Thursday Fulham Stuff (16/01/14)...

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Arsenal v Fulham - Matchday strips



Arsenal will wear red and white shirts, white shorts and white socks against Fulham at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, January 18.
Arsenal's goalkeeper will wear all green.
The referee will be Lee Probert.



http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/arsenal-v-fulham-matchday-strips?

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West Ham admit ex-Man Utd starlet Ravel Morrison could go as Fulham circle
WEST HAM assistant manager Neil McDonald admitted young starlet Ravel Morrison has a price.

The former Manchester United youth player was subject of a bid from fellow strugglers Fulham in midweek, which was rejected by the Hammers.

Morrison has made only one appearance so far this year due to a niggling groin injury but is included in the squad for the crucial weekend clash with Newcastle.

However, ahead of the match at Upton Park, McDonald claimed that every player – even Morrison – has their price.

"I would imagine everyone has a price," McDonald said.

"There seems to be a story on Rav every week, the lad comes in and trains – he has had a little bit of a groin injury. He trained yesterday with a huge big smile on his face with the rest of the squad."

Morrison, 20, returned to the Hammers from a loan deal at Birmingham at the beginning of the campaign and has gone on to impress, scoring a sensational solo goal in the 3-0 victory over Tottenham in early October.

But since then the England Under-21 international has struggled for consistency.

When asked about whether West Ham want to keep hold of Morrison, McDonald responded: "Why not? He needs to get into the team first and be consistent. He had a great run of three or four games where he was outstanding, but he is a young kid and is still learning the game."


http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/360783/West-Ham-admit-ex-Man-Utd-starlet-Ravel-Morrison-could-go-as-Fulham-circle

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No Fear

Steve Sidwell is hoping Tuesday night's FA Cup with Budweiser triumph provides Fulham with the momentum to earn a result against Arsenal at the weekend.

As well as earning progression to the Fourth Round of the historic competition, the 3-0 win over Norwich City restored confidence to René Meulensteen's side following the disappointment of the previous defeat by Sunderland.

And while a trip to the home of the Barclays Premier League leaders may appear daunting, Sidwell assured fans that his side will not show the Gunners too much respect, stating: "We won't go into any game fearing anyone. It doesn't matter where we are in the league.

"You've seen so far this season that everyone's beating everyone – teams like Arsenal are losing, Manchester United are losing. These teams are losing games so if we can go there, defend well and create chances, then we're more than capable of scoring.

"It's a tough game, a very tough game, but they're all tough games now. We're going into the match with the confidence that we've gained from the Norwich result and hopefully we can put a performance in."

Asked if he's been impressed by their staying power at the summit of the Premier League, the former Gunners academy player admitted: "Very. People still aren't really talking about them [as title contenders], they're talking about Chelsea and Manchester City, which Arsenal will probably like as it takes the pressure away from them. But they keep grinding out results, they're keeping in there and it's going to go to the wire."

While the race for the title is as open as it's been for years, it's just as tense at the other end of the table, with Fulham one of around 11 sides keen to put daylight between themselves and the drop zone.

The Whites had occupied one of the three relegation places for a number of unwelcome periods this season, but currently sit outside of the bottom three having won three league matches since Meulensteen took charge.

"I think if you look at the Premier League in general, it's never been as tight as this – at the top or the bottom," Sidwell said. "If you look at the bottom half of the table there's six points from 20th to 10th, so it goes to show it's not just on our form, it's how the whole Premier League has gone.

"I think since René has come in he's brought a new lease of life to the players and I think we've been hard done by with some of the results, especially when we've got back into games.

"If you look at Man City, Everton – we've got back on level terms and then we've thrown games away. A lot of them have been down to mistakes by ourselves so if we can erase those errors and concentrate on keeping clean sheets then we feel as though we've got enough up top and people that can score goals to win us games."

Away from league matters, the Whites continue to fight on in the FA Cup and Tuesday's win has set up a Fourth Round tie at Sky Bet League One strugglers Sheffield United.

It's a competition in which Sidwell is keen to enjoy a prosperous run after he notched another goal in the win over the Canaries – his sixth overall for the season and his third in as many games.

