We can get promoted, relegation teams, etc..merged

[Nick Bateman]

Except we're not the Manchester United of the south, and we are not a premiership team. We were a premiership club, but the only ties we really have to premiership is the stadium and the club name. The only premiership quality players we have are waiting to be sold with the exception of Scott Parker who is.... ineffective.  We have an owner who's only premiership experience is seeing us relegated and our manager is not exactly Sir Alex. He's more like Qyburn in game of thrones.

We do not know ourselves at the moment. We had a mid life crisis and hit rock bottom. Now we have to start all over. Expecting us to bounce straight back just because we spent 13 years in the premier league is ridiculous. Given a bit of time we will be a scary prospect in this league, we have an insanely talented group of kids, but unfortunately for us at the moment they are just that, kids. Until they are fully matured into strong seasoned players they will get picked apart by stronger more experienced sides.

Saying we should be brushing these teams aside with ease is wishful thinking. We struggled against them when we were a premier league side playing against them in cup games. Swaggering into  games thinking we're all that and a bag of potato chips will not get us anywhere at all. 

We may have a mega rich owner, but he is playing with a very cut price team. If we sell Mitroglou and Ruiz it might get reinvested it might not but I doubt we will see and big name signings. With the exception of McCormack and probably Parker we probably have one of the cheapest wage bills in the league.

My money would be on us hovering mid table until January, making some decent signings and making a real run at the top 6 towards the end of the year, falling just short of promotion. Then going into next season as favourites like Derby this season. We have huge potential but need time to put it together. 

What makes a big team in this division? Blackburn, Leeds etc have proved that history means very little. QPR have shown that massive money can just about get you up, but it has to be spent and even then you're flirting with ruin if it doesn't come off. Building a great team is the way to do it that is what we're doing. With the rich owner we have, the geographical location we have and the history we have we will certainly be able to speed the process up a lot faster then clubs around us as we will be an attractive prospect for the best championship players but the process does not change for us, we can't just click our fingers and make it happen.

Just be happy you support Fulham. We really are a great, unique club and we will eventually get our mojo back.

If we were mid-table anywhere near January, I would be mortified, Magath would (rightly) be out the door and drastic changes would be needed.  And we could be there if we approach games as we did when we were relegated, as we did yesterday, as 'little' Fulham, when in this division we are the true BIG FISH!

Both those northern teams had history in the days of yore, Blackbum had a brief affair with the PL when they had a rich owner (nowhere near as rich as Khan).  Leeds are a sleeping giant, but they are still fast asleep.

Chelsea are proof that money talks - a medium sized London club similar to West Ham until a multi-billionaire came along.  Fulham in the Championship should easily dominate and believe in it.

The attitude needs to change, among the manager, his staff, the players, AND some of the fans who are still afraid of everybody and cannot seize this great moment.  Compare this to when Jean Tigana led a FANASTIC Fulham who BARNSTORMED this very league with 100 points and scintillating soccer!!

If some of you say we do not have the players, then we must get them.  There is no transfer window for us now. Roger in America can see what I am alluding to.

Remember, it is everybody's cup final to PLAY Fulham, let alone beat them.  That is why FULHAM are the Manchester United of the South and we must start behaving that way on the pitch!

[Arthur]

Remember, it is everybody's cup final to PLAY Fulham, let alone beat them.  That is why FULHAM are the Manchester United of the South and we must start behaving that way on the pitch!

And if you are prepared to be patient for a half-a-dozen-or-so games, perhaps we shall.

May I remind you that when Sir Alex Ferguson introduced the Manchester United of the North's crop of talented youngsters (Beckham, Scholes, Butt, the Neville brothers) in the opening game of the 95-96 season, his team lost 3-1 at Aston Villa.

[b+w geezer]

Turn up somewhere like Ipswich (Derby, Wolves etc) to appreciate that we are nothing special in this division in size or prestige terms, we've just been in the premiership that bit more recently. That does have practical relevance -- those lovely parachute payments while they last. Also, while the Financial Fair Play rules will prevent Khan flinging money at promotion in the way that Al Fayed was able to, they do allow an owner- funded £8 million seasonal loss. So combine those two things and we are high-rollers for the moment in this division -- but for hard cash rather than windbaggy reasons.