As if taking on Premiership title pretenders Leeds United was not going to be hard enough for Fulham, the Elland Road outfit now have god' on their side.

Everyone's favourite scouser Robbie Fowler this week made the decision to quit his beloved Anfield where he is known on The Kop simply as god and join arch-rivals Leeds.

The £11.5 million deal is expected to be clinched in time for Fowler to make his debut for second-placed United at Craven Cottage this Sunday (kick off 2pm).

Limited

Fowler has agreed personal terms with Leeds and subject to a successful medical, which was expected to be completed yesterday is likely to sign a five-year deal which will keep him at Elland Road until 2006.

The 26-year-old striker has been given limited first team opportunities at Anfield under Gerrard Houllier and his turbulent relationship with the Liverpool management culminated in a well-publicised bust-up with assistant manager Phil Thompson earlier this season.

Fowler will be hoping his flagging international and club career can be revived by Leeds manager David O'Leary and he will be keen to impress if he does get the nod to play this weekend.

But Fowler will not be the only threat to Fulham's current good run of form.

Australians Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka will be back from World Cup qualifying duty against Uruguay, while Alan Smith and Lee Bowyer are always more than capable of springing a surprise.

Whoever is selected for their starting line-up, Leeds will not sit back and try to hit Fulham on the break. They like to play attacking football both at home and away.

This may give Fulham more space in which to play, but Louis Saha and Barry Hayles will have their work cut out if they are to get past the likes of Danny Mills, Rio Ferdinand and another former Liverpool player Dominic Matteo.

But, as the Borough News went to press, Fulham had earned three wins and two draws from their last five games and were hoping to reach the quarter-finals of the Worthington Cup by beating Glenn Hoddles' revitalised Tottenham Hotpsur at the Cottage last night.

Morale

So the momentum is with Fulham and the team's morale is increasing with every game they play.

Even the poor finishing which was evident in last Saturday's 0-0 draw away to Bolton Wanderers has not put a damper on things and, after the game, assistant manager Christian Damiano declared himself more than happy.

"I think we played well," he said. "Perhaps we did not create good scoring chances, but we did try to play all the time.

"In the end we have one point and it's a very good point for us, because Bolton had a very good start to the season."

December 4, 2001 15:48