Fulham Linked With Sunderland Midfielder Craig Gardner

[White Noise]

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/transfer-news/Fulham-track-Sunderland-midfielder-Craig-Gardner-article844219.html



Fulham track Sunderland midfielder



Published 22:55 17/12/11



By MirrorFootball


Fulham are watching developments with Sunderland midfielder Craig Gardner under new boss Martin O'Neill as they look for recruitment options in the January window.

Craven Cottage boss Martin Jol is worried over the lack of cover for central midfield players Danny Murphy and Steve Sidwell.

And Gardner, whose move to the Stadium of Light from Birmingham last summer has not worked out, is one of their targets.

Sunderland paid £6million for the 25-year-old, but he had started only five Premier League games before yesterday and his place in the plans of O'Neill is uncertain because he was the manager who sold him from his first club Aston Villa.

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[Mr Fulham]

Another young english CM. I like him.

[In the Enclosure]

Yes please but not at £6m

[Basil]

I would rather have Noble.

[twang]

As we already have Sidwell (who IMHO shouldn't play if Dickson and Danny are fit) I can't see what we would add to the team.

Not a bad midfielder though.

[Mr Fulham]

As we already have Sidwell (who IMHO shouldn't play if Dickson and Danny are fit) I can't see what we would add to the team.

Because Danny Murphy will be 35 come March.

[twang]

As we already have Sidwell (who IMHO shouldn't play if Dickson and Danny are fit) I can't see what we would add to the team.

Because Danny Murphy will be 35 come March.

That's why I think we should be looking at a replacement/understudy for Murphy. Not at Gardner whose playing style and qualities are no where near close to Danny's.

[Jack Fulham]

He's got a great shot on him but I'm not sure he excels at anything else. Murphy is going to be very hard to replace.

[malcbridger]

Much rather see Noble signed.

[NorthernWhite]

Like others, I'd rather us go for Noble than Gardner as he's similar to Sidwell and not as good a passer as Danny.

I'd like us to go for Ramsus Elm again most of all but not sure that would happen now with bigger clubs taking an interest in him.

[AlFayedsChequebook]

If I had to choose a premier league based replacement for Danny it would be James McCarthy from Wigan - he is young, comfortable on the ball and a good passer.

His display against Chelsea this weekend was excellent, helping to keep play moving whilst sitting in central midfield.

If Wigan go down, I would go for him in a shot.

[NorthernWhite]

If I had to choose a premier league based replacement for Danny it would be James McCarthy from Wigan - he is young, comfortable on the ball and a good passer.

His display against Chelsea this weekend was excellent, helping to keep play moving whilst sitting in central midfield.

If Wigan go down, I would go for him in a shot.

I really rate McCarthy, an excellent player.

I know Liverpool had been strongly linked but would agree he would be great for us but I think they'd want quite a bit for him.

[Frankie-Peter Taylor]

Craig Gardner's a superb footballer, and more like Danny Murphy than Steve Sidwell, I don't know where you guys are getting that comparasion from. He's a good passer of the ball and got a good free kick on him.

Would provide our team quite a lot as a footballer and an option.

I do believe we will see more ins than outs this January transfer window, especially with the rumours of Martin Jol wanting to change the system to 4-3-3.