Fulham and Stoke prepare for battle in pursuit of out-of-favour Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz
Manchester City are expecting offers from Stoke and Fulham for Roque Santa Cruz but will have to accept less than half the £18m they paid for the Paraguay World Cup striker just over a year ago.
Former City boss Mark Hughes signed Santa Cruz from his old club Blackburn after a lengthy pursuit, but the 28-year-old struggled to make an impression last season and scored only four goals.
With City expected to bring in Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli, Santa Cruz is surplus to requirements and one of several players expected to leave Eastlands before the end of the month.
Stoke and Fulham are both in the market for a striker but are unlikely to pay more than £8m for Santa Cruz, particularly given his persistent injury problems.
Meanwhile, the father of Bordeaux midfielder Yoann Gourcuff, 24, claims City have expressed an interest in the France international.
Christian Gourcuff said his son would stay at Bordeaux this season but is interested in a move to the Premier League in future, adding: 'He was invited by Manchester City to see their facilities and we talked, but no progress was achieved.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1299751/Manchester-City-expecting-bids-Roque-Santa-Cruz-Fulham-Stoke.html#ixzz0vUkZ1372 (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1299751/Manchester-City-expecting-bids-Roque-Santa-Cruz-Fulham-Stoke.html#ixzz0vUkZ1372)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/aug/03/fulham-sir-dave-richards-peter-crouch (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/aug/03/fulham-sir-dave-richards-peter-crouch)
Sir Dave Richards faces Fulham high court action over Peter Crouch
• Fulham say Premier League chairman acted in favour of Spurs
• High court writ over Crouch's transfer from Portsmouth
Sir Dave Richards's exoneration by the Premier League from any wrongdoing over Peter Crouch's transfer from Portsmouth is the subject of a fresh dispute between Gloucester Place and Fulham. The Premier League chairman is the subject of a high court action by Fulham alleging that he acted against their interests and in favour of Tottenham Hotspur when he became involved in transfer negotiations for the England international last summer.
In a letter to clubs last week Richard Scudamore, the Premier League's chief executive, said: "The matters complained of by Fulham were the subject of an inquiry conducted by Peter McCormick, in his capacity [as] an independent legal adviser to the Premier League, earlier this year.
"The inquiry concluded that it was not inappropriate for the chairman to assist in such matters when requested to do so by a club."
Digger can reveal that in a letter to the Premier League last September Fulham raised six objections to its intentions for the inquiry, one of which was McCormick. He is chairman of the league's legal advisory group and Fulham felt it inappropriate for McCormick to sit in judgment of the chairman of an organisation from which he routinely earns fees.
Evidently McCormick did not consider there to be any breach rule 3.01(2.b) of the Solicitors Regulation Authority's code of conduct on conflicts of interest. Although Fulham consented to McCormick's engagement, they are clearly not happy with the outcome, hence a high court writ.
Pompey's car park puzzle
Those seeking a reason for Alexandre Gaydamak's decision to lock up Portsmouth's car park might have thought it was an effort to put to bed the "coincidence" he admits which links his family and the club's "owner", Balram Chainrai. Gaydamak closed access to his land adjacent to Fratton Park at a sensitive time for Pompey. It happened less than a week before the club's administrator heads to the high court today to defend his company voluntary arrangement for creditors against the taxman's challenge. If HM Revenue & Customs fails, the CVA is expected to confirm that Chainrai, a former business partner of Gaydamak's father, Arkady, can take control of a debt-free Portsmouth. Chainrai only invested the £17m that first allowed him to gain control of the club after the Israeli courts awarded him exactly that sum from Gaydamak senior's frozen assets. A large part of the reason Chainrai is so close to taking control of Pompey is that Gaydamak voted in support of the CVA, despite the fact it would cost him about £25m of the £31.5m the club owes him.
These facts are not lost on HMRC, which believes the CVA process will leave it unjustly nursing a multi-million-pound deficit. But even if the taxman relies on them in court today, Gaydamak insists his decision to close access to the car park was for health and- safety reasons and is not related to the case. "Any claims that the land is being used to block games is inaccurate, distracting and unhelpful given this critical time for the club," Gaydamak's spokesman said. "Sacha [Alexandre] has always had the best interests of the club at heart and fully supports any party and solution that facilitates the club's ability to trade and prosper." So the "coincidence" still remains.
Powar spreads racism fight
Macedonian fans who last week gestured and directed monkey chants at Liverpool's black players during a Europa League tie at last have someone looking over their shoulders. Piara Powar, the well-connected chief executive of Kick It Out, has left the organisation to head the previously disparate pressure group Football Against Racism in Europe. Powar has been the driving force behind England's hugely effective anti-racism lobby for more than a decade and, with significant funding from Uefa, is now setting up a co-ordinated European equivalent. In the meantime, Kick It Out is recruiting a replacement for its long-serving chief executive.
Store bails out Shrimpers
What pact has Sainsbury's signed with Ron Martin? Yet again yesterday it handed over another multi-million-pound sum so he could cover Southend United's short-term liabilities with long-term debt. That caused the taxman's request to the high court to order administration against an "incontrovertibly insolvent" football club to be thrown out yesterday. At the latest reckoning that means Sainsbury's has supported Martin's chairmanship of the Shrimpers with more than £8m of debt finance in the name of a new stadium at Fossett's Farm, and not a single brick has been laid.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/aug/03/arsenal-manuel-almunia-goalkeeper (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/aug/03/arsenal-manuel-almunia-goalkeeper)
'I've got nothing to prove,' says Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia
• Spaniard unconcerned by possible arrival of Mark Schwarzer
• Forced to share goalkeeping duties with Lukasz Fabianski
(http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/pictures/2010/8/2/1280757993474/Manuel-almunia-006.jpg)
Manuel Almunia has responded to speculation about his future at Arsenal by insisting he does not have to "convince anybody" of his credentials as a goalkeeper.
It is expected Arsène Wenger will add another goalkeeper to his squad before the start of the Premier League season, with Mark Schwarzer believed to be his principal target.
Fulham have rejected a £2m bid for the 37-year-old but the player is keen on a move to the Emirates and is expected to relay that view to Mark Hughes after he is presented as the Fulham manager at a press conference today.
Schwarzer's arrival would threaten Alumina's place in the Arsenal team. The Spaniard established himself as Wenger's No1 following the departure of Jens Lehmann in June 2008 but has failed to fully convince and last season was forced to fight for his position with Lukasz Fabianski. Almunia played 36 times, keeping 13 clean sheets, while Fabianski featured in 10 matches and kept two clean sheets.
The pair have shared goalkeeping responsibilities during Arsenal's pre-season programme, with Almunia playing twice, including in Sunday's 3-2 Emirates Cup win over Celtic, and Fabianski three times.
Such switching points to a lack of faith in the pair by Wenger but Almunia is not worried. "I don't need to convince anybody – I just do my job," the 33-year-old said. "I have a couple more years on my contract and that's it, I'm an Arsenal player."
Whoever ends up in goal will want greater cover from their defence than was the case last season. Arsenal conceded 41 goals during the Premier League campaign, nine more than champions Chelsea and six more than Liverpool, who finished four places below them in seventh.
Arsenal's defensive frailties were again apparent during the Emirates Cup, when they allowed Milan to equalise through a weak header from Pato and conceded two late and avoidable goals to Celtic.
The French full-back Bacary Sagna admits such sloppiness is a worry and has called on his fellow defenders – which is likely to include the addition of one more centre-back – to cut out such errors before the opening game of the new season, which is away to Liverpool on 15 August.
"We definitely need to be more consistent," Sagna said. "If you remember what happened last year against Wigan [when Arsenal lost 3-2 having led 2-0], that shows we need to keep playing [until the end of the game]. Maybe we stop playing sometimes because we think the game is too easy. We need to talk more on the pitch and stay together."
Overall, however, Sagna is in positive mood, having been part of a team who have won four and drawn one of their five summer fixtures so far and seen the encouraging debuts of new recruits Laurent Koscielny and Marouane Chamakh.
Chamakh, who arrived on a free transfer from Bordeaux in May, has impressed Sagna with two goals, so much so he believes the 26-year-old can have a similar impact for Arsenal as Emmanuel Adebayor did prior to his move to Manchester City last summer.
"He [Chamakh] can make the difference because he is a good player, can keep the ball and score great goals," Sagna said. "It will be very important to have a player like that in front of goal. I will trust him with the ball because he can keep it quite easily. He looks like Adebayor – they are both very good in front of goal and that is a good thing for the team."
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/sunsport_columnists/3078849/Ian-Wright-Dont-expect-too-much-of-Mark-Hughes.html#ixzz0vUlU7Ij6 (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/sunsport_columnists/3078849/Ian-Wright-Dont-expect-too-much-of-Mark-Hughes.html#ixzz0vUlU7Ij6)
Dont Expect Too Much Of Sparky
Ian Wright
MARK HUGHES will be unveiled as Fulham's new boss today.
It is a decent appointment and certainly a better option than Sven Goran Eriksson.
Yet Hughes has a problem and it is through no fault of his own.
He comes to a club on the back of the most glorious, successful season where expectations are likely to be higher than they should be.
It is unlikely Hughes will ever be able to surpass Roy Hodgson's feat of taking the club to the Europa League final and everyone at Craven Cottage must accept this.
This is not a case of lacking ambition - more like being realistic. I cannot see any way Fulham can build on that achievement. Getting into a Champions League spot will be beyond them.
The club's supporters have to accept last season was a special time. They must cherish it and take that fantastic run for what it was - a one-off - and not put any pressure on Hughesy because of last season's success. I like Fulham. The people behind the scenes there have worked hard and developed it into a decent Premier League club.
The fanbase is now good, far better that it was when they first came into the top flight.
But I have no doubt that Hughes will ensure Fulham do not have any relegation worries.
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There will be some new arrivals and Craig Bellamy would be one person I would not be surprised to see arriving at Fulham. Hughes will create a decent team and the fans will get behind him - but the comparisons with Hodgson's side will have to stop.
The Football League starts again this weekend and I love the Championship because it is so unpredictable.
Unlike the Premier League, even when the top team is playing the bottom side, you can never be entirely sure what the result will be.
I'd love to see my old team Palace go up this season but I cannot see it. I'm just glad the club still exists.
