unhappy but calmed down a bit now...reasons

[jarv]

1.  Please stop blaming Parker on here. He is playing the hand he was dealt, ie, a team with not enough premier talent or experience.

2. Who is to blame for 1. ?

3.  We have a player on loan from Chelsea who should have been sent back up the tube line before xmas.  My son has a connection at Fulham on the coaching staff. He reported that Parker is obligated to put the useless loanee out on the field. He deduced from that perhaps contractually. His performances and body language has done more to destroy our team than any prior player imo.

4. Fulham, like Norwich and WBA can enjoy being a yoyo team which is not all bad.  However, again, whoever is responsible for building the team next year needs to get it right for once.  Keep as many of the decent players as they can and bring in the best championship players like they did before, eg Cairney, Jostef etc.

Just a few thoughts to calm myself down.

[Whitestone]

1. Agree

2. I think we all know the answer to this one.

3. RLC is routinely scapegoated on here but today he was one of our better players, particularly in the first half. Unfortunately we have no depth in the squad so he will obviously get regular game time.

4. If we are relegated don't make the same mistakes we did last time. I.e. don't sign players who are solid Championship players but will be out of their depth in the Premier League. E.g. Cavaleiro, Hector, Knockart and Decordova-Reid etc. Please sign players who clearly have the potential to play in the top league. E.g, players like Bowen, Madison, Watkins, Rodon, Eze, James etc.

[simplyfulham]

Sorry but Loftus-Cheek was useless today

[Arthur]

The O.P. begins by absolving Parker of blame and yet goes on to criticise Loftus-Cheek as having 'done more to destroy our team than any other player'; this despite that it is Parker who has selected RLC in 23 of the 27 games since his arrival - even bringing him back into the starting XI immediately after our victory at Liverpool. If the O.P's damning assessment of Loftus-Cheek is to be believed, then Parker clearly bears the responsibility (or blame) for allowing the situation to manifest.

[Arthur]

4. If we are relegated don't make the same mistakes we did last time. I.e. don't sign players who are solid Championship players but will be out of their depth in the Premier League. E.g. Cavaleiro, Hector, Knockart and Decordova-Reid etc. Please sign players who clearly have the potential to play in the top league. E.g, players like Bowen, Madison, Watkins, Rodon, Eze, James etc.

Rather than list the players we ought to have signed in seasons past, if it is as clear to see who has the potential as you say, why not tell us the players we should be signing this summer?

[RaySmith]

The O.P. begins by absolving Parker of blame and yet goes on to criticise Loftus-Cheek as having 'done more to destroy our team than any other player'; this despite that it is Parker who has selected RLC in 23 of the 27 games since his arrival - even bringing him back into the starting XI immediately after our victory at Liverpool. If the O.P's damning assessment of Loftus-Cheek is to be believed, then Parker clearly bears the responsibility (or blame) for allowing the situation to manifest.

Can't believe that any club or manager would  agree contractually to always play a certain player.
I need more evidence 'than my mate who works for the club told me.'
And don't say, 'the fact fact he is useless is evidence', because  I don't think he has been for a start.

But I do think there is bound to be  talk about how much our loans are giving their all in this relegation battle.
Not sure how this can be proved  to be honest. Playing poorly isn't proof - players can give their all, and still not be good enough. I think the strength of villa's squad v our own was apparent yesterday, and  the subs changed the game, but who could we bring on?

The way we fell apart  yesterday seemed more to do with nerves and lack of confidence, and the inexperience of some of our players.
I think there may have been a loss of the confidence the team had built through it's decent results and  good play, which didn't get the results it deserved - through not taking chances and ref decisions, and I'm worried that yesterday, throwing away a lead that would have meant such an important result, will affect confidence more.

But there is still all to play after being cast adrift  not so long ago, but we need to graft and grind out results, one way or another.

[Ruislip White]

Broadly agree with point 1.  That doesn't however mitigate against the tactical ineptitude and poor team selection shown at times.  Suggesting a friend of friend said Parker has to play RLC is any easy way to absolve him of team selection errors.  Without any evidence of this, picking RLC week in week out is on Parker.  That being said I didn't think he was bad yesterday.
Also agree that a we need to find players that can transition from championship to Prem (as wolves did in their promotion season).
Hopefully Parker is better in the championship (assuming we get relegated) this time.  Last year he had the best squad in the league and underperformed with it.  With hindsight, I wouldn't have wanted promotion any other way, but let's be honest the performances for most of the season were well below par.

