Why Does Everyone Hate Fulham?
It’s not much fun being Fulham is it. I mean, how would you feel if every team promoted to the Premier League spent the season declaring they had to beat you?
It’s strange that a team apparently as harmless and inoffensive as Fulham should be treated in such a harsh manner by their rivals. If you despised Chelsea, fine, but there really isn’t much to dislike about the Cottagers is there?
They are owned by some Egyptian guy who also owns Harrod’s and is convinced the British government killed Princess Diana and his son Dodi in one of the most enduring conspiracy theories since some guy called Oswald popped JFK from some grassy knoll in Dallas, but that isn’t a reason to hate them is it?
Ok, so they’ve got a pretty rubbish ground, but it’s quaint and historic, situated on a little bend in the River Thames, it’s actually in quite a nice spot of west London. That can’t be a reason not to like them either. It’s not like they play in a half-empty ground in the middle of a retail park like Wigan now is it!
But still everyone keeps going on about “needing to� and “having to� beat Fulham, especially at home. Perhaps they are awful guests who vandalise the dressing room and urinate in the tunnel, but honestly, I don’t think that is the case either.
Nope, it seems everyone wants to beat Fulham because they are, well, nothing in particular. Fulham are never expected to challenge for Europe, let alone silverware, yet they are generally expected to just about avoid relegation year after year.
Therefore, any team which harbours an ambition to stay in the top flight, uses Fulham as the benchmark. Beat them and you can also be an also-ran, safe from the dreaded drop, but lose and you can expect to be in big trouble when the relegation places are decided at the end of the season.
That is, of course, how Roy Keane and Sunderland will see the arrival of the Cottagers to the Stadium of Light on Saturday -even if Sunderland’s only win in the top flight two seasons ago came against Fulham and they still went down with the lowest number of points on record.
After three successive defeats, the Black Cats are hovering just above the relegation zone, level on points with Fulham, but behind them on goal difference.
While Sunderland are about as likely to push for Europe as Martin Jol is to thank Dimitar Berbatov for all his help this season at Tottenham, games like this form a fascinating sub-plot to the Premier League and there is plenty at stake.
A win will lift Keane’s side up into the relative comfort of mid-table (for the time being at least) but a home defeat would throw the Black Cats into the relegation mire just in time for the start of winter!
A win will send confidence soaring again (just as it did when they beat Reading last month), but a defeat will prompt many, inside and outside of the Wearside camp, to start to ask questions about their ability to avoid yet another immediate return to the Coca-Cola Championship.
It’s a hell of a lot to hang on one game of football. No wonder everyone is desperate to beat them... Fulham fans most sometimes wonder whether the Premier League is worth all the hassle after all!
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Luke Edwards - is Chief Sports Writer of The Journal and uses his blog to give a unique and entertaining insight into events at Newcastle United and Sunderland.
SAM
DON’T MESS UP AT SUNDERLAND LIKE YOU DID AT
DERBY & READING
PLAY TO WIN
Signed The Long Suffering, Knowledgeable and Loyal Supporters of Newcastle United
It is sadly becoming apparent that big Sam's defeats are his own tactical blunders. We all painfully remember Roeder's square pegs in round holes last term, being the true reason for many lost points as opposed to injuries. Now, for him to start blaming the team for phobias in playing away is too reminiscent of ' nice Glen '. The 5'7'' forwards are never going to get anything from high lofted balls, and no wingers( I purposely avoided saying route one football, which many Sam sceptics dreaded before he was appointed ). Things immediately changed in the Reading game after Milner was introduced to the right wing. Please Sam, wake up before the gutter-press start proposing your exit. With our capabilities of attacking with two wingers, so obvious in home games, even letting in the odd goal, we could actually scare teams into mistakes. Why on earth does geography make any difference to a team's natural ability? This philosophy of yours to just get one point away from home is actually defeatist before a ball is kicked, and embarrassing to read. Here is a quote from you in today's press,'' We’ve got to become a side that goes back to basics and works out how to stop our opponents from playing.'' I thought that basics were trying to win games, not draw them. You've made a good start which could've been great if we'd beaten the likes of Derby and Reading to name just two sides that I'm certain Roeder's team would have beaten. Michael Owen, and Oba Martins will be as sick as parrots not getting the service that would've inevitably increased their goal tallies. Your talk of 2 points every 2 games or whatever it was is something I bet, isn't heard at Portsmouth or Man. City. You yourself have already put the willies up the team before our ' real ' derby next week by implying that they may be scared to play away, or phobic, unless of course that it's your way of shifting the blame for erroneous tactics. I mean, how can the team publicly disagree with that statement without incurring club discipline, or worse? Honestly Sam, you're making me nervous now. For goodness sake, tell them to imagine they're playing at home next week.....and play our 2 wingers so they'll actually believe it.
Note From Luke
Very true Ronnie. If Newcastle had shown a bit more ambition at Derby and Reading - we'll ignore the City result because they're having an excellent season - they might have been pushing for a top four place. The loss of those points may well come back to haunt them.
I hope Sam is learning from his mistakes, but only time will tell if this is how he's always going to play away from home. I hope not.