Is it just me then that's not overjoyed by our window?

[dannyboi-ffc]

Don't get me wrong I think we did well to keep hold of all the players we wanted to keep. Roberts was always going to be sold so I don't count him. We have got rid of most of the deadwood too. And I am impressed by Riggs ability to negotiate on a shoe string. Final plus point is that our defence was much improved eventually and our midfield finally has the creativity we so desperately needed.

However and this is the part that is niggling away at me. I don't know the first thing about FFP, I have never taken interest in it and think most of it is irrelevant, just look at Qpr. But part of me feels Fulham have used FFP as an excuse, not a reason but an excuse to not spend adventurously. The future of our club is of course the most important thing and I'm reassured we will not risk the clubs health by breaking the bank for the sake of it. But we broke even, correct me if I'm wrong but did Khan need to spend a single penny? Or did Roberts pay for all our signings?

Like I said we have made huge strides to improve central midfield and defence and Lonergan was also a great signing. But even with signings like Pringle our team lacks pace and width. Normally pacey wingers and goalscorers are the ones who cost money and it's no surprise to me that they are the areas we failed to strengthen. Pringle was a freebie. Not sure how an emergency loan can solve that.

I am not moaning that we missed out on Hooper, once again it was creative from Rigg to almost pull it off on the cheap and it's not Fulham's fault Norwich pulled out. I am also not trying to suggest spending millions is the answer ie double figures for Rhodes or Gayle. But if promotion is our aim this season  I do not understand why we waited for a last minute loan instead of finding 4 or 5 million to get someone in even if we had to wait until the final week. Dembele may come good, woodrow and Smith are good options but we needed a goalscorer. So much rests on McCormack's shoulders for scoring goals and I don't think we will be consistent enough to make top 6.

Overall it was a big improvement and we are much stronger but we didn't spend money and I can't help but feel that's exactly why Kit wasn't relieved of his duties in June. A big manager would have demanded more, Kit is a yes man and less likely to demand a big budget as he is and should be privelidged to have his first opportunity in management. Not slating Kit at all, I think that point is pretty obvious compared to the likes of Big Sam.

Not trying to be controversial, this is a fulham forum for expressing opinions after all and I am just a little surprised at the positive reaction to today. Probably shouldn't complain, it makes moderating easier lol. Can anyone see where I'm coming from? I was hoping for Mancienne and Vydra/Hooper but we just got in the one signing.

[MayoDomo]

I see where you're coming from. If we truly had the desire to make it back to the PL, it seems like we should splash the cash. That being said, I do have quite a bit of optimism regarding the quality of our signings, and from a business perspective, I think Fulham had a fantastic window.

[Slaphead in Qatar]

i think 7/10 for this window. we are one striker short so ross really needs to get his act together.

club has done well to overhaul the squad since our relegation, this was easier said than done.

i am still not convinced kit is a competent manager however.

[McBride78]

Defense:
#1 priority was defense.  This was addressed to my satisfaction.  Stearman, Ream, Garbutt, Jazz, + Husband loan after Garbutt injury.  Also had many other options in play and worked hard on this issue. 

Amore out, a few injuries.  Kept Burn and Hutch who do look improved.

Grade - B+


Goalkeeper - Lonergan move looks brilliant now with Betts hurt.  Got a good fee and offloaded wages for Stek.  Also extended Betts contract - Grade - B+

Midfield - O'Hara and Cairney look the part.  Parker is hurt, but still here.  Hyndman is still here, LVC still here.  Lost Roberts, but as you said that was always going to happen.  Pringle is not bad, and Kaca may still prove to be useful.  Tunni also solid contributor.  Williams should help when he recovers as well.  Adding a winger would have pushed this to an "A"

Grade - B+

Forwards / Strikers
Kept Dembele, Ross, Matt, and extended Woodrow.  Taggart out on loan.  I would have liked to have seen us bring in one more striker.  Ruiz out, Hugo out, Mitro out.  That said, I believe Dembele and Woodrow can contribute to make up for the Hugo and Ruiz.....but another player would have made me feel better about it.

Grade - C.

[SG]

Reality is that you need a strong defence. Stop conceding goals and we are in with a chance every game. That was Roy's plan and it worked - make the team very hard to beat from the outset. It seems that is the way we have approached the window. Now play Ross as a centre forward and we could easily climb that table

[westcliff white]

Danny mate, I see your points for me compared to the last 2 or 3 windows this one is fantastic 10/10, in reality its a 7/8 out of 10. We could have done with a striker given that Taggart has left on loan and smith out for another 6 weeks or so. However, we still have the loan window in a weeks time and we may well pick up Hooper, Gayle or maybe even Wilson from Man Utd then. I would have liked another defender in but maybe the Kone situation affected that or maybe we wanted 2 centre backs and full back cover and we got that from Fredericks, Ream and Stearman.

Lets look at the positives, a very decent window given past histories for us, we have won our last 2 games scoring 6 goals and conceding just one, we have looked quite sharp and played some fluid football in the process, on top of that when Smith is back we have another option where we can have a plan b so not to bad.

