Those of us who saw the appointment of Tigana as a gamble, wondering whether so distinguished a coach and former player with no English and no English experience could succeed with what was then a moderate group of players, have been happily proved wrong.
When Tigana brought in a couple of French assistants, the experienced coach, Christian Damiano, and the physical trainer, Robert Propos, previously with Marseille and Paris St Germain, and recalled Fulham's players a fortnight early for pre-season training, one wondered whether there might be a culture clash. Instead, the Fulham players, shrewdly reinforced by Tigana with several new faces besides Saha, took cheerfully to the demanding new regime; a more disciplined diet, more work in the gymnasium.
Their quantum of fat was regularly monitored. And when Damiano, to his astonishment, saw an employee going round the training ground doling out biscuits and fruit juice to the players, he put a stop to it. "The lads understood, as they are people very respectful of advice. It's enough to tell them once," Damiano said.
"Jean leaves nothing to chance, and everything he says is taken as gospel. He wants to get the whole club behind him. Here, the manager is the most feared and respected man in the club. He is at the cutting edge of every decision. He's the 'big boss', a sort of conductor of the orchestra. He must master everything. There's a fundamental respect for him. Moreover, the fact that it is Tigana makes everything easier. And in England, with the accumulation of good results, he is a real star."
Tigana is 45. Born in Mali, he was a relatively late starter in French football, playing for Toulon, Lyon, whom he would later manage, Bordeaux and Marseille.
He won a gold medal when France won the European championship in Paris in 1984 and championship medals in France on five occasions. In addition, he played 52 times for France from 1980-88. As a manager, he won the French championship with Monaco in 1997, which made his eventual departure no doubt the more bitter an experience.
Tigana has said that when he took over the club, he did not initially want to change too many players in the squad, for fear of causing confusion. Subsequently, his wheeling and dealing have been effective and he has revived the careers of players such as the Portuguese attacker, Luis Boa Morte, discarded first by Arsenal, then by Southampton. He clearly has an eye for a bargain. There has been none of the spectacular spending of his predecessor, Kevin Keegan.
"What surprises me most," said Tigana, "is the behaviour and the discipline of my players. They work harder than the French on the field. There is a real desire to make progress. That's why I am always ready to do what I ask them to do. For example, when I put on a couple of kilos, I immediately go on a diet.
"The coach is there to show the way. What happens on the field represents no more than 60% of the play. One must pay attention to the rest, to one's life outside. Above all, in a slightly crazy championship of 46 matches I want my lads to learn where to put themselves on the field. Movement is the secret of modern football. My philosophy was to begin with the squad I have and to show them that with a lot of application and work, we could change things.
"As for pressure, I'm used to it. In France, too, my presidents were always asking me to win. Mr al-Fayed [Mohamed al-Fayed, the club's owner] is no exception. From that point of view, I don't worry. What matters to me is to work from morning to night to achieve my goals. After that, I need have no regrets. If I have chosen to come to Fulham, it's to discover the Premiership. I am convinced there are fabulous things to be built here."
Source the sunday times