Offal - Kits Wigan preview

[Lighthouse]

t's been a busy week for Friday's opponents Wigan Athletic, who relieved Malky Mackay of his duties and moved to appoint former player Gary Caldwell as their new boss in a final bid to beat the drop.

Fulham Manager Kit Symons, though, says that his side will address the fixture no differently.

"We approach the game in the same way as if Malky was in charge," he stated in his pre-match press conference. "We've done our homework on them as a team.

"Gary could come in and change things around dramatically, change the system, change the personnel, but we can only prepare and try and get as much information on the opposition as we can, which we've done, and prepare the players properly for that.

"I was a little bit surprised to see Malky go. It's always disappointing and unfortunate when you see another manager lose their job.

"Unfortunately it's the nature of the beast and it goes with the territory, but also we've had that a couple of times when we've played teams straight after a managerial change, so we're used to it now.

"We're at home in front of the Craven Cottage faithful so it's down to us to take the game by the scruff of the neck and make sure we do the job."

However, Symons was not overly surprised at the decision to appoint 32-year-old former Latics captain Caldwell on a permanent basis.

"He's someone who knows the club very well," Symons stated. "So in that respect it's not too much of a shock. I'm sure they've got their reasons for doing it so it's not a massive surprise."

Symons was also asked in the press conference about the influence of Alan Curbishley, who joined the club in an advisory capacity.

"It's been a massive help to me, bringing in someone of Alan's experience," he admitted. "He's been low key, he's only come in for a short period of time and it's all very relaxed.

"He's a good football person and a good guy and he fits in perfectly with what we want to do at this Football Club.

"My staff have been excellent and what they've done is tremendous. They are young, diligent and very hard working, but what we haven't got is that experience, which Alan has."

There was speculation about the future of Patrick Roberts in the press this week, and while Symons admitted that it has not been the ideal season to throw the youngster in, he insists he has a big future with the Whites.

"Pat's a really exciting young player who I think has got a huge future for this Football Club," he stated. "This very, very challenging season in the Championship has probably not been an ideal time to blood a young player of Pat's stature.

"It's been difficult, he would have wanted a lot more game time which I understand, and I'd expect that to be the case, but he's realistic about where the Club is and the situation we're in, and he's keen to help in any way he can."

[BestOfBrede]

Typical Kit - no real answer re Roberts just the obvious ...
Tell every one how much you like him and what a great future he has, but not with a struggling Championship team!
How about - he is NOT for sale!

[MJG]

Typical Kit - no real answer re Roberts just the obvious ...
Tell every one how much you like him and what a great future he has, but not with a struggling Championship team!
How about - he is NOT for sale!

But he only has one year left so we can't really say that, and who believes anyone when they say that.

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

Typical Kit - no real answer re Roberts just the obvious ...
Tell every one how much you like him and what a great future he has, but not with a struggling Championship team!
How about - he is NOT for sale!

Maybe that's because the obvious is the answer.

Would saying 'He is NOT for sale" mean anything? If Real Madrid offered £50m he would suddenly be for sale whatever had been said before. Every player has their price.

[Bronaldinho]

Typical Kit - no real answer re Roberts just the obvious ...
Tell every one how much you like him and what a great future he has, but not with a struggling Championship team!
How about - he is NOT for sale!

Maybe that's because the obvious is the answer.

Would saying 'He is NOT for sale" mean anything? If Real Madrid offered £50m he would suddenly be for sale whatever had been said before. Every player has their price.

I'd probably accept £50m actually.

That may tempt me.

[filham]

Still trying to fathom why Roberts has not made more first team appearances, OK he is slightly built and it has been a tough season for us and he is only 18 years of age but the lad has talent in abundance.

There are other 18 year olds around the country making first team appearances and those of us old enough old enough to remember Haynes and Barret, not heavywieghts by any means, commanding first team places at Robert's age are really puzzled .

[cmg]

I know it is currently popular sport to try to find some fault in everything our manager does, but it is not really too productive to use the content of these PR statements as a source of ammunition. They are an expected precursor to every match (look at the conspiracy theories that emerged when one went missing last week!) but have never, in living memory, been used to announce anything of importance (one might even say'of interest')

I think he has been as clear as could be expected about the handling of Pat Roberts - of course, you may not agree with it.
As for saying, "He is not for sale". Well that would just be untrue. What player isn't for sale...at the right price? Bale, Ibrahimovic, Ronaldo (C), Suarez, Di Maria, Zidane, Ronaldo (Fat), Figo - were they 'For Sale'? They were certainly sold.

[sunburywhite]

or Smalling or Saha

[BedsFFC]

Typical Kit - no real answer re Roberts just the obvious ...
Tell every one how much you like him and what a great future he has, but not with a struggling Championship team!
How about - he is NOT for sale!

But he only has one year left so we can't really say that, and who believes anyone when they say that.

I believed Cookie when he said "Saha would be sold, over his dead body".

[BestOfBrede]

Well perhaps you are correct in all players are saleable I suspose but wouldn't it be nice for some good pisitive talk coming out of Craven Cottage for once?
We are in need of a boost, well me anyway!

[love4ffc]

Say someone did offer outrageous cash for Roberts say around 30 - 50 million.  That would be all fine and dandy but under the fair play crap can we actually spend all of it at once?  What is the cap on the summer window spending?


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