EC ~ Hamburg 0 - 0 Fulham ; Hodgson vows to earn final spot
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Home comforts for Roy Hodgson as he vows to earn final spot after awayday stalemate
Confident: Fulham boss Roy Hodgson
With a nod to his team’s 27-hour journey to Hamburg and their 57th game of the season, Fulham boss Roy Hodgson was delighted with the 0-0 draw in their Europa League semi-final first leg with Hamburg.
He said: ‘We must be very happy. We played against a good team and the journey was not the best.
'It handed us a ready-made excuse not to play as we can and I am delighted we did not do that.
‘We have given ourselves a tremendous chance but if we are to progress we will have to play well and win the game. We are not asking for a miracle but a great home performance.’
'It would be worse than dangerous, it would be downright foolish,' he added when asked if he thought victory had already been achieved. 'We are at half-time, and we have to play another 90 minute half.
'Not many people leave stadiums at half-time, or go for a cup of tea thinking the game has been won.
'There is a lot of football to be played and Hamburg are a very good team. If they score a goal next week the advantage passes to them.
'The tie is open but I am delighted about that because it is very easy to put yourself out of contention.'
The only sour note for Hodgson was the sight of Bobby Zamora limping towards the dug-out after 52 minutes after a recurrence of an achilles tendon problem.
Hodgson said: ‘He has had this problem for some time. He has missed one or two league games but he felt okay and we hope he would get through the game.
'But even in the first half he was struggling with it. The medical staff gave him the all-clear to start the second half but they warned me I might have to take him off.
Up for grabs: Fulham produced an excellent defensive display in Hamburg
'We have one week to deal with the problem. It is not a fresh injury so we hope a week gives us the chance to put it right because I would say he has no chance of being fit to face Everton on Sunday.'
Fulham skipper Danny Murphy said: ‘We had a reasonably comfortable night and have put ourselves in a great position. We knew we had to be organised and we knew we’d have chances on the break. It was a job well done.’
Murphy’s words were echoed by goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who was required to pull off a smart stop at the death to deny substitute Mladen Petric.
‘They only had a few chances really but they were coming at us towards the end,’ said Schwarzer.
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Go Fulham!
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the onli team that travel
hold a draw
Ty to GK
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But Fulham need to win, but not a draw with the number (For example, 1-1, 2-2 etc...) in order to go finals.
Atletico Madrid finally get their FIRST win in Europa League. They, aka, away goal specialist, managed to scrap through last 32, 16 and quarter-finals through better away goal. Maybe they will do the same against Liverpool.
Hope Fulham can lift it!!! They really deserve it, the way the eliminated Juventus with never say die spirit!!!
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Originally posted by TIB657M:
But Fulham need to win, but not a draw with the number (For example, 1-1, 2-2 etc...) in order to go finals.
Atletico Madrid finally get their FIRST win in Europa League. They, aka, away goal specialist, managed to scrap through last 32, 16 and quarter-finals through better away goal. Maybe they will do the same against Liverpool.
Hope Fulham can lift it!!! They really deserve it, the way the eliminated Juventus with never say die spirit!!!
a draw can make fulham down ....onli 0-0