Here is a question...As a follower of US sports I'm used to a General Manager (responsible for player personnel) and a coach working together to construct a team. You always hear about 'the board" when it comes to english footy. Who exactly on FFC's board helps in player personnel decisions?? Or is it just the gaffer and the board are a bunch of bean counters?
Actually Tommy Boy I had Stoke pegged where they are. http://www.fulhamusa.com/index.php?name ... 66&start=0 my other two picks are both still alive as well. Now as for our team next season, this is my starting 11 from what we still have: Batista Baird-Leijer-Hangeland-$ $-Bullard-Andreasen-Bouzza EJ-Kamara The $ sign are positions that we need to look for young exciting talent, maybe through a loan as has been suggested by some. I think the following are for sure gone: Niemi, Warner, Stalteri (duh, he's on loan), Hughes, Boca, Konch, Davies, Davis, Dempsey, Smertin, Murphy (also on loan but would've want him back if he wasn't), Seol, Elliott, McBride, Litmanen, John, Runstrom. Staying: Kallio, Ashton, Ozmusi, Zakuani, Brown, Cook, Nevland.
Rumours has it in Italy that, as soon as the relegation will be certain, Fulham could appoint the former Hibernian Collins (that has contribute to the win of the Scottish Cup, the only trophy for the club in the last 16 years) as a new manager with Roy Hodgson "promoted" director of football (promoveatur ut amoveatur, said the ancient Romans).....
While I'd like to see Roy as manager next season, as long as he's involved in some way with the club, I think Fulham will benefit. If he has a summer and then a season to fully implement his tactics and get his lineup as he wants it, I think we will see some good things from Fulham. I won't add a long list of speculation as it's been well covered above. However, I can't see Bullard staying. I'd like to think Deuce is good enough to stay in the EPL somehow as well. It certainly will be an interesting summer.
Baird is gone for the simple fact that no real Fulham Fan has much faith in him. Yes, even you HatterDon, no matter how much you try to argue otherwise. He may be a CCC player, but he is not Our CCC player.
I actually wrote a lenghty post about this here. I hope we won't be shipping out as many players as some here are suggesting, as that would leave the squad too thin. We'll probably get rid of some older players on higher wages...I think that Niemi, Warner, Pearce, Christanval, Stefanovic, McBride, and one of Smertin or Elliot will be gone. Next season will be a great opportunity to develop some young players, so we don't want older guys who won't help us in our next Premiership run blocking them. Batista, Omozusi, Zakuani, Ashton, Bouazza, Brown and Johnson are going to need lots of time on the pitch if they're going to help us in the future.
Hi SoCalJoe, I'm not sure anyone answered this question with any detail. I cannot give specifics to Fulham as I do not know the dynamics, but the board of a football club is the same as the board of most companies, with a chairman (usually the majority owner - but not always), directors (stake holders), non-executive directors and senior management team (Cheif Executive etc.) The playing staff are not part of the board. In a football club such as Fulham the Chairman is MAF and one of his sons is on the board. He has a majority and so what he says goes. In other clubs the board may not have a majority shareholder and so decisions have to be agreed until a majorty stake is achieved. These decisions can include everything, however, most clubs split the business decisions made by the board from the playing staff managed by the first team coach/manager. Often a director of football sits between the board and players and is responsible for contract negotiations and transfers. A sign of things going wrong is when the board or the director of football are involved with first team affairs. The first team coach is normaly responsible for identifying transfer targets, coaching and scouting positions, reserve and youth teams. The board is responsible for endorsing transfer targets and main playing staff positions, as well as financing and marketing of the club. The Fulham FC board consists of (from a december programme): MAF (Chairman) Omar Al Fayed (Vice Chairman) David McNally (MD) Karim Fayed (Director) Mark Collins (Director) Stuart Benson (Director) Ian McLeod (Director) An overview of David McNally and Mark Collins can be found at http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/ClubInfo/TheDirectors.aspx
Well, regardless of who stays or goes, there is one thing that is fur sure. After we get relegated (which we will, unless Jimmy Bullard asks God to intervene) the whole club needs to have a Premiership attitude. We can do one of two things -- either go all Leeds Utd. and decide to continue downwards, or the club can step up, put its collective nose to the grindstone and prepare to be back in 2009-10. Also,I personally like Roy and think he should stay.
Wait! There is one good thing about the Championship. Boys, get ready to whip some serious QPR next year! Finally, some rivals that don't have a budget rivaling that of most small nations!
interesting article over at soccernet about relegation, but from the CCC. def echoes a lot of the sentiments going 'round here.
Thanks Stu for the info. DaveNearDC had similar questions on page 1 of the John Collins thread you may want to weigh in on.
