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Wednesday Fulham Stuff (08.06.2011)

Started by Admin, June 08, 2011, 02:09:52 AM

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WhiteJC

 
Appointment Applauded
The appointment of Martin Jol appears to have gone down well with two former players of ours.

Chris Coleman, who as well as playing for us also went on to cut his managerial teeth with us, thinks Jol is the ideal appointment, commenting to the media,

"Jols a very good manager who`s proved himself in the Premier League with Tottenham, and I think his personality will suit the club."

"He will be a good appointment for Fulham, as he`ll be shrewd in the transfer market and they need to invest a little bit in the team."

"They might need to change a couple of positions and freshen things up but Martin knows what the Premier League is like and how to play the game with the media, as well as the chairman - he`s been there and done it."

Whereas Tony Gale, who after quitting playing has gone on to carve out a career as a TV pundit, offers his thoughts on the promptness of the appointment, remarking,

"It has been done quickly, which was very important."

"Now Fulham can really prepare and have a good pre-season. If they had delayed another month or so, then everything would have of out of sync."

"Fulham might not have got off to the start that everyone is anticipating after the way they finished last season."

"What Fulham need now is stability and I hope Jol is different and can stay on for three or four years."

"He has been given an opportunity at a good club where everything is in place - certainly behind the scenes."

"And if they add a couple of more players to the squad, then they could be an outside bet for a top-six finish."

Now that would be what I call progress!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=243906#ixzz1OhViMxhh

WhiteJC

 
Clint And His Insecurities
by LORK on JUNE 8, 2011

Really good article and interview with Dempsey over on ESPN, a great read in which he talks openly about feeling like having to constantly prove himself here. I'm not so sure about that last line though. Even if manager's dont initially 'appreciate' him (and that doesn't just apply to Dempsey but to every man in the squad who doesn't get into their first XI straight away) they always do in the end, and I think it's fair to say after winning fans player of the season the amount of appreciation he gets from the stands is pretty big too.




http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/06/clint-and-his-insecurities/

WhiteJC

 
Jol to return to Ajax for first Fulham signing


Martin Jol is set to go back to his old club Ajax for his first Fulham signing as he sets his sights on Mounir El Hamdaoui.

New Craven Cottage manager Jol is overhauling his squad this summer and, with Jonathan Greening on his way to Nottingham Forest - as revealed by talkSPORT - the Dutchman is now focusing on incoming transfers.

El Hamdaoui is close to a move to west London and it will mean a link up with Jol for the third time.

The Morocco international was signed by Jol when he was Tottenham manager, although his time in England was disappointing.

He failed to make a single Premier League appearance for Spurs before moving to Derby on loan and then later on to Ajax, where Jol signed him once again.

But now the Amsterdam club are preparing for life without El Hamdaoui, who is wanted by Jol to freshen up Fulham's attack, with Ajax insiders admitting they face a losing battle to keep him.

Ajax have cleared the way for the striker's departure by approaching FC Groningen for Tim Matavz, a 22-year-old Slovenia international.



http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/8161/3/jol-return-ajax-first-fulham-signing?


WhiteJC

 
Clint Dempsey wants some respect


Anthony Gruppuso/US Presswire
He may be one of the go-to guys on the U.S. men's team, but Clint Dempsey has had to prove himself time and again with his club Fulham. Will he ever get the respect he deserves?


FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- U.S. national team and Fulham forward Clint Dempsey ambles into a shiny hotel lobby. A father in a U.S.A. jersey calls over to him.

"Wassuuup?" Dempsey calls back with a high-pitched voice and a smile.

Could he give the man a signature and pose with his toddlers? Sure. The hip-hop aficionado has two small children of his own and is a devout family man. Dempsey kneels for the boy and girl to hug him as they pose.

Then he strolls to the bar, settles onto a stool, orders an espresso and excitedly shows off the fishing pliers he just purchased at a nearby store. Dempsey demonstrates in detail how they're used to extract hooks from a bass's mouth, even if he won't have much time for his beloved hobby this summer.

