Tuesday Fulham Stuff 14/06/11

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Fulham want speedy answer from Hughton on offer to be Jol's No 2 again
By SAMI MOKBEL


Old pals: Chris Hughton (left) with Martin Jol at Spurs

Fulham are pushing Chris Hughton for an answer on whether he wants to become Martin Jol's assistant manager.

Hughton spent three seasons as Jol's No. 2 at Tottenham and Sportsmail exclusively revealed last Tuesday that the Craven Cottage club want the duo to rekindle their relationship.

The former Newcastle boss has delayed his decision on a possible move to Fulham as he waits to hear whether he has landed the Cardiff manager's job.

It is believed he is also a contender for the vacant Birmingham manager's post. But Jol wants to finalise his backroom team ahead of the club's early return to pre-season training on June 23 and wants a definitive answer by the end of the week.

The Dutchman has already drafted in his brother Cock Jol and Michael Lindeman to his management team and is keen to make Hughton his next recruit.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2003117/Fulham-want-Chris-Hughton-assistant-manager.html#ixzz1PE5XKAVl

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http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/fulham-defender-senderos-eager-europa-league-action-1693251

Fulham defender Senderos eager for Europa League action

Fulham defender Philippe Senderos is looking forward to getting a full preseason under his belt.

Senderos has no complaints about the early Europa League qualifiers.

"For me playing in Europe would be a fantastic thing because I had a year out," he told fulhamfc.com. "It will be a great challenge for me, coming back to European action and hopefully bringing my qualities to the Team.

"The more games there are, the more opportunities there are for everyone."

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http://www.sportsnewsireland.com/soccer_irish/31927/

Fulham interested in Glenn Whelan

According to reports in the Evening Herald, Fulham are looking to sign Stoke and Irish midfielder Glenn Whelan should Tony Pulis decided to dispense with the player.

Whelan finished the season strongly after falling out of the first team picture in the first half of the season and was linked to Newcastle and Wolves in the January window.

That moved failed to materialise and the 27 year old played a pivotal role in Stoke's March to the FA Cup final.

According to the Herald, Fulham boss Martin Jol believes he could land Whelan for as little as 1 million pounds.

The former Cherry Orchard player has been with Stoke since 2008 when he joined from Sheffield Wednesday in a £500,000 pound deal.

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http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Birmingham-news-Chris-Hughton-in-talks-to-be-new-manager-second-meeting-planned-for-next-week-article746788.html

Hughton in talks to be new Birmingham manager
Published 23:00 13/06/11 By James Nursey

Chris Hughton is the favourite to succeed Alex McLeish as boss at Birmingham.

Mirror Sport understands that Hughton's representatives held an initial round of talks with Blues chief Peter Pannu yesterday.

And a new meeting between the St Andrew's supremo and the former Newcastle manager is planned for next week.

It confirms that Hughton, 52, is the most likely of the early candidates to succeed McLeish after his shock resignation on Sunday.

Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Birmingham-news-Chris-Hughton-in-talks-to-be-new-manager-second-meeting-planned-for-next-week-article746788.html#ixzz1PE6VxzJI
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Blackpool's Campbell set for move to London

Fulham are ready to snap up DJ Campbell from Blackpool – and beat Sunderland to his £1.25million signature.

Boss Martin Jol is looking for a new striker, with Andy Johnson ­available for sale.

Campbell favours a move back to his native London over Wearside.

Meanwhile, Fulham have had a £600k bid for teen Bournemouth striker Danny Ings rejected by the League One side.

Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Fulham-transfer-news-DJ-Campbell-set-snub-Sunderland-and-sign-from-Blackpool-for-1-25million-article746767.html#ixzz1PE6rOPIz
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http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2011/06/opening-up-the-debate-again-landon-donovan-vs-clint-dempsey/

Opening up the Debate...Again: Donovan v Dempsey

Tomorrow, the U.S. national team will play their final game of group play in this year's Gold Cup versus Guadeloupe. With a likely victory for the U.S. to abound, a greater question fans of the national team may have is, who is playing and where, and to that end, who is the most important player on the field?
Of course by position, Tim Howard may well be the best player, but it's hard to compare goalies when only one is on show. Instead it would duly serve any fair-weather soccer fan to know whom to really watch on the field: Landon Donovan or Clint Dempsey?

