Thursday Fulham Stuff (10/01/13)...

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Injury rules Diarra out of Mali squad

Injury has ruled out former captain Mahamadou Diarra from Mali's final Afcon squad

Injury has ruled out former captain Mahamadou Diarra from Mali's final squad for the African Nations Cup but they are taking Momo Sissoko, who has had little game time this season, to the tournament in South Africa.

Coach Patrice Carteron has been forced to leave out regulars Diarra, Abdou Traore from Girondins Bordeaux, Mustapha Yatabare of Guingamp and the Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Tongo Hamed Doumbia who were all unable to take part in the last week of preparation in Bamako.

But the coach, confirming his squad as Mali departed for the tournament on Wednesday, has had a change of heart over Serie A striker Mamadou Samassa, who was also injured but is now expected to recover by the time Mali meet Niger in their opening Group B game in Port Elizabeth on Jan. 20.

Samassa had been replaced in the preliminary squad by French-born Mana Dembele at the weekend but is now restored the final 23-man list.

Diarra's absence means the influential Fulham midfielder misses a second successive tournament, having played in four finals before that. He hurt a knee playing for Mali in the qualifiers against Botswana in September.\

Last week his club manager Martin Jol warned he would not make the finals. "He can't play for us and I don't think he'll be available for them," he told the Fulham website.

Paris St Germain's Sissoko, previously on the books at Liverpool and Juventus, has not played for Mali since the 2010 Nations Cup tournament in Angola.

This season he has competed in just three matches for his French club.

Mali also play the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ghana in their opening round group.

Mali Squad:

Goalkeepers: Soumbeyla Diakite (Stade Malien), Mamadou Samassa (Guingamp,), Aly Yirango (Djoliba AC)

Defenders: Adama Coulibaly (AJ Auxerre, France), Idrissa Coulibaly (Al Lekihwiya), Ousmane Coulibaly (Stade Brest), Salif Coulibaly (Djoliba), Fousseiny Diawara (AJ Ajaccio), Mahamadou Ndiaye (Vitoria Guimaraes), Adama Tamboura (Randers), Molla Wague (SM Caen)

Midfielders: Samba Diakite (Queen's Park Rangers), Seydou Keita (Dalian Aerbin), Momo Sissoko (Paris St Germain), Samba Sow (Racing Lens), Kalilou Traore (Sochaux), Mahamane Traore (Nice), Sambou Yatabare (Bastia)

Forwards: Cheick Tidiane Diabate (Girondins Bordeaux), Cheick Fantamady Diarra (Stade Rennes), Sigamary Diarra (AC Ajaccio), Modibo Maiga (West Ham United), Mamadou Samassa (Chievo Verona)



http://www.kickoff.com/news/32160/injury-has-ruled-out-former-captain-mahamadou-diarra-from-malis-final-afcon-squad?

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Jol eyes 'new Bouba Diop'

Fulham are understood to be interested in signing Zulte-Waregem midfielder Junior Malanda amid claims that a £4.5m bid has been made.

The 18-year-old colossus is currently anchoring the Zulte midfield as the unfashionable Belgian club occupy second place in the table and his performances have attracted the interest of Club Brugge.

Zulte signed Malanda from Lille in the summer for just over £100,000 and could land a massive profit if they were to cash in at the earliest opportunity.

Reports claim Fulham have slapped in a five million euros bid for the Brussels-born teenager, who at over 6ft tall and 14st could be likened to ex-Cottager Papa Bouba Diop, but that remains unconfirmed.

Fulham are on the lookout for a new holding midfielder in Belgium and have checked out Standard Liege's William Vainqeur already this season.

Newcastle, Everton and Spurs have also had their scouts check out Malanda this season.


http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/jol-eyes-new-bouba-diop-1529028.html?

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Agent claims Fulham target Maarten Stekelenburg is not leaving AS Roma


Maarten Stekelenburg: Roma goalkeeper worked with Fulham manager Martin Jol while at Ajax

Maarten Stekelenburg's agent has left the door open for the Dutch goalkeeper to leave AS Roma despite no current offers.

