Rui Fonte

[e4b]

If KMac bigs up Kamara i'd be surprised. He should have got at least two goals today

[BedsFFC]

When Fonte came on for Kamara today I was really hoping there were no boos. Kamara got a good ovation.

There were boos. Amazingly, the Riverside is completely quiet all game but a few over there decided it was a good idea to boo as his name was announced.

[Matt10]

A man needing convincing will always remain unconvinced.

It's a joke at this point. He put in a good 8 minutes, or whatever it was, and didn't make a mistake. If we were all constantly judged on our past mistakes, then we'd never get anywhere in this world.

We finally started with a 4-1-2-3 from last year, and it paid dividends. Kamara was outstanding and the starting spot is his to lose. If SJ doesn't see it that way, then so be it; Rui should not be blasted just because the coach chooses him to be the starter for the next match or in previous matches.

Give credit where it's due, and move on. Hoping for a player to do well is wishing for Fulham to do well - that's all you should want in our players.

[filham]

Fonte continues to get game time therefore the Coach must see some good in him in training . His play before he came here must have been good in order for us to pay the reported £9m transfer fee.

I really hope he comes good because we are desperate for a striker but right now it is hard to see what can be done to make a difference to him.

[JoelH5]

Fonte continues to get game time therefore the Coach must see some good in him in training . His play before he came here must have been good in order for us to pay the reported £9m transfer fee.

I really hope he comes good because we are desperate for a striker but right now it is hard to see what can be done to make a difference to him.

Or he isn't that good in training but because he cost 9mill Jok thinks or has been told he needs to be played. Who would know!?

[Asotosyios]

In almost 2 yrs at Fulham, I think Slav has only once named Woodrow in a league match starting XI. I don't think Slav rated him at all. 

The point is that for most of the time SJ has been at Fulham Woodrow has been out on loan. That means not training at Motspur Park with those who would be his team mates for starters.  We already know that Kline and the recruitment team as a whole had and perhaps still have a big influence over who should be played by SJ for whatever reasons.  As I say it is all guesswork.  Players all have their seasons when they hit their best and mostly it is all down to chance.  I don't think Woodrow has hit any kind of impressive form anywhere he has gone but that is not to say he cannot achieve it.  Sometimes you just need a mentor who pushes the right buttons often by chance and perhaps that is true of Fonte too.

There were 13 months between Jokanovic taking over and Woodrow going out on loan, then he also had this summer to work with him, through the first few games of this season. I do not disagree with you about Kline's influence generally, but specifically in relation to Woodrow I don't think it makes much difference because the manager has shown no desire to use him.

would it surprise you to say it's actually the opposite to the previous poster? . The 'club' rate Woodrow, hence his new contracts and extensions and it's Slav who doesn't? It's the 'club' as such that is in charge of those deals not Slav.

Sounds perfectly plausible to me. And that's way it should be, the manager picking the team.

Personally I don't rate Woodrow anyway.

I don't rate Woodrow either, but I think the behaviour and decisions of both Jokanovic and the club are totally rational. Jokanovic doesn't think that Woodrow is suitable/good enough so we send him out on loan. However, the club sees Woodrow as an asset: either as a member of the team in the future, or that he will bring some money back if we decide to sell him. There must be such a long-term club plan in place and that's the reason I am not against the existence of a stats team and general manager/director of football. Sometimes the results will be good (summer 2016), sometimes not so good (summer 2017) but it's important that we have a plan and long term strategy.

Our American friends will know better, but I found an interesting article about the Minnesota Vikings and their plan/strategy - it's a good read.
http://www.skysports.com/nfl/news/12118/11139384/minnesota-vikings-rick-spielmans-recruitment-key-to-teams-success

[glenhodgso]

In almost 2 yrs at Fulham, I think Slav has only once named Woodrow in a league match starting XI. I don't think Slav rated him at all. 

The point is that for most of the time SJ has been at Fulham Woodrow has been out on loan. That means not training at Motspur Park with those who would be his team mates for starters.  We already know that Kline and the recruitment team as a whole had and perhaps still have a big influence over who should be played by SJ for whatever reasons.  As I say it is all guesswork.  Players all have their seasons when they hit their best and mostly it is all down to chance.  I don't think Woodrow has hit any kind of impressive form anywhere he has gone but that is not to say he cannot achieve it.  Sometimes you just need a mentor who pushes the right buttons often by chance and perhaps that is true of Fonte too.

There were 13 months between Jokanovic taking over and Woodrow going out on loan, then he also had this summer to work with him, through the first few games of this season. I do not disagree with you about Kline's influence generally, but specifically in relation to Woodrow I don't think it makes much difference because the manager has shown no desire to use him.

would it surprise you to say it's actually the opposite to the previous poster? . The 'club' rate Woodrow, hence his new contracts and extensions and it's Slav who doesn't? It's the 'club' as such that is in charge of those deals not Slav.

Sounds perfectly plausible to me. And that's way it should be, the manager picking the team.

Personally I don't rate Woodrow anyway.

I don't rate Woodrow either, but I think the behaviour and decisions of both Jokanovic and the club are totally rational. Jokanovic doesn't think that Woodrow is suitable/good enough so we send him out on loan. However, the club sees Woodrow as an asset: either as a member of the team in the future, or that he will bring some money back if we decide to sell him. There must be such a long-term club plan in place and that's the reason I am not against the existence of a stats team and general manager/director of football. Sometimes the results will be good (summer 2016), sometimes not so good (summer 2017) but it's important that we have a plan and long term strategy.

Our American friends will know better, but I found an interesting article about the Minnesota Vikings and their plan/strategy - it's a good read.
http://www.skysports.com/nfl/news/12118/11139384/minnesota-vikings-rick-spielmans-recruitment-key-to-teams-success

I am sure that I read so where that Nigel Clough said he wanted Woodrow back at Burton on loan but that Fulham wanted a lone agreement with a purchase clause - and Burton couldn't do that because of Woodrow's wages....