Tuesday Fulham Stuff (17/07/12)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Etuhu happy with progress



Dickson Etuhu believes Fulham are making good progress with their pre-season programme after Sunday's first friendly game.


The Cottagers played out a goalless draw with Danish outfit HB Køge in their first match on the club's tour of Germany, just a week after returning for the start of pre-season training.

Etuhu says despite the result there were plenty of positives to take out of the game and is hopeful Fulham can enjoy a good build-up to the new campaign.

"It was a good fitness game for everyone to see where we are at and to work our legs," Etuhu told Fulham's website.

"It's nice to make steady progress during pre-season and work on our fitness with the ball.

"It is a bit different from training.

"It's always difficult especially when the opposition already has a few games under their belt.

"It was a good game to play in.

"You get more fitness when you play football anyway, no matter how much running you do."



http://www.setanta.com/ie/Articles/2012/07/16/Etuhu-happy-with-progress/gnid-147876/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Liverpool Transfer Speculation: Loaning Carroll and Getting Dempsey Makes Sense

Brendan Rodgers recently secured his first signing as manager of Liverpool by making Fabio Borini his first acquisition. Following that event, news has started pouring in linking the Reds to another name in Fulham's Clint Dempsey.

Speculation around these happenings has also dragged in Andy Carroll into the transfer mix. Reports from Caughtoffside.com suggested that a loan deal for Carroll with Fulham could be struck by Liverpool. In my opinion, the Reds should not think twice and go ahead with paying a negotiated value for Dempsey and sending Carroll on loan the other way.

Carroll's situation is divided among the Liverpool faithful. Some say that he will not fit into the new system and should be offloaded. Others are more patient and want to give Carroll another season to prove himself after seeing glimpses of his undoubted ability towards the end of last season for Liverpool and partly in the Euros for England.

Signing Dempsey—and I stress—at the right price, will be great but taking a hit on Carroll after paying £35 million for him just 18 months ago would be unwise. Unless Rodgers is working on a tight budget, I do not see the need for Carroll to be sold to bring in cash to the coffers for strengthening other areas.

Moreover, Fulham are a team that play it on the ground and will presumably not be looking to acquire Carroll for playing long ball throughout the season. This bodes well for the Reds as Carroll will be learning a system from which he will immediately be able to adapt to Rodgers' tactics upon coming back.

If Carroll is able to work his socks off and improve, he may still have a future at Anfield. Besides, even if the Reds perform very well under Rodgers and the gaffer does not see the need for Carroll, the Reds will still be providing every chance for Carroll's value to increase by sending him on loan.

With Carroll finally showing signs of fitness and improvement after recovering from injury, there is every reason to believe that he will perform and show his value next season. In such a scenario, Liverpool should loan him if they believe that they have enough strikers and more importantly, if they have enough funds to strengthen the team this summer.

Dempsey on the other hand, will be a very apt acquisition to complement Luis Suarez and Fabio Borini. The American is in form by the looks of his stats from the previous two seasons and his versatility will make him a great asset.

Whether he is played in midfield or as the furthest striker, Dempsey will offer great value along with being a workhorse. He will be like Dirk Kuyt, but only better as he enters the best period in his career.

Liverpool found it hard to unlock teams last season at home because of limited creativity. Everything was very static for the Reds in offense under Kenny Dalglish, but with his crafty movement, Dempsey will provide one of the options for the midfielders to release a ball.   

With the amount spent on Carroll, along with his presumed inability to fit in with the system, Rodgers finds himself in a tough spot. The best thing which will also make sense would be to loan him and buy Dempsey for around £7 million.



http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1259146-liverpool-transfer-speculation-loaning-carroll-and-getting-dempsey-makes-sense?

[WhiteJC]

 
Friendly Confirmed

The Club can confirm that Martin Jol's Team will play a friendly fixture against French Ligue 1 side Nice at the Stade du Ray on Saturday 4th August.

Further fixture information including ticket prices and match details will be confirmed on fulhamfc.com in due course.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2012/July/FriendlyConfirmed.aspx?

[WhiteJC]

 
Liverpool poised to test Fulham's resolve with Dempsey bid



Liverpool are set to make a £5m move for Fulham striker Clint Dempsey.

