Fulham have completed the signing of Belgium international forward Moussa Dembele for an undisclosed fee from Dutch club AZ Alkmaar.
The 23-year-old has signed a three-year contract at Craven Cottage, having previously been a target for Birmingham City.
Dembele had spent the last four seasons with AZ, having previously played in the Netherlands with Willem II after starting his career in his homeland with Germinal Beerschot.
Cottagers boss Mark Hughes told the club’s official website:“I’m glad that we have finalised the deal with Moussa Dembele and I would like to welcome him to the club.
“It is important that we go into the season with some additions to the squad who will add strength and depth to enable us to compete at a consistently high level throughout the season.
“Moussa is strong and quick and will add another dimension to our attacking options, which is important for us.
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“I look forward to working with him and to, hopefully, a few more additions before the window closes.”
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Sir Alex Ferguson was left fuming last night at the nature of Newcastle’s equaliser at Old Trafford. A dubious penalty left the United boss seething, who suggested the ‘Part-time’ official’s mistake may have cost them the title in the long run. It was a frustrating afternoon for United who created enough chances to win at least two games.
Elsewhere in the news football managers want longer transfer windows; City forced to cull their bulging squad, while PSG look to bring Chamakh in during January.
Managers want longer transfer window – Guardian
Ferguson could face censure for linesman rant – Daily Telegraph
I’ve got no sympathy for AVB – he knew what he was getting into – Independent
Bothroyd to report Twitter user after alleged racial slur after Norwich defeat – Daily Mail
PSG set to make £10m bid for Arsenal striker – Mirror
City forced to cull bulging squad – Daily Telegraph
Scholes still pulling the strings at United – People
Mancini: City’s cavaliers need to be boring again – Independent
Controversies have ‘cost Terry £6m’ in sponsorships, according to experts – Daily Mail
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Redknapp rules out January buys – Mirror
Warnock rages at ‘scandalous’ decision over QPR keeper crisis – Daily Mail
Liverpool failed to beat Braga at Anfield on Thursday night. Their 0-0 draw was not enough to keep them in the UEFA Cup. Braga employed many tactics to delay the game and slow down the procedure but in truth they defended in an organised fashion. Kenny Dalglish lamented, at the end of the game, that his side lacked creativity.
This creative problem should be resolved by a change in style, not by a change in players. You cannot solve every problem by buying a different player.
Last night was also Andy Carroll’s first start and I think Liverpool suffered the ‘curse of the tall striker’. Sometimes when a tall striker plays, midfielders choose to play direct instead of keeping the ball on the floor. Even if they are instructed not to, when a player is under pressure, it is easier to hoist it up and try and land it on Carroll’s head rather than look for a pass. Liverpool players, even the experienced Jamie Carragher, were guilty of this last night.
I think Liverpool did lack a creative edge last night, but that is because they were lazy on the ball. They did not work hard enough to keep possession and work the ball into an offensive position, they instead tried to get the ball up the pitch via Andy Carroll’s chest or head.
It is a testament to the passing ability of the likes of Joey Barton, that Newcastle got the best out of Carroll. They created opportunities where they could play an accurate pass to Carroll in a good position, rather than just using him as an outlet and a first option. This is the way to best exploit his aerial ability; put balls into the box where he can attack. Not by going straight from defence to attack with a long ball.
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This is a problem that other tall strikers suffer from. Peter Crouch is a player that will always stand out on the pitch. Players see him up the field and think a long ball is the right option. Sometimes having a tall player can be detrimental to a side’s passing game. And it is not the fault of the striker. Players like Crouch and Carroll are not so one-dimensional target men, they can play with their feet too. So I’m not blaming Andy Carroll. I blame a manager who tells his players to look for the long ball and the players who resort to it.
I don’t know what Dalglish’s plan was before the game against Braga, but in his defence, it takes a while for a side to get used to using such a big striker. Newcastle had the luxury of doing this in the Championship, where they were rarely put under pressure. It will take Liverpool time to adjust to having such a big target to aim at. They must be disciplined and continue to play the same way as they would if he was not playing. This will come with time. Liverpool have just invested in new players and it will take time for them to gel. Someone like Andy Carroll will take longer than most.
I have heard Liverpool fans bemoan a lack of creative players in their team. But it is too soon to call for new signings. Kuyt, Lucas, Poulsen and Maxi hardly set the world on fire, and I admit that. But Liverpool missed their two most creative players last night, Gerrard and Suarez. Rather than demanding a change in personnel, Liverpool fans should be patient and have faith, both in their current squad, and Andy Carroll.
