Wednesday Fulham Stuff (26/03/14)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Villa eye Cottage starlet raid

Fulham's Pajtim Kasami will be targeted by Aston Villa if the Cottagers are relegated from the Premier League, according to reports.

The 21-year-old Switzerland international, who signed a four-year deal at Craven Cottage when he joined from Palermo in summer 2011 and has spent time away on loan at Luzern during his time with the club, has featured more heavily this season with some impressive performances. It has resulted in several top clubs such as Juventus and Liverpool to be linked, but fresh reports are suggesting Villa boss Paul Lambert would like to lure Kasami to Villa Park in the summer to bolster his options in attack. And with the Cottagers struggling at the foot of the Premier League table, four points adrift of safety with seven games remaining, it is almost certain that he will make an offer to the Londoners to take him off their hands should they drop into the Championship.



Read more at: http://www.clubcall.com/aston-villa/villa-eye-cottage-starlet-raid-1718769.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Deal tals on hold - Magath

Felix Magath has warned Fulham stars John Arne Riise, Steve Sidwell and Damien Duff that he will only discuss new deals in the summer.

The Cottagers boss is well aware that the experienced trio are all set to become free agents when this current campaign comes to an end and they could depart Craven Cottage for pastures new. However with Magath currently fully focused on trying to keep the Londoners in the Premier League, the German tactician is putting all new contract discussions on the backburner until he knows which division the side will be playing in next term. Fulham are four points adrift of safety with only seven games remaining so the club will not want to be saddled with ageing players on Premier League wages if they are set for a stint in the Championship. Magath said: "At the moment I don't care about the contract situation because we are fighting against relegation. "It's different whether you play in the Premier League or the Championship. It's not the time to talk about contracts."



Read more at: http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/deal-tals-on-hold---magath-1718771.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Magath blocks loan moves for Fulham young guns

Manager wants prospects to stay at Craven Cottage to help survival fight


Rising star: Cauley Woodrow will be sticking around to help Fulham's survival fight
Felix Magath will block any of Fulham's young guns from leaving the club on loan this week.

The Craven Cottage chief allowed January arrivals Ryan Tunnicliffe and Larnell Cole to join Wigan and MK Dons respectively shortly after his arrival as he pinned his survival hopes on the experienced members of his squad.

But Magath has since performed a U-turn, with rookie Cauley Woodrow spearheading the attack in recent weeks and 17-year-old Patrick Roberts handed his debut in Saturday's 5-0 defeat at Manchester City.

However, Ghanaian midfielder Derek Boateng could leave SW6 before the loan window closes on Thursday as he bids to save his World Cup dream.

The 30-year-old, who has recently been linked with Championship strugglers Charlton, has failed to feature since Magath took charge last month.


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/magath-blocks-loan-moves-fulham-6873053?

[WhiteJC]

 
Williams' Southend Loss

Ryan Williams was a 55th-minute substitute as Oxford United suffered a 3-0 away defeat at Southend United on Monday night in Sky Bet League Two.

The hosts went ahead in the ninth minute when Jamar Loza's cross found former Fulham midfielder Michael Timlin whose miskick was turned in by Will Atkinson.

Lee Barnard slotted the second from the penalty spot in the 17th minute after Loza was fouled by Oxford goalkeeper Ryan Clarke.

Williams entered the fray shortly after the restart but Loza made sure of the points for the hosts when he beat two men to score with four minutes remaining.

The result leaves Oxford – under new boss Gary Waddock – in sixth place in the table.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/march/25/williams-southend-loss?

[WhiteJC]

 
Aston Villa and Fulham track Freiburg defender


Freiburg defender Diagné Fallou is being tracked by Aston Villa and Fulham.

Fallou joined Freiburg in 2012 and has a deal with the club until 2016 - but it appears he is heading towards the exit door.

The club are battling to survive in the Bundesliga and big changes are expected in the summer.

A player clear-out is on the cards and both Villa and Fulham hope to take advantage.

Senegalese central defender Fallou, yet to be capped by his country at 24, will be allowed to leave although Bordeaux are also watching developments.



Read more at http://talksport.com/football/aston-villa-and-fulham-track-freiburg-defender-14032584812#DSaAVCQr30ZqVBYP.99

[WhiteJC]

 
U18s' Chelsea Derby

Fulham's Under-18s are in derby action on Tuesday (6pm) when they host Chelsea in a league encounter at Motspur Park.

