The cold hard truth

[FulhamStu]

There was nothing wrong with the attitude v Chelsea, our general play was good, sure we gave the ball away too often but we lack quality in certain areas.

Let's look at the side v Saturday, we had 6 loans, Areola/Andersen/Aina/Lookman/Maja/Lemina, of these all played OK except Maja who looked out of his depth, then again he is a goal scorer and he was starved of service. Lookman was wasteful but does have quality and must be very frustrated.

We had 3 perm players signed or returning, Tosin/Robinson/Anguissa, of these all played pretty well yes, Anguissa gave the ball away and played backwards and sideways too often but that was a problem with most of the team.

Of the promoted side last season, only Cav and BDR made the 11.  Both of these players looked out of their depth, constantly gave the ball away and produced little or no threat what so ever.

Our attacking players, CAV/BDR/MAJA/Lookman are the weakness and why we can't score, Lookman looks the most likely.  We have little or no creativity in midfield, Anguissa is a ball carrier and can also win the ball back, Lemina played well but is not a creative player.  Cairney could possibly make a difference but I have rarely seen him do it in the Premier League and Mitro has had some serious bust up with Parker and again I am not sure how many Premier teams he would start in.

Many say we have too many loans, I agree with that however we clearly could not afford to buy these players and without them we would have been lucky to get 10 points, let alone 27.

The problem was that our promoted squad did not contain one player of clear Prem quality, maybe Rodak, Cairney and Mitro would be good enough if the rest were better but I am not sure.  You have seen me constantly criticise our DOF for various things recently but what was he suppose to have done, bought in more loans or risk the future of the club and purchase an entire new team, he has virtually done that anyway.

You can blame Parker all you like but the issue was there before we started this season.  Biggest lesson to be learned is get promotion with a nucleus of players who can make the step up.

[Mr White]

    Nice post.

[Classic94]

Spot on. I think we probably left ourselves too much to do in the summer window. As you point out, you need at least a nucleus of PL-standard players after being promoted to stand a chance.

[ALG01]

OP summs it up. I may take issue with details but by and large says it as it is.

I think everyone knows by now my opinion is that when you take a step back the failing really begins and ends with having an inexperiennced amateur, not commiting 100% of his time to the job of being director of football. It is no bad thing to have family involved in business but you give them jobs for which they are suited and not ones for which they have no talent. Leaving him in situ undermines the running of the club because everyone knows just how wrong it is.

Good post.

[simplyfulham]

Many say we have too many loans, I agree with that however we clearly could not afford to buy these players and without them we would have been lucky to get 10 points, let alone 27.

The problem was that our promoted squad did not contain one player of clear Prem quality, maybe Rodak, Cairney and Mitro would be good enough if the rest were better but I am not sure.  You have seen me constantly criticise our DOF for various things recently but what was he suppose to have done, bought in more loans or risk the future of the club and purchase an entire new team, he has virtually done that anyway.

I'd go along with Mr White - good post.

You've made some good and balanced points, but I think there's one strand you've missed in the above. All of this goes to highlight that there is a fundamental lack of planning or vision for FFC's recruitment.

If we are at the point that we've spent the best part of £50m on the transfers to get us out the Championship but are not fit for the Prem (if that's what we believe), which has hamstrung us to the point where we can't afford players we need once we're in the the Prem, something has gone wrong.

We can point to some good players brought in this year, but there just doesn't feel like there was much of a plan in place.

I know we had an extraordinarily short amount of time from the playoff final to the start of the 20/21 season. But the aim of last season was always promotion and for the majority of the season we occupied a place in the top 6. We were probably underdogs going into the playoffs but we were still 1 of 4 teams in the running for promotion.

If you're not planning recruitment for a potential Premier League season then what the hell are you doing? Because I guarantee you that Brentford, Cardiff and Swansea were all planning for promotion at that point.

[FulhamStu]

Many say we have too many loans, I agree with that however we clearly could not afford to buy these players and without them we would have been lucky to get 10 points, let alone 27.

The problem was that our promoted squad did not contain one player of clear Prem quality, maybe Rodak, Cairney and Mitro would be good enough if the rest were better but I am not sure.  You have seen me constantly criticise our DOF for various things recently but what was he suppose to have done, bought in more loans or risk the future of the club and purchase an entire new team, he has virtually done that anyway.

I'd go along with Mr White - good post.

You've made some good and balanced points, but I think there's one strand you've missed in the above. All of this goes to highlight that there is a fundamental lack of planning or vision for FFC's recruitment.

If we are at the point that we've spent the best part of £50m on the transfers to get us out the Championship but are not fit for the Prem (if that's what we believe), which has hamstrung us to the point where we can't afford players we need once we're in the the Prem, something has gone wrong.

