Fulham

Sanchez teeters on the edge

By Matthew Day ⋅ December 15, 2007 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Footballing World at Craven Cottage

Lawrie Sanchez’s short and ill-fated spell at Fulham looks set to come to an end after a woeful display against Newcastle which the left the club in the relegation zone with a mere 13 points from 17 matches.

Chairman Mohamed Al Fayed, otherwise occupied with the ongoing High Court inquest into Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed’s deaths, has witnessed a dismal first half of the campaign despite investing £25million to bankroll Sanchez’s summer clearout, significantly more than he offered previous manager Chris Coleman throughout his reign.

Fulham have won only three times in all competitions, beating Bolton, Reading and Shrewsbury, and just four times in the Premier League during the whole of 2007. They have failed to win in their last five matches and have conceded 11 goals in the final 12 minutes of matches, costing them 13 points – the number they currently reside in 18th position on.

Odds have been slashed from 7/2 to 5/2 clear favourite by William Hill for Sanchez to be the next Premier League manager this season to leave his job, while he is at 8/11 to be sacked before the end of the season and evens to survive. Fulham are now 2/1 to be relegated and 4/11 to stay up.

Sanchez secured the job on a full-time basis after a five game stint at the end of last season, where a sole victory, over Liverpool, ensured safety and a 16th-placed finish. The 48-year-old was handed an “indefinite, rolling contract” in May, meaning the cost would be minimal to Al Fayed if Sanchez was to be dismissed.

The Fulham faithful reacted with audible booing at both half-time and full-time, and a substantial section of the crowd called for Sanchez’s head

In a dismal encounter played out in the cold of a mid-December evening, Fulham’s late goal curse struck again when they gave away a last-minute penalty – the fourth they have conceded this season – which Joey Barton struck away to hand Newcastle their first away win since the opening day and their first clean sheet on the road for 13 months. One of Fulham’s four league wins this calendar year came against Newcastle in February, but there was no repeat in a timid and apathetic display by hosts who lacked in creativity and nerve. The players’ patent lack of confidence would have shocked Al Fayed most; ventures into the final third of the pitch were scarce and the performance personified that of a team heading for the drop.

The Fulham faithful reacted with audible booing at both half-time and full-time, and a substantial section of the crowd called for Sanchez’s head, something Coleman largely avoided despite the frustration at his management during his final two years in the job.

The appointment of Sanchez was always going to be a huge gamble. He had no Premier League experience and shone only on the international stage with minnows Northern Ireland, and any manager will freely tell you the difference between managing club and country is vast. Many saw the decision to hire the former Wimbledon midfielder as the cheap and easy option by the owner, with Sanchez not demanding a significant pay package, but the £25million he was given to rejuvenate a floundering squad of players came as a shock to most. Coleman had never been trusted to spend any significant sums of money, but a man with no top-flight experience was handed one of the biggest war chests outside of the top four clubs.

The majority of his signings, though, have proved misses rather than hits, with the insistence on bringing in talent from Northern Ireland backfiring most noticeably. The apparent lack of knowledge of the European market meant most of Sanchez’s imports came from within England, the manager claiming it was not worth the hassle of bringing in foreigners because they take too long to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League. The most spectacular transfer flops include £6million signing Diomansy Kamara, who has netted just twice in the league, three fewer than the number of yellow cards he has accrued. Steven Davis, Chris Baird and Hameur Bouazza complete the list of expensive but underperforming Fulham players and, ironically, it has been a number of Coleman’s imports that have shone most brightly in a season full of gloom and pessimism.

Star performers include Antti Niemi, Simon Davies and Alexey Smertin but even their habitually heroic efforts have been largely in vain. Some felt Fulham cheated relegation last season, but lightning doesn’t strike twice and unless major changes are implemented – starting with the senior member of the coaching staff – the cosy riverside home of Craven Cottage will be hosting Championship football next season.

Should Fulham start looking for a new manager now? Share your views by leaving a comment below.

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