Monday Fulham Stuff (09/11/15)...

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Smith: Bitterly Disappointed

Disappointment was Matt Smith's overriding emotion following Fulham's 5-2 loss at the hands of a Birmingham City outfit on Saturday.

Following defeat at Burnley on Tuesday night, which ended a five-match unbeaten run, the Whites were looking to bounce back immediately. However, following a bright start, it was Birmingham who ran out eventual winners and a visibly dejected Smith was quick to highlight the disappointment within the Fulham camp.

"The lads are bitterly disappointed with the outcome," Smith told fulhamfc.com. "We felt confident going into the game. We were in a good place in terms of performances and results but today was a bit of a shock to be honest. We didn't expect that at all. We have to put it to the back of our minds and move on.

"The manner in which we conceded was the most disappointing thing. Our goal scoring exploits have never really been in doubt all season. If we can sure up things at the back as a collective and as a team we can move forward."

Attentions now turn to the International break, with Smith focusing on how the two week break can be used by the squad to recoup off the back of two successive defeats.

"You can look at the break in a number of ways," he explained. "Obviously we will use it to right some wrongs and work on a few things and make sure we recover properly. We need to keep ourselves as sharp as possible to make sure that we are good to go after the break."

For Smith personally, to be contributing and involved in First Team matches it has been refreshing after a frustrating spell on the sidelines. His physical presence was on show on Saturday following his second half substitution and he was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet after he struck the post.

"I am delighted to be back," the striker said. "It was a very frustrating nine to ten weeks. Touch wood, I have never really had a major injury as such, so it was a tough period for me. To be back on the grass is where I want to be, and to be back scoring goals. I thought I could have maybe got one today but it wasn't to be.

"We dust ourselves down. We go again and we have the heart and belief within the squad to turn things around."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/november/08/smith-bitterly-disappointed?

[WhiteJC]

 
Rigg Announces Symons Departure

Fulham Football Club today announced that Kit Symons was dismissed as First Team Manager following Saturday's match against Birmingham City at Craven Cottage.

Mike Rigg, Chief Football Officer, made the announcement and will immediately conduct a search for the new First Team Manager.

Fulham Chairman Shahid Khan spoke to Symons today and thanked him for his loyalty and service to Fulham.

"No one can ever doubt the effort and commitment that Kit put into Fulham, not only as First Team Manager, but also as a player here, and as a key figure in the success of our Academy," said Mr Khan.

"Kit came through for us last year at this time and helped stabilise our Club on and off the pitch, and we're very grateful for that and his many other contributions over the years.

"It is now time to take Fulham to the higher level of success that we expect from our First Team Manager and our players, and our supporters here in London and throughout the world deserve."


http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/november/08/rigg-announces-symons-departure?

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Kit Symons: Fulham sack manager after Birmingham defeat

Fulham have sacked manager Kit Symons after Saturday's 5-2 home defeat by Birmingham left the club 12th in the Championship table.

Symons, 44, took charge in October 2014 after the departure of Felix Magath and leaves the club eight points short of the play-off places.

Fulham chairman Shahid Khan said: "It is now time to take Fulham to the higher level of success that we expect from our manager and our players."

A search for a new manager has begun.

With Championship clubs now on an international break, Fulham's next game is at MK Dons on Saturday, 21 November.

Symons won 22 of his 64 games in charge of the Cottagers and steered the club to a 17th-placed finish last season.

He is the seventh manager to leave his job in the Championship since the start of the season.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34760567

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham sack manager Kit Symons

• Tim Sherwood and Nigel Pearson among favourites for job in Championship
• Owner Shahid Khan: it is now time to take Fulham to the higher level


Kit Symons leaves Fulham 12th in the Championship.
Photograph: Paul Currie/BPI/Rex Shutterstock

Kit Symons has been sacked as manager of Fulham. The 44-year-old left his post after an inconsistent start to the Championship season that has resulted in the London club lying in 12th place following Saturday's 5-2 home loss to Birmingham.

