Felix Magath promises action after Fulham hit rock bottom
Cottagers are struggling in the second tier under Magath
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Your support makes all the difference.Felix Magath, the Fulham manager, and his Leeds counterpart Dave Hockaday have both been left needing rapid turnarounds in form by heavy defeats on Saturday.
Fulham, one of the early favourites to win promotion, suffered their fourth straight loss of the season, an insipid 5-1 rout away at Derby that left them languishing at the foot of the Championship table.
Two goals from Chris Martin and strikes from Jamie Ward, Craig Bryson, and Simon Dawkins ensured an emphatic victory for Steve McClaren’s side.
Magath insisted that he could turn around Fulham’s fortunes. He said: “I’m convinced the quality of the players is good but we are not gelling as a team at the moment. After the losses we don’t have enough confidence to show what we are able to do. I have to react to that.”
Leeds, who finished with nine men, were thrashed 4-1 at Watford. The sides went into the break level after a Gabriel Tamas own goal cancelled out Fernando Forestieri’s opener. But the home side pulled clear after the interval when Troy Deeney scored a penalty after Forestieri had been fouled by Giuseppe Bellusci. The defender was sent off and Forestieri and Daniel Tozser added a third and fourth. Leeds’ Sam Byram was then ordered off after clashing with Daniel Pudil.
Hockaday was convinced the game turned on Bellusci’s foul. “Up until then I thought we looked very, very comfortable,” he said. “I thought we were passing the ball well, frustrating them.”
Asked if Bellusci was to blame, Hockaday replied: “Yes, he knows that. I’ve told him in no uncertain terms. He’s apologised to the team for what it’s worth.
He added: “The players are taking on board the way we want to play, I think everyone can see that.”
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