Better off with Lawrie?

Before I get into the meat of the topic the subject suggests, I feel like I should spell out my opinions of Lawrie Sanchez as a manager. I don't want anyone to get the mistaken impression that I like and respect him. First, his reputation was built on taking mediocre players and occasionally leading them to surprising wins. This was the case at Wycombe where, omitting one fabulous FA Cup run, he was a disater and, to a lesser extent, at Northern Ireland. Hiring a manager with a track record like that at a club that had recently played in a UEFA Cup didn't make a lot of sense to me.

Our style of play under Sanchez was another issue. The way Fulham played made perfect sense when his past is considered. He kept everything extremely direct, not asking or allowing players to spend much time on the ball or show any creativity. He gave every player a simple task, and put them into a position where it was difficult to fail as individuals. The flip side of the coin when playing this style of football is that it is almost impossible for players or the team as a whole to do anything brilliant.

This style also leads to a blurring of talent levels between opposing sides. Whether the club plays sides that are more talented, less talented, or equally talented, the game is basically kept close. This is a wonderful strategy when your team is weaker than most of the teams it will face; however, given the talent already on the board and the money available to spend, why plan on being one of the bottom end sides? In the end poor tactics and bad luck (late goals, dubious officiating) lead to the end of Lawrie's days at Fulham.

When news of his sacking hit the papers, TV, and web, I think most Fulham fans were relieved; I know I was. But now, two and a half months later, I am getting this nagging feeling that we made a mistake. As bad as Sanchez was, as bad as the results were, as ugly as the football was, we would be closer to safety right now had he stayed on through the end of the campaign.

When a club makes a managerial change at mid season in a year where relegation looms on the horizon, they need to find a man who can get immediate results. An ability to build a strong club that will compete over the long haul is not necessary. A knack for signing just the right couple transfers to fit in with the squad is not a necessary requirement either. Frankly the man Fulham needed to replace Lawrie Sanchez was a guy like Lawrie Sanchez.

They needed someone who could get mediocre results (with 23 matches left mediocre would have kept us up) out of team whose results had been poor. When you combine Sanchez's history of doing just that with the fact that any coaching change requires an adjustment period, Sanchez staying on was the clear choice.

I cheered it when it happened, so I will not criticize the firing now. That won't stop me from wondering where we might be if Lawrie was still in charge.