Saturday Fulham Stuff (31/05/14)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Brentford prepare move for Italy Under-21 striker

Brentford boss Mark Warburton has admitted that he is interested in signing the Italy Under- 21 striker Marcello Trotta and thereby take advantage of a break-down in negotiations with his current club Fulham, which were postponed until June.

Trotta who has the unfortunate connection to a high-profile penalty miss for Brentford against Doncaster in 2013, scored 18 goals in 59 matches for Brentford in two separate loan spells and also won the Brentford 'Outstanding Moment of The Season Award' for a wonder strike in a game against Leyton Orient on March 15th.

Warburton, a long-time fan of Trotta is eager to wrap up a deal to sign the striker before the forthcoming start of pre-season training.


http://footballleagueworld.co.uk/brentford-scouting-striker-marcello-trotta/?

[WhiteJC]

 
England Under-20s held by Colombia at Toulon Tournament

England's Under-20 side all but secured a third-place play-off at the Toulon Tournament after drawing 1-1 with Colombia.

Cauley Woodrow fired Stuart Pearce's side ahead before Joao Rodriguez equalised after the interval.

But England, who started their fourth and final Group B game in third spot, will advance if Qatar do not beat holders Brazil later by six goals.

Pearce made eight changes to protect his young players from burnout.

Fulham striker Woodrow was one of three survivors that started Wednesday's 1-1 draw with South Korea.

The 19-year-old found the net in the 16th minute from 15 yards, his second goal of the tournament.

But England were denied victory when Rodriguez levelled in the 68th minute after firing beyond Jack Butland.

Should England advance they will face group A runners-up Portugal in the third-place play-off on Sunday.

It will require an unlikely result to stop Pearce's side from going through, with Qatar yet to secure a group victory and Brazil winning all three of their games.

Brazil are already assured of a place in Sunday's final against France.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27640493

[WhiteJC]

 
Letting Steve Sidwell go may be best thing Fulham can do

Letting eight senior players leave on free transfers this summer signified a whole new era for Fulham FC.

The likes of Giorgos Karagounis, John Arne Riise and Mahamadou Diarra represented an era in Fulham's history that is best left forgotten, when Martin Jol hoarded numerous 30-somethings and paid them handsomely for the privilege.

For what it's worth most of them were good, individual footballers and one or two have left an indelible mark on the club and its fans.

One of those players is Steve Sidwell, let go in a cloud of speculation about his future. Crystal Palace have been linked, as have Newcastle United and Stoke City.

A move back to the Premier League is something of an expectancy for the former Chelsea midfielder but, supposedly, Fulham themselves are pressing to retain him.

But that begs the question: is it worth pursuing him?

The obvious answer would be yes. He was our best player last season, by some distance, and he has the personality and drive to succeed at Championship level.

He's a tough-tackler who, even though it often goes unnoticed, breaks up play well and does the simple things correctly, while pitching in with a goal or two to help his cause.

The problem with Sidwell is, and now
always will be, his age

Though not a player who will set the world alight, his role is invaluable.

But, then again, there are so many like him around. The 31 year-old, reportedly, wants a two-year deal and there's no doubting he won't come cheap.

It's not like we need to save money – Khan has made it clear that he is happy to bankroll us – but dropping down a level will hit our finances hard and any shedding of weight can only be good.

The problem with Sidwell is, and now always will be, his age. For so long we have talked about revamping this squad from top-to-bottom and it seems almost illogical to offer him a new deal.

If he was happy to take a year extension, it would be worthwhile but on a two-year contract, he will only be exacerbating a problem we are clearly trying to eradicate.

That said, if he signs a new deal, I won't be up in arms. He's a solid player, and he'd do well in the second tier.

But, maybe, for the good of the team and its vision, parting ways is in everybody's best interests.


http://metro.co.uk/2014/05/30/letting-steve-sidwell-go-may-be-best-thing-fulham-can-do-4744360/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Magath to make midfielder plea

Fulham are still reportedly keen to try and persuade midfielder Steve Sidwell to stay put at Craven Cottage this summer.