There are loads of other big clubs in there - Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest and Leicester to name three. I was pleased to see Leeds go up and I'd like to see them achieve a second successive promotion as they are a big club and arguably bigger than a lot of Premier League outfits.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/sunsport_columnists/3078849/Ian-Wright-Dont-expect-too-much-of-Mark-Hughes.html#ixzz0vUldoUQb (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/sunsport_columnists/3078849/Ian-Wright-Dont-expect-too-much-of-Mark-Hughes.html#ixzz0vUldoUQb)
http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/sports/9136-blackburn-targets-utaka (http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/sports/9136-blackburn-targets-utaka)
Blackburn targets Utaka
BLACKBURN Rovers chairman, John Williams has revealed that the club had made an increased offer for an unnamed striker as it set to bolster its attacking options, and it is understood JohnUtaka is the player in question.
According to Skysports.com, Portsmouth is willing to sell the Nigerian international in a bid to cut costs following its relegation from the Premier League.
Bolton, Sunderland and Fulham are believed to have shown interest in the 28-year-old, but it appears Rovers is leading the chase for Utaka's signature.
A number of foreign sides are also believed to be eyeing Utaka, but the player is understood to be keen to stay in England and Rovers could offer him that opportunity.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/428731-epl-vs-la-liga-the-battle-for-supremacy-as-the-worlds-1-league (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/428731-epl-vs-la-liga-the-battle-for-supremacy-as-the-worlds-1-league)
EPL VS. La Liga : The Battle For Supremacy As The World's # 1 League
By Justin Dowling (Contributor) on August 2, 2010
Which League Is The Best In The World?
With Spain winning the World Cup this past summer in South Africa, and there Domestic league touting the two best players in world, and now having the hottest manager in the world of football in Jose Mourinho joining Real Madrid; will Spain's La Liga over take England's Premier League as the best league in the world?
It's a debate that can go on for days, is it the Premier League or Spain's La Liga that is the best in the world? For some it's Spain's closed control and technical skill but for most it's Premier League's physical nature and the raw passion that you feel every time you tune in for a game and each stadium is packed to the rafters with supporter's who live and die with every touch of the ball.
While La Liga is seemed to have more technical skill most of that can be chalked up to the referee's setting a standard to let the player's have their space to use their creativity on and off the ball to make things happen to awe the crowd. But in the same respect the Premier league brings the same amount of technical skill and more to the table overall as a league being the total package of size, skill, speed, and technical ability.
As you take a look at both leagues from top-to-bottom as far as depth of team's and also depth of player's overall it is not much of a question being that the Premier edges out La Liga in regards to both. This is because it is merely a battle at the top between Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga with the only other team's fighting for supremacy being Valencia (who just sold their two best player's), Athletico Madrid (who have the talent overall but just can't get it done), & Sevilla (who have the attacking talent but also just never seem to get it done). While in the Premier League there is "The Big Four" in Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, & Arsenal, and also proverbial big spender's Manchester City and London outfit Tottenham knocking on the door. Also in the Premier league team's like Everton, Aston Villa, and Fulham are right on the cusp of breaking through, but lack the transfer funds of the bigger clubs which inhibits them from taking bigger steps in the right direction.
Also the best players in the world are being brought to the Premier League to star for the biggest clubs while in La Liga it's mainly just Real Madrid and Barcelona snapping up player's and both teams are starting to have to deal with log jam's at the top in terms of starting position's and playing time.
The Premier League has become the world's most watched professional football league. It is also the world's most lucrative league, with combined club revenues in 2007-2008 being $3.15 billion. It is also ranked first in UEFA's coefficient of league's based on European competition over the last five year's beating out Spain's La Liga and Italy's Seria A.
We will see in the coming seasons if the two best players in the world Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for Real Marid and Barcelona respectively can do anything to change that. Also with Jose Mourinho joining Real Madrid this off-season he should only help add to the spotlight of what La Liga has to offer
Transfer-listed Villa defender determined to prove his worth
Curtis Davies is determined not to be forced out the door at Aston Villa and he is on a mission to force Martin O'Neill to hand him a new contract.
Davies, signed for £11m from WBA two years ago, has been placed on the transfer list at Villa Park as part of O'Neill's redevelopment plans.
But he is ready to dig his heels in over the decision and force O'Neill into a u-turn and earn himself a fresh deal at the club.
Davies has been stuck on 59 appearances for the club and missed most of last season after shoulder surgery.
One more senior appearance in the Premier League will trigger a clause in his deal that will force Villa to renegotiate his £25,000-a-week deal.
Davies wants to be elevated among the higher earners at Villa Park and to show O'Neill he made the wrong decision to show him the door.
He has been included in Villa's Guadiana Cup squad in Portugal and said: `The biggest thing for me is getting back into the team.
`I am going to roll my sleeves up and see what happens. Obviously the manager will make his decisions but I will see, keep my head down and hope things work out for me.'
Davies has flogged himself with his own summer training regime and has returned to pre-season fitter than ever.
`I have never been scared of competition. I have done a lot of hard work and a lot of running throughout the holidays. Now I've come back for pre-season one of the fittest here and determined to make it work,' he added.
`We'll have to wait and see. If I can get in the team ahead of the likes of Carlos Cuellar, Richard Dunne and James Collins you know you must have something right in pre-season.
`If I can put in a couple of good performances against Feyenoord and Benfica, hopefully that will stand me in good stead for the start of the season.
`If I play well I can give the manager a massive headache and that is what I want to do.'
Newcastle United and Fulham have made tentative enquiries about Davies, but have been put off by Villa's £7m asking price for the former WBA captain.
Davies is one of six players placed on the transfer list by Martin O'Neill as the manager tries to boost his budget for new signing.
Along with Nicky Shorey, Luke Young, Steve Sidwell, Nigel Reo-Coker and Habib Beye, Davies has been put up for sale to generate spending funds.
He has fully recovered from the surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder and insists Villa have not been damaged by O'Neill's planned clear out and the uncertainty hanging over so many of the squad.
`Team spirit is so important - it's a massive thing. It's about doing it out on the pitch, but if you have players who talk to each other on and off the pitch and get on with each other on and off the pitch, it makes things so much easier. We have that.'
Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Curtis-Davies-wants-to-stay-and-fight-for-his-place-at-Aston-Villa-after-being-transfer-listed-article543837.html#ixzz0vUmWabYh (http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Curtis-Davies-wants-to-stay-and-fight-for-his-place-at-Aston-Villa-after-being-transfer-listed-article543837.html#ixzz0vUmWabYh)
Hughes ready to pounce for former Gunner
Mark Hughes has joined the race to take ex-Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb on loan from Barcelona.
The new Fulham boss, set to be unveiled this afternoon, is keen to add quality to last season's Europa League finalist ahead of the new season.
But rather than tap into the £25million war chest made available to him by owner Mohamed Al Fayed, Hughes is eyeing a number of loan deals and sees 29-year-old Hleb as a suitable candidate.
The Belarus midfielder is surplus to requirements at the Nou Camp but was outstanding for Arsenal before he quit the club for Spain in 2008.
A loan move to his previous club Stuttgart failed to work out but Hleb is keen to come back to the Premier League where he produced his best form.
Aston Villa, Sunderland, West Ham and Spurs have all expressed an interest in him
But Hleb had been keen to fight for his place at the Nou Camp, but was left in no doubt as to how he is viewed by the club when he was left off the plane for Barca's recent trip to Valerenga for a pre-season friendly.
Hleb has already been offered to English clubs earlier this summer but Barca received few offers to take him outright back then. Now he would be available for about £4million - just two years after the Catalans splashed out £12m to take him from Arsenal.
Hughes is also weighing up a loan move for Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz is also headed for the exit door at Eastlands - a season after moving there from Blackburn for £17.5million.
Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Transfer-news-Mark-Hughes-wants-Alexander-Hleb-on-loan-from-Barcelona-article543807.html#ixzz0vUnArkl0 (http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Transfer-news-Mark-Hughes-wants-Alexander-Hleb-on-loan-from-Barcelona-article543807.html#ixzz0vUnArkl0)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/aug/02/roque-santa-cruz-manchester-city-fulham (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/aug/02/roque-santa-cruz-manchester-city-fulham)
Mark Hughes wants Manchester City's Roque Santa Cruz at Fulham
• Move complicated by player's £90,000 a week salary
• Hughes also interested in signing Craig Bellamy
Mark Hughes, the new Fulham manager, has made the first move in his bid to coax Roque Santa Cruz away from Manchester City. Hughes has not been put off by the striker's erratic record at Eastlands and Fulham's interest in the injury-plagued Paraguayan has been relayed to City via an intermediary in the past few days.
The negotiations are only at a preliminary stage but Hughes has been encouraged to believe that Roberto Mancini, the man who replaced him as City's manager last December, is willing to let Santa Cruz leave.
The player is aware that he does not figure prominently in Mancini's plans although his departure is complicated by his salary, understood to be close to £90,000 a week, and his reluctance to leave the north-west.
Santa Cruz and his family are settled in Cheshire and that may mean a move to Stoke City appeals more to a player who is likely to command less than half the £18m fee that was paid to prise him from Blackburn Rovers 13 months ago. Tony Pulis, the Stoke manager, is keen to bring in a powerful striker this summer and the Potteries club have informed City of their interest. Fenerbahce have also initiated contact about the former Bayern Munich player whose time in Manchester has been more synonymous with his injuries than the goals he has scored.
In total, he has managed only four for City but Hughes was managing Blackburn when Santa Cruz scored 23 times in the 2007-08 season and has kept faith with the player despite his recurrent knee problems.
As City look to trim their oversized squad, Hughes's interest extends to several more of his former players, most notably Craig Bellamy, who is also among Harry Redknapp's targets at Tottenham Hotspur.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5ipCPmyyVnhVXK3TvKgDbAaeA7ASg (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5ipCPmyyVnhVXK3TvKgDbAaeA7ASg)
Pantsil excited over Fulham future
Fulham defender John Pantsil is aiming for a top-six finish under new manager Mark Hughes.
The Ghana full-back is convinced Hughes, who will be officially unveiled by the club on Tuesday, can build on everything Roy Hodgson achieved at Craven Cottage.
"I have said many times that Roy Hodgson was someone that made me the player that I am today, and that I am very grateful. But we have to move on - this is what happens in football," said Pantsil.
"The appointment of Mark Hughes is a very exciting one, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this team evolves under his guidance.