For most Americans, Landon Donovan has been a household name. He's played all the U.S. tournaments, representing the country at every age group and being a mainstay of the MLS. On the other hand, Clint Dempsey has only really played for the U.S. senior side and has been a much bigger hit in England.

The two of them play in midfield for the national side, Donovan a winger with an eye for goal and Dempsey more of a attacking midfielder or second striker. Both have been highly successful for their teams; Donovan even played in the English Premier League while on loan with Everton in 2010.

Each player has even scored crucial goals for the U.S. national team, both being 2 of 3 American players to score in multiple World Cups. Donovan of course, has the memorable winning goal against Algeria. Dempsey scored the only goal for the U.S. in the 2006 World Cup that most probably forgot. In general the two of them have higher technical ability on the ball than the other American players on the national team, and they have shown this by the type of goals they've scored and assists they've made.

Donovan has a plethora of individual awards: 6 Honda Player of the Year awards, MLS MVP, 4 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year awards, etc. This includes a FIFA Best Young Player award given retroactively for the 2002 World Cup. Dempsey has only one Honda Player of the Year awards, only a few MLS awards, but the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze Ball, an award with much more weight.

Ultimately, the question still remains, who is better?

Dempsey scored a goal against Canada a few days ago that doubtfully could have been scored by anyone on the U.S. team besides Donovan. Jozy Altidore scored a goal off of a pass from Donovan that hardly could have been supplied by anyone else besides Dempsey.

The unarguable truth is the English Premier League is a much more competitive league that is full of much more talent than the MLS. For his Fulham team, Dempsey has become an invaluable player. Having kept them alive in the top flight in his first season, to his crucial goals in the Europa League, he has scored on high levels. Donovan is the crux of the L.A. Galaxy; invaluable is an understatement in that comparison. But a goal against a team whose average player isn't even in the highest tax bracket is not very comparable to a goal against a team whose players could literally buy an MLS franchise.

Landon Donovan, for all his skill, has not produced on one of the world's most competitive stages for more than a few months. While playing in Germany he was young and ineffective. In the U.S. he is a big fish in a little pond. While at Everton he was successful but still didn't play in any European tournaments nor survive a full season at that high level.

In the last season Dempsey had 12 goals for Fulham (their 2010/11 season leading scorer) and Donovan had 7 goals for L.A. Galaxy. In general, when goals in different leagues are compared they are multiplied by some factor in order to account for the discrepancy between leagues in terms of difficulty, making the difference between the tallies substantially larger than simply 5.

Yes, Donovan is the highest scorer for the U.S. national side, but has also acted as the star of it for many years—being the designated penalty and set piece taker. Dempsey doesn't have the goal tally or assist numbers at the national level but he only has 70 appearances as compared to Donovan's 130. He also hasn't been considered an integral part of the U.S. team nor a fan favorite.

Many American soccer fans will give Donovan the accolades simply because he is familiar. The media is an important aspect in this and sometimes it shows. A simple example is that while American commentators were saying how ineffective Dempsey was during the Confederations Cup, he won the award for 3rd best player in the entire tournament. Donovan didn't win anything despite the praises he received. Much of Donovan's success came years ago, but it is never forgotten when he steps on the field.

Both players are good, but when you look at what each does right now, at the present, it's hard to say Dempsey does not take an edge over Donovan.

If you had to pick one for your own fantasy team, would you take the 29-year-old Donovan or the 28-year-old Dempsey?

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Alex wanted Zamora and Pavlyuchenko. He ended up with Bentley and Hleb on loan

ALEX McLEISH quit Birmingham having never felt properly supported by owner Carson Yeung and acting chairman Peter Pannu.

Hong Kong businessman Yeung came in two seasons ago to a huge fanfare and talk of £80million being available to spend.

