Monday Fulham Stuff (28/10/13)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Martin Jol Vows To Keep Pajtim Kasami At Fulham

Cottagers boss will refuse all offers for goal hero.

Fulham manager Martin Jol has vowed to keep a hold of the midfielder amid recent speculation and has called on the player to ignire the talk linking him with a move away to continue his fine early form, Sky Sports reports.

Italian giants Juventus are reportedly taking a keen interest in the 21-year-old after he struck a wonder goal against Crystal Palace on Monday night.

He currently has just 18 months left to run on his current deal and could be tempted to move on after enduring a difficult spell in England after joining from Palermo back in 2011.

However, his form this season has shown a marked improvement and Jol believes that the Cottagers may be about to see the best of him.

"He's still not the best player in England, but I think in two or three years he could be a big player," Jol said.

"Then maybe Juventus can come here and pay a lot of money for him. That would be good for everyone.

"I told him to count his blessings and to be happy at that age playing Premier League football. He needs to keep his feet on the ground. He's a very level-headed boy."

Jol added on Kasami, who took a 50 per cent pay cut last season to link up with Lucerne on loan: "There will be a situation in five or six months' time that we have to talk and extend his contract.

"If he didn't score that goal it would've been a different story.

"He could've gone to other clubs when he left Palermo but he came here. He started off well but he had to learn a lot and that's what he did.

"If you take the likes of Kyle Walker, Kyle Naughton and Andros Townsend, they played for other clubs then came back. Now Townsend is the one I go to the stadium for. He's a good player, almost like Arjen Robben, but not as good. He makes things happen for his team and Kasami's the same.

"He's got a very good shot and free-kick, so if he works hard he will be more and more important for us."



http://www.caughtoffside.com/2013/10/27/martin-jol-vows-to-keep-pajtim-kasami-at-fulham/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Double Your Money Time
   
There`s no doubting that our young Macedonian born midfielder, Pajtim Kasami will be able to dine out for years on the goal he scored at Crystal Palace, it really was a once in a life-time strike.

However, the strike could see the youngster earn a contract revision.

Apparently Kasami, whilst others earn huge amounts, per week, from the game, is on a meagre £7,000 a week.

Stories doing the rounds suggest that, although his current deal doesn`t expire until 2015, steps are afoot, at Craven Cottage , to double his salary to £15,000 a week.

However, it would appear that in these financially prudent times, this figure would be incentivised.

Although to the man in the street £14,000 seems a huge sum to earn a week, I wonder what Juventus, who are said to be tracking the player, would make of it all?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=336788#ixzz2izQ2j1BO

[WhiteJC]

 
Halloween came early for Fulham at St. Mary's

Halloween is still four days away, but for the travelling Fulham fans, their 2-0 defeat at the hands of Southampton yesterday was a horror show.

The scene was set. Under the dark and gloomy clouds that hovered above St. Mary's, with the wind pouring across the pitch making that eerie whistling noise, eleven innocents in white faced a disaster of all proportions. They did all they could to defend themselves, as their red-stained aggressors came at them relentlessly again and again. With the smell of blood in their noses, there was no let up from the savages in red, and the men in white had nowhere to go. Everywhere they turned there was not one, but two, three or four enemies -- losses were inevitable. This was a slaughter.

But enough of the indulgent horror-based metaphors, this was a performance of real class from a Southampton side finally getting the respect they deserve. Fulham were poor, no one is going to argue that, but they were poor because Saints gave them no other option than to be. With the exception of a 5-10 minute spell when the game was already over, Fulham were not allowed to play by Saints, and had not even registered a single shot.

This isn't a side that lacks talent, with Dimitar Berbatov, Pajtim Kasami and Bryan Ruiz they have an arsenal that can create chances, but Saints' well-marshalled defence simply didn't allow them to do that.

Berbatov's personal performance was little short of negligence. Were I a Fulham supporter, I would be dismayed at his ownership of the captaincy, especially given that Scott Parker (probably Fulham's brightest player, and when I say bright I mean least terrible) was the only one trying to bring organisation to their side.

It was fitting that this game was shown on television so the country could see that while the pundits tell us that England isn't producing technically proficient players, Southampton were ripping a team to pieces with five in their side. Adam Lallana, Jay Rodriguez, Luke Shaw, Nathaniel Clyne and James Ward-Prowse, all young, all English, all superb, and dare I mention the performance of their elder statesman, Rickie Lambert?

Mr.Hodgson decided to watch Liverpool this weekend though, presumably so he could learn more about Steven Gerrard. Let's hope he had his television on yesterday so he can see what he has been missing.

Saints were superb to a man yesterday, and you will likely not see a more dominant performance in the Premier League this season. Had it finished 8-0 no one could have had any complaints.

With two more winnable games up next, before trips to the Emirates and Stamford Bridge to follow, Saints could be in a very decent position going into Christmas. I know this has to end at some point, but life as Saints fans has always been a roller coaster, and it's nice to be on a lengthy rise.

