Tony Gale was in a very optimistic mood this morning – suggesting that Martin Jol might have a chance of guiding Fulham into the top six.
I think it is a good appointment and it has been done quickly which is the most important thing. Now Fulham can really prepare and get a good pre-season under them and get going. If they had delayed for another month or so then everything would have got out of sync and Fulham might not have got off to the start that everyone is anticipating they can do after the way they finished the last season.
I don’t think these managers should be feeling that Fulham are the luck people. Anyone who gets put in charge of Fulham has had the good fortune to be put in charge of a really good club. I hope Martin is different because he has been given an opportunity at a really good football club where everything is in place – certainly behind the scenes.
It is a perfect football club, I think the Chief Executive Alistair Mackintosh, and the chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed, would have been at pains to stress exactly how the club is and that they want him for a few years. Fulham need a little bit of stability now, if Martin Jol can stay on for three or four years then Fulham can kick on and I feel they can get close to those European places.
A lot depends on keeping their better players fit. Last season they did not get off to a good start when Bobby Zamora and all their strikers were injured during certain stages of the season. If they add a couple of players to the squad then I think they could be an outside bet to finish in the top six.
