Thursday Fulham Stuff (18/09/14)...

[WhiteJC]

 
Voting with your feet: What falling attendances at Craven Cottage means for Fulham
by CHRIS GILBERTSON on SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

With disenchantment and disillusion engulfing Fulham at present, Saturday's match with Blackburn presents the most palpable opportunity to bear witness the discontent amongst the fan base. It has been three weeks since our last home match, and Saturday's attendance at Craven Cottage will tell its own story as to whether fans are now voting with their feet when it comes to showing their discontent.

Whilst angry rhetoric and volleys of verbal bombardment can cause quite the uproar, empty seats provide nothing for the club. No atmosphere, no support and more importantly, no money.

Relegation to The Championship has already hit us hard attendance wise. From three home games so far this season, we are averaging a crowd of 18,374. When you consider 24,447 turned up to watch an already relegated Fulham draw with Crystal Palace back in May, that is a drop of over 6,000. Indeed the Crystal Palace match was our lowest league attendance of 2014 at the time, with 25,700 turning up to watch the penultimate game against Hull when we still had a remote shot at staying up.

Compare the Hull fixture in April (25,700) to the Cardiff game three weeks ago (17,508), and that is a drop off in attendance of 8,192 people. At a hypothetical average ticket price of £30 a head, that is a staggering £245,760 fall in match-day revenue from ticket sales alone. By the time you factor in merchandise and food and beverage spend, that's close to £300,000 per game.

With 20 league games to go, that could mean a whopping £6,000,000 in reduced match-day income from last season to this.

In an environment as we are now, where money does not grow on trees, this revenue is of vital importance. What can be done to recover lost bums on seats? It is the Six Million Pound question for Fulham this season and there is no one answer.

Sat bottom of the Championship, the most obvious way to get fans back would be to start winning. Easier said than done however, and with the predicament the club finds itself in getting worse by the match, there must be an over-riding fear that attendances have not yet reached their lowest ebb. The upcoming league cup tie with Doncaster looms on the horizon like the grim reaper looking to collect his debts. With season ticket holders already gifted their ticket to the tie as part of the season ticket renewal package, this fixture was always intended as something of a loss-leader. Unless there is a dramatic shift in the next week, financially, this game is likely to now just be a loss.

10,139 (of which I was unfortunately 1) saw us disgracefully bow out of last season's FA Cup to Sheffield United in February. It will be interesting to see if this number is bettered next Tuesday. When you take into account the free tickets it certainly should be, a failure to do so would be damning in its verdict.

It may not get that far though. Football fans ever want to view the grass as greener. Were a change in the offing, it would take little to shift the paradigm to optimism. Whether that would be enough to get the undecided back to Cottage would remain to be seen.

Indeed it is those undecided punters that hold the key here. Us season ticket holders are a sunk cost. We've already paid up for the year and our emotional investment runs even deeper. We'll travel come rain or shine, both physical and metaphorical, to see our Fulham at Craven Cottage. Whilst this may not feel much like the Fulham we all know and love right now, we'll still be there...well, maybe not for Doncaster, that remains to be seen.

Perhaps there was an over-reliance and under-appreciation of the proportion of "tourists" at the Cottage. I'm not referring to overseas Fulham fans, but rather neutrals and those to whom the attraction was the Premier League and Fulham was simply the most accessible vehicle with which to gain entry. Our club's core values espouse this accessibility. It may be a bit cheesy, but we are the Fulham Family. Being a family club is always something I have viewed with great pride about Fulham. Our ground, our supporters and our football all championed a higher virtue that made it easy for others to take to.

With supporters getting increasingly antsy and the football increasingly worse, Craven Cottage, as charming as it is, will not be enough to get people through the turnstiles.

The answer unlikely lies with ticket prices, though as shown above they do illustrate the extent of the problem. Indeed, if we actually consider that average Premier League ticket prices were probably closer to £40, the drop in ticket and match day income this season could be as much as £8 million, or 72% of Ross McCormack.

With away supporters contributing up to 3,000 to the attendance (probably more in Millwall's case), and there being in the region of 10,000 season tickets (I'm not aware of the actual number so this is merely a hypothetical guesstimate), that leaves about 13,000 potential seats to fill with the so called "undecideds". At the Cardiff game, there were probably less than 5,000 Fulham fans who were not season ticket holders. At an average of £30 a ticket they will have generated about £150,000 of ticket revenue. If the stadium was sold to capacity, Fulham fans would generate an additional £240,000 in ticket sales per game on top of that £150,000.

At what price though, would tickets have to be lowered to get fans back through the gates on money alone? £20, £10? There must be a large proportion to whom money is not the issue as to why they are not coming.

To recover the same amount of income, £150,000, at £15 a ticket, the club would need an additional 5,000 fans to turn up. Would a ticket discount be enough to get them back and double the pay per game attendance? I'm not sure. At £10 a ticket, it would not be possible for the club to even get to the £150,000 mark, with a capacity crowd only reaching a maximum single game ticketing revenue of £130,000.

However, we could now return to the concept of a loss leader. Instead of at a relatively meaningless League Cup game, were the club to discount tickets to such an extent that people did actually turn up for a League game, perhaps the atmosphere would be such that the team might actually win? If they did, then some of those undecideds might come back at full price. Unfortunately though, even once you've got people through the door, the product must be good enough to get them back, and that simply isn't the case at present.

