Magath was right about Holtby, but should also look at himself

[Nick Bateman]

I wholly concur with Felix Magath's remarks regarding Lewis Holtby.  When Holtby arrived from Tottenham, he was full of vim, chasing every ball, putting his foot in, and inspiring the players to work harder.  He won most of the fans over with those performances.

Lately he looked as though he could not be bothered.  His passes went astray, he pulled out of 60-40s, ruined our corners by taking short ones, and to me appeared to be pining to return to White Hart Lane.  I started to loathe him!

Magath has echoed these sentiments and I feel he has hit the nail on the head, so to speak.  His full interview was on Sky News but an extract is to be read here  http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11681/9306242/premier-league-felix-magath-says-lewis-holtby-lacks-fighting-spirit

Holtby's lack of effort was infectious and players like Parker, Rodalegga, Hangeland were more lethargic than usual in our last few games when Fulham should have been proverbially fighting for their lives.

But one also questions the motivation skills of the manager.  To see Magath slumped in the dug-out in the Hull and Stoke games, he watched the lack of commitment yet never did he rise to his feet to spur the players on.  In contrast, Steve Bruce behaved like a demented demon, and Mark Hughes, who had nothing to play for, was equally demonstrative on the touchline the entire 90 minutes!!

In interviews Magath sounds so laid-back - is this how he conducts his team talks??  The manager's failure to get more out of his players was mainly due to his style, in my opinion.  Magath is no Fergie; there will be no hair-dryer treatment and I feel HE needs to change as he has alluded to on Sky stating, maybe he had been too 'soft'.

Palace are so full of themselves, with many in the media touting Tony Pulis as manager-of-the-year.  Let's see Fulham put Crystal Pulis in their place, in front of our home fans, out-sing them, out-fight them and out-play them off the park!

Show everyone why Fulham should never have been relegated today.

[Deanothefulhamfan]

I wholly concur with Felix Magath's remarks regarding Lewis Holtby.  When Holtby arrived from Tottenham, he was full of vim, chasing every ball, putting his foot in, and inspiring the players to work harder.  He won most of the fans over with those performances.

Lately he looked as though he could not be bothered.  His passes went astray, he pulled out of 60-40s, ruined our corners by taking short ones, and to me appeared to be pining to return to White Hart Lane.  I started to loathe him!

Magath has echoed these sentiments and I feel he has hit the nail on the head, so to speak.  His full interview was on Sky News but an extract is to be read here  http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11681/9306242/premier-league-felix-magath-says-lewis-holtby-lacks-fighting-spirit

Holtby's lack of effort was infectious and players like Parker, Rodalegga, Hangeland were more lethargic than usual in our last few games when Fulham should have been proverbially fighting for their lives.

But one also questions the motivation skills of the manager.  To see Magath slumped in the dug-out in the Hull and Stoke games, he watched the lack of commitment yet never did he rise to his feet to spur the players on.  In contrast, Steve Bruce behaved like a demented demon, and Mark Hughes, who had nothing to play for, was equally demonstrative on the touchline the entire 90 minutes!!

In interviews Magath sounds so laid-back - is this how he conducts his team talks??  The manager's failure to get more out of his players was mainly due to his style, in my opinion.  Magath is no Fergie; there will be no hair-dryer treatment and I feel HE needs to change as he has alluded to on Sky stating, maybe he had been too 'soft'.

Palace are so full of themselves, with many in the media touting Tony Pulis as manager-of-the-year.  Let's see Fulham put Crystal Pulis in their place, in front of our home fans, out-sing them, out-fight them and out-play them off the park!

Show everyone why Fulham should never have been relegated today.

I pretty much agree with everything in this post.... Magath must take the blame for the downfall of Holtby, he was a different player when played out of position, but Holtby simply lacked effort and fight when it really mattered. I also think he may have been too soft with our players, and his reputation for a hard working manager who was a strict disciplinarian was never seen.

If he is still here next season, which seems to be the case then I fully expect us to see a new approach from Magath, and anything less than an organised, hard battling side will be unacceptable.

Fulham will win today, and win well.... you heard it here first

[blingo]

He KNEW we were toast Nick. Watch the difference in him and the players when they are HIS team.

[Sgt Fulham]

His downfall swemed to come after his personal life problems with the affair. Could it have been that?

[grandad]

Magath had every right to feel how he has done the last few games. He was resigned to not being able to keep such a poor group of players focused. There was no sense in him running up & down like a demented lunatic. Only a few actually do this & it is usually done for their own ego. Can you ever remember the great Alf Ramsey doing it. Even our Roy rarely did it.

[God The Mechanic]

If you have to motivate players when they're fighting for their top flight lives then THEY are the problem, not the manager.  If they're not self-motivated enough to give two shits when it REALLY matters, then there's not much a manager can say or do that will change that.

[ChesterTheTabby]

Are you honestly trying to place blame on Magath? LOOK AT THIS TEAM. I will not even call them his team. They are not his team. They are the screwed up Frankenstein of Doctors Jol and Rene, and he was asked to save us from relegation with a defense that lets in more goals than a sponge does water. He is not to blame, and in fact he has been extremely honest with himself. He has said he did not manage the situation well, that he made mistakes, he wrote a letter of apology, and now he is has the summer to break out his whip and make a team that he can surround himself with. Players he can consider 'Fighters'. Things are looking up for FFC. The most beautiful sunrise come after the most deadly and atrocious storms.

[JBH]

 Blaming Felix is absolutely stupid and shows how much some people on here actually know abot football

[RidgeRider]

Holtby's drop in performance is on Holtby, not Magath. He played well when he first got here, and then slowly dropped as each match came and went. Not sure what is wrong, but this is a player issue, not a coaching issue.

[domprague]

Magath had an affair? Who was it - Danger Mouse or Baron Greenback?

His downfall swemed to come after his personal life problems with the affair. Could it have been that?

[hovewhite]

What a thread. BONKERS!