Tuesday Fulham Stuff (07/06/11)...

[LordNelson]

Fulham ace could follow Hughes out the door

Clint Dempsey has rocked Fulham by revealing he would leave Craven Cottage for a Champions League team.

The 28-year-old USA midfielder will follow the example of notice-working Cottagers Mark Hughes and walk out - if a big club comes calling.

"Ideally I would like to finish my career in Europe, but maybe my mentality changes when I'm older," said Dempsey.

"Right now, I'm thinking about Europe and playing in Champions League - at least experiencing that in my career, being in Champions League.

"That's a goal. That's every player's goal. Every player wants to win trophies and play at the highest level possible."

Dempsey has spent four years at Fulham since arriving from New England Revolution and has been on AC Milan's radar.

He admits an opportunity to play in Europe's top club competition would be too good to turn down.

"If someday I get the opportunity to play for a big club in the Champions League, that would be great," Dempsey added. "I'd be lying if I said that wasn't a dream.

"But at the same time you have to make the most of where you are."



Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Fulham-transfer-news-Clint-Dempsey-hints-at-quitting-admits-Champions-League-football-is-goal-article744945.html#ixzz1OZJ1Hehj
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This is nothing new.  Dempsey's been saying this for a couple of years now.

[WhiteJC]

Bobby Zamora's Fulham future in doubt, as 'Newcastle wait to pounce'
New Fulham boss Martin Jol has pledged to strengthen in the transfer market with 'one or two quality players', but could be willing to sell Bobby Zamora to Newcastle in order to help raise the funds.

The Dutchman offloaded the 30-year-old striker after just six months in charge at Tottenham, and refused to acknowledge the England international during his first interview with FulhamFC.com.

'There are a few players here I still know from my time at Tottenham,' said the former Ajax boss.

'Like Simon Davies, Danny Murphy and Stephen Kelly – they are all very good professionals.'

'Yesterday we had a good conversation about players and where we can try to strengthen and get one or two quality players.'

Zamora has come on leaps and bounds since his time at White Hart Lane, and Newcastle would be only to willing to pounce should he be put on the market by Jol.

Toon manager Alan Pardew was instrumental in taking him to West Ham in 2004, when the striker was included as part of the deal that took Jermaine Defoe to Spurs.


Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/football/865590-bobby-zamoras-fulham-future-in-doubt-as-newcastle-wait-to-pounce#ixzz1ObYVTmM9

[WhiteJC]

 
Manager's Ambition

Newly appointed Fulham Manager Martin Jol is looking forward to an early start to the season when his Team reconvene at Motspur Park in just over two weeks time, ahead of the Club's third round UEFA Europa League qualifying match on the June 30th.

Jol spoke of the demands that will be placed upon his squad over the next 12 months but the Dutchman is clearly relishing the challenge of competing in the Barclays Premier League, UEFA Europa League and domestic cup competitions next season.

"It would be ridiculous to say that I'm not happy with being in the Europa League," Jol told fulhamfc.com on Tuesday afternoon. "I think Fulham were the first and only club who had a lucrative income from the Europa League.

"Any other team, say in Germany for example, would say that you don't earn a lot of money from the Europa League because only the Champions League is profitable.

"Let's not forget though that can hinder you in the season, the last time Fulham were in the Europa League they were 12th in the table, but it is my hope that we can build a squad that is strong enough to compete in all of these competitions.

"At Spurs we were in the last eight and it was a great experience in the group stage, with Hamburg we played in the semi-final, then a year later after I left they played in the semi-final against Fulham. You need a strong squad to compete in all of these competitions.

"We've got over 30 players, we'll start with the younger pros as well – we've got a big group. Not everybody will be back but hopefully most of the people will be back and there won't be a lot of difference to playing a game after six days of training or three days of training. It's a bit early, 30th June, so we have to work around it with good planning."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/June/JolEuropaChallenge.aspx?#ixzz1ObYvTNlV

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol returns to England: Can football's nearly man finally find success with Fulham?

Any panic that may have resulted at Fulham following the resignation of Mark Hughes has been quickly dissolved following the swift appointment of Martin Jol.

The former Tottenham boss has been in exile from the Premier League since his controversial sacking from White Hart Lane in 2007, but despite his reputation as a pair of safe hands, is he the right man to take over from Sparky?

