Tuesday Fulham Stuff (09/08/11)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Could Clint Dempsey Be On His Way Out Of Fulham?


Matthew Lewis - Getty Images
6 months ago: BIRMINGHAM ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 05:
Clint Dempsey of Fulham celebrates his goal with Andy Johnson during the
Barclays Premier League match between Aston Villa and Fulham at Villa Park
on February 5 2011 in Birmingham England.
(Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Perhaps, or at least that's what Jurgen Klinsmann, the recently minted head coach of the United States National Team, seemed to imply in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl.

When asked about why Dempsey wasn't called up for the U.S.'s friendly with Mexico on Wednesday, Klinsmann responded:

It's basically all based on individual situations. Dempsey got back into his team and is starting to have his rhythm. He also has to kind of clear up things with Fulham in terms of is there a possible move out there? So where I sensed kind of some personal issues on the table that need to get sorted out right away instead of flying over here and being away from the team, I evaluated what options do I have? If I don't call them in, do I want to try something out with other players that are already in-season? Every individual player has his unique situation, and that's how I made my decisions.

With Clint I said: 'You know what? Maybe it's better you sort things out with [Fulham coach] Martin Jol, who I know really well. Then I follow up after our game with the coach and with you and we'll see where this leads.'

Speculative stories linking Dempsey with a move away from Fulham have been prevalent for some time now, though hard evidence has been difficult to find. Klinsmann stating that a potential move away from Fulham being one of the reasons why Dempsey wasn't called up brings a touch of substance to the rumors.



Near the end of last season, Dempsey made clear his dream of one day playing in the UEFA Champions League:

Everyone wants to play at the highest level. If someday I get the opportunity to play for a big club in the Champions League, that would be great. I'd be lying if I said that wasn't a dream. But at the same time you have to make the most of where you are.

I've been here [Fulham] for four and a half years and I've had a successful career in England which is one of the toughest leagues in the world.
But there are better things to come for me. I need to keep working hard and better myself and see where i can take this. I don't want to have regrets.

If Dempsey is to fulfill that dream, Fulham is not realistically the place to do so.. Now, at 28, Dempsey's in his prime and as the years go by a move up the ladder becomes less and less likely.

There's nothing concrete to report yet, and there very well may never be. But Klinsmann's words bring back the very real possibility that Dempsey is looking for a way out of Fulham.




http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2011/8/8/2351730/could-clint-dempsey-be-on-his-way-out-of-fulham?

[WhiteJC]

 
Villa and Fulham set to offer Ghana international Inkoom a route out of Ukraine

Aston Villa and Fulham are preparing to offer Ghana defender Samuel Inkoom a route out of his Ukrainian hell.

The right back, 22, has been the subject of racial abuse since joining Dnipro from Swiss club Basel in January and even had his house burgled.

Scouts from Villa and Fulham will run the rule over Inkoom when Ghana face Nigeria at Vicarage Road tonight


On the move: Villa and Fulham will offer Inkoom a lifeline



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2023918/Aston-Villa-Fulham-join-race-sign-Samuel-Inkoom.html#ixzz1UVitIMaG

[WhiteJC]

 
Chelsea, Villa, Fulham offer Inkoom a route out of Ukraine

Aston Villa and Fulham are preparing to offer Ghana defender Samuel Inkoom a route out of his Ukrainian hell.

The right back, 22, has been the subject of racial abuse since joining Dnipro from Swiss club Basel in January and even had his house burgled.

Scouts from Villa and Fulham will run the rule over Inkoom when Ghana face Nigeria at Vicarage Road tonight

Chelsea scouts are Ghana look at a right-back
(mirrorfootball)--Chelsea scouting chief Michael Emenalo is set to run the rule over Ghana defender Samuel Inkoom on Tuesday.

Right-back Inkoom is in the Ghana side to face Nigeria at Watford's Vicarage Road ground.

Ukrainian outfit Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk have made the 22-year-old available for transfer for £4million-£6million. Besides Chelsea, admirers include Fulham and Aston Villa.

Emenalo, now technical director at Chelsea after being promoted from a coaching role this summer, is known to be a big fan on Inkoom.



http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/soccer/artikel.php?ID=215875

[WhiteJC]

 
Eck Hopeful James Collins Will Be Fit For Fulham

Aston Villa gaffer Alex McLeish is hopeful James Collins will return to first-team matters this weekend for our Premier League opener with Fulham.

The Welsh international missed the 1-1 draw against Braga last Saturday as a precaution after injuring his back in a training session prior to the game. However, the manager is under no illusion that the centre-back will do his utmost to participate at Craven Cottage.

