We have every right to finish bottom !!

[Statto]

Let me go and find that white flag you've misplaced somewhere, clearly there's no point turning up if we're already down??

Last season Sheff Utd literally proved you don't need a team of world beaters to come top half in the PL. A largely similar team to the one we absolutely dominated in our previous promotion season came 9th, and other than their GK, Norwood and Sander Berge, I'm struggling to think of any of their players who would actually get into our 18 man matchday squad based on ability. They did well because of their system playing to strengths and being motivated as a group. If Parker can get us working similarly then there's no reason we can't finish mid table. Yes we need to sort out CB and another decent forward option pronto (assuming Aina and Tete join imminently as expected), but our squad quality is not far away from the rest of the bottom half of the table, and if we go on a a run which buoys the confidence of the team then you can start looking up rather than down.

+1

[bobbo]

That's the spirit. A positive.outlook.. Could you do the pre match team talk.

Someone probably said the same thing about Sheff Unt.. Anything can and does happen.

Welcome to  the forum btw.

LIKE a lot.

[rebel]

Well I'm going for a 8th or higher finish; if the team is 'together', then I expect good things. I'm basing it on Sheff Utd's spirit and work rate last season. I think we are 'better' then Sheff Utd individually, as for 'spirit and work' rate, we will find out soon.

[filham]

If the title of this thread means we are favourites to be relegated then yes , you can't really argue against that.
However  we have a young manager who after a season in charge has shown that he can hold a team together and make us hard to beat. With a couple of good buys for the right positions we could keep our heads above water.
40 points has to be our prime target and that will best be achieved by fully supporting the manager and players throughout the season.

[rebel]

Well I'm going for a 8th or higher finish; if the team is 'together', then I expect good things. I'm basing it on Sheff Utd's spirit and work rate last season. I think we are 'better' then Sheff Utd individually, as for 'spirit and work' rate, we will find out soon.

https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/parker-hoping-wiser-fulham-can-emulate-sheffield-united

[Mr K.Dilkington]

I don't think second from bottom is an achievement. I mean that's just sad...extremely so. And if you feel like that then I don't know why you're a football fan tbh. Only 17th would be an achievement but it would an excellent one from Scott if he did manage it based on the squad we have currently. I know there's being realistic and such,but if you are then 17th would be enough and is not an impossible achievement. We just have to be smart and play to our strengths in a season that will be a struggle no doubt.

[Andy S]

I start the season believing that we will survive comfortably. That is what happens to underdogs. We will be underestimated from time to time and good players will shine. Average players will become hungry and together we will achieve the unexpected. It all starts against Arsenal where defeat does not enter my head

[FFC In Oz]

We are simply currently short in defence and attack in players that can make and are needed to make the difference.

Whilst people may love or loathe the players because they didn't turn up to the extent we stayed in the premiership - schurrle, Babel, sessegnon all scored or delivered in some attacking manner for us and made contributions that counted to us getting valuable points. Without their ingenuity and genuine ability to be a goal threat and put other teams into a defensive mode we would have gone down by a more significant margin.

Our defence is largely the same. Fabri is back, we've got a new GK with pedigree but who's on loan, anguissa and seri are back but we're missing the player who was considered our player of the season for whatever reason whom fans seemingly don't want back because he was too lightweight.

Cav, knockaert and Reid haven't cut it at premiership level and Ream.. got destroyed. Think we conceded one of the largest amount of goals conceded I'm a premiership season.

Aina looks promising but plays RM, tete... I'm unconvinced by. As I am with this shocking statistical model Tony seems to be using.

I have to admit I was more excited by the idea of Aina and tete and areola before I realised how little they'd play over the last couple of seasons each.

My one and only big hope is in parker ball and parker A) knowing the league  and B) the Conservative nature of our play under him. It's boring and if we pass around at the back as much as we did in the champion we will be found out hugely as we lack pace to make up for any mistakes.

The only other hope is lamina shows up and anguissa puts his best foot forward and alongside reed the three of them dominate midfield with their dynamism and love for one another and the tackle.

The potential preseason win could prove that is in the pipeline against Southampton which would be promising...

Aside from that we're going into the season with AK and neeskens as our most promising and in forms attacking players.

+1

[terryr]

Let's stop writing off the season before it has begun.....please

[blingo]

We will finish 15th

[Peabody]

I start the season with hope, not expectation. As I have now reached my 74th season of supporting Fulham, I have learned that you should never expect, whereas hope gives you lots of ways out.

By the way, no club wants to start a season with the right to finish bottom.

[General]

We will finish 15th

I like the sound of that and hope so. :) That'd be a good season.

[HobGoblin]

You know that song we sing about blue flags and backsides. Well in your case I think you could change it to a white one.

Totally written off our side before we've even started and that's one of you first posts.

[General]

One thing I've noticed which is indicactive of the relegation spots is there are always variations from fans as to who one or two of the teams in the bottom three are which naturally means fans don't think it's ever a clear call on who goes down and there are always other teams aside from the bottom three that are in the mix - see Aston villas lucky VAR escape from last season.

Regardless of where we find ourselves midway through the season, or - as we've proved with our great escape - near the tail end, a team can always put a run together and get themselves out of the bottom three.

Parker got wins with our squad last time out at the end of the season when mentally and physically our squad had taken a pummeling in games and in the press and on the forums, so with that in mind and also his and his back rooms attention to detail that saw the tactical ingenuity that saw us hold Brentford at bay and put two past them at the playoff final, I feel more confident an understated parker may navigate games more effectively.

One thing kmac did say in his interview is that even though he's grateful to slav for getting us up, once we were and playing in the premier league slav didn't adjust and wouldn't change his tactics, when the players new it wasn't working - meaning he had lost the dressing room and was in many ways haemorrhaging points.

I don't see parker as someone who won't change things if they're not working, which bodes well.