Next season preparation

[ALG01]

It is more likely than less that we will be relegated.

It is a great pity for many reasons buut we do have the framework of an excellent side. In most respects we are haed and shoulders above our closest rivals at the bottom. However not starting the season with a defence worthy of the name and then not bringing in forwards meant we threw away the first ten games or so and then in january, whilst Maja is brilliant, i love him, way better than mitro seems to be at the moment, too little too late as far as offensive capability.

So we need to plan now for next season, hardly rocket science if we are to avoid the massive errors of recent years that have seen us underachieve over and over.

surely we already have a shrewd idea whoi is leaving at year end if we go down
and we must have an idea of who is stayoing if we stay up

therefore get two lists together for targets needed to improve the squad for next season now, based on staying up or more likely relegated. Put the feelers out to see who can be tempted and then get them in for the first day of pre season, not a mad panic on the last day of August with all the pathetic excuses as to how hard it is.

I know some of you might take me to task for bringing this up again but after losing another game witthout a goal, I know who is responsible and it is the DoF. He has one job and one job only for us and he should learn how to do it properly and get scott a proper squad for next season ready for day one of pre season.

OK day two is good too.

This season was sabotaged by his ineptitude again. We are now so close to being totally brilliant, defence top class, midfield pretty good, forward line non existent. It is ridiculous.

Liverpool are there for the taking, if we score we could win, but we haven 'managed many goals yet.

[WindyCity]

Haha, I'm not so sure 'getting lists together' (ahead of time/in advance) is standard procedure at FFC.  I think we've seen several occasions in recent past when team identifiable shortcomings were not/never addressed heading into a given season.  This season in particular is painful because the backline defense was clearly in need of upgrade well before the start of the season and was not addressed until the horses left the barn.  It is painful also because of the lost opportunities for survival were realized in those first 9-10 games.  We now have a solid defensive structure comparable, if not better than, many teams in the league, but that help came too late.  There was no list getting/advance prep going into the season.  Fair play to 'finally' getting the defense sorted, but there was also a noticeable offensive weakness, and that was never really addressed to the degree that was needed, and what was achieved in that regard was too little too late. 

Still a chance for survival, I haven't given up total hope just yet, but if we go down this team will be a shadow of the current team and promotion may be years in the waiting.

[Jules]

We are not relegated - lots of games to be played yet. We are only 3 points behind 2 teams, one of which we have to play at home and who have injuries galore at moment as well as internal problems. Let's try and stay positive! COYW

[Willham]

I feel the criticism of the DoF has been a little harsh this season.

Personally: I expected hector to perform better then he did and I would have given him the chance SP did, he failed and was replaced pretty swift
I also think this season was very difficult in the transfer market, not many sales and the sales we did see where quite low cost, other than leeds who obviously have the extra cash from being promoted.
We had gambled last year by using the parachute payments to pay the big wages we gave to the likes of anguissa, seri, mitrovic etc. Which meant we didnt see a major upturn in our finances by being promoted this year, if say we had 3 years in the championship, had trimmed our costs down to being a championship club I reckon we'd have seen a few big money spend, I have been immensely impressed with anguissa this year so that's off to TK for that.

I also dont think we'd be in amazing trouble if we get relegated, I think we've made some shewd signings wholly help the team in the championship and most of our spine last year are still on our books, McDonald will be back, we still have Christie, odoi, hector, mitrovic, tom cairney, all the players who were our main men last year could find themselves back in the first team.

I again tip my hat to TK for this, it's a kinda new idea as I havent seen it adopted by many teams before, usually they sell to make funds for 'prem' quality players who flop and dont help the club get out the championship by spitting their dummy out.

[colinwhite]

Sorry but its not more or less likely anything ! cobblers to that !!!!

[MickTheBeard]

The reason we will have the old guard back is because we have paid them too much wages no other championship side or team at that level abroad cannot afford their wages,that my friend is the reason we will lumbered with them with no return value that's very clever especially with us under fair play rules again,they team etc are passed it or in christie,knockart ,caverlero not good enough,mr Tony is a clown.