[dannyboi-ffc]

I am not criticising those we signed, Rigg did fantastic. To sign so many quality players and not spend a penny more than what we received for Roberts is unbelievable and brilliant business. But even with FFP there was more than enough scope to invest in a top player or two. A wide man and a top striker. I'm not saying break the bank but 8 million for two players would have really given us that edge. We have a great squad but for me it still lacks that final piece of the jigsaw and I guess my criticism is of Khan. Although it was a good window I feel the plan all along was to avoid spending his money as much as possible and now I'm beginning to understand what 'sustainable' actually means.

IMO when we are clearly short of a top goalscorer and pace it is not a statement of intent to allow your supporters to consider the emergency loan market for a saviour of 20 goals this season. To me Khan showed just how much he intends to spend from now on and next season it will be another Roberts that buys all the players for us.

Typical and Fulhamish.  When he spends big we do it in the wrong way and when we do all the right things but lack one gem he closes his wallet. I guess it's the hope that kills you

[filham]

Yes Dannyboi you have expressed my own feelings exactly. Oh for a pacey wide man, I don,t think Pringle is going to worry too many full backs over the season.

However we have bolstered up the back four and the midfield .
Also remember when we splash out big time on one player it usually results in us buying a pup.

[Twig]

I can certainly agree with much of this (have no idea whether Kit is a "yes man" or not).  I was not too obsessed with an out and out striker (don't get me wrong, it would have been nice), I just think pace and width are at least as important.  If Khan had put his money where his mouth is and splashed 4 or 5 mil then I would have been happy with a pacey wide man with the ability to deliver decent balls into the danger area.

I think we have done plenty to ensure a respectable top 10 finish but not enough for a realistic stab at the play-offs and I am currently ambivalent on Khan.

[Jonaldiniho 88]

My only concern is rather than tark/dunk 22/23 we have ream and Stearman 27/28. We started the window buying young but if you look at the spine of our team now. Lonergan over 30, cbs 27/28' Ohara 27,Ross 28. It's not the oldest squad and I guessed those ages on the low side to not be accused of making it look worse than it is (and coz I'm too lazy to look it up). This looks a good squad to get us promoted but I can't see many of these players stepping up to the PL. That means another rebuild which always have an element of risk and it takes time for teams to gel. I'll be interested to see who if anyone will come in on loan.

[dannyboi-ffc]

Defenders are cheap, O hara and Pringle were frees. That's not a bad thing but strikers and attack minded players cost money and they are what we avoided signing other than Cairney. It was a great window for us, just after all the hype of being linked to Gayle I guess I convinced myself we would go for it a little. Nothing wrong with playing safe but I just feel we played a little too safe with our expenditure and if we go up it will be a magnificent effort and a brilliant achievement from everyone.

Very happy with all our signings, just a bit greedy and wanted that attacking edge

[Jack Fulham]

Failed attempts on Dunk, McDonald and Hooper were a bit annoying but I feel we've done well apart from bringing in a striker. We can sign all the players we want but I don't think Kit can take us to playoffs which may explain why you're not overjoyed.

[The Old Count]

The window has been OK but uninspiring.  We have tempered ambition with caution.  Mr Kahn's style is less flamboyant and expansive than Mr Al Fayed's was when we were last in the Championship.  Perhaps because then, we were on the up whereas now, over the last two or three seasons, we have been on the slide.
At least that slide seems to have been stopped.

[fulhamben]

Losing Roberts was always going to put a dampener on this window for me no matter who we signed.

[HatterDon]

and there it is

[FulhamStu]

We have the defenders we needed.  Added experience and got many 'other teams championship players of the season'   Stearman should be a great signing and Ream a bonus.  If Fredericks can add real pace and Williams returns in good shape we will have pace on each wing.  Personally I would like is to get Husbands loan extended but we must have made committments to play Garbutt who could turn out to be a very good player.  Dembele now get his chance, no problems with that.  We will have the nest Window to focus on a serious goal scorer and that would demand big bucks, which we should still have up our sleeve.
Pringle Cairney and Ohara have already added significantly to the MF and we have Parker to also return.  An 8 out of 10 window - good job Rigg.

[dannyboi-ffc]

and there it is

Where? What did I miss?

[dannyboi-ffc]

And I agree Stu 8 out of 10 and well done Rigg. My point isn't who we signed, it's missing the opportunity to strengthen every weakness we had considering we didn't actually spend anything other than the Roberts money.

[Logicalman]

Not a bad window as far as I'm concerned.

Interestingly enough I was just looking at the previous xfer windows, and when Roy joined us (Dec 2007) during his first 2 windows (Jan 08 and Summer 08) he had a net expenditure of some 17.75M from the data I found (Jan '08 +9.95M, Jul/Aug 08 + 18.3M and -10.5M).
I have little doubt the missing data might provide some different numbers, but I doubt they would overcome a net expenditure by MaF.

Interesting to get the fuller data on those windows and the 2 that Rene/Felix presided over, and the 2 that Kit has done also.  

Over to you MJG!  :005:

[YankeeJim]

and there it is

Where? What did I miss?

I think that Hatter was implying that despite all the good business this window, we still have negativity within FOF.