Summer '08: Ins and Outs

Agree with this completely. Showing up for the EURO doesn't make Yakin an attractive option for Fulham.

I don't mind age at all so long as the performances are of high standard. Moore and Mullery remained quality players for Fulham well past their 30th year. Give me someone like Simunic or Finnan who perform at a higher level consistently.

If Yakin were producing like a Sheringham or even a Windass at his age, then he'd be worth a look. But at this point he looks like an older version of Darius Vassell: a better international than club performer.

 

You mean like, say, Healy?

 

Being a fan of Norn' Iron' I try to avoid the diss on Healy.

But the numbers and the league history do not lie. In a green shirt, he is as good a forward as you'll find in international play.

In the white shirts of his clubs, on the other hand, he's been a non-factor.

Too bad we can't hire a hypnotist to convince him he's actually playing at Windsor Park!

 

I'm not trying to diss him, it just seems to be plain fact.

 

It can't be seen any other way jmh. What I was doing in my post was writing something I don't like putting down about one of my favorite players.

He has been a one-man show for Northern Ireland. His goals for NI have usually been displays of skill and anticipation we've been accustomed to seeing from McBride. It is sad that he is unable or unwilling to translate that ability to a Fulham shirt.

 

actually, provided the right strike partner I think Healy could have a nice year...10-15 goals. Proivided the right strike partner of course. I think last year he got off to a good start til Big Mac went down. He's not my first choice at the moment but were we to get a good target man, I wouldn't mind giving him another chance. The man can poach with the best of them

 

Eh. If Healy could actually poach with THE BEST OF THEM then Manchester United wouldn't have needed Ruud van Nistelrooy and Healy wouldn't have wound up playing in League One.

 

Healy is a great guy, and has a high football IQ... but he shouldn't ever start for Fulham. No way, no how should Fulham build their attack with David Healy in mind.

 

Drat, only 29 million Euros and we could've had Daniel Alves instead of Barcelona.

 

Per the BBC: We are no longer interested in Daniel Cousin, so if Rangers want Steven Davis they must give us cash money.

 

Spot the Steven?

My guess would be Motspur Park.

 

Appearently we're after Nicky Maynard and Joris Mathijesen. Maynard has scored 35 goals in 65 games for Crewe and is only 21 and Mathijsen plays for Hamburg and is a CB.

 

Crewe Academy has a pretty good reputation for developing players, so Maynard might be a good pickup. The nice thing about having a 7-man bench next year is that we might actually be able give these guys some playing time.

 

Mathijsen has been a starting center back for the Netherlands in the Euro that just ended and in World Cup 2006, as well as for Hamburg who've been towards the top of the Bundesliga. Only 5'11" so not tremendous size for a center back but he's got to be doing something right; bad players don't start for Holland. Seems like he'd be a good pickup; a good bit smaller than Simunic but also a couple years younger.

Edit to add: In that all-important barometer of player skill that is overall ratings in FIFA '08, Mathijsen is a 78, slightly better than Hangeland (77), who is our best defender both in the game and in real life, but slightly worse than Simunic (80).

 

Fulham bid on Fredrik Stoor per Norwegian paper.


"We have received an enquiry from Fulham, but I will not tell the size of the bid," director of sports Erik Hoftun tells Norwegian daily Trønder-Avisa.

Rosenborg are willing to sell the right back.

"We have just extended the contract with Fredrik, and we are of course interested in keeping him. But this is football. If the bid is good enough, we will sell," Hoftun says.

Also Blackburn and Wigan have been chasing the 24-year-old, who has established himself as a regular after a troubling start last year. Some clubs in France and Greece are also interested after Stoor's good European championship for Sweden.

Even though Stoor has just been at Rosenborg for one and a half season and has contract until the end of the 2012 season, he is keen of a transfer.

"Things are happening. We have a good dialouge with Rosenborg and they will not be difficult to deal with if a bid is made. We said it when he extended his contract, that he should be allowed to go if the price is right," Stoor's agent Per Jonsson told TV4 on Monday.

English newspapers have speculated in a £1.5 million price tag on Stoor.

 

and Kitson of course.

 

And Sverkos, except that that turned out to be a fabrication.

 

The Kitson rumors are in just about every major English paper this morning. Maybe there is more to it than originally suspected.