Rigg, Symons and MacKintosh speak

[alfie]

I'm not arguing that we're going to spend a fortune but, I'm curious. For those who believe the interview indicates that we intend to be relatively "cheap" again in the transfer window, wouldn't you think that FFP would have been a common theme in the interview if they were looking to explain away a "cheap" approach to transfers come the Summer?

Surely it is about the right player rather than the expensive player, how many times do we see players that turn up at clubs and you think they will be rubbish because they are cheap and they turn out to be player of the season, Husband/turner/Richards came in on loan because they could not get in their own teams and they done alright, and of course as we well know an expensive player does not equal success.

[ToodlesMcToot]

I'm not arguing that we're going to spend a fortune but, I'm curious. For those who believe the interview indicates that we intend to be relatively "cheap" again in the transfer window, wouldn't you think that FFP would have been a common theme in the interview if they were looking to explain away a "cheap" approach to transfers come the Summer?

sustainability ffp and not risking the long term future were mentioned. plus riggs said we wont pay inflated prices, which says to me he has gone all wenger and thinks he can value other teams players for them.  it also suggets we will only be buying players that other teams are not desperate to keep, which never bodes well in my eyes

I just felt that it would have been more obvious.....the FFP that is.

I think it's just as likely that they're trying to re-enforce the idea that they won't just throw money at the problem, hoping that it fixes itself.

[ToodlesMcToot]

I'm not arguing that we're going to spend a fortune but, I'm curious. For those who believe the interview indicates that we intend to be relatively "cheap" again in the transfer window, wouldn't you think that FFP would have been a common theme in the interview if they were looking to explain away a "cheap" approach to transfers come the Summer?

Surely it is about the right player rather than the expensive player, how many times do we see players that turn up at clubs and you think they will be rubbish because they are cheap and they turn out to be player of the season, Husband/turner/Richards came in on loan because they could not get in their own teams and they done alright, and of course as we well know an expensive player does not equal success.

I agree.

[FPT]

I thought it was an excellent video from a number of stand points, firstly we 'met' Mike Rigg for the first time, and he put himself across excellently; passionately discussing and analysing the plan and the strategy in place. I also can't recall hearing Alistair Mackintosh speak, so it was nice to see him very open as he spoke about the Riverside Expansion and his synergy/partnership with Mike Rigg for the greater good of the football team on the pitch. Sarah Brookes' pushing of questions was intriguing, and I was surprised about how 'aggressive' she was with her question, and the openness of the Bryan Ruiz situation, very much addressing that he doesn't want to be here - of which I found Kit Symons' returned the smash with a cool backhand.

I think the football club is the right hands, but of course it'll take time for it to turn into a well oiled machine. An excellent video by the football club, and along the same lines the 'View from the Gantry' one. Nice and lengthy, in depth discussion that flows with interesting conversation. Compare that to the Marcus Bettinelli video, I think the bloke interviewing was dull which didn't had Marcus looking and sounding bored and awkward. The future of online content for football clubs is along the lines of this video, and the one with Sean Davis and Gentleman Jim; Fulham should look to pioneer in this. I've sidetracked again, you're lucky I stopped myself before going into the vision of 'Fulham FC Online.'

[fulhamben]

I'm not arguing that we're going to spend a fortune but, I'm curious. For those who believe the interview indicates that we intend to be relatively "cheap" again in the transfer window, wouldn't you think that FFP would have been a common theme in the interview if they were looking to explain away a "cheap" approach to transfers come the Summer?

sustainability ffp and not risking the long term future were mentioned. plus riggs said we wont pay inflated prices, which says to me he has gone all wenger and thinks he can value other teams players for them.  it also suggets we will only be buying players that other teams are not desperate to keep, which never bodes well in my eyes

I just felt that it would have been more obvious.....the FFP that is.

