We're going down. This is a certainty, so how can we bounce right back up and keep that momentum going? Here's some of my ideas. Sell the club- I honestly believe that Mo cannot do anymore than he has already done. I think we need an owner that is young and excited. Something like what Sunderland and Newcastle have. Somebody who loves the club and has the money to spend. I want an actual fan of the club too or at the very least somebody who could become a fan of the club. I don't want a foreigner with their self-interests running the club. Bring in a new manager-I like John Collins. He's young, a former player and he has some experience managing a team. I believe that he would have us playing an attacking style of football and have our team built around good young talent. He's the best option out there, I think. Go young- This is important. I don't want to bring in a bunch of proven 30 yr old Championship players. I want players that has great potential to do well in the top flight. I want players like Kightly from Wolves and Steven Fletcher from Hibs. A bunch of proven championship players might get us back up, but they'll bring us back down. I also want to see more players from the reserves and youth teams getting a shot at the first team. Players like Omozusi and Ehui are our future and they need to play. These players have proven it in the reserves and now they need to prove it in the first team. Sell players who couldn't give a toss- Players like Konchesky and Hughes need to go. They obviously don't care and have hurt us. Hughes makes blunder after blunder, while Konchesky is just looking to get a paycheck. Murphy and Davies are other players who need to go. Keep players that can do well for us- Players like Healy,Bouazza,EJ,Dempsey etc are players we should keep. I believe that these players would rock the championship and would come back strong in the premiership. They're all low on confidence and a season of scoring and beating teams would do them well. Let's also not give up on Kamara. This guy will score 25+ goals next season. These are the basic things we need to do to go back up and keep us in the premier league. We need to have a major overhaul this off-season. It needs to start from the top and work it's way down. Our current system is not working an dit's time for a change.
I would quote you FFC24 but that would take up a lot of space. Therefore, let me just agree with everything you said. And just by judging who played today here's what I would do/will prob happen: Keller: Retire Stalteri: Gone anyway Hughes: Gone Hangeland: Keep PK: Gone Davies: Gone (sadly) Murphy: Gone (!!!!) Bullard: Gone (sadly) Andreasen Keep McGod: Retire Kamz: Keep Warner:Gone Boca: Gone (sadly) Demp: Gone (sadly) Healy: Keep Booze: Keep And rounding out the others: Volzy: Gone (sadly) Christanval: Gone Baird: Keep Stef: Gone Omz: Keep Leijer: Keep Kallio: N/A SK Hyeon: Gone (!!!) Smertin: Keep Elliott: Who? Litmanen:n/a Nevland: NO idea EJ: Keep And coming back from loan are Pearce(gone), Ashton(keep), Zakuani(keep), Cook (gone), Davis (gone), John (gone), Runstrom (gone), Ehui (keep), Brown(keep). Man, this would be fun on FIFA....not so much in real life...
RE: Re: How do we re-build? Well.. several sites have Keller saying he's not especially leaving . And that makes sense. Look for him to stay till january, st least. he's looking for a spot on Seattle, remember? It wouldnt help for him to be idle.
RE: Re: How do we re-build? I am not of the belief that many players will be leaving the club. We do not have that much quality in the team that other teams would be clamoring for. Bullard would be the person I see as the most likely to leave but he said last week he is staying. That does not mean he definitely will stay, but I think he will. I do not think there is one American on the team that will be coveted by a Premier League team. Dempsey and Johnson are good players, but neither is going to be a prime target for any team in the top flight. We will get rid of some players to cut the cost of the wage bill and like others have said, trimming the older players in the squad is key. We need to go young and we need to have people on the team hungry to succeed. Lastly, while there is a pretty good chance McBride will be gone, I do not count on that. I would not be shocked to see him play one more season to help the club get promoted. That is my prediction.
I've alreay said "adieu" to Bullard, Davies, Davis, Staltieri, and Konchesky, who will all find homes in the EPL [Davis will most likely stay at Rangers]. Unlike Tom, I don't see many of who is currently on the squad staying. If Roy stays -- and I'd like him to -- I think he'll want players that most closely fit his philosophy. Based upon who he's played and who he hasn't, I think it's fair to say that Baird, Healy, Smertin, Warner, and Volz are likely gone. As for the Americans, I think Brian will retire. He's got nothing to prove, and I think the CCC schedule and those crap pitches will be too rough on him. I would have said the same for Keller, but most sites say he'll stay. Dempsey will stay if Bullard goes, but if Bullard really stays, he's gone. Bocanegra is a Roy type of player, is mature, and very versatile. He's also rough enough for the CCC. I think he'll stay. Johnson will definitely stay. While I think it's going to be very difficult for Fulham in the CCC, I'm listening to timmyg more about this. He feels that there's a "pick 'em" situation in the CCC most seasons with teams 1-10 all being pretty close. If Roy stays, gets the players he wants, and we've got a finishing kick in us, I suppose we have a shot. I just don't think a lot of people on this site realize how often a team drops out of the top flight and just keeps dropping. For recent examples, see Leeds United and Nottingham Forest.
