Wednesday Fulham Stuff (29/01/14)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Swansea City 2 Fulham 0: match report
Read a full match report of the Premier League game between Swansea City and Fulham at the Liberty Stadium on Tuesday, Jan 28, 2014

Two deflected goals in the second half of a cagey relegation battle at the Liberty Stadium and a long overdue smile from Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup.

No such joy, however, for Fulham manager Rene Meulensteen, whose side have now conceded 50 goals in 23 Premier League games this season. A little unfortunate the visitors might have been, but Jonjo Shelvey's opening goal on the hour, via the back of Brede Hangeland, and a Chico Flores header 15 minutes from time, means Fulham now have the worst goal difference of all 92 teams in the Premier and Football Leagues.

On another night, they might have left South Wales with a point or even more. First-half opportunities for Hangeland, Ashkan Dejagah and Clint Dempsey should have given Meulensteen something to defend at half-time.

As it was, Swansea grew in stature after Nathan Dyer's arrival 13 minutes into the second half and duly won for only the second time, in the league, in 11 attempts. It was a win that not only takes them into 10th, but for the time being, lifts the pressure from the shoulders of their Danish manager.

Laudrup said: "When you are struggling, especially mentally, it takes the whole team to bring you through and that was what has happened. I am not going to single out anyone, they have all worked hard.

"We were terrible in the first half against Birmingham on Saturday, but we were better today, especially after the first goal. The first goal was always going to be important.

"I got the impression Fulham had come for a point, so it was not going to be easy. They defended with nine, but once we got the first goal, I was happy."

Having missed the last six weeks with an ankle injury, Dyer made an immediate impact with his assist for Shelvey's opening goal. The diminutive winger held his nerve on the edge of the Fulham box and placed the ball in front of Shelvey, 25 yards out.

The former Liverpool midfielder could scarcely believe his good fortune as the ball struck Steve Sidwell on the shoulder and Hangeland on the back before spinning past the helpless Maarten Stekelenburg. The relief was evident, among the players, in the stands and on the touchline where Laudrup punched the air with delight.

Fifteen minutes later, it was game over. A typically precise free-kick from Jonathan de Guzman picked out Flores, whose header ricocheted off the back of Dimitar Berbatov and inside the near post.

There was no sign of Meulensteen at the post-match press conference with his players turning down the opportunity to speak to the press too. If they are feeling the pressure now, what price they are feeling it even more in three weeks' time after games against Southampton, Liverpool and Manchester United.

Match details
Swansea City (4-2-3-1) Tremmel 6; Rangel 6, Chico 6, Williams 6, Davies7; Britton 6, De Guzman 6 (Pozuelo 88); Hernandez 5 (Dyer 58, 6), Shelvey 6 (Amat 79, 6), Routledge6 ; Bony 6.
Subs Cornell, Taylor, Lamah, Vazquez.

Fulham (4-2-3-1) Stekelenburg 6, Riether 6, Hangeland 6, Burn 6, Richardson 6; Parker 6; Sidwell 5, Kacaniklic 6, Dempsey 5 (Duff 71, 6), Dejagah 6 (Bent 59, 6); Berbatov 5 (Tankovic 83, 5).
Subs Stockdale, Hughes, Rodallega, Christensen.
Booked Richardson.

Referee M Oliver (Northumberland).


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/10603064/Swansea-City-2-Fulham-0-match-report.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Olympiacos deny reports that Kostas Mitroglou is on the verge of joining Fulham

Olympiacos have denied reports that Kostas Mitroglou is on the verge of joining Fulham.

The striker had been linked to a move to Craven Cottage in the Greek media, with claims that that the London side will look to pay £11.5m to sign the 25-year-old to a four-year contract.

In a statement, the club confirmed that they will continue talks with Fulham tomorrow, but that the club will have to pay a higher fee.

