Premier League Preview 2011-12: Fulham

Best title odds: 5000/1 - Coral
Best odds to finish top 10: 6/4 - Bluesquare
Last season: 8th
Manager: Martin Jol

Good news:

They may not hold on to their managers for long, but they do seem to have the happy knack of getting good ones. Roy Hodgson worked wonders, then Mark Hughes secured another top 10 spot, now Martin Jol arrives with a promising track record. The likes of Brede Hangeland, Danny Murphy, Clint Dempsey and Bobby Zamora give the Cottagers real quality through the spine of the team.

Bad news:

This preview should have happened months ago. Fulham began their Europe League campaign in June. That will teach them to have such an exemplary disciplinary record. Expect a few more shirts to come off when celebrating goals this season. Zoltan Gera and Jonathan Greening have left - useful squad players who might have proved invaluable with all those matches to play.

Remember when:

Mohamad al-Fayed invested more money on his playing squad than a statue of Michael Jackson? In case anybody forgets who calls the shots at Craven Cottage, the chairman told unimpressed fans that they can “go to hell.” The old charmer.

Verdict:

Different man at the helm, same old Fulham. Nowhere near good enough to threaten the established order but comfortably superior to at least half a dozen teams in the league. The final position depends a lot on how extended the cup runs are, but broadly speaking, mid-table looks nailed on.

Position: 9th