Are we sleepwalking into relegation?

[ffcthereligion]

We have lost two players who were involved in 29 of the 47 goals we scored last year and have not replaced them.

We have hired a manager who has never had a full time job in professional football on the seemingly sole basis that he was at a big club.

We have not raised any money through player sales to re-invest. The squad is a year older and the same gaping holes that were in the squad last year remain.

From my perspective, we are less than a month away from the start of the season and need to find 29 goals in new signings to stand still. If we don't get these incomings, I cannot see a world where we are not in deep trouble. Yet it feels to me like the board and many of our fans are pretty relaxed? Is that the real problem here?

[Jim©]

We have lost two players who were involved in 29 of the 47 goals we scored last year and have not replaced them.

You don't need to replace every single goal for goal, it's clear that the club are trying to get Garcia. Look at Brentford when they lost Wissa, Mbuemo etc.

We have hired a manager who has never had a full time job in professional football on the seemingly sole basis that he was at a big club.

Every manager starts somewhere. Some do well, some don't. He's highly regarded (not unlike Pep when he stepped up from Barca kids teams).

We have not raised any money through player sales to re-invest. The squad is a year older and the same gaping holes that were in the squad last year remain.

Well, we have some from Diop, looks like one or two more may be out too. Loads of wages saved on Raul & Wilson, which is just as important for the new regs.

Is that the real problem here?

No, i think panicking is the real problem here to be honest. We're still 4 weeks away from start of season. 4 players have just rejoined the squad.

[JimmyConway]

Personally I think pre season preparation is par for the course which most previous Fulham managers under the ownership will adhere to. This time it's a rookie manager!! Cause for concern undoubtedly especially with an inexperienced manager at the helm? It's going to be very difficult for Arbeloa but give the fella a fighting chance now not early September.

[fancyfeet4]

The find 29 goals argument is flawed. Only players on the pitch can score and in theory others would have scored some/most/all of those goals. Its fair to say that the replacement value of those goals is less, but its not going to be a 29 goal difference. We do have a 23 year old winger that we spent a lot of money on that should be prime to be way better than last year!

Its fair to argue the team is worse that previous years and we might be in for more of a relegation scrap but there is still time. Sometimes we forget where Fulham sits in the hierarchy of the top 5 leagues and that we have to be prudent and smart with our approach. Big clubs can make nearly unlimited mistakes and it rarely hurts them. If we make a big mistake or two it can compound and thats where we get in trouble. I feel like the club focuses on patience and prudence, even as its frustrating to supporters.

Its worked pretty well for years now and I am more trustworthy that the club will make some solid choices over the next month.

[sunburywhite]

No

[ffcthereligion]

You don't need to replace every single goal for goal, it's clear that the club are trying to get Garcia. Look at Brentford when they lost Wissa, Mbuemo etc.

Every manager starts somewhere. Some do well, some don't. He's highly regarded (not unlike Pep when he stepped up from Barca kids teams).

 Well, we have some from Diop, looks like one or two more may be out too. Loads of wages saved on Raul & Wilson, which is just as important for the new regs.

No, i think panicking is the real problem here to be honest. We're still 4 weeks away from start of season. 4 players have just rejoined the squad.

Brentford already had Thiago on the books before Wissa and Mbuemo were sold and they gained 140m from those two sales. 'Look at Brentford' is therefore not the best comparison to us IMO

Every manager starts somewhere is a statement of fact but it doesn't convince me I should be blindly optimistic about it. To believe in something without evidence is nothing more then having faith

Fair point about the wages and I did leave out the Diop money but that 8m is not going to touch the sides in terms of what is required to re-invest

Is it really 'panicking' to point out what we have lost and not replaced so far and consider the implications of that in a forum for debate? Even if it was, I'm less clear as to what the downside risk is to such panic compared to the risk of inaction and inertia

[Jem]

Forgive me if I am wrong but we still have 38 games before the end of the season.

[WindyCity]

Is that the real problem here?