"It's a little purple patch so it's good for me personally but obviously it's the old cliché that the result is the more important thing," he admitted. "It was very important for us [to beat Norwich], I think you could tell that by the team selection.

"For me, personally, the FA Cup is traditional with the very British, English mentality that I've got. It's special for me and we've got Sheffield United now in the next round and hopefully we can put the same performance in and progress."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/january/16/no-fear?

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Exclusive - Fulham need Berbatov to stay, says Sidwell

Steve Sidwell has defended under-fire teammate Dimitar Berbatov and insists Fulham need the mercurial striker if they are to beat the drop.

Berbatov has frustrated fans with his performances this season and has been tipped to leave the struggling Cottagers in this transfer window.

Arsenal have been suggested as possible suitors for the 32-year-old, but Sidwell wants the former Manchester United star to stay as he believes his creative qualities are still much-needed.

"His vision, his touch, what he can produce week in, week out to win games for you, it's there to see. He did that last season. He won numerous games with the goals he scored," said the midfielder, speaking on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast.

"This year, perhaps because he hasn't scored as many as he would have liked, it comes down to what else he is producing on the pitch. So, if he has not scored, they look at his work rate, the chances he has created. Obviously we haven't had a great run of form this year as a team and he can't be the brunt of that.

"You always want your best players to stay, wherever you are in the Premier League. Whether you are at the bottom, in the middle, or pushing for the championship, you want your best players to be there because you know on their day what they can produce."


Read more at http://talksport.com/football/exclusive-fulham-need-berbatov-stay-says-sidwell-14011675875#CEJxmfGXQwvRTGY6.99

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Shahid Khan, wishful thinking, and change at Fulham

Ben Weeks urges Fulham to consider a change to their approach...

"Everyone needs to realise we must invest" – Rene Meulensteen, shortly after taking over at Fulham.

There's a sense of 'we know, we know you know, and you know that we know' regarding the relationship between Fulham fans and the powers that be at Craven Cottage right now. It's not as though it's a secret that Fulham require investment. Years of stagnation and a short-term mindset from Mohammed Al-Fayed whom, contrary to his own protestations otherwise, was probably gearing up to sell for a while, have led to an old squad and insufficient infrastructure to back it up. It's not that Fulham don't have promising youth players – quite the reverse – it's simply that the majority of these aren't ready for the considerable step-up. There is very little promise left in between the experienced names like Scott Parker and Dimitar Berbatov and the too young such as Mousa Dembele or Lasse Vigen Christensen. This in turn creates the sort of pressure that has been placed on the shoulders of Pajtim Kasami to rescue Fulham, which is obviously unfair given his youth and relative inexperience.

Meulensteen has said what everyone knows:

"We need to look how we can strengthen this squad to ensure Fulham stay in the Premier League."

It's out on the table, playing staff are needed. Now, it might just be wishful thinking, but...

Fulham need not just an influx of cash and a couple of additions, but a renewed philosophy. The loans and free transfers must be limited massively, in favour of reasonable contracts for reasonably aged players. Fulham are unlikely to not be the sort of club that sells assets in their prime for a while yet, if ever, but without those assets to sell it's difficult to see where the club is going to recoup its transfer outgoings – Berbatov, Parker, Riise? None of these have much value anymore. Instead, promising younger players sourced from the Championship and less 'established' European leagues and clubs need to be targeted. Aaron Cresswell, Daley Blind, Danny Ings, Siem de Jong...these are all talented players for whom a few years down by the Thames could work well for all involved. I'm not specifically saying Fulham need to target those four names, but they represent the combination of talent and age that demands exploitation.

Obviously this approach will require significantly more investment than has been traditional at the Cottage over the past few years..or since the 'failed' experiment that was Bryan Ruiz, at least. But Shahid Khan made a pledge to the club when he took over:

"I'd like Fulham to be sustainable. Fulham, even past my time, shouldn't be dependent on someone's generosity."

That word sustainable is so important – it implies that the club will be able to look after itself: through the increased ticket revenue the ground expansion will bring assuming it goes ahead, more lucrative sponsorship deals (Marathon this year was the club's best yet) and yes, a system of bringing in players with a view to getting the best out of them, before selling them for profit. Khan obviously knew all of this when he took over, and actually I have faith in him to see it through... but it needs to be sooner, rather than later.

