Friday Fulham Stuff (24/05/13)...

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West Ham, Fulham and Liverpool in running to sign Aston Villa misfit

Transfer news: West Ham and Fulham are believed to be among the clubs alerted by news that Aston Villa will sell striker Darren Bent this summer and take a considerable hit in the pocket.

The 29-year-old is the Villans record signing but has fallen out of favour under manager Paul Lambert and is set to be sold off for far less than the £18million the west Midlands side paid Sunderland for him.

The Birmingham Mail today confirmed that the forward will be allowed to leave despite having two years on his current deal.

Liverpool appear top the list but West Ham could make a bid if their endeavours to sign Andy Carroll from the Reds comes to nothing.

Fulham, Hull and Cardiff have also been linked for the Tooting-born hitman who has also played for Charlton and Tottenham.



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/west_ham_fulham_and_liverpool_in_running_to_sign_aston_villa_misfit_1_2207506

[WhiteJC]

 
Poyet in Fulham link

Brighton & Hove Albion manager Gus Poyet is being linked with a high profile move into the Premier League at Fulham.

The Uruguyan has been in trouble on the south coast since the team missed out on the Championship play-off final when beaten at home by Crystal Palace.

He has been suspended by Albion after allegedly refusing to deal with the seasonal retained list.

And a club source - who wishes to remain anonymous - has told SportsDirect News: "He could be on his way to Fulham where there's more than a touch of unhappiness at the club's end to the season.

"The grapevine is buzzing with it and after the way Fulham ended the season it makes a lot of sense. There's a lot of interest in Gus."

Fulham boss Martin Jol saw his team lose six of their last eight games before signing off with a 3-0 win at Swansea City to finish in twelfth place.

However, the Dutch manager is now being strongly tipped as a candidate for the technical director's position at Hamburg following Frank Arnesen's departure over the last 48 hours thus paving the way for a Poyet arrival.


http://www.sportsdirectnews.com/premier-league/25040-poyet-in-fulham-link.php

[WhiteJC]

 
Enoh learns Ajax decision

Ajax midfielder Eyong Enoh is likely to stay at Fulham for a fee of £2.5million, according to reports in Amsterdam. The Cameroon international, who spent time at Craven Cottage on loan last season, does not want to go back to Ajax even though he has two years left on his contract there. According to AD newspaper in the Netherlands, Fulham boss Martin Jol is ready to make his former club an offer to make the deal permanent. Ajax want 3million euros for the 27-year-old midfielder who made eight Premier League starts for Fulham last season.



Read more at: http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/enoh-learns-ajax-decision-1593429.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong undergoes knee surgery

Arsenal's Emmanuel Frimpong has undergone knee surgery and will be unable to train for two months.

The 21-year-old Ghana international featured only twice for the Gunners this season - both in the Capital Cup - and had been on loan at Fulham since January.

The Arsenal club website said: "We wish Manny the best of luck in his recovery."

Frimpong, who also had a six-week loan spell at Championship side Charlton Athletic last year, picked up the injury on his right knee during Fulham's Premier League match at Swansea City on Sunday.

He had his operation on Wednesday night and will spend the summer undergoing rehabilitation.

Meanwhile, Jack Wilshere has expressed his frustration at Arsenal's failure to win more games as they continue to trail in the wake of their rivals.

Arsene Wenger's team left it to the last day of the campaign to secure Champions League qualification and despite finishing the run-in impressively with 26 points from a possible 30, Wilshere knows the team need to step up their efforts.

"The games earlier on don't decide our season but we have got to think that we have to win them, because that is what champions do," he told the club's official website.

"The likes of Manchester United go away and win games and leave you thinking, 'they keep winning and winning' and at the end of the season the points tally shows that.

"That is what we have to do [to challenge for the title], and we also have to improve our record against the big teams. It has not been great this season and if you want to become champions you have to beat those sides."



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/8730242/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Interested in Liverpool Winger
   
The summer changes, at Craven Cottage, could herald the arrival of several new players.