We can point to some good players brought in this year, but there just doesn't feel like there was much of a plan in place.

I know we had an extraordinarily short amount of time from the playoff final to the start of the 20/21 season. But the aim of last season was always promotion and for the majority of the season we occupied a place in the top 6. We were probably underdogs going into the playoffs but we were still 1 of 4 teams in the running for promotion.

If you're not planning recruitment for a potential Premier League season then what the hell are you doing? Because I guarantee you that Brentford, Cardiff and Swansea were all planning for promotion at that point.

I posted this very point about lack of strategy and planing on the Shahid needs a re-think thread a couple of days ago.  You are spot on, my biggest beef with our DOF is not recruitment but apparent lack of a long term plan and football strategy linking academy to first team, style of play, players to fit that strategy etc.  I am sure TONY would say, they do have a plan and between Jennings and Parker do have a road map, I am saying that that is virtually impossible to manage part time and from 3,000 miles away with such little football experience.  It was quite a long response so I will not repeat it all here.

[filham]

The amount of money to be handled in the premier league is enormous and therefore it is necessary to have a chairman who knows about money. It helps if he also knows about football or at least has good football advisors to hand.

[clarkey]

I think the post is partially correct. But two things mitigate a weak squad (apart from buying quality players).

The first is an excellent tactician for manager/coach. That we did not have.

The second is a Cloughie or even Big Sam type of leader who instills a real do or die attitude, an us against them mentality. Again lacking.

We have seen Sheff Utd last year and other teams like Bournmouth in the past do really well with not the greatest of squads. You also usually get a player or two doing better after a promotion. But the continuing selection of terrible players like RLC and Cav who contributed zero all season, the lack of proper attacking coaching, and the absence of any creativity in midfield (plus abandoning our only proven scorer in Mitro, and letting two other forwards leave on loan) has left us flat as a pancake.

Unfortunately this is the end of this adventure, I'd love us to win two on the bounce and be in with a shout versus Newcastle but the last two months have been the dawning of reality.The coach was not good enough.

[Holders]

The cold hard truth- we didn't deserve anything against Arsenal but nearly got the win. Against C*****a we were the better side overall, in my view but they were more clinical and their keeper made some good saves, including one outstanding one.

Story of our season.

[bill taylors apprentice]

So after all the loan players have left (which they will) we are left with 3 players on our books who are worthy of a promotion winning team next season assuming we can keep them.

Add in Mitro, Cairney and Reed and we are still mightily short of players good enough!

[FulhamStu]

So after all the loan players have left (which they will) we are left with 3 players on our books who are worthy of a promotion winning team next season assuming we can keep them.

Add in Mitro, Cairney and Reed and we are still mightily short of players good enough!

Correct, so buy 3 decent players, get Kongolo fit, loan 3 decent players and do the same after promotion.  That's better than loan 7 !
The rest are ok squad players to be honest.

[rebel]

Our stats against Chelsea were good, we had eight corners to Chelsea's one. We did nothing with them, but the numbers are impressive.

The bench mark for this season is the Everton performance and the mini run.

[colinwhite]

Good post Stu ,agree with most of that.

[bill taylors apprentice]

So after all the loan players have left (which they will) we are left with 3 players on our books who are worthy of a promotion winning team next season assuming we can keep them.

Add in Mitro, Cairney and Reed and we are still mightily short of players good enough!

Correct, so buy 3 decent players, get Kongolo fit, loan 3 decent players and do the same after promotion.  That's better than loan 7 !
The rest are ok squad players to be honest.

That's a recipe for disaster.
Doing as you say may give us a team with potential for promotion if it all clicks but no better than the team that went up last time.

[Andy S]

It's interesting that nobody has entered the pandemic and no crowds allowed in grounds as a factor. I believe that our home form would have been better if we had a home crowd. It would have also affected our away form as well. Other factors like COVID infections have also had an impact on some teams but it is certainty a reason as to why there have been as many unexpected results. Mistakes by players and coaches cannot be held up in isolation as a reason for poor form. It is also a factor that the short close season probably did not help a club just promoted from the Championship

[The Rational Fan]

So after all the loan players have left (which they will) we are left with 3 players on our books who are worthy of a promotion winning team next season assuming we can keep them. Add in Mitro, Cairney and Reed and we are still mightily short of players good enough!

Sorry, but the Team is Improving and will be better next season than last time in the Championship. The big question is the finances and whether we can afford to keep the players we have, or do we start selling.

