News:

Use a VPN to stream games Safely and Securely 🔒
A Virtual Private Network can also allow you to
watch games Not being broadcast in the UK For
more Information and how to Sign Up go to
https://go.nordvpn.net/SH4FE

Main Menu


Friday Fulham Stuff (05/10/12)...

Started by WhiteJC, October 05, 2012, 04:38:21 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

WhiteJC

 
Barclays U21s: Fulham set to field first-teamers against Chelsea

Several first-teamers set to face Chelsea at Craven Cottage in Barclays U21 Premier League

The latest set of fixtures in the Barclays U21 Premier League starts with a West London derby at Craven Cottage.

Fulham take on Chelsea looking for a win that would move them from the bottom of Group 3 and several first-team players may feature, says coach Kit Symons, under the rule that allows three over-age outfield players to take part.

New Iranian signing Ashkan Dejagah will play, as may Kerim Frei and Philippe Senderos.

"We're looking forward to the game, the matches against Chelsea are always that bit more special because it's a derby fixture," Symons told fulhamfc.com. "We could have a few first-team players involved; ones that the manager believes need a bit of a run-out."

Chelsea U21 manager Dermot Drummy says Lucas Piazon will play after starring in the 6-0 Capital One Cup victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers last week.

"Lucas was fantastic against Wolves in the Capital One Cup, it is not easy for a player to come in for the first time and sustain the level he did,' Drummy told chelseafc.com. "Fulham away at Craven Cottage is going to be a tough game but it is the challenge that is going to make the players improve."

Tickets to the match, which kicks off at 7pm, are available at £3 for adults, £1 for concessions. Fulham season ticket-holders can attend for free by showing their ticket. Call 0843 208 1234 (option 3) or drop in person to the Ticket Office or purchase at the gate.

Premierleague.com will have more information on Monday's fixtures over the weekend.



http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/news/barclays-u21-league-051012-preview.html?

WhiteJC

 
Jol closes in on midfielder swoop

Fulham are on the verge of sealing a short-term deal for Senegal international Mickael Tavares as they look to bolster their midfield.

The 29-year-old is a free agent and therefore eligible to join the Cottagers outside of the transfer window at a time when manager Martin Jol is down to the bare bones in the middle of the park.

Jol has been desperate to draft in additional personnel after seeing fellow midfielder Mahamadou Diarra ruled out for up to five months after damaging cruciate ligaments.

Tavares has been looking for a new club for some time after being released by Hamburg, where he will have worked previously with the Fulham boss during the Dutchman's own stint with the German side, and has been handed a contract initially until January.

The defensive stopper is no stranger to English football himself either, having enjoyed a lengthy loan spell with Middlesbrough in 2010/2011, where he played 12 times.



http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/jol-closes-in-on-midfielder-swoop-1480069.html?

WhiteJC

 
Hammer Down Under: Fulham and Australia must plan for post-Schwarzer life


Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer picks up a bird on the pitch.
Picture: Dave Thompson/PA Wire


Our West Ham blogger takes a trip to Craven Cottage to watch an Australian legend

With West Ham given the weekend off by Sky broadcasters I thought I would head down to Fulham at home to Manchester City to get my Saturday football fix.

As I jumped off the tube at Putney Bridge and made the ten minute stroll through the park to the old, boutique ground I could hear some fans from afar singing, "One Mark Schwarzer!"

It had me thinking, Mark has been an outstanding keeper for club and country for two decades but for how long will there only be one Mark Schwarzer?

The Australian will celebrate his 40th birthday tomorrow but for how long can he still play at the top level.

Schwarzer, whose parents emigrated down under from Germany, earns the right to still be first choice at club and country but should both managers be putting in contingency plans for when the Australian calls it a day?

In David Stockdale Fulham manager Martin Jol has a more than capable replacement with the 27 year old impressing when standing in for the Australian and has even been called up to previous England squads.

