Votz interview in the programme

My new scanner finally arrived today, 18 months after I broke my last one. As part of the testing I have scanned in Moritz Volz's inteview in the Stoke City programme.

I have already read it, so I thought if I posted it here you can all tell me if the OCR/scanner bundle is good or not

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Throughout the history of football, players have swapped positions as and when needs be. Men like Dion Dublin and Chris Sutton have rotated between centre back and centre forward. Even Thierry Henry was used, quite unthinkably, as a wing back during his Juventus days. Yet Fulham's No. 2 doesn't look like the sort of player that fills in when needs be, he looks like a player who deserves his role in the middle. When Chris Coleman has a full complement of players back they will be challenging to displace Fulham's new central midfield signing: Moritz Volz.

At the beginning of the season Coleman opted to start with Liam Rosenior at right back, a decision that came as a body blow to Moritz "It was a huge disappointment not to start as first choice right back at the beginning of the season; Volz says. "Having to watch games from the bench, it was killing me inside:"

However a spate of injuries to Fulham's midfield personnel allowed Moritz his chance of First Team action, initially on the right side of a four before being paired up with Michael Brown in the centre against Middlesbrough in December. Volz hasn't looked back since, revelling in his new position and taking on the mantle of central midfielder as if it had always been his role. "I got my chance in midfield and I have tried to make the most of it," he says. "I have had a couple of good games in the centre of the park and I hear reports saying that it should remain my position as I can influence the game a little bit more. I have enjoyed the attacking side and being constantly involved, but it is not for me to decide which is the position that I am best suited to for Fulham:'

You need look no further than new Captain Michael Brown for an endorsement of Volzs ability in the middle, a plaudit that Moritz is only too happy to accept "For me that is the biggest compliment of all - when your team-mate says how much he enjoys playing with you," Volz says. "You can get man of the match in the newspaper but that doesn't mean half as much to you as when the guy you're playing next to says how well you're doing.

"I have really enjoyed playing with him; we have given some energetic performances. For both of us, the first part of our game is to play with high amounts of commitment and an eagerness to win and perform. I think the other parts of our game come from that."

Mention that Volz has scored more goals than Browny this season and a slight smirk crosses the German's face. "It's a nice feeling to have more goals than him definitely' says Moritz. "Browny keeps telling me to sit back and let him go forward and score a goal but I think it's just the fact that he is too slow in getting up there!

"I wanted to set him up for one during the Spurs game because he would have enjoyed that But I think in the end as long as we as a team are getting the right results then that's all that matters."

Having scored against Aston Villa earlier in the season, Volz's second League goal gave Fulham a surprise lead in December's superb West London derby. Not only did the game give Fulham a valuable away point, but Moritz wrote himself into the Premiership history books in the process with the League's 15,000th goal. "It was a weird situation as I had no idea about the significance of the goal," says Volz, "There was a huge thing made out of it after the game. I came back in and everyone wanted to speak to me all of a sudden. As good as it is to have achieved this, it was surpassed by the feeling of scoring such an important goal, against such a rival, at their own ground. This was an even more amazing feeling for me."

A feeling that might surpass that would be the opportunity to lift the FA Cup at the new Wembley stadium in May, an opportunity that is not lost on Volz. "It is still a very special competition that every player wants to do well in, irrespective of League, Premiership or Conference, to go on a good cup run is something that would be special to any player.

"In my first season here we had a good run in which we got to the sixth round, eventually going out to Manchester United. But since then we haven't done so well - it is definitely a situation I would like to rectify. We have to take it game by game and today will be tough, we know this. It is their game of the season today, but it is just as important for us. We win today and we are a step closer to the Final:'

The FA Cup kicks off in January for all Premiership clubs and coincides with the busiest time of the Premier League in terms of transfers as sides look to bolster their squads in preparation for the make-or-break months ahead. Fulham started by recruiting the promising American international Clint Dempsey and Serie A hitman Vincenzo Montella, two acquisitions that Moritz argues "highlight the ambitions" of the Club.

"The signing of Clint is an exciting one:' he says. "From what I have seen of him he looks like a very good player and one who will really benefit our squad. I think getting Vincenzo was a massive coup for the Club, he brings a different element to our game, his track record speaks for itself and he has started off in great form here already. He is a lively character, he loves to get out there on the training pitch and get involved with the ball. Together they can only help this Club with its ambitions:'

Today Moritz's ambition will be to add to his tally of three goals for the season, yet despite scoring what he describes as "the goal of the season' against Aston Villa and his first FA Cup goal against Leicester City, it is the kudos that come with the 15,000th Premiership goal he enjoys the most "I can't wait for the time when I am at a pub quiz in 20 years time and they ask who scored the 15,000th Premiership goal, I will be able to say, 'Me!"'

 

Looks like it works pretty good.. run it thru spellcheck?

 

Latest: He's also going to write for the Times

 

Re: RE: Votz interview in the programme

I did nothing to the article, I pasted it as copied by the OCR software.

Good work on the Times link. I will buy it monday if I remember and post the column.

 

Thanks for the scan, GBFC! Very much worth it.

I loved the "Me!" at the end.