I don't see the need for us to sign many people if an at all today- as I've said repeatedly in the last month or so we simply aren't better or worse than Mid-Table this season, and we have more than enough already in the team to facilitate that. In an "everyone fit" scenario, and assuming we're stuck to the Diamond I'd play
Bettinelli
Richards*, Bodurov, Amorebieta, Stafylidis
Christensen, Hoogland, Parker
Kacaniklic
McCormack Rodallega
*If Richards isn't extended Grimmer will go back in.
Some people would disagree with this, and at the end of the day this is just my opinion of the best team we can play- we'll have options off the bench that can change the dynamic of the game as well with players like Tunnicliffe and Fofana if we're clinging onto a game- and then players like Woodrow if we're chasing.
This in a "window closed this second" and when the window closes I'll do this team again- and it'll be interesting to see if its any different.
There are various rumours already brewing, and I'll try and keep this updated to the best of my ability throughout the day. Of course you lot can help out by tweeting me links/just tweeting me rumours you've seen and if they have a foundation it'll show up. In terms of incoming players we're fairly quiet going into today- there have been the recent rumours of Chris Wood but apart from that I haven't seen much on the rumour front in the last week- the rumours such as Graham Dorrans appear to have cooled off, but who knows what'll happen today?
Outgoings are a different story, we have Chris David and Bryan Ruiz going out on loan- although I'm not sure if the Ruiz one has gone through as of yet. Then we come to the rumours, with Millwall supposedly interested in Zverotic, Leyton Orient interested in getting Larnell Cole, Rodallega supposedly going to Colorado Rapids or an MLS team in general. On top of that I have hopes we're going to loan out Patrick Roberts and Moussa Dembele because these are two players I see as having a bright future- but simply not being there yet. Then you can only hope we're getting rid of some of the "Magath Deadweight", with Fotheringham already gone you can only hope Fazlic, Voser and Chihi aren't that far behind. I do see merit in keeping Kiraly in a #2 Capacity for the rest of the season, and then players like Casasola, Taggart and Eisfeld could perhaps be loaned out- but they have enough potential that I wouldn't give up on them yet.
-00:00: Who'll be the weird name signing nobodies heard of, Will Shahid Khan get his cheque book out like he promised he would last summer, I guess we'll find out today- Lets hope its a good one.
-01:03: Haven't seen anything yet. I'm not going to just spout random names and make a rumour out of it- I'm also not going to do the lazy thing and link players who aren't necessarily in favour at the moment at their current clubs that were ousted by the Previous Regime. So unless I see a supposed "legitimate" outlet reporting on Hangeland, Sidwell etc. I'm going to dismiss it.
-02:03: Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to start this at midnight, I don't think many people even consider it to be the start of Deadline Day until 7am. Live and Learn eh? I haven't seen anything with regard to Fulham yet. Call it sleep deprivation, or sheer lunacy but I have a weird feeling we'll sign 1 or 2 players that could make a difference for the rest of the season and beyond.
-03:07: Well the Superbowl has just finished, and what a finish it was. I don't claim to know the ins and outs of American Football- but I've played enough Madden to know when you're 1 Yard out you run. Anyway- still no rumours as far as I can see. I doubt we'll even get rumours until roughly 7am. So I'll pretty much be treading water until then. Anyway- No Rumours, and I'm now an American Football expert. Role on 4 O'Clock!
-:04:04: Still no rumours yet, but I've discovered that when you search "Fulham" on Twitter you get a load of adverts for "vintage" programmes- so if we're not going to spend I just might. I've decided I'm going to start doing a Regret-o-Meter which'll measure how stupid I feel for doing this Liveblog from when I did. At the minute I'm at around a 3/10 just because Deadline Day hasn't even started to an extent. Role on 5!
-05:07: We still don't have any rumours coming up with regard to Fulham- I doubt there'll be any until we see daylight. My Regret-o-Meter is still at a 3/10. I wish I'd mastered the art of the 59 Minute powernap so I won't have a near death experience today. Anyway this is the last of what I'd call the "Dead" hours and from 6 onwards I'd say we'll start to see Deadline Day come into life gradually. Anyway because there's no rumours lets listen to a classic!
-06:05: Sky have officially started their coverage, so I guess Deadline Day has officially started. As of yet there aren't any rumours- but lets hope now its getting light outside and the coverage has started there'll be more to talk about soon. Just a reminder I'm expecting us to loan a few players out, namely Roberts and Dembele- and although there aren't any rumours swirling I have a feeling we could end up making a a couple of signings as well.
-07:01: Still no rumours *sighs*. My regret level has gone up slightly now, just because I could've been waking up around now had I gone to bed at Midnight. So lets say its currently at a 5. I'm just hoping the suggestion I've had that we'll end up signing a few people doesn't lead balloon- mind you we are Fulham, so perhaps that's what I should be expecting. Anyway, you have to assume as people are getting up and about something is bound to happen- and the rumours'll start flowing, even if they're pretty far-fetched. So anyway- as Deadline Day is just revving up, lets hope we get some action soon.
