Yet another "minority opinion"

[HatterDon]

I like the way we're playing. I like our width in attack. I like our pace. I like our attacking midfielders. I'm not nuts about our keeper, but that's really pretty minor.

I haven't enjoyed the football Fulham play this much since Sparky was in charge. This team doesn't quake at going away to a team 6 positions below us. We don't go negative when we get a lead -- home or away. We continue to play OUR football. We have a clear and coherent game plan every time we go out there, and I believe that -- on our day -- we can kick any side's ass in our division. So, I gotta say I'm very happy were we are now -- high mid-table in one of the finest leagues in the world. For the first time in ages we're COMPETITIVE and we're GOOD.

Now, it doesn't bother me in the least that we're not doing this in the Prem. It would be nice to have all our matches on TV again, and it would be nice to listen to GJ occasionally, but we have had seasons in the Premier League where our football was an eyesore. Would I rather be in the Premier League now playing the kind of football we saw under Jol and Magath? Or even the drab 0-0 road matches we had under Roy? Not a bit of it. I'm happy to stay in the Championship for another decade if it means that Fulham can be associated with attractive attacking football.

Oh, and what would really make me happy would be treating a cup competition as an adventure for the club, a bonus for the fans, and a REAL effort to get some silverware -- as opposed to an irritating distraction in our season.

So, yeah, it finally dawned on me that what I've been missing the last couple of seasons wasn't being in the same league as "the big boys;" it was being proud of the football Fulham plays. 049:gif

[Max Headroom]

Yesterday was the best game of football I have seen in many years. I agree, I love seeing us comptetive and playing great football. More than the premier league? I still want to be there but realise it's a recipe for frustration. I'm gong to enjoy this team while I can

[Forever Fulham]

I understand what you're saying, Don, but I want us out of this grab and foul league with its sketchy reffing.  If we're going to play the game with style and verve, spreading the field, acting with purpose, we need to get  back to the top division.  The occasional win against the big boys is special.  Who knows?  We might pull a Leicester one day.

[Twig]

agree with the positive comments re. our style but sorry, being on MOTD, being in the BEST league and the odd win against chelsea/arsenal/man utd/liverpool... versus the crap refereeing, dirty rough-house football and fixture like rotherham next week... no doubt in my mind i want us back in the prem (and that's coming from someone who started watching before this millennium before you ask!)

Yes,I agree with that sentiment, it is the failure of Championship refs to sort out the niggly and cynical stuff that I really cannot understand.
If we went for it and brought in just two new players - a top keeper and a pacier striker, then we could stroll into the playoffs (provided Joka also tightens us up a bit more at the back which I have faith he is slowly achieving). And then who knows where it could take us!

[colinwhite]

Good post ,and I agree with much of what you are saying. The promised lands is however what drives us on and off the pitch so for the sake of the club we need to back there. If we go up then we will need to get in four or five new starters but now at least we have agreat foundation to build on. One good thing about the cup this year could be the chance to measure ourselves against premiership opposition.Is this team better than the one we had in our last year in the PL? I would say so.

[Kent Cassandra]

My sentiments entirely HD from a personal point of view.
But
SJ is in charge, one can see that he is very ambitious and  would probably move on as Mark Hughes did if the club did not match up.
If they start to reform the FA as I think will happen, there will be trouble between them and the current business cartel which is called the Premier League.
We need to be in it to have our say.

[nose]

I laregly agree save that I think Button is OK, he has won us far more points than a few odd erros may have cost us and EVS made far more howlers, but as the OP says a minor point.
my only disagreement (if that is the correct term) is that we are not doing it in the Prem. I cannot divorce myself from how we got here and that I am still unhappy at that stupid circumstances of the relegation and two abysmal seasons in the championship, all because we have such poor management. Further, I believe that with a little fine tuning in January we can really go places, Joca needs to be give a free hand.
But other than that the sentiment of the OP is 100% my view. I can cope with the odd poor performance , because generally we look good and have vastly improved.

[filham]

Interesting post with a different view on things but I would still like to see us struggling back in the premiership,
At least let us get into a top six position.

Of course it would be just great if we could see something like the Tigana team again playing at the top of the Championship and then in the Premiership.

[St Eve]

We are moving in the right direction, but the best league in the world is the premiership and that's where i want us to be

[dannyboi-ffc]

Was not expecting this attitude from someone like yourself so it's refreshing to read. By that I mean because you don't have the greatest access to championship football and being in the prem must make Fulham more enjoyable for yourself.

Have to agree with your positivity. In years gone by I have been miserable and angry for days after a game like the weekend. But after the past 2 seasons I'm really happy. Happy that we actually look like a team again and play exciting football in the right way.

Sure we aren't perfect but I bet you if you told any of the sides above us they would be playing Fulham in the playoffs semis next week instead of Reading, Huddersfield, Leeds etc they would be nervous. The table doesn't lie and we are where we are not because we aren't better than the teams above us, but because we haven't quite mastered the art of closing out games.

Us and Derby imo are the teams excluding Newcastle that everyone is wowing about at the minute and that's gotta be a good thing.