No, i think panicking is the real problem here to be honest. We're still 4 weeks away from start of season.
[/quote]

Four weeks is not very much time at all!!

For a smaller, mid table club like FFC I would never fault any fan to be relegation worried heading into a new season.  So, this season, yes, very concerned about this team staying in this league.  As it stands, new coach hired, many think a gamble, and unsure if he can produce results.  Also, even though I had no problem with Jimenez and Wilson departures, it's hard right now to see where the goals are gonna come from.  Lots of questions, lots of holes to fill, new players and upgrades needed.  And yes, only 4 weeks to go and the clock is ticking.  So, yes, concerned about staying up this season, hope I'm proven wrong about the worry.  Not really pressing for Euro play, just looking for a solid season and staying up.

[Jim©]

Brentford already had Thiago on the books before Wissa and Mbuemo were sold and they gained 140m from those two sales. 'Look at Brentford' is therefore not the best comparison to us IMO

Every manager starts somewhere is a statement of fact but it doesn't convince me I should be blindly optimistic about it. To believe in something without evidence is nothing more then having faith

Fair point about the wages and I did leave out the Diop money but that 8m is not going to touch the sides in terms of what is required to re-invest

Is it really 'panicking' to point out what we have lost and not replaced so far and consider the implications of that in a forum for debate? Even if it was, I'm less clear as to what the downside risk is to such panic compared to the risk of inaction and inertia

Well Thiago was purchased as a replacement for Toney, who was sold on top of the other two.

Re Arbeloa's managerial skills, it's not as if the bloke has been serving ice creams in a kiosk as his job for the last ten years. If you wanted proof of capabilities rather than putting faith in a manager, would you have been happy with Dyche?

Re the last bit about panicking, I see it every single year, it's always 100% the same. People expecting us to go down as we've had a terrible summer or people thinking we'll make Europe. One day one of those two things will happen, but it's usually somewhere in between. All we can have is a bit of hope, as we simply do not know.

[Volz]

This is the only time I will bother to respond to any of this negativity trend going on.
In 130 years of the legacy of the club we have never been more competitive and reached higher positions than we have had later years.
Now i have merely supported Fulham for the last 30 of them. But I personally find this doom and gloom mongering to be so disconnected from reality that i can not even take it seriously. Combine that with the sudden sense of entitlement for something Fulham FC has never had, "look at these clubs they do everything better than us", "we should be fighting for European football" etc etc, as if we are entitled to just go there by any means, although unprecedented during more or less the full history of the club...
 
I know I am in the extreme minority but i found myself missing the Championship at times last season. Real battles, not just a formulaic approach to tactics through long throw-ins, endless passing, player theatrics and obvious refereeing favouritism for the Big Clubs. At times it bored me.

Anyways, that is my opinion, and the last I will bother say about this. So no need to quote me for responses.

[sunburywhite]

Sorry I dont know how to put the video on, only the link

https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=5e6c1f1176e333b8&sxsrf=APpeQntbNmudp3F2PC1tuEJP65zBwwKa1g:1785255146741&udm=7&fbs=ABfTbFVyMZGZf1hfvX9uKjN_-G8cxpBkeIeqYwoCbfNVc4vKE7plZzta63Pe5DpJ3XFR9Xy5hkFmhg6pfO_X-sED2CqEDfLQbWLcDMRztF_yUReEEAG7AuEzpuII5HRkwTpJQpu7itPsEUJStbHYrECpMY4_2d6uENt8uK2rWTJAHXQTqS6WW4T95BkScFxdSJC0-EmFuG9_WaT8kow-lsjY2QCsH4jtWQ&q=we+are+doomed+captain+mainwaring&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiz_-rW4fWVAxVUVkEAHR5xMiMQtKgLegQIHRAB&biw=1920&bih=911&dpr=1#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:a75b7f76,vid:sxqvwkmTNy8,st:0

[WindyCity]

