Prompted by West Ham’s laughable protest, I decided to examine just how weak the Fulham side beaten at Hull on Saturday really was. Judge for yourselves.
MARK SCHWARZER: Fulham’s regular goalkeeper, who has started all but one league game this season. Prior to an excellent start to his Craven Cottage career, Schwarzer amassed more than 400 appearances for Middlesbrough. For good measure, he’ll also be in goal for Australia at the World Cup.
NICKY SHOREY: The only possible weakness you could level at on our on-loan defender, excellent since joining from Aston Villa, is that he was playing on the wrong side of defence. A fairly recent England international, Shorey’s only been kept out of the Villa side by the good form of Stephen Warnock.
PAUL KONCHESKY: West Ham should now just how good Konch is having had the former England full-back on their books for two years. A regular Premier League performer since his Charlton days, Konchesky’s only recently come back from a serious knee complaint.
BREDE HANGELAND: It doesn’t seem that long ago that everyone was raving about the Norwegian and talking in excited tones about his impending transfer to Arsenal. One of Roy Hodgson’s first signings, the Norway captain has been integral to Fulham’s recent renaissance.
CHRIS SMALLING: Plucked from non-league obscurity by Hodgson, the England under-21 international will be heading for Manchester United in the summer. Try telling Sir Alex Ferguson he’s a weak link. Smalling might only have made 15 appearances for Fulham (and gave away a silly penalty on Saturday) but that’s pretty impressive when you consider he was planning to go to Loughborough University the other summer.
KAGISHO DIKCAGOI: South African international who’s slowly featuring more and more in Roy’s first team plans. Signed in the summer from Golden Arrows, Dikgacoi’s introduction to the Premier League has been disrupted by a combination of injuries and Scott Parker. Probably would have played a lot more, especially given Fulham’s midfield injuries, had he not been sent off at Upton Park on his league debut.
CHRIS BAIRD: The Northern Ireland international wouldn’t have made it into Hodgson’s first choice side at the start of the season but he’s very nearly made himself indispensable by taking to the central midfield role like a duck to water. Baird’s played in 42 of Fulham’s 51 games this season – almost enough to be deemed a regular.
BJORN-HELGE RIISE: Emerging young Norwegian, younger brother of John-Arne (once of Liverpool and now at Roma). Riise’s been a bit hit and miss in the league but has been excellent in Europe – providing crucial goals as Fulham got through the group stages. Didn’t have his best game at the KC but is certainly one for the future.
SIMON DAVIES: Probably would have been a more regular starter had his recovery from a stress fracture in the foot not stalled this season. The Welsh international, something of Premier League veteran counting Spurs and Everton amongst his former clubs, has still managed 24 appearances this term.
ZOLTAN GERA: The Hungarian has to be a contender for player of the season. A regular in the side last term, Zolly didn’t enjoy the best of debut campaigns, but has revelled in the ‘hole’ behind Bobby Zamora this season. He’s scored plenty of crucial goals – five in Europe and even one at West Ham – and has appeared in 42 games for Fulham this season.
CLINT DEMPSEY: Played as the lone frontman at Hull, Dempsey marked his return to full fitness with the stunning chip that took Fulham past Juventus in the Europa League a couple of weeks ago. The American has played 35 games despite an injury-ravaged campaign and will also be in South Africa this summer.
Fulham’s bench also included Aaron Hughes, Dickson Etuhu and Erik Nevland who have all featured regularly this season. With Bobby Zamora still struggling with a stomach bug, the only players who could really have been rested were Stephen Kelly (who’s been a bit patchy at right back), Danny Murphy (still troubled by a groin problem) and Damien Duff.
It wasn’t that ‘weak’ a line-up and, given how many games Fulham have played, it’s difficult to see how Hodgson could have managed his slender squad any better. Perhaps Sullivan and Gold should concentrate on getting their own house in order rather than deploying a classic distraction technique.