Martin Jol has already set the ball rolling with the acquisitions, yesterday, of Derek Boateng and Fernando Amorebieta and today there are rumours doing the rounds that Fulham Football Club have shown an active interest in the 28 year-old Liverpool player Stewart Downing

One red-top source carries the inference that Fulham have approached Liverpool with regards to bringing the player south on a loan deal. However, that inference is followed up by the suggestion that Liverpool are not agreeable to that but might be willing to sell him to Fulham.

Could this be a summer deal?

We`ll endeavour to monitor the situation and report further.



Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=320247#ixzz2UBiuyuRT

[WhiteJC]

 
Defender Signed
   
Hot on the heels of Fulham Football Club securing a deal for Derek Boateng, a second player was acquired for next season.

Fulham completed the signing of Fernando Amorebieta from Atletico Bilbao.

The twenty-eight year old Venuzuela defender has put pen-to-paper on a four year deal after having spent eight years at Bilbao.

Amorebieta arrives with something of a reputation as a hard-man having received his marching orders no fewer than 11 times during his spell in Spanish football.

It, therefore, remains to be seen how he adapts to life in the Premier League.

It should, as they say, be an interesting experience.



Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=320248#ixzz2UBj5eyBH

[WhiteJC]

 
Starting Early for a Change: Amorebieta and Boateng sign for Fulham

With the horrors of last summer's transfer window still fresh in many fans' minds, it's nice to see additions taking place early on.  Not just because of how last summer's window ended with the departure of two of the club's best players days before the end.

But also because of how it began...with nothing.  And also with how it continued halfway through...with more nothing. Last summer's transfer window was painful because it was so empty.  Martin Jol and the board waited ages to make any kind of moves and address obvious needs.

This summer, the signs are obvious – things are going to be different. Very different.

With the official transfer window not even begun yet, Fulham have signed one player for a fee (Sascha Riether's loan was made permanent for £1-2 million) and now two shrewd free transfers have been confirmed.

The club confirmed that Derek Boateng will join Fulham immediately, having been released after a contract dispute with his club Dnipro, and Fernando Amorebieta will join the club on a bosman at the end of the Spanish season from Athletic Bilbao.

Derek Boateng is a household name with many Fulham fans by now, with the completion of the transfer on the fourth attempt by the club to get him.  The 30-year-old signed a 2-year deal with Fulham and is a strong presence in the midfield, reminiscent of Dickson Etuhu in years past.

Amorebieta has been rumored to be joining Fulham for the better part of 2 months now, and all you need to know about the experienced central defender is how quickly Martin Jol acted as soon as word got out he wouldn't be resigning with Bilbao. Jol isn't someone with a ton of contacts in the Spanish league, but he made it happen with the likes of Arsenal also rumored to be in the mix.

Amorebieta still just recently turned 28, young for a man of his experience.  He's got 195 Primera Division games under his belt since 2005, plus another 56 in domestic and abroad cup competitions.

There are still holes, with needs at striker, more midfield, and maybe even a goalkeeper, it's nice to see the gears moving so early.  There are reports out of Italy that Fulham have signed Maarten Stekelenburg to replace Mark Schwarzer between the sticks, so clearly they're not done yet.



http://fulhamsfinest.com/2013/05/23/starting-early-for-a-change-amorebieta-and-boateng-sign-for-fulham/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Quotent Quotables: Karagounis pours his heart out to fans, Frimpong not so much

Often times, when players are figuring out whether their time with a club will come to an end or not, their quotes to the media following the season's end are good look into their minds to see where they stand with the club.

We've recently found out how two possibly-ex-Fulham players stand.

Giorgos Karagounis took the time and effort to gush about the support he's received from the Fulham fans.  The Greek international left it all out on the pitch at Craven Cottage, and the fans recognized it right away and fell in love.  He's noticed.

"I've really taken to the Fulham fans, and from the moment that I arrived they gave me a lot of respect and support," he told the official website. "For a player to have that when he joins a new club is very special. I'm a player that gives my all to a team and to a game, I think the fans see that and appreciate it. They like their players to give their all to the cause. I gave my all to every single game."

