Saturday Fulham Stuff (27/07/13)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham close in on youngster

Belgian side Zulte Waregem have given up hope of keeping starlet Junior Malanda, paving the way for a move to Fulham.

The 18-year-old midfielder travelled to London for talks with Fulham earlier this week after going AWOL from his club. Malanda invoked a Belgian labour law known as Law 78 which allows players to free themselves from contracts, much to Zulte Waregem's frustration. Francky Dury's side, who finished second in the Belgian Pro League last season to qualify for the Champions League, were desperate to keep the youngster. However, they appear to have resigned themselves to Malanda's departure after he was left off their squad list for Europe. That leaves the coast clear for the Cottagers to seal a deal for the midfielder, who would cost them a bargain fee believed to be less than £500,000.



Read more at: http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/fulham-close-in-on-youngster-1610081.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
How About Vydra
   
Perusing the internet, it appears that a local Birmingham newspaper is running with an article that West Bromwich Albion are looking at taking Matej Vydra on loan for the season.

Vydra, as many of you may already know, was on loan at Watford last season where the Czech international, still 21 years of age, scored 20 goals in a season that ended in Championship play-off heartache for the Hertfordshire club.

Vydra is currently on the books of the Italian side Udinese but I`m wondering would it be worth Fulham taking a punt on the lad and bringing him to Craven Cottage?

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=326249#ixzz2aDOmIOaQ

[WhiteJC]

 
Signing Announced
   
The club announced yesterday that a promising French youngster has joined the playing staff.

Eighteen year old Ange-Freddy Plumain has been signed on a three year deal after leaving Lens earlier this summer, on a free transfer.

Plumain made 22 appearances for the French La Ligue 2 side last season and will join up with Kit Symon`s development squad.

Here at Vital Fulham we`d like to formally welcome him to Craven Cottage and we hope his stay is a memorable one for all parties concerned.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=326250#ixzz2aDOvPwkJ

[WhiteJC]

 
Community Champions

On 27th June, Fulham FC Foundation held its annual Volunteer Rewards Evening at Craven Cottage to celebrate the programme 'Community Champions' and thank those volunteers who have worked throughout the year.

Community Champions gives opportunities for its members to make a difference in the local community whilst receiving sports specific training and qualifications, all as part of a Barclays Premier League football club.

Having nearly engaged 500 individuals this year and logging approximately 2,478 hours to date, Community Champions has become a very successful programme.

Last year, Fulham FC Foundation became the first professional sports club in the UK to achieve the 'Investing in Volunteering' accreditation, demonstrating our commitment and expertise in volunteering and this year, the project won the Merton Host Volunteer of the Year Award 2013.

The evening started with speeches from Nicola Fraser, Community Champions project lead, and Leanne Dingle, Head of Development, who thanked each individual volunteer for their efforts over the past year by awarding them with a home shirt.

The main awards, Young Volunteer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year, were awarded to Nick Ilic and Spencer O'Driscoll respectively.

Nicola Fraser, Operations Officer commented: "Nick has given over 100 hours of his time to Community Champions. He has volunteered on a number of different programmes from soccer schools to a variety of events, showing he is adaptable and able to work with diverse audiences. At the recent Coaching at the Cottage event, coaches commented on how helpful and friendly Nick is."

"Spencer has logged over 80 hours as part of Community Champions. He was also nominated by several coaches for this award. Spencer has proven that he is always willing to help with any task or activity the coaches ask him to do. Coaches have commented on his great attitude and pro-active nature. For example, during one of our soccer schools it was raining and the children were stuck inside for the majority of the week and Spencer brought board games for the children to play." 

Fulham FC Foundation would like to thank all volunteers for attending the event and the impact they have made over the last year.

For more information on Community Champions please call 0870 442 5432 or visit www.fulhamfc.com



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/july/26/community-champions?

[WhiteJC]

 
Analysis: Where Do Fulham Need To Improve In Order To Break Into The Top 10?