Yet McLeish intimated he would believe it when he saw it. His scepticism proved well-founded.

The first big test came when McLeish went for Roman Pavlyuchenko at Tottenham in the 2010 transfer window.

McLeish believed it was players of the calibre of the Russian striker who would ensure Birmingham were not fighting constant relegation battles.

Spurs were willing to sell but the St Andrew's owners pulled back from a £13m transfer after the Scot had put in weeks of groundwork.

McLeish knew how vital a striker was to making City competitive, so last summer he went for Fulham's Bobby Zamora.

Once more the owners would not back his judgment Zamora was worth £10m.

McLeish thought it was a false economy. He knew Brum would struggle if they could not put the ball in the net. How right he was. The Midlanders were the Premier League's lowest scorers in 2010-11 with just 37 goals in 38 matches.

McLeish had tried, too, for attacking midfielder Mousa Dembele. A deal was on the brink of completion, only for Big Eck to get a shock as the Belgian headed off to Fulham.

The Scot had a long-established transfer record in the game at Motherwell, Hibernian and Rangers and, together with trusted chief scout Paul Montgomery, had always done astute business.

He could point to his outstanding central defensive duo of Scott Dann and Roger Johnson. McLeish paid £3.5m for Dann from Coventry and £5m for Johnson from Cardiff. Both are being talked of now as £10m-plus targets.

He also got England keeper Ben Foster for only £6m from Manchester United and Aston Villa's Craig Gardner for £3.5m.

Yet the board were forever chipping away. McLeish was not their man. He was appointed by the regime of David Gold and David Sullivan.

When McLeish was debating whether to sign a new deal last September, as he did not feel he had full backing, Pannu said: "He hasn't been tried and tested yet. But to suggest he is in the top class, like a Mourinho, well, he is no Mourinho yet."

It was an unnecessary snipe, which festered in McLeish's head.

The day after City were relegated last month, Pannu stated: "The club can confirm the manager's job is safe. But the board expect him to lead the side back to the Premier League in the 2011-12 season."


McLeish knew what that meant. If he made a dodgy start to the Championship campaign, he would be out.

A journalist close to Pannu also revealed Birmingham would let McLeish go if another club came for him.

Pannu next axed faithful ally Montgomery, blaming him for the loan signings of Alex Hleb, Obafemi Martins, Matt Derbyshire and David Bentley.

But these were last-minute deals, because McLeish could not offer decent money for quality buys.

Montgomery said yesterday: "Irrespective of how people are trying to taint Alex, he is a magnificent manager."

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3635709/Alex-McLeish-quit-Birmingham-after-the-boards-continued-refusal-to-sign-his-transfer-targets.html#ixzz1PE7tpvUF

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Clint Dempsey complains about lack of warm-up time prior to USA Gold Cup games

KANSAS CITY - Add another complaint to the way CONCACAF has run this year's Gold Cup.

Everyone is well aware of the lack of fans in stadiums simply by turning on the TV, but what viewers don't see is the lack of time teams have to warm up prior to games. It's gotten to the point when players from the first game are walking off the field as the second kicks off.

"How do you expect to get a good warm up?" asks Clint Dempsey.

The U.S. has built a reputation for its slow starts over the last couple years, and it doesn't help that its players can't get loose and get a feel for the pitch before games.

"I think it's difficult not being able to warm up before the game with the pitch. That doesn't make any sense," Dempsey says. "When players are able to warm up, it's better for both teams. They're able to get warmed up properly and I think you'll see some better football for it.

"Instead, we're inside running on concrete or some artificial turf they put down and you're not really able to touch the ball or have a have a real idea of what it's going to feel like when you're on the field. I didn't know when that took precedent over everything else.

The United States opened the Gold Cup energized following its loss to Spain, scoring a goal just 15 minutes into the match. But it wasn't so fortunate Saturday night in Tampa as the Americans watched Panama jump out to a two-goal lead in the first half before dropping a 2-1 decision.