The same goes at national team level with Adam Federici from Reading waiting in the wings to become the first choice keeper for the Socceroos.

Federici has already made seven caps for his country and replaced Schwarzer at half time in the August friendly with Scotland at Easter Road.

It won't be long before Australia manager Holger Osieck has a selection headache on whom to give the number one shirt to – especially if the Socceroos' poor World Cup qualifying form continues.

From three games so far Australia has yet to post a victory, with two draws and one goal with a daunting trip to the Middle East to face Iraq next week.

Schwarzer can take American Brad Friedel as a source of inspiration though, as the 41 year old is still the number one choice at Tottenham Hotspur despite the signing of French international Hugo Lloris.

The Australian will see the Asian Cup on home soil in 2015 as a possible swansong after hopefully guiding the Socceroos to the World Cup finals in Brazil a year earlier.

By that point the goalkeeper will be almost 43 years old and it remains to be seen as to whether Schwarzer will still be at the top of his game

That's why it's this blogger's opinion that both Jol and Osieck should have plans in place for the next shot stopper to step in – even some of the best players have to retire at some point.

It is no disrespect to the great man who has impressive for many years in the Premier League, in Europe as well as at two World Cups.

He is already down in Australian folklore for his two saves in the penalty shootout against Uruguay to guide Australia to the World Cup finals in Germany for the first time in 32 years.

On Saturday against Manchester City the Australian pulled off a number of fine saves against an attacking force but both club and country need to be ready for the great man to retire.

For the time being the veteran shows no sign of doing that.



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/hammer_down_under_fulham_and_australia_must_plan_for_post_schwarzer_life_1_1573015?


WhiteJC

 
Fulham set to sign midfielder

Fulham are set to sign midfielder Mickael Tavares on a short-term deal.

The 29-year-old worked with Jol at Hamburg and spent time on loan at Middlesbrough and is currently without a club.

"Tavares is a back-up player for me on a short-term contract. Hopefully in an hour or so we will have a deal with him," Jol said on Friday afternoon.

"It is almost a done deal because I had seven midfield players when I came and I now have only two."



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/fulham_set_to_sign_midfielder_1_1573109?

WhiteJC

 
Team News

In his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon, Martin Jol revealed that Dimitar Berbatov is recovering from injury ahead of schedule, but is still unlikely to feature against Southampton on Sunday.

"We've still got Dimi on the injury list so I don't think he will play," our Manager admitted. "It's 90 per cent that he won't. I spoke to the medical staff and I don't feel he will be involved but we will see on Saturday."

"[Mahamadou] Diarra of course is still injured and Simon Davies had hip surgery so he will be out for months. Two weeks ago he dropped out [of training] and needed surgery on his hip and he will be out for at least 10 weeks.

"And [Mladen] Petric will be a little doubt because he had a problem with his calf on Thursday so he had to drop out."

Fulham's Under-21s match against Chelsea on Friday evening gives several of our First Team squad the opportunity for match practice, as teams are allowed to field three overage outfield players.

"There are a few who will play 45 minutes," Jol explained. "[Ashkan] Dejagah will play with our development team and [Pajtim] Kasami, for example, will play so there are a few players coming back from injury so hopefully they will be involved next week.

"Kieran Richardson is back [for the Southampton game]. Philippe Senderos is playing on Friday for 45 minutes because I thought that was necessary. Kerim Frei is playing on Friday as well which will be his first game [of the season] and after that we'll have three or four more players available for the next month because we have an international week coming up again."

Bet Butler Match Odds

Our official betting partner Bet Butler have made Fulham slight favourites ahead of Sunday's game, putting a win for the Whites at 17/10.

Top goalscorer Damien Duff is a good price to open the scoring at 14-1 and for Fulham fans in confident mood, a 3-0 away win comes in at 39/1.

Visit Bet Butler's official website for all the odds.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/october/05/team-news?

