Cybereagles

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/46205801

Fulham sack Slavisa Jokanovic and appoint Claudio Ranieri

Fulham have sacked manager Slavisa Jokanovic and replaced him with Claudio Ranieri, who guided Leicester to the Premier League title in 2016.

Jokanovic makes way with the Cottagers sitting bottom of the Premier League table with five points from 12 matches.

Italian Ranieri, 67, has been given a "multi-year" contract by the Londoners.

"Making a change without having the right answer or succession plan was not an option," said Fulham chairman Shahid Khan.

"So having someone of Claudio's calibre ready to accept our challenge was comforting but, most of all, essential.

"Claudio is risk-free and ready-made for the Premier League, and particularly so for what we need at this moment at Fulham.

"His recent body of work with Leicester City is literally legendary, and then you look at Claudio's experience with Chelsea and big clubs throughout Europe, and it's pretty evident we are welcoming an extraordinary football man to Fulham Football Club."


Khan said he and his son Tony Khan, the club's vice chairman and director of football operations, spoke with a number of potential candidates over the past week.


"It is an honour to accept Mr Khan's invitation and opportunity to lead Fulham, a fantastic club with tradition and history," said Ranieri, who spent last season in charge of French club Nantes.

"The objective at Fulham should never be to merely survive in the Premier League. We must at all times be a difficult opponent and should expect to succeed.

"This Fulham squad has exceptional talent that is contrary to its position in the table."

Did you know?
Slavisa Jokanovic was Claudio Ranieri's first signing as Chelsea manager in October 2000.

Ranieri's first game in charge will see Fulham host Southampton at Craven Cottage on Saturday, 24 November.

"I know this team is very capable of better performances, which we will work on straight away as we prepare for Southampton at the Cottage," he added.

Ranieri's rollercoaster - title shock to the sack


Claudio Ranieri led Leicester City to the Premier League title in 2015-16 at odds of 5000/1
Despite vast experience with clubs such as Valencia, Juventus, Inter Milan, Roma and Monaco, Ranieri joined Leicester City in 2015 on the back of a failed spell as Greece boss, including losing to European minnows the Faroe Islands during Euro 2016 qualifying.

The Italian had earned the nickname 'The Tinkerman' during his previous spell in England in charge of Chelsea, where he guided the Blues to second in the Premier League as well as reaching the Champions League semi-finals.

More than a decade later, his Leicester side started the 2015-16 season as 5,000-1 outsiders to win the Premier League and were among the favourites for relegation.

But the Foxes delivered one the greatest sporting shocks of all time as they clinched the club's first top-flight English title, described by many as a "miracle".

The fairytale could not continue, however, with Ranieri sacked the following campaign - just ninth months after delivering the title.

Jokanovic sacking 'correct decision'

Jokanovic, who joined the club in December 2015, led Fulham to promotion via the play-offs last season.

But they have so far registered just one win on their return to the Premier League after four seasons in the Championship.

"I wasn't anticipating having to make this announcement related to Slavisa and wish the circumstances were such that I didn't have to, but our path this season has led me to make what I know is the correct decision, at the right time, for our players, the club and our supporters," added Khan.

"Slavisa will always have my appreciation and respect for everything he did to return Fulham to top-flight football.

"I am hoping everyone in the Fulham family shares my heartfelt sentiments for Slavisa and joins me in wishing him success and good fortune, wherever his next stop may be."

Analysis - Can the Tinkerman keep Fulham up?
Phil McNulty, BBC Sport chief football writer

Fulham's owner Shahid Khan delivered combative public support for manager Slavisa Jokanovic in his programme notes for the home game against Bournemouth less than three weeks ago, telling fans "don't believe anything" in reports he faced the sack.

Times change. Quickly.

Fulham were beaten 3-0 by The Cherries, then lost at fellow strugglers Huddersfield Town, and Sunday's defeat at Liverpool was the last straw. The man who guided The Cottagers to promotion was gone.

Khan reacted as Fulham lay bottom of the Premier League, after a summer investment of £100m only resulted in an imbalanced side where few new faces had made an impact, a loss of the attacking impetus that was their trademark and the worst defensive record in the division.

The fear of relegation always overrules sentiment.

So it is welcome back to the Premier League for ever-popular Claudio Ranieri, whose title-winning deeds at Leicester City will be remembered forever.