The 31-year-old former Chelsea man, who is close to being out of contract and has been officially released from the Whites following the club's relegation from the Premier League, looked set to stay in the top flight with several clubs being linked with a swoop. Stoke boss Mark Hughes, who took Sidwell to Craven Cottage from Aston Villa for £5million in January 2011, was thought to be leading the chase for his signature as he wants to be reunited with him at the Britannia Stadium next term. Newcastle have also been linked, while Crystal Palace are also keeping tabs on the situation, with Eagles boss Tony Pulis waiting to pounce. However it's being suggested that Fulham boss Felix Magath will make one last attempt to try and keep Sidwell at the club to help them secure an immediate return to the Premier League next season. Sidwell and his family are settled in London and he might be tempted by a two-year contract offer, although Palace would no doubt be in the driving seat given that they could provide him with Premier League football and a better package.



Read more at: http://www.clubcall.com/fulham/magath-to-make-midfielder-plea-1727251.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Dejagah In Action

Ashkan Dejagah and his Iran teammates came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw with Angola in the final match of their World Cup warm-up camp in Austria.

Following goalless draws with Belarus and Montenegro, Manager Carlos Queiroz selected Dejagah to start the match in Hartberg, but the Iranians suffered a set-back before the interval.

Domingo Silva broke the deadlock to put the African outfit in front on 42 minutes but Iran offered the best possible response after half-time.

Persepolis striker Karim Ansarifard was on target to level the scores after 57 minutes, with Dejagah going on to play the full 90 minutes.

Iran will fly out to Brazil for their final preparation match, against Trinidad and Tobago in Sao Paulo on June 8th, ahead of their Group F showdowns with Nigeria, Argentina and Bosnia and Herzegovina.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/may/30/dejagah-in-action?

[WhiteJC]

 
Olympiakos target Fulham midfield maestro

Greek side Olympiakos are targeting a move for Fulham's midfield maestro Pajtim Kasami according to Sky Sports.

The Switzerland international has played at Craven Cottage for the past three years following his move from Palermo for an undisclosed fee.

During his three year stay at the club he has made 47 appearances whilst scoring three goals. He came to form this season having originally been promoted by Martin Jol but has since played under Rene Meulensteen and Felix Magath.

He is due to enter the last year of his four-year deal and it is likely that Fulham will want to sell him this summer rather than losing him for nothing next summer.

Greek giants Olympiakos have emerged as potential suitors for his signature and it will be a hard decision to turn them down if they offer came in from them.

It is reported in Greece that the club are willing to offer around €10 million (£8million) for his signature and are hoping that the prospect of Champions League football will lure him away from the London club.


http://footballleagueworld.co.uk/olympiakos-target-fulham-midfield-maestro/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Third Shirts now £19.99!

The Final Whistle end of season sale offers are getting better and better, and now Fulham fans can get their hands on one of the last remaining 2013/14 adidas replica Third Shirts for an amazing £19.99!

With limited stock available they won't be around for long at this fantastic price, so don't miss out! Buy yours direct on 0843 208 1223, online at shop.fulhamfc.com, or at the Stadium Store.

http://shop.fulhamfc.com/retail-product.aspx?deptId=244&prodId=2226


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/may/30/third-shirt?

[WhiteJC]

 
World Cup 2014 Team Previews: Greece – Can the Greeks finally escape the Group Stage?

It wasn't the easiest run to the finals, but Greece just about managed consecutive World Cup qualification for the first time in their history after coming through the play-offs against Romania to take their place in Group C of the competition.

They lost out on automatic qualification as Bosnia and Herzegovina pipped them to the top of the table on goal difference, but a 4-2 aggregate victory over Romania in the play-offs saw them make the trip to Brazil and they will now take their place alongside Colombia, Ivory Coast and Japan in the hope of providing some relief to a country crippled by economic problems and perhaps even repeat the heroics of the 2004 European Championship winning side.

Good to Know
Population: 11 Million

Total World Cup Appearances: Three

Best Finish at a World Cup: Group stage (1994, 2010)

Most Recent World Cup Performance: Group Stage (2010)

Nickname(s): Ethniki, Piratiko.

Fun Fact: Greece is made up of over 2000 islands, but only 170 of these are populated, with 40% of the population living in the capital, Athens.

Player With Most Caps: Giorgos Karagounis



- The former Fulham man has racked up 132 caps for Greece so far, having made his debut in 1999 and has been selected for the squad as captain this summer.

