Sunday Fulham Stuff (31/07/11)

[RidgeRider]

http://www.people.co.uk/sport/2011/07/31/redknapp-plots-zamora-swoop-with-crouch-offered-in-part-exchange-102039-23309043/


HARRY REDKNAPP is plotting a sensational summer swoop for Bobby Zamora which will see Peter Crouch offered to Fulham in part-exchange.

Zamora, 30, flopped during a disastrous six-month spell at Tottenham in 2003 before he was offloaded to West Ham as part of the deal which took Jermain Defoe to Spurs for the first time.

But that will not stop ­long-term admirer Redknapp trying to take him back to White Hart Lane.

The Spurs boss is in the market for at least two new strikers and sees Zamora as the perfect complement to a big-money signing. However, players must be moved on before chairman Daniel Levy will sanction any bids.

Tottenham, despite their strict wage structure, will have no problems offering Zamora a salary hike from the £50,000 a week he ­currently pockets at Fulham.

And Redknapp will kill two birds with one stone if he can land Zamora and ­offload Crouch (left) in the ­opposite direction.

However, both Crouch and ­Fulham boss Martin Jol could take some convincing that the deal works for them as well.

England striker Crouch, who is also a target for Premier League new boys QPR, would ideally favour a move north for family ­reasons, and new Fulham gaffer Jol will fight to keep Zamora because he sees him and Moussa Dembele as his first-choice front two.

Intriguingly, the Cottagers are still in a legal battle with Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards over the transfer of Crouch from Portsmouth to Tottenham two years ago.

Fulham thought they had struck an £11million deal for the striker, but he eventually joined Spurs – who were willing to pay a larger slice up front – for a fee believed to be around £9m.

After failed ­cases in the High Court and Court of ­Appeal, Fulham plan to take their action to the Supreme Court in a bid to get Richards to stand down from the ­Premier League.

[RidgeRider]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/konchesky-joins-forces-again-with-the-wily-old-fox-sven-2329134.html


Konchesky joins forces again with the wily old fox Sven
Eriksson has signed an entire defensive unit to safeguard Leicester City's Premier League ambitions and one of his old England favourites fits the bill perfectly

By Phil Shaw
Sunday, 31 July 2011SHARE PRINTEMAILTEXT SIZE NORMALLARGEEXTRA LARGE
DAVID ASHDOWN
Paul Konchesky says Leicester's plan is to have two players for each position


If a week is a long time in politics, a year is an eternity in football. Paul Konchesky is now gearing up to help Sven Goran Eriksson's free-spending Leicester City achieve promotion from the Championship, a task he could never have imagined undertaking 12 months ago as he strove to make Liverpool's left-back slot his own after a £3.5 million move from Fulham.

Konchesky, 30, was discarded in January after Kenny Dalglish's return to Anfield, though not before his mother had rounded on his Scouse critics on Facebook. "Everyone's mum is the same," he says in a break between sessions at Leicester's fast-expanding training complex. "But I've got nothing bad to say about Liverpool. That's in the past and I'm looking to the future."

In which case Konchesky, who won his two international caps during Eriksson's tenure with England, came to the right place when he signed this month for a reputed £1.5m. For if incoming transfers are a measure of ambition and vision, there can be no club in the Football League with as much to look forward to as Leicester.

[RidgeRider]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/jul/30/world-cup-2014-qualifying-england

England breathe a sigh of relief at World Cup 2014 qualifying draw
Fabio Capello needs to see his team safely past Montenegro this autumn to give successor momentum after Euro 2012 finals

Paul Wilson
guardian.co.uk,    Saturday 30 July 2011 23.24 BST

England landed among familiar foes in a far from unfriendly World Cup 2014 qualifying group, narrowly avoiding the fate of being drawn in a five-team group with France, which fell in turn to World Cup holders and current European champions Spain.

The draw in Rio de Janeiro was made in reverse order, with the top seeds allocated to their groups last, and England and Spain were the final two balls to be pulled out. England came out next to last, to be grouped with Montenegro, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova and San Marino, while to Spain fell the decidedly trickier task of negotiating a group comprising France, Belarus, Georgia and Finland.

While both Group H and Group I ought to be winnable for their respective top seeds, there is no doubt England will have been relieved to have avoided the final group. Montenegro drew at Wembley in a Euro 2012 qualifier last October, and England face a return in Podgorica this autumn to determine which side qualifies automatically from Group G for next years finals in Poland and Ukraine.

