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Tony Khan interview

Started by Fernhurst, August 12, 2019, 08:45:45 AM

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ALG01

Quote from: Sting of the North on August 12, 2019, 11:14:07 AM
Quote from: snarks on August 12, 2019, 10:48:47 AM

If you have seen the club down to 2,000 fans, then the phrase taken us backward is just wrong, you've seen Ernie Clay and you think what they have done is worse? For that I'm baffled. If you are saying worse than MAF you may have a point, but are they prepared to back the manager and the club financially? It certainly seems so to me.

I completely understand about the paywall though, I do find that odd. That is the sort of thing should be free for fans to see.

Surely the "taking us backwards" comment does not mean that TK has taken us down to the worst point in the history of the club, because if he believed that I assume that ALGO1 would have written that. In this case I think you should take the comment as meaning exactly what it means, namely that we have gone backwards (as opposed to standing still or going forwards or sideways), which must be seen from a specific point in time (in this case it would surely be from when TK took over). Whether or not we have gone backwards is of course debatable.

Thank you for that explanation. I thought my intent was clear but you have summed up much more succinctly than i would have done.

SG

#41
I do have some sympathy with the view that such an interview should be available to all and not behind the paywall. However I found it rather refreshing to hear some things first hand rather than via social media and the press. My main gripe though is his use of the word 'I' all the time. The team behind transfers are just that - a team. I would expect to see the word 'we' used, even if it were TK having the conversations. For the record imho it was very pleasant listening to Sarah's voice again after all this time.

ALG01

Quote from: JoelH5 on August 12, 2019, 11:27:00 AM
Quote from: Dr Quinzel on August 12, 2019, 11:24:15 AM
Yeah, I'm fine with that, but it's am old trope people constantly pull out to defend (who knows why) failures. Since the Khan's took over we have gone backwards and since TK, we are stagnant - my personal view.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk



When Al'Fayed sold us, he left us with an ageing squad. Relegation wasn't down to the Khans. The club in my opinion is way healthier now than it was in Al'fayed's last season. 100 million spent on Motspur, the same on Craven Cottage. A team which is miles better than what we had in the last season too.

Do you not think that from when MAF picked us up we steadilly got better including a european final. The ptogress was obvious. However he was clearly getting older himself and was divesting himself from many businesses. The squad was in need of surgery but not major.IMO since the khan's took over their inexperience and unwillingness to learn from errors has seen us generally decline, the relegation being a spectacular failure to listen.

We may be spending fortunes on infastracture and PR but the team is in decline. Not getting a defence is ridiculous and blaming it on spurs like a 9 year old saying the dog ate his homework.

You can mute people all you want but I can only say what i see rather endlessly trying to defend the indefensible. I listen to what others say and try and learn from it.


The Rock

I thought it was informative. Not too many surprises. I'll continue to slag/criticise TK though especially with regards to certain perceived oversights, like the defence, but this is one persons view vs. another and I am not paying for it, he is.

The real difference though was Sarah Brooks. Talk about bringing in the big guns. I thought she had moved on???

snarks

[

I would say the last 2 - 3 years of MAF (following Roy's departure) were decline, very noticeably so. When SK took over, I think relegation was close to inevitable, the squad was old, Jol had lost interest (and had asked to go but was told no) The Khan's were caught out by their lack of knowledge.

Since then TK has not done the best job, but he hasn't done the worst either. For all the flack he is getting now, Mike Rigg before him didn't do a great job. At least TK took the time to get Slav, and let him get/gave him the players to play to his system so that we got promoted. So I would say we have approximately stood still overall since the last season of MAF, and we have improved since the days of Mike Rigg.

You may say it's defending the indefensible, I say it's arguing against a clear prejudice.


Lyle from Hangeland

Quote from: ALG01 on August 12, 2019, 12:15:48 PM
Quote from: JoelH5 on August 12, 2019, 11:27:00 AM
Quote from: Dr Quinzel on August 12, 2019, 11:24:15 AM
Yeah, I'm fine with that, but it's am old trope people constantly pull out to defend (who knows why) failures. Since the Khan's took over we have gone backwards and since TK, we are stagnant - my personal view.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk



When Al'Fayed sold us, he left us with an ageing squad. Relegation wasn't down to the Khans. The club in my opinion is way healthier now than it was in Al'fayed's last season. 100 million spent on Motspur, the same on Craven Cottage. A team which is miles better than what we had in the last season too.

Do you not think that from when MAF picked us up we steadilly got better including a european final. The ptogress was obvious. However he was clearly getting older himself and was divesting himself from many businesses. The squad was in need of surgery but not major.IMO since the khan's took over their inexperience and unwillingness to learn from errors has seen us generally decline, the relegation being a spectacular failure to listen.

We may be spending fortunes on infastracture and PR but the team is in decline. Not getting a defence is ridiculous and blaming it on spurs like a 9 year old saying the dog ate his homework.

You can mute people all you want but I can only say what i see rather endlessly trying to defend the indefensible. I listen to what others say and try and learn from it.