This point is thrown into stark light when you compare us to fellow relegated sides Norwich and Cardiff. Norwich currently sit top of the table and have averaged 97% capacity so far this season. Cardiff, who like Fulham are languishing towards the bottom of the table (albeit still 7 points better off), are averaging 75% capacity when you compare it to their final Premiership home game against Chelsea. Performance at this level really does impact on getting fans through the turnstiles. With success breeding full houses and, in turn, full houses often breeding success, Norwich are currently sitting pretty, while Cardiff and Fulham both face uncertain immediate futures.

So what can be done?

Well, not a lot from the commercial standpoint. You have to feel for those held responsible for selling the tickets, their job has been made increasingly difficult of late. Whilst communication counts for a lot, without a sustained upturn in performances and results, no amount of giveaways or price reductions will make a substantial impact when it comes to attendances. The rolling out of a "letter from Emerson Hyndman" this week was the latest in a series of ticket selling initiatives, and while putting the young players front and centre is certainly the most optimistic way to communicate, with all the chopping and changing on the field, 18 year old Hyndman has almost become the only viable marketing tool at the club's disposal.

If reports in today's Mirror and The Times as well as in tonight's Evening Standard are to be believed, a change may very soon be in the offing. As bizarre as a leaked story about a one game stay of execution away at one of the best teams in the division is, it is emblematic of where we are today. Whilst better attendances are important, keeping the crowd that are there onside should not be ignored. As the aforementioned article today's Standard also mentions, there is a groundswell of support for Kit Symons to play an increased role at the club.

Any new manager would need to be an appointment to unite the supporters. Whilst there would be palpable relief in the aftermath of any change, the next appointment is of paramount importance. After several years of wayward wandering, it might be time for the appointment of a member of the Fulham Family to the top job. The fans need something to cling on to, and a Kit Symons and Danny Murphy dream is perhaps all we currently have left.

COYW


http://hammyend.com/index.php/2014/09/voting-with-your-feet-what-falling-attendances-at-craven-cottage-means-for-fulham/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham's Wait Gets Longa As Forest Win Thriller

It ended Nottingham Forest 5 Fulham 3 at the City Ground on Wednesday night

Britt Assombalonga netted twice in the opening 21 minutes to tee up what looked like a comfortable victory for the home side and a familiar tale for their opponents who came to Nottiingham as the Championship's bottom club.

Fulham however showed they still have plenty of fight left in them and £11m signing Ross McCormack with a double and Hugo Rodallega left them on the brink of a famous victory.

Manager Felix Magath was left with his head in his hands though when Michail Antonio equalised and Assombalonga completed his hat-trick before Jamie Paterson scored the eighth and final goal of the game.

22,572 were royally entertained and the majority went home happy with their side back on top of the table.


http://www.nottinghamforest-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/fulhams_wait_gets_longa_as_forest_win_thriller_841447/index.shtml?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham boss on thin ice after amazing night at Forest

A terrific game at the City Ground still leaves the Whites boss in limbo

Happy man: Rodallega celebrates

Nottingham Forest 5-3 Fulham

Felix Magath suffered a Nottingham nightmare when he saw his side recover from 2-0 down to lead - and still lose.

The under fire Whites boss could only applaud a magnificent fight back that got his side within sight of a first three points of the season.

But three late goals, the fourth a hat-trick for Britt Assombalonga, puts Magath's future back in the balance.

Nobody could fault a team fighting for the man in charge, but after going 3-2 ahead they crumbled yet again and lost to the table toppers.

Fulham were asleep when Assombalonga nudged the ball home for the first goal at the near post from an inswinger by Henri Lansbury. The Whites claimed handball by Forest's leading scorer, and then screamed blue murder when the same scorer drove home a penalty on 20 minutes.

To a man, Fulham protested Shaun Hutchinson had made a perfectly good challenge on the edge of the box to deprive Michail Antonio of a charge forward.

It cut no ice with referee Darren Deadman, who booked both Hutchinson and Dan Burn for protesting too much.

It seemed as if Forest would romp away, but Ross McCormack had other ideas.


Hot shot: McCormack fires home Fulham's third
A brilliant curling free-kick from outside the area looped over the wall and in at the near post to turn the game on its head.

Fulham looked the more likely, and the 500 travelllers rose as a man when McCormack sent Hugo Rodallega on his way to round the keeper wide only for Eric Lichaj to get back well and clear off the line.

Rodallega was through on goal when tumbled by Danny Fox, but there was no denying the Colombian when he expertly opened his foot to hit home on the volley as he met Fernando Amorebieta's cross.

The scorer might have had a second but just failed to get a touch on a lob over his shoulder a couple of yards out.

McCormack didn't when he popped up on the left of the box to fire near post, catch a deflection and leave keeper Karl Darlow on the seat of his pants.

But when Michail Antonio did brilliantly to level with a turn and a slide rule goal, the rot set in.

Cue an interesting phone call between Magath and Fulham owner Shahid Khan.

Fulham, 4-4-2: Kiraly; Bodurov, Hutchinson (David 45), Burn, Amorebieta; Hoogland; Parker, Stafylidis; Fotheringham (Roberts 81); McCormack, Rodallega; subd not used: Eisfeld, Williams, Hyndman, David, Kavanagh, Bettinelli


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/fulham-boss-thin-ice-after-7789856?

[WhiteJC]

 
Nottingham Forest 5 Fulham 3: Felix Magath staring down the barrel after Cottagers surrender lead in eight-goal thriller

Britt Assombalonga hit a hat-trick as Nottingham Forest fought back in an incredible see-saw encounter at the City Ground to return to the top of the Championship table with a 5-3 win over Fulham.

