Where do we go from here?

[Northern Cottager]

I think I'd class us as successful based on our financial outlay, where we have come from and the players we have attracted but there is just this nagging feeling of how we move forward. I'm not quite sure where we will go onto from here. We seem to be stuck in the middle of the league, pushing for a Top 8 finish at one point and then worrying about relegation the next.

I understand we lost some of our quality at the end of last season, some wasn't replaced and then by the time it is replaced no doubt Berba and others will have left and we are back in the mire. I just cannot place the club in the next few years. Are we going to be mid-table for the foreseeable? Do we hold out for some multi billion investment from an Eastern investor ala City or are there more signs elsewhere that next season we are likely to push for a Top 6?

Our inconsistency is worrying and our lack of conviction means we don't seem to be going very far in terms of being a force to be reckoned with by teams in the Top 6-8. It seems like the only things next for us are to stay in mid-table with an ageing squad for next season, improve with some serious talent and safely push towards Top 8 or lose more quality at the end of each season and become relegation fodder. We have come incredibly close this year to being in the bottom 3 and with a horrendous run of form we looked like it could be our year to face the music until we pulled a few good and lucky results out of the bag.

Don't want to sound to negative but as a Fulham fan it seems like we are sort of resigned to accepting losing our best players then having a poor following season with patch-me-up players, who given their due have done well, but the future seems somewhat misty and unclear.

[win-dup]

Historically we are a mid table club, whatever division we have been in. We have also been very poor away from home for almost the whole of our existence, thus finishing perpetually mid table. One of the more serious newspapers suggested a few weeks ago  that this showed a lack of character within the club, and though not quite knowing how to quantify this I cannot think of any other explanation. We have always been accused of lacking ambition over the years by players, manager, and fans. Perhaps our idyllic Thames setting makes us satisfied with what we've got. I think a mid table Premiership position is not bad but the lack of cup success does suggest that lack of character is embedded within us.

[RaySmith]

It's not true that we've always been a mid table club in every division we've been in. From when I began supporting the club- in the 60's -until recent times - we've often been fighting relegation, and been relegated a few times.

Just before Al Fayed, we won promotion, and since Al Fayed we know what happened.

I don't think you realise what a massive achievement it is for Fulham to be classed as a mid table Prem club. Though that is not to say that we shouldn't try to advance, and to win things - but it's a tough life in elite foootball in this country for clubs without the huge financial clout of the top clubs.

As for 'lacking character' - what does that mean? How about the strength and dtermination within the club to get into the Prem and stay there for so many years?

[Northern Cottager]

I just think even clubs like Wigan and Millwall and previous Portsmouth, Swansea, Bradford are all showing the right attitude towards realising maybe they won't win the league but manage to get into Cup Finals and we seem to be content with a cycle of losing our players, patching it up, losing our players, patching it up and this means we have little, or no chance of progressing. I do know we have come a long way but the next step seems to be the hardest and doesn't seem to be in progress at the moment. My opinion ofcourse.

[Toshes Fag Packet]

Get some money back by selling useless Ruiz...
That would be a start.

[Toshes Fag Packet]

It's not true that we've always been a mid table club in every division we've been in. From when I began supporting the club- in the 60's -until recent times - we've often been fighting relegation, and been relegated a few times.

Just before Al Fayed, we won promotion, and since Al Fayed we know what happened.

Spot On....

I don't think you realise what a massive achievement it is for Fulham to be classed as a mid table Prem club. Though that is not to say that we shouldn't try to advance, and to win things - but it's a tough life in elite foootball in this country for clubs without the huge financial clout of the top clubs.

As for 'lacking character' - what does that mean? How about the strength and dtermination within the club to get into the Prem and stay there for so many years?

[Toshes Fag Packet]

Spot on Raysmith...

[Northern Cottager]

Get some money back by selling useless Ruiz...
That would be a start.

And buy Barton? Seems a legit way forward.  

[Toshes Fag Packet]

Get some money back by selling useless Ruiz...
That would be a start.

And buy Barton? Seems a legit way forward. 


Yes...at least he got some guts.

[Northern Cottager]

Get some money back by selling useless Ruiz...
That would be a start.

And buy Barton? Seems a legit way forward. 


Yes...at least he got some guts.

Kicking someone and calling them on Twitter is not guts. We don't need him and this post is about moving forward. Selling one of our most creative players certainly is not a way forward.

[Toshes Fag Packet]

T

Get some money back by selling useless Ruiz...
That would be a start.

And buy Barton? Seems a legit way forward. 


Yes...at least he got some guts.

Kicking someone and calling them on Twitter is not guts. We don't need him and this post is about moving forward. Selling one of our most creative players certainly is not a way forward.

Thats your opinion..lol
Im entitled to mine....Come on Joey..

