Fulham are poised to review the role of controversial data analyst Craig Kline at the club after the closure of the summer transfer window, according to reports in the local press.
Slavisa Jokanovic singled Kline, appointed to a role within Fulham’s own analysis department by owner Shahid Khan’s son, Tony, out for specific criticism in the aftermath of his side’s 2-2 draw with Cardiff City at Craven Cottage on Saturday and claimed that the analyst has specifically blocked the signing of potential new arrivals. Kline, who was a university friend of Tony Khan, has been embroiled in disputes at the club before and media reports claim that he has become ‘difficult’ to work with.
Kline works for Khan junior at his TruMedia Networks analytics firm that provides information for the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL franchise that Shahid Khan also owns. His intervention at Fulham is credited with the signings of Sakari Matilla and Michael Madl, but more recently Jokanovic has become frustrated at his influence in undermining the pursuit of several targets during this transfer window.
Jokanovic, appointed head coach at Fulham last December, already works alongside a chief football officer in Mike Rigg and has brought in his own staff, including an analyst, to work in concert with the club’s scouting department. A move to dismiss Kline or lessen his influence would suggest that Jokanovic has won a struggle for power within the club that became very public last weekend.
