Monday Fulham Stuff (19/07/10)...

[WhiteJC]

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/145052/Danny-Murphy-demands-showdown-talks-at-Fulham/?
DANNY MURPHY DEMANDS SHOWDOWN TALKS AT FULHAM

DANNY MURPHY looks certain to demand showdown talks with Martin Jol if the Dutchman is named Fulham's new manager in the next 48 hours.

Jol is on the brink of quitting Ajax to take over from Roy Hodgson at Craven Cottage and his first job on the club's Swedish pre-season tour will be a meeting with Murphy.

Jol was Tottenham boss when he paid Charlton Athletic £2m for ­Murphy in January 2006.

But the move never worked out and 19 months later Murphy was allowed to join Fulham for a pittance.

Midfielder Murphy, 33, revived his career under Hodgson and will demand assurances that he is part of Jol's long-term plans. Murphy's team-mates Simon Davies and Stephen Kelly were also sold by Jol during his time as Tottenham manager.

Davies, who went to Everton for £3.5m, said: "Martin's a very, very good coach. I was impressed with him.
"He is one of the best coaches I have worked with."

Murphy played as Fulham drew 1-1 with Bournemouth at Dean Court on Saturday, with Bobby Zamora cancelling out Anton Robinson's opener for the Cherries.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.imscouting.com/global-news-article/Former-Tottenham-manager-Martin-Jol-set-to-be-named-Fulham-boss/8863/?
Former Tottenham manager Martin Jol set to be named Fulham boss

Former Tottenham Manager Martin Jol is set to be named as Fulham's new boss in the next 24 hours.

According to several UK reports, the Cottagers agreed on a compensation agreement with Jol's current club, Ajax, and the Dutchman is set to pen a £2-million-a-year deal with the Londoners.

And according the Sun, Jol will be given a substantial transfer kitty by Fulham boss Mohamed al-Fayed.

Jol had a successful time at Tottenham as the north Londoners narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification in 2006.

Fulham midfielder Simon Davies , who was sold by Tottenham when Jol was at the helm, welcomed the chance to work with him again.

"Martin is a very, very good coach, one of the best I have worked with," he said.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.football.co.uk/fulham/hangeland_plays_down_speculation_315060.shtml
HANGELAND PLAYS DOWN SPECULATION

Norway international Brede Hangeland has played down talk of a reunion with former Fulham manager Roy Hodgson at Liverpool.

The 29-year-old, who was linked with a transfer to Arsenal last summer before eventually opting to stay at Craven Cottage, insists he is happy to remain at Fulham.

"There's always speculation about players moving to clubs, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I prefer it when people think I've done better than the opposite," Hangeland told the Fulham Chronicle.

"But the more years I play, the more I learn to ignore speculation and keep my head down. I'm confident I'm good enough to play under another manager. If we hadn't been in Europe last season I think we'd have finished higher, and we can put more focus on the league and go even higher this time.

"I'd love to see all the players stay, and even one or two more coming in, and then we'll look even stronger.

"Of course we were disappointed to see Roy go, but to be honest I wasn't very surprised. He deserves to go to a bigger club and we've been lucky to have him for two-and-a-half years.

"The organisation at Fulham is very good, we have a good working unit and, hopefully if we get the right new manager, we'll keep going."

Hangeland has made 110 appearances for the Cottagers since arriving at the club in January 2008.

[WhiteJC]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/fulham/8829195.stm
Martin Jol set to become new Fulham manager

Martin Jol is set to be named as Fulham's new manager later this week, BBC Sport understands.

The 54-year-old Ajax coach has had preliminary talks with the London club but will speak to Fulham officials later this week to negotiate a deal.

Jol managed Tottenham between 2004 and 2007 and will replace Roy Hodgson, who joined Liverpool on 1 July.

Ivory Coast coach Sven-Goran Eriksson had also been linked with the vacancy at Craven Cottage.

There will be no official appointment before the Fulham squad leave for their 10-day pre-season tour to Sweden on Monday but Jol is expected to fly out to join the party.

United States coach Bob Bradley and Switzerland's Ottmar Hitzfeld were other names in the running, but Hitzfeld ruled himself out of contention and a statement from the United States Soccer Federation outlined its intention to extend Bradley's current contract.

