Sunday Fulham Stuff (22/06/14)...

[WhiteJC]

 
FIFA tests seven Costa Rica players

RECIFE, Brazil -- Bryan Ruiz and Keylor Navas guaranteed that if FIFA wanted the whole Costa Rica team to undergo doping tests then they would, because they've got nothing to hide.

After the Ticos beat Italy on Friday, FIFA ordered seven of their players to undergo post-match doping tests, while only two Italian players were tested.


http://www.espnfc.co.uk/costa-rica/story/1898956/fifa-tests-7-costa-rica-players-for-doping?

[WhiteJC]

 
World Cup: Fulham flop Ruiz puts himself in shop window as Costa Rica cause another shock

Forward fires Central Americans into last 16 as England's fate is sealed

Zero to hero: Fulham misfit Bryan Ruiz celebrates

Fulham flop Bryan Ruiz fired Costa Rica into the World Cup knock-out stages and sealed England's early exit from the tournament.

The 28-year-old scored the only goal of the game as the Central Americans beat Italy to cause another upset and clinch their place in the last 16.

Ruiz scored just one goal in 14 games for the Cottagers last season before being shipped out on loan to PSV Eindhoven.

The forward's future at Craven Cottage remains uncertain, but he did his chances of earning a move no harm when his first-half header crept over the line.

Elsewhere, QPR striker Loic Remy continues to wait in the wings as France's World Cup charge gathers pace.

The frontman was an unused sub in the 3-0 win against Honduras and was left warming the bench again as the French went goal crazy against Switzerland.

Former Fulham man Philippe Senderos featured for the Swiss, who were hammered 5-2 by Didier Deschamops' side.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/world-cup-fulham-flop-ruiz-7304317?

[WhiteJC]

 
Toulouse Weigh Up Move for Former Liverpool Defender John Arne Riise

Toulouse are weighing up snapping up former Fulham and Liverpool left-back John Arne Riise.

The experienced Norwegian defender is available without a fee after leaving Fulham, who were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season.

Riise is looking for a new challenge and, according to French sports daily L'Equipe, his services have been proposed to Toulouse.

The 33-year-old has prior experience of French football, having turned out in the country for Monaco between 1998 and 2001.

He then moved on to Liverpool, where he made his name, helping the club to a famous Champions League victory in 2005.

Riise left Anfield in 2008, heading for Italy to link up with Serie A giants Roma.

He remained with the Giallorossi until 2011, when sealing a return to English football with Fulham.

At international level Riise won 110 caps for Norway between 2000 and 2013.



Read more at http://www.insidefutbol.com/2014/06/21/toulouse-weigh-up-move-for-former-liverpool-defender-john-arne-riise/146511/#ysCsL87aUaTBtzKb.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Besiktas sign Fulham striker Mitroglou on one-year deal

Besiktas have signed Fulham striker Kostas Mitroglou on a one-year deal according to Turkish newspaper HaberTürk.

The Black Eagles are reported to have agreed a loan deal and will pay Fulham a €2.5 million fee as part of the deal.

Besiktas have yet to confirm the move - Turkish clubs are obliged to release transfer deals on the stock exchange.

The Super Lig outfit are expected to release a statement regarding the transfer on Monday.

The Eagles are planning to replace Portuguese international Hugo Almeida who is expected to leave this summer with the Greek international.

Fulham signed Mitroglou for £11 million from Olympiakos last January however, a series of injuries restricted him to just three appearances.

The 26-year-old is currently with the Greek national team at the 2014 World Cup.

The Greek international, who took a hit to his side and had to be taken off during their World Cup Group C draw against Japan on Thursday, will be fit in time for their final game against Ivory Coast.


http://www.turkish-football.com/news_read.php?id=6052

[WhiteJC]

 
A few thoughts on England

So much for all that. Expectations may have been lowered, but we did expect more than that.

My view is that we've mainly seen the usual randomness inherent in football in action. There seem to be 4-5 good teams, 4-5 bad ones, and everyone else is largely in the lap of the gods. We do like to shape our narrative based on endings, but if you'd been shown both England games with the goal incidents removed I'm not sure you'd have been desperately angry overall.

This misses the point, of course: England did concede four goals, and did so in a very soft manner. We Fulham fans are experts in spotting soft underbellies, and here is was for all to see: lack of pressure around the D; players in wide areas given lots of time; forwards peeling off to the back post; calamitous mistakes. Everything England did, Fulham had done many times this season.

This said, if we started from scratch and played the games again I'm not at all convinced England would lose both. You can't judge anything in two games between evenly matched teams, not really.

But it did highlight flaws in our thinking and our current approach to player development. What English talent that does break through all seems to be the rampaging bulldog kind: Wilshire, Rooney, Barkley, Shaw. All terrific athletes who don't half give it something. Less obvious are the thinkers, the glue players who make their teammates look better.

In this sense, England's back four and shield was an embarrassment. Glen Johnson has his moments as a forward but his form in the World Cup was basically awful. Jagielka and Cahill both seem like junior partners to a better centre-back we don't have. Leighton Baines has that lovely left foot, but Ashley Cole shuts down his flank.

