I just don’t get it

[Peabody]

This obsession with the Khans. I am sure you are all aware that there is absolutely, nothing we can do about their ownership of our club. Unless you have a few billion in the bank, their ownership will carry on until they decide that they have had enough and want to sell up. So, in my opinion, we will just have to put up with it and if they do want to sell, how do we know that what we get, runs it just the same, or indeed, totally differently, for instance, exactly the same as David Bulstrade!!!

[nose returns]

This obsession with the Khans. I am sure you are all aware that there is absolutely, nothing we can do about their ownership of our club. Unless you have a few billion in the bank, their ownership will carry on until they decide that they have had enough and want to sell up. So, in my opinion, we will just have to put up with it and if they do want to sell, how do we know that what we get, runs it just the same, or indeed, totally differently, for instance, exactly the same as David Bulstrade!!!

you are of course correct and I for one am content the Khans are doing what they believe is best and want the best.
the obsession is we can all see they are making errors and repeating them and its such a frustration.
you have decent people going wrong, and not actually changing course
as supporters fulham is like a part of our family so it hurts

if we changed owner, who knows what worse madness might come with that, I am in agreement. But for so little modification of aproach from them, we could be flying high.

that is what it is for me.

[toshes mate]

I have never been obsessed with any owner of FFC, in my lifetime, not even MAF, who never succeeded in tickling my fancy.  They are owners and have always been passing traffic.  I stood up to be counted with my money in the Bulstrode era because I didn't want Fulham or Craven Cottage to die.  I would do the same again if I believed it was the right thing to do.  The one difference that has always distressed me with the Khans is the nepotism.  I had hoped it would be properly managed but it hasn't been and I will continue to fight for my right to see that rectified in whatever way it takes; whatever follows that is simply a different unknown to the unknown we are always facing.   

[Penfold]

I have never been obsessed with any owner of FFC, in my lifetime, not even MAF, who never succeeded in tickling my fancy.  They are owners and have always been passing traffic.  I stood up to be counted with my money in the Bulstrode era because I didn't want Fulham or Craven Cottage to die.  I would do the same again if I believed it was the right thing to do.  The one difference that has always distressed me with the Khans is the nepotism.  I had hoped it would be properly managed but it hasn't been and I will continue to fight for my right to see that rectified in whatever way it takes; whatever follows that is simply a different unknown to the unknown we are always facing.   

I have never been obsessed with any owner of FFC, in my lifetime, not even MAF, who never succeeded in tickling my fancy.  They are owners and have always been passing traffic.  I stood up to be counted with my money in the Bulstrode era because I didn't want Fulham or Craven Cottage to die.  I would do the same again if I believed it was the right thing to do.  The one difference that has always distressed me with the Khans is the nepotism.  I had hoped it would be properly managed but it hasn't been and I will continue to fight for my right to see that rectified in whatever way it takes; whatever follows that is simply a different unknown to the unknown we are always facing.   

I won't fault SK for throwing money at it in the Summer but it's the way we have gone about things that I think gets to a lot of people. Most of SK's good decisions have been to rectify a previous bad one (it's a long list as well).
The situation with TK is fairly ridiculous. In my opinion he would not hold the position he has at any other club in Premier League or even in the Championship. I'm sure plenty of clubs lower down the pecking order would not have him heading the player recruitment. The power that K briefly held summed up the worst of the way the club is run. He held this purely on personal patronage.

With regard to their long term ownership, I don't see them going anywhere soon. Just look at the club accounts to see how much they have lost. No one is going to to shell that out on Fulham, and how many of us expect Khan to take a huge hit and sell at an enormous loss?

The problem I see is that people will simply vote with their feet. It happened in the 1980s and could easily happen again.

[snarks]

I will actually say I am not disappointed with the owner and the current running of the club, I am disappointed with the way things have worked out this season, I still think the signings of Mawson, Chambers and TFM were good on paper, as were Anguissa and Seri. The problem was the timing of them, not being sufficient to gel in to SJ's team.

We (as a group of fans) are very quick to look for scapegoats for not succeeding as well as we wanted. Still it's the club I follow and as long as the owners are not running it in to the ground (and they are clearly not) then it's fine with me.

[toshes mate]

I won't fault SK for throwing money at it in the Summer but it's the way we have gone about things that I think gets to a lot of people. Most of SK's good decisions have been to rectify a previous bad one (it's a long list as well).
The situation with TK is fairly ridiculous. In my opinion he would not hold the position he has at any other club in Premier League or even in the Championship. I'm sure plenty of clubs lower down the pecking order would not have him heading the player recruitment. The power that K briefly held summed up the worst of the way the club is run. He held this purely on personal patronage.

With regard to their long term ownership, I don't see them going anywhere soon. Just look at the club accounts to see how much they have lost. No one is going to to shell that out on Fulham, and how many of us expect Khan to take a huge hit and sell at an enormous loss?

The problem I see is that people will simply vote with their feet. It happened in the 1980s and could easily happen again.

