Monday Fulham Stuff (25/08/14)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Report: Fulham eye Tim Sherwood

Fulham have reportedly shortlisted former Tottenham Hotspur boss Tim Sherwood to replace manager Felix Magath at Craven Cottage.

The German has found himself under increasing pressure after the Cottagers endured a nightmare start to life in the Championship by losing their first four games.

Sherwood is said to have declined offers to join West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace since leaving Spurs but, according to The Mirror, the 45-year-old could be tempted to Craven Cottage.

He left White Hart Lane in May after a six-month spell in charge, which saw him boast the highest win percentage of any Tottenham manager in the Premier League era.

Fulham's woes increased on Saturday as Magath's side slumped to a 5-1 defeat to Derby County - their fourth successive loss in the second tier.


http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/fulham/transfer-talk/news/report-fulham-eye-tim-sherwood_172874.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Derby Disappointment

A 5-1 defeat away to Derby County wasn't the way Ryan Williams wanted his full Fulham debut to go.

After a late substitute appearance in the 1-0 home loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday night, the Australian was handed a starting role in central midfield for the trip to Derby's iPro Stadium.

Things didn't go to plan, however, as the Rams inflicted a heavy defeat on the Whites to leave Fulham pointless four games into the new Sky Bet Championship season.

"I'd rather we'd won and I'd sat on the bench than played the full game and lost," a disappointed Williams told the official website. "But that's football, we just need to pick ourselves up and go again on Tuesday at Brentford in the Capital One Cup.

"I'm just trying to do my best for the team and for myself. We're really disheartened at the minute because we haven't won a game but there are 42 matches left and if we win the majority of them, it could be a very good finish for us. So everyone's keeping their heads high and trying to push on."

Trailing 1-0 to Derby at the break, Scott Parker hauled Fulham level. But two goals in quick succession made it 3-1 to Derby who then bagged a quick-fire double towards the end to secure the emphatic win.

"When we scored, we really felt we had them on the ropes," said Williams. "But then we conceded a poor second goal which has killed us. I'd put it down to a lack of concentration; we were letting runners get past us, that sort of thing.

"We were clinging on a little bit at the end. We shouldn't have let it happen. Their goals came in quick succession which is really not good from our point of view. We just have to pick ourselves up, try and work on what went wrong and get ready for Tuesday."

The defeat leaves Fulham bottom of the table at this embryonic stage of the season, leaving the travelling Whites fans with a disappointing journey home from the East Midlands.

"There's not an awful lot I can say to them," said Williams. "They deserve a win and we deserve a win. We want to do it, not only for the fans, but for ourselves and the Club. I really think a win will set us on our way and once we get that we won't look back."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/august/24/derby-disappointment?

[WhiteJC]

 
F IN FULHAM

"Let's all laugh at Fulham" was one song I thought I'd never hear in England (apart from at Loftus Road) but it seems that the Cottagers are quickly becoming the butt of jokes due to the going's on at Craven Cottage.  Our roving reporter, Mike Miles, took the short trip to West London last week to see what was going on.

Fulham 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 – Craven Cottage – Saturday 20th August 2014
Craven Cottage is only a 40-minute walk alongside the Thames from my Chiswick home, and for that reason alone has long been one of my favourite grounds to visit. Fulham were the last team to have standing accommodation in the Premier League, as Craven Cottage included terraces as late as the 2001/02 season-eight years after the Taylor Report outlawed terraces at that level. I have a fond memory of seeing Freddie Kanoute score a winner for West Ham whilst standing at the Putney End.

8431476952_3bbe5b4b42_zAs with terracing, the statue of Michael Jackson, like its subject, is alas no longer with us. The original Craven Cottage site was covered in woodlands, and allegedly, one plane tree survives today in a corner of the Putney End, the sole tree to be found in any senior British senior football stadium. Not the least of Craven Cottage's continuing charms is the Johnny Haynes Stand. This wonderful structure is the oldest remaining football stand in the Football League, originally built in 1905 , designed by Archibald Leitch,  and is even a Grade 11 listed building. It even features the original wooden seating. You may not be as comfortable as in say The Emirates, but you are sitting on history.

