“Chaotic recruitment policy replaced by sensible planning“

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jul/23/fulham-bounce-back-learn-from-mistakes

Fulham ready to bounce back after learning from last season's mistakes
The chaotic recruitment policy pursued before their brief return to the Premier League has been replaced by sensible planning, headed by their manager, Scott Parker
Dominic Fifield
Dominic Fifield
@domfifield
Tue 23 Jul 2019 14.30 BST Last modified on Tue 23 Jul 2019 14.40 BST

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Scott Parker, Fulham head coach
Scott Parker (centre), the Fulham head coach, has a squad capable of challenging for a return to the Premier League despite the departure of several players. Photograph: Simon Dael/BPI/Shutterstock
It was as the conversation ticked inexorably towards the hour that Tony Khan issued the closest thing yet to a rallying cry. The Fulham vice-chairman and director of football operations had been talking with the excellent podcast Fulhamish late last month, addressing the issues which had contributed to a traumatic one‑season stay in the top flight and the sense of anticlimax which had accompanied the club's slump back into the second tier.

For all his enthusiasm for social media, the audience felt rare, even bold given the club's lack of activity up to then in the transfer market. Yet, with additions and a key contract renewal pending, Khan's outlook had been bullishly optimistic for the campaign ahead.


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"We have a tightly knit group who really want to be at Fulham, care about Fulham and care about each other," he offered as a tub-thumping pay-off. "It's been a hard year for everybody, but the break has done us some good. Now, everybody is really focused and ready to go out and smash the Championship."

A month on and that confidence seems far more justified. Fulham's flirtation with the elite may have ended up as a wasted opportunity, an ambitious £100m summer splurge having failed to keep them clear of trouble amid unsettling managerial changes, but they appear much better placed to muster an immediate return than in 2014, when Felix Magath's side had slipped meekly into the unknown. They discarded experience then, perhaps hamstrung by financial realities. This time relegation, confirmed in the first week of April, triggered salary reductions in players' contracts, some believed to be as high as 50%, to ensure the wage bill reduced from around £70m to nearer £28m on 1 July.

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It helped that loan players were released – including André Schürrle, whose two-year switch from Borussia Dortmund could be cancelled as a result of demotion. Another of the bigger earners, Jean Michaël Seri, will spend the season at Galatasaray, who paid a loan fee of £1.3m with the option to make the deal permanent for £15m next summer. Yet, even with Harvey Elliott to sign for Liverpool and Ryan Sessegnon expected to move to Tottenham Hotspur for around £20m, this group boasts eye-catching quality. Perhaps the early inevitability of relegation allowed time for proper planning. Regardless, they seem prepared.

In Scott Parker they boast a head coach of potential who knows the club, buys into the recruitment strategy and will urge his players to replicate the scintillating form which took Slavisa Jokanovic's team to promotion via the play-offs. Parker, like Khan, saw the value in retaining the core of the group who did so well in the Championship last time. The masterstrokes may have been persuading the captain, Tom Cairney, and, more pertinently given the suitors eager to prise him away, Aleksandar Mitrovic to sign new five-year contracts.


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Khan has become close to Gestifute's Jorge Mendes, and used the Portuguese agent's relationship with Wolverhampton Wanderers to lure Ivan Cavaleiro from Molineux. The loan signing from Brighton & Hove Albion of Anthony Knockaert, who has thrived at this level twice before and could join permanently for £10m next summer, completed the construction of a mouthwatering frontline. Stefan Johansen's return from a loan at West Bromwich Albion is reassuring, while Aboubakar Kamara has been reintegrated, a brave move after last season's rumpus in a yoga session and his subsequent arrest for an alleged assault at Motspur Park. Neither club nor police are pursuing that matter, with the forward's return after a loan in Turkey made with the blessing of the management and senior players. Kamara can make a difference at this level.

Alfie Mawson, whose involvement last term was wrecked by injuries, should thrive now he is fit. André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, who initially struggled to justify his £30m fee, was a player reborn over the final weeks of last season, and clearly has the tools to bully opponents. Khan had aspired to "field a squad even stronger than the team that went 23 unbeaten" over the second half of the promotion year. "We can do that," he said. "We have stronger pieces than we did going into that year ... I feel better about us going into this Championship season than we did in the previous two years [there, when they reached the play-offs]."


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This is an ownership eager to learn from mistakes. That frantic trolly dash last summer, which appeared to lack a coherent strategy and ended up disrupting the rhythm of a team on the up, counts against the hierarchy, though there were mitigating circumstances. Khan has pointed to the play-off campaign delaying plans, with the World Cup another hindrance as he sought to strengthen a side who had relied heavily upon loan players. Yet if Mitrovic, Anguissa, Mawson and Joe Bryan – all purchased that summer – excel then that outlay could be cast in a different light. They might even have a team that are Premier League ready, like Wolves, if promotion is secured.

