Wednesday Fulham Stuff(08/05/13)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Manolev Seeks Permanent Deal
   
As Martin Jol looks to shape the squad for next season, what with it looking woefully shallow at the moment, one of our loan signings wants a permanent contract.

Stanislav Manolev, our Bulgarian defender, has made 5 appearances since joining us, in the January transfer window, from PSV Eindhoven.

In your opinion, does he have enough quality to be offered a permanent contract?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=318774#ixzz2SfWhWWHO

[WhiteJC]

 
Riise Quits
   
At just thirty-two years of age, one of our players has called time on his international career.

John Arne Riise, a veteran of 110 caps and the most capped player in Norwegian football history, has decided that enough is enough commenting,

"I`m at an age where I have to take a clear decision."

Each to there own I suppose but I`d have been tempted to battle on and serve my country.

How about you?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=318776#ixzz2SfX8gAC5

[WhiteJC]

 
Basel Defender on Radar
   
According to tabloid speculation, we`re in the market for a new defender.

The defender in question is the Austrian Aleksander Dragovic who plays his football with the Swiss club, FC Basel.

At twenty-two years of age, Dragovic is looking for a spell in the Premier League after being sold on its positives by the Aston Villa winger, Andreas Weimann, who is a close friend.

Speaking about a possible move, Dragovic has remarked,

"I regularly speak to Andreas, who has told me a lot about how much he enjoys playing in England."

"It`s competition at the highest level, which I am looking for."

"The fans are fantastic, and the clubs command a lot of respect around the world."

As for possible competition for his signature, we understand Everton and Southampton are also interested.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=318777#ixzz2SfXJbT8l

[WhiteJC]

 
Four Reasons Fulham won't go down

A somewhat chirpier look at our situation, even if devoid of facts.

There's a lot of negativity spreading around like pollen right now, so, I thought, why not shed some positive light on this gloomy situation that Fulham find themselves in? It isn't the natural retort of a Fulham fan - outright optimism - but I like to buck the trend. Here are four reasons we won't go down (and if we do, no, you cannot sue).

1. We're too good - Have you ever seen a team with Dimitar Berbatov in it get relegated? Okay, maybe that rhetoric is a little misleading, not least because the Bulgarian has spent the majority of his professional career at particularly high end clubs, but the premise still stands. We just have too much quality to find ourselves in the Championship, from the back row right up the pitch. Admittedly, this squad is a patchwork attempt at building a team - and a poor attempt at that - but even though we've been left with the likes of Phillippe Senderos and Giorgos Karagounis filling quite pertinent gaps, there is still a lot talent around them.

If I weren't already acclimatised to their mediocre performances, I'd be salivating right now at the prospect of pairing Bryan Ruiz with Berbatov but, of course, pessimism comes with hindsight. Maybe they'll be better next year when we stay up.

2. The clubs around us are too bad - I may be generalising here, but there is a fair argument in this statement. I'd say only Newcastle United, from those near us in the table, have a genuinely more talented first team than we do. Wigan Athletic rely on pure guile, and do a good job at that, while it's hard to fathom why the likes of Stoke City and Norwich City are not already down. So, while five sides continue to separate us and the bottom three, I will have faith that we could be far worse off.

3. We could easily win both of our remaining games - Yes, yes, Liverpool are in this wondrously rich vain of form, but that doesn't mean we're no good at beating them. We have won four and lost three of our last seven Craven Cottage meetings with the Merseysiders and I would happily take those odds in a relegation dogfight. And, as for Swansea City, though we have always made a hash of it in the past, I have confidence we could overturn them on their turf if necessary. They've got nothing to play for at this time of the season and we know best of all what that means!

4. We just don't do relegation - This, of course, isn't technically true, but we have become well accustomed to avoiding the drop over our twelve, consistent Premier League years. Whenever we have got sucked in, we've found a way out and this year will prove no different.



http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/2013/5/7/4309022/four-reasons-fulham-wont-go-down-wigan-stoke?

