Article in the Times tomorrow apparently on how we plotted our way back.
Any snippets to share? Link?
I guess that Step One was convincing Mitrovic to stay.
"Masterminded" seems generous. We benefited from a small wage bill coming down because of how many loan signings we relied on in 18-19, which was perhaps an error in itself given how disappointing they all were.
We shifted some deadwood off on loan to generate space to bring in new players - but again if these signings had the right attitude they could have played a part in the campaign.
We signed three attacking players at the absolute peak of their market value (for more than it cost for Brentford to assemble their entire team), all of whom are skillful but flatter to deceive, made possible in part because we were required to sell our most valuable asset for a lower fee than we otherwise would have received, because we allowed him to enter the final year of his contract instead of negotiating a new deal in the summer of 2018.
And we were pretty average up to January when a player we ought to have had available in August was finally eligible to play.
Tony Khan: 'We don't need to spend £100m again – Fulham have the squad to stay up'
by Dan | Aug 10, 2020 | Uncategorized | 7 comments
Fulham director of football Tony Khan says he won't be splashing the cash this summer and backs his squad, with a few sensible additions, to be strong enough to stay in the Premier League.
Khan, speaking in an interview with the Times' football correspondent Alyson Rudd, feels that some of the additions made over the course of this past season will prove pivotal in the months ahead. He also says that the club's statistically-based transfer model will remain in place, praising manager Scott Parker's 'proactive' approach to recruitment and rules out a Craven Cottage return for Tottenham winger Ryan Sessegnon.
Following Fulham's dramatic play-off final win over Brentford in extra time last week, Parker was quick to admit the club needed to learn lessons from their last promotion, when a summer of free spending disrupted the harmony of a tight-knit dressing room. Khan feels Fulham's decisions to trigger the options to turn loan deals for Bobby Decordova-Reid, Anthony Knockaert and Ivan Cavaleiro leave the club handily placed – even though there is only a month to go until the start of the new season.
"We won't spend £100m again, I don't think we need to. The best players we bought are still with us. I feel better about the club, it's not as if we have to build again. I have already exercised most of options on loan payers and I expect the squad to look very similar to the one that got promoted."
"The investment we made was a big reason we got promoted. I hope we can be more competitive this time. We spent on the future. I am very happy with the players I bought in the summer of 2018. If we didn't have camaraderie then, we have it now. We didn't stay up but Mitro and Bryan were key to us getting back up."
Khan highlights the importance of signing Michael Hector from Chelsea, a deal that was completed last summer, even if a delay in processing the paperwork following Sessegnon's switch to Spurs meant the commanding centre half couldn't actually make his debut until January.
"I needed to get that deal across the line. I didn't have the money to make the bid until right before the deadline. I'd really wanted Michael the whole season but because of FFP I had to be careful. I spoke to Marina [Granovskaia, the Chelsea director] and told her we'd try to get the paperwork done before the deadline, but we weren't able to."
"I couldn't get past this thought: 'what if Michael makes a huge difference and we fall just short?,' then I'll always wonder what would have happened if we had been able to get him in sooner. A part of me was very scared we'd fall short at the end. I knew he was going to be an important player, but I didn't feel comfortable paying the fee until Ryan's deal had balanced the books."
Khan also revealed that both Andre-Franck Zambo Anguissa and Jean Michael Seri, big money signings last year who spent this season on loan at foreign clubs, will return to Fulham for pre-season and could play a part in the Whites' Premier League campaign.
"I love both players. The plan now is for them both to return to train with us in a couple of weeks. If the right bid came in, I'd have to consider it but right now they're aiming to come back to Fulham. Zambo is under contract for three more years and I believe in him. They like him a lot in Spain. Nobody is going to get Frank cheap. He's a great asset."
The Fulham vice-chairman also revealed that a lengthy Zoom call with Parker before the play-off final largely focused on how to use Aboubakar Kamara in the absence of Aleksandar Mitrovic, who was recovering from an untimely hamstring injury.
"The call was about tactics and players and how to deploy them. A lot of it was about Abou, who played as a striker in France and was a striker when he signed for Fulham and then we fell into this dilemma when we signed Mitrovic and we started playing him on the wrong. One thing we talked about at length was Abou and Scott agreed with me and he used Abou as a striker. He was one of our heroes at Wembley."
Khan described Fulham's 'two-boxes' ticked approach to recruitment as 'collaborative' and insisted that it would remain in place.
"The process is not changing. Of all the managers we have had, Scott is the most proactive about coming to meetings. It is a collaborative process and Scott has a lot of input. If I send him a long list of players, he researches them all."
He also confirmed that Fulham were keen to activate the £8m clause in Harrison Reid's loan deal that would secure a permanent move for the combative midfielder from Southampton. Such was Reed's influence in the midfielder over the second half of the season that the news will be warmly welcomed by the Fulham faithful.
"I'm working on it. I have an option to buy and I think he does want to stay."
Khan bluntly shut down any prospect of Sessegnon, who broke into the Fulham first team as a teenager to such dramatic effect, returning to his boyhood club,
"I am not not interested. Ryan already played for us in the Premier League and he didn't do enough to keep us in there. We get two [Premier League] loans and I can't be in the business of developing other people's players when they don't have time to play them. In my statistical system, I actually rated Josh [Onomah] equally with Sessegnon."
https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/08/tony-khan-we-dont-need-to-spend-100m-again-fulham-have-the-squad-to-stay-up/
I love the Khans and have not uttered anything derogatory against them but it concerns me when a complete novice at football calls the manager and discusses tactics and the use of a striker. I get that the Khans own the club and it is their millions being pumped in but apart from getting Scott's ideas on tactics, that is all the call should be about. Tony Khan has never played the game, will never fully understand it so leave the technical stuff to those that do. The comments about Scott agreeing with him as if he is some sort of authority on footballing knowledge is somewhat concerning and worrying. Khan senior previously said something to the effect of giving the manager / coach the tools and holding them accountable. This, in my opinion, is a much more sensible approach.
