Riggs big challenge

[FulhamStu]

Our 1st team squad is massively unbalanced.
We only have 6 fit regular effective 1st team squad players with any decent experence.
Parker / McCormack / Ruiz / Rodellega / Bodurov / Kiraly
Of these Ruiz wants out, Kiraly is not good enough and Bodurov is new to the UK.
Hoogland and Amorebieta will hopefuly get fit some time but I think Amor will leave at the end of the season.  Smith, we could re-call.
Zverotic, Voser, Fazlic, Fotherinham, and Chihi are clearly not thought good enough.
That leaves the kids, of which we have a fantastic group, however most are not ready for 1st team football and a few seem frozen out for some reason.

Mike Rigg is clearly a recruitment specialiast and has a huge scouting network.  Why bring him in if we do not intend to use these skills and benefits.   Khan get a lot a bashing, however I am hopeful he has understood our greatest need.  Better, more experienced players.  I would say we are about 4-5 players short in this department.  We should then send out a lot of the younger players to get games and gain experience.

This year is all about getting ready for 2015/6,  Kit needs to improve and Khan and Rigg should be aware we may need a more effective coach, but kit should be given until April unless it goes really tits up.

[colinwhite]

Good post Stu . We need experienced players ,and it will be interesting to see how Kit wants to play and what type of players we get in . Thus far he has been working with Magaths squad so the honeymoon could really be over if we make a few good signings now . If we don't then Kit may not get much more time than to the summer , so its a very important window for him ,and the timing of Riggs appointment looks like a good one for the future of the club .
2 really good signings now , Keep Ruiz and the rest of our squad intact apart from the dead wood you mentioned , finish mid table and then kick on in the summer with some real investment .Lets hope it works out that way .

:Happy New Year:

[H4usuallysitting]

We've also got Kaka....Matt Smith.....Ryan Tunnicliffe....Stek...but strangely they're all out on loan till at least Jan (Kaka cant play until Jan)......I feel Kaka, Tunni and Stek could all make the first team (although Stek wont come back).....Matt Smith would also be good for the last 20 minutes (needed someone like him last night for the last 20)

[Bill2]

This is spot on, and indicates the fragility of our squad which was very evident yesterday with two of our regulars out, one of them being Bryan Ruiz. Our squad is paper thin with some of the youngsters clearly not ready for this level yet.

Need some serious work done in Jan with at least 4 players needed who must be fighting for a regular starting 11 place and most of all someone to replace Scotty Parker as captain, not for this season but next and onwards. This could be one of the current squad such as Ross, but apart from him I can't see any obvious candidate.

[FulhamStu]

We've also got Kaka....Matt Smith.....Ryan Tunnicliffe....Stek...but strangely they're all out on loan till at least Jan (Kaka cant play until Jan)......I feel Kaka, Tunni and Stek could all make the first team (although Stek wont come back).....Matt Smith would also be good for the last 20 minutes (needed someone like him last night for the last 20)

Agree that Kaka and Tunni coming back will/would help however they are still young and we need some strong hairy arsed types who know how to lead and compete.   We are very lightweight at the moment.

[grandad]

Please don´t go back to bringing in 32+ year olds. Been there. We need pacy tough players. Our system has been found out. All sides attack us down the flanks as they know that our full backs are always exposed.

[westcliff white]

We've also got Kaka....Matt Smith.....Ryan Tunnicliffe....Stek...but strangely they're all out on loan till at least Jan (Kaka cant play until Jan)......I feel Kaka, Tunni and Stek could all make the first team (although Stek wont come back).....Matt Smith would also be good for the last 20 minutes (needed someone like him last night for the last 20)

If we are to play route one then we need smith, if not then we don't. As we currently do he should be looked at if that is to continue

As for Stek I do not believe there is a recall option in his deal, same for Mitro I believe as well. I also understand we pay 50% of their wages as Mcgath was so eager not to have the on the books, tried the same with Ruiz as well.

[FulhamStu]

Please don´t go back to bringing in 32+ year olds. Been there. We need pacy tough players. Our system has been found out. All sides attack us down the flanks as they know that our full backs are always exposed.

No way do I want that... would prefer the younguns to the old guard.  We just need to be balanced.  Some more experienced is required because he are so reliant on very young players at the moment

[Tony]

I appreciate that we are lacking quality in certain positions, and I appreciate that we have a number of inexperienced players in certain positions but, and this is a big but, those players should go onto the pitch with a clear idea as to what their role is, what their team mates are expecting from them, what are the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition and how to counter it, etc etc.
Football is a team game and purely introducing better players is not going to make the team immediately better.
Fulham never looked like a team under Felix and have improved under Kit, but I am a bit disappointed that picking the same core team week after week has not resulted in a more consistent pattern of play and greater understanding/movement between the players.
But maybe I am expecting too much too soon.
But I hope Mr Riggs and Kit work out how to introduce the quality players we need into a system/pattern of play that everyone understands.
   

[Jims Dentist]

Good post Stu, agree.