"Hughes To Go If Fulham Do Not Beat West Ham" (no excrement Sherlock?)

[ImperialWhite]

http://www.fulham-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/hughes_to_go_if_fulham_do_not_beat_west_ham_610196/index.shtml?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Newspaper reports claim Mark Hughes will be sacked if he does not win the Boxing Day match against West Ham at Craven Cottage.

The People report that 'sources close to Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed say the Egyptian is running out of patience with the manager, less than five months after his appointment.'

The article adds that former Tottenham boss Martin Jol would be the most likely candidate to replace Hughes.

Jol spent a week deciding whether to quit Ajax for Fulham in July and eventually turned the job down but he has recently resigned from Alax and is available.

Fulham are far too close to the drop zone and Al Fayed had previously sacked managers Jean Tigana, Chris Coleman and Lawrie Sanchez as soon as the club looked like they were heading for relegation trouble.

[ImperialWhite]

This has the whiff of guessing about it - I mean, sources close to Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed sounds too vague to me.

However, it's probably a good guess. We've only had two wins, and both of these have been to teams in the relegation zone and at home. We played a team only one place above us in the table and scraped a draw. We playey teams only two and three places above us and we fluked draws.

If we can't beat a bottom of the table side than we've fallen even further than we'd originally thought. Surely nothing but a good win is enough?

Fun fact of the day: Hughes has won 4 games in his last 30 in all competitions.

[Lighthouse]

Well this isn't a completly made up story to follow on from West Ham sacking their manager unless he wins, is it? It would be somewhat counter productive UNLESS, the new manager is already sorting out his new players for January as one hopes Hughes is doing.

So unless the deal is already done, Hughes will not be sacked until after he has a chance to save the side. No manager can make a team win when we are left with no forwards.

Fulham have been a club on the downward slope for some time. The last 17 matches from Roy in the Prem only managed 3 points more than Hughes in his injury plagued first 17.

It is not a new manager but a blimmin team we need.

[BalDrick]

Strange feelings this elicits - part of me is hoping we do lose and he does get the boot. But I know that's silly - whoever came in would not have spent time tapping up, sorry talking to players.

I agree the story is rather vague, but 2 wins is piss-poor, whatever way you look at it.

[manxman]

It could be an easy decision to sack Hughes, after winning only 2 games. But to be fair he has had no time, being brought in only a couple of weeks before the start of the season. He has inherited roys defensive team and tried to turn it more attacking, maybe the players aren't used to the style yet ? He has had time to only make 2 signings - dembele and salcido. IMO they are both super value for the money he got them with. We have been plagued with injuries to our best players, which hasn't helped at all! just wait after January and see what signings he makes.

[AlFayedsChequebook]

Well this isn't a completly made up story to follow on from West Ham sacking their manager unless he wins, is it? It would be somewhat counter productive UNLESS, the new manager is already sorting out his new players for January as one hopes Hughes is doing.

So unless the deal is already done, Hughes will not be sacked until after he has a chance to save the side. No manager can make a team win when we are left with no forwards.

Fulham have been a club on the downward slope for some time. The last 17 matches from Roy in the Prem only managed 3 points more than Hughes in his injury plagued first 17.

It is not a new manager but a blimmin team we need.

That is such a ridiculous statement. People keep citing that we were rubbish at the end of the season last year, whilst ignoring the massive impact that the Europa league had on our season.

Lets lay out the facts. We got to a Europa league final, equalling the longest run to a final in european history. We negotiated the group stages whilst picking up points that allowed us to be safe around March.  From March onwards we started fielding shadow sides in order to rest our players for the Europa league. Despite all of this we managed to finish comfortable 12th, which is a good achievement for a Fulham side regardless of any other competitions.

Any decline has been this season and this season alone. We have been unlucky with injuries but Hughes has hardly done much else other than moan about luck/injuries. If he is such a great manager, we would have picked up points at home to Sunderland and Birmingham.

