A new man discussion:

[FPT]

I just threw a tweet out there earlier "Any ideas for theoretical Kit replacements? Would like to have an idea on who you see as an upgrade."

Three replies:

- Oscar Garcia
- Gus Poyet
- Mark Warburton

Now, although the sample size is small (hence the question being thrown out on here again), that's three managers that want to get their sides playing with the ball on the floor and using the wide areas as a key facet of offence. That tells you so much about what Fulham fans want from the club - instilled largely from Jean Tigana's spell (if you can correct me, please do).

If you wish to add your pick for the man to replace Kit Symons, please do.

*Disclaimer: This does not necessarily mean that I am Kit out.

[callumc513]

Poyet would be an absolute nightmare

[tonynorton]

Somebody with a small ego, and I good knowledge of other leagues.

[Mince n Tatties]

Avram Grant in the Stands yesterday?
Wednesday under new ownership, or was he watching us?

[Riversider]

All depends on how our cloth is being cut ?
If we are spending then it has to be Michael Laudrup !
If money is to tight to mention and we want a young manager who's stock is rising then I would go for Alan Stubbs of Hibernian , who has done a remarkable job in very difficult circumstances,

[MJG]

I'd have a list of things a manager has to have on his CV.
1: Has won promotion from championship in last 5,  maybe 10 years.
2: has to have managed for at least 100 games and had two seasons in the championship.
3: would check his transfer record to see if he is just a big cheque manager
4: his squads in past must have had a good core of youth to show he can work and use them.
5: check his past purchases and how many related to his agent
6: he will have been sacked since last job,  why did that happen and what we're the circumstances?

[robert]

When Roy came he was a relative unknown to us.Whoever we get though whether known or not let's hope he is as good as Roy.However,I still wouldn"t write off Kit to remain and come good for us also!!

[Mince n Tatties]

If we do go for someone in the Summer, and Burnley get relegated, Sean
Dyche would be one at the top of my list....

[H4usuallysitting]

Rafa Benetiz

[mullers]

Apart from Branfoot many moons ago Fulham never go for the functional manager, no-one at the club would look at a Pulis type when we're fighting relegation, for example.

I may be in a minority of one, but given time Symons/Curbishley might work. It's a mix of knowing - and caring for - the club and experience of promotion and what it takes. It also appears that Curbishley wants to be at the Cottage.

[Mince n Tatties]

Apart from Branfoot many moons ago Fulham never go for the functional manager, no-one at the club would look at a Pulis type when we're fighting relegation, for example.

I may be in a minority of one, but given time Symons/Curbishley might work. It's a mix of knowing - and caring for - the club and experience of promotion and what it takes. It also appears that Curbishley wants to be at the Cottage.

Dont know about Curbishley wanting to be here, maybe he
is Skint...

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

I'd have a list of things a manager has to have on his CV.
1: Has won promotion from championship in last 5,  maybe 10 years.
2: has to have managed for at least 100 games and had two seasons in the championship.
3: would check his transfer record to see if he is just a big cheque manager
4: his squads in past must have had a good core of youth to show he can work and use them.
5: check his past purchases and how many related to his agent
6: he will have been sacked since last job,  why did that happen and what we're the circumstances?

There is a lot of sense in what you say but this restriction of Championship experience and success is unnecessarily limiting.

What if the new manager gets us promoted? Do we dump them saying we now need a manager with PL experience and success?

Would Tigana and Hodgson have passed your tests?

[MJG]

I'd have a list of things a manager has to have on his CV.
1: Has won promotion from championship in last 5,  maybe 10 years.
2: has to have managed for at least 100 games and had two seasons in the championship.
3: would check his transfer record to see if he is just a big cheque manager
4: his squads in past must have had a good core of youth to show he can work and use them.
5: check his past purchases and how many related to his agent
6: he will have been sacked since last job,  why did that happen and what we're the circumstances?

There is a lot of sense in what you say but this restriction of Championship experience and success is unnecessarily limiting.

What if the new manager gets us promoted? Do we dump them saying we now need a manager with PL experience and success?

Would Tigana and Hodgson have passed your tests?

No they would not have and I'm  only sort of joking partly about having someone tick everything. But I saw Laudrup mentioned and let's be honest he would k ow sod all about the championship.
Tigana for all his skill in making players better still some entry a lot, don't get me wrong I love the man.

Warburton has managed eight more championship games than Symons and got promoted with a team mostly built by Rosler. Is he really the right person?

It's a gamble whoever you get I  charge,  but you can make the odds better by doing some basic checks on them.

[Buffalo76]

Avram Grant in the Stands yesterday?
Wednesday under new ownership, or was he watching us?

Grant feels me with utter fear and dread. Rather stick with Kit than have that numpty.

[Lighthouse]

We need a squad builder. Or somebody who can rebuild the squad again. We will lose players and frankly I fear for the Summer. So a manager who can actually rebuild the club to compete in this division.

