Wednesday Fulham Stuff (03.02.10)

[White Noise]

http://hammyend.com/?p=5121

Gera hopes to only miss ‘two games’


by Dan on February 2, 2010


Zoltan Gera hopes the knee injury he suffered in training today should only keep him out for two games.

The Hungarian is definitely out of tomorrow night’s home game with Portsmouth but thinks he could be back in contention by Fulham’s home game with Burnley and not the fifth round FA Cup tie on February 13 as I’d originally calculated – thanks to Bad Andy for the heads up in the comments.

After I felt the knee go I ended training immediately and returned to the dressing rooms, because I felt there might be a problem. I have injured the ligament before and today I didn’t feel as though the pain was as bad as last time.

I hope it is only a strain, but the MRI scan will show what the full problem is. I think I will be out for the next two games. I am very disappointed as I think I have been in good form recently.

I agree, Zoltan.

[White Noise]

http://hammyend.com/?p=5110

Roy rues ‘worst ever’ injury crisis


by Dan on February 2, 2010

Roy Hodgson has described Fulham’s mounting injury crisis as the worst he’s known in his managerial career.

Midfielder Zoltan Gera is the latest to go down injured, having picked up a knee injury in training, leaving Hodgson’s plans for tomorrow night’s game against Portsmouth in need of a rethink. Fulham are now missing six first team players, although Hodgson is trying to be upbeat, having brought in Stefano Okaka and Nicky Shorey on loan.

The injury front is very bad. As bad as I have ever experienced in football.

I’ve got six of our first team out injured and one [Dickson Etuhu] who has not returned yet from the African Nations Cup. To lose seven players from the team which played last year is always going to take some time dealing with.

Fortunately, we have had some players come in on loan – Nicky Shorey and Stefano Okaka – which has allowed me to plug some gaps. But I am very disappointed. Simon Davies, who I hoped would recover for the game and Zoltan Gera has hurt himself in training. To lose a further two in our current situation – it seems we are now paying for the really good form we had last season with injuries.

Hodgson has urged his players to produce a strong performance against Portsmouth to end a worrying run of five consecutive league losses.

We have to stop the rot by winning but we know it will not be easy. Portsmouth are a better team than their league position shows and we saw that when they played Manchester City on Sunday.

You don’t stop the rot by talking about it, you do it by playing and winning. We need that win.

We have not been playing that badly, but we have made mistakes and we have been punished by those mistakes and at the other end we have not scored enough goals. That is what we have been guilty of, because in terms of football play over the 90 minutes, we have not been that bad at all.

The morale and spirit is good but confidence takes a hit when you are not winning. We have to accept that situation because we want to win and we need to win.

[JBH]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/feb/03/crystal-palace-wages

Guilfoyle retains the option to loan players out this month to reduce the wage bill. Warnock denounced the clubs who had offered paltry sums for many of his players as "vultures". Wolves bid for the full-back Nathaniel Clyne, Southampton made an offer for Neil Danns, and Warnock claimed the dark side and Fulham made approaches to secure some of Palace's academy prospects.

"Yesterday was a long day for me," said Warnock. "Everybody knows that Clyne almost went yesterday and I was disappointed with the offer we accepted. But the money we would have got for him, we'll get from a cup run anyway. You can't blame Wolves. But it's a disgrace, really. I think Fulham offered £30,000 for three of our best academy players. And I think we're bigger than Fulham, aren't we? I've had to bite my tongue, which is not easy. But it's my job to get the best out of what I've got."

Those comments followed on from the manager's programme notes, in which he had written: "Some of the offers we had were quite disgusting. We had Fulham and the dark side trying to sign some of our younger players ... Pathetic offers for such promising players."

Nothing new for Colin winker to be spouting his mouth off about other clubs! He is a Dinasaur in the modern world, I don't mind Palace but because of him i really hopwe they go down to Div 1, he has a habit of bad mouthing FFC, remember when we beat Liverpool to stay up and Sheff Utd got relegated? it was eveyones fault but his!

[White Noise]

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/homenews/Consortium-hopeful-Notts-takeover/article-1798827-detail/article.html


Consortium hopeful of Notts takeover

Wednesday, February 03, 2010,

THE consortium aiming to take over Notts County hopes a deal can finally be concluded today, one of its members has confirmed.

