The Northerners are coming!

[Nick Bateman]

What the Ipswich game showed and Magath's remarks afterwards to the entire division is, that Fulham are a bunch of soft-southerners who don't like it up 'em!!

The match was broadcast LIVE and every northern club manager who play similar tactics to Mick McCarthy will have been encouraged to rough us up, or whatever the official will allow them to get away with.

And the refs will show Fulham no sympathy: we are the rich Londoners, with a multi-billionaire owner and a 100million+ parachute payment to boot, fresh from playing with the 'elite' in the Premier League.  One cannot blame them for wanting us to have a hard time.

They all predicted how different, how more physical playing in the lower league would be and it seems to have come as a shock to Magath.  He has signed players from Europe more at home with the non-contact version of football played in the PL and the Bundesliga, whilst losing proven battlers like Sidwell amongst others who we need even more now.

Fulham need to toughen up and fast, as every Northerner drinking his Boddingtons or Stout while eating a chip butty and a plate of tripe, will relish kicking the Man.United-Of-The-South off the piggin' park!!  Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, they'll add!

[JBH]

 ALERT  :028:

[ToodlesMcToot]

Transfer window hasn't closed and Felix hasn't said that he's done with his transfer business. We'll be adding players. Let's wait and see what we get before ringing the alarm bells.

[JBH]

Transfer window hasn't closed and Felix hasn't said that he's done with his transfer business. We'll be adding players. Let's wait and see what we get before ringing the alarm bells.

Ignore Mr Bateman he is just a  086.gif

[The Equalizer]

He's not wrong though, well he is about the Northerners. We're going to get kicked to pieces this season and we do need to toughen up. We could really do with having Rufus Brevett and John Collins back.

[ToodlesMcToot]

He's not wrong though, well he is about the Northerners. We're going to get kicked to pieces this season and we do need to toughen up. We could really do with having Rufus Brevett and John Collins back.

We absolutely need Championship experience in this team and could use a CB and CM who are not afraid to take a card to send a message. I wholeheartedly agree with the style of play that we demonstrated on Saturday but we certainly lacked a player who was willing to show Ipswich that we can put in the hard tackle as well. Parker, as captain, should be first in line to do this for the team but I just don't get the sense that this is in his character at this point in his career.

It'll be a long season if we are unwilling or unable to stand up for ourselves. I have faith that Felix and the team will take care of this.

[Egham White]

I'm from Barnsley originally and used to drink in the same pub as Mick and Jack Charlton  from time to time. It was Tetleys not Boddingtons  :005:

[God The Mechanic]

Tigana had no experience in the Championship, worked out alright for us didn't it?

As for signing players from Europe, 3 of them are from British leagues, one from Germany (apparently acceptably robust...), one from Eastern Europe (who are nothing if not batshit mental at times).

[Burt]

Blimey... Lots of experts in team coaching and management, and club leadership, on here today  :dft011:

[bulgariawhite]

Another thread knocking Felix. It is getting wearisome. Can we get into the season and see how things pan out. We all knew it would tough. Let's get behind the team and enjoy the ride for now.

[Lighthouse]

An awful lot of conclusions being made from one game of football.

[bulgariawhite]

Agreed lighthouse.

[Nick Bateman]

I concur with many of the above.  Tigana won this league in style with a record 100 points!!!!

Partly because Kevin Keegan had built such a strong side, with fiesty Rufus Brevett as mentioned, dynamic bruisers upfront in Barry Hayles and Geoff Horsfield and a ROCK in the centre of defense in Cookie Coleman!  Tigana added style in Boa Morte and Saha, but even the "Dead Snake" could dish it out!

And as for "slopeheads" the Northerners will be trying to give us some "ECKY THUMP", it isn't rocket science!

[Nick Bateman]

Nick Bateman is right, one of the reasons why Magath is not qualified for the job, is apart from his poor judgement, and mediocre command of the the English Language, and the lack of man management qualities, which has made him a hate figure over the years, is his lack of knowledge and experience of playing in the English Championship, it's a culture shock to him, and he is unqualified to handle it, I blame that clown Alistair Mackintosh for recruiting him in the first place, Mackintosh couldn't run a bath. I wouldn't let Mackintosh mow my lawn.

Agreed!  As a footnote, I am beginning to suspect Ali Mack's probity.  Buying two unproven strikers for £22million, granted McCormack and to a degree Mitroglou, still deserve a chance, but then allowing Berbatov to leave mid-season, not offering Schwarzer or Sidwell new deals, letting Hangeland leave for nothing (didn't Arsenal want to buy him for £8million the season before he left??), show gross incompetence at BEST!

I do believe industrial sabotage goes on in a multi-billion pound industry like English football and many decent owners have been ruined because of bad advice from their CEO.  Fulham are also the enemies of Abramovic's Chelsea and he will be ruthless to dominate his area of London.

[TheManOnTheBus]

 :005:

064.gif

Fulham are also the enemies of Abramovic's Chelsea and he will be ruthless to dominate his area of London.

Hilarious

[Northern Cottager]

Transfer window hasn't closed and Felix hasn't said that he's done with his transfer business. We'll be adding players. Let's wait and see what we get before ringing the alarm bells.

Ignore Mr Bateman he is just a  086.gif and a  :troll:  065.gif

What on earth are you on about?

[Jem]

Jeepers Nick, nothing like a bit of stereotyping!

[rogerpbackinMidEastUS]

I'm not sure if this is the 'original' Nick Bateman or not.
Whoever it is I find it strange that as soon as he posts something, which is his opinion.
someone always shouts "troll alert" and the saddest of all  "Move along, nothing to see here"
which again is only that persons opinion.

His post in this thread is quite good I think, although I agree with Equalizer about the North.
They are by no means any more 'cloggers' than Southern, Midlands (or anywhere else teams) as we already found out last Satuday and will find out this Saturday
We're fiscally and geographically lucky, but many teams with less resources may have to play that way as perhaps they can't afford to buy a regular goalscorer/s and therefore a 'more bullying approach' helps them survive in the leagues they are in.
It is early days, but we do need 1/2 toughies.  
We've certainly got a couple in Hoogland and Bodurov and don't forget we dished out a few tasty tackles ourselves. Ipswich weren't the only ones 'guilty' of 'putting it about'
A good thing for the future is that Ipswich's style certainly didn't seem to phase Hyndman, Roberts, David, Woodrow etc although Moussa was maybe a bit intimidate.
As somone else said, Tigana's team played some wonderful stuff but that year he did have some tough tacklers in the team.
Sign up Vinnie Jones, Norman Hunter, Joey Barton and Robbie Savage.  
Our 'problem' will be solved


Nick. Having posted this you went and ruined it by the Oligarth/Chelsea comment.  I think he makes even Khan look like a pauper.

[akf]

Transfer window hasn't closed and Felix hasn't said that he's done with his transfer business. We'll be adding players. Let's wait and see what we get before ringing the alarm bells.

Ignore Mr Bateman he is just a  086.gif and a  :troll:  065.gif

Should it be Baitman, not Bateman, then?

[jags24]

Transfer window hasn't closed and Felix hasn't said that he's done with his transfer business. We'll be adding players. Let's wait and see what we get before ringing the alarm bells.

Ignore Mr Bateman he is just a  086.gif and a  :troll:  065.gif

What on earth are you on about?

The board appears to have a double standard where it's okay to attack anyone who criticizes the club, but not okay for critics to defend themselves.