Fulham have said they will commence a search for a replacement immediately but no caretaker manager was announced. Alan Curbishley is currently at the club in an advisory role and often joined Symons in the dugout at Craven Cottage, so he may take charge in the interim. Tim Sherwood, Nigel Pearson and Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink, the latter having taken Burton Albion to the top of League One before being overtaken by Walsall, are among the early favourites for the job.

Whoever replaces Symons will be the fifth Fulham manager of Shahid Khan's tenure, after he bought the club from Mohamed Al Fayed in 2013. Martin Jol was dismissed after a few months and René Meulensteen lasted only 17 games before the disastrous tenure of Felix Magath.

The German manager led Fulham down to the Championship before he was dismissed with the club bottom of the division, having taken only one point from their opening seven games of last season.

Khan has aspirations to return the club to the Premier League and was not prepared to wait another season. "No one can ever doubt the effort and commitment that Kit put into Fulham, not only as first-team manager but also as a player here, and as a key figure in the success of our academy," he told the club's website. "Kit came through for us last year at this time and helped stabilise our club on and off the pitch, and we're very grateful for that and his many other contributions over the years.

"It is now time to take Fulham to the higher level of success that we expect from our first-team manager and our players, and our supporters here in London and throughout the world deserve."

Symons took over as caretaker manager in September 2014 following the dismissal of Magath and was given the role permanently the following month. Fulham's season has been an inconsistent one this time around and the club are eight points off the play-off places.

While no team in the division has scored more goals than Fulham this season, defence is a problem. Only the bottom side, Rotherham, have conceded more than the 28 goals let in by Fulham, who have kept only two clean sheets in the league.

Speaking after the defeat by Birmingham, Symons said he felt defence was the area that was letting down his side most. "Realistically, if we tighten up defensively we will take something away from the offensive play; to get the balance just right is difficult to do and that's the key to it," he said.

"I'd gladly give up scoring a few more goals for a few more clean sheets. I always fancy us to score. We only need to score one a game to win it but that's only if you are keeping a clean sheet – and we haven't kept enough of them."



http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/nov/08/fulham-sack-manager-kit-symons?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham to have new boss for MK Dons game after sacking Kit Symons



MK Dons' next opponents will have a new boss at the helm after Fulham sacked manager Kit Symons.

The London side dismissed their boss after a 5-2 defeat by Birmingham City at Craven Cottage on Saturday. It means that they are now looking for a new boss, whose first game will be at stadium:mk on November 21st.

Symons leaves with Fulham sat 12th in the Championship table. He is the third Championship manager to be dismissed this week, after Huddersfield and QPR also sacked their bosses.

Speaking to the club's website, the Cottagers' owner Shahid Khan said, "No one can ever doubt the effort and commitment that Kit put into Fulham, not only as First Team Manager, but also as a player here, and as a key figure in the success of our Academy. Kit came through for us last year at this time and helped stabilise our Club on and off the pitch, and we're very grateful for that and his many other contributions over the years.

"It is now time to take Fulham to the higher level of success that we expect from our First Team Manager and our players, and our supporters here in London and throughout the world deserve."

Symons was initially appointed caretaker manager of Fulham in September last year after the sacking of Felix Magath, and was consequently made full-time boss after winning 5 of his first 9 games. He won 22 of his 64 games in charge, but the team's owners have decided this was not good enough to justify keeping him in charge.



http://citiblogmk.co.uk/2015/11/08/fulham-to-have-new-boss-for-mk-dons-game-after-sacking-kit-symons/?

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Fulham confirm Kit Symons sacking after Birmingham City battering

Whites have axed the Craven Cottage chief after 5-2 drubbing on Saturday left them off the pace in the race for the Championship play-offs

Fulham have sacked Kit Symons after Saturday's thrashing at the hands of Birmingham City.

The Craven Cottage chief is the third Championship manager to be dismissed this week following the departures of Chris Ramsey and Chris Powell.

Fulham were crushed 5-2 by City on Saturday afternoon to leave them languishing in mid-table and some way off their target of reaching the play-offs.

