We are about an hour away from Fulham vs Aston Villa.  I can’t think of a better way to kick off “Super Bowl Sunday” in the U.S. than to see my Cottagers hopefully pull off a bit of an upset today. We need a win badly but considering Villa is near the top of the table, I would take a home draw versus such a quality team.

Any chance at all that we see Brian McBride return today? I doubt it and I also doubt Eddie Johnson will be involved. What I do know is that both men are close to being fit enough to play and once they do return, it will give us a much needed boost.

I’ll be back at halftime for a bit of an update.

COYW!

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Great Stuff. COYW!!!

Props: Life as a Cottager & Oz City (source of the graphic)

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Hat Tip: CCN & U.S.Soccer

Source: Try Gol

Well I got what I wanted, now let's hope the guy proves me right! Today Eddie Johnson signed a 3 1/2 year deal with Fulham FC. Johnson will join fellow U.S. National Team members Carlos Bocanegra, Kasey Keller, Brian McBridge (former Nat Captain) and best buddy Clint Dempsey.

The following was nicked from the Fulham FC website:

Following a hearing at a tribunal held in London earlier today, Fulham Football Club is pleased to announce that Eddie Johnson has been granted a work permit. The US international striker has signed a three-and-a-half year deal from The MLS that will see him remain at the Club until the summer of 2011.

23 year-old Johnson joined the Kansas City Wizards in the 2006 season and scored on his debut. He received his first cap and scored his first goal for the senior US national team against El Salvador on 9 October 2004, becoming one of an elite group of American players to get his first international goal in a World Cup Qualifier. He then scored a hat-trick in his second appearance, all in a 17-minute span against Panama, just four days later. Johnson scored a total of seven goals in his first six World Cup Qualifiers and has been the source of much speculation linking him with a move to the Premier League.

Roy Hodgson said:

"I have made no secret of the fact that I believe the squad lacks a certain balance in specific areas of the team and following the loss of Brian McBride to injury, this is true of our strike force.

"At 6’1'' inches tall Eddie has the presence that will complement the other forwards within our squad and he has the ability to offer us another dimension to our attacking play. I am delighted that he has joined us and am grateful to the representatives from the Home Office for granting him the work permit which will enable him to play for us as soon as possible."

I'm beyond thrilled to hear this news. I think Eddie is a great fit for the squad and will provide speed that our club currently lacks. I've argued at length with fellow supporters regarding this move and in most cases, people shouted me down. I'm telling you, Eddie will be a great addition to this squad and a year from now, I will say "I told you so" every chance I get. 

Welcome to Craven Cottage Eddie!!! 

Source: Try Gol

Source: Try Gol

We’ve all been in a state of limbo this week when it comes to Eddie Johnson being signed to Fulham. Some people felt that perhaps Johnson was just being used as a bargaining tool to eventually land Marlon King from Watford. I’ve also read where the hold up has to do with Eddie obtaining a work permit, which would make sense because if I remember correctly, Clint Dempsey had a bit of a hold up last season for similar reasons.

Well today I checked out the Daily Mirror and it was mentioned there that Eddie Johnson would be signed for a 2 million pound transfer fee and work permit issues were being worked out. So I suppose the bottom line is, It looks like there is a very good chance I will get my wish and Eddie will join best buddy Clint at the Cottage.

Source: Try Gol

Personally I'm going to love it.

Source: Try Gol

According to CCN and the Washington Post, Kansas City Wizards striker and U.S. National Eddie Johnson has left the country to pay a visit with Fulham. The USA National Team is currently in camp training for their upcoming friendly versus Sweden. Apparently Eddie will miss a day or two of training.

Now the initial reaction seems to be that Fulham supporters don’t want to see EJ join the club. Now where have I seen this reaction before? Hmmm…let me think back about a year. I remember when the Clint Dempsey rumors started, being a Fulham supporter and a big fan of Demps, I was excited. But many of the fans weren’t thrilled with the idea. The whole “He was good in MLS but is not a Premiership player” discussion was in full effect and I was often laughed at defending Clint on these forums. Fast forward a year, can any Fulham supporter say they wish Fulham hadn’t signed Clint?

Just like I said signing Dempsey would be a great idea, I feel the same way about Eddie Johnson. In the lead up to the 2006 World Cup, Johnson was on fire. Then he hit the wall a bit and struggled in 2006, only scoring twice. But in 2007, he returned to form, scoring 12 goals for the Wizards. The MLS gets knocked as a terrible league by Europeans, however, I would say that the MLS is a better league than say the Scottish League and we all know there is some talent playing in that league. MLS is improving every single year, so stop with that noise right now.

Eddie Johnson would instantly become Fulham’s quickest player on the pitch. He would work well with Demps and I promise you, he would score goals. He needs to improve on his passing a bit but don’t dismiss the guy based on 1 crappy season. I don’t exactly see Wayne Rooney beating down the door at the Cottage to get in, so realize our situation and be happy to get such a raw talent. I hope he gets signed because I love saying “I told you so”, I get off on that sort of thing.