The defeat keeps the pressure firmly on Cottagers boss Felix Magath, whose side fought back valiantly after going two goals down - scored by Assombalonga - to take the lead thanks to a Ross McCormack brace and a Hugo Rodallega strike.

But Michail Antonio managed to draw shell-shocked Forest level and a reeling Fulham side were punished by an alert Assombalonga, with substitute Jamie Paterson completing the scoring at the death.

In a bid to arrest his side's slump, Magath made five changes to his Fulham starting XI, with Kostas Staflydis, Shaun Hutchinson, Mark Fotheringham and Hugo Rodallega all returning, while Fernando Amorebieta was handed his first outing of the campaign.

Injuries to Chris Cohen, Andy Reid and Jack Hobbs forced Forest boss Stuart Pearce into reshuffling his pack, as Robert Tesche and Ben Osborn earned their first league starts of the season, with Danny Fox also entering the fray.

Despite a bright early start, it took just nine minutes for Fulham to get that familiar sinking feeling as Forest took the lead with their first attack of the game.

Antonio was upended by Nikolay Bodurov and, from Henri Lansbury's whipped-in free-kick, Assombalonga rose to head powerfully past Cottagers keeper Gabor Kiraly.

Assombalonga increased Fulham's woes from the penalty spot after 20 minutes. Antonio's brilliant run into the visitors' area was crudely halted by Hutchinson, who was duly booked - as was Dan Burn who manhandled referee Darren Deadman - and Assombalonga fired his kick into the bottom corner.

The Fulham manager sat motionless by the dugout as chants of "Magath out" rang out from the small pocket of Cottagers supporters situated behind Kiraly's goal.

But just past the hour mark, Jack Hunt's foul on Staflydis presented £11million man McCormack with a free shot on goal, and he hauled Fulham back into the match by delivering a stunning set-piece past the despairing dive of Darlow for his first league goal for the Cottagers.

Rodallega should have levelled as he latched on to a through ball, but as he rounded Darlow and shot goalwards, Lichaj rushed back to clear off the line.

Bodurov fired over when unmarked in the Forest box as Fulham came out with renewed vigour, and their early energy was rewarded when Amorebieta's cross was smartly diverted home by Rodallega.

The Reds were falling apart and rampant Fulham amazingly grabbed the lead after 64 minutes, with McCormack firing the Londoners ahead following a three-man move between himself, Rodallega and substitute Chris David.

Darlow had to get down low to keep out a McCormack effort as the former Leeds star began to rip the Forest defence to shreds, before curling another effort just wide.

But Forest awoke from their slumber to restore parity after 77 minutes as Antonio latched on to a brilliant pass from skipper Michael Mancienne to crack home a shot into the corner.

And after looking almost dead and buried, Pearce's side suddenly found themselves ahead two minutes later when Assombalonga's header hit a post, but he reacted quickest to stab the ball home.

Forest then sealed victory in the 89th minute when Paterson ran through on goal to calmly dispatch the ball past Kiraly from 15 yards.


http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/nottingham-forest-5-fulham-3-felix-magath-staring-down-the-barrel-after-cottagers-surrender-lead-in-eightgoal-thriller-9738850.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Felix Magath Vows To Fight On After Fulham Slip To Defeat Against Nottingham Forest

Fulham boss Felix Magath has vowed to fight on after his side went down to yet another defeat, losing 5-3 away at Nottingham Forest this evening.

The Cottagers quickly fell 2-0 behind against Stuart Pearce's men in the Championship clash, before Ross McCormack pulled one back for Magath's side before the break.

Then, spurred on by Magath's team-talk, Fulham rallied and scored through Hugo Rodallega and McCormack again to lead 3-2 by the 65th minute.

But Fulham could not withstand heavy Nottingham Forest pressure and conceded a further three times to eventually succumb 5-3.

Fulham continue to sit bottom of the Championship with one point from seven games, while Nottingham Forest lead the way on 17 points from the same number of games.

Asked to rate the season so far for Fulham by the BBC, Magath replied: "A catastrophe.... But I have no doubt we will get up in the table. It's not good enough for Fulham."

The former Bayern Munich manager then insisted he remains in regular contact with the club's owner.

"I am in contact with the owner and we talk every week and I speak with him and I agree with him. The only thing is I am very sad for the supporters."


http://www.insidefutbol.com/2014/09/17/felix-magath-vows-to-fight-on-after-fulham-slip-to-defeat-against-nottingham-forest/161448/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Nottingham Forest 5 Fulham 3: match report
Read a full report on the Skybet Championship match between Nottingham Forest and Fulham at the City Ground on Wednesday, Sept 17 2014

Felix Magath was facing the axe as Fulham manager after his side's defence were torn apart by Britt Assombalonga.

The German's side are rooted in the Championship's bottom three and appeared on course for their first win of the campaign when leading 3-2. But Forest had other ideas with three late strikes to all but seal Magath's fate.

Fulham players left the pitch with their heads in their hands. They had failed to handle the pace of Assombalonga and Michail Antonio, who helped Nottingham Forest return to the top of the table.

It made it just one point from seven games for Fulham with Magath describing the season's start as a "catastrophe". He also pointed to a fortunate penalty Forest were awarded in the first half with Antonio brought down by Shaun Hutchinson. "I don't think about this affecting my position.We have seen a very good team. We were very unlucky," he said.

"This season has been a catastrophe. But I feel completely confident in this job. We played a very good game – no one can tell you any differently. It was never a penalty and that is what affected the game."

Assombalonga, a £5.5 million signing from Peterborough, was imperious. He took advantage of poor defending to head past Gabor Kiraly from Henri Lansbury's ninth-minute free-kick. He then struck the penalty 12 minutes later to leave Fulham with a mountain to climb.

