Thursday Fulham Stuff (16/08/12)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Kacaniklic wants starting role
Former Sweden Under 21 international enjoyed his loan spell

Fulham winger Alex Kacaniklic wants to inject his wizardry into Martin Jol's team and earn a place in his starting line-up.

The 21-year-old joined the Cottagers in August 2010 but only made his debut this March after he returned to Craven Cottage having blossomed during a loan period at Watford.
Kacaniklic, a former Sweden Under 21 international, now wants to build on the experience he garnered at Vicarage Road and propel himself into his manager's plan this campaign.

"Last year was a really good six months for me, first the loan deal to Watford and then coming back to Fulham and getting some games here," he told the Fulham Chronicle.

"The loan spell gave me the opportunity to play first-team football. Reserve-team football is one thing, but first-team football is where it counts.

"I really enjoyed myself and am pushing for a place in the team for this year."


http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11661/7992389?

[WhiteJC]

 
Stockdale Loan Syndrome
   
At twenty-six years of age, I`d suggest that David Stockdale would be looking towards regular first team football.

Stockdale, who edged into the England squad a little less than ten months ago, following some fine performances after Mark Schwarzer picked up an injury, has seen his career stagnate since then.

Therefore, it`s not too surprising that Fulham are keen to get the player some regular first team football and are, once again, looking to send the talented keeper out on loan.

Hans Segers, our goalkeeping coach has commented,

"We`re looking to getting him playing week in, week out - with a recall clause. It will make him better. Sitting on the bench you don`t learn anything."

Indeed you don`t but at the age of 26 you have to ask yourself just how long can we keep sending Stockdale out on loan without coming to a decision regarding his long term future.

Schwarzer continues to impress, even if he is approaching forty, but Stockdale needs to have his position reaffirmed otherwise we could lose him for good!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=290080#ixzz23g280hjT

[WhiteJC]

 
Dembele Shock!
   
The future of Moussa Dembele has fallen under the spotlight again.

Our popular Belgian international has been linked with several clubs this summer but, we believe, without being the subject of a serious offer.

But that could all be about to change!

Speculation is amounting that Real Madrid are set to pull the plug on a move for Luka Modric, with the Spanish club refusing to match Spurs valuation of the player and refusing to budge from their current offer of £25 million.

Furthermore, the indications from the same source are that the Spanish giants will turn their attention to acquiring Dembele with Jose Mourinho an admirer of his talents.

I have to admit that if Real Madrid were to come calling then even the most loyal of club servants would have his head turned, so I suggest it doesn`t bode well for us if the rumour is in fact true!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=290082#ixzz23g2Fjyi6

[WhiteJC]

 
Arouna Kone - Were We Interested?
   
We`re not sure how strong the link, or desire, to bring this gent to Craven Cottage was, or even if it was just a piece of flamboyant journalism.

However, one gossip column in a leading tabloid this morning; carries the inference that we were rivaling Wigan Athletic for the signature of the Ivory Coast forward Arouna Kone.

If true it appears that we lost with the 28 year old agreeing to join Dave Whelan`s brigade rather than sampling the delights that West London has to offer, perhaps he fancies a jaunt on that famous Wigan Pier or a few of those famous pies the club is associated with.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=290081#ixzz23g2MikMe

[WhiteJC]

 
It`s Hillsborough for Us
   
The draw for the second round of the Capital Cup (League Cup) was made today.

With those participating in European competition exempt until the third round, Fulham were plucked out of the traditional velvet bag to take on Sheffield Wednesday, at Hillsborough.

Sheffield Wednesday came through round one by beating Oldham Athletic 4-2, in a game televised by Sky Sports and will provide Fulham with a tough test.

As they say, it could have been better but it could have been worse!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=290083#ixzz23g2Ui11X

[WhiteJC]

 
Some thoughts

Apologies for lack of posting. For one thing there doesn't seem much concrete to talk about: will they, won't they, etc... For another our increasingly antiquated work IT setup has made it all but impossible for me to post from there. No, don't get me wrong, I work hard, honest, just that I used to do a lot of writing first thing in the morning or at lunchtime. Now I can't. And in the evenings we don't really get the laptop out because Stanley gets over-excited. So not much writing.

