Friday Fulham Stuff (29/08/14)...

[WhiteJC]

 
£11m Fulham star takes stick as a compliment, will Leeds fans be kind?

Ross McCormack claims he is not bothered by stick he receives from fans.

Fulham's suffering fans got something of a reprieve this week when the League Cup offered them respite from what has been a terrible start to life in English football's second tier.

Not only that but it was a goal from their big summer signing that did the job. Not many a Leeds United fan expected to see their star striker Ross McCormack remain at the club this season, but few would have expected to receive the amount if cash they did for the player.

Indeed Fulham splurged £11 million on the Scottish international, just £5 million less than it has just cost Liverpool to buy Italian star Mario Balotelli.

For Leeds fans it was a tough pill to swallow. Fans in general were divided on his departure. Some were sad to see him go and understood his desire to move on. Others could not forgive him forcing a move, especially after he kissed the badge.

So when Fulham take on Leeds United, who have also had a woeful start to the campaign, at Elland Road on the 13th of December it will be interesting to see what type of reaction McCormack recieves from his formerly adoring public.

Well according to the man himself he won't be too bothered. As Fulham took on Brentford this week stick was likely, local derby and all, and this weekend he takes on Cardiff City - a team he left for Leeds in 2010, not a good move if you know your football rivalries.

But this does not bother him. He told Get West London:

"Every ground I have been at this season I have been getting a bit of abuse from the home fans, but that is fine. If you were not a half decent player they would not be bothered about you. I am more than happy to take the stick if I can shut them up at the other end."


http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/08/27/11m-fulham-star-takes-fan-stick-as-a-compliment-will-leeds-fans/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Felix Magath wins himself a stay of execution after Brentford victory

Losing to Brentford would have been the nail in the coffin for Felix Magath's rather disastrous stint at Craven Cottage.

Four straight league defeats had tarnished his fading reputation yet further as the jibes from former players – this time John Arne Riise – continued to flow in by the bucket-load.

Fulham never used to be like this; embroiled in such tomfoolery and controversy. We've always been well run and well liked but, just like our form, it's all falling apart.

Now, though, Magath has earned himself a reprieve with a particularly efficient performance at Griffin Park, a ground where there was much potential for a hopeless defeat and the inevitable flurry of anger that would follow.

He picked a sensible team for perhaps the first time this season, which appeared balanced and carried a semblance of structure. Oh how we lapped it up.

The German seemed to be listening to what we've all been saying and the plan worked almost perfectly. Fulham fans went home delighted, Brentford fans went home deflated and for one night at least we began to forget about our troubles.

If Magath, by some miracle, can carry this form forward, it will be because he has learned from his mistakes. Continuity breeds confidence and if the 61-year-old sticks with a similar team to the one he put out on Tuesday night, perhaps some wins will begin to clock up.

But let us not get ahead of ourselves as, for me, this victory, significant though it may be, merely delays the inevitable.

Magath showed in this Capital One Cup tie that he can do some things right and for that, he deserves some minor plaudits, but you have to feel the problems will persist.

If he drops Dan Burn, an action he alluded to post-post match, our characteristic defensive fumbles will continue. With him, we looked assured and composed. Without him, we look a mess.

Chris David must hold down a place, too, as he has become our creative force. Magath, though, doesn't do things the easy way and you have to feel some typically frivolous decisions are around the corner.

If, as I fear, they are, then our manager is still indeed working on borrowed time. And Khan will have to act quickly to stop another rot.


http://metro.co.uk/2014/08/28/fulhams-felix-magath-wins-himself-a-stay-of-execution-after-brentford-victory-4848164/?

[WhiteJC]

 
October Fixtures On Sale Next Week

Tickets for the Whites' October fixtures at Craven Cottage against Bolton Wanderers (Wednesday 1st October, 8pm), Norwich City (Saturday 18th October, 3pm) and Charlton Athletic (Friday 24th October, 7.45pm) will go on sale to Season Ticket Holders and Members from 10am on Monday 1st September.

Match ticket prices this season start from £25 adults and £10 juniors, and Season Ticket Holders and Members are encouraged to take advantage of their priority access, before tickets for Bolton and Norwich go on General Sale on Monday 8th September.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/august/28/october-fixtures?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham striker insists club can repeat Reading miracle

Summer Whites signing aims for title win despite dreadful start

Fulham striker Ross McCormack believes the club can emulate Reading from four seasons back and go on to win the Championship.