WhiteJC

 
Southampton v Fulham: match preview
Read a full match preview of the Premier League game between Southampton and Fulham at St Mary's Stadium on Sunday Oct 7 29 2012, kick-off 13:30 BST.


Worry: Mladen Petric is a doubt for Fulham at Southampton
Photo: REUTERS


Sunday, October 7
Southampton v Fulham
St Mary's Stadium
Kick-off: 13.30 BST
TV: Live Sky Sports 1, Highlights BBC ONE Match of the Day2.


Southampton (Possible, 4-1-2-1-2): Gazziniga; Clyne, Yoshida, Fonte, Richardson; S Davis; Lallana, Ward-Prowse; Ramirez; Lambert, Rodriquez.
Out: Cork (knee).
Test: Fox (chest), Schneiderlin (knee).

Fulham (Possible, 4-3-3): Schwarzer; Riether, Hughes, Hangeland, Riise; Duff, Baird, Sidwell; Ruiz, Petric, Rodallega.
Out: Davies (hip), Diarra (knee).
Tests: Petric (calf), Berbatov (thigh).

Referee: Mark Clattenburg. Matches 3, R1 Y13.

Team News
Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin could return for Sunday's Premier League clash with Fulham after a knee injury.

The French midfielder missed last weekend's defeat at Everton with the complaint but was back in training on Friday.

Jack Cork faces a bit longer out with an injury to his left knee, but goalkeeper Artur Boruc could be involved for the first time after playing for the Under-21s this week.

Meanwhile, Fulham striker Mladen Petric is a doubt for the trip to the south coast, with a calf problem.

The Croatia international suffered the injury in training on Friday and his absence would be another blow for the Cottagers, whose manager Martin Jol gives Dimitar Berbatov only a 10 per cent chance of figuring on Sunday.

Simon Davies and Mahamadou Diarra are also sidelined, but Kieran Richardson returns. Ashkan Dejagah, Philippe Senderos, Pajtim Kasami and Kerim Frei could also be involved if they come through development team match on Friday night.

Match Notes
Southampton have conceded more goals than any other team in the Premier League and Nigel Adkins, the manager, has been working hard on the training field to improve that record.

The home side's confidence will be boosted by two successive league and cup victories at the St Mary's Stadium, a ground where Fulham have never won.

Martin Jol's team know stopping the in-form Rickie Lambert adding to his tally of four top-flight goals is crucial.

Betting: Home 13-8, Away 8-5, Draw 12-5.

Alex Crook's prediction: Southampton 2 Fulham 2.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/9587398/Southampton-v-Fulham-match-preview.html


WhiteJC

 
Southampton v FULHAM: Jol set to be without Berbatov and Petric in attack


Bright start: Mladen Petric has scored three goals in four games since joining Fulham in the summer

Fulham striker Mladen Petric is a doubt for the Barclays Premier League clash at Southampton with a calf problem.

The Croatia international suffered the injury in training today and his absence would be another blow for the Cottagers, whose manager Martin Jol gives Dimitar Berbatov (hip/upper thigh) only a 10 percent chance of figuring on Sunday.

Simon Davies (hip) and Mahamadou Diarra (knee) are also sidelined, but Kieran Richardson returns. Ashkan Dejagah, Philippe Senderos, Pajtim Kasami and Kerim Frei could also be involved if they come through Friday's development team match.

Provisional squad: Schwarzer, Stockdale, Riether, Kelly, Hangeland, Hughes, Senderos, Baird, Smith, Riise, Briggs, Sidwell, Duff, Richardson, Kacaniklic, Kasami, Karagounis, Frei, Dejagah, Ruiz, Petric, Rodallega, Trotta.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2213429/Southampton-v-FULHAM-Martin-Jol-set-Dimitar-Berbatov-Mladen-Petric-attack.html#ixzz28RKmvctA
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

WhiteJC

 
Berbatov Out Against Southampton; Only 10% Chance of Playing

Fulham's star attraction, and the Fantasy Premier League game's in-form bargain striker asset Dimitar Berbatov is set to miss out for the second straight game this weekend as manager Martin Jol has revealed that the Bulgarian has only a 10% chance of playing against Southampton.

