Has anyone else got the feeling

[The Old Count]

that something is not right?

The players are really good but they seem like the wrong players. The manager has promise but seems not to be fulfilling that promise. The upper management seem to have the club's best interests at heart but seem to be not up to the job.
Surely we should be doing better than 12th. Surely QPR, with their current situation, can't be doing better than us. Surely, with our resources, we should be doing better than Preston and Charlton.
Or has 57 years of supporting Fulham finally driven me round the bend?

[FFC1987]

Something isn't right. I can;t help but think we don't play to our strengths at all really and wonder if people are questioning tactics.

[Lighthouse]

Three points behind the playoffs and five points behind the top two with a goal difference as good as any outside the top two. No the only feeling I get is that fans are genuinely getting caught up in general negativity. In the last two matches we conceded silly late goals. Those extra four points would have put a stop to over the top statements.

Yes frustrated and I can see where we will improve with quicker movement. But then had we played a better defensive game late on instead of having players press forward we wouldn't have had the gaps at the back in the last minute of injury time.

No nothing very wrong or any strong feeling that there is something isn't right. Just a few things need to be improved and ironed out. But then I too could have just become used to this feeling of being a fan too long Fed up with the negativity surrounding the club and so have subconsciously decided to not over think things.

[FFC1987]

Three points behind the playoffs and five points behind the top two with a goal difference as good as any outside the top two. No the only feeling I get is that fans are genuinely getting caught up in general negativity. In the last two matches we conceded silly late goals. Those extra four points would have put a stop to over the top statements.

Yes frustrated and I can see where we will improve with quicker movement. But then had we played a better defensive game late on instead of having players press forward we wouldn't have had the gaps at the back in the last minute of injury time.

No nothing very wrong or any strong feeling that there is something isn't right. Just a few things need to be improved and ironed out. But then I too could have just become used to this feeling of being a fan too long Fed up with the negativity surrounding the club and so have subconsciously decided to not over think things.

I think this team sitting 12th with our squad and the fixtures we've had on paper, are cause for concern. We shouldn't be 12th period.

[Lighthouse]

Three points behind the playoffs and five points behind the top two with a goal difference as good as any outside the top two. No the only feeling I get is that fans are genuinely getting caught up in general negativity. In the last two matches we conceded silly late goals. Those extra four points would have put a stop to over the top statements.

Yes frustrated and I can see where we will improve with quicker movement. But then had we played a better defensive game late on instead of having players press forward we wouldn't have had the gaps at the back in the last minute of injury time.

No nothing very wrong or any strong feeling that there is something isn't right. Just a few things need to be improved and ironed out. But then I too could have just become used to this feeling of being a fan too long Fed up with the negativity surrounding the club and so have subconsciously decided to not over think things.

I think this team sitting 12th with our squad and the fixtures we've had on paper, are cause for concern. We shouldn't be 12th period.

I think you believe our squad is better than it is considering we were all moaning about the poor defense and lack of defenders before a kick was made. I think you think teams like Sheffield Wednesday and all the other teams we have played are poor quality and we should be beating them with ease. I personally believe this is and always has been the hardest league to get out of with so many good teams. I predicted a half way finish so you will understand that when you say we shouldn't be 12th with our squad I think you have higher expectations than I have. Which is why I believe all this negativity is utter nonsense. As we are doing better than we were in the season we went up. I am not predicting failure even with my low expectations.

[Statto]

I'm certainly didn't expect us to finish mid-table this year. We probably have the best team in the league, so anything less than top 2 should be a disappointment.

But what did we really expect at this stage?

Over the last 5 years, the teams finishing second have averaged just under 2 pts per game. So 8 games into the season, we should be on about 15-16 pts. So we're actually only 3-4 pts off where we should be.

There's nothing wrong with drawing against Cardiff, West Brom and away to Wednesday, even for a top 2 team.

The only disappointing results so far have been Barnsley and Forest - we should have taken 3-4 pts from those two games.

Personally I expected a slightly slow start from a newly-relegated team with lots of new players and a style that has always taken a few months of the season to finesse each year.

Granted, we've got to make up the ground sooner or later but looking at our next 5 games we could easily go on a little streak now and be back on track for top two in a month.

[jarv]

Dont panic.  It is a good squad of players. Away Sheffield Wednesday, I expect most would have taken a draw before the game started. OK, it was 2 points dropped but still a good away point.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Nothing to lose any sleep over, just needs a little surgery here and there, which can be addressed on the training ground. It will be interesting to see on Friday if it has been addressed.

[Slaphead in Qatar]

In whatever assessment or expectations of our team you have this season - always remember we have a rookie manager. He's learning on the job - to expect him to be top two in his first season may happen but it's asking alot

[Baszab]

Something's not right ???

