king canary 7,455 Posted March 7, 2018 Fulham take a gamble in January and look to strengthen an already good squad with a loan deal for Aleksander Mitrovic from Newcastle. I''d imagine the wages and loan fee aren''t cheap.In return, he''s scored 5 goals in 5 starts (with 2 more appearances off the bench) with Fulham winning 5 and drawing 2 of those 7 games. This was a team who was already scoring goals but opted to strengthen and had the finance to do it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bill 1,788 Posted March 7, 2018 [quote user="king canary"]Fulham take a gamble in January and look to strengthen an already good squad with a loan deal for Aleksander Mitrovic from Newcastle. I''d imagine the wages and loan fee aren''t cheap.In return, he''s scored 5 goals in 5 starts (with 2 more appearances off the bench) with Fulham winning 5 and drawing 2 of those 7 games. This was a team who was already scoring goals but opted to strengthen and had the finance to do it.[/quote]Yes, that is quite amazingWho would think that could happen ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
king canary 7,455 Posted March 7, 2018 Not many on here it seems. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bill 1,788 Posted March 7, 2018 I think most are well aware of what more money can achieveIt''s just they don''t use that awareness to keep endlessly digging at the club, that''s all Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
king canary 7,455 Posted March 7, 2018 Ah yes, ''digging at the club.''Actually worked out what that means yet? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thirsty Lizard 3,085 Posted March 7, 2018 I think the pertinent phrase in your original post King Canary is ''take a gamble''. If you''ve got loads of money you can perhaps afford to take a gamble like Fulham have done.Go back a short time and you''ll find plenty of posters on here urging us to ''sign a proven goalscorer like Jordan Rhodes.''Sheffield Wednesday paid £10 million for him at the beginning of this season (plus god knows what in wages) and, to put it politely, he''s been utter rubbish. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JF 694 Posted March 7, 2018 whilst I agree that the club desperately needs new investment/owners, that’s not the problem where putting the ball in the net is concerned. It’s Farkes philosophy that’s the problem, even shit teams with no money to spend score goals Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ec-p 89 Posted March 7, 2018 I always thought Mitrovic looked handy, think Newcastle fans were bemused that Rafa wouldn''t play him in the PL. Fulham are on a good run right now, am sure many would like to think it could''ve been us but under Farke''s system we''re gong to struggle to score. It feels like Hughton mk2 at the mo. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Indy 3,232 Posted March 7, 2018 Well without it, Man City & Chelsea would still be at our level! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Punctured Bicycle on a hillside desolate 0 Posted March 7, 2018 Bristol is a good example of investing well by a stinking rich owner Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Smith 2,290 Posted March 7, 2018 Is it that big a gamble to take a proven player on loan for 6 months to attempt to get promoted when you have sold millions and millions of pounds worth of players that season and know you have £30m + worth of players you can/will sell in the summer if you fail to get promoted? its not like it leaves you lumbered with his huge wages long term. What is mopre pointless is loaning a player like Edwards who you don;t play and whom we can;t possibly ever hope to sign at the end of the loan.Fair play to Fulham, if they go up they will deserve it for actually attempting to do so rather than not even try and just hope everything will be better next season with a weaker squad of players. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SwindonCanary 455 Posted March 7, 2018 It''s amazing what Lansdown has done to Ashton Gate, as well as the investment on the pitch. Plus he''s supporting the Bristol Rugby and the basketball ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
capricorn1 17 Posted March 7, 2018 "am sure many would like to think it could''ve been us but under Farke''s system we''re gong to struggle to score. It feels like Hughton mk2 at the mo. "And yet in both of our last two games we''ve had plenty of shots on target, we had 9 against league leaders Wolves and 15 against the Scum, 11 against Derby and 21 against Middlesborough! The issue right now isn''t Farke''s system as it''s creating plenty of chances and keeping the back tight, it''s for whatever reason we just can''t get the ball over the line! The longer the steak goes on the harder it is to break as the players get nervous, but sooner or later we''ll get off the mark and be more comfortable in front of goal! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rogue Baboon 0 Posted March 7, 2018 I''m sorry, but shots on target is a pretty pointless stat. Take Ipswich for example. We had about 11 shots in the 2nd half alone, of which about half were on target. Of those on target only ONE was from inside the box - Kloses header which we scored from & was created by a Centre Half chasing a lost cause.You can have 100 shots on target in a game, if they are all from outside the box it means little.As for sooner or later it will change, well it hasn''t changed since August so I dont hold out much hope now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Indy 3,232 Posted March 7, 2018 Bang on the money, lack of quality finishing, lack of a quality striker who suits this system. But we can only work inside our financial limits, it’ll be interesting to see how this summer pans out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rogue Baboon 0 Posted March 7, 2018 Can anybody suggest a striker who would fit this system?I honestly believe you could put Kane, Lewandowski or Higuain up front and we would still be having the same issues Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Indy 3,232 Posted March 7, 2018 I disagree, we are creating pretty good chances, a decent striker like Chris Wood or Mitrovic would be great, both now out of our price range but that type of young striker.We need to get better quality ball into the box from the wide areas, last night I was listening to our game on Norfolk, and the number of times Laps said about the final ball being shite after a good run getting behind the Forrest defence.For me it’s lack of quality up top. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hogesar 9,502 Posted March 7, 2018 I don''t get this argument that other strikers wouldn''t score in this system. Kane would likely have scored last night and equally i''d have thought he''d have taken some of the easier chances in the last 3 or 4 games at home.In terms of what investment can do, that''s all well and good. Unless Fulham don''t finish in the play-offs. Then it wasn''t worth it. Or if you''re Sheffield Wednesday. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rogue Baboon 0 Posted March 7, 2018 So Kane plays instead of Oliveira/Srbeny...What chance would he have taken last night? Or in the last few home games?We are still waiting for somebody to stick it in the top corner form 25yards every time Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bill 1,788 Posted March 7, 2018 [quote user="Rogue Baboon"]I''m sorry, but shots on target is a pretty pointless stat. Take Ipswich for example. We had about 11 shots in the 2nd half alone, of which about half were on target. Of those on target only ONE was from inside the box - Kloses header which we scored from & was created by a Centre Half chasing a lost cause.You can have 100 shots on target in a game, if they are all from outside the box it means little.As for sooner or later it will change, well it hasn''t changed since August so I dont hold out much hope now.[/quote]It was also a longer pass from Maddison which was a bit speculative.We need to stop worrying about losing possession, and get the ball forward and into the box much quicker. Not hoof ball, but certainly not tippity tap around the middle with the ball pinging back and forth like a pinball.You miss hit a ball in the centre circle you can recover, you miss hit a ball in your pen box and the opposition can score. So let''s start getting the ball in there, not far ting about with short goal kicks, free kicks and corners either. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TCCANARY 263 Posted March 7, 2018 There''s a young chap who''s just scored 5 in three games for Boro. [:D] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rogue Baboon 0 Posted March 7, 2018 ''We need to stop worrying about losing possession, and get the ball forward and into the box much quicker. Not hoof ball, but certainly not tippity tap around the middle with the ball pinging back and forth like a pinball''Nail. On Head.A ball into a channel for a winger to chase for example. I don''t care if its over hit, or the defender gets it first, at least we have tried to get it forward quicker.At the minute the emphasis seems to be keeping the ball with balls to feet, hoping that suddenly the opposition will commit 1 or 2 bodies to chase it out of position when that clearly wont happen Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rogue Baboon 0 Posted March 7, 2018 @TCCANARYThere is also a guy who was banging them in for one of the worst teams in the league who was available on loan in the window, and is now starting to score for a team chasing Automatic Promotion.However, his attitude makes Oliveira look like a saint... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Punctured Bicycle on a hillside desolate 0 Posted March 7, 2018 Bristol are a cracking example of a British owner spending wisely and professionally Why can''t we be Bristol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
king canary 7,455 Posted March 7, 2018 I think a Mitrovic could work- my feeling is we need a striker with good touch but also the physicality to move defenders off their spot and drag them around a bit.Jerome had the physical side but not the quality with his feet.Nelson has good touch and passing but just isn''t showing the physicality. He''s too often beaten by a stronger defender when he has his back to goal and he doesn''t seem able to move them about. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Haggerdoo 6 Posted March 7, 2018 [quote user="Rogue Baboon"]Can anybody suggest a striker who would fit this system?I honestly believe you could put Kane, Lewandowski or Higuain up front and we would still be having the same issues[/quote]Agree - we just don''t get the ball in the box enough and when we do the standard of crossing from Murphy is pretty poor Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nutty nigel 7,351 Posted March 7, 2018 [quote user="king canary"]Fulham take a gamble in January and look to strengthen an already good squad with a loan deal for Aleksander Mitrovic from Newcastle. I''d imagine the wages and loan fee aren''t cheap.In return, he''s scored 5 goals in 5 starts (with 2 more appearances off the bench) with Fulham winning 5 and drawing 2 of those 7 games. This was a team who was already scoring goals but opted to strengthen and had the finance to do it.[/quote]But what about the clubs below us Kingo? Are Birmingham, Hull etc. examples of "Amazing what investment can''t do"? And what if Fulham aren''t among the three promoted sides? What would next season''s Fulham look like? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rogue Baboon 0 Posted March 7, 2018 Probably have a lot more chance of promotion than we do.And Birmingham & Hull both have basket case owners Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
king canary 7,455 Posted March 7, 2018 @NuttyMoney doesn''t guarantee success- we''ve shown you can spend money and still cock it up. Not spending money however really doesn''t help.Of the current top 6 only Cardiff can be said to not have had significant outside investment.Last season Brighton and Newcastle both spent significant amounts and went up- even Huddersfield were spending over 100% of turnover on wages supported by outside investment.I''m sure Fulham will be fine if they don''t go up- they have an owner who is happy to underwrite losses and take some gambles in order to help them progress. It just shows though that currently a ''self funding model'' means hoping beyond hope that we can pluck bargains out of nowhere and our margin for error is extremely small. We know we''re short upfront but despite selling one of our best players for north of £10m we can still only strengthen the strike force with a budget buy from the German third division. I think it is highly unlikely this leads to success. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nutty nigel 7,351 Posted March 7, 2018 We''ll see what happens if Fulham don''t go up Kingo. The owner can be prepared to underwrite losses but unable to do so. However if they struggle I''m sure there will be other owners taking the same gamble that can be held up as examples of what can be done.But we can make the same tit for tat arguments til doomsday. I thought you had previously agreed with me that flagging up current examples was pointless in the bigger picture. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites