In reality, are we competing to be next season's Norwich?

[SP]

Watching the Leeds game today & part of WBA yesterday, the standard looks poor to me. Brentford have great attacking options but leave holes in their defence (which we failed to exploit).  I appreciate the bean counters will be happy with promotion but I can't see how any of these sides would avoid relegation?

[domprague]

Shrewd point, SP.
Sounds daft but how much profit do people think the club makes from yo-yoing? I know we get a season's revenue and then parachute payments but does it all go on wages and agents' commissions?

[ron]

Shrewd point, SP.
Sounds daft but how much profit do people think the club makes from yo-yoing? I know we get a season's revenue and then parachute payments but does it all go on wages and agents' commissions?

.....and a few overpriced signings thanks to our algorithm - loving yet rather amateur director(s) of football...

[ByTheRiver]

In all honesty, probably yes. But such is the way until we can scrape staying up, build and then become settled again in the premiership.

The idea of being a yo yo club for a couple of seasons doesn't worry me - on one hand, at least nearly every single match REALLY matters as you're either fighting to go up or fighting to stay up.

Obviously I'd rather we went up this season, made a couple of shrewd purchases, just stayed up and then built, but I'm just looking for positives if that were to be the case. The financial effect and resetting the parachute payments giving us an advantage in the championship is another massive reason as to why this is not necessarily a bad thing.

[Motspur Park]

We are woefully short of being a premier league outfit. I had hoped the signings made last summer would be the basis of a sound squad for doing better in the league if and when promoted. Not a chance. Another major overhaul would be needed and a case of history repeating itself.

[Wingnut]

A long hard season in the PL awaits if we get up. Not much between the bottom ten or twelve teams in that division but we are a well short of them at the moment.

[Milo]

Reflecting on what keeps clubs up these days is hard. Seems almost idiopathic eg who predicted Sheff Utd success? Simply saying "they're hard workers" is hardly a model to follow. Wolves had a solid defence and creativity/Premiership quality in midfield and upfront. It seems the only replicable recipe for success in the Prem. As we found out the hard way, you cannot panic buy all this the summer before your season. It must be ingrained in the season you go up.

Looking at our squad, Hector gives us hope of getting that solid Premiership defence. Bryan proved he can step up to an extent last year (we have to resign ourselves to him falling asleep at times defensively). So perhaps 2 signings away from that Prem ready defence?

Our midfield needs a rethink. We probably need a replacement for Cairney who can step up in the mould of Neves for Wolves.

Up front, Mitrovic is the man but we've seen Cav and AK are likely only going to be part of a squad rotation system in the Prem. Back to the drawing board again. 


Quite frankly though, the glaring deficit we have is Parker as manager. I think he may well find his level in the lower reaches of the a Championship with a fair wind/League One comfortably and could well in the future (and wish him the best of luck) gain admirers and shoot back up to the Prem and win the Champions League one year. However, it's not happening anytime soon..

[Robbie]

If we go up we will very likely go back down.
To avoid we will need to be much more savvy, particularly in defence.

[AnOldBrownie]

Need the luck of no injuries, better FBs (both sides), a world class defensive line coach...

Sent from my CMR-W19 using Tapatalk

[The Rational Fan]

We are the 23-26 best team in the UK, even if we end the season as 23rd best team in England by getting promoted, maybe it's unrealistic to be the 17th best team in England by season start. But getting promoted allows us to hold on to the players we have, write down players to their correct value and freshen up the squad. Yes, we may go down to play the championship in 21/22 but if Betts, Christie, Mawson, Reed, Seri, Reid and Cav is the bench the going up should be likely.

[domprague]

My main memory of our last years in the Premiership was that not that many matches really mattered but those that did mattered hugely. So many times I'd turn up at the Cottage knowing that a blinder of a result would be to nick a - probably undeserved - point.

[We Are Premier League]

If we go up...we only need to finish ahead of the other promoted teams and one additonal team...

Some average teams that will stay in PL this year...Sheff U, Burnley, Brighton - it only takes one of them to have a bad run for us to get 17th!

[rebel]

Watching the Leeds game today & part of WBA yesterday, the standard looks poor to me. Brentford have great attacking options but leave holes in their defence (which we failed to exploit).  I appreciate the bean counters will be happy with promotion but I can't see how any of these sides would avoid relegation?

Agree, none of the 'flair and creativity' of a Wolves or the 'steel, team work rate and determination' of Sheffield United.

[rebel]

If we go up...we only need to finish ahead of the other promoted teams and one additonal team...

Some average teams that will stay in PL this year...Sheff U, Burnley, Brighton - it only takes one of them to have a bad run for us to get 17th!

Why get promoted if you want to finish 17th?

[The Rational Fan]

Fulham XI Squad
1st July 2018: Betts; Christie, Odoi, Ream, R.Sess; KMac, Stefjo, Cairney; Aytie, Kamara, Kebano plus Fonte
1st Sept 2020: Rodak; S.Sess, Hector, Mawson, Bryan; Anguissa, Seri, Cairney; Knockaert, Mitro, Caleverio plus Reid

Last time, we were promoted we had one of the worst pre-season squads in the history of the premier league, this in turn made it harder to recruit good players. This time if we get promoted, we have a base squad to start the preseason, then we will buy some players and trade some other players.

[ron]

The "one style fits all" play would find us out often in the Prem. Slow build up at the back particularly would be disastrous in terms of nicked goals.

[SuffolkWhite]

I said on here we would be a yoyo team some time before we got promoted last time. Lots of reasons why it didn't work last time we went up, so hopefully if we ever get there again we are better set up. Mind you still have to get up yet. I would keep most of the squad we have now and build with 3 or 4 quality. players. Sheffield Utd have consistency and that clearly goes a long way.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Nothing wrong with comparing ourselves with Norwich, but how many people thought Sheffield United would do so well.
Both Bournemouth & Boscombe performances bordered on the miraculous at times and they are still in the Premier League, maybe only just but they are still alive. Both Brighton & Hove Albion have done similar against the doubters, so it can be done, with the right backroom staff of course. 

[Sting of the North]

I said on here we would be a yoyo team some time before we got promoted last time. Lots of reasons why it didn't work last time we went up, so hopefully if we ever get there again we are better set up. Mind you still have to get up yet. I would keep most of the squad we have now and build with 3 or 4 quality. players. Sheffield Utd have consistency and that clearly goes a long way.

I agree broadly with this. Would keep most of the squad (if possible given loans etc.) maybe outside a few players (like maybe Kebano, MLM or one of Arter/Reed depending on recruitment and status of Anguissa and Seri). I would then focus on a few (3-4) players with high potential for being starters. At least a defender, a midfielder and a forward. Then maybe add another couple squad players with either high potential or proven track record of being decent players. If we get the 3-4 key recruits correct we will have a high chance of surviving since there will always be a couple of teams struggling.

[The Rational Fan]

If we go up, I could easily see the return of Chambers, Anguissa, Seri, Babel, Ryan Sessegnon and all this years squad. If we get another RB, LCB, LB and backup CF, then I'd say we'd be competitive for the first half of the season with a 25 man squad and can strengthen again in the winter window.