Fulham head coach Marco Silva admitted defeat in the race to sign Neal Maupay – who appears set to join Everton – and was up front about his desperation to bring in new players before the end of the transfer window during this afternoon’s press conference.
The Portuguese boss revealed that he had hoped to be talking about some new arrivals ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Arsenal. Silva said of Maupay:
“It is true that we were linked. He was really close to coming. But I think he’s going to another club.”
Silva was clear as to the importance of further signings in order to continue the Cottagers’ fine start to life back in the top flight.
“We have been linked with so many players from the beginning of the market. Some are true, others are not so true. Some we tried and unfortunately we couldn’t hem. It is what it is. We have to do something. I expected [transfers] earlier in the market. The last time I spoke with you guys here, I expected something. Unfortunately we go to another game not with the solutions we should have on the bench at this level.
Let’s hope [before] the 31st things change for us. Because the players have been working really hard. They have been playing really well as well. They need help. Let’s see what we can do.”
Fancy missing out on Maupay,another player slips through the net,why do fulham always mess about,if you want a player bad enough pay the full asking price,no long winded negotiations just get the deal done.He would have been a ideal signing,can’t think of anyone else,probably ly sign a forward from the Portuguese 2nd division!!
No great loss. We can cover the six goals a season he scores.
If you have amateurs in charge of player recruitment what do you expect? Three weeks into the season and no cover for left back, striker, defensive midfielder or the two wingers that are still fit. It will take 3 and four months to get Wilson and Solomon match fit.
Would any other Premiership club employ a DOF who left them in that situation?
The amateur recruitment team whoever they are, really are a fucking joke, I wonder how much they are on for negotiating panic buys!!
Tony should stay with his AEW. I wonder if he uses his stats based claptrap on his wrestling? He would probably find a way to mess that up if he could.
If you look at how he has dealt with the players leaving the academy that is a sackable offence in its self, costing the football club millions of pounds in the process. The sooner Shad replaces Tony with a new DOF the better! You don’t know what you’re doing!
I agree with my friends, recruitment has been a shambles. We’ve had so many promising deals only to turn out to be utterly miss handled. Diop being a fine example, fighting west ham for so long to get this plank for 15M ( had a rating of 2/10 ) against Crawley when 14M would have seen Maupay through the doors weeks ago. I’m fed up hearing Marcos looking at, or thinking about, instead of Marco’s bought or Marco’s signed. What happend to kulivert, Willian, etc etc.
He’s just about holding himself together but you can really sense his unhappiness with things
He didn’t want to come across as negative before such an important game and actually said that but, even more starkly, said that FFP can’t be blamed for everything
So there is clearly something very wrong going on behind the scenes
Trying to make sense of it is driving me insane
There is no doubt that, even with the little amount of frustration that he is allowing to come through at press conferences, his mood must have an affect on the players. They have to feel his unhappiness-even subliminally
So many questions that need to be answered:
If it’s not FFP that’s the reason for this nightmare window -then what is?
Why was Silva promised 10-11 new players in for pre-season if the Khans knew they couldn’t deliver?
Why did Maupay choose Everton? In his first interview, he says he was impressed with the manager, the quality of players and the fans plus the project -but they all say that
If Diop really is as bad as he appeared to be at Crawley, why was he Silva’s first choice for centre back recruitment? He says he earmarked him last season
Why was Muniz allowed to sign for Middlesbrough when we have no other striking option? Silva highlighted the lack of anybody on his bench so why allow this move now-when they hadn’t allowed it 3 weeks ago? In his pre-Swansea press conference, Chris Wilder said that Fulham had not been prepared to let Muniz leave until last week. What was different? It’s irrelevant whether he’s any good or not. He was the only striker in reserve
It certainly seems as though the club were so confident that Maupay was coming that they had a change of heart about Muniz but something went terribly wrong for Brighton to suddenly name him in their squad for the West Ham game
I would conjecture that personal terms had been agreed, that a transfer fee had been agreed-then, S.Khan, in London as we know, tried to change the terms of the transfer fee which prompted Brighton not only to withdraw from the deal but publicly acknowledge that the deal was off by Potter naming him in his squad and making a statement about it not being imminent any longer
Therein lies the root problem. S. Khan has to get a bargain. It is part and parcel of his DNA. We all blame T. Khan but do you honestly believe that the father, in England, is going to let the son, in USA, control the negotiation?