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To keep an eye on Liverpool’s and Carroll’s development, you can follow Joe on twitter @joeasutin8
One man who might be playing alongside Andy Carroll at Liverpool soon is starlet Conor Coady…
A solid start to Arsenal’s campaign and most supporters would have taken 4pts at the start of the week. There is still work for Wenger to do in order to ensure that the Gunners are title contenders, starting with bringing in a new keeper to replace the hapless Almunia.
This week at FFC we have seen a mixed bag of blogs that include…£26m deal vindicates Wenger; last minute dealings at the Emirates and will the real Samir Nasri finally stand up.
Plus we have taken a look at the best Arsenal stories on the Web this week.
Has Wenger’s loyalty to duo subsequently been Arsenal’s undoing?
£26m transfer a vindication of Wenger’s approach?
Are Arsenal star’s moans really vindicated?
Will the REAL Samir Nasri finally stand up?
Why Wenger’s doubts forecast a worrying reality
Last minute deals at the Emirates?
Why football supporters feel the need to defend their corner
FIVE Things we learnt about Arsenal this weekend
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Best of Web
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Fanshare: Too good to be true? – Online Gooner
Almunia not happy with the uncertainty regarding the number 1 spot! Nor are we Manuel, nor are we. – Le Grove
Arsenal Fanshare + some football stuff too – Arseblogger
There’s Only One Arsene Wenger – A Cultured Left Foot
How to combat injuries – Online Gooner
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Fascinating Tales From The Arsenal Kitchen – A Cultured Left Foot
Yesterday saw us linked with Ben Arfa and Honda, I got a little excited… – Le Grove
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Click on image below to see the gallery of Mario Balotelli’s stunning girlfriend
Wigan dropped to the foot of the Premier League table after losing their eighth successive game going down 2-0 to Fulham side who put some breathing space between themselves and the bottom three with victory at the DW Stadium.
Goals at the end of each half from Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele eased the pressure starting to build on Martin Jol also cranking up the heat on Latics boss Roberto Martinez. His side are rooted to the bottom of the table and looking at yet another long and arduous relegation battle. Fulham on the other hand bounced back from a disappointing late defeat at home to Everton last week with an determined display that lifted them away from the drop zone. Wigan produced a similar performance at Newcastle last week frustrating the Magpies for 80 minutes before conceding late on with poor finishing costing them dear. It proved to be a similar story this week as they wasted numerous chances allowing the Cottagers to snatch all three points.
A nervy first half was littered with sloppy passing and a few mistimed tackles and it was the home side who slowly but surely got on top with David Jones looking the most likely to break the deadlock. The summer signing from Wolves tested Mark Schwarzer with a stinging 20-yard strike before firing Emmerson Boyce’s cross wide from close range. Hugo Rodallega has yet to score in seven appearances this season was also guilty of wastefulness and should have at least made contact to a number of balls into the visitors penalty area. He did meet one with a wild scissor kick that sailed well over the bar before Ben Watson dipped a dangerous volley over the bar. They were made to pay as Fulham took the lead five minutes before half time against the run of play with a superb move starting at the back. Schwarzer rolled the ball out to John Arne Riise who in turn found Danny Murphy in the centre. The skipper pinged a super ball out to Bobby Zamora on the left who crossed the Dempsey to score via the body of Ali Al Habsi – drawing level with Brian McBride to become the highest scoring American in the league on 36 goals.
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Wigan continued to probe and Victor Moses was unlucky to see his vicious strike hit the post after he outmuscled Riise as the frustration levels began to rise inside the DW. Maynor Figueroa also struck the woodwork from 30-yards after being saved just minutes earlier by the crossbar with Zamora’s volley smashing cannoning back off the frame of the goal after Murphy picked him out from 50-yards. For all their efforts the Latics just couldn’t breakdown the Cottagers rearguard and a defensive mistake of their own cost them dearly with four minutes to go. Figueroa gifted possession to Steven Sidwell on halfway with the midfielder picking out Dembele to finish and secure all three points.
Wayne Rooney scored a memorable hat-trick to help Manchester United record a 4-2 comeback victory over West Ham on Saturday.Two penalties from Mark Noble in the first half put West Ham 2-0 up at half-time, but United refused to lie down and Rooney stole all the headlines with his second half hat-trick.
West Ham opened the scoring after Carlton Cole broke clear of the United defence and attempted to lift the ball over Patrice Evra but the French defender clearly handled the ball inside the box.