As always, Dempsey's hair is buzzed and stubble envelops his jaw line. His brown eyes are really as big as they look on TV. And, as it turns out, he can make other facial expressions than the perpetual glare you see on the pitch. Mostly, he has a friendly grin on his face.

Out from under a dark blue T-shirt stretches an intricate sleeve tattoo that covers much of his left arm and offers a roadmap of the 28-year-old Dempsey's life. On the inside of his biceps is a depiction of his late older sister Jennifer's tombstone and a tennis racquet. She died of a brain aneurism when she was 16, cutting short a promising tennis career but reviving Clint's soccer dream, now that the family's sparse budget again had room in it for him to play pay-to-play club soccer. Below the tombstone is Psalm 23, for Dempsey's faith. Covering his elbow is the outline of Texas, with the Lone Star placed over Nacogdoches, the town of 33,000 that Clint, his four siblings and his parents called home. (Living in a trailer at the time, his parents drove him three hours each way to Dallas so that Clint could play more competitive soccer.) Higher up on his arm are the likenesses of his and his wife Bethany's wedding rings and the names of his young daughter, Elyse, and son, Jackson. As wallpaper behind all this is Saint Michael fighting the devil. "Because I feel like I'm a warrior, too," says Dempsey.

This is irrefutable. Dempsey has developed into a highly physical, fearless and inexhaustible forward who nevertheless possesses a finely honed technique and can play on either wing, up front or in the hole. He was a warrior against Spain on Saturday, all right -- after coming on at halftime to minimize the wear on him ahead of the Gold Cup, Dempsey was the only American capable of injecting some danger into the U.S. attack, spraying deft passes and making shrewd runs. He also scored in the United States' 2-0 opening-round Gold Cup victory over Canada on Tuesday night , making a darting run to get on the end of a Jozy Altidore pass.

In the shadow of Landon Donovan, Dempsey has also become one of the national team's most consistent, appreciated and useful players. Since making his debut in 2004, he has made 72 appearances and scored 20 times. And, not coincidentally, the moments the U.S. distinguishes itself coincide with Dempsey's best games. He was the one, for example, who threw his body headlong into a challenge with Algeria's goalkeeper at the 2010 World Cup, allowing the ball to skip loose for Donovan to sweep it into the net. It was Dempsey who scored the game-sealing goal in a 2-0 win over Spain in the 2009 Confederations Cup semifinals, and he put the U.S. up 1-0 in the final against Brazil, which rallied for a 3-2 victory. Dempsey was also the man behind South Africa's most infamous moment, taking the shot that snuck under Robert Green's hands to earn the U.S. a tie with England. That goal made Dempsey the second American, after Brian McBride, to score in two World Cups.

"You know what you're going to get from him," says U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra. "He's somebody who you want on your team every time you practice, and you want him on your team when you're going into a game because he gives everything. That fire he has, you see that a lot with winners."

Yet for his 6-foot-1 frame, Clint Dempsey has a curious history of being overlooked.

After spending three seasons at Furman University and three with the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer, where he bagged 25 goals and a Rookie of the Year trophy and two MLS Best XI selections, Dempsey landed with Fulham in January 2007. His $4 million transfer fee was an MLS record at the time. He scored his first goal for the Cottagers on the final day of the season, a 1-0 winner against Liverpool that staved off relegation. In his four full seasons at Fulham, he has led the team in scoring three times -- with six goals in 2007-08, seven in 2008-09 and 12 in 2010-11, tying him with Andy Johnson that year -- and came second once, with seven in 2009-10. His 33 Premier League goals are the most for any Fulham player ever, not to mention a record for an American, as are his 12 goals in a season in the EPL. He was the team's player of the year this season and is tied for the longest-tenured player on the team with Simon Davies. Dempsey helped Fulham reach an all-time best seventh place in 2008-09, not to mention the Europe League final in 2009-10, including a splendid goal against Juventus in that tournament.

