Thursday Fulham Stuff (02.09.10)

[White Noise]

Zamora to be rewarded with bumper contract offer


Published 23:00 01/09/10


By Darren Lewis


Bobby Zamora is set to be handed a lucrative new £50,000-a-week deal at Fulham after the club dismissed interest from Liverpool on Deadline Day.

But Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer could be set to quit the club in January after failing to land his dream move to Arsenal.

Zamora, 29, was one of the most improved players in the Premier League last season, shooting Fulham to the Europa League Final.

The marksman would also have been in Fabio Capello's squad for the World Cup and the forthcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland had he not been injured.

Now Fulham boss Mark Hughes is ready to tie the striker to the club for the next four years, doubling his £25,000-a-week wages.

It represents a massive turnaround in Zamora's Fulham career. The club accepted a £5million offer for him from Hull last summer but Zamora turned the move down, vowing to prove himself at Craven Cottage.

His turnaround in form, scoring a total of 19 goals in all competitions, was so remarkable the striker was seen as the team's key man by the end of the campaign.

Zamora has picked up where he left off last season with three goals in his last two games and had been the subject of interest from Birmingham and Stoke.

But Hughes said on Tuesday: "I believe there were three substantial bids, but we quickly told those clubs that he wasn't for sale. Bobby's an important player for us."

Schwarzer, meanwhile, is understood to be considering his options after being denied Champions League football with Arsenal.

The Gunners were desperate to sign the 37-year-old stopper as a replacement for Manuel Almunia.

But Fulham first could not agree terms with the Gunners, then could not get a replacement in themselves in time.

Schwarzer is believed to be mulling over a move back to Germany where he has played before with Kaiserslautern. He is also understood to have several other European clubs keen on his services.



Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Bobby-Zamora-will-be-given-a-new-50k-a-week-contract-at-Fulham-as-a-reward-for-his-good-form-article570019.html#ixzz0yJsDUkRI
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[White Noise]

Curbs moves to front of Villa job queue - Exclusive

Published 23:00 01/09/10


By James Nursey


Alan Curbishley's hopes of landing the Aston Villa job have been boosted after talks with the club.

Villa owner Randy Lerner returns to Birmingham today to weigh up his options on who should replace Martin O'Neill.

US businessman Lerner spent three days holed up at a London hotel with Villa chief executive Paul Faulkner interviewing candidates.

And Curbishley, who played for Aston Villa from 1983-1984, is believed to have met with them.

Curbishley,52, is out of work since leaving West Ham two years ago and previously spent 15 years establishing Charlton in the top-flight.

Villa chairman Lerner wants someone with Premier League experience as caretaker Kevin MacDonald is not their preferred option.

But potential moves for Everton's David Moyes and Fulham's Mark Hughes face huge hurdles with neither man in a rush to quit.

Curbishley's fellow out-of-work bosses Gianfranco Zola, Gerard Houllier, Sven Goran Eriksson and Gareth Southgate are also very keen.

Curbishley told a Mirrorfootball podcast earlier this summer he would "love" the Villa job.

He said: "Anyone would be interested and I am, for sure. They are a massive club.

"I know a lot about them having played there and I would love it."

Villa are fourth in the table after winning two of their first three League games despite O'Neill quitting five days before the start of the season.

But Villa crashed out of Europe under MacDonald following a shock loss to Austrian club Rapid Vienna and lost 6-0 at Newcastle.



Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Alan-Curbishley-in-pole-position-to-land-Aston-Villa-managers-job-article570075.html#ixzz0yJsZmZWo
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[White Noise]

Fulham's confirmed Premier League squad

Published 20:36 01/09/10

By MirrorFootball



1 Schwarzer, Mark

2 Stockdale, David Adam *

3 Pantsil, John 

4 Stoor, Frederick

5 Kelly, Stephen Michael *

6 Gera, Zoltan

7 Dempsey, Clinton Drew 

8 Riise, Bjorn Helge Semundseth

9 Hughes, Aaron William * 

10 Baird, Christopher *

11 Halliche, Rafik 

12 Etuhu, Dickson Paul *

13 Dikgacoi, Kagisho

14 Johnson, Andrew *

15 Kamara, Diomansy

16 Dembele, Moussa

17 Hangeland, Brede Paulsen

18 Murphy, Daniel Ben *

19 Greening, Jonathan * 

20 Zamora, Robert Lester *

21 Elm, David

22 Johnson, Edward

23 Salcido Flores, Carlos Arnoldo

24 Davies, Simon *

25 Duff, Damien Anthony *

* Home grown



Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Fulham-s-confirmed-Premier-League-squad-article570051.html#ixzz0yJszDDib
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[White Noise]

The failure to sign Mark Schwarzer will cost Arsenal dear - and they only have themselves to blame

By John Cross

Published 23:01 01/09/10


Arsene Wenger claimed in one of our little press gatherings last season that he often reads what fans say about him and Arsenal on websites, forums and blogs.

