Monday Fulham Stuff (27/08/12)...

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Badgers' Norway Trip

Fulham's First Team players took time out after training last week to meet with some of the Fulham Badgers squad before their trip to Norway on Friday.

Established in 2006, the Fulham Badgers are the UK's first Down's syndrome football team.

Fulham Football Club Foundation and the Down's Syndrome Association have enjoyed a great partnership over the past 12 years and the DSActive programme, a scheme that provides children and young adults with Down's syndrome a fair opportunity to get involved in sports, now has over 20 Down's syndrome football teams.

Fulham FC Captain, Brede Hangeland, passed on some football tips and provided the group with some information about his native Norway ahead of the visit to Kristiansand this weekend where the Badgers will be taking part in a sports festival involving up to 1,400 players.

Hangeland also handed over the playing kits that the team will be wearing during their three-day visit and posed for a team photograph.

The trip to Norway follows a successful week-long tour to Hong Kong in 2010 and the team which trains every week continues to make good progress, having been crowned champions of this year's Premier League Down's syndrome Football Festival.

Fulham Football Club Foundation and the Badgers team would like to thank individuals and organisations for their support and kind donations.

If you would like to make a donation, please visit the JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/BadgersNorwayTour

The money raised will not only go towards the Norway trip but will ensure that sufficient funds are available to sustain the Fulham Badgers programme for this season and next.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/august/27/badgers?

[WhiteJC]

 
Still No Move for Clint!
   
And still the Clint Dempsey situation rumbles on.

Not available for selection for the second consecutive game, Clint Dempsey appears to be still waiting for that dream move away from Craven Cottage.

Naturally, the whole scenario is one that infuriates Martin Jol, although the Dutchman has kept his cool ahead of the rapidly approaching transfer deadline when he simply remarked,

"It`s a bad situation."

"There were a few inquiries but no bids and we haven`t actually said what he should cost."

A damn fortune is what he should cost and if we don`t get it then Clint has to knuckle down and earn the salary the club are continuing to pay him!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=291480#ixzz24lBGhtBt

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Jol Muses Over What Might Have Been
   
It really was a titanic effort up at Old Trafford.

To go so close to grabbing a point after being 3-1 down gives us all heart when it comes to the remainder of the season.

Speaking after the game, Martin Jol gave the impression that as we all suspect, the game was lost in those opening forty-five minutes, despite us taking the lead, when he remarked to reporters,

"We switched things slightly at half-time, moving Ruiz from a high #10 to a lower #10 and that worked better."

"We didn`t pick their midfielders up as well as we should in the first half. In the second half they didn`t really create many chances and, at times, we were the better team."

"When a team goes 3-1 down at Old Trafford, it`s an almost impossible task to come back - but we gave it a good go."

Perhaps on another day, at another ground, we`ll get our reward!



Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=291481#ixzz24lBRnH3P

[WhiteJC]

 
In The Race for Owen
   
The tabloid press have thrown our name, into the hat, as being interested in signing Michael Owen.

Now before anyone gets too excited, I should explain that the link is a very weak one with Owen, we expect, likely to sign for Everton to ensure he can continue to live in the north of our fine country.

However, the ex-England striker could, in my opinion, still do a fine job for someone. Although troubled by injury throughout his career, Owen points out that whilst at Old Trafford last season, he was fit enough to be considered for a round 30 games.

Also, being out of contract, al a club would have to do to secure his services is to agree on a salary, taking into account there is no transfer fee, somebody (probably not us) will be getting themselves a bargain.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=291482#ixzz24lBeG1rS

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Jol relaxed over Dembele
Fulham manager says Belgian would cost big money

Martin Jol has no worries about losing Moussa Dembele this week as he insists it would take a lot of money for Fulham to part with the Belgian.

Dembele has reportedly attracted attention from other clubs after a series of impressive performances for the Cottagers over the past couple of years.

He has started the new season in fine style, posing plenty of problems for Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday in a 3-2 defeat.

The way he played could lead to some late interest in the transfer market, but Jol doubts whether anyone will lodge a bid that would tempt Fulham to sell.

Dembele has always stressed that he is happy at Craven Cottage and remains a key part of Jol's plans, unlike somebody such as Clint Dempsey who has been left out so far this term after declaring a wish to move on.

Asked about Dembele, Jol said: "He plays and he likes the club, so there's no problem. You have to pay a lot of money to get Dembele.

"There won't be a lot of clubs putting that sort of money on the table, so I think we are fine."



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11661/8022942?

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Fulham youngster makes Ajax move



Fulham youngster Danny Hoesen has joined Dutch giants Ajax for an undisclosed fee.

Hoesen, who signed for the wDanny Hoesenest Londoners for a fee of £95,000 from Fortuna Sittard in 2008, failed to make a single senior appearance during his time at Craven Cottage and spent last season back on loan at Fortuna, where he scored 13 goals in 33 games.

