We know it didn’t start here but with only a whimper the breath went out of our Club two years ago today. Under the guise of a ‘manager’, the tactless Felix Magath drove in the first nail that saw us drop to the Championship after 13 years in the top division. please log in to view this image We lost 4-1 to Stoke. Fulham travelled up the M6 that day hoping for a miracle but it started badly when Hugo Rodallega - whose winners against Norwich and Aston Villa had given us hope - was ruled out due to illness. Worse was to follow however when the ‘too clever by half’ Magath tried to second guess the Stoke team selection by playing Dan Burn at right back – a cross Dan has had to bear ever since. Lo, Crouch didn’t play. Instead it was men with pace; Odemwingie in particular down that right side. Not that he was the only thorn in a Fulham side - take your pick from Assaidi, Ireland, Arnautovic and Walters – that simply lay down in surrender. A 1-0 win by Sunderland at Old Trafford was the final nail in the coffin. For the record the team (playing in a 4-5-1 formation) was: Stockdale, Burn (Mitroglou 58), Heitinga, Hangeland, Riise , Parker, Diarra (Kasami 73,), Sidwel, Holtby (Dejagah34), Bent, Richardson Unused subs: Woodrow, Riether, Amorebieta, Joronen.
Interesting contrast with Burnley, albeit some different circumstances. Magath was a complete failure having misunderstood the Premier League, the English game and the Club - he showed exactly what NOT to do, e.g. playing people out of position, threw out the baby with the bathwater etc etc etc. Whoever appointed him was not much better. Bitter - Moi? Yes, at basic incompetence.
Burnley have made just 28 changes to their starting XI this season. Can't remember the comparable number made by Magath, but he wasn't called 'Bingo' for nothing. The point is to achieve consistency you need to have continuity - the 'Hodgson Model'.