Fellow Fulham striker Mladen Petric is a doubt with a calf injury, which means that Hugo Rodallega is the best bet to notch for Fulham this weekend on the road – against a Southampton team that has conceded the most goals in the Premier League.

Berbatov's physical state is one issue, but his mental state could be another, after it was reported that his brother was arrested in Bulgaria yesterday on a drug find.

Fantasy Premier League managers will hope Berbatov returns to fitness after the international break and not lose too much of his 7.1M value in the process as he provides a great third striker option long term in the official FPL game.


http://www.nevercaptainnickybutt.com/2012/10/berbatov-out-against-southampton-only-10-chance-of-playing.html?

WhiteJC

 
Senderos closes on Fulham comeback

PHILIPPE Senderos will step up his return from a foot injury with a run out for the reserves in tonight's clash with Chelsea.

The Fulham defender hasn't featured so far this season but is back in full training and closing in on a return to action.

And boss Martin Jol has pencilled in the Swiss centre-half for 45 minutes as he continues his rehab.

Ashkan Dejagah will also feature, as will Pajtim Kasami and Kerim Frei, as Jol looks to boost his options in the coming month.


He said: "There are a few who will play 45 minutes.

"Philippe Senderos is playing on Friday for 45 minutes because I thought that was necessary.

"[Ashkan] Dejagah will play with our development team and [Pajtim] Kasami, for example, will play so there are a few players coming back from injury so hopefully they will be involved next week.

Kerim Frei is playing on Friday as well which will be his first game [of the season] and after that we'll have three or four more players available for the next month because we have an international week coming up again."



Read More http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2012/10/05/82029-31975324/?#ixzz28RLRiebM


WhiteJC

 
Jol hits back at Zamora


Martin Jol claims he had good relationship with Mousa Dembele. Photo: PA

Fulham manager Martin Jol today hit back at the club's former striker Bobby Zamora for suggesting "the vast majority" of the west London club's squad do not like him.

The 31-year-old was sold to QPR at the end of January's transfer window after a period in which reports frequently suggested he did not get on with the former Tottenham boss.

Zamora broke his silence this week and claimed he was not the only one to have a problem with Jol, who was surprised that his former charge decided to make such comments.

"It is probably sour grapes," Jol said when asked about it today. "I think nothing is what it seems. Everyone knows me. The players know me so one player will say this, another player will say that.

"It doesn't matter. I don't care. For me, the most important thing is we get the results so you will have to ask the players.

"If they do well and work hard, I try to get a good relationship with them. If not, I don't.

"Insiders here know that this probably started after two weeks of me being here.

"There was a few leaks in the paper and I asked him and he said 'no, it wasn't me'. I knew it was him and his agent 100 percent.

"He said 'no, it wasn't me, I hate the press'. He hated defence and later said he hated crosses as well and that was the moment I thought 'maybe it is better to sell' and that is what we did."

Zamora was followed out of the club this summer by a number of key players, including Mousa Dembele, Clint Dempsey, Danny Murphy, Andrew Johnson and Dickson Etuhu.

Asked if he had an issue with any of those players, the normally-reserved Fulham boss added: "If you take Clint Dempsey, it is different from Mousa Dembele.

"Mousa was phoning me after his move and thanking me for everything. Every player is different.

"Clint wanted to move so then the relationship would not be great. Danny Murphy I wanted to keep so ask him. There were no issues at all.

"With Bobby it started after a couple of weeks. Everybody knew and now he has moved on.

"I don't think it is typically English to make comments after year or eight months.

"We moved on and it was not easy because I had to get another number nine.

