Fulham

Mark Hughes has been named as the next manager of Fulham and the Cottagers could not be getting a better replacement for Roy Hodgson than the former Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers, and Wales manager.

Fulham managed to reach great heights with Roy Hodgson at the helm. Hodgson led Fulham to their first ever European final last year in the Europa League. Despite losing the tie to Atletico Madrid in extra-time, the feat was still a great accomplishment for the club.

In late June, Roy Hodgson decided to move north to take charge of Liverpool. After a month of searching, Fulham are poised to hand the reigns of the team over to Mark Hughes, who is the best candidate to continue helping Fulham go forward for many reasons.

The obvious benefit Fulham receive from hiring Hughes is financial. Liverpool agreed to pay £2.5 million to Fulham in compensation for luring their 62-year-old manager away from Craven Cottage.

Due to the fact that Mark Hughes was unattached, this allowed Fulham to chase the Welshman without fear of having to pay to obtain his services.

Hughes was not the only unattached manager available to Fulham, so that alone is not the only box that he ticks. The most important facet of Hughes’s career is Premier League experience and a proven track record.

He is only 46-years old, which is quite young in managerial terms. More importantly, Hughes has over five years of experience managing in the Premier League, and over 10 years of managing experience at the top level of football.

Mark Hughes was one of the favourites for the job behind both Martin Jol and Jurgen Klinsmann, both of whom would not have offered Fulham the same level of security as Hughes.

Martin Jol would have cost Fulham money to pry him away from Dutch giants Ajax. Despite his relative success with Ajax last year and Hamburg the year prior, the fact remains that he failed to bring either team the success they had envisioned.

Last season, Ajax scored 106 goals and conceded just 20, but only managed to come second to FC Twente. Ajax had a goal difference of plus-46 goals more than Twente, but still failed to win the league.

Jol spent three years in the Premier League with Tottenham, but in his third year he was run out of London after a very poor showing in 2007.

Martin Jol’s success in his first two seasons with Tottenham was strongly financially backed. This would not occur with Fulham. Jol spent over £90 million on players over the space of two seasons.

Jurgen Klinsmann has done very little worth mentioning as far as his managerial career goes. As the coach of the German national team, he finished third in the Confederations Cup and third in the 2006 World Cup, which they hosted.

After leaving his post with Germany in 2006, Klinsmann was unemployed until 2008. He lasted just 302 days as Bayern Munich’s coach and was sacked after a shocking display during the season.

Mark Hughes proved his worth with Blackburn Rovers, and then at Manchester City. Hughes spent just under four years at the helm of Blackburn and managed to win over 43 percent of his games.

With all due respect, Blackburn were an average side at best and Hughes turned the team into a respectable, top-half Premier League team. After finishing in the bottom half for three of their previous four seasons, Hughes helped push Rovers up the table. His final three seasons as manager resulted in top-half finishes, while twice qualifying for European competition.

Hughes only spent a season and a half as the manager of Manchester City, but he managed to win 46.75 percent of his games.

Not only did Hughes manage to win games in the Premier League with non-elite teams, but he proved to be strong in the transfer market.

While managing Blackburn Rovers, he spent just £3.5 million on Roque Santa Cruz, who was rotting away with Bayern Munich. Blackburn reaped the financial benefits of Hughes’s shrewd signing by selling Santa Cruz for a profit of £15 million.

Hughes also signed David Bentley from Arsenal’s reserves for £500k, Stephan Warnock for £1.5m, and Christopher Samba for £400k. Bentley and Warnock earned Blackburn a profit of over £20million.

Hughes also showed his man management skills by getting the best out of “problem players” such as Benni McCarthy, Stephen Ireland, and Craig Bellemy.

Manchester City jumped the gun on sacking Mark Hughes and Fulham will benefit greatly from City’s castoff. Hughes is eyeing up some other potential City castoffs to improve his Fulham side. Hodgson left big shoes to fill at Fulham, and Mark Hughes will find them very comfortable without doubt.