Re: RE: Re: How do we re-build? Bullard staying would be a blessing, but I won't believe it until I see him in a white strip on the first day of the season when we kick off against Swansea or Leicester. I can't see Dempsey staying. He is good enough to play for a team in the top flight on the continent, maybe in the Dutch league or Bundesliga. He hasn't said as much, at least to my knowledge, but I wonder if he looks around Craven Cottage and thinks to himself, What did I get myself into? 3 coaches in 16 months will do that to a guy. EJ will stay as he is a championship quality striker, sorry to say. Between the sticks, what I have heard about this Cristobal kid is encouraging, and even if we come back straight up, will KK still be there? He's got a lot of miles on his odometer, how long do you want to hitch your wagon to him. I'm interested more in who they might be acquiring and if MAF will use some of that 20M pound parachute payment to bring in some players to bring us back up. His precedent behaviors are encouraging from when Fulham was last in the old second division, but times change and I wonder if he will be up for throwing around that kind of cash again. I have no insight at all to offer though, that will be interesting to see when the transfer window opens. COYW. I'm earmarking funds for a GJ subscription next year, and hoping for the best. Isn't that what all soccer fans do, hope for the best and expect the worst?
Re: RE: Re: How do we re-build? FYI....the parachute payments will be closer to 6-8 million pounds each of the next two seasons.
Speaking of parachute payments, a cautionary tale to the recently relegated.... http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/st ... s1&cc=5901
I'm gonna make a Timmyg list of players that I think will leave and stay. Keller: Stay Stalteri: Spurs can have him Hughes: Gone Hangeland: Keep PK: Gone Davies: Gone Murphy: Gone Bullard: Stay Andreasen Gone McGod: Retire Kamz: Keep Warner:Gone Boca: Gone Demp: Gone Healy: Keep Booze: Keep Volzy: Gone Christanval: Gone Baird: Gone Stef: Gone Omz: Keep Leijer: Keep Kallio: Who?(I know who, but he hasn't played) SK Hyeon: Gone Smertin: Leave Elliott: Please leave Litmanen: Again, I ask, Who? Nevland: This guy sucks. Leave. EJ: Keep Alright, so this list is actually players I want to leave/stay. The players that I've asked to leave have proven they're crap. If they aren't crap then that means I think they'll find a team in the Premier League to sign them. I think we can get around 10M for all the players that we should sell. PK and Davies will each command about 2-2.5M each and Dempsey will also command a decent price tag. I think that with this money we need to spend. Also I feel that new investment is a must. I don't think Mo has it in him to keep spending. New Investment+Selling money+Parachute money=signing top class youngsters. To give an idea of what I'd want here's what a Championship team did a year ago. This team bought 2 young stars from Arsenal,they bought young talent throughout the championship and they kept some of their importatn players from the EPL. This team is Birmingham. While they're struggling in the EPL, they came back up from the CCC and they have the young talent to improve every season. If they stay back up this season, I believe they'll be a top 12 team next season. Also I think that they're summer signings have proved to be pretty bad. So that's the main reason for them struggling. I want to see us looking at reserve games from the big 4 and picking off talent from these teams. Some players I have in mind are... Chris Eagles(Man Utd)-Probably could sign him. Danny Guthrie(Liverpool)-Probably could sign him. Scott Sinclair(Chelsea)-Loan deal. Jack Hobbs(Liverpool)-Loan deal. These are just some of the players that we should look at. The players we get on Loan could become future signings. Even Sinclair. Going young and picking players from these teams will help us get back up and stay in the Premier league. Also I don't buy Hatter's theory of us dropping lower and lower. Leeds and Forest had horrible financial records and were in no position to go straight back up. Leeds had to bring in something like 40 players from around the world one season just to build a team. They were lucky to even make the playoffs those seasons. Fulham is no in that bad of a state. A little investment and we can go straight back up.
I HATE you. I've never went so apeshit in my life. Fulham went down,Mariners lost and UNC went down by 28. Horrible day, I tell ya.
