THE WHITES RETURN TO WEMBLEY.

Tomorrow sees Fulham return to Wembley, only 3  months after that magic day when we beat Villa to return to our rightful place in the Premier league. Whatever the outcome tomorrow, we will never lose the memories of that magic day back in May.

Tomorrow we face Tottenham Hotspur, in what will be one of our biggest tests of the whole season. The summer has been a busy period for the club, with no less than 12 signings, with 5 arriving on the final day of the window. Slav has the job of integrating these players into our footballing philosophy, and I for one do not envy his job. Getting the team to gel is no mean feat, and with so many new players it just amplifies his task. And, it is for that reason that I feel this is the perfect time to get this one (the match) out of the way. At the start of the season anything can happen as teams start to get under way. Full match fitness, world cup hangovers, etc. all enter the equation. If we were playing Spurs away in January, we would probably at best be hoping for a draw, and a loss would not be a surprise. In other words, if we lose tomorrow, it will be as most pundits would have predicted, so nothing much to worry about. It is always better to play the top six teams early on, meaning that once the team has bedded in, we are more likely to be playing bottom half teams later on. If we play established bottom half teams early on, while we are still gelling then we could be losing points that we could probably pick up once we have fully gelled. Tottenham may still be rusty, and with nothing to lose the team can go for it, whilst also giving the new boys some valuable playing time together. Whatever happens it will be a big experience that can only benefit the team in the long run.

Last week's opening game against Palace showed that players like Seri will quickly find their feet, and with a little bit of luck, or more clinical finishing, then the result could easily of gone our way. There were positives and negatives from last week's performance, but I did not feel at any time that Palace were that much better than us, they were simply more clinical and streetwise at this level.

It is early days, but there is nothing to fear for Fulham, and survival should easily be achievable once the new lads have settled in. FFC fans must not start thinking "doom and gloom" if we lose tomorrow, and we can only hope that the vast majority of the White's faithful understand that for the first 10 or so matches we are a work in progress. Tomorrow is a day to be enjoyed whatever the result, and in no way should we allow it to blur our memories of that win over Villa. 

Mitro's on fire.

FTID

COYWs

IN SLAVISA WE TRUST.

Our Facebook group- https://www.facebook.com/groups/FFC.Ambition/

© Nic Smith

EXCITING TIMES- PREMIER LEAGUE PREVIEW.

It seems like only yesterday, that the White Wall was dancing to "Mitro's on fire" in the stand at Wembley. It was a day that no Fulham fan will ever forget, winning at Wembley, and a few scores settled. That one match propelled the club to a new era, of increased TV money, increased faith in investment by the board, and increased hope for the fans.

So, what does the Premier league hold for the Whites, and what can we expect?

We all know that even with our board's backing, we are a long, long way behind Man City, Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, and Arsenal. They are the big six, with fan bases we can only dream about at the moment. Everton, with their new found money, and recently established clubs like Leicester, and to a lesser extent Burnley, should be our immediate, realistic aim. Breaking into the top ten would be a massive achievement for a newly promoted club, and Wolves will also be aiming for that. There are so many factors to take into consideration- how the new players integrate, what happens if there is a spate of injuries, is the squad deep enough in quality terms, etc. etc. Only time will tell.

The club has spent big, and wisely, and with Kline a distant memory, it seems Slav is having more say, even though Tony Khan always seems to take the credit. The new players are interesting, so let's take a look at them-

Seri- Highly rated and once on Barca's radar. He could be our "Kante", when he adapts to the Premier league.

Mawson- Another highly rated player, as shown by his previous England call up. He is good with the ball at his feet so will surely fit into the side well. He also has bundles of Premier league experience, given the amount of defending Swansea have had to do over the last couple of seasons. 

Le Marchand- A bit of a conundrum for me as to where he plays. Consensus has it that he is a CB, but in the friendly I saw he looks like he can also play LB. One thing that stood out for me, is that he is an excellent passer of the ball.

Schurrle- Getting him on a two season loan is a massive coup, and with his experience he can be a great addition, and I think once we forget the rabble he used to play for, he will become a fan's favourite.

Fabri- From what I have seen, he looks a little dodgy on high balls, although his distribution is excellent. But for me, when Betts is fit, he has to get the nod.

Chambers- Another excellent loan and he has bags of Prem. experience for a player so young. Whether he plays CB or full back won't matter as he can play both positions easily. Could be the big surprise now he is reaching his prime. 

Mitro- The fearsome, Serbian, beast needs no introduction and it was clear, last season, he loves our club and the Gaffer. This will be the season he shows that he is twice the striker that Benitez thought he was. Mitro will be on fire.

Needless to say there will be two more signings before the deadline, so we cannot blame the board for lack of investment this time around.

As much as I, and some other FFC fans enjoyed the Championship, and the intensity of that league, there would be no point in trying to win it if we didn't want to be in the Prem. I will miss the  Championship and trips to places like Barnsley, but we are now a Premier league club (Villa you are still in the Championship, enjoy it). I am certain that all of us are sitting trying to predict where we will finish, and all I can say is good luck with that. For this writer it all depends on how the new signings integrate, and whether Slav will adapt his style when needed against much stronger opposition. We will play our beautiful passing game, and we will win our fair share of games. However, i do not see us breaking into the top ten this season, nor do I see us scrapping near the bottom. Realistically, I  can see us finishing between 12th and 14th, and anything higher will be a bonus. Whatever happens, it will be one hell of a journey, and one that we will enjoy until next May.

Our facebook group- https://www.facebook.com/groups/FFC.Ambition/

IN SLAVISA WE TRUST

FTID

MITRO'S ON FIRE

COYWs

© Nic Smith