I've spoken to a few but they're not wishing me all the best There are massive clubs, much bigger than Fulham, but they have different targets. You have Charlton and Fulham, who are not that big, plus Newcastle and Liverpool The FA Cup is a different story. The top clubs have dominated but Southampton reached the final last year."Fulham were semi-finalists the year before that, eliminated by John Terry's scrambled goal at Villa Park, and Coleman believes: "Although the Premiership and staying in it is the priority for us, the further you go in the Cup instils confidence." It is a quality the west London side may just be a little short of at present, though what many may not know is that statistically this could be described as the most successful season in the history of a club who began life as a Sunday-school team in 1879. If we start to struggle, I'll change it, but at the minute it's the best one for us."He is right to be more concerned about a defence that against Newcastle looked petrified at set-pieces and has now conceded more goals (32) than almost anyone except the relegation candidates. The strapping Ian Pearce has been recruited from West Ham in exchange for veteran Andy Melville, but is unavailable to counter the threat of a marauding Duncan Ferguson, whose qualities Coleman knows about at first hand.A physical battle is expected, not least because of bad feeling left over from a brawl between the teams two seasons ago, when Luis Boa Morte had a red card rescinded after being sent off along with David Weir. The loss of the club's leading goalscorer? "Louis Saha has gone, this happens Every club loses a player. The Portuguese winger has not been forgiven, as Everton supporters made clear by throwing a cigarette lighter and coins at him during their team's 2-1 defeat at Loftus Road a fortnight ago."It doesn't bother me," Boa Morte insists, with the smile and insouciant air of a man rarely bothered by anything. Coleman believes in the system and will be reluctant to abandon it just because Saha has gone: "People have called it a defensive formation, but we've scored a lot of goals and conceded a lot. We'll close ranks and prove we're not a one-man team, go to Everton and put up a better show than we did at Newcastle."Having seen the way the wind was blowing, he moved quickly to spend £600,000 on a replacement for Saha in the American international Brian McBride, who played eight games for today's opponents at this time last year, scoring four times and impressing as a quick and lively striker.McBride's work permit has not come through yet - Fulham clearly needed one of those agents who facilitated Tim Howard's for United - so Barry Hayles may bear the burden of being the lone central attacker, required to hold the ball up before being supported by two wide players. If things are right for me then I'll play for just as long as I can because I love playing."Rae currently leads Wolves' scoring chart with eight goals in all competitions this term, including the last-gasp strike which spared Wolves' blushes at Kidderminster and secured a third-round replay in which Harriers were beaten 2-0. I've spoken to a few - but they're not wishing me all the best."Brown still meets up with players such as Danny Tiatto, Nicky Weaver and Gerard Wiekens, although, under the Keegan revolution, few remain Another link will soon be severed.
"Our away form is poor and we need to get that back to what it was," he said. "We've got a very poor record at Everton too, and this is a good chance to go there and turn it round. I've got a good bunch of professional players and they'll get on with the job. Returning from Tyneside after a 3-1 reverse last Monday was made more miserable by the knowledge that on the same day Manchester United ("there'll be no increase in the offer") had upped the ante by 50 per cent and got their man in Louis Saha. Leeds, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Newcastle; Fulham and their travelling supporters are becoming used to some long, dispiriting journeys home with another defeat to mull over. "I've got a few goals so far this season and that's been pleasing, a real plus point because I'd never been able to score regular goals in the Premiership. |
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