"He's a very good manager and I think most of the players have come up against his teams in the past and from those experiences we know that he has a lot of quality. He's someone that commands a lot of respect and is tactically very astute.
"It's not long now until the new season gets up and running. This will be my third as a Fulham player and I'm very excited about what could unfold.
"It will be a challenge, but for me I would love to see the club push as close as they can for a top-six finish.
"I believe in this squad of players and we have shown before what we can achieve as a team.
"I know that people will say that it will be difficult, but we have to be ambitious and have belief in our ability - otherwise what is the point in going out there?"
http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2010/8/2/1601398/the-manchester-city-view-of-mark (http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2010/8/2/1601398/the-manchester-city-view-of-mark)
The Manchester City View of Mark Hughes: Q & A With Danny Pugsley Of Bitter & Blue
by Russ Goldman on Aug 2, 2010 11:10 PM BST 0 comments
Tomorrow there will be a press conference to officially announce Mark Hughes as the new manager of Fulham. Hughes is the former manager of Manchester City. He was sacked by Manchester City on December 19,2009. He was replaced by current Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini.
I wanted to find out more about Hughes and his time as manager at Eastlands. So I asked someone that covers Manchester City on a regular basis to help me. Danny Pugsley of Bitter & Blue was nice enough to answer my questions regarding Mark Hughes.
Danny is writer and editor of Bitter & Blue. This is a website for fans of Manchester City. If you are fan of this club this is the place for you. Danny has also contributed to many websites and other publications including The Observer, Yorkshire Evening Post, the BBC,and more. He also was a contributor to the World Cup coverage on Sbnation.com.
Danny definitely is the right person to shed some light on the Mark Hughes era at Manchester City. I asked him a variety of questions regarding the former Manchester City manager. Below is my Q & A with Danny Pugsley of Bitter & Blue.
Q: What were the thoughts when Mark Hughes was hired as Manchester City manager?
Feelings were very mixed. Some felt that his record in charge of Wales and Blackburn made him a good choice and that stepping up to a bigger job was a natural progression for a promising, young manager. Others, however, felt that his ties with United were not favourable and that he was a manager of limited means who had merely done well in helping average sides overachieve.
History will probably show him as being somewhere in the middle.
Q: What were his strengths as a manager while in charge at Eastlands?
Undoubtedly the fact that he rid the club of a laissez fair attitude and an 'anything goes' mentality that appeared to have been fostered under Sven-Goran Eriksson (ironic he was reportedly Hughes's main rival). He set in place a far greater work ethic and team ethos. This did of course alienate certain players (generally the more creative, mercurial elements) and I wonder if this is something he may struggle with at Fulham.
Amongst the big sums he did spend, he also picked up the likes of Zabaleta and Kompany for relatively small sums - I'd expect this scouting ability to be a benefit.
Q: What were his weaknesses as a manager?
His single-mindedness meant that the likes of Elano or Robinho felt marginalised and that there was no room for negotiation with Hughes. There were reports of him not being a great 'man-manager' and I can certainly see this being the case.
Maybe he will have learnt from this and not be as forthright as he has been at times.
Q: What style of play did Manchester City play under Mark Hughes?
We certainly didn't see the uncompromising style of his Blackburn side yet it wasn't free flowing exhibition stuff either. He favours the 4-4-2, but with the injury to Tevez and suspension to Adebayor he didn't manage to get them on the field together too often at the start of last season, so for the most part operated with the 4-5-1 (with Bellamy and Wright-Phillips supplementing the lone front man).
The side was certainly tough to beat last season before his sacking, yet there were undoubtedly games where the side lacked concentration and it cost them (and Hughes) dear.
He has enough 'footballers' at Fulham though to encourage them to play and I wouldn't be concerned that we are about to see Blackburn mk II.
Q: Did Manchester City fans think his sacking was justified?
In terms of the decision, even those who were in the pro-Hughes camp understood the justification, yet the manner of the sacking left a sour taste as Hughes was effectively a lame duck manager for his final game as the club allowed rumour to spread that he was facing the sack.
The club I think felt that 4th spot was very much attainable (due to Liverpool's slump) which it did not expect at the outset of the season, and the way some results had gone, believed Hughes would not be able to attain 4th. Of course, Mancini was also unable to achieve this but the unanimous feeling is it was the right move.
Q: What should Fulham fans expect with Mark Hughes as their manager?
He is a very ambitious manager, someone very sure of his ability and knows what he wants to achieve. I'm sure he felt he would be able to land a 'bigger' job after his sacking, but this could well be a good fit for him as it is not a rebuilding project but something with a lot of pieces in place.
His expectation would be to have them challenging for the European positions.
Q: Do you think he is right manager for Fulham?
Without knowing who the alternatives were I would say yes. He is able to get results and who knows, he may have . Fulham appear to have a great spirit and mentality generated over the past couple of seasons, and if he is sensible he will not try and change that too much.
Q: Are you concerned that Hughes will try to go after some Manchester City players?
No, although logic suggests he will. Bellamy and Santa Cruz would be the most likely given their history, but most City fans wouldn't be too displeased to see either leave, as despite Bellamy's excellent form he has perhaps peaked and there are players to replace him, whilst Santa Cruz has been a bust.
I would be interested to see if he went for the likes of Ireland/Richards/Onouha - all would be a good fit and in range of Fulham's budget.
Q: Will Manchester City fans be looking forward to playing Fulham this season?
Fulham is always a great ground to visit - nice stadium, decent part of London and it will of course have some spice added to it now. I am interested in the reaction Hughes will get from City fans. He was probably the most divisive managerial figure there has been in recent times and I wonder how this will translate to the terraces in the two fixtures.
I want to thank again Danny Pugsley of Bitter & Blue for participating in this post about Mark Hughes. Please check out his site if you are interested in more information about Manchester City.
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/08/02/2053315/new-fulham-boss-mark-hughes-wants-reunion-with-manchester (http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/08/02/2053315/new-fulham-boss-mark-hughes-wants-reunion-with-manchester)
New Fulham boss Mark Hughes wants reunion with Manchester City's Roque Santa Cruz - report
New Fulham manager Mark Hughes has made his first moves in the transfer market in his new role, as he tries to lure Manchester City's Roque Santa Cruz to Craven Cottage, according to The Guardian.
City have apparently been made aware of the approach, with negotiations expected to start shortly with Roberto Mancini willing to sell as he looks to reduce the numbers at Eastlands to fit the new 25 player rule and a deal would likely be worth less than half of the £18 million City paid for him.
Hughes initially brought the player to England when he was in charge of Blackburn Rovers, and again took him to Manchester City last summer. An impressive spell with Rovers failed to reappear in Manchester and has left the 28-year-old slip down the pecking order.
One stumbling point could be the Paraguayan's wages, which are rumoured to be around £90,000 - a salary that Fulham could not afford. Another being that Cruz's family are also settled up north, and with Stoke City also monitoring the situation and move to the Britannia Stadium could be considered more realistic.
Bolton eye Oldham prodigy
Bolton boss Owen Coyle is ready to sign top young striker Tom Eaves from Oldham - after he scored a hat-trick against him in a pre-season friendly.
The teenager came off the bench to nab three sharp goals against Wanderers last week and Coyle immediately began talks with Latics about taking him in a surprise £250,000 deal.
Eaves was left on the bench at the weekend to avoid injury before the move goes through - much to the disappointment of Sunderland, Blackpool and Fulham who sent their top scouts to see him play.
Eaves will be sold by the hard-up League One club but they may ask Bolton if the youngster can rejoin them on loan for the season.
Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Transfer-news-Owen-Coyles-wants-Oldham-youngster-Tom-Eaves-who-scored-a-hat-trick-against-Bolton-in-pre-season-article543749.html (http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Transfer-news-Owen-Coyles-wants-Oldham-youngster-Tom-Eaves-who-scored-a-hat-trick-against-Bolton-in-pre-season-article543749.html)
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/08/02/2053336/blackburn-rovers-bid-for-portsmouth-striker-john-utaka (http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/08/02/2053336/blackburn-rovers-bid-for-portsmouth-striker-john-utaka)
Blackburn Rovers bid for Portsmouth striker John Utaka - report
Blackburn Rovers are understood to have made a bid for Portsmouth striker John Utaka, according to Sky Sports.
Rovers chairman John Williams revealed last week that the club had made a second offer for an unnamed player, after being rebuffed once, and the 28-year-old is the reported transfer target.
Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland and Fulham are also noted to be interested in the Nigerian and with Portsmouth still eager to cut costs a deal for the striker could be wrapped up soon.
Utaka joined Portsmouth in 2007 on the back of a succesful time at French club Rennes, but has since failed to replecate the same form and could be open to a switch of clubs.
http://www.sportsuntapped.com/sven-goran-eriksson-let-go-by-yet-another-team-111846/ (http://www.sportsuntapped.com/sven-goran-eriksson-let-go-by-yet-another-team-111846/)
Sven Goran Eriksson let go by yet another teamAdded August 2nd, 2010 by IanSOCCER
It appears there's no end to Sven-Goran Eriksson's greed. He announced on Aug. 2 that he's quitting as the manager of Ivory Coast's national team because they won't pay his wage demands. This is a typical money-hungry Eriksson move and he should be ashamed, but of course he's not, as he makes a living out of getting hired and fired and then collecting pay cheques from everybody who gets rid of him. This now includes England, Manchester City, Mexico, Notts County, and Ivory Coast in just the last few years.
Eriksson took over from Vahid Halilhodzic at Ivory Coast in March, and predictably didn't get them out of the first round of the World Cup in South Africa as Brazil and Portugal advanced from their group. Of course, Eriksson would have walked out on the African team a lot sooner if he could have somehow weaselled his way into the manager's job at Liverpool or Fulham this summer.
But it appears most English teams have now become wary of the Swede's modus operandi and have told him to get lost. This was especially the case at Fulham, as team owner Mohammed Al-Fayed said he didn't like the high-profile lifestyle Eriksson leads off the field.
Sory Diabate, Ivory Coast's president of the national team's committee stated that Eriksson won't be the team's manager anymore even though he was the country's first choice because financial conditions couldn't be met. Diabate then rejected suggestions that Eriksson had criticised the lack of ambition by the Ivorian Football Federation. Diabate said that Eriksson stated that he wanted to continue as manager, but said it wasn't possible.