Agree with your last sentence if the rot goes on as it surely will if nothing changes.  But change will happen because it always does, even more likely so, when owners take their eyes off the ball, choose not to look, or don't see what is coming.  The Khans made an enemy out of CK for reasons I do not completely understand.  There is just something not quite right about so many of the events of the past few years especially the Jokanovic era.  Jokanovic was never less than the professional role model whilst at FFC.  His public face was always guarded unless he knew he was on safe ground.  I have often hoped that those supposedly ITK, closer to the Khans (if indeed that is possible to be), would channel useful information to me, a member of the minnions, wanting to understand how things can go so terribly wrong from being so patently right.  But the information we get from those supposedly ITK is pretty useless by all accounts, just hearsay cobbled together from whatever sources it comes.  It is distracting at best and that bothers me.   

The Khans are passing traffic and seemingly a long way off FFC's radar most of the time.  Again that bothers me.  Why wouldn't you be present when success is all around you, but why would you be absent when things have gone so very wrong?  The Khans haven't got a good record at being successful at putting things right and one good season of Championship football doesn't fill me with any confidence of either their performance or intentions.  At least in his early years MAF demonstrated what he wanted through words and actions, even if he alienated me, for a time, by the sacking of Adams.  I didn't like the mantra of money is everything then and I am in no greater love with that mantra now.

[Slaphead in Qatar]

Their hearts in the right place - they are as yet still learning how to run a club. Jacksonville Jags have mirrored us - last season the jags got to the semi finals, this season they have been one of the worst performing teams.

[toshes mate]

Their hearts in the right place - they are as yet still learning how to run a club. Jacksonville Jags have mirrored us - last season the jags got to the semi finals, this season they have been one of the worst performing teams.

There is absolutely no parallel between the NFL and English football however.  If Fulham were a top six PL side then I could see some sense in your comment but we are not.

[Penfold]

Their hearts in the right place - they are as yet still learning how to run a club. Jacksonville Jags have mirrored us - last season the jags got to the semi finals, this season they have been one of the worst performing teams.

Completely different sports with totally different recruitment procedures. I never get the comparison being made.

[HV71]

Peabody - I don't think everyone is obsessed by The Khans or indeed think that they are unworthy owners of this proud club . In fact I for one think they have been excellent in many regards - making money available for players , investing in the ground, training facilities and youth. My big concern is their knowledge of football and placing people in control of football areas without the necessary knowledge and experience.
It's fine giving your son a role in the business utnot one that directlyimpacts on how you perform on the pitch. Nepotism should always be avoided at all costs in any large or mid size organisation in my opinion as it just leaves yourself open to all sorts of problems . However when you put family members in charge of areas and they have little or no experience you really do lead yourself open to criticism.
Naturally mistakes have been made but we do not seem to be learning from them . It was obvious to all we needed a centre forward 2 seasons ago and it took an age before we landed Mitro. The same has now happened with the fullbacks - and as so many on here have pointed out - the timing of our deals has been woeful. In most organisations this wouldnotbetolerated and the person at the head of recruitment would pay the price. That isnt going to happen here and I think that is the main reason most people are as you put it obsessed with the Khans.
We have had the opportunity of a lifetime this season - newly promoted through the play off final - supporters behind the club on mass - record money spent on transfers - exciting style of play in the pitch and a real chance to build a future in the top league
We have blown it - pure and simple and at least some of this is down to the way we are managed at the very top

[The Old Count]

Their hearts in the right place - they are as yet still learning how to run a club. Jacksonville Jags have mirrored us - last season the jags got to the semi finals, this season they have been one of the worst performing teams.

Agree.  It's pretty clear that they have the club's (their investment) best interest at heart.  It's also clear that they are hampered in the running of the club by a certain naive ineptitude that MAF for example didn't have.  The difference being that MAF got advice from Football people like Keegan, Cantona, O'Neill, Baresi and others. He did not allow nepotism to cloud his judgement.

[Statto]

We don't have full, direct control of the team selection, referees, or anything we discuss on here, so I've never understood this idea that we shouldn't moan about the owners because we can't easily change them. 

As it happens I do think we have some control over our owner, anyway. Owning a football club is a vanity project for people like Shahid Khan so if they feel unpopular with the club's supporters, they're highly likely to walk away. Khan recently walked away from the Wembley deal, a similar project, purely because it was "seen as more divisive" (his words) than he anticipated.

His son has also shown in Twitter posts that (a) he reads fans' comments and (b) he's hyper-sensitive to them. I'm sure it wouldn't take much to upset him and get him to walk away - probably just a handful of very harsh Twitter comments from fans, not that I'm condoning that.

Of course that's without going into the effect of reduced attendances and shirt sales, poor atmosphere at the ground, etc., which are other outcomes of fans being unhappy, and organised fan action through channels like the FST.

Bottom line, Shahid Khan needs (and I very deliberately use the word "needs") fans' support.

