morning papers fulham away

The TimesJanuary 2, 2008
Avram Grant’s raised voice keeps Chelsea in with a shoutFulham 1 Chelsea 2
Matt Dickinson, Chief Sports Correspondent
It is as difficult to imagine Avram Grant in a fury as it is to picture a raging Bruce Forsyth, but the Chelsea first-team coach did blow his top at half-time yesterday. At the very least, he got quite cross. “When the players are sleeping you need to wake them up,” he said, and the late alarm call had the desired effect as Chelsea came from behind to record what was, ultimately, an easy victory.
As well as raising his voice in the interval, Grant also made the crucial decision to replace the ineffective Steve Sidwell with the far more forceful John Obi Mikel. At least we think he made the change. “The owner did it,” Grant said, before adding, helpfully, that it was a joke. Perhaps cracking them is his new year’s resolution.
With another victory confounding those Chelsea supporters who imagine Grant simply to be a stopgap before the real successor to José Mourinho arrives, the Israeli could afford to be content, although he would be well advised not to get cocky before far tougher tests in the spring.
Already without nine first-team players yesterday, he is about to lose Michael Essien, Salomon Kalou and Mikel to the African Cup of Nations. He must hope that forthcoming opponents are as lacking in punch as Fulham, who tried hard enough in front of Roy Hodgson, their new manager, but are now the Barclays Premier League’s specialists at failing to hang on to a lead.
This was Hodgson’s first game as a top-flight manager since he was dismissed by Blackburn Rovers in November 1998 and, if it is not quite a hopeless cause that he has inherited, it will soon become one unless Fulham quickly stop a run of three draws and six defeats.
They took the lead yesterday through Danny Murphy’s tenth-minute penalty, after Joe Cole had caught Moritz Volz on the ankle, but badly lacked the outlet of Brian McBride and the dash of Jimmy Bullard. Both long-term absentees could be back at the end of the month, by which time Fulham may have been cut adrift with Derby County.
Thirty of the 37 goals Fulham have conceded this season have come in the second half and they never looked capable of resisting Chelsea once it was obvious that Grant had used the interval to rouse his team from their slumbers.
“It was a bit loud in the dressing-room at half-time,” Michael Ballack said. “We could not keep playing like that. We put more pressure on Fulham from the first minute.”
Replacing Sidwell with Mikel allowed Essien to move into a more attacking midfield position and, in turn, that gave Ballack the chance to be more influential. “Everything was wrong in the first half,” Grant said. “We didn’t play well, we lost too many passes. We needed to control the midfield better and we did that.”
Chelsea drew level nine minutes after half-time, when Juliano Belletti’s corner was headed back across the area by Alex. Kalou rose to nod from close range past Antti Niemi. The Ivory Coast striker might have scored earlier had he shown even a passing acquaintance with the offside law.
The lead for Chelsea came in the 62nd minute when Clint Dempsey, finding himself defending on the wrong side of Ballack, lightly tugged at the Germany player’s sleeve. It was not the sort of contact normally required to fell a hulking athlete but Ballack, as the world knows, is remarkably easy to knock over when in or around the penalty area.
Captain in the absence of John Terry and Frank Lampard, Ballack stepped up to take the spot-kick and, having dispatched the winner into the bottom corner, he also left with the man-of-the-match champagne. Not a bad haul from his first full 90 minutes after a long-term ankle injury and, to cap it all, the Chelsea supporters were even singing his name by the final whistle.
“Ballack cannot be at his best after eight months out and with three games in a short time, but he’s doing well,” Grant said. “We have some leaders in this team and he’s one of them. And I like intelligent footballers.”
Fulham did not have an attempt on goal worth mentioning in the last 20 minutes, although Hodgson managed to find some positives. “Our first-half performance was really quite good,” he said. “Even when we went 2-1 down, there was no lack of fight or spirit.”
