Sunday Fulham Stuff (07/08/11)...

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Fulham eye Lens defender

Fulham have made a £3m bid for Lens' teenage right back Serge Aurier, according to a report in France.

Le Parisien claims Cottagers officials have made the first move to land the defender, who made 19 appearances in Ligue 1 last season as Lens suffered relegation into the French second division.

Manchester City were briefly linked to Aurier earlier this season while Blackburn and Sunderland have also been credited with an interest in the young Paris-born prospect.

Big spending Spanish club Malaga have also been sniffing around him while Getafe are another club to have been linked to Aurier.

Martin Jol is on the lookout for a new right back to cover for Stephen Kelly after the departure of John Pantsil.



http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/fulham-eye-lens-defender-1253708.html?

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Stockdale named in England squad
by DAN on AUGUST 6, 2011

David Stockdale has been named in the England squad for Wednesday's friendly against Holland.

Stockdale, who is currently on loan at Ipswich, is picked alongside Joe Hart and Robert Green in a provisional 30-man squad. The 25 year-old goalkeeper played in Ipswich's 3-0 win at Bristol City this afternoon and will hope to make an impression in training having had to pull out of the squad for the qualifier against Switzerland earlier this summer after the fixture clashed with his wedding.

There is no place for Bobby Zamora as Manchester United's Danny Welbeck has been selected as striking cover.

FULL ENGLAND SQUAD – GOALKEEPERS: Robert Green (West Ham United), Joe Hart (Manchester City), David Stockdale (Ipswich Town).

DEFENDERS: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Bolton Wanderers), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), Micah Richards (Manchester City), John Terry (Chelsea), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur).

MIDFIELDERS: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Scott Parker (West Ham United), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Ashley Young (Manchester United).

FORWARDS: Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United).



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2011/08/stockdale-named-in-england-squad/?

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Fulham FC preparing £6.75m offer for Championship striker

Footybunker.com have been led to believe that Fulham FC are preparing a move worth an initial £6.75m for Reading striker Shane Long with specific add ons that could reach a total of £9m for the 24 year old.

Reading have already suggested that the player could be for sale at the right price and that they will only sell to a Premiership side and not to a Championship rival with at least one offer believed to already be on the table from Leicester City.

Fulham were recently knocked back by Birmingham City in their bid for Cameron Jerome and Fulham manager Martin Jol is now looking to keep his options open by tempting Reading with a bid plus extras for the international. Fulham are not the only Premiership side to be linked with a move for Long with the likes of Everton and Newcastle United reportedly interested too.



http://www.footybunker.com/fulham-fc-preparing-6-75m-offer-for-championship-striker/9004

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Cameron Jerome's Premier League return hit by heel injury

CAMERON JEROME'S dreams of getting back to the Premier League are in doubt – because of a heel injury.

Birmingham City hit man Jerome is wanted by BOLTON and FULHAM – with LEICESTER CITY also lurking – but he may be sidelined for weeks. Wanderers have pulled back from a £3.5million deal because of the injury, while Fulham are also stalling.

Blues need the cash as they want to sell Jerome and have lined up free agent Craig Fagan as his replacement.



http://www.people.co.uk/sport/football/football-hotline/2011/08/07/cameron-jerome-s-premier-league-return-hit-by-heel-injury-102039-23324792/

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Jol looking forward to Fulham challenge

Appearances can be ­deceptive where Martin Jol is concerned.

The Fulham boss may look more relaxed these days but the 55-year-old Dutchman retains the steely streak that helped him handle the pressure at high profile clubs like Ajax, Tottenham and Hamburg.

"I look more relaxed?" he asked. "Hopefully it will be the same in two months ­after the league season has started. At Tottenham, they were 13th or 14th in the league when I went there and they hadn't had European football for years.

"The challenge was big over there. At Ajax, you have to win nine games out of ten. At Hamburg, it was different but you have to be in the top five.

"At Fulham, my first target is to reach 41 points and to go on from there. So Fulham is different – but don't ­forget, this club was in the Europa League final not long ago. You shouldn't forget that."

So why leave a club that invariably finishes in the top two in Holland for the the banks of the Thames?

Jol said: "I met the people at the club last year and I talked with the owner ­Mohamed Al-Fayed. It gave me a good feeling. Also this is a traditional club – and if there is one place in Europe that breathes football, it is London."

So far, so good for Jol. His team kicked off in June with Europa League qualifying rounds and are through to the final tie before the knock-out games.

He was happy to beat RNK Split last Thursday – "it would have been a disaster to go out against the second team of Split," he said – and now he can focus on the Premier League.

He added: "The team ­finished eighth last ­season. That was a great achievement.

"But there were only something like three points between eighth and ­fifteenth. And again, it was not long ago that Danny Murphy scored at Portsmouth to keep Fulham up and Clint Dempsey told me he did the same, scoring against Liverpool.

"I want to keep the same principles and maybe add a few attacking things.

"It is an obvious thing to say but if you don't score goals, it is very difficult to win ! We scored 49 goals, I think, last season so I would like to see more."



Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/News-Martin-Jol-looking-forward-to-Fulham-challenge-article782345.html#ixzz1UK2D2RUE

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Leicester City plot move for Fulham striker Andy Johnson

ANDY JOHNSON is the next star name on Sven Goran Eriksson's LEICESTER CITY wishlist writes DEAN JONES.

The Foxes chief has splashed the cash this summer to boost his chances of promotion and has admitted he now wants a big-name striker.

Eriksson has an eye on Birmingham's Cameron Jerome but also fancies his chances of snapping up 30-year-old Fulham forward Johnson.

He has one year remaining on his contract and could be available for around £2.5million.

Eriksson is a long-term admirer and handed Johnson his international debut when he was England boss. Now he would like to be reunited as he believes the front man would thrive in the set-up at Leicester.

Johnson has also attracted the interest of WEST HAM boss Sam Allardyce though, and could become part of a FULHAM swap deal for Carlton Cole.



http://www.people.co.uk/sport/football/football-hotline/2011/08/07/leicester-city-plot-move-for-fulham-striker-andy-johnson-102039-23324761/