We've been knocking around this subject for a little while now so I thought I would start a thread where we could all put our points of view and see if we can reach some form of consensus. I think Mo, as good as he was for us, has to shoulder some blame for his lack of investment from 2011 onwards. We reach a European cup final and have been on a glide path down ever since with no real investment in the playing staff. Our playmakers either were allowed to leave because of their age (Murphy, for example) or because they wanted to (Dempsey) or because we were forced to because of their contact clauses (Dembele) and were never really adequately replaced. Meanwhile those other stalwarts of the Euro squad aged and began to be ineffective in the premier league (Duff, Hughes, even Brede, arguably). The fact that more pressure wasn't applied upwards to force some money to be available, especially given the profits made from player sales by Ali Mac is his failing (albeit very difficult with someone like Mo in charge). He also failed in letting Jol stay beyond the end of last season, when a rapid decline was obvious to most of us, and also for letting Mulensteen be appointed then sacked, or not sacked, or whatever, and also bringing in, or allowing to be brought in, Curbs and Wilkins. The realisation that we would probably go down came far too late to the board when it was pretty clear to most other people. The fact that he couldn't keep Mulensteen as a coach is also a black mark against him as I think RM would have been a very innovative force, especially with blending in our youngsters. Jol certainly messed up the team. I have no idea why because I always thought of him as a good manager and, when at Spurs, he did very well with them and bought, by and large, wisely and well. It is not his fault he wasn't given any money, but the choice of players he brought in for us was quationable. Taraabt, for example, had shown amply why he wasn't really a premiership player with QPR, and his attitude quite clearly stank from day one. Bent also showed why Lambert wasn't playing him and he was, in hindsight admittedly, a bit of a punt. Not playing at least some of the young players earlier in the season was also odd. We have talented kids but he just didn't want to let them near the first team. Some game time should have been allocated for the very best of them this season. He also managed to create an air of downbeat gloom. His video's were always delivered with the air of a man who might just go off camera and slit his wrists. Billy Mac was not a great coach and let team fitness slide to a massive extent. We have lost something there since Ray was enticed off to England and I feel this element may have been underplayed but was important. Mulensteen was a great coach but we all know how that worked out. Rene forgot to coach defending. Our defence under him was hardly a defense at all. He also trusted to luck way too much and some of his substitutions were baffling. his work in the transfer window may also, ultimately prove to be poor with the recruitment of an unfit Greek who may not have any time to adjust to the Premiership. Just my thoughts.
It's Mo who's to blame if you ask me. Simple failure to continue investing in the team as it A) aged and B) lost key players, as you pointed out in your second paragraph. I hate to say it, but I think Mark Hughes hit the nail on the head in his parting shot at Chairman Mo when resigning. He accused Mo of not being ambitious enough ... read "cheap" into that statement and it all starts to make sense. Jol and Rene were not perfect in their execution as managers, but no amount of bailing was going to save this sinking ship. I'm no football expert, but even I could see this coming and wrote about it 18 months ago it in this Not606 posting.
Myriad of factors I think - there was a malaise around the club at the end of last season which we never rid ourselves of. Jol, Berba and Ruiz three main culprits from the football side, for me. All happy to take it easy and enjoy a life in London. The fact we lost so many in a row after securing safety showed me Jol never had any real vision or ambition for the club. ALF did stop investing, and Khan has put his money in too late. Ali Mac's role with a new inexperienced owner was crucial, but we've had so many mis-steps this season it's been a tragi-comedy. Hughes wasn't the right man to do it with, but the summer he left was when the rebuild needed to happen. We've still not done it and face a run in with a squad of loanees and one year contracters mostly pushing 30 or the wrong side of it. Going down and clearing our wage bill could help us to actually do the job properly - we've not invested in the future up to this point - our academy doesn't seem to be integrated, but I'm not convinced we have enough quality there are the minute. There are a few who could step up in the Championship but it needs us to invest in a systematic and ambitious way. No more pensioners and reject players brought in from managers former club- we can't rely on QPR always buying our dross.