Then the best part: "There's nothing better for a new player to feel accepted and I had that with both the fans and my teammates from the very start. It's something that made me feel very proud. I gave 100 per cent every time I put on a Fulham shirt, and that is my way of saying thank you to the fans."

How bout that from the 36-year-old? If he comes back he wouldn't be much more than a squad player, but I'd love to see it happen. The guy's got guts and heart, two heavily undervalued attributes in the game today.

On the other side of the coin, Emmanuel Frimpong had surgery on his knee recently, and acknowledged Fulham in about the bare minimum way he possibly could have.  I realize the medium has a character limit, but Frimpong took to Twitter to discuss his knee surgery and return to Arsenal at the end of the loan.  He spent a few tweets on the subject, and the final one hinted he's happy the extended trip across London is over:


Not nearly as warm and fuzzy as Giorgos, now is it?

We'll have to see where both these midfielders end up next season.  I have a feeling though that one will be back and one will not.  I'll let you decide which.




http://fulhamsfinest.com/2013/05/23/quotent-quotables-karagounis-pours-his-heart-out-to-fans-frimpong-not-so-much/?

[WhiteJC]

 
European U21 Championship: Hosts Israel include Fulham starlet


Israel Under-21: Squad announced for U21 Euros

Fulham teenager Omri Altman is the only foreign-based player to be named in Israel's Under-21 squad for the European U21 Championship.

The highly-rated 19-year-old is seen as one for the future at Craven Cottage, but fans will get the chance to see him in European action in the UEFA tournament in his homeland next month.

Coach Guy Luzon has left out Racing Santander midfielder Gai Assulin, who was released by Manchester City last summer and previously had a loan spell at Brighton. FC Ashdod's Nir Biton, who had a trial with City during pre-season last summer, skippers the side.

Israel's final Group A fixture on June 11 is against Stuart Pearce's England U21 side in Jerusalem. Before that, they host Norway in the tournament opener and then Italy.

Israel Under-21 squad:

Goalkeepers: Boris Klaiman (Hapoel Tel-Aviv), Arik Yanko (Hakoah Ramat Gan), Barak Levi (Maccabi Tel-Aviv).

Defenders: Ofir Davidzade (Hapoel Be'er Sheva), Ben Vahaba (Hapoel Be'er Sheva), Ahad Azam (Hapoel Haifa), Edi Gotlieb (Hapoel Acre), Omri Ben Harush (Maccabi Netanya), Ido Levi (Maccabi Netanya), Taleb Twatha (Maccabi Haifa), Eliazer Dasa (Beitar Jerusalem), Ofer Verta (FC Ashdod).

Midfielders: Ofir Krieff (Beitar Jerusalem), Nir Biton (FC Ashdod), Marouan Kabah (Maccabi Petach-Tikva), Eyal Golasa (Maccabi Haifa), Omri Altman (Fulham), Sintayehu Sallalich (Hapoel Kiryat Shmona), Israel Zaguri (Hapoel Ramat Gan).

Forwards: Orr Barouch (Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv), Mohammed Kalibat (Bnei Sakhnin), Alon Turgeman (Maccabi Haifa), Moanes Dabour (Maccabi Tel-Aviv).



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/8730420/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Ajax To Rival Fulham In Race to Sign Belgian Winger



Dutch giants confirm interest in Nacer Chadli.

Ajax have confirmed their interest in FC Twente winger Nacer Chadli and will rival Premier League side Fulham for his signature, according to talkSPORT.

The 23-year-old has just one year remaining on his current deal and has been on Martin Jol's shortlist for some time as well as interesting Everton before David Moyes left for Manchester United.

However, the west London side may face a battle to bring him to the club as Eredivise champions Ajax have announced their desire to bring him to the Amsterdam ArenA.

"We are interested. That's right. Chadli would fit in well with us," Ajax sporting director, and ex-Arsenal midfielder Marc Overmars told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

Chadli began his career with AGOVV Apeldoorn in 2007 where he impressed enough to convince Twente to spring for his signature after winning the Eredivise title under former England manager Steve McLaren.