[filham]

Fully agree that the only way to cheer ourselves up on this Monday morning to to accept we are relegated , put it to the back of our minds and start thinking about next season.
Essential the chairman makes the important decisions early for once , that is either new or existing manager in place  before the end of this season and new players signed before the start of next season.

[ALG01]

i have an opinion on RLC. He is exceptionally disapointing. He had a couple of good moments in yesterday's first half with little end product, usually delaying his passes or choosing wrong options. In the second half he disapeared.

In a dog fight you need everyone to give everything and go the extra mile (cliche or what).  RLC does not have it in him, since hios injuries he is not what he was and IMO I would never play him. he didn't start at anfield and we won, actually when he came on we got worse because we had only 10 fully comited players on the pitch. I would have played frank anguisa who I thought the team was crying out for.

[Bill2]

i have an opinion on RLC. He is exceptionally disapointing. He had a couple of good moments in yesterday's first half with little end product, usually delaying his passes or choosing wrong options. In the second half he disapeared.

In a dog fight you need everyone to give everything and go the extra mile (cliche or what).  RLC does not have it in him, since hios injuries he is not what he was and IMO I would never play him. he didn't start at anfield and we won, actually when he came on we got worse because we had only 10 fully comited players on the pitch. I would have played frank anguisa who I thought the team was crying out for.

When RLC is good he is very good, however, that is few and far between and as an attacking midfield playmaker with only 1 goal an 0 assists it is not just good enough. Didn't see the game yesterday so will watch the full 90 when on the site and will be in a better position to comment, but at the moment RLC has not done enough.
From the highlights BDR looked to be the only player with any idea where the goal was.

[Plodder]

Fully agree that the only way to cheer ourselves up on this Monday morning to to accept we are relegated , put it to the back of our minds and start thinking about next season.
Essential the chairman makes the important decisions early for once , that is either new or existing manager in place  before the end of this season and new players signed before the start of next season.

I can't accept we are relegated until it is mathematically certain, and anyway, I think it is far too early even to think about throwing in the towel looking at where we are. We are only three points behind Newcastle Utd, having played a game more.  In the space of one weekend, things could look completely different if we win and they lose).  I have a lot of concerns about the way we are playing and would change things, and I agree that we are more likely to go down than stay up, but we still have a decent chance of avoiding relegation.

[RaySmith]

We are fortunate really to still only be 3 points from safety.

We should also remember that we were the equal of Villa for most of yesterday's game, and went in front.
Crucially, that caused us to lose the game you could say, because they brought on attacking subs in response.

Ok, they were potentially weaker at the  back committing themselves forward, and we did attack them, but neglected  our defence.
Parker was just about to introduce Robinson when they scored - a defender, who can also attack on the break.

But although this was out  third loss in a row, we have to remember how well we did  in that game, and should have got at least a point out of it, for ultimately rookie defence   errors  cost us, and we need to deal with this.

Look to the positives,  still all to play for.
We can do this.

COYW

[filham]

We are fortunate really to still only be 3 points from safety.

We should also remember that we were the equal of Villa for most of yesterday's game, and went in front.
Crucially, that caused us to lose the game you could say, because they brought on attacking subs in response.

Ok, they were potentially weaker at the  back committing themselves forward, and we did attack them, but neglected  our defence.
Parker was just about to introduce Robinson when they scored - a defender, who can also attack on the break.

But although this was out  third loss in a row, we have to remember how well we did  in that game, and should have got at least a point out of it, for ultimately rookie defence   errors  cost us, and we need to deal with this.

Look to the positives,  still all to play for.
We can do this.

COYW

No Sorry, we have an impotent attack. Yesterday no one other than Mitro was bothering the Vila defense , we do not impose a threat on goal , whoever the opposition.  Only two goals from the last three games and it is likely to be less from the next three.
Forget the arithmetic of relegation, our performances in the Leeds and Villa games show we have relegation written all over us.