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Match Preview - Fulham v Chelsea 20.03.04

last updated Friday 19th March 2004, 11:50 AM
Fulham Manager Chris Coleman

Fulham Manager Chris Coleman and his squad make the short journey up the Fulham Road to Stamford Bridge bidding for their first victory against Chelsea in a quarter of a century.

Coleman's men take on Claudio Ranieri's side bidding to make history and bolster their hopes of a UEFA Cup place.

Fulham have not beaten their fierce west London rivals since October 1979. Of the 13 games since, including six since Fulham's arrival in the Premiership three years ago, Fulham have lost seven times and drawn six.

The trip to Chelsea will be Chris Coleman's second game in charge after returning from a fortnight in hospital and it is a match he believes they can win: "It'll be a formidable game but I believe we can go there and get a result," he said.

"People talk about Fulham as a nice little club who play pretty football but might go down. But I don't think people realise we've come a long way this season and are much stronger as a team than we have been in the last two or three years.

"I inherited good individual players but I didn't think we were a team," he revealed. "My job was to get them together as a team and the reason we've had success this season is because we've created a team that's better than last season."

When these two neighbouring West End sides last met at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea were scrabbling for a Champions League place and Fulham were fighting for their top flight lives - neither should struggle to achieve those targets this season.

Ninth place Fulham's clash with Champions League quarter-finalists Chelsea could be a key fixture in deciding the future of Ranieri.

The Italian's post is looking increasingly shaky in the wake of Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld's claim on Wednesday that he had been offered and turned down the Blues job from the summer.

Chris Coleman said that in his opinion tinkering with your team is not the best way to get results.

The Fulham manager takes his side to the home of squad rotation at Chelsea tomorrow and believes his team have nothing to fear.

Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri has been labelled the Tinkerman for trying to keep his big squad of internationals involved and Coleman is not convinced that is the best approach.

He said: "Against Chelsea, I find it hard to plan because they change their formation all the time. I know I change the system a little bit but not compared to Chelsea. I'm not a big fan of rotation.

"There are cases when you need to rest certain people but overall throughout the season you pick your best team.

"I'm not trying to tell anybody else their job, I've only been doing this two minutes, but that is my style. You get a good team, get it settled and play them every week and that is what gets you results. When you have 25 or 30 international players that is not always a good thing. Chopping and changing all the time is not ideal."

Chelsea ManagerChelsea Manager Claudio Rainieri could be forgiven for having his minds elsewhere this weekend as they take on Fulham. With their home leg of the Champions League quarter-final against the Gunners coming up next Wednesday, Chelsea may well decide to rest some of their big guns in this match, even if it means falling further behind in the title race.

Claudio Ranieri was certainly pessimistic about his team's chances of catching the league leaders when he said last weekend: "They are the champions - I think they are the champions." Whether that was just mind games or the Italian really throwing in the towel, it will be interesting to see just how seriously Chelsea take the visit of the Cottagers on Saturday.

They certainly struggled for much of the game last weekend against Bolton, who were unlucky to lose 2-0 after dominating the first half. Afterwards, Ranieri said that their European adventures were taking their toll: "When you play and expend a lot of psychological energy in the Champions League, it's not easy to play well from the start," explained Ranieri.

"In the first half they put us under a lot of pressure, a number of long, dangerous balls and shots from outside the area. After losing the Carling Cup final, they wanted to do something against us, but we managed to keep an important clean sheet in the first half. In the second half we played much better, were more compact and we slowed down the tempo by keeping the ball on the floor."
source: 4thegame/sporting life

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Stats from Premiership games
Stamford Bridge on
Fulham Broadway
Premiership 29 - 20 Mar 04		 Pos Chelsea Fulham Pos Div
Avg
Games Played 2 28 28

9

 28
GOALS
Goals Scored 3 50 41 5 37
Ave Goals Per Game   1.79 1.46   1.32
Shots 3 351 315 7 300
% Goals To Shots 4 14% 13% 8 12%
Shots On Target 4 149 152 3 131
% Shots On Target 14 42% 48% 2

