Monday Fulham Stuff (02/07/12)...

[WhiteJC]

 
FULHAM BUSY AS TRANSFER MARKET LIVENS UP

Olivier Giroud joined Arsenal on Tuesday of course, but what other transfers have occurred this week? Michael Lintorn rounds up...

Andy Johnson followed Bobby Zamora to QPR last week and Fulham were left with another vacancy up front as loan star Pavel Pogrebnyak was practically confirmed to be on his way to Premier League newcomers Reading.

The Royals' new owner Anton Zingarevich is Russian and that connection has seemingly enabled them to get the jump over several more established top-flight clubs.

The 28-year-old, a barely used member of Russia's Euro 2012 squad, rose to prominence with his goals for Zenit St Petersburg as they won the UEFA Cup in 2007/08 before establishing himself in England with six goals in 12 starts during his brief stint at Craven Cottage.

Reading boss Brian McDermott revealed that it had taken six weeks of discussions to convince the Stuttgart striker, who failed to agree terms with Fulham, to head to Berkshire and the move is expected to cost them £6 million. They are 2.2 favourites to be relegated.

Fulham wasted no time moping though and on Thursday night completed the signing of the man who denied England a place at Euro 2008, Croatia forward Mladen Petric, on a one-year deal.

The 31-year old arrives without a fee after being released by Hamburg, where he enjoyed a productive season under Martin Jol's tutelage in 2008/09.

With doubts still surrounding Clint Dempsey's future and a need to replace captain Danny Murphy, who has joined Blackburn, Fulham are likely to remain busy as they attempt to ensure a third successive top-ten finish 2.9.

Much of the other business conducted this week has occurred in mid-table, with West Brom making Ben Foster's loan permanent for a rumoured £4 million. He leaves Birmingham, who are also alleged to have snubbed an unfeasibly large £6 million bid from Southampton for young shot-stopper Jack Butland.

Elsewhere, Samba Diakite has now signed for QPR from Nancy on a full-time basis and Tottenham have sold Vedran Corluka to Lokomotiv Moscow. Spurs are also thought to be close to finalising the £8 million purchase of Gylfi Sigurdsson.



http://www.sportingpreview.com/euro2012/2012310.php?

[WhiteJC]

 
Sa says goodbye as striker ends unsuccessful spell at Fulham

Fulham striker Orlando Sa has left the club by mutual agreement.

The 24-year-old joined the west London side from Porto at the start of last season.

However, the Portuguese forward failed to establish himself in the first team, making seven appearances and scoring one goal against Norwich in a 1-1 draw on New Year's Eve.


See ya: Orlando Sa did not make an impact


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2167209/Orlando-Sa-leaves-Fulham.html#ixzz1zQs9HPIa

[WhiteJC]

 
Difficult to leave Fulham admits Blackburn Rovers signing Murphy

Blackburn Rovers signing Danny Murphy has conceded it was difficult to leave Fulham and the Premier League.

Murphy has admitted the decision to turn his back on a top-flight career that has taken in spells with Liverpool, Charlton and Tottenham was difficult to stomach at first.

He explained: "Initially I was a little bit reluctant in that respect, but the more I thought about it, the more influence I thought I could have at this level.

"I don't think I have anything to prove in my career. I think my ego was initially what I worried about, but playing in the Championship is another challenge for me and one I'm really looking forward to."



http://www.clicklancashire.com/sport/blackburn-rovers-fc/1212837-difficult-to-leave-fulham-admits-blackburn-rovers-signing-murphy.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Pog's agent reveals better wage offer

The agent of Russian striker Pavel Pogrebynak has revealed that he turned down Fulham in favour of Reading, because better wages were offered by the Royals.

The 28-year old is on the verge of completing his move to the Madejski Stadium, with a work permit the only obstacle in the way of his imminent transfer. Pogrebynak's agent Oliver Wendt has claimed that the former Stuttgart player would have been happy to have stayed in West London, but the Cottagers could not offer an attractive-enough deal.

Wendt told the Fulham and Hammersmith Chronicle that: 'There are maybe a number of reasons why we have decided to move to Reading, but in the end, the difference in wages was too great and we could not ignore it. We did go back to Fulham, but they were not prepared to improve their offer.'

'He was happy at Fulham and had a really great time there. Maybe he could have signed a new deal, but we have to consider the amount being offered at Reading. The intention was always just to play regularly again, to ensure he was picked for the Euros, as he was not starting enough games in Stuttgart. It worked out well for him. He and his family have enjoyed life in England.'

