Tuesday Fulham Stuff (23/07/13)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Away Days: Costa Rica Special

We catch up with Fulham fan Marc Millington, who made the trip to Costa Rica to see the team and even met Bryan Ruiz's mother.

How long have you been planning your trip to Costa Rica to follow the team, and what made you decide to go out there?

I've been backpacking in South America for a year and was in Bolivia when the tour was announced. I missed all of last season so the chance to see Fulham live was too good to pass up. I raced to Buenos Aires, took the boat to Uruguay and then a 12-hour flight to Costa Rica, via Panama - I'm glad I didn't check the map too closely beforehand!

What are your impressions of Costa Rica so far? Have you been there before, and how does it differ from England?

I'm loving Costa Rica! The people are so friendly and welcoming and they're crazy about football! It's my first time here; it's a developing country but doing so fast. Tourism is very important and well catered to and people are keen to show off their English. It's such a diverse country, rich in wildlife, with rainforests and active volcanoes, plus beaches on the Pacific and Caribbean bringing the influences of both.

Have you had a chance to explore the sights of the country? If so, what have you seen so far?

I've mostly been in the capital San José, happily visiting the museums, parks and bars. Most of the population is centred here and it's a fun city, a good springboard for tours. After the Alajuelense game I went to the west coast to see turtles hatching.

What have you made of the Costa Rican fans and the atmosphere at the games?

For a friendly, the atmosphere at the first game was amazing! There were marching bands doing laps around the stadium and the Cartaginés fans were in great voice throughout. Our Fulham shirts brought a lot of attention with the opposition fans keen on photos, shirt swapping and plying us with drinks. Great fans, really friendly and knowledgeable.

You were invited to meet Bryan Ruiz's mother, how did that come about and what did she say?

I'd swapped my shirt with a Cartaginés fan and then couldn't find a replacement in town! I was about to give up when a cheeky street vendor said, "Fulham shirt? In Costa Rica? You're dreaming! I've got Chelsea..." Now, not taking no for an answer, I heard that Bryan had a shop in his 'nearby' hometown. My taxi driver finally found it, after dark and shuttered up.

Press ganging two local kids into the wild goose chase as guides, we all ended up at Bryan's grandmother's house and she kindly called her daughter to arrange a meeting the next day - while I was dying of embarrassment! I arrived sheepishly the next morning to meet the lovely Rosa Ruiz! I asked how she felt about her son living in England, she was sad he was so far away but happy it was good for his career.

And of course she loves coming to London! She was delighted to hear about his goal in the first game and went to the second. I went back to my laughing cabbie in a Bryan strip and Costa Rica jester's hat. ¡Pura vida!

Have you followed the team on other tours before? Is this the furthest that you have ever travelled to see them?

I went to the UEFA Europa League games in Rome and Germany but, yes, this is the furthest!

What have you seen of the team so far? Have you been impressed and do you think that the tour will be good for our hopes next season?

Friendlies are friendlies, all about teamwork and fitness, but still it's great to see Bryan playing with confidence and scoring goals and it's a joy to watch Dimitar Berbatov live - the locals are quickly joining the Black And White Army! It was good to see Pajtim Kasami heavily involved in the play and new signing Derek Boateng could soon become a fans' favourite. But out here everyone's buzzing about new owner Shahid Khan: can he push on from the great years under Mohamed Al Fayed...?



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/july/22/away-days--costa-rica?

[WhiteJC]

 
Tip-Top Condition

Steve Sidwell is confident his Fulham side will reap the benefits of an intense pre-season when the 2013/14 Barclays Premier League campaign gets underway in less than a month's time.

With high humidity and altitude to contend with, the Whites squad were pushed hard in Costa Rica, but our combative midfielder wouldn't have it any other way.

"Of course it had an effect," Sidwell told fulhamfc.com when quizzed on the unusual training conditions.

"It was tough in the mornings when we trained, but the sessions were short and sharp so you just had to make sure you put the maximum effort in and obviously rest when we could. Then there were the sessions in the afternoon which we put the same effort into as well, and then it was about resting afterwards – that's important."

Sidwell saw considerable action in Central America, clocking up plenty of minutes on the pitch and grabbing the opening goal with an accurate header in Wednesday's 3-1 victory over L.D. Alajuelense.

"It's obviously nice to get minutes under the belt," he admitted. "It's pre-season so we want to work as hard as we can and the more game time you get, the better it is for the start of the season when it comes.

"I think the trick [to reaching peak fitness] is more down to games – because we had three games in a week. We'll be back [at Motspur Park] soon to train hard and continue to work hard to build up our fitness.

"Obviously we've got the games [at Craven Cottage] when we're getting close to the start of the season and everyone should be in tip-top condition by then for the start against Sunderland away."