Last month, Mitroglou signed a contract extension until the end of the 2017 season with the club.



http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/transfer-talk/news/olympiacos-deny-mitroglou-to-fulham-reports_133589.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham boss Rene Meulensteen confirms AC Milan interest in Adel Taarabt

Fulham manager Rene Meulensteen has confirmed that AC Milan have made an enquiry regarding on-loan midfielder Adel Taarabt.

The Moroccan was left out of the squad that lost 2-0 to Swansea on Tuesday night, the Cottagers' third straight defeat in the Premier League.

With Taarabt, who is on loan with the West London club from QPR, set for talks with the Italian side, Meulensteen insists that he was right to not include him in the squad.

"There's been interest and we thought it'd be a wise decision to not include him," the Dutchman said.

"We'll see how it develops over the next few days."

The Fulham boss also refused to confirm their interest in Milan centre-back Cristian Zaccardo, whilst revealing he was unaware of the progress made regarding Olympiakos striker Kostas Mitroglu, the subject of a reported £11.5m bid from the Cottagers.

"I can't really discuss (Mitroglou) at this time, because I need to have a chat with (Fulham CEO) Alistair Mackintosh.

"He will know exactly what the situation is regarding the player."

Meulensteen highlighted Fulham's lack of goals as a concern, believing that their failure in front of goal at the Liberty Stadium cost them the match.

"We need to make sure we need to get our noses in front for once, if you do it becomes a different sort of game," he added.

"We're lacking goals. The chances we get are few and far between, so the opportunities you get we have to take.

"The only way to get out of this is to win games, get your noses in front and you have to drag yourselves out of it.

"There are two things; you need to defend better and you need to take your chances.



http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11661/9139029?

[WhiteJC]

 
René's Reaction

René Meulensteen was left ruing missed opportunities as Fulham left Swansea with a 2-0 defeat on Tuesday evening.

In an evenly matched first half, Fulham had two golden chances to break the deadlock through Brede Hangeland and Ashkan Dejagah headers, but the first sailed over, before Dejagah nodded into the arms of Swansea stopper Gerhard Tremmel.

And the Whites were made to pay as the home side flew out of the blocks in the second half and nabbed the points through a fortunate Jonjo Shelvey strike, and Chico Flores' header.

"The first one [Hangeland's header] I thought was a really, really big chance," Meulensteen said after the game.  "It was a great delivery, the goalkeeper completely misjudged it and it was really an open net, and we need to start taking those chances.

"I thought that we should have come away with at least something considering the first half and the chances we had. We should have got our noses in front and it's very disappointing that we didn't.

"The second half was much better from Swansea's point of view and not good from our point of view but it took a goal with two deflections, another deflection to get the second one in, and it really typifies the situation we're in. As soon as you go behind it becomes a big mountain to overcome."

The Head Coach continued: "We came here with the right intentions. We knew that if we could nick a win here, then we would have gone above Swansea, and then Swansea are dragged in.

"And you could sense that a little bit with them as well and I do think, if we'd got in front, it would probably have turned out to be a completely different game. But as soon as they got in front it gave them a lot of relief and it gave us an even harder task to turn the game around."

With the transfer window slamming shut on Friday night, Meulensteen was asked if there was any progress made regarding players coming in.

"I have to catch up with Alastair Mackintosh," he said. "As we know, it's the last three days which will be very hectic so hopefully the things that we have in our minds we can materialise, but at the moment there's not really any concrete news."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/january/28/renes-reaction

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham aim to steal a march on Liverpool and Newcastle by swooping for  £12m Olympiacos' prolific hitman Mitroglou

Fulham are in talks over a £12million deal for Olympiacos striker Kostas Mitroglou.

The bid comes as Adel Taarabt discusses a possible loan move to AC Milan with defender Cristiano Zaccardo moving in the opposite direction.

Fulham had a £9.5m offer for Mitroglou rejected last week but have returned with the asking price for the prolific 25-year-old, who had been watched by Liverpool and Newcastle earlier in the season.


