Friday Fulham Stuff (08/05/14)...

[WhiteJC]

 
We want to end season on a high at Fulham, says Crystal Palace star

CRYSTAL Palace winger Yannick Bolasie wants to end the season on a high at Fulham on Sunday.

The Eagles will certainly take a lot of confidence into the game at Craven Cottage following Monday's 3-3 draw against Liverpool.

And Bolasie feels Fulham may find it hard to bounce back in the Championship next season, calling it a "strange league".

He told the Advertiser: "Football is a strange game. At the start of last season we were in the bottom three of the Championship but ended up getting promoted.

"I think it was doom and gloom here when Fulham beat us 4-1 in October. Everyone thought it was going to be a long season so it's funny how things turn out.

"They will have pride to play for and they will want to show they can bounce back straight next season.

"Everyone knows the Championship is tough. It's a strange league.

"As for us, we'll be going into the game confident and looking to end the season on a positive note."



Read more: http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/want-end-season-high-Fulham-says-Crystal-Palace/story-21074562-detail/story.html?#ixzz319KCUheN
Read more at http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/want-end-season-high-Fulham-says-Crystal-Palace/story-21074562-detail/story.html?#41Obv2ggRlGqXHVe.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Season Tickets Loyalty Offer

2014/15 Season Tickets are available on General Sale with a great incentive for supporters to sign up now.

Prices start from just £299 adults and £99 juniors for 23 home games and, what's more, if you buy before 5pm on Friday 9th May we'll include the first two cup matches of the season, where the Club is drawn at home.

Buy yours online at fulhamfc.com/seasontickets or by calling the Ticket Office on 0843 208 1234 (option 3) between 9am and 5pm, Monday - Friday.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/may/08/season-tickets-loyalty-offer?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham must put Premier League relegation woes behind them and start planning for next season

As you'd expect, Saturday's disastrous game at Stoke City brought about – for the fans at least – all the typical emotions associated with relegation.

Starting very much on the back foot, the entirety of Fulham's performance, and the result that proceeded, was typically flat and uninspiring – as it has been all season.

A couple of dubious positional changes by Felix Magath – notably Lewis Holtby played wide right, Dan Burn deployed at right-back and Darren Bent being out on pitch – only added to the disappointment, but in some ways, it did not matter.

In truth, Fulham were destined for relegation from the very start of the season, and everything that the club has done since the first game – a win at Sunderland, which in hindsight did nothing but temporarily pave over the cracks – has led us to this crucial demise.

But, what's done is done. I could write a dissertation revolving around 'what if?' this year, but nothing will change the fact that we will be playing our football in the Championship next season.

So where now for the club? Well, in some ways, since Magath's rather unstable induction – where he was ineptly thrown into the deep end of a sinking ship and expected to achieve the unachievable – the manager can do his job.

He has a prolonged period of time ahead of him – beyond the Crystal Palace game, of course – where he can really get to know his squad, influence a system and, perhaps most importantly, bring in his own players.

The summer will also give Magath the chance to be a little more ruthless – something that I would implore him to be – as Fulham are in desperate need of an entire squad revaluation and overhaul.

As recently remarked by Brede Hangeland, the team has been unrecognisably lazy this year and seemingly all too sure of their Premier League credentials.

And quite honestly, for me, there are only a handful of players from our current crop who I would like to see in the shirt next season: David Stockdale, Burn, Hangeland, Steve Sidwell, William Kvist, Kieran Richardson, Pajtim Kasami, Alex Kacaniklic, Hugo Rodallega and Cauley Woodrow.

Everyone else – bar Ashkan Dejagah, who I believe will generate interest and deservedly get a move – is either over the hill and/or a discord to the team.

From here, echoing the sentiment of many fans, I would love to see the likes of youth superstar Patrick Roberts, front man Moussa Dembele and George Williams donning the shirt.

Complimenting this, Magath needs to bring in a number of his own players, and in my opinion, completely rebuild the defence – despite John Arne Riise making recent plans to stay.

We need players who are up for the physically demanding and psychologically draining challenges of the Championship – players that we haven't had this season.