Now, instead of resting for the knockout stage, Dempsey and Co. need a good result against Guadeloupe Tuesday in Kansas City. Kick off is set for 9 p.m. ET.



http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=goal-clintdempseycomplainsaboutl

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U.S. men might need a win to advance


Charlie Riedel / AP
United States midfielder Clint Dempsey and several of his teammates talk to the media after soccer practice at the new Livestrong Sporting Park, Monday, June 13, 2011 in Kansas City, Kan. USA will face Guadeloupe on June 14, during pool play in the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament.

The United States enters the final group-stage match of an international tournament for the third straight year knowing a win will secure a place in the knockout stage. The Americans are hoping they won't need one.

The Americans have emerged successfully from must-win situations at the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2009 and the World Cup in 2010. Now, depending on tonight's early match in Kansas City, the U.S. could find itself in a must-win situation against tiny Guadeloupe in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

"It would be nice to cruise through the group and be able to put your feet up," goalkeeper Tim Howard said Monday. "It doesn't always happen that way."

Saturday's 2-1 loss to Panama, its first group-stage defeat, left the United States in second place, tied with Canada on points but ahead on goal differential.

Regardless of the outcome of the early match between Canada and Group C leader Panama, a win guarantees the United States a quarterfinal berth.

If Canada and the United States both win tonight, three teams will have six points each and all three will advance - but the third-place finisher has to face Group A winner Mexico, which dominated its first three matches, in the quarterfinals.

The United States, ranked 22nd, is a heavy favorite against Guadeloupe, which is not a FIFA member and competes only at the regional level in the Caribbean.

Guatemala third: Marco Pappa had a goal and an assist and Guatemala beat Grenada 4-0 in Harrison, N.J., to clinch its first trip to the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals since 2007. ... Jose Del Aguila, Carlos Ruiz and Carlos Gallardo also scored for Guatemala, which finished third in Group B after Jamaica beat Honduras 1-0 later in the evening.

Johnson lifts Jamaica: Ryan Johnson, who plays for the Earthquakes, scored a flukey goal to help Jamaica win Group B and advance to the Gold Cup quarterfinals. Johnson's shot hit off the crossbar and banked in off goalkeeper Noel Valladares' head, sending Jamaica to a 1-0 win over Honduras in Harrison, N.J.

This article appeared on page B - 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/06/13/SPMC1JTD6H.DTL#ixzz1PEMpk5dI

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Swansea City deny deal for Eidur Gudjohnsen

SWANSEA City have dismissed reports linking them to out-of contract Icelandic striker Eidur Gudjohnsen.

Reports claimed Brendan Rodgers was keen on the former Chelsea and Barcelona forward, who he tried to bring in on loan last season. The 32-year-old has been released by Stoke, while interest from Fulham appears to have cooled.

A Swansea spokesman said: "No contact has been made. We have shown no interest in him."

Meanwhile, Swansea travel to Port Talbot Town for a pre-season friendly on Saturday, July 16 (3pm).



http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Gudjohnsen-denial/story-12766404-detail/story.html?

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Jol's Fulham need a shake-up - Coleman

FORMER Fulham boss Chris Coleman reckons Martin Jol's first task was at Craven Cottage is to clear a path for new signings.

The new Whites chief has been linked with a move for Morocco striker Mounir El Hamdaoui, with whom he worked with at Spurs and Ajax.

And Coleman believes the squad needs a shake-up.

He said: "Fulham need freshening up as a squad, and Jol is the right man to do it. He has a big personality that is charismatic enough to attract new players.

"It won't bother him he's aiming at top 10 rather than, say, top four as Spurs demanded.

"Martin has his eyes open and will know the task ahead of him."



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/06/14/jol-s-fulham-need-a-shake-up-coleman-82029-28873896/?#ixzz1PFWYR9x5

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Euro Experience

Stephen Kelly is hoping Fulham will be able to replicate the Club's memorable UEFA Europa League run of 2009/10 with preparation for the forthcoming season soon to get underway.

Martin Jol's men will report back to Motspur Park ahead of the first Europa League qualification match and Kelly is well aware of the demands an international calendar and an early start will present.

