Wednesday Fulham Stuff (24.11.10)

[WhiteJC]

http://hammyend.com/index.php/2010/11/dont-panic-2/?

Don't panic
by DAN on NOVEMBER 24, 2010

Watching Sunday's first half capitulation to Manchester City was pretty traumatic. The ease with which Mancini's millionaires strolled through a once impregnable Fulham defence was worrying. The second 45 minutes might have been a marginal improvement, but the half-time deficit rendered that irrelevant. Mark Hughes looked crestfallen on the touchline, especially as he would have seen this game as an opportunity to prove his managerial acumen to his former employees.

The dismantling of Hughes' new side has led to many questions about his suitability for the Craven Cottage. It seems that managers get less and less time these days. The priniciple reason for worry seems to be Fulham's unnerving proximity to the relegation zone. Sitting a smidgen above the drop after fourteen games would not have been what anybody had in mind after Hughes took over from Roy Hodgson back in July, but not since Jean Tigana has a new manager had a rip-roaring start to his tenure – and that was back in Division One.

Just as one glorious victory doesn't catapolt a team of also-rans to world class status, a single defeat won't turn a decent side into relegation fodder. I'm not going to pretend that everything is rosy at the moment (that would be delusional), but for me it's too early to turn a manager only appointed in July. For all the talk about Hughes having a good side to build open, the squad that Roy Hodgson bequeathed him was ageing and is painfully lacking in depth beyond the first eleven. Injuries to key cogs in the side (such as Schwarzer, Etuhu, Murphy and Zamora) have robbed him of the luxury of consistency of selection, while Hughes didn't have the time to plot a squad overhaul in the summer transfer window much less carry it out.

You could make a convincing case for Fulham deserving more than their meagre return of fourteen points so far. The Whites have been badly disrupted by untimely injuries. Neither Moussa Dembele, so impressive since signing from AZ Alkmaar, nor Carlos Salcido have looked right since returning from their spells on the sidelines. Salcido, castigated by some for a sluggish performance on Sunday, didn't appear fully fit and was up against the world class David Silva. Not a great combination. Then, consider we're missing Bobby Zamora – the focal point of Fulham's attack, without whom even Hodgson's teams struggles. Factor in some controversial refereeing decisions and a bit of misfortune and it's not a massive stretch to suggest things could have been a bit different.

One of the major plus points about Hughes' arrival has been that we have looked much more positive on the road. Yes, the neighsayers will retort that we haven't recorded that elusive away win yet, but he's far from alone in being unable to turn that around. Had Dembele shot a inch or two lower at St. James' Park, Fulham might have got their reward for an adventurous team selection and a more expansive away performance than seen in the last couple of years and put some distance between ourselves and the rest of the stragglers towards the foot of the table.

And now we come to my major gripe with those advocating Hughes' removal. Early league tables are notoriously congested. If Tottenham had axed Harry Redknapp after his first ten games or so, they wouldn't be the resurgent outfit that are pressing for a regular place in the top four and gracing the Champions' League now. Two successive wins and you'll be on the cusp of the top ten, the target that Hughes felt was achievable in July. He has yet to have a full transfer window to put his stamp on the squad, nor enough time to pick a settled starting line-up. The start's not ideal, but he deserves a chance to put his right. Or have we become so spoilt by the run to Hamburg that immediate success will only satisfy? Surely not. Fulham fans are far too sensible for that.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/47276/Battle_begins_for_Bentley_signature.aspx?

Battle begins for Bentley signature

Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp must make a decision on whether to allow midfielder David Bentley leave on loan in the January transfer window with Sunderland, Fulham, and Everton all considering short term offers in the January transfer window.

Redknapp has admitted that he is eager to strengthen his squad however in order to do so he will have to let a couple of squad members leave the club in January.

Bentley has struggled to gain regular first team football at White Hart Lane, but the former Arsenal man is popular in the Spurs dressing room with Redknapp a big fan of the midfielder's influence on the morale of the team.

Fulham boss Mark Hughes is a massive fan of Bentley's talents having managed him at Blackburn Rovers and is keen to sign the 26-year-old on loan in January. 

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is also a keen admirer and has been linked with a move for Bentley in the Daily Mail with Spurs reportedly willing to offload on him on loan for a fee of £1 million.

Everton manager David Moyes has seen his side have a mixed start to the Premier League campaign and is looking at a number of short term loan options in January with Bentley on his shortlist of targets.

[WhiteJC]

http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/47280/Schwarzer_admits_he_pushed_hard_for_Gunners_deal.aspx?

