Post by QPR Report on Apr 1, 2010 6:57:04 GMT
Given what they did/got away with Tevez....
The Times
Angry West Ham ponder complaint over Roy Hodgson’s weakened line-up
Russell Kempson
It takes a lot for Roy Hodgson to upset anyone, but he appears to have incensed West Ham United.
The East London club are considering making a complaint to the Premier League against the Fulham manager for his fielding of a weakened line-up in the 2-0 defeat away to Hull City on Saturday.
Hodgson made six changes to his side at the KC Stadium, with uppermost in his mind the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final against Wolfsburg at Craven Cottage tonight. His squad had also faced a punishing schedule last month, with seven matches in the Barclays Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League.
However, Fulham’s tame display on Saturday not only enhanced Hull’s chances of avoiding relegation, but also dented West Ham’s hopes of survival. The clubs are level on 27 points, with West Ham above the drop zone only on goal difference, but Hull have a game in hand.
“Roy Hodgson admitted on TV that he rested players because he had an important Europa League match coming up,” a highly placed West Ham source said last night. “He admitted fielding a weakened team and, from our point of view, that is awful. We are going to put in a complaint.”
The Premier League has yet to receive communication from West Ham, who believe that Hodgson’s actions may fall into the same category as when Wolverhampton Wanderers “rested” ten players for their 3-0 defeat by Manchester United at Old Trafford last December. Wolves were given a suspended £25,000 fine.
It is unlikely, though, that Fulham will face a similar punishment should West Ham pursue their claim, with the League deeming their line-up at the KC Stadium to be of sufficient strength and not in breach of its rules. “We have no case to answer,” Hodgson said yesterday. “I’m perfectly happy with the team selection. I made the decision knowing full well I had the right to do that with the quality of players at my disposal.”
All of which has overshadowed the latest leg of Fulham’s epic European journey — mostly into the unknown — that started last July and enters its fifteenth phase this evening.
Hodgson will contend that his leading players — Damien Duff, Danny Murphy, Aaron Hughes and Bobby Zamora among them — needed a break. That Fulham have won only once in their past nine matches in all competitions tends to back his theory, but all four will play tonight.
That solitary victory three weeks ago, when they overcame a 3-1 first-leg deficit to defeat Juventus 4-1 at home, and 5-4 on aggregate, should serve as inspiration against the Bundesliga champions. As if any were needed.
“What we really feel is a sense of pride to have overcome so many obstacles to get this far,” Hodgson said. “Many of those obstacles were very good football teams, so we’ve earned the right to believe in ourselves and to believe that, if luck continues to favour us, we can go even farther.”
Fulham have also disposed of Shakhtar Donetsk — the Ukrainian holders of the Uefa Cup, the forerunner to the Europa League — along the way. When Hodgson led Inter Milan to the two-legged Uefa Cup final in 1997, which they drew 1-1 on aggregate with Schalke but lost 4-1 on penalties, the Italian team played only 12 matches and met few sides of the calibre of Shakhtar or Juventus.
“In reaching that final with Inter, we didn’t confront anything like the standard of opposition we have this season with Fulham,” Hodgson said. “That shows you what we’ve achieved here.”
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/fulham/article7083514.ece
GUARDIAN
West Ham complain over Fulham's 'weak' team selection at Hull City• Five regulars rested for Fulham's 2-0 defeat
• Roy Hodgson confident he has 'no case to answer'
Dominic Fifield The Guardian, Thursday 1 April
West Ham United are to make a formal complaint to the Premier League over Fulham's perceived weakened team selection in last Saturday's defeat at Hull City.
Roy Hodgson rested a quintet of key players – Bobby Zamora, Danny Murphy, Damien Duff, Aaron Hughes and Dickson Etuhu – with this evening's Europa League quarter-final first leg against Wolfsburg in mind and his reshaped team were beaten 2-0. Hull's victory drew them level with West Ham, who have lost their last six games, have 27 points and are outside the relegation zone only on goal difference.
The mood of the West Ham co-owners, David Sullivan and David Gold, will not have been improved by Hodgson's admission yesterday that, while he felt he would have "no case to answer" if a complaint was made, his selection at Hull had been dictated by his team's European commitments. "Roy Hodgson admitted on television that he had rested players because he had an important Europa League match coming up," a West Ham spokesman said. "He admitted fielding a weakened team. From our point of view that's awful and we are going to put in a complaint."
What the Premier League would make of the issue is unclear – no complaint had been received last night – given that Fulham still included seven regulars from their Europa League campaign. West Ham recently rested Carlton Cole and Scott Parker for their game at Arsenal.