That should really be the end of that. Could you email that to West Ham? If this thing goes further, maybe you could email it to a paper/the FA. What a sad little club West Ham really are.
Fulham’s starting XI had played in 188 league games between them this season. Hull City’s had played in 177.
West Ham seem to Miss the fact Hull City were without 7 Regulars as well, will they report us as well. ironic from the club involved in the tevez fiasco, hopefully tevez will relegate them at the end of the season
Not being funny but Hull were far weaker. We had 8 players out.
Hunt, Gardner, Dawson, Zayette, Zaki, Cooper, JVoH & Mendy (both on the bench). Arguably our side is much weaker anyway! I just felt the Tigers wanted the win more- as Fulham did at the Cottage! West Ham have no cause to complain- after they cheated their way to safety with Tevez in the side! As you say it is laughable that they are even contemplating complaining. Football is a squad based game- all members of the squad should be capable of playing in the 1st team.
I dont want to get into a ruck with anyone, but this whole story from what I can gather is a bit on the thin side, Ive seen no serious comment from anyone at West Ham complaining. As for Alex’s comment about ‘what a sad little club West Ham are’ it surely is no more petty than Fulham complaining about the extra PL prize money they would have got from the ‘Tevez’ season? If I was a Fulham fan I wouldn’t waste my time worrying about it. Enjoy the fantasic season you are having rather than wasting your time over this and slagging us off!!
its all a load of rubbish this sort of accusation anyway, Wolves were punished for using the squad and 7 of those so called reserves were in the team that best West Ham 3-1 the other day, whose got the right to call any professional squad player a reserve or weak member? it`s one rule for one and one rule for another, it`s a squad game, I hear Portsmouth are playing the Tea lady in defence on Saturday!!
Dan,
Thank you for writing this. After reading the reports this morning I thought this was all foolish. Roy was doing what he thought was best for the club. I actually think Hogdson believes the replacements should have been able to do the job. I wish he didn’t have that lineup on Saturday, but I understand the reasoning behind it.
Good article. Anyway, even if west ham are right, as someone mentioned, Hull City’s side was much weaker than Fulham’s with 7 or 8 players injured/unfit.
I hope west ham go down, you can see that the team is falling apart already if the staff are looking for excuses. Complaining won’t change anything, they should just get on with their campaign. Anyway, our run-in is much easier than west hams, and we have 1 game in hand too.
Good luck in the Europe league Fulham, great comeback against Juventus.
Hull City first 11
Myhill
McShane Zayatte Gardner Dawson
Mendy Bullard Boateng Hunt
Hesselink Altidore
Hull City Vs Fulham….
Myhill
McShane Mouyokolo Sonko Kilbane
Garcia Bullard Boateng Marney
Fagan Altidore
That’s 5 changes in the 11, 9 in total with 3 of those regulars and would have played ahead of Sonko, Marney and Garcia.
To say they were weakened is somewhat missing the point.
Nice article, and one that’s much appreciated from a Hull City viewpoint. It can’t be easy to big up a starting 11 that lost to relegation candidates, and West Ham’s comments that it ‘must’ have being a weakened team only serve as a slap in the face to the Tigers faithful.
West Ham would look foolish if they follow through with this complaint.
Good luck in Europa; i’m a big fan of the cottagers campaign this season.
As a Hull fan all my life i find the allegations levelled at My Hodgson about fielding a weaker side at the KC a huge Joke . Surely Fulham have been a victim of their own success this season , progressing in the FA cup and Europe is a massive achievement for them, surely one to draw praise and not criticism. I for one find it refreshing that a “smaller ” English club have grabbed the headlines instead of the so called BIG 4 . I can’t see how West Ham can pursue this case to a meaningfull end . Good luck to Fulham on Thursday night and lets hope that Villa play the under 10 squad at the KC in front of their season defining semi final ! What would the Hammers make of that one ?