MARTIN JOL'S £20M FOR FULHAM BUILD
Martin Jol was appointed on a two-year deal yesterday
Wednesday June 8,2011
By Tony Banks
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MARTIN JOL will be handed £20million to mount another Europa League campaign and keep Fulham in the Premier League's top 10.
Martin Jol was appointed on a two-year deal yesterday – as the Daily Express revealed last Friday – with an option for another year.
Fulham have moved swiftly to replace Mark Hughes, who quit last Thursday after just a year in charge, during which he guided the club to eighth and a place in the Europa League.
Jol, who has been handed a contract worth £2m a year, was the man Fulham wanted last summer and there were prolonged negotiations before he changed his mind at the last minute when Ajax refused to release him. The club and Jol, 55, have kept in touch since then. He walked away from Ajax last December.
Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed will make available £20m in transfer funds this summer and Jol's first signing is set to be Morocco striker Mounir El Hamdaoui for £5m – from Ajax.
Martin Jol has been handed a contract worth £2m a year
Jol had signed him for Spurs in 2005 but he did not make a first-team appearance. Any extra funds will have to be brought in by sales, with striker Andy Johnson, midfielder Zoltan Gera and defender John Pantsil all possible departures this summer. USA forward Clint Dempsey has also hinted he may be on his way, but Jol is likely to fight to keep him. Jol has brought with him his former assistant at Ajax, Martin Lindeman, as head coach and his brother Cornelius as assistant.
Al Fayed said: "Martin understands my vision for Fulham and believes in what we are striving to achieve. I know he will dedicate himself to helping us move forward and is with us for the long term, to help us build and progress.
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"We have enjoyed three incredibly successful years and my dreams are for that journey to continue. I know that, with his wealth of experience and success, Martin is the right man to help us do this."
Jol added: "Fulham is a wonderful, traditional club, with good, solid foundations and a great fan base.
"I am looking forward to being part of the Fulham family and thank the chairman for the trust he has shown in me. It would be ridiculous to say that I'm not happy with being in the Europa League. Fulham were the first and only club who had a lucrative income from it.
"It is my hope that we can build a squad that is strong enough to compete both in the Europa League and in the Premier League.
"Yesterday, I had a good conversation with the chairman about where we can try to strengthen and get one or two quality players."
Jol will find several players he worked with at Spurs when he arrives next week – Bobby Zamora, Simon Davies and Stephen Kelly.
Skipper Danny Murphy was sold by Jol after a falling-out between the two at White Hart Lane. But Jol will have to get down to business quickly; Fulham will report back for pre-season on June 23 and face a Europa League qualifier in less than four weeks.
He has long felt he has unfinished business in the Premier League after what many consider an unjust sacking by Tottenham in October 2007.
He was handed the top job at White Hart Lane when Jacques Santini left in November 2004 and achieved consecutive top-five finishes in his two full seasons at the club.
His sacking early in the following season was the worst-kept secret in football, as Spurs recruited Sevilla boss Juande Ramos after denials that they had been talking to him. Jol then took Hamburg to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup before taking over at Ajax.
He won the Dutch Cup in 2010 and finished runners-up in the Eredivisie before quitting in December. Ajax chief executive Rick van den Boog said: "Martin has shown he gives talented young players a chance."
Former Fulham hero Tony Gale took a swipe at Hughes, saying: "These managers should not be feeling that Fulham are the lucky people. Anyone who manages Fulham is in charge of a really good club.
"I hope Martin is different because he has been given an opportunity at a club where everything is in place."
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Jol relishing fresh start
8 June 2011-PA Sport
New Fulham manager Martin Jol cannot wait for the chance to have another crack at the Premier League and will waste no time in adding to his squad at Craven Cottage.
The 55-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur boss has agreed an initial two-year contract with the option of a further 12 months and replaces Mark Hughes, who resigned last Thursday after just one season at the helm.
Jol saw his hopes of taking charge of Fulham after Roy Hodgson's departure a year ago blocked by Ajax, but having left the Dutch club in December, he is relishing a second opportunity in the English top flight.
"I am very happy to be back and especially at a club like Fulham," Jol told the club's official website, www.fulhamfc.com (http://www.fulhamfc.com)
"I remember coming here with Tottenham and I even think I played here when I was a player. Craven Cottage is a real football stadium, I loved going to Fulham.
"I could have gone to other countries, but I was waiting for the opportunity to come back to England."
Jol will already have an idea about some of the players he has inherited, but also revealed he had started looking at bringing players in in what will be a shortened northern summer break ahead of the UEFA Europa League qualifiers.
"There are a few players here I still know from my time at Tottenham, like Simon Davies, Danny Murphy and Stephen Kelly - they are all very good professionals," the former West Bromwich Albion and Coventry City midfielder added.
"I enjoy watching Fulham and I enjoy watching players like Moussa Dembele, who I have known for a while.
"Yesterday we had a good conversation about players and where we can try to strengthen and get one or two quality players."
Fulham had been linked with a £10 million ($15.34 million) move for Espanyol striker Pablo Daniel Osvaldo, and chairman Mohamed Al Fayed would appear ready to back his new manager.
"I would like to welcome Martin Jol to Fulham. He understands my vision for the club, and believes in what we are striving to achieve here," Al Fayed said.
"I know that he will dedicate himself to helping us move forward, and is with us for the long term, to help us build and progress.
"We have enjoyed three incredibly successful years, and my hopes and dreams for this club are for that journey to continue.
"I know that with his wealth of experience and success, Martin is the right man to help us do this."
Jol, though, could face a battle to keep forward Clint Dempsey, with the American suggesting he was now eager for a taste of UEFA Champions League football, while out-of-contract midfielder Zoltan Gera has indicated he would be open to a return to former club West Brom.
The new Fulham manager will have to work quickly to get his squad in shape ahead of the start of its Europa League qualifying campaign at the end of the month. The west London club was awarded a place in the competition via the UEFA Fair Play standings.
A potential eight games stand between Fulham and a place in the group stages, which start in mid-September.
Despite the prospect of a shortened break, defender Philippe Senderos has no issue with the early return to business, having missed most of last season with an Achilles injury.
The Swiss centre-back said: "The end of the season came a bit too soon for me, but we are going to have a short summer.
"We come back on June 23, but that is fine for me as I was out for a while."
Flatterer Fayed gets his man at last as Jol takes over at Fulham
Owner's long courtship of Dutch manager shamefully sacked by Spurs bears fruit after exit of Mark Hughes
By Mark Fleming
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Martin Jol said he was 'very happy' to have taken the Fulham job yesterday
Martin Jol said he was 'very happy' to have taken the Fulham job yesterday
For the Fulham owner Mohamed al-Fayed, the pieces of the jigsaw have fallen into place like a dream. His 11-month marriage of convenience to Mark Hughes ended without the club owing anyone a penny, and in the early hours of yesterday they finalised a two-year contract with Martin Jol, the manager Fayed had wanted all along.
Jol, 55, was last seen in English football in October 2007 when he heard of his sacking by Tottenham Hotspur in a text message midway through a Uefa Cup tie with Getafe. The Dutchman's return to the Premier League comes 11 months after he agreed terms to follow the departing Roy Hodgson as Fulham manager, only for Ajax to refuse to release him from his contract.
According to sources in the Netherlands, however, Fulham kept in close contact with Jol in recent months, particularly since he decided in December to resign as manager of Ajax after a run of bad results. Jol is understood to have told Fulham that he was keen on taking a break from the game, and he has spent the past few months at his home in the seaside town of Scheveningen, playing tennis and socialising.
Fayed was very taken with Jol when they spoke a year ago, when the former Tottenham manager verbally agreed a three-year-deal worth £1.7m a year. Nothing was ever signed, but the two sides kept in touch over the intervening 11 months, despite Hughes being appointed as manager last July.
Jol has told friends that he was puzzled but also flattered by Fulham's consistent interest in him, unsure quite what he had done to merit it. At any rate the club's persistence has had its reward, as Jol has turned down interest from Aston Villa and Wolfsburg to take up the reins at Fulham, where he will be given around £15m to invest on new players this summer.
Jol has agreed an initial two-year contract at Craven Cottage, worth around £2m a year, with the option of a further 12 months, and becomes the club's third manager in as many seasons. Fayed promised yesterday the appointment will herald a period of greater stability.
He said: "I would like to welcome Martin Jol to Fulham. He understands my vision for the club, and believes in what we are striving to achieve here. I know that he will dedicate himself to helping us move forward, and is with us for the long term, to help us build and progress. We have enjoyed three incredibly successful years, and my hopes and dreams for this club are for that journey to continue. I know with his wealth of experience and success, Martin is the right man to help us."
Jol arrives with an impressive, if not overwhelming, record in management. His playing career included three seasons in England with West Bromwich Albion and Coventry City, and he returned to this country in 2004 as assistant manager at Tottenham to the Frenchman Jacques Santini, after 13 years working as a coach in the Netherlands. Santini resigned in November that year and Jol took over, leading the club to a ninth-place finish, enough to earn him a new three-year contract.
In 2006 he led Tottenham to fifth place, missing out on a Champions League place when players were hit by food poisoning (from a lasagna) hours before the final game of the season. They finished fifth again the following campaign, but continued clashes with chairman Daniel Levy ate away at Jol's standing, and the club were caught red-handed negotiating with Juande Ramos behind his back. The much-liked Dutchman, whose successful signings included Gareth Bale and Dimitar Berbatov, was later shamefully sacked having been texted during the Getafe game by his nephew informing him of his fate.
He has since patched things up with Levy. The folly of the move was exposed when Ramos was axed a year later, with Tottenham bottom of the table.
Jol returned at Hamburg in 2008, where he finished fifth in the Bundesliga, before taking over a year later at Ajax, whom he led to the Dutch cup and second place in the Eredivisie, scoring 106 goals and conceding just 20. However that relationship soured when the Ajax legend Johan Cruyff was called in to overhaul the club and recommended recruiting more former players, leaving Jol's position untenable.
Jol is to bring with him as assistants his brother, Cock, and Martin Lindeman, while his former Tottenham sidekick Chris Hughton is being approached about a possible return. Jol is also believed to have drawn up a list of possible transfer targets, in the expectation that he might be offered the Fulham job.
He will have little time to get his feet under the table, with players due back for pre-season training on 23 June and facing a Europa League qualifier in less than four weeks' time. Jol will also have to make peace with Danny Murphy, Bobby Zamora and Simon Davies, three players he sold in his time at Spurs.
Jol said yesterday: "I'm very happy to be back and especially at a club like Fulham. I could have gone to other countries but I was waiting for the opportunity to come back to England. I enjoy watching Fulham and I enjoy watching players like [Moussa] Dembele who I have known for a while.
"There are a few players here I still know from my time at Tottenham, like Simon Davies, Danny Murphy and Stephen Kelly – they are all very good professionals. Yesterday we had a good conversation about players and where we can try to strengthen and get one or two quality players."
Jol's managerial record
Roda JC
1996-1998 Won Dutch Cup, the club's first trophy in 30 years.
RKC Waalwijk
1998-2004 Saved them from relegation and won several coaching awards.
Tottenham Hotspur
2004-07 Assistant to Jacques Santini but soon took over after poor start to the season. Led Spurs to two fifth-place finishes, the first in 2006 when lasagne-gate cost them a place in the Champions League. Harshly sacked in October 2007.
Hamburg
2008-09 Another fifth place, this time in the Bundesliga, and Uefa Cup semi-finalists.
Ajax
2009-10 Pipped to the Eredivisie title by Steve McClaren's Twente but won Dutch Cup. Resigned in December 2010.
What a load of Bolax ........................
The Dazzler was signed by Hoddle from Brighton, and was then shipped (in the Defoe deal )to Spam by David Pleat in January 2004............................Martin Jol took over from Jacques Santini in November 2004
Their paths did not cross
One of the great advantages to being a proud member of the British Sporting Press is that you don't have to trouble yourself about such niceties as facts or accuracy.
