Giving Scott Parker this Fulham squad is like giving some the keys to a Ferrari

[Worcesterwhite]

That can't drive!!!!!!!
It's going nowhere fast!!!!

[SP]

On a slight tangent, I wonder who decided we have the best squad?  Looking at the quality the other top teams have I'm not sure I agree, particularly as we're light for cover in key areas?

[Statto]

On a slight tangent, I wonder who decided we have the best squad?  Looking at the quality the other top teams have I'm not sure I agree, particularly as we're light for cover in key areas?

I agree, whilst we probably have the best player in the league in most of the starting XI places, some of our second and third string are merely good top 6 standard

[Birmingham White]

We just don't look like a well coached team.
This squad is so much better than Joka's promotion squad.
I expected us to kick on after Xmas but we haven't.
I like Parker he comes across as a really good bloke but that doesn't necessarily mean he will be a great coach.

[filham]

I keep reading how good our players are but after 34 matches I have only seen top performance from Rodak, Mitro and Hector. When are the rest going to show themselves.

[Woolly Mammoth]

We do not have the best team or the best players. Just because some wild eyed bloke wrote it on an animal skin saying this, and left it in the corner of one of the Sky Sports Studios does not mean you have to believe it.
Seems that some people believe their own waffle to suit their hidden agendas.

[Sgt Fulham]

We do not have the best team or the best players. Just because some wild eyed bloke wrote it on an animal skin saying this, and left it in the corner of one of the Sky Sports Studios does not mean you have to believe it.
Seems that some people believe their own waffle to suit their hidden agendas.

So you're telling me that the following players should not be performing at a top level within the Championship?

Mitro (the only one that is performing at this level)
Cav - Key component in one of the strongest Championship teams in history
Knockaert - Championship player of the year last time he was here and loved by Brighton fans
Cairney - Consistently regarded as one of the best, if not the best, midfielder in this league.
Arter - Supposedly Premier League quality player (I dont see it though)
Mawson - England call up
Bryan - Considered one of the best full backs in the league at Bristol City
Reid - 3rd top scorer last time he was in the Championship.

That is before we get to our wonderful new keeper and Hector who seems the VVD of the Championship. This is also not listing players who have been good enough to bring us promotion before. The truth is, this league should be a joke to us, but instead the joke is on us.

[grandad]

There may be better individual players in other teams but as an overall squad we probably have the best although they don´t always give the collective performance we should expect.

[Woolly Mammoth]

We do not have the best team or the best players. Just because some wild eyed bloke wrote it on an animal skin saying this, and left it in the corner of one of the Sky Sports Studios does not mean you have to believe it.
Seems that some people believe their own waffle to suit their hidden agendas.

So you're telling me that the following players should not be performing at a top level within the Championship?

Mitro (the only one that is performing at this level)
Cav - Key component in one of the strongest Championship teams in history
Knockaert - Championship player of the year last time he was here and loved by Brighton fans
Cairney - Consistently regarded as one of the best, if not the best, midfielder in this league.
Arter - Supposedly Premier League quality player (I dont see it though)
Mawson - England call up
Bryan - Considered one of the best full backs in the league at Bristol City
Reid - 3rd top scorer last time he was in the Championship.

That is before we get to our wonderful new keeper and Hector who seems the VVD of the Championship. This is also not listing players who have been good enough to bring us promotion before. The truth is, this league should be a joke to us, but instead the joke is on us.

I suggest you take your head out of the Fulham turf in the penalty area at the Cottage and research and check the other teams with your own eyes before making a statement of that nature.
Because as you say, where would we be without Rodak, saved us from defeat once again last night, and as you point out Mitro who without him and only him scoring our goals, we would have lost again last night.
The Fulham Jigsaw is not as strong as a unit as well as individuality mentally and physically as other teams, hence the reason why bottom club Barnsley have done the double over Fulham without conceding a single goal in two matches, whilst the Fulham players stood around and watched.

[Woolly Mammoth]

That is why this particular Ferrari just keeps blowing a flat and running out of fuel.