Gerrard and Henderson feels like 2/3 of a good idea, but as others have mentioned, probably needed an extra man to work effectively. We don't have that extra man.

Further forward we looked alright, I thought. Rooney was shackled by opponents for obvious reasons and generally did his bit. He's not the star we had perhaps dreamed he might become, but he is very, very good, and in that sense Wayne Rooney is the least of England's worries. Sturridge is a fabulous player who needed more help. Sterling impressed me. I don't mind Danny Welbeck, although perhaps Adam Lallana might have brought a little more guile.

So there we are. Hodgson's heroes were not to be. They came, they saw, they went home early.


http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2014/06/21/a-few-thoughts-on-england/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Grant the right choice - Magath

Fulham made the 'right choice' in appointing Peter Grant as their new first team coach, says boss Felix Magath. Grant, who has held roles at the likes of West Ham, Norwich, West Brom and Celtic, has been unveiled as part of Magath's coaching team as they prepare for life in the Championship. "I'm delighted Peter Grant has joined my backroom staff for the start of pre-season training," Magath told the club's official website. "I believe Peter is the right choice to join us as we build for the future."



Read more at: https://www.clubcall.com/fulham/grant-the-right-choice---magath-1730282.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Why Fulham would be stupid to pay £9million for Leeds United's Ross McCormack

We at Fulham have had our fair share of transfer flops over the past few years.

From a club that used to unearth such gems as Luis Saha, we have become a synonym for incompetence, throwing money at failure after failure.

Bryan Ruiz did not come cheap and Kostas Mitroglou, at around £11million, has got to go down as one of the biggest transfer disasters in Premier League history.

There are signs of change on the horizon, however, with far less outrageous pursuits of players who are both proven and reasonably valued. Shaun Hutchinson fits under that bracket perfectly.

One link that won't go away, however, is Ross McCormack. If reports are to be believed, we have already had a bid of £5million knocked back and are in a position to raise the stakes.

That's all well and good, but only up to a certain point. Supposedly, Leeds United's new owner, Massimo Cellino, has set an asking price of £9million and stated only 'big clubs' are welcome.

You'd have to assume we don't fall under that bracket any longer but, you also feel, our interest will persist. But should it?

At £9 million, certainly not. McCormack is a fine player – his record at Championship level shows that.

Last season, he was top scorer and he would add a lethal touch to our otherwise impotent forward line.

Yet, while there are obvious benefits to signing a player who has second-tier experience, surely they cannot, realistically, claim a nigh-on eight digit transfer fee?

That's just ludicrous. There are many, many Premier League players – proven, experienced ones at that – who would not command such a sum.

And so if we carried on pursuing the Leeds striker, and did indeed settle on a £9million deal, the risk involved would be huge. It would reek of the same old Fulham, naively ploughing money into anything that moves.

Instead, that cash could be spent more astutely – perhaps split between two, respectable players whom could boost a squad that is currently threadbare.

Because, there has to come a time when we begin to learn from our mistakes. If that can't be now, months after relegation and on the cusp of a whole new generation, then maybe things will never change.


http://metro.co.uk/2014/06/21/why-fulham-would-be-stupid-to-pay-9million-for-leeds-uniteds-ross-mccormack-4770683/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Bryan Ruiz out to show Arsenal and Sunderland what he's made of in Brazil

BRYAN RUIZ broke England hearts. Now he's hell-bent on breaking into our minds.

The Costa Rican's goal beat Italy on Friday, ending Roy Hodgson and his players' World Cup adventure in the process.

Ruiz a man on a mission. He wants to prove he is not the flop he was branded after Fulham farmed him out on loan to PSV Eindhoven in January.

Ruiz, who will lead Costa Rica against England on Tuesday, wants a Premier League return.

He said: "I want to show the English what I am and that what happened at Fulham is not real."

Relegated Fulham will probably accept a fair bit less than the £10million they paid FC Twente for him – and Sunderland's Uruguyan boss Gus Poyet is a big admirer.

Arsene Wenger, also in the market for a new striker, is likely to run the rule over Ruiz on Tuesday – and especially his partnership with Arsenal's returning Costa Rican wonder kid Joel Campbell.

Elsewhere Manchester United's Wilfried Zaha wants to end his personal hell at Old Trafford.

The former England Under-21 striker, for whom United paid Crystal Palace £20m, ended last season on loan at relegated Cardiff.

Now Selhurst Park boss Tony Pulis is understood to have put out feelers and is hoping to bring the club's former golden boy home on a season-long deal.

Another former Palace favourite, Tom Ince, is hoping to secure his future with a move to either QPR or Hull City.

Ince has had talks with both managers Harry Redknapp and Steve Bruce after becoming a free agent at Blackpool.


http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/483992/Fulham-s-Bryan-Ruiz-out-to-show-Arsenal-and-Sunderland-what-he-s-made-of-in-Brazil

[WayneKerrins]

Well that's ruined this fine Sunday morning..