Daily Mail - Culling of the young players

[Lighthouse]

It took Felix Magath just one training session to decide the direction in which he intended to take his new Fulham side.
On February 16, just two days after being announced as manager, the German boss called in his players for a surprise and short-notice Sunday morning meet-and-greet training session.
The message was clear: in with the old, out with the young.
Short stay: Ryan Tunnicliffe lasted just 25 days at Fulham before being sent on loan to Wigan

It was there, at the club's Motspur Park training ground, that Magath instantly opted to cull the flurry of young players that had steadily been incorporated in by Rene Meulesnteen.
Slowly but surely, Meulensteen had been injecting fresh legs into a a Fulham side squad filled with experienced heads but increasingly haunted by the spectre of Father Time. Debuts were handed to Lasse Vigen Christensen, Josh Passley, Muamer Tankovic, Ange-Freddy Plumain and Chris David, all aged 21 or below. Magath, by contrast, feels a relegation struggle is no place for the zest of youth, instead intent on reverting to the tried and trusted names.
Magath's mind was made up within just a couple of hours. These five players were instantly demoted to the under-21 side. Dan Burn, the young defender so impressive in the draw at Old Trafford, would have a reduced role, dropped to the bench for Magath's first game at West Brom.
Ringing the changes: Felix Magath has opted to play the older players at Fulham in the relegation battle



Most striking of all, however, was the treatment Ryan Tunnicliffe and Larnell Cole, the deadline day signings from Manchester United, who were instantly discarded from his plans.
Since that one and only session, the pair have not trained with the Fulham first-team, dropped to the under-21 side by the Monday and omitted from the squad that drew at West Brom last weekend. Tunnicliffe and Cole have since been farmed out on loan to Wigan and MK Dons respectively.
It was at Fulham's Motspur Park base that the world mile record was once broken by a British athlete, Sydney Wooderson. Now it is the site of altogether more depressing landmarks - where managers such as Rene Meulensteen last 75 days and technical directors of the ilk of Alan Curbishley just 57 days.
Perhaps most alarmingly, it where young and gifted footballers such as Tunnicliffe and Cole are afforded only 16 days before being brutally cut adrift.
Running a mile: Sydney Wooderson once broke the world mile record at Motspur Park - which is now Fulham's training ground

For some background, Tunnicliffe, 21, and Cole, 20, are not your average young players. Both had been at Manchester United since a very young age, first trained by Rene Meulensteen at the age of 8, when the Dutchman's role at the club was focused on the academy, rather than the first-team.

Both players were handed debuts in the Manchester United first-team by Sir Alex Ferguson. Sportsmail understands that United hold the players in sufficient regard to have inserted a clause into the sale that would allow them a first-option should they wish to return for the pair in the future.
By all accounts, Cole was one of the more impressive performers for England at the under-20 World Cup last summer.

He may well have joined the first-team squad on their pre-season tour had it not been for his international commitments. In the under-21 Premier League last season, he scored a hat-trick in the semi-final against Liverpool. In the final against Tottenham Hotspur, Cole scored another two to seal the title for United's youngsters. Meulensteen was present in the stands that day.
On his way: Larnell Cole is another player who Magath has sent on loan

It was Meulensteen that specifically requested the signings of the two midfielders on deadline day, although that contribution appears to be the extent of his involvement in the January dealings. Sportsmail understands that these were the only signings that Meulensteen directly influenced in January.

The other signings - including the loan capture of Lewis Holtby and the late battle of wills with West Ham for £12.4million Olympiacos striker Kostas Mitroglou - were directed by the board, led by Alistair Mackintosh, with some assistance from Alan Curbishley.
It only strengthens the increasing suspicion that the wheels had already been set in motion to replace Meulensteen as manager before deadline day, before Fulham spent what Sportsmail understands to be in the region of £3 million, plus salaries, to take two players from Manchester United.
Decision maker: Fulham CEO Alistair Mackintosh is understood to have sanctioned many of the January signings with help from Alan Curbishley

Fulham's CEO Mackintosh did not hold formal meetings with Magath until the Thursday that followed the defeat by Liverpool but talks between the pair are thought to have begun some time earlier and it is understood that a get-together had been scheduled in advance.
It makes the deals for Tunnicliffe and Cole all the more baffling. The total cost could rise to £4million, in accordance with certain add-ons, but the possibility of such conditions being fulfilled appears distinctly unlikely now.
Heaven knows how much Fulham must have squandered in moving on a number of coaches this season but the owner Shahid Khan cannot be too impressed by the multi-millions seemingly frittered away in this deal.

