Tuesday Fulham Stuff (06/07/10)...

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http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6245713,00.html?
Etuhu sad to see Roy go
Nigeria international admits former boss had to move on

Fulham midfielder Dickson Etuhu admits former manager Roy Hodgson will be sorely missed.

Hodgson left the Cottagers to take charge of Liverpool last week, having been at the club since December 2007.

The 62-year-old coach led Fulham away from relegation to the Championship in his first season in charge and last term took the West Londoners to the Europa League final.

Etuhu, who has been away on international duty at the World Cup with Nigeria, says Hodgson had to make the move to Anfield, but admits it is a blow to lose him.

"It's strange; it actually has still not hit me yet because obviously I've been away," the 28-year-old told Sky Sports News.

"Going to the training ground and not seeing the manager around, it will be a shock for me.

"At the end of the day I just think he's done really for us this last season and for him not to go to Liverpool...he had to take the opportunity and better himself and I wish him all the best of luck because he's been a great manager, he's been good to me and the rest of the team.

"We're going to miss him. Hopefully when the new manager comes in we can pick up from where he left off.

Simple

"He knows what he wants and he drills it into you every day so you understand what your job is.

"He doesn't complicate it and makes it easy to play as an individual. He made me a better player and I'm sure a lot of the players at Fulham would say that.

"A few of the players at the club have got one year left on their contracts - Simon Davies,Bobby Zamora has got a couple of years left and he's got clubs sniffing all over him.

"I hope we get to keep everyone together because we've got a good bunch of lads, we've got a good team and we can do better and better and improve."

A number of managers have been linked with the vacant post at Craven Cottage, including Mark Hughes, Lee Clark, Alan Curbishley and former England boss Sven Goran Eriksson.

Etuhu says he has heard good things about Swedish tactician Eriksson, but is not in a position to declare who he wants in charge.

He added: "I've heard some good things about him because my brother (Kelvin) had him at Man City but it would be hard for anyone to take over from Roy Hodgson. He's been a great manager for us and I look forward to working with whoever they bring in.

"I can't really point at any of them, I just want us to get a manager in, get the season started and move on.

"If we finish in the top 10 that will be good for us. We don't spend massive and we keep the same team."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulham-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/pearce_enters_frame_for_fulham_post_535215/index.shtml
Pearce Enters Frame For Fulham Post

England legend Stuart Pearce is in the mix for the Fulham manager's post.

The People report that the former Manchester City manager has entered the frame following the fall-out from England's World Cup nightmare. Pearce went to the World Cup as part of Fabio Capello's team and realises it could be time to return to club management.

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http://www.fulham-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/bilic_added_to_list_of_potential_targets_535214/index.shtml
Bilic Added To List Of Potential Targets

Slaven Bilic is the latest name emerging as a candidate for the manager's post at Fulham.
The People report that chairman Mohamed Al Fayed is a huge admirer of the Croatia boss, and is keen to sound him out over the prospect of replacing Roy Hodgson.

Bilic was approached about becoming manager before Hodgson began his reign in 2007 - and Fulham will try to tempt him away from his national side again as they move into a new era.

The 41-year-old remained in contact with Fayed during Hodgson's time at Craven Cottage.

The Fulham owner even invited the whole Croatia side to Harrods when they played England in September, and is hugely impressed by Bilic's list of European contacts and impressive knowledge of potential transfer targets overseas.

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http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2890/world-cup-2010/2010/07/05/2010686/world-cup-2010-dickson-etuhu-pleads-with-nigeria-president?
Dickson Etuhu pleads with Nigeria president Goodluck Jonathan to lift two-year ban
Midfielder keen for suspension to be overturned...

Dickson Etuhu hopes Nigeria president Goodluck Jonathan will overturn the two-year ban he has placed on the national team.

The Super Eagles picked up just one point from their three 2010 World Cup groupmatches, which prompted the president to ban the team from playing matches for two years so the country can restructure its football, despite Africa Cup of Nations qualifying games set to begin in September.