Stephen Gleeson, Paul Caddis, Jon Toral, Clayton Donaldson and Viv Solomon-Otabor got the goals that proved fatal for Symons, with Alexander Kacaniklic and Ross McCormack reply for Fulham.

There were audible calls for the manager's head at the final whistle in west London.

Chairman Shahid Khan sanctioned a £7million investment in the squad over the summer but results have failed to improve and Symons leaves the Cottage after just 12 months at the helm.

Khan informed Symons of his decision in the wake of the Birmingham loss and thanked him for his service.

He told the club's official website: "No one can ever doubt the effort and commitment that Kit put into Fulham, not only as first-team manager, but also as a player here, and as a key figure in the success of our academy.

"Kit came through for us last year at this time and helped stabilise our club on and off the pitch, and we're very grateful for that and his many other contributions over the years.

"It is now time to take Fulham to the higher level of success that we expect from our first-team manager and our players, and our supporters here in London and throughout the world deserve."


http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/fulham-confirm-kit-symons-sacking-6792334?

[WhiteJC]

 
Kit Symons sacked: Fulham axe manager with owner Shahid Khan seeking Premier League return

The decision comes the day after a 5-2 loss to Birmingham

The 44-year-old has left his post after an inconsistent start to the Sky Bet Championship season which has left the Cottagers in 12th place.

Fulham were beaten 5-2 at home by Birmingham, following a 3-1 loss at Burnley in midweek.

Club owner Shahid Khan has aspirations to return the club to the Premier League and the club have now acted by sacking the former Wales defender.

"No one can ever doubt the effort and commitment that Kit put into Fulham, not only as first team manager, but also as a player here, and as a key figure in the success of our academy," Khan told the club's official website.

"Kit came through for us last year at this time and helped stabilise our club on and off the pitch, and we're very grateful for that and his many other contributions over the years.

"It is now time to take Fulham to the higher level of success that we expect from our first team manager and our players, and our supporters here in London and throughout the world deserve."

Symons took over as caretaker manager at Craven Cottage in September 2014 following the dismissal of Felix Magath and took on the role permanently in late October of the same year.

Their season has been an inconsistent one this time around, and the west London club are eight points of the play-off places.

Speaking after the defeat to Birmingham, Symons said he felt defence was the area that was letting his side down most.

"Realistically, if we tighten up defensively, we will take something away from the offensive play, to get the balance just right is difficult to do and that's the key to it," he told the club's official website.

"I'd gladly give up scoring a few more goals for a few more clean sheets. I always fancy us to score. We only need to score one a game to win it, but that's only if you are keeping a clean sheet and we haven't kept enough of them."



http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/kit-symons-sacked-fulham-axe-manager-with-owner-shahid-khan-seeking-premier-league-return-a6726076.html?

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Fulham fires Symons, owner Shad Khan searches for 5th coach

LONDON (AP) - Fulham owner Shad Khan is searching for his fifth manager since buying the London club two years ago after firing Kit Symons.

The Welshman left Fulham on Sunday with the team 12th in the second tier following a 5-2 loss to Birmingham.

Khan says it's "time to take Fulham to the higher level of success that we expect from our first team manager and our players."

When Khan, who also owns the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, bought Fulham in July 2013 Martin Jol was manager. Jol was replaced in December 2013 by Rene Meulensteen, who survived only 75 days in the job.

Felix Magath was the next appointment, but the former Bayern Munich coach only lasted until September 2014 following Fulham's relegation from the Premier League before being replaced by Symons.


http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/nov/8/fulham-fires-symons-owner-shad-khan-searches-for-5/?

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham sack their boss as Kit Symons pays the price for inconsistency
KIT SYMONS has been sacked as manager of Fulham.

The 44-year-old has left his post after an inconsistent start to the Championship season which has left the Cottagers in 12th place.

Fulham were beaten 5-2 at home by Birmingham, following a 3-1 loss at Burnley in midweek.

Club owner Shahid Khan has aspirations to return Fulham to the Premier League and the club have now acted by sacking the former Wales defender.

