big players and Zamora scored a lot of goals and his link-up play was invaluable.

“Pavel has all the attributes to do that. We’re confident he can get better and better. He looks very good and has fitted in easily.

“His work-rate was excellent and, although you probably didn’t see his ability on the ball, his finish was top class.”

Time is a precious commodity but you have to feel that Andre Villas-Boas of Chelsea doesn’t have much of it left to spend. Money, yes, he can certainly dispense that all he wants, but for every minute that passes by he’ll be counting and dreading its conclusion.

No surprises there though – not with a chairman more trigger happy than Bruce Willis at least. However forthcoming Roman Abramovich may be, however, there is a sense of disarray at Stamford Bridge that can’t be nonchalantly corrected with loyalty in some vain attempt to correct past misdemeanours. The chairman must act now or risk the security of what has now become one of the English Premier League’s most reputable football clubs.

Villas-Boas has always had a rather supreme Curriculum Vitae to fall back on when the times have been tough in South West London. His feats at Porto, not least of which being a season undefeated in what is a misleadingly difficult Portuguese first division, are impressive beyond any reasonable doubt. He brought home the Europa League too, but let’s be honest, as much as all in England would like him to be, he’s no Jose Mourinho. There’s only one of them and he seems up for a return to these shores in some form as it is.

And how would Villas-Boas fare up against such an undisputed great? Not very well, you have to believe. For all the assurances that came with the young Portuguese manager, none have stood the test of time and pressure. His unwillingness to lose was quickly quashed by a resilient Manchester United side within weeks of the season’s opening – a team who Chelsea have never looked even close to catching since.

The tactical nous for which he so famed is non-existent in the stringent challenge of English football. Everybody seems to have an answer to Chelsea’s threatening assets – and there are many – but Villas-Boas cannot seem to counter the quality of other sides. He has the likes of John Terry, Michael Essien and Fernando Torres at his disposal and yet victories are at a premium while defeats are becoming somewhat of a regularity.

He just can’t seem to cope. Perhaps – and the idea was banded about heavily even before he had landed in London – this is just one step too far and one stage too early in his career. The 34 year-old is young, after all. He is still learning his trade and is that something Chelsea really want, even in their so-called ‘transitional phase’?

Because that is what the excuses come in the form of right now. They are all about a younger team and about working for the future. That’s all well and good, but you just have to look at Arsene Wenger to see that, while there may be benefits of this method, the drawbacks carry great severity. Transition can be done without decay but Villas-Boas clearly hasn’t taken such a fact on board.

The signings of the likes of Romelu Lukaku have perhaps proved to epitomise his reign the most. He’s a Belgian talent hailed for his boundless ability, but he hasn’t even seen the light of day at Stamford Bridge. £13 million was his price tag, and six league appearances surmounting to 88 minutes on the pitch his reward. That just begs the question as to whether Villas-Boas’ celebrated transition is even in motion.

Chelsea, quite simply, are looking a shadow of their former selves and even though the masses try to paint over the cracks with talk of necessary changes and required upheaval, you can’t help but see the holes that are left. They are gaping and they need to be filled. Villas-Boas won’t do that.

For, while Abramovich has made many managerial mistakes in the past, and while he has been oh so hasty with his big red button, he needs to remove Andre Villas-Boas and he needs to do this for the good of the club into which he has invested so heavily.

“Who needs Zamora when you’ve got the Pog?” was the inventive chant of the Hammersmith End as our new Russian striker opened his account at Craven Cottage. It was an interesting debate to enter – even though it was probably created with rhetoric in mind. Once he had left the fray with an injury-induced exit in the second half, Fulham became a sterile unit incapable of creativity. They were already missing their new number seven in a way that Queens Park Rangers’ new signing can only dream of.

And so the post-Bobby era truly began. It was a statistically sound entry into new territory but the 2-1 scoreline did little justice to how tense the last few minutes were. As Pavel Pogrebyak left the the field, Stoke pushed forward and Jol’s men couldn’t muster anything resembling an innovation in the middle of the park. Pulis’ side continued to push right up to the death but the home side and their new forward had the last laugh in the end.

