Player Transfer Gossip

That makes him the tallest midget, doesn't it? There are like five English keepers in the Premier League and most of them suck.

By which I mean: Hart isn't a bad keeper (and Man City seem unlikely to let him go, even just on loan again), but that's not a great way to demonstrate it.

 

An upcoming BBC special: Martin O'Neill and Bob Bradley present: Touchline Fashion!

 

great point, i cant see the suit either. I like Bradley, but are we, dare I say, TOO BIG a club for him? I think he should start a club career in Europe, but I think he will fail at his first post, don't want that to necessarily be with us.

 

Bradley is now incontention

Fulham - Bob Bradley?

Yesterday, courtesy of the word from the streets, we were quite certain that Sven Goran Eriksson was going to be the next manager of Fulham Football Club.

But, it appears, we might have been lead up the garden path as the leading tabloid this country produces seems to think that the man getting the hottest available appointment in the Premier League could be somebody who many discounted as even being in contention.

This morning The Sun is proudly proclaiming that the USA coach, Bob Bradley is the man in the lead to take over at Craven Cottage.

Apparently, Mr Al Fayed, and the others behind the managerial recruitment, have been impressed by his calm and methodical approach and are ready to treble his current contract, a reputed £330,000 a year, to entice him to leave his current job.

Bradley, apparently, has six months left on his current USA contract so any compensation could be regarded as negligible.

If true, us chaps at Vital Fulham have this underlying feeling that this could be an appointment full of risk.

Bradley has no Premier League experience, he hasn`t mixed in this sort of circles before, his knowledge of our game could be somewhat limited and this could be deemed as a retrospective step by the club.

On the positive side, he does know Clint Dempsey rather well!

Anyone else think this could be the wrong appointment or has my judgment been clouded by the fact I`d prefer to see a more prominent figure leading the club into the post-Hodgson era?

Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/a ... z0ta6w2MCy

 

I have no doubt that he would do great at FFC, and the fans would love him for how hard he works. I hear Blackpool is after him.

 

Fulham have held talks with Swiss national team coach Ottmar Hitzfeld about being Roy Hodgson's successor. The 61-year-old is one of only three managers to have won the Champions League with two different clubs - Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund - and speaks fluent English.

 

Hopefully someone is getting their Borussia's and Bradley's mixed up and the combo FFC is bringing in will be Michael Bradley and Hitzfeld.

 

I'm warming up to the idea of Bob Bradley coming to Fulham. I think it might be the only way to keep Dempsey, and you know that at least a few other USMNTers would quickly follow. This is how I adopted Fulham in the first place, when the squad was rich with Americans - and I dare say this time around we wouldn't flirt with the drop zone as heavily as before (would love to sign M. Bradley, Davies perhaps, dare I say Gooch?)

 

I'm not keen on Bob dipping his foot in the Premier League pool with Fulham. Am I discounting his success in MLS and with the USMNT too much? Probably, but I believe a Sven, Hitzfeld, Hughes, etc. is the path forward at the moment - this club just went to the Europa final, come on, this isn't a $hit job for the time being. If Bradley is named manager, I'd be shocked.

 

well, I went over to the offal as I'm sometimes inclined to do, just to stir up S%%T.

some nice lady innocently quoted the Sun piece. Which of course brought out the arguments you'd expect.. like that above.
THEN she said it was all over the net when she googled it.

Could NOT -apparently- make it understood that the Bradley thing is a circular rumor. We know how it got started, Sun picked it up, now some think that it's legit.
It isnt.
Because many of the same people who the Sun used as source, now claim the Sun verifies it.

NOT that I think Bradley would fail.. there would have to be external influences for him to fail.. if he made ChivasLA work, nuff said.

But looking at Sven's taste for loot, I agree maybe the Swiss guy's the best bet. But dont expect him to stay long either. Unless he learned something valuable from his stints at Bayern Muenchen.

 

The next man will be the 18th manager of Fulham in my lifetime [I'm 38]. I don't think I'd worry too much about longevity. Historically, it appears to be very fleeting.

And no to Bob Bradley. Too big a question mark at this level.

 

Hold on, that's who Hitzfeld is? Makes me a little nervous that our games would be snoozefests.

 

Oh... what LEVEL is 'this level'? Specifically, I mean.

