Parker out

It took a while, but it finally happened. Now we’re under the gun to get a new gaffer with the start of training, what, 5, 6 weeks away?

 

Training started today. Stuart Gray stepped in.

 

As always with this lovely club, the timing is impeccable. Maybe they could've waited just a few more weeks though...

 

Oh, yeah, I got confused. MATCHES start in six weeks. Middlesbrough at Craven Cottage on Saturday, August 7th. Well, Bournemouth have THEIR manager in place...

 

Depending on who you want to believe Fulham aren’t really at fault for the delay. Parker didn’t want to resign without being compensated for his remaining contract, Bournemouth didn’t want to compensate Fulham for releasing Parker, and Shahid Kahn (not Tony) was caught in the middle refusing to be the one to foot the bill for Parker to move to Bournemouth.

Rumors also that Fulham will appoint a new manager and director of football shortly.

 

I agree 100% with Barry and Don. Here's the thing. It's not like Shad couldn't afford to pay off Parker to just go away immediately after the last game of the season, if not after the loss sealing relegation. There isn't a manager alive who doesn't want significant say in which players they want to sign. Wasting all of this time while the transfer window is open is an indication to me that nothing will change the Khan's method of managing the player end of the club. It increases the likelihood that we'll not only not win immediate promotion, but may well regress enough to be relegated again. And that new stand won't be worth crap if that happens.

 

Like the rest of you, I am a bit put off by the timing. I am not in the business of being able to negotiate a contract (I’m just happy to be offered a salary and benefits) but, from what I do know, Barry’s post makes sense. That doesn’t make it any less frustrating though.

The only advantage I see to waiting and working with Parker is that the club is showing that they’re potentially manager friendly. This could produce more interest in the open position. I’m not sure that it would improve the overall quality of potential candidates though.

 

I get it though. If I'm Khan I'd probably say "no, fuck you. You wanna leave? Fine leave, resign but leave the money on the table. Or Bournemouth can compensate you. I'm not gonna let you quit AND pay you to do so, when I wanted you to stay."

But I'm also very much a spiteful, "it's the principle" kind of guy. It's like a guy asking a girl to marry him but then changes his mind and wants the ring back. You are choosing to leave why should I let you fuck me one more time?

As far as not having a manager and wasting part of the window, Fulham aren't exactly known for being the early window buyers. They always, always leave it late, so I'm not sure any window has really been wasted here. Assuming they get somebody in sooner rather than later

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You're right, of course. But this is not how Fulham operate. Tony decides what players he likes the look of or have a well known name, he signs them and the manager tries his very best to make that collection of players work. I think what manager we have is of nearly zero consequence to Tony. He just flies by the seat of his pants, sometimes you get a Mitro, sometimes you get a Seri.

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I agree with the sentiments expressed here and elsewhere online: its less what happened and how protracted it happened, and the fact it was Scott all along who angled for the move but didn't want to forfeit any of his salary.

If you read Peter Rutzler's piece in the Athletic, Bournemouth have been keyed in to Parker for awhile. It makes sense when you consider the timing of Scott's seemingly out-of-nowhere soliloquies to the press happened at the same time. With all that said it's no surprise this hardball standoff went until the first day of preseason when it became untenable for all parties and a compromise was reached.

We do need to nail the next appointment regardless. Thankfully the Championship is poised to be very weak this season and we should have a solid squad core to see us through. I'm not really seeing this "avoid relegation" stuff.

 

Sounds like we're getting Marco Silva. I don't know enough about his skillset to have an opinion either way, but the way in which he ignored his job at Watford in 2017 just because he wanted to move to Everton was disgraceful. Then he sucked at Everton, got fired in 2019, and hasn't worked since. I don't think he's someone most fans will be excited about.

 

Fun fact: Scott Parker is the first Fulham manager/head coach in 10 years to leave Fulham on his own terms. Mark Hughes was the last in 2011.