"It's going to be tough and we have all got internationals as well so it's going to be difficult," Kelly told fulhamfc.com. "To be finishing international duty and then to be back in 10 or 11 days later is going to be pretty demanding but that's football.

"To be a successful team, you have to take part in competitions like this and do everything right. If we do get into that stage, we are mentally able to do well in the competition. It's going to be tough with the amount of games that we will have, but as I team I think that we are capable of it."

The Whites coped well with juggling the demands of domestic and Europa League action last time out and with many of the 09/10 squad still present, the experience gained is bound to be beneficial.

"I think it's pretty much the same squad from the time when we got to the final," Kelly recalled. "We all played a massive part in that campaign so we are all hopeful and wishful that we can do that again because it is a tough thing to achieve, but as I said the experience is there from players that have already done that and achieved that and it's something that, as a team, we would expect to have a good go at!

"I don't think anybody expected what happened last time, I think the big one was the Juventus game because that really projected Fulham as a club onto the worldwide stage. To come back and win that game in the style that we did really made people think: 'God, they're a good football team, they're a good club, they've got some pretty talented players and they're capable of achieving good things, especially against world giants like Juventus.'



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/June/KellyEuroExperience.aspx?#ixzz1PFWsobr0

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Hughton ponders Cottage move offer

Fulham are waiting for Chris Hughton to decide if he wants to become Martin Jol's assistant manager at Craven Cottage.
It is being reported that the former Newcastle boss, who worked with Jol during his stint as Tottenham manager, is the Dutch tactician's first choice to be his right-hand man with the Londoners.

However, it seems that Hughton is dragging his feet over committing to the Cottagers because he is hoping to get a managerial job at another club, with the likes of Birmingham and Cardiff on the look out to replace Alex McLeish and Dave Jones respectively this summer.

The problem for Jol is that, with Fulham set to kick-off their season at the end of this month in the Europa League first qualifying round, he wants his backroom team in place as quickly as possible, so he might have to look elsewhere.




http://www.eatsleepsport.com/fulham/hughton-ponders-cottage-move-offer-1226234.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Leave Hughton be because we crave stability

That a manager can be unjustly sacked is quite the common occurrence in today's game of football. Our previous manager, Mark Hughes, befell such a fate at the hands of Manchester City, our current boss Martin Jol was on the receiving end whilst at White Hart Lane and even Roy Hodgson could argue his case to the Liverpool board. Chris Hughton, the potential assistant to Martin Jol at the Cottage, is also well aware of the merciless and malevolent end of the chairman-manager relationship.

And, with such a past to put behind him, the former Newcastle boss has struggled to find work since, despite a predominantly prosperous stint at St. James' Park. Martin Jol's move to South West London, though, has sparked rumours of a reunion of the former battle partners of such astute acumen.

However, while Hughton brings palpable experience, wisdom and fortitude to the table, his undoubted quest to prove to the world that he is better than Newcastle labelled him is likely to cause us much worriment in the not-so-distant future.



There is a great case to put forward as to why Hughton would be great for the role; not least his time in charge in the North East. It's rare these days that a manager that achieved quite so much in a relatively short Championship and Premiership term can find himself delving back into the depths of playing second fiddle to elite managers. That we have been offered, as number two, a man who was in the running for manager's spot barely days ago, shows just how prosperous an opportunity this could prove to be. It also goes to show just how ruthless and brutal the beautiful game can be.

The former Republic of Ireland and Spurs assistant clearly knows how to work with, and how to complement, Martin Jol. The two worked with admirable consistency at White Hart Lane and his role in leading Tottenham to two consecutive 5th placed finishes should not be undermined or discounted. Add to that his job at Newcastle and you have a man who knows the Premier League well, knows Martin Jol well, and most importantly, knows football well.

He has a Championship title to his name, even though he had only been in charge, permanently, for one year, and Hughton oversaw fantastic Premier League victories, such as the 6-0 humiliation of Aston Villa. His dismissal was unfounded and his departure saddening, and unfortunately for the ex-Brentford player, it has affected his standing in the managerial carousel that is the English league system.

