lucky we actually have quite an easy run now. Here are our next ten fixtures, with my points predictions: Arsenal (h) 1 Blackburn (a) 0 Newcastle (h) 3 West Brom (h) 3 Man City (a) 0 Stoke (h) 1 Qpr (a) 3 Wolves (h) 3 Villa (a) 0 Swansea (h) 3 17 points from nine games, we would be looking very happy indeed
This a confusing set of results to be honest. You think we will beat Newcastle and lose to Villa, and get the same number of points against Stoke and Arsenal? On paper it looks a welcoming set of fixtures but we have already had relatively easy fixtures which we have managed to mess up (Blackburn home, Everton home, Villa home)
Newcastle is home, Villa is away. Would you think differently? For me newcastle at home is by far the easier fixture. The Stoke result is in there as in at least one of those home games, probably more, we are bound to slip up, so I chose that fixture for this to happen. Anyway, it does seem like a nice breather after our last month of fixtureS
I think Newcastle may well be a draw and Villa, depending on what side of theirs turns up could be a surprise win. They have both looked awful and brilliant this season (albeit the brilliant games have been few and far between) I think we will win the Stoke game but can;t see us winning the QPR game at Loftus, the 6-0 drubbing we gave them will be at the front of their minds and will be desperate to avoid another defeat.
In total, with some fair performances some 15-20 points is ok, especially with 6 at home; 4 away. I agree that Newcastle at home might be challenging (thought starting with Duff might be a good idea remembering last season). Stoke at home could be a good win, but with slip-up potential. Blackburn, Villa and QPR away look like draws. However, the whole lot does depend on how much consistency MJ can get, but I'm thinking that the January window can only help out situation, so a chance for MJ to prove himself. As for the other teams, some have been lifted over Xmas by the odd result, but it's probably still a matter of 3 out of the current bottom-5. But then again what do I know? I had us getting only a point from 4 games over the holiday break! Arsenal today could be a reasonable point, but then could be any result the way we are playing. C O Y W
Gilly I like your optimism,but to be honest,I cant see us getting more than 10 points from the matches you listed. And if we drop points against the teams who are at present below us we will be in serious trouble.
There is too much doom and gloom - Can I remind everyone what we felt like after the West Ham home defeat? Only 10 points get's us a place in The Championship. My glass remains half-full! C O Y W
Yes, I can see gilly's predictions being fairly accurate and it's very comforting to see them. I can actually see us getting draws at Blackburn and villa but only drawing Newcastle at home - although they've lost their form recently so you never know
Gera" Of course there is doom and gloom,we cannot go year in, year out, saying every Jan " we are only 3 points or so off the bottom,or 3 points from mid table",we cannot expect the fans to support a barrel bottom, scraping team forever,as we on paper have a quality mid table team,together with an accredited manager.The chairman and fans want, and should get,a creditable performance every time the players and management staff walk onto that pitch.
We could have easily been 3, 4 goals down in the first half. It was not. Similarly we could have been 2, 3 up in the second half. That's football and we have just beaten Arsenal! Come on you Whites!
I think we should expect the fans to support the team forever, whatever the team is like. In my time supporting Fulham - and that of many others on this board - we've had years of lower-league mid-table (or worse) mediocrity when the team really didn't have a clue on the pitch. We still turned up and we still supported them. We're forever complaining about the lack of loyalty and fickleness of certain players and managers, but if we aren't willing to stand by our Fulham come what may, then are we any better? Fans should support their team, that's what makes us fans. No matter how bad things are on the pitch (and I don't think they're that bad right now - I remember Alan Dicks, Don Mackay) we can and should expect fans to stay loyal.
Absolutely right Captain. I've not been posting for a while as I get so angry with the constant negative moaning of some on here. I haven't heard many of those that wrote off Ruiz after 45mins retracting and admitting they jumped the gun. Change takes time, persistance and patience. Some of the "we cannot expect the fans to support a barrel bottom, scraping team forever." brigade (and there are several of them) should remeber the journey - I saw us relegated in 1968, the Cup Final in 75, the wilderness years and the resurgengence since 97. I'm pleased we are here rather than some of the places we've been. And I can see we are: reducing average age of an aging squad establishing a sustainable business model (including increasing ground capacity to ensure self-funding) beginning to reap the rewards of a sound youth development policy. This is a long term, stabilising strategy. Short term approaches rely on the sugar daddy principle and are a lottery. MAF has done wonders for our club, including investing 190m of his personal wealth - this was the first year we posted a profit. His legacy will be a sound financially stable club.
Very well said Captain and Tosh! We are supporters, most of us not the rose-tinted specs kind, but a mix of realism/optimism, with periods of frustration thrown in for good measure. Many of us can remember such lowlights as losing to 92nd team Torquay, all of which puts the last 10 years into perspective. Without this, we forget how we got here or become the type of supporter who expects trophies as a right for their club's high status. MJ is not a fool, and supporters should not have been writing him off after a few months (revolving doors for managers rarely work) - It's just that we had not seen enough of the development he is striving for. I believe that this January window will only improve our situation, not with a clear-out mid-season, but carefully selected changes. For my part, yes I have been critical of Ruiz and Sa, and may have to eat the pie sometime soon. However, all the doom and gloom postings about how bad it is at The Cottage here have hacked me off. There are a number of teams worse off than us. I end as usual C O Y W
Tosh your article referenced ," bottom of the barrel etc" which i earlier posted It is easy to say I support Fulham or any such other team,but if our premiership status is lost,our fan base would then possibly be around 12/15 thousand,and with that, the scuppering of any ground improvement,and the possibility of becoming self sufficient. How many who post articles on this board watched us week in week out,at our lowest ebb,chipped in to contribute towards match balls and kit etc. As a season ticket holder for over 35yrs,and a match atendee for much longer,I was stating a fact loss of top flight status would loose supporters. (or should I say followers).
So you're confirming what I suspected all along, you and ros are the same person?! Anyway, I'd love to hold the (supposed) moral high ground of being a Fulham fan when we were toiling in the lower leagues, but I'm simply not old enough. No offence. But that's here nor there, I'll support my beloved club if we're playing Manchester United or Cambridge United.
Val - I accept that losing Top Flight status would (again) be very damaging. There are also a number of facts about unreasonable criticism (even abuse) heaped on Jol, Ruiz and others. Where this has been on the basis of very brief viewing (45 mins for Ruiz; 3-4 months for Jol) I still feel justified in defending them. I also appreciate the acknowledgement of some that these knee jerk responses were ill advised. Perhaps you would like to review Jol's record against Hughes' (on another thread) - very similar. We remain optimistic.
Val - I accept that losing Top Flight status would (again) be very damaging. There are also a number of facts about unreasonable criticism (even abuse) heaped on Jol, Ruiz and others. Where this has been on the basis of very brief viewing (45 mins for Ruiz; 3-4 months for Jol) I still feel justified in defending them. I also appreciate the acknowledgement of some that these knee jerk responses were ill advised. Perhaps you would like to review Jol's record against Hughes' (on another thread) - very similar. We remain optimistic.
