Wednesday Fulham Stuff (02/07/14)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Reports: Fulham close to signing Ross McCormack ahead of Newcastle United

Fulham are reportedly close to clinching the signing of Leeds United striker Ross McCormack ahead of Premier League side Newcastle, according to the Yorkshire Post.

Newcastle have been favourites to land the Leeds forward following his exploits in the Championship last season, however, Fulham saw a bid in the region of £5m turned down for the 27-year-old a few weeks ago.

Pardew's men had a poor season and the former Charlton and West Ham boss has been lambasted by the Newcastle faithful, many of whom are keen for their manager to leave the club.

Despite strong speculation that Pardew was set to have his job cut, he seems set to stay at the club after reaching an amicable agreement with owner Mike Ashley. Pardew signed a new eight-year deal just two seasons ago which is reportedly one of many reasons why Ashley does not want to let go of Pardew.

McCormack didn't travel with his team-mates to United's pre-season training camp at Santa Cristina in northern Italy this morning and that has added fuel to the fire that Fulham could be set to land the striker in next few days.

McCormack is valued at around £6 million by Leeds, a figure Fulham are reportedly ready to part ways with.

McCormack created 107 chances in the Championship last season, registering eight assists.


http://www.squawka.com/news/fulham-close-to-signing-ross-mccormack-ahead-of-newcastle-united/133105?

[WhiteJC]

 
Away Days: Rotherham United

Every morning for 23 days we'll be providing a bite-size profile of our upcoming opposition in the 2014/15 Sky Bet Championship season. Next up is Rotherham United.


Date: Tuesday 21st October (7.45pm)

Recent history: In 2012/13, Rotherham were plying their trade in the bottom division of the Football League, and so the coming season in the Championship demonstrates their rapid ascent. After finishing second in League Two a year ago, they nabbed a Play-Off place in the subsequent campaign, beating Leyton Orient on penalties in the Final.

The manager: Steve Evans, appointed April 2012

Player to watch: Jordan Bowery, forward

Marathonbet odds for the title: 50/1

Head-to-head record: Fulham 14, Rotherham 9, Draw 11

Previous meeting: Fulham 1-0 Rotherham (Sean Farrell) Division Two, April 1994

By train: London Kings Cross – Rotherham Central [via Doncaster] (approx. 2 hours 20 minutes)

Five who played for both: David Stockdale, Robert Milsom, Jon Harley, Rob Scott, Tony Thorpe


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/july/01/away-days-rotherham-united?

[WhiteJC]

 
Transfer news: Fulham in talks with Leeds about a deal for Ross McCormack

Ross McCormack: Looks set for Fulham move

Fulham are holding talks with Leeds United about a move for striker Ross McCormack, Sky sources understand.

Leeds rejected a bid from Fulham for the Scotland international last month, but the Cottagers appear to be edging closer to a deal.

Negotiations are ongoing although a fee is yet to be agreed for McCormack, who stayed in England while his team-mates headed off for a pre-season trip to Italy.

Norwich, Derby, West Ham and QPR have also been linked with the 27-year-old after he scored 28 goals for Leeds last season.

United owner Massimo Cellino has suggested that McCormack would only be sold to a 'big team', but they are now prepared to let the player join their Championship rivals.

Strike partner Matt Smith admitted he would be devastated if his team-mate departs Elland Road.

He told the Yorkshire Evening Post: "For me, he's the best player in the division and an absolute magician to play up front with. So I would be devastated if he was to leave as I'd love to have another season with him because I think we are a good foil for each other."


http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/9367360/fulham-in-talks-with-leeds-about-a-deal-for-ross-mccormack?

[WhiteJC]

 
Ruiz and running

On message boards sometimes people have had a dig at me for using statistics. I do understand the limitations of statistics in football, honestly I do. But I also understand that sometimes they tell us things that we wouldn't otherwise know. They supplement what we see with our eyes. I understand that most people aren't after "the truth" and aren't that bothered that they need to see a statistical counterpoint to their dearly held belief, but while we have all these debates it always seems worth considering a variety of angles. And increasingly that means statistics, too.