Some things, then:

Steve Sidwell's gone from number 7, to number 4, now back to number 7. So far so interesting, but the other part of this observation is that I'm more interested than I expected to be in seeing him return. In retrospect he and Murphy didn't necessarily gel as they might have, but I read back through last year's match reports and early on there were a couple of very enthusiastic Sidwell comments. Perhaps this is because in a turgid team a flying special one midfielder will tend to stand out, but the man does have drive, bite, and those kind of things that Fulham can use, particularly if we are going all fancy Dan.

We have lot of good younguns, don't we? I wonder how many will play this season. The thing is that the more young players play, the more good young players will be inclined to come to Fulham in the future.

I think we're perhaps making a ballsup with the Schwarzer/Stockdale situation. Good as he is, the laws of nature prohibit Mark Schwarzer from continuing indefinitely, meaning that sooner or later we're going to need to acquire a goalkeeper. Now, I can't quite decide whether goalkeepers grow on trees or not, but it does seem a shame to waste David Stockdale, who has never let us down and is current seeing his own personal window of opportunity closing. Had he been playing every week (and I mean every week – goalkeeping is all about consistency) last year there's a good chance he'd have been Joe Hart's understudy by now.

I still haven't seen Mladen Petric play. It's like being a child again, hearing about these star players and waiting excitedly to see what it's all about. In this time of everyone knowing everything about everyone, it's quite fun to be thoroughly in the dark.

Sunderland have paid £14,000,000 for Wolves' Steven Fletcher!!!!!!!!!




http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2012/08/15/some-thoughts/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol resurrects bid for Assaidi as forward's proposed move to Ajax stalls

Fulham have revived interest in Oussama Assaidi after the Heerenveen forward's proposed move to Ajax fell through. 

The 23-year-old Morocco international turned down the option to play for Holland despite having dual passports.

With star player Clint Dempsey likely to leave, Fulham boss Martin Jol is keen to plunder his homeland once again to bring fresh blood to Craven Cottage.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2188963/Fulham-want-Heerenveens-Oussama-Assaidi.html#ixzz23g385f7o

[Maidstone Lee]

Cohen's Comments
Thursday 16th August 2012

Fulham legend George Cohen says he fully expects Martin Jol's side to build on what was a "very positive" 2011/12 season.

The Whites get the new campaign underway on Saturday, hosting Norwich City at Craven Cottage – a game which our World Cup-winning hero believes we have every chance of taking maximum points from.

"Every team wants to win the first game because it's important to get the season started in the right way," explained Cohen. "Norwich showed that they are a good side last season, but at home, for me, Fulham should be taking three points.

"They have a tough trip to Old Trafford in the next game and then the Team visits West Ham at Upton Park – another difficult test. So a victory on Saturday would set them up nicely.

"I think we could be in store for an interesting season - I really think there are plenty of reasons to be excited. Martin Jol has had the Team for a year now, and he will be looking to build on last season's ninth-place finish which was a very positive campaign.

"The Team played some wonderful football and, as we know, on their day they really are a match for any side in this division."

The 72-year-old also spoke of his excitement over the development of the Club's next generation of First Team stars, and has tipped the likes of Kerim Frei and Alex Kacaniklic to make a greater impression over the coming season.

"I made my Fulham debut at 17, and like a lot of these boys, I too came through the ranks," he added. "We have a number of young players coming through now, which is exciting. Like the rest of the fans, I have high hopes for both Kerim and Alex – two players that made their breakthroughs last year.

"They did well when they were called upon, and they will be that bit wiser and more confident in their ability this season. There were times when the pair absolutely skinned their markers. Their ability on the ball and running at pace is frightening.

"As a full-back in my day, I know how difficult it is to play against players like that. They can cut inside or out, and for the defender you have to be alert at all times because they are so unpredictable. The Manager has already given them a chance, so I'm sure we will see even more of them as the season unfolds.