For his part, Grant resisted the temptation to mention the occasion when a certain Portuguese manager came to Craven Cottage, in March 2006, and watched a similarly lifeless opening by Chelsea. Mourinho responded by hauling off Joe Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips after less than half an hour but could not stop Chelsea slumping to their only defeat by Fulham in the past 28 years.
There was a far happier outcome yesterday thanks to a spot of tinkering and a few harsh words. “I can break a chair if I need to,” Grant said. “If everybody is nervous you have to be calm. If people are sleeping, then you have not to be calm.”
He has lost only twice in 23 matches as Chelsea first-team coach, although, coming against Manchester United and Arsenal, they were hardly insignificant defeats.
Fulham (4-4-2): A Niemi — E Omozusi, C Bocanegra, D Stefanovic, P Konchesky — M Volz (sub: Seol Ki Hyeon, 68min), S Davis (sub: A Smertin, 70), D Murphy, S Davies — D Kamara (sub: D Healy, 77), C Dempsey. Substitutes not used: A Warner, S Kuqi. Booked: Stefanovic.
Chelsea (4-3-3): Hilário — J Belletti, Alex, T Ben Haim, W Bridge — S Sidwell (sub: J O Mikel 45), M Essien, M Ballack — S Wright-Phillips (sub: C Pizarro, 88), S Kalou, J Cole (sub: P Ferreira, 90). Substitutes not used: R Taylor, S Sinclair.
Referee: M Halsey.
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Telegraph:Grant lets rip leaving Fulham near the dropBy Henry Winter at Craven Cottage
Fulham (1) 1 Chelsea (0) 2
It is difficult to warm to Avram Grant, a cold fish of Arctic salmon proportions, but Chelsea's cheerless manager made two key moves at half-time that turned the tide away from Fulham down by the Thames yesterday.
With Fulham responding enthusiastically to Roy Hodgson's command, and leading through a penalty from the outstanding Danny Murphy, Grant let rip at his shrinking violets in the dressing room. "I was not happy," said Grant, admitting a surprising volatility. "If I can break a chair, I will."
Chelsea's manager just needed to break his players' lethargic mood. Grant's invective, which Michael Ballack confirmed had been a "bit loud", shook up Ballack and company and a tactical switch gave Chelsea greater direction.
John Obi Mikel replaced the markedly ineffectual Steve Sidwell, allowing Michael Essien to join Ballack in raiding forward. Asked whether it had been his idea to make the change, Grant replied: "It was the decision of the owner [Roman Abramovich] to bring Mikel on." Such are the complex politics of life at Chelsea, Grant stressed: "No, it was my decision!"
The perception of the Israeli as Abramovich's puppet is overstated, and Grant deserves credit for the transformation. "They were more determined, and played better football," said Grant. Salomon Kalou swiftly equalised before a revitalised Ballack made it 10 points from the four-game festive period.
With so many driving forces like John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba injured, Ballack's return to fitness and form is well timed. "We have leaders here, but Ballack has spent all his life as captain, even with Germany, and now here," observed Grant.For Fulham, the New Year simply brought a reminder of old woes, notably a brittle confidence and paucity of options. Of the 37 Premier League goals they have conceded, 30 have arrived after the break. Fulham have now dropped 22 points from winning positions.
Signs of hope exist, such as the promising full-back Elliot Omozusi, the industry of Murphy and Simon Davies plus the potential goal threat of David Healy, but the malaise of throwing away leads must be cured.
After 32 years in management, Hodgson has the experience and knowledge to tackle the task, although he will require substantial funds to strengthen during the transfer window.
"If there are players who can make us better, we would be interested," said Hodgson. "We are missing a lot of first-team players, who will make the team stronger. And if Jimmy Bullard and Brian McBride can come back in January, they will be like new signings for us.
"It is pretty obvious the balance isn't quite right; we have a lot of similar-type players. We knew we would be in danger of set-plays because we are quite a small team and Chelsea are strong and robust. I did not come into the job naively. I don't think I was appointed naively. We must just get on with the work."