Alas the current team show no signs of matching their historical surroundings. Pointless and ponderous, this is not how the season was meant to begin for Fulham. The club that slipped out of the Premier League in May are now joint bottom of the Championship after three matches, the latest defeat inflicted by an accomplished Wolves side who secured victory thanks to Bakary Sako's early effort.

A penny for the thoughts of Shahid Khan the Fulham owner who was making one of his infrequent visits to the Cottage. It has been a summer of upheaval at the Cottage – skipper Scott Parker was the only player to start here who featured on the day Fulham were relegated at Stoke – and the results so far have been disappointing. £11 million was spent on Ross McCormack, but he was a pale imitation of the striker who had scored 29 goals for Leeds United last season.

There were some glimpses of quality but the new players and many youngsters have yet to gel. This division is no place for rookies to learn their game. In the end, Sako's goal was enough but Fulham were in more danger of conceding again than scoring an equaliser, surviving a late penalty miss from Sako who hit the post in injury time.

Predictable cries of "Felix Out" (Fulham fans are a very polite lot) greeted the final whistle. And though I would willingly make that 40-minute walk to the Cottage again, I have a feeling it will be to see a Fulham team playing under yet another manager. Since Roy Hodgson took the Cottagers to the Europa Cup Final in 2010 they have had four managers, including three in 2013/14 alone, and the cumulative effect of all this chopping and changing was relegation to the Championship. Based on tonight's abject performance they could be taking a similar downward trajectory to that once experienced by tonight's visitors.


http://theballisround.co.uk/2014/08/22/f-in-fulham/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham tipped to sign keeper and Sherwood linked with manager's job

Fulham are set to sign former Liverpool goalkeeper Nikolai Mihailov from Italian club Hellas Verona, the Mail on Sunday reports.

The 26-year-old son of ex-Bulgaria keeper Boris Mihailov has previously been linked with a return to Liverpool, where he did not make a first-team appearance during a three-year spell.

Fulham are tipped to sign him on loan with a view to a permanent £400,000 move.

The Sunday People, on the other hand, say the Whites are looking to sign Bolton keeper Adam Bogdan for £2m.

Meanwhile, the Sunday Mirror claim former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood is top of Fulham's list of possible replacements for under-fire manager Felix Magath.

It is suggested that Sherwood would be interested in the job but would want a major say over signings.

The Mail say Sherwood and former Celtic manager Neil Lennon are being considered for the role.


http://www.westlondonsport.com/features-comment/whites-tipped-to-sign-former-liverpool-keeper-and-sherwood-said-to-be-in-frame-for-managers-job-wls-football

[WhiteJC]

 
Ryan Williams devastated by Derby defeat
by DAN on AUGUST 24, 2014

Ryan Williams was left bitterly disappointed after Fulham were hammered 5-1 at Derby on his full senior debut for the club.

The Australian midfielder was brought into the side to shore up central midfield after making his debut as a substitute during the home defeat by Wolves on Wednesday night. It looked as though Fulham might have been able to turn the tide when Scott Parker slotted home a second half equaliser, but four further Derby goals without reply left Fulham marooned to the bottom of the Championship table at the final whistle.

I'd rather we'd won and I'd sat on the bench than played the full game and lost. But that's football, we just need to pick ourselves up and go again on Tuesday at Brentford in the Capital One Cup.

I'm just trying to do my best for the team and for myself. We're really disheartened at the minute because we haven't won a game but there are 42 matches left and if we win the majority of them, it could be a very good finish for us. So everyone's keeping their heads high and trying to push on.

When we scored, we really felt we had them on the ropes. But then we conceded a poor second goal which has killed us. I'd put it down to a lack of concentration; we were letting runners get past us, that sort of thing.

We were clinging on a little bit at the end. We shouldn't have let it happen. Their goals came in quick succession which is really not good from our point of view. We just have to pick ourselves up, try and work on what went wrong and get ready for Tuesday.

Williams' disappointment was obvious and some of his team-mates looked shell-shocked when they came over to thank the travelling fans at the end of the game.