The Whites were last in action seven days ago when they defeated Huddersfield Town 2-1 at Craven Cottage to book their spot in the final four of the FA Youth Cup.

Fulham currently sit in second place in the Barclays U18 Premier League table - three points behind leaders West Ham United but with a game in hand. That game takes place against Chelsea, a side who Fulham defeated 3-0 at the Blues' Cobham training ground earlier this month.

That afternoon, goals from Dean O'Halloran, Patrick Roberts and Aaron Redford earned Fulham victory.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/march/25/u18s-chelsea-derby?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham: We Keep Getting Hammered But I Still Believe We'll Stay Up

Well, I can't say I was realistically expecting much from the Etihad.

However, 5-0 is pretty hard to take. The pigs flying across the sky out of my window had finally completely their brief cameo, and returned to their place in the forgotten underworld as Fulham retreated back to the comfort of losing ways.

It would be fair to say that it is difficult to predict a positive outcome when you find yourself up against a side who cost more than the GDP of most countries. Despite this, we started the game relatively well, slowly edging ourselves into the game. Having gone inches wide through Kieran Richardson, in true Fulham style, we conceded a penalty seconds later thanks to the inept Fernando Amorebieta.

What on earth was he doing? Next to no danger, and he feels the need to kick Negredo in the back. City take the lead, and it was pretty cagey up until half-time. In light of being 1-0 down, we seemed to look pretty solid, and City were finding it relatively hard to break us down. I was pretty happy to say the least.

Of course, this was to be removed early in the second period. Once again, Amorebieta showed all at Eastlands that he was about as useful as sandbags in a Tsunami by conceding another penalty and getting himself sent off. He demonstrated the concentration and vision of a blind man with ADHD starved of Ritalin, when bringing down David Silva, and his idiocy led to the floodgates opening up.

Following Yaya Toure tucking away his second penalty, the former Barcelona man completed his hat-trick with another trademark screamer from outside the area. One thing that has to be said is that the Ivorian is quite a player. Typically this was his first ever hat-trick in professional football, adding to the list of several records/droughts broken against Fulham.

The joke amongst Fulham fans is that if you are struggling for form, or have failed to find the net in 300 games, give Fulham a ring. Cue Martin Demichelis scoring his first goal for Manchester City from a yard out. The same man who has become the butt of several jokes and immense criticism. It was written in the stars.

Having returned to my routine of burying my head into my desk whilst watching Fulham, I briefly rose to witness young Patrick Roberts make his debut for the Whites. Having only turned 17 in March, it was a massive day for the winger. It always brings a smile to my face to think someone has achieved their dream, and I congratulate him on making his bow. The downside was that it reminded me I was nearly three years older than him, and whilst he was taking on Pablo Zabaleta, I stared across the room to see that the bins needed taking out. I'm sure Roberts was riddled with jealousy.

To top things off, substitute Lewis Holtby was hacked down outside the area, and the referee proceeded to book the German for diving. Whether it was for the supposed dive, or the fact Jonathan Moss felt strongly about men cheating on their partners, who knows, but it capped off a miserable day up North.

I am confident that had Amorebieta refrained from gambling about like a toddler on a treadmill, we would of left Manchester with what would be considered a respectable result.  The two penalties along with the red card took all the sting out of the game, and what looked to be a promising display soon turned into a public execution. We cannot afford for such players to be so rash in their decision-making, particularly in our predicament, and the Spaniard's impending three-game ban will come as a timely boost in this case.

Most fans looked at the Man City fixture as zero points on the board, and for me, it does little to hamper our chances of survival. The business end of the season starts next week, and three points at home to Everton could not be more vital. With results going our way this weekend, we still find ourselves only four points adrift from safety. I have all the belief we can escape the drop, particularly with some winnable games approaching.

Nurse, where are my pills?

@jaikbfenton



http://sabotagetimes.com/reportage/fulham-we-keep-getting-hammered-but-i-still-believe-well-stay-up/?#_

[WhiteJC]

 
Shahid Khan Believes The Future Is Bright For U.S., Auto Industry

Tomorrow, Forbes will host its first Reinventing America Summit in Chicago, Illinois (click for attendance details), a congress of more than 300 innovators, business leaders, growth-focused policy makers and academics who are helping usher in the next industrial revolution.