Dempsey Scores His 20th In USA's Win
by JASON GATTIES on JUNE 8, 2011
Our boy Clint Dempsey netted his 20th international goal to help lead the United States to a 2-0 win over Canada in their opening match of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Deuce played 90 minutes and looked very active on the, for the lack of a better word, poo pitch in Detroit. By the way, just prior to Clint's sliding goal effort in the 62nd minute, Clint nearly scored in what can only be described as a "matrix back heel" effort that nearly found the back of the net. Trust me, search you tube for that, had it gone in, it would have made his chip shot vs Juve look routine.
Let's get back to Clint's goal in the 62nd. Following a nice build up, Jozy Altdore sent a cross right to left in front of the Canadian keeper and Clint knocked it home with a sliding effort. Jozy would actually put the U.S. up 1-0 in the 15th minute and much like Clint, had a fantastic game.
Speaking of highlights, while you're searching you tube for highlights, be sure to pay attention to Everton/USA keeper Tim Howard, who had a few beast-like saves late in the second half. I know I've spent much time highlighting Clint (for obvious reasons) but the entire squad bounced back nicely after their embarrassing loss to Spain over the weekend.
The United States will take on Panama on Saturday in Tampa, Florida. Panama slipped past Guadeloupe 3-2 in tonight's opening match.
*EDIT: I've been informed what Clint attempted was a rare "scorpion kick." Whatever it was, it's worth watching again.
http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/06/dempsey-scores-his-20th-in-usas-win/? (http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/06/dempsey-scores-his-20th-in-usas-win/?)
Cohen lauds Jol appointmentby DAN on JUNE 8, 2011 (http://s4.hubimg.com/u/1897863_f260.jpg)
Former Fulham full back George Cohen says Martin Jol can keep the good times rolling down by the Thames.
The England World Cup winner, who made 459 appearances in thirteen years during his Fulham career, says that the Dutch manager has all the attributes to continue the steady progression that the Cottagers have made under Roy Hodgson and Mark Hughes in the past couple of years.
I think he is a good appointment. He did reasonably well with Tottenham and got them into the top five. He's been around, he knows what's going on, including in England, and he's an experienced man, which we do really need.
I understand he's a very personable man, enthusiastic, gets on with people – and that's what you've got to be able to do as a manager. If you get a team that wants to play for you, you're halfway there.
Cohen praised the Fulham board for their swift action after the sudden departure of Hughes, who resigned last Thursday. Jol, reportedly Fulham's first choice to replace Hodgson a year ago, signed a two-year contract yesterday and will now be in place to oversee the club's European campaign, which begins on June 30.
The board have acted very quickly; they've been very decisive. They've got it right on the last two occasions and there's no reason to suspect they haven't got it right here.
He's going to have to find out what kind of team he wants and who our best players are very, very quickly. He may need these games in Europe to sort out his league team.
http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/06/cohen-lauds-jol-appointment/? (http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/06/cohen-lauds-jol-appointment/?)
Spurs to use Keane as bait in bid for Dembele
Fulham have turned down an offer thought to be worth £10m from Tottenham for striker Moussa Dembele -- but a transfer could still be completed with a player-plus-cash deal involving Robbie Keane.
The rejection of the bid pre-dates the appointment of Martin Jol, although Dembele was the first player that the new Fulham manager mentioned yesterday when he spoke of his desire to work with the present squad.
"I know a lot about the squad I inherited," Jol said. "I enjoy watching players like Moussa Dembele, who I have known for a while."
Spurs failed in a deadline-day bid for Dembele in January and are understood to have increased substantially their offer for the 23-year-old Belgian international.
Dembele has made a big impact, despite injury setbacks, on the Premier League since he arrived from Dutch club AZ Alkmaar last summer for a fee believed to be just under £5m. Fulham snatched Dembele from under the noses of Birmingham City, who thought he was joining them.
Spurs are understood to have offered a straight cash deal for Dembele, with manager Harry Redknapp desperate to strengthen his striking options.
Given the good times that Ireland striker Keane had at Spurs under Jol, it may well be that the club will try to tempt Fulham again with a player-plus-cash deal.
But Fulham have shown little interest in Keane in the past -- having been offered the 30-year-old striker previously -- and Tottenham's demand for a £6m fee on top of the striker's £65,000-a-week wages will be prohibitive.
Spurs are closely tracking Espanyol striker Pablo Osvaldo, who was also a target for Fulham when Mark Hughes was manager. But the Spanish club's demands were thought to be too high for Fulham.
Spurs have also been strongly linked with Brazilian striker Leandro Damiao (21), who plays for Internacional, a club with whom there is an affiliation agreement, although it is thought an opening bid had been rejected. Midfielder Sandro arrived at Spurs from the Brazilian side.
At the same time Spurs, who want to sign midfielder Scott Parker from relegated West Ham, are hoping to sell the likes of Sebastien Bassong, Wilson Palacios, Alan Hutton and, above all, David Bentley.
Meanwhile, Sam Allardyce is hoping to make Kevin Nolan and DJ Campbell his first signings at West Ham.
Allardyce managed the goal-scoring midfielder at Bolton and made him his first signing at Newcastle back in 2007, while striker Campbell impressed with his goals for Blackpool last season. (© Daily Telegraph, London)
- Jason Burt
http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/spurs-to-use-keane-as-bait-in-bid-for-dembele-2668732.html (http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/spurs-to-use-keane-as-bait-in-bid-for-dembele-2668732.html)
Jol targets Hughton as first signing for Fulham
MARTIN JOL'S first task as the new manager of Fulham will be to try to persuade Chris Hughton to join the club as his assistant.
Jol signed a two-year deal, with an option for a further 12 months, to take over at Craven Cottage yesterday and immediately set about trying to get Hughton, who successfully worked as his No 2 at Tottenham Hotspur.
However, it is understood Hughton is reluctant to step back into being part of a back-room staff and wants to explore any opportunities he has to be a manager himself again before making a decision. The former Irish international has been strongly linked to the vacant post at Cardiff City.
It was Jol's close friendship with Hughton that led to the 55-year-old Dutchman ruling himself out of the running to become Newcastle United's manager at the end of last year. Hughton was harshly sacked at St James' Park and has been out of work since.
For Fulham owner Mohamed al-Fayed, the pieces of the jigsaw have fallen into place like a dream. His 11-month marriage of convenience to Mark Hughes has ended without the club owing anyone a penny and now he has the manager he had wanted when Roy Hodgson resigned last August.
Hughes was appointed only when Jol was unable to extricate himself from his contract at Ajax after agreeing a three-year deal to take over at Fulham.
According to sources in the Netherlands, the Cottagers' owner kept in close contact with Jol, particularly since he decided in December to resign as manager of Ajax after a run of bad results.
Jol is understood to have told Fulham that he was keen on taking a break from the game, and he has spent the past few months at his home in the seaside town of Scheveningen.
However, the club's persistence has had its reward as Jol has turned down interest from Aston Villa and Wolfsburg to take up the reins at Fulham, where he will be given around £15m to invest on new players.
Jol has agreed an initial two-year contract at Craven Cottage, worth around £2m a year, with the option of a further 12 months, and becomes the club's third manager in as many seasons.
The Dutchman will appoint his brother, Cock, as one of his assistants and will also hire Michael Lindeman, who worked with him at Hamburg and Ajax, as well as Ray Lewington, who is already at the club and was Hodgson's assistant.
Impressive
Jol (55) returns to England with an impressive, if not overwhelming, record in management.
After a playing career that included three seasons in England with West Bromwich Albion and Coventry City, he was appointed as assistant manager at Tottenham to Frenchman Jacques Santini in 2004, after 13 years working as a coach in the Netherlands.
Santini resigned in November that year and Jol took over, leading the club to a ninth-place finish -- enough to earn him a new three-year contract.
In 2006, he led Tottenham to fifth spot, missing out on a Champions League place when players were hit by food poisoning (from lasagne) hours before the final game of the season.
They finished fifth again the following campaign, but continued clashes with chairman Daniel Levy ate away at Jol's standing and the club were caught red-handed negotiating with Juande Ramos behind his back.
The much-liked Dutchman, whose successful signings included Gareth Bale and Dimitar Berbatov, was later shamefully sacked, having been texted during the club's UEFA Cup defeat to Getafe by his nephew informing him of his fate.
The folly of the move was exposed when Ramos was axed a year later, with Tottenham bottom of the table.
Jol returned to management at Hamburg in 2008, where he finished fifth in the Bundesliga, before taking over a year later at Ajax, whom he led to the Dutch Cup and second place in the Eredivisie, scoring 106 goals and conceding just 20.
However, that relationship soured when the Ajax legend Johan Cruyff was called in to overhaul the club and recommended recruiting more former players, leaving Jol's position untenable.
Yesterday, he intimated that he felt he had unfinished business in the Premier League.
"I could have gone to other countries to coach but I was waiting for the opportunity to come back to England," he said.
Al-Fayed paid tribute to Jol, declaring: "Martin knows my vision for the club and he believes in what we are striving to achieve. We have enjoyed three incredibly successful years, and my hopes and dreams for this club are for that journey to continue."
- Jason Burt
http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/jol-targets-hughton-as-first-signing-for-fulham-2668730.html (http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/jol-targets-hughton-as-first-signing-for-fulham-2668730.html)
Forest fancy Greening
by DAN on JUNE 8, 2011
Billy Davies will try and lure Jonathan Greening to Nottingham Forest by tabling a £1m offer for the Fulham midfielder.
Davies is desperate to try and reshape the Forest midfield after his side saw their promotion dreams die in a play-off defeat to Swansea last month. The Forest boss tried to bring Greening to the City Ground in January but his loan bid was rejected by then Fulham manager Mark Hughes. The former West Brom midfielder made just fourteen appearances for the Whites last season and has voiced his concerns about a lack of first-team football.
The 32 year-old did, however, enjoy a fine end to the season when Hughes employed him as a left winger in Fulham's final two games. He was outstanding in the 2-0 win at Birmingham and provided an excellent cross for Bobby Zamora's goal against Arsenal on the last day of the season. Davies will hope that Martin Jol decides that he can do without Greening, but the loss of his versatility would be a big blow ahead of Fulham's European campaign.
http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/06/forest-fancy-greening/? (http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/06/forest-fancy-greening/?)
Jol: Cottage foundations strong
Martin Jol intends to quickly build a Fulham squad capable of sustaining a successful European and Premier League campaign.
The 55-year-old former Tottenham boss has agreed an initial two-year contract with the option of a further 12 months and replaces Mark Hughes, who resigned last Thursday after just one season at the helm.
Jol - whose hopes of taking charge of Fulham following Roy Hodgson's departure a year ago were blocked by Ajax - will have little time to settle into life at Craven Cottage as the west London club face the first of as many as eight Europa League qualifiers on June 30, after being awarded a place via the UEFA Fair Play standings.
The Dutchman, though, is ready to meet the challenge head on.
He told Fulham's official website: "It would be ridiculous to say that I am not happy with being in the Europa League.
"Let's not forget, though, that can hinder you in the season, the last time Fulham were in the Europa League they were 12th in the table - but it is my hope that we can build a squad that is strong enough to compete in all of these competitions.
"We have got over 30 players, we'll start with the younger pros as well - we've got a big group.
"Not everybody will be back, but hopefully most of the people will be back and there won't be a lot of difference to playing a game after six days of training or three days of training.
"It is a bit early, 30th June, so we have to work around it with good planning."
Jol feels he has some unfinished business in the Premier League.
"I could have gone to other counties, but I was waiting for the opportunity to come back to England," he said.
Fulham had been linked with a £10million move for Espanyol striker Pablo Daniel Osvaldo.
Jol, though, could face a battle to keep forward Clint Dempsey, with the American suggesting he was now eager for a taste of Champions League football, while out-of-contract midfielder Zoltan Gera has indicated he would be open to a return to former club West Brom.
http://www.teamtalk.com/fulham/6970228/Jol-Cottage-foundations-strong? (http://www.teamtalk.com/fulham/6970228/Jol-Cottage-foundations-strong?)