Cottage move: Fulham are in talks to sign Olympiakos striker Kostas Mitroglou, centre, for £12million

International class: Mitroglou, left, celebrates scoring against Romania in Greece's World Cup play-off
Talks are advancing with the Greek international discussing a four year contract.

Olympiacos said: 'There is still no definitive agreement with Fulham for Kostas Mitroglou. Discussions will continue on Wednesday but only for an agreement of more than 15 million euros (£12.36m).'

Striker Dimitar Berbatov could still leave before Friday's deadline and Rene Meulensteen is also weighing up a bid for Simon Zoller of Cologne.

Fulham remain keen on West Ham's Ravel Morrison and with that in mind are willing to let Taarabt go.

His parent club QPR do not want him back so Milan are willing to pick him up for the rest of the season with 32-year-old centre-back Zaccardo travelling to Craven Cottage. Taarabt, 24, also has English interest.


Italy bound? Fulham's on-loan midfielder Adel Taarabt is in talks with AC Milan over a move

Uncertain future: Fulham forward Dimitar Berbatov, centre, could still leave the club before the transfer window shuts




Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2547644/Kostas-Mitroglou-talks-Fulham-12million-transfer-switch-Olympiacos.html#ixzz2rlDoNYSE
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Rene Meulensteen: 'Swansea City defeat a missed opportunity'

Rene Meulensteen has said that Fulham's 2-0 defeat against Swansea City was a missed opportunity.

The Cottagers had a chance to take the lead in the first half, but Brede Hangeland headed over the bar when unmarked in the box.

Swansea were the stronger team after the break and won thanks to goals from Jonjo Shelvey and Chico Flores. However, Meulensteen believes that Fulham should have taken the lead before that and says that his side must make the most of their chances.

"We really highlighted this game as an opportunity to get something and if you looked at the first half we should have been 1-0 up, if not 2-0," Meulensteen told BBC Sport.

"The clear header that we missed and another one that was heading straight for the goal, but that first one was a big one. Let's get our noses in front for once."

Fulham are 17th in the Premier League.


http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/swansea-city/news/meulensteen-a-missed-opportunity_133611.html

[WhiteJC]

 
My Fulham Wish-list
by LYDIA on JANUARY 29, 2014

Being a Fulham fan has never involved expecting to win every week but some of the football we have seen this season has been woeful. And I don't just mean in terms of skill, but I mean that we have seen a complete lack of desire from the players far too often. We have changed from being a humble club that has players proud to be on the pitch every week, playing for the fans and for the team to becoming a group of players who don't really look particularly interested. I can't even bring myself to describe us as a 'team' any more. However, I don't really want to write an article stating everything that I think is wrong with Fulham at the minute. So instead, I'm going to explain my disappointments about what we have seen so far this season and then give you my 'Fulham wish-list' for the coming months.

Disappointments-

No heart- One thing I have really had a problem with this season is the lack of heart that has been shown by so many of our players. I know that this isn't fair on all of them as you have the likes of Parker who will run his socks off every week, but unfortunately he is in the minority. I have been involved with sport for most of my life and one thing that I think I will always remember is an old school coach telling me to "...leave nothing on the pitch. That way you can come off knowing that you did everything that you could." Too often we have watched some of our players give us only a percentage of what they can really offer and it means that not only are we losing matches, we are losing BADLY and to the teams around us. Losing 6-0 to Hull = case and point.