The startling claim from the £11m summer signing comes in the wake of Whites first win on Tuesday, following four duds that still sees them searching for a league point.

But McCormack remembers Brian McDermott's Royals at Christmas 2011 when they were lying 23rd before they went on to claim the title winning 17 of their last 23 games.

"If you do not believe you can get promoted in this league, you should not be in it," McCormack said.

"We've lost the first four games, but three of four years ago, Reading were bottom and they won. So anything can happen."

The Scots international hit 29 in all competitions for Leeds last season, and only has another 28 to go with a month gone after he slid home to oust Brentford from the Capital Cup on Tuesday.

But true to the unwritten strikers manual on such things, McCormack insists he has set himself no targets other than getting something out of the visit from the relegated Bluebirds on Saturday.

"Cardiff might play one up front and try and catch us on the counter attack," said the hit man.

"We've got to be wise to that and not go gung ho. We have played OK in every game this season without creating chances. We could have had a couple more at the end against Brentford, and we can take that into Saturday.

"I have never had targets at every club I played at. I just focus on getting in the team, playing well and I believe the goals will come after that."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-striker-insists-club-can-7680552?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Draw Doncaster in 3rd Round
   
Having secured our first win of the season, beating Brentford in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday evening, we were in the hat for the third round draw last night.

With several Premier League teams having been knocked out of the competition, in the 2nd round, there was a chance that Fulham could be given a favourable draw and that was how it turned out.

Fulham were given a home tie against Doncaster Rovers which will be played at Craven Cottage on either Tuesday 23rd September or Wednesday 24th September.

COYW`s!


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=368611#ixzz3BhWWvKHH

[WhiteJC]

 
Why Khan Hired Felix and Why He's Still our Manager

[RA - This fine piece is by Timmy, incidentally]

John Arne Riise mentioned the other day how, after that horrible defeat at Derby, Magath called a late night meeting and announced practice first thing in the morning. Usually days after matches are for recovery. Que the horror.

The practice allegedly consisted of "tactics training" and lots of running.

When I played varsity sports in high school, heavy defeats were often followed by impromptu practices that contained lots of running. Same for those I helped managed in both high school and college. It didn't matter if the coach horribly prepared us for the game, or if it was just a 'bad day at the office'. Our actions on the game field had repercussions on the practice field.

I have no record (and done little research) that Khan played sports in his teen years. I can say that he has a lot of business acumen, and probably learned a bit about coaching methodologies I mentioned above while pursuing an NFL team before eventually owning the Jacksonville Jaguars.

And the fact he owns an NFL team, and not say an MLB team (more on that later), in relation to Magath is key.

American Football coaches, by and large, are insane (http://deadspin.com/5958802/coaches-are-freaks). Outside of baseball, no sport has sees much over coaching by managers. They routinely pull 100-hour work weeks. Everything is planned out. Game film is pored over again and again. It's so intense that last season, one NFL coach had a heart attack while leisurely playing golf. Another had a stroke in the middle of a game.

The response from his colleagues were a shrug.

(Just read this from the now-fired Jim Schwartz: "That's probably the same way you would talk in the locker room about a player that saw another player get an ACL or have another injury — if you let that affect the way you work, you're in the wrong boat ... Coaches don't work 100 hours a week because they're doing it because that's healthy. They do it because the job requires it. It just is what it is." Let that seep in.)

Compare that to the methods allegedly reported when Jol was in charge. If the rumors were true, the man rarely showed up to practice. The team was clearly out of shape and horribly ill prepared to do, well, anything. The defense, the bedrock of coaching, was on track to set historic lows.

Khan arrives and sees the mess. No, he's not a football man; but he knows (or, thinks he does) enough about how teams are supposed to function that the current setup is a recipe for disaster.

But, he's new. He doesn't want to pull a Tony Fernandes and make an ass of himself in the first few months on the job. Nor does have the ego (or naiveté) to throw money at the problems like Abromovich or Sheikh Mansour did when they first arrived.

So he waits. Things don't improve. He has Ali Mac hire esteemed assistant Rene Muelensteen to whip the team into some semblance of shape. Things continue to go sour. Jol gets fired, Rene takes over.