44%
Ave Shots Per Game   13 11  

11
Ave Shots On Target Per Game   5 5   5
PASSING
Total Passes 3 12363 10193 10 10273
Ave Passes Per Game   442 364   367
CROSSING
Total Crosses Made 9 699 551 19 670
Ave Crosses Per Game   25 20   24
DEFENDING
Goals Conceded 2 21 38 11 37
Ave Goals Conceded Per Game   0.75 1.36   1.32
Tackles 8 825 956 1 789
Tackles Won 5 602 712 1 577
% Tackles Won 7 73% 74% 3 73%
Ave Tackles Won Per Game   22 25 21 -
Clean Sheets 1 16 9 9 9
DISCIPLINE
Fouls 12 391 408 8 400
Average fouls per game   14 15   14
Yellow Cards 6 38 45 13 43
Fouls per Yellows 6 10.3 9.1 13 9.4
Red Cards 9 2 3 16 2
Figures in the Pos columns indicate position in League
Cipher stat flash
Fulham face a tough proposition on Saturday when they try to gain their third all time away victory at Chelsea. They last beat the Blues at Stamford Bridge in 1979 when both squads were toiling in the old Division Two. Times are better for both clubs at the moment, following near financial disaster, both were bought up by rich benefactors and are both in the top half of the Premiership.
  • The Fulham Broadway Gang are the 3rd highest goalscorers and hotshots in the Premiership. Although they have not been the most accurate, having the 14th highest on target percentage, they have the 4th highest shot/goal conversion rate. Their performance in the last six games has slipped somewhat with 5 other squads scoring more than them. Fulham not being one of them. The Cottagers scored 3 goals less than Chelsea putting them in 15th spot. On all other attacking aspects Fulham are in front of Chelsea in recent games. If Fulham's form in the second half against Leeds is repeated Fulham will not find it hard to breach The Blues defence.
  • In the middle of the park Chelsea have made more passes than Fulham and also more crosses with The Cottagers being below average on both counts. The last six games have seen a change with Fulham turning in a Premiership average performance increasing the rate of crosses by 33%, presumably a function of going to 442 and getting more bodies in the opposing area. Chelsea on the other hand are putting in 20% less crosses and passes in recent games.
  • Defensively Chelsea are one of the best in the Premiership shipping just 21 goals in comparison to Fulham's 38 while The Blues have managed 16 clean sheets, the highest number in the Premiership. Fulham have achieved 9 clean sheets. In recent games although Fulham have improved defensively shipping 30% less goals and their clean sheet rate increasing by 5% Chelsea have also improved. The Cottagers are better than The Blues when it comes to tackling making the top number of tackles in the Premiership with Chelsea behind in 8th spot. In the last 6 games, although still busier than Chelsea, Fulham have been making less tackles while retaining top spot for the number of successfully completed tackles
  • There is not very much between the two squads when it comes to fouls but as Chelsea are treated more leniently by Ref's they have nearly 20% less yellows.
If the stats are taken at face value Chelsea have one of the best goal conversion, goal conceded and clean sheet rates in the Premiership and although in recent games they performance has slipped their defensive achievements have been maintained. So a tough game for Fulham but on the day their rediscovered goal scoring ability could put The Blues on the backfoot. Fulham
* FULHAM have won 11 and lost 11 in the top tier so far, but on the road they've lost six of the last eight - picking up two points from a last possible 24. Indeed they have not won away from Loftus Road in the League since their sensational 1-3 eclipse of Manchester United at Old Trafford on 25 October.
* Currently positioned four places higher than their previous best Premier League finish of 13th.
* Four points better off after 28 matches than in 2001/02 when that 13th place was achieved.
* Picked up 49 Premiership points under Chris Coleman.
* Already been 'doubled' by Newcastle and Aston Villa.
* Following this it's a visit to Manchester City, home clash with Birmingham, an away match at Leicester and a home encounter with Blackburn Chelsea
* Chelsea are unbeaten in 13 meetings with Fulham over 24 years in all competitions. Now the Blues are striving for a first Premiership 'double' over Fulham and ninth over them since the sides first met in League combat in 1910. Their last 'double' over the Cottagers was in the old Second Division 20 years ago. Their last such achievement in the top flight was in 1965/66.
* Undefeated in four in all competitions.
* Won three and drawn one since losing 1-2 at home to Arsenal in the Premiership on 21 February.
* Won the last two in the top division against Manchester City (0-1 a) and Bolton (0-2 a).
* Dropped 23 points so far this season.
* Won 13 League and Cup matches by a 1-0 scoreline - nine in the Premiership.
* 23 of their 50 League goals have been scored in the last 15 minutes of either half (11 in first half, 12 in second half).
Stats
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