The Tanner Report
Yesterday I received my renewal package for my season ticket. The theme- spin would be a better word – was that Fulham is a “club like no other”: one of the attributes of this is is ‘resolve’. It’s a quality our defence might envy but does not possess; they have conceded 76 goals and Rotherham looked like scoring with every attack last Wednesday at arguably the worst performances seen at the Cottage for many a year.
The blurb did admit that this is “not the easiest of times”. No, we have suffered relegation last season and we are limping to the line like some out of condition marathon competitor. But, wait for it, next season will be one “like no other”. Gosh, we might even finish top half and concede less than fifty goals. Bold claims are made in the package “our commitment to raising our game is uncompromising”. So far it’s about as uncompromising as the Fulham defence.
It’s exaclty because of such spin that the Fulham supporters I know are not exactly flocking to renew. We are offered a 15% discount to reward our loyalty. These discounts are normally offered so clubs have some summer income. We expect not words, not crafted promises, but deeds: just look at how Norwich turned round their season by appointing Alex Neil.
The first supporter to renew was interviewed at half-time last Wednesday. There was a resounding chorus from the Hammersmith End “You don’t know what you’re doing”. Enough said.
Alan, which match precipitated the following quote from Kit?
“…. We’re very disappointed. On chances created we had by far the better of the game. It wasn’t a sparkling performance but we felt we played alright. But that makes it more disappointing to come away having lost the game …. We tried to work on a more patient build-up, and although sometimes it might look like it’s going nowhere, by keeping possession we created more chances as we proved on [day of week]. And if we’d taken maybe two of those chances perhaps everything would have been rosy …. There’s certainly no despondency within the camp and we want to keep that going, keep in a positive frame of mind and keep trying to play our football and creating the opportunities and they will start going in ….”
Alan, look at the bright side. Reading the football press might lead you to believe that Man City will be joining us in League One next season — and they’ve spent a heckuva lot more money than we have.