RUMOUR: Clarke to Fulham

[The Cap]

Talking of BBCRB, I had to laugh, this morning, when Howe said that his phone was ringing off the hook yesterday with potential replacements being touted. One of the presenters, that Peachy bloke I think, quickly replied "I think you'll find that was all the fans ringing you to find out what was going on". Must admit, had a snigger at that one.

[AthleticoSpizz]

IF the money, the "professionalism" or the vicinity to Chelsea at Fulham had been a bit more attractive...then he would be gone right now.

Then, how long until his back room staff were joining him....then how much longer until some of the better players were poached away too....Blackman???

It's been relatively good under Clarke...... but time to accept, it is temporary

[Hogmeister Royal]

You can't blame someone working in this business for looking at other alternatives when approaches are made.

Of course he can be blamed, and criticised for it. You can understand it, maybe even sympathise to a degree but it's a poor thing to do and he's put himself in a bad position purely as a result of poor judgement.

Why on earth wouldn't he want to speak to Fulham? As he said in his press conference today, it would have been a bit odd not to at least see what they had to say.

Seems to me that this is all a storm in a teacup triggered by the immediacy of today's social media (and yes, I was also watching the twitterstorm when it erupted yesterday). A few years ago the first we'd have heard (if anything) was that Fulham had met with him but it didn't go anywhere. These days, because the news breaks as the story is unfolding, it gets more headlines.

Can totally understand why some fans will be angry. It's because they simply don't get it - that Clarke is a professional manager employed by the club. The club (and the fans for that matter) will show little loyalty to him if and when the results turn bad (see the way the club treated Brian McDermott, for example). And the same works in reverse - he would be crazy to not consider a move to a different club if an opportunity arose that was a significantly better one in terms of salary, squad potential for promotion, guaranteed tenure, etc etc.

So he goes to speak to Fulham, he has a chat, decides it's not for him, and resumes his Reading role.

Business as usual.

No problem.

[AthleticoSpizz]

So basically....a contract (other than for manipulating £) means nothing......no new shocks....just another nail in the long term footballing coffin.

.....but we knew that

[sandman]

You can't blame someone working in this business for looking at other alternatives when approaches are made.

Of course he can be blamed, and criticised for it. You can understand it, maybe even sympathise to a degree but it's a poor thing to do and he's put himself in a bad position purely as a result of poor judgement.

On the 15th December 2014 Reading FC sacked Nigel Adkins and replaced him 24 hours later was that not a poor thing to do? It's pretty obvious they'd been going behind the manager's back otherwise they wouldn't have made the appointment so quickly.

The way Zingarevich treated McDermott was less than stellar.

Did they stop taking phone calls yesterday when Clarke hadn't yet agreed terms with Fulham? What about the managers who contacted them who are already in a job, would you have rejected the possibility of one of them becoming Reading manager due to their lack of loyalty to their current club?

When you think of Steve Coppell do you think of 106 points and 8th in Premier League or do you think of him walking out on Brighton to join us?

Even before this RFC will constantly have a up to date list of managers that they could replace Steve Clarke with just in case things didn't work out.

[Ian Royal]

You can't blame someone working in this business for looking at other alternatives when approaches are made.

Of course he can be blamed, and criticised for it. You can understand it, maybe even sympathise to a degree but it's a poor thing to do and he's put himself in a bad position purely as a result of poor judgement.

Why on earth wouldn't he want to speak to Fulham? As he said in his press conference today, it would have been a bit odd not to at least see what they had to say.

Seems to me that this is all a storm in a teacup triggered by the immediacy of today's social media (and yes, I was also watching the twitterstorm when it erupted yesterday). A few years ago the first we'd have heard (if anything) was that Fulham had met with him but it didn't go anywhere. These days, because the news breaks as the story is unfolding, it gets more headlines.

Can totally understand why some fans will be angry. It's because they simply don't get it - that Clarke is a professional manager employed by the club. The club (and the fans for that matter) will show little loyalty to him if and when the results turn bad (see the way the club treated Brian McDermott, for example). And the same works in reverse - he would be crazy to not consider a move to a different club if an opportunity arose that was a significantly better one in terms of salary, squad potential for promotion, guaranteed tenure, etc etc.

So he goes to speak to Fulham, he has a chat, decides it's not for him, and resumes his Reading role.

Business as usual.

No problem.

Because they're no better than us.
Because things were going well here until a few games ago.
Because he's only just started a rebuilding job for us that he committed to.
Because he's been backed by the owners.
Because it alienates the fans.
Because it may alienate or demotivate the players.
Because it may alienate his employers.
Because we're in a poor run of form and the last thing we need is this sort of distraction.
Because he'd interviewed for the same job only a year ago.

It's not like anyone would have been mad if it would have been a clear step up. That's the way it works. But swanning off to check out the first opportunity for a sideways move when your employer clearly expects you to decline the opportunity and has put it to youout of openness and courtesy is just unprofessional and ungrateful.

[strap]

You can't blame someone working in this business for looking at other alternatives when approaches are made.

Of course he can be blamed, and criticised for it. You can understand it, maybe even sympathise to a degree but it's a poor thing to do and he's put himself in a bad position purely as a result of poor judgement.

On the 15th December 2014 Reading FC sacked Nigel Adkins and replaced him 24 hours later was that not a poor thing to do? It's pretty obvious they'd been going behind the manager's back otherwise they wouldn't have made the appointment so quickly.

The way Zingarevich treated McDermott was less than stellar.

Did they stop taking phone calls yesterday when Clarke hadn't yet agreed terms with Fulham? What about the managers who contacted them who are already in a job, would you have rejected the possibility of one of them becoming Reading manager due to their lack of loyalty to their current club?