Martin Jol is desperate to keep last season's top scorer and has offered the American a new deal to keep him at Craven Cottage.

But with just 12 months left on his current deal sources close to the club have told talkSPORT they are bracing themselves for a bid from Liverpool.

Dempsey, 29, impressed with 23 goals for the Cottagers last campaign and was linked with a move across London to Arsenal back in January.

New Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is keen to land the American and could pair Dempsey with Luis Suarez and new signing Fabio Borini in a new-look Anfield strike force.



http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/120716/liverpool-poised-test-fulhams-resolve-dempsey-bid-176753?

[WhiteJC]

 
LIVERPOOL'S DEMPSEY BID ON HOLD UNTIL CARROLL FUTURE RESOLVED


Move on hold: Dempsey's proposed move to Liverpool depends on Carroll's future.

Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Fulham forward Clint Dempsey, although they will not make an approach until the future of Andy Carroll is decided.

The future of England striker Carroll has dominated the gossip columns in recent days with the media abuzz with speculation that Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers does not see the British transfer record signing as part of his plans.

Newcastle, to whom Liverpool paid £35 million in January 2011 for Carroll's services, made a season-long loan offer for the striker on Sunday, but it was dismissed by the Reds. West Ham have also shown an interest, but again they will only consider a loan move.

Goal.com claims Rodgers does in fact want to offload Carroll but only on a permanent deal and will consider offers in the region of £15 million.

In the meantime, Goal.com understands Liverpool have prepared a £5 million offer for Dempsey, who has entered the final 12 months of his contract after he rejected a new offer from Fulham.

Dempsey has made it clear to Fulham that he intends to leave for a Champions League-calibre club and the American is keen to engineer a move this summer.

The London club are desperate to hold onto the 29-year-old and will ask for £9 million from any interested parties, but considering his age and the short amount of time remaining on his deal, Liverpool are confident their bid will prove sufficient.

However, Goal.com added that the Reds have not yet made an official bid and will hold off until Carroll's situation is resolved.

Rodgers has already bolstered his attacking options with the signing of Italy striker Fabio Borini in a reported £9 million deal. Therefore, any bid for Dempsey will be financed by the money generated by the possible sale of Carroll.



http://www.sport360.com/article/liverpool's-dempsey-bid-hold-until-carroll-future-resolved?

[WhiteJC]

 
Liverpool Transfer News: What Clint Dempsey Offers the Reds

Fulham midfielder Clint Dempsey could potentially put Liverpool back in the hunt. And according to Wayne Veysey of Goal.com, the Reds are aggressively pursuing him.

Veysey reports that Dempsey has shut down Fulham's contract offer, which has pushed the American onto the market:

Fulham value the USA international at £9m but a combination of his age – 29 – and his contract situation – he has just entered the final year of his current deal – mean that they will settle for a fee of around £5m.

Purchasing Dempsey would be a cost-effective move for Liverpool. New manager Brendan Rogers is in need of an experienced forward to make his job easier. In preparation for that, the football club is willing to part with No. 9 man Andy Carroll, per ESPN.com.

Dempsey could be just what the team needs: a proven goal scorer. Carroll hasn't offered that.

The 23-year-old Carroll scored just four goals in 21 Premier League starts last season after joining the Reds from Newcastle for a staggering £35 million.

By Carroll leaving Liverpool, the organization could escape a financial bind that has been a thorn in its side.

Dempsey could help alleviate that pain in more ways than one.

Without an overbearing contract, Dempsey has earned his keep in years past. Last season, Dempsey amassed 17 goals for the Cottagers in 37 Premier League starts. In contrast, Liverpool's leading scorer, Luis Suarez, totaled 12.

Dribbling with great control, Dempsey can keep his head above water as he looks for the next pass. He may be known more as a finisher, but the 6'1", 170-pound winger can also create.

His six assists during EPL matches would have tied him for the most on the Liverpool squad—making him a well-rounded asset for his next employer.

Beyond the regular Premier League action, the Texas native racked up six goals during Europa and FA Cup fixtures last year. Dempsey's achievements don't end there, however. He's also revered as one of the best players on the USA National team. He's been a cornerstone for the US ever since he made his debut in 2005.

