Fulham Summer '06 Transfers

I don't like that were dumping Leacock. He looked good in limited starts last year. I was of the believe that he would have a break out year. It seems Coleman is simply not giving these young guys a shot.

Arsenal is having the most success bringing up academy talent at the moment and I like their method. Throw them out there in a meaningful game for some decent minutes and see if they stick. If not well than sell them but for god sake give the youngsters a shot. See Fabregas, Senderos, Flamani. Even the young players they sell seem to do well, Readings squad is built around former Arsenal academy players.

 

Agree with that totally. I hate the fact that we can never seem to produce a good player from the academy. When they look promising at first Coleman still won't play them and will loan them out until either their contract is up or he will just sell the player. Timlin looks as though he may have a shot this season, but why doesn't Coleman play the younger players more? If we can't produce good players why not? We seem to have the facilities and training so why can't we produce at least 1 world class player? Arsenal and United scout the world for talent and we should do the same. Bring these kids in our academy at like 14 or 15 maybe even younger like these bigger teams do. Don't say we can't do it because any kid from a smaller country would jump at the chance of playing for an EPL team. We should also have a feeder club like big teams do or set up an academy in a place like Cameroon or even the US. Dammit this is a way of making big time money and a way to build a team on the cheap and build the future of this great club.

 

Leacock had to go, he was no way good enough to play for FFC. For i watched him show promise, especially when he first came on the scene when we in the ol div 1, but he just seemed to lose all confidence in himself. When i saw him last season he looked so out of his depth it was unreal.
Fabregas isnt a product of an Arsenal academy, he was bought from Barcelona. Fabregas is also beyond comparison, you cant say "look at fabregas thats what we should be doing", he is 19 and already one of the best passes in world football - in other words you dont just develop these kind of guys, they are one offs. Plus he cost Arsenal about £6mil.
Agree about our academy, its pants. We have Chris James coming through, watch out for him next season - attacking mid - but apart from that its v.poor. Timlin is an ok prospect.
Talking of Reading having Arsenal reserves, we should buy Sidwell - quality player.
Agree about Routledge - has the oace we need, disagree about Milner - seriously overated and overpriced. Not a fan.

 

No big fan of Coleman, but my two cents. I think Coleman is going for broke this season, and why wouldn't he? Fulham has now had a few years in the EPL with him at skipper and they have hovered just above relegation status. So rolling the dice, Coleman is going into the market for some experience. It is a now or never situation, with not just his job on the line, but the future of the club in the EPL and abroad. Tom laughs, but there is real potential in marketing this club, but it is a very delicate balance. If Fulham could possibly manage to string together a few good seasons, we are talking about millions more in revenue. As Spencer loves, it's a numbers game. So there is no time to waste on unrefined talent, unless it is an almost certain lock. Timlin might be the only one. Otherwise, Coleman is going for the stars of the lesser leagues and the low hanging fruit at clubs that are stagnant. I don't think it is a bad approach really, and we should all hope it pays off.

God I love a $50 bottle of Biale!

 

Yes Fabregas is 19 but he was 17 when he started getting first team action. He himself has said he wanted to leave Barca for Arsenal because he knew they'd give him a shot. I'm not saying we can afford to buy talent like Walcot or Fabregas. I am saying that like Arsenal we need to give the talent we have a shot.

Perhaps your right that Leacock was out of his depth, but it didn't look that way to me. Was he not in the game away at Chelsea? Either way it’s not like we were leaving quality on the bench to give him a go. Perhaps I'm delusional but Leacock looked just as good as Knightmare and Boca.

 

A new rumor that Newcastle are after John...well, according to Club Call.

http://www.clubcall.com/index.jsp?storyID=287668

If we sell John we need a quality striker ASAP!

 

We also may be after this defender, Per Nilsson who plays in the Norwegian League. Not my top choice, although young at 23, he doesn't have any Prem experience.

http://www.fansfc.com/frontpage/frontpa ... sid=156312

 

I would sell John if we could get Milner in return. Really though I want to keep John because he could have a breakout season and it would be a shame to see him scoring 20+ goals for those pieces of crap in the North.


Also I don't care how highly rated Nilsson is he has absolutley no experience at a high level. We need a proven defender or at least a player with some international experience and/or European experience.

 

Newcastle In for John

Sporting Life has reported that Fulham has agreed a 5m pound transfer fee with Newcastle for Collins John. Now I'm awaiting the report from Club Call, if its on there then its almost certainly true.

http://www.sportinglife.com/story_get.c ... 01934.html

I would be dissapointed to see him go so early but at 5m it might be time. This is also because I have faith in Cookie, and there MUST be a plan to bring in another goal scorer.

 

C. Jensen Also Out?

A transfer I would agree with is the one which will take C. Jensen to FC Copenhagen. He has been injury prone, we have great cover in midfield and if the price is right, then he should go.

We only payed Charlton 1.25m pounds so any recovery of this money is a step in the right direction.

http://www.clubcall.com/index.jsp?storyID=287770

 

Re: RE: C. Jensen Also Out?

My concern with Jensen is that he is extremely injury prone and he's proved that since he signed. 21 appearences over 2 years is unbelievable for a guy we signed for our starting XI.

Is he good, yes. Is he slow, IMO, yes. I think we could use the money now with the hope it gets reinvested.

 

RE: Re: RE: C. Jensen Also Out?

Time to move quickly if John is leaving. 5M is a pretty damn good price, in my opinion. If we canget Steed to move to Villa for 4M-5M and Claus to Copenhagen for 1M, that would give us a nice little kitty to work with. Who would be some serious contenders to come in up front though? Also, we are still at least one CB away from really solidifying the back.

 

RE: Re: RE: C. Jensen Also Out?

I think Cookie has the defense in place as long as there are no injuries. The midfield is super strong... I would love a fast guy up front. Put all the money together and find the fastest person available. Of course I am usually wrong about all trades and I thought Steed would stay forever.

 

Don't know if this belongs here, but it seems speculations has its home.

http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=8228

I'm curious:

1. Who the best and most available Right Wingers are?

2. Who the best and most available Center backs are? Onyewu for one.

3. Who the best and most available strikers are?

I figure at the most, if everything happens that is being speculated, we would still have $10 - 15 M to spend. Correct if that is not right.

 

There is no way we have 10-15 million to spend. Even if Steed and Collins John are sold, that does not mean the money will be spent on new palyers. As a supporter I would like that to happen, but I have to remember that this is Fulham.

When Louis Saha was sold in January 2005 for 12.4 million pounds, very little of that money, if any, was used on new players. Fulham does not work that way.

Thus, to figure out who the best available players are may not really be applicable in this situation.

 

Hmmmm, no substantial re-investment of transfer monies, terrible service from the kit provider, a last minute increases on sponsorships, and no Gooch.

FULHAMISH!!!!

 

Re: Newcastle In for John

Who do you have in mind Mike? I do agree, for 5 million I think you have to pull the trigger. Who might be available for us to snatch up with the new money?

 

Re: C. Jensen Also Out?

If it were to happen, maybe that would open up some time for Timlin who has had an excellent preseason. I think Cookie needs to find a way to get him some minutes this year, even if it is just spot appearances.