Another soundbite from Slavisa - “My players had some words after the game between themselves, but it’s a little bit late. We had the opportunity to do our talking between 8 o’clock and 10 o’clock." All very apt and no doubt will get nods of approval across the fanbase. However, in coming out with this publicly suggests that there's some mileage in the theory going around of a disconnect between Jokanovic and the players.
I’m very disappointed by this whole season, but that is probably nothing as to what Mr. Khan is feeling having forked out North of £100 million. Rico and Vietto are good players. Honestly. And Barca really wanted Seri and they don’t sign average players so the way the team is being prepared and the way they are used must be the problem. I think Slav has lost them as a team and when that happens you have to let the manager go for the good of the team.
Slavisa's latest comment is not with his usual panache. Rather it smacks of someone feeling very isolated at the moment. Having lost 3 of his original backroom staff can't be helping.
You don't look like a team that will stay up, huddersfield are the worst team in the premier, but they play for each other, work as a team and have a great spirit, Fulham don't,
I couldn't agree more Captain, but the players are not playing their part, we lack urgency, speed and desire, not sure what other manager instill that. If SJ said do this, I'd not be arguing for sure. I can't think of an acceptable alternative to SJ either, big Sam as the media seem to suggest, just isn't Fulham.
Completely agree with Allardyce. I have a running argument with my eldest about this - whenever we hit a bad patch, he's quick to call for a change and usually suggests the usual suspects - Allardyce, Pulis, etc. I don't doubt that either of those two would keep us up but I'd rather go down than have potentially several years of a manager who isn't going to play attractive attacking football. Not that there was much of that on display against Huddersfield! The question for me isn't who could replace Slavi, it's is he the man to turn things around. If he isn't, then we need to find someone, whether they are an obvious candidate or not. It calls for experience, so Scott Parker shouldn't be considered. Of the obvious names that are being touted around, David Moyes isn't the worst idea in the world. If he can get back to what he was doing at Everton, he'd be great. Given how things have worked out for him since leaving Everton though, that's a big if. I could see Chris Coleman coming back and doing a good job. The biggest problem with his first spell with us was inexperience, which certainly isn't the case now. He'd be a bit of a gamble at this level, but he could be a good one. I've always liked Ranieri too, even before the Leicester miracle. If we were willing to risk someone who hasn't managed in the Premier League before, Vincenzo Montella would be an imaginative appointment - be interesting to see what Fulhaman thinks about that one with his Sevilla connections. But I agree with you, none of those names is inspires unreserved confidence that they are the right man to turn around the particular situation that we've got ourselves into. I really don't know where we go from here.
I think this is why we should stick with Slav. Things are not great, in fact they are worse than I could ever have imagined, but he's a good manager and I think deserves to see us through to the end of the Southampton game at least. I suspect in the background work is being done on possible replacement because if we do change manager we need to get it right, and that should not include Sam or Mr Pulis.
Is he part of your current problem? Quite often managers and coaches come as a package. There may be one or two exceptions or some additions to the core team, but there's usually a nucleus of a team who have worked together previously. Your manager seems to have lost a few of his trusted lieutenants. Was that his doing, or was it imposed? I think a change of management staff might be of benefit to you as you have the raw materials on the playing side. Unfortunately for us, I don't think changing our management team would help given our limited playing resources.
Scott Parker joined the coaching staff in the summer. I don't think he's seen as being particularly Slav's man, so if Slav goes , I would expect Scott to be kept on even if others go. He's also the obvious internal candidate for caretaker (not necessarily the best candidate - a more imaginative appointment would be to look to our more experienced academy coaches). As for whether the recent departures were Slav's choice or were forced upon him, I really don't know - I'm sure someone else here will be able to offer a more informed view than me on that one.
The difference between the Fulham situation and ours is down to decisons made in the summer. Whatever players a club imports, they quickly have to buy into the ethos of the manager/club. In our case it was simple - buy very little and battle on with a marginally supplemented Championship squad relying on existing relationships between Warnock and his players. On the other hand, Fulham embarked upon an expensive experiment that in hindsight hasn't worked because the sum of the parts doesn't add up to success as a team. To be brutal, in both our cases we have so far failed to find that spark, but Fulham can get better whereas we've probably reached our zenith with what we've got. Turning it around at either club will probably need a different approach. Cardiff need to find a better way of playing with what we've got and Fulham need to gel the quality they've bought. As far as we're concerned, managerially we might as well stick right now, wheras Fulham have the option to twist. Unless there's a sea change in form, whichever club finishes above the other may well stay up - it's that close.
That's why I ask if he's part of the problem. Is he at loggerheads with the manager? Is he not up to the job? Something changed between last season and this, and not just some of the players. That's what I said.
I was merely acquiescing to your esteemed opinion as a much valued contributor to our frequent intellectual debates. Now if I was the "Vicar", I could have viewed your post as being personally offensive and aggressive, and requested a ban in the interests of my members.........
Scotty Parker is certainly not the answer, caretaker or otherwise. His passionate interview before the Play Off Final probably got him the 'Head Coach' job. And that title may well be part of the problem; he obviously believes in himself but let's face it he's a rookie in that position, which may not have gone down well with the others who have since gone. If things are bad now, with him in charge they'd spin (pirouette?) out of control. Potentially another Kit in the making.
Don't. Just don't. He had 17 games in charge with us in the league and only won 5 of them - which is probably more than Slav will, granted, but he really isn't up to it. Tactics were shocking and, although he did well in the cup competitions, we leaked goals. We let in 10 more than we scored in the league during his time in charge (32 in total - almost 2 a game), so a coach with no real defensive nous is not what we need currently.