[NorfolkJim]

I honestly don't see much of a way forward for us with 5-6 truely massive money clubs ahead of us and 2-3 other historically very strong teams in the running we are likely to looking at top of the also rans with a 7th or 8th place being the best we could hope for.
Defeatest, no? Face facts, if we ever get a player good enough to get us up there the massive money clubs can just buy us out. I'm not sure I want to be a sell your soul for success club like Man City or Cardiff.

I had to wonder if we will ever see Euro football again? I think our best chance of that is via a domestic cup. The trouble with that is that being a mid table club theres always the fear that any cup success will cost you Premiership points and you will get dragged into a relegation battle; the consequences of losing being unthinkable.

So what does a team do? Carry on being also rans so long as you get to see big name visitors week in week out, or risk that by trying to win something? I remember well all the arguments on CC about our Euro run and should we get knocked out as soon as possible and all that. So why should any ambitious player like Dembele stay with us when he can go earn his bucks for Spurs and get to play champions league football and maybe get a pay day with a true giant like Real or Inter?


I'd like the football bubble to pop and get more of a level playing field - then we could really dream. And when that happens we might lose those big name players but we could get back to Bundesliga prices. How come youi can see Bayern for a fraction of the cost of watching any Prem side?

[JBH]

How about we let MJ do his stuff over the summer and let him continue to build his team?

[Barrie]

Well said Ray.

The priority each and every year is premier league survival, and the longer we stay in the league, the more the club, it's infrastructure and fanbase can grow.  I wouldn't trade mid-table security for a trophy.

[Northern Cottager]

How about we let MJ do his stuff over the summer and let him continue to build his team?

But the point being as soon as the squad looks like it is moving in the right direction we lose key players and then we are back at square 1. This summer could be crucial for even survival next year I believe.

[Northern Cottager]

Well said Ray.

The priority each and every year is premier league survival, and the longer we stay in the league, the more the club, it's infrastructure and fanbase can grow.  I wouldn't trade mid-table security for a trophy.

Been here 11 years though? Isn't it time to move forward and expect higher achievements than survival?

[jarv]

As a supporter since 1960, I am very pleased to see us mid table. Will never attract (or afford) really top players but I (now) have faith in Jol to shore up the team where it is necessary.
Yesterday was awful, but that is Fulham. The worst bit was letting that twit Terry score TWICE 090.gif
Somebody mentioned away form, we never win. I think we did when Alec Stock was in charge. Can we dig him up for some advice? :005:
I hope for at least a draw on Saturday but my guess is all the speed merchants, Walcott and co, will be out there.
Final points, I think at least 5 more which will keep us about 9th or 10th.

[Artful Dodger]

This is a big summer for MJ in my opinion. He has had 2 years and I think we have gone backwards from the team Roy left. Granted, that team was ageing but all we have done is made it even older! Then last summer we lost Dempsey and Dembele and whether you blame the board or MJ, we all saw it coming but no replacements were lined up (until a young kid called Kara turned up).

In terms of where we go from here, I think we are trying to build a team that will challenge the top 8 but I am not sure Jol knows how to do it on a budget. We seem to have a team which is almost less than the sum of its parts with Berba and Ruiz clearly talented players but we don't seem to get the best out of them. That is why i think Jol has to find the right players and system over this summer to do that, otherwise we could again find ourselves looking over our shoulders if we hit a bad run. The jury is still out on Jol for me but if we don't look like we have a coherent team by August, I think we need to look at whether Jol is the right man.

[grandad]

This summer has to be massive in building for the next few years.
At some time in the near future the following will have to be replaced :- Schwarzer, Hangeland, Hughes, Riise,Duff, Karagounis, Berbatov, Petric, Baird, Diarra, Davies. That is virtually a team in it´s self.
With the vast amount of TV money we must invest heavily but wisely if the club want to secure our future & if the desire is there , to make top 8 a regular finish.

[Lighthouse]

This is a big summer for MJ in my opinion. He has had 2 years and I think we have gone backwards from the team Roy left. Granted, that team was ageing but all we have done is made it even older! Then last summer we lost Dempsey and Dembele and whether you blame the board or MJ, we all saw it coming but no replacements were lined up (until a young kid called Kara turned up).

In terms of where we go from here, I think we are trying to build a team that will challenge the top 8 but I am not sure Jol knows how to do it on a budget. We seem to have a team which is almost less than the sum of its parts with Berba and Ruiz clearly talented players but we don't seem to get the best out of them. That is why i think Jol has to find the right players and system over this summer to do that, otherwise we could again find ourselves looking over our shoulders if we hit a bad run. The jury is still out on Jol for me but if we don't look like we have a coherent team by August, I think we need to look at whether Jol is the right man.

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