This will be the biggest Summer so far for Fulham. I really don't see why the club will suddenly start doing things right.  :012:

[FPT]

I'd have a list of things a manager has to have on his CV.
1: Has won promotion from championship in last 5,  maybe 10 years.

Here's number 1 for you - and also where they are now:

Mick McCarthy (Champions in 04/05 and 08/09) - Ipswich
Neil Warnock (Champions 10/11 and runners up 05/06) - Unemployed
Steve Bruce (Runners up in 06/07 and 12/13) - Hull
Ian Holloway (Play offs in 09/10 and 13/13) - Unemployed

Paul Jewell (Runners up 04/05) - Unemployed
Alan Pardew (Play offs 04/05) - Crystal Palace

Steve Coppell (Champions 05/06) - Unemployed
Aidy Boothroyd (Play offs 05/06) - England U20s

Roy Keane (Champions 06/07) - Republic of Ireland assistant
Billy Davies (Play offs 06/07) - Unemployed

Tony Mowbray (Champions 07/08) - Coventry City
Tony Pulis (Runners up 07/08) - West Bromwich Albion
Phil Brown (Play offs 07/08) - Southend

Alex McLeish (Runners up 08/09) - Racing Genk
Owen Coyle (Play offs 08/09) - Houston Dynamo

Chris Hughton (Champions 09/10) - Brighton and Hove Albion
Roberto Di Matteo (Runners up 09/10) - Schalke

Paul Lambert (Runners up 10/11) - Unemployed
Brendan Rodgers (Play offs 10/11) - Liverpool

Brian McDermott (Champions 11/12) - Unemployed (Chief scout at Arsenal though)
Nigel Adkins (Runners up 11/12) - Unemployed
Sam Allardyce (Play offs 11/12) - West Ham

Malky Mackay (Champions 12/13) - Wigan Athletic

Nigel Pearson (Champions 13/14) - Leicester
Sean Dyche (Runners up 13/14) - Burnley
Harry Redknapp (Play offs 13/14) - Knee hospital

[MJG]

FPT I make it Lambert,  Adkins and Mcdermott then from  Point one.

That's a short list now.

[Burt]

To add to MJG's checklist, there's probably a "footballing philosophy" angle to this as well... Route one v. play it on the deck?

[FPT]

FPT I make it Lambert,  Adkins and Mcdermott then from  Point one.

That's a short list now.

Some more snooping done MJG,

Paul Lambert has just the one season in the Championship, back-to-back promotions with Norwich. So he does have League One and Championship winners medals to his name. He has managed 293 in League One and the Championship, so that's taken out his time with Aston Villa and Livingston. His Norwich squad was young, but not focused on academy, a lot of players in the 23-26 bracket; the same applies at Aston Villa. At Villa, he had Weimann through the ranks. Won't go through all of his signings, but includes Benteke at £7m, El Ahmadi for £2m, Lowton for £2m, Joe Bennet for £3m, John Ruddy for a few hundred thousand. His Premier League promotion window was really quite poor at Norwich.

Moving onto Nigel Adkins, he has a season at the Championship with Scunthorpe, where he was relegated. Then a back-to-back promotion campaign with Southampton, so a runners up medal at both League One and Championship level. He also had 18 months at Reading, under difficult circumstances not probably not the best to look at. As for kids, he had Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain playing under him in League One, before being snapped up by Arsenal; the likes of Lallana and Schneiderlin were already there, but did seem to flourish under him. Adkins isn't the best in the window, Billy Sharp scored the goals from January which helped the Saints see through the season and get into the Premier League, Jack Cork was a good signing as was Nathaniel Clyne and Jay Rodriguez, but there's a lot that either Reading or Southampton didn't benefit from. He did have to play with a lot of kids at Reading, Michael Hector, Jake Cooper and Jordan Obita have all been involved via Nigel.

Brian McDermott is maybe the least successful of the three. He spent three years at Reading, grabbing a 5th place finish (out in the play offs) and a a Championship title win the next season. He spent just over a year at Leeds too. His transfer record isn't the best either, he did bring in Sean Morrison for £300k, sold for £3m about four years later. He brought in Adam Le Fondre, but again, for every ALF, there seems to be a cheap waste of space. At Leeds he signed Matt Smith and Luke Murphy, but again cheap players that don't seem to be much quality. As for kids, Brian McDermott worked with Alex Mowatt and Sam Byram, whilst also taking Cameron Stewart and Jack Butland on loan.

[MJG]

We are getting there FPT,  so would you say in order mcdermott would be third and Lambert just edges Adkins into first?

I'm put off by Lambert at Villa but as I wrote earlier need to look at the circumstances as to why they were last sacked.

I like Mcdermott as a person when I have seen him interviewed,  wonder really how much is heart is in being a manager after his spell at Leeds.

Adkins is an odd one. Did get the Southampton team going and up but Reading it all went  wrong.

Lambert maybe rested after Villa would be the goto person in the summer?