Record buy: Fulham spent £12m on Greek striker Kostas Mitroglou on transfer deadline day

New addition: Lewis Holtby joined Fulham on loan from Spurs at the end of January

Quite how Mackintosh can justify such expense is anybody's guess, although he might argue that the money earned from Premier League survival will outstrip the substantial damage that has been done to the club's finances this term.

The alternative may not bear thinking about for the chief executive, who has previously worked at Manchester City and up until this season, has been one of the those directors who appeared on the healthy side of sanity. Some of his decisions and thinking this season, however, have been clearly muddled and the mistreament of Cole and Tunnicliffe sums up a campaign of unabridged chaos.
With the pair moved on to lower league clubs just 25 days after signing, there is sure to be bewilderment among supporters as to quite why the club's top brass would rubber-stamp a deal worth millions on the request of Meulensteen, when a managerial change clearly remained such a possibility.
The money man: Fulham owner Shahid Khan is unlikely to be impressed with the amount of money spent on sackings

Going in a different direction: Head coach Rene Meulensteen left after just 75 days and assistant Ray Wilkins was also sacked

Fulham may argue that they had hoped for Meulensteen to remain at the club on the coaching staff of his successor - having never officially been promoted from the position of 'head coach' - but it would take a very naive world view to believe the Dutchman would tolerate such treatment.
Whatever the case with Meulensteen, this case only heightens the increasing view that young players are increasingly treated as commodities by certain professional clubs, with the rapid transition of managers in the Premier League doing little to aid the development of our young players.
Mismanaged : Both Tunnicliffe and Cole joined Fulham in the hope of playing first team football


Both Tunnicliffe and Cole had taken the giant decision to move on permanently from Manchester United and had been under the impression that first-team opportunities would beckon under Meulensteen. The Dutchman's final two games in charge, a draw at Manchester United and a narrow defeat at home to Liverpool, saw Tunnicliffe start twice and Cole appear once from the bench.
After the exit of their mentor Meulensteen and assistant Ray Wilkins, the players, both 21 or under, were left with nobody to turn to and nobody to support them. It is not always easy to garner sympathy for young footballers in this country but having made the life-changing decision to uproot to London, it is hard not to feel sorry for the pair in this instance.
With mismanagement and panic reigning supreme at Motspur Park, Tunnicliffe and Cole would do well to follow the example of Wooderson - and run a mile


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2568415/New-manager-old-story-Magath-ditches-youth-experienced-relegation-battlers-Fulham.html#ixzz2uRjdauEC
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[FFCByTheRiver]

It's amazing quite how many facts can be made up, safe in the knowledge that they are protected with the use of the words 'is understood'.

[FFCAli]

It's interesting speculation tho'.  Some of it is obviously correct and one does wonder about the rest!

[Arthur]

Magath has rescued clubs in the past in his own, unique way. He wouldn't have come here without the guarantee of having total control of team affairs. The Club, having decided that his know-how is our best chance, must now let him go about matters as he sees fit - irrespective of whether or not his methods seem unfathomable. The worst move of all would be for the Club to interfere with any decision that Magath takes.

[Baszab]

interesting to see what parts of this story everyone thinks is "made up"/hypothesised ------------ when you analyse it .... not a lot

[horse1031]

Tankovic is still in the squad with Kaca and some others...

I think Rene was going overboard with the younger players bar Dan Burn who was exceptional.

Tunnicliffe and Cole were not ready especially in a team in a relegation battle.

[Two Ton Ted]

Well, let's look at some facts. Yes, Muelensteen did give a lot of debuts to young players, mostly in the FA Cup matches. The FACT that the teame he picked couldn't beat a side two divisions below them over two matches appears to have been overlooked.

We don't know what happened in the first training session but what if the two players concerned were not happy with their mentor being sacked and made their feelings known to the new manager? And, as a result, the new manager thought it would be best to remove them from the club as he wanted a unified squad?

