Thursday Fulham Stuff (08/07/10)

[WhiteJC]

http://www.tribalfootball.com/eriksson-ahead-bilic-fulham-name-new-manager-next-week-960081?
Eriksson ahead of Bilic as Fulham to name new manager next week


Fulham expect to name their new manager at the end of next week.

The Telegraph says the club's players may not know the identity of their new manager until shortly before they fly to Sweden for a training camp on July 19.

It has emerged that while Sven-Goran Eriksson remains the most likely man to replace Hodgson, however a new contender has emerged: Slaven Bilic, the former West Ham and Everton player.

Bilic ruled himself out of the running in December 2007 shortly before Hodgson was appointed but Mohamed Fayed, the club's owner and chairman, is known to be an admirer of the Croatia coach.

Eriksson remains the favourite as he is well known by Alistair Mackintosh, the Fulham chief executive, from their time together at Manchester City.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.eatsleepsport.com/fulham/keeper-move-on-hold-1076262.html
Keeper move on hold

Fulham continue to be linked with David James but the player's agent says the goalkeeper could still stay at Portsmouth.
The England international was expected to quit the cash-strapped club after they were relegated to the Championship and the Cottagers have expressed an interest in him.

James is out of contract at Fratton Park but despite reported interest from Fulham, West Ham and West Brom, he has yet to receive an offer and could instead open talks with Pompey over a new deal.

"It is not inevitable that David is going to leave Portsmouth," his agent Colin Gordon revealed.

The Cottagers are waiting for a new manager to be appointed before any decisions on transfers are made but there is every chance James will have got his future sorted by then.

[White Noise]

Stoke sign Belgium youth international midfielder

Published 13:01 08/07/10


By MirrorFootball


Stoke have completed the signing of Belgium youth international Florent Cuvelier from Portsmouth on a two-year contract.

The Potters have beaten off competition from Barclays Premier League rivals Fulham, Tottenham and Manchester City to sign the 17-year-old midfielder.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis said: "Florent is definitely one for the future and we are delighted that he has chosen to move here.

"It's a measure of the club's progress and the emphasis we are placing on the development of the youth set-up that we have managed to attract such an outstanding talent to this club when he attracted so much interest."



Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Transfer-news-Stoke-beat-Fulham-Tottenham-and-Manchester-City-to-sign-Belgium-youth-international-midfielder-Florent-Cuvelier-from-Portsmouth-article520237.html#ixzz0t6Txh4El
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[White Noise]

http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2010/07/08/mark-hughes-misses-out-on-fulham-job-82029-26812476/



Mark Hughes misses out on Fulham job


Jul 8 2010 By Jacob Murtagh


MARK Hughes has been ruled out of the running to become the new Fulham boss.

Bookies once had Sparky as one of the favourites to succeed Roy Hodgson at Craven Cottage, but the former Manchester City manager has not made it on to the club's three-man shortlist.

Cardiff chief Dave Jones and former Whites playing legend Lee Clark, who is the 6/4 favourite on one set of odds, also miss out, along with a string of big names that was 20-strong and rising at the last count.

[White Noise]

http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2010/07/08/sven-goran-eriksson-closes-in-on-fulham-job-82029-26813670/


Sven-Goran Eriksson closes in on Fulham job

Jul 8 2010 By Paul Warburton

SVEN-GORAN Eriksson has moved into pole position in the race to become Fulham's new manager.

Chronicle sport has learned the former England boss has gone down well with chairman Mohamed Al Fayed as a replacement for Roy Hodgson – and could be installed in time to see his new side play Brentford at Griffin Park in the first pre-season friendly on Wednesday night.

However, Fulham's board are still pondering a shortlist that's down to three this morning – one of whom is Alan Curbishley, even though he strangely distanced himself from the job in comments made on Wednesday.

On top of which, the former Charlton and West Ham manager does not have the same relationship with Fulham chief executive Alistair Mackintosh as Eriksson does.

Both were together at a revived Manchester City until first the Swede followed by Mackintosh, departed at the whim of then City owner Thaksin Shinawatra in the summer of 2008.

Fulham have already ruled out former Manchester City boss, Mark Hughes, Dave Jones at Cardiff, and former Whites playing legend Lee Clark, who is the 6/4 favourite on one set of odds, along with a string of big names that was 20-strong and rising at the last count.

But Eriksson comes with an international CV most of the rest can only dream of – and a list of contacts like Hodgson's that brought bargains such as defender Brede Hangeland to Craven Cottage.

By pure coincidence, Fulham go on pre-season tour to Sweden following the game at Bournemouth on July 17 – and the Whites are particularly keen to have someone in place by then.

An insider said: "It's getting pretty close to the end of the selection process."