I think it's just as likely that they're trying to re-enforce the idea that they won't just throw money at the problem, hoping that it fixes itself.

thats the thing with football though, all the successful teams are normally the ones who spend the money. we tried the cheap options for the last few years and look where that got us.  kit has said he will protect the youngsters so thats not an option, plus he is hardly the manager to get a team to over achieve. so pray tell just how are they planning a top 6 finish with no serious investment and a manager who struggled last season?

[ToodlesMcToot]

I'm not arguing that we're going to spend a fortune but, I'm curious. For those who believe the interview indicates that we intend to be relatively "cheap" again in the transfer window, wouldn't you think that FFP would have been a common theme in the interview if they were looking to explain away a "cheap" approach to transfers come the Summer?

sustainability ffp and not risking the long term future were mentioned. plus riggs said we wont pay inflated prices, which says to me he has gone all wenger and thinks he can value other teams players for them.  it also suggets we will only be buying players that other teams are not desperate to keep, which never bodes well in my eyes

I just felt that it would have been more obvious.....the FFP that is.

I think it's just as likely that they're trying to re-enforce the idea that they won't just throw money at the problem, hoping that it fixes itself.

thats the thing with football though, all the successful teams are normally the ones who spend the money. we tried the cheap options for the last few years and look where that got us.  kit has said he will protect the youngsters so thats not an option, plus he is hardly the manager to get a team to over achieve. so pray tell just how are they planning a top 6 finish with no serious investment and a manager who struggled last season?

I think we chose poorly on those cheap options but, that's just me.

As for how we achieve a promotion place, you got me. I'm waiting to see if the club can pull off something inspirational, either in the form of one or two signings or in the form of the collective group of signings. Kit's going to need a lot of help on and off the field.

[colinwhite]

This was a vey good move by the club and there has obviously been concern at the frustrations that we the fans have been feeling. I have been of the opinion since the end of the season that this was needed.
Now lets hope they can deliver . Its going to be very interesting .
COME ON YOU WHITES!!!

[filham]

So the three of them are working hard on their master plan which is not yet fully in place. They need to get a move on to enable the next stage of putting a team together to commence, essential we sign three or four top notch players and have a team in place in the next two months.

There seemed no sense of urgency from the trio, rather the message was let's not panic, and I sense we could again be left to pick up left overs at the end of the transfer window.

[fulhamben]

So the three of them are working hard on their master plan which is not yet fully in place. They need to get a move on to enable the next stage of putting a team together to commence, essential we sign three or four top notch players and have a team in place in the next two months.

There seemed no sense of urgency from the trio, rather the message was let's not panic, and I sense we could again be left to pick up left overs at the end of the transfer window.

think we need more than 3 or four. of our remaining squad, ruling out our returning loaness, can you see anyone other thans betts lvc and ross as good enough to get us in the top 6?

[HatterDon]

I thought it was a good interview -- perhaps the best bit of video I've seen from the club.

I know many will not like the fact that Kit continues to be in charge. Those who do and who are hoping that a slow break out of the starting box will fulfill their fondest hopes -- Kit fired and Anybody Else But Kit hired. I don't think that's going to happen. What I saw was a firm commitment to establish stability in the club -- starting with ownership and the front office. Barring illness, the three gents in the video and the owner will all still be working as a team at the next of next may -- REGARDLESS of where we are in the table.

Will the club be better in defense and more varied in attack? YES. Why? Because Rigg isn't an idiot who will bring in players whose skill sets are counter to what we need to make the squad more complete. Also, because Kit isn't an idiot who doesn't know how to coach, motivate, plan. There will be acquisitions in the summer to make the club stronger and those acquisitions will help Kit put the kind of football he wants to play out there. Who will we sign? I haven't a clue. And, face it, neither does anyone else -- including the press.

Finally, we have a club that has a long-term vision. Under MAF, everything was about cutting down long-term expenditures to make the club more financially accessible for foreign billionaires. It was his club and our history is totally different without him, so good for him. Khan bought low to build something significant. Everything he will do from this time forward -- from hiring Rigg, actually -- will be about making the club stronger and more successful. Will it work? Perhaps. There's SO many more obstacles now that we're no longer in the Prem. Will it happen well enough to satisfy "the majority on this site?" Naw.