There's not an awful lot I can say to them. They deserve a win and we deserve a win. We want to do it, not only for the fans, but for ourselves and the club. I really think a win will set us on our way and once we get that we won't look bacc


http://hammyend.com/index.php/2014/08/ryan-williams-devastated-by-derby-defeat/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Derby 5-1 Fulham – time to change

The more this goes on the harder it is to assume Felix is the right man for Fulham.

The first three results were all sort of reasonable.  Losing away to Ipswich was likely: fine.  Millwall have been on a great run, and got the crucial early goal, so alright, that happens.  Wolves aren't a bad side and that one went against in what was by all accounts a fairly awful Fulham performance. But these things happen: you can lose by a single goal and three defeats in a row with a young team is not necessarily unexpected. 

And I suppose by the same reasoning, yesterday's catastrophe is explainable. Derby are well coached, deserved to go up last year (they were at least the third best side in the league) and by that token ought to have had us quaking in our boots.

But two things: one, we just came down from the Premier League, where for years we did well enough. We shouldn't be petrified of a good Championship side. Two, except there is nothing left of that team. A lot of us felt this was a good thing, but with every game there is a sense that Fulham dismantled in too much of a hurry. 

The game, anyway. I'm going off highlights and what trusted observers told me, but it sounds like we were okay in parts of the first half, but conceded again from a cross and a runner hitting the box hard. If you look back on the season:

Ipswich we conceded to one dribble and someone running quickly to meet a loose ball
Millwall was a cross and someone meeting it at the far post
Wolves saw someone charging in and meeting a loose ball first time
Then the first goal at Derby

In all four games we've conceded to someone arriving in the area and hitting the ball first time.  I don't know what this means but it suggests we're not picking up players and we're not doing a good job of making our area tough to negotiate.

Derby's second was like something off the beach, their third saw Burgess turned inside out and another first time finish.  The fourth was a tap in off the post.  The fifth was an embarrassment to everyone involved with piecing this shambles together.

Fulham, then, consistently undone by first-time shots.  It suggests a side not coping, a team not able to impose itself at all.  A team that is to the Championship what last year's team was to the Premiership.

The thing is, people will say that we can't expect kids to come in and play, but I still think this is the only way this club can right itself over time. We need to grow through the academy, to develop a group of players who are familiar with each other and play "the Fulham way".  It's not the plan to go to youth that's the problem, it's the implementation of this plan.  As Mike Gregg has pointed out on twitter, we have bypassed a generation of young players who could be a bridge between the first team and the lads we're seeing torn apart now.  Maybe Mesca, Trotta, Burn, Tankovic, even Hoesen, would have been worth working with here.  But the main point surely is not that we're using kids, but how we're using them.

If Roy Hodgson can make Dickson Etuhu into a valuable player on the European stage then this lot can be made into a team, too. Young players are presumably not that different to older players: tell them what to do. Make them comfortable in their roles. Take the pressure off them.

We have used 20+ players in four games and in various formations along the way. How can a young player learn a role if the role, and his place in this role, is changed every week?  How?

It sickens me to say it but if we want promotion now we badly need a dour, organiser.  Chris Hughton was the organisation between Jol's good teams at Spurs.  Alec McLeish used to make Birmingham a dour 4-4-2 Roy-lite side. It wasn't fun but at least it worked, to a degree.  A 0-0 draw or two would work wonders.  When did we last draw 0-0 for that matter?  We haven't been able to control games enough for that. 

And yet we still have World Cup players we won't use.  We have Dan Burn, who has towered above Championship forwards in the past. We have Marcello Trotta, who has flickered and occasionally succeeded in an upwardly mobile Brenford side (being run with intelligence and purpose).

At this point I don't really think things could be much worse. Having committed to the youth approach we desperately need to stick with it – the next good Fulham team is going to be built this way – but increasingly it feels as if Felix Magath is not getting through to this group, is the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time. Fulham need to get their next appointment right, a manager with a track record of developing young players *and* of organising a team. It really needs to be someone who can connect with the players, which may be Magath's failing here.