"The good news is, I'm told, that there are three or four more that could also breakthrough this season, which would be fantastic. The Academy at Fulham has made great strides and, as a result, we are starting to see boys coming up and edging closer to the First Team. It's great to see, and I will be watching with anticipation."

Cohen, who made 459 appearances in his 13 seasons with the Club, has also backed forward Bryan Ruiz to make an impact this term, highlighting the Costa Rican's natural talent for the game.

"I think it could be a big year for Bryan Ruiz," said Cohen. "He did well in patches last season, but I'm hoping that he could have a greater influence on the Team this year. It has taken him a little while to adjust, but there's no doubt that he will be looking to show what he can do now.

"He is a player that has so much ability; he's got good close control, his movement is fantastic and he can glide past a defender with effortless skill. On top of that, he has showed that he is capable of scoring terrific goals.

"His chipped goal against Everton and the scooped one against Bolton last season were two of the best I have ever seen at Craven Cottage – they really were that good. It would be nice to see a few more like that, and I really hope he can become a great success here.

"There's a nice balance to the Team; the goalkeeper and defence have proved time-and-time-again that, as a unit, they are one of the best in the League. Players like Ruiz, Damien Duff and Mousa Dembélé are pure match-winners, while Steve Sidwell and Mahamadou Diarra complement them very nicely.

"Further forward we have a couple of new faces, but I've heard a lot of good things about Mladen Petric. If he can score between 10 and 15 goals, then we could have a very bright season. I really do think it is an exciting time for the Club."

Read more from George Cohen in this Saturday's matchday programme, with the ever-popular character returning for the first of this season's Legends Column.

Read More At: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2012/August/CohensComments.aspx

[NogoodBoyo]

Good old George - thank god there's somebody around here who can look on the bright side of life.
Nogood "always, isit" Boyo

[WhiteJC]

 
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY: Owls face revenge mission against Fulham

SHEFFIELD Wednesday's next Capital One Cup task sees a repeat of their FA Cup clash with Fulham four seasons ago.

Tommy Spurr scored for the Owls but they were beaten 2-1 at home by an Andrew Johnson double in the third round at Hillsborough.

Wednesday were then managed by Brian Laws, the Cottagers by Roy Hodgson, but Martin Jol will be in charge of the away side when the teams get to grips in the Capital One second round at Hillsborough.

Next up for Scunthorpe after their sensational win at Derby, on penalties after they trailed 3-0 and 4-1 and drew 5-5, is a trip to Norwich - as the Rams bid to pick themselves up for Saturday's Championship visit of the Owls.

Centre half Richard Keogh said: "We have got to look forward to Saturday now, the 120 minutes probably didn't help things but we are a fit group and we are all excited for the start of our League campaign. It has been a bit of a wake-up call, especially with Saturday just around the corner.



http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-wednesday/sheffield-wednesday-owls-face-revenge-mission-against-fulham-1-4836514

[WhiteJC]

 
Clint Dempsey | Five years of stats, graphs and analysis


This article was originally published on Craven Cottage News Round and has been republished here with permission from writer Richard Allen. An excellent analysis on a player on Liverpool's radar.

In September 2007 Clint Dempsey latched onto a loose ball and steered it left-footed into the Wigan net. The away crowd, jubilant, sang of the scorer: "He scores with his left, he scores with his riiiiight, that boy Clint Dempsey, makes Drogba look [censored]".

And so it proved. Dempsey has now scored 50 times for Fulham (six against Wigan): 10 with his left; 25 with his riiiight, 12 with his head and, entirely summing the man up, three with 'other'.

Dempsey has gone from the underrated player quietly helping Fulham to a series of good seasons to someone expected to join a big team relatively soon.

The player is not shy about his ambitions: he's about as determined a person as has ever kicked a football, and if he can test himself against the best he wants to do that. If it doesn't happen he'll continue to do his thing for Fulham. So far, so fair enough. But how good is he? Are the recent improvements for real?

Few players seem to prosper after leaving Craven Cottage for what they think will be better things, but few players have been much like Clint Dempsey. He arrived in January 2007, purchased on the quiet by Chris Coleman to little fanfare. Excitement grew a little when we looked at his highlight reel on YouTube, which revealed a player who seemed to have a particular aptitude for anticipating where a ball might end up, then putting himself there, then diverting it into the net. Such gifts are rare in football and perhaps suggested that we might have a player on our hands.