Hodgson has endured darker moments, such as at Bristol City. "I was not sacked there," he recalled, "but I was made a 10p-in-the-pound creditor when they went out of business. That was such an obvious relegation situation when we were playing with eight juniors, two reserves and one full professional."
Fulham's resources are stronger than that, but they needed more than a half of Murphy to sustain them yesterday. Embodying Fulham's early promise, Murphy had torn into Chelsea, rattling into tackles on Ballack, Sidwell and Essien in quick succession.
Stirred by Murphy, Fulham's heightened tempo brought quick reward. After 10 minutes, Moritz Volz stormed into Chelsea's area, eluding the sluggish Wayne Bridge before being caught by Joe Cole. Mark Halsey pointed to the spot and Murphy did the rest.
Chelsea were as insipid as Fulham were inspired. The visitors' typically vocal contingent cannot have been impressed by the sight of Juliano Belletti pulling out of a tackle as Davies thundered in. Fulham seemed to want victory more. But only for 45 minutes.
Half-time brought a turnaround in every sense. Life drained away from Murphy and Fulham. Gone were the busy ambush parties. Gone were the quick attacks. Chelsea accepted the space and the opportunity gratefully and raced forward, with Mikel anchoring.
Within nine minutes, Chelsea had the goal their raised intensity deserved. Shaun Wright-Phillips' corner-taking had been consistently poor, so Belletti assumed responsibility. His first delivery flew to Alex, unmarked. The Brazilian firmly headed back across to Kalou, who stole in front of Volz to nod home.
Victory duly arrived when Ballack fell to the ground after his shirt was tugged by Clint Dempsey. The German jumped up and slotted the ball low and hard past Antti Niemi.
Hodgson rang the changes, introducing Seol Ki-Hyeon, Alexei Smertin and Healy but, with Mikel shielding the back four so diligently, Fulham could not break through. "There was no lack of fighting spirit, but we need points," said Hodgson.
Man of the matchMichael Ballack (Chelsea) 8
• 15 ball recoveries• Won six tackles --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Indy:
Fulham 1 Chelsea 2: Chelsea's wake-up call alarms Hodgson By Jason Burt New year, new hope, new manager – but same old failing. Fulham's ritual second-half capitulation cost them dearly in Roy Hodgson's first game in charge just as it had so fatally undermined his predecessor, Lawrie Sanchez. Nine times now a lead has been squandered this season and, with that statistic, a staggering 22 points have been thrown away. But this loss will hurt most of all. As well as the points, the local bragging rights also went back up the New Kings Road as Chelsea, so abject for the first 45 minutes, turned matters around.
It will be even more painful for Fulham in that the defeat came courtesy of the softest of penalties, with Michael Ballack tumbling easily as Clint Dempsey held his shirt. It was Chelsea's stand-in captain himself who seized the ball and calmly stroked it into the net. It was also the 30th goal – of the 37 Fulham have in the debit column –conceded in the second half of games by the home side. "The penalty is a subject of discussion," said Hodgson, whom was taking control of his first game in England for 10 years, "but if you have any luck it wouldn't have been awarded."
Ballack, finally injury-free, took responsibility then and he took responsibility throughout the second period, dragging his team back into proceedings. Maybe Chelsea have a new player in him, as well, as they desperately search to plug the gaps that have appeared due to their horrendous injury list. That has taken another turn for the worse with the news that John Terry has suffered a setback in his recovery from a broken foot.
There was encouragement in Ballack for Chelsea's manager, Avram Gran, and there was, obviously, encouragement in the result, but as against Newcastle United last weekend, Chelsea were fortunate to win. Still, they have garnered 10 points from the Christmas programme.
The key to victory yesterday was a half-time switch in which the anonymous Steve Sidwell was withdrawn and John Obi Mikel introduced, with Grant reorganising his midfield, freeing Michael Essien of the shackles of being the holding player. "It was a bit loud in the dressing room but we saw we couldn't keep playing like we did in the first-half," Ballack said of the response of Grant and – more likely – that of his volcanic assistant Henk ten Cate. "At half-time when the players are sleeping, sometimes you have to wake them," Grant said. "Everything was wrong."