Keep the faith.



http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/southampton/id/958?&cc=5739

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham outclassed at St. Mary's Stadium

I am finding it hard to think of a more lamentable defeat for the team I have supported for over 50 years. In years to come the bald facts will show a 2-0 Fulham loss at Southampton. Just another away defeat from the team that rarely fails to disappoint, in a city where the Whites historically find it hard to claim points.

It's a short enough journey back to the capital so I returned home quite numbed by what I had seen. Sometimes from away games one gets caught up in the atmosphere, travelling fans don't always get the best view, and don't have the benefit of instant replays. Sleeping on the result overnight brought no respite. Visions from Fulham's nightmare showing clattered around my subconscious like a fragmenting meteorite.

By Sunday morning the euphoria from that win at Palace seemed like a distant mirage. Southampton not only had the Whites crashing back to earth, with a familiar tale of folding on the road, but showed the current gulf between Martin Jol's clapped out old outfit and the top teams to be wider than the asteroid belt itself.

Of course, you may quickly riposte, while Fulham's business model since 2010 has been to starve the team of funds, Saturday's high-flying opponents showed the Whites just what you get when welding £60 million in transfer funds to one of Spain's brightest young managers. Bravo to Southampton -- now third in the league, there on merit, and playing at the top of their game.

But brilliant as the Saints played, there can be no excuses for the abysmal showing put up by the side in white shirts. It's another performance that all too quickly puts the spotlight back on the man who picks and prepares the team. The aftermath is near universal condemnation of Fulham's latest feeble effort from supporters and press alike.

The match statistics tell their own story -- that Fulham failed to test Artur Boruc once throughout the whole game, and not till the 83rd minute did an off-balance Steve Sidwell hook his volley three feet wide, the one solitary moment of alarm for Southampton's goalie. The Cottagers have become the first side in Premier League history not to have a single effort on goal in the first 45 minutes of a match. This blogger foolishly suggested in his preview Fulham might be heading for a third win in a row. The Whites could not even manage three passes in a row, so comprehensively were Fulham outplayed.

This has led to much debate on all the forums that Saturday was Fulham's worst performance of the modern era. Crikey, going back over the desperately dark days of Alan Dicks, Don Mackay and Ian Branfoot, that's some accolade for Fulham's defiantly proud Dutch manager. Was it really that bad?

Actually it was, and thanks to Sky, everybody got to see it. Southampton's superior fitness, aggression, speed, and link-up play overwhelmed Fulham. Jol for once was quite right in suggesting the Whites could have been 6-0 down by the break.

Heaven knows the fans have long been used to Fulham elevens not turning up for away games -- long before Martin himself came on the scene. But with this defeat I question if the Whites have entered a new realm, one that owner Shad Khan must take heed of. I am witnessing previously unseen levels of vitriol on postings everywhere. Enough is enough. Supporters are at breaking point. The guy opposite me on the train home said he had been a season ticket holder for 10 years but over the last 12 months decided he could not take any more of Jol's brand of football. Away support is melting away too, despite club incentives to get fans to travel.

There is no point in reiterating further the failures of Jol's misguided attempts to engineer a unit that functions. Mauricio Pochettino has worked wonders in just nine months at St. Mary's. On paper Fulham's array of experienced internationals should have been able to give the Saints some sort of contest. In fact we witnessed a torrid spectacle of masters and pupils, where the closest Fulham got to their opponents came as the two sides walked up the tunnel.

The Fulham team at present is a collection of square pegs in round holes. Luke Shaw was sensational at left-back. Fulham's man is a converted forward with his best days well behind him. The Whites have zero craft or quality in midfield, no pacy wingers, no aerial threat up front, no team ethic, no desire -- and crucially no leader on the pitch. Witness yet again shambolic marking from corners to exemplify the poor preparation.

Fulham kicked off the second half. Within 40 seconds Shaw was bearing down on goal and Maarten Stekelenburg got exposed. 33 percent of the possession, what a truly shocking statistic!

When the man with the captain's armband displays all the very worst aspects of not playing for the team you know you have a serious problem in the body politic. When things reach such a critical point, heads must roll.

That is not an over-reaction. The Whites currently sit 14th after other results went in their favour this weekend. But the Whites can only look to points from a handful of fellow strugglers as the season progresses if this kind of form continues. It may not be enough. Even Crystal Palace redeemed themselves with a very respectable showing against leaders Arsenal.

Are we all looking forward to next Saturday and United? Please let me know your thoughts on this latest set-back. If it's beyond Jol to get anything from this current team -- then who can?


http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/fulham/id/1476?&cc=5739

[Fulham1959]

"Fulham outclassed at St. Mary's Stadium"

What a brilliant piece.  This should be read aloud to all management and all in the first team squad, and every point discussed.

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