Going into April last season, Sidwell had been a virtual ever-present in the Fulham team, missing just three league matches, before consecutive straight dismissals – totalling a seven-match suspension – tainted the conclusion to his campaign.

It meant our number seven hadn't played a great deal of football before our opener last Sunday, but he's eager to recapture the form that saw him establish himself as a pivotal cog in the Fulham engine room.

"I feel really good at the minute," he said. "Last season, for me personally, it went well. Obviously towards the end the two back-to-back red cards were a big blow, not just for me, but for the team – I let myself down, I let everyone down.

"We didn't pick up points on that run either so I want to make up for the game time that I missed towards the end of the season. Hopefully I will this season.

"The friendly against Cartaginés was the first game I'd played in quite a while so it's nice to be back on the pitch and raring to go. Hopefully I can start where I left off – before the red cards!"



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/july/22/tip-top-condition?

[WhiteJC]

 
Everton, Aston Villa, Fulham and Newcastle catchable in the Deloitte rankings

John McCormick writes: last November I took a look at the Deloitte Money League (http://salutsunderland.com/?p=38977), which ranks clubs according to income from matchdays, broadcasting rights and other commercial activities, including sponsorship ...

We weren't in the Money League as such as it's reserved for the top 20 clubs but we had made Deloitte's top 30 with revenue of €87.9million. I described this as "third division", on the grounds that Real and Barca were so out in front that they formed a division of their own and the other 18 clubs from the top 20 made a second division. 

With us in the third division were West Ham and Everton, who were just above us, and also Aston Villa and NUFC, who occupied 25th and 24th places respectively.

The news since then has been mixed. Our revenue increased, to €96 million, but the majority of clubs in the Deloitte report did at least as well as us so we had only moved up one place when the 2013 Money League came out. I didn't expect to make the top 20 (in one season), and it's gratifying to see that we are establishing ourselves in the top 30, but I would have liked us to have done better, especially as Fulham, who had had a year out of the list, leapfrogged us to replace West Ham, who dropped out following relegation.

So now it's Fulham, Everton and Villa who occupy three of the places immediately above us. This can be explained by higher merit payments, although it's the the horse-punchers who best demonstrate the importance of this income strand. Despite a £2 million drop in sponsorship Newcastle's fifth place finish allowed them to make the Money League itself. They replaced Valencia at number 20 and Deloitte mooted the possibility that they would climb higher if they were to maintain a high Premier position. However, they slumped last season and are likely to slip out of the top 20, despite their European saga and their efforts on the equestrian front.

Returning to Fulham and Villa, we can note that while they also underachieved last season they still did better than us, which means their merit payments will continue to surpass ours. I'm quite ignorant about their other two income strands; neither achieve crowds as big as ours so can presumably only achieve a better matchday income on the back of higher prices, but that's the limit of my knowledge. I know nothing about their other commercial activity and whether it is capable of improvement. If I were to guess I'd say that as neither Fulham or Villa have a modern stadium they will be ill-equipped to compete against other venues, which leads me think we would pass these two if we achieve a higher finish in the Premier League.

Everton might also be catchable. They have traditionally finished well in the Premier and therefore done well from merit payments but their other two revenue strands are limited and are likely to remain so as their prospects of building a new stadium have receded and I've seen nothing recently about better sponsorship deals. We probably only need to rise a few places while they fall, which begs the question: "Will our changes do us more good than their changes?" Maybe, but I'm not holding my breath.

Jake seconds him ...

NB: all comments now appear in descending order of date – that is, most recent first – to accommodate the needs of the new The Way It Is feature
West Ham are a different kettle of fish. Not only will they return to the Deloitte list after finishing well this season, their future's looking good. They anticipate moving into a revamped 54,000 capacity Olympic stadium  in 2016, with corporate seats and boxes as well as entry level prices.  I believe they will pay rent and have a revenue sharing agreement but even so they will increase their earning potential by a significant amount. I can't see us catching them unless something goes wrong at their club.
Putting all of this together I'd say that, even allowing for challenges from rivals, we are capable of overtaking some of the Premiership clubs currently above us in Deloitte's top 30.

Furthermore, passing some European clubs is also possible. Currently 21 of Deloitte's top 30 are not from the Premier League.
A suggested increase of 20-30 million euros per year from the Premier's new TV deal could mean we overtake some clubs in leagues which are not as well financed as the Premiership. This could include some formerly prominent clubs such as Valencia, at least temporarily.

Valencia and La Liga rivals Atletico both moved downwards in the Deloitte league recently and, while Atletico's subsequent qualification for the Champions League will boost them, Valencia only finished fifth in La Liga last season. They already have a relatively poor TV deal and now they will be  deprived of their Champions' League income. With ownership and financing issues yet to be resolved they look likely to face a couple of sticky years and I can see them sliding downwards.
On the other hand, we can expect competition from elsewhere. PSG have yet to appear in Deloitte's 30 and when they do arrive, courtesy of the Champions League, it will be with a bang.

