Tuesday Fulham Stuff (21/01/14)...

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Charles' 10k Triumph

Whites fan and wheelchair user Charles Blomfield successfully completed his 10k circuit round the sports track at Stoke Mandeville Stadium on Saturday.

Charles – who before the attempt was targeting a finish time of under an hour and a half – completed the distance in an impressive 57 minutes and 59 seconds.

It's not too late to sponsor Charles for his fantastic achievement – click here to reach his sponsorship page, with the monies raised going to the Fulham FC Foundation and Shooting Star CHASE.

And if Charles has inspired you to take on the 10k challenge, you can still sign up for the Winter Warmer Fun Run taking place on Sunday 2nd February. The run will take in a number of scenic views along the way, including Craven Cottage, Bishop's Park, Hammersmith and Putney Bridges and the River Thames, and fans can sign up here.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/january/20/charles-10k-triumph?

[WhiteJC]

 
Loan Round-Up

Jack Grimmer marked his home debut for Port Vale with the winning goal and a man of the match performance in a 1-0 win over Oldham Athletic.

The defender was on hand to head in Chris Shuker's outswinging corner in the 53rd minute to give Vale the lead, with Jennison Myrie-Williams coming close to a second shortly after only to see his penalty brilliantly kept out by Oldham keeper Mark Oxley.

The result keeps the Valiants in Play-Off contention, and boss Micky Adams was delighted with Grimmer's contribution, telling port-vale.co.uk: "I was pleased with his performance, full stop. He got his goal as well and I thought he showed a lot of football intelligence there.

"Chris Shuker put a corner in a minute before then and it was cleared at the near post and he stole into that area where the first corner had gone and got on the end of it, so real football intelligence, but I thought his overall performance was excellent."

Grimmer, too, was understandably pleased to have had such a telling involvement in the Sky Bet League One encounter: "It is a special one for me, especially with it being my first home match. I think it was just payback for the manager and chairman and everyone who worked hard to bring me here," he said.

Elsewhere in the division, Marcello Trotta played 88 minutes as Brentford drew 1-1 at Walsall. The Bees took the lead when Clayton Donaldson powerfully headed in Jake Bidwell's tempting cross, although the home side equalised on the stroke of half-time through Craig Westcarr.

Trotta had a decent chance to restore his side's lead in the second half but was unable to control his half-volley which sailed over the bar from close range. The result maintained Brentford's unbeaten run but Leyton Orient's win at Crewe Alexandra meant they slipped to second in the table.

Stephen Arthurworrey played the entirety of Tranmere Rovers' 3-0 defeat away at Peterborough United.

Britt Assombalonga put Posh ahead from the penalty spot after just five minutes, although Rovers remained in the contest until the 75th minute when Nicky Ajose made it two. Assombalonga then grabbed his second to kill the contest and ensure that Tranmere remained in the relegation zone.

In League Two, Ryan Williams helped Oxford United to a hard fought 1-0 win at Wycombe Wanderers.

It looked as though the U's might be left frustrated at Adams Park, with James Constable and Williams both firing over as they searched for an elusive opener. The crucial goal eventually arrived in the 87th minute when Nicky Wroe struck from outside of the area, with Williams then substituted in stoppage time.

There was also a win for Cauley Woodrow and Southend United as they comfortably saw off Chesterfield at Roots Hall. Goals from Kevan Hurst, Ryan Leonard and Barry Corr had the game sewn up by the time Woodrow entered the action as a 74th minute substitute, as the Shrimpers leapfrogged Chesterfield to go fourth in the table.

Marcus Bettinelli was in good form as Accrington Stanley claimed a vital three points with a 2-1 win at Cheltenham Town to move as high as 18th in the table.

George Bowerman put Stanley ahead with quarter of an hour played, with Bettinelli then making a fine save from Jermaine McGlashan to preserve his side's lead. That stop proved vital as Luke Joyce headed in a second shortly before half-time as the visitors took control of the game. The second half saw Bettinelli called into action on several occasions and although he was beaten by Jamie Cureton 72 minutes in, it proved to be just a consolation as James Beattie's side secured a first win in five attempts.