[ALG01]

We are not relegated - lots of games to be played yet. We are only 3 points behind 2 teams, one of which we have to play at home and who have injuries galore at moment as well as internal problems. Let's try and stay positive! COYW

I am being[positive
I am positively suggesting we get prepared now for either eventuality because it is like this will go the wire.
The big errors  of before revolve around last minute panic rather than structured early purchases so let us get our targets ready now.

that is positive advice.

[FFC1987]

I mean it's 3 points on paper but potentially 6 pending games in hand which some optimists are conveniently missing out which could grow once we play Liverpool and Man City....it's not a rosy picture right now, there's poo on the cloth your using to polish this turd of a situation.

[ALG01]

I feel the criticism of the DoF has been a little harsh this season.

Personally: I expected hector to perform better then he did and I would have given him the chance SP did, he failed and was replaced pretty swift
I also think this season was very difficult in the transfer market, not many sales and the sales we did see where quite low cost, other than leeds who obviously have the extra cash from being promoted.
We had gambled last year by using the parachute payments to pay the big wages we gave to the likes of anguissa, seri, mitrovic etc. Which meant we didnt see a major upturn in our finances by being promoted this year, if say we had 3 years in the championship, had trimmed our costs down to being a championship club I reckon we'd have seen a few big money spend, I have been immensely impressed with anguissa this year so that's off to TK for that.

I also dont think we'd be in amazing trouble if we get relegated, I think we've made some shewd signings wholly help the team in the championship and most of our spine last year are still on our books, McDonald will be back, we still have Christie, odoi, hector, mitrovic, tom cairney, all the players who were our main men last year could find themselves back in the first team.

I again tip my hat to TK for this, it's a kinda new idea as I havent seen it adopted by many teams before, usually they sell to make funds for 'prem' quality players who flop and dont help the club get out the championship by spitting their dummy out.

I understand you points but IMO the criticism of the DoF has been muted and understated. even by me.
The boy has one job and he fails at it miserably.
what happened in january is testimony to that. too little way to late as we squandered points against our closest rivals for lack of a decent forward or two.
Anywhere elese he would have had the bullet years ago for his lack of capability.
how many chances to fail doies he need to have before dad does something about him.

in 2008 we had kanmara, mcbride nevland...three goalscorers... this season we had an injured/out of form mitro, that was it. maja is brilliant but new and very young..we need at least two more proper forwards, not rocket science.

[FFC In Oz]

I mean it's 3 points on paper but potentially 6 pending games in hand which some optimists are conveniently missing out which could grow once we play Liverpool and Man City....it's not a rosy picture right now, there's poo on the cloth your using to polish this turd of a situation.

Bingo I mean it's all well and good to be positive but we have to be realistic too.

At this stage the far more likely scenario is that we are going down as opposed to staying up

[perry geyton]

This teams way too good to go down, it would be criminal theres still a long way too go
The FA ain't helping with their BS decisions either tho, that Spurs defeat was extremely hard to take, that and the fact that our main highest paid striker/player has literally given up...
I still think we will stay up tho

[ALG01]

This teams way too good to go down, it would be criminal theres still a long way too go
The FA ain't helping with their BS decisions either tho, that Spurs defeat was extremely hard to take, that and the fact that our main highest paid striker/player has literally given up...
I still think we will stay up tho

If we had a forward line we would be top half, but as it is we do not and do play well but hthe game is about scoring and that we do not do.

[Plodder]

Looking at this season, Areola, Andersen and Tosin have all turned out to be top quality signings by Tony Khan (and whoever else is involved), and were not obvious targets.  Lookman, Robinson, Lemina, Aina and Tete have all done well.  Maja looks promising on the evidence to date.  On the other side of the coin, Loftus-Cheek has been a major disappointment (some disagree), and we obviously needed another striker, although it is not easy to say whom it was that we failed to sign - nevertheless, that counts in the debit column. All in all, though, in terms of signings this season, our DoF and his team are considerably in credit, in my opinion.

[Statto]

I feel the criticism of the DoF has been a little harsh this season.

Personally: I expected hector to perform better then he did and I would have given him the chance SP did, he failed and was replaced pretty swift
I also think this season was very difficult in the transfer market, not many sales and the sales we did see where quite low cost, other than leeds who obviously have the extra cash from being promoted.
We had gambled last year by using the parachute payments to pay the big wages we gave to the likes of anguissa, seri, mitrovic etc. Which meant we didnt see a major upturn in our finances by being promoted this year, if say we had 3 years in the championship, had trimmed our costs down to being a championship club I reckon we'd have seen a few big money spend, I have been immensely impressed with anguissa this year so that's off to TK for that.

I also dont think we'd be in amazing trouble if we get relegated, I think we've made some shewd signings wholly help the team in the championship and most of our spine last year are still on our books, McDonald will be back, we still have Christie, odoi, hector, mitrovic, tom cairney, all the players who were our main men last year could find themselves back in the first team.

I again tip my hat to TK for this, it's a kinda new idea as I havent seen it adopted by many teams before, usually they sell to make funds for 'prem' quality players who flop and dont help the club get out the championship by spitting their dummy out.

Agree with most of that although I'd point out that the defining feature of our business this year, the lack of spending power, was the legacy of TK's mistakes in 2018. So it's not really an excuse that helps his case.

I also think we could have had at least one CB in for the start of the season, and moved more quickly, and for someone better, when we signed Maja in January.

Those are relatively minor gripes and might be forgivable if our business had been better in previous years, but the context is that it's been much worse so TK's track record remains very poor overall, supplemented of course by terrible PR and various other gaffs.

[Wingnut]

I feel the criticism of the DoF has been a little harsh this season.

The recruitment has been good, but the delay in bringing in players has cost us points, and it could end up relegating us. We weren't competitive for the first few games of the season.  We waited until the last day of the January window to bring in a forward. We have to hit the ground running next season, irrespective of the division we are in. TK knows how demanding both divisions are. We cant keep gifting teams points at the start if each season.

[davew]

We are not relegated - lots of games to be played yet. We are only 3 points behind 2 teams, one of which we have to play at home and who have injuries galore at moment as well as internal problems. Let's try and stay positive! COYW

I am being[positive
I am positively suggesting we get prepared now for either eventuality because it is like this will go the wire.
The big errors  of before revolve around last minute panic rather than structured early purchases so let us get our targets ready now.

that is positive advice.

I too am being positive and I agree with you!!

[The Rational Fan]

It seems we may have Tete, Tosin and Robinson added to the lineup of the second half of the last season squad (including Hevtor). If we can sell Anguissa to raise cash, then add we can one forward too Maja or Lookman we will be very strong.

[JackHamlet90]

Tosin & Reed will go if we go down they are too good for Championship. Still think we have a good chance of staying up

[The Rational Fan]

Tosin & Reed will go if we go down they are too good for Championship. Still think we have a good chance of staying up

Nonsense, Tosin and Reed have contracts with us until 2024 (including our options), so cannot leave unless we let them. If Tony Khan has enough money (ie FFP budget) to keep them, which i think he does (from reading the accounts), they won't be leaving at least if he has any sense.

[Whitestone]

ALG says that "the boy has one job and he fails at it miserably".

The fact is that TK has three major roles with the Jags, AEW wrestling and Fulham. Two of these roles are in the USA where he spends most of the time and certainly for the last year due to COVID restrictions.

It is unrealistic to expect TK to competently carry out the DOF role at FFC if he is unable to give the role his full attention. It's a full time UK based position, or at least it should be. It's about time that TK recognised his limitations and decide where his focus lies. If it isn't with Fulham then he should step aside into a lesser role that doesn't require the focus that the job requires and SK should bring in someone else. TK is letting himself down and FFC. There is no shame in him admitting that he has bitten off more than he can chew.