Jol to give Gera Fulham chance
MARTIN Jol is set to offer Zoltan Gera a Fulham lifeline.
The new Whites boss knows all about the wantaway winger, and tried to sign him during his spell in charge of Spurs, according to Gera's agent, Vladan Filipovic.
The 32-year-old has refused to sign a new deal at Craven Cottage, and looked set to leave when his contract expired at the end of the month, with West Brom boss Roy Hodgson keen to bring him back to the Hawthorns.
But Mark Hughes's exit has left Gera in limbo, and he could return to pre-season training in a fortnight's time for a chance to impress his new boss
Filipovic told Nemzeti Sport Online: "Martin Jol knows and likes Gera's style, because when he was the manager of Tottenham he wanted to sign Gera.
"He would probably like to work with him now too. But as long as Gera doesn't sign his new contract, anything can happen - even that he stays at Fulham."
Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/06/08/jol-to-give-gera-fulham-chance-82029-28839716/?#ixzz1OfLLHyct (http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/06/08/jol-to-give-gera-fulham-chance-82029-28839716/?#ixzz1OfLLHyct)
Jol relishing fresh start at Fulham
New Fulham manager Martin Jol cannot wait for the chance to have another crack at the Barclays Premier League and will waste no time in adding to his squad at Craven Cottage.
The 55-year-old former Tottenham boss has agreed an initial two-year contract with the option of a further 12 months and replaces Mark Hughes, who resigned last Thursday after just one season at the helm.
Jol saw his hopes of taking charge of Fulham following Roy Hodgson's departure a year ago blocked by Ajax. "I am very happy to be back and especially at a club like Fulham," Jol told the club's official website, www.fulhamfc.com (http://www.fulhamfc.com).
"I remember coming here with Tottenham and I even think I played here when I was a player. Craven Cottage is a real football stadium, I loved going to Fulham. I could have gone to other countries, but I was waiting for the opportunity to come back to England."
Jol will already have an idea about some of the players he has inherited, but also revealed he had started looking at bringing players in in what will be a shortened summer break ahead of the Europa League qualifiers.
"There are a few players here I still know from my time at Tottenham, like Simon Davies, Danny Murphy and Stephen Kelly - they are all very good professionals," the former West Brom and Coventry midfielder added.
"I enjoy watching Fulham and I enjoy watching players like Moussa Dembele, who I have known for a while. We had a good conversation about players and where we can try to strengthen and get one or two quality players."
Fulham had been linked with a £10million move for Espanyol striker Pablo Daniel Osvaldo, and chairman Mohamed Al Fayed would appear ready to back his new manager.
"I would like to welcome Martin Jol to Fulham. He understands my vision for the club, and believes in what we are striving to achieve here," Al Fayed said. "I know that he will dedicate himself to helping us move forward, and is with us for the long term, to help us build and progress.
"We have enjoyed three incredibly successful years, and my hopes and dreams for this club are for that journey to continue. I know that with his wealth of experience and success, Martin is the right man to help us do this."
http://www.southportvisiter.co.uk/southport-news/uk-world-news/national-sport/2011/06/08/jol-relishing-fresh-start-at-fulham-101022-28840991/? (http://www.southportvisiter.co.uk/southport-news/uk-world-news/national-sport/2011/06/08/jol-relishing-fresh-start-at-fulham-101022-28840991/?)
West Brom: Zoltan Gera interest could be ended by Martin Jol
West Brom's hopes of signing Zoltan Gera could be dashed following Fulham's appointment of Martin Jol.
Ex-Baggies man Gera had made it clear that he would like to return to the Hawthorns this summer.
But Gera, who is out of contract, might now be kept on by Jol, who has been a long-standing admirer of the Hungarian midfielder.
Jol tried to sign Gera from Ferencvaros when he was boss of Spurs and his arrival at Craven Cottage might well change the landscape of the 32-year-old's future.
Gera's agent Vladan Filipovic told Hungarian newspaper Nemzeti Sport: "Martin Jol knows and likes Gera's style, because when he was the manager of Tottenham, he wanted to sign Gera, who played in Hungary at the time.
"He would probably like to work with him now too.
"Until Gera signs his new contract, anything can happen - it could even be that he stays at Fulham."
Meanwhile, Albion will resume their search for a striker after Danny Graham completed a £3.5million move to Swansea yesterday.
The Baggies had made a recent unsuccessful offer of around £2.5million for the Watford marksman.
They continued to monitor the situation after the Premier League new comers agreed a fee with the Hornets late last week.
The 25-year-old penned a four-year contract with the Welsh club yesterday.
Albion decided against matching Swansea's valuation, but it does mean that they will resume their search for a new forward.
The Baggies had considered Fulham's Andy Johnson initially but have since opted against pursuing the ex-Blues man.
Read More http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/west-bromwich-albion-fc/west-bromwich-albion-fc-news/2011/06/08/west-brom-zoltan-gera-interest-could-be-ended-by-martin-jol-97319-28840903/?#ixzz1OfMF3cyh (http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/west-bromwich-albion-fc/west-bromwich-albion-fc-news/2011/06/08/west-brom-zoltan-gera-interest-could-be-ended-by-martin-jol-97319-28840903/?#ixzz1OfMF3cyh)
Fulham Appoint Martin Jol Manager
Fulham have succeeded where they failed last summer in appointing Martin Jol as their manager. The move represents something of a coup in that the Dutchman has a reputation to match the size of his personality, after his positive work at Tottenham Hotspur, Hamburg and, most recently, Ajax. He arrives at Craven Cottage on a two-year contract, with the option of a third, and his capture is vindication for Fulham's persistence and foresight.
The west London club moved for Jol in the wake of Roy Hodgson's departure for Liverpool last July and they were so close to a deal that they had agreed personal terms in principle with him on a three-year contract. Ajax, his employers at the time, had other ideas. To them, it felt like a humiliation to lose their manager to a club of which some people in Amsterdam had barely heard and they refused to allow Jol to walk away.
Fulham turned their attentions to Mark Hughes and he led them to an encouraging eighth-placed Premier League finish and Europa League qualification via the fair play table before his shock resignation on Wednesday night.
Fulham maintained a channel of communication with Jol, who resigned from Ajax in December, and the personal touch flattered him; it even startled him a little. When Hughes activated the break clause in his Fulham contract to chase what he hopes will be a bigger job, Alistair Mackintosh, the club's chief executive, knew where to turn.
Jol arrived in London late on Monday night and concluded the negotiations with Mackintosh in the small hours of Tuesday. One of Jol's assistants at the club will be Michael Lindeman, who worked with him at Hamburg and Ajax, and another will be his brother Cock, who has acted as a personal adviser to him in the past.
Chris Hughton, Jol's No2 at Tottenham, could join him at Craven Cottage but he would prefer a managerial post. The former Newcastle United manager had let it be known that he was interested in the Fulham vacancy. Ray Lewington will remain at the club as the development squad manager but Mark Bowen, Eddie Niedzwiecki, Kevin Hitchcock and Glyn Hodges, who comprised Hughes's back-room staff, will leave. Fulham may have to reach a settlement with the quartet, as each one has a year of their contract to run.
Jol had been prominent on Aston Villa's shortlist, after the Midlands club parted company with Gérard Houllier on Wednesday night, which prefaced Hughes's resignation at Craven Cottage. But Jol has always favoured Fulham, with one of the attractions, on top of a lucrative personal contract, being the trust that the chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed, traditionally places in his managers, specifically in terms of their transfer dealings.
Fayed never allots a transfer budget; he merely works on a case-by-case basis and he has endeavoured to give his managers what they want. It feels inevitable that Robbie Keane, the Tottenham striker, with whom Jol enjoyed a strong relationship at White Hart Lane, will be linked to Fulham but the club did not want him last January or last summer, when he was available.
"Martin understands my vision for the club," Fayed said, "and he believes in what we are striving to achieve. I know that he will dedicate himself to helping us move forward and he is with us for the long term. We have enjoyed three incredibly successful years, and my hopes and dreams for this club are for that journey to continue."
Jol had been desperate to return to England, where he feels he has unfinished business. His three years at Tottenham were characterised by good football and significant strides yet they were pock-marked by near misses.
Jol's team lost three domestic cup quarter-finals and one semi-final, together with a Uefa Cup quarter-final in 2007, and he was irked by the accusation that he could not beat the big teams when it mattered the most. It has always been in his mind to return to prove that he is a manager who can not only improve players and a club, but also take the final and most difficult steps forward.
"I am very happy to join Fulham," Jol said. "I could have gone to other countries but I was waiting for the opportunity to come back to England. I know a lot about the squad I have inherited ... I enjoy watching players like Moussa Dembélé, who I have known for a while, and there are a few players here that I know from my time at Tottenham, like Simon Davies, Danny Murphy and Stephen Kelly. They are all very good professionals. We've had a good conversation about players, and where we can try to strengthen and get one or two quality players."
Jol will have little time to work with his new players before their season kicks off. Fulham play the first leg of their Europa League first qualifying round tie on 30 June, with the players scheduled to report for training on 23 June. Jol has taken off for a short holiday and his first day in the job will be 20 June.
This article was written by David Hytner, for guardian.co.uk on Tuesday 7th June 2011 08.56 Europe/London
(http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/03/01/poweredbyguardian.png)
http://life.hereisthecity.com/2011/06/08/fulham-appoint-martin-jol-as-manager/? (http://life.hereisthecity.com/2011/06/08/fulham-appoint-martin-jol-as-manager/?)
Fulham manager Martin Jol's career in football management
New manager Martin Jol managed five clubs before joing Fulham.
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01915/martin-jol_1915418c.jpg)
Craven haven: Martin Jol has found a new home at Fulham Photo: GETTY IMAGES
Roda JC: 1996-1998
How did he do? The former West Brom defender, who cut his teeth with amateur teams ADO Den Haag and Scheveningen, helped Roda to their first trophy for 30 years, winning the 1997 Dutch Cup.
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RKC Waalwijk: 1998-2004
How did he do? Jol won a number of awards — the 2001 Football Writers' Manager of the Year and Players and Coaches Coach of the Year the next season — for turning RKC from relegation fodder into European contenders on a shoestring.
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Tottenham: 2004-2007
How did he do? Three impressive seasons (he almost secured Champions League football in 2006) after replacing Jacques Santini were of little help after a poor start to the 2007/2008 campaign, and Jol was eventually fired during a fixture against Getafe.
They said "Martin's departure is regrettable. Our greatest wish was to see results turn in our favour and for there to be no need of change" — Daniel Levy.
He said "I can understand the position of the club in light of the results. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here."
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Hamburg: 2008-2009
How did he do? An impressive season in Germany saw Jol take Hamburg to fifth in the Bundesliga and the semi-finals of both the German and Uefa Cups.
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Ajax: 2009-2010
How did he do? Ajax scored more goals and conceded fewer than any other team in his first campaign but missed out on the title by a single point, and a poor start to his second cost him his job.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/8562692/Fulham-manager-Martin-Jols-career-in-football-management.html? (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/8562692/Fulham-manager-Martin-Jols-career-in-football-management.html?)
Fulham appoint ex-Spurs boss Martin Jol as manager at Craven Cottage
FORMER Tottenham Hotspur boss Martin Jol has sealed his return to the Premier League after being confirmed today as Fulham's new manager.
The 55-year-old has agreed an initial two-year contract at Craven Cottage with the option of a further 12 months, replacing Mark Hughes who resigned last Thursday after one season at the helm.
Jol, who was sacked by Spurs in 2007, was linked with the Fulham role last year but Ajax refused to release him from his post as head coach at the Amsterdam ArenA.
He has been out of work since quitting the Dutch club last December and has now spoken of his excitement at returning to the Barclays Premier League.
"I am very happy to join Fulham Football Club, a wonderful traditional club," he told the club's official website.
"It is a club with good, solid foundations and a great fan base.
"I am looking forward to being part of the Fulham family and thank the chairman for the trust he's shown in me."