Trouble was, having spotted this rough diamond, Coleman didn't use it. Dempsey made a few substitute appearances, usually on the wing, and looked a bit disorientated. Only when Coleman was sacked and Lawrie Sanchez came in did Dempsey get regular pitch time, and indeed, he saved our season with a typically scuffed goal at home to Liverpool, his first for the club and probably the most important.

Sanchez used him as a centre-forward, but the club's next manager, Roy Hodgson, wasn't quite sure what to do with him, ultimately settling on a left wing cutting in type role that Dempsey took to surprisingly well. In retrospect Dempsey may have felt his wings being clipped slightly by Hodgson's team-first approach, but equally it seems reasonable to assume that this was a key stage in the player's development, making him more rounded and aware, a better team player. The real lift off came when Mark Hughes took over from Hodgson and Fulham took the handbrake off slightly: Hughes clearly liked what he saw and Dempsey was pretty much the first name on the teamsheet. Martin Jol took over from Hughes and Dempsey didn't stop scoring. His goals sequence, in short:



That's where we are now.

But what's behind this improvement?

First, Dempsey seems to have stopped wasting his shots:



Over time he's dramatically decreased the proportion of shots that we might term 'not close' and at the same time put more on target. This fits with what our eyes told us: Dempsey, like Cristiano Ronaldo, is never afraid to shoot, but under Hodgson seemed to learn to stop just blasting the thing whenever he felt like it. He has started to give the ball a welly again, but now the skills match the ambition and he's not just providing people at the back of the Hammersmith End with a souvenir.

(and if it's a souvenir you want, your best chance is just before half-time; half of Clint's shots in the 5 minutes before half-time are classified as 'not close' – after the break he's a lot more sensible).



These numbers perhaps reflect his roving around the pitch. Here's where he's taking his shots from by the same time periods:



Interesting how, in the last ten minutes, he finds himself shooting from the right a lot more. When the going gets tough, Clint gets moving.

I mentioned souvenirs at the back of the Hammersmith End, but really I should have talked about the corners. Here are the percentage of Dempsey's shots that we might classify as 'miles wide'. Now, this is interesting in so far as there's a fairly well established trend below, which suddenly comes to an end last season, at which point the goals total increased dramatically. Is this a real technical improvement or a one-off fluke? Hard to say.



But these trends do more or less equate to the proportion of Dempsey's shots that have been from outside the box:



The two bars above aren't mutually exclusive: on the one hand we have shots from outside the box (red); on the other we have shots taken from a loooong way outside the box (blue). Calming down on the latter has been particularly helpful to him and to his team, although he did put 58% of long shots on target last season.

With experience and responsibility has come excellence. Dempsey has undoubtedly improved as a footballer, an improvement that has coincided with him being managed by more attacking managers (the assumption might be that in committing more players to attacks our opponents are spread more thinly and our forwards are getting better chances). We've reached a point where Dempsey is on a par with Hangeland and Murphy as the team's most important players, and while Murphy devises Fulham's attacks, it is invariably Dempsey who determines whether or not they succeed. He's a big player now, and is surely good enough for a big team.

Other fun facts: Dempsey has taken 15 shots against Arsenal, with 10 being 'not close'. But against Chelsea 14 of his 19 shots have been on target.

Mousa Dembele has created a remarkable 22 chances for Dempsey in the last two years, and he's put 16 of these chances on target. But none have gone in.

This year 41% of his goals came from shots hit low and to the left of the goal. That's 7 of Dempsey's 17 goals.

Once again we'd like to thank the writer Richard Allen for allowing us to re-publish this excellent analysis on Clint Dempsey from his blog: Craven Cottage News Round - Please do give it a visit!

All this comes from data provided by OptaPro. These people live football, and work with a lot of Premier League teams, including Fulham. It was a thrill to be able to rummage around in their data.



http://www.eplindex.com/17614/clint-dempsey-years-stats-graphs-analysis.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Sidwell makes fitness vow after injury nightmare


Steve Sidwell

STEVE Sidwell insists his injury hell is finally behind him as he looks to cement a place in the Fulham first-team.