"We did because (Pavel) Pogrebnyak scored as many goals in a couple of weeks as my other strikers did in six months.

"Later we got (Dimitar) Berbatov, who was probably our best signing ever, so people who know us, know Fulham and know me, knew it was quite a challenge here. In hindsight, you could say we managed to do well."

Zamora's comments were the main talking point at the press conference previewing Sunday's clash with Southampton.

Jol can welcome back Kieran Richardson from injury for the match but will have to do without Berbatov, Mahamadou Diarra and Simon Davies.

Mladen Petric is also a doubt for the trip to St Mary's after picking up an injury today.

"Dimi is still on the list so I don't think he will play," he said. "I am 90 percent certain he won't.

"Diarra is still injured, Simon Davies had hip surgery so will be out for months and Petric will be a little doubt because he had a little problem with his calf today so had to drop out."



http://www.itv.com/sport/football/article/2012-10-05/jol-hits-back-at-zamora/?

WhiteJC

 
The Big Match Tactical View: Southampton v Fulham

Michael Cox explores the probable strategies of Nigel Adkins and Martin Jol - he expects a few goals, but not many cards.

Southampton v Fulham, Sunday 1:30, Sky Sports 1.

Match Odds: Southampton 2.8, Fulham 2.78, The Draw 3.5.

It's rare to find a match as evenly-balanced as this. Both sides are currently trading at around 2.8, as no-one knows who the favourites are here. I expect goals, however, because these two sides are amongst the most attack-minded in the Premier League.

Southampton's task this season is to score more than the steady stream of goals they're likely to concede - the problem is not the individuals in the back four, more the lack of protection they receive from the midfield. The wide players are slow to get back and protect the full-backs, and this should play into the hands of Fulham's wingers. Hugo Rodallega, Alexander Kacaniklic and Kieran Richardson have all started on the left so far this season, but Damien Duff has been a fixture on the right - he's scored three goals from eight shots this season, and will be a threat ducking inside.

Martin Jol has a decision to make upfront - he has four fine strikers to choose from - Dimitar Berbatov, Bryan Ruiz, Mladen Petric and Rodallega. I think he'll want speed high up the pitch - if he saw how Gervinho and Lukas Podolski tear apart the Southampton defence a couple of weeks ago, he'll want pace and movement into the channels. Rodallega is probably the man for that, and might be a decent bet for first goalscorer.

Fulham's midfield has become more cautious since Moussa Dembele's departure, with Chris Baird generally partnering Steve Sidwell in the centre of midfield - whereas Dembele's presence made Fulham fluid and unpredictable, now the attacking is left to the front four.

Southampton have become more attacking since the opening day, with Gaston Ramirez providing another source of creativity. Nigel Adkins has been brave in playing the Uruguayan as a central playmaker rather than out on the right - he now has to find the right balance on the flanks, with Adam Lallana on the left, and either Jason Puncheon or Jay Rodriguez on the right. Both provide directness to compliment Lallana's tendency to drift inside - and Adkins will look to test John Arne Riise's pace.

I can't look past over 2.5 goals. There's been overs in Fulham's last six Premier League games, and in Southampton's last four - and while 1.8 reflects the likelihood of a few goals, I'm still prepared to back at that price.

I'm also interested in the cards market - both sides have impressive disciplinary records of just four yellow cards from their six matches so far. When you explore the stats further, the reason becomes clear - Southampton have conceded only 7.7 fouls per game, the least in the Premier League. Fulham have committed 8.7, the third-fewest (Manchester United sandwich them, for the record).

Mark Clattenburg has shown a few cards this season, averaging four yellows per match - but with two sides who rarely commit fouls, I think he'll struggle to find a reason to reach for his pocket here. Back five points and under at 3.0.

The biggest threat to this would be Morgan Schneiderlin, who compensates for the lack of defensive awareness elsewhere in midfield by playing an all-action role ahead of the back four. He's top in the 'interceptions per game' stat this season, and third on 'tackles per game'. He didn't start Southampton's previous match, however, so look to see if he's playing this weekend before venturing into any bookings markets.