Things change slightly, but not enough. Rene's reign was too short to make any sort of inferences, but I sense he found him to be too "salesman-y" (anyone who watched his videos on the team's website will know what I mean; i.e., only speaking in cliches and platitudes) but mostly the results continue to remain poor.

Eventually Khan has enough. He played the modern English/European game to no avail, so now it's the Puritanical American game. Cajoling is replaced by commanding. Obliging replaced with ordering.

He hires Felix Magath, a man hated in the game for his "methods". He's cold. He yells. He demands peak physical fitness. He's ruthless. In Felix, Khan must have seen a familiar face. And what Felix has been implementing isn't new to any American athlete or anyone involved heavily in sports. Khan sees him as someone who can whip this horrible, and horribly prepared, team into cohesion before it's too late.

Well, it was too late. Although we may think otherwise, and have hindsight to prove (somewhat), Khan was a bit off in his belief. But, he still believes in Felix. The work is not done, the time to relax the control has not arrived. So he currently remains manager.

Sure, there's been ultimatums given but that is to be expected in this hyper-competitive environment.

I mentioned baseball earlier as a comparison to the NFL. Although I can't speak to say NHL or NBA coaches, baseball managers are a different breed. They have to be considering the long, daily season. Yes, some are "players mangers" and others are "disciplinarians" but it's all quite relative.

Except for Buck Showalter, current manager of the Baltimore Orioles. And it's with Buck that I think Felix Magath can learn from, and hopefully follow.

Buck is described as a control freak by many fans. Others would call him an asshole. According to Pat Jordan in a Sports on Earth (RIP) article, "Showalter hates to be called a control freak. He hates it because he doesn't consider himself a control freak, but mostly, he hates it because he can't control people calling him a control freak. To assuage his hurt feelings, I offered to call him one of the many other names people associate with him: passive-aggressive, taciturn, sarcastic, caustic, suspicious, paranoid, Machiavellian. He did not laugh."

(Before I proceed, we could probably apply any of those adjectives to Magath. I highly recommend reading this piece and think about Magath.)

But Buck wins.

...Sort of.

The rap on Buck is (or was) his an uncanny ability of taking underperforming or new teams (New York Yankees in early 90s, when they sucked; Arizona Diamonbacks in late 90s; Texas Rangers in early aughts) and turning them into a contender. But before they could clear that hurdle and become great teams, Buck got fired (each would go on to win a World Series, or many in the Yankees case, or at least appear in them shortly thereafter).

Usually it was a mutual departure.

Essentially, teams got tired of his attention to detail (the man reportedly picked out the Diamondbacks color palette upon his hiring) and players grew weary of his methods and tuned him out.

So it was no surprise to see him hired by the Baltimore Orioles in late 2010, a team that was suffering their 15th (was it more?) straight losing season.

It took a little while to turn the teams fortunes around, but the O's magically made the playoffs in 2012. They're currently on par (KNOCK ON WOOD) to win their first division title (not a pennant, just a freaking division title!) in nearly 20 years.

Four years into his current job, Buck has already lasted longer than he did at any of his prior MLB managerial positions. Part of it is probably the team has sucked for so long that everyone will take the warts with the wins. But a bigger part of that is he (reportedly) mellowed out a bit before his Orioles gig. He (again, reportedly as it's late and I don't feel like searching for articles to back this up; just going on what I hear) pays close attention to the appropriate things instead of all the things.

Which is what I think plays into the 'Felix as manager story' I'm attempting to spin here. As Rich said Felix is still experimenting, the team is still evolving.

I don't know if it'll work and whether Felix can survive. I hope he himself can evolve himself and lighten up; and this team and season provides that perfect opportunity. Like Buck who after third time of of being fired only for his team make the World Series just a few years later; perhaps finally being relegated and managing a bunch of 18 year olds in AAA will be that humbling experience.

Results to date haven't been helpful, but it's really up to him. I don't see Khan changing just yet; we need to see Felix do so.


http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2014/08/28/why-khan-hired-felix-and-why-hes-still-our-manager/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Woodrow named in England U21 squad
by DAN on AUGUST 28, 2014

Fulham striker Cauley Woodrow has been named in a reshaped England Under-21 squad for their final two European Championship qualifiers against Lithuania and Moldova in September.