Reports have linked Fulham with the 30-year-old, no longer first choice for the Italian side.

Stekelenburg's agent, Rob Jansen, said that no bids had been made for the international's services but he stopped short of completely ruling out a move away from Roma.
"I spoke with (Roma general director) Franco Baldini, and at the moment there is no possibility that Stekelenburg leaves Roma," Jansen told Calciomercato.

"There are no offers from other clubs, but we are at the beginning of January and everything is still possible."

Fulham manager Martin Jol could be in the market for a long-term successor to current first-choice stopper Mark Schwarzer, 40, and worked with Stekelenburg while in charge of Ajax.



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11861/8387738?

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Winger Chase
   
Today, our fine club is linked with the possible acquisition of an Argentine winger.

According to the gossip printed in one of the national red-tops, Fulham are making positive queries with regards to bringing Matias Schelotto to Craven Cottage.

The twenty-three year-old is currently on the books of Atalanta, in Italy, but the rumours suggest a fee of £5 million could see him on the move.

As for likely competition, the same red-top suggests that Everton may also be interested.



Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=305070#ixzz2HY7ERlj1

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Reserve judgement: In-demand Butland won't leave Birmingham to be a substitute

The young England keeper will stay and play for Blues despite their desire to sell him to ease financial woes - and interest from a string of Prem clubs


Turning Red? Butland has his eye on a move to Liverpool - provided Reina goes
Michael Steele

Jack Butland has told his bosses at cash-strapped Birmingham that he will only move on for first team football.

The troubled Championship side have a plan to sell the £6million-rated keeper this month to raise funds and stave off administration.

But the England international is playing regularly for Blues and is reluctant to leave if it means sitting on another club's bench.

Liverpool, Everton, Southampton and Fulham are all interested in the 6ft 4in teenager, who kept goal for Great Britain at last year's Olympic Games.

Butland, 19, is hoping to join Liverpool if boss Brendan Rodgers sells Pepe Reina, who's been linked with Arsenal, this month.



http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/transfers-liverpool-everton-southampton-and-fulham-1526741?

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KEVIN BETSY: Why my boss Hill is the non-League Harry Redknapp... And these lads are hot - the best lower league talent available this transfer window



The third in MailOnline Sport's brilliant new series of Footballers' Football Columns is written by Kevin Betsy, Woking and Seychelles (yes, really) midfielder, Fulham Academy coach and aspiring journalist.
Kevin has played for 11 different professional clubs after beginning his career at Woking. Kevin Keegan paid the non-League club £150,000 for Betsy in his 1998 move to Fulham, with the former England boss describing him as one of the best young players he had seen at his age.
The Footballers' Football Column is about the game, written by people involved in the game. After 15 years in the sport, Kevin's passionate about youth football and life in the lower leagues. Here's his column...

If I had written this column after my game on Boxing Day, my tone would've been more suitable for an obituary rather than an exciting new column for MailOnline. We travelled to Luton, to face non-League's version of Man City, and my performance was very disappointing.

A 3-1 defeat by a strong Luton side was probably on the cards but I'd been given the kiss of death in the programme notes where they'd declared me Woking's 'player to watch'. It was my worst display of the season.

To use a football cliche, 'Betsy didn't turn up'.

The days since I have been angry at how I played. It's funny, after 400 games at a level higher than the Conference you would think this type of thing would not affect me so much. 

After an abject performance I was left to wallow in self-pity and discuss it with my wife. But all she was concerned about was how much sleep she was not going get that night from our three-month-old son. And, with my two girls badgering me for a bedtime story, self-pity was well and truly shelved.

My boss at Woking, Garry Hill, is a great man-manager. He's been in the game a long time. He understands which buttons he can press.

On New Year's Day, it was Luton's turn to visit our ground and the biggest crowd of the season turned up expecting myself and team-mates to do likewise.


Super Frank: Betsy tussles with Frank Lampard (right) during Wycombe's 2007 Carling Cup semi-final tie with Chelsea. The Premier League giants won 5-1 on aggregate


Garry Hill

I was very close to being left out of the squad as my car had a flat battery, which resulted in me arriving 15 minutes late of the meet time set by the Gaffer.