Spurs fans in their majority will certainly say so and you can bet the Dutchman will get the loudest cheer any opposition boss has had in N17 for a long, long time when he returns with the Cottagers.

His spells at Hamburg and Ajax after were far from awful too. With both clubs he at least put together strong title challenging teams that also fared well in cup competitions.

But the one common denominator at all three clubs was that things always fell apart at the final hurdle, and quite dramatically at that.

At Spurs he took over a crisis-ridden squad following the shock resignation of Jacques Santini in 2004 and guided them to consecutive fifth-place finishes in 2006 and 2007– their highest in the Premier League up to that point.

But it should have been more. In 2006 they held fourth and a Champions League spot for most of the campaign until an illness ridden defeat at West Ham on the last day of the season saw arch-rivals Arsenal snatch it from under their noses.

In truth, Spurs were starting to wobble before that as they very rarely had games under control in the final run-in. It hinted at a squad lacking a winning mentality.

Not that Jol showed it. He famously waved his players to play-on in a 1-1 draw at Highbury following a collision between two Arsenal players, which resulted in Robbie Keane giving Spurs the lead.

A touch-line spat with Wenger followed where he squared-up to the Gunners boss and made his feelings well known about his players' rights to play on.

Strong cup runs also came to an abrupt end. Arsenal came from 2-0 down in the first-leg of the Carling Cup semi-final to progress in 2007.

And Sevilla quickly hit two goals in the opening minutes at White Hart Lane to effectively send Spurs out of the Uefa Cup at the quarter-final stage just weeks later.

Big names came in over the summer of 2007 with multi-million pound deals for Darren Bent, Gareth Bale, Younes Kaboul and Kevin Prince-Boateng; signalling big ambitions for the top-four.

They were targets of sporting director Damien Comolli, but Jol didn't complain when they arrived as he sought to finally grab a Champions League spot.

But what followed was a disaster.

Spurs won just once against an awful Derby side in their first 10 league games and were embroiled in a relegation battle.

When the end came during a 2-1 Uefa Cup defeat to Getafe, fans continued to back the boss with chants of 'Stand up for Martin Jol' as news of the dismissal circulated around the ground at White Hart Lane.

It was a sorry end to Jol's time at Spurs but even if the fans denied it, cracks were starting to show in the squad.

Dimitar Berbatov was seen to refuse to warm-up as a substitute in a 3-1 defeat at Newcastle and the defence was leaking more goals than Ossie Ardiles' infamous 2-3-5 system at the club in the early 90s.

Chairman Daniel Levy had the last say on the matter simply stating 'that the players had lost confidence in their manager.'

With Hamburg, he again got off to a bright start in his only season at the club in 2008/09. But despite leading the Bundesliga for parts of the season, his side fluffed their lines again in the run-in and the club eventually finished fifth (see the pattern here?), eight points off champions Wolfsburg.

They also reached the semi-finals of the German Cup and Uefa Cup but choked on both occasions against Werder Bremen, as a possible treble was wiped out within in the space of a few weeks.

There were signs of discontent among the squad with how Jol was running the club. Current Manchester City star Vincent Kompany was called back from international duty at the Olympics against his will and was critical of the club's decision.

'I am an important player for Belgium but will probably be sitting on the substitutes' bench against Bayern,' he said back in 2008.

'Hamburg have played almost 100 times against Bayern in almost 50 years in the Bundesliga. No one understands that for me it is interesting for me to reach the Olympic quarter-finals with my country.'

Despite the glorious failure at Hamburg, Jol was snapped up by Ajax in 2009 and had arguably his finest season yet.

In fact the Dutch club were very unfortunate to not to add the league title along with their Dutch Cup success in 2010.

Jol's side were this time chasing Steve McClaren's Twente in the Eredivisie but despite an incredible run that saw them win their last 14 games and score 50 goals, they were pipped to the title by a point – despite having more than double Twente's goal difference.

Ajax's final total of 85 points would have been enough to win all but two of the previous top-flight titles since 1995 and was a 17 point improvement on their previous season.

But as the expectation piled on for 2010/11, failure duly followed as Jol resigned from his post last December after a poor start to the league campaign saw Ajax linger in fourth.

The 55-year-old turned down Fulham last season following the departure of Roy Hodgson and with all due respect to the west London club, this is a step down in his career given his previous appointments.