The 19 year-old forward made his Under-21 debut against Qatar in May after breaking into the Fulham first team towards the tail end of last season. He scored twice in four further appearances at the Toulon Tournament over the summer and has done enough to keep his place in Gareth Southgate's latest squad, despite some serious competition for places up front.

Woodrow has made four appearances for Fulham so far this season, his latest being the full ninety minutes in the Capital One Cup win at Brentford on Tuesday night, but has yet to score.


http://hammyend.com/index.php/2014/08/woodrow-named-in-england-u21-squad/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham Sign Kiraly

Fulham Football Club has today confirmed the signing of Gabor Kiraly on a one-year deal from TSV 1860 Munich.

The 38-year-old Hungary international goalkeeper made 111 appearances for Crystal Palace between 2004 and 2007 following his move to London from Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin.

Following loan spells at West Ham United and Aston Villa, he left Selhurst Park and signed for Burnley in 2007. He returned to Germany in 2009 when he signed for 1860 Munich.

Since making his international debut against Austria in 1998, he has amassed 90 caps for his country. In a senior career which started in 1993, the experienced stopper has played 753 professional games.

Fulham Manager Felix Magath said: "I'm pleased that Gabor joins us today. He is a goalkeeper with vast experience of playing at the top level in England and Germany.

"He will be an important addition to our squad for this current season and he will also be able to assist our two young goalkeepers with their continued development and progression in our First Team."

Speaking from our Motspur Park Training Ground, Kiraly told the official website: "I'm very happy to be here. Fulham is a great club and I'll always give my best."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/august/28/fulham-sign-kiraly?

[WhiteJC]

 
Gabor Kiraly: Fulham sign ex-Crystal Palace goalkeeper

Championship side Fulham have completed the signing of 1860 Munich goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly for an undisclosed fee.

The 38-year-old Hungarian international made 111 appearances for Crystal Palace between 2004 and 2007 and subsequently spent two years at Burnley.

He joined 1860 Munich in summer 2009 and went on to feature 168 times for the German Bundesliga 2 side.

Kiraly, who has also played for Hertha Berlin, has signed a one-year deal at Craven Cottage.

"Gabor is a goalkeeper with vast experience of playing at the top level in England and Germany," Fulham manager Felix Magath told the club website.

"He will be an important addition to our squad for this current season and he will also be able to assist our two young goalkeepers with their continued development and progression."

Kiraly, who has won 90 international caps, has made over 750 appearances during the course of his 21-year professional career.


Kiraly, pictured during his spell with Crystal Palace, is famed for favouring tracksuit bottoms over shorts

He will compete with 21-year-old Finnish stopper Jesse Joronen and 22-year-old Marcus Bettinelli for the number-one jersey at Fulham.

The Whites are bottom of the Championship, having lost all four of their league games this season.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28937471

[WhiteJC]

 
Sort it out, Felix! Fulham's woes under Magath look set to continue

Shouts of 'sort it out!' and 'you're out of your depth!' have been commonplace at Craven Cottage this season. Three defeats from three before travelling to Pride Park at the weekend saw the Lilywhites arrive with not a point on the board. What ensued was a true humbling, as Steve McClaren's Derby dispatched another mix-match line-up from Felix Magath 5-1.
Fulham sit bottom of the Championship; what's next for the west London club?
Arguably, it could soon be the end of the road for Magath. He has opted for four different teams in each of their Championship matches so far without any success. Admittedly, the teams he has fielded have been young, but that's no excuse. It's poor management and organisation by the manager that's the problem.
A gluttony of youth talent including Patrick Roberts, George Williams, Thomas Eisfeld, Emerson Hyndman, Chris David, and Jesse Joronen, to name just a few, have the ability to perform at Championship level. They can't be expected to do so without guidance from experienced players though, and an unsettled line-up that's different week-in, week-out won't aid their development either. Magath must find a starting XI that will stick and one that will work together effectively in training and on the pitch every week.

Former Dortmund and Arsenal youngster Thomas Eisfeld could be a magnificent catch for Fulham if
he fulfills the potential displayed during his youth

It seems as though the German expects his crop of young players to come good instantly; he's expecting players such as Roberts and Williams to take on the beefy centre-halves in the Championship and get the job done. Experience is at a premium; the cottagers are heavily reliant on Scott Parker and new £11m man Ross McCormack. Releasing David Stockdale and Brede Hangeland without having experienced players ready and waiting to replace them has proven to be a problem and spending £11m on McCormack was perhaps misguided, not because he isn't a quality player but because of the price tag. It would probably have been wiser to invest across all departments, ensuring experience and know-how in key positions.

