Soccer: Giant new hope for Fulham

Brede Hangeland.

When Brede Hangeland joined Fulham six years ago this month, the deal's timing meant he had to watch from the stand while his new club lost 3-0 at home to Arsenal. After Emmanuel Adebayor scored the second of two barely-challenged headers, he received a text from a Fulham employee. "That is why we need u," it read.

This season, Fulham have let in 42 goals, more than any team in the Premier League, including nine at corners. Hangeland has missed three months with a sciatic nerve problem. These facts are related.

Fulham hope their Norwegian giant, who returned last night when Sunderland visited Craven Cottage, can make a difference. With Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg also in line for a comeback and Clint Dempsey making his second home debut after returning on loan from Seattle Sounders, there is renewed belief by the Thames.

However, after taking three points at Everton and beating Manchester United in their League Cup semifinal first leg, Sunderland also have fresh confidence. They won at Fulham last season and a repeat could lift them off the bottom.

Meanwhile, Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana was irritated by the criticism aimed at him following Southampton's complaint against referee Mark Clattenburg, according to goalkeeper Kelvin Davis. The club's complaint about Clattenburg's alleged remarks during the defeat by Everton on December 29 was thrown out by the Football Association and the referees' governing body.

The official was accused of telling Lallana: "You are very different now, since you've played for England - you never used to be like this."

However, club captain Davis has been impressed by Lallana's response, highlighting his decisive goal in last weekend's 4-3 FA Cup defeat of Burnley as a sign of his resilience.

Davis said: "I think after the first day or two he realised that he hadn't done anything wrong ... and then he banged a goal in against Burnley. That kind of epitomises where he is mentally."

- The Independent