If Wenger logged onto the internet after the transfer window shut at 6pm on Tuesday it would have made for very unpleasant reading.

It is hard to remember an occasion when Arsenal fans have been so disillusioned with their most successful post-war manager.

Even the most loyal and die-hard supporters are completely fed-up with his failure and bungled attempt to buy a new goalkeeper during the transfer window.

Wenger's pursuit of Mark Schwarzer eventually turned into a complete farce and has left the Aussie keeper in limbo at Fulham and Manuel Almunia in a very uncomfortable position at Arsenal.

Schwarzer is 37 but would have been a good buy for Arsenal because his experience would not stunt the development of talented young keepers like 20-year-old Wojciech Szczesny.

Schwarzer is also good on crosses, has been incredibly consistent for Fulham and has coaching potential, too. Purely coincidentally, Schwarzer put in a transfer request earlier this summer and it seemed to be a given that he would go to Arsenal.

Arsenal need a change. Almunia had a really good season the season before last. But last season there is no getting away from the fact he had a bad time.

Almunia was taken out of the first team at the end of the campaign because of a diplomatic wrist injury. In came Lukasz Fabianski and his already fragile confidence was shattered by even more catastrophic mistakes, namely at Wigan and Blackburn.

No wonder Wenger decided to sign a new keeper. The first name was Pepe Reina. But Arsenal's idea they could get him for around £6m was a complete non-starter.

So the focus switched to Schwarzer, a reliable keeper with proven Premier League experience. Arsenal's interest became apparent in May - and more than three months later they still could not get the deal done.

Wenger has made a habit of leaving deals until the last minute to drive a hard bargain, namely Andrey Arshavin and William Gallas. But the pursuit of Schwarzer is somewhere between ridiculous and bad management.

Arsenal made a bid of £3m. Fulham claim it was turned down. Arsenal didn't see it that way. After all of Fulham's management issues were resolved, Arsenal went back to Fulham and said the offer was still on the table.

That is where the story about Arsenal going back with the same offer comes from. Fulham knocked it back again. Fulham and Arsenal will probably go on seeing it differently. But last week, they appeared to reach an agreement.

Fulham tried to sign Shay Given and the deal was close. But in the end, Given decided to stay put at Manchester City. The Schwarzer deal might still have happened if David Stockdale had not got injured at Blackpool.

But every Arsenal fan is now wondering why on earth Wenger left it so late to try and wrap up the Schwarzer deal. If there is money to spend then why not dig deep, find an extra £500k, sign Schwarzer and give Fulham time to get a replacement?

Instead, the same Arsenal fans who pay some of the most expensive ticket prices in the Premier League are left with two senior keepers they do not believe in because the club would not pay a little bit extra to sign Schwarzer.

There has also been this argument that Fulham were wrong to hold Schwarzer to his contract, denying him a dream move. Do me a favour. No-one forced Schwarzer to sign a new one-year contract in April and he earns good money.

There is no-one to blame but Arsenal. You can't blame Fulham for holding onto Schwarzer as he is now their only fit and senior keeper, even if he has been hung out to dry by the collapse of the move. That's another knock-on effect.

You simply cannot win trophies without a top class keeper. Arsenal last won the Premier League in 2004 when Jens Lehmann went through the whole league season unbeaten.

The following season, Lehmann was the FA Cup final hero in the penalty shoot-out as Arsenal beat Manchester United.

The following season, Lehmann was dropped, Almunia began to get more games and Arsenal have not won a trophy since.

Almunia is a decent keeper but not a keeper you win titles with. He's also a very nice chap, well liked around the club and yet now his confidence will be even further eroded by the knowledge his manager tried to replace him.

But Wenger, who has annoyed some by spending the whole World Cup working for French TV station TF1 rather than signing new players, failed in his attempts to sign a keeper.

In fact, Wenger did not do very well overall in the transfer market. French defender Laurent Koscielny for £8m from Lorient, Sebastien Squillaci from Sevilla for £3m and Marouane Chamakh on a free transfer.

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp, meanwhile, made -and succeeded with - an audacious move for Rafael van der Vaart. Chelsea spent big, Manchester City, too and Manchester United spent more. All of Arsenal's title rivals strengthened. Arsenal didn't.

There is a big stadium to pay off and Arsenal want to run the club sensibly and frugally. But Arsenal continually say the money is there for transfers. It is there in the accounts. That has been made very clear.

So who is reluctant to spend it? Arsene Wenger? Or the club? And has it really come to this that Arsenal cannot or will not spend £4m on a keeper they have pursued all summer?

There is a lot of unrest among Arsenal fans over the bungled attempt to sign a keeper and the rumblings of discontent that were evident last summer and the summer before will grow even louder if they fail to win a trophy this season.