In his three years with the club he has made 117 appearances, scoring 38 goals and creating 20 assists.

If Fulham managed to beat Ajax to the punch, he would join the ever growing contingent of talented Belgian international currently flocking to the Premier League. Being able to play for both Morocco and Belgium, he made a single appearance for the African nation in 2010 before switching to represent the lowland country a year later.



http://www.caughtoffside.com/2013/05/23/ajax-to-rival-fulham-in-race-to-sign-belgian-winger/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham boss Jol being lined up as general manager at Hamburg

Fulham manager Martin Jol is being considered by Hamburg to replace general manager Frank Arnesen, who was sacked this week.

The Dutchman has just completed his second year as manager at the West London club, but could only muster a 12th place finish, three below where they came in his first year in charge.

Hamburg, who Jol managed during his time between Tottenham and Fulham, finished 7th in the Bundesliga this season, and can boast former Spurs midfielder Rafael van der Vaart.


Old haunt: Martni Jol has already managed Hamburg before



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2329976/Fulham-boss-Martin-Jol-lined-general-manager-Hamburg.html#ixzz2UBkrMRrh
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[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham season review 2012/2013

It has been a very uninspiring season for Fulham with a very stop start campaign to say the least.

The Whites finished in 12th place and managed to finish off a disappointing season in positive fashion, with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium.

Pre-season started off rather badly, with the club's top goalscorer Clint Dempsey reportedly going on strike and stating his desire to leave the club and force a move to Liverpool.

Flyer

Despite the American's actions unsettling proceedings, Fulham had initially gotten off to a flyer with a 5-0 demolition of Norwich City on the first day of the season, which was quickly followed by a spirited display at Old Trafford which narrowly ended in a 3-2 loss to the eventual Premier League champions.

However, in typical Fulham fashion, transfer departures and arrivals were not settled until the final day of the window which left a huge amount of uncertainty and confusion amongst the club's ranks concerning players' futures.

Unfortunately, two of the best club's best players in Mousa Dembele and Clint Dempsey were on their way out to Tottenham Hotspur on the last day which evidently had a massive effect.

Fulham effectively failed to replace both players but had brought in Dimitar Berbatov from Manchester United which had helped to ease the club's predicament.

Horrible

Life after Dembele and Dempsey got off to a horrible start with a shocking performance away at West Ham United which was over by half-time with the score at 3-0.

The international break couldn't come sooner for the Putney outfit and it seemed as if the squad had started to gel with a brilliant 3-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion, with Berbatov bagging his first two goals for the club, followed by a rare result on the road where they recored a 2-1 victory at Wigan Athletic.

Things were starting to look up for Fulham and despite a last-gasp loss to Manchester City they managed a victory at home to Aston Villa which saw them in the top half of the table.

Despite Fulham's tendency to perform well going forward, the back four started to come into question, with set-pieces becoming an increasing problem as well as late goals being conceded at an alarming rate.

This was evident in their two away trips to newly-promoted sides Southampton and Reading where two high scoring draws were played out with last gasp equalisers from both sides and goals coming from set-pieces.

High scoring draws continued with a 2-2 home draw to Everton and a spirited 3-3 draw at the Emirates in which the Whites found themselves 3-2 up having gone 2-0 down in the first 20 minutes.

Fulham's performance at Arsenal was one of the highlights of the season with the Whites grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck and dominating the Gunners with possession play and superb attacking intent.

Turn of events

After what was such an encouraging performance, Fulham's season was to take a turn for the worse at home to Sunderland where suspensions and injuries galore were to occur.

Fulham were in confident mood, but this was soon to disappear with club captain Brede Hangeland sent off early on in the game, which was soon followed by injuries to the in-form Bryan Ruiz, Alexander Kacaniklic and Mladen Petric all in one game, inevitably ending in a 3-1 victory for the Black Cats.

The Cottagers then went on an abysmal run of one win in nine outings with a solitary win at home to Newcastle United and losses to Stoke City, Queens Park Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Swansea City which ended a disastrous November and December period for the club.