Deloitte also notes that the next World Cup will provide a stimulus to the Russian clubs so we could expect a challenge there.

Even longer term, South American clubs could be vying for places. Corinthians crept into sight in the 2013 report. Until I saw them listed I had thought that the Money League focused only Europe. That's apparently not the case and it lets me finish with a pleasant thought – that Sunderland is one of the top 30 revenue-earning football clubs on the planet. That's not a bad foundation for a new chief coach to build on, so, Paolo, in the words of your director of football, wake this sleeping giant up!




- See more at: http://salutsunderland.com/2013/07/everton-aston-villa-fulham-and-newcastle-catchable-in-the-deloitte-rankings/?#sthash.Qs9riqfX.dpuf

[WhiteJC]

 
Ex-Fulham midfielder poised for Turkish move



Former Fulham midfielder Eyong Enoh has emerged as a target for Besiktas.

The Cameroonian, who is on the books at Ajax, spent the second half of last season on loan at Craven Cottage, where he made nine Premier League outings.

Martin Jol opted against making a permanent move for the 27-year-old, who is believed to be surplus to requirements in Amsterdam.And now he could be on his way to Turkey, with Besiktas readying a bid for his services.



Read more: http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/130722/ex-fulham-midfielder-poised-turkish-move-202141?#ixzz2Zq44duBu
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[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham in talks to land Evian midfielder



Fulham have opened talks with Evian over the signing of Mohammed Rabiu but they face stiff competition from Benfica to sign the talented midfielder.

Martin Jol has money at his disposal after Shahid Khan took charge of the west London club and is keen to strengthen his squad during the summer.

Rabiu, 23, has been impressive for Evian in the French League and has also attracted interest from Lyon, Lille and Marseille.

But Fulham and Benfica are leading the chase to clinch his signature and Rabiu is set to decide on his destination in the next few days.

Evian coach Pascal Dupraz said: "We have already started negotiations with Benfica and Fulham to sell Rabiu, but the deal has not been finalised yet."



Read more: http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/130722/fulham-talks-land-evian-midfielder-202153?#ixzz2Zq4ReD00
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Read more at http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/130722/fulham-talks-land-evian-midfielder-202153?#kF4wY0jY4UY7YHKd.99

[WhiteJC]

 
The 200% Premier League Pre-Season: Fulham

Between now and the start of the season, we'll be writing up all twenty of the Premier League clubs before it all kicks off again. If you're here looking for all the latest transfer gossip, though, you'll most likely be disappointed. Quite asides from anything else, it's only July (a necessity borne of the fact that these have got to be written around work commitments, amongst much else), so most of the transfer rumours circulating at the moment are the result of the fevered imaginations of the sort of fifteen year-olds who spend their lives on Twitter pretending to be agents. Others will be along in the coming weeks to fill you in on that sort of thing, and we're happy to leave that job to them.

In a summer of all-change in the Premier League, the supporters of Fulham Football Club are amongst those preparing for a brave new world of their own. The departure of Mohammed al-Fayed from Craven Cottage had to come eventually, but supporters were given little warning that he would finally be leaving the club after sixteen years before the sale of the club to Shahid Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team. Fulham supporters have a lot to be grateful to al-Fayed. In the decade and a half of his ownership, the club has made it into the Premier League and stayed there, while Craven Cottage has been upgraded more sensitively than any other large ground in England, making it a unique venue which stands as an example to all those who would wish to replace red brick with steel and glass of how football grounds can be brought into the twenty-first century without destroying its character and charm.

Even the biggest concern over al-Fayed's ownership of the club, the level of debt that the club owed him, evaporated last summer with his cancellation and conversion of equity of £212m worth of loans into the club. Over this time, Fulham have slowly increased their profile and attendances to a point at which the relegation concerns of the 2008 "Great Escape" season feel like a thing of the past. Even a bad run towards the end of last season – Martin Jol's team lost six of its last eight Premier League matches of last season, including its last four consecutive home matches – couldn't prevent the team from ending the season in twelfth place in the end of season, comfortably clear of the relegation pack and capable, we might think, of improvement this time around.

As elsewhere so far this summer, transfer activity at Craven Cottage has been low-key, with the most significant arrival at the club so far being the arrival at the club of goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg from AS Roma for an undisclosed fee. That a goalkeeper of such experience should be turning up at Fulham might be considered an example of just how times have changed for the club over the life-span of al-Fayed's ownership. Stekelenburg has been there, seen it, having played almost a decade for Ajax and more than fifty times for the Dutch national team, including an appearance for them in the 2010 World Cup final against Spain. Supporters who were concerned at the loss of Mark Schwarzer, who now seems likely to see out his dotage years keeping the bench warm for Petr Cech at Chelsea, can only take encouragement from the arrival of such an experienced goalkeeper at their club, and at thirty years of age Stekelenburg might yet even have the best years of his career ahead of him. The only other two arrivals at the club so far this summer, Derek Boateng, formerly of Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, and Fernando Amorebieta, formerly of Athletic Bilbao, both came at the very start of the summer on free transfers and add a little depth to the squad, but neither seem have raised the pulses of supporters too much since their arrivals.

