Lost among Fulham’s consequences of Saturday’s result at Upton Park was West Ham’s performance, a ecisive victory for a Hammers side that came into the weekend within reach of the drop. Instead of being pulled into that mire, Sam Allardyce’s team found three second half goals, Ravel Morrison coming off the bench to play a part in the final two as West Ham went on to win 3-0. Had the Hammers faltered against the wayward Cottagers, Allardyce’s pressure may have shifted from one manager to the other.
Instead, this weekend’s headline moment was the last chapter in Martin Jol’s tenure at Fulham, one that ends after just over two years in charge at Craven Cottage. Though his time on the River Thames started well, Jol’s initial lumps taken with the purpose of changing the way Fulham had played under Mark Hughes, the Dutchman’s time with with the Cottagers ends with the team adrift, neither coach nor squad showing the type of urgency that would see them out of the drop.
Finally compelled to move from Jol, Fulham’s responsible for this weekend’s headline moment, with Cottagers hoping Rene Meulensteen will bring some fight to a team being too comfortable with their place in the league’s bottom three.