Wednesday Fulham Stuff (06/08/14)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Briggs Joins Millwall
   
Another of those who were not retained by Fulham, following our relegation from the Premier League, has found a new club.

Matthew Briggs, who many felt could go a long way in this wonderful game of ours, has joined the exodus out of Craven Cottage.

Having turned down a deal to sign for beleaguered Blackpool, Briggs has opted to move south of the river and sign for Ian Holloway, down at Millwall.

In fact it appears that Holloway was a big factor in Briggs choosing to play at the New Den with the defender remarking,

"All I wanted to do was play under this manager. He knows what I can do, I know what he can do and I hope he can bring the best out of me."

"I`ve got a fresh start, a manager who believes in me, and I want to play well for him."

It`ll be interesting to see how Briggs does under the tutorship of Holloway and, no doubt, our paths will cross again!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=365444#ixzz39am7n5BZ

[WhiteJC]

 
Murray Wanted by Fulham!
   
With our squad barely recognizable from that of last year, could Felix Magath be set to bring in a new striker?

With Ross McCormack already on board, signing from Leeds United, the grapevine suggests that Fulham are one of a couple of clubs that are showing an interest in the Crystal Palace player Glenn Murrray

Now 30 years of age, Murray has two years left on his current contract, at Selhurst Park. Last season Murray missed most of the campaign through injury but the previous campaign, one in which Palace made a triumphant return to the Premier League, Murray was their top-scorer.

We understand that Murray could be available for £3 million, but whether we can close out a deal remains to be decided.

Here at Vital Fulham we`ll do our best to keep you abreast of the situation.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=365445#ixzz39amLU6sO

[WhiteJC]

 
Why is Fulham's star signing from Leeds still in the shadows?

Ross McCormack joined Fulham for a record fee, but why has he made just one appearance in pre-season?

Scottish international McCormack was last seasons Championship top scorer, and it was his attacking prowess that made Fulham shell out a fee of £11 million to secure his services - a record transfer between two clubs outside of the Premier League.

The 27-year old netted 28 times in the second tier of English football last season, and Fulham fans were whetting their appetites upon his arrival - with many believing that he was the key for an immediate return to the riches of the Premier League.

However, McCormack has failed to set the world alight with his early impact, and, although pre-season is hardly the place to draw judgement on players - with many holding back through fear of injury - the Scot has failed to draw any reaction from fans - except from those asking where he is.

A starting role in a friendly with Motherwell, in which he played the full game, has been McCormack's only appearance for the Cottagers so far, and, with the lack of media interest following his progress, many believe that Fulham boss Felix Magath has already drawn judgement on the striker.

German coach Magath is known for his intense treatment of players, and his willingness to outcast players who rebel against his methods, and there is a chance that McCormack did just that in his first few days with the London club - ruining his immediate career at Craven Cottage in an instant.

There have been rumours of an injury keeping McCormack out of the friendlies, but with no update concerning his progress, fans have been left confused by his position in the squad, with many drawing conclusions that he had a disagreement with his new manager, and as a result is being made to train out of the public eye.

Whilst that may be one instance of what has happened behind the scenes at Craven Cottage, there is still the chance that Magath doesn't believe that the striker is fit enough to be tested in first team football. Having lobbied for a move away from Leeds United, he did not travel to their training camp, before joining up with the Cottagers later than the majority of their squad.

Therefore, he is theoretically two to three weeks behind the rest of the squad in fitness preparation. This could also be the reason for his apparent separation from the rest of the squad, with him being made to work on his fitness by himself, rather than on match preparation in a team setting.

It remains to be seen whether McCormack features in Fulham's opening game of the Championship season - away at Ipswich on Saturday - but, considering his goal scoring exploits last season, and the record fee the London club signed him for, if he does miss out, there may be no denying that Magath has outcast the striker - and potentially cost Fulham promotion in the process.


http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/08/05/why-is-fulhams-star-signing-still-in-the-shadows/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Championship: Is Felix Magath with his strict regime the man to take Fulham back to the Premier League?
As Fulham prepare to kick off their Championship campaign with a trip to Ipswich on Saturday, Adam Bate examines the uncertainty surrounding Felix Magath and his unique approach to management...

Fulham make the trip to a familiar Championship outpost on the opening weekend of the season as they visit Portman Road to take on Ipswich, a club embarking upon its 13th successive season in the second tier.

However, the journey is not such a familiar one for Fulham fans having seen their side spend the entirety of that period enjoying the comforts of the Premier League. And the sights of Suffolk will be even more alien to their manager Felix Magath.

How the German disciplinarian responds to the challenge will go some way to defining Fulham's season. Magath was appointed in February to introduce his unique brand of short sharp shock treatment and keep the Cottagers in the Premier League. It was a huge ask and it didn't work.

Magath had never coached outside Germany but had earned a reputation as a Bundesliga fire fighter. Unfortunately, despite a brief rally, his efforts to save Fulham proved doomed and many assumed there would be a parting of the ways despite his 18-month contract.