Hughes stepped down from his role last week after guiding the club to an eighth-place finish in the Premier League and earning them a return to Europe via the Fair Play League.
He also built on a reputation initially forged at Blackburn and then Manchester City, where many felt he was unlucky to lose his job, but departed insisting he had had no contact with any other club.
The Welshman's decision left the Cottagers searching for a new manager for the second consecutive summer, after losing Roy Hodgson to Liverpool last year.
Jol will have little time to get his feet under the table, with the Fulham players due to report back for pre-season training on June 23 and facing a Europa League qualifier in less than four weeks' time.
A club statement confirmed: "Martin joins Fulham on an initial two-year contract with the club having an option to extend for a further year.
"He will arrive at our Motspur Park training ground in advance of the players return to training later this month."
Jol moved to Spurs in summer 2004, initially as an assistant to Jacques Santini, after having started his coaching career with stints at Roda JC and RKC Waalwijk in his homeland.
The Dutchman was handed the top job at White Hart Lane when the Frenchman left the following November and won many admirers for the attractive football played under him.
Following his dismissal in October 2007 - he was unceremoniously dumped following the UEFA Cup defeat to Getafe - he spent the 2008/09 campaign at Hamburg before succeeding Marco van Basten as Ajax coach in May 2009.
He helped the Amsterdammers to KNVB Beker glory in 2010 before stepping down last December with the club in fourth place in the Eredivisie standings in what turned out to be a title-winning campaign.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/england/2011/06/07/fulham-appoint-ex-spurs-boss-martin-jol-as-manager-at-craven-cottage-86908-23185506/ (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/england/2011/06/07/fulham-appoint-ex-spurs-boss-martin-jol-as-manager-at-craven-cottage-86908-23185506/)
Martin Jol set to release Fulham four
NEW Fulham boss Martin Jol has told John Pantsil there's no way back at Craven Cottage.
The Ghanaian full-back was set to be shown the door by former manager Mark Hughes when his contract expires at the end of the month, along with Diomansy Kamara, Eddie Johnson and Matthew Saunders.
And while Jol has offered a lifeline to wantaway winger Zoltan Gera, it's understood the rest of the names on Sparky's released list will stand.
The exits will free up cash for the Dutchman - appointed on a two-year deal yesterday – who has already been busy identifying transfer targets ahead of the new campaign.
Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/06/08/martin-jol-set-to-release-fulham-four-82029-28841747/?#ixzz1OfZY3D5W (http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/06/08/martin-jol-set-to-release-fulham-four-82029-28841747/?#ixzz1OfZY3D5W)
Jol undaunted by Europa trip
New Fulham manager Martin Jol insists he is determined to compete on all fronts in the upcoming season.
The Cottagers earned a spot in the Europa League qualifiers via the UEFA Fair Play standings and will kick off their campaign on June 30.
The West London outfit could play up to eight qualifying games in Europe, adding to the players' workload, but Jol is confident he will be able to build a squad with the necessary depth to be competitive throughout the season.
He told the club's official website: "It would be ridiculous to say that I am not happy with being in the Europa League.
"Let's not forget, though, that can hinder you in the season, the last time Fulham were in the Europa League they were 12th in the table - but it is my hope that we can build a squad that is strong enough to compete in all of these competitions.
"We have got over 30 players, we'll start with the younger pros as well - we've got a big group.
"Not everybody will be back, but hopefully most of the people will be back and there won't be a lot of difference to playing a game after six days of training or three days of training.
"It is a bit early, 30th June, so we have to work around it with good planning."
http://www.football365.co.za/story/0,22162,14287_6970308,00.html? (http://www.football365.co.za/story/0,22162,14287_6970308,00.html?)
Waiting game pays off as Jol takes over at Fulham
New Fulham manager Martin Jol cannot wait for the chance to have another crack at the Barclays Premier League and will waste no time in adding to his squad at Craven Cottage.
The 55-year-old former Tottenham boss has agreed an initial two-year contract with the option of a further 12 months and replaces Mark Hughes, who resigned last Thursday after just one season at the helm.
Jol saw his hopes of taking charge of Fulham following Roy Hodgson's departure a year ago blocked by Ajax, but having left the Dutch club in December, he is relishing a second opportunity in the English top flight.
"I am very happy to be back and especially at a club like Fulham," Jol said.
"I remember coming here with Tottenham and I even think I played here when I was a player. Craven Cottage is a real football stadium, I loved going to Fulham.
"I could have gone to other countries, but I was waiting for the opportunity to come back to England."
Jol will already have an idea about some of the players he has inherited, but also revealed he had started looking at bringing players in during what will be a shortened summer break ahead of the Europa League qualifiers.
"There are a few players here I still know from my time at Tottenham, like Simon Davies, Danny Murphy and Stephen Kelly – they are all very good professionals," the former West Brom and Coventry midfielder added.
"I enjoy watching Fulham and I enjoy watching players like Moussa Dembele, who I have known for a while.
"(On Monday) we had a good conversation about players and where we can try to strengthen and get one or two quality players."
Fulham had been linked with a £10m move for Espanyol striker Pablo Daniel Osvaldo, and chairman Mohamed Al Fayed would appear ready to back his new manager.
"I would like to welcome Martin Jol to Fulham. He understands my vision for the club, and believes in what we are striving to achieve here," Al Fayed said.
"I know that he will dedicate himself to helping us move forward, and is with us for the long term, to help us build and progress.
"We have enjoyed three incredibly successful years, and my hopes and dreams for this club are for that journey to continue.
"I know that with his wealth of experience and success, Martin is the right man to help us do this."
Jol, though, could face a battle to keep forward Clint Dempsey, with the American suggesting he was now eager for a taste of Champions League football, while out-of-contract midfielder Zoltan Gera has indicated he would be open to a return to former club West Bromwich Albion.
The new Fulham manager will have to work quickly to get his squad in shape ahead of the start of their Europa League qualifying campaign at the end of the month. The west London club were awarded a place in the competition via the UEFA Fair Play standings.
A potential eight games stand between Fulham and a place in the group stages, which start in mid-September.
Aston Villa are finalising their shortlist of candidates to replace Gerard Houllier with former Middlesbrough and England manager Steve McClaren among their targets.
The Midlands club are believed to have sounded out several contenders to see if they are available and interested in the post including McClaren, who is known to be keen to return to the Premier League.
Villa owner Randy Lerner and chief executive Paul Faulkner will draw up the final shortlist before starting interviews on a formal basis, probably at the end of this week.
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez is also understood to have impressed Lerner after helping the Latics avoid relegation and he has still to sign a new three-year contract.
Lerner would ideally like to have Houllier's successor in place by mid-June. That would give the new man time to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the current squad and potential transfer targets before Villa report back for pre-season training on July 7.
McClaren has been much derided for his 17-month spell in charge of England after the 2006 World Cup.
But he has a successful record at club level, winning the League Cup and reaching the UEFA Cup final with Middlesbrough.
After his unhappy England spell, McClaren returned to management with FC Twente and guided the Enschede outfit to the Dutch title although he then had an unhappy time with German club Wolfsburg and was sacked.
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/waiting_game_pays_off_as_jol_takes_over_at_fulham_1_3457644? (http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/waiting_game_pays_off_as_jol_takes_over_at_fulham_1_3457644?)
John Pantsil poised for Fulham exit
NEW Fulham boss Martin Jol has told John Pantsil there's no way back at Craven Cottage.
The Ghanaian full-back was set to be shown the door by former manager Mark Hughes when his contract expires at the end of the month, along with Diomansy Kamara, Eddie Johnson and Matthew Saunders.
And while Jol has offered a lifeline to wantaway winger Zoltan Gera, it's understood the rest of the names on Sparky's released list will stand.
The exits will free up cash for the Dutchman - appointed on a two-year deal yesterday – who has already been busy identifying transfer targets ahead of the new campaign.
http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/sport/fulham-fc-ealing/2011/06/08/john-pantsil-poised-for-fulham-exit-64767-28841792/? (http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/sport/fulham-fc-ealing/2011/06/08/john-pantsil-poised-for-fulham-exit-64767-28841792/?)
Gera could remain at Fulham
Out-of-contract midfielder's future uncertain amid West Brom interest
Zoltan Gera's agent has hinted the midfielder could stay at Fulham following the appointment of Martin Jol as manager.
Gera is available on a free transfer after his contract at Craven Cottage recently ran its course.
Former Cottagers boss Roy Hodgson, now at West Brom, is reported to be keen to be reunited with the Hungarian.
But Jol, who has taken over at Fulham following Mark Hughes' exit, is said to be an admirer of Gera and could look to retain his services.
Gera's agent, Vladan Filipovioc, told Hungarian newspaper Nemzeti Sport: "Martin Jol knows and likes Gera's style.
"When he was manager of Tottenham, he wanted to sign Gera. He would probably like to work with him now.
"Until Gera signs his new contract, anything can happen. It could be that he even stays at Fulham."
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_6970333,00.html? (http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_6970333,00.html?)
ghana star on City's wish list
Leicester City are pursuing former Ghana international defender John Pantsil.
The Mercury understands City have made an enquiry for the 29-year-old right-back, who is out of contract at Premier League Fulham this summer and has not been offered a new deal.
However, the player's wage demands may be a stumbling block as it is believed he has asked for as much as £25,000 per week to drop into the Championship, a figure City have balked at.
Pantsil may have to lower his demands if he wants to join Sven-Goran Eriksson's promotion chasers next season.
Although the City boss will be backed by the club's owners this summer, they will not pay unreasonably high wages.
Pantsil has been capped 66 times by Ghana and has played in the Premier League since 2006, when he joined West Ham United from Hapoel Tel Aviv. He made only 19 appearances for the Hammers before switching to Craven Cottage in 2008.
He was a virtual ever-present but then fell out of favour last season under the then Fulham manager Mark Hughes.
City's interest in Pantsil could be an indication that Eriksson is preparing for life without his preferred right-back target, Kyle Naughton.
City would like to sign Naughton permanently after he showed superb form during his loan spell from Tottenham Hotspur last season. But he may still have a future at White Hart Lane and, if Spurs boss Harry Redknapp does decide to sell Naughton to City, Neil Warnock is poised to offer him Premier League football at Queens Park Rangers.
Meanwhile, City are understood to have been offered striker Nile Ranger by Newcastle United.
After breaking into the Magpies first team in impressive fashion two seasons ago, the 20-year-old has failed to make the progress the Geordies had expected.
They are ready to let the England under-19 international join a Championship club, possibly even on a permanent deal.
Several Championship clubs have been contacted, including City.
It has also been reported that City have offered Diomansy Kamara a contract after his loan spell with City last season, but the free agent has other offers to consider, including a more lucrative proposal to play in the Middle East.
Reports that City have entered the chase to sign Newcastle United's Wayne Routledge have been denied by sources close to the winger.
Leicester City have announced a fifth pre-season friendly.
A City XI will face Kettering Town at the Elgood Brewery Arena on July 26, kick-off 7.45pm.
So far, City have confirmed they will face Swedish sides IK Sirius and Hammarby, plus Italian side Brescia, during their pre-season tour of Sweden, before facing Real Madrid on July 30, a week before the new Championship season begins
http://www.thebluearmy.co.uk/news/ghana-star-City-s-wish-list/article-3636115-detail/article.html? (http://www.thebluearmy.co.uk/news/ghana-star-City-s-wish-list/article-3636115-detail/article.html?)
Clint on the Mark(http://www.fulhamfc.com/Images/MainNews/NewsPages/Players/Dempsey/dempseyUSA.jpg)
Clint Dempsey was on the score sheet as the US Men's national team got off to a wining start in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 2-0 victory over Canada on Tuesday.
Jozy Altidore netted the opener for the US on 15 minutes and Dempsey wrapped up the scoring after the break, sliding in at the back post to finish from a narrow angle.
However the highlight of the encounter came in the 15th minute when an audacious piece of improvisation from Dempsey almost resulted in a second goal for the States, with the Fulham attacker attempting a 'scorpion kick' after a cross was diverted behind him. Unfortunately Dempsey's effort was blocked by a covering defender.
