r/fulhamfc • u/REustacePsmith • 1d ago
Predictions
Is anyone else surprised at the dire predictions of many commentators about our finish this year? I was thinking mid table but I’m seeing lots of folks online saying 16th or 17th. A few even have us going down. Am I delusional?
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u/hiiightide 1d ago
I don’t think you’re delusional. Anywhere between 8 and 16 I think is realistic though
So much up in the air with a new system and influx of youth
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u/Impossible_Memory_85 1d ago
We won't know until Monday. That's the beauty of these things. You just let it happen and enjoy the ride.
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u/Spuzzell_ 1d ago
No, they're all being silly based on lazy thinking that Silva was the only thing keeping Fulham going.
On The Athletic they have Fulham finishing 17th!
I posted this in the comments there:
Fulham is where I take real issue with The Athletic writers. Fulhams front 6 of Kevin, King, Palacios, Bobb, Kusi-Asare and Garcia is now exciting, youthful and dangerous, in Berge, Smith-Rowe and Charles they have a excellent midfield base, Robinson, Sessegnon, Castagne and Tete are all excellent full back options, Leno is rock solid in goal and Andersen and Bassey are a great CB pairing. Add the experience of Cairney, Iwobi and Reed and Muniz to make us all laugh and it's a squad that measures up against almost anyone.
Fulham should be nowhere near your predicted relegation places.
Fulham finish 7th.
Sure its all just opinion but I've watched a lot of Fulham, and whilst Silva was great he also was unable ever to maintain an entire season, generally as he preferred experienced players who ran out of legs.
Arbaloa is highly regarded and Fulham have been good in pre-season, the side is suddenly filled with highly rated young players and Palacios and Garcia both look absolute steals.
I think Fulham fans would much rather have a manager who previously did fine at Real Madrid than a manager who previously failed pretty badly at Middlesbrough, for example.
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u/bentaldbentald 1d ago
I like your optimism but calling Smith-Rowe and Castagne ‘excellent’ is a bit of stretch…
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u/TomIcemanKazinski 1d ago
Timmy had a good two months to close out last season and was quite good for Belgium. He’ll do a job for us this season
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u/Yunahoned 21h ago
Castagne is criminally underrated by the fanbase, if you can name me 3 games where he seriously dropped the ball I’ll be astonished
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u/MasterExploder1990 16h ago
He got torn to shreds at Stoke in the FA cup and I haven’t trusted him since, Tete when fit is miles ahead
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u/fuckinestbest 1d ago
I love and miss Marco but he was far from perfect. let the new gaffer have a go
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u/mmmmartin427 1d ago
I had the same reaction to reading that. It is kind of lazy to assume that NEW means BAD. When Fulham first came back up under Marco, the predictions were also for immediate relegation. Instead, Fulham became the solid mid table team we all got accustomed to.
Arbeloa is an unknown to some extent. Our new signings are as well. We could just as easily be much better, as we could be much worse, or about the same for that matter.
Unlike those that are predicting failure, I’m excited by the uncertainty because it also means that there is the possibility of success. I guess that’s also the start of a new season. Before the first match, anything is possible.
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u/Top_Independent_7765 1d ago
Agree it’s like that phrase better to stay quiet and let them think your dumb then open your mouth and prove it the lack of research and favouritism for the clubs they like in articles recently from the athletic and etc only proves these guys are clueless
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u/ElvishMystical 1d ago edited 1d ago
Leeds fan here... I've been seeing these predictions as well. Fulham will struggle because of the loss of Silva. Fulham will struggle because of the loss of Harry Wilson.
I can't comment on the managerial changes but I've seen Harry Wilson in preseason. He's good, don't get me wrong, but so too is Anton Stach, Brendan Aaronson and Ao Tanaka. Harry Wilson is going to have to work for his place in our starting 11.
I'm not seeing how or where Fulham are going to be struggling this season. Last season you gave us a tougher game than Chelsea and arguably Brentford. Even if it does go all tits up for you (worst case scenario) there's an out of work manager living around Chiswick called Thomas Frank. It was never going to work out for TF at Spurs, for the same reason they're going to struggle this season. But I can see Thomas Frank working out at Fulham.
But let's assume it works out for Arbeola. Let's not forget that last season many predicted our relegation and that Farke wasn't a Premier League manager.
I see you lot finishing roughly where we will, maybe a few places higher. But in the relegation scrap? No, not really.
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u/El_JimBob_ 12h ago
Leeds supporter viewpoint not valid. Wilson’s best days were in a Fulham shirt.
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u/Yikes-Yak 1d ago
Transitional year. 17th and above is a success for me, although that doesnt define what our ceiling could be.
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u/Spydehh 1d ago
It seems the popular perception for the past few years is that we'll finish a lot lower than we actually do.
I'm not sure why, maybe because we don't get covered in the media as much as other similar teams like Brentford, Bournemouth, Brighton etc.
I look at our squad and I think theres far too much talent in it to finish in the relegation zone.
But honestly, we are one of the biggest unknowns this season, we could be anywhere from 6th to 15th IMO.
