Wouldn't it be ironic

[Blingo]

If Dempsey left us and we went on to have our best season ever and qualified for the CL?

[finnster01]

It would be the ultimate "egg on the face" indeed

[Fletchino]

It would be the ultimate "egg on the face" indeed

Also known as doing a jimmy

[Blingo]

I honestly would not be surprised if Jol won us a cup or we qualified for the CL. He is like a man on a mission and still looks like he has a big point to prove in the Premiership.

[Fletchino]

I honestly would not be surprised if Jol won us a cup or we qualified for the CL. He is like a man on a mission and still looks like he has a big point to prove in the Premiership.

Agreed I really do belive we are on the brink of greatness

[HatterDon]

Really? I'm still not sure that our management is interested in anything other than finishing 17th every season.

Fulham in the Champions League? There's only one response to that.  064.gif

Now a good CUP RUN is a whole 'nother thang.

[RidgeRider]

I am with you Blingo. I think we will be knocking on the door of Europe every other year for the next several years...Cottage upgrade plans and all. It is clearly not our intention to just avoid relegation.

[YankeeJim]

We don't have the depth to make any sort of run in Europe, the cups and the PL. Think back to last year. If we lost Hangers or Dempsey for a half dozen matches where would we be? In our Europa run we were very fortunate in the injury department. Now we can wish but even with luck with injuried we still have that mystery FFC squad that showed up a half dozen times this season. The one that wore our kits but played like shite. We don't have a sub that can come on and change a match. Unless our dear chairman decides to spend as if he were a drunken Russian mobster, 9th place and the quarters in a cup or two is the best that'll happen. The CL? Don has it right.

[RidgeRider]

We don't have the depth to make any sort of run in Europe, the cups and the PL. Think back to last year. If we lost Hangers or Dempsey for a half dozen matches where would we be? In our Europa run we were very fortunate in the injury department. Now we can wish but even with luck with injuried we still have that mystery FFC squad that showed up a half dozen times this season. The one that wore our kits but played like shite. We don't have a sub that can come on and change a match. Unless our dear chairman decides to spend as if he were a drunken Russian mobster, 9th place and the quarters in a cup or two is the best that'll happen. The CL? Don has it right.

Personally, I'm thinking Europa League but where i differ with Don, in my expectations, is on the idea that the management of Fulham is only in finishing 17th, meaning just avoid relegation. While that is certainly the primary goal I doubt MAF's ambitions are limited to that being the only goal. I think he liked Europe and sees Jol as getting us there again, and perhaps  bit more.

Do agree we don't have the depth quite yet to do both and do well in both but we are getting there I think.

[EJL]

Really? I'm still not sure that our management is interested in anything other than finishing 17th every season.

Fulham in the Champions League? There's only one response to that.  064.gif

Now a good CUP RUN is a whole 'nother thang.

We can dream Sir...  065.gif But yeah I agree, I cannot see us in the CL

[Blingo]

If I was MAF I would be pretty peeved if I spent over 200 million and was in the position where I had appointed a manager who has us playing exciting football and only expected to achieve 17th place, or thereabouts every season. :((

[TonyGilroy]

Staying up is obviously the minimum requirement but in most of our 11 seasons we've easily exceeded that.

What excites me is the emphasis on attracting top quality kids. We won't see the benefit immediately but that's how we develop a top quality squad.

[Rupert]

I think reality will sit somewhere between HatterDon's somewhat tongue in cheek 17th and Blingo's optimistic Chump's League spot, exactly where between depends, as has been said, on injuries and on just how well (or poorly) all the youngsters develop over the next few seasons.

I think we could well have some exciting seasons ahead, for mostly the right reasons (ie, no more exciting Great Escapes please, Fulham) the occasional good cup run, either domestic or Europa, and a number of strong finishes in the league, top half is good, anything above the glass ceiling of 7th would be a very welcome bonus but not something I'm betting the mortgage money on.

[Captain Peacock]

We do play some great football and I too think we are verge of something very special at our club. The Captain is very excited!!

[Blingo]

Captain....Is it true that AJ running around shouting " I'm Free"

[Logicalman]

Interestingly enough, in recent seasons we have managed to achieve respectable placings even though we have changed managers more than most.
Should we manage to hold onto a manager for more than 2 seasons, and MaF supports his (or even her) new team vision, then I can see us achieving top 6 in the next couple of seasons, though we will never maintain anything like that status without upgrading the Cottage to generate more revenue to pay the required wage bill and transfer fees in getting those players so required.

[Blingo]

TV rights pay for 99% of everything Logical, the gate money is peanuts by comparison (Okay, I will take a seasons worth and bank it lol).