Obviously next week is massive we are currently 5 points above Millwall and are playing them away, win and we are a nice 8 points from safety, lose and we are a worrying 2 points!! But on top of this I have just seen our next four games after that.... Derby and Bournemouth at home and Watford and Wolves away, although on paper the last month of the season looks kind, Wigan, Blackpool, Rotherham etc, if we go into the last 7/8 games in the relegation zone we could be in big trouble not sure our squad is mentally strong enough for that!
First instinct is squad, but that may possibly be down to the manager, all we need is an unexpected win from somewhere, I honestly think next week could be season defining the difference between 8 points and 2 points from the drop zone, unfortunately we are useless away and Millwall will be well up for it as they know how important it is as well
5 points off relegation....... Need to drag out 3 points from Millwall. Just not enough experience someone in the team, I heard someone say that finished with what should be the starting 11. My worry is the Hansen quote "you can't win anything with kids"? - Thanks Felix. We should have been able to kick-on since Xmas; that we made, apparently, no attempt to buy 1-2 more experienced players in the January was surprising. COYW !
Just can't see us getting 3 points confidence so low and we cannot keep a clean sheet to save our lives.
You squandered 11mill on the child abandoning, fat lazy fly tipping greedy bastard how much more do you want to spend. Just beat wall and build in the summer, you ain't getting anywhere this year, you won't get anywhere with McContract unsettling the dressing room. Sell him and move on.
I don't think it is the squad. We have the experience and skill. It's how they are set up to play. We are too easy to play against.
No! I have to disagree. The reduction in "experienced" (=expensive) players in the squad had to happen. Ideally this would have been a gradual process over three years in the Premiership. Sadly it was left to an emergency situation and we are struggling as a result. It is still the right thing to do. On the other hand, we do need to change formation and flexibility. I am disappointed in Kit's reading of the game and the need for changes. I am also VERY frustrated that he does not seem to alter the team for different opponents. Constantly playing the diamond is not good enough.
Agree with that, Kit seems very stubborn in his tactics, very slow build up, trying to keep possession, but a lot of the goals we have scored come from counter attacking quickly. As an opposing manager it must be very easy to play against a team that allows you to regain your shape before they attack near your area.
Agreed, its a big few weeks of games. I'm also disappointed with Kits reading of games and lack of ingenuity to change things. I still think he is the right guy for the job but needs to do something quickly.
It's pretty bleak isn't it, and I'm starting to see worrying echoes of last season: conceding too many (2-3 a game at the moment), not keeping clean sheets, not creating enough. I listened to Jim and Sean on Saturday and they talked a lot about Ipswich's shape and them being difficult to break down. We need some of that and to start getting the basics right. I genuinely believe there are 3 worse teams in this league than Fulham, but there are going to be some nervous weeks ahead.
I know I could be castigated for saying this but apart from our full backs I am not happy with our goalkeeper, ok he does bring off some spectacular saves but I think he lacks total positional sense and command of his area thus making everything hard work. With corners he seems to be all over the place, likewise when the opposition attacks. An England keeper he may become but now he must learn the basics, but in our present position to risky, but there again who do we have. To late now but in the window I would have pumped for Givan, & Konchelsky and they would not have cost the earth, and could have given us some stability. Relegation would put us light years back and I could not see our chairman raising his enthusiasm above his present level if that.
The goalkeeper position is one I don't worry about. For a first season he has done remarkably well and I feel confident with him in goal. Hark back less than 6 months to Joronen & Kiraly I was a nervous wreck.
I'm not feeling too good about what lies ahead. Complacency took us down, amongst other factors last year and it looks to have a hand in our current predicament. Fingers crossed we pull it out. Although I think Betts has done well and shown himself to be a very good shot-stopper we are lacking organisation at the back. There isn't another option but, as I wrote some time back, ideally we would have someone with experience there taking charge of a young back line and keeping them in position. At least this time around there is a bit more spirit from the players but we have to learn from the last three seasons and go back to playing a system again. If you look at the teams Roy was putting out there are no world beaters there, it was a simple plan well executed with everyone understanding what was expected of them. I despair a bit with Kit, he seems a good club man but his tactics, in game reactions and player selection are not good enough. If I was Roberts or LVC I'd want to be learning, not watching someone else learn. I am convinced we will lose a few players this summer who I'd like us to build around because we are not showing ambition.
We seem to be drifting into the "it wont happen to us" complacent attitude of last season. Remember then, when Danny Murphy said that, "Fulham need to find a hero like in 2008" ? Well one didn't step forward and it's difficult to see who will in the present group. Nor is there any experience of having been in a "relegation dog fight" among the current squad. Why isn't Kit using the 'emergency loan' window? Others around us are! Is he so confident that the walking wounded, Hoogland and Amorebieta, are all that's needed to turn it around?
If we do get relegated it will be difficult to attract a manager of any quality, and if we manage to stay up I would presume that the chairman would want us to push on, so one way or another we most likely will get a summer managerial change.
If we get relegated (which I think is a fairly small if currently) then Khan will have lost well over £100 million on his original investment and will probably be forced into doing something to get us back up the divisions if he ever wants to see his money again. Plus, I can't think of many other clubs in League 1 who would have billionaire owners (Khan was reputedly the 3rd richest owner in the premiership, or so I read). Stay up or go down I also think Kit will go in the summer. He hasn't done a bad job but he hasn't managed to get us anywhere near the top or even the play-offs and this will count against him. I see him like I saw Paul Bracewell - quite capable and likeable but not inspiring or with any sort of managerial pedigree. It's just a shame we didn't get Pulis when he was available. Think he would have us up near the play-offs now. And he's not all long ball stuff either.