Achieving sustainability as a Premier League club is going to be a damn sight harder in the Championship


http://thepremierleagueowl.com/shahid-khan-wishful-thinking-and-change-at-fulham/

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Clark - Burn return unlikely

Lee Clark says he as all but admitted defeat in his attempts to bring former loanee Dan Burn back from his parent club Fulham.
The centre-half returned to Craven Cottage at the start of the month, following a successful loan spell at Blues, during which he made 28 appearances and scored one goal.

Fulham changed managers in December when Dutchman René Meulensteen took over at the helm. Meulensteen has subsequently played Burn in his side's last two FA Cup with Budweiser matches against Norwich City and was massively impressed by his performance alongside Brede Hangeland in the centre of defence.

"It doesn't look like Dan is coming back and he is going to stay at Fulham," Clark told bcfc.com.

"He's been playing too well, which is a double-edged sword. He's gone in and played against Norwich again in the cup replay and he was outstanding. I spoke to René and René was really impressed with him

"The Premier League is where Dan wants to be and that's where I knew he'd end up going. We've obviously been thanked by Fulham because we helped him with his development but it's not a good scenario for us.

"If I was in René's position I'd probably feel the same. They're his players and if they come back and they're in a good situation, you've got to accept that."

The almost certain loss of Burn, means that Clark will be redoubling his efforts to strengthen his squad before the end of this month's transfer window.

"We've got to go looking again for another raw talent that we can hopefully polish up and send back to their clubs a better player," he added. "It was always an area I was looking to bring players in, but I need to bring players in for all areas of the team.

"The situation I've got that is difficult is that I can only name five loan players in the 18. If I'm looking to strengthen different areas of the squad I'm going to end up with more than five players, so sometimes it's going to be frustrating not having loan players involved in the 18. I've got to be able to balance that in the right way."



Read more at http://www.bcfc.com/news/article/20140116-clark-burn-return-unlikely-1297660.aspx?#MY7pcrEwA3gqupIi.99

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'Everyone has a price' - West Ham admit Fulham target Morrison is not unsellable



The Hammers assistant Neil McDonald insisted the youngster is happy but could be sold if the right offer comes in, while he dismissed links with Rickie Lambert as pure speculation

West Ham assistant manager Neil McDonald has admitted that "everybody has a price" amid speculation linking Ravel Morrison with a transfer to Fulham.

Goal exclusively revealed on January 7 that the attacker has made it known to his current club that he wants to make the move to west London this month.

The Cottagers head coach Rene Meulensteen confirmed on Tuesday that they have seen a bid for the 20-year-old turned down as he aimed to be reunited with a player he worked with at Manchester United.

The Hammers subsequently lodged a complaint with the Premier League that was thought to relate to these comments, but McDonald conceded that the club would consider each offer on its merits.

"There seems to be a story about Rav every week," he told reporters. "I would imagine everybody's got a price."

But when questioned on whether the Upton Park outfit would prefer to hang on to the midfielder, McDonald added: "Why not? But he needs to get into the team and he needs to be consistent.

"He's a young kid and he's still learning the game and he goes through inconsistencies to an extent.

"Rav trained with the rest of the lads with a big smile on his face yesterday and we look forward to having him in the squad for Saturday (when West Ham host Newcastle United)."

West Ham have been linked with a move for Southampton striker Rickie Lambert, but McDonald stressed that the rumoured transfer was all hearsay for the time being.

"He's a fantastic player and he's in good form, but it's all speculation at the minute," he added. "Whoever the manager decides to bring in, I'm sure it'll be a good addition to the squad."


http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2014/01/16/4547891/-?

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Bent Hopes for Arsenal Start
   
I have to admit that when Martin Jol persuaded Aston Villa to loan us Darren Bent for the season I was excited.

Here we were taking on board a striker that had scored at Premier League level with regularity and had also been on the fringes of international recognition on a regular basis.

Unfortunately, Darren never really got off to the start he wanted and we hardly saw him in a Fulham shirt. But just recently that position has changed and his goal, against Norwich on Tuesday evening, put us on the way to a fourth round tie with Sheffield Wednesday.