If the second half belonged to Ballack, the first period was Danny Murphy's. It was a tale of two midfielders. For a while Murphy pulled the strings, playing with industry and imagination. As the game ran away from Fulham, however, he became as drained as the rest of his team-mates, even if Hodgson maintained that there had been "fight, spirit, determination" until the end.
The new man was more on the mark when he questioned "the balance of the team" he has inherited. He predicted that this month, with the transfer window open, would be a busy time at Craven Cottage and it needs to be if Fulham are to survive.
Still as the opening minutes unfolded, there was encouragement. The game was taken to Chelsea, with Simon Davies a bundle of energy down the left and Moritz Volz striving down the right. It was the latter who won Fulham's penalty, even if it was cleverly constructed by Murphy, who shielded the ball, bought time and space from Ballack and released the makeshift midfielder, who cut inside Wayne Bridge before being clipped by the backtracking Joe Cole. Cole has an unfortunate habit of conceding in such a way and Murphy did not waste the chance, carefully placing his spot-kick beyond Hilario's grasp.
Poor as Chelsea were, they still created two clear opportunities. Shaun Wright-Phillips, clean through, dragged a shot wide, while Salomon Kalou's attempt to flick the ball over Antti Niemi only narrowly failed. However, in the main, the visitors over-hit passes, lacked coordination and played long-ball football. Their best hope was the set piece. Once Cole and Wright-Phillips were stood down from delivery duties, Juliano Belletti took over and suddenly Chelsea were more threatening. Bigger and more imposing, as Hodgson pointed out, they levelled when Alex met Belletti's corner and headed it back across goal for Kalou to fling himself in front of Volz to head home.
It totally changed the dynamics of the game. Eight minutes later, Ballack scored his penalty after being fouled as he attempted to reach Belletti's free-kick. Moments later he swung a free-kick of his own narrowly wide and, although Fulham tried to hit back, it was Chelsea who came closest to scoring again when Claudio Pizarro made a hash of a volley. It meant Fulham lost again.
Are they simply just not good enough? "Managers don't say that," Hodgson said. Not in public, at least. He certainly has his work cut out.
Goals: Murphy pen (10) 1-0; Kalou (54) 1-1; Ballack pen (62 ) 1-2.
Fulham (4-4-2): Niemi; Omozusi, Stefanovic, Bocanegra, Konchesky; Volz (Seol, 68), Murphy, Davis (Smertin, 70), Davies; Dempsey, Kamara (Healy, 77). Substitutes not used: Warner (gk), Kuqi.
Chelsea (4-3-3): Hilario; Belletti, Alex, Ben Haim, Bridge; Ballack, Essien, Sidwell (Mikel, h-t); Wright-Phillips (Pizarro, 88), Kalou, J Cole (Ferreira, 89). Substitutes not used: Taylor (gk), Sinclair.
Referee: M Halsey (Lancashire).
Booked: Fulham Stefanovic.
Man of the match: Ballack.
Attendance: 25,357.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Grant blows his top and Fulham go under to Essien
Dominic Fifield at Craven CottageWednesday January 2, 2008The Guardian
The real Avram Grant may just have revealed himself. Normally monotone and dour, the odd dose of sarcasm disturbing the deadpan, the Israeli cracked at half-time having been enraged by a wretched first-half display. "When the players are sleeping you need to wake them up," he conceded in after yesterday's match. The quiet man has found his voice.Chelsea continue to feature in the title race and that, in itself, is remarkable - they have won 10 points over the festive period despite having to play virtually a reserve side as the manager plots a shopping spree. Grant's fury here might have partly reflected the reality that he had contributed to handicapping his own side by bafflingly asking Michael Essien rather than Mikel John Obi to anchor midfield. But that alone did not justify the visitors' sloppiness.