Jol, who was sacked by Spurs in October 2007, still owns a house in England and reports have suggested the Dutchman would be given rolling contract.

Although Fulham reached the Europa League final in May, Ajax will be playing Champions League football in September providing they come through qualifying.

They were pipped to the Dutch league title last season by FC Twente, who were managed by former England boss Steve McClaren.

Eriksson is thought to have held talks with Fulham but the Swede revealed last week that he was considering a lucrative offer to stay on as Ivory Coast head coach.

[WhiteJC]

http://hammyend.com/?p=7395
Briggs to the fore as England U19s start with a win
by DAN on JULY 19, 2010

Fulham left back Matthew Briggs made the first two goals as England Under-19s got off to a winning start at the European Championships yesterday, beating Austria 3-2.

Briggs, who played the first 56 minutes, hit a through ball for Franck Nouble to chase and – after some confusion in the Austrian defence – the West Ham striker took the ball down and fired home the opener. The second goal was almost a carbon copy of the first as Nouble raced into space behind the Austrian defence, after a slip by Gernot Trauner to double England's lead.

The Austrians pulled a goal back through a fine David Alaba free-kick, but Thomas Cruise soon fired Noel Blake's side into a 3-1 lead. A late rally from the Austrians produced a second, scored by Trauner, but England held on to claim the win.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/fulham/7897913/Martin-Jol-poised-to-become-Fulham-manager-after-one-season-at-Ajax.html?
Martin Jol poised to become Fulham manager after one season at Ajax
Martin Jol, the former Tottenham manager, is on the verge of filling the vacancy left by Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson at Fulham after just one season at Dutch league runners-up Ajax.

It is understood that the Dutchman will be unveiled as Fulham boss tomorrow after jumping at the chance to prove himself again in the Premier League.

Reports suggest that the Craven Cottage club have made arrangements to compensate Ajax and Jol has agreed to terms of around £2 million a year with chairman Mohamed Al Fayed.

Jol was lured to west London with the promise of a significant transfer war chest and with Ajax looking to offload some of their big-name stars such as World Cup finalist Gregory van der Wiel and Uruguayan hot shot Luis Suarez, the Cottagers could be well-placed to swoop for the pair.

Another big name linked with the Europa League finalists is want-away Barcelona flop Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who shares the same agent as Jol.

Midfielder Simon Davies, who played under Jol at Tottenham before being offloaded to Everton, has given his prospective boss his seal of approval.

Following a 1-1 friendly draw with Bournemouth on Saturday, Davies said: "Martin's a very, very good coach. I was impressed with him. He is one of the best coaches I have worked with."

Jol was in charge at Spurs for three successful seasons, before a lacklustre start to the 2007/08 campaign left the White Hart Lane hierarchy uneasy and they soon replaced with him Spaniard Juande Ramos.

Fulham travel to Sweden today for a pre-season training camp that will see them play two friendly fixtures against Halmstad and Malmo and the senior players have made no attempt to hide the fact that they are desperate for a new manager to be installed as soon as possible.

Captain Aaron Hughes said: "I think it's an anxious period for everyone because you're waiting for a new manager to see what happens.

"It's the same anywhere in the world with any team. It's just nice to get it sorted then we know where we go from there."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2010/07/19/fulham-star-issues-schwarzer-plea-82029-26873542/?
Fulham star issues Schwarzer plea

JONATHAN Greening has urged Fulham to pull out all the stops to keep Mark Schwarzer at Craven Cottage.

The Aussie keeper is a summer transfer target of Arsenal, and the Gunners have already had one bid turned down for the 37-year-old.

And Greening, who also spent three years with Schwarzer at Middlesbrough, admits he's been a massive part of the success story in SW6.

He said: "Mark's one of the best keepers I've ever played with. His quality's there for all to see and he was a big part of our European campaign last season.

"He's a massive player and we must do all we can to keep him."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.goal.com/en/news/462/netherlands/2010/07/19/2032017/ajax-director-rik-van-den-boog-keen-to-hold-on-to-fulham?
Ajax Director Rik Van Den Boog Keen To Hold On To Fulham Target Martin Jol
The Ajax's director has made it clear that he wants Jol to stay at the Amsterdam side...