The former Chelsea midfielder was dogged by a hernia problem last campaign, which ruled him out of the final three months of the season.

It eventually took Sidwell three operations to cure the condition that he first suffered in the defeat to Spurs back in November.

The 29-year-old broke down twice, playing through the pain barrier in six more games before his season was brought to a premature end.



However, Sid has featured throughout pre-season and insists his injury woes are behind him.

Now he has set his sights on forcing his way into Martin Jol's starting XI.

He told the Chronicle: "It was really tough for me. I started well, got to Spurs at home and that was the final one really for me.

"I had three ops in six months, kept rushing back, never rested properly and then it took one final one over the summer.

"Hopefully I can knuckle down now and cement a place in the team and start where I left off before the operation. I know I've got a lot to offer.

"I was never right. I put myself forward because that's the sort of person I am really. I just want to play and if I can jog then I am fit, but I was never good enough to be selected really. That was my downfall.

"I'm fully fit now, looking forward to it and raring to go. I've lost a bit of time so hopefully it's time to catch up.

"For me personally, I want to get in the starting XI. Midfield-wise, we've got a lot of players in there so it's trying to cement a place and get a good run of games hopefully."

The departures of skipper Danny Murphy and Dickson Etuhu have boosted Sidwell's chances of regular football in SW6.

And he has vowed to step up to the plate following Murphy's exit.

"I think I'm one of those players anyway who's a leader on and off the pitch," he added.

"I say it in a positive way and the way I play has got leadership qualities too. Hope I can spread that on to others.

"With Danny gone it's down to the others to step up to the plate and get the lads through it."



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2012/08/16/82029-31635192/?#ixzz23icnf12h

[WhiteJC]

 
International Round-Up

Young winger Alex Kacaniklic made his full debut for Sweden against the mighty Brazil in Stockholm but was unable to prevent his side going down by three goals to the former World Champions. The Scandinavian side were in the game for much of the contest but a late brace from Pato added some gloss to the scoreline for the visitors.

Northern Ireland's Chris Baird played the entirety of his nation's thrilling 3-3 draw with Finland. The Northern Irish were losing with little over five minutes to play after letting a two goal lead slip, but Paterson's late penalty earned them the draw.

John Arne Riise celebrated his record-equalling 104th cap for Norway with a goal but it wasn't enough to prevent defeat as his side lost 3-2 to Greece. Brede Hangeland grabbed Norway's first goal but they were already two down by that point.

Stephen Kelly played a full 90 minutes for the Republic of Ireland as he helped keep Serbia at bay in a goalless draw in Belgrade.

Mousa Dembele came on as a substitute and played an important role as Belgium came from behind to defeat the Netherlands 4-2, courtesy of a late five minute three-goal salvo.

The news was less positive for Australian stopper Mark Schwarzer who played the first half - and conceded once - as his side ended up losing by three goals to one against Scotland in Edinburgh.

Bryan Ruiz was back in action for Costa Rica but they were unable to overcome Peru who won by a solitary goal in San Jose.

Josh Pritchard made his bow for Wales U21s as a substitute against Armenia in a European Championship Qualifier but the 10 men of Wales went down by a solitary goal.

Young striker Lauri Dalla Valle was on the scoresheet for Finland U21s, although it proved to be a consolation as they conceded a 90th minute winner in a defeat by Lithuania.

Omri Altman made his debut for Israel U21s when he came on as a substitute in their 2-2 draw with Russia.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2012/August/InternationalRound-Up.aspx?

[WhiteJC]

 
The Full Premier League Season Preview – Fulham

Fulham are a club in recent seasons that haven't been unfamiliar to change. For the first time since 2009, the Cottagers haven't had a managerial switch. The season which followed three years ago was the best campaign in the club's history, with the infamous run to the Europa League final. Another groundbreaking season looks unlikely in the coming year.

