Thursday Fulham Stuff (24/07/14)...

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Football League World Fans Preview- Fulham

Fulham fan Oli Shapley gives his thoughts on how his side are going to fair back in the Sky Bet Championship this season.

What are your expectations for this season?

Expectations for the season have got to be promotion, we showed at the end of last season with a few wins that if we had started better we could have stayed up, and we have showed in the last few years that we belong in the Premiership.

What do you think of your summer business so far?

Summer business has been a little disappointing, I think Ross McCormack was overpriced (£11 million from Leeds United) and letting Pajtim Kasami go was a strange one, which is why they need to get back up to the Premiership as soon as possible. Also letting go of Brede Hangeland and the way he was treated was disappointing for the fans as he has been solid for us for many years.

Who will be your star player this year?

This might be an obvious choice but I will go with Scott Parker, with his experience he has at this level and the many years in the Premier League, he needs to lead the team back to the top division.

Who will be your breakout star this year?

The breakthrough player will be Cauley Woodrow, he can prove himself in the Championship and then build on that for the future. He played towards the end of last season for us and was a breath of fresh air in a faltering side.

What game are you looking forward to the most?

There are a fair few derbies this season, so looking forward to the likes of Millwall, Charlton, Brentford and Watford. It will also be good to go to some other grounds around the country, but hopefully for only one season!


http://footballleagueworld.co.uk/football-league-fans-preview-fulham/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Thomas Eisfeld signs for Fulham

Thomas Eisfeld has joined Fulham for an undisclosed fee.

The 21-year-old German midfielder signed for Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund's academy in January 2012.

As well as being a regular at youth level for the Gunners, Eisfeld featured in two competitive matches for the first team.

He made his debut in Arsenal's 7-5 League Cup victory over Reading on October 30, 2012, scoring in his second appearance for the club in the League Cup victory over West Bromwich Albion last season.

A player with a keen eye for goal, Eisfeld also netted three times for the senior side during the club's 2012 and 2013 pre-season Asia Tours.

Everyone at the club would like to thank Thomas for his contribution and to wish him well for the future.



http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140723/thomas-eisfeld-signs-for-fulham?

[WhiteJC]

 
Eisfeld Arrives

Fulham Football Club is delighted to confirm the signing of Thomas Eisfeld from Arsenal.

The attacking midfielder has signed a two-year deal with an option for a further 12 months that will see the player remain at the Club until at least the summer of 2016.

Eisfeld spent eight years in Borussia Dortmund's youth academy before moving to North London in 2012.

The 21-year-old made two senior appearances for Arsenal. His debut came in his first season as a second-half substitute at Reading in the League Cup. Arsenal went on to win 7-5 in extra-time despite trailing 4-0 at the break.

He then scored his first goal for the Gunners last season in the same competition against West Bromwich Albion which Arsenal, after a 1-1 draw at the end of extra-time, went on to win 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/july/23/eisfeld-arrives?

[WhiteJC]

 
Arsenal talent Eisfeld joins Fulham for an undisclosed fee

Arsenal have an excellent reputation for bringing through top young talent from around the globe with the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Alex Song and Jack Wilshere all excellent examples. But of the next generation many an Arsenal fan found themselves excited by the potential shown by Germany youth international Thomas Eisfeld.

Once dubbed better than Mario Gotze, who of course recently scored a very important goal, the ex-Borussia Dortmund talent joined the Gunners in January 2012.

He had also made headway into the first team. He impressed in that infamous 7-5 League Cup win against Reading back in 2012 while last season he scored during a cup tie with West Bromwich Albion. He had also impressed on pre-season tours and many a fan had compared him to club legend Freddie Ljungberg in playing style.

So the future seemed bright for him at The Emirates, until today. It has been confirmed by the club that Eisfeld has been sold to Championship side Fulham for an undisclosed fee.

