Fulham FC and DC United on July 26 at Everbank

[Wacca Pilatka]

Thanks for the explanations.  Between the relationship to Fulham and the arrival of the Armada, I'm trying to further my soccer understanding, which is extremely limited to say the least.

[CityLife]

It's fairly difficult to get back into the EPL from the Championship. IMO, there's really not a huge difference between the bottom tier EPL teams and top tier Championship teams. Quite a few teams that were in the EPL for awhile have had a hard time making it back up recently. Bolton, Birmingham, Leeds, Middlesborough, and Blackburn are a few recent examples....and a few of those teams were decent in the EPL.

QPR got relegated last year and still have a lot of EPL caliber talent. In fact, if you look at their roster, pretty much all of their players are successful former EPL players and could play on all of the lower half of the table teams. Yet, they finished 4th this season and have to win the 4 team playoff to make it back.

Basically, Khan is going to have to break the bank personally to get them back.

[JaxByDefault]

+1 to everything Citylife said above. Recent history (QPR, Wigan, Wolves, Blackpool, Reading, Blackburn, Birmingham City, Bolton...) all show that getting back to the BPL is a tough road. Most teams are picked clean of quality when they go down (which in Fulham's case would pretty much only mean Stockdale and Dejagah -- Holtby is just on loan) and are forced to balance experienced older slow players with emerging talent. It's a completely different style and run of football in the league divisions than it is in BPL. Fulham need cash, emerging talent (but not bargain bin), and much better management.

FFC fans have endured worse -- the 1990s before the promotion run-up were particularly dark -- but it's always painful to go down and in FFC's case it was completely avoidable if the last two transfer windows hadn't been so unspeakably terrible (save Holtby, but including Parker). Poor decisions with managers and poor tactics on the pitch just exacerbated the problems.

I guess the only positive I can see of this is that at least it quells all talk of leaving Craven Cottage for at least five years.

As a die-hard supporter of SW6 football, I'm glad there's a match here in town, but  frankly (unless the trip to JAX is somehow a moneymaker) I wish the money would be spent bolstering the side.

ETA: I cannot think of a worse pairing with English football than a Blake Shelton concert. Seriously? Does anyone remotely involved with the Jag-FFC partnership know anything about the current demographics of and growth-base of BPL watchers in the US?

[Gamblor]

+1 to everything Citylife said above. Recent history (QPR, Wigan, Wolves, Blackpool, Reading, Blackburn, Birmingham City, Bolton...) all show that getting back to the BPL is a tough road. Most teams are picked clean of quality when they go down (which in Fulham's case would pretty much only mean Stockdale and Dejagah -- Holtby is just on loan) and are forced to balance experienced older slow players with emerging talent. It's a completely different style and run of football in the league divisions than it is in BPL. Fulham need cash, emerging talent (but not bargain bin), and much better management.

FFC fans have endured worse -- the 1990s before the promotion run-up were particularly dark -- but it's always painful to go down and in FFC's case it was completely avoidable if the last two transfer windows hadn't been so unspeakably terrible (save Holtby, but including Parker). Poor decisions with managers and poor tactics on the pitch just exacerbated the problems.

I guess the only positive I can see of this is that at least it quells all talk of leaving Craven Cottage for at least five years.

As a die-hard supporter of SW6 football, I'm glad there's a match here in town, but  frankly (unless the trip to JAX is somehow a moneymaker) I wish the money would be spent bolstering the side.

ETA: I cannot think of a worse pairing with English football than a Blake Shelton concert. Seriously? Does anyone remotely involved with the Jag-FFC partnership know anything about the current demographics of and growth-base of BPL watchers in the US?

They just announced it will be Carrie Underwood but your point is still correct. Also as a die hard Arsenal supporter of 15 years, who likes to keep an eye on the championship, while you are absolutely correct about changes in personel being vital to promotion, I would add that having a manager that really understands the in's and out's of the championship is just as important. You think that be easily understood but some teams seem to miss that point. I was hoping FFC might land Ian Holloway (great understanding of the championship, but he is also a fun manger as a fan to have in charge, some of his post match comments are comedy at its best) but I just saw he signed on with Millwall for two years.