The expectations will be low but that seems to be where Jol thrives, as he takes little time to get used to his players and is very effective at quickly getting a squad to adapt to a system.

But dangers do lurk for Fulham. Spurs were a fine case of how things quickly spiralled out of control and Jol got second-season syndrome at Ajax where he just couldn't match his first year efforts.

It seems when the pressure is on, Jol struggles to deal with it or at least fails to deflect it away from his team. This can lead to instability in the dressing room and a collapse in form on the field such as that seen at Tottenham and Hamburg.

It will be interesting to hear where he feels he can take Fulham. It's a squad containing some fine players who have bonded as a team and not be split by egos.

It's a formula he will need to keep but as fate would have it, the current captain of the team is his own reject at Spurs, Danny Murphy.

Murphy has been an outstanding servant to the Cottagers and is a fine skipper, but he was bought and sold by Jol at Tottenham in a disappointing spell at the Lane.

Jol's decision to stick or twist with the former Liverpool midfielder could provide its own butterfly effect to how his time at Craven Cottage will fare. Tactically aware he may be, but man management is going to prove a major factor in how far he can take them.

At Fulham, the fan and media pressure will be mild at most and he should at the very least comfortably avoid a relegation fight next season.

Should he once again over-achieve in his first campaign by virtue of a fine cup-run or a high top-half finish, the pressure will still be off given the relative nature of the job.

It seems to be the perfect appointment for a club who don't want to take a gamble on their well-established Premier League status and for a manager who relishes in the role as the underdog.

This could be the masterstroke appointment made by any club over the summer but Fulham have been warned, for all the early happiness it always seems to end in tears when Jol is around.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2000294/Is-Martin-Jol-right-Fulham.html#ixzz1ObaP7seJ

[WhiteJC]

 
Martin Jol Exclusive


Following Tuesday morning's official announcement that Martin Jol was Fulham's new manager, the former Ajax, Hamburg and Spurs boss paid a visit to Motspur Park Training Ground to view his new base and meet the Club's management team and staff.

Jol took the time to meet and speak to every member of staff at the Club on Tuesday afternoon before expressing his delight at having joined a Club he has long admired from afar.

"I'm very happy to be back and especially at a Club like Fulham. I remember coming here with Tottenham and I even think I played here when I was a player. Craven Cottage is a real football stadium, I loved going to Fulham.

"I could have gone to other countries but I was waiting for the opportunity to come back to England."

Fulham's new manager spoke highly of a number of the Club's current professionals whom he knows well during his time at White Hart Lane before casting an eye to one or two new additions before the start of the 2010/11 campaign.

"It is too early to say that I know a lot about the squad I have inherited, but I enjoy watching Fulham and I enjoy watching players like Dembele who I have known for a while," said Jol.

"There are a few players here I still know from my time at Tottenham, like Simon Davies, Danny Murphy and Stephen Kelly – they are all very good professionals.

"Yesterday we had a good conversation about players and where we can try to strengthen and get one or two quality players."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/June/MartinJolInterview.aspx?#ixzz1ObbBvm00

[WhiteJC]

 
Everyone's Adopting Fulham Now...

Sepp Blatter: Mad As A Bum Full Of Smarties
The appointment of Henry Kissinger and Placido Domingo to root out the problems in FIFA is so mental that I can't help but almost like the fat Swiss autocrat.

Not quite though...
Luke (Love football, Hate FIFA) Red in Dubai


Why Do Clubs Give Power To Players?
Why in this age of self-serving players do football clubs operate in such a naive way in relation to player contracts? Samir Nasri is on the market now whether Arsenal like it or not because he has been allowed to run down his contract and he now holds the trump cards. Arsenal must give into his wage demands or lose him, either this summer at a reduced rate for what a player of his talent is worth or next summer for sweet FA. Villa are in a similar situation but I don't think money will sway Ashley Young from departing, Villa will unfortunately be losing out whichever way they cut it.

If rumours and carefully contrived media tit-bits are to be believed then my club may stand to profit but it would be foolish for me to laugh in the direction of north London or the West Midlands as Wayne Rooney held the same gun to our head less than a year ago.