Following Fulham's successful Costa Rica tour that saw the Cottagers depart with three wins from three, Martin Jol spoke of the desire to strengthen his squad via the club's official website: "We are still looking for one or two players to make it 100 percent. You saw 22, 23 players and they did their best. We would like to be in the top 10. We were a bit unlucky last year because we missed a lot of players – Mousa Dembele went, then of course top scorer Clint Dempsey went and Danny Murphy, then Mahamadou Diarra was injured. Steve Sidwell was suspended for seven games, so it was too much probably on the shoulders of Bryan [Ruiz] and I feel this year will be our year again as we have good quality and I feel that we are very positive."

Martin Jol is correct in his assessment, especially if he has ambitions of striding into the Premier League top ten next season. Fulham ended the last campaign with only one win from their last eight matches, somewhat mirroring their poor form from the 27th October 2012 until the start of the new year – a run of matches that resulted in the Cottagers only managing a solitary victory. Suspensions and injuries certainly played their part in slumping to a twelfth place finish, but Fulham will need to cut out the sloppy losses if they are to meet Jol's ambition of a top ten finish.

Fulham have strengthened their first team squad with some potentially shrewd signings ahead of the 2013/14 Premier League campaign. Fernando Amorebieta arrived on a free transfer from Athletic Bilbao with eight years La Liga experience under his belt and should partner Brede Hangeland in central defence; a combination that looks rather tasty on paper. Derek Boateng was snapped up on a free transfer from Ukrainian Premier League side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Maarten Stekelenburg finally departed Serie A side AS Roma, and Sascha Riether signed permanently from FC Köln. Defensive signings that should hopefully reduce their number of losses. Only Newcastle United, Wigan, Queens Park Rangers and Reading lost more matches than Fulham last season.

With Martin Jol having spoke of further signings, Squawka delves into the Fulham first team squad in an attempt to scrutinise any signs of weakness and find out where the Dutchman need to strengthen his side.

Goalscorers
There's no doubting the creative and flamboyant talents of Dimitar Berbatov, but the Bulgarian will turn 33-years-old during the 2013/14 season. His fifteen league goals certainly helped Fulham in their push up the table, but without the ex-Manchester United forward, Fulham lack a killer instinct in front of goal.

Bryan Ruiz may have finished as the Eredivisie top goalscorer at FC Twente during the 2009/10 season, but the Costa Rican is regularly rotated throughout a number of positions for Fulham, thus affecting his goal tally for the London club. Ruiz finished the season as Fulham's second highest goalscorer with five league goals, while fellow attacker Hugo Rodallega could only manage a mediocre three goals.

Jol's summer signings may be of a fairly high standard, but perhaps he should focus on drafting in some extra legs to help share the goalscoring burden.

Creative Midfielders
Bryan Ruiz finished the 2013/14 Premier League season as Fulham's most creative player having created a total of 48 chances. Dimitar Berbatov created two chances fewer (46), with 34-year-old Damian Duff in third place with 40 chances created. Casting those three to one side and you see a worrying trend: a distinct lack of assists arriving from the midfield following the departure of Mousa Dembélé and Clint Dempsey to Tottenham Hotspur. Fulham's midfielders Alexander Kačaniklić and Steve Sidwell ended the season with two assists each – every other midfielder created fewer.

With Berbatov and Duff turning 33 and 35-years-old respectively during the next campaign, other midfielders need to step up and help out. It's not a huge cause for concern right now, but as 2014 approaches, we may start to see Fulham's goalscoring opportunities dry-up. Should Martin Jol start to invest in young and creative talents for the future?

Injection of Pace
Whether it be up front or down the flanks, Fulham have a distinct lack of pace throughout the attacking third.

Dimitar Berbatov regularly drops deep, playing his football in a cool and calm manner; Kieran Richardson has fallen out of favour; Damien Duff is a talented midfielder with age catching up with him; 27-year-old Ashkan Dejagah managed six full games last season; and the likes of Alexander Kacaniklic and Kerim Frei are up-and-coming talents. Add veteran Giorgos Karagounis into the mix and you start to see a possible weakness in Fulham's tactical plans: they lack the ability to bombard opposing teams with pace.

