First post on the boards so hello to everyone..... Saw this on the BBC website gossip page this morning. Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are? Pantsil is certainly a character and has been a loyal servant for Fulham but has he got enough talent to warrant keeping his place at right back? He has made a few high profile mistakes this season that have cost us points and it seems obvious Hughes prefers Baird. I think Hughes is finally finding his feet at Fulham and will stay on for next season. If he is to push us forward towards european places, i think he is right to let Pantsil go and use the money gained to help towards new targets which can help us achieve that goal. Thoughts.....??
Hello to all Fulham old-606ers It seems like it. He blew both chances given to him by Hughes. Imagine if he was the last player instead of Baird in a few occassions!!
I'm not sure what Pantsil did, but I remember Hughes pulling him early from a game back in February and I don't remember seeing him since then. It's sad for me. Next to Dempsey, he's my favorite and I'm not sure we have an adequate replacement. Baird is good enough defensively, but he doesn't add much to the offensive thrust of our team. Pantsil neat ball handling and crosses were important for us. I think we'll need to pick up a RB this summer. Kelly's not the answer.
Pantsil's paying for those glaring defensive areas witnessed by Hughes. They were high profile and our new boss is not aware or doesn't care that JP's become a kind of totem of our success under Roy, especially his lap of honour. Like DR I like him and will be sorry to see him go, but if the boss has decided Pantsil's not a first choice it's similar to the Gera situation. It's a shame, for me it's not a choice between Baird & JP, rather Salcido, who rumour has it wants to return to Mexico in the summer anyway. I agree Kelly has rarely looked up to the part.
Agreed. Kelly was a definite lapse in the transfer market record. I can remember Baird being booed coming on when Thunderbirds 13 was in charge. Almost as if he had come to symbolise his time as manager but his improvement under Roy was really noriceable - or perhaps Roy just started playing him in position and gave him confidence - whatever, I rate him above Pantsil. I like JP but if he moved on it wouldn't be the greatest shame. Could probably get reasonable money for him as well.
I like both Baird and Pantsil, but suspect that Hughes wants someone better than either of them. On performances this season, Baird has clearly outperformed JP. Baird has been great for the last two years, but has occasionally been out of his depth - I'm thinking of the Europa League final as one instance where he was poor. The fact that Pantsil is out of contract in the summer (I think) means that (a) he's unlikely to stay and (b) we won't get any money for him. Someone commented (can't remember if it was here or on the original 606 site) that Salcido looks better now that Zamora is back in the side, providing a decent target for crosses and through balls. I haven't seen enough of them together/apart to comment, but it will be interesting to see how the next few weeks go. I had also heard that Salcido wants to go back to Mexico, so it may be that we are looking for two new full backs in the summer. Just a thought, my local team Bournemouth have a youngish left back (early to mid 20s) called Royce Wiggins who could certainly play at a higher level and who has recently put in a transfer request. Whether he's Premier League quality or just Championship I'm not sure, but he would be cheap and worth a punt as a squad player who might establish himself as a first choice. I know some of you will shout this down with cries of 'we should only buy established top-level players', but I thought I'd throw it in anyway. The lad can play.
That reminds me Commodore, the one who usually has that view most strongly is rf, and he hasn't appeared on the old 606 boards for a while, let alone track us to here. I hope he's ok.
Yes, Rocky, I'd noticed that we hadn't heard from RF on either board. I don't suppose anyone here has any contact with him outside of the old forum, so there's no way of following him up. As you say, I hope he's okay and there's a mundane reason why he's not posting. Maybe he's finally got completely frustrated with me disagreeing with him on so many things and can't bear to read my ramblings any more. I wouldn't blame him!
I'm happy to go for one more round with a posting on 606 - anyone else apart from RF missing? (not so easy for me to track back on the kit I'm using).
I'm not sure who's where, but between us let's see who we can remember. Apologies for anyone I leave out. I've had a peak at old postings. Apart from all of the above there's rf, craving's here I think, as is Tosh, Bandit, Jim FFC (is he with us?), silk ship, froggie, wotdoeswoywant, paintsil (hyphens omitted), surlyc, cc (cottagecravens), can everyone add some more? Which ones have registered here?
No Mad TT Am posted recently, but I can't remember if it was here or the old 606. I don't recall ffccaz or Peter D on here either.