I predict that regardless of how many and how talented plaers we sign, how attractive or effective our performances on the pitch turn out to be, we'll still be inundated with "Khan doesn't know anything about football/doesn't care about Fulham/doesn't care about the fans," and "Kit is incapable/could be replaced by anybody's granny" all season long. This I'm sure of. Because whether the team has made a significant turn down the road, Friends of Fulham certainly has. The negatives are in the drivers seat -- perhaps forever. Thankfully, Friends of Fulham isn't Fulham. I LIKE the way Fulham are looking at the future.

[colinwhite]

Come on hatter ,get off your soapbox for gods sake , its not only incorrect what you are saying ,it is also pretty boring . Most fans on her want ,like you ,the best for the club .I for one would much rather be wrong and it go well for the club that the other way  round . If Kit doesn't get the results our aims and expectations demand then he will go . Hopefully he will get things right , sort out our problem defense and we will take the championship by storm next year. Time to be positive even when it comes to your fellow Fulham fans on this forum or otherwise .

[Nick Bateman]

I liked the part where Alistair Mackintosh made his current itinerary sound more important, " I have a system to catergorise different sizes of paper clips into the correct cubbyhole, which will save time in the long run when I ask Dorothy for a number 2."

[rogerpbackinMidEastUS]

A very good 'interview' no doubt the questions were approved prior to the chat, but I'm more comfortable with a few things.
One thing I would have liked Kit to say would have been.
"The diamond has gone, we'll have winger/s and play at good tempo, a bit of inter-passing, the occasional hump up field, mix it up a bit dependent upon who we're playing........but, definitely
no diamond"

One thing about buying a bit of the Thames. which part ?
By the time that interview was over, that bit could well be in Maidenhead or Southend

Plus, what to do about the old fridge freezers, Tesco shopping carts and the odd "floater"  ?

[YankeeJim]

Having sat in many a meeting, I learned to see who had their tail in the air. Like dogs or cats, the boss has the highest tail. The fact that Rigg on several occasions spoke up and added to what both Kit & Ali had to say, gave me the impression that Rigg is in charge & will have the final say among these three. Kit looked nervous and as if he was looking for approval. He did this by leaning back and grinning a lot. Ali Mack seemed a bit chastised. He kept hitting the table and looked down a lot.
So:
Good news about the new stand.
Expected comments about spending. They could hardly say we'll spend a lot, now could they?
Khan is involved & in charge.
If we lose money, Ali Mack is gone.
If we get far from the top six, Kit is gone.

Also, is it just me or does Rigg look like he's got a finger stuck in a wall socket? That wide eyed look was a bit odd.  :005:  

[Southcoastffc]

I think Rigg is very clearly the biggest cheese amongst those 3.  I would not want to cross him.  Probably is just the kind of mean so and so that we need right now.

[nose]

i just watched the interview again and i am now far less confident than before...this was an excersise in saying kit is the man...a vote of confidence so to speak
all the 'this is a joint effort' rubbish means that apparently nobody is in sole charge of deciding who comes and who goes
it is a 'process' driven bit of PR that suggests to me we have a long wait in the championship before being relegated again.... we could go down sooner
i know come the first day of the season i will believe we can do well but the truth is they said we will not be getting any decent players of the correct quality..... and i suspect come november we will have a new manager because kit will be managing with one hand tied behind his back

Apparently, according to the intertview, the chairman is always at motspur park, you could be forgiven for believing the players training was regularly interupted by falling over him ..... shame he never made it to the game more than a couple of times and then didn't stay to the end.

and foir my fans that say there are many succesful organisations with stay away owners, i agree there are, but i never heard of an unsuccesful business being turned around unless the head man showed up occasionaly!