Speaking to the Official Site he said:

'James has injured his back. He did it a few days ago to be fair and he thought he was okay in training on Friday. But I think the intensity of training over the last few days just flared it up and he was a bit stiff.Therefore, we didn't want to risk him.

'It's a worry - but knowing the type of character James is, I'm sure he'll be determined to be on that pitch at Craven Cottage.`

If Collins does indeed miss the game, Ciaran Clarke will inevitably take his place alongside Richard Dunne.



Read more: http://www.astonvilla.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=7509639#ixzz1UVjlsDq6

[WhiteJC]

 
Press access row set to hit Prem kick-off

Football chiefs have refused to back down in the row over coverage set to restrict reporting of the start of the Premier League season this weekend.

The Mirror joined other newspapers in refusing to name league sponsors after writers were barred from entering grounds across the country at the weekend.

Only West Ham, Brighton and Accrington let in papers and agencies after talks between football authorities and the media broke down.

And with no signs of a softening of the stance by the leagues, the chances of a deal being struck looked distant on Monday night.

Football authorities want a limit of 15 photos a game posted on newspaper websites during live play.

They also want to block interactivity with readers via Twitter and other websites during games.



Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Football-chiefs-have-refused-to-back-down-in-row-over-press-coverage-set-to-restrict-reporting-Premier-League-kickoff-article783093.html#ixzz1UVkJ21d4
Sign up for MirrorFootball's Morning Spy newsletter Register here

[WhiteJC]

 
HANGELAND EXPECTS TOUGH GAME WITH FC DNIPRO

Fulham defender Brede Hangeland is expecting Fulham's UEFA Europa League play-off encounter against FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk to be the Cottagers' biggest examination yet, as Martin Jol's side bid to progress to the competition's first group stage.

The highly-rated Ukranian side, now managed by former Tottenham boss Juande Ramos, boast a wealth of European experience having qualified for the formerly named UEFA Cup group stages in 2003, '04 and '05.

"We expect it to be the toughest tie yet," Hangeland told fulhamfc.com. "But that's what you have to expect the closer you get to the group stage - from which we are now just two games away from.

"Of course, we want to do well in the Europa League and we want to make sure that coming back so early hasn't been for nothing because this is a competition that we all have good memories from.

"There's already been a fair bit of football, but we've needed to get through these early rounds in order to give it another good go."

Hangeland has been impressed with the way his teammates have come back early for pre-season and knuckled down without complaint, and hopes that the Whites will be rewarded for their unwavering commitment by overcoming the final hurdle to make it through to the first round proper.

"RNK Split were a good side and we should give them credit - they played some decent football," he reflected. "They caused us a few problems in the first leg and at times did the same in the second.

"It's been very enjoyable so far and to go out now, when we are this close to the group stage would be devastating. So, as we always do, we'll take each game as it comes and give it our best."



http://www.fulhamweb.co.uk/news/Hangeland-expects-tough-game-with-FC-Dnipro.aspx

[WhiteJC]

 
London riots hit fixtures as two Carling Cup games off


Rioting in London has caused sports fixtures to be postponed on police advice

Two football matches have been postponed and questions raised over other sporting events after a third successive night of rioting in London.

Tuesday's games at Charlton and West Ham were called off on police advice.

BBC Sport understands that the Football Association will hold a routine meeting with police on Tuesday over England's friendly with the Netherlands.

The FA will be guided by police advice, but at this stage is planning for Wednesday's game to go ahead.

West Ham said in a statement that they were informed by police that "all major public events in London were to be rearranged because of the need to focus police resources elsewhere."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said they were aware of the West Ham statement, but were unable to comment on any potential impact on the England game at this stage.

Crystal Palace are also set to play Crawley Town at Selhurst Park on Tuesday and that game may also be affected, given the stadium is close to the scene of disorder in Croydon.

MATCHES OFF
Tuesday: Charlton v Reading (Carling Cup)
Tuesday: West Ham v Aldershot (Carling Cup)

In London, violence broke out for a third consecutive day with riot police deployed and firefighters tackling blazes across the capital, following disturbances in Tottenham on Saturday evening and Enfield on Sunday night.

Shops were looted and buildings, among them a furniture store in Croydon, set alight as police clashed with youths.

Police in riot gear were also deployed in Birmingham city centre after scores of youths rampaged through the shopping area, smashing windows and looting from shops.

The England cricket team are currently based in Birmingham ahead of the third Test against India, which begins at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

BBC sports news reporter Joe Wilson said that nearby hotels had been advised to lock their doors.

He wrote on Twitter: "Helicopters circling over Bull Ring, about half mile from England hotel. Spoke to England head of security, confident all players safe."

Meanwhile, BBC sports news reporter Leon Mann tweeted: "Organisers of Ghana v Nigeria tell me game still set to go ahead tomorrow at Watford FC as planned."