Slow football- Many of the games I have watched this season have shown Fulham playing so slowly. We don't pass the ball fast enough and when we do, we are passing behind the players meaning that we have absolutely no momentum. This means that teams are finding it far too easy to defend against us and we just don't pose enough of a threat going forward. It is also having an effect on our defence. We are trying to play this over-relaxed style of football so when the opposition are on a fast attack, we just can't cope. Playing the passes faster and more accurately will mean that we have more chances. More chances will normally mean more goals.
So wasteful- We have two big name strikers in Bent and Berbatov who have 10 goals between them (all competitions) which really isn't great at this stage of the season. In general this season we have been incredibly wasteful and have missed so many good opportunities. We have also been wasteful with our chance creation. Our set-plays have too often ended up directly back with the opposition.
Lack of spending- We got a new owner at the very start of the summer and we have so far had pretty much no investment in the playing squad. Khan sacked Jol and has taken advice to bring in Wilkins and Curbishly to help our manager but he hasn't gotten the chequebook out yet. Our squad has a very high average age and unfortunately this is very obvious on the pitch with players who are past their best.
Big name players failing to perform- Berbatov, Bent, Ruiz and Taarabt are four players who have proved that they have talent but we have barely seen it at all this season. Ruiz has now been shipped off and it looks like Taarabt might be going too and, to be honest, we aren't going to be missing much. I like Taarabt but he is a very individual player who just doesn't seem to know when to pass the ball. It's frustrating that he might be off without us getting to see the best of him. I've also been disappointed with Berbatov. Last season he would bark orders at his team mates and it was helpful to them- especially the youngsters. However, this season if he doesn't get his way then he will just look like he doesn't really want to be there.

Fulham Wish-list

1. Structure- One of the things I would like to see most is for the management team to pick a formation and to stick with it. I know that it can be difficult with new coaches coming in, but we need to have a plan that doesn't change every week! Change can be good, I'm certainly not denying that, but Fulham seem to be changing so much at the minute with tactics and playing styles that we aren't getting anywhere.

2. Get a clean-sheet- For so many years our defence was very good. Even if we weren't scoring a lot of goals, we didn't concede many either making us hard to beat. But this year we haven't had many clean sheets in the league and we haven't drawn (not including cup matches) for ages meaning that teams are finding it FAR too easy to score against us. If you could ask any manager in the league right now which team they would like to play next, they would probably say Fulham.

3. Sign someone- Khan, it is now your chance to turn things around. We haven't signed anyone so far in this window despite us desperately needing some changes. We need to sign someone who is going to have an influence on the team. We need cover in a lot of places, but for now I think the priority is someone who is going to put the ball in the back of the net for us. Three more days left to do something to potentially save the season!

4. Continue to use the youngsters- One positive of the last few games has been the use of some of our talented youngsters. Burn has come back from Birmingham looking like someone who is going to have a bright future ahead of him an he doesn't seem too over-awed by the occasion! Also seeing the likes of Chris David and Tankovic on the team sheet is exciting. This is our future at the end of the day so let's see them a bit more. It's been what we have been crying out for over the past few seasons when we have been hearing some really exciting things about our academy.

5. STAY UP- This one obviously doesn't need much explaining. We are in trouble, but it is SO tight at the bottom. Keep the faith.

@Lydwee_92


http://hammyend.com/index.php/2014/01/my-fulham-wish-list/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Clint Dempsey is barely even a noticable figure at Fulham

It's all going wrong for Clint Dempsey at the club level.

He was supposed to be moving upwards into the Champions League – his lifelong aspiration – when he moved to Tottenham. He hardly saw the field.

He was supposed to be escaping obscurity and moving home to help the Seattle Sounders make their deepest ever run in the MLS playoffs. They flopped down the stretch and meekly bowed out in the first round.

And now, he's supposed to make a triumphant return to Craven Cottage, taking two months to turn things around, sharpen his game, and maybe save the club he once earned Player of the Year honors.

Except he hasn't done any of those.

As Fulham dive further and further into the murky depths of the Premier League table, the biggest concern around the United States remains the form of their national team's 30-year-old captain.

He hasn't exactly played badly, but the problem is he hasn't done anything – at all.

Since joining Fulham at the beginning of the new year, he's played in four matches for the Premier League side – two in the league and two in the FA Cup. The Cottagers lost three of those (including a thumping by Jozy Altidore's relegation-threatened Sunderland), scoring a mere two goals in those games. Dempsey was involved in neither.