"He's been fantastic for Fulham -- I think he's been their best player," says Everton and U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard. "He's heavily relied on by them."

Regardless of having proved himself invaluable time and again, Dempsey was initially relegated to reserve status by all four managers that he's played under at Fulham. After Dempsey joined the club, his first manager, Chris Coleman, gave him just three substitute appearances for a total of 49 minutes in three months before the manager was fired. His successor, Lawrie Sanchez, used Dempsey off the bench at first. But as of the fourth game of the 2007-08 season, he became a starter. In December '07, Sanchez was fired and replaced by Roy Hodgson, who put Dempsey back on the bench. He regained his starting job in Hodgson's third game in charge but again found himself on the fringe for 2008-09. Dempsey fought back and was a starter for the remainder of Hodgson's tenure. Last summer, Hodgson left for Liverpool and Mark Hughes took over. This time, Dempsey came off the bench in three of the team's first four Premier League games before again becoming a regular the rest of the way.

In the end, Dempsey quickly won over every Fulham manager who originally cast him to the club's corps of reserves. But next season, he faces the prospect of having to do it once more, after Hughes walked out on the club at the end of this past season.

The process of starting over each time, like getting a new boss once a year, must be incredibly frustrating.

"It's definitely frustrating," Dempsey says. As we talk, he leans over the bar, playing with his bass pliers, sometimes using his hands to emphasize Yogi Berra-like wisdoms such as "You can only control what you can" and "You only can deal with what you're dealt."

Dempsey has cultivated a Zen-like acceptance of his lot. "I'd rather be someone that's underrated than overrated," he says. "It just pushes me to be more focused and more determined to prove the manager wrong. I go out there every day in training and show him that I want it more than everybody else. In life, you're going to have things that are going to come up against you. You can either let it get to you or you can make something happen. I choose to try to change the situation and make it better, or keep hitting my head against that brick wall until something else happens. That's all I know. That's all I'm programmed for, to keep pushing and to try to make the most of my career and my life, to take care of my family."

But surely being the only one who has to start from scratch with every new manager, like some sort of rookie, has to get to you?

"I'm not gonna sit here on a soapbox and say, 'Oh, it's just me, I'm the only person,'" Dempsey answers. "But I feel what you're saying. It isn't like I don't feel like that sometimes when I'm at home and I'm speaking with my wife and my family, just thinking -- dang, you get tired of it. But it comes with the job, you have to try to make things shake. I feel like God's always looked after me, put me in the right places, and I've been able to make the most of them."

Perhaps his relative peace with his circumstances is borne from an innate self-belief that he will fight back from any demotion and recover from any slight. And Dempsey recognizes that this insecurity is perhaps an important driver for his performance -- that he might be in trouble if that chip ever fell of his shoulder. "I think so, man," he says. "You need to have something that drives you."

So how do you get to be so confident in the face of so much adversity, from such a young age? "I've always had confidence in myself, but going through -- pardon my French -- s---, man," Dempsey says. "Going through tough times, man. Going through those long drives to Dallas, going through losing your sister, going through being overlooked, going through being a big fish in a small pond and going to England and being a nobody and having to prove yourself over and over and over again. A big thing, even though it's been tough, has been dealing with being in Europe and not being the man and having to prove yourself. It's been going through tough times and coming out on top or intact. You can let it bother you or you can make the most of it. And I'd rather make the most of it or die trying than stay in a situation I don't like."

Dempsey is getting animated now. "You have to build yourself up and not everybody can do that," he says. "And part of it is getting in the right situation and having a manager who believes in you. And part of it is trying to change their mind to believe in you and to give you a chance, and then make the most of it.

"I can't just sit because I've got people to take care of, man," he adds. "Not only my wife and kids but my immediate family, I help look after them. I can't fail -- you know what I'm sayin'? I have to succeed."

