You only need to look at the comings and goings of Premier League managers to see why clubs have changed their bosses. Since Leicester City brought in Brendan Rodgers it has been onwards and upwards for his side. Frank Lampard has utilised youngsters to get the blues back into the Premier League top four and qualifying in the Champions League.
Arsenal and Tottenham have offloaded their managers after poor runs, although I believe the former had a top-class boss in Pochettino and would have turned things around given time. A good manager doesn’t become a bad one overnight.
A good manager is one that is able to get the best from his players EVERY match. That doesn’t guarantee success, but a club owes it to their fans to show them that these very well-paid players are giving 100% effort for the whole 90+ minutes once or twice a week. Not too much to expect is it?
Secondly, the gaffer must be honest with his players and select or drop them on merit. Not on favouritism or concerns of their feelings. If a player is having a bad game, knowing when to replace him and doing so can make or break the result of a match.
A good manager must always have a Plan B. If the opposition are genuinely way on top in a game, there must be an alternative brought in quickly. Be it a player change or a tactical one, or both, this must be made.
That is the problem with Fulham this season. Scott Parker was handed the reigns at Craven Cottage as his first managerial position. There is no question, given plenty of time, Scottie will get it right, but was the appointment made too soon for his own development?
I would have liked to see Parker given the Assistant role to a proven manager, whose credentials meet the aspirations of the Khan family in getting our great club back into the Premier League.
My concern is that we do have the backbone (strikers on our books) at the club right now. If we fail to get promotion this season, we may lose these top players, such as Mitrovic, Cairney and Cavaliero. The team should be built around these guys, as they are Premier League quality.
Do you think Parker should be replaced before Xmas, and if so, who should replace him?
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