Sunday Fulham Stuff (02/06/13)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham set to sign Roma ace

Fulham manager Martin Jol is set to continue his summer spending by snapping up Roma goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, according to the Daily Mail.

The Dutch international has been one of Europe's elite stoppers over the past five years and was once linked with a £15million move to Manchester United.

Fulham are set to tie up a deal worth just £3million for the Jol's compatriot as a replacement for the departing Mark Schwarzer who is coming to the end of his Cottagers contract and has rejected new terms from the club.

The former Ajax goalkeeper is set to arrive in London early next week to finalise a deal by completing personal terms and medical after a fee was agreed between Fulham and Roma.

Jol nearly finalised a deal to bring Stekelenburg to West London in January but the two clubs could not cross the t's and dot the i's before transfer deadline day.


http://www.footballfancast.com/football-news/fulham-set-to-sign-roma-ace

[WhiteJC]

 
Bakary Sako closes in on Fulham switch

BAKARY SAKO is edging closer to a move from relegated Wolves to Fulham.

The winger has been rumoured to be heading to West London for some time, and it now seems that a fee in the region of £4.5m is close to being agreed.

The move was first revealed after a slip-up by teammate Georg Margreitter who told an Austrian newspaper: "Bakary now goes for a few million to Fulham. Not bad for a loser."

The French-born plalyer of Malian descent has made a good impression since arriving in England from Saint Etienne, but missed much of the latter part of the season with a hamstring injury.

The news comes just a day after Wolves announced the Kenny Jackett would be replacing Dean Saunders as manager for the forthcoming battle to return to the Championship.

Fulham are also thought to be in talks with Blackburn Rovers over a move for Jordan Rhodes.



http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/404218/Bakary-Sako-closes-in-on-Fulham-switch?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+daily-express-football-news+%28Daily+Express+%3A%3A+Football+Feed%29

[WhiteJC]

 
Sako set to join Fulham?
by DAN on JUNE 1, 2013



Bakary Sako is close to completing a £4.5m move from Wolves to Fulham, according to the Daily Express.

The Malian winger impressed during his first season in English football, scoring ten goals and making eleven more, in an ultimately disappointing season for Wolves, who were relegated for the second successive season. It has long been rumoured that the 25 year-old wouldn't be lining up in League One, with his team-mate Georg Margreitter revealing the possibility of an impending move to Fulham in an interview with an Austrian newspaper last month. Sako, who has been sidelined since March with a hamstring strain, is expected to complete his move to Fulham next week.

The same paper also links Martin Jol with another move for Jordan Rhodes. The Express says that Fulham are in talks with Blackburn over the possible transfer of the Scottish international, who was tracked by Fulham before Blackburn paid £8m for the Huddersfield striker last August. The 23 year-old was voted Rovers' player of the season last year after scoring 30 goals in the Championship. Jol is looking to strengthen his striking options with Mladen Petric rumoured to poised to leave Craven Cottage after just a year at the club.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2013/06/sako-set-to-join-fulham/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Loose Interest in Rhodes?
   
Rumours are in circulation that Fulham, after one season, could be losing Mladen Petric.

Further rumours insist that to compensate for the loss, Jol is thinking about making a move for Blackburn`s frees coring Scottish striker, Jordan Rhodes.

But, recent tabloid talk has seen Blackburn`s manager, Gary Bowyer, state that any club wanting to sign the Scottish international would have to start the bidding at £10 million.

With it being intimated, by several news sources, the purse strings are very tight at Craven Cottage this summer, do you really see us involved in parting with such a huge sum for one player?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=320894#ixzz2V2cU19EI

[WhiteJC]

 
Paintsil Seeking Premier League Return
   
John Paintsil was a cult figure at Craven Cottage.

During his spell with us his defending may have left a bit to be desired but his effort couldn`t be faulted.

And as for his trademark runs around the pitch after the game............I doubt we`ll see the like of again.

Last season Paintsil spent the campaign in Israel playing for Hapoel Tel Aviv but his 12 month agreement is now at an end and Paintsil fancies a return to the Premier League with the Ghanaian remarking,

'I had a great season in Israel with my team."

'But I would love to return to the Premier League if there is an opportunity."

'I enjoyed my time there. Fulham was a great club for me."

'There are some contacts, but nothing concrete yet.'

Will he get his wish, you decide!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=320895#ixzz2V2cgyUkC

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham eye Jay Emmanuel-Thomas?

Fulham are reportedly prepared to offer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas the chance to end his stay with Ipswich Town.

Championship outfit Ipswich put the 22-year-old attacker up for sale along with Michael Chopra last month in an attempt to ease the wage bill at Portman Road.

It is believed that Fulham manager Martin Jol is keen to recruit the former Arsenal trainee and sent scouts to watch him in action on a number of occasions last season.