Not a chance
He has built a fortune by driving hard bargains. Fair play to him. His son had his chances and f***ed up -spending enormous amounts of money to no avail. He is off the scene-in reality at least. It’s the father who “pops” over to keep an eye on things
Trust me; Shahid Khan is the person responsible for the position we are in. Tony Khan went public when promotion was secured and promised that lessons had been learnt and assured Silva that, now that we had the time to operate in the market, he would have all the players he needed -in place – for pre-season
But it’s not his money. It’s Daddy’s! Daddy comes over here in his yacht and tells us all about the great view from the Riverside, gives interviews to newspapers that tell fans nothing, usually about his failed bid for Wembley, hints at transfers still to come-“I think so” – as though he is not the guy actually in the driving seat but you only have to look at the Solomon/Shaktar Donetsk lack of integrity and withdrawal of an agreed fee (agreed by T.Khan-withdrawn by S.Khan) to see the real ruthlessness behind the scenes. You only have to watch the body language of Alistair Mackintosh in the videos when he is showing S. Khan around the Riverside -he is terrified of the man! Mackintosh knows how ruthless this guy can be. S. Khan has no regard for lackeys and that includes Marco Silva. Do your job, get us promoted-all good. Step out of line and I will just replace you with another. He did it to Parker as soon as he started being outspoken about the pathetic transfer policy. Parker was a bad,negative manager but he was right about the shit going on behind the scenes. Shit, he did it with Job, Meulensteen, Magath, Symons, Jokanovic and Ranieri. Zero empathy -even for those who won us promotion such as Parker and Slav. Do you honestly believe that he wouldn’t do exactly the same to Silva?
We are going to get beaten today-well beaten. I am not being negative. I am just keeping it real. If we go a couple of goals behind, or Mitro gets injured or has an off day or isn’t getting any service etc etc-there is not a single person on the bench that can make a difference. It is a disgrace
If we get beaten heavily -which is definitely on the cards- Silva will burst like a dam and the truth will come out but all that will do is sour things between him and Big Daddy until the inevitable departure occurs
For people like us long suffering fans it will be a disaster -but one that we are helpless to do anything about
Most fans have been carried away by a promising start to the season -and it has been brilliant – but all that changed with two things this week -the Crawley shambles and the failure to sign Maupay
Repercussions, repercussions, repercussions
Charles has called it perfectly I have been worried all week about today I think today we will see how far we have come in a short space of time losing to Crawley I could not describe in words how I felt they want there Arses kicked big time I can now believe the Kluivert saga it’s gone on longer than a TV Soap and we are looking at a player who does not really want to come to Fulham (Dieng) this is what we have been hearing all the time we are looking at or we are in talks with any other Premiership club would not behave in this way I really cannot believe some of it I if he don’t want to come to us leave it and move on hope we get some positives from today otherwise it might be deja vu again
With Tony Khan involved in transfers we can expect relegation time once again. This man should not be involved as he knows nothing about football. He panic buys cheap poor quality journeymen players who come for the wages not to leave their heart on the field for Fulham. He is very much in the Levy mode of transfer dealers, only offer well below the asking price and moan when we don’t get the player because another Premier club offers the asking price or very near to it.
So long as we have Khan involved we will return to the championship because of the poor squad depth. How is Ream our first choice centre back????. We need a quality striker and we won’t get Reguilon either, so try Maitland Niles, but offer the asking price and hope.
Whether it’s T or S Khan or FFP it’s all deja vue.
Fair play to Marco he sorted out the players he’s got. But he can’t manage to continue to do it without a squad depth. Crawley was beyond words and embarassing and was caused by not having a decent squad depth and as Marco said lack of desire.
Maupays non arrival just sums up what a f…… messour recruitment is.
Plus if a player does not won’t to come here don’t bring him as you won’t get the best from them