Countryman Felix Magath is a fan of the 21-year-old - and has decided to bring him down to the second tier of English football to see if he can continue his development at Craven Cottage.

Eisfeld, who is an attacking midfielder, had shown signs of stagnation toward the end of last season but most Arsenal fans would agree he was a player who did not get the chances he deserved in the Gunners first-team after the impressive cameos he put in.

With first-team football unlikely in North London he has made a positive career move in joining the Magath revolution in the South West of the capital.

Now he has the task of earning regular first-team football and helping The Cottagers rejoin his former employers in the Premier League at the first time of asking.


http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/07/23/arsenal-talent-eisfeld-joins-fulham-for-an-undisclosed-fee/

[WhiteJC]

 
Arsenal's German wonderkid joins Fulham

Fulham have completed the signing of highly-rated German midfielder Thomas Eisfeld from Arsenal.

The Premier League side have confirmed the transfer of Eisfeld to the Cottagers who were relegated to the Championship last season.

Thomas Eisfeld was highly-rated when he joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund in January 2012 for a reported fee of £475,000. Here is the City still declaring him a 'wonderkid' as recently as April 2014.

The 21-year old made just two appearances in the Arsenal first team during his two-year stay at the Emirates Stadium.  He had been expected to break into the first team at the Emirates Stadium in the near future.  It is possible that manager Arsène Wenger is freeing up an extra space for non-home grown players.

His debut appearance was as a substitute during the thrilling 7-5 League Cup win over Reading in October 2012 where he got himself on the scoresheet.  Last season he made his second and final appearance for the Gunners' first team, also in the League Cup, and also scoring – this time against West Bromwich Albion.

Born in Finsterwalde, Germany, Eisfeld was a part of the Borussia Dortmund youth system from 2005 until he left for the English Premier League in 2012.  He made his debut for the Germany under-20 national team in March this year.

The attacking midfielder has great technique and had a great goalscoring record for both the Dortmund youth system, and the Arsenal under-21s, scoring 12 goals in 30 appearances in the Premier League under-21 league.

Some of his skills that Fulham fans can look forward to this season are in the video below:

Thomas Eisfeld - Arsenal's German Wonderkid

Thomas Eisfeld joins fellow German Tim Hoogland to sign up at Craven Cottage so far this summer.  This season Fulham will be playing outside the Premier League for the first time since the 2000-01 season.  They kick off their campaign at Ipswich Town on Saturday 9 August.


http://www.cleansheetsallround.co.uk/16846/arsenals-german-wonderkid-joins-fulham?

[WhiteJC]

 
Thomas Eisfeld joins Fulham from Arsenal on permanent deal
• German midfielder made just two first-team appearances
• Eisfeld was signed from Borussia Dortmund in 2012


German midfielder Thomas Esifeld has joined Fulham having made just two senior
appearances for Arsenal. Photograph: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Arsenal have confirmed the sale of German midfielder Thomas Eisfeld to Fulham.

The 21-year-old was signed from Borussia Dortmund's academy in January 2012 and made two competitive appearances for the first team, including the 7-5 victory over Reading in the League Cup in 2012.

But having made just one appearance last season, Eisfeld has been allowed to move across London and is believed to have signed a two-year contract with the option of a further 12 months at Craven Cottage.

"Thomas Eisfeld has joined Fulham for an undisclosed fee," read a statement on Arsenal's website.

"A player with a keen eye for goal, Eisfeld also netted three times for the senior side during the club's 2012 and 2013 pre-season Asia Tours.

"Everyone at the club would like to thank Thomas for his contribution and to wish him well for the future."



http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jul/23/thomas-eisfeld-fulham-arsenal-transfer?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham sign Thomas Eisfeld from Arsenal and Adil Chihi

Fulham have signed Arsenal midfielder Thomas Eisfeld and free agent Morocco international winger Adil Chihi.