With the new season upon us, Magath remains in place and preparing for his first season outside a top division since taking Nurnberg to promotion in 1999. The 61-year-old is dealing with considerable upheaval at Craven Cottage, but there has also been investment too.


Ross McCormack: Expensive signing

Pedigree
Most notably, Ross McCormack has arrived for a fee that could reportedly rise to £11million. It's a vast sum for a player who turns 28 later this month but the Scot does have undoubted pedigree at this level as last season's Championship top scorer.

Magath himself has described McCormack as "a leader that our young and ambitious squad can learn from" and the signing from Leeds United does indeed possess just the sort of experience Fulham will need as they sift through the wreckage of relegation.


Patrick Roberts: Huge talent

In part, McCormack will be expected to complement the young prospects that Magath surprisingly showed so much faith in during the latter stages of a fraught campaign. Fulham's strong showing in reaching the FA Youth Cup final in May indicates that the quality is there.

With 17-year-old Patrick Roberts and fellow teenager Cauley Woodrow alongside other youngsters such as Chris David and Dan Burn as well as gifted new arrival Thomas Eisfeld there is a nucleus capable of better things. The concern will be whether Magath is the man to nurture such talent.


Fulham players celebrate a pre-season goal against Motherwell but will they be happy come May?

Exiting skipper Brede Hangeland has his doubts. "He is very difficult to work with," he told Sky Sports. "His main tool is to try and mentally and physically batter his players and then hopefully get some results out of that. Is that a right fit for English football? I don't think so personally.

"Rather than help us try and avoid relegation, he made things worse and harder for us. I hope I'm wrong because I really love the club but, in a word, no - I don't think he is the right man. I think things will get worse before they get better."

Magath's methods are certainly legendary - or perhaps that should that be notorious – but whether his psychological hammerings will reap rewards over the long hard slog of a 46-game Championship season must be in doubt.

Damaging
That could be particular damaging for Fulham given their need to make the most of the parachute payments. Indeed, owner Shahid Khan will only have to look to Saturday's opponents to appreciate an immediate return is their best hope. Especially when spending eight-figure sums on strikers.


Shahid Khan: Expecting results

It's a lot of faith to put in Magath and suggests the quick-fix strategy indicated by his initial appointment will continue for the foreseeable future. Khan is surely particularly anxious to restore Fulham's status – after all, it was a supposedly stable Premier League club he was acquiring just last year.

If it comes off then the decision will be vindicated. If it fails and Magath adopts a chop-and-change approach that stunts the development of a promising group of young players then it could come to be regarded as a decision to lament.

We'll have the first clues when Magath's side take on Ipswich and that wily old Championship campaigner Mick McCarthy in front of the Sky Sports cameras this Saturday.


http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11096/9406984/championship-is-felix-magath-with-his-strict-regime-the-man-to-take-fulham-back-to-the-premier-league?

[WhiteJC]

 
What to expect from Ipswich's Opening Fixture

Article by e-IpswichTown's Daryl Curle

With the start of the new season only a few days away, Mick McCarthy and his Ipswich Town side have a lot to look forward to. Pre-season has been and gone without a loss recorded, and other positives have surfaced, such as the speedy recovery of star striker David McGoldrick, and the signings of almost unknown trialists, Kevin Bru and Balint Bajner. Apart from Cameron Stewart suffering a fractured jaw in the final friendly against Leyton Orient, Ipswich find themselves in a very strong position going into the opener at home to Fulham. But what should the Tractor Boys expect from the recently relegated side?

Firstly, it should be mentioned that although the first game of the season is looked forward to with great anticipation amongst fans for weeks in advance, it is often unpredictable in nature. Momentum early in the season can be the difference between promotion and a mid-table finish, or between relegation and safety, so points from the first fixture are to be revered. Ipswich only took four points from their opening five matches last season, something they must avoid doing again. Defeats away to Reading and QPR who had both come down from the Premiership, seemed harsh at the time, but the truth is Town only missed out on the playoffs by four points, and the lack of points in the early games cost them dearly. It may be preferable for sides to play tough opening games however, as a weak start against weaker teams, means little points, with the big guns left to play. No disrespect intended, but if Town start with a stutter, playing Fulham at home is better for the Blues than to be playing a side such as Blackpool with the current situation they find themselves in. The past two seasons, as with this campaign, Ipswich start against a side that have just come down. Despite not winning against either Blackburn two seasons ago, or against Reading last season, Town have found themselves unlucky on both occasions not to leave with more points. So should Fulham be feared?

