Parkerball feels empty

[mattFFC]

My two cents...

I've previously been pro giving Parker the time he needs, before we can assess him as a manager. I still think think sacking him before the end of the season will unfortunately not help us much, but I just think the game is up now.

The football has become so hallow and empty. It just feels pedestrian and gutless. I think the results we are getting are generally pretty good overall but something is missing. Last night was the first time in years I felt genuinely bored and disinterested (minus the last 10 mins because of Rodak's heroics) watching Fulham play football. It frustrates me greatly that I feel this way, I want to tell myself it's the results that matter and that Parker grinds out results. But we are seriously lacking the spark, hunger and passion that every team needs to both succeed in the long run and keep the support of the fans. I think we have probably seen it twice this season (Millwall and Middlesborough first half). My view now is that Parker is a pretty pointless endeavour, in the long run this isn't going to work and at the end of the season we should sever ties with Parker come May.

Football is a game of passion and enjoyment. I think Parkerball is a sap on that. It is a shame as I thought he had good potential, but this stubbornness to adopt even the remotest bit of pace in our play will unfortunately be the end of him as our manager.

In terms of who we should bring in... David Wagner would be my dream. A proven winner but also with the positive and energetic mindset we so desperately require at this club. I doubt Wagner would come based on where he is now but I for one hope TK/SK can work their magic and install a bit of positivity back into this club we all love!

[filham]

Yes last night was anther poor performance with us scoring just that one goal and not creating many, if any, chances.
This has now happened for a number of games and Parker has continued with the same tactics, a change of approach is clearly needed.

However if at the end of the season we are promoted we will be praising Parker for having faith and sticking to his ideals. If we fail Parker will be written off as obstinate and we will be seeking a new manager.

The best we can do is to get behind the team and the manager for the rest of the season.

[Asotosyios]

Yes last night was anther poor performance with us scoring just that one goal and not creating many, if any, chances.
This has now happened for a number of games and Parker has continued with the same tactics, a change of approach is clearly needed.

However if at the end of the season we are promoted we will be praising Parker for having faith and sticking to his ideals. If we fail Parker will be written off as obstinate and we will be seeking a new manager.

The best we can do is to get behind the team and the manager for the rest of the season.

Ruthless may it sound, if Parker wins promotion with this kind of football I would take a page out of Watford's book: thank him, say goodbye and look for a different manager.

[Jims Dentist]

My two cents...

I've previously been pro giving Parker the time he needs, before we can assess him as a manager. I still think think sacking him before the end of the season will unfortunately not help us much, but I just think the game is up now.

The football has become so hallow and empty. It just feels pedestrian and gutless. I think the results we are getting are generally pretty good overall but something is missing. Last night was the first time in years I felt genuinely bored and disinterested (minus the last 10 mins because of Rodak's heroics) watching Fulham play football. It frustrates me greatly that I feel this way, I want to tell myself it's the results that matter and that Parker grinds out results. But we are seriously lacking the spark, hunger and passion that every team needs to both succeed in the long run and keep the support of the fans. I think we have probably seen it twice this season (Millwall and Middlesborough first half). My view now is that Parker is a pretty pointless endeavour, in the long run this isn't going to work and at the end of the season we should sever ties with Parker come May.

Football is a game of passion and enjoyment. I think Parkerball is a sap on that. It is a shame as I thought he had good potential, but this stubbornness to adopt even the remotest bit of pace in our play will unfortunately be the end of him as our manager.

In terms of who we should bring in... David Wagner would be my dream. A proven winner but also with the positive and energetic mindset we so desperately require at this club. I doubt Wagner would come based on where he is now but I for one hope TK/SK can work their magic and install a bit of positivity back into this club we all love!

I share your sentiments Matt.
Apart from the last bit about TK/SK "working their magic"!!
🤔

[Deeping_white]

The biggest issue for me is that as a possession based team, we're so passive when we have the ball. If the emphasis is on possession based football which I think is the best route to take with the players we have, we need to be more proactive when we've got the ball, which it's fairly evident we aren't. I don't know how Parker has managed it but we've gone from having decent movement early in the season to now being a bunch of statues in possession. He needs to sort the shape of the midfield three out because he's always got two central midfielders pushed so high they can't affect the game in the same way. At least under Joka he took TC and allowed him to be deeper and get on the ball more, whereas now he's so high that as soon as he gets it he has to go backwards as he'll be with his back to goal and pressured by their defence.

The other issue we have is that by playing Odoi at RB it means we create nothing down that flank. Knockaert is a one trick pony who's always going to cut inside, and Odoi never gets up to support him. For all of the flak he gets on here, at least Bryan bombs forward with Cav or BDR and actually creates chances. A decent RB may help to address some of the creativity issues, but Parker or whoever replaces him needs to instil a sense of urgency in the team and a way of making sure they actually move off the ball to create some space and pull teams out of position, because at the moment they can sit with two banks of four and two strikers pressing us and not break a sweat

[Milo]

I could see we had the players up front for that last 65 minutes to really put so many of these CS teams to the sword but as you say we still somehow seem to not have that cutting edge in the final third.

Lacking intensity and directness of play.

We need to coach these players to counter attack and play the ball quicker. We need to coach them to play the dangerous ball and not always the safe ball.

The Cav, Mitro, AK, Reid front 4 seems like a good way to start the next game to me however.

[Luka]

Been saying this for months, it's not the result it's the manner of the results that bores me.
I don't care which division we were in I'd say the same thing.
Parker's brand of football is plain dull.

[Fulham 442]

Been saying this for months, it's not the result it's the manner of the results that bores me.
I don't care which division we were in I'd say the same thing.
Parker's brand of football is plain dull.

And stifling all talent in the team. Rodak keeps us in games and Mitro is a class above scoring when fed on scraps..

