My view on the manager change.

[FPT]

I've avoided it on here until now, I know people can be over the top in reaction, where I think not enough people sit back and sum everything up. I've spent the last few days thinking it over, and just give my view on the situation.

I don't think we were improving like others have said, we were putting 11 men behind the ball, you don't need a UEFA A license to know how to that, I imagine the majority of people that post here could spend a week practising keeping bodies behind the ball and people in the right defensive shape. Admittedly, in a different situation, I would like Rene here, but I feel he's more of a project manager than a task achiever. Felix Magath has a fantastic record of doing wonderful things for a club in a year or two, before moving on. Also, I find it hard to argue against Magath saying Meulensteen had no philosophy and creating a lack of stability.

As for criticism of Shahid Khan, do you really believe he runs this club? It's clear to me that he leaves the club in the hands of Alistair Mackintosh, and it's a decision I agree with. Things were not changing under Rene Meulensteen, so why not throw the kitchen sink and get a man with a proven record for surviving in a relegation battle? Alistair Mackintosh believes in the development of youth, shown by the appointments of Huw Jennings and Malcolm Elias within the academy. The transfer window proved that his reputation as a tight businessman was perhaps wrong, proving instrumental in spending £12m on Kostas Mitroglou, and the signing (albeit a loan) of Lewis Holtby can't have been cheap with the loan fee/wages. If we stay up, I imagine Ali Mac and Shahid Khan can finally sit down and have that real long term plan meeting they couldn't have in the summer with the takeover completing late into the transfer window.

Shahid Khan has already shown his sensibility by sticking with the plan that was in place at the start of the season. Why come into a team and just throw £20m at it? He approved of the signings that would have happened under Mohamed Al Fayed; that being Parker, Bent and Taarabt.

Now for Felix Magath, I remember vividly hearing that Roy Hodgson's training methods were disliked by players as being boring and repetitive. Okay, that's not quite as extreme as the rumours that have come out about the rigorous training sessions, but if it provides results? Which records suggest it has, then clearly it works? Maybe not long term, but is that something we need to worry about at this stage?

Although perhaps un-Fulhamlike, let's just see what happens before tearing the head off of anybody you can think of. We win at the Hawthorns? We are potentially 1 point from safety with a massive boost after not just an away win against a direct rival, it would be our first win in about 6 weeks. It's a difficult next month, where we have to host Chelsea and Everton, and travel to Cardiff and Manchester City.

All I'm saying, is maybe the change isn't as bad as you may have initially thought. What we need is support in numbers. Support of the squad and the management. A good start is that we received additional tickets for the West Brom game. We're all in this together.

Come on you whites.

[Burt]

I have got to accept the change for what it is... Probably the right thing.

I think the pain is how it has been handled. It gives off the appearance of us lurching from crisis to crisis, with no game plan to get us out of it. It is also un-Fulham like...

[NorfolkJim]

I did wonder how the players would feel about this change and how it might affect their thinking - but after some of the performances that have been put in across the season I no longer care what they think or feel. They are very highly paid professional footballers who while they have no doubt had to make sacrifices and work hard to get where they are, are lucky to be in that elite few. As a long time Fulham fan I can stomach defeat, I can even stomach relegation, but I can't stomach a lack of effort. So maybe this guy will be the right choice.
So long as he is not like Sanchez who just tore the guts out of the team and utterly destroyed it. Anyone can do that.
Outside of the top 6-7 teams where amazing players make the difference, a lot of it comes down to the right attitude, effort and commitment because imo players in the "other" teams are of a muchness largely the same as one another.

For me, I was pretty put out seeing our manager and Wilkins laughing and happy as we lost yet again, even more so that Riether loving his new Man Utd shirt.

[JDH101]

I've avoided it on here until now, I know people can be over the top in reaction, where I think not enough people sit back and sum everything up. I've spent the last few days thinking it over, and just give my view on the situation.