-08:01: We've had our first definitely not happening Twitter rumour- with some bloke claiming that his mate works in the Fulham legal department, and this position means he knows for a fact we're signing Joey Barton of all people. Its also interesting to see a mini discussion on Friends of Fulham about Sidwell coming back- but I haven't seen anything "legitimate" yet, but that'll definitely be something to keep an eye on throughout the day. Anyway, we've finally got the juices somewhat flowing- so lets role on 9am!
-09:03: We're still quiet on the transfers front, there haven't even been anymore completely fabricated rumours to speak of. As I feared when I planned to do this- it could turn into a quiet day from a Fulham perspective- but I'd rather a quiet day to panic buys given the situation we're in currently. That said I'd like to see a push for someone like Graham Dorrans or Nick Powell just to give us a midfield spark so McCormack can go up front.
-16:23: I only went and crashed out, so my neck is messed up. But I suppose you could say it was a sign because on the incoming's front there's literally nothing. It looks like yet another player we were linked with in Dorrans is going to someone else. The only "news" from Kit's Press Conference was Thomas Eisfeld is off to VfL Bochum on Loan- he was one of the players I suggested we send out on loan rather than sell. As far as I can work out the Bryan Ruiz deal is still yet to be confirmed- I'm not being an optimist saying he'll stay, its just a bit peculiar that the paperwork still hasn't gone through. Anyway I've ended up sleeping, but I'm now here until 11. Give us something!
-17:03: Another player I was keen on at the start of January appears to be off somewhere else in the form of Lee Chung-Yong going to Palace. This was purely speculative from my point of view- and there wasn't any solid foundation to it. I still think we need to sign a Right-Winger, especially if the Bryan deal goes through- which to the best of my knowledge it still hasn't. As I'm typing this WE'VE DONE SOME BUSINESS! Its two loan outgoings- but its something. Chris David and Thomas Eisfeld have departed to FC Twente and VfL Bochum respectively- this combined with the seemingly imminent departure of Bryan means we really only have Alex Kacaniklic as a Creative Midfielder who can play in the #10 Role- I refuse to count McCormack as a Midfielder, just because it simply doesn't work. Anyway- lets bring on the next hour of nothing!
-17:11: Two updates in the same hour *gasp* this won't be a long one, but I've genuinely just seen someone complain our squad is too small as a result of the outgoings of Bryan, Eisfeld and David. And while we're short in that area- the ONLY thing "he" did for us was give us a ridiculously bloated squad with hardly anyone of a good enough quality
-17:21: Third update in this hour, and its more speculation than anything with a solid foundation. NY Red Bulls have just announced Tim Cahill has left- which means he's available on a free. Now despite Tim Cahill's age- he'd be near perfect on a 6-18 Month deal to provide us with experience, a midfield spark and a goalscoring threat.
-18:06: I wasn't holding my breath on the transfers front today, but I thought we'd at least get some realistic(ish) rumours today just to knock out a few talking points, but nope- not even that. So lets look at some of the supposed "ITK" accounts and the absolute trash they've spouted out today- and analyse just how wrong they are. One of the one's I saw was Hyndman in talks with Everton, not so unrealistic until you remember he done his collarbone and wouldn't have a hope of passing a medical. I don't know where the Scott Parker-Brighton rumour came from, but I doubt that Brighton could afford to top his wages and I doubt Brighton would be willing to better the 18 Months Parker has left on his current deal. We're also close to announcing the signing of a former Premier League midfielder- which was so vague it could turn out to be true, of course Tim Cahill is largely considered a midfielder; so we might as well roll out the Red Carpet now- We've signed Tim Cahill!
-18:08: Quick Point, and one some people may overlook- Cahill is of course available on a Free Transfer; so whoever is interested in him wouldn't have to rush into signing him. I remember we signed Karagounis in Mid-September a few years back for an example.
-19:05: Still not so much as a sniff on the incomings front. At this point I just want us to sign someone, even if its a Zverotic-esque transfer, just so we can't say this day was a complete waste of time. I think the lack of rumours is partly because we aren't interested in many- if any players at all; combined with the fact in the Summer we were ripping up and starting again, and before that we had what I'd label as "Premier League Status" rumours- where anyone who's out of favour at the top clubs in the League instantly get linked with the perceived struggling teams. Anyway- lets hope we get the wheels turning soon, Role on 8 O'Clock and Jim White time!
-20:02: There are some places saying we're done for the window, which isn't overly surprising- although in fairness we were done hours ago- going into the day The Chris David thing was already nearly there so in terms of proper deadline day action I'd say the only deal was Eisfeld. I think the thing that's going to keep interested Fulham parties is purely to see if Bryan Ruiz's paperwork goes through- which you can only assume it will. Anyway, we're into the last 3 hours- LETS SIGN SOMEONE, ANYONE FOR GOD SAKE.
