Thursday Fulham Stuff (04/08/11)

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham v RNK Split preview

Team news for Thursday night's Europa League clash between Fulham and RNK Split at Craven Cottage.

Bobby Zamora is fit to start Fulham's Europa League third qualifying round second leg against RNK Split despite breaking his hand.

Striker Zamora suffered a fracture in last week's goalless first leg and will wear a cast for the next few weeks.

Steve Sidwell is suspended, Simon Davies (knee) remains sidelined, but Mousa Dembele and Clint Dempsey return to the squad after missing the trip to Croatia.

Fulham (from): Schwarzer, Baird, Hangeland, Senderos, Hughes, JA Riise, Etuhu, Murphy, BH Riise, Briggs, Zamora, Johnson, Dempsey, Somogyi, Kelly, Kasami, Frei, Gecov, Dembele.



http://www.teamtalk.com/match/preview/978/7078850/Fulham-v-RNK-Split-preview?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol to give up on Jerome

Fulham will not up their offer for Birmingham City striker Cameron Jerome.


The Cottagers were, on Monday, reported to have made a £3million bid for the Blues centre-forward, one which Chris Hughton's recently-relegated side rejected.

Jol, on Wednesday, confirmed that a bid was made but he will not be held to ransom and is now set to look at Mexico international Aldo De Nigris instead as he looks to bolster an attack that also includes Bobby Zamora, Andrew Johnson, Moussa Dembele and the versatile Clint Dempsey.

However, with Zamora having broken a hand in last week's Europa League qualifier against RNK Split, an extra man would do no harm, -though the former West Ham man is expected to feature in this week's return leg.

"We made a bid we thought was realistic,'' Jol said of Jerome on Sly Sports News.

Jerome has also been linked with Stoke City and Bolton Wanderers and could yet join a long list of post-relegation Blues departees. Roger Johnson, Seb Larsson, Craig Gardner, Lee Bowyer, Kevin Phillips and Barry Ferguson are among those to have left already, while Ben Foster has joined West Brom on loan and Scott Dann is also expected to leave.



http://www.setanta.com/ie/Articles/2011/08/03/Jol-to-give-up-on-Jerome/gnid-102873/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham unlikely to increase offer for Cameron Jerome
• Jol believed £3m bid to be realistic
• Hand injury to Bobby Zamora prompted interest

Bobby Zamora broke his hand in the 3-0 Europa League win over NSI Runavik last week, the Fulham manager, Martin Jol, has revealed. "He broke his hand the other day," Jol said, adding that the England striker's injury is one of the reasons that Fulham bid for the Birmingham City forward Cameron Jerome. Jol expects Zamora to be available to play in the return leg on Thursday.

Fulham's bid for Jerome has been rejected by the Championship club but Jol said he does not think Fulham will increase their offer, understood to be around £3m. "We made a bid we thought was realistic," Jol said.

Jerome, 24, was also on Stoke City's radar this summer. The Potters made a double bid for him and the centre-back Scott Dann, which was also rebuffed by Blues. City's hierarchy are believed to be willing to sell Jerome but only if the price is right.

That could force the hand of the Stoke manager Tony Pulis and other Premier League sides, including Bolton Wanderers, reportedly interested in the striker. Jol has Zamora, Andy Johnson, Moussa Dembélé and the midfielder-turned-forward Clint Dempsey at his disposal in attack and is clearly keen to add to his ranks.

Jerome is one of a handful of players at St Andrew's whose futures still remain up in the air ahead of the 31 August transfer deadline. Dann, Liam Ridgewell and Nikola Zigic have also been linked with moves away from Birmingham, who are working under tough financial constraints following May's relegation.

Craig Gardner, Roger Johnson and Barry Ferguson have already left the club, Ben Foster has been loaned to neighbours West Brom on a season-long deal while Sebastian Larsson, Lee Bowyer and Kevin Phillips were all released. Jerome could possibly be the next to depart should the Blues' valuation be matched.