West Ham's game was the first to be called off, and the club announced on their website: "West Ham United have been asked by the police to postpone the Carling Cup first-round tie with Aldershot Town tomorrow night.

"The club were contacted this evening and whilst neither the club or police anticipate any issues around the game itself, the club has to comply with the police request.

"No date has yet been set for the rearranged match but the club will be in contact with the Football League and Aldershot."

A statement from Aldershot read: "We understand many supporters will be disappointed with this announcement but confirm that the matter is out of the control of both West Ham United and Aldershot Town."

Charlton's stadium, The Valley, is close to Lewisham where rioting occurred on Monday.

A statement on Charlton's website read: "Given the events in London, the police have taken the sensible decision and postponed the match at The Valley, with Greenwich Borough Police Commander Richard Wood advising the Addicks at 2255 BST on Monday that the match should be called off on safety grounds."

Addicks chief executive Stephen Kavanagh said: 'We've been monitoring the situation as it's been developing all evening and have been in constant contact with police.

"Clearly the most important factor is the people's safety. The police have told us they believe the match should be postponed on safety grounds and obviously we have taken that advice."



http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/front_page/14454137.stm

[White Noise]

http://aggbot.com/link.php?id=14491990&r=tw&c=43


FULHAM


Summer in six words
Fair Play success unfairly curtails holidays

Last season
Finished 8th
Top scorer Clint Dempsey (12)
Bad boy Danny Murphy (8 yellow cards)

In Dan Burn (£260,000, Darlington), Marcel Gecov (£700,000, S Liberec), Pajtim Kasami (£3.5m, Palermo), John Arne-Riise (£2.6m, Roma)
Out Jonathan Greening (£600,000, N Forest), Zoltan Gera (free, WBA), John Pantsil (free, Leicester), David Stockdale (loan, Ipswich)

Key man
Danny Murphy
The midfielder is always at the heart of his team's best football, despite his advancing years.

Most likely phone-hacking victim
Mohamed Fayed, to find out who's feeding him all these conspiracy theories.

What Joey Barton might tweet
Smarmy toffs in boaters playing a bit of footer by the river. We can't all read, you know. I hear Martin Jol likes his cigars, though, so he can't be that bad.

Tabloid headline of the season
Fulham launch search for more Riise brothers

What are they made of?

40% Rotten luck with injuries
23% Charming wooden seating
21% Crackpot, Michael Jackson-loving owner
16% Nice river views

City's next £25m signing?

If Brede Hangeland was at a top four side, he'd have been voted Player of the Year four times by now.

[White Noise]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3378/international-friendlies/2011/08/08/2610107/four-nigeria-players-missing-from-squad-for-ghana-clash-in


Four Nigeria players missing from squad for Ghana clash in London over visa problems


Vincent Enyeama, Efe Ambrose, Fengor Ogude and Ekhigo Ehiosun are all unable to enter the UK, with Samson Siasia suggesting that they had not applied for visas in due time

8 Aug 2011 15:40:00   18 Comments

Samson Siasia, Dickson Etuhu Nigeria coach Samson Siasia has bemoaned the absence of four players ahead of his side's friendly against Ghana at Vicarage Road on Tuesday.

Vincent Enyeama, Efe Ambrose, Fengor Ogude and Ekhigo Ehiosun are all unavailable for selection after being denied entry into the UK having not applied for their visas in time, with the coach angered by their absence.

"I am not happy that I will be playing against Ghana without four key players, Vincent Enyeama, Efe Ambrose, Fengor Ogude and Ekhigo Ehiosun," Siasia is quoted as saying by Vanguardgr.com.

"These players are key to our rebuilding exercise and they are also very vital to our preparations for the Africa Nations Cup qualifier against Madagascar.

"Like we all know we want to use the friendly against Ghana in London to prepare well for the must-win match against Madagascar and the UK visa problem is now acting as a stumbling block."

Siasia pointed the finger at the players for their absence, suggesting that they had not sent off their visa applications in time.

"There are some things one needs to do right in time," he continued. "I expected these guys to have applied for the visas from their respective bases in time since we are not travelling from Nigeria which could have helped this situation.
"This definitely cannot help our rebuilding process and I am really going to address this to forestall re-occurrence in future.

"Nevertheless, we will still try our best not to let down Nigeria in this important friendly. But sincerely speaking I'm not happy with the situation at all."

Meanwhile, Fulham midfielder Dickson Etuhu is reportedly refusing to play for Nigeria under coach Siasia.

The 29-year-old was expected to be a late call-up for Chelsea's John Obi Mikel, but is believed to have turned down the chance to win his first cap under Siasia.

