In the 20th of a series of pre-season reports, HarryfromBath assesses the Cottagers’ pre-season mood under Slavisa Jokanovic by delving into their forums. A report on QPR will be on the site later today with the rest of the teams in the division covered between now and the start of the season.

“It’s an absolute pleasure to see so many people positive today”, “We have turned a corner and are looking good”, “Our acquisitions look useful and the team has a better shape and more balance”, “We are a work in progress but the signs are promising”, “Newcastle will be nervous on Friday.”

The reality of just how difficult this season’s Championship is going to be will be first felt at Craven Cottage this Friday when Fulham welcome the Magpies. Cottagers are in great heart after a run of good results and performances in pre-season, culminating in Saturday’s merited 3-1 win over Crystal Palace.

“That was a great way to end our pre-season. I can’t wait for Friday now”, “Roll on Friday”, “I like what I am seeing and I reckon the Toon will be in for a shock”, “We will frighten a lot of teams with our width and our pace”, “Well done Fulham, and well done to the manager.”

“We have pace, we have a team who can break and we have full-backs who can defend and attack. We’re not the finished article but much improved and it’s really good”, “Jokanovic is a good manager who will sustain greater discipline and more organisation through the team, especially in midfield”,

Slavisa Jokanovic

“Thank God we have someone in charge who knows what he is doing”, “I think that Jokanovic is the best manager we have had since Roy Hodgson”, “He has a game plan and a system he wants to implement”, “I seriously believe that if we stick with Slavisa we will return to the big time.”

“He fits, you know?” Fans have been impressed with how the 47-year-old Serb has reshaped the squad over the summer while giving his team a new identity. “The team looks promising and our head coach has already shown that he is a better person than all three of his predecessors put together.”

“Promotion won’t happen with Shahid Khan at the helm.” The only concern is the support which the manager will receive from the club’s owners. “We have a man in charge who knows what he is doing and he needs our support”, “Slavisa needs to be backed in the market with the signings he wants.”

A Summer Clear-Out

There has been an extensive cull of players accumulated in recent years, mostly the dead wood from failed attempts by previous managers to turn around the club’s fortunes. One player fans would have preferred to stay was striker Moussa Dembele, who joined Celtic on a four-year contract.

The departing foreigners include Swedish winger Alexander Kaciniclic (to Nantes), Greek striker Kostas Mitroglou (to Benfica where he was on loan last season), American midfielder Emerson Hyndman (to Bournemouth) and Venezuelan defender Fernando Amorebieta (to Sporting Gijon).

Players remaining in the Championship are defender Dan Burn (to Wigan), midfielder and former Town loan signing Ben Pringle (to Preston), keeper Andy Lonergan (to Wolves) and full-back Jazz Richards (to Cardiff). At the time of writing, midfielder Jamie O’Hara is a free agent.

Defender Shaun Hutchinson has dropped down a division to join Millwall. Two players have also moved to League One sides on loan, with striker George Williams moving to Milton Keynes for the full season and defender Cameron Burgess joining Oldham Athletic until January.

Ross McCormack

“Could we play some nasty joke by stringing Norwich along and leaving them with no time to bring in the striker they so badly need right now?” The Canaries had been linked in the press with a £12 million bid for the ex-Leeds striker, however the Cottagers confirmed this morning that they had accepted a bid from Aston Villa.

McCormack has not featured in pre-season games after picking up a knock in their first outing at Cork City. “I feel really confident now with our team, but if we sell our best striker to a competitor it shows that our owner isn’t interested in promotion”, “Selling to a rival makes it more disappointing.”

“Ross bloody McCormack, hasn’t anyone noticed that we seem to be OK without him? Move on”, “Sometimes your best player isn’t part of the team”, “He isn’t effective playing up front on his own, but Slavisa has alluded to this saying he’s only using the system available to him given his options.”

Arrivals

Six players have been signed permanently. The defence has been strengthened by the arrival of 27-year-old keeper David Button from Brentford, 28-year-old Austrian centre-back Michael Madl from Strum Graz, who played on loan last season, and Belgian full-back Denis Odoi, 28, from Lokeren.

Full-back Scott Malone, 25, has arrived from Cardiff as part of the deal that saw Wales international Jazz Richards head the other way and one defender, 23-year-old Czech Tomas Kalas, has been signed on a season-long loan from Chelsea.

Further up field, midfielder Kevin McDonald, 27, has joined permanently from Wolves, while two 27-year-olds have augmented the Cottagers’ attack, Sone Aluko from Hull and Togo international Floyd Ayite from Bastia.

Pre-Season Line-Ups

“It is a joy to watch this team. They are organised, everyone is in the other team’s faces. They play as a team from front to back”, “The system of play we have adapted is far better than last year’s. We have more width and pace”, “A lot more pace and first time passing, they are a pleasure to watch.”

The starting XI (above) for Saturday’s win over Palace was set out in the 4-2-3-1 shape which the Serb coach has favoured this summer. Cottagers have consistently praised the high-tempo game they are developing, using pace and width while pressing opponents high up the pitch.

“Ryan is fantastic on the ball.” One player who has caught the eye is full-back Ryan Sessegnon, a 16-year-old, whose brother Steve is also at Fulham. “[Ryan] looks like a footballer, moving with athleticism. He has a cool head, speed and skill and best of all he has a proper footballing brain”, “The real deal.”

The starting XI (above) for the earlier run-out against Brighton gives an idea of the wider squad. Fans are comfortably more anxious about the lack of depth than anything else. “The squad is too thin”, “We have little depth and a bad run of injuries could put us on the back foot before we know it.”

Prospects for the Season

“I think that Fulham will be one of those hard teams to predict. We are all encouraged by pre-season but that counts for little when the real action starts”, “I am hoping for a less stressful season than the last two unless the stress is caused by the play-offs”, “One has got to look on the bright side.”

The consensus on one forum poll is for a top-half finish but outside the play-offs. “I could only see down for the last three seasons and that went spectacularly as expected. I couldn’t understand all of the optimism as we had such poor managers. It’s looking better now as we have a proper manager.”

As with many polls this year, there is a section of optimistic support who are simply looking forward to the season. “I will approach the season like I do every time with hope, yes, and what may be seen as pure stupidity. I call it optimism at the possibility of what could be”, “Well put, you are not alone.”

Websites

The busiest Fulham message-board is the well informed and courteous http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0>Friends of Fulham.

@HarryFromBath

Photo: Action Images

Carberry added 15:15 - Aug 3 Harry, all credit to you for this mammoth task. Just one question have thought of doing one for ITFC, would be interesting to get an overview of thoughts about our club?
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Seasider added 17:28 - Aug 3 Could be dark horses;but this will be a very interesting season whatever.
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