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Monday Fulham Stuff (29/03/10)

Started by WhiteJC, March 29, 2010, 07:55:04 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

WhiteJC

http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=193372
Fulham - (Sir) Roy Explains Why!
Having crashed out of the FA Cup, in midweek, to Spurs and with a vital Europa League fixture, against Wolfsburg, coming up this week, did we really expect anything else?

(Sir) Roy was perfectly within his rights to rest a few players, our Premier League status is safe and we have a bigger fish t fry, one of the European variety.

Therefore, in his after-match interview, Roy had no qualms about resting key individuals and instead turned the focus on to how we`ve done so well with such a hectic schedule, when he remarked,

"I have no concerns about managers saying we played a lesser side."

"Most managers should say how well we did to keep playing the same players."

"We had seven games in twenty-one days in February. We had eight games in twenty-four days in March and we have another seven or eight in twenty-five days coming up in April. I don`t think it`s fair for anyone to suggest we can do that with eleven players."

"The players who have come into the team are more than capable of playing at this level."

"I had confidence in the players that I put in the team - they need more football."

Besides, it doesn`t seem to matter who we field in an away Premier League fixture, we invariably, for some strange reason, fail to get a result!

WhiteJC

http://www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1775_6059515,00.html
Hodgson unsurprised by fan reaction
Roy Hodgson defended Fulham fans' right to boo Jimmy Bullard during Hull's 2-0 win over the Cottagers at the KC Stadium on Saturday.

Bullard: Had last laugh against old club

Bullard opted to leave Craven Cottage in January 2009 for a longer-term contract at Hull, who paid £5million for his services.

The 31-year-old's time on Humberside has been marred by two serious knee injuries but he recovered in time for the Premier League run-in as Hull look to preserve their top-flight status.

And Bullard silenced the jeers of the visiting fans with an early penalty before Craig Fagan sealed victory three minutes into the second half.

Hodgson said: "You've got to remember the Fulham fans loved Jimmy Bullard and they weren't very happy when he refused to sign a new contract with Fulham and went to Hull for an awful lot more money so I don't think I can really criticise them.

"Jimmy knew what he was doing. I don't think he came up here to better his football, he came up here because there was a lot more money on offer, and that's what our fans choose to remind him of from time to time. I don't expect Fulham fans to be anything other than disappointed in him.

"But Jimmy had the last laugh because he scored the penalty that got his team the victory so I don't think he'll be losing any sleep over it."

For Hull boss Iain Dowie it was three points in his first home match and ended a run of five successive defeats.

The victory moved the Tigers level on 27 points with 17th-placed West Ham, having played a game fewer, and Dowie hopes the whole club's belief has been bolstered by the win.

"One swallow doesn't make a summer but it certainly gives us a fighting chance with West Ham getting beaten," he said. "We've just got to take care of our business. The most important thing was the result but the manner of the performance gives me added confidence."

Dowie also paid tribute to the Hull fans, saying: "Every time I've been here, it's a special atmosphere. The people of East Yorkshire are passionate about their football, they're passionate about their sport, they want people to show desire and hunger.

"And when we pressed them in the first half, the noise in the stadium was magnificent. They got a display they deserve."

Hodgson is no stranger to relegation battles having kept Fulham up on the final day of the season in 2008. They have since gone from strength to strength, finishing seventh last term, and on Thursday they will take on Wolfsburg in the Europa League quarter-finals.

It is also familiar territory for Hull after their narrow escape last season, and Hodgson would not be surprised to see the Tigers in the Premier League again next season.

"They have a very aggressive style of play, they have some very strong players in the team, the two centre-backs, the forwards are very strong at holding the ball up, so I think the way they play will cause many teams problems," he added.

"If they continue to show the same fighting spirit, determination, the will to win and the will to hold on to leads, then I think they'll get points and there's no reason why they can't stay up just in the same way as we did."


WhiteJC

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=762768&sec=england&cc=5739
Hodgson defends fans' right to boo Bullard
Roy Hodgson defended Fulham fans' right to boo Jimmy Bullard as the Hull midfielder faced his former club in the Tigers' 2-0 victory at the KC Stadium.

• Hull City 2-0 Fulham: Bullard haunts Cottagers

Bullard opted to leave Craven Cottage in January 2009 for a longer-term contract at Hull, who paid £5 million for his services.

The 31-year-old's time in East Yorkshire has been marred by two serious knee injuries but has recovered in time for the Premier League run-in as Hull look to preserve their top-flight status.