Eyebrow Raiser: Could the £11million spent on Ross McCormack have been put to better use?

Even so, Magath hasn't been utilising his key men. McCormack has been moved onto the left wing on more than one occasion and Parker seems to be getting bypassed in matches. Watching Parker during the Wolves game, it was clear the Englishman still has the ability which has seen him play for the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham. Magath's 'tactics' seem to prevent Parker from playing his natural game though, which has resulted in the former Charlton man being dominated rather than being the midfield dominator everyone knows he can be.

Magath's experimental play is not working. Fulham have been a sinking ship for the past two seasons, since long-term owner Mohamed Al-Fayed had sold the club to Shahid Khan. Martin Jol and Rene Meulensteen tried and ultimately failed to guide the ship to safety and of Khan isn't careful, Fulham may find themselves in a similar position to that of their opponents last Wednesday. Wolves amassed four managers over the course of two seasons as they went hurtling toward League One following relegation from the Premier League in 2012.

Both Martin Jol and Rene Meulensteen had managerial stints during a season that ended in relegation for Fulham

It is unlikely that Magath will step down – the German believes Fulham are 'heading in the right direction'... so it could come down to another sacking. The problem here is that there might not be a name lined up. A sacking without a plan would spell real trouble.

Who could replace Magath? There are a number of vastly experienced managers who could do well at Craven Cottage, namely former Crystal Palace boss Tony Pulis who transformed both Stoke and Palace during his time in charge. Tim Sherwood is also a possibility.

Current MOTD2 pundit and former Fulham man Danny Murphy has been hailed by many – mostly fans – as the man for the job. Managerial experience obviously is a problem, but Murphy knows and loves the Lilywhites and would arguably bring a feel good factor back to the club. The job is not one to be taken lightly though – the club enjoyed 12 years in the top flight and believe it is where they belong. The Fulham faithful would forgo instant success to allow time for Murphy to get good, slick football being played at the Cottage. As one Fulham fan said, it is really only 'a dream' to be thinking about such a scenario. But we all know anything is possible in football.


http://offsiderulepodcast.com/2014/08/28/sort-it-out-felix-fulhams-woes-under-magath-look-set-to-continue/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Next Up: Cardiff City

Fulham meet a fellow relegated side for the first time this season when Cardiff City visit Craven Cottage on Saturday (3pm).


The opposition

With six games played in all competitions, Cardiff fans probably would have settled for four wins and a draw heading into their trip to SW6.

They kicked off the 2014/15 Sky Bet Championship campaign with a Friday night draw at Blackburn Rovers, but secured their first win of the season five days later when they narrowly saw off the threat of Coventry City in the First Round of the Capital One Cup.

Back-to-back home wins over Huddersfield Town (3-1) and Wigan Athletic (1-0) in the league then propelled the Bluebirds to second, with just goals scored keeping them behind leaders Nottingham Forest.

A 90th-minute own goal by former Fulham man Mark Hudson led to their only defeat of the season in their previous league outing, a 1-0 loss at the hands of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

They joined the Whites in the hat for the Third Round of the League Cup, though, with a 3-2 win at Port Vale on Tuesday.

Tickets for Saturday's meeting with Cardiff City are available to buy on General Sale, priced from just £25 for adults and £10 for juniors.


Inside the camp

Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer watched on gleefully as Federico Macheda nabbed a brace on his debut in midweek, and confirmed he will be letting him loose again against Fulham.

"I've always known Federico is a natural goalscorer since I was with him at Manchester United," he said. "He practises his finishing every day in training and I have no doubts about him. His first goal was a poacher goal and I would have put my mortgage on him scoring the second when he was one-on-one with the keeper.

"He's right in my thoughts now for Saturday. He will certainly play some part, whether that be starting or from the bench. A lot of the other lads out there are also knocking on the door; maybe not for Saturday, but certainly after the international break."

