Why Did Fulham Sack Chris Coleman? Seriously, We Don’t Know.
by CaughtOffside Team on April 11th, 2007We’re holding our hands up here and saying, extremely poor run of recent Premiership results aside, we’ve literally have no idea why Fulham sacked Chris Coleman.
It’s probably down to a lack of Craven Cottage-attending writing staff, but we always thought Coleman fell into that group of managers who were doing quite well with the resources they had (along with Sam Allardyce at Bolton and Mark Hughes at Blackburn). Then again, Fulham should be safely midtable with the squad they have rather than just four points above the drop. There was also no sign of the club making any significant headway into the top six any time soon, so perhaps it was a matter of Coleman not taking the club forward enough rather than too far back? Collins John seems shocked, but then this bloke seems to think it’s the right move to save the club from relegation. It’s all very overwhelming.
But whatever our guess, it’ll never be as good as what the actual Fulham supporters have to say. We’re not afraid to admit we don’t know whether Liam Rosenoir has hit a patch of poor form, or whether Luis Boa Morte has been sorely missed, or whether Zat Knight has actually been a rock at the back recently (ok, we know the answer to that last one).
So if anyone could help us out:
1) Should Fulham have sacked Chris Coleman (and why)?
2) Who would you like to see replace him (and why)?


brian - April 11th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
1) Yes absolutely. Your guess was actually quite close in that cookie has not taken us forward really, weve just been drifting in midtable but for the investment we made we should at least be doing what pompey and bolton have done and get int he top six every now and then. So I think its the right move long term even though he probably wouldve saved us from relegation
2) Lawrie deserves a fair shake, if he does well in five matches then give him the job as he’s up and coming. If not, id like to see if John Gregory fancies another go.
Anonymous - April 11th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
1- kinda on the fence about it, thought he put some good results together (wins over arsenal etc) but the progress was inconsistent. at least he kept us up though and was still young and learning
2- Would actually really like to see us make a move for Billy Davies if Derby dont come up, or even if they do. We’ll always have more money and a better squad than them so it shouldnt be hard to tempt him
zak - April 11th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
1. we have won 2 away matches in two years
2. we have won 1 league match in 18
3. we have 5 games left this season, 3 of which are away. As we cant win an away match and need about 6 points for survival, we have to win our two home games to stay up. One of them is against liverpool.
4. his team selection is usually baffling and even laughable
What no-one else other than fulham fans seems to realise is that we were in free-fall and probably going down this season (and trust me, when we will go down we will never come back up). At least now we have some hope of surviving.
Kev C - April 11th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
Here’s a few reasons :-
1. We have not won a league match by more then 1 goal, (ie 2-0, 3-1 etc) for more than a calender year.
2. We have won 2 away games in 2 years.
3. He took 2 years to sort out our problem left back slot.
4. After 3 years we are still desperate for a centre half. He buys midfielders.
5. He spends our meagre transfer funds and then doesn’t play the players bought. e.g. Bjorn Runstrom, Clint Dempsey. We need players now, not for the future.
6. Constantly tells fans we don’t know what we’re talking about. e.g. We Know he plays 4-5-1 defensive, he insists it’s 4-3-3 attacking. Look at the league table to see who’s right!
7. Playing not to lose instead of playing to win, hence the number of draws.
8. Leaves Vincenzo Montella on the bench and plays Radzinski.
9. Completely ignores Claus Jensen for personal reasons (won’t sign new deal) and plays cart-horses in a midfield crying out for some guile and class.
10. Stupid Blind Loyalty to players that are not good enough while ignoring others.
It’s a shame he’ll be remembered as a loser because he was a great servant to the club.
Jamie - April 11th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
Yes - we should have sacked Coleman. But not now. The amount of loyalty the man has shown Fulham, and what he’s achieved on limited resources, I think he deserved the chance to stay & try and keep us up. If he’d left at the end of the season, having kept us up, we could have said Thanks for your effort in the last ten years, you’re a fulham legend” and he could have said he was stepping down to give someone else the chance to make it work - He’d have left with dignity which would have been befitting.