Speaking late last night, Nottinghamshire businessman Sukhi Ghuman, founder of Octavian Continental – already one of the club's main sponsors – said that talks should be completed today to ensure the future of the League Two club.

Magpies fans will be overjoyed with the news, coming hours after County secured one of this season's big FA Cup upsets with a 2-0 win at Premier League Wigan.

The victory gives Notts a trip to London to face Fulham – another top-flight outfit – in the fifth round, and is a huge boost to the club's balance sheet.

Mr Ghuman said the consortium also includes Anthony Barney, owner and founder of Lifestyle Living Group; Kavita Oberoi, a Derbyshire entrepreneur, and three further investors.

"The deal is now in the hands of lawyers and we hope to get something concluded today," said Mr Ghuman.

"We have been talking since last week and have received excellent assistance from Notts County and from executive chairman Peter Trembling. Peter has been let down time and again but hopefully now we can conclude a deal that can secure the future of the club.

"I can confirm that I am part of a consortium of local entrepreneurs who want to be part of this."

The group's first priority must be to pay off the club's current debts of more than £2m and fend off the threat of a winding-up petition.

The scale of investment is undisclosed at this stage, but it is believed the group hope to persuade Sven-Goran Eriksson to continue his role at Meadow Lane.

The Swede was involved in takeover negotiations, staged at the George Hotel, in Stamford, at the weekend.

Octavian, founded as Octavian Security, is based in Colwick and employs nearly 750 staff.

It recently became Octavian Continental after Mr Ghuman rescued the business from administration.

Kavita Oberoi has also recently taken a stake in Octavian Continental. She runs the successful Oberoi Consulting.

Peter Trembling, Notts' executive chairman, would not confirm any deal. "I am not prepared to comment," he said.

[White Noise]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/fulham/8494961.stm

Fulham's Andrew Johnson to have exploratory surgery 
 
Johnson played 90 minutes for Fulham against Blackburn in January

Fulham striker Andrew Johnson could miss the rest of the season if an exploratory operation finds he needs further knee surgery.

Johnson, 28, has only featured in 13 games for this term because of a dislocated collarbone and groin strain.

And Fulham boss Roy Hodgson, already without injured forwards Clint Dempsey and Zoltan Gera, admitted he may regret loaning Diomansy Kamara to Celtic.

Hodgson said: "Would I like Kamara back here, I would, but it's too late."

Kamara signed a loan deal until the end of the season with the Scottish club on transfer deadline day, before Hodgson knew the severity of Johnson's latest setback.

"One of the reasons why we let Diomansy go was because we didn't think the problem with Andy was anywhere near as grave," said Hodgson, who still has regular strikers Bobby Zamora and Erik Nevland to call on.


"I was concerned that I would not be able to give Diomansy regular games, so when a club of Celtic's stature comes in for him, it is very difficult for me to say 'you have to stay'.

"Of course now I have let him go and have further news about Andy, I might be beginning to regret it, but you can only make decisions at the time."

Fulham's injury list has grown with United States international Dempsey suffering knee ligament damage and Hungarian Gera taking a blow to his knee in training last week.

Hodgson did sign Roma striker Stefano Okaka on loan until the end of the season, however, and the Italy Under-21 international may feature for the first time against Portsmouth on Wednesday night.

Johnson, who joined Fulham from Everton for £10.5m in August 2008, played the full 90 minutes for Fulham in their 2-0 defeat by Blackburn on 17 January, giving Hodgson renewed hope his forward was back for good.

However, his knee injury could end what has been a miserable season injury-wise for the Englishman.

"Andy is shattered. He's devastated. If it's as serious as it could turn out to be, it needs to be put right for the start of next season," stated Hodgson.

"If they find that the problem is as major as it could possibly be, then he would need an operation that would keep him out for the rest of the season.

"If we're lucky and the major operation is not needed, and it's something wrong with the cartilage, then he might be back earlier.

"At the moment we're talking three to four weeks, and the worst-case scenario is the rest of the season and him being fit to join us in pre-season."
 

[White Noise]

Fulham Face Magpies

Wednesday 3rd February 2010

Fulham FC News

Fulham will play Notts County in the 5th Round of the FA Cup on Sunday 14th February (KO 3pm) at the Cottage for a place in the Quarter Finals.