However confident he may feel, the one upshot of Dempsey's perennial state of limbo has manifested itself as a pursuit of statistics, of proof to buttress his own case. After all, players who set club records are hard to put back on the bench. "When I was growing up, it was just about winning and that was cool," he says. "As I've become a professional, I just feel more pressure to produce, to score goals and get assists. I know I'm a good player, but it gives evidence of how good you are if you're able to look at how many passes you've made in a game or how many chances you create. It's in the books. It's become more about stats as I've become a professional."

Does he feel it's an obligation to give that evidence, because he's gone unappreciated so many times?

"I think it is, man," Dempsey says. "I think it is. I feel like I'm a good player when I go out and play the game. But you can't tell me nothing if I have the evidence right there to support my argument. I do feel like that just reinforces the fact that I'm doing my thing."

The man whose children Dempsey posed with interrupts us. Could he sign his son's Tim Howard jersey, too? Would he mind? Not at all.

Dempsey cherishes his time with the national team. "I feel like I can breathe," he says. It's a time when the insecurity of his club career falls away and he is, at least partly, "the man." He enjoys having a coach, Bob Bradley, who appreciates him. Dempsey hasn't felt that in his club career since leaving the Revs. He misses it. "Yeah," he says. "I experienced that connection with Stevie Nicol and Bob Bradley. They believe in me, and they know I'll run through a brick wall for them, and I do miss that. I haven't felt that way in Europe; I haven't felt that connection with a manager that when the chips are down and you're going into battle that I'm a guy they look to try to make things happen. It's more enjoyable when you have a manager that believes in you. You feel loved."

Most of all, it brings peace of mind. "There's no ambiguity, there's no gray area -- you know where you stand," he says. "That's all you can ask for, to know where you stand. Me, I don't need to be your best friend, we don't need to talk every single day, but it's good to know there's no gray area."

"I appreciate what he's about as a player, what he's about as a person," Bradley says of the player who has grown to be consistently among his best. "One of the things that's always going through your mind as a coach is that when you're playing against good teams and now you put a lineup together, that feeling that the guys that are stepping out on the field are guys you can count on -- Clint's always been one of those guys."

The U.S. will count on him in this month's Gold Cup. Dempsey will try to be the gritty sparkplug who gets his team going, a role he has grown into as he takes on more responsibility within the team.

Because make no mistake, he might be 28, but Dempsey is still improving. "Clint just seems to keep getting better," says Donovan. "It's hard because you think he's peaked and done everything you can do, and then he goes and scores however many goals he's scored this year. He's more and more confident all the time." Dempsey has gotten savvier as a player. The fury seems to serve more of a purpose now, and he's proven over the seasons to be versatile as a second striker or helping out more in the midfield, giving his team some width. He has become adroit at chasing down second balls after shots on goal, ready to pounce, and making smart runs into the box that reveal a keen understanding of the game.

The time for Dempsey is ripe for him to make the jump to a bigger club. Such a move seems natural now -- Liverpool was allegedly interested -- but has never come close to materializing. "If you're a competitive person, you'd want to play at the biggest club in the world, if possible," he concedes. "You want to play Champions League, if you're a competitor. I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't one day want to be playing Champions League or for one of the biggest clubs in the world."

It's all a part of Dempsey's grand plan to make the most of his ability, the most of his career, the most of his life. Because he doesn't plan to stick around as long as clubs will employ him, like some others do. "No, I'm not going to be that guy who's like: 'One more year, one more year, one more year,'" he says. "When I feel like I can't make a difference in the competitive games and go out there and make things happen, that's when I need to step aside and give a younger guy a chance to do his thing. If I can't do it -- you know what I'm sayin'? -- why be out there, man?"

A staffer comes over. It's time for the team's lunch.

"Hey, thanks for the coffee, man," Dempsey says, before planting the firmest of handshakes on my hand.

He walks off. Fans stop him to sign more autographs, and he poses with more children. Then he slips into a room to have lunch and prepare with the one team that truly loves and appreciates him.




http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/6632214/clint-dempsey-wants-some-respect-soccer?