To their credit, Fulham responded well, with Ross McCormack curling home a 31st-minute free-kick. Hugo Rodallega came close to equalisers either side of half-time. The Colombian did level on 52 minutes as he slotted home from Konstantionos Stafylidis's left-wing cross.

Eric Lichaj had to spring to Forest's rescue at the other end when he cleared off the line to deny Rodallega, who had rounded Darlow after going one-on-one with the home goalkeeper. But Fulham took the lead after 65 minutes when McCormack's deflected shot beat Darlow from Rodallega's pass.

The game became open and Forest's pace made them a threat. They levelled on 77 minutes as Michael Mancienne played in Antonio who slotted home via the post. The City Ground was in raptures two minutes later as Assombalonga got his hat-trick, reacting quickest to bundle in a rebound after his original header from Jack Hunt's cross had hit the post. Substitute Jamie Paterson burst through to add a fifth a minute from time.

Steve Wigley, the Forest coach, said: "Fulham have forgotten how to win – they could not have given any more for their manager. They will get on the bus feeling very unfortunate."

Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1) Darlow; Hunt, Mancienne, Fox, Lichaj (Wilson 56); Tesche (Lascelles 90), Osborn (Paterson); Burke, Lansbury, Antonio; Assombalonga.
Subs Veldwijk, Vaughan, De Vries (g), McLaughlin.
Goals Assombalonga 9, 21 pen, 79, Antonio 77, Paterson 89.
Booked Paterson, Lascelles.

Fulham (4-4-2) Kiraly; Bodurov, Hutchinson (David 46), Burn, Amorebieta; Hoogland, Fotheringham (Roberts 81), Parker, Stafylidis; Rodallega, McCormack.
Subs Bettinelli (g), Eisfeld, Williams, Hyndman, Kavanagh.
Goals McCormack 31, 65, Rodallega 51.
Booked Hutchinson, Burn, Fotheringham, Amorebieta, Bodurov, Parker.

Referee D Deadman (Cambridgeshire).

Att 22,572.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/championship/11103248/Nottingham-Forest-5-Fulham-3-match-report.html

[WhiteJC]

 
Forest's Britt Assombalonga leaves Fulham on wrong end of seesaw

Britt Assombalonga scored a hat-trick as Nottingham Forest fought back in a remarkable seesaw encounter to return to the top of the Championship table.

The defeat keeps the pressure firmly on Fulham's Felix Magath, whose side fought back valiantly after going two goals down – scored by Assombalonga – to take the lead, thanks to a Ross McCormack double and a goal from Hugo Rodallega.

However, Michail Antonio managed to draw shell-shocked Forest level and a reeling Fulham side were punished by an alert Assombalonga, with the substitute Jamie Paterson completing the scoring.

In an attempt to arrest his side's slump, Magath made five changes to his Fulham starting XI, with Kostas Staflydis, Shaun Hutchinson, Mark Fotheringham and Rodallega all returning, while Fernando Amorebieta was given his first outing of the campaign.

Injuries to Chris Cohen, Andy Reid and Jack Hobbs forced the Forest manager, Stuart Pearce, into reshuffling his pack, as Robert Tesche and Ben Osborn earned their first league starts of the season, with Danny Fox also entering the fray.

Despite a bright early start it took only nine minutes for Fulham to have that familiar sinking feeling as Forest took the lead with their first attack of the game. Antonio was upended by Nikolay Bodurov and, from Henri Lansbury's whipped-in free-kick, Assombalonga rose to head powerfully past Gabor Kiraly.

Assombalonga increased Fulham's misery from the penalty spot after 20 minutes. Antonio's brilliant run into the area was crudely halted by Hutchinson, who was booked – as was Dan Burn, who manhandled the referee, Darren Deadman – and Assombalonga fired his kick into a corner.

The Fulham manager sat motionless by the dugout as chants of "Magath out" rang out from the small pocket of visiting supporters situated behind Kiraly's goal. Then, just past the hour, Jack Hunt's foul on Staflydis presented the £11m-man McCormack with a free shot on goal and he hauled Fulham back into the match by delivering a stunning set piece past the despairing dive of Karl Darlow for his first league goal for the London club.

Rodallega should have levelled as he latched on to a through-ball but, as he rounded Darlow and shot goalwards, Eric Lichaj rushed back to clear off the line.

Bodurov fired over when unmarked in the Forest box as Fulham came out with renewed vigour and their early energy was rewarded when Amorebieta's cross was smartly diverted home by Rodallega.

Forest were falling apart and rampant Fulham amazingly grabbed the lead after 64 minutes, with McCormack firing them ahead after a three-man move between himself, Rodallega and the substitute Chris David. Darlow had to get down low to keep out a McCormack effort as the former Leeds star began to rip the Forest defence to shreds, before curling another effort just wide.

However, Forest awoke from their slumber to restore parity after 77 minutes as Antonio latched on to a brilliant pass from the captain, Michael Mancienne, to crack home.

After looking almost dead and buried, Pearce's side suddenly found themselves ahead two minutes later when Assombalonga's header hit a post but he reacted quickest to stab the ball home. Forest then sealed victory in the 89th minute when Paterson ran through on goal to dispatch the ball past Kiraly from 15 yards.


http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/sep/17/nottingham-forest-fulham-championship-match-report?

[WhiteJC]

 
Championship: Nothing has changed for Felix Magath despite another Fulham loss

Fulham manager Felix Magath remained defiant after seeing his side capitulate 5-3 at Nottingham Forest to remain rooted to the foot of the table.