And Bullard silenced the jeers of the visiting fans with an early penalty before Craig Fagan sealed victory three minutes into the second half.

Hodgson said: "You've got to remember the Fulham fans loved Jimmy Bullard and they weren't very happy when he refused to sign a new contract with Fulham and went to Hull for an awful lot more money so I don't think I can really criticise them.

"Jimmy knew what he was doing. I don't think he came up here to better his football, he came up here because there was a lot more money on offer, and that's what our fans choose to remind him of from time to time. I don't expect Fulham fans to be anything other than disappointed in him.

"But Jimmy had the last laugh because he scored the penalty that got his team the victory so I don't think he'll be losing any sleep over it.''


Tom

WhiteJC, thank you for taking over for White Noise while he is gone. This made me so happy before I go to bed to see this thread. I appreciate it and have to have my daily Fulham fix on what is going on.  :dft009:
Fulham for life!

WhiteJC

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1261356/Roy-Hodgson-insists-Fulham-fans-right-boo-Bullard-Jimmy-moved-Hull-money-says-boss.html?ITO=1490
Roy Hodgson insists Fulham fans were right to boo Bullard: Jimmy moved to Hull for the money, says Cottagers boss
Roy Hodgson defended Fulham fans' right to boo Jimmy Bullard as the Hull midfielder faced his former club in the Tigers' 2-0 victory at the KC Stadium on Saturday.   

Bullard opted to leave Craven Cottage in January 2009 for a longer-term contract at Hull, who paid £5million for his services.   

The 31-year-old's time on Humberside has been marred by two serious knee injuries but he recovered in time for the Barclays Premier League run-in as Hull look to preserve their top-flight status. 

And Bullard silenced the jeers of the visiting fans with an early penalty before Craig Fagan sealed victory three minutes into the second half.   

Hodgson said: 'You've got to remember the Fulham fans loved Jimmy Bullard and they weren't very happy when he refused to sign a new contract with Fulham and went to Hull for an awful lot more money so I don't think I can really criticise them.   

'Jimmy knew what he was doing. I don't think he came up here to better his football, he came up here because there was a lot more money on offer, and that's what our fans choose to remind him of from time to time. I don't expect Fulham fans to be anything other than disappointed in him.   

'But Jimmy had the last laugh because he scored the penalty that got his team the victory so I don't think he'll be losing any sleep over it.'   

For Hull boss Iain Dowie it was three points in his first home match and ended a run of five successive defeats.   

The victory moved the Tigers level on 27 points with 17th-placed West Ham, having played a game fewer, and Dowie hopes the whole club's belief has been bolstered by the win. 

'One swallow doesn't make a summer but it certainly gives us a fighting chance with West Ham getting beaten,' he said.
'We've just got to take care of our business. The most important thing was the result but the manner of the performance gives me added confidence.'
Dowie also paid tribute to the Hull fans, saying: 'Every time I've been here, it's a special atmosphere. The people of East Yorkshire are passionate about their football, they're passionate about their sport, they want people to show desire and hunger.   

'And when we pressed them in the first half, the noise in the stadium was magnificent. They got a display they deserve.'   

Hodgson is no stranger to relegation battles having kept Fulham up on the final day of the season in 2008. They have since gone from strength to strength, finishing seventh last term, and on Thursday they will take on Wolfsburg in the Europa League quarter-finals. 

It is also familiar territory for Hull after their narrow escape last season, and Hodgson would not be surprised to see the Tigers in the Premier League again next season.   

'They have a very aggressive style of play, they have some very strong players in the team, the two centre-backs, the forwards are very strong at holding the ball up, so I think the way they play will cause many teams problems,' he added.   

'If they continue to show the same fighting spirit, determination, the will to win and the will to hold on to leads, then I think they'll get points and there's no reason why they can't stay up just in the same way as we did.'

WhiteJC

http://www.eatsleepsport.com/fulham/hodgson-stands-by-selection-1044074.html
Hodgson stands by selection

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson is refusing to accept any criticism after naming a weakened side during yesterday's shock defeat to Hull City.

The Cottagers boss made six changes from the FA Cup game against Tottenham in midweek, with the likes of Bobby Zamora, Damien Duff and Danny Murphy all rested.

Hodgson decided to rest the trio ahead of Thursday's Europa League quarter-final against Wolfsburg and he is convinced it was the right thing to do.

The Tigers' relegation rivals are unlikely to see it that way but the Fulham boss isn't too concerned about their thoughts.

