How many of our players...

[fcfulham55]

Would make it into a League 1 promotion chasing team?


The obvious answer is, "Not many" McCormack, Smith.


I honestly think. Or know even, that our defence would struggle in League 2. There's no exaggeration! How much more exposed would they be, if we didn't have our League 1 standard midfield in front of them with a decent championship striker in McCormack up top?


This is a wake up call to everyone who thinks we're heading back to the premier league anytime soon, as it's definitely not happening whilst clueless Khan and Kit's tactics are present.

And then this entire squad needs replacing bar the odd 1 or 2. Whereas Promotion chasing teams in this division have close to 15-20 players, that'll put in a decent shift on the pitch to a good standard.

Thoughts?

[Plodder]

Would make it into a League 1 promotion chasing team?


The obvious answer is, "Not many" McCormack, Smith.


I honestly think. Or know even, that our defence would struggle in League 2. There's no exaggeration! How much more exposed would they be, if we didn't have our League 1 standard midfield in front of them with a decent championship striker in McCormack up top?


This is a wake up call to everyone who thinks we're heading back to the premier league anytime soon, as it's definitely not happening whilst clueless Khan and Kit's tactics are present.

And then this entire squad needs replacing bar the odd 1 or 2. Whereas Promotion chasing teams in this division have close to 15-20 players, that'll put in a decent shift on the pitch to a good standard.

Thoughts?

I agree.  Yet some people believe that it is all down to the manager, and with someone else in charge, we would suddenly storm up the league.  Not saying that someone might do better than Kit, but nobody is going to transform our squad into a top Championship side overnight.

[PokerMatt]

Let's see.

Betts might.

Former Bundesliga right-back Tim Hoogland would.
Bulgarian international Nikolay Bodurov would.
Dan Burn has
Staf? Hmm
Hutch. See above.
Jazz Richards probably wouldn't.

England-capped Scott Parker, of course.
One of the best prospects in the league LVC would.
Goalscorer against Italy in the World Cup Bryan Ruiz would.

Last year's Championship top scorer Ross McCormack would, of course.
His teammate at Leeds Matt Smith has this season.
Colombia international Hugo Rodallega would.

So to summarise - it's mainly the manager.

[Lighthouse]

Sorry but Betts would struggle
Hoogland very iffy
Burn - no
Staf -no
Hutch - no
Richards -no
Parker - Possible  but would need the right players around him
LVC - No, not since the first injury this season
Ruiz - See Parker
Ross - Yes
Smith - See Parker
Rodders and the rest - Iffy.

[PokerMatt]

Sorry but Betts would struggle
Hoogland very iffy
Burn - iffy

Sorry but there's no chance a career Bundesliga player, still in his peak years, would struggle in the third tier of English football under the right manager.

And Burn, as I said, has been promoted from that very league, so the facts are there. Oh and he scored in the playoff final.

[fulhamben]

i bet kit wont get a job in league 1 any time soon

[Lighthouse]

Sorry but Betts would struggle
Hoogland very iffy
Burn - iffy

Sorry but there's no chance a career Bundesliga player, still in his peak years, would struggle in the third tier of English football under the right manager.

And Burn, as I said, has been promoted from that very league, so the facts are there. Oh and he scored in the playoff final.

But we are not talking about what was but what is. The players you mention haven't played well and  why do we think they would in the pace of the lower division.

[PokerMatt]

Sorry but Betts would struggle
Hoogland very iffy
Burn - iffy

Sorry but there's no chance a career Bundesliga player, still in his peak years, would struggle in the third tier of English football under the right manager.

And Burn, as I said, has been promoted from that very league, so the facts are there. Oh and he scored in the playoff final.

But we are not talking about what was but what is. The players you mention haven't played well and  why do we think they would in the pace of the lower division.

My point is a player with such credentials can't turn bad overnight. Hoogland has been one of our better players as far as I'm concerned, even if that's not saying much.

Burn has hardly played and has done no worse than Hutch. But if he's helped a team from promotion from League One why does this mean he's not good enough for that level any more? Because he's been in a terribly managed team?

[Tonywa]

If anyone thinks Smith would find a place in a promotion-chasing side they obviously didn't see his abject performance tonight.  The proverbial couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo and reminiscent of the donkeys we had leading the line in our days in the lower divisions like Steve Milton, John Watson and Colin Gordon.