It is away from the pitch, however, that the really big change has come for Fulham this summer. Al-Fayed made his money back from the write-off of the loans that he had put into to club with its sale to Khan, who has indicated before that he wishes to promote his Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team heavily in Europe, and who, it has even be suggested, might even not be averse to the idea of moving the club to become the NFL's first full-time franchise on this side of the Atlantic ocean. Khan has so far said the right things – "I was recently very fortunate to have been introduced to Mohamed Al Fayed, a man I respect and admire immensely for what he has accomplished in his life and – above all – what he has given others. Today he is giving me the privilege and responsibility of serving as the next custodian of Fulham Football Club" – but he will come to be judged not only on his actions as the owner of the club, but also on his actions in comparison with his immediate predecessor at the club, and that might prove to be a tough act to follow.

Khan is said to be worth more £1.7bn, but unlike Fayed he will find it difficult to prop the club up financially through his own personal largesse alone. Both the Premier League and UEFA's imminent Financial Fair Play rules will prevent him from substantially throwing money at the club. It is also worth pointing out that the wealth of an owner only demonstrates their ability to make money for themselves, rather than their ability at running that most temperamental and idiosyncratic of businesses, a football club. It may well be that he will make a statement of intent by bringing in a marquee signing of some description before the closure of the transfer window at the end of next month, but Khan is ultimately a businessman and saying that "Fulham is the perfect club at the perfect time for me" doesn't necessarily mean that Khan is the perfect man at the perfect time for Fulham Football Club. We shall see.

In most other senses, however, Fulham remain a by-word for mid-table Premier League stability. They have thirteen consecutive years of experience in the top division, and haven't had to nervously look over their shoulders in the last five. Martin Jol remains an authoritative yet flexible presence as the manager of the club, and his squad, from the new goalkeeper Stekelenburg through to languid striker Dimitar Berbatov, remains one riven through with a seam of elegance and skill. There is little to suggest that the club will struggle over the course of the season, though after thirteen years in the top flight the adventures of Swansea City and Wigan Athletic may give supporters pause for thought over whether they might also be capable of a run in one of the major domestic trophies. For a club which has only ever made two appearances in the final of a major competition – the 1975 FA Cup Final and the 2010 Europa League final, both of which were lost – this would seem to be the next logical step if challenging for a place in Europe through finishing in a sufficiently high position in the Premier League table might still just about be beyond the club for the coming season.

If the likelihood of becoming embroiled in a relegation battle is low but the possibility of further progress in the league may be stymied by new regulations, perhaps the most that Fulham supporters should hope for this season is a continuation of the progress of the last five years and that their club continues to be, as the locals would have it, "Fulhamish," a small outpost of civility in a division of clubs, some of which often seem to have given the impression of having lost their minds in the pursuit of success. It is this that Shahid Khan has bought into, and it is this that he must preserve if Fulham Football Club isn't to lose its identity in the way that some other clubs have. Survival in the Premier League on the pitch is one, thing, but the survival of an identity is something else altogether and it is to be hoped that he treats the club with the care and respect that it deserves. We shall see, over the coming months, how well this sits with an owner whose sporting ambitions quite clearly stretch far beyond the Hammersmith End of Craven Cottage.


http://twohundredpercent.net/?p=23810

[WhiteJC]

 
Arsenal and Fulham eyeing American youngster

Arsenal and Fulham are eyeing American goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell.

The 17-year-old will train with both London clubs in the coming weeks after finishing a trial with Brentford.

Caldwell is currently playing for North Carolina Fusion in the US but is hoping to secure a move to England after a number of clubs expressed an interest in him.

The youngster is highly rated in the States and is first choice for the Under-17s national team.



Read more: http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/130722/arsenal-and-fulham-eyeing-american-youngster-202161?#ixzz2Zq5Cw9xu
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Read more at http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/130722/arsenal-and-fulham-eyeing-american-youngster-202161?#OgqTHJGaYWkSMW67.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Less is More.....
Posted on July 22, 2013 by barryhaylesgoalmachine

It was on Thursday last week that I found myself leaving London for Krakow in Poland and pondering how many of the 5/6 new signings Jol had been talking about would be secured in time for my inspection when getting home on Sunday. All hopes of having regular updates from various media outlets throughout what would no doubt be a rather messy stag weekend were dashed though when a certain mobile operator let me down on the international front in terms of Internet access.



