Head coach gives his view on tonight's performance

[Snibbo]

I wonder though if SJ is being given more slack because he 'looks the part'. He's young, European, serious, grave looking. Kit, on the other hand was oft criticised for appearing 'too nice', for having his hands in his pockets, for not shouting enough, for being too jovial.

Clearly, it wasn't as simple as replacing Kit with a tougher guy, because it's made no difference to results, or to consistency (e.g. QPR followed by Blackburn), in fact results have got worse. And we've got several supposedly better players in.

Not to say SJ is not a better manager (I really hope he is), but to say that Kit was probably doing an O.K. job with the players he had at his disposal and did not deserve some of the vitriol dished out to him (though that was more on TIFF than FoF). Kit wouldn't have got us promoted, but he wouldn't have had us on the edge of the relegation zone either.

[PokerMatt]

I agree with everything boyo has said in his last two posts.

I declared when ee appointed him that I wouldn't judge joka's results this season and I won't. Blackburn aside we've been on the way up and at least it's clear that joka has a plan. The consistency will always be the last thing to arrive. He'll keep us up and next year will hopefully be much more interesting.

[PokerMatt]

How old is Garbutt - 19-20?  Before the 'lack of respect' brigade get on their horses look around at some of the supposed seasoned performers.  Seen much that impresses you?

22.

[Wimbledon_White]

I am amazed to see people getting on the Head Coach's back already. Even some whom I know rarely attend games too.

With 'fans' like that we have no chance.

[FulhamStu]

I think Jokanovic is a coach who can get Fulham where the club is stating its ambitions lie.  He is capable of putting together a squad good enough and well orgainsed/motivated enough to get promotion next season.  In many ways Kit did an excellent job, however in my humble opinion, Kit was never going to get us to the level the team required for promotion.

Since his appointment it's been small steps in the right direction every game, then a big leap at QPR and a massive drop off at Blackburn.  The Blackburn game will have shown Jokanovic at first hand what we have been seeing for 3 seasons now.  It will be very interesting to see how he deals with it.

[Fulham1959]

I wonder though if SJ is being given more slack because he 'looks the part'. He's young, European, serious, grave looking. Kit, on the other hand was oft criticised for appearing 'too nice', for having his hands in his pockets, for not shouting enough, for being too jovial.

Clearly, it wasn't as simple as replacing Kit with a tougher guy, because it's made no difference to results, or to consistency (e.g. QPR followed by Blackburn), in fact results have got worse. And we've got several supposedly better players in.

Not to say SJ is not a better manager (I really hope he is), but to say that Kit was probably doing an O.K. job with the players he had at his disposal and did not deserve some of the vitriol dished out to him (though that was more on TIFF than FoF). Kit wouldn't have got us promoted, but he wouldn't have had us on the edge of the relegation zone either.

I totally agree ("looks the part")  -  perception is a big thing with football managers, as it is with politicians ;  and I agree with the rest of your post. 

If I was a member of the team at Blackburn then I would fear facing SJ on Wednesday far more than I would fear facing KS, if he was still in charge.

[Twig]

O'Hara's statement that the training under Jokanovic is far more "intensive" says it all for me. 
Symons is a lovely bloke and gave good service to the club.  He just lacked the gravitas, the experience, the judgement and the passion to be the type of manager that a club in Fulham's position needs.  It's not his fault.  It's clearly the management's fault that he was hired in the first place (which we all wanted - but we were wrong).  Next mistake was in keeping him too long.
The differences between Symons and Jokanovic is very evident.  The Serb understands the game better, understands the players better and understands what needs to be done better.  The problem is that he is working with a confused squad that lacks the confidence and the balance necessary to produce solid performances and results week-in/week-out.
I will give him time - a lot more time.  After all, we gave it to Hodgson.  Look how long it took him to turn the problem around.
Nogood "time, she flexes like a whore, isit" Boyo

finally a Fulham fan who looks at it the same way as me.

not many of us

I don't know, SW6 - I think there are many on here who are prepared to invest time and patience in Jokanovic.  Most seem to recognise he was dealt several bad hands: A troubled squad, the embargo, incredibly poor management from the board, political strife and demoralising politics from Kahn Jnr and his aggressive Statsman. 
As in any dysfunctional corporation, those malodorous influences seep right down from on high to the coaches' office and out onto the pitch.  It's going to take one heck of a strong character to succeed under those conditions.  But I really like the look of how Jokanovic is dealing with them thus far.
Nogood "the ship is adrift in the Thames but we have a good man at the helm, isit" Boyo

I share this opinion too and I am sure there are plenty of others prepared to give the man time.

