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Cottage Talk Exclusive Interview With Tony Khan

Started by Russ Goldman, March 04, 2017, 12:39:07 AM

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Russ Goldman

Hi Everyone,

This is a special episode as we interviewed Tony Khan who is Vice Chairman and Director Of Football Operations for Fulham Football Club. At the end of the episode, we previewed the upcoming match for Fulham against Preston North End.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/cottagetalk/2017/03/04/cottage-talk-exclusive-interview-with-tony-khan


FulhamStu

Fantastic interview.  Fasinated by some of the stuff, Cairney recruited by Shahid, Slav will stay longer than 2 years, Riverside development WILL happen and much much more.  Every Fulham fan has to listen to this, very open uplifting and probably the most open I have ever heard a Fulham leader in the history of the club.  Well done Russ Goldman.


RaySmith

You've  said it all Stu-great interview.
Thanks Russ.

grandad

Great interview. Tony Khan came over very honest & enthuiastic. Lets hope this interview is listened to by the very few Khan bashers who don´t appreciate what the Khans are trying to do.
Where there's a will there's a wife

bill taylors apprentice

#5
Quote from: grandad on March 04, 2017, 08:52:13 AM
Great interview. Tony Khan came over very honest & enthuiastic. Lets hope this interview is listened to by the very few Khan bashers who don´t appreciate what the Khans are trying to do.

I haven't listened yet but will do, but the so called "Khan bashers" have more evidence (perceived or otherwise) of failure than anything the "Pro Khan" brigade can until recently.

Even if the shambles we have all seen was done in good faith it was still a shambles, right!

Having said all that, there does seem to be a new wind blowing and I'm happy to give them another chance.


toshes mate

Some interesting stuff.  It's always good to hear commitment and positivity and Tony Khan gives us a glimpse of the possibilities that can be made to happen when you have the right team running a football club.  Especially good to know of the high regard Fulham hold for SJ both before and after his arrival.  It all sounds promising.   

Twig

Quote from: grandad on March 04, 2017, 08:52:13 AM
Great interview. Tony Khan came over very honest & enthuiastic. Lets hope this interview is listened to by the very few Khan bashers who don´t appreciate what the Khans are trying to do.
Great interview but as to your Khan Bashers comment, yawn.

Woolly Mammoth

Quote from: grandad on March 04, 2017, 08:52:13 AM
Great interview. Tony Khan came over very honest & enthuiastic. Lets hope this interview is listened to by the very few Khan bashers who don´t appreciate what the Khans are trying to do.

There were more than a few grandad. So let's not do a Peter Mandelson here. Forgetting about the interview for a brief moment. Prior to this interview, please tell me exactly what your thoughts were and what you appreciate what the Khans are trying to do, and please don't look at your notes. Try explaining it from the top of your head.
Its not the man in the fight, it's the fight in the man.  🐘

Never forget your Roots.


Russ Goldman

Hi Everyone.

Thank you for your feedback on the interview as I think it was important to have a lengthy discussion with him. I hope you got something out of it.

Russ

e4b


General

In fairness our clubs failings up until now has been because the Khans had NO clue about Fulham or football before they bought the club and in many ways no interest (as Tony said) and that has grown and shown, so has their interest and investment. Slavisa was the stabilising influence we need so hopefully now it'll be onwards and upwards.


grandad

Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on March 04, 2017, 10:35:20 AM
Quote from: grandad on March 04, 2017, 08:52:13 AM
Great interview. Tony Khan came over very honest & enthuiastic. Lets hope this interview is listened to by the very few Khan bashers who don´t appreciate what the Khans are trying to do.

There were more than a few grandad. So let's not do a Peter Mandelson here. Forgetting about the interview for a brief moment. Prior to this interview, please tell me exactly what your thoughts were and what you appreciate what the Khans are trying to do, and please don't look at your notes. Try explaining it from the top of your head.

They are trying to build our great club up again after the unholy mess they inherited. A far harder & longer job than the previous owner had. I feel more confident of the future of the Club. It is not just a plaything. Just enjoy the march onwards & upwards.
Where there's a will there's a wife

Jonnoj

It's a great interview thanks Russ.
Whatever doubts anyone may still have at least they're now engaging with the fans and openly discussing what's happening.
I do think it's a rather favourable cherry picking of the good business but overall really good to hear.
Proof's in the pudding and all that but I'm more hopeful now than for some while.

bill taylors apprentice

Quote from: grandad on March 04, 2017, 11:15:16 AM
Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on March 04, 2017, 10:35:20 AM
Quote from: grandad on March 04, 2017, 08:52:13 AM
Great interview. Tony Khan came over very honest & enthuiastic. Lets hope this interview is listened to by the very few Khan bashers who don´t appreciate what the Khans are trying to do.

