Summer '08: Ins and Outs

Simunic would be a great signing for us. He would step right in alongside Hangeland and give us a solid defensive pairing in the back. I hope this happens. I hope this two week thing is not just a stint for his agent to get other, bigger teams interested. Time will tell.

 

Seems to be following the same path as the Gera signing. You hear some intense chatter about Fulham being the favorite several days before the actual transfer takes place.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if ChicagoTom's assessment isn't right on the mark. The player is 30 and is most likely staring at his last major contract. If I was Simunic, I'd be angry if my agent wasn't doing everything in his power to secure the best deal I could get.

He would be a great signing for Fulham. With Schwarzer in as well, you can see the defensive corps being the most improved aspect of Fulham's game from the last two seasons. I think we'll see a dramatic reduction in the number of points lost due to late goals and sloppy set piece defending.

Now who is the new striker prospect we can argue about today?

 

That would be Václav Svěrkoš, Czech international. Some guy on TIFF says we've offered 7m Euros...even if he's making it up, it's still a lot more plausible than the recent Harewood/Kitson rumors, as Roy is actually in a position where he could be talking to the player!

 

Makes sense Richard. Don't know much about Sverkos aside from his goal against the Swiss and the fact he was the top scorer in his league.

 

I evaluate talent like people in everywhere else does. You must be more than a hardworking player to get my attention. Sure it's great that he was hardworking, but we need more than that. You want a big players? Then get some with some damn skill and that can do more than just work their asses off.

 

I think you are underestimating McBride's skill. If others could do what he does, they would.

 

There are players that do what he does. He just gets an overload of credit because he's one of the hardest working players in the world.

 

And I'm thinking that if we need a big man then we should be going after the players like Peter Crouch. That's what I mean by skill. Somebody who can take on a defender.

 

Easier said than done... especially for the team that finished 17th this past season.

Better for you to focus on Internazionale, I think.

 

When are you going to understand that Peter Crouch isn't going to come to Fulham no matter how hard Fulham tries to get him?

 

But we can get players like him. That was the point. Nikola Zigic wouldn't be a bad buy and he would be in our price range.

 

Just out of curiosity how much do you think Zigic would cost and what do you think our price range is?

 

Maybe we can, but maybe we can't. It's naive to think Fulham doesn't go out and try to get "good" players. It is a whole other matter if they want to come to Fulham or if Fulham can afford them. Obviously, despite your repeated assertions (FORZA INTER), Fulham doesn't have too large a budget and therefore must spend carefully.

Zigic might would come. He had an awful season at Valencia. Man City wanted him last year. Who knows what Roy wants though? Who knows how much Zigic's wages are. Maybe Zigic despises England. Maybe he wants Champions League football or UEFA Cup football. Who knows?

I swear, Forza Inter, you better not piss and moan all year long about Fulham's lack of "ambition" and Al Fayad's tight fiscal hand.

 

More transfer speculation and interesting as well:

http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/



There’s a new mole in town and - if he’s to be believed - we’ve got more good info:

1) Simunic likely

2) We’ve bid £5million or so for Vaclav Sverkos of Czech Republic. He’s the fellow who shinned in the goal that beat Switzerland. This is funny for me because I remember watching that match and visualising him in a Fulham shirt. Really. I have a thing about Czech footballers.

3) Roy has four players he wants to sign, one of whom is likely to be a loan. He has £15 million, so £10 m for Simunic and mystery player 1.

4) Roy is happy with Andreasen and Andranik (hmmm, the And brothers) as defensive midfielders, so won’t be spending there.

5) He’s after a centre-back (Simunic, we think), a right back (?), a left midfielder (?) and a centre-forward (Sverkos, it seems).

6) He is actively trying to shift the squad’s dead wood. We thought that might be hard, didn’t we?

7) The Kitson and Harewood stuff is made up. As predicted, Roy will look to get better value elsewhere. We asked about Darren Bent and ran a mile when Spurs gave us a price. Good that we asked though, eh?

8 - I think that’s it.

[UPDATED TO REFLECT LARGE SQUAD] Possible frequent players:

Schwarzer - various

New RB - Hangeland - Simunic - Konchesky - Hughes…. Omozusi/Leijer/Watts/etc

Davies - Bullard - Murphy - Gera - Andreasen - Andranik- Dempsey - Gera - Proper left winger

Nevland - Healy - Sverkos - Kamara - Johnson

Which says that we’re alright at the back (assuming Simunic is coming), midfield is still crowded (how’s he going to pick four or five out of that lot? Especially if there’s another player coming) and that we have numbers up front but perhaps not the reliable goalscorer/all purpose superstar we want. Still, encouraging enough. Looking at all that I just can’t see a front two season. It does look as though we’ll see either one up or split strikers, the dropping off player being (I presume) Gera (or Dempsey). Who knows though, this is no more than idle speculation.

 

Stalteri coming back, perhaps?

Also, we're not signing Elmander. Bolton got him for Daniel Braaten plus cash totalling 10M pounds in value. So I guess 11M wasn't all that far off. Still seems like too much to me.

 

I don't much about the game but I thought Staltieri did well for us, a few dumb passes here and there but they all make a few of those. He worked hard and had a little speed.

Maybe we got into the Elmander mix to make sure, the already financially strapped Bolton, paid full retail for him.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%81lvar ... C3%A1nchez

Alvaro Negredo Sanchez, a Spanish forward who use to play for Real Madrid's youth team Castilla, has been linked. Someone has already changed his wiki paged to say he is a Fulham player. Wishful thinking on someone's part. Some internet chat says he wants to stay in Spain. Almeira want a lot of money for him too, apparently.

He's handsome Mo... a Latin Brian McBride.

 

Interesting that someone decided to go ahead and make that change. Haven't seen that move made with any other striker we've been linked with recently. Too bad you can't contact the feller who made the change.

It does fit in with some of the chatter: Roy given leeway to fund a transfer for an up and coming striker.

 

Negredo would be a great signing. Anybody who has seen him play knows this. Much better than Sverkos. Appearently our price range must be pretty damn good as Negredo would cost some money. My best guess is somewhere around 5-8M.