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發表於 2005-8-27 11:16 AM
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Fulham v Everton: Preview
Fulham v Everton: Preview
Fulham manager Chris Coleman has stressed the need for his squad to take a "positive" attitude into each Premiership match this season.
The Cottagers have yet to record a victory from their three games so far this season, and were beaten 4-1 by Arsenal at Highbury on Wednesday night.
Coleman, though, was still able to take heart from the showing against the Gunners.
Stand-in goalkeeper Tony Warner saved an early penalty from Lauren, before Claus Jensen gave the visitors a shock 23rd-minute lead with a brilliant dipping effort from just inside the area, although a brace each from Pascal Cygan and Thierry Henry eventually ensured victory for Arsenal.
Coleman feels a "positive" approach will bring results against many lesser sides in the top flight, with whom the west-London club can expect to be jockeying for position over the course of the campaign.
"We can have two different mindsets this season," reflected the Welshman.
"We could have the mindset that, while we should probably not get relegated, we could end up finishing 13th or 14th - that is the easy way to think.
"We have got to think - let's get 40 points as soon as possible and then push on from there. As soon as we get that, we can then go and push on into the top 10.
"That would be a great achievement and we have got to be positive.
"While giving everything for every game, we have got to concentrate on teams around us, they are the big ones for us, the six pointers - there is no hiding from that."
Coleman will be without nine senior players through injury for the clash with Everton at Craven Cottage, including Mark Crossley, Alain Goma, Sylvain Legwinski, Ian Pearce and Mark Pembridge.
But he could be boosted by the return of defender Carlos Bocanegra from a knee problem but one man not set for another run-out in a Fulham shirt is striker Facundo Sava, who has joined Spanish outfit Lorca Deportiva for an undisclosed fee.
The 31-year-old Argentinian made 42 appearances for Fulham, scoring seven goals and delighted fans when he donned a Zorro mask in celebration.
Sava joined Fulham from Gimnasia de Jujuy in the summer of 2002, but after falling down the pecking order, he spent last season on loan at Celta Vigo.
Everton captain David Weir does not expect to see sulking team-mates at Craven Cottage.
David Moyes' side will attempt to put their Champions League defeat behind them against Fulham.
The nature of the 4-2 aggregate defeat to Villarreal in the final qualifying tie on Wednesday added to Everton's disappointment.
With Everton 3-2 down on aggregate and needing a goal to force extra-time, striker Duncan Ferguson found the net, only for his towering header to be controversially ruled out by referee Pierluigi Collina.
Former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan then scored to win the second leg 2-1 for Villarreal and sent Everton into the UEFA Cup.
It's poor compensation for the efforts of last season, when Moyes' men climbed above European champions Liverpool into fourth place in the Premiership.
But Weir told evertonfc.com: "Of course we are disappointed with the game, but we are big enough. We will take it on the chin and move on.
"We aren't sulkers. We won't make something out of it that it isn't. We thought we deserved better, but the Fulham game is the one that counts.
"Every game we have played this season we have given our best and we have not let ourselves and the fans down. We have set our standards and we have to do that week in, week out now."
Weir felt fellow Scot Ferguson was robbed by the referee's decision in Spain.
He said: "It is complete disappointment. We gave so much in the game. I thought we deserved to win and obviously I felt we were unjustly treated.
"There is not even a doubt when you see the replay. It was a great goal, a great header and he pulled something up that was insignificant and disappointing to say the least."
Moyes will monitor the fitness of striker James Beattie ahead of the weekend. He travelled with the party to Spain but failed to make a sufficient recovery from a toe injury.
Everton have lost left-back Alessandro Pistone, who is likely to be sidelined for most of the season with knee ligament damage. |
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