[snarks]

Indeed, I'm happier with this management appointment than I have been with the previous 4. Although if I'm telling the truth I really thought Mo had lost it when he appointed Roy.

[NogoodBoyo]

Indeed, I'm happier with this management appointment than I have been with the previous 4. Although if I'm telling the truth I really thought Mo had lost it when he appointed Roy.

That brought a smile to my face, Snarks.  Most of us had no clue who he was and thought "isn't he a bit ancient?" 
My biggest concern about Roy was that he was always on the move (rather like Jok?).  Sadly, I was proved right as far as we were concerned.  Still, his career did take a big upswing after nearly drowning in the Pool.
Nogood "and that was down to Fulham, isit" Boyo

[Carborundum]

I wonder though if SJ is being given more slack because he 'looks the part'. He's young, European, serious, grave looking. Kit, on the other hand was oft criticised for appearing 'too nice', for having his hands in his pockets, for not shouting enough, for being too jovial.

Clearly, it wasn't as simple as replacing Kit with a tougher guy, because it's made no difference to results, or to consistency (e.g. QPR followed by Blackburn), in fact results have got worse. And we've got several supposedly better players in.

Not to say SJ is not a better manager (I really hope he is), but to say that Kit was probably doing an O.K. job with the players he had at his disposal and did not deserve some of the vitriol dished out to him (though that was more on TIFF than FoF). Kit wouldn't have got us promoted, but he wouldn't have had us on the edge of the relegation zone either.

Getting Watford promoted is the element that demands most respect.  He is beginning with a full understanding of his destination.

[Chutney]

I wonder though if SJ is being given more slack because he 'looks the part'. He's young, European, serious, grave looking. Kit, on the other hand was oft criticised for appearing 'too nice', for having his hands in his pockets, for not shouting enough, for being too jovial.

Clearly, it wasn't as simple as replacing Kit with a tougher guy, because it's made no difference to results, or to consistency (e.g. QPR followed by Blackburn), in fact results have got worse. And we've got several supposedly better players in.

Not to say SJ is not a better manager (I really hope he is), but to say that Kit was probably doing an O.K. job with the players he had at his disposal and did not deserve some of the vitriol dished out to him (though that was more on TIFF than FoF). Kit wouldn't have got us promoted, but he wouldn't have had us on the edge of the relegation zone either.

Getting Watford promoted is the element that demands most respect.  He is beginning with a full understanding of his destination.

Unfortunate we don't have the ability to pluck players from Udinese to help our cause, much more of a challenge with us, I hope he can do it!

[Wimbledon_White]

I just hope he is given the same lack of respect and time that Kit was.

He deserves no more.

If we still had Kit we'd be much further up the table. If Mike Rigg wasn't here, Kit would still be manager imo.

[snarks]

I just hope he is given the same lack of respect and time that Kit was.

He deserves no more.

If we still had Kit we'd be much further up the table. If Mike Rigg wasn't here, Kit would still be manager imo.

I agree that kit got, in my view, an unfairly hard time. However Jok appears to be a different class of manager, he does deserve time to try and sort things out, and it is very clear things are changing. Let's face it a tactical sub on 45 mins, and a sub of a poor player on 35 mins. I can't think of the last time that happened.

[Oakeshott]

Kit got a year. If there is no clear view that we have improved markedly in a year under J, he'll deserve to go. However, there is already good evidence (Blackburn away excepted) that we are improving, and hopefully that will become so evident over the next few months that even the most Kit-fixated posters will be able to see it.

[Max Headroom]

We are massively better. Blackburn apart.

[Whitesideup]

In the games against Derby both home and away, and Hull, I thought there was no way we looked a weaker team than the oppo. Wednesday at home was disappointing in that in the second half, despite being down, we mustered one attempt on goal in 45 minutes. That worried me. But there is little in sides at the top that separate them from the others. Consistency and organization that means they concede fewer goals .. I think we are getting there too.

Blackburn are a bit like us in my view, an underperforming team. When we beat them at home, I thought we rode our luck, and that they were the better team on the day. Their results since then have been a surprise as I still think few teams have taken a game to us as effectively as they did. Maybe they deserve a bit of credit as well. Mind you, all three goals we conceded were awful .. needless penalty, mix up between Madl and Lonergan, and Lonners really should have saved the third. But the worry was in the performance, and SJ made no bones about that. So let's see how the players react on Saturday.