Why i feel sad about Magath sacking

[Dixie]

Let me try to explain...

It's not that i am particularly sorry to see him go (not like I was for example when we let Rene go), but i think my current feeling of chagrin boils down to 3 things:
1 - We are now on our 4th manager in a year and Fulham are a club that benefits from a bit of stability
2 - He did address (or at least try to) two of what i considered to be our biggest problems in recent years
         2a - Bringing through talented youth players
         2b - Fitness (the amount of times we seem to lack energy in the last 10-15 mins)
3 - Was he really given enough time to adapt to the Championship?

Admittedly, i have only been to one game so far this season, but there is the bones of something really good about this group of players, the passing and movement was better than in any game i saw last season, we just need a bit of luck, some refereeing decisions to go our way and to tighten up at the back.

Surely someone in the FFC hierarchy would be aware that FM's extreme regime needed to be reigned in and could have told him so... in my company, Directors would not just sack a Manager without trying to put them straight. Am i missing something?

Anyway, i just feel that a toned-down version of Magath could potentially be a very good manager at this level, particularly with an exceptional group of young players in good physical shape

Just for clarity - i am NOT a Magath fan, as i said; i was really unhappy when we got rid of Rene, but we have to try and support the man at the helm and we have gone from one extreme to the other with Kit - i really hope it works out!

[love4ffc]

I think a toned down version of FM would of possible worked.  He would have had to do several things differently though.  

• Fewer 6 mile runs and more of a blend for training that actually included tactics and a ball.
  
• Smiled more laughed every now and then with the lads.
  
• No crazy remedies for muscle injuries like chees soaked in wine.  What a waste of good cheese and wine.
  
• Continued his interviews with Sarah on a regular bases to allow fans to know what he was thinking and how he was going to address problems.  
  
• Get off his arse every now and then during a game when the lads are down and actually coach them.  
  
• Don't slink down the tunnel after a game but rather take a moment to recognize the fans.  Especially when they have traveled to support the team they love and had to endure a terrible result.  
  

Hmm, what am I missing?  Oh yes....

TAKE RESPONIBILITY for when things go wrong like poor results, weird team selections, transferring in odd players and playing players out of position!  

Yes, I think that would have made for a really nice FM.  

If you feel I have left something off please feel free to amend my list.  

[Andy S]

It is not a shame he was sacked. It is a shame he was appointed in the first instance

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

No fan should feel sad about the Magath sacking. He brought it on himself. Even if he was the nicest fellow that you could ever meet he should have been sacked on the basis of his results which were truely terrible.

As for your three points:
  1. What is the point of persisting with a failing manager?  We were in mortal danger of passing straight through the Championship to League 1. Where is the stability in that?
  2. Any half decent manager would get the squad fit and bring through the youngsters.
  3. Magath had more than enough time. Ideally we would have never employed him. I would have kept Rene. He should have been sacked at the end of last season because it was clear he was not improving the situation in any way.

No, we don't want a toned down version of Magath. We want a thoughtful manager in the style of Hodgson or Alec Stock.

As for the Directors toning the manager down I can't imagine it working with Magath in any circumstances (and if you are paying a football manager £1m+ per year you should expect better in the first place and secondly expect the manager to adapt to the circumstances themselves) and, unlike in other industries and businesses, the Directors/Owner have no experience of football management so the manager is not likely to take that much notice.

[Bobsfulham]

The sad part is that we replaced Rene with a madman!! If the stories about Magath that are now surfacing are true then it is easy to understand how the club has got into such a mess.
It's normal to feel sad about the departure of a manager but Magath? Come on get real!!
If we had kept Rene we would have probably still been in the premier Leauge - Phil Thompson said  of Magath on Sky "you can't expect your players to perform for you if you treat them like dogs" - good riddens to Magath - can't understand how anyone who supports our club would have any sympathy for him

[Woolly Mammoth]

