To quote Teddy Roosevelt, "In a moment of decision the worst thing is to do nothing". At the very least, hopefully the players are being kept informed; they are only human after all.
I've been away for a little while and this has fortunately taken my attention away from this agonising period. You would have thought before sacking Kit that some work would have been done to sound out a couple of people that would fit the bill rather than looking for out of work, right time right place people. When I look at the rumours coming through people like Warnock, and Lee Clark it is quite depressing. We need a guy who has a proven track record and can develop our youngsters. Our squad has so much potential that needs to be unlocked. Another factor to consider is a possible embargo on players because of huge losses supposedly to be reported - this could be putting good managers off. In the end Pearson might be the best we are going to attract.
According to the paper I saw at the barbers this morning, there is now a shortlist of three, all of whom are evenly matched according to 'sources inside Fulham', and it's not the three we thought were still in the running. Apparently it's between Pearson, Steve Clarke of Reading and Paul Tisdale of Exeter City. Clarke has more experience at a high level, but Tisdale has been a manager at lower levels since 2001, winning five promotions in that time (three with Team Bath, two with Exeter). He was also League Two manager of the year in 2009. All that's quite impressive given that he's still only 42. He sounds to me like someone who should be ready to step up He'd be a gamble, but I'd be more optimistic about his chances than most of the names we're currently linked with. What does everyone else think?
Pearson I've already spoken on. Clarke always looks as though he's just off the last bus from a night out and being born in Saltcoats kind of sets a person's demeanour. But .. he did some good things at West Brom in his first year and Reading's results over last and this season speak for themselves. Just can't see him fitting in at Fulham; more specifically with the current squad - they're not his type of players. Paul Tisdale is an interesting one and sartorially the opposite of Clarke. Very much wedded to Exeter, having literally built them up to their current position from nothing. And that might be a problem in that he's obviously used to running everything and in his his own words, "[he's] not scared to be his own man". There again he's been with them for what, 7 years and is clearly ambitious. As you say Captain, he'd be a gamble and certainly doesn't fit Mr Khan's alleged No. 1 criterion of having Championship experience. But .. if we (the Club and the fans) were prepared to be patient the Malteser could well be the man. The key is that word 'patience' - hasn't been in Mr Khan's vocabulary when setting the goal posts!
If Khan is serious about the club he would authorise the appointment of a proven manager, who incidentally is reputed to be the 4th richest chairman in the English league
I'm quite intrigued by that possibility Captain.....give it a strong maybe. BTW I noticed you were just boasting about going to the barber's
This getting beyond a joke. The golden opportunity of the international break is being wasted. If Kit was at the last chance saloon surely there should have been a replacement semi lined up.
Remember how long it took to replace Roy? Five weeks if I remember rightly. Mind you, that was in the close season rather than an international break. I agree Fred, it's frustrating and a missed opportunity. That said, I'd rather see us take a little time to get the right man than rush and get the wrong one.
I think there are a lot of people getting very disillusioned about management of our club ever since Khan took over. They seem to go from one disaster to another, they come out with words like 'Vision', 'Custodians', 'Progressing', I simply have lost all confidence that they will get things right.
Ignore the odds, just look at the list of managers we’ve been linked with – Even that’s not an exhaustive list – Bob Bradley isn’t on it, for instance. A lot of them are puff and wind of course, although in some cases you have to wonder where the original story came from because they’re not names where someone was simply having a punt. What would be worrying is if Mr Rigg has made a formal approach, as so many rumours say he has, to even a fraction of them and been rejected. Where would that leave our eventual elected Head Coach in the confidence leader board - “Oh, here comes so-and-so the third choice chap” ? No, I reckon it’s always been Pearson. Maybe there was a stutter along the way when Moyes unexpectedly popped up, but Rigg comes over (to me anyhow) as a hard nosed, very single minded individual. I can’t see him as having gone to Mr Khan recommending Kit be sacked without offering a positive candidate as his replacement (as opposed to, “there’s plenty of possibles around, shall we test the water?”). I’ve a sneaky suspicion that Pearson has been playing the ‘trade off’ game between us and QPR, trying to get the best possible deal – be that money, power or a combination of the two. Why do I believe he’ll be the one? Well, he’s the single name that has always remained in the frame. And secondly, amid all the latest speculation and Steve Clarke zooming into the odds on favourite spot, the local paper (who we know from recent history always got the Kit ‘exclusives’) are today plumping for Pearson and soon.
BREAKING NEWS. Have just heard that Wayne Hardup has just turned down the opportunity to be our new manager despite the pleadings of Rigg. His main reason for refusal is that being the local pizza delivery man he could not guarantee every Saturdays attendance, but said that with a more balanced and favourable centre we could see a new topping by Christmas.
The latest bizarre rumour that I have heard (from "insiders, close to the club management") is that Rosc is PLEASED with the new manager AND something else (as yet unspecified) at the club.