The random thoughts of a Fulham Man.

[valdeingruo]

The random thoughts of a Fulham man:

The following are a collection of random thoughts by myself, and while I do not like to use the first person medium when I write, it will be used this time because these are my own somewhat biased feelings about Fulham at the current time (12 August at the time of writing)
As I have stated before, this summer and now this season is huge for the progress of Fulham Football Club on multiple different levels.
First, this is Martin's last year under contract. Along with this it is a big year for him and the entire back room staff, for this season they will not only be under the microscope of the fans, but that of the new owner as well. As witnessed in Jacksonville Mr. Khan is not afraid to pull the trigger so to speak and relive many key members of the staff after a bad season.

Financial prudence will continue with the arrival of Mr. Khan. Our mustachioed new chairman has mentioned this in many interviews. What does this mean for Fulham? It really is too early to tell at this current time. What it means to me is that Fulham will continue on the path it currently has. That means funding the new stand and only purchasing the right player at the right time (sound familiar?) This could mean a loan like Taarabt or the splashing of a 5-10 million player that only just came available. I feel that the money we received for Dembele and Dempsey went to write off our debt and to the Riverside development. It was never ours to spend.
The takeover will increase the American contingent at least by a few due to the Jacksonville connection as the same will occur the other way. However I don't think it will have a profound increase in our numbers as most will just watch out for scores or highlights. This isn't to say we won't gain a few more passionate supporters who just needed a quality club to follow.

Jol has said the budget is good and he has demonstrated that he can get a good player in Berbatov. (Whatever faults people think he has, you cannot doubt his skill) This also means the supporters will be frustrated for the rest of the summer because Fulham likes to keep its cards to the chest. While this is not the most exciting for the supporters, it is very good business practice for a Club of Fulham' s stature. This ensures that we get the player we want for a decent price.
Jol has to improve his man management. He is a good manager; you can see that he has done well at previous Clubs. However, this is arguably the best squad that has collectively pulled on the Fulham shirt for a long time. Recognize the squad's strengths and its weaknesses and accommodate the formation to suit it. Too many times last season a squad was announced and a supporter pessimistically watched the match, knowing that this was the same line up that struggled to get a point or lost the previous match. A change was made often too late, usually in the last 5-10 minutes, not enough time to effectively change the outcome. When the squad fires on all cylinders it is a beautiful site, however to continue the auto reference when not all cylinders are firing it is a cringe worthy experience that you can't help but morbidly watch.

Jol has mentioned for almost a full year now the loss of Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele. Has this gotten annoying? Yes it has frankly. However this may be a public plea to those that work above him. I can only provide a theory as I do not know the inner workings of the club, but it seems to me that this is what it is. It may just be him saying "Look, we lost these players, we haven't replaced them and we need to and it's not happening, please let me sign who we need" I really can't see any other reason behind it than this. I don't know any other manager that consistently mentions former players at this rate without a reason. Maybe I am wrong though and it's just that.
We need a fighter in the squad, someone who will not only give his all but someone who will get in the squad's faces for not giving an effort. Currently our squad consists of a brilliant footballer whose means of voicing displeasure is to raise his hands, a player while gifted in midfield acts as if he is hit by a sniper's bullet and any contact, a very solid defender in the role of Captain who is not the ideal on field leader (Trust me I don't like talking bad about Hangeland, he is my current favorite first teamer)We also have some solid engines in Reither, Sidwell and Boateng. We have really missed Murphy and never replaced the quality he brought to the squad as Captain. I do not think he would have helped our squad in ability if he had stayed to play, but his mentality on the field was great. What would be ideal would be a local lad to come in and provide that to our team, however that is years off and the next best thing is an academy graduate to come in and fill that role. While I am not saying that it is wise for that graduate to come in and start bossing everyone around, he should learn, gain his respect from the first team and gradually assume this mantel.

The kits this year are decent to say the least. The sponsor and crest seem to be in the proper place and the fit is better this year as opposed to Kappa. I look forward to not having to have my wife peel me out of my shirt after 5 a side. While I did not like the home shirt at first, it is growing on me and I may consider purchasing it at some point. I figured it would be a template kit and I was correct in this regard as it was unveiled. The away shirt looks class and it was based off a kit that has some very good memories attached to it so I give a plus one to that. They aren't bad but they aren't stellar. The good thing though is they do not look anything like the experiment Warrior did with Liverpool's kit.

In regards to actual transfers this window will show us what to expect in the long run for Fulham Football Club. We have already secured some very good players. We have already seen our new signings in action and they look good. Some have indeed had some moments where you cringe but that is to be somewhat expected during preseason. In my opinion we need another striker, if not to compliment Berbatov, to be back up in case of injury. With Trotta and Hugo the only other recognized forwards in the squad, it would be mental to let the window close without another on the books. We also need another central midfielder, while this player will not be the sole answer to our midfield issues a creative player in the center of the park, it will go a long way in helping the forwards stay forward. At left back your guess is as good as mine. Recent comments from Riise indicate a departure leaving us with Richardson and Briggs. If Richardson can stay fit it will not be an issue that is a big if though. This is Briggs do or dies year in my opinion as well. At right back Hughes is decent cover, it would be nice to bring in another, though this seems to be a low priority.