Arsenal appear to have begun the season with a weaker squad, not wanted to spend money and yet still asked their supporters to pay sky-high ticket prices.

The football is beautiful but the fans are becoming impatient.



Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/john-cross/John-Cross-column-The-failure-to-sign-Fulham-keeper-Mark-Schwarzer-will-cost-Arsenal-dear-and-they-only-have-themselves-to-blame-article569871.html#ixzz0yJtLDMJ6
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[White Noise]

New Premier League 25-man squad rules explained

Published 12:10 01/09/10


By MirrorFootball

Recommend (5)

Now the transfer window has shut, Premier League clubs must now decide on their 25-man squad for the coming season.

This is a new rule introduced this season to try to encourage the use of more home-grown players by top flight clubs with the long term aim of helping the development of the England team.

But how exactly do the new regulations work? Here's MirrorFootball's 10-point guide to help you through.

1) All Premier League clubs must submit a squad of up to 25 players, by 5pm on Wednesday, September 1.

2) Each 25-man squad must include at least eight 'home-grown' players.

3) The 'home-grown' players do not have to be English. According to the Premier League: "A home grown player is defined as one who, irrespective of his nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to the Football Association or the Welsh Football Association for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21)." In practice this means that Cesc Fabregas, who joined Arsenal when he was 16, counts as one of the Gunners' home-grown quota.

4) In addition to the 25-man named squad, clubs can use an unlimited number of players aged 21 or under. This means that Manchester City's new £22.5m striker Mario Balotelli, who is just 20, does not need to be named in their 25-man squad. According to the Premier League: "An Under 21 player is defined as one who is under the age of 21 on 1st January in the year in which the season commences. For the 2010/11 campaign Under 21 players will have been born on or after 1st January 1989."

5) Clubs can make changes to their squad but only during transfer windows, so once submitted the clubs will be stuck with that squad until January. Only in exceptional circumstances, such as a goalkeeper crisis, can changes be made outside the window, and then only if the Premier League board approves the changes.

6) Once the transfer window opens again, there are no restrictions on how many changes clubs can make to their squads, so they can replace the entire 25 if they want to.

7) Even if a player is not named in the 25-man squad, they can still play in the FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League or Europa League.

8) Players from the 25-man squad cannot be replaced if they are loaned to Football League clubs, but can regain their spot in the group if they return to the parent club.

9) Clubs do not have to name a full squad of 25 if they do not have that many contracted players and in this case they can add free agents outside the transfer window. However if they have 25 eligible contracted players, they must be named.

10) Similarly, clubs do not have to name eight 'home-grown' players if they do not have enough, but this would mean submitting a reduced squad.



Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/New-Premier-League-25-man-squad-rules-explained-What-the-new-regulations-mean-for-your-club-article569649.html#ixzz0yJtacLoJ
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[White Noise]

Fulham squad for 2010-11

By Sportsmail Reporter


Last updated at 9:14 PM on 1st September 2010



New Barclays Premier League rules mean every top-flight club has to declare a senior squad of up to 25 players from which they can select players between now and the re-opening of the transfer window in January.

Players who are under 21 at the turn of 2011 can play without being named in the squads.

Eight of the 25 need to be 'homegrown', which means they must have been trained in England or Wales for three seasons before they turned 21.

Changes to the squads outside of the transfer windows can only be made in exceptional circumstances, such as when a move made be allowed because of a goalkeeping crisis.

The list below is as presented by the Premier League. Numbers do not correspond to squad numbers and players shown in bold qualify as homegrown.

Senior squad1 Schwarzer, Mark

2 Stockdale, David Adam

3 Pantsil, John

4 Stoor, Frederick

5 Kelly, Stephen Michael

6 Gera, Zoltan

7 Dempsey, Clinton Drew

8 Riise, Bjorn Helge Semundseth

9 Hughes, Aaron William

10 Baird, Christopher

11 Halliche, Rafik

12 Etuhu, Dickson Paul

13 Dikgacoi, Kagisho

14 Johnson, Andrew

15 Kamara, Diomansy

16 Dembele, Moussa

17 Hangeland, Brede Paulsen

18 Murphy, Daniel Ben

19 Greening, Jonathan

20 Zamora, Robert Lester

21 Elm, David

22 Johnson, Edward

23 Salcido Flores, Carlos Arnoldo

24 Davies, Simon

25 Duff, Damien Anthony

Under 21 players Bangura, Suliaman
Banya, Charles
Bettinelli, Marcus
Briggs, Matthew
Brister, Alexander Keith
Cosgrove, Jonathan Graham
Dalla Valle, Lauri
Dean, Jack
Etheridge, Neil
Frei, Kerim
Harris, Courtney
Hoesen, Danny
Jorenen, Jesse
Joronen, Jesse Pekka
Kacaniklic, Alexander
Kamau, Michael
Maloney, Robert John
Marquez-Sanchez, Cristian
Marsh-Brown, Keanu
Minkwitz, Ronny
Monguel, Oliver
Owusu-Ansah, Albert Junior
Peniket, Richard James
Pierre, Aaron
Pritchard, Joshua Philip
Reece, Matthew
Saunders, Matthew
Smith, Alex
Smith, Grant Ashley
Toure, Cheick Sekou
Trotta, Marcello