He said: "What most managers should be saying is how well we've done to keep playing the same players week after week. I don't think it's fair for anybody to suggest we can (cope with the number of fixtures) with 11 players.

"The players who've come into the team, I think I'm entitled to say those players are more than capable of playing at this level - (Chris) Smalling's a £10million Manchester United player, (Kagisho) Dikgacoi plays for South Africa and Clint Dempsey is the star of the USA team. So I didn't think we've done anything other than what anyone could expect us to do.

"I don't think the situation was any more complicated than we paid a high price for conceding such a bad first goal then, in the second half, when we looked like maybe we could take the game to Hull, we conceded another very poor second goal, which gave Hull something to hold onto, and they did that exceptionally well."


WhiteJC

Quote from: Tom on March 29, 2010, 08:00:50 AM
WhiteJC, thank you for taking over for White Noise while he is gone. This made me so happy before I go to bed to see this thread. I appreciate it and have to have my daily Fulham fix on what is going on.  :dft009:

no problem, its good to know that people like this 'feature'

WhiteJC

http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/hodgson-hits-back-over-selection-1044074.html
Hodgson hits back over selection
Fulham, 15:55, March 28, 2010

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson is refusing to accept any criticism after naming a weakened side during yesterday's shock defeat to Hull City.

The Cottagers boss made six changes from the FA Cup game against Tottenham in midweek, with the likes of Bobby Zamora, Damien Duff and Danny Murphy all rested.

Hodgson decided to rest the trio ahead of Thursday's Europa League quarter-final against Wolfsburg and he is convinced it was the right thing to do.

The Tigers' relegation rivals are unlikely to see it that way but the Fulham boss isn't too concerned about their thoughts.

He said: "What most managers should be saying is how well we've done to keep playing the same players week after week. I don't think it's fair for anybody to suggest we can (cope with the number of fixtures) with 11 players.

"The players who've come into the team, I think I'm entitled to say those players are more than capable of playing at this level - (Chris) Smalling's a £10million Manchester United player, (Kagisho) Dikgacoi plays for South Africa and Clint Dempsey is the star of the USA team. So I didn't think we've done anything other than what anyone could expect us to do.

"I don't think the situation was any more complicated than we paid a high price for conceding such a bad first goal then, in the second half, when we looked like maybe we could take the game to Hull, we conceded another very poor second goal, which gave Hull something to hold onto, and they did that exceptionally well."

Tom

Quote from: WhiteJC on March 29, 2010, 08:08:28 AM
Quote from: Tom on March 29, 2010, 08:00:50 AM
WhiteJC, thank you for taking over for White Noise while he is gone. This made me so happy before I go to bed to see this thread. I appreciate it and have to have my daily Fulham fix on what is going on.  :dft009:

no problem, its good to know that people like this 'feature'
I love it and wouldn't know what to do without it. Keep up the great work.
Fulham for life!


WhiteJC

http://www.tribune.ie/sport/soccer/article/2010/mar/28/dowie-looks-to-salvation-as-fulham-look-to-europe/
Dowie looks to salvation as Fulham look to Europe
FA Premier League: Hull City 2, Fulham 0. Eleanor Crooks, KC Stadium
Iain Dowie tasted victory in his first home game as Hull boss as the Tigers gave their survival hopes a major boost with three points against Fulham at the KC Stadium. Starting second from bottom and on a run of five consecutive defeats, Hull knew time was running out for them to turn things around.

But Jimmy Bullard calmed the home fans' nerves with a 16th-minute penalty and Craig Fagan doubled their advantage with a looping header just after the break as Hull moved level on points with 17th-placed West Ham.

Roy Hodgson's selection indicated Fulham have bigger fish to fry, with Wolfsburg due at Craven Cottage on Thursday for the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.

Only 13 years ago these sides were meeting in the bottom tier of the Football League. Both have enjoyed meteoric rises since then but Hull knew victory today was vitally important in their bid to avoid a return to the League.

The home crowd were becoming frustrated as Hull struggled to find any rhythm but in the 16th minute they were handed a golden chance to take the lead.

Bullard found Altidore in the area and the American striker turned away from Smalling, who wrestled him to the ground six yards from goal and the midfielder stepped

Within three minutes of the start of the second half, Hull had doubled their lead. Marney swung over a deep cross from the left and Fagan looped home.

WhiteJC

http://www.tribalfootball.com/perth%E2%80%99s-sterjovski-and-burns-train-fulham-731581
Perth's Sterjovski and Burns to train with Fulham
Perth Glory players Mile Sterjovski and Jacob Burns will train with English Premier League club Fulham as they strive to gain selection for the Australian World Cup squad.