Much has been made of the former Leeds forward, Ross McCormack, and his hefty transfer fee, totalling over ten million pounds, a record deal at this level. However, the twenty-seven year old finished top scorer in the division last campaign, resulting in his place in the team of the division side. Notably to Town fans, he ran the show last August for Leeds United, scoring one and assisting another in their 2-1 win at Portman Road. Another summer signing is the former Arsenal youth player, Thomas Eisfield, who shows real promise to kick on in his career as an attacking midfielder. It is however the departures from the Fulham squad which show the full damage the club has taken from their relegation to the Championship. Former Town loanee David Stockdale has left for play-off rivals Brighton, with certain others staying in the Premier league, such as Steve Sidwell (Stoke), Kieran Richardson (Aston Villa) and Brede Hangeland (Crystal Palace). Other players to leave the West London club include; Damien Duff, Johnny Heitinga, Georgios Karagounis, John Arne Riise, Pajtim Kasami and Askhan Dejagah. Even the Costa Rican World Cup star, Bryan Ruiz, looks set to leave Craven Cottage.

Fulham, despite these departures, will find themselves amongst the favourites to gain promotion at the first time of asking. With the match to be aired live on Sky, the pressure is truly on Felix Magath's side, particularly Ross McCormack. However, Town need a good start after what happened last campaign, and with Reading, Norwich, Wigan, Derby and Brighton also to come in the opening weeks of the season, McCarthy will want to hit the ground running. The aging Scott Parker will be a key player in the exchanges, depending on whether his experience will be more important than his fading stamina. I think realistically both sides will cancel each other out, with a draw being a good result for both teams.

Prediction: Ipswich Town 1 Fulham 1


http://efootballnet.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/what-to-expect-from-ipswichs-opening.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham may have the services of an international caliber goalkeeper


Richard Heathcote
Don't tell anybody, but Fulham has a secret that could change your perspective to this weekend and the rest of the season.

Last Saturday at the Fulham meet up in Jacksonville there was a bit of talk and head scratching in retrospect to the news that had broke just a day previous. It was then reported that Fulham would sell Keeper David Stockdale to Championship side, Brighton & Hove Albion. An odd move to be sure and for more than a few reasons.

First, it was thought that Stockdale might and probably would be the first choice keeper. Second, he was sold to former (and soon to be reacquainted) rivals fighting for EPL promotion, same as us. Third, it very much limited the pool to the unproven lot of Jesse Joronen, Marcus Bettinelli and 17-year old Marek Rodák. Not exactly the three choices one would think a serious club such as Fulham would have at its disposal going forward in a promotion battle.

Now, things slowly to light as Fulham might have a top-shelf keeper just two years removed from being heavily sought after by the likes of Champions League club Arsenal and Manchester United. The keeper has led his club to a World Cup final, and boasts a fair bit of Champions League experience. Admittedly his lack of progression in the famous European competition is what has led to him falling out of favor with his current club.

Such a CV as it would have been written could have previously thought to be impossible for Fulham in it's current situation. However, this just happens to be the current state with... Maarten Stekelenburg.

Wait!

Don't close the browser just yet. Please... you've come this far, hear me out.

You still here? Good.

Let's be real for a moment. All cards on the table after I kind of tricked you into reading this article. This is all something that could have been written had last summer happened this summer. Maarten Stekelenburg coming from AS Roma on a transfer and a shiny 4-year deal. Not last summer but this. Think about it. He shows up to lead our Whites back to the Premier League. A guy that despite battling for first team minutes would come in the Championship and be one of, if not the single best, keeper in the league.

Last year, he was touted as the heir to Mark Schwarzer's thrown in a rather formidable linage of keepers that have represented the whites from SW6. One writer even drew an interesting comparison between Stekelenburg's transfer and former Craven Cottage legend Edwin van der Sar. Which was an interesting enough until the Netherlands keeper had to be removed from the pitch at 75th minute on his debut.

Forget last season. Try and just remove all those bad thoughts for one moment. Drink a lot, if necessary. There is still the possibility of retaining that once thought lost of optimism concerning The Dutchman. Maybe, you can seek Will Smith or 'J' as they call him and he can use his fancy neuralyzer. I've always assumed it's on par with a night of hard drinking. Or maybe that's something else. Whatever let's try something here.

Before we start please let me preface all this with a bit of a disclaimer. I'm not necessarily "all in" on 'Team Stekelenburg'. Should Jesse Joronen get the nod between the posts this weekend, then cool. Whateves. I'll have faith in him that he can help us take the points necessarily and in line with a trajectory towards winning the promotion. And, really, this isn't about who should or should not be starting for the club at goal keeper. Rather it's a rather poignant, yet civil, conversation keeping an open mind about the current decision as it lies before manager Felix Magath.

I feel as though Steke' got off to a very poor start with the fan base. His signature pretty much ended up being the last domino in pushing Mark Schwarzer towards leaving the club. While that is really another discussion for another day, that changed how lot of supporters felt about him straight away. Things were only compounded by the fact that despite having a very good first game Stekelenburg would leave the pitch in the 75th minute of his debut. This played into the brittle and often injured persona that he had carried with him from Roma.

A win that was in large part due to his heroics saw much of the good will go to David Stockdale while Maarten would disappear for the next two months of the season. Returning to the club in October was harsh, as we had already seen our fortunes sink deep in the ranks with only 7 points through the first 7 games.

