Monday Fulham Stuff (11/01/16)...

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Stoke's Steve Sidwell a loan target for Fulham and Reading

Stoke City midfielder Steve Sidwell is a wanted man

Fulham and Reading are interested in taking Stoke City midfielder Steve Sidwell on loan, according to Sky sources.

However, the stumbling block could be Sidwell's wages and it is understood the two Championship clubs are keen for Stoke to make a contribution towards them.

Sidwell, 33, joined the Potters on a free transfer from Fulham in July 2014 but has started only five Premier League games for the club, with his last top-flight appearance coming as a late substitute in the 1-0 home defeat to Liverpool on August 9.

His last first-team action came on Saturday when he was introduced off the bench in the 87th minute in Stoke's 2-1 victory at Doncaster in the FA Cup third round, but his next appearance could well be in the Sky Bet Championship with one of his former clubs.

Sidwell spent three years at Fulham, and could be in line for a return

Sidwell made 113 appearances for the Cottagers after moving to London from Aston Villa in January 2011, having cost Villa £5m when they bought him from Chelsea in July 2008 after one season at Stamford Bridge.

After starting his career as a trainee with Arsenal, Sidwell made his name with Reading and scored 30 goals in 187 matches for the club between January 2003 and May 2007.


http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11701/10125320/stokes-steve-sidwell-a-loan-target-for-fulham-and-reading?

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O'Hara: Plenty Of Positives

Following the FA Cup third round defeat at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, Jamie O'Hara was disappointed that the Whites were unable to make the most of their plethora of chances and win a match that he felt they dominated.

"We are gutted to be honest," he told the official website. "I feel like we completely dominated the game. We had some fantastic chances to put them away in the second half.

"That is always the problem away from home. If you don't take your chances you are always at risk. You can allow them to grow into the game and that is exactly what happened.

"They scored another good goal and then we are chasing it at the end."

Having fallen behind to a Barry Bannan thunderbolt in the 42nd minute, O'Hara was pleased with the resilience and fight showed by the team to get straight back into the match just before the stroke of half-time.

"It's the best time to score," he said. "When we conceded the goal we went straight back on the front foot and took it to them.

"Straight from the kick-off we were back in the game and that was perfect for us because it meant we could go into half-time and not change the team talk.

"We got done by another wonder strike from them and there is just nothing that you can do about it. It was right in the top corner and you just have to hold your hands up."

In the build up to the game and since joining the Club, new Head Coach Slaviša Jokanović had been urging the Whites to be more aggressive in all aspects of their game. O'Hara was quick to take the positives from the match against Wednesday with many of these new principals clearly on show.

"We can take plenty of positives out of the game as a team," O'Hara stated. "We pressed high and pressed after them and that is what the Coach has asked from us.

"We were aggressive all over the pitch. When we lost it we didn't drop off. We tried to win the ball back straight away and that is what the Coach has asked us to do. It has been a bit of a change getting used to that. Obviously, we haven't got the results yet but hopefully they will come."

The match saw O'Hara flourish in a deep-lying roll in the centre of the Whites midfield. Dictating the tempo, breaking up play and looking to release attackers on the break.

"I like to sit, I like to get on the ball and dictate the game," he said. "I am trying to do my best for the team wherever I play and I will play wherever the Coach wants me to play.

"I can play in the two and I can play in the three but I think where I am at my best is when I am in the deep lying role and trying to dictate the tempo of the team."

Off the back of their FA Cup defeat Fulham have the perfect chance to carry over the positives from the match and channel them into their play against Wolverhampton Wanderers back in the league on Tuesday night.

"The coach came in after the game and told us not to get too downbeat. We dominated the game. If we had taken our chances we would have won the match.

"We want to remain positive. We have another massive game on Tuesday in the league. We need to look up the table and start getting some results. If we play like we did today we will be fine."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/january/10/ohara-reaction?

