I am new to Fulham FC forum. I have heard Clint Dempsey is expected to play. What players do you think will be started and subbed in?
McBride likely sub as he has injury rumors, Montella sub due to lack of fitness, unless Niemi's better Lastuvka will likely be in goal (sigh), Dempsey....I dunno, they keep saying he'll be in this game, but my guess is at the most he'll be a sub, again due to fitness concerns since he's suffering from the MLS offseason drought of playing time and is probably not ready for 90 minutes. Other than that, I don't really know what Cookie has in mind.
McBride may not start due to injury rumors, Montella will sub due to lack of fitness, I'm guessing Niemi is still out (perhaps backed by rumors that FFC is looking at Hibernian's GK Craig Gordon), Dempsey might be a late game sub but he's not up to full game fitness yet...other than that I don't have ideas as to what Cookie has in mind.
I think the injury rumors are just that - rumors. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=10460729&postcount=42 this has a link the the bbc site and a quick write up of the interview with Cookie. According to it, McBride was brought out at the half due to the rough West Ham match and to make sure he'd be 100% for another London derby against Tottenham on Saturday. I expect to see this lineup : Lastuvka, Rosenior, Bocanegra, Christanval, Queudrue, Volz, Brown, Routledge, Radzinski, McBride, Helguson I'd like to see Montella for Helguson but i'm not sure Vicenzo is fit enough to start and go that long. It'd be nice to see him start and go at least 60 and then maybe bring on HH or Collins - although we may have seen the last of Collins John in black and white. If Dempsey plays, i expect it to be in junk time probably.
Routledge isn't eligable to play against Spurs since he's still on loan from them. The reason why Helgusen is in there all the time is because Cookie likes the way he and McHead work together. Dempsey's not going to be in the lineup at all, not even the bench, because he's still not match fit.
Cookie is playing the same liineup that faced Leicester on Wednesday - without Routledge. I apologize - i had forgotten the loan deal keeping him from playing against Spurs. . http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2007/January/ColemanonSpurs.aspx Also, in Cookie's video interview for the Spurs game, he says that Dempsey is ready, but not fit to go 90 minutes but he says he is in the squad. http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2007/January/SpursPreview.aspx
Bah, another draw. It is a point, but now the Whites are but a few places up from the relegation zone. Our boy Clint was in the game today, couple nice tackles there. I think Lastuvka could have had that last goal blocked had he dove a half second quicker...so close to a win there, and then 87th minute...let it slip away. Need to do better at holding on to leads.
Playing that long a man down, I'll take the point. We should have won. I still can't see how the Tottenham goal was called onside or how HH was given a second yellow for a minimal contact foul.
Don't forget the handball Chimbonda used to control the ball before striking it. I'll take a draw with 10 men, too. We should beat Newcastle, though. No excuses. They are a dispirited bunch.
HH's first yellow was thoroughly undeserved on the Malbranque challenge. I was absolutely shocked on how completely unsporting Steed was in the incident. Regardless of the 10 men, with Chimbonda's blatant handling of the ball prior to scoring, I feel its 2 points lost rather than a point salvaged.
A double over the bar codes would be so, so nice. There is no way Tottenham deserved a point in that match. Even my friends who are Spurs fans apologized for it. Seriously. Not said, "you're right, Fulham should have won," but actually said, "sorry, you guys were robbed."