Recent reports from the UK suggest that Ajax gaffer Martin Jol has emerged as the top candidate to succeed Roy Hodgson as manager at Premier League outfit Fulham, but Ajax director Rik van den Boog has made it clear that the Amsterdam side are reluctant to let go of their head coach.

"Ajax are eager to hold on to Martin Jol. He has done a great job at the club so far and we're confident that he can guide the team to success in the near future," Van den Boog was quoted as saying by Algemeen Dagblad.

"He turned the squad into a real team and individual players have hugely improved under his guidance. Ajax don't want any unrest and it's crucial that the club continues to walk the path it's currently walking.

"However, it's not a surprise for us that a coach like Martin has attracted the interest of other teams."

Jol joined Ajax from Hamburger SV in the summer of 2009 and led the Godenzonen to KNVB Beker victory and second spot in the standings in his first season in Amsterdam.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.spurs.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=7504982
Your thoughts on Jol`s return?
Speculation that Martin Jol will sign on the dotted line for Fulham today, must be a bitter sweet emotion for many Spurs fans.

Although the deal is yet to be confirmed, it seems certain that Martin Jol will leave Ajax for Craven Cottage this week and could be in the opposition dug out at White Hart Lane on October the 16th and is sure to get a great reception.

It appears that Jol is unhappy that Ajax are looking to cash in on a number of their biggest assets, which could of course include suggested Tottenham target Luis Suarez, which may explain to some why he would leave a club consistently in the CL and challenging for domestic honours in Holland, for a team who possibly punch above their weight in the Premiership, but with club owner Mohamed Al-Fayed selling his shop, will that free up money for Jol to invest and perhaps enhance his reputation further?

Regardless of the rights or wrongs over Jol`s dismissal, Spurs fans will always have a soft spot for Martin, for not only two fifth places, but also for being such a great bloke, but what will your feelings be when you not only have confirmation that he is returning to the Premiership, but also when he returns to WHL???



peculation that Martin Jol will sign on the dotted line for Fulham today, must be a bitter sweet emotion for many Spurs fans.

Although the deal is yet to be confirmed, it seems certain that Martin Jol will leave Ajax for Craven Cottage this week and could be in the opposition dug out at White Hart Lane on October the 16th and is sure to get a great reception.

It appears that Jol is unhappy that Ajax are looking to cash in on a number of their biggest assets, which could of course include suggested Tottenham target Luis Suarez, which may explain to some why he would leave a club consistently in the CL and challenging for domestic honours in Holland, for a team who possibly punch above their weight in the Premiership, but with club owner Mohamed Al-Fayed selling his shop, will that free up money for Jol to invest and perhaps enhance his reputation further?

Regardless of the rights or wrongs over Jol`s dismissal, Spurs fans will always have a soft spot for Martin, for not only two fifth places, but also for being such a great bloke, but what will your feelings be when you not only have confirmation that he is returning to the Premiership, but also when he returns to WHL???


Read more: http://www.spurs.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=7504982#ixzz0u7XjmyIu

[WhiteJC]

http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/martin-jol-10-fascinating-facts?
Martin Jol: 10 fascinating facts
Martin Jol is expected to complete a surprise move from Ajax to Craven Cottage

1. Martin Cornelis Jol was born on January 16th 1956 and he is 54-years-old.

2. Jol played over 400 games in his professional career, including spells in England with West Brom and Coventry, while he also won three caps for Holland.

3. Jol's coaching career started in 1991 when he took over at amateur side ADO Den Haag, before joining fellow amateur team Scheveningen.

4. From 1996 to 1998, he was in charge of professional side Roda JC, where he won the Dutch Cup – Roda's first trophy for 30 years.

5. From 1998 to 2004, Jol was in charge of RKC Waalwijk, where he saved the club from relegation and was voted the Dutch Writers' Coach of the Year in 2001.

6. In 2004, Jol joined Spurs as assistant boss to Jacques Santini but when Santini was sacked early in the season Jol was named the new manager.