Over in the Netherlands, Bryan Ruiz tasted defeat on his PSV Eindhoven debut as Ajax ran out 1-0 winners at the Amsterdam Arena. The visitors actually enjoyed the better of the first half but league leaders Ajax took the lead when Kolbeinn Sigthorsson headed in with 64 minutes on the clock. Ruiz played 75 minutes before being replaced by Luciano Narsingh as PSV slipped to eighth in the Eredivisie.

Finally, Max Oberschmidt was in goal as Slough Town came from behind to smash Chalfont St Peter 5-1 in the Calor League Division One Central.

Oberschmidt had already made one good save by the time he was beaten by Terrell Lewis in the 20th minute, but goals from Adam Cornell, Johnnie Dyer (2), Warren Harris and Edward Smith earned Slough an emphatic home win.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/january/20/loan-round-up

[WhiteJC]

 
Premier League: Fulham's Brede Hangeland calls for consistency in relegation battle


Brede Hangeland: Looking for consistency from Fulham

Fulham skipper Brede Hangeland has called for consistency from the squad in their remaining fixtures, in order to give boss Rene Meulensteen the best opportunity of keeping the Cottagers in the Premier League.

Hangeland has only recently returned from a lengthy injury lay-off and on Saturday he helped Fulham defend resolutely as they kept Arsenal at bay for the best part of an hour, before going down 2-0.

The Norwegian has called for unity from his peers and for the players to step up to aid Meulensteen in the Dutchman's quest to keep Fulham afloat.

"We need to find the solidness which we had at times against Arsenal and spice that up with some good play going forwards," Hangeland told The Sun.

"Our squad is very even and there is not a group of 11 players that stands out like there was a few years back. You might say that is a good problem for the manager but, whoever is playing, we need to get more points and more consistency."

Hangeland also expressed his belief that any team not in the running for Europe is facing a relegation dog-fight.

"The Premier League is like two different divisions this season. There are those teams fighting for Europe and everyone else worrying about relegation." he said.

"We are in the second group but we will work as hard as we can to make sure we stay up."



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11681/9125187?

[WhiteJC]

 
2-0 defeat at Arsenal

Another day another defeat.  I didn't see it again, this time being at a showing of Walt Disney's Frozen in Swindon's Empire cinema (you didn't know Swindon had an empire did you?), in which two young princesses are separated by a freak incident in which one freezes everything she touches and therefore harms the other, almost fatally.  To stop it happening again they are kept apart. When they come of age and are thrust into positions of responsibility they have very different world views: the one who freezes people is full of guilt and worried about being seen by people. She wants to hide away. The other, who doesn't know any of this background, has felt very lonely and wants to see the world.  There's a lot of singing and all of this is quite well done and some of the visuals are spectacular, particularly with ice palaces and whatnot, and in the end you feel that you've seen something that's not entirely perfect but which will probably be enduring. The power of love, etc. Stanley enjoyed it a lot, which was the main thing, but so did I and so did my dad.



Back in London Fulham lost 2-0, which is probably a good result all things considered.  It's interesting that a young player can slot in and not only survive but actually do well.  It is possible.  I know that the test of footballers is over 38 games, and that playing well for even four games in five is probably insufficient, so we won't know what Dan Burn is made of for some time yet, but AT LEAST HE GOT THE CHANCE.



In other news, have you seen that we only have one single draw this season?



I wonder about this.  A draw is in many ways a sign that you have some sort of something about you.  They can be frustrating but there's definitely something to be said for being able to get something out of games.  We are in a curious sort of all or nothing season, where the team has been unable to salvage points from close matches. Another handful of points would make the world of difference to our season but we just haven't grasped them.  It's another damning indictment on how bad we've been.



If the BBC predictor tells us anything it's that fans generally over-estimate their own team.  Various models (including my own) pitched Fulham's likely end point at around 35-36 which will mean we're still right in "it".  Of course losing at Arsenal isn't a terrible thing but it's another game gone by. 



http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2014/01/20/2-0-defeat-at-arsenal/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Arsenal Transfer News: Dimitar Berbatov Talked Up by Jack Wilshere

Jack Wilshere has called Dimitar Berbatov "a great player," adding weight to the suggestion the Bulgarian forward could soon join the Emirates club.

