Danny Murphy and leaving Fulham

[Southcoastffc]

I like DM, as a player and pundit.  He was on Talksport this morning and, in referring briefly to his leaving of Fulham, said how disgusted he was that between them Martin Jol and Alistair Mackintosh behaved so poorly to senior players at that time.  I knew that he wasn't happy with the contract Fulham offered to him at that time, so he went to Blackburn, but I'd not heard him slating the club so strongly before now.

[Andy S]

It's what it is and it's long gone

[St Eve]

We made a huge mistake. Even 60 minutes on the pitch and his presence in the dressing room would have been enormous

[ByTheRiver]

I loved Danny as a player for us (still have him as my icon pic here) but he has probably come to the end of his career by the point he left. For example, how often did his performances at Blackburn make anyone wish we had kept hold of him? I don't think he even saw out his contract there (though my memory may be playing tricks?). it was probably, harsh but these things are, the right move at the time.

Not to defend Jol though. I still believe he takes a large chunk of the blame for that first relegation. The squad and ethos he built and left was the exact opposite of the 'team first. Work hard' ethic that Roy had built. A lot of luxury players who seemingly felt they were above the club, at the end of their careers. Very little fight. Roy had brought in payers with a point to prove, players who had not 'made it' but could be trained in a specific role in his team (thinking of Dickson from the other thread, or Pantsil or any number of others).

That said, when he first came in and those players clicked, we were electric.

Back on point, did he mention any specifics? Would be intrigued to know what went down. Or was it another case of him being annoyed that his contract wasn't renewed and he felt it should be, even if based purely on previous years perfomances?

[RaySmith]

I think it was to do with the length of contract - just a season, when he wanted a couple of seasons at least.

It was hotly debated on here at the time, is still controversial it seems.

Whatever, Danny certainly did  a brilliant job for  the club while he was here.

[filham]

Sorry to learn that Danny left on bad terms with the club, always hoped that he would return in a managerial capacity but that seems most unlikely now.

[ALG01]

Martin Jol and Alistair Mackintosh

Now there are a pair of names that have not been good for our club.

Jol was a disaster needlesly aliebnating a happy and hard working squad

AliMac has been CEO during a needlesly poor period and he just has to carry the can for such dreadful management. In any other business walk of life he would have been long gone.

[bog]

I was hoping he would have gone onto the coaching side instead of leaving. To me he is only behind Johnny Haynes and Alan Mullery as influential captains. 

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[snarks]

I have some sympathy for Jol, He wanted to resign before the relegation season but MAF wouldn't accept because he was selling the club (so I recall him saying somewhere) and we weren't buying players at their peak. Roy's team had passed its peak so he had to rebuild on a shoestring always hard for any manager

[hovewhite]

Jol I think lost the players,MAF was looking for a buyer and got one in Khan who didn't and still didn't have a clue.Murphy was callatral damage in that season.

[Mickeyboro]

The Jol era was summed up by Berbatov. Loved his and Bullard's skills but they wouldn't have got in Roy's team.

Blackburn fans recently named Murphy and Etuhu in their squad of 25 worst players in living memory. So little doubt we got rid at the right time, except for missing Murphy leadership.

And yes, he is a loss to coaching. Who, though, would give up easy money as a pundit to put something back into the game? Seriously...

[fulhamben]

We offered him one year, Murphy was greedy and wanted a two year contract. He got one and didn't last a season at Blackburn. Sounds like jol and Ali mac did us a favour

[I Ronic]

The Jol era was summed up by Berbatov. Loved his and Bullard's skills but they wouldn't have got in Roy's team.

Blackburn fans recently named Murphy and Etuhu in their squad of 25 worst players in living memory. So little doubt we got rid at the right time, except for missing Murphy leadership.

And yes, he is a loss to coaching. Who, though, would give up easy money as a pundit to put something back into the game? Seriously...

Bullard was in Roy's team. Quite often as I remember.

[Benny]

He left to get away from Dickson Etuhu.......apparently he got fed up of carry him every game

[ScalleysDad]

Murphy is doing Match of their Day on Saturday night and the great escape game is one of his three choices. Should be good and shows he has some good feelings towards the club within the context of his career.
What he says about Jol brings back memories of some of the more angst ridden evenings on here. I remember a comment from Trottas dad who used to sit behind us when Berbatov was announced. "Bang goes the team". I did enjoy some of the goals though.

[fulhamben]

The Jol era was summed up by Berbatov. Loved his and Bullard's skills but they wouldn't have got in Roy's team.

Blackburn fans recently named Murphy and Etuhu in their squad of 25 worst players in living memory. So little doubt we got rid at the right time, except for missing Murphy leadership.

And yes, he is a loss to coaching. Who, though, would give up easy money as a pundit to put something back into the game? Seriously...

Bullard was in Roy's team. Quite often as I remember.

not that often though he flogged him within a year of being at the club didn't he?

[Woolly Mammoth]

Yes I remember that, he was flogged with a cat o nine tails.

[Mickeyboro]

Yes I remember that, he was flogged with a cat o nine tails.

This is what Wikipedia says... I am amazed he only played 39 games for us, under 3 managers!

However, newly appointed manager Roy Hodgson said that he would not sell Bullard, insisting he was a key player.[22] Bullard claimed he was in talks to sign a new deal with the club.[23] However, this was denied by the club.[24] The surrounding of Bullard's future at Fulham left him "very confused".[25] Despite being regularly featured in the first team in the first half of the season, it was reported on Sky Sports that Bullard was told by the club that he could leave the club.[26]

[ron]

Apart from his leadership qualities on the pitch, I will remember him as an ice cool penalty taker, with just that slight hesitation to get the keeper moving.

[Twig]

Apart from his leadership qualities on the pitch, I will remember him as an ice cool penalty taker, with just that slight hesitation to get the keeper moving.

Best pen taker I have ever seen at the club going back to the mid 60's.  Absolutely deadly.