Fulham captain Tom Cairney delivered his passionate support for caretaker manager Scott Parker this week.
Cairney’s backing provides Fulham with a serious headache, however, as the Whites may have to make an awkward decision between satisfying their star player or choosing a more pragmatic, Championship-experienced manager.
When speaking to the Telegraph this weekend, Cairney expressed his desire that Parker gets the permanent job this summer.
“I can speak on behalf of the players, and we believe in him and his methods,” Parker said. “We can only speak about now and prepare for life in the Championship, and hopefully he can take us forward.”
For many Fulham fans, Parker is a firm favourite, but his lack of experience raises questions over whether he can be the man to bring the west London outfit back to the Premier League.
The club would do well to appoint a manager who has previous experience gaining promotion, such as former Huddersfield boss David Wagner, but the vocal support of Cairney makes this prospect difficult.
Given Cairney’s public support, Fulham will feel somewhat obliged to listen to their club captain in order to keep the Scottish international at Craven Cottage next season.
But in terms of winning promotion, appointing a battle-hardened and streetwise manager is the ideal preference — putting the Whites in a tough spot come the summer.