The Magpies stunned Wigan Athletic on Tuesday night, securing their place in the 5th Round with a 2-0 win at the DW Stadium.

Tickets for the Valentine's Day clash at the Cottage are now on General Sale| .


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/February/FifthRoundConfirmation.aspx#ixzz0eT8FJOSS

[White Noise]

http://www.skysports.com/football/match_preview/0,19764,11065_3237876,00.html

Fulham v Portsmouth preview

Cottagers out to put another nail in Pompey's coffin

Last updated: 3rd February 2010   
 

PREDICTIONS:

Skysports.com prediction: 2-1

SKY BET odds: Fulham 4/6, Draw 13/5, Pompey 9/2

One to Watch: Stefano Okaka

Injury-ravaged Fulham will be looking to pile more pressure on troubled Portsmouth on Wednesday night.

The Cottagers will be severely depleted for the Craven Cottage encounter, but need to find a winning formula from those available to them.

Roy Hodgson's side are currently on a run of five straight defeats, with the slump threatening to write off their European ambitions, but have only once before lost six Premier League games on the bounce - in March 2002.

On a more positive note, they have tasted defeat in only one of their last eight top flight fixtures on home soil.

They have also won three and drawn one of their last four Premier League meetings with Pompey.

However, the struggling South Coast outfit have been beaten only once on their last four visits to West London, winning twice.

The odds appear to be stacked against Portsmouth repeating that feat, though, with the club currently six points adrift of safety at the foot of the table.

They were able to negotiate transfer deadline day relatively unscathed, but continue to be hampered by ongoing financial troubles.

Pompey have also claimed only one point from their last six matches on the road, meaning they will arrive in the capital short on confidence.

Team news
Zoltan Gera is the latest Fulham player to suffer an injury and add to Hodgson's mounting woes.

Gera has joined a long list of players in the treatment room after suffering a knock to his knee in training on Tuesday.

Andy Johnson is still struggling with his knee injury while Paul Konchesky (foot), Simon Davies (ankle), Clint Dempsey and John Pantsil (both knee ligaments) are all out.

Loan signings Nicky Shorey and Roma striker Stefano Okaka are both poised for their Fulham debuts.

Portsmouth boss Avram Grant welcomes back African Cup of Nations trio Nadir Belhadj, Hassan Yebda and Aruna Dindane for the crunch midweek contest.

Nigerian striker Kanu is yet to return, while Hermann Hreidarsson (leg), Michael Brown (back), Tommy Smith (groin) and Papa Bouba Diop (hamstring) are all major doubts.

Grant could hand a full debut to new striker Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, while David James looks set to continue in goal following Asmir Begovic's deadline day move to Stoke.


Possible starting XIs
Fulham: Schwarzer, Kelly, Smalling, Hangeland, Shorey, Davies, Murphy, Greening, Duff, Zamora, Okaka.

Portsmouth: James, Finnan, Vanden Borre, Ben-Haim, Belhadj, Boateng, O'Hara, Wilson, Yebda, Dindane, Owusu-Abeyie.

[White Noise]

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/Kanu-yet-to-return-from.6037280.jp

Kanu yet to return from Africa Cup of Nations

Published Date: 03 February 2010

Pompey are still waiting for Kanu to report back from Africa Cup of Nations duty.

But they have been boosted by the return of Aruna Dindane, Hassan Yebda and Nadir Belhadj ahead of tonight's trip to Fulham.

All three are back with the club and in contention for the clash at Craven Cottage.

Pompey boss Avram Grant said: 'Dindane is back. So are all the other African players, except Kanu. He's not back yet.'

Meanwhile, Marc Wilson has called for Pompey to find their killer instinct at Craven Cottage.

Pompey passed up a string of chances against Manchester City on Sunday.

The likes of John Utaka and Danny Webber wasted big opportunities to help their team secure a return from the game.

That saw a good performance wasted as they fell to a 2-0 defeat to Roberto Mancini's side.

Wilson now wants to see that calibre of display repeated against Roy Hodgson's men.

And the defender warned his team they can't afford to waste their openings in what is developing into a big opportunity, as Fulham's injuries mount up.