Leading up to the event, we've asked a few of our speakers to give us some quick insights into how they see economic conditions in the country – and their view on the future.

Shahid Khan is the owner and CEO of Flex-N-Gate, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Fulham Football Club. After arriving in the U.S. from Pakistan at 16 to study engineering, he landed his first job at nearby auto supplier Flex-N-Gate. In 1978, Khan left the company and then returned several years later to buy the business and revolutionize the auto industry through an innovative one-piece bumper design. Today, Flex-N-Gate is a $4.4 billion manufacturing juggernaut.

Khan, along with Bill Ford, Sam Zell, Harold Hamm, and a host of others, will be speaking at the summit.

On a scale of 1-5, how optimistic are you that the American economy has really turned a corner?
It's a 5. Why?  Because America always proves itself to be the greatest country in the world.  From a well-to-do person in China to a taxi driver in London, their goal is that they want to come to America.  When it is all said and done, the best place in the world to have a future is here, in the United States.

What's your outlook for your industry/community for the next couple years? What makes you most excited? What are you pessimistic about?
The future of the automotive industry is fabulous.  There are great expectations for product quality, the connectivity, in-car entertainment options, fuel efficiency, all the technology that goes into lighter weight vehicles, all of this means there is huge opportunity for suppliers in the automotive industry to continue to add value .  The only thing that I could be pessimistic about are the irrational productions and discounting, which really drove the margins down for not only the automakers, but for everyone else in the value chain. I hope that we will not repeat this mistake, and that the lessons that were learned in the automotive industry will stay learned.

What overlooked trends do you see that hold promise for the overall economy and productivity? What, on the other hand, is being over-hyped?
We have to focus on the fundamentals of the business: cash flow, meeting the needs of the customers and adding value.   What's over-hyped are some of the political overtones, including the Affordable Care Act.  Certainly, the impact this has on the automotive industry is minimal and, in fact, there may be a lot of good coming out of this and other initiatives, with lower health care costs for everybody.

If you were starting your career over right now what area of the economy/industry would you focus on? What holds the most promise for the coming decades?
High-tech and software.  That's a business where you basically just need a computer to get started, without a lot of bricks and mortar, and you have great ability to provide a lot of people excellent value.

If you could say one thing to President Obama right now about how best to foster growth in your industry or community, what would it be?
To quote Deng Xiaoping, "To be rich is glorious."  I believe this is something President Obama needs to articulate better.   Having a vision and people striving to one day be rich is better for individuals as well as our entire country.



http://www.forbes.com/sites/vannale/2014/03/25/why-shahid-khan-believes-the-future-is-bright-for-u-s-auto-industry/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Free to Leave!
   
It`s something that we`ve written about before, the possibility of Fulham Football Club letting Derek Boateng leave.

Boateng has only made two Premier League starts this season and is fearful that his ambitions of making the Ghana World Cup squad are dwindling away as we prepare for Brazil 2014.

However, newspaper reports today indicate that Fulham are prepared to let 30 year-old Boateng leave and that, already, two clubs in the shape of Charlton Athletic and Watford have expressed an interest in taking the player.

We`ll keep you abreast of any developments that come our way!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=354026#ixzz2x2biN87Y

[WhiteJC]

 
Khan trying to rebuild 2 clubs: Fulham, Jaguars

ORLANDO, FLA. — Shad Khan has two rebuilding projects on his hands.

He believes one can be a fixed quicker than the other.

Khan, who owns the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars and the Premier League's Fulham Football Club, said Tuesday he has to use considerably different methods to try to stabilize the two losing clubs.

"The NFL is a league that's built for the long haul," Khan said at the NFL owners meetings. "How you think through things is very, very different. Premier League, it's like fixing a plane while it's flying. With the NFL, you can land the plane and fix it. If the NFL was the Premier League, Jacksonville would have been relegated. So there are different opportunities."

Khan already fired two Fulham managers this season — Martin Jol in December, Rene Meulensteen 75 days later.

"You have to do the right thing for the team," Khan said. "That's one of the responsibilities, whether you're an owner of an NFL team or a chairman of a soccer team. Have you put the team in the best place?"

The billionaire owner believes firing Meulensteen and replacing him with Felix Magath was a risk worth taking to try to keep the London club in the Premier League. If Fulham is relegated — the bottom three teams in the Premier League get dumped to the championship level every year — it would cost Khan about $60 million annually in television revenue. And the club would lose even more with reduced gate receipts.