[ScalleysDad]

Spooky reading and rather than devoid of facts I think, broken down, the points are relevant.
1. Has anyone gone down with a misfiring Berbatov and Ruiz, or is that a misused Berbatov and Ruiz? A masterclass is long overdue to the point where I am not expecting one for the rest of their Fulham careers. That will be two games then.
2.Not as bad? Not good enough to beat, or even scrape a draw, with some of the teams below us, even those relegated. I wouldn't want to be playing Villa about now.
3. On Saturdays performance and based on only being able to produce the odd twenty minute cameos, like the end of the Arsenal and Reading games, we will passed off the park for our final two games. Swansea were going for the points last night. The key thing will be how many goals will we need once an element of urgency kicks in ........... or a long overdue or constructive substitution.
4.Hmmmmmmm. And there is next year to look forward to as well. Apparently we are looking at a 28 year old physco and extending the loan deals of a couple of crops whilst also looking to offload a young goal keeper who showed so much promise and did not 'fail'. Such a shame.

[WhiteJC]

 
Trotta pays tribute to Brentford fans after Swindon success sets up Yeovil final

Fulham loanee Marcello Trotta paid tribute to the Brentford fans who stuck by him after his penalty miss against Doncaster.

The Italian was lambasted after he took the ball away from club legend Kevin O'Connor and hit the bar, when a goal would have seen the Bees win promotion to the Championship.

The 20-year-old was an unused substitute in the play-off semi final first leg against Swindon but produced a scintillating performance at Griffin Park on Monday in the second leg.

When Trotta was substituted for Paul Hayes after 82 minutes he received a standing ovation and looked on helpless as the Robins equalised but Brentford were able to triumph on penalties leading to the Italian being carried off the pitch by jubilant supporters.

"I think the fans have been great," he said. "Even after last Saturday they've been great in supporting me and the team.

"They were behind us and pushed us up for one more."

On the penalty shoot-out he added: "I can't describe that. I don't know. That was unbelievable, the emotion you feel is unbelievable so it's all good.

"It just was amazing [when Forshaw scored] that we went through and that was great."

Trotta admitted that he wanted to repay the supporters after his miss and gave Swindon defenders nightmares all afternoon.

He said: "You feel very disappointed and you want to give something back to the team and the fans.

"You have to give everything you've got and fight for your life and the team did the same and that's why we win this game."

Trotta is now relishing his first appearance at Wembley and admitted that he had never been to the national stadium.

"It will be the first time," he said. "It will be an unforgettable experience.

"These six months have been unbelievable and to go to Wembley as well."

He added: "We've got another game to go. We've got the final. I think the lads put a great effort.

"They've done unbelievably well. As a team, I think they're great."



http://www.london24.com/sport/trotta_pays_tribute_to_brentford_fans_after_swindon_success_sets_up_yeovil_final_1_2184713

[WhiteJC]

 
Premier League: Fulham boss Martin Jol eyes additional help for Bryan Ruiz


Bryan Ruiz: Needs help in Fulham side according to Jol

Martin Jol has defended Fulham's Bryan Ruiz and hinted he needs to add a playmaker to his squad to make life easier for the Costa Rican.

Ruiz has hit only five goals this season, after notching just two the previous campaign following his big-money move from FC Twente.

And rather than looking to replace the talented Ruiz, Jol admits he needs to bolster the ranks to take some of the pressure off him.

"He is one of my better players. He's always playing for the team and looking for runners to give that last pass," Jol told The Sun.

"Maybe we need another passer."

Ruiz can play across the midfield or in a more advanced position, possessing the ability to score goals like he did against Reading at the weekend.

But Jol admits he prefers using Ruiz's creative abilities behind the striker, insisting he plays a role that nobody else at the club can.

"The thing is you miss him in midfield and if he's not up front, he's playing too deep," he added.

"That is my dilemma."


http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/8698865/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol's commitment to Cottagers questioned

Fulham FanZoner Henry Walmsley wants a massive overhaul of the Cottagers squad and even casts doubt over the future of manager Martin Jol.

I'd like to start by offering my thanks to Swansea City on behalf of everyone between 11th and 17th in the Premier League table, because if Wigan had won on Tuesday night then I would have been extremely nervous going into the final two games of the season.

As it is, I think we are now safe. Unless my calculations are incorrect if either Aston Villa or Wigan fail to beat Chelsea or Arsenal respectively, we are mathematically safe. But I shouldn't even be discussing this! A few weeks ago I was discussing our plans for next season, saying that only something disastrous would pull us into the relegation scrap.

