REVEALED: WHY STEVE CLARKE DEAL WITH FULHAM COLLAPSED AT ELEVENTH HOUR

[Friendsoffulham]

WHY STEVE CLARKE DEAL WITH FULHAM COLLAPSED AT ELEVENTH HOUR



By Editor Wayne Veysey| Former Evening Standard, Press Association and Goal chief correspondent with 17 years experience of breaking big stories, including exclusives like this

Fulham's move to appoint Steve Clarke collapsed after he tried to renegotiate lucrative top-up bonuses, Football Insider sources understand.

Clarke had agreed the terms of a contract with Craven Cottage chiefs in midweek before making a U-turn that antagonised the Londoners and left him with no option but to remain at Reading.

A Fulham source told Football Insider: "Steve Clarke had agreed the contract with [Fulham owner] Shahid Khan. It was then passed over to Clarke's agent Phil Smith who wanted to renegotiate more money.

"The structure of the basic salary was fine. It was additional elements that was the problem, the bonuses. The tweaks [to the contract] were so substantial that Fulham were not willing to consider them. Shahid Khan said, 'no thanks, we won't be doing that'."

The collapse in negotiations meant Clarke was forced to return to Reading and pledge his future to the Championship promotion hopefuls after requesting permission to hold talks with Fulham earlier in the week.

The London club then made another move for Nigel Pearson, who had their original candidate to succeed Kit Symons but, as revealed by Football Insider last Friday, talks hit a snag due to the cost of the former Leicester manager's backroom team.

Steve Walsh and Craig Shakespeare, Pearson's long-time assistants, have remained on the coaching staff at Walkers Stadium following Claudio Ranieri's summer appointment and are unwilling to drop to the Championship unless the Londoners can match their lucrative Leicester deals.

The cost of appointing Pearson and the duo is prohibitive for Fulham and they have now moved on to other targets as they bide their time before making an appointment.


Costly deal: Nigel Pearson has been unable to agree a deal due to cost of his assistants

Peter Grant took charge of the team for Saturday's 1-1 draw MK Dons, but insisted afterwards he is only a caretaker and will not be taking the job permanently.

Symons was dismissed following Fulham's defeat to Birmingham before the international break, which left the Cottagers 12th in the Championship table, eight points off the play-off places.

Khan said he wanted to take the west London club "to a higher level of success" as they seek a return to the Premier League following relegation in 2014.

http://www.footballinsider247.com/exclusive/revealed-why-steve-clarke-deal-with-fulham-collapsed-at-eleventh-hour

[gang]

If this is true what has happened to the principle of 'my word is my bond'?

[Neil D]

Pleased the Club refused to give into the agent's cynical brinkmanship.  Pity about Pearson. Time for Jokanovic to enter the frame.

[Wimbledon_White]

Veysey is one of the biggest hacks going; not defending the club here...far from it, I think the club is a circus currently, but don't believe a word this prat writes.

Goal.com similarly

[colinwhite]

I wonder if clarke will last the season out with Reading . You would have to think they no longer think he is there for the long haul, so if results dont go his way it could get very sticky for him.

[MJG]

Looks like briefed by club in response to Clarke's Friday rant. Not unsurprising and to be expected.

Sent from my Lenovo A5500-F using Tapatalk

[Slaphead in Qatar]

I wonder if clarke will last the season out with Reading . You would have to think they no longer think he is there for the long haul, so if results dont go his way it could get very sticky for him.

yeah silly move by clarke. declared his hand, talked to another club and then backed out. Reading Board and fans will never trust him again.

[bog]

If this is true then well done Khan.  065.gif

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[filham]

Money, money , money. Mercenaries are expensive, especially ones that we think may deliver.

WE have to spot talent in a lower division, Jimmy Floyed Hasslebank or go for an ex player, Danny Murphy.

[Neil D]

WE have to spot talent in a lower division, Jimmy Floyed Hasslebank or go for an ex player, Danny Murphy.

JFH is QPR-bound according to C5 last night...

[grandad]

Good for you Mr Khan. Clarke will get the sack soon & then he will have nothing but regrets for being greedy.
Thank goodness we have Khan rather than the owners of Reading, Hull, Cardiff, QPR, & a host of others with dubious owners.

[NogoodBoyo]

Veysey is one of the biggest hacks going; not defending the club here...far from it, I think the club is a circus currently, but don't believe a word this prat writes.

Goal.com similarly

That he may be, but I reckon that there is more than a whiff of reason to this particular article.
Nogood "just a one-liner today, isit" Boyo

[HatterDon]

If this is true what has happened to the principle of 'my word is my bond'?

It disappeared when agents began to rule.

After reading this, I'm more than happy to do without either Clarke or Pearson.

[TheManOnTheBus]

This does indeed ring true - and indeed briefed by the club
Ah well shows how hard it is to do anything except out of work managers and sorting things out before sacking the incumbent

[Twig]

Pleased the Club refused to give into the agent's cynical brinkmanship.  Pity about Pearson. Time for Jokanovic to enter the frame.

Jokanovic for me too.

[Oakeshott]

It is credible, and if true shows how misplaced has been some of the criticism of how the Club have been acting in trying to replace Kit.

Hopefully they will find someone without the expensive baggage of of Pearson and without the greed of Clarke.

[Skatzoffc]

I'm pleased whe didn't come her tbh.
He plays very negative/dirty football imho

[ToodlesMcToot]

Veysey is one of the biggest hacks going; not defending the club here...far from it, I think the club is a circus currently, but don't believe a word this prat writes.

Goal.com similarly

Be interesting to see if Clarke comes out to deny the claims then, won't it. This rings more truth than fiction to me.

[Logicalman]

I still believe Clarke could have been good for us, so in saying that, our best hope is that Reading are so peeved with him they do get shot of him and if we are still without a manager/coach/whatever then we make him the same offer and he accepts, and we tell his agent to take the expected hike.

I can see a number of believable truths in what was written, including the Pearson debacle. Unfortunately for Pearson, if he is standing firm with demanding his back room staff (and their cost) for any prospective employer, then he could find himself out of luck, unless another Prem team comes knocking.

[Bill2]

If this is correct Pearson will struggle to get a club at all if he wants his old Leicester team with him, not sure they will want to leave a club at the top of the Premiership.

He could be a long time unemployed.