"Etuhu has refused to join the squad for the Ghana game as a late replacement for some of the players who will now not be there because of visa issues," MTNFootball quoted an unnamed team official.

"No-one really knows why he has refused but he said he will not play for Nigeria under Siasia."

Etuhu has been overlooked by the coach since he missed a call-up early in the year due to an injury.

[White Noise]

McClaren goes Dutch to land winger



Published 16:35 08/08/11


By MirrorFootball


Nottingham Forest have agreed an undisclosed fee with Dutch club ADO Den Haag for winger Wesley Verhoek.

The 24-year-old is set to undergo a medical and discuss personal terms ahead of signing a permanent deal at the City Ground.

Verhoek has attracted interest from Fulham and Rangers this summer, with both clubs reportedly having bids rejected.

Forest boss Steve McClaren is familiar with Verhoek having seen the player during his spell managing FC Twente in the Eredivisie.



Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/transfer-news/Nottingham-Forest-agree-fee-ADO-Den-Haag-winger-Wesley-Verhoek-also-target-Fulham-and-Rangers-article783022.html#ixzz1UVzBStvI

[WhiteJC]

 
Premier League club-by-club guide: part two
Read Jonathan Liew's daily, not-so-serious, club-by-club guide to the forthcoming Premier League season.

FULHAM
Summer in six words
Fair Play success unfairly curtails holidays

Last season
Finished 8th

Top scorer Clint Dempsey (12)

Bad boy Danny Murphy (8 yellow cards)

In Dan Burn (£260,000, Darlington), Marcel Gecov (£700,000, S Liberec), Pajtim Kasami (£3.5m, Palermo), John Arne-Riise (£2.6m, Roma)

Out Jonathan Greening (£600,000, N Forest), Zoltan Gera (free, WBA), John Pantsil (free, Leicester), David Stockdale (loan, Ipswich)

Key man
Danny Murphy
The midfielder is always at the heart of his team's best football, despite his advancing years.

Most likely phone-hacking victim
Mohamed Fayed, to find out who's feeding him all these conspiracy theories.

What Joey Barton might tweet
Smarmy toffs in boaters playing a bit of footer by the river. We can't all read, you know. I hear Martin Jol likes his cigars, though, so he can't be that bad.

Tabloid headline of the season
Fulham launch search for more Riise brothers

What are they made of?
40% Rotten luck with injuries
23% Charming wooden seating
21% Crackpot, Michael Jackson-loving owner
16% Nice river views

City's next £25m signing?
If Brede Hangeland was at a top four side, he'd have been voted Player of the Year four times by now.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/8690392/Premier-League-club-by-club-guide-part-two.html

[LordNelson]

Could Clint Dempsey Be On His Way Out Of Fulham?


Matthew Lewis - Getty Images
6 months ago: BIRMINGHAM ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 05:
Clint Dempsey of Fulham celebrates his goal with Andy Johnson during the
Barclays Premier League match between Aston Villa and Fulham at Villa Park
on February 5 2011 in Birmingham England.
(Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Perhaps, or at least that's what Jurgen Klinsmann, the recently minted head coach of the United States National Team, seemed to imply in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl.

When asked about why Dempsey wasn't called up for the U.S.'s friendly with Mexico on Wednesday, Klinsmann responded:

It's basically all based on individual situations. Dempsey got back into his team and is starting to have his rhythm. He also has to kind of clear up things with Fulham in terms of is there a possible move out there? So where I sensed kind of some personal issues on the table that need to get sorted out right away instead of flying over here and being away from the team, I evaluated what options do I have? If I don't call them in, do I want to try something out with other players that are already in-season? Every individual player has his unique situation, and that's how I made my decisions.

With Clint I said: 'You know what? Maybe it's better you sort things out with [Fulham coach] Martin Jol, who I know really well. Then I follow up after our game with the coach and with you and we'll see where this leads.'

Speculative stories linking Dempsey with a move away from Fulham have been prevalent for some time now, though hard evidence has been difficult to find. Klinsmann stating that a potential move away from Fulham being one of the reasons why Dempsey wasn't called up brings a touch of substance to the rumors.



Near the end of last season, Dempsey made clear his dream of one day playing in the UEFA Champions League:

Everyone wants to play at the highest level. If someday I get the opportunity to play for a big club in the Champions League, that would be great. I'd be lying if I said that wasn't a dream. But at the same time you have to make the most of where you are.

I've been here [Fulham] for four and a half years and I've had a successful career in England which is one of the toughest leagues in the world.
But there are better things to come for me. I need to keep working hard and better myself and see where i can take this. I don't want to have regrets.

If Dempsey is to fulfill that dream, Fulham is not realistically the place to do so.. Now, at 28, Dempsey's in his prime and as the years go by a move up the ladder becomes less and less likely.