FIFA say they will ban the Nigeria national team - as well as Nigerian club teams, referees and officials - from taking part in international competitions if Jonathan does not overturn the ban before the deadline on Monday.

Etuhu believes the country cannot go two years without playing football and hopes the two-year ban is overturned.

"At the end of the day we have to respect what the president wants, that's how it goes," he told Sky Sports News.

"But we can't go two years without football, we can't do that. I hope he does take it back because it would be a big loss for Nigeria, for Africa, because we've got a Nations Cup coming and everybody's getting ready for that.

"I just hope he can overturn that.

"He's obviously trying to change things, to make us do better, because we've underachieved for the last few years.

"He wants to get the squad right and the people in and around the national team. That's the line he's going down but I really hope he finds another way of doing it because I really don't want to miss two years of football and I'm sure the rest of the players are the same.

"I can't sit here and tell you what he was thinking but I just hope he does take it back."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/32806.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Huddersfield boss Clark denies talk of Fulham approach

Huddersfield Town boss Lee Clark has moved to distance himself with speculation linking him with the vacant manager's job at Fulham.

Fulham are searching for a new manager following the departure of Roy Hodgson to Liverpool last week.

Clark was a key part of the Fulham team that reached the top flight in 2001 and has seen his reputation as a manager rise after guiding Huddersfield to the League One play-offs last season.

"I've spoken to Dean Hoyle, the chairman, this morning and he has had no contact from Fulham, our chief executive Nigel Clibbens has had no contact from Fulham and I have had no contact from Fulham,'' Clark told Huddersfield's website.

"Most of the time I don't comment on speculation, but there has been absolutely no contact from Fulham and I don't want people to become unsettled.

"It came as a genuine surprise to me when I saw the story on television this morning, but I take the same attitude towards it that I do when our players get linked with clubs from a higher division - it's a good sign that these clubs are interested because it means that we are doing things right here.

"We've had a terrific first week of pre-season since the players came back and we are all currently at our pre-season training camp - I'm completely focused on getting things ready for the new season with Huddersfield Town.

"I've been in the process of strengthening the squad all summer and I'm really pleased with the signings we have made so far; hopefully there might be a couple more ahead of the start of the season.

"I don't want anything to detract from what it a massive season for our club - and it won't.''

[WhiteJC]

http://fourfourtwo.com/news/england/59474/default.aspx?
Agent: Big clubs interested in Dempsey

Fulham midfielder Clint Dempsey could be set to follow newly-appointed Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson out of Craven Cottage, according to the player's agent.

The American midfielder, 27, excelled as Fulham reached the final of the Europa League last season, before playing a key role as the USA progressed to the last 16 of the World Cup in South Africa.

And Lyle Yorks, who represents Dempsey, believes his client could be tempted to try his luck at a bigger club following the departure of inspirational manager Hodgson to Anfield.

"There is a lot of interest from big clubs in Europe in Clint. And now you've got Roy Hodgson leaving for Liverpool... so there's a lot of different things going on," Yorks told the MLS website.

Recent press speculation has suggested Dempsey could be earmarked by the new Liverpool boss as a potential replacement for Yossi Benayoun, who last week left Anfield for Chelsea.

The Reds would face stiff competition for the Cottagers' midfielder, who caught the eye of several major clubs on the continent during Fulham's successful Europa League campaign, which included a spectacular goal against Juventus.

Indeed, reports in Italy during the World Cup had linked Dempsey with a move to Serie A side Napoli. However, Yorks dismissed the speculation, simply stating: "We don't have an offer from Napoli."

"We've got, in Italy, a major club and in France a major club. And in the Bundesliga a club. We'll be sorting through them in the coming weeks and also seeing what happens at Fulham.

"There's direct contact and discussions, but first they'd have to agree with Fulham."

Roy Hodgson faces the unenviable task of steadying the ship at Liverpool, with star names Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano all being linked with summer moves away from Anfield.

