Goodbye AJ & One Year Deal On Table For Stephen Kelly

[White Noise]

Fulham star offered new deal

By Jacob Murtagh


May 5 2012




FULHAM have opened talks with defender Stephen Kelly over a new deal at Craven Cottage.

The Irish international has made 33 appearances for the Whites this season but his contract is due to expire next month.

However, boss Martin Jol is hopeful of keeping the full-back in SW6.

He said: "We want to keep him and he wants to stay here. I always miss him when he's not there.

"It's only a matter of a longer-term or a one-year [deal]. We are tending to think to keep Stephen for more than one year."

Jol revealed Fulham are still locked in negotiations with skipper Danny Murphy and striker Andy Johnson, who are also out of contract in the summer.

Murphy has been linked with a coaching role at west London rivals QPR, while Johnson is expected to quit the Cottage for pastures new.

However, Jol has not given up hope of keeping the duo at the club.

He added: "We are talking to Danny and have already spoken to Andy. They are free agents but I feel we want to keep the players who did well."


Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2012/05/05/fulham-star-offered-new-deal-82029-30903735/#ixzz1tziY6Vrd

[MJG]

Why the hell are we bothering with AJ? What a waste of bloody time, effort and money.

[White Noise]

Why the hell are we bothering with AJ? What a waste of bloody time, effort and money.

Past tense though. Nothing there at all (other than journo inference) saying that AJ is staying. "We have already spoken to Andy" - suggests 'and we got nowhere with that so there you have it'.

In fact the very phrase "we want to keep the players who did well" probably rules AJ out on all counts.

[leonffc]

Why the hell are we bothering with AJ? What a waste of bloody time, effort and money.

I'm sure we're not. Well I hope not anyway. Waste of space.

[MJG]

Why the hell are we bothering with AJ? What a waste of bloody time, effort and money.

Past tense though. Nothing there at all (other than journo inference) saying that AJ is staying. "We have already spoken to Andy" - suggests 'and we got nowhere with that so there you have it'.

I know he has a deal on the table for a while but given his latest sore toe I would have thought we would have withdrawn it.
Fresh blood up front is required not a player who has only played about 50% of the time he has been here.

[finnster01]

I also hope this does not mean Jol has stopped looking for a real RB. Kelly has improved, but he's not the answer and Grygera is one knock away from complete retirement

[MJG]

I take the comment about giving him a year is that he would be a backup player. You would offer more if he was in the long term plans.
We are all agreed he's a good reserve and has played ok in this season but he's just not hot that extra bit if quality going forward.

[White Noise]

I also hope this does not mean Jol has stopped looking for a real RB. Kelly has improved, but he's not the answer and Grygera is one knock away from complete retirement

Ther above comments from Jol are hardly a ringing endorsement of Kelly are they. Its the sort of carefully couched statement that suggests the club are still unsure about Grygera's injury and their ability to get in other RB's at present - and that the situation might change. Kelly has played 43 games for the club so far this season and is only 28 - but Jol's wording suggests - 'look I would rather get rid but he has been useful and we won't know about Grygera till July so a one year deal is probably prudent and if everything turns to poo in our hands in terms of other rb's then I will have to swallow hard and give him 2 years'.

[Bassey the warrior]

I also hope this does not mean Jol has stopped looking for a real RB. Kelly has improved, but he's not the answer and Grygera is one knock away from complete retirement

Agreed. Shame about Grygera though.

[RidgeRider]

I also hope this does not mean Jol has stopped looking for a real RB. Kelly has improved, but he's not the answer and Grygera is one knock away from complete retirement

Ther above comments from Jol are hardly a ringing endorsement of Kelly are they. Its the sort of carefully couched statement that suggests the club are still unsure about Grygera's injury and their ability to get in other RB's at present - and that the situation might change. Kelly has played 43 games for the club so far this season and is only 28 - but Jol's wording suggests - 'look I would rather get rid but he has been useful and we won't know about Grygera till July so a one year deal is probably prudent and if everything turns to poo in our hands in terms of other rb's then I will have to swallow hard and give him 2 years'.

I think you keep the player you know, in case you can't get one of higher quality. Kelly is good enough and doesn't appear to have issues playing a backup role, those kinds of players are not always easy to find.

[BalDrick]

Why the hell are we bothering with AJ? What a waste of bloody time, effort and money.

Past tense though. Nothing there at all (other than journo inference) saying that AJ is staying. "We have already spoken to Andy" - suggests 'and we got nowhere with that so there you have it'.

In fact the very phrase "we want to keep the players who did well" probably rules AJ out on all counts.

As he's claimed to have a list of injuries as long as your arm over the last few months, I am convinced a) he's not injured in the slightest but b) it's because he's signed a pre-contract elsewhere but under the terms of that he's not playing. He is of course contracted to us but perhaps some deal has been done, maybe the new club paying us a nominal fee to keep him free of injury. Would be shocked if we ever see him playing for Fulham again.

Paid over the odds and, partly due to a lot of injuries, never saw the player we could have had.

[kiwiwaka]

I also hope this does not mean Jol has stopped looking for a real RB. Kelly has improved, but he's not the answer and Grygera is one knock away from complete retirement

We do need more than one RB. I'd definitely be very happy if we end up with Clyne/Kelly. Kelly might not be the best, but hes vastly improved this season.