Schwarzer admits he "pushed hard" for Gunners deal

Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has revealed he pushed hard to engineer a move from Fulham to Arsenal as he is desperate to test himself in the Champions League before he retires.

Schwarzer, 38, is still eager to move to the Gunners but the Australian international does not know whether a move will still be an option in January and whether Mark Hughes will allow him to leave Craven Cottage for the Guners.

Bookies have slashed the odds of Shay Given moving to Fulham in January, however no contact has been made between Arsenal and the Cottagers, with Wenger coy on whether he is looking to sign a new goalkeeper with Lukasz Fabianski performing well and Wojciech Szczesny signing a new long-term deal at the club.

Schwarzer said: "I've played in Europe in three different seasons, twice with Middlesbrough and once with Fulham and was pretty successful with both those clubs in those competitions," he said.

"That gave me an appetite to play European football. And Champions League football is something I've never had before.

"You have to test yourself against the very best and they (Arsenal) play Champions League football."

He added: "As to January, I genuinely don't know. What will be will be."

"I pushed pretty hard in the summer," he said. "I'm not getting any younger. Any footballer would be crazy not to want to try to explore that opportunity.

"The important thing for me was to get my head clear and get down to some training and playing close to my best again, if not better.

"I really believe you have to grow continuously as a footballer and not stop just because you are the tender age of 38.

"Edwin van der Sar, who's 40, is a great example. He's inspiring. I want to continue like Edwin's doing."

[WhiteJC]

http://www.eatsleepsport.com/fulham/fulham-lead-race-for-forest-ace-1124707.html?

Fulham lead race for Forest ace

Fulham and West Bromwich Albion are keeping a close eye on Nottingham Forest's free-scoring midfielder Lewis McGugan.

Both Premier League clubs have reportedly sent scouts to the City Ground to watch him in action and the Baggies and Cottagers could make bids for McGugan in the new year.

McGugan scored again at the weekend - to take his tally to nine for the season so far - and if he continues to find the back of the net with such regularity then he will continue to attact attention from across the Premier League.

McGugan could be available for around £2million, although Forest may be holding out for more than that and could be keen to instigate an auction in a bid to hike up the price for their in-demand star.

[White Noise]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6524809,00.html

English quartet track Noring

Young ace linked with Premier League switch


By Ricahard Torgerson   


Last updated: 24th November 2010   

Swedish goalkeeper Viktor Noring is attracting interest in England, according to the player's agent.

The Trelleborgs shot-stopper has impressed between the goalposts this season and reports have circulated that the 19-year-old will leave the Swedish club in January.

Fulham have been linked with a move for highly-rated keeper and could move for the Swedish Under 21 performer if Arsenal make a renewed attempt to sign Australia international Mark Schwarzer.

And Noring's agent, Martin Klette, claims four Premier League clubs and a Serie B side have expressed an interest in his client, but refused to name the Cottagers as one of those teams.

"I am now actively working to find a club for Viktor when the January window opens," Klette told Fotbolldirekt.se.

"We don't go public (on who the clubs are). But I can tell you that there are five clubs in England and Italy and that there are top league clubs, except for one that is in Serie B."

[White Noise]

http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/47303/Fulham_favourites_to_land_Given_in_January.aspx


Fulham favourites to land Given in January


Author:  Nigel Brown


Posted on:24 November 2010 - 12:39

Fulham boss Mark Hughes is the favourite to land Shay Given in the January transfer window with Arsenal and Manchester United reportedly dropping out of the race to sign the Manchester City number 2.

City are looking to sell a number of players in the transfer window with Emmanuel Adebayor, Wayne Bridge, Jo, and Michael Johnson linked with exit door at Eastlands.

Given, 34, is eager to leave City in order to gain regular first team football however his options see Fulham as the favourites to sign the Republic of Ireland international.

It is unknown whether City would sell to Arsenal or Manchester United, but the Red Devils are on the verge of signing Anders Lindegaard from Aalesund while Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has put faith in Lukasz Fabianski who has shown good form with Polish starlet Wojciech Szczesny signing a long term deal at the club.

Scottish Premier League club Celtic are an option as Given began his career as a youth player at Parkhead and still holds the club in high asteem, however sports bookmakers make Fulham the favourites to land Given.