By James Martini

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http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/40307/Wenger_ready_to_raid_former_club.aspx?
Wenger ready to raid former club

According to French television channel Telefoot, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been keeping tabs on Monaco goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier as the race to replace Manuel Almunia heats up. The Gunners have been linked with a host of goalkeeping talent in recent weeks with Fulham's Mark Schwarzer, Braga's Eduardo, Lyon's Hugo Lloris and Nigerian World Cup star Vincent Enyeama all also on the proposed shopping list.

Ruffier has shot to prominence in France in the last twelve months having usurped colleague Flavio Roma as first choice in the principality. At only 23-years-old the Bayonne-born stopper has also been tipped to challenge current France number one Hugo Lloris ahead of the 2012 European championships with Laurent Blanc eager for the Lyon man to be challenged.

The Gunners have a number of options currently on the books but with Manuel Almunia and Lukas Fabianski both making high profile mistakes last season and with Vito Mannone and Wojciech Szczesny each deemed too young to make the step up to first team action it appears that Arsene Wenger, who managed Monaco for seven years, will bite the bullet before the start of the season and try and snap up a replacement.

Although a shot-term stop-gap appears to be the French coach's preference, with the aforementioned 37-year-old Schwarzer  the number one choice, it appears that club scouts including close confidante Gilles Grimandi have tipped off Wenger as to the capabilities of Ruffier. Valued in the region of €10 million, the player also falls within the Gunners transfer budget.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/July/TrainingCamp.aspx?
Training Camp Confirmed

Fulham's First Team squad will head to Sweden on the 19th July for a pre-season training camp in Varberg.

Located on the west coast of Sweden in the province of Halland, Varberg offers Fulham the perfect surroundings in which to prepare for the 2010/11 Barclays Premier League campaign.

The Team will return to SW6 ten days later on the 28th July ahead of their third confirmed pre-season fixture against Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Saturday 31st July.

Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/July/TrainingCamp.aspx?#ixzz0ssmnkyQB

[WhiteJC]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jul/05/fulham-manager-sven-goran-eriksson?
Fulham's search for a new manager close to a conclusion
• Fulham hope to make an appointment within days
• Sven-Goran Eriksson interested in replacing Roy Hodgson

Fulham are meeting candidates to replace Roy Hodgson as the club's manager this week, with Sven-Goran Eriksson and Alan Curbishley thought to be among the favourites. Dickson Etuhu, the midfielder, said he hopes a new coach is in place soon to ward off other clubs who are "sniffing" around Bobby Zamora, the club's leading striker.

Fulham embark on a pre-season tour to Sweden in two weeks' time and are intent on finding a new manager before leaving for Scandinavia. Alistair Mackintosh, the chief executive, is hoping to complete the process by the end of this week.

It is understood that no formal approach has yet been made to Eriksson, although the former England and Manchester City manager – who left his post as Ivory Coast head coach following their elimination from the World Cup at the group stage – would be interested in taking over at Craven Cottage. Mackintosh worked with Eriksson at Eastlands when he was City's chief executive.

Etuhu said his brother, Kelvin, who plays for City, had discussed Eriksson with him. "I've heard some good things about him because my brother had him at Man City but it would be hard for anyone to take over from Roy Hodgson. He's been a great manager for us and I look forward to working with whoever they bring in. I can't really point at any of them, I just want us to get a manager in, get the season started and move on."

Etuhu added: "A few of the players at the club have got one year left on their contracts – Simon Davies, Bobby Zamora has got a couple of years left and he's got clubs sniffing all over him."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/sport/football-ealing/fulham-fc-ealing/2010/07/05/former-fulham-star-rubbishes-rumours-about-return-64767-26790538/?
Former Fulham star rubbishes rumours about return

FORMER fans' favourite Lee Clark has dismissed rumours he is about to become the next manager of Fulham.

Speculation surfaced this week that the Huddersfield Town boss was being lined up to replace Roy Hodgson at Craven Cottage.

However, Clark, who spent six years in SW6 as a player, insists he hasn't spoken to anyone from the club.

