Who can come up with the best apologia for Khan this time round?

[MJG]

Well not me thats for sure.

We have a weaker squad than on 1st of Jan and although we may have upgraded one striker we are left with only two main ones (yes others can chip in, but then someone has to step into their position etc etc).

My worry now is that the 'First team' group of 21 plus the fringe U23's is just not that good enough to make that charge required to get that 6th spot.

I always felt after all the changes in the summer that if we could be within spitting distance of the play offs we could give it a real push.
We have not done that in my eyes and its a mistake.

We have been really lucky (and also good conditioning of players) that we have not had any kind of injury crises at the club., But how much longer can that last?
Suspensions..where are we with them at the moment. Must be due one or two.

I understand the logic about all the players ging out. they were not getting gam,es so why not. But you need a squad and players like LVC etc may well have been needed over next dozen games. Instead we may have to shuffle th epacks, players out of position, or youngsters who are not ready.

We have a very good team. One that many fans rave about. But its never got more than 11 points over a six game period. Its just shy of being a really good team. One that could almost certinally be in the play off area. We are playing catch up and such we needed some after burners strapped onto the team. These two signings and the relase of I think at least 2 two many out on laon has given us an uphill struggle to make that 6th place.

I wish them well, and i'm sure they will try hard, but I think we will end up shy of the target and I will point to this month just gone as to the main reason why as we have not helped ourselves at all.

I hope I'm massively wrong

[toshes mate]

So your point is there is nothing to defend Khan for? Jok saying the distinguished squad was at its maximum potential and we needed to strengthen was met my the loans in?

Football wise I agree this squad still has a chance. But in terms of a cover story for Khan I'm afraid that's just a 3/10.

As a summary of how mislead supporters have been, and how poorly SJ has been supported, I think the three is a little generous but close enough.

[colinwhite]

The players who have gone out were not getting game time ,so assuming that we have bought 2 decent players we must be stronger in terms of players fighting to be in the match day squad. I am also disappointed we didnt show more intent ,above all earlier in the window , whilst  wednesday and villa have had a punt on Rhodes and Hogan. Everything in january is a gamble,for me the most important thing is not what us lot think ,but rather how Slavisa is reasoning,because he seems to me to be the most important person in the club at present. 

[WayneKerrins]

Well not me thats for sure.

We have a weaker squad than on 1st of Jan and although we may have upgraded one striker we are left with only two main ones (yes others can chip in, but then someone has to step into their position etc etc).

My worry now is that the 'First team' group of 21 plus the fringe U23's is just not that good enough to make that charge required to get that 6th spot.

I always felt after all the changes in the summer that if we could be within spitting distance of the play offs we could give it a real push.
We have not done that in my eyes and its a mistake.

We have been really lucky (and also good conditioning of players) that we have not had any kind of injury crises at the club., But how much longer can that last?
Suspensions..where are we with them at the moment. Must be due one or two.

I understand the logic about all the players ging out. they were not getting gam,es so why not. But you need a squad and players like LVC etc may well have been needed over next dozen games. Instead we may have to shuffle th epacks, players out of position, or youngsters who are not ready.

We have a very good team. One that many fans rave about. But its never got more than 11 points over a six game period. Its just shy of being a really good team. One that could almost certinally be in the play off area. We are playing catch up and such we needed some after burners strapped onto the team. These two signings and the relase of I think at least 2 two many out on laon has given us an uphill struggle to make that 6th place.

I wish them well, and i'm sure they will try hard, but I think we will end up shy of the target and I will point to this month just gone as to the main reason why as we have not helped ourselves at all.

I hope I'm massively wrong

Mike playing wise I'm broadly with you although you could perhaps make a case that the best 22 is slightly better than 31st Dec.

Re Khan my views have been the same for nigh in 2 years so I don't feel as gutted as some.

When you meet with Ally what are the chances that he will share the broad details of the Enrich non purchase? Are the candid on these types of situations or do you get you typically get circumspection/double speak?