Recommended bets:
Over 2.5 goals at 1.8
Under points in Bookings Odds at 3.0



http://betting.betfair.com/football/the-big-match-tactical-view-southampton-v-fulham-051012-60.html?

WhiteJC

 
Burn's Progress

Fulham youngster Dan Burn has experienced an eventful start to his initial one-month loan spell at League One Yeovil Town.

Thrown straight into the starting XI for his debut last weekend at Preston North End, Burn scored at both ends as the Glovers went down to a 3-2 loss at Deepdale.

He then began the next game for his Huish Park bow in a fixture which also ended in defeat – this time a 2-1 loss to Portsmouth on Tuesday.

He told fulhamfc.com: "It's going well, not results-wise, but I'm really enjoying going out and getting some first-team football, training and playing at a really good level and learning a new side of the game. It's a lot more physical and the pace is quicker."

The Northumberland-born defender continued: "Somerset is a long way from home. It's two and a half hours from London and I haven't even thought about how far it is from Newcastle.

"But my family were able to come and watch my debut at Preston as that's only a few hours from Newcastle."

Yeovil were trailing 2-1 to Preston, when former Darlington starlet Burn turned the ball into his own net. Less than 60 seconds later, however, the 20-year-old had gone up the other end to reduce the arrears with a firm header.

"It was a bit of a mad debut for me, to say the least," he reflected. "I found out the night before that I'd be playing and I was buzzing, I couldn't believe it. I've played in League Two before for Darlington but this was a higher level.

"We went 1-0 up quite early on through a penalty, but then we sat off them a bit and invited them onto us. They got a goal just after half-time and then made it 2-1.

"I couldn't have done anything about the own goal. The guy pulled it back across and it hit me and flew into the bottom corner. After that it was in my head that this wasn't the way I wanted to remember my debut and I went straight up the other end and scored."

Yeovil then slipped to a sixth successive home loss when they took on Pompey in midweek and Burn said: "It was disappointing. We tried a new formation with three at the back and we struggled a bit. The communication wasn't great between us.

"We changed it back to 4-4-2 at half-time and we did a lot better in the second half. We should have got something out of the game really. They were quite lucky with the winning goal - the lad just scuffed it into the bottom corner.

"We need to get out of this losing streak when we play Colchester United at home on Saturday. We're 16th in the table and they're one place below us so we really want to win."

Despite the defeats, Burn feels the loan stint is already paying dividends.

"I've definitely improved as a player already," he said. "It's very different to playing for Fulham's Under-21s where you're up against a lot of lads the same age. This is so different physically and you're playing against people who have played hundreds of games at this level.

"In my first game at Preston, I came off with cuts all over me. One of their lads also caught me with his elbow and bust my lip. It was like a 'welcome to League One' for me!

"While I'm here, I just to get as many games as I can and try and help Yeovil move up the table. We want to be pushing for the Play-Offs but obviously we're not doing it at the minute.

"The loan is initially for a month and then we'll see what happens. If they're happy with me, then it could go on for longer."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/october/05/burns-progress?


WhiteJC

 
Premier League: Southampton v Fulham match preview
A look ahead to this weekend's Premier League fixture at St Mary's

Southampton welcome Fulham to St Mary's Stadium on
Sunday and Saints boss Nigel Adkins will want a more defensively solid
performance from his side as they have let in an average of three goals a game
in their first six matches back in the top flight.

Adkins' cavalier approach has made for some entertaining clashes with the better sides in the league, but the leaky defence will have to tighten up if the south coast club are to have any chance of staying in the top flight.

Traditionally, opponents Fulham have been exceptional at home and woeful away, a trend that has continued this season. Fulham have scored nine of their 13 goals at Craven Cottage, including a 5-0 win over Swansea and 3-0 result against West Brom.