Both of those host countries managed to end up in the same World Cup group before England joined them, and Fabio Capello's side encountered Ukraine in the last World Cup qualifying cycle, with Andriy Shevchenko's side successful in the most recent encounter.

Poland have also crossed England's path on a regular basis in the past, though are not the force they once were in European football.

The other two opponents in the group will also be recalled with affection. Moldova was where Glenn Hoddle took charge for the first time in 1996 and where David Beckham made his competitive England debut, while San Marino will forever be remembered for the low comedy of England's visit with Graham Taylor in Bologna in 1993, complete with "Do I not like that" and "What sort of a thing is happening here?".

At least Capello will not have to worry about a repeat or a return to his native land. The Italian coach will depart after the European Championships next year, and a new man will be in charge by the time England embark on the qualification process for Brazil. Group H should not deter any potential candidates, far from it, though it is unlikely to set anyone's pulse racing either. Sven-Goran Eriksson suggested this weekend that José Mourinho would be the ideal contender to follow Capello, though it would be something of a surprise were the Portuguese to tear himself from the excitement of managing Real Madrid and trying to become the first coach in history to win European Cups with three different sides for a leisurely trek round the Balkans and central Europe.

Elsewhere in the draw, Scotland and Wales were drawn together in Group A, which is neither particularly glamorous or particularly easy, with Croatia, Serbia and Belgium fighting (hopefully not literally) for the top spots and even the makeweights of Macedonia no pushovers. Northern Ireland face some long trips in Group F, with not only Russia but also Azerbaijan and Israel, with Portugal and Luxembourg at least a little closer to home. The Republic of Ireland avoided France, to everyone's relief, though drew Germany and Sweden, along with Austria, Kazakhstan and the Faroe Islands in Group C. That is quite a tough group, though with Germany clear favourites to win the Republic have at least a chance of clinging to runners-up spot and a play-off place. The nine group winners qualify automatically, while the eight best runners-up play off to provide a European contingent of 13 for the finals.

By the time these qualifying matches begin to take place, just over a year from now, a European Championship will have been concluded and much will have changed. When the last draw was made, for the European Championship qualifiers currently taking place, everyone said England had dropped lucky with an easy group.

That was before not just Montenegro but Switzerland came to Wembley and escaped with a point. England are still joint top of the group, on goal difference from Montenegro, but the game in Podgorica this October now looms even larger than before. If England win, they will qualify and the future will look secure. Lose, and the next England manager will know he has to negotiate the same opponents. It was exactly the situation that greeted Capello when he took over from Steve McClaren and then faced Croatia.

[RidgeRider]

http://globekickers.blogetery.com/fulham-wing-back-riise-looking-forward-to-liverpool-return/


Fulham wing-back Riise looking forward to Liverpool return
July 30th, 2011 | kickers |

Fulham
Liverpool
FULHAM signing John Arne Riise is looking forward to returning to LIVERPOOL this season.

Riise is due back at Anfield with his new club on April 14, 2012.

The Istanbul hero can't wait for the trip and is hoping he receives a positive reception from the fans he used to play in front of week in, week out.

"I spent seven years at LIVERPOOL so it is going to be strange to play against them but I look forward to going back to Anfield," Riise told liverpoolfc.tv.

"It will be my first time back there and hopefully I get a good reception there.

"But I am a FULHAM player now and I am going to do my best and try to score some goals for my team."

[RidgeRider]

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/transfer-news/Tottenham-Hotspur-plan-swoop-for-Fulham-striker-Bobby-Zamora-with-Peter-Crouch-in-exchange-article778931.html

Spurs plan swoop for Fulham striker with Crouch in exchange
Published 23:00 30/07/11 By Tom Hopkinson

  Recommend

A full version of this story appears in today's People. Read it online at People.co.uk

Harry Redknapp is plotting a sensational summer swoop for Bobby Zamora which will see Peter Crouch offered to Fulham in part-exchange.

Zamora, 30, flopped during a disastrous six-month spell at Tottenham in 2003 before he was offloaded to West Ham as part of the deal which took Jermain Defoe to Spurs for the first time.

But that will not stop ­long-term admirer Redknapp trying to take him back to White Hart Lane.



Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/transfer-news/Tottenham-Hotspur-plan-swoop-for-Fulham-striker-Bobby-Zamora-with-Peter-Crouch-in-exchange-article778931.html#ixzz1TdWUuGog
Sign up for MirrorFootball's Morning Spy newsletter Register here

[HatterDon]

Konchesky appears to have found both his ideal manager and his ideal playing level.  :hook:

[RidgeRider]

http://aggbot.com/link.php?id=14415714&r=tw&c=43


Fulham signing Kasami happy to be back in England after Liverpool experience

31.07.11 | tribalfootball.com

Pajtim Kasami is delighted to be back in England at Fulham.

Pajtim is no stranger to English football, having once been on the books of the Liverpool Academy, but having signed a four-year deal with the Whites, he revealed he is pleased to be back and is ready to make a telling impact in SW6.

"It's great to come back to England, but like I say, this is only my third day so I'm looking forward to working hard, improving and helping the team achieve success," he told fulhamfc.com.

"I'm an attacking midfielder so I hope I can score goals and make many assists for the Club, bringing all my qualities to the team to help Fulham win matches."

[RidgeRider]

http://aggbot.com/link.php?id=14415715&r=tw&c=43

Kasami thrilled with Fulham debut in Euro stalemate

31.07.11 | tribalfootball.com

Pajtim Kasami was delighted to make his debut for Fulham in their Europa League clash with RNK Split.

The 19-year-old Swiss midfielder made his Fulham debut as a late substitute in the 0-0 draw against RNK Split.

"I'm happy to have played in my first game for Fulham," he reflected to fulhamfc.com. "I want to help the team and now I'm just looking forward to my next game.

"They were ok as an opposition, but I think we can do better than that and hopefully we will see that in the second game next week."

[WhiteJC]

 
U16s thump Orient
by DAN on JULY 30, 2011

Fulham's Under-16s thrashed Leyton Orient 6-1 in a pre-season friendly this morning. Young striker Cauley Woodrow scored four goals in an excellent performance.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/07/u18s-thump-orient/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Adriatic Yawn

Let's hope the hardy crew who invested in a trip to Split took time out to enjoy this magnificent part of the world - as the football was forgettable.

European away legs when your side don't concede can never be criticised. Here was another well organised bunch who played a less expansive game than Crusaders tried against us in their home leg, but they're going to be up against it in the return.

So Martin tinkered with the team, wanting to get his two new midfield recruits straight into the mix, and no criticism of that. In truth we had a collective off-day and looking rather goal shy for once. This immediately seems to call into question AJ's effectiveness for the season to come. Well, despite all the strong May rumours our record signing is still in Fulham colours, but then again we've still a month to go before the transfer window closes.

Maybe a bid from QPR will emerge once their internal turmoil sorts itself out? As to who Jol fancies to add firepower - take a guess. Do I think AJ needs to be replaced for the season to come? Yes I do. But you only sign someone who will improve on what you have. I trust Jol to make the right decisions.

Your correspondent will back in the office later this week - and putting his ear a whole lot closer to the Fulham rumour mill. For all my regulars, I have some interesting Fulham-related news hopefully coming your way in the not too distant future.



http://blogs.soccernet.com/fulham/archives/2011/07/adriatic_yawn.php?

[WhiteJC]

 
Redknapp plots Zamora swoop with Crouch offered in part-exchange

HARRY REDKNAPP is plotting a sensational summer swoop for Bobby Zamora which will see Peter Crouch offered to Fulham in part-exchange.

Zamora, 30, flopped during a disastrous six-month spell at Tottenham in 2003 before he was offloaded to West Ham as part of the deal which took Jermain Defoe to Spurs for the first time.

But that will not stop ­long-term admirer Redknapp trying to take him back to White Hart Lane.

The Spurs boss is in the market for at least two new strikers and sees Zamora as the perfect complement to a big-money signing. However, players must be moved on before chairman Daniel Levy will sanction any bids.

Tottenham, despite their strict wage structure, will have no problems offering Zamora a salary hike from the £50,000 a week he ­currently pockets at Fulham.

And Redknapp will kill two birds with one stone if he can land Zamora and ­offload Crouch (left) in the ­opposite direction.

However, both Crouch and ­Fulham boss Martin Jol could take some convincing that the deal works for them as well.

England striker Crouch, who is also a target for Premier League new boys QPR, would ideally favour a move north for family ­reasons, and new Fulham gaffer Jol will fight to keep Zamora because he sees him and Moussa Dembele as his first-choice front two.

Intriguingly, the Cottagers are still in a legal battle with Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards over the transfer of Crouch from Portsmouth to Tottenham two years ago.