The duo will undertake a five-week training schedule with the Cottagers, linking up with Socceroos veteran goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.

Burns said it was important to continue training at a top level during the A-League off-season and also expressed his gratitude to Fulham boss Roy Hodgson.

"We had Pim's (Verbeek) blessing to go to a top European club and keep training and that was a good thing to do," Burns said.

"There may be a certain few that are walk-in starters but for the majority of the group it's going to be a battle till the end. I feel as though we've (he and Sterjovski) had a decent season behind us and (Verbeek) knows that it's a dream and we'll be doing everything we can to be there. With injuries, with form, with managers not playing players everyone's in with a chance.

"We're forever in his (Hodgson's) debt for having us there. Training at a level of football such as Fulham could be as good, if not better, than some of the other leagues in the world playing games.

"You can look at it this way - there's a whole lot of (Australian) players in Europe that aren't playing. I think it's impossible to think that Verbeek's going to have 23 players playing week-in, week-out leading into the World Cup."

WhiteJC

http://timetosoundoff.wordpress.com/2010/03/28/the-post-juventus-comedown/
The Post-Juventus Comedown
March 28, 2010 There can be no doubt that Fulham's amazing comeback against Juventus will go down as one of the best games in the history of Fulham FC. It was a truly magical night that I was proud to witness first hand. When the season draws to a close, people will look back and consider the Juventus game a truly great night in a pretty special season. Right now, however, it looks a little different.

Three games after Fulham inserted themselves into European folklore,  things are not looking so rosy. A defeat to Man City may have been expected, but this was followed with two results which are more difficult to simply laugh off. Being knocked out of the FA cup by Tottenham is not something to be ashamed of, yet it still stung, especially since Fulham had effectively played them off the park at their own stadium in the first half. The loss to Hull on saturday stung also, but in a different way. This time Fulham had lost to a team struggling to perform with one of Football's worst managers in charge. To add more misery, one of the goals was scored by former Fulham fan favourite and all round 'cheeky chappy' Jimmy Bullard.

But to look at the results in the above way neglects the subtleties of the recent run of poor results. Fulham could have drawn against City if Okaka had scored when through one on one. Fulham were undone against Tottenham by a decent delivery and a slice of luck. And against Hull, many key first teamers were rested for the upcoming clash with Wolfsburg on thursday night. The myopia of some fans is truly amazing. Before I get harassed as someone who won't criticise Hodgson I would just like to point out a few things. Before the Man City game, fans were screaming for a full 2nd team to be played in order for the heroes from the Juventus game to be rested for the midweek FA Cup clash with Spurs. When this didn't happen and Fulham subsequently lost both games, the message boards were full of 'I would have liked to see Riise, he has always looked fantastic when brought on' or 'why is Roy so hesitant with his subs' or 'why is Kelly still playing'. A week after the Man City loss and some fans have produced a Fox News-like turnaround in opinion. When I logged on to one fan message board I was greeted with 'Dikgacoi, Riise, (insert player name here) not good enough' etc etc etc.  For me, the Hull game was almost a Hodgson riposte to the naysayers. I know that he would never select a team to prove people wrong and that the changes were with the Wolfsburg game in mind, but to me they seemed to make a statement. Don't like Kelly? Lets see how you like Shorey on the right. Riise the best thing since sliced bread? Lets see how you like him in the premier league.

It is a fans job to be highly critical ( and I am as unreasonable as most at games) but I think we need to take a deep breath and look forward. This week we have a European Quarter Final against the reigning Bundesliga champions. If all does not go to plan and we are knocked out we still have some winnable games to look forward too and the fact that our premier league status is all but assured. Add to this that we might sneak into the Europa next season under the fair play banner and it is all looking a bit better.  This summer should be very interesting. I do not think that massive investment is needed. Fulham are in a funny position for a club of its size. There is a good squad that is full of players who have been here a few seasons and there is the feeling of stability that has perhaps not been here since Fulham's entry into the top flight. If we can add a few smart signings then the squad will improve as former first teamers who are perhaps getting on a bit move into the squad (such as Danny Murphy)  and younger players arrive to take their place and strengthen the first team. Success (read: the victory over juventus)does a funny things to people. I have been as disappointed about the last week as the next man, but we need to ask ourselves why we follow Fulham keep our feet on the ground and try to enjoy what has been one of the most enjoyable and successful periods in the clubs history.