Player to watch

Kenwyne Jones: Signed from Stoke City as part of a swap deal with Peter Odemwingie in January, there are high expectations for Kenwyne Jones this season. After scoring on his debut for the club, he then failed to find the net throughout the remainder of the 2013/14 campaign, but he certainly hit the ground running this term, with three goals in his first two matches. A powerful centre-forward, Jones has a good leap but can also cause problems with the ball at his feet. The 29-year-old is closing in on 100 goals in English football.

Marathonbet match odds

Fulham: 7/4

Draw: 47/20

Cardiff: 9/5


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/august/28/next-up-cardiff-city?

[WhiteJC]

 
Magath's Honeymoon over

After a three-week hiatus owing to a wedding and honeymoon I am at last home and ready to tackle the difficult subject that is our start to the season.

We all expected a tough transition having seen the vast majority of last season's squad depart and going into a new campaign with a team that comprised mainly of Scott Parker, the youth team and a few sprinklings of Felix Magath's signings including the much reported "£11million man" Ross McCormack.

Four defeats on the bounce however have left even the most patient of supporters considering Felix's position as bordering on the untenable so early into the campaign. My expectations were that the first five-six matches were a write off given the turnover of personnel, but at the same time I had hoped we would by now at least be in a position to have a relatively established 11 to see us start picking up points going forward.

The odd decisions from last season seem to still be rife and while results are ultimately the name of the game I can't help but feel the fans would be less vocal in their disapproval were it not for the unexplained omissions of relatively more established players like Dan Burn and Chris David in favour of even younger heads such as Cameron Burgess and Sean Kavanagh. The most frustrating point seems to be that from the outside looking in we have the players to at least hold our own in this league but instead choose to select youth and inexperience with no real justification for doing so.

Both Burn and David made a difference on Tuesday night in the League Cup win against Brentford but whether that means they will start against Cardiff at home on Saturday is anyone's guess. McCormack scoring his first for the club will go some way to preventing his price tag being mentioned at every opportunity. For the record I have no doubt that the actual amount was closer to £7m plus add-ons based on results. Of course that wouldn't make such a good story and the reported fee probably suited Massimo Cellino more than the actual amount did.

We are all expecting a few more new faces before the end of the month but if the signing of 40-year-old Gabor Kiraly is anything to go by I dread to think what is to come. Nothing inspires confidence like a goalkeeper incapable of wearing shorts. If Magath is relieved of his duties over the next few games then it may be as much down to his penchant for bizarre signings like Mark Fotheringham and Kiraly as it is results. Couple that with decisions like selling Stockdale and it's a recipe for discontent.

Cardiff will be my first chance to see Fulham since pre-season and perhaps my optimism is reflective of the fact that I am not tainted by viewing the preceding fixtures in as much horrific detail as many of you have. If we start with Burn and David, Maybe even Marcus Bettinelli then perhaps the positivity of Tuesday will help produce a good performance and begin the reinforcement of fortress cottage.

Keep the faith, give it a couple more games and pray for midfield signings.

COYW !


http://shoot.co.uk/magaths-honeymoon-over/

[WhiteJC]

 
Thoughts From The Manager

I mentioned recently that it is of great importance for me as Manager to engage with you, our fans. This obviously has not changed and I would like to share with you my thoughts and feelings.

Firstly, I would like to a say a huge thank you for your continued enthusiastic support. The turnout both at Derby County and Brentford was exceptional and something that in all my years in football I have never taken for granted. The future of any football club is dependent in large part on a very strong fanbase, good communication and the willingness to endorse into a club's philosophy.

Football is very much a game of opinions, with everybody entitled to voice their own views, but only when the greater majority pull together is success possible. Bearing this in mind, I would like to state that every decision that I make as your Manager is always what I feel is in the best interest of the Club. What we are working to achieve is exactly what you as fans demand from us, thus we welcome a positive approach on your behalf.

I do believe that with you driving us on last Tuesday, it helped us considerably. It was not only the victory against Brentford that was much needed, but more so the manner in which we won. I was very pleased with the fight and commitment my players showed throughout the game. The team spirit was also excellent and, in my eyes, it was a very professional performance.

As you already know during the season 2012/13, many of the top players who contributed greatly to the success of the Club were sold. This money was sadly not reinvested into improving the squad, hence the team fell into decline. Investment into the football club has been forthcoming with the arrival of Shahid Khan as Chairman in July 2013, though the slide into the Championship was not avoided. With the support of Mr Khan, we made the decision to develop a team with much younger players.