The 21-year-old, who was also loaned out to Finnish side HJK Helsinki in 2010, was named as a substitute for Fulham's Premier League clash with Sunderland in April 2011, but failed to make his way off the bench.

Speaking to Dutch newspaper AD, Hoesen said: "Unbelievable - the biggest club in Holland. As a little boy I dreamed about that.

"I could hardly believe at first that Ajax were interested in me, but after I spoke with [Ajax's Director of Football] Marc Overmars I knew it was serious."



Read more at http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/120827/fulham-youngster-makes-ajax-move-179600?#4hWsFTIuPuo245xW.99

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Tottenham edge ahead of Manchester United in £15m race for Dembele
Andre Villa-Boas makes the Fulham man his top midfield target as he seeks to replace Luka Modric but Sir Alex Ferguson could also bid for Belgian before transfer window shuts

EXCLUSIVE
By Wayne Veysey | Chief Correspondent

Tottenham have edged ahead of Manchester United in the race to sign Moussa Dembele before the transfer window closes.

Sources have told Goal.com that the two Premier League big hitters have both made fresh enquiries for the Fulham midfielder in recent weeks.

But the west Londoners remain confident they can hold on to their prize asset, who they value between £12-15million.

Fulham are believed to have triggered an option to extend Dembele's initial three-year contract by a further year, tying him to Craven Cottage to 2014.

Nevertheless, there is a growing expectation that Spurs will make a formal bid for the 25-year-old Belgian before Friday's deadline after finally agreeing to sell Luka Modric to Real Madrid in a deal worth £33.2m.

Tottenham want to bring in a replacement for the Croatian but Andre Villas-Boas' top target Joao Moutinho is deemed too expensive because of his £30m price tag.

Spurs are close to securing Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Willian, but remain frustrated in their attempts to sign Leandro Damiao from Internacional.

Villas-Boas has cooled on Yann M'Vila because of his similarity in playing style to Sandro and Scott Parker, and is ready to sanction a move for Dembele, who has been converted into a central midfielder by Martin Jol with such success.

However, the Belgium international is also highly regarded by United, who have contacted Fulham to ask for their valuation of the player as Sir Alex Ferguson seeks a proven and relatively cheap answer to his long-running conundrum in the centre of the park.

Dembele would prefer to move to a team who will play in the Champions League next season, which gives United the upper hand should they meet Fulham's valuation.

Manchester City and Chelsea have cooled on Dembele, but Arsenal cannot be ruled out after registering their interest in the player at the end of last season.

Fulham know they cannot compete on wages or status with the richest Premier League clubs, and accept they will struggle to hold on to the Belgian if they receive an attractive offer.

Speaking about Dembele after his outstanding display in Fulham's 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford on Saturday, Jol said: "He plays and he likes the club, so there's no problem. You have to pay a lot of money to get Dembele. There won't be a lot of clubs putting that sort of money on the table, so I think we are fine."

The Belgian was a revelation for Fulham in the last few months of last season after Jol converted him from a deep-lying forward to a central midfielder.

He has scored only seven goals in 74 appearances for Fulham, although regular observers believe he could be even more effective playing with higher quality players.



http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/08/27/3334308/-?

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Fulham Focus - Dembele shines during Cottagers defeat

As they have done on many previous visits to Manchester United, Fulham eventually succumbed to a 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford. The Cottagers' defeat however, was a little different to the previous humiliating reversals that have often come against the Red Devils.

Martin Jol's men may have inevitably found themselves on the back foot for periods against the likes of Robin Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa but overall, the mood in West London remains one of quiet optimism for the season ahead.

With all the pre-match headlines focusing on the never-ending Clint Dempsey saga, Jol's team seemed to enjoy turning their attention to football matters rather than their missing-in-action midfielder. The Cottagers were hugely impressive at Old Trafford, particularly in the second half where they dominated the dying stages as they searched in vain for an equaliser to continue an impressive start to the campaign.

As this column has noted, Dempsey and his representatives would do well to look to the example set by Moussa Dembele. The in-demand 25 year old was one of the stars of the opening win over Norwich and against one of his many potential suitors, Dembele showed why he is so highly rated as he produced a quite mesmeric performance of poise, power and technique to at times single-handedly take the game to United.

Though the cynics may point to Dembele's opponents and intentions as reason for his heroics, regular Fulham watchers will tell you that Dembele has been a star turn for some time now. Dempsey may get the goals but Dembele is key to Fulham's entire game plan. Rightly, Jol has made keeping Dembele at Craven Cottage come the transfer window's end as one of his highest priorities.

