Friday Fulham Stuff (31/08/12)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Those Cogs are Turning Slowly!
   
The wheels and cogs are starting to turn again, but very slowly, with regards to Clint Dempsey getting his much awaited exit from Craven Cottage.

The American international, who has expressed a desire to leave and who has stated that he no longer wants to play for us, will be anxiously looking at the click as the transfer window closure draws ever closer.

But, up at Anfield; there is speculation that Liverpool`s interest in the player could be about to be formalized.

Speculation is rife that funds are being generated for a move for Dempsey with Charlie Adam set to move to Stoke and Jay Spearing being off-loaded to either Wolves or Bolton.

All in all, I reckon Clint could be biting a few nails as that window prepares to slam shut!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=291896#ixzz256Ecvwor

[WhiteJC]

 
Berbatov`s Coming?
   
Yesterday the rumour grapevine had the Manchester United striker, Dimitar Berbatov, bound for Serie A.

It looked as if two Italian giants, in Juventus and Fiorentina, were slugging it out for the 31 year-olds signature.

But, overnight, the situation appears to have changed with it now being explained that Fulham are the front-runners to land thee Bulgarian.

It seems that Berbatov, who worked with Martin Jol when both were at Spurs, is keen to work with the Dutchman again.

With a fee of £5 million being quoted, does anyone share the opinion that it could be a great deal or are you in the camp that believes it`s a lot of cash for a player of that age?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=291897#ixzz256EmONkT

[WhiteJC]

 
Boat Missed!
   
It looks like it is a subject I can harp on about no longer!

My desire to see Fulham take a risk and bring Jordan Rhodes to Craven Cottage looks to be fools gold now.

It`s being reported, by numerous sources, that Blackburn Rovers have resurrected a deal to take the striker, who scored 40 goals last season and who already has 3 this season, to Ewood Park.

There`s talk of an £8 million transfer fee for the 22 year-old coupled with a weekly salary of £35,000 a week.

Is it an opportunity missed?

I guess only time will tell!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=291898#ixzz256ExyXfs

[WhiteJC]

 
Nothing Happening!
   
Having lost Moussa Dembele, one news source is implying that we wasted no time in trying to secure the services of his successor but, unfortunately, failed.

The story being touted around is that Fulham made an unsuccessful approach for Mark Noble but were met with a no-go from his current club, West Ham United.

Noble, at 25 years of age, would have been a sound investment but obviously West Ham perceives the midfielder as being a key cog in their quest to maintain their Premier League status this season.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=291899#ixzz256F9tPW8

[WhiteJC]

 
West Ham Battle Fulham For Ajax Forward Miralem Sulejmani


London clubs fighting it out for services of Serbian forward.

Fulham and West Ham are battling it out to sign Ajax forward Miralem Sulejmani.

The Dutch giants have signalled that they are prepared to cash in on the Serbia international before the transfer window closes.

West Ham have made a bid for the 23-year-old and a deal to take him to Upton Park is understood to be almost done.

But Fulham have entered the fray for the forward, who played under Martin Jol during the Craven Cottage manager's 18 months in charge of the Amsterdam club.

West Ham agreed a deal to sign the versatile forward on a season-long loan two years ago but it fell through after the Serbian was denied a work permit.

They have, however, reignited their interest in the wide attacker, who can operate on either side of a centre-forward, as boss Sam Allardyce attempts to bring greater creativity to his front line before Friday night's deadline.

SOURCE: Goal.com

Ajax forward Miralem Sulejmani could be lining-up alongside Dimitar Berbatov in an all-new strike force for Fulham this weekend, should Fulham be able to sign the Serbian hit-man from under the noses of London rivals West Ham.

The Hammers appeared in pole position to secure a deal for the 23-year-old before the close of the transfer window at midnight on Friday, and may still get their man, but late interest from Fulham could entice the Serb to opt against east London and instead team-up again with Fulham boss Martin Jol.

This news could have Fulham fans feeling slightly uneasy, however, as a pairing of Berbatov and Sulejmani up front, while promising the potential for bags of goals and class, will also combine two players renowned for their lazy nature and lack of effort on the pitch.

