JOK’S OVER

You have to admire the chutzpah of Shahid Khan. Lest we forget, it is less than a month since Fulham’s owner responded to reports that Slavisa Jokanovic was about to be led towards the door marked Do One by using the club’s programme to criticise “sensational and fictional headlines”, telling supporters not to “believe everything you read” and declaring that he was “equal parts amused, astonished and disappointed”. The biased MSM, it seemed, had been put in its place. Hooray! You tell ‘em, Shahid! There was no way that Fulham were going to sack the man who had led them back into the Premier League! Who was going to believe that rubbish? Eh? Eh? Anyone? Well? Oh. Oh, Shahid! How could you?

Fulham appoint Claudio Ranieri as manager after sacking Slavisa Jokanovic Read more

It did, of course, always seem that Khan was laying it on a bit thick, so it might not have come as a huge surprise to Jokanovic when he heard a cuddly Italian gentleman dilly-dinging and dilly-donging outside his office at Craven Cottage earlier on Wednesday. The Serb must have known that the writing was on the wall for a while and the kill was swift and merciless when it came, with Jokanovic out and Claudio Ranieri immediately given the task of saving Fulham from relegation. “Claudio is risk-free and ready-made for the Premier League,” Khan grinned. “His recent body of work with Leicester City is literally legendary.”

As legendary, perhaps, as a vote of confidence from Khan. But while it turns out you really can’t believe everything you read, especially if it appears in Fulham’s programme, the harsh truth is that Jokanovic can’t have too many complaints about losing his job. Fulham have picked up five points from their first 12 games, conceding 31 goals in the process, and appear to have spent the past few months watching clips of the great Derby County side of 2007-08. Their defending has been abysmal and they haven’t won a league game since August, leaving them at the foot of the table after spending £100m on 973 new players in the summer. The rot had well and truly set in.

Whether Ranieri, who has had it written into his contract that he must be referred to as “one of the game’s great characters” at every opportunity, can rescue them remains to be seen. Naturally Fulham will be hoping that he can bring the magic touch that saw him turn Wes Morgan and Danny Drinkwater into league champions in 2016 and haul them off the foot of the table. The west Londoners have acted decisively and are only three points off 17th-placed Southampton, who visit the Cottage on 24 November. Ranieri, who left Nantes at the end of last season, has a history of improving teams and will have a point to prove after how it ended at Leicester. You never know, maybe Fulham are on to something; after all, it’s not like they’ve placed their faith in Felix Magath and a block of cheese – and if it doesn’t work out, at least we can look forward to José Mourinho wearing his special CR tracksuit again.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“David McNamara has been suspended for 21 days, starting from Monday 26 November, after accepting a charge of ‘not acting in the best interests of the game’” – the FA suspends referee David McNamara for asking Manchester City captain Steph Houghton and Reading skipper Kirsty Pearce to play a game of rock, paper, scissors to decide who would kick-off their WSL match after he left his coin in the changing rooms.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Big website recreation dept brings out the big guns. Photograph: Alamy

SUPPORT THE GUARDIAN

Producing the Guardian’s thoughtful, in-depth journalism [the stuff not normally found in this email, obviously – Fiver Ed] is expensive, but supporting us isn’t. If you value our journalism, please support us. In return we can hopefully arm you with the kind of knowledge that makes you sound slightly less uninformed during those hot reactive gegenpress chats you so enjoy. And if you think what we do is enjoyable [again, etc and so on – Fiver Ed], please help us keep coming back here to give you more of the same.

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

Football Weekly, Barney Ronay, Suzanne Wrack, David Squires and Big Paper are all up for gongs at the FSF Awards. You can vote for them here.

FIVER LETTERS

“I’ve had this edition of The Fiver in my inbox since 2005. Is this the longest anyone has kept a Fiver in their inbox? I retained it as every time I read the Keegan quotes it makes the world a little sunnier” – Rob Southern.

“‘Claudio is risk-free’ says Fulham owner Shahid Khan of the man who has a win ratio greater than 50% at only three of his 15 managerial appointments. I know we all love Claudio (unless you’re Greek) but couldn’t Shahid Khan have given the job to ’Arry Redknapp instead just so we could see him managing from the jungle?” – Noble Francis.

“What? Being named an ‘Honourary Yorkshireman’ (Tuesday’s Bits and Bobs) is supposed to be an award you actually want? Can we now expect to see Gareth Southgate swapping his waistcoats for gilets (obviously with no money in his pocket); smoking a pipe and tending a ferret on the touchline?” – John Myles.

Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. And you can tweet The Fiver for a very short time, as that account is shutting down. You’ll always be able to get in touch by tweeting @guardian_sport. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’the day is … Rob Southern.

NEWS, BITS AND BOBS

Having repolished his reputation at West Ham, Marko Arnautovic wants to do one in search of Big Cup football. “He has to play for a top team,” roared his brother and Mr 15% Danijel.

Christian Pulisic fancies doing one from Dortmund too, and Chelsea have lined up first in an orderly queue.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest To Chelsea? Photograph: Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images

José Mourinho is the best coach in the world, according to Diego Maradona. “He is the best, without a doubt,” he tootled.

Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Højbjerg says at least Charlie Austin’s post-match outburst shows he cares. “Charlie was raging and of course it can be a little bit funny [but] it shows that players do care. Believe me, we care a lot,” he Parklifed.

In what is passing for news this international week: Marouane Fellaini has cut his hair for his birthday even though his birthday isn’t until next Thursday.

STILL WANT MORE?

Which team managed to wear their kit in nine different combinations across a single season? The Knowledge knows.

The Premier League wants to give Richard Scudamore £5m? Gah, goes Paul Wilson.

Quiz! Quiz! QUIZ! How much do you know about Wayne Rooney? Find out here.

La Liga can teach the Premier League a thing or two about competitiveness, parps Martin Laurence.

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg makes his second Fiver appearance of the day, courtesy of cropping up in Simon Burnton’s list of underrated Premier League players.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Composite game: upped. Composite: Getty Images, Rex/Shutterstock, PA, Action Images, Reuters

Who’s the young playmaker with the X factor at QPR? Eze, says Ben Fisher, it’s Eberechi.

Can Timothy, son of George, Weah solve USA! USA!! USA!!!’s problems? Ryan O’Hanlon has the answer.

Oh, and if it’s your thing … you can follow Big Website on Big Social FaceSpace. And INSTACHAT, TOO!