Tuesday 8 December 2015 14:47, UK
Fulham have given Stuart Gray a job as senior coach but their protracted search for a new permanent head coach goes on.
Former Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton boss Gray took Fulham training on Monday, having put himself forward as a potential successor to Kit Symons when he was sacked a month ago.
It is understood the 55-year-old has been under consideration while the Whites exhausted their list of first-choices, and they have now confirmed he will take temporary first-team charge alongside current club coach Steve Wigley.
Chief football officer Mike Rigg, who is heading the search and an overall restructure of Fulham's coaching and scouting, says Gray has been hired to solve the team's defensive problems.
And Rigg felt compelled to defend the club's drawn-out search for new first-team boss in the club's statement confirming Gray's appointment.
"We have built some solid foundations and ensuring we get the right person in for long-term success on the pitch is vital to achieve our targets," Rigg said.
"This is a scrupulous process to ensure that the person we hire full-time understands the club's aims and philosophy and can deliver for us, immediately and for the long term.
"While there has been much speculation linking us with many names, we have not and will not discuss the ongoing process, nor will we appoint someone unless they are 100% committed to the club and its future.
"Of course I can understand frustrations, not least when results do not go our way, but we are working hard to make sure we get the right appointment as soon as possible.
"In the interim, Stuart has proven coaching expertise and will enable us to stabilise the first team, and when a head coach appointment is made, he will still have a key role within the coaching system.
"He secured Sheffield Wednesday's highest finish for six years, along with a record number of clean sheets. We all know that we have suffered from defensive frailties all season and Stuart will be focusing on that straight away."
Fulham have endured a torrid time with failing managers since they dismissed Martin Jol in 2013, with both his successor Rene Meulensteen and then Felix Magath lasting less than a year in charge, and their search for a successor to Symons has gone on far longer than planned.
The club said they initially hoped to have a new man in charge over November's international break but instead saw moves for Nigel Pearson, Steve Clarke, Paul Lambert and Gary Rowett all go wrong.
Reports then emerged of an interest in Rangers boss Mark Warburton, but Sky Sports News HQ understands the Whites have never explored the idea of bringing him to Craven Cottage and Warburton declared he has no interest in a move, lambasting those reports in the process.
Fulham's U21s boss Peter Grant took the first team for the last three matches - the two 1-1 draws with MK Dons and Preston before a 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, which left them 16th in the table - and the club have confirmed he will go back to his position in the academy.