While the situation with Clint Dempsey has forced Fulham boss Jol to look at no alternative but to sell the American in the next 24-hours, Fulham fans could yet wish that Fulham had been able to hold on to the man who worked so hard for the team in his time in South-West London.


http://www.caughtoffside.com/2012/08/30/west-ham-battle-fulham-for-ajax-forward-miralem-sulejmani/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Agent Confirms Berbatov Is Officially A Fulham Player
by LORK on AUGUST 30, 2012


Berbatov and Jol worked together at Tottenham Hotspur

UPDATE  - Quotes from Berbatov's agent, sourced from here: "[Dimitar Berbatov] has passed medical tests and then signed with Fulham. Since yesterday we informed you [Blitz News Agency] that he firmly chose Fulham. Now is that everything is one hundred percent complete. Today was purely formal. Explained some minor details, then remained reviews. Berbatov wish success in his new team. Martin Jol very happy because after Tottenham two will work together again"

It now seems just a matter of when Fulham want to make an announcement to confirm the signing of Dimitar Berbatov from Manchester United for a fee of reportedly around £4m, after his agent reveals to Bulgarian media that the striker has passed his medical and has officially become a Fulham player.

Earlier today Martin Jol announced in his press conference that the 31 year old was undergoing a medical at Fulham, notorious for being especially stringent, and it seems it was just a formality as Berbatov completed it, having agreed a deal with the London club following interest from Fiorentina and Italian champions Juventus.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2012/08/agent-confirms-berbatov-is-officially-a-fulham-player/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Biggest ever! Jol pays tribute to Berbatov as Fulham boss pulls off major coup

Fulham manager Martin Jol has hailed Dimitar Berbatov as the biggest signing in the club's history.

Berbatov snubbed offers from Juventus and Fiorentina  to join his former Tottenham boss in a £5million deal and lifted spirits at the club after the £15m sale of Mousa Dembele to Tottenham.


Short but sweet: Fulham have beaten Juventus and Fiorentina to Dimitar Berbatov

The Bulgarian has not played for Manchester United this season and has not started a game since February but he could be involved at West Ham on Saturday.

Jol said: 'With good players you have to pay good money but we have made steps over the last couple of years.

'There were a lot of clubs  interested in Dimitar. We were able and capable of getting him and I'm not lying, he's here.

'I tried to do something months ago and it didn't come off and I came back. For him it was the right moment to make a decision and he made that decision for us.

'I'm very, very happy and I think our fans will be very happy and proud because it's probably the biggest signing in the history of Fulham.'

Jol was Tottenham  manager when Berbatov arrived  at White Hart Lane for £11m  from Bayer Leverkusen in 2006 but had been sacked by the time  the striker was sold to  Manchester United for £30m two years later.

'In my final period at Spurs, I said, "He will go over my dead body",' recalled Jol. 'We had a good relationship and he knows that he will enjoy his football here. Hopefully, he can score his goals and we have other good players around him.'


Reunited: Martin Jol signed Berbatov from Bayer Leverkusen for Spurs in 2006

Berbatov's decision to sign for Fulham did not go down well with Fiorentina or Juventus, who both believed they had struck agreements with the striker.

Juventus director general Beppe Marotta said: 'Berbatov certainly did not make a good impression on anyone and it was an unprofessional way to behave, so we agree with Fiorentina that it's best he didn't come here.'

Fulham are also keen to sign Sunderland's 27-year-old  midfielder Kieran Richardson.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2196046/Dimitar-Berbatov-Fulhams-biggest-signing.html#ixzz256GMZPzj

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham secure £5m deal for Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov
• Bulgarian's wages set to compromise Fulham pay structure
• Manchester City sign Swansea's Scott Sinclair for £6.2m


Fulham have landed Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov for £5m but are faced
with £110,000-a-week wage demands.
Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

Fulham pulled off a coup with one day remaining in the transfer window as Dimitar Berbatov joined from Manchester United for £5m.