Wilson said: 'We have to take the momentum from the Manchester City game into the Fulham match and try to get something.

'We have a massive game coming up against them now.

'It's a chance for us to take three points.

'That's something we could have done against Manchester City if we had taken our chances.

'We created a lot but didn't take them.

'We need to make sure we take the chances we get against Fulham.'

[White Noise]

http://football.fanhouse.co.uk/2010/02/03/on-the-bench-wes-foderingham-a-keeper-for-the-future-at-fulham/

On the Bench: Wes Foderingham, a Keeper for the Future at Fulham

03/2/2010 5:11 AM GMT

By John Wardle

John Wardle

Fulham fans are already convinced they have unearthed a future star in goalkeeper Wesley Foderingham.

Praise for the teenager from Shepherd's Bush are not difficult to locate on message boards about the club.

Supporters who have watched Foderingham in the reserves and youth team are in agreement that he is an exciting talent.

One even declared:"Wes could be the best thing to come out of English goalkeeping in years."

And the chances of Foderingham, 19, fulfilling that prophecy can only be enhanced by his level-headed view on the future.

Football is littered with stories of talented teenagers who faded from view because they believed they had made the grade when they signed their first professional contract.

For 6ft 1in tall Foderingham, it is only the first step on a long road towards the Premier League.
He told Fulham's official website:"There's still a lot more I need to work on, but I'm learning and developing all of the time.

"I feel that young players will always be given a chance at this club, and hopefully I can make a name for myself here, but that is going to be tough. I know that."

Fulham coaches have tracked his progress carefully since he joined their Academy at the age of nine nearly a decade ago.

And Foderingham has already impressed men who matter in the English game, earning international call-ups at under-17 level for the World Cup in South Korea and European Championships in Israel.

If it imposes extra pressure on the keeper, he is handing it well. "A lot has been said about me as a player," he says.

"I suppose there has been a fair bit of pressure, but the way I look at it, a person can deal with that pressure one of two ways - they can crumble, or they can thrive on it.

"If people expect a lot from me, I look at that as a positive thing – a sign that I have ability. But it's up to me to reach that required level and perform to my highest capabilities."

Foderingham is now training regularly with the first team and we understand he is thriving on the challenge presented by Bobby Zamora, Andrew Johnson and Erik Nevland.

Current first choice Mark Schwarzer is among those impressed by the approach of a youngster who is agile, commands his area well and has a reputation a shot-stopper.

Now we wait to discover how long it will be before Foderingham is ready to prove Schwarzer is a good judge and starts to challenge him for a first-team place.

[White Noise]

http://football.fanhouse.co.uk/2010/02/03/james-beattie-faces-tough-time-at-stoke-after-turning-down-trans/

James Beattie Faces Tough Time at Stoke After Turning Down Transfer

03/2/2010 5:21 AM GMT

By John Percy

If you ever needed a reminder of how far removed football is from us mere mortals, James Beattie amply provided it on the final day of the transfer window.

What other industry would see somebody demand a pay rise to move from one job to another, even though he has fallen out with his boss and failed to produce the goods for a number of months?

Beattie is understood to have seen a move to Fulham collapse after he and his 'advisors' asked for a staggering £45,000 a week, virtually a £10,000 a week improvement on his current salary.

This is the same Stoke striker who has only scored twice this season and is persona non grata with his manager Tony Pulis after their now infamous clash in the dressing room at Arsenal in December.

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson, who signed Beattie at former club Blackburn, offered the striker an escape route from the Britannia Stadium and even agreed a fee of about £2m with Stoke.

It would have represented a chance for the 31-year-old to revive his career and earn the chance of regular first team football that he will quite clearly not be given under Pulis.

So how does he reward Hodgson for throwing him a career lifeline? He asks for a substantial increase in wages and Fulham, not surprisingly, pulled the plug hours before the deadline, preventing him from even leaving the Stoke squad to fly to London for a medical.

At a time when the gravy train has come to a shuddering halt in the Premier League, and when clubs are living hand to mouth in the lower divisions, Beattie's avarice is mystifying.

Later that day, during Stoke's televised Premier League meeting with Sunderland, the camera focused on Beattie, sat on the substitute's bench. It is a location he will have to get accustomed to because his chances of playing under Pulis again are remote.