The US face Panama next on Saturday in Tampa.
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/June/DempseyUSvCanada.aspx?#ixzz1OgB6MLRj (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/June/DempseyUSvCanada.aspx?#ixzz1OgB6MLRj)
Could Jol look to Spurs for new players?
Talk this morning is that Spurs could look to Moussa Dembele to solve some of their striking options, but similarly could Martin Jol look to Spurs to rebuild his new Fulham side?
Now firstly, if we Dembele, he might not look to be the superstar signing that many people desire, but surely that depends on how many of our current strikers we intend to offload and in this player, we would have a young, hungry, quick, powerful and energetic player to offer competition, and at not yet 24, he is probably a player who might yet develop into an excellent player, so let`s not dismiss his ability just yet, despite less that outstanding scoring stats.
The obvious names that spring to mind when we look at players Jol might be interested in are Robbie Keane and Jermaine Jenas, whilst two other players in out of contract Jonathan Woodgate and out of favour Alan Hutton might be interesting options, though perhaps any chance of David Bentley finding a new home at Craven Cottage may have ended with Mark Hughes leaving the club.
Fulham have one of the smallest squads in the Premiership and though defensively, they are solid, there is little in reserve, should anything happen to their key three of Hangerland, Hughes and Baird and the futures of John Pantsil, Stephen Kelly and Carlos Salcido all looked uncertain prior to Jol arriving. Fulham have the promising Matthew Briggs at the back, but he may still be considered too young to make an automatic spot his own, leaving Fulham short in numbers, and they only have to look at Birmingham to see what losing a couple of vital defenders can do to your season.
Equally the clubs attacking options were stretched to breaking point last season and though Jol will hope to have better luck with his strikers than Hughes, with only Bobby Zamora and Dembele look settled, unless Spurs or someone else make an offer, there is talk that Andy Johnson will leave and Eidur Gudjohnsen has ended his loan spell from Stoke, meaning that there is sure to be a need for at least one new striker at Craven Cottage and could the experience of Robbie Keane be of interest, whilst you also imagine that he would work well with either of Zamora or Denbele.
In the midfield, I wonder what the relationship between Martin Jol and Danny Murphy will be like and whether Murphy will be worried about his future after Jol sold him whilst in charge at White Hart Lane after a less than convincing spell at the club, which for me was more about lack of opportunity that lack of player ability, so will he be a player to stick around or could the prospect of pairing Jermaine Jenas with Steve Sidwell look good for Fulham?
Perhaps, should Spurs have any genuine interest in Dembele, one of those extremely rare swap deals could come about, but I can see Martin Jol at least considering one or two of our fringe players and by adding Alan Hutton, Jermaine Jenas and Robbie Keane, I actually see Fulham having a very decent side and far stronger squad without breaking the bank and also bringing in players well known and rated by the new man in charge...
Read more: http://www.spurs.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=7508946#ixzz1OgBOJt7V (http://www.spurs.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=7508946#ixzz1OgBOJt7V)
Martin Jol may hold key to Gera future
West Brom's hopes of re-signing Zoltan Gera from Fulham could be dashed after the arrival of Martin Jol as the Cottagers new manager, according to the players' agent.
Albion had been optimistic of bringing midfielder Gera, who is out of contract, back to the Hawthorns and had held initial talks with the player.
But Jol is also an admirer of the Hungarian international and tried to sign the 32-year-old from Ferencvaros when manager of Tottenham.
Gera's agent, Vladan Filipovioc, told Hungarian newspaper Nemzeti Sport: "Martin Jol knows and likes Gera's style.
"When he was manager of Tottenham, he wanted to sign Gera. He would probably like to work with him now.
"Until Gera signs his new contract, anything can happen. It could be that he even stays at Fulham."
Gera made 155 appearances for the Baggies before moving to Fulham during the summer of 2008 when Roy Hodgson - now Albion's head coach - was manager.
West Brom are stepping up their search to sign a new striker after losing out to Swansea in the race for Watford's Danny Graham who completed a £3.5 million move to Wales to yesterday.
Albion had previously had a £2.5 million bid rejected for the former Middlesbrough man.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/martin-jol-may-hold-key-to-gera-future-2294500.html? (http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/martin-jol-may-hold-key-to-gera-future-2294500.html?)
Behind the Scenes
The Club is excited to announce that it has recently revamped Cottage Tours, offering a greatly enhanced experience for football fans and tourists alike.
Take a look behind the scenes of the oldest professional football club in London, learn about the proud history of our famous stadium, and perhaps get a glimpse of what might lie ahead in the future!
(http://www.fulhamfc.com/Images/Stands/haynes-stand633x150.jpg)
Your guided tour will start at the Johnny Haynes Statue before entering through the original turnstiles as you embark on your journey around the ground.
During the tour, you'll see exclusive video messages from the likes of George Cohen and Danny Murphy as they welcome you to Craven Cottage.
Stops along the way will include the Television Studio, the Michael Jackson statue and the Dugouts where Martin Jol will make those all important decisions - you can even sit in the Chairman's Box before dropping by the Cottage and visiting the Home team changing room.
Spaces are limited for each day, so don't miss out. Cottage Tours are now available 3 days a week, Friday to Sunday, starting at 11:15am and finishing in time for lunch 1 hour later.
Prices are just £10.50 Adults, £7.50 Children and £28 for a Family (2 Adults and 2 Children).
Season Ticket Holders are entitled to a 10% discount on bookings.
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/June/BehindtheScenes.aspx?#ixzz1OgYhAO8w (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/June/BehindtheScenes.aspx?#ixzz1OgYhAO8w)
Suppose you gave a football match, and nobody came
Filed under: General — rich
I once asked a statistician friend what the odds were of nobody turning up to a Premier League football match.
Think about it like this: most season ticket holders go to all games. Until Stanley came along I wouldn't miss a game for the world, but things do happen and sometimes you can't make it. I assume most people who have bought a ticket also then attend. Away fans are probably less likely to travel. So if you take 25,000 people and factor in the associated odds, what would be the probability of nobody turning up at the ground on a Saturday afternoon?
Massive, I assume, but it could happen. Wouldn't it be hilarious if it did?
Anyway, QPR may be the first to experience this.
Fulham star set for Forest switch
(http://www.talksport.co.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/ts_news_article_header_image/Greening_Forest.jpg)
Nottingham Forest are closing in on the signing of Jonathan Greening - just as talkSPORT revealed back in April.
The 32-year-old Fulham midfielder has been told he can look for a new club this summer, with his contract up in 2012.
New Craven Cottage manager Martin Jol is looking to reinvigorate his squad and Greening will be one of the first casualties.
Forest manager Billy Davies is keen to add the former Manchester United star to his ranks and, as we told you earlier this season, Greening is bound for the City Ground with a deal expected soon.
http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/8157/1/fulham-star-set-forest-switch? (http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/8157/1/fulham-star-set-forest-switch?)
Love of the Game(http://www.fulhamfc.com/Images/MainNews/NewsPages/Players/Schwarzer/General1.jpg)
With another successful season of Barclays Premier League football behind him, Mark Schwarzer now stands as of one of the top flight's most consistent and accomplished custodians.
And the 38-year-old stopper cited former Fulham goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar as one of the game's inspiring figures. The Manchester United goalkeeper, who is held in high esteem by Schwarzer, recently hung up his gloves at 40 years of age after a remarkable international and club career.
"For me someone like Van der Sar is a great example to follow," Schwarzer told fulhamfc.com. "He's someone I admire a lot for what he achieved in the game and what a model professional he is.
"To see someone of his age gives me inspiration and determination to get somewhere near that. At this moment in time I feel great and I'm working as hard as ever.
"As long as my performances remain good enough to play at this level I will continue to play. I work very hard because the older you get it does get more difficult and you have to adjust yourself with age – the way you live your life, the way you eat and the way you train."
After so many years in the game, Schwarzer still maintains a youthful enthusiasm for the game.
"I'm earning a fantastic living out of playing a sport that is my passion," he explained. "How many people on the planet can say they actually love doing what they do? From my point of view, why let anything distract me from the main objective? It's a big part of my life and I've been involved in football for 25 years. I'm making the most of playing football at this level.
"As long as I continue to enjoy playing, fit and playing well then I will continue. There's even the potential, if I play enough games next season, for an option for another year and I've got my sights set on that and helping Australia qualify for the 2014 World Cup."
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/June/SchwarzerLoveoftheGame.aspx?#ixzz1OhAvDPD8 (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/June/SchwarzerLoveoftheGame.aspx?#ixzz1OhAvDPD8)
Schwarzer: Jol's 'a big coup'
by DAN on JUNE 8, 2011
Mark Schwarzer is delighted that Fulham have moved quickly to replace Mark Hughes with Martin Jol.
The Australian international goalkeeper described Jol's move to Craven Cottage as 'a big coup' for Fulham and is optimistic that the club can build on their recent success. Schwarzer said it was important to avoid the hiatus that followed Roy Hodgson's departure last summer and is looking forward to Jol's technical style of coaching.
I think the club was very conscious of the position we were in last season when two weeks before the first game we still didn't have a new manager. It was well documented last season they were after Martin Jol and this time they've got him. It's definitely a positive move to have it all sorted out now. Our pre-season starts on June 23 because we're in the Europa League, so it was vital that we moved quickly on a manager and now he can start planning for the season ahead.
He's a very well-respected and successful manager. His last job was at Ajax Amsterdam, prior to that he was at Hamburg and before that he was at Tottenham. They're some very big clubs he's been involved in. The Dutch are renowned for their coaching ability and I've been coached by a few Dutch over the years and they're all technically very strong. I'm looking forward to working with him.
It might be only two-three positions up the table but that's a huge ask to get into the top six. Look at the calibre of teams who just scraped in – Tottenham and Liverpool – plus those who want to get there, like Aston Villa, and others, and you realise how hard it is.
http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/06/schwarzer-jols-a-big-coup/? (http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/06/schwarzer-jols-a-big-coup/?)
Jol won't let Europe weigh down Fulham
Martin Jol today shrugged off concerns that the demands of the Europa League could threaten Fulham's Premier League campaign.
Under Roy Hodgson Fulham were stretched by their march to the Europa League Final in 2010 and former Tottenham boss Jol must also contend with a Europa League first qualifying round first-leg game on June 30, barely a fortnight after some of his players complete international duties.
But Jol said: "It would be ridiculous to say that I'm not happy with being in the Europa League.Let's not forget, though, that it can hinder you in the season.
"The last time Fulham were in the Europa League they were 12th in the table. But it is my hope that we can build a squad that is strong enough to compete in all of these competitions."
Jol could also throw a lifeline to Zoltan Gera, who is out of contract this summer. The Hungarian midfielder's agent, Vladan Filipovic, said: "Martin knows and likes Gera's style, because when he was at Spurs he wanted to sign him."
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23957935-jol-wont-let-europe-weigh-down-fulham.do? (http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23957935-jol-wont-let-europe-weigh-down-fulham.do?)
Rising stars keep Schwarzer honest
MARK SCHWARZER would play forever for the Socceroos if he could, but even he's impressed about the next generation of goalkeepers who will inevitably step into his shoes.
Socceroos coach Holger Osieck jumped at the opportunity this week to play both Nathan Coe, 27, and Adam Federici, 26, in this week's friendly matches against New Zealand and Serbia, with the prodigiously talented 22-year-old Mitchell Langerak also finding his way to the bench.
While Schwarzer, who turns 39 in October, has no plans to give up his position as Australia's No.1 for now, he cast a keen eye over how Coe and Federici performed in the role he has made his own in the past decade.
''I've been watching Adam for a little while now and he's obviously doing well in the Championship at Reading, and every opportunity he's had for the national team, he's taken it and he did it again against Serbia,'' Schwarzer said. ''It's tough for a keeper when you're not playing games and you've got someone in front of you because it's game time you need. He'll have to bide his time but he's a talented goalkeeper.