Despite their sixth defeat in seven Sky Bet Championship outings, the German said: "I am completely confident in my job."

Magath saw his side come from two goals down to lead 3-2, only to concede three goals in the last 13 minutes as Forest reclaimed top spot.

"I don't think about my position. I just work with my team. They played very well and scored three times. We were very unlucky.

"I understand the fans' frustrations. I'm very sad we are bottom with one point. It is terrible for the players, myself and the supporters."

Fulham's familiar sinking feeling came after nine minutes when hat-trick hero Britt Assombalonga headed in Henri Lansbury's free-kick, before Forest's top scorer converted from the spot after Michail Antonio was brought down by Shaun Hutchinson.

The visitors could have thrown in the towel, but they fought back in great style and after Ross McCormack cracked in a free-kick late in the first half, they got on level terms when Fernando Amorebieta's cross was smartly turned in by Hugo Rodallega.

Forest's energy evaporated and McCormack handed the visitors the lead after 64 minutes, finishing off a three-man move, which also involved Rodallega and sub Chris David.

But Stuart Pearce's side, despite looking out for the count, fought back in fine fashion, with Antonio firing in the equaliser, before Assombalonga reacted quickest after his header hit a post, to crash home his third goal.

Sub Jamie Paterson rounded off the scoring in the 89th minute.

"We missed a chance to make it 4-2 and unfortunately we made a mistake to let them back in. I thought they got a lucky win," added Magath.

"It was very good for the team to fight back from that and when we got in front, I thought we were the better team."

Referee Darren Deadman, who booked six Fulham players, was criticised by Magath after awarding Forest a controversial penalty after 20 minutes, with the German adding: "The referee's decision was wrong and the game was affected by that."

Forest coach Steve Wigley admitted the Reds were a tad lucky to come way with the three points, but pointed to Assombalonga as the difference between the two sides.

He said: "If you are going to be successful in this division then you need someone who is capable of scoring 25 goals and we believe he falls into that category.

"It is not just his goals, his work-rate, his attitude and will to succeed is great and he shows that every day. He makes life difficult for defenders. We haven't just brought a very good player to the club, we have brought an excellent professional to the club."

About Forest's performance, he went on: "I think we were fortunate. We started well and when we went 2-0 up you would expect us to control the game, but they scored a great free-kick and I thought they played very well up to about 65-70 minutes.

"But once it became a shoot-out we knew we had players who could score a goal and we went for it, and showed tremendous character."

Assombalonga held up Chris Cohen's shirt after scoring his second goal of the night and Wigley admitted the news on the Reds club captain is not good after he picked up another injury in Sunday's local derby with Derby.

Wigley revealed: "He has done his cruciate [knee] and will need an operation. That could be nine months, which is a big blow for Chris and the club."


http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11681/9475605?

[WhiteJC]

 
Magath again blames officials after defeat

Under-fire Fulham boss Felix Magath again blamed the officials following his team's latest defeat.

The German pointed the finger at the referee after Saturday's loss at Reading in which Matt Smith was sent off on his debut.

And this time he fumed that Shaun Hutchinson's seemingly well-timed challenge on Nottingham Forest's Michael Antonio resulted in a penalty and set the tone for the 5-3 loss at the City Ground.

"I wrote a letter to the referees. Okay, what happens then? Nothing. Maybe the referees are angry and give you another yellow card or red card. I don't know," said Magath.

"It is always a problem for a team if you are booked early in a game, then you are not as confident and you cannot do as well as before.

"They give us a penalty that was never a penalty, all of our players know that so you feel not very good if you are at an away game and have the fans against you and referee against you.

"If that is British fairness, then okay I have to take it."

After an astonishing match in which Fulham fought back from two goals down to lead 3-2 before eventually losing, Magath remained defiant in the face of increasing pressure.

The former Bayern Munich coach said the performance, in which club-record signing Ross McCormack netted twice and Hugo Rodallega scored on his return to the starting starting line-up, was proof of his side's capabilities.

Fulham are yet to win a Championship game, having collected just one point from seven matches, and fans have called for Magath to go.

"I can understand it. I am very sad we are bottom of the table and only have one point," he said.

"It is terrible; terrible for me and terrible for the players and the supporters."

He added: "We were very strong, we were leading but we missed chances to make the fourth goal and the game would have been finished if we scored again.

"But we made a mistake and they came back.  I prefer to analyse the game from beginning to the end it was not the first time that the decision of the referee was unfortunately wrong. It was never a penalty and that affects the game.

"It was very good from the team, after this wrong decision, to come back. We were then in front we were the better team and were playing very well but we didn't score.

"We are so close to a win so we are very disappointed with the mistakes."


http://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/magath-again-blames-officials-after-defeat

[WhiteJC]

 
A sustained wave of depression at Fulham

Proceedings seem to have fallen apart on the banks of the Thames of late, with Fulham winless after seven games.

They currently find themselves at the bottom of the second tier with only a solitary point to their name, and fans have voiced their anger.

The mood around the club is that of chaos and uncertainty, and the near future looks nothing but bleak at this moment in time.

Magath

Following last Saturday's 3-0 away defeat to Reading, unsavoury scenes were seen from the away end, with anger in abundance directed towards the dugout.

Since Felix Magath's arrival in SW6, he has overseen relegation from the top flight, and continued such woeful form into the new season.

A number of abject performances has seen the German come under severe scrutiny, with most in agreement that his dismissal would be a positive one.

