Wednesday Fulham Stuff (03/08/11)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Baird: Qualifying for Europa League 'magnificent' for Fulham

Baird confident Cottagers can progress past Croatian opponents

Fulham defender Chris Baird believes it would be a 'magnificent' achievement if the Cottagres were to qualify for the group stage of the Europa League.

The west Londoners face RNK Split in the third qualifying round second leg at Craven Cottage on Thursday night after they drew 0-0 in the first game.

Victory would send Fulham into the group stage of the competition and Baid is confident they can progress.

"I would fully expect us to get the win," he said. "It's been great to be in the Europa League again.

"Obviously the results show that we're taking it seriously.

"We've had a few tough games but we've come through them.

"The last game against RNK was a hard one but hopefully we're going to get the win we need back at the Cottage.

"We'll be hoping to get into the group stages again. We're in the competition and we want to do well and get as far as we can.

"It's going to be hard no matter what but, at the end of the day, it's just down to us.

"If we can get into the group stages it will be magnificent for the club and great for the boys."




http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/baird_qualifying_for_europa_league_magnificent_for_fulham_1_982208?

[WhiteJC]

 
End of a Gera (sorry)



The most emotional goal we've ever seen?



Having decided not to renew his contract at Fulham Zoltan has come back to the club where he started his career in England," said Hodgson.

"The last time he played at West Bromwich Albion he was a very popular figure with everyone at the club, not least of all the fans.

"I of course know him well and admired him in the two years we worked together at Fulham, where he was an integral part of the team that did well during those years.

"I think it is a massive coup for the club that we have been able to persuade him to come back to West Brom despite the many other offers he had, because he is a player that is widely appreciated in the Premier League and abroad.

"I think it is an excellent signing and he is a player I hope will do as well in the coming seasons as he has done in the past seasons with West Brom and Fulham.

"In Zoltan Gera we've acquired not only a first-class player but a first-class person and we think that's also important to the way we want the club to move forward."

So says Roy.

Obviously Gera did well for us. He started quite brightly, getting into his trademark goalscoring positions with those wonderful late runs, but the ball wasn't going in, his first touch started to seem a little unsure, and while he worked very hard, it didn't seem to be happening.  Didn't help that he was playing on the left, and indeed at one point he had talks with Hodgson about this.  One way or another – AJ's injury mainly – he found himself playing as a support striker in Europe, and he and Zamora led the team all the way to the Europa League final.  That run relied on all sorts – an amazing team defence, Danny Murphy's timely moments of genius, Simon Davies popping up when we needed him, Dempsey's chip, everyone really.  But it's the Zamora/Gera combo we'll all remember in the years ahead, the way they found space inside and outside the box.  Gera's goals were universally awesome:

A winner in the group stage against CSKA Sofia, a ghosting run into the area so typical of what he was about

A beautiful first time sliding shot across the goal, left to right, to seal the win in Basle (Steve Kelly did well in the buildup to this)

A scrappy strike at home to Shakhtar that allowed us to believe that we might even win this one too

That wonderful close range sand wedge at the Putney End against Juve, levering the ball home at the near post

A vital, ice cool penalty in the same game to really make it game on

That goal against Hamburg. Goals come in varying levels of %4^*£ng helldom. This was right up there.  It was a goal to make 50,000 eyes stand out on stalks, 25,000 hearts beat like something out of a cartoon. Time stood still, hairs stood up on backs of necks. FULHAM WERE IN THE FINAL!

That was him, Zoltan Gera. It wasn't just a tap in, as we discussed on this site some time ago. Gera floated across the area, then reacted first to the knock down, then dinked it in.

Fulham 2-1 Hamburg Gera Goal

You know, Clint Dempsey's goal was the best goal I've ever seen. But somehow that Gera strike is even better. A goal that makes me feel like passing out every time I see it. A goal. The goal.

