The rise of Fulham
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$27M.how much did Kahn give you to spend when u got promoted good read by the way
I could ask him for more, but I didn't bother as I finished my deals with $22.25M
August 15th 2015
Not a very good start to the league. I wasn't expecting a favourable result going into this game, but the margin of defeat was disappointing. Given City's explosive line-up consisting of Aguero, Nasri, Silva and Milner, I thought the boys did very well in the first half. We enjoyed a brief moment of dominance after Ruiz cancelled out Toure's early opener.
Milner scored an excellent free kick from 20 yards out just before the break. We didn't deserve to go into the break behind as we gave City a good competition.
It was the second half, when we completely messed it up. We made several sloppy passes, the crosses were being easily intercepted etc. Aguero and Nasri found way too much open space as the defenders kept losing their men. Silva's goal doubled their lead and Milner completed the rout in the 87th minute with a simple pass into the back of the net.
I wasn't too hard on the boys despite the result and a not-very-convincing performance in the second half. We were the underdogs, and I sympathized with the lads.
An early taste of the high premier league standards for me and the lads!
Milner scored an excellent free kick from 20 yards out just before the break. We didn't deserve to go into the break behind as we gave City a good competition.
It was the second half, when we completely messed it up. We made several sloppy passes, the crosses were being easily intercepted etc. Aguero and Nasri found way too much open space as the defenders kept losing their men. Silva's goal doubled their lead and Milner completed the rout in the 87th minute with a simple pass into the back of the net.
I wasn't too hard on the boys despite the result and a not-very-convincing performance in the second half. We were the underdogs, and I sympathized with the lads.
An early taste of the high premier league standards for me and the lads!
xJamieWilliams
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This story is brilliant mate, keep it up
After being 2-0 down at half-time, I encouraged the players telling them this is a fixture we can get something out of. They looked positive and started aggressively after the break. Then the referee screwed it up. He gave a penalty when it clearly wasn't. Balanta used his strength to win the ball from Enner Valencia but the referee thought it was a foul. I showed my anger clearly on the touch line.
Parker and Bettinelli protesting the penalty decision
Once the penalty was successfully converted, we had no chance of getting back into the game. We started pushing men forward, trying to score and rescue something from this game. But, it was all in vain! West Ham sat back and absorbed the pressure and hit us on the counter. Not once, not twice but thrice!
The last three goals for West Ham came in the space of 4 minutes. The defense should've dealt with it, they should have. West Ham players were able to find yards of space between our central defenders. They had enough time to control the ball and place it anywhere in the net. Such atrocious defending is not acceptable, not at this stage.
I was devastated and I headed back into the tunnel before the final whistle. This looks like the shadow of the team that won the Championship last season.
Our players and fans were devastated.
View attachment 291589 View attachment 291587
Things must change, and fast!
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I had faith in the players and told them to give it their best shot. I just told the lads to play without pressure, giving them more creative freedom than usual. They put on a really good show. The passing, dribbling and shooting were all better as we got a well-deserved 3-0 victory.
Woodrow's two goals were typical of him. Using his strength to hold off defenders, he got himself into good shooting positions and put them away. Kavanagh scored our third from 25 yards as he converted a free kick.
We probably should've scored more given our dominance but I'll take any positive result after our recent form.
A training session that never took place
A lot of puzzled faces in the crowd that came to witness the training sessions. I was responsible for that. Our first two premiership games ended with us suffering huge defeats. Despite winning the League Cup second round game against Walsall, there were a few nervous faces among the players in the past day or two, ahead of our third premiership game.
I gave a 2-day break for the players so that they could clear their minds. Since they just got a win in the League Cup, I thought this would be a good time for the players to get their mind off football. I subsequently canceled the first team training and instead took a look at the U18 players, who could play a key role in the future of the club.
The U18 hot prospects: Four players impressed me in the training - Foday Nabay, Aidan Phillips, Murray Norton and Elijah Adebayo.
Huw Jennings, the club's youth coach mentioned that Nabay and Adebayo recently turned 17 and should be loaned out for first team football. I agreed with Huw and made some phone calls and settled upon the loan deals.
Foday Nabay to Aberdeen (Scottish Premiership)
Elijah Adebayo to Forest Green (Vanarama Conference)
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The boys came back after 2 days rest without any tiredness and looked match fit, which was a great sign. They looked slightly more confident, primarily because they had time to forget about the recent thrashings by City and the Hammers.
Sweet, sweet victory against Sunderland. It was an away victory, which is very special too. I didn't make huge changes from the first two defeats. The response from the lads was fantastic.
