Fulham - Welcome to the New Age

Fulham have announced the departure of manager Martin Jol after the club turned down the opportunity to renew his contract.

Jol departs having guided Fulham to 12th place in the previous Premier League season. Despite only winning once in the last five games of the season, Jol had earned the respect of many fans at Craven Cottage. However, with the transfer of ownership from long-time owner Mohamed Al-Fayed to new owner Shahid Khan, Jol’s contract was never likely to be renewed, with club sources stating Khan’s plan to start afresh was key to this decision being reached.

As the search for the new manager starts, former Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo and former Manchester United assistant manager Rene Meulensteen have been made favourites for the job, with Stuart Pearce, Glenn Hoddle and Tony Pulis also in the running. Khan is set to meet with his shortlist of candidates in the coming weeks, according to rumours.

In other Fulham news, the statue of Michael Jackson, which was unveiled in April 2011 and placed outside Craven Cottage on the orders of former owner Al-Fayed, will be removed from the site, new owner Khan announced. The statue, which caused much controversy with the fans, has been put up for auction, with all proceeds going to charity.

In a surprising move, Edwin van der Sar has been appointed Fulham manager, beating out competition from Roberto Di Matteo and Rene Meulensteen to become the new man at the helm at Craven Cottage.

van der Sar, 42, has enjoyed a illustrious career with Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United, earning 130 caps for the Netherlands in the process. With this appointment by new owner Shahid Khan, van der Sar takes his first steps into management, having spent his time so far in retirement as a pundit for numerous television companies, including Sky Sports.

van der Sar's appointment has been met with a positive response from the Fulham fans, such as his status as a Fulham great, despite his lack of managerial experience. Many feel that Khan has made a bold decision in picking van der Sar to become the new manager, although it remains to been seen if it will pay off. A press conference has been scheduled in the upcoming days to officially introduce van der Sar to the media.

Edwin van der Sar was officially presented to the media as the new Fulham manager in a press conference today at Craven Cottage, with proud new owner Shahid Khan sitting alongside him.

In the press conference, van der Sar spoke in a calm and assured manner, thanking new owner Khan for appointing him to the role and praising his ambitions for the club. “I have no doubt that the new owner is acting in the best interests of the club, and together we will work together to bring as much success to Fulham as possible,” he said.

Van der Sar was asked about the squad, which is the oldest squad in terms of average age in the Premier League. Asked if he would make any changes, he replied, “Of course our squad is ageing, but it is one filled with some very experienced players. Karagounis, Berbatov, Parker, Hangeland, all these guys are still fantastic, but I will be bringing in some young players to compliment the experienced heads and hope to bring through some academy products in the process.”

Meanwhile, the new owner Khan was delighted at securing his man. “Edwin is a fantastic person to work with, his vision and passion for the club impressed me from the start and I hope he will bring great success to his club.” Khan also pledged his backing for van der Sar in the transfer market. “Whatever Edwin wants, he will have my full support and backing. The funds are there for the manager to spend.”

Van der Sar’s first game in charge of Fulham will be a pre-season friendly against St. Mirren on July 13.

Edwin van der Sar has made his first signings as Fulham manager, with defender Eric Dier and striker Mason Bennett joining the club.

Dier, 19, joins from Sporting Lisbon for £3 million, with a burgeoning reputation. Having moved to Portugal at an early age, England U-21 international Dier worked his way through Sporting’s famous academy system, before making his first team breakthrough last season, making fourteen appearances. Dier, who has been compared to Tony Adams, stated his delight at making the move. “It is a great pleasure to sign for the club. I feel that I am ready to take the next step in my career and elevate my game to the next level.”