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1308163/Fulham-25-man-Premier-League-squad-2010-11.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0yJtySJ00

[White Noise]

1.Fulham


Quiet but confident business despite a change of manager. Moussa Dembele has shown enough flashes of brilliance to suggest he could be one of the buys of the season once he has fully adapted to the English game and can consistently produce pieces of magic.

The forward cost £5m, has quick feet and the pass he picked out to send Dickson Etuhu through at Blackpool last weekend was a peach.
Losing Konchesky to Liverpool will not be a deeply felt loss after bringing in Carlos Salcido and signing Rafik Halliche adds option another option in the centre of defence.

Hanging on to Arsenal-target Mark Schwarzer showed Fulham are no pushovers in the transfer market either and, hopefully, the goalkeeper's mysterious back complaint will go away now he knows he is staying.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1307995/LEOS-LONDON-The-summers-transfer-window-winners-losers-.html#ixzz0yJuH2OvI

[White Noise]

http://blogs.soccernet.com/fulham/archives/2010/09/deal_or_no_deal.php


Deal Or No Deal


Posted by Phil Mison 7 hours, 27 minutes ago


The transfer window for European clubs has closed. Enough kinetic energy to launch a medium-sized space probe being generated by the media industry in the past 6 weeks, with Sky Sports in the role of Mission Control. Time to examine some facts and kill the rumours.

First up, I firmly believe Fulham have come through the summer with a stronger squad than we finished last season. The transition from Roy to Mark seems to be pretty seamless, the hiatus over our on-off move for Jol all but forgotten. The players find training sessions under Hughes more enjoyable, the body language I saw in two matches last week speaks of a happy and close-knit squad. Pre-kick off the team all huddle, high five and fire each other up.

Only one first-team member has gone in Konchesky. In return for cash, we also get two 19 year-olds from Liverpool's reserves, a winger and a striker. Time will tell how hot these prospects are (one a Finn, the other Swedish) but both were being tracked by Barcelona and Ajax and word is they have real potential. Also, in Salcido we have Mexico's current international left-back to replace Konch with a 5 year stint at PSV on his CV - and good business at £1.5 million.

Schwarzer didn't get his dream move, though Fulham wanted to trade. Arsenal are unlikely to come back in January still offering £4 million, but with Stockdale injured, Given snubbing us and interest in Federici and Speroni (there may have been others) not leading to a deal, Hughes had to hang on to his no.1 keeper. Full marks to the boss for playing hardball, interesting to see now what reception the big Aussie gets from the fans. I wouldn't be surprised to see Stockdale back in once fit.

Roque Santa Cruz wanted to come on loan but City blocked it, Eidur in the end preferred Stoke, but hey, AJ is running and due back by the end of the month. That means with Kamara, and the new wunderkind Dembele, we are if anything top heavy on strikers.

Despite all the talk about Napoli and a host of top European clubs from his agent, nobody made a move for Deuce, nor Gera, though Hughes reveals there had been offers (for big money) to lure Bobby Z away from SW6. Hangeland too, surely the perfect fit for Roy's rebuilding of a failing club, still shows his commitment to the Whites.

So our great club must be doing something right. In a perfect world, and we fans are never satisfied let's face it, the one rumour I cannot verify - but would have loved to have seen happen -was David Bentley from Spurs on loan.

Recent posts back it up - we are a direct winger and a midfield general away from being genuine top 7 contenders. If Hughes can blend the new signings with those who served us so well last season, the only way is up. Let's start with 3 points off Wolves next game.

So how do you think FFC conducted business in the transfer window? It was the quietest in 5 years with spending way down, so the only guys not happy with life are those parasites of the game, the agents. Watch out for more insights on that issue coming soon!

Keep the Faith Fulham FC, London's oldest football club.

[simplyfulham]

Fulham squad for 2010-11

By Sportsmail Reporter


Last updated at 9:14 PM on 1st September 2010



New Barclays Premier League rules mean every top-flight club has to declare a senior squad of up to 25 players from which they can select players between now and the re-opening of the transfer window in January.

Players who are under 21 at the turn of 2011 can play without being named in the squads.

Eight of the 25 need to be 'homegrown', which means they must have been trained in England or Wales for three seasons before they turned 21.

Changes to the squads outside of the transfer windows can only be made in exceptional circumstances, such as when a move made be allowed because of a goalkeeping crisis.