What defenders should they have gotten? I can't think of a Championship team that has a magical back four.

I feel like some supporters won't be happy until TK spends Maginot Line level francs on the defense.


Robbie

Funny that people are saying TK out !    Basically that would mean the money goes away and we would probably go bust...

Sting of the North

Quote from: Robbie on August 12, 2019, 12:48:10 PM
Funny that people are saying TK out !    Basically that would mean the money goes away and we would probably go bust...

No, that would mean that TK would no longer be DoF. Whether or not that would mean we get less money to spend is not necessarily related at all, since it is not TKs money. In either case we will most likely not find out in a very long time.

Tabby

If we are to take him at his word, Scott Parker was pretty happy with the defense and wanted attacking players first and foremost.

Then the question is, should he listen to his manager or should he ignore their input like he supposedly did with Joka?


FulhamStu

Very good interview and also extremely interesting.

Tony was open and gave us a great explanation of many things, especially interested to hear that Scott is so involved, giving midfield and attack as a priority over defence was interesting if maybe a little odd.   But it's not unreasonable to think Mawson and Ream are good enough and not unreasonable to want to give S.S. A chance at right back.

Standing tough on Ryan was good hear and forcing Levy to pay what he is worth also very good.

I honestly don't understand why people see this interview as anything other than very positive and excellent communication from the club.

Dr Quinzel

#50
Quote from: Robbie on August 12, 2019, 12:48:10 PM
Funny that people are saying TK out !    Basically that would mean the money goes away and we would probably go bust...

1. I don't believe Shahid Khan would do that.
2. If he did, then frankly we would be better off.

PS Haven't seen a TK out in this thread?

FulhamStu

Quote from: Dr Quinzel on August 12, 2019, 01:11:33 PM
Quote from: Robbie on August 12, 2019, 12:48:10 PM
Funny that people are saying TK out !    Basically that would mean the money goes away and we would probably go bust...

1. I don't believe Shahid Khan would do that.
2. If he did, then frankly we would be better off.



Be very careful what you wish for.


Dr Quinzel

Quote from: Tabby on August 12, 2019, 12:53:24 PM
If we are to take him at his word, Scott Parker was pretty happy with the defense and wanted attacking players first and foremost.

Then the question is, should he listen to his manager or should he ignore their input like he supposedly did with Joka?

Didn't Scott recently have a public quote where he wanted defenders? We only hear bits and pieces, and it obviously changes as time goes by I'm sure, but that would seem to fly in the face of that. All a bit confusing.

Robbie

Virtually no EPL club is financially self sustaining without a subsidy or benign owner.

TV revenues are probably maxed out, particularly for the EPL.

The only way out of this is:

1) A wages cap for the industry
2) Ticket prices to go up massively (i.e. double)

So, be very careful what you bellyache about.

Dr Quinzel

Quote from: FulhamStu on August 12, 2019, 01:13:10 PM
Quote from: Dr Quinzel on August 12, 2019, 01:11:33 PM
Quote from: Robbie on August 12, 2019, 12:48:10 PM
Funny that people are saying TK out !    Basically that would mean the money goes away and we would probably go bust...

1. I don't believe Shahid Khan would do that.
2. If he did, then frankly we would be better off.


Be very careful what you wish for.

Not wishing for it - just saying, if the owner would rather sell than remove his son if things came down to it, is that the owner we really want? It's a hypothetical nonsense regardless, as I don't have any belief SK is that kind of man, but it's often spouted that it could be the case.


Tabby

Quote from: Dr Quinzel on August 12, 2019, 01:17:21 PM
Quote from: Tabby on August 12, 2019, 12:53:24 PM
If we are to take him at his word, Scott Parker was pretty happy with the defense and wanted attacking players first and foremost.

Then the question is, should he listen to his manager or should he ignore their input like he supposedly did with Joka?

Didn't Scott recently have a public quote where he wanted defenders? We only hear bits and pieces, and it obviously changes as time goes by I'm sure, but that would seem to fly in the face of that. All a bit confusing.

I can't recall Scott ever saying that we needed defenders. He has said that we need "reinforcements", but that is it as far as I know.

..FOF..

Quote from: Dr Quinzel on August 12, 2019, 01:11:33 PM
Quote from: Robbie on August 12, 2019, 12:48:10 PM
Funny that people are saying TK out !    Basically that would mean the money goes away and we would probably go bust...

1. I don't believe Shahid Khan would do that.
2. If he did, then frankly we would be better off.

PS Haven't seen a TK out in this thread?

That was what I was saying during the transfer season, I think the fans are ok with Tony this time around.

I think the Tony's hardcore fanclub are just too sensitive with every small critical comments of him or they are getting bored with all the positivity, haha

Sting of the North

Quote from: Tabby on August 12, 2019, 01:35:09 PM
Quote from: Dr Quinzel on August 12, 2019, 01:17:21 PM
Quote from: Tabby on August 12, 2019, 12:53:24 PM
If we are to take him at his word, Scott Parker was pretty happy with the defense and wanted attacking players first and foremost.

