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Friday Fulham Stuff (12/07/13)...

Started by WhiteJC, July 12, 2013, 04:37:14 AM

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WhiteJC

 
Derek Delighted

New Fulham signing Derek Boateng is delighted to be playing his football in SW6 and is looking forward to starting the season in full fitness.

Boateng arrived on a free transfer from Ukrainian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk this summer and is heading to Costa Rica for the Club's pre-season tour which sees us play our first game this weekend.

The Ghana international has played in Greece, Germany and Spain among others during his career but is glad he is finally able to test himself in England.

"Every footballer's dream is to play in the Barclays Premier League," he said. "There's some big players in the league. I've been in Spain and it's a good league, but I always wanted to come to the Premier League because of the language, the game and the type of player I am, so I'm so happy to come to a good family club like Fulham."

The 30-year-old revealed that he had his sights tracked on becoming a Whites player long ago and is now keen to showcase his skills.

"It's very good for me here. I know the language already and the people are very nice. I'm so happy," he added. "It's a big relief for me to finally be here. Fulham were interested a few years ago and this is the third time they've come in for me, so I thank God it's happened.

"I was so happy the first time they came in for me but it didn't go through, so I didn't know what was going to happen. After the second time I worked even harder. I always had Fulham in my head – that was the club I wanted to play for.

"They showed me a lot of love and showed so much confidence in me. I called my family and told them 'it's over now'. I can have fun and play my football."

Boateng has already been talking with former Fulham defender and fellow Ghana international John Pantsil about life in SW6.

"John Pantsil is a good friend of mine and he told me good things. So far I'm impressed with what I've seen," he said. "I'm a player who likes to get the ball from the defenders and move it forward. I like to tackle and will do my best for the Club.

"With the kind of players we have here I think I'll be ready. They are very supportive. It's always fantastic playing with these players; they are working hard and supporting each other."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/july/12/derek-delighted?

WhiteJC

 
Liverpool Looking To Offload South American Defender For £5m – Report

Liverpool are hoping to offload defender Sebastian Coates for a fee of around £5m with Fulham believed to be interested in giving the Uruguayan another chance to shine in the Premier League.

Coates arrived at Merseyside in 2011 and was a highly sought-after transfer coup for then-manager Kenny Dalglish.



http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/489637/20130712/liverpool-transfer-news-sebastian-coates-exit-fulham.htm?

WhiteJC

 
Fulham fans give verdict on propsective new owner

FULHAM fans have given a 'cautiously optimistic' thumbs-up to the prospect of billionaire Shahid Khan taking over the club.

TOOFIF fanzine editor David Lloyd also reckoned he could see it coming.

"There was a feeling something was bubbling under, and I don't think fans can really complain at Mohamed Al Fayed at 84 wanting to sell," he said.

"Bearing in mind what he's done for the club in the last 16 years – surely nobody could do anything but be incredibly grateful that he took over in 1997."

The former Harrods owner is in discussion with Khan, who also owns NFL franchise Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Pakistani businessman, who made his pile selling car parts, bought the American outfit for £600m. So the reported asking price of £150m for Fulham is small beer by comparison, and leads Lloyd and fans to suspect a man who is a genial ringer for Salvador Dali, could paint an even prettier picture in the future.

"All those fans I've spoken to are cautiously optimistic," explained Lloyd.

"If Khan is as rich as suggested, he's hardly going to buy a club that just wants to avoid relegation every season.

"And it could be a big move forward provided it's not just a question of buying 11 George Bests – but rather mixing sensible buying that brings evolution rather than revolution, which has tended to be the Fulham way."



Read more: Fulham Chronicle http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/fulham-fc/2013/07/12/82029-33602119/?#ixzz2YqGxKCbn


WhiteJC

 
Do Fulham have the right to feel aggrieved by Schwarzer switch?

New Chelsea signing goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has crossed enemy lines to go to Stamford Bridge after spending 5 years with archrivals Fulham up the road at Craven Cottage.