There's nothing concrete to report yet, and there very well may never be. But Klinsmann's words bring back the very real possibility that Dempsey is looking for a way out of Fulham.




http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2011/8/8/2351730/could-clint-dempsey-be-on-his-way-out-of-fulham?

Here we go again.  This same friggin' article is "re-written" at least twice a year.

[WhiteJC]

 
Nigeria coach Samson Siasia dismisses Dickson Etuhu
Siasia dismisses Etuhu

Nigeria coach Samson Siasia is not losing any sleep over midfielder Dickson Etuhu's decision to make himself unavailable for selection. 

Etuhu was handed a late call up to join the squad following withdrawals by several players, but declined, saying he did not wish to be considered for selection under Samson Siasia.

Asked about the decision at the pre-match press conference, Siasia did not seem overly concerned

"We all know we had problems with visas for some players. And he is here in London so we asked him to come and be part of this team.

"He said no. I don't know what issues he has but that will be dealt with later."

Etuhu is said to be unhappy at having been ignored since Siasia took over, but his decision will cause little heartache for Siasia, who has a surfeit of midfielders higher up the pecking order than the Fulham man.

John Mikel Obi and Joel Obi have both locked down the central midfield roles, with Kalu Uche, Fengor Ogude and Nosa Igiebor all pushing hard to dislodge them.     

Colin Udoh



http://www.kickoff.com/news/23530/nigeria-coach-samson-siasia-dismisses-dickson-etuhu.php

[WhiteJC]

 
N'Zogbia: I'll be ready for opening day clash with Fulham
Charles N'Zogbia confident ahead of Craven Cottage clash.

Charles N'Zogbia believes another solid week of training will see him ready for the top-flight opener against Fulham.

Alex McLeish had voiced concerns regarding N'Zogbia's match fitness but he looked impressive in his hour-long stint at the AXA Stadium against Sporting Braga.

The French wing wonder is now relishing putting in the hard yards at Bodymoor Heath to get him right up to speed ahead of the Craven Cottage clash.

He said: "I feel I need to work a bit more on my physical fitness but I have been training every day and I'm fine. I just need to play the games now. I'm feeling good.

"I will be at Bodymoor Heath during the week and I'm going to work hard.

"I will be able to focus now on getting ready for the Fulham game and, like I say, I'm looking forward to this.

"I feel fit and now it's just a matter of working with my team-mates, learning on the training ground and making it happen in the games.

"We will all work hard again in this coming week to be ready for the first game of the season and we are all looking forward to getting going."

N'Zogbia admitted his delight at a "perfect" start to life in a Villa shirt as he looks ahead to a "fulfilling" career in claret and blue.

N'Zogbia hit the goal which earned Villa a 1-1 draw with Sporting Braga and said it was superb to make his mark so quickly.

He continued: "The quicker I am able to settle in, the better it will be for me and the team because I will be able to contribute.

"So it was good to be able to get on the ball and make my mark quickly with the goal.

"I saw that Darren tried to control the ball, it fell to me and I just hit it, aiming for the bottom corner and I was delighted to see it go in.

"For me, personally, it was the perfect start to what I hope will be a fulfilling career at Villa.

"I don't want to waste any time. The season is about to start and I want to contribute right away in my new team.

"I want to get on well with my new team-mates and I want to give 100 per cent in every game."

It may have been N'Zogbia's first competitive game alongside his new team-mates but it hasn't taken him long to discover the impressive quality within the camp.

He added: "We have some really good players and, for me, it's great to be playing alongside Jean II Makoun and Stiliyan Petrov, Gabby Agbonlahor, Emile Heskey and Darren Bent.

"When a player is on the ball, all of these players know what to do.

"We have quality players who can pass the ball well and this was good for me, helping me to fit into the team and feel at home in the team instantly.

"I think we will create many opportunities together during the course of the season and hopefully we can achieve something. This is our goal."



http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~2413694,00.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham lead race to sign Southend United youngster Lyle Della-Verde

FULHAM are leading the race to sign Southend United's highly rated youngster Lyle Della-Verde.

The 16-year-old, who can play on the left flank or up front, has shone regularly for Blues' youth side in the past couple of seasons.

And the Cottagers are currently leading the race to secure his signature, despite there also being interest from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Della-Verde caught the eye during Ricky Duncan team's surge to the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup last term and such fine form saw him selected on the substitutes bench for Paul Sturrock's first team three times.

The youngster joined Blues three years ago from Metropolitan Essex outfit Ryan and scored against both Wolves and Norwich City in the recent Cars4All Trophy at Roots Hall.

Della-Verde has also already appeared for the club's reserve team and has the promise of a professional contract at Southend.

