This Club Is Looking For A Relegation Fight

And that's not a pejorative title.

I like the moves thus far. As many of us are veterans of the "Great Escape," I have not lost hope yet. It's far too early. May Fulham find a McBride/Murphy charachter in the squad - those intangibles that cannot be quantified need to be demonstrated by the new signings. I'm probably spilling a bit too much, but damn if the club isn't trying. Now it's time for the players to be "trying." Fuc#$&* leave it out on the pitch for the rest of the season. It's really not too much to request.

COYW

 

And may one of our signings pay off like Hangeland did in that window.

 

Can I just say, " I love being the underdog!"
COYW

 

From today's Guardian.



6) Fulham's hopes could rest with Heitinga

Most eyes were on Kostas Mitroglou, the Greece striker Fulham have just paid £11m to sign from Olympiakos, prior to kick-off at Craven Cottage on Saturday but it was perhaps the man in the black bomber jacket who was beside him during a walk around the pitch that the home fans should have taken a keener interest in. Johnny Heitinga may lack the glamour of a high-priced striker with Champions League pedigree but he is an experienced defender and that, clearly, is a must right now.

Fulham have conceded 53 goals in 24 leagues games this season, failed to keep a clean sheet since early December and, as was further evident in their 3-0 defeat to Southampton, have serious defensive problems. The hosts were far too open at times, easily pulled apart at the back on other occasions and, rooted to bottom place with games against Manchester United and Liverpool to come, look doomed to relegation unless they can manage to stop the defensive rot.

Heitinga may not be the player of old but he has 87 caps for the Netherlands to his name and, as such, can only enhance the London side, most likely coming in for Dan Burn, a highly regarded young defender but, as he showed against Southampton, a player currently suffering from a serious bout of high-level nerves. It can also only help Fulham that Heitinga has played with goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg at international level, most notably in the 2010 World Cup final. Even with Heitinga's arrival there remains a major obstacle to Fulham's hopes of becoming tighter defensively – their manager. "I still think attacking and possession is the best way to defend," said Rene Meulensteen, having seeing his side ripped open by Southampton at the weekend. Pragmatism may soon have to take over. Sachin Nakrani

 

This is very worrisome.

 

The way we've been bleeding goals this season? To say the least.

 

The part of this that caught my eye was the disparaging comments by the writer about Dan Burn. I'm no expert, but I haven't seen the "high-level nerves" cited by Mr. Nakrani by young Mr. Burn. I HAVE been seeing Hangeland being twisted into a pretzel by marauding opposition attackers, both before and after his recent injury. Anybody else see what this guy's talking about? I think it's just lazy reporting on his part to blame the young, new guy instead of doing his homework and assuming Heitinga MUST be replacing the kid.