I don't think this is about getting promoted now, though. That would be too quick. I'd like to see Danny Murphy and Kit Symons take things on for this reason. Murphy talks more sense than half of "the football community" put together, Symons for his understanding of the youngsters.  Give them five years and acknowledge that the transformation may take a few years, but that when it's complete we might have one of the most vibrant and exciting young teams in Britain.  This group of players, if they are used well, will get the first team experience so few of their contemporaries see, and get it together.  Keep at it.  Keep going to the kids. But for god's sake give them a chance, a positive environment where people aren't simply discarded because their face doesn't fit, or because they arrived before the manager, or because they earn a bit more than we're comfortable with (stripping the wage bill at the moment is fine, but hang on: we spent a lot of money on Mitroglou that we're writing off as a sunk cost?), or because of whatever.

Just get this club back in the hands of grown ups, running things sensibly and efficiently. The waste we've seen has been awful.  I'm happy that we're starting to take the right approach, which is the only encouraging thing here, but we're doing it badly. Stick to the plan, but change the way we're aproaching it, and fast.


http://cravencottagenewsround.wordpress.com/2014/08/24/derby-5-1-fulham-time-to-change/?

[WhiteJC]

 
What`s Happened to Dan?
   
As I sit here getting set for a fine Sunday, but knowing Bank Holiday Monday will probably turn out as miserable as our season has been so afar, something popped up in my inbox.

Jim Edwell has provided me with a simple but pretty decent question, a question that reads,

Does anyone know what has happened to Dan Burn? He seemed to be a reliable central defender in his few first team appearances last season but doesn't seem to figure in Magath's thinking.

Perfectly true, after being recalled from his loan spell it seemed Dan Burn has a decent future ahead of him at Craven Cottage, so like Jim says, what`s happened to Dan Burn?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=368084#ixzz3BK8FVqtM

[WhiteJC]

 
Things are Going from Bad to Worse
   
The table doesn`t lie!

Therefore with Fulham stuck firmly at the bottom of the Championship having played four games and lost all four games, we`re in trouble.

It`s a point emphasised by the thrashing handed out to us by Derby County yesterday, a thrashing so severe it looks as if this season (just like the last one), is going to be a long and hard one.

Felix Magath, with the pressure growing on him by the day, had this to say after Fulham were swamped 5-1 by Derby County,

'That was the worst performance but the good thing about today is that it is clear we have to change something.'

'The result was very bad and so now is the time to change. A few minutes after the game is not the time to talk about what we will change but for sure there will be new players in."

'I am convinced the quality of the players is very good but we are not getting a real team at the moment because of the losses we have not enough confidence to show what we are able to do. I have to react and bring some players in."

'I am not satisfied with the situation. Derby are one of the favourites for this season and you can lose against such a good team but not in this manner.'

Bring some players in?

Can someone tell the mad-German the transfer window slams shut in a few days-time and, besides, who`d want to come to us when they see what a disgrace we`ve become to the clubs shirt?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=368096#ixzz3BK8PvXn4

[WhiteJC]

 
The Right Man for the Job?
   
Bottom of the table, zero points taken from the twelve available and the all-important question has to be asked.

Is Felix Magath the man for the job?

Well Felix seems to think so because when he was asked that exact question after Fulham were stuffed 5-1 at Pride Park yesterday, his reply was,

'Yes, for sure.'

But what do you think?

Is Magath the right man for the Fulham managerial role?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=368097#ixzz3BK8aN3Lr

[WhiteJC]

 
Dilemma for Williams
   
Although the start to our season is an absolute mess, one of our youngsters continues to impress.

George Williams may have only played a minor part in our season but he could soon be about to gate-crash the international scene.

It`s being reported that Williams is set to be named in the 23 man Welsh squad, by the former Fulham manager Chris Coleman, for the forthcoming Euro 2016 qualifier against Andorra.

However, it is also being reported that the FA head of elite development, Dan Ashworth, has watched the player and would prefer that he doesn`t commit to a Wales future.

Therefore, the 18 year-old, who was born in Milton Keynes, has an important decision to make, does he commit to Wales or does he hang around and wait for England?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=368122#ixzz3BK8n4A4B

[WhiteJC]

 
Just What Is Going On?
   