Yet, that hasn't halted surreptitious courting from other sides such as Cardiff City and, Hughton's proposal to wait until the Welsh job has gone before accepting Al Fayed's kindly offer shows where his intentions really lie. Of course, this is no detriment to the man and who could blame him? He deserves such opportunities and he has earned them. A step down to monotonous coaching for Hughton is the same as a step down in class for Jack Wilshere; from international stalwart to Under-21 starlet.

Of course, though, Jack Wilshere's demise never materialised and neither should Chris Hughton's. If he does arrive at the Cottage, he is sure to offer plenty. He will aid Jol like no other and his presence in and around the team will be invaluable. The idea that he would hold out in such a role for long, though, is a frivolous one. As soon as any club comes knocking on the door, he'll be long gone.

While the departure of any number two is hardly too destabilising (ignore Ray Wilkins at Chelsea), the portrayal of Craven Cottage as some sort of breeding ground for future managers is hardly going to be shrugged off with the employment of staff who clearly feel they are worth more than their duty offers. It would make far more sense to promote within the club or at a minimum, bring in someone who is prepared to stay in the dugout for as long as Jol is.

There is one quite blatant choice, and it comes in the form of a man who has been begging to be heard since Mark Hughes appointment last season. Ever since the Welshman came in, Ray Lewington has been slowly and begrudgingly demoted until he found himself within the midst of youth team coaching. Hodgson was well aware of the man's capabilities, and more aptly, his abundant knowledge of the club. Lewington is entitled to another chance and as fans, we all know what he can offer.

So, in a word, Hughton's sheer ability is what should actually ward us off this potential acquisition, as in the near future, once again, we'll be left bundling around for someone new.



http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2011/6/14/2223013/leave-hughton-be-because-we-crave-stability?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol made to wait in No2 search

Fulham are waiting for Chris Hughton to decide if he wants to become Martin Jol's assistant manager at Craven Cottage.

It is being reported that the former Newcastle boss, who worked with Jol during his stint as Tottenham manager, is the Dutch tactician's first choice to be his right-hand man with the Londoners.

However, it seems that Hughton is dragging his feet over committing to the Cottagers because he is hoping to get a managerial job at another club, with the likes of Birmingham and Cardiff on the look out to replace Alex McLeish and Dave Jones respectively this summer.

The problem for Jol is that, with Fulham set to kick-off their season at the end of this month in the Europa League first qualifying round, he wants his backroom team in place as quickly as possible, so he might have to look elsewhere.



http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/jol-made-to-wait-in-no2-search-1226234.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Spurs, Fulham and Blackburn keeping tabs on Espanyol target



Tottenham target Javier Marquez looks set for a move after negotiations over a contract extension at Espanyol broke down.

The midfielder could be available for around £7m and is believed to be have been watched by Fulham and Blackburn this season.

Inter Milan are also interested in the 25-year-old, who scored two La Liga goals in 29 appearances in the Spanish top-flight last season.

The Espanyol youth team product has one year left on his contract.



http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/8322/6/spurs-fulham-and-blackburn-keeping-tabs-espanyol-target?

[WhiteJC]

 
Coleman: Fulham clearout required

Former Fulham boss Chris Coleman feels newly appointed Martin Jol could do with 'freshening up' the Craven Cottage squad this summer.


Jol was installed as Mark Hughes' successor last week and is working fast to shape the squad to his personal specifications given that they are set to get their season up and running by the end of June in the Europa League first qualifying round.

Former Wales international Coleman, who managed Fulham between 2003 and 2007, feels there are a number of players Jol could do with shipping out of the club so he can bring in his own men.

"Fulham need freshening up as a squad, and Jol is the right man to do it. He has a big personality that is charismatic enough to attract new players," Coleman told the Chronicle.

"It won't bother him he's aiming at top 10 rather than, say, top four as Spurs demanded.

"Martin has his eyes open and will know the task ahead of him."




http://www.setanta.com/ie/Articles/2011/06/14/Cottagers-clear-out-required---Coleman/gnid-97370/?