Clubs know who their top players are - if these players are not signing extended deals in a summer where they have two years left on their contract then the club should be open to any decent offers that come their way, putting the club back in control. The club either get the true value of the player in the bank ready to be spent on a suitable replacement or a star player committed for the foreseeable future. In recent times the transfers of Ronaldo, Alonso, Torres and Carroll have seen the clubs suitably remunerated for the departure of key assets. Contracts may not be an effective mechanism to keep players any more but managed properly they allow the club to make the players dance to their tune, whichever way they may try to squirm.
Parmjeet Dayal


Adopting Fulham
Following the lead of Dan, Watford, Fulham are now officially my second team.
Jonno McSchmonno


For He's A Jolly Good Fellow (Again)
This is a great appointment - very Fulhamish. Hughes was cold, calculating and ultimately a bit of a s**t. Martin is everything Hughes was not. Needs Hughton as his assistant.
Mike Waring

...As a Spurs fan I am delighted to see Jol back in the Premier League. I hope he does very well for Fulham and that he is given more respect than the directors at my club showed him.

Some may argue he didn't achieve what Arry did, but only a team-wide virus prevented him snatching the fourth spot. He was taking Spurs in the right direction before he was undermined by Comolli et al and his position became untenable.

He laid a lot of the foundation for what was to come, and more than that, he was respectful and friendly toward the fans.

Hear that Arry? He never had a pop at us for questioning dodgy tactics or daring to have a bit of ambition.
Matt Cornish (loves Martin Jol, Martin Jol loves Matt Cornish).


Proper Bostin
Sorry to be pedantic Graeme from Herts, but clearly you don't know Ware Villa is based (see what I've done there?) - Schteve will only be talking like our Noddy if he gets a job in the Blek Countray ay it.

If Randy Lerner does get the second-choice P60 out, Schteve will actually be talking like Ozzy Osbourne. And even though this would be the last nail into our also-ran coffin, I'd struggle to say I don't want to see that.
Neil Raines


Defending Schteve
McClaren, in my opinion, wasn't as bad as every seemed to imply when England failed for the European Championships in 2008. Some of Steve's actions, however, cannot be excused. Using the Neviller as a wing-back was absurd, as well as the 3-5-2 formation he once 'crafted' away from home. Similarly, putting Carson in the line-up for THAT game was a truly poor decision.

McClaren however lacked experience. His only experience was with Middlesbrough for just four years! Compare this with Capello, who has a won a hatful, and it seems strange McClaren was even considered. The England fat cats are as much to blame as McClaren...just what were they thinking? Everyone seemed to criticise Sven, yet I think now it is more clear than ever that he overachieved with a terribly average side. McClaren, in a way, failed because those who chose his position let him: he was obviously not first choice to replace Eriksson. Even he, probably, couldn't believe it when he got the call.

That isn't to say that McClaren was not a bad manager, however. He stabilised Middlesbrough as a team and enjoyed many cup runs in domestic, and more importantly European competition, culmilating in their first major trophy with the League Cup and a Uefa cup runners up medal. He also oversaw the youth academy and furthered his reputation from United as a tactically astute coach who made the hard transition from coach to manager relatively well. In fact, where are Middlesbrough now?

Finally, McClaren is one of the few English managers to go abroad to hunt for success. He guaranteed Twente European football and won them the Eredevisie. It would be ridiculous to say that he was as successful as Robson or Venables yet still, the man had the balls to do it (or perhaps was exiled from England). The media again played a part in witch-hunting McClaren. Yes, he was to blame for the Euro 2008 campaign but so were the awful, lethargic players and their substance-less play. In fact, doing decent with an English mid-table team won't make you a top manager anymore. If British coaches want the illustrious jobs, they may have to ply their trade abroad, which is what McClaren at least attempted, and somewhat succeeded with Twente.

The press are hilariously doing the same with a much better manager than McClaren in Capello. The guy has won league titles and the European Cup: hmm England aren't performing, must be the manager...bollocks! I'm not even a fan of McClaren or his smarmy grin, but seriously, the guy has his own achievements to brag about, as well as failures that he probably regrets.
16-year old Jack, London (huh? 2+2 DOESN'T make 5????)


How To Evaluate Signings: Liverpool Edition
Jordan Henderson for 20 million. What did Xabi Alonso cost? Great news - young Mr. Henderson will be twice as good then.
Niall (stop buying English when Spaniards are twice the player and half the cost), Washington DC


The Dying (International) Game
I looked at the date today and could not quite believe it was a year since I was finding it hard to sit still from excitement at the approaching World Cup. So much promise, so much anticipation. Now the international game leaves me feeling sicker than a German vegetarian. I think it is in real danger.

