Source: Daily_Mail
Home comforts for Roy Hodgson as he vows to earn final spot after awayday stalemate
Confident: Fulham boss Roy Hodgson[LNB]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.[LNB]He said: 'We must be very happy. We played against a good team and the journey was not the best. [LNB]'It handed us a ready-made excuse not to play as we can and I am delighted we did not do that.[LNB]'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.'[LNB]'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. [LNB]'Not many people leave stadiums at half-time, or go for a cup of tea thinking the game has been won.[LNB]'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.[LNB]VIDEO: Hodgson draw delight...'The tie is open but I am delighted about that because it is very easy to put yourself out of contention.'[LNB]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.[LNB]Hodgson said: 'He has had this problem for some time. He has missedone or two league games but he felt okay and we hope he would getthrough the game.[LNB]'But even in the first half he wasstruggling with it. The medical staff gave him the all-clear to startthe second half but they warned me I might have to take him off.[LNB] Up for grabs: Fulham produced an excellent defensive display in Hamburg[LNB]'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.'[LNB]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.'[LNB]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.[LNB]'They only had a few chances really but they were coming at us towards the end,' said Schwarzer.[LNB] Hamburg 0 Fulham 0: Roy's well organised boys withstand German onslaughtEUROPA LEAGUE LIVE: Diego Forlan sinks Liverpool in Madrid and Fulham see out battling draw in Hamburg - as it happened. Martin Keown: Why Fulham can't trust my old enemy Ruud van NistelrooyAtletico Madrid 1 Liverpool 0: Leg-weary Liverpool miss Fernando Torres as former United striker makes it advantage AtleticoFULHAM FC