Hope

A new sense of hope was instilled in the new year with a victory out of the blue at high-flying West Bromwich Albion on New Year's Day.

However this was followed by a below par performance against Wigan which ended in a 1-1 draw.

The month of January was erratic to say the least. Despite two wins, Fulham saw losses at both Manchester clubs with a defeat at Old Trafford knocking them out of the FA Cup.

February begun with a spirited performance against Manchester United which ended in an unfortunate 1-0 defeat thanks to a late Wayne Rooney goal, and to add insult to injury, the lights decided to go out mid game which ironically told you the story of Fulham's season.

A bore draw in Norwich was followed by a rather drab 1-0 victory at home to Stoke City which was helped thanks to Mark Schwarzer's fine penalty save against Jonathan Walters.

Form started to gather pace, and the Whites played out a 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light of which they left disappointed from having gone 2-0 up in the early stages.

Then came probably the club's result of the season with a Dimitar Berbatov inspired victory at former club Tottenham Hotspur which ended in a 1-0 victory for Fulham, putting a dent into Spurs' Champions League hopes.

Concern

Such a positive performance was followed by a narrow West London derby victory over struggling QPR, but there was cause for concern with the injury to Ashkan Dejagah and sending off of Steve Sidwell, which would have a huge effect on the remainder of the season.

With cracks beginning to form during the second half of the victory against the R's, Fulham had a disastrous run which culminated in no wins in seven, with six being losses.

There were losses to Newcastle, Chelsea Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool and the worst of the lot, at home to already relegated Reading which would be considered one of the worst performances of the season.

After a home defeat to the Royals, things started to look worrying with the Whites possibly involved in a relegation battle.

Luckily other results went their way and the Cottagers were safe for another season, but it capped off a largely underwhelming season full of disappointment and what ifs.

The Whites managed to pull a performance of real quality at Swansea on the last day of the season with a comprehensive 3-0 victory, but it was evident there were problems that needed to be addressed.

The verdict

Stability was a big problem this season for Fulham, with a squad made up of free transfers and several loan players.

With Martin Jol's new attacking style of play, it left the back four very vulnerable at times and this was evident throughout the season.

Any sort of form was hard to come by with a stuttering campaign failing to gather any momentum to allow a positive set of results to occur.

Many Fulham fans would have hoped for a top half finish and possible European contention and this unfortunately wasn't achieved.

The losses of Dembele and Dempsey left huge voids in the midfielde and this was apparent at several points in the campaign, with creativity becoming a big problem for the side.

Fulham will have to spend this summer and look to recruit with problems at centre-back needing resolution as well central midfielder berths.

It will be interesting to see what business the Cottagers will make in the summer window, and if early signings of Derek Boateng, Sascha Riether and Fernando Amorebieta are anything to go by, there may be some intent from the Fulham board to resolve issues.

The Whites most definitely have the potential to be contending for European spots next season, and this summer's transition will be a clear indicator as to which direction the club see themselves going in the future.



http://www.touchlinetalk.com/fulham-season-review-20122013/51685/?

[WhiteJC]

 
MARK SCHWARZER: It's a great honour to be the only overseas player to have made 500 Premier League appearances... I've enjoyed them all and want to make more

Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer writes in his debut Footballers' Football Column about still going strong into his 40s. The Australian No 1 expresses his desire to carry on until the World Cup next year and says he can still play top-flight football next season, despite his Craven Cottage contract coming to an end. Schwarzer talks about coming to England in 1996, two memorable European runs with Middlesbrough and Fulham and how he nearly signed for another club in England. Before you read his column, watch his video below.

Playing at the top level is still my ambition and playing in Brazil at next year's World Cup would be the pinnacle. But what happens from here is unclear. My contract at Fulham was up at the end of the season, we will see what happens now.
I have not been thinking about it in recent weeks as I wanted to make sure we were safe, but now we will see what happens.
I still want to play in the Premier League and still believe I have the ability to do it. It would be nice to stay at Fulham. But the bottom line is I have to find a club that believe in my ability.
I am open minded about other leagues, but I don't see my future back in the Australia in the A-League. It is a great league but it is not an option for me.