They deservedly trailed as the teams went in at half-time, Grant seething as he marched across the turf to deliver his criticisms. "It was a bit loud in the dressing room at half-time," admitted Michael Ballack. "We needed that. We couldn't keep playing like we had in the first half. We had to change a lot and put more pressure on Fulham from the first minute.""If I need to I can throw a tea cup or break a chair," Grant said. "Everything was wrong in that first half. We lost too many passes, we missed two great chances - one-on-ones - and we hadn't turned up. As a manager your job is to do the right thing to achieve a result. You don't have a lot of time [at the interval] but you have to use what time you have well. If the team is nervous, you have to be calm. But if people are too calm , you must be excited. We needed more control in midfield."
Steve Sidwell, a bit-part player whose impact at Chelsea has been negligible, has played the fall guy before this season. Jose Mourinho substituted him at the interval at the Madejski Stadium back in August with the side losing 1-0, the revamped line-up promptly scoring twice in five minutes. The current crop needed slightly longer to transform this occasion but the comeback was just as ruthless.
With Mikel introduced to the anchoring role and Essien liberated - "That was the owner's decision," joked Grant - Chelsea pushed Fulham back. They did not take long to crack. Alex's header back across the six-yard box and Salomon Kalou's thumped finish restored parity and Ballack's eager fall as Clint Dempsey tugged at his shirt some eight minutes later won a penalty that the German himself converted. Instantly hope was sapped from Fulham.
Roy Hodgson was appointed only on Friday, taking charge officially after Saturday's draw at Birmingham, but already he will have seen why his new team are anchored in the relegation zone. Fulham have scored the first goal in nine games this season and not won any of them, with 22 points effectively passed up en route. Just as damning is that 30 of the 37 goals they have conceded have been in the second half, suggesting this is a side with brittle confidence who wilt far too often.
The new manager was loth to denounce their fitness levels, though he conceded that the balance of the team is awkward. "That's partly because of the players we have out injured at the moment but we have a lot of similar type players in the team," he said. "We're quite a small team - Chelsea were quite a strong, aerobic side. But you won't hear from me that the team aren't good enough, even if January is going to be a very hectic month."
Strength in midfield and pace and bite up front are desperately required. Danny Murphy displayed some of the former in shifting possession to Diomansy Kamara 10 minutes in, the striker slipping Moritz Volz into the area to draw Joe Cole's foul and win an early penalty. But Murphy, who converted from the spot, faded as the game went on. By the end, with Fulham desperate, his decision-making and distribution had disintegrated.
Others disappeared altogether, run ragged as Chelsea's reserves poured at them. "We are missing a lot of first-team players, players who'll make the team stronger," added Hodgson. "Chelsea can argue the same thing but, frankly, they're in a much better situation than us to cover for their absentees.
"I didn't see anything today to surprise me. I didn't come into the job naively. I don't think I was appointed naively. We have to do what needs to be done."
The Ghanaian will be missed when he goes to the African Cup of Nations, just as much as Didier Drogba. His energy in the second period got Chelsea back into this contest.
Man of the match Michael Essien
Best moment The late, lung-bursting run from which he all but collected Shaun Wright-Phillips' reverse pass. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mail:
Avram rant brings familar resolution as Chelsea march onFulham 1 (Murphy pen 11) Chelsea 2 (Kalou 54, Ballack pen 60)
By MATT BARLOW
A New Year but the same old story. Football remains a game of two halves. Fulham still take the lead and throw it away and Chelsea still grind out results with a relentless efficiency to keep them firmly in the title chase despite a catalogue of missing players.
The only wind of change breezing through Craven Cottage came in the form of a verbal blast from the normally quiet and composed Chelsea boss Avram Grant, who felt the need at half-time to shock his team out of their lunchtime lethargy.
It did the trick. The visitors had slipped behind to an early Danny Murphy penalty but Salomon Kalou equalised soon after the break and Michael Ballack won the match from the spot, in the 62nd minute.
'Angry? If I need to I can break a chair in the dressing room,' said Grant with a smile. 'I wasn't happy with the first half. Everything was wrong. We didn't press well, move the ball well or make good passes.