But as usual, money appears to be everything when it comes to Eriksson as he seems to value it a hell of a lot more than football. Ivory Coast hopes to have a new manager in place when they take on Italy on Aug. 10 in London and Diabate said he has a few candidates in mind.
As for Eriksson, I'm sure he'll be sniffing around leagues all over the world in the next few weeks to see if anybody's daft enough to hire him.
http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/41639/Hughes_ready_to_Roque_the_boat_down_by_the_Thames.aspx (http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/41639/Hughes_ready_to_Roque_the_boat_down_by_the_Thames.aspx)
Hughes ready to Roque the boat down by the Thames
New Fulham boss Mark Hughes is being tipped to sign Roque Santa Cruz for the third time in quick succession having brought the player to Blackburn Rovers from Bayern Munich in 2007 and subsequently taken him to Manchester City last term.
Expected to leave Eastlands this summer after a single injury-hit season, the Paraguayan is thought to be open to staying in England with Stoke City also keeping tabs on his contract situation. While a permanent move is possible it is believed that Manchester City would be open to loaning the player despite having paid £18 million only 12 months ago.
The 28-year-old, who featured at the World Cup in South Africa, could provide much needed support to Bobby Zamora with speculation mounting that Andy Johnson's current injury woe could see him initially left out of Fulham's registered 25 man squad until January.
The Europa League finalists have already snapped up Philippe Senderos on a free deal from Arsenal but will no doubt look to consolidate their new status in European football by snapping up further experienced operators.
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/08/03/2053625/mark-hughes-ready-to-begin-fulham-reign-with-move-for-barcelonas- (http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/08/03/2053625/mark-hughes-ready-to-begin-fulham-reign-with-move-for-barcelonas-)
Mark Hughes ready to begin Fulham reign with move for Barcelona's Alexander Hleb - report
Fulham manager Mark Hughes is ready to make Alexander Hleb his first signing at Craven Cottage, according to the Daily Mirror.
Hughes is considering making a move for the former Arsenal man, who has fallen way down the pecking order at Spanish champions Barcelona.
The ex-Manchester City manager, who will be unveiled by Fulham on Tuesday, is keen to add quality to a squad that performed way above expectations last season, as Roy Hodgson led the Cottagers to the Europa League final in Hamburg.
Hleb would be viewed as a good piece of business for Hughes and it is understood that the club are looking at the possibility to take the versatile midfielder on a season long loan.
Hleb moved to Arsenal from German side Stuttgart in 2005 for approximately £10 million and impressed for Arsene Wenger's side, adding even more technical ability and creative play to the Gunners line up.
After just two years at the Emirates, Hleb moved to the Nou Camp but has virtually seen his career hit a brick wall in Catalonia, with the likes of Messi, Pedro and Iniesta all standing in his way off attaining a first team place. Last season he spent much of the campaign on loan back at Stuttgart as he looked to get first-team football.
His future was made clear recently when he didn't even fly with the Barca squad on their pre- season tour off Valerenga.
Hughes faces stiff competition for the player's signature though with his former side Stuttgart keen for him to make a return home, whilst Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and West Ham United all interested in the Belarus international.
http://www.whydelilah.co.uk/news/03_Aug_2010/Lou+Macari-+Signing+Roque+would+be+no+Cruz+for+Stoke.html (http://www.whydelilah.co.uk/news/03_Aug_2010/Lou+Macari-+Signing+Roque+would+be+no+Cruz+for+Stoke.html)
Lou Macari: Signing Roque would be no Cruz for Stoke
STOKE fans should put their hands over their eyes every time they read stories like the one about Roque Santa Cruz possibly coming to the Britannia Stadium.
Certain newspapers have to fill their column inches, but I often think it's unfair on fans for them to read pie-in-the-sky stories.
Let's ignore the fact that Santa Cruz most probably is on something like £90,000-a-week, frightening as that may seem.
First of all, I'd have to ask myself if he really is a player capable of taking Stoke forward.
He did nothing in the World Cup and has done nothing in his first season at Manchester City.
Whether that's because of fitness problems, or because he just isn't up to it anymore, there's enough there to put me off.
And that's before you even widen your eyes and wonder how on earth a club like Stoke would get round those wages.
You can forget Man City doing you a massive favour by offering to pay a big portion for a start.
I understand a few Stoke fans are grumbling about the lack of signings so far, but it's a similar story elsewhere.
Even Manchester United have restricted themselves to the signing of Mexican striker Javier Hernandez so far this summer.
Mind you, having just returned from their tour of America, I have to say he could well be a great signing.
Tony Pulis has said he expects the majority of his business to be done towards the end of the summer transfer window.
One of the reasons for that is the sheer lack of money in the game right now.
So where's it all going if we're getting all this TV money pumped into the game? One word: Wages.
Some of the figures you hear are simply scary – just look at Santa Cruz – but at least City have a bottomless oil well to dip into.
Most other clubs don't have that luxury, and that obviously includes Stoke.
Tony and Peter Coates will be ducking and diving to try to get the proverbial right player at the right price.
But that's getting more and more difficult the higher you get in the game because Stoke are now competing against ever bigger and ever richer clubs.
Everyone is playing cat-and-mouse, waiting for someone to make the first move to free up a sluggish transfer market.
Perhaps the arrival of Roy Hodgson at Liverpool and Mark Hughes at Fulham will get things moving a little.
They will want to bring their own players in and move existing ones out.
But don't hold your breath on Fernando Torres turning up any day soon in these parts.
And I'm not sure Tony will be bringing Bobby Zamora to the Britannia at long last either.
http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid=1280714.html (http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid=1280714.html)
Star trio named in Socceroo squad
Australia have included 13 players from their 2010 FIFA World Cup™ squad in the 20-man group for the friendly against Slovenia in Ljubljana on 11 August. Galatasaray defender Lucas Neill will captain the side, with Fulham's Mark Schwarzer in goal and Everton midfielder Tim Cahill also involved despite the fact the match occurs just three days before the Premier League season kicks off.
Emerging Socceroos and former Adelaide team-mates Bruce Djite and Nathan Burns were also named in Han Berger's party for the Australians' first game since they went out in the group stages in South Africa, but there are no places for Harry Kewell, Vince Grella, Mark Bresciano, Brett Emerton or Josh Kennedy.
National Technical Director Berger said Football Federation Australia had discussed the Slovenia match with the likes of Kewell and Emerton and it was decided their interests would be better served staying with their clubs, but they will be available for the friendlies against Switzerland and Poland in September.
"A number of players are not currently available, we discussed this fixture with a number of players, and it was clear that it was important for them to consolidate their positions with their clubs, they missed part of the preparation because of the World Cup," said the Dutchman, who will stand in as coach for this match before the expected announcement of the permanent replacement for Pim Verbeek later this month. "It is also in our interest that these players will be playing on a regular basis for their clubs and they are available for the matches in September and after that."
Scott Chipperfield and Craig Moore have both retired from international football since the 2010 FIFA World Cup, while A-League players Jason Culina and Michael Beauchamp have also been left out with the local competition set to begin this week. There is no recall for Middlesbrough striker Scott McDonald, who surprisingly missed out on a trip to South Africa after being cut from the squad at the penultimate stage by Verbeek.
Australia squad
Goalkeepers: Adam Federici (Reading/England), Mark Schwarzer (Fulham/England)
Defenders: David Carney (FC Twente/Netherlands), Shane Lowry (Aston Villa/England), Mark Milligan (JEF United/Japan), Jon McKain (Al Nasr/Saudi Arabia), Lucas Neill (Galatasaray/Turkey), Jade North (Wellington Phoenix/New Zealand), Luke Wilkshire (Dinamo Moscow/Russia)
Midfielders: Tim Cahill (Everton/England), Richard Garcia (Hull City/England), James Holland (AZ Alkmaar/Netherlands), Brett Holman (AZ Alkmaar/Netherlands), Mile Jedinak (Genclerbirligi/Turkey), Tommy Oar (Utrecht/Netherlands), Carl Valeri (Sassuolo/Italy), Dario Vidosic (Nuremberg/Germany)
Forwards: Nathan Burns (AEK Athens/Greece), Bruce Djite (Genclerbirligi/Turkey), Nikita Rukavytsya (Hertha Berlin/Germany)
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/Hull-hold-talks-over-parachute.6453299.jp (http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/Hull-hold-talks-over-parachute.6453299.jp)
Hull hold talks over parachute payments
HULL CITY were last night understood to be locked in talks with the Premier League to try and ensure the first instalment of the club's parachute payments will be paid as planned later this week.
The Tigers are due to receive around £9m this Friday with a further payment of around £8.5m set to follow midway through the season.
However, concerns have been raised in recent days that the Premier League may now withhold the money.
The YorADVERTISEMENT
kshire Post understands officials of the top flight are instead considering a plan to pay the cash direct to any clubs who City still owe in unpaid transfer fees.
Hull were anticipating this being the case with regards tothe outstanding monies owed to Stoke City and Fulham for the sale of Ibrahima Sonko, Seyi Olofinjana and Jimmy Bullard.
But what is believed to have taken the East Riding club by surprise is a suggestion from the Premier League that transfer fees owed to clubs from outside England may also be deducted from this Friday's payment.
If that proves to be the case, it would all but wipe out the £9m, a significant proportion of which City were hoping to be able to bank as part of the on-going battle to pay off their debts.
The £2.7m transfer of Kamel Ghilas from La Liga outfit Celta Vigo is one deal where money remains outstanding along with Jozy Altidore's loan move from Villareal and Steven Mouyokolo's £2.5m switch from Boulogne in France.
No-one from the club was available to comment last night, though it is not believed the Tigers are in imminent danger of being plunged into administration – and, therefore, incurring a 10-point penalty – if the entire sum is withheld.
The Yorkshire club, who are due to receive £48m over the next four years in parachute payments, also owe around £4m to the taxman. Talks are believed to be ongoing with the Inland Revenue to reschedule the payments, with the next instalment due at the end of this month.
Hull, whose players agreed a wage deferral earlier this summer, have raised around £7m in transfer fees this summer in selling Mouokolo and Stephen Hunt to Wolves, and Boaz Myhill to West Bromwich Albion.
