Early pre-season optimism hits Fulham fans

I feel like I say this every pre-season, but the upcoming season surely can’t be as bad as the last?

We have already had our share of disappointments with the paltry sum received for Moussa Dembele and Emerson Hyndman departing for Bournemouth, but on the whole the remaining outgoings were all to be expected. It remains to be seen whether Ross McCormack will still be with us when we line-up against Newcastle, but I can’t help but feel that the side SJ is starting to mould may actually be better off without our top scorer.

Fulham boss Slavisa Jovanovic alongside Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka last season. Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.

There can be no doubt that he will get goals wherever he is playing, but despite the talent he’s a difficult player to accommodate, and to get the best out of him the side has to be set up in a certain way. A lack of pace and width meant his creativity was key to any success we experienced last term, but Slavisa appears to be making these amendments in the right areas as we speak. In Sone Aluko and Floyd Ayite, we may have more scope to play Matt Smith or Cauley Woodrow in a lone role with creativity on both flanks. Throw into the mix, the potential of Denis Odoi on one side and Ryan Sessegnon on the other, and it’s a side with pace to burn. Hopefully a stark contrast to the clunky disjointed “counter attacks” of last year, that saw square ball after square ball take us nowhere fast.

As for the leaky defence, in part this was just as much down to the chopping and changing as it was the woeful individual mistakes. For most Fulham fans, the prospect of seeing John Paintsil, Aaron Hughes, Brede Hangeland and Paul Konchesky week in, week out seems like a distant fantasy. I think we are all agreed that Michael Madl is the real deal and the thought of Tomas Kalas alongside him can’t help but bring a smile of optimism to your face.

We have been promised a number of other acquisitions and if our business so far is anything to go by, it could be an exciting few weeks. Once again it is important that we keep those expectations in check though. Yes we want to get back to the Premier League, but I have always maintained a period of stability is needed before that can be achieved and let’s face it, we certainly haven’t had that yet.

It’s been three years since Al-Fayed passed the baton and needless to say it has aged us all horribly. However, we need to let SJ build, have faith when the club makes choices you don’t agree with, and refrain from pointing fingers. Khan, Rigg etc.. we are in this together, whether we like it or not.

COYW!