However, he now looks set to depart Roots Hall and will follow in the foot-steps of Medi Abalimba, Femi Orenuga, Dominic Iorfa and Michael Ngoo who also left Blues as youth team players to join top clubs.



http://www.echo-news.co.uk/sport/9184126.Fulham_lead_race_to_sign_Della_Verde/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Top Ten Players We're Genuinely Excited About
The Premier League is rather predictable these days (there - we said it), but there are a few players knocking around that we really can get excited about. Here are ten of them...

9) Jon Arne-Riise
It's rare for a player at a big club to be widely liked by neutrals. There are usually too many vested interests and personal prejudices involved, but when Riise was bombing down Liverpool's flank and unleashing howitzers from his left boot, a smile was an almost involuntary reaction. It was a shame to see him go, but it's a pleasure to see him back.



http://www.football365.com/topical-top-10/7088482/Top-Ten?

[WhiteJC]

 
Dempsey trouble | Football, Fulham

ootball, Fulham

Inadvertently or not, new US national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann has been stirring up rumours that Clint Dempsey could be on his way out of Fulham.

The German seemed to suggest that there is currently a question mark over Dempsey's future at Craven Cottage.

While reading an interview with Klinsmann, the former Tottenham striker made the following statement when asked why Dempsey and a few other players weren't named to the US team playing Mexico on Saturday:

"It's basically all based on individual situations. Dempsey got back into his team and is starting to have his rhythm. He also has to kind of clear up things with Fulham in terms of [if there is] a possible move out there? ... Every individual player has his unique situation, and that's how I made my decisions ... With Clint I said: 'You know what? Maybe it's better you sort things out with [Fulham coach] Martin Jol, who I know really well. Then I follow up after our game with the coach and with you and we'll see where this leads.'

Two things stick out from that statement. Firstly, it certainly sounds like Dempsey's interested in a move away from the Cottage. And secondly, there is presumably some sort of conflict between himself and new boss Martin Jol.

Whether Dempsey's desire to leave is the result fo the conflict, or the cause of the conflict, is unknown at this stage. Jol's been our fourth manager since Dempsey got here four-and-a-half years ago; that kind of discontinuity is rarely helpful in keeping top players happy and settled.

Obviously, Dempsey's just one player. Three years ago when Fulham didn't have people like Duff, Dembele and Sidwell, losing Dempsey would be a catastrophic lose, but today I think Fulham are well positioned to replace him if he chooses to leave.

Certainly I hope he stays.



http://www.not606.com/content.php/1108-Dempsey-trouble?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol ready to select Zamora
Striker expected to be fit for Villa clash despite broken hand


Zamora: Set to play with a broken hand against Villa

Martin Jol has played down concerns over Bobby Zamora's readiness for the start of the Premier League season.

The striker suffered a broken hand in Europa League action for Fulham late last month and was left out of England's squad for the friendly against Holland on Wednesday.

While Fabio Capello had worries over whether Zamora could perform to his best with such an injury, Jol has continued to select him during pre-season.

And the Cottagers manager looks set to call on the 30-year-old again in Saturday's season opener against Aston Villa.
Asked about the state of Zamora's hand, Jol told Sky Sports News: "It is good.

"It was a disappointment for him to drop out of the squad but Fabio Capello told me as well that he was restricted.

"He could see that he had a different view but that is all in the business."

Looking to strengthen

As well as gearing up for the clash with Villa, Jol must also decide whether he wants to bring in any more new players before the end of the transfer window.

He is keen to do some more business but is nevertheless confident in the men already at his disposal and has targeted another top-half finish.

"I think we've got a good squad so hopefully we can do the same as what they did before and be in the top ten," he said.

"We always like to strengthen the squad so we are looking."




http://www.skysports.com/story/0,,11681_7089375,00.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Premier League - Match facts: Fulham v Aston Villa

Facts and figures ahead of the Premier League clash between Fulham and Aston Villa at Craven Cottage.

Fulham scored the highest percentage of goals from headers (31%) in the 2010-11 Premier League.

Eight of the last 13 Premier League games between Fulham and Villa have ended as draws.

Aston Villa dropped more points (26) from winning positions than any other team in the 2010-11 Premier League.

Fulham conceded the highest percentage of first-half goals (63%) in the 2010-11 Premier League.

The Whites conceded just 23% of their goals from set pieces, the lowest percentage in the top flight.

Aston Villa conceded a joint league-high 14 goals from corners in 2010-11.

The Villans have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 20 Premier League away games.

Fulham have lost just one of their last nine Premier League home matches.

The Londoners have kept six clean sheets in their last nine matches at Craven Cottage but conceded seven in the last two.