Goodbye, Zoltan, and thank you.



http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/end-of-a-gera-sorry/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham weigh up new bid for Birmingham's Cameron Jerome
• Blues turn down £2m offer for 24-year-old striker
• Martin Jol looking for striking reinforcements


Fulham have had an offer of £2m for Cameron Jerome turned down by Birmingham City.
Photograph: David Sillitoe for the Guardian

Fulham are considering whether to raise their offer for Cameron Jerome, after seeing a £2m bid for the striker turned down by Birmingham City.

Martin Jol, the Fulham manager, has three recognised strikers in his squad – Bobby Zamora, Andy Johnson and Moussa Dembélé – and he wants another option for the new Premier League season, which starts for his team at home against Aston Villa a week on Saturday.

Zamora, Johnson and Dembélé missed large periods of last season because of injuries and, between them, they contributed 11 Premier League goals, a statistic that Jol knows must improve this season. Jerome, though, is not noted for being prolific. He scored three times in 30 Premier League starts last season as Birmingham were relegated.

At 24, Jerome would help to reduce the average age of Jol's squad, which is one of the requirements set down by the chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed. Jol has high hopes for the 19-year-old midfielder Pajtim Kasami, whom he signed from Palermo for £2.5m.



http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/aug/02/fulham-bid-birmingham-cameron-jerome?

[WhiteJC]

Swansea City And Fulham Lead Chase For France World Cup Winner


Goal-machine can choose between Liberty Stadium and Craven Cottage.


Swansea City and Fulham will battle it out for the signature of French striker David Trezeguet.

The 33-year-old is a free-agent following his departure from Spanish side Hercules, who were relegated from la Liga last season.

The ex-France international will snub a move to Ligue 1 for a chance to prove himself in the Premier League.

He played 71 times for his national team, winning the World Cup and European Championships in 1998 and 2000 respectively, scoring 34 goals.

Trezeguet was due to sign for Napoli last month but the move broke down allowing Swansea and Fulham to make their move.

Swans boss Brendan Rogers wants a big-name at the club to act as a statement of intent, and narrowly missed out on the chance of bringing Marcos Senna to the Liberty Stadium.

Fulham manager Martin Jol is a big fan of Trezeguet and wants him to act as cover for Bobby Zamora, who is a target for Tottenham.

But both Premier League sides could face competition from SPL giants Rangers for Trezeguet's signature, who missed out on Kenny Miller to Cardiff.

The Scottish side are also after Dundee United striker David Goowillie but he looks to be joining Blackburn.



http://www.caughtoffside.com/2011/08/02/swansea-city-and-fulham-lead-chase-for-france-world-cup-winner/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham plan double swoop on Den Haag's Dutch duo Verhoek and Immers

Fulham are trying to sign ADO Den Haag winger Wesley Verhoek and his teammate Lex Immers.

The 24-year-old Verhoek has been a target for Nottingham Forest and Rangers but Fulham are understood to have offered £2.5million and want midfielder Immers, 25, on loan.

However, they face competition from Feyenoord.


Wanted: Lex Immers (right) is a target for Martin Jol at Fulham




Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2021724/Fulham-want-Den-Haags-Wesley-Vorhoek-Lex-Immers.html#ixzz1TwiYa2zy

[WhiteJC]

 
MARTIN JOL TALKS DOUBLE DUTCH!

FULHAM boss Martin Jol is closing in on Dutch pair Wesley Verhoek and Lex Immers of ADO Den Haag.

The Cottagers have lodged a £1.5m bid for right-winger Verhoek in an attempt to snatch him from Ajax.

Rangers and Nottingham Forest have also asked about the 24-year-old but he wants to play in the Premier League.

Jol risks the wrath of his former club as Ajax thought they had agreed a four-year deal with Verhoek last week.

The Fulham boss is eager to reinforce his squad, with John Arne Riise, Marcel Gecov and Pajtim Kasami his only signings so far.

Jol also wants Den Haag midfielder Immers, 25, on loan but may have to sign him permanently to get his man.

Feyenoord are also interested in Immers, who has scored two goals in four games in this summer's Europa League qualifiers.

Fulham face RNK Split tomorrow in the second leg of their third-round qualifier after a goalless draw in Croatia last week.

