Absolutely spot on. The recruitment is amateur. January signings are non existent, as you say. Marco asked for signings last January to push for Europe, he got nothing. Then, big money spent on a player in late August that is way off being ready(Kevin). Tony Khan's order of priority is his wrestling franchise, then their NFL team, then Fulham.
I think Silva hasnt been the same since Boa Morte first and Stuart Gray left IMO. I wonder whether the chemistry and experience of the off-field team is no where near where it needs to be right now. Alot of the weight of this is sitting on Silva's shoulders and I feel his fustrations and anger on the sidelines is a reflection of it. I think hes still the man moving forward but he needs more support....
You make a great point about LBM and SG leaving and it’s effect on Marco and the squad. This has not been written up about or explored enough by journalists.
I think the Khans are realizing that we could get relegated and are - having just spent a ton of cash completing the Riverside - freaking out. I hope this means they do what it takes to keep Marco and not fire him, but we will see. They don't seem to really have a plan for post Marco for how to win with the players we have and that is not very reassuring.
There is absolutely zero succession planning. That is not Marco’s fault. Anyone know who our assistant manager is? We really do make things difficult for ourselves.
Marco is not the problem. The Khans have spent hundreds of millions on the club and we've spent most of their reign in the championship or getting relegated. Appointing Marco is the only good decision they have made. Apart from Roy he has been far and away our best coach in the premier league era and possibly of all time.
Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth are all clubs our size which have shown how to compete with the bigger teams. They all usually finish above us but instead of developing a strategy around recruitment etc we spent 120m on turning the Riverside into a boutique hotel!! It's madness!!!
I am really concerned the regime is going to run the club into the ground.
Marco is the problem and not just because he keeps playing the same losing formation and making bad substitutions, although that doesn’t help. He is fine when things are going well but when they’re not he becomes angry/sulky, and he has infected the team with that mentality. When things go against, rather than fight back, we fold. And that has to be Marco’s responsibility.
And best manager ever?! As well as Sir Roy and Tigana, how about, in my time, Alec Stock, Malcolm Macdonald and his team of whirling dervishes, Micky Adams for keeping us in the Football League and starting the resurrection? Silva’s in the top six but he’s not irreplaceable.
I dont know why but I sense a rigidity in Silvas approach since early this year and that the players (aside from King and Sess) aren't expressing themselves so we are predictable going forward.
Given our squad, we are underperforming (with some honourable exceptions). There is a danger we will be dragged into a relegation fight.
Unless Silva commits to an extension soon, the club would be prudent in looking for a successor.
The mass Silva love-in might well drag us under this season. He’s half-in, half-out at best. The players know it yet we expect them to run through a wall for him? Re-sign or leave. Now. Before it’s too late.
Personally, I’d be delighted if he re-signed, for all the reasons you point to, but the club need to act one way or the other. Sitting and hoping he turns it around, given the contractual situation is not the solution.
I believe this is pure mischief making from unscrupulous journalists. Only recently has our owner stated how highly he rates Marco and how he wants him to stay long term. Our present form is of course a cause for concern but this in itself leads to the mischief making. We have an injury problem at present, sacking Marco can't cure that
What if - and I remember someone speculated about this on the pod last season - the Khan's are bent on selling this season? The stand is fully open now (isn't it?) and you have a manager spot available, a squad you can revamp as you see fit as they haven't bought much the past 12months. Wouldn't that be good conditions for a sale? Not too many long term commitments that are costly to undo if you as new owner wants something else. No statue to promise to keep either, despite plenty of newly constructed room for it in the new stand.
They have to keep him, sacking him would be bad. The board have to think of ways to make him stay, and he has to be willing to commit to Fulham.
Absolutely spot on. The recruitment is amateur. January signings are non existent, as you say. Marco asked for signings last January to push for Europe, he got nothing. Then, big money spent on a player in late August that is way off being ready(Kevin). Tony Khan's order of priority is his wrestling franchise, then their NFL team, then Fulham.
I think Silva hasnt been the same since Boa Morte first and Stuart Gray left IMO. I wonder whether the chemistry and experience of the off-field team is no where near where it needs to be right now. Alot of the weight of this is sitting on Silva's shoulders and I feel his fustrations and anger on the sidelines is a reflection of it. I think hes still the man moving forward but he needs more support....
You make a great point about LBM and SG leaving and it’s effect on Marco and the squad. This has not been written up about or explored enough by journalists.
I think the Khans are realizing that we could get relegated and are - having just spent a ton of cash completing the Riverside - freaking out. I hope this means they do what it takes to keep Marco and not fire him, but we will see. They don't seem to really have a plan for post Marco for how to win with the players we have and that is not very reassuring.
There is absolutely zero succession planning. That is not Marco’s fault. Anyone know who our assistant manager is? We really do make things difficult for ourselves.
Marco is not the problem. The Khans have spent hundreds of millions on the club and we've spent most of their reign in the championship or getting relegated. Appointing Marco is the only good decision they have made. Apart from Roy he has been far and away our best coach in the premier league era and possibly of all time.
Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth are all clubs our size which have shown how to compete with the bigger teams. They all usually finish above us but instead of developing a strategy around recruitment etc we spent 120m on turning the Riverside into a boutique hotel!! It's madness!!!
I am really concerned the regime is going to run the club into the ground.
Marco is the problem and not just because he keeps playing the same losing formation and making bad substitutions, although that doesn’t help. He is fine when things are going well but when they’re not he becomes angry/sulky, and he has infected the team with that mentality. When things go against, rather than fight back, we fold. And that has to be Marco’s responsibility.
And best manager ever?! As well as Sir Roy and Tigana, how about, in my time, Alec Stock, Malcolm Macdonald and his team of whirling dervishes, Micky Adams for keeping us in the Football League and starting the resurrection? Silva’s in the top six but he’s not irreplaceable.
I dont know why but I sense a rigidity in Silvas approach since early this year and that the players (aside from King and Sess) aren't expressing themselves so we are predictable going forward.
Given our squad, we are underperforming (with some honourable exceptions). There is a danger we will be dragged into a relegation fight.
Unless Silva commits to an extension soon, the club would be prudent in looking for a successor.
The mass Silva love-in might well drag us under this season. He’s half-in, half-out at best. The players know it yet we expect them to run through a wall for him? Re-sign or leave. Now. Before it’s too late.
Personally, I’d be delighted if he re-signed, for all the reasons you point to, but the club need to act one way or the other. Sitting and hoping he turns it around, given the contractual situation is not the solution.
Top two managers? Not even close. Under Tigana Fulham played the best football I’ve seen in 60 years of supporting them, and then there’s Sir Roy…..
Great article, many thanks. good common sense. Be careful what you wish for.....
Hear, hear!
I believe this is pure mischief making from unscrupulous journalists. Only recently has our owner stated how highly he rates Marco and how he wants him to stay long term. Our present form is of course a cause for concern but this in itself leads to the mischief making. We have an injury problem at present, sacking Marco can't cure that
What if - and I remember someone speculated about this on the pod last season - the Khan's are bent on selling this season? The stand is fully open now (isn't it?) and you have a manager spot available, a squad you can revamp as you see fit as they haven't bought much the past 12months. Wouldn't that be good conditions for a sale? Not too many long term commitments that are costly to undo if you as new owner wants something else. No statue to promise to keep either, despite plenty of newly constructed room for it in the new stand.
But would have to stay in the Premier