Referee Lee Mason pointed straight to the spot and Noble made no mistake sending Tomasz Kuszczak the wrong way from the penalty kick.
The hosts at Upton Park were awarded their second penalty of the game on 25 minutes when Nemanja Vidic was adjudged to have brought down Cole inside the area.
Noble kept his nerve and struck the penalty into the top right hand corner to make it a dream start for the home side.
Ferguson knew he needed to take drastic action and brought on Javier Hernandez at half-time to replace Patrice Evra.
Hernandez almost scored with his first touch when he volleyed a cross from Ryan Giggs just over the bar.
But United showed the true signs of champions when their amazing comeback started on 65 minutes when Rooney curled a free-kick past Green into the back of the net to start the revival.
The visitors were back on level terms just eight minutes later when Antonio Valencia played the ball into Rooney who combined a great first touch with a clinical finish past Robert Green.
Mason awarded the third spot kick of the game on 79 minutes after Fabio da Silva wove into the penalty area and struck the ball against West Ham captain Matthew Upson.
Rooney sent Green the wrong way from the penalty spot to celebrate his hat-trick and complete the comeback for the league leaders.
United sealed all three points on 84 minutes when Ryan Giggs’ cross into the box was tapped in by Hernandez at the far post.
The return of Martin Jol to the Premier League would have been one welcomed by many neutral fans. The amiable Dutchman hasn’t been seen on these shores since he was sacked by Tottenham back in 2007, and a return to England with Fulham would have given him the chance to cut his teeth in the Premiership once more. The 54-year-old was being lined up to replace Roy Hodgson at Craven Cottage, which would have given him the unenviable task of building on a 12th placed finish and a Europa League cup final enjoyed by the Cottagers last season. On the face of it, it looked like an impossible task, and is this why Fulham wasn’t the right club to prove the Tottenham board wrong?
Since he’s been away Jol has plied his trade in Germany with Hamburg, where the Dutchman achieved some success, before returning to his homeland and taking the prestigious job of Ajax manager after just one season. Despite an impressive points tally, Ajax were pipped to the Eredivisie by one point by Steve McLaren’s FC Twente and once again Jol is on the move after just one season in the job. If he had of left Amsterdam he would have left behind the most high profile job in Holland, surely a move to Fulham wouldn’t have been the right way to go?
Martin Jol enjoyed three years at White Hart Lane in charge of Tottenham, during which time he built a good rapport with the Spurs fans. After finding his feet at the club, Jol led Tottenham to consecutive 5th placed finished in the league and back-to-back European qualification. In the summer of 2007 Jol spent big money on bringing the likes of Darren Bent, Younes Kaboul and Gareth Bale to the club, spending in the region of £40m and thus big things were expected. But a dismal start to the season immediately put the Dutchman under pressure and it wasn’t long until the Tottenham board gave him his marching orders.
You feel that since Jol’s been away he’s always kept one eye on the Premier League and was waiting patiently for his chance to return. The way he was dismissed at Spurs will stick in the back of his throat and it will also irk him that Harry Redknapp has achieved the Champions League qualification that he was chasing, something Jol will feel he would have achieved if left to finish what he started. Jol has to look at the bigger picture though, a return to the Premier League is desperately what he wants, but with Fulham he would not have been able to achieve his goals.
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It would be disrespectful to Fulham to say that Jol was considering returning to the Premier League in a bid to prove a point to the Spurs board but it was a major reason and the fact that he considered leaving a high-profile club in the form of Ajax shows this. It seems as though proving the Tottenham board wrong is at the top of Jol’s to-do list in the near future, Fulham simply wasn’t the club to do that at, but which Premier League clubs would provide the Dutchman the springboard he needed? The answer is not many, so maybe Jol would be better leaving the past firmly in the past, where it should be kept.
There is a debate to be had over whether Jesse Lingard does his best work out wide or through the middle but England’s 5-3-2 formation only allows him to operate centrally.
It is not quite clear what exactly Gareth Southgate will demand from his midfield trio at this summer’s World Cup in Russia, as he has taken options that offer a variety of attributes and playing styles.
However, Lingard will be hoping to force his way into the starting plans in the engine room and will get the opportunity to prove his worth in the Three Lions’ last match at Wembley before the tournament when they welcome Nigeria to the national stadium.
It looks as if Lingard, who got the nod in both of March’s friendlies and scored in the 1-0 away win over the Netherlands – his first international goal – will be in competition with Dele Alli of Tottenham for the most advanced of the midfield roles.
We’ve taken a closer look at the mixed reaction to the news that Lingard will be on from the start against the Super Eagles…
Manchester United recorded a narrow 1-0 victory against Burnley at Turf Moor in the Premier League on Saturday to stay in second position, but Red Devils fans were left unimpressed with Marcus Rashford’s late contribution from the substitutes’ bench.
The 20-year-old forward is struggling for form at the moment with only one goal in his last 15 top flight appearances, and he replaced Jesse Lingard in the 80th minute of the clash in Lancashire.
However, the England international’s lack of confidence showed and while he decided to go on his own instead of setting up Romelu Lukaku for a second United goal because of some poor decision-making, he was also booked for a challenge on Georges-Kevin Nkoudou in injury-time.
Man United supporters were quick to have their say on the attacker’s latest display via social media, and while one said “I fear for him”, another said he “needs the Mkhi treatment”.
Tottenham are a side devoid of the swagger and adventure that had made them such a popular side in seasons past. The Premier League club have been reliant on an almost impenetrable defence to guide them to their lofty fourth placed position, surely Spurs are operating on borrowed time?
Nine goals from 10 games would be a return to worry any manager, and considering the ambitions of the North London club you would imagine it has given AVB one or two sleepless nights. It would be wrong for me to say this wasn’t a concern, continue in this vein and one or two of the narrow victories could easily turn into defeat, Spurs need to react fast or risk being left behind.
Sunday epitomised this exact trend, large periods of meaningless possession without any apparent drive or end product. Spurs looked directionless, Everton had far fewer attacks but when they did they broke with pace and looked all the more incisive for it.
It seems a little odd therefore that Spurs while being branded unadventurous and defensive minded have both the second best possession share and the most shots in the league. Are Spurs just not being clinical enough?
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For me it is a little more complicated than that. Spurs may well have large amounts of possession and shots, but on the whole they are long-range and pretty hopeful. I would struggle to recall more than a couple of moments on Sunday where Spurs actually had a meaningful opportunity in the box, a serious cause for concern when you have a £26m striker in your line-up.
People seem to have mislabelled Soldado as a sort of Jermain Defoe on steroids, yes he is a potent finisher but Spurs in reality are getting so much more than that. During his time at Valencia he showed his very best when operating on the shoulder of the last man or in and around the penalty spot with players breaking free out wide, food for thought in my opinion.
At Spurs due to AVB’s apparent obsession with ‘inverted wingers’ he simply doesn’t get this service. Narrow and congested, the service, while still there, is woefully inadequate. You can bandy about pass completion stats as much as you like, but the reality is that Soldado’s service is second rate. Often receiving the ball deep with his back to goal, or in other cases an extremely hopefully driven long ball, it isn’t surprising that the Spaniard is struggling.
The bedding in argument is valid, two months isn’t long enough for a team to gel and settle, the relationships between players just isn’t there. This is more a question of patience rather than anything else and by that token it will come of its own volition.
My worry is that there is a more systemic problem at Spurs.
Playing at a pedestrian like pace in the middle of the park, in no small part down to Paulinho and Sandro’s tentative and unambitious passing games, Spurs are predictable and readable. Then you have Lennon and Townsend cutting in off either flank, running almost from one side to the other with no obvious means of breaking through opposition back lines. Teams facing Spurs are all too happy to give up possession in the middle third because unless someone scores an absolute screamer there is little or no risk to their goal. Spurs’ chance creation and shooting stats are misleading in this sense; Townsend or Sigurdsson having a largely circumspect shy at goal doesn’t really count for much in the context of the match.
Spurs need to start stretching opposition. It could be a question of actually settling for less possession and allowing the team to counter with pace. Lennon and Townsend are both menacing when running from deep and when exploiting the flanks, the current blueprint just doesn’t seem to necessitate this.
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For me the jury is still out on Paulinho, I would much rather see someone with a bit more energy and desire to go forward lining up in a deeper role. Spurs look so much more penetrative with either Dembele or Holtby occupying this deep-lying role. Currently those that dictate the tempo for Spurs are doing so at a snail’s pace, something that even the most disorganised Sunday league outfit could probably snuff out.
The concern at Spurs isn’t an overreaction, clearly an inability to score goals is a problem for a side with the aspirations that Spurs have. Yet, this isn’t a question of unrelenting doom and gloom, a couple of tweaks in the coming weeks and we could well see a firing Spurs side asserting their dominance onto the score sheet.
Are a lack of meaningful chances at Tottenham a cause for concern?