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Jonathan Liew at Daily Telegraph |
Fulham (2) 5 Wolverhampton (0) 0
In another, more austere, corner of west London, they still appreciate a good bargain.
While Roman Abramovich signs blank cheque after blank cheque at Chelsea, Fulham quietly get on with their business.
And in striker Pavel Pogrebnyak, they look to have done some very good business indeed.
Signed from Stuttgart for around £3 million on the last day of January, Pogrebnyak scored a hat-trick to take his tally for his new club to five.
The Russian, it will be drily noted, now has more goals in three games than Fernando Torres has managed at Chelsea in 13 months.
"Who needs Zamora when we've got the Pog?" Fulham fans sang gaily.
"He's a very good lad," said manager Martin Jol.
"From the first training session, he gave us a feeling that he wanted to be here, that he wanted to prove a point.
"After the first game I said that one swallow doesn't make a summer.
After five goals, I have to say he's a pretty good signing.
"
Wolves were wretched.
A change of manager and the heartening comeback against Newcastle last weekend may have given the impression that a corner had been turned, but here there were no new dawns, just shocking ineptitude.
They ran and ran, but rarely did they appear to know where to run or when, or where their opponents were about to run.
To a club that defends so poorly, there can only be two words of comfort: parachute payments.
Wolverhampton Wanderers came to defend, and found an opposition more than happy to oblige them.
Fulham's opening goal came from their 10th shot, an unmarked Pogrebnyak meeting Damien Duff's corner with a fine diving header.
It was just reward for a bright start, and having spent the whole of the first half on the back foot, Wolves were unable to change tack.
Just before half-time, a horrific misunderstanding in the Wolves defence allowed Fulham to double the advantage.
Kevin Foley's pass sold last man
Richard Stearman awfully short; Andrew Johnson's cross from the right was converted emphatically by Pogrebnyak.
Despite this, Wolves caretaker manager Terry Connor claimed the match was still in the balance at this point.
"We wanted to keep it tight for 15 minutes after half-time, keep it at 2-0 and see where we could go from there," he said.
"But the third goal was crucial.
Until the first goal, it was quite an even game.
" Heaven knows what game he was watching.
It was Dempsey who added the third, Stearman and Christophe Berra dithering over a through ball from Danny Murphy and allowing the American to steal in and tuck the ball home.
Pogrebnyak claimed the match ball with a tap-in after Johnson had a shot saved by Wayne Hennessey, while a cool finish from Dempsey, capping a mesmerising passing move, added the gloss.
As time leaked away, Berra tried to dribble the ball up the left wing, only to trip over his own feet.
It was perfect emblem for Wolves's afternoon.
Unless they right themselves, it could become the perfect emblem for their season.
Fulham Schwarzer, Hughes, Senderos, Hangeland, John Arne Riise, Duff (Davies 80), Murphy (Diarra 69), Dembele, Dempsey, Johnson, Pogrebnyak (Frei 85).
Subs Not Used: Stockdale, Orlando Sa, Etuhu, Halliche.
Booked: Hangeland.
Goals: Pogrebnyak 36, Pogrebnyak 44, Dempsey 56, Pogrebnyak 61, Dempsey 83.
Wolverhampton Hennessey, Zubar, Stearman, Berra, Ward, Kightly (Fletcher 61), Foley (Hunt 84), Henry (Milijas 19), O'Hara, Jarvis, Doyle.
Subs Not Used: De Vries, Johnson, Bassong, Jonsson.
Booked: Zubar, Berra.
Att: 24, 034
Ref: Mike Jones (Cheshire).
Source .