The 40-year-old Australian stopper joined Fulham in 2008 from Middleborough where he spent more than a decade of his professional career.

It's not clear whether Schwarzer left because Fulham had signed Netherlands number 1 Maarten Stekelenburg from Roma or whether he had planned to leave at the end of his contract all along.


At 40 years of age, one would have forgiven him for retiring but will Fulham fans forgive him for joining to the old enemy?

"It's a phenomenal club," said Schwarzer.

"It's one of the biggest and best clubs in the world and it's an honour to sign for Chelsea. I didn't take much convincing to come here."

He's signed a one-year deal so I suppose it's not going to be all that long before he does hang up his boots (and gloves) for good but I wonder whether Fulham offered him a deal of a similar length and I also wonder whether he was waiting to see if Stekelenburg signed to make his decision.

If the latter of those suggestions is the case, do Fulham and the fans have a right to feel aggrieved that one of their most loyal servants has defected to their most bitter rivals?

They would have the right to feel somewhat aggrieved that he's joined Chelsea, whatever the circumstances – you just don't do that when you're a club legend and, let's face it, there are probably many other clubs he could have gone to both at home and abroad.

The club might have hoped, at his age, he'd have stuck around to compete with Stekelenburg for the top spot between the sticks and ensure the Dutchman's performance remained at the highest level.

He might feel there is still enough gas left in his tank to be first choice but he's certainly not going to be first choice at Stamford Bridge as long as Petr Cech's around, so that rationale doesn't hold up.

According to reports he 'turned down' a new deal at Craven Cottage, which, in a sense, makes his defection to the Blues worse.

I suspect he was probably a little miffed that the club brought in Stekelenburg and thought he'd jump ship but going to Chelsea means he pretty much defaces the image that would have endured of him as a Fulham legend and for what? To play second choice behind Petr Cech rather than Maarten Stekelenburg for a year - is the bench at Stamford Bridge really that much more comfortable?



http://hereisthecity.com/2013/07/12/do-fulham-have-the-right-to-feel-aggrieved-by-schwarzer-switch/?

jarv

5 million for Coates. :58: In the same sentence, he has failed to perform in the league and has fallen behind home grown talent in the pecking order.
Hardly inspiring stuff.

grandad

Quote from: zschwartz on July 12, 2013, 05:34:38 AM
Quote from: btings on July 12, 2013, 05:12:01 AM
whatculture.com is the UK version of Bleacher Report, I guess?
I guess, just a terrible list.

Huddlestone is already at Sunderland it appears and Remy may be imprisoned. Throwing another 5-10 million on a keeper immediately after signing Stekelenburg would be ridiculous even though Begovic is quality. Doubt Glenn Murray would want to watch from the bench after being promoted into the premier league (?).  Genuinely poor suggestions, the sort of stuff that would have us fast-tracked to being QPR 2.0.

Downing is the closest thing to reasonable and even that reeks of an uninspired gamble by a mid-table side. Poor suggestions.

The worst selection of 5 players I have ever seen. What a load of drivel.
Where there's a will there's a wife


jmh

Quote from: WhiteJC on July 12, 2013, 04:37:14 AM

Fulham Transfers: 5 Players New Owner Should Buy To Show He Means Business

Fulham owner Mohamed Fayed is close to selling the club to Shahid Khan (above), with the proposed takeover expected to be announced by the end of the week.

...

Here, we take a look at 5 players the new owner should buy to show he means business.

5. Asmir Begovic

Fulham have signed goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg from Roma following Mark Schwarzer's departure from Craven Cottage to Chelsea, though the feeling is the Cottagers still need one more keeper this summer.

Stekelenburg joins rookie Neil Etheridge at the club, and the 23-year-old has yet to make a single Premier League appearance during his five year stay. Last season, he spent the whole campaign on loan at Bristol Rovers and cannot be expected to serve as a reliable deputy to Fulham's new signing.

