I am worried

[Max Headroom]

The Positives

1. i think we have a stronger squad than we have ever had with a couple of exceptions
2. We have a few good youngsters who could force their way into the team
3. We bought early and well. Parker, Bent, Amorebieta and Stekelenberg are quality buys

BUT

1. Mr Jol is worrying me as
a) his team selections seem to be all over the shop and I am not sure he knows his best team which he should do
b) The Berba/Ruiz conundrum and Jol love in with them really worries me - Berba has to be made to work more for the team - I think he now believes the hype that his talent is what is keeping Fulham afloat, but one assist in three games suggests it isn't going to be enough
c) We have a lack of depth at left back and at striker - I see Berba as a midfielder, so Bent is the only out and out striker we have (Rodellega doesn't score enough to count)
d) He doesn't seem prepared to give the youngsters a go
2. I think we need some consistency in selection over the next few games, and hopefully everything will come together. I am not sure we are going to get it. How could he drop Kasami when he was our best player in the previous games? Boateng was our best player preseason - why isn't he being picked? (maybe too similar to Parker). What is his chosen formation?

I am not asking for Jol's head to roll, but the manner of our performances to date suggest that something isn't right.

I followed the away games on twitter and it appeared that we were under the cosh in both games, so lucky to get the three points at Sunderland, and we were well and truly stuffed by a very good Arsenal team. When I saw the opening fixtures, I would have been happy with three points from three games as I thought it could easily have been nil points, so we are doing OK

[Deanothefulhamfan]

I agree with all your points with the exception of Boateng... I feel he was poor in the Parma game and the Sunderland game. He needed to be dropped, maybe its time for him to be brought back in.

I have seen all the games on TV over here and we have been beyond poor in every game ( first game we defended well)

We simply have to beat wba.... they are a real contender to go down and anything less than 3 points for us at home and we are in big big trouble.... We lose and perform badly and Jol will be on a very thin line.... Somethings got to give - we will probably win 3-0 and play the best football we have done in ages knowing Fulham :)

[alfie]

I am not worried whatsoever, as much as i love Fulham there are far more important things in my life to worry about than football, i know to some people football/Fulham is their life and that is fine each to their own i guess.

[Berserker]

I think the word that would describe my feeling about Fulham's season is 'concerned'. I always worry about most things anyhow, but when alot of posters on here that i respect are concerned, mainly that Jol and his coaching family are not up to it, i then think my underlying concern may have some substance.

[epsomraver]

I agree with all your points with the exception of Boateng... I feel he was poor in the Parma game and the Sunderland game. He needed to be dropped, maybe its time for him to be brought back in.

I have seen all the games on TV over here and we have been beyond poor in every game ( first game we defended well) 

We simply have to beat wba.... they are a real contender to go down and anything less than 3 points for us at home and we are in big big trouble.... We lose and perform badly and Jol will be on a very thin line.... Somethings got to give - we will probably win 3-0 and play the best football we have done in ages knowing Fulham :)

I really hope so but I said that at the beginning of this season, watched the two friendlies at the Cottage and the Arsenal game and it was business as usual apart from Parker standing out.

It is a shame other players who have a poor game are not dropped and our goal scorer at Sunderland who did not have a bad game against the Arse is dropped completely,  Jol makes no sense to me at all.

[Deanothefulhamfan]

I agree ER... Things need to change, lets hope they do starting at wba.... Berbatov on the bench would be a super start

[filham]

Agree, we have good players but need to see  11 men playing as a team with good tactics. The Berbatov/ Ruiz puzzle could turn out to be our downfall. We could field a strong team without these two but I suspect the manager will not do this until several other permutations have been tried and have failed.

[Ruiz11]

Everyone outside the top six is worried

[Me-ate-Live, innit??]

I am way past worried ......................... getting to plastic pants time  :022:

[cmg]

I am way past worried ......................... getting to plastic pants time  :022:

...you haven't been dining with the Venezuelan squad, have you?

[Berserker]

Could be useful the amount of time you have to queue up at the cottage lavi's, or if you are going to be in the Putney end for the Cardiff match saves you getting out of the safety of the stand at half time

[SG]

As I get older I have stopped being worried or even concerned. I cannot change anything with regards to FFC so what will be will be. I will turn up next Saturday full of hope and expectation and already am expecting to be disappointed with either the way we play and/or the result. Part of the reason for this is undoubtedly simply getting older but part of this is the impact that Mr Jol is having on our playing style.