Leaving a middle-of-the-pack Fulham squad may give Dempsey an added boost—especially if he jumps on board with Liverpool, which had a disappointing 2011-2012 campaign, finishing in eighth place.

Dempsey finished in fourth place for EPL Player of the Year while suiting up for the ninth seeded Fulham club. If he can go to a more renowned team like Liverpool—who may also add Arsenal's Theo Walcott, according to Charlie Wyett of The Sun—Liverpool could transform into a top challenger.

He may be a little older than desired as far as transfer window talent is concerned. Nevertheless, Clint Dempsey is a consistent scorer, distributor and leader. Liverpool would be very fortunate to reel in his services.



http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1260152-liverpool-transfer-news-what-clint-dempsey-offers-the-reds?

[WhiteJC]

 
Cross: Dempsey should stay with Fulham and not go to Liverpool

Mirror journalist John Cross talks about speculation linking American star Clint Dempsey with a move to Liverpool.


http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/kickoff/120716/cross-dempsey-should-stay-fulham-and-not-go-liverpool-176776?

[WhiteJC]

 
Sunk costs and Andy Carroll


A ponytail like Andy Carroll's.

Sunk costs:

People often have an irrational desire to use products for which they have paid a lot of money, or to continue following a plan that has required a great investment. They think that if they abandon the product or change their approach, they will be throwing money or time away. That's not true – the money and time have already been thrown away. Continuing to use a bad product or to follow a bad plan is only increasing the amount being thrown away.

People started talking about sunk costs in baseball about 15 years ago, as best I can remember. The point was that if you've offered a player a guaranteed contract of, say, 5 years and $50million and the player has turned awful by the middle of year three, there's no point playing the player just because you've spent so much.  Indeed, by then, if you can get rid of the player you do, whether it's just giving him away or even paying another club to take on the salary; the money has already been committed, there's nothing you can do, so the best you can hope for is to minimise future impact of the previous bad decision.

The point here is that Liverpool's owners will be very familiar with taking a hit on a bad sporting decision and if the decision is made that Carroll is not *the answer* then he'll be gone. The transfer fee is at this point irrelevant in so far as nothing they can do will bring that back. Presently Andy Carroll is either a reserve centre-forward making star player money or he's someone to get rid of sharpish.

If you think about it, it's the exact opposite problem Fulham have with Clint Dempsey, which ought to bring their respective values much closer together than would usually seem likely. Carroll is an asset Liverpool want to get rid of; Dempsey is one Fulham want to keep. Both assets are complicated by the fact that the players probably want the opposite thing to what their clubs want, but player power can work in funny ways: Dempsey's likely to get his way because if he doesn't the club get nothing for him; Carroll may not get his way because ultimately he'll want to play football, and Liverpool can deny him this. As Dempsey so neatly put it when speaking to our friend Adam Spangler in 2008, "the game don't care".

I very much doubt that Carroll will become a Fulham player. He's on big wages, has uprooted from a preferred environment once already, and probably wouldn't want to come to London. He's not obviously the kind of player Martin Jol would want, either (contrast with Sam Allardyce at West Ham...).  And his former club, Newcastle, are interested in bringing him back (Mike Ashley would feel like king of the world if he pulled that one off). So chances must be low for this.... just not as low as it might seem.



http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2012/07/16/sunk-costs-and-andy-carroll/?

[BB]

Liverpool Transfer Speculation: Loaning Carroll and Getting Dempsey Makes Sense

Brendan Rodgers recently secured his first signing as manager of Liverpool by making Fabio Borini his first acquisition. Following that event, news has started pouring in linking the Reds to another name in Fulham's Clint Dempsey.

Speculation around these happenings has also dragged in Andy Carroll into the transfer mix. Reports from Caughtoffside.com suggested that a loan deal for Carroll with Fulham could be struck by Liverpool. In my opinion, the Reds should not think twice and go ahead with paying a negotiated value for Dempsey and sending Carroll on loan the other way.

Carroll's situation is divided among the Liverpool faithful. Some say that he will not fit into the new system and should be offloaded. Others are more patient and want to give Carroll another season to prove himself after seeing glimpses of his undoubted ability towards the end of last season for Liverpool and partly in the Euros for England.