I was left to ponder what I was missing out on and could only hope that Alistair Macintosh was busy working away in my absence. Some of the rumours in recent weeks had been promising with Darren Bent , Mohammed Rabiu, Tom Huddlestone, Jordan Rhodes, Jermain Defoe and even Javier Saviola being mentioned and with our bank balance now healthier than ever it was only natural to think that the money might be burning holes in Jol's pockets. However it appeared from the little information I could gather that the relative silence following the buyout was continuing although following a rather harsh practical joke at my expense, a fellow reveller had me convinced for a good six hours that we had confirmed the signing of Peter Odemwingie from West Brom. Needless to say I wasn't happy although eventually he ended up doing the decent thing and admitting it was a bare faced lie.

Now that I had the reassurance that this would not be the news that greeted me on my return, the first news story that I did read upon landing in Southend (Which for those of you not familiar with the delights of Essex is a shock in itself) was that " Martin Jol is still looking for "one or two" new players after seeing Fulham end their Costa Rica tour with another win." I quickly scrolled down and checked the other news to see what had happened..... Had we signed 3/4 of the promised 5/6 in my absence? Was the story wrong? Did Karagounis count as 3 of them? I was not best pleased to say the least... Was this just a follow up to the Peter Odemwingie deception?

Given a day to recover and time to absorb some of the other Fulham news on the web, it occurred to me that the only obvious explanation is that Jol has seen enough in the fringe players during the trip to Costa Rica that he may have decided only to bring in extra bodies where no current squad option exists. On that evidence we are probably looking at a striker and another body in central midfield. The positive side is that it means we won't have an overhaul of personnel so large that it takes time to blend in but given a few injuries we will need to put faith in relatively unproven players at premier league level with the likes of Kasami, Mesca and Trotta likely to feature more.



There is no doubt also that the more Jol chooses to spend in this window the more pressure there will be to get results early on, not just from the new owner but from the press as well who always seem to misinterpret a teams ambitions and expectations upon spending big during the transfer window. It may also be the case that these two players in question will be more of a focus on quality and as fans we should be positive that as a club we are willing to give younger players a chance before looking elsewhere for options.

Up front we have seen a few names mentioned and even today there are plenty of media outlets that would have you believe we are in advanced talks with Darren Bent. How he would be accommodated though in a formation that is very much based around Berbatov as a loan forward remains to be seen particularly given that this is the situation he currently finds himself in at Villa with Benteke. Berbatov in behind may be a possibility but then the prospect of playing Ruiz as a creative central midfielder does not sit well with me given the amount of times he is caught on the ball.



As far as another centre midfielder coming in, the only solid rumour at present is our pursuit of Mohammed Rabiu at Evian who while being a welcome addition to the midfield , is not the creative attacking type player that many of us had in mind. I was disappointing to see another of our long term targets Nacer Chadli join Spurs this week without as much of a link to Fulham. There is no doubt that we would struggle to compete with Spurs in terms of salary and ambition but what we could have offered was a place in a central midfield role, a position that he has occupied regularly for Belgium under Marc Wilmots and with the world cup around the corner, he will play more of a wide role at Tottenham next year and could have been tempted with the opportunity to further establish his place in the national team. There is always a chance for a few surprises in the coming weeks but at present it appears we are going to wait until January and assess the situation before spending big.

The 1/2 signings also seem to be referring to actual monetary acquisitions and don't take in to account the usual supplement of loans that Fulham seem to favour. Things have been rather quiet on that front although nothing tends to occur in that space until closer to deadline day. There has been murmurs regarding Clint Dempsey crawling back on his hands and knees through the gates of the cottage although no doubt other names will be mentioned as August progresses.

Admittedly my exposure to our performances in Costa Rica were hindered by the night life in Krakow and limited to watching the first game and a few sparse highlights of others. This is nothing when compared to the efforts of Marc Millington and co who travelled out to Central America to see the boys in action, but what seemed to be the main positives to come from the tour were the performances of Kasami and Mesca alongside winning more trophies in one week than we have in the clubs history.



Many of us have been asking for a while now why the former has not been given a decent chance to show what he can do in the league especially given our lack of depth in that area. Mesca while a little younger should have got some more game time last year were it not for an unfortunate injury following an impressive pre season. At times when watching him he seems to resemble all the qualities of Bambi on ice yet still seems to find a way past a defender or two and get in the right areas.

I am not in any way saying that this is a time to panic buy or to worry should we reach September 1st with only a couple of new faces but if the quotes attributed to Jol are correct then it seems as though either he has suddenly gained a lot more faith in players who previously were not deemed ready for first team action or the players he wants to bring in are just not available at the moment. Things can of course change quite quickly and we could be in for another exciting run in to deadline day. Our new owner and the raise in public profile might even mean Sky sports will have a reporter outside of Motspur park especially given that the regular Harry Redknapp correspondent will need to be assigned to Premier League duty this time round.



http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/

[WhiteJC]

 
Portugal Tour Concludes

Fulham's young stars ensured they returned from Portugal unbeaten following their respective results at the weekend.