[Tonywa]

As I have said before I am not actively anti-Jol, but feel that he really should start to prove himself this season. What worries me about the summer recruits is not the quality, which I feel is good, but the fact that the signings seem to me to have been made without any coherent thought as to whether they can actually add up to a side. I am bemused as to how you can possibly play Ruiz, Berbatov and Tarabt in the same side while we seem to have a whole lot of defensive midfielders without out any really creative player a la Danny Murphy unless Parker is to fulfil that role.   The lack of encouragement given to the younger players in the squad is worrying.  Much as I love the Duffer he is past his best know yet continues to be picked while as promising a player as Frei leaves in frustration at his lack of opportunity. The dropping of Kasami after his excellent performances in the first two games is totally inexplicable to me. I am fairly sure that after all his signings if you asked Jol what he considered his best starting eleven he really wouldn't know and is just trying to work it out on the hoof.  I would hope we have enough quality in the squad not to be dragged into a relegation fight, but I wait for a sign that we have a settled first choice starting line-up and with it a consistent pattern of play.  Making three or four changes every game just to try various ideas out is not the way forward.

[NogoodBoyo]

Both the problem and the opportunity at Fulham can be summed up in eight letters.
Nogood "saying.......BERBATOV......, isit" Boyo
P.S.  Think I'll start another thread on this one

[Bassey the warrior]

Kasami our best player? Don't make me laugh. Credit to him for putting in a shift and taking his chance but he lacks the creativity needed to be a number 10.

[epsomraver]

Kasami our best player? Don't make me laugh. Credit to him for putting in a shift and taking his chance but he lacks the creativity needed to be a number 10.
[/quote

Where does any one say he was our best player?

[jarv]

Fulham surely are better than 3 other teams in the division, so, don't worry. 17th will be fine, Jol will be gone and the club can start over.
Maybe Roy will get sacked by England when they fail to qualify and we can get him back. Just kidding. (about Roy getting sacked that is).

[Arthur]

There are several calls here for more consistency in team selection and an equal number who are calling for Jol to ring some changes.

If Jol picks a team we like, we want consistency: if he doesn't, we call for changes. Not surprising, of course.

Indeed, whenever I look at a 'pick-your-team' thread, I'm invariably struck by how few of us agree on what that team is. On the basis that, whatever the best team is, only a small minority are picking it, it seems as if not many of us are capable of doing any better at team selection than our increasingly-beleaguered manager.

[RaySmith]

I'm always worried about Fulham, ever since we've been in the Prem.

This season I feel more confident than on many previous seasons - with the players we've brought in, and youngsters such as Kaka and Mesca coming through.

[Fulham76]

The Positives

1. i think we have a stronger squad than we have ever had with a couple of exceptions
2. We have a few good youngsters who could force their way into the team
3. We bought early and well. Parker, Bent, Amorebieta and Stekelenberg are quality buys

BUT

1. Mr Jol is worrying me as
a) his team selections seem to be all over the shop and I am not sure he knows his best team which he should do
b) The Berba/Ruiz conundrum and Jol love in with them really worries me - Berba has to be made to work more for the team - I think he now believes the hype that his talent is what is keeping Fulham afloat, but one assist in three games suggests it isn't going to be enough
c) We have a lack of depth at left back and at striker - I see Berba as a midfielder, so Bent is the only out and out striker we have (Rodellega doesn't score enough to count)
d) He doesn't seem prepared to give the youngsters a go
2. I think we need some consistency in selection over the next few games, and hopefully everything will come together. I am not sure we are going to get it. How could he drop Kasami when he was our best player in the previous games? Boateng was our best player preseason - why isn't he being picked? (maybe too similar to Parker). What is his chosen formation?

I am not asking for Jol's head to roll, but the manner of our performances to date suggest that something isn't right.

I followed the away games on twitter and it appeared that we were under the cosh in both games, so lucky to get the three points at Sunderland, and we were well and truly stuffed by a very good Arsenal team. When I saw the opening fixtures, I would have been happy with three points from three games as I thought it could easily have been nil points, so we are doing OK

The players we have are good enough for a comfortable season but the manager isn't. If he continues to play his usual, ridiculous negative style away from home, we'll continue to lose. Sunderland was a complete fluke. How the hell we won with just 1 attempt compared to their 14-15 is beyond me. Same at Newcastle, 1 or 2 attempts is embarrassing.
How many teams come to the cottage & don't attack? None is the answer. Jol has got to change his tactics or we'll go down this season. But, I don't think he will. Hopefully Khan will give him the boot sooner rather than later, but that seems unlikely too...