It`s the big game tonight!
After entering the competition at the qualifying stage we now stand on the precipice of either dropping out at the group stage or marching on to the next stage.
Odense BK stand between us and a continuation of our European journey, with three separate scenarios being enough to see Fulham through.
The first being a Fulham win, the second being if we match Wisla Kracow`s score against FC Twente and the third being if we lose and Wisla only draw.
We enter the fixture without the suspended Andrew Johnson and with their being intense speculation over the future of Bobby Zamora.
Dropped from the eighteen that went to Swansea, Zamora must return tonight and with rumours growing of a supposed rift between Bobby and Martin Jol filling several column inches, Jol used his pre-match press conference to try and clarify the situation, commenting,
“There will be one or two in the starting eleven who don`t like me. But it`s about doing the business for the club and getting the best out of them. It`s not provocation, its inspiration and trying to stimulate them. It`s never personal.”
“Even when I don`t like them, I wouldn`t tell them. I am a good actor.”
“Some players are nice to you and you have a good relationship. But nothing is as it seems and some players sulk. I have to be honest and open.”
“Has Bobby sulked? We`re different. I like him. In any team you have pressure to perform. I had the same with Andy Johnson and Danny Murphy.”
“I hope I can get the best out of Bobby. There are players who want to play in every game. But I can`t make all the players happy by playing them all the time.”
“It was the same a couple of months ago. I left him out when we went to Odense and he was moaning he was not going with us. I thought I did a good thing resting him. But players always have different opinions. For me the main thing is that we get the best out of them and they give 100 per cent.”
“I feel we are on a good track. If you look at his best season he scored eight league goals. He is on three now.”
“I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago and he told me ‘I love this club.”
“I love the team. There`s not one player who has told me he doesn`t want to play for this club.”
I don`t know about you but those words only left me more confused than ever.
But, putting the squabbling aside, here`s one editor who is hoping that we can do the business tonight and then head off into the latter stages of a competition that so enthralled us two years ago.
COYW
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