Berbatov Thursday takingcompleted a medical at Fulham with Martin Jol also confident of signing Sunderland's Kieran Richardson.

Berbatov had infuriated Fiorentina on Wednesday by deciding against a move after boarding a plane to seal the deal. before the Bulgarian He also turned down Juventus.

While his £5m price represents a bargain for a 31-year-old who cost United a record £30.75m, Berbatov's £110,000-a-week wage demands will compromise Fulham's pay structure, which has a £50,000 ceiling.

Jol said: "For good players you have to pay good money. There were a lot of clubs interested in Dimitar but we were able and capable of getting him. He is finishing his medical and, if everything is good, he will be one of our players."

Moussa Dembélé was sold to Tottenham Hotspur for £15m on Wednesday but Jol said that Fulham's finances were robust enough to have kept the midfielder. "We are a healthy club. We didn't need the Dembélé money," he said. Regarding Richardson he added: "A fee has been agreed and I'm confident it will happen before the deadline. I see him playing as a winger."

Manchester City and Swansea have agreed a £6.2m fee – climbing to a possible £8m – for Scott Sinclair, with City raising eyebrows by signing Richard Wright, the former Arsenal goalkeeper, on a free transfer. While City would not confirm Wright's arrival he was part of the club's official photoshoot.

Adam Johnson, whom Sinclair has replaced at the Eithad Stadium, has criticised the City manager, Roberto Mancini. Johnson, who moved to Sunderland earlier in the week, said: "As soon as I spoke to Martin [O'Neill, the Sunderland manager] he gave me confidence. He's a manager I can have a good relationship with. He made me feel wanted.

" "It's always nice to be praised as well as criticised. You can only take so much criticism and no praise as a player, it doesn't matter who you are. You have to have that balance.

"The last few weeks, I've done a lot of thinking. Leaving the champions was one of the biggest decisions of my life but hopefully coming here will make me a better player. Martin O'Neill doesn't want us to just be a mid-table team – and I want to play week in, week out. Coming here, I know I can enjoy playing football again."


http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/aug/30/fulham-manchester-united-dimitar-berbatov?

[WhiteJC]

 
Duff keen to end career in LOI

IRISH Premier League star Damien Duff may have retired from international soccer but he says he has plenty left in the tank for a stint in the League of Ireland – and he's definite that he will end his career playing in his native land.

The versatile 33-year-old spoke with Newstalk 106's Ken Early tonight and revealed his intentions to play in the League of Ireland before he hangs up his boots.

Fulham ace Duff said he would like to join a team in the League and, when pressed by a slightly incredulous Early, said that he was "1 million percent" sure that a League of Ireland stint would happen.

Duff said that he has never had any close ties to any club in the League – admitting that Manchester United and Ryan Giggs attracted his support as he grew up – and would be open to any offers.

The only club he jokingly ruled out was Dublin's Shamrock Rovers. He explained, "Probably won't be Shamrock Rovers. I played there for Newcastle United and I was slaughtered for 90 minutes. They probably wouldn't have me anyway."

His roots in the south of Dublin may lead him to renew acquaintances with north Wicklow club Bray Wanderers as he has a strong friendship with the club's director of football, Pat Devlin.

With money and contracts hardly likely to be sticking points in any future deals, anything is possible for the Ireland legend when he decides to move back home to end his career.



http://www.extratime.ie/newsdesk/articles/8824/duff-keen-to-end-career-in-loi/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Sunderland or Arsenal for Clint Dempsey ?

Sunderland are believed to be the latest club to have made an enquiry over the availability of Fulham forward Clint Dempsey. Martin O'Neill is an admirer if the United States international and is attempting to follow up the signings of Adam Johnson and Steven Fletcher by completing a late deal for Dempsey.


Dempsey has not been involved in the Cottagers' first three games of the new season after reportedly informing Martin Jol that he did not wish to play for the club again.