The Fulham message boards are lighting up with jubilation over the Cottagers signing of a new manager, and not just any manager Mark Hughes.

Despite denials by his agent as recently as yesterday that Hughes was in contact with Fulham. The early morning hours saw news of the agreement begin leaking out.

Congratulations to all those involved for learning the lesson of the far too public Martin Jol episode.  

Ok, now that he has put pen to paper, the reality of the situation facing him is surely dawning on Mr. Hughes.

His best player wants to go to Arsenal, leaving him without­ an experienced Keeper.

The youth system at­ Fulham is not exactly stocked with talent and did I mention he's got 15­ days to whip a squad into shape. A squad he's had­ no say in putting together.

Of course those are the least of his problems.

Every Fulham first team player is over 25 years of age and several, including Damien Duff and Danny Murphy are seemingly held together with paste and duct tape.

Fulham also lack the depth to replace any of their starters when injuries strike.

By leaving the hire so late, Mr. Al Fayed has given his new manager no time to put together a new squad and if rumours are true no funds either.

Now I am sure Mr. Hughes is familiar with Fulham’s side and he is a proven manager at this level, but two weeks to find a new goal keeper, and get a side ready for the Premiership season is a lot to ask.

Yes, Fulham have been in training already but don’t expect Mark Hughes come in and not change the tactics.   

Now I think Hughes was a terrific get. Better than Martin Jol, but his job is­ massive.

If he can get Fulham through the January transfer­ window in contention to stay up he should be knighted or at least given an extension.  

Best of Luck to Mark Hughes and the Cottagers this term I have enjoyed watching the teams rise from the lower divisions, and who will ever forget the run to the Europa League Final last year? 

While I don’t expect miracles early on, I will be watching with fingers and toes crossed just in case it helps.

I have always thought­ Hughes would be the next manager at United when Sir Alex­ goes off to save Scotland's National Side in his­ retirement. Of course I am dreaming, but that’s what we Scots do.

 

 

Mark Hughes has beaten out the likes of Alan Curbishley, Sven-Göran Eriksson, Bob Bradley, Jürgen Klinsmann, and Dave Jones to replace Liverpool's Roy Hodgson as Fulham manager.  According to various reports, the 46-year-old Welshman could be named new Cottagers boss in a matter of days and is already preparing his transfer plans.

Hughes could make Manchester City forward Craig Bellamy his first signing when he takes over at Craven Cottage.  The two have previously worked together with the Welsh national team, Blackburn Rovers, and recently at Man City.

It seems that since their initial time together while Hughes was managing Wales, they have developed a strong understanding of one another.  Bellamy has played his best football under Hughes and would be eager to link up with him once again.  Many high-profile managers have failed to understand Bellamy and clashed with his fiery persona.

Harry Redknapp has declared his interest in the 31-year-old and is said to be readying a £4m offer to tempt Man City who are likely to part ways with the forward.  Many pundits and columnists felt that Bellamy would surely land at White Hart Lane, but Hughes could have the edge in acquiring him.

If Spurs win the race for Bellamy's signature, Hughes could turn to Robbie Keane, who Redknapp is willing to let go at a cut-rate price.  Either way, there is a decent chance that Hughes can sign a top-notch striker to play alongside the late-blooming Bobby Zamora.

Arsenal continue their pursuit of Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer and Hughes will be looking for a replacement if the Gunners can pry him away.  England international Robert Green has been mentioned as a possibility but West Ham will be likely to make it clear they're not interested in selling him as they have with captain Scott Parker. 

Aston Villa's defender Curtis Davies has been linked to Fulham and his midfield teammate Steve Sidwell has been a long-term target.

It wouldn't be shocking if Hughes also tried to also pursue some of his former players who he worked at with City like Stephen Ireland, Nedum Onuoha, and Wayne Bridge as Roberto Mancini tries to trim his squad before the summer transfer window closes.