The governing body indicated that weakened selections would be subject to a disciplinary commission when fining Wolves £25,000 earlier this season for their line-up at Manchester United. Yet they will be aware that relations between the London clubs are already strained, with Fulham still suing West Ham for "merit money" lost in 2006-07.
Fulham finished two points behind West Ham, in 16th, but claimed Carlos Tevez, whose signing had breached rules on third-party ownership, had been key to West Ham's league survival. "Fulham are suing us for £500,000," West Ham spokesman added. "They may find West Ham suing them for £50m next season."
Hodgson, who hopes Zamora will be fit after a cold ruled him out of training yesterday, had made full use of his squad earlier in the season when retaining Premier League status was very much a priority and the club's European excursions a pleasant distraction. That strategy changed only once their league form had hoisted them to within sight of safety, with progress in the Europa League now the side's main objective.
"I made that decision when we got to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and in the Europa League, and we'd reached 38 points," Hodgson said. "We looked at it and said that, even if we lost every league game from then on, those below us might not overhaul us. So I tinkered on Saturday, to some extent, but only because that match came after Juventus on the Thursday, Manchester City on the Sunday and Spurs on the Wednesday in the FA Cup.
"I made the decision to rest four or five players knowing full well I had the right to do that with the quality of players at my disposal. That meant the likes of Murphy, Etuhu, Duff and Zamora didn't play five games in 12 days. I've never experienced a period like this, with games every three days for three months, in my career in management. But I have no case to answer and I'll be surprised if it's confirmed [that West Ham are to lodge a complaint]."
Hodgson insisted that leading Fulham into the last eight of this competition was arguably a greater achievement than taking Internazionale to the final of the Uefa Cup in 1997. "We've been playing now since the last week in July, and it's been a long haul," he said. "These will be our 15th and 16th games in the competition this season, but when we reached the final with Inter we only played 10[ and not against anything like the standard of opponent as we have with Fulham. That shows you what we've achieved already."
Fulham (4-4-2; probable): Schwarzer; Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky; Duff, Murphy, Etuhu, Davies; Zamora, Gera.
Wolfsburg (4-1-3-2; probable): Benaglio; Pekarik, Madlung, Barzagli, Schafer; Josué; Riether, Misimovic, Gentner; Grafite, Dzeko.
Referee: D Skomina (Slovenia).
TV: ESPN, kick-off 8.05pm
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/01/west-ham-fulham-hull
The Times
Angry West Ham ponder complaint over Roy Hodgson’s weakened line-up
Russell Kempson
It takes a lot for Roy Hodgson to upset anyone, but he appears to have incensed West Ham United.
The East London club are considering making a complaint to the Premier League against the Fulham manager for his fielding of a weakened line-up in the 2-0 defeat away to Hull City on Saturday.
Hodgson made six changes to his side at the KC Stadium, with uppermost in his mind the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final against Wolfsburg at Craven Cottage tonight. His squad had also faced a punishing schedule last month, with seven matches in the Barclays Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League.
However, Fulham’s tame display on Saturday not only enhanced Hull’s chances of avoiding relegation, but also dented West Ham’s hopes of survival. The clubs are level on 27 points, with West Ham above the drop zone only on goal difference, but Hull have a game in hand.
“Roy Hodgson admitted on TV that he rested players because he had an important Europa League match coming up,” a highly placed West Ham source said last night. “He admitted fielding a weakened team and, from our point of view, that is awful. We are going to put in a complaint.”
The Premier League has yet to receive communication from West Ham, who believe that Hodgson’s actions may fall into the same category as when Wolverhampton Wanderers “rested” ten players for their 3-0 defeat by Manchester United at Old Trafford last December. Wolves were given a suspended £25,000 fine.
It is unlikely, though, that Fulham will face a similar punishment should West Ham pursue their claim, with the League deeming their line-up at the KC Stadium to be of sufficient strength and not in breach of its rules. “We have no case to answer,” Hodgson said yesterday. “I’m perfectly happy with the team selection. I made the decision knowing full well I had the right to do that with the quality of players at my disposal.”
All of which has overshadowed the latest leg of Fulham’s epic European journey — mostly into the unknown — that started last July and enters its fifteenth phase this evening.
Hodgson will contend that his leading players — Damien Duff, Danny Murphy, Aaron Hughes and Bobby Zamora among them — needed a break. That Fulham have won only once in their past nine matches in all competitions tends to back his theory, but all four will play tonight.
That solitary victory three weeks ago, when they overcame a 3-1 first-leg deficit to defeat Juventus 4-1 at home, and 5-4 on aggregate, should serve as inspiration against the Bundesliga champions. As if any were needed.