- His club career has taken right around Europe, as in addition to Fulham, Karagounis has played for Panathinaikos, Benfica and Inter Milan.

- Karagounis became the record holder for caps for Greece in the qualifying campaign for this World Cup, with his substitute appearance against Bosnia taking him past the 120 accumulated by former Leicester City man, Theo Zagorakis.

- Karagounis scored the first goal of Greece's victorious 2004 European Championship campaign, hitting a long range strike to shock hosts Portugal in the tournament opener.

World Cup Squad
Goalkeepers: Orestis Karnezis (Granada), Panagiotis Glykos (PAOK Salonika), Stefanos Kapino (Panathinaikos).

Defenders: Giannis Maniatis (Olympiakos), Giorgos Tzavellas (PAOK), Kostas Manolas (Olympiakos), Vangelis Moras (Hellas Verona), Loukas Vyntra (Levante), Vasilis Torosidis (Roma), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Borussia Dortmund), Jose Holebas (Olympiakos).

Midfielders: Alexandros Tziolis (Kayserispor), Panagiotis Kone (Bologna), Giorgos Karagounis (Fulham), Lazaros Christodoupoulos (Bologna), Giannis Fetfatzidis (Genoa), Kostas Katsouranis (PAOK), Andreas Samaris (Olympiakos), Panagiotis Tachtsidis (Torino)

Strikers: Giorgos Samaras (Celtic), Kostas Mitroglou (Fulham), Dimitris Salpingidis (PAOK), Theofanis Gekas (Konyaspor).

Manager: Fernando Santos

fter the lengthy and successful reign of Otto Rehhagel, Greece are now under the stewardship of Fernando Santos, who has continued where his predecessor left off by leading Greece to consecutive international tournaments, having already guided them to the European Championships.

Santos had nothing to speak of as a player after ending his playing career at the age of just 21, before embarking on a successful managerial career in both Greece and Portugal.

Santos was named Greece's manager of the decade prior to taking over from Rehhagel for his exploits with AEK Athens and PAOK Salonika, and he has already made his mark on the national team, having led Greece to their longest unbeaten streak after going his first 17 games in charge of the side without tasting defeat.

Santos has initially galvanised Greece as a more attacking threat upon taking over, but having realised the limitations of his side, he has reverted back to type, with Greece managing to score just 12 goals in their 10 qualifying games, two and a half times less than group winners Bosnia.

Star Player – Vasilis Torosidis
Greece's strengths will once again lie in their defensive capabilities and Torosidis is the man who they will turn to to shore up the back line, having become a key member of their squad.

Torosidis has found himself in and out of the team all season at Roma, but has still played a role in the club having the best defensive record in Serie A, providing a suitable option to come in at right-back as and when required and his top level experience will be something Greece will look to draw upon again to help them make a first progression from the group stage in their history.

Torosides made just the 18 appearances in total for Roma this season, but made 18 interceptions in his time on the pitch and achieved 61 clearances as well to aid the Roma effort.

Going forward, Torosidis has created nine chances for his teammates in the 12 starts he has been given, as well as netting the one strike of his own, so he will provide an extra threat going forward for Greece, in a side with very limited attacking capabilities.

Best Young Player (23 or Below) – Giannis Fetfatzidis
It's hard to pick a young player in the Greek squad and Fetfatzidis is one of just four players aged 23 or under in the squad and the only one to have broken into double figures in terms of caps.

Fetfatzidis is still in the early throes of his career, but he has been lauded as the most technically gifted player of his generation, with his size and dribbling ability having drawn very tentative comparisons to Lionel Messi, as Greece try and embrace the cultured winger as a contract to the solidarity they have become renowned for.

Before the transfer of Mitrglou to Fulham in January, Fetfatzidis had been the most expensive transfer to leave the Greek league when Genoa paid €4m to recruit him from Olympiakos and he has gone on to play a largely substitute role for the Serie A side, though still managing two goals in his 11 starts and coming into the tournament on a high after scoring the winner against Roma on the final day of the season.

The Greek winger has also assisted three goals from the 20 chances he has created in his time on the pitch as well, but it is his dribbling ability that will catch the eye this summer, with Fetfatzidis having completed 56 take-ons with a 58% success rate, having also been fouled 31 times.

