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View From The Town End: Fulham

Last time around Reading pulled off a relatively simple 3-0 win over a Fulham side in freefall. Fast forward four months and both sides have new managers and could trade places if the Cottagers earn all three points on Saturday. Here to give the Fulham perspective on tomorrow's game is Kris from Cottagers Confidential.

Ker Robertson/Getty Images

How would you sum up Fulham's season so far?

A vicious circle of ineptitude and disappointment; just when it feels as though we've turned a corner our form dips yet again. The Felix Magath debacle that opened our season will blight us for the whole year and it's difficult to shake off just how deeply he scarred the club. He destroyed our first team and made us something of a laughing stock. No matter how hard the fall from the Premier League to the Championship can be, there's no excuse for picking up one point in seven games.

Kit Symons has come in and changed things completely but there's no doubt we're still in a something of a mire. We're without a goal in 4 now and, with the likes of Bryan Ruiz looking to head off for pastures new, things aren't really looking up.

Kit Symons seems to have lifted the place since he replaced Felix Magath. Are fans happy with the job he's done so far?

Yes and no. I, for one, am delighted with his appointment and continue to support him fully. But as a representative of the whole fan base, there's a little dissatisfaction at some of his decisions and, more pertinently, our recent run of results. For example, Kit's in-game choices seem a little naive - he leaves substitutions until very late on, for example, and rarely tweaks the tactical system when it isn't working.

I'm a firm believer that if you have a decent manager - and he is clearly 'decent' - you stick with them and let them build their own team. That will take at least a year or two and he has earned that time by raising us from the ashes of Magath's tenure. Hopefully, he'll start building that team this January.

Reading smashed Fulham 3-0 at the Madejski Stadium earlier this season, what did you make of Reading that day and from what you've seen and read since?

I was one of the unfortunate ones who witnessed our speedy decline first-hand - Matt Smith sent off and all-around self-destruction from then onwards. It was a typical Fulham performance of the time but for what it's worth I think you handled us very cleverly. A lot of teams go down to 10 men and become hard to break down but you did it with consummate ease.

You've been very up and down since, much like us, which is strange as you have yourselves a good squad. Steve Clarke will do well with you guys but this season will be one of consolidation. We seem to be, pretty much, in the same boat right now.

Any particular player you're not looking forward to facing?

Hal-Robson Kanu is a player I've always enjoyed watching - a tricky, fast winger who can cause our full-backs problems. He's got plenty of years ahead of him, too.

Any Fulham player that we should be wary of?

Bryan Ruiz looks as though he is off so I'd have to go to our next closest thing to a playmaker - Ross McCormack. He hasn't got the goals you'd expect him to this season but that's because we utilise him differently to Leeds United. Effectively, he plays in what is a free role behind the strikers and he has been superb there, creating goals aplenty.

Score prediction?

Given our form we'd do well to get a goal but, I've got to be a little optimistic. Steve Clarke seems to be turning things around so I'll plump for a hopeful 1-1 draw.

Finally, any tips for fans heading down to Craven Cottage?

Just head down to the pub beforehand, enjoy the walk through Bishop's Park and, of course, have a safe journey home. Oh, and don't be too disappointed.

Thanks again to Kris and you can follow the guys from CC on Twitter @cottagersc