Fulham Transfer Rumours Summer 2005

I agree AM...and to be honest I've always felt that signing an ex-player is always a step backwards - whether its Saha or Davis. In the case of Marlet, he should be used as a bench player for the season while we are paying his wages. Both Saha and David were very vocal about wanting to leave - unlike EDVS who acted like the class man he is - and the humble pie would be too much for them.

 

It's probably a waste of discussion time since it's not likely to happen but I don't see why so many fans are opposed to having Saha back. He acted like a jerk when he left but so what? That makes him similar to a thousand other professional athletes. Assuming he's healthy he'll make the team better and make it more exciting to watch. In addition to that he now has something to prove.

 

I really do not have a problem with Saha coming back. As I said in an earlier post, I do not think it will happen.

The state of professional athletes is sad right now. Whether it be here in the States or in England, players are always bitching about contracts and wanting to go here and there. It seems a contract means nothing these days to athletes. For those of us on the outside looking in, it is hard to fathom the greed and disgust we see in athletes.

What Saha did was wrong and it is something myself and other Fulham fans will not forget. However, if he came back and played as well as he did before he went to Manchester United, most would be happy to have him playing for us.

As I have said in articles I have written before, Players come and go, but fans remain true and loyal. Supporters will always remember what happens with different players.

The bottom line though is whether the club is winning or not. If Saha can come back and help us win, I would think most would be in favor of him coming back.

I just do not see how he will come back with everything that surrounded him when he left and also, I do not know what his health situation is. He has been in the trainer's room since he left.

 

It is not official, but Fulham look to be very close to inking Austrian International midfielder Rene Aufhauser who last played at Graz AK. This would be quite the coup for us to get him. Both Everton and Boro were interested in his services. Stay tuned for more on this and perhaps something official soon.

 

In doing some research on Aufhauser, he seems like a very good defensive midfielder. The kind of player we want on our books. He has been the captain of Graz AK the last few seasons, has featured in the Champions League a number of times, can pass and distribute well and can even score occasionally. He scored the lone goal in Austria's 1-0 win over Wales in a World Cup Qualifier in late March of 2005. This would be a steal for us getting him for just over a 1 million pounds. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

 

But.."he's not proven Prem Quality!" {snicker}

 

LOL! I think he will do just fine.

 

I read an article this morning linking Fulham with a potential move for West Brom's Jason Koumas. He's a talented player who has fallen out of favor with the boss at Albion. I think it's a risk that could pay off. CC is familiar with him through their connections with the Wales squad. Koumas' questionable attitude and lack of defensive responsibility are not the qualities you look for in someone to "go to war with", which CC has been harping on. But who knows? Maybe Cookie is the guy who can get Koumas to play up to his potential.

 

I am not sure I would like this signing. West Brom has slapped a 1.5 million pound tag on him which seems a bit high if you ask me. If the price was lowered and Koumas understood he was not going to play in every match and he was not gonna complain, it would not be a bad signing, but I am not so convinced Koumas is ready to take a role on the bench.

 

I agree Koumas would need to know that he would have to play his way into the side. But he has the talent to do that, if he would just get his head out of his arse. And if he wants to get off the bench, he first has to get out of West Brom.

If the price was right, like maybe half of the 1.5 million that West Brom wants, it could be worth it. The whole world knows they want him out and he wants out, so their bargaining position is bad. Whoever ends up signing him should get a good deal. I think he's one of those guys who just needs a change of scenery to break out of the doldrums.

 

Perhaps you are right. We do have some bargaining power and I would pay no more than 750,000 pounds for him. He could add some depth to our squad which could push others to compete harder and fight it out in training for places on the squad. I am all for competition in training as I have said many times before. We just have to make sure the price is right for Koumas.

What is funny is that West Brom thinks they are something special because they stayed up. They think they can dump Koumas, bring in some new faces (which they haven't). I hate to break it to them, but they still suck. They are gonna go down, down, down next season whether Koumas is there or not, makes no difference.

