No Changes, Where Do We Finish?

[The Rock]

Mitro, Sess etc. stay. So does Christie, Odoi and the back four that let in 80 some goals last season.

Would we get promoted? I think our defence is so poor we would be 50/50 for the playoffs at best and miss out on automatic promotion. Could go either way, but defence was the problem even before we were promoted and it hasn't improved. Interested to hear what others think.

[JoelH5]

Think we'd get playoffs as our defence wouldn't be exposed half as much. Secondly, Mawson should hopefully be fit. If we can keep the team, improve RB and a CB we could be top 2

[filham]

Beginning to think right back is the main problem but the Odoi may manage this position in the Championship.

Odoi   Mawson Ream Bryan may develop into a reasonable championship back four.

A big bonus if Sess. and Mitro stay, buy a good wide right player and we could be looking at a steady 2 goals per game.

[Tabby]

Mostly depends on Parker, the squad isn't bad by Championship standards.

Fear he might be a Tim Sherwood in disguise, but I hope I'm wrong.

[bobby01]

8th

[Statto]

Top 2

[Sting of the North]

Top 2

Agree fully, as long as SP turns out to be at least an average manager.

[ALG01]

squad stays as it is we will finish 16th plus or minus four places
our full backs are nwhere near up to it, we only have mitro up front and we need a proper fit center half not one that has a clear continuing issue.
we aso need to get shot of the players like seri and anguissa that are clearly destabilising influences.

[JoelH5]

squad stays as it is we will finish 16th plus or minus four places
our full backs are nwhere near up to it, we only have mitro up front and we need a proper fit center half not one that has a clear continuing issue.
we aso need to get shot of the players like seri and anguissa that are clearly destabilising influences.

Bryan was the best LWB in the championship

[Tabby]

squad stays as it is we will finish 16th plus or minus four places
our full backs are nwhere near up to it, we only have mitro up front and we need a proper fit center half not one that has a clear continuing issue.
we aso need to get shot of the players like seri and anguissa that are clearly destabilising influences.

Bryan was the best LWB in the championship

He should have won LB of the season, just that they wanted to squeeze in another attacking player by moving Sess there.

[David I]

Good question.... however, there are changes already. No Chambers in def mid field.
Keeping Sess and Mitro. Ream ok.. Betts back.. we've got to be looking at mid table at least.

Add a decent RB, bring back Taggart LB, add Gayle to help Mitro and Cavelero (or another RW) on the right ... and we're at least top six with Joka!!??

[The Rational Fan]

Top 2

Agree fully, as long as SP turns out to be at least an average manager.

Agree Top 2, our biggest weakness is we have an unproven manager and a lack of backup up front. The backline is much stronger than the three teams promoted last year, our Right Back options aren't the best in the league but much better than people think, but Cyrus Christie has played over 250 games in championship and at peak of his career.  Backline Eight of Fossey, Christie, Odoi, Mawson, Ream, MLM, Bryan and S.Sess is one of the best in the championship, but another player would be good.

[RaySmith]

I also think our existing squad should do well in the Championship.

Bryan and Christie are good full-backs at this level, along with Ream, Odoi, MLM, S.Sess, seems to a decent Championship  defence options, and at the moment we  still have Anguissa and Seri on the books, as well as Mitro and R. Sess, but agree we could do with more attacking options, especially since Mitro could leave, and Kamara now looks to be going elsewhere.

[The Rational Fan]

Normally, a team needs a goal difference around 32 for automatic promotion.

In 17/18 First Half, we scored 29 goals and conceded 29 goals.
In 17/18 Second Half, we scored 50 goals and conceded 17 goals.
In 18/19 the First 23 PL games, we scored 21 goals and conceded 51 goals.
In 18/19 the Second 23 PL games, we scored 22 goals and conceded 42 goals.

If we can score 50 goals in the first half of season (like the end of 17/18), then FFC defence is good enough to concede less than 34 goals in 23 games.

Fulham's form at home was 17th in the EPL (Crystal Palace were worse). The squad is good enough for the Championship, but away form needs improving.

[Twig]

Top 2

Agree fully, as long as SP turns out to be at least an average manager.

Agree Top 2, our biggest weakness is we have an unproven manager and a lack of backup up front. The backline is much stronger than the three teams promoted last year, our Right Back options aren't the best in the league but much better than people think, but Cyrus Christie has played over 250 games in championship and at peak of his career.  Backline Eight of Fossey, Christie, Odoi, Mawson, Ream, MLM, Bryan and S.Sess is one of the best in the championship, but another player would be good.

Tend to agree with this.  Another striker would be be important but otherwise we could cope pretty well.  However I think this is pie in the sky as our squad will get disrupted with transfers out.