When you think of Steve Coppell do you think of 106 points and 8th in Premier League or do you think of him walking out on Brighton to join us?

Even before this RFC will constantly have a up to date list of managers that they could replace Steve Clarke with just in case things didn't work out.

I think the difference is that when a club sacks a manager, they are legally bound to pay up the remainder of his/her contract, unless agreement is reached otherwise. When a manager leaves a la McGhee/Parjudas/Clarke (don't kid yourself he'll be around long) they simply stick 2 fingers up at the club and sometimes even demand "loyalty bonuses"!! (Or is that just players, not sure?).

I mean, even that failure Brenda Bodgers took Liverpool for SEVEN MILLION QUID when he was sacked! Not sure how much he stiffed RFC for when his 21 game tenure was finally terminated, but it was more than you or I would ever earn in 10 years! Nice work if you can get it!

[AthleticoSpizz]

Yes....and what point a contract?

Just a manipulative £ tool.

In terms of it being honoured....it means jackshit to the game, the fans and continuity

[Nameless]

Can't see how not talking to Fulham would have been 'odd' . A polite no thank you would have dealt with the situation . How much coaching is Clark going to do if he spends a couple of days talking to every club that might put him on their short list ?
In 18 months he can talk to who he likes. If a Premiership club expresses interest you could see that the opportunity would be too good to turn down. But to swan off and negotiate with a club that would not have been offering anything more than he is getting at the place he is contracted to is the odd thing.
And as for football fans not 'getting it' I think that is a very sad suggestion. Fans are probably the only people who do still get it in a world where everything is ok as long as the money is right.

[semtex1871]

Fulham apparently offering £80,000 pa more than Reading.....would that make that much of a difference to Clarke?

[AthleticoSpizz]

£80k pa difference I guess

And a tiny step back to Chelsea

[paddy20]

http://www.footballinsider247.com/exclu ... venth-hour

Probably something we should forget about now but shows that football is almost 100 pc about money. We fans just need to accept that and get on loving our team no matter what

[Coppelled_Streets]

I still love how he referred to us as the best option for him at this time. Of course we are a stepping stone for someone like him, but it still bothers me that he got all the freedom he asked for to make the changes he wanted/needed, and less than 12 months later, and only 4 months into the season with the players he brought to the club, he's prepared to drop us for another Championship club. A Premiership club I could accept, but not in the same league. It's not even the same as when Pards walked out! Lost confidence in the chap and can't wait for him to nob off and let someone else take over that wants to be here!

As for that article, it would make a lot of sense with what the local journos were being told about Fulham calling a press conference, only to cancel it.

[paddy20]

I still love how he referred to us as the best option for him at this time. Of course we are a stepping stone for someone like him, but it still bothers me that he got all the freedom he asked for to make the changes he wanted/needed, and less than 12 months later, and only 4 months into the season with the players he brought to the club, he's prepared to drop us for another Championship club. A Premiership club I could accept, but not in the same league. It's not even the same as when Pards walked out! Lost confidence in the chap and can't wait for him to nob off and let someone else take over that wants to be here!

As for that article, it would make a lot of sense with what the local journos were being told about Fulham calling a press conference, only to cancel it.

Yes must admit that now you find out he was trying to negotiate a better deal than they were offering and because he couldn't he didn't go. Obviously nothing to do with wanting to stay if the only aspect was how big the bonus could be. Just money and it seems nothing much else mattered.

[JIM]

Difference, Pards was an absolute A....E. he even said he was still manager of READING, when he already signed for wh,
Clarke told the truth all along, at least give him ab it of credit for that,

[strap]

Difference, Pards was an absolute A....E. he even said he was still manager of READING, when he already signed for wh,
Clarke told the truth all along, at least give him ab it of credit for that,

Which of these is worse JIM?

I am not going to shaft the arse out of you - but actually I am = Parjudas

I am going to shaft the arse out of you - but not just yet = Charlatan

Who gets the most credit? I suppose the latter, as your arse hasn't been reamed yet, but you know it will be soon. Although doesn't the fear of the reaming at some time in the future actually add to the crapness of the situation??

A psychology professor may be able to differentiate between the two, but I don't think I can!

I don't mean your arse BTW JIM, I meant the metaphorical RFC fans' collective arses!

[RoyalBlue]

Difference, Pards was an absolute A....E. he even said he was still manager of READING, when he already signed for wh,
Clarke told the truth all along, at least give him ab it of credit for that,

If this story is true, Clarke very clearly didn't tell us the truth all along. Said he stayed with us because things were better at Reading, not because Fulham told him to get stuffed when he tried to screw more out of them.

[strap]

Difference, Pards was an absolute A....E. he even said he was still manager of READING, when he already signed for wh,
Clarke told the truth all along, at least give him ab it of credit for that,

If this story is true, Clarke very clearly didn't tell us the truth all along. Said he stayed with us because things were better at Reading, not because Fulham told him to get stuffed when he tried to screw more out of them.

TBF I think I read Clarke had agreed the financial package and was about to sign. It was his greedy Agent who went back to Fulham and demanded enhanced bonuses which FFC said F Off to. I suppose either way you're right actually.

[Nameless]

If the story is true Clarkemust either have known what his agent was asking for or is looking for a new agent....

[Ian Royal]

I think you have to take any media claim of what the actual reasons were with a massive grain of salt.

It could be that he wanted to take his backroom staff and Fulham refused.
It could be that he wanted more money.
It could be that he wasn't happy with the amount of control he'd have over signings.
It could be he tried to screw them for more money.
It could be he was genuinely happy here and their deal would have had to have been amazing to make him move.
Or it could be none of them.

We'll probably never know, so not much point speculating. The only thing that matters is it happened and we have to see what happens next.