Parker

[sarnian]

Just an observation. If Parker is as bad as everyone says how come we are third in a very competitive league.  086.gif

[Sgt Fulham]

Probably because we spent the most and came down from a higher league.

[rebel]

Just an observation. If Parker is as bad as everyone says how come we are third in a very competitive league.  086.gif

It's known for being a competitive league, this season it's average at best. If we performed the way we have this season in any other season, we would be mid-table at best. You can tell that it's an average season because of all the 'unexpected' results that are happening this season. 

[ByTheRiver]

Because he has a squad that should be 20points clear at the top so, averaging this out against his level of incompetence, should leave us somewhere around third. Which we are.

Parker would have us in third with the Ajax '95 team, Barca 2012, etc.

[Plodder]

Because he has a squad that should be 20points clear at the top so, averaging this out against his level of incompetence, should leave us somewhere around third. Which we are.

Parker would have us in third with the Ajax '95 team, Barca 2012, etc.

Getting to third place in this table with the Ajax team of 1995 would be a terrific managerial  achievement, given that those players are in their forties and fifties

[RaySmith]

People on here would complain that their style was  too boring!

[FFC1987]

People on here would complain that their style was  too boring!

If we were sitting top, absolutely no one would be complaining.

This squad is better than 7 points off automatic, and 7 points from 6th. Just a fact, be it quality, record or value paid for the squad.

[Steviebox]

 :Get Coat gif:There have been times this season that Parker has deserved credit, but in two games v promotional rivals at home, Brentford and West Brom he has been undone when opposing managers have made the right changes. Next month how costly could that be? Cost us a win instead of a draw v West Brom and at least a draw yesterday. First post so hi all

[ByTheRiver]

Because he has a squad that should be 20points clear at the top so, averaging this out against his level of incompetence, should leave us somewhere around third. Which we are.

Parker would have us in third with the Ajax '95 team, Barca 2012, etc.

Getting to third place in this table with the Ajax team of 1995 would be a terrific managerial  achievement, given that those players are in their forties and fifties

Haha! Fair...

I was being facetious and OTT obviously but, come on, surely there can't still be people defending Parker being based on the same old 'but we're third!'. Pure luck.

Now we'll win on Saturday, go on a run and click automatic. Just to make me look silly. And I'd be fine with that! We are massively, massively underperforming giving the resources though.

[alfie]

Because he has a squad that should be 20points clear at the top so, averaging this out against his level of incompetence, should leave us somewhere around third. Which we are.

Parker would have us in third with the Ajax '95 team, Barca 2012, etc.

Getting to third place in this table with the Ajax team of 1995 would be a terrific managerial  achievement, given that those players are in their forties and fifties

Haha! Fair...

I was being facetious and OTT obviously but, come on, surely there can't still be people defending Parker being based on the same old 'but we're third!'. Pure luck.

Now we'll win on Saturday, go on a run and click automatic. Just to make me look silly. And I'd be fine with that! We are massively, massively underperforming giving the resources though.

It's amazing when we loose it's the managers fault, when we win it's nothing to do with the manager.

[ByTheRiver]

Because he has a squad that should be 20points clear at the top so, averaging this out against his level of incompetence, should leave us somewhere around third. Which we are.

Parker would have us in third with the Ajax '95 team, Barca 2012, etc.

Getting to third place in this table with the Ajax team of 1995 would be a terrific managerial  achievement, given that those players are in their forties and fifties

Haha! Fair...

I was being facetious and OTT obviously but, come on, surely there can't still be people defending Parker being based on the same old 'but we're third!'. Pure luck.

Now we'll win on Saturday, go on a run and click automatic. Just to make me look silly. And I'd be fine with that! We are massively, massively underperforming giving the resources though.

It's amazing when we loose it's the managers fault, when we win it's nothing to do with the manager.

Not really, I and and a few others have been saying the same thing for a year.

The responsibility to get a team of individuals performing as a unit and above the sum of their parts is the manager/coach yes or no? If no, who? If the players are expected to do this themselves, why do clubs waste money having a manager/first team coach at all? Why do teams them strive for and pay more for 'better managers'?

Do we look like we are playing as a unit to you? Are we performing above the sums of our individual  parts? Bad players being made to look good by the system (think Hodgson team, as just one example)? Or, in fact, is it the opposite, where we have a hugely expensive team, where the bench alone is on a higher wage than most squads in the division, all playing as individuals, at a pedestrian pace, with no real vision or idea of what to do in the final third?