WhiteJC

 
Jol to take Fulham forward

If at first you don't succeed, leave it a year and try again.

Martin Jol has, second time around, been appointed as the new Fulham manager with immediate effect. The signing is almost representative of a middle finger at Mark Hughes, who, despite being mooted as second choice to attain the role this time last year, still felt he was bigger than the club and walked out little under a week ago. Still though, enough of sweet revenge.



The Dutchman has signed an initial two-year deal, hopefully without any ludicrous clauses attached, worth a reported £2 million a year. Officially, the club have confirmed that they possess an option which can initiate another year on the deal if they so wish.

Upon signing, he stated, as most do, that he was 'happy to join Fulham Football Club' and that he's 'looking forward to being part of the Fulham family.'

More importantly, though, he went on to suggest that Fulham are a club on the up and with a European adventure in sight (yes, he actually wants to compete), perhaps some younger blood needs to be fed through the development system. About time.

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

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

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

Good planning will indeed be an avid requirement, and, gladly, Jol is not a manager to shy away from the forward thinking aspects of the game.

With only three years in the world of English football, you could perhaps suggest that he is a little inexperienced with its finer workings, but if the success and mastery he achieved while at Tottenham Hotspur is anything to go by, inexperience is certainly not one of his flaws.

He made them a consistently high achieving side who were a lasagne away from the much lauded Champions League. And, quite unbeknownst to most, he can easily be portrayed as the man who has allowed Tottenham to go on to greater things now under the tutorship of Harry Redknapp, with his sacking being rash, unjust and wholly unreasonable.

Years followed abroad with Hamburg and Ajax, where his achievements again were widely recognised. However, the former ADO Den Haag gaffer admitted that his dream was always to return to England, and a club of Fulham's calibre is considered perfect for him:

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

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

A perfect fit all round then, but given his brief stint in England, what can we expect of Martin Jol?

He's a manager who, on the surface at least, is very calm and he exudes stability thanks to his harmonious demeanour. Jol, however, is not short of passion and I would expect that to be shown in the way Fulham will play from now on.

With an air of continuity for us, following Hughes' reign, Jol likes his teams to attack but, as shown by the best defensive record in the Eredvisie with Ajax, he knows how to form a defence astutely. Hand in hand with the attacking, flowing football comes a neat style of play, again, something we're used to at Craven Cottage (post Sanchez anyway).

Tactically, I'd predict many similarities to the previous two reigns at Fulham, although expect more freedom for the more effervescent players such as Moussa Dembele; a striker who Jol will know particularly well.

And, transfer wise, the Dutchman won't be afraid to let a few boys go, as seen with the expectant releases of John Pantsil and co. Zoltan Gera has come clean about the possibility of him staying by the Thames, thanks in no small part to Jol's appointment. It puts into question how much he really 'loves West Bromwich Albion'.

Whom he'll sign is impossible to second guess. With his Tottenham connections, perhaps a few of his former employees could make a move to SW6, although don't bank on it, with the likes of Robbie Keane being well past his sell-by-date.

What is evident, however, that not only is Martin Jol the man to take Fulham forward, but he is also the man to retain the quality aspects of our previous years. No decline shall be forthcoming and us fans should be delighted by this belated appointment.



http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2011/6/8/2213445/jol-to-take-fulham-forward?

WhiteJC

 
Jol is a coup for Fulham: Keeper Schwarzer pleased with new Craven Cottage boss

Veteran Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer believes it was quite a coup to secure Martin Jol as the west London club's new manager.

The 55-year-old former Tottenham boss finally moved into the Craven Cottage hotseat when he replaced Mark Hughes, who resigned last Thursday after just one season at the helm.

Jol came close to taking over from Roy Hodgson 12 months ago, only to see Ajax block the move.

Schwarzer feels Jol, who left the Dutch club in December, was definitely the right choice to take Fulham forwards as they prepare for a Europa League qualifier in just three weeks.