Hughes should lift the Fulham dressing room as the squad have been looking for someone to come in and take charge after the departure of Hodgson.  His methods at City made him very popular amongst his players, who rallied behind him and displayed unhappiness at his dismissal.

Fulham have will have an outside chance of reaching a Europa League place under Hughes especially if he is able to attract some of the talent rumored to be heading to Craven Cottage.  His appointment would give the club a steady presence, similar to the approach under Hodgson.

After Roy Hodgson left, Fulham have been in search of a new manager. One name that has come up is the German ace Jurgen Klinsmann.

Chairman Mohamed Al Fayed is determined to appoint a top-class boss to succeed Roy Hodgson.

He will still be happy if the job is offered to the bookies favourite at the moment, Sven Goran Eriksson.

Fulham were left red faced in embarrassment by their failure to land Ajax boss Martin Jol last week. However, they will not be rushed into a panic appointment; they will wait until they get the best man for the job.

Klinsmann, who is hailed as the architect of Germany's impressive national team, has been out of work since leaving German giant Bayern Munich at the end of last season.

He is currently living in California and is not believed to have applied for any jobs.

He has said he is keen to manage in the Premier League side.

His name has been discussed at Fulham. Discreet enquiries are expected to be made, as the club are desperate to avoid another high-profile rejection.

Fulham will offer their next boss a 20 million pound transfer budget and a wage over two million pounds a year.

Apart from Klinsmann, who else is in the running for the job.

Eriksson has managed a Premier League team (Manchester City) and fancies the job, but Al Fayed is unconvinced.

Gareth Southgate, the former Middlesbrough boss, is a leading contender for a coaching job in Fabio Capello's England team, but has also put his name down for the job at Craven Cottage.

Ray Lewington, currently leading Fulham on a preseason tour of Sweden, is popular among players, and his inclusion in a coaching position is assured under the next manager.

Al Fayed insists he is happy for caretaker boss and Fulham stalwart Ray Lewington to remain in charge until he finds the right man.

No appointment will be made in the next few days, even though the start of the Premier League season is less than three weeks away .

Fulham would be wise to turn to former Manchester City boss Mark Hughes after Martin Jol was refused permission to leave his post at Ajax.  Hughes was unlucky to be sacked by City after having a successful time at Eastlands and would relish the chance to again manage in the Premier League.

Many outlets have named Alan Curbishley as the favorite to take over at Craven Cottage, but it's hard to understand why Hughes wouldn't fall on the top of Fulham's wish list.  His experience of handling the demands of Man City's demanding owners and getting a collection of stars to gel together while at the club proves his pedigree.

When Hughes became City boss, it was clear that he wasn't in charge of transfer plans, as their mega-rich owners wanted a strong say in who was signed.  Although Hughes did have some input, most of the players weren't his picks.  The Welsh manager proved a lot of doubters wrong when he got the group to play together as a team and set up future success for his replacement, Roberto Mancini.

His players fought hard for him and many of the club's stars like Carlos Tévez, Craig Bellamy, Gareth Barry, and Wayne Bridge were fiercely loyal, expressing great regret to see him sacked.  It seemed though that the events at City have increased Hughes' reputation greatly, and it is surprising that he wasn't strongly considered for the West Ham job and that he is behind Curbishley and possibly Sven-Göran Eriksson in the race to become the next Fuhlam boss.

While at Blackburn, Hughes showed the ability to get the most out of their budget by making a number of good value signings.  Captain Ryan Nelsen was signed on a free transfer, and the powerful defender Christopher Samba was brought in for £400K.  Hughes got the best out of David Bentley in a fantastic £500K signing which led to the winger's move to Tottenham.  He also had fellow Welshman Craig Bellamy playing the best football of his career which earned him his "dream move" to Liverpool.