While things are still very much emotionally raw for the fans, Fulham are in a better position than most who go down, and have a great foundation in which to build from – our destiny is very much in our own hands.


http://metro.co.uk/2014/05/08/fulham-must-put-premier-league-relegation-woes-behind-them-and-start-planning-for-next-season-4721486/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Go Out On A High

Ashkan Dejagah insists Fulham are determined to end a disappointing season on something of a high when they host Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The Whites saw their 13-year stay at the top table of English football come to an end last weekend after a 4-1 defeat at Stoke City, coupled with Sunderland's 1-0 win at Manchester United.

It's a day that will live long in the memories of all associated with Fulham, albeit for the wrong reasons.

"Saturday was a horrible day and I'm still in shock," Dejagah told the official website. "At the start of the season we'd never have thought we were going to go down. We were confident we could have a good campaign.

"But as the season went on, it became more real and even though our form picked up, we just didn't do enough to survive.

"It was the first time I've ever been relegated and it's not something I want to go through again. It was a bad afternoon for the whole Club but this is football. Now we have to work hard and try and come back at the first attempt next season."

Dejagah's recent form has been a shining light for Fulham and with six goals to his name this term, he can certainly hold his head up high.

Personal platitudes count for little to him, however, as he continued: "I did well in the last few weeks but I can't really say I'm happy, because we went down. Six goals is quite good but it wasn't enough."

Sunday's opponents Palace have defied the odds to recover from a poor start to surge to mid-table safety this season. But Dejagah is hopeful Fulham can give the home fans something to smile about at the Cottage come 4.50pm this weekend.

"It's the last game and we want to go out on a high," he said. "We want to do well for the fans at Craven Cottage, they've stuck with us this season.

"Palace have had a very good season. When we beat them 4-1 in October everyone thought they would be going down but they've surprised a lot of people. But our team is ready for the weekend and we want to end the season with a win."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/may/08/go-out-on-a-high?

[WhiteJC]

 
My off-season plan

One if the questions that always vexes me is why football teams need to constantly spend money. It sometimes feels as if it's done for the sake of it.

European clubs think so, too. I recently read an interview with WBA Chairman Jeremy Peace, who had spoken to clubs on the continent. A common response was: "We cannot understand what is going on when we deal with England. The clubs there pay top price, they don't really check what they are buying."

Transfers for transfers sake.

It's been said that a failure to invest has doomed Fulham, and surely this is true, but I don't know that this is quite it. I suspect that a failure to invest in a timely fashion is more appropriate: Fulham allowed a core to age together, then failed to integrate younger players. Correction: they did have Dembele and Dempsey, both of whom were the right age and extremely useful, but lost them both.

Bryan Ruiz was the right type of signing but perhaps the wrong type of player. As was pointed out in the comments (about Mitroglou), imagine if we'd spent £12m on a holding midfielder at some point.

I wonder if this means the end of the 'settled side'.

It doesn't feel like it should do. It wasn't long ago that we ran out:

Schwarzer, Paintsil, Hangeland, Hughes, Konchesky, Murphy, Etuhu, Davies, Duff, Gera, Zamora, or variations on same involving Dempsey, Johnson, etc.

When we had this settled side, spending was really around the edges, filling in squad gaps, etc.

There was a part of "Nowhere Men" by Michael Calvin where the Everton war room was described, in which every position had a current incumbent and a list of players who might be playing in that position, now, or down the line, in the club, or outside it.

There doesn't seem to have been much succession planning at Fulham. Which leaves us where we are now.

We need to keep an eye on what we have and what we're bringing in. I mentioned Stockdale and Stekelenberg, replacing a 6/10 goalkeeper with another 6/10 goalkeeper for £4m. That can't happen.

So while we might not think the likes of Trotta or Rodallega are quite the answer up front, what is the cost of an improvement? If we're just bringing in someone else who plays at about this level then is there any point in making the change? The fact is that most players available to us will be at about this level. So unless we see traits that we currently lack – pace, for instance – then there's not much point in buying a forward unless it's a demonstrably better forward.

With that in mind:

Next season we have the following prospective starting XI:

Stockdale
Right back
Burn
Centre back
Left back
Midfielder
Parker
Kacaniklic
Richardson
Dejagah
Rodallega

We also have the likes of Ryan Tunnicliffe and Cauley Woodrow available to us.