[toshes mate]

We have a very good team. One that many fans rave about. But its never got more than 11 points over a six game period. Its just shy of being a really good team. One that could almost certainly be in the play off area.
I hope I'm massively wrong

Following all your stats and stuff, MJG, has been one of the highlights of my readings on these forums and sometimes I wish you were sitting next to the Big Board Man and reminding him what Shahid Khan promised the supporters of this Club about ambition, a word abused so often by Fulham.  Ambition is about the end game and to get to the end game you have to play the start game, and every game until the end game is a start game.  SJ has simplified this for us by saying one step at a time, analysed mistakes we make, rectified as best he can, and turned us into a team on the brink of achieving.  As you say we are still trying to catch up and a part of that is because SJ's work has been playing catch up too.  Had the Club risked a little more effort is supporting SJ with a blessing of a window then they may have covered some of the cracks SJ shouldn't have to deal with as we enter the crunch time of the season.  It didn't have to be lavish and it didn't have to expensive but it did need to be in keeping with the word ambition.

[Luka]

Khan chucked a bid of 8.6m at the Spanish for Enrich. He was happy to spend again for Kamara and apparently we offered reasonable money for Cisse.
So the guy was trying to spend some money !!

All the above would have been decent signings but the "transfer team" couldn't close the deals.
Khan senior picks the management team and is ultimately responsible, but individual blame lies elsewhere with these failed transfers.
Until we get a team that can get deals over the line, nothing will change.
This is where he falls down and its not his lack of willing to spend that is the problem.

[toshes mate]

Khan chucked a bid of 8.6m at the Spanish for Enrich. He was happy to spend again for Kamara and apparently we offered reasonable money for Cisse.
So the guy was trying to spend some money !!

All the above would have been decent signings but the "transfer team" couldn't close the deals.
Khan senior picks the management team and is ultimately responsible, but individual blame lies elsewhere with these failed transfers.
Until we get a team that can get deals over the line, nothing will change.
This is where he falls down and its not his lack of willing to spend that is the problem.

They left it far too late and that begs the question about strategy and tactics.  An unfit Boardroom shouldn't be given a game.

[LVBPTS]

As I understand it Joka can only field 11 men at a time and he has: -

Button & Betts
Fred & Odoi
Malone & Sess
Kalas & Sig
Ream & Madl
MaDonald & Petsos
Johansen & Parker
Aluko & Piazon
Ayite & Kebano
Cairney & one of the young guys, you know Williams, Adeniran, Edun or Del la Torre
Martin & Cyraic

None of the following guys were getting game time.  Joka is not using them as he does not see them as part of the exciting, dynamic and attractive football we are playing right now so I got them off the roster and did not see the need to replace them as Joka has the 25 players (above) he is happy to pick: -

Norman & Rodak
Grimmer
Kavanagh
Burgess
Stearman
LVC
Tunnicliffe
Jozabed
Cole
Woodrow
Smith

LVC and Burgess might come back along with Humphry, Shackleford and Adebayo.  These youngsters will be better for the experience of playing first team football at other clubs and we will take a look at them and others in the summer.  The rest are either gone for good now or will go in the summer

COYW

i have to say - i like this post and am in agreement. although if there are any injuries or suspensions then we may need 1 or 2 more bodies

[Peabody]

Two points, be interesting to find out how much I put Mr Kline had in this window and secondly, just how do you persuade a billionaire chairman that he showed get out of his ownership?

[filham]

I still have hope for this season, with Cyriac banging in the goals and the rejuvenated Ream building a new Thames Barrier alongside Kalas, Bettinelli proving he is top class, MacDonald controlling the area in front of the back four, Ayite and Aluko ripping up and down the wings, Sess making brilliant sub appearances, etc.etc.

But I fear my hope will all go for a Burton on Wednesday night.

That is right, there is still signs that e are building a good team. If we had taken risks and met some of those big valuations for players we may well have overspent and been forced to sell our best players at the next window. As it is we are building and improving slowly

We were spoilt by MAF, we have never had a better chairman and we are never going to see anything like him again. However we have had worse than Khan so we should count our blessings and get behind the team.

[Peabody]

Two questions, be interesting to find out how much imput Mr Kline had in this window and just how do you persuade a billionaire chairman that he should walk away from his ownership?

[toshes mate]

To be fair, filham, most people on here have been behind the team - they are not the problem.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Apologies, but Khan and I have been extremely busy on the lecturing circuit giving advise on how to manage professional sports franchises.  It has been a very successful tour that I highly recommend to all. 