Real coup: Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer is delighted with the club's new manager Martin Jol

The Australian international told the Sydney Morning Herald: 'Martin Jol is a very well respected and successful manager.

'His last job was at Ajax, prior to that he was at Hamburg and before that he was at Tottenham. They are some very big clubs he has been involved in.

'The Dutch are renowned for their coaching ability and I am looking forward to working with him.'

Schwarzer added: 'I think the club was very conscious of the position we were in last season when two weeks before the first game we still didn't have a new manager.

'It was well documented last season they were after Martin Jol and this time they've got him. It is definitely a positive move to have it all sorted out now.

'Our pre-season starts on June 23 because we are in the Europa League, so it was vital that we moved quickly on a manager and now he can start planning for the season ahead.'

Schwarzer is recovering from a groin operation and turns 39 in October, but has no intentions of hanging up his gloves just yet.

He added on Fulham's official website: 'At this moment in time I feel great and I am working as hard as ever.

'As long as my performances remain good enough to play at this level I will continue to play.


Cause for optimism: Former Spurs boss Jol has signed a two-year deal to take charge at Craven Cottage

'I work very hard because the older you get it does get more difficult and you have to adjust yourself with age - the way you live your life, the way you eat and the way you train.

'As long as I continue to enjoy playing, fit and playing well then I will continue.

'There's even the potential, if I play enough games next season, for an option for another year and I have got my sights set on that and helping Australia qualify for the 2014 World Cup.'

Jol has indicated he will waste little time in building a squad capable of sustaining both a successful domestic and European campaign.

Fulham maintain there has been no bid from Tottenham for striker Mousa Dembele, whom Jol indicated was in any case central to his plans for next season.

While Hungarian midfielder Zoltan Gera could yet extend his stay following a change in management at the Cottage, it appears Ghanaian defender John Pantsil and the likes of Diomansy Kamara, Eddie Johnson and Matthew Saunders will all be allowed to leave as part of squad rebuilding.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2001013/Mark-Schwarzer-delighted-Martin-Jol-new-Fulham-boss.html#ixzz1OhiPULfy


WhiteJC

 
Johnny Haynes Stand

Season Tickets are still available in the Johnny Haynes Stand, the oldest stand in the Barclays Premier League which has been in existence since 1905. The upper tier even features the original wooden seating which gives fans a real sense of Fulham's history.

A Season Ticket in the Johnny Haynes Stand offers fantastic views of all the action, puts you close to the pitch and never far from the players. With easy access to Stevenage Road through the back of the Stand, you're also best placed to avoid the crowds and make a quick getaway after matches.

If you are after some of the best views in the house, we still have limited availability in the centre of the Stand. Blocks E, F, EL and FL are situated right on the halfway line and a Season Ticket in this area is available for £789.

We also still have limited availability in the two Family Zones. Blocks A, K, AL and KL are priced at just £469 for adults and £125 for juniors. Under 8s can even get their hands on a FREE* Season Ticket when accompanied by one full paying adult.





Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/June/JohnnyHaynesStand.aspx?#ixzz1Ohj9AR00

WhiteJC

 
Fulham Set To Sign El Hamdaoui
by LORK on JUNE 8, 2011

Reports in Holland (and in a few local rags too) that Morrocan strikerMounir El Hamdaoui is set to sign for a free in the region of 5 million euros. His scoring record is very impressive, with 52 goals in 92 games for AZ before moving to Ajax last season and scoring 19 in 38; you can see some of his goals here, some of the finishes really are exquisite. He won't be entirely foreign to Fulham if he does join, having signed for Jol twice (once at Spurs and last season at Ajax) with whom he has a close relationship and has played alongside Dembele for AZ. Dembele infact names El Hamdaoui as the best player he's played with and one of his closest friends, so as well as picking up what could be the missing link for our 'Goals For' column El Hamdaoui could be what keeps Dembele here this summer. Exciting signing if it comes off.

http://www.elfvoetbal.nl/nieuws/130113_wandelgang-el-hamdaoui-verlost-van-ajax-lazio-wint-strijd-om-klose-henderson-bijna-van-liverpool#reactie-130113

AMSTERDAM – Ajax and Mounir El Hamdaoui are almost rid of each other. A transfer to Fulham of the attacker is almost done, according to Sport 1. The transition is reportedly an amount of 4.5 million euros. El Hamdaoui was last year for around five million euros brought to Amsterdam by Martin Jol. He became coach of Fulham yesterday.