VICTOR CHANDLER ODDS ON SHAY GIVEN'S NEXT CLUB:

FULHAM – 3/1

ARSENAL – 5/1

MANCHESTER UNITED – 6/1

NEWCASTLE UNITED – 8/1

CHELSEA – 9/1

CELTIC – 10/1

[White Noise]

http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/sport/football-ealing/fulham-fc-ealing/2010/11/24/aj-close-to-full-fitness-64767-27709487/



AJ close to full fitness

Nov 24 2010


By Yann Tear


ANDY Johnson is close to recovering the form he had before his season-long lay-off, reckons team-mate Chris Baird.

The former England striker is still feeling his way after a frustrating year out of the pictures and arrives at a time when the Whites are desperate to see him flourish.

Having lost Bobby Zamora and now Mousa Dembele to injury, the pressure is on Johnson to make an instant impact, even though he has yet to score after a month on the comeback trail, but Baird is confident the striker will deliver.

"He's going to be vital in the next few weeks, but every day he's getting quicker, sharper – like he used to be," said the defender.

"We need that with Moussa Dembele getting injured, so it's vital that he stays fit along with Zoltan Gera and Clint Dempsey up front.

"We are really glad to have him back. It gives us that outlet if we're in any trouble and you know what you're going to get from him because it's always 100 per cent."

[White Noise]

Advent Calendar


Wednesday 24th November 2010

Get in the festive spirit - great daily Christmas offers, competitions and prize draws!

To celebrate the build-up to Christmas, we have some fantastic offers, competitions and daily prize draws for Fulham fans. Every day until Christmas Day we will feature a different and exclusive promotion, including a number of great prizes provided by our Official Sponsors and Partners.

Make sure you check out fulhamfc.com every day for a chance to save money and win some great prizes. Go to our online advent calendar to be directed to a new and exclusive offer every day until Christmas Day.

To kick us off on 1st December, we are launching with a very special prize draw from Air Malta, our Official European Airline Partner.


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/November/AdventCalendar.aspx#ixzz16DHkqaiV

[White Noise]

Next One Up


Wednesday 24th November 2010


There's more Barclays Premier League action at Craven Cottage this Saturday when Birmingham City are the visitors.

Managed by former Hibernian and Glasgow Rangers boss Alex McLeish who took over midway through the 2007/08 season but was unable to prevent relegation, the Blues bounced back at the first attempt as Championship runners-up to Midlands rivals Wolves, marking their return to the top-flight last season with their highest ever Premier League placing of ninth.

City's start to this season was not dissimilar to our own with six draws in the opening 10 games, the victories coming in home games against Blackburn and Blackpool, whilst a point was taken on the road at Sunderland, Bolton and, most notably, Aston Villa when local bragging rights were shared in a dour goalless draw. A 2-0 home defeat to Everton in October was the first League reverse at St. Andrew's since September 2009, ending a run of 19 home games without defeat.

Last weekend Birmingham caused a major stir with victory over League leaders, Chelsea. McLeish's side will certainly arrive at the Cottage full of confidence on Saturday.

Amongst the club's new faces this season are former Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb and striker Nikola Zigic, a rival to Peter Crouch in the Premier League height stakes. The striker was purchased from Valencia in a £6million deal. The Serbian has three goals to his credit, but at the time of writing it is midfielder Craig Gardner who tops the goal scoring charts with four in all competitions.

The Blues have reached the Quarter-Final stage of the Carling Cup where they will again face local rivals Aston Villa next week having beaten Rochdale, MK Dons and Brentford, all at St Andrew's, our west London neighbours proving a tricky Fourth Round hurdle in a tie that required penalties to settle.

Tickets for this match are still available. Secure your seat today.


Read more: http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2010/November/NextUpBirmingham.aspx#ixzz16DHyhYXI

[simplyfulham]

Stoke to offer Fulham flop a path back to England

Published 23:00 23/11/10

By Football Spy



Tony Pulis is ready to offer Stefano Okaka another crack at the Premier League.

Stoke boss Pulis has targeted a loan deal for Roma striker Okaka to boost his firepower at the Britannia Stadium.

Okaka, 21, played on loan at Fulham earlier this year and scored two goals in a three-month loan.

And Pulis will move for the Italy under-21 international in January as he bids to reach the top ten in the Premier League.



Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Transfer-news-Stoke-will-offer-Stefano-Okaka-a-way-back-to-the-Premier-League-after-his-failed-spell-at-Fulham-article635209.html#ixzz16BCoQ2I5

Fulham flop? :tom:

Well he hardly set the World alight whilst here. Then again anouther weird signing by Woy who dosen't like anyone under 30.

You're aware okaka is 21/22 right? And actuallly played reasonably well while on loan for us...