During this season it has become obvious that we need to supplement the squad with some signings, especially up front. This seems to have given  people the license to claim that our squad is 'past it' and we are in 'terminal decline', despite the fact we reached a major European final and comfortably survived in the premier league. This season we have been dire, and I refuse to blame injuries solely for this problem.

Anyway, back to the original topic, if Hughes gets fired after we lose to West Ham then I for one will not be paticularly fussed. I am willing to give him more time but if Al Fayed believes differently then I will back him 100% as he will only ever do what is the best for the club.

[BalDrick]

'Anyway, back to the original topic, if Hughes gets fired after we lose to West Ham then I for one will not be paticularly fussed. I am willing to give him more time but if Al Fayed believes differently then I will back him 100% as he will only ever do what is the best for the club.'

I think that sums up my feelings perfectly, well said.

One other thing I will say about Hughes - there's one thing that managers need, some have it all the time, others only at certain times, and others not at all. Luck. Tigana ran out of it, Coleman had a lot of it, for long periods, Snatch had it briefly (while he was stand-in) but had next to none when he got the gig full time. And frankly Hughes ain't got it either. It's not a sacking offence clearly - imagine the press statement! - but it's a fact.

[VicHalomsLovechild]

Jol the most likely replacement? after he used us to get a better deal out of his former employers. Can't see it.
I still think Hughes is the one to take us forward.

Fielding shadow sides? I only remember the odd change due to injury and Wroy didn't bring on many subs late in games to rest people either.

[ron]

Jol the most likely replacement? after he used us to get a better deal out of his former employers. Can't see it.
I still think Hughes is the one to take us forward.

Fielding shadow sides? I only remember the odd change due to injury and Wroy didn't bring on many subs late in games to rest people either.

I wonder if Martin O'Neill has booked a winter holiday..?

....although I would agree that Sparky would have the right to feel hard done by if he went before the January window, seeing as he had little time before the season and injuries went against him.

...but on the other side of the coin, managers become successful by being motivators of what they've got, and playing to strengths. Two wins so far suggests he hasn't done that part very well.

[ImperialWhite]

Jol the most likely replacement? after he used us to get a better deal out of his former employers. Can't see it.
I still think Hughes is the one to take us forward.

Fielding shadow sides? I only remember the odd change due to injury and Roy didn't bring on many subs late in games to rest people either.

Take a look at the last few lineups in the league:
http://www.football-lineups.com/team/Fulham/FA_Premier_League_2009-2010/fixture

It's a ludricous set of teams. For the last dozen or so games we have the appearance of a side ravaged with injuries.

[The Bronsons]

managers become successful by being motivators of what they've got, and playing to strengths

+1. That's what Sanchez didn't do, Roy did, and Hughes (so far) hasn't done. I really hope we beat Spam though, and that Hughes gets time and is good enough to sort it out, because if we lose and Hughes gets the sack and we get Jol (who didn't want to be here a couple of months ago) or god forbid O'Neill (who'll start picking fights with Mo sooner or later) we are doomed.

[ron]

Nah, Martin would be fine with Mo. Mo wouldn't  "understornd" what Martin "worz orn abite"   :dft008:

[dannydog]

I guess it's fairly simple really, we beat Wet spam and everyone's happy and we look forward to new players in Jan. Or we lose and Hughes gets the boot and we look forward to a new manager and new players in Jan. Whatever happens I reckon things will get better for us in the new year. God I hope so !

[HatterDon]

This has the whiff of guessing about it - I mean, sources close to Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed sounds too vague to me.

However, it's probably a good guess. We've only had two wins, and both of these have been to teams in the relegation zone and at home. We played a team only one place above us in the table and scraped a draw. We playey teams only two and three places above us and we fluked draws.

If we can't beat a bottom of the table side than we've fallen even further than we'd originally thought. Surely nothing but a good win is enough?

Fun fact of the day: Hughes has won 4 games in his last 30 in all competitions.

Here's another fun fact. Hughes's teams have lost 7 games in their last 30.