Liverpool have been heavily linked with a move for the United States international but have so far not made an official offer for Dempsey. This has resulted in Fulham reporting the Reds to the FA about their attempts to sign the 29-year-old by letting their interest be known in the media. It is now believed that Fulham do not wish to do business with Liverpool as a result of this incident.

Another club that have been linked with Dempsey is Arsenal and they are believed to have been Dempsey's preferred choice all summer after he spoke of his desire to play in the UEFA Champions League with a 'Top 4′ club. Manager Arsene Wenger may believe that Dempsey could add some much needed firepower to his stuttering forward line after seeing his team draw 2 blanks in their opening two Premier League matches. Should Arsenal complete the signing of Dempsey it would give his club a much needed boost and be a shot back across the bows at Liverpool who beat Wenger to the signature of Nuri Sahin last week.

But the Cottagers could do business with a other Premier League rivals after confirming that Sunderlandhave expressed an interest in the forward. Everton and Aston Villa have also been linked with Dempsey again this week, with both David Moyes and Paul Lambert being known admirers of the Forwards abilities.

Dempsey who scored 23 goals in 46 games last season for the cottagers is believed to be available for a fee of around £8m which could drop as we move towards the deadline at 11pm tonight.


http://footyscene.com/?p=958

[WhiteJC]

 
LAWRO'S PREDICTION

West Ham v Fulham (12:45 BST)

If you cast your mind back to when Bolton got back into the Premier League under Sam Allardyce, he identified games in different categories and I think he will regard this as a must-win for his Hammers side.

There has been more criticism of Allardyce from the West Ham fans this week. This won't go away, and every time they lose he will get it - that is just the way fans are.

But do they want to try to play glorious football and play in the Championship or do they want to eventually establish themselves in the Premier League?

Fulham came very close to claiming a point at Old Trafford last weekend. Mousa Dembele is a big loss for the Cottagers.

With Clint Dempsey not playing at the moment it means they have lost two of their outstanding players from last year.

But Martin Jol is a good manager and the club is well run. They are good at home but they need to improve their away form.

Prediction: 2-1

Lawro on Matt Jarvis
"Matt Jarvis is a good player. You can see what Allardyce is doing. Jarvis will supply the crosses and they will probably sign another big centre forward. They may even have Andy Carroll by the time this game gets played."



http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19362839

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol: Still no offers for Dempsey

Martin Jol says Fulham have still not received an offer for Clint Dempsey, but expects the midfielder to leave Craven Cottage before the transfer window closes.

Dempsey has made it clear that he wants to leave Fulham, with Liverpool a likely destination, although Sunderland have also been linked with the USA international.

However, while Jol revealed the club are in talks with a number of interested clubs, he has warned that the Cottagers are not willing to negotiate on a price.

"With Dempsey there is still nothing on the table," Jol said. "Of course we are talking to different clubs but it is up to him. You know his desire to go to a Champions League club.

"It is always difficult in football, there are different clubs with different scenarios and different options. We know exactly what we want and if other clubs come up with the right deal we will probably do it."



Read more at http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/167698.html?CMP=OTC-RSS#xQjpHWlKULolK761.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Berbatov Set to Return to Bulgarian National Team - Report


After years of staying away, Bulgaria's star striker, Dimitar Berbatov, might
finally come back the the Bulgarian national football team. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's star striker, Dimitar Berbatov, and now member of the UK Fulham, might be joining again the Bulgarian national football team.

The team's coach, Lyuboslav Penev, has sent an official summon to Berbatov to play for Bulgaria in the World Qualifier on September 7th, according to an exclusive article of the Bulgarian Trud (Labor) daily.

The summon has been mailed by the Bulgarian Football Union, BFS, at the beginning of the week and for this reason it has been addressed to Manchester United, now Berbatov's former team. According to FIFA rules, the letter will be automatically redirected to Fulham.

Trud further writes that BFS are keeping the move as a deep secret, adding it seems likely Penev has been successful in convincing Berbatov to come back. Reports emerged as early as December 2011, immediately after Penev's appointment at the post, about private meetings and phone calls between the two.