One of the big factors with Birmingham City last season was the way they were able to get loaned out players. Birmingham City did not buy Muamba or Larsson until this season started. They had those two and Bendtner and that really helped them in the effort to get promoted. What Fulham needs to do next season is perhaps get a guy like Scott Sinclair to come on loan from Chelsea and I am sure there are others we could get on loan. What we can do with getting loaners will play a huge role for us as well.
What I'd like to see: Staying: Keller, Batista, Volz, Bocanegra, Konchesky, Omozusi, Hangeland, Leijer, Bullard, Dempsey, Bouazza, Davies, Andreasen, Kamara, Johnson, Nevland Leaving: Niemi, Warner, Christanval, Stefanovic, Stalteri, Hughes, Kallio, Baird, Seol, Smertin, Murphy, Elliott, Healy, Litmanen, McBride What I think we will see: Staying: Keller, Batista, Volz, Bocanegra, Omozusi, Hangeland (if Roy is retained), Leijer, Hughes, Seol, Bullard, Bouazza, Murphy, Healy, Kamara, Nevland Leaving: Niemi, Warner, Konchesky, Christanval, Stefanovic, Stalteri, Kallio, Baird, Hangeland (if Roy is not retained), Smertin, Dempsey, Davies, Andreasen, Elliott, Litmanen, Johnson, McBride I gather Bullard has stated he's not leaving this summer regardless of what happens, and if we're relegated and McBride moves back to the US (which I think is his plan) and Jimmy stays, then I would be stunned if anybody else is the new captain. It seems pretty clear to me that he is the leader of this team. This discussion sucks.
It looks as though I am in the minority on the comings and goings, but it seems as though everyone is writing off a number of players on the current team. Guys like Baird, Hughes, Stefanovic, Healy, Smertin, etc. Yes, most of the players being mentioned were subpar in the Premier League this season, but the gap between the top flight and the Coca-Cola Championship is quite a lot. That being said, Baird was solid in defense playing at Southampton. Hughes have proven to be a solid defender and I would assume he would be even better against less skilled players in the Championship. What is needed is a combination of younger and older players with experience. The Championship is tough because the difference between first and fourteenth is not much. No one would have though Stoke and Bristol City would be in the positions they are right now, but they are and should be commended for such efforts. However, simply overhauling the entire Fulham team would not be wise in my judgement. There will be some comings and goings, but remember we are dropping down a division. We are NOT in the Premier League any more. Some people want to build for the Premier League by adding all youngsters and fresh talent. That is part of the solution but young players alone will not get us promoted. We need experience and leadership as well. It is going to be important for Roy Hodgson to get the squad he wants in there. He must remember though that at the level of play in the Championship, we have some very capable players on the team. A few signings would be good, but a big overhaul would be bad.
Hughes has proven to leak goals over the last four weeks due to his lack of ability in the air and I'm stunned that he hasn't been benched yet. Chopra's goal on Saturday, Villa's equalizer at Derby County, and another goal that eludes me at the moment (maybe Owen's at Newcastle or Pedersen's at Blackburn) all happened because Hughes is poor in the air. These aren't huge guys like Kenwyne Jones either, he's getting beat in the air by players shorter than him and I don't think Bocanegra concedes those goals. Of course, it's easy for me to say sitting at my computer here in the U.S.
By Position: Player(age next year) Keeper Keller(39), Batista(23) - Staying Niemi(36), Warner(35) - Leaving Right Back Omozusi(20), Baird(26) - Staying Stalteri(32), Volz(26) - Leaving Full Back Hangeland(27), Hughes(31), Leijer(22), Zakuini(21) - Staying Boca(29), PC(30) and Stefanovic(34) - Leaving Left Back PK(27), Ashton(21) - Staying Kallio (30) - Leaving Right Wing Davies(29) - Leaving Center Mid Dempsey(25), Bullard(30), Andreasen(25), Brown(20) - Staying Smertin(34), Murphy(31), Davis(23) - Leaving Left Wing Bouazza(23), Cook(26) - Staying Seol(30), Elliot(34) - leaving Forward Healy(29), Kamara(28 ), Johnson(24), Ehui(22) - Staying McBride(36), Nevland(32), Litmanen(37), John(23), Runstrom(24) - Leaving I don't believe both Dempsey and Steven Davis will both be allowed to leave. I think we will hold onto one in case JB is sold in the Jan transfer window. Dempsey seems the most likely due to the Davis loan to Rangers and Demps being a bit more versitle in terms of the number of positions he can play. It also seems fairly obvious that we will be in dire need of help on the right wing.