Signing Dempsey—and I stress—at the right price, will be great but taking a hit on Carroll after paying £35 million for him just 18 months ago would be unwise. Unless Rodgers is working on a tight budget, I do not see the need for Carroll to be sold to bring in cash to the coffers for strengthening other areas.

Moreover, Fulham are a team that play it on the ground and will presumably not be looking to acquire Carroll for playing long ball throughout the season. This bodes well for the Reds as Carroll will be learning a system from which he will immediately be able to adapt to Rodgers' tactics upon coming back.

If Carroll is able to work his socks off and improve, he may still have a future at Anfield. Besides, even if the Reds perform very well under Rodgers and the gaffer does not see the need for Carroll, the Reds will still be providing every chance for Carroll's value to increase by sending him on loan.

With Carroll finally showing signs of fitness and improvement after recovering from injury, there is every reason to believe that he will perform and show his value next season. In such a scenario, Liverpool should loan him if they believe that they have enough strikers and more importantly, if they have enough funds to strengthen the team this summer.

Dempsey on the other hand, will be a very apt acquisition to complement Luis Suarez and Fabio Borini. The American is in form by the looks of his stats from the previous two seasons and his versatility will make him a great asset.

Whether he is played in midfield or as the furthest striker, Dempsey will offer great value along with being a workhorse. He will be like Dirk Kuyt, but only better as he enters the best period in his career.

Liverpool found it hard to unlock teams last season at home because of limited creativity. Everything was very static for the Reds in offense under Kenny Dalglish, but with his crafty movement, Dempsey will provide one of the options for the midfielders to release a ball.   

With the amount spent on Carroll, along with his presumed inability to fit in with the system, Rodgers finds himself in a tough spot. The best thing which will also make sense would be to loan him and buy Dempsey for around £7 million.



http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1259146-liverpool-transfer-speculation-loaning-carroll-and-getting-dempsey-makes-sense?

I hate this tosser at the 'bleach report'! :035: he has been banging on for 3 years about FFC being a non entity and how much better Dempsey would be, by moving to a 'bigger' club... Now he is even setting the price level at which Dempsey will move on for... Can none of 'Merican starsnstripes friends, help out and get on his/her case.... In Amerilish "Take him down!" Get it through his head that GBP15Million, is the start point for negotiations for Clint (cash up front with enquiry), nothing less is remotely acceptable...FFC (at long last) are starting to play hard ball!!!! :clap_hands:

[JBH]

Shubbankar rhymms with W**ker!!

Have bleacherreport signed up all of the trailer trasgh reports in the USA?

They obviously have no idea about real football in a real country!

Can one of our american friends giveTony Soprano a bell and ask him to sort these knobs out please???   fp.gif

[Mr Fulham]

Liverpool Transfer News: What Clint Dempsey Offers the Reds

Fulham midfielder Clint Dempsey could potentially put Liverpool back in the hunt. And according to Wayne Veysey of Goal.com, the Reds are aggressively pursuing him.

Veysey reports that Dempsey has shut down Fulham's contract offer, which has pushed the American onto the market:

Fulham value the USA international at £9m but a combination of his age – 29 – and his contract situation – he has just entered the final year of his current deal – mean that they will settle for a fee of around £5m.

Purchasing Dempsey would be a cost-effective move for Liverpool. New manager Brendan Rogers is in need of an experienced forward to make his job easier. In preparation for that, the football club is willing to part with No. 9 man Andy Carroll, per ESPN.com.

Dempsey could be just what the team needs: a proven goal scorer. Carroll hasn't offered that.

The 23-year-old Carroll scored just four goals in 21 Premier League starts last season after joining the Reds from Newcastle for a staggering £35 million.

By Carroll leaving Liverpool, the organization could escape a financial bind that has been a thorn in its side.

Dempsey could help alleviate that pain in more ways than one.

Without an overbearing contract, Dempsey has earned his keep in years past. Last season, Dempsey amassed 17 goals for the Cottagers in 37 Premier League starts. In contrast, Liverpool's leading scorer, Luis Suarez, totaled 12.

Dribbling with great control, Dempsey can keep his head above water as he looks for the next pass. He may be known more as a finisher, but the 6'1", 170-pound winger can also create.