As reported by John Cross of the Mirror, Wilshere understandably wanted to avoid in-depth questioning about Berbarov, turning the focus onto his own team:

He's (Berbatov) a great player. He has played for Manchester United. Players who don't have ability don't play for Man United.

But he is a Fulham player so I can't talk about him. We have Olivier (Giroud), who has been great for us this season. If we can keep him fit we have a chance.

Wilshere also pointed to Arsenal's bench—including players such as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lukas Podolski and Mikel Arteta—when talking of the need to rotate the Arsenal squad.

However, his comments about Berbatov will only galvanize rumours that the former Manchester United man could be Arsene Wenger's solution to a lack of striking options—until the end of the season at least.

As reported by ESPN, Arsenal were rumoured to be considering a £2 million bid for the 32-year-old at the beginning of January, but Wenger is yet to add further names to his squad during the current transfer window.

Cross' report also confirms Wenger is "open to strengthening" his attacking numbers and suggests he will continue looking to do business this month. Although Juventus' Mirko Vucinic is also linked with the club, a potential move for Berbatov—who is tried and tested in the Premier League—continues to linger.

The former Bayer Leverkusen striker has just four goals in 17 appearances this season, per WhoScored.com. He played 90 minutes during Fulham's recent visit to the Emirates and largely failed to impress after receiving limited service from his teammates.

Berbatov registered zero shots on goal, was dispossessed five times—more than double the amount of any other player—completing just one dribble all game. In comparison to Olivier Giroud, who was also quiet during the recent fixture, his season has been fruitless, recorded by WhoScored.com:

Often accused of being lazy and uninterested, one has to consider how Berbatov would fit into Wenger's plans. Giroud's constant movement and willingness to drag defenders out of position aids Arsenal's passing style of play, but this is not something Berbatov replicates.

Granted, he possesses technical prowess and is world class on his day, but the ageing forward's consistency has diminished. Indeed, Wenger has dampened talk of a move, per Cross:

Perhaps Berbatov could provide temporary cover, but it is unthinkable to consider Berbatov at Arsenal beyond the conclusion of this season if he does move.



http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1929643-arsenal-transfer-news-dimitar-berbatov-talked-up-by-jack-wilshere?

[WhiteJC]

 
Arsenal and Tottenham target to be offered new Fulham contract

Fulham are understood to have offered a contract extension to teen talent Muamer Tankovic, in a bid to ward off alleged interest from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, reports Sky Sports.

The 18-year-old attacking midfielder made his first-team debut in last week's 3-0 victory over Norwich City in the FA Cup, after moving to Craven Cottage from IFK Norrkoping last summer.

With just six months remaining on his current contract, Cottagers boss Rene Meulensteen is eager to secure Tankovic to a new long-term deal, after the playmaker attracted admiring glances from rival Premier League clubs.

"Fulham are very pleased with Tankovic and consider him to be a big prospect for the future," explained his agent, Fabio Alho, in an interview with Sportbladet.

"They certainly want to keep him. We will meet them and negotiate."

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has a strong track record of nurturing and developing young talent, and that reputation alone might tempt Tankovic to move to the Emirates Stadium.

However, Arsenal will face competition from north London rivals Spurs, with Tim Sherwood also showing that he's prepared to give youth a chance, in the early stages of his White Hart Lane tenure.

Alho was reluctant to talk about any of Tankovic's potential suitors, but did say it was possible he could leave Fulham, adding: "I do not want to talk about that, but it does not sound impossible."



http://www.givemesport.com/421374-arsenal-and-tottenham-target-to-be-offered-new-fulham-contract?autoplay=on

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham have turned the corner, says keeper Stekelenburg

Dutchman in confident mood despite Saturday's loss at the Emirates


Making progress: Maarten Stekelenburg reckons Fulham are on the up
Keeper Maarten Stekelenburg believes Fulham have turned the corner defensively – despite Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Arsenal.