Defender Chris Baird is confident they can win the tie to reach the group stage.

He said: "It's been great to be in the Europa League again. The results show that we're taking it seriously. We want to go as far as we can."



http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/204304/Martin-Jol-talks-double-Dutch-/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Gradel: Leeds haven't offered me a new deal



Max Gradel has revealed Leeds have yet to offer him a new contract as he mulls over his future.

The £5million-rated winger is wanted by West Ham, Fulham, Swansea and Newcastle after his 18-goal haul last season.

Gradel, 23, wants to fire Leeds back into the Premier League, but is out of contract next summer and said: "I can't sign a deal when there is no deal.

"I've been waiting for a contract but I haven't been offered a new deal yet.

"My wish was to do it as early as possible, like, last January, but unfortunately it's not down to me, it's down to the club. I've said I want to take this club to the Premier League, but you can't guarantee what's going to happen.

"Every player is working hard on the pitch because he has a target and that target is not just to play for Leeds, but to play in the top league.

"It would be great if it was Leeds, but I want to play in the Premier League."

Leeds fans have seen Jermaine Beckford, Bradley Johnson and Neil Kilkenny leave on free transfers because they were not tied down to new deals.

They fear the same will happen with prize pair Gradel and Robert Snodgrass, whose contract ends in 2013, unless they get promotion.

Gradel, whose side open up their Championship campaign at Southampton on Saturday, added: "It's a strange and difficult situation, but I just want to focus on playing.

"It's a big challenge to follow on from last season, but my aim is to score more than 18 goals.

"I will have more pressure, but that doesn't worry me. I had a good season but will try to do better."



Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/transfer-news/West-Ham-Fulham-Swansea-Newcastle-target-Max-Gradel-insists-Leeds-have-not-yet-offered-new-contract-article780208.html#ixzz1TwkOfuz9
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[WhiteJC]

 
Sunderland spending spree set to continue as Bruce agrees to sell Malbranque

Steve Bruce has freed up some money for a late transfer push after agreeing to sell Steed Malbranque to St Etienne.

The French club has offered to take Malbranque off Bruce's hands - and that means the Bruce may now be able to force through a loan deal for Manchester City's Adam Johnson although Everton are also interested.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2021713/Sunderland-agree-sell-Steed-Malbranque-St-Etienne.html#ixzz1TwulnrLI

[aFFCn_Fan]

That's quite a dodgy picture. What is he doing?

[WhiteJC]

 
Birmingham City: Fulham's £3 million bid for Cameron Jerome turned down

A SCRAP is looming for Cameron Jerome after Blues rejected an offer of around £3 million from Fulham.

The Cottagers are keen to tie up a deal for the striker quickly after making their move.

But Blues will only consider his sale if the bid is significantly increased, and the development could bring Stoke City and possibly Bolton Wanderers into play.

Stoke were the only other club to make a formal offer for Jerome, as part of an £8 million double deal involving defender Scott Dann.

But Blues rejected that attempt, and Stoke went quiet on the pair, with their wage demands also apparently being too rich for the Potters anyway, chairman Peter Coates let slip.

Tony Pulis is a known admirer of Jerome having tried to sign him in both of the previous two transfer windows, and could well come back onto the scene.

Bolton were first out of the blocks at the end of the season with an inquiry about Jerome, who joined Blues for an initial £3 million from Cardiff City in the summer of 2006. But they have also faded into the background.

However, Martin Jol at Fulham appears to mean business as he seeks to add to Bobby Zamora, Andrew Johnson, Moussa Dembele and Clint Dempsey at the top end of the pitch.

Jerome grew frustrated at Blues as they slid out of the top-flight and was also upset, to a degree, about grumbling from the stands.

He scored just three goals in the league, the last time at Stoke in November, and registered his annoyance privately about the service.

Before Blues relegation, Alex McLeish had already decided that Jerome needed to be moved on and a consistent finisher found.

And after the drop, Jerome was always going to be a target for top-flight clubs, especially as the severe financial problems at Blues became clearer.