''Nathan has impressed me a lot in the 12 months since he's been involved in the national side. He's got a lot of ability, a willingness to learn and get better. He's got a great attitude. What is important for him is that he's playing first-team football [with Danish club SønderjyskE]. Hopefully he'll get noticed and make a move to a bigger club and he can show everyone what he's really capable of.''
Schwarzer is recovering from a groin operation that prevented him from playing for the Socceroos this week. However, he expects to be back between the posts for English Premier League side Fulham for their pre-season campaign, where Martin Jol will take the reins after being announced as manager yesterday.
''I think the club was very conscious of the position we were in last season when two weeks before the first game we still didn't have a new manager,'' Schwarzer said. ''It was well documented last season they were after Martin Jol and this time they've got him. It's definitely a positive move to have it all sorted out now. Our pre-season starts on June 23 because we're in the Europa League, so it was vital that we moved quickly on a manager and now he can start planning for the season ahead.''
Schwarzer described Jol's appointment as a ''big coup'' for the Cottagers. ''He's a very well-respected and successful manager,'' he said. ''His last job was at Ajax Amsterdam, prior to that he was at Hamburg and before that he was at Tottenham. They're some very big clubs he's been involved in. The Dutch are renowned for their coaching ability and I've been coached by a few Dutch over the years and they're all technically very strong. I'm looking forward to working with him.''
Jol will have a £15 million ($22.96m) transfer kitty but Schwarzer said it might not be enough to lift the club above last season's eighth-placed finish. ''It might be only two-three positions up the table but that's a huge ask to get into the top six. Look at the calibre of teams who just scraped in - Tottenham and Liverpool - plus those who want to get there, like Aston Villa, and others, and you realise how hard it is,'' he said.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/football/rising-stars-keep-schwarzer-honest-20110608-1ft75.html#ixzz1OhDwWRKk (http://www.smh.com.au/sport/football/rising-stars-keep-schwarzer-honest-20110608-1ft75.html#ixzz1OhDwWRKk)
Leicester City join chase for John Pantsil
English Championship side Leicester City have joined the chase to sign Ghana international defender John Pantsil but his high salary could scupper the deal.
The 29-year-old's contract with Premier League side Fulham will not be extended when it expires this summer.
His availability on a free transfer has alerted several clubs in England, France and Germany with Premier League sides in the frame.
West Brom boss Roy Hodgson is keen reuniting with the right-back who was excelled during the coach's reign at Fulham.
Queens Park Rangers are also reported to be keen on Pantsil but Leicester have entered to race to enable them boost their squad for next season.
However, his £25,000 per week wage demands may be a stumbling block.
The Ghana international may have to lower his expectations if he wants to join coach Sven-Goran Eriksson at Leicester who are keen on promotion next season.
Pantsil is keen to stay in England as his family is settled in the European country but Leicester will not pay unreasonably high wages.
Pantsil has been capped 66 times by Ghana and has played in the Premier League since 2006, when he joined West Ham United from Hapoel Tel Aviv.
He made only 19 appearances for the Hammers before switching to Craven Cottage in 2008.
He was a virtual ever-present but then fell out of favour last season under the then Fulham manager Mark Hughes.
http://www.ghanasoccernet.com/2011/06/leicester-city-join-chase-for-john-pantsil/? (http://www.ghanasoccernet.com/2011/06/leicester-city-join-chase-for-john-pantsil/?)
In Demand!
Mark Hughes may not have had any specific job lined up when he quit as manager of Fulham but his name is fast being linked with vacant positions.
As we reported yesterday, after an earlier denial by Aston Villa, our news sources are inferring that Hughes is in the running for the vacant Aston Villa job an dour news source is suggesting that he`ll be interviewed along with Steve McClaren and Rafael Benitez.
Hughes is also linked with the vacant position at Athletic Bilbao with the La Liga side keen to talk to Hughes and the Wigan boss, Roberto Martinez.
Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=243896#ixzz1OhUQjm4n (http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=243896#ixzz1OhUQjm4n)
And You Would?
With the suggestion that there is somewhere in the region of between £15 million to £20 million available for the transfer budget this summer, we have a few questions you might like to respond to.
With it being quite a notable sum of money, what would you do to improve the squad for next season?
Would you be tempted to splash big on one player, say £10 million and then spread the rest over another three players?
Would you splash big and bring two £10 million players to Craven Cottage?
Would you be more conservative and bring four £5 million players to the squad?
We await your opinions!
Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=243901#ixzz1OhUZkjrY (http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=243901#ixzz1OhUZkjrY)
Transfer Budget
Was money really behind the sudden departure of Mark Hughes?
The reason I ask is that several news sources inferred that Hughes upped and left because he didn`t felt that the club were prepared to give him the financial backing he wanted to push us up another couple of rungs of the ladder.
If that were the case then we`re a little perplexed because the buzz in the tabloid press this morning is that Martin Jol will be given something in the region of £15 million to £20 million to strengthen the squad.
Now I`d suggest that if that amount is spent wisely, there`s no reason that, providing we have a solid start to the season, we can`t look to better our achievements of last season!
Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=243900#ixzz1OhUntsJp (http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=243900#ixzz1OhUntsJp)
Deal or No Deal?
One tabloid transfer gossip column has our very own Jonathan Greening dropping into the Championship.
Greening, now thirty two years old, is wanted by the Nottingham Forest manager, Billy Davies.
According to the rumour, the player we signed from West Bromwich Albion, will be the subject to of a £1 million bid from Forest.
Previously, when the possibility of Greening being sold has been raised, we received comments suggesting you`d pay the taxi fare, for a £1 million should it be deal or no deal?
http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=243902 (http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=243902)
And the 'Quote of the Month` Is?
As far as quotes go and if we were to have a quote of the month competition, I reckon one delivered by Mr Al Fayed yesterday would win hands down.
Announcing the appointment of Martin Jol as our new manager, Mr Al Fayed took a hefty dig at the departed Mark Hughes by sniping,
"Now we have a long term manager."
Absolutely top-notch I`d say!
Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=243903#ixzz1OhVFKDU6 (http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=243903#ixzz1OhVFKDU6)
Another Europa League Journey
A repeat of our Europa League experience of the season before last would be most welcome.
But, qualification through the Fair Play League doesn`t exactly do you any favours.
If we are to reach the slightly more lucrative stages of the competition, namely the group stages, we have a mammoth 8 fixtures to get through.
On the positive side it should see us starting the new Premier League season in fine shape but on the negative side, as was expressed last time we went on a mammoth Europa League run, there is the danger of tiredness setting in towards the end of next season.
It truly is a case of wings and roundabouts.
But one player, Philippe Senderos, is actively looking forward to the challenge. After, courtesy of a bad injury, only making a handful of Premier League appearances towards the end of last season, the Swiss international has his own views on the situation, commenting,
"The end of the season came a bit too soon for me but we are going to have a short summer."
"We come back on June 23rd - that`s fine for me as I was out a while."
Somehow I have a feeling that Philippe Senderos will be playing quite a lot on those aforementioned 8 fixtures, don`t you?
Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=243904#ixzz1OhVTqzLN (http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=243904#ixzz1OhVTqzLN)
Appointment Applauded
The appointment of Martin Jol appears to have gone down well with two former players of ours.
Chris Coleman, who as well as playing for us also went on to cut his managerial teeth with us, thinks Jol is the ideal appointment, commenting to the media,
"Jols a very good manager who`s proved himself in the Premier League with Tottenham, and I think his personality will suit the club."
"He will be a good appointment for Fulham, as he`ll be shrewd in the transfer market and they need to invest a little bit in the team."
"They might need to change a couple of positions and freshen things up but Martin knows what the Premier League is like and how to play the game with the media, as well as the chairman - he`s been there and done it."
Whereas Tony Gale, who after quitting playing has gone on to carve out a career as a TV pundit, offers his thoughts on the promptness of the appointment, remarking,
"It has been done quickly, which was very important."
"Now Fulham can really prepare and have a good pre-season. If they had delayed another month or so, then everything would have of out of sync."
"Fulham might not have got off to the start that everyone is anticipating after the way they finished last season."
"What Fulham need now is stability and I hope Jol is different and can stay on for three or four years."
"He has been given an opportunity at a good club where everything is in place - certainly behind the scenes."
"And if they add a couple of more players to the squad, then they could be an outside bet for a top-six finish."
Now that would be what I call progress!
Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=243906#ixzz1OhViMxhh (http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=243906#ixzz1OhViMxhh)
Clint And His Insecurities
by LORK on JUNE 8, 2011
Really good article and interview with Dempsey over on ESPN, a great read in which he talks openly about feeling like having to constantly prove himself here. I'm not so sure about that last line though. Even if manager's dont initially 'appreciate' him (and that doesn't just apply to Dempsey but to every man in the squad who doesn't get into their first XI straight away) they always do in the end, and I think it's fair to say after winning fans player of the season the amount of appreciation he gets from the stands is pretty big too.
http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/06/clint-and-his-insecurities/ (http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/06/clint-and-his-insecurities/)
Jol to return to Ajax for first Fulham signing (http://www.talksport.co.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/ts_news_article_header_image/Mounir_El_Hamdaoui_0.jpg)
Martin Jol is set to go back to his old club Ajax for his first Fulham signing as he sets his sights on Mounir El Hamdaoui.
New Craven Cottage manager Jol is overhauling his squad this summer and, with Jonathan Greening on his way to Nottingham Forest - as revealed by talkSPORT - the Dutchman is now focusing on incoming transfers.
El Hamdaoui is close to a move to west London and it will mean a link up with Jol for the third time.
The Morocco international was signed by Jol when he was Tottenham manager, although his time in England was disappointing.
He failed to make a single Premier League appearance for Spurs before moving to Derby on loan and then later on to Ajax, where Jol signed him once again.
But now the Amsterdam club are preparing for life without El Hamdaoui, who is wanted by Jol to freshen up Fulham's attack, with Ajax insiders admitting they face a losing battle to keep him.
Ajax have cleared the way for the striker's departure by approaching FC Groningen for Tim Matavz, a 22-year-old Slovenia international.
http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/8161/3/jol-return-ajax-first-fulham-signing? (http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/8161/3/jol-return-ajax-first-fulham-signing?)
Clint Dempsey wants some respect
(http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2011/0607/soc_u_dempsey_576.jpg)
Anthony Gruppuso/US Presswire
He may be one of the go-to guys on the U.S. men's team, but Clint Dempsey has had to prove himself time and again with his club Fulham. Will he ever get the respect he deserves?
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- U.S. national team and Fulham forward Clint Dempsey ambles into a shiny hotel lobby. A father in a U.S.A. jersey calls over to him.
"Wassuuup?" Dempsey calls back with a high-pitched voice and a smile.
Could he give the man a signature and pose with his toddlers? Sure. The hip-hop aficionado has two small children of his own and is a devout family man. Dempsey kneels for the boy and girl to hug him as they pose.
Then he strolls to the bar, settles onto a stool, orders an espresso and excitedly shows off the fishing pliers he just purchased at a nearby store. Dempsey demonstrates in detail how they're used to extract hooks from a bass's mouth, even if he won't have much time for his beloved hobby this summer.
As always, Dempsey's hair is buzzed and stubble envelops his jaw line. His brown eyes are really as big as they look on TV. And, as it turns out, he can make other facial expressions than the perpetual glare you see on the pitch. Mostly, he has a friendly grin on his face.
Out from under a dark blue T-shirt stretches an intricate sleeve tattoo that covers much of his left arm and offers a roadmap of the 28-year-old Dempsey's life. On the inside of his biceps is a depiction of his late older sister Jennifer's tombstone and a tennis racquet. She died of a brain aneurism when she was 16, cutting short a promising tennis career but reviving Clint's soccer dream, now that the family's sparse budget again had room in it for him to play pay-to-play club soccer. Below the tombstone is Psalm 23, for Dempsey's faith. Covering his elbow is the outline of Texas, with the Lone Star placed over Nacogdoches, the town of 33,000 that Clint, his four siblings and his parents called home. (Living in a trailer at the time, his parents drove him three hours each way to Dallas so that Clint could play more competitive soccer.) Higher up on his arm are the likenesses of his and his wife Bethany's wedding rings and the names of his young daughter, Elyse, and son, Jackson. As wallpaper behind all this is Saint Michael fighting the devil. "Because I feel like I'm a warrior, too," says Dempsey.