"Fulham like the look of Jay and are considering making a move, although they would not be prepared to pay a fee," a source told the East Anglian Daily Times.

"He has been in and out of the Ipswich team but, with the extra finances clubs like Fulham have from being in the Premier League, they would be prepared to take a chance on a player who they feel can turn a game."

Emmanuel-Thomas joined Ipswich from the Gunners in 2011.


http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/transfer-talk/news/fulham-eye-jay-emmanuel-thomas_87062.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Borussia Dortmund interested in Fulham starlet Kerim Frei



Borussia Dortmund have been scouting Fulham FC winger and are preparing a move according to Sporx.

The 19-year-old winger made only eight appearances last season due to a succesion of injuries.

"On a personal level, I don't think it was a great season," Kerim told the club's official website.

"I had two injuries and that set me back - it was difficult to get back to the level that I wanted to be at. But every day I feel a lot better, sharper, stronger and quicker.

"It's unfortunate that we now have the break because all I want to do is play football and show what I can do again.

"My number one target is to break into the first team again and impress the manager and coaches over the summer months - I want to be in their plans for the new season."

The Turkish international winger is also being closely monitored by Galatasaray.

Fatih Terim said,"We scouted Kerim Frei last season as well.

"We have been scouting Frei for over a year and remain interested. We will make an offer for him at the end of the season."

Frei's contract with Fulham runs until 2015, the young prospect is currently valued in the region of €3 million.



http://www.turkish-football.com/news_read.php?id=4687

[WhiteJC]

 
Liking the look of Fulham for next season, but preaching the need for more depth

Fulham have been one of the first English sides to make significant moves in the transfer markets, and Martin Jol's addition of Derek Boateng and Fernando Amorebieta represents a significant strengthening in two key areas of his side.

It's early, and the club will presumably be looking to do more business before the start of pre-season, but it's worth a look at how Fulham might line up next season:



Bringing Boateng in is a masterstroke, because not only does have the cliched physical power of an African midfielder and the myriad qualities associated with that type of player, but he's deceptively good on the ball – the partnership between him and Sidwell could well be Fulham's version of the Mulumbu/Yacob axis that West Brom benefited so much from last season.

Fernando Amorebieta is a much-more talented defender than Philippe Senderos, and the Venezuelan is also physically bigger – hypothetically, if he can reduce his tendency to get embroiled in disciplinary trouble, the centre-back partnership between him and Brede Hangeland could be one of the best outside of the top-six.

On paper, much as they were in 2012/13, Fulham look very much like a side who belong in the top-half of the league, and possibly one who could make a significant run in a cup competition – but that isn't an objective which is going to be reached without strengthening the peripheries of the squad as well as the first-team. Fulham were as poor in the second half of last season as they were impressive in the first few months, and that really does illustrate the need for more depth. Of the eleven players Jol used most frequently last season, only two (Senderos & Ruiz) were under the age of thirty. However, outside of that favoured group, only five other players started ten games or more.

There's an obvious point to be made about that: older players are fine, but they do need to be supported by a deeper squad than, say, half-a-dozen twenty-five year-olds would be.

Jol has made a good start to strengthening his side, but the fringes will need attention if he wants to avoid a similar drop-off next year.



http://thepremierleagueowl.com/liking-the-look-of-fulham-for-next-season-but-preaching-the-need-for-more-depth/

[WhiteJC]

 
FULHAM KEEN ON MAARTEN STEKELENBURG

FULHAM hope to complete the signing of Holland international keeper Maarten Stekelenburg from Roma next week for £3million.

Manager Martin Jol had hoped to sign the player in January but the deal collapsed while the Dutch ace, 30, was actually on a flight to London.

Jol is anxious for goalkeeping cover because first choice Mark Schwarzer is out of contract and has turned down the new terms offered to him.

He wants guarantees about remaining No.1 in the pecking order but Jol refuses to accept that, claming no player is above being dropped or being rotated.


http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/317993/?

[WhiteJC]

 
HAS DAMIEN DUFF DONE ENOUGH FOR IRELAND?

A DECADE ago they seemed on the cusp of something different. Irish football fans of a certain generation (actually, any generation) had a prototype Irish player in their heads and these guys weren't it.

Irish players didn't smack last-second equalisers against Germans or knock in last-kick penalties against Spain like it was the most normal thing in the world. They certainly didn't beat players for fun, skipping down wings like there was no tomorrow.

Robbie Keane and Damien Duff did, and they did it at a World Cup and they were about to take Ireland new places and become superstars. 10 years on, we still can't figure out how close they got.

It was Duff we were more excited about to be honest. Sure he'd been promising at Blackburn but the chasing he gave to that Spanish defence in that second round game was a statement of intent.