I know which one I see. Not just yesterday but every single game this season.

[Whitesideup]

:Get Coat gif:There have been times this season that Parker has deserved credit, but in two games v promotional rivals at home, Brentford and West Brom he has been undone when opposing managers have made the right changes. Next month how costly could that be? Cost us a win instead of a draw v West Brom and at least a draw yesterday. First post so hi all

Don't agree with the West Brom analysis. The ref cost us a penalty, and Marcus made an absolute howler. Neither Parker's fault. We were the better team by a margin.

[Whitestone]

Because he has a squad that should be 20points clear at the top so, averaging this out against his level of incompetence, should leave us somewhere around third. Which we are.

Parker would have us in third with the Ajax '95 team, Barca 2012, etc.

Getting to third place in this table with the Ajax team of 1995 would be a terrific managerial  achievement, given that those players are in their forties and fifties

Haha! Fair...

I was being facetious and OTT obviously but, come on, surely there can't still be people defending Parker being based on the same old 'but we're third!'. Pure luck.

Now we'll win on Saturday, go on a run and click automatic. Just to make me look silly. And I'd be fine with that! We are massively, massively underperforming giving the resources though.

It's amazing when we loose it's the managers fault, when we win it's nothing to do with the manager.

Not really, I and and a few others have been saying the same thing for a year.

The responsibility to get a team of individuals performing as a unit and above the sum of their parts is the manager/coach yes or no? If no, who? If the players are expected to do this themselves, why do clubs waste money having a manager/first team coach at all? Why do teams them strive for and pay more for 'better managers'?

Do we look like we are playing as a unit to you? Are we performing above the sums of our individual  parts? Bad players being made to look good by the system (think Hodgson team, as just one example)? Or, in fact, is it the opposite, where we have a hugely expensive team, where the bench alone is on a higher wage than most squads in the division, all playing as individuals, at a pedestrian pace, with no real vision or idea of what to do in the final third?

I know which one I see. Not just yesterday but every single game this season.

[/quote]

Not really, I and and a few others have been saying the same thing for a year.

The responsibility to get a team of individuals performing as a unit and above the sum of their parts is the manager/coach yes or no? If no, who? If the players are expected to do this themselves, why do clubs waste money having a manager/first team coach at all? Why do teams them strive for and pay more for 'better managers'?

Do we look like we are playing as a unit to you? Are we performing above the sums of our individual  parts? Bad players being made to look good by the system (think Hodgson team, as just one example)? Or, in fact, is it the opposite, where we have a hugely expensive team, where the bench alone is on a higher wage than most squads in the division, all playing as individuals, at a pedestrian pace, with no real vision or idea of what to do in the final third?

I know which one I see. Not just yesterday but every single game this season.
[/quote]

I think we're playing as a unit. Definitely not playing as a bunch of individuals. Certainly got vision and an idea of what to do in the final third but you've definitely hit the nail on the head with the word 'pedestrian' and that for me has been the single most frustrating aspect of our play this season. It's all too slow which is a massive mistake IMO with the players we have available. Now I know we're not a counter attacking team but you would of thought we would hit teams on the break now and again.

[ByTheRiver]

Because he has a squad that should be 20points clear at the top so, averaging this out against his level of incompetence, should leave us somewhere around third. Which we are.

Parker would have us in third with the Ajax '95 team, Barca 2012, etc.

Getting to third place in this table with the Ajax team of 1995 would be a terrific managerial  achievement, given that those players are in their forties and fifties

Haha! Fair...

I was being facetious and OTT obviously but, come on, surely there can't still be people defending Parker being based on the same old 'but we're third!'. Pure luck.

Now we'll win on Saturday, go on a run and click automatic. Just to make me look silly. And I'd be fine with that! We are massively, massively underperforming giving the resources though.

It's amazing when we loose it's the managers fault, when we win it's nothing to do with the manager.

Not really, I and and a few others have been saying the same thing for a year.

The responsibility to get a team of individuals performing as a unit and above the sum of their parts is the manager/coach yes or no? If no, who? If the players are expected to do this themselves, why do clubs waste money having a manager/first team coach at all? Why do teams them strive for and pay more for 'better managers'?

Do we look like we are playing as a unit to you? Are we performing above the sums of our individual  parts? Bad players being made to look good by the system (think Hodgson team, as just one example)? Or, in fact, is it the opposite, where we have a hugely expensive team, where the bench alone is on a higher wage than most squads in the division, all playing as individuals, at a pedestrian pace, with no real vision or idea of what to do in the final third?