Martin Jol has remained this summer and there have been some unsurprising changes to the squad. After all, Fulham had the second oldest squad in the division last season. Four players arriving and seven going doesn't seem severe, especially in the hyperbolic world of the Premier League but some of the departed had played big roles at the club in recent times.

Club captain Danny Murphy was pivotal to Fulham's continued stability. Dickson Etuhu and Andy Johnson were regular starters too under Roy Hodgson whilst Pavel Pogrebnyak, who enjoyed a great start at Craven Cottage earlier this year, chose Reading over Fulham in June. This is football though – money talks.

In have come two strikers in the form of Mladen Petric and Hugo Rodallega along with defender Sascha Riether on a season-long loan from Cologne. (Sixteen-year-old George Williams arrives from MK Dons too but he's unlikely to feature in the first team.) Most importantly though, Mousa Dembélé and Clint Dempsey remain at the club, for now.

Off the pitch too it's been a productive summer for Fulham with planning permission being granted for the Whites to extend the capacity of Craven Cottage to 30,000. What's more, the Johnny Haynes Stand has a new roof and you can even expect to see video screens in SW6 next season.

How will Fulham fare on the pitch though?

One to Watch:

Last season, Bryan Ruiz failed to find any real consistency. The Costa Rican certainly showed he had the talent though with the two goals which he did score – one a fantastic chip over Tim Howard and the other a scoop over Jussi Jaaskelainen. The pace of the Premier League looked to be getting to Ruiz as he wasn't allowed much time on the ball. In preseason, Ruiz appears stronger and with a 4231 system likely to be more prevalent as Martin Jol restructures the team, the Costa Rican is more likely to flourish this time round. If Ruiz doesn't, Jol might be in a difficult position the next time he wants to justify spending over £10 million on a player to Mohamed Al-Fayed.

Breakthrough Year:

Kerim Frei took the majority of the headlines when it came to young Fulham players last season, as he tore through Chelsea in three appearances against the Blues. However, slightly more in his shadow was Alexander Kacaniklic. "Kaka" was originally brought in as part of a swap deal which saw Paul Konchesky move to Liverpool. This season will be the year when Fulham see to a better extent just how well they did out of that deal. He played on a few occasions last year but he's likely to have more of a chance to impress this season. A diminutive winger with pace and agility, expect Kacaniklic to be tearing down the wing at a Premier League ground near you over the next few months.

Prediction:

Fulham are not traditionally strong starters in the Premier League. It took until October for the Whites to register their first win last season, albeit an emphatic one over QPR. With Martin Jol trying to adjust how Fulham play, it may take a little while for the side to bed in to the Premier League again this season. It must be emphasised how big a role Danny Murphy has played over the five seasons he spent at Craven Cottage. With Murphy gone, Jol's challenge is to get a talented squad playing in a more fluid fashion than seen previously.

Defensively, Fulham should be fine. With Brede Hangeland, Aaron Hughes and Mark Schwarzer, fans can breathe easy, although there were more than a few mutterings from supporters when Senderos was played ahead of Hughes last season. If Jol repeats the trick and it fails, as it did for the large part last year, he will come in for criticism.

Going forward is a slightly more interesting prospect. Retaining the services of Mousa Dembélé and Clint Dempsey is crucial, especially after the season which the American had last year. The new attacking talent of Petric and Rodallega will be intriguing to watch too. Then, add to that the experience of Damien Duff, the raw talents of Kerim Frei and Alexander Kacaniklic and the unpredictable Bryan Ruiz.

Something suggests it might take a while to click. When it does though, Fulham can expect to find themselves back in the warm comfort of mid-table, an achievement which shouldn't be sneered at either. A top half finish is never out of a reach either but Fulham fans will be hoping for more. The last time a manager stayed for longer than a season at Fulham, the club managed to reach a major cup final, namely the Europa League, for the first time in 34 years. A similar performance in a domestic cup wouldn't go amiss.



http://www.footballfancast.com/2012/08/football-blogs/the-full-premier-league-season-preview-fulham?

[WhiteJC]

 
Premier League preview: Fulham v Norwich

Norwich City visit Fulham in their English Premier League opener, with Marc Tierney seeking an improvement on last season's achievements.