Luckily for me, he was in a good mood for the New Year and I took my place in the starting line up. But during a private chat in the changing room he said: 'That was your worst game of the season last week, they did a number on you.'

In years gone by I may have let a chat like that affect my confidence but my button was well and truly pressed and it was a fantastic game for anyone connected to Woking. We won 3-1 home win and, thankfully, I returned to the kind of form I have been in this season.

Just to give you a insight into Garry Hill: He's non-League's version of Harry Redknapp. A wheeler-dealer; Cockney-rhyming slang spills from his lips. He's got a savvy brain and is a real leader of men, who understands how to get the best out of players. (That should secure me a new five-year contract once the Gaffer reads it!)

Everyone's excited about the transfer window. Clubs should take a look below the Football League for some bargains. The fairytale dream of making it from the bottom can happen.

As a coach at Fulham's academy I always have my eye out for talent and, with my background having been bought from the non-league in my teenage years, I understand the path all too well.

I strongly believe that the lower levels of football have a mass of talent waiting to be given the chance at a higher level; rough diamonds that require a little polishing.

There are players such as: Stan Collymore, Les Ferdinand, Jason Roberts, Barry Hayles, Dave Kitson, Kevin Philips, Jermaine Beckford, DJ Campbell and Steve Morison out there.

They are all strikers who have been astutely scouted and recruited and sparkled at higher levels and yielded a superb profit for the club that took a chance.


Big break: Betsy celebrates his one and only Fulham goal (above), scored against Millwall (below) in 1999


A great recent example is Dwight Gayle. He was released by Arsenal as a kid he was playing locally with Stansted in the Essex Senior League when he was spotted by John Still, who did what he does best gave the kid a chance and trusted in his judgement. 

Dagenham and Peterborough are two clubs have given him a platform to perform. Both clubs have wily foxes who have a big say in recruitment. Still and Barry Fry have both shown a policy in recruiting and developing talent from the part time game and do it with distinction.

They spot something that others fail to see or don't bother seeing and Gayle is a prime example of this.

Two strikers who I feel should be on the list of every scout with a remit of young talent from the lower divisions should be Andre Gray of Luton and Kidderminster's Jamille Matt.

Both are quick, strong, can finish and show in their play that they have the hunger to succeed. All they require is a chance. 

I was once in the same shoes as these two young players with aspirations of playing at a higher level and hoping to get a move into the Football League. More clubs need to take to calculated risks on lower-league players.


Dwight Gayle


Jamille Matt


Andre Gray

I must highlight this clip, showing the belief Harry Redknapp had in a young-up-and-coming Frank Lampard.
Frank has been a first-class servant to Chelsea and deserves whatever deal due to his football ability and professionalism. As a young player I always looked up to and learnt valuable lessons from the older pros on the pitch and off of it.
VIDEO: Harry's passionate defence of Frank Lampard...


THE KEVIN BETSY FOUNDATION

By the way, lads (Andre Gray and Jamille Matt), if you get a move off the back of this column my agent fee along can go to my newly formed charity: The Kevin Betsy Foundation. It has been set up with the help of the PFA. For more information, please email [email protected]

I'm donating my fee for this column to my foundation.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2257021/FOOTBALLERS-FOOTBALL-COLUMN--KEVIN-BETSY-Why-boss-Hill-non-league-Harry-Redknapp--And-lads-hot--best-lower-league-talent-available-transfer-window.html#ixzz2HY9HV9Xh
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Fulham fans name winger as player of 2012

Fulham fans have named Bryan Ruiz as their player of 2012.

The Costa Rica international took home the gong with 38 per-cent of the vote, with now Spurs midfielder Mousa Dembele in second with 31-per cent.

Dimitar Berbatov finished third with 21 per-cent with Brede Hangeland finishing fourth with 10 per-cent.

Whites fans were clearly unhappy with the way Clint Dempsey left for Spurs as he failed to receive a vote.



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/fulham_fans_name_winger_as_player_of_2012_1_1788029