The scariest part of it all is that the Texas native moves around the pitch like he's running underwater.  He has no drive, no pace, and no confidence.

It hasn't helped that Dempsey has been an afterthought in manager Rene Meulensteen's on-field tactics, with most of the buildup played through the wings, with players like Alex Kacaniklic and Ashkan Dejagah the focus of Fulham's attack today in the loss to Swansea.

But Dempsey has looked like a lost child when he is involved.  Take a look at his received passes in the Premier League losses to Swansea and Arsenal:

 

He's all over the field with no clear direction, and the attacking third is an absolute wasteland. Dempsey has barely sniffed the ball in the attacking third not just in those two matches but overall at Craven Cottage. It's disheartening not just for USMNT fans but for Fulham supporters yearning for the Dempsey of old. Instead, they have a shell of his former self.

In addition to his lack of output, Dempsey's fitness has been an issue.  In his three Premier League matches, the midfielder was substituted out twice, in the 71st minute and 79th minute, and on both occasions it was about 10 minutes too late.

Whether he can turn things around for the MLS season is one thing, but the question is quickly becoming can Clint turn things around for the World Cup? An essential piece of Jurgen Klinsmann's national side, a Clint Dempsey in poor form would certainly go a long way to derail the United States' chances for even escaping their group.

Hopefully, for Fulham's sake, for the Seattle Sounders' sake, for the national team's sake, and for his own personal good, Clint Dempsey can turn things around, because his subpar club performances are becoming more than just an occurrence, they're becoming a trend.


http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2014/01/28/clint-dempsey-is-barely-even-a-noticable-figure-at-fulham/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Hoping To Swap Adel Taarabt With Milan For Cristian Zaccardo

Cottagers looking to bring Milan stopper on board.

Fulham are reportedly in talks with Serie A giants AC Milan over a swap deal that would see midfield playmaker Adel Taarabt head to Italy with defender Crisitan Zaccardo go the opposite way, according to the Metro.

The Moroccan international is only with Fulham on loan this term from west London neighbours Queens Park Rangers, and would be Milan's third signing of the January transfer window behind Japanese international Keisuke Honda and Adil Rami, who arrived from Valencia.

And in what seems like a highly complicated deal, Fulham would relinquish their rights to the former Spurs trainee, with QPR receding his rights before packing him off to northern Italy and they would even get Zaccardo as part of the deal.

The 32-year-old only joined the Milanese club last year from fellow Serie A side Parma, but has been used sparingly this term, making just eight appearances across all competitions, and he apparently is not a part of new boss Clarence Seedorf's plans for the second half of the campaign.

Taarabt has not featured much more for Fulham either, making only 16 appearances since joining the club.


http://www.caughtoffside.com/2014/01/29/fulham-hoping-to-swap-adel-taarabt-with-milan-for-cristian-zaccardo/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Parma's ex-Fulham striker rejects Sheffield Wednesday

Striker Stefano Okaka appears to have turned down the chance to join Sheffield Wednesday until the end of the season.

Former Roma striker Stefano Okaka has refused an offer to play for Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, according to Italian press reports.

The 24-year-old is currently at Parma but doesn't feature in coach Roberto Donadoni's immediate plans.

Okaka was highly rated as a youngster and when he was playing for Roma and the Italy Under-21 side many thought he was destined for the very top of the game.

But Roma loaned Okaka out on five occasions before eventually agreeing to sell him to Parma where he has only made two appearances and spent last season on loan to Spezia.

Another loan deal looks to be a logical solution for Okaka, but it seems that it won't be in Sheffield.

According to Sportmediaset, the Umbria native who has NIgerian parents, was the subject of an offer worth just over £100,000 to spend the rest of the season with Sheffield Wednesday but he declined.

Several Serie B sides are now said to be in the running for Okaka, including Brescia and Modena.