[Sgt Fulham]

We do not have the best team or the best players. Just because some wild eyed bloke wrote it on an animal skin saying this, and left it in the corner of one of the Sky Sports Studios does not mean you have to believe it.
Seems that some people believe their own waffle to suit their hidden agendas.

So you're telling me that the following players should not be performing at a top level within the Championship?

Mitro (the only one that is performing at this level)
Cav - Key component in one of the strongest Championship teams in history
Knockaert - Championship player of the year last time he was here and loved by Brighton fans
Cairney - Consistently regarded as one of the best, if not the best, midfielder in this league.
Arter - Supposedly Premier League quality player (I dont see it though)
Mawson - England call up
Bryan - Considered one of the best full backs in the league at Bristol City
Reid - 3rd top scorer last time he was in the Championship.

That is before we get to our wonderful new keeper and Hector who seems the VVD of the Championship. This is also not listing players who have been good enough to bring us promotion before. The truth is, this league should be a joke to us, but instead the joke is on us.

I suggest you take your head out of the Fulham turf in the penalty area at the Cottage and research and check the other teams with your own eyes before making a statement of that nature.
Because as you say, where would we be without Rodak, saved us from defeat once again last night, and as you point out Mitro who without him and only him scoring our goals, we would have lost again last night.
The Fulham Jigsaw is not as strong as a unit as well as individuality mentally and physically as other teams, hence the reason why bottom club Barnsley have done the double over Fulham without conceding a single goal in two matches, whilst the Fulham players stood around and watched.

I'm tired of arguing this point. I'm not in denial about the talent of other teams. Leeds especially have a lot of talented players, whereas the middling teams often have one or two surrounded by more average players (Birmingham come to mind). The point is that the cream should rise to the top, all other things equal. Look through other teams and see how many first team players you would swap with them. I bet it is few. Teams like Barnsley it will be none, yet they still beat us twice. That means not all things are equal. They are out weighing our quality by teamwork, desire, game plan and performing at closer to their peak than we are. That is unacceptable and the manager has to take a large portion of the blame as he controls a lot of these things.

[Worcesterwhite]

The reason is the negative tactics used by our manager do not suit our talented attacking creative players. It's not them under performing it's that they are unable too due to the tactics, Parker does not like to take risks and would rather keep possession, it's like watching him play always backwards and sideways 5-10 yard safe passes which is so easy to defend against!

[midlandwhites]

Never going anywhere if he keeps chopping and changing the team, need to field the best combination ( not best players who cannot play with each other).
TC seems out of sorts with Arter playing, but plays better when KMAC gives him the ball, also Ream likes to use KMAC for protection and a outlet to pass the ball forword. Knock is under performing...why not revert to a 4-4-2 and take control of these teams.
ps...We are not Liverpool  ...why keep rotating to save players ...this is the championship its all about 3 points!

[Jims Dentist]

I sometimes feel that some of our players who have shown their worth elsewhere, find it hard to adapt to a style and playing positions that do not suit them.
From our own work experience it is hard to believe in a plan that mostly does not work, but continues to be repeated

[ScalleysDad]

Out on the town last night, in by ten though, and the Ferrari analogy was discussed with a Gooner, a Citeh fan who keeps telling people he has been a fan for years and a couple of hangers on. The collective conclusion was. When given the keys did the driver know the rear axle would consistently break requiring welding and adjustment, that the turbo would fail to live up to previous spec, that both doors would fall off and finally the replacement parts, some of them from within the workshop, would be late, worn out, simply iffy or need to be sent back. The driver may well have gone on to prang the thing into a wall but at any given time so far this season some of the parts would have been missing or misfiring, the latter mostly.

No proof this conversation took place of course, there are no stats, it's completely unaligned and I have a 72 Landrover so I know nothing about Ferrari's.

[Chobby]

I keep reading how good our players are but after 34 matches I have only seen top performance from Rodak, Mitro and Hector. When are the rest going to show themselves.

And there lies the problem, where has our midfield been all season..?