However, Jerome has been impressed with Chris Hughton since he took over, and the manager would love to hang onto the 24-year-old.

Jerome failed to figure for Blues in pre-season because of an ankle problem that nagged away at him towards the end of the last campaign.

With Nikola Zigic likely to leave before the transfer window closes (and he is recovering from groin surgery), Hughton's attacking dilemma is obvious.

Marlon King is making progress after being ordered to rest his bad knee, and is no longer on crutches. But he won't be fit for Saturday's Championship opener at Derby County.

So Hughton has Adam Rooney, Akwasi Asante and Jake Jervis to choose from.

A loan bid for Nile Ranger at Newcastle United failed and there has been interest in former Villa favourite John Carew.

Carew, 31, joined Stoke on loan before becoming a free agent, and Hughton and the board have been pondering whether to firm things up, taking into consideration a variety of factors, not least fitness and wages.

The versatile Jonathan Spector became Blues sixth Bosman signing of the summer yesterday and predicted that the club would be back where they should be 'sooner rather than later' - the Premier League.

The American international, who penned a two-year deal, said: "I am delighted to be here and be part of this club. It's a massive club, fantastic support.

"I've heard a lot of great things about the manager Chris Hughton, too. So I am looking forward to working with him, the rest of the staff and the players.

"Birmingham were hard done by getting relegated this past season, but I think we will probably be back in the Premier League sooner rather than later, hopefully it will be right away."



Read More http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/birmingham-city-fc/birmingham-city-fc-news/2011/08/03/birmingham-city-fulham-s-3-million-bid-for-cameron-jerome-turned-down-97319-29167165/?#ixzz1TxVe57Kn

[WhiteJC]

 
Advantage Fulham

With Fulham potentially 90 minutes away from a UEFA Europa League play-off spot, Andrew Johnson is looking ahead to a challenging encounter against RNK Split at Craven Cottage on Thursday evening.

RNK certainly impressed in the first leg but, looking back on the goalless draw in Split, Johnson saw the result as a positive.

"They've got good players, they get brought up with good techniques and they're obviously quite comfortable on the ball," he said. "We were away from home and were a bit more concerned about conceding. If we keep a clean sheet, we've always got a chance at our place.

"They're a good team, they work well as a unit with good rotation and I think we found it difficult to cope with - but those places are always difficult to go to. We're looking forward to the task ahead on Thursday and we're confident that we can get a result.

"If we'd have gone gung-ho and conceded a goal, I think we would have been a lot more devastated than what we were with the outcome. They had quite a lot of possession and we had quite a lot of men behind the ball.

"It's a totally different kettle of fish at our place, with our fans behind us and with the surface we've got. It's a fortress and hopefully we'll be able to maintain that home form and progress to the next round.

"It's going to he hard for us to break them down, they'll probably do to us what we did to them in the first leg. It's a bit of chess game at the moment but the advantage is all ours now, we've been scoring a lot of goals at home and it would be good to continue that on Thursday."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/AJRNKPreview.aspx?#ixzz1TxikT99n

[WhiteJC]

 
Barclays Premier League Countdown: Fulham
Steve Sidwell is hoping Cottagers can repeat Europa League heroics

Fulham enjoyed another successful campaign under Mark Hughes after the club finished in eighth place and qualified for the Europa League via the Fair Play award.

It was the Cottagers' tenth consecutive season in the top-flight and Fulham played some dynamic, attractive football under Hughes so it was a surprise when the Welshman decided to quit his post at the end of the campaign.

Hughes has since been replaced by Martin Jol and it is good to see the Dutchman back in the English game after his successful spell at Spurs.

Jol has certainly inherited a side with plenty of experience with Mark Schwarzer in goal, Brede Hangeland at the heart of the defence and the likes of Danny Murphy, Steve Sidwell, Dickson Etuhu, Danny Murphy and Damien Duff in midfield.


And there also options up front with Bobby Zamora and Andy Johnson apparently over their injury problems, while Clint Dempsey became Fulham's highest ever scorer in the Barclays Premier League with 13 goals last term.