I personally like the championship and don't miss the prem a great deal. Even when we were in it no one talked about us anyway so don't think the coverage is that noticeable. MOTD is a loss purely because Channel 5 are pathetic but in the end I don't support or enjoy Fulham for the league they are in or the opponents they play. It's mainly about how we are doing and at the minute I'm going to have a very merry white xmas even if it doesn't snow.

Good post!

[epsomraver]

Agree with HD, it's about time people realised that with our ground size, our true fan base and budget we are a mid table championship side, I enjoy going to matches now hoping for a win not as it was in the prem days wondering how many city or Arsenal were going to put past us and being grateful for a 2-0 loss  against the top sides, watching some prem games on TV shows what a boring round and round game it has become,  no I don't want the days of the occasional win in the prem, that is what the occasional fans say, the ones who only turned up for the big matches .

[grandad]

The best of both worlds might be as a yo-yo club. The team finishing bottom of the Prem got £100 mil. Nice pot to finance promotion back up again. This pot of gold every 2 years should keep the wolf from the door.

[HatterDon]

thanks for the heart-felt responses

[YankeeJim]

While our true destiny is probably the upper third of the Championship, I do miss being able to see the lads live. The Championship is a fun league because it is fairly balanced. the fix is in in the Prem. The same four teams win it (God Bless Leicester), get all the calls and are the darlings of the media. Limits need to be imposed so that the big four can't continue to buy success. Perhaps a limit on the size of teams and the number of lone outs a team can have. The top four shouldn't be able to buy up all the talent.

[Burt]

Interesting post HD.

Totally agree in that once again we are playing decent football and at last it's good to be able to walk to a game thinking that we actually have a chance of (a)playing reasonably well, and (b)getting a point, or three. It hasn't been "fun" following us for the last 3 to 4 seasons.

That said, I do miss some things.
1. A sold-out Craven Cottage.
2. A chance to see us playing the so-called big-boys.
3. The creation of some memories that will stay for life when we do manage to get an occasional win against a big name.

[mccscratch]

Like most of the Yanks my selfishness in wanting the Prem is merely that... selfish... I missing being able to watch every match live and thank heavens for the club posting the matches after the fact... I would be miserable othewise.

I love the current way we are playing and if we keepit up... I think snagging a playoff spot seems the most common outcome... from there it is a crapshoot. Leicester has shown that it is not impossible to dream... So I will continue to do so. COYW!

[Whitesideup]

Interesting post HD.

Totally agree in that once again we are playing decent football and at last it's good to be able to walk to a game thinking that we actually have a chance of (a)playing reasonably well, and (b)getting a point, or three. It hasn't been "fun" following us for the last 3 to 4 seasons.

That said, I do miss some things.
1. A sold-out Craven Cottage.
2. A chance to see us playing the so-called big-boys.
3. The creation of some memories that will stay for life when we do manage to get an occasional win against a big name.

I agree mostly with the post as well, but Burt is right .. the atmosphere of a sold-out cottage is something I miss. And while a win over Newcastle or Villa ... (or Rotherham?) is great, beating Man U was something else. And related to premiership status was the Europa run .. we may not have the same again in some of our lifetimes, but you had to be in the premiership to get there, and beating Juventus and Hamburg must be up there as some of the finest moments ... ever?

But yes, there was one season I believe that home and away against the top 4 teams we managed a grand total of 1 point. Not a lot of fun. But maybe, just maybe, the gap is closing a little between the elite and the rest - Bournemouth v Liverpool for example.

[Sgt Fulham]

You've hit the nail on the head here. Although I'd much rather be in the Premier league the championship is not so bad. Games are exciting and often high-scoring. The past 2 seasons have been gruelling, and Saturdays often meant disappointment to the extent that I no longer enjoyed following Fulham. This season however we have a competent manager, competent players to say the least. We play with width, we defend with commitment and we are exciting to watch. On our day I wouldn't put it beyond us to go to Newcastle away and smash them 4-1. Sure, the consistency isn't there, but that's all that's lacking from making us automatic contenders. I now look forward to our games and it's a joy to support FFC again. Long may it continue!

[Holders]

Apart from the Europa run, the most enjoyment I've had watching Fulham has been in Div2 (whatever it may be the fashion to call it). It seems to be our natural home and where we play our best football (Dodgin/Stock, Macdonald, Tigana's teams etc. Even Micky Adams' bargain-basement boys played with great spirit).

I remember commenting on this board in the season before the relegation to enjoy the mid-table mediocrity while it lasted. Someone above said to enjoy this while it lasts - i.e. before we get promoted to boring PL stuff. Nose said that it was more the manner of the(avoidable) relegation that irks him and I agree.

Just a thought - I wonder if Man City/Utd/C*****a fans really enjoy watching their teams play in the PL. We've seen some great stuff this year.

That said, there really is no substitute for a seat at the top table and I want to see us back but I shall enjoy this team in Div 2 while I can.

[Logicalman]

it's about time people realised that with our ground size, our true fan base and budget we are a mid table championship side

does the same go for watford, west brom, Southampton, stoke, Bournemouth, burnley, palace, Middlesbrough, Swansea, hull... and the league champions Leicester?

Perhaps and perhaps not, but it does for Leeds, Forest, Villa, Wolves, Ipswich, Blackburn & Cardiff, so where's the difference?