Eyes wide shut: Mark Schwarzer makes a good save in the final game of the season against Swansea


The end? Schwarzer celebrates after Fulham's final game of the season against Swansea

I am often asked how I still stay fit enough to play at the top level in my 40s and it is pretty simple. I changed my diet, I work more in the gym than I used to, and I still do the same training routine that I always have done through my career.

I don't eat bread, I don't eat pasta, I don't really eat carbohydrates, I eat meat for three meals a day and lots of vegetables so I get my carbs through the veg.

I snack out on a lot of pistachio nuts, they are very addictive and part of the fun with them is peeling them out of their shell – it slows you down as well.

All that has helped me and as a result it is a great honour to be the only overseas player to have made 500 Premier League appearances and I have enjoyed every single one of those games.

I can remember when I made the move to England back in 1996. I was in Germany at Kaiserslautern but I was not playing, that was the problem. I played six first team games in two and a half years.

I had just got together with my wife and she wanted to work and I was not having any success playing in Germany and so she suggested England. I always wanted to play in England and the EU was formed and opened up and movement was allowed and I wanted to come and give it a go.

As a kid I always enjoyed watching English football and it was a dream to come to England and play so I did everything I could to get over here.

How the move came about was a little strange. I was given a trial by Manchester City and I came over and played a reserve game against Bradford. Steve Coppell was manager at the time and Phil Neal was his No 2.

The reserve game was away at Bradford and the story goes that Phil Neal went into Chris Kamara's office and said that they had a goalkeeper on trial and that I had been training really well and that they hoped that Bradford had a strong team out as they wanted to test me.

We won 1-0 and we played really well and after the game I got a call saying Bradford wanted to take me as well.


Still going strong: Schwarzer says he changed his diet to play into his 40s


Road to Brazil: Schwarzer is keen to play at the next World Cup - providing Australia qualify

Steve Coppell resigned a few days later and Phil Neal took over and still wanted to sign me, so we gave them first option but unfortunately things did not work out so I took up the offer from Bradford and had a good time there playing under Chris Kamara with Paul Jewell as his assistant.

Then Bryan Robson took me to Middlesbrough where I enjoyed 12 fantastic years at the Riverside.

It was a great time helping the club win the first piece of silverware when we won the Carling Cup and of course the UEFA Cup run in 2006 was fantastic.

At Middlesbrough I worked with Mike Kelly who was the goalkeeping coach and he has had a huge impact on my career, not just at Boro but he also played a key role in getting me to Fulham.


Missing out: Manchester City under Steve Coppell and Phil Neal took Schwarzer on trial but Bradford signed him ahead of them

   
Heading to the Bantams: Bradford manager Chris Kamara made a move for Schwarzer in 1996


Mixed relationship: Schwarzer and Steve McClaren had their ups and downs at Middlesbrough


Silver lining: Schwarzer won the League Cup with Boro in 2004

Both Steve McClaren and Roy Hodgson are considered to be two of the best English coaches in the game and I have worked with both of them. I had my differences with Steve towards the end of my time at Middlesbrough.
But when he came to the club he was like a breath of fresh air and changed the ethos of the club and we had the most successful period in the clubs history which included winning the first trophy under him.
But for me it is difficult to compare anyone to Roy Hodgson and it was no surprise to me that Liverpool came calling and then England.
What I saw in the two years in working under him I saw he was an exceptional manager and my only regret is that I did not get the chance to work with him for longer.
When he took over at Fulham no one gave him a chance and wrote him off because supposedly he had been out of the game for too long and supposedly he had failed at Blackburn – even though he didn't.
And what he did in staying up was tremendous. I was sold on signing for Fulham on the first conversation I had with Roy.
Mike Kelly started the ball rolling because I knew him very well. Roy told me the ambition of the club and maybe we did not expect it to change quite as quickly as it did but in my first season we achieved the highest top flight finish in the clubs history and then made the Europa League final the following season, so it was a fantastic time playing under Roy.
At both Middlesborugh and Fulham I reached a European final. There were a lot of similarities between the European runs and both were truly memorable. If you were to re-wind the clock and play the games again then of course I would rather win the finals. But unfortunately there has to be a loser and on both occasions I was on the losing side.