He said: "Most of the time I don't comment on speculation, but there has been absolutely no contact from Fulham and I don't want people to become unsettled."

Clark's odds for the post have been slashed to 5/2 by William Hill, who rank him joint-second favourite for the job behind Alan Curbishley.

Other names in the frame include Mark Hughes, Sven Goran Eriksson and Slaven Bilic.

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http://www.mls-daily.com/2010/07/clint-dempsey-targeted-by-ac-milan.html?
Clint Dempsey Targeted By AC Milan

Italian giants AC Milan are interested in adding U.S. international midfielder Clint Dempsey to their side, according to a report by Yahoo! Sports' Martin Rogers. A source close to Milan has told Rogers that the club was impressed by Dempsey's performance in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and are willing to offer up a $12 million transfer fee to English club Fulham in order to sign the 27-year-old.

"[Dempsey] brings a lot of action and energy but he can be creative too," said a Milan source. "There are some options on the table, but Dempsey is a realistic one. A bid is very possible, and soon. [Fulham] are aware that if a club like [Milan] comes in, it is hard for a player to say no."

Last week, Dempsey's agent Lyle Yorks confirmed that several of Europe's bigger clubs have expressed interest in signing the former New England Revolution player. Rumors of a Napoli switch had been gaining steam in the press, but are apparently not true.

"We don't have an offer from Napoli. There is a lot of interest from big clubs in Europe in Clint," admitted Yorks. "And now you've got Roy Hodgson leaving for Liverpool, so there's a lot of different things going on. We've got in Italy a major club and in France a major club and in the Bundesliga a club. We'll be sorting through them in the coming weeks and also seeing what happens at Fulham. There's direct contact and discussions, but first they'd have to agree with Fulham."

Dempsey has risen to become one of Fulham's top goalscorers over his three seasons at Craven Cottage. During the 2009-10 English Premier League season, Dempsey scored seven goals and added three assists in 29 appearances. He also helped the club in their run to the Europa League final by scoring with an audacious chipshot against Juventus in the tournament's Round of 16, which apparently kick-started massive interest in his services from clubs in Serie A.

The Nacogdoches, Texas, native and 2007 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year has made 66 appearances for the USMNT, scoring 19 international goals in his career. He scored the Americans' lone offensive goal in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and also tallied against England in the opening Group Stage game of this summer's tournament. He also participated in the 2005 and '07 editions of the Gold Cup and was a key player in the shock U.S. run to the final of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1292244/Tottenham-Aston-Villa-Premier-League-praised-FA-sparking-club-v-country-row-England-Under-19s.html?
Tottenham, Aston Villa and Premier League praised by FA for not sparking club v country row over England Under 19s

The Football Association have hailed the spirit of co-operation from Premier League clubs after Aston Villa's Nathan Delfouneso and four Tottenham players were included in England's squad for this month's European Under 19 Championships. 
Two weeks ago, the FA's director of football development Sir Trevor Brooking expressed his concern about coach Noel Blake being able to name his strongest squad for the finals in Normandy because of a club versus country conflict.   

At a time when Brooking has been stressing the importance of youth football as England look to recover from their dismal performances at the World Cup, the Under 19s were seen as a litmus test of whether England's senior outfits would be willing to make the changes required to bring about improvement on the international front.

There had been fears that Tottenham in particular might not be too happy at losing four of their young players at such a key point of the pre-season.

However, following discussions between Brooking and Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, the quartet - John Bostock, Stephen Caulker, Dean Parrett and Andros Townsend - will all make the trip to France, along with Delfouneso, who has been given Martin O'Neill's blessing.

'There has been a positive level of co-operation from clubs and the squad will meet up as planned on Monday 12 July before departing for France later that week,' said an FA spokesman. 

The one player missing out who was expected to be called up is Blackburn's promising defender Phil Jones. Yet that move is purely due to the influence of Stuart Pearce, who wants to include Jones in his squad for the Under 21 international with Uzbekistan at Ashton Gate on August 10, when Jack Rodwell and Jack Wilshere may also be involved.

