Arbeloa

[Jim©]

Lookman, aina just to name two very obvious ones. Tosin? Robinson still with us. Tete was a good signing. There's more than you make out...

[Woolly Mammoth]

Steer him well clear of the Hammy End bogs if a tour of the stadium is part of the interview.

Unless he is wearing a Deep Sea Diving Suit.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Brian Clough said that it is a simple game with the object of the exercise is to score more goals than the opposition.
He was a genius, and for me the best manager I have seen in my lifetime.
He could motivate a corpse.

[SimonDaviesEnjoyer]

Lots more noise on twitter about this now.

Looking more likely..

[Fulham 1879]

Bet365 1/6 on and no other bookies now offering odds according to Oddschecker.

[ElRay]

Worrying appointment for me.

From the Jack Kelly and TK interview, it sounded pretty clear that the club didn't really have a Plan B. My concern is that they're being drawn towards Arbeloa partly because he's a former Real Madrid coach rather than because he's the perfect fit for Fulham's current situation.

Marco Silva was a risk when he arrived too and plenty of people questioned that appointment. The difference is that Marco had a season in the Championship to implement his ideas, build relationships, shape the squad before taking on the Premier League.

Arbeloa may well be an excellent coach with fresh ideas, but he'll be walking into a very different environment. He plays a different style to Marco, so he'll only have pre season to implement his approach. If any current players don't suit that style the club's recruitment process means he's waiting until late in the transfer window for key targets, he will end up trying to integrate both a new system and new players during a Premier League season with very little 1st team management experience.

Young, inexperienced managers have succeeded elsewhere, but usually within clubs that have a clear football structure and defined recruitment strategy that supports the head coach. Fulham currently don't provide that environment.

Unless the club changes the way it operates behind the scenes, I think it's going to be very difficult for Arbeloa to succeed, regardless of his potential as a coach.

[cmg]

Arbeloa may well be an excellent coach with fresh ideas, but he'll be walking into a very different environment. He plays a different style to Marco, so he'll only have pre season to implement his approach. If any current players don't suit that style the club's recruitment process means he's waiting until late in the transfer window for key targets, he will end up trying to integrate both a new system and new players during a Premier League season with very little 1st team management experience.

You may well be right.
On the other hand it may be that some of our players, especially those who have disappointed so far, will benefit from a different, hopefully more adventurous, system.

[The blahblahman]

Credit to that Fulham news guy if this gets over the line. He was there before everyone.

[Jims Dentist]

Agree with Elray above.
TK etc seem to have had no plan B in the event of MS deciding to move on.
Also interesting how a number of possible replacements soon ruled themselves out.

[demeant0r]

Agree with Elray above.
TK etc seem to have had no plan B in the event of MS deciding to move on.
Also interesting how a number of possible replacements soon ruled themselves out.

Like manager, like Director of Football

[sarnian]

Agree with Elray above.
TK etc seem to have had no plan B in the event of MS deciding to move on.
Also interesting how a number of possible replacements soon ruled themselves out.

Reading some of Silva's comments since being announced by Benfica it appears he was lying about his contact with them to both TK and us supporters. Can understand management being surprised by his decision.

[AustrianGeezer]

Agree with Elray above.
TK etc seem to have had no plan B in the event of MS deciding to move on.
Also interesting how a number of possible replacements soon ruled themselves out.

Reading some of Silva's comments since being announced by Benfica it appears he was lying about his contact with them to both TK and us supporters. Can understand management being surprised by his decision.

Could you provide a link for me?

[cookieg]

I mean, obviously I'll support the guy and wish for the best.....but its one of those appointments that'll either be a stroke of genius, or a complete disaster.....

I mean, obviously I'll support the guy and wish for the best.....but its one of those appointments that'll either be a stroke of genius, or a complete disaster.....

A bit like Areola and Glasner

Not really sure I'm appreciating these comparisons. Both have much better CV's than Arbeloa. Unless I'm missing something. 

Silva's CV was nothing to shout about but SK clearly saw something in him and resurrected his career.

[cookieg]

It would be a very risky appointment. It has a potential of going either way.

I think everyone on here knows it has the potential to go either way unless there is a third way I'm missing.

[cookieg]

I'm willing to bet he can spend £65 million in the Spanish market a lot better than Silva did in the English market with Andersen and Smith-Rowe 😉

Based on what? His non-existent experience of working the transfer market?

Silva's experience in the transfer market didn't exactly work out with those players.

Firstly, that's an ongoing point as they're both still players for us and we've a new manager who could get more out of them.

Secondly, whilst Andersen has his detractors, he's been an ever-present for us and played most games, which would be considered out and out a successful signing to the degree he's been consistent for us as a starter in the PL in seasons we've consistently been competing for Europe and got our PL record points total.

Thirdly, why are you weakening your argument by not including other players he signed and also being realistic with the fact that no manager, including Klopp and Guardiola etc, hires success stories with every hire. That's almost an impossibility.

What about Wilson, Jimenez, Iwobi, Bassey.., Castagne, Cuenca, Leno, I mean even then the hit rate is pretty high.

Kevin, a resuscitated Sessegnon, Bobb

I for one think ESR showed improvement last season and has still room for more too.

Yes both players are playing but have regularly been criticised for poor performances - with people saying ESR is overweight, has been struggling mentally. Andersen not the player he was when first with us. I'm sure you've read those comments so can hardly be a surprise.

The fact that Andersen has played so regularly calls into question Silva's managerial ability by constantly playing an under performing player. He has been consistently reluctant to drop players who aren't playing well which could well explain why for the last two seasons we ran out of steam and failed to achieve a European place when squad rotation, using youth players could have made a big difference.

The other players you mentioned weren't mentioned in the original post to which I was responding.
But let's take Wilson for one. His performances for the last couple of months were no where to what he is capable of and even with the prospect of him going Silva still kept playing him rather than brining in someone else.

[Fulham 442]

Looks like Arbeloa is nailed on and will be announced tomorrow.  Hopefully he can get us back to playing the way we were in the first half of the season.  Obviously there will be some changes but lets hope he settles in quickly and gets some much needed incomings through the door asap.

[JimmyConway]

Have read a fair few comments where fans are 50-50 with this. Looks like it's going to be an appointment that just might be met with a sprinkling of reservation let alone possible panic stations appointment which going by that interview who would blame supporters. Going to sit on the fence with this one for time being.
Will be interesting 1rst toy TK gets for the new manager and when?

[KJS]

Agree with Elray above.
TK etc seem to have had no plan B in the event of MS deciding to move on.
Also interesting how a number of possible replacements soon ruled themselves out.

Or he did have a plan B diluted didn't want to make it public incase it failed and some fans flagged him off for no reason whatsoever as is pretty much the norm for certain posters on FoF

[Rambler]

The fact it's not cesc or poch disappoints me.

Jokes. They were probably unrealistic.

I don't know much about him, but I certainly didn't want Thomas Frank, Ange or some of the other names we have been linked with.

So I'm pleased we haven't gone down those directions. But it'll be a bit of an unknown for us all.

[JimOG]

Agree with Elray above.
TK etc seem to have had no plan B in the event of MS deciding to move on.
Also interesting how a number of possible replacements soon ruled themselves out.

Or he did have a plan B diluted didn't want to make it public incase it failed and some fans flagged him off for no reason whatsoever as is pretty much the norm for certain posters on FoF

Far more likely . These are astute business people for whom contingency planning is second nature