There were more than a few grandad. So let's not do a Peter Mandelson here. Forgetting about the interview for a brief moment. Prior to this interview, please tell me exactly what your thoughts were and what you appreciate what the Khans are trying to do, and please don't look at your notes. Try explaining it from the top of your head.

They are trying to build our great club up again after the unholy mess they inherited. A far harder & longer job than the previous owner had. I feel more confident of the future of the Club. It is not just a plaything. Just enjoy the march onwards & upwards.

I know you will not be swayed in your view on how the new owner handled the club after buying it but yet again your selective memory is astonishing!

I join you in enjoying the "march onwards and upwards" but I'm also sure there are many who will continue to be circumspect until further notice.


toshes mate

Quote from: Statto on March 04, 2017, 11:00:07 AM
It's good to get such a lengthy and wide-ranging interview. Good questions. But his answers are a bit hit and miss for me.
Jury's still out for me overall.

I've taken the liberty to shorten your post but the overall content echos my misgivings (as an example I found the answer to the January window question a sidestep rather than a full on attempt to explain what happened and why i.e. what the Club have learned from it).  I take a lot of things with a pinch of salt (it is probably my age) and I am glad to know you do too.   The jury is definitely still out and all Fulham supporters would be wise to understand why.

General

I know this may be rebuffed, but does anyone have the opinion that he told a lot but little of consequence?

Having listened I can't help but he gave his own personal stance on the club, which is great because of the position he holds in the club but also with his father being the owner, but there wasn't much tangible there?

He gave reassurances about the Riverside stand - which sounds great - but little to no detail about any aspect of it aside from enthusiasm for it happening at some point as a commitment... I know the support for the development in some capacity will appease people for now, but if we don't hear concrete information or steps it's only going to subdue you for a while before you get aggrivated by it not having happened for what will amount to an ever increasing period of time.

He didn't really give a lot more input re what we already know regarding Martin - a very capable footballer, but he hasn't been playing for the club recently which to me suggests things aren't ok still.

He alluded to Moussa Dembele being let go on the cheap and being an issue with the previous ownership/management but hasn't Ali Mac been here since Moussa Signed? Why didn't they change things when they came in, they had 2 years to do so... the other perspective that wasn't given which I assume he didn't know was whether Moussa would've signed for us if we hadn't offered him the terms/contract we offered him.

Then, again it's great to hear that he wants us to be successful, which fan doesn't want to hear that, but whilst he articulated his vision including us being back in the premier league he didn't really articulate what success for us in the premiership counts for. This isn't a moan, I think the ambition to get us back in the premiership is good, Slav hopefully staying on longer if he is successful is great but It is an observation and a truth to a degree.

Do they want to build the clubs fan base and how? Is there ambition to create a bigger stadium, or develop other stands as well as the Riverside to allow us to get the income to be sustainable at the top end of the league? Is the focus going to allow us to be Cup focused so we win some silverware?

January he and the interviewers skipped. He talked about the positives a lot, but I like to know people have their beliefs and accountability in what didn't work out too... January as a transfer window was poor. We kept good players, but we didn't do anything significant. Cyriac is on the bench, Pestos has been on the bench and injured.. he heralded his approach to recruitment and saying it's worked.. The summer was good admittedly, but one window isn't that impressive if not sustained.

I do think Shahid isn't stingy with his money which is a breath of fresh air as those limits seem non-existent if we get to a competitive place again in the premiership, we could see £25 - perhaps even £40 million windows but It would have been nice to have him appease us with plans and strategy instead of just top lines.

That said, it seems that the both of the Khans and the senior management of the club get fan engagement which should be encouraged.

keith



Holders

Some good questions but I thought some of the answers could have been probed a little more. Some good points were made after the interview that would have been well put to Khan.

He certainly seemed obliquely critical of Rigg. Presume that the allusion to legal action is aimed at Derby.



Non sumus statione ferriviaria

BedsFFC

Well done Russ.

The little bits I've seen and heard of Tony, I like.

Nothing I have seen from his father has suggested to me that his heart isn't in the right place for FFC. They made mistakes and will almost certainly make more.
I have said before that I found most of the anti-"input your choice" on here by the usual names really tiresome. I usually don't read their posts anymore. I don't need negativity in my life, especially with my football club (my escape).

The one thing I assumed that Kit would have done well with was our youth, it appears he has a bit to answer for on that basis.

Good feeling about the place. Getting into play-offs would be a major bonus this season. A season I have enjoyed more than probably the last 5. I think we are definitely a club building for the future and I would say next season is maybe where we start really taking off.

I have heard people saying things like "season over if we lose". I don't feel like that at all. The team feels like about 60% there and one of my favourite manager's completely on board with the club.