German Eisfeld, 21, has joined for an undisclosed fee, having made just two appearances for the Gunners in the League Cup since arriving from Borussia Dortmund's academy in 2012.

He has agreed a two-year deal while Chihi, 26, signed a one-year deal with the option of a further 12 months.
Chihi was on trial at Fulham after leaving German side FC Cologne in June.

The Dusseldorf-born wide-man played his entire senior career with Cologne, making more than 130 appearances since 2005, and earned the first of his two international caps in 2008.

He is Felix Magath's eighth signing since Fulham were relegated from the Premier League.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28446952

[WhiteJC]

 
Chihi Signs

Fulham Football Club is delighted to confirm the free transfer signing of Adil Chihi, following a successful trial with the Whites, on a one-year deal with an option for a further 12 months.

The 26-year-old wideman previously played for German side FC Cologne, where he had made more than 130 senior appearances and scored 20 goals since his first-team debut in 2005.

Chihi, born in Dusseldorf, is of Moroccan descent and has made two international appearances for their national team. His debut was in a friendly match against Benin in 2008.



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/july/23/chihi-signs?

[WhiteJC]

 
Why goalkeeper David Stockdale needs to stay at Fulham

Bar a few stragglers that seem to have clung on for an unhealthy amount of time – Messrs Mitroglou and Stekelenburg, I'm looking at you – the Fulham exodus is almost complete.

It's no bad thing, throwing out the deadwood, but there is no doubt that Felix Magath has done so at a quite alarming rate. A rate that leaves us almost painfully short of experienced players.

But, then again, there is method in his madness. The likes of Cauley Woodrow and Chris David have shown that there is much depth to be found in this squad amongst the youngsters, a group who have been nurtured with distinction by the very best in the business.

And so, while our squad looks almost ridiculously threadbare to the naked eye, the potential departures of Fernando Amorebieta, Bryan Ruiz and Askhan Dejagah are not as foreboding as they may sound.

Saddening, yes, particularly in the case of Dejagah, a rare shining light in last season's campaign, but concerning, no.

Yet, there is one piece of news that sets alarm bells ringing. A reported £1m bid from Brighton and Hove Albion for David Stockdale.

Naturally, there may be no truth in the rumour, but last season's undisputed number one has yet to feature in a pre-season friendly and Magath, supposedly, is eyeing up Bolton Wanderer's Adam Bogdan.

Add that to how non-committal Stockdale was with fans at the game against Crawley Town – tremendously well attended by the Fulham faithful, I might add – and his future in SW6 suddenly doesn't seem so certain.

And that is so very disappointing because Stockdale has been a consistently solid goalkeeper for Fulham and has more-than earned his role in the first team.

For the best part of six years now, he has been nothing more than a second choice, working vigorously both on loan and at Craven Cottage to make his presence felt.

Last season, thanks to the ineptitude of Stekelenburg, he had the chance to make himself known and, excuse the pun, he took it with both hands.

He has proven himself both reliable, dominant in his area and, above all, capable of the spectacular. The kind of spectacular that makes the difference between three points and one.

For that, he deserves the number one spot next season. For one reason or another Magath may not rate him, but the fans certainly do.


http://metro.co.uk/2014/07/23/why-goalkeeper-david-stockdale-needs-to-stay-at-fulham-4807012/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Another Arsenal dream is over! Auf Wiedersehen Eisfeld

I can't say I blame him for deciding to leave Arsenal to further his career in professional football, but at the same time I was sad to see the news on Arsenal.com that the young German Gunner Thomas Eisfeld has called time on his dream of becoming a first team player with Arsenal.

The 21-year old has today signed for Fulham on a two year contract, where the midfielder will surely get the regular game time he needs to progress. It must have been a tough decision for Eisfeld, though, because he was tipped as being one of the young players most likely to break through from the academy, but his compatriot Serge Gnabry came up on the outside lane and overtook him.

