EPL Review: Fulham sack Jokanovic and bring in The Tinkerman

EPL Review: Fulham sack Jokanovic and bring in The Tinkerman

After 12-weeks of the English Premier League season, Slavisa Jokanovic becomes the first manager to leave his position after Fulham owner Shahid Khan brings in Claudio Ranieri to replace him.

Leading up to Fulham’s home game against Bournemouth, things did not look rosy in the Craven Cottage turf after Slavisa Jokanovic’s men had shipped nine goals in two games against Arsenal (5) and Cardiff City (4). And yet, Fulham’s owner, Shahid Khan publicly backed his manager responding to reports that he was ready to join the dole queue, by telling the fans not to believe what they read in the papers.

EPL Review: Fulham sack Jokanovic and bring in The TinkermanFulham lost that game 3-0.

Then they lost 2-0 to Man City.

1-0 to Huddersfield.

Then 2-0 to Liverpool.

And now, in line with the bookmakers guesses, and the reports that Khan told the fans to ignore, Jokanovic is on the dole.

The Serbian joined Fulham in 2015, immediately saved them from relegation, and last year guided them to the Premier League thanks to a Play-Off victoty over Aston Villa.

In the summer, Khan backed his man did everything he could to make sure Fulham were sticky spending £100m in the transfer market including £27m on Jean Michaël Seri, £22.37m on André Frank Zambo Anguissa, and £18.18m on Aleksandr Mitrovic.

Only Chelsea and Liverpool spent more.

The stars failed to live up to the billing.

Jokanovic leaves Fulham rooted to the bottom of the Premier League having only won one of their opening 12-matches, shipping 31-goals.

In Steps The Tinkerman 

Replacing Jokanovic will be Claudio Ranieri.

Ranieri, known as Tinkerman during his days at Chelsea, did the unthinkable in 2016 when he turned the 5,000-1 shots Leicester City into Premier League champions, only for the club’s owners to sack him the following season.

The 67- year old, joins Fulham on a ‘multi-year’ contract, after a season in France working with Nantes.

Speaking about the appointment, Fulham Chairman, Shahid Khan, called Ranieri ‘risk-free,’ ‘ready-made for the Premier League’, and an ‘extraordinary football man’.

“The objective at Fulham should never be to merely survive in the Premier League.” Ranieri told reporters after his appointment.

Ranieri’s first game in charge couldn’t be cushier as he faces fellow strugglers Southampton at home after the international break.

16 managers have already felt the full force of a Chairman’s boot in English football. Jokanovic is the first Premier League casualty of the season, and you can expect to see a further 6 or 7 by the time Vincent Kompany is holding the trophy aloft at The Etihad.

Here are the current favourites.

Next Manager to Leave His Position

Mark Hughes – 4/6
Jose Mourinho – 4/1
Roy Hodgson – 8/1
Neil Warnock – 12/1