'It's the best against the best and that has got to be better than a few pre-season games,' said Brooking. 

Contrary to reports, Redknapp insists he never had any issue with letting his youngsters gain international experience. 'It is a great honour to play for your country and we wouldn't want to stop them from playing,' he said. 

England will travel to Normandy on July 15 for games against Austria, Holland and France. Brooking said: 'To be fair to the clubs, the timing of the tournament is a bit tricky but it really is the only slot available to UEFA.   

'Any later in the season and the player release issue would be just as hard. I think the clubs appreciate that now.'

The progress of Germany in South Africa has concentrated minds given the emergence of Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller, Sami Khedira and Manuel Neuer, who are now starring for the senior side after first catching the eye at youth-team level.
 
'These tournaments are the only way to really benchmark our players,' said Brooking.   'There really is no substitute for tournament football. 

'If you look at the recent winners of this tournament you will see that Spain, France, Portugal and Germany are the big four, so there is a link to what happens in the seniors.'

England Under 19 squad for European Championships in  France, July 18-30:
Declan Rudd (Norwich City), James Severn (Derby County); Nathan Baker (Aston Villa), Stephen Caulker (Tottenham), Matthew Briggs (Fulham), Reece Brown (Manchester United), Nathaniel Clyne (Crystal Palace), Thomas Cruise (Arsenal), Josh Thompson (Celtic); John Bostock, Dean Parrett, Andros Townsend (all Tottenham), Matthew James (Manchester United), Jacob Mellis (Chelsea), Matthew Phillips (Wycombe); Nathan Delfouneso (Aston Villa), Ryan Donaldson (Newcastle United), Frank Nouble (West Ham).


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1292244/Tottenham-Aston-Villa-Premier-League-praised-FA-sparking-club-v-country-row-England-Under-19s.html?#ixzz0ssoUnTkB

[WhiteJC]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/07/05/2011070/fulham-midfielder-dickson-etuhu-disappointed-to-see-roy?
Fulham midfielder Dickson Etuhu disappointed to see Roy Hodgson leave for Liverpool
Nigerian hopes club can continue to build without former boss...

Fulham midfielder Dickson Etuhu admits he was disappointed with Roy Hodgson's decision to move to Liverpool.

The former Cottagers boss, who led his side to the Europa League final last season, was announced as Rafael Benitez's successor at Anfield last week.

Etuhu says Hodgson will be missed at Craven Cottage, but admits it was hard for him to resist the opportunity of joining the Reds.

"It's strange; it actually has still not hit me yet because obviously I've been away," Etuhu told Sky Sports News.

"Going to the training ground and not seeing the manager around, it will be a shock for me.

"At the end of the day I just think he's done really for us this last season and for him not to go to Liverpool...he had to take the opportunity and better himself and I wish him all the best of luck because he's been a great manager, he's been good to me and the rest of the team.

"We're going to miss him. Hopefully when the new manager comes in we can pick up from where he left off."

Mark Hughes, Alan Curbishley and former England managers Glenn Hoddle and Sven-Goran Eriksson are among the favourites to take over from Hodgson at Craven Cottage, but Etuhu believes the most important thing is to keep the majority of the squad together.

"He knows what he wants and he drills it into you every day so you understand what your job is," he added.

"He doesn't complicate it and makes it easy to play as an individual. He made me a better player and I'm sure a lot of the players at Fulham would say that.

"A few of the players at the club have got one year left on their contracts - Simon Davies, Bobby Zamora has got a couple of years left and he's got clubs sniffing all over him.

"I hope we get to keep everyone together because we've got a good bunch of lads, we've got a good team and we can do better and better and improve."

[WhiteJC]

http://hammyend.com/?p=7328
The guessing game
by DAN on JULY 5, 2010

With glorious timing, a letter from Fulham Football Club was waiting for me as I came through the door this evening. It thanked me for my loyal support and hoped that I'd enjoyed the previous season as much they had. It talked about the pre-season friendlies that had already been arranged, mentioned that I should be getting my 'access card' (commonly known as a season ticket) a week before the start of the league campaign – you can see the potential for problems – and there was a whole seperate sheet that managed to shine very little light on the loyalty scheme that will be introduced shortly.

