On the brink seems a bit too offensive at the moment. Fulham lie rock-bottom in the Premier League; much like those days of old. Sigh! They can’t call the messiah Roy Hodgson back again. After all the England hot-seat is far more prestigious than the Fulham dugouts. On they bring a German by the name of Felix Magath. The dictator he might be, but he pulls off things unfathomable. Winning the Bundesliga with the unfashionable Wolfsburg was the highlight of his CV; but the 60-year-old wise head surely knows a thing or two about football. Sackings are now commonplace in the Premier League; Fulham are on their third managerial regime in a single season after getting rid of Martin Jol and now Rene Meulensteen. How far could he steer the Whites to safety is the concern now; owner Shad Khan and his allies surely must know a thing or two about the Premier League. Here we analyze three things about Meulensteen’s sack and Magath’s new sojourn.
- RELEGATION WAS, AND IS STILL A POSSIBILITY
Meulensteen was sacked for reasons stated very eloquently by the powers that be at Fulham. That Fulham haven’t recorded a single win since the first of January reads sorry reading, but at least Meulensteen seemed to get his act right in his last two games. A creditable draw at Old Trafford followed an unfortunate loss at home to high-flying Liverpool; results that would’ve taken him to a new contract on another day. But this was Fulham; fresh from signing a big player in Konstantinos Mitroglou and a few lot, and results ought to be the yardstick if you spend that much. Ailing as they might be, Fulham are still only four points away from the drop-zone. A few good results here and there could make up for the lost time that was the 26 games played. Meulensteen had his templates and setups ready, and Fulham could’ve strung a few good results owing to their considerably favorable fixture list. Only Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham pose some sort of a problematic tie for Fulham from now till the end of the season; they could incredibly avoid relegation if they manage to eke out results. Magath know best, and he ought to now.
- HARD ON RENE?
It was a difficult night for the Dutchman but he wasted no time in venting out his frustrations at his ex-employers. He was live on BBC Radio last night, and was down in the dumps after hearing of his plight. Well-respected as a coach at Manchester United, Meulensteen came out all fury and guns blazing in his all-out attack towards his bosses. He was part right, but the overall picture reads sorry for Fulham. No wins since the New Year had him in a corner, but Fulham had their spirit back in the past few games. A 3-0 loss to Southampton at home added to the ignominious FA Cup exit to lower league Sheffield United heaped more pressure on him. But he held his head high, even in troubled waters. The energetic displays against formidable Manchester United and Liverpool suggested that he and Fulham were on the right path, but results are what matters most in the lucrative world of the Premier League and by Fulham’s standards it was surprisingly short of mark.
- INCREASINGLY DESPERATE OWNERS
Fulham, for all their glory days, have now shifted two managers in a single season. So not unheard in today’s age, but for a club like Fulham down in the basement stuck in a mire, it was probably an act of desperation. Patience is a virtue; all good things come to those who wait. But with the enormous amount of inflowing money in the Premier League, the new owner hardly could take a chance. Things are viewed from a business perspective these days, and should Fulham get relegated this season, it could cost them money worth their entire squad. Sorry reading for the economists out there at The Cottage, but swallowing a bitter pill can sometimes lead you back to your senses. Meulensteen was a popular choice, given his track record as a right hand man to Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, but his overall pedigree is far below Magath. Magath could etch his name into Fulham folklore by making them survive, but it is a risk not many would’ve taken at this stage of the season. Whether Fulham could go on a purple patch in the home run is a question which none of us could answer right now; but they have someone there instilled who has seen it all and done it all.
