Fulham are making the same mistakes all over again

[Friendsoffulham]

Fulham are making the same mistakes all over again and that's not even their greatest crime

Recruitment has been haphazard, tactical plan non-existent and team spirit gone – but worst of all is the treatment of their fans
author avatar image - By Daniel Storey



Scott Parker, Manager of Fulham looks dejected following their defeat in the Premier League match between Fulham and Aston Villa at Craven Cottage on September 28, 2020 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors.

"I think we need to keep the dressing room and the team spirit together, I think we lost that a little too early the last time we went up," Cairney said when asked of Fulham's chances of staying up, switching seamlessly from bleary eyes to honest analysis. Cairney knew what was needed. He spoke of quality recruitment and a tactical plan to suffocate opponents.

Seven weeks later, following a 3-0 home defeat by Aston Villa, and the team spirit already looks lost. The recruitment has been haphazard. The tactical plan to stymie opposition attacks has either been broken or didn't even exist. Fulham played like a club that had been promoted by freak accident and will be relegated by design. Deja vu, all over again.



There is a general rule in avoiding Premier League relegation: conceding goals is more important than scoring them. Six times in the last 20 years, a club with the worst (or joint-worst) attack has survived relegation. But only once in Premier League history (Fulham themselves in 2006-07) has the worst (or joint-worst, as in that Fulham case) defence stayed up. Fulham ranked 11th for shots faced in the Championship last season and 12th for expected goals against.

In 2013-14, Fulham wasted their shot at Premier League consolidation. Despite conceding more goals season on season for five consecutive years, they acted as transfer market magpies, distracted by shiny attacking names and purchased only one central defender permanently. They sacked two managers, had the second worst defensive record in any 38-game Premier League season and were relegated in 19th place.

Two years ago, Fulham wasted their shot at Premier League consolidation. They acted as transfer market magpies, distracted by shiny attacking names rather than improving upon a defence that had been only adequate in the Championship. They sacked two managers, had the second worst defensive record in any 38-game Premier League season and were relegated in 19th place.

This season, Fulham are wasting their shot at Premier League consolidation. They have largely avoided the "child in a toy shop with their birthday money" approach to the transfer window, perhaps unnerved by the growing financial crisis, but have still recruited eight new players. This time, none of them are central defenders. A defence containing Tim Ream, Denis Odoi, Joe Bryan and Maxime Le Marchand, four players who regularly started matches in that dismal 2018-19 season, is struggling again. Deja vu, all over again.

The best decision-makers at football clubs are like the best referees: Seen but never heard. In January 2019, Tony Khan – son of owner Shahid – told a Fulham supporter to "go to hell" after criticism following a 2-1 defeat at Burnley. Khan promised new players in the January transfer window, but Fulham signed Lazar Markovic, Ryan Babel and – hurrah – a defender on loan in Harvard Nordtveit. Nordtveit started four matches and Fulham lost them all.

On Monday evening, Khan again protested against the gloom on social media, angering Scott Parker with his apology for the Villa defeat and promising to recruit some central defenders. Not only are public missives deeply unhelpful, they are also entirely counter-productive. If Khan was competent he would do, not say. Deja vu, all over again.

Fulham are due some sympathy here. The Premier League is deeply unforgiving and, at times, can feel like sporting futility. You expend vast time, resources and energy fuelling a promotion to a division which has reinforced glass ceilings and no floor. Fulham are a small club unable to depend on large commercial revenues. For supporters, the joy of promotion comes laced with caveats – fewer games, less chance of success, the grim predictability of away defeats at the mighty and minted.

But Fulham's greatest crime is that they have alienated those supporters. They can accept their team playing badly. They can stomach the desperately poor defending and even the failed transfers, although there are serious questions to ask of a catastrophic period of recruitment under Khan and CEO Alistair Mackintosh. But they cannot stand by while their club prices them out.

In 2018-19, Fulham agreed to freeze season ticket prices for existing holders but raised them by £200 for new buyers. Matchday tickets were increased across the board, with the cheapest available for the home game against Manchester City priced at £55. Volunteers in the Johnny Haynes Stand handed out flyers demanding Fulham to #StopTheGreed. That avarice burned bridges between fans and directors that were not fully healed by promotion and will be destroyed again if Fulham collapse towards the Championship again this season.

It's all just a tremendous waste. Fulham are a historic community club, an emphatic reminder of football's rich past at a time when its future is unsure and unpleasant. They were a Premier league team for 13 straight seasons until 2014. But history – recent and ancient – counts for nothing. You cannot shortcut or bluster success as a Fulham. It is earned by preparation and the execution of a long-term vision with tangible milestones that includes cherishing your supporters at its core.

Fulham act as if they have a right to circumvent this planning, or a magic potion that will miraculously improve central defenders and add bite to central midfielders. They were mistaken before. They are mistaken now. Deja vu, all over again.

https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-premier-league-relegation-tony-khan-scott-parker-675626

[FFC In Oz]

That article really hits home, doesn't it?