[MikeW]

Excellent response from HV71:  You cannot fault the Khans for commitment in any areas but yes, they have made some notable errors in manager selection, the scouting and recruitment dept. and - unfortunately - in the owner placing such faith in his son to oversee players signings etc.

I'm sure they recognise this.  Over the years how many businesses in an ever diverse spectrum have erred when putting a son into a fathers shoes?  It's a 'family' thing to do but do often does not work.  I recall when MAF took over he put KK and RW in charge at first but wise old owl Arthur Cox was their first recruit.  We need a modern day AC to sit just below the owners and dispense wisdom.  Keep TK on by all means but remove the recruitment responsibility.  There is plenty going on in the next few years that he can take on.  Just as long as the new stand faces the right way.  Just my two 'pennuth.   

[filham]

We as fans should also have learnt something this season.
Now be honest, who among us was at all critical last August when young Tony was spending that £100m , not many of us and I didn't hear any complaints from Jocanovic either.
We really do need a director of football, a senior football man to guide our chairman.

[Cambridge Pete]

How nice to see a number of reasoned postings concerning the Khans. No business person loses money intentionally. They are learning and like all of us when learning make mistakes. This season has been poor. The games I have been able to get to have been poor with a lack of organisation and effort.But as I have posted before I still hope that the Khan's will learn and turn things around. Like many others I am resigned to relegation but after over sixty years on supporting can say  this is nowhere near the horrors of Bulstrode and Eric Miller and falling from the old first to fourth divisions. Standing with a few thousand others in a dilapidated Cottage watching poor standard players (who at least gave effort) whilst getting frozen and soaked. We have come along way since then

[SuffolkWhite]

Never had a problem with the owners, I think they try on and off the field of play. If things don't work out then yea a little moaning is fine but the extent of moaning on here is obsessive at times but each to their own.

[Jimsbeerbelly]

This obsession with the Khans. I am sure you are all aware that there is absolutely, nothing we can do about their ownership of our club. Unless you have a few billion in the bank, their ownership will carry on until they decide that they have had enough and want to sell up. So, in my opinion, we will just have to put up with it and if they do want to sell, how do we know that what we get, runs it just the same, or indeed, totally differently, for instance, exactly the same as David Bulstrade!!!

You're right, there is absolutely nothing we can do about their ownership, but, as paying fans, we do have a right to express our opinions.

I'm sorry, but, since the Khans have got their hands on FFC, we've been and absolute laughing stock, and, as a fan, I am upset and annoyed.

As explained before, I've no issues with their intentions, I'm sure their hearts are in the right place, but I'm fed up with this Club being run like a circus.

If it's not persistent off-field issues, it's the persistent on-field issues, and I, as a fan, are sick to the back teeth of it.

This season has has been another prime example, late getting players in the summer again, wrong type of players, sack a manager shifting the blame, appointing the wrong type of manager, but not backing him in January, players fighting, of DOF taking to social media spouting claims of 'multiple signing, and to 'go to hell'.

Lets be honest, we've not learnt a single thing since our relegation in 2013/14, we've wasted another glorious opportunity to put Fulham back on the Premier League map, we've squandered millions, completely dismantle a team that took us to new heights, as well as destroying the moral of certain players.

Put it this way, if Tony Khan went for a job at any other Club as a Director of Football, they'd laugh in his face, so yes, I totally get it, they are clueless.     

[Luka]

Their hearts in the right place - they are as yet still learning how to run a club. Jacksonville Jags have mirrored us - last season the jags got to the semi finals, this season they have been one of the worst performing teams.

But the Jags cant get relegated at the end of the season, its just "Oh well now thats over lets have another go" !!.....thats the difference btween the NFL and EPL you buy a franchise and are pretty much in it forever.

[I Ronic]

This obsession with the Khans. I am sure you are all aware that there is absolutely, nothing we can do about their ownership of our club. Unless you have a few billion in the bank, their ownership will carry on until they decide that they have had enough and want to sell up. So, in my opinion, we will just have to put up with it and if they do want to sell, how do we know that what we get, runs it just the same, or indeed, totally differently, for instance, exactly the same as David Bulstrade!!!

you are of course correct and I for one am content the Khans are doing what they believe is best and want the best.
the obsession is we can all see they are making errors and repeating them and its such a frustration.
you have decent people going wrong, and not actually changing course
as supporters fulham is like a part of our family so it hurts

if we changed owner, who knows what worse madness might come with that, I am in agreement. But for so little modification of aproach from them, we could be flying high.

that is what it is for me.

:plus one: I know, unexpected. I'm sober and not on any strong medication either.

[FFCAli]

Their hearts in the right place - they are as yet still learning how to run a club. Jacksonville Jags have mirrored us - last season the jags got to the semi finals, this season they have been one of the worst performing teams.

There is a massive difference between US football and English football  -  RELEGATION.  The subsequent effect on finances, recruitment (of players and management), retaining players etc is something Americans tend to be unaware of.