Parker is in the team because we're paying him a lot of money for a lot of time and I can't see anyone taking him off us. The remainder I think will stay with us and are probably of an alright standard. Reading between the lines it feels like Hangeland's had enough. Sidwell might get premier league offers and can't really be part of the same midfield as Parker.

So if this is the functional XI then you have to have a good think about what will happen next.

Immediate needs: a centre-back, two full-backs
Would also be good: a centre-midfielder

That's really not too bad. We've been linked with West Brom's Billy Jones already, and that's just the sort of signing that'll be okay for us. Jones can play right back or left back, and is pretty good at it. But the thing is, players like Jones are relatively common and don't cost much.

Brentford won't want to sell them, but players like Jake Bidwell and Adam Forshaw are young and were voted into the League One team of the year at left back and in midfield. Honestly, I don't know these players from Adam, but we have the financial clout to make this kind of move, to go for young players who we can then leave in the position until such a point as they outgrow us or we have a better idea. (and the better idea is likely to materliase in 3 years or so when our age group players become viable options).

What I'm trying to get at is that the challenge ahead probably isn't nearly as tricky as I first thought.

The plan:

Lose high earning over-30s

Quickly identify four players in the important positions noted above and bring them in asap to ease the transition, e.g. in early July, not late September.

If we keep Parker or Sidwell then the midfielder should be young (or promote Chris David because the cost of acquiring someone demonstrably better is prohibitive given the quality of what we'll receive).

If we keep only Burn the centre-back should be experienced.

Both full-backs should probably be of the Jones profile: not young, not old, serviceable but probably disposable. The likes of Stephen Kelly were ideal here. That's the kind of player we need.

That's it. If necessary, spend big money on the centre-back. If necessary, work the Premier League loan-wire for squad players.

But whatever we do, don't spend money unless it's going to go on a player who is going to be an upgrade on what we have. Focus on making sure that the centre-back we find has pace, isn't too old, and can work with Burn. Basically find Aaron Hughes c.2008.

Then commit to this team, promoting young stars when ready, bringing in loans as needed. That team won't be enough to get promoted on its own, but should be more than enough to hold its own, provided it's well coached. In a year's time take stock, see how the plan is going, and react accordingly. Don't rush, don't go nuts, just build the next good Fulham team.



http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2014/05/08/my-off-season-plan/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Moussa Dembele and Patrick Roberts set for first-team football if they snub Chelsea, Liverpool and Man United to stay at Fulham

Fulham will dangle the carrot of regular first-team football to keep teenage hotshots Patrick Roberts and Moussa Dembele.

The Craven Cottage club will play in the Championship next season and a number of their senior players are expected to leave this summer.

But the club want to keep Roberts and Dembele, who are rated as two of the best young prospects in England.


In action: Fulham are desperate for Moussa Demblele to stay at Craven Cottage

Hotly-tipped: Patrick Roberts (right), battling Chelsea's Ola Aina, is also being eyed up by top clubs
Roberts and Dembele, both 17, will be highly sought after this summer following the Cottagers' relegation from the Premier League.

All of England's elite clubs, including Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are interested in the teenage duo.

But the Cottagers will look to persuade Roberts and Dembele to stay in west London for at least another season with the lure of regular football.

Manager Felix Magath knows his squad will undergo massive surgery this summer following their relegation.

High-profile stars such as Scott Parker, Hugo Rodallega, Scott Parker and Kostas Mitroglou could leave, making the need to keep talented youngsters such as Roberts and Dembele even more important.

The Cottagers are considering a move for Bournemouth central defender Steve Cook following numerous scouting missions towards the end of the Championship season.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2623536/Moussa-Dembele-Patrick-Roberts-set-team-football-Fulham.html#ixzz31Bd0VTZw
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

[bucksfulham]

Stoke City are thought to have tabled a contract offer to Fulham midfielder Steve Sidwell, who is available on a free transfer in June.
Sidwell, 31, is out of contract at Craven Cottage and is considering his options - which includes staying at Fulham despite their relegation from the Premier League.
The former Reading, Chelsea and Aston Villa midfielder was signed by current Stoke boss Mark Hughes on a short-term deal in January 2011 but he quickly impressed the Welshman and earned a three-year contract later that season.
That deal is about to run out and Hughes, who left Fulham after one season in charge, is now interested in taking him to the Britannia Stadium.

http://www.sportinastorm.com/Premier-League/Stoke-City/Stoke-table-offer-for-Fulham-star/X1Y75Z1756907?#sthash.x0os3iYS.dpuf

[WhiteJC]

 
Four players Fulham must get rid of ahead of Championship campaign

Now that the dust has settled on Fulham's relegation to the Championship, there is a little time to step back and take in the pandemonium.