I don't think we were improving like others have said, we were putting 11 men behind the ball, you don't need a UEFA A license to know how to that, I imagine the majority of people that post here could spend a week practising keeping bodies behind the ball and people in the right defensive shape. Admittedly, in a different situation, I would like Rene here, but I feel he's more of a project manager than a task achiever. Felix Magath has a fantastic record of doing wonderful things for a club in a year or two, before moving on. Also, I find it hard to argue against Magath saying Meulensteen had no philosophy and creating a lack of stability.

As for criticism of Shahid Khan, do you really believe he runs this club? It's clear to me that he leaves the club in the hands of Alistair Mackintosh, and it's a decision I agree with. Things were not changing under Rene Meulensteen, so why not throw the kitchen sink and get a man with a proven record for surviving in a relegation battle? Alistair Mackintosh believes in the development of youth, shown by the appointments of Huw Jennings and Malcolm Elias within the academy. The transfer window proved that his reputation as a tight businessman was perhaps wrong, proving instrumental in spending £12m on Kostas Mitroglou, and the signing (albeit a loan) of Lewis Holtby can't have been cheap with the loan fee/wages. If we stay up, I imagine Ali Mac and Shahid Khan can finally sit down and have that real long term plan meeting they couldn't have in the summer with the takeover completing late into the transfer window.

Shahid Khan has already shown his sensibility by sticking with the plan that was in place at the start of the season. Why come into a team and just throw £20m at it? He approved of the signings that would have happened under Mohamed Al Fayed; that being Parker, Bent and Taarabt.

Now for Felix Magath, I remember vividly hearing that Roy Hodgson's training methods were disliked by players as being boring and repetitive. Okay, that's not quite as extreme as the rumours that have come out about the rigorous training sessions, but if it provides results? Which records suggest it has, then clearly it works? Maybe not long term, but is that something we need to worry about at this stage?

Although perhaps un-Fulhamlike, let's just see what happens before tearing the head off of anybody you can think of. We win at the Hawthorns? We are potentially 1 point from safety with a massive boost after not just an away win against a direct rival, it would be our first win in about 6 weeks. It's a difficult next month, where we have to host Chelsea and Everton, and travel to Cardiff and Manchester City.

All I'm saying, is maybe the change isn't as bad as you may have initially thought. What we need is support in numbers. Support of the squad and the management. A good start is that we received additional tickets for the West Brom game. We're all in this together.

Come on you whites.

Very well put indeed. The only thing I would add is that while I agree with bringing in Felix as things were not working under RM, I still struggle to understand the timing of it all. Why not do it earlier and let him have some time in the transfer window?

Was Drawing at OT and narrowly losing at home to Liverpool really the breaking point for RM?

Thats the only thing I don't understand. The timing of things. He waits about 2 months too long to let Jol go, never really replaces him and then brings in a new guy a couple of weeks after the transfer window.

This whole season has been an utter shambles. We are justifiably bottom of the league. The West Brom game is our cup final.

[win-dup]

If he could bring in Rommel I'd be a lot happier.

[epsomraver]

I've avoided it on here until now, I know people can be over the top in reaction, where I think not enough people sit back and sum everything up. I've spent the last few days thinking it over, and just give my view on the situation.

I don't think we were improving like others have said, we were putting 11 men behind the ball, you don't need a UEFA A license to know how to that, I imagine the majority of people that post here could spend a week practising keeping bodies behind the ball and people in the right defensive shape. Admittedly, in a different situation, I would like Rene here, but I feel he's more of a project manager than a task achiever. Felix Magath has a fantastic record of doing wonderful things for a club in a year or two, before moving on. Also, I find it hard to argue against Magath saying Meulensteen had no philosophy and creating a lack of stability.