“What we really feel is a sense of pride to have overcome so many obstacles to get this far,” Hodgson said. “Many of those obstacles were very good football teams, so we’ve earned the right to believe in ourselves and to believe that, if luck continues to favour us, we can go even farther.”
Fulham have also disposed of Shakhtar Donetsk — the Ukrainian holders of the Uefa Cup, the forerunner to the Europa League — along the way. When Hodgson led Inter Milan to the two-legged Uefa Cup final in 1997, which they drew 1-1 on aggregate with Schalke but lost 4-1 on penalties, the Italian team played only 12 matches and met few sides of the calibre of Shakhtar or Juventus.
“In reaching that final with Inter, we didn’t confront anything like the standard of opposition we have this season with Fulham,” Hodgson said. “That shows you what we’ve achieved here.”
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/fulham/article7083514.ece
GUARDIAN
West Ham complain over Fulham's 'weak' team selection at Hull City• Five regulars rested for Fulham's 2-0 defeat
• Roy Hodgson confident he has 'no case to answer'
Dominic Fifield The Guardian, Thursday 1 April
West Ham United are to make a formal complaint to the Premier League over Fulham's perceived weakened team selection in last Saturday's defeat at Hull City.
Roy Hodgson rested a quintet of key players – Bobby Zamora, Danny Murphy, Damien Duff, Aaron Hughes and Dickson Etuhu – with this evening's Europa League quarter-final first leg against Wolfsburg in mind and his reshaped team were beaten 2-0. Hull's victory drew them level with West Ham, who have lost their last six games, have 27 points and are outside the relegation zone only on goal difference.
The mood of the West Ham co-owners, David Sullivan and David Gold, will not have been improved by Hodgson's admission yesterday that, while he felt he would have "no case to answer" if a complaint was made, his selection at Hull had been dictated by his team's European commitments. "Roy Hodgson admitted on television that he had rested players because he had an important Europa League match coming up," a West Ham spokesman said. "He admitted fielding a weakened team. From our point of view that's awful and we are going to put in a complaint."
What the Premier League would make of the issue is unclear – no complaint had been received last night – given that Fulham still included seven regulars from their Europa League campaign. West Ham recently rested Carlton Cole and Scott Parker for their game at Arsenal.
The governing body indicated that weakened selections would be subject to a disciplinary commission when fining Wolves £25,000 earlier this season for their line-up at Manchester United. Yet they will be aware that relations between the London clubs are already strained, with Fulham still suing West Ham for "merit money" lost in 2006-07.
Fulham finished two points behind West Ham, in 16th, but claimed Carlos Tevez, whose signing had breached rules on third-party ownership, had been key to West Ham's league survival. "Fulham are suing us for £500,000," West Ham spokesman added. "They may find West Ham suing them for £50m next season."
Hodgson, who hopes Zamora will be fit after a cold ruled him out of training yesterday, had made full use of his squad earlier in the season when retaining Premier League status was very much a priority and the club's European excursions a pleasant distraction. That strategy changed only once their league form had hoisted them to within sight of safety, with progress in the Europa League now the side's main objective.
"I made that decision when we got to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and in the Europa League, and we'd reached 38 points," Hodgson said. "We looked at it and said that, even if we lost every league game from then on, those below us might not overhaul us. So I tinkered on Saturday, to some extent, but only because that match came after Juventus on the Thursday, Manchester City on the Sunday and Spurs on the Wednesday in the FA Cup.
"I made the decision to rest four or five players knowing full well I had the right to do that with the quality of players at my disposal. That meant the likes of Murphy, Etuhu, Duff and Zamora didn't play five games in 12 days. I've never experienced a period like this, with games every three days for three months, in my career in management. But I have no case to answer and I'll be surprised if it's confirmed [that West Ham are to lodge a complaint]."
Hodgson insisted that leading Fulham into the last eight of this competition was arguably a greater achievement than taking Internazionale to the final of the Uefa Cup in 1997. "We've been playing now since the last week in July, and it's been a long haul," he said. "These will be our 15th and 16th games in the competition this season, but when we reached the final with Inter we only played 10[ and not against anything like the standard of opponent as we have with Fulham. That shows you what we've achieved already."
Fulham (4-4-2; probable): Schwarzer; Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky; Duff, Murphy, Etuhu, Davies; Zamora, Gera.
Wolfsburg (4-1-3-2; probable): Benaglio; Pekarik, Madlung, Barzagli, Schafer; Josué; Riether, Misimovic, Gentner; Grafite, Dzeko.
Referee: D Skomina (Slovenia).
TV: ESPN, kick-off 8.05pm
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/01/west-ham-fulham-hull
