Friends of Fulham

3 votes per user to vote for your top 3 choices - For instance many may consider Hodgson or Tigana as their 1st choice, but wish to recognise Stock for getting us to the Cup final or Adams for one of the most memorable seasons ever built on a shoestring, Ray Lew for being a great servant and stepping up more than once, Supermac for the almost unbelievable double promotion & great football played (again on a shoestring) or Slavisa for the once in a lifetime playoff victory experience on the back of an amazing record breaking club unbeaten run.

Should be fun to see the outcome - as many of the options are great managers for different reasons & in different circumstances.

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I've gone for Roy on the back of the 7th place finish and Europa League final.

Tigana's football in 2000/01 was sublime but we probably didn't fulfill our potential in the premier league under him.

Mickey Adams deserves huge credit for getting us up in 1996/97 on a shoestring and the success that year might have swayed MAF in buying the club.

MM was manager when I was first a regular and had he been provided with the resources in 1982/83, we may well have gone up.

Recently, Slav getting us up is a bright spot.

Quote from: Penfold on November 08, 2019, 10:46:09 AM
I've gone for Roy on the back of the 7th place finish and Europa League final.

Tigana's football in 2000/01 was sublime but we probably didn't fulfill our potential in the premier league under him.

Mickey Adams deserves huge credit for getting us up in 1996/97 on a shoestring and the success that year might have swayed MAF in buying the club.

MM was manager when I was first a regular and had he been provided with the resources in 1982/83, we may well have gone up.

Recently, Slav getting us up is a bright spot.

All fair points - I've included all of the options on some form of merit. Ray Lew may not have achieved much but a failed play off semi final for instance but during the days when things were really bad he stepped up as manager & caretaker manager to keep the ship afloat with sod all budget, a proper unsung hero in many respects and recognised especially of late as a magnificent coach. I almost voted for him myself, but to pick 3 from the list isn't easy (Buckingham was before my time but included for older fans).

Roy Hodgson, Jean Tigana and Micky Adams.

https://www.managerstats.co.uk/clubs/fulham/
I found this on the internet, unfortunately not up to date or very accurate, but it shows that Kevin Keegan had the best win percentage

Hodgson... achieved 7th plus the Euro run with no star players as such.
MacDonald...... achieved promotion with a team on a shoestring and has lots of memories for me. 
Adams...... for the Promotion on no money and just the sheer good feeling he produced through the club.

Tough to choose. My choices
Roy, just for seeing what he achieved and seeing Fulham in a European Final.
Tigana, The promotion season was sublime and Boxing Day just a fantastic memory
Third Big Mac, Oh if the Board had only supported him
Whilst I can't have a fourth I would give special mention to Beddy Jezzard.
All on the list though did good jobs for the club.

They all deserve a pat on the back i would have thought apart from Vic Buckingham.
Difficult to separate many of the others, but I have gone for these three based on their limited resources and the politics at the club at the time, and in some cases the shortcomings of some players they had, but still got the best out of them within the framework of the team. Which in itself is a massive result. Whereas others may have had the good fortune of having a cheque book to use as a crutch to assist them.
All three of these managers had excellent Man Management skills.
Of course I had to leave out 2/3 others who served us very well indeed, nevertheless these three I have a lot to thank for.
It's a shame Bedford Jezzard is not amongst them as I thought he was also a very good Manager.
In alphabetical order, Micky Adams, Malcolm Macdonald, Alec Stock.

Quote from: Cambridge Pete on November 08, 2019, 11:38:53 AM
Tough to choose. My choices
Roy, just for seeing what he achieved and seeing Fulham in a European Final.
Tigana, The promotion season was sublime and Boxing Day just a fantastic memory
Third Big Mac, Oh if the Board had only supported him
Whilst I can't have a fourth I would give special mention to Beddy Jezzard.
All on the list though did good jobs for the club.

Jezzard added now in case you/anyone wishes to vote for him. (Like Buckingham though, before my time)

Buckingham's name should be nowhere near this list!

Quote from: bill taylors apprentice on November 08, 2019, 11:57:26 AM
Buckingham's name should be nowhere near this list!

After referring to my dad and some replies here - Buckingham now replaced by Jezzard! Apologies about his initial inclusion - I checked his win/loss record and can understand now why he shouldn't be on the list!  :005:  - I was probably mis-lead to add him as had heard Buckingham held in great esteem for his time elsewhere at Ajax, Sheff Wed, Barca, WBA and others!  (including discovering Cruyff - but this needs to be FFC specific)

Super mac no brainer. he had the most impressive/thrilling football I have ever seen with no money and a squad of about 14 players. The one touich football was out of this world and the team was way better than the sum of its parts.