As for criticism of Shahid Khan, do you really believe he runs this club? It's clear to me that he leaves the club in the hands of Alistair Mackintosh, and it's a decision I agree with. Things were not changing under Rene Meulensteen, so why not throw the kitchen sink and get a man with a proven record for surviving in a relegation battle? Alistair Mackintosh believes in the development of youth, shown by the appointments of Huw Jennings and Malcolm Elias within the academy. The transfer window proved that his reputation as a tight businessman was perhaps wrong, proving instrumental in spending £12m on Kostas Mitroglou, and the signing (albeit a loan) of Lewis Holtby can't have been cheap with the loan fee/wages. If we stay up, I imagine Ali Mac and Shahid Khan can finally sit down and have that real long term plan meeting they couldn't have in the summer with the takeover completing late into the transfer window.

Shahid Khan has already shown his sensibility by sticking with the plan that was in place at the start of the season. Why come into a team and just throw £20m at it? He approved of the signings that would have happened under Mohamed Al Fayed; that being Parker, Bent and Taarabt.

Now for Felix Magath, I remember vividly hearing that Roy Hodgson's training methods were disliked by players as being boring and repetitive. Okay, that's not quite as extreme as the rumours that have come out about the rigorous training sessions, but if it provides results? Which records suggest it has, then clearly it works? Maybe not long term, but is that something we need to worry about at this stage?

Although perhaps un-Fulhamlike, let's just see what happens before tearing the head off of anybody you can think of. We win at the Hawthorns? We are potentially 1 point from safety with a massive boost after not just an away win against a direct rival, it would be our first win in about 6 weeks. It's a difficult next month, where we have to host Chelsea and Everton, and travel to Cardiff and Manchester City.

All I'm saying, is maybe the change isn't as bad as you may have initially thought. What we need is support in numbers. Support of the squad and the management. A good start is that we received additional tickets for the West Brom game. We're all in this together.

Come on you whites.

Very well put indeed. The only thing I would add is that while I agree with bringing in Felix as things were not working under RM, I still struggle to understand the timing of it all. Why not do it earlier and let him have some time in the transfer window?

Was Drawing at OT and narrowly losing at home to Liverpool really the breaking point for RM?

Thats the only thing I don't understand. The timing of things. He waits about 2 months too long to let Jol go, never really replaces him and then brings in a new guy a couple of weeks after the transfer window.

This whole season has been an utter shambles. We are justifiably bottom of the league. The West Brom game is our cup final.

More like the Blackburn of the South than the Man U of Mo's dreams

[hovewhite]

a good origanal post ,and to the piont .
It upset me to see rene and wilkins laughing when were on our way to another disaster at home that said to me enough is enough after that and also the sheff utd game I was done with the commitee of rene,ray and alan.

[Artful Dodger]

The only point I disagree with is that the takeover of the club was completed late in the transfer window - it wasn't, it was early July, which gave at least 6 weeks to rip up MAFs plan of loanees, free transfers and old players on the cheap and make a statement that said, here's £25m go and buy two or three top class players.  In my view, that has ultimately led to where we are now. Well that and Jol was useless anyway and should have gone much earlier!

[FPT]

The only point I disagree with is that the takeover of the club was completed late in the transfer window - it wasn't, it was early July, which gave at least 6 weeks to rip up MAFs plan of loanees, free transfers and old players on the cheap and make a statement that said, here's £25m go and buy two or three top class players.  In my view, that has ultimately led to where we are now. Well that and Jol was useless anyway and should have gone much earlier!

Is that wise? I don't think so. In hindsight, I agree, but when the business was happening, I liked it, I liked the squad we were building with the added possibility of bigger funds in the coming transfer windows. I didn't expect this season.

Also, last summer isn't how we are, where we are. Hughes and Jol weren't backed in the same way that Hodgson and Sanchez were, and in hindsight, it was clear that Al Fayed was planning to sell. It was years of penny pinching trying to maximise the income he'd receive from the inevitable sell.

[Forever Fulham]

a good origanal post ,and to the piont .
It upset me to see rene and wilkins laughing when were on our way to another disaster at home that said to me enough is enough after that and also the sheff utd game I was done with the commitee of rene,ray and alan.

