Fulham owner Shahid Khan says he never wanted to sack Martin Jol - but was forced to wield the axe after a run of six-straight defeats.

Jol's position has been under scrutiny for weeks and the Dutchman was finally given his marching orders following Saturday's 3-0 defeat against fellow strugglers West Ham United, with Rene Meulensteen placed in charge of first-team affairs.

The latest loss leaves the Cottagers in the drop zone, with just 10 points from 12 games heading into tonight's London derby against Spurs.

And Khan, writing in tonight’s matchday programme, said: “I wanted to give Martin and the club ample time to change the flow. I thought Martin and the players deserved as much.

"Unfortunately, our form continued to suffer, valuable points were lost, and signs of being able to turn our fortunes around were simply missing.

“With great disappointment, I spoke to Martin on Sunday and informed him that the time had arrived to make a change.

"Martin accepted the news with class and dignity. I was not surprised in the least — he is a good man.”

The full interview with Fulham's owner is in tonight’s match programme, on sale at Craven Cottage.