This is irrefutable. Dempsey has developed into a highly physical, fearless and inexhaustible forward who nevertheless possesses a finely honed technique and can play on either wing, up front or in the hole. He was a warrior against Spain on Saturday, all right -- after coming on at halftime to minimize the wear on him ahead of the Gold Cup, Dempsey was the only American capable of injecting some danger into the U.S. attack, spraying deft passes and making shrewd runs. He also scored in the United States' 2-0 opening-round Gold Cup victory over Canada on Tuesday night , making a darting run to get on the end of a Jozy Altidore pass.
In the shadow of Landon Donovan, Dempsey has also become one of the national team's most consistent, appreciated and useful players. Since making his debut in 2004, he has made 72 appearances and scored 20 times. And, not coincidentally, the moments the U.S. distinguishes itself coincide with Dempsey's best games. He was the one, for example, who threw his body headlong into a challenge with Algeria's goalkeeper at the 2010 World Cup, allowing the ball to skip loose for Donovan to sweep it into the net. It was Dempsey who scored the game-sealing goal in a 2-0 win over Spain in the 2009 Confederations Cup semifinals, and he put the U.S. up 1-0 in the final against Brazil, which rallied for a 3-2 victory. Dempsey was also the man behind South Africa's most infamous moment, taking the shot that snuck under Robert Green's hands to earn the U.S. a tie with England. That goal made Dempsey the second American, after Brian McBride, to score in two World Cups.
"You know what you're going to get from him," says U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra. "He's somebody who you want on your team every time you practice, and you want him on your team when you're going into a game because he gives everything. That fire he has, you see that a lot with winners."
Yet for his 6-foot-1 frame, Clint Dempsey has a curious history of being overlooked.
After spending three seasons at Furman University and three with the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer, where he bagged 25 goals and a Rookie of the Year trophy and two MLS Best XI selections, Dempsey landed with Fulham in January 2007. His $4 million transfer fee was an MLS record at the time. He scored his first goal for the Cottagers on the final day of the season, a 1-0 winner against Liverpool that staved off relegation. In his four full seasons at Fulham, he has led the team in scoring three times -- with six goals in 2007-08, seven in 2008-09 and 12 in 2010-11, tying him with Andy Johnson that year -- and came second once, with seven in 2009-10. His 33 Premier League goals are the most for any Fulham player ever, not to mention a record for an American, as are his 12 goals in a season in the EPL. He was the team's player of the year this season and is tied for the longest-tenured player on the team with Simon Davies. Dempsey helped Fulham reach an all-time best seventh place in 2008-09, not to mention the Europe League final in 2009-10, including a splendid goal against Juventus in that tournament.
"He's been fantastic for Fulham -- I think he's been their best player," says Everton and U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard. "He's heavily relied on by them."
Regardless of having proved himself invaluable time and again, Dempsey was initially relegated to reserve status by all four managers that he's played under at Fulham. After Dempsey joined the club, his first manager, Chris Coleman, gave him just three substitute appearances for a total of 49 minutes in three months before the manager was fired. His successor, Lawrie Sanchez, used Dempsey off the bench at first. But as of the fourth game of the 2007-08 season, he became a starter. In December '07, Sanchez was fired and replaced by Roy Hodgson, who put Dempsey back on the bench. He regained his starting job in Hodgson's third game in charge but again found himself on the fringe for 2008-09. Dempsey fought back and was a starter for the remainder of Hodgson's tenure. Last summer, Hodgson left for Liverpool and Mark Hughes took over. This time, Dempsey came off the bench in three of the team's first four Premier League games before again becoming a regular the rest of the way.
In the end, Dempsey quickly won over every Fulham manager who originally cast him to the club's corps of reserves. But next season, he faces the prospect of having to do it once more, after Hughes walked out on the club at the end of this past season.
The process of starting over each time, like getting a new boss once a year, must be incredibly frustrating.
"It's definitely frustrating," Dempsey says. As we talk, he leans over the bar, playing with his bass pliers, sometimes using his hands to emphasize Yogi Berra-like wisdoms such as "You can only control what you can" and "You only can deal with what you're dealt."
Dempsey has cultivated a Zen-like acceptance of his lot. "I'd rather be someone that's underrated than overrated," he says. "It just pushes me to be more focused and more determined to prove the manager wrong. I go out there every day in training and show him that I want it more than everybody else. In life, you're going to have things that are going to come up against you. You can either let it get to you or you can make something happen. I choose to try to change the situation and make it better, or keep hitting my head against that brick wall until something else happens. That's all I know. That's all I'm programmed for, to keep pushing and to try to make the most of my career and my life, to take care of my family."
But surely being the only one who has to start from scratch with every new manager, like some sort of rookie, has to get to you?
"I'm not gonna sit here on a soapbox and say, 'Oh, it's just me, I'm the only person,'" Dempsey answers. "But I feel what you're saying. It isn't like I don't feel like that sometimes when I'm at home and I'm speaking with my wife and my family, just thinking -- dang, you get tired of it. But it comes with the job, you have to try to make things shake. I feel like God's always looked after me, put me in the right places, and I've been able to make the most of them."
Perhaps his relative peace with his circumstances is borne from an innate self-belief that he will fight back from any demotion and recover from any slight. And Dempsey recognizes that this insecurity is perhaps an important driver for his performance -- that he might be in trouble if that chip ever fell of his shoulder. "I think so, man," he says. "You need to have something that drives you."
So how do you get to be so confident in the face of so much adversity, from such a young age? "I've always had confidence in myself, but going through -- pardon my French -- s---, man," Dempsey says. "Going through tough times, man. Going through those long drives to Dallas, going through losing your sister, going through being overlooked, going through being a big fish in a small pond and going to England and being a nobody and having to prove yourself over and over and over again. A big thing, even though it's been tough, has been dealing with being in Europe and not being the man and having to prove yourself. It's been going through tough times and coming out on top or intact. You can let it bother you or you can make the most of it. And I'd rather make the most of it or die trying than stay in a situation I don't like."
Dempsey is getting animated now. "You have to build yourself up and not everybody can do that," he says. "And part of it is getting in the right situation and having a manager who believes in you. And part of it is trying to change their mind to believe in you and to give you a chance, and then make the most of it.
"I can't just sit because I've got people to take care of, man," he adds. "Not only my wife and kids but my immediate family, I help look after them. I can't fail -- you know what I'm sayin'? I have to succeed."
However confident he may feel, the one upshot of Dempsey's perennial state of limbo has manifested itself as a pursuit of statistics, of proof to buttress his own case. After all, players who set club records are hard to put back on the bench. "When I was growing up, it was just about winning and that was cool," he says. "As I've become a professional, I just feel more pressure to produce, to score goals and get assists. I know I'm a good player, but it gives evidence of how good you are if you're able to look at how many passes you've made in a game or how many chances you create. It's in the books. It's become more about stats as I've become a professional."
Does he feel it's an obligation to give that evidence, because he's gone unappreciated so many times?
"I think it is, man," Dempsey says. "I think it is. I feel like I'm a good player when I go out and play the game. But you can't tell me nothing if I have the evidence right there to support my argument. I do feel like that just reinforces the fact that I'm doing my thing."
The man whose children Dempsey posed with interrupts us. Could he sign his son's Tim Howard jersey, too? Would he mind? Not at all.
Dempsey cherishes his time with the national team. "I feel like I can breathe," he says. It's a time when the insecurity of his club career falls away and he is, at least partly, "the man." He enjoys having a coach, Bob Bradley, who appreciates him. Dempsey hasn't felt that in his club career since leaving the Revs. He misses it. "Yeah," he says. "I experienced that connection with Stevie Nicol and Bob Bradley. They believe in me, and they know I'll run through a brick wall for them, and I do miss that. I haven't felt that way in Europe; I haven't felt that connection with a manager that when the chips are down and you're going into battle that I'm a guy they look to try to make things happen. It's more enjoyable when you have a manager that believes in you. You feel loved."
Most of all, it brings peace of mind. "There's no ambiguity, there's no gray area -- you know where you stand," he says. "That's all you can ask for, to know where you stand. Me, I don't need to be your best friend, we don't need to talk every single day, but it's good to know there's no gray area."
"I appreciate what he's about as a player, what he's about as a person," Bradley says of the player who has grown to be consistently among his best. "One of the things that's always going through your mind as a coach is that when you're playing against good teams and now you put a lineup together, that feeling that the guys that are stepping out on the field are guys you can count on -- Clint's always been one of those guys."
The U.S. will count on him in this month's Gold Cup. Dempsey will try to be the gritty sparkplug who gets his team going, a role he has grown into as he takes on more responsibility within the team.
Because make no mistake, he might be 28, but Dempsey is still improving. "Clint just seems to keep getting better," says Donovan. "It's hard because you think he's peaked and done everything you can do, and then he goes and scores however many goals he's scored this year. He's more and more confident all the time." Dempsey has gotten savvier as a player. The fury seems to serve more of a purpose now, and he's proven over the seasons to be versatile as a second striker or helping out more in the midfield, giving his team some width. He has become adroit at chasing down second balls after shots on goal, ready to pounce, and making smart runs into the box that reveal a keen understanding of the game.
The time for Dempsey is ripe for him to make the jump to a bigger club. Such a move seems natural now -- Liverpool was allegedly interested -- but has never come close to materializing. "If you're a competitive person, you'd want to play at the biggest club in the world, if possible," he concedes. "You want to play Champions League, if you're a competitor. I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't one day want to be playing Champions League or for one of the biggest clubs in the world."
It's all a part of Dempsey's grand plan to make the most of his ability, the most of his career, the most of his life. Because he doesn't plan to stick around as long as clubs will employ him, like some others do. "No, I'm not going to be that guy who's like: 'One more year, one more year, one more year,'" he says. "When I feel like I can't make a difference in the competitive games and go out there and make things happen, that's when I need to step aside and give a younger guy a chance to do his thing. If I can't do it -- you know what I'm sayin'? -- why be out there, man?"
A staffer comes over. It's time for the team's lunch.
"Hey, thanks for the coffee, man," Dempsey says, before planting the firmest of handshakes on my hand.
He walks off. Fans stop him to sign more autographs, and he poses with more children. Then he slips into a room to have lunch and prepare with the one team that truly loves and appreciates him.
http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/6632214/clint-dempsey-wants-some-respect-soccer? (http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/6632214/clint-dempsey-wants-some-respect-soccer?)
Jol to take Fulham forward
If at first you don't succeed, leave it a year and try again.
Martin Jol has, second time around, been appointed as the new Fulham manager with immediate effect. The signing is almost representative of a middle finger at Mark Hughes, who, despite being mooted as second choice to attain the role this time last year, still felt he was bigger than the club and walked out little under a week ago. Still though, enough of sweet revenge.
The Dutchman has signed an initial two-year deal, hopefully without any ludicrous clauses attached, worth a reported £2 million a year. Officially, the club have confirmed that they possess an option which can initiate another year on the deal if they so wish.
Upon signing, he stated, as most do, that he was 'happy to join Fulham Football Club' and that he's 'looking forward to being part of the Fulham family.'
More importantly, though, he went on to suggest that Fulham are a club on the up and with a European adventure in sight (yes, he actually wants to compete), perhaps some younger blood needs to be fed through the development system. About time.
"It would be ridiculous to say that I'm not happy with being in the Europa League," he stated to fulhamfc.com. "I think Fulham were the first and only club who had a lucrative income from the Europa League.
"Let's not forget though that can hinder you in the season, the last time Fulham were in the Europa League they were 12th in the table, but it is my hope that we can build a squad that is strong enough to compete in all of these competitions.