That is it then, we are getting Scott Parker for the EPL.
I will respect the decision, stand by him and as usual not panic mid-season if everything seems to go south:)
Next, there will hardly be any new faces. I am not too keen about this but totally understandable in this bad economic climate. Hopefully at least one more big impact player.
Quote from: Motspur Park on August 11, 2020, 07:45:02 AM
I love the Khans and have not uttered anything derogatory against them but it concerns me when a complete novice at football calls the manager and discusses tactics and the use of a striker. I get that the Khans own the club and it is their millions being pumped in but apart from getting Scott's ideas on tactics, that is all the call should be about. Tony Khan has never played the game, will never fully understand it so leave the technical stuff to those that do. The comments about Scott agreeing with him as if he is some sort of authority on footballing knowledge is somewhat concerning and worrying. Khan senior previously said something to the effect of giving the manager / coach the tools and holding them accountable. This, in my opinion, is a much more sensible approach.
Agreed
Really thought TK was starting to improve this year
But as observed on other threads, there's a lot wrong with this interview
Ansokute car crash really
A very worrying interview
You would have thought that TK's PR team would have toned this sort of stuff down
What an attitude from a man with no knowledge of English football whatsoever other than his Dad having the brains to earn billions
The players and SP must have some very odd views on their owners after reading this boasting load of tosh
I don't want Serri or Aquissa back thank you very much. :031:
Khan Jnr really is full of his own self importance, he can'thelp himself when it comes to blowing his own trumpet!
He's probably not done a proper days work in his life and thinks playing the big shot sports director with his dads money gives him an authority in a sport he really knows little about.
Having said all that he does seem to be learning from his errors along the way and when you look around at many, many other clubs we are in a very envious position regards our owners.
If SP has found a way of working with him that others haven't and this keeps his ego massaged I can put up with these kind of statements.
As for Serri & Zambo, the talk about them returning is just good salesmanship, I hope.
Well that as put the lid on any return of Sessegnon rumours !
Interestingly this article totally contradicts the previous Times article by Gary Jacob on the 6th August which stated :
New Contract will give SP greater control over transfer business
Fulham have asked Spurs about bringing back Sessegnon
Fulham will try to offload Anguissa
Quote from: Motspur Park on August 11, 2020, 07:45:02 AM
I love the Khans and have not uttered anything derogatory against them but it concerns me when a complete novice at football calls the manager and discusses tactics and the use of a striker. I get that the Khans own the club and it is their millions being pumped in but apart from getting Scott's ideas on tactics, that is all the call should be about. Tony Khan has never played the game, will never fully understand it so leave the technical stuff to those that do. The comments about Scott agreeing with him as if he is some sort of authority on footballing knowledge is somewhat concerning and worrying. Khan senior previously said something to the effect of giving the manager / coach the tools and holding them accountable. This, in my opinion, is a much more sensible approach.
I agree with what you say. Just shows what an arrogant little boy Khan Junior is. D of F don't make me laugh, and his disrespectful comments about Ryan Sess tells you more about the owners son than Ryan Sess who has always been a dignified player for Fulham, I know which one of the two I would have chosen to keep.
I wouldn't read too much into this,think Khan junior is putting up a defensive wall for his back,knowing that cock up signings again and Dad might give him the heave ho.
Also the Hammy End in the past have been known to kind off change slightly the wording of articles they've picked up from The Times etc.
As been said by someone else,Scotty wants more transfer input before he signs a new contract,and if he wanted Sess back for instance,I think he would press for that very hard,regardless what Khan jnr has supposed to have said... I'll wait and see before any judgement.
Quote from: bill taylors apprentice on August 11, 2020, 08:37:53 AM
Khan Jnr really is full of his own self importance, he can'thelp himself when it comes to blowing his own trumpet!
He really does use "I" in that interview an awful lot, compared to most club directors who would almost certainly us "we" when describing actions taken by the club. In other people I would think that's ego driving it but in Tony's case I think it's insecurity and a desire for validation. It won't be the toughest life being the son of a self-made billionaire but it probably presents its own psychological challenges.
Also when he talks about how we won't spend £100m again, it's because we can't. We are still amortising 18/19's transfers and they are as big a financial commitment this season as they were then (about £24m a year) because we couldn't shift any of them when we were relegated. Plus we have a chunk of the £30-40m we spent buying three attacking midfielders on top of that. From an accountant's perspective, what promotion has given us is two invaluable extra years of runway to pay off 2018's disastrous transfers.
Quote from: Gezza on August 11, 2020, 08:51:43 AM
Well that as put the lid on any return of Sessegnon rumours !
No it hasn't, it he says 'I'm not not interested' - implying he would be open to having him back.. what he's saying is he's not interested in taking him on loan.
Re Khan - I've reserved judgement on him but tend to be a critic of his and thought he may have been turning a page, but this squad needs investment - we looked blunt last season and the players he bought in weren't getting proper game time for their parent clubs when we signed them (all of which were in the premier league at the time), so I'd be suprised if they were going to be good enough for us moving forward. I don't think Parker listened to TK's advice and therefore changed the gameplan - which is what he's alluding to when he says it was his idea - the fact that he says it though is a concern, as his role doesn't include attempting to manage the team or even interfering with the management. I thought this process would've grounded him in some human way, but he's still stuck on the statistics - head in the clouds.
I really wish Javier Pereira would just take the DOF role off him. Hopefully that's what he's in the process of doing. We need someone sensible who knows football.
Quote from: bog on August 11, 2020, 08:30:02 AM
I don't want Serri or Aquissa back thank you very much. :031:
Thing is, if TK said he wants to off load them he'll have just managed to reduce their price.
Anguissa might have something to offer us but Seri's far too light weight, I dont believe he's done great during his loan either.