We have been so busy with our lecturing tour that we forgot all about this transfer window.  I know that Mr. Kline and Joka have tried to contact me several times, but I figured that Ali Mack had everything under control. 

Oh well, on the bright side there is the next transfer window.....

At the next transfer window, providing its on the ground floor, a certain Chairman should be thrown out of it.

[WayneKerrins]

Khan chucked a bid of 8.6m at the Spanish for Enrich. He was happy to spend again for Kamara and apparently we offered reasonable money for Cisse.
So the guy was trying to spend some money !!

All the above would have been decent signings but the "transfer team" couldn't close the deals.
Khan senior picks the management team and is ultimately responsible, but individual blame lies elsewhere with these failed transfers.
Until we get a team that can get deals over the line, nothing will change.
This is where he falls down and its not his lack of willing to spend that is the problem.

Luka this defence has already been marked 2/10 mate. See OP.

[WayneKerrins]

I still have hope for this season, with Cyriac banging in the goals and the rejuvenated Ream building a new Thames Barrier alongside Kalas, Bettinelli proving he is top class, MacDonald controlling the area in front of the back four, Ayite and Aluko ripping up and down the wings, Sess making brilliant sub appearances, etc.etc.

But I fear my hope will all go for a Burton on Wednesday night.

That is right, there is still signs that e are building a good team. If we had taken risks and met some of those big valuations for players we may well have overspent and been forced to sell our best players at the next window. As it is we are building and improving slowly

We were spoilt by MAF, we have never had a better chairman and we are never going to see anything like him again. However we have had worse than Khan so we should count our blessings and get behind the team.

Ah the old 'count our blessings we could (and indeed have had worse) defence'. Sorry a tired one that doesn't stand up to specific scrutiny given Khan's statements 1.5/10

[HatterDon]

conversely, who can come up with the best example of how Khan is a sub-human idiot whose only purpose in life is to destroy Fulham?

Go through any month's comments on this board and you'll find plenty of phrases to cut and paste.

Strangely, though, I don't remember a lot of apologia for the guy ...

"You know, some people don't have much to eat ... but they got knives, and they gotta cut something." --R. Zimmerman, Nobel Prize Winner

[toshes mate]

Zimmerman also said "I recognize I have faults. I'm accountable for them, and I try to do what I can to correct them. I will say that it's unfortunate that everything I do is scrutinized to the point that it is."  In other words what Khan suffers goes with the territory.

[snarks]

I think the best apology for Mr Khan is that he's the money, he's not the CEO. It's the CEO's job to get the transfers done and SK's duty to pay for them. Now I realise that's not all because Kline has to approve the purchase too, so can we blame SK for not financing it, SJ and Kline for not agreeing on targets early enough and the CEO for not getting the transfers done.....blame - there's plenty to share around. Clearly If SJ has not got what he wanted someone/some people are at fault but it can't all be on one person.

[JoelH5]

I think the best apology for Mr Khan is that he's the money, he's not the CEO. It's the CEO's job to get the transfers done and SK's duty to pay for them. Now I realise that's not all because Kline has to approve the purchase too, so can we blame SK for not financing it, SJ and Kline for not agreeing on targets early enough and the CEO for not getting the transfers done.....blame - there's plenty to share around. Clearly If SJ has not got what he wanted someone/some people are at fault but it can't all be on one person.

I agree but when the players don't play well, who loses their job? The manager.

Who is ultimately the boards manager and therefore the person who should be held accountable for continued failures? Khan

[dhowells21]

I think the best apology for Mr Khan is that he's the money, he's not the CEO. It's the CEO's job to get the transfers done and SK's duty to pay for them. Now I realise that's not all because Kline has to approve the purchase too, so can we blame SK for not financing it, SJ and Kline for not agreeing on targets early enough and the CEO for not getting the transfers done.....blame - there's plenty to share around. Clearly If SJ has not got what he wanted someone/some people are at fault but it can't all be on one person.

I agree but when the players don't play well, who loses their job? The manager.

Who is ultimately the boards manager and therefore the person who should be held accountable for continued failures? Khan

So, by that logic if the players don't play well, then we should blame Khan right ?