Roy, Keegan. JT and Slav are not to be sneezed at but had the advantage of rich chairmen that splashed the cash. I am not sure they could have done what Supermac did... The win away at newcastle, the win at home to leeds and others where stunning. This was a team made from nothing but founded on a top class back four of hopkins, gale brown, lock. they complemented each other, worked well as a unit and had both toughness and a delicacy of skill. Lock was a supreme left foot dead ball specialist and penalty taker and gale was the cliosest thing to moore i can remember us having and also a top right footed free kick taker... shame he messed up at home v leicester backing off when he should hav eclosed down in that defeat, but other than that brilliant.

tigs purchased who he wanted, but getting saha was a master stroke. roy was arguably the greatest and we wll loved him, but the football was not thrilling, it was built on strict adherence to 4 4 2 and very little scope for breaking from the scrript. that is why he did not like bullard or Kamara and yet thiose two were so instrumental in the great escape.

So for me Supermac,l but I did love JT, Roy and KK too, plus one or two others.

Quote from: S.F.Sorrow on November 08, 2019, 11:13:19 AM
Roy Hodgson, Jean Tigana and Micky Adams.

+1

For purely personal reasons l have gone for the manager we had when I first supported Fulham,a man called Bill Dodgin.Not a gentleman in the sense of Alex Stock but a genuine man of integrity.

Quote from: ALG01 on November 08, 2019, 12:10:41 PM
Super mac no brainer. he had the most impressive/thrilling football I have ever seen with no money and a squad of about 14 players. The one touich football was out of this world and the team was way better than the sum of its parts.

Roy, Keegan. JT and Slav are not to be sneezed at but had the advantage of rich chairmen that splashed the cash. I am not sure they could have done what Supermac did... The win away at newcastle, the win at home to leeds and others where stunning. This was a team made from nothing but founded on a top class back four of hopkins, gale brown, lock. they complemented each other, worked well as a unit and had both toughness and a delicacy of skill. Lock was a supreme left foot dead ball specialist and penalty taker and gale was the cliosest thing to moore i can remember us having and also a top right footed free kick taker... shame he messed up at home v leicester backing off when he should hav eclosed down in that defeat, but other than that brilliant.

tigs purchased who he wanted, but getting saha was a master stroke. roy was arguably the greatest and we wll loved him, but the football was not thrilling, it was built on strict adherence to 4 4 2 and very little scope for breaking from the scrript. that is why he did not like bullard or Kamara and yet thiose two were so instrumental in the great escape.

So for me Supermac,l but I did love JT, Roy and KK too, plus one or two others.

Good post and cannot really disagree with anything you've said there.

Quote from: Spirit of 2000 on November 08, 2019, 12:21:27 PM

Quote from: ALG01 on November 08, 2019, 12:10:41 PM
Super mac no brainer. he had the most impressive/thrilling football I have ever seen with no money and a squad of about 14 players. The one touich football was out of this world and the team was way better than the sum of its parts.

Roy, Keegan. JT and Slav are not to be sneezed at but had the advantage of rich chairmen that splashed the cash. I am not sure they could have done what Supermac did... The win away at newcastle, the win at home to leeds and others where stunning. This was a team made from nothing but founded on a top class back four of hopkins, gale brown, lock. they complemented each other, worked well as a unit and had both toughness and a delicacy of skill. Lock was a supreme left foot dead ball specialist and penalty taker and gale was the cliosest thing to moore i can remember us having and also a top right footed free kick taker... shame he messed up at home v leicester backing off when he should hav eclosed down in that defeat, but other than that brilliant.

tigs purchased who he wanted, but getting saha was a master stroke. roy was arguably the greatest and we wll loved him, but the football was not thrilling, it was built on strict adherence to 4 4 2 and very little scope for breaking from the scrript. that is why he did not like bullard or Kamara and yet thiose two were so instrumental in the great escape.

So for me Supermac,l but I did love JT, Roy and KK too, plus one or two others.

Good post and cannot really disagree with anything you've said there.

MacDonald was the man manager and Ray Harford was the brilliant tactician. The combination worked extremely well.

Having watched all of their teams regularly there is no doubt in my mid , it just had to be the magnificent and understated Beddy Jezzard.  He achieved promotion to the top flight in his first season as manager and then kept us in the top flight for the next five seasons on a shoestring budget.
He must be our longest serving manager, hard to think of another who stayed in the position longer.

"Supermac" for me along with Ray Hartford as his Number Two.

Quote from: Sir Alec of good Stock on November 08, 2019, 12:30:45 PM

Quote from: Spirit of 2000 on November 08, 2019, 12:21:27 PM

Quote from: ALG01 on November 08, 2019, 12:10:41 PM
Super mac no brainer. he had the most impressive/thrilling football I have ever seen with no money and a squad of about 14 players. The one touich football was out of this world and the team was way better than the sum of its parts.

Roy, Keegan. JT and Slav are not to be sneezed at but had the advantage of rich chairmen that splashed the cash. I am not sure they could have done what Supermac did... The win away at newcastle, the win at home to leeds and others where stunning. This was a team made from nothing but founded on a top class back four of hopkins, gale brown, lock. they complemented each other, worked well as a unit and had both toughness and a delicacy of skill. Lock was a supreme left foot dead ball specialist and penalty taker and gale was the cliosest thing to moore i can remember us having and also a top right footed free kick taker... shame he messed up at home v leicester backing off when he should hav eclosed down in that defeat, but other than that brilliant.

tigs purchased who he wanted, but getting saha was a master stroke. roy was arguably the greatest and we wll loved him, but the football was not thrilling, it was built on strict adherence to 4 4 2 and very little scope for breaking from the scrript. that is why he did not like bullard or Kamara and yet thiose two were so instrumental in the great escape.

