Curbishley to take the reins?

http://www.caughtoffside.com/2014/0...teen-with-technical-director-alan-curbishley/

Hopefully all made up, can't understand why Khan would give him a bit of money to spend and then get rid after 4 games.


http://www1.skysports.com/football/...-the-full-backing-of-fulham-owner-shahid-khan

Sky reporting on it, quite a few sources have picked it up

 

Rene is 9/1 3rd favourite to be the next PL sacked manager.

 

I'm not sure if they would sack him or if it would be a re-shuffle. Given the way things have developed I've a horrible feeling Curbs has a hand in our return to narrow ways but perhaps I'm being unfair.

 

Indeed, I read a report that Curbishley had been taking training sessions!

 

Maybe his logic is to include the more senior players with experience seeing us through - something I would disagree with.

Duff has been a fantastic servant to Fulham and the PL - but starting with him was baffling.

 

I would very disappointed if the club was to do this. I feel we should get rid of curbishley.

As the old saying goes too many chiefs and not enough Indian's.

I feel curbishley has been out of the game too long. To much has changed since he last had a club. So don't give him ours to experiment with....

 

It seems that there is something wrong...

I can't blame Rene as we have seen some good football before the other 2 joined. Is it our CEO who takes these decisions??

 

Khan needs to come out early and kill this dead, or make the change now. No point letting speculation distract from the task in hand.

 

Agree, anyone who thinks that Duff should be playing needs to be examined by doctors!! Or he is still under the impression it is 2008!

 

Why spend all that money on new player(s) and then sack him.
Pure speculation I think. Media looking to start a story. It was on a football blog a few weeks ago, have they just picked it up and run with it after looking at our slump in the league?
Very lazy.
Curbishley would not be able to do a better job than RM has done.

I really didn't have Fulham down as a club that would do this. The owners a WH suppoted Allardyce and they've done well recently.

Come on Khan, support your man!

 

If that did happen you'd think Mulensteen would walk out just as he did after Hiddink at Anzih
I'd be disappointed if Curbishley took over.
As I've said in the thread on formations

As the song goes 'We've got 3 managers'

Is this a problem ?
This can led to a disjointed dressing room, because just like on this board some of us agree and some disagree
with views put forward, and some of us get entrenched with our view on players and tactics, so what happens in the dressing room
if you have management not singing from the same Hymn sheet ?

Like all of us on here, we think we have the cure and formation that will make things better,
but then so will the 3 managers, who have all managed with different tactics, is this a good thing ?
Are Wilkins and Curbishleys channeling their thoughts through Mulensteen or are they having their say
seperately, can this cause confusion with players as to who they listen too. Some might agree with
one view other players might like others better.

 

To defend the current managerial set-up; we were pretty poor with just one manager. Maybe Rene will bring in Fergie as his number 4

 

We'll have to see - C58 made the point about stability before, we need it in all areas to get through this. Curbs reports directly to Ali Mac, not an unusual set up but maybe not ideal given he is a former manager who may (or may not) have designs on Rene's job.

 

Let's step back for a moment... A few questions that might give us a better view:
1. Do you think the signings are only Rene's decisions? I doubt as probably there has been a view by Curbishley. Do you think he had also something to do with managing to push West Ham out from Mitroglou?
2. Has Rene signed a long-term contract or to the end of the season? (Very critical in the minds of decision makers.)
3. What is the current role of Curbishley? (I am not clear 100%.)
4. Khan is taking the ultimate decision but what is Ali Mac thinking??

 

After the Cup replay against Norwich, Rene was asked about him still only being 'Head Coach' and his contract expiring at the end of this season. He said, "We will wait and see about whether my position as head coach stays the same. I will just do my utmost to stay in the Premier League and when it happens we will get our heads together and talk about the future."

 

In that half decent football magazine, "When Saturday Comes", Mathias Svensson believed that Alan Curbishley still had a lot to learn and was critical of Curbishley’s man-management style.

Full article: http://www.wsc.co.uk/the-archive/32-Managers/1544-running-joke


A bit old but then Curbishley has been convalescing for a while. It does nonetheless give one view of a rather taciturn character. The very opposite of the more open personality that is Rene. Add to the mix the garullous Wilkins who talks for the sake of talking, and I feel for Rene.