We started the game in a very positive fashion. A lot of our initial through balls were intercepted but atleast the intent was pleasing. One such through ball found its way to Patrick Roberts who cut inside and took a crack at goal, only for Mannone to force it out for a corner. Ruiz's corner was headed towards goal by Woodrow but after an initial clearance by the Sunderland defence, it found its way to Fernando Amorebieta and the Venezuelan put it in the back of the net. Sunderland threatened to equalize on a couple of occasions but we were able to keep them away.
Once the second half started, it was all Sunderland until the 75th minute. We had our share of chances as well but they looked more probable to score. But Woodrow had other plans as he latched onto a Ruiz through ball to slide one past the helpless Vito Mannone. We were ahead by two goals and were almost home with 3 points in the bag.
The Black Cats couldn't find a goal, which meant we kept our first clean sheet in the league and got our first points. We currently sit 15th in the league after 3 games.
Other League Fixtures:
Everton held Man Utd to a 1-1 draw at the Merseyside while Burnley got away with a point against Arsenal at Emirates.
The biggest shock of the weekend was a victory for Magpies against Chelsea at St. James' Park.
We started the game in a very positive fashion. A lot of our initial through balls were intercepted but atleast the intent was pleasing. One such through ball found its way to Patrick Roberts who cut inside and took a crack at goal, only for Mannone to force it out for a corner. Ruiz's corner was headed towards goal by Woodrow but after an initial clearance by the Sunderland defence, it found its way to Fernando Amorebieta and the Venezuelan put it in the back of the net. Sunderland threatened to equalize on a couple of occasions but we were able to keep them away.
Once the second half started, it was all Sunderland until the 75th minute. We had our share of chances as well but they looked more probable to score. But Woodrow had other plans as he latched onto a Ruiz through ball to slide one past the helpless Vito Mannone. We were ahead by two goals and were almost home with 3 points in the bag.
The Black Cats couldn't find a goal, which meant we kept our first clean sheet in the league and got our first points. We currently sit 15th in the league after 3 games.
Other League Fixtures:
Everton held Man Utd to a 1-1 draw at the Merseyside while Burnley got away with a point against Arsenal at Emirates.
The biggest shock of the weekend was a victory for Magpies against Chelsea at St. James' Park.
Upcoming fixtures:
The next two games are going to be tough. I'll take any point(s) I can get from those two games. Against QPR, Leicester and Aston Villa, I'll be going for a win.
I am hoping to get 6-8 points in the next 5 games. Not a very ambitious target, I know but with two tough games around the corner, I am just trying to be realistic.
The next two games are going to be tough. I'll take any point(s) I can get from those two games. Against QPR, Leicester and Aston Villa, I'll be going for a win.
I am hoping to get 6-8 points in the next 5 games. Not a very ambitious target, I know but with two tough games around the corner, I am just trying to be realistic.
Balanta and Cauley Woodrow down Liverpool!
Cauley Woodrow celebrates Fulham's equalizer
All the key action happened in the first 20 minutes! Liverpool got off to a flyer as Lazar Markovic and Carlos Bacca played a neat one-two which completely freed the former to unleash a thunderous effort into the back of the net. For a while, it looked like Liverpool would score a second but Balanta was an absolute rock at the heart of our defense. It was his interception that started the counter-attack which led to our first goal.
Balanta, Hyndman and Christensen exchanged quick passes and within seconds, Alexander Kacaniklic got the ball on the left flank. He dribbled past Glen Johnson and whipped in a cross for Woodrow, who slotted it in the corner. The Craven Cottage crowd went crazy.
The stadium erupted two minutes when Woodrow scored his second. Patrick Roberts cut inside and dribbled past the Liverpool midfield duo of Jordan Henderson and Emre Can. This neat little skill from the right winger exposed Liverpool's left flank, allowing Fulham right back Hoogland to find himself completely open. Once he got the ball from Roberts, he drilled in a low cross to Woodrow, who smashed the ball home.
It was all Liverpool from there onwards. But our defense put on an amazing show as they broke down every Liverpool attack with composure. They had 33 shots at goal during the course of the game but only 10 were on target. A large number of those shots were from distance. I don't think the ball left our half during the last 5 minutes but the defense held strong, very strong.
Balanta, Hyndman and Christensen exchanged quick passes and within seconds, Alexander Kacaniklic got the ball on the left flank. He dribbled past Glen Johnson and whipped in a cross for Woodrow, who slotted it in the corner. The Craven Cottage crowd went crazy.
