Supporting our constantly changing team (and club)

[rogerpbackinMidEastUS]

Reading the LVC departure thread, made me think "here we are again"

What keeps us supporting the same "Corporate institution" year-after-year ?
"We supporters" keep going every year (or in us ex-pats case) keep following our
historic club in any way we can find.

We recently had a virtually complete overhaul of the squad and a year later many
of the players, left over from a year ago, are leaving or have also left.
We admired the potential  Frei, Danced to the Kasami goal and marveled at a couple of LVC goals
The excellent academy has shed many 'prospects' again and as usual many 'prospects' have
gone on loan or been sold'
Build again with new 'prospects'
I understand the fiscal relevance of "It only takes one Pat Roberts or Ryan Sessegnon to pay for the academy
and perhaps unearth the next 'starlet'
Although we did crap out with the ignorant,ungrateful and selfish Dembele child who didn't understand the
principle of thanking the hand that fed you by signing a new contract.
Even Oliver Twist worked that out.
I remember the start of last season thinking "how am I going to recognize all of these new faces" ?
It didn't take long.
This season I will recognize a lot more.
Lots of comings and goings (although so far many more goings)
I'm not sure we will find another player of LVC's quality for the same price.

Disjointed posting but hopefully my thoughts are able to be unscrambled  :0)

Finally, I really believe that if we play each game not only with the merits of or own team
but consider the nuances and strengths of EACH OPPOSITION  ie: Plans A,B,C - Z, we will be
there or there about's in May 2018
..................Please

[therealjaybee]

Couldn't you say though that a player like Sessegnon is BETTER than LVC and we've not had to pay any money for him? I think it's foolish to look at the clubs dealings and only see the negative. We signed our best player and one of English footballs brightest prospects to new contracts in the second division! If that doesn't show that we're doing something right, I don't know what does!

LVC was a good player yes, but he played one game last season when on loan at a VERY weak Burton and he's gone to a league that will suit his talents more. I'm sure we'll see something come of him in the future but it's very unlikely he was in Slavs plans this season. I was actually a big fan of LVC but I wish him the best going forward.

[hovewhite]

Couldnt see slav picking him.

[Lighthouse]

Like Dr Who, Fulham need to regenerate. Both are becoming well past their best and frankly have to find ways to change the faces and the system. Shame that ticket prices are so high. Shame that once again we could fall short of what is achievable through poor planning. 

But we will continue to tune in to the next episode. Except I haven't watched Dr Who since Colin Baker. The odd episode if it is on. Like the Doctor, Fulham have more than changing faces to worry about. The story lines  and the lack of plot will kill it.

[Holders]

It would be nice to see some continuity - Sess and Cairney are two. I can't help but look back to the loss of players after relegation as rather more than necessary and which resulted in the squandering of the parachute payment in terms of getting back quickly. But that was Magath's fault so 'nuff said.

[Woolly Mammoth]

I just hope that the heart beat of the team has not gone missing also.

[RaySmith]

Like Dr Who, Fulham need to regenerate. Both are becoming well past their best and frankly have to find ways to change the faces and the system. Shame that ticket prices are so high. Shame that once again we could fall short of what is achievable through poor planning. 

But we will continue to tune in to the next episode. Except I haven't watched Dr Who since Colin Baker. The odd episode if it is on. Like the Doctor, Fulham have more than changing faces to worry about. The story lines  and the lack of plot will kill it.

Maybe we should get some women in the team:)

I wonder if we'll beat the  the Daleks 11 this season.

[Lighthouse]

Like Dr Who, Fulham need to regenerate. Both are becoming well past their best and frankly have to find ways to change the faces and the system. Shame that ticket prices are so high. Shame that once again we could fall short of what is achievable through poor planning. 

But we will continue to tune in to the next episode. Except I haven't watched Dr Who since Colin Baker. The odd episode if it is on. Like the Doctor, Fulham have more than changing faces to worry about. The story lines  and the lack of plot will kill it.

Maybe we should get some women in the team:)

I wonder if we'll beat the  the Daleks 11 this season.

Depends if we get the Cyberman at the back and the Master up front.

[Forever Fulham]

No continuity means no growth.  A crap shoot.  Instead of building upon, we are starting over.  All important chemistry gets lost.  And you hope to God you can create it again. That's not how a well run club operates.  I love this club, but this is just wrong.

