For the first time I really believe we are an established premiership team. I no longer fear relegation. I expect a top ten finish and Europe is no longer out of the question. Away games are not automatic defeats, and anything but a win at the cottage is disappointing. We no longer rely on 1 or 2 players. We have depth. We score goals and try to play football. We are currently 2 points off 4th place. Big spenders Spurs are 1 point ahead of us and we are ahead of Liverpool and Arsenal. It is a great time to be a Fulham fan
nice sentiment and I sort of agree but things can turn round very fast in football, I am sure you know that too.
I always worry about relgation until it's obvious we are properly clear..... but yes it feels different this season definitely more optimistic!
I have experienced us being poor or close to the relegation zone over the years but if I'm honest I see no way we will finish below 10th, with the quality we have in our squad I think we should be disappointed if we don't finish in the top 8
We've had quite a strong start this season unlike the previous two and seeing as we usually finish strongly, it will be interesting to see where this season takes us, especially as we're more likely to strengthen in January as well.
i spoke a ex ffc legend who asked me where we would finish i said 12th is a good season for us, he said we would finish a bit higher than that, i would say 9th is possible
Agreed. I know we can still snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, but I really think top half finish this year is more than likely.
October, aleady 13 points, 1/3 of the way there. No worries.
reckon teams will stay up with 36 points this year
We have had the best start to a season than we have had for years. But I am still not happy that this squad is good enough not to suffer many injury problems and be dragged into problems later on. So like a few others I will wait until we are sure before being too pleased with the season so far.
When it comes to Fulham, I fear every possibility..
Quote from: JackyFulham90 on October 21, 2012, 09:48:52 PM
I think we should be disappointed if we don't finish in the top 8
I dunno, I think there are eight teams that we wouldn't be remotely embarrassed to finish below. Nine if West Brom continue as they are.
Top 10 is the target. Any more is a bonus.
As a long term Fulham fan optimism is alien to me - BUT I do feel somewhat positive. Just have to wait and see - early days yet.
I'd expect us to stay above the relegation fray and a top 10 finish should be the aim, but I dont expect to finish in the top 10 nor win every home game.
I think the fact that this is our best start for 10 years, that Al Fayed is highlighting this in the Fultime magazine yet we are only 8th shows how poorly we have started in previous years.
As always our focus has to be on getting those 40 points needed for safety.
We now only need 27 points from 30 games but that means nine more wins. Too early for optimistic predictions.
Quote from: FF(C)UK on October 22, 2012, 10:56:29 AM
I think the fact that this is our best start for 10 years, that Al Fayed is highlighting this in the Fultime magazine yet we are only 8th shows how poorly we have started in previous years.
ONLY 8th??
Genuinely not worried at all by relegation.
With the squad we have does anyone really think that 3 from Villa, QPR, Norwich, Southampton, Wigan and Reading will not finish below us? I just can't see it happening
A mid table finish is nice but it would be lovely to see us push on.
Quote from: Enter the Frei on October 22, 2012, 11:44:24 AM
Genuinely not worried at all by relegation.
With the squad we have does anyone really think that 3 from Villa, QPR, Norwich, Southampton, Wigan and Reading will not finish below us? I just can't see it happening
A mid table finish is nice but it would be lovely to see us push on.
At the moment these teams are adrift but expect Villa to climb out of trouble and Norwich have just beaten Arsenal, anything can happen, it would be dangerous to write off the teams that have just had a bad start.
As a long termer, I always view premier league survival as the main goal, and one that can never be taken for granted.
Outside of the top 4 or 5, it is always tight. 3 straight wins or 3 defeats on the trot and you are either fighting for a Europa League spot, or getting dragged in to a relegation scrap.
Having said all that, you can see now the mixture of Jol's tactics, signings, etc. starting to click together and with some exciting prospects coming up from the reserves things are looking quite rosy.