He has shown that he is completely out of his depth at this level, particularly with the signings made during the summer which has left nothing but confusion.

Youth

It has to be reminded that the side possesses a number of new faces in the first team, many of which have come from the academy.

While I can sympathise with that, the initial aim was to make a swift return to the Premier League, which looks increasingly unlikely. Some of the displays have showcased that several players are both inexperienced and simply not ready for such a level of competitive football.

The continuation of derisory and abject showings will do more damage than good to these prospects, and could damage confidence.

Fans

The fans have every right to moan. A total collapse has occurred at the club with little explanation.

Since the end of Martin Jol's tenure, there has been little to shout about, with the demise forecasted from afar.

Last season was a torrid affair with a number of mercenaries unwilling to commit to the cause, ending in inevitable relegation.

Effort has not been that much of an issue this time round, more so the confusing line-ups along with baffling tactics and lack of quality.

Board

Decisions being made from the higher echelons have been nothing short of confusing and disgraceful.

New owner Shahid Khan looks clueless, with advisors seemingly rowing the boat for him. Incorrectly too.

Funds were promised to ensure an immediate return, but barring the Ross McCormack transfer, hardly anything has been invested.

Whether this is down to Magath supposedly snapping up all desired signings is another thing, but it leaves the Fulham faithful somewhat disillusioned.

Mackintosh

CEO Alistair Mackintosh is another player who has been disastrous for a long period of time.

One odd transfer decision after another eclipsed when the signing of Kostas Mitroglou slowly became a complete and utter shambles.

The striker, despite his undeniable talent, was clearly unfit in a situation when the club needed a player to score goals to keep them in the league.

Revamp

Following an amazing Europa League run back in 2010, it was evident that some changes were necessary for the future.

This failed to happen, and instead of a gradual shake up over a number of seasons, an enforced revamp occurred which has left a clueless squad.

From Saturday's line-up at Reading, only one player was a first-team member last season, which tells you all that needs to be known. Having such a severe changeover of players can take a very long time to gel, and time is something Fulham seem to lack.

Worrying

On the whole, the situation is alarming to say the least, and it is hard to see Magath being able to ever win over the fans. For me, it is no coincidence that since Mohamed Al-Fayed handed over the club to Khan, things have taken a huge turn for the worse.

With next to no knowledge of how to run a football club, he has left it in the hands of his idiotic advisors who have only made the situation worse.

A new manager is definitely needed, but maybe that is the tip of the iceberg?


http://www.touchlinetalk.com/sustained-wave-depression-fulham/105303/?

[WhiteJC]

 
2 goals, 5 dribbles, is the Ross McCormack of old back in business?

The former Leeds striker finally produced the goods for Fulham against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.

Not much is going right for Fulham at the moment.

After seven Championship games, the Cottagers find themselves rock bottom, with no wins and just one point to their name.

Already, they are four points adrift of safety and have an even worse goal difference than Blackpool - a side that started the season with a squad big enough to only field four substitutes.

As far as manager Felix Magath is concerned, meanwhile, last night's 5-3 defeat at Nottingham Forest could be the final straw. Reports suggested the clash at the City Ground was his last chance to save his job and the club's patience may well be running out with the German.

But, at long last, one positive did finally emerge from that high-scoring loss to table-toppers Forest: Ross McCormack scored his first Championship goal for Fulham. And not just one - but a brace to get himself well and truly off the mark.

   Match   Goals   Dribbles Won   Touches   Successful Final-Third Passes   Mins Played
Ross McCormack   Nottingham Forest v Fulham   2   5   69   8  57

And, as Opta stats show, the 27-year-old produced a lively performance indeed against Stuart Pearce's men.

With five dribbles won and eight successful final-third passes, McCormack showed a touch of class in areas other than simply putting the ball away - as hard as that part can be, of course.

Having taken 69 touches of the ball, the former Leeds United man also proved he wasn't afraid to take the ball on, rather than waiting for service and playing the role of a patient poacher.

So, is the old McCormack back? Fulham fans will certainly hope so.

By this time last year, the Scot had scored three times for Leeds but, after a slow start at Craven Cottage, McCormack is only one behind with a tally of two - despite not scoring until last night.

At the moment, it looks as though simply staying up is the priority for the west London side - and the onus will be on the 27-year-old to fire his side to a safe position within the Championship.


http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/09/17/2-goals-5-dribbles-is-the-ross-mccormack-of-old-back-in-business/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Magath under pressure at Fulham

Felix Magath's position as manager of Fulham looks more fragile than ever after the Cottagers collapsed to a 5-3 defeat at Nottingham Forest in the Championship on Wednesday.

Fulham recovered from two goals down to lead 3-2 at the City Ground thanks to a brace from £11 million summer signing Ross McCormack either side of a strike by Hugo Rodallega.

However, Michail Antonio equalised with 13 minutes left before Britt Assombalonga completed his hat-trick and Jamie Paterson completed the turnaround for Forest, who go back to the top of the table and remain unbeaten.

Fulham, in contrast, remain rooted to the foot of the table with just one point to their name seven games into the season.

German manager Magath was heckled by Fulham fans after their 3-0 defeat to Reading at the weekend and the latest loss leaves the former Bayern Munich boss in an increasingly difficult position.

The Fulham manager sat motionless by the dugout as chants of "Magath out" rang out from the small pocket of Cottagers supporters during Wednesday's game.