As it stands, he’s been booted out, if we go down it’ll be all his fault in a lot of people’s eyes, but if we stay up Sanchez will have saved us - that just doesn’t seem right.
To replace him - Not Sanchez(unproven at club level) or Lewington(nice bloke but just not good enough).
I’d like to see Guus Hiddink or Phil Scholari. Big names who could get us playing again and would attract big names. Neither of them are realistic options so George Burley would be my realistic choice is Saints stay down - prem experience and used to getting the best out of players and working with a low budget. But knowing FFC, if Sanchez succeeds, he’ll get the job, no matter what the IFA are spouting now. If he fails and we go down, it could be anyone. Really.
Anonymous - April 11th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
so we lost again. woooooo
did chris lose the dressing room? no. who’s the best man to get us out of this? A. a person who knows the players, formations, situation. B. someone who has no prem exp, no knowledge of the players, our formations and given 5 games to turn it around. who then can ( if we go down) walk away back to his national job (saying , i only had 5 games to sort it out, what chance did i have?)
and this is my beef
i would have stuck with CC, he knows the problems we are in.
this gets me thinking…
i’ve always considered CC to be fayed’s prototype manager no1. ‘keep us in the prem on the cheap’. soon as we find ourselves in the brown stuff its panic station. it would’nt have anything to do with losing £14 million at the end of the season would it? course not!
im sorry but like me, if i was CC, i would fill totaly let down by Fulham.
to me its like putting the another nail in the coffin
i will get behind the new ‘makeshift boss’
but i dont like it i tells ya!
Middle White - April 11th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
The same reason as 4 years ago when Tigana was sacked. The Team have not been performing for some time now & the very poor Easter results spurred Mr El-Fayed into doing something positive to remedy the situation.
The fans support the club. They are passionate. There’s no ‘Coleman Vendetta’ as mooted in some columns - too many lacklustre displays against Teams we should be competing with have brought this about.
I admire what Chris Coleman has done for FFC over the years - but the numbing factor is seeing our beloved Club in virtual freefall - remember ‘proper’ Wimbledon FC in 1999-2000?
It must be easier to scramble together 6 or so points than a campaign for immediate promotion from The Championship - and I’m sure this is the thinking.
The positive is that, as of now, we’re best placed out of the relegation candidates - if the new regime can add some guile - some impetus for the final push, then the rewards are massive.
I for one will be 100% with Lawrie Sanchez - but wish Chris Coleman well - he wore his heart on his sleeve, but it’s a shame his Team didn’t … always.
Dev - April 11th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
Fulham are a second division side at best. The Egyptian bought them into the Premiership, then he cut off the cash supply. Cookie kept them up by shrewd dabbling in the transfer market, even when the Egyptian sold off his best finds. Good luck to Sanchez but Fulham will go down, which is nothing more than their boneheaded fans deserve.
Slakr - April 11th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
What the hell is wrong with Fulham fans? All this talk about “not meeting expectations” and the “investment” that has been made in the side. Do us all a favour your ignorant twats: Go to SoccerBase and look up the transfers in and out over the time Coleman has been manager. Some bloody investment — Saha alone would have paid for all of Coleman’s transfers. Not done the math, but I’m not sure that Boa Morte’s transfer fee wouldn’t have done the same. Idiots.
Em - April 12th, 2007 at 2:23 am
Cookie’s done a fine job with what he’s got, but Fulham can’t afford to go down. If they do, they’ll stay there and need somone new to blame it on.
Pez - April 12th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
It’s not entirely the manager’s fault. The players only seemed to play against the big sides, almost causing a shock against Man United and actually causing a shock against Arsenal. But part of it was CC’s fault. He didn’t use players (Claus Jensen, Steed Malbranque) for silly personal reasons. Wasting money on Runstrom and Dempsey and not using them is a bit silly as well.
'Ignorant Twat' Apparantly - April 12th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
[quote comment=”36810″]What the hell is wrong with Fulham fans? All this talk about “not meeting expectations” and the “investment” that has been made in the side. Do us all a favour your ignorant twats: Go to SoccerBase and look up the transfers in and out over the time Coleman has been manager. Some bloody investment — Saha alone would have paid for all of Coleman’s transfers. Not done the math, but I’m not sure that Boa Morte’s transfer fee wouldn’t have done the same. Idiots.[/quote]
Erm, it’s funny how fans of other clubs, who don’t have to travel round the country to watch the team win twice in 36 attempts keep coming out with this sort of garbage.
