Mission accomplished? Well, sort of…

Roy did add several new faces, but are they the class that the media and fans were wanting?

Former Brummie Stephen Kelly was Fulham’s only defensive signing, coming in on a free. To date, he has 14 caps for the squad. Not a whole lot, but we know how much national team caps depend on politics more so than skill (e.g. Brian Ching with 42 caps for the USA). So the initial reaction jury is out in my mind.

The center of the park saw an entire midfield core arrive. Bjørn Helge Riise of Norway, Damien Duff of Chelsea and Newcastle, and Kagisho Dikgacoi of South Africa all signed for undisclosed amounts while Jonathan Greening of West Brom penned a year-long loan deal. Excluding Greening, those are all stalwarts on their national teams. And if we were to count the return of Simon Davies from injury (been nearing 5 months) we have a substitute, and another stalwart, to boot.

In recent weeks, the need for a striker has overshadowed the demand for more midfielders and overall depth. But despite many reported attempts for another striker that reached double digits, only the nameless Swede David Elm and his 6’3” frame came to SW6. Roy sure loves his Scandinavians.

With no one else coming in, and no one else leaving – the big surprise of the entire window – many fans started their temper tantrums against the board and MAF and our endeavor; everything short of us being relegated was being said.

But just because there’s little headlines to show for it, that doesn’t mean he didn’t try. (Oh boy, I sound like an elementary school teacher. Let me explain…)

Al-Fayed doesn’t splash the cash. Roy doesn’t make panic buys. We all know he is methodical with training and preparation and systematic in play. And the same goes for his transfer policy.

Excluding the untested crop of players’ now arriving, name one panic buy or bust Roy made.
Litmanen? He was on a pay-as-you-play so I wonder if he even made it on the payroll. EJ? I inexplicably think he’ll come good, and also believe he was lined up outside of Roy’s auspices. Gera? I’ll bite, but he was free.

This summer Roy targeted numerous strikers he felt could cut it, but not a single one panned out. In fact, it reminded me of playing FIFA 07 or 08 when the computer just won’t let you purchase anyone short of a 10 million quid fee and 60,000 quid a week salary. Only with this we can’t throw our controller onto the ground and press reset.

Instead, not a single player was loaned out or sold before the deadline. And Schwarzer, Dempsey, and Murphy were all locked up in long term deals. Instead of rebuilding, or even reloading, Roy decided to reinvest.

But this season won’t be about who we did or do not sign, I’m afraid.

The clubs that finished directly below us last year are going to finish directly above us this year. City has spent too much money not to be below seventh, again. Tottenham appear to have finally found its guy in ‘Arry; that is before he leaves Spurs bankrupt and jets off to Anfield whenever Rafa leaves. And a financially-settled West Ham team is bound to give us problems, especially considering they’re our bogey team.

So short of Roy making panic buys on overpriced and overhyped players, which would be akin to him shaving his head and quoting Sham 69 lyrics at press conferences, the season just cannot be like last. And I’m okay with that.

So, by my count, that means a 10th place finish, and Roy is a good Cup manager so hopefully we’ll get a good run in. Not a bad finish by any means.

More (great) info from Nordic Football, replete with gushing quotes from the loanee about his stay:

“Please don’t take my Wayne Brown away” is the last line of a TPS supporters’ chant composed to honour one of their campaign’s heroes. But talking to NFN minutes after he coolly netted a last-second penalty to give TPS a vital set of points against Tampere United, he revealed that as much as he appreciates his fans’ prayers, they are to no avail.

“I am going to play against VPS in Vaasa (on August 16th). Then that’s it for me, I’ll be going back home.”

…

“This has been exactly what I needed, the very reason I came here was playing games. This has been great for my experience as a player. It was a great decision from me to come here.

“Everyone has been great to me – the club, the players and the fans. I’m delighted that we are doing so well in the league,” enthused Brown, whose penalty meant TPS reduced the gap to HJK to just one point at the top of the table.

Four goals and four assists in 17 matches for TPS are not bad statistics for the player that surely should be a fixture on the reserves. And perhaps Brown will see some minutes for the first team in some cup competitions, domestic or otherwise. Although I haven’t seen him play very much, reliable sources see a tremendous upside. Which is always a good thing. Just imagine if he, Smalling, Milsom, Saunders, and Briggs can compete seemlessly in the top flight in the seasons to come. Wishful thinking, but the thought forces me to smile.

More transfer drama, as Bafana Bafana midfielder Kagiso Digacoi (can someone PLEASE spell that phonetically??) is telling the media he signed with Fulham. After the he said/she said that he, his agent, and Roy got into before, I’m holding my breath until I see it on the offal.

But the transfer we should be watching is Xabi Alonso’s move to Real Madrid. Why? Because now there’s no way Christian Poulsen is coming to Craven Cottage, but headed to the Kop. Rats.

Rich at CCN has some sublime insight into team’s composition, particularly in midfield. I agree with him, but still maintain the defense needs a body or two. Am I wrong?

Which is just under a fortnight away.