The game began tentatively for Fulham who appeared somewhat weary of going beyond enemy lines. Matthew Upson gave Murphy a reason not to, tackling the captain firmly yet fairly.

It took a while for the game to settle but when it did, the Whites were the ones to benefit. John Arne Riise had a shot from long range but the effort was tame and was halted by Pogrebnyak. He turned and finished astutely, with Sorensen giving up on a shot that ended in the top left hand corner.

Pulis’ men attempted to respond immediately but a Kenwyne Jones strike that went out for a throwing epitomised their early efforts.

Thomas Sorensen then showed Jones how it’s done with an unfortunate own goal. Clint Dempsey struck the ball with superb venom from around 30 yards, only for it to hit the underside of the bar and then the back of Sorensen before rolling into the net. Fulham were playing well and were deserving of their 2-0 lead.

A Marc Wilson foul gave Danny Murphy the opportunity to put the game beyond doubt with a free kick on the edge of the area. Murphy struck the ball well but it travelled just past the post.

The second half began as a tepid affair but ended on a contrasting note. Neither goalkeeper was tested in the early stages and it was Pogrebnyak’s removal that changed the tide of the pressure.

Simon Davies replaced him and, once again, Fulham were without a recognised striker. The Potters reacted accordingly and three quick fire changes put the game back into the balance. Ricardo Fuller was the most popular player to come on, judging by the away fans’ reaction. It was his blocked shot that led to the corner from which their solitary goal came.

Ryan Shawcross was the man who placed a header past Mark Schwarzer and suddenly Fulham became jittery and appeared to panic.

Peter Crouch nearly exploited what was now a frantically organised back line, but he fired over from a good position. The away side continued to dominate but it was a Dempsey break away that concluded the game. Sorensen’s luck was such that the ball managed to round him in the dying seconds of the 5 minutes of extra time and when Dempsey tried to apply a finish from a tight angle, only the post denied him. The home support rued the miss but were cheering moments later as the final whistle went.

Who needs Zamora when you’ve got the Pog?

According to TalkSport, former Barcelona and Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb is not training at Motspur Park and is not about to join the club.

Reports were suggesting that Martin Jol was keeping a very close eye on the Belarussian and after Barcelona terminated his contract in January, invited him to train with the Cottagers ahead of a possible move.

A source, however, is suggesting that it simply not the case, and a move to Russia is more likely.

“He has been released by Barcelona but is not training at Fulham,” said the source.

“The transfer window is closed in England, but there are other countries where it is now open. There is likely to be a solution until July and it will go from there.”

Dickson Etuhu has stated that, in the absence of midfielder Steve Sidwell, he’d like to claim himself a place in the first eleven – starting with Saturday’s tie with Stoke City.

The Nigerian midfielder, signed from Sunderland, played his first game of 2012 for the Whites against Manchester City at the weekend, and while the match may have gone against him, he feels he can push on and win a solidified first team place.

Despite the 3-0 defeat, Etuhu also went on to praise the fans for their commitment to the cause.

“For me it was quite difficult obviously being my first game in a while so I felt it in my legs a little but it’s nice to be back involved,” Etuhu told fulhamfc.com.

“Our fans were great as always last weekend. We like when they come and support us away from home and we really appreciate it.”

Etuhu has been pushed out of the team by a consistent pairing of captain Danny Murphy and partner Steve Sidwell, but with the latter’s injury concerns, Etuhu has spotted an opportunity and plans to take it.

“I can build from that [game against City]. Obviously in this week’s training I’ve got to try and push on and get my fitness up but I’m looking forward to the game at home against Stoke. That’s probably the more important one for us and hopefully we can get the three points.

“It’s always tough when you play Stoke but we believe we can win at home. We’re looking to obviously go and win our home games and I’m sure that if we play the way we can we’ll do that.”

West Bromwich Albion forward, Simon Cox, offered his opinion on the departure of Bobby Zamora to Queens Park Rangers and suggested that, despite being our top goalscorer from his midfield position, Fulham will not rely too heavily on American, Clint Dempsey.

The striker, a player we were regularly linked with under Roy Hodgson, feels that there are other players at the club who will give Martin Jol plenty of options.

“[They will rely on Dempsey], as well as Andy Johnson as well as the new lad [Pavel Pogrebnyak] who has come in,” Cox said.