Fulham reached the Europa League final under Roy Hodgson a couple of seasons ago and Sidwell is hoping the club can have another lengthy run in the competition.

"Playing in Europe tests you and at any stage of your career it is a highlight," he said: "I have been fortunate enough to have played Champions League football when I was at Chelsea and also played in the Europa League with Aston Villa.

"It is a good competition and, with the achievements of the club in the Europa League in the past, I am sure we will want to go far in it again."

INS – John Arne Riise, Marcel Gecov, Pajtim Kasami, Dan Burn, Csaba Somogyi (all

undisclosed fees)

OUT – Jonathan Greening, Kagisho Dikgacoi (undisclosed fees), John Pantsil, Diomansy Kamara (free transfers), David Stockdale (loan), Zoltan Gera, Eddie Johnson, Mathew Saunders, Matthew Reece (all released).

PREDICTION

Jol looks to be a shrewd appointment to carry on the good work done by Hodgson and Hughes and Fulham look set for another finish in the top half of the table.



http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/barclays-premier-league-countdown-fulham?

[Lighthouse]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/video/2011/aug/03/fulham-premier-league-2011-12-video

[Lighthouse]

Guardian writers' prediction: 9th (This is not Paul Doyle's prediction, but the average of our writers' tips)

Last season's position: 8th

Odds to win the league: 1,000-1

Martin Jol may have got a raw deal when he was ousted at Tottenham but for his return to London he could hardly have landed a cosier gig. He has been employed by the greatest chairman of the Premier League era, other, perhaps, than Blackburn's Jack Walker, and he has inherited a fine team that should finish well clear of relegation and, with tweaking rather than revamping, could again challenge for a European place and perhaps a domestic cup.

If you were looking at ways to kill time at work, you could devote many hours to debating who was more foolish: Mark Hughes for walking out on Fulham or Aston Villa for not appointing Hughes thereafter, but one thing is certain: in his one season at Craven Cottage Hughes did a splendid job, building on the excellent work previously done by Roy Hodgson. Hughes improved Fulham's away record and made them a more dangerous attacking team while retaining the defensive solidity and careful possession play that Hodgson had nurtured. He achieved this despite a wretched spate of injuries, especially in the first half of the season.

Jol has no such casualty list to contend with, Bobby Zamora's return to full fitness being a particular boon. And the club have, so far at least, been able to retain their key players, notably Brede Hangeland, who along with Aaron Hughes, forms one of the Premier League's best central defences (that pair's organisational diligence and aerial prowess are, for instance, the main reasons why Fulham conceded fewer goals than any other team in the league from set pieces last season, and the fact that Hangeland started scoring from them at the other end makes him even more valuable). The strength of the cover behind that pair, and at right-back, is something Jol will need to address. He has already reinforced well at left-back, with John Arne Riise likely to provide further evidence that Liverpool ejected him prematurely.

The linchpin of Fulham's midfield is Danny Murphy, the conduit of most of their attacks, as proven by the fact that he had more touches of the ball than any other player in the Premier League last season. Dickson Etuhu is a powerful and tidy foil for Murphy, but the latter's contribution to the team's defending is also highly significant – only five players in the league won more tackles than Murphy last season. So losing him would obviously be a serious blow, even if Steve Sidwell is a useful deputy. Jol may seek more back-up.

Damien Duff has looked excellent in the early European campaign and fitter than he has for a while, and Simon Davies, while perhaps not a star, is definitely a trouper. With Riise capable of being deployed in left midfield and Clint Dempsey due back from his extended break following his Gold Cup duty, Fulham carry potent threats out wide.

Dempsey may not play on the flank but rather off Zamora (or Moussa Dembélé, whose return from injury is another big boost for Jol). Either way, space should always be made for the excellent American. Andy Johnson, who has yet to truly convince at Craven Cottage, could find himself on the bench a lot, even though he has regularly shown tantalising signs of forming a threatening partnership with Zamora. Jol, then, has decent attacking options and will probably increase them before the transfer window closes. Fulham should be fun to watch this season. And tough to play against.