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Fulham has had its share of Americans pass through the ranks in recent years, with many enjoying very successful stints. Brian McBride, Eddie Lewis, Carlos Bocanegra, Eddie Johnson and Clint Dempsey have all worn Fulham shirts in the past decade and the Cottagers already have their eye on the next Yank to make the move to London.
According to a rather brief Daily Mail report, Roy Hodgson is considering bringing in Jozy Altidore on a loan from Villarreal. A loan of some sort seems inevitable for Altidore, who doesn't figure into Villarreal's first team plans for the upcoming season.
So is Fulham, and the English Premier League, a good fit for the 19-year-old striker?
I think it absolutely is. With Fulham set to compete in the Europa League, there will be plenty of minutes to go around and Altidore could thrive in Fulham's attack. He would also have a fellow American as a teammate in Clint Dempsey, who could help him get acclimated to life in the EPL.
Of course nothing is certain yet. Fulham has also been linked with Reading's Kevin Doyle and Barcelona's Eidur GudJohnsen as potential forward acquisitions.
What do you think? Like the idea of Altidore to Fulham? Would you prefer he stay in Spain? Are you in the "I don't care where he plays as long as he's getting regular minutes" camp?
Share your thoughts below.
@stevemurphy,
It’s a percentage over a certain time frame. Given that he’s played in the last 5, 6 possibly even more nats game I’m sure he has the credentials. Not only that but I believe (probably wrong) that it’s somewhat easier to go from europe-england than US-england
please do it. fulham have always been good to their American players. he needs time and i think he can get it there. god i hope he goes. be good to him Fulham and, like Dempsey and Mcbride before him, Jozy will be good to you.
Playing under Roy would be great. The man is a top notch manager. Even if he doesn’t play, he would learn more than he did at xerex
they’re reporting that Rossi is open to a move away from villa. IF that happens, I feel like Jozy would stick around in one form or another. If he stays, Fulham would be a good fit particularly if they sell kamara. There would be open spots for minutes in that case
For me, as long as he is getting minutes…in Spain. Even though the Xerez loan was a bomb, the whole purpose was two-fold: minutes and acclimatization to Spanish culture. If he really wants to succeed at Villareal, he shold adapt to life in Spain and his chance will come. To me, going to Fulham is putting up the white flag.
I am not sure he is ready for the EPL yet. I don’t want him to lose his confidence.
San Diego – See my post at 12:47
@SanDiegoSMP
I agree, it was kind of creepy when I read your post, nothing like telepathy over IP!
Wow, I may need to stop watching soccer and find better jokes. Nahh !!
Doyle wasn’t as good in Reading’s 2nd prem year as he was in the first, and arguably underachieved in the championship last year. So even if Fulham pick up Doyle, Jozy could certainly earn minutes.
As a Fulham fan, I must admit I got a kick out of the line “Fulham’s potent attack”. That being said, Roy has shown that if you work hard enough and deserve it, you will play. I’m not sure that was the case in Spain.
Of course Fulham is a good move and of course its only a good move if he plays. Real Madrid would be a good move if he plays too (please don’t assume I think he is a RM target). The point is that if a manager in first tier team in a top four league is willing to commit to playing him if he proves himself on the field, then it is certainly better than the prospect of eating the pine for just about anyone. if Villareal would play him, that would be great also. I don’t agree that Jozy should be playing just anywhere though. He is too good to playing for some second division side when undoubtedly some first division side in some good league could use the services of a big, strong, young international striker. If that’s Fulham and it gives Jozy more of an opportunity to build an understanding with CD in the coming year, wonderful.
I’m for Jozy playing anywhere there’s an *awesome coach*
it seems to me whether you get playing time is the next important thing to having excellent training. sure, he won’t start right away, but if he can be developed by a great coaching staff then he will inevitably start. I’m not so much worried about playing time as good coaching. like, hiddink or mourinho ideally, but you know, if Roy is good, then that works.
20 goals in their last 17 matches. Okay, so not potent. I guess the four times they scored three goals in the final 17 matches skewed my impression of their offense.
great minds think alike, George (and apparently at the same time)
I thought Rossi was going to Juventus. Wouldn’t that open up a spot?
I think that if it’s true that he won’t get minutes with villareal, then this is a good move. Even if he has to work his way through the reserves in England, the epl has the best reserve league in the world. You can argue all you want about whether La Liga or Serie A are better leagues, but the reserve league in England absolutely blows away the competition. Training and playing with the first team is important, but even if that takes a couple months to happen, his time won’t be wasted like it was at xerez.