It didn't help that the young German's best position was as an attacking midfielder, where Arsenal have more options than a multiple choice exam. Eisfeld must have looked around him at Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky and the rest and just decided that he would be very lucky to add to his two competitive Arsenal games in the coming season.

At least one of those games was a classic, though, as Eisfeld came on as a second half sub in that amazing League Cup game against Reading when Arsenal looked dead and buried but came back to win 7-5 after extra time. Good luck to you, Thomas Eisfeld, and all the best for the future.



http://www.justarsenal.com/another-arsenal-dream-is-over-auf-wiedersehen-eisfeld/34094?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Football Club comes to town

Information on how fans can get involved with several events in the coming days including an open practice with the Fulham Football Club.

Fulham players to sign autographs with Jaguars players following Friday's training camp practice

Members of Fulham Football Club will attend the Jaguars' first training camp practice on Friday at 9:55 a.m. at the Florida Blue Practice Fields.  Fulham players will sign autographs along with Jaguars players following practice.

Fulham FC players will be visiting a youth summer camp at the YMCA (7373 Old Kings Road S, Jacksonville, FL 32217) from 3-3:45 p.m. on Friday. Media are encouraged to attend.



Fulham and D.C. United to hold open practices at EverBank Field Friday evening

Fulham and D.C. United will each hold an open practice session at EverBank Field on Friday evening in preparation for their friendly match on Saturday.  D.C. United will practice from 5:30-7 p.m. at EverBank Field while Fulham will practice from 7-8:30 p.m.  Gates will open to the public at 5 p.m., and all fans should park in lots C or D and enter the stadium through the East Touchdown Club.

For media, Fulham Manager Felix Magath and selected players will be available to the media at 6:45 p.m. outside the south locker room at EverBank Field.



Fans encouraged to use JTA Stadium Shuttle Saturday evening

There will be limited available parking for the July 26th Mega Event in and around the sports complex. With three events and the first beginning at 6 p.m., fans are encouraged to use the JTA Stadium Shuttle. The Stadium Shuttle will be available for $7.00 round trip from one location, the Convention Center Lot, at 1005 Forsyth St., across from the Prime Osborn Convention Center.



http://www.jaguars.com/news/article-JaguarsNews/Fulham-Football-Club-comes-to-town/b8c2408c-2294-493e-9b2e-1fae1325d7d2#

[WhiteJC]

 
Arsenal flop joins Fulham

Fulham have signed Arsenal midfielder Thomas Eisfeld for an undisclosed fee.

The 21-year-old was limited to just two appearances in the Capital One Cup for the Gunners after joining Borussia Dortmund in 2012.

The German has signed a two year deal at Craven Cottage.


http://www.london24.com/sport/football/clubs/fulham/arsenal_flop_joins_fulham_1_3696704

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Association of Millwall Supporters want answers on Fulham ticketing problems

Millwall have confirmed they are looking into their ticketing system after fans were left frustrated when trying to book seats for the forthcoming trip to Fulham on August 16.

Supporters took to online forums and social media to complain the website for booking tickets kept crashing and also that they were being cut off by the ticketing phone line following long waits.

And now the newly-formed Association of Millwall Supporters (AMS) are demanding answers – and an apology – from the club's commercial department.

In a letter to Millwall, the AMS wrote: "We were told that the QPR situation would not be repeated, it was.

"It's all very well blaming the provider, but the club is culpable as it has entered into the agreement with this particular ticketing agency."

A spokesman for the Lions told News Shopper they were aware of the problems some fans had encountered while trying to book Fulham tickets and are investigating what happened.

The club also confirmed provisions are being made to introduce a new ticketing system soon which will improve the situation.



http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/sport/11361031._/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Pre-Season Update

On Thursday, Fulham Football Club will make the journey across the Atlantic to play a friendly match against the MLS side D.C. United this Saturday 26th July, to help christen the new-look EverBank Field in Jacksonville. Kick-off is at 6pm EST (11pm BST).