NZN


Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/sport/magath-under-pressure-at-fulham-2014091816#ixzz3DeVUIGBq

[WhiteJC]

 
The Craven Corner: EIGHT reasons why Felix Magath must leave Fulham

Our Fulham blogger has been driven up the wall by his team's woeful start to life in the Championship continued with a 5-3 defeat to Nottingham Forest

Simply put, Felix has to go. If you know me, you'd probably know that I'm a very patient guy and it takes a lot to actually push me over edge and make me annoyed but it's now becoming a weekly thing after every Fulham fixture. Here are the reasons why Magath must go.

1. The constant changes to the starting XI

Every week we are facing a new starting XI, how can a team gel when they are unable to form good working relationships from consistent game time with each other? Not only that, but I don't understand how Felix Magath can play 4-3-3 when he has sold Ashkan Dejagah, Kieran Richardson, loaned out Alexander Kacaniklic & basically stated that Patrick Roberts and George Williams are great as impact subs but cannot play a full ninety minutes due to their age. Where's the logic in that? He then weakens the back four setup that looked fairly successful in pre-season by starting Kostas Stafylidis arguably our best left-back in recent years at Left wing. That weakens the side because he's not a natural winger, meaning he's more likely to stay back then you have him and Fernando Amorebieta or whoever is asked to play left-back basically standing on each others toes. That then leaves gaps and when it comes to mounting an attack your left with the only option to pass backward with no cutting edge.

2. The bizarre selections in midfield

There's so many questionable tactics that Felix Magath has tried to employ and the midfield is where we have lost nearly every game. Scott Parker, a captain and a decent leader on the field; but no offence to the man but he can't be relied upon to create and mount attacks, that's just not his style of play. He's renowned for wearing his heart of the sleeve and covering a back four - nothing wrong with that if you have a creative outlet alongside him. But you cannot, I repeat cannot drag your other full back out of his natural position and throw him into midfield, then you've got two defensive minded players. When you're playing 4-3-3 you've got to have at least two of the central players pressing the opponent and being effective in both boxes, you can't have three anchormen. It just creates a massive gap between the forwards and the midfield.

Throughout pre-season our best two players were Kostas Stafylidis and Tim Hoogland both of which starred in the early games of the season at left and right back. But because Felix Magath loaned out a box-to-box midfielder in Ryan Tunnicliffe and clearly doesn't believe in the ability of the other centre midfielders he's recruited in Dino Fazlic, he plays Tim Hoogland out of position and in the midfield three.

Furthermore, he has some explaining to do when it comes to signing and playing Mark Fotheringham. No offence to Mark, I'm sure he's a gentleman and nice guy, but it's a miracle how he got another chance to play in the Championship let alone for Fulham who were in the Europa League final four years ago after he was released from a poor Notts County side. If Notts County, who struggled in League One didn't require his services, where's the logic in signing him for a 'promotion chasing' Championship side.

3. Signing and not using players, while allowing talented youngsters to leave

Felix has completely changed the squad and added players like Adil Chihi & Dino Fazlic, two players that featured in pre-season but have not been seen this season - why is that? Did he sign them and then realise that they were simply not good enough and will just let them eat on the wage budget. If they are not good enough to even push into his starting elevens, they simply must be useless, which makes you question why he loaned out Ryan Tunnicliffe and let so many players leave the club this season. Just like most of the players Felix Magath has signed he himself has no Championship experience or even saw our club play before he joined, which makes him the completely wrong appointment in the first place.

Okay, Rene Meulensteen hadn't managed in the Premier League before, but he worked under one of the greatest ever managers to grace the game and under Rene we had a 4-4-1-1 system that pressed all over the park and we were starting to get results. Players were played in the correct position and we started to know who our first XI was.

4. His training regime

Consistency leads to stability and results would have followed if the board didn't offer Felix Magath £1million a year contract based on a CV that to be honest hasn't impressed in four years. I understand that Felix Magath has a great CV with managing at Champions League level, winning the league with Wolfsburg & Bayern but speak to the clubs after they have hired Felix and what do they all have in common? They were glad to get rid of him, he was a dictator, his teachings and training are old-fashioned. If truth be told, it's true and it's the same old story at Fulham. Players don't know where they stand with him, training sessions are nearly four hours long before players even touch a ball according to reports and many of the players who left this summer are grateful to no longer having to deal with him on a daily basis.

5. The negative tactics

Look at the team that has started against Nottingham Forest. We had SEVEN defensive minded players - Hoogland, Stafylidis, Amorebieta, Dan Burn, Hutchinson, Parker & Bodurov. We have just entered this league and have a reputation where we have been playing in the Premier League, we should be going out and attacking sides - something Magath said he would be doing after the last Premier League game against Crystal Palace.

If you have the right balance through the team you can press, as Championship defences to make mistakes and they will create chances. Ross McCormack was worth every penny of the price we paid. A natural finisher and works himself into the ground, amazing performance from the Scot and he will carry us through this season with the right support if players like Chris David, Patrick Roberts, Thomas Eisfeld and co can play in midfield to feed him. Clearly, Felix Magath knew he got it wrong from the start with moving Staflyidis back to left-back in the second half, but then Hoogland was forced to play centre defence.

6. The goalkeeping situation

We had Maarten Stekelenburg and David Stockdale last season, two very impressive goalkeepers and now both of them are at different clubs this season. Stockdale, a player who gave his everything for our club and the interview after the Stoke game showed his true colours. Whilst, Stekelenburg was criticised too much by the fans last season in my opinion. He is a former World Cup finalist and was rated as one of the best in game when he joined us. An outrageous shot-stopper who in all honesty, was only let down by the poor defensive shape in front of him, he made so many saves last season that kept us in games - Liverpool at home, the save against Sunderland on the first day of the season, three or four in Felix's first game against West Brom, it goes on. I agree, that he probably didn't want to drop down a division for the sake of their careers.

