|
|
Graham Hill at SunSport |
Stoke (1) 1 Fulham (0) 0
Fulham boss Martin Jol branded Stoke a team of bullies - and said his shellshocked players could not cope.
Fulham boss Jol admitted his Cottagers were muscled out of it after Charlie Adam's first-half strike.
He said: "They bullied us. We wanted to play but it was difficult. You get the long balls and they eat you up.
"They play their style and it's not easy. We said before the game they try to bully teams - and they did that to us.
"Even Charlie Adam looked bigger than last year - he must be eating different food at Stoke!
"I said to the players, 'Don't let them force their style on you', but that's what they did.
"Stoke played within the rules - and they even moaned about our style and our fouls.
"They said Dimitar Berbatov was like a clogger - and this is one of the most talented players in England!
"That was quite strange to experience. Then Philippe Senderos has to come off with a big wound over his eye - it was caused by an arm - but that seemed to be normal and didn't matter."
A soggy Saturday in Stoke is not many people's idea of a great day out. But Tony Pulis and his men just love it.
Fulham tried to play attractive football but it was never going to work for them.
Defender Senderos - in for the suspended Brede Hangeland - looked out of touch as Stoke piled on pressure.
He was booked when he blocked winger Matthew Etherington after being left standing by the Stoke flier.
Things got worse for Senderos. He was beaten in the air by Peter Crouch as the home side took the lead after 26 minutes.
A superb cross by the recalled Ryan Shotton found Crouch at the far post. He headed down for midfielder Adam, who had time to turn and fire home.
Pulis was quick to respond to Jol's claims. The Stoke chief said: "I don't think they were bullied out of it. That's not fair on us.
"We're strong and resilient but we're an honest group of lads who work hard. We're not dirty."
Pulis had no complaints about Adam, though, having challenged the midfielder to hit double figures for Stoke this season.
Adam made a £4million move to Stoke from Liverpool last summer but Pulis had to wait until this month for his first goal - which came in the previous home game against QPR.
It must have given him a taste for it as he grabbed the winner here, too.Pulis said: "We think Charlie's got real ability - and we want him to do it in the final third of the pitch.
"For a while, Charlie has been playing his own game, he's like a schoolboy sometimes, he just goes and loves the game.
"But we need him up and around Peter Crouch."
Stoke: Begovic, Cameron, Shawcross, Huth, Shotton, Walters, Nzonzi, Whelan, Etherington (Kightly 72), Adam (Whitehead 81), Crouch (Jones 77).
Subs Not Used: Sorensen, Palacios, Upson, Jerome.
Booked: Cameron.
Goals: Adam 26.
Fulham: Schwarzer, Riether, Hughes, Senderos, Riise, Baird, Sidwell (Rodallega 80), Karagounis (Duff 73), Dejagah,Berbatov, Petric.
Subs Not Used: Etheridge, Kelly, Kasami, Diarra, Banya.
Booked: Senderos.
Att: 26,921
Ref: Michael Oliver (Northumberland).
Source .