Okaka has played in England before, having been loaned out to Fulham in February 2010.



http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/01/29/parmas-ex-fulham-striker-rejects-sheffield-wednesday/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Deals could pave the way for Berbatov to return to Spurs – report

Dimitar Berbatov could return to Tottenham if Fulham manage to complete two transfer deals this week, the Daily Mirror say.

Fulham are being linked with an £11m capture of Olympiacos striker Konstantinos Mitroglou and a possible deal for Kaiserslautern forward Simon Zoller, who is apparently rated at £5m.

And it is claimed that former Spurs star Berbatov could leave Craven Cottage and go back to north London if Fulham seal both deals.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is said to be keen to re-sign Berbatov despite boss Tim Sherwood's apparent reservations.

Zoller, who has scored 10 goals this season, is reported to be attracting the interest of a number of other clubs.

And the Daily Mail suggest Fulham will pip Liverpool and Newcastle to the signing of Mitroglou if they manage to capture him.

The Times, meanwhile, reports that Lewis Holtby could join Fulham on loan from Spurs as part of a deal for Berbatov.

The Mirror say Fulham are lining up another bid for West Ham's Ravel Morrison.


http://www.westlondonsport.com/features-comment/deals-could-pave-the-way-for-berbatov-to-return-to-spurs-report

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham boss in demand

Fulham face a fight to keep hold of head coach Rene Meulensteen at the end of the season, Sports Direct News understands.

Dutch Eredivisie clubs PSV Eindhoven and Ajax are keeping tabs on his progress, knowing they could be on the lookout for a new boss in the summer.

Phillip Cocu is under pressure with PSV struggling to keep pace with the leading pack, while Frank de Boer is one of the most coveted managers in Europe and could depart the Amsterdam giants at the conclusion of the current campaign.

Meulensteen is highly-respected in his home nation for the work he did at Manchester United in assisting former Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

He left Old Trafford when David Moyes succeeded Ferguson in the summer and, after a short spell in Russia coaching Anzhi Makhachkala, he took over from Martin Jol in the top job at Craven Cottage.

If he fails to save the club from Premier League relegation this season it could hasten his exit from West London, although it would also be an unwanted addition to his managerial CV.



http://www.sportsdirectnews.com/fulham-fc-transfer-news/39275-fulham-boss-in-demand.php#.UukxBf0cKbA

[WhiteJC]

 
Defeat at Swansea for useless Fulham

If you think about the game in a vacuum it's just a fairly bog standard away defeat: compete for much of the game, eventually sink when the pressure gets too much.

Of course this game isn't a one off, but represents one of a terrible series of results in which Fulham, despite being surrounded by legions of equally dire teams, are thoroughly unable to put anything together. It still feels like the end of the road.

We can say the defeat was slightly unlucky but I can't have been the only person who expected Jonjo Shelvey to eventually find his range. As has been the case for much of the season, the edge of our area was very much a peaceful no-man's land, and if Shelvey's goal took a couple of pings off Fulham defenders on the way in, well maybe someone should have been closer to the player when he shot? Harsh? Maybe, but that's the difference isn't it? You can't charge down all shots from 20 yards but against that, you can charge down some.

Meanwhile, we again offered little going the other way. The 4-3-3 that seemed to have gained some traction has been sacrificed to accommodate various "good ideas" and here we are again looking terrible.

If the Hangeland Burn centre-back pairing was worth going to for psychological relief as much as anything, the same might be said of our forward line. A confident Marcello Trotta, no hoper though wise heads say he is, might still offer more vim than a demoralised Berbatov. Meanwhile, Darren Bent is thoroughly reinventing the notion of what it is to be a false 9. There is no point playing these people anymore.

There's nothing much to say is there? Fulham are like one of those "Go Compare!" adverts: you see them once a week, you don't like what you see, then there it is again. They come up with a bright idea to fix it and make it less annoying but it is what it is: it's still an advert for Go Compare.

Downwards we go.


https://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/defeat-at-swansea-for-useless-fulham/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham: Olympiakos slap £12m price tag on striker


Kostas Mitroglou (Reuters)

Olympiakos have slapped a price tag of €15 million (£12.4m) on striker Kostas Mitroglou as the Greek side confirms negotiations with Fulham.