There was, alas, no mention of Roy Hodgson or his successor. Fans might still be vexed about the manner of Hodgson's departure or the lack of information that the club's website (once one of the best in the business – and now merely a marketing opportunity) prvoided, but it's clear that the supporters are seen as little more than revenue raisers. How else can you explain the fact that my foolish attempts to take a couple of friends to the Werder Bremen pre-season friendly and enjoy some not-so-lavish hospitality generated no response? Two emails, three phone calls and nothing until a helpful lady managed to email me what I'd already seen on the afore-mentioned website.

The summer was bad enough when the architect of the recent success was the subject of speculation linking him to Liverpool and England (the FA might well be kicking themselves now, given how swiftly Liverpool were able to bring Hodgson end once his media commitments in South Africa came to an end) but we've now good the joyous spectacle of clubs circling around our players and no manager to persuade them to stay. This being the British media there's absolutely no way of knowing how accurate the reports are but apparently Arsenal are 'set to sign Mark Schwarzer, Brede Hangeland could be going to Liverpool, it's either Napoli or AC Milan for Clint Dempsey and clubs are 'sniffing all over' Bobby Zamora.

The last link is, of course, the most pertinent. Not because of what it says about Zamora but that Fulham are confident of appointing a new boss in days. Ray Lewington might be a loyal servant to the club but he's not a manager: we've found that out the hard way. I wouldn't be too delighted if the board decided to turn to Alan Curbishley and I doubt that Danny Murphy or Paul Konchesky (to name just two current Fulham players) would be especially pleased either. The one plus point is that the Fulham job is no longer something to laughed at.

Regular readers will remember that I defended Sven-Goran Eriksson on these pages – and elsewhere – throughout his reign as England boss. His record of reaching three quarter-finals in successive major tournaments doesn't look that bad all of a sudden, does it? The Swede's clearly an accomplished club manager but he'd want a transfer budget that might undermine the quest to make the club self-sufficient. That's not a deal-breaker – it just means Mo would have to loosen the purse strings once again.

On other sites, the name of Mark Hughes, who cut his teeth at Southampton before taking Wales as close to a major championships as anyone in the last two decades, has been too easily discounted. Yes, his Blackburn side might have been a little rough round the edges but that was due to the resources he had at his disposal and, certainly compared to his Eastlands stint, a lack of resources in the transfer market. Whatever Roberto Mancini achieved, Hughes was harshly dealt with by Manchester City and would probably relish a return to the Premier League. He'd certainly be tough enough to impose himself on the squad – and hasn't been away from the game too long.

It could be that a candidate we've not considered is unveiled at Motspur Park next week, much as Roy Hodgson was a couple of years ago. We can only hope that, whoever the new man is, he arrives quickly. Pre-season's meant to be about preparation, not panic.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/07/05/2011324/ac-milan-keen-on-signing-fulham-midfielder-clint-dempsey?
AC Milan keen on signing Fulham midfielder Clint Dempsey - report

Fulham midfielder Clint Dempsey is said to be on the radar of Italian giants AC Milan, according to reports.

Yahoo! Sports reports that the USA ace who shone at the World Cup finals in South Africa could head to Milan in the summer.

Dempsey had a marvellous season with Fulham in 2009-10 in which he helped his side reach the final of the Europa League, which they lost to Spanish outfit Atletico Madrid.

A Milan source reportedly close to the club board has been quoted by Yahoo! Sports as saying: "[Dempsey] brings a lot of action and energy but he can be creative too. There are some options on the table but Dempsey is a realistic one. A bid is very possible, and soon."

However, a source said to be close to Fulham admitted that no formal bid has come in from the Rossoneri but added that the club are aware that Dempsey would seemingly find it difficult to resist a move to the Serie A giants.