It is now doubt that this move is going to be a massive coup for us as a club, attracting a Russian international forward. Many have speculated the wages we have offered Pogrebynak are around the £30k mark, but could be considerably more. However, does this show early signs of us losing our typical club ethos?



Read more: http://www.reading.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=286046#ixzz1zQssbXWt

[WhiteJC]

 
Danny Murphy – My Own Tribute
by LYDIA on JULY 1, 2012


Murphy gets a hug from Hodgson after Fulham won their Europa League semi-final against Hamburg

It has been a fair number of days since Danny Murphy moved from Craven Cottage on the banks of the Thames to the North West for Blackburn Rovers, so I apologise for only getting this piece up now. For the Fulham fans who read this, you will read about what I feel Danny Murphy did for our club and if you are a Blackburn fan, well you should hopefully get some insight into what you can expect to see over the next season or so. If any of you listened to the most recent Cottage Talk you will have already heard a little bit of what will be in this piece.

It is hard to write something that will give a man like Danny Murphy the credit he deserves. For me, he has been the most influential player at the club for a long time, being the long standing captain on the pitch as well as being the leading man off the pitch as club captain. Not only does he have tremendous quality as a footballer, but his leadership qualities are second to none.  I will get to his leadership qualities a little bit later in this piece but for now I want to write about the he did on the pitch, what qualities do Fulham now have to replace?

Vision: Firstly, let's talk about the exceptional vision the guy has. Sometimes his passing is just exquisite. He can completely unlock the defence with a ball that not many people would have spotted. How many times have we had a free kick and he has seen the run of perhaps Andy Johnson or Clint Dempsey and just a beautiful pass on the ground literally straight through the defence? It is something that we could miss at Fulham.

Passing: It's all well and good having good vision, but if you can't play the pass then that is a pretty useless quality. Murphy often has the highest rate of successful passes on the pitch throughout the matches he is involved with. His choice of pass is nearly always right and he doesn't often misplace passes. However, there were some games this year were he gave the ball away a little more than usual but everyone can have an off game! I have noticed that any time he does give the ball away, the commentators often mention how that doesn't happen very often! We are fortunate at Fulham to have a group of players who like to pass the ball around but it was often Murphy who finds the killer ball. This could be something that we miss next season if we don't find a suitable replacement.

Penalties: With all the hype about English players and their penalties I thought that I had to add this one in. Danny Murphy can fairly hit a penalty. He does it with such ease, confidence and pure skill. He isn't the sort of player to blast his penalties, nor is he one to take a stupid, funny run up (Portugal penalty takers take note!). Rather he places his penalties and often he puts the ball where the keeper is never going to get to. Who takes the penalties now? Dempsey? Dembele? Who knows?

It would be very fair to say that Murphy has been with the club through the ups and the downs. From our nail-biting, just-about-staying-up season to the dizzying heights of seventh in the top flight and then an amazing European run that ended in a very tense final. He has seen a number of managers at the club and has played under different systems but he has nearly always kept his place. His outstanding dedication and experience saw him gain the captain's armband under Hodgson reign and he has kept it ever since whenever he played. The debate over who will succeed him as captain will be very healthy over the next few months.

It was so fitting whenever he scored that goal at Portsmouth to keep us in the league. He is a fantastic leader and has, I believe, played an important role in the development of younger players such as Kerim Frei and Alex Kacaniklic. As a hockey player, I used to always relish the chance to play along side and learn from the top players, and our younger guys at Fulham have been able to do that from Danny Murphy. The mixture of youth and experience in our side over the past year has been excited to watch and a great benefit to our club and Danny Murphy has been very important for this.


We'll all miss Danny's signature goal celebration - as well as his metronomic accuracy from the spot

I would have loved Murphy to finish his career at Fulham but he feels that he has another few years and perhaps the step down to Championship level will suit him. After all, he was starting to struggle to finish games this season due to his age. Blackburn will be hoping that he can help them get straight back up to the PL and I reckon that with his experience he will play a very important role there. I wish him all the best and I really hope that we draw Blackburn in one of the cups this year at home so that the fans can proper say bye-bye to the man who has given us so much over the past five years. I hope he returns at some stage in some sort of coaching role, but for now, we must wish him well at his new club and never forget the impact that he made at Fulham Football Club.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2012/07/danny-murphy-my-own-tribute/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham want £10m for Clint Dempsey as Liverpool circle
American striker a target for new Reds boss Brendan Rodgers, plus Arsenal and Roma

Liverpool: Liverpool are considering a bid for Fulham's Clint Dempsey but have been told it will take at least £10 million (Dh57.6 million) to prise the 29-year-old United States star from Craven Cottage.