"We've got over 30 players, we'll start with the younger pros as well - we've got a big group. Not everybody will be back but hopefully most of the people will be back and there won't be a lot of difference to playing a game after six days of training or three days of training. It's a bit early, 30th June, so we have to work around it with good planning."
Good planning will indeed be an avid requirement, and, gladly, Jol is not a manager to shy away from the forward thinking aspects of the game.
With only three years in the world of English football, you could perhaps suggest that he is a little inexperienced with its finer workings, but if the success and mastery he achieved while at Tottenham Hotspur is anything to go by, inexperience is certainly not one of his flaws.
He made them a consistently high achieving side who were a lasagne away from the much lauded Champions League. And, quite unbeknownst to most, he can easily be portrayed as the man who has allowed Tottenham to go on to greater things now under the tutorship of Harry Redknapp, with his sacking being rash, unjust and wholly unreasonable.
Years followed abroad with Hamburg and Ajax, where his achievements again were widely recognised. However, the former ADO Den Haag gaffer admitted that his dream was always to return to England, and a club of Fulham's calibre is considered perfect for him:
"I'm very happy to be back and especially at a Club like Fulham. I remember coming here with Tottenham and I even think I played here when I was a player. Craven Cottage is a real football stadium, I loved going to Fulham.
"I could have gone to other countries but I was waiting for the opportunity to come back to England."
A perfect fit all round then, but given his brief stint in England, what can we expect of Martin Jol?
He's a manager who, on the surface at least, is very calm and he exudes stability thanks to his harmonious demeanour. Jol, however, is not short of passion and I would expect that to be shown in the way Fulham will play from now on.
With an air of continuity for us, following Hughes' reign, Jol likes his teams to attack but, as shown by the best defensive record in the Eredvisie with Ajax, he knows how to form a defence astutely. Hand in hand with the attacking, flowing football comes a neat style of play, again, something we're used to at Craven Cottage (post Sanchez anyway).
Tactically, I'd predict many similarities to the previous two reigns at Fulham, although expect more freedom for the more effervescent players such as Moussa Dembele; a striker who Jol will know particularly well.
And, transfer wise, the Dutchman won't be afraid to let a few boys go, as seen with the expectant releases of John Pantsil and co. Zoltan Gera has come clean about the possibility of him staying by the Thames, thanks in no small part to Jol's appointment. It puts into question how much he really 'loves West Bromwich Albion'.
Whom he'll sign is impossible to second guess. With his Tottenham connections, perhaps a few of his former employees could make a move to SW6, although don't bank on it, with the likes of Robbie Keane being well past his sell-by-date.
What is evident, however, that not only is Martin Jol the man to take Fulham forward, but he is also the man to retain the quality aspects of our previous years. No decline shall be forthcoming and us fans should be delighted by this belated appointment.
http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2011/6/8/2213445/jol-to-take-fulham-forward? (http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2011/6/8/2213445/jol-to-take-fulham-forward?)
Jol is a coup for Fulham: Keeper Schwarzer pleased with new Craven Cottage boss
Veteran Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer believes it was quite a coup to secure Martin Jol as the west London club's new manager.
The 55-year-old former Tottenham boss finally moved into the Craven Cottage hotseat when he replaced Mark Hughes, who resigned last Thursday after just one season at the helm.
Jol came close to taking over from Roy Hodgson 12 months ago, only to see Ajax block the move.
Schwarzer feels Jol, who left the Dutch club in December, was definitely the right choice to take Fulham forwards as they prepare for a Europa League qualifier in just three weeks.
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/08/article-2001013-0AB7FD99000005DC-985_634x405.jpg)
Real coup: Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer is delighted with the club's new manager Martin Jol
The Australian international told the Sydney Morning Herald: 'Martin Jol is a very well respected and successful manager.
'His last job was at Ajax, prior to that he was at Hamburg and before that he was at Tottenham. They are some very big clubs he has been involved in.
'The Dutch are renowned for their coaching ability and I am looking forward to working with him.'
Schwarzer added: 'I think the club was very conscious of the position we were in last season when two weeks before the first game we still didn't have a new manager.
'It was well documented last season they were after Martin Jol and this time they've got him. It is definitely a positive move to have it all sorted out now.
'Our pre-season starts on June 23 because we are in the Europa League, so it was vital that we moved quickly on a manager and now he can start planning for the season ahead.'
Schwarzer is recovering from a groin operation and turns 39 in October, but has no intentions of hanging up his gloves just yet.
He added on Fulham's official website: 'At this moment in time I feel great and I am working as hard as ever.
'As long as my performances remain good enough to play at this level I will continue to play.
(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/08/article-2001013-0C7268AF00000578-987_634x393.jpg)
Cause for optimism: Former Spurs boss Jol has signed a two-year deal to take charge at Craven Cottage
'I work very hard because the older you get it does get more difficult and you have to adjust yourself with age - the way you live your life, the way you eat and the way you train.
'As long as I continue to enjoy playing, fit and playing well then I will continue.
'There's even the potential, if I play enough games next season, for an option for another year and I have got my sights set on that and helping Australia qualify for the 2014 World Cup.'
Jol has indicated he will waste little time in building a squad capable of sustaining both a successful domestic and European campaign.
Fulham maintain there has been no bid from Tottenham for striker Mousa Dembele, whom Jol indicated was in any case central to his plans for next season.
While Hungarian midfielder Zoltan Gera could yet extend his stay following a change in management at the Cottage, it appears Ghanaian defender John Pantsil and the likes of Diomansy Kamara, Eddie Johnson and Matthew Saunders will all be allowed to leave as part of squad rebuilding.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2001013/Mark-Schwarzer-delighted-Martin-Jol-new-Fulham-boss.html#ixzz1OhiPULfy (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2001013/Mark-Schwarzer-delighted-Martin-Jol-new-Fulham-boss.html#ixzz1OhiPULfy)
Johnny Haynes Stand(http://www.fulhamfc.com/Images/Images/wooden-seats300x336.jpg)
Season Tickets are still available in the Johnny Haynes Stand, the oldest stand in the Barclays Premier League which has been in existence since 1905. The upper tier even features the original wooden seating which gives fans a real sense of Fulham's history.
A Season Ticket in the Johnny Haynes Stand offers fantastic views of all the action, puts you close to the pitch and never far from the players. With easy access to Stevenage Road through the back of the Stand, you're also best placed to avoid the crowds and make a quick getaway after matches.
If you are after some of the best views in the house, we still have limited availability in the centre of the Stand. Blocks E, F, EL and FL are situated right on the halfway line and a Season Ticket in this area is available for £789.
We also still have limited availability in the two Family Zones. Blocks A, K, AL and KL are priced at just £469 for adults and £125 for juniors. Under 8s can even get their hands on a FREE* Season Ticket when accompanied by one full paying adult.
(http://www.fulhamfc.com/Images/MainNews/HeadlineImages-small/Tickets/STAvailabilityJohnnyHaynes.jpg)
Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/June/JohnnyHaynesStand.aspx?#ixzz1Ohj9AR00 (http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/June/JohnnyHaynesStand.aspx?#ixzz1Ohj9AR00)
Fulham Set To Sign El Hamdaoui
by LORK on JUNE 8, 2011
Reports in Holland (and in a few local rags too) that Morrocan strikerMounir El Hamdaoui is set to sign for a free in the region of 5 million euros. His scoring record is very impressive, with 52 goals in 92 games for AZ before moving to Ajax last season and scoring 19 in 38; you can see some of his goals here, some of the finishes really are exquisite. He won't be entirely foreign to Fulham if he does join, having signed for Jol twice (once at Spurs and last season at Ajax) with whom he has a close relationship and has played alongside Dembele for AZ. Dembele infact names El Hamdaoui as the best player he's played with and one of his closest friends, so as well as picking up what could be the missing link for our 'Goals For' column El Hamdaoui could be what keeps Dembele here this summer. Exciting signing if it comes off.
http://www.elfvoetbal.nl/nieuws/130113_wandelgang-el-hamdaoui-verlost-van-ajax-lazio-wint-strijd-om-klose-henderson-bijna-van-liverpool#reactie-130113 (http://www.elfvoetbal.nl/nieuws/130113_wandelgang-el-hamdaoui-verlost-van-ajax-lazio-wint-strijd-om-klose-henderson-bijna-van-liverpool#reactie-130113)
AMSTERDAM – Ajax and Mounir El Hamdaoui are almost rid of each other. A transfer to Fulham of the attacker is almost done, according to Sport 1. The transition is reportedly an amount of 4.5 million euros. El Hamdaoui was last year for around five million euros brought to Amsterdam by Martin Jol. He became coach of Fulham yesterday.
There are more sources and some informative opinion on him over on Friends of Fulham here if you're interested in learning more about him.
http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/06/fulham-set-to-sign-el-hamdaoui/? (http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/06/fulham-set-to-sign-el-hamdaoui/?)
Fulham's man on a mission
When Fulham play Liverpool in the Premier League next season, all eyes will be on the directors' box. There we will be able to watch Damien Comolli turn a bright crimson colour with embarrassment the moment he spots who is in the opposition dug out. Or at least we will be able to if the bloke has any sense of shame.
Comolli, you will remember, was the director of football who, when in charge of Tottenham, fired Martin Jol. This despite the Dutchman leading the club to a top-five finish twice in four years, taking them to numerous cup quarter- and semi-finals, getting the best out of Robbie Keane and generally returning the club to playing the kind of flowing football with which it should be associated.
According to Comolli, who delivered one of the most feeble press conference performances in living memory in defence of his decision the following day, Jol had taken the club about as far as he was going to do. What was needed now was someone who might advance it to the next level. And the man Comolli had identified as being so much more likely to take the club forward than the Dutchman? Step forward Juande Ramos.
No wonder Comolli was soon heading out of the club, and subsequently to Liverpool, where he has continued to demonstrate his shrewd way with the world football market by negotiating to spend £20 million on Jordan Henderson.
Jol took his grievance at his dismissal off to Germany with Hamburg, and later to Holland where he performed admirably as Ajax coach. But he always had a sense of unfinished business. He always wanted to come back to England. So when the opportunity came to take over from Mark Hughes at Fulham he sniffed an opportunity. And what a coup it is for the chairman Mohamed Al Fayed: there can be no employee more motivated than a manager scorned.
Indeed, the debacle of Lawrie Sanchez aside, Al Fayed has proven himself pretty adept at choosing a manager. Jean Tigana, Kevin Keegan, Mark Hughes and Roy Hodgson: it is not a bad roll of honour. A lot better, for instance, than Comolli's hit rate (and before any Liverpool fans scream the place down, Kenny Dalglish was not his idea, apparently).
It is not what you expect of the comical Harrods owner, the man lampooned by Private Eye as the Old Fugger, the misty-eyed star fancier who demonstrated his absence of personal taste by erecting a monstrous waxwork of Michael Jackson outside Craven Cottage and then telling any Fulham fan who didn't like it to go and support Chelsea.
When it comes to making the right managerial appointment, however, he seems to know what he is doing.
He probably didn't expect Hughes to go. The problem he faced there was that Hughes has what is known in Hollywood as FU money. He has enough cash in the bank not to be beholden to any employer.
Owning half of Cheshire, the Duke of Prestbury, as he is known locally, was largely steering Fulham as a hobby. He could afford to walk away and look for other opportunities whenever the urge took him. He knew he would be in a better position to negotiate for the bigger jobs around were he a free agent. That was why he was unwilling to sign a longer contract with Al Fayed in the first place.
But the moment he went, Al Fayed acted quickly and sensibly to stem any sense of the kind of drift and indecision that seems to be infecting the club down the road.
Whatever Comolli might believe, Jol is a proper football manager, adept in both the training ground and the dressing room, a pragmatic and rational advocate of good football, who knows his way around the international market. Plus, and this is by no means his least useful trait, he has a countenance scary enough to command instant respect.
More to the point, he is a man on a mission. You bet he can hardly wait for the fixtures to be published for next season, ready to circle on his calendar in green ink Fulham's encounters with Spurs and Liverpool.
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/jim-white/article/31976/ (http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/jim-white/article/31976/)