The list below is as presented by the Premier League. Numbers do not correspond to squad numbers and players shown in bold qualify as homegrown.

Senior squad1 Schwarzer, Mark

2 Stockdale, David Adam

3 Pantsil, John

4 Stoor, Frederick

5 Kelly, Stephen Michael

6 Gera, Zoltan

7 Dempsey, Clinton Drew

8 Riise, Bjorn Helge Semundseth

9 Hughes, Aaron William

10 Baird, Christopher

11 Halliche, Rafik

12 Etuhu, Dickson Paul

13 Dikgacoi, Kagisho

14 Johnson, Andrew

15 Kamara, Diomansy

16 Dembele, Moussa

17 Hangeland, Brede Paulsen

18 Murphy, Daniel Ben

19 Greening, Jonathan

20 Zamora, Robert Lester

21 Elm, David

22 Johnson, Edward

23 Salcido Flores, Carlos Arnoldo

24 Davies, Simon

25 Duff, Damien Anthony

Under 21 players Bangura, Suliaman
Banya, Charles
Bettinelli, Marcus
Briggs, Matthew
Brister, Alexander Keith
Cosgrove, Jonathan Graham
Dalla Valle, Lauri
Dean, Jack
Etheridge, Neil
Frei, Kerim
Harris, Courtney
Hoesen, Danny
Jorenen, Jesse
Joronen, Jesse Pekka
Kacaniklic, Alexander
Kamau, Michael
Maloney, Robert John
Marquez-Sanchez, Cristian
Marsh-Brown, Keanu
Minkwitz, Ronny
Monguel, Oliver
Owusu-Ansah, Albert Junior
Peniket, Richard James
Pierre, Aaron
Pritchard, Joshua Philip
Reece, Matthew
Saunders, Matthew
Smith, Alex
Smith, Grant Ashley
Toure, Cheick Sekou
Trotta, Marcello


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1308163/Fulham-25-man-Premier-League-squad-2010-11.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0yJtySJ00

Jesse Joronen.. So good they named him (in the squad) twice :011:

[WhiteJC]

http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/birmingham-city-fc/2010/09/02/birmingham-city-alex-mcleish-was-tempted-to-bid-for-bobby-zamora-97319-27183886/?
Birmingham City - Alex McLeish was tempted to bid for Bobby Zamora

Alex McLeish has admitted that he toyed with the idea of making another play for Bobby Zamora on transfer deadline day.

Aside from securing the headline-catching signing of Aleksandr Hleb, plus Jean Beausejour and Martin Jiranek, the Blues boss thought about an ambitious raid for one of his earlier summer targets.

Three formal bids were tabled to Fulham for Zamora, but McLeish stopped just short.

He admitted: "I never saw the striker there that I really craved - unless I was going to be paying 10, 12 million.

"I never went back in for him officially, for Bobby.

"We sounded out Fulham privately but we never made an issue of it because I had read Mark Hughes comments in the newspaper about  him being a focal point for Fulham and that he had started the season great.

"I thought there was absolutely no chance, so it didn't go any further. But I can understand why there were bids for him."

Blues had an offer of around £8 million for Zamora at the season's end rejected, and also went in for Paul Konchesky, who ended up at Liverpool, reunited with Roy Hodgson.

McLeish has decided not to become embroiled in a tit-for-tat scenario over the saga of his new contract.

Peter Pannu claimed that McLeish was 'asking for a very large amount of money which I was not prepared to meet'.

The acting chairman said McLeish deserved a bonus for his 'performance last year'.

Pannu added: "But he has not been totally tried and tested yet, the club was relegated and then promoted and last year we stayed up, so he has done well, but to suggest that he is in the top class like a Mourinho, well he is no Mourinho yet. The ball is in his court."

Having digested Pannu's words and asked about them at a media conference to discuss Blues new signings, and what the latest was on his deal, McLeish was reticent.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-sport/fulham-fc/2010/09/02/win-fulham-v-wolves-tickets-82029-27187403/?
Win Fulham v Wolves tickets!

FANCY watching Fulham face Wolves for FREE?

We have teamed up with Air Malta, Official European Airline Partner of Fulham FC, to offer one lucky reader the chance a pair of tickets to see the Whites in action at Craven Cottage on Saturday, September 11.

For your chance to enter, simply answer the following question:

Where do Fulham play their home games?

To enter, simply visit our Facebook page and post your answer under the competition.

Closing date for entries is next Wednesday (September 8) at midday. The winner will be notified within 24 hours.

Malta is a football-mad nation and the perfect destination to catch some autumn sun without missing out on the season's fixtures.

Just three hours from the UK, it's the perfect city break on an island with culture, history and fantastic food and entertainment all easily enjoyed in a short break.

Air Malta flies twice a day from Heathrow and Gatwick from just £99 return including taxes and charges, hot meal, 20kg baggage allowance and in-flight entertainment.