FIFA has long been an embarrassment and I am ever hopeful that if we just put up with a few more years of slaps to the Kissinger, eventually the old guard will wither and die to be replaced by a new generation more in touch with trans-national governance. Until then, I pass the days forcing myself into a wry respect for how someone as blatantly simple as Blatter, with a shocking inability to communicate, lead or even string a few coherent sentences together has managed to create such a strong powerbase. Yet the damage may already have been done.

Have you ever actually thought what an odd concept international football is in the modern world? If like me your footballing puberty reaches (just) back to the pre-Premier League days when the gulf between club and country football was less stark, just try and detach yourself from the thinking that international football is natural. It exists on the premise of one political belief - nationality. A concept that is slowly being eroded through globalisation. The bottom line is that clubs pay the wages and club football accounts for at least 90% of all matches played. With ideas like national pride fading and the now huge imbalance of monetary rewards in favour of club football, is it disgusting to us but not wholly surprising people like Crouch should refuse a squad place. FIFA needs to be very, very careful as a result.

Treading on such thin ice, FIFA should be doing everything to protect and preserve what is great about the international game. Instead we got South Africa 2010. And we're going to have Qatar 2022. Tournaments chosen on political or financial grounds rather than sporting. South Africa 2010 bored me to tears. By the quarter-finals I had started to not care if I had to miss a match. And this is someone whose very few childhood memories include losing it when David Platt scoring 'in the last minute of extra time' against Belgium. England and the FA are equally culpable. I feel absolutely no attachment to this current bunch of players bar one or two individuals. The way the whole circus is run breeds nothing but apathy and contempt.

I pin hopes on Brazil 2014 and the embers of dignity left at the FA that may well result in a modernisation drive similar to one pulled off by another British institution, the monarchy. No more Capellos, no more vuvuzelas. I would rather the England team was abjectly poor but had a youthful approachable soul, than slowly dying a mediocre and complacent death. Maybe it is I that needs to modernise and just be happy for the wonderful game we have at club level but the memories will always burn brightly. Memories that the next generation of fans may well be denied.
Rich, Vancouver


England = Holland
I have always been an England fan, and as a kid always thought they were the best in the world. But now, being older and wiser, its quite plain to see that it's just we don't have a very good squad. We're essentially on par with Holland in my opinion, and we don't expect them to get particularly far in the WC or EC (quarter-final material). For some reason though, we think we are world beaters and stupidly get frustrated at a respectable comeback against the Swiss.

When we look at it on a player for player basis, we might be slightly better, e.g. Rooney > RvP (on paper, I'm an Arsenal fan too), Kuyt > Walcott/Downing, Sneijder > most of England's midfield. Whichever way you cut it, we're not that much better or that much worse depending on your viewpoint. I think the fans and the players need to have a look realistically at where we should be expecting to finish in tournaments.
Daniel Trunley


Englishmen Abroad Not The Answer
Would people stop spouting drivel?

As a Wolves fan, take it from me - Mancienne has gone abroad because nobody in the Prem is bothered about signing him, yes he looked brilliant when we first borrowed him from Chelsea, but after playing him out of position and sticking him in midfield for most of the time he spent with us, we ruined him. If he is so good why was he taken off at half-time against Blackburn in our last game of the season (a half we lost 3-0 with him and won 2-0 without him)? Because he was pap, also at fault for letting Birmingham score three weeks prior. Plus we didn't want him and we are now linked with Matthew Upson!!! I do hope Mancienne gets back to where we was a couple of seasons ago but he doesn't need to go to Germany to do that, he just needs to play centre-back for a team like Bolton or West Brom that don't value 'putting a shift in' over talent.