So for me Supermac,l but I did love JT, Roy and KK too, plus one or two others.

Good post and cannot really disagree with anything you've said there.

MacDonald was the man manager and Ray Harford was the brilliant tactician. The combination worked extremely well.

Yes, I have to say that is probably true. the combination was outstanding although mac did get promotion the year before Harfiord.

Personally speaking and in order with reasons my 1,2,3 was as follows.

1) Jean Tigana - absolutely the best football I've ever seen from a Fulham side, made comparative journeymen like Brevett look class (no slight on Rufus who I loved), discovered Saha who had played often as a winger and converted him into a devastating central striker. The side that destroyed the championship for me is the best side that has ever graced this division, things got messy with the Marlet saga, agent fees and the associated falling out with MAF in the premier, but it doesn't take enough away to stop him being my no.1


2) Roy Hodgson - took an ordinary set of capable but unspectacular premiership players, added his own ingredients (Hangeland a brilliant acquisition) and kept us up against all odds then the following season had us finishing in the clubs highest ever position - 7th in the premier and then onto a magical run to the Europa Cup Final vs Atletico Madrid, the stuff dreams are made of. FFC's most successful manager for these reasons, but just lost out to Tigana on top spot in my book as Roys football was often methodical & attritional as opposed to the fluent fast paced attacking style of Tigana - and as a fan I love being entertained.


My third place was almost a 50/50 split and I'm still not convinced I got it right. however it was out of 2 managers who brought us great success with a bargain basement budget. Nothing to choose between them in my book & I'd give them joint 3rd if the voting system allowed, I even thought to extending the votes to 4 but thought out of 10 candidates this to be excessive.


Micky Adams I eventually went for due to the 1997 being my favourite season ever as a Fulham fan, probably a personal thing - I was 29 at the time and went to about 80-90% of the home & away games that season. The atmosphere & camaraderie on the terraces was brilliant, such a feeling of togetherness and the team of old men, young lads, journeymen etc cobbled together for buttons doing us proud. There's seldom ever been such a connection between the team and fans and we travelled in big numbers consuidering we were 4th tier. Being denied the title due to a law change that was the doing of our very own Jimmy Hill was "Fulhamish!" - still it didn't spoil that magnificent season too much, Carlise away - who put the ball in the Carlise net, Cambridge on the final game of the season filled to the brim with Fulham & outnumbering the home fans around 4 to 1. So yes, probably a sentimental edge that mad eme include Micky in 3rd (could hardly rate him over Roy or Jean).


An honoury shout out to Supermac Malcolm MacDonald though - and I feel awful for not including him in the top 3 & the side under him that included so many of my all time favourites, Ivor, Ray Lew, Gerry Peyton, Kevin Lock, Ray Houghton ... all put together again on a shoestring. We played great football - Newcastle 4-1 at St James Park was stunning. Loads of memories the 1-1 fraught affair in a packed Cottage to get promoted against Lincoln - then a 14 year old me scaling the then massive fences to run on the pitch all the way through to that terrible Day at Derby County when we lost out on the final day in a match that was never completed - not going to bang on too much about that now but all has been well documented but that side & us under Supermac never really recovered despite the epic cup games against the then mighty - almost invincible Liverpool of the time.

Quote from: filham on November 08, 2019, 12:33:38 PM
Having watched all of their teams regularly there is no doubt in my mid , it just had to be the magnificent and understated Beddy Jezzard.  He achieved promotion to the top flight in his first season as manager and then kept us in the top flight for the next five seasons on a shoestring budget.
He must be our longest serving manager, hard to think of another who stayed in the position longer.

The Fulham manager that did the longest stint was Phil Kelso. But well before any of our time. Manager from 1909 to 1924.

As a kid first going and watching the 82 side (i'd been for about 5/6 years before but remember little), i was impressed by the football we played, but probably too young to really realise what a great job MM and Harford did. Adams was very close to making top 3 and I feel guilty for not including him as I had such a good time that season following us around. But quality was low compared to the 3 below IMO.

My first choice would be Hodgson. Whilst the football could be bland and unexciting at times (especially away from home) as a manager you couldn't deny that he produced a team much much greater than the sum of its parts. Really the Europa final journey will probably never happen again to a club of our size or to a squad of players that included Bjorn Helge Riise, Jonathan Greening, Keanu Marsh Brown, Stephen Kelly and Fred Stoor. To get what he did out of that bunch (with a good deal of quality, cheaply assembled) was nothing short of miraculous.

Second would be Tigana as that was breathtaking at points that season we went up. I've not seen any side as dominant as that Fulham team at points that season. I liked his approach, his style of play, his recruitment and his results.