As various books tell us (most famously now, Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking: Fast and Slow") the human brain is actually pretty bad at evaluating a lot of things. It takes shortcuts all the time, which is important in so far as it helped man evolve into what it is today, but which can lead to evaluative issues. We all make snap judgements about footballers, and if we get it in our minds that "Ruiz is always losing it" our brains get excited when we see this happen in a game. So while Ruiz might only get caught on the ball twice in a match, that's what we'll take away because it conforms to our "Ruiz code". our dominant image of Ruiz's contribution will be him getting caught on the ball. So the other night I saw Ruiz probing and attempting lots of forward passes; another poster on TiFF said that he and his friends had noted how frequently Ruiz passed up the opportunity to play forwards. We were both looking at the same thing, but both looking *for* different things.

And for another thing, there's really so much going on on a football pitch that we simply can't keep up. I mentioned in passing yesterday that Bryan Ruiz, in contrast to popular perceptions, had run as far as anyone in Costa Rica's games. We've been here before: I noticed in an away defeat at Southampton that, contrary to a lot of observers' reports, Ruiz, while not involved, was hardly standing still. He was doing the exact opposite, making long and circular runs that were more or less useless. He wasn't not trying; he just wasn't making very intelligent attempts to get involved. Or put another way, he was probably trying too hard.

Which is why statistics can help. In this World Cup, FIFA is making available all kinds of information. So we know how far Bryan ran, and, despite Spigs' challenge, we actually know that he wasn't going at 5mph while running all this way. We also know that Ruiz passed forward and backwards, and that against Greece, for example, he found Joel Campbell 11 times, twice as often as anyone else did.

http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2014/07/01/ruiz-and-running/?

[WhiteJC]

 
QPR: Andrew Johnson and Aaron Hughes head summer clear-out

QPR have released Andrew Johnson, Aaron Hughes and Stephane Mbia following the expiry of their contracts.

The club also confirmed the departure of former England full-back Luke Young, 34, along with Hogan Ephraim, Angelo Balanta and Tom Hitchcock.

But Rob Green, Armand Traore, Alejandro Faurlin, Bobby Zamora and Gary O'Neil are in talks over new deals.

QPR, promoted via the play-offs last term, begin the new Premier League season at home to Hull on 16 August.

Former England forward Johnson, 33, departs following a two injury-hit years in which he made just 24 appearances, scoring twice.

Ex-Newcastle and Fulham defender Hughes, 34, joined QPR on a short-term deal on deadline day in January and made 11 appearances.

Mbia, 28, spent last season on loan at Sevilla. He exits Loftus Road after making 32 appearances since joining from Marseille in 2012 as part of the deal that saw Joey Barton leave the R's for a loan spell in France.

QPR also confirmed loan players Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Ravel Morrison, Tom Carrol, Will Keane, Kevin Doyle, Niko Kranjcar and Modibo Maiga have returned to their parent clubs.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28118282

[WhiteJC]

 
McCormack Coming
   
In what appears to be a dramatic turn of events, it now looks exceeding like the Leeds United striker, Ross McCormack, will be coming to Craven Cottage.

In what has been a right old see-saw affair with it first being intimated that the Scottish international would be heading to Cardiff City and then that he`d be staying with the Yorkshire side, it is now being reported that Fulham will wrap up a deal for the player who scored 29 times last season, inside the next 48 hours.

Whilst Leeds United have gone on a two week pre-season training trip to Italy, McCormack has stayed behind and is expected in London within the next 48 hours to agree personal terms and undertake a medical.

As for a fee, it is being reported that Leeds dropped their asking price from £12 million and Fulham were quick to move in and offer £10 million.

Can McCormack fire the goals that will give us an instant return to the Premier League?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=362388#ixzz36F4rQEmH

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Ruiz proves he should be kept, Mitroglou not so much

Bryan Ruiz put in another impressive performance for Costa Rica against Greece - but Kostas Mitroglou did not fare so well.

It was a quirky twist of fate that the two Fulham forwards, considered by many to be Fulham misfits, ever met at the World Cup. And it was testament to their sides' team spirit that their meeting came at the last-16 stage of the greatest show on the planet.