The former England Under-21 international signed for the Midlands club from Cardiff City for an initial fee of £3m in the summer of 2006 and has scored 41 goals in 201 appearances during his five years in the second city. However, he managed only three league goals in 34 outings for the club last season. Jerome signed a new five-year deal with Birmingham in July 2009.



http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/aug/03/fulham-birmingham-cameron-jerome-zamora?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fortress Craven Cottage will give Fulham the edge
Andrew Johnson is confident of Europa League success on home turf

Ninety minutes is all that stands between Fulham and a Europa League play-off spot, as the Cottagers prepare for tomorrow's third qualifying round second leg tie with RNK Split at Craven Cottage.

Martin Jol's side go into tomorrow's west London encounter off the back of a 0-0 first leg draw in Croatia, and with the game tentatively poised, Andrew Johnson is hoping he can help fire Fulham into the next round.

"It's going to be hard for us to break them down," he admitted. "They'll probably do to us what we did to them in the first leg.

"It's a bit of chess game at the moment but the advantage is all ours now, we've been scoring a lot of goals at home and it would be good to continue that on Thursday."

Johnson stressed that despite failing to score in last week's encounter, the result has to be taken as a positive against a very impressive and well-organised RNK Split side.

"They're a good team, they work well as a unit with good rotation and I think we found it difficult to cope with - but those places are always difficult to go to," insisted Johnson. "They've got good players, they get brought up with good techniques and they're obviously quite comfortable on the ball.

"We were away from home and were a bit more concerned about conceding, but knew if we kept a clean sheet, we've always got a chance at our place."

Fulham's home form proved to be the catalyst in the club's run to the Europa League final in 2010 under former boss Roy Hodgson, and Johnson is hopeful the players can replicate that in order to progress this time around.

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

"We're looking forward to the task ahead on Thursday and we're confident that we can get a result."



http://www.givemefootball.com/europa-league/fortress-craven-cottage-will-give-fulham-the-edge?

[WhiteJC]

 
Preview: Fulham v RNK Split

Bobby Zamora has been declared fit for Thursday's Europa League clash between Fulham and RNK Split.


Zamora broke his hand during last week's goalless draw in the first leg of the third qualifying round tie, but will take to the field at Craven Cottage, sporting a cast.

Midfielder Clint Dempsey and attacker Moussa Dembélé both missed Fulham's visit to Croatia, but have been included in the squad for the home leg of the tie.

However, Fulham's options in the middle of the park will be somewhat depleted, with Steve Sidwell suspended and Simon Davies unavailable due to a knee injury.

RNK striker Bojan Golubovic, having failed to acquire a visa in time, has not travelled with the rest of his squad to London.

Stoke will have to progress past one further knockout round, should they get the better of their opponents on Thursday, if they are to find themselves in the group stages of this season's Europa League.

Fulham (from): Schwarzer, Baird, Hangeland, Senderos, Hughes, JA Riise, Etuhu, Murphy, BH Riise, Briggs, Zamora, Johnson, Dempsey, Somogyi, Kelly, Kasami, Frei, Gecov, Dembele.




http://www.setanta.com/ie/Articles/2011/08/03/Preview-Fulham-v-RNK-Split/gnid-102896/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham striker Bobby Zamora suffers broken wrist

BOBBY Zamora will wear a cast for the next four weeks after suffering a broken wrist.

The Fulham frontman picked up the injury in last week's Europa League qualifying draw against RNK Split.

But the problem won't stop him lining up against the Croatian outfit at Craven Cottage tomorrow night.

Meanwhile, Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele will return to the squad with the tie on a knife-edge following last week's goalless draw.

However, boss Martin Jol must do without the suspended Steve Sidwell and Simon Davies, who is still sidelined with a knee injury.

"We to change things to suit our play," said Jol.

"Last we signed three centre-backs like Arsenal did 25 years ago!

"But now we will hopefully give them the problem that they tried to impose on us last week."