We had to turn to younger alternatives, Jesse Joronen & Marcus Bettinelli it is then. Joronen sadly proved that he still needed time to develop with nervous performances in the first few games, but Bettinelli proved he should be number one after a clean sheet against Brentford and a plenty of commanding games in pre-season. Only for them both to be out of the side for 38-year old Gabor Kiraly, who has been playing in the second tier of German football. Whilst, the Bundesliga may be rated as one of the best leagues in the world, the second tier of it is far too low in comparison to the Championship, and his age only makes you question the deal even more. Felix wanted to have a younger looking squad and we had a decent number one in Bettinelli, a goalkeeper who I said would play a vital role in this season is dropped for an untidy, old goalkeeper who hasn't played in England for years and even in his prime his ability was questioned by many.

7. Casting aside senior players who are proving their worth elsewhere

Tuesday night was interesting in the Champions League as two players who were deemed surplus to requirements in Pajtim Kasami and 'unfit' Kostas Mitroglou both starred for Olympiacos' 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid. Now if they can be so influential against the Spanish champions, surely they were more than fit and good enough to cause teams in the Championship problems.

8. His use of Twitter

Finally, I don't agree with Felix Magath's Twitter account being used by his publicist asking for support at half-time either. I think it shows desperation and really isn't good for the image of the club either. We need a passionate manager, who is going to communicate with his players throughout games and keep supporting them regardless of the score. Compare how the two managers were in the dugout last night, Stuart Pearce on the edge of is dugout area constantly supporting his team and barking out instructions, sending messages to his players and making things happen, Felix quietly sat in his dugout. Felix's lack of passion infuriates more and more as the games come and pass.

Felix's time is up and he has to leave. We need a manager who knows the league and understands English football.

Get in touch with your thoughts, by tweeting me @ABronsSmith or tweeting London24 @London24Sport.

Thank you for reading. Keep believing!


http://www.london24.com/sport/football/clubs/fulham/the_craven_corner_eight_reasons_why_felix_magath_must_leave_fulham_1_3774764#1

[WhiteJC]

 
Felix Magath faces Fulham axe

Felix Magath is braced for showdown talks with Fulham owner Shahid Khan after a disastrous 5-3 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

The German manager is expected to be given his marching orders by Khan, who will be feeling fearful after seeing his club crash to the bottom of the Championship table over recent weeks.

The Express reported that the former Bayern Munich boss was told his fate rested on the result from last night's game at the City Ground, and after a crushing defeat, his exit looks luminous.

Backing from the board

Despite initially backing Magath, not even the club's owners could have predicted how difficult The Cottagers have found the Championship this season. They lie rock bottom of the table with a solitary point.

Fulham spent big on new signings in the summer, making it even more important to stay in the division. Khan knows he will not get a return on his investment in Ross McCormack if The Cottagers get relegated to League One.

The London Evening Standard described tonight's game as 'D-Day' for Magath, and it appears supporters patience has well and truly evaporated.

Fans poll

After the 3-0 defeat at Reading last weekend, a poll showed a staggering 90 per cent of supporters want him to be sacked. They may well get their wish in the next 24 hours. A decision on Magath's future wasn't expected to be made last night, but there could be an announcement before the weekend. Fulham host Blackburn Rovers at Craven Cottage on Saturday, where three points are vital.

Tim Sherwood, Neil Lennon, Steve Clarke and Chris Hughton have all been linked with the job, but Fulham fans have voiced their support for under 21′s coach Kit Symons to be given the opportunity with the first team.

Magath recently told reporters, "I have never had this before in my career."

His inexperience of English football has been conspicuous. He may have had 17 years in the Bundesliga to look back on with fond memories, but his days are numbered at Craven Cottage. It's appears a matter of when, rather than if.


http://www.touchlinetalk.com/felix-magath-faces-fulham-axe/105342/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Manager Reaction

Felix Magath was frustrated to see his Fulham side leave the County Ground with no points after an enthralling game finished 5-3 in Nottingham Forest's favour.
After going two down, the Whites responded magnificently to take control of the game at 3-2, but a flurry of late goals by the home side condemned Magath's men to a sixth defeat of the season.

"We were both very good teams and it was very strong of us that we were two down and then we were leading," Magath said.

"I think the game would be finished if we score a fourth time but unfortunately we made a mistake so Nottingham came back and then they have the win. At the end I think [it was] a lucky win.

"You have seen a very good team this evening that played very well and scored three times and it was unlucky that we are the losing team today."

Forest's penalty to go 2-0 up came about in hugely controversial circumstances when Shaun Hutchinson was penalised despite appearing to get the ball in an incident that looked to be outside the area.

"I'm sorry but it's not the first time I have to say that the decision of the referee was, unfortunately for, us wrong," Magath said. "It was not a penalty, never, in the first half and that is what affected the game.

"It was very good from the team after this wrong decision to fight back and come back. Then, as we are in front, you can see that we are the better team at this time and we played very well going forward.

"We had some chances but we didn't score so the whole team was very disappointed because we were so close to a win and they were very disappointed with the mistakes."

The loss leaves Fulham fans still craving that first league win of the season, and Magath insists he appreciates their concerns.

"Yeah sure I can understand," he said. "We're very sad that we are bottom of the table and that we have only one point. It's terrible, I know.

"It's terrible for the players, it's terrible for me and I know it's terrible for the supporters as well."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2014/september/17/manager-reaction?