We are in big trouble and i will wait to be amazed to be proved wrong....  i am sorry to be so negative so close to my  3000 post which i am hoping will be a rip roaring firecracker.....  i am certain kit is not the problem, i think it is genuinely lack of leadership that is at issue.

[Chesh]

I've read a lot about this interview from the overly positive to the glass still empty view.

Having just seen it myself, I am more optimistic than this time yesterday.

Yes, I would have preferred to have a new manager in to take us forward in a different way to last season, but now Kit is staying, nothing would make me happier for him to make steady improvements throughout the season (not expecting to win every game), and end up in the top 6.

I am looking on the bright side and hope that with a better structure in place, better players (by far hopefully), and time to prepare for a new season he might just turn it around. Not saying he will, but really hoping he does, as a new manager 10 games in would mean we are back in the doo doo.

The real good thing I got from it though was the over-riding sense of unity, and the indication of long term commitment from the owner in relation to the club as a whole and the ground.

It is good to know that we have the financial backing to support whatever short and long term playing decisions are made by Rigg, without the hype of saying we'll spend whatever it takes to get 'so and so' player.

In a way it's good to have the manager speculation put to bed one way or the other, and I look forward to a summer of building this club back up again from a solid, unified base.

:wine:  049:gif  082.gif

[rubbernecca]

If this were a job interview:

Riggs: Confident, sounds like he knows what he's doing, clearly the guy in charge but also respectful of the others. You're hired.

Kit: Glaring at Riggs with obvious contempt and leaning back in his chair as if he's above this - body language completely at odds with his accommodating friendly talk. Starts to bray when Sarah asks about why many fans want to him to step down. Not impressed, wouldn't ask him back.

Ali Mac: Very nervous, can't see him in a leadership role.  This may be unfair as he has big shoes to fill - David McNally hired Roy and then went off to save Norwich with the gutsy hire of Alex Neil while Ali hired Magath. What are you doing here?!

[Woolly Mammoth]

On the face of it, I liked what I heard. Sarah posed a number of searching questions, which I would imagine we would all liked to have asked.
I was impressed with Mike Rigg, he was the most assertive, and was willing to say more than he needed to, to get his point across, and I liked that. Alistair answered as well as he could, he could not have said much more.
As for Kit, he looked a little overwhelmed, and slightly uncomfortable, with his grin, but I think that's his manner, and his persona.
It may have been a little rehearsed, but it has to be to a certain extent, to ensure all questions are answered fully, and to give the three of them an opportunity to state their case. Regarding on and off the pitch issues. 
Still not convinced about Kits leadership skills, but hey, let's wait and see how it all pans out. I feel a little more comfortable with them, especially with what Mike Rigg had to say.
The next two months will be intriguing, and the activities will be watched very closely by all of us I am sure.

Kit looked a bit like someone who found out his job was safe about 5 minutes before the interview and hadn't quite got his head around it yet.

Yes your right he did look a little like that. I hope he is still grinning for the right reasons this time next year,  for both his sake and ours.

[Fernhurst]

Come on hatter ,get off your soapbox for gods sake , its not only incorrect what you are saying ,it is also pretty boring . Most fans on her want ,like you ,the best for the club .I for one would much rather be wrong and it go well for the club that the other way  round . If Kit doesn't get the results our aims and expectations demand then he will go . Hopefully he will get things right , sort out our problem defense and we will take the championship by storm next year. Time to be positive even when it comes to your fellow Fulham fans on this forum or otherwise .

Oh Colin, so wrong to tell anyone to get off an imaginary soapbox after the hundreds of over wordy aggressive posts by yourself and others. The procession of boring posts repeating the same mantra with incredible belief your view is so much more valid than any other has changed the nature of this message board.
This video seems to have unsettled you and your fellow naysayers by not leaving enough room to get negative about.

Refreshing,uplifting and truthful, and to true fans of Fulham a verification of trust in the way forward.

We all want a successful club (and nobody has to point out the ramifications of a poor start) but if the openness and cooperation demonstrated continues then we can all look forward to next season.