There are more sources and some informative opinion on him over on Friends of Fulham here if you're interested in learning more about him.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/06/fulham-set-to-sign-el-hamdaoui/?

WhiteJC

 
Fulham's man on a mission

When Fulham play Liverpool in the Premier League next season, all eyes will be on the directors' box. There we will be able to watch Damien Comolli turn a bright crimson colour with embarrassment the moment he spots who is in the opposition dug out. Or at least we will be able to if the bloke has any sense of shame.

Comolli, you will remember, was the director of football who, when in charge of Tottenham, fired Martin Jol. This despite the Dutchman leading the club to a top-five finish twice in four years, taking them to numerous cup quarter- and semi-finals, getting the best out of Robbie Keane and generally returning the club to playing the kind of flowing football with which it should be associated.

According to Comolli, who delivered one of the most feeble press conference performances in living memory in defence of his decision the following day, Jol had taken the club about as far as he was going to do. What was needed now was someone who might advance it to the next level. And the man Comolli had identified as being so much more likely to take the club forward than the Dutchman? Step forward Juande Ramos.

No wonder Comolli was soon heading out of the club, and subsequently to Liverpool, where he has continued to demonstrate his shrewd way with the world football market by negotiating to spend £20 million on Jordan Henderson.

Jol took his grievance at his dismissal off to Germany with Hamburg, and later to Holland where he performed admirably as Ajax coach. But he always had a sense of unfinished business. He always wanted to come back to England. So when the opportunity came to take over from Mark Hughes at Fulham he sniffed an opportunity. And what a coup it is for the chairman Mohamed Al Fayed: there can be no employee more motivated than a manager scorned.

Indeed, the debacle of Lawrie Sanchez aside, Al Fayed has proven himself pretty adept at choosing a manager. Jean Tigana, Kevin Keegan, Mark Hughes and Roy Hodgson: it is not a bad roll of honour. A lot better, for instance, than Comolli's hit rate (and before any Liverpool fans scream the place down, Kenny Dalglish was not his idea, apparently).

It is not what you expect of the comical Harrods owner, the man lampooned by Private Eye as the Old Fugger, the misty-eyed star fancier who demonstrated his absence of personal taste by erecting a monstrous waxwork of Michael Jackson outside Craven Cottage and then telling any Fulham fan who didn't like it to go and support Chelsea.

When it comes to making the right managerial appointment, however, he seems to know what he is doing.

He probably didn't expect Hughes to go. The problem he faced there was that Hughes has what is known in Hollywood as FU money. He has enough cash in the bank not to be beholden to any employer.

Owning half of Cheshire, the Duke of Prestbury, as he is known locally, was largely steering Fulham as a hobby. He could afford to walk away and look for other opportunities whenever the urge took him. He knew he would be in a better position to negotiate for the bigger jobs around were he a free agent. That was why he was unwilling to sign a longer contract with Al Fayed in the first place.

But the moment he went, Al Fayed acted quickly and sensibly to stem any sense of the kind of drift and indecision that seems to be infecting the club down the road.

Whatever Comolli might believe, Jol is a proper football manager, adept in both the training ground and the dressing room, a pragmatic and rational advocate of good football, who knows his way around the international market. Plus, and this is by no means his least useful trait, he has a countenance scary enough to command instant respect.

More to the point, he is a man on a mission. You bet he can hardly wait for the fixtures to be published for next season, ready to circle on his calendar in green ink Fulham's encounters with Spurs and Liverpool.



http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/jim-white/article/31976/