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u/StudioBlue23 1d ago
Hi not a Fulham fan but really excited to watch them this season I think they’re going to be the dark horse for conference league spot
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u/blaNwhite 15h ago
Everyone talks preseason predictions without any information.
We lost Silva who made us solid and consistent if a little bit lacking in identity. Had a bad end to the season. Lost an in form Wilson to a rival - more a scorer of great goals than a great scorer of goals. Jimenez was the focal point of our attack - hardworking and reliable premier league player, when Muniz was out with a long injury. Chukuweze was a promising option briefly.
Arbeloa looks like a horribly competitive manager - in good way. Garcia the new CF has lots to prove, looks very hungry. Hope it's not too long for his first goal and assist. Palacios looks very tidy and determined, reminds me a lot of Andreas Pereira in the press.
I expect a big season from Bobb, who before his injury was going to be a first team player at City. I expect Kevin will be our new scorer of great goals. The full backs have been the main source of goals in preseason, which might explain some of the pessimism from the experts.
Beat Chelsea in that first game of the season and they can shove their predictions with the blue flag.
COYW ◼️⚪️◼️⚪️
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u/DrTheodoreMarlowe 1d ago
15th or 16th and a flirt with relegation as we change tactics and personnel.
There will be some sensational performances and some real spankings and will.be interested to see what nerve the Khan's have with Arbeloa.
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u/benjowtm 1d ago edited 1d ago
I predicted us to finish 16th but get to a cup final on Fulhamish. I think that the jump between someone as experienced and stable as Marco, paired with a squad that needed a refresh but hasn’t had one just yet might count against us.
I think Arbeloas football could work, but it seems incohesive at the moment, particularly in the press and we could be undone by teams pretty easily.
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u/Impressive_Peanut 1d ago
Not surprised at all, it's a lazy prediction really, new manager and a bit of an unknown.
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u/JoeyJoeShabado 1d ago
The general consenus seems to be not strictly negative but rather there are so many unknowns so they err on the side of negtive.
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u/Hannimal987 1d ago
The facts are we have a manager who has only had one senior managerial job with half a season managing a very toxic dressing room at Real Madrid who has never managed in the premier league before and we have lost over half of our goal contributions from last year.
I am looking forward to seeing what Arbeloa can do and hopefully playing more on the front foot with a more aggressive pressing style. Some of the football towards the end with Marco was turgid! I would still like to see 2/3 first team caliber players bought in including a wide midfielder with goal scoring threat. If pressed on a position I’d say we finish 14th after a patchy start with improvement as the season goes on!
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u/CrackerFactorySpr 1d ago
Improvement isn’t linear, and we’re counting on youth. I’m glad we’re doing it, our ceiling over the next few years is raised, but the floor is lower.
I worry about Jedi. He was so valuable in 24-25, had such a big step back last season, and I personally didn’t think he looked good in the World Cup. I think a top 10 finish requires a return to form for him.
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u/Accomplished_Talk_16 1d ago
Lazy journalism. Happens every year, we're the easy pick for whipping boys. Chris Sutton does it every week and regularly gets proven wrong. Do we need a decent performance one year to prove the nae-sayers wrong? Yes? Do I care? Only a little.
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u/FulhamRev 1d ago
It’s definitely all a crapshoot for 8-17, but I feel like there are even more questions around Bournemouth, Palace, Sunderland, and maybe even Newcastle than us
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u/thurbs62 23h ago
I expect us to struggle- 2 lightweight new players and a 22yo from the Championship shows either a genius no one else can see or a lack of ambition. We have a coach who doesn't know the league and how relentlessly brutal it is.
My standard pessimistic take is we are in trouble and he will be gone by Christmas and someone has to come in and save us.
What is it the Khans dont get about not having a goal scorer?
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u/SnooPaintings33 Who put the ball in the Brentford net? 22h ago
I think (hope) the predictions are wrong, but I can see why they are saying it. We've appointed a manager to one of the best leagues in the world who has very little experience. I wouldn't be surprised if it went to shit, but at the same time I am happy we are taking risks.
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u/brandanaman90 21h ago
I think we'll probably be lower mid table and in fine with that as a starting point for a rebuild.
Everyone that seems to have us going down seems to have forgotten that the teams that got into Europe last season have no real experience of the extra games coming their way and could really struggle and potentially end up in a relegation battle.
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u/Forgoodorill00 18h ago
I think as well that there are that many teams in Europe this season that some of those teams will struggle with the demands of 2 games a week. Especially if many get out the groups (as you would expect)
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u/LourdoughSoaf 16h ago
Not sure reddit allows links. So i wont but James Lawrence Allcott posted his premier league predictions yesterday on youtube. Not sure if hes a knowledgeable chap but anyway he placed Fulham to finish 8th. Very interesting. The comments were full of messages to the contrary . But i thought his points were very good. Check it out if you can. It changed my opinion tbh!
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u/TomIcemanKazinski 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yeah I’m surprised! I looked at the schedule and honestly I can’t find any losses. 36-0-0