The match will be the fifth encounter of Felix Magath's Fulham side during pre-season preparations, three of which took place in Scotland where the team stayed at the famous St Andrews facility for a week of intensive activity.

The match versus Washington's D.C. United will be played at EverBank Field, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars and the world's largest video boards which will be unveiled that evening as part of a grand event that will also feature a concert by country superstar Carrie Underwood.

It will be Fulham's first visit to Florida, as a team, since Shahid Khan acquired the Club in July 2013. Following the match the travelling squad members will depart to fly directly to Austria, where two further fixtures will be played prior to the commencement of the 2014/15 campaign. Saturday's game in Jacksonville will provide another look at young, rising players who could play meaningful roles for the Whites this season.

Fulham Manager Felix Magath commented:

"We are very much looking forward to the trip to Jacksonville to play D.C. United. It will be very good for the players to see the home of Mr. Khan's Jacksonville Jaguars and a great opportunity to show some of the younger players that will feature in next season's campaign. We are all excited about the opportunity to play in front of the fans of the Jaguars, and hopefully see some members of the Fulham family who are residents in the USA."

The scheduled line-up Magath will bring to Jacksonville is as follows:

Goalkeepers

Marcus Bettinelli
Jesse Joronen

Defenders

Fernando Amorebieta
Cameron Burgess
Tim Hoogland
Shaun Hutchinson
Konstantinos Stafylidis
Kay Voser

Midfielders

Chris David
Thomas Eisfeld
Emerson Hyndman
Ryan Williams

Forwards

Moussa Dembélé
Patrick Roberts
Hugo Rodallega
George Williams



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/july/23/pre-season-update?

[WhiteJC]

 
D.C. United versus Fulham: Why I still hate summer friendlies

Please, summer friendlies, go away and don't come back.

It is summer friendly season once gain, with D.C. United heading to Florida to take on recently relegated Fulham. The game will occur after the unveiling of the new and massive video screen installed at the Jacksonville Jaguar's stadium and right before a concert by Carrie Underwood. While I am well-known for being against summer friendlies, I tried to keep an open mind; however, I still came out against the idea of this game for three reason:

1. They disrupt the flow of the season: I get why European teams come to the United States to play preseason friendlies. It gives them some practice against teams who are in the middle of their season and is part of their preparation for their upcoming season. For MLS teams, however, it adds another competition to a summer that is already full of them. If you asked any D.C. United fan if they could abolish the Fulham friendly and move one of the team's August games to this weekend, I would assume most would take that offer in a heartbeat.

2. Players could be getting better experience elsewhere: In the olden days, young players would only get playing time in the US Open Cup and the occasional summer friendly; just look at the substitute patterns of three summer friendlies from 2010 and you will see what I mean. Nowadays, however, D.C. United has the Richmond Kickers with which to give young players real, meaningful game experience. To bring back these young players for the friendly makes sense, but Joe Willis was the only United player to take part in the Kickers' game against the Charleston Battery last night. Michael Seaton and Kyle Porter have been caught in limbo for the last month or so, in that neither have been making United's gameday 18 nor have they been sent to Richmond to get extra playing time. Keeping them in town just because of the friendly makes no sense.

3. It is a cash grab with less cash: Usually when a team goes for a cash-grab summer friendly, they get the money from the team that they are going to play as well as part of the ticket sales, parking, concessions, and merchandise because they play that game at their home stadium. Instead, D.C. United is like a William & Mary going to play UNC: they travel down, get their check, and then travel back home. And, had the game been in D.C., I can't imagine the draw being that great for a Championship team.

But what about you, dear D.C. United fans: What do you think of United's summer friendly against Fulham in Jacksonville?