Check out www.airmalta.com for flight, hotel and car hire bookings as well as a wealth of island information.

If you're in need of a holiday to stave off the winter blues, visit www.fulhamfc.com for the chance to win one of two five-star breaks courtesy of Air Malta and the Grand Hotel Excelsior.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/September/HughesOnZamora.aspx?
Top Class

Bobby Zamora has started the 2010/11 season in scintilating fashion and Manager Mark Hughes has clearly been impressed by the striker's all-round game since his arrival at the Club, as he revealed to fulhamfc.com.

"I've been surprised at the quality that is within the building and Bobby's very much in that group," Hughes explained.

"When you come into a new situation you're not quite sure what you're getting but Bobby is a top class Premier League striker.

"His link up play has impressed me and is better than people give him credit for. When he's in possession in the final third he's very difficult to dispossess and he's got good awareness of the players around him. His appreciation of a pass to bring players into a game is good and along with that he's adding goals.

"He had an outstanding season last year and he's continuing that form. I hope he maintains it because it's important for Bobby and it's important for us. At the moment, with the way we're playing, Bobby is a real focus for our attacking play and we need him to keep playing well so we can flourish.

"He's quite a package and a threat. His link up play and team work is excellent and he's a big factor in why we've started so brightly. He's very confident in his game and he's enjoying his work. At the moment he's able to transfer the work on the training ground on to the field of play and he's playing really, really well."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/September/HughesOnZamora.aspx?#ixzz0yNACtL3Q

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/August/HughesOnDanny.aspx
Key Man

Danny Murphy is playing a key role for Manager Mark Hughes on the pitch this season. As well as his role in the heart of Fulham's midfield, Murphy is playing a true captain's role when it comes to directing his colleagues once the whistle blows, as Hughes explained to fulhamfc.com.

"Danny's a strong voice, both on the field and off it. He has a good influence on the group and that's key," said Hughes.

"When you do a lot of coaching of tactical and technical work you have to have an intelligent footballer to grasp the areas and issues which are important to a team, and Danny has that ability to grasp concepts very quickly and understand what I want in terms of what we do on the training ground.

"When you're trying to change things a little bit he's important because he understands what I'm asking of him and the team and he can translate that on the field of play for his team-mates.

"He's a good footballer first and foremost, which is key, but the intelligence he has as a professional in understanding when changes need to be made in games, or when the opposition are giving you problems, he recognises those situations and is able to have an influence on those on the field of play."



Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/August/HughesOnDanny.aspx#ixzz0yNAxxuet

[WhiteJC]

http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/43080/Three_selection_headaches_facingMark_Hughes.aspx
Three selection headaches facing...Mark Hughes

Three draws from the opening three games hardly makes for a great start to the Mark Hughes reign, but his Fulham side have shown promising signs of being able to continue the progress made under the departed Roy Hodgson.

With the new season still in its infancy, Sport.co.uk takes a curious glance at Fulham's squad and wonders to what extent Hughes knows what his best side is as he attempts to restore his reputation by bringing European football back to Craven Cottage.

What do you think, Cottagers fans?  Are there any changes to personnel that you'd like to see Hughes make? What is the bare minimum you expect from this season? Have your say in the comments section at the bottom of the page...

Wide midfield

Damien Duff looks to have lost another yard of pace but remains a wise old head, while Simon Davies has continued his good form from the end of last season into this. New signing Moussa Dembele can operate on the right and would bring welcome pace to the position, while Clint Dempsey, Jonathan Greening and Zoltan Gera have all played out wide at some stage. A settled line up was one of Fulham's main strengths under Hodgson but Hughes may be more inclined to rotate.

Up front

The still impressive Bobby Zamora is a given starter, but who partners him is in doubt. Gera did a great job playing off him during last season's magnificent Europa League campaign but was unable to translate that form into the Premier League, while Dembele has made an impressive start but still has much to prove. Provided he has a semblance of pace left, the news of Andrew Johnson's imminent return could make things interesting in this department.

End of the line for Murphy and Duff?

Danny Murphy has been an inspiration in midfield since joining Fulham in 2007 but, at 33, his influence appears to be on the wane. Damien Duff was an important member of the Cottagers' side last season but he has started this campaign slowly, or at least not looking suited to his former favoured position of left midfield. These two old timers have been great for the club but Hughes needs to evaluate their diminishing performances against whatever against other options, which, in central midfield, are sparse.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/September/Trainingwear.aspx?
Available Now

Fulham's 2010/11 campaign is well underway and back at the Motspur Park training ground Mark Hughes' squad have been sporting the Club's new training gear from kit supplier Kappa.

Getting their fair share of wear are the new Club Training T-shirts worn by all your favourite First Team players. The Training T-shirts are now available in both grey and white and even the coaches red training shirts can be ordered today.