[SouthfieldWhite]

I understand the fiscal relevance of "It only takes one Pat Roberts or Ryan Sessegnon to pay for the academy
and perhaps unearth the next 'starlet'
Although we did crap out with the ignorant,ungrateful and selfish Dembele child who didn't understand the
principle of thanking the hand that fed you by signing a new contract.
Even Oliver Twist worked that out.

I'm afraid you've got it all wrong when it comes to Moussa.

[rogerpbackinMidEastUS]

I understand the fiscal relevance of "It only takes one Pat Roberts or Ryan Sessegnon to pay for the academy
and perhaps unearth the next 'starlet'
Although we did crap out with the ignorant,ungrateful and selfish Dembele child who didn't understand the
principle of thanking the hand that fed you by signing a new contract.
Even Oliver Twist worked that out.

I'm afraid you've got it all wrong when it comes to Moussa.

Fair enough, but could he have signed another contract just to ensure we get a good chunk of change for him
as a way of saying thank you ?
Although I know he wasn't in the academy very long.

[aaronmcguigan]

He was out of contract. He had no obligation to sign anything, and signing him would have made him go to the highest bid And probably price all the realistic clubs out of a deal. Realistic in the sense of you know fine rightly Man City/ Chelsea/Psg etc all would have thrown us millions and he would have sat on the bench all year, as opposed to actual development in a lesser league which he was able to control himself by not signing a contract with us.

I don't see any need for him to thank us. Plenty of players stay for four years and leave without having to say thank you. It wasn't as if he was at the club since he was a child

[SouthfieldWhite]

He was out of contract. He had no obligation to sign anything, and signing him would have made him go to the highest bid And probably price all the realistic clubs out of a deal. Realistic in the sense of you know fine rightly Man City/ Chelsea/Psg etc all would have thrown us millions and he would have sat on the bench all year, as opposed to actual development in a lesser league which he was able to control himself by not signing a contract with us.

I don't see any need for him to thank us. Plenty of players stay for four years and leave without having to say thank you. It wasn't as if he was at the club since he was a child

Him signing a contract would of made no difference to the likes of Man Cuty / Liverpool etc, they could of still signed him and payed the little compensation they would if had too.

Brendan Rogers had kept a close eye on our academy when he wasLiverpool manager and wanted Pat Roberts before most Fulham fans had even heard of Pat.

[nose]

The OP is a good topic.

What makes any of us support an entity like a football team. Why do we sped so much of our waking time, getting behind a bunch of transitory lads that w do not and will not ever know save for there time on the pitch. Why is it when we meet a fellow fan for the first time, they are clearly a kindred spirit?

It is a very interesting anthropological 'tribal' topic. What is more interesting is what will happen in years to come. with the ever increasing commercialisation and the cost of actually going to the game skyrocketting, will our tribal alegiance continue (not us on FoF but the wider us)?

And why is it overseas coporate owners of the sort we have, do not remotely comprehend what supporting a team means to us. It is like part of the familly and they come from nowhere, spout woonderful words like, whatever it takes, and then sit on their hands. They stab us with a horrible knife telling us it will eb wonderful and let us down by not meaning a word of what they say.

as alan smith said, players, managers and even owners come and go but the supporters remain. I wish our owners could get that into their heads with their corporate PR speak nonsense.  If mr khan was serious, then kline and alimac would have been long gone and we would have already giot a center forward and center hapf in place plus a replacement for malone, we cannot rely on a 17 year old no matter how brilliant he may be!

[Forever Fulham]

The OP is a good topic.

What makes any of us support an entity like a football team. Why do we sped so much of our waking time, getting behind a bunch of transitory lads that w do not and will not ever know save for there time on the pitch. Why is it when we meet a fellow fan for the first time, they are clearly a kindred spirit?

It is a very interesting anthropological 'tribal' topic. What is more interesting is what will happen in years to come. with the ever increasing commercialisation and the cost of actually going to the game skyrocketting, will our tribal alegiance continue (not us on FoF but the wider us)?

And why is it overseas coporate owners of the sort we have, do not remotely comprehend what supporting a team means to us. It is like part of the familly and they come from nowhere, spout woonderful words like, whatever it takes, and then sit on their hands. They stab us with a horrible knife telling us it will eb wonderful and let us down by not meaning a word of what they say.

as alan smith said, players, managers and even owners come and go but the supporters remain. I wish our owners could get that into their heads with their corporate PR speak nonsense.  If mr khan was serious, then kline and alimac would have been long gone and we would have already giot a center forward and center hapf in place plus a replacement for malone, we cannot rely on a 17 year old no matter how brilliant he may be!