 

Some new links...

Fulham linked with Morrison swoop

Fulham Football Club are reportedly keen on Clinton Morrison.

The Cottagers are on the lookout for a new striker with Andy Cole set to return to Blackburn Rovers, and they have been alerted to Morrison?s recent comments about his situation at Birmingham City,

The Republic of Ireland international is to be pushed further down the pecking order at St Andrews? following the arrival of Mikael Forssell from Chelsea, and he will seek emergency talks with manager Steve Bruce.

I personally would like to see Landon Donovan in a Fulham shirt, it would help on so many levels to bring him in.

Ok, so back to other links:

Koumas ?1.5m man???

West Brom have slapped a ?1.5m price tag on transfer-listed midfielder Jason Koumas, who is being tracked by Fulham and Blackburn.

Rene Aufhauser - Could it be?

The Evening Standard says Fulham are understood to have agreed terms and a fee, thought to be in the region of ?1million for Aufhauser, who has made 23 appearances for Austria.

 

RE: Some new links...

I am excited about Aufhauser coming on board if and when it becomes official. I do not know what to think about Clinton Morrison. He can be decent at times, but he is not consistent. The one thing I remember about him is bitching about playing time at Birmingham City. If he came here, he would not automatically be in the starting XI as he probably thinks he would. Thus, he might cause some chemistry problems with the team.

I am just guessing and speculating with the above statement, but the last thing we need is a player who is going to disrupt this team and the chmistry amongst the lads.

 

RE: Some new links...

I'm not high on Morrison. He scored a ton of goals for Palace a few years ago, but that was in the Championship. He has been a bit of a dud, in my opinion, since he's been in the Premiership. The fee I saw, 2.5 million pounds, is a lot to pay for a striker who doesn't score much. Most of the stories imply that Andy Andy Cole is as good as gone. Is there any chance he stays?

I like what I have read about Aufhauser. He could be a real find.

 

Re: RE: Some new links...

If Cole goes anywhere, I think he will go back to Blackburn. However, deep down, I do not think he is going anywhere. In a way I wish he was shown the door because I think he his presence has stunted the growth of Collins John.

Not to say that he did not score some nice goals for us last season, but Mr. Cole has to understand he is not the man any more and that he is a role player on this team. He would be great to have starting 10-13 matches a season, but if he is expecting to start 38 matches and wear the captain's armband, he is havin' a laugh.

He does have experience and he does add depth in the goal-scoring department. If we do get rid of him, we will need to bring another goal scorer in. I also read somewhere that our new signing, Ahmad Elrich, can play up front as well.

 

RE: Re: RE: Some new links...

Fulham has been rumoured to be on the verge of signing Icelandic International striker Heidar Helguson. Helguson played at Watford last season and is 27 years old. He is a good striker and Fulham are racing Wigan, Portsmouth and a few other Premiership clubs for his signature.

 

RE: Re: RE: Some new links...

It looks as though Fulham has indeed signed Heidar Helguson to a deal. I think they have paid in the area of 1.25 million pounds for him. This is not official, but I am hearing it will be shortly. Once it becomes official, FulhamUSA will post an article about it. We will also be posting a "Getting to Know Heidar Helguson" article early next week.

I think it is a good signing. He scored 20 goals last season and has experience at the International level. I do not expect him to come here and score 20 goals for us, but perhaps 10-13 is a reasonable estimate.

 

Re: RE: Re: RE: Some new links...

Sounds like HH can definitely find the net. He even managed a few goals last season against Premiership opponents, Fulham included. I think this makes a lot more sense than dropping 2.5 million on Clinton Morrison.

 

RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Some new links...

HH is now officially in the fold. Welcome to Fulham, Iceman!

 

RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Some new links...

I was on the Watford messageboard earlier and they are gutted to see him leave...they say with the support of a premier league midfield, the guy will shine.

Welcome Iceman...now I'm off to watch Top Gun.