But it doesn't do the mind much good.

Because, the more you look over this dreadful campaign, the more our inadequacies seem to jump out at you.

Martin Jol was our greatest flaw. Failing to rid of him sooner was second.

He can't take all the brunt, however. The players, ultimately, do the work on the pitch and here are four who don't deserve to stay at Craven Cottage beyond the summer.

John Arne Riise

One of the more arrogant of our contingent, Riise has been woeful for the club since signing in 2011. Admittedly, full backs are hard to come by and the former Liverpool man arrived in West London with much pedigree.

Yet his performances for Fulham have been appalling, and his desire to succeed even worse. The 33 year-old seems almost content with failure, what with his greatest achievements already behind him.

Slow, dim-witted and frankly a drag on the rest of his team mates, the Norwegian should be first out of the door.

Maarten Stekelenburg

A little harsh, perhaps, to start pinning the blame on a goalkeeper who has done little wrong. You get the feeling, though, that he will be one of those haggling for a move already given his heftier salary and, more pertinently, losing his place to David Stockdale.

Mistakes continued to creep into his otherwise solid game and though it seems petty, he has cost us points this season.

Stockdale is simply better – and far more committed to the cause at Fulham – and it's unlikely the Dutch international is going to want to play second fiddle in the Championship.

Darren Bent

This is almost a given, seeing as he is on loan, but the feeling is so vehement among fans that he still deserves a mention.

Bent has given the footballing world a master-class in fraudulent living, claiming to be a Premier League footballer when, in reality, his standards fall well short.

Signed as a prolific goalscorer, Bent has missed open goal after open goal this season, while doing little else of note. No work ethic, no passion, no talent. It's hard to see where he'll go to next.

Derek Boateng

Another waste of wages, though it is worth noting it is no fault of his own. Boateng has proven to be a benchmark of the Jol era – a post 30-year-old, signed with great promise but delivering little.

In truth, he has never really been given much of a chance, yet that, unfortunately, doesn't warrant supporting his wage while we fight our way out of the Championship.


http://metro.co.uk/2014/05/08/four-players-fulham-must-get-rid-of-ahead-of-championship-campaign-4722087/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Crystal Palace set sights on cut-price Aston Villa exile

Darren Bent looks unlikely to remain with relegated Fulham and is unwanted at Aston Villa, something that could pave the way for a Crystal Palace move.

Having previously rejected a move to Selhurst Park, former England striker Darren Bent may be forced to swallow his pride if he wishes to remain in the Premier League next season.

The Eagles launched a summer bid for the Ipswich Town academy graduate, with then-manager Ian Holloway keen to make Bent the focal point of his newly-promoted team's attack.

Bent was out-of-favour with Aston Villa at the time, as manager Paul Lambert opted to build his team around the talents of Christian Benteke, something that left little room for the 30-year-old, who still had aspirations of forcing his way into England's World Cup plans.

But rather than move to Palace, where he would have likely enjoyed first-team football week-in, week-out, the forward opted for Fulham, where a succession of managers have rotated the side, to little success with the Cottagers relegated from the Premier League following a 4-1 loss to Stoke City at the Britannia.

It could have all been so different with the Eagles, who instead brought in Cameron Jerome and Marouane Chamakh in a bid to bolster their forward line.

Both have had some success on the pitch this term, with Palace enjoying an incredible rejuvenation under Tony Pulis which has left the club dreaming of big things for next season.

And despite the initial snub, it would appear that Pulis and co. are still keen on bringing Bent to Selhurst Park, with rumours surfacing last month suggesting the club would be willing to shell out £4 million to sign the player permanently from Villa.

That could depend on the forward eating his words, though, with Bent previously proclaiming in an interview with the Evening Standard: "I could only ever see myself coming to Fulham."