[ProjectMaximus]

Appreciate the background and details of managers, etc. Thanks to you both for that.

as for Carrie Underwood...sometimes the idea is to cross-promote. Just sayin. 

[Gamblor]

Appreciate the background and details of managers, etc. Thanks to you both for that.

as for Carrie Underwood...sometimes the idea is to cross-promote. Just sayin. 

I considered that... Maybe trying to win some "folks" over, but I don't think fullham vs DC united is the match to do that. Just think they'd probably be better off with something more in line with the crowd, and continuing to nurture the growth of soccer in the region but hey it ain't my dime 

[Gamblor]

relegated teams also get parachute payments from the Premier League, so the financial hit isn't as bad as it used to be.

Since 2010, the payments have been spread out over 4 years, and the hit is still massive. True 12 million pounds a year makes it a tad bit easier to swallow, but it is still, very, very significant... the financial hit that is

[JaxByDefault]

It's the TV revenue and merchandising loss that makes it so tough. Also, many squads get picked clean of talent so those parachute payments often go to satisfying managerial contract buy-outs and getting new players. I hope FFC take the time in the Championship to build a better physio and training program, too. Their injury rate for young players is far too high and if they're going to keep buying aging talent (which I hope they will not) then they need them to be in better playing condition longer. Chelsea and Liverpool have both built gold standard sports medicine programs. FFC need to wander up the Fulham Road to Stamford Bridge and see what Eva Carneiro and Thierry Laurent are doing right.

No debate that this means a loss in value for FFC.

...and here I thought with new investment FFC might seriously start making runs at Europa play.

[JaxByDefault]

I would add that having a manager that really understands the in's and out's of the championship is just as important. You think that be easily understood but some teams seem to miss that point. I was hoping FFC might land Ian Holloway (great understanding of the championship, but he is also a fun manger as a fan to have in charge, some of his post match comments are comedy at its best) but I just saw he signed on with Millwall for two years.

Completely agree about the need for a Championship manager. I'd take Mackay given his Championship record or Zola who with more funds I think could outpace the performance he's had with Wotford.

[Gamblor]

I would add that having a manager that really understands the in's and out's of the championship is just as important. You think that be easily understood but some teams seem to miss that point. I was hoping FFC might land Ian Holloway (great understanding of the championship, but he is also a fun manger as a fan to have in charge, some of his post match comments are comedy at its best) but I just saw he signed on with Millwall for two years.

Completely agree about the need for a Championship manager. I'd take Mackay given his Championship record or Zola who with more funds I think could outpace the performance he's had with Wotford.

Gianfranco would be outstanding... I totally thought he resigned (forced or not) too early.

[JaxByDefault]

If only Khan had listened to me when I begged for DiMatteo as caretaker manager back in October. 

[Gamblor]

If only Khan had listened to me when I begged for DiMatteo as caretaker manager back in October. 

Is it me or is it a little odd we are thinking of Chelsea men to lead FFC? 

[JaxByDefault]

I freely admit to having a life-long SW6 football bias. It's been an embarrassment of riches having two Premier League teams in the same West London postcode for the past 13 years.   I'd extend that to cover all of Hammersmith & Fulham borough, but I hate QPR. 

[Gamblor]

I freely admit to having a life-long SW6 football bias. It's been an embarrassment of riches having two Premier League teams in the same West London postcode for the past 13 years.   I'd extend that to cover all of Hammersmith & Fulham borough, but I hate QPR. 

Lol, north London has had 2 top teams in tier 1 for over 30 years... but thats only if you count Tottenham as a team, which I admit is quite a stretch  #ForeverInArsenalsShadow

[ProjectMaximus]

lol, i'm semi-fluent in soccer but this conversation might as well have been in a different language.

Appreciate the background and details of managers, etc. Thanks to you both for that.

as for Carrie Underwood...sometimes the idea is to cross-promote. Just sayin. 

I considered that... Maybe trying to win some "folks" over, but I don't think fullham vs DC united is the match to do that. Just think they'd probably be better off with something more in line with the crowd, and continuing to nurture the growth of soccer in the region but hey it ain't my dime 

I think the idea is not to win soccer fans over to carrie underwood, but to win Jaguars fans over as soccer fans. In that context it actually makes some sense...give them a taste of soccer with a chaser that a lot of em already enjoy.