http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_5927194,00.html (http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_5927194,00.html)
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is optimistic he will receive the required funds to improve the quality of his squad at the end of the season.
Hodgson has not been a major mover in the transfer market this term and has also seen injuries to key players hit his squad hard.
He is hoping the money to be received from the sale of Chris Smalling to Manchester United will boost his transfer kitty and he also expects to get the backing of owner Mohamed Al Fayed.
And, having taken Fulham from relegation strugglers to European contenders during his time in charge, Hodgson is keen to maintain that progress.
"The chairman has been very supportive throughout and I have no reason to think he won't be," said Hodgson, who has admitted an interest in signing on-loan full-back Nicky Shoreypermanently.
"We made decisions in this transfer window which were for the good of the club, not just the short term, but the long-term good.
"We are fully aware that if we are to do as well as we have done in the last year and a half then we will need some help in the summer.
"That will probably mean we will be seeking some quality additions to the squad as we've run the squad right down.
"We have between now and the summer to identify targets and persuade the chairman that all the support he has given in the past isn't yet finished, and he has to keep going."
Hodgson added: "A lot of the money that I have spent in my couple of years has actually been recouped, in part by the sale of Smalling.
"Of course that doesn't help the chairman, because all the money he has put in in the past hasn't been.
"However, I am still asking him to put money onto money and I am aware of that."
Anyone else agree this is really good news? Also, does anyone know when Roy's rolling contract runs out? Because the fact that he wants summer funds suggests that he will still be here to see new additions gel.
...of course it would be excellent if we bought new (younger!) players that can be cast in the mould of Mr Hodgson's plans.
If quoted verbatim, then Mr Hodgson is proving what a clever wordsmith he is, making his requirements clear in such a way that Mr Fayed would find it difficult to turn down if further progress at Fulham FC is to be made.
Then again Chris Coleman hoped he would get money to get quality players every transfer window and got relatively bugger all!
Mr Hodgson is a wily old bird and is saying let me invest and I will stay and bring further success...
Totally agree but I never doubted MAF's commitment.
What is interesting are the following from that report -
"We made decisions in this transfer window which were for the good of the club, not just the short term, but the long-term good.
"That will probably mean we will be seeking some quality additions to the squad as we've run the squad right down.
What does 'run the squad right down' actually mean? My reading of it is that Roy/the board have reduced the overall squad size considerably in the last 18 months - always letting more go than they have brought in. When injury strikes it leaves us down to the bare bones and almost unable to put a bench together. I predict we will see a net inflow of players this summer.
I wonder also in what sense the 'decisions' taken in January are good for 'the long term'. Is that just a reference to the Smalling money or the investment in the young German lad or maybe even get the Korean out the door!?!
we've run the squad right down - I think that Sir Roy is basically saying the dead wood is now gone, he has sold/released those who do not fit his system for whatever reason, anyone left is his type of player.
He now wants to build the squad back up again, that will require investment. I would not be surprised if one condition of Smalling moving on was a guarantee of funds for next summer.
Buying in the January window is risky, you either pay over the odds for a player- as Fergie did for Smalling- or you take a risk on an unknown. Sometimes it works, Brede has been useful, Clint has had the occasional good game, yet it took both them and others time to settle in. Before scoring against Liverpool, Clint was not rated very highly, and it is only in the last two seasons that he has really come into top form.
By summer I expect Chairman Mo to have a list of wanted players on his desk and our success or otherwise in attracting them will decide how long Sir Roy and his rolling contract (it means either he has to give us twelve months notice if he wants a fresh challenge or we have to pay him off with twelve months wages if we give him the tin-tac) remain with us.
i hope MAF wins the european powerball for 100m and we spend 100m
...I wonder how much we will get for Andranik, Stoor, and Kallio..?
Quote from: LBNo11 on February 08, 2010, 09:54:21 PM
...I wonder how much we will get for Andranik, Stoor, and Kallio..?
A fiver less VAT.
fourpence hapnee, comes to mind