[Spirit of 2000]

Been saying this for months, it's not the result it's the manner of the results that bores me.
I don't care which division we were in I'd say the same thing.
Parker's brand of football is plain dull.

100%. As I said during the game last night, to a degree I couldn't give a monkeys if we won, drew or lost,  the football was painful to watch. Beyond boring and I actually dislike watching us under Parker.

[Arthur]

I would feel as if I could give Parker some leeway if I thought he was at least trying to get us to be more entertaining. Comments such as those he made following last night's game, however, leave me short of hope:

"I felt like first half we had a lot of control but lacked a little bit of impetus."

"Their goal comes out of nothing really, and then after that my team showed unbelievable character, unbelievable mentality..."

"It's a point gained for us... and I'm happy."

It seems that Parker has little - if any - idea how uninspiring our football is to watch and is over-rating that which the team does achieve. Neither of which makes me think that he is keen to exact more from the players and that more exciting football is around the corner.

In spite of this, I am finding the battle to be promoted/reach the play-offs an interesting one. I still hope that, against the odds, we can go up.

[Denver Fulham]

We don't make anyone pay for pressing us. There's almost no risk to the opponent for trying to force the kind of mistake that led to Derby's goal.

[fulhamben]

And why oh why hasn't gray stepped up and told Parker that something needs to change. I'm not having anyone at the club from shad down to the groundsman, can think what we are doing is the right way to go about it.

[70sPimlico]

7
We don't make anyone pay for pressing us. There's almost no risk to the opponent for trying to force the kind of mistake that led to Derby's goal.

The second great point ive seen today.

The first being

" absolutely no risks in the attacking third but if we're in our own penalty area feel free to express yourself."

[Fulham Tup North]

1000% agree with this Post!!

[Lyle from Hangeland]

My two cents...

I've previously been pro giving Parker the time he needs, before we can assess him as a manager. I still think think sacking him before the end of the season will unfortunately not help us much, but I just think the game is up now.

The football has become so hallow and empty. It just feels pedestrian and gutless. I think the results we are getting are generally pretty good overall but something is missing. Last night was the first time in years I felt genuinely bored and disinterested (minus the last 10 mins because of Rodak's heroics) watching Fulham play football. It frustrates me greatly that I feel this way, I want to tell myself it's the results that matter and that Parker grinds out results. But we are seriously lacking the spark, hunger and passion that every team needs to both succeed in the long run and keep the support of the fans. I think we have probably seen it twice this season (Millwall and Middlesborough first half). My view now is that Parker is a pretty pointless endeavour, in the long run this isn't going to work and at the end of the season we should sever ties with Parker come May.

Football is a game of passion and enjoyment. I think Parkerball is a sap on that. It is a shame as I thought he had good potential, but this stubbornness to adopt even the remotest bit of pace in our play will unfortunately be the end of him as our manager.

In terms of who we should bring in... David Wagner would be my dream. A proven winner but also with the positive and energetic mindset we so desperately require at this club. I doubt Wagner would come based on where he is now but I for one hope TK/SK can work their magic and install a bit of positivity back into this club we all love!

I like Wagner, but I don't see him leaving Schalke for Fulham. Way bigger club and they're fighting for the Champions League. We might could see way down the road at Fulham though, after he's petered out at some bigger clubs.

[The Rational Fan]

And why oh why hasn't gray stepped up and told Parker that something needs to change. I'm not having anyone at the club from shad down to the groundsman, can think what we are doing is the right way to go about it.

Once, you promote one assistant manager (like Scott Parker) for failing to assist the manager (Raneri). I think it is not surprising that the next assistant manager (like Stuart Gray) does exactly what got the last assistant manager (Parker) promoted. Let's face it, Parker is only in the job because Jocavokic and Raneri failed with him as the assistant.

[Mince n Tatties]

I'm still in the Parker camp,he will be given time I think that's quite obvious.
If they do dump him,I'd like to see Alex Neil of Preston get a chance.
Took Norwich up,and now has a chance of doing it with Preston,with a Squad that cost nowt.
Wonder how good he'd be with a set of players like ours.

[Sting of the North]

And why oh why hasn't gray stepped up and told Parker that something needs to change. I'm not having anyone at the club from shad down to the groundsman, can think what we are doing is the right way to go about it.

There are of course many potential answers to this. One of them is of course that some people (for example Gray, the Khans and the groundsman) are potentially in disagreement with you. Happens to most people most of the time that everyone else won't have the same view on things, so should probably be considered.

[toshes mate]

Absolutely share the feelings of the OP. 

I have lost count of the times I have been frustrated watching our games via repetition of mediocrity, a sure sign in my head that a team is not fit for purpose.  It takes a long time for me to reach the point where I lose interest but Parker has had almost twelve months to prove his worth and I just cannot see where or how improvement is going to appear.  The very holes in his thinking when he took over from Ranieri are still there.  Has he not learned anything in that time and if not why not? 

I know our owners cannot be trusted to find someone better than Parker, period, but I have this feeling deep down that even they would struggle to find someone who would take longer than Parker to actually get better at a job.   For the sake of the Club I cannot wait to see the back of him and it hurts me to have to say that because I do realise what a risky business finding someone else is.  But, sorry Scott, I have seen enough promotion or no promotion.

[Sgt Fulham]

The following three statements sum it up for me:

1. I am a massive football fan and have lived and breathed Fulham for many years.
2. We are third place towards the end of the season.
3. I have no interest watching us play and almost regard it as a chore right now.

How can these add up? The style of play is so so dull and it's the same every week. I dont remember ever being so disinterested in all things Fulham. We have had much worse seasons and it wasnt so. Football is meant to be entertaining; we are not. I cant wait to get rid of Parker.