Simply the best: Schwarzer says Roy Hodgson is the best coach he has worked under

   
In safe hands: Neil Etheridge and David Stockdale are both tipped to go onto big things by Schwarzer


Influential: Mike Kelly has played a big role in Schwarzer's career in England


Missing out: Twice Schwarzer has been a losing finalist in the UEFA Cup and Europa League

But I would not have changed anything, the run to the finals in both clubs were fantastic and there were some memorable nights. The game against Steaua Bucharest for Middlesbrough and of course the win over Juventus at Fulham.

This season has been tough. It started well with the signing of Dimitar Berbatov. He is a great player and it as a big surprise when Fulham signed him, we as players were just as shocked as the fans when he came to the club.

But he has been great, you watch him in training and his ability is unquestionable. His touch and patience on the ball is unbelievable.


Surprised: Schwarzer says everyone was shocked when Fulham signed Dimitar Berbatov


Spot on: Schwarzer saves Mikel Arteta's penalty in the last seconds of injury time to earn a 3-3 draw with Arsenal at The Emirates

It has been a disappointing end to the season, we found ourselves in the situation where we got to the 40 point mark and then went on a very poor run and were almost dragged right into the relegation battle and I think that gave the players the kick they needed.

Whatever happens with me next season, The future of goalkeeping at Fulham is very bright, Neil Etheridge has progressed very well since I have been at the club and I have dragged him along to all the gym sessions, he is a good kid and has done well out on loan and has a big future ahead of him.

David Stockdale has been out on loan for much of the season and helped Hull win promotion so he has done well too.


500 club: Schwarzer is the only overseas player to have made 500 Premier League appearances


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2329353/Mark-Schwarzer--The-Footballers-Football-Column-I-fit-play-Premier-League-year.html#ixzz2UC2j5JuD
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[WhiteJC]

 
Manolev Pleased To Play

On-loan defender Stanislav Manolev says he was delighted to be given a chance to play for Fulham this season after making his debut in unusual circumstances.

The 27-year-old arrived from PSV Eindhoven on a six-month loan spell on 31st January and made five appearances for the Whites, primarily as a back-up for Sascha Riether.

But the Bulgaria international was called into action for the first time against Norwich City on February 9th, when he was only told he was playing on the morning of the game because of illnesses to Riether and Chris Baird.

Manolev took a taxi up from London to plug the defensive gap, but never had any reservations about taking his place in the starting XI.

"The best moment for me was when I came here," he said. "It was a surprise for me to make my debut against Norwich, but I played to a good level and I was pleased because that is my job. They called me into the team late, but for me that was not a problem because I love to play.

"It was not difficult to jump straight in because my mentality is that I am not scared of anyone and I always know that I can do well."

The defender was a key part of the defence that kept a clean sheet in the 0-0 draw at Carrow Road, but he had to make do with a bit-part role behind Riether, who was voted the Players' Player of the Season, for the remainder of the campaign.

"Some games I am happy with and some games I am not, because I know that I can play better," he admitted. "It always happens like this though, so I try to focus on the positives and do my best.

"The best game that I played was against Arsenal, although we lost 1-0. I was unlucky not to get a goal and it was tough playing against 10 men, but we played well and had a lot of chances."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/may/24/manolev-pleased-to-play?

[WhiteJC]

 
Transfer news: John Arne Riise urges Mark Schwarzer to stay at Fulham


Mark Schwarzer: Fulham goalkeeper has been linked with a summer move

John Arne Riise has urged Fulham to offer Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer a new deal to stay at Craven Cottage.

The goalkeeper's contract expires next month, and the Australian is thought to be considering his options unless he feels that he will remain as first choice next season.

Schwarzer started 36 league games this season as Fulham limped to a 12th-place finish, and the 40-year old was the second oldest player in the Premier League this season.