The stadium erupted two minutes when Woodrow scored his second. Patrick Roberts cut inside and dribbled past the Liverpool midfield duo of Jordan Henderson and Emre Can. This neat little skill from the right winger exposed Liverpool's left flank, allowing Fulham right back Hoogland to find himself completely open. Once he got the ball from Roberts, he drilled in a low cross to Woodrow, who smashed the ball home.
It was all Liverpool from there onwards. But our defense put on an amazing show as they broke down every Liverpool attack with composure. They had 33 shots at goal during the course of the game but only 10 were on target. A large number of those shots were from distance. I don't think the ball left our half during the last 5 minutes but the defense held strong, very strong.
Cauley Woodrow celebrates Fulham's equalizer
As the referee blew the final whistle, I punched the air as I leapt off the ground. This was a huge victory for us. Woodrow (rating: 8.8) won the player of the match award for his 2 goals but I think Balanta (rating: 8.7) deserved it more, as his defending was world-class.
Now, we can go to White Hart Lane with a lot more confidence.
Now, we can go to White Hart Lane with a lot more confidence.
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Celtic boy
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Awesome read man fantastic reading this story making me come back to FM and start my first story
reading this story making me come back to FM and start my first story Thank you.Awesome read man fantastic
The vital Press Conference:
In a surprising post-match interview, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said that his team deserved to win and we didn't deserve our 3 points. He also remained critical of our second half game play as we resorted to a defensive mindset rather than playing expressively.
We did play defensively because wanted to hold onto our lead. I wasn't very pleased with his comments. The post match press conference was due to start in 10 mins. and there were bound to be questions about this. I don't want to criticize him because this I wanted to stay away from the spotlight during my first stint in the Premiership. This is not the time for mind-games.
I was nervous when I made the long walk to my seat in the press conference.
"Congrats on the victory. However, Brendan Rodgers thought your side didn't deserve it. What are your thoughts?"
Honestly? I don't care. You can always bring up stats and post-match analyses and say whether a team deserved the victory or not, but it doesn't change the fact that we got 3 points. I thought our gameplay deserved 3 points, and we got it.
"Brendan also remained critical of your defensive gameplay and hinted you may have parked the bus".
Hold on, he didn't say those words - don't interpret his words your own way. He has his opinions, I have mine. If we played for the draw from the first minute, his comments would've made for an interesting debate. We went behind, scored two, took the lead and played defensively only for the last 30 minutes, when we didn't want to concede. I view that as smart gameplay, a result-oriented one.
"Will this game be a turn around in fortunes after the initial two huge defeats"
I'll give you the answers in April-May, when the season is approaching the end. I'm a manager, not a fortune teller. I take one game at a time, and urge my players to do the same. Starting tomorrow, our training and tactics will be focused on the Tottenham game. After that, it'll be the Shrewsbury game and so on.
"Kay Voser was injured during the last game. Does it look like a serious one."
I don't know. The medical staff are looking into it and it's up for them to come up with the assessment. They are the experts, not me.
There were a few other questions about the club's transfer, injuries etc. I think I did a decent job in answering the dicey questions, especially the ones about Rodgers' comments.
One of our HR personnel who was at the press meet shook my hand and said "good job", in a muffled tone. I think it went well.
This press meet drained me out, mainly because of my relative inexperience at the EPL level. Time to get a good night's rest and start preparation for the Spurs game.
In a surprising post-match interview, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said that his team deserved to win and we didn't deserve our 3 points. He also remained critical of our second half game play as we resorted to a defensive mindset rather than playing expressively.
We did play defensively because wanted to hold onto our lead. I wasn't very pleased with his comments. The post match press conference was due to start in 10 mins. and there were bound to be questions about this. I don't want to criticize him because this I wanted to stay away from the spotlight during my first stint in the Premiership. This is not the time for mind-games.
I was nervous when I made the long walk to my seat in the press conference.
"Congrats on the victory. However, Brendan Rodgers thought your side didn't deserve it. What are your thoughts?"
Honestly? I don't care. You can always bring up stats and post-match analyses and say whether a team deserved the victory or not, but it doesn't change the fact that we got 3 points. I thought our gameplay deserved 3 points, and we got it.
"Brendan also remained critical of your defensive gameplay and hinted you may have parked the bus".
Hold on, he didn't say those words - don't interpret his words your own way. He has his opinions, I have mine. If we played for the draw from the first minute, his comments would've made for an interesting debate. We went behind, scored two, took the lead and played defensively only for the last 30 minutes, when we didn't want to concede. I view that as smart gameplay, a result-oriented one.