This is a process that requires time, but we are convinced that we will be able to compete in the upper echelons of the Championship. I would also like to mention that not only do we have a young team, but a predominantly English team, hence we are very much promoting English talent. One should understand, that we simply cannot irresponsibly buy players at inflated prices, an example of this being the price of £12m pounds quoted to me for a top Championship goalkeeper.

Our most recent signing Gabor Kiraly is a welcome addition to our squad. He has a world of experience having played here in England, both in the Premier League and the Championship, and also in the Bundesliga. He has been brought in to support and develop our young goalkeepers, thus adding more stability to this position. Having said this, and knowing how ambitious he is, I am sure he will be fighting to be our starting keeper.

The current position of the team is not dissimilar to the predicament I had in VfL Wolfsburg, where I was brought in to build a new younger team. In the first half of that season we did struggle, but still managed to finish fifth in the division. This rebuilding is a position that other managers are also finding very difficult, but given the time required they will achieve stability and success in the future.

Contrary to statements made by previous players, we are working with a very positive attitude and a feeling of togetherness exists within our squad. This enables us to work in an environment devoid of selfishness. Having assessed the squad over the past five games, I do believe that we are getting closer to an established starting XI, which will result in more stability.

The support you give the side can never be underestimated and I hope that we are able to repay you with a positive result on Saturday.

All the best!

Felix


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/august/28/thoughts-from-the-manager?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham confirm Kiraly signing
by DAN on AUGUST 28, 2014

Fulham have confirmed the signing of veteran goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly from German side 1860 Munich for an undisclosed fee.

The Hungarian international, who has enjoyed in England spells with Crystal Palace and Burnley, has signed a one-year deal with Championship Fulham and will offer the experience in goal that Felix Magath has been seeking as he has alternated between Jesse Joronen and Marcus Bettinelli, who made his senior debut in Tuesday's League Cup win at Brentford. The 38 year-old, who made 188 appearances in five years with 1860 Munich, says he discussed his potential move with former Fulham cult heroes Moritz Volz and Zoltan Gera before agreeing terms with the London club.

Kiraly's wealth of experience, which also includes 90 caps for his country, was one of the major reasons why Magath was keen to conclude the deal. The Fulham manager said in the club's official statement:

I'm pleased that Gabor joins us today. He is a goalkeeper with vast experience of playing at the top level in England and Germany. He will be an important addition to our squad for this current season and he will also be able to assist our two young goalkeepers with their continued development and progression in our first team.

Kiraly, who was widely recognised as one of the best goalkeepers in the German second during his time in Munich having initially signed as a number two, was delighted to return to England:

I'm very happy to be here. Fulham is a great club and I'll always give my best.


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[WhiteJC]

 
Hyndman handed US call-up
by DAN on AUGUST 28, 2014

Emerson Hyndamn's emergence into the Fulham first-team picture has been rewarded with a first call-up to the American national squad from Jurgen Klinsmann.

The Texan midfielder has been given the opportunity to make his international debut against the Czech Republic in Prague in the United States' first friendly following their World Cup exploits. The 18 year-old, who started Fulham's first two Championship games of the new campaign, has previously represented the American Under-17 squad and his promotion represents further recognition for his meteoric rise since signing his first professional contract with Fulham last year.

Hyndman scored three goals as Fulham's Under 18 side reached the FA Youth Cup final last season and was picked out by Magath as one of the promising youth products he could include in his radical reshaping of an ageing side that was relegated from the Premier League in May. Hyndman impressed Magath during Fulham's pre-season tour of Scotland and, although he was a surprise selection on the opening day of the season at Ipswich, his assured display proved he was more than ready for his debut.

Hyndman is the youngest member of Klinsmann's new look squad and the American national team coach was effusive about a number of the new faces he has selected for the September 3rd friendly:

It's an especially good opportunity for us to look at the younger players based in Europe, which we don't get to do very often because of their schedules. We can't bring them into the January camp where we get to work with a lot of the up and coming talent, so for players like Joe Gyau, Emerson Hyndman, Rubio Rubin and Bobby Wood, it's a great chance for them to experience our environment, and for us we get to know these guys better and see what they can do.


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