Thought we played really well yesterday and against  WBA - just unlucky to concede

SP looks like his tactics are to protect him and the team once ahead early on in the season - I am sure that we can and will play more attacking stuff in the next 20 games

Still going up this year

[JoelH5]

The attacking players started well and have really dropped off. We aren't conceding a shed load of goals but most of us would have agreed with the defence we have, 1 goal a game is never likely to be enough.

[Cornishnick]

Yes those late goals were a bit of a worry and I am thinking the lack of acquisition of 1 or 2 good defenders in the summer looks like it might come home to roost.

I take on board all the comments but don't panic too much just yet. Just looked at 2017/18 promotion year and after 8 games we were 14th with 10 points and a zero goal difference. Onwards and upwards eh!

[Spirit of 2000]

Something's not right ???

Thought we played really well yesterday and against  WBA - just unlucky to concede

SP looks like his tactics are to protect him and the team once ahead early on in the season - I am sure that we can and will play more attacking stuff in the next 20 games

Still going up this year

We played really well yesterday?? Reilly??? Did you watch the game? 71% possession doesn't mean we played well. The more numerous and clearer chances fell to SW. Things aren't rosey, the best set of players talent wise are being used in a system of play that is negating many attributes. As far as Parker is concerned he needs us to beat Wigan Friday or his days will be numbered. Slav didn't have as good a side and the way we play under Parker there's little chance of going on a mad run blowing teams away as we did with the slick higher tempo game Jokanovic favoured.

[mtmakl]

You think we have a problem, Leeds were all over a dire Derby and suffered same fate as us. This league is totally unpredictable.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

[RaySmith]

I think the team is playing well, and could definitely finish in the top six, even get automatic, but i know there is nothing  preordained about anything in this tough division, with us a newly relegated team with many new players, and new manager.

I am thankful, though, that money has been invested in the squad, with  our best , most important players retained, and  quality brought in in  most departments. Things could be a  heck of a lot worse in this  respect.

It seems agreed that we have a good team on paper, and there is  every reason to think that things can come together for a strong challenge on promotion this season, but, like i said, nothing is preordained in football, and we need  a bit of the rub of the green, as we had when  we were promoted, as well as playing well, which i believe we are, though some  tweaking is needed, as said.

I find the  negativity on here astonishing, especially as a long term fan of the club.

[The Rational Fan]

that something is not right?

The players are really good but they seem like the wrong players. The manager has promise but seems not to be fulfilling that promise. The upper management seem to have the club's best interests at heart but seem to be not up to the job.
Surely we should be doing better than 12th. Surely QPR, with their current situation, can't be doing better than us. Surely, with our resources, we should be doing better than Preston and Charlton.
Or has 57 years of supporting Fulham finally driven me round the bend?

The last two seasons, we have started the season by conducted surgery on the team and then got surprised we didn't get instant results. When you sell players you don't want at reduced prices and use that money to buy players other teams don't want, then don't be surprised if you don't improve instantly. Most of the teams that have bounced back up have either not changed their squad like WBA and Sunderland a decade ago or spent a lot more than us like Newcastle. If we could have kept the team that got the three clean-sheets in a row from last year, we would be winning the league now, but we changed the team and changes take time to work. 

[Spirit of 2000]

QPR almost sold their squad and bought a new one - they're not finding it hard to integrate all the new players ...

[The Rational Fan]

QPR almost sold their squad and bought a new one - they're not finding it hard to integrate all the new players ...

I don't know. Why are QPR better at integrating all the new players?

We couldn't integrate Anguissa, while Villarreal have done a great job so far.

[Mince n Tatties]

QPR almost sold their squad and bought a new one - they're not finding it hard to integrate all the new players ...

I don't know. Why are they better at integrating all the new players?
[/quote

Maybe Spirit 2000 is saying that some on here have been constantly going on about players signed and coming back from loans taking time to gel,and using it as an excuse.
QPR signed 15 and Forest 10, it hasn't stopped
them performing better than last season.

[toshes mate]

There is almost always something wrong with everything and anything.  It is tough to keep groups of human beings measured in thousands all contented and happy at the best of times, but it is exceptional, I do admit, to hear and read about such anxiety, nervousness and disappointment when a team has played eight games, won three, drawn three, and lost two.  I find the doom and gloom from people in the face of that sort of record to be the presence of the closed mind with an agenda that isn't healthy.  Perhaps it is a legacy of last season's failures, or just a failure to appreciate the hard work that goes into building a league thrashing team, and how you cannot achieve it overnight or with ease.  Perhaps these people need to stop their obese diet of statistics based analysis and actually watch games and the details therein for a change.  The fine detail of games changes minds open to them, but can do nothing when faced with a closed mind.