What Now, Part whatever

What’s next?
Since the Khans’s plan to make us a “sustainable” Premier League club has failed (for now), what should they do?
I’ve got my own ideas, but I’d like to hear from the rest of you first...except for this: Does it make sense to keep Ranieri around any longer? I say no.

 

I suspect that will happen at some point, the sooner the better from my perspective. Got to get Sess’s confidence back, service to Mitro and find some way to stop the bleeding on defense, if that’s even possible. These guys they brought in in January, phew. Markovic looked like a Sunday league player taking a stroll. Parker putting the guys who give a shit back out in some workable formation is what I’d like to see right now.

 

Speaking of the January transfers, why?

 

Going forward...I’m hoping it starts with the Chairman staying true on the Riverside renovation. That will send a clear message to where the club is headed no matter this setback.

No way Ranieri stays despite his answer saying he would if relegated.

If it’s Scott Parker I hope he reaches out to Danny Murphy to gauge his interest in coming onboard in some capacity.

Sess; (not sure what his contract situation is) is the first order of business player wise. We could’ve sold him for 25-30 mill, but now his valuation is a fraction of that. I’d prefer to get his game and confidence back. Having a chance to play with his brother in the Championship might be enticing for him.

Anguissa; I thought he was tidy and sharp v Spam, and is still very young. Do we try and get pennies on the dollar? or is he tough enough (the kid has been crushed by the supporters) to stay on and progress?

Could obviously keep going down the list, but wholesale changes are coming. Maybe the biggest concern is Tony Khan and his level of expertise. Has he learned any hard lessons?

 

Sessegnon's contract is up in 2020. I don't know if there is an option to extend it by a year or not, but I feel like we'll have a hard time keeping him. Although he's had his struggles he's certainly made in impact when given the time on the field at the right position (up front on the left). Transfermarket has Sessegnon as the highest value player on the team at 35 million Euros, but I don't know when it was last updated. I think the club will sell him along with Mitrovic.

I think between all of the loans expiring and big wage busts that the only people on the squad currently who are likely to start next year in the Championship are the ones who where also there last season too - with the possible exception of Bryan (and maybe Mawson if he's un-sellable due to injury). That will leave a skeleton crew and a huge amount to build back up. So that also makes me think that the best thing Khan can do is keep with the Riverside development. That more than anything else will signal to fans, players, and potential managers, that he is still committed and won't focus instead on something he has more control over - like the scripted world of professional wrestling.

 

Someone who knows how to build a team needs to be brought in. And that should be the focus. Splashing the cash was nice to see, but I wonder if anyone truly thought about how all those new shiny parts fit together. There also needs to be a consistent core. As we all witnessed, too many changes actually worked against the team. Also, reduce the number of impact loan players.

 

While I don’t fully agree, the author has some interesting thoughts on Ranieri and Fulham. It does reiterate the point (without specifically saying so) that Fulham have relied far too much on loans lately (i.e. players that don’t buy in and aren’t thinking about long term futures with the club).

https://www.90min.com/posts/6305518...d-up-staring-relegation-in-the-face-at-fulham

 

Several media reports out today that Ranieri is out. About bloody time.

 

And now it is official. Scott Parker is the caretaker manager.

From Shahid Khan:

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/february/28/scott-parker-appointed-caretaker-manager

 

I laughed every time Ranieri was quoted as saying (something along the lines of) 'the team will continue to fight'. I'm not sure that this team really fought at all - yoga instructors and training ground security aside.

 

I need to go back and dig up the quotes, but what's fascinating is toward the end of Slavisa's reign, he was saying almost the same thing. Both called on being "brave" and "fight" and "strength". I'm starting to think there's something to both comments

Anyway, Claudio finishes as the second worst Fulham manager, ever (guess who #1 is).

Welcome Scott Parker.

 

@timmyg, if it’s a winning % question I’m guessing Felix CheeseCurd Magath.

When it happened I didn’t think it CR was bad hire, it just didn’t work out. Probably the only choice that might of saved the season was Fat Sam, but I think the majority of our supporters would rather have root canal w/no Novocain then play his style of football.

 

Perhaps now we’ll see the best players starting in their best positions in a formation that takes the fullest advantage of their strengths. Don’t think that will help with the porous defending, but at least we’ll go down with our best people on the pitch.

 

No, his win% was actually higher than Claudio's! The answer is Lawrie Sanchez.

 

Yes, Jokanovic would say that the players needed to be brave a lot. I'm guessing they were just hitting the buzz words and typical rhetoric for teams in their situation.

I have no idea what to expect from the last ten matches, but I'm slightly intrigued now that this change has occurred.

 

Thrilled to see somebody else in charge even if this season is a lost cause.

 

That is one of the saddest things I've ever read.

I don't expect anything to improve with Parker in charge. Nothing against him, I just think we have an incredibly expensive yet terrible roster. What new faces will come into the back line? None that I can think of. Who's going to play defensive mid? McDonald maybe, but he's still out of his league. Sure Cairney and Sessegnon might be better utilized, but the results are still going to be hard to watch.

If I'm wrong and he does turn things around it will just add another layer of tragedy to this season. It would mean Fulham wasn't doomed from the start and even a first-time manager could have done better than the guy who won us promotion or the guy who won the league just 3 years ago. Even worse, it would confirm for Tony Khan that he was making the right player decisions (but I don't think that is true). No, at this point finishing in last place might be the best result for the club's long term outlook.