His six assists during EPL matches would have tied him for the most on the Liverpool squad—making him a well-rounded asset for his next employer.

Beyond the regular Premier League action, the Texas native racked up six goals during Europa and FA Cup fixtures last year. Dempsey's achievements don't end there, however. He's also revered as one of the best players on the USA National team. He's been a cornerstone for the US ever since he made his debut in 2005.

Leaving a middle-of-the-pack Fulham squad may give Dempsey an added boost—especially if he jumps on board with Liverpool, which had a disappointing 2011-2012 campaign, finishing in eighth place.

Dempsey finished in fourth place for EPL Player of the Year while suiting up for the ninth seeded Fulham club. If he can go to a more renowned team like Liverpool—who may also add Arsenal's Theo Walcott, according to Charlie Wyett of The Sun—Liverpool could transform into a top challenger.

He may be a little older than desired as far as transfer window talent is concerned. Nevertheless, Clint Dempsey is a consistent scorer, distributor and leader. Liverpool would be very fortunate to reel in his services.



http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1260152-liverpool-transfer-news-what-clint-dempsey-offers-the-reds?

:011:

[justinfromga]

Liverpool Transfer News: What Clint Dempsey Offers the Reds

Fulham midfielder Clint Dempsey could potentially put Liverpool back in the hunt. And according to Wayne Veysey of Goal.com, the Reds are aggressively pursuing him.

Veysey reports that Dempsey has shut down Fulham's contract offer, which has pushed the American onto the market:

Fulham value the USA international at £9m but a combination of his age – 29 – and his contract situation – he has just entered the final year of his current deal – mean that they will settle for a fee of around £5m.

Purchasing Dempsey would be a cost-effective move for Liverpool. New manager Brendan Rogers is in need of an experienced forward to make his job easier. In preparation for that, the football club is willing to part with No. 9 man Andy Carroll, per ESPN.com.

Dempsey could be just what the team needs: a proven goal scorer. Carroll hasn't offered that.

The 23-year-old Carroll scored just four goals in 21 Premier League starts last season after joining the Reds from Newcastle for a staggering £35 million.

By Carroll leaving Liverpool, the organization could escape a financial bind that has been a thorn in its side.

Dempsey could help alleviate that pain in more ways than one.

Without an overbearing contract, Dempsey has earned his keep in years past. Last season, Dempsey amassed 17 goals for the Cottagers in 37 Premier League starts. In contrast, Liverpool's leading scorer, Luis Suarez, totaled 12.

Dribbling with great control, Dempsey can keep his head above water as he looks for the next pass. He may be known more as a finisher, but the 6'1", 170-pound winger can also create.

His six assists during EPL matches would have tied him for the most on the Liverpool squad—making him a well-rounded asset for his next employer.

Beyond the regular Premier League action, the Texas native racked up six goals during Europa and FA Cup fixtures last year. Dempsey's achievements don't end there, however. He's also revered as one of the best players on the USA National team. He's been a cornerstone for the US ever since he made his debut in 2005.

Leaving a middle-of-the-pack Fulham squad may give Dempsey an added boost—especially if he jumps on board with Liverpool, which had a disappointing 2011-2012 campaign, finishing in eighth place.

Dempsey finished in fourth place for EPL Player of the Year while suiting up for the ninth seeded Fulham club. If he can go to a more renowned team like Liverpool—who may also add Arsenal's Theo Walcott, according to Charlie Wyett of The Sun—Liverpool could transform into a top challenger.

He may be a little older than desired as far as transfer window talent is concerned. Nevertheless, Clint Dempsey is a consistent scorer, distributor and leader. Liverpool would be very fortunate to reel in his services.



http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1260152-liverpool-transfer-news-what-clint-dempsey-offers-the-reds?

Bleacher report sucks.  That's really all there is to it.  They don't even understand American sports.  Their coverage of the NFL, NBA, MLB, college sports, etc is supbar and nobody who follows those sports here in the states takes them seriously.  Yet for some unknown reason ESPN and others have decided that a sports blog based in the US that can't even cover the NFL worth a flip has a strong beat on the EPL? Give me a break.  It's only because the best American soccer player today is in these articles and the perception that Liverpool is a top four team still.  Oh well