Lastly would be Slavisa- for two reasons; 1) the unbeaten run. Just incredible that the team managed to remain unbeaten for so long and play some exhilarating football along the way. 2) Wembley. Sadly I'd always said I'd not go to the new wembley until Fulham played there. I was a regular at the old one and thought I'd never ever get the chance. Such a good day with dad, uncle, cousin, nephew and son all there. As my boy said when he went off to sleep that night "Daddy, I'll never, ever forget today". That's what we're all in it for- those rare moments of something memorable and special.

Quote from: Jim© on November 08, 2019, 01:58:06 PM
As a kid first going and watching the 82 side (i'd been for about 5/6 years before but remember little), i was impressed by the football we played, but probably too young to really realise what a great job MM and Harford did. Adams was very close to making top 3 and I feel guilty for not including him as I had such a good time that season following us around. But quality was low compared to the 3 below IMO.

My first choice would be Hodgson. Whilst the football could be bland and unexciting at times (especially away from home) as a manager you couldn't deny that he produced a team much much greater than the sum of its parts. Really the Europa final journey will probably never happen again to a club of our size or to a squad of players that included Bjorn Helge Riise, Jonathan Greening, Keanu Marsh Brown, Stephen Kelly and Fred Stoor. To get what he did out of that bunch (with a good deal of quality, cheaply assembled) was nothing short of miraculous.

Second would be Tigana as that was breathtaking at points that season we went up. I've not seen any side as dominant as that Fulham team at points that season. I liked his approach, his style of play, his recruitment and his results.

Lastly would be Slavisa- for two reasons; 1) the unbeaten run. Just incredible that the team managed to remain unbeaten for so long and play some exhilarating football along the way. 2) Wembley. Sadly I'd always said I'd not go to the new wembley until Fulham played there. I was a regular at the old one and thought I'd never ever get the chance. Such a good day with dad, uncle, cousin, nephew and son all there. As my boy said when he went off to sleep that night "Daddy, I'll never, ever forget today". That's what we're all in it for- those rare moments of something memorable and special.

Thank you. The reasons for the votes and stories behind them are probably more of a reason to do this than the votes themselves. I've tried to put mine down on a previous reply and would love to hear about other peoples

This was a lot more difficult than i expected!
My heart immediately said Cookie - my favourite FFC manager and who guided us to our (then) highest ever top flight finish (the win at Old Trafford!?)
But on further reflection he didn't even make the top 3, nor Tigana despite that incredible season.
As many have already said, that day at Wembley earns Slav his place, fulfilled a lifelong ambition to see my club play (and win) at Wembley and then Roy and Micky Adams for the same reasons that have already been stated
Feeling quite nostalgic now! Bring on the Brummies!

1. Hodgson
2. Adams
3. Tigana

Quote from: bill taylors apprentice on November 08, 2019, 11:57:26 AM
Buckingham's name should be nowhere near this list!

Exactly! Instead of Bedford Jezzard?!  :doh:

092.gif

Interesting, I have actually selected Keegan as I just like the guy so much, such a positive person who has nearly always produced postive football, once he has the chairman's support.(I have his biography on audiobook, a very good listen).

We were such a good fit for him at the time really, a rich but underdog / small club. I think if England had not come calling we could have seriously done big things. I do think we missed out big time there, and I think Keegan was never the same after the England job kind of depressed him.

"Would love it" 😊 if he came back

Roy is the proven one of course, an amazing few years.

Tigana in the third position

A Poll for worst manager ever is due I guess, for me it's hat Nutty German we had the name of whom I have scalded from memory.... And Ranieri must be up there, sadly.

Malcolm McDonald
Jean Tigana
Kevin Keegan

For me this can't just come down to rational analysis, it's also about emotion.  On that basis number 1 is Roy because I have never been so proud as I was during that sublime run to the final in Europe. Even today I look at the list of teams that we put out and shake my head in disbelief.  No other manager has ever achieved anything like it at Fulham and I doubt any manager ever will.
I know Micky Adams, he's a top bloke and the turn around he delivered was the start of the renaissance of our club so he gets a vote.
Finally it comes down to Super Mac and JT,. Both are obviously worthy but for the sheer thrills of Jean Tigana's promotion season I have gone with him.
Beddy Jezzard was no doubt a great manager and certainly a great player but my memories are too distant these days.

Quote from: ALG01 on November 08, 2019, 12:10:41 PM
Super mac no brainer. he had the most impressive/thrilling football I have ever seen with no money and a squad of about 14 players. The one touich football was out of this world and the team was way better than the sum of its parts.

Roy, Keegan. JT and Slav are not to be sneezed at but had the advantage of rich chairmen that splashed the cash. I am not sure they could have done what Supermac did... The win away at newcastle, the win at home to leeds and others where stunning. This was a team made from nothing but founded on a top class back four of hopkins, gale brown, lock. they complemented each other, worked well as a unit and had both toughness and a delicacy of skill. Lock was a supreme left foot dead ball specialist and penalty taker and gale was the cliosest thing to moore i can remember us having and also a top right footed free kick taker... shame he messed up at home v leicester backing off when he should hav eclosed down in that defeat, but other than that brilliant.

tigs purchased who he wanted, but getting saha was a master stroke. roy was arguably the greatest and we wll loved him, but the football was not thrilling, it was built on strict adherence to 4 4 2 and very little scope for breaking from the scrript. that is why he did not like bullard or Kamara and yet thiose two were so instrumental in the great escape.