One paper, this morning, reports strange goings-on in the Fulham dressing room after the 5-1 defeat against Derby County yesterday!

The Sunday Mirror carries the inference that following the 5-1 defeat Scott Parker had some harsh and heated words to say to Felix Magath.

It`s also reported that Felix Magath didn`t respond to Parker`s verbal blast and that the German had nothing to say to his players in the aftermath of the thrashing.

The tabloid also suggests that the younger players are terrified of the German boss and are bewildered by his man-management skills as well as not being too happy with his three times a day training sessions, the third of which at 19:00 hours being the only time they get to work with the ball.

But the most damning suggestion made by the paper is that Magath has the full support of our owner Shahid Khan!

Just what is going on?


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=368132#ixzz3BK8uaBRr

[WhiteJC]

 
West London latest: Fulham fans want Murphy to replace Magath, QPR man comments on Balotelli

Fulham

It seems Fulham fans have had enough of Felix Magath.

The German oversaw his fourth defeat out of four in the Championship in embarrassing circumstances, as a 5-1 defeat to Derby County exposed just how many flaws this Cottagers side really has.

And, understandably, many fans took to Twitter to express their frustration.

For some, however, there is a solution: bring back Danny Murphy.

The former Fulham midfielder, also known for his time at Liverpool, has a strong reputation within the club and many are calling for him to replace Magath, with Under-21 coach Kit Symons alongside him.



http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/08/24/west-london-latest-fulham-fans-want-murphy-to-replace-magath-qpr/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Sherwood For Fulham?

City Old Boy News
Former Coventry City captain Tim Sherwood could be the next manager of Fulham FC according to The People.

The paper claims that Fulham have been alerted to that fact that Sherwood would be interested if Felix McGrath loses his battle to save his job.

Sherwood has already turned down offers at West Brom and Crystal Palace as the former Spurs coach continues to look for the right opportunity.


http://www.coventrycity-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/sherwood_for_fulham_839342/index.shtml?

[WhiteJC]

 
Kamikaze tactics see Fulham shot down
by DAN on AUGUST 24, 2014

Given the grim nature of yesterday's capitulation at Derby, you don't need me to tell you that Fulham's gameplan isn't working. Felix Magath has chopped and changed his players and systems, but the brave new world doesn't appear very promising. Magath's bold relaunch might itself but rebooted before too long, with the club rooted to the bottom of the Championship table, pointless, after four games.

Much mirth has already been had about the shambolic nature of that fifth Derby goal, coming as it did directly from the kick-off. But, that to me, seemed like the response of an utterly shell-shocked side, whose belief was broken by the two Derby goals that came so soon after Scott Parker's equaliser. There's a much broader problem, for me, and it comes from the deployment of the full-backs in Magath's system, regardless of whether he opts for a diamond or a more traditional 4-42, like the one that lined up yesterday.

Width is at a premium in the side, even when Magath starts with Patrick Roberts, who naturally looks to drift inside onto his left foot. The return of Alex Kacaniklic – who made his first appearance of the season from the substitutes' bench at Derby – might address this but, for the moment, the onus is on forward-thinking full-backs to provide an attacking threat down the flanks. This is all well and good when it is done sensibly, but too often already in this brief campaign the desire to add options in the final third has left the likes of Cameron Burgess, Shaun Hutchinson and Nikolay Bodurov horribly over-exposed at the back.

Several of the goals Fulham have conceded have come down our right flank. The decisive goal at Ipswich saw Hutchinson lose a tussle with Daryl Murphy after being dragged into the right back position with devastating consequences. Both centre backs were drawn out to try and deal with Ricardo Fuller's run against Millwall – and both full-backs were noticeably absent as Martyn Woolford tucked away a simple finish from close range.

Derby's crucial second also exposed our weakness in that position. Johnnie Russell, who had already created the opening goal with a tantalising cross, was afforded the freedom of the penalty to send a first-time cross in the direction of Craig Bryson as the Fulham defenders stood off, statuesque. There were plenty of other culprits – but Hoogland's average position as per the official website shows that he was unfathomably advanced for a full-back.

