Summary

A deeply unsatisfactory season; the sale of Mousa Dembele and Clint Dempsey in the final week of August knocked us for six. Very nearly sleep-walking into relegation, big questions need to be asked of both the board and Martin Jol. A repeat next year would almost certainly guarantee Championship football.


Top 3 players

Sascha Riether: a rare and constant bright spark in an otherwise sparkless team. Tireless running, often our biggest attacking threat, he has become a real fan favourite.

Ashkan Dejagah: bought on transfer deadline day from Wolfsburg, injuries meant that it took some time for Dejagah to settle in. When he did, though, he provided excellent and direct wing play, as well as some unheralded defensive work.

Giorgios Karagounis: a 35-year old who arrived as a free transfer in September; yup, that basically sums up Fulham's season. Yet Karagounis has been brilliant and provided the much-needed leadership and calm head that our central midfield required in the absence of Dembele.


Top 3 flops

Steve Sidwell: in the so-called peak of his career, Sidwell totally failed to capitalise on the exit of Dembele to make central midfield his own. Lacking in leadership qualities, the Ginger Iniesta's season was perfectly summed up by his back to back red cards in April. At least he gets a long summer holiday.

Mladen Petric: I'm not so much blaming Petric but Jol; why on earth did we sign him in the first place? A very good finisher but totally lacking the dynamism and physicality to influence the Premier League. He'll go on to score goals elsewhere; he just shouldn't have come to Fulham.

John Arne Riise: if it weren't for Kieran Richardson's injuries and Matthew Briggs' ineptitude, Riise wouldn't have played half as many games as he did this season. He has though, and he has been a shadow of the player we saw last year. Careless in possession, weak defensively; it has not been a good season for the Norwegian.


Highlight of the season

The 5-0 victory over Norwich City on the opening day. That says it all.


Manager assessment

It's really hard to judge; are the team's failings down to Jol's management of the board's lack of leadership? I think it's a bit of both. While the board's failure to decide what, exactly, Fulham's plans and ambitions are, Jol has not helped himself. Having announced his desire to lower the average age of the squad when he arrived at Craven Cottage, all he has done is add older players on short-term contracts or loans; this lack of longevity and forward thinking cannot help the atmosphere within the dressing room.

Furthermore, he has been remarkably tactically inflexible given our weaknesses in personnel. It's taken him all season not to realise that playing counter-attack football without any pace doesn't work. Hopefully, one day the penny will drop. With speculation over his future, I can't say I'd be upset should he depart. A poor season all round.


Hopes for next season

My one hope is for greater leadership, at both the managerial and board level. What are the club's ambitions? Is Mohamed Al Fayed still interested? If we are to become 'self-sustainable' then we need a manager who can work under those circumstances; Jol is not that man.

With greater leadership will come stability and improvement. We need to stop thinking from season to season (which ends up being from transition to transition), we need a longer-term plan. If that happens, then there's no reason why we can't challenge regularly for Europe. If it doesn't happen, we may find ourselves slugging it out in the Championship before too long.

Published by: Henry Hoare



Read more: http://pickourteam.com/premierleague/fulham/news/20-05-2013/end-of-season-review-fulham/831878#ixzz2Tuw2bpvP

Fulham are showing interest in Nancy winger Yohan Mollo.

The France U21 international has been on loan at St Etienne and impressed this season.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2327981/Fulham-sign-Yohan-Mollo-Derek-Boateng.html#ixzz2TuvM9ROe
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By Patrick Akoto
Ghana midfielder Derek Boateng has confirmed he has signed a two-year deal with English side Fulham.
Boateng, 30, moves to the Craven Cottage as a free agent after months of intense speculations.
Fulham saw their move for the Dnipro enforcer fall through in the last two windows but manager Martin Jol has finally landed his man.
The Ghanaian international has confirmed he has signed the dotted lines for the London side after snubbing offers from Greek giants Olympiakos.
"I have signed a two-year deal with Fulham and will be training with them for the first time today (Tuesday),"Boateng told Accra-based Happy FM
"I believe it's a good move and I'm finally happy to see this deal concretized."
Boateng is a journey man having played in several countries including Spain, Greece, Germany, Israel and Sweden.