Darren, buoyed by his recent change in circumstances, is hoping that he can be part of the starting eleven that takes on the Premier League leaders, Arsenal, this weekend, remarking to the media,

"It would be nice to get a start. It`s always difficult against Arsenal but if we ride our luck and play well we could get something from our game."

There`s no doubting that it is a tall order but you just never know do you and isn`t it the right thing in life to remain optimistic?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=345713#ixzz2qZzfeNoQ

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Fulham boss confirms Burn will be staying

Fulham defender Dan Burn will not be rejoining Birmingham City on loan, Whites boss Rene Meulensteen has confirmed.

The 21-year-old impressed during a recent loan spell at the Championship club, who were keen to have him back for the rest of the season.

After returning to Craven Cottage earlier this month, Burn followed up a promising outing against Norwich in the FA Cup third round with another eye-catching display in Tuesday's replay victory over the Canaries.

Meulensteen initially indicated that Burn would be able to return to St Andrews, but following Tuesday's game said he would "review" the situation before making a decision.

Birmingham manager Lee Clark subsequently revealed that Burn was set to stay at Fulham.

And Meulensteen confirmed: "At the moment his future is here. He has impressed me a lot. We have had more access to him, seeing him train, and he has matured a lot."



http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-boss-confirms-burn-will-not-be-rejoining-birmingham-city-wls-football

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Fulham preparing bid for Tottenham's Belgian outcast
Dembele could be set for return to relegation-threatened Craven Cottage club



Fulham are believed to be considering a move to bring former fan favourite Mousa Dembele back to the club in a bid to stave off the threat of relegation from the Premier League.

The Belgian international has long been linked with a return to the club where he first made his name in the English top flight, before moving to Tottenham Hotspur for £15m back in August 2012.

And with new Spurs boss Tim Sherwood eager to trim a squad boasting an abundance of midfield options and give opportunities to academy youngsters like Nabil Bentaleb, Dembele could be among the first to head for the White Hart Lane exit.

The Belgian has thus far failed to replicate the kind of form that first convinced the north London club to acquire his services and with a World Cup looming large, the midfielder may be tempted to push for a move away in a bid to ensure first-team football for the remainder of the season.

Fulham could represent the most realistic option for the 26-year-old, with the club in desperate need of reinforcements to bolster their ailing campaign.

Martin Jol has already been sacked, while his replacement Rene Meulensteen is under increasing pressure to get results in the Premier League, particularly after their 4-1 humbling at the hands of fellow strugglers Sunderland.

The former Manchester United coach is a 20/1 outsider to be the next manager in the division to leave his post, but whether the Dutchman stays or goes, Fulham remain deep in the relegation mire.

Ladbrokes is offering evens on the Cottagers going down this term, though the creativity and hard work of Dembele could be enough to inspire the London club to another great escape.

With a price of 4/5 offered on Meulensteen's side surviving, the arrival of the Belgian midfielder, most likely on a loan deal until the end of the season, could be enough to ignite their campaign.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.


http://news.ladbrokes.com/en-gb/football/premier-league/fulham-preparing-bid-for-tottenhams-belgian-outcast_183911.html

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Serie A side in for Cottagers forward



Italian side Sampdoria are keeping tabs on Fulham striker Marcello Trotta, Sports Direct News understands.

The former Napoli and Manchester City youth team player has only made three cameo appearances for the London club as a substitute, but has caught the eye during several loan stints in the Football League.

Currently at League One outfit Brentford, he has fired them to the top of the table with eight goals this term, sparking praise from Cottagers head coach Rene Meulensteen, who is already making plans to include Trotta in his first team next term.

However, Sampdoria are lining up a move to take him back to Serie A, where he never got a look-in for Napoli.

Former Sampdoria boss Sven-Goran Eriksson speaks favourably about the player, who was an up-and-coming teenager during his time as manager at the Etihad Stadium.

Should Muelensteen decide to sell, he is likely to hold out for at least £1million this summer.


http://www.sportsdirectnews.com/fulham-fc-transfer-news/38456-serie-a-side-in-for-cottagers-forward.php#.UtgGAv0cKbA