You beat me to it fulhaman, so if you do not mind here is my take on why we are where we are now. The Europa League final, a dream come true for everyone associated with our wonderful club. What an amazing journey to have made it there, with a team that was brimming with togetherness and a desire to exceed even their highest expectations. A gifted manager, able to get the very best out each player whilst retaining organisation and hunger to win. The chairman, his dreams fulfilled to see the club he dragged from the gutters shining on the European stage. Did anyone really believe that this could be happening ? At the time yes, but after the event we were simply not prepared as a club to see where this could have taken us. The little club by the river was suddenly thrust into the limelight, now was our chance to attract players that we could have only dreamt about. Now we were a club that potential investors knew about, we had a recent historical European journey to back up our family based club. We had to look forward. Our chairman remained, we took 11 million from the sale of Smalling and Konchesky and spent 9.7 million on Sidwell, Salcido, Halliche and Dembele. The average age of our first team in the Europa league 09/10 season was 29.7, this rose to 30.7 in the 10/11 season. The 11/12 season saw it marginally dip to 30.2, the 12/13 season rise again to 31.1 and this year it has probably averaged between 28 and 30. During the period between the 09/10 season and last season we spent about 30 million and took in about 45 million. So, in the aftermath of our most recent moment of glory we could have taken the bull by the horns and restructured the aging team whilst we were an attractive team to potential players. Instead, we completely missed the opportunity and decided to show no ambition. First big mistake. The investments we have made to introduce younger players into the squad have not been good enough. Halliche, Gecov, Bjorn Helge Riise and Rodellega all the right age in positions we needed them, but simply not good enough. It must be said that we signed Smalling and Dembele both of whom were excellent signings and I wish so much that were still the spine of the team. Instead, we sold out on them, taking the money when they should have been the future of our team. Other signings on loan have proved to be potentially good players: Enoh, Manolev and Frimpong. We could have bought these players for a fairly cheap price and I feel that given a chance they could have been really good players. Instead, we penny pinched too much and missed out. I feel that we have been too cautious with giving players a chance in the last 2 or 3 in particular. Kasami is the obvious case in question. Bought for 1.4 million in the 11/12 season he was immediately put on the wing, out of position, and then banished after the Chelsea penalty incident. At the time his positional play was woeful, he kept coming inside and we were found wanting on the right. It was clear though that he was best deployed off the striker in a free role, his energy and aggression could have been very well suited to the premiership. Even today, he played on the wing and still looks awkward. Danny Hoesen and Kerim Frei also spring to mind. Hoesen is playing very well now for Ajax at champions league level and Kerim Frei, if played on the right wing would have been great for us. Add to these players Enoh, Frimpong and Manolev and we could have had some energetic talented players. Of course there has been bad luck along the way as well. Losing Roy to the England job was catastrophic for us. Still in charge now, he would have us as a solid top 10 team. Danny Murphy leaving was also a disaster, Diarra getting permanently injured, Briggs not making the step up. All of these could have helped along the way. Our present demise has been coming ever since the Europa League Final. I cannot praise Big Mo enough for what he has done for us, but, he screwed up in the aftermath of the final. He needed to seize the moment and bottled it. He should have committed to spending some good money, and I mean 30/40 million, or sold up and let someone else come in. Failure to do so meant we missed the biggest opportunity in our recent history. I will say one thing though, he knew what he was doing. Leaving the youth system as it is now is his legacy for us, his way of saying I've done what I can, here is the future of your club. Alistair mackintosh. Under the guidance of MAF, he was effective. He had help from a well organised board of directors and a structured club. Without that guidance he has struggled. It should be noted that what he has had to take is by no means easy, none the less, it is his job and he has failed this season. Too much penny pinching on potential signings has cost us. Hiring Mark Hughes after Roy was a disaster. Hands on Roy to aloof Mark Hughes not good. Management. Not dealing with the aging squad has ruined us. Having a team that has an average age around 28 - 30 for the past 5 seasons is unexplainable. Not giving sustained chances to young talent we have has not been good. I loved the Europa league run, it was truly an amazing time to be a Fulham fan but I feel let down by the club for not using it as a catalyst for our future. Lack of ambition has got us to where we are now, an obsession with self sufficiency whilst being too afraid to take a gamble has got us to where we are now. Whatever happens between now and the end of the season is a lottery. Either way, we have an exciting time ahead. We have one of the best academies in the country and we have to show ambition and good management to get the most out it. There is talent in all the youth age ranges meaning that their will be players coming through for many years to come. We have messed up the first team over the last 5 seasons, we have to make the most of our young players over the next 5 seasons. Sorry for the long article but I have way too much time on my hands at the moment !!!!!!
Very good views and not much to add... For me it is MAF and Jol. Simples... MAF is so vain that he does not care about the club only his personal fame. He sold everything he owned that says a lot!
What about this? http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26414167 Dembele and the Eguptian grocer comes to mind!! Obviously the contracts might be significantly different but....
Irrespective what MAF did in his later years as chairman, or for what reason, without his initial impact we woul not have enjoyed 1 season in the premiership let alone10, and i also believe that there would have been a possibility that we would not now have Craven Cottage. In RIBA the architects journal they put the cottage / ground value at 230/250mil so whoever bought whether football minded or not is not taking such a financial risk. I posted an article yesterday re : my opinion on Ali Macs part in our current senario.
Great posts Fulhaman and Froggy; collectively plotting the route to where we are so well. And as Silky says, many contributing factors. Just on this season, two not yet touched on are: * The naivety of Shad Khan in matters football. That relegation exists in the Premiership and transfers are only good when they are the correct ones. * The complacency and lack of leadership in the Dressing Room. Evident (certainly to fans) in pre-season friendlies and with a (very) small number of surges, prevalent ever since.