-20:12: To be honest, I'm reasonably happy with us being quiet on Deadline Day if I can be serious. Yes, its good for excitement and it'd have been good for this if we signed someone. But, as I've repeatedly been saying- we aren't in a great hurry to sign anyone given our current league position and reasonable(ish) security in such position. The fact is we've avoided any panic buys (thank god), and when we go into the Summer that'll be the window where I'll be expecting Kit to properly put his stamp on the team- and Shahid Khan to back us with a Full Season on the horizon. You can't slate Shahid Khan- because he's shown with the money he's thrown at namely Mitroglou and McCormack that he is willing to back us.
-20:28: Is there a deadline for this Bryan Ruiz paperwork to go through? The amount of time this is dragging on you have to assume something has hit a stumbling block- and while that may not mean he's staying 100% it does start to raise the question.
-20:34: WE COULD HAVE SOMETHING- A REASONABLY RELIABLE TWITTER ACCOUNT HAS TWEETED THEY'VE GOT NEWS INCOMING.
-20:46: WE HAVE A RUMOUR GUYS! Apparently we're considering a move for Chuba Akpom. I'm not sure exactly where he'd fit in unless we're selling Hugo- but still its a reasonably realistic rumour. REJOICE.
-21:01: So we've had our first remotely realistic rumour in the form of Chuba Akpom on Loan. Although the outlet did say it'd equally likely we end up signing him when the Loan Window opens up in just over a weeks time. So we'll perhaps be putting a pin in that move. Then we go back to the usual barren abyss of nothing. The Bryan Ruiz saga still isn't over- so I wonder if it'll ever happen.
-21:40: I'd just like to reiterate a point I made earlier, we should in no uncertain terms sign someone for the sake of signing someone. It'll take an extraordinary set of circumstances for us to properly get into the Relegation scrap- and people seem to be highlighting one area where we're short to say our squad is thing- when in reality our squad is still really bloated now.
-21:59: We're headed into the last hour, will we see a last minute bid for Cristiano Ronaldo? I'll compromise down to Benzema at a push. But in all seriousness it looks like we're done from a Fulham perspective- and unlike in the Summer when Matt Smith went down to the wire we can most likely sit back and relax for the last hour of this Deadline Day. It hasn't been the best, but I think anyone expecting a huge amount of activity was kidding themselves. And the Bryan Ruiz situation still hasn't resolved, it seems as though Bryan may not be able to escape.
-22:12: There's what I'd call half a rumour going around at the minute- apparently we're in for Nadir Ciftci; although I highly doubt it, its a slow news day so I'll go for it. Ciftci is still highly unlikely- and I'll be taking the rumours with a pinch of salt.
-22:18: We're getting lively now, with a supposed ITK account claiming Shaun Wright-Phillips could be on the way to the Cottage. While he would fit the Right Winger criteria I set out at the start of the window; wages would presumably be a huge stumbling block and again I don't see it happening.
-22:42: Just a quick update before the grand finale at 11, it is interesting to see one of the West Ham owners tweet they tried to do 8 deals today- and all of them collapsed. While I'm not necessarily saying we tried to make numerous deals today, its just wrong to say Kit/Khan didn't try and make signings because I have no doubt both have our best interests in mind.
-22:44: We could have a rumour here guys a footballing agent has tweeted that a deal has been done with regard to Fulham and it should be announced in the next hour. Whether its an incoming or outgoing it remains to be seen- but at least its something
-23:00: Big Ben has rung, The Window is closed- I'm going to keep this one open until we get the supposed announcement. Thanks for tagging along, and lets move on to Sunderland now!
-23:04: I of course said I'd see if there were any changes to the team I quoted at midnight. Perhaps thankfully from my point of view its a Cut & Paste job;
Bettinelli
Richards*, Bodurov, Amorebieta, Stafylidis
Christensen, Hoogland, Parker
Kacaniklic
McCormack Rodallega
*If Richards isn't extended Grimmer will go back in.
I'd like to clarify this is in the Diamond Formation which Kit seems deadset on- if we did go 4-4-2 I'd have Hoogland going back to Right-Back because he'll have sufficient cover from a defensive standpoint- which would facilitate Tunnicliffe coming in.
-23:11: I'm going to come back to this if we see a deal going through- but consider this blog provisionally done. Deadline Day usually answers questions- but the question of Bryan Ruiz roles on. Now we're headed to Sunderland- My Preview for which can be read here http://soccerballandwrasslin.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/fulham-v-sunderland-preview-dreams-of.html. So thanks everyone for reading- and tagging along, I only wish it had been busier; but if we beat Sunderland all is forgiven.
You're right - when you're on the one yard line you run it in. Don't know what they were thinking. It's 11:00 here in the States so hopefully you'll have some good news when I check back in the morning. COYW!
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