Hoogland was hauled off for Kay Voser, who had a remarkably composed debut in the circumstances, and it's probably a bit harsh to lay the blame at his door. The benefits of being adventurous from full-back are obvious – as shown by his late goal at Portman Road – and he didn't get a lot of defensive support from young Roberts. But, with the team teetering at the wrong end of the table, it might be time for a more conservative approach as we tackle the likes of Brentford, Cardiff, Reading and then league leaders Nottigham Forest in the coming weeks.

Hoogland's not the first Fulham full-back to struggle – we saw Sascha Riether caught upfield several times last season and John Pantsil's outstanding displays under Roy Hodgson were followed by some horribly error-strewn performances that eventually led to him being dropped and released. The problem isn't the personnel, it's that these tactics seem terribly gung-ho for a league that a young side is struggling to get used to.


http://hammyend.com/index.php/2014/08/kamikaze-tactics-see-fulham-shot-down/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Magath wants more signings

Fulham boss Felix Magath has admitted that he wants to add to his squad after the 5-1 defeat to Derby County.

The recently-relegated side are bottom of the league after losing all four of their games so far this season. Magath's side continue to struggle after a hectic summer and the former Bayern Munich boss has admitted he wants to add to his squad. He told the Derby Telegraph: "That was the worst performance but the good thing about today is that it is clear we have to change something," said the German, who insisted he is the right man to take Fulham back to the top flight. "The result was very bad and so now is the time to change. A few minutes after the game is not the time to talk about what we will change but, for sure, there will be new players in."



Read more at: https://www.clubcall.com/championship/magath-wants-more-signings-1737551.html?

[WhiteJC]

 
Sherwood Gets a Mention
   
With Felix Magath insisting he is the right man for the job, many might suggest otherwise.

If, as many suspect, Magath`s reign does come to an end shortly, as Fulham stare down the barrel at a second successive relegation battle, who could possibly step into the breach?

Apart from the fact our squad looks so young it resembles a kindergarten team, the prospect of taking over once the transfer window has closed isn`t that appealing.

But those good people at the Sunday People are of the opinion that Tim Sherwood could be top of the list is the axe does fall on Magath`s spell at Craven Cottage.

Furthermore the inference is given, by the referenced paper, Sherwood really fancies the job because of the talent and potential at the club.


Read more: http://www.fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=368152#ixzz3BKqQBcm7

[WhiteJC]

 
Under pressure Magath won't quit Fulham

Under fire Fulham manager Felix Magath insists he will not quit the club, despite a pointless start to their Championship campaign.

As reported by Sky Sports News, the former Bayern Munich boss remains confident he is the right man to drive Fulham's promotion push.

A fourth successive league defeat leaves Fulham at the foot of the Championship table, below cash-stricken Blackpool and out-of-sorts Bolton.

The 5-1 strangling to the hands of Derby County on Saturday has left many fans very worried about their sides disastrous plummet from Premier League grace.

Time to change

Magath told reporters after the defeat: "That was the worst performance but the good thing about today is that it is clear we have to change something.

"The result was very bad and so now is the time to change. A few minutes after the game is not the time to talk about what we will change but for sure there will be new players in."

With just over a week of the transfer window remaining, the Cottagers will need to complete their business swiftly. They've already added former Leeds United striker Ross McCormack to their ranks for a whopping £11 million, but the 28 year old has struggled with fitness.

Magath continued: "I am convinced the quality of the players is very good but we are not getting a real team at the moment because of the losses we have not enough confidence to show what we are able to do. I have to react and bring some players in.

"I am not satisfied with the situation. Derby are one of the favourites for this season and you can lose against such a good team but not in this manner."

Troubled waters

The Cottagers are certainly in troubled waters. After being in the Premier League so long, they now find themselves with a squad inexperienced with the strength and unpredictability of the Championship.

Anyone can beat anyone in this division, and defeats have reflected the unknown territory for Felix Magath and his Fulham side. Their naivety has showed in recent weeks with the club losing to the likes of Wolves and Millwall respectively.