Meanwhile, the striker's agent, Emil Danchev, confirmed officially that the player has officially joined the UK Fulham football club.

Danchev further informed that the striker has successfully passed all medical exams and, after four seasons at Old Trafford with Man U, will now continue his professional career with Fulham.

Berbatov was called to Craven Cottage by former coach Martin Jol and decided to complete the move from Manchester United despite interest from the Italian Juventus and Fiorentina.

He was reportedly on a flight to Florence to sign with Fiorentina when it emerged that he had received an offer from Juventus while other football clubs in Europe were also showing interest in him.

The striker never even reached Florence for negotiations. In the aftermath, Fiorentina blasted the Bulgarian, saying he did not deserve their jersey.

Berbatov made headlines in Italian press as "double traitor" and "most hated person in Italy.

Ironically enough, the game on September 7 is against Italy.


http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=142796

[WhiteJC]

 
West Ham - Fulham Preview: Carroll poised to make Hammers debut following loan switch
Sam Allardyce will be looking for a response from his players after a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Swansea while Martin Jol will be without Moussa Dembele after he joined Spurs


Getty Images

PROBABLE LINEUPS

WEST HAM
Jaaskelainen
Demel, Tomkins, Collins, McCartney
Noble, Diame
Vaz Te, Nolan, Jarvis
Carroll

FULHAM
Schwarzer
Riether, Hughes, Hangeland, Briggs
Duff, Diarra, Sidwell, Kacaniklic
Rodallega, Petric

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce could hand a debut to Andy Carroll following his loan move from Liverpool, with the striker possibly replacing Carlton Cole as the club's main striking option.

The Hammers failed to impress in their last Premier League match, losing 3-0 to Swansea City, and further changes could take place as they seek more of a goal threat. Kevin Nolan may drop back into midfield with Ricardo Vaz Te coming in.

As for the Cottagers, Martin Jol will be forced into making at least one change from the side which lost 3-2 at Manchester United following Moussa Dembele's £15 million move to Tottenham, with Steve Sidwell possibly taking his spot.

Bryan Ruiz suffered a muscle injury against the Red Devils and Hugo Rodallega could get a start alongside Mladen Petric upfront. Meanwhile John Arne Riise (muscle), Philippe Senderos (foot) and Kerim Frei (pelvis) all remain sidelined.

   DID YOU KNOW?
Hammers newboy Andy Carroll (pictured right), scored 14 goals in 33 Premier League appearances for Newcastle United but just 6 in 44 top-flight games for Liverpool.

Sam Allardyce has a 53.70 win percentage since taking over at the club - winning 29, drawing 14 and losing 11 of his 54 matches.

West Ham's highest-ever league attendance came back on October 17 1970, when 42,322 attended a match against Tottenham Hotspur.

Both sides have scored in their last six Premier League meetings against each other.

Fulham's only win at Upton Park in the Premier League was back in 2001-02 season - when they ran out 2-0 winners.

Mladen Petric, who played under Martin Jol when the pair were at Hamburg, has scored 12 goals in 44 international games for Croatia.


http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/80836/west-ham-vs-fulham/preview

[WhiteJC]

 
FM Preview: West Ham United v Fulham 01 Sep 2012

This week FootyMad's match preview focuses on the game between West Ham United and Fulham at 12:45 on 1st September 2012 in the Premier League.

History of the West Ham United v Fulham fixture

Fulham face a trip to West Ham United at Boleyn Ground at lunchtime on Saturday, hoping to improve upon an average previous return from this fixture. Of the 42 games played, Cottagers have recorded 10 wins, and West Ham United have come away with 21 victories.

The most recent encounter between these two sides at Boleyn Ground was was two seasons ago, in October 2010, where the two sides shared the spoils courtesy of a 1-1 final scoreline in a Premier League match.