It was no surprise, however, to see Ruiz score for his country once more, while many Fulham supporters were less than shocked to see Mitroglou put in a mixed performance for the Greeks.

   Team   Goals   mins / Touches   mins / Won Contest   mins / Successful Final Third Passes   mins / Aerial Won   Mins
Bryan Ruiz   Costa Rica   1   2.07   40.00   8.57   0   120
Kostas Mitroglou   Greece   0   5.17   0   15.50   62.00   62
As Opta stats show, 28-year-old Ruiz was an important presence for Costa Rica over 120 minutes, scoring their only goal and taking a touch every two minutes.

Mitroglou got less involved, making a touch every five minutes after coming on as a substitute. The Fulham striker also won just the one aerial duel - although that was more than Ruiz, he won no dribbles, compared to the Costa Rican's three.

Mitroglou's passing in the final third was also less successful, while the 26-year-old missed a big chance to win Greece the game in extra time.

On the basis of their World Cup campaigns so far, then, one clear winner emerges if the Cottagers ever had to decide which to keep out of the two.

Deciding to sell Mitroglou purely based on his World Cup form, though, would be harsh, as the Greece man is still short of fitness - and cost Fulham no less than £12 million.

On the subject of summer sales, another interesting figure of note in Costa Rica's clash with Greece was Giorgos Karagounis, the 37-year-old midfielder who Fulham have released ahead of the coming season.

   Team   Pos   Accurate Pass   Touches   Won Contest   Won Tackle   Mins
Giorgos Karagounis   Greece   MF   72   104   1   4   120
Giannis Maniatis   Greece   MF   37   63   2   0   78
Lazaros Christodoulopoulos   Greece   MF   36   69   7   0   120
Celso Borges   Costa Rica   MF   34   44   0   0   120
Considering his age, the move not to extend Karagounis' contract is understandable - but he was still the best midfielder on the pitch in the last-16 tie.

With 72 accurate passes and 104 touches, Karagounis was livelier than any other midfielder from either side, while he also won one dribble and four tackles.

The 37-year-old announced his retirement from international football after Greece's exit and will now look for a new club to play for next term.


http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/07/01/fulhams-ruiz-proves-he-should-be-kept-mitroglou-not-so-much/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham: Both Sides Of The Ross McCormack Coin

Fulham, supposedly, are on the verge of signing Leeds United forward Ross McCormack as they prepare for life in The Championship and some sources have the fee somewhere in the region of £10m.

Quite clearly, that is a staggering amount of money for that particular player and a lot of money for a club on parachute payments to be spending.  Additionally, Fulham have some very promising young talent in their squad and the assumption had been that both Moussa Dembele and Cauley Woodrow would feature heavily in Felix Magath's side this season.

Possibly they will, but think about it like this:

- Ross McCormack is not worth £10m in Premier League terms, because he has nothing like that kind of value above the Championship.  However, if he can return anything like the 28 goals he scored for Leeds last season, that £10m will actually be money well spent – it's a gamble, obviously, but sides looking to get out of The Championship need a goal-scorer.  The ends might justify the means.

- Kostas Mitroglou will almost certainly be leaving Fulham in the near future, and the revenue from that transfer will probably cover anything spent on McCormack.

- This is the one chance Fulham really have to spend their way out of the division – and it's really only one position which requires significant investment.  With players like Mitroglou available to be sold, why not reinvest that revenue in ensuring that the club don't become one of those relegated sides who become bogged-down in Championship life?

- Maybe it's a good idea to take some of the pressure and expectation off Woodrow and Dembele?  Both are very talented, but both are raw enough to potentially struggle with the responsibility of having their club's short-term future on their shoulders.  Fulham's circumstances shouldn't be allowed to interfere with how these players – and others, like Patrick Roberts – are brought on.  Youth has to be carefully cultivated and used responsibly, and so maybe adding McCormack is a way of ensuring that certain players' development paths aren't interfered with more than necessary.