Keep checking fulhamfc.com as the Club will be releasing even more Official training gear in the coming weeks.

If you can't make it down to the Fulham Road or Stadium store to purchase your new Home Kit or Training Wear, you can still order yours from the online store or by calling 0870 442 1223.



Fulham Road Club Shop

959-961 Fulham Road

London

SW6 5HY

Opening Times:

Monday  9am - 5pm
Tuesday  9am - 5pm
Wednesday  9am - 5pm
Thursday  9am - 7pm
Friday  9am - 5pm
Saturday  9am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 3pm


Stadium Shop

Stevenage Road

London

SW6 6HH

Opening Times:

Monday - Saturday 9am - 6pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/September/Trainingwear.aspx?#ixzz0yNujenuu

[WhiteJC]

http://www.givemefootball.com/premier-league/fulham-assistant-boss-takes-the-gmf-hot-seat?
Fulham assistant boss takes the GMF hot seat
Mark Bowen is confident he and Mark Hughes will get it right at the Cottage



Since hanging up his boots in 1999, Mark Bowen has worked alongside his former Welsh teammate Mark Hughes as assistant manager with Wales, Blackburn, Manchester City and most recently Fulham.

As a player, the 46-year-old wore the colours of Spurs, Norwich, West Ham, Charlton, Wigan and Reading as well as winning 41 caps for his country.

Fulham have made a decent start to the campaign, unbeaten in their first three games, and givemefootball logged the thoughts of Bowen as we head into the international break.

YOU MUST BE PLEASED THAT FULHAM MANAGED TO KEEP HOLD OF EXPERIENCED GOALKEEPER MARK SCHWARZER?

Mark spoke to Mark Hughes and we all know there was interest in him but it was only going to be considered if we could get in a goalkeeper of the quality of Mark Schwarzer as a replacement.

They had a lot of discussions and he (Schwarzer) said how he felt so we looked at the market place but, ultimately, it wasn't an option for us in the end.

FULHAM HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF 2-2 DRAWS SO FAR THIS SEASON – INCLUDING ONE AGAINST MANCHESTER UNITED - DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'VE DROPPED POINTS?

We've had a decent start when you consider the fixtures so far. We have had two away games and got a win against Man City and drawn with United and Blackpool.

In fact, perhaps we should have got more points on the board but we haven't lost a game yet and we feel we are set fair for a good season. You could see against United that we have some good players at this club.

WHAT IS THE LATEST ON STRIKER BOBBY ZAMORA - HAS HE SIGNED A NEW CONTRACT WITH THE CLUB?

What I know is that he is currently in discussions with the club over a possible new deal. It has been ongoing for a few months and obviously way before Mark and I came in.

But my understanding is that we are hopeful that Bobby will agree a long-term contract with the club.

DESPITE FULHAM'S SUCCESSFUL SEASON LAST TERM, THEY ACTUALLY WON JUST ONE GAME AWAY FROM HOME – THAT MUST BE A STAT YOU ARE LOOKING TO IMPROVE?

Mark has touched on it in some of his press conferences already that to push this club even further forward we need to improve the away form.

We've looked solid and hard to beat in our two away games so far, but, at the same time, we have to be stronger and more resolute on the road - coming away with three points some times as opposed to one or none at all.

WALES BEGIN THEIR EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFICATION CAMPAIGN AGAINST MONTENEGRO TOMORROW – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AHEAD OF THAT GAME?

Well, they have to get off to a good start tomorrow night and Montenegro could be the ideal opener for them.

It's going to be difficult but I'm sure John Toshack will be looking to put some points on the board and make a good start to the group.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.teamtalk.com/fulham/6354232/Boss-bamboozled-by-Bobby-s-package-?
Boss bamboozled by Bobby's 'package'

Fulham boss Mark Hughes admits he has been taken aback by Bobby Zamora, labelling the England striker "quite a package".

Zamora made his senior international debut in the friendly against Hungary last month, but a thigh injury ruled him out of contention for the opening Euro 2012 qualifier with Bulgaria tomorrow.

The much-travelled 29-year-old has netted three goals in his four appearances with Fulham this season.

Hughes - who took over at Craven Cottage following Roy Hodgson's departure for Liverpool - believes there is more to come.

"When you come into a new situation you are not quite sure what you are getting, but Bobby is a top class Premier League striker," Hughes told the club's website. "His link-up play has impressed me and is better than people give him credit for.

"Bobby is quite a package and a threat. His link-up play and team work is excellent and he is a big factor in why we have started so brightly.

"He is very confident in his game and he is enjoying his work.

"At the moment he is able to transfer the work on the training ground on to the field of play and is playing really, really well."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.southlondon-today.co.uk/Sport.cfm?id=30822&headline=Palace
Palace boss pleased to keep Julian Speroni after Fulham bid fails

CRYSTAL Palace manager George Burley is relieved goalkeeper Julian Speroni is still at the club after Fulham made a transfer deadline-day bid for the Argentine.