Fulham travel to league newcomers Brentford in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday, with the Cottagers hoping to avoid a fifth loss in a row.


http://www.touchlinetalk.com/pressure-magath-wont-quit-fulham/102467/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Who can Fulham turn to if they sack Felix Magath?

Tim Sherwood has been linked with the manager's job at Fulham (Picture: AP Photo)

With a 5-1 defeat to Derby County to add to our considerable woes, the consensus among Fulham fans has firmly changed – we want Felix Magath gone.

Not because we are impatient or spiteful or hateful, but because we have to endure the awful performances on the pitch, the mockery at work and, most damningly of all, the demise of our beloved club.

It is not all the German's fault; we have been in free-fall for at least two years now. But Magath is very much part of the problem, with his authoritarian ways, strange team selections and military-style leadership. He's eating away at the club and it needs to be stopped.

Yet, of course, we cannot just simply cut ourselves loose from the 61-year-old's oppressive regime without a plan. There needs to be replacements in line, willing to take on a job that, currently, appears doomed.

Fulham require someone with at least a passing interest in the club; a manager who doesn't just see us as a stepping stone (Mark Hughes, I'm looking at you) but, rather, sees us as a project, to nurture and mould.

That doesn't mean we need a lifelong fan, or a former player or anything along those lines, just merely someone passionate and devoted and palpably willing to see this job through.

Plenty of names have been thrown around; Tim Sherwood has been actively linked, as has Tony Pulis. Danny Murphy and Kit Symons have both received much support from fans.

Each have their pros and cons but some are clearly more suited than others. Pulis, for example, is simply not an option.

For one, our team is now young. Pulis, simply, doesn't favour youth and, with almost all our experienced heads now departed, his methods surely wouldn't work.

On top of that, while he may get results, his preferred style of play is not wanted at Craven Cottage and I, personally, would be happy to sacrifice short term success for a more expansive, attractive style of play and some kind of long-term philosophy.

Sherwood, meanwhile, has his obvious flaws. A Harry Redknapp-syle manager – who really wants one of those? – who is inexperienced and arrogant to boot. Arrogance in football, generally, is no bad thing, but just what does Sherwood have to back it up?

Of course, the former Tottenham boss is a good man-manager, who works well with individual players. Given the role Magath has had in alienating this current group, perhaps that attribute could prove invaluable.

The fairytale choice, though, is undoubtedly Kit Symons and Danny Murphy. It's worth noting that the media has made no assertion that this move would be plausible but, with their depth of knowledge of the club, they could prove astute acquisitions.

Symons has worked with the younger players who now make up the first team and knows them well while Murphy comes across as a hungry coach and, more pertinently, someone who is keen to halt Fulham's decline.

Naturally, they lack experience but with a few old heads among the coaching staff, they could blossom into superb managerial team.

For now though, of course, it's all wishful thinking. But we can all dream.


http://metro.co.uk/2014/08/24/who-can-fulham-turn-to-if-they-sack-felix-magath-4844245/?

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Fulham boss Felix Magath has been given one more game to save his job after his side's thrashing at Derby County
The German manager has seen his side lose their first four games in the Championship after relegation from the Premier League and they now sit bottom.


Feeling the strain: Felix Magath's position as manager at Fulham is under threat after his side lost 5-1 at Derby, their fourth defeat out of four in the Championship Photo: ACTION IMAGES

Felix Magath is under increasing pressure after seeing his Fulham side lose their first four games in the Championship to sink to the foot of the table.

It is understood that Magath, who was in charge at the end of last ­season when Fulham were relegated, was given two games to save his job at the beginning of last week and he got off the worst possible start with his side mauled 5-1 by Derby County.

The Championship was not supposed to be this tough for Fulham. Yes, they had a summer clearout losing the experience of players like Brede Hangeland, Steve Sidwell and Kieran Richardson. But they were still supposed to have enough to bounce back to the Premier League.

They were among the favourites and were going to be fired by the goals of £11 million striker Ross McCormack. Instead Magath finds himself fending off questions about his future and asking for "forgiveness" from the fans.