Once again get the impression that Tony has made this interview just as much about himself as he has Fulham as others have pointed out, though I do agree with almost everything he's said.
There was a picture of him doing the rounds the other week where he's blatantly had one of his arms photoshopped to appear large & muscly.
Quote from: MikeTheCubed on August 11, 2020, 10:18:17 AM
Once again get the impression that Tony has made this interview just as much about himself as he has Fulham as others have pointed out, though I do agree with almost everything he's said.
There was a picture of him doing the rounds the other week where he's blatantly had one of his arms photoshopped to appear large & muscly.
Please find and post it 064.gif 064.gif 064.gif
Think TK is kind of person that would claim an idea as his own. Probably on a zoom with Scott and his dad as says how's mitro will he be fit, if not who we going ul top with Bobby or Ak we signed AK as a forward. Scott yes he out the final with Mitro out I looking at using AK for x y and z reasons. TK so you agree with me awesome hi five.
If you read SK open letter im sure it would have been the same meeting and listening to what SK said Scott was in control of everything but is interested on what the plans are see them in action and know he has a person in charge he can trust. Tk is more like scrappy doo butting in trying to look like he knows what he's doing
Interesting.....think it would have been better, if he had not done this interview, he's made Mr Parker a target for a few other team's.... don't really need these distractions
Quote from: bog on August 11, 2020, 08:30:02 AM
I don't want Serri or Aquissa back thank you very much. :031:
Agree, they would not do as good a job as Cairney and Reed and would in no way help team spirit.
Mr TK does rather overuse the personal pronoun and the blase self (-over?) confidence of a billionaire's son can be a bit grating. He's a bit more experienced in football matters than he once was, of course, but, as has been said, has no practical football playing experience - but then not many owners have.
I found the article quite encouraging.
"No spending £100m..." I interpret as acknowldgement of the errors made last time.
Although the Ryan Sessegnon remarks seemed a bit roughly expressed, I agree totally with the sentiments expressed about loans in general. The big difference between Ryan and others who also 'failed to keep us up' is that Ryan no longer works for us.
The Seri and Anguissa cases are, although often linked in comments, are rather different.
Seri started promisingly for us but soon faded away to disappointment and Galatasary. He seems to have made, at best, a marginal impact in a very disappointing season for Galatasary and, presumably, they are not falling over themselves to retain him. His value to us remains questionable. TK's remarks might be interpreted as meaning we are trying to offload him.
Anguissa started slowly with us but impressed in the end. He has had a really excellent season with Villareal; has been recognised as one of the best players of his type in La Liga. Presumably an option to buy was in place but it is only a lack of cash that prevents Villareal from meeting the agreed figure. He is a young player who could be of immense benefit to us if he adapts to PL conditions.
Saw a Fulham fan ask him about the interview on twitter, and he partially apologised and said he'd been misquoted on the Parker tactics thing, so I'd take the arrogance with a pinch of salt personally
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The big issue for me was seri and anguissa.
I know that their return would be a massive error of judgement. best to cut his losses and get rid ASAP.
I know there is a line of thought that says anguisa played better at the back end of the season and maybe he did but that really isn't saying much. He won MoM awards, that too wasn't saying much. All I iknow is he is lazy and in no match i saw was I overwhelmed with his work ethic or desire to play as part of the team, none of that will have changed.
TK said we do not need to spend the big bucks this time. I think he is wrong. We need to spend plenty but need to be sure we get the right players this time. What we did last summer was better than before but the hector debacle continues to show he is not a professional. Hector was the first player we needed to secure and secure him we should have.
I am pleased to hear that TK is tryiung to refer to the squad as a squad and not a rosta and for me that shows he is trying very hard to embrace the support base using english venacular and I am grateful (so will forgive the odd slip).
But in the end he will surely be judged on what he actually does. He must know the squad is not prem ready. we need new blood. seri and anguisa will not do. We need a full back or possibly two a central defender a big ugly central midfielder and a back up striker... just like last time really.... I hope he has learned and we at least take a step forward.
Certainly changes the meaning and definition of the word Mastermind in the English, Oxford, Collins Dictionary's.
When Parker talks about the deep wounds, scars, and fall out from the Wembley Final 2018 onwards that has to include not just the obvious rejection of the players who got us promoted, but the grooming of Ranieri while Jokanovic was still around, the debasement of R Sessegnon and A Kamara for really fickle reasons, and just the general sense of depression and disbelief about how that PL season panned out. Parker, to his credit, has stuck around and has found a brief ledge of success that promotion offers at his first attempt but he reminds us, in all those celebratory moments, the hard work still lies ahead as it always does. He is going to go again, knowing it will probably not get any easier, and that takes courage.
In comparison TK is a bit player who probably wouldn't be anywhere near Motspur Park if it wasn't for accidents of birth. He struggles for affirmation rather than playing a bit of a blinder from time to time by doing something that we can really cherish him for. He'd get more for his efforts by watching Josh Onomah demonstrate to anyone watching that he has the potential to score wonder goals (probably goal of the season material alongside Joe Bryan) and that if he can learn from that experience he may have a very rich future ahead of him by repeating it often enough.
How about a whip-round to buy a soap box for TK to stand on at Speaker's Corner on Sunday? He can thrill the crowds there with his flowing rhetoric and thorough knowledge of football, safely distanced from SP and the coaching team who are growing into the wonderful opportunity that their input has given to the club.
Looks like TK thought spending big last time would do the trick and now thinks spending nothing this time and relying on team spirit will do it.
If so, in two year's time I think we will be looking at our third promotion in five years by when hopefully he will have learnt that spending significantly is essential when you join the Prem. but spending it wisely, on players the manager positively wants to strengthen positions where we are plainly weakest is the right approach.
I, for one, hope that Seri and Frank stay with the club. That way all those who love to hate on Fulham players will give Reim a rest.
