Fülöp shakes off Gordon’s shadow

Dec 20 2008 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

Márton Fülöp is making the most of a chance that has taken 12 months to come his way. Mark Douglas reports.

AFTER finally establishing himself as a player of Premier League calibre, Sunderland’s unsung goalkeeper Márton Fülöp is ready to call time on his search for a new club.

Fülöp’s emergence from the shadows of Craig Gordon has been one of the few bright spots in the dark days since Sunderland triumphed in the Wear-Tyne derby in October, the giant Hungarian having grown in stature after a shaky start to life in the Premier League.

His personal improvement, underlined by an obdurate display as Sunderland clung on against Manchester United earlier this month, was capped by his maiden top-flight clean sheet last weekend against West Brom and has prompted afresh a determination to stay at the Stadium of Light and cement his place in the post-Roy Keane era.

For a man who has been publicly agitating for a move ever since a club record amount was lavished on Gordon fifteen months ago, it represents a pretty drastic U-turn.

His former boss Keane memorably labelled it as a sad reflection on the state of the game that twenty-first century footballers would rather sit in the stands and pick up their weekly wage than play football, but it is unlikely that he had Fülöp in mind when he made that statement.

Almost immediately after Gordon’s arrival, the Hungarian was looking for a move – joining Leicester on loan to progress his international ambitions before looking for a more permanent exit in the summer.

Having come within a whisker of departing the Black Cats for Stoke in August – he travelled down to the Potteries unaware that Tony Pulis had already lined up Thomas Sørensen – Fülöp again asked to go out on loan at the start of the season as a route to regular first team football.

Gordon’s tweaked hamstring, however, has provided him with an unexpected opportunity that has been eagerly grasped with both hands over the last couple of months.

“It was difficult not being in the team, but you always have to be ready and take your chance when it comes. When Craig first came to the club, the first thing I did was go and ask Roy if I could leave on loan,” he said.

“I need to play football, and I always knew that was going to be difficult once Craig arrived in such a big-money move. I’m here in England to play football. If I’m on the bench, I’m thinking, ‘What am I doing here in England? I might as well be back in Hungary with my family and friends’.

“Now, though, I’m not thinking like that at all. The last few weeks have been brilliant and I just hope they continue. It has been fantastic to play regular football in the Premier League. I’ve really enjoyed it.

“The last few weeks have made me even more determined to stay and keep my place. Once you have had a taste of this league, and of playing for this club in front of a massive home support, you do not want to leave it lightly. I am looking to keep my place in the team for as long as possible now.”

Given Gordon’s inconsistency this season, Fülöp’s frustrations are understandable. Keane’s loyalty to the Scot was steadfast, with the role of goalkeeper seemingly the only position where the former manager opted not to rotate – however hard Fülöp seemed to be pressing.

It means the Hungarian is fully aware of the importance of pressing home his claims while Gordon is out of the equation.

“It does make all the hard times worthwhile. There have been a few tough times for me at Sunderland – when I was not in the team or away from the club on loan – but you can forget about those when you’re playing in the first team and winning,” he said.

“It’s good to get some rewards for the hard work I’ve put in. I just hope there are some more to come.

“It’s important for my international career that I am playing matches for Sunderland. The manager of Hungary has told me that he will only pick players who are playing week in, week out for their club.

I guess my chances are much bigger now I am playing regularly for Sunderland.”

Fülöp’s presence could be pivotal against a buoyant Hull City this afternoon.

Fresh from holding title-chasing Liverpool to a draw at Anfield, the Tigers are talking optimistically about the visit of Ricky Sbragia’s side – and the caretaker expects a rough ridge from a team that have eclipsed Sunderland’s achievement of merely staying in the division.

He sees echoes of his former club Bolton in the blueprint pursued by Phil Brown with success this season.

“Hull have done extremely well. They have a good squad, they are disciplined and organised similar to Bolton, and they have invested in good players. Phil has got them working for each other, and you can see how hard they work during games – the most important thing is trying to win that first ball and we have to compete with them,” Sbragia said.

“We have worked a bit more on how we can play against them. We have to be really difficult to beat – that is an absolute priority.”