Key Stat
Having never been ranked inside the top 20 prior to the victory in the 2004 European Championship, Greece have since been ranked outside of that top bracket for a total of four months, having broken the top 10 on three occasions.

Squawka Says...
Group C isn't the most intimidating of groups to look at and Greece must believe that if they can play at their best, there is every chance they could progress from the group.

However, Colombia and Ivory Coast both possess a lot of attacking threat that can break through Greece's rearguard and with Greece possessing few offensive stars themselves, it looks set to be an attempt of trying to eek through the group, where they would meet quite possibly the winners of a very tough looking Group D.

This is where their little journey will most likely end at the best, but with an ageing squad that will see most playing their last major international tournament, it's hard to see them really managing to even make it that far.

Another Group Stage exit



http://www.squawka.com/news/world-cup-2014-previews-greece/117024?

[WhiteJC]

 
England U20 1-1 Colombia U20: Cauley Woodrow strikes again as Young Lions scrape into third place play-off in Toulon

At least Gareth Southgate ended the evening with a smile. Having been in the middle of a post-game television interview, he was unexpectedly soaked by a sprinkler system roaring to life.

He saw the comedy in the moment, laughing as he relayed the story, but when talk turned to England's 1-1 draw with Colombia, Southgate's tone changed. The objective of reaching the third place play-off may have been achieved but the way it was achieved left something to be desired.

The subdued atmosphere in the England dressing room confirmed that a dampener had been put on celebrations, not just on Southgate.

'We have not played in the manner that we would have wanted to do and the lads are disappointed,' said Southgate, after England squeezed out of Group B with five points from four games to set up a date with Portugal in Avignon.


On target: Cauley Woodrow scores for England under-20s as they drew 1-1 with Colombia in Toulon

Promising: England celebrate Woodrow's opener at Lagrange Stadium in Toulon

Level-pegging: Jhoao Rodriguez celebrates his 62nd-minute equaliser against England

'Part of the reason for coming here was for a group of lads who have not played together to get experience and we had to show resilience and character. In the end they have done well to get a result in a game that matters and withstood pressure. Sometimes you have to grind it out.'

As England have discovered, this is a tournament like no other. From games being staged in park stadiums that back on to motorways and railway lines to post-match press conferences being conducted in changing rooms and portakabins, Toulon is full of idiosyncrasies.

But there is no question that it serves an important purpose in the development of a young footballer and every England player will look back on the past 10 days and recognise the purpose coming here has served.

Starting with Qatar before moving to contests with Brazil and South Korea, each opponent they have faced has presented a different challenge and the same was true here against a young Colombia that were determined to save face after only taking a point from their first three matches.

They started brightly. England struggled to cope with a bobbly, dry pitch and a strong wind that made ball control difficult and Colombia caused some uncomfortable moments, forcing a number of mistakes from Southgate's side.


Intensity: England's Jordan Cousins puts his body on the line in a challenge with Jhoan Ayala

'It was a game where first half we just had to play the conditions,' said England's head coach. 'It was remarkable really with the wind and it was difficult because balls that were played along the ground were holding up. The surface was quite sticky as well.'

A dreadful error, however, in the 15th minute from Colombia defenders Aldyar Hernandez and Daniel Londodo changed the complexion of the contest and allowed Fulham's Cauley Woodrow build on his encouraging performance against South Korea to score his second goal in as many games.

There appeared to be no sign of danger when Jordan Cousins lofted a ball forward but Hernandez and Londodo collided with each other and the ball fell to Woodrow, who kept his composure to sweep a right-footed shot beyond goalkeeper Alvaro Montero.

Colombia responded with a free-kick from Johao Rodriguez that fizzed just past Jack Butland's post but, other than that, England had little trouble keeping them at arms' length – the Stoke goalkeeper never had a shot to save before the break.


Under pressure: Josh McEachran (right) keeps his cool as Colombian defenders push England all the way

The biggest concern for Southgate was the injuries England sustained; both Chelsea's Josh McEachran and Eric Dier of Sporting Lisbon hobbled off in the opening half hour and his best laid plans of resting key men were ruined, as both Michael Keane and Jake Forster-Caskey came on.

