But the Croatian boss did not have the required permit to begin his work so he sat alongside the club's analysts for the 0-0 draw at Craven Cottage.
Juric was animated as he talked through his assessments during the clash, which harboured only a sixth Premier League point this season.
His official first match as Saints manager will come on Boxing Day when West Ham visit St Mary's - what lessons will Juric have learnt?
New Saints manager Ivan Juric is sat just to the right of our press box.#SaintsFC pic.twitter.com/hEzH1FUPDs
— Alfie House (@AlfieHouseEcho) December 22, 2024
Despite their record, Saints can be a solid defence this season
Only Wolves have conceded more goals than Saints this season and that statistic is one of the reasons why Juric is in charge now in the first place.
He has been tasked by the club with making the team a tighter unit and more difficult to beat, plugging the endless drip of costly mistakes.
Under interim boss Rusk, Saints took a change of approach than seen with Martin and, for three of the four halves Saints played, it yielded results.
Saints kept only their second clean sheet in the Premier League this season at Craven Cottage, with goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale among those to thank.
Juric deployed almost exclusively three-at-the-back formations during his managerial spells in Italy and, upon latest viewing, will believe he has the tools.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis can deliver the characteristic interchange on the right, Jan Bednarek is a steely defensive leader and Nathan Wood an emerging talent.
The three should start together on the Hammers and they give both Juric and Saints fans reason to be optimistic about their defensive numbers.
Nathan Wood has impressed this monthNathan Wood has impressed this month (Image: PA)
Saints need a certain profile to alleviate pressure on their backline
Unsurprisingly, Saints attempted more long passes against Fulham (41) than they did in any other Premier League match this season.
However, their success rate of 56.1 per cent fell below their average (59.2) while they also recorded their third-lowest success rate of final third passes.
It was refreshing to watch Saints just clear their lines under pressure, having been subjected to a catalogue of error after error during Martin's tenure.
But the ultimate result was that the ball just kept coming straight back, forcing Saints into more defensive duels than almost any other match.
Under Juric, Saints will have clearly defined patterns of build-up will be varied and goalkeeper-to-striker was a frequently explored passing combination.
Paul Onuachu is currently the only real aerial threat that Saints possess and it could be something they assess in the transfer market.
Until then, he must work on ensuring the Nigerian striker is available for selection whether that is a tactical tweak or simply a focus on his fitness.
As a side note, Juric may also dedicate some of his goalkeeping coach's time to kicking with Aaron Ramsdale, despite his man-of-the-match status.
Only two of his seven attempted balls into the final third connected and a handful ended up going straight into the Craven Cottage stands.
Saints lack physicality at the top end of the pitchSaints lack physicality at the top end of the pitch (Image: PA)
At least one January decision should be revisited ahead of the window
Under Martin, it looked as though Chelsea loanee Lesley Ugochukwu heading for the exit door next month was a dead certainty.
The 20 year old had played 70 minutes in the league since September and was left out of Martin's last four squads before his sacking.
Ugochukwu briefly scrubbed all mention of Saints from his social media and Martin said: "He wasn't in the squad at Brighton and knows the reason why."
The Frenchman was then not in Rusk's squad for the cup match against Liverpool but initiated a potential resurgence in the clash at Fulham.
Ugochukwu came on to play for over half an hour in the capital, touching the ball nearly as many times as his predecessor Joe Aribo did in an hour.
Juric watched on as Ugochukwu helped Saints transition swiftly between defence and attack, where Aribo had failed to make an impact.
Should Juric play a system similar to any he deployed with Torino and Roma, it will mean he starts with two central midfielders - requiring athleticism.
Flynn Downes probably remains a shoo-in but unless a replacement is easily found, Ugochukwu's usefulness should be reconsidered.
While his initial performances were poor, a new manager means a new slate and any tensions previously bubbling under the surface are irrelevant.
Lesley Ugochukwu is a midfield optionLesley Ugochukwu is a midfield option (Image: PA)
A new solution must be found to scoring goals if they are to stand a chance
While Juric's first official game in charge may bring tweaks, the shape Rusk started in at Fulham is probably not miles off what the Croat has in mind.
Mateus Fernandes, Tyler Dibling, and a number nine will likely make up the attack, with the former two potentially in floating 10-wide roles.
Armstrong played 87 minutes but touched the ball just twice in the Fulham box on Sunday, taking the side's only shot on target with one.
It should make plain and simple the fact that, for all of what he brings to the team, Saints will not be able to survive with Armstrong leading the line.
The 27-year-old has two Premier League goals this season, taking his career total to six from 82 matches in the top flight - a staggering stat.
Fernandes and Dibling are the team's creative hub and highest-value assets, but they, too, can boast only one league goal apiece this campaign.
Cameron Archer also has two in the league, as does Aribo. Nobody can be expected to hit double figures bar a miraculous run of form.
Juric will set out to make Saints hard to score past as an incredible 18 of his 27 league wins at Torino between 2022-2024 came to nil.
But for that clean sheet to mean three points, Saints still have to find a way to score. They are currently the league's lowest scorers with 11 in 17.
Saints need to add more regular goalsSaints need to add more regular goals (Image: PA)