Many of the names mentioned are talented players with plenty of experience or future potential, but the question remains: do Fulham need to invest in quick and energetic wingers and attacking midfielders? The lack of creative consistency from wide areas suggests that Fulham desperately need a few more energetic attacking players.


http://squawka.com/news/2013/07/26/analysis-where-do-fulham-need-to-improve-in-order-to-break-into-the-top-10/2013072614987?

[WhiteJC]

 
Jol throws down guantlet to striker

Fulham boss Martin Jol says Hugo Rodallega should aim to score at least 10 goals in the upcoming season.

The 27-year-old joined the club on a free transfer from Wigan last summer but scored just three times in 33 appearances last term, though a lot of those appearances were from the substitutes bench. Another summer signing Dimitar Berbatov, in contrast, struck 15 times to help the Cottagers to a mid-table finish in the Premier League. Jol is keen for all of his strikers to contribute this season and ease the goalscoring burden on former Manchester United man Berbatov. He has challenged Colombian hitman Rodallega to aim for double figures this upcoming campaign. "People at Fulham only tend to score three, four or five goals, so I was very happy with Berbatov scoring more than any other striker over the last eight years," Jol was quoted as saying in the Fulham Chronicle. "Hugo is a goalscorer and I feel he should get at least 10 goals, so that is something we have to work on. "He will say 'boss I didn't play all the matches', so you've got to look at it from both sides."



Read more at: http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/jol-throws-down-guantlet-to-striker-1610138.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Eye Move For Napoli Midfielder

Fulham are reportedly looking to snap up Napoli midfielder Walter Gargano.

The combative midfielder was an integral part of the Partenopei midfield before he spent a year on loan with rivals Inter.

According to Sky Sport Italia, the 29-year old Uruguayan is being pursued by the Premier League club Fulham.

Atletico Madrid are also said to be interested in his services.

Gargano has spent six years in Italy and has notched up 56 caps for Uruguay.  New coach Rafael Benitez has reportedly deemed him dispensable and it might not be long before he secures an exit from the San Paolo



http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2013/07/fulham-eye-move-for-napoli-midfielder/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Former Fulham striker Hayles signs for Arlesey


Barry Hayles. wk 30.

Arlesey Town have signed former Fulham and Stevenage striker Barry Hayles.

Manager Zema Abbey is delighted with the capture and had a lot of praise for Hayles

He said: "Everyone associated with the club is delighted he's here.

"He's someone we know and are aware of through his time at St Albans and Truro, and he knows the level well which is a big thing for us."

Hayles scored 44 goals in 175 appearence at previous Premier League club Fulham and made more than 10 appearences for the Jamaican international side.

Hayles has been training with Arlesey and Abbey explained how he was pleased with the fitness level Hayles has.

He said: "At 41 he could be bringing up the rear in training but he's not."

"He's not had a break in his career so he's maintained that level of performance.

"We're constructing a young side here but it's important to have the experience there to call upon if we need to."

His career really kicked off at Stevenage and during his time in football, Hayles has demanded transfer fees totalling around 2.5million.


http://www.biggleswadetoday.co.uk/sport/football/former-fulham-striker-hayles-signs-for-arlesey-1-5327048

[WhiteJC]

 
Rumour Of The Day: Osvaldo to Fulham or Arsenal

It's not often that the joint third-top scorer in Serie A gets linked to Fulham, but that is what is happening with Pablo Osvaldo of Roma.



He got 16 goals for the Giallorossi last season and is in the prime of his career as well as an Italian international, but it seems like Fulham are likely to beat Valencia to sign him, according to reports today. His star is so high that even Arsenal's name has been thrown in to the ring for his signature.

Of course, Fulham do now seem to have some financial muscle behind them, after the arrival of Shahid Khan, and signing Osvaldo would be a great way for him to prove that.

He's a well-travelled striker, having played for five different clubs there, as well as Huracan back home in Argentina and Espanyol, where he first really made a name for himself in 2010/11.