The Under-21s defeated Porto 2-0 on Saturday, before the Under-18s followed that up with a 2-2 draw against VSC Guimares on Sunday.

Kit Symons' side began their match strongly and twice went close to taking the lead within the opening 10 minutes, but the Porto goalkeeper was equal to efforts from both Ronny Minkwitz and Dino Islamovic.

Islamovic wasn't to be denied, though, and handed Fulham the advantage before half-time. He then doubled his and Fulham's tally in the second period.

Porto enjoyed a couple of decent spells of possession but lacked the cutting edge shown by the Whites as they held on to secure an impressive win.

The next day, George Williams – fresh from scoring four goals in the previous match – got the U18s off to the perfect start against Guimares when, with 10 minutes on the clock, he showed great footwork in the penalty area, before finding the back of the net.

A Dean O'Halloran own goal following a free-kick then brought the Portuguese outfit level, before they then took advantage of a couple of missed opportunities by the Whites to take the lead themselves in the second half.

Moussa Dembele hauled Fulham level when he expertly connected with a corner to beat the keeper with his header, before Patrick Roberts came ever so close to making it 3-2 in the 88th minute when he hit the bar having burst through one-on-one.

There was still time for Jordan Evans to miss another good chance but the final whistle went to conclude a productive pre-season tour for both our U21 and U18 squads.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/july/22/portugal-tour-concludes?

[WhiteJC]

 
Teenage prodigy Foday Nabay quits Birmingham City for Fulham

Blues boss Lee Clark says 15-year-old could have become the club's youngest ever player.


Foday Nabay is on his way to Fulham

Birmingham City wonderkid Foday Nabay has quit the club and joined Fulham.

The 15-year-old handed in a transfer request, which was 'reluctantly' accepted by the club.

The midfielder and his family wanted to relocate to London and, despite several weeks of talks, Blues could not change his mind.

An undisclosed compensation sum  has been agreed between Blues and Fulham for the England under-16 star.

Manager Lee Clark struggled to hide his disappointment at Nabay's decision.

He said: "I made it abundantly clear to Foday in several meetings with him that he had the potential to become the youngest ever player to play for Birmingham City Football Club's first team this season, at the age of 15.

"That was how highly I rated him and how highly the club rated him.

"We wanted him to stay but, as a football manager I couldn't have done any more.

"I was offering him the opportunity that as long as he continued in the way he was with his development and continued to show the qualities that he has, then there would be first team openings for him.

"He's going to a super club in Fulham because I know them very well having spent seven great years there myself.

"But I just wish we could have had the time to make him part of my current group.

"It wasn't to be, he's made the decision, we wish him all the best for future and we'll move forward."

Nabay came to England from Sierra Leone with his mother.

He was spotted by Blues  playing in Sheldon aged nine.

Last summer, Blues fended off a host of Premier League clubs to re-sign him for the Academy for two years, with the promise of an eventual scholarship to come after that period.

Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea were among the big guns in for Nabay, who has been likened in style to Yaya Toure.

Not only Clark did his best to try and convince Nabay that St Andrew's was the best place to be for his football development, but so did Academy manager Kristjaan Speakman.

He and assistant Steve Spooner developed a close bond with Nabay and his family over the years and were also left disappointed.

Nabay's mind was set and the kind of package Fulham offered, too, would have made Blues chances of keeping him difficult.

Blues would have given Nabay a professional contract on his 17th birthday, when clubs are allowed to promoted their scholars to the senior ranks.



http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/teenage-prodigy-foday-nabay-quits-5171128?

[WhiteJC]

 
John Arne Riise to Return to Roma?

It's A.S. Roma's 86th birthday, incase you missed the party, we've got parting gifts--the best of which might see the return of the Giallorossi's favorite special one.

Despite all the progress made last week, and with several spots left to fill, Walter Sabatini's work is not yet finished. We already talked about how important Federico Balzaretti is to success in 2013-2014, we know that Torosidis is solid enough and that Dodo is....umm...something. With all that lingering uncertainty, it's a safe bet we might see a fresh set of full back legs in the not too distant future.

Tears. Tears of Joy.

As far as rumors go, this would be the childhood equivalent of learning the Easter Bunny is real. There are links, albeit extremely, extremely tenuous ones, claiming that John Arne Riise might return to Roma.

However, when you read between the lines, the rumor simply doesn't hold water. All the link says is that Riise would come back to Roma if presented with the opportunity, concluding that he'll be out of a contract next summer. Riise will be 33 when this season starts, so if he were to return a year from now, at age 34, it would be little more than ceremonial. But, man, talk about a cascade of man tears. There wouldn't be a dry eye in the Chiesa if this came to fruition.



http://www.chiesaditotti.com/2013/7/22/4546774/john-arne-riise-to-return-to-roma?