This time he must work fast to turn a serious situation around with his brand of personal charm but more importantly his tactical acumen, starting with shoring up that porous defence.

It will be no easy task for 'The Tinkerman'.

Not surprised, to spend all that money and end up with the junks on parade deserves not only a sack but also an indictment.

If you end up with Mitrovic as your main striker, you are pushing your luck. There is a reason Newcastle got rid of him. He is decent and maybe good enough for the nationwide league, but he has been found not to be able to cut it at the EPL level where the game is faster and demands more.

Mitrovic might be manageable if the supporting cast could pull their weight, but all over they are just poor. They are supposed to be a young team, yet they have no pace, play within such an short area, first sign that they are lacking something as a team. They lose the ball easily and every team in the EPL bullies them easily.

Knew his goose was cooked after loosing to Huddersfield who arguably are the worst team in the EPL.

I dont watch Fulham often, but they seemed more than decent against Liverpool especially in the first half

nanijoe wrote:I dont watch Fulham often, but they seemed more than decent against Liverpool especially in the first half

Followed from when they were in the nationwide because they played one of the best football on offer at the category. They were a delight to watch. I thought they would be the surprise team, together with Wolves. And when they decided to spend big, my expectations went over the roof. Me thinks he changed too many of the players especially the midfield. Jokanovic is a decent coach who appears to struggle when he gets to the premiership. It was the same story with Watford.

Fulham and AS Monaco went on a shopping spree and they came back with China made products.

oloye wrote:

nanijoe wrote:I dont watch Fulham often, but they seemed more than decent against Liverpool especially in the first half

Followed from when they were in the nationwide because they played one of the best football on offer at the category. They were a delight to watch. I thought they would be the surprise team, together with Wolves. And when they decided to spend big, my expectations went over the roof. Me thinks he changed too many of the players especially the midfield. Jokanovic is a decent coach who appears to struggle when he gets to the premiership. It was the same story with Watford.

He was sacked after Watford qualified for the EPL .

realtrouble wrote:

oloye wrote:

nanijoe wrote:I dont watch Fulham often, but they seemed more than decent against Liverpool especially in the first half

Followed from when they were in the nationwide because they played one of the best football on offer at the category. They were a delight to watch. I thought they would be the surprise team, together with Wolves. And when they decided to spend big, my expectations went over the roof. Me thinks he changed too many of the players especially the midfield. Jokanovic is a decent coach who appears to struggle when he gets to the premiership. It was the same story with Watford.

He was sacked after Watford qualified for the EPL .

He was sacked after a season with Watford in the EPL. He got them through the first season but the owners were not satisfied

Hmmm I hope the Tinkerman will not keep them up then next year they do film trick like Leicester.
This season I see teams finish with less than 30 points and stay up

Coach wrote:Dilly ding, dilly gone!

Kai ..time for the man to retire abeg.

We need Oliseh fo Fulham na joke i dey joke o

how long did that Yank last...Bradley or whatshisname

The Fulham locker room is F'ed up.
A. Kamara wahala with Mitrovich was an eye-opener.

Ranieri couldn't clean up the toxicity.

Kabalega wrote:The Fulham locker room is F'ed up.
A. Kamara wahala with Mitrovich was an eye-opener.

Ranieri couldn't clean up the toxicity.

Ranieri is now at Roma till end of season.
Coaching is a great profession.

balo wrote:

Kabalega wrote:The Fulham locker room is F'ed up.
A. Kamara wahala with Mitrovich was an eye-opener.

Ranieri couldn't clean up the toxicity.

Ranieri is now at Roma till end of season.

Coaching is a great profession.

Wow !! the Ranieri juju strong o ..

White Privilage at it's best

Former Leicester and Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri has been appointed Roma manager until the end of the season.

Ranieri, 67, was sacked by Fulham eight days ago after winning three of his 17 games in charge.

But the Roma fan - who managed the club between 2009 and 2011 - has been handed a quick return to management, replacing Eusebio di Francesco.

"I'm delighted to be coming back home," Ranieri said on Friday. "When Roma call you, it's impossible to say no."

Di Francesco was sacked on Wednesday after losing 4-3 on aggregate to Porto in the Champions League last 16.

He left the Cottagers after just 106 days with the club 19th in the Premier League, 10 points from safety with 10 games left.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47487811

After 3 games, ROma fans crying for Ranieri to be fired. ;lol: I am not sure what they expected.