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/08/03/fulham-striker-bobby-zamora-suffers-broken-wrist-82029-29171711/?#ixzz1U2NkFjlT

[WhiteJC]

 
Kelly Bid Rejected!

It looks as if it`s a hands-off as far as Stephen Kelly is concerned.

Even more so if you are only going to offer a paltry £500,000 for his services.

Reports have surfaced this morning that a bid, of that amount, has been rejected by Portsmouth.

Anyone care to guess at what price that stance may change?




Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=249468#ixzz1U2O09BLX

[WhiteJC]

 
Malbranque Latest

Not too long ago, about ten days or so, a rumour did the rounds that Steed Malbranque may well be returning to Craven Cottage.

The news wasn`t exactly greeted with a crescendo of applause with some of our members being openly critical of such a move.

Therefore there will probably be a round of applause when I announce that Steed will not be coming back as the thirty-one year old has agreed a move to St Etienne.



Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=249470#ixzz1U2ODzNni

[WhiteJC]

 
Jerome Price Fluctuations?

Our continued interest in Cameron Jerome continues to generate column inches even if the waters are getting muddier by the day.

Well I say muddier but perhaps that`s just how the tabloid press tends to portray things with fuddled information, even more so when it comes to transfer prices.

Yesterday the inference was that Fulham had submitted a bid of £5 million for the Birmingham striker, today the inference (from the same bunch of tabloids) is that Birmingham want us to increase our £3.5 million offer.

Now we`re not party to what offers have been made, and never will, but we`ll conclude, today, that it sure looks as if Martin Jol wants to supplement his existing strike force by bringing Jerome to West London.



Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=249471#ixzz1U2OU8EGG

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Deaf Team Celebrate

Fulham Deaf FC (FDFC) was established in 2003 is now one of the leading deaf football clubs in the country. To celebrate eight years of success, Fulham FC Foundation is running a Fulham Deaf FC open day at Fulham's FC Motspur Park Training Ground on Sunday 14th August between 12.00pm and 5.30pm.

The open day will include a variety of different events and activities, such as: a high quality youth coaching session, followed by an adult coaching clinic, an opportunity to watch the Deaf Ladies GB team vs FDFC and the current Men's Deaf Team play ex FDFC players who will form the All Stars squad. The day will round up with a BBQ and end of season presentation ceremony.

We hope that the open day will generate interest for new deaf players to join the men's, ladies and new youth team, as well as raise the awareness of the deaf football club in the local community and showcase the great work the FDFC committee and Fulham FC Foundation do in making football accessible to young people with a hearing impairment.

FDFC was established in 2003 by Nick Beese. As a deaf young person himself with a passion for football, he was concerned about the lack of football opportunities for deaf people in South London. He started to work closely with Fulham FC's community team to set the club up.
Nick Beese who is Chairman of FDFC recently said:

"It's been an amazing eight year journey! Fulham DFC changed the deaf football landscape from the very beginning. The ladies squad, being the only deaf ladies team in the U.K, plays a very important role for GB and England Ladies teams, providing a large quota of players for the GB and England squads with five FDFC members being involved in the recent European Championships in Bulgaria.

"The men's squad has won many trophies and made a huge impression on the domestic stage. Like the ladies squad, the men's squad has provided GB with many internationals. At the recent European Championships in which GB came a credible 4th place, there were nine FDFC members in the squad and management team.

As Chairman, Nick finds his roll both challenging and rewarding. He added:

"Fundraising to keep the youth squad and adult teams running is challenging. The most rewarding aspect is seeing so many deaf footballers from different age groups and backgrounds all pull together for the same cause. It is also rewarding when any of our teams win silverware".

Please come and support FDFC on Sunday 14th August it is £5 entry for adult, £2 for children including a BBQ voucher (under 5s go free).




Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/FulhamDeafTeamCelebrate.aspx?#ixzz1U2OqkVbc

[WhiteJC]

 
Community Champions

In April 2008, Fulham FC Foundation launched its first sports volunteering project called 'Community Champions'.

Over the past three years, the project has engaged 300 active volunteers between the ages of 14 and 25, with many volunteers dedicating a lot of their own time each year. The young person led project's primary aim was to 'use the power of football and sport to encourage young people to make a positive contribution to society' and it has well and truly achieved this objective.

The project was funded by Premier League/ Professional Footballer's Association, V's Good Match funding and Sport England's Community Investment Fund.

Our volunteers have, to date, participated in volunteer opportunities such as: sports coaching, social inclusion activities, disability projects, events, youth forum focus groups, outreach and sports administration.

There have been over 50,000 young people who have benefitting from the Community Champions volunteers via number of FFC Foundation programmes such as: social inclusion, disability and sports development sessions and external partner organisations. They all received personalised coaching and support from our Community Champions volunteers. Many volunteers undertook training and further development as part of their placement.

Community Champions has achieved many outcomes since April 2008:

A total of 591 applicants during the project
Engaged 245 male and 54 female active volunteers in the project's three years.
Of these active volunteers, many were retained from year 1 or year 2 of the project into the final year.
415 volunteers were short term volunteers who completed 8 hours or less volunteering (343 male and 72 female).
A total of 309 were part time volunteers, who completed over 8 hours
There were 4 full time volunteers who all completed 30 hours per week, volunteering for a minimum of 13 weeks.
There were 31 disabled short term and part time volunteers on the project.
77 of volunteers have been NEET (not engaged in education, employment or training).
In April 2011, the project ended however we are pleased to announce that the Premier League/PFA community fund will contributed 60% funding for a further three years until July 2014. If you would like more information on this project or are keen to get involved as a partner or volunteer please get in touch.

For further information about our exciting range of educational, volunteering and employability programmes, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0870 442 5432 or email [email protected].



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/CommunityChampions.aspx?#ixzz1U2PB8qQb

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Review Round Table

Hey all!

One facet of the Fulham Review we had hoped to do was a sort of round table between a few friends and commentariat. But it got cut from the print edition for a myriad of reasons, namely my inability to edit it in a timely fashion.

Well, I finally got around to editing a few of the questions, and mainly axed conjectures about who the manager would be and whether or not Dio or Gera would still be around. (My apologies to any of the panel members that think I deleted too much.)

Anywho, I'll be posting these questions at random intervals in the lead up to the League starting next Sunday (yikes!).

Although this wasn't the first question in the discussion, it could be the most dated by this time tomorrow. So feel free read the discussion and post your own opinions after the jump.

Cheers!

What do you expect from Fulham in Europe this year? At what stage would you be pleased to see us advance to?

Rob: I hope I'm wrong but I think this year's European adventure will be swift – and a huge anti-climax. I can see us getting knocked out in the early qualifiers but would be delighted to reach the knock out stages. Considering how well we did two years ago there will be a natural expectation for us to progress and beat the long established European names but I don't think our squad is deep enough. We would need to add at least another striker – and have the kind of injury free run that helped us in the early stages of the competition last time around – to stand any chance of progressing. The fitness of Bobby and Dembele will be absolutely crucial. In that regard the fact that they have both spent a lot of time in the physio's room over the last six months may be beneficial.

Rich: I agree with Rob. Under Hodgson we had a lovely knack of playing well against notionally better teams. It was a trick we repeated over and over, playing well at home, playing well enough away. Results were ground out and we left an impressive trail of destruction behind us, all the way to the final where the season's efforts finally seemed to catch up with the players.

Under Hughes we didn't beat anyone from the top part of the table all season. We were probably better to watch, but Hodgson's cold blooded adherence to his principles meant that every team had to really earn anything they got from us, which was frequently nothing. Under Hughes we seemed to be a bit more hit or miss, steamrollering lesser sides but losing to better ones. We'll go out to the first good team we play.

Jamie: I wouldn't disagree, but depending on that we mean by 'good' team, that could still mean us progressing quite far. Under Hodgson we nearly lost to Amkar Perm because we were so negative away from home; with the changed style Rich describes I'd expect us to beat teams of that ilk a lot more comfortably that time around. Not that Amkar were terrible – but we were better than them and it needn't have been so tight.

