Perusing the Daily Mail this morning, I came across a short article suggesting that Fulham have made Premier League and Championship clubs aware of their desire to off-load some peripheral players.
Names appearing in the article were Eddie Johnson, Seol Ki-Hyeon, Fredrik Stoor, Toni Kallio and David Elm.
I found the mention of David Elm a little surprising given the fact that we just signed him.
Seems odd that we’re already trying to find a buyer. David Elm aside, I don’t have any fierce opposition to these players being sold.
In fact, I’d add one more name to the list – Andranik Teymourian. So where did it all go wrong for these lads?
Eddie Johnson – Total bust. He just doesn’t seem to be equipped to perform at this level. His spell at Cardiff did little to suggest that he is even ready for the Championship. To date, his only real success has been in the reserves. I was puzzled when they signed him and I haven’t been surprised at his performance.
Seol Ki-Hyeon – Can’t say he’s not contributed, but he certainly doesn’t have the quality to break into the starting eleven and his role as a substitute has been compromised as Zolton Gera has taken over as the preferred reserve attacking midfielder.
Fredrik Stoor – Came in with high expectations, but with John Pantsil as the starter, Stoor has not been given much opportunity to succeed, which apparently did not please him at all. Regular complaining appears to have ruined any future he had with the club as he’s fallen behind Stephen Kelly in the right back pecking order. Otherwise, one might assume he would at least be on the field for the European matches. Currently on loan at Derby.
Toni Kallio – Seems to have the size required (6’4′), but with Hangeland and Hughes firmly entrenched as the starters, and Chris Smalling beginning to make his mark, there’s simply no room for Kallio in central defense. He can supposedly play left back and given our lack of depth at that position, I’m a little surprised at his lack of opportunities. Currently on loan at Sheffield United.
Andranik Teymourian – Total bust. I have no idea why he was signed. Even Eddie Johnson was given more opportunity to play than Andranik. As a defensive midfielder, he’s playing behind Etuhu, Dikgacoi and Baird, so I can’t see any reason to have him in the squad.
David Elm – He’s not been given a chance to show anything. He scored a brace against the Chelsea reserves and he made a short appearance in the Carling Cup match versus Man City. I don’t think he’s been eligible to play in the Europa League matches. Otherwise, we probably would’ve have seen a little more of him. I’m puzzled that we’re already shopping him around. If he’s that bad, fire the scout who recommended him.
Overall, it’s hard to complain about Roy’s signings. Seol was not his responsibility and I suspect the Eddie Johnson deal was already in the works when he took over. Roy brought us Hangeland, Schwarzer, Pantsil, Zamora and a number of other players who have completely changed the direction of the club. These more than balance out Stoor, Kallio and Andranik. You can’t always get it right. Time to move on.
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