Hughes was able to get Blackburn into the UEFA Cup and the club finished as high as sixth under his guidance.  That, combined with his ability to get the Manchester City stars all on the same page, shows that he's more than capable of taking the Fulham job.  It would be a smart move for the Cottagers to give him the role vacated by the departure of Roy Hodgson to Liverpool.

The lure of managing a club as prestigious as Liverpool was too much for Roy Hodgson to turn down. 

Fulham will be wise in appointing a manager who has some similar qualities in Martin Jol as his successor.

The term "tracksuit manager" is thrown around a bit too often but that's what Jol is in the truest sense.  Like Hodgson, Jol is the type of manager who inspires belief in his squad and understands how to get his ideas through to modern day footballers.

His time as Tottenham boss was cut short far too soon as he had the club playing their best football since the early 90's. 

Jol almost helped Spurs achieve Champions League qualification in 2005-06 and just missed out as the majority of the team suspiciously came down with food poisoning before the final Premier League match of the season. 

Despite the loss that day to West Ham, it was the club's highest Premier League finish until Harry Redknapp's fourth place finish this past season.

Jol's methods had strikers Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov playing the best football of their careers and helped each earn their dream moves to Liverpool and Manchester United respectively. 

Both haven't produced similar form since, and endured difficult times ever since Keane's brief spell at Celtic. 

In 2006-07 Jol was able to help the "Lilywhites" reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup and FA Cup while becoming one of the more highly regarded managers in the Premier League.

Afterwards Spurs' director Damien Comolli gained control and forced unwanted transfers upon Jol and refused to allow him to sign Martin Petrov. 

The relationship between the Dutch manager and the Tottenham board grew increasingly strained and the final insult was the club going behind his back to reach out of Sevilla manager Juade Ramos. 

Jol was sacked shortly into the 2007-08 season.  It was an unjust exit for the man who had taken Spurs so far.

He has had his fair share of success since leaving the English game. 

With Hamburg, his team finished fifth in the Bundesliga and reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup.  Jol earned them a Europa League place but then departed for Ajax. 

He impressively had the Dutch club playing wonderful attacking football and finished the season with 106 league goals and an enormous goal differential of +86.  Ajax missed out on winning the Eredivisie by a single point, but Jol had done a phenomenal job.

Jol had always wanted to return to the Premier League and Fulham must promise him the proper backing and transfer funds in order to secure his services. 

His first move would be trying to beat out Aston Villa's Martin O'Neill in the race to sign Robbie Keane. 

The striker is surplus to requirements at Tottenham and Jol would be eager to link up again with a player whom he shared a great relationship as Spurs' boss.

Keane would be an ideal signing that would genuinely excite Fulham supporters and could form a strong partnership with Bobby Zamora. 

The presence of Jol could help keep hold of the likes of Mark Schwarzer, Clint Dempsey, Brede Hangeland, Paul Konchesky and Damien Duff who have been linked with moves away from Craven Cottage.

Jol's reputation as a "builder" at Spurs would make him a solid hire for Fulham as he will be able to help the club climb the Premier League table if given the time and backing. 

He's a quality manager who has the experience needed to take "The Cottagers" forward.

Fulham are still on the hunt for a replacement for departed boss Roy Hodgson, and the latest name to enter the fray is Martin Jol.

The former Tottenham chief has emerged as the No. 1 contender to succeed Hodgson at Craven Cottage, but would Jol give up the reins at Ajax to move to the Premier League?

It seems improbable that Jol would leave the best job in Dutch club football to head back to England with Fulham. However, Jol is believed to be the front-runner with Sven-Goran Eriksson and Ottmar Hitzfeld also linked to the post.

The arrival of Jol would represent a major coup as he would be turning his back on the chance of Champions League football with Ajax this coming season. Is the lure of the Premier League that appealing?

The money in the English top tier is obviously attractive, but the English press and fans need to have a reality check. Jol is a well-respected coach and after returning to his native Holland to take the Ajax job from Hamburg, do we really believe he can be lured back to these shores to take the reins of such a side? After all, Fulham's Premier League betting odds suggest they will struggle to stay up next season.