[The Rational Fan]

Another striker would be be important but otherwise we could cope pretty well.  However I think this is pie in the sky as our squad will get disrupted with transfers out.

A few loans to cover for potential injuries would be wise, especially for Mawson, Bryan, Cairney, Atiye and Mitrovoic.

[toshes mate]

No changes to personnel ... no changes to Club morale?  The former produces one possible answer; the latter seems the more dominant factor, however, since all champion like performers have that mentality that is often a goal ahead even before kick-off.  Does SP have that innate ability as a coach to have all those around him believing?  No doubt at moments in his playing career he had that charm, and he is the closest we are going to get to a 'Jokanovic' type of stylist.  My heart wants it to be an immediate and automatic return but my head says there is an awful lot of work to be done behind the scenes to rid ourselves of all the negativity of events post 11 November 2018.   We need players who have big hearts and healthy appetites for being composed and lethal.  We know some who have stepped up to levels close to what is demanded in the past but can they do it again after the wretchedness of last season?

My head says low mid-table, possibly even a relegation fight.  My heart wants to say 'Champions', but even it isn't as convinced we can do it as it was with Jokanovic coaching for all he was worth. 

[The Rational Fan]

No changes to personnel ... no changes to Club morale?  The former produces one possible answer; the latter seems the more dominant factor, however, since all champion like performers have that mentality that is often a goal ahead even before kick-off.  Does SP have that innate ability as a coach to have all those around him believing?  No doubt at moments in his playing career he had that charm, and he is the closest we are going to get to a 'Jokanovic' type of stylist.  My heart wants it to be an immediate and automatic return but my head says there is an awful lot of work to be done behind the scenes to rid ourselves of all the negativity of events post 11 November 2018.   We need players who have big hearts and healthy appetites for being composed and lethal.  We know some who have stepped up to levels close to what is demanded in the past but can they do it again after the wretchedness of last season?

My head says low mid-table, possibly even a relegation fight.  My heart wants to say 'Champions', but even it isn't as convinced we can do it as it was with Jokanovic coaching for all he was worth.

The most dangerous thing with relegation is developing a Toxic Blame Culture and getting rid of players not good enough for the Premier League, because most of the are very good for the Chmapionship. The truth is the team isn't terrible, over the last two seasons Fulham has proven they are too good for the Championship and not good enough for Premier League. They just need to prove again they are too good for the Championship like WBA did three times in an eight year period.

West Brom Premier League relegation seasons of 2002-3, 2005-6 and 2008-9 avoided the typical "blame and clean out" because they didn't go spending like crazy once promoted, so WBA achieved Championship promotions in 2003-4,  2007-8 and  2009-10.

[toshes mate]

No changes to personnel ... no changes to Club morale?  The former produces one possible answer; the latter seems the more dominant factor, however, since all champion like performers have that mentality that is often a goal ahead even before kick-off.  Does SP have that innate ability as a coach to have all those around him believing?  No doubt at moments in his playing career he had that charm, and he is the closest we are going to get to a 'Jokanovic' type of stylist.  My heart wants it to be an immediate and automatic return but my head says there is an awful lot of work to be done behind the scenes to rid ourselves of all the negativity of events post 11 November 2018.   We need players who have big hearts and healthy appetites for being composed and lethal.  We know some who have stepped up to levels close to what is demanded in the past but can they do it again after the wretchedness of last season?

My head says low mid-table, possibly even a relegation fight.  My heart wants to say 'Champions', but even it isn't as convinced we can do it as it was with Jokanovic coaching for all he was worth.

The most dangerous thing with relegation is developing a Toxic Blame Culture and getting rid of players not good enough for the Premier League, because most of the are very good for the Chmapionship. The truth is the team isn't terrible, over the last two seasons Fulham has proven they are too good for the Championship and not good enough for Premier League. They just need to prove again they are too good for the Championship like WBA did three times in an eight year period.

I didn't say 'the team is terrible' or even offer a suggestion as to whether or not the team is 'good enough'.  My point is that no matter where a team is along the building line from start to finished article, morale is the whole driver of results encompassing confidence, belief, and that killer factor when the referee blows that whistle at kick-off time.   Jokanovic knew how to get there; he didn't panic; he persisted patiently; he tried, tested, and, eventually, at the second attempt, achieved.  Can Parker emulate that; will he try something different; can he produce players who know exactly what they must do in his team in almost any situation they find themselves?  It is a really big ask and only time will tell.   I'd love it if we win automatic promotion but I also express my doubts about our ability to do that without a wholesale change in morale.

[Milo]

Yeah if things say the same we would be 6th to 8th with a fair wind.

It won't though, I think we will need two new wingers and a new RB by the end of the window.