When the wider football community and pundits are continually being this non-complimentary about us, it speaks volumes of how the club is being run at the moment.

[Burt]

In a nutshell:

"A defence containing Tim Ream, Denis Odoi, Joe Bryan and Maxime Le Marchand, four players who regularly started matches in that dismal 2018-19 season, is struggling again. Deja vu, all over again."

The whole point of a mistake is that you learn from it, rather than repeat it.

[Statto]

Really good article

"there are serious questions to ask of a catastrophic period of recruitment under Khan and CEO Alistair Mackintosh"

[NJFulham]

In a nutshell:

"A defence containing Tim Ream, Denis Odoi, Joe Bryan and Maxime Le Marchand, four players who regularly started matches in that dismal 2018-19 season, is struggling again. Deja vu, all over again."

The whole point of a mistake is that you learn from it, rather than repeat it.

He tried to repeat it. He just wanted to spend half as much.

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

[Woolly Mammoth]

Same mistakes all over again because we have the same D of F overseeing the same Crack A Team, Red Hot record breaking top draw Recruitment Unit of Biblical Proportions.

[toshes mate]

... but worst of all is the treatment of their fans ...

[Matt10]

Yes, really liked that article. Have to agree with everything said honestly.

[HV71]

Good article -totally agree  - as I have said repeatedly This feels like Groundhog Day - but at least in the film BillMurray changed his actions to improve the outcome !

[Mr K.Dilkington]

When tony khan said we should be happy being a yo-yo club was the real mask off moment.
I just don't think being a stable PL team really matters much to them as they don't really need the money.
And is probably why he's put tony in charge and not taken it very seriously. I'm really starting to think buying us was more about getting UK clout to further jaguars interests e.g buying wembley. I know it's not really a revolutionary idea,but the yoyo comment was solid evidence for it.

[Jim©]

Fulham ranked 11th for shots faced in the Championship last season and 12th for expected goals against.

Poor journalism in the article- it's incorrect.

[Statto]

Fulham ranked 11th for shots faced in the Championship last season and 12th for expected goals against.

Poor journalism in the article- it's incorrect.

As it stands I believe the journo over you but happy to be enlightened if you care to share data backing up your claim...

[rebel]

The barometer for me is the teams body language. When they arrive at the stadium ahead of the match, the club put a clip on Twitter, they haven't got a 'bounce in their steps', I don't see a energy about them etc. 

[RaySmith]

The barometer for me is the teams body language. When they arrive at the stadium ahead of the match, the club put a clip on Twitter, they haven't got a 'bounce in their steps', I don't see a energy about them etc. 

Your subjective view.

I  think you're over analysing here - just players arriving at  a stadium, listening to their music,  focussing on the task ahead.
I'd  be worried if they were all hyper,  jumping about, and talking animatedly - 'save  your energy for the game' is the  idea isn't it?

[RaySmith]

I don't feel more alienated  by the rise ticket prices than before - they've been prohibitively expensive  for me  for years - but i just think it's in line with football club prices in the modern game, awash with TV money, and massive player wages. Not just a Fulham thing.
It's the modern game that alienates  fans.

The article conflates this with TK and Fulham's problems with recruitment, to argue that the club is badly run, and alienates fans, but doesn't make allowances for the difficulties there might be in getting  the right players in, compounded by such a short time between   winning the play-offs and the  start of the season.

It's not as if the Khans haven't spent money on players, and the club generally is it?

I've always felt a bit alienated by Fulham. despite supporting then since the early 60's. One reason because they  were very friendly, compared to Chelsea say, but in modern times the club  has had to be much more of a  business to survive, and if you can't afford a, very expensive, ticket for  game - tough.

[Twig]

I know football journos write a lot of articles and very rarely is there much genuinely new insight in them. In a sense this could be argued to be just another of those articles. But for me it is the tone of this article that is so spot on. He gets so much Of what has gone wrong: the damage to historic and community nature of our club, the sadness of the repeated mistakes, the "stop the greed" campaign.

The Khans have done so much that deserves credit but they also manage to get so much wrong.

[Deuce]

Agree with every last word.

The squad is incorreclty built and Khan hasnt got a clue in how to build a long term one. I really do feel that we need a pretty big exodus come next summer: Odoi, Ream, MLM, Cyrus, Johansen, Kmac for starters. I dont care that this will harm our chances of competing for play offs next season due to lack of depth, we need to completley rebuild and start doing so by building our side with a long term goal in mind, not just buying good players right and left.

[blingo]

Good article.

[HV71]

It's never just about the words but the tone . That is what makes this article so very,very good

[ALG01]

the article encompases what we say here every day.

only a few come on to wind up the people like us that can see how wrong things are. virtually every fan I know says the same, and the problem is nepotism and lack of interest from on high.