All the preseason friendlies are over for the first team, as the scheduling powers decided to focus on the Europa League. And thanks to the 3-0 drubbing at Vetra last Thursday, Roy can probably rest a little easy for the return leg on Thursday.

Perhaps the break will allow him to focus a bit more on opening day, whoever Fulham draw on Friday for the (official) Play Off Round, and the final two reserve matches.

Fulham are away to Walton Casuals on Friday August 7 and home to the U-20 Uzbekistan National Team (!!!) on Tuesday August 11. Last Tuesday they lost 2-1 to AFC Wimbledon and won 1-0 over Ali G’s Staines Town on Friday. Thankfully Staines Town posted some photos. Respek! Interesting to note Bouazza did not make the bench in either matches. If Fulham had a beat reporter, we’d know whether he’s injured or surely on his way out.

Still crickets on the transfer front. But after years past, is that such a bad thing?

Anywho, check out St. Vincent’s newest album Actor. Not my personal favorite song (definitely tracks 1 and 6), but a good one nonetheless:

Not because (we think) he’s staying in Poland, but he’s Cup-tied since he played in Wisła Kraków’s 1-1 draw with Levadia Tallinn in yesterday’s Champions League second qualifying round match.

Rats.

I guess Brożek could still come to Fulham, but not as much sense in it now if we’re after players to bolster the squad for the rigors of both the Premier and Europa League.

And a player I thought was STITASS (Rodrigo Palacio of Boca Juniors) left for Genoa. And after looking at Palacio’s fee (about 5 million euros), we could have easily snapped him up.

Rats, again.

We think.

There’s a lot to discuss as each player’s story away from SW6 comes to a close. Sure, Seoul, Brown, and Leon are still playing elsewhere, somewhere. But their tales will come next week.

Eddie Johnson was an unused substitute in Cardiff City’s 1-0 loss at Sheffield Wednesday. Cardiff City finish the season in seventh place, tied with Preston North End on points but will miss the playoffs because of one less goal scored. (Oh, the irony.) In a full season with the Bluebirds EJ made 30 appearances, starting 5 times. He scored 2 goals and registered 4 assists.

Andranik was an unused substitute in Barnsley’s 2-1 win over Plymouth Argyle. Barnsley finish the season in 20th position. Andranik made 11 appearances and 10 starts for Barnsely. He failed to score but did get a red card in his brief stint with the Tykes.

Adrian Leijer started and played 39 minutes in Norwich City’s 4-2 loss to Charlton Athletic. Leijer was not injured, but probably substituted after the Canaries were 3-0 down, and thus relegated, within 30 minutes. Leijer made just 4 appearances for the club, today being his first start.

Hameur Bouazza was a 71st minute substitute in Birmingham City’s 2-1 win at Reading, which sent Birmingham City up on an AQ (to use a NCAA term). Bouazza made 40 appearances total with Charlton and Birmingham. He made 9 starts and 6 substitute appearances with the Brummies; 22 starts and 3 substitute appearances with Charlton. He scored once with Birmingham, and four times with Charlton.

Volzy was a 73rd minute substitute in Ipswich Town’s 2-0 loss to Sheffield United. Volzy made 20 starts and 2 substitute appearances with Ipswich, who finished the season ninth. Volzy has yet to comment on his website about Roy Keane’s hiring, or his future.

Adam Watts was an unused substitute in Northampton Town’s 3-0 loss at Leeds United. Watts made 5 appearances since arriving in April for the Cobblers, who were relegated because of their loss and Carlisle’s victory.

David Stockdale started and made 6 saves in Leicester City’s 3-0 win at Crewe Alexandria. Since arriving in March, Stockdale made 8 starts for the Foxes, registering a 5-1-2 record and helping them seal promotion to the CCC. Stockdale spent the first half of the season at Rotherham United, where he made 8 starts and posted a 4-2-2 record.

From the look of it, Stockdale sure has a future — with or without Fulham. Expect Bouazza to sign full time somewhere else. Leijer may go elsewhere too, presumably to a lower division. Still uncertain about Andranik and Volzy, as their experiences were a mixed bag.

And perhaps Cardiff missing promotion may be in a blessing for us: we sure could use another striker.

Even if its EJ.

Thanks to Brad from Denver for calling in. And just pretend that we talk at length about the great performance on Saturday…

Well no striker is heading to this part of SW6, nor is there some big last-second signing. Instead, just lots of arriving and departing loan deals. Whether that’s because of the economy or Woy’s prudence is unclear. But I still maintain we could have used another target man to compete with Zamora.

Jimmy Bullard aside, here’s my take on all the deals.

Packing the bags

Bouazza: Birmingham City, Loan
Was gone anyway, but it’s more his switch from struggling Charlton to cruising Brum City that raises the eyebrows. Did Woy figure it would be best to for the lad to be an ‘idiot amongst geniuses’ rather than a ‘genius amongst idiots’? Who knows.