[ImperialWhite]

This has the whiff of guessing about it - I mean, sources close to Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed sounds too vague to me.

However, it's probably a good guess. We've only had two wins, and both of these have been to teams in the relegation zone and at home. We played a team only one place above us in the table and scraped a draw. We playey teams only two and three places above us and we fluked draws.

If we can't beat a bottom of the table side than we've fallen even further than we'd originally thought. Surely nothing but a good win is enough?

Fun fact of the day: Hughes has won 4 games in his last 30 in all competitions.

Here's another fun fact. Hughes's teams have lost 7 games in their last 30.

Don't care.

We hard-ish to beat, but draws don't get you many points. We haven't lost many, but without the wins we're 20th in the 6-game and 12-game form tables.

Man City under Hughes , while having the lowest number of defeats in the league was only 6th. Under Mancini, if they beat Everton on Monday they could go top of the table for the first time in decades.

OK, we've got the excuses of bad luck, an old squad and Bobby Zamora, but what's Hughes' excuse for being mediocre at Man City?

[Lighthouse]

In know that some people hate Hughes as much as they hated Sanchez. I know that the team was wonderful last season and are poor this season. I also know that any Stats to explain we were in decline before Hughes are ridicilous and stupid and Stats explaining Hughes draws with City are fine.

But what  are we really saying? The team is fine and it is Hughes that is the problem? In which case lets rid ourselves of Hughes and his staff, bring in a new man and his staff and the team that has only been in decline since Hughes joined us will come good.

If Murphy takes over as a player/ manager would that work?

[MJG]

If Murphy takes over as a player/ manager would that work?

I don't know if thats the answer but maybe with Lewington/Murphy and a sort of reset button type plan-return to what worked before-who knows?   Hughes was wrong when he was linked and wrong when he signed and wrong now.

[TonyGilroy]

I don't know if thats the answer but maybe with Lewington/Murphy and a sort of reset button type plan-return to what worked before-who knows?   Hughes was wrong when he was linked and wrong when he signed and wrong now.

Why?

He did a great job with Blackburn - good enough to be headhunted by a richer club.

Clearly, to date, he's been disappointing but it's early days and there have been extenuating circumstances. None of us know what the future holds. With or without him. But if I was making the decisions I'd stick with him for a while yet.

Some people seem to hold his Chelsea past against him but that doesn't seem to apply somehow to Lewington. To appoint Murphy as player/manager with zero experience seems to be based on nothing more than wishful thinking.

[jarv]

Enough criticism. mark Hughes is a bright, energetic and intelligent manager. It will take a turn for the better very soon.
As Tony said, fine with Blackburn and a decent job with Wales and to be fair, not a bad job with City.
Funny isn't it, international management used to be the pinnacle of a manager's career. Now it is an apprenticeship to get into the premier league.

[MJG]

I don't know if thats the answer but maybe with Lewington/Murphy and a sort of reset button type plan-return to what worked before-who knows?   Hughes was wrong when he was linked and wrong when he signed and wrong now.

Why?

He did a great job with Blackburn - good enough to be headhunted by a richer club.

Clearly, to date, he's been disappointing but it's early days and there have been extenuating circumstances. None of us know what the future holds. With or without him. But if I was making the decisions I'd stick with him for a while yet.

Some people seem to hold his Chelsea past against him but that doesn't seem to apply somehow to Lewington. To appoint Murphy as player/manager with zero experience seems to be based on nothing more than wishful thinking.

Why, because I did not want him, felt he was not right for us on so many levels and it had nothing to do with having played down the road. Did not like his blackburn side and there seems to have been some revisionist views on blackburn since he joined. I dont remember fulham fans on any forum singing the praises of them or hughes at the time.
If it all works out then great because in the end I support Fulham the club, not fulham the manager or even the players who pass through.
As for Murphy as PM, that would be a no from me and I would as before appoint Ray back to first team and if Hughes and his merry men left we would need some staff from inside the club to step until a new man was found.