Fulham fans craving Cottage stability

FULHAM chairman Mohamed Al Fayed begins his search for a new manager this week knowing it is vital he finds a man to bring stability to west London.

Under Lawrie Sanchez, who was relieved of his duties on Friday, the Cottagers used dull, long ball tactics. Supporters at Fulham did not take long to realise his regime was not going to endure.

John Collins is expected to assume the role vacated by Sanchez, but the club insist they have not made contact with the Scotsman. Former Tottenham manager Martin Jol, Croatia chief Slaven Bilic, and Graeme Souness have also been mooted as possible candidates. Only time will tell who Fayed decides can take the side forward but Bilic has already ruled himself out.

Fans should forget about a possible return by Jean Tigana, though. There has been no reconciliation between the Frenchman and Fayed since their High Court battle, when Tigana won £2m (€2.76m) in his appeal for wrongful dismissal.

The Fulham board cannot take too long to decide who replaces Sanchez. With the January transfer window almost upon us, Fulham need at least three new signings to help them move away from the threat of relegation.

The £25m (€34.5m) spent by Sanchez last season has not had the desired impact on the team. American international Clint Dempsey, who cancelled out Marcus Bent’s opener to earn Fulham a point, is confident a change in tactics will boost their fortunes.

“We had a bit more freedom,” he said. “We were able to play a bit more and pass it through the middle. We didn’t play so direct. It was like a weight lifted off our shoulders. We were able to express ourselves a bit more and the guys enjoyed that.

“It’s important that the guy who comes in can install confidence to the club and players. We need to get out of this situation. No one ever wants to be in the bottom three, it’s not fun.”

Wigan midfielder Michael Brown was one of six first-team players from last season to be sold when Sanchez took full-time control in the summer.

“Jol would be a fantastic move for them,” said Brown. “He’s a man who can look you in the eye and bring a smile to your face. He is a fantastic football manager as well and it would be a great coup for Fulham.”

FULHAM (4-4-2): Niemi 7, Omozusi 6(Baird 60, 6), Bocanegra 6, Hughes 6, Konchesky 8, Bouazza 6 (Kuqi 72, 5), Davis 6 (Healy 59, 6), Murphy 6, Davies 6, Kamara 5, Dempsey 7.

Subs Not Used: Warner, Ki-Hyeon.

WIGAN (4-4-2): Kirkland 6, Boyce 6, Scharner 7, Bramble 7, Kilbane 6, Valencia 6, Brown 6, Landzaat 6, Taylor 6 (Olembe 86, 5), Aghahowa 5 (Sibierski 63, 6), Bent 7.

Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Granqvist, Skoko.

REFEREE: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire) 8: It was nice to watch a match where the referee was happy to let the players take the spotlight. If only every official went as unnoticed as this one did here.

MATCH RATING: *** An improvement on recent Fulham matches, although that is not saying much.