Rene Meulensteen picked up his first win as Fulham boss on Sunday with a crucial 2-0 victory over Aston Villa. The win ended a six game losing streak for the Whites, who had sacked Martin Jol only a week ago following their poor start to the season. After a narrow 2-1 loss to Tottenham on Wednesday Fulham overcame their midweek hangover by putting Paul Lambert's side to the sword. Meulensteen's men played with pace, aggression and hunger as they picked up three points for only the fourth time this season. After an important result for Fulham, What Culture looks back over the 90 minutes to assess what we can learn from the result.
5. Meulensteen Has Re-energised The Squad
It was perhaps the worst kept secret in football when Meulensteen was placed in charge of Jol. Allegedly initially brought in to provide the struggling Jol with support, the ex-Manchester United coach was seen by many as a future replacement. And, only hours after Jol's dismissal, Meulensteen was placed in charge. While some may disapprove of how this appointment came about, you cannot argue with the effect it has had. The Dutchman has transformed the squad. Just over a week ago Fulham were a slow, lazy and uninspiring team. Against Villa they were unrecognisable. They worked incredibly hard, showing the desire required to get out of any relegation scrap. It maybe early days, but Meulensteen looks to be a good important.
Simon is an NCTJ qualified sports journalist. He has conducted interviews with Tony Adams and Peter Shilton, while also having work published in The Daily Telegraph and The Sun. Follow him on Twitter via @sr_collings.
