New Fulham manager Felix Magath revealed that the club made contact with him over the weekend of the 2-2 draw with Manchester United.
The Whites became seriously concerned with the lack of progress the team was making under Rene Meulensteen was making in January but that didn’t stop the west London outfit from signing six in the final week of the transfer window, including paying a record fee for striker Kostas Mitroglou.
The first chance to play for the majority of the new sextet was in the 2-2 draw at Old Trafford, the same weekend as the Whites contacted Magath.
They invited him over for talks with owner Shahid Khan on February 11, the day before the Whites faced Liverpool.
Fulham called him over to London the day after the 3-2 loss to the title challengers, that left the bottom club four points adrift of safety, with his appointment confirmed on Friday evening.
Magath explained the build up to his appointment by saying: “It was the weekend before [I signed a contract], he [Alistair Mackintosh] called me and then told me on Tuesday, the owner is in London and we are able to meet the owner and talk to them.
“We have a speech together in the afternoon for hours. We were delighted. It was a good speech.
“I have a very good impression from both. I crossed the fingers that it will be developed.
“Then I go back to Germany and on Thursday, they called me to ask whether I can come on Friday to England.
“The club wanted me. I wanted to come so I was sure on Thursday evening that I will have the job here.”
He added: “I hoped to come to England but last year there was no chance.
“I always look forward and get an offer from an English club. I’ve known Alistair Mackintosh for years.
“We dealt with the [Ashkan] Dejagah transfer. He phoned me last week.
“I was hopeful. I was glad because I know the situation of the league and the situation at Fulham.”
Magath revealed that he was impressed with Khan, in particular his ambitions for the club.
The German said: “He’s a very impressive person and I’m sure that he is the right man for Fulham.
“He also is overwhelmed from the tradition here at the club and he told me it’s the only club in England that fits [him].
“[I] have the impression he’s willing to do a lot for Fulham. He’s not satisfied.
“He told me he has given the manager all what he wants from the beginning of the season and RM what he wants. He was totally surprised he was in last place.”
Magath’s managerial CV is impressive, winning three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich (two) and Wolfsburg (one).
However, he has no experience of managing in the Premier League, yet the 60-year-old claimed that this did not matter.
He said: “I’m of the opinion that you need not see so many games because the players are a little bit confused.
“I have seen the game against Manchester [United]. They defended very well until 78 minutes or so. If things are changing the players are changing too.
“You can not think that what they do before, they’ll do in the future. The most important thing for me is to begin to work as fast as we can.
“I called them into work on Sunday to give us time to get to know each other. The players have to know me and they have to try to understand what I want and I have to understand the players.
“I have to think about what I can ask for the players. For me it’s not the most important thing to know what they have done four weeks ago.
“It’s important what they do now and what I can ask of them.”