The sad part is that we replaced Rene with a madman!! If the stories about Magath that are now surfacing are true then it is easy to understand how the club has got into such a mess.
It's normal to feel sad about the departure of a manager but Magath? Come on get real!!
If we had kept Rene we would have probably still been in the premier Leauge - Phil Thompson said  of Magath on Sky "you can't expect your players to perform for you if you treat them like dogs" - good riddens to Magath - can't understand how anyone who supports our club would have any sympathy for him

Agreed 100%

[colinwhite]

Bobs fulham.... Agree about Magath , but Mulenstein would never have kept us up ,Jol would have had a better chance of that on his own(and none of believe that do we ?) . Have a read of the article about Rene "the poo eater" on Viva El Fulham.(article Charlatans etc )

[Dixie]

The sad part is that we replaced Rene with a madman!! If the stories about Magath that are now surfacing are true then it is easy to understand how the club has got into such a mess.
It's normal to feel sad about the departure of a manager but Magath? Come on get real!!
If we had kept Rene we would have probably still been in the premier Leauge - Phil Thompson said  of Magath on Sky "you can't expect your players to perform for you if you treat them like dogs" - good riddens to Magath - can't understand how anyone who supports our club would have any sympathy for him

Agreed 100%

You make some good points - a lot of which i agree with (particularly that i think he should never have been appointed in the first place!) and I definitely don't have any sympathy with Felix, that's not it.
I just felt sad when it was confirmed.

I do agree that he was not the right man for us, but i just can't shake the feeling that some positive strides were being made (as mentioned above) and the performances deserved a lot more than the table indicates.
Would he have been sacked if we had 9 points instead of 1?

Maybe Khan didn't do enough research/discussion before employing Felix, but if the owner has bought into the philosophy of the manager he employs, then he needs to give it enough time to come to fruition

[westcliff white]

did he improve fitness we have conceded around 12 goals in the last 30 minutes this season and around 8 of those in the last 15. He left the players battered both physically and mentally every single day (according to reports, far to many to ignore now in my opinion)

[Bobsfulham]

You make some good points - a lot of which i agree with (particularly that i think he should never have been appointed in the first place!) and I definitely don't have any sympathy with Felix, that's not it.
I just felt sad when it was confirmed.

I do agree that he was not the right man for us, but i just can't shake the feeling that some positive strides were being made (as mentioned above) and the performances deserved a lot more than the table indicates.
Would he have been sacked if we had 9 points instead of 1?

Maybe Khan didn't do enough research/discussion before employing Felix, but if the owner has bought into the philosophy of the manager he employs, then he needs to give it enough time to come to fruition

The results speak for themselves - no he would not have been sacked if we had 9 points instead of 1.  Do you not think though that much of the reason for the predicament we are now in is down to Magath's attitude towards the players?

I doubt that Khan knew enough about Magath to realize how things were going to pan out otherwise he surely would have looked elsewhere.

My guess is that Magath's appointment was a kneejerk reaction and was not clearly thought out - hence the statement from Mr Khan that he is going to personally oversee the appointment of the next manager.

Even under Jol the decline was gradual compared to the spectacular failings of Magath.

You mention "positive strides" - have I missed something? If you want to put on your rose tinted spectacles then you could probably argue that he cleared out a lot of the "dead wood" but he also flushed what remaining quality we should have kept down the toilet!! That's why we are on 1 point now and not 9.

Being a good manager is not just about tactics and team selection, being able to communicate correctly with the players and gain their respect and build confidence is equally important. All Magath seems to have done is to alienate just about every member of the team.

For me, the sad part is how this club has declined from the heady heights we reached under Hodgson to where we are now. Just when we all expected things to get better along comes Magath and look where we are now!

So no i'm sorry I don't understand how you can feel sad about the sacking of the man!!

[nose]

I feel sad it took so many peiople so long to realise the manager was entirely the wrong person.
I thought he was wrong last season, not playing a settled team ever and burn at RB was the last straw in the most important match.

I was willing to give him a chance this season but he was even madder. I think by the third game I had had enough and especially after the cardiff game. We played so well in the first half and he did not build on that he just broke up that team!

I am sad how long it took for the board/owner to act. if the deed is to be done 'tis better it is done quickly... or something like that.