So for me Supermac,l but I did love JT, Roy and KK too, plus one or two others.

Oh No
I forgot mr adams, i need to be thrashed with an away teams football lace.
mr adams almost as good as mac because he was truely impoverished!

Had to go Tigs 1st, Roy & Supermac.

Lets not forget it was Tigana that not only played great football but turned the playing side of the club upside down, making them a truly modern entity with the helo of Damiano & Propos.

Roy Hodgson without a doubt.
Followed by Tigana

Heady days indeed

You left out Dicks

And Bobby Robson and Johnny Haynes

...and Dodgin

Quote from: BestOfBrede on November 08, 2019, 10:06:42 PM
...and Dodgin

Junior or Senior?

For me it has to be Roy. Every team has its special games that live long in the memory, but this was a whole campaign against all odds. It makes me sad to see how far we've fallen since then when we could really have progressed. Slav has been a shining light in that darkness, and a bright one at that but I fear we're a long way from the end of the tunnel.

Our best four club managers are Micky Adams (taking over in 4th Tier), Malcolm Macdonald (taking over in 3rd Tier), Bedford Jezzard (taking over in 2nd Tier - never saw his team) and Roy Hodson (taking over in 1st Tier), statistically all of them achieved great results with shoestring budgets relative to the teams we were defeating. While three managers are also worth of note for exceptional cup runs Alex Stock (FA), Roy Hodsgon (UEFA) and Slavisa Jokavoic (EFL Playoffs).

Quote from: Sgt Fulham on November 08, 2019, 10:38:30 PM
For me it has to be Roy. Every team has its special games that live long in the memory, but this was a whole campaign against all odds. It makes me sad to see how far we've fallen since then when we could really have progressed. Slav has been a shining light in that darkness, and a bright one at that but I fear we're a long way from the end of the tunnel.

Sadly I'll drink to that. What a wasted opportunity.

Hodgson. Miraculous escape from relegation in his first season before propelling us to 7th and a European Final; overcoming Wolfsburg and Juventus, on a virtual shoestring. In this time, he built one of the league's most formidable defences and made CC a fortress. Also signed a number of club stalwarts such as Schwarzer, Hangeland and Zamora, whilst transforming the fortunes of Murphy, Hughes and Baird - amongst others. A Fulham legend.

For me it has to be Roy. Every team has its special games that live long in the memory, but this was a whole campaign against all odds. It makes me sad to see how far we've fallen since then when we could really have progressed. Slav has been a shining light in that darkness, and a bright one at that but I fear we're a long way from the end of the tunnel.

Sadly I'll drink to that. What a wasted opportunity.



Could not agree more - what a crazy waste

Quote from: HV71 on November 08, 2019, 11:56:08 PM
For me it has to be Roy. Every team has its special games that live long in the memory, but this was a whole campaign against all odds. It makes me sad to see how far we've fallen since then when we could really have progressed. Slav has been a shining light in that darkness, and a bright one at that but I fear we're a long way from the end of the tunnel.

Sadly I'll drink to that. What a wasted opportunity.



Could not agree more - what a crazy waste

+1

Best Subject/Post in a long time, especially for us old timers. No animosity from anyone just good reasons as one poster said they all deserve a mention. Thanks. No for today COYW, Who knows in a few years it would be good to see Parker up there

I am really surprised how few votes Malcolm MacDonald and Micky Adams have got, they improved Fulham when no financial backing was available.

Quote from: Cambridge Pete on November 09, 2019, 10:33:34 AM
Best Subject/Post in a long time, especially for us old timers. No animosity from anyone just good reasons as one poster said they all deserve a mention. Thanks. No for today COYW, Who knows in a few years it would be good to see Parker up there

I agree with you, it's refreshing to participate in a thread where there is no animosity. Now then whose opinion can I insult......?????

Currently Roy from Tigana then Slav, keep the votes coming and your reasons/stories behind them.

Being an old timer I find this hard to narrow down to 3. In fact I cannot. So my 6 who gave us wonderful good times.

Bedford Jezzard.
Alec Stock
Malcolm Macdonald
Jean Tigana
Roy Hodgson
Slavisa Jochanovic   
Sorry 7
Mickey Adams

092.gif

Had to give Ray Lew a vote as it didn't seem right he was on null points.

Mark Hughes spent one season with us and we finished eighth. Too bad he was too ambitious to stay with us.

Quote from: S.F.Sorrow on November 08, 2019, 11:13:19 AM
Roy Hodgson, Jean Tigana and Micky Adams.

same as that.

Quote from: ealex40 on November 11, 2019, 06:24:31 AM
Mark Hughes spent one season with us and we finished eighth. Too bad he was too ambitious to stay with us.

