Fulham: Cottagers Manager Martin Jol Sacked

By Simon Gallagher /

Just a day after he told collected reporters that he didn't know whether he would still be Fulham manager when the Cottagers play Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night, Martin Jol now has his answer, as he has been sacked by the London outfit. Asked after his side were beaten 3-0 by West Ham, Jol said: "It's not in my hands," after his side failed to register a single shot on target at Upton Park. And those important hands - which belong to American businessman Shahid Khan - have moved to remove the Dutchman from his position, with Fulham three points adrift in 17th. The side follow fellow strugglers Crystal Palace and Sunderland in making managerial changes, with the whole bottom three now heading into Christmas with different managers to the start of the term. Jol spoke to reporters after the loss to talk about the result that came at the end of an awful performance by his side: "I felt even before the game the influence of my bigger players and my captain was strong. But the last 10 minutes summed everything up. I brought Moussa Dembélé on and he pulled his hamstring for the first time in his life. It's pretty symbolic." And he acknowledged further that his position was somewhat untenable: "I have to worry, I was worried a couple of months ago. It's not from one day to the other, it's the last few months that we've been inconsistent. I've got games under my belt as a manager and I know three points can give you a totally different view. That is why we're in the bottom three. If we'd beaten West Ham they would be in the same situation." René Meulensteen, Jol's No2, has been made the bookies favourite immediately, though he doesn't have a great deal of experience as a number 1. Elsewhere Roberto Di Matteo is a 6-1 option, while Lee Clark might get a call from his former employers as a wider bet. Meanwhile, Jol found some sympathy from his West Ham counterpart yesterday, who himself is under pressure: "It's a lonely old job when you're trying to find the right solution to poor results. People don't understand what you go though because they've never experienced it. You're in a position where you take all the heat. If it's going bad it's your responsibility." Who do you think should replace Jol?