FAO Glory hunters.

I would say that the signing of mediocre N. Ireland players is hurting Fulham far more than the American ones. McBride, Dempsey and Bocanegra have all been solid contributors, whereas a guy like Baird has never for a second looked the part of a Prem player and Healy hasn't even come close to showing his international form. Granted, Johnson hasn't impressed all that much yet either.

I don't think you can place much if any of their demise on their American signings, considering they were fine under Coleman. The Americans are obviously an easy scapegoat for the xenophobic, but poor management and transfer policy outside the Americans is what has really cost them.

I'm a bit curious as to why you singled out the Americans as opposed to the N. Ireland players, actually.

 

You're mistaken if you think Fulham is signing Americans just for American support. Sounds like sort of a pointless strategy, if you ask me. I think it's more likely a case of them getting talent for cheap that they can cultivate.

Furthermore, you're mistaken if the American additons are the reason the club has performed poorly. It's only been the last two seasons that they've been fighting relegation, before that they were a solid midtable club and they had both Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra starting regularly. Clint Dempsey saved us from going down last season with that goal against Liverpool.

It's the fashionable thing to do. We're all so notoriously horrible at the game, so it must be our fault. Times are a'changin.

 

Woah, calm down. You lot get so defensive at the slightest hint someone thinks you're shit. Understandably under normal circumstances, but read his post.

It's more about Fulham being a traditional club for years then selling to Al Fayed and losing its identity, when he went down the business route as opposed to a football club route isn't it? He didn't say they've bought lots of shit Americans therefore Fulham are now shit and it serves them right. He said they've sold out to their traditions, and they're the worst for it in the end. They're not a huge club and they have Chelsea on their doorstep, if they lose what their fans identify with then the the kids growing up are just going to watch Chelsea instead. You've only got to look at the pitiful support they brought to Ewood two weeks ago, and I don't dislike Fulham.

Don't turn this thread into we all hate Americans, there are enough of those already. He said doesn't hate Fulham, just that they sold out.

I know what he means, there's been a lot of speculation about Blackburn being sold recently. As much as the money would be nice I can definitely say that every fan I know is nervous, we'd rather carry on like we are than sell to someone who wants a business venture. Unfortunately thre aren't that many Jack Walkers around, we were very very lucky to have a local boy come good who wanted to give cash and asked for nothing in return. Granted we're not going to get another one like him but if someone has the actual interests of the club at heart then all well and good, until then carry on as we are, no matter how much money someone's prepared to shell out.

This is what this thread is largely about isn't it, the different fan culture between us and you and the misunderstandings it causes? Most of us would rather keep our clubs as something that you feel a connection with rather than a brand you chose to follow. No matter how shit your club might become, it's still your club.

 

Hmm, I don't know. When he says something like this:

'just look at the signings they have made purely to get Americans on board, and as a result it has hurt them lots'

it definitely seems like a shot at the American players Fulham have signed. Assuming that he's referring to the US players as the ones signed to 'get Americans on board', then the idea that it has 'hurt them lots' is almost certainly a referrence to their quality and not at all accurate.

The bulk of his post may be what you said, but IMO at least part of it was a not so subtle shot at the quality of the US players.

 

Why would I need to take a shot at the American players?

But with not implying anything is it not the American players faults? but suddenly the Northern Irish..

I said they sold out, leave it at that.

 

Maybe I misinterpreted, but what exactly did you mean when you wrote:

'just look at the signings they have made purely to get Americans on board, and as a result it has hurt them lots'

Seriously, cause as I said I think it's pretty clear what you meant. Feel free to correct me though and I'll gladly admit I was wrong.

 

No I did mean it, but I don't think we will get anywhere arguing about it, since it's clear you and every other American won't agree, and then I'll get warned for trolling or something, and it's not something I can be bothered with for the 3rd day in a row.

 

Meh, I'm Canadian for what it's worth, but I wouldn't expect a Scottish person like yourself to be able to differentiate. I just called you out on that because looking at Fulham under Coleman and with American players they were fine, and I think any rational examination of their demise afterwards will show that it is more closely tied to a)the absence of one of the Americans due to injury (McBride) b) the incompetence of Sanchez and c) the raft of poor signings made last summer, none of which were American IIRC, than it is to the presence of American players at the club.

But if you want to make accusations against players of any nationality (in this case American) and then refuse to back up your arguments that's your choice. Although the idea of stating something like that and then essentially saying that you don't want to get in an argument seems a bit absurd.