WhiteJC

http://hammyend.com/?p=6602
Making sense of it all
by Dan on March 29, 2010

Alex has a great post up at Sound Off, noting just how different the last seven days was when compared to the Juve hysteria.

Like he says, things might have been so different:

But to look at the results in the above way neglects the subtleties of the recent run of poor results. Fulham could have drawn against City if Okaka had scored when through one on one. Fulham were undone against Tottenham by a decent delivery and a slice of luck. And against Hull, many key first teamers were rested for the upcoming clash with Wolfsburg on thursday night. The myopia of some fans is truly amazing.

He hints at summer signings freshening up the squad, but that – to a certain extent – will depend on how well we do in the run-in and how successfully Roy has managed to persuade MAF of the need for imminent investment.

WhiteJC

http://hammyend.com/?p=6597
Welcoming Wolfsburg
by Dan on March 29, 2010
It was clear from Saturday's team selection that the Fulham fans aren't the only ones who are looking forward to the visit of the German champions on Thursday. Roy Hodgson's decision to make six changes to the team that bowed out of the FA Cup at Spurs suggested two things: 1) his priority was Fulham's forthcoming Europa League quarter-final and 2) that he'd almost certainly already decided on the eleven that would start at Craven Cottage.

It would be wrong to call Wolfsburg an unknown quantity, since they won the title last year, but they were certainly unexpected Bundelisga champions. Their history is somewhat similar to ours, even if they were a slightly pre-World War Two successor to the Volkswagen works team in Lower Saxony. Predominantly a second-tier side, the Wolves reached a German Cup in 1995 but were still expected to be something of a one-season wonder when they won promotion to the top flight in 1997.

Instead, they quickly established themselves as mid-table regulars. Appropriately managed by Wolfgang Wolf, Wolfsburg came remarkably close to qualifying for the Champions' League in 1999. A 6-1 thumping on the final day at Duisburg put an end to that dream, though they did do enough to finish sixth and qualify for the UEFA Cup. Like Fulham, they have history in the now-defunct Intertoto Cup (participating on five occassions). Just like the Whites, Wolfsburg progressed to face Italian opposition in the final, but lost to Perugia in 2003.


Goalscoring machine: Edin Dzeko
The appointment of former Bayern Munich manager Felix Magath helped Wolfsburg surge of a couple of seasons scrapping against relegation to the higher etchelons of the table. In Magath's first season, the Wolves recorded a club record finish of fifth, which saw them qualify for the UEFA Cup again. Magath managed to top the achievement by landing the title the following season. Ten successive post-winter break victories put Wolfsburg on course for the championship and their successive owed much to their two twenty goal-plus strikers, Grafite (28 goals) and Edin Džeko (26).

The Germans almost qualified from their Champions' League group, but they ran into one Michael Owen's rare predatory moods this season, and had to settle for continuing their European adventure in the Europa League. Managerial changes had an effect too. Magath had been poached by Schalke and his replacement Armin Veh was sacked in January, after a two month winless run, that saw Wolfsburg slump to tenth in the table. Interim manager Lorenz-Günther Köstne r has steadied the ship a little, but Wolfsburg sit in ninth well off pace, despite Saturday's 2-0 win at Mainz.


Brilliant Brazilian: Grafite
There are plenty of threats that Fulham will have to neutralise. The first two seem obvious. Both Džeko, whose late brace secured the weekened win at Mainz, and Grafite are in good form again: the Bosnian is German football's second highest scorer with 24 goals, including five in Europe, while Grafite has managed 16. Ex-Newcastle forward Obafemi Martins should also be watched carefully, while there's plenty of talent in midfield. Zvjezdan Misimovi? shouldn't be allowed too much time on the ball, whilst German international Christian Genter scored twice in the Europa League.

The Wolves are certainly entertaining. They've scored 52 Bundesliga goals (the fourth highest) but let in 51 (only Bochum and Hannover have conceded more) despite boasting the likes of Jan Šimunek, Alexander Madlung, Andrea Barzagli and Sergei Karimov in defence. That weakness might have Bobby Zamora licking his lips. It should be a cracking contest.

WhiteJC

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/March/royhullreaction.aspx
Hull Reaction
Saturday 27th March 2010

Following Fulham's 2-0 defeat to Hull City at the KC Stadium on Saturday, Roy Hodgson gave his reaction to the day's events during his post-match press conference.

"I thought both goals were poor defensively," said Hodgson. "I was very disappointed with the way we conceded the two goals today. We found ourselves a goal down and that was the perfect start for Hull. We paid a high price for conceding such a bad first goal.

