Next season's team

[GJB]

Nordveit on loan to the end of this season.

Since 2017 he's struggled for first team football wherever he has been, so if we can offer him a permanent contract and regular gametime alongside Mawson at the heart of our defence, I think that could be a relatively cheap answer to who we would like to see starting at CB next season. He's impressed me since joining.

I am not sure what his contract status is so I would expect it would depend on fee and whether or not he fancies Championship football. Might be a top level side somewhere interested, Bundesliga for example.

Hoffenheim (9th in the bundesliga) is where he came from on loan

[GJB]

Take out the loaner, the out of contract platers, the loaned out never to return players, SSess who is likely to leave when his brother does and you don't have a squad left.  Top 10 or relegation? Let me think now.....

Why do you think Steve Sess would necessarily leave where his brother does? it would be a strange move just to sit on the bench and waste a valuable year of his career. R Sess is a step ahead after his season last year, S Sess still needs to show he has the talent for the premier league, which playing a full season in the championship next year could allow him to do

[GJB]

I've seen recently a few posts on the forum worrying about our potential lack of talent next season and even some suggesting that we may drop all the way down to League 1 if we're not careful.

GK: Bettinelli
Defence:Odoi, Ream, Nordveit, Mawson, Le Marchand, Christie, Bryan, Steve Sessegnon.
Midfield: McDonald, Johansen, Anguissa, Kebano, Ayite, O'Riley, De la Torre, Cisse.
Forwards: AK, Fonte.

Any players not mentioned above I think are likely to leave our club in the summer, for various reasons.

For me, if we can keep this core squad, add two goal-scoring strikers and a creative midfielder to replace Cairney, Sess and Mitrovic, I'm struggling to see how we're in danger of getting relegated. IMO, top 10 should be possible with this set of players, alongside a couple of additions in key positions that need strengthening.

Our forward options look awesome!!!

That's because he has forgotten Mitrovoic, Babel, Markvoic and Vietto that I believe will all be playing for us next season. Fonte will only get a game if Mitro and Kamara both get red cards for fighting each other.

I see no reason at this stage, why we cannot win the Championship. We play like we did against Chelsea, we will tear that league apart.

Out of interest, why do you think Mitrovic would stay?

For me it could be any combination of the following, all of which may well materialise

1. Because he enjoys playing for Fulham, the coaching team, Craven Cottage and the fans, etc
2. Because he enjoys living in London
3. Because joining another club may turn out the same way joining Newcastle went for him
4. Because he will score for fun in the Championship
5. Because he thinks we'll come straight back up, and we agree to let him go next summer if we don't
6. Because we'll make him captain
7. Because we'll keep him on the same pay he's on now
8. Because he feels he contributed to our relegation and it's only fair he fights to get us back up
9. Because he's on a 4-year contract and we won't let him leave
10. Because only fairly average PL clubs, eg Watford, offer to take him off us

Interesting take on why he'd stay - I'd be over the moon if that came about. I'm with JoelH5 though that I just think with the money thrown about nowadays, some top 10 club who are in Europe, or would be serious contenders with Mitro, could tempt him with big money and for a large price. If he can score 10 at a club in 19th place in the prem, i'm sure he could get a whole load more with a better team behind him.

I'm thinking of teams like Everton who are in desperate need of a striker, or potentially West Ham where Arnautovic could be on his way. The temptation of premier league football could be enough for him

[AnOldBrownie]

Those 23 observations have to all work, and that's a big ask with the club in the hands of the wrong director of football.
There is more chance of a one legged man winning a bum kicking contest.

They don't have to all work.   Any combination of 3 would be enough depending on where Mitro's mind is at.   Stop panicking.

Now...if someone pays TK 60 million for him...yeah, Mitro would probably be gone but then TK and Sr. Khan would have to weigh marketability lost by moving on Mitro (and Sess, and Tom).

[filham]

Those 23 observations have to all work, and that's a big ask with the club in the hands of the wrong director of football.
There is more chance of a one legged man winning a bum kicking contest.

Taking account of all those reasons an increase in pay at 7th in the premier league Watford, close enough to London, would surely be more attractive to him.

[The Rational Fan]

Those 23 observations have to all work, and that's a big ask with the club in the hands of the wrong director of football.
There is more chance of a one legged man winning a bum kicking contest.

Taking account of all those reasons an increase in pay at 7th in the premier league Watford, close enough to London, would surely be more attractive to him.

Mitrovoic is under contract near 2023, so Watford want him they can pay £45m and for that price they'll demand a pay cut. The only way Mitrovoic can leave with a pay rise is, if the transfer fee is so enormous FFC want him to leave. Given that we arent the best at spending money ons strikers (e.g. Fonte), for me that figure would have to really really enormous to encourage Mitro to leave.

[Deuce]

When we go down, the club needs to really  figure out what type of club we want to be - and then strive towards that. Are we going to be a possession-based club, or more pragmatic? Are we going to be a club who used 3 man defence, or 4 man defence? 433?
Regardless of whos in charge come august, the clubs needs to implement two basic principles:

-A very conservative loan-policy.
For the past couple of years, Fulham has had a lot of players on loan. This might be useful in the short term, and in smaller doses, but in the long term you basically postpone your squad building to a point where you one day need to replace too many players whos left the club, leaving you with the only option of trying to find cheaper players which devalues the overall ability of your squad.