Fulham thought they had struck an £11million deal for the striker, but he eventually joined Spurs – who were willing to pay a larger slice up front – for a fee believed to be around £9m.

After failed ­cases in the High Court and Court of ­Appeal, Fulham plan to take their action to the Supreme Court in a bid to get Richards to stand down from the ­Premier League.

Meanwhile, Roman Pavlyuchenko has admitted his days at Spurs may be numbered.

The Russian striker is keen to remain at White Hart Lane but revealed the club are stalling on a new deal for him.

Pavlyuchenko said: "There is no news about my contract yet, so all we can to do is to wait and see.

"I feel very much adapted and comfortable at Tottenham but in football circumstances can change very quickly.

"Obviously, someone is going to be either sold or sent on loan."



http://www.people.co.uk/sport/2011/07/31/redknapp-plots-zamora-swoop-with-crouch-offered-in-part-exchange-102039-23309043/

[WhiteJC]

 
Tottenham Plot Strange £10m Striker Swap

Even Harry Redknapp is laughing at the idea of this White Hart Lane player exchange rumour.



HARRY REDKNAPP is plotting a sensational summer swoop for Bobby Zamora which will see Peter Crouch offered to Fulham in part-exchange.

Zamora, 30, flopped during a disastrous six-month spell at Tottenham in 2003 before he was offloaded to West Ham as part of the deal which took Jermain Defoe to Spurs for the first time.

But that will not stop ­long-term admirer Redknapp trying to take him back to White Hart Lane.

The Spurs boss is in the market for at least two new strikers and sees Zamora as the perfect complement to a big-money signing. However, players must be moved on before chairman Daniel Levy will sanction any bids.

Tottenham, despite their strict wage structure, will have no problems offering Zamora a salary hike from the £50,000 a week he ­currently pockets at Fulham.

SOURCE: People

This makes little to no sense at all. As well as Bobby Zamora has done at Fulham, the former Tottenham man is still by no means a much better striking option than Peter Crouch or indeed Harry Redknapp's other attacking options, Robbie Keane, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jermain Defoe.

The White Hart Lane boss has been frantically, if you believe every report, looking for a new striker or two with the likes of Diego Forlan, Giuseppe Rossi and others on his wish-list, therefore it would seem odd that a move Zamora, who is by no means prolific would suddenly appear to be a wise option.

Zamora's stint at Tottenham was of course memorable for the England international's profligacy in front of goal. The Londoner managed to score just one Carling Cup goal in 18 appearances before he was sold to West Ham where his career got back on track.

At Fulham Zamora has netted 40 goals in a tad over 150 appearances, but to be fair to the former Brighton hotshot he does a lot of hard work and should not just be judged on his goal-scoring. That said, he would appear to not offer an improvement on what Redknapp already possesses and at 30 is clearly not a long term solution to the problem.

For his part Crouch is also being chased by QPR and Stoke City and would appear to be on his way out after a poor season at Tottenham last term where he only managed four Premier League goals all season.



http://www.caughtoffside.com/2011/07/31/tottenham-plot-strange-10m-striker-swap/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Hoesen scores
by DAN on JULY 31, 2011

Danny Hoesen scored as Fortuna Sittard rounded off their pre-season campaign with a 1-0 win over KSK Hasselt last night.

The on-loan Fulham striker has been played in two new positions in his brief spell with his former club: on the right wing and just behind a lone striker.

Fortuna begin their Jupiler League campaign with an away game at Sparta Rotterdam on Sunday 7 August.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/07/hoesen-scores/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Zamora Wanted!

Hardly surprising but a headline I hoped I`d not be printing.

But the Sunday press are adamant that Harry Redknapp is interested in taking Bobby Zamora to White Hart Lane, for what would be a second spell at the club for the striker.

Harry believes that Fulham may be enticed into doing a deal of he were to offer Peter Crouch as part-exchange.

My thoughts are to offer a polite 'not interested` reply.

How about you?



Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=248958#ixzz1TgXF2xwr

[SP3]

My thoughts are to offer a polite 'not interested` reply.

How about you?

My thoughts are more like:

Stick it where the sun don't shine.

:014:

[jarv]

No doubt Zamora has enjoyed the best 2 years o his career at Fulham (and probably one of the worst to be honest). He is a very important cog now. Fulham must keep him.
Rednapp? 096.gig

[Tom]

My thoughts are to offer a polite 'not interested` reply.

How about you?

My thoughts are more like:

Stick it where the sun don't shine.

:014:

+1