Agree.  It looked so weird.  What could be so funny at that moment? 

[The Rock]

I don't fear change and I like your post, can't argue with much of it. Results were turning around, but I would have done the same tbh.

Problem is we weren't cool to the existing staff and we always have been.

This makes us all supporters of that nice club by the river, into cut-throat heartless bully quadrophonia types.

I am feeling that we can live with that, but it's a bitter pill for a lot to swallow, myself incl

[Me-ate-Live, innit??]

You are forgetting the huge changes that took place in January
we will take just the outgoing players

Berba,Hughes and Senderos,   that's three senior players moved out of the club in a matter of days.
Then there was Ruiz on loan  ..................and not forgetting  Taarabt
If Rene was responsible for just moving those 5 players off the wage bill in such a short time,  then I would say he was a task achiever
wouldn't you ???

[FPT]

You are forgetting the huge changes that took place in January
we will take just the outgoing players

Berba,Hughes and Senderos,   that's three senior players moved out of the club in a matter of days.
Then there was Ruiz on loan  ..................and not forgetting  Taarabt
If Rene was responsible for just moving those 5 players off the wage bill in such a short time,  then I would say he was a task achiever
wouldn't you ???

Transfer dealings, in terms of the pure business, is dealt with by Alistair Mackintosh. I'm sure he talked with Rene about who he wanted to leave/didn't mind getting rid off.

Berbatov - Wanted to leave, it was inevitable, he didn't look like he enjoyed being here even when Jol was around.

Hughes - Wouldn't play, nowhere near his former quality, probable big earner.

Senderos - Wouldn't play, especially with the signing of Johnny Heitinga and the emergence of Dan Burn, plus, his contract expired at the end of the year. Cash in now.

Ruiz - Clearly struggled to adapt, and wouldn't fit the requirements needed for Meulensteen, probably wanted to leave after the exit of Jol, especially after the quite frankly disgusting treatment from supporters.

Taarabt - Wasn't our player, Milan wanted him, we wanted Holtby. Sorted.

Anyway, Ali Mac is our businessman, he lodges the bids, he sells the players, he negotiates the contracts. If this was the case, why was Rene always saying he would "Ask Alistair" with regards to the movement on a transfer, especially during the Morrison links.

[Me-ate-Live, innit??]

So,  Alistair Mackintosh  did all that  and all of the transfers in too, AMAZING !!!
what an amazing CEO, we really do not appreciate him enough

[HatterDon]

You are forgetting the huge changes that took place in January
we will take just the outgoing players

Berba,Hughes and Senderos,   that's three senior players moved out of the club in a matter of days.
Then there was Ruiz on loan  ..................and not forgetting  Taarabt
If Rene was responsible for just moving those 5 players off the wage bill in such a short time,  then I would say he was a task achiever
wouldn't you ???

Transfer dealings, in terms of the pure business, is dealt with by Alistair Mackintosh. I'm sure he talked with Rene about who he wanted to leave/didn't mind getting rid off.

Berbatov - Wanted to leave, it was inevitable, he didn't look like he enjoyed being here even when Jol was around.

Hughes - Wouldn't play, nowhere near his former quality, probable big earner.

Senderos - Wouldn't play, especially with the signing of Johnny Heitinga and the emergence of Dan Burn, plus, his contract expired at the end of the year. Cash in now.

Ruiz - Clearly struggled to adapt, and wouldn't fit the requirements needed for Meulensteen, probably wanted to leave after the exit of Jol, especially after the quite frankly disgusting treatment from supporters.

Taarabt - Wasn't our player, Milan wanted him, we wanted Holtby. Sorted.

Anyway, Ali Mac is our businessman, he lodges the bids, he sells the players, he negotiates the contracts. If this was the case, why was Rene always saying he would "Ask Alistair" with regards to the movement on a transfer, especially during the Morrison links.