The Whites were a shambles against Sunderland a week ago, but the return of Brede Hangeland and the assurance of Premier League debutant Dan Burn makes the Dutch stopper confident the side can start climbing the table.

"If you analyse all our goals, we conceded too many and we have to do better there, but we are on the way," Stekelenburg said.

"I think you could see from the performance [at Arsenal], that we're making progress, although we have to start taking points.

"I was a long time injured, and Brede's just come back, so I didn't play with him a lot. But I think we were solid and the overall performance was quite good.

"Dan played very well also in the last game against Norwich, so we have to built on this. This week we conceded two goals, next we need clean sheets, then we will win games."

Looking back on an encouraging display at Emirates Stadium, the Fulham keeper said: "It was a difficult game against Arsenal because we know they have the quality to score out of the blue and they did.

"We played very well in the first half, with good possession and got some chances also. But you have to finish those chances because you don't get a lot against them."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-turned-corner-says-keeper-6529058?

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Tottenham Hotspur weigh up cut-price £1.5m deal for Fulham striker Dimitar Berbatov
Daniel Levy remains keen on Bulgarian despite his tempestuous departure for Manchester United in 2008

Daniel Levy is interested in a cut-price bid to re-sign Dimitar Berbatov, even though head coach Tim Sherwood does not believe Tottenham need any more strikers.

Berbatov's agent has admitted his client would consider a move from Fulham during this transfer window and the 32-year-old would be attracted by a return to Spurs.

Despite the fact Jermain Defoe will leave Tottenham for MLS club Toronto FC on Feb 28, Sherwood has told chairman Levy and director of football Franco Baldini he is happy to finish the season with the strikers who are already at the club.

But that has not stopped Levy looking at potential January deals ahead of the final 10 days of the transfer window and Berbatov is among the players who have caught his eye.

With less than six months of his Fulham contract to run, Berbatov would cost around £1.5 million and would also want his £80,000-a-week Craven Cottage wages matched.

Levy failed in a last-ditch attempt to re-sign Berbatov from Manchester United ahead of Fulham at the end of the Auguest 2012 transfer window and remains a fan of the Bulgarian, despite his acrimonious departure to Old Trafford.

Berbatov spent two years at Tottenham, scoring 46 goals in 102 appearances, before moving to Manchester United for £30.75 million in the summer of 2008.

Fulham have not given up hope of keeping Berbatov until the summer and it is believed the Bulgarian has a good working relationship with head coach Rene Meulensteen.

Spurs have also considered moves for Juventus forward Mirko Vucinic, who has emerged as a target for Inter Milan, and Napoli's Goran Pandev.

Meanwhile, Holland manager Louis van Gaal has confirmed he has not given up hope of taking a role at Spurs in the summer after rejecting the opportunity to succeed Andre Villas-Boas.

Asked about Tottenham's approach, Van Gaal said: "Everybody knows it so I can admit it. I don't do things in a double function.
You have to give an example to your players that they have to focus on the national team and that is my ambition also.

"I have refused [the Tottenham job], but maybe there will come another chance. That is the difficulty with coaching. When you are free, then maybe there are no vacancies.

"When you are working, then there are vacancies. It is always difficult. After the World Cup I shall retire or, if there is a Premier League club, I shall think about it."


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/tottenham-hotspur/10584102/Tottenham-Hotspur-weigh-up-cut-price-1.5m-deal-for-Fulham-striker-Dimitar-Berbatov.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Full-Back Wanted
   
Speculation is doing the rounds this morning that infers Fulham are taking a very close look at the Aston Villa full-back Alan Hutton.

Hutton, a Scottish international, has been told that he can leave Villa Park this month and the twenty-nine year-old is interesting several parties.

Apparently, Hutton couldn`t agree terms with regards to a move to Huddersfield Town and any deal stuttered to a halt.

As for other clubs said to be interested, the grapevine suggests that Mark Hughes, over at Stoke City, is also showing interest with regards to procuring the player.

We`ll report as and when we receive further information.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=346199#ixzz2qyDjLUbY

[WhiteJC]

 
Keeping a Youngster
   
We`re blessed to have a more than decent crop of youngsters coming through the ranks at Craven Cottage.