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

John Arne Riise to Return to Roma?

. . . and then we can bring back Konchesky.

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham are in the hunt for Liam Ridgewell as left-back enters final 12 months of his contract

Martin Jol is set to receive transfer funds from new owner US tycoon Shahid Khan and could start with a move for the Baggies defender


In action: And Martin Jol is interested in a move for Ridgewell
Getty

Fulham are chasing West Brom left-back Liam Ridgewell.

Defender Ridgewell, 29, has just 12 months left on his contract at The Hawthorns.

And that has alerted Premier League rivals the Cottagers.

Fulham boss Martin Jol is expected to be given fresh funds to strengthen his squad following the club's takeover by US tycoon Shahid Khan.



Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/fulham-transfers-liam-ridgewell-target-2079058#ixzz2ZsXNo2li
Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham secure 15-year-old Nabay from Birmingham after Clark fails in bid to persuade midfielder to stay

Lee Clark has failed in an attempt to keep teenager Foday Nabay at Birmingham City after the 15-year-old agreed a move to Fulham.

The Birmingham boss said the teenage midfielder had the potential to break into the club's first-team this season.

Nabay has moved after handing in a transfer request and compensation, believed to be in the region of £200,000, has been agreed between the two clubs.

 
Present and past: Former Fulham midfielder Lee Clarke is now Birmingham City's manager

Clark said: 'I made it clear to Foday in several meetings with him that he had the potential to become the youngest-ever player to appear for Birmingham City's first-team this season.

'That's how highly I rated him. And how highly the club rated him. I wanted him to stay but as a football manager I couldn't have done any more.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2374340/Fulham-sign-Foday-Nabay-15-Birmingham-City.html#ixzz2ZsXm5rVE
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

[WhiteJC]

 
Bent: I'm on my way out of Villa... and both Fulham and Newcastle are in the running

One of the biggest battles in the transfer market surrounds the tug-of-war between Fulham and Newcastle for Darren Bent.

The Aston Villa striker is unwanted by manager Paul Lambert and both Alan Pardew and Martin Jol view him as the ideal candidate to boost their striking options.

And both will be happy to learn that Bent has confirmed he will leave Villa Park this summer, and considers both St James' Park and Craven Cottage potential destinations.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO


Targeted: And Darren Bent has confirmed he will leave Aston Villa

 
Happy? Bent's Villa exit appears to be getting closer

The England international was signing a shirt for a young Villa fan when he was asked if he was going to Fulham said: 'I'll be out of here (Villa) very soon.

When the fan pressed him in the YouTube video over if he'd prefer to join Newcastle or Fulham, he replied: 'We'll have to see.'

The latest reports suggest Fulham are ready to match Villa's £5m valuation for Bent. As the striker himself might say, watch this space.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2374352/Aston-Villa-striker-Darren-Bent-confirms-leaving-club.html#ixzz2ZsYD35v7
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

[WhiteJC]

 
QPR, Newcastle, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Swansea and Celtic chase Abdisalam Ibrahim
ABDISALAM IBRAHIM – the Manchester City midfielder touted as the next Patrick Vieira – has been granted a free transfer by the club.


City told Ibrahim that he could go, despite having a year left on his contract

QPR, Newcastle, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Swansea and Celtic had been trailing the Norwegian Under-21 international.

It has been expected City would ask for a fee of around £750,000 for Ibrahim, who had a release clause in his contract.

But yesterday they surprised the 21-year-old, who was born in Somalia, by telling him he can go, despite having a year left on his contract.

City had seemed to rate Ibrahim highly, with Vieira, the club's football development executive, travelling to Norway to watch him after he was sent on loan to Stromgodset.

But the signing of Brazil star Fernandinho from Donetsk pushed Ibrahim, who has made just three appearances for City since signing in 2007, further down the pecking order.



http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/328127/QPR-Newcastle-Fulham-Crystal-Palace-Swansea-and-Celtic-chase-Abdisalam-Ibrahim?

[WhiteJC]

 
Former Fulham & Ajax Midfielder Offered Serie A Lifeline. Transfer Scouting Report

Urby Emanuelson is in a bit of a quandary. He isn't wanted by his current club AC Milan and, having spent the last six months of the season on loan at Fulham, the Cottagers are not willing to sign him permanently. With his contract set to expire next summer, Milan are trying to get rid now, but interest isn't exactly high. According to ItaSportPress, though, Torino are offering a co-ownership deal with an option to buy.

Torino isn't exactly a top club, but at least the 27-year-old Netherlands international would play regularly. But what kind of player would the club be getting?

