Fulham need to keep calm and remain positive

Two weeks in and having taken one point from a possible six we are already seeing the frankly embarrassing cries for Kit to leave the club. Of course there are some who feel we should never have stuck by the Welshman in the first place but despite the obvious weaknesses in the current side, there are grounds for some positivity.

There are many rightfully bemoaning the lack of investment, particularly with view to our back four, but these things take time. The likelihood is that there will be a number of defenders joining soon but it is equally important that they are the right ones rather than the ones right now.

Had Brighton not been awarded a last minute penalty on Saturday then all of the talk would have been about the strong second half performance and how the three points should have been ours. In O’Hara, Cairney and Christensen we seem to have a hard working and combative midfield that is a vast improvement on last year.

There are still questions around many of Kit’s decisions but for the record I was not as outraged with the choice to substitute Matt Smith against Brighton as apparently many of you were. Not because I felt it was the right decision but more because it appeared to me that Smith had a shoulder/arm issue and, given his effectiveness, the move was presumably precautionary more than anything else. Additionally, had Garbutt not suffered the unfortunate injury against Palace in pre-season then the same fans berating Symons for playing the likes of Vosser at left-back may well have been singing his praises for such a good bit of business.

As per usual it was very much a game of two halves against Brighton. Smith was winning plenty in the air but on few occasions did we gamble to get on the end of them. Pringle in particular seemed lost at times and there was a noticeable difference in the pace of our attacks when Kacaniklic replaced him in the second half.

Clearly McCormack is yet to hit form this season and, as a club, we have to come to terms with the fact that a lot of the time our performances are always going to be dictated by the levels of his. It is a tribute to the passing range of O’Hara in particular though that this term Ross is having to drop a lot less deep than he has in the past, so naturally it may take a little longer to become effective in his new role.

Had the performance been one of few chances and minimal possession then I may find myself more sympathetic to those bemoaning “another home defeat”. Instead though we need to understand that while a start to the campaign like last year’s would indeed be unacceptable, we look more like a team who are just a few signings away from building something with longevity and potential than one in complete disarray.

Should we go in to September with no further additions in defence then I may well find myself joining those of you questioning the lack of investment. But for now I am hopeful that those in the pipeline will prove to be as well thought out as the acquisitions Symons has made so far this summer.

How about we get behind the team, give Kit some time and remember that while Magath was detrimental to our plight last term, his removal does not suddenly mean we are a team primed for promotion this time round.

COYW!!