Do you know how much money Coleman’s had to spend? 13 million from the Saha transfer? No. 18 million from Saha and Boa Morte? No. It’s been about 30 million. 8 million a season. A budget to get us in the champions league? No. A budget to get us more than 2 away wins in 2 years, more than 1 win in 17, more than 2 wins from 10 against the league’s bottom 5? Yes. Abso-bloody-lutely.
I’m not some Johnny Come lately, seduced by the premiership fan. I’m a fan who travels around the country week in, week out to watch his team, and has done for 30 years, including much of that time spent in the bottom 2 divisions. And I’m sick and tired of being told how lucky I am to have such a wonderful manager as Cookie Coleman in charge of my club, producing a huge succession of turgid, rancid, unentertaining displays. Our fans have come in for stick for booing at the last couple of home games. Let me tell you something. I’ve been at plenty of grounds around the country, when teams have been in far better form than us, and the fans have booed. Including those media darlings Newcastle United.
Tell you what, Slakr. Buy a few DVD’s of Fulham away games and watch em, and tell me how great Coleman is. But first of all, take your own bloody advice and have a look at Soccerbase, and stop talking out of your arse.
Kyle Jackson - April 12th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
I don’t like the thought of Fulham without Coleman! However at the same time I’m very excited on this “new era” we’ve entered!!
Cookie did amazingly well!! To follow Slakr comment yes coleman made ALOT of money for the club! However he didn’t get to see any of that!! Al Fayed proberly used it to pay the lawyers in the case involvin princess Di and his son!!! On average we haf £2-4million to spend at any one time! I don’t think Dempsey was a waste of money! We have to remember the american league ended a while ago and he’s still getting his fitness back! What I saw of him against Man City I thought he looked a very good player and i hope sanchez gives him a good run!
On Montella starting!! He couldnt start a game when Cookie was there!! He hasnt got the fitness yet, he was suspended or injured so Cookie really never had the chance!!
CHRISY COLEMANS BLAW ARMY!!!!!!!!
Kyle Jackson - April 12th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
I also 4got to say i would like to see Billy Davies come in!! He has done a brilliant job at both Derby and Preston!!
Anonymous - April 12th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
[quote comment=”36789″]1. we have won 2 away matches in two years
2. we have won 1 league match in 18
3. we have 5 games left this season, 3 of which are away. As we cant win an away match and need about 6 points for survival, we have to win our two home games to stay up. One of them is against liverpool.
4. his team selection is usually baffling and even laughable
What no-one else other than fulham fans seems to realise is that we were in free-fall and probably going down this season (and trust me, when we will go down we will never come back up). At least now we have some hope of surviving.[/quote]
Woking White - April 12th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
[quote comment=”36809″]Fulham are a second division side at best. The Egyptian bought them into the Premiership, then he cut off the cash supply. Cookie kept them up by shrewd dabbling in the transfer market, even when the Egyptian sold off his best finds. Good luck to Sanchez but Fulham will go down, which is nothing more than their boneheaded fans deserve.[/quote]
If the FFC fans are boneheads, where does that put you? Incredibly ignorant or just a lazy twat?
Coleman’s shrewd dabbling in the transfer market…your having a laugh! His record was strictly mediocre. For every Jimmy Bullard (hardly rocket science that one), there were 2 Tomas Radzinski’s. If you don’t believe me, just look at what “his” team has delivered this season. JB aside, his best bit of business in the transfer market was getting over 5m for a spent Boa Morte. I am sure Hammers fans will agree.
Exactly which of his finds did MAF sell off? Whilst you are right that we sold a lot of talent, you will find that they were all Tigana’s or even Keegans buys. It would have been great if we could have kept the likes of Saha (12m), EVDS (2m), Davis (3m), Finnan (6m) and Malbranque (2m) but reality is that like most clubs in the premiership, if a big club comes knocking, it is impossible to keep a player.