As in every year we need to get behind the team, no matter what. Yes it may be hard if the squad is having a slow start and things look like nothing has changed over the close season, however the so called 12th man can have an impact. Here is to hoping The Cottage Fortress returns this season. Also it blows my mind that some can automatically judge a player from where they used to play. If you came to work from another company and you were judged just because you used to work somewhere else, you would think it's a bit unfair wouldn't you? A good reception could mean the difference from the player staying or leaving at the end of the season. I'm not just mentioning Taarabt in this sense as we have had many players past and present make the move from rival clubs. They wear the White and that is good enough reason for me to support them, my judgment of a player comes from their performance, not their history.

I think once again we will be close to the top of the fair play charts. This is even with Boateng and Amorebieta coming with a history of cards. It seems that there is something in the water at the Cottage that allows players with said history to stop being as critical in the tackle, though it could be the coaching. It's probably the coaching.

My players to watch this season:

Steve Sidwell: While his reputation was tarnished at the red cards at the end of the season he was arguably our best central midfielder last term. This could be due to the fact that Diarra was out injured, however he seems to be the only player we have at the moment to put the ball in the net from midfield.

Brede Hangeland: Will one part of our center half pairing continue to be a rock in the back or will he continue his post Sunderland form. It was quite obvious that he wasn't the same after the Sunderland red, however his form returned towards the end of last season and that was a good sign. It is a new slate and I think it will be a good season for him.

ReJagah or Deither: depending on how you look at it. These two players were crucial to our attacking phase of play during the bulk of last campaign. When Dejagah went down at QPR we seemed to be deflated.

Whoever plays on the left: I say this because it seems to be our week side. There were many different combinations during last year and I hope it begins to be as productive as our right. Kacaniklic is still learning and he needs solid cover behind him. This could be Briggs, Riise or Richardson. The same goes for our other wide players.

Taarabt, Ruiz (also on the right) and Duff could all be rotated into this position, and while I am all for squad competition it is nice to know you have a solid pairing instead of wondering who it will be this week.

Our central midfield pairing: This also was a combination that was played around with, multiple players filled in disrupting our flow of play. If a creative player can be teamed up with Boateng, this could be very promising news.

Stekelenburg: Simple really, it is his first season in the Premiership. How will he cope after limited playing time after last season. I am not too worried though, you don't start a World Cup final for the Netherlands if you aren't good. With David Stockdale vowing to give him competition for the number one shirt, it could be very exciting times for our Keeper department.

Berbatov: As usual we will rely on him for goals, hopefully we can give him the service he needs. If that can be provided he will do well.

Gentleman Jim: With my current location being Afghanistan I am going to rely on his oratory genius to bring the matches to life as only he can. Some may consider him plan B if their stream does not work, but he is always preferred in my view to a jumpy Spanish commentary.

Preseason while good for fitness and testing different combinations, not too much store should be taken. Hopefully we perform like we did in Costa Rica, rather than the last 3 matches.

Opening day is going to be a good barometer, at least for how we may play away. Di Canio has brought in a lot of players of various qualities which could be good or bad for them. Yes they are playing at home on opening day, with both manager and squad having something to prove, however as QPR fatally demonstrated, if the squad does not gel it will be a long season. If we are to go there and pressure them we can come away with at least a point. The key is to not sit on a lead if we take one and let them into the game, or just go there aiming for a point. The previous was a good strategy for Roy's squad, I have nothing against it either. Roy provided me and the rest of the supporters with many, many happy memories. However with the quality of player we have, this should not be our strategy, especially with another club of a similar stature.
The first five matches or so will also be a good gauge, this a time where we can still bring in players  and while I won't be happy if our style of play has not improved in the league since last term during this time, if it brings about a change in the playing staff I will accept it in the long run. After all I would rather have an Everton style slow start than the Fulham collapse of last year.

Relegation has been brought up this year by supporters and pundits alike, and while I realize that no club is too big for relegation I don't see it likely this year. The quality of the clubs that came up this year in my opinion won't be enough to stay up. While the teams around us have brought in some quality I just don't see the promoted clubs making a huge impact like those who have come up in previous years I.e. Southampton and Swansea.
With NBC buying the rights to show the Premier League this is good news for American supporters such as myself, however they were a bit gimmicky in regards to how to get new followers. I can understand the reasoning behind it, they could have done better. Our segment included the usual comment about the Michael Jackson Statue and some story about a boat. It wouldn't have taken much to ask the club or even a supporter for a brief synopsis that describes the club and what makes it unique. I just feel for the other clubs that got less time than us. I really can't see our American numbers swelling due to this coverage, the Jacksonville takeover had more of an impact in regards to that. Most Americans that pick a club due to NBC will more than likely gravitate towards a top four side.

In conclusion, if you have continued to read over 2,566  words in to this, I salute you. You must be pretty bored to trudge on reading four pages. As always I am cautiously optimistic about the upcoming season. Come on you Whites.

[sussexwhite]

They aren't bad but they aren't stellar. The good thing though is they do not look anything like the experiment Warrior did with Liverpool's kit.

You've not seen the leaked 3rd kit pics then ? That apart, a good read.

[valdeingruo]

I havent, heard they are purple though.