Martin Jol needs to bring in a keeper capable of providing decent competition for Stekelenburg, and Stoke City's Asmir Begovic is one option.

Fulham could land the Bosnian shot-stopper for just £4 million, say reports, and considering the 26-year-old has been linked with moves to the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United in recent months, his capture would be something of a coup for the new owner.
That's dumb.  Why would Begovic come here and have to compete for playing time when there's a host of places he could go, many of them higher-profile than Fulham, and not have to do so?  And why would we alienate Stekelenburg, who could be a massive signing for us, by signing another solid goalkeeper when a big part of the reason why he left Roma was because he wasn't happy with the way he had been treated?

Apprentice to the Maestro

Quote from: jmh on July 12, 2013, 06:36:57 PM
Quote from: WhiteJC on July 12, 2013, 04:37:14 AM

Fulham Transfers: 5 Players New Owner Should Buy To Show He Means Business

Fulham owner Mohamed Fayed is close to selling the club to Shahid Khan (above), with the proposed takeover expected to be announced by the end of the week.

...

Here, we take a look at 5 players the new owner should buy to show he means business.

5. Asmir Begovic

Fulham have signed goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg from Roma following Mark Schwarzer's departure from Craven Cottage to Chelsea, though the feeling is the Cottagers still need one more keeper this summer.

Stekelenburg joins rookie Neil Etheridge at the club, and the 23-year-old has yet to make a single Premier League appearance during his five year stay. Last season, he spent the whole campaign on loan at Bristol Rovers and cannot be expected to serve as a reliable deputy to Fulham's new signing.

Martin Jol needs to bring in a keeper capable of providing decent competition for Stekelenburg, and Stoke City's Asmir Begovic is one option.

Fulham could land the Bosnian shot-stopper for just £4 million, say reports, and considering the 26-year-old has been linked with moves to the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United in recent months, his capture would be something of a coup for the new owner.
That's dumb.  Why would Begovic come here and have to compete for playing time when there's a host of places he could go, many of them higher-profile than Fulham, and not have to do so?  And why would we alienate Stekelenburg, who could be a massive signing for us, by signing another solid goalkeeper when a big part of the reason why he left Roma was because he wasn't happy with the way he had been treated?

. . . and no mention of Stockdale!

bill taylors apprentice

Quote from: WhiteJC on July 12, 2013, 04:37:14 AM

Fulham Transfers: 5 Players New Owner Should Buy To Show He Means Business

Fulham owner Mohamed Fayed is close to selling the club to Shahid Khan (above), with the proposed takeover expected to be announced by the end of the week.

Khan is the owner of American Football Team the Jackson Jaguars and will pay Fayed somewhere in the region of £150 to £200 million for the club, pending Premier League approval.

With an estimated fortune of £1.7 billion, Khan is twice as wealthy as Fayed and could significantly increase Fulham's transfer spending over the next few years.

Despite bankrolling the club's rise from the third tier of English football to the topflight after buying Fulham for £6.25 million in 1997, spending under Fayed has been relatively frugal recently.

All three of the London club's summer signings so far – Maarten Stekelenburg, Derek Boateng and Fernando Amorebieta – have arrived on free transfers.

The Egypt-born chairman has instead focused on improving Craven Cottage, and helping improve the stadium's capacity to an estimated 30,000.

However, now that Pakistan-born Khan is set to take over, we could be about to see a reversal in transfer policy at Fulham over the next couple of seasons.

Here, we take a look at 5 players the new owner should buy to show he means business.

5. Asmir Begovic

Fulham have signed goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg from Roma following Mark Schwarzer's departure from Craven Cottage to Chelsea, though the feeling is the Cottagers still need one more keeper this summer.

Stekelenburg joins rookie Neil Etheridge at the club, and the 23-year-old has yet to make a single Premier League appearance during his five year stay. Last season, he spent the whole campaign on loan at Bristol Rovers and cannot be expected to serve as a reliable deputy to Fulham's new signing.

