Those of you who slated martin jol

[wadey]

how do you all feel about him now!!!!.........you know who you are!!!!

[sunburywhite]

Still don't love him

[sipwell]

Still don't love him

He didn't ask that mate. Besides, Jol is married.

[fulhamthroughandthrough]

next season will be the season to judge

[Aldo]

It's good to see how the changes he has implemented have now started to take effect, resulting in a very good second half to the season. I was initially happy that we signed him, but, like many, began to have second thoughts because of some seemingly clueless performances earlier in the season.

The way we have finished this season, inlcuding the strange ability to win away from home occasionally, have left me more optimistic than I have been for a long time and I am really looking forward to a good and successful season next year.

[epsomraver]

still not impressed, we play very boring backward passing football at times, but yes today in front of my very eyes at the cottage we actually broke out of defence and went right down the other end without one backwards pass.

[finnster01]

He has improved, no question about it. Happy to see that  :clap_hands: .  But before I make him a saint like the rest of you already, I'd like to see what our starting XI is in August.

[PokerMatt]

still not impressed, we play very boring backward passing football at times, but yes today in front of my very eyes at the cottage we actually broke out of defence and went right down the other end without one backwards pass.

Look how many backwards passes Barca make in a game. If there's no space open in front, going backwards is how possession is kept. Rather than lose the ball with aimless balls to no-one.

For a week or two around Christmas I thought it wasn't going to work with Jol, I admit. But he deserved a whole season and I'm delighted with it now. He has a very important summer now, however.

[LRCN]

one of these day's ill be wrong. but until then...

[TWFL]

He has improved, no question about it. Happy to see that  :clap_hands: .  But before I make him a saint like the rest of you already, I'd like to see what our starting XI is in August.

I Agree.
After September 1st is when we can properly see what Jol is trying to acheive. He needs a couple of transfer windows to implement his views and this window will be the key one. It'll be interesting to see who goes and stays and what the resulting 1st XI will be.

[Berserker]

I like Jol, but i'm still concerned about what is going to happen during the summer.

[ImperialWhite]

still not impressed, we play very boring backward passing football at times, but yes today in front of my very eyes at the cottage we actually broke out of defence and went right down the other end without one backwards pass.

There's a club in Staffordshire I think you might like mate! (Stoke I think they're called)

:dft009:

[Matt Inglis]

Steve Kean in.

[Me-ate-Live, innit??]

He looks like a Spurt
He talks about Spurt


.............loved some (most) of his signings
Key notes ........................still has a whiff of  Spurt

[Jambo]

Really surprised by some of the comments on this thread.  Since Christmas we have been outstanding and have played the best football I have ever seen us play, scoring more goals than ever and even looking like getting rid of our poor away form.  Weather we manage to keep Demps and Dembele I would suggest is out of his control by for me after a start that had to be expected as players get used to yet another change we have been great to watch.  Definitely finishing at least 9th and a possible record points total.... not sure what else the remaining doubters want or expect.

[Scrumpy]

still not impressed, we play very boring backward passing football at times, but yes today in front of my very eyes at the cottage we actually broke out of defence and went right down the other end without one backwards pass.

I must be missing something. I have been a critic of Jol in the past (around about Christmas, I had lost faith) but to call his football boring is unbelievable. We are far too open at times (although not so much since the New Year) but I have seen some of the best passing football of any Fulham team this year. A joy to watch  :clap_hands:.

[The Rock]

I told the Mrs. after waching today "this is as good a Fulham team as I've ever seen". I said it during our Europa run as well. I think the Demps, Dembele, Pav are all part of an undiscovered territory for us and Jol. I have complete faith in us and can't wait for next year.

[hopper]

Really surprised by some of the comments on this thread.  Since Christmas we have been outstanding and have played the best football I have ever seen us play, scoring more goals than ever and even looking like getting rid of our poor away form.  Weather we manage to keep Demps and Dembele I would suggest is out of his control by for me after a start that had to be expected as players get used to yet another change we have been great to watch.  Definitely finishing at least 9th and a possible record points total.... not sure what else the remaining doubters want or expect.

second all of this, can't fault him. offloading Zamora and bringing in Diarra and Pog was inspired as well, also delighted with his youth policy, so many of these players have been given a chance to pull through and it looks like they will continue to do so. He has brought an optimism to the club, and looks like he wants to stick around. I like his honesty in interviews as well, you know completely where you stand and you don't get tired listening to the usual PR drivel

[Walsh]

I can't wait to see who Martin Jol signs and what type of players he goes for.

[NogoodBoyo]

A great question, wadey - one that deserves to be asked too.
For my part, at Christmas I would not comment on tactics, acquisitions and team selections because half a season is far too early to tell.  Most of the complaints around that time were carbon-copies of the complaints about Hughes exactly one year before.
The one concern I expressed was about a report from an infrequent poster who knew a part-time footballer who sometimes trained at Motspur Park who was of the opinion that Jol believed player fitness was down to the players to sort out themselves.  If true, that is asinine.  I expressed that at the time; I would continue to express that view.  However, I would now doubt the veracity of such a vague, even unlikely source and I should have done so at the time.  Low team morale and the normal uncertainty over a shift in management strategy, personnel and tactics were probably more influential in our mid season period in the doldrums.
The position today looks rosier.  The team seems to know what it has to do to win games and what each player needs to do within the framework of the team.  Also the players seem to genuinely enjoy each others' company.  Morale looks good; Jol's signings and team selections seem to have provided the impetus needed to win matches - not forgetting his part in the jettisoning of Zamora who was clearly dragging the team down.
Nogood "nice to be a dedicated follower of fashion, itis" Boyo