Andranik: Barnsley, Loan
Another eye-browser. He just – and I mean like within the last 5 minutes – got back to running let alone match fitness, and now he’s off to Barnsley. Had he been healthy all season, I wouldn’t second guess it. But now? Alas…

Andreasen: Hannover 96, Loan
Like yesterday’s Superbowl, you just knew the outcome. And so Andreasen left the club after never really making a mark. Granted it’s a loan, but does anyone see him coming back? This is odd considering he only had six league appearances this season – all off the bench – and two starts in cup games. Last season he had nine starts and four substitution appearances, but does anyone remember those? I sure don’t.

Seol Ki-Hyeon: Al-Hilal, Loan
For someone as milk-carton prone as Seol, is going to Saudi Arabia really the best option?

Adrian Leijer: Norwich City, Loan
His appearance on the Fulham Christmas video was the first time I’d ever seen him, so that’s good to know he exists at least.

Then there’s TJ Moncur, Gabriel Zakuani, Robert Milsom, and Lee Cook but none of them made any first team appearances.

Filling the lockers

DaCourt: Inter, Loan
From what I understand, he used to be a quality player. But, like Jari Litmanen last year, he’s also quite old. This move is obviously just to provide cover for Etuhu and Murphy, but what if he gets drilled in the ear at practice and is out for weeks? Fulham doesn’t have any backup central midfielders on the books, unless you consider Baird as a proper deputizer.

Barnes: Derby, Loan
He scored those two goals against Manchester United in the Carling Cup, so we know we can play. But several injury woes have set him back in the past, and a 2 million quid loan fee – that could go up to 4 million based on appearances – gives me a tummy ache. If he produces, good; if not, then B-U-S-T.

Gray: Fulham, Loan
Another vexing deal. He made just one appearance all season, starting in the third round of the FA Cup. I understand the move is to free up another loan spot for an Englishman, but the deadline’s been over for a few hours and no replacement was named. So what was the point?

Omozusi: Norwich, Loan
Featured a bit under Sanchez, and then vanished under Woy. He’s a good player, but he’s young and thus makes mistakes (see last year’s home fixture against Newcastle, and the FA Cup match against Leicester City two years ago). Probably won’t feature in any first-team matches, but at least he’ll have the opportunity to train more under Woy.

As I’ve stated here and elsewhere, the question of Bullard leaving this transfer window was always a possibility. In fact, I’m really not surprised it happened considering this “groin/hamstring/plague” series of scratches was eerily similar to Defoe’s “flu.”

But its the where and the cost that really bugs me. From a business perspective, a player like Bullard going to a club like Hull City for five million quid is absolute nonsense. Hull might as well have just taken him on a Bosman.

To date, this transfer window hasn’t been about the how much money a team can spend on a player (ManCity aside). Instead, its about how much they can charge for a player. Get the difference?

Look at West Ham and Blackburn in comparison to ManCity. Under a good economy, ManCity would be spending oodles of cash — on top of what they already have — and no one would bat an eye. 10 million for Santa Cruz? Sure. Blackburn can turn around and find another quality striker for the same price they got him in the first place. Same with West Ham Bellamy.

But because cash is so tight at clubs across the island, both clubs and players are demanding more. Every penny is being fought for, negotiated, demanded, blackballed, etc. This transfer market is essentially sporting usury. Thats why Bellamy cost 14 million, and Santa Cruz will cost over 20.

So to see a deal like this go through is mind-boggling. Bullard should have been sold to a club like Hull for 7+ million. Nothing less.

And I say that because in this market it’ll be nearly impossible to recoup that net-2 million pound loss and find a good player on the cheap, anywhere.

I trust Roy, especially his transfer acumen. But unless he pulls a rabbit of a hat this is a huge blow in my eyes.

Jon Carter over at soccernet has an interesting perspective, and its not too kind.

Jimmy Bullard: One time England favourite, fishing fanatic and now a certified money-grabber of the highest proportion after his £5m club-record move to Hull City went through.

The reason? Not that Bullard has been impressed by the Tigers’ form this season, or that he thinks Phil Brown can develop his career so that he can eventually supplant Steven Gerrard in Fabio Capello’s England side; but that Hull are willing to offer him a whopping contract, while Fulham just weren’t.

With all the talk over whether one of the world’s best players, Kaka, would be tempted by City’s cash, it’s funny that Bullard should cop the flak for ditching Fulham’s push for Europe in favour of £££.

Still, Hull have been on a bit of a spending spree recently and we reckon that Bullard will be a pretty decent signing for them, as long as his weighty pockets don’t hinder his forays up the pitch.

Report from K-Town tomorrow.

Frozen pitch causing the postponement of the Blackburn match? Mehh. It would have been more timely to post about it then, but I was out of town at the time. If we get fined, then I definitely will post something about that.

There’s a huge, huge match against West Ham this Sunday. It doesn’t seem Bellamy, or anyone else really, will be going to ManCity or elsewhere. Which is really confusing because I thought West Ham wasn’t just going broke, but actually is. I’m just hoping Mr. Golfclub and Cole won’t be around come Sunday…

There’s plenty of transfer rumors buzzing about, but nothing has happened yet. So there’s nothing to write about.

…

Wait, Seol is off to Saudi Arabia on loan!

…

…

Shouldn’t this be newsworthy?

…

…

No, he’s been MIA since opening day and its impossible to prove a negative. So never-mind.