[WestCountryWhite]

If anyone thinks Smith would find a place in a promotion-chasing side they obviously didn't see his abject performance tonight.  The proverbial couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo and reminiscent of the donkeys we had leading the line in our days in the lower divisions like Steve Milton, John Watson and Colin Gordon.

.......Bristol City?

[PokerMatt]

If anyone thinks Smith would find a place in a promotion-chasing side they obviously didn't see his abject performance tonight.  The proverbial couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo and reminiscent of the donkeys we had leading the line in our days in the lower divisions like Steve Milton, John Watson and Colin Gordon.

Bristol City are top of League One.

Matt Smith played there this season.

He scored 13 goals in 19 games in all comps (7 in 11 starts in League One).

I can't see how you can argue he couldn't cut it in the league in which he has cut it this season.

[MiltonBurrows]

I think the majority of our players are more than able to compete in the championship.

A few months ago this forum was raving about Betts and now suddenly people are saying he wouldnt get into a decent league one side? Give me a break.

The squad overall is not a great one, average at best but for championship level.

Now if you were saying could KS manage a promotion chasing league one side, i don't think he could.

I think its a combination of having an average side with a pretty clueless manager is the cause of our problems.

[Tonywa]

Ruiz was a class apart in the first half.  Tunnicliffe's sole contribution to any of the games since he returned seems to be in arguing with the referee plus which he missed a chance a blind, one-legged midget would have put away.  Stafalydis has ben a liability all season and after his sending off tonight should never wear a Fulham shirt again.  A complete and utter disgrace. Frankly I'm sick to death of clueless manager succeeding clueless manager,an owner who is little more than an absentee landlord and a CEO who has presided over the tragic decline of a club which seemed to have established itself in the top division. Nobody in any position of power within the club seems too have the first idea of how to do their job to even the minimum level of competence. Really wonder if with MAF it was a case of 'apres-moi le deluge'. the club could hardly have ben handled more badly that it has in then last three years if someone had actually decided to run it into the ground deliberately. I wasn't this pessimistic even when we were bottom but one of the bottom division and in danger of going out of the league.

[Tonywa]

Apologies I misread the question and thought it applied to a side chasing promotion from the Championship rather thanDivision One.

[WestCountryWhite]

Ruiz looked a class apart then yet again decided to try and take on a player just outside our own box lost it and they score. For all his class on the ball he's a liability that shouldn't be allowed in our own half

[PokerMatt]

Ruiz looked a class apart then yet again decided to try and take on a player just outside our own box lost it and they score. For all his class on the ball he's a liability that shouldn't be allowed in our own half

And if he wasn't he'd then be accused of not tracking back.

[Chutney]

Ruiz looked a class apart then yet again decided to try and take on a player just outside our own box lost it and they score. For all his class on the ball he's a liability that shouldn't be allowed in our own half

And if he wasn't he'd then be accused of not tracking back.

Its amazing that we always manage to blame ruiz, he created chance after chance for Smith and McCormack tonight, they missed every single one of them, he did exactly what he is paid to do tonight. Its not his fault our strikers couldn't hit a barn door.

[WestCountryWhite]

Ruiz looked a class apart then yet again decided to try and take on a player just outside our own box lost it and they score. For all his class on the ball he's a liability that shouldn't be allowed in our own half

And if he wasn't he'd then be accused of not tracking back.

I'd rather he didn't

[PokerMatt]

Ruiz looked a class apart then yet again decided to try and take on a player just outside our own box lost it and they score. For all his class on the ball he's a liability that shouldn't be allowed in our own half

And if he wasn't he'd then be accused of not tracking back.

Its amazing that we always manage to blame ruiz, he created chance after chance for Smith and McCormack tonight, they missed every single one of them, he did exactly what he is paid to do tonight. Its not his fault our strikers couldn't hit a barn door.

I haven't seen the game so can't comment - but that's the consensus I've read.

Always find myself defending him. Out of a bad bunch, he's far from the worst.

[WestCountryWhite]

Ruiz looked a class apart then yet again decided to try and take on a player just outside our own box lost it and they score. For all his class on the ball he's a liability that shouldn't be allowed in our own half

And if he wasn't he'd then be accused of not tracking back.

Its amazing that we always manage to blame ruiz, he created chance after chance for Smith and McCormack tonight, they missed every single one of them, he did exactly what he is paid to do tonight. Its not his fault our strikers couldn't hit a barn door.

No it isn't which is why I said he looked a class apart. Yet the first goal was entirely of his own making. Not scapegoating just a fact!