But thankfully another solid performance by him helped the Cottagers to another three points and people were starting to give into the idea of giving him a second chance... unfortunately this was where the true run of bad form came. A run so bad it ended the career of Martin Jol at Fulham Football Club. Six straight losses saw the organization in a tail spin and with no Baloo to take the helm things of course got weird. At least Zac Effron got the help he needed before May.

These specific items of mention all tend to be bad things. Generally speaking, bad things out weigh good things in most memories. Which is why I mentioned before hand how you should put them out of your mind. But then why did I bring it all back up? I don't know. Not a lot of foresight, would be most peoples guess. But it actually show cases my point. Stekelenburg won Squawka's Keeper of the Week award in each of his first two starts. That all gets missed amid all the bad.

When clubs win we often applaud the great attack. When clubs lose we often rip apart the goalkeeper or the defenses. This is especially true with Stekelenburg. Yes, he wore the awkward medal for worst keeper 4 of those 6 matches. But some of those things weren't his fault.

A lot of people are going to look at him and the statistics available. They'll look at his save percentage and see it's horrible. Forgetting that save percentage is an ugly and all together terrible manner in which to determine keepers productivity. The difference between him and Stockdale isn't very big. According to Squawka Stekelnburg saw 105 shots and surrendered 43 goals where Stockdale saw 103 shots and gave up 42 goals this over the course of  a very comparable 1680 to 1740 minute sample size.

But a closer look would reveal that Stekelenburg had 30 of his 43 goals (70%) come from the run of play INSIDE the 18 yard box. That's terrible. Terrible for multiple reasons. One, the defense should have never let it get that far and it speaks to how bad it really was in his time in goal. Two, a shot inside the box has more than double the probability of scoring than outside the box. Stockdale saw only 18 of his 42 come by way of high percentage areas. This to me is more troubling. Stockdale allowed more goals from places of lesser leverage.

This isn't a pick on Stockdale at the moment; merely pointing that both were equally as bad and unproductive, just in different ways. Despite the theme about Stockdale he wasn't some amazing cure to the overall problem inherent with Martin Jol's collection of old dead people. He wouldn't have saved the season had he got a couple more starts. The idea that Stockdale was any better is biased and just plain wrong.

I'm not saying there aren't knocks against the Dutchman and his game. Blood is on both sets of hands here. The 7 goals surrendered against corner kicks is not only a consistent problem from previous squads but also a legitimate concern moving forward. Especially in a physical league where you can count on plenty of dead ball moments and teams playing more direct. But Stockdale surrendered 8 goals through corners so the question should at least be wondered aloud, how much does this rest with the keeper and how much of it is system related?

Really, in an moment of pure speculation my belief to why the club sold Stockdale is that he had value. His low weekly wage and experience makes him intriguing to other clubs. Fulham preyed on that and allowed him to leave gaining a good little fee on a player that had limited worth and using those funds to get better. Sure, that doesn't sound very nice; but business rarely is nice.

I don't mean to seem ugly. Stockdale was sincerely one of the nicest fellows the club has employed the last five seasons. He went out of his way to embrace the fans and make the club look good. He has earned more than a fair shake at the first team position. That never came. I'm sad for him and yet I'm personally okay with it. I'd like to think the club has higher aspirations than him. That isn't to say Stockdale is bad but I want great.

Stekelenburg is not great. He's a player that has limited value.  He's basically Stockdale with higher wages. Sure, greater experience and a better pedigree. But that didn't help him save more shots or prevent more goals last season. Speaking strictly in terms of what we can analyze their very similar defensive keepers.

Realize that Stekelenburg is probably not in Fulham because he is determined to prove us, and our perception of him, wrong. And it's not because he 'bleeds for the badge'. It's more likely that he couldn't find that transfer that he desired. It's likely he would have been forced into taking a back-up job had he moved by to Ajax and that's probably something he's just not that interested in yet.

Shoe on the other foot; Fulham probably didn't intend to keep him. It's not as if he's still here because Alistair Mackintosh was trying to see if Magath could restore his value. He is here because the club likely couldn't find a good transfer partner. That's okay. There still exists the possibility that despite the circumstance that both could mutual benefit from his forced prolonged stay.

Maybe he regains some of that illustrious polish and he goes in the Winter transfer window or, more likely given the context and scenario, the Summer transfer window. Perhaps he could ride a feel good story about leading a club from the Championship back into the Premier League. It could happen.

The point is Fulham still--for the time being--retains a talented keeper. With an open mind maybe we can embrace a season of reclamation. Maybe.

Then, again, maybe he's gone by week's end with Fulham buying out the remaining contract years.

Who knows?


http://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2014/8/5/5969547/fulham-may-have-the-services-of-an-international-caliber-goalkeeper?

[WhiteJC]

 
PL reveals under-21 plans
The Premier League has unveiled plans for a new under-21 league involving clubs from England and across Europe.

The competition, which does not yet have the blessing of UEFA, would include eight under-21 teams from England and eight from other countries, including Scottish champions Celtic.