Khan said: "No one can ever doubt the effort and commitment that Kit put into Fulham, not only as first team nanager, but also as a player here, and as a key figure in the success of our academy.

"Kit came through for us last year at this time and helped stabilise our club on and off the pitch, and we're very grateful for that and his many other contributions over the years.

"It is now time to take Fulham to the higher level of success that we expect from our first team manager and our players, and our supporters here in London and throughout the world deserve."

Symons took over as caretaker manager at Craven Cottage in September 2014 following the dismissal of Felix Magath and took on the role permanently in late October of the same year.


ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: Khan has ended Symons' reign

Their season has been an inconsistent one this time around, and the west London club are eight points off the play-off places.

Speaking after the defeat to Birmingham, Symons said he felt defence was the area that was letting his side down most.

"Realistically, if we tighten up defensively, we will take something away from the offensive play, to get the balance just right is difficult to do and that's the key to it," he said.

"I'd gladly give up scoring a few more goals for a few more clean sheets. I always fancy us to score. We only need to score one a game to win it, but that's only if you are keeping a clean sheet and we haven't kept enough of them."


http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/474509/Fulham-sack-manager-Kit-Symons

[WhiteJC]

 
Championship news: Ex-Owl Nigel Pearson the early bookies tip as Fulham sack Kit Symons

Kit Symons has been sacked as manager of Fulham with former Sheffield Wednesday skipper Nigel Pearson currently the bookies favourite to succeed him.

SkyBet make ex-Leicester City boss Pearson 3/1 favourite with Tim Sherwood next on 6/1.

Symons left his post after an inconsistent start to the Sky Bet Championship season which has left the Cottagers in 12th place.

Fulham were beaten 5-2 at home by Birmingham, following a 3-1 loss at Burnley in midweek.

Club owner Shahid Khan has aspirations to return the club to the Premier League and the club have now acted by sacking the former Wales defender.

"No one can ever doubt the effort and commitment that Kit put into Fulham, not only as first team nanager, but also as a player here, and as a key figure in the success of our academy," Khan told the club's official website.

"Kit came through for us last year at this time and helped stabilise our club on and off the pitch, and we're very grateful for that and his many other contributions over the years.

"It is now time to take Fulham to the higher level of success that we expect from our first team manager and our players, and our supporters here in London and throughout the world deserve."

Symons took over as caretaker manager at Craven Cottage in September 2014 following the dismissal of Felix Magath and took on the role permanently in late October of the same year.

Their season has been an inconsistent one this time around, and the west London club are eight points of the play-off places.

Speaking after the defeat to Birmingham, Symons said he felt defence was the area that was letting his side down most.

"Realistically, if we tighten up defensively, we will take something away from the offensive play, to get the balance just right is difficult to do and that's the key to it," he told the club's official website.

"I'd gladly give up scoring a few more goals for a few more clean sheets. I always fancy us to score. We only need to score one a game to win it, but that's only if you are keeping a clean sheet and we haven't kept enough of them."



Read more: http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/sheff-weds/sheff-weds-news/championship-news-ex-owl-nigel-pearson-the-early-bookies-tip-as-fulham-sack-kit-symons-1-7559360#ixzz3qvqVjovH

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham manager betting update: Bruce early favourite, three ex-Villa bosses in frame

Fulham manager betting update: Bruce early favourite, three ex-Villa bosses in frame

As confirmed by the club's official website, Fulham are on the lookout for a new manager after sacking Kit Symons following their latest 5-2 reverse at home to Birmingham City.

Fulham boast a pretty strong Championship squad, spearheaded by expensive acquisition Ross McCormack who was brought in to help the club secure a return to the Premier League.

However, results have been too inconsistent and for every superb victory over the likes of Reading and Bristol City, there were also embarrassments such as the defeats to Wolves and Birmingham.

Kit Symons is gone, and now the search begins for a new manager.

Sky Bet have set the market on the next manager at Craven Cottage, with Hull City's Steve Bruce surprisingly leading the way with odds of 5/4.