Dempsey has been admired by his fellow Americans in Fenway Sports Group, who own Liverpool, and Brendan Rodgers, the club's new manager, is weighing up whether to go for a player who scored 23 goals in all competitions for Fulham last season.

Liverpool retain hopes of signing Gylfi Sigurdsson, the Hoffenheim midfielder who played under Rodgers at Swansea, although Tottenham are favourites to land the Iceland international. Dempsey is on the list of alternatives being considered.

Fulham want to keep their player of the season but, with just one year left on his contract, recognise that doing so might not make financial sense. Dempsey has also been linked with Arsenal and Roma. Liverpool would be looking for a considerably lower price than £10 million.

Martin Jol, Fulham's manager, has lost out to Reading in the race to sign Pavel Pogrebnyak after a spell on loan from Stuttgart. Manchester United, meanwhile, have made no official move for Everton's Leighton Baines, despite reports that a bid was imminent.



http://gulfnews.com/sport/football/fulham-want-10m-for-clint-dempsey-as-liverpool-circle-1.1042850?

[WhiteJC]

 
SPURS PAID £15M FOR HIM, BUT WHAT MIGHT BIG MARTIN JOL OFFER NOW?

Fulham boss Martin Jol is said to be lining up a swoop on his former club Tottenham for winger David Bentley!

Bentley has touted as the next big thing when he burst onto the scene at Arsenal, but his career hit a real bump over the last 18 months, where he's been farmed out on loan to Birmingham City and West Ham United.

His spell at Upton Park was cut short by a knee injury and only spent 1 month with Sam Allardyce's side, and probably now knows that his days are numbered at White Hart Lane – but could that be about to change?

Harry Redknapp's departure from Spurs mean a new man is taking the helm and it could 0ffer Bentley one last lifeline at the club, especially with Niko Kranjcar heading to Ukraine with Dynamo Kiev. Bentley's career has stagnated horribly and looks a shadow of the talent we saw at Blackburn Rovers – and what Tottenham judged to be £15m worth of talent.

Jol will be looking to strengthen his squad after a decent first year with Fulham, but I can't see how Bentley fits in that. On the wings they can play Bryan Ruiz and Clint Dempsey, whilst experienced winger Damien Duff is still at the club and youngster Kerim Frei looked promising last season in his cameo appearances.

Bentley would probably still command a fairly hefty wage and I'm not sure it'd be value for money for Fulham who are fairly sensible in the transfer market. I think another team would find some use for Bentley but I just don't think it will be Fulham.

Whoever the new Spurs manager is, whether it's Andre Villas-Boas or Laurent Blanc or even someone else, I don't think they'll be considering Bentley as part of their long-term plans and the winger should look for a move elsewhere – I just don't think Craven Cottage is calling though.



http://www.footballtransfertavern.com/2012/07/premiership/spurs-paid-15m-for-him-but-what-might-big-martin-jol-offer-now?

[WhiteJC]

 
CLINT DEMPSEY'S ONE-HIT WONDER

FULHAM want £10m for American centre-forward Clint Dempsey and Liverpool are tempted.

That kind of investment would represent a huge gamble by Liverpool on the 29-year-old.

Dempsey (right) scored 23 goals in all competitions last season but all strikers have a golden year and that was his.

I doubt if he will get close to that figure again and new Kop boss Brendan Rodgers must also ask himself whether Dempsey and Andy Carroll can mix.

Carroll will no doubt return to Anfield with his confidence high after his successful Euro 2012 display.



http://www.dailystar.co.uk/columnists/view/259902/Clint-Dempsey-s-one-hit-wonder/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Rodgers still keen on Sinclair reunion as winger continues to stall on Swansea talks

Liverpool continue to monitor Swansea winger Scott Sinclair, who is stalling over a new deal.

Tottenham, Aston Villa and Fulham are also interested in the England youth international, who enjoyed a stellar campaign back in the Premier League.

Sinclair came through the ranks at Chelsea but barely made an impact at Stamford Bridge.