More from Black And Red United
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Freedom Kicks: Dental Plan!
The last word on D.C. United vs Chivas USA: In praise of 3-game winning streaks
Indy Eleven cooking up something special in the stands for their inaugural season
Is Gedion Zelalem Jurgen Klinsmann's biggest coup yet? And other questions for Travis Clark



http://www.blackandredunited.com/opinion/2014/7/23/5929719/d-c-united-versus-fulham-friendly-carrie-underwood?

[WhiteJC]

 
Magath Signs Two New Players!
   
With their being so many empty pegs in the Craven Cottage dressing room following so many departures, we`re pleased to announce that two of the spaces have been filled.

It would appear that Fulham have signed two players to help boost our chances of returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking next season.

The first of these is the German midfielder Thomas Eisfeld who has made the short trip across London, from Arsenal.

Eisfeld, a midfielder, has moved to Craven Cottage for an undisclosed fee having made just two appearances for Arsene Wenger`s side, since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in 2012.

Eisfeld, 21 years of age, has put pen-to-paper on a two year deal.

The second player signed is the Moroccan international winger Adil Chihi.

Chihi, 26 years of age, is a free agent after leaving the German side, Cologne, in June, and has signed a one year deal with an option for another year to be added on

Here at Vital Fulham we`d like to welcome both players to Craven Cottage.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=364354#ixzz38N8F3XPZ

[WhiteJC]

 
'Gutted!' - Arsenal fans react on Twitter to surprise Thomas Eisfeld sale

Arsenal fans have voiced their disappointment at the sale of Thomas Eisfeld to Fulham.

Instead of flying to the USA for pre-season, German midfielder Thomas Eisfeld found himself sold by Arsenal yesterday.

The German youngster, signed from Borussia Dortmund in January 2012, was a highly regarded prospect at the club, so his sale came a little out of the blue.

He impressed in the League Cup against Reading two seasons ago, and scored in the same competition versus West Brom last year.

Eisfeld, who models his game on Tomas Rosicky, has also impressed particularly in two consecutive pre-seasons, but had failed to earn any playing time in the Premier League.

Also absent from his CV were any loan moves, for which the nature of his outright sale to Fulham is a tad surprising, for a season long loan may have been more suitable for the Gunners.

Yet the path in front of him to the first team was clearly a blocked one, and would only have opened up had Arsene Wenger decided to dispense with all of or some of Mikel Arteta, Tomas Rosicky and or Abou Diaby.

The lure of working with top German coach Felix Magath in west London, and hopefully regular football in the Championship, appears to have been too good for him to resist, with the location meaning also he would not have to uproot.

Arsenal stated on their website: "Everyone at the club would like to thank Thomas for his contribution and to wish him well for the future."

There was no comment on a potential buy-back clause, but if one was inserted into the terms of the deal it may well be wise.

Arsenal supporters appeared taken aback by the announcement, here is how they reacted via Twitter:


David Brockett @DavidBrockett
Follow
Can't deny I'm pretty gutted Thomas Eisfeld has been sold. Thought a loan move would've been the best option. Always looked promising! #afc
11:06 AM - 23 Jul 2014

Arsenal Updates @DareToWenger
Follow
Eisfeld joins Fulham from Arsenal on permanent basis, has potential, good goal scoring instinct but lack power and pace. Goodluck #afc #dtw

Carl Bövis @CarlBovis_AFC
Follow
Thomas Eisfeld has joined Fulham on a permanent deal!
Quite surprised, talented player, thought we might loan him before selling!
#AFC

The Gööner @DaGoonerz
Follow
Eisfeld has joined Fulham? I'm a little disappointed that he was a good prospect. Good luck to him though #afc

Jade Fitzgerald @Jadelike_
Follow
Not surprised Eisfeld has gone, he's 21 now – as an attacking midfielder he doesn't have much chance at #AFC at the moment. Good luck to him

Hound @Hound1886
Follow
How on earth Arsenal let Eisfeld go that easily?! We all saw that potential he has! #AFC