Give me Rene and Kit any day.

 

I am with cottager here. Curbs does instill progressive play, I seem to recall he was very conservative. If he is now,running training sessions that would be a concern. Meulensteen is very highly regarding when it comes to training sessions. Curbishley is as cottager says a bit old school, Rene is what we need to take the club forward. Unfortunately he is still learning his trade as a manager but he is the future of our club. He has many contacts in very good places. Wilkins brings something to the mix in his people skills but curbs, not for me.

 

That would be a catastrophic error. I like Curbishley, but now's not the time to shake up the team again. Best to wait until the end of the season at least.

 

We must keep with Rene.
Curbs would be a step backwards anyway.
COYW!

 

Being reported in both The Telegraph & The Guardian that Rene is under serious threat of being replaced. Here's The Telegraph's piece:

René Meulensteen must immediately patch up Fulham’s battered defence to prevent himself following Martin Jol out of the exit door.

Fulham are ready to ask Alan Curbishley, the technical director, to try to save their season if Meulensteen, the head coach, cannot prove he can stop the team leaking goals.

Curbishley could even take over team affairs in time for the vital Premier League relegation match against West Bromwich Albion on Feb 22 if results get even worse.

Fulham host League One outfit Sheffield United in their FA Cup fourth-round replay at Craven Cottage on Tuesday night before facing league games against Manchester United, Liverpool and then West Bromwich.

The 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Southampton meant that Fulham plunged to the bottom of the Premier League table and there are big concerns over the fact that the club’s defensive record has got worse under Meulensteen.

Jol lost his job as manager after Fulham conceded 31 goals in the first 16 games in all competitions of the season. Under Meulensteen, Fulham have let in the same number of goals in two fewer matches.

Meulensteen has a good reputation in football for his one-on-one coaching and technical work. But there are growing fears that his defensive coaching is simply not good enough.

Fulham players are surprised that more work has not gone into improving the team’s defence and making them harder to beat, given the fact that they have conceded 53 Premier League goals this season – 12 more than second-bottom Cardiff City.

Question marks have been raised over the fact that, despite their poor record at the back, Fulham splashed out £11 million on a striker, Konstantinos Mitroglou, in January and spent nothing on the defence. Central defender John Heitinga was signed on a free transfer from Everton.

Since Meulensteen took charge of first-team affairs, Fulham have conceded six goals to Hull City, four to Sunderland and were hit for three by Southampton.

Meulensteen did little to calm the fears of his Fulham chiefs after the Southampton defeat by admitting that he concentrated most of his time on forward work. “I still think that attacking and possession, and *turning teams is the best way to defend,” he said. “But you need to have the quality and the understanding and the energy to do it.”

Having spent years working under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, Meulensteen appears to be attempting to use the same principles that proved so successful with world-class players at Old Trafford.

Fulham’s players who worked under Roy Hodgson during his successful time at the club remember the fact their former manager used to prepare for the fact the Londoners would have around 45 per cent possession at home and just 35 per cent away from home.

Hodgson may be accused of being negative, but he made Fulham incredibly difficult to beat and Curbishley has proved similarly efficient during his management career at Charlton Athletic and West Ham United.

Curbishley has resisted trying to meddle in first-team coaching since being appointed technical director on Christmas Eve, but he has been a regular spectator at Fulham’s training ground.

Meulensteen’s contract expires at the end of May, which makes him relatively easy and cheap to replace. Fulham insiders believe that Curbishley is the club’s next manager in waiting and it is just a matter of time until he takes over.

Curbishley is seen as a steady pair of hands to either try to maintain Fulham’s Premier League status or attempt to get the club promoted back to the top flight at the first attempt if they go down.

Meulensteen believes he that retains the backing of Fulham owner Shahid Khan. When asked if he is worried by the presence of Curbishley, the 49-year-old said: “No, not at all. I brought Alan into the club as part of my squad. Alan is as much responsible as myself and Ray Wilkins. We are all in this together and I wanted Alan here for these kinds of scenarios.

“He is 100 per cent supportive of myself and Ray, and we will plan together to get the best possible results for the next games and the coming months. The owner understands the situation. He has supported me in the transfer window and his success in business is built on trusting the right people.”