It is big money, but then you have to contextualise that with how big the reward is here; immediate promotion is very important for Fulham and if McCormack can help – which he's equipped to do – then £10m won't really seem that significant.


http://thepremierleagueowl.com/fulham-both-sides-of-the-ross-mccormack-coin/

[WhiteJC]

 
Lies, lies will tear us apart, again

Leeds FanZoner Steve Turner believes Ross McCormack is right to want out of Elland Road after a startling lack of ambition in recent months.

"Keeping McCormack is a matter of principle, not money" announced Cellino, confidently.

It was enough to temporarily placate the fans, who were worrying about the possibility of a Championship campaign without the player that had just single-handedly kept them in the division.

To those fans, McCormack was an asset for more than just his goals. He 'got it', and thrived on the pressure that came with playing for Leeds, a feat many before him struggled with. The thought of losing him to a Premier League club was hard to take. While few would deny that he had earned the right to play at the highest level, it hurt to imagine him in the colours of another team. Cellino appeared to share the same view.

"If a Premier League team comes we have to give him the chance but I pledge to keep him here." A few days later, it was revealed that fellow Championship rivals Fulham were in talks with McCormack over a move to Craven Cottage, and the backlash began. "McContract" snarled some, a midst other, less repeatable insults. They were met with a telling silence from both player and club.

The dismal truth is, he's right to leave.

Back in May, McCormack publicly challenged Cellino to show some ambition, stating that it was "up to the owner to show his hand now, and let everyone see what his plans for next season are, because if the quotes from him are right and he's said he doesn't expect promotion next year, that's not something us as players want to hear or hang around for." Two months, and no new signings later, Cellino brought in the practically unheard of Dave Hockaday to coach the team, and the camel's back broke.

Ross McCormack wanted to take Leeds to the Premier League. His commitment was unquestionable, but after giving the club another season of his precious career, one in which he gave everything he had to give, his reward was for the club to demonstrate the most shattering display of ambition possible.

At this point, it appears he has decided to draw the line. Every player that has anything about them harbours ambitions of playing at the highest level possible, in McCormack's case, that level is undeniably the Premier League. Perhaps then, it speaks volumes that he sees that the quickest route to fulfilling that dream is with a team in the same division, on the same points, with the same level playing field, as Leeds. With the signing of McCormack, Fulham will have shown more ambition than Leeds did in the entirety of his time with the club.

The move to Craven Cottage is no 'side-step', Leeds are a club stagnating in a division that becomes harder to escape from with every wasted season, while Fulham have their eye on an instant return to the Premier League. The pledge by Cellino to keep McCormack was a bold one to make, though Leeds fans are beginning to find that behind the promises is a catastrophic lack of action. Broken promises results in broken trust, which sees unease and a lack of confidence spread through the club like a virus. Cellino recently compared Leeds to a Ferrari; it's as well that he never commented on its condition, as they're in need of a serious amount of work. Once the initial hurt has subsided, McCormack will leave Leeds with the blessing of most fans. He'll move on to Fulham knowing that he gave everything he could to restore this clapped out Ferrari to its former glory.

Unfortunately, it was just too much of a scrapheap to salvage.


http://www.teamtalk.com/fanzone/15164/9368145/-?

[WhiteJC]

 
Predicted Fulham XI for next season: Includes Taggart & McCormack

A look at Fulham's potential starting XI next season with Ross McCormack and Adam Taggart included.

Felix Magath has plenty of options to choose from next term as he looks to guide Fulham out of the Championship and back to the Premier League.

Having brought the average age of the squad down considerably and signed Taggart and Tim Hoogland, the German may also have Leeds United striker McCormack available for selection should the club conclude a deal for the 27-year-old.

It is in defence where Magath may have slightly more limited options - but here's a look at what team the Fulham boss could select as things stand.

GK - Stockdale

With Maarten Stekelenburg hinting that he is unsure about his future, David Stockdale seems the likely candidate to stand between the posts for the Cottagers next season. The 28-year-old was favoured by boss Magath towards the end of last term and there is no reason to suggest that faith will disappear any time soon.

LB - Richardson

Although Kieran Richardson was originally a midfielder, his likely position should he stay at Craven Cottage this season will be at left-back. The exits of Jon Arne Riise and Sascha Riether have left the Fulham defence a little threadbare, with Richardson able to use his pace to raid down the left from deep.