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Reading try to hijack Fulham move for Stoke City midfielder

Steve Sidwell will have the choice of a return to two of his old clubs this month


Cottage return? Steve Sidwell in Fulham colours

Reading are attempting to hijack Fulham's January swoop for Stoke City's Steve Sidwell.

The Potters outcast emerged as a Whites target last week as the Championship side look to bring him back to Craven Cottage.

However, the Royals, another of Sidwell's former clubs, are now also plotting a loan move for the midfielder.

Sidwell, 33, has not featured for Stoke in the Premier League since August and is free to move. He is well down the pecking order and is weighing up dropping back down to the Championship.

Sidwell left Fulham for the Potteries two years ago but is wanted back to help new boss Slavisa Jokanovic move out of trouble, according to The Mirror.

The 33-year-old was Fulham's top scorer during the 2013-14 campaign, netting seven times from midfield, but couldn't prevent the club slipping out of the Premier League.

A free transfer to Stoke followed that summer but he has become frustrated with life in Staffordshire and would be an open to moving back to west London to be with his family.

But Reading have also indicted they are keen to add their former favourite's experience to their engine room and the Berkshire location would also suit the experienced campaigner.


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/reading-try-hijack-fulham-move-10711910?

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Fulham manager to fight to keep striker at club

Newly appointed Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic will "fight tooth and nail" to keep young striker Moussa Dembele at the club amid speculation about his future, according to Get West London.

Dembele's contract with Fulham runs out at the end of the season and the striker has been linked with several clubs, including some of Europe's elite.  Crystal Palace, Everton, Manchester United and Monaco have all been linked with the player this month.  There were also reports that Roma had already offered Dembele a pre-contract to join the Italian club at the end of the season.

Dembele has been in great form so far this season, and has scored ten goals for Fulham since opening his account for the club against Blackburn Rovers.  However Fulham were recently placed under a transfer embargo and so are restricted in the transfer market.

With the lack of incoming permanent signings to fuel the club's promotion push, Dembele could be tempted to leave Fulham at the end of the season.

Despite the interest from other clubs, Jokanovic said of the striker: "There is no green light to allow this guy to go another club. He is going to continue to be a part of the business – and that's it."


http://the72.co.uk/44698/fulham-manager-to-fight-to-keep-striker-at-club/?

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Fulham's Tom Cairney reveals why he was denied free-kicks at Sheffield Wednesday

Returning Whites midfielder has to play second fiddle on dead balls as side is edged out of the FA Cup by Owls


Dead ball: Tom Cairney

Tom Cairney fancied his chances at a couple of set pieces against Sheffield Wednesday - but revealed he was overruled by his skipper.

The Fulham midfielder scored a great header in the 3-2 league defeat back in September. However, when it came to free-kicks in the FA Cup 2-1 reverse, Cairney was put back in his back in his place as Ross McCormack tapped his captain's armband.

"The captain McCormack has scored four this season, I think so so when he calls rank and fancies it, you've got to let him have it," Cairney said.

"It hit the guy straight in the face, but to be fair he's scored from that range in the past."

Moussa Dembele scored the one and only goal to level for Whites. But Wednesday hit back with a late winner courtesy of Atdhe Nuhiu.

For all that, Cairney thinks Fulham are edging closer to ending a barren run that's seen only one win in the last 12 attempts.

The midfielder added: "We always have more ball but we've got to turn that into points.

"No one's sulking. You could tell by the performance, but surely the way we're playing it can't go on much longer. We've got to stick together and if we keep doing what we believe in, we'll be all right."


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulhams-tom-cairney-reveals-denied-10712193?

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Woodrow Injury Update

Cauley Woodrow is set to be sidelined for the next 10 to 12 weeks.

Following an injury sustained in the Emirates FA Cup Third Round tie against Sheffield Wednesday, the Club's medical staff have revealed that an x-ray confirmed a fracture to the fifth metatarsal.

After specialist assessment, it has been decided that Cauley will undergo surgical repair on Monday and a 10 to 12 week period of recovery is expected.


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2016/january/10/woodrow-injury-update?