The 23-year-old spent time on loan at Wigan before joining Brendan Rodgers at the Liberty Stadium.

The £6million-rated winger has only 14 months left on his deal and is expected to resume talks over a new contract in the next week.

Last week chairman Huw Jenkins issued Sinclair with an ultimatum.

He said: 'With Scott being a first-team regular we need a decision one way or the other as soon as possible so the manager can be clear in his mind on where the team goes and make sure the squad is right for August.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2167378/Liverpool-tracking-Scott-Sinclair-Tottenham-keen.html#ixzz1zQupyrVk

[WhiteJC]

New roof being built on the Johnny Haynes Stand at Craven Cottage. Compared to the old one it looks pretty smart! ‪#ffc‬ pic.twitter.com/2MMLNm3B

[bulgariawhite]

Thank goodness we are replacing the roof of the Johnny Haynes stand at long last. It was an embarassment with TV coverages. However is there going to be a sponsors name on the top or just the Johnny Haynes Name. What do you think?

[SG]

Pitch looks terrible  :dft012:

[WhiteJC]

 
Duff soldiers on after Euros with trip to meet Lebanon troops

VETERAN soccer star Damien Duff will take a break from pondering his international future today with a trip to south Lebanon to meet Irish troops.

There are currently concerns the violence in neighbouring Syria could spill across the border -- meaning recreational opportunities for the peacekeeping troops are limited .

But over the next few days they hope to grab a couple of hours rest to listen to Mr Duff talk about his glittering career.

It is understood that the player's older brother, Gerry, will travel with the star. Gerry Duff is part of the fifth Battalion -- although he is not currently serving in the Lebanon. The trip is being billed as a "morale booster".

Described as the greatest Irish player of his generation, the 33-year-old will put aside any personal disappointment from Euro 2012 to meet the soldiers. He travels to Beirut today and will arrive at the Irish battalion headquarters in Tibnin in the early hours of tomorrow morning for a three-day visit.

His itinerary includes a trip to a local orphanage.

The Defence Forces have 331 personnel in Lebanon and they are working alongside a contingent of 177 Finnish soldiers under the overall command of Dubliner, Lieut Col Brian Monahan. The Irish area covers 140 sq metres and, apart from Tibnin, they are responsible for the more heavily populated town of Bint Jubayl.

Their most sensitive posts are along the Blue Line, the negotiated dividing line between Lebanon and Israel.

- Tom Brady Security Editor



http://www.independent.ie/national-news/duff-soldiers-on-after-euros-with-trip-to-meet-lebanon-troops-3154808.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham, Aston Villa and Spurs want Swansea star – report

Fulham are interested in signing Scott Sinclair from Swansea City along with Tottenham and Aston Villa, the Daily Mail report.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, who managed Sinclair at Swansea, has been strongly linked with a bid for him and is still said to be monitoring the player's contract negotiations.

Sinclair failed to establish himself at Chelsea but impressed for the Swans last season and it is claimed that Fulham would like to bring him back to west London.




http://www.westlondonsport.com/paper-talk/fulham-aston-villa-and-spurs-want-swansea-star-report/

[WhiteJC]

 
LIVERPOOL SHOULDN'T GAMBLE ON FULHAM'S ONE-HIT WONDER CLINT DEMPSEY

FULHAM want £10m for American centre-forward Clint Dempsey and Liverpool are tempted.

That kind of investment would represent a huge gamble by Liverpool on the 29-year-old.

Dempsey scored 23 goals in all competitions last season but all strikers have a golden year and that was his.

I doubt if he will get close to that figure again and new Kop boss Brendan Rodgers must also ask himself whether Dempsey and Andy Carroll can mix.

Carroll will no doubt return to Anfield with his confidence high after his successful Euro 2012 display.



http://www.dailystar.co.uk/columnists/view/259902/Liverpool-shouldn-t-gamble-on-Fulham-s-one-hit-wonder-Clint-Dempsey/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Free Agents
by LYDIA on JULY 2, 2012

What is it with Fulham signing free agents? Sometimes people say that free agents are nothing but the players who nobody else wants, so why do Fulham have a knack of signing them? Midfielder Diarra and striker Petric are two recent signings that we got for nothing and, let's be honest, no one can deny the quality of either player. Diarra joined us in January and make several solid performances in the centre of mid field. He has a lot of experience playing at the highest level with Real Madrid and Lyon. He added an extra bit of quality to our side whenever some players where perhaps getting tired after our very early start in the Europa League.


