Sunday Fulham Stuff (15/06/14)...

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Leeds United: Fulham in £5m bid for McCormack UPDATED

A £5m bid from Championship rivals Fulham for Ross McCormack will await Massimo Cellino at Elland Road tomorrow as Leeds United's owner faces up to mounting interest in the club's captain.

The Cottagers submitted the offer on Thursday, bringing McCormack's future back into the spotlight with the start of United's pre-season training just two weeks away.

United have not yet commented on the bid but a £5m proposal is likely to signal the start of a concerted effort by several teams to sign McCormack.

The bid materialised after two days of speculation linking Derby County – last season's losing play-off finalists – and recently-relegated Norwich City with the 27-year-old Scotland international.

Leeds are still considering Thursday's offer from the London club but are expected to reject it, with Cellino understood to value McCormack at closer to £7m.

The Italian, who bought United at the start of April, is reluctant to lose the striker after his 29 goals for the club last season but he is also unwilling to raise McCormack's salary further, less than 12 months after the captain signed a new four-year contract.

Premier League interest in the ex-Rangers trainee became apparent in January when West Ham and Cardiff City bid for him, and Newcastle United made an enquiry about McCormack at the beginning of last week.

Cellino claimed to have turned down a formal offer from St James' Park, a claim which Newcastle moved quickly to deny, but the 57-year-old businessman spoke again of his desire to keep McCormack at Leeds, saying: "Newcastle made an offer for McCormack and I said 'no'.

"He is happy to stay here and that made me proud."

Despite their approach in January, Cardiff are not behind the latest bid for McCormack.

Both Fulham and Norwich, hold the financial advantage of parachute payments after dropping out of the Premier League in May and City have routinely looked to Elland Road for signings in the past three years.

Derby, meanwhile, fought their way to the brink of promotion last season, beaten by a stoppage-time goal from QPR's Bobby Zamora during the play-off final at Wembley. The Midlands club, however, appear to be distancing themselves from this week's approach.

Cellino is due back in Leeds tomorrow, having spent this week in Italy finalising the sale of Serie A club Cagliari, the team he bought in 1992.

McCormack's future will be high on his agenda, alongside the appointment of a new head coach after a week of few developments on the managerial front.

Reading academy chief Eamonn Dolan remains the leading candidate for the post, though Cellino would be forced to pay a six-figure fee in compensation for him, and former Forest Green Rovers manager Dave Hockaday is also in contention.

Meanwhile, United's supporters have until the close of business this evening to buy season tickets for next term at frozen renewal prices.

The club's ticket office at Elland Road will be open until 5.15pm to accommodate last-minute applications on top of the thousands that have already been submitted.

It is also the last chance for supporters to guarantee their existing seats.



http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/latest-whites-news/leeds-united-fulham-in-5m-bid-for-mccormack-updated-1-6671442

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Iran v Nigeria preview: Chelsea and Fulham stars compete to end 16-year World Cup hoodoo

Iran and Nigeria have something in common ahead of their World Cup clash in Curituiba. When they meet Monday at the Arena da Baixada, both teams will be bidding to win their first match in the World Cup finals since France 1998.

With Argentina the clear favorite in Group F, Iran and Nigeria are expected to compete with tournament newcomer Bosnia-Herzegovina for second spot.

Though Nigeria is often considered a powerhouse of African football, the Super Eagles have not won a game at the World Cup finals since defeating Bulgaria in a group match 16 years ago. Since then, Nigeria has endured two fairly dismal World Cup campaigns, including in South Africa in 2010, notching up a grand total of two points.

That's not good enough for a team many have touted as the most likely to become Africa's first-ever World Cup winner. After all, Nigeria has pedigree on the global stage, having defeated Argentina to win the Olympic gold medal in Atlanta in 1996.

The current African champion has got back on track over the past couple of years under coach Stephen Keshi, who played for Nigeria in the 1994 World Cup and has helped it recover some of the flair and power that marked his country's football in the 1990s.

Keshi appears unconcerned that his team failed to win any of its three pre-tournament friendlies.

"My concern is how I'm going to bring my players to understand the style of play, to bring them back into the rhythm that we are used to, because it's a long time we were apart," Keshi said.

Keshi has a number of hugely experienced players at his disposal, many of whom play for some of Europe's top clubs. Much could hinge on the form and fitness of Fenerbahce striker Emmanuel Emenike, who has been prolific for Nigeria since his debut in 2011.

Behind Emenike, John Obi Mikel has license to play more creatively than he does for his club side Chelsea, where he's often a shield in front of the defense. And in goal, Keshi can call upon Lille's Vincent Enyeama, one of the most experienced goalkeepers in the tournament.

Iran last victory at the World Cup was against the United States in one of the great geopolitical clashes. Its one appearance in the finals since, in Germany 2006, yielded just a solitary point.

Despite haphazard preparations that involved a dearth of friendlies and financial constraints, Iran will be no pushover. With Carlos Queiroz, a former coach of Real Madrid and Portugal, at the helm, Nigeria will find Iran difficult to break down.

To bolster the attack, Queiroz has convinced Reza Ghoochannejhad and Fulham's Ashkan Dejagah to represent the country of their birth. Both played key roles in Iran's late charge to clinch top spot in an Asian qualifying group that included regional powerhouse South Korea.

Ghoochannejhad, often known as "Gucci", is a speedy forward who has been prolific for Iran, scoring 10 goals in 14 appearances since Queiroz convinced him in 2012 to opt for "Team Melli" rather than the Netherlands, whom he had represented at youth level. And Dejagah has similarly impressed since he opted for Iran instead of Germany.

Queiroz's team will be led by Javad Nekounam in what is probably going to be his final World Cup. The 33-year-old is Iran's talisman and now plays in a deeper position. Much of the team's rhythm revolves around Nekounam, whose task is to break up opposing attacks and launch his team on the counterattack. Despite the disappointing experience in 2006, Nekounam's experience could prove invaluable.



http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/iran-v-nigeria-preview-chelsea-and-fulham-stars-compete-to-end-16year-world-cup-hoodoo-9537485.html

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Leeds United set to knock back Fulham's bid for top-scorer

Leeds United are ready to reject Fulham's bid for Championship top-scorer, Ross McCormack, after the relegated side made a £5m offer for the Scottish striker.

Massimo Cellino, owner of Leeds, has previously announced that he has no intention of selling the Whites skipper, and will back-up these claims by knocking back Fulham's bid for the striker, made earlier this week.

McCormack impressed last season, scoring 29 goals for the club, and Fulham are said to be keen on signing the striker as they look to propel themselves back into the Premier League first time round.

The Scottish international has insisted on a number of occasions that he is keen to remain at Leeds and lead the Whites back to the Premier League. With all parties set on the striker staying in Yorkshire, a large fee will be required to tempt the Scottsman away from Elland Road.

It is rumoured that Leeds are willing to listen to offers in the range of £7m, but there has been no solid confirmation as yet. Derby County pulled out of the race earlier this week, whilst West Ham, Norwich and Cardiff are also among the clubs looking to sign McCormack.



http://footballleagueworld.co.uk/leeds-united-set-to-knock-back-fulhams-bid-for-top-scorer222/