Fulham has seven games remaining, including four at home, and needs to make up four points to avoid relegation.

"I think there's definitely hope," said Khan, adding that four of the games are against teams in the bottom half of the standings. "Certainly I'm optimistic."

Khan bought Fulham from Mohamed Al Fayed last July in a deal worth more than $200 million.

He acknowledged that he's already looked at the economic impact of relegation.

"You don't get into this without really understanding all of the implications," Khan said.

Khan credited the NFL's growing presence in London with helping boost Jacksonville's exposure.

The Jaguars are generally considered the least popular NFL team in the United States. Khan bought the franchise from majority owner Wayne Weaver in November 2011 for $770 million. Khan agreed to have the Jaguars play one game annually for four years in London, beginning last season.

"London is a very, very important thing for Jacksonville," said Khan, who hopes to create an "international awareness" about Jacksonville that might prompt young people and businesses to locate there. "I think financially, exposurewise, the awareness we have as a team, it's amazing. A year ago, if you went outside the U.S. and did who was your favorite NFL team or which NFL team do you like or knew, Jacksonville was No. 31 out of 32.

"This year, the latest NFL survey outside U.S., we're No. 9. So in a little over a year we've had that much visibility and improvement and I think it's very, very important for the Jaguars."

The Jaguars finished 4-12 last season, doubling their win total from 2012.

Khan believes general manager Dave Caldwell and coach Gus Bradley, both entering their second seasons, have the team headed in the right direction. Jacksonville has missed the playoffs 12 of the last 14 seasons, but is committed to building through the draft and supplementing in free agency.

"If you look at the teams that are successful, they're going to be built through the draft and some missing pieces are going to be filled in through free agency," Khan said. "I think that is the formula for success. A goal for me, we want to have a consistent winning team moving forward.

"This rebuilding over and over again is brutal for the fans. I mean, it's brutal if you have anything to do with it. Just think about it. There are maybe a dozen teams that are always in contention that are always manage to be competitive and there's so much competitive balance, parity, whatever you want to call it. Our goal is we consistently want to be there. And to be able to do that you've got to really build through the draft and fill the vacancies."



Read more here: http://www.bnd.com/2014/03/25/3128188/khan-trying-to-rebuild-2-clubs.html#storylink=cpy

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham, Stoke and West Ham All In Queue for Marseille Striker Andre-Pierre Gignac

Fulham, Stoke City and West Ham are all keeping tabs on Marseille striker Andre-Pierre Gignac.

The 28-year-old has a contract at the Stade Velodrome which expires in 2015 and Marseille are set to make wide-ranging changes to their squad in the summer, with sporting director Jose Anigo warning a number of players may have to move on.

Gignac could be one of those on the move and the former Toulouse man will not be short of suitors if he does head for pastures new.

According to France Football, Fulham, Stoke and West Ham are all attentive to Gignac's situation and are spying tempting him to England in the summer.

Gignac came close to joining Fulham in 2011, even flying to London on the final day of the summer transfer window.

However, Marseille pulled the plug at the last minute when a replacement could not be found.

Gignac has scored 13 goals in 27 Ligue 1 games for Marseille so far this season.


Read more at http://www.insidefutbol.com/2014/03/25/fulham-stoke-and-west-ham-all-in-queue-for-marseille-striker-andre-pierre-gignac/133055/#Zus7lIekHgEST5IQ.99

[Texas White]

Villa eye Cottage starlet raid

Fulham's Pajtim Kasami will be targeted by Aston Villa if the Cottagers are relegated from the Premier League, according to reports.


Sounds like his agent has put him in the window.. very disrespectful to start  so early
The 21-year-old Switzerland international, who signed a four-year deal at Craven Cottage when he joined from Palermo in summer 2011 and has spent time away on loan at Luzern during his time with the club, has featured more heavily this season with some impressive performances. It has resulted in several top clubs such as Juventus and Liverpool to be linked, but fresh reports are suggesting Villa boss Paul Lambert would like to lure Kasami to Villa Park in the summer to bolster his options in attack. And with the Cottagers struggling at the foot of the Premier League table, four points adrift of safety with seven games remaining, it is almost certain that he will make an offer to the Londoners to take him off their hands should they drop into the Championship.



Read more at: http://www.clubcall.com/aston-villa/villa-eye-cottage-starlet-raid-1718769.html?