But the Premier League claims the competition would not be a rival to FA chairman Greg Dyke's ambitions for some form of 'B-league' involving top-flight reserve teams.

In May, Dyke's England Commission proposed a B league to operate below League Two which is aimed at giving young players more match experience - something the new Premier League competition also aims to do.

Communications director Dan Johnson said the Premier League's proposal had been under consideration for several years and was completely unrelated to Dyke's scheme.

"We do believe it would be good for the development of talented young players but it is not an answer to the B league proposal at all. It is something we have wanted to do for a number of years," Johnson said.

"We are keen to work with UEFA on what we think is a good development opportunity and there has been a lot of support from clubs on the continent.

"Our view is that an under-21 competition with a significant programme of international fixtures at lower age levels is a good opportunity to expose players to this level of competition.

"We now need to work with UEFA for their agreement."

The new competition would see 16 clubs split into four groups of four with the top two in each group going through to the knockout stage.

Current plans are for the top eight from the Premier League's under-21 development league to take part, although Liverpool have already decided not to take up the chance, allowing West Ham in.

Chelsea, Fulham, Leicester, Manchester City, Manchester United, Southampton, Sunderland and West Ham would compete from that league along with Celtic, Athletic Bilbao, Benfica, Borussia Monchengladbach, Schalke, Porto, PSV Eindhoven and Villarreal.


http://www.football365.com/west-ham/9407230/-?

[WhiteJC]

 
Woodrow wants to repay Magath's faith in youngsters


Cauley Woodrow is hoping to repay Felix Magath's faith in him

Cauley Woodrow says Fulham's youngsters hope to repay the faith shown in them by manager Felix Magath, if given the chance this season.

The 19-year-old striker hit the only goal for the west London club in their victory over Turkish side Caykur Rizespor on Saturday, his second strike of an impressive pre-season for the England Under-21 international.

"That was the first chance I'd had all game," Woodrow said of his composed late finish. "I just tried to keep my head over the ball and stick it in the net.

"Before the game, the manager said he wanted to get another win and a clean sheet, and we did that so hopefully he's pleased – and it was also nice for the boys to get another run out."

The Rizespor win brought to an end the club's time in Austria and Woodrow believes the week's preparations served him and his team-mates well ahead of their Championship opener with Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Saturday.

"It was a successful week," he explained to FulhamFC.com. "We've had double sessions, we've been training hard and we're just raring to go now really.

"Our main focus is onto Saturday now against Ipswich so we'll be training hard all week and preparing for the game at the weekend."

The upcoming campaign will be Woodrow's first full season with the senior squad – as it will be for Patrick Roberts and several others – and the striker is keen to reward boss Magath for the trust he has shown in the club's youngsters.

"It's massive for us young lads," he admitted.

"The manager showed faith in a lot of us last season and I think he will this term as well if we continue to work hard and do well, so fingers crossed we get some game time."


Read more at http://www.thefa.com//news/england/under-21/2014/aug/cauley-woodrow-aims-to-repay-managers-faith-in-youth-050814?#E7t4u2f5bdvfqi7c.99

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's open training session is minus one major star

Dutch keeper nowhere to be seen


No show: Stekelenburg

Maarten Stekelenburg was the only major absentee at Fulham's open training session today fanning the flames he will play no part in the Championship campaign.

Even though the Netherlands international keeper was handed a squad number for the coming season, it was the untried Marcus Bettinelli and Jesse Joronen going through their paces in front of fans at Craven Cottage, with the former set to get the nod against Ipswich on Saturday.

Kostas Mitroglou and Bryan Ruiz may also be at new clubs before the transfer window shuts at the end of August, but both World Cup players mixed it with the rest of a new-look squad.


Down and almost out: Stekelenburg receives treatment against Liverpool last season

Last month, Stekelenburg revealed the misery of his single season so far in west London.

"I came to Fulham to keep the club in the Premier League and to fight to get myself in the World Cup squad. I failed on both counts," he explained.

"I'm 31, very fit and want to get back to playing.

"I am still under contract at Fulham for three years, and then we'll see. My agent is working hard to find a satisfactory solution for everyone."

Stekelenburg has played no part in any of Fulham's pre-season games.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/maarten-stekelenburg-missing-fulhams-open-7566222?

[WhiteJC]

 
The Tony Gale Column

The new season is just days away and I, for one, am really looking forward to it. I've been off all summer, I've headed to Brazil and Dubai and everywhere, so I can't wait. I'm covering the Premier League and Champions League for Sky this season, and what that will do is enable me to come to Craven Cottage for the midweek fixtures when we're at home, as well as head to the likes of Brentford on those Friday evenings.

There are a lot of new players at the Club now so we're all waiting to find out what they're like. I'm also interested to see how the youngsters get on – the likes of Moussa Dembélé, Pat Roberts and Cauley Woodrow. They'll be getting more regular First Team football so hopefully they can step up to the plate, in what's a demanding league.