The goalkeeper's Norwegian team-mate Riise hopes that Schwarzer and Fulham can sort out a deal for him to remain at the club.

"I hope Mark stays," Riise said.

"He's kept us in a few games and did that against Swansea [Fulham's last game of the season].

"For half an hour we were forced to defend but he kept us in it and we scored a few more goals."

Schwarzer has made 172 Premier League appearances since his move from Middlesbrough in 2008.



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/8731897/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Altman on the up at Fulham

Omri Altman has been handed an improved two-year contract by Fulham and promoted to the club's first-team squad.

The 19-year-old Israeli impressed during 24 appearances for Fulham's under-21 side this season and over the next two year he will be given an opportunity to prove if he is Premier League material.

A former captain of Maccabi Tel Aviv's youth team, the Cottagers have converted Altman from an attacking midfielder into a striker. Altman joined the Fulham Academy in 2011 after trials with Liverpool and Arsenal and signed a two-year professional contract on turning 18 early last year.

Altman will be a key player for Israel at next month's Euro under-21 Championships. Israel hosts the tournament and has been drawn in the same group as England, Norway and Italy.

Altman's agent Ronen Katsav said: "Omri is continuing to progress and it is very exciting to see a 19-year-old doing so well at a club like Fulham.

"I hope we will be impressed by the progress he is making during the Euros."

Altman himself has said that he has been enormously influenced over the past season by the presence of Bulgarian star Dimitar Berbatov at Craven Cottage.



http://www.thejc.com/sport/sport-news/107925/altman-fulham?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Focus - Cottagers make early moves into the transfer market with triple swoop

Fulham's rather disappointing season indicated the need for major reinforcements to be brought in in the summer months. Indeed, manager Martin Jol indicated that it would be a busy off-season as the Cottagers attempt to increase their squad numbers, with so many players either leaving the club on free transfers or returning to their parent clubs following loan spells.

However, it was originally thought any summer business would only be carried out once the future of the manager had been decided, with rumours continually linking Jol with a move away from West London.

Therefore, it has been a surprise to see Fulham as the by far the most activePremier League club in the transfer market, less than a week after the climax of the season.

The deal for full-back Sascha Riether is an unsurprising one. The German had a stellar campaign on loan at Craven Cottage and even won the club's Players' Player of the Year award ahead of star forward Dimitar Berbatov. His performances ensured that whoever the club's next manager would be, his transfer was always going to be a formality once the season has ended.

The second deal announced this week was that of Derek Boateng from the Ukrainian side Dnipro. The 30-year-old will beef up a midfield that has been sorely lacking in both bite and inspiration this season, and certainly considering the departures of Giorgos Karagounis, Emmanuel Frimpong and Urby Emanuelson later on this summer, the experienced Ghanaian international could prove an astute acquisition in a similar mould to the now-departed Dickson Etuhu.

The third and final deal was perhaps the most interesting one. Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes have been Fulham stalwarts for years but this season has been a poor one for both. Hangeland suffered a dip in his performances though the club captain did at least find some form towards the end of the campaign, particularly after he signed an extension to his contract.

However, the ever-dependable Hughes seemed to be beginning to show all of his 33 years and after being at fault for a number of conceded goals, Fulham looked a more solid outfit when the Northern Irishman's place in the team was taken by Philippe Senderos. However, the Swiss international is prone to the occasional mistake and there are doubts over the pace of the team's defence when he partners the similarly leaden-footed Hangeland.

Thus, the signing of the 28-year-old Fernando Amorebieta could prove an inspired one. The Venezuela international was part of the Athletic Bilbao side that thrillingly reached last season's Europa League final, defeating Manchester United along the way. Indeed, such has been the quality of his performances that there were even suggestions of a January move to Arsenal. Amorebieta brings not only the abilities of a rugged defender but also the class to play out of the back, something with which Hangeland and Senderos particularly struggle.



http://www.adifferentleague.co.uk/p6_0_20282_-.html#.UZ89RpW_wds