http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/martin-jol-has-the-raw-talent-so-why-is-he-getting-it-wrong-8853071.html A read from yesterday's Evening Standard. Not very much in there of an analysis as the title suggests but there are few facts that nobody can disagree: "Jol has been forced to work within tight financial constraints set first by Mohamed Fayed and then new owner Shahid Khan during his two-year tenure but this, undeniably, is Jol’s team. There has been a great emphasis on experience and almost no promotion of youth. Fulham’s academy is one of the more revered in the country and yet Jol has focused on finding short-term solutions." And further down: "The frustrating thing is that Fulham possess enough raw material to create a solid mid-table team. There are holes in the squad not addressed over the summer — namely an absence of cover at left-back and a lack of creativity in central midfield — but they remain capable of far better than what Jol is delivering." We have to wait till Saturday to find out. Till then Come on Fulham. Hopefully Jol can change it...
Well, I am going on Saturday for my first visit of the season and the last 4 times I have gone we have lost every time. So if Jol's neck is on the line with this result he won't be too happy to see my fizzog coming through the turnstile.
Another very good piece and one with which I agree. I would be sorry to see Jol go and cannot think of any decent replacement. And even if he were to be replaced if the new man is not given any money to spend then what's the point?
Yup, another googie from our friends. That implies our lads are not up to it Fulhaman, which I wouldn't agree with. What's missing is organisation, structure and the "balance" which we were going on about before Jol brought it up. A new man could sort that and 'motivate'. They were all missing against Cardifff, especially the last.
Good article. I agree partially with C58. Also, I wouldn't like Jol to go either but he needs to sort it out. Despite all constraints and budget cuts etc this is 100% his team. If he didn't like the situation, he should have walked off as Mr Ambitious did. He didn't. The board is backing him up, the majority of the fans are backing him up, the players are fighting for it. We lack cohessiveness, we lack team formation and that is for him to sort out. May be a new manager can sort this out, may be he can't. It's a risk as much as it is a risk staying with Jol unless we get 3 points tomorrow. That will be his lifeline with a break in PL to work on his team. If the display is as abysmal tomorrow as it was on Saturday I will be looking for a change. Last Saturday we should have been 2-3 down by half-time. As far as for integration of young players I would prefer to see Briggs instead of Riise, who is past it, and others being given opportunities.
I don't think some of them are up to it. But most are. What I mean is the squad is getting older and it would be nice to have some younger fresher legs - actually, scrub nice, vital to have some younger fresher legs on the pitch. Also some players contracts are up at the end of the season - Bent and Taarabt will return to their parent clubs and our squad will be very thin, so if there is a new man - and even if there isn't - some money will need to be given to them.
As he re-inforced to a local paper today: "Some fans called for Jol to be axed after last weekend’s home defeat against Cardiff City extended their dismal run without a Premier League win at Craven Cottage to six months. The 57-year-old was offered an escape route abroad, but remains defiant he can turn things around. He said: “I'm a strong geezer. I put myself under pressure to get it away from the players." “I had an offer from a top European club last week but I want to succeed here." "I like the club and especially the people who work for us and the players. I'm not someone who wants to escape all of the time. This is part of my job. “I’m strong and eager to do well. I want to battle and come out of this situation." Source: http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/jol-rejected-top-job-offer-6141446
6 points from the next 2 games will ease the pressure. We just need to knuckle down and work hard. The main difference, for me, between Hughes and Jol is that the big man wants to be here. He's not sucking the pay cheque and looking to move to bigger clubs. In Jol I Trust, although I do question his tactics sometimes
The guardian do seem to be very pro Jol and back it up with some logical reasoning. I agree with most of what has been said in the article and do agree that Jol is a good manager but that things have not clicked with our players. My son said that we seemed to switch formations in the second half last week and reverted to a more formal midfield 3 with 2 behind the striker. This is much more suited to our players, we have enough defensively minded played who can switch into attack mode. Richardson was played as a winger for years before coming to us. The players have got to stand up and take some responsibility for our poor form. Let's hope today is start of things to come. Coyw
I'd like to offer this from our ESPN. Please remember that it's trying to explain things to those American sports fans (certainly not all of us) who are generally familiar with but still have lots to learn about football. (The Cascadians, of course, would sneer at the level of analysis.) Nonetheless, I think it offers some interesting thoughts about us and other teams in a similar situation (and could do with better editing towards the end). Be warm and be well. http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/thematch/id/448?cc=5901
Thanks okinslow. Fair piece. The point about the 'need to freshen' is well taken. However, the article misses the main complaint of fans over the last 6 months and that is, the apparent lack of organisation and our fragilty at the back. Some say it's lack of confidence but that is hard to hold on to given the experience in our squad. Unless it is indeed 'old age' catching up which in itself flies in the face 'freshening up' the side.
You have to laugh at this superb tweet by White Noise‏. And I hope that MJ will do likewise, and see the funny side of "Fulhamish": Meulensteen off to Qatar, Poyet to Sunderland, O'Neill fave for Ireland job, Hoddle launches Zapsportz. Jol sticks on some Gloria Gaynor. COYW