A statement on the club's website read: "There is not yet a definitive agreement with Fulham for Kostas Mitroglou. Negotiations will continue on Wednesday but only for more than 15 million agreement ".

Talks are set to continue today (Wednesday) between the two sides with Fulham believed to be set to make an initial offer of €14m.

The 25-year-old Greek international joined the Superleague champions in 2007 in a move from Borussia Monchengladbach and has scored 41 times in 86 appearances. He's had two loan periods during that time, one in 2011 to Panionios and another, later that year to Atromitos.


http://www.sportsdirectnews.com/premier-league-news/39286-fulham-olympiakos-slap-12m-price-tag-on-striker.php#.Uukxqv0cKbA

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham target £12 million move for Olympiakos striker Konstantinos Mitroglou
If Fulham cannot land 25-year-old Konstantinos Mitroglou, then Kaiserslautern's Simon Zoller is also high on the list of the club's striking targets

Fulham have made an ambitious move to try to sign Greek striker Konstantinos Mitroglou and are willing to cut short Adel Taarabt's loan to let him join AC Milan.

Olympiakos star Mitroglou has previously been linked with Liverpool and Arsenal, and Fulham will have to pay £12 million to take him to Craven Cottage.

If Fulham cannot land 25-year-old Mitroglou, then Kaiserslautern's Simon Zoller is also high on the list of the club's striking targets.

Taarabt has emerged as a shock target of AC Milan and letting him leave would allow Fulham to try to take Tottenham midfielder Lewis Holtby on loan, potentially in a deal that sees Dimitar Berbatov return to White Hart Lane.

Fulham face competition for Holtby from Borussia Dortmund, Schalke and Stoke. The Cottagers are still weighing up whether to make a second bid for West Ham's Ravel Morrison.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/fulham/10603947/Fulham-target-12-million-move-for-Olympiakos-striker-Konstantinos-Mitroglou.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Kieran Targets Saints

Kieran Richardson admitted Fulham's second half performance wasn't up to scratch in Tuesday evening's defeat by Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium.

The away side contained the Welsh outfit admirably in the opening 45 minutes, and had the better chances to take the lead, but a reinvigorated Swansea dominated after the interval and secured a deserved three points through Jonjo Shelvey and Chico Flores goals.

The Whites' golden opportunity to break the deadlock was created by Richardson when he curled in a perfect free-kick after 20 minutes, but Captain Brede Hangeland couldn't get over the ball and missed the target with his header from close range.

"Brede's such a good header of the ball, so it's just one of those things," Richardson said of the squandered chance after the game. "He normally scores those but we need to make sure we keep creating some similar opportunities in matches and I'm sure the goals will come.

"We knew it would be a hard game. In the first half I thought we played well, we had a few chances but obviously we didn't capitalise on them. In the second half we started very slowly and it's always a killer to go a goal behind away from home as you know it's going to be uphill from there. In the second half they played better than us – simple as that.

"They keep the ball so well which means it's especially difficult to play against them when they're in front. You find yourself chasing the ball and using a lot of energy which is tiring, and I thought we tired towards the end of the game, and you could see that."

With a third consecutive Barclays Premier League game failing to yield any points for the Whites, there is now extra emphasis on Saturday's meeting with Southampton at the Cottage.

Manchester United and Liverpool are our next opponents following the clash with the Saints, and Richardson insisted the importance of the weekend's fixture is not lost on the players.

"We've got to focus on Southampton now," he said. "We can't dwell on Swansea as we've got a big home game coming up which is a must-win for us.

"It's a massive game and we're going to need great home support on Saturday. We know we've got to roll our sleeves up and put a big performance in because we owe the fans that. Like I said, it's a must-win three points for us."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/january/29/kieran-targets-saints?

