Unless you've gone native up the Amazon, it's been near impossible to ignore Fulham press coverage over the past week. Most of it positive and only serving to underline how our club stock continues to rise.
The episodic path to the Europe League final has much to do with FFC's elevated status, but it would have been all too easy to lose that momentum, especially with Roy's departure. Not only does the feel good factor around the club remain, we are if anything currently getting a better press than Liverpool. We're certainly riding higher than the Reds in the league!
Examine the facts. Five games unbeaten, United given an almighty scare, new signings exhibiting much promise, two players only deprived through injury of being drafted into the England squad. Late goals in our last three league games after fate and poor refereeing threatened to kick us in the teeth bear testament to team spirit out on the pitch, with every sign Hughes has already had a major impact on the side.
The run of positive press began last week with this. As a result of our success in the Europa League last season, the club were invited into the elite European Clubs Association. At the ECA congress Fulham became the 10th Premier League club to acquire membership alongside this season's Champions League contingent, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Manchester City and Everton.
Following on we've seen Zamora, Etuhu and Baird all pen new long term contracts. David Stockdale voted Player of the Month, while every Whites player on recent international duty returned with distinction. Captaining Norway Brede headed a typically gutsy goal v Iceland, Pantsil took the armband for the first time with Ghana, Mark had a shut-out with Australia and Moussa was man-of-the-match for Belgium in their unlucky loss to Germany, where his dribbling 'caused all sorts of problems' say reports.
Headlines from the Wolves win were naturally big with the news of Bobby's tough break. But Hughes and the club moved quickly to quell any feud from the challenge. Yes, the league have now hit Wolves with a £75,000 fine for a mass of bookings and a red card from their last two games, and the fans have had their say on all the forums. But the all important factor is how the players reacted on the pitch to the sight of Bobby's broken leg and got on with playing their game of fluent football despite Wolves muscular approach and constant fouling.
Sure it's a major downer to be doing without Bobby long term at a time he was playing the best football of his career, but close to match action after injury we now have Duff, AJ, Kamara and Dikgacoi all waiting in the wings, with Salcido, Della Valle and Halliche yet to take a bow.
All things considered, there's plenty going the rounds to make one puff out the club crest on our replica shirts at present. These are great times to be following the Fulham, as our growing network of overseas fan clubs proves (Welcome to you all).
And talking of shirts, I'm still trying to get my head round the spray-on kit story. One poster's already suggested this would only lead to players getting tugged by the shorts...What is the game coming to???
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