Throw in an academy, overseen expertly by Huw Jennings, which is seeking to expand and continues to nurture talent, and the redevelopment of the Riverside stand – the capacity at Craven Cottage will be reduced to around 19,000 this season – and the overriding optimism feels justified. "Nobody at Fulham liked the way last season went," the vice‑chairman said. "But we've kept the spirit and backbone of a really strong team who, two seasons ago, went 23 games unbeaten to end the season. It was the best day I've ever had to go to Wembley stadium and win the Championship play-off final but, this year, our goal is to be auto-promoted."

[Statto]

A reasonable article which paints a much nicer picture of TK than his own PR, ironically. I'm beginning to think his own people skills are his biggest weakness. This summer we've moved (at least slightly) earlier in the window, minimised player turnover, signed loanees with options to buy so we can continue to keep that turnover low next year, and signed people with Championship/ English league experience. To his credit, TK evidently recognises he got those things wrong last year - why didn't he just admit that when he met with the FST previously?

[ashteadFFC]

Yes pretty good article. Although not saying as much it looks like TK is older and wiser than a year ago.

[Lyle from Hangeland]

A reasonable article which paints a much nicer picture of TK than his own PR, ironically. I'm beginning to think his own people skills are his biggest weakness. This summer we've moved (at least slightly) earlier in the window, minimised player turnover, signed loanees with options to buy so we can continue to keep that turnover low next year, and signed people with Championship/ English league experience. To his credit, TK evidently recognises he got those things wrong last year - why didn't he just admit that when he met with the FST previously?

Probably because he sees things differently than you. It's not like the majority of Fulham fans who supported all the signings last summer and predicted a mid table finish are going on about how stupid they were.

[Statto]

A reasonable article which paints a much nicer picture of TK than his own PR, ironically. I'm beginning to think his own people skills are his biggest weakness. This summer we've moved (at least slightly) earlier in the window, minimised player turnover, signed loanees with options to buy so we can continue to keep that turnover low next year, and signed people with Championship/ English league experience. To his credit, TK evidently recognises he got those things wrong last year - why didn't he just admit that when he met with the FST previously?

Probably because he sees things differently than you. It's not like the majority of Fulham fans who supported all the signings last summer and predicted a mid table finish are going on about how stupid they were.

Well if we sign seven overpriced players from the French and Spanish leagues on deadline day then throw them all into the team next match, we'll know you're right, and that TK still thinks last summer's approach was a good one.

However I both hope and expect you're wrong and in fact, TK recognises that he made mistakes last summer.

[Andy S]

I think the presumption that our purchasing of players was chaotic is probably untrue. No 1 Buying players at house prices is certainly not going to take 5 mins and even if they are completed on the last day they have probably been going on for months. This is the busiest time of the year for agents and clubs none of which know where clubs will play until the end of the season. Then players get a well deserved holiday then the chaos begins. Anybody who thinks it's easy should use their brain a bit more. Agents can only be in one place at a time then there are complicated negotiations to conduct. What then if a player you think yo7 have got changes his mind and opts to go elsewhere? I think some of 5he slagging off that goes on is completely unjustified

[hovewhite]

I believe we will yo yo back up because of the OP is correct.
I would rather us not go up!!

[Lyle from Hangeland]

A reasonable article which paints a much nicer picture of TK than his own PR, ironically. I'm beginning to think his own people skills are his biggest weakness. This summer we've moved (at least slightly) earlier in the window, minimised player turnover, signed loanees with options to buy so we can continue to keep that turnover low next year, and signed people with Championship/ English league experience. To his credit, TK evidently recognises he got those things wrong last year - why didn't he just admit that when he met with the FST previously?

Probably because he sees things differently than you. It's not like the majority of Fulham fans who supported all the signings last summer and predicted a mid table finish are going on about how stupid they were.

Well if we sign seven overpriced players from the French and Spanish leagues on deadline day then throw them all into the team next match, we'll know you're right, and that TK still thinks last summer's approach was a good one.

However I both hope and expect you're wrong and in fact, TK recognises that he made mistakes last summer.

Oh, you misunderstand. I wasn't one of the fans predicting a mid table finish. I predicted a season long relegation fight.

Of course TK recognizes he failed last year. Actions speak louder than words.

[..FOF..]

It will all boils down to Parker being able to work closely with Tony.

EQ vs IQ.

[I Ronic]

It will all boils down to Parker being able to work closely with Tony.

EQ vs IQ.

Most here have seen interviews with Tony and Scott both seem decent, affable  blokes. Why wouldn't they get on?  Scott comes across as quite guarded but he got his backroom in place quickly, Gray and the fella from Spuds. Signed off by the Chairman. Transfers and loans happening fairly quickly compared to previous seasons. AK has been accepted back into the fold. We're going to lose a couple of gifted youngsters but we've signed a couple as well. The new stand is under construction. This is one of those rare moments when we can just say "it's shaping up nicely" if it all goes tits up then lets moan then. Instead of busting a gut and trying to be the first one to say it's all going to be a big pile of poo..   