He moved to mega-bucks Chelsea and was so generally decent Claudio Ranieri's mom gave out to her son if Duff wasn't played. He went into a different level, scored goals against Barcelona in the Champions league, a wonder goal against Lazio, performed as part of a wonderful, unplayable double act with Arjen Robben for a sensational few months under Mourinho.

On a Goals on Sunday programme at the time, Eidur Gudjohnsen was asked by Rob McCaffrey who the most skilful player in the Chelsea training ground was under the new Abramovich era (McCaffrey offered Joe Cole, Veron, Crespo etc) – he answered Damien Duff, as beating players was the greatest skill of them all.

For Ireland at the time, he became the go-to player to the extent it was just too obvious in that 2003-2006 era where the only gameplan seemed to be feed Duff and wait for inspiration; we remember a game in summer 2003 where it was pretty much Duff v Russia (it ended 1-1, Duff scoring, obviously). In short, he was a serious guy in a serious league.

But, this was a while ago. Since the highs of 04/05, in order. 05/06 – replaced by Joe Cole at Chelsea. 06/07 – moved to Newcastle, injury hit year. 07/08 – no goals or assists, dropped by Newcastle. 08/09 – on a relegated Newcastle side, struggled so much he was played left-back at one stage.

09/10 – to Fulham, average. 10/11 – see previous year. 11/ 12 – lost place at Fulham before having a pretty decent last few months.

Total goals/ assists in first two years with Chelsea:  11 goals/ 16 assists; Total goals/ assists over seven years in Premier league since: 16 goals/ 11 assists (we realise this can be a crude, overused stat, but a forward like Duff needs to be scoring or creating goals, if not then what's the point exactly?)

The nagging worries we had through that special time – the weak crosses and shots, the fitness issue, the lack of real killer speed – all took their turn.

Duff went from the brink of genuine excellence to ordinary, where he's still neat and tidy in possession, still has a little trick to beat a player now and then but just doesn't put bums on the floor like he used to or frighten teams (and he did frighten teams).

He's scored once for Ireland since 2006 and had no assists in the last qualifiers. He's hardly been a failure, but he just didn't kick on for quite long enough to become that superstar he threatened for two years.

If Duff is a tough one to classify, Robbie Keane's probably the most complex player we've ever analysed.

(And he's got competition. As a fun game, let's offer the same critique to the rest of the 'golden generation' – John O'Shea, Richard Dunne, Shay Given.

O'Shea: Premier league medals hanging off him, consistent twenty-five games a season for Man Utd or the guy who could never perform quite well or quite long enough to be more than a utility player.

Dunne: reliable, backs-to-the-wall stopper who was consistently voted player of the season by Man City or stodgy, one-paced, defender with a knack for own goals who struggled to maintain a serious level of performance.

Given: one of the most respected keepers in the Premier league generation but never been trusted at a top club and always strangely behind a shaky defence.

See how awkward it can get? See how easily you can make an argument they're Irish legends or disappointments in the same breath?)

Keane's a humdinger though. 10 or more Premier league goals for seven seasons in a row but eternally failing to convince of belonging at that level.

Holds title of player most likely to nab important winner/equaliser for Ireland while also player most likely to evoke intense feelings of frustration.

Since 2002 he's both fallen from favour with every single Spurs manager and been their main man at different times, mixing spells where you think, "Yeah, he's really got it at last" with months of nothing.

Keane had two years after World Cup 02 where he was bright, sparky and scoring goals for Spurs, then eighteen months of poor form, then a really decent few months at the end of 05/06 partnering Mido, then six months of bitty form, then the back end of 06/07 and 07/08 in the form of his life up front with Dimitar Berbatov.

Around this time, he scored a double at Anfield which contained two typical Robbie Keane goals (running in behind a defence onto flick-ons, though there's also that trick where he pretends to move near post but drifts far post), a belter of a late equaliser against Chelsea, crackers away at Fulham and it appeared he was actually becoming the player he had promised.

The Liverpool move though, just brought up all those limitations – tactical unawareness of the headless sort, lack of real killer finishing at times of doubt – and he hasn't had a decent season since, to the extent three seasons of mediocrity had made him unwanted at the top level.

The feeling with Keane was always that he was just a step below that place where you could comfortably put him in the top bracket, a very good Premier league player but not close to a great one.

He'd get 10-14 league goals but wouldn't get twenty. He'd never quite give a chasing to a top defence or defender (I've never seen him perform against United for example). For Ireland, he's had nights where he's contributed very, very little, but he's tended towards the good stuff with his country more often. And in truth, if you're backing someone to take a chance, you wouldn't pick anybody else in the squad right now.