34% of the goals Villa conceded were netted in the final 15 minutes of games, a divisional high in 2010-11.
Opta



http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/09082011/58/premier-league-match-facts-fulham-v-aston-villa.html

[WhiteJC]

 
If you don't want to know the score, look away now: What to expect in the Premier League this season, month by month
We built our own flux capacitor and slammed it into a knackered Ford Ka (it was as much as the budget allowed) to zip forward to August 2012, and this is what we found...

Goal.com sent this correspondent to the future in a time machine in order to find out how the 2011-12 Premier League campaign would go down. However, this correspondent accidentally hit the reverse button and ended up in August 2010 and had to sit through the whole of last season again before making up this pile of nonsense.

So if you want to know how the upcoming season will pan out, then please do not read this article as you will be sorely disappointed.

AUGUST

9th: This article is published and, within 10 minutes, Goal.com is accused of being anti-Arsenal/Manchester United/Manchester City/Tottenham/Real Madrid/Barcelona/Chelsea/Liverpool/Everton/Crawley Town/your five-a-side team.

19th: Manchester City gazump United for Wesley Sneijder. The Dutchman, who arrives at the Etihad Stadium in a gold-plated limo with a big sack of £100 notes slung over his shoulder, says he chose them because they have the greater history, before being flown out of the ground in his new luxury helicopter made out of chocolate.

31st: The window shuts. Arsenal have not signed a defender and Gooners start tearing up north London. Tottenham release an official club DVD showing that their riots earlier in the month were better.

SEPTEMBER

1st: Cesc Fabregas's move to Barcelona falls through and we all have to put up with that hobo for another year. Carlos Tevez also fails to make a move anywhere and retires from professional football to be closer to his family in Argentina.

20th: David Moyes quits as Everton boss to take up a role in a West End musical version of Lord of the Rings. "I'd just been at Goodison for too long and with no money available to me," he reflects. "Besides, how could I possibly turn down the opportunity to bring Gollum to life?"

28th: Gareth Bale undergoes surgery to have his ears pinned back to improve his straight line speed. The operation is a success, and he can now sprint the length of the pitch five seconds quicker than previously.

OCTOBER

1st: Mario Balotelli gets his first start of the season for Manchester City away to Blackburn. However, he gets lost on his way to the pitch from the dressing room and misses kick-off, earning himself a two-week fine.

10th: England confirm qualification for Euro 2012 with a win over previously unbeaten Montenegro, but Fabio Capello is still called a useless clown by the majority of the papers because he has a funny accent and looks a bit like Postman Pat.

15th: Liverpool take on Manchester United at Anfield and Nemanja Vidic and David de Gea hurl up their guts in front of the Kop after Andy Carroll leaps in the air and unleashes a last-minute noxious beer fart in the six-yard area.

NOVEMBER

5th: QPR boss Neil Warnock instructs his players to get themselves sent off when they host Manchester City. Asked whether he has brought the game into disrepute, the gruff manager simply knocks out the interviewer and spits into the camera.

28th: Kenwyne Jones's right nipple is the league's top scorer with 11 goals (all from set-pieces) scored from a cumulative distance of one foot away from goal for Stoke City.

30th: Andre Villas-Boas dismisses reports that the Chelsea squad are not taking him seriously due to his young age and explains that a recent training ground incident that saw him tied to to the crossbar while senior members of the squad took shots at him was merely a "team building exercise".

DECEMBER

1st: A stray Kevin Davies elbow lands to the side of Owen Coyle's head in training. The knock causes the Bolton boss's speech to slow down dramatically, meaning that for the first time in his life he now momentarily between words ratherthantalkingreallyreallyfastlikeheusedto.

10th: Joey Barton, enraged after not being nominated for BBC Sports Personality of the Year, refuses to pay his TV licence and is sent to prison for a month.

26th: Roy Hodgson turns up for the Boxing Day game against Manchester City sporting a lovely Christmas jumper knitted by the wife. It has a big dog on it and he looks proper chuffed.

31st: Balotelli caps off a memorable personal year by joining Twitter. He immediately posts a picture of his man bits and is fined two weeks' wages by Manchester City and his account is closed down.

JANUARY

1st: As the transfer window opens, Tevez comes out of retirement in Buenos Aires by signing for Inter, claiming that this will enable him to be closer to his family in Argentina.

14th: QPR lose their FA Cup third round replay to a pub team after Warnock picks a line-up with the average age of just 13.6 years. Asked whether he has demeaned the competition and angered the fans by putting out such a joke XI, Warnock tells the millions of TV viewers around the world that they can "**** the **** off if you think I give a **** what you bunch of ***** think". He is fined by the FA for putting out a terrible team, for swearing on television and for being a ginormous ass.

