<STYLE>#qp_main27419 .qp_btna:hover input {width:80px}</STYLE><div id="qp_main27419" style="margin:10px;padding:10px;padding-bottom:12px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><div style="border-radius:6px;font-family:Arial;font-size:14px;font-weight:bold;color:rgb(0,0,0);margin-bottom:10px"><div style="padding:10px">What should Fulham's objectives be this season?</div></div><form id="qp_form27419" action="http://www.poll-maker.com/results27419xa89F7aE1-2" method="post" target="_blank" style="display:inline;margin:0px;padding:0px"><div style="border-radius:6px;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><div style="display:block;font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0,0,0);padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px;clear:both;cursor:pointer;cursor:hand"><span onClick="var c=this.childNodes[0];c.checked=(c.type=='radio'?true:!c.checked);" style="display:block;padding-left:30px"><input style="float:left;width:25px;margin-left:-25px;margin-top:-1px;padding:0px;height:18px" name="qp_v27419" type="radio" value="1">Push for a top 7 finish and disregard all cup competitions.</span></div><div style="display:block;font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0,0,0);padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px;clear:both;cursor:pointer;cursor:hand"><span onClick="var c=this.childNodes[0];c.checked=(c.type=='radio'?true:!c.checked);" style="display:block;padding-left:30px"><input style="float:left;width:25px;margin-left:-25px;margin-top:-1px;padding:0px;height:18px" name="qp_v27419" type="radio" value="2">Compete for silverware and a day at Wembley, focussing less on where we finish.</span></div><div style="display:block;font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;color:rgb(0,0,0);padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px;clear:both;cursor:pointer;cursor:hand"><span onClick="var c=this.childNodes[0];c.checked=(c.type=='radio'?true:!c.checked);" style="display:block;padding-left:30px"><input style="float:left;width:25px;margin-left:-25px;margin-top:-1px;padding:0px;height:18px" name="qp_v27419" type="radio" value="3">Consolidate under Jol for another year until we have built a team capable of achieving one of the other answers.</span></div></div><div style="padding-top:10px;clear:both"><a class="qp_btna" href="#"><input name="qp_b27419" style="width:80px;height:30px;margin-right:5px;cursor:pointer;cursor:hand" type="submit" value="Vote"></a><a class="qp_btna" href="#"><input name="qp_b27419" style="width:80px;height:30px;margin-right:5px;cursor:pointer;cursor:hand" type="submit" value="Results"></a></div><a id="qp_a27419" style="float:right;font-family:Arial;font-size:10px;color:blue;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;margin-top:-2px;margin-right:-5px" href="http://www.poll-maker.com">www.poll-maker.com</a></form></div><script src="http://scripts.poll-maker.com/3012/scpolls.js" language="javascript"></script>
A question that plagues every fan supporting a mid-table club at the start of each season; What do we want to achieve this year? And more importantly, what should we be achieving?
Focussing primarily on the league, as most clubs lucky enough to be playing in the Premiership do each year, Fulham have arguably dismissed cup competitions as nothing more than time consuming. It’s not that we even field second string teams – we just crash out in the early stages to clubs from lower divisions who obviously want it more.
Is this a good stance to have? In some ways yes. It was great achieving our highest ever league finish of 7th a few seasons ago. With it came a place in the coveted Europa League, and as a club we were shaking off the label of ‘Premier League make-weights’, tipped for relegation each year.
That said however the next year we tasted, in many ways, cup success. Our journey to Hamburg stands as my proudest moment as a Fulham fan as it was something the club had never experienced before. Whilst we didn’t have a bad season in the league – finishing 12th – its priority certainly lost reverence, and as a club we have since failed to match our highest finish three seasons on.
In my mind a strong cup run and day out at Wembley is not out of the question, and something that I personally would encourage the team to strive for. In recent years the feat has been proven possible with Birmingham, Wigan and Swansea all winning domestic cups respectively, but it has also brought to light the difficulty in maintaining league form, as two of the three aforementioned clubs were relegated in the process.
It really is a tough one.