Well, perhaps the wouldn't play, but you do realize that with Arthurworrey and Grimmer out on loan, we have exactly THREE people capable of playing center back [I'm not counting Amorebieta who can't play a nickelodeon]. How smart was it to leave us so bare at what has been one of our problem positions?

[FPT]

You are forgetting the huge changes that took place in January
we will take just the outgoing players

Berba,Hughes and Senderos,   that's three senior players moved out of the club in a matter of days.
Then there was Ruiz on loan  ..................and not forgetting  Taarabt
If Rene was responsible for just moving those 5 players off the wage bill in such a short time,  then I would say he was a task achiever
wouldn't you ???

Transfer dealings, in terms of the pure business, is dealt with by Alistair Mackintosh. I'm sure he talked with Rene about who he wanted to leave/didn't mind getting rid off.

Berbatov - Wanted to leave, it was inevitable, he didn't look like he enjoyed being here even when Jol was around.

Hughes - Wouldn't play, nowhere near his former quality, probable big earner.

Senderos - Wouldn't play, especially with the signing of Johnny Heitinga and the emergence of Dan Burn, plus, his contract expired at the end of the year. Cash in now.

Ruiz - Clearly struggled to adapt, and wouldn't fit the requirements needed for Meulensteen, probably wanted to leave after the exit of Jol, especially after the quite frankly disgusting treatment from supporters.

Taarabt - Wasn't our player, Milan wanted him, we wanted Holtby. Sorted.

Anyway, Ali Mac is our businessman, he lodges the bids, he sells the players, he negotiates the contracts. If this was the case, why was Rene always saying he would "Ask Alistair" with regards to the movement on a transfer, especially during the Morrison links.

Well, perhaps the wouldn't play, but you do realize that with Arthurworrey and Grimmer out on loan, we have exactly THREE people capable of playing center back [I'm not counting Amorebieta who can't play a nickelodeon]. How smart was it to leave us so bare at what has been one of our problem positions?

So we do have 4 centre backs, your feelings towards Fernando Amorebieta doesn't mean that he doesn't exist.

Dan Burn
Johnny Heitinga
Brede Hangeland
Fernando Amorebieta

That's my order of preference, so we do have 4 centre backs, plus we can recall Grimmer (who has actually been playing right back for the majority of his time at Port Vale) or Arthurworrey if need be. As it stands, they need to play games, and that's what they are doing.

[Lighthouse]

Can anybody say that our season has been handled well? Our MD had been poor throughout the take over. If he was in charge and he seems to get all the credit for signings. Why couldn't he tell Khan that we need a small amount investmernt to help the squad instead of leaving it to January? Why did we take so long is seeing the back of Jol? Why wait for Rene and his backroom team to sort things out before pressing the panic button and bringing in another manager?

Poor and inept from Fulham. The slide has been going on since Jol was employed and then Al decided to stop backing us and sell the club. That still gave us time to sort some of the problems out. We didn't and we are the worst side in the Prem. I hope beyond hope we have some good news from our new managerial team. But I have no confidence Khan is being given the best advice from day 1.

[GloucesterWhite]

Can anybody say that our season has been handled well? Our MD had been poor throughout the take over. If he was in charge and he seems to get all the credit for signings. Why couldn't he tell Khan that we need a small amount investmernt to help the squad instead of leaving it to January? Why did we take so long is seeing the back of Jol? Why wait for Rene and his backroom team to sort things out before pressing the panic button and bringing in another manager?

Poor and inept from Fulham. The slide has been going on since Jol was employed and then Al decided to stop backing us and sell the club. That still gave us time to sort some of the problems out. We didn't and we are the worst side in the Prem. I hope beyond hope we have some good news from our new managerial team. But I have no confidence Khan is being given the best advice from day 1.

How do you know the MD wasn't pressing for a change long before? The answer may be in Khan's attitude to change.....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24759455