"Will this game be a turn around in fortunes after the initial two huge defeats"
I'll give you the answers in April-May, when the season is approaching the end. I'm a manager, not a fortune teller. I take one game at a time, and urge my players to do the same. Starting tomorrow, our training and tactics will be focused on the Tottenham game. After that, it'll be the Shrewsbury game and so on.
"Kay Voser was injured during the last game. Does it look like a serious one."
I don't know. The medical staff are looking into it and it's up for them to come up with the assessment. They are the experts, not me.
There were a few other questions about the club's transfer, injuries etc. I think I did a decent job in answering the dicey questions, especially the ones about Rodgers' comments.
One of our HR personnel who was at the press meet shook my hand and said "good job", in a muffled tone. I think it went well.
This press meet drained me out, mainly because of my relative inexperience at the EPL level. Time to get a good night's rest and start preparation for the Spurs game.
A tactic that backfired!
Four days before the Spurs game, I watched the last three games played by Tottenham - home games vs. Birmingham (League Cup) and Southampton (EPL) and an away game vs. Man City (EPL). They won the home premier league game 7-0 and lost 1-2 to City. They were knocked out of the League Cup by Birmingham on penalties. Tottenham played a high tempo, direct passing football but were relatively easy on tackling and pressing. I trained the team on a tactic which was designed to counter such a playstyle.
It was a simple tactic - retain possession, play a low tempo game from the back trying to disrupt Spurs' plan. The focus was also on playing a deep defensive line and going in hard on their midfielders, discouraging them from foraying into our half.
But......this happened:
Tottenham surprised us by playing a high pressing style gameplay which was different from their last three games. This meant that our plan of keeping hold of the ball while playing a low tempo game backfired. We misplaced a good number of passes in our own half. They got a well-deserved lead but we pulled level just before the break, through wonderkid Patrick Roberts.
It was a great time to score as it made the team talk a whole lot easier and a smoother transition between tactics.
We tried to play a shorter passing game with slightly higher tempo, making full use of playmakers Hyndman and Ruiz. We had a couple of good chances immediately after the break but it was Spurs who took the lead, courtesy of winger Chadli. Christian Eriksen piled on the misery as he scored a third before the hour mark.
With two goals down, I rallied the boys to push forward and try for a goal. We moved the ball forward swiftly but Mousa Dembele proved to be a hurdle we couldn't clear as his strength got the better of our midfielders, Hyndman, Bakker and Ruiz who aren't exactly good in the physical category.
I replaced Hyndman with Christensen to provide some steel in the midfield and signaled Balanta to push forward to counter the Dembele factor. We won the battle against Dembele but couldn't find a way past their defense. Our midfield's weakness when it comes to strength and physicality was clear after the game.
But I think Tottenham deserved to win. Their tactic countered ours for majority of the first half and their skills - technical and physical got the better of us in the second.
An encouraging performance, despite the loss.
Four days before the Spurs game, I watched the last three games played by Tottenham - home games vs. Birmingham (League Cup) and Southampton (EPL) and an away game vs. Man City (EPL). They won the home premier league game 7-0 and lost 1-2 to City. They were knocked out of the League Cup by Birmingham on penalties. Tottenham played a high tempo, direct passing football but were relatively easy on tackling and pressing. I trained the team on a tactic which was designed to counter such a playstyle.
It was a simple tactic - retain possession, play a low tempo game from the back trying to disrupt Spurs' plan. The focus was also on playing a deep defensive line and going in hard on their midfielders, discouraging them from foraying into our half.
But......this happened:
It was a great time to score as it made the team talk a whole lot easier and a smoother transition between tactics.
We tried to play a shorter passing game with slightly higher tempo, making full use of playmakers Hyndman and Ruiz. We had a couple of good chances immediately after the break but it was Spurs who took the lead, courtesy of winger Chadli. Christian Eriksen piled on the misery as he scored a third before the hour mark.
With two goals down, I rallied the boys to push forward and try for a goal. We moved the ball forward swiftly but Mousa Dembele proved to be a hurdle we couldn't clear as his strength got the better of our midfielders, Hyndman, Bakker and Ruiz who aren't exactly good in the physical category.
I replaced Hyndman with Christensen to provide some steel in the midfield and signaled Balanta to push forward to counter the Dembele factor. We won the battle against Dembele but couldn't find a way past their defense. Our midfield's weakness when it comes to strength and physicality was clear after the game.
But I think Tottenham deserved to win. Their tactic countered ours for majority of the first half and their skills - technical and physical got the better of us in the second.
An encouraging performance, despite the loss.
WENGER AND VAN GAAL HAVE A GO AT EACH OTHER!