Shwartz you should stay at FFC and play next season. I am sure for most of next season you will be the No 1 Keeper. Your good enough to do so. You have become a household name at Fulham FC a star performer and a Legend. It will be a very sad day indeed when you do descide it is time to go. But not yet!....

so 12th spot clean sheet, jol loves Fulham, already assured he will be here next season, but best bit the under 18 lads scooped the league at the cottage,so what about moving the pick of the bunch up? wonder what dembelle is like at top level a hat trick and has a name like that, how I wish the bosses at the cottage would read the message board. they just might learn some thing.

MARK was outstanding, ALEX should have scored four. And that little wave from DIMITAR did it mean any thing.?? And what the players did at the death.GIROGOS/ MARK with the shirts and gloves.10/10 to fans that went good day out.And to the SWANSEA BOYS in the COOPERS ARMS GOOD AS GOLD.

OK SO WE ENDED UP 12TH. THAT JUST SHOWS YOU WHAT A POOR LEAGUE IT IS APART FROM THE TOP 6 OR 7. WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING BEFORE WE KICK ANOTHER BALL : 1) GET RID OF ALL THE SHIT INFESTING THE CLUB LIKE BAIRD, RIISE, SENDEROS, RODALLEGA AND SIDWELL. 2) GET A NEW MANAGER TO REPLACE THE FAT DUTCHMAN WHO HAS NO AFFINITY WITH FULHAM WHATSOEVER. THE ROT STARTED SETTING IN WHEN THE WELSH SHEEPSHAGGER WALKED AWAY TO QPR AND LOOK WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THEM. AND HIM !!!!! 3)WE ARE PROBABLY THE MOST APATHETIC TEAM IN THE PL AS SHOWN BY OUR PERFORMANCES. EVEN CRAP LIKE STOKE AND SUNDERLAND PLAY WITH SOME LEVEL OF COMMITMENT. WHEN WE HAVE THE BALL IN MIDFIELD WE ATTACK AT A SNAILS PACE AND ARE TOO EASY TO DEFEND AGAINST. 4) LETS STOP BLEATING ABOUT DECISIONS THAT GO AGAINST US - THE CURRENT SQUAD IS JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH. PLUSES FROM 2012/13 THE SCUM FROM SHEPHERDS BUSH GOING BACK WHERE THEY BELONG. THE CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR A POOR SIDE SURVIVING ANOTHER YEAR COYW !!!!

A satisfactory result to finish a topsy turvy season.
For twenty minutes plus in the second half we were very fortunate not to let Swansea back into the game.
We have to thank Swartzer once again plus the sheer determination of a much harried defence.
Big factors in our win were Frimpong and Enoh. They weren't perfect but they were pretty good, and played as if it were a cup final. Pity we can't keep them next year (altough I can't see Wenger wanting Frimpong just yet).
Another good outing for Kaka. Swansea gave him too much room but even Berba saw that he was our potential matchwinner. Hope we can keep him for a while.

When are they starting work on the new stand?? Also surely whilst the work is being carried out would it mean a massive hit on the transfer budget? Worrying.

I didnt go the game yesterday so only saw the highlights on match of the day but Kacaniclik looked like a world beater yesterday??

I really think this kid has a lot of potential and just needs games even when he is off form, Jol needs to stick with him through thick and thin and i think we will unearth a gem.

So who do we want to see at the cottage next season. We need to get rid of rod and bring in some strikers bent is not worth the money kone and di santo would be a good signing also we need a dirty defending midfielder and maybe some mids maybe try and keep hold of emanulson and frimpong they wasnt to bad in the end but well done boys a good finish to a hard season

Fantastic win away.Nice end to the season. COYWs Have a great Summer and return with new players and fresh tactics.

In your face you miserable lot ;-)

Star man against Swansea surely he should be our keeper next . MJ should concentrate on other areas .

any links for the game?