Compare First XI:
1st Game of 2019 - Betts; Odoi, Mawson, MLM, Bryan; KMac, Stefjo, Cairney; Kamara, Mitro, and Cav
1st Game of 2021 - Rodak; Tete, Hector, Tosin, Robinson; Reed, Anguissa, Cairney; Reid, Mitro, and Cav.

Squad Players:
1st Game of 2019 - Rodak; Christie, S.Sess, Ream, Opoku; O'Riley, Torre, Kebano; Knockaert, Fonte, Atyie
1st Game of 2021 -Betts; Christie, Odoi, Mawson/Kongolo, Bryan; Seri, Stefjo, Onamah; Knockaert, Kamara, Kebano

Deadline Day Signings:
Joined after 1st Game of 2019 - Reed, Arter, Onamah, Reid, Hector, Archer, Kongolo
Joined after 1st Game of 2021 - TBA, maybe three loans for the first half of season.

Our squad is good enough for first ten games and then add a few deadline day signings as required, we are good.

[Andy S]

That is hardly proof. However the odd visit to the premier league should give us an advantage over other championship clubs

[Penfold]

So after all the loan players have left (which they will) we are left with 3 players on our books who are worthy of a promotion winning team next season assuming we can keep them. Add in Mitro, Cairney and Reed and we are still mightily short of players good enough!

Sorry, but the Team is Improving and will be better next season than last time in the Championship. The big question is the finances and whether we can afford to keep the players we have, or do we start selling.

Compare First XI:
1st Game of 2019 - Betts; Odoi, Mawson, MLM, Bryan; KMac, Stefjo, Cairney; Kamara, Mitro, and Cav
1st Game of 2021 - Rodak; Tete, Hector, Tosin, Robinson; Reed, Anguissa, Cairney; Reid, Mitro, and Cav.

Squad Players:
1st Game of 2019 - Rodak; Christie, S.Sess, Ream, Opoku; O'Riley, Torre, Kebano; Knockaert, Fonte, Atyie
1st Game of 2021 -Betts; Christie, Odoi, Mawson/Kongolo, Bryan; Seri, Stefjo, Onamah; Knockaert, Kamara, Kebano

Deadline Day Signings:
Joined after 1st Game of 2019 - Reed, Arter, Onamah, Reid, Hector, Archer, Kongolo
Joined after 1st Game of 2021 - TBA, maybe three loans for the first half of season.

Our squad is good enough for first ten games and then add a few deadline day signings as required, we are good.

Wow. You know what the first line up of next season is going to be?

Any chance you could let me know what tonight's lottery numbers are going to be?

[The Rational Fan]

Compare First XI:
1st Game of 2021 - Rodak; Tete, Hector, Tosin, Robinson; Reed, Anguissa, Cairney; Reid, Mitro, and Cav.

Squad Players:Betts; Christie, Odoi, Mawson/Kongolo, Bryan; Seri, Stefjo, Onamah; Knockaert, Kamara, Kebano

Wow. You know what the first line up of next season is going to be?

All those players have contracts to play the first game next season and will be part of the team unless there is mutual consent by both parties to move on. Tony Khan has said the existing contract doesn't cause an FFP problem, so the current plans for next season is above. Anguissa might be let go on a big transfer fee of £25m + and Seri might be let go on a free transfer if he can get higher wages elsewhere, but for now I doubt either.

Above is the lineup for next season as well as anyone knows it. Agents will try to get their players out of the club on low transfer fees and huge wages, saying that their player has no desire to play in the championship. Parker will try to get those players out of the club, but the agents of those players know their player's arent wanted so will push the transfer fee down and their clients wages up.

We might sell some players and use the money to buy some others, but the squad will remain about the same except for any refresh investment "The Khans" put into the squad". If Anguissa is sold for £25m, then we may get another player like Reed and Reid for that money but that won't improve of worsen the squad that much.

[Penfold]

Compare First XI:
1st Game of 2021 - Rodak; Tete, Hector, Tosin, Robinson; Reed, Anguissa, Cairney; Reid, Mitro, and Cav.

Squad Players:Betts; Christie, Odoi, Mawson/Kongolo, Bryan; Seri, Stefjo, Onamah; Knockaert, Kamara, Kebano

Wow. You know what the first line up of next season is going to be?

All those players have contracts to play the first game next season and will be part of the team unless there is mutual consent by both parties to move on. Tony Khan has said the existing contract doesn't cause an FFP problem, so the current plans for next season is above. Anguissa might be let go on a big transfer fee of £25m + and Seri might be let go on a free transfer if he can get higher wages elsewhere, but for now I doubt either.

Tony Khan says a lot of things. Quite frankly, if he told me the sun was shining outside, I'd go out and check to make sure.