 

Healy certainly started off on the right foot this season. I think Sanchez wasn't given enough time and now you've got a manager who resents some of the more recent signings. Healy hasn't been used properly. I don't think any of the Yanks or the Ulstermen are deserving of any blame for what's gone on at with the Cottagers. I just think Fulham will always be one of those clubs that bounces back and forth from relegation to promotion. Don't see how "selling out" is a factor there. Their owner could pump millions into the roster but he's not. Oh well.

 

The absence of McBride obviously hurt them, and that's why they ahve got some decent results since his return, but that hardly redeems the other players as I have already pointed out McBride was one of the better performers.

But the main reason for them signing American players was to get fans from America to support Fulham, so that Al-Fayed could actually make a profit for once, there is no US player that I rate at all, and the fact that only new Premierleague teams, and ones that don't make much money and have smallish fanbases are signing them (Fulham and Reading) says alot. Bobby Convey never even plays a game, and as for Kasey Keller at Fulham.. that clearly do just want to be seen as the American mans club.

No doubt this has hurt them aswell, yes they made alot of bad signings in the summer anyway with Sanchez throwing money at anything that moved: Kamara, Healy, Baird, Davis were all poor signings. Fulham have often opted for an American player who is worse rather than a more skilled player from somewhere in Europe.

The signing of Eddie Johnson is a perfect example of this.

 

He is pumping millions in to the club, they spent alot of money in the summer and January windows, but he is now starting to want to make a profit on the club, after renovating their stadium, and trying to modernise the club that had facilities for the 3rd Division, and in football you make money by appealing to different groups of people so they buy your merchandise. That's why Man U bought Park Ji Sung, Man City bought a load of Thailand's players, Arsenal got a load of French and African players..

 

Yes, al Fayed is pumping millions into the club. Enough? Well... He isn't pressing to make any of the superstar signings that would lift Fulham to the top half of the Premiership table, and that's as ambitious as they could have dared back in August. I'm livid that Sanchez was lured away from a Norn Iron side he had done so much with, only to be dismissed after eight months.

I've seen a fair amount of Fulham merch in soccer shops here in the States. But I rarely see anyone wearing Fulham gear anywhere, so I don't think there's been that many Yanks jumping on the Cottagers bandwagon.

 

You can't argue that Arsenal have bought French and African players with the aim to increase merchandising revenue in France & Africa.

I can't believe any Yanks at Fulham were purchased with a view to selling merch in the States.

 

That's exactly why Fulham are doing badly, they got a bit excited and wanted to take all the American market, there is a quote where Al-Fayed said something about his intentions, I'll try and find a link later. But if you see the proportion of the American market Fulham has compared to teams of similar size: Wigan, Reading, Derby. Fulham have a much larger share but obviously can't compete with the fans that want to support a club that wins trophies but they have done well to get the support they have, whether they will stick with the club when they get relegated will be another matter.

Maybe when I said Arsenal got Africans to sell merchandise was a bit unfair, as Wenger has obviously had winning games has his only intention. But what I see often happening is a team finding a decent player from an obscure footballing nation, then bringing in other players from that country to try and seel as much support as possible, Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell and Leeds, there were a few more Aussies there but I can't remember their names, and when Jared Borgetti came to Bolton, all the Mexicans jumped on board, but he didn't do well so we refused to buy another Mexican. And the only reason Dong Fangzhou is still at Man United is so that they can get a few more Chinese to support them and not Liverpool.

 

Why wouldn't they? America is possibly the only large country that has been unclaimed by a football team, Fulham saw this and saw it as their chance to take it.

 

Well, this is why Freddy Adu had a trial at Man United, they weren't going to be fooled into buying a player that wasn't good enough just for shirt sales so gave him a trial to see how good he was, when he wasn't they had to let him go on, I was somewhat surprised because he seems like the kind of player that can sell an awful lot of shirts, but Ferguson must have had his reasons.

 

eh, I've been an Arsenal fan since before I could think, which was before the MLS was really around. My first soccer heroes were Tony Adams and Ian Wright. I think I deserve to watch the Arsenal as much as the English, although (I'll point out) I have to work that much harder to be a fan. Getting up early to watch pointless League Cup matches against Barnsley and such.

One of my childhood dreams was to go to Highbury, now I'll never get that chance. I've saved up enough money for the last few years to go to North London for one weekend next August and see Arsenal for the first time in my life.

I think I've earned the right to be an Arsenal fan.

 

Going to have a bit of trouble following Fulham in the when they're relegated...will you just quit on them? Or will you switch whatever sides Gang USA end up on?

 

Sopcast and the internets. I'm going nowhere.

 

I like how Bolton have 1 US player whos only quality is that he can run very fast.

 

Sellouts.