A tournament like 2002 might just mean history looks a little kinder on Robbie than sometimes suggested. Like Damien Duff, there's a small sense of what-might-have-been though.



http://www.eveningecho.ie/2012/06/07/has-damien-duff-done-enough-for-ireland/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Cameron Burgess: I'm doing it for dad
Defender eligible to play for Scottish side

HE has dreamt of playing for Scotland since childhood days sat among the Tartan Army with a Saltire painted on his face.

Yet six years Down Under has seen Cameron Burgess coated by the Aussie way of life.

The Fulham defender's dad — former Falkirk centre-half Stuart Burgess — took his boy to Hampden every chance he could.

But then he chose to uproot his family to Oz for a better life, a move which sees Aberdeen-born Burgess boasting an Australian passport.

His call-up to Billy Stark's Under-20s squad at the Den Haag Tournament in Holland is his second involvement with a Scotland youth group.

But he'll be eligible to play for both countries until the day he makes his debut for the senior side of one.

Burgess, 17, said: "Perth is where I've grown up since I was 11, but my home will always be Scotland.

"We moved there for lifestyle reasons. Mum and Dad decided it would be the best place to bring me and my sister up and it's been great, although the football will always be better in the UK.

"I have an Australian passport and because I've been there for a while that's what I consider myself to be.

"But I always wanted to play for Scotland as a little kid. We'd go to just about every Scotland home game.

"I loved seeing the fans at Hampden. To be a part of that was amazing.

"I had the facepaint on and all the flags, so I'm delighted to be involved now."

Burgess quickly adapted to his new surroundings and starred for the youth teams of Sorrento and Perth Glory before making his first-team debut for ECU Joondalup at just 16.

He is now a year into a three-year deal at Craven Cottage and said: "The only difficulty about going to Australia was leaving the rest of my family in Scotland.

"But there's no doubt the lifestyle in Australia is a huge thing.

"As soon as the sun comes out at 6am, people are cycling, walking or jogging. Everyone is ready for action, wanting to get involved in sport."

Burgess has tapped into the knowledge of both his dad and grandfather Campbell Forsyth, another former professional.

He added: "Dad played the same position and he gives me a bit of coaching.

"He played for Falkirk, Kilmarnock, East Fife and Albion Rovers, and my grandfather played for St Mirren, Kilmarnock and Southampton.

"I see him quite a lot and he's always asking how I'm getting on.

"My dad tells me how proud he is of my involvement with Scotland and it's great to have that support."



Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/4951221/Cameron-Burgess-Im-doing-it-for-dad.html#ixzz2V2fv6jo9

[Artful Dodger]

Liking the look of Fulham for next season, but preaching the need for more depth

Fulham have been one of the first English sides to make significant moves in the transfer markets, and Martin Jol’s addition of Derek Boateng and Fernando Amorebieta represents a significant strengthening in two key areas of his side.

It’s early, and the club will presumably be looking to do more business before the start of pre-season, but it’s worth a look at how Fulham might line up next season:



Bringing Boateng in is a masterstroke, because not only does have the cliched physical power of an African midfielder and the myriad qualities associated with that type of player, but he’s deceptively good on the ball – the partnership between him and Sidwell could well be Fulham’s version of the Mulumbu/Yacob axis that West Brom benefited so much from last season.

Fernando Amorebieta is a much-more talented defender than Philippe Senderos, and the Venezuelan is also physically bigger – hypothetically, if he can reduce his tendency to get embroiled in disciplinary trouble, the centre-back partnership between him and Brede Hangeland could be one of the best outside of the top-six.

On paper, much as they were in 2012/13, Fulham look very much like a side who belong in the top-half of the league, and possibly one who could make a significant run in a cup competition – but that isn’t an objective which is going to be reached without strengthening the peripheries of the squad as well as the first-team. Fulham were as poor in the second half of last season as they were impressive in the first few months, and that really does illustrate the need for more depth. Of the eleven players Jol used most frequently last season, only two (Senderos & Ruiz) were under the age of thirty. However, outside of that favoured group, only five other players started ten games or more.

There’s an obvious point to be made about that: older players are fine, but they do need to be supported by a deeper squad than, say, half-a-dozen twenty-five year-olds would be.

Jol has made a good start to strengthening his side, but the fringes will need attention if he wants to avoid a similar drop-off next year.



http://thepremierleagueowl.com/liking-the-look-of-fulham-for-next-season-but-preaching-the-need-for-more-depth/

We may be a little more defensively sound with Boateng and Amorebieta but unless Jol can work out how to get Ruiz and Berbatov to play together we will still struggle to score goals. Ruiz needs to be more direct and pass forward more often and Berbatov needs to improve his runs and get caught offside less. Duff is tidy but not got the pace so I would hope Kaca finally gets the consistency to become a premier league winger.

It's a start with Boateng and Amo but still more work to do if you ask me!