The best he can hope for is a loan move to the Championship when the window opens again next week.

This was a prime case of football once again proving it operates on a drastically different plane to reality.

It promises to be a difficult four months spent kicking his heels at a club where he is no longer wanted - and it appears to have been all his own fault.

[White Noise]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/i/ipswich_town/8493387.stm

Ipswich U18s 1-3 Fulham U18s 

Ipswich Town's Under-18 side have been knocked out of the FA Youth Cup after a defeat by Fulham in the fifth round at Portman Road.

Town briefly led through a Ronan Murray penalty but Alex Smith and Aaron Pierre scored to give Fulham the lead.

Marcello Trotta scored a late penalty to clinch their quarter-final spot.

Town academy manager Sammy Morgan told BBC Suffolk: "They were a good side. Credit to them, we had four glorious chances that we should have put away."

Fulham will face Aston Villa or Millwall at home in the next round.
 

[White Noise]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/low/football/teams/s/swansea_city/8495750.stm

Rangel quotes disappoint Jenkins

Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins says he is "disappointed" by comments from defender Angel Rangel regarding a possible move to Fulham.

The Spaniard, 27, claimed he was denied the chance to further his career by joining the Premier League club at the end of the transfer window.

"I'm disappointed to read so many inaccuracies in the quotes from Angel," Jenkins said of the newspaper report.

He says Fulham had only made a loan bid with a possible permanent deal after.

"At no time did Fulham offer any financial deal for our player apart from a loan option with the 'possibility' of a permanent deal at the end of it," Jenkins added.

"I am certainly not prepared to let a regular and quality Championship player with 18 months left on his contract leave the club for virtually nothing.

"As with every footballer at this club, if they don't want to play for Swansea City then they can leave, because it is important we maintain the fantastic spirit and togetherness within the squad that has taken us up to fifth in the Championship.

"But they will not leave until the deal is right for this football club.

"We've worked too hard and come too far as a football club to give players away for nothing to Premier League or other Championship clubs."

Jenkins confirmed at the close of the January transfer window on Monday that the Swans had snubbed a move by the Cottagers for right-back Rangel.

He also revealed Wigan Athletic had a £1m bid rejected for midfielder Leon Britton while Nottingham Forest also failed in their attempts to sign Britton's midfield partner Darren Pratley.

But Rangel, who joined from Spanish side Terrassa in 2007 for a small undisclosed fee and needs one more appearance to trigger an automatic contract extension, told the South Wales Evening Post: "To be honest I am disappointed.

"What I know from my agent is that Fulham made an offer and it was the offer the chairman was asking for.

"But then when everything about the deal was sorted and everything was ready, the chairman did not answer his phone or he turned it off.

[White Noise]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11681_5915948,00.html

Stoor stuck at Fulham


Swede seeking Cottagers exit


By Richard Torgerson   Last updated: 3rd February 2010   

Fredrik Stoor has vented his frustration at failing to secure a move away from Fulham in January.

The Swede has endured a torrid time at Craven Cottage since arriving in England from Rosenborg in the summer of 2008.

The full-back has consistently failed to hold down regular first-team football, and was shipped out on loan to Derby County for the first half of the 2009/10 campaign.

He is now back with Fulham, but has seen no improvement in his situation despite impressing during his time with the Rams.

Stoor admits he had hoped to seal a move away from Fulham during the winter transfer window, but has been forced to accept another loan switch is now his only viable option.

"There were some clubs interested but things didn't go through," he told Fotbollskanalen.

"Now we are keeping our eyes open for a loan, even though that wasn't what I had hoped for."

Demands
Stoor did have offers on the table during the recent window, but admits none of the propositions put to Fulham or himself were suitable.

He added: "Two things could not be resolved: a club willing to pay the price Fulham were asking, as they don't want to let me leave on a free, and my own demands.

"I can live with a lower salary but it should still be a contract that I am happy with. None of the teams could meet those two things."

Stoor accepts that he may be forced to see out the season at Fulham, with a loan move far from guaranteed, but is hoping a difficult spell on the banks of the Thames will come to an end sooner rather than later.

"There are better and there are worse places I could end up," he said.

"If something comes up which seems promising then I am willing to jump on it.

"If not, I will stay at Fulham until the summer and try to get something sorted then."