"[Fulham] are aware that if a club like [Milan] comes in it is hard for a player to say no," the source said.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.mls-daily.com/2010/07/bradley-on-shortlist-for-fulham-head.html?
Bradley On Shortlist For Fulham Head Coaching Job

After leading the United States Men's National Team to a respectful showing at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, American head coach Bob Bradley is now in the running to land a job with a team in the English Premier League. The 52-year-old New Jersey native has been named to a shortlist of possible candidates to take over for Roy Hodgson at Fulham FC, according to a story in Sunday's Daily Mail.

Fulham are planning to appoint a "high-calibre manager" to succeed Roy Hodgson in the next fortnight with frontrunners Sven-Goran Eriksson and Mark Hughes joined by surprise outsider US World Cup coach Bob Bradley.

Following the success of Hodgson in taking Fulham to a Europa League final, owner Mohamed Al Fayed wants a manager with an established reputation in charge.

The outsider, American manager Bradley, is keen to embark on a club career in Europe and his advantage would be being able to bring in several members of the American World Cup team, including his son Michael, to line up alongside Clint Dempsey, who is already at Craven Cottage.

Former England, Mexico and Ivory Coast manager Sven-Goran Eriksson is considered to be the front-runner for the job, with sources saying the Swede is longing for a return to the Premier League. But he would also command a higher salary and likely expect a much larger transfer budget than Bradley, who's own managerial resume includes stints with three different MLS clubs (Chicago, New York, Chivas USA).

"I have always enjoyed new challenges," said Bradley when asked about his future following the United States' World Cup exit. "I encourage, whether it's players or my children or kids in college, I believe that is what life is all about. I have enjoyed the opportunities along the way, the different challenges, and so as I move forward, there will always be an open mind in that regard."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/40327/Youre_Hired__Youre_FiredFulhams_Transfer_Blueprint.aspx?
You're Hired / You're Fired...Fulham's Transfer Blueprint

Fulham's impressive run to the Europa League final and respectable Premier League finish came at a cost. Manager Roy Hodgson has left for Liverpool and a number of the squad's prized assets have been linked with moves.
Mohammed Al Fayed will have to quickly find a successor and give the new manager ample time to make his mark on the team ahead of the new season. Here Sport.co.uk look at what he is likely to encounter.

Confirmed signings:
Philippe Senderos - Fulham moved early to secure the services of the Swiss international prior to the World Cup in an attempt to provide further defensive cover. The 25-year-old has struggled to live up to his early promise at Arsenal but now has a chance to re-establish himself as a commanding centre-back after failed loan spells with AC Milan and Everton.

Likely signings:
Steve Sidwell – The midfielder has found himself out of favour at Villa Park and could provide a higher urgency to the Fulham midfield. The box-to-box nature of the former Chelsea man would present an alternative to Fulham's current crop of midfielders as well as an added threat from long distance.

Dieumerci Mbokani – The 24-year-old Congo international was a prominent figure in Standard Liege's European run last season and would bring pace and trickery to the Londoners attack. The striker has also been linked to Everton and looks destined for the Premier League after a series of impressive displays in the Jupiler League.

Dream signing:
Sven-Goran Eriksson – The former England manager would be able to count upon a wealth of European management experience to further consolidate Fulham's position as an established Premier League outfit. The Swede would also be able to attract players from all over the continent in a way that the majority of fellow front-runners would be unable to do so.

Last chance saloon:
Jonathan Greening – The former West Brom midfielder has failed to truly convince in west London and at 31, is fast running out of time to make an impression. Mainly used as a substitute for Danny Murphy, Greening has failed to impose his game and has slipped to the periphery of the squad after a number of inconsistent performances that have failed to justify his considerable price tag.

Bjorn Helge Riise – Riise has shown glimpses of quality but has been hampered by high-profile mistakes which led him to being mainly used as a substitute. The former Lillestrom winger will hope that after a years adaptation he will be able to finally demonstrate his quality on a consistent basis.