It's certainly disrespectful to Ajax, who might not be the force they once were but are still one of the leading lights in Europe at developing young talent. Ajax aren't many people's Champions League betting tips , but they can still offer Jol European football.

These rumours will probably prove to be disrespectful to Jol as well, as long as he can resist the lure of another big pay day in England.

Sven Goran-Eriksson has been linked with the Fulham FC managerial position, while Roy Hodgson, the current job holder, is rumoured to be headed to Liverpool.

If Goran-Eriksson were to get the job, it would mean a second spell in the Premier League. His last spell in the Premier League, at Manchester City, lasted just one season. After he was fired, their was an outcry from fans, campaigning for his reinstatement.

Goran-Eriksson wasn't rehired, and since then, he has had less success. He failed with Mexico, and did not manage to guide the Ivory Coast past the group stage during this summer's World Cup.

Sven insists that he hasn't been contacted about the Fulham job, saying, "I think that they have a brilliant manager and I do not know if he is staying or, as rumoured, going to Liverpool, but so far I have heard nothing."

However, he did say that "It's a dream for every manager going into the Premier League, it is the best league in the world."

Fulham finished as runners up in the Europa League last season, a feat that has Liverpool more than interested in Hodgson.

It is looking more and more likely that Hodgson will go to Liverpool, although he may be offered the England job as well, if Capello leaves his post.

Fulham's recent success has been largely due to Hodgson, meaning that Goran-Eriksson will have large boots to fill.

If or when Hodgson leaves, he will have left Fulham with a strong squad high on confidence. This will give Goran-Eriksson the best possible chance to reboot his career and keep Fulham flying high.

Fulham got into the premiership with money—no one can deny that. Mohammed Al Fayed revolutionized the club and the fans were forever grateful.

And one purchase has kept them in the highest division in England for the last couple of years, elevating them clear of the relegation zone.

That same person helped them to a Europa League final, and that same person is the reason why Fulham have earned a reputation of having a frustratingly yet at the same time wonderfully stubborn defence.

That man is Mark Schwarzer.

His consistent performances are the reason why many feel abundantly confident in placing him within their fantasy football team.

He has brought in points by the bucket load by gaining clear sheets here, there, and everywhere.

The only time you need to switch to your reserve keeper is when the starting eleven for the Cottagers come up against the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea.

They have even conquered Liverpool! Although with the Merseyside team's dramatic downfall, that was an easier accomplishment than it would have sounded at the start of the recently run season.

Yet Arsenal wants to snatch him away, and understandably so. With his ever increasing mountain of powerful credentials, every team should surely be after the awesome Aussie.

And the Gunners need him like a cat needs a tongue. Their title challenge halted this season with some clumsy surrendering of points. They need a keeper who will afford them a goal difference worthy of champions.

Fulham fans would be reduced to tears if the move came into fruition. Their team without Mark would leave goals piling in from every angle unless they could find a worthy substitute.

For the pessimists out there, surely lightning won't strike twice.

At least with the funds from the sale, they could attempt to rescue their distinct defensive reputation.

They could even use the excess for a Mark Schwarzer helpline, to aid those not able to come to terms with the exit of a legend!

Thankfully, for the time being, Schwarzer has played down the speculation about a possible move to the Emirates.

Fulham are on the charge, and surely Schwarzer can see a reason to stay. Maybe he has visualised an even greater campaign for the 2010/11 season. That’s an optimistic reason to stay if ever there was one.

If all else fails though, then all Fulham need to do is send him into hibernation after the World Cup, hide him in the locker room in Craven Cottage, and deny all knowledge of his current whereabouts.

The beautiful game? Not for Bobby Zamora. He says: “Football? It’s a cruel, cruel game.”

And you can’t blame the Fulham striker for hurting. A late, late goal in Hamburg saw his club beaten 2-1 by Atletico Madrid as the first-ever Europa League final went to extra-time.