[The Rational Fan]

A reasonable article which paints a much nicer picture of TK than his own PR, ironically. I'm beginning to think his own people skills are his biggest weakness. This summer we've moved (at least slightly) earlier in the window, minimised player turnover, signed loanees with options to buy so we can continue to keep that turnover low next year, and signed people with Championship/ English league experience. To his credit, TK evidently recognises he got those things wrong last year - why didn't he just admit that when he met with the FST previously?

Probably because he sees things differently than you. It's not like the majority of Fulham fans who supported all the signings last summer and predicted a mid table finish are going on about how stupid they were.

Well if we sign seven overpriced players from the French and Spanish leagues on deadline day then throw them all into the team next match, we'll know you're right, and that TK still thinks last summer's approach was a good one.

However I both hope and expect you're wrong and in fact, TK recognises that he made mistakes last summer.

The approach was fundamental good (such as the wage reduction clauses). The problem appears to be that some of scouting assessment were inaccurate written or  inaccurate read. Some of the finading this year were very suprising to me: Chamber wasn't a center-back (or right-back), Mawson wasn't a 38 games a season player, Anguissa wasn't Patrick Viera, Seri wasn't Xavi, "Schurlle 2018" wasn't "Schurlle of the WC 2014" and TFM was a sprinter not a right back footballer

I would love to have read the reports given to Tony Khan from the Scouts. I reckon TK gets nervous now when he reads a player will adjust to Premier League well, although he will also get scared when he reads played well as right back in PL for both ManUtd and Crystal Palace.

[toshes mate]

I didn't think the original article was particularly newsworthy when I read it, and doesn't contain one shred of 'newness'.  As can be deduced from threads on this forum takes to TK's many public domain pronouncements have a multitude of potential critiques, almost as many as a season's worth of football results and with as much chance of one being the winner of a mega-billions 'pot'.  Words are not where football matches are won, and the deeds haven't started yet.  It would be nice to have that preseason optimism I remember as a schoolkid realising I could get to the handful or so of matches that would be played before school return, but the reality is that it is tough to keep that feeling up when cynicism is hard to put down.

My faith is solely a blind one that SP is the oracle that was the only suitable replacement part for a Serbian genius when he moved on.  I didn't think it would happen for a football realistic period of time - say two years plus from May 2018 - but life has had the first word and SP gets the early start after shabby decision making by TK and SK disturbed the mud in the pond once again - when will they ever learn?  I wish SP every success and I am one hundred percent behind him regardless of how things pan out in the next month or so.  The team is not the grand pack some think and make take a little while to gel since there are obvious weaknesses to protect and these will unbalance the whole.  FWIW I think some of our youngsters will deliver much better cover to those weak areas than we may expect right now.  I want SP to run away with this league - but we should always remember that titles are won in the last weeks of a league and not first weeks.

[Statto]

The approach was fundamental good (such as the wage reduction clauses). The problem appears to be that some of scouting assessment were inaccurate written or  inaccurate read.

We must have a different interpretations of the word "fundamental" if you can say that signing the wrong players, from the wrong leagues, in the wrong positions, in the wrong physical condition, at the wrong prices and at the wrong time, is a "fundamentally good" approach because the players signed with wage reduction clauses.

Also not sure how you can pin the blame on scouting with such conviction. We know the signings were picked based on a combination of stats and scouting and probably with, relative to other clubs, a particularly heavy emphasis on stats. If a signing turns out to be wrong, it could be down to the stats or the scouting - we don't know. However IMO our emphasis on stats, and the general controversy and difficulty with stats in this context, make it at least slightly more likely that it was the stats that were wrong.

[Woolly Mammoth]

I didn't think the original article was particularly newsworthy when I read it, and doesn't contain one shred of 'newness'.  As can be deduced from threads on this forum takes to TK's many public domain pronouncements have a multitude of potential critiques, almost as many as a season's worth of football results and with as much chance of one being the winner of a mega-billions 'pot'.  Words are not where football matches are won, and the deeds haven't started yet.  It would be nice to have that preseason optimism I remember as a schoolkid realising I could get to the handful or so of matches that would be played before school return, but the reality is that it is tough to keep that feeling up when cynicism is hard to put down.

My faith is solely a blind one that SP is the oracle that was the only suitable replacement part for a Serbian genius when he moved on.  I didn't think it would happen for a football realistic period of time - say two years plus from May 2018 - but life has had the first word and SP gets the early start after shabby decision making by TK and SK disturbed the mud in the pond once again - when will they ever learn?  I wish SP every success and I am one hundred percent behind him regardless of how things pan out in the next month or so.  The team is not the grand pack some think and make take a little while to gel since there are obvious weaknesses to protect and these will unbalance the whole.  FWIW I think some of our youngsters will deliver much better cover to those weak areas than we may expect right now.  I want SP to run away with this league - but we should always remember that titles are won in the last weeks of a league and not first weeks.

Wise words indeed.   0001.jpeg.