Norwich, promoted automatically from the Championship in 2010/11, secured a 12th-placed finish during their first campaign back in the top flight.

Saturday's match at Craven Cottage is where it all starts again, albeit without manager Paul Lambert, who left for Aston Villa and was replaced by former Birmingham and Newcastle United coach Chris Hughton.

Despite the loss of their impressive manager, defender Tierney is confident Norwich can continue to climb the table under the guidance of Hughton.

"We don't want to just relax and stay where we are," he said.

"We want to keep working hard. Normally when a new manager comes in they have to try and turn things around.

"I think it's probably a bit different as we've done so well over the past couple of seasons so we've just got to look to continue improving."

Leeds United's Robert Snodgrass and Sunderland's Michael Turner moved to Carrow Road during a pre-season which included a win against Scottish champions Celtic and a draw against Dutch giants Ajax.

Fulham meanwhile did not experience a change in manager, with Dutchman Martin Jol beginning his second season in charge, but he did see a number of players leave.

Veteran midfielder Danny Murphy joined Blackburn along with Dickson Etuhu, while Andrew Johnson (QPR), Pavel Pogrebnyak (Reading), and Orlando Sa and Bjorn Helge Riise (both released) followed the pair out of the club, leaving Fulham short on midfield and striking options.

Although free agents Hugo Rodallega and Mladen Petric have arrived at Craven Cottage, Jol would like to add two more players to his squad.

"We need at least a midfield player, in the midfield area," he said.

"Up front, we lost four strikers - Orlando Sa went, Bobby Zamora, the Pog (Pavel Pogrebnyak), Andy Johnson went.

"We have got two, Rodallega and Petric, so at least we need one or two strikers as well."

In the pair's two meetings last season, Fulham edged Norwich 2-1 at home in April and earned a 1-1 draw at Carrow Road in January.



http://uk.soccerway.com/news/2012/August/16/premier-league-preview-fulham-v-norwich/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Why Arsenal must go for Clint Dempsey



With £24 million in the bank after agreeing to sell Robin van Persie, the question on every Arsenal fan's lips is, how will they spend the money? Here is a look at one option for the Gunners.

Clint Dempsey has been a summer target for both Merseyside clubs, Liverpool and Everton but as it stands, the American is still a Fulham player. Today he has again been linked with Liverpool, but Arsenal would be wise to enter the bidding.

Dempsey, like van Persie was at Arsenal, is going into the last year on his contract and Fulham have so far rejected Liverpool's advances.


With Everton also said to be interested in Dempsey but yet to make an offer, now could be the perfect time for Arsenal to pounce. Towards the end of last season, rumours started to surface that the 29-year-old could be on his way to North London but nothing materialised.

After securing the services of Lukas Podolski from FC Cologne and Olivier Giroud from Montpellier, maybe Arsene Wenger was waiting to see what happened with van Persie before looking to bring in another attacker. With the sale of his captain being inevitable, surely Wenger has always had a plan up his sleeve ready to put it into action as soon as he gets his money for last season's Golden Boot winner.

Dempsey is not an out-to-out striker but still managed to score 17 Premier League goals last term and 23 in all competitions. The USA international can be used as a striker, attacking midfielder or out wide so would be ideal to play behind Podolski and/or Giroud.

Fulham are said to want big money for Dempsey and manager Martin Jol has discouraged bids for a player who for obvious reasons, he'd be reluctant to sell. Somewhere in the region of £10 million though, could see the player who has been at Craven Cottage for over five years, leave the club. The West Londoners' stance may become a little weaker as the transfer window draws to a close though as they would then face losing their man on a free next summer.

The situation is similar to that of Mikel Arteta's last year. Although Arteta had four years left on his contract at Goodison Park and the Toffees originally wanted almost double what the Gunners ended up paying for the midfielder - the club were left powerless as the player handed in a transfer request, stating he wanted to play in the Champions League, something Everton could not offer him.