7. In 2006, Jol and his side missed out on a top-four finish on the last day of the season after losing to West Ham.

8. Nevertheless, Jol still guided Tottenham to their best finish since 1990, while they also qualified for the UEFA Cup.

9. In the 2007-2008 season, Jol was sacked by Spurs and replaced by Spaniard Juande Ramos.

10. Since then, Jol has guided German outfit Hamburg to a UEFA Cup semi-final, while last year his Ajax side finished runners-up in the Dutch League – ending the campaign a single point behind Steve McClaren's FC Twente. Ajax also won the Dutch Cup.

[WhiteJC]

http://blogs.soccernet.com/fulham/archives/2010/07/jol_appointment_within_24_hour.php?
Jol appointment 'within 24 hours'

Martin Jol is Fulham's choice to take the club on to the next level. Following Roy Hodgson's move to Liverpool at the end of June, Dutchman Jol's appointment sees Fulham going continental for the first time since Jean Tigana took the Whites up to the Premier League a decade ago.

The local paper in Fulham went big with the story last week, with the tabloids and Sky trailing in their wake. Ray Lew was giving nothing away after Saturday's friendly at Bournemouth, saying only the Chief Executive knew who was in the running and when an appointment would be made. However, as the squad left London this morning for a 10-day trip to Sweden they would have found all the morning papers singing the same tune - see the Telegraph's take on it here. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/fulham/7897913/Martin-Jol-poised-to-become-Fulham-manager-after-one-season-at-Ajax.html

Unfinished business and a point to prove for the bristly Jol seem bizarre motives for a major career change, prompting a move from the biggest club in Holland and the prospect of Champions League football to a homely little outfit beside the Thames. The Amsterdam Arena it aint...or WHL for that matter.

Leaving Jol's motivation aside, all credit to the Chairman for pledging the cash to attract a Big Figure from European football. Jol has taken a pay cut to come, but at £2 million he certainly tops out Roy's salary, and was only persuaded on the promise of a sizeable transfer kitty. When al Fayed's people realised turning Fulham into the 'Manchester United of the South' and that some of Tigana's signings were actually pants (Marlet) meant injecting shedloads more money into the club, a more prudent strategy from 2004 on saw the side slowly decline in the Coleman-Sanchez era to the very brink of demotion.

Jol will be judged on results, and he needs to make a quick impression. Roy was always going to be a hard act to follow. But considering the reaction to some of the other candidates touted for the job, Fulham fans today must acknowledge this brave and ambitious move to keep Fulham competitive among the Prem's big guns for next season. What do you think?
One thing's for sure, our trip to the Lane will be a spicy day out...

[WhiteJC]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/07/19/2032078/martin-jol-to-be-unveiled-as-new-fulham-manager-on-tuesday?
Martin Jol to be unveiled as new Fulham manager on Tuesday - report


Ajax boss Martin Jol is believed to have agreed to become the new manager of Fulham.

The vacancy at Craven Cottage was created by the exit of Roy Hodgson, who left to take the helm at Liverpool.

It was previously revealed exclusively by Goal.com UK that Sven-Goran Eriksson had dropped out of the running to succeed Hodgson, making former Tottenham Hotspur and Hamburg boss Jol the favourite to land the job.

De Telegraaf then reported that the 54-year-old would make a decision concerning his future on Monday, with reports that the Eredivisie club wanted to hold on to their boss.

Now The Telegraph reports that the Cottagers will unveil Jol on Tuesday, having come to an agreement over a contract worth about £2 million-a-year.

Jol is fully conversant with the demands of the Premier League, having managed Spurs with some success for three seasons between 2004 and 2007. A poor start to the 2007-08 season saw Tottenham approach Seville coach Juande Ramos while Jol was still manager at White Hart Lane, and the Dutchman was subsequently sacked in favour of Ramos.

Jol was then appointed coach of Hamburg for the 2008-09 season, guiding them to the German Cup and UEFA Cup semi-finals, both of which they lost to Werder Bremen.

In May 2009 Jol returned to his native Netherlands to succeed Marco van Basten as head coach of Ajax.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.tribalfootball.com/fulham-captain-murphy-facing-jol-showdown-talks-983351?
Fulham captain Murphy facing Jol showdown talks

Fulham captain Danny Murphy is heading for showdown talks with imminent new manager Martin Jol.

The Daily Star says Jol is on the brink of quitting Ajax to take over from Roy Hodgson at Craven Cottage and his first job on the club's Swedish pre-season tour will be a meeting with Murphy.