If we're looking for positives to take from being in the Championship, youngsters getting game time is one – I think that's something that Fulham fans can look forward to. It's a bit difficult when you get relegated as we've seen some quality players go out the door like Ashkan Dejagah and Steve Sidwell, but we've got to just look forward to the Championship season. There are obviously more games – 46 – and it is a grind; Saturday, midweek, Saturday, midweek, but I'm looking forward to it.

It's a long time since we've been down here in the second tier so I think it's a big transition period - not just for the players, but for the whole Club to get used to this fixture list and the demanding, physical nature of the Championship. It's a little bit of a change for everyone and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we're going to hit the floor running.

The Championship is difficult because you can't pick a team that you would think are certainties to go up. I don't see anyone running away with this league – it's going to be difficult for the sides that have come down from the Premier League, and the teams who have come up are going to struggle. I really think that the start of the season, maybe the first 10 games, will determine how our season goes.

Ross McCormack was arguably the biggest new arrival this summer and the expectation on him is going to be high because when you pay a lot of money for a striker then he has to hit the floor running. He's got the ability to do so and Fulham have got a proven goalscorer in him, so let's just hope he can do the same as he did at Leeds United. I saw him many times for Leeds – he's got the ability, and I think the Fulham fans will love him.

Our first game is away at Ipswich Town on Saturday and it's a tough one. Mick McCarthy's teams are always good sides to play against and Ipswich have got a quality pitch over there so there can be no excuses and I'm sure the players are looking forward to it.

After that we've got Millwall at home, and that will be a great atmosphere because they'll take most of the neutral section up. It will be a tasty one and I just hope that the players, especially the young ones, can handle that. It will be a kind of hostile atmosphere but I always loved playing against Millwall because their fans create that.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/august/05/the-tony-gale-column?

[WhiteJC]

 
Premier League and Championship season ticket prices: Is there a north/south divide?

We analyse the data to see whether you pay more depending on where your club is in the country

We have taken a look at the cheapest season tickets offered by clubs in the Championship and the Premier League to see if a north/south divide exists in the world of football.

And while there is not a massive change in amounts in the Championship, the Premier League figure shows a very different outcome.

In the Championship, clubs in the south, which takes into account Brentford and Fulham, charge just four per cent more for their cheapest season tickets than clubs in the north - £364 v £396.82

Midlands clubs work out the cheapest with an average cost of just £361.50

In the Premier League though, southern clubs, which include Chelsea and QPR, charge on average 24 per cent more than northern clubs - £643.75 v £483.50

Overall, across the two leagues, southern clubs charge 16 per cent more than northern clubs.

Season ticket North/South divide
The average cost of the cheapest season ticket offered by Championship and Premier League clubs across England and Wales

Championship   Premier League   Overall

X.1,Championship,Premier League,Overall
North,364,483.5,420.2352941
Midlands,361.5,377,369.25
South,396.8181818,643.75,500.7894737
National,378.625,526.3,445.75

Note: Data for Premier League clubs taken from sporting intelligence, Championship clubs data from team websites.

Prices are for a standard adult ticket and do not include early bird discounts or payment fees.


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/premier-league-championship-season-ticket-7566706?

[WhiteJC]

 
Transfer news: Fulham have two bids rejected for Costa Rica star Giancarlo Gonzalez

Giancarlo Gonzalez: Target for Fulham

Sky Sports understands Fulham have been rebuffed in two bids for Costa Rica World Cup star Giancarlo Gonzalez.

Gonzalez was a stand-out performer for Costa Rica at the World Cup in Brazil as they made history by reaching the quarter-finals of the tournament.

The 26-year-old's superb performances at the World Cup alerted a number of clubs across Europe to Gonzalez, with the big central defender named in many pundits' team of the tournament.

Gonzalez is currently plying his trade in Major League Soccer after joining Columbus Crew from Norwegian side Valerenga in February.

Columbus Crew have been bracing themselves for interest in Gonzalez in the wake of his impressive showings in Brazil and Fulham's bid in the region of $3.5million (£2million) has been turned down by his club and MLS, as they are expecting higher bids for the player.

Fulham are in the market for new central defenders after seeing Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes leave this summer and they had made Gonzalez - capped 40 times by Los Ticos - one of their top targets.

A number of Premier League and other Championship clubs are also thought to be closely monitoring Gonzalez's situation, as they weigh up moves for the player before the close of the transfer window.


http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11681/9407750?

[WhiteJC]

 
I had Premier League offers before joining Fulham, says ex-Arsenal youngster Eisfeld

Despite receiving Premier League offers, former Arsenal youngster Thomas Eisfield wanted the opportunity to gain regular first-team minutes with Fulham in the Championship.

Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Eisfeld has revealed that he had offers from other Premier League clubs this summer, before opting to drop down to the Championship with Fulham.

Signed by the Gunners in January 2012 from Borussia Dortmund, the 21-year-old was well regarded within the club's setup but made just a pair of League Cup appearances during his two seasons in North London, with his path to the first-team blocked by various established options.

Linking up with fellow countryman Felix Magath at recently-relegated Fulham, the German prospect has stressed that he could have remained in the top flight, but the promise of precious first-team minutes was what convinced him to sign a two-year deal at Craven Cottage.

