BEAT BORO!!!

I’m going to be forced to follow the match online at UK Eurosport. I’ll attempt to give my halftime and post match thoughts.

COYW!!!

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With one boot to the ball, Jimmy Bullard became an instant Fulham legend. The upset at the Cottage this past Sunday brought jubilation to thousands for Fulham supporters world wide. This could mark the turning point of the season!

Or was it just a win?

It’s easy to get caught up in the moment, hell, I’m guilty of it myself. After the match, I screamed out “We’re staying up!” but one victory certainly doesn’t save our season, but it’s a good start.

It’s Tuesday which means “back to reality” for yours truly. Time to put my emotions behind me a bit and look a head, as we have  five (possibly six) tough fixtures a head of us, starting with a trip to “The Riverside” this weekend.

Every match from here on out is huge for Fulham and even though Middlesbrough sits in 13th, I’m not all that impressed with their club. That being said, it will be at “The Riverside” which of course means this is an away fixture and we all know how much trouble we’ve had winning road games.  I’m hoping the boys will keep their confidence up and steal a victory but I’m afraid it will end in a draw or a loss.  I’m hoping for a victory but I’d settle for a draw. Middlesbrough defeated Fulham at the Cottage 2-1 back in August.

Fulham’s Next 7 Fixtures

Here are your fixtures through the end of March. I personally feel that if Fulham are to stay up, we need as many points as possible through the end of March. If we are still in the bottom 3 at the end of March, “staying up” may be tough.

2/9/08-Middlesbrough-Away

2/23/08-West Ham-Home

3/1/08- Manchester United-Home

3/8/08- Blackburn-Away

3/16/08- Everton-Home

3/22/08- Newcastle-Away

3/29/08- Derby-Away

So as you can see, it will be tough. Sure, we should be able to beat Derby & Newcastle…BUT…both of those are away fixtures (and an away fixture at Blackburn for good measure).  At home we have tough matches versus Manchester United, West Ham & Everton. I stated that in order for us to stay up, we needed road points (wins or draws) and home wins. Getting those home victories will be very tough, so I suppose I need to re-think my math a bit.

The joy I’m feeling after last Sunday can’t be described. But how long will it last?

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All I have to say is “THANK YOU JIMMY!” Bullard scored the game winner in the 86th minute as Fulham wins their first match since November 2-1 over Aston Villa at the Cottage.

Bullard fired off a bender that found the back of the net from about 25 yards out. I literally jumped from my couch with a scream that could have been heard 90 miles away in Chicago. In my preview earlier this week, I said Bullard would score and he did! (to be fair, I’ve picked Bullard to score each of the last couple of matches, I just love the guy)

Villa put much pressure on our boys in the second half and you almost got a feeling they were going to walk way with the victory, especially after Aaron Hughes’ own goal in the 68th minute following a lousy Villa corner. But for once the boys in white didn’t fold. Five minutes later, Jimmy Bullard found Simon Davies and the Welsh International scored the equalizer. That was the spark Fulham needed as they played very inspired football from that point on.

A much needed 3 points versus a top 4 club.

On another positive note, Brian McBride saw some playing time for the final 22 minutes and although he didn’t get many touches, he did seem fit. Look for our captain to get more playing time next week. Also look for Eddie Johnson to suite up as well.

GREAT JOB BOYS!!! Man this feels good. I believe Villa drops down to 6th after the defeat. Fulham now sits with 19 points, 3 away from climbing out of the relegation zone.

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Well at kick off, the score was 0-0. Forty five minutes later, the score remains 0-0. For the most part, Fulham played pretty well in the first half. We had great attacking opportunities and a couple chances a goal. Second half pace has been an issue all season, so we’ll see if we can step up the attack in the final 45 minutes.

The Cottagers played pretty well on defense, although Chris Baird nearly served up a Villa goal on a silver platter after a sloppy clearance.  I had my nervous moments and that was one of them.

Brian McBride is on the bench so there is a chance our captain may make his return today. He could provide some spark. We need a victory, so COME ON YOU WHITES! I’ll be back at the end of the match to re-cap.

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We are about an hour away from Fulham vs Aston Villa.  I can’t think of a better way to kick off “Super Bowl Sunday” in the U.S. than to see my Cottagers hopefully pull off a bit of an upset today. We need a win badly but considering Villa is near the top of the table, I would take a home draw versus such a quality team.

Any chance at all that we see Brian McBride return today? I doubt it and I also doubt Eddie Johnson will be involved. What I do know is that both men are close to being fit enough to play and once they do return, it will give us a much needed boost.

I’ll be back at halftime for a bit of an update.

COYW!

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At one point this seemed like a done deal. Then the deal was off for good…or was it? This morning the forums lit up again as rumors swirled that Fulham had finally reached a deal to sign striker Erik Nevland and as of a few minutes ago, everything is official.

Here’s what Roy Hodgson had to say:

‘I am delighted to be able to welcome Erik to Fulham. He is a player that I know well and I am confident he will contribute to the squad to assist us in this, and further, campaigns. Erik has great attributes and played an important part in keeping FK Viking in the Norwegian First Division.

“After joining FC Groningen he quickly established himself as a firm favourite both with the fans, and with the management, and it has been no easy task securing his signature at Fulham. However, Erik’s desire to play in the Premier League and to find a new challenge has enabled us to bring him to the Club, and it is very pleasing that we have been able to do so.’

Nevland is 30 years old, which to most people means his best soccer is behind him. But I have trust in Roy Hodgson and if he feels Nevland would be a key to keeping us up, hell, the guy has my support. Welcome to the Cottage Erik!

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Great Stuff. COYW!!!

Props: Life as a Cottager & Oz City (source of the graphic)

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Hat Tip: CCN & U.S.Soccer

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