Assistant Manager/Coaching Staff

[Ordar]

I know people havent appreciated some of the critical threads I've posted over the past week. These are not aimed to be confrontational, and are merely my opinions on how the club is being run, and the team is being put out. Let me put the team gripes to the side for a moment and bring up a question that I have briefly mentioned on one of the other threads:

Why has Kit not brought in an experienced assistant manager to help him? He is inexperienced when it comes to professional first team management, so is bound to need some guidance. Why wasnt his first act as manager to bring in someone to help? Danny's name was banded about prior to the appointment (which wouldnt be an experienced name coaching wise, but at least some help) but nothing has happened. I cant actually think of another team without an assistant manager. Even Ferguson and Mourinho have them.

Also looking at the First Team Staff page on the official website, we currently have 2 people mentioned; Kit, and Peter Grant who's official title is "Lead Professional Development Coach/U21 Manager". Does this mean that we literally have 2 coaches/managers for the entire first team and U21 team? Or are we using the Academy staff on the first team aswell?

We've gone from having far too many coaches under Renee to having basically zero. I dont understand why this is the case when we have such an inexperienced manager?

I also worry about Kits ability to identify players which arent  players he's seen play against us at academy level. Wasnt Curbishley supposed to be coming back as a director of football to deal with that side of things?

If anyone could shed some light I would appreciate it. Obviously it could just be that I've missed some appointments and that the website isnt up to date...

[BestOfBrede]

Agreed. I seem to remember Kit saying that he is in no rush to add to the back room staff, which is slightly worrying.

[SouthWest6]

Why, because its the incompetence of our our owner, and the people around him to make these decisions. An experienced coach or no.2 should have been in place ages ago, but yet we chose to go with an even cheaper option by doing nothing, and appointing no one. I don't buy all this clap-trap about it being Kits choice, Kit was employed as an inexperienced manager, so measures should have been taken to help and support him.

[TonyGilroy]

Mark Pembridge was an intelligent quality midfielder whose been coaching at the club since his retirement 7 or 8 years ago.

[The Equalizer]

Why, because its the incompetence of our our owner, and the people around him to make these decisions. An experienced coach or no.2 should have been in place ages ago, but yet we chose to go with an even cheaper option by doing nothing, and appointing no one. I don't buy all this clap-trap about it being Kits choice, Kit was employed as an inexperienced manager, so measures should have been taken to help and support him.

This would be the same incompetent Shahid Khan, who created his own successful motoring company and is worth over $2Billion? Seems like a right know-nothing clown to me.

[Ordar]

Mark Pembridge was an intelligent quality midfielder whose been coaching at the club since his retirement 7 or 8 years ago.

He is listed as the Under-15s and U16s Coordinator, hence my question about if the academy staff are being asked to double dip in duties rather than hiring specific experienced first team staff

[TonyGilroy]

He's clearly part of the first team coaching squad on match days so I'd assume he's with the first team during the week.

[nose]

i think we could do with more quality coaching
it doesn't have to be experienced as such but it does need to be very knowledgable.

[MJG]

First lesson is do not take everything you read on the FFC website as gospel.
Things change and that site has never been great at updating things.

[SouthfieldWhite]

Pen bridge has stepped up to help Kit out, both Welsh Internationals in their time,

Colin Omogbehin Mainly looks after the u16s now

[MJG]

Ok, so I have emailed the club asking if they could update the site so you can all have a good nights sleep not worrying about what title Pembridge has.

[Ordar]

Even with Pembridge apparently working with the first team.

A) is that enough coaches generally?
B) is that enough coaching experience?

Don't teams usually have 5 of 6 first team coaches? Do we even have a goalkeeping coach?

[fulhamben]

we could certainly do with a coach to work on set pieces, or at least one that will give kit a slap if he lets ross and ruiz take ones that are not penalties

[SouthWest6]

Why, because its the incompetence of our our owner, and the people around him to make these decisions. An experienced coach or no.2 should have been in place ages ago, but yet we chose to go with an even cheaper option by doing nothing, and appointing no one. I don't buy all this clap-trap about it being Kits choice, Kit was employed as an inexperienced manager, so measures should have been taken to help and support him.

This would be the same incompetent Shahid Khan, who created his own successful motoring company and is worth over $2Billion? Seems like a right know-nothing clown to me.

Stop being a complete fool, there is massive difference between selling bumpers and trying to run a football club, which to date, Kahn and the people around have shown a server lack of incompetence.

[MJG]

Even with Pembridge apparently working with the first team.

A) is that enough coaches generally?
B) is that enough coaching experience?

Don't teams usually have 5 of 6 first team coaches? Do we even have a goalkeeping coach?

Yes
Yes
I always think there are too many coaches on the bench anyway. But I would say 3-4 at most
Yes

[TonyGilroy]

So much to worry about.

[dannydog]

Ordar I agree with a lot of what you say and share your concerns. You don't seem to get many on here who agree with you, over on TIFF there are many like you who are seriously worried about Kit and his strategy. Try that message board if you haven't already.

[FPT]

Kit is not out there on his own. He is yet to have an "official" back room staff, but he has people like Mark Pembridge helping him with training sessions. We'll see what happens, no doubt the club are still looking for a Football Director of some kind to help out, I think it'll be a "wait for ages for a bus to come and two come at once."

It will be interesting to see what happens, I know Kit is keen to maintain a Fulham way at the football club, but there are experienced coaches like Wally Downes knocking around; Downes was last at QPR when they went up via the play-offs, QPR was only bettered by Burnley, Leicester and Brighton in terms of Goals Against. He was also at West Ham during their Championship cameo, where again, they were only bettered by three teams when looking at Goals Against.

I'm sure Kit, and the club, is on the search for the right back room staff.

[VicHalomsLovechild]

we could certainly do with a coach to work on set pieces, or at least one that will give kit a slap if he lets ross and ruiz take ones that are not penalties

I'd apply for that job. Monday mornings would be busy, handing out slaps for mistakes made, perceived mistakes and come here you haven't had a slap yet slaps.

[fulhamben]

we could certainly do with a coach to work on set pieces, or at least one that will give kit a slap if he lets ross and ruiz take ones that are not penalties

I'd apply for that job. Monday mornings would be busy, handing out slaps for mistakes made, perceived mistakes and come here you haven't had a slap yet slaps.

what sort of slaps are you talking about though, dry slaps, wet fish slaps or ideally a mixture of the both. and on a scale of one to ten, with one being a graham norten, and ten being knock out, what ferocity could you continually maintain a slap at, on any given training session?