What ultimately got him the sack…
2 away wins in 2 seasons
1 win in 17 premiership matches
2 wins in 10 this season against the bottom 5
Pabs - April 21st, 2007 at 1:15 pm
I liked Chris Coleman but he always looked a bit out of his depth in the Premiership, a bit like Gareth Southgate at Middlesborough - but strangely both have them done a pretty good job if you consider their mediocre budgets and woeful injury lists.
For me the problem was never the Manager but the Chairman. Al-Fayed should be the one going and a younger, more dynamic, football supporting leader should be at the helm of the club. Fayed has no passion or interest in Fulham whatsoever, coughed up to get to the Premiership then cut off the funds when they did. The fans need to get the idiots like him out of the game.
I’d love to see David Dein head up the club - savvy, interested and a supporter of the English game - now he has quit Arsenal. As for Manager, I’d love to see Sven , but then that would be controversial…..
Jez - April 21st, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Pabs - nice one, Sven for Fulham. That would work really well but sadly not with Fayed around. Get Fayed out I agree mate.
Ignorant Twat - May 22nd, 2007 at 10:58 am
[quote comment=”37660″]I liked Chris Coleman but he always looked a bit out of his depth in the Premiership, a bit like Gareth Southgate at Middlesborough - but strangely both have them done a pretty good job if you consider their mediocre budgets and woeful injury lists.
For me the problem was never the Manager but the Chairman. Al-Fayed should be the one going and a younger, more dynamic, football supporting leader should be at the helm of the club. Fayed has no passion or interest in Fulham whatsoever, coughed up to get to the Premiership then cut off the funds when they did. The fans need to get the idiots like him out of the game.
I’d love to see David Dein head up the club - savvy, interested and a supporter of the English game - now he has quit Arsenal. As for Manager, I’d love to see Sven , but then that would be controversial…..[/quote]
David Dein? That parasite? You do realise he was one of the wankers trying to get us to merge with QPR in the 80’s don’t you? A supporter of the English game? Clueless…..
Sara - August 3rd, 2007 at 11:46 am
WHY!!! thats all I can say about Cookie - what a stupid decision to out him - just as he gained players trust and this would have been their season - Lawrie Sanchez - who - remeber him in a bar called cartoons in Reading - what a prat!!
Sara - August 3rd, 2007 at 11:51 am
gosh did I really call sanchez a prat - yes -
the Fulham boys are cottagers and Sanchez will never be one - go back to playing in town and talking rubbish about stuff you know nothing about
- as you are there - get some cash to keep our boys!! you have been warned !!
Scouse Billy - August 31st, 2007 at 3:36 pm
he didn’t cut the mustard
James - December 28th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Well look at fulham now
We should never have sack Chris Coleman. I reckon he could have saved fulham last year and this year, had he had the funding Sanchez got fulham could be doing a lot better. If CC had the apporx. 20million investment Sanchez got he would have been able to improve the team we had which wasn’t that bad, we were just short of star players such as Steed, Saha and Luis.
20million could have bought CC some star players which would have been better than buying a whole new team. Sanchez has left us in quite a mess I feel
James - December 28th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
[quote comment=”37660?]
For me the problem was never the Manager but the Chairman. Al-Fayed should be the one going and a younger, more dynamic, football supporting leader should be at the helm of the club. Fayed has no passion or interest in Fulham whatsoever, coughed up to get to the Premiership then cut off the funds when they did. The fans need to get the idiots like him out of the game.
[/quote]
Al-Fayed had done wonders for Fulhams and has plenty of passion and interest towards the club. He certainly better than having a certain someone who lives down the road, who treats their club like a toy
James - December 28th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
QUOTE:
For me the problem was never the Manager but the Chairman. Al-Fayed should be the one going and a younger, more dynamic, football supporting leader should be at the helm of the club. Fayed has no passion or interest in Fulham whatsoever, coughed up to get to the Premiership then cut off the funds when they did. The fans need to get the idiots like him out of the game.
END QUOTE
Al-Fayed had done wonders for Fulhams and has plenty of passion and interest towards the club. He certainly better than having a certain someone who lives down the road, who treats their club like a toy