More Questions Than Answers.

[JimmyConway]

So is it a Yes or a No for you as I can't see any middle ground.
Window closed on Arbeloa was it a success for the rookie manager. Have to admit I thought we would change our transfer approach this window having appointed the new manager a few months back giving him the best opportunity possible of getting off the ground early and being able to build a platform.
Never think it's a great sign that two defeats in we are bringing in three inexperienced signings on last day of window looks a bit panic type to me. Every probability we saved a few shekels but at what cost? we have left six points on the table already? Rookie Manager would of had further time to work with them and fixture list has us playing three of the big boys in the first five fixtures? Should the possibility some might say probability we end September with less than three points is it a case of always a tough start? or new rookie manager has been thrown under the bus with the preparation given him for his first full time job in a new country.

Did the Fulham board realise that appointing new rookie manager with a completely new style of playing just might not suit more than a few players currently within the squad and every chance it would lead to upheaval? Was the new rookie manager going to accept the position come what May knowing the DOF reputation? Is it six new signings? none with any premiership experience? No established centre forward? What could possibly go wrong!
This was a crucial window for Fulham and though there is an excitement of new young energetic players now on board you have to take a step back and think are we sleepwalking towards a disaster season. Five seasons of solid established football club could well be put to the test now and all that hard work lost because of the way the recruitment team is run let alone previous investments.

There is a glint that if it clicks we could start to surprise teams but it is still a big ask. We will know by end of October where our season is likely going to play out or where our plight will be. Question will be how long will new rookie manager be given if s**t hits the fan or will the established players decide his future?
It could be spectacularly good or horribly bad. Yes he will need time but to maintain a place in the richest league in world football sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. We shall see and a win this Saturday will go a long way to calming a lot of nerves not only from the fans. Let's hope come November early December we are well on our way and watching an exciting team perform and that's not just Fairytales? but like always with Fulham and the ownership there are plenty of concerns again!

[Hatch007]

On paper it's been a good window but ultimately only time will tell.

The majority of us agreed the squad needed an injection of players with a younger more dynamic profile. ✅

Ideally we'd have loved to buy PL ready players but that simply wasn't financially feasible given the homegrown player tax.

It's a risk but we were arguably sleep walking towards relegation if we didn't freshen up the squad.

Damned if we do. Damned if we don't.

All we can do now is get behind the Manager and squad and hope the gamble pays off 🙏

[Jim©]

Well statistically we did have the toughest start in the league. We all knew that didn't we?

bringing in three inexperienced signings on last day of window looks a bit panic type to me.

The last day was exceptionally busy. Do you think Man City buying Enzo Fernandez was panic just because it was late? Not sure two of them are inexperienced at all. Larsson has played 120 1st team games at age 22. Affengruber's been playing 1st team football for 6 years (over 200 appearances).

No established centre forward?

Pretty sure that's Garcia, you know the one from Real Madrid, the one that was top scorer in the club world cup thing, the one who was back up to Mbappe last season, the one that's scored 2 in 3.

the way the recruitment team is run

You mention about the stability of the last few seasons, which is true. But the recruitment model we'd used (buy older, Prem experienced players for very little resale value) isn't going to work long term with the new rules. I like the new approach and who knows how it'll pan out, but doing the same thing over and over and over to finish 12th whilst losing £ms each season didn't seem that groundbreaking.

[Twig]

Personally I don't think the end of October is long enough to judge. There will be ups and downs but I am going to give it until Christmas before I try to judge the success or failure of the AA experiment.

[Twig]

the way the recruitment team is run

You mention about the stability of the last few seasons, which is true. But the recruitment model we'd used (buy older, Prem experienced players for very little resale value) isn't going to work long term with the new rules. I like the new approach and who knows how it'll pan out, but doing the same thing over and over and over to finish 12th whilst losing £ms each season didn't seem that groundbreaking.
[/quote]

I think that's skewing the facts somewhat. It was already very clear that under Marco we had started to shift our strategy towards younger players with potential future sell on value; Bobb, Kevin, even Muniz etc. I think the original "experienced player" strategy made sense at the time but clearly it was a pragmatic approach that would need to change. I was glad to see it adapting under Silva and I'm excited to see how the turbo charged version works out under AA.

[Bassey the warrior]

Too early to judge how this will pan out, let's give him a chance.

[WindyCity]

Personally I don't think the end of October is long enough to judge. There will be ups and downs but I am going to give it until Christmas before I try to judge the success or failure of the AA experiment.

Sorry, but I'm not that patient.  Right now, I'm looking for points this home game v Palace.  If we go first 3 games pointless, 2 of which were home games, and 2 v teams we should have reasonably expected some sort of result, then, this FFC fan will become very nervous and twitchy indeed.......

[Jims Dentist]

Personally I don't think the end of October is long enough to judge. There will be ups and downs but I am going to give it until Christmas before I try to judge the success or failure of the AA experiment.

Sorry, but I'm not that patient.  Right now, I'm looking for points this home game v Palace.  If we go first 3 games pointless, 2 of which were home games, and 2 v teams we should have reasonably expected some sort of result, then, this FFC fan will become very nervous and twitchy indeed.......

The longer a team goes without a win/point the more confidence drops.
Let's HOPE this is not our situation.

[General]

I think if you give any professionals the wrong tools or wrong budget to do the job properly, or not the backing by whoever is in the role responsible for the role in question, it doesn't matter how good you are you'll likely fail. You can't work magic tricks out of thin air.

I think Arbeloa knows what he's doing and can succeed. That being said, I think his preferred style of play requires a certain type of player, and it requires better attacking players.

I think how successful this will be is based on his ability to adapt because he hasn't got the best tools at his disposal, and I put that down as poor planning from TK ultimately if they bring him in and don't give him the players he needs and hadn't thought it through that he'd need more in than we've got.

Our CM and defence is strong for me now it seems. Our attack is an unknown. That's risky territory from our side, and was the case before Arbeloa signed and hasn't really been properly addressed either.

Garcia is the bright spark, but out wings are question marks in terms of how they will and can contribute.

Fingers crossed we stay up and give the manager the time and resources to build, as the fundamentals are there, and his brand of football is very exciting to watch, especially of that does happen.

[The Rock]

Yes 110%.

The Khans actually signed someone before 31 Aug.

Every player signed has resale value.

Manager wants players for the system.

If we get beat by Palace, which we always do, I'll freak out. But I trust this process. B'mouth, Brentford, famed Southampton academy is proof.

"You miss 100% of the chances you don't take" and it's calculated. Good on them, and I think they actually know what they are doing. Did I say that?

[hovewhite]

We have enough to stay up,AA needs to find a strong spine from back to front expect GG to be CF as a start,the midfield that's the lottery as now we are over stocked.
Defence will be David and Calvin ,it's the midfield.think
Larson,Charles,king.wide Iwobi, palicios.