'I spoke to Arsene Wenger last year and he said you're a good player but you've got world class options in front of you,' he told Sky Sports News.

'That's the reason I didn't get the chance. I had two appearances but I wanted more regular first-team football and that's why I left.

'I had a couple of Premier League offers but I spoke to Felix Magath and he told me I had a good chance to play here and that's the reason why I'm here. They promised me first-team football.'

Having already been singled out for praise by his new manager in pre-season, Eisfeld now has a prime opportunity to prove his Premier League credentials by helping Fulham return to the top flight at the first time of asking, and to perhaps even make some other teams regret not having snapped him up this summer.


http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/08/05/i-had-premier-league-offers-before-joining-fulham-says-ex-arsena/?

[bill taylors apprentice]

Fulham may have the services of an international caliber goalkeeper


Richard Heathcote
Don't tell anybody, but Fulham has a secret that could change your perspective to this weekend and the rest of the season.

Last Saturday at the Fulham meet up in Jacksonville there was a bit of talk and head scratching in retrospect to the news that had broke just a day previous. It was then reported that Fulham would sell Keeper David Stockdale to Championship side, Brighton & Hove Albion. An odd move to be sure and for more than a few reasons.

First, it was thought that Stockdale might and probably would be the first choice keeper. Second, he was sold to former (and soon to be reacquainted) rivals fighting for EPL promotion, same as us. Third, it very much limited the pool to the unproven lot of Jesse Joronen, Marcus Bettinelli and 17-year old Marek Rodák. Not exactly the three choices one would think a serious club such as Fulham would have at its disposal going forward in a promotion battle.

Now, things slowly to light as Fulham might have a top-shelf keeper just two years removed from being heavily sought after by the likes of Champions League club Arsenal and Manchester United. The keeper has led his club to a World Cup final, and boasts a fair bit of Champions League experience. Admittedly his lack of progression in the famous European competition is what has led to him falling out of favor with his current club.

Such a CV as it would have been written could have previously thought to be impossible for Fulham in it's current situation. However, this just happens to be the current state with... Maarten Stekelenburg.

Wait!

Don't close the browser just yet. Please... you've come this far, hear me out.

You still here? Good.

Let's be real for a moment. All cards on the table after I kind of tricked you into reading this article. This is all something that could have been written had last summer happened this summer. Maarten Stekelenburg coming from AS Roma on a transfer and a shiny 4-year deal. Not last summer but this. Think about it. He shows up to lead our Whites back to the Premier League. A guy that despite battling for first team minutes would come in the Championship and be one of, if not the single best, keeper in the league.

Last year, he was touted as the heir to Mark Schwarzer's thrown in a rather formidable linage of keepers that have represented the whites from SW6. One writer even drew an interesting comparison between Stekelenburg's transfer and former Craven Cottage legend Edwin van der Sar. Which was an interesting enough until the Netherlands keeper had to be removed from the pitch at 75th minute on his debut.

Forget last season. Try and just remove all those bad thoughts for one moment. Drink a lot, if necessary. There is still the possibility of retaining that once thought lost of optimism concerning The Dutchman. Maybe, you can seek Will Smith or 'J' as they call him and he can use his fancy neuralyzer. I've always assumed it's on par with a night of hard drinking. Or maybe that's something else. Whatever let's try something here.

Before we start please let me preface all this with a bit of a disclaimer. I'm not necessarily "all in" on 'Team Stekelenburg'. Should Jesse Joronen get the nod between the posts this weekend, then cool. Whateves. I'll have faith in him that he can help us take the points necessarily and in line with a trajectory towards winning the promotion. And, really, this isn't about who should or should not be starting for the club at goal keeper. Rather it's a rather poignant, yet civil, conversation keeping an open mind about the current decision as it lies before manager Felix Magath.

I feel as though Steke' got off to a very poor start with the fan base. His signature pretty much ended up being the last domino in pushing Mark Schwarzer towards leaving the club. While that is really another discussion for another day, that changed how lot of supporters felt about him straight away. Things were only compounded by the fact that despite having a very good first game Stekelenburg would leave the pitch in the 75th minute of his debut. This played into the brittle and often injured persona that he had carried with him from Roma.

A win that was in large part due to his heroics saw much of the good will go to David Stockdale while Maarten would disappear for the next two months of the season. Returning to the club in October was harsh, as we had already seen our fortunes sink deep in the ranks with only 7 points through the first 7 games.

But thankfully another solid performance by him helped the Cottagers to another three points and people were starting to give into the idea of giving him a second chance... unfortunately this was where the true run of bad form came. A run so bad it ended the career of Martin Jol at Fulham Football Club. Six straight losses saw the organization in a tail spin and with no Baloo to take the helm things of course got weird. At least Zac Effron got the help he needed before May.