'The manager's job is to do the right thing. When you see your players sleeping at half-time you need to wake them up. When a team is nervous the manager has to be calm and when they are too calm the manager has to be excited.
'We changed a little bit at halftime and the players had more determination. I was proud of them in the second half. Everything was better. They gave everything. We played good football and could have scored more goals.'
Roy Hodgson, in his first game as Fulham boss, received an illustration of their season in a nutshell and of the problems he must overcome if he is to keep them in the Barclays Premier League.
Nine times this season, the club have taken the lead and failed to win. Thirty of the 37 goals they have conceded in the League have come in the second half. The statistics drove his predecessor Lawrie Sanchez to distraction and Hodgson now understands his frustrations.
'Our first-half performance was really quite good,' said Hodgson, who has halved the planned twoday break for the players in order to start working out problems on the training ground tomorrow.
'Even when we went 2-1 down, there was no lack of fight, spirit or determination to stick to a game plan. They are the positives but a defeat is a defeat. We need points. I can't be happy having lost the game.'
Without their spine of Petr Cech, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, Chelsea invited early pressure from a team eager to impress their new boss.
Diomansy Kamara forced Hilario into a low save inside two minutes and the third-choice goalkeeper was soon fishing the ball out of his net after a dubious penalty.
Moritz Volz jinked inside from the right flank, beat Wayne Bridge and, seeing Joe Cole tracking back to challenge, waited for the striker to make contact.
When he obliged, Volz hit the ground with little encouragement, referee Mark Halsey pointed to the penalty spot and Murphy sent Hilario the wrong way.
Chelsea spluttered through to half time when the introduction of John Mikel Obi, on for Steven Sidwell, gave their depleted team a better balance. Obi dictated a much healthier tempo in the midfield holding position and his presence released Michael Essien into a more rampaging role.
Referee Halsey ignored a penalty appeal when Dejan Stefanovic accidentally handled under pressure from Shaun Wright-Phillips but Kalou pounced in the 54th minute to level the scores.
Alex won the first header from a Cole corner kick and Kalou skipped between Simon Davies and Volz to head into the net from close range.
Any grievances Chelsea were harbouring about the Fulham opener were erased as Halsey gave them a penalty of their own when Clint Dempsey pulled back Ballack by his shirt as the pair tussled to reach a deep free kick from Juliano Belletti.
Ballack, captain in the absence of so many others, climbed to his feet to score confidently his second goal since returning to the team on Boxing Day, after eight months out with an ankle injury.
Grant said: 'He can't be at his best after only three games. But he has been a leader all his life. He can score goals, make assists and he is important for us. Football is becoming more tactical and more physical. You need intelligent players and he is an intelligent player.'
Ballack went close to a third with a swerving free-kick as he completed his first 90 minutes since his ankle operation in April.
The return to fitness of the Germany captain has been a ray of light in a bleak mid winter of injury setbacks for Grant.
Ballack said: 'It was loud in the dressing room at half-time. But in the second half we played like Chelsea can play and we deserved it. We couldn't keep playing like we played in the first half. We needed a result.'
FULHAM (4-4-1-1): Niemi 6; Omozusi 6, Bocanegra 7, Stefanovic 6, Konchesky 7; Volz 6 (Seol 68min, 5), Murphy 7, Davis 7 (Smertin 70, 6), Davies 8; Dempsey 6; Kamara 5 (Healy 77). Booked: Stefanovic.
CHELSEA (4-3-3): Hilario 6; Belletti 5, Ben Haim 6, Alex 6, Bridge 6; Sidwell 5 (Obi 46, 8), Essien 7, Ballack 7; Wright- Phillips 6 (Pizarro 88), Kalou 7, J Cole 7 (Ferreira 90).
Man of the match: Jon Mikel Obi.
Referee: Mark Halsey. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sun:
By MARK IRWIN
HE is manager of the richest club in the world with a squad of international superstars and access to Roman Abramovich’s billions.
Yet Avram Grant still looks like a man with an imminent appointment with the gallows.