“So I don’t think they will be reliant on one or two players.

“There are good players in that side and I think they’ll be fine.”

It may be a tad outlandish to think that, had Adam Johnson not dived – or ‘anticipated contact’ as he so wonderfully disguised it post-match – Fulham would be in a somewhat better place right now. A tad outlandish because it just isn’t true. Manchester City were better on Saturday evening in what were truly Siberian conditions and, most likely, would have defeated Martin Jol’s men just as convincingly without their early penalty. Yet, Whatever way you look at it, you still have to consider the advantage City gained from what is, undoubtedly, an illegal act, worthy of a yellow card and a good old fashion condemnation.

Mancini’s side were immediately granted a 1-0 lead, which not only delivers them a palpable statistical advantage, but it gives them a mental edge while, in the heads of Fulham players, the game may already be beyond them – merely ten minutes into the match. City have the momentum and the force to see the game through, and yet it has come from an act that is entirely immoral.

Even Martin Jol, though, probably in his own struggling search for ‘good karma’, admitted that his players would have acted in the same manner as Johnson did. We’d like to think he’s just taking a backwards seat, attempting to stay on the greener side of the F.A’s mindset. Unfortunately for Fulham fans, however, he’s probably right. Even though we can consider the club to be one of the most humble, honest and amiable around, the world of football has still taken its toll on traditionalism and, just like any other club, any means of gaining an unfounded benefit is considered, not vile or nefarious, but a genuine tactical method deployed whenever feasible.

And what a shame that is. What a shame that football can no longer win you football matches – it must be mixed in with utterly deplorable acts. What a shame that nothing can seemingly be done to counter it. And what a shame that, amidst all the uproar that rightly surrounds the phenomenon of diving, someone can draw a reasonable line between that idea and the ludicrous concept of anticipating contact.

Why should there be any differentiation between those two? They’re both cons, of the highest degree, and they should both carry the same punishment.

But therein lies the problem. Dives are simple to witness as they are, on the most part, brainless in their execution. You only have to look the way of Cristiano Ronaldo to prove as much. What Johnson did gives the referee little to work with, though. The winger has moved his leg out intentionally to trip over Chris Baird but the officials have no time at all to view the act with analytical eyes. They must take it as they see it – more than likely a blur of legs over which Johnson falls. In that sense, the penalty is understandable.

Yet, it shouldn’t have to be like that. We’ve heard it with plentiful regularity, but why can’t there be a system by which penalty decisions can be challenged? They give such an unfair advantage that it makes sense to cloud penalties in a safety net that allows them to be more efficient in their distribution. There will always be a break in the game – ample opportunity to review an incident. It takes barely thirty seconds to be offered a replay. And for those that thinks it detracts from football traditions – what does diving do?

Let’s face it. 2012 is here and the technology has been around for decades. All that’s needed is for Sepp Blatter to step forward and make a change.

So, you may as well discard this article.

It appears that, after the persisting rumours that linked Andy Johnson with a move to Wigan Athletic in exchange for Hugo Rodallega, the striker will be offered a new deal at Craven Cottage, and on the terms he has expressed as acceptable.

Manager Martin Jol was speaking ahead of Fulham’s visit to Manchester City on Saturday and admitted that, while there was interest in the former Crystal Palace forward, he was never going to let him go.

“I said to Andy you will stay here whatever happens and that probably wasn’t ideal for him,” Jol stated.

“But it was good for me because we can now get on with the job and hopefully he can play for us and score goals.

“It is more to do with his situation. His contract is up at the end of the season and he is a bit insecure about his future.”

Jol then went on to confirm just why there has been difficulties in the tying down Johnson, and also stated a new offer has been put on the table, despite the fact that age is getting the better of him.

“I don’t think there is any problem with him so we will find a solution. And I think he wants to stay as well.”

“We have made him an offer a couple of times and in the latest stage we even offered him what he wanted and that was two and a half years.

“So we are close. The sticking point was a year difference.”

The agent of Ajax forward Mounir El Hamdaoui has revealed that his client turned down the opportunity to move to Fulham on a 5 month loan deal in the dying moments of Tuesday’s January transfer deadline day.

