I think we won't get many major signings during the January transfer window. But in the summer we will definitely have to look at the spine of the team, and buy quality players and build the team around them. Will Stekelenberg come back from the World Cup with his reputation back as one of the best or will Krul or Vorm have got the No1 jersey ? Will Hangeland get back from injury and be the same player ? We will still need another CB. Can we find a younger version of Scotty Parker ? who surely can't last too long they way he plays. (Minkwitz ? heard good reports on him) Still need Creative midfielders and it sounds like Ruiz may move on after the World Cup and Taarabt will be too much of a risk and expensive. Can't see Berbatov re-newing, and don't think Bent will be kept, or even Rodallega. So will Khan keep his money in his pocket till July. But then prices might go up after the World Cup. It seems just like the go-ahead with the new stand we are going to be waiting to see if we avoid relegation.
I've been suggesting the same thing, that the bulk of the team needs replacing, for about two years, McBride. MAF is at fault; he knew he was going to sell the team and, after selling off the crown jewels in 2012, had no intention of replacing the "spine" of the team at his expense. If Fulham were a car, MAF drove it for 2 years without changing the oil, brakes and tires, then, just before the clutch failed, he wiped it down with a polish cloth and sold it to a man who didn't know a thing about cars. People venerate MAF, but I think money always came first with him. If the city would have let him dismember the team and turn The Cottage into a high-price car park, he would have done it.
Yes, absolutely. Hence the reason all Jol was allowed to play with was loans and free transfers. It's a miracle we haven't already been relegated really. Rene has to solve the question of 'How do you reduce the average age of the side when all that's available on the cheap are over the hill players looking for one last pay day'. This is why I don't think a season in the Championship would be the worst thing, granted if we went up straight away of course. We have some talented youngsters who aren't going to get game time this season bar a few cup games, and far too many players who are 'past it' but still earning a hefty wage (Duff, Hughes, Riise etc). Relegation would allow us to cut the deadwood, trim the wage budget and integrate more young players into the team.
We have indeed, and the very same younsters were here last season without getting so much as a sniff of a game from Jol. I'd agree with you and DR, Bandit, that MAF had already plotted his departure and wasn't going to give Jol new money. But disagree that left him only with loans and free transfers - he could have done a lot more wheeling and dealing - even raised money by the odd sale. And properly integrated those youngsters towards the end of last season. Bottom line, Jol didn't give a 'monkey's'. Relegation would reduce us to deadwood.
Bandit, have to disagree with the relegation option. The risk is too big to take it. My scenario is to squeeze as much as possible out of this team to get to 40-45 points as soon as possible and then get in the youngsters. This will give them a few games in the PL without the stress of promotion or relegation and will be able to prove themselves. As you said with the Cup games they have 1-2 more opportunities. That's where Jol was wrong last year and he made me think despite the tight budget he had lost control. The team was was in dire form since we beat QPR and none of the youngsters was given an opportunity.
That's the point I was going to make, Bidley. Jol had his faults, but we can't blame him for not bringing in transfer fees to fund new signings. Also, we say Jol never introduced any of the youngsters, but that ignores Frei before the injuries kicked in, Kacaniklic, and Kasami (this season). He could certainly have made more use of our youngsters, but it's not fair to say that he didn't bring any youngsters in. That said, the signings that we did make under him include several players who I imagine are on very healthy wages - Berba, Parker, etc. If a strategic decision was made to use more of the budget on wages than on transfer fees, that might be something that Jol, along with Ali Mac, can be held responsible for. Bandit's relegation argument is sound, but doesn't take into account the Riverside Stand factor. If we go down, it doesn't get built. If we don't start building by 2015, the planning permission lapses and we'd have to apply all over again at a later date. Relegation wouldn't be the end of the world, but it would be the end of the ground expansion for the forseeable future. I'd like to see some of the youngsters play more of a role this season, but in sensible numbers rather than mob-handed. I'd like to see a mid-to-late 20something right sided centre back arrive in the window, with a view to becoming the long-term partner to Burn. I don't think the idea of playing Burn and Grimmer as our first choice pairing next year is a winner. Either one could stake a claim to a starting spot, but either would benefit from playing with a more experienced partner for a season or two. I think the critical part of the team to get right is the striker. Even if Berba stays, we need better options for when he's injured/out of form/sulking.
I do not agree entirely with the theory on funds. He got some money this year. He spent £5m on a new keeper while the combination of Schwarzer and Stockdale could have made the season. These could have gone towards Huddlestone. Skekelenburg is a world class keeper and investment for the future but the position was not an immediate issue. Also another £2m spent on Bent? So far has been a flop and a fit Petric could have been a back-up to Berba. So I agree in principle regarding the lack of funds but not a whitewash on Jol and his responsibilities for being were we are.
It's MAF's fault. Having a better manager than Jol might have forstalled the descent of our team, but only by a matter of months. One way or another, we've been headed toward this point for a couple years. Whether we're religated or stay up, it's time to pay the piper which, in our case, means a boat load of money will be spent on a bunch of new, unfamiliar faces, a few of whom will success while many will fail utterly. It's going to be ugly, but interesting.
