An internal video interview. Good to see Brede in the little training shots. [video=youtube;WjHARBCMNEk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjHARBCMNEk[/video] To be honest Jol seemed to stumble through the interview and saying, "we want a good team like we had two years ago" is hardly inspiring!
He looks more confident and has a smile again. What struck me was that a lot of our coaches are away with the national teams which means that international breaks instead of helping the team probably was a setback.
Really surprised to hear that our coaching staff are away with international squads. Not sure how that has happened and have to admit that it is not very productive for the team. I always assumed that an international break would be a good time for the remaining players to have some quality time with the coaches. I hope for all involved that meulensteen injects some fire into the players bellies and that we can get some much needed balance to the squad. Jol sounded a happier man which can only be a good thing. COYW
Well Billy Mac is Northern Ireland's assistant manager so he kind of has to go. I have no problem with this coaches going. There's no reason they shouldn't be allowed go to represent their countries too.
Nobody disagrees that they can go but that leaves a gap in training. Also a missed opportunity to work on weaknesses... Jol in all fairness probably picked up on this and he asked for help!
Our weaknesses have mainly been tactical. It would be difficult to work on tactics during International breaks anyway as most of your first team players are gone. The players left behind will most likely be working on fitness (which is another weakness) so I don't see it as much of a problem.
A post on the Club website today where Jol says the signing of Rene was all his doing and it's a positive not a threat so far as his job is concerned: please log in to view this image "In Friday’s press conference ahead of the weekend showdown with Swansea City, Martin Jol revealed the chain of events that led to Rene Meulensteen joining his backroom staff. Manchester United’s former First Team Coach had been tracked by the Fulham Manager for some time, so he was obviously delighted when he managed to convince his compatriot that his future lies in SW6. “I spoke to him in the summer because I knew they wanted to change the staff at Man United,” Jol explained. “But he decided to go to Anzhi [Makhachkala]. Then we had a very good discussion with him when he left Anzhi. He had to make his mind up but I think he had an offer from Germany with one or two other guys I know from Holland and they [FC Nürnberg] ended up with a Dutch manager now, [Gertjan] Verbeek, and then he made his mind up and he went to Qatar." “Before he signed, I texted him again – I think it was just before the Man United game – and he texted back that he wanted to come back to England, so that was very, very surprising and, of course, I was very satisfied with that. “I know him well, I’ve known him now for at least 25 years. He was assisting Sir Alex Ferguson, he was assistant to Guus Hiddink at Anzhi, so he’s a very good trainer and coach so that’s why we took him.” Some of the more cynical media reports surrounding Meulensteen’s appointment suggested that Jol may be undermined by the new Head Coach, but he was quick to rubbish such speculation. “If I wasn’t pleased [that he’s here], I wouldn’t have tried to get him three times,” he said. “I spoke to other English guys as well but I really thought he was the one that could change something. I won’t say that with English coaches we couldn’t change something, but he was the one I initially wanted so we did a lot after the first approach. I asked our Chairman to have a go again because I really thought he wasn’t coming, and he didn’t come. [But] at the end he decided to come here, so that was great.” Source: http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/november/23/jol-on-meulensteen