But he also comes with a bit of baggage, having punched a team-mate in the face in November 2011 and then reacting badly to being a substitute in the Coppa Italia final this year, he took his frustration out very loudly on coach Aurelio Andreazzoli.

So you can maybe see why new boss Rudi Garcia might not be disappointed to let him go for a reported £6.8m, but you can also see why Fulham would be interested in the Italian international. in our "How Good Is Odvaldo" article yesterday we rated him is currently showing the form of a genuine world class striker.

The reports are that Valencia are the rivals for his signature, but that Osvaldo has no interest in heading back to Spain.

He's been previously linked with Premier League clubs like Man City, Southampton and Spurs, but it looks like the Cottagers will be the ones to sign him.

The Daily Star say that they met with Roma's sporting director Walter Sabatini in London on Tuesday and the deal could be done by the end of the week.



http://www.premierleaguepredictions.com/blog/rumour-of-the-day-osvaldo-to-fulham-or-arsenal?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham favourites for Gargano

Fulham are emerging as the favourites to sign Napoli midfielder Walter Gargano with competition from Atletico Madrid.

The Uruguayan international spent last season on loan at Inter, but the club decided not to take up its option to buy.

According to CalcioNews24 and TMW, Gargano's agent Alessandro Lucci was in London today for negotiations with Fulham.

Other sources tip Atletico Madrid, but rumours are building that the Cottagers have the upper hand in this race.



http://www.football-italia.net/36835/fulham-favourites-gargano?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fiery striker Pablo Osvaldo set to join Fulham... this could go badly



Controversial AS Roma striker Pablo Osvaldo is close to securing a switch to Premier League side Fulham.

Why the negative vibe you ask? Well, he's got previous.

The only reason Osvaldo is leaving Roma is because he's had an almighty fall out with just about everyone at the club.

Do Fulham and their new mega-rich owner Shadid Khan really want to deal with Osvaldo's antics next season?

Also, what if he doesn't get along with Dimitar Berbatov? That has the potential, from those two alone, to make Fulham's locker room one of the stroppiest and most negative in the Premier League.

But it shouldn't all be doom and gloom.

Behind the veil of a troubled and flamboyant individual lies a sensational soccer player. How often do we see these mercurial talents gone bad in today's game? Mario Balotelli, Joey Barton, Carlos Tevez and a handful of others could easily take the mantle as soccer's bad boys.

Yet Italian international Osvaldo has the potential to be one of the very best. In flashes he has shown his goalscoring potential at Roma and in La Liga at Espanyol. The Argentine born striker has scored 47 goals in his last 99 league games, he is as strong as an ox, has incredible acceleration and can bring others into the game telepathically with his hold up play. On his day, he's sensational.

But when things don't go his way, it's not a pretty sight. He's been sent off nine times in six seasons, has returned late for winter camps, fans have vandalized his car at the training ground after he snatched a crucial penalty kick away from captain Francesco Totti... then missed it. The list goes on and on.


Can Osvaldo finally exorcise his demons?

Like I said, he has previous.

But the latest blowout from Osvaldo is why he's on his way out of Roma. The 27-year-old was dropped for Roma's biggest game in years, a Rome Derby in the Coppa Italia final in May against their bitter rivals Lazio.

Following Roma's loss, Osvaldo refused to get his runners-up medal and insulted interim manager Aurelio Andreazzoli before punching an advertisement board used for post-match TV interviews. Andreazzoli didn't hide his feelings towards Osvaldo.

"Causing a scene when the TV cameras are running is nothing new for him," Andreazzoli said. "But then in private he just moans and whines. That's his problem, though, not mine. For a player who represents the national team, he should have better ethics. But again, that's his problem."

After hearing that interview, Osvaldo sent out the following Tweet. "You'd do more good if you admitted to being incompetent... Go celebrate with Lazio."

For that outburst Osvaldo was left out of Italy's Confederations Cup squad. Oh dear. Someone didn't go to the social media training day...

