Our absolute priority signing has to be:

[FulhamStu]

A big strong central defender with leadership quality.
We have no real cover at centre half, yes Odoi did well but he is a full back, the
only other option is not experienced enough in Djalo.  He may come good but not the
answer this year and Kalas is a Dog track player and not what he was last season.
Ream is a cultured player but needs a warrior next to him, as frankly does Kalas.

Yes, a goalscorer and central striker, but in this position we do have cover.

One player could prove a massive boost, you don't need a Stats man or scout, go and get
a Duffy type, a permenant signing not a loan and pay what it takes.  We have good players coming through the ranks and decent backup in most other positions.

[hovewhite]

Djalo is the longer term option as the games ive seen him play a good prospect but thats all at this time,so a strong imposing CH alongside ream is a priority.

[valdeingruo]

Honestly, I would take a keeper or a forward before I went for a central defender. I just think this past couple of months killed the players confidence.

[MJG]

Agree Stuart. We could muddle along with everything else in truth, but CB cover/competition is needed.

[Riversider]

What's causing you most concern this weekend , is it
A, lack of defensive cover
Or
B, lack of a decent centre forward ?

I would assume that most people would say B

In fact I would go as far as to say that we need a decent creative midfielder to cover for Cairney as importantly as we need a centre half , if Cairney's injury flares up again our season is over,

As I said the other day on my views of the U23's , we have two decent centre half's coming through in Jenz and Atkinson, so that position may not be the main priority, though I agree some experienced cover would be wise, I see that Bruno Alves is looking to leave Glasgow Rangers maybe he could be used to cover for us for a few months.

[Luka]

Our priority is a regularly scoring CF ( I would say a 15+ per season CF but being realistic, that's not going to happen in a January window!!).
We can cover everything else but the CF situation is a farse.

[MJG]

So if Odoi had to play more than two games in a row at CB people would be happy?
We really don't have cover there. You might say we need a striker but there are lots of options in that position. But CB struggling even more if one of the two get injured.

[Luka]

So if Odoi had to play more than two games in a row at CB people would be happy?
We really don't have cover there. You might say we need a striker but there are lots of options in that position. But CB struggling even more if one of the two get injured.

I think the problem is we DONT have a free scoring CF, so its not about cover its about actually having one to start with.

[MikeW]

Please explain: why is Madl so out of favour?

[Riversider]

So if Odoi had to play more than two games in a row at CB people would be happy?
We really don't have cover there. You might say we need a striker but there are lots of options in that position. But CB struggling even more if one of the two get injured.

I think the problem is we DONT have a free scoring CF, so its not about cover its about actually having one to start with.

Exactly, +1 👏🏻

We don't have a Goal Pig, end of ! We do have cover at centre back, anyway it's not a case of one or the other is it !
We have multiple positions to fill but an out and out goal scorer is our main priority anybody that thinks otherwise must be watching Fulham games blindfolded !

[@jolslover]

If we get a CB who is big then that is great .. But he has to be good on the ball. Someone like Maguire or Ayala. Big CBs that are good on the ball are hard to find but are out there. Will most probably have to look abroad as I can't think of many available in England?? Maybe Cathcart?? Not really that big however. Bassongs still a free agent?

[bill taylors apprentice]

Blimey! just goes to show how different people see things er, differently.

The forward line may have lacked the right kinda CF for some time but if we keep shipping goals in the other end we ain't going nowhere.

There's something about how we defend as a team that leaves the CB's exposed too often, Tuesdays first goal was a case in point where there player slipped past MacDonald and allowed to run at the stretched back four. Happens all the time, if Mac's beaten the CB's are exposed to pace and power.

BUT they also operate as two individual CB's not a unit, this is a weakness along with their lack of physical presence in the penalty area where they should be at the best.

Either of the current 2 CB's are possibly good enough but it needs a presence alongside to organise the defence and ensure the whole team defend as a unit.

[Jims Dentist]

Agree Stuart. We could muddle along with everything else in truth, but CB cover/competition is needed.

We certainly need the big dominant CB, and ideally one who is reasonably comfortable on the ball.
But for me it would be totally unacceptable to MUDDLE ALONG with what we have as central strikers.
There is not another team in the championship who has less penalty box type players than us.

[MJG]

Agree Stuart. We could muddle along with everything else in truth, but CB cover/competition is needed.

We certainly need the big dominant CB, and ideally one who is reasonably comfortable on the ball.
But for me it would be totally unacceptable to MUDDLE ALONG with what we have as central strikers.
There is not another team in the championship who has less penalty box type players than us.

the muddle through comment is based on stuarts opening post and if we could have only one coming in.
It doesn't work like that in reality, but don't read too much into one answer based on one possible scenario of only one coming in.

[Jims Dentist]

Wow.

That was a quick response Mike!
☺

[FulhamStu]

Guys, I would love a better centre forward type who scores for fun.  My original post was just saying that for me...if we could bring in just one it would be a dominant centre back, who yes, has to be good on the ball.  Maybe he could get on the end of a corner as well.  Someone with leadership qualities and experience.  We just don't have this player in the squad.  Madl is a backup but not this type of player.  We do have goals in the team in our wide players and midfield, so yes a centre forward, but a bigger need is that missing no5.

The best teams always have a decent defence.  Yes ours gets exposed by the way Slav sets up, and the way we push on the full backs, this makes the centre backs even more critical.

[filham]

We have posted time and again on the subjecct of needing a striker and a centre half, nothing much ever seems to happen. Is it possible that Jocanovic is happy with his present players.

[Woolly Mammoth]

We have posted time and again on the subjecct of needing a striker and a centre half, nothing much ever seems to happen. Is it possible that Jocanovic is happy with his present players.

If he is happy with just his current players, then I would be surprised and disappointed.