The former Sunderland boss has been at Hull for just over three-and-a-half years, guiding the club to promotion before suffering a relegation heartbreak last season.

Still, he remained with The Tigers and they now look a safe bet for a quick return to the top-flight.

Would Bruce be willing to trade Hull for Fulham? While there is the obvious pull of London and perhaps Fulham's finances may have a say, it would be a big risk considering the position of both clubs.

Nigel Pearson is second on the list, currently standing at 4-1 following his dismissal at Leicester City.

But the most intriguing factor is that there are three former Aston Villa managers in the top eight – Paul Lambert at 8/1, Tim Sherwood at 12/1 and Alex McLeish at 14/1.

While all three ex-Villa bosses are current longshots, they do have former successes on their CV and in Lambert's case a double promotion followed by Premier League survival with Norwich.

Fulham are still well positioned to have a crack at the playoffs, though bringing in the right personality to match their talented squad will be key to any future success.


http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2015/11/08/fulham-manager-betting-update-bruce-early-favourite-three-ex-vil/?

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Fan's view: Where it went wrong for Kit Symons at Fulham

Journalist and Fulham fan Dimitri Kondonis looks at what went wrong for the Welshman at Craven Cottage


Departed: Kit Symons
Kit Symons' departure from Fulham was an inevitability since being booed from the Craven Cottage faithful after a last-gasp equaliser against Huddersfield in August.

The former Wales coach took 19 wins from his 55 matches in charge of the Cottagers but his time in charge was riddled with crowd discontent and a failure to propel the Whites into the top six.

It was a rollercoaster reign plagued by anomalous results, to the point where it was difficult to establish which performances represented the real Fulham.

This season, an emphatic 4-0 victory against fierce rivals Queens Park Rangers was followed up merely four days later with a 3-0 defeat to Wolves.

Likewise the Cottagers thought they had downed their away day blues with a 4-1 win at Bristol City but then collapsed to a 3-1 defeat at high-flying Burnley.

As Symons said in his final press conference; they were as likely to win by a heavy margin as they were to lose by one.

The former boss always seemed to be an awkward fit at the Craven Cottage helm, despite his audition seeing the Whites somehow picking up four wins from six league matches.

There was a lack of conviction in those early victories, with their opponents' profligacy and the new tidal wave of morale after Felix Magath's departure working in the Welshman's favour.

Their good fortune was doomed to expire, but with his record and the fans' backing, Fulham's infamous five-man committee had no choice but to appoint Symons on a full-time basis.

Symons' biggest issue was a failure to get his team performing over the entire ninety minutes to pick up a good result.

Defeat at home to Birmingham in what proved to be his final game was a perfect example - after a positive start the Whites collapsed to a three-goal deficit and culminated in a James Husband red card despite two wins from their previous three games.

Even in victory against high-flying Reading, the Whites found themselves outplayed for 45 minutes and two goals down before retaliating in style with four of their own.

The former Fulham centre-back failed to deal with defensive problems that had been evident not just during his 13 month tenure at the helm, but from the 2012/13 season.

The Whites haemorrhaged goals throughout 2014/15, with huge defeats to Watford, Derby and Bournemouth, not to mention the humiliating derby defeat to Brentford, and although Symons introduced a horde of new defenders over the summer, he could not stem the flow of goals.

Indeed, it is hard to tell if that made his case for dismissal stronger or weaker - having brought in a higher quality defence, the Whites still had chronic problems at the back.

The team's lack of focus had proved a nauseating issue for Symons and will haunt whoever replaces him - they have already dropped eight points this season from conceding after the 86th minute in matches.

But fans should not forget the positive work that Symons provided - he converted a club looking set for consecutive relegations and provided a foundation to push on with.

The signings of James Husband, Tim Ream, Richard Stearman and Tom Cairney were all notable successes despite a frustrating season.

And the energetic Welshman also helped to embed Moussa Dembele into the side - with the French youngster striking a formidable partnership with Ross McCormack.

He picked up the crucial points the club needed, when they needed them, and it was indeed the supporters who demanded he was given the permanent job in the first place.