But with the Cottagers down and Bent unlikely to favour a return to the Championship and a potential reunion with the Tractor Boys, the time for a U-turn could be fast approaching.


http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/05/08/crystal-palace-set-sights-on-cut-price-aston-villa-exile/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Meet the Fulham star set to be hot Premier League property

While some Cottagers stars have failed to shine this season, one new arrival is likely to be the subject of some transfer interest this summer.

Martin Jol made many mistakes during his time with Fulham but arguably the best decision made by the Dutchman was to sign a relatively unknown Iranian-German midfielder by the name of Ashkan Dejagah.

Purchased for a cut-price €2.5 million back in the summer of 2012, little was expected of a player who had made his name as a versatile midfielder in the German Bundesliga.

After all, the 27-year-old endured a so-so debut season in the Premier League as a calf muscle injury suffered shortly before his move hindered his initial progress in the English top-flight.

The current campaign started similarly slowly, with Dejagah finally finding his feet after an injury ruled midfield rival Damien Duff out of the remainder of the campaign, thus allowing the Iranian-German to show the kind of form that made him so popular on the continent.

An Iran international, the midfielder made serious waves at Wolfsburg, winning a surprise Bundesliga title alongside future Manchester City star Edin Dzeko while under Felix Magath at the club.

Purchased from Hertha Berlin having risen through the ranks at the capital club, Dejagah made 131 appearances for Wolfsburg before opting for a switch to England and while slow to start, the midfielder has proven a shining light in an otherwise miserable campaign.

A tally of six goals this term ranks as his second best tally in a single season as a professional, with three of these strikes coming from the bench, while the midfielder has a 79 per cent successful pass rate – second only to Scott Parker.

But while Parker is almost 34-years-old, Dejagah is some seven years younger and in arguably the prime of his life.

Don't be surprised, therefore, to see the midfielder move on in the summer, with a number of potential Premier League suitors likely to be waiting in the wings.

West Ham United, for instance, may well be open to a move that would allow the player to stay in the capital, while Dejagah's swash-buckling style would fit in well with the new-found ethos of Sunderland under Gustavo Poyet.

Whatever he decides to do, it looks likely that the former Wolfsburg man will remain on the radar for now, with the player set to compete at the World Cup with Iran.


http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/05/08/meet-the-fulham-star-set-to-be-hot-premier-league-property/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Spurs set up striker swap deal

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to use midfielder Lewis Holtby as a bargaining chip in order to land Borussia Monchengladbach striker Max Kruse, [football] direct news understands.

A source close to White Hart Lane told FDN scouts have been monitoring Kruse's performances in Bundesliga throughout the campaign and believe he is the man to offer a regular goalscoring threat.

They have also been impressed by his work-rate for club and country.

The Germany international has just over three years remaining on his contract and the Spurs insider revealed ex-Schalke star Holtby could be offered a return to his homeland as part of a player-plus-cash deal.

He struggled to secure regular first-team football under ex-Tottenham head coach Andre Villas-Boas and fell down the pecking order when Tim Sherwood took charge.

Holtby has been on loan at Fulham since the turn of the year and despite some bright performances could not help them avoid relegation to the Championship.


http://www.footballdirectnews.com/premier-league-news/48803-spurs-set-up-striker-swap-deal.php

[WhiteJC]

 
Reflections on Relegation
by CHRIS GILBERTSON on MAY 9, 2014

Writing the article that has been in my head for the last eight months is proving quite difficult. After a season of consistent and ever more discombobulating failure the appropriate way to sum it all up has somewhat escaped my grasp. Instead I will tell my story from last Saturday.

Unable to be at the Britannia Stadium for our capitulation to Mark Hughes' annoyingly not awful Stoke side, news of our insipid performance (apt given the trend of our season) percolated through to me 900 miles away on the streets of Nice in south west France.

In the company of 12 of my best friends in the world, I had spent the better part of Saturday afternoon watching Toulon play Stade Francais in Top 14 rugby action as the centrepiece of my own stag weekend at OGC Nice's spectacular new stadium the Allianz Riviera [built in preparation for France 2016]. The fervent atmosphere aside, the match was notable for the palpations suffered by one of my groomsmen, a Birmingham City supporter who heard his team go 2-0 down to Bolton only to then survive in the Championship against all odds via a 93rd minute equaliser.

