I can't see why he would want to after being mucked about like he has. Hired because he was a great coach. Fired because he wasn't an exceptional manager. Disgraceful.
I have to say, this is the most disappointed I've felt in us, as a club, for a very long time. Bearing in mind I was a Jol supporter - why give Jol so much time and not Rene? Is this a result of us never officially announcing Rene as our manager? Most of my optimism is gone. Nothing less than a good performance AND a win against WBA will improve my mood.
I've been reflecting on this overnight and, having reacted initially with disappointment, Bidley is on-the-spot. We gave Jol time - too long (yes, I was also #JolIn), and have now got to the other extreme with a panic move! Rene should have had a bit more time and I doubt that this "Revolving Doors" policy has much chance of keeping us up. Gloom - Even as a glass-half-full supporter. But as ever.... COYW!!!
I will reserve judgement till the West Brom game. I disagree with the way the matter has been handled by the club but we are all outsiders. Rene had an impact when first took over which didn't last. Other teams have picked points while we have slipped. Team selection has been baffling at points. It seemed that we have started to make a turn against Utd and Liverpool but the pathogenic symptoms were still there as SBMB said regarding fitness and plan B when teams assess our tactics. For every manager there are good and bad things. Ask ourselves, how many would we have given sparky a good reference? Stoke are doing relatively well. I am not happy with the situation as it is becoming a joke. Jol should have been replaced in August when Khan took over. McIntosh is to blame as Khan prob had no clue. Rene took over but was given Wilkins and Curbishley as guardians! Fitness needs sorting if it is to win the last 4-5 games. Not everything is lost but history will tell... Not giving up hope but as ever COYW...
Not a lot I can add to the above. The timing doesn't make sense to me - sacking Meulensteen after two of the best performances of the season, suggesting that things were coming together. If they had appointed Magath when they sacked Jol, I'd have been happier. That said, Meulensteen was always a gamble as a manager (as opposed to a coach) and, the last two games aside, there have been reasons to doubt that he was the man for the job. We'll just have to wait and see, but the new man has to hit the ground running. Some of the stories about his manner worry me, and someone said that he's managed (and fallen out with) Holtby before now. If that's true, I'm very worried.
Just a thought, has anyone ever had five managers in a season before? Another Fulhamish record! Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad.
And so the crazy season rolls on. When is stability and normality going to reign again at the cottage. A new chairman who has a CEO who is out of his depth and causing mayhem. Firstly, welcome to Felix McGath. Described as a disciplinarian of a manager he sounds like a man you do not upset. It seems he will push the players to their absolute limit and will get them as fit as possible. Dare they be out of position on the pitch or put a foot wrong as he will kill them by the sound of things. We are going to have a team that is drilled and crapping themselves. So will organisation and fear be enough to keep us up. I really hope so. Secondly, gutted for Rene. Confusing situation this. We have shown a few positive signs in the man utd and Liverpool games to suggest a corner has been turned. Rene seemed up beat and positive as did the players. I was looking forward to him developing a team for the future and admired his bravery for changing tactics and introducing youngsters. Sacking him now is wrong in my opinion, but right as well. Wrong because he has not had long enough to stamp his mark. Right because we have to stay up and results count. The results have not been complimentary. Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, one thing for sure is it is not going to be plain sailing. This season has been insane. We have undergone so many changes, some positive and some negative. I hope the new players do not feel too let down by the club, especially the youngsters from United tunnicliffe and cole, and that they can concentrate on the challenge ahead. They must be sh**ting themselves about training on Monday and working under ' saddam' but hopefully he can help them achieve their best. All the best Rene in whatever you do. Come on you whites
Have we changed kit to blue and white hoops? In the grand scheme of things im not surprised. The loss to Sheff U was the nail in the coffin imo. We should have had enough to beat them. I liked RM but we last won a prem game on Jan 1st. There's always an underlying story that's never told. Did he get on with Ali Mac? Did AM think he was good enough? It was a gamble on our part putting him in as head coach but in the back of our minds we all questioned why he wasn't appointed manager. This was why. We do need results and fast. COYW
Shocking treatment of RM yes. Do I think there were issues within the camp - yes. Wilkins constantly in RM ear for 90mins, the bust up with Liverpool the other night with Rodgers and then on why he didn't return to the bench was "a Fulham thing, between me and Rene"...it didn't sound good. Curbs where on earth does he fit in? its all rather odd. A shambles it seems. An awful record in fairness to RM since he took over, ok he had the same team as Jol but so did Pulis and Poyet - they've both improved, not sure we actually have. Last 2 games were positive but we parked the bus with 6 at the back looking for a point and almost got both. Was the dressing room as positive as RM constantly described? Magath is a dictator. Wants total control of the club and will make all the decisions. It is a panic move with 12 games to go but IMO i thought we'd go down anyways and this appointment hasn't changed my mind. I hope i'm wrong.