Clint Dempsey has also publicly stated his desire to play Champions League football and at the age of 29, his next big move will be his last. There is no doubting Arsenal could afford to buy Dempsey but they need to act fast and make their move for the player. If the Gunners do show an interest then surely with the prospect of Champions League football, they'd be favourites to sign the Fulham man.



http://hereisthecity.com/2012/08/16/why-arsenal-must-go-for-clint-dempsey/?

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Stat attack: Fulham v Norwich


Action from last season's Fulham v Norwich clash at Craven Cottage. Photo: PA

Fulham were the only team in the 2011-12 Premier League who did not pick up a red card.

Norwich saw the opposition hit their woodwork most often in the 2011-12 Premier League (26 times).

Fulham have won eight and lost none of the last 10 meetings with Norwich in all competitions.

Fulham have lost just one of their last 10 Premier League games at Craven Cottage (W7 D2 L1).

The Whites have kept just one clean sheet in their last 11 Premier League games on home turf.

Norwich kept just one clean sheet in their last 14 Premier League games of 2011-12.

The Canaries have gone 33 Premier League away games without a clean sheet.

Norwich have lost four and won just one of their last six Premier League away games, including a 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage in that run.

The Cottagers' last two opening day games have produced no goals (for either side) while the west Londoners have won just one of their last eight opening matches in the Premier League.


http://www.itv.com/sport/football/article/2012-08-16/stat-attack-fulham-v-norwich/?

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Premier League Team Guide: Fulham


If Fulham can keep hold of Liverpool target Clint Dempsey, a good season awaits

After a successful first season for Martin Jol, hopes are high at Craven Cottage for another strong campaign. A top half finish is eminently achievable but, if they retain their key players, Fulham could push even higher, says Dan Thomas

Last Season

Despite a slow start - with four draws in the first six games - Fulham ended the season with 52 points, just one fewer than their record tally in the top division. Martin Jol's side achieved a first league double over Liverpool and beat Arsenal and Newcastle at Craven Cottage, ending up a very respectable ninth.

Ins and outs

Mohamed Al Fayed's chequebook hasn't been opened yet, with strikers Hugo Rodallega and Mladen Petric coming in on frees, alongside full-back Sacha Riether on loan. There have been a number of departures, most notably Andy Johnson, Dickson Etuhu and - perhaps most disappointingly - Danny Murphy. The major concern is over the futures of Moussa Dembele and Clint Dempsey, who provided such great attacking thrust last season.

The manager

The appointment of former Spurs boss, Jol, resulted in plenty of free flowing, attacking football last season - a welcome departure from the rather dour performances delivered by Mark Hughes. Dembele, Dempsey, Bryan Ruiz and Pavel Pogrebnyak combined to devastating efect on occasion, with 5-0, 5-2 and 6-0 victories along the way, the latter against Hughes' QPR side. But Jol was largely unable to address Fulham's traditional weakness away from the Cottage, with just four wins on the road.

Expectations

Much depends on the future of Dempsey and Dembele, but fans will be hopeful of another top 10 finish alongside a decent cup run. A few more goalfests at the Cottage together with added resilience away from home would be most welcome.

Best Bet

Another top 10 finish at 2.62 is probably the sensible bet, but the more daring of you might fancy a back-to-lay punt on the Cottagers to win the 'without top six' market at a chunky looking 28.0. As Luke Moore points out, the early fixtures are reasonably kind so there should be a trading opportunity there.



http://betting.betfair.com/football/premier-league/premier-league-team-guide-fulham-150812-51.html?

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Boateng determined to move
Ghana ace wants out of Ukraine


Derek Boateng: Looking for move to England

Dnipro midfielder Derek Boateng has underlined his determination to seal a move away from the Ukraine.

Fulham have seen a bid rejected for the Ghana midfielder, whilst West Bromwich Albion, Southampton and Norwich City have been linked.

And Boateng has made it clear he wants to leave the club.

"It is true I want to leave the club. I will leave the club. I have to leave the club," he told SuperSport.

"I don't want to stay there anymore."

Boateng and his family are known to have had issues in Ukraine, including racism, but he refused to go into detail.

"There are some problems and some issues which I cannot discuss right now. I will leave by the grace of God," he said.



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11681/7996082?