Jol was Tottenham boss when he paid Charlton Athletic £2m for Murphy in January 2006.

But the move never worked out and 19 months later Murphy was allowed to join Fulham for a pittance.

Midfielder Murphy, 33, revived his career under Hodgson and will demand assurances that he is part of Jol's long-term plans.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/07/19/2032132/martin-jol-would-be-the-right-man-to-manage-fulham-rufus?
Martin Jol would be the right man to manage Fulham - Rufus Brevett
Ex-defender believes Dutchman will bring attacking football to Cottage...

Former Fulham defender Rufus Brevett insists that Martin Jol would be the right man to succeed Roy Hodgson as the manager at Craven Cottage.

The Ajax boss is leading the race to become the next man to take charge at the London club, as exclusively revealed by Goal.com UK.

Recent reports point towards the Dutchman nearing a switch to the Cottage, and Fulham old boy Brevett is all in favour of the potential move reaching fruition.

"Martin Jol spent three years at Tottenham, he knows the Premier League and he's done well in Holland," Brevett told BBC's Radio 5Live.

"He's someone that plays good football. Fulham are used to that and he will bring that over.
Jol did well at Tottenham but was unfairly treated.

"[Kevin] Keegan was a personality at Fulham, everyone wanted to play for him. Jean Tigana was more technical, fans are used to a passing style of football. Martin Jol is from Holland - the Dutch are masters on the ball and technically astute. He will bring that back to Fulham, more attacking football.

"It's important to get someone into Fulham who can take them on and not be a step backwards. Jol can take them on."

When choosing between either Jol or Sven-Goran Eriksson, the Dutchman beats the Swede as far as Brevett is concerned.

He added: "Sven or Martin Jol? Martin Jol every time."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/July/BriggsYoungLions.aspx?
Briggs' Telling Role

England kicked off their U19 European Championship campaign against Austria at Stade du Hazé, Flers, on Sunday and Academy graduate Matthew Briggs certainly played his part in England's crucial 3-2 win.

Frank Nouble's first half brace put England in control with Briggs setting up the striker for his second of the evening. Briggs' chip forward after 29 minutes found Nouble, who fired a left footed shot past Austria's keeper, Philip Petermann.

Briggs was replaced after 56 minutes and will now be hoping to feature in England's second game of the tournament on Wednesday (KO 5pm) when the Young Lions take on Holland at Stade Henry Jeanne, Bayeux.



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/July/BriggsYoungLions.aspx?#ixzz0u84fBkxh

[WhiteJC]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23857650-martin-jol-wants-robbie-keane-to-join-him-at-fulham.do?
Martin Jol wants Robbie Keane to join him at Fulham

Martin Jol's first job as Fulham manager will be to seek a reunion with Robbie Keane, who he made one of the Premier League's most deadly strikers while they were at Tottenham.

Fulham are close to agreeing compensation with Jol's club, Ajax, and the 54-year-old Dutchman should be confirmed as Roy Hodgson's replacement in time to oversee the first game of their Swedish tour, against Halmstad on Thursday.

Jol's priority will be a new forward, with Andy Johnson, a record £12million signing from Everton in July 2008, understood to have suffered a new setback in his recovery from a long-term knee injury.

Johnson made just 13 appearances last season and has not played in Fulham's two friendlies against Brentford last week and at Bournemouth on Saturday, when Bobby Zamora marked his comeback from injury with the equaliser in a 1-1 draw.

Celtic want to keep Keane on loan from Spurs for another season — the Republic of Ireland captain was the fans' player of the year — and Aston Villa are fighting for his signature with a £6m offer.

But the 30-year-old, who played in Saturday's 0-0 draw with San Jose Earthquakes and had a goal' ruled out for offside, would relish the chance to stay in the capital, where he worked with Jol between 2004-07 before Spurs dismissed him even though he secured successive top-five finishes.

Jol has always maintained he has unfinished business in the Premier League and still owns a house near London. It is believed he has been offered a package that will match his £1.75m deal with Ajax, plus the promise of money to strengthen a Fulham squad that might yet lose goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer to Arsenal and defenders Brede Hangeland and Paul Konchesky to Liverpool, where Hodgson is now manager.