As news of his relief swept through our party, the grim reality of Fulham's impending doom crept up on me. Fortunately there was enough distraction from events in Staffordshire in the short term.

Once the match was over and we began our passage back to Nice city centre, phones were checked with the benefit of restored 3G service and the news was not good. The searing high of the afternoon's erstwhile action we had witnessed ourselves was slowly making way to a gathering darkness.

As the journey wore on news took a turn for the worse. Sunderland were winning at Old Trafford while Stoke were enjoying themselves to an ever increasing degree. As we disembarked our bus, news of Sunderland remained silent. They must still hold the lead against Manchester United. Worse still Fulham were at it again playing their prized role as a meek cat rolling over and accepting defeat, goal after goal serving nothing but to provide emphasis to the full stop on our Premier League career.

Finally, in the shadow of deserted French streets, twitter refreshed for that final time. Fulham were relegated. For the first time ever we had to say goodbye to the Premier League.

At this point I was hit with a wave of sadness. The melancholy of reality hit me. A silent hug from a friend and nod of genuine remorse from another. This is not a feeling anyone wants to have, and not something one wishes on his friends.

At this point practicality set in, we crossed the street into a handily located Carrefour convenience store, bought a bag of chocolate chip brioche, and used baked goods as a way to eat away my sadness.

After a few pity-laden bites a fresh emotion washed over me. And then another. And another. Relief, excitement, intrigue. At last a year of discontent and endless worrying what if was over. Where there had been false hope or no hope there was now something. If not hope itself, there was a new feeling of possibility. The condemnation of relegation finally released the shackles of negativity that have entombed the rhetoric of this season. Exaltation for the future set itself upon me.

If there was any place I'd have wanted to be when Fulham were relegated, it would have been surrounded by my friends (knowledgeable football fans in their own right) in a place full of ample distraction. There is great honour in being one of the near 3,000 who travelled to Stoke and those fans deserve respect and thanks, but that feeling of hopelessness as our team give them no reason to believe must have been awful. We all deserved more from this Fulham team, but they deserve medals. Many of those at the Britannia will have also been at our 6-0 loss to Hull.

The performances of this team have not instilled any pride or honour, instead that feeling in the pit of the stomach has become an overwhelming desire for the ground to swallow you whole. Tell me the Championship might not be a better experience as long as we don't get worse.

Spending the days following our relegation discussing Fulham's downfall ad infinitum was catharsis in action. There is plenty to still smile about as a Fulham fan. Only by smashing all the bricks to the floor can you see which ones you need to rebuild. Our house is now at that point where the bricks must fall and only those that will build us back stronger can remain.

There is time to hypothesise what that might mean in practice. For whom should the metaphorical axeman cometh? After a year of attempting to mask the catalogue of problems with haphazard incremental manoeuvres, Fulham must embolden real change both on and off the field. For now though, we can look at next season as a new horizon. We have an academy glowing with praise and littered with talent. Whilst it may take until a cold midweek night in Huddersfield for the grim reality of relegation to really settle in, I for one am genuinely delighted to have my season ticket already renewed. Craven Cottage may even become a fortress again.

Of course there are no guarantees in the Championship save for the fact that we will be the prized horse with a target strapped to our backs. Football is a game of what have you done for me lately. When we visit the likes of Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday next season it won't matter who's trophy room has what in it. We must play our role as the Premiership club in temporary exile, it would be all too easy to become the Football League club that lives in the past.

Hopefully though, brick by brick, Fulham will be rebuilt stronger than ever. With our house soon to be cleaned and our prized future stars let loose on the Football League there is every reason to anticipate August with a smile, not a frown.

On Sunday, let's celebrate what Fulham have achieved over the last 13 years. Let's show the team we will be there for them on the way back up even if some of them will hopefully not be. For his part, I hope Felix Magath has the sense to use Sunday as an opportunity to signal the start of a new era. One of youthful intent and positivity.

The first book on Fulham's Premier League history is about to finish its final chapter. Let's hope the club now takes us on a journey to write the next one.

COYW



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2014/05/reflections-on-relegation/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Moving Forward

The 2013/14 season will stand as a campaign of frustration, hurt and ultimately one of relegation. But perhaps it will also be the season that the future of the Club emerged.