"I am the right man for this job," the German said. "I do have pressure, but it is the pressure of wanting to play at the top of the division not at the bottom. I must ask for the forgiveness of the fans that spent time and money travelling up here because it has not been a good afternoon for them.

"The preparation was very good and in our first three games we were in the games and could have easily got draws. Now we have four losses and we haven't much confidence and we are not ready to fight. The result was very bad. I am convinced that the quality of the players is very good but we are not gelling as a real team at the moment."

Fulham were second best all over the pitch as Derby scored through Jamie Ward, Craig Bryson, Chris Martin twice and substitute Simon Dawkins. They looked like they could score at will by the end, such was the visitors's collapse.

For Fulham, only the central midfield axis of Scott Parker, the captain, and debutant Ryan Williams competed effectively.

Especially worrying will be the form of McCormack, who is yet to open his account since arriving from Leeds United. By the end the Scot cut a frustrated figure, shorn of service, with his only shot on target coming from a speculative long-range effort.

Derby, too, have endured a frustrating start to the season with a win, loss and draw coming into this game. There were fears of a Wembley hangover after the play-off final defeat but this display put those doubts to bed.

Steve McClaren, the Derby manager, said it was key that his side responded well after the defeat against Charlton Athletic in their last outing.

He said: "This is the Championship, you are going to lose football matches and it was not the result on Tuesday it was the performance that disappointed me. We have talked about that and the key thing when you get beaten is how you react. The players wanted to rectify that result.

"We wanted to put a marker down and we have done that but it is not enough to do it in one game. The consistency will come, we know that. The standards we set at the end of last season were so high over the last 10 games and it is difficult to get back to that, which can be frustrating, but we need to be patient."

Derby took the lead after 23 minutes when a well-worked corner routine ended with Johnny Russell picking out Ward to volley home from six yards.

After the break Parker equalised with a neat finish from a set-piece but it was to prove a false dawn for Fulham. Bryson restored the home lead with a fierce volley five minutes later after great build-up between Jeff Hendrick and Russell. Martin added a solo effort two minutes later.

Martin struck again late on, knocking in a rebound after Dawkins struck the post before the substitute rounded off the rout with a smart finish from a tight angle.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/championship/11053907/Fulham-boss-Felix-Magath-has-been-given-one-more-game-to-save-his-job-after-his-sides-thrashing-at-Derby-County.html

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Felix Magath promises action after Fulham hit rock bottom

Cottagers are struggling in the second tier under Magath

Felix Magath, the Fulham manager, and his Leeds counterpart Dave Hockaday have both been left needing rapid turnarounds in form by  heavy defeats on Saturday.

Fulham, one of the early favourites to win promotion, suffered their fourth straight loss of the season, an insipid 5-1 rout away at Derby that left them languishing at the foot of the Championship table.

Two goals from Chris Martin and strikes from Jamie Ward, Craig Bryson, and Simon Dawkins ensured an emphatic victory for Steve McClaren's side.

Magath insisted that he could turn around Fulham's  fortunes. He said: "I'm convinced the quality of the players is good but we are not gelling as a team at the moment. After the losses we don't have enough confidence to show what we are able to do. I have to react to that."

Leeds, who finished with nine men, were thrashed 4-1 at Watford. The sides went into the break level after a Gabriel Tamas own goal cancelled out Fernando Forestieri's opener. But the home side pulled clear after the interval when Troy Deeney scored a penalty after Forestieri had been fouled by Giuseppe Bellusci. The defender was sent off and Forestieri and Daniel Tozser added a third and fourth. Leeds'  Sam Byram was then ordered off after clashing with Daniel Pudil.

Hockaday was convinced the game turned on Bellusci's foul. "Up until then I thought we looked very, very comfortable," he said. "I thought we were passing the ball well, frustrating them."

Asked if Bellusci was to blame, Hockaday replied: "Yes, he knows that. I've told him in no uncertain terms. He's apologised to the team for what it's worth.

He added: "The players are taking on board the way we want to play, I think everyone can see that."


http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/felix-magath-promises-action-after-fulham-hit-rock-bottom-9688519.html