Anyway, at Fulham maybe Martin Jol can keep a handle on Osvaldo and get the best out of his talents. A change of scenery and a new challenge could do the Italian forward the world of good.

But if it all goes pear shaped, expect an in-game scuffle between him and Berbatov. Flip a coin, this could go either way for Fulham.



http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/07/26/fiery-striker-pablo-osvaldo-set-to-join-fulham-this-could-go-badly/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham still keen on signing Ghana midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong

Fulham remain deadlocked in negotiations with Arsenal to sign Ghana midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong.

The 21-year-old seems to have done enough while on a 6-month loan spell at Craven Cottage to have impressed manager Martin Jol despite playing just six Premier League games.

The Ghana internationa has only resumed training upon his return to Arsenal this summer.

The former Wolves and Charlton loanee has had bad spells with injury and is just coming off another operation to fix a troublesome knee injury.

Fulham have done some transfer business already – bringing in the likes of Maarten Stekelenburg, Fernando Amorebieta and more importantly Ghanaian Derek Boateng.

Boateng's arrival is expected to hasten Frimpong's permanent move to Fulham knowing he remains a bit part player under Arsen Wenger.

Arsenals are however holding out to make signings of their own before letting go of the young Ghanaian.



http://www.ghanasoccernet.com/fulham-still-keen-on-signing-ghana-midfielder-emmanuel-frimpong/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham could face transfer embargo over signing of French teen

French Ligue 2 side Lens are furious over the transfer of 18-year-old midfielder Ange-Freddy Plumain, and could potentially take Fulham to court over the move.

Fulham confirmed the free transfer of Plumain on Thursday, but Lens claim in a statement on their official website that the Paris-born midfielder was still under contract and therefore could not be sold on a free.

According to Lens, Plumain was under contract, and had been absent from the club since July 8, therefore in violation of the contract.  They also said he had not received permission to speak with any other clubs.

The official statement from the club reads:

English club Fulham recently reported the signing of Ange-Freddy Plumain. Racing Club de Lens is surprised to hear the information to the extent that the player still under contract, and had no authorization on a possible engagement. The player has been absent from his place of work since July 8, without a valid reason. A procedure has been initiated against the various parties concerned.

This situation bears eerily similar basic pretenses as the spat Lens had with Chelsea in 2007 over the transfer of striker Gael Kakuta.

Kakuta, then with Lens in Ligue 1, signed with Chelsea against his former club's wishes, who then complained to FIFA.  The world governing body imposed an immediate and shocking 2-year transfer embargo on Chelsea.  Kakuta was suspended from play for four months, as FIFA declared both player and club were "jointly and severely liable."

Chelsea appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, who then ruled Kakuta's contract with Lens was not valid and therefore could not be breached, lifting the embargo in the process.  Chelsea also came to an agreement with the French side, compensating Lens about £100,000 for the player.

It would be hard to imagine, having already gone through the process once, that Lens would be putting a wrong foot here.

This could be a devastating situation for Fulham if a transfer embargo were to be placed on the club, and would serve as a serious blow to new owner Shahid Khan.  Many fans are expecting Khan to inject new money into the club to be used in the transfer market this summer.



http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/07/26/fulham-could-face-transfer-embargo-over-transfer-of-french-teen/?

[Travers Barney]

How About Vydra
 
Perusing the internet, it appears that a local Birmingham newspaper is running with an article that West Bromwich Albion are looking at taking Matej Vydra on loan for the season.




Vydra, as many of you may already know, was on loan at Watford last season where the Czech international, still 21 years of age, scored 20 goals in a season that ended in Championship play-off heartache for the Hertfordshire club.

Vydra is currently on the books of the Italian side Udinese but I`m wondering would it be worth Fulham taking a punt on the lad and bringing him to Craven Cottage?

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.


Followed him last season...looks a class act...Udinese don't appear to want to let him go on a permanent deal..would love him at the Cottage.

coyw

Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=326249#ixzz2aDOmIOaQ