As his teammates sat slumped disconsolate on the Britannia turf and tears ran down the faces of our fans - Cauley Woodrow took a moment to take it all in.

An unused substitute, he may have only made his First Team debut less than two months before, but his anguish was clear. For here is a player that shows a maturity and level-headedness beyond his 19 years; he recognises the enormity of the situation.

"I was hurting, I still am," Cauley told Sunday's official matchday programme. "I was as disappointed as anyone, we were all absolutely gutted. It doesn't matter if you were sat on the bench or out there on the pitch, it was a horrible experience."

In a testing campaign, the Club's youth system has undoubtedly given cause for optimism. Woodrow will now play his part in that path to recovery, as will the likes of Dan Burn, Patrick Roberts and Moussa Dembélé.

"The Manager has shown great faith in us young players and we want to repay that by doing well and helping the team get back up to the Premier League," said Woodrow. "I think we'll continue to see young players come through because that's the way the Club is set up now. Obviously it's about finding a balance, and that mix of youth and experience will be important."

To read the full interview with Woodrow, pick up an official matchday programme on Sunday.

Other key content in the only matchday magazine that matters - which is available to download digitally from 9am on Saturday - include: 

Shahid Khan on his plan for Fulham to bounce back at the first attempt
Felix Magath's programme notes
Patrick Roberts takes the Fulham 50 challenge
Moussa Dembélé takes stock of his breakthrough campaign
Lee Clark revisits a 3-1 win for Fulham over Palace in 2000
Former Fulham and Palace winger John Salako assesses the Cottage encounter
And Kit Symons is Yesterday's Hero
Priced £3.50, the 84-page publication is available from sellers on Stevenage Road from two hours before kick-off. Fans can also order copies directly from www.programmemaster.com

The programme is also available as an app with added video content from 9am on Saturday via Apple's Newsstand or Pocketmags for £1.99.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/may/09/prog-plug?

[WhiteJC]

 
Championship is perfect platform for Fulham's youth development

Despite relegation from the Premier League, there is hope for Fulham's future, as their youth team demonstrated this week.

Most people have been engrossed in the truly pulsating end to the Premier League season, but there was a recent match that demanded as much attention for the excitement and the quality it displayed.

The Fulham and the Chelsea Under-18 sides managed to produce eight goals between them in the second leg of their FA Cup Youth Cup final tie at Stamford Bridge, bringing the total for the two-legged affair to 13.

Perhaps this suggests that the two sides' defensive lines leave much to be desired, but this does a huge disservice to the attacking prowess of both the youth teams.

Although Fulham lost, there is more than a crumb of comfort for the supporters of a club who have had such a dire season; in particular, the forward partnership of Moussa Dembele and Patrick Roberts.

These two produced numerous moments of such quality that it seems staggering they have barely had a look-in for the senior team. Dembele has made only a single start this season, and on the basis of the performances in the final, he deserves more. His movement was sharp, and his strength in the air was highlighted by his two headed goals.

This perfectly complemented the pace and brilliant footwork of Roberts, whose beautiful run resulted in a penalty at Craven Cottage. He fully deserved his goal in the second leg – a deliciously powerful volley across the goalkeeper and into the top corner. Fulham manager Felix Magath clearly rates him, giving the young Englishman two substitute appearances for the senior side and describing his as an "extraordinary talent".

This attacking partnership is just the start of Fulham's bright prospects hidden in the youth team, and the Championship could well provide the perfect level to introduce these players to senior football. It can only benefit Fulham, and – just whisper it – perhaps England.



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Fulham news and transfer rumours: Magath eyes swoop for Bournemouth defender

Centre-back Cook on Cottagers' radar, according to reports

Attracting interest: AFC Bournemouth's Steve Cook

Fulham are considering a move for Bournemouth defender Steve Cook.

Boss Felix Magath is expected to shake up his squad in the close season following relegation from the Premier League.

The Craven Cottage chief will be keen to shore up a backline that has leaked 83 goals in just 37 games - the most in the division.

And the west Londoners are keeping tabs on 23-year-old Cook, according to the Daily Mail .

The versatile defender, who can also play aat right-back, started his career at Brighton but has made more than 100 appearance for the Cherries since his switch to Dean Court in 2011.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/fulham-eye-swoop-bournemouth-defender-7095405?