Agree with Nero and Oakeshott
TK tried to take credit for the Cairney signing (but none of the other much less successful signings by Rigg around the same ytime) in an interview years ago
Someone needs to put him in touch with the PR people who draft his dad's regular statements to fans, which are much more sensible
Somewhat concerning around his chinwag with SP regards AK. That just doesn't seem to ring true or make sense. Not sure what to make of that.
I am also concerned when a declaration is made that the team does NOT have to bring in new players. Sure, we don't want to see wholesale changes and mistakes made as we saw on the last promotion. BUT, there are some obvious holes in this squad if we want to stay up in this league, and several key acquisitions need to be made.
Also concerned about Seri and Anguissa and Ryan Sess being considered back to CC. I'd pass on all three.
Quote from: WindyCity on August 11, 2020, 07:21:45 PM
Somewhat concerning around his chinwag with SP regards AK. That just doesn't seem to ring true or make sense. Not sure what to make of that.
I am also concerned when a declaration is made that the team does NOT have to bring in new players. Sure, we don't want to see wholesale changes and mistakes made as we saw on the last promotion. BUT, there are some obvious holes in this squad if we want to stay up in this league, and several key acquisitions need to be made.
Also concerned about Seri and Anguissa and Ryan Sess being considered back to CC. I'd pass on all three.
I wouldn't worry. Parker will tell him what he wants. He already told him he doesnt want wholesale changes which TK is saying is his idea. Do you see how he works now.
Quote from: WindyCity on August 11, 2020, 07:21:45 PM
Somewhat concerning around his chinwag with SP regards AK. That just doesn't seem to ring true or make sense. Not sure what to make of that.
I am also concerned when a declaration is made that the team does NOT have to bring in new players. Sure, we don't want to see wholesale changes and mistakes made as we saw on the last promotion. BUT, there are some obvious holes in this squad if we want to stay up in this league, and several key acquisitions need to be made.
Also concerned about Seri and Anguissa and Ryan Sess being considered back to CC. I'd pass on all three.
You put "Van Dijk" at the back of this defense and Jamie Vardy at the front of this attack, then Anguissa, Seri, and R.Sess will look like superstars.
My point is we only need a few of the right acquisitions to transform this team. We have a better squad than 2018, we just need a couple more pieces.
KMac and Stefjo were the 5th and 6th choice midfielder in 2018/19, and assuming in 2020/21 season Cairney, Onamah, Reed, and Anguissa are the top four midfielders then you have a choice between KMac, Ser and Stefjo for the final two roles. Parker hasn't shown much confidence in any of the three, but I think Seri is the best of them.
On reflection I wonder if the reason TK doesn't want to sign any/many new players this summer is his ego. Maybe he wants to prove his signings in summer 2018 weren't bad. As he says, most of them "are still with us" - Fabri, Mawson, MLM, Bryan, Seri, Anguissa, Mitrovic are 7 out of the 12 he signed. Maybe he thinks that if these players keep us up, he'll be vindicated.
Quote from: Dougie on August 11, 2020, 09:34:02 AM
Quote from: bill taylors apprentice on August 11, 2020, 08:37:53 AM
Khan Jnr really is full of his own self importance, he can'thelp himself when it comes to blowing his own trumpet!
He really does use "I" in that interview an awful lot, compared to most club directors who would almost certainly us "we" when describing actions taken by the club. In other people I would think that's ego driving it but in Tony's case I think it's insecurity and a desire for validation. It won't be the toughest life being the son of a self-made billionaire but it probably presents its own psychological challenges.
Also when he talks about how we won't spend £100m again, it's because we can't. We are still amortising 18/19's transfers and they are as big a financial commitment this season as they were then (about £24m a year) because we couldn't shift any of them when we were relegated. Plus we have a chunk of the £30-40m we spent buying three attacking midfielders on top of that. From an accountant's perspective, what promotion has given us is two invaluable extra years of runway to pay off 2018's disastrous transfers.
Nice insight and I tend to agree.
He 's the son of a billionaire so I guess has something to prove. He's American and also involved in other sports. In short he's a showman. He promotes the club and team at every opportunity and let's not forgot part of the machinery that got the Club back in the Premiership.
So he doesnt have a football pedigree. Quite a few people in football dont but he does seem to be the oil that gets all the links and cogs at the Club working.
Quote from: Statto on August 12, 2020, 08:11:24 AM
On reflection I wonder if the reason TK doesn't want to sign any/many new players this summer is his ego. Maybe he wants to prove his signings in summer 2018 weren't bad. As he says, most of them "are still with us" - Fabri, Mawson, MLM, Bryan, Seri, Anguissa, Mitrovic are 7 out of the 12 he signed. Maybe he thinks that if these players keep us up, he'll be vindicated.
This is so true, but this quality of human nature isn't unique to Tony Khan. When fans criticize their owners at other clubs, whether its Man United, Arsenal, Newcastle, Sunderland, Hull, or QPR, the owners typically reduce their investment into the club. If we were smart fans, we would be telling Shahid Khan his son was successful and he should back his son with another £90m investment into the players. As long as he spends enough of it wisely to keep us up or get us up again, Fulham fight on within the EPL TV money circus.
If Tony Khan spends £90k and wastes half of it, as a fan it is still better than another DOF getting £60m and spending 2/3rd well. According to University Studies, the typically DOF actually wastes 60% and when a manager handles the budget the number is shown to be on average significantly higher often because decisions are short-term.
Tony Khan needs to get more support from fans, as the truth is we were promoted from the playoffs and most teams are in the championship two years later, yet we are in the premier league. Most DOFs fail to get the owner to invest sufficiently after a playoff victory and TK succeeded there, even if he isnt the best at using the money, he isn't the worst, he was little below average a while back and is probably bang average now. So, if SK continues to back TK he will succeed at Fulham and TK will learn many valuable skills to take over his father's empire one day, which as FFCs we don't want TK running just yet.