21st: Having not overspent on a vastly overrated British player in a while, Kenny Dalglish buys Lee Cattermole for £20m. Presenting him to the media, the Liverpool manager says: "With only having Steven Gerrard, Lucas Leiva, Raul Meireles, Charlie Adam, Jordan Henderson, Jonjo Shelvey, Joe Cole, Christian Poulsen, Jay Spearing and Alberto Aquilani, it's important that we have more options in midfield."

31st: Arsenal finally sign a defender; unfortunately for the club's supporters, it's Sol Campbell. Meanwhile, Harry Redknapp says there's "absolutely no way in hell" that he'd make a move for a player on deadline day. At one minute to midnight he offers West Ham £2.50, store credit at Argos and a couple of second hand Wii games for Scott Parker – an offer that Davids Gold and Sullivan instantly turn down. Redknapp fumes: "We tried our best and we thought we gave them a fair offer, but obviously those clowns don't know what one of those is, do they?!"


FEBRUARY

1st: Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish becomes absolutely the most hated man in Birmingham by leaving Aston Villa to go back to Birmingham.

14th: The romantics write love letters about Swansea's gorgeously free-flowing football. "They're what the purists want to see," says some pompous prig of a writer, ignoring the fact that the Welsh side are deep in the brown stuff of the Premier League.

25th: Rumours that Andre Villas-Boas is not being taken seriously by his squad gain further credibility as the 33-year-old is locked into a toilet at half-time against Bolton.

26th: Arsenal and Norwich meet in the League Cup final, with Gunners thrilled at the prospect of taking on relatively easy opponents as they bid to end their trophy drought. To avoid a repeat of their cock-up a year ago, Wojciech Szczesny and Laurent Koscielny allow Sol Campbell to deal with everything that comes into the box. As a result, Norwich win 4-1.

MARCH

1st: Steve Bruce cannot fathom why so many of his defenders are getting injured while training with Titus Bramble, who is now automatic first-choice centre-back after starting the season behind a dozen players a million times better than him.

4th: Blackburn's owners sack manager Steve Kean, despite the team riding high in seventh, because the Scot announces that he is going vegan and thus cannot appear in one of Venky's ridiculous adverts. Noted chicken nugget fan Rafael Benitez takes over at Ewood Park.

15th: Mike Ashley sells Newcastle to a local consortium consisting of Ant 'n' Dec, Jimmy Nail and a large group of unknown bare-chested fat men. They immediately sack Alan Pardew and replace him with Alan Shearer. They do not win a game again all season.

27th: Ryan Giggs announces that he will stay on for another season despite barely figuring for Sir Alex Ferguson, who explains that the Welsh pensioner's decision to carry on playing means he will not have to buy a midfielder in the summer. Manchester United fans protest the manager's reluctance to spend by wearing red scarves as opposed to the green and gold scarves they use to protest the Glazer ownership.

APRIL

3rd: Joey Barton makes his millionth tweet of the season and proudly boasts of how much he has grown up over the past two years. On the same day he calls a 12-year-old a 'helmet' for having a different opinion to him.

15th: After a series of tabloid exposés, Gareth Barry is named England captain by virtue of being the only player in the squad not to have had an illicit affair.

30th: Despite being out injured for the last four months, Gareth Bale is named PFA Players' Player of the Year, PFA Young Player of the Year, and the Football Writers' Player of the Year. Barcelona table a £150m opening bid that Harry Redknapp labels "an insult" to Tottenham.   

MAY

5th: Chelsea defeat Wolves to win the FA Cup final at Wembley. As Villas-Boas is about to lift the trophy, John Terry throws him over the barrier and into the stands below. The rest of the players point and laugh as the Portuguese boss, lying twisted on the floor, insists that he was in on the joke and that is shows just how much togetherness there is in the squad.

10th: Martin Jol reveals he has a ridiculously deep voice as a result of smoking 50 cigarettes a day since the age of three. Nobody is surprised.

13th: The final day of the Premier League season sees QPR, Norwich and Wolves relegated. Neil Warnock, whose side was long sent down having picked up just one point, calls Kenny Dalglish "a despicable Scottish tramp" for putting out a weakened team that loses to relegation-battling Swansea.

Manchester City win the league but are docked 20 points for financial irregularities, as are second-placed Manchester United, third-placed Chelsea, and fourth-placed Liverpool.

The penalties see thrifty Arsenal jump from fifth to first. Wenger credits principles and Microsoft Excel for the club's success – everyone else just calls him a tight-fisted, lucky sod.

28th: Carlos Tevez announces his intention to leave Inter in order to be closer to his family in Argentina.

29th: Tevez signs for Chelsea.



http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/08/09/2611004/if-you-dont-want-to-know-the-score-look-away-now-what-to