Already we`ve seen Moussa Dembele given some match time and or Swedish winger, Muamer Tankovic; has also been involved with the first team.

But the biggest problem seems to be keeping hold of these talented lads.

Although he`s just 18 years of age, the scouts are already taking a close look at Tankovic and, with his contract expiring this summer, it`s said that Liverpool are already keen to lure him to Anfield.

To that effect it`s being reported that Fulham are looking to get Tankovic`s name on a new contract to ensure he stays at Craven Cottage.

Let`s hope the talks are successful as this lad has a very bright future!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=346200#ixzz2qyDxHkSG

[WhiteJC]

 
Hangeland`s Assessment
   
It`s great to have Brede Hangeland back in the fold.

The Norwegian centre-back will be a valuable addition to the squad in our quest to stave off relegation.

After our 15th defeat of the season, out of 22 games, Brede had a few words for the media about our plight, remarking.

"Our squad is very even and there is not a group of 11 players that stands out like there was a few years back. You might say that is a good problem for the manager but, whoever is playing, we need to get more points and more consistency."

"We need to find the solidness which we had at times against Arsenal and spice that up with some good play going forwards."

"The Premier League is like two different divisions this season."

"There are those teams fighting for Europe everyone else worrying about relegation."

"We are in the second group but we will work as hard as we can to make sure we stay up."

Indeed we have to, survival is essential, relegation doesn`t bear thinking about does it!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=346201#ixzz2qyE99jON

[WhiteJC]

 
Swansea Defender Linked!
   
With the transfer window activity expected to ramp up in the coming days as deadline day approaches, it`s good to see the name of Fulham Football Club cropping up.

Now although I may be torn between actually believing any targets are genuine interest of whether it`s press fiction on the back of our perilous league position, I do enjoy reporting on what`s going on.

The latest rumour to file through relates to a proposed move to stiffen up our ailing defence.

According to The Times, Fulham are seriously interested in bringing Swansea`s Welsh international Neil Taylor to Craven Cottage with it being inferred that a £4 million bid has been submitted for the twenty-four year-old full-back.

It remains to be seen whether Michael Laudrup, down at the Liberty Stadium, is willing to do business. If he is we`ll endeavour to keep you informed.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=346202#ixzz2qyEMGITO

[WhiteJC]

 
A relegation dog fight

I wonder how many teams have cemented their own relegation by deciding that "now is the time for fighters".

We see this everywhere now. Alan Shearer will talk about Fulham and declare that "now is the time for fighters", noting in due course that he's not sure that the likes of Dimitar Berbatov "have the stomach" for a relegation battle.

There's something to this: the best football teams combine great skill with absolute commitment and this gives them an edge over other teams who might lack either.

But at the bottom it's not enough to just decide that sleeves need rolling up. You actually need to get better at football.

We have already jettisoned the sleeves down Bryan Ruiz and are likely to see the laid back Dimitar Berbatov on his way, too.

In their stead the fans want people who know they are in a "dog fight" who will scrap for every last point.

In all these situations it's useful to think: "what would Roy do?"

He would tell Dimitar Berbatov what is expected of him, Berbatov would do it, and eventually this would prove fruitful.

It's easy to forget that before Hodgson arrived, Danny Murphy was a fairly marginal figure. Hodgson realised that if he was to pull of the survival trick he needed quality above all else, and that meant making sure that the team ran through Murphy. Hodgson got the defence organised as priority #1, brought in some players he knew, and set about turning things around.

Fulham need to get better. It's about effort but more than that it's about coaching and structure.