And if they are so good, why did Utd let them go for a combined fee of £4m?

This story looks more like a press release from their agent than anything else.

[filham]

You aint seen nothing yet.

We have a very large squad and none of the players were signed by Magath , can you imagine the changes he will want to make in the summer if we survive or the huge reduction in numbers that will be forced on him if we are relegated.

Yes tough on the two youngsters to be sent out on loan so quickly but they could return in the summer to become part of our Championship team next season.

[FPT]

I love how the Daily Mail ignores Felix Magath saying in his first press conference "THE SQUAD IS TOO BIG."

With the transfer window shut, the only way to decrease the size of the squad is to loan players out; so why not loan out Cole, who had just the two appearances in three years, but the technically limited Tunnicliffe. Both weren't part of his immediate plans. Stupid article which accentuates the negatives with extremist descriptions.

[Pluto]

Well, let's look at some facts. Yes, Muelensteen did give a lot of debuts to young players, mostly in the FA Cup matches. The FACT that the teame he picked couldn't beat a side two divisions below them over two matches appears to have been overlooked.

We don't know what happened in the first training session but what if the two players concerned were not happy with their mentor being sacked and made their feelings known to the new manager? And, as a result, the new manager thought it would be best to remove them from the club as he wanted a unified squad?

And if they are so good, why did Utd let them go for a combined fee of £4m?

This story looks more like a press release from their agent than anything else.

Except the youngsters were the only players in those cup games to actually turn in semi-respectable performances....

[ffcbulgaria]

Tunnicliffe has played on the right. Felix has worked successfully with Dejagah in that position for 3 years. It's obvious who he's going to chose. And since once Ashkan got a consecutive run of games last year - that was our biggest threat (down the right) then I'm quite happy with this decision. COYW :D

[grandad]

What a worthless piece of garbage. This journo does not look at the bigger picture. The 2 who have been "discarded" were bought for the future & not bought to stave off relegation this season. It is better for them to have more 1st team playing time than being in the reserves or U21´s.
If our kids were to be thrust into a relegation scrap & we failed it would do much harm to their confidence. If we stay up they will be more of an impact next season.
I feel that most of the media are relishing the thought of us being relegated so they can then suck up to their media darlings. We all know who they are.

[RaySmith]

Agree Grandad.

This is just a journalistic windup to sell papers.

The club hasn't 'discarded' anyone, and young players still feature in Magath's squad.

[the nutflush]

It's amazing quite how many facts can be made up, safe in the knowledge that they are protected with the use of the words 'is understood'.

Sky sports often "understands".   Its just an excuse to have a guess.  Its like the press version of pin the tail on the donkey. 

[SKSW6]

The language used in this article is woeful. Just from the first half of it; "discarded" "cull" "demoted" "farmed out" "depressingly" "alarmingly" "brutally cut adrift". There's no balance to the other side of the argument for the reasons they were loaned as others have said above, and don't even get me started on "Sportsmail understands". Probably my most detested word in football journalism these days is "[insert shite paper/website name] understands".  I'm just glad this jumble of words was copied to here so that that vile website doesn't generate any revenue from me visiting it.

[dgnffc]

It's amazing quite how many facts can be made up, safe in the knowledge that they are protected with the use of the words 'is understood'.

Sky sports often "understands".   Its just an excuse to have a guess.  Its like the press version of pin the tail on the donkey.  

Which is fine so long as the general public 'understand' that all (well most) journalists are cheats and liars.

[ToodlesMcToot]

What the reporter/journo understands is that "If I don't get in my assignment, I don't get paid." and "If my articles don't generate page hits, I don't get more assignments and I don't get paid." That's it.

All I can gather from the article is that the journo must be a ManUre U21's fan who just couldn't fathom why his beloved Red Devils would sell off their prized players. In his best Vito Corleone voice he says, "Look what they (Fulham) did to my boys."

No worthy manager would stick with U21 players in this situation. If they were ready for such things, they wouldn't have been sold to us.

[Roberty]

I they are so good and we are going to off-load them at the end of the season - Man Utd can buy them back and make a profit.

[you lucky people]

typical of The Daily Mail, making a long piece about 2 kids who need games to develop, where better than out on loan? Complete garbage article...