The club's wage bill, which last season stood at £39m, has also been slashed by the departure of several other high-earners, including George Boateng, Bernard Mendy and Geovanni.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iy0aAyAbGV5PyIWLZiCyVr1Dezsg (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iy0aAyAbGV5PyIWLZiCyVr1Dezsg)
Pantsil backs Hughes for Euro spot
Fulham defender John Pantsil has backed new manager Mark Hughes to lead the club back into Europe.
Pantsil is convinced former Wales, Blackburn and Manchester City manager Hughes can build on everything Roy Hodgson achieved at Craven Cottage before he left for Liverpool. Against remarkable odds, Hodgson guided Fulham from the brink of relegation to the Europa League final in the space of two and a half seasons.
"I have said many times that Roy Hodgson was someone that made me the player that I am today, and for that I am very grateful. But we have to move on - this is what happens in football," said Pantsil. "The appointment of Mark Hughes is a very exciting one. I would love to see the club push as close as they can for a top six finish."
He added: "I'm looking forward to seeing how this team evolves under his guidance.
"He's a very good manager and I think most of the players have come up against his teams in the past and from those experiences we know that he has a lot of quality. He's someone that commands a lot of respect and is tactically very astute.
"It's not long now until the new season gets up and running. This will be my third as a Fulham player and I'm very excited about what could unfold.
"I believe in this squad of players and we have shown before what we can achieve as a team.
"I know that people will say that it will be difficult, but we have to be ambitious and have belief in our ability - otherwise what is the point in going out there?"
Fulham complete their pre-season preparations against Werder Bremen at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
http://www.espnstar.com/home/news/detail/item477269/Hughes-makes-bid-for-Santa-Cruz/ (http://www.espnstar.com/home/news/detail/item477269/Hughes-makes-bid-for-Santa-Cruz/)
Hughes makes bid for Santa Cruz
New Fulham manager Mark Hughes is looking to reunite with Roque Santa Cruz by nabbing him from Manchester City.
Although negotiations are only at a preliminary stage, it is reported by the Guardian that Hughes had made discreet enquiries about the availability of the Paraguayan.
It is believed that City manager Roberto Mancini is looking to off-load the striker, given his track-record with injuries as well as the bloated squad that he has to trim because of the new Premier League rules.
Santa Cruz is aware that he is out of favour at Eastlands, but has many suitors for his signature. Stoke City have previously made their interest clear to the Citizens, as manager Tony Pulis is looking hard to add another striker to his squad. Turkish side Fenerbahce have also made contact for the ex-Bayern Munich striker.
The player will not come cheap though, with his departure complicated by his salary demands, understood to be close to £90,000 a week, and his reluctance to leave the north-west, where he is comfortable settled in.
His injury-record also stands against him, given his recurrent knee problems that limited him to only four goals in his time at Eastlands.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/2010/08/03/i-d-love-to-play-in-premiership-but-i-m-happy-at-dundee-utd-just-now-says-dusan-pernis-86908-22460312/ (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/2010/08/03/i-d-love-to-play-in-premiership-but-i-m-happy-at-dundee-utd-just-now-says-dusan-pernis-86908-22460312/)
I'd love to play in Premiership but I'm happy at Dundee Utd just now, says Dusan Pernis
DUNDEE UNITED keeper Dusan Pernis admits he'd jump at the chance of a dream move to the English Premiership.
The Slovakian is being tracked by Fulham and West Ham, with both clubs sending scouts to United's friendly defeat by Hull last weekend.
But Pernis insists he's happy at Tannadice for now won't be sidetracked by the speculation.
He said: "I have heard the rumours but I don't know anything about any offers from those clubs.
"Of course it's great to have those kinds of teams interested in me. And I always said I came to Scotland to move closer to my dream which was to play in the English Premier League.
"But I am young, I'm 25 and I have plenty of time to do that in the future.
"I am a Dundee United player and happy with that. It has been a brilliant experience for me so far at this club.
"It has also helped me go to the World Cup with my country, which was a fantastic achievement.
"I feel I can continue to become a better goalkeeper here - I do not have to leave."
Pernis joined United from MSK Zilina in January and made 19 appearances, including the Scottish Cup Final victory over Ross County.
http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sports-news/Pool39s-new-stand-on-course.6453234.jp (http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sports-news/Pool39s-new-stand-on-course.6453234.jp)
Pool's new stand on course
Blackpool's new East Stand takes shape
The Seasiders' new East Stand is taking shape and is on course to be finished in the next fortnight.
The stand will be officially opened for Fulham's visit on August 28, when 17,500 fans are expected at Bloomfield Road.
The opening Premier League game against Wigan on Saturday week had to be switched because Pool couldn't give a 100 per cent assurance that the stand would be completed in time.
The East Stand, to accommodate over 5,000 fans and media facilities, will complete Bloomfield Road's revamp following the opening of the North and West stands in February 2002 and of the Armfield Stand in March this year.
http://citynewspost.com/the-premiership-interest-hots-up-as-season-opening-nears/85909/ (http://citynewspost.com/the-premiership-interest-hots-up-as-season-opening-nears/85909/)
The Premiership Interest Hots Up As Season Opening Nears
Liverpool under it's new Manager Roy Hodgson have the distraction of whether or not the club will be sold in the next few weeks as well as speculation over coming and goings within the squad.
Whilst they have made substantial signings in Joe Cole, Milan Jovanovic and Danny Wilson there is still continuing speculation about the likely whereabouts of talisman striker Fernando Torres at the seasons opening.
At Tottenham, who finished fourth last year, Harry Rednapp acknowledges he would like to sign Craig Bellamy. Whether that will be possible is an open question because Spurs are in competition with Fulham and their new boss Mark Hughes for his signature.
At the same time reports abound at the possible leaving of Robbie Keane and David Bentley, with Keane seemingly at the top of Martin O'Neill's list at Aston villa.
Rednapp thinks that currently with only 12 days to go to the opening of the season that the transfer market is sluggish but could change to a frenzy if James Milner moves to Manchester City from Villa.
At Everton speculation that they might attempt to resign Landon Donavan from LA Galaxy appears wide of the mark. The USA Captain, after a good World Cup, is now likely to be too expensive for Everton's purse.
At Arsenal concerns by the faithful about manager Arsene Wenger's future have resurfaced as he enters the final year of his current contract. The team's positive showing in the Emirates Cup with their defeat of Celtic bodes well for the coming season.
New signings Laurent Koscielny and Marouane Chamakh in participating over the weekend brought positive smiles to the supporter's faces but given the team's showing over the past few season's there is still great concern as to whether Wenger has the right mix to mount a really serious challenge for the Premiership title.
http://blogs.bettor.com/Aston-Villa-Manager-Martin-ONeill-pleased-with-prospect-of-Luke-Young-and-Steve-Sidwell-staying-a19852 (http://blogs.bettor.com/Aston-Villa-Manager-Martin-ONeill-pleased-with-prospect-of-Luke-Young-and-Steve-Sidwell-staying-a19852)
Aston Villa Manager Martin O'Neill pleased with prospect of Luke Young and Steve Sidwell staying
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has said that he is pleased by the prospect of Luke Young and Steve Sidwell staying at Aston Villa next season. Both players had been speculated to move away from Villa Park before the window closes, but now it looks like both of them might be staying.
Luke Young was being hunted down by Liverpool, but the bid made from the Merseyside club was not accepted by Villa. O'Neill had earlier said that the price offered by Liverpool is way below the estimated cost of the player. While Sidwell had been reportedly chased down by Fulham, the new manager at Craven Cottage, Mark Hughes, however, has not shown much interest in attaining the services of the former Chelsea man.
Martin O'Neill said that he does not know the full extent of the transfer deals for the two players at this point, but said that if he still has the two in the squad, he would be more than happy. While talking to a British newspaper, the manager said that Liverpool had shown interest in Luke Young and also made a bid. However, he added that he directly does not interfere with the transfers if a player is willing to go. O'Neill said that the club's stance of not letting a player go under the estimated price stands, and that may be the reason he is still here.
He added that he knows that the player had expressed his desire to leave, but if he does not, he would once again accept him like he was part of the team. The Scotsman said that the fans also welcome back players with open arms and do not hold anything against a player if he desires to move. He added that in the modern game, it is normal for players to move around and this is just another season in the transfer market.
The manager said that as for now, both players are part of the team, and will be playing for Villa in the next match. Aston Villa is currently on a pre-season tour to Portugal.
O'Neill said that right now the team is focused on getting ready for the season, and all the players including Sidwell and Young are working hard in the camp. He added that the transfer sagas go on for way too long and rumours and speculations, even though normal, are not healthy for a team. He said that when a team is training together and there are rumours of a few players leaving, it creates an atmosphere of uncertainty.
While commenting on Sidwell, he said that Ajax's Martin Jol, the man who was supposed to take over at Fulham, was very interested in him. He added that now that Mark Hughes has taken over, the club has not heard much from Fulham. He went on to say that whenever they come knocking, the club will hear their offer and decide accordingly.
He added that Sidwell played for Villa in the last match against Walsall and gave it his all, so there is no question of the player not giving it a 100%. He said that until a deal is done all the players in the squad are playing for Aston Villa and working towards the same goal.
Martin O'Neill said that last season was a good one for the club, apart from a few slip-ups in the end that cost them the 4th spot. The team played a good brand of football; he said that the aim remains the same for the team. He ended by saying that he would not sabotage any transfers if a player wants to leave, but if they decide to stay, they will be no different from the others.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/428786-world-cup-2014-looking-at-the-future-of-us-soccer-part-iii-forwards (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/428786-world-cup-2014-looking-at-the-future-of-us-soccer-part-iii-forwards)
In my last piece, I talked a lot about Clint Dempsey's future in the USMNT.
In 2014, Dempsey will be 31 years old. That's fairly old for an international footballer and probably just past his prime, but I see Dempsey making the move up top by 2014 as a forward or outright winger.
This move works for Dempsey for a couple of reasons. First, his game is built around creativity, not speed. Rarely does he blow by people even now. His creativity should go nowhere, though, even if he loses a step or two. Second, I expect the U.S. to move to a 4-2-3-1, which would allow Dempsey to move to a wide winger position in the mold of Dirk Kuyt.
Dempsey will probably be our best option out left if we go to the 4-2-3-1. He cuts in beautifully, and this is his natural spot for Fulham—opposite a similar player in Damien Duff, also 31 years old and still playing at a high level. He can also interchange with Jozy at the top of the formation, as the 4-2-3-1 can shift and look like a 4-3-3 or 4-2-1-3.