Time to loan:
Kagisho Dikgacoi – The South Africa international has seen his game time restricted a number of brief substitute appearances and would greatly benefit from having the opportunity to gain some first-team action at a competitive level. The defensive midfielder was one of his countries stand out performers at the World Cup and would have no shortage of interest in his services.

Likely exits:
Diomansy Kamara – It is difficult to speculate as to possible exits without the confirmation of a new manager but Kamara looks set for pastures new after his loan spell at Celtic in the second-half of last season. The pacy winger has considerable market in France and Italy and will no doubt be looking to sort out his future at the earliest window.

Confirmed exits:
Erik Nevland – Nevland made a considerable impression of the Fulham faithful mainly in a super sub capacity. His timely goals – especially in helping his side avoid the drop in 2008/09 season – will long be remembered and his deadly finishing missed at the Cottage after the Norway international decided to return home to join Viking.

Chris Smalling – Smalling completed a big-money move to Manchester United after only his first season in the Fulham first-team. Having joined from non-league Maidstone United, Smalling quickly became one of the most sought after defenders in the league after a string of mature performances in the Europa League. That was enough to convince Sir Alex Ferguson to splash out on his services, beating off competition from Arsenal.

[WhiteJC]

Thousands of supporters thronged Ghana's main airport to welcome home the national team following their agonising World Cup quarter-final defeat by Uruguay .

Kotoka international airport was packed with fans - many drumming and dancing - who started gathering six hours before the team's expected arrival.

National flags were waved at the players as they stepped out of the plane amid a deafening sound of vuvuzelas. Fans carried placards reading 'We love you our heroes, you made Ghana and Africa proud'.

"You've really held high the flag of Ghana and the entire African continent," Nii Nortey Duah, deputy minister of sports, told the players at the airport.

Captain Stephen Appiah said to the crowd: "We did our best but luck was not on our side but we'll go to Brazil in 2014 to be major title contenders."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/July/Ticketson-sale.aspx?
The First Eight

Fulham FC would like to inform supporters that the Club's standard on-sale policy for the 2010/11 season will be changing, with tickets for our first 8 home matches of the season going on-sale to Season Ticket Holders from 9am on Thursday (8th July).

To ensure that Members have access to tickets for these games, the Club will be holding a minimum of 500 seats for each game, which will be released when tickets go on-sale to Members on Thursday 22nd July.

The games going on-sale are as follows:

Manchester United - Sunday 22nd August
Wolves - Saturday 11th September
Everton - Saturday 25th September
Spurs - Saturday 16th October
Wigan - Saturday 30th October
Aston Villa - Saturday 6th November
Manchester City - Sunday 21st November
Birmingham City - Saturday 27th November

Please note that ticket allocations have changed for the 2010/11 season, with Season Ticket Holders and Members able to buy unlimited tickets for selected games. However, their allocation will be restricted to two tickets for the Manchester United and Spurs matches and four tickets for the visits of Aston Villa and Manchester City.

All match tickets can be purchased online, by calling 0870 442 1234 (option 1) or in person from the Ticket Office. Please note that match tickets will be sent out closer to the start of the season.



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/July/Ticketson-sale.aspx?#ixzz0stidhJXN

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http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/July/BriggsFinals.aspx
Briggs Selected For Finals



The Club can confirm that Fulham Academy graduate Matthew Briggs has been selected by England for the forthcoming UEFA U19 European Championship Finals in Normandy, France.

England U19s Head Coach Noel Blake selected Briggs as part of his 18-man squad for the Finals.

Briggs and England will be looking to go one stage further than last year, when they were beaten in the Final by tournaments hosts, Ukraine.

Matthew will team up with his international colleagues in Warwick on Monday ahead of their first Group A match against Austria in Flers next Sunday (18 July).

England qualified for the Finals after finishing on top of their group in two separate rounds, starting last October with First Round victories over Finland, Slovenia and Slovakia and then finally in the Elite Round in May, when Blake's side saw off competition from Ukraine, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Republic Of Ireland to seal a place in the last eight of this tournament for the third successive season.



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/July/BriggsFinals.aspx#ixzz0stkS8XX5