Chelsea boss Grant was unable to raise a smile as he watched his patched-up team grind out another victory to remain firmly in contention for silverware on four fronts.
But surely if anyone had a reason to look down in the dumps it was new Fulham boss Roy Hodgson?
His welcome back to the Premier League ended in defeat despite a spirited performance in the first 45 minutes which made Chelsea look ordinary.
Even the sight of a revitalised Michael Ballack securing the victory to keep Chelsea snapping at the heels of Arsenal and Manchester United could not dispel Grant’s hang-dog look.
For the first time since taking over from Jose Mourinho in September, the Stamford Bridge boss was forced to reach for the hairdryer.
Chelsea had been so poor during a shocking first-half performance that there was a real danger of their title ambitions ending with 4½ months of the race still to run.
They trailed to a 10th-minute penalty, converted by Danny Murphy after Joe Cole had clipped Moritz Volz in the box.
It was not the most crunching of tackles from Cole but he was hardly in any position to complain about people going down too easily.
And it was no more than Fulham deserved for 45 minutes during which they worked like a team of Polish builders.
Hodgson did not exactly get a rousing reception from the Fulham fans as he slipped into the dugout almost unnoticed.
Yet he was delighted with the response he got from his players as they showed the kind of desire and commitment they did not always manage under their former boss Lawrie Sanchez.
But, ultimately, it was still not enough for Hodgson.
And if the former Blackburn boss was under any illusions about the size of the task ahead he now knows that he is going to earn every penny of the £1million he has been promised if he keeps Fulham up.
This is Hodgson’s 16th different coaching job in all corners of the globe during the last 25 years, a track record which does not exactly suggest he will be in it for the long haul.

But trying to halt the decline at Craven Cottage to keep Mohamed Fayed’s team in the Premier League is quite enough to be getting on with.
Yet if ever there was a good time to be facing Chelsea, this was it.
The visitors were without the injured John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Petr Cech, Claude Makelele and Andriy Shevchenko as well as the suspended Ricardo Carvalho.
But Grant still decided to start the match with Ashley Cole in the stand and Mikel Jon Obi on the bench — a mistake which he quickly rectified at the interval by taking off the struggling Steve Sidwell.
Mikel’s introduction, in tandem with Grant’s half-time rollicking, finally had the desired effect.
A Chelsea team which had looked jaded and disinterested were suddenly snapping into the tackle, closing down opponents and passing the ball to their own colleagues.
Fulham immediately sensed the tide had turned, dropping deeper and deeper in a forlorn attempt to protect their lead.
It was a tactic which worked for all of eight minutes of the second half before Chelsea levelled, Salomon Kalou heading home from close range after Alex had helped on Juliano Belletti’s corner.
How ironic that Kalou should use his head to score after spending the entire first-half brainlessly straying into offside positions against the slowest defence in the Premier League.
The game was now up for Fulham and eight minutes later they were put out of their misery when American Clint Dempsey was penalised for pulling at Ballack’s shirt as they competed for another Belletti free-kick.
Like his compatriot Volz, Ballack did not exactly need much encouragement to go to ground.
But he bravely ignored the pain of his grazed knees to send keeper Antti Niemi the wrong way from the penalty spot.
It was the ninth time this season that Fulham had scored the first goal yet failed to win the game. And on this showing it is hard to see how they are going to get out of the bottom three.
They should be delighted to see the back of 2007, a year in which they won just four Premier League games, sacked two managers — Sanchez and Chris Coleman last April — and escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth.
Yet with only three points from their last nine games, the first half of 2008 is not looking any brighter.
Grant might point to an entire team on the sidelines — and his problems will only get worse when Kalou, Mikel and Michael Essien all head off to the African Nations Cup next week.
But at least he has the likes of Ballack, Alex and Shaun Wright-Phillips to fall back on as well as the limitless possibility of new signings during the January transfer window.
All Hodgson has inherited from his predecessor is a squad of ageing duffers and a limited budget for recruitment.
And no amount of hard work on the training ground is going to change that.