[Woolly Mammoth]

Out on the town last night, in by ten though, and the Ferrari analogy was discussed with a Gooner, a Citeh fan who keeps telling people he has been a fan for years and a couple of hangers on. The collective conclusion was. When given the keys did the driver know the rear axle would consistently break requiring welding and adjustment, that the turbo would fail to live up to previous spec, that both doors would fall off and finally the replacement parts, some of them from within the workshop, would be late, worn out, simply iffy or need to be sent back. The driver may well have gone on to prang the thing into a wall but at any given time so far this season some of the parts would have been missing or misfiring, the latter mostly.

No proof this conversation took place of course, there are no stats, it's completely unaligned and I have a 72 Landrover so I know nothing about Ferrari's.

It was all caught on CCTV.

[The Rational Fan]

On a slight tangent, I wonder who decided we have the best squad?  Looking at the quality the other top teams have I'm not sure I agree, particularly as we're light for cover in key areas?

I agree, whilst we probably have the best player in the league in most of the starting XI places, some of our second and third string are merely good top 6 standard

Well, we would be the best team if Knockaert, Reid, and Cav who played a combined of 6442 minutes had this season reached their previous career heights in the championship. Based on there scoring rates (mins/goal and min/assist) when last in the championship Knockaert should have scored 8 goals and 4 assists, Reid should have scored 9 goals and 3 assists, Cav should have scored 9 goals and 11 assists, but combined they have only managed 14 goals and 8 assists rather than the prediction based on previous performance of 26 goals and 18 assists.

Those extra 12 goals and 10 assists by Knockaert, Reid and Cav would have made a huge difference to the season so far, not only scoring more goals would have changed results but also by scoring goals they would spread defensives and make Mitrovoic even more lethal, plus a few 2-0 wins wouldn't have done the team any harm either.

[Woolly Mammoth]

On a slight tangent, I wonder who decided we have the best squad?  Looking at the quality the other top teams have I'm not sure I agree, particularly as we're light for cover in key areas?

I agree, whilst we probably have the best player in the league in most of the starting XI places, some of our second and third string are merely good top 6 standard

Well, we would be the best team if Knockaert, Reid, and Cav who played a combined of 6442 minutes had this season reached their previous career heights in the championship. Based on there scoring rates (mins/goal and min/assist) when last in the championship Knockaert should have scored 8 goals and 4 assists, Reid should have scored 9 goals and 3 assists, Cav should have scored 9 goals and 11 assists, but combined they have only managed 14 goals and 8 assists rather than the prediction based on previous performance of 26 goals and 18 assists.

Those extra 12 goals and 10 assists by Knockaert, Reid and Cav would have made a huge difference to the season so far, not only scoring more goals would have changed results but also by scoring goals they would spread defensives and make Mitrovoic even more lethal, plus a few 2-0 wins wouldn't have done the team any harm either.

Stats do not win matches players do.

[ByTheRiver]

On a slight tangent, I wonder who decided we have the best squad?  Looking at the quality the other top teams have I'm not sure I agree, particularly as we're light for cover in key areas?

I agree, whilst we probably have the best player in the league in most of the starting XI places, some of our second and third string are merely good top 6 standard

Well, we would be the best team if Knockaert, Reid, and Cav who played a combined of 6442 minutes had this season reached their previous career heights in the championship. Based on there scoring rates (mins/goal and min/assist) when last in the championship Knockaert should have scored 8 goals and 4 assists, Reid should have scored 9 goals and 3 assists, Cav should have scored 9 goals and 11 assists, but combined they have only managed 14 goals and 8 assists rather than the prediction based on previous performance of 26 goals and 18 assists.

Those extra 12 goals and 10 assists by Knockaert, Reid and Cav would have made a huge difference to the season so far, not only scoring more goals would have changed results but also by scoring goals they would spread defensives and make Mitrovoic even more lethal, plus a few 2-0 wins wouldn't have done the team any harm either.

Stats do not win matches players do.

True. But I think the point being made is that, collectively, a large number of players are not performing at their true/previous level.

Now, throughout the history of the game, when it is a large number of players and not just one or two, it is usually down to one person in a certain position.

I know we are all loyal and all support Fulham and want to back people whist at the club, etc, so let's disassociate ourselves a bit - if the same were true about another club, what would you put it down to?