Fulham 5 Norwich 0: Five-star Cottagers are fine without wantaway Dempsey

Fulham showed they can manage admirably without Clint Dempsey with a stunning opening-day victory.

The United States striker, fined for refusing to play in the game as he tries to force a move to Liverpool, was not missed in the slightest as Martin Jol's side turned on the style.
Although the fans chanted 'Are you watching, Clint Dempsey?'

Easy does it: Mladen Petric was in scintillating form as he took apart the Norwich defence

MATCH FACTS

Fulham: Schwarzer, Riether, Hangeland, Hughes, Riise, Duff (Kasami 74min), Diarra, Dembele, Kacaniklic, Ruiz (Sidwell 81min), Petric (Rodallega 68min). Subs not used: Stockdale, Kelly, Baird, Halliche.
Scorers: Duff 26, Petric 21, 54, Kacaniklic, 66, Sidwell 87 pen
Norwich: Ruddy, Russell Martin, Ryan Bennett, Turner, Tierney, Pilkington, Howson, Johnson, Surman (Morison 46min), Snodgrass (Elliott Bennett 56min), Holt (Hoolahan 77min). Subs not used: Rudd, Vaughan, Barnett, Lappin.
Referee: Michael Oliver.
Attendance: 26,062.

Jol refused to gloat and has not given up hope that the club's leading scorer last season will remain at Craven Cottage.
'It was an awkward situation,' said the Fulham manager. 'There was no bid on the table but maybe Clint knows more than us. Hopefully, he will play for us again.'
On this evidence big clubs could move in for other Fulham stars, with the watching Sir Alex Ferguson sure to have been impressed by Moussa Dembele, for whom the Manchester United manager is rumoured to have already made a bid.
The Belgium midfielder, so well balanced and clever on the ball, was outstanding in a fluent Fulham display. But so were Mahamadou Diarra, Alex Kacaniklic and Bryan Ruiz.
Then there was Mladen Petric, the 31-year-old bought from Hamburg to score goals, who netted twice on his Premier League debut. What a start for him and the team. The fans sang 'Don't leave us, Moussa' but Jol was unfazed. 'Moussa is different (to Dempsey),' he said.
'He wants to play every game, he wants to play for Fulham, and that's what I like.'

And we're off: Damien Duff opened the scoring for Fulham at Craven Cottage

Rare surge: Anthony Pilkington (right) and his fellow attacking players could not get into the game

Dropping in at the Cottage: Former Fulham boss and England manager Roy Hodgson was joined by Sir Alex Ferguson at the game

It was no surprise when Fulham went ahead after 26 minutes. Norwich keeper John Ruddy had already produced excellent saves to deny John Arne Riise and Petric, while Ruiz had volleyed over from Ruddy's misplaced clearance. Ruddy was left exposed when Marc Tierney was slow to react to Riise's crossfield pass and Damien Duff nipped in to stab the ball home.
Petric added a second, flicking in Duff's corner, which Johnny Howson, on the line, could not keep out. Fulham showed no signs of letting up after the interval as Petric drove in his second, with the aid of a deflection off Michael Turner.
Kacaniklic finished off a delightful move involving Dembele and Petric before substitute Steve Sidwell added the fifth from the spot after former Sunderland defender Turner, on a miserable debut, had brought down Hugo Rodallega and was lucky not to be sent off.
Norwich were in shock as memories were rekindled of the 7-1 opening-day defeat by Colchester three years ago, which changed their history.
This trouncing will not have the same effect but new manager Chris Hughton has to pick the players up quickly for next Saturday's home clash against QPR, who also lost heavily yesterday.
Hughton said: 'It was a surprise and I certainly didn't see it coming. The performance wasn't acceptable but we know we will lose games in this division. It's a question of how we react.'

Bossed: The likes of Mahamadou Diarra (centre) dominated in the centre of the park

Red hot: Petric bagged two goals and a brilliant assist

Up we go: Petric expertly took his side's second goal

The Cottagers put on a sublime display to tear Norwich apart and demoralise the Canaries fans who had travelled to south-west London hoping to see Chris Hughton win his first match in charge of the Norfolk club.
Petric scored twice after Damien Duff had poked home a brilliant pass from John Arne Riise to open the scoring.
Alex Kacaniklic, chosen to play in Dempsey's position, scored his first Fulham goal to make it 4-0 and substitute Steve Sidwell blasted home a penalty four minutes from the death to seal the rout.
Norwich looked a shadow of the team that finished 12th under Paul Lambert last year, and had it not been for a good performance from John Ruddy, the Canaries could well have conceded seven or eight.
A Fulham victory looked on the cards from the off. The home side started confidently, with Kacaniklic and Bryan Ruiz both swinging in dangerous crosses that just evaded Petric.
Brede Hangeland sent a raking ball over the Norwich defence to find Duff, but Michael Turner came to the Canaries' rescue by nudging the winger out wide.
Norwich raced up the other end and forced Mark Schwarzer into a save when Andrew Surman fired at goal, but that proved to be the visitors' only chance of the first half as Fulham dominated.

Jubilant: The home faithful were treated to a perfect start to the season with the 5-0 hammering

Ruddy's awful clearance landed straight at the feet of Ruiz, but the Costa Rican cleared the bar while the Canaries stopper raced back to his line.
Ruddy made amends by saving well from Riise and Petric, but the Norwich goalkeeper was beaten soon after by Duff's opener.
Riise hit a delightful cross-field pass to find the former Blackburn man and his shot trickled in off Ruddy's outstretched leg.
Fulham almost added a second when Petric found Ruiz in the box but Ryan Bennett raced across the back four to put in a crucial tackle.
The Cottagers had their second from the resulting corner, however, as Petric glanced home Duff's cross in. Jonathan Howson hooked the ball clear, but the linesman correctly ruled it had already crossed the line.
Ruddy pulled off a terrific flying save to deny Ruiz just before half-time as Fulham threatened to run riot.
Hughton brought on Steve Morison for Andrew Surman and switched to 4-4-2, but Norwich were still by far the worst team on the pitch.
Eight minutes into the second half Fulham scored their third.

Contrast: Martin Jol and Chris Hughton (right) look on during the match

Too easy: Fulham's opening game went without a hitch as they battered Norwich 5-0

Ruiz found Petric in space and the Croatian fired home a 30-yard shot that took a wicked deflection off Turner.
Thirteen minutes later it was 4-0. Petric backheeled into the path of Kacaniklic from a Mousa Dembele pass and the 21-year-old finished calmly.
The backheel proved to be Petric's last contribution to the game as he was substituted for fellow debutant Hugo Rodallega.
Bradley Johnson found space on the edge of the Fulham box and forced Schwarzer into a rare save, but the home side hit back and were not willing to settle for four.
Kacaniklic lost his marker after drifting in from the flank and fired a powerful shot that Ruddy did well to save.
Four minutes from the end Fulham were gifted another goal when Turner's awful tackle on Rodallega earned the London club a penalty and Sidwell hammered the spot-kick into the roof of the net.