After the break, England were anything but comfortable as Colombia produced their spell of the tournament. The longer they kept the ball, the deeper England dropped and it became a case of all hands to the pump to preserve the lead.

Sensing danger, Southgate switched formation and called on both Nathaniel Chalobah and Nathan Redmond to keep Colombia at bay but, eventually, the South Americans' weight of possession told and Rodriguez levelled in the 69th minute, poking in Andres Tello's cross.

It then became a case of whether England could hang on for the remaining 10 minutes but they came perilously close to buckling as both Gustavo Torres and substitute Rodin Quinones fired good chances into the side-netting. Eventually, Southgate's charges recovered to run down the clock.

'We can play better,' he said. 'But if we can beat Portugal, we can go home very happy with what we have done.'



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2644133/England-U20-1-1-Colombia-U20-Cauley-Woodrow-strike-helps-Young-Lions-draw-Toulon.html#ixzz33E6P9eT4
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[WhiteJC]

 
One for the future – Patrick Roberts

Fulham have a hidden gem in their ranks that could prove to be a crucial part of their bid to return to top flight football next season.

Patrick Roberts has been making waves in the Fulham's U18 side and for England's U17 side at the European Championships. He can play just behind the striker or on the wing, which is his preferred position as he loves cutting inside and tearing teams apart.

The 17-year-old was born in Kingston-upon-Thames on February 5th 1997. The 2012/2013 season was a big one for the young Fulham star as he made his debut for the U18 side.

He also recorded his first international cap for the youth side. He was a second half substitute in England's 5-0 victory over Northern Ireland in the Victory Shield.

He certainly caught the eye of the Fulham hierarchy as the 2013/2014 campaign was set to be even bigger than the last. Both domestically and internationally.

2013/2014

The early part of his season was much focused on the development of his international career where he started to turn out for the U17 team.

He traveled with the squad to Malta for the U17 European Championships. His creativity and eye for goal helped Fulham all the way to the final which they won in the end.

Roberts finished the campaign with three goals and four assists to his name. In fact he finished as the top assists maker and joint-second in amount of goals scored. Fulham were very proud of his achievements.

With his talent already recognised by the Fulham U21 boss – Kit Symons – he started to feature for them on the occasion. Making four appearances in the U21 Premier League.

This was followed by more great news from the player who signed his first professional contract on his 17th birthday. A month later, he was playing against Manchester City in the Premier League due to a string of injuries to Fulham forwards.

He was then handed his home debut against Everton not long after. However, they were debuts to forget as Fulham were trounced 5-0 and then comfortably beaten 3-1.

With all this going on, he was still making regular appearances for the U18 side and was actually a crucial member of the Youth Cup team that reached the final for the first time ever. But, they were defeated 7-6, on aggregate, by Chelsea.

Strengths

The main strength of Roberts is his ability to manipulate the ball in his favour to literally run rings around the opposition. He uses his relatively slight frame to his advantage as he can weave in-and-out of tight situations.

His ability to keep hold of the ball while attempting take-ons has been applauded by fans who have seen him play. He can make any defender look silly with deft touches and a clever drop of the shoulder.

It's not only his movement with the ball at his feet at his feet, it's also what he can do when the ball leaves his feet. The way he carves open a defence is incredible. Like a hot knife through butter.

His versatility in attack is a big problem for defenders as he constantly switches between playing behind the striker or on the wing. Equally as dangerous in both areas.

However, as mentioned earlier, he does prefer the wing because he likes to come inside, beat a few players and fire a shot at goal. It all happens within a couple of seconds.

As the U17 European Championships proved, he is also quite clinical in front of goal from both short and long range. Two of his goals showed real diversity and support my previous statement.

Future

The future promises to be huge for the England youth international. Despite signing a contract as early as February, this hasn't stopped clubs circling around him like vultures.

Arsenal and Manchester United have been credited with interest, however, the 17-year-old looks set to stay loyal to the London club and help their fight for promotion.

Having said that, I can see him moving to a bigger club in the future and if he has a successful 2014/2015 campaign then it could be as early as the summer of 2015.

Roberts has a huge future ahead of him and under the right tutelage he can be one of the best in Europe. England are very lucky to have him in their youth ranks.


http://www.touchlinetalk.com/one-future-patrick-roberts/92363/?