Looking at our seeding we'll be helped by playing one of the 'bottom half' or teams in every round up until the groups – and even then we're likely to be seeded second out of four which gives us an advantage over last year. My (I think reasonable) hope is that we'll be in the competition until Christmas at least.

Dave: I think this Euro campaign is going to be tougher. There really isn't much time to recover from last season and get organized for the new before we start playing games. I think a lot will depend on how quickly we appoint a new manager and how many squad changes he attempts to make.

I think we may get caught cold in one of the qualifying games. It would be nice to get through these with a mixture of youth and fringe players, but as Rich points out, I doubt our depth is good enough to manage that.
I'd be over the moon if we made the group stages. That would guarantee us 6 games of interesting mid-week games and possibly at least one doozy of a tie.

Tim: Personally I think this club can make it to the group stages, and I would be pleased to see us advance there. As you say Jamie, we are seeded this year which can really make a big difference when the CL dropouts join the Europa ranks. Yet, look at how stacked the Playoff Round is. Sevilla, Roma, Lazio, Schalke, Braga, Sporting, and even Celtic start off at that round, and there's also the potential of facing Benfica, Twente, and even Rangers. If we somehow manage to face those, hopefully those clubs will decide a long Europa campaign isn't worth it. Fingers crossed...

Jamie: But those clubs will all be in the top half of the draw, with us... we won't be playing any of them.

Tim: Are we still seeded at that point in the competition though? I think hypothetically yes, but we could also not...

Jamie: There are 76 teams involved in the playoff round, so the top 38 are seeded. We are currently 51st-highest ranked team in all of Europe – so for us to be unseeded in the playoffs, 38 out of those 50 clubs above us would need to be involved. Highly unlikely I'd say, if not already impossible – most will be in the Champions League, some might have been knocked out of Europe, perhaps the odd one not qualified this year at all.

Don: Which means we'd avoid all the big guns in qualifying but would likely face at least one bigger gun should we reach the group stage. I think?

We must realize that the price of having a once-in-a-lifetime experience is that it's not going to happen every time we qualify. Two seasons ago, my wish was that we'd survive until the group stages. This coming season, I'm pretty much in the same place.

Having said that, the biggest Europa League success for me was NOT reaching the final — although that was brilliant — it was the emergence of Chris Smalling and Chris Baird. I'm hoping that this DOES repeat itself, that some of our fine young players can come to the forefront in the qualifying stages and can move on to strengthen the squad. If we can get one fringe player to make himself indispensable — like Baird — and one young player to make himself a critical part of the mix — like Smalling — then the experience will be well worth it. But, no, I don't expect us to overcome an apparently insurmountable lead from Juve again, but I'm going to be hoping like crazy that it does.

Nick: I think we have a good chance of making the Round of 32, then it's in the lap of the Gods. If we do get that far, then chuck it because of pressure of league fixtures or injuries I shall be very disappointed. In 09/10 the Europa matches helped our league form and as Don has pointed out, helped fringe players prove that they are good enough to be trusted members of the squad.

Colin: Despite the extra qualifying rounds, I actually feel a little better about our chances this time around. A decent Premier League team should be able to make the group stages in this competition, and more often than not, they do. Our team is stronger from top to bottom now. The load early on shouldn't be much different than a typical slate of pre-season friendlies – my concern is finding enough minutes for the established players in preparation for the Premier League. On the other hand, meaningful minutes early on for younger players might prove to be more beneficial long-term.

So...group stage, finishing second or third in the group sounds about right.




http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2011/08/03/fulham-review-round-table/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham v RNK Split Preview: Andy Johnson Confident of Progression

EUROPA LEAGUE THIRD QUALIFYING ROUND, CRAVEN COTTAGE. KICK-OFF 1930 BST

Don't worry Fulham fans, the qualifying is almost over. Only 90 minutes stand between Martin Jol's men and the final hurdle before they get into the Europa League proper. Which of course is a long, drawn-out group stage.