Quote from: Nero on August 11, 2020, 08:56:35 PM
I wouldn't worry. Parker will tell [TK] what he wants. He already told him he doesnt want wholesale changes which TK is saying is his idea. Do you see how he works now.
I certainly think that has been truer of TK since CK departed via a Motspur Park bench, which probably makes your point even more significant (not to mention worrying). But Covid-19 is changing the face of not only life in general but all professional sport which now has to cling much harder to the coattails of the broadcasting media. I just do not believe anybody with sense wants to venture too much capital into something so fragile as spectator entertainment without the spectators (either live or on TV). People have many other things on their minds right now and sensible decision making has long flown into the distance, IMO.
Quote from: paulbrookersmazydribbles on August 10, 2020, 11:37:12 PM
Tony Khan: 'We don't need to spend £100m again – Fulham have the squad to stay up'
by Dan | Aug 10, 2020 | Uncategorized | 7 comments
Fulham director of football Tony Khan says he won't be splashing the cash this summer and backs his squad, with a few sensible additions, to be strong enough to stay in the Premier League.
Khan, speaking in an interview with the Times' football correspondent Alyson Rudd, feels that some of the additions made over the course of this past season will prove pivotal in the months ahead. He also says that the club's statistically-based transfer model will remain in place, praising manager Scott Parker's 'proactive' approach to recruitment and rules out a Craven Cottage return for Tottenham winger Ryan Sessegnon.
Following Fulham's dramatic play-off final win over Brentford in extra time last week, Parker was quick to admit the club needed to learn lessons from their last promotion, when a summer of free spending disrupted the harmony of a tight-knit dressing room. Khan feels Fulham's decisions to trigger the options to turn loan deals for Bobby Decordova-Reid, Anthony Knockaert and Ivan Cavaleiro leave the club handily placed – even though there is only a month to go until the start of the new season.
"We won't spend £100m again, I don't think we need to. The best players we bought are still with us. I feel better about the club, it's not as if we have to build again. I have already exercised most of options on loan payers and I expect the squad to look very similar to the one that got promoted."
"The investment we made was a big reason we got promoted. I hope we can be more competitive this time. We spent on the future. I am very happy with the players I bought in the summer of 2018. If we didn't have camaraderie then, we have it now. We didn't stay up but Mitro and Bryan were key to us getting back up."
Khan highlights the importance of signing Michael Hector from Chelsea, a deal that was completed last summer, even if a delay in processing the paperwork following Sessegnon's switch to Spurs meant the commanding centre half couldn't actually make his debut until January.
"I needed to get that deal across the line. I didn't have the money to make the bid until right before the deadline. I'd really wanted Michael the whole season but because of FFP I had to be careful. I spoke to Marina [Granovskaia, the Chelsea director] and told her we'd try to get the paperwork done before the deadline, but we weren't able to."
"I couldn't get past this thought: 'what if Michael makes a huge difference and we fall just short?,' then I'll always wonder what would have happened if we had been able to get him in sooner. A part of me was very scared we'd fall short at the end. I knew he was going to be an important player, but I didn't feel comfortable paying the fee until Ryan's deal had balanced the books."
Khan also revealed that both Andre-Franck Zambo Anguissa and Jean Michael Seri, big money signings last year who spent this season on loan at foreign clubs, will return to Fulham for pre-season and could play a part in the Whites' Premier League campaign.
"I love both players. The plan now is for them both to return to train with us in a couple of weeks. If the right bid came in, I'd have to consider it but right now they're aiming to come back to Fulham. Zambo is under contract for three more years and I believe in him. They like him a lot in Spain. Nobody is going to get Frank cheap. He's a great asset."
The Fulham vice-chairman also revealed that a lengthy Zoom call with Parker before the play-off final largely focused on how to use Aboubakar Kamara in the absence of Aleksandar Mitrovic, who was recovering from an untimely hamstring injury.
"The call was about tactics and players and how to deploy them. A lot of it was about Abou, who played as a striker in France and was a striker when he signed for Fulham and then we fell into this dilemma when we signed Mitrovic and we started playing him on the wrong. One thing we talked about at length was Abou and Scott agreed with me and he used Abou as a striker. He was one of our heroes at Wembley."
Khan described Fulham's 'two-boxes' ticked approach to recruitment as 'collaborative' and insisted that it would remain in place.
"The process is not changing. Of all the managers we have had, Scott is the most proactive about coming to meetings. It is a collaborative process and Scott has a lot of input. If I send him a long list of players, he researches them all."
He also confirmed that Fulham were keen to activate the £8m clause in Harrison Reid's loan deal that would secure a permanent move for the combative midfielder from Southampton. Such was Reed's influence in the midfielder over the second half of the season that the news will be warmly welcomed by the Fulham faithful.
"I'm working on it. I have an option to buy and I think he does want to stay."
Khan bluntly shut down any prospect of Sessegnon, who broke into the Fulham first team as a teenager to such dramatic effect, returning to his boyhood club,
"I am not not interested. Ryan already played for us in the Premier League and he didn't do enough to keep us in there. We get two [Premier League] loans and I can't be in the business of developing other people's players when they don't have time to play them. In my statistical system, I actually rated Josh [Onomah] equally with Sessegnon."
https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/08/tony-khan-we-dont-need-to-spend-100m-again-fulham-have-the-squad-to-stay-up/
For clarity - did the article actually say I'm not not interested (which means he's open to the idea), or he's not interested in signing Sessegnon. This suggests the article says he's not not interested, but a lot of the daily Fulham articles today are quoting the article as saying he said he's simply not interested in taking Sess back full-stop. I'd be suprised if they copy and paste (which I assume is what's happened above). It's quite confusing otherwise.
Quote from: Statto on August 12, 2020, 08:11:24 AM
On reflection I wonder if the reason TK doesn't want to sign any/many new players this summer is his ego. Maybe he wants to prove his signings in summer 2018 weren't bad. As he says, most of them "are still with us" - Fabri, Mawson, MLM, Bryan, Seri, Anguissa, Mitrovic are 7 out of the 12 he signed. Maybe he thinks that if these players keep us up, he'll be vindicated.
How suffocating would that be. I was just thinking that in many ways we're equal or worse than when we last went up as we've essentially got many of the same squad as last time we went up (seri and Fabri did little for us, Mawson too), but less potency and less of an identity. Could be a long boring year of parkerball if that is what he thinks. I really wish he'd listen to other people and take into consideration their thoughts. We need investment and premier league experience - even Cairney, Joe Bryan etc have acknowledged that. Arguably the players who did well for us were loan players - Babel and Chambers. You could argue we've kept the relative duds and the good players have moved on.
Fredericks and Targett from our promotion season he sold and they've been getting more and more time in the premiership whilst we've been messing around in the championship trying to make up for his hiring of the wrong people and disrupting what got us promoted last time round.
Quote from: General on August 12, 2020, 09:37:42 AM
Quote from: Statto on August 12, 2020, 08:11:24 AM
On reflection I wonder if the reason TK doesn't want to sign any/many new players this summer is his ego. Maybe he wants to prove his signings in summer 2018 weren't bad. As he says, most of them "are still with us" - Fabri, Mawson, MLM, Bryan, Seri, Anguissa, Mitrovic are 7 out of the 12 he signed. Maybe he thinks that if these players keep us up, he'll be vindicated.
How suffocating would that be. I was just thinking that in many ways we're equal or worse than when we last went up as we've essentially got many of the same squad as last time we went up (seri and Fabri did little for us, Mawson too), but less potency and less of an identity. Could be a long boring year of parkerball if that is what he thinks. I really wish he'd listen to other people and take into consideration their thoughts. We need investment and premier league experience - even Cairney, Joe Bryan etc have acknowledged that. Arguably the players who did well for us were loan players - Babel and Chambers. You could argue we've kept the relative duds and the good players have moved on.
Fredericks and Targett from our promotion season he sold and they've been getting more and more time in the premiership whilst we've been messing around in the championship trying to make up for his hiring of the wrong people and disrupting what got us promoted last time round.
He didn't sell Targett, he was on loan, Soton wanted £20mill for a player worth about £5mill.
Fredericks decided to go to a West Ham before January and before we went on that amazing run, He wanted to be the highest earner, the club refused to give in to his demands.
And I believe the majority of supporters felt that a Norwood was not good enough.
The Khans have been at Fulham for 7 years now, and for people to keep saying TK knows nothing about football is a somewhat arrogant view, being the fact that he deals with players, does business with other clubs, probably means he knows a lot more than we think, and maybe now he does listen to what others say.
As usual we the supporters not being involved with transfer negotiations, attend club business meetings, seem to know everything and yet know very little of what goes on behind closed doors.
Quote from: alfie on August 12, 2020, 11:17:25 AM
...The Khans have been at Fulham for 7 years now, and for people to keep saying TK knows nothing about football is a somewhat arrogant view, being the fact that he deals with players, does business with other clubs, probably means he knows a lot more than we think, and maybe now he does listen to what others say.
As usual we the supporters not being involved with transfer negotiations, attend club business meetings, seem to know everything and yet know very little of what goes on behind closed doors.
I pretty much agree with this. He is no genius, has made several palpable errors, and can sometimes come across as arrogant, but he has also had some success, seems to be learning, has obvious enthusiasm for and attatchment too the club and, rather importantly, has ready access to his old man's dough.
People seem to need a punchbag to vent their agressions on. The tsunami of anti-Parker hysteria provided this amply until the punchbag struck back and knocked out the aggressors. (Temporarily, at least. A few bad results and they'll be up off the canvas.)
TK, young, rich, foreign, provides a good target at this time when nothing much else is happening.
Quote from: cmg on August 12, 2020, 01:54:17 PM
Quote from: alfie on August 12, 2020, 11:17:25 AM
...The Khans have been at Fulham for 7 years now, and for people to keep saying TK knows nothing about football is a somewhat arrogant view, being the fact that he deals with players, does business with other clubs, probably means he knows a lot more than we think, and maybe now he does listen to what others say.
As usual we the supporters not being involved with transfer negotiations, attend club business meetings, seem to know everything and yet know very little of what goes on behind closed doors.
I pretty much agree with this. He is no genius, has made several palpable errors, and can sometimes come across as arrogant, but he has also had some success, seems to be learning, has obvious enthusiasm for and attatchment too the club and, rather importantly, has ready access to his old man's dough.
People seem to need a punchbag to vent their agressions on. The tsunami of anti-Parker hysteria provided this amply until the punchbag struck back and knocked out the aggressors. (Temporarily, at least. A few bad results and they'll be up off the canvas.)
TK, young, rich, foreign, provides a good target at this time when nothing much else is happening.
I agree football does seem to provide an outlet for some people to vent frustration about other areas of their lives and I would, for example, attribute some particularly obsessive and viscious criticism of Cavaleiro from one poster on here to that sort of thing. But I think it mistaken and unfair to take reasonable, well-articulated and rationalised points about TK made by a large group of posters, and dismiss them in that way.
I also object to this idea that fans don't know enough about our transfer business to comment on it. As I've said before, multilateral negotiations between selling clubs, buying clubs, agents, players and sponsors aren't going to be simple, admittedly, but they're no more complex than, for example, buying a house. There's plenty of info in the public domain about the transfer process for those who can be bothered to read it, and obviously, given the context of all this is spectator sport, we've complete visibility of the outcomes (the players on the pitch). So IMO most fans are perfectly competent and entitled to judge and criticise TK.
Aside from a couple of ranting forum-polluters, most comments I've read about TK recently recognise the part he's played in a successful season, and the lessons he clearly learned this year. However, to say his latest interview contradicted that to some extent, and was concerning for a few other reasons, seems perfectly reasonable to me.
Quote from: Statto on August 12, 2020, 03:27:29 PM
Quote from: cmg on August 12, 2020, 01:54:17 PM
Quote from: alfie on August 12, 2020, 11:17:25 AM
...The Khans have been at Fulham for 7 years now, and for people to keep saying TK knows nothing about football is a somewhat arrogant view, being the fact that he deals with players, does business with other clubs, probably means he knows a lot more than we think, and maybe now he does listen to what others say.
As usual we the supporters not being involved with transfer negotiations, attend club business meetings, seem to know everything and yet know very little of what goes on behind closed doors.
I pretty much agree with this. He is no genius, has made several palpable errors, and can sometimes come across as arrogant, but he has also had some success, seems to be learning, has obvious enthusiasm for and attatchment too the club and, rather importantly, has ready access to his old man's dough.
People seem to need a punchbag to vent their agressions on. The tsunami of anti-Parker hysteria provided this amply until the punchbag struck back and knocked out the aggressors. (Temporarily, at least. A few bad results and they'll be up off the canvas.)
TK, young, rich, foreign, provides a good target at this time when nothing much else is happening.
I agree football does seem to provide an outlet for some people to vent frustration about other areas of their lives and I would, for example, attribute some particularly obsessive and viscious criticism of Cavaleiro from one poster on here to that sort of thing. But I think it mistaken and unfair to take reasonable, well-articulated and rationalised points about TK made by a large group of posters, and dismiss them in that way.
I also object to this idea that fans don't know enough about our transfer business to comment on it. As I've said before, multilateral negotiations between selling clubs, buying clubs, agents, players and sponsors aren't going to be simple, admittedly, but they're no more complex than, for example, buying a house. There's plenty of info in the public domain about the transfer process for those who can be bothered to read it, and obviously, given the context of all this is spectator sport, we've complete visibility of the outcomes (the players on the pitch). So IMO most fans are perfectly competent and entitled to judge and criticise TK.
Aside from a couple of ranting forum-polluters, most comments I've read about TK recently recognise the part he's played in a successful season, and the lessons he clearly learned this year. However, to say his latest interview contradicted that to some extent, and was concerning for a few other reasons, seems perfectly reasonable to me.
Statto has spoken, that's the end of the conversation.
Quote from: The Rational Fan on August 12, 2020, 07:55:56 AM
Quote from: WindyCity on August 11, 2020, 07:21:45 PM
Somewhat concerning around his chinwag with SP regards AK. That just doesn't seem to ring true or make sense. Not sure what to make of that.
I am also concerned when a declaration is made that the team does NOT have to bring in new players. Sure, we don't want to see wholesale changes and mistakes made as we saw on the last promotion. BUT, there are some obvious holes in this squad if we want to stay up in this league, and several key acquisitions need to be made.
Also concerned about Seri and Anguissa and Ryan Sess being considered back to CC. I'd pass on all three.
My point is we only need a few of the right acquisitions to transform this team. We have a better squad than 2018, we just need a couple more pieces.
Agreed. But those pieces better be very good, hopefully better than what we currently have. Fans here are putting a lot of faith in Hector and Reed (assuming he's back) and Rodak and these players have virtually no EPL experience. Mitro rates as EPL quality, but even he was no world beater our last time up. FFC really banking on a bunch of Champ level players to 'come good' in EPL, and that just doesn't happen too often.
Quote from: alfie on August 12, 2020, 03:56:22 PM
Quote from: Statto on August 12, 2020, 03:27:29 PM
Quote from: cmg on August 12, 2020, 01:54:17 PM
Quote from: alfie on August 12, 2020, 11:17:25 AM
...The Khans have been at Fulham for 7 years now, and for people to keep saying TK knows nothing about football is a somewhat arrogant view, being the fact that he deals with players, does business with other clubs, probably means he knows a lot more than we think, and maybe now he does listen to what others say.
As usual we the supporters not being involved with transfer negotiations, attend club business meetings, seem to know everything and yet know very little of what goes on behind closed doors.
I pretty much agree with this. He is no genius, has made several palpable errors, and can sometimes come across as arrogant, but he has also had some success, seems to be learning, has obvious enthusiasm for and attatchment too the club and, rather importantly, has ready access to his old man's dough.
People seem to need a punchbag to vent their agressions on. The tsunami of anti-Parker hysteria provided this amply until the punchbag struck back and knocked out the aggressors. (Temporarily, at least. A few bad results and they'll be up off the canvas.)
TK, young, rich, foreign, provides a good target at this time when nothing much else is happening.
I agree football does seem to provide an outlet for some people to vent frustration about other areas of their lives and I would, for example, attribute some particularly obsessive and viscious criticism of Cavaleiro from one poster on here to that sort of thing. But I think it mistaken and unfair to take reasonable, well-articulated and rationalised points about TK made by a large group of posters, and dismiss them in that way.
I also object to this idea that fans don't know enough about our transfer business to comment on it. As I've said before, multilateral negotiations between selling clubs, buying clubs, agents, players and sponsors aren't going to be simple, admittedly, but they're no more complex than, for example, buying a house. There's plenty of info in the public domain about the transfer process for those who can be bothered to read it, and obviously, given the context of all this is spectator sport, we've complete visibility of the outcomes (the players on the pitch). So IMO most fans are perfectly competent and entitled to judge and criticise TK.
Aside from a couple of ranting forum-polluters, most comments I've read about TK recently recognise the part he's played in a successful season, and the lessons he clearly learned this year. However, to say his latest interview contradicted that to some extent, and was concerning for a few other reasons, seems perfectly reasonable to me.
Statto has spoken, that's the end of the conversation.
You're making it sound like you're both part of a far right cabal.
Quote from: General on August 12, 2020, 05:17:27 PM
You're making it sound like you're both part of a far right cabal.
I went to see a Lazio match once. Does that count?
Quote from: alfie on August 12, 2020, 03:56:22 PM
Quote from: Statto on August 12, 2020, 03:27:29 PM
Quote from: cmg on August 12, 2020, 01:54:17 PM
Quote from: alfie on August 12, 2020, 11:17:25 AM
...The Khans have been at Fulham for 7 years now, and for people to keep saying TK knows nothing about football is a somewhat arrogant view, being the fact that he deals with players, does business with other clubs, probably means he knows a lot more than we think, and maybe now he does listen to what others say.
As usual we the supporters not being involved with transfer negotiations, attend club business meetings, seem to know everything and yet know very little of what goes on behind closed doors.
I pretty much agree with this. He is no genius, has made several palpable errors, and can sometimes come across as arrogant, but he has also had some success, seems to be learning, has obvious enthusiasm for and attatchment too the club and, rather importantly, has ready access to his old man's dough.
People seem to need a punchbag to vent their agressions on. The tsunami of anti-Parker hysteria provided this amply until the punchbag struck back and knocked out the aggressors. (Temporarily, at least. A few bad results and they'll be up off the canvas.)
TK, young, rich, foreign, provides a good target at this time when nothing much else is happening.
I agree football does seem to provide an outlet for some people to vent frustration about other areas of their lives and I would, for example, attribute some particularly obsessive and viscious criticism of Cavaleiro from one poster on here to that sort of thing. But I think it mistaken and unfair to take reasonable, well-articulated and rationalised points about TK made by a large group of posters, and dismiss them in that way.
I also object to this idea that fans don't know enough about our transfer business to comment on it. As I've said before, multilateral negotiations between selling clubs, buying clubs, agents, players and sponsors aren't going to be simple, admittedly, but they're no more complex than, for example, buying a house. There's plenty of info in the public domain about the transfer process for those who can be bothered to read it, and obviously, given the context of all this is spectator sport, we've complete visibility of the outcomes (the players on the pitch). So IMO most fans are perfectly competent and entitled to judge and criticise TK.
Aside from a couple of ranting forum-polluters, most comments I've read about TK recently recognise the part he's played in a successful season, and the lessons he clearly learned this year. However, to say his latest interview contradicted that to some extent, and was concerning for a few other reasons, seems perfectly reasonable to me.
Statto has spoken, that's the end of the conversation.
Assuming this is an indirect way of saying Statto has, as usual, contributed a complete, balanced and intelligent summary of the debate such that there's nothing else to add, I entirely agree with you.
Quote from: Statto on August 12, 2020, 06:03:42 PM
Quote from: alfie on August 12, 2020, 03:56:22 PM
Quote from: Statto on August 12, 2020, 03:27:29 PM
Quote from: cmg on August 12, 2020, 01:54:17 PM
Quote from: alfie on August 12, 2020, 11:17:25 AM
...The Khans have been at Fulham for 7 years now, and for people to keep saying TK knows nothing about football is a somewhat arrogant view, being the fact that he deals with players, does business with other clubs, probably means he knows a lot more than we think, and maybe now he does listen to what others say.
As usual we the supporters not being involved with transfer negotiations, attend club business meetings, seem to know everything and yet know very little of what goes on behind closed doors.
I pretty much agree with this. He is no genius, has made several palpable errors, and can sometimes come across as arrogant, but he has also had some success, seems to be learning, has obvious enthusiasm for and attatchment too the club and, rather importantly, has ready access to his old man's dough.
People seem to need a punchbag to vent their agressions on. The tsunami of anti-Parker hysteria provided this amply until the punchbag struck back and knocked out the aggressors. (Temporarily, at least. A few bad results and they'll be up off the canvas.)
TK, young, rich, foreign, provides a good target at this time when nothing much else is happening.
I agree football does seem to provide an outlet for some people to vent frustration about other areas of their lives and I would, for example, attribute some particularly obsessive and viscious criticism of Cavaleiro from one poster on here to that sort of thing. But I think it mistaken and unfair to take reasonable, well-articulated and rationalised points about TK made by a large group of posters, and dismiss them in that way.
I also object to this idea that fans don't know enough about our transfer business to comment on it. As I've said before, multilateral negotiations between selling clubs, buying clubs, agents, players and sponsors aren't going to be simple, admittedly, but they're no more complex than, for example, buying a house. There's plenty of info in the public domain about the transfer process for those who can be bothered to read it, and obviously, given the context of all this is spectator sport, we've complete visibility of the outcomes (the players on the pitch). So IMO most fans are perfectly competent and entitled to judge and criticise TK.
Aside from a couple of ranting forum-polluters, most comments I've read about TK recently recognise the part he's played in a successful season, and the lessons he clearly learned this year. However, to say his latest interview contradicted that to some extent, and was concerning for a few other reasons, seems perfectly reasonable to me.
Statto has spoken, that's the end of the conversation.
Assuming this is an indirect way of saying Statto has, as usual, contributed a complete, balanced and intelligent summary of the debate such that there's nothing else to add, I entirely agree with you.
No purely means that Statto considers everything he says is correct, I'm happy with what I said so there is no point in going any further.
Quote from: alfie on August 12, 2020, 06:51:11 PM
No purely means that Statto considers everything he says is correct, I'm happy with what I said so there is no point in going any further.
Don't you consider everything you say to be correct? Or do you just say a lot of things knowing them to be rubbish? The latter would explain a lot to be honest...
Quote from: Statto on August 12, 2020, 07:28:49 PM
Quote from: alfie on August 12, 2020, 06:51:11 PM
No purely means that Statto considers everything he says is correct, I'm happy with what I said so there is no point in going any further.
Don't you consider everything you say to be correct? Or do you just say a lot of things knowing them to be rubbish? The latter would explain a lot to be honest...
Well Mr Statto, this why I didn't want to continue, because you start to get personal, I was happy with what I said, but I am always ready to listen to others, and I don't want to make rude or insulting comments to win a point, so I won't be responding on this particular topic anymore, so I sincerely wish you a very good evening.