I know which one I see. Not just yesterday but every single game this season.

Not really, I and and a few others have been saying the same thing for a year.

The responsibility to get a team of individuals performing as a unit and above the sum of their parts is the manager/coach yes or no? If no, who? If the players are expected to do this themselves, why do clubs waste money having a manager/first team coach at all? Why do teams them strive for and pay more for 'better managers'?

Do we look like we are playing as a unit to you? Are we performing above the sums of our individual  parts? Bad players being made to look good by the system (think Hodgson team, as just one example)? Or, in fact, is it the opposite, where we have a hugely expensive team, where the bench alone is on a higher wage than most squads in the division, all playing as individuals, at a pedestrian pace, with no real vision or idea of what to do in the final third?

I know which one I see. Not just yesterday but every single game this season.
[/quote]

I think we're playing as a unit. Definitely not playing as a bunch of individuals. Certainly got vision and an idea of what to do in the final third but you've definitely hit the nail on the head with the word 'pedestrian' and that for me has been the single most frustrating aspect of our play this season. It's all too slow which is a massive mistake IMO with the players we have available. Now I know we're not a counter attacking team but you would of thought we would hit teams on the break now and again.
[/quote]
Obviously I agree with the pace bit - I think this is one of the reasons we are not seeing the best out of Cav or Knock (and others) but I'm not sure I see a plan I'm the final third beyond 'hope one of the inverted wingers cuts in and scores a wonder goal or Mitro bails us out'.

He's not getting nearly enough service or support. Doesn't get varied service. The only time he gets a semi decent cross, for example, is when Joe Bryan manages to get forward on the overlap. No one is close to him, no one goes beyond him, nothing is clear in terms of patterns of play or variation. And all at walking pace as you say! Which gives teams the chance to get everyone back.

Gone long to Cav waiting on the halfway line when defending corners etc. We have the players to mix it up and cause problems, but yet...

[Classic94]

Arguably, if he can't achieve promotion with a squad boasting Mitrovic, Cairney, Cavaleiro, Knockaert, Reid and Hector, then he never will.

[Twig]

He's not as awe full as some allege but he has a lot to learn. His failure to utilise subs effectively yesterday was an example. He is too conservative in his mentality. It shows in our style of play and his general approach to substitutions.

Having said all that I do not find our style boring just occasionally frustrating. Move the ball a bit quicker yes. But some our passing can be sublime.

[Woolly Mammoth]

He's not as awe full as some allege but he has a lot to learn. His failure to utilise subs effectively yesterday was an example. He is too conservative in his mentality. It shows in our style of play and his general approach to substitutions.

Having said all that I do not find our style boring just occasionally frustrating. Move the ball a bit quicker yes. But some our passing can be sublime.

I agree with you on all points, and there is too much expectation, as Fulham as a team and squad are not as efficient as some other teams and therefore the unnecessary criticism is neither warranted or helpful. 

[Arthur]

...the unnecessary criticism is neither warranted or helpful. 

I agree, WM. The criticism of Parker on here from some quarters is just constant.

But then so is your criticism of Tony Khan. Relentless. How is that helpful?

[The Rational Fan]

As a coach, Parker has overperformed expectations in a few games, but his list of underperformance is more. I truth Parker is not a terrible coach, but there are some of the best coaches in the world in this league and some of them have outplayed him.

8 Games of overperformance: Blackburn (H), Millwall (H), WBA (H), Reading (A), Middlesbrough (A), Derby(H), Leeds (H), and Preston (H).

14 Games of underperformance: Barnsley (A), Nottingham (H), Sheffield (A), Charlton (H), Stoke (A), Hull (H), Bristol (H), Preston (A), Luton (A), Reading (H), Charlton (A), Millwall (A), Barnsley (H) and Derby (A).

With the squad, we have had Parker should have overperformed about 11 games and underperformed about 11 games, which would have had us between 70-73 points now. Importantly, Parker has time to balance the ratio by the end of the season.

[Take Me Home MAF]

Lets phrase that question differently - if Parker is as good as everyone says how come we are only third in a very competitive league.

We are only 3rd because we have a striker who should be playing Champions League football on the continent. In addition to a number of other players playing below their level for significant money.

I think Huddersfield away was a perfect example, poor all game, bad tactics,  won by one moment of brilliant from a player playing below his natural level.

The issue is, if you give this squad of players to an experienced, competent manger - we would be well within top 2 and its just a fact.

There was a more experienced out of work manager in the commentary box.