Well, this is our record since beating QPR on the 1st of April: Loss, draw, loss, loss, loss, loss, including a humiliating defeat to already relegated Reading on our own patch at the weekend. As if this defeat wasn't bad enough, what really irritated me and I imagine a lot of other Fulham fans, was Jol's post match comments. Speaking to Sky Sports, the Dutchmen said "In hindsight, if we hadn't [reached the 40 point mark so soon], then maybe we would be playing with a little more determination than we are at the moment".

How could he possibly say that?! If we were on 45 points or so then I still wouldn't be pleased but I could perhaps understand it, but getting to 40 points doesn't mean you're safe! West Ham went down several years ago with more. It left me questioning whether Jol is the right man for the job. Hughes got absolutely slated by fans for leaving when he questioned our ambition, well what does giving up at 40 points say about our ambition right now?

I also said a couple of weeks ago that we could try and get within 10 points of the top four battle next year, well we can forget that. This team lacks any identity at the moment, the season has been awful and the last month has been nothing short of disgraceful. A massive overhaul is needed in the summer of the team, we need a new midfield, a new centre back a new left back and several other players, as for the manager, I'm not sure.

I don't question Jol's ability, he has proven that he is a fantastic manager, what I question is his attitude and desire. Win, lose or draw his attitude after matches is always the same, pretty light hearted with the same line "we were very bad in the first half but better in the second half" used. The last few years has seen an influx of younger managers enter the premier league, and on the whole they've been pretty successful.

After a tricky start at Chelsea, AVB is now doing well at Spurs, Brendan Rogers' Liverpool are starting to look very good, Michael Laudrup has done fantastically at Swansea this season and Mauricio Pochettino has done well at Southampton in the time he's been there.

Pochettino said in a recent interview that he lives Southampton and has no life outside of it. He spends all day at the training ground, goes back to his hotel, eats and goes to bed. He has something to prove, any success or failure that Southampton have is translated directly to him (excuse the pun), because he is being judged by teams based on his performance at Southampton, the same can be said for managers like Rodgers, Villas-Boas and Laudrup.

When asked whether he will be at Fulham next season, Jol has always said "the club have the option to extend my contract" or something along the lines of that. Could he not say "Yes! I love working here and am excited about next season"? He just doesn't seem committed to the club.

I want a manager who has a vision for the club and for whom the club is their life, I'm just not sure that's the case with Jol. I'm all for stability, and perhaps Jol deserves one more summer to rebuild the team following the untimely departures of Mousa Dembele and Clint Dempsey last summer which left our team in a bit of a state.

I'm sure the club will keep Jol on, because I get the impression the board really like him and see him as a coup, but if the right manager came available then a change of direction would certainly excite me. However, the board have kept Fulham in the premier league for 12 seasons now, so I whole-heartedly trust their decisions.



http://www.teamtalk.com/fanzone/16970/8699128/Jol-s-commitment-to-Cottagers-questioned?

[WhiteJC]

 
Etheridge's Extension

Fulham Football Club is delighted to announce that goalkeeper Neil Etheridge has signed a one-year extension to his current deal, keeping him at Craven Cottage until the summer of 2014, with the option of a further year extension.

Etheridge came through the Club's Academy, having begun his goalkeeping education at SW6 neighbours Chelsea, and the 23-year-old made his senior debut against Odense Boldklub in the UEFA Europa League on 14th December 2011.

The Philippines international went out on loan to Bristol Rovers on a three-month deal earlier this season, but was recalled to take the number two role to Mark Schwarzer. Since his return, he has been an unused substitute for 22 Barclays Premier League games and is highly rated at the Club.

Speaking at the Club's Motspur Park Training Ground on Wednesday, Etheridge said: "I'm delighted to have signed for another year at the Club as it's been a special place for me since I joined. There's a fantastic set up here for me to train and really hone my craft and, with Mark Schwarzer guiding me, I really couldn't ask for a better mentor or opportunity.

"I'd like to thank the Chairman and, of course, all of the supporters who've encouraged me throughout my time here and I look forward to at least another year."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/may/08/etheridges-extension?