Fulham's encouraging start to the season begs the question of just why Dembele would want to leave at this moment in time. Indeed, the signs at Old Trafford were that Jol has put together a formidable outfit capable of mixing it with the big boys this season.

Dembele is obviously crucial to such hopes but Bryan Ruiz, Fulham's club record signing, put in another vastly contrasting display to the anonymous outings of last season. Elsewhere, Mladen Petric, buoyant after his brace last weekend, ensured Nemanja Vidic had one of his more stressful afternoons at Old Trafford, while youngster Alex Kacklinic consistently had the beating of Rafael Da Silva as well as a final ball to match.

Of course, the new Premier League season remains in its infancy and it must be said that at 3-1 up, the Cottagers looked in danger of complete collapse. Jol will certainly not have been impressed with some of his side's defending and one would imagine the moves for FC Twente defender Douglas to partner Brede Hangeland will pick up speed with the transfer window's closure in sight.

However, if Fulham can keep hold of Dembele and continue their sparkling form at the other end of the pitch, the men from Craven Cottage could be winning games more often than not.



http://www.adifferentleague.co.uk/p6_1_16397_fulham-focus-dembele-shines-during-cottagers-defeat.html

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Fulham Verdict: Whites have nothing to fear from anyone after Man Utd showing

Plenty of positives to take from the west London club's performance against Manchester United


Fulham's Mousa Dembele (pictured battling with Manchester United's Anderson) ran the midfield against the Red Devils. Picture: Neal Simpson/EMPICS

If Fulham's last two fixtures have shown nothing else, it is that there is life after Clint Dempsey.

The Whites thrashed Norwich by five goals to nil on the opening day of the season and then gallantly went down 3-2 to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Had they shown the attacking intent moreso in the first half when they were level at 1-1 they may have had a famous victory.

But Shinji Kagawa and Rafael's goals were hammer blows that forced the Whites into attacking more.


Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer (pictured picking up a bird on the pitch) will be 40 in October. Picture: Dave Thompson/PA Wire

It's not unfair to say that the United defence was not as strong as it should be because of the injuries to Jonny Evans, Rio Ferdinand, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones and Martin Jol was ruing the lack of adventure in the first half.

It's very rare that Manchester United are over-run in midfield but, thanks to the brilliance of Mousa Dembele, Fulham ran rings around the Premier League runners up.

Indeed the Belgian would not look out of place in a red shirt as he bossed the middle of the park.

If they can do that at the Theatre of Dreams, they can take on Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool and emerge victorious as long as they show the same intent.


Middlesbrough's Mark Schwarzer celebrates with the League Cup after their win against Bolton Wanderers in 2004. Picture: Nick Potts/PA Archive

It was no surprise to see that all four of those sides dropped points against the Whites last year and it wouldn't be a surprise this time around.

The League Cup returns for Fulham this week and Martin Jol will be resting players for the trip to Sheffield Wednesday.

Young goalkeeper David Stockdale is expected to be given his chance to show that he is a worthy successor to Mark Schwarzer.

The Australian, who turns 40 in October, is slowly coming towards the end of a fantastic career that deserved more, honours wise, than the League Cup medal he won with Middlesbrough in 2004.

The Whites are outsiders to win a trophy but if they continue to show attacking intent, maybe the veteran goalkeeper can wrap his giant hands around some more silverware.

As Jol continues to look to bring down the average age of his side, it may be one of his last chances to do so.



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/fulham_verdict_whites_have_nothing_to_fear_from_anyone_after_man_utd_showing_1_1494941?

[WhiteJC]

 
Sheff Wed v Fulham preview
Team news ahead of Tuesday evening's Capital One Cup second-round clash between Sheffield Wednesday and Fulham at Hillsborough.

Wednesday boss Dave Jones could name an unchanged side against Fulham in the League Cup.

The Owls have made an unbeaten start to life back in the Championship, while Jones is yet to taste defeat since taking charge of the club last season.

Saturday's 3-2 win over Millwall ensured back-to-back victories following on from their opening-day draw at Derby.

Defender Anthony Gardner failed a late fitness test on a hamstring injury before the Lions clash but is in contention to return.

Mark Beevers has deputised at the back and is expected to retain his place, meaning Gardner may have to settle for a place on the bench if available.

Fellow defender Miguel Llera is certain to keep his place after scoring a match-winning brace at the weekend.

Fulham manager Martin Jol will rest three or four first-team players.

Clint Dempsey will be missing once more after being dropped by Jol for becoming distracted by interest from Liverpool.

Philippe Senderos is unavailable because of a foot injury.




http://www.football365.com/match/3549093/preview?

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Hughes predicts successful season

Aaron Hughes predicts Fulham will enjoy a successful season after making an encouraging start to the campaign.