"They were very determined to work hard, chase and fight today and they did extremely well. We would have needed something special in the second half to get back on level terms and we made that much more difficult for ourselves when they scored the second.

"We're better defensively than that and with the two chances that were cleared off the line the luck didn't go our way today, it went Hull's way, which is often the case when a team is scrapping at the bottom, fighting for their lives, and playing with such grit and determination. That little bit of luck goes to that team."

Hodgson made six changes to his starting eleven for Saturday's game following Fulham's FA Cup clash earlier in the week and highlighted the demands placed on his squad this season due to the Club's success on the domestic and European fronts. 

"If you win the game making changes then you congratulate yourself on the squad system," Hodgson explained. "If the team that gets a chance doesn't win the game then of course people say, 'had the other players played they'd of won'.

"I'm not certain with the two goals we conceded today we'd of been capable of scoring three goals here whatever team we'd of played. The pitch is not easy and I don't think there were that many serious goal chances in the game to be perfectly honest.

"We played seven matches in 27 days in February. We played eight in 24 days in March and we've got another seven or eight in 25 or 26 days in April. I don't think it's fair for anyone to suggest that we can do that with 11 players."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/March/royhullreaction.aspx#ixzz0jY3mtttP


WhiteJC

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_6060817,00.html
Hodgson backing Smalling
Fulham manager insists defender will cope at Old Trafford
Roy Hodgson has joked that he is doing Manchester United a favour by letting Chris Smalling get his mistakes out of the way for Fulham.

Smalling will move to Old Trafford at the end of the season after a deal was agreed between the clubs back in January.

The 20-year-old defender earned plaudits for his performances during the first half of the campaign and is regarded as an exciting prospect for the future.

However, the announcement that he will soon join United has resulted in increased scrutiny and every error is now being highlighted.

Smalling endured a torrid afternoon on Saturday as Fulham went down 2-0 to Hull City but Hodgson is still backing him to be a success for United.

And Hodgson believes Sir Alex Ferguson should be thankful that Smalling is being allowed to continue his development at Fulham.

"Had he not been signed by United then the criticism would be quite different. But now all eyes are on him," Hodgson said in The Sun.

"He'll cope with the pressure of playing at Old Trafford. I'm doing Alex a favour, letting him get his mistakes out of the way at Fulham."

CorkedHat

More crap from The Sun.

And Geovanni's team-mate, midfielder Jimmy Bullard, will be top of Newcastle's shopping list if the Magpies secure promotion to the Premier League. Bullard, 30, has only started eight games since a £5m move 14 months ago but scored in Saturday's win against his former club Fulham.
Full story: The Sun

What we do for others will live on. What we do for ourselves will die with us

mike_f

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Birmingham-star-Liam-Ridgewell-ready-to-slap-in-transfer-request-as-new-contract-talks-drag-on-Exclusive-article371957.html
Liam Ridgewell is ready to slap in a transfer request unless Birmingham hurry up and finalise a bumper new contract.

Versatile defender Ridgewell, 25, has been one of promoted City's most consistent performers this term in the Premier League.

The star's contract expires in the summer and Brum have a 12-month option in the club's favour to extend his £12,000-a-week terms.

But Ridgewell, signed from Aston Villa in August 2007 for £2million, is after a pay-rise and a new four-year deal to put him on around £20,000-a-week.
Click here to find out more!

Talks with City have been dragging on since last November following Carson Yeung's takeover.

Ridgewell's frustration has alerted West Ham and several other top-flight sides as the centre-back has performed well at left-back this season.

But City appear in no rush to agree terms with Ridgewell as they are planning to buy a new left-back with Fulham's Paul Konchesky a target.


AlFayedsChequebook

Interesting, I could see Konch moving on to Birmingham. Although with the money that birmingham have it would suprise me if they went for Konch.

WhiteJC

http://www.tribalfootball.com/fulham-linked-vitoria-guimaraes-midfielder-yves-desmarets-733551
Fulham linked with Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder Yves Desmarets
Fulham are being linked with Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder Yves Desmarets.

Desmarets is off contract in June 30.

Carlos Goncalves, Desmarets' agent, held talks in London with a Premier League side this week and the fact he has a close relationship with Cottagers owner Mohamed Al-Fayed has sparked rumours that Roy Hodgson's side are the club in question, says the News of the World.

Desmarets has insisted he is open to all options regarding his future and he is likely to wait until May before finalising his plans.