Diarra in action for Fulham after his free transfer

Petric is a player who we know is great but we haven't yet seen what he is going to do in a Fulham shirt. Although with the departures of Pavel Pogrebnyak, Orlando Sa and Andrew Johnson, we could assume that Petric is expected to be an important player for us next season. I think that the business that Jol in particular does regarding free agents is intelligent. He gets quality for nothing meaning that still has money to spend on perhaps younger players who can also make a big impact and for longer term.

There are a number of players who have recently been made available for free transfers who I think Fulham would be doing very well to sign. Glasgow Rangers have found themselves without a large majority of their senior players because of all that has been happening at the club regarding money. Big names including Steven Davis, Steven Naismith and Allan McGregor have all refused to join the Newco Rangers and have now become free agents. Many of you will remember Steven Davis from s previous time at Fulham and I have to say that he is one of the players who I was gutted to have seen leaving the club at all. He is a superb player and as we are in need of a central midfielder to attempt to replace Murphy, a return of Davis would be something that would excite me.


Davis has also been a vital player for Northern Ireland

Steven Naismith is a guy who I have watched for several years at Rangers and he is another fine player who I would imagine would relish the chance to play in the Premier League. He scored 13 goals in all competitions last season which is a decent return for any player considering he was injured for most of it! However, Everton look the closest to be signing the Scotland international but if that turns out to be transfer gossip, I wouldn't mind seeing him in a Fulham shirt!

To me, signing free agents is nothing to be sniffed at as they give the club a chance to add quality to the side without having to spend anything. It also means that if the signings don't work out then disgruntled fans can't have a go at the manager talking about a waste of money. I honestly believe that Jol knows what he is doing. Some of the decisions being made may seem quite strange to us at the minute but I think by the end of the transfer window, we will happy with what Jol has added to the squad and excited for what the new season has in store for us!



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2012/07/free-agents/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Strength In Depth

Some may consider being third choice goalkeeper at a football club a frustrating position to be in, but that's not the standpoint Neil Etheridge takes, as the Filipino stopper continues to learn from the two men he is currently competing with for a First Team spot.

"It's great for my development working with guys like Mark Schwarzer and David Stockdale," he told fulhamfc.com. "They're two great goalkeepers and it's obviously great working with them. Stocko has been on the fringes of the England squad and people don't need to say how good Schwarzey is as a goalkeeper.

"He's nearly reached 100 caps for his country and he's been playing in the Premier League for 14 years. Stocko still learns from Mark and obviously I'm learning from Mark as well, but everyone has their own style of play.

"When you've got 'keepers of their calibre ahead of you it's hard to get the opportunity [to play] but it makes you work that little bit harder. Not that you need any extra motivation, but it does make you work that little bit harder because you've got great goalkeepers in front of you."

The 2011/12 campaign saw Etheridge make the Fulham bench 36 times, in addition to his starting berth against Odense in the Europa League, and the 22-year-old is hoping further opportunities arise as the new campaign approaches.

"It's hard to set targets because obviously last season I would've liked to have been on the bench for the whole campaign," Neil explained. "But then with injuries and Stocko getting called back [from his loan spell at Ipswich] and my injury prevented that from happening.

"It is really hard – not just for goalkeepers – to set goals, especially in my case with two good 'keepers in front of me. I'll just have to keep my head down and keep working and I'll take the opportunities that come to me."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2012/July/StrengthInDepth.aspx?#ixzz1zTUy45jc

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham youngster to bide his time in order to gain first-team football

Neil Etheridge only made one appearance for the Whites last season

Fulham youngster Neil Etheridge is going to bide his time as he tries to force his way into Martin Jol's starting XI next season.

The 22-year-old is currently third choice stopper, behind David Stockdale and Mark Schwarzer and made his only appearances against Odense in the Europa League, where the Whites threw a 2-0 lead away to crash out of the tournament.

"It's hard to set targets because obviously last season I would've liked to have been on the bench for the whole campaign," Etheridge explained. "But then with injuries and Stocko getting called back [from his loan spell at Ipswich] and my injury prevented that from happening.

"It is really hard – not just for goalkeepers – to set goals, especially in my case with two good 'keepers in front of me. I'll just have to keep my head down and keep working and I'll take the opportunities that come to me."



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/fulham_youngster_to_bide_his_time_in_order_to_gain_first_team_football_1_1428480?