This is the only time I will bother to respond to any of this negativity trend going on.
In 130 years of the legacy of the club we have never been more competitive and reached higher positions than we have had later years. Now i have merely supported Fulham for the last 30 of them. But I personally find this doom and gloom mongering to be so disconnected from reality that i can not even take it seriously. Combine that with the sudden sense of entitlement for something Fulham FC has never had, "look at these clubs they do everything better than us", "we should be fighting for European football" etc etc, as if we are entitled to just go there by any means, although unprecedented during more or less the full history of the club...I know I am in the extreme minority but i found myself missing the Championship at times last season. Real battles, not just a formulaic approach to tactics through long throw-ins, endless passing, player theatrics and obvious refereeing favouritism for the Big Clubs. At times it bored me. Anyways, that is my opinion, and the last I will bother say about this. So no need to quote me for responses.

Interesting commentary, agree with some, disagree with some.  I've not been doom and gloom and comparing with what other teams are doing.  In my following of FFC, my primary critique has always been the last minute window signing of players, concentrating only on what FFC is doing (or not).  Over the past half dozen years or so, I can think of only two signings (good ones btw) that were done early on in the window, and those were Pereira and Palhinha.  The mostly last minute deals do not allow for player integration into the club and practice time and gelling.  And that is what I find most frustrating.  A smaller club like FFC needs to start the season running and with fully integrated team, and that just doesn't happen.  I know, FFC a small club and have to watch how money is spent and allocated.  But there has to be a way to bust up this last minute trend and get players, first choice players, into this club sooner for bedding in.  I also know that sometimes it is rumor, but oft times there is discussion of securing players that really are not interested in FFC or are not realistic targets based on financial considerations.  Why would/does FFC spend so much time and effort in trying these over-reaches. 
I also disagree about favoring Championship football.  I really enjoy being in the PL.  It's considered the top league in the world of football (by many) and I find it great fun to turn on games being in this league and facing some really good, top, well known clubs in competition.  Even if a season is not going so well, facing a top club, little ol' FFC on the same pitch with some really great teams.  Enjoyable, even if in a frustrating loss.  I know sometimes PL games can be static, very defensive, maybe not the most "beautiful" games played, but at end of the day earning a point or three is still thrilling in my world.  And hopefully FFC can have a long run in top flight.....

[Fulham 442]

Sorry I dont know how to put the video on, only the link

https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=5e6c1f1176e333b8&sxsrf=APpeQntbNmudp3F2PC1tuEJP65zBwwKa1g:1785255146741&udm=7&fbs=ABfTbFVyMZGZf1hfvX9uKjN_-G8cxpBkeIeqYwoCbfNVc4vKE7plZzta63Pe5DpJ3XFR9Xy5hkFmhg6pfO_X-sED2CqEDfLQbWLcDMRztF_yUReEEAG7AuEzpuII5HRkwTpJQpu7itPsEUJStbHYrECpMY4_2d6uENt8uK2rWTJAHXQTqS6WW4T95BkScFxdSJC0-EmFuG9_WaT8kow-lsjY2QCsH4jtWQ&q=we+are+doomed+captain+mainwaring&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiz_-rW4fWVAxVUVkEAHR5xMiMQtKgLegQIHRAB&biw=1920&bih=911&dpr=1#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:a75b7f76,vid:sxqvwkmTNy8,st:0

Looks like it's saying we're doomed!!I sincerely hope not but we definitely need some much needed incomings soon. Especially a number 9!

[I Ronic]

My take on the situation is.  The Chairman and Tony believed Marco would stay but I think Marco felt he probably wouldn't. If Marco had said that earlier they would of set about looking for a replacement. He left on the 2nd of June. Alvarvo Arbeloa was released by Real Mardrid on the 6th June. I think we came out of that situation with a better manager than we would have, if Marco had said earlier he wasn't going to stay.
Yes, the Club aren't where they probably wanted to be at this moment. However the current window is open till 3rd September and we have the winter window as well.  The first half of the season will probably be abit of a rollercoaster as everyone beds in but I'm confident we'll still be a Premiership Club this time next year.

