Hello, goodbye

Well as mentioned above, Jimmy has gone, but there area number of other arrival and departures at the Cottage during the transfer window.

Hello
Olivier Dacourt - Wow. Here's a guy with plenty of pedigree. He was effective in the centre of the park with Leeds nearly a decade ago and has since been very successful in Italy. In fact the only reason he's not featured much recently has been because he's injured. A demonstration of Woy's Inter contacts coming good and a solid loan, which could well develop into a two year contract at the end of the season - despite the fact that he is 34 now. Likely to be far more composed than Dickson Etuhu, who had probably his best game against Pompey, but is still lacking some guile.

Giles Barnes - I recognised the name, as he was heralded as Derby's golden boy when they were in the Premiership, but again injury curtailed his Premier League opportunities. Another loan, but this one with a clear option to buy, Barnes is more of a like for like Bullard replacement and his recent cameo in Derby's league cup semi-final second leg at Old Trafford, where he scored twice suggested that he is not phased by the big time. Could turn out to be Woy's best signing.

Goodbye
Lee Cook - has returned from whence he came, QPR, having never played a game for Fulham in 18 months. Very strange.

Seol Ki-Hyeon - Away for a six month loan at, bizarrely, Al-Hilal Al-Saudi Club. Seol just didn't have the work rate or intelligence to thrive in the Premier League, so it's good to know that the fact he is on another continent means he won't be on the first team sheet any longer. Talented, but strangely lifeless.

Hameur Bouzza - Back from a six month loan with Charlton for milliseconds, before being farmed out to Birmingham for the rest of the season. He may have played a role at Fulham for the rest of the season, had Barnes not signed.

Adrian Leijer - Sent to Norwich on loan, with promising full back Elliot Omosuzi returning to the Cottage early. I've never seen the Australian play, so it might be a good opportunity for him to get some experience.

Andranik - Off to Barnsley to regain some of his fitness after an early season injury. Again, he has yet to play a game for Fulham.

Leon Andreasen - A strange one considering Andranik has been farmed off as well. Many fans rate Andreasen higher than Etuhu, yet he has been allowed to join Hannover 96 on loan with a view to buy. Woy clearly didn't fancy him, despite signing him 12 months ago. I don't think we ever got a chance to see him flourish for Fulham.

Of course the surprising 'nearly' loan of the window was the return of Brian McBride, with the player and Fulham keen to team up again for a couple of months, but Chicago Fire were unwilling to allow its veteran striker to miss a handful of games at the start of the season. The re-signing of McBride would have given the opportunity to rest Bobby Z, but it seems that we are now waiting on the return of Dio Kamara from injury in order for that to happen.