Secondly, don't just pick the players who have done well abroad for examples, take a look at Jay Bothroyd. Billy big bollocks flopped at Perugia and amazingly was still dross at Charlton and Blackburn when he returned from Italy. It took Mick McCarthy's massive boot (or possibly nose) up his arse to get him even looking like the player he was when he first broke through in England and fair play to him that by actually applying effort at Cardiff he has flourished.
Tom (we only needed one Karl Henry not sure why we tried to turn Mancienne into another)


Football Is Not A Game
I have been thoroughly disappointed by the so-called advice emanating from the many devotees of computer games such as Football Manager etc. Many times I have read letters from these people advising big name managers/owners of Premier League clubs as to how they should go about running their clubs. So often have I seen this advice that I actually started to believe that these gamers might really know something about the game. So, during the recent Champions League final, with Man Utd trailing by two goals with ten mins to go I began frantically pressing XXYYXZOO on my playstation controller, convinced that this would make Rooney score a hat-trick in extra time. I was shocked to find that it didn't work. So I logged on to the internet and downloaded a cheat which would cause the standard 90 min match to be extended by an extra 22 mins and 30 secs. Again, this didn't work.

But so convinced are these people that computer games are actually an extension of real life that I refused to disregard their wealth of knowledge completely. So, on Saturday night, after spilling a bloke's pint and becoming involved in the obligatory fight I attempted to hurl a sonic boom at my assailant. I lost a tooth. Another attempted hurricane kick later and I was suffering from a severely bruised jaw. By now my faith in this so called knowledge was beginning to wain.

Finally, yesterday afternoon, while enjoying a game of Pitch and Putt with my mate, after putting a little too much power into a tee off I attempted to put some back spin on the ball by pulling back on my joy stick and pressing ZZZZZZZ. This had absolutely no effect at all and the ball went sailing out of play. My mate won the match by one shot and I haven't heard the end of it yet.

I am now of the opinion that these people actually know nothing about the game of football, or anything to do with the real world, and that they are, in fact, idiots who are rapidly losing the ability to tell the difference between reality and their own delusions of adequacy. So, as a matter of public health can you please, please stop printing the opinions of these morons. They are not football managers, they're just very naughty boys.

Thank you. I'm off for some more painkillers.
Colin Byrne, Dublin. (Love football, Hate FIFA and Football Manager Managers)



http://www.football365.com/mailbox/story/0,17033,8744_6969617,00.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Tony Soprano; and sausage fans


'What you looking at, Chris Baird?' Photograph: Barry Wetcher/AP

BADA-BING!

Ever since Mark Hughes left Fulham to further his career ambitions by sitting in his grundies watching Cash in the Attic, Craven Cottage has lacked a certain managerial gravitas. Having interviewed and rejected other heavyweights such as Tyson Fury and a block of osmium wrapped in lead, Fulham today plumped for Martin Jol-alike Tony Soprano. Sorry, Tony Soprano-alike Martin Jol. Whichever one isn't a fictional character.

Jol should be welcomed by Fulham fans: he signed players such as Gareth Bale and Dimitar Berbatov while he was at Spurs and the wisdom of the decision to let him leave White Hart Lane was shown up by the victory-lite reign of Juande Ramos. Jol's defensive tactics were criticised during his time at Spurs but in a subsequent spell at Ajax his team conceded just 20 goals in 34 games, while scoring 106.

"I would like to welcome Martin Jol to Fulham," cheered Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed, checking Prince Philip wasn't out to scupper the deal before it could be done. "He understands my vision for the club, and believes in what we are striving to achieve here. We have enjoyed three incredibly successful years, and my hopes and dreams for this club are for that journey to continue."

Jol, meanwhile, was more buoyant than a pair of cork armbands in the Dead Sea. "I am very happy to join Fulham, a wonderful, traditional club," Jol said. "It is a club with good solid foundations and a great fanbase. I am looking forward to being part of the Fulham family and thank the chairman for the trust he's shown in me." He won't have to wait long to get back into action either: Fulham are in Big Vase, which means pre-season training starts on 23 June, approximately 3.8 seconds after last season ended.



http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jun/07/the-fiver-fulham-martin-jol?

[WhiteJC]

 
It`s Martin Jol!
As many suspected the fact that we`re involved in the opening stages of the Europa League at the end of this month had a dramatic influence on the allotted timescale Fulham had to replace the departed Mark Hughes.

Yesterday the speculation, in the media, was that it was between Martin Jol and Martin O`Neill.

Well news broke this morning that Fulham have officially announced that Martin Jol has been appointed the new manager and that the Dutchman, who was hotly tipped for the post last summer, has been give a two year contract with the option to extend if to a third year.