What is it that would make his job very different and difficult, and that he's not used to dealing with?

{Damn ... aint gonna happen but these people keep sucking me in.}

 

"These people" huh? No need to be condescending.

"This level" would be one of the (if not the) highest levels of club football in the world. Bob's club experience begins and ends with MLS. MLS isn't a bad league, but it doesn't demand the same level of precision, for starters.

His international football experience has grown, but for me the sample pool against quality opposition is still a bit low. Most of that int'l experience is in friendlies or against CONCACAF opposition. Plus, the game is different. Tournament football, by nature of the knockout process is different than club football. Bob's experience might hint to how he'd do in the Carling and FA Cups, but it's not an indication of how he'd do managing the 38 EPL matches we'll have.

Thus the reason I called him a question mark. You're not letting your MLS Napolean complex get the better of you again are you?

 

Speaking of "just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in," Petty, I don't think you or anyone else on this board want to head down this road again anytime soon.

Take it on the chin, and survive to surf another set. You and the MSL are not ready for Maverick's just yet...but, progress has been made. Enjoy it and assume your place in the line-up.

 

Let's also keep in mind that the landscape that Fulham is in is not the same as when Woy took over.

When Woy took over, there were 6 tops teams and then a handful of others fighting for that last European place. England was also dominating the Champions League.

Now, 8 teams have all but locked up the 7 European spots and will likely make qualification through a Cup final far more difficult than ever (due to the 8 teams for 7 league spots issue). England is also no longer considered the place where the top teams live.

So, our new manager is going into a relatively thankless job. There is practically no chance of qualifying for Europe again in the next four years, at least not with more significant investment than MAF has done to date. We're still a good team with little risk of relegation, especially considering the qualify of Championship sides coming in (Blackpool, for example). Fulham will fluctuate between 9th and 14th with success, what, measured on which non-Euro qualifying, non-relegation place we end the season in?

I can't think of a better environment for Bob to come in to. He'll come with few expectations and will be able to meet them. With a Sven, Hitzfeld or Hughes, the fans will expect Europe; with Bob, keeping us comfortably mid-table will suffice and is, candidly, all MAF can afford.

 

Look, what's funny here is that the ability to perform 'at this level' is the same as Liverpool fans said about Roy. To an extent they are right. But that applies to anyone in contention.
Could be said about Sven just as well.
Because Fulham whether you like it or not is more like a Champs or MLS club than they are like ManU or Arsenal or even Man City.
- You have to use the best of what you have and sort of get your talent from the remnants bins.

In fact when you look at Hitzfeld, that raises some questions too. He obviously did great when given all the budget he needed. But what matters is how he got started on the path at Dortmund. He looks good to me.

But on Bradley, there's a couple of things to think about.. suppose you had to choose between Capello and Bradley for Fulham. Considering the relative talent depth of England and US, who did the better job?

That doesnt mean that Capello wouldnt be a better fit at Fulham, obviously. And you cant make assumptions that England would have done better if Bradley had been in charge. But I have the feeling that the US wouldnt have done as well with Capello.

The point is that from the Monday morning POV, Bradley is a damn good manger. We NOW see what he was doing with the USMNT when he played all those questionable guys in WCQ and the Gold Cup. We question him on only a few decision during the WC. Not on EVERYTHING to do with the WC.

I've said Sigi was the best manager in the US, even though he does have a weak tactical sense. Now I put BB over him. Mainly because I understand what he does on the field.

I'd be really surprised if I ever have to support this after next week, but I will if necessary.

But 'at this level' ????.. we AINT Chelsea! We aint even Liverpool. I'd like to think we're more like Everton. Would you take Moyes? What's Moyes ever done!

 

Fulham - Sidwell Stalling

It seems to be a common trait.

You, me, the bloke next door, the geezer down the road, the person on the other end of the phone, we`re all waiting to see who the next manager if Fulham Football Club will be!

No news is good news perhaps!

Whatever!

Trawling the tabloids it appears that Steve Sidwell is also waiting for news of who is to be the next Fulham manager and although we remain favourites to land the Aston Villa midfielder player, the press are suggesting the wrong appointment could see Sidwell heading to Upton Park.

I wonder who they mean by the wrong appointment. I didn`t think Martin O`Neill was in the running!

Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/a ... z0tfsJWQDn