Saturday Fulham Stuff (22/06/13)...

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Turkish club confirm interest in Fulham star

Galatasaray have confirmed their interest in signing Fulham's Turkish international winger Kerim Frei.

The 19-year-old made just eight first team appearances for Martin Jol's side last season and spent a spell on loan at Cardiff City, where he featured three times.

Galatasaray president Unal Aysal and manager Fatih Terim have both stated the club's interest in Frei, with the latter admitting he is a player they have followed for a long time.

"We are interested in Kerim Frei," Aysal told Lig TV.

Terim said: "We have been scouting Frei for over a year and remain interested."

Frei is currently preparing for the Under-20 World Cup with Turkey.



http://www.london24.com/sport/fulham/turkish_club_confirm_interest_in_fulham_star_1_2246151

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FULHAM FACE BATTLE TO KEEP SASCHA RIETHER - JUST A MONTH AFTER SIGNING HIM!

FULHAM are facing a fight to hang on to Sascha Riether – just a month after signing him permanently.

Champions League qualifiers Schalke want to bring defender Riether, 30, back to Germany.

General manager Horst Heldt has confirmed their interest this week with Schalke now preparing to test Fulham's resolve with a bid.

Right-back Riether was one of Fulham's star men last season during his year long-loan from Koln.

He was named players' playerof the season and Fulham moved quickly to turn his loan into a permanent switch for around £1.3m last month.

But his form also alerted Schalke.

German international Riether signed a two year deal at Craven Cottage.

But Schalke hope the lure of European football will help them tempt the German international back to the Bundesliga.

There is nothing in place to block what would be an unusual move either.

FIFA rules allow a player to be registered at three different clubs in one season, but they can only play for two.



http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/321814/?

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Would Fulham prefer to buy Tom Huddlestone or Scott Parker from Tottenham Hotspur?

Both Tottenham Hotspur midfielders have been linked with Fulham this summer, would Tom Huddlestone or Scott Parker be the better purchase for the Cottagers?

When Tottenham Hotspur signed Mousa Dembele from Fulham last August, it left a glaring hole in midfield that Martin Jol struggled to fill throughout last season. This summer the Dutch manager might look to raid his former club to bolster his options in the heart of his side, with both Scott Parker and Tom Huddlestone reportedly made available by Spurs.

The pair are very different players, and while both could be good signings, deciding which would be a better fit for the team could be an important decision for Fulham this summer.


Scott Parker has boundless experience, and despite his age, he was an important player for Spurs in the second half of last season when covering for the injured Sandro. At 32, Parker might not be a long-term solution for Fulham's problems in midfield, but he could be an influential player next season sitting in front of their new look back five.

Tom Huddlestone is a riskier option, with the 26-year-old midfielder playing only a handful of games for Spurs at the end of last season, and generally being a bit part player at the club over the past couple of years.

He has also drawn plenty of criticism for his lack of mobility, and there is no doubt that this has to be taken into account when setting up your side, with Andre Villas-Boas getting the best from Huddlestone when playing him alongside two other central midfielders last season.

However in the right system, Huddlestone has the potential to be an excellent Premier League player, with his sumptuous passing range likely to be an asset to any side. He is also younger than Parker, and if he is a similar price Huddlestone would be the smarter move in purely financial terms, as it would be easier for Fulham to recoup any outlay by selling him on at a later date.

Each player has their merits, and Parker is probably the safer bet for next season, but Huddlestone could prove to be an excellent purchase if Martin Jol has a plan to fit the 26-year-old into his side.

Fulham fans, who would you rather see at your club next season, Parker or Huddlestone? Or should Martin Jol look elsewhere to bolster his central midfield resources?



http://hereisthecity.com/2013/06/21/nh-would-fulham-prefer-to-buy-tom-huddlestone-or-scott-parker-fr/?

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Fulham join race to sign Tottenham's Scott Parker and are ready to table a £4million bid

Harry Redknapp is keen to bring the 32-year-old to Loftus Road, but Martin Jol has expressed his desire to sign the midfielder

Fulham boss Martin Jol is ready to rival QPR for Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker.

Parker, 32, could be allowed to leave White Hart Lane if Spurs sign Brazilian midfielder Paulinho this summer .

QPR boss Harry Redknapp wants Parker but Fulham are also keen and Jol wants to table a £4m bid.

Sunderland have also been linked with the midfielder , who would have to fight for his place at White Hart Lane with the likes of Sandro and Moussa Dembele providing good cover in the centre of the park.

Parker joined Spurs in August 2011, starting in 56 matches in all competitions.



Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/fulham-transfer-news-scott-parker-1977212#ixzz2Wud9HGkt
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Silly Season Continues Linking Scott Parker to Fulham

Another day and rumors of Fulham going after a different Spurs midfielder.

Articles in both the Daily Mirror and Daily Star are linking Fulham to a Tottenham Hotspur central midfielder. This time it's not Tom Huddlestone but World War I Flying Ace, Captain Scott Parker. I'm not sure how much faith I have in these rumors. It seems like the kind of thing an agent might leak to drum up his price. But that kind of thing should be expected during silly season.