The versatility that Clint provides as an attacker cannot be overlooked. With a great deal of depth emerging in the midfield and a lot of question marks up top, expect Dempsey to begin seeing more and more time at striker in the coming years. He may have to stay in the midfield while the rest of the U.S. midfielders develop, but once they arrive, look for Clint to slide into a forward position permanently.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/147412/Mark-Hughes-wants-Roque-Santa-Cruz-for-Fulham/ (http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/147412/Mark-Hughes-wants-Roque-Santa-Cruz-for-Fulham/)
MARK HUGHES WANTS ROQUE SANTA CRUZ FOR FULHAM
MARK HUGHES is ready to raid old club Manchester City and sign Roque Santa Cruz for the third time.
New Fulham boss Hughes, who will be officially unveiled today, has launched a £6m bid for the Paraguay international, nearly a year after spending £17m to take him to Eastlands.
Santa Cruz will be one of the most high-profile casualties at City this summer as Roberto Mancini attempts to trim his bloated squad.
Stoke have already enquired about the striker and have been encouraged by reports that he wants to stay in the North-West.
But Hughes has stepped up his own bid to sign the 28-year-old, who he first brought to the Premier League three years ago when he was in charge at Blackburn.
Santa Cruz has produced his best form under Hughes and is considering the offer of a move to Craven Cottage.
Olympiakos, Marseille and Fenerbahce are also in the hunt.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/arsenal/7923230/Arsene-Wenger-move-to-Barcelona-was-blocked-by-Arsenal-says-Joan-Gaspart.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/arsenal/7923230/Arsene-Wenger-move-to-Barcelona-was-blocked-by-Arsenal-says-Joan-Gaspart.html)
Arsène Wenger move to Barcelona 'was blocked by Arsenal', says Joan Gaspart
Joan Gaspart, the former Barcelona president, has claimed that Arsène Wenger once wanted to manage at the Nou Camp but that Arsenal blocked the move.
Gaspart also said that, following his experience of negotiating with Wenger in 2001, he would advise Barcelona to conduct face-to-face talks with the Arsenal manager in their attempt to buy Cesc Fabregas.
His intervention follows Fabregas's appearance in front of 2,500 Barcelona fans on Sunday as part of Spain's celebrations for winning the World Cup.
Fabregas was quoted saying: "I hope to see you more often and closer". The Arsenal captain had earlier received enthusiastic applause in the Plaça de l'Església d'Arenys de Mar as the mayor led a tribute for his part in scoring the goal that clinched Spain's 1-0 victory over Holland.
"It's very difficult for Arsenal to want to keep a player who doesn't want to stay," said Gaspart. "The English are very English, very hard at the time of negotiating. Moreover, Mr Wenger, as a good Frenchman, knows how to play his cards. I have seen him in negotiations and he has ended up selling. You have to meet him face to face to know if he is bluffing. My advice, and that's what I've told him [Sandro Rosell, the current Barcelona president], is that this will end by catching the plane to London and sitting down face to face with Wenger.
"When I was president, when Llorenc Serra Ferrer left [in 2001] we negotiated with Arsène Wenger and Fabio Capello to coach Barca. I met Wenger in Paris. He wanted to come to Barca, but Arsenal didn't let him. The Arsenal chairman ordered him to fulfil his contract. Capello also wanted to come, but Roma didn't let him either."
While the ongoing discourse from Barcelona regarding Fabregas is causing irritation at Arsenal, the claims about Wenger are unlikely to make too many ripples now. Wenger has never broken a contract and, while Barcelona were certainly once interested in making him their head coach, Arsenal have faith that their manager has always been committed.
The issue of Wenger's future, however, is again on the agenda. His contract expires at the end of next season, with full-back Bacary Sagna keen that he recommits to Arsenal. "I don't need to say how important the boss is to Arsenal," said Sagna. "He has done great work at Arsenal and we want to win things for him. I don't know if it will be his last season at Arsenal – we don't have to think about it. We just want to play and give back the trust he gave us."
Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, meanwhile, has defiantly said that he does not need to prove his credentials as a goalkeeper.
Almunia's position has been undermined both by the effort to recruit Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and also Wenger's admission that he does not currently have a 'No 1' goalkeeper. "I don't need to convince anybody – I just do my job," said Almunia. "I have a couple more years on my contract and that's it, I'm an Arsenal player."
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/Football-transfer-gossip-40Aug-341.6303472.jp (http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/Football-transfer-gossip-40Aug-341.6303472.jp)
New Fulham manager Mark Hughes has joined the race to take ex-Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb on loan from Barcelona.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Hughes is also interested in a reunion with Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz but Stoke are also keen on signing the Paraguay World Cup striker.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/gossip_and_transfers/8879490.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/gossip_and_transfers/8879490.stm)
New Fulham manager Mark Hughes has joined the race to take ex-Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb on loan from Barcelona.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Hughes is also interested in a reunion with Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz but Stoke are also keen on signing the Paraguay World Cup striker.
Full story: Daily Mail
http://www.imscouting.com/global-news-article/Fulham-lead-Stoke-City-in-chase-for-Manchester-City-striker-Roque-Santa-Cruz/9212/ (http://www.imscouting.com/global-news-article/Fulham-lead-Stoke-City-in-chase-for-Manchester-City-striker-Roque-Santa-Cruz/9212/)
Mark Hughes hopes to make Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz his first signing for Fulham, once he is named as the new boss at Craven Cottage.
The Paraguayan World Cup striker endured a difficult first season at Eastlands following his £17.5million move from Blackburn last summer. A calf injury and the sacking of Mark Hughes himself, who signed him for City, did little to help Santa Cruz, who scored three goals in nineteen appearances for Manchester City last season.
Santa Cruz faces intense competition up front at Eastlands with the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor , Carlos Tevez, Robinho and Craig Bellamy also on the books. Roberto Mancini's attacking options are expected to expand with the imminent arrival of Mario Balotelli from Inter Milan.
Manchester City will be forced to trim their squad given the new Premier League rule requiring clubs to name a squad of only 25 players and Santa Cruz could be the first casualty.
Stoke City are thought to be interested in the striker, but the Daily Star claims that Fulham will now head the queue with Hughes having already signed Santa Cruz twice before, as manager of Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City .
http://www.adifferentleague.co.uk/p6_2_3825_club-focus-fulham-201011-season-preview.html (http://www.adifferentleague.co.uk/p6_2_3825_club-focus-fulham-201011-season-preview.html)
Club Focus - Fulham - 2010/11 Season Preview
By Matt Bass
Tuesday 03 August 2010
A summer of uncertainty followed by a regime change and Mark Hughes' arrival as manager just weeks before the new season has been Fulham's reward for a magical run to a European final in 2009/10.
Last season
Fulham made the most of their Europa League qualification with a run lasting from the qualifying rounds right until an agonising defeat in the last four minutes of the final. What started as competitive practice for the reserves turned into the season's priority, with Clint Dempsey's chip in a 5-4 aggregate defeat of Juventus summing up the club's changed attitude towards the competition.
The squad
2010 summer transfer campaign - With Hughes joining so late in the summer there has been very little transfer activity to this point. Phillipe Senderos joined early in the break while Roy Hodgson was still in charge, presumably to replace Chris Smalling who left for Manchester United, but the rest of the squad is unchanged. Hughes may well just look to keep the bulk of the team together for now and use the January window rather than rush any deals through. A few players, namely Mark Schwarzer and Paul Konchesky, have been linked with moves away, but the longer time goes on the longer it looks to be the same squad that has found such success the past two seasons under Hodgson.
The manager - On paper, Hughes' past experience makes him almost the ideal replacement for Hodgson. The club needs a manager who can maintain the stability within the club and get the most out of less high-profile players. Apart from a blip at Manchester City where he never looked comfortable spending millions, his success with Wales and Blackburn Rovers fit Fulham's bill.
Anchorman - Aaron Hughes. A successful defensive partnership requires two players to perform, and the plaudits tend to slip by Brede Hangeland's ever-present partner. But make no mistake - Hughes is just as vital to Fulham's recent defensive success as the giant Norwegian.
Playmaker - So much of what Fulham did well last season went through Damien Duff. His career has been rejuvenated since joining last summer, and although Zoltan Gera impressed hugely in Andy Johnson's absence and Bobby Zamora scored for fun, Duff's influence on either flank throughout the entire season meant Fulham's attack rarely lacked creativity.
Hot Prospect - Although the Academy itself has a couple of players who have appeared for the first team, such as Matthew Briggs, this season could see goalkeeper David Stockdale continue his development. The 24-year-old impressed on loan at Plymouth Argyle last season, and his handful of Fulham appearances suggest he could make the grade. A lot will rest on Schwarzer's situation at the club.
2010/11 prediction
Success for Fulham this season would most definitely be not taking a step backwards. Supporters may not expect another seventh-placed league finish or a cup final, but comfortably avoiding the relegation scrap would be a positive outcome considering the manager debacle over the summer. An already old squad is a year older, but the lack of European football should have a good effect on the league finish. With no big acquisitions to speak of there is danger of slipping behind mid-table rivals, however the squad Hughes has inherited, even without additions, should be good enough to see Fulham safe in the sea of obscurity.
A Different League's prediction: 9th
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6292582,00.html (http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6292582,00.html)
Prem pair in Aussie squad
Berger names 20-man party for friendly against Slovenia
Mark Schwarzer and Tim Cahill have been included in Australia's squad for next week's friendly against Slovenia.
The Fulham goalkeeper and Everton midfielder are among 13 players from the World Cup squad to be selected for the Slovenia game by interim coach Han Berger.
Blackburn Rovers duo Vince Grella and Brett Emerton have been left out of the 20-man squad for the game, which takes place just three days before the start of the new Premier League season.
Emerging Socceroos and former Adelaide team-mates Bruce Djite and Nathan Burns have been picked, but there are no places for Harry Kewell, Mark Bresciano or Josh Kennedy.
National technical director Berger said Football Federation Australia (FFA) had discussed the Slovenia match with the likes of Kewell and Emerton and it was decided their interests would be better served staying with their clubs.
"A number of players are not currently available, we discussed this fixture with a number of players, and it was clear that it was important for them to consolidate their positions with their clubs, they missed part of the preparation because of the World Cup," said the Dutchman.