The good news is that we have depth. so much so that it is difficult to pick our starting 11. Also we have 3 or 4 players who have only been with us for a few weeks and need time to blend in. We will get even better
Quote from: filham on October 22, 2012, 11:23:38 AM
As always our focus has to be on getting those 40 points needed for safety.
We now only need 27 points from 30 games but that means nine more wins. Too early for optimistic predictions.
I always look at pts gained and how many games left etc. If we only got 27 in the next 30 then that's bottom two form wise for the rest of the season. Even playing badly we should pick up more than that over 30 games.no way are we a bottom 2 side even in my darkest moods.
Look at QPR 3 pts from 8. To get 40 pts its 37/30 which means they will need to play like a team in 8/9th for the rest of the season to get to 40 pts. I think its going to be tight for them again.
Good way of looking at it MJG
I have tended to think in that perspective after Christmas but the validity of your argument is true no matter the stage of the season
There are a few that sink like a stone. Wimbledon I recall went down when 'safe' in January, Reading at our expense, Birmingham last season) they are the exceptions and also require a Lazarus recovery akin to ours and Wigan's etc.
I always think 40 first then lets see what happens. With our start I hope we will get to 30 before the New Year......17/12
The best thing about our current situation is that we were not huge spenders last window (nor previous years as far as I know), MAF and Jol (and the budget staff) have made a wonderful work finding just the right players to build the squad.
I truly like this model, it is smart and finacially healthy. I do not like to compare but take a look a your neighbords, they are probably knoking their heads against the walls trying to find out what went wrong.
Quote from: St Eve on October 22, 2012, 12:59:25 PM
The good news is that we have depth. so much so that it is difficult to pick our starting 11. Also we have 3 or 4 players who have only been with us for a few weeks and need time to blend in. We will get even better
Injuries to Hangeland and Hughes would immediatlly expose that strength in depth staement and possibly send us spinning downwards out of control.
Quote from: filham on October 22, 2012, 02:22:29 PM
Quote from: St Eve on October 22, 2012, 12:59:25 PM
The good news is that we have depth. so much so that it is difficult to pick our starting 11. Also we have 3 or 4 players who have only been with us for a few weeks and need time to blend in. We will get even better
Injuries to Hangeland and Hughes would immediatlly expose that strength in depth staement and possibly send us spinning downwards out of control.
If any team lost their two starting centre backs there would be problems.
That said, Senderos and Baird could very much do a job in central defence, as well as the fact we could sign up Grygera quite easily for extra cover.
Yea we have more than decent cover in defence... absolutely not worried. That said with everyone fit we don't only have problem with choosing starting 11 but actually with choosing the matchday 18
Quote from: AlFayedsChequebook on October 22, 2012, 02:27:06 PM
Quote from: filham on October 22, 2012, 02:22:29 PM
Quote from: St Eve on October 22, 2012, 12:59:25 PM
The good news is that we have depth. so much so that it is difficult to pick our starting 11. Also we have 3 or 4 players who have only been with us for a few weeks and need time to blend in. We will get even better
Injuries to Hangeland and Hughes would immediatlly expose that strength in depth staement and possibly send us spinning downwards out of control.
If any team lost their two starting centre backs there would be problems.
That said, Senderos and Baird could very much do a job in central defence, as well as the fact we could sign up Grygera quite easily for extra cover.
Exactly. We have adequate cover centrally and in most positions. We just went through a rash of injuries and managed to survive.
Snap, although not completely dismissed the worry about reaching the 40 odd points mark has been pushed right to the back of my mind this season. I feel for the first time at this point of teach season since Tigana left that we will definitely stay up
It is good to see such positive thinking and support for the manager.
Now imagine how bullish we will be next week if we bring 3 points back from Reading.
Quote from: filham on October 22, 2012, 11:23:38 AM
Too early for optimistic predictions.
Now there's a true-blooded Fulham supporter: Never too early for pessimistic predictions, but as for optimistic ones...
