Locked: Summer 2007 ins and outs

721...I had to use my fingers and toes too.

 

Blew my prediction out of the water. I guessed it would be the 512th post and it would be Healy. Oh well, just glad to have a talented CB added to the Fulham side.

 

I'm not saying Hughes is a bad signing, I'm saying he doesn't necessarily make the team better. He may not even be a starter. Right now he's just a warm body who has been brought in to compete for a spot... if he's healthy.

The team is going to be a bunch of no name players for sure, and they're only going to win games by playing organized and hard football... which makes pulling for Fulham fun... but a top 10 finish is highly unlikely. Fulham would have to have an exceptional season, despite itself to get in the Top Ten I think.

It'll be exceptional if they don't get relegated, in my opinion.

 

I've never seen him play in real life, but I know he's good in video games.

 

Well, I guess it's going to be an exceptional season, because I don't see us being relagated.

 

Right now the bookies in England have Fulham being relegated.

 

Lyle can't agree with you again. "No name players"...Not sure where you are going with that, but if you pay attention to football Fulham has some promising talent. Hughes has loads of experience and knows exactly what LS expects from him. He is not exceptional, but what do you expect for 1 million quid. Love the signing adds depth and can provide quality service as a CB.

Don...love the enthusiasm and it is rubbing off on me a bit. "RESPECT" should be the slogan or battle cry if you will for the season. Fulham underachieved last season and it is time to improve. Come on Fulham!!!

 

Oh, I am with you man, but on paper Fulham is crap right now and not headed in the right direction. The competition is going to be even tougher next season as well.

My thing is that we shouldn't expect a top ten finish with the players we have. I think that is unreasonable. Could they achieve such a finish? Sure... but we shouldn't expect it. If it happens, so much the better. I just think for Sanchez's first full season we should only expect survival.

 

Fulham is a team of no name players. Any Northern Ireland player other than Brian Carroll is a no name player. Maybe Healy would be an exception.

Lee Cook? No name. Chris Baird? No name. Russell Anderson (who we didn't get)? No name.

Maybe no-name is the wrong word, but Fulham doesn't have any "star" players.

All I'm trying to interject is some serious analysis. Yes, we all want Fulham to do well, but I'm not going to pretend that they're something that they're not which is what some Fulham fans seem to think.

 

It saddens me to say it but I agree with Lyle and I think we will be relegated. Last season I looked at what was promoted and thought we would be OK. This season I think Birmingham and Sunderland will take points of the teams around them and cause havoc for us.

I think the bottom 3 will be Derby, Fulham, and one of Wigan, Reading (difficult second album) or Boro.

It will take some special managment to keep Fulham up with the current set of players and the players we are likely to attract. We will pin our hopes on either Healy if he comes or John if he can get up for it!

Our best player over the last 2 years is too old to complete games, without him the stike force looks toothless and we cannot defend. We miss real quality in the middle of the pitch - the only thing that will keep us up it team spirit.

We have lost players like Finnan, Saha, Davies, Malbranque, Goma, Van Dar Sar and replace them with players who are not as good (harsh on Niemi - but fair). It has and continues to be a downward sprial for Fulham. At least we have signed someone!

 

GB, I think its waaaay too early to predict our relegation from the prem. It will depend on who we bring in of course but if we can shore up our defense and get a few more goals, then we'll be safe.

Football is a funny ol' game, its like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. (Cheesy but applicable)

 

Disappointed by Beasley and Anderson signing elsewhere. Both would have been fantastic signings, and great bargains.

Stat of the day:

Last season, Aberdeen allowed only .883 goals per 90 minutes while Russell Anderson was playing. Without him, they gave up 1.98 goals per 90.

 

Again, "stars" don't make a side. Reading seemingly lacked all star power and look what they accomplished...nearly qualified to play in Europe. Again the "no name" tag doesn't suit me. IMO, the big stars are not needed in order to get results. Fulham needs a quality manager, solid players who execute the game plan and a side dedicated completely to getting a result.

Shevchenko and Ballack should of bolstered Chelsea's side with their "star" power, but instead Chelsea took two steps back replacing Robben and Duff. I am sure most thought Chelsea would improve, but again it isn't about the name...Stuttgart anyone?
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How does this news do to heighten spirits amongst Fulham supporters?

It is widely rumoured that the young Northern Ireland star Steve Davis is on his way to Craven Cottage in a 4 million quid deal. Villa are looking to capture Nigel Reo Coker and with Petrov already in the lineup O'Neill has made his intentions known that Davis is on his way out.

Davis is a talented midfielder and just 22 years old. A utility player who tracks back well and distribution of the ball is pure quality. At one time he was even thought to be the replacement for Keane at Utd.

 

You meay Roy Carroll? Brian Carroll is American and plays for DC (sucks) United.

I'm not getting this relentless negativity when we have very little idea, at this point, who's going to be on the field for us, what kind of tactics we're going to be playing, how new signings might work together, etc. For that matter, we don't know how Bullard is going to recover from his injury.

I think we all can acknowledge that there's at least SOME class in the squad. Niemi, Diop, Bullard, Davies at least. We saw during the Gold Cup that Dempsey and Boca are both consistently improving. Davis, who might be joining us, is highly regarded.

The common view on Aaron Hughes seems to be that he was misused as a right back and is better in the middle, where LS likes to play him, which works well for us.

I'm curious - does anyone think Kasey Keller would be interested in joining FFC as a backup to Niemi?

 

I'm finding that Lyle is a bit of a 'negative Nancy' but hey, each to their own.

I will feel better when we cover the positions we need most. CB, Striker, creative midfielder, winger(s).

 

Lyle...cheer up. Life isn't all that bad at Fulham now and you are starting to depress me.

Davis, Healy, Kamara, Ki-Hyeon and another CB then I will be happy. Those players alone would add loads of depth and some quality options in defense and attack

 

Fulham have matched bid for Oliver Kapo according too Sky Sports News.

 

The only thing is that we had a thin squad last year and we've lost quite a few players form it, so while I agree with ToM, I also think we need to bring in a few backup types to fill out the squad for the weeks we have a Carling Cup match midweek between two EPL matches, or to at least make sure we don't have to play a defender in the midfield again (not that Volz was bad).

That being said, I am optomistic about the season. After all, the guys we lost form last year weren't great and it's a pretty fine line between 11th-13th place and a relegation battle. I also think we have the finest kits in the league (especially the away one!--I can't wait to get mine), and that can't hurt.

 

Fantastic news...surely Fulham is a more attractive side to play in than Birmingham...