The Cottagers wanted to bring in the Eagles stopper to pave the way for Mark Schwarzer's sale to Arsenal, but they were unable to agree a deal for Speroni.

"There was an interest but nothing materialised," said Burley. "We've managed to keep hold of Julian, certainly until January at least, which is great.

"He has proven himself to be a fantastic keeper over a number of years and I'm very pleased he's still at the club."

[WhiteJC]

http://hammyend.com/index.php/2010/09/fulhams-transfers/?
Fulham's Transfers
by LORK on SEPTEMBER 2, 2010

Here's a quick round up of the ins and outs, if I've missed any leave it in the comments section and I can edit it in:

In (player/old club/cost) -
Salcido, PSV, Undisclosed (estimated £2 million)
Senderos, Arsenal, Bosman
Dembele, AZ Alkmaar, Undisclosed (estimated £4 million)
Halliche, Benfica, Undisclosed (estimated £1.5 million)
Dalle Valle, Liverpool, Player Exchange
Kacaniklic, Liverpool, Player Exchange
Greening, West Brom, Undiclosed (estimated £2 million)

Out (player/new club/cost) -
Konchesky, Liverpool, Undisclosed (estimated £2.5 million plus two player exchange)
Smalling, Manchester United, Undisclosed (estimated £9 million)
Buchtmann, Cologne, Undisclosed (estimated £200k)
Payne, Gillingham, Undisclosed (estimated free transfer)

Released After End Of Contract -
Andranik
Brown
Omozusi
Foderingham
Kallio
Moscatiello
Uwezu
Nevland
Osei-Gyan
Owusu
note: Omozusi and Brown have sell-on clauses because we weren't willing to release their registration without compensation

I think we've done ok as far as transfers go. Like I've said I think we needed a Bobby style player, and with just Kelly as reserve to both full back positions there should be some concern. Stoor's never looked comfortable since he joined, so maybe this is finally Briggs' breakthrough season and I really hope he gets a run out at Stoke who will be a test in the Carling Cup. Other than that our squad looks pretty good all over the pitch I reckon.

I was suprised a few players didn't leave, Eddie Johnson, Elm, Stoor for example. But the strength of this transfer window has been just that, that hardly anyone left. All but one of our key players last season have stayed, and in Salcido we seem to have a very good replacement for Konchesky.

Schwarzer was linked with a move to Arsenal all season, a player that would have helped them immeasurably and why they decided to be so stingy I don't know, it could well be their shortcoming as it was last season. He stayed however even against his will, which is great news for us and a hark back to the old days where if a club decided a player was staying he was staying. I hope that Fulham fans don't hold it against him that he wanted a move so badly. Afterall, you couldn't blame him for wanting a shot at the Champions League and the title, and wanting to move to Arsenal is alot different to wanting to leave Fulham. Reading between the lines it seems that he would have gone should we have signed a replacement but that never materalised and we can look forward to arguably the greatest goalie in our history carrying on with us next season.
Zamora also stayed, which is good for us and for him if the rumours of a double your money contract are true, but I never expected him to leave. Dempsey probably flirted with it, he's easily good enough to play for a top 10 team yet he's started one of four games this season so I'm really pleased to see him still here. Other than him, Schwarzer and Konchesky I didn't think anyone would leave so in terms of that it's been a great transfer window.

Our ins are quite interesting. We have Dembele who is a player who promises much based on his few appearances so far and looks to be a starter for us already. Senderos is a player I really like and I'm gutted he's picked up such a bad injury because I think this is the perfect club for him to settle and finally live up to the potential that he showed a few years ago at Arsenal. Halliche who I assume is a replacement for him is an unknown quantity, apart from a few decent performances in the World Cup I haven't seen or heard much about him. Not even Benfica fans could tell me alot! However he's cheap and he'll be our 4th choice defender so even if he turns out to be poor, which I doubt he will, there isn't much risk.

Salcido has alot to live up to I think as Konchesky's replacement. Konchesky's part in our team shouldn't be underestimated, his attacking and defending play contributing significantly to our recent successes, yet somehow in his most consistant episode of his career he's been labeled as someone who's error prone and will garuntee the opposition a golden chance per game which is really unfair. I wish him luck at Liverpool and I'm sure he'll do well. Salcido excites me though. Someone known for his tenacity, skill, agression, strength, ability to attack and defend equally well and with a beast of a shot on him, sounds like the perfect left back. To make a profit on swapping these left backs and bring in two talented young players (especially Dalla Valle who by all accounts is a very talented young player and one that Elias has been after for a while, we had a 3 million pound bid rejected for him last summer) is really good business, credit must go to Alistair Mackintosh for that. Greening's signing was just making a loan permanent, I think he's an alright player who can do a job for us which is all we need in a reserve.