Speaking about his appointment, Jol has commented,

"I am very happy to join Fulham. It is a club with good, solid foundations and a great fan base."

"I am looking forward to being part of the Fulham family and thank the chairman for the trust shown in me."

Jol, a respected manager, has previously worked in the Premier League, guiding Spurs to fifth place in consecutive seasons, before being asked to stand down. Since then he has managed Hamburg and Ajax and arrives at Craven Cottage with the supporters expectations that his appointment was bound to happen but has come a year later than previously anticipated.

Here at Vital Fulham we`d like to congratulate him on his appointment and wish him every success.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=243811#ixzz1ObcbeUn1

[WhiteJC]

 
Dempsey Shock?
It`s always something out there, something looming large on the horizon that a player who constantly performs well could end up leaving our club.

Clint Dempsey is one such player.

The American international, signed from New England Revolution four years ago has constantly delivered the goods and not too long ago, after a fine Confederations Cup, was linked with a move away from Craven Cottage.

It didn`t materialize then but you get the impression that Clint could well be targeted by a top team, even more so when you accept that Clint, like many others, has ambitions of playing in the Champions League, ambitions that have brought the following comments out into the open,

"Right now I`m thinking about Europe and playing in the Champions League. That`s a goal."

"Everyone wants to play at the highest level."

"If someday I get the opportunity to play for a big club in the Champions League, that would be great."

"I`d be lying if I said it wasn`t a dream. But at the same time you have to make the most of where you are."

At twenty-eight years of age Clint is probably enjoying his peak years which make those dreams of his all the more prevalent.

Could Clint be leaving us this summer?

I, for one, hope not!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=243812#ixzz1ObclCgpN

[WhiteJC]

 
Dan the Man
More news on the Fulham managers` job!

It seems Danny Murphy has put his name in the mix and could be the cheaper option.

Although he has no experience, he knows the club, he knows his football and would give us some stability.

After all Coleman did not do a bad job with no money to spend!

I have always said Danny would make a great coach and would like to see him as number 2 to Martin Jol!

What do you think?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=243825#ixzz1Oc8nvZeq

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol factfile
A look at the Dutchman's life and career

Martin Jol has been confirmed as Fulham's new manager after agreeing an initial two-year contract at Craven Cottage.

The Dutchman replaces Mark Hughes, who resigned as Fulham manager after one season at the helm.

We look at Jol's life and career.

1956: Born January 16 in The Hague, Holland.

1973: Begins playing career at his home-town club ADO Den Haag.

1976: Wins Dutch Cup.

1977: Transferred to German giants Bayern Munich.

1979: Returns to Holland with FC Twente.

1980: Makes Holland debut in 1-1 draw against West Germany.

1981: Moves to West Brom to fill void left by Bryan Robson's sale to Manchester United. Reaches the semi-finals of both the FA and League Cups but loses both. West Brom beaten by Tottenham over two legs in the League Cup.

1984: Moves to Coventry.

1985: Returns to end his playing career with a successful second stint at ADO.

1991: Begins coaching career at ADO Den Haag amateur side and leads them to two promotions in three years.

1995: Coaches Scheveningen, who are crowned Dutch non-league champions.

1996: Takes over at Roda JC.

1997: Roda win the Dutch Cup, their first trophy in 30 years.

1998: Moves to RKC Waalwijk and transforms club from relegation candidates to European challengers on a limited budget.

2001: Named Dutch Football Writers' Coach of the Year.

2002: Named Dutch players' and coaches' Coach of the Year.

2003: September - Claims he has been approached by Sir Alex Ferguson with a view to succeeding Carlos Queiroz as Ferguson's number two at Old Trafford.

2004: Moves to Tottenham as first assistant to head coach Jacques Santini.

November - Santini stands down and Jol is asked to take charge of first-team affairs for Premier League game against Charlton. Jol is confirmed as new head coach on November 8, 2004.

December: Named Premier League Manager of the Month.

2005: August - Signs new three-year deal with Tottenham.

2006: May - Spurs finish fifth in the league, securing UEFA Cup football for the first time in the Premier League era. Spurs miss out on fourth place - and Champions League football - on the final day of the season when a team weakened by illness loses and Arsenal win.

2007: Spurs finish fifth for a second consecutive season as well as reaching the semi-final of the FA Cup and last eight in both the UEFA Cup and Carling Cup.