Recent encounters between the teams
Season   Date   Team   Result   Team   Comp
2010/2011   Sun 26 Dec   Fulham   1 - 3   West Ham Utd.   Premier League
2010/2011   Sat 02 Oct   West Ham Utd.   1-1   Fulham   Premier League
2009/2010   Sun 02 May   Fulham   3 - 2   West Ham Utd.   Premier League
2009/2010   Sun 04 Oct   West Ham Utd.   2 - 2   Fulham   Premier League
2008/2009   Sun 18 Jan   West Ham Utd.   3 - 1   Fulham   Premier League
2008/2009   Sat 27 Sep   Fulham   1 - 2   West Ham Utd.   Premier League
2007/2008   Sat 23 Feb   Fulham   0 - 1   West Ham Utd.   Premier League

Recent respective form guides
West Ham United are unbeaten in their last six home games, winning five of them, and drawing the other one. In this time, Hammers have rattled up an impressive 17 goals, and conceded 4.

Fulham have an average recent record on the road, winning 2 of the last six, but losing the other 4. While the Cottagers have hit 6 goals, 10 have hit the back of the wrong net.

West Ham United's 3 points from 2 games sees them lie inside the top half of the table, in 10th position.

Fulham lie just outside the playoff positions in the Barclays Premier League, picking up 3 from their 2 games so far.

Current overall team form
Team   P   W   D   L   F   A   P
West Ham United   6   5   0   1   10   4   15
Fulham   6   3   0   3   10   7   9

FootyMad's prediction ...
FootyMad see this game edging towards a narrow win for the Hammers, as the Cottagers have been none too clever on the road in recent matches. Home win

Sequence statistics
Team   Sequences
West Ham United   Won 5 successive home games.
6 games since last home draw.
Not drawn a match in their last 8 .

Fulham   Lost each of the previous 3 away matches.
Not won in previous 3 away matches.
An overall losing run of 2 games.
No win in the 2 most recent games.


http://www.fulham-mad.co.uk/news/prev/fm_preview_west_ham_united_v_fulham_01_sep_2012_755215/index.shtml?

[WhiteJC]

 
Carroll in line to make West Ham debut against Fulham
Andy Carroll has arrived at Upton Park early enough to feature in the London derby

Andy Carroll is expected to start for West Ham against Fulham and it is 6/4 that he helps lead his new club to victory in the first London derby of the season.

Carroll has joined from Liverpool on a season-long loan, with the option of making the deal permanent at the end of the campaign for a fee thought to be of £17m.

However, the England striker will have to impress at Upton Park first and given the speed in which he made his arrival, his first opportunity is likely to be against Fulham.

Carroll will need to have completed all of the relevant paperwork by midday on deadline day to feature and he headed to London a day early by helicopter to speed through the process.

This will allow him to train with the West Ham squad in their final session before Fulham and manager Sam Allardyce may opt to pick him immediately.

Carroll formed a decent partnership with Hammers skipper Kevin Nolan at Newcastle, with the pair scoring 34 league goals between them in the Championship in the 2009/10 campaign.

West Ham looked naive from an attacking sense in their latest outing at Swansea and were arguably not much better when beating Aston Villa on the opening day.

The other player expected to make a West Ham debut is Matt Jarvis after arriving from Wolves and his partnership with Carroll could be key.

Jarvis delivered more crosses than any other player in the Premier League last season, while Carroll top the charts for headed goals, meaning that this partnership has every possibility of flourishing.



http://news.ladbrokes.com/en-gb/football/premier-league/carroll-in-line-to-make-west-ham-debut-against-fulham_115823.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Duff to end playing career in Airtricity League

The versatile 33-year-old was speaking to Newstalk's Ken Early on the Off the Ball radio show on Thursday night and revealed his intentions to play in the League of Ireland before he hangs up his boots.

Fulham winger Duff said he would like to join a team in the League of Ireland and when pressed said that he was "1 million percent" sure that he would play in the League of Ireland.

Duff admitted that he never supported a League of Ireland club growing up and that he only had as for Manchester United and Ryan Giggs growing up.

The only club he jokingly ruled out was Dublin's Shamrock Rovers. He explained, "Probably won't be Shamrock Rovers. I played there for Newcastle United and I was slaughtered for 90 minutes. They probably wouldn't have me anyway."