Jay Matthews @Jayvengence
Follow
Arsenal have sold Thomas Eisfeld......... wtf don't get it. I know it would be tough to break in our midfield but still! #arsenal #afc #afc

SUPER G۞۞₪ER♚ @ONESuperGUNNER
Follow
Gutted to see Eisfeld leave. What's Wenger thinking,A long term loan should have been better. Hope there's a buy back clause #Eisfeld #AFC



http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/07/23/arsenal-fans-react-on-twitter-to-surprise-thomas-eisfeld-sale/

[WhiteJC]

 
Eisfeld Signs for Fulham: Good Move for the Player and the Club

Over the years, Arsenal has garnered a reputation for brooding young talent that were afforded opportunities to show what they're made of in the world stage. While some youngsters have managed to grab the bull by the horns, others have failed to make their mark in North London. Thomas Eisfeld, unfortunately, falls into the latter category.

At a time when Arsenal needed to bolster its attacking options following Gervinho's departure for the 2012 African Cup of Nations, Arsene Wenger re-signed Thierry Henry on loan and bought a young German from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of £420,000. At that point in time, he had netted six goals and created six assists for the Dortmund Under-19′s and great things were expected of him.

Wenger even had some sweet words for the lad when he sealed a move to North London,

"Thomas is a player we have liked for some time. We've watched him closely this season, where he has excelled for Dortmund's youth team.

He is young but has proven to us that he can play, that he has the attitude and technical ability to be a valuable addition to our squad. We're very pleased to welcome him to the Club and look forward to his contribution in the coming seasons."

With the vast array of attacking talent in Arsenal's disposal, I had a hunch that Eisfeld might struggle to make his mark for the Gunners but I'd believed that the FA / League Cup would be the breeding grounds for the lad. As expected, Eisfeld didn't make any appearance for the remainder of the 2011/12 season but he'd fathomed that his time to shine would arrive in the following campaign.

The start of the 2012/13 season saw the Gunners capture Santi Cazorla from cash-strapped Malaga and the diminutive Spaniard went on to have an amazing debut season with the club. With the likes of Tomas Rosicky and Aaron Ramsey always available to be selected when Santi Cazorla was to play at the wings, the chances for Eisfeld were few and far between but his moment arrived when the Gunners visited the Madejski Stadium to play Reading in that epic quarterfinal clash.

The lad had a good debut and he controlled the game superbly as the Gunners went on to win 7-5. That turned out to be Eisfeld's only contribution in the 2012/13 campaign but he finally started a game last season in the Capital One Cup penalty shootout victory over West Brom. In that game, he received a neat pass from Nicklas Bendtner and side-footed the ball with such clinical effectiveness.

After the game, Wenger likened Eisfeld to Robert Pires,

"He is a Pires type. He appears to be in the box without being noisy and appearing suddenly. When he is there, he finishes well. Thomas has that kind of quality that some midfielders have—not many. They have the timing to get in dangerous situations."

After two and-a-half years frolicking in Arsenal's Reserves, Eisfeld was approached by Fulham and after agreeing terms and passing his medical, he has switched his allegiances from the Emirates to Craven Cottage. The West Londoners were recently relegated and there has been an extensive upheaval in the summer. In his bid to return to the Premier League next season, Felix Magath has signed nine players already.

Eisfeld shouldn't expect that he'd walk straight into the Fulham team because he's arriving from a prestigious club like Arsenal. However, a player with his skill sets can be beneficial to Fulham and he can play a role in their surge for a swift Premier League return next season.

Wenger is a known promoter and developer of young talents into superstars, and the fact that Eisfeld never got a sniff of first team football at AFC, despite the presence of many other attacking midfielders, just shows that maybe he doesn't have the potential to ever become world class - Jandre RSA Bezuidenho

Notwithstanding, it was a good move for the player and the club.

Sayonara



http://goonerdaily.com/2014/07/24/eisfeld-signs-for-fulham-good-move-for-the-player-and-the-club/?