He might not qualify for an English work visa. You have to have played in a certain percentage of your Nats games—I’m not sure he has this.
Guys, maybe potent was too strong, but their attack was definitely better in the second half of the season than the first. AT least that’s the impression I had. I’m sure there are a few Fulham fans out there who can vouch for, or refute, that belief.
*hole
“and Altidore could thrive in Fulham’s potent attack.”
Ives, you apparently watched a different Fulham than I did, their attack was hardly “potent” — they only averaged about a goal per game (tied for 13th in GS) and were successful due to their stellar D (4th in GA). I also laugh whenever people say that they wish Dempsey would score like he does at Fulham — he scored 8 goals in 40 total appearances last year — that’s hardly tearing it up, and he scores at roughly the same rate for the US.
That being said, anyplace Jozy can get minutes is a win in my book.
Good point J, a striker’s form is everything leading up to the WC. He could be lacking confidence, fitness, and technique if he’s in a bad situation like this last season. Hopefully he and Adu catch a break and show what they can do at a decent club. Those are the things that could make all the difference for our nation in South Africa.
Ives,
“Altidore could thrive in Fulham’s potent attack.” Fulham is far from potent, last season Fulham notched 39 goals during their domestic campaign good enough for 13th overall. While that isn’t as bad as 20th, it really isn’t anything to brag about or label as “potent.”
Honestly I didn’t watch every Fulham game, but I remember the team as being draw specialists, which would be fitting for a team that essentially broke even most of the year with a 14-11-13 record, a +5 point differential, and 53/114 points.
I would love to see Donovan at Fulham I think he would bring a lot playing as a withdrawn striker ahead of Murphy and Etuhu both playing in the whole.
I’d like to think as a Fulham fan he could put up a better strike tally than Zamora did this past term. They are similar sized players and it would be his finishing touch that would have to be better to get him in the starting XI. Certainly Hodgson could do alot for his game regardless.
That said if Rossi leaves Villareal I would think he could see more time there and a loan would not be neccesary.
I say stay in Spain. Go to a 2nd division team and play 90 each week. He’s a sub at best at Fulham. This could have “Adu to Monaco part 2” written all over it. Stay in Spain Jozy. Go play for a 2nd division team. Either that or one of the lower 1st division teams.
It must be one slow ass news day. This ain’t happening. Why on earth would a Spanish club send a forward to England for development? Not to mention Fulham of all clubs in England? This ain’t happening nor should it.
Anywhere he can get a chance to get minutes is a good fit.
Fulham may be one of the best choices. And nothing is guaranteed anywhere anyway, unless its a low level that can’t afford him.
I’d be more inclined to agree if it wasn’t a World Cup year. I don’t disagree with the reasons why Fulham could be a good fit. I’m just worried that if Jozy can’t cut it, our national team’s starting forward will be glued to a bench in the months leading up to the World Cup. It could be safer to play in a worse league, if it means he has a significantly better chance of getting regular playing time.
Evan – Its a good point, BUT what are all of the posters here going to start saying when he doesn’t even make the bench in month #1 or 2 or even 3?
Will everyone immediately say it was a bad move and that he should never have gone to Fulham?
People need to temper their expectations with realism.
It would be great that he starts from the get go, BUT to be realistic that is NOT going to happen at Fulham, even if he was the second coming of Pele. Hodgson WILL make him sit. No doubt about it.
All I am advocating is that he go somewhere with a realistic chance at getting SIGNIFICANT paying time. And if Fulham signs either Doyle or Gudjohnson then that is NOT going to happen.
If he leaves a good impression today against la roja, chances are more Spanish teams will come knocking on the loan door. IF he doesn’t, he’ll still go out on loan, but probably to another league, maybe England, maybe France, who knows…
Just tear it up today, Jozy and you won’t have to worry who wants to take you!
well andy johnson he is the best flopper in the premiership, jozy could pick up some tips, allowing landy cakes to pad his goals stats some more
I love the idea, as long as he plays LOL.
AT Fulham though, he will have a chance. He just has to earn it. All he has to do is beat out Kamara, Nevland, Dempsey, Zamora, and Andy Johnson for one of the top two spots or the super sub role…piece of cake! I do love the idea. and if he is good enough, he will play. But being into roy hodgeson’s program, that is a wonderful thing. roy usually brings in transfers he plans on using, and injuries do happen…
Roy is a great coach. He might be able to really help Jozy.
Considering that I follow Fulham because of Clint, I’m all for it.
The question is, would he see minutes?