Martin Jol needs to bring in a keeper capable of providing decent competition for Stekelenburg, and Stoke City's Asmir Begovic is one option.

Fulham could land the Bosnian shot-stopper for just £4 million, say reports, and considering the 26-year-old has been linked with moves to the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United in recent months, his capture would be something of a coup for the new owner.

4. Tom Huddlestone

Fulham could make a fresh bid for the Tottenham midfielder this summer after seeing their £6 million bid for the England international rejected in January.

The move might have gone through had it not been for the season-ending injury sustained to Sandro, and the Cottagers might have a better chance of landing their man this time round.

Huddlestone has been deemed surplus to requirements by Andre Villas-Boas, and only featured in 14 Premier League games last season. With the arrival of Brazilian Paulinho, contention for places in the Portuguese manager's midfield is expected to be even more fierce next season.

That could pave the way for the 26-year-old to seek pastures new, with Fulham expected to start the bidding at £5 million. Huddlestone's arrival would bring more creativity to Jol's midfield next season, and the Holland-born former Tottenham manager is thought to be a big fan, having first brought him to White Hart Lane from Derby County in 2005.

3. Stewart Downing

The Liverpool winger has been linked with a move to Craven Cottage this summer, with Fulham hoping to sign him on loan, but could instead have to buy him outright if their interest is serious.

The Reds aren't interested in a loan deal and are instead looking to sell the England international, a proposal which the Cottagers are taking into consideration.

Downing arrived at Anfield from Aston Villa two years ago in a big money deal worth an estimated £20 million, but Brendan Rodgers no longer sees the star as part of his long-term plans.

The Northern Irishman recently signed winger Luis Alberto from Sevilla, and the arrival of the 20-year-old could put Downing's place on the flanks in jeopardy.

Fulham could capitalise then and sign a winger who cost so much yet has so far failed to live up to his market value. Perhaps that could change at Craven Cottage the same way it has for Andy Carroll at West Ham.

2. Glenn Murray

The Crystal Palace goal-machine signed a new, three-year deal at Selhurst Park in March but could still leave if a big enough offer came in for him.

If Fulham could persuade their newly-promoted London rivals to sell the star, they would be signing a player who came just behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the European goalscoring charts last season.

Incredibly, only those two La Liga megastars outscored the former Carlisle United man last season, who has been plying his trade in the lower reaches of English football for much of his career.

But he came to prominence last season, and the 29-year-old Englishman netted a scorching 30 Championship goals in 42 appearances.

That's precisely why he's been on Fulham's radar, with Premier League rivals Norwich and Aston Villa also interested.

Signing the prolific goalscorer would be a huge statement of intent from Shahid Khan though one that could admittedly prove difficult given the striker recently pledged his future to Palace.

But then, stranger things have happened in football.

1. Loic Remy

Another option up front for Fulham next season is Loic Remy.

The forward joined QPR from Marseille in January but is likely to be sold following his side's relegation to the Championship in May.

Despite interest from the likes of Arsenal, West Ham, Newcastle and Spurs in the France striker, the Hoops are yet to receive a single bid for the 26-year-old, who scored 6 goals in 14 Premier League appearances last season.

Remy has a so called "relegation release clause" in his contract, allowing a move for £6.8 million, but so far, potential suitors have been put off by his £75,000-a-week wage demands.

However, those wages could now fall into Fulham's wage demands given that they are set to be taken over by a man who was ranked by Forbes last year among the world's richest 500 people.

And the Cottagers could take advantage of the apparent total lack of interest in Remy by snapping him up this summer, and beating the likes of Arsenal to the signature of the Frenchman really would show the new owner means business.



Read more at http://whatculture.com/sport/fulham-transfers-5-players-new-owner-should-buy-to-show-he-means-business.php#Y4TwptHgAOO0Kpfr.99

What rubbish!