By Graig Carbino - ALBANY, NY (Apr 27, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- I know that I have been as guilty as the next person when it comes to talking up Fulham this season and the last. Look, when a team in the English Premier League employs five Americans like Fulham did last season it is going to peak any American soccer follower's interest. This season sees only Clint Dempsey remain out of the five-some from 2008, but what a season he (and they) are having.
It's hard to imagine a team who a year ago looked certain to be one of the three relegated teams from the EPL pushing for a Europa League spot some 12 months later. It took a Danny Murphy header at Portsmouth on the very last day of the campaign to keep Fulham up. This season Fulham appear to have secured their safety weeks ago and will spend the next few weeks pushing for their best season in the topflight.
What can we attribute to this rapid change of fortune? Certainly the players need to do their jobs, no question. I'm not typically one to put too much on coaching, either good or bad. For me, the managers really deal more with culture in the locker room than they do the X's and O's. With Fulham though, a change in manager really seems to have made the ultimate difference.
Lawrie Sanchez's team wasn't going anywhere last season and that seams to really be all on him. He brought in a group of players that he wasn't able to turn into a winning combination. If you have authority to sign the players you want it then falls back on you to make it work. Sanchez failed miserably in that aspect.
He tried to play old-style Wimbledon football. You know the kind, right? You watched newl-promoted Watford try it in the Prem' a few years ago. It didn't work out so well. In today's English game you really do need to play.
Sure, Bolton and Blackburn tend to knock it forward at will. Still, they have players that are able to possess and move the ball when needed. You can't just bomb it from back to front for 90 minutes and expect long term positive results. It just does not work anymore.
Enter Roy Hodgson for Fulham. A man known as a tactician who demands his players pass the ball from the back. Again, I'm not usually for blaming or praising the men in charge. In this case though, praise is warranted.
Hodgson has turned Fulham from a lowly afterthought to a team on the verge on European qualification in a mere 12 months. He deserves all the credit sent his way as the 2009 winds to its conclusion.
American Abroad Report Card
English Premier League: Brad Friedel started in goal for Aston Villa in their 1-1 draw with Bolton Wanderers. Brad Guzan watched from the bench for Villa. Ashley Young scored for the Villains and Tamir Cohen tallied for Bolton.
Jonathan Spector was back on the bench for West Ham United in their 1-0 loss to Chelsea. Salomon Kalou scored the only goal of the game. Mark Noble missed a penalty kick for the Hammers in the 71st that would have brought the game level.
Clint Dempsey started and played the full match for Fulham in their 1-0 win over Stoke City. Erik Nevland scored the only goal of the game. The victory pushes Fulham into 7th place in the league table, only 6 points out of a Europa League spot.
Tim Howard was in goal for Everton in their 2-1 loss to Manchester City. Robinho and Stephen Ireland scored for City. Dan Gosling scored a late consolation for the Toffees.
The Championship: Marcus Hahnemann and Reading take on Norwich City at Carrow Road on Monday.
Frank Simek was not involved for Sheffield Wednesday in their 1-1 draw with Bristol City. Lee Johnson scored for City while Darren Potter tallied for Wednesday.
Jay DeMerit started and played 90 minutes for Watford in their 3-2 win over Coventry City. Freddy Eastwood and Robbie Simpson scored early to give City a 2-nil lead. Watford came storming back with second half goals from Tommy Smith, Grzegorz Rasiak and Tamas Priskin to take all three points.
Eddie Johnson was a 76th minute substitute for Cardiff City's 3-nil loss to Ipswich Town. Pablo Gonzalez Counago, David Norris and Jonathan Stead scored for Ipswich.
Germany: Michael Bradley started and played 69 minutes for Borussia Monchengladbach in their 1-1 draw with Arminia Bielefeld. Karim Matmour scored for 'Gladbach while Robert Tesche did the same for Bielefeld.
Sal Zizzo and Steve Cherundolo both missed out for Hannover 96 in their 2-1 win over FC Cologne. Leon Andreasen scored twice for Hannover. Milivoje Novakovic scored for Cologne.
Bryan Arguez was not involved for Hertha Berlin in their 1-nil win over TSG Hoffenheim. Patrick Ebert scored the only goal of the game for the Berlin club.
Grover Gibson was not involved for Ahlen in their 2-nil loss to MSV Duisburg in 2.Bungesliga action. Mihai Tararache (pen) and Nicky Adler scored for Duisburg.
David Yelldell started and played 90 minutes in goal for TuS Koblenz in their 2-0 loss to Alemania Aachen. Herve Oussale and Matthias Lehmann (pen) scored for Aachen. Matt Taylor came on at half-time for Koblenz.
Luis Robles watched from the bench for Kaiserslautern in their 1-nil win over SV Wehen. Erik Jendrisek scored a 90th minute goal for Kaiserslautern.
Heath Pearce has been demoted to the Hansa Rostock reserves for the rest of the season and will not be involved for their Monday meeting with VfL Osnabruck.
Scotland: Maurice Edu played 90 minutes for Rangers in their 3-0 Scottish Cup victory over St. Mirren. Andrius Velicka, Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller scored for the Light Blues. DaMarcus Beasley wasn't in the lineup for for Rangers.
France: Carlos Bocanegra and Rennes had the weekend off and will take on Bordeaux at the Stade de le Route-de-Lorient on Wednesday.
Freddy Adu was an unused substitute for Monaco in their 1-nil win over Le Mans. Park Chu-Young scored the only goal of the game.
Spain: Jozy Altidore is recovering from toenail surgery and was not involved for Xerex in their 2-0 win over Sevilla Atletico. Mario Bermejo and Jorge Luque scored for Xerex.
Belgium: Oguchi Onyewu was not involved for Standard Liege in their 4-1 win over KV Mechelen. Milan Jovanovic scored twice for Liege.
Jared Jeffrey did not feature for Club Brugge in their 2-0 loss to Germinal Beerschot. Ivan Leko scored twice for the victors.
Italy: Danny Szetela was not involved for Brescia in their 0-0 draw with Mantova.
Austria: Preston Zimmermann was not involved for Kapfenberg SV in their 3-1 loss to SV Mattersburg. Ilco Naumoski, Carsten Jancker and Thomas Wagner scored for Mattersburg. Patrick Siegl scored for Kapfenberg.
Sweden: Charlie Davies played the role of super sub for Hammerby in their Cup match against Atvidabergs FF. Trailing 2-1, Davies scored twice to give Hammarby the 3-2 win.
Graig Carbino covers American Abroad and writes a weekly column for USSoccerPlayers. Contact him at graiger11@yahoo.com