There is some evidence that we're on the right track. By all accounts the defence looked halfway organised against Arsenal, and we'd seen some suggestion of same in the preceding games. Hodgson did a lot of work with our attack during the great escape, too, particularly emphasising crossing (and a number of goals came from crosses). So it's about attitude, of course it is, but that's secondary to having a coherent approach to playing football. The players need to be capable of buying into this and executing instructions, and we don't know how this applies or doesn't apply to the squad we have now, but please, let's not get bogged down in all this scrapping for points rubbish. There's so much more to it than that.


http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2014/01/20/a-relegation-dog-fight/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Liverpool showing an interest in exciting young Fulham prospect

Fulham starlet Muamer Tankovic is attracting widespread interest in Europe as well as the Premier League, reports Sky Sports. The 18-year old Swedish forward made his senior team debut in Fulham's 3-0 win over Norwich in the FA Cup last Tuesday and has reportedly impressed many with his skill-set.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is said to be keen on the Swedish youth international and is keen to wrap up a swift deal for the forward as interest gathers pace among other potential suitors. Fellow Premier League sides Arsenal and Tottenham are also reportedly monitoring the situation of the versatile forward, whose contract with the Cottagers expires at the end of the season.

Tankovic's agent though states that Fulham are happy to have the prospect at the club and are keen to offer him an extension. Speaking about his client's situation, he said, "Fulham are very pleased with Tankovic and consider him to be a big prospect for the future. They certainly want to keep him. We will meet them and negotiate."

The youngster, who can play in a No.10 role as well as in the centre-forward position has been impressive in a number of youth competitions for Fulham and Sweden. Tankovic has scored 14 goals in 31 combined appearances for the Swedish U-17 and U-18 teams and is regarded as a player with lots of potential.


http://astralfootball.com/liverpool-showing-an-interest-in-exciting-young-fulham-prospect/25454?

[WhiteJC]

 
Who Is Liverpool Target Muamer Tankovic? Scout Report

Muamer Tankovic

Muamer Tankovic has been linked with Liverpool earlier today. Tankovic nicknamed as the "The Tank", created a buzz when he was playing for Sweden's IFK Norrkoping, and his involvement in the Swedish U-19, U-21 squad made him recognized by several European clubs. His agent Fabio Alho used his contacts to get him a trial at German club Hamburg, where he created all of Hamburg's five goals in a game, in front of sports director Frank Arnesen.

Tankovic was all geared up for a move to Germany before Fulham entered the picture, and manager Martin Jol's involvement turned out to be the an important factor in the Swedish youth international joining the Fulham Academy in August 2011. He had a difficult start to his time in London, and took some time to adjust to his surroundings and the pace of the game in England.

In his second season at the club, he impressed in his role in the U18s for Fulham, which led to him being named captain of the Fulham U18s. He got his reward later in the season when he was promoted to the U21s side, and scored 20 goals in 31 appearances in the 2012/13 season. This season, he has set the stage alight with his scoring ability, having scored 8 goals and assisted another in 11 appearances in the U21 Premier League, drawing attention from the big boys of the Premiership.

Tankovic's contract is due to expire in the summer of 2014, and a host of clubs are monitoring contract negotiations closely, especially now that he has made his first team debut- he came on as a late substitute for Alexander Kacaniklic in the 3-0 FA Cup win over Norwich last week.

Tankovic is an extremely gifted and creative player, and has thrived in the number 10 role just behind the striker. He has also impressed when deployed as an out-and-out striker, with clever movement and a knack of losing his marker being his biggest strengths. He is a player that can both find the net and create chances for others around him with his superb vision in and around the box.

The 18-year-old seems to be following in the footsteps of compatriot Zlatan Ibrahimovic by stating to the Swedish publication fotbollskanalen.se that his intention is to 'play for Real Madrid and win the Ballon d'Or'. Despite having one of the best youth teams in world football Fulham have struggled this season and Tankovic will likely have to make a move to further his growth, and the infrastructure that has been set up at Melwood may just be the thing needed to mold Tankovic in a future superstar.

Fulham 2-1 Everton, Barclays U21 Premier League

Fulham 5-3 Tottenham Hotspur, Barclays U21 Premier League


http://www.soccersouls.com/2014/01/who-is-liverpool-target-muamer-tankovic-scout-report/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Stoke and Fulham best priced EPL teams to sign international midfielder

While Fulham currently teeter on the brink of the relegation zone Stoke City are in a comparatively comfortable position in 13th place. But they too are only four points above the drop zone as we head into the business end of the season.

Right now you have to fear for Fulham who have a new coach, who hasn't lead a club in The Premier League before, and a string of roller coaster results which have the scent of a team in chaos.