Hodgson insisted today he was not concerned by Javier Mascherano's failure to get back to him after he tried to contact the midfielder last week.

The Argentina captain is still on holiday after his World Cup exploits and is not due to return for pre-season training for another week.

The 26-year-old has been linked with a reunion with former Reds boss Rafael Benitez at Inter Milan but Hodgson said: "He doesn't need to make contact with me. I've made contact with him, telling him I'm looking forward to seeing him in training when he returns from his holiday but I did make the point in the voicemail that I didn't expect him to contact me."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.tribalfootball.com/fulham-preparing-bid-rangers-keeper-mcgregor-983561?
Fulham preparing bid for Rangers keeper McGregor

Fulham are lining up a bid for Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor.

The People says the Cottagers see McGregor as a replacement for Arsenal-bound Mark Schwarzer.

Despite turning down a £2 million offer from the Gunners and slapping a 4million pounds tag on the 37-year-old, Fulham accept Schwarzer will be going to the Emirates.

So they are lining up a move for former Scotland keeper McGregor, 28, rated at 2million pounds by Rangers although the Cottagers aim to do business at about half that.

McGregor and Scotland captain Barry Ferguson were dumped from their national team after a late night drinking session. The pair landed themselves in further trouble days later when they made obscene gestures at cameramen while on the bench.

And five months ago, McGregor also on West Ham's radar was the victim of an alleged attack by Celtic supporters outside a Glasgow nightclub.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_6270175,00.html?
Ajax constraints frustrate Jol
Fulham talks reportedly ongoing

Former Ajax youth coach Arnold Muhren believes Martin Jol will move to Fulham because he is frustrated at the Amsterdam club.

The former Tottenham manager is understood to be in talks with the Cottagers over taking control of the club, following the departure of Roy Hodgson to Liverpool.

Jol, 54, led Ajax to a second-place finish in the Eredivisie last season and the Dutch outfit will have the chance to compete in next term's UEFA Champions League.
But former Manchester United midfielder Muhren says Jol will have to sell key players like Luis Suarez, Maarten Stekelenburg and Gregory van der Wiel if he is to invest in new names.

The Ajax coach said: "My understanding is that talks have already begun with Fulham.

"I wouldn't blame him if he left. Fulham is a good club. They play good football and they reached the Europa League final last year.

"Maybe he is thinking that there are better prospects for him at Fulham. If he thinks he can't win the Dutch league at Ajax then he might leave.

"I know Martin is unhappy at Ajax because he wants to buy some new players but because the club lost 21million euros last year, they won't let him.

"There are a lot of players at the club that they want to sell. He wants to bring new players in but they won't let him do that without selling players first. There is no other money to spend.

"He is desperate for a striker. He has been told that he must sell Suarez and Marko Pantelic was only offered a one-year deal when he wanted two or three years so he has left.

"Martin wants to win the Dutch league this season and the board want to sell Suarez. He scored 35 goals last season so he would be impossible to replace."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulham-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/jol_has_big_say_on_sid_move_538562/index.shtml
Jol Has Big Say On Sid Move

Martin Jol has had a big say in Fulham beating West Ham United for Aston Villa midfielder Steve Sidwell.

The Daily Mail report that Sidwell has turned down a move to Upton Park to join Premier League rivals Fulham for £2m.

Sidwell, 27, has agreed a three-year-deal at Craven Cottage after being swayed by Martin Jol's imminent appointment as manager.

Sidwell joined Villa in 2008 from Chelsea for £5m and made 41 appearances.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulham-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/ray_impressed_by_bobby_538564/index.shtml
Ray Impressed By Bobby

Fulham caretaker boss Ray Lewington was delighted with Bobby Zamora's return in their 1-1 draw with friendly opponents Bournemouth.

Zamora, Fulham's 19-goal top scorer last season, equalised Anton Robinson's opener to ensure that Fulham came away from Dean Court with a draw.

The former Spurs striker missed out on a possible World Cup place thanks to an Achilles injury he picked up towards the end of last season but Lewington reckons it will not be long before he is back to his best.

"I was impressed with Bobby today," said Lewington. "You always worry that you haven't introduced him too early but we have good guys treating him and we've made sure that we have built him up slowly and he looked good today. He took his goal well."