His roots in the south of Dublin may lead him to renew acquaintances with north Wicklow club Bray Wanderers as he has a strong friendship with the club's director of football, Pat Devlin.

With money and contracts not likely to be sticking points in any future deals, anything is possible for the Ireland legend when he decides to move back home to end his career.


http://www.sportsnewsireland.com/soccer_irish/124129/?

[FulhamMic]

Berbatov's £110,000-a-week wage demands will compromise Fulham's pay structure, which has a £50,000 ceiling.

There's absolutely no way on earth we're paying £110,000 a week for Berbatov. Especially when there are clearly conflicting reports, which also seem more in-line with the deal Fiorentina were rumoured to be offering:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/manchester-united-striker-dimitar-berbatov-1289858

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol eyes another striker after Berbatov capture

MARTIN Jol still hopes to add another striker to his Fulham squad after landing Dimitar Berbatov.

The Whites are expected to wrap up the signing of the Manchester United frontman this morning in time for tomorrow's trip to West Ham.

Berbatov will become the third forward to arrive at Craven Cottage this summer, following the capture of Mladen Petric and Hugo Rodallega.

However, boss Jol still wants to boost his firepower before the window slams shut at 11pm tonight.

He said: "We always had four or five [strikers] but we lost them. Now we are okay there but we could still do something in that area in the next day.

"If you play with two [frontmen], you need four, and if you play with one you could get away with three."

The Dutchman is also closing in on the signing of Sunderland winger Kieran Richardson.

But Jol still wants to strengthen his midfield following the departure of Moussa Dembele to Spurs earlier this week.

And he insists there's cash available to bolster his squad.

He added: "We had money before that. We're a healthy clubs so we didn't need the Dembele money."



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2012/08/31/82029-31733397/?#ixzz256hW7lcT

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham without Dembele could still prove dangerous

West Ham look to bounce back from their heavy defeat in Swansea by beating Fulham in Saturday's London derby

There were many that tipped Fulham to go down this season.

They had let the experienced Danny Murphy and Dickson Etuhu leave, while star striker Clint Dempsey refused to play after expressing a great need to play for Liverpool instead.

But in two games this season, Martin Jol has already proved that there is life after those three at Craven Cottage.

They opened up their season with a remarkable 5-0 drubbing of Norwich City and then gave Manchester United a huge fright at Old Trafford before going down fighting at 3-2. Though Tuesday's Capital One Cup defeat at Sheffield Wednesday was certainly a set-back.

Jol has added to his squad with Hugo Rodallega coming from Wigan Athletic and Sascha Rietler arriving on loan from Cologne, but perhaps the most significant has been Mladen Petric who he signed from Hamburg.

Petric began with two class strikes against hapless Norwich City and also caused problems for Manchester United and he will be the one to watch.

Moussa Dembele has departed to Spurs to weaken their midfield, but Brian Ruiz has filled Dempsey's boots adequately so far and Rodallega has waited on the bench.

Last time the two met at Upton Park it was honours even as Freddie Piquionne equalised Dempsey's opener, though back in 2009 goals from David Di Michele, Mark Noble and Carlton Cole gave West Ham all the points in a 3-1 win.

Fulham's last victory at Upton Park was in an FA Cup tie back in 2004 when Luis Boa Morte was among their scorers in a 3-0 win.

Both teams sit on three points from two games and Fulham will certainly come along the District Line confident that they can swipe their Oyster Cards on the way back with three points attached.

That could help out the Hammers though, who may be able to hit the Cottagers on the break.

The defeat at Swansea may have knocked a bit of the stuffing out of them, but they certainly shouldn't lose this live TV game on Saturday.

Then again, they might not win it.

Possible team: Schwarzer, Briggs, Hangeland, Hughes, Riether, Duff, Diarra, Kacaniklik, Petric, Ruiz, Trotta.

Prediction: West Ham 1 Fulham 1


http://www.london24.com/sport/west-ham/fulham_without_dembele_could_still_prove_dangerous_1_1498856?