I'm very disappointed with this move my Fulham. I believe Rene had a plan for us. The team was improving and the players he brought look quality players so far. He was building for the future aswell by bringing in some of our youth players. Yes he might of be preparing for the championship but I feel with him in charge we would of pounce back up.. Now for Felix. He's a control freak who wants everything done his way if it isn't then goodbye. I feel he will lose some players like brede and sidwell and riise with his methods but he will improve players aswell. Players I feel that will shine under him are Kasami as he needs positioning training. Parker as he has a good engine and will listen and try to get the team to listen aswell. I'm not against Felix I think he's good at what he does I'm just unhappy with the way it's been handled.
I can't get over the dreadful timing... We finally look like we have some guts, togetherness, solidarity and that everyone was pulling in the same direction. Then this?
I think the decision was made after Sheffield United, but the club knew how the fans would react. As such they didn't want Magath's first games to be Man Utd and Liverpool, as he could lose both games and the fans immediately. So disappointed in the club...
Often the most contraversial sackings benefit the club. Di Matteo was sacked from West Brom and Hodgson took them up to mid table. Hughton was sacked from Newcastle and Pardew got them into Europe. Adkins got sacked by Southampton and they've improved ever since. Not sure about this new guy as I don't know anything about him but in a few months we could be saying it was the catalyst for keeping Fulham up. Still, it's very harsh on Mulensteen though, I thought he'd keep you up if he kept you playing as you did in the last couple of matches.
I would feel gutted if it were me and angry. We sign 5 new players (some loans, 1 injured) but would they have come if RM was sacked at the beginning of Jan. The club I think should have stood by him, like West ham have done and had the courage of their convictions. But survival is critical, clearly, and its a bold step. Bring on West brom.
Is this a fair assessment, makes me think I have rose tinted glasses! From guardian: Meulensteen inherited a tough situation, but he was appointed a a time when Fulham were at least stuck in amid a pack of other underachieving teams, and not hanging loose at the bottom like now.The only thing he managed was to make Jol's mediocre team look more focused, urgent and purposeful in retrospect.The owners may be clueless, and Magath seems a panic appointment, but Meulensteen failed and was failing still. He did not know his own managerial identity, and constantly went back on his own apparent convictions. When he first joined Fulham they were going to play their way out of trouble, and I think his fate was actually sealed when he abandoned that 'philosophy' so totally in favour of this ridiculous 9-1-1.As a one off at OT, (and with his players -Burn, Kvist- scripted to insist everyone behind the ball was some kind of tactical masterstroke from Rene) he might've been let away with it, but as an ongoing plan to escape relegation it was stupid. Such a way of playing might yield a few more draws, but at this stage in the season Fulham need wins.This switch in playing style was so drastic it betrayed that Rene probably didn't know what he was doing in the first place, and so probably doesn't know now.
Think is a valid point. We have mentioned and questioned the formation, tactics, subs, etc. We have gone to question if it has to do with Wilkins and Curbishley. Might have not been the case and guardian who always have a soft spot is right! We are in the deep anyway.
A number of ex-players have weighed in with rather disparaging comments. The most telling is probably from Simon "Digger" Davies who said that since the departure of Mark Hughes, "the people upstairs have ripped apart what was built up at the club".
I wonder who he does mean... Better be open as both Jol and MAF are not at the club any more. If it is CEO then say it...
Well I suppose to quote our glorious PM we are all in this together.Thats all the clubs fighting to avoid the bottom three spots.If I were a Fulham fan it would be the maths that was most worrying.To achieve 37 points you need to get 4:5:3 from your remaining games and to score within three points in twelve of what you have taken from twenty six so far.that is going from just over 0.8 points per game to 1.4.It's a big ask.
I'm very disappointed with Rene going I honestly wanted him to stay no matter if we stayed up or went down, results hadn't picked up under him but it was a tough situation he came into and although results didn't improve the performances did he try's to play passing attacking football a little to much at times which he has recently seemed to have realised. The players seem to like him and everyone past and present say he is the best coach they have had. most importantly though he has giving a lot of youth a few chances just at a time when a was feeling a lot of them must be starting to get frustrated. I was also impressed with his transfer dealings he brought in some good players who might just keep us up ( Holtby Heitinga Kostas) but also Cole and Tunicliffe both 21 years old and will be very good next season if we go down. I honestly feel had we dropped, a full summer and pre season Rene would of hiving us a great chance of coming straight back up and doing it with passing football and a lot of young players.