Fulham's season is already five games old, after two victories over two legs in the previous two qualifying rounds and a goalless draw in Croatia last week. And if they beat their opponents tonight they will find themselves in a play-off round, which, predictably is over two legs.

The hallmark of the away leg against the lesser-known Split side was the doggedness of Fulham's opponents – and the lack of chances the visitors had to score a valuable away goal.

Split did well to close Fulham down, especially as the team have picked up where Mark Hughes left them, playing an attractive, open style. And one positive that they could have taken away from Croatia last week is they did not concede.

EUROPA LEAGUE THIRD QUALIFYING ROUND, CRAVEN COTTAGE. KICK-OFF 1930 BST

Don't worry Fulham fans, the qualifying is almost over. Only 90 minutes stand between Martin Jol's men and the final hurdle before they get into the Europa League proper. Which of course is a long, drawn-out group stage.

Fulham's season is already five games old, after two victories over two legs in the previous two qualifying rounds and a goalless draw in Croatia last week. And if they beat their opponents tonight they will find themselves in a play-off round, which, predictably is over two legs.

The hallmark of the away leg against the lesser-known Split side was the doggedness of Fulham's opponents – and the lack of chances the visitors had to score a valuable away goal.

Split did well to close Fulham down, especially as the team have picked up where Mark Hughes left them, playing an attractive, open style. And one positive that they could have taken away from Croatia last week is they did not concede.



http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/08/03/fulham-rnk-split-europa-league-preview/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol explains Jerome bid

Martin Jol has revealed an injury scare to Bobby Zamora was behind his failed attempt to sign Cameron Jerome from Birmingham.
Jol confirmed the Cottagers had this week seen a bid rejected for Blues striker Jerome, which was understood to be in the region of £3million.

Dutchman Jol has been at Fulham for less than two months but it has taken him no time at all to recognise the importance of Zamora.

The 29-year-old missed half of last season with a broken leg and the Cottagers took months to get over his absence, during which they were sucked into the Barclays Premier League drop zone.

There was a wake-up call for Jol last week when the striker suffered another break, although luckily this time it was only his hand.

Jol said: "If it would've been his foot, we would've had a problem, and that is why we made a bid for this other striker. We made a bid we thought was realistic, and they rejected that, so that was that."



http://www.eatsleepsport.com/fulham/jol-explains-jerome-bid-1251804.html?#.Tjo4Z3PHo98

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol upbeat on chances

Fulham boss Martin Jol is confident of progressing to the Europa League playoff round with a result against RNK Split in the second leg.

The English Premier League side took a 0-0 draw from Croatia, putting them in a strong position to advance with a result at Craven Cottage on Thursday.

Jol said he was content with the first leg result last Thursday, but wanted an improved performance at home.

"I felt that of course we were satisfied with the result, but I was not happy with the performance," he said on Wednesday.

"But now we play at home. I think we have more confidence at home and we will change a few things in our approach."

"So, hopefully we can go through to the next round and play better than we did last week."

Fulham's new signings Pajtim Kasami and Marcel Gecov could both make their debuts in the second leg.

Forward Bobby Zamora should also be available, despite fracturing his hand in the goalless draw.

Jol revealed Fulham's bid for Birmingham City striker Cameron Jerome, believed to be in the region of three million pounds, had been rejected.

He said that although he could see Jerome being a useful addition to his squad, it was unlikely the club would make an improved bid.

"He is not well known for being a big goalscorer, but then again he is probably in a different system and I think he is a useful player - good in the air, quick," Jol said.

"I think he would be a good back-up for, for example, Bobby Zamora."

Swiss midfielder Kasami, 19, said he was excited about the clash against RNK Split.

"I think it is very important because Fulham is a club with big ambitions and tomorrow will be a tough game, but we are looking forward to it," he said.




http://www.soccerway.com/news/2011/August/03/jol-upbeat-on-chances/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol not interested in Dutch duo

MARTIN Jol has rubbished rumours linking him with a move for Dutch duo Wesley Verhoek and Lex Immers.