Despite his inability to maintain consistently high performances, Symons should not have been objected to such a horrid send-off.

Fans demanded his appointment, and it was a shame to see them demand his sacking - although it is evident that their discontent is aimed at three years of failure.

But ultimately the former manager failed to deliver, and the Whites' hierarchy once more faces the daunting prospect of choosing the right man.


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fans-view-went-wrong-kit-10409879?

[WhiteJC]

 
Why Fulham must risk writing off this season for a brighter future after sacking Symons

New manager, new ideas but unlikely to pay off in promotion this season so where do the Whites go from here?


Decision time: Shahid Khan
Fulham are looking for their fifth manager in the space of two years after the club decided to part with the services of Kit Symons.

Since Shahid Khan took over, the Whites have been struggling for consistency after being relegated in his first season after buying the club and struggling in the Championship last season.

The billionaire parted company with Martin Jol, whom he inherited from Mohammed Al Fayed's reign as chairman and replaced him with Rene Meulensteen.

The Dutchman had barely settled into the hot seat when it morphed into an ejector one with Felix Magath replacing him just over two months later.

The German was a flop, overseeing the final nails in the coffin of a relegation season before a disastrous start in the Championship last season which saw Symons take over.

Khan and Fulham admitted they have made three mistakes in managerial appointments – you wouldn't sack a manager if you thought they were the right man for the job anymore.

However, it is the lack of patience shown that is surprising or, in Magath's case, giving him too much time.

Jol, who was appointed under the Al Fayed regime, lost his job after six straight defeats and only three wins in the season.

His biggest mistake and one the club are still recovering from today is the failure to refresh the squad which was aging up until their relegation from the Premier League.

Meulensteen took over and seemed to be improving matters slightly over the course of December and January, although heavy defeats to Hull and Sunderland were causes for concern.

He was backed in the January transfer window and made Kostas Mitroglou the club's record signing – the Greek appeared in a pre-season friendly against Crystal Palace in 2015 for his only Craven Cottage showing.

Meulensteen looked to be getting things right by mid-February after a draw against a one-dimensional Manchester United and a battling defeat to then title chasing Liverpool.

However, he was axed two days later and replaced by Felix Magath.

The less said about the German's reign at Fulham the better as performances took a downturn and relegation followed.

This was the chance for the Whites to make a long-term decision to rebuild the club from top to bottom and they didn't take it.

Magath's signings, with the exception of Ross McCormack, failed to impress and the Whites picked up a point from their first seven games in the Championship.

His alienation of core players, including Brede Hangeland, did him and the club no favours as, barring Scott Parker and McCormack, they lacked the necessary leadership and experience to cope with the demands of the Championship.

Symons steadied the ship, boosted morale, and guided the club to 17th place come May. Having given their rivals a two month head start pretty much that was a decent return.

However, an inconsistent start and the return of the hammerings at home has seen the Welshman leave the club.

History will probably judge him better than current feeling towards him is amongst the support. He took over at a club seemingly heading towards a second successive relegation and leaves them in mid-table.

Fans wanted a promotion challenge but, while it might not have been this season, the building blocks were in place to mount a sustained challenge in the 2016/17 season. At the end of the day, after the upheaval of 2014/15 would a solid mid-table finish not mark an improvement?

The axing now leaves Fulham in a quandary regarding the next step.

Do they bring in a quick-fix manager and risk long-term struggles for short-term success, someone with a long-term vision now, or do they restructure ahead of the summer of 2016 where they make a more analytical decision?

For me it is clear. They need to make a long-term decision, which was the hallmark of Al Fayed's reign, rather than another quick fix job. At this early stage of the season, there appear to be four or five teams who will pull away leaving one play-off spot up for grabs.

Looking at the Al Fayed era at Fulham, after parting company with Micky Adams soon after taking over he brought in Ray Wilkins and put Kevin Keegan above him.

After a row saw Wilkins leave, Keegan took over until he was poached by the FA to take charge of England.


Fulham forces: Al Fayed (L) and Keegan
Paul Bracewell lasted less than a season at Fulham before being sacked and replaced by Jean Tigana.