Even domestic owners of English club teams commit heavy turnover of players, often routinely, if they think it will better guarantee a successful season.  So I don't think it's about overseas owners being the problem, severing the link between fan and club because the players come and go in the modern era.   Players can make a great living today.  Playing the game can set them up for life if they play long enough, avoid stupid decisionmaking, entourages, lifestyle mistakes.   I don't think that was true, as a general rule, 30+ years ago.  So it's a real business now for them. A career.  And that must make them less loyal, more money driven in their choices, more calculating.  More willing to move on.  And that's just the players' perspective.  Then there's the owner.   Win, and there's more money available.  Go backwards, less money.  And that applies to sponsorship and branded merchandise revenues as well.  I'd like to keep Old Tommy.  He's been a great servant of the club.  But he's a step slower now, a bit banged up, and this new kid from East Overshoe is cheaper and quicker, and the girls think he's dreamy.  Goodbye Tommy.   And can you blame the owner for the hard decision of what's in the best interests of winning?   I didn't say 'of the club'.  I said "of winning".   Lose your fan base because they no longer connect to the short timer players, and you might lose attendance.  And their kids might not become fans.   But so far it hasn't played out that way, has it?  Stadia are filled.  Shirt sales brisk.  Welcome to the new normal.  We liked Old Tommy but he's gone and that's that. 

[HatterDon]

Every football club in the world changes talent constantly. We're rooting for laundry ... and I have no problem with that.

[nose]

The OP is a good topic.

What makes any of us support an entity like a football team. Why do we sped so much of our waking time, getting behind a bunch of transitory lads that w do not and will not ever know save for there time on the pitch. Why is it when we meet a fellow fan for the first time, they are clearly a kindred spirit?

It is a very interesting anthropological 'tribal' topic. What is more interesting is what will happen in years to come. with the ever increasing commercialisation and the cost of actually going to the game skyrocketting, will our tribal alegiance continue (not us on FoF but the wider us)?

And why is it overseas coporate owners of the sort we have, do not remotely comprehend what supporting a team means to us. It is like part of the familly and they come from nowhere, spout woonderful words like, whatever it takes, and then sit on their hands. They stab us with a horrible knife telling us it will eb wonderful and let us down by not meaning a word of what they say.

as alan smith said, players, managers and even owners come and go but the supporters remain. I wish our owners could get that into their heads with their corporate PR speak nonsense.  If mr khan was serious, then kline and alimac would have been long gone and we would have already giot a center forward and center hapf in place plus a replacement for malone, we cannot rely on a 17 year old no matter how brilliant he may be!

Even domestic owners of English club teams commit heavy turnover of players, often routinely, if they think it will better guarantee a successful season.  So I don't think it's about overseas owners being the problem, severing the link between fan and club because the players come and go in the modern era.   Players can make a great living today.  Playing the game can set them up for life if they play long enough, avoid stupid decisionmaking, entourages, lifestyle mistakes.   I don't think that was true, as a general rule, 30+ years ago.  So it's a real business now for them. A career.  And that must make them less loyal, more money driven in their choices, more calculating.  More willing to move on.  And that's just the players' perspective.  Then there's the owner.   Win, and there's more money available.  Go backwards, less money.  And that applies to sponsorship and branded merchandise revenues as well.  I'd like to keep Old Tommy.  He's been a great servant of the club.  But he's a step slower now, a bit banged up, and this new kid from East Overshoe is cheaper and quicker, and the girls think he's dreamy.  Goodbye Tommy.   And can you blame the owner for the hard decision of what's in the best interests of winning?   I didn't say 'of the club'.  I said "of winning".   Lose your fan base because they no longer connect to the short timer players, and you might lose attendance.  And their kids might not become fans.   But so far it hasn't played out that way, has it?  Stadia are filled.  Shirt sales brisk.  Welcome to the new normal.  We liked Old Tommy but he's gone and that's that. 

I do agree with nearly everything you say (probably all of it). I think what I was attempting to say was that there is a difference between overseas and domestic owners in that in general the domestic owners (and I include MAF in that) is ththat they have a feel for the cultural significance of the club to its fan base.

Overseas owners pay lip service but it is ego/business for them. Local owners it is that too plus a bit more. It may not be absolutely true in every case but certainly in the majority. i can't prove it but it is my feeling and observation.

It doesn't really help us much.