Hello RDH, great to see some new faces as well as all the old favorites. Rocky / Captain, I am sure there are a few still not to come onboard hopefully they will see the flag flying and make their way over. As for JP, I personally have really mixed feelings on this one. Obviously he is an icon that is a total fan favorite. However, I think he is a victim of the change in our play. Under Roy, the key focus of our team play was to defend the zero. If we do not concede then we get at least a draw. Under this idea we defended as a team. Our wingers played deep giving constant support to the full backs. Under Hughes though our wingers, Duff and Demps, play higher up the pitch. Etuhu and Murph's are supposed to cover wide until the wingers get back. This automatically puts more emphasis on the full backs. Unfortunately, JP has not stepped up to mark. He has been found out too many times, not aware of his position and other oppo players around him. I have to say as well that Salcido has been guilty of this. He has cost us 3 / 4 goals because he steps inside and plays as a centre back. To be fair to him, he has improved. I think both will go in the summer, with the possibility of Konch coming back at left back. Baird has learnt a lot. He stays out wide now rather than allowing the winger to pull him inside. I am really happy for him, he was immense last year, covering at least 4 positions fairly well. COYW
You make a good assesment there Frogman. I have cursed Salcido all season bar that of the odd excellent cross. I think though he had his best game on Saturday. Hughes hasn't been afraid of making the team his own and our favourites in Gera and Pantsil seem to have been moved on. These players have been great for Fulham, and fantastic as recently as last season. Konch has had a disaster of a season. I feel sorry for him. Would be good to see him back. Pantsil though has been given a good chance, but he has had his fair share of own goals this season which I am sure has not helped his cause. I just hope Hughes is here for the long term. If so, I am happy to regard this year as a year of change, and I really think we can go on from here next season. Off to Man Utd Saturday - good time to play them me thinks. Can you imagine !!
Thanks for that GS, your work is appreciated. "hope Hughes is here for the long term." Yep FCOYW, that may be the big question given the rumours. I'd like to hear rf's views on that! He has a record of stickability in his managerial career so I too hope he builds upon his start. I think he will look for a number of changes in the summer but despite what a lot of FFC fans hope I don't think Konch will return to us. An excellent tactical analysis by froggie, you have so many strings to your bow! My rather lamer assessment has noticed that although we are more attacking under MH than RH with the obvious pros & cons, there can be a bit too much long ball, which works when BZ plays but can be frustrating at other times. With Roy you felt you knew what you were going to get, which was satisfying at home, but let's face it, frustrating away from home, certainly in the league, whereas at the moment I'm never quite sure what we're going to get, which points to a work in progress. Any views?
It occurs to me that many of our would-be contributors may be very busy and I've noticed that absolutely nothing of consequence is happening on 29th April, unless they shift the Sunderland away game to a day earlier, so might I suggest that as a time when FFC fans might like to sign up?
I like Pantsil, but he's by far the biggest liability in defence. He has plenty of heart but not enough awareness to be decent full back. We accepted his faults last year because there was no better option, now we have Baird.
Salcido's last 2 games have been very good. With Zamora on the field he has something to aim for rather than Johnson. I look forward to see who replaces Pantsil (Who I am not really too bothered about leaving, he just is a liability as Bandit correctly mentions). Baird has done a good job and I think should get the nod but is Kelly good enough cover? We'll see in the run-in if Baird keeps consistency against top teams.
For Kelly is OK. That is about as much as i would say about him. We are in desperate need of young full backs who can run up and down the line for the full 90 mins. Baird is by far the best we have. He has an engine and his deliveries are getting better. I have looked on transfermarket.co.uk, to see if any young full backs contracts expire in 2011 from the premiership. Not many to report, I am afraid. I guess Hughes may be looking abroad. Interesting names to appear on that list though are: Giles Barnes, Tamir Cohen ( Bolton ), Michael Kightly, Jamie O'Hara, some others from the champpionship, Lewis Mcgugan and Brian Stock. All centre midfielders but could be potential replacements for Danny. If Sidwell is not that player. Kightly is a winger though, was exceptional for Wolves in the Championship.
Is Kelly good enough as cover? I think "cover" is the operative word here. We don't need our back up players to be excellent, just good enough so they can come in and do a job when needed. If our back ups were TOO good (Gera) then they would be bleating to the press each week complaining that they're not in the the starting eleven.