I'm also not sure how much sense it makes for Fulham to pick up a player like him. He's old at nearly 33, and spent much of the past season injured. Does Fulham really want another midfielder in his 30's who's likely to miss lots of time? Don't they have have enough of those? Giorgos Karagounis could probably fill that role for less money.

That being said, Tottenham do have an abundance of central midfield players. With Clint Dempsey, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Moussa Dembele, Sandro, Scott Parker, Jake Livermore, Tom Huddlestone, and Lewis Holtby; there simply isn't going to be enough playing time to go around. And that's before their rumored transfer of Paulinho. It makes sense to approach them about purchasing one of their surplus. If I had to choose though; I think I'd rather have Huddlestone, Livermore, or especially Sigurdsson join Fulham.

What does everyone else think?



http://www.cottagersconfidential.com/summer-transfer-rumours/2013/6/22/4453650/silly-season-continues-linking-scott-parker-to-fulham?

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Cult Hero

Fulham have had more than their fair share of characters over the years, players that for one reason or another have left their mark on the Cottage faithful. Ian McCulloch reveals our most colourful cult heroes...



He didn't really look like a footballer. In fact, with his long, flowing black locks and his swarthy features, Robbie Herrera looked for all the world like a Colombian drug lord – which is what he was often called, especially by Captain Simon Morgan. But a footballer he was, and a very good one.

"I did take a lot of stick about the way I looked," says Herrera, laughing.  "But I was asking for it with my hair like that. Despite all the flak I took from Morgs, he was my best mate – we shared a room when we travelled away."

Herrera originally arrived at the Cottage in 1993 during Fulham's darkest days, with the very existence of the Club in jeopardy and property developers poised to pounce. It was only a three-month loan from Queens Park Rangers to begin with, but it went so well that not only did the Club try to sign him on a permanent basis, the supporters held a bucket collection on the terraces to help raise the money.

"That was just so brilliant, the fans doing that," Herrera says. "When I first came to Fulham I was just keen to get some games under my belt, but I ended up loving every minute of my spell there. I went back to QPR after the three months, and the two clubs tried to work out a fee to make the move permanent, but they couldn't come to an agreement. It ended up going to a tribunal but Fulham just didn't have the money."

But that's where the mystery deepens. With the transfer window about to slam shut, an anonymous benefactor stepped in, stumped up the readies, and a Fulham player Herrera became.

"I was back at QPR," he says. "And then on deadline day I got a call to go to the Cottage - I was told they'd managed to find the money. To this day, I still don't know who it was. Some people have said it was Hugh Grant, or possibly one of the Directors, Cyril Swain, but I never found out. I don't suppose the bucket collection came very close to raising the money, but it was a fantastic gesture from a wonderful set of fans."

These days Herrera is youth-team coach at League Two side Torquay United, and ambitiously looking forward to the future.

"It's going great," he says. "I'm involved with the reserve side as well and I'm really loving it. The club are doing very well at the moment. We've had a fair bit of success over the last few years - we've reached the Play-Offs and been promoted, so it's a good time for the club, and hopefully it will continue. I've been doing this for three seasons full time now - the set-up here is excellent and improving year on year.



"I've got my 'A Licence', so I'm looking to move on to First-Team coaching at some stage. I'm very happy at Torquay, but I would never turn down the chance to work at a bigger club if the opportunity arose."

Herrera experienced the best and worst of times at Fulham, seeing the Whites sink to their all-time lowest league position, and then soar as Micky Adams' wonderful Team won the promotion that sparked the Club's current renaissance.

Although he missed the end of that season with an horrific shoulder injury suffered at, of all places, Torquay, he was a key member of the squad, a skilful full-back who was as potent going forward as he was solid in defence.

"It was a real low time for the Club when I first got there," he remembers. "But I saw the fortunes change right round with Mohamed Al Fayed coming in. The season I came in on loan was when we were relegated to the bottom division. But then we had that fantastic season when we won promotion. The team spirit was unbelievable - we all got on really well and there was such a good feeling around the Club. There were a lot of good characters there - people like Darren Freeman, Danny Cullip, and the old heads like Morgs - it was a great time. We had such a good bond and so much confidence - we went into games never thinking for a moment that we could be beaten.

"Playing in front of The Enclosure was something special as well - you were so close to the fans you could hear everything that was said, good and bad! Fortunately, most of the comments aimed my way were positive, and I could hear them singing my name, so that was great running up and down the line there. If I could have my time again I wouldn't change a thing, it was that good. I'd just like to thank the fans for making my time at Fulham so special."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/june/22/cult-hero?

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Transfer news: Fulham's Sascha Riether a target for Bundesliga club Schalke

Schalke want to sign Fulham's Sascha Riether only one month after the defender signed permanent terms at Craven Cottage - but the German club will not pay over the odds.

The right-back impressed last season when on loan from Cologne and subsequently earned a long-term deal in May.

But Schalke now want to take Riether back to Germany and their ability to offer UEFA Champions League football could work in their favour.

However, the Bundesliga club's general manager, Horst Heldt, does not want to pay a big fee for the 30-year-old.

"If the asking price is too high, it will not happen," Heldt is quoted as saying in the Daily Star.

Riether made 34 appearances in the Premier League in the last campaign and was named Fulham's Player of the Season.



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/8787713/?