The Cottagers routed Norwich 5-0 on the opening day of the Barclays Premier League and pushed Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday before succumbing 3-2. They face Sheffield Wednesday in Tuesday's Capital One Cup second round clash at Hillsborough with Hughes delighted by the balance of the team.

"We did really well against Norwich and there's a lot we can take from the Man Utd game too," Hughes told the club's official website, www.fulhamfc.com.

"It's been a good start, but there's a long way to go yet. We're solid at the back, have players with a lot of creativity in midfield and up front we can score goals - it's a nice balance.

"With that in mind, looking ahead, we could have a good season."

Fulham were 3-1 down at half-time against United, but went close to snatching a late equaliser in a performance that Hughes believes once again demonstrates the team's spirit.

"We showed a lot of character at Old Trafford, but that's no surprise, we know we have that," he said.

"There's a lot of experience in the team and it's a group of players that work very well together. It's something that we have shown many times before."

Manager Martin Jol will rotate his squad against Wednesday, giving some senior players a break.

"There will be a few changes. We have 18 or 19 players," Jol said. "They are good enough to come in for some others. I can give three or four players a rest."



http://www.goreyguardian.ie/breaking-news/sport/hughes-predicts-successful-season-3213065.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Sheffield Wednesday v Fulham Preview
   
When the draw for the League Cup was made, I was quite happy when we were paired with Sheffield Wednesday away.

Okay, it`s not the ideal trip to be making on a Tuesday evening and there`s not much chance of getting home to bed before the early hours of Wednesday morning, but now I`m not so sure it was a good draw.

On the back of the brave defeat at Old Trafford, a game where we gave better than we got in the second half, a fixture to take on a Championship side might be just the ideal opportunity to get back to winning ways.

But Sheffield Wednesday will be relishing our visit. Dave Jones has awoken a sleeping giant and they are unbeaten in the league this year. They currently lie behind Blackpool, in second place, in the Championship, having won two and drawn one.

But, whilst their form is good, there is more than just hope for us. At Hillsborough they`ve played two games, scoring six but also conceding four.

Now getting to the crux of the matter, realistically, the League Cup is only one of two trophies we can win, the FA Cup being the other. Therefore, whilst accepting that the Premier League is the bread and butter of our existence, it would be really great to really go all out to win this cup, it`s been far too long since we`ve visited Wembley and we can all recall what a lift it gave everyone when we reached the Europa League Final not that long ago.

I guess the seriousness in which we`ll be taking this competition will only be revealed when Martin Jol names his starting eleven. If there`s more than an element of rotation involved then my worst fears will have been realised because I know for certain that Sheffield Wednesday will be giving their all as they seek to claim a Premier League scalp!



Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=291507#ixzz24lFWykWz

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Fulham favourites for Richardson
Sunderland player wants to return to London for family reasons


Kieran Richardson: Has also been linked with Queens Park Rangers, Reading and West Ham

Sky Sports sources understand Fulham are emerging as the favourites to lure Kieran Richardson back to London.

The Greenwich-born former West Ham United youth-team member wants a return to the capital for family reasons after five years in the North East with Sunderland.
Richardson, 27, has just one year remaining on his existing contract and Martin O'Neill has reluctantly accepted he is likely to depart before Friday night's transfer deadline.

Queens Park Rangers, Everton, Reading and West Ham have all been linked with the versatile player this summer as the speculation over his future has rapidly grown.

However, Martin Jol's admiration of the former Manchester United man has put the Cottagers in pole position to claim his signature.

But a deal to take Richardson to West London is not moving as swiftly as Jol would like as Fulhamstruggle to raise the cash.



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11661/8024283?

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Jol looking for one or two more as race heats up for Newcastle target

Transfer news: The Fulham boss is still on the lookout for players

Fulham manager Martin Jol is looking for one or two additions to his squad before the end of the transfer window at 11pm on Friday.

FC Twente star, Douglas, is one that has been linked with the Whites and Charlie Adam has also been rumoured to be a target, albeit as a part exchange for Liverpool target Clint Dempsey.

"We never talk about names but we certainly hope to get one or two," Jol said.

So far this summer, the Whites have signed Mladen Petric, Hugo Rodallega and Sascha Riether as Jol has revamped his squad.

FC Twente revealed last week that they were in disucussions with Fulham and Newcastle over the transfer of centre back Douglas.

The 24-year-old Brazilian-born stopper has only one year left on his contract at the Dutch side and chairman Joop Munsterman will let his star go for the right price.

"Both clubs [Fulham & Newcastle] told us they want to do business with us," he told Voetbal International .

"We didn't received any offers yet, but when they want to pay a fair price, Douglas may leave the club. Because otherwise he will leave Twente for free next year."



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/jol_looking_for_one_or_two_more_as_race_heats_up_for_newcastle_target_1_1495028?