El Hamdaoui, a Moroccan international, has worked with Martin Jol at his Dutch club and is thought to have a good relationship with the current Fulham boss. Signing the striker would have taken some the strain off of Bobby Zamora’s departure to Queens Park Rangers, but after a move fell down for El Hamdaoui to transfer to Fiorentina, the 27 year old striker denied the opportunity of playing at Craven Cottage.

Jol signed the striker at both Tottenham and Ajax, and, if he didn’t enjoy the best of it in North London, the Moroccan enjoyed a good spell in Holland. The striker is known to want out of the Amsterdam ArenA, but will now have to wait until the Summer for any move to go through – presumably not with Fulham.

“At 8:44pm, Jeroen Slop [Ajax's finance director] sent me a text message proposing to send the player on a five month loan deal to Fulham,” said agent, Sigi Lens. “But we were still in Florence and anyway, Mounir said no.”

The post Bobby Zamora era of Fulham promised so little and offered just as much. Clint Dempsey was almost, yet again, the saviour here, but his solitary goal was not enough to defeat West Bromwich Albion as Roy Hodgson’s men lumbered back into the game and embezzled a draw from our less-than-firm grasp.

Fulham played decently throughout, their insistence to play neat, passing football straight from the back line being an irritable but still somewhat pleasant representation of the fact. Martin Jol’s men pressed well but West Brom always had a foot in the door and the back four of Kelly, Hangeland, Senderos and Riise didn’t look as composed as they arguably should be. That proved to be our downfall too, and Hodgson will leave SW6, not for the first time, with a positive experience behind him. Jol, meanwhile, left to a chorus of boos.

Hodgson was received well by the home crowd as he made way to his seat, while Simon Davies took his place in the starting eleven for the first time in a long while. The Welshman put in a good shift and made up well for lost time but, ultimately, without an out-and-out striker on the pitch, Fulham were lacking sufficient edge to bypass a restrictive West Brom side.

Steve Sidwell set the scene early on, trying his luck from 25 yards and firing wide before Dempsey paraded his way into the Baggies’ area before being halted at the last moment.

The visitors then responded to Fulham’s early dominance, James Morrison forcing David Stockdale into a save, but it was Dempsey and the home side who then had the ball in the net. The American was set free and fired neatly past Ben Foster, yet his goal was ruled rightfully offside.

Odemwingie put himself in a good position after out-manoeuvring an attentive Stephen Kelly, but hit his shot over the bar to the relief of home fans. Fulham were arguably on top but it seemed that West Brom were carving open the better opportunities as Youssouf Mulumbu and Marc-Antoine Fortune followed up Odemwingie’s miss with efforts on goal.

The deadlock remained and the second half began with the game in the balance. Danny Murphy was given plenty of room in the middle of the park and, as such, was spraying fine passes around all evening. Jol made no substitutions in the match, so the skipper lasted the full ninety minutes and was influential with his display.

No amount creativity was ever going to prove its worth without a goal, though, and Fulham’s lack of potency was becoming a worry. Despite dominating possession, Fortune had another good opportunity for the away side and the game appeared to be slipping away from the Whites.

Along came Dempsey to save the day, though, with a goal to add to his already abundant tally of 15 this season. Bryan Ruiz was the man whom Jol opted to play as striker, but while the Costa Rican had a good game, Dempsey always looked the most like scoring. The Texas-born midfielder finished accurately across Ben Foster after being fed through wondrously by Ruiz, and all that was needed was some defensive resilience from the Cottagers to see out the tie.

Hodgson took some initiative, replacing Simon Cox with Somen Tchoyi. Almost as if to cement his omnipotence in the eyes of Fulham fans, his change was telling. Tchoyi pegged Fulham back with a well placed shot across goal that Stockdale couldn’t reach. Only eight minutes remained and there was a strong sense around Craven Cottage that that wouldn’t be enough time to pluck a goal from the air.

As much was proven, but Jol took the large brunt of the anger. He failed to make any attempt to swing the game back in our favour, Kerim Frei and the like remaining on the bench.

It’s not quite the way we wanted to get over Zamora and Hodgson proved yet again that we’ve not really moved on from him. A night for reminiscing, then.