The Fulham boss has reportedly made a £1.5million bid for ADO Den Haag winger Verhoek, who is also wanted by Ajax, while he is keen to sign midfielder Immers on loan.

However, Jol insists there's no truth in the rumours.

He said: "As everybody knows I'm from Den Haag and so are they. Everybody is making an assumption but there's no truth in it."



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/08/03/jol-not-interested-in-dutch-duo-82029-29173239/?#ixzz1U2QlOmqz

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham boss rules out move for West Ham frontman

MARTIN Jol has ruled out a move for West Ham striker Carlton Cole.

The Fulham boss is in the market for another frontman as back-up to Bobby Zamora, and has seen a £3million bid turned down for Birmingham City's Cameron Jerome.

But he insists Cole is not on his radar.

He said: "We haven't made a bid for him.

"I hope this won't sound harsh, but we are not interested in him at the moment."

Craven Cottage chief Jol insists they are unlkely to up their offer for Jerome, adding: "We made a bid we thought was realistic.

"We do not think we will be back with another bid."



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2011/08/03/fulham-boss-rules-out-move-for-west-ham-frontman-82029-29172160/?#ixzz1U2QzOoXC

[WhiteJC]

 
Sunderland eye out-of-favour Man City winger Wright-Phillips

Sunderland have enquired about Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips, 29 with Bolton, Wigan and Fulham having also shown interest.

Manager Steve Bruce is keen on England winger Adam Johnson but City would prefer to sell Wright-Phillips first. Everton are still keen on a loan for Johnson.

Meanwhile, Steed Malbranque's move to St Etienne moved closer after he passed a medical.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2021975/Sunderland-set-bid-Manchester-City-winger-Shaun-Wright-Phillips.html#ixzz1U2RKAMha

[WhiteJC]

 
Zamora to play through pain barrier despite broken wrist

Bobby Zamora broke his left wrist in Split last week — but will play through the pain for Fulham.

The striker sustained the injury in the west London club's 0-0 Europa League first-leg draw with RNK Split but will start the second leg at Craven Cottage.

Zamora will have to wear a cast for at least three weeks but he should also be available for England's friendly against Holland on Wednesday.


No break: Despite his bone fracture Zamora (right) willl feature for the Cottagers

Fulham manager Martin Jol said: 'Bobby Zamora broke his wrist the other day and we had a slight worry.

'It's not very serious. Somebody stood on it and he played on. He can play on Thursday.'

Zamora, 30, missed six months of last season with a broken leg and his recent injury record has led Jol to look for replacements.


New home? Jerome and Cole (right) are both targets for Cottagers boss Jol

He admitted the club are unlikely to increase their £3.5million bid for Cameron Jerome, which was rejected by Birmingham, but could make a move for West Ham's Carlton Cole.

Jol said: 'If it had been Bobby's foot, we would have had a problem, so that's why we made a bid for this other striker (Jerome).

'Carlton Cole's someone who has interested me in the past. We haven't made a bid, but it may be a bit harsh to say we're not interested in him.'

Fulham (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Baird, Hughes, Hangeland,  JA Riise; Duff, Murphy, Etuhu, Dempsey; Johnson, Zamora.




Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2022141/Zamora-play-pain-barrier-despite-broken-wrist.html#ixzz1U2RbKxj9

[WhiteJC]

 
Zamora to play on with broken hand

Bobby Zamora has been passed fit to play in tonight's Europa League return leg against RNK Split despite breaking his hand in last week's first-leg 0-0 stalemate.

The striker will wear a cast on his hand for the next few weeks for Fulham who had a £3m bid for Birmingham's Cameron Jerome rejected yesterday.

Steve Sidwell is suspended and Simon Davies (knee) remains sidelined, but Moussa Dembélé and Clint Dempsey return to the Londoners' squad.



http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/zamora-to-play-on-with-broken-hand-2331247.html?