"It is also in our interest that these players will be playing on a regular basis for their clubs and they are available for the matches in September and after that."
Scott Chipperfield and Craig Moore have both retired from international football since the World Cup, while A-League players Jason Culina and Michael Beauchamp have also been left out with the local competition set to begin this week.
There is no recall for Middlesbrough striker Scott McDonald, who surprisingly missed out on a trip to South Africa after being cut from the squad at the penultimate stage by Verbeek.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/428938-theres-only-one-debt-in-fulham (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/428938-theres-only-one-debt-in-fulham)
There's Only One Debt In Fulham
After failing in their bid to secure the services of Martin Jol from Ajax, last week Fulham announced the appointment of Mark Hughes as their new manager. Jol had appeared strangely keen to leave a team that has won the European Cup four times for London, though, as always, money probably played a part in his deliberations, as the famous Amsterdam club has become a selling side, while Fulham, though not the wealthiest, do have transfer funds available.
Hughes is replacing Roy Hodgson and the former Manchester City manager acknowledged that this would be a tough act to follow, "I am joining on the back of two of the most successful seasons in the club's history and that in itself brings with it the challenges of expectation and ambition."
Having been appointed halfway through the 2007/08 season with Fulham in the Premier League relegation zone, Hodgson rallied his team sufficiently for them to evade the drop, before leading them to an impressive seventh place the following year, which secured European qualification for only the second time ever. Last season was arguably the most successful in the club's history, as they finished in a comfortable mid-table position in the Premier League, got to the quarter finals of the FA Cup and, most thrillingly, reached the final of the Europa League, where they only succumbed 2-1 to the more highly regarded Atletico Madrid after extra time.
Even though Hodgson's role has been pivotal to Fulham's recent achievements, he is not the most important man at the club: that description applies to the chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed, who has bank-rolled the team's amazing rise. On buying Fulham in 1997, the then owner of Harrods, London's world-famous department store, brashly stated that he wanted them to become the "Manchester United of the South". This has not quite come to pass, but the club's transformation has still been remarkable. Al Fayed also pledged to take the club from the old Division Two to the Premier League in five years and they actually achieved that in one year less, winning two divisional championships en route to the top tier.
Obviously much of the credit for the club's progress must go to the players and various managers, but it is difficult to believe that Fulham would have reached these heights without Al Fayed's continual funding over more than a decade. Although not possessing the riches of Roman Abramovich or Sheikh Mansour, he is estimated to have a £650 million fortune, which places him 94th on the Sunday Times Rich List and has enabled him to finance the football club.
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It is clear that Fulham fans owe Al Fayed a great deal – quite literally, in terms of the club's debts. As at 30 June 2009, Fulham's gross debt stood at an enormous £207 million, which is the 5th highest in the Premier League, only behind the so-called Big Four. However, only £12 million of this debt comes from commercial bank loans with the vast majority (£196 million) owed to the owner via a number of group companies. Al Fayed's generosity is highlighted by the "soft" nature of the debt with the £183 million loans from the parent company being interest-free, which really helps the club's financials.
Furthermore, much of this debt (£83 million) is unsecured, which means that Al Fayed has no guarantee of repayment. Even though £100 million is secured on the club's assets, the accounts contain assurances from Al Fayed's parent company that "no repayment demand will be made which would cause the group to become technically insolvent."
Al Fayed's flexibility had already been demonstrated in 2007, when he restructured the loan agreements with the club to ease the repayment schedule. Previously, the loans had been repayable on demand or within the following 12 months, but this was rescheduled to become repayable in annual installments of £10 million with the first payment only due in July 2012. In yet another gesture of support, Al Fayed forgave £9.5 million of outstanding loans as part of this agreement. No wonder that Deloitte's Sports Business Group describes such funding as "akin to equity rather than debt – where it is a contribution from a benefactor that is not necessarily requiring repayment in the future."
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Fulhams Number 1 Fan
The £12.6 million loan from Harrods (UK) Limited did attract 7.11% interest, but this was repaid in August 2009 (after the accounts were published), as was £4.8 million of bank loans. More worryingly, £25 million of additional funding was obtained from third parties after the year-end, partly secured on future broadcasting rights and a second charge over the assets of Fulham Stadium Limited, though nearly £10 million of this has already been repaid.
Fulham's ownership might appear complex with their financing coming from an ever-changing list of companies, but it's really quite simple with the money effectively owed to Al Fayed. In the past, the owner used to support the club through loans from Harrods, but these have all been repaid and replaced by loans from Fulham's parent company, AIT Leisure Limited, which is incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, and its previous parent company, Fulham Leisure Holdings Ltd. The ultimate parent undertaking is Mafco Holdings Limited, a company registered in Bermuda, which is controlled by the Al Fayed family.
People may have doubted Al Fayed's motives when he paid £30 million to purchase Fulham, but he has since invested well over £200 million into the club, first in order to get the club into the Premier League and second to keep it there. The importance of this funding is evident when examining Fulham's financials.
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The stark reality is that Fulham simply do not make profits. In the last five years, they have only managed to once report a profit – and that was due to some nifty accounting in 2008 when they booked the waiver of a £9.5 million loan as a cost credit. Without including that exceptional item, there would have been another loss of £8 million. Otherwise, it's a sea of red ink. Not only do Fulham report losses, but they're also relatively high compared to the turnover, e.g. they recorded losses of £16 million in both 2006 and 2007 on a turnover of less than £40 million.
Even though revenue has significantly increased over the past five years from £39.5 million to £67 million, largely due to the growth in broadcasting income, the club has not really improved its underlying financial position. The higher Sky television deals have only managed to contribute to smaller losses. The problem is that much of the revenue growth has been used to increase player wages and buy new players in order to give the club the best chance of surviving in the Premier League, which, in fairness, is completely understandable.
Fulham have managed to achieve an operating profit in the last two seasons, but this has been more than eaten up by player trading. The situation would have been even worse without Al Fayed subsidising the club by not charging interest on the loans. If the club had to pay a commercial rate, this would increase the interest payable (and losses) by around £10 million a year.
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Given the size of Fulham's turnover, they are bound to struggle financially. If we look at the revenue of the clubs who finished in the top ten in the Premier League in 2008/09, we can see that Fulham are rock bottom with just £67 million, which is at least £10 million lower than every other team. In particular the match day revenue of £11 million is painfully small, while the low commercial revenue of £12 million is actually inflated by including £3.8 million of unexplained "other operating income". The real commercial revenue is tiny at just £8.6 million. Obviously, money is not the only factor in a club's success, which can also be driven by old-fashioned positives like good coaching, tactics, developing players and team spirit, but it sure makes life easier.
As with many other clubs of this level in the Premier League, it's all about the TV money with Fulham earning nearly two-thirds of their income from this revenue stream - £43 million out of the total £67 million. Despite this, Al Fayed believes that clubs like Fulham should receive even more from the central pool. Not only does he think that the total deal should be higher, describing those responsible at the Premier League as "donkeys who don't understand business", but he thinks that the distribution method favours the big clubs.
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Although 50% of the domestic rights and 100% of the overseas rights are distributed equally among the Premier League clubs, much of the money is not allocated in this manner. Merit payments account for 25% of the domestic rights with each place being worth £800,000, so Fulham's slip from 7th in 2008/09 to 12th last season will cost them £4 million. As Al Fayed put it, with a typical flourish, "we are hopelessly dependent on our end-of-season league placing to determine our share of the cash – it makes a difference of feast or famine every season."
Less obviously, they are also reliant on how many times Sky deign to broadcast their matches live, which accounts for the remaining 25% of the domestic rights. The more a team is shown live, the higher the share of the facility fee. Each team must be broadcast a minimum of ten times a season with a maximum of 24, but this tends to benefit the big clubs. For example, in each of the last two seasons Fulham have been shown the minimum ten times, while we have had the pleasure of watching Manchester United the maximum 24 times. The difference in revenue? Nearly £7 million.
According to the latest accounts, the club's "commercial activities continued to grow", but there is precious little evidence of this driving significant growth with revenue still well short of £10 million – considerably lower than other clubs. As a comparison, Arsenal earn £48 million commercial revenue and they are usually considered as laggards in this area. Nevertheless, there are small signs of improvement here with a new sponsor and shirt supplier being announced for next season. FxPro, the global broker, has signed a three-year deal for over £4 million a year, replacing LG Electronics, who only paid £3m a year. Similarly, Kappa has replaced Nike as kit supplier for the next three years. Bizarrely, Fulham also have a joint marketing arrangement with the Boston Red Sox baseball team, but I can't see that bringing in much income.
Nor can Fulham look to gate receipts for big bucks. Even though it's been increasing, match day revenue is particularly low at £11 million. In comparison, clubs with substantial grounds like Manchester United and Arsenal generate over £100 million, but even other mid-size clubs earn over twice Fulham's revenue. Of course, Craven Cottage is one of the smallest grounds in the Premier League with a capacity of only 25,478, but even this is not filled to capacity every week, so discounts are sometimes offered. Although attendances have been steadily rising from the 19,800 average in season 2004/05, there was a slight dip last year to 23,900, which means a 94% utilisation – the lowest of all Premier League clubs in London.
Fulham actually have planning permission to expand their ground to 30,000, but it is far from certain that they would be able to fill it. As other clubs have noted to their cost, the "Field of Dreams" approach ("build it and they will come") does not always work. In fact, despite its picturesque setting, Craven Cottage has given the club a few headaches in the recent past, most notably when they were promoted to the Premier League and they were forced to ground share at QPR's Loftus Road, while their own stadium was converted to an all-seater.
There would be other difficulties in expanding the ground, most notably its proximity to the River Thames, but the great views offered by this attractive location make it a highly desirable piece of prime residential real estate. Indeed, many suspected that Al Fayed's motive in buying the club was to develop luxury riverside apartments. This view was given greater credibility in 2002 when the club agreed to sell the ground to a housing developer, Fulham River Projects, for £50 million, though the deal ultimately fell through. It was later explained that the club desperately needed the £15 million deposit at the time, after Harrods suffered a poor year's trading, meaning that Al Fayed could not make his usual cash injection.
