With only a few days to go until the Premier League season kicks off, the atmosphere around Fulham Football Club is decidedly toxic.Â
We don’t have a fit left back, Rodrigo Muniz is apparently pushing for a move to Atalanta, our genius of a head coach is openly questioning the transfer strategy and the club is failing to properly communicate basic developments like pre-season friendlies.
How did we get here? Just months ago we were dreaming about a European push and celebrating Fulham’s best ever Premier League points tally. But the optimism of the spring feels like an eternity ago.
Pre-season is supposed to be a time of excitement. Supporters wonder what the new season could bring, new kits are released, transfers are announced and we get to see the Fulham step out onto the Cottage pitch for the first time in months.
But except for the addition of some snazzy new kits, this summer has brought anger, disappointment and bafflement. The prevailing attitude among supporters, myself included, has been a stunned bemusement at how the Fulham hierarchy have failed to sign any impact players up to this point. And no, Benjamin Lecomte’s arrival from a relegated Montpelier isn’t cutting it.
At a time when Fulham could be pushing for not only the top ten, but the European spots, it appears the club is stagnating during a summer where no one seems happy.
Marco Silva’s critical comments following the Frankfurt friendly smack of similar statements from Slavisa Jokanovic nearly a decade ago. A concerning pattern exists of managers feeling let down by the top decision makers.
Yes, we all know the refrain — Fulham like to do their business late in the window. It’s where the best deals are found. It’s simply shrewd.
But enough is enough. Failing to properly integrate players during preseason inevitably means a squad that starts the season unbalanced and out of sorts. In the modern top flight, we can’t afford to begin at a disadvantage.
Let’s be clear — things could be much worse. Fulham could be facing bankruptcy, or even relegation. We have been fortunate to avoid any sort of relegation scrap in the years since Silva steered us back to the promised land.
But the ingredients for danger are here. An aging squad, an unhappy manager and an ownership structure that has left business precariously late. Let’s just hope the strong core of the current side can hold down the fort.
If reinforcements don’t arrive, we may be in for a season where we’re nervously looking down instead of expectantly looking up. And that would be a shame given the recent promise of Fulham’s upward mobility.
Good article Max.
Let’s just hope that the last few weeks of the window bring a few new signings & no exits.
I’m trying to be positive!
Bit over the top, I think. I see no evidence that Marco is unhappy, or questioning the club’s transfer strategy – unless you follow the Sun line and read into his quotes something he didn’t say.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times….let’s hope that this tense summer doesn’t lead to a winter of despair. Excellent article, Max! I hope to see more from you.
If everyone is staying, I am a bit concerned but not extremely concerned. However, the recent muniz rumours are a bit concerning. Having the exact same team who are used to playing under us is not such a bad thing. All clubs around us have purchased but they also have lost key players.
Apart from the elite, we’re not doing worst than anyone else at moment with lost know one we wanted to keep. The better we get and we have a good squad, the harder it will be to get upgrades with the richest after the same players. Teams that made Europe are also frustrated so far Newcastle, Villa, Palace . As for promoted clubs Sunderland Leeds Burnley all needed to sign premiership players none have signed anyone who would greatly improve our squad . We have some good youngsters that have signed contracts. Let’s calm down and see what happens COYW
Blinkin heck. Another writer who needs Samaritans on speed dial.
Other managers have also been making similar noises about the lack of bodies through the door. Glasner said the same on Sunday.
I don’t see Marco, a man who wears his heart on his sleeve (count those yellow cards he’s received), being unhappy. If he was, he’d let the world know just as he does when he’s on the touch line.
For all the ‘just pay the extra and get him in early’, we all know it isn’t that simple. A few extra million here or there on buying players could have knock ons on wages available and possibly even cost us a points deduction. It’s easy to spend millions of someone else’s money. *deletes barbed political comment*
As for ‘we don’t have a fit LB’, how many are we meant to have on the books? Marco has always stated two in every position, it’s just fulhamish that both our LBs are injured at the same time, as it was with our RBs for a chunk of last season. Timmy’s stoicism was heroic, playing through injury.
And ‘other sites’ are having hysterical meltdowns about the Khans wanting to sell, based on nothing at all other than the lack of signings.
I do think that this sort of thing is indicative of the generational split between Fulham fans. Fans below their late 30s seem to expect us to build and become a solid top ten club, which I think is unrealistic. And the older fans who remember just how crap things used to be, are happy to be solvent, have a ground that isn’t falling to bits and are just grateful to be at the top table.
Fulham’s dilemma is they aim high for players. Some won’t come cos we’re not in Europe. Many want to see what all the opportunities are ( doesn’t happen to Liverpool etc but we’re not Liverpool). We haven’t lost players and we’ve signed academy players.
£40m + for Muniz is the same as £20m + for Stansfield. The money we’ve offered for Kevin shows our ambition. Let’s see where we are in a couple of weeks.
Sorry Max but far too negative and unrealistic , based on assumptions not evidence . Like many here let’s be realistic and patient . We have kept our squad whilst others around been decimated, we are not aging we have extended youth contracts and kept key players the fan base crying out for . No evidence Khans want to sell and they have been investing multi millions and have ensured Silva stays . The fact that we are actually seeking some players with pedigree and potential to grow even more is significant. But just making sure we don’t pay over the odds like so many others have done COYW .
If Marco is happy why doesn’t he sign a new contract
We are a football club…with a swanky restaurant on the Thames…..it’s good we have retained the squad so far (worrying about Munez) and at last signed most of our promising Juniors. But lack of activity in the market, yes i know wee haven’t got to the end of the window.
But it does smack of loss of ambition. Last year was good apart from the final games drop off. But for a few years we had hoped for European football.
I’m ever hopeful but each year that passes we never quite seem to make it. COYW’s
What is the matter with the club, I have written two emails to them over the last three weeks-no reply?