Actually considered adding Hughes but he was never very popular here despite the relative success of his season in charge largely due to the comments of the club not matching his ambitions, plus it was widely reported that the senior players went to him half way through the season when we were doing badly and pressured him to change tactics, which he did with a dramatic upturn in results.


So based on the above & the very short tenure I didn't believe Hughes a worthy addition to the list.

I am not surprised that Hodgson is so far ahead of all the rest on the basis of his accomplishments at FFC but he didn't get a vote from me. 

I took the word 'greatest' to be indicative of the kind of football played and so voted for Macdonald, Tigana and Jokanovic, who all made football seem so easy on both pitch and the eye from rather different collections of players.  I didn't think I'd see the expansive attacking play of Macdonald with such an average collection of players again (and I mean no disrespect to any in the team since they were all heroes of mine at the time), but Jokanovic proved me wrong.  Tigana was something else entirely producing breathtaking spectacle with some quite exceptional talent.  I was also tempted by Micky Adams and would love to have seen how he would have managed with better resources and was really sorry to see him go.  Interesting thread and vote.     

Quote from: toshes mate on November 12, 2019, 10:32:51 AM
I am not surprised that Hodgson is so far ahead of all the rest on the basis of his accomplishments at FFC but he didn't get a vote from me. 

I took the word 'greatest' to be indicative of the kind of football played and so voted for Macdonald, Tigana and Jokanovic, who all made football seem so easy on both pitch and the eye from rather different collections of players.  I didn't think I'd see the expansive attacking play of Macdonald with such an average collection of players again (and I mean no disrespect to any in the team since they were all heroes of mine at the time), but Jokanovic proved me wrong.  Tigana was something else entirely producing breathtaking spectacle with some quite exceptional talent.  I was also tempted by Micky Adams and would love to have seen how he would have managed with better resources and was really sorry to see him go.  Interesting thread and vote.   

Whilst I voted Roy on the basis of him being technically our most successful manager ever - he was 2nd behind Tigana in my personal list. As you've alluded to, our style under Hodgson was much more attrition based, taking a less than spectacular group of players and organising them into a very drilled, together unit. an art in itself and shouldn't take away from Roy's achievements. In fact our Europa cup run saw us play a more expansive type of football probably due to the nature of the contest as opposed to the league. However if you're going to factor in success and style, it was always Tigana for me as I've never seen a Fulham side play such breath-taking & devastating pure football then the season when we destroyed the championship. That side was in my opinion the finest that has ever graced this division - better still than the Wolves side that won it in our last promotion campaign. 

Quote from: Spirit of 2000 on November 12, 2019, 09:09:22 AM

Quote from: ealex40 on November 11, 2019, 06:24:31 AM
Mark Hughes spent one season with us and we finished eighth. Too bad he was too ambitious to stay with us.

Actually considered adding Hughes but he was never very popular here despite the relative success of his season in charge largely due to the comments of the club not matching his ambitions, plus it was widely reported that the senior players went to him half way through the season when we were doing badly and pressured him to change tactics, which he did with a dramatic upturn in results.


So based on the above & the very short tenure I didn't believe Hughes a worthy addition to the list.

Absolutely my thoughts on Hughes - under his tactics we were 19th and the upturn came (according to Hangeland) when the senior players went into MH and urged him to revert to the style, shape and formation used by Roy. Effectively Roy got us to 8th that season and who knows where we would have got if we played those tactics from the start.

I went with Roy as top dog with Tigana and my second pick and although I never witnessed the Jezzard team I pick him as took the heading as "greatest manager" literally - his achievements of getting us to the top division for the first time in our history, and keeping us there his entire tenure - could not be ignored so I had pay my respect to that achievement.

Whilst Roy's teams were largely functional as opposed to swashbuckling, it would be entirely unfair to class the iconic wins against Juventus (from 1-4 down) and Man City away from 0-2 down as anything other than a thrilling spectacle. For me, the win against defending champions Shakhtar Donetsk (one of the best teams I've seen at the Cottage) was still mystifying and a real point of pride in my time as a Fulham supporter - let alone the numerous wins against top Prem teams and the entire "great escape" run from March onwards. Some of the most exciting periods as a Fulham supporter ever.

Saying that, I have absolutely no argument with anyone who selected MM / Mickey Adams /  Slav for football style / massively overperforming and turning around our club at a tough time / mixture of pure football quality with tangible results  and taking us to Wembley and winning.

A really great thread that only highlights and recnogises some truly good times for this club.

Agree with the comments about Roy Hodgson's style and accomplishments and how he found a way to produce what was probably the most successful Fulham side ever.  He kind of reignited something that had been missing at FFC for quite a while by making us a very solid and competitive PL outfit with a capacity to take Europe by storm. Had there been four votes then I couldn't have left Hodgson out. 

Likewise, had there been five votes then Micky Adams would have been there for me too.  I also saw the back end of the Bedford Jezzard era at a time when management kind of went over my head as a kid and the players of the time were everything, but his teams were very good to watch, and six votes would have got him in too.

But Spirit2000 was very cute in limiting us to three which then becomes the task of 'who do you leave out'.  A good old fashioned conundrum and no surprise to me that Hodgson is so far in front.   