CB - Burn

No more Brede Hangeland means Dan Burn should be Fulham's... next Hangeland. The towering centre-back made nine appearances last season and has already been a leading figure in training for the Cottagers. This could be his year.

CB - Amorebieta

Capable of deputising at left-back or playing through the middle, Fernando Amorebieta should have a busy campaign ahead if he stays at Craven Cottage. Fulham fans will hope the 29-year-old develops a blossoming partnership with Burn this term.

RB - Hoogland

Signed from Schalke on a free transfer this summer, Tim Hoogland is very likely to be Fulham's first-choice right-back. Like manager Magath, the German is highly experienced, having tasted Champions League football with his former club.

LM - Kacaniklic

Midfield is where things get a little more complicated for Fulham. An abundance of options present themselves, especially going forward. Based on ability, however, Alexander Kacaniklic should make the starting XI - provided he also stays in west London this term. At 22, Kacaniklic has a bright future ahead of him.

CDM - Parker

A veteran and stalwart, Scott Parker should be vital to Fulham's aspirations of getting promoted back to the top flight. As a defensive midfielder, Parker has graced the Champions League and Euro 2012. Magath will surely look to utilise his expertise.

CAM - Ruiz

A controversial choice, especially as playing two strikers will render his presence more a luxury than a necessity, Bryan Ruiz should really be a central player if he stays at Craven Cottage. Again, the Costa Rican's future in uncertain. But should he remain with the club, his creativity is second to none, something many believe Martin Jol did not take advantage of in the right way.

RM - Dejagah

Like Ruiz, Ashkan Dejagah has enjoyed a fine World Cup campaign and should start a lot more this time around, now that the watching world knows what he is capable of. Dejagah's impact as a substitute last term may mean a place on the bench quite often, though.

ST - McCormack

The man Fulham have been chasing for an age now, Ross McCormack is virtually guaranteed a starting spot after the amount of time the Cottagers have reportedly spent chasing him. The Leeds striker finished top scorer in the Championship last season with 28 goals. If he joins Fulham, he'll start.

ST - Taggart

Another frontman who will be new in west London, Adam Taggart made a name for himself with his goalscoring exploits in the A-League. As such, the 21-year-old could form a solid partnership with McCormack, though his age may mean he is slowly brought into the first-team picture to give him time to develop.

Alternatives

With so many players' futures up in the air, the Fulham side may end up looking completely different. Meanwhile, the likes of Pajtim Kasami, Hugo Rodallega, Cauley Woodrow and Kostas Mitroglou are just some of those who could also stake a claim in the Cottagers' first team.

Whichever XI do play, promotion will be the aim.


http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/07/01/tp-predicted-fulham-xi-for-next-season-includes-taggart-mccormac/?

[WhiteJC]

 
New Kit Online And In Store

The eagerly awaited 2014/15 adidas Home Strip is now available for fans to buy, and with our new online store www.fulhamdirect.fulhamfc.com launched today, supporters can now get their hands on the kit!

We've captured our unique past, but added a touch of the future with our 'New Originals' concept. The design takes inspiration from some of our early Club kits, as well as striped shirts from the 1980s. With contrasting white and light grey stripes on the front panel, vibrant infared tipping to the neck and sleeves along with the team crest on the left chest, fans can wear this new Fulham jersey with pride.

On top of the new home strip, which is £5 cheaper than last season's offering, we've also launched an impressive Training range - as already revealed by Felix Magath and his squad at Motspur Park as they got their pre-season programme up and running.

For our latest generation of Fulham fans there's also a new line of FFC baby wear, while, as ever, there is a variety of Club souvenirs to choose from including a new selection of badges and key rings, plus adidas infrared footballs, rucksacks, water bottles and captains armbands.

With a new and improved online store - www.fulhamdirect.fulhamfc.com - introduced, complete with improved functionality, favourite player shirt selection* and a click and collect option for both the Stadium Store and Motspur Park, there's no better time to show your colours for the 14/15 campaign!

*Squad numbers for the 2014/15 season are yet to be confirmed.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/july/01/kit-in-store?