Leave Spain. He was set-up to fail. Anti-American Xerex ruined his professional progress.
Re fubar, Josy will have to earn playing time at any half-way decent European club. No young American can go to an established top division club and expect to start without earning it.
I think it is a good move – if he plays and has an environment that will enable him to develop further as a player. I think the Spanish league is better for his style, but Fulham would be miles better than his current situation.
This will finally answer the question of how the US nats would do as a team in the EPL.
Interesting to see the difference in response to this possibility versus last year when it was rumored Everton wanted him on loan. Most people seemed to think it was a bad idea last year.
Also, Ives, why do you say he doesn’t figure in Villareal’s first team for the coming year? I haven’t seen that stated by the club or reported elsewhere (not that it would surprise me).
great fit, he should play in EPL and not in la liga
Here’s the deal, Hodgson made Deuce sit for quite a while before he came in as a regular. He had to earn it.
Jozy has always had this air about him as not being that big on training (eserved or otherwise)and that would NOT endear him to Hodgson. You don’t perform in training, you don’t see the field on game day.
And as an aside – I do not agree with the term “potent attack” that Ives uses above.
So, all in all, I do not see this as that great a move for JA unless he is prepared languish on the bench for a month or two even if he does work his tail off in training.
And then he is going to have to prove that he belongs day after day to stay in the starting 11.
Do you think he’s up for that? If not, check please!!!
I really can’t imagine any situation that would be better for Altidore. 1) Hodgson makes his team play the right way, (2) they’re relatively thin but in the Europa league. He would have a chance to compete for a starting forward spot – other than AJ, no forward on Fulham is clearly better than Jozy even at this stage, and he might surpass AJ when all is said and done, 3) Clint, 4) nicest, smartest, most American-friendly fans in the world, 5) London. In other words, Ives’s analysis covers everything. I really hope this happens.
He should stay in Spain, we need a striker with good technique. Jozy needs to develop his technique and Spain is the best place to do it.
Isn’t Doyle going to sign with Wolves as their record signing?
I think its a good fit, Jozy’s size and style of play is far more conducive to the PL and Fulham is American friendly. However, the primary determining factor should be playing time (as everyone else here has pretty much already said).
How does Altidore’s situation change at Villareal if Rossi leaves? Would he get playing time then? I don’t know enough of Villareal to guess.
I’m in the “I don’t care where he plays as long as he gets minutes” camp. Obviously, I’d prefer that not to be in the Russian 4th division side, but the boy needs to start playing. As he’s shown in the Confederations Cup, he’s lacking some form, fitness, and precision (for anyone who is talking about the Egypt handball discounting his goal, watch the highlights again – Jozy is all alone from 12 yards out, with the entire goal in front of him, and he blasts it directly at the keeper. He should have placed it better and removed all doubts).
Xerex was a poor move for him, in hindsight, as he didn’t dress for 1 game and received worse training than he would have at Villareal (anyone else hoping Xerex immediately gets relegated?).
it would be fantastic, not b/c he would be in the EPL (b/c I don’t think the EPL is a good place for young players generally), but rather b/c he would be playing under Roy Hodgeson, who is an incredible coach who knows how to put players in positions to be successful based on their strengths, rather than just throwing guys out there and demanding they adapt to his tactics (ala Bob Bradley)… Just look at how well Dempsey plays at Fulham compared to for the US (despite what the retarded FIFA ratings say)
Hodgson gets the best out of Clint so he probably will help Altidore a lot. And I’m with those that say as long as he’s on the field, I don’t care where in Europe’s big leagues he is… England, Spain, Italy, wherever…
Count me in the “I don’t care, as long as he gets minutes” camp. Fulham seems to have other options at forward, however, especially if they get either Doyle or Gudjohnsen. It would certainly make Fulham a team to watch, and probably a popular one in the US too.
This would be a terrific move for Altidore. He’d be playing in a top league against strong competition with an American-friendly organization in Fulham. He’d have the chance to play in the Europa League and make a meaningful contribution while he continues his development as a player. I hope this works out for him.
I think I would prefer that he plays in Spain but to me as long as he is getting minutes and experience that is more importan. Fulham would be much better than Xerez. But he has to play that is the bottom line.
I think it would be a good fit. Zamora disappointed last year, and having a yank will help. Much like I think Rossi helped Altidore initially
I think this would be great for Altidore. He is a good target player that would greatly benefit from a spell in the Premier league and it would earn him some valuable time with a USMNT teammate. Of course, he is welcome to come back to the Red Bulls if he wants.