Although it now looks like the club want to secure their long-term future at Craven Cottage, the ground's freehold is still one of their principal assets. Valued in the books at £22 million, it is clearly worth more than that. Given the £50 million price agreed eight years ago, a conservative estimate would be £60-70 million. The other important assets are the players (a.k.a. intangible assets), which are valued at £31 million, though would almost certainly realise more on the open market. The club also has a substantial deferred tax loss of £44 million, which is no use to Fulham, so is not recognised in the accounts, but could be useful to a future purchaser.
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The horrible truth is that the only way that any financial value could be realised is from the sale of these assets and no fan would be in a hurry to sell off the players or the ground. Even so, the club still has net liabilities of £166 million, up from £115 million in 2004, a sign that the balance sheet is steadily deteriorating over time.
One of the main reasons is the growth in wages, which have risen 36% in five years from £34 million to £46 million. To be fair, this salary level is by no means the worst in the Premier League. In fact, it's the 13th highest, which is consistent with their league position of 12th. Furthermore, the important wages to turnover ratio has been improving, falling from 86% in 2005 to 69% in 2009, which is just about within the 70% maximum recommended by UEFA and Deloitte. However, it is still too large for the club to comfortably sustain, so it is little wonder that Al Fayed has been a staunch advocate of a wage cap, "They must put a cap on fees and salaries. It's madness what's happening."
The other expense that has been growing over the years is player amortisation, which is the annual cost of writing-down a player's purchase price. For example, Damien Duff was signed for £4 million on a three-year contract, but his transfer is only reflected in the profit and loss account via amortisation, which is booked evenly over the life of his contract, i.e. £1.3 million a year (£4 million divided by three years). Thus, the total cost of player purchases is not immediately reflected in the expenses, but increased transfer spend will ultimately result in higher amortisation. In Fulham's case, it has grown from £7 million to £15 million, but this is still way behind their big-spending neighbours the dark side with £49 million. Interestingly, Fulham are one of the few clubs that explicitly include impairment losses for reducing the value of some of their players, which has cost the club almost £7 million over the last three seasons.
As stated above, the implication of the growing amortisation is that Fulham are a buying club and this is confirmed by their net transfer spend of almost £70 million since Al Fayed's takeover, though the activity has been sporadic. Although the expenditure might seem low in the early years, it was in fact very high for the lower divisions, but it only really took off in 2001 on the club's promotion to the Premier League, when they splashed out £32 million. Lawrie Sanchez was also given strong backing in 2007, when he bought Diomansy Kamara and what seemed like half of the Northern Ireland team, as was Roy Hodgson to a lesser extent in 2008
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The sale of Louis Saha to Manchester United for £13 million in 2003 lead to that year's net surplus, but not many appreciate that these funds were needed to help repay the £15 million deposit (plus interest) that Fulham had received the year before as part of the proposed deal to sell their ground for housing development. Incidentally, that central London location surely helps Fulham in the transfer market when recruiting players from overseas. Unfashionable clubs in the North of England often have to pay a premium to tempt the same players away from the capital.
Despite the relatively high expenditure for a club of Fulham's size, Al Fayed has said that he will never pay more than £15 million for a player, having had his fingers badly burned after wasting £11 million on misfiring striker Steve Marlet. Having said that, the accounts state that the club "will continue to invest in the playing squad to maintain and improve on the results achieved during the playing season."
The fact is that the clubs needs to spend money on players in order to under-pin their basic strategy of remaining in the Premier League. The main commercial risk in the accounts is "that associated with potential failure to retain membership of the Premier League." If that were not enough, the accounts then proceed to really spell it out: "In the event of relegation from the FAPL, the Group's revenues would fall in the next two years to a level which would not finance ongoing contractual commitments and the Group would therefore have to take action to significantly reduce operating costs. Such action could prevent the maintenance of a playing squad capable of gaining promotion back to the FAPL."
There you have it: a perfect summary of the issue facing clubs such as Fulham. In short, they cannot afford to be relegated. This is why they will apparently over-spend on transfers and wages in order to avoid that risk becoming a reality. It is also why owners are ruthless with their managers, if the threat of relegation rears its ugly head. When this has looked like a distinct possibility at Fulham, Al Fayed has not hesitated to act, dismissing Jean Tigana, Chris Coleman and Sanchez, even though the first two had achieved their fair share of success.
Such clubs have become addicted to the Premier League's drug of choice, namely TV money, and in particular the tempting prospect of increasing money with every three-year contract. As we have seen, Fulham's chances of making more match day income are slim, and even though their commercial prospects have been enhanced by last season's exposure, this is really a drop in the ocean. No, they need the television riches, especially now that they will further increase next season on the back of far higher overseas rights, which will mean an additional £10 million per annum for each club.
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How much of that extra revenue will find its way to the bottom line is unclear. If past experience is any guide, much of it will end up in the players' bank accounts via higher wages. This is why Al Fayed has to keep pumping money in, which we can see by looking at the cash flow statement. Before financing, the cash flow is negative every single year and has to be compensated by the owner. The club makes no bones about this in the accounts, "The Group's main sources of finance, for operating losses, working capital and capital expenditure (including player transfers) in excess of funds generated internally, are interest-free loans from its parent company." Thankfully, the accounts also state that the club has received assurances from Al Fayed that continued funding would be made available, if required – even if the team is relegated.
This support remains crucial to Fulham's future prospects. Indeed, in both the 2006 and 2007 accounts the auditors cast doubt on "the group's ability to continue as a going concern", specifically noting the "significant losses" and "significant deficit of shareholder funds", while stressing the importance of the parent company's financial assistance. Matters have since approved in the auditors' eyes, presumably due to the higher revenue and the debt restructuring, but these clauses do highlight Fulham's dependence on the chairman.
Fortunately, Al Fayed has proved to be one of the Premier League's most indulgent owners, seemingly happy to sink money into the club year after year, but there has to be a nagging concern over what would happen if he were to walk away. He appears perfectly happy with the club at the moment, but he could get bored, run out of money, emigrate to Switzerland (which he has already done once after a dispute with the Inland Revenue) or even die. Although apparently as energetic as ever, at 81 years old, Al Fayed's not getting any younger. Fulham is in many respects the typical benefactor club and could be plunged into financial chaos without Al Fayed's backing (for whatever reason), unless they could find a similarly big-hearted owner to replace him.
The other issue with benefactor clubs is that they could be prevented from playing in Europe under UEFA's new Financial Fair Play rules, which will ban clubs that make consistent losses. At present, this is not an issue, as Fulham's losses are within the "acceptable deviation" allowed during the first years of implementation, but UEFA aim to eventually bring this down to a genuine break-even. At least Fulham have the support of Premier League chief executive, Richard Scudamore, who has said he would "protect to the nth degree the ability of Mohamed Al Fayed to do what he has done at Fulham."
Over the years, Al Fayed has been a somewhat controversial figure. He waged a lengthy campaign attempting to prove that Princess Diana and his son Dodi, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997, were murdered as part of a conspiracy. Despite living in Britain for decades, his applications for a British passport have repeatedly been turned down, possibly because of his long-running feud with The Observer chairman, Tiny Rowland, who battled him for control of Harrods.
Ironically, Al Fayed recently cashed in on the Knightsbridge store, when he sold it to Qatar Holdings for a reported £1.5 billion. After repaying bank loans of £625 million, he received net proceeds of around £900 million. Despite this dramatic change in his lifestyle, he was anxious to re-assure the club's supporters, "It all remains the same at Fulham. Fulham is not being sold." This was re-iterated by one of his spokesmen, "Just because you sell your house doesn't mean you will sell your car." Nevertheless, there has to be some concern that without his cash cow, Al Fayed will at some stage stop putting money into the club.
However, Al Fayed has frequently expressed his commitment to the club, albeit sometimes with more than a touch of hyperbole, "I own the best club in the world with the best team and the best fans. If anyone thinks I'm not committed to the game, or to Fulham, they're wrong." As he more prosaically explained last season, "I have nurtured my club lovingly for nearly 12 years, and I don't plan to give it up." And that's the point – nobody could accuse Al Fayed of being a "here today, gone tomorrow" investor. He has been a committed owner, demonstrating real empathy with the fans. Moreover, his sons, Omar and Karim, are both active members of the Fulham board, and his attachment to the club must have been boosted by last season's displays.
So what next for Fulham? In the short-term, Mark Hughes has inherited an ageing squad with many key players nearing the end of their contracts, so may face a rebuilding challenge. Expectations among fans are very high after two successful seasons, but the club should probably be realistic in the transfer market and aim for mid-table security, rather than shooting for the stars.
What we can say with some certainty is that Fulham have been transformed under Mohamed Al Fayed's vision and leadership, not only rising all the way to the Premier League, but also managing to flourish there against all the (financial) odds. Despite achieving this with the help of Al Fayed's significant investment, they have somehow managed to do it without making enemies along the way. Maybe money can buy you love after all.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11676_6292593,00.html (http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11676_6292593,00.html)
Yebda attracting interest
But representative claims that a fee has yet to be agreed
Benfica midfielder Hassan Yebda could return to the Premier League, according to his agent.
The Algerian spent last season on loan at Portsmouth and was one of the standout performers in a relegation campaign at Fratton Park.
Yebda's displays are reported to have attracted interest from Aston Villa, Everton, Fulhamand Blackburn, with his representative confirming that there has been contact from England.
His brother Karim, who is also his agent, said in The Sun: "There are English clubs who've asked about him. But no fee has been agreed yet."
Benfica signed the 26-year-old on a free transfer in 2008, but he is now out of favour and is looking for a move.
It is understood the Portuguese giants would be prepared to sell him for the right price, even though he still has two years to run on his current contract.
http://www.fansfc.com/story/23263.html (http://www.fansfc.com/story/23263.html)
Fulham Football Club hope to take Carlo Cudicini on a free transfer.
The Londoners are still expecting to lose Mark Schwarzer to Arsenal this summer, despite Arsene Wenger appearing to have cooled his interest.
It is believed new Cottagers boss Mark Hughes will then turn to Italian ace Cudicini, who could find himself firmly down the pecking order at Tottenham Hotspur this season.
Brazilian international Heurelho Gomes is currently number one for Harry Redknapp, who also hopes to sign Stipe Pletikosa and has been impressed with young David Button.
Fulham hope this will allow them to take Cudicini on a free transfer, despite the 36-year-old signing a new one year deal in May after recovering from a motorcycle accident.