Quote from: S.F.Sorrow on November 08, 2019, 11:13:19 AM
Roy Hodgson, Jean Tigana and Micky Adams.

same here, all for different reasons

Quote from: sunburywhite on November 08, 2019, 10:13:14 PM

Quote from: BestOfBrede on November 08, 2019, 10:06:42 PM
...and Dodgin

Junior or Senior?

I had the same thought, perhaps both?

I recall a match program from the Fulham/Bristol Rovers game where the front cover had a cartoon of Both Sr. & Jr., with the quote "Honour Thy Father" I believe it was. 

Interesting fact is they both joined Fulham and Bristol, in the same year as manager and both left the clubs in the same year, also Jr played under his dad for two different clubs.

I did tigana but I was tossing a coin between him and woy .

Anyone who's not voted as yet - just 2 days to get your votes in, anyone wanting to give a story or two behind your choices - these would be most welcome. COYW!

For me it's quite easy to pick three. I am too young to have followed the team before Micky Adams, and even then I followed the team only through the early iterations of a website which basically only gave results and scorers.

The first team I got to watch with some regularity was Tigana's. From my sample of Fulham teams, we have never looked quite as talented again.

Roy gave us the most success, starting with the great escape and going on the a Europa League final. Amazing really. Not the most exciting football, but very competent and more importantly it worked. Also enjoy it extra much because of Roy's background of coaching in Sweden.

Joka's team is probably the one I enjoyed the most (maybe because it is closer in time, I don't know). Couple this with Wembley, which is my single best Fulham memory so far (even beats the Juventus game in my book).

I am glad I didn't have to pick just one.

Just voted and saw slavisa, Jean tigana and Roy were currently leading.

In my era there's little competition to those three - a notable mention to Kevin Keegan.

That said, whilst I loved the championship team under slavisa I voted for micky Adams instead. I know it may seem strange but based on what it know of the circumstances I think it's a greater feat. Plus something feels underfulfilled from the slavisa era - and when he got the chance to prove himself with new players and the premier league,  although I put blame on tony Khan for buying recklessly and disrupting the team spirit at the club, ultimately slavisa didn't succeed where I wanted him to and where, for a club that deserves to be in the premiership, was needed and that'll always leave a bittersweet taste.

@General

Agree, Adams should certainly trump Jokanovic and I think the difference in votes is just down to less people on here having been supporters in Adams' era. The Adams team cost next to nothing (I think Adams' budget was literally £0) he won that division (and yes we did win it despite what the table says) through pure coaching, ie tactics and motivation. I'm one of Jokanovic's biggest fans too, but his achievement of finishing 3rd with one of the economically strongest teams in the division is frankly incomparable.

Quote from: Statto on November 13, 2019, 09:47:51 AM
@General

Agree, Adams should certainly trump Jokanovic and I think the difference in votes is just down to less people on here having been supporters in Adams' era. The Adams team cost next to nothing (I think Adams' budget was literally £0) he won that division (and yes we did win it despite what the table says) through pure coaching, ie tactics and motivation. I'm one of Jokanovic's biggest fans too, but his achievement of finishing 3rd with one of the economically strongest teams in the division is frankly incomparable.

Agree with you both and voted Adams over Jokanovic.

That 1996/97 side -
Mark Walton, Matt Lawrence, Paul Watson, Danny Cullip, Mark Blake, Simon Morgan, Glenn Cockerill, Richard Carpenter, Rob Scott, Darren Freeman, Mick Conroy - with also special mention to Rodney McAree, Nick Cusack, Paul Brooker, Terry Angus, Charlie Hartfield, Christer Warren, Robbie Herrera, Martin Thomas.

What an admirable bunch of fighters brilliantly marshalled by Adams. I think we got Darren Freeman, Paul Watson & Richard Carpenter for a combined fee of £50k from Gillingham in the same deal, Matty Lawrence from Wycombe & Danny Cullip From Oxford signed for peanuts - these signings by Adams were genius and all contributed massively. Morgs was the star - having been brought in for a whopping £102k (by Alan Dicks?) Conroy the goal machine already on the books having been signed from Preston NE and not starting his FFC career too well, but Adams (and don't forget his sidekick Alan Cork) got him firing. The camaraderie on the terrace, the bond between that side and the fans - the rollercoaster built on team spirit & togetherness from a squad assembled for very little is something that I think we'll never see again or at least would be incredibly hard to replicate, especially given how football has changed (not for the better) over the last 20 years or so.

Last few hours to vote if anyone hasn't yet.

Poll now closed after a week.

Clear winner of peoples favourite/greatest Fulham manager being ROY HODGSON with 119 votes, 45 clear of 2nd.


2nd - Jean Tigana with 74 taking almost twice as many votes as 3rd place shows the top 2 were pretty clear.

3rd - Slavisa Jokanovic with 39 votes in 3rd.