These specific items of mention all tend to be bad things. Generally speaking, bad things out weigh good things in most memories. Which is why I mentioned before hand how you should put them out of your mind. But then why did I bring it all back up? I don't know. Not a lot of foresight, would be most peoples guess. But it actually show cases my point. Stekelenburg won Squawka's Keeper of the Week award in each of his first two starts. That all gets missed amid all the bad.

When clubs win we often applaud the great attack. When clubs lose we often rip apart the goalkeeper or the defenses. This is especially true with Stekelenburg. Yes, he wore the awkward medal for worst keeper 4 of those 6 matches. But some of those things weren't his fault.

A lot of people are going to look at him and the statistics available. They'll look at his save percentage and see it's horrible. Forgetting that save percentage is an ugly and all together terrible manner in which to determine keepers productivity. The difference between him and Stockdale isn't very big. According to Squawka Stekelnburg saw 105 shots and surrendered 43 goals where Stockdale saw 103 shots and gave up 42 goals this over the course of  a very comparable 1680 to 1740 minute sample size.

But a closer look would reveal that Stekelenburg had 30 of his 43 goals (70%) come from the run of play INSIDE the 18 yard box. That's terrible. Terrible for multiple reasons. One, the defense should have never let it get that far and it speaks to how bad it really was in his time in goal. Two, a shot inside the box has more than double the probability of scoring than outside the box. Stockdale saw only 18 of his 42 come by way of high percentage areas. This to me is more troubling. Stockdale allowed more goals from places of lesser leverage.

This isn't a pick on Stockdale at the moment; merely pointing that both were equally as bad and unproductive, just in different ways. Despite the theme about Stockdale he wasn't some amazing cure to the overall problem inherent with Martin Jol's collection of old dead people. He wouldn't have saved the season had he got a couple more starts. The idea that Stockdale was any better is biased and just plain wrong.

I'm not saying there aren't knocks against the Dutchman and his game. Blood is on both sets of hands here. The 7 goals surrendered against corner kicks is not only a consistent problem from previous squads but also a legitimate concern moving forward. Especially in a physical league where you can count on plenty of dead ball moments and teams playing more direct. But Stockdale surrendered 8 goals through corners so the question should at least be wondered aloud, how much does this rest with the keeper and how much of it is system related?

Really, in an moment of pure speculation my belief to why the club sold Stockdale is that he had value. His low weekly wage and experience makes him intriguing to other clubs. Fulham preyed on that and allowed him to leave gaining a good little fee on a player that had limited worth and using those funds to get better. Sure, that doesn't sound very nice; but business rarely is nice.

I don't mean to seem ugly. Stockdale was sincerely one of the nicest fellows the club has employed the last five seasons. He went out of his way to embrace the fans and make the club look good. He has earned more than a fair shake at the first team position. That never came. I'm sad for him and yet I'm personally okay with it. I'd like to think the club has higher aspirations than him. That isn't to say Stockdale is bad but I want great.

Stekelenburg is not great. He's a player that has limited value.  He's basically Stockdale with higher wages. Sure, greater experience and a better pedigree. But that didn't help him save more shots or prevent more goals last season. Speaking strictly in terms of what we can analyze their very similar defensive keepers.

Realize that Stekelenburg is probably not in Fulham because he is determined to prove us, and our perception of him, wrong. And it's not because he 'bleeds for the badge'. It's more likely that he couldn't find that transfer that he desired. It's likely he would have been forced into taking a back-up job had he moved by to Ajax and that's probably something he's just not that interested in yet.

Shoe on the other foot; Fulham probably didn't intend to keep him. It's not as if he's still here because Alistair Mackintosh was trying to see if Magath could restore his value. He is here because the club likely couldn't find a good transfer partner. That's okay. There still exists the possibility that despite the circumstance that both could mutual benefit from his forced prolonged stay.

Maybe he regains some of that illustrious polish and he goes in the Winter transfer window or, more likely given the context and scenario, the Summer transfer window. Perhaps he could ride a feel good story about leading a club from the Championship back into the Premier League. It could happen.

The point is Fulham still--for the time being--retains a talented keeper. With an open mind maybe we can embrace a season of reclamation. Maybe.

Then, again, maybe he's gone by week's end with Fulham buying out the remaining contract years.

Who knows?


http://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2014/8/5/5969547/fulham-may-have-the-services-of-an-international-caliber-goalkeeper?

What a waste of time this post is, both my time in reading it and the authors in writing it.

Of course anything could happen, but this post has gone around in circles trying to put a positive spin on Stekelenburgs situation and for what reason?

It may be stating the obvious mate but if hes not gone yet he will be very soon, move on.

[cmg]

>http://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2014/8/5/5969547/fulham-may-have-the-services-of-an-international-caliber-goalkeeper?<


Blimey. Haven't seen so many words wasted on something that isn't going to happen since the last bunch of General Election manifestos.

[callumc513]

>http://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2014/8/5/5969547/fulham-may-have-the-services-of-an-international-caliber-goalkeeper?<


Blimey. Haven't seen so many words wasted on something that isn't going to happen since the last bunch of General Election manifestos.

Zing.