October 25 -Tottenham confirm they have asked Jol to stand down as manager with immediate effect.

2008: May 13 - Appointed Hamburg coach on a two-year contract. Leads Hamburg to fifth-place finish in Bundesliga and a place in the Europa League.

2009: Appointed Ajax coach on a three-year contract. Guides them to KNVB Beker (Dutch Cup) victory with 6-1 aggregate win over Feyenoord.

July 22 - Confirms he will stay with Ajax but admits his agent did hold "serious talks" with Fulham.

2010 - December 6 - Resigns from Ajax post.

2011: June 7 - Named Fulham boss on two-year deal.

[WhiteJC]

 
New Craven Cottage boss has held discussions regarding targets
Last Updated: June 7, 2011 5:29pm

New Fulham manager Martin Jol hopes to add 'quality players' to his inherited squad after holding discussions on the subject on Monday.

The Dutchman has been swiftly appointed as successor to Mark Hughes at Craven Cottage and has already admitted his delight at signing an initial two-year contract.

Fulham announced Jol's appointment on Tuesday morning, but the former Tottenham boss had already been in talks with the club regarding his transfer targets.

Previous reports have linked Fulham with a £10million move for Espanyol striker Pablo Daniel Osvaldo, and chairman Mohamed Al Fayed would appear ready to back his new man.

Jol said: "There are a few players here I still know from my time at Tottenham, like Simon Davies,Danny Murphy and Stephen Kelly - they are all very good professionals.

"I enjoy watching Fulham and I enjoy watching players like Moussa Dembele, who I have known for a while.

Opportunity

"Yesterday we had a good conversation about players and where we can try to strengthen and get one or two quality players."

Ex-West Brom and Coventry midfielder Jol saw his hopes of taking charge of Fulham following Roy Hodgson's departure a year ago blocked by Ajax.
But having left the Dutch club in December, he is relishing a second opportunity in the English top flight after ignoring offers from outside of the United Kingdom.

"I am very happy to be back and especially at a club like Fulham," he said.

"I remember coming here with Tottenham and I even think I played here when I was a player. Craven Cottage is a real football stadium, I loved going to Fulham.

"I could have gone to other countries, but I was waiting for the opportunity to come back to England."



http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6969747,00.html

[WhiteJC]

 
New Fulham manager Martin Jol 40/1 to end Cottagers trophy drought
Dutchman has won two domestic cups in his career and Unibet already have the odds on him adding a third with his new club.

New Fulham boss Martin Jol is 40/1 (41.0) to end the Cottagers long trophy drought. The Dutchman has replaced Mark Hughes at the Premier League outfit where he has signed a two-year deal.

In their 131 year history the London club have never lifted a major trophy. Fulham reached the FA Cup final in 1975, with Bobby Moore in the team, but lost to West Ham and were beaten by Atletico Madrid in the 2010 Europa League final.

Former Tottenham Hotspur boss Jol was heavily linked with the Craven Cottage vacancy a year ago before electing to stay with Ajax. The Dutch tactician led Spurs to the cusp of the Champions League places by finishing fifth in consecutive seasons before being sacked in October 2007.

"They say that good things come to those who wait and Fulham fans will certainly be hoping the old adage is true now that they have finally got the man they wanted," said Unibet's spokesman Daniel Booth.

Bookies are already taking bets on how many points Jol will get off his old next season. Fulham are 12/1 (13.0) to beat Spurs in both league games.

Jol has proven himself to be a cup specialist winning the KNVB Beker on two occasions during his time in Holland.

He's 40/1 (41.0) to win the FA Cup next season, 80/1 (81.0) to rocket Fulham into the Champions League and 40/1 (41.0) to go one better than Roy Hodgson and lift the Europa League.

Fulham have been a steady presence in the Premier League for a decade but you can back Jol to sink the cottage at 7/1 (8.0) on relegation to the Championship.

Mr Booth added, "Unibet have responded to the appointment by creating a market on how well Fulham will perform in 2011/12 and there are some tasty prices to be had.

"Are they set for a top 10 finish? They are priced up at 2.70 to finish in the top 10 and 1.40 not to so it could be a long hard slog for the Cottagers."



http://www.goal.com/en/news/2994/betting/2011/06/07/2522033/new-fulham-manager-martin-jol-401-to-end-cottagers-trophy?