KICK-OFF: Sunday, 1.30pm



PAST THREE MEETINGS...

Southampton 3 (Phillips 2, Rosenior) Fulham 3 (Diop, Malbranque, Radzinski) Premier League, January 2005

Fulham 1 (Radzinski) Southampton 0, Premier League, September 2004

Southampton 0 Fulham 0, Premier League, February 2004



STATS...

With 18 goals, Southampton have conceded more than any other side in the league and are yet to record a clean sheet

The Saints have dropped nine points from winning positions this season.

Fulham are undefeated in their last five matches against Southampton in all competitions.



ODDS...

Southampton to win: 2.62

Fulham to win: 2.62

Draw: 3.4



TV: Live on Sky Sports at 1.30pm, highlights on BBC1 at 10.25pm


http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/premier-league-southampton-v-fulham-match-preview-8199882.html

WhiteJC

 
Bullard: Hull showed they wanted me, Fulham the other way

Former Fulham man admits he loved his time at the club, but Hull City showed more desire for his signature.

Jimmy Bullard has admitted that leaving Fulham was a very hard decision but the club, aware of his troubling knee, were cautious in offering him a deal while Hull City offered him "life-changing" terms.

The player spoke out about his career and, more importantly, his regrets, in an interview with talkSport after the announcement of his retirement from football.

Although he does admit that the Hull offer was practically too good to turn down, he holds a distinct affection for Fulham and was sad to leave the club at the time, and under the circumstances he did.

Asked if he regretted leaving Craven Cottage, Bullard said: "I did, yeah, I loved it there.

"I had fourteen months left on my contract and it was a bit of a nightmare position for me."

Behind the scenes, Fulham were understandably hesitant about offering the midfielder a new deal but, from the outside looking in, it looked distinctly like the former Wigan Athletic man was chasing money more than anything else.

It's a view, however, that the player is keen on disproving.

"I had a bad knee. I think Fulham were obviously a bit scared of giving me a new contract and Hull offered me a life-changing contract.

"Hull really, really, really showed that they wanted me and Fulham the other way really. At the time, it made my decision a lot easier."

Not that Bullard holds any disdain at his former club.

"My time at Fulham was absolutely fantastic. I loved it, and I still live ten minutes up the road from there so it's always been my home and my home club.

"So yeah, it was a hard decision."



http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2012/10/5/3460092/bullard-hull-wanted-me-fulham-ipswich-mkdons?

WhiteJC

 
Tavares Signs

Fulham Football Club is delighted to confirm the free transfer signing of out-of-contract defensive midfielder Mickael Tavares on a short-term deal.

The 29-year-old worked with Martin Jol at Hamburger SV during the second half of the 2008/09 Bundesliga season and has 25 caps at international level with Senegal.

Born in the Paris suburbs of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges in France, Tavares began his senior footballing career at SC Abbeville, scoring nine goals in 26 games in the 2002/03 season.

He then spent time at FC Nantes, FC Tours and Czech Republic outfit Slavia Prague, playing in the Champions League with the latter.

After two seasons in Prague, he headed to Jol's Hamburg in 2009. During his three years with the German club, he was sent on loan to FC Nuremberg and Middlesbrough.

He made 12 appearances for Boro in the Championship during the 2010/11 season, before returning to Hamburg.

He was available on a free transfer after leaving Hamburg in the summer.

Speaking at Fulham's Motspur Park Training Ground on Friday, Tavares said: "I'm happy that I'm now officially a Fulham player and I'm looking forward to playing under Martin Jol once more. The players and staff have made me feel welcome and I can't wait to get started with my new teammates."

Jol added: "Mickael is a typical holding midfielder and I'm delighted that we've been able to strengthen this area. He played for me when I was at Hamburg so I'm familiar with his qualities and he will prove to be a very good addition."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/october/05/tavares-signs?