Then the question is, should he listen to his manager or should he ignore their input like he supposedly did with Joka?

Didn't Scott recently have a public quote where he wanted defenders? We only hear bits and pieces, and it obviously changes as time goes by I'm sure, but that would seem to fly in the face of that. All a bit confusing.

I can't recall Scott ever saying that we needed defenders. He has said that we need "reinforcements", but that is it as far as I know.

I am fairly sure he mentioned that we still (after reinforcing the attack) needed to strengthen in midfield and defense. This is also what TK stated in the interview, but expanded on this that according to SP our priorities had been attack and midfield first, defense last. And for defense he wanted a CB, not RB. Therefore, had we gotten Hector over the line we had acquired all our top targets (according to TK). No obvious contradictions at all.


Tabby

Quote from: ..FOF.. on August 12, 2019, 01:40:10 PM
Quote from: Dr Quinzel on August 12, 2019, 01:11:33 PM
Quote from: Robbie on August 12, 2019, 12:48:10 PM
Funny that people are saying TK out !    Basically that would mean the money goes away and we would probably go bust...

1. I don't believe Shahid Khan would do that.
2. If he did, then frankly we would be better off.

PS Haven't seen a TK out in this thread?

That was what I was saying during the transfer season, I think the fans are ok with Tony this time around.

I think the Tony's hardcore fanclub are just too sensitive with every small critical comments of him or they are getting bored with all the positivity, haha

There is one on the first page, which probably set this off.

Quote from: ffcthereligion on August 12, 2019, 10:09:43 AM
Tony Khan out

General

Sounds like TK has played a blinder on a PR front - He sounds as if he's just been reading this board for the last two or three weeks, and someone at Fulham has too - they've given him a briefing document on what topics to talk about and broach and addressed them in a way which appeases people.

I could've given the answer TK would've given knowing what I've read on this board in the last couple of weeks. None of it is original or too insightful. All of it absolves him from blame too. Which is a long way from him receiving the wrath of our fanbase for telling fans to 'go to hell'.

As a director of Football you can still use your own brain and realise that 6 (max seven including steven sessegnon) is not a strong enough defence and backup to keep going in this league unless you're very lucky. To say Scotty prioritised Midfield and Attack may be true, but it doesn't make any mention of Scotty not wanting Defence and the fact he's acknowledged Hector being on the books for January, shows to me that there was an intention to recruit a defender - where they haven't and subsequently leaves us in a potentially vulnerable place in defence.

Now - he's playing a game of risk and luck with our defence. Mawson on his day is a premiership level defender but has historically been a sick-note. That leaves us back with the defence that is worse than our defence that got us promoted. Plus we kept a clean sheet against blackburn who are already rooted to the bottom of the table and so gives no genuine gauge of how our defensive unit is. Their only saving grace is being able to train against Mitro, Bobby Reid, Knockaert and Cavaleiro who will all test them.

I'm happy to give TK the credit he deserves when it's merited, and equally I'm going to criticise him if their are area's he deserves it. Since the Khan's have taken over, he has overseen a lot of instability in this club. Al Fayed chucked less money into this club in his tenure, then TK threw into the club in a summer or two.. Regardless of our tenue in the premiership, we weren't a yoyo club and staying in the league is more of an accomplishment than getting promoted and relegated etc.

The reason why I'm critical of TK, apart from his inability of lack of desire to genuinely take on board criticism as a means by which to improve himself is because he always tends to make similar mistakes or leave jobs half complete.

Last summer, and the summer we had going in to the premiership he addressed our defence last minute (probably because he sees it as a less sexy position to be working towards recruiting) and when we went down from the premiership, both seasons, we've gone through a ridiculous three managers a season. Stability is so important. He's a kid in a toy shop.

Even as fun as it is seeing us win games in the championship and winning at Wembley, it still isn't the level we should/can be at and so I always see it, given the Al Fayed years in particular, as a step tainted by the fact that we should be in the premiership and staying there. Al fayed managed it despite numerous shocking managers and a limited budget.

To add insult I think it's atrocious for a football club to put exclusive content like player interviews and generally important brand information in terms of bringing in new fans and engaging them in a meaningful way, where they perhaps haven't got that exisiting affinity to the club and it needs to be built behind a F****ing paywall. It's not only ludicrous for those reasons in terms of building a business defined by it's ability to foster partnerships/relationships but also for the fact that it hasn't seen a decrease or stabilisation of ticket sales - when we went up to the premiership, lower catergory games were still being sold or trying to be sold for higher price brackets than ever before. It's a pure money making scheme which is not only detrimental to the future generations and growth to the club, but also an insult to people who put their money into the club despite it's constant intention to charge more and more, disregarding fans who may love Fulham but simply don't fit the general statistics of Fulham fans being affluent - it alienates an entire section of our fan base and in all honesty I would like to see FST bring it up in quite serious terms at their next meeting with Ali Mac.