As for Stoke, Mark Hughes has done what he always does – a solid if, arguably, unspectacular job.

But both Fulham and Stoke will be desperately looking for reinforcements during this window to consolidate their Premier League status come May. One player who we think would represent an absolutely brilliant solution is Tottenham midfielder Lewis Holtby. Holtby has been a peripheral member of the team since joining Tottenham and his outside chance of inclusion in the Germany World Cup squad is looking more fanciful by the day. Holtby needs games and he may well look to move in January.

We think Holtby is a seriously undervalued player – a super little footballer who knits things together really well with his energy and quality passing. His 3 caps for Germany amply reflects his potential.

Holtby may well look for a move back to Germany during the window. But if a Premier League club showed some serious interest then perhaps he could be tempted to remain on these shores.


http://soccersweep.com/stoke-and-fulham-best-priced-epl-teams-to-sign-brilliant-midfielder/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Tottenham and Dimitar Berbatov: marriage of irritating convenience

If you type Dimitar Berbatov's name into Twitter, you'll find a very varied response to the possibility of him coming back to Tottenham – a move which is supposedly being considered by Spurs.

Football fans have a long memory, and the manner in which Berbatov originally left the club still rankles at White Hart Lane as, justifiably, does the memory of him refusing to warm-up against Newcastle at St James' Park. There are ways to leave gracefully and the Bulgarian achieved none of them: he wanted to play for Manchester United, and he ultimately didn't care who knew that.

As sad as it is to say, emotion is relatively pointless in football. Realistically, at just under £2m, a Berbatov transfer to Tottenham would represent a marriage of real convenience at a time when neither party has any better options – they player would get catapulted back-up the division, and the club would gain a useful variation and depth to their forward line.

He's older, his deceptive turn of pace is gone, but he's still a match-winner against plenty of sides in this division. Added to which, it would be naive to assume that Emmanuel Adebayor's form will remain at its current level for the rest of the season.

If a proven, mercurial talent is there for the taking, then it probably benefits the club to let bygones be bygones for the sake of six months. I'm sure there are fans out there who would prefer it if Berbatov wasn't potentially useful to Spurs, but irritatingly he probably is.



http://thepremierleagueowl.com/tottenham-and-dimitar-berbatov-marriage-of-irritating-convenience/

[WhiteJC]

 
Stockdale features in Under-21 game

David Stockdale featured for Fulham as they beat West Ham 1-0 in the Under-21 Premier League.

The keeper atoned for a poor clearance by recovering to make a fine save from Frazer Shaw in the match at Fulham's Motspur Park training ground, where the unfortunate Pelly Ruddock scored an own goal seven minutes before half-time.

A heavy deflection off Ruddock meant he diverted Lyle Della Verde's shot past Raphael Spiegel.

Muamer Tankovic should have doubled the lead three minutes after the break but contrived to shoot over from three yards out.

Tankovic had another chance when through on goal but fired straight at keeper Spiegel, before Stockdale produced a good save to deny Elliot Lee.

The young Whites remain unbeaten in the league this season.



http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-west-ham-under-21-match-87333-wls-football

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham U21s 1-0 West Ham United U21s

A Pelly Ruddock own goal following a deflected strike from Lyle Della Verde earned Fulham Under-21s a 1-0 win over West Ham United at Motspur Park on Monday evening.

After Muamer Tanković had squandered a decent opening, the home side went ahead in the 37th minute when Ruddock sent the ball over the line as he attempted to block Della Verde's effort.

Tanković then missed another golden opportunity, before Chris David hit the crossbar as Fulham attempted to put the game to bed.

It looked as though they might have been made to pay for the missed chances as West Ham put the Whites under plenty of pressure late on, but Kit Symons' troops held firm to go a 12th game unbeaten in the Barclays Under-21 Premier League.                                                 

"It was a decent game of football, competitive from both sides," Symons told fulhamfc.com. "There was some good football played by us and we created a few chances. We should have scored more than the one goal we did, to be honest, which would have made life a little bit easier for ourselves.

"We were a little bit wasteful in front of goal but then defended very, very well second half for 40 minutes, but then for the last five minutes people lost their minds and we could have very easily conceded an equaliser. So we were a little bit disappointed with the last five minutes but obviously pleased in the end to hold on.