[WhiteJC]

 
Berbatov, Holtby set to trade places in loan swap between Spurs and Fulham, according to report

The Times is today talking up a deal that almost makes too much sense to actually be true.

With the impending departure of Jermain Defoe to Toronto FC, Tottenham Hotspur will soon be left with only two senior strikers to deploy in their manager's preferred 4-4-2 system. Fulham have a wantaway striker who they're about to replace at great cost; they retain a serious shortage of creativity in midfield that needs to be addressed too. Tottenham have a great prospect of a creative midfielder that they can't find any playing time for currently. Fulham's wantaway striker is 32 and thus not a long-term solution for Tottenham, while Tottenham may want that great prospect of a midfielder back if he demonstrates that he can make an impact whilst in Premier League action.

The blindingly obvious solution? A loan swap, with Dimitar Berbatov coming back to Spurs for the rest of the season and Lewis Holtby going the other way in return. It's a deal that almost makes too much sense, and it's  one that The Times is touting today as likely to be completed in the near future (standard Times paywall warning applies).

As should be obvious from the angle I've taken on this story so far, I'd absolutely love it if Franco Baldini and Alan Curbishley could hash out this short-term player exchange. As down as I was on Berbatov when we were linked with him last summer, it seems pretty clear to me that even with Ade starting to fire again, Tottenham's attacking options need all the fluffing up Baldini can provide. It also seems fairly evident that Berbatov is not the spent force I suspected he was when I wrote about his hypothetical return to the Lane post-United, and that in actual fact he appears to be hankering for one last big move to a club chasing European football, and the chance to live out those glory glory moments one last time.

One the other hand, Holtby is far too good to be rotting on the bench for Spurs- yet with the chemistry that Nabil Bentaleb, Mousa Dembele, Christian Eriksen and Paulinho have shown in their starts together thusfar, and with Sandro soon to return to first team action, I just can't see how a player who's never really impressed in more than short spurts can realistically crack the first team over the critical run of games we have coming up. At Craven Cottage, however, he could potentially be a key figure in the Fulham's desperate attempts to battle away from the relegation zone, and could prove to his current employers that he can demonstrate responsibility and leadership as well as energy and mettle.

The planets seem to align on this particular rumour. Here's hoping it becomes more than that in the very near future.



http://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2014/1/29/5356888/berbatov-holtby-set-to-trade-places-in-loan-swap-between-spurs-and?

[WhiteJC]

 
Adrian McElligott Obituary

Fulham Football Club was saddened to learn of the passing of former scout Adrian McElligott.

Adrian, who was a Fulham Scout for many years and was very well know within the football community, sadly passed away on 18th December, and his funeral took place on 2nd January.

Mac, as he was affectionately known, was very well respected within the scouting industry and worked at various clubs throughout his career. Amongst his many achievements in scouting was the discovery of Josh Passley, aged nine or 10 at the time, who recently made his debut for the First Team in the FA Cup against  Sheffield United.

Mac will be greatly missed by all who knew him.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/january/29/adrian-mcelligott-obituary?

[WhiteJC]

 
Transfer news: Fulham reportedly closing in on Kostas Mitroglou


Olympiakos striker has been in good form this season

Fulham are close to completing the £11 million signing of Olympiakos striker Kostas Mitroglou, according to reports.

The 25-year-old has been impressive form this season, leading the Greek scoring table with 14 goals, and is thought to have been offered a lucrative four-year deal by the London club.

Mitroglou's goals have helped propel Olympiakos into the last-16 of the Champions League, where they will face Manchester United.

Meanwhile Fulham appear to have won the battle to hang onto Dimitar Berbatov and continue to have an interest in West Ham's Ravel Morrison.

The Hammers however are holding out for £10m for the midfielder.

Rene Meulensteen has also confirmed that the club have submitted a bid for Swansea left back Neil Taylor but there have been no further updates on that deal.


http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/transfer-news-fulham-reportedly-closing-in-on-kostas-mitroglou-9092966.html