If Felix Magath Was Still Manager

[Marcel_Gecov]

When we were relegated,  the only thing good about the team was the youth. Jol bought a load of ex Tottenham, and older players whereas Meulensteens short reign ended up giving us 2 united trainees, more loanees and Mitroglou.

The squad was old and unfit.

What was needed was youth, and strict training to improve fitness levels. He brought exactly that but to echo previous posts, he done it all gung ho, rather than phasing it in, leading to literal men against boys in the first game against Ipswich.
Any manager worth their salt will dip into the premier league for some decent premier league experience to help a young team, whereas we went to the premier league and brought in the likes of Eisfeld and that was it.

He wasn't helped either by the reputation we had garnered following relegation, as well as the ex players like Riise and Hangeland criticising him. They both had woeful seasons and had both left at the end of relegation season.

His methods and his personality were never going to work, especially when he was drastic with the change to youth, ruining early careers like Woodrow, Burgess and Joronen, but he was however the type of manager we needed at the time, albeit a younger more dynamic diluted version.

Did he ruin early careers of those 3 or maybe they were/are just not good enough.

I'd say with Burgess almost certainly.

[WOSFSC]

He signed Mark Fotheringham 

[Milo]

He signed Mark Fotheringham 

And McCormack..

[Sir Craven]

Adil Chihi my personal fav. Seemed a bit fat

[Pluto]

It feels worse because I genuinely felt we had a chance of staying up under Meulensteen - the football was dire, but we were still in the mix - the players liked him and played hard for him, despite their lack of talent, and we were grinding out a few points playing mostly in our own half and hoping for a bit of magic from Holtby at the other end. That 2-2 draw away at Man U where Bent nicked that injury time equaliser was a great moment and I felt we could have pushed on from there and then rebuilt around the youth in the summer.

Then Magath came in and it was a mess, immediately dropped Holtby for no apparent reason, started playing players out of position. The fight was just gone. Dan Burn at right back was the final straw. Watching us get torn to pieces down that flank for three goals with Heitanga just screaming at Magath on the sidelines begging to let them switch was heartbreaking. Awful manager.

[Holders]

It feels worse because I genuinely felt we had a chance of staying up under Meulensteen - the football was dire, but we were still in the mix - the players liked him and played hard for him, despite their lack of talent, and we were grinding out a few points playing mostly in our own half and hoping for a bit of magic from Holtby at the other end. That 2-2 draw away at Man U where Bent nicked that injury time equaliser was a great moment and I felt we could have pushed on from there and then rebuilt around the youth in the summer.

Then Magath came in and it was a mess, immediately dropped Holtby for no apparent reason, started playing players out of position. The fight was just gone. Dan Burn at right back was the final straw. Watching us get torn to pieces down that flank for three goals with Heitanga just screaming at Magath on the sidelines begging to let them switch was heartbreaking. Awful manager.

Good player, Heitinger.  He dropped Holtby (in my view the best player in the team) because he knew what he was about. It was a crying shame.

[filham]

Fulham would have a healthy turn over in Cottage Cheese.

[Twig]

It feels worse because I genuinely felt we had a chance of staying up under Meulensteen - the football was dire, but we were still in the mix - the players liked him and played hard for him, despite their lack of talent, and we were grinding out a few points playing mostly in our own half and hoping for a bit of magic from Holtby at the other end. That 2-2 draw away at Man U where Bent nicked that injury time equaliser was a great moment and I felt we could have pushed on from there and then rebuilt around the youth in the summer.

Then Magath came in and it was a mess, immediately dropped Holtby for no apparent reason, started playing players out of position. The fight was just gone. Dan Burn at right back was the final straw. Watching us get torn to pieces down that flank for three goals with Heitanga just screaming at Magath on the sidelines begging to let them switch was heartbreaking. Awful manager.

Just recalling that period makes my stomach churn.  I don't deny that Magath had enjoyed a highly successful managerial career but, for whatever reason, he was truly dreadful at Fulham.

[Forever Fulham]

I find myself in agreement with Wooly in this thread.  He was the worst.  A control freak.  Destroyer of Locker Rooms.  A nut job.  He never made a smart change on the fly during a game that I can remember.  Had he stayed much longer, I would have eventually stopped supporting the club.  He would have made it that untenable to me.  I've always harboured this feeling that we didn't do right by Rene M.  That he would have turned it all good given more time.  Maybe I'm wrong about that, but it's how I felt then, and still how I feel.  But what's done is done.  We have a terrific manager, and the players respond to him.  So very unlike Felix Magath.