A versatile one, that's for sure. Emanuelson has featured at left full-back, wing-back, central midfield, on either flank in midfield and attack, and even as a trequartista over the years. At Fulham last season, he played mainly at left and right midfield during his 13 appearances, earning a Performance Score of just 147 points.

He is a very fast player who loves to dribble, as is made evident by the amount of take-on's he attempted and completed, seen above. He enjoys getting into advanced positions in order to deliver a cross or a put a team-mate through on goal.

The execution of his final ball tends to cause frustration, however, he managed to create six chances during his days at Craven Cottage, but better decision-making and execution would've seen him create more. Whether he stays at Milan or moves to Torino or somewhere else, this is something he simply must address.

Defensively, he puts a foot in, as proven by his 84% tackle success rate, he made just over one successful tackle per game on average. Still, playing him at full-back is risky, given he tends to be caught out of position often.

Generally speaking, Emanuelson's versatility makes him an asset to any team, but he is a player who needs to find his best position together with confidence and regular game time.  With that in mind, his next move is crucial to his career, which hasn't exactly gone the way he would've liked it to.



http://squawka.com/news/2013/07/23/former-fulham-ajax-midfielder-offered-serie-a-lifeline-transfer-scouting-report/2013072314585?

[WhiteJC]

 
Arsenal star set to miss Villa, Fulham and Spurs clashes

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that full back Nacho Monreal will miss the start of the season with a back injury.

It means that Kieran Gibbs is the only available option for the Gunners, who start their campaign with matches against Aston Villa, Fulham and Tottenham as well as a Champions League qualifier.

He said: "Monreal has had an injection and it looks like he will miss the start of the season, and of course we have lost one left back and that's a position where we are a bit exposed.

"Thomas Vermaelen can play there, he is injured. Monreal can play there, he is injured. At the moment we only have Kieran Gibbs who can play at left back."



http://www.london24.com/sport/arsenal/arsenal_star_set_to_miss_villa_fulham_and_spurs_clashes_1_2292732

[WhiteJC]

 
Skipper's Assessment



Fulham Captain Brede Hangeland recalls some of the key moments from the team's pre-season trip to Costa Rica.

The Locals

From day one, everything that we did was quite a big deal in Costa Rica. I must say the people of Costa Rica have been incredible – they're so outgoing and happy. They'd do anything to make us feel at home so we must give a big thanks to everyone that has been involved in our trip who made sure things ran really smoothly in terms of accommodation, through to training and matches.

Interest In Fulham

I don't think, apart from Bryan maybe, that any of us were prepared for that level of interest in a pre-season tour. But it's all been positive stuff, it hasn't been too much in any way and everyone's been really friendly and polite so it was great to be there.

Ambassadors' Reception

That was a great event, we met loads of good people and the ambassadors were very welcoming to all of us – staff and players – so that was a good start. We were a bit jet-lagged but we managed to get through it and we need to thank them as well for making us feel at home.


Open Training

It's quite incredible really that so many people came to see us train. There were loads of kids who looked like they had a fun day. We certainly enjoyed having them there and, again, it's just a sign of how nice the people of Costa Rica were to us. Hopefully they enjoyed having us there – that's certainly the way it looked.

Down-Time

We put in a few days of hard work and, having got a good result against Alajuelense, we got a day off on Thursday. Some of the lads did a bit of training but we had a nice day off which gave people the chance to relax and recharge their batteries a little bit which was good. Obviously the surroundings and the hotel were great, and we were ready to go again on Friday.

Initiations

It was a bit of a new tradition. We thought we'd get the new signings and the younger players up on a chair to sing and that happened to be in a restaurant with loads of people. The singing abilities were questionable, but I think we were really impressed by the fact that they did that. It takes a lot of courage and guts to do it, especially when you don't know people that well, so hats off to everyone who sang, but I'm sure we won't see them on The X Factor!


Visiting The Jaguars

That was, for me personally, an incredible experience. It was only 24 hours but it seemed like much more because we got to experience so many things. Once we arrived in Jacksonville, it was incredible – it was typically American, very friendly people, the facilities were great, our new Chairman is a great guy and his people are also good so we were really pleased with the visit. It was fantastic that he took the time to come down to Costa Rica and meet us all on Saturday and see the game. I think that shows the kind of person he is and my impression, from what I've heard and seen having met him a little bit, is that he's a great guy for Fulham.

Highlights

I think it's been a very good week in many ways. We've trained well, we've played three good games, everyone is free from injury which is quite remarkable after a few weeks of pre-season, so a lot of credit should go to the medical guys. Obviously one of the highlights was the fact that the new Chairman came to visit us and we got to know him a little bit. It's an exciting time for the Club and I think everyone enjoyed the tour in Costa Rica – it's a good start to the pre-season preparations.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/july/23/skippers-assessment?