Fulham - A quest to reign supreme in London!

[monsta89]

Reynolds hired for Fulham!
​

A rookie manager by the name of Sam Reynolds, as if from no where has been selected to take control of Fulham Football Club. There is relatively little known about Reynolds, and as such there lingers an apprehensive atmosphere from the fans.

So what is known about Reynolds? Well he is only 26 and as such will no doubt be under heavy pressure to land on his feet in the managerial game. Reynolds is also a Manchester United fan at heart so may come under scrutiny when the two clubs meet.

In the first proper conversation between Reynolds and the Fulham board, several issues were raised. Reynolds made a reserved prediction for the season to come in stating that a top half finish would be a realistic target for the season ahead. That prediction provided a transfer budget of £260K. This is an area which Reynolds states that he will address by selling some players which are deemed to be surplus to requirements, a few of these players are reported to be:

- Rafik Halliche
- Philippe Senderos
- Dickson Etuhu
- Stephen Kelly

As well as ideas of which players are on the verge of leaving Craven Cottage it would appear that there are a few transfer targets who Reynolds would like to bring into the club, who these players appear to be we would think would become clear in the weeks to come.

 

[monsta89]

You sit here as the new manager of Fulham. Is this your dream job?

- I am pleased the chairman has trusted me with this position

You arrive at the club as a replacement for Martin Jol, who was unable to bring success to Craven Cottage. Do you feel that you are the right person to take Fulham to the next level?

- I really hope so, this club deserves success and everything is in place for it to happen. I have a dream that I can be the one to take Fulham to supremacy in London!

The facilities at the club are fantastic, are you excited about the opportunity to work in such an environment?

- I am absolutely delighted with the facilities, but it’s no less than I expected

New managers often bring about times of upheaval and some at the club might fear for their jobs. Will there be many changes?

- Everyone will have a chance to prove they are worthy of being here

How involved do you intend to be in the day-to-day running of the club?

- One person can’t run an entire club on their own, so of course the staff will be handling a lot of things

While some managers are famous for their hands-on approach, others maintain a more reserved manner with their players. How do you see your management style?

- I think clubs work best when players feel valued as people as well as footballers

What can we expect from you in the transfer market? Are you looking to splash the cash or are you more of a bargain hunter?

- I will make sure all of my signings are the result of thorough scouting and extensive deliberation

What would you say is your tactical approach to the game?

- I like attractive football and that is what I will be encouraging

The last couple of seasons have been fairly forgettable ones for Fulham. Are you able to inject the spark required to lift Fulham out of mid-table mediocrity?

- I hope to be able to turn this club’s fortunes around

On the off-chance that any agents read your comments today, is there a particular area of the squad which you are looking to strengthen in the near future?

- Attack

You have taken charge when it is widely expected that Aaron Hughes will leave the club. Can you hold onto him? Do you want to?

- I want to keep Aaron here and will be doing everything in my power to ensure that

It is often said that different managers favour different competitions. Will you be concentrating primarily on getting good results in the Premier Division?

- I don’t think it is right to prioritise one competition over another at this stage

 

[monsta89]

Reynolds first game in charge – Euro cup game second leg Vs. Irtysh Pavlodar

The home tie follows a 2-0 away win for the London side. This will be the new man in charge first attempt at playing the flowing attractive football that he so likes. The starting line-up for this tie reads as follows:

Gk – Schwarzer
Rb – Grygera Cb – Hangeland Cb – Hughes Lb – Riise
Cm – Gecov Cm – Murphy
Rw – Dempsey Lw – Ruiz
Cf – Zamora Cf – Johnson

S1 – Etheridge S2 – Baird S3 – Briggs S4 – B H Riise S5 – Smith S6 – Sidwell S7 - Dembele

5 mins – Zamora goal chalked off for offside

36 mins – Johnson scores. 1-0 Fulham.

45 mins – Hughes scores. 2-0 Fulham.

Half time subs – Briggs on for Ruiz, Sidwell on for Murphy.

70 mins – pen to Fulham, Zamora scores. Sub Dembele to replace Zamora.

FT – Fulham win 3-0 on the night, Hughes named man of the match.

5-0 win on Aggregate.

Dembele picked up an injury in the time he was on the pitch, a groin strain which leaves him unavailable for selection for 4 weeks. Further leaving the team short in attacking positions. In reflection of the game, the game was not as comfortable as the score line makes out. This is highlighted by the fact that Hughes was named man of the match, not only for his goal, but his ability to read the opponents attacks and brake them up with minimal amount of fuss. All in all Reynolds comment of needing to strengthen the attack was highlighted, all be it very early on in the pre-season it can only be hoped that performances pick up when match fitness picks up. On a positive note Grygera made his debut following his free transfer from Juventus earlier in the summer. A solid performance and one that is hopeful of cementing the right back position throughout the season.

Following progression to the next round of the Euro cup, Fulham have been drawn against opponents from Switzerland in the form of FC Vaduz. The first leg will be at home and Fulham fans will be hoping for a comfortable win in order to accommodate for their tough travels for the away leg.

 

[San Adam]

nice writing will follow