The rest in order as follows :

Malcolm MacDonald 29
Micky Adams 26
Alec Stock 11
Bedford Jezzard 7
Kevin Keegan 7
Chris Coleman 2
Ray Lewington 1
(Others 2)

Jean Tiganas Man Management technique was mediocre to say the least, as was his team talks. He was lucky to have been able to buy some very good players with an open cheque book. The Premier League found him out and identified Fulhams soft underbelly. Of course I acknowledge there was wonderful football that was easy on the eye, and most certainly worth the admission fee. His system of play and the players he brought in was sublime.
Unfortunately every silver lining has a cloud. Nevertheless, fortunately every cloud has a silver lining, Fulham sacked him before he took us down, and Cookie took the reigns and saved us from relegation that year.
It's just my humble opinion. I do not think he deserves second place, as his Management was only really tested in the Premier where he failed miserably and reminded me of a cardboard cut out in the dugout, he treated Peski and Geoff Horsfield abysmally as well as others very poorly. His coaching in the Championship was good and he got results because of the wonderful players he bought suited his style, he got found out in the Premier and his very poor man Management and invisible team talks caught up with him.
When I think of what Malcolm Macdonald and Micky Adams went through, I place them above Tigana despite his achievements, and the proof of the pudding is that when he got dismissed unceremoniously by Alfayed, he skunked off to his Apple Orchards before joining a Monastery.
For some reason the football world more or less turned their backs on him.

Micky Adams had a great goals per game ratio when he played for us as well. I think something like 9 in 29 games, which wasn't half bad for an aging left back/left side midfielder.

I could not split the footballing assessment but loved the Supermac era and as all my mates were going to Chelski, Palace and the Hammers I felt a bit 'spesh' even then. My three come purely out of the good times factor. Thus
Tigana as that tied in with my home and away attendance peak, Mickey Adams as that was part of an important chapter and again I managed to witness much of that and then I'm torn but Hodgson gets it as by then I had Scalley for company and our first ST's for a while.
The worst three would be interesting.

Note your opening line Woolly. I have a similar gut feeling regarding a more recent incumbent but it's a popular one. I hear what you say about Tigana but the football was something else. Others have had big budget squads and been mediocre.

Rats I did'nt see the closing post.

Without the momentum and togetherness that Micky Adams gave us, the whole Al Fayed era may not have happened

Quote from: Woolly Mammoth on November 15, 2019, 12:29:00 PM
Jean Tiganas Man Management technique was mediocre to say the least, as was his team talks. He was lucky to have been able to buy some very good players with an open cheque book. The Premier League found him out and identified Fulhams soft underbelly. Of course I acknowledge there was wonderful football that was easy on the eye, and most certainly worth the admission fee. His system of play and the players he brought in was sublime.
Unfortunately every silver lining has a cloud. Nevertheless, fortunately every cloud has a silver lining, Fulham sacked him before he took us down, and Cookie took the reigns and saved us from relegation that year.
It's just my humble opinion. I do not think he deserves second place, as his Management was only really tested in the Premier where he failed miserably and reminded me of a cardboard cut out in the dugout, he treated Peski and Geoff Horsfield abysmally as well as others very poorly. His coaching in the Championship was good and he got results because of the wonderful players he bought suited his style, he got found out in the Premier and his very poor man Management and invisible team talks caught up with him.
When I think of what Malcolm Macdonald and Micky Adams went through, I place them above Tigana despite his achievements, and the proof of the pudding is that when he got dismissed unceremoniously by Alfayed, he skunked off to his Apple Orchards before joining a Monastery.
For some reason the football world more or less turned their backs on him.

Jean Tigana had an enormous budget relative to his competitors, considering player inflation, he spend the equivalent of £65m to get promoted, then £205m in our first promotion season and still only got 44 points. As a DOF, one could argue Tony Khan (spending £140m over two seasons getting 26 points in the EPL) was better than Jean Tigana (spending £270m over two seasons getting 44 points in the EPL). Both need to improve significantly.

As for great managers: Malcolm Macdonald had the kind of budget that if mismanaged could get you relegated in to Four Division but he nearly got us in the top division; while Micky Adams had the kind of budget that unless managed well could get you relegated out of Four Division, but he got promoted into the Third Division. As fans we owe a lot to both managers and no one could ever say they expected FFC to do better with the money spent under those managers.

Quote from: The Rational Fan on November 16, 2019, 10:05:16 AM
Jean Tigana had an enormous budget relative to his competitors, considering player inflation, he spend the equivalent of £65m to get promoted, then £205m in our first promotion season and still only got 44 points. As a DOF, one could argue Tony Khan (spending £140m over two seasons getting 26 points in the EPL) was better than Jean Tigana (spending £270m over two seasons getting 44 points in the EPL). Both need to improve significantly.

So you're saying player inflation since then has been 500%? And we spent the equivalent of £70m on Marlet, £30m on Malbranque, £45m on VDS etc? How is that calculated?

It seems high.

If you were, for example, to use the British or World record fees as a metric, they've only increased by around 200% (from Veron £28m and Zidane €78m in 2001, to Pogba £89m and Neymar €220 today) which would mean Tigana spent much less than TK, even considering inflation.