"The lads are still unbeaten in the league halfway through January which is a really great achievement from them so as much as I'll always be critical and think of things that we could do better, they've done fantastically well overall."

Tanković – who was operating as Fulham's central striker – will be frustrated that he wasn't able to add his name to the scoresheet with several good chances falling his way, but Kit is pleased that he can call on the Swede's services in that position when necessary.

"His best position is more as a 10 but he played as a nine because Moussa Dembélé got injured yesterday," he explained. "Moussa went over on his ankle which was unfortunate for him, but Tank can do that nine role now – he's working hard and he's the fittest and quickest he's ever been, which makes a huge difference to his game. I still think he's better as that second striker or number 10, but he can do that nine role now."

With regular centre-backs Jack Grimmer and Stephen Arthurworrey out on loan at Port Vale and Tranmere Rovers, respectively, Liam Donnelly was handed another start, with the 17-year-old playing his part in the Whites' clean sheet.

"Liam's doing well," Kit said. "He's a good player who we've got high hopes for. He played as a right-back against Arsenal [in the Premier League Cup] and he played centre-back today – he can play either position – and had a steady game. I was pleased with his performance."

Fulham: Stockdale; Zverotić, Donnelly, Buatu, Richards; Na Bangna (Evans 77), Christensen, Pritchard, Della Verde (Williams 69); David (Hyndman 81); Tanković

Subs (not used): Norman, Banya



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/january/20/fulham-u21s-1-0-west-ham-u21s?

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Sam Allardyce admits Ravel Morrison could leave West Ham in January
• Manager believes midfielder may have been unsettled
• But Fulham made a 'derisory' offer for the player

Sam Allardyce has accepted that Ravel Morrison could leave West Ham United this winter, saying that the midfielder may have been unsettled despite a "derisory" transfer offer from Fulham.

Morrison, who joined the Hammers in 2012 from Manchester United, is valued at £10m by the east London club but Fulham's initial bid, confirmed last week by their manager, René Meulensteen, was rejected.

Meulensteen said the 20-year-old, who is expected to play in Tuesday night's Capital One Cup semi-final second leg against Manchester City, was keen on a move to Craven Cottage but following his comments West Ham have lodged an official complaint to the Premier League accusing Fulham of tapping up the player.

Under the terms of Morrison's contract his wage would increase to £60,000 a week if West Ham received an offer of £10m but then decided to keep him at the club while his current salary is approximately one quarter of that amount.

Allardyce said the January window was a time when speculation could turn the heads of players but he refused to rule out the possibility of Morrison leaving. When asked if he was tempted to sell him, Allardyce said: "Well, who knows? You take each day as it comes in this window.

"This window creates a hysteria about the fact that people will tell you that somebody is going to come and get you. That could then turn your head, probably based on the money that people say you're going to make. Everybody as a human being is not all the same, some players will act and react a different way, to whatever they feel is best for them.

"I would probably think that across the country at every club there is a player unsettled because of mad January, the lunatic transfer window that creates havoc throughout the game.

"He's a young man, and a young man with not much experience, you have to give a bit of leeway for that scenario. He's not an experienced man in life, never mind in football. And inexperienced young players can react in many different ways.

"It's difficult for a manager to give advice to a young player when it comes to that because they see you probably working for the club as the manager rather than working for them."

When pressed on Fulham's bid for Morrison, Allardyce added: "That was a simple turn-down of a derisory offer, in our opinion. It's an offer that wasn't acceptable."

West Ham were thwarted in their efforts to sign the defender Johnny Heitinga from Everton earlier in the window, while the Merseyside club are expected to gazump them by signing the striker Lacina Traoré on loan from Monaco, despite the forward having been expected to join the Hammers.

Against City at Upton Park West Ham will seek to salvage some pride after their 6-0 thumping in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium. Allardyce is expected to name a strong side, hoping also to end a five-match losing streak, the latest reverse being the 3-1 home defeat by Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday.



http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jan/20/west-ham-united-ravel-morrison-sam-allardyce