Manchester United dominated the game against rivals Arsenal at Old Trafford. Arsenal managed to keep hold of possession for longer phases than United but were unable to create chances in the final third. The Red Devils, on the other hand were lethal when it came to putting chances away. The intensity of the game carried through to the resulting press conferences.
Wenger and Van Gaal were hurling insults at each other off the pitch. Before the game, the United manager Van Gaal said his team were a class ahead of Arsenal, to which Wenger didn't respond. After United's victory, Van Gaal said his team were better and deserved the three points, and played down Arsenal's title chances.
Wenger, who was clearly irritated by Van Gaal's comments, openly insulted Man Utd and its manager saying they behave unprofessionally and lack class.
Manchester United dominated the game against rivals Arsenal at Old Trafford. Arsenal managed to keep hold of possession for longer phases than United but were unable to create chances in the final third. The Red Devils, on the other hand were lethal when it came to putting chances away. The intensity of the game carried through to the resulting press conferences.
Wenger and Van Gaal were hurling insults at each other off the pitch. Before the game, the United manager Van Gaal said his team were a class ahead of Arsenal, to which Wenger didn't respond. After United's victory, Van Gaal said his team were better and deserved the three points, and played down Arsenal's title chances.
Wenger, who was clearly irritated by Van Gaal's comments, openly insulted Man Utd and its manager saying they behave unprofessionally and lack class.
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LEAGUE CUP THIRD ROUND
This was frustrating, despite the win. With 65% possession and dominating in midfield, I expected more than two stoppage time goals. What's more frustrating is the fact that I can't even begin to understand whose mistake it was. The midfield created very few chances, and when they did, the strikers were out of position or scuffed it. I would've liked a more dominating performance against Shrewsbury.
It was a puzzling performance and I simply didn't know what to say to the players in the post-match team talk. I just told my assistant to handle the team talk.
As for the game, it was boring. We dominated, as I said before but most of it was fruitless. The first goal came in the second of 5 added minutes at the end of the game, when winger Patrick Roberts' fierce left foot shot ended up in the back of the net after a deflection off Liam Lawrence. I think Roberts should've been credited with the goal but I'll take it anyway we get.
Fittingly, Roberts scored our second goal after latching onto a through ball from Amorebieta, cut inside the defense and unleashed his trademark power-filled left footed shot. With just 1 minute of stoppage time left, the game was sealed, and we progressed to the next round!
It was a puzzling performance and I simply didn't know what to say to the players in the post-match team talk. I just told my assistant to handle the team talk.
As for the game, it was boring. We dominated, as I said before but most of it was fruitless. The first goal came in the second of 5 added minutes at the end of the game, when winger Patrick Roberts' fierce left foot shot ended up in the back of the net after a deflection off Liam Lawrence. I think Roberts should've been credited with the goal but I'll take it anyway we get.
Fittingly, Roberts scored our second goal after latching onto a through ball from Amorebieta, cut inside the defense and unleashed his trademark power-filled left footed shot. With just 1 minute of stoppage time left, the game was sealed, and we progressed to the next round!
LEAGUE CUP: OTHER NEWS
The big clash of the third round of the League Cup was the Manchester derby, at Old Trafford. It was a game with high intensity as a player from each side saw a straight red card. Fellaini hacked Sergio Aguero with two feet, making it an easy decision for Mark Clattenburg. Alexander Kolarov stamped Falcao in furstration when the center forward cleverly went past the full back.
United went through to the fourth round after a 1-0 victory, courtesy of a Chicharito goal in the 35th minute. Elsewhere, there were easy wins for Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Everton.
Fourth round draw:
A look of the league cup fourth round draw:
Chelsea vs. Liverpool is obviously the high profile clash in this set of fixtures.
Meanwhile, Fulham play Derby at Pride Park.
The big clash of the third round of the League Cup was the Manchester derby, at Old Trafford. It was a game with high intensity as a player from each side saw a straight red card. Fellaini hacked Sergio Aguero with two feet, making it an easy decision for Mark Clattenburg. Alexander Kolarov stamped Falcao in furstration when the center forward cleverly went past the full back.
United went through to the fourth round after a 1-0 victory, courtesy of a Chicharito goal in the 35th minute. Elsewhere, there were easy wins for Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Everton.
Fourth round draw:
A look of the league cup fourth round draw:
Chelsea vs. Liverpool is obviously the high profile clash in this set of fixtures.
Meanwhile, Fulham play Derby at Pride Park.
xJamieWilliams
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With some results in your favour, you could have a good chance in that cup!