[alfie]

This is the only time I will bother to respond to any of this negativity trend going on.
In 130 years of the legacy of the club we have never been more competitive and reached higher positions than we have had later years.
Now i have merely supported Fulham for the last 30 of them. But I personally find this doom and gloom mongering to be so disconnected from reality that i can not even take it seriously. Combine that with the sudden sense of entitlement for something Fulham FC has never had, "look at these clubs they do everything better than us", "we should be fighting for European football" etc etc, as if we are entitled to just go there by any means, although unprecedented during more or less the full history of the club...
 
I know I am in the extreme minority but i found myself missing the Championship at times last season. Real battles, not just a formulaic approach to tactics through long throw-ins, endless passing, player theatrics and obvious refereeing favouritism for the Big Clubs. At times it bored me.

Anyways, that is my opinion, and the last I will bother say about this. So no need to quote me for responses.

I agree with you except, I don't see the issue with long throws, how are they any different from a free kick or a corner.

[Alec of good Stock]

T

[Alec of good Stock]

The Championship is a far more enjoyable and competitive league to be in.

[blingo]

I'll be happy if we score 25 goals next season if 20 of those goals are 1-0 wins for us

[Angus Telford]

I'd like go back to Hodgson's first full season, or our first seasons in the PL under Tigana or Silva, when we genuinely looked like we were in the ascendancy and could compete for Europe.

I don't want to go back to the Championship which is a rat race with shithousery, crap refereeing and no guarantee that being a good side will win you games or promotion.

I'm happy to give the new manager a chance but otherwise agree with the OP - you can't lose your most potent attacking players and not replace them. We've a few areas of weakness and an ageing squad to rejuvenate (still) and waiting until the last week of the window is just a stupid handicap to give ourselves yet again. In a good year it holds us back from the top half, in a bad year it puts us in a relegation fight.

[SuperFreeman]

Is that the real problem here?

No, i think panicking is the real problem here to be honest. We're still 4 weeks away from start of season.

Four weeks is not very much time at all!!

For a smaller, mid table club like FFC I would never fault any fan to be relegation worried heading into a new season.  So, this season, yes, very concerned about this team staying in this league.  As it stands, new coach hired, many think a gamble, and unsure if he can produce results.  Also, even though I had no problem with Jimenez and Wilson departures, it's hard right now to see where the goals are gonna come from.  Lots of questions, lots of holes to fill, new players and upgrades needed.  And yes, only 4 weeks to go and the clock is ticking.  So, yes, concerned about staying up this season, hope I'm proven wrong about the worry.  Not really pressing for Euro play, just looking for a solid season and staying up.
[/quote]

I remember the moaners last season saying Jiminez was old and past it and a waste of space, etc, etc. An icon in Mexico, the country's most capped player but not good enough for Fulham. I then remember the moaners saying Wilson was a one trick pony, was not a team player, etc, etc. Despite all the important goals he banged in last season and being a player of immense skill. So now, you've got your wish.

Fulham are better off in the lower leagues. I remember the era under the brilliant Micky Adams and then King Kevin. What a time that was. Swash buckling football, no one expecting that much but grateful of victories and always keeping the faith. Now look what's happened. It seems to be a case of entitlement all the time, the glass always half empty. Fulham will never play Champions League football or probably win anything. I am more than happy to see us where we are. Boxing clever and surviving in the toughest league in the world. Yet some are already writing the club off and predicting relegation. Look at Fulham and then look at the big clubs. The resources, the stadiums, the money, the owners they have.

It's a miracle FFC are in the PL. I suggested that the great Brazilian striker, Vinicus Jr (with slight tongue in cheek) would be a great signing for the club. Some found fault with even that. One of the greatest players currently in the game. I give up.

Lower league football would probably be a good thing for Fulham.

I don't hold out any hope for this new manager, and I can't see him getting Garcia to come to Fulham with Mourinho now at Real Madrid.