The Frenchman was sacked in 2003 after establishing the club in the Premier League and successfully took the club to court for wrongful dismissal.

Chris Coleman was in charge from 2003 to 2007 before his dismissal with the club hovering above the relegation zone.

Lawrie Sanchez was a mistake from Al Fayed whose quick-fix job didn't translate into the following season and he was sacked in December.

Roy Hodgson stepped in and oversaw the high point of Fulham's history in reaching the Europa League final before he was hired by Liverpool in 2010.


Old friends: Roy Hodgson signed Hangeland for Fulham
Mark Hughes lasted a season with the club before quitting over a lack of ambition, with Martin Jol replacing him in 2011.

In Al Fayed's 16-year association with the club, he only sacked five managers (Adams, Bracewell, Tigana, Coleman, Sanchez). In just over two years, Khan has axed four. Yes, football is more impatient than it was in Al Fayed's era but the difference is startling.

The big question for Khan to answer is: Are Fulham in need of a rebuild from top to bottom or is it more about the choice of manager? Remember, every boss has their favourites and their style so expect more personnel changes.

Of course, Watford laugh off the stability brings success claim with their revolving door policy regarding head coaches. However, the structure they work in remains the same meaning there isn't too much change.

The Whites have lurched from one philosophy to another over these two years and it is time they settled on one method and bought into that as other clubs have done, most notably Southampton and Swansea, to great success.

It might take three years to return to the Premier League doing it that way but they'd be a better club for it rather than failing to address the problems and hoping for the best.


http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-must-risk-writing-season-10409938

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham and QPR both want Nigel Pearson as their manager after sacking Kit Symons and Chris Ramsey

Boss who masterminded of Leicester's promotion to the top flight then their great escape from relegation is the subject of a West London tug-of-war

Fulham face a battle with West London rivals Queens Park Rangers to name Nigel Pearson as their new boss – after Kit Symons was sacked.

Pearson and ex-Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert are both believed to be on Fulham's wish list – but Championship rivals and neighours Rangers' caretaker boss Neil Warnock has also advised their owner Tony ­Fernandes to go for the former Leicester gaffer.

Symons became the fourth Cottagers manager to be fired by owner Shahid Khan in the past two years when he was axed after Saturday's 5-2 home drubbing by Birmingham.

As revealed by Mirror Sport, Khan and his board decided more than a fortnight ago that Symons was not the man to lead a promotion chase for Fulham – but the former Wales defender was given a stay of execution by two convincing wins over Reading and Bristol City.

Yet back-to-back defeats by Burnley and Birmingham have left Fulham eight points off the play-off places, with Khan convinced that the Cottagers should be a top-six side after an overhaul of their squad.

Pearson is keen to return to management after saving Leicester from Premier League relegation last season and Warnock, who took an advisory role at QPR before Chris Ramsey was sacked last week, believes the former Foxes boss is the right man to take over.

Fulham also hope to convince Pearson to move to Craven Cottage.

However, they know Lambert, who won promotion from the Championship with Norwich in 2011, is keen on the role – as is another former Villa boss, Alex McLeish.

Maccabi Tel Aviv boss Slavisa Jovanovic, who led Watford to promotion into the top flight last season, is also a contender at Fulham – but with several out-of-work managers in the frame, they are unlikely to want to pay compensation.

The Cottagers' search for a new manager will be headed by their chief football officer Mike Rigg, who is a close friend of England Under-21 coach Gareth Southgate but is unlikely to persuade his former FA colleague to take over.

Symons, 44, bossed Fulham for just over a year, saving them from a second successive ­relegation after ­inheriting German Felix Magath's ­dysfunctional squad.

Khan said: "No one can doubt the commitment Kit put into Fulham, not only as a first-team boss, but also as a player and a key figure in our academy's success.

"Kit came through for us last year at this time and helped stabilise our club on and off the pitch – and we're very grateful. But it is now time to take Fulham to the higher level of success we expect, and that our fans deserve."


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