-A very youth emphasised strategy
Fulhams got a fantastic youth set up as we all know. Theres is no need to have a great youth set up if you dont strive towards promoting your youngsters. This is a great way of not only supplying your own squad without paying transfer fees, it can also become a very lucrative business as we've seen for the likes of Soton. But, if we dont give our youth players a chance, then in the long run younger talents will ask themselves why they should sign Fulham.

GK
Bettinelli
<new player>

Rico is on loan and cant see him ever wanting to stay. Wouldnt mind keeping Fabricio, but I dont want to have a over paid reserve keeper on the books. I wouldnt mind selling Fabricio and use the money/wage space for other positions. If we sell Fabricio, Id like the club to look at interesting, younger gks in the championship/L1 to use as a back up for Betts.

Ashby-Hammond needs to go on loan, not sit on the bench.


Defence

Christie
S Sessegnon

Ream
Mawson
Jenz
Odoi/Le Marchand?

Bryan

Mawson-Ream would be a good championship partnership but Id think the club would be wise investing in a really solid, top class cb and then having Jenz getting some rotation in. Steve Sess should get a chance to prove himself and should be a useful rotation player until he eventually fulfills his potential and gets into the starting XI. Bryan is a good championship lb, and perhaps we should be looking in the U23s or in the championship for a decent cover for him.

Dont know about Odoi, would love to have him at the club but I cant see him become a the CB we need. Dont think he'll settle for a rotational role tho.
Regarding Le Marchand, dont think he'll do a bad job in the championship but would mind selling him if the price is right. Cant really see him ever becoming a regular cb in a premiership team, might be a decent rotation player.

Midfield

Kmac
Cairney
O'Riley
Johansen(?)
De la Torre
Edun
(Hilton/Francois)

Lets face it. Seri and Anguissa wont be joining us. Wouldnt mind getting Johansen back but unsure of if theres a option to buy for WBA. We should be looking to keep hold of Kmac and Cairney, really good players whos been at the club for a while now, guessing they might be good team leaders in the dressing room along with Ream. O'Riley NEEDS to be given more or less a starting role. For me, a midfield triangle with Kmac, Cariney and O'Riley would be very interesting indeed. I do think the midfield would benefit from some more muscles, and I think that a new signing here would be needed. We've got a bunch of good youngsters for rotation,

Wingers

Sess
Babel
Markovic
(Elliott)

With Ayités and Kebanos contract expiring, its time to say goodbye. Sess, Babel and Markovic should do the job in the Championship and I dont think Spurs or anyone else are willing to go for Sess in the summer. Im not a huge fan of Markovic, but we dont have a bottomless transfer chest so we need to prioritize this summer. In the long term, I think we should be looking for a really good winger and slowly slot the likes of Harvey Elliott into the first team.

Strikers

Mitrovic
<New player>

Mitrovic is basically all we need. Anyone wants to buy him, they will have to pay. A lot. Kamara will never set foot on CC again, and frankly dont think Fonte is keen on being a back up again. We should be looking for an exciting striker, preferably from the Championship, to back up Mitrovic.


OUT:
Rico and/or Fabricio
Nordtveit
Chambers
Le Marchand
Odioi(?)
Anguissa
Seri
Kebano
Ayité
Schürrle
Vietto

IN:
New back up GK
New CB
New back up LB
New DM/CM
New back up striker

[We Are Premier League]

Could be important how the new Manager deals with the promotion players from 2018.

Are these players excited to get promoted (again) so that we can (try to) replace them with someone "better"...

Betts, Johansen, McDonald, Odoi, Ream, Kebano, Ayite, Cisse, Fonte, Cyrus

If a large portion of them, all the loans and the stars (Sess, Cairney, Mitro, Seri) leave....we have to start completely from scratch

[filham]

Those 23 observations have to all work, and that's a big ask with the club in the hands of the wrong director of football.
There is more chance of a one legged man winning a bum kicking contest.

Taking account of all those reasons an increase in pay at 7th in the premier league Watford, close enough to London, would surely be more attractive to him.

Mitrovoic is under contract near 2023, so Watford want him they can pay £45m and for that price they'll demand a pay cut. The only way Mitrovoic can leave with a pay rise is, if the transfer fee is so enormous FFC want him to leave. Given that we arent the best at spending money ons strikers (e.g. Fonte), for me that figure would have to really really enormous to encourage Mitro to leave.

If Mitrovic, or any player , wants top class football and therefore doesn't want to play for us they will achieve a move, We will not want unhappy players in our squad and therefore we can only make the best of the